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quite unhappy with Sharon’s withdrawal from Gaza and with his successors’ decisions to end wars against Hezbollah and Hamas over the past decade without achieving decisive military victories. Unlike AIPAC, neocons almost always think they know better.
This has changed somewhat since Netanyahu took power in 2009 and especially since the 2013 elections, which resulted in the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. Bibi has had a very close relationship with key neocons since the 1980s when he was based here as a diplomat in the U.S. and neoconservatives got their first real taste of power under Reagan. Their worldviews are very similar. Still, there have been differences. Although most neocons have been calling for regime change in Syria through covert or direct U.S. military action, Bibi has wanted the civil war there to go on and on for as long as possible. And although neocons, who have long viewed Moscow as a dangerous adversary, have urged a harder line against Russia over Crimea and Ukraine, Bibi has maintained a discreet silence and enjoys a business-like, if not cordial, relationship with Putin.
So, Manicheanism, moral exceptionalism, a benevolent Pax Americana backed up by huge military budgets, Israel’s security—these are all central to the neoconservative worldview.
It’s often said that neocons are Wilsonians devoted to the spread of democracy and liberal values. I think this is way overplayed. I agree with Zbigniew Brzezinski who has sometimes observed that when neoconservatives talk about democratization, they usually mean destabilization.
Some neocons, notably Bob Kagan, are indeed sincerely committed to democracy promotion and human rights. But his is a minority view, as demonstrated most recently in the case of Egypt where, like Netanyahu, most influential neocons greatly appreciate President Sisi and want Washington to do more to help him. And, like Bibi, most neocons think a de facto alliance between Israel and the region’s Sunni autocrats who have led the counter-revolution against the Arab Spring, would be the cat’s pajamas. Indeed, most neocons have historically always had a soft spot for what they used to call “friendly authoritarians.” And when was the last time you heard neoconservatives advocate for full human rights for Palestinians, let alone their right to national self-determination, unless it is to be exercised in what is now Jordan? In any event, their record over the past 40 years suggests that their devotion to democracy depends entirely on the circumstances.
Leaders and Coalitions
Two final notes about neocons. First, this is a movement with no single recognized leader or politburo. Yes, they work together quite closely and coordinate their messaging to create very effective echo chambers. But they also often have differences of opinion over tactics and sometimes over real substance. Some neocons, like Frank Gaffney (a top Ted Cruz adviser) and Daniel Pipes, actively promote Islamophobia, for example, while others, such as Kagan and Reuel Gerecht, disdain it. There are soft neocons like David Brooks of The New York Times and hard neocons like Bret Stephens at The Wall Street Journal. In other words, the movement is not monolithic, except in the core elements I outlined above.
Second, neocons have been admirably nimble in creating tactical alliances with very different political forces to achieve their ends. In the mid-1970s, they worked with aggressive nationalists like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld to derail Kissinger’s efforts at détente with Moscow. Under Jimmy Carter, they brought the Christian Right, despite the clear anti-Semitism of some of its leaders, into that coalition. (As Irving Kristol explained: “it’s their theology, but it’s our Israel.”) That broader coalition helped propel Reagan to victory in 1980.
Then, alienated by George H.W. Bush’s pressure on Israel to halt settlement activity and enter into serious peace talks after the Gulf War, many neocons opted for Clinton—and, by the mid-1990s, allied with liberal internationalists in pressing him to intervene in the Balkans over Republican opposition. By 2000, however, they had reconstituted the old Reagan coalition of aggressive nationalists and the Christian Right, and, after 9/11, they led the charge, along with Rumsfeld and Cheney, into Iraq.
Less than a decade later, however, they were back with the liberal interventionists on Libya and Syria. And now some of them, like Kagan and Max Boot, are warning they may back Hillary this year, especially if Trump—whose comments about the Iraq war and even-handedness between Israel and the Palestinians have made them very uneasy, if not outright hostile—gets the Republican nomination.
Indeed, it’s quite possible that we may see something similar this year to what happened nearly a quarter century ago when the neocons ditched Bush in favor of Bill in hopes of sustaining global interventionism and Israel.
Conference on Israel’s Influence: Jim Lobe
Photo of Bill Kristol by Gage Skidmore via Flickr
This piece is adapted from a talk given at a March 18 conference on Israel’s influence co-sponsored by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRMEP) at the National Press Club.If you think about it, there isn’t a strong logical reason for a man to prefer heels on women. While it has a good aesthetic in revealing the outline of a woman’s foot, it doesn’t show more skin, and the heels also don’t perk up the ass as much as you think (try it yourself in the mirror by lifting your heels a couple inches. So why do heels appeal to men such as myself?
Because it makes women appear weak and defenseless. It brings out the masculine nature of men who want to protect women.
If a lion emerges from the jungle and there are two women in front of you—one in running shoes and one in heels, who will you instinctively help first? The woman in heels can not run away, so you must swoop her up and take her to safety. The woman in sneakers can probably make it on her own. Anything that makes a woman unable to protect herself will trigger the primitive area in a masculine man’s brain to save her, for in ancestral times men had to actively protect their families to ensure their survival.
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Every now and then I run into a man who doesn’t care at all for heels. These men may be smart, and they may get laid, but they’re not masculine. There is a weak urge in their core to be a protector and defender. They’re completely content with a woman who wears dirty Converse shoes and can protect herself.
In countries with masculine men, you will find the bulk of women in heels—women who are thin and fragile, who have long, impractical hair and nails that don’t help them in the case the lion makes his appearance. To feel masculine and strong, these foreign men demand their women appear feminine and “weak.” In the United States, however, the women want to feel masculine and strong. That leaves only one remaining role for the men, a role that I hope you are not filling.
Read Next: The Perfect Woman: Heelsplus-circle Add Review
comment Reviews
Reviewer: lyredragon - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 11, 2014
Subject: Listen to history happening
That's pretty thrilling. In the middle of tales about atomics and ro-bits and missions to the moon.
I love listening to these tales. Some of them are really stark. 23:00 on #12 and at the beginning of #13 you can hear a news broadcast cut away as America enters the Korean war 50-06-24 and 50-07-01.That's pretty thrilling. In the middle of tales about atomics and ro-bits and missions to the moon.I love listening to these tales. Some of them are really stark. - June 11, 2014Listen to history happening
Reviewer: Ripcord - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 15, 2013
Subject: Dimension X authors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension_X Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Fredric Brown, Robert A. Heinlein, Murray Leinster, H. Beam Piper, Frank M. Robinson, Clifford D. Simak, William Tenn, Jack Vance, Kurt Vonnegut, Jack Williamson and Donald A. Wollheim. Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts adapted most of the stories and also provided original scripts. - November 15, 2013Dimension X authors
Reviewer: Dungarees2 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 1, 2010
Subject: An excellent radio series Dimension X and X Minus one, are probably the two best science fiction shows to be on what we now consider old time radio, in part because they were were well written, well crafted, well performed, as well as being first. Lesser shows could have reduced science fiction to a footnote in the history of old time radio. Yes, there were occasional weak episodes, but that was more in the sense they were weak against the high standard they set for themselves, not weak against other science fiction series. The writing for both series wasn't as strong as, say, Frontier Gentleman or Gunsmoke, or possibly The Great Gildersleeve, Jack Benny or Barry Craig because those shows had a continuing cast which you could relate to. And, there was an overlap of episodes. But, for those with the adventure of mind and imagination that only science fiction can bring to mind, travel to space and the future, even as dated as some of the shows may be, they were almost as good (and to many people, better) than curling in a corner with the latest paperback or monthly magazine of featuring the same story.
The bad part of science fiction, of course, is that ever since 1969, no one can ever write about what it will be like to land on the moon... Still, these stories and performances stand the test of time. - December 1, 2010An excellent radio series
Reviewer: madasaboxoffrogs - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 30, 2010
Subject: Dimension X Loved it down loaded half of them at the Library and rusged back the next day to get the rest. I must up load “Journey into Space” also from the 50's and at 20 episodes per story it seems to happen in real time in “The Red Planet” they get to Mars until episode 10!
As Dim X is a weekly show how come Wheaty's Week lasts for three episodes? Listening to them one after another it felt like the Wheaty people where trying to take over my mind – eat them at 7, still spewing at 11. - September 30, 2010Dimension X
Reviewer: fleabag2 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 23, 2010
Subject: Future tense? I admit that I don't have all of these episodes, but it's funny when you stop to think about it, that the producers of this 1950's radio program considered that "future tense" (at least in some of the episodes that I have) only extended as far ahead as the 1990's (this is 2010), and many of them have some sort of apocalyptic-gloom-and-doom ending as their theme, none of which, of course, has happened in real life. Having said that, it sounds sort of like all this talk about "global warming", although I don't claim to be a science expert. - September 23, 2010Future tense?
Reviewer: nousforseti - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 23, 2010
Subject: great series So far I've gotten through about half the episodes, and I can safely say that this is an excellent series. I specially like episode 13. It's an almost perfect prediction of the internet and modern computers.
On an interesting side note: episode 12 and 13 are interrupted by a news bulletin about the start of the Korean war. - August 23, 2010great seriesDo Ben Bernanke and I live on different planets? "For a lot of people," he said during a speech at Fort Bliss, "I know it doesn't feel like the recession ever ended." For what people exactly, Dr. Bernanke, does it seem like it did end? Study after study after study show that, if you are not lucky enough to be in the top 10% of our society (and certainly not a shade of Johnson's "Great Society" anymore) then you are pretty much f*cked - and, no, there's not a nicer way to put it.
Fortunately, we had complete confidence in Bernanke's incompetence. We were HOPING (not a valid investing strategy) that we'd get some QE3 but, If not – well, Hell hath no fury like a market disappointed.
Clearly, as you can see from David Fry's SPY chart - I was not overselling the point. Bernanke and the Fed are of the opinion that 10% unemployment is within their mandate of "promoting full employment" and don't see the need to take action? Let's have a little review of how good the Fed Chairman has been as a prognosticator for our economy as he enters his 7th year at the Fed:
Scary, isn't it? I think those lyrics sum it up better than me ranting about what an idiot this man is. Can our economic engine survive a Fed Chairman who is asleep at the switch?
This economy, the whole Global Economy, in fact, has the potential to go off a cliff between now and the next Fed meeting (Jan 25th) but, rather than put the brakes on our downward spiral or at least nudge us in a different direction - Ben would rather wait until we're falling off that cliff at 32 feet per second squared to take action - risking the possibility that it may no longer be possible to "fix" things if our downhill slide begins to gain momentum.
We didn't wait for Ben to screw us over, fortunately - we were already deeply concerned about the Global Economy and had gone back to "Cashy and Cautious" last week. Now that our hopes of QE3 and a Santa Rally are dashed on the rocks. What catalyst can we expect as Europe has done whatever it is that it did and China and Japan did their things and Ben did his thing (which is nothing) so - now what?
Now the attention turns back to the data, back to the Fundamentals and the Fundamentals are NOT sound. Not at all. My prior bullishness on the Fundamentals included the expectations of an injection of QE3, without new money coming in from somewhere - we can expect those Must Hold lines to begin to look more like the top off a 10% lower range.
It's all about the Dollar, of course but, if Europe is easing and China is easing and Japan is doing whatever they are doing - then doesn't that make the Dollar relatively stronger and, if the Dollar is stronger, then commodities are lower and, if commodities are lower - then won't that drag down the commodity sectors and won't they, in turn drag down the S&P and, in turn, the Nasdaq, Dow, NYSE and Russell?
That's all Fundamentals are - follow the money. Or, in this case, thanks to the Fed - the lack of it.Insider Exclusive: ULA’s Tony Taliancich talks NASA’s EFT-1 and the Delta IV Heavy
SpaceFlight Insider's Jason Rhian sat down with United Launch Alliance's Tony Taliancich to find out more about the EFT-1 mission that his company will be sending aloft in December. Photo Credit: Mike Howard / SpaceFlight Insider
Jason Rhian
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — The biggest NASA mission of the year is about three months away from lifting off. SpaceFlight Insider conducted an exclusive interview with the company which is at the forefront of making it happen. Colorado-based United Launch Alliance’s (ULA ) Director of East Coast Launch Operations, Tony Taliancich, sat down with SpaceFlight Insider for a discussion about NASA’s Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) mission and the ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket that will carry it out come December 2014.
The Horizontal Integration Facility or “HIF” is the current residence of the massive trio of Common Booster Cores (CBCs) that will comprise this particular Delta IV Heavy. Located at Cape Canaveral Station, the structure resembles many of the hangars and buildings located at the Cape and the adjacent Kennedy Space Center – that is until you get inside. Looming over visitors are the three CBC’s which will used to start this mission on its way out of Earth’s atmosphere – and into the black.
Taliancich came in with his trademarked broad grin and welcomed SFI to the HIF. He relayed how, while the general flight of the Delta IV Heavy with EFT-1 might appear to be the same as the seven prior launches of the massive rocket – there would be some specific differences.
“There were some unique mission integration challenges as we went through the process of preparing the Delta IV Heavy for EFT-1,” Taliancich said. “However, overall, this is the same booster that we have launched in the past.”
Video courtesy of SpaceFlight Insider with elements provided by United Launch Alliance
The Delta IV Heavy is an expendable booster, the largest of the Delta IV family of launch vehicles. First taking to the skies in 2004, the Delta IV Heavy is currently the world’s highest capability rocket. The Heavy iteration of the Delta IV, is, in many ways, three rockets in one as it is comprised of three Delta IV CBCs. Much like the space shuttle’s Solid Rocket Boosters, these are jettisoned after they have expended their fuel and have done their part in p0wering massive payloads out of Earth’s gravity well (this normally takes place at a little more than four minutes into the flight).
Each Delta IV Heavy has a mass of some 1,615,988 lbs (733,000 kilograms) at liftoff. The normal version of the booster stands some 236 feet (72 meters) tall, 16 feet (five meters) in diameter and can send payloads weighing 63,470 lbs (28,790 kg) to low-Earth orbit and 31,350 lbs (14,220 kg) to a geostationary transfer orbit.
As noted, EFT-1 will see a flight test article of NASA’s new crew-rated spacecraft, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. ULA’s Delta IV Heavy will use its impressive capabilities to set the spacecraft on a two-orbit journey around the Earth. Orion will venture some 3,600 miles (5,794 kilometers) away from the planet. This is further than any other crew-rated spacecraft has traveled since the end of the Apollo era more than four decades ago.
Having completed these two circuits, Orion will then be directed to return home. It will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at the blistering speed of some 20,000 miles per hour (32,187 kilometers). This maiden voyage will mark Orion’s trial-by-fire and is meant to serve as the rebirth of U.S. deep space exploration efforts. For their part, NASA program managers have stated that this mission is important to the overall effort of having Orion become the spacecraft that the space agency will use to send crews to destinations such as an asteroid and Mars.
“We’re looking forward to testing our plan, our concept in space in December,” said Mark Geyer, NASA’s Orion Program Manager. “…I wouldn’t be anywhere else when the time comes around.”
Welcome to Spaceflight Insider! Be sure to follow us on Facebook: Spaceflight Insider as well as on Twitter at: @SpaceflightInsFor 16 years, car immobilisers have kept car thieves at bay – but that may now be changing
AFTER a 16-year decline, car theft in Germany rose in 2009, according to figures released recently by the German Insurance Association. One “white hat” hacker, who probes security systems to flag up flaws that can then be patched, thinks he knows why. Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs in Berlin, Germany, has identified vulnerabilities in the engine immobilisers used to protect modern cars from theft.
A device fitted within the key fob of a modern car broadcasts an encrypted radio signal to the car as the driver starts the vehicle. If the signal is recognised by the car’s receiver, it responds by sending an encrypted signal to the engine control unit (ECU), which allows the car to start. If the driver tries using the incorrect car key fob, the ECU locks down the engine.
For over a decade, immobilisers have played a crucial role in reducing car theft, says Nohl. But the proprietary encryption keys used to transmit data between the key fob, receiver and engine are so poorly implemented on some cars (see “Castles built on sand”) that they are readily cracked, Nohl told the Embedded Security in Cars conference, in Bremen, Germany, last month.
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Last year he took just 6 hours to uncover the algorithm used to create the encryption key in a widely used immobiliser – the Hitag 2 made by Dutch firm NXP Semiconductors – making it easy to “de-immobilise” any car using that algorithm. And in 2005 Ari Juels of RSA Labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, took under an hour to crack an encryption system sold by US technology firm Texas Instruments.
It took just 6 hours to reveal the algorithm used to create the encryption key in a popular immobiliser
Juels says that these cracks were possible because the proprietary algorithms that the firms use to encode the cryptographic keys shared between the immobiliser and receiver, and receiver and engine do not match the security offered by openly published versions such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) adopted by the US government to encrypt classified information. Furthermore, in both cases the encryption key was way too short, says Nohl. Most cars still use either a 40 or 48-bit key, but the 128-bit AES – which would take too long to crack for car thieves to bother trying – is now considered by security professionals to be a minimum standard. It is used by only a handful of car-makers.
“To our knowledge the direct causal link between the failure to adopt AES systems and the rise in car theft cannot be drawn,” says Thomas Rudolph of NXP. And a Texas Instruments spokesperson argues that in some cases the firm’s proprietary cryptographic systems have been shown to be stronger than AES.
Nevertheless, both NXP and Texas Instruments say they have been phasing out their shorter encryption key systems, and both now offer 128-bit AES.
Convincing car-makers to adopt the new systems remains a challenge, says Juels. He thinks they still believe hacking is a minor problem compared with more direct ways of stealing cars. “The reaction we got was that it would be cheaper to use a flatbed truck.”
Castles built on sand Karsten Nohl’s assessment of dozens of car makes and models found weaknesses in the way immobilisers are integrated with the rest of the car’s electronics. The immobiliser unit should be connected securely to the vehicle’s electronic engine control unit, using the car’s internal data network. But these networks often use weaker encryption than the immobiliser itself, making them easier to crack. What’s more, one manufacturer was even found to use the vehicle ID number as the supposedly secret key for this internal network. The VIN, a unique serial number used to identify individual vehicles, is usually printed on the car. “It doesn’t get any weaker than that,” Nohl says.It wasn't just the hot tub that was steamy, a Kelowna homeowner discovered after returning to find someone had been partying in the back yard — the interlopers caught in full flagrante delicto by the property's security camera.
Police were called Tuesday by the owners of the home in the 1900 block of McDougall St. who reported a case of trespass, mischief and theft.
According to police, the video shows a man and a woman peering through the windows of the home before climbing into the hot tub, where they "consumed alcohol, smoked cigarettes and engaged in physical relations".
The footage also shows the pair attempting to steal an electronic device, police say.
Kelowna RCMP said Friday that they have identified one of the suspects — an 18-year-old male — and that the investigation is ongoing.Anonymous 10/11/17 (Wed) 20:54:46 cdf138 No.10740483
>>10740268
It's quite surprising how so many people miss this information. Look for the sources and redpill yourself on it.
The city of Rome alone had 28 public libraries, besides many private ones set by writers, priests and aristocrats like Lucullus (some of which were reported to have over 30.000 works on all sorts of subjects). Most cities in the Hellenistic world had a library building (and they had cities from Spain to Bactria and India) - just like many had forums, theatres, stadia, odeons and gymnasiums (where every Greek man exercised for about one hour every day) who were maintained either by the state or by charitable endownment. Philosophical schools were abound all across ancient Greece, with Epicurean and Stoic lodges being as prolific as mistery religions - and there were all sorts of other schools - mathematics, philology, theurgy, the big medical school at Pergamun (where Medicine was interlinked with the Gods and taught in a holistic way, the works of their great masters like Galen being preserved, sometimes by jewish doctors). The Library of the Serapeum alone (destroyed in 385) had so many scrolls, ancient writers estimated it from between 200.000 to 700.000, and the Library of Alexandria was even bigger and there were famously big librariES in Athens, Rhodes, Pergamon, Ephesus and Antioch (all, but one, destroyed by christians)
The first non-christian library opened in medieval Europe was done by Cosimo de Medici, during the Renaissance, in the 1400's. The church could have opened many libraries all across - but they never chose to, preferring to keep the "gentiles" away from all literature, even reading of the bible was forbidden. Books and ancient knowledge was seen as sinful, all literaly works were confined to monasteries and consisted of church propaganda on theology and history - mathematics was only kept to determine the date of Easter - even Hygiene was seen as sinful, with the only extent Roman Baths being in the East. They burned all books that did not follow the church doctrine - not just that, they didn't care, they burned entire libraries because these were not the words of God - thousands of fanatic monks, many of them jewish, coptic or arabic, coming out of the desert, where they lived ascetically, to destroy all public structures. We only have acess to texts from Arabic, Jewish and Persian sources which were only reached by Europeans after the Crusades. It's no "myth" that sandniggers kept these texts and translated them, they're not "advanced" because of it, it's just that Europeans were (((deliberatelly))) subject to terrorism and the destruction of their culture. I will try to post the sources when I find it, but I read an estimate that as much as 18.000 (!) libraries were burned just in the Roman Empire - and that was just part of the destruction christians did, they activelly destroyed or desecrated all statues they found (vandalized them or turned them into plaster) - the few ones we found were in ruined places. All Temples and ancient graves were caniballized and turned into churches when not outright destroyed - they even set up laws punishing people with DEATH for even looking at the ruins of ancient temples (and Judaism was the only recognized non-state religion).
And the Celts and others did not have libraries, the Druids, for instance, were forbidden to write down their teachings, as it would harm their memory and allow them to be deturped. The biggest crime of Christianity, perhaps, was the destruction of the Oral Legends and Skalds in Europe (who had to be kept in hiddance - in societies like the Jeaunes Floraix) - they deturped many of these stories as "devil worship", "goats in the forest", "evil dwarfs" and what not, writing false propaganda books (which they had the monopoly of doing) to defamate them and calling them supersitions - torturing and murdering people, mostly woman, who kept these traditions alive, even though many of these myths were in some form adopted by the church in the form of Saint Worship and what not (see pic related, you think this is some Middle-eastern abrahamic tradition with a fucking moon over there? There is no such thing as "monotheism" or "polytheism" - there is only (((one))) group of people intresting in others believing this distinction as anything more than different facets of the truth - and these people don't believe in it - it's a psy-op),or else the church would face complete irrelevance and foreigness among the local population. Our ancestors had knowledge of God and worshiped it, but it was taken from them by the (((Christians))) who started a "Dark Age" (and not just because of the collapse of the Roman Empire - that is a metaphysical term).
Sorry for the de-railing, but that is quite the purpose of the thread. I could talk more, but I think you get the point. Lurk moar, search this stuff yourself…by Steve Silverman
There have been shortages of many things throughout history – oil, rubber, coffee, medicine, and so on. Yet, one of the most interesting shortages – the shortage of toilet paper – was one that should never have occurred.
Before telling this unusual story, let’s first take a quick look at the history of toilet paper.
Obviously, toilet paper has not been around forever. We can be pretty sure that the caveman did not stop at his local Mega-superstore to pick up a case pack of Charmin. In fact, Since humans are the only animals that have the dexterity to actually wipe themselves after each defecation, it is currently believed that the original material used for cleaning (to put it politely) was leaves and sticks.
Of course, where you lived help determine the material of choice. Mussel shells were very popular in coastal regions prior to toilet paper’s popularity (approx. 1900). If you were lucky enough to be raised on the Hawaiian islands, you may have used good old coconut shells. If you were born into royalty, like Louis XIV, you would have used wool or lace for added comfort.
In India and the Arab world, the most popular tool to use today (not that I have witnessed this) is the hand – the left hand to be specific. Of course, they cleanse their hands after this dirty deed. Many Arabs consider the Western practice of using paper to be disgusting – they feel that you always leave a residue by following this practice. They can’t see how paper can actually get you perfectly clean.
Some historians consider this the reason why we shake with our right hands – because traditionally the left hand was the dirty hand!
Islamic tradition prescribes that you should wipe with stones or clods of earth, rinse with water, and finally dry with linen cloth. Pious men actually carry clods of earth in their turbans and carry small pitchers of water solely for this purpose. These men traditionally blot the end of their penis with pebbles or clods of earth. Others blot against a wall, which gave rise to a practical joke among the non-Muslims living around the Eastern Mediterranean – they dusted the outdoor walls at penis level with good old ground hot pepper. Ouch!
In ancient Rome, all public toilets had a sponge attached to the end of a stick which soaked in a bucket of brine (salty water). The rich used wool and rosewater.
During the late Middle Ages, the French invented the bidet for rinsing of both sexes (clearly, the original models did not have modern plumbing). During WWI, British and American troops found these devices in the brothels that they frequented, leading them to assume that they were only used by women for vaginal douching. In other words, men no longer use them.
The material of choice among colonial America was corn cobs. When daily newspapers became commonplace in the 1700’s, paper became the material of choice (I guess that one could say that Gutenberg’s printing press caused the toilet paper revolution). Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) wrote in a letter to his son that one should always carry with them a cheap copy of the Latin poets so that he would have something educational to read while on the pot, as well as having a good use for each page after reading it (This is not a quote, just a story). This lead to a major problem in England – the landscape was littered with paper – they didn’t have modern sewers to take the stuff away from our sight.
In the late 19th century, the Sears catalog became popular in rural America. People simply hung it up on a nail and had a free supply of 100’s of pages of absorbent, uncoated paper. Corn cobs were still holding as a strong second place contender, however. Use of the Sears catalog declined in the 1930’s due to the fact that they started printing on glossy, clay-coated paper. Many people complained to Sears about this glossy paper (Can you imagine writing a letter to Sears: Dear Sir, I want to register a complaint about your new glossy catalog paper. It is no longer soft and absorbent…).
The first actual paper produced for wiping was in England in 1880. They were individual squares sold in boxes, not rolls. This paper was very coarse – the type the British prefer today. Americans like the soft, fluffy type, which was introduced in 1907. The original American product was sort of like crepe paper, if you remember that stuff from kindergarten.
To make this background information complete, we need some statistics. I should warn you that these statistics are a bit grotesque and are based on a sample population of 106 people.
Here we go:
The average tear is 5.90 sheets of TP.
44% wipe from front to back from behind their backs.
60% look at the paper after they wipe.
42% fold, 33% crumple, 8% do both fold and crumple, 6% wrap it around their hands.
50% say that they have wiped with leaves.
8% have wiped with their hands.
2% have wiped with money!
Which finally brings us back to our lead story – The Great Toilet Paper Shortage!
It actually all started as a joke. Johnny Carson was doing his typical NBC Tonight Show monologue on December 19, 1973.
Heeeere’s Johnnnnnny….
Of course, Johnny, like most talk show hosts, had a staff that helped write his monologue. His writers had heard earlier in the day about a Wisconsin congressman named Harold Froehlich. Froelich claimed that the federal government was falling behind in getting bids to supply toilet paper and that “The United States may face a serious shortage of toilet tissue within a few months”.
His writers decided to include a joke based on this quote in Carson’s monologue. He said “You know what’s disappearing from the supermarket shelves? Toilet paper. There’s an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States.”
Too bad they couldn’t see the consequence of this statement. You may not be aware if you are young, but the early 1970’s was a time of shortages – oil in particular. The next morning, many of the 20 million television viewers ran to the supermarket and bought all the toilet paper they could find. By noon, most of the stores were out of stock! Stores tried to ration the stuff, but they couldn’t keep up with demand.
Johnny Carson went on the air several nights later and explained that there was no shortage and apologized for scaring the public. Unfortunately, people saw all the empty shelves in the stores, so the stampede continued.
Scott Paper showed video of their plants in full production to the public and asked them to stay calm – there was no shortage. The video was of little help. The panic fed itself and continued.
They finally got the shelves restocked three weeks later and the shortage was over. It is the only time in American history that the consumer actually created a major shortage (I don’t think that the “shortage” of Barbie or Power Ranger dolls at Christmas time could be classified as a real shortage!).
And to think that it all started as a joke.
Useless? Useful? I’ll leave that for you to decide.Emily Heist Moss shares what goes through your mind when you find out your ex is HIV-positive.
An email arrives from an old friend with the name of your ex-boyfriend in the subject line. In the body of the email, just this: “I’m totally shocked. When was the last time you talked to him?” You sigh, what now? Is he getting married? Having a baby? You head to Facebook, the one-stop shop for dirt on old flames. No wedding announcement, no ultrasound. Instead, there’s a video. Same crooked grin, same floppy hair, and this:
“This is a clip of me taking my first dose of Atripla, which is a combination antiretroviral drug. My name is Jake Earl, and on May 13, 2013 I was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).”
There’s chaos in your brain for 30 seconds before you’re able to make some sense of what you’re seeing. Order descends and you start a convoluted march through a series of reactions: Self-preservation. Nostalgia. Anger. Fear. Curiosity. Admiration?
*****
Self-preservation: How long has it been? That’s the first thing you inevitably wonder when you see the words HIV next to the face of someone you’ve slept with. Am I safe? It suddenly feels like yesterday that you woke up in his twin bed in an apartment with pizza boxes on the floor and philosophy books stacked on every surface. But it wasn’t yesterday, it was five years ago. It was many partners ago. It was many clean STD tests ago. You’re fine, breathe easy.
Nostalgia: You read his Facebook post 10 more times. Then you read all of the comments. You look at familiar and forgotten names that have liked it. You wonder who he is close to these days. You wonder who he confides in. You drift into a daydream about a particularly blissful week in the spring of 2008. When you follow the train of thought, you remember that it ended in a fiery crash and middle-of-the-night tears on your roommate’s shoulder.
Anger: You remember feeling betrayed, manipulated, outraged
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a robot probe called a "prowler" is used. The prowler makes a distinctive "coeurl" sound, described several times as "the prowler coeurled on." The reference to the Coeurl in the first story of the Voyage of the Space Beagle, where the phrase "Coeurl prowled on" occurs, is unmistakable.Wow, did Mr. K ever put together one awesome machine.
My 510 is twice as old as I am and it's absolutely the most fun I've ever had in a car. The Subie diff means I can add oppo to my daily commute; a commute often made in a stripped out racecar because it's just that reliable. The nearly straight pipe exhaust makes a noise I've never heard from another car before. The suspension "flaw" which changes the geometry of the rear at near maximum compression is just cool (and helps add oppo). Who doesn't like excessive negative camber?
I visited Japan this fall and visited the Skyline/Prince museum. I brought a picture of my 510. The staff there did their best with my terrible Japanese but was warmly welcomed when I showed a picture of my 510. The nice man behind the counter (who knew the most English I assume) stated "Ahh yes, Bluebird, good car. Much older than you!"
The enthusiasts who deal with 510s are a good bunch. They aren't the rice burners you often find bolting on parts or shoehorning too big engines into too small cars. Those got eliminated after the '70s, when dropping a V8 under the hood was cool at the expense of shit handling. They aren't the prissy vintage racers who run an old boys club. They aren't the people who pull around trailer queens, or nearly trailer queens who will limit their drives to 50k either.
They're the ones who race still race it like they stole it. The ones who drive them drive them like they stole it too. The 510 club in BC regularly go on over 500 km drives just because we can, allegedly often averaging speeds above the posted limit for the entire drive.
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I've met people 20, 30, 50 years my senior who have either owned a 510 or had friends who owned a 510. Whenever I have an opportunity to talk online, at a car show, or even in the parking lot of the bank; I always hear how they never should have sold their 510 or how their friend's car was so fun and of all the trouble they got in.
I'm never selling my 510.
This piece was written by bootbooz when we explained how Mr. K gushed to Pete Brock over the 510 being on Jalopnik's Best Drives of 2012 list. Were that all cars were as good as bootbooz's Datsun.
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Photo Credit: Eric CastroThis is a surprise. CBS just announced that CEO Les Moonves, who’s 65, will stay through June 30, 2019, a two-year extension from the deal made two years ago. In 2019, Moonves will serve as “executive advisor” for five years, the company says, with an option to create a production company “under CBS’s auspices.”
The new terms should assure Wall Street and business partners that there’ll be stability at the broadcast company at a time when many wonder about the health of CBS’ 91-year-old owner Sumner Redstone, who also controls Viacom. CBS shares are up more than 100% since early 1998, when Moonves was named president and CEO of CBS Television, though they’re down about 10% over the past 12 months.
Moonves’ salary will remain at its current level, the company says. He’ll also continue to collect an annual performance-based bonus as well as equity “that further ties the value of the agreement to the performance of the Company’s stock.” His compensation package came to $66.9 million in 2013, making him one of the highest-paid executives in media.The Beastie Boys’ Spike Jonze-directed video for “Sabotage” is an absolute classic, a shit-kicking ’70s pastiche that catches the Beasties’ mid-career embrace of rock at its sledgehammer best. Part of the fun of the video was the depth of its cop-drama fiction—you could picture the whole damn season of Sabotage playing out, one hardass interrogation scene at a time.
You do not have to imagine that full TV show playing out anymore, as the four seasons of The Americans have been re-edited into their own version of the video. The fit is shockingly clean, with the show’s quiet intensity remade into a balls-to-the-wall romp full of funny disguises and high-stakes espionage, repurposing many of the same cheeky edits and scenes from the original video.
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Compare to the Beasties’ version below.
[via Kottke]BERLIN (Reuters) - German politicians called for tougher privacy laws on Tuesday after officials revealed personal and financial information on millions of Germans was readily available for cash on the Internet.
The scandal over the illegal trading of bank account and phone data came just months after snooping cases at some major German corporations raised alarms.
“The data scandals unfortunately highlight how urgent this issue is,” said parliamentarian Sebastian Edathy from the Social Democrats (SPD), who share power with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).
“Parliament must... find a quick response to these blatant cases of abuse,” Edathy, who chairs parliament’s internal affairs committee, told Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung.
He said he would call a meeting of lawmakers and experts to assess tougher data protection laws after the summer break.
Data protection and privacy protection are sensitive issues in a country haunted by domestic spying by the Nazi Gestapo and communist East Germany’s Stasi secret police.
The new debate was triggered by reports that a call centre employee alerted authorities to a problem with his company’s data collection practices by handing over data on some 17,000 addresses and bank account details to a privacy protection office in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation.
On Monday, privacy officials also said they were able to buy 6 million pieces of personal data, including bank and phone details, undercover on the Internet for 850 euros ($1,248).
Officials have said the information seemed to have been stolen from lottery firms’ files or mobile phone contracts.
Germany’s liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the far-left Left party called for higher fines for data protection infringements.
Greens lawmaker Renate Kuenast said individuals must be able to know who has their details and what happens to them.
“These rights belong in the constitution,” Kuenast said.
Germany’s Interior Ministry has said it will consider whether to change the rules once the investigation into the Schlewsig-Holstein case had been completed.
Data protection questions have played a prominent role in Germany in past months, at a time when the government is trying to loosen privacy laws to help police fight terrorism and crime.
Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s biggest telecommunications firm, shocked clients earlier this year with revelations that it illegally monitored phone records in 2005 and discount retailer Lidl was investigated after accusations it was monitoring staff.Google will be conducting test flights of its first drones this year after purchasing unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer Titan Aerospace.
The drones will be used as atmospheric satellites, part of Google’s plan to provide internet access to areas without ground-based access and the four billion people currently without access, its senior vice president of product, Sundar Pichai, revealed during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Pichai said that the Titan drones were at the same stage of development as Project Loon – Google’s atmospheric balloons used to deliver internet access – were two years ago. Loon launched a pilot with approximately 30 balloons in rural New Zealand in 2013.
The new lightweight solar-powered drones are being developed to maintain high altitude, hovering in the stratosphere for long periods. They act as an alternative to a satellite by beaming internet onto a target area – much like satellite TV companies such as Sky do from geostationary satellites.
Pichai explained that the Titan drones and Google’s balloons would work in tandem, but that drones were easier to put into place and keep in a targeted area. They could also be deployed to provide internet on demand where access has been removed because of disaster scenarios or similar.
Google is looking to partner with local internet service providers to create an overlapping network, so that consumers will not have to worry about where the internet is coming from, simply to connect and go, Pichai said.
Titan Aerospace, manufacturer of the atmospheric satellites, was bought by Google in April 2014 following interest from both Google and Facebook. The US technology companies have similar interests in drones, with Facebook’s internet.org initiative working to connect the next billion people to the internet through free or subsidised mobile broadband.
• Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook’s future is to reach billions of mobile usersWritten by: Jesse Squires
Remember SE-0025? That’s the proposal that controversially introduced fileprivate. However, if you’re regretting this change (like me), then you might have another chance to be heard! See the mailing list discussion in this issue for details. This issue also covers “id-as-Any” and continues the on-going discussion about what should be considered a source-breaking change.
Starter tasks
SR-2960: Better Document utils/run-test. Neither build-script -h nor docs/Testing.rst mention the existence of utils/run-test, but they should. This is the best way to run a subset of the tests, and a huge quality-of-life improvement for working on the compiler or standard library.
. Neither nor mention the existence of, but they should. This is the best way to run a subset of the tests, and a huge quality-of-life improvement for working on the compiler or standard library. SR-2948: Discarding a closure from a @discardableResult function results in a compile error. A function marked with @discardableResult should not be a compiler error if its returning closure is not used.
Submit a task by sending a pull request or opening an issue.
Community
There’s a new post — Objective-C id as Swift Any — on the official Apple Developer Swift blog. It clearly explains the changes in Swift 3.0 regarding Objective-C id importing into Swift as Any instead of AnyObject. If you’ve been confused about this, the post should clear things up!
If you are contributing to or interested in LLVM, the LLVM Developers’ Meeting is coming up on November 3-4.
Commits and pull requests
Rintaro Ishizaki has submitted a pull request to fix SR-2843. The theme of “is this a source-breaking change” returns!
In type parsing, P1 & P2.Type was parsed as (metatype (composition P1 & P2)) and accepted. On the other hand, in expression position, (P1 & P2.Type).self was converted to just P1 ( P2.Type was silently discarded). This PR fixes this problem, while keeping source compatibility to the current behavior. That said, expr: (P1 & P2.Type).self as type: P1 is just a bug. IMO, no need to keep this behavior.
DougGregor fixed an unintentional source-breaking change from Swift 3 regarding implicitly-unwrapped optionals and type inference.
Back in June, Austin Zheng rewrote native hashed collection indices, refactoring Dictionary and Set. This week, Alexis Beingessner took over and rebased the pull request and resolved conflicts. Despite some behavior differences and possible bridging performance regressions, it looks like the changes bring a lot of structural improvements to the code.
Greg Parker submitted a pull request for a new reference count representation (work-in-progress). Based on the benchmarks noted by @swift-ci, there seem to be quite a few regressions — but I’m sure these will be fixed before merging!
Dave Abrahams made a small tweak to (hopefully) speed up Set / Dictionary initialization from a Sequence.
Doug Coleman opened a pull request to make the utils/update-checkout python script run in parallel. 😎 This should be useful for contributors.
From this week’s LLVM weekly, a lengthy proposal on moving LLVM to GitHub was added. As mentioned before, having all of these projects on GitHub could be beneficial to Swift contributors, and possibly lower the barrier to getting involved with LLVM.
Proposals in review
SE-0144: Allow Single Dollar Sign as a Valid Identifier by Ankur Patel is under review. As discussed last issue, Ankur is the author of Dollar.swift which would break after a recent fix in the compiler.
The mainline Swift compiler emits an error message when the $ character (U+0024) is used as an identifier by itself, which is a source breaking change from Swift 3.0.
let $ = 10 // OR let $ : ( Int ) -> ( Int ) = { $0 * $0 } // OR class $ {}
This proposal suggests reverting this change, enabling the use of $ as a valid identifier in future versions of Swift (>= 3.1).
Mailing lists
Ankit Aggarwal asked for feedback on a draft proposal for version pinning in SwiftPM.
The other week, David Hart started a discussion about private and fileprivate from SE-0025: Scoped Access Level, asking if “this ship has sailed” or not. As expected, the email elicited many responses from the community. Like David and Russ, I agree that this proposal was a mistake — in practice, using fileprivate feels cumbersome and too complex. I find extremely little value in private. In particular, these new access levels make type extensions more burdensome to implement since an extension cannot access private members. If the community is willing to put forth a detailed proposal with significant evidence to support that reverting SE-0025 would be best, it sounds like the Core Team will review it. As Lattner notes below, this would require a “pretty high burden of proof.” In any case, this discussion can be deferred until Spring — after Swift 4 Phase 1 is completed.
From David Hart:
[…] I instead want to share my experience using private and fileprivate since release. Here are my thoughts: We should start with the premise that the proposal has added a substantial amount of complexity: It has added an extra modifier and access level to learn. It has complicated the access level rules with Inner types as mentioned in the Complications with private types section of the proposal. I have seen many people (twitter, work, slack) be confused about the difference between private and fileprivate at the global level. The answer is none, which shows that both modifiers are not very orthogonal. Since release, I saw people prefer one over the other, as a matter of style. They tend to always use fileprivate or always using private. In the latter case, functions and properties get clumped in the same class scope instead of be written through multiple extensions. I have the impression that the motivations for the proposal are much less real in practice: The first motivation stated is: “It is not clear whether the implementation details are meant to be completely hidden or can be shared with some related code without the danger of misusing the APIs marked as private.” I’ve found that to be fairly rare in practice because the implementation details only used to leak inside the same file, which greatly reduces the dangers. The second motivation stated is: “It forces a one class per file structure, which is very limiting.” First of all, this is partly false. I think it forces putting classes which share implementation details in the same file, which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing. To summarise, it seems that the confusion the proposal brought over semantics and style are not worth the limited benefits that it brought. I’d be tempted to backtrack the proposal and re-introduce private as a file scoped access-level and deprecate fileprivate.
Russ Bishop:
I agree. The minor benefit that fileprivate brings is not worth the cognitive overhead it introduces. We should just admit it was a mistake and back it out. We can avoid source-breaking changes by making fileprivate a synonym for private and provide fixits/warnings for a release to give people a chance to move off it.
Doug Gregor:
[…] This proposal has been litigated numerous times already, and the bar for source-breaking changes is much higher now. To effectively re-open the discussion would require a proposal that significantly changes the model with a lot of evidence that such a new model is a drastic improvement over what we have now. “Back out SE-0025” is not a viable option now.
David Waite:
[…] I’m convinced as the Swift language and other Swift-based projects both gain more maturity, we will be able to get a holistic view of how access control should work and how it should correlate to project structure. Before then, any change may simply do more harm than good.
Chris Lattner:
Not speaking for the core team, just MHO: I agree with Russ here, and with others who have said upthread that the “thing that has changed” is that we are starting to get usage experience with fileprivate vs private. I think we all understand the value of having fewer access control levels, and so if “private” isn’t conceptually pulling its weight, then it is reasonable to consider phasing it out. That said, there is no specific rush to have this discussion, and I think it is reasonable to put a pretty high burden of proof on someone who wants to drive such a proposal. For example, if we had the discussion in the spring timeframe, we should have a pretty large body of Swift 3 code readily at hand (e.g. SwiftPM packages and other various github repos). Given that, it should be easy enough to see how widely private is actually being used in practice. If it is very rare, then the argument to ditch it (make it a synonym for fileprivate, and eventually phasing out fileprivate ) is strong. If lots of people are using private and only some are using fileprivate, then the discussion is quite different.
Finally
And finally — tabs or spaces? 😄Time announced its person of the year Wednesday -- and got it wrong. The news magazine went with Pope Francis, passing over former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Obviously, Pope Francis is an important figure who has a significant effect on the news and the lives of millions of Catholics around the world. He is an dynamic figure who represents a major shift for the Vatican -- and there's a reason his selection process tripled online video streaming around the world. But Time's mandate for "Person of the Year" is to choose the person who "most influenced the news this year." And that person was Edward Snowden.
To some, including the politicians who have termed him a "traitor," Snowden is a controversial figure. To others, including the over 140,000 people who signed a (yet unanswered) White House petition calling for him to be pardoned, he's a "national hero." But Time's person of the year isn't supposed to be a popularity contest: Previous selections include Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Ayatollah Khomeini. That's why we here at The Switch are naming Snowden our "Person of the Year."
By leaking details about the clandestine programs in use by the NSA and its surveillance partners around the world, Snowden has ignited a fierce debate about the meaning of civil liberties in the 21st century in the United States and abroad. In story after story, the public is learning the true breadth of digital surveillance permeating the Internet age.
From the dragnet collection of domestic cellphone metadata and of online content through programs like PRISM to revealing the actual breakdown of U.S. intelligence spending, Snowden's leaks have dramatically disrupted the cloud of secrecy surrounding surveillance practices in a way that will change public discourse for years to come.
But given the commentary from national security sources and news outlets about the sheer volume of documents still waiting to be reported on, Time may have an opportunity to highlight Snowden's importance again next year.‘This is now a movie about Jesus, the son of God, and the devil gets no more screen time,’ says producer of The Son Of God
Controversial scenes in which an actor with a startling resemblance to US President Barack Obama portrayed Satan have been cut from the big-screen version of a hit mini-series about Jesus’ life.
Producers of Son of God, which is based on the hugely popular 2013 TV mini-series The Bible, said they had removed the offending episodes. The veteran Moroccan actor Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni, who viewers and commentators said closely resembled Obama, will not appear in the film.
“It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the devil is on the cutting-room floor. This is now a movie about Jesus, the son of God, and the devil gets no more screen time,” producer Roma Downey revealed during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. She said the controversy over Satan’s appearance had overshadowed the TV series’ intended religious message: “Someone made a comment that the actor who played the devil vaguely resembled our president, and suddenly the media went nuts,” Downey said. “The next day, when I was sure everyone would only be talking about Jesus, they were talking about Satan instead.
She added: “For our movie, Son of God, I wanted all of the focus to be on Jesus. I want his name to be on the lips of everyone who sees this movie, so we cast Satan out. It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the devil is on the cutting-room floor.”
Images of The Bible’s Satan and Obama side by side caused a social media storm after going viral in the wake of the 10-hour mini-series’ debut screening in March last year. The film’s producers subsequently issued a statement praising the US president and hitting out at those who had made the “false connection”.
The Bible, which screened on the History Channel in the US, has been viewed more than 100m times. The film version, which has been cut to two hours, is due to debut in the US next weekend. It is set to debut in the UK on 5 March.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2014Even more useful, though, would be the ability to predict disease, rather than simply observe and broadcast its path. In a study published yesterday in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory—a government facility in New Mexico that focuses on science with national-security implications—found that trends in Wikipedia pageviews can be used to predict flu outbreaks up to four weeks in advance.
To create their computer model, the researchers made a list of all the pages a person could click to directly from the Wikipedia entry for “influenza” (the entry for “flu” also redirects there) and then compared the traffic for each of those pages to flu reports provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Those that correlated really well, we kept, and those that didn’t correlate, we dropped,” explained Los Alamos researcher Sara del Valle, one of the study authors. Ultimately, they were left with a list of 10 flu-related Wikipedia pages, including the entries for “antivirals,” “H1N1,” and “fever,” whose traffic they used to build their predictive algorithms. “So basically, just by looking at how many people are looking at the Wikipedia flu article, we can see how many cases are going to be showing up.”
Using online activity to predict outbreaks isn’t exactly new—but, del Valle said, the study offers “proof of concept” that Wikipedia could provide scientists a means of circumventing several existing obstacles in disease forecasting. While recent research has shown Twitter to be an effective resource for predicting outbreaks, for example, the cost of the raw data can be prohibitive to many. Gnip, a subsidiary of Twitter and one of only a few data-delivery companies with access to its “firehose” (the feed of every single Tweet ever sent), charges users a monthly fee of $2,000 for the data, plus an additional 10 cents for every 1,000 Tweets delivered. (Earlier this year, Twitter announced that it would provide a select number of “data grants” enabling researchers to access the data for free.) And other companies keep their data closed off entirely; Google doesn’t publicize the search terms it uses to build Flu Trends out of concern that the program might be manipulated by hackers trying to create the appearance of an outbreak.
Wikipedia, by contrast, offers public access to hourly traffic data for all of each of its pages. “We don’t do ‘data grants’ for selected individuals or research institutions, since our mandate is to make data openly available to anyone,” Dario Taraborelli, head of research and data at the Wikimedia Foundation, explained in an email, noting that his team fields “several requests a week” from researchers looking for data.
Another part of the appeal, del Valle said, is that Wikipedia’s open access could allow researchers to bypass the bureaucracy that currently comes with large-scale disease tracking. FluView, the CDC’s weekly influenza-surveillance report that compiles data from hospitals, healthcare providers, state health departments, and government public-health labs, has a lag time of about two weeks.I am frequently amazed by my husband's ability to sleep through all kinds of noises that cause me to wake in a flash -- car alarms, smoke detectors that are running low on batteries, and especially kids who have lost track of their favorite blankie in the middle of the night. Thanks to a new study being published in Tuesday's edition of the journal Current Biology, I now know that his brain probably produces more sleep spindles than mine.
You see, while we're sleeping, the thalamus -- the part of the brain that receives sensory input like sounds -- tries to relay information to the cortex, where the sounds are actually perceived. Sleep experts can see these transmissions on an electroencephalography test, or EEG.
But, scientists believe, sometimes the brain throws up roadblocks to prevent the cortex from being disturbed during crucial periods of sleep when memories are consolidated. These roadblocks are sleep spindles, which also have a characteristic appearance on an EEG.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine and colleagues theorized that people whose brains produced a higher rate of sleep spindles would be rewarded with a sounder sleep.Signs You May Be a Fundamental Atheist... 1. You became an atheist when you were 10 years old, based on ideas of God that you learned in Sunday School. Your ideas about God haven't changed since. 2. You think that the primary aim of an omni-benevolent God is for people to have FUN. 3. Although you've memorized a half a dozen proofs that He doesn't exist, you still think you're God's gift to the ignorant masses. 4. You believe the astronomical size of the universe somehow disproves God, as if God needed a tiny universe in order to exist. 5. You spend hours arguing that atheism actually means "without a belief in God " and not just " belief that there is no god", as if this is a meaningful distinction in real life. 6. You can make the existence of pink unicorns the center-piece of a philosophical critique. 7. You're a spoiled fifteen year old boy who lives in the suburbs and you go into a chat room to declare that, "I know there is no God because no loving God would allow anyone to suffer as much as I...hold on. My cell phone's ringing." 8. You believe that if something cannot be touched, seen, heard, or measured in some way, then it must not exist, yet you fail to see the irony of your calling Christians "narrow-minded". 9. You believe that priests are only in it for the money, despite the fact that they make less than almost anyone else with their level of education. 10. Your only knowledge of The Bible comes from searching 'bible contradictions' in Google. 11. You believe the movie Dogma gives the most accurate portrayal of Christian theology. 12. You refuse to eat at Church's Chicken, and it's NOT because the chicken's too greasy.Donald Trump had his worst debate last week. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz were desperate and looking to attack – and they did, mostly because they’re running out of time. If this race isn’t over already, it may well be after Super Tuesday. Trump has bulldozed his way through the primary process, insulting and emasculating every candidate in his way.
And it’s working masterfully, as the latest polls and election results show.
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Despite being savaged on the debate stage Thursday, Trump’s numbers have spiked. In the latest CNN/ORC national poll released Monday morning, Trump’s lead over the GOP field has increased to 33 points. Marco Rubio, his closest competitor, is polling at 16 percent followed by Cruz with 15 percent. Ben Carson and John Kasich are at 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
As Trump’s juggernaut rolls onward, Rubio and Cruz have accepted that this isn’t a conventional campaign, and Trump isn’t a conventional candidate. If he’s beatable at all (and that’s a big if), it will require a different approach, a merciless approach. Rubio in particular appears to have received the memo. In the last week or so, the Florida senator has altered his strategy. He’s now dialing down the platitudes and ratcheting up the “energy,” as Trump would say.
According to a New York Times report, Rubio didn’t want to mud sling. The hope was that he could wax poetically about “a new American century” until only he and Trump were left standing. But that’s clearly not enough: “Senator Rubio, seeing his path to the Republican nomination grow narrower with each contest, has determined that the only way to beat Donald J. Trump is to fight like him: rough, dirty and mean.”
“We came to the conclusion that if being part of the circus is the price you have to pay in order for us to ultimately be able to talk about substantive policy, then that’s what we’re going to do,” said Todd Harris, one of Rubio’s key advisers.
Rubio’s new tough guy shtick was on full display at last week’s debate. “If he hadn’t inherited $200 million,” Rubio said at one point, “you know where Donald Trump would be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan.” He also lambasted Trump for hiring illegal immigrants to work on his projects and mocked him for launching a “fake school,” an underhanded swipe at Trump University. Rubio has stayed on the offensive since the debate, calling Trump a “con artist” with the “worst spray tan in America.”
Ted Cruz, for his part, has adopted a similar approach. He's enjoining voters not to be fooled by Trump’s “P.T. Barnum” routine and the “dancing bears” of the 2016 election. Even before the last debate, Cruz was trying to lure Trump into a public fight. For instance, he’s called Trump a fake conservative, implying he’s a kind of ideological chameleon. And Cruz has begged Trump to follow through on his threat to sue him for defamation, saying he’d love the opportunity to ask Trump about his record “under oath.”
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Entertaining though it is, the rancorous assaults on Trump by Rubio and Cruz are mostly pointless. Trump is immune to attacks on his character or background or even his conservatism. Nothing sticks, no matter how true or scathing.
Part of it has to do with the nature of his appeal. I argued a couple of weeks ago that Trump’s strength is his ability to connect on an emotional level, to play the identity politics game. People don’t support Trump because of who he is or what he believes; they support him because of who they are and what they feel.
I wrote: “Trump appears honest because he never really says anything. He’s a blank slate onto which people can project whatever they want or need to project. He says just enough to dog-whistle, to activate the anxieties of his supporters, and no more.”
The great advantage of being a blank slate is that it makes Trump a mirror. People look at him and see only themselves – their anger, their grievances, their beliefs. It’s not uncommon for voters to choose candidates for emotional or non-empirical reasons, but Trump is an exceptional case. He held a rally in my hometown of Baton Rouge, LA earlier this month, for instance. Several attendees were asked about their admiration for Trump and the answers were instructive:
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“He’s gonna make a great America.” “He’s going to help our soldiers.” “He’s gonna take care of ISIS. He’s gonna bring jobs back to everybody.” “What I’ve been hollering at my TV for years is what Trump’s been saying…We’re going to move the country into a great America again.”
I’ve no interest in disparaging any of these people, but let’s be honest: These are not the concerns of serious conservatives or of people interested in monetary policy or worried about the complexities of geopolitics. They don’t have an internally consistent worldview, and so it doesn’t matter if Trump has flip-flopped on entitlement reform or abortion or tax policy.
These people are pissed off, and since they’re confused about the reasons, they gravitate to the man articulating their rage with perfect clarity. Not one of the voters in that video could explain how Trump is going to accomplish any of these things. I know that because Trump has made no effort to explain it – and he doesn’t have to. Trump understands that working-class whites are losing not to brown or black people but to the apostles of neoliberalism, who have helped gut the middle class here and elsewhere for decades. But they appear not to know that, and he’s exploiting their angst in the most cynical way imaginable.
Rubio and Cruz aren’t wrong about Trump – he is a shape-shifting con artist. But saying so won’t make him less popular. And trying to beat him at his own game is futile – he’s better at it. As I wrote previously, Trump “grasps the conservative psyche and he knows how to whip people into a frenzy.” Everything else about Trump is afterthought. He’s got the mob at his back, and Rubio and Cruz do not.It was spring break of my freshman year and all my friends were posting pictures from boats in the Dominican Republic with their stomachs sucked in.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in Philadelphia, grading MBA papers from my room in Hill College House.
(Yes, you read that correctly. A freshman was grading the papers of MBA students in MGMT-801, the entrepreneurship course for graduate students).
Around the same time, I was unhappily preparing for my BEPP-250 midterm. I was attending about half of my classes at this point in the semester, did not belong to any clubs and rarely entered Van Pelt.
It wasn’t that I hated Penn, or was not “succeeding” in class. On the contrary, I loved Penn. I just felt like I wasn’t learning.
Too frequently we forget that education and college are not mutually exclusive and getting a degree is just one path to “success.”
The Wharton curriculum began to bore my brains out, and meanwhile I was taking phone calls with my lawyers, engineers, and business partners for Touch Tiles, the company I ran on the side. I launched Touch Tiles in the Fall of my freshman year out of a frustration with the consumer tech industry and the lack of diversity and customization offered to consumers.
During the ten days of complete silence over break, I worked with my professor, dealt with some intellectual property issues and read up on profitability maximization of markets. When I realized it was the work for my classes I enjoyed the least, I decided to drop out of school.
What I often say is this: too many people who drop out should not, while too many people who do not dropout, should. Dropping out may not be something to aspire towards, but it is also not something to fear. It is simply an option.
Many dropouts don’t plan it, but rather find themselves in a situation where it becomes a reasonable option. Personally, I reached a point where I could not balance school and Touch Tiles, so I chose the one I felt would make me happier and more successful in my own eyes.
Dropping out didn’t mean I was giving up on hard work, though. For the next nine months, I worked my ass off. I spoke with investors and hired and fired employees, interns and consultants. I was continuously pitching and pivoting, and learning everything I needed to know on the fly.
We can study entrepreneurship at school, but it isn’t until we are drowning in pressure, laying on the floor of our parents’ house crying because we do not know what the next move is that we realize how little we learned in the classroom. Entrepreneurship is not a question of intelligence, but rather of understanding.
At one point, I was asked to speak at a college in California about what it is like to drop out and build something from idea to product. The speakers after me were the team from Everipedia, the new Wikipedia where anyone and anything can have a page (check out mine). One of the speakers was Mahbod Moghadam, an entrepreneur who founded RapGenius, now known as Genius.
I personally knew of Mahbod and his reputation as an entrepreneur who kept it real, admitted to his weed and Adderall use, and was a part of an exclusive entrepreneur program responsible for companies like Reddit, AirBnB, Dropbox, 9GAG, and Codecademy.
As someone who had looked up to Mahbod for a while, I couldn’t resist staying after my talk to hear his. Ultimately, I was able to understand the vision of the site and began discussing it with the founders after the talk. (Pro tip: Networking is not a game of meeting people and adding them on LinkedIn, but rather befriending them and making them want to help you).
Eventually, when Touch Tiles closed, my relationship with Mahbod and the Everipedia team was so strong they recruited me to join their founding team and work with them on content curation, marketing, press, and anything else I could do to advance the site.
Our headquarters is not what you would call traditional. We live and work out of a penthouse in LA, where our kitchen is stocked with premium liquor. None of our bedrooms have beds, and both bathrooms are equipped with Squatty Potties and wet wipes. The crew wakes up at around noon and works on-and-off until 4:00 am. Our daily diet consists of rice cakes, avocados, kale, salsa, orange juice and Red Bull.
From here, I am not sure where life will take me. I plan to stay a part of the Everipedia team, but may or may not stay in the penthouse full time or go back to Penn and take minimal classes (Mama Beall is bullish on degrees). Furthermore, at the time of publishing I am toying with the idea of starting a Venture Capital fund which may or may not be realized. Yolo though, am I right?.
If I can leave people with some parting wisdom it would be this: life goes on.
There are so many times when I could have lost my shit and thrown in my cards
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ruling in one case by one judge that we will look at and decide how we want to react to it."
He continued: "I think the true test is, ultimately, how are these cases resolved? What happens? Can these cases be brought into Article III courts and can they be successfully resolved from the government's perspective? And history has shown us over 300 times that, in fact, we can do that, either by pleas, by trials, and I think it's too early to say that at this point the Ghailani matter is not going to be successful. We have to deal with this one ruling, and we will."
First Trial for Ex-Guantanamo Prisoner
Asked if returning Ghailani to enemy combatant status was "on the table" in light of the ruling, Holder vowed that the trial would continue. Critics have pushed for Ghailani and other terrorism suspects to be tried in a military tribunal, where suspects have fewer rights.
The decision in the Ghailani trial comes just one day after the White House cited another case - that of attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, who received a life sentence - as evidence that civilian trials work.
"We tried the case in a civilian court, we were able to use everything that he said and everything that we uncovered for intelligence collection purposes. His trial served no propaganda purpose for al Qaeda, and only underscored the strength of our justice system," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said, as Politico reports.
But Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a critic of civilian trials, suggested the government got lucky with Shahzad because he talked despite having been read his rights. "If he had not, I don't know what would have happened," he said.
King told CBS News today that he "strongly" disagrees with the judge's ruling.
"Unfortunately, however, this is the type of ruling we can expect if the Administration persists in trying terrorists in civilian courts," he added.
Ghailani, an alleged bomb maker, is accused of involvement in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998 that killed 224 people and of working as an aide to Osama bin Laden. The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, said that even if he is found not guilty he will likely remain in detention.
"His status as an 'enemy combatant' probably would permit his detention as something akin to a prisoner of war until hostilities between the United States and al-Qaeda and the Taliban end even if he were found not guilty in this case," he wrote in his decision.The role called for an 8-year-old but Adam Kolkin went anyway.
The Los Alamitos High School freshman says he can look young but, more than that, he perfectly looks the part.
Kolkin, 13, will appear on “Glee” on Tuesday as a young Kurt Hummel in a series of vignettes flashing back to Kurt as an 8-year-old at his mother’s funeral.
The resemblance Kolkin has with Chris Colfer (Kurt) is so uncanny even the casting directors were taken aback when Kolkin walked in the room for his screen test.
“They all kept saying, ‘Oh my God, oh my God,” Kolkin recalled.
He read his lines and left but was followed out by a casting director and brought in for an additional audition where he was asked to sing, further impressing the casting directors.
“I had prepared ‘Walking on Sunshine,'” he said. “They were really surprised.”
Kolkin landed the role the following day and filmed the episode in August. He spent a day on the set filming various scenes for the flashback montage and hanging out with Glee stars including Mike O’Malley, who plays Kurt’s father, Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) and Cory Montieth (Finn Hudson).
And although Colfer was not scheduled to film that day, he stopped by the set to meet the younger version of his character, Kurt.
“It was so cool,” he said. “They were really nice.”
Kolkin said he hadn’t seen the show before auditioning for the part but started watching to learn more about the character he would be playing and now he’s hooked.
In watching the show, he learned his upcoming high school years may have some parallels to the Glee characters.
One day before his audition, Kolkin watched Los Alamitos High School’s award-winning show choir perform and made the decision to become a member of the school’s own version of Glee.
“I had heard the show choir was really good and I was interested in auditioning,” he said. “I wasn’t in Xtreme when I did the show but I am now.”
Although this will be Kolkin’s first scripted part in a television show, he is no stranger to the acting scene.
He started working as a movie and television extra at age 9 when he begged his mom to start taking him to auditions.
“When my two older kids were really little I used to take them on auditions all the time so I said no way – been there, done that, not doing it again,” Jen Kolkin said. “He bugged me for a year so I took him to shoot as an extra and thought he could try that and see if he likes it.”
Kolkin liked the scene but he no longer wanted to be in the background.
“I got bored,” he said.
At age 10, Kolkin found himself a manager and appeared in a swath of commercials including ads for Disney, Clorox, Advil and LG phones, among others.
He got in to acting classes and discovered along the way he had a natural talent for singing.
Kolkin said he hopes Glee will be a major break for him – the show continues to charm critics and has become one of the most popular shows on television.
“I want to (one day) hopefully land a big movie and be recognized,” he said.
For now, Kolkin will take his growing local fame and the recognition he is getting from his peers at Los Alamitos High.
“People have been coming up to me and saying ‘Are you Adam? Are you on Glee?” he said.
Click here to check out the Glee fan club site.
Does your kid look like a mini version of a movie or TV star? Send their photos to us at [email protected]
Contact the writer: 714-796-7953 or [email protected] popular request, some update on the upstream adoption of AppData so far:
Applications in Fedora with long descriptions: 168 (9%) Applications in Fedora with screenshots: 140 (7%) Applications in GNOME with AppData: 60 (50%) Applications in KDE with AppData: 1 (1%) Applications in XFCE with AppData: 0 (0%)
You can look at a few ways:
We’ve made significant progress in the last year-or-so and many popular applications are already shipping the extra data.
There are a lot of situations where the upstream authors do not know what an AppData file is, don’t have time to add one, or simply do not care.
GNOME is clearly ahead of KDE and XFCE, probably because of the existing GNOME Goal and my nag emails to the desktop-devel mailing list. A little thing to bear in mind is that Apper (the KDE application installer) can also make use of the AppStream data, so this is a little disappointing for KDE users who probably don’t see any difference at the moment.
So where do we go from here? Clearly KDE and XFCE have some catching up to do, and I need someone familiar with those communities to lead this effort. There is also a huge number of upstreams that need a little push in the right direction, and I’ve been trying to do that for the last couple of months. Without help, this would be a never-ending battle for me. A little reminder: In GNOME 3.12 we are penalising applications that don’t ship AppData by including them lower in the search results, and in GNOME 3.14 we’re not going to be showing them at all.
If you’re interested to see all the applications shown by default in Fedora 20, I’ve put together this page showing a quick overview. If you see anything there that shouldn’t be an application and needs blacklisting, just let me know. If you see an application you care about without a long description or screenshots, then please file a bug upstream pointing them at the AppData specification page. Thanks.Actor Seth Rogen mocked a multiple stabbing victim on Twitter because the Trump supporter did not have health insurance in another shocking example of vulgar leftist rhetoric.
Tony Foreman was stabbed nine times following a “free speech rally” in Santa Monica, California, last Saturday. The attackers, a Muslim Armenian gang, told Foreman, “You’re getting the shank White Boy,” before lunging at him with knives.
Foreman had paraphernalia on his car that identified him as a Trump supporter.
Two male suspects later identified as Edgar Khodzhasaryan, 30, and Arsen Bekverdyan, 31, were arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Immediately after the vicious attack, instead of using it to reflect on the rising tide of anti-Trump hate crime that has swept the nation, the left exploited the stabbing to make fun of the victim for not having health insurance.
This man has a family. He is critically ill in hospital having been stabbed 9 times. And you mock him? Complete prick.@Sethrogen pic.twitter.com/mHK4rPVsJj — Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) June 23, 2017
Actor Seth Rogen followed suit earlier today, tweeting, “Just so everyone knows, I’m NOT a white nationalist, I have NOT been stabbed 9 times, and I DO have health insurance!”
Rogen was using the fact that he physically resembled Foreman to mock the victim for not having health insurance. The actor’s tweet was clearly intended to insult the victim because of his political views.
The reaction was swift.
“He is not alt-right or a white supremacist. He’s a good guy with a big heart looking to fight for his country. What’s wrong with you dude?” asked Mike Tokes.
“I’m a Latino so he’s not a white supremacist. He’s a kind person who doesn’t discriminate. See him at the hospital and apologize,” demanded Congressional candidate Omar Navarro.
“In an age where everyone gets accused of being “racist”, making fun of someone that’s been stabbed 9 times seems… humorless,” added another Twitter user.
Rogen’s tweet is a disgrace, but it’s par for the course in an age where leftists engage in the most vitriolic hate against conservatives with wanton abandon.
Does Rogen ever wonder why vile, out of touch, elitist Hollywood pricks like himself are so reviled by flyover country?
This tweet is why. This tweet is why Trump won.
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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com.THE coalition has slipped down the popularity rankings in the first opinion poll of the new year.
THE coalition has slipped down the popularity rankings in the first opinion poll of the new year.
The latest Red C survey shows Fine Gael have dipped one point to 28% while Labour are down two points to 10% when voters were asked which party they would back in a general election.
Both parties had increased their backing in the polls immediately after the bailout exit.
Sinn Fein is up three points to secure 18% of the popular vote - the biggest jump for any party in the survey, carried out for bookmaker Paddy Power.
Backing for Fianna Fail and Independents were unchanged, with both attracting 22%.
The poll also found that almost four in ten (38%) of Irish people want to see the legalisation of cannabis in Ireland.
When the 5% of people who responded "don't know" were removed, there was 40% support among the electorate for making the drug legal.
The poll found greater backing for legalising cannabis among younger groups, with support falling with age.
Men are also more likely to favour legalisation as are Labour or Sinn Fein supporters.
There is little variance in opinion on the issue regionally.
Red C pollsters questioned 1,004 people aged 18 and over, by telephone between January 6 and 8.
Online EditorsNEW YORK CITY — Teen twins Georgia Inman and Walker Patterson Inman III are expected to be worth $1 billion when they turn 21 — but right now they have to worry about paying the rent.
The siblings are the grandniece and grandnephew of the late tobacco heiress and Manhattan philanthropist Doris Duke, who was once called “the richest girl in the world” and split her time among a $44 million Upper East Side mansion, a 2,740-acre farm in New Jersey and a breathtaking Mediterranean-style retreat in Hawaii that she dubbed "Shangri-la."
The Inmans turned 15 on Tuesday, leaving them six years away from the staggering inheritance. They have also been at the center of an acrimonious custody case between their mother and their late father’s fifth and final wife — a battle that has limited their access to trust funds.
The twins reside in South Carolina with their mom, Daisha Inman, a former topless dancer who has no income of her own, according to court filings in Manhattan Surrogate Court.
Daisha Inman, 52, receives at least $15,900 month from two of the twins’ trusts to cover their basic expenses, like rent, food and entertainment, records show. But in the spring the three were forced out of their $8,000-a-month Sullivan’s Island home because of rent issues, court records show.
Daisha Inman blamed the move on JPMorgan, the administrator of a trust that currently provides for the twins. She claims it parcels out small payments to them, making it difficult to keep up with rent and other utilities. She also says JPMorgan has turned down her requests for a large lump sum to buy a home.
JPMorgan has said in court records that it has used discretion in doling out money during the custody battle and wants to prevent the trust from being drained before the twins turn 21.
It has also turned down some hefty financial requests from Daisha Inman. In 2010 JPMorgan denied her request for $50,000 to cover Christmas gifts, including a trained Quarter horse, a snowmobile, go-carts, and trips to Disney World, Hawaii and around the world.
Daisha Inman claims that the tightened purse strings have hampered the lifestyle that her kids had grown accustomed to before their father’s death.
"My point is my children are not used to the financial restraints on them,” she wrote in a Nov. 3, 2011, email to a JPMorgan executive. “It my [sic] be hard for trustee to understand but my children feel like they are poor now.”
Walker Patterson Inman Jr., the twins’ father, was 57 when he died of a methadone overdose in a Colorado Holiday Inn on Feb. 24, 2010. His grandfather was James “Buck” Duke, a tobacco magnate whose company made Lucky Strike cigarettes. Duke University bears the family’s name. Inman Jr.'s father came from a wealthy family of cotton merchants in the South.
Inman Jr. was also close to his aunt, Doris Duke, the twice-divorced globe-trotting socialite who at times considered her enormous fortune a curse. She died in 1993 at 80, leaving behind an epic fortune. Her Hillsborough, N.J., estate is now a public park, and her Honolulu retreat has opened as a museum.
Inman Jr.’s death certificate lists his occupation as “lifetime adventurer." A paid obituary in the Denver Post described him as a pyrotechnic expert who was an avid collector of swords, guns and steam engines. He had a mountaintop home in Wyoming he called “Outlaw Acres” and a 300-acre plantation in South Carolina.
Nicknamed "Skipper," Inman Jr. also traveled the South Pacific in his yacht, "Devine Decadence." When he moored at a port in New Zealand, he reportedly stored his cache of weapons — a machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade launcher — with the local police department.
Daisha Inman became Inman Jr.’s fourth wife after the couple wed in 1996. A year later the twins were born. But the marriage ended in 2000, with Inman Jr. given custody of the children.
According to records obtained by the Georgetown Times in South Carolina, a court-appointed guardian in Wyoming sided with Inman Jr., despite his drug and alcohol abuse and “his unusual, perhaps dysfunctional, upbringing.”
In the decision, the guardian cited Daisha Inman’s past as a dancer and her symptoms of paranoia and post-traumatic stress disorder, the Georgetown Times reported.
The bitter battle over custody and visitations dragged over the next 10 years, and during one Wyoming case, Inman Jr. explained to the court that when the twins turned 21, they would be the beneficiaries of a trust valued at $1 billion.
Since Inman Jr.’s death, his fifth wife, Daralee, has tried to obtain guardianship of the twins, with her and Daisha both calling each other unfit parents. Daralee has so far been unsuccessful, and Daisha gained custody of kids in August 2010.
Even before she had custody, Daisha asked JPMorgan for $430,500 from the trust, according to court records. The request was denied.
Georgia Inman, 15, is expected to be worth $500 million when she turns 21. View Full Caption FindaGrave.com
The trust stems from the estate of Nanaline Duke, Doris’s mother. When Inman Jr. died, the trust went to the twins, with each holding a $14 million principal in it as of Jan. 1.
Since she gained custody of the kids, Daisha Inman has frequently made heavy demands to JPMorgan for money, according to court records.
JPMorgan said in a filing that it denied her request for $25,000 to retain a lawyer to challenge Inman Jr.’s estate and to fund a criminal investigation into his and Daralee’s treatment of the children.
Last Halloween, she requested nearly $6,000 to cover a haunted house party at her home for the twins and their friends, according to emails that JPMorgan filed with the court. The trust gave her $2,800 instead.
Email exchanges between Daisha Inman and a JPMorgan executive show the trust pays Daisha monthly amounts of $1,800 for food, $8,000 for housing, $3,600 to rent a car, $500 for gas and an unknown amount for tuition. Another trust administered by Citibank pays for the twins’ medical insurance, a housekeeper, utilities, and $2,000 in monthly spending for their clothing and other expenses, according to the emails.
Daisha Inman wrote in one email that she spends $20 a day at Starbucks for her kids, “who love the healthy drinks and sandwiches." She added that she spends $1,000 a month to eat out.
But the money, she claims, just isn’t enough.
“I’m always trying to juggle funds because trustee requires me to pay in advance for many things my children need and at times will not reimburse me for it,” she wrote in an email.
When the twins lived with their dad, $180,000 a month was spent on their care, according to one of her emails.
“My children did grow up financially privileged. Being raised by nannies and having all the money they could spend. This was a way of life for 10 years,” she wrote in an email, noting her kids' trips on the "Devine Decadence" and a home in Australia.
She added that her rent allowance has been wasted, since it could pay the mortgage on a $4 million home if the trust gave her a lump sum for a down payment.
But JPMorgan hasn't relented. It has also repeatedly asked to meet with the children in person, for her to provide receipts for purchases like clothes and for information on how she was using the funding.
In January, lawyers for the firm asked for guidance from the Manhattan Surrogate Court on how to address the financial requests. Judge Nora Anderson has since appointed Nassau County lawyer Lawrence Murphy as an independent guardian to act in the interest of the children in the proceeding.
“One thing that has become apparent to me is that there is a great amount of friction between the natural mother of my wards and the [JPMorgan] trustee,” Murphy wrote in a May 30 filing to the court.
He noted Daisha Inman and her kids claimed at the time that they were being forced to relocate to a hotel from their home.
That same month, she was arrested for public drunkenness at a gas station in Mount Pleasant, Ga., according to a police report. Concerned bystanders had noticed her talking loudly and stumbling, and were concerned she would drive away in her SUV, the report said. A judge later deferred sentencing if she managed to stay out of trouble, the Georgetown Times reported.
Daisha Inman, her lawyer, Charlie Condon, and Murphy did not return calls for comment. JPMorgan declined to comment. The proceeding in Manhattan Surrogate Court is still ongoing.China’s major bitcoin exchanges halted, or otherwise updated, their lending-based bitcoin trading services today.
First reported by China-based bitcoin traders and market observers this morning, BTCC, Huobi and OKCoin appear to have quietly adjusted their terms, though only BTCC had moved to issue a formal comment confirming the changes.
Bobby Lee, CEO of BTCC, acknowledged that changes to the exchange’s service were being made in response to interactions with the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, though he stopped short of saying that the service had been terminated or disabled.
Lee indicated that the move came after the exchange received “informal guidance” from the PBoC, which has been more actively engaged with domestic bitcoin exchanges amid the run-up in bitcoin prices seen at the start of the year. The developments followed news that central bank officials had met with representatives from the exchanges.
Lee told CoinDesk:
“There’s going to be some give and take. We’ll likely make adjustments as time goes on.”
At press time, BTCC is the only exchange to explain the changes in a message posted to its website.
“BTCC will [suspend loans and borrowing services] from 12th January, 2017,” it reads.
OKCoin and Huobi did not respond to requests for further information, though a customer service representative for Huobi had indicated that it had “paused” new lending services.
At press time, traders were reporting that loan-based trading services were no longer available on Huobi.
OKCoin’s international and China-facing websites OKCoin.com and OKCoin.cn were said to be offering limited or augmented versions of the services, though traders were reporting different experiences.
While some users told CoinDesk they were able to borrow 2x leverage at press time (even when executing CNY-denominated trades on OKCoin.cn), others indicated that their accounts were prohibiting this action.
One trader said he was able to see higher margin options, but only able to borrow lower amounts. (OKCoin representatives did not respond to requests for further clarity).
Sensitive time
Nonetheless, news spread quickly about the changes on social media, with seven local industry representatives acknowledging they were aware of the supposed changes (some noted that they had yet to actively test their perceptions via exchange accounts).
Still, local traders indicated that they were not surprised by the news that some margin trading services had been updated, given the longstanding lack of legal clarity under which the exchanges had operated.
One former representative of a China-based exchange, who declined to be quoted on the record, indicated that he is unsure of whether the issue would have been with the service itself or the way it was marketed to consumers.
“I don’t know if it’s [paused] while they implement a system that’s agreeable to the government, or if it’s gone for good,” he said.
OTC trader Zhao Dong, likewise, hinted at how this development could come to shape the bitcoin markets, portraying it as a double-edged sword for the industry.
“The good side of margin trading is it provided additional liquidity to the market, the bad side is it is easy for investors to lose money,” he said.
Yet from some quarters of the Chinese bitcoin space, there was a broad feeling that further engagement with regulators will be forthcoming.
Ricardo Zhang, CEO for BTC123, a local bitcoin lending and news site that yesterday paused its services, told CoinDesk:
“I think this time, there will be some corresponding laws and regulations promulgated, and a more standardized industry.”
Image via ShutterstockPlans to better protect San Jose neighborhoods from flooding date back nearly 20 years and have cost tax payers millions of dollars, but not a single project has been constructed.
An NBC Bay Area investigation reveals a lengthy planning process and lack of funding ultimately prevented those plans from ever being implemented.
Recent flooding devastated more than 582 homes in the city, but it wasn’t the first time some of San Jose neighborhoods were left underwater. A wet winter back in 1997 caused similar flooding in many of the same communities along Coyote Creek.
Millions of Tax Dollars Spent on Flood Protection Plans in San Jose Haven't Produced a Single Fix
Plans to better protect San Jose neighborhoods from flooding date back nearly 20 years and have cost tax payers millions of dollars, but not a single project has been constructed. Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban reports in a video that first aired on March 23, 2017. (Published Monday, March 27, 2017)
In the twenty years since then, the Santa Clara Valley Water District planned and designed flood protection projects for neighborhoods along Coyote Creek between Montague Expressway and Highway 280.
The estimated cost of those projects ranges from $500 million to $1 billion—money the water district says it does not have.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have adequate money to do something about the problem at the most vulnerable locations,” said Melanie Richardson, Interim Chief Operating Officer of Watersheds with the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Melanie Richardson is the Interim Chief Operating Officer of Watersheds at the Santa Clara Valley Water District
Photo credit: NBC Bay Area
Only $36.6 million has been made available for the work. The funds were generated through a voter-approved tax that was passed in 2000 as part of the Clean Safe Creeks Program. Voters later renewed the tax in 2012 under the Safe, Clean Water Program.
TWENTY YEARS LATER, NO PROTECTION FOR FLOODED AREAS
To date, the water district has spent $10.8 million of that money on the planning and design phase.
Some of the projects—like installing new flood walls along parts of the creek or widening the channel in certain areas—were supposed to be built by last year, but that never happened.
Richardson says a lengthy planning process is partly to blame.
“Flood protection projects are complex, difficult, and they take a long time,” she said. “Over the years, it’s gotten more difficult because of the environmental requirements and the permitting requirements.”
Those planned projects have now been placed on hold while water district engineers determine whether projects further upstream could provide the same kind of protection at a cheaper price.
“If you could do something upstream, that would lessen the flows downstream,” Richardson said.
One of those upstream options includes increasing the amount of water that gets pumped out of Anderson Dam—the source of water for Coyote Creek—so that it could drain more quickly when levels there get too high.
On February 21, 2017 water from Coyote Creek flooded neighborhoods in San Jose.
Photo credit: NBC Bay Area
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit obtained reports from the water district that show the planning process for the Montague Expressway to Highway 280 stretch of the creek isn’t scheduled to resume until 2019. The water district says partial construction may not be done until 2025.
In other words, communities that flooded a month ago could have to wait at least another eight years before they see any protections put into place.
“That is not acceptable,” Richardson said. “I feel so bad for those people.”
The water district has completed some flood protection work along Coyote Creek. In 1995, a joint project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was completed along parts of the creek that stretch from the San Francisco Bay up to Montague Expressway.
When constructing flood protection projects, Richardson says it is standard practice to work downstream to upstream. Otherwise, the water district said it could be found liable for worsening conditions downstream after altering water flows upstream.
“We have to ensure that we don’t move the flooding problem when we do a flood fix,” she said.
COMMUNITIES UNDER WATER
All that inaction is frustrating for residents living along Coyote Creek.
“I don't trust anymore in the authorities,” said San Jose resident, Ulrika Caballero. “They fail us. Terrible.”
Ulrika Caballero's home was destroyed by recent flooding in San Jose.
Photo credit: NBC Bay Area
Caballero, 77, has lived in her home near William Street Park for over forty years. She says the recent flooding happened so quickly it caught her entirely family off guard.
“Suddenly, in one hour, I end up homeless,” she said. “It was like a river.”
Caballero, who lives with her daughter and 9 other relatives, many of them children, had to be evacuated by boat once the water began rushing into the home.
Now, the place she’s lived for most of her life is barely recognizable.
“I come here just to see that everything is ruined,” she said. “Everything I have needs to be thrown into the garbage.”
Recent flooding in San Jose left 582 homes underwater and caused an estimated $68 million in damage.
Photo credit: NBC Bay Area
The residence has been deemed uninhabitable by the city; Since the home is now full of mold and other debris, Caballero and her family cannot safely live there.
For now, she and her family are relying on emergency aid from a local charity to stay in a nearby motel.
After recent flooding in San Jose, the Caballero family's home was declared uninhabitable by the City of San Jose.
Photo credit: NBC Bay Area
STILL WAITING FOR A FIX
Caballero and her family could stand to benefit from the water district’s plans to shore up the creek from Montague Expressway to Highway 280, but other San Jose neighborhoods won’t be so lucky.
Not a single project has been approved for the Rock Springs area, which also flooded 20 years ago. That neighborhood falls south of the water district’s current planning area.
Back in 2003, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied funding for flood protection plans in that area, saying the benefits of protecting the neighborhood from flooding, “were not significant enough to justify the costs.”
Richardson says the water district has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider funding the project and is looking into temporary fixes for the entire region.
But even those projects are likely years away.
SEARCHING FOR TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS
The Santa Clara Valley Water District says its board will meet in the coming weeks to discuss whether money from other projects can be diverted to help protect communities along Coyote Creek.
The group has also hired a special consultant to work with the district to develop short-term flood protection solutions.
“I don’t want this to ever happen again where [residents are] not notified in time, and they don’t know and lose their properties and are told at such a late date,” Richardson said. “That’s also why we’re looking at some interim short-term solutions that may make this kind of event less damaging to them.”
Meanwhile, Ulrika Caballero doubts she’ll live to see those flood protection projects implemented in her neighborhood.
“I would just like to be alive by that time and see,” she said. “We are expecting help, but when is it going to come? I don’t know.”Florida Republicans all the way to the governor's office have made a big deal about stopping voter fraud at the polls despite studies showing the actual numbers of such fraud are less than minuscule. But with the revelation that a company with ties to Mitt Romney, Strategic Allied Consulting, was submitting hundreds of suspect voter registration forms, they don't seem to know how to proceed. Or simply don't want to. The deadline for voter registration is one week away.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the alleged fraud. The Republican Party of Florida, which had hired SAC at the urging of the Republican National Committee, has fired the firm.
SAC has submitted nearly 47,000 voter registration forms. But neither governor's office nor the secretary of state's office has offered any guidance to county election supervisors on how to deal with forms they have received that might be bogus. Both are Republicans who have been in the forefront of an effort to remove Floridians from the voter rolls and attempt other efforts that would suppress the vote of citizens of demographics that typically cast their ballots heavily for Democratic candidates.
Michael Van Sickler at the Tampa Bay Times reports:
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher said she is getting no direction from state officials as to how to proceed in checking the other forms filed by Strategic Allied Consulting, which was fired last week. In the past 45 days, Palm Beach County has logged 15,000 new voters. Since Aug. 1, more than 60,000 registration forms were filed, many for changes of address or updating signatures. Bucher said she doesn't know how many of those forms, now stored in a warehouse, were filled out by Strategic Allied Consulting. "We're not sure if we need to go back and check," Bucher said Monday. "Obviously, it causes us great concern." Bucher was hoping to find out Monday if the state was going to instruct the counties with questionable forms to adopt a uniform method to review all forms filed by the firm.
Bucher is a Democrat. Her office has flagged more than 100 questionable registration forms from SAC. Nine other counties have discovered smaller numbers of apparently fraudulent forms. In Dade County, three questionable forms came from another major registerer of voters, the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights advocate. But the magnitude is nothing like that with SAC.
SAC is owned by Nathan Sproul, a paid consultant to Mitt Romney. His firms have been previously accused of altering information on Democratic voter registration forms in several states. He ran voter registration efforts for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, for McCain-Palin in 2008 and Romney since late last year. Before firing SAC last week, the Republican Party of Florida had paid the firm $1.3 million for July and August, according to the Palm Beach Post. The Republican National Committee has also severed ties with SAC. It has paid $3.1 million to the firm through state organizations in Florida, Nevada, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On Monday, the Post published a letter to the governor from Ted Deutch, a Democratic representative from Florida's 19th congressional district:
Governor Scott, we are on the cusp of a Presidential election. Disturbing reports suggest that professionally coordinated voter fraud occurred in Florida that is potentially massive in scale. Your silence and inaction are shocking and hypocritical considering you have spent the last year in an expensive and highly controversial effort to purge legitimate citizens from our rolls in a supposed search to find “voter fraud.” Your efforts to purge 182,000 individuals from our voting rolls continued until we discovered that the list was nakedly partisan and so error-ridden that it contained the names of tens of thousands of legitimate voters, including small business owners and a decorated World War II hero. Now, when an actual voter fraud scheme has apparently been discovered in our state, there is neither room nor time for the partisan allegiances that typically guide your Administration’s actions. Governor Scott, you now have an opportunity to prove that you care about voter fraud even if involves the Florida Republican Party, the Republican National Committee, and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
Faced with a clear and obvious attempt to muck with voter registration in ways that could, if widespread enough, upend the results of the election, it would hardly be out of place to think that Republicans who have been so ostentatiously attentive to this issue would be eager to get to the bottom of it. But, suddenly, cat's got their tongue.
•••
Ari Berman has a good summary of GOP voter suppression in Florida.Man of Steel didn't really tease a shared DC Cinematic Universe, but Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad look set to change that in a major way. Latino-Review have dropped some very interesting details about the ties between those two movies today, and it turns out that Jared Leto will be shooting scenes for both while in Toronto. They reveal that it will be a flashback scene which depicts The Joker beating Jason Todd, a.k.a. Robin, to death (presumably with a crowbar).That will explain why he's behind bars and may even tie in with those rumours we heard a long time ago about Batman giving up crime fighting until Superman enters the scene. Robin's costume will be on display in the Batcave, and the site theorises that that could be what triggers the flashback. They also reveal that Bruce Wayne/Batman will be making an appearance in Suicide Squad, with the Batmobile reportedly on site in Toronto too. What do you think about these latest details?Image caption Sunday saw a new large rally in Damascus in support of President Assad
The Arab League has rejected a demand by Syria to alter its plan for ending the country's conflict, which has reportedly left at least 3,500 dead.
It dismissed Syria's demand to amend its proposal for a 500-strong observer mission to be sent to the country.
The Arab League's deadline for Syria to end its crackdown passed overnight with no sign of violence abating.
President Bashar al-Assad has said his country will not bow to "pressure" and predicted the conflict would continue.
Speaking to the UK's Sunday Times, he said the unity and stability of Syria were at stake.
Analysis Despite accusing the Arab League of bias and of acting as a stalking horse for the Western powers, the Syrian foreign minister did not close the door on the Arab initiative. He said Damascus would reply with a list of queries before deciding whether to sign a protocol allowing the pan-Arab body to deploy observers in the country. In its statement a few hours earlier, the league ruled out proposed Syrian changes, which it said would radically alter the nature of the mission. But it reiterated its own commitment to resolving the Syrian crisis within an Arab framework. So in theory a last-minute deal cannot be ruled out. But time is running short. The League announced that an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers would be held in Cairo on Thursday to follow up on Syria. If Damascus cannot find a way of complying seriously with the Arab initiative by then, it could
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entity "would be expected to deliver an enhanced ability to provide a full service offering to customers on a global basis," the statement said.
Companies' share prices surge
Following the statement, LSE's share price spiked by almost 20 percent. Earlier, rumors of the merger had already led to increased share prices for LSE.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Börse gained around 8 percent in Frankfurt following the announcement of the deal.
Shareholders in the Frankfurt-based Deutsche Börse, which has been run by Carsten Kengeter since the summer of 2015, will take a 54 percent stake in the new company.
blc/rc (AFP, dpa, Reuters)The recent rise in the popularity of cryptocurrencies has led to a rental company deciding to implement Bitcoin transactions into its online portal.As the upward trend in global popularity for digital currency continues, more and more users are finding new use cases for Bitcoin. Currently, the primary use for Bitcoin is trading and investing, but experts predict that as more people become involved with cryptocurrencies, more businesses will begin accepting them as payment forms. Amazon already accepts cryptocurrency transactions through Purse.There has been news recently of real estate being sold for Bitcoin, but does it have a place in the rental market? A company in New York called ManageGo, which offers an online renting platform, has recently announced its plans to implement Bitcoin as a payment type in the near future. They said that since innovation was their primary focus, they decided that Bitcoin is a wave of the future, and wanted to lead the way in accepting it as a currency. ManageGo did note that there are very few clients who are currently showing an interest in paying with the decentralised cryptocurrency, but they anticipate demand will increase in future. They plan to introduce Bitcoin payments through a Coinbase gateway as early as 2018.Reports suggest that property management companies are yet to embrace online payments, and generally lack in the area of innovative technology. With the incorporation of Bitcoin, the industry can benefit greatly from the financial and technological innovation that comes with digital currency. Perhaps this is the beginning of another trend that will expand the mainstream adoption of Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies in general. Innovation is very popular among young adults in the modern market, and companies will want to get in line with their competitors to ensure they don't lose their client base.A White House official said no data was taken during a cybersecurity attack. White House confirms cyberattack
The White House confirmed but sought to downplay a report by a conservative website on Sunday that it had been the victim of a cyberattack, volunteering to POLITICO that no harm had been done.
The Washington Free Beacon reported that Chinese hackers had attacked a computer system in the White House Military Office.
Story Continued Below
A White House official speaking on background late Sunday confirmed there was an attempted hack but said that it affected an unclassified network, was “isolated” and that there was no evidence that any data had been stolen.
( Also on POLITICO: Cybersecurity could fall to sequester)
The attempted hack used "spear phishing," in which an attacker sends an email to a specific target that uses familiar phrases in hopes that the recipient will follow links or download attachments that unleash the hacker's malware.
None of the White House’s secure, classified computer systems were affected, said the official, who reached out to POLITICO after the Free Beacon story appeared — without having been asked for comment. Nor had there been any attempted breach of a classified system, according to the official.
Sunday’s story was the latest Free Beacon report to cast President Barack Obama as weak on national security or defense — the Chinese hack attempt “highlights a failure of the Obama administration to press China on its persistent cyberattacks,” it said.
( Also on POLITICO: White House green commitment 'not a fad')
Previously, the website reported that a Russian nuclear attack submarine patrolled undetected in waters near the U.S., which it said underscored Obama’s lack of support for the military.
However, unlike the White House cyberattack story, DOD and Navy officials flatly denied the Russian sub report.
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 5:04 a.m. on October 1, 2012.How much of fiction writing is too much for our criminal investigation agencies? Any informed debate on the state of India’s criminal justice system and the accountability of the state machinery to the victims of crime needs to start with this question, especially after the recent Allahabad high court’s judgement on the 2008 unsolved double murder of Aarushi Talwar and Hemraj Banjade. The judgement underlines the unrestrained incompetence – willful or otherwise – of the investigative agencies – including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headed by the finest among the Indian Police Service (IPS) – and the bias of the trial court and its inability to put an end to their criminal journey impersonating as criminal investigation.
It was a textbook example of how to destroy evidence at a crime scene. Noida police, busy preparing for a VVIP visit, failed to protect the sanctity of the place, leading to a messed up probe. The local police could not find the body of Hemraj – whom Aarushi’s parents blamed for her murder in their FIR – because it was lying on the terrace and the police found it locked. In the absence of the keys, they tried to break the lock but could not get the required tool immediately. On the seventh day after the incident – also Aarushi’s 14th birthday – inspector general of police (Meerut) Gurdarshan Singh held a press conference and claimed the police had solved the case. He brought up the honour-killing angle and referred to both Aarushi and her father as “characterless”. The government of the day transferred Singh for his objectionable comments. He was reinstated to the same post within two months of being shunted out unceremoniously. So much for the daily dirge of the IPS against political interference.
The first CBI team that took over the case from the Uttar Pradesh police turned their focus on Hemraj’s three other friends and subjected them to narco tests. The second CBI team filed its closure report that read more like a chargesheet against the parents. The three probe teams contradicted one another regarding the motive behind the double-murder, the weapon of offence and the involvement of the domestic help.
The Allahabad high court raised grave questions on the CBI’s probe implicating the accused, saying that evidence was tampered with, a witness was planted and the agency discredited “clinching evidence” of the presence of Talwar’s compounder Krishna in the flat on the night of the murder.
The high court judgement noted that the second CBI probe team and the Hyderabad based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) “connived” to remove a key evidence that was pointing to the innocence of the Talwar couple. The CBI officer, late A.G.L. Kaul, wrote a letter to the CDFD stating “is it possible that this part of the report is based on a typographical error”. A leading question as understood in the legal parlance.
The judgement was equally unsparing about the trial judge, “Like a film director, the trial judge has tried to thrust coherence amongst facts inalienably scattered here and there but not giving any coherence to the idea as to what in fact happened.”
What does this case say about India’s criminal justice system?
Our criminal justice system is afflicted with four deficits: infrastructure, knowledge, accountability and leadership. Our investigating agencies, forensic laboratories, public prosecutors and courts are painfully underfunded and understaffed. There are huge gaps in their physical facilities and carrying capacities. In an age of smartphones and iPads, they are untouched by process improvements based on IT. More than 22 million cases are currently pending in India’s district courts. Six million of those have lasted longer than five years. Another 4.5 million are waiting to be heard in the high courts and more than 60,000 in the Supreme Court, according to the available official data. India, with only 13 judges for every million people, has one of the world’s lowest ratios of judges to population in the world, compared with 50 in developed nations.
Similarly, there are huge gaps in the knowledge of investigating officers, forensic experts and judges. The tendency on part of our investigating agencies to treat narcoanalysis and brain mapping as two heaven-sent magic wands is an example of how self-defeating their approach has been in recent times.
In terms of competence and immunity to extraneous considerations, our public prosecutors are not good enough to withstand the highly paid defence lawyers. More often than not, India’s criminal justice system has not been able to make the erring investigating officers, forensic experts and, at times, trial court judges accountable for their commissions and omissions. When the Terrorist and Disruptive (Prevention) Act (TADA) was in operation between 1985 to 1995, maximum arrests and the single largest use of TADA happened in Gujarat, a state where there was no terrorism (in whichever way you define terrorism) during those years. The IPS officers leading the police at various levels in Gujarat cadre and the courts supervising their work could do nothing to stem the rot. How Delhi police officials fabricated a terror case (according to the National Investigation Agency) against Liaquat Ali Shah of Lolab and went unpunished is another example of this murky business of criminal investigation going on under the nose of the IPS leadership.
The leadership deficit blighting our criminal justice system is too urgent an issue – its redressal should not be postponed and it cannot be left to the investigating agencies. The problem didn’t start with a Ranjit Sinha here or an A.P. Singh there. Notwithstanding the IPS lobby harping on their usual stable tenure based approach to police reforms, the hard reality is this: they have failed to prove their worth as leaders.
Keshav Kumar, a 1986 batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, has done outstanding work in using modern tools of forensic science to solve criminal cases. But he is an exception. The majority of the IPS is a victim of MAFA (mistaking articulation for achievement) syndrome.
The problem of leadership deficit doesn’t end with the police forces either. IT-based process improvements have largely eliminated the case backlog at the Supreme Court level and are now helping the high courts. Below the high courts, the situation is depressing. Our lower courts are in bad shape, both physically and functionally.
Criminal justice is a transaction-intensive discretionary public good. It is very difficult to overcome agency problems: building a robust criminal justice system is resource intensive and a long drawn process and demands sincere involvement of a number of stakeholders. India’s criminal justice system is crumbling under the weight of underfunded, incompetent and unaccountable criminal investigating agencies – exceptions like Kumar notwithstanding.
The policymakers of this country need to appreciate this: the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Merely because an objective evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of our criminal justice system has not been done, it does not mean its efficacy for a large section of the victims of crime is not questionable. Evidence-based policing is not exactly a favourite domain of expertise for the majority in the IPS. It is time this must change. It is time fiction writing is left to Chetan Bhagat and Amish Tripathi.
Basant Rath is 2000 batch IPS officer who belongs to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre. Views expressed are personal.Energy Flowing Through the Ecosystem
Chapters:
Tables:
Figures:
After four and a half billion years of interdependencies, the life on Earth is a complex ecological system or ecosystem. As it turns out, some physical parameters make for greater quantities of life. A tropical rain forest is a good example. Other locations are almost barren of life, such as the Antarctic.
Biodiversity is a word that conveys the richness of the disparity of life. Land with many species and specimens has a high biodiversity. This occurs where energy is abundant and is readily mobile. Estuaries, tree tops and swamps have high biodiversity. Where there is little energy or little capacity to move energy about, there are few species and specimens.
Humans have usurped land with the richest supplies of energy. In so doing, they have removed the indigenous flora and fauna. This removal of the competition is a step in the direction of a future that allows only for life that provides a benefit to people. The following map provides and indication of our influence. It shows biodiversity hot spots; the richest and most threatened areas of the world.
Plans for the future can use land characteristics to determine energy levels. Associating ecosystems with land cover and with energy deposition can provide and indication of the amount of energy that is available and can be sustainably appropriated. The following map and table give and indication of our current knowledge.
Id Region Area sq.m. Cell count percent 17 Antarctica 12955294896358.210938 975792 9.64% 20 Major Woods-Main Taiga 15571041627.412062 414 0.00% 21 Major Woods-Main Taiga 5538192477539.941406 139371 1.38% 22 Major Woods-Other Conifer 3102704024062.733887 60725 0.60% 23 Major Woods-Mixed: Decid & Evergrn Broad Lf with conifer 1536950883557.831299 31763 0.31% 24 Major Woods-Mixed: Decid & Evergrn Broad Lf with conifer 2007185848676.121094 30340 0.30% 25 Major Woods-Temp Broad Lf Forest 780287115971.479248 14759 0.15% 26 Major Woods-Temp Broad Lf Forest 712378712833.701538 11636 0.11% 27 Major Woods-Other Conifer 402802513310.048279 6546 0.06% 28 Interrupted Woods-Trop Montain:frst,grass,scrub,paramo,rock 1185786717748.041992 15459 0.15% 29 Major Woods-Trop/Subtrop Broad Lf Humid frst 6162632446114.984375 79817 0.79% 30 Non Woods-Cool/Cold Farms/Towns 2959862698549.866699 57507 0.57% 31 Non Woods-Warm/Hot Farms/Towns 9309647348894.322266 143007 1.41% 32 Major Woods-Trop/Subtrop Dry frst and Woodld 4714611523027.708984 61804 0.61% 33 Major Woods-Trop/Subtrop Broad Lf Humid frst 4250460429679.579102 54125 0.53% 36 Non Woods-Irrigated Paddylnd 1987885037439.005859 27453 0.27% 37 Non Woods-Other Irrigated Drylnd 1204215951987.350586 17621 0.17% 38 Non Woods-Other Irrigated Drylnd 284208608067.502075 4880 0.05% 39 Non Woods-Other Irrigated Drylnd 84052062887.436249 2007 0.02% 40 Non Woods-Main Cool Scrub & Grassld 3943879596164.254883 74347 0.73% 41 Non Woods-Main Warm/Hot Scrub & Grassld 17281753920109.261719 249837 2.47% 42 Non Woods-Tibetan, Siberian Cold Grass/Stunted Wood Complex 844962972873.480713 16607 0.16% 43 Interrupted Woods-Trop Savanna & Woodld 6717216465060.143555 87037 0.86% 44 Wetld/Coastal-Major Bog/Mire, Cool/Cold Climates 974049034298.122925 22510 0.22% 45 Wetld/Coastal-Major Warm/Hot Mangrove/Tropical Swamp Forest 1567705039505.850830 21278 0.21% 46 Interrupted Dry Woods-Mediterranean types 1001897102499.186401 15630 0.15% 47 Interrupted Dry Woods-Other Dry & Highld wds 2594651830663.824707 38087 0.38% 48 Interrupted Dry Woods-Semiarid Woodld & Low Frst 907562417199.618164 12612 0.12% 49 Non Woods-Nonpolar Sparse (rocky) Vegetation 16583263310.775343 222 0.00% 50 Non Woods-Nonpolar Sand Desert 5224729037072.687500 75477 0.75% 51 Non Woods-Other Nonpolar Desert & Semidesert 10945523633729.777344 157360 1.55% 52 Non Woods-Nonpolar Cool Semidesert Scrub 2001583803636.694824 36217 0.36% 53 Non Woods-Tundra 9393530849909.560547 270103 2.67% 54 Non Woods-Tundra 63252319789.794365 1218 0.01% 55 Interrupted Woods-Trop/Temp wds, Fields, Grass, Scrub 1213730638498.606445 24058 0.24% 56 Interrupted Woods-2nd grow Trop/sub Trop, Humid/temp/boreal frst 2901879848728.266602 44004 0.43% 57 Interrupted Woods-2nd grow Trop/sub Trop, Humid/temp/boreal frst 2237122005999.954102 42824 0.42% 58 Interrupted Woods-Trop/Temp wds, Fields, Grass, Scrub 2862917892459.063965 41620 0.41% 59 Interrupted Dry Woods-Succulent & thorn 3960416798810.236328 52661 0.52% 60 Major Woods-Southern Taiga 1141925938973.127930 26045 0.26% 61 Major Woods-Southern Taiga 454631805719.985657 9375 0.09% 62 Interrupted Woods-North/Maritime Taiga, subalpine 4353694475333.803223 123731 1.22% 63 Non Woods-Wooded Tundra Cold Grass/Stunted Wood Complex 1755574562241.592285 48608 0.48% 64 Non Woods-Heath & Moorland 150965279690.782806 2842 0.03% 65 Wetld/Coastal-Shore and Hinterland Complexes 346743177268.794556 5576 0.06% 66 Wetld/Coastal-Shore and Hinterland Complexes 271643838092.094574 4012 0.04% 67 Wetld/Coastal-Shore and Hinterland Complexes 227736876864.228302 3687 0.04% 68 Wetld/Coastal-Shore and Hinterland Complexes 158688278350.119598 2498 0.02% 69 Non Woods-Polar or Rock Desert 537498290159.993896 33652 0.33% 70 Non Woods-Ice 2200308405065.088379 107593 1.06% 71 Non Woods-Other Nonpolar Desert & Semidesert 92485282559.789078 1463 0.01% * no data or ocean 362524045849111.750000 6737183 66.54%
Using simpler headings, the FAO appoint the land surface of Earth as follows. Values are in hectares as for 2005, database accessed 2009 February.
Total area 13 432 420 000 Land area 13 013 475 400 Agricultural area 4 967 579 500 Arable and Permanent Crops 1 561 681 000 Arable land 1 421 169 100 Permanent Crops 140 511 700 Permanent Pasture 3 405 897 000 Forest and Woodland 3 952 025 700 All other land 4 092 972 400 Inland Water 429 928 000
UFZ - 2013
In order to assess the global impacts of land use on the environment and help provide appropriate countermeasures, a group of researchers under the leadership of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has created a new world map of land use systems. Based on various indicators of land-use intensity, climate, environmental and socio-economic conditions, they identified twelve global patterns called land system archetypes.
Click on map for greater definition.
Once we've exhausted the fossil fuels, we'll need to find our energy from other sources. Vegetation lies at the base of the ecosystem and it can provide energy whether wood for fires or fruit for eating. Vegetation is also refereed to as net primary production or NPP.
The following maps give an idea of the degree of impact that we have on the land surfaces of Earth. Obviously any appropriation that is greater than the rate of replenishment is not sustainable. If we use 100% or more of the net primary production, then the vegetation can not replenish and it will perish. Thus, it cannot collect any more energy from the Sun for us to use. The sustainable level of appropriation is likely much less than 100%. Yet, from the first map, we see that huge swathes of the most productive land are having their energy stores directed to human usage.
Today, the energy source is mainly fossil fuels. However, once they are exhausted we will need get our energy from elsewhere. Vegetation will become the most likely source. These maps show that this future is unsustainable hence would not make a good plan. Alternatives aren't obvious.
Human appropriation of net primary production (NPP) as a percentage of the local NPP.
Global distribution of resource consumption as measured by the amount of net primary production (NPP) appropriated by humans.
The news is no better for the ocean resources as shown in the following depiction of change from 1966 to 2009 in use of primary production.
See Watson, et.al., Natuire Communications, accessed 2016.
3. Population
People need energy to power their bodies. This is biological energy. The more people that there are on Earth, the greater is their biological need. The following figure and table shows the increasing need based upon the standard 10 MJ energy per day requirement. This is about 3.65 x 109 Joules per year.
The graph shows the story, the numbers give structure to any planning.
Year Population Annual Energy Needs (x1010 MJ) -10000 2 0.73 -8000 5 1.8 -6500 6 2.2 -5000 7 2.5 -4000 7 2.5 -3000 14 5.1 -2000 27 9.8 -1000 50 18 -500 100 36.5 -400 162 59.1 -200 200 73 1 250 91 200 250 91 400 200 73 500 200 73 600 200 73 700 205 75 800 220 80 900 230 84 1000 275 100 1100 305 111 1200 360 131 1250 400 146 1300 400 146 1340 443 162 1400 370 135 1500 450 164 1600 545 199 1650 500 182 1700 600 220 1750 700 250 1800 900 328 1850 1,200 438 1900 1,600 584 1950 2,500 912 2000 6,073 2216 2006 6,541 2387
Values found on the U.S Census Bureau;
4. The Trophic Pyramid
Energy is essential for life on Earth. It flows through levels of the ecosystem. However, the flow is not very efficient. Even after millions of years of genetic improvements, there's still only about a 10% transfer of energy from one level of the pyramid to a higher level. The shape of a pyramid highlights this poor transfer rate but also highlights the dependence of one level to its supporting level underneath. The trophic pyramid is fundamental to life and is a valuable relation when considering energy allocations in the future.
The ecosystem's trophic pyramid is shown below.
At the base of the pyramid are the autotrophs. These living things capture their energy needs directly from the Sun. Most of the plants about us are autotrophs. People are not as people cannot convert the Sun's radiation into a form that would power their bodies.
The next step up the pyramid is allocated to the herbivores. These creatures, munch on the plants. In so doing they capture their energy needs from the energy stores within the plants. Some people are pure vegetarians. Because of this, they live at this level of the trophic pyramid. Given the efficiencies of energy conversion, herbivores capture only about 10% of the plants energy stores.
The next step up the pyramid is allocated to the carnivores. These creatures, eat other animals. Some special cases like people and bears eat both vegetation and other animals. This merits giving them the name omnivore. Again because of efficiencies, meat eaters capture only about 10% of the energy stores in the herbivores. But this represents 1% of the original energy in the plants. Given this poor energy transfer efficiency, it is no wonder that carnivores are greatly outnumbered by herbivores who themselves are greatly outnumber by vegetation.
Sitting at the top of the pyramid are the tertiary consumers. These creatures feed on the carnivores. This seems unrealistic as most people believe that carnivores and more specifically, themselves, are at the top of the pyramid. However, there are huge quantities of tiny little creatures that feast on any dead creature. These are called saprotrophs. These little critters eat the dead which still contain large quantities of energy. As well, these creatures release the chemicals of the body so that they can be used in other bodies. Again considering efficiencies, only 10% of the dead creature or about 0.1% of the originating plant's energy is captured by the saprotrophs, yet their usefulness is unquestionable.
We know the total amount of energy and energy transfer efficiencies. With these we can calculate the maximum possible number of creatures at each level of the pyramid. This calculation facilitates future planning.
by Mark Foster MortimerI thought the pills would make it better. You know, I’m a man, and men are proud and stubborn. We don’t go running to the doctor when something’s wrong. We let it play out a little bit. But if we do go to the doctor, and all he does is give us some pills and sends us on our way, it just confirms what we think we already knew.
It’s not that bad. I’ll be fine.
I was 22-1 in my pro boxing career with a world middleweight title in my sights, and I remember thinking, I’m 24 years old. I’m a world-class athlete. I’m healthy. I’m in shape. Ain’t nothing gonna stop me.
It started in March, 2011. I was on a USO tour in Iraq. We visited troops in Kuwait and a few other cities, and it was an amazing experience. I was having a great time, but something was happening with my left leg. There wasn’t any pain at all — it just felt fuzzy. You know when your leg falls asleep and it feels like you’re just dragging around a dead leg? That’s what it was like. Pins and needles. Only instead of shaking it off and my leg tingling back to life, it just got worse. It got so bad I had to leave the tour and head back to the States. I could barely walk.
The doctor said it was a pinched nerve, gave me some pills and told me everything would be OK. So I took the pills and went on with my life.
It was a good life, too. I was living with my girlfriend and my beautiful son in a penthouse apartment in Park Slope, a nice neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. I was driving a brand new Camaro SS, and that was back when the Camaro was hot, back when it first came out. I was killing it inside the ring and I was doing well financially. I’d come a long way from that kid who grew up down the road in the rough neighborhood of Brownsville. Everything was going better than I could have ever imagined.
Except my leg wasn’t getting any better. I started using a cane. Soon after, I was using a walker. Can you imagine, me, a 24-year-old professional boxer, using a walker? Bright green tennis balls on the feet and everything.
I was taking the pills, just like the doctor said, but it just kept getting worse. I had no idea what was really going on inside my body.
*
“Do you know a boxer who lives here?”
I wasn’t picking up my phone. My godmother, Dorothea Perry, was pleading with the doorman to let her upstairs. The night before, I drove home — I don’t know why I was driving, I couldn’t even walk — and I left my cell phone in my car. I didn’t have a landline, and there’s no way I was going downstairs to get it if I didn’t have to. Not in my condition.
The doorman stood pat. That’s his job. He finally let her up when she explained who I was and what condition I was in. I don’t even know how she remembered where I lived. She’d only been there once. I think God sent her, because that morning, when I tried to get out of bed, I completely collapsed. I heard her knock at the door and I literally had to pull my body across the apartment with my arms to reach the door. I couldn’t move my legs. When she walked in and saw me, she started crying. She took me directly to the hospital, where a neurologist told me it was bad. Really bad.
An MRI showed that a handball-sized tumor had wrapped itself around my spine. It was blocking the signal from my brain from getting to my legs, which was causing the temporary paralysis. Now, I’m not a doctor, so at this point, I still don’t know what the hell is going on. I’m thinking I can just take some new pills — and it’ll just go away. My mindset was simple: How long before I get back into the ring?
That was on a Friday. On Saturday, they told me I had to have immediate surgery. The tumor was growing fast. If I didn’t remove it, I would probably die.
You have 12 thoracic vertebrae in your spine. My tumor stretched from my T-4 to my T-9. That’s the entire middle of my back — half of my spine. The doctors told me I would probably never fight again. There was a strong possibility that I would never walk again. All I could think about was the possible end of my boxing career.
The whole world just stopped turning. I remember this sinking feeling, like my body suddenly got really heavy. I just lost it. Not for one second do you think you’ll become a victim of cancer. Especially at 24 years old.
Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer. That’s what I had. Bone cancer. It’s one of those rare cancers you don’t really hear about. The surgery was a success, and they were able to remove most of the tumor. But there were still traces, so I had to undergo radiation to hopefully finish it off.
Radiation was the worst feeling ever. I felt groggy. My appetite went away completely. I was always moody — always sick. I threw up a lot. It was horrible. I’ve never experienced anything like it. But that wasn’t even the worst part.
Remember when I said I was doing well financially? Well, that’s not completely true. I had possessions. I had money, but I hadn’t managed it well. I was young and irresponsible. I wasn’t investing my money, I was spending it. I had people in my corner telling me to do the right things with my money — bringing me different investment ideas and business plans — but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to be the young kid with all the money. I was going to the ATM almost every day and taking out at least $200 just for the day. Like every day. That money was there to spend, so I spent it.
When you’re on top of the world — making money and living the fast life — there’s an invincibility factor. It’s always a false sense of invincibility, but I felt it. I was on a roll, and I didn’t see how anything could stop my flow.
But cancer did.
You always hear people who’ve battled cancer talk about how it ravages your body. And it does. It breaks you down. But they don’t talk about what it does to the rest of your life. What it does to your livelihood. What it does to your bank account.
Part of my financial irresponsibility was the fact that I didn’t have health insurance. I was already about to get hit with huge hospital bills, but I didn’t know how I was going to pay for radiation and any further treatment I might need, until my godmother found out about an experimental type of radiation for which they were taking special cases — heard about it on the radio, of all places. I qualified, so she signed me up. And I was lucky. I was one of the special cases they chose. I didn’t even need any insurance. My godmother had come to my rescue. Again.
Still, when I was suffering through radiation, everything else kind of went downhill for me, too. The bills piled up. I lost the penthouse. I lost the car. My bank account vanished. My son was two years old at the time, and he and I moved back into my mom’s apartment in Brownsville — the place I’d literally fought so hard to escape. My son slept in my childhood bedroom while I slept on my mom’s couch. My weight blew up to 225 pounds and my body was wrecked. It seemed like everything I had worked for and achieved was gone.
There are a lot of reasons someone would want to get out of Brownsville, but not a lot of people get out. My oldest brother was still there, in and out of the streets, police always behind him. While my son and I were living at my mom’s, there would be times when the police would rush the house at two, three, four o’clock in the morning looking for my brother. You heard loud music throughout the night. Gunshots. Drug dealers inside the building doing deals and junkies using drugs. Things I never wanted my son to see.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Brownsville. That’s where I’m from. It’s beautiful in its own respect, but there’s an ugly side to it. There’s jealousy and envy. Having to protect yourself going in and out of your own house. Those are just the challenges you face being in the hood.
That motivated me more than anything. More than cancer. I was one of the lucky ones who got out of Brownsville, and I didn’t want my son to be a product of where I was born. I didn’t know how long we’d be there, but I wanted to get out as soon as we could. That was one of the most depressing times of my life. I got out once. I knew I would get out again.
Any parent knows, you’d do anything for your kid. So giving up wasn’t an option. I had to provide. And the way I looked at it — if I’m gonna battle back for anything, why should my goals change? Aim high, right? I still wanted to fulfill my dream. I wanted to become a champion. I wanted to be a boxing superstar. If I was going to battle back, that’s where I was going, and if I got there, everything else would take care of itself. I wasn’t going to settle for anything less just because I had cancer.
When I completed my radiation, the doctors told me to stay out of the boxing gym. “Boxing’s over,” they said. “Don’t worry about boxing. Just go to therapy.”
But I didn’t listen. I went straight to gym.
I was a swollen 225 pounds walking into the gym with a cane, hitting the bags with a back brace on. I could barely make it 30 minutes, but that’s how badly I wanted to be there. Those 30 minutes eventually turned into an hour. Then more. My legs were coming back. I was proving all the doctors wrong. And I started to really think, Maybe I can do this …
I guess I wore my doctors down, because eventually they said, “We don’t recommend continuing with boxing, but if that’s what you want to do, go ahead.”
*
It was early 2012 and I was reading the newspaper when I saw an article about the Barclays Center, which was set to open that fall. I made that my timeframe. If I was going to return to the ring, what better place than right here in Brooklyn?
Getting back into boxing shape was one of the hardest physical challenges I’ve ever faced. I had to get my strength back. I had to increase my stamina. I had to learn to take a punch again. When you’re taking punches, the spine absorbs a lot of that shock, whether it’s a jab or a body shot. After what my spine had been through, it took a while to get back to the point where I could take a punch.
On October 20, 2012 — 17 months and two days after I was diagnosed with that rare form of bone cancer — I stepped back into the ring at the Barclays Center to fight Josh Luteran.
He didn’t make it out of the first round. Just 1:13 in, it was over. Knockout.
I was back.
And I‘ve been rolling ever since. I’ve won all seven of my fights since coming back, six by knockout. And along the way, I reached the goal I set long before cancer almost took my boxing career away from me: I won the middleweight world championship. It felt incredible to finally reach that
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Unless Lucho changes his mind about speaking about his future - something that has angered him when journalists ask questions about it in press conferences - we will have to wait until after the big finals that lie ahead of confirm that he will continue next season. But absolute normality is appearing, as the threatening storm clouds drift away.Lightweight Symfony2 Controllers
For quite some time I have been experimenting how to best implement Symfony 2 controllers to avoid depending on the framework. I have discussed many of these insights here in my blog.
There are three reasons for my quest:
Simplicity: Solutions to avoid the dependencies between framework and your model typically introduce layers of abstraction that produce complexity. Service layers, CQRS and various design patterns are useful tools, but developing every application with this kind of abstraction screams over-engineering.
While the Domain-Driven Design slogan is “Tackling complexity in software”, there are many abstractions out there that can better be described as “Causing complexity in software”. I have written some of them myself.
Testability: There is a mantra “Don’t unit-test your controllers” that arose because controllers in most frameworks are just not testable. They have many dependencies on other framework classes and cannot be created in a test environment. This lead many teams to use slow and brittle integration tests instead.
But what if controllers were testable because they don’t depend on the framework anymore. We could avoid testing all the many layers that we have removed for the sake of simplicity and also reduce the number of slow integration tests.
Refactorability: I found that when using service layer or CQRS, there is a tendency to use them for every use-case, because the abstraction is in place. Any use-case that is not written with those patterns is coupled against the framework again. Both development approaches are very different and refactoring from one to the other typically requires a rewrite.
A good solution should allow refactoring from a lightweight controller to a service layer with a small number of extract method and extract class refactorings.
While working on Tideways Profiler product I went to work on a solution that allowed for Simplicity, Testability and Refactorability and came up with the NoFrameworkBundle.
The design of the bundle is careful to extend Symfony in a way that is easy for Symfony developers to understand. To achieve this it heavily extends upon the FrameworkExtraBundle that is bundled with Symfony.
The design goals are:
Favour Controller as Services to decouple them from the Framework.
Replace every functionality of the Symfony Base controller in a way that does not require injecting a service into your controller.
Never fetch state from services and inject it into the controller instead.
Avoid annotations
The concepts are best explained by showing an example:
<?php use QafooLabs\MVC\TokenContext ; class TaskController { private $taskRepository ; public function __construct ( TaskRepository $taskRepository ) { $this -> taskRepository = $taskRepository ; } public function showAction ( TokenContext $context, Task $task ) { if (! $context -> isGranted ( 'ROLE_TASK', $task )) { throw new AccessDeniedHttpException (); } return array ( 'task' => $task ); } }
This example demos the following features:
The TokenContext wraps access to the security.context service and is used for checking access permissions and retrieving the current User object. It is passed to the controller with the help of ParamConverter feature. TokenContext here is just an interface and for testing you can use a very simple mock implementation to pass an authenticated user to your controller.
View parameters are returned from the controller as an array, however without requiring the @Template annotation of the SensioFrameworkExtraBundle.
The next example demontrates the abstraction for form requests that help writing very concise form code:
<?php use QafooLabs\MVC\TokenContext ; use QafooLabs\MVC\RedirectRouteResponse ; use QafooLabs\MVC\FormRequest ; class TaskController { private $taskRepository ; public function newAction ( FormRequest $formRequest, TokenContext $context ) { $task = new Task ( $context -> getUser ()); if ( $formRequest -> handle ( new TaskType (), $task )) { $this -> taskRepository -> save ( $task ); return new RedirectRouteResponse ( 'Task.show', array ( 'id' => $task -> getId ())); } return array ( 'form' => $formRequest -> createFormView ()); } }
The RedirectRouteResponse is used to redirect to a route without a need for the router service.
Usage of the FormRequest object that is a wrapper around FormFactory and Request object. It is passed by using a ParamConverter. The method $formRequest->handle combines binding the request and checking for valid data. Again there is a set of mock form request that allow you to simulate valid or invalid form requests for testing.
Writing controllers in this way addresses my requirements Simplicity, Testability and Refactorability. For simple CRUD controllers they only ever need access to a repository service. If one of your controllers grows too big, just refactor out its business logic into services and inject them.
Check out the repository on Github for some more features that we are using in Tideways.
Update 1: Renamed FrameworkContext to TokenContext as done in new 2.0 version of the bundle.A senior US congressman said Wednesday that Washington would be “shooting itself in the foot” if it allows the row with Russia over US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden to further sour relations between the two countries and get in the way of a unique kinship between Russians and Americans.
WASHINGTON, August 21 (by Karin Zeitvogel for RIA Novosti) – A senior US congressman said Wednesday that Washington would be “shooting itself in the foot” if it allows the row with Russia over US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden to further sour relations between the two countries and get in the way of a unique kinship between Russians and Americans.
“Russia and the United States need each other… and I’m hoping that this incident is not used by those in power here to block expanding levels of cooperation. If we do that, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who has jurisdiction for US-Russia relations through his chairmanship of the Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats Subcommittee, told RIA Novosti in a telephone interview.
Relations between Moscow and Washington nosedived earlier this month after Russia granted temporary asylum to Snowden, who is wanted by the United States on espionage and theft charges for leaking classified information about the US National Security Agency’s (NSA) sweeping telephone and electronic surveillance programs.
Snowden fled the United States in June, first to Hong Kong and then to Moscow, where he spent six weeks in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo International Airport before Russia granted him asylum.
Rohrabacher called on US officials to “quit villainizing Russia and try to find a way to work with Russia” to counter bigger threats than the fugitive asylum-seeker, namely “radical Islam,” which Rohrabacher has said in the past is “at the throats” of Americans and Russians, and the emerging threat of China, which he has called the world’s biggest human rights abuser and a serial technology thief.
“Making Mr. Snowden a big issue is very counterproductive” and should not be allowed to get in the way of the unique kinship between Americans and Russians, the Republican from California told RIA Novosti.
“I like Russian people. I like their spirit, I like their sense of humor. They remind me a lot of American people and, frankly, I’m trying to think who else I can say that about,” said Rohrabacher, who has visited Russia several times.
“There’s a camaraderie of the spirit and the soul between the Russian people and the American people and we shouldn’t let something like Snowden get in the way of that,” he said.
He slammed as “ridiculous and absolutely absurd” calls by some US lawmakers for a boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, adding: “People should be talking about boycotting something put on by the NSA or US federal government for trying to expand the arena of surveillance in a free state.”
“I mean, for Pete’s sake, it’s our government that’s acting in a tyrannical way here,” he said.
Rohrabacher asserted that most Americans do not see Snowden as a traitor but as a whistleblower, who “was alerting the American people that their government is getting out of hand” by giving the NSA carte blanche to build a system that “keeps a record of every phone call and every email every American makes.”
Noting the irony of Snowden fleeing to Russia after “exposing an oppressive level of government surveillance of the population” – something he said Americans have long associated with the former Soviet Union – Rohrabacher voiced the hope that Snowden would eventually return to the United States to face lesser charges than the federal charge of espionage, which carries the death penalty.
But, he added, it was likely to be a few years before “this blows over.”News
Mice-Sized Spiders Invading Homes Throughout UK
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Standard house spiders are already pretty terrifying as it is, but the UK is currently experiencing a full-on invasion of massive, mice-sized spiders that are quite fast and horrifying. Even someone who isn’t afraid of spiders would probably shy away from dealing with this particular species.
Anyone living within the North West of the UK, specifically in Macclesfield, may want to close the windows and doors at night. Residents within the area are reporting large spiders are creeping through open crevices if they are left open.
The spiders, which feature 7-inch leg span, are said to have been known to lay eggs throughout the home, which ends up overrun with the children of these demons. One of the individuals who discovered the spiders in his home, Mr. Oldham, was more worried about his son than himself, apparently. He said: “These things are seriously big! Imagine the horror on my son’s face when the spotted this big boy on his wall.”
These spiders are said to have the same pain from a bite as that of a bee sting, and their fangs can even pierce the skin.Tuesday update: Richard Overton, America’s oldest living World War II veteran, was released from an Austin hospital at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after being diagnosed with pneumonia Friday.
"He responded really well to the antibiotics," said his friend Steve Wiener. "He’s home now and feels fine."
Family members had said Monday they they expected Overton to be released Tuesday.
Monday: Richard Overton, America’s oldest living World War II veteran, is expected to be released from an Austin hospital Tuesday after being diagnosed with pneumonia Friday.
Overton recently celebrated his 111th birthday with a neighborhood block party. The city also recognized his achievements by giving Hamilton Avenue, the East Austin street where he lives, the honorary name Richard Overton Avenue.
Overton had a fever of 102 degrees and was rushed to St. David’s Medical Center’s emergency room last week. Since then, he’s been on antibiotics and his temperature has normalized, according to his cousin, Volma Overton Jr.
"He’s doing great, but doctors want to keep him one more day to get stronger," he said Monday. "We appreciate all the prayers and concern, and (Richard) can’t wait to get back on his front porch."
Related: Life’s pretty great at 108
Since Overton’s birthday May 11, there’s been an estimated $19,000 spike in donations to the GoFundMe page that was set up by his family in 2016 to raise funds for his care. However, the fundraising page still had not reached its $200,000 goal as of Monday. The funds ensure that Overton receives the around-the-clock care he needs to continue to live at home, where he often receives visitors, including famous ones such as Vice President Joe Biden.
It takes about $15,000 a month for his care, Volma Overton said.
In honor of his birthday, many recent donors have been contributing $111, but most donations are between $10 to $50.
"You stay put sir, we got this," wrote GoFundMe donor Jana Shortal. "From one combat vet to another, thank you for your service," wrote Tina Bean, who also donated to Richard Overton’s fundraising page.
Volma Overton says the veteran, who has been enjoying his twilight years in the national spotlight, misses smoking his beloved cigars. "Man, I need my medicine — my cigars," Richard Overton told his cousin at the hospital.
Austinites know that on most days they can find Overton enjoying his cigars while sitting on his porch
"As soon as he gets home, he’ll likely light one up," Volma Overton said.Wait until next year.
That’s what the National Science Foundation (NSF) has told benthic ecologist Stacy Kim, who later this month was expecting to assemble her 13-member research team in Antarctica to study its intricate food web. Although the U.S. Antarctic program that NSF runs is back in business, fears that the 16-day U.S. government shutdown would squeeze out research on the frozen continent have become reality for some scientists.
The bad news for Kim came this past Friday morning, only 24 hours after her program manager and the rest of the NSF staff had returned to work. “He said my project was unsupportable because the resources won’t be available in time,” says Kim, a researcher at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in northern California, a part of the California state universities. “So the project is being delayed until next year.”
Kim has an NSF grant to study how the foraging habits of the continent’s top predators—Adélie penguins and minke and killer whales—affect distribution of their prey, mainly krill and silverfish. The project is based at a field camp set up on the sea ice outside McMurdo Station, the biggest of the three U.S. Antarctic outposts. It includes a remotely operated submersible equipped with environmental sensors as well as divers. This year, her second and final field season of the 4.5-year grant, Kim had also arranged a one-time only collaboration with scientists at nearby Italian, New Zealand, and Australian bases to expand the geographic scope of her project.
The research requires considerable logistical support. Researchers need snowmobiles early in the season to carry ice cores and water samples back to the station. Once the ice becomes too unstable, the ferrying is done by helicopter. Kim doesn’t know why her project was pulled out of the lineup, nor the criteria that NSF is using. But she understands that both NSF and the contractor, Lockheed Martin, are being forced to make some hard choices.
“It’s a tough job to coordinate everything, and I sympathize with what they are going through,” she says. “But the fact that it happened so quickly makes me think that NSF has created some rules that it is applying without actually looking at individual projects.”
Kim said the contractor, based in Denver, asked her the day after NSF announced the stations would be going on caretaker status if it would be possible to scale back her research. The contingency plan she submitted reduced the number of samples to be collected “to the minimum needed to still be able to carry out the work we had promised to do,” she says. “But the international collaborators are only available this year, for one month, so I didn’t want to eliminate them.”
Although NSF has promised her that the project will be supported in the 2014 to '15 season, Kim isn’t sure that she’ll be able to retain her team. “Some of the engineers and technicians will have to go on unemployment, because if they can’t go to Antarctica they can’t work,” she says. “I have two grad students finishing a master’s program, and a 1-year delay will be a big blow to them. My postdoc is in his last year. I’m also concerned about the future of my new Ph.D. student, because delaying her start is not good.”
The rescheduling also creates a logistical nightmare. “Everybody has sublet their places,” Kim explains. “Now that they won’t be going to Antarctica for 3 months, they’re going to have to figure out where to live.”
On Friday, the U.S. Antarctic Program issued a “Dear Colleague” letter to the community on its plans for rebounding from the shutdown. The letter, from Scott Borg, head of the Antarctic Sciences Section, included this description of how projects would be scheduled:
“NSF decisions about priorities for restart are conditioned by factors such as continuity of long-term data sets, time-criticality of observations or studies, impacts on young or early career investigators, and international or interagency partnerships. Our deliberations have been, and will continue to be, informed by input provided by the potentially affected Principal Investigators.”
*Updated, 21 October, 9:40 a.m.: This article was updated to include information on a "Dear Colleague" letter that the U.S. Antarctic Program sent to researchers on Friday, 18 October.The season is not even over, and already the musical chairs are in motion. The Tigers and Red Sox hired new general managers. The Brewers and Angels are looking for new ones. The Phillies and Mariners could make changes, and surely one or two surprise openings will emerge.
Amid this volatile climate, the contract of Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos expires at the end of October, according to major-league sources.
If the Jays are not careful, they could lose an executive who almost singlehandedly has revived baseball – and baseball business – in Toronto.
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Rival owners surely notice the spikes in the Jays’ TV ratings and attendance since Anthopoulos’ moves at the nonwaiver deadline. The owners of the Jays, Rogers Communications, surely notice as well, but for almost a year now, Rogers’ plan has not exactly been clear.
It is not known whether the Jays are talking to Anthopoulos about an extension. It is known that they want a club president to replace the outgoing Paul Beeston. They talked to the Orioles’ Dan Duquette and White Sox’s Ken Williams about that job last offseason, and according to sources interviewed Dave Dombrowski, whom the Red Sox hired as president of baseball operations on Tuesday night.
Could Anthopoulos, a native Canadian, have met the same fate as the Red Sox’s Ben Cherington, who stepped down rather than remain GM under Dombrowski? In theory, the answer is yes. The timing, though, was not right. The Jays did not want to take such a drastic step, sources say, and Dombrowski previously had worked for Red Sox owner John Henry with the Marlins, accelerating their discussions.
Still, the questions remain: What will happen to Anthopoulos? And could Anthopoulos opt to become a free agent rather than continue working for an ownership that has little knowledge of baseball and seemingly little direction?
The Jays would be foolish to find out.
Before last offseason, Anthopoulos had not exactly distinguished himself as GM; the Jays had averaged 79 wins in his first five seasons. But in November, Anthopoulous signed free-agent catcher Russell Martin and traded for third baseman Josh Donaldson. Then, at the deadline, he traded for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and left-hander David Price. And now, look at this team.
The Jays trail the Yankees by one game in the AL East and lead the Angels by 3 ½ games for the first wild card. Remember, they have not reached the postseason since 1993, the longest drought in the majors. But according to Fangraphs, they now stand a 92 percent chance of making the playoffs and 43.7 chance of winning the division.
Those numbers alone, however, do not begin to describe what is happening in Toronto.
Before the Tulowitzki trade on July 27, the team’s average attendance was 28,722. Since July 30, the day of the Price trade, the team’s average attendance has been 39,915, a whopping increase of 11,193 per game – with, of course, accompanying increases in the sales of concessions and merchandise.
The difference in the Jays’ television ratings is perhaps more astonishing – and probably more meaningful to Rogers, a media company that relies on cable and wireless subscriptions for the bulk of its profits.
According to Rogers, 3.14 million people were tuned in to Rogers Sportsnet last Friday night when Tulowitzki engaged in his classic game-ending battle with Yankees closer Andrew Miller. That’s almost nine percent of the population of Canada, which is approximately 35 million.
The Jays-Yankees game that night averaged 2.03 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in Sportsnet history, surpassing even Maple Leafs hockey games. Since the deadline, Jays broadcasts are averaging 1.27 million viewers, raising the season average to a record level for the club.
How much did all of Anthopoulos’ moves cost the Jays? Not as much you might think. The salaries of Tulowitzki and shortstop Jose Reyes, one of the players who went back to the Rockies, were essentially a wash for 2015. The addition of Price increased the payroll by about $5.7 million, and Anthopoulos also added outfielder Ben Revere and relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe. But even with all that, the Jays’ payroll remains below the league average, $146 million.
Meanwhile, Tulowitzki is under control for five more years, Martin for four more and Donaldson for three more, protecting the Jays even if sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion depart as free agents after next season. The team is in a flexible enough financial position to re-sign one or even both; the team’s only major long-term commitments are to Tulowitzki and Martin.
Pitching, of course, will be an issue; Anthopoulos has parted with a dizzying number of potential young starters in his many trades – Noah Syndergaard, Anthony DeSclafani, Daniel Norris, Jeff Hoffman, Justin Nicolino, Jesus Tinoco. But just when you think the Jays are out of prospects, they seem to come up with more.
This is not a club that needs to overhaul its baseball operations the way the Red Sox did. This is a club that needs a team president who will focus more on business and updating the Jays’ home ballpark, Rogers Centre. Beeston said recently on a radio show that the facility will cost between $200 million and $400 million to upgrade.
Find that guy, and leave the baseball to Anthopoulos. The Jays are sitting on a hot free agent. And they’re in danger of letting him slip away.Fortune is out with its new annual list of the World's Greatest Leaders, and, perhaps stunningly to some, there is Ohio Gov. John Kasich at No. 12.
He's right behind another Ohioan whose name you might recognize: LeBron James.
Kasich was cited for pushing positions unpopular with his own Republican Party.
"As the acerbity of political discourse threatens to infect the whole culture, the best leaders stay refreshingly open to other views, engaging opponents constructively rather than waging war," Fortune said in explaining how it came up with its list.
"Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Democratic Rep. John Delaney of Maryland, for example, advocate positions the other party favors — and both won reelection easily the last time they faced their home voters."
Theo Epstein, president for baseball operations of the Chicago Cubs among many other interests, was ranked No. 1.
President Donald Trump did not make the top 50 list.
Kasich was given kudos for meeting with Trump and pitching to keep the Medicaid expansion that has brough health coverage to more than 700,000 Ohioans.
"Kasich’s moderation didn’t resonate with Republican voters in last year’s presidential primaries. But as the leader of a politically consequential state, the Trump skeptic commands a key platform," Fortune said.
James was lauded for doing more than delivering Cleveland's first world championship in 50 years.
"James has realized this ambition through the LeBron James Family Foundation, which will provide mentoring and full college scholarships to 1,100 underprivileged children in his hometown of Akron. He has also used his platform as the game’s most famous star to speak out on issues such as President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order and the relationship between law enforcement and black communities."× 1 of 3 Expand Stefania Yarhi Olena Sergiienko serves it up at Amsterdam Brewhouse. × 2 of 3 Expand Stefania Yarhi × 3 of 3 Expand Stefania Yarhi Prev Next
AMSTERDAM BREWHOUSE
245 Queens Quay West, South Building, 416-504-1020, amsterdambrewhouse.com
Breathe easy, Toronto. The city's first craft brewery has officially opened the gates of its massive new Queen's Quay Brewhouse. With indoor and outdoor seating for 800, Amsterdam's anticipated new brewing and dining facility is the largest spot for sampling Ontario craft. And after 27 years, Amsterdam's still got the goods - the independently owned and operated brewery just took home six medals at the 2013 Ontario Brewing Awards, including Beer of the Year for their Spring Bock.
× Expand Bar Hop owner Rob Pingitore (left) pours it. Rebecca Burton brings it on at Bar Hop.
BAR HOP
391 King West, at Charlotte, 647-352-7476, barhopbar.com
This is the city's hottest new haunt for aficionados and enthusiasts of all things malted and hopped. With a vast wall of taps to pull from - 36, to be exact - the Hop has a seasonally curated list of brews from near and far and two casks to boot. Squeeze in at the bar for a beer101 crash course or sample your way through a wide world of brew - from La Trappe Quadrupel (Netherlands) and Belgium's La Chouffe to Ommegang's BPA (USA) - and a generous selection of esoteric homeland pours from Dieu de Ciel!, Sawdust City, Nickel Brook, Beau's and Indie Ale House.
× Expand Erik Holst samples the goods at Bar Hop.
Photos by Stefania Yarhi
BAR VOLO
587 Yonge, at Gloucester, 416-928-0008, barvolo.com
Is there anything in the beer sphere that the folks at Bar Volo don't do? They import rare finds, pump beloved brews out of their very own nano-facility and even run their own cask beer festival, Cask Days, which just celebrated its second year. The summer bottle roster - Cantillon Fou' Foune apricot lambic, De Ranke XX Bitter, Trou Du Diable's La Bretteuse and La Dulcis Succubus - may bring the brew-enthused to tears of joy. With the patio bar (equipped with draught lines, naturally) in full swing and a new list of beer-inspired cocktails, Volo sets an exemplary precedent for T.O.'s craft beer scene.
BEERBISTRO
18 King East, at Yonge, 416-861-9872, beerbistro.com
A great spot to sip classy imports amongst suits, enthusiasts and rollicking locals on the east side's cusp. A thick beer book spanning 20 taps and 150 bottles is made surprisingly approachable by a list of flavour highlights to help you select a beer suited to the mood and moment. Sip a flight and ponder your first pint plunge while nibbling something from the beer-centric menu.
BELLWOODS BREWERY
124 Ossington, at Argyle, bellwoodsbrewery.com
Look no further than Ossington's white-picketed brew pub to slake your thirst this summer with its staples and seasonals, like Bellwoods Saison, Lost River Baltic Porter and Witchshark Imperial IPA. Hit the bottle shop from 11 am to 11 pm daily.
BRYDEN'S
2455 Bloor West, at Jane, 416-760-8069
At Bloor West Village's enduring local, it's difficult to make a poor beer choice. Seventeen draught picks, from Flying Monkeys, Beau's, Amsterdam and Sawdust City are augmented by a rotating cask option.
CASTRO'S
2116 Queen East, at Hammersmith, 416-699-8272
Castro's modest but discerningly selected six taps and four rotating casks cater to east-side craft connoisseurs, pumping out local rarities from Wellington, Flying Monkeys, Stone Hammer and Left Field. Add 100 bottles and cans of microbrew and imports to the mix and you've got yourself a new purlieu.
C'EST WHAT
67 Front East, at Church, 416-867-9499, cestwhat.com
In one of our most beloved temples of craft beer, five of the 39 local taps are devoted to cheekily named single-batch pours from C'est What's very own brew pub: Big Butt Smoked Dark Ale, Caraway Rye Beer and Mother Pucker's Ginger Wheat. "Toronto's local" comes by its reputation honestly: great beer, good food and couches to sink into while enjoying both.
CIROS
1316 Bloor West, at Lansdowne, 416-533-4914
This "House of Imported Bier" was a bona fide watering hole well before the developing hipster enclave at Lansdowne was a glimmer in Bloor West's eye. Ciros's relaxed vibe and list of bottled imports make it a fine place to sample something special from overseas.
CLOAK & DAGGER
394 College, at Borden, 416-921-8308, cloakanddaggerpub.com
Possibly Toronto's grittiest beer cave, the Cloak & Dagger doesn't mess around when it comes to the beer selection. Some space is reserved to cater to more mainstream tastes, but the vast majority of the 26 taps adorning the cozy bar pour locally crafted brews.
GET WELL
1181 Dundas West, at Ossington, 647-351-2337, getwellbar.com
With a heady selection of Ontario craft taps focused on special editions and one-offs, it's no wonder that this sprawling social arena is always rammed. Three taps are dedicated to Get Well's lauded house brews - The Fuggle It Dark Ale and Get Well Porter both took silver in their respective categories at this year's Ontario Brewing Awards. Not too shabby for a joint that just celebrated its one-year anniversary.
Photos by Stefania Yarhi
GRANITE BREWERY
245 Eglinton East, at Mt. Pleasant, 416-322-0723, granitebrewery.ca
One of the city's oldest operating brew pubs, the Granite has been uptown's craft beer mecca for over two decades. A family business (brewers are father-daughter team Ron and Mary Beth Keefe), it sticks to its roots as a purveyor of fine English styles. Make a pit stop at the store to stock up on growlers or kegs, and you'll also spot a few specialities like the Darkside Black IPA and Keefe's Irish Stout on tap around town.
INDIE ALE HOUSE
2876 Dundas West, at Keele, 416-760-9691, indiealehouse.com
Big, bold ales are the house specialty at the Junction's buzz-worthy brewpub. With a spotlight on English and Belgian styles and a basement full of resting barrels, Indie Ale House's experimental and collaborative approach - they've worked with local and international breweries like Italy's Bruton and Ottawa's Beyond the Pale - is making a splash in the local craft beer scene. Twelve taps host staple pours like the Breakfast Porter, Instigator IPA and Broken Hipster (Belgian Wit with orange peel, coriander, rose hips, lavender and ginger) and trendy lambics like the Rye So Sour.
Satisfy your Indie addiction at their beer store, where you can sign up for their Growler Club to access special brews on a monthly basis.
MILL STREET BEER HALL
21 Tank House Lane, at Trinity 416-681-0338, toronto.millstreetbrewpub.ca
Beer, house-made liquor, communal seating - the only thing missing from Mill Street's new venue is lederhosen. Along with two new brews - a Distillery Ale and a Belgian-style Dubbel - the Beer Hall has expanded the company range, checking distillation off its list of things to conquer with its signature Bierschnaps distilled from Mill St. favourites Tankhouse, Frambozen and Coffee Porter.
MONARCH TAVERN
12 Clinton, at Henderson, 416-531-5833, themonarchtavern
Nestled between the gridlocked network of bars and restaurants that define Dundas and College, one of T.O.'s oldest licensed establishments happens to be a damn fine place to enjoy a pint and a glass of whisky. Sample the Monarch's rotating cask option or tap into 15 local brews including Beau's, County Durham, Great Lakes and Denison's.
MONK'S KETTLE
3073 Bloor West, at Brentwood 647-348-4848, themonkskettle.com
It's well worth the journey west to indulge in a taste of the Old World via Etobicoke's European craft haven. Choose from 17 taps pouring Junction, Muskoka, Spearhead and Wellington, plus a cask on weekends, or peruse the long list of bottles and indulge in elusive American seasonals and Trappist treasures like Westvleteren and Rochefort 10.
THE ONLY CAFÉ
972 Danforth, at Donlands, 416-463-7843, theonlycafe.com
Pulling from an impressive 24 taps (not to mention a 200-plus bottle count), the Danforth's garden of hoppy delights maintains its deserved reputation as one of the best beer joints in the city. Your cup won't runneth over if it's full of treasures like Dieu de Ciel! Aphrodisiaque, Stone Hammer Bandwagon IPA, Neustadt Sour Kraut Lager or Le Trou du Diable's Saison du Tracteur - it'd be sacrilege to waste a drop.
THE RHINO
1249 Queen West, at Gwynne, 416-535-8089, therhino.ca
Some places don't need much of an introduction. Instead, let's pose a question: is it a proper Toronto summer if you haven't made a dent in the Rhino's cache of beers on its sprawling Parkdale patio? The answer is no. Now go.
SIN & REDEMPTION
136 McCaul, at Dundas West, 416-640-9197, sinandredemption.com
Trappist fans seek out this inconspicuous pub to sip through the Belgian- and German-heavy draft list, but Sin & Redemption's 43 taps include a well-rounded smattering of local and international suds, too. In case you're mystified about what to sip with your moules-frites, the beer list gives tips on food pairings.
SMOKELESS JOE'S
488 College, at Markham, 416-966-5050
Yes, everyone misses the quaint original location (ain't condos a bitch?), but the College strip transplant hasn't uprooted the bar's true blue dedication to good brew and friendly service. Rocking 19 mostly local taps including staples and seasonals from Hogtown, Left Field, Granite, Hopping Mad and Flying Monkeys, Smokeless Joe 2.0 also has a P-A-T-I....
STOUT IRISH PUB
221 Carlton, at Berkeley, 647-344-7676, stoutirishpub.ca
Your options sure aren't restricted to Guinness in Cabbagetown's beer cave. With a solid draft list featuring seasonal delights like Wellington's Shangri-La IPA and Muskoka Summer Weiss, Stout's devotion to indie brew is apparent. Milwaukee's Lakefront Bridge Burner, Great Lakes Harry Porter and Hop Head Black IPA cater to craft fans, but any drinker can cozy up to the bar and sip her pick of lovely lagers, fruit beers and gluten-free options from Glutenberg.
× Expand Jason Phillips (left), Alistaire Junio and Mike Bolam sip their Tall Boys treats.
TALL BOYS
838 Bloor West, at Shaw, 416-535-7486, tallboysbar.com
Since opening last September, Tall Boys has been atering to the tastes of Toronto's ever-evolving craft beer scene. With six taps and a list of 63 tall boys, the Christie Pits local focuses on seasonals and one offs from Left Field, Junction Brewery, Duggan's and Amsterdam. "We're able to offer the West end of Toronto something that they might have to travel a bit further to find otherwise," says owner Phil Cacace.
× Expand Tall Boys owners Phil (left) and Tom Cacace give a heads-up.
Photos by Stefania Yarhi
× Expand D'Arcy Juni sips the suds at Tequila Bookworm.
TEQUILA BOOKWORM
512 Queen West, at Portland, 416-504-7335
Surprised? Don't be. Over the last three years, this Queen West mainstay has slowly transformed into a low-key spot for sampling some of Ontario's finest brews. With 10 rotating locally dedicated taps showcasing the likes of Amsterdam, Great Lakes, Oast House and Neustadt, Tequila Bookworm also boasts one of the city's best local cider lists.
× Expand Tequila Bookworm co-owner Jeff Caires taps in.
Photos by Stefania Yarhi
THIRSTY AND MISERABLE
197 Baldwin, at Augusta, 647-607-0134
Besides having one of the best names ever (a reference to a Black Flag song and a nod to the space's former life as the Market's punk rock haven, Planet Kensington), this tiny Baldwin Street bar's got what you want. An impressive scope of microbrews on tap and a thoughtfully mapped bottle selection make it the best watering hole in town for rare and esoteric Belgian Trappists, American micros and more. Catch Katie Whittaker, Thirsty and Miserable's beer maven, behind the stick at Bar Hop (391 King West) most Monday nights.
VICTORY CAFÉ
581 Markham, at Lennox, 416-516-5787, victorycafe.ca
According to my (admittedly addled) memory, my inaugural sip of craft brew took place at the Vic when I was a wide-eyed U of T freshman. The West Annex's corner café remains a popular spot for the locally inclined drinker, its 15 taps featuring staple sips from Amsterdam, Spearhead and Muskoka alongside seasonal, one-offs and experimental suds.
[email protected] | @s_parnsFood collectives like EL CHEf are feeding refugees and welcoming them into Greek society.
Athens, Greece - The walls of the Greek capital's Exarcheia
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2, while the combination of a haunting soundtrack with artful use of red and blue lighting gave it a hellish, surreal feel that was somewhere between a Dario Argento and David Lynch movie.
And there you all were expecting a dedicated N64 version of Doom to have been something innocuous like, I dunno, a technicolor adventure set in a magical cave where you rode rainbows and threw pancakes at Goomba-demons. Instead, we got the darkest damn Doom game to this day.
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
The subtitle of this tactical RPG sounds like a roundabout, lost-in-translation way of saying ‘VIP’. But then, Ogre Battle is a series in which the previous two games used the names of Queen songs for their titles.
In Ogre Battle 64: PoLC, you control a military commander responsible for a large battalion of troops during a civil war, which are split into multiple armies that you organise and control in semi-real-time battles. With all the of leaders, politics, and personalities and of course battle tactics you need to manage, it’s a miracle how a game of such depth and scale was even playable using the infamous trident controller.
Ogre Battle’s hand-drawn art style has helped preserve it, too. Using the food analogy from earlier, it’s like a dried cinnamon stick – just as fragrant as it was back in 1999.NASA intends to send astronauts to orbit the moon in 2018 at the apparent request of President Donald Trump, potentially saving taxpayers $10 billion dollars.
Robert Lightfoot, NASA’s acting administrator, sent a letter to the space agency’s employees saying they should “explore the feasibility” of sending astronauts to orbit the moon in 2018, seemingly at the request of the Trump administration.
Speeding up NASA’s plans to orbit the moon with astronauts could save money in the long term.
“An imperative to accelerate the schedule in this way is long overdue,” Dr. Robert Zubrin, who helped design plans for NASA’s manned mission to Mars and wrote the “The Case For Mars,” told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Moving the first piloted SLS [Space Launch System] flight from 2022 to 2018 will save the taxpayers four years of SLS spending to get to the same objective, with a total saving in the $10 billion range,” Zubrin said.
NASA already planned to send an unmanned SLS rocket with an Orion capsule to orbit the Moon, but will accelerate the program to send astronauts on the previously unmanned mission in late 2018. One Trump adviser told The Washington Post adding astronauts is intended to be “a clear signal” to the Chinese that the U.S. will retain its dominance in space.
“It may take a little more money in the short term, but in the medium and long term it will save a great deal of funds,” Zubrin continued. “In aerospace, cost is people times time. The faster you get something done, the more money you save.”
Trump seemingly wants to return U.S. astronauts to the Moon, then send them onto Mars in space missions, which will require the giant SLS rocket currently being debated in Congress. The president vowed to “unlock the mysteries of space” in his inaugural address, lending credence to reports he discussed sending humans to Mars in a private meeting with billionaire Elon Musk.
Zubrin says that this is potentially a great strategy to ultimately send U.S. astronauts to Mars.
“[T]he same heavy lift launch system used to send astronauts to the Moon can be used to send them to Mars,” Zubrin told TheDCNF. “In fact, if we had a Mars program, we would also want to have a Moon program, as otherwise the launch rate would be too small, and the Mars program would have to maintain the booster program workforce while they were inactive.”
Politico’s documents say Trump wants NASA to launch a “rapid and affordable” lunar mission to the moon by 2020, build privately-operated space stations and assist “the large-scale economic development of space.”
“NASA’s new strategy will prioritize economic growth and the organic creation of new industries and private sector jobs, over ‘exploration’ and other esoteric activities,” states a summary of NASA’s agency action plan obtained by Politico. “Done correctly, this could create a trillion-dollar per year space economy, dominated by America.”
Trump may free up money for his space plans by slashing the more than $2 billion NASA spends on its Earth Science Mission Directorate, which covers global warming science, and divert that money towards space exploration. Additional money for Mars exploration could be diverted from NASA’s troubled Asteroid Redirect Mission, which was heavily supported by Obama. Obama tried for years to eliminate the SLS, but Congress rescued the rocket, though the former president did take money from it to fund global warming programs.
Experts have long suspected Trump’s space agenda will fund exploration with robotic probes and human astronauts diverted from NASA’s global warming science programs. Another billionaire space entrepreneur, Robert Bigelow, thinks Trump could double NASA’s budget.
The U.S. is better prepared to visit Mars than it was to visit the moon in the 1960s, according to a study by NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The total cost of current plans to send Americans to Mars comes out to roughly $35 billion spent by 2025 to arrive in 2030.
Trump has yet to name a NASA director, but the documents identify Oklahoma Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a former Navy pilot, as the top contender.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected] Carson admitted he has no chance of becoming the Republican presidential nominee – but will not actually quit the race.
The retired neurosurgeon released a statement this afternoon saying that he planned to skip tomorrow night's GOP debate in Detroit as there is no 'path forward' for him in light of last night's Super Tuesday results.
He said he'll use his speech Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference to 'discuss more about the future of this movement.'
Carson's business manager and closest aide, Armstrong Williams, told the Associated Press: 'There's only one candidate in this 2016 election on the GOP side, and his name is [Donald] Trump.'
Williams added that Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz also 'have no path' and should drop out.
But confusingly Carson is not yet expected to actually quit the race.
Scroll down for videos
No hope: Ben Carson, pictured in his adopted hometown of Baltimore last night, will tell supporters on Friday that he has no 'path forward.' He will not take part in tomorrow night's Republican debate
Ben Carson returned to Maryland last night to address supporters and seemed poised to stay in the race, but a meeting Wednesday with key aides had him changing his tune
Personally popular: Ben Carson, with this wife Candy, could not translate his inspirational rise from working-class black Detroit to being a renowned neurosurgeon into votes, but remains popular, making his endorsement valuable
Carson, 64, performed dismally in the Super Tuesday primaries and had made little impact on recent debates, being marginalized almost completely in last week's by Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump attacking each other.
He will use a scheduled speech at the CPAC, being held in just outside Washington, D.C. in Maryland to talk at length to supporters.
He issued a statement today saying that his 'grassroots movement' would continue.
'I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit,' it said.
'Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening's primary results.
'However, this grassroots movement on behalf of 'We the People' will continue.
'Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to Saving America for Future Generations.
'We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation.
'I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America.
'Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people.
'I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.'
He was the only one of the five remaining Republican candidates not to walk away from Super Tuesday with at least a second place somewhere – with John Kasich coming in second in Massachusetts and Vermont.
And he had picked up just eight delegates in the primaries and caucuses so far, compared to frontrunner Trump's 319.
Ben Carson wasn't able to get much air time at last week's Republican debate in Houston, Texas, as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio all attacked one another
Donald Trump (left), the party's frontrunner, has been fairly nice to Dr. Ben Carson, even saying the retired neurosurgeon wasn't getting enough time to speak at debates
Carson's endorsement, however, will be much sought-after among the remaining candidates.
Although he could not translate personal popularity into votes and polling numbers, his inspirational story and his breakthrough moment at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast would combine to make an endorsement a valuable asset.
Carson's own strong religious views would suggest that he would lean towards endorsing Ted Cruz but he could also be under pressure from the Republican establishment to throw his weight behind Marco Rubio, who continues to be their preferred candidate to take on Donald Trump.
However his business manager's views are seen as having the most influence on Carson, and that could point to a Trump endorsement.
Trump himself had gone out of his way to be positive about Carson, saying after the last debate that he felt the retired neurosurgeon had been treated badly by the moderators by not getting enough airtime.
And in a survey out this week conducted by Morning Consult, Carson beat out all the other candidates for Republican voters' top vice presidential pick, with Trump being the hypothetical nominee.
Carson's political career could continue in another way too, as Florida Republicans are reportedly thinking about pitching Carson on a Florida Senate run, CNN reported, to fill the seat being vacated by Rubio, whose running for president instead.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is planning to use his appearance at CPAC this year to explain where his'movement' goes from here
Carson only briefly saw success in his presidential bid, but then hopes of his outsider candidacy taking hold tumbled down.
Around Halloween, Carson was polling ahead of frontrunner Trump in Iowa, where the country's first contest is held.
But as the polls peaked for the retired neurosurgeon, the media started poking holes in some of the colorful anecdotes the doctor would tell on the campaign trail.
One story - involving a young, brooding Ben Carson stabbing someone - was revised several times. Was it a close relative? A best friend? Carson changed the script, while associates of the Detroit native came forward and said they never remembered this type of anger coming from a young Ben.
Trump capitalized on it, releasing an Instagram video on Friday the 13th, which described Carson as a 'violent criminal' or a 'pathological liar.'
'We don't need either as president,' the Trump ad boasted.
Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening's primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of 'We the People' will continue Carson's confusing statement about leaving - or not leaving - the race
Losing ground thanks to some sluggish debate performances, pronouncing Hamas like 'hummus,' the chickpea-based spread, when talking foreign policy and suggesting the pyramids in Egypt were built to store grain, Carson's 2015 holiday season consisted of a big staff shake-up.
Carson called two batches of reporters, from the Associated Press and the Washington Post, to his home unbeknownst to his campaign manager Barry Bennett.
To those reporters he hinted that he might make some changes in staffing to his campaign.
The retired neurosurgeon then immediately went on CNN and told Don Lemon that he wasn't firing anyone.
That was over Christmas.
Before the ball dropped to mark 2016 Carson's campaign announced 'enhancements,' with Bennett and Communications Director Doug Watts resigning 'effective immediately.'
More than 20 other staffers followed the duo out the door.
The campaign moved retired general Bob Dees, who was Carson's foreign policy adviser, into the role of campaign chairman.
A senior strategist for Carson, Ed Brookover, became the campaign manager.
'As we enter a new phase of the campaign cycle, it is necessary to invigorate my campaign with a strategy that more aggressively shares my vision and world-view with the American people,' Carson said in the statement.
'I commend Barry Bennett and Doug Watts for their efforts to help me share my vision for America,' Carson said.
Parting words aside, NBC News sources suggested the split was, in part, because of Bennett and Watts' inability to get along with Armstrong, a longtime business adviser of the candidate.
After the shake-up the campaign, again, never gained back its footing.
When CNN reported that Carson planned to head to Florida - to pick up more clothes for the campaign trail - just a day after the Iowa caucuses, Ted Cruz's volunteers spread the misinformation that Carson was on the cusp of dropping out, trying to recruit his voters to choose Cruz, another evangelical favorite, on their Iowa ballot instead.
The move may have helped Cruz, who won the Iowa caucuses in a somewhat surprising victory over Donald Trump, who had led there since Carson's November fall and had only been neck-and-neck with the Texas senator in recent weeks.
Ben Carson briefly was sitting at the top of the polls in Iowa, where he's pictured here, but was quickly toppled by long-time frontrunner Donald Trump
The gossip didn't do any favors to Carson who came in fourth.
In the next two contests, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Carson came in last.
Carson made another controversial comment last week, that President Obama was 'raised white' and didn't embody the typical black American experience, in the run-up to Nevada's caucuses.
He returned to the fourth place position in that state, though this time in a field of just five candidates, and again pledged to stay in the race.
In the run-up to Super Tuesday, he said again and again he was staying in.
'I have millions of social media fans and they're begging me not to get out,' Carson said on Morning Joe.
He also told a familiar tale.
'If you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare,' Carson said during several media appearances a week ago.
'If you give up on the tortoise too early, you're only going to have the hare who is exhausted and not very effective,' he said on Fox & Friends.
Jeb Bush had used a similar line to explain to reporters his style of campaigning.Labour may be the victim of entrism – infiltration by members and supporters of other parties – but it’s only a very small explanation of Jeremy Corbyn’s extraordinary success.
I like to think I know a thing or two about entrism, sometimes spelt “entryism”.
Thirty years ago I wrote a book about Militant, the Trotskyist party which “entered” the Labour Party, and caused considerable problems for successive Labour leaders. The book followed on from several reports and films I’d made for ITN, and for the early Channel 4 News. Militant was an extraordinary successful phenomenon, a secretive Marxist party (known internally as the Revolutionary Socialist League) though they always denied being a party or an organisation. They were just a group of people who read the Militant newspaper, they claimed. Rubbish.
At their peak in the mid-1980s Militant had around 8,000 members, all of whom belonged to the Labour Party as well. They operated clandestinely inside the Labour Party as a way of recruiting people to their ranks and to their ideas, and they even managed to get three Labour MPs – Pat Wall, Terry Fields and Dave Nellist. Eventually most of Militant leaders were expelled by Labour, and Militant left the party. After a split or two, and the odd witch-hunt of leading figures (such as Ted Grant), it now operates as the Socialist Party, part of the Trades Union and Socialist Coalition, led by Dave Nellist.
We may be seeing entrism once again, but its on a far smaller scale than Labour experienced in the 1980s. “It’s tiny, really, really small,” says John Callaghan of Salford University, one of Britain’s foremost academic experts on British Trotskyism.
Watch Michael Crick’s 1982 report on the Militant Tendency
The Labour Party have just told me that they have now purged 1,200 people from the lists of voters in the leadership ballot, though the process continues. 48 staff are working on registering voters – and purging them – at their administrative HQ in Newcastle, and another 30 at their national base in London.
Of the 1,200, almost 300 people have been identified as people who’ve stood in the recent past as candidates for other parties. Labour tell me this includes 214 Green candidates in recent elections, 37 people who stood for the Trades Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), 13 Conservatives, 7 Ukip candidates, and one BNP. Oh, and a man who stood at some election or other for the Morecambe Bay Independents.
If groups like TUSC are that organised why hasn’t Labour identified all 137 candidates TUSC fielded (against Labour) at the general election? Maybe Labour is too inefficient to spot them, but it shouldn’t be that difficult. Maybe, and more likely, most TUSC candidates haven’t signed up for the leadership ballot. And the purging process will continue, I’m told, right up to the moment the results are declared on 12 September. It will be possible to exclude people from the ballot even after they’ve voted, Labour tell me.
Anyway, this entrism is pretty small beer compared with the overall numbers. Far left and hard left parties these days are nothing like as big as they were in the 1980s, and Militant’s heyday. I’d estimate at most somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 entrists from the Left, including Greens, in this Labour ballot, and no more than 5,000 from the Right. 15,000 in all, and that’s probably a gross over-estimate.
Yet almost 400,000 people could be registered to vote in the leadership ballot, and today’s YouGov poll suggests Jeremy Corbyn will win pretty handsomely. And with the first email ballots going out on Friday morning, there’s not much time for his opponents to make up ground, especially when many voters are likely to cast their ballots as soon as they get them, either by email or post. As things are going, the entrists probably won’t make a difference. Corbyn could well win without them.
Entrism may play a very small role in Jeremy Corbyn popularity, but it’s only a tiny explanation for what’s going on, and a pretty lame excuse for backers of other candidates to explain why their man or woman isn’t winning. And, of course, the various Trots and Greens would like you to believe they made a crucial difference. And journalists love it as a story too.
Corbynmania is a far, far bigger phenomenon than entrism. Nobody fully understands what’s going on. It’s a fascinating development in public opinion, linked to the rise of the Greens, the SNP and even Ukip. But if you concentrate on entrism, you’re missing the much bigger picture, and a quite extraordinary story.Translation of a text appearing in Tiqqun 1 in 1999.
What is Metaphysical Criticism?
“There is no longer any reality, only its caricature”
-Gottfried Benn
“We talked of the universe, its creation and also its future destruction.”
-Baudelaire
“It does not escape us that ‘metaphysical’- exactly like ‘abstract’ and even ‘thinking’- has become a word before which everyone more or less takes flight as before a plague-victim.” (Hegel). And it is assuredly with a shiver of wicked joyfulness, and a worrying certitude of going right to the wound, that we bring back into its center what the triumphant frivolity of the epoch believed to have forever repressed to its periphery. By this act, we have the advantage as well of claiming that it is not to some sophistical caprice that we submit to, but rather to an imperious necessity inscribed in history. Metaphysical Criticism is not more chattering on the course of the world, nor the latest speculation to date from the head of some particular intelligence, it is all that is most real contained in our times. Metaphysical Criticism is in all unexpressed feelings of our time. Whatever be our protestations on this subject, there is no doubt that it will try in one way or another to attribute to us the invention of Metaphysical Criticism, with the design of hiding this fact: that it existed already before finding its formulation, that it is similarly everywhere, from the state of emptiness in suffering, of denegation in diversion, of the motive in consumption, or from the evidence of anguish. It clearly belongs to this sordid spinelessness, to this incurable platitude, to the repugnant insignificance of this time called “modern” to have made metaphysics the leisure, under all appearances innocent, of the erudite in their false collars, and to have emasculated it to the sole exercise that comes to these insects: platonic mandibulation. By this lone aspect already, which is not reducible to its conceptual experience, Metaphysical Critique is the experience that fundamentally denies an inept “modernity”, and, with open eyes, celebrates each day a little more the excess of the disaster.
Act the First: “When the false becomes true, truth itself is no more than a mirage. When nothingness becomes reality, reality in its turn falls into nothingness.”
(inscriptions which figure in one part and another at the entry of the “Kingdom of Dream and immense illusion” in the Dream of the Red Chamber)
Occidental civilization lives by credit. It believed it could always endure without repaying the last of its lies. But at present it suffocates under their crushing dead weight. Thus, before coming to more substantial considerations, we must commence by making room for unburdening this world of one of its illusions, for example, that modernity has ever existed as such. It does not enter into our views to linger over indisputable facts. That even the term “modernity” today does not evoke, as a general rule, more than a bored irony, and this progressivist senility finally appears for what it has never ceased to be: the verbal fetish which the superstition of shitheads and simple spirits have surrounded the progressive accession of commodity relations to social hegemony since the pretend “Renaissance”, and that in favor of interests that we will explain only too well, one sees that which hardly merits exegesis. There is here a vulgar case of thuggery upon etiquette, of which we leave the elucidation to the sacristains of future historicism. Our business is far more grave. In that, the same as commodity relations have never existed as commodity relations, but only as relations among humans travestied into relations between things, so is that which calls, which believes, or is held for “modern” has never veritably existed in so much as modern. The essence of the economy, this transparent pseudonym under which capitalist modernity regularly tries to make itself pass for an eternity of evidence, is nothing economic; and in fact, its foundation, which holds itself equally well for a program, announces itself in these abrupt terms: NEGATION OF THE METAPHYSICAL, that is to say that what is transcendent for humanity is the efficient cause of immanence, be it, in other terms, that the world, for us, makes sense, the supersensible appearing in the sensible. This beautiful project is entirely contained in the aberrant but efficacious illusion that a complete separation between the physical and the metaphysical to be possible-a disjunction which most often takes the form of a hypostasis of the physical, erected into a model of all objectivity, and logically commands a myriad of local ruptures, between life and meaning, dream and reason, individual and society, means and ends, artists and bourgeois, intellectual work and physical labor, bosses and workers, etc. which are not, in their number, less absurd; each of these concepts becomes abstract and loses all content outside of living interaction with its contrary- now, such a separation being really, that is to say humanly, impossible, and the liquidation of humanity having thus far failed, nothing modern has ever existed as such. What is modern is not real, what is real is not modern. For in so much as there is truly a realization of this program, but at present as it perfects itself we also see that it is completely the contrary of what it thought it was, in a word: the complete de-realization of the world. And all the vastness of the visible carries from henceforth, by its vacillating character, the brutal evidence that the realized negation of the metaphysical is not in the end but the realization of a metaphysics of negation. The functionalism and inherent materialism of capitalist modernity have everywhere produced a void, but this void corresponds to the original metaphysical experience: that where the responses go beyond being, which permitted an orientation in this being have disappeared, anxiety flourishes and the metaphysical character of the world flowers under the eyes of all. Never has the sentiment of estrangement been so pregnant as before the abstract productions of a world that pretends to bury it under the unquestionable and immense opulence of its accumulated commodities. Places, clothes, words and architecture, faces, acts, looks and loves are but terrible masks that a sole and singular absence has invented to make our acquaintance. Nothingness has visibly taken quarters in the intimacy of things and beings. The smooth surface of spectacular appearances everywhere cracks under the effect of its own enlargement. The physical sensation of its proximity has ceased to be the ultimate experience reserved to some circles of mystics, it is on the contrary the only sensation that the capitalist world has left us intact, and at the same time decoupled from the programmed disappearance of all the others; it is true that it is also the only one that it had explicitly proposed to eliminate. All the products of this society- whether one thinks of the empty conceptuality of the Young-Girl, contemporary urbanism, or techno- are things that spirit has left, and who have survived beyond all meaning as beyond all reason for being. These are the signs that exchange themselves according to planned movements, that do not signify nothing, as the polite idiots of postmodernism prefer to believe, but rather Nothingness. All things of this world subsist in a perceptible exile. They are the victims of a slight but constant disappearance of being. Assuredly, this modernity which would have liked to be without mystery and which judged to have liquidated the metaphysical has rather realized it. This modernity has produced a décor made of pure phenomena, of pure beings that are nothing more than the simple fact of maintaining themselves, in their empty positivity, and who without respite provoke humanity to feel “the marvel of marvels: that being is” (Heidegger, What is Metaphysics?). In this ultramodern hall of mirrors, of marble and steel where hazard has led us, a small relaxing of the cerebral constriction will suffice for us to brutally see all existing gloss and introversion in a presence at the same time oppressive and floating, where nothing rests. The experience of All Otherness arrives to us in the manner of the most common circumstances, even in newly renovated boulangeries. A world spreads itself before us that can no longer support our glance. Anguish watches all the street corners. Now this disastrous experience where we emerge violently outside of the existing is nothing other than that of transcendence, at the same time as the irremediable negativity that we contain. It that is all the stifling “reality” of which the grand machinery that the social imposture works to establish the evidence of, that suddenly, that cowardly, sinks and makes room for the chasm of its nullity. This experience is nothing less than the foundation of the metaphysical, where this appears precisely as metaphysical, where the world appears as world. But the metaphysical that thus returns is not the metaphysics that the Spectacle had hunted, because it returns as metaphysical criticism, as conquering, as truth and negation of that which had vanquished the ancient metaphysics. Because the project of capitalist modernity is nothing, its realization is but the extension of the desert to the totality of existence. It is this desert that we will come to ravage.
Helplessly enthroned in the midst of the catastrophes that pile up around it, commodity domination feels no more at home in the singular state of things that it has, however, produced, and of which each detail makes it more contradicted. By domination we mean here nothing other than the symbolic relation between dominant and dominated, mediated by complicity; so much that there is for us little doubt that “the tormentor and the tormented make but one, that the one fools itself in believing it does not participate in torment, the other in believing it does not participate in fault”: to the back of the class, Bourdieu! This is sufficient to convince one to be attentive to the steps of our contemporaries, who make one think of a band of deserters running on their heels and spurred by their own metaphysical inquietude. It is henceforth for the Blooms a full-time job to remove themselves from the fundamental experience of nothingness, which ruins all simple faiths in the world. The derision of things menaces at every instant to submerge consciousness. Ignoring the forgetting of being, of which the retreat surrounds us in each banlieue, in each vagina as in each service-station, advertises forthwith the daily ingestion and quasi-lethal doses of Prozac, advertisements, and Viagra. But all these short-range remedies do not suppress anguish, they only mask it, and banish it to an obscurity propitious to its silent growth. Finally, female magazines must all the same, for selling their lies and their maladies, convince their readers that “the truth is good for health”, cosmetic multinationals are advised to place on their packaging “metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology”, TF1 erects the “quest for meaning”, as paying principle for its future programming, and Starck, that false light, assures La Redoute a few years of advancement of its sales in composing for it a “catalogue of non-products for the usage of non-consumers”. One imagines with pain just how much domination must be internally at a loss to arrive here. In these conditions, critical thought must cease to wait for the constitution of a mass revolutionary subject and the revelation of the imminent character of a social upheaval. It must rather learn to read this in the formidable explosion, over the course of the recent period, of the social demand for diversion. Such a phenomenon is a sign that the pressure of essential questions, for so long held in suspense, and with such profit, has traversed the threshold of the intolerable. Because, if the Spectacle diverts with so much furor, it is necessary that what is diverted must be something, and that this something must be becoming a haunting presence. “If man were happy, he would be the more so, the less he was diverted” (Pascal).
Supposing that the object that spread everywhere a so notable terror, and of which it could still deny the effective action so much as it is not named, must be Metaphysical Criticism- it is here a matter of a definition, maybe there will never be one given to us so clear and so comprehensible. The inoffensive sociologists are naturally not graced with organs that permit them to comprehend what returns here, no more so than the handful of poor aesthetes in vain indignation who vituperate the misery of the epoch from the height of their writing profession, and who, in consumption, only see consumption itself. It is not the extraordinary expanse of the disaster that one must think to contest, but the signification. The general terror of aging, the charming anorexia of women, the arrestation of living, the sexual apocalypse, the industrial administration of diversion, the triumph of the Young-Girl, the apparition of unprecedented and monstrous pathologies, the paranoiac isolation of egos, the explosion of acts of gratuitous violence, the fanatical and universal affirmation of the hedonism of the supermarket, all make an elegant litany for the paroxysms of all things. The exercised eye, in regard to this, does not see in all this accreditation of the eternal victory of the commodity and its empire of confusion, it divines rather the intensity of the general waiting, of the messianic waiting for the catastrophe, of the moment of truth which will finally put an end to the unreality of a world of lies. On this point as on many others, it is not superfluous to be Sabbatean.
From the point of view where we place ourselves, the resolute submersion of the masses into imminence and their uninterrupted flight into insignificance- all things that could make us so despair of the human race- cease to appear as positive phenomena that would have in themselves their truth, but are rather to be understood as purely negative movements, accompanying the forced exodus outside of the sphere of signification that the Spectacle has integrally colonized, outside of all figures, of all forms under which it is actually permitted to appear and that expropriates from us the meaning of our acts, like our acts themselves. But already this flight no longer suffices, and it must sell in individual packages the emptiness left by Metaphysical Criticism. New Age, for example, corresponds to its infinitesimal dilution, to its burlesque travesty that which commodity society attempts to immunize itself against. The fact of generalized separation (between sensible and supersensible as much as between humans), the project of restoring unity to the world, the insistence on the category of the totality, the primacy of spirit, or the intimacy with human pain combine themselves in a calculated fashion in a new commodity, in new techniques. Buddhism also belongs to the quantity of spiritual hygiene that domination must put in place for saving under whatever form positivism or individualism, so as to remain a little longer still in nihilism. At all hazards, the Spectacle resorts even to the moth-eaten banner of religions, of which it knows what a useful complement these can be for the terrestrial reign of all miseries- it is self-evident that while a weekly magazine of sectarians in sneakers ingenuously worries in covering whether “Will the 21st century be religious?” one must rather read “Will the 21st century come to repress Metaphysical Criticism?”; all the “new needs” that late capitalism flatters itself to satisfy, all hysterical agitation of its employees, and up to the extension of the consumer relation to the ensemble of human life, all the good news that it believes to give of the perennity of its triumph measures thus ever more the deepening of its failure, of suffering, and of anguish. And it is this immense suffering that peoples so many regards and hardens so many things that it must always anew, in a panting race, put to work in degrading to needs the fundamental tension of humans towards the sovereign realization of their virtualizations, a tension which does not cease to grow with the distance that separates them. But evading this exhausts it and its efficacity decreases rapidly. Consumerism comes no more to wipe away the excess of tears. Thus it must put into place techniques of selection always more ruinous and always more drastic to exclude from the wheels of domination those who can not ravage in themselves all propensity to humanity. Any of those who effectively participate in this society are not supposed to ignore what it could cost them to leave their veritable dolor publicly visible. However, in spite of these machinations, suffering has nonetheless continued to accumulate in the night foreclosed of intimacy, where it seeks gropingly, with obstinacy, a means to flow out. And as the Spectacle can not eternally forbid it to manifest itself, it must more and more often concede to suffering, but thus in travestying its expression, in designating planetary grieving one of its empty objects, one of its royal mummies of which the confection is its secret. Only suffering can not be satisfied with these doppelgangers. Thus it awaits patiently, as if hunting, the brutal suspension of the regular course of horror, where humans avow themselves of an unburdening without limits: “We all lack indisputably. We burst with nostalgia for being.” (Bloy, Belluaires et Porchers).
One will certainly understand better at present that we challenge all types of paternity for Metaphysical Criticism: it suffices for us to have opened our eyes to see it sketch itself between the lines of the surface of the epoch as its empty center. Metaphysical Criticism gives itself to whoever takes to heart to live with open eyes, who do not claim anything other than a particular obstinacy that the Spectacle has the custom to make pass for insanity. Because Metaphysical Criticism is rage to such a degree of accumulation that it becomes a regard, but such a regard that has cured all the miserable bewitchments of modernity and does not know the world as distinct from itself. It sees that, under their vulgar forms, materialism and idealism have lived, that “the infinite is as indispensable to man as the planet where he lives” (Dostoevski), and that even where the Spectacle seems to blossom in the most satisfied immanence, conscience is still present as inaudible sentiment of decay, as bad conscience. The Kojevian hypothesis of an “end of History” where man rests “in life as an animal that is in accord with Nature and given Being”, where “the post-historical animals of the species Homo Sapiens (who live in abundance and total security) would be content by virtue of their artistic, ludic, and erotic comportment, as by definition they contain it in themselves” and where will disappear the discursive knowledge of the world and self, has been revealed as being the utopia of the Spectacle, but it has also been revealed, as such, as unrealizable. There is manifestly nowhere for humanity to access the animal condition. Naked life is still for them a form of life. The unhappy “modern man” –let us pass by the oxymoron- who has
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no one seems to comprehend that tossing individuals desperate for skills to cope with addiction behind bars, no matter for how long a period of time, does absolutely nothing but temporarily deter them from succumbing to their weakness. Instead of focusing on how many individuals this county can keep imprisoned, why can we not focus on how many individuals we can keep from coming back?
As for now, I can only hope that the educated, just, and decent men and women who hold positions of influence will find the courage to fight for change because they understand what is inherently right. In doing so, they will start gaining the support necessary to begin breaking these malignant molds that are such a detriment to our society and culture as a whole.
I guess that's enough about that from me for now. Thank you for bearing with me, and I apologize if I come across as ranting. I've had more than my fair share of time to ponder the issue, and only mean to stimulate some thought on the topic.
Nevertheless, I feel thoroughly blessed. I have a beautiful and loving family who has faithfully supported me every step of the way, believing in me and refusing to give up in the face of one bleak adversity after the next.
However, through these obstacles and carrying with me this love, I have managed to build a strong faith, and I feel in the deepest recesses of my heart that there is a beautiful purpose hidden along this painful journey. And no matter what my surroundings or conditions, I am determined to find within myself the design for which I was born, and by doing so, fulfill my humble part in this extraordinary existence. Maybe one day, my family, my future children, and whomever I have the privilege of coming to know, will be able to regard me as a man who endeavored to leave this planet just a little better than the way I found it.Interested in functions, hooks, classes, or methods? Check out the new WordPress Code Reference
On August 18th, 2015, WordPress Version 4.3, named after jazz musician Billie Holiday, was released to the public. For more information on this enhancement and bug-fix release, read the WordPress Blog, and see the Changelog for 4.3.
For Version 4.3, the database version (db_version in wp_options) changed to 33055, and the Trac revision was 33635.
Highlights
The Finer Points Resetting Your Password received attention and 4.3 improves the way that passwords are chosen and changed. You start out with a strong password by default and you are given the option to keep it or choose your own. A password strength meter is available as well as the option to hide your password from prying eyes. You will find the new password interface on the password reset screen and the WordPress install screen. WordPress will no longer send passwords via email and the password reset links will expire in 24 hours. Finally, e-mail notifications will be sent out in the event that an e-mail or password is changed. Site owners can now manage their site’s favicon on desktop and mobile. Site Icons work out of the box, are theme independent, and do not require theme support. Multisite Focused Changes The main change to the Editor is that the content for both Visual and Text editors is prepared/escaped the same (we run the textarea content through the JavaScript wpautop() before initializing TinyMCE). Comments are now turned off on pages and custom post types by default.
For Developers Fast previewing changes to Menus in the Customizer A new theme template has been added to the Template Hierarchy. The singular.php template follows the rules of is_singular and is used for a single post, regardless of post type. It comes in the hierarchy after single.php, page.php, and the variations of each. Themes that used the same code for both of those files (or included one in the other) can now simplify down to the one template. Changes to Customizer Panels and Sections New Customizer Media Controls The Site Icon API is fairly straightforward. PHP7 is slated for release later this year. One of the changes is that PHP4 style constructors are deprecated. In order to prepare WordPress to support PHP7, these constructors have been deprecated in WordPress core. Old Distraction Free Writing code has been removed (the code has not been used in the core since 4.1). Plugin authors have had two releases to update their code. If it is essential to your plugin, the files in 4.2 can still be reused and improved.
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Menus can now be managed with the Customizer, which allows you to see "live" preview changes without changing your site for visitors until you are ready. Customizer improvements including enhanced accessibility, smoother menu creation and location assignment, and the ability to handle nameless menus. Take control of another piece of your site with the Site Icon feature. You can now manage your site’s favicon and app icon from the Admin area. Customize link added in the toolbar to swiftly make changes to your site.
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A total of 180 bugs reported against previous versions of WordPress were fixed.
Multisite
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External LibrariesStory by The Takeaway. Listen to audio above for full report.
The AIDS epidemic burst onto the scene in America in the 1970s, but a new book out recently tries to look at the early history of AIDS, and its findings might be surprising.
In "The Origins of AIDS," Dr. Jacques Pépin traces the movements of the disease that led to the current global pandemic, but also looks at what are very likely the earliest AIDS outbreaks, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s.
Donald G. McNeil, Jr., science reporter for The New York Times, reviewed the book this week.
"A lot of what is great about this book is the way it synthesizes thousands and thousands of papers written about AIDS," McNeil said.
In the book, Pépin shows what he believe is the initial path of the HIV virus from monkeys to humans who were hunting in the African wilderness. According to Pépin the disease actually moved to humans four times, but it was only one set, Group M, that has led to the global pandemic.
One or two of those hunters then, most likely, made their way to what are now the neighboring cities of Kinshasa and Brazzaville in central Africa. They likely became involved with prostitutes and the disease was off.
Interestingly, the virus in Haiti, the United States and western Europe is from a particular subsection of the Group M virus, meaning that it can most likely be traced back to a single person traveling from Africa to haiti.
"One Hatian carried the disease in the early 1960s from Zaire to Haiti, where it was amplified probably through a plasma center there," McNeil said.
But, dating back even farther, Pépin discovered records from the colonial era that led him to believe the AIDS virus may have been circulating as far back as the 1920 and 1930s. In records of a doctor who treated men working on building the railroad through that part of Africa, Pépin discovered stories of a sickness that killed as many as half of the men building the railroad.
The symptoms sound very much like AIDS, but without blood samples from that era, it can't be confirmed.
In a strange twist, Pépin says he believes he probably contributed to the early spread of the disease. As a doctor in French-speak west Africa, he was part of a concerted effort to eradicate sleeping sickness. Though needles were boiled, they weren't completely sterilized. Some people most likely contracted AIDS from this process.
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"The Takeaway" is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what's ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2008 Photograph by Muhammad ud-Deen.
Probably because it mainly provides the kind of short-term cinematic satisfaction that characterizes the Hellfire terminus, the flashy ending of al-Qaida’s main media star has only led to the reopening of some pressing questions about the nature of the jihadi menace. It has also forced us to confront the idea of words as weapons, and the relationship between ideas and actions, in a world of conscienceless criminal violence that operates without employing any code or precedent of its own.
To phrase the essence of the problem succinctly, you are perhaps more likely, as a reader of this column, to be blown up at work or play, or on the way to work or play, by a “homegrown” or “lone-wolf” or “self-starter” fanatic using whatever explosive or incendiary tools may lie to hand, than you are to die at the hands of al-Qaida or the Shabab or any of their shifting surrogates. In the same way, it is at least as likely that a local operative will emerge from the American suburbs to commit one random and unpredictable act as it is that—as sometimes has happened—a fanatic will leave our shores and take himself to Somalia or Yemen or Afghanistan. And so we have the figures of Maj. Nidal Hasan, unsheathing his weapon at Fort Hood to yell “God Is Great!” or Faisal Shahzad rigging his SUV to explode in Times Square or, at one more remove, Farouk Abdulmutallab stuffing his underwear with combustibles and (rather too easily, given his record) boarding a flight to Detroit.
It doesn’t seem strictly accurate to use the “lone wolf” designation in all these cases, because a potent influence on the loner can be a homegrown counselor or adviser, who speaks the vernacular and has also lived in “the belly of the beast.” In the recent past, Anwar al-Awlaki has been the classic and most successful instance. His evolving contact with Hasan, for example, seemingly walking him through all of the stages that lead up to the granting of religious permission to shoot at will, was quite systematic. There were times when Awlaki was working under our very noses, propagandizing in Virginia and elsewhere from the context of an existing mosque (and so far getting into the swing of things that he attracted FBI notice by transporting ladies of the night across state lines, which is how we might have come to know him).
But he had not himself, at that stage, fully pupated himself into a committed Salafi jihadist. So now we have the phenomenon of an American citizen, able to whisper directly into the ears of people living here, but until recently being able to do so from a geographical location where our laws cannot reach him. There is no precedent, however remote, for a legal and moral challenge of this kind, let alone for a political or military one.
Since this dilemma will be with us for some time, may I recommend a recent booklet that offers the most background to the emergence of this fascinating and frustrating enemy. Called As American as Apple Pie: How Anwar al Awlaki Became the Face of Western Jihad, it is published by the International Center for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence. (Its author, I should proudly make haste to add, is my son.) The booklet explores the tradition of English-speaking Salafi agitators working in the West, a tradition that is longer and more ramified than many people think, but I find myself more absorbed by the aspect represented by the late Samir Khan, a Pakistani-American who until he died in the same Hellfire attack was the editor of Awlaki’s glossy magazine Inspire. Some will remember this unique online publication for its jeering, upbeat reports on the extreme cheapness of the print-cartridge bombs that were loaded from Yemen onto planes bound for our shores (the manufacturer of these bullets may also have died in the same attack), or the upbeat cover story on how to make bombs on your own mama’s kitchen table. While other martyrdom tactics were being used on faraway battlefields, said Khan not long ago, and even while Osama Bin Laden was being removed from the chessboard, the idea of homegrown attacks on U.S. soil was moving “into fifth gear.”
In a rhetorical way, this mirrors Bin Laden’s obsessive distinction between operations against India, say, or Iraq, and spectacular assaults on “the far enemy” or the prestige and security of the United States. To his last days, he argued even with his own lieutenants for a renewal of the second type of warfare. But it also raises a much less grand image: that of the pathetic amateur and misfit who can commit perhaps one limited act of vicious spite against his neighbors or co-workers or even passers-by.
I think it is important to watch for symptoms of sheer degeneracy like this—picknose wannabe murderers lurking in their parents’ basement—because there is evidence that such things (like the use of small children to carry suicide bombs) arouse revulsion even among those who otherwise wish us ill. It also dramatically reduces the caliber of recruit. On the other hand, and too little remarked, such tactics do something that is worth the price of a good deal of high explosive. They annihilate trust and confidence. Do you really want, next to you at boot camp, a man who prostrates himself five times a day? Should one say anything about the man with the beard in the next seat? Is a mosque in town the next development you truly welcome in the spirit of “inclusiveness” and “diversity”?
Slow and sidelong cultural erosions of this kind can do incalculable harm. And they can also be horribly and cheaply self-replicating: Some people will “overreact” to a specter of Islamism however slight, and this will offend the man who is only trying to meet his prayer obligations, and then a whole machinery of supposed grievance and redress clanks into action. Meanwhile, those who orchestrate this little carnival of mayhem and social corrosion are able to do so from areas that are beyond our legal jurisdiction but within our military reach, and to taunt us while doing so.
As we engage with the horrible idea that our government claims the right to add its own citizens to a death list that is compiled by methods and standards unknown, we must concede that no government on earth faces such a temptation to invoke what I suppose we could call a doctrine of pre-emptive self-defense. Those who share my alarm at the prospect of this, and of the ways in which it could be abused, are under a heavy obligation to say what they would do instead.Aug 17, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Max Holloway (left) throws a punch at Conor McGregor (right) during a UFC featherweight match at the TD Garden. McGregor won after three rounds by judges decision. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Today, the UFC announced a brand new matchup for UFC 172. Max Holloway will face Andre ‘Touchy’ Fili in a battle between two Featherweight prospects. UFC News tweeted the matchup earlier:
Max @BlessedMMA Holloway meets Andre @TouchyFili in a #UFC172 bout featuring 2 of the UFC's most exciting and promising young featherweights — UFC News (@UFCNews) January 29, 2014
Holloway (8-3, 4-3) is coming off a big victory back at UFC Fight Night 34. After losing two straight, Holloway dominated UFC newcomer Will Chope en route to a TKO finish in the second round. Holloway seems to be the UFC’s measuring stick when it comes to up and coming prospects. Holloway has faced Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Bermudez, and Justin Lawrence in his UFC career thus far. At UFC 172, he will add Andre Fili to that list.
Andre ‘Touchy’ Fili is a Team Alpha Male product coming off a victory in his UFC debut. At UFC 166, Fili stepped in on short notice against Jeremy Larsen and took him out via TKO in the second round. Fili is 13-1 in his career and could potentially be the next big star out of Team Alpha Male.
UFC 172 goes down on April 26th in Baltimore, Maryland. In the main event of the evening, Light Heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, takes on Glover Teixeira for the title.Get ready for the spookiest night of the year! No, Farrah Abraham isn’t releasing another horrifying musical offering; it’s just Halloween!
The Ashley has put together this list of her favorite ‘Teen Mom’ Halloween moments of all time. From cute costumes to terrifyingly awkward moments, get ready to celebrate Halloween, ‘Teen Mom’-style! (Note: This story was originally posted in 2017.)
10. Catelynn comforts a crying Michael Myers (2015)
Catelynn Lowell chose Halloween night to leave for her honeymoon with her husband, Tyler Baltierra. This meant saying goodbye to her little brother, Nick, who was out trick-or-treating at the time. When Nick, dressed as Michael Myers, realizes Cate is leaving, her starts sobbing, and Cate comforts the sobbing serial-killer-costumed boy. The scene makes for a very strange screenshot, if nothing else.
9. Bentley is the cutest purple dinosaur ever (2011)
This classic ‘Teen Mom’ moment took place all the way back in Season 3. Bentley, then just a toddler, is dressed up as Barney the Dinosaur and is paraded through the neighborhood on Halloween night, on a quest to collect candy (as well as the hearts of every single ‘Teen Mom’ viewer!)
8. Amber turns her baby bump into the Great Pumpkin (2008)
We have to dip into the “16 and Pregnant” archives to grab this Halloween moment! Way back in 2008, Amber performed what seems to be a requirement for all “16 and Pregnant” girls who find themselves knocked up over the Halloween holiday. She painted her large baby belly orange and turned it into a pumpkin. Her daughter, Leah, was born just a few weeks later.
7. Bentley pranks his dad Ryan (2015)
While pumpkin carving, Bentley’s dad, Ryan, was teasing the boy for not wanting to get pumpkin guts all over himself. Bentley decides to get revenge on his dad later that night. With the support of the ‘Teen Mom OG’ crew and his grandma Jen, Bentley sneaks behind Ryan and proceeds to pour a whole bowl of pumpkin guts all over his dad’s head!
6. Lincoln brings the cute…hard. (2014)
Lincoln, the son of ‘Teen Mom 2’ stars Kail Lowry and Javi Marroquin, was less than a year old when he was dressed in what may be the cutest Halloween costume ever (other than Bentley the Dinosaur, of course). His “Where’s Waldo?” costume warmed the hearts of even the coldest ‘Teen Mom’ fans!
5. Debra wears a costume on the wrong day (2015)
Poor Debra must have gotten her dates mixed up! Farrah Abraham’s mom showed up to film in some sort of “1990s teen club-goer” costume. The only problem? It wasn’t Halloween! This is unfortunate, of course, because Debra’s pleather pants (yessss!) and rhinestone-covered, belly-baring halter top were amazing!
4. Jenelle basically goes naked. (Every Halloween until she met David)
‘Teen Mom 2’ star Jenelle Evans could always be counted on to bust out a barely-there Halloween costume. From her “SWAT Team” getup in 2011 or her mermaid “costume” from 2015, which was little more than a bathing suit with plastic pearls hanging from it, Jenelle’s costumes were classic.
3. Ryan takes too long getting ready for Halloween & misses everything (2015)
Ryan was supposed to go trick-or-treating with his son, Bentley, but things didn’t exactly work out. Much like The Great Pumpkin, Ryan only rises [from his bed] once a year, but unfortunately, he didn’t get up in time to make it to trick-or-treat. He spent a long time on his “way cool” skeleton costume makeup and ended up missing everything. Ryan kept trying to get validation from his son that his costume was “so cool” but Bentley barely seemed to notice. Ryan then scolded Bentley for not waiting for him to go collect free candy.
2. Farrah dresses up as a Disney character…to promote her sex toy line (2014)
Farrah spent Halloween 2014 hawking her line of sex toys (as you do). For some reason, the “Backdoor Teen Mom” decided that it would be a good idea to dress up as Elsa from the Disney movie “Frozen” in order to promote her vibrators, butt molds and lubes.
1. Farrah stars in a “backdoor” sex tape. (2013)
Watch a few moments of Farrah’s “leaked” p0rn flick if you really want to be spooked this Halloween…ain’t nothing scarier than that! (The Ashley still has to sleep with the lights after watching that infamous “limo” scene!)
Happy Halloween, kids! Don’t be a bitch-of-a-human–don’t drink and drive! If you’re still in need of a costume idea, be sure to click here and here to see some of The Ashley’s reality-TV-inspired costume ideas from previous years.
(Photos: Twitter, MTV)On Thor’s day of this week (2/16/2017), we ceremonially burned and buried our Winter home, The Longhouse.
It was a symbolic act full of memories and respect for the structure that shielded us from the deep Winter at Standing Rock. It was a cocoon where we made plans, grew and changed within ourselves, and morphed into the beginnings of our new selves for this coming warm season. I hope that we may be good butterflies this Spring and Summer in honor of the faithfulness and strength the Longhouse gave us as the snow and wind bore down on her protective shell.
We spent every night in the Longhouse from 10/27-2/15. We never slept a night somewhere else. Through all the threats from weather to army Humvees, we were safe within her walls. Much poetry, nourishment, and spiritual ceremonies were held. I video edited, played cards, and even danced. Life was had here in a way that I would not have known to go in search of, but I am so thankful to have lived through.
The Longhouse carried us to every part of the world and let us experience many parts of human history. We had friends from Nepal, England, Nisqually, Papua Guinea, Georgia. and Lakota Nation. We met even more just outside her door. We experienced the arctic winter and when the wood stove got out of control, we were given Jamaican warmth. In the time of the snow melt, we got to eat dinner and play cards over a flooded floor: a room of the sinking titanic. We heard all types of music beyond her walls and we saw flags from all nations flying just off her bow. Our flags were consistently Celtic Nations and Rasta, but in the final days, we flew our port of call out of respect for Cheyenne River who had remained in full force on the Ocheti side of the camps.
We took the skins off earlier in the day and had already transported the major items to our higher ground camp over the past few days. She was reduced to the wood structure and cardboard insulation before burning. I had learned that Inipis are handled similarly after sacred ceremonies are finished. The wooden structure must be burned after the skins removed.
I also saw it as practical in that so much waste is going to landfills and burning burnables is an easy way to limit transport costs and reduce unnecessary strain on the landfills.
At the peak, the flames were 15 feet higher over the structure and it was eventually reduced to smoldering ash. We finished out the night by getting some fresh killed deer and apple sauce from Cheyenne River North and sat by the last burning area of the greatest home I have ever lived in.
-Trey
*Update to come on our final work at Standing Rock, upcoming projects, and timeline of publishing all the material from Standing Rock.Interest rates less likely to rise from historic low of 0.5% as falling energy prices and strong pound anchor inflation to well below 2% CPI target
Falling oil prices and a strong pound are likely to have anchored inflation at zero for a second successive month in July, giving further reason for Bank of England policymakers to delay raising interest rates.
City economists said official figures to be published on Tuesday are likely to show consumer price inflation (CPI) remained at zero last month. The rate, which is used by the government as its official measure to set pensions, wages and benefits, fell to 0% in February, and has remained close to that level ever since.
Low pay, low inflation and low interest rates? This is not 1975 Read more
It is now 18 months since CPI was at the Bank’s 2% target, and economists suggest it will not return to that level soon. The measure hit a low of -0.1% in April, and some analysts forecast that cuts in utility bills, and a fresh decline in petrol prices with retailers passing on recent falls in oil prices, could see it fall back below zero later in the year.
“Looking ahead, inflation is likely to turn negative again for a couple of months,” said Samuel Tombs of consultancy Capital Economics. “Supermarket competition should drive petrol prices down before long. In addition, British Gas will cut its gas prices by 5% in late August and other utility companies are likely to follow suit.”
Chris Hare, analyst at investment bank Investec, agreed. He said: “Our call on the CPI is that inflation will remain at zero in July, although we judge that there is a material chance that it will ease back into negative territory.”
Alan Clarke, of Scotiabank, said inflation may have nudged up in July, but only to 0.1%, despite a fall in petrol prices of about 0.7% on the month.
However, Kristin Forbes from the Bank’s monetary policy committe said yesterday that keeping rates at a record low when the economy was growing at its pre-crisis trend and earnings were rising at a robust pace risked “creating distortions” and “undermining the recovery”.
Writing in the Telegraph, she said: “Maintaining interest rates at the current low levels during an expansion risks creating distortions. Therefore, interest rates will need to be increased well before inflation hits our 2% target. Waiting too long would risk undermining the recovery—especially if interest rates then need to be increased faster than the gradual path which we expect.”
Oil prices have halved since last summer and the prospect of sanctions being lifted against oil-producing Iran, adding to the glut in supply, has pushed the price of Brent crude to below US$50 (£32) a barrel.
This fall has been passed on to consumers, and recent weeks have seen a flurry of price cuts on forecourts, with the average price of diesel falling to its lowest level in five years at less than 113p a litre. At some garages diesel now costs less than 108p a litre, and the RAC has predicted that it could continue to drop to below £1.
The strength of the pound – up by 20% over the past couple of years – is also putting downward pressure on CPI because it means imports are cheaper. The Bank’s last monetary policy summary, published at the same time as it announced its last decision to keep interest rates on hold, said the drag on import prices was expected to push down on inflation “for some time to come”. City analysts pushed their forecasts for the first rate rise since 2007 into next year – and possibly next summer – following the most recent meeting of the monetary policy committee, when just one out of nine MPC members voted for a rate rise.
The Bank concluded: “The near-term outlook for inflation is muted. The falls in energy prices of the past few months will continue to bear down on inflation at least until the middle of next year. Nonetheless, a range of measures suggest that medium-term inflation expectations remain well anchored.”
UK economy: the low-interest rate era is far from over Read more
Historically low inflation has prevented the MPC from raising interest rates from their record low of 0.5%, despite relatively strong economic growth.
However, the Bank governor, Mark Carney, has suggested the decision to tighten policy “will come into sharper relief around the turn of the year”, prompting speculation of an increase at the start of 2016. Subsequently, Carney has stressed that this was a personal view, not the collective opinion of the MPC.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, David Miles, who steps down from the MPC this month, said that the case was building for a rate rise, despite inflation being likely to stay low.
Miles, who in six years on the MPC has never voted for a rise, said he had come closest to doing so at the last vote, but was put off by factors including falling commodity prices.
The economist, whose second term on the MPC finishes at the end of August, said there was “no great hurry” to raise rates, but with large parts of the economy “operating in a fairly normal way” there was a case for starting to increase rates.
“There is always a reason to delay but I’m wary about that,” he told the newspaper. “The stock of uncertainty is constantly being replenished.”Bradley Manning’s Article 32 hearing or, as it is more generally called, pre-trial hearing resumes today with the government continuing to present the evidence it thinks it has to support the prosecution of Bradley Manning for allegedly leaking classified information to WikiLeaks.
Members of the prosecution include Captain Ashden Fein, Captain Joe Morrow and Captain Angel Overgaard. Members of the defense include Mr. David Coombs, Major Matthew Kemkes and Captain Paul Bouchard.
A quick recap of what happened on Day 2:
—Writeable CDs/DVDs were supposed to be regulated, secret information was supposed to only be taken out on discs for “official purposes” but that was “trusted.” They were to all be labeled. But, in fact, Coombs cited photos where he saw CDs strewn about the SCIF, where Manning worked, without any labels and, clearly, Manning was able to take discs out without the military asking what he had put on the CDs.
Master Sgt. Paul Adkins, highest ranking officer in Manning’s unit, received an email April 2010 from Bradley Manning where he complained of suffering from gender identity disorder. The email also included a picture of Manning dressed up as a woman.
During Captain Steven Lim’s cross-examination, it was shared that Adkins wrote several memorandums on emotional problems Manning suffered, which were not shared before Manning’s arrest. They were shared after his detainment. Lim counseled Adkins in writing on June 7, 2010, because he believed Adkins had kept important information from him on Manning’s health issues.
Special Agent Troy Bettencourt discussed WikiLeaks and importantly he suggested WikiLeaks “solicits submissions” of classified information and described how WikiLeaks had a “most wanted” list of files it wanted people to submit to the website
Defense heavily focused on establishing Manning had behavioral health issues and emotional problems. They also want to show military did not practice good information security. These are the arguments being presented by defense currently. At no point have there been any arguments to defend Manning as a military whistleblower.
Adrian Lamo was a “confidential informant” for Computer Crimes Investiative Unit (CCIU) agent Mark Mander and tipped Mander off to what Manning did by providing a copy of the chat logs. Lamo told a gentleman he was working with on “some part of a project” and then an “individual formerly of the army both contacted law enforcment.” (Possible Kevin Poulsen of Wired is individual mentioned.)
Lamo also tipped off agents to Jason Katz, who was working under the Department of Energy at Brook Haven Laboratory. He was employed from February 2009 until he was fired in March 2010, The reason he was fired was for engaging in inappropriate computer used. An investigation obtained forensic images of his workstation and personal laptop. CID and the FBI obtained a federal magistrate search warrant to seize and search devices. Found was a file B.zip and within it was another file BE22PAX.wmv, a video file that was encrypted and password protected and believed to be a copy of the Gharani air strike video which shows an atrocity committed by the US military in Afghanistan.
The proceedings for Sunday, December 18, are to begin at 9:00 AM EST. It is unknown how long the proceedings will run today.
I am in the Media Operations Center (MOC) at Ft. Meade. I am unable to post live updates while court is in session but check back here for updates throughout the morning and afternoon. I will be posting during breaks and when classified information is being reviewed (because press and the public are not allowed to follow these portions of the hearing). Also, follow me at @kgosztola for quick updates.
9:40 PM — Proceedings resume tomorrow at 9 am. The defense will finish cross-examining Shaver. This will go 40 minutes to 1 hour. Then, there will be a closed portion of the hearing to present classified information. After that is finished, the hearing will resume.
9:30 PM — Final Note: David Shaver, Army CCIU Agent Testifies on When Manning Downloaded Classified Information to His Personal Computers
I’ll get into more detail eventually but basically Shaver, after doing forensics on the computer, showed when Manning downloaded “Collateral Murder,” accessed the JTF GTMO database and pulled detainee assessment reports and put 10,000 US State Embassy cables on his computer.
What was particularly interesting was what Shaver said about a release that has not happened yet. I’m referencing the Granai air strike video
Asked about whether he had documents dealing with the Granai airstrike that shows the Farah incident in Afghanistan, he said they recovered JPEGs and videos pertaining to the incident. They found a zip file. Somebody using the Bradley.Manning username downloaded “a large amount of files dealing with the Farah incident downloaded.” The JPEGs, along with PDF files, were from presentations and screenshot pictures from aircrafts that appeared to show hospital burn victims
5:18 PM Cpt. Thomas Chirepko, a Brigade Automations Officer, who did information assurance for the unit, stated during his testimony: “No technical restriction from burning a CD with classified information on it.” [in SCIF]
5:16 PM Cpt. Thomas Chirepko took the witness stand. When being cross-examined by Coombs, Chirepko detailed how he had helped to manage systems for Manning’s unit at FOB Hammer. Chirepko arrived in November 2009. He was an information assurance manager. He didn’t know if he was to conduct security assessments of the network. Coombs likely asked the question thinking he would say he did have to conduct such assessments and that was part of his responsibilities.
Chirepko didn’t know if he had to make sure computers were certified or accredited. He was asked if he ever submitted a Defense Information Certification and Accreditation Process (DICAP) package, a collection of documents submitted to Netcom to verify that systems, the network and the software meet DoD requirements for security. Chirepko never did and he said he doesn’t know to do such a thing.
On March 2011, Coombs noted Chirepko received a letter of admonishment. That letter was for his failure to ensure the brigade was properly certified and accreditated.
It was about this time, as Coombs continued to press, that the prosecution objected and said defense hadn’t laid proper foundation to ask this line of questioning. This was because Coombs had moved to asking about information assurance rules in the TSCIFs. The IO overruled and Coombs continued. He mentioned a Department of Army Inspector General Inspection and went into a series of questions on whether Chirepko viewed SCIF inspections as part of his job. Chirepko hesitated. He didn’t know if it was his job and then he said he wasn’t 100% sure the SCIF was inspected.
The T-Drive or storage drive on SIPRnet in the SCIF then was brought up and how music that was not authorized was on the drive. Whenever he saw music that was unauthorized, he would take it off. That music would get placed back there inevitably. Nobody was punished for putting music on the T-Drive. Chirepko denied making recommendations for punishment but said he “did bring up the presence of media to my supervisor and to my knowledge the XO was notified as well.”
Chirepko informed higher ranking officers that movies and games were present on the drives and unauthorized. He didn’t remember what the officers said in response to this information. He was not aware of any actions being taken. The practice of adding media didn’t stop. There was no US Code of Military Justice disciplining as a result of unauthorized media on the drive.
5:15 PM Coombs suggested witness FSE Milliman’s sworn statement from Jan 2011 was different than testimony he was giving in court. Milliman had described in sworn statement “only set amount of time to learn a set amount of skills” in specific military course. But, in court, Milliman denied he had ever said that about this course, which beginning intelligence analysts take.
3:42 PM — Closed portion of the proceedings now happening to determine whether classified information can be presented in a closed portion. The process involves about 45 minutes of back-and-forth on the information the prosecution wants to present in a closed session. The defense can object to the relevance of the information or holding a closed portion to go over the classified information. The logistics are, according to a legal matter expert speaking to press pool, a “big muscle movement.” They must take classified information physically from a safe. Only defense counsel and trial counsel, hearing officers, a few members of the teams and individuals from relevant government agencies are allowed presents. Audio/video feeds are severed.
2:20 PM — Jason Allen Milliman, a field software engineer just testified. He was the first witness to be uncooperative
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it would be more profitable if one of his houses could enjoy the benefits of a corner location. He assumed that nothing could be built on the leftover five feet, so he offered $1000 for the strip — $200 less than the figure at which the city had assessed it. Mr. Richardson was said to have had more grandiose ideas, and to have held out for $5000, a price Mr. McQuade was unwilling to pay.
The Bay Window Clause
Undaunted, Mr. McQuade hired the prolific architect Alfred B. Ogden to design his apartment buildings, including windows on the lot line under the assumption that Mr. Richardson's lot would forever remain vacant. Construction of the pair of buildings began on May 22, 1882, triggering Richardson's spitefulness. Fresh from just having completed the construction of a marble-fronted row of three conventional one-family residences adjoining to the north, he returned to the drafting board and less than a month later, filed plans for a pair of buildings of his own, each 51 feet long, on the Lexington Avenue sliver lot. While each house was nominally only five feet wide, advantage was taken of a clause in the New York City building regulations that permitted corner houses to have bay window extensions. This enabled the main rooms on each floor to be a little more than seven feet wide. Since the Richardson buildings were much smaller than those of Mr. McQuade, they took less effort to construct, and were completed in November 1882, almost five months earlier than the side-street houses. Perhaps exhausted from the battle with Richardson, Mr. McQuade sold his two apartment houses on September 1, 1884, to Heyman Sarner, a local clothier.
While Richardson must have been a trifle odd to have built such a pair of houses just for spite, he proved himself even stranger, because he actually moved into one of them and lived in it. He rented the other out to tenants at $500 per year. Furnishing a house as narrow as Richardson's required specially made furniture, the dining table being only 18 inches wide and the chairs proportionately small. The kitchen stove was the smallest the manufacturer had ever constructed, and the beds were barely wide enough to hold their occupants. The staircase and halls in the Spite House were too narrow to permit two people to pass, and for some they weren't even wide enough for one. The story is told that Deacon Terry, a reporter for The American, was sent to the house one summer day to interview Mr. Richardson and got stuck in the winding staircase. Despite the efforts of neighbors to push him one way or the other, the broad-girthed Mr. Terry remained firmly wedged in. Only by wriggling out of his clothes was he able to extricate himself, and he finished the interview on the roof in his shorts.
Having arrived in New York from his native England in 1833, Mr. Richardson forged a successful career as a contractor and accumulated significant wealth in the process. Despite this, he was frugal in the extreme and went to great lengths to conserve his funds. For years he carried his lunch to work with him in a paper bag (reused until it wore out), and Richardson himself confirmed that he had once persuaded a physician to halve his bill, much in the manner of the infamous multimillionaire Hetty Green, by disguising himself in the raiment of a hod carrier and pleading poverty.
Joseph and Emma Richardson were content to live in the Spite House, but Dellaripha Richardson, Joseph's daughter by his first wife, refused to visit it, declaring that it was "too swell" for her tastes. She preferred to remain where she had long lived, in a dwelling on East Houston Street called by her neighbors "the Prison House." Reflecting her father's penchant for odd behavior, she was seen by the neighbors only in the early morning, when she swept the steps, visited the grocery store for some bare necessities, and returned to immure herself behind barred windows, where she refused to see any visitors.
Spitefulness in the Family
The daughter was as avaricious and parsimonious as the father, and after his death in 1897, she brought suit to contest the will, which gave her stepmother a portion of her father's estate. Joseph Richardson's holdings were said to have been worth something between $4 million and $30 million, but little could be located. Dellaripha herself refused to turn over to the Surrogate's Court some strongboxes of her father's she had been keeping, and did so only when threatened with jail. When the boxes were opened, the bonds they were supposed to have contained had vanished. Other assets similarly disappeared, showing up later in her vault and that of her brother George. When the legal battle over the will was finally resolved and the document admitted to probate two years later, barely enough cash was realized to pay the $50,000 legacy Mr. Richardson had left to his Baptist pastor, the $17,500 he left to pay off the mortgage on his church, and to reimburse the $200,000 his widow asserted she had spent on legal fees.
Emma Richardson was not finished fighting with her stepdaughter, however. In August 1900 and again the following November, Dellaripha brought a claim against her stepmother in an attempt to dispossess her from the Spite House so it could be sold for the daughter's benefit. Although Joseph Richardson had transferred ownership of the Spite House to his wife in 1892, in 1896 he gave his daughter a deed to the same property. Thinking she owned the building, Dellaripha claimed the old woman was merely a tenant-at-will and could be evicted. The judge who dismissed the suits expressed regret that he couldn't find some harsher way to deal with the difficult stepdaughter.
Mr. Richardson's Spite House cramped his neighbor's building, and was a local landmark for more than thirty years, but in September of 1915 it vanished, a victim of progress. The real estate development firm of Bing and Bing bought the Richardson property as well as the adjacent Sarner houses and tore them down to make room for a newer and larger apartment house. Mr. Richardson's adjoining marble-fronted row remains, however, converted to stores on the ground floor with apartments above.
Andrew Alpern is an architectural historian, architect, and attorney. This article is adapted from his 1984 book, New York's Architectural Holdouts, republished in 1996 by Dover Publications. Alpern's latest book is The New York Apartment Houses of Rosario Candela and James Carpenter, published by Acanthus Press.Northwest dual championship logo designed
- The Northwest Missouri State University department of athletics has announced the design of a dual national championships logo. The design incorporates the Bearcat's football and men's basketball national championships captured during the 2016-17 academic year. This marks the first time in NCAA Division II history that an institution has captured both in the same year. Florida (2006-07) and Oklahoma State (1945-46) have accomplished this feat in Division I."We are excited to release this commemorative logo to showcase the outstanding season's of our football and men's basketball programs," said associate director of athletics. "Our hope is that this logo will be something Bearcat fans can enjoy well into the future when reflecting on the historic performances from those two teams."The Northwest football team captured its second-straight NCAA title, going 15-0. The Bearcats beat North Alabama, 29-3, on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016, at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. The Northwest men's basketball team captured the program's first national title with a 71-61 victory over Fairmont State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday, March 25, 2017. The Bearcats finished the season with a Northwest and MIAA record 35 wins with just one loss.In honor of this historic achievement, an official commemorative logo has been designed. The following locations will have merchandise featuring the special edition logo:- ShopBearcats.com, the official online store of Bearcat Athletics- The Bearcat Bookstore- Hy-Vee- Jock's Nitch- Rally House- The Student BodyAdditional Bearcat championship gear can be found throughout the market."I also want to specifically thank Tayler Sandberg and Brian Eubank from Learfield Licensing Partners for their guidance during this process," added Davis. "We're also fortunate to have an outstanding team of designers in our University Marketing & Communication office. Thank you to Wes Rockwood, Kim Ziegler and Brandon Stanley, you did a fantastic job of bringing this logo to life."City Council voted Thursday to approve the proposal that will transform the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) from a city agency to a public/private nonprofit. Mayor Ivy Taylor and several council members agreed that as an independent agency, the organization would have greater flexibility with its marketing dollars.
There’s no question that the city’s combined convention and tourism industries are a powerful economic generator, but some council members were concerned about the organization’s transparency, accountability and return on investment. In a separate matter affecting economic development, the Council unanimously approved a one-year, $590,000 service agreement with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF).
The Council’s 8-3 vote sets into motion the creation of a corporation and a non-profit status application with the Internal Revenue Service. This means the CVB must provide the Council with draft governance documents earlier than expected, as council members must approve how the bureau’s new board of directors will be composed and govern. Looking at governance details early in the process was part of Councilman Roberto Treviño (D1) motion to have the process start.
Mayor Taylor appointed a task force in May 2015 to transform the CVB. In December, the task force recommended the nonprofit transition, stating that most major U.S. cities work with some type of private convention and visitors organization.
CVB Executive Director Casandra Matej told the Council that other major Texas cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston are spending more money and increasing their share of the state’s tourism market. If San Antonio’s marketing budget remains the same, the city will eventually lose its regional dominance in business travel.
“We want to be able to enhance our market share,” Matej said, adding that the bureau’s current structure hinders the City’s competitiveness and speed to market.
SeaWorld San Antonio President and task force Chairman Dan Decker said the bureau has done the best it can with present resources.
“(The bureau will) continue to spread its dollars as best as possible,” Decker said, adding that the likelihood of the CVB increasing its number of corporate sponsors would be higher if the organization became a private/public nonprofit.
Several business leaders took to the podium to voice support for the bureau’s transition to a nonprofit.
“We believe this opportunity will help us to raise more dollars from the private sector, add to the dollars raised from (hotel occupancy) taxes, and take us to another level,” said Richard Perez, president/CEO of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
Restaurateur Johnny Hernandez, who serves with the Convention and Visitors Commission, said the CVB is helping to expose emerging sectors of the City’s hospitality and tourism industry, including the culinary arts, to a larger audience.
“The bureau has recognized the expansion of our culinary talent and chosen to promote that,” Hernandez added.
But Councilman Rey Saldaña (D4) said more discussion and community input are needed on such a major decision. He questioned the level of transparency and accountability that will be in place in a nonprofit CVB.
“In order for me to feel comfortable about this, we need to prove a negative,” Saldaña said. He requested a better argument that could demonstrate how San Antonio’s competitive market share would drop if the bureau were to remain a purely City function.
The bureau’s transformation to a nonprofit is a budget-driven decision, Matej said, adding that a new bureau could create new opportunities for budget growth, and help San Antonio to keep pace with or beat competitor cities.
“When other cities exceed their market share and budget, they exceed their voice,” she said.
In response to Saldaña’s other concerns over accountability and transparency, Matej said the bureau would follow best practices, and update the Council every two months during the transition.
A transition team, which would include representation from the Council and the private sector, would help manage the early part of the CVB change. The new organization would be overseen by a permanent 17-member board, including two mayoral and Council representatives and a spot for the city manager or her/his designee.
There would also be ex-officio board positions for the City’s Convention and Sports Facilities director and the Economic Development Foundation executive director.
“We not only want to be good stewards of hotel occupancy tax funds, but we want to make sure we’re transparent during the entire process,” said Matej.
Saldana said he was still worried about “unforeseen consequences from undue influence” that the private sector could have on the new bureau.
Councilman Ron Nirenberg (D8) and Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales (D5) also shared their concerns. Nirenberg said he was worried the Council would be unable to solidify the CVB governance structure until the Council considers the management agreement and staff transition plan, scheduled for this summer. He also would like to see more Council representation on the new CVB board.
Gonzales asked about how much hotel occupancy tax revenue will end up allocated to the new CVB, and how exactly the non-profit bureau could spend its funds. Matej said the management agreement will outline the tax allocation, contract procurement procedures, reporting requirements and performance metrics.
Nirenberg motioned for a delay in starting the transition process, a move that only he, Gonzales and Saldana supported in a Council vote. The mayor and other Council members expressed comfort that enough time remains for more public discussion on the proposal and, if needed, a stoppage of the transition. Mayor Taylor echoed Councilman Mike Gallagher’s (D10) remark that there should be no delay.
“We as a community should be proactive, rather than wait until we lose more market share,” Taylor said. “I certainly feel comfortable with the recommendations that have been made, but I also feel the process will allow us to ask more questions.”
Councilman Joe Krier (D9) agreed there is a need to move forward, but he and his colleagues will do their due diligence.
“We’ve got to realize when we start a corporation, and start contracting with that corporation, it’s on,” he said. “Our competition is not only global, it is regional.” The Council approved Treviño’s motion to start the transition process, 8-3, with Nirenberg, Saldana and Gonzales dissenting.
Prior to Thursday’s Council meeting, the Rivard Report asked several civic and business leaders how they think the City could market itself more effectively.
Former Mayor Phil Hardberger said the bureau should highlight how San Antonio honors its long history, and is evolving with a diversifying economy and a progressive outlook on culture and the environment.
“We are 300 years old, but we’re a young 300,” said Hardberger. “This is a beautiful, green, great city to live in, but it’s more than just trees and concrete,” he added.
Molly Cox, president and CEO of the nonprofit SA2020, posed a bigger question: “Are we interested in attracting more conventions and tourists, or are we interested in bringing in more conventions, tourists and people to live and work here?”
Cox said it is incumbent on the CVB, among other local agencies and advocacy groups, to highlight all of the things that San Antonio has going for it.
Al Arreola, president/CEO of the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, said the CVB should emphasize San Antonio’s long-established values and emerging business and cultural assets, such as the World Heritage-designated missions.
“But for now signage and gateways around the missions and along the (Riverwalk) Mission Reach, even for locals, is a little lacking. That can be improved,” he added.
The Council also approved a consent agenda which included the one-year pact between the City and the SAEDF, which is implementing a long-range economic development strategic plan called Forefront SA. Click here to read more about the strategic plan. The $590,000 includes $90,000 which will be used to operate an Texas/Japan office in Tokyo, and work with Japanese companies interested in doing business in San Antonio.
*Top Image: Photo Courtesy of the Visitor’s Convention Bureau.
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Getting Real with the San Antonio Visitor Economy
City Considers Independent Convention & Visitors Bureau
Inside San Antonio’s Expanded, Updated Convention Center
San Antonio’s Tourism Industry in an Era of ‘Transformation’
RK Group Wins Convention Center Catering Contract
Renovated AT&T Center Welcomes Spurs FansA Florida appeals court is urging the state’s highest court to take up a case testing whether Florida must facilitate divorces among same-sex couples despite a constitutional ban on marriages of same-gender partners.
Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal voted 10 to 3 to immediately refer the divorce case, Shaw v. Shaw, to the Florida Supreme Court, before the appeals court considered the case.
“We conclude that certification is appropriate,” the court said in a six-page order released on Wednesday.
The judges said the case “requires immediate resolution by the Florida Supreme Court because the issues pending are of great public importance and will have a great effect on the proper administration of justice throughout the state.”
Any involvement by the Florida Supreme Court in a same-sex marriage case potentially holds huge implications for the rights of gay men and lesbians in the state.
Much of the explosion of litigation challenging same-sex marriage bans nationwide is taking place in federal courts with the eventual goal of reaching the US Supreme Court for a decision that would apply to the entire country.
But there is a parallel track for litigation occurring within each state. State supreme courts in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New Mexico each ruled that same-sex marriages must be recognized under their own state constitutions. The Florida Supreme Court could reach a similar conclusion.
Such a decision would invalidate a 2008 constitutional ban and immediately make Florida the 20th state to recognize same-sex marriages.
The case referred to the Florida high court was decided by a state judge in Tampa who dismissed a divorce petition on grounds that she had no authority to end a marriage that Florida law never recognized.
The couple, Mariama Changamire Shaw and Keiba Shaw, were married in Massachusetts in 2010. They moved to Florida, but then separated in 2013. The couple filed for divorce in January.
Massachusetts recognizes same-sex marriages. Florida does not. The couple could return to Massachusetts for a divorce, but that state requires that anyone seeking a divorce must be a resident of Massachusetts for at least one year.
Among the 19 states that recognize same-sex marriages, all but two require residency of six months to a year to be eligible for a divorce. The two exceptions: Illinois has a 90-day requirement and Washington State imposes no time requirement for divorce by state residents.
Rather than taking their plight to Massachusetts or another state, the Shaws are asking Florida judges to invalidate the state’s statutory and constitutional restrictions on same-sex marriages.
After a state judge dismissed their petition, normally the case would be heard by a state appeals court. But in a somewhat unusual move, the appeals court decided that the issue was important and timely enough that it should be routed directly to the Florida Supreme Court.
In directing the matter to the high court, the appeals court noted that the case raised questions about whether the US Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause requires Florida to recognize a Massachusetts same-sex marriage for purposes of granting a divorce.
But the court said the case also raised broader questions, including access to the courts, equal protection, and the right to travel.
The appeals court noted that at least three other Florida courts have ruled recently that the state’s ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional.
One of those cases involved a request to dissolve a 2002 Vermont civil union between Heather Brassner and Megan Lade. The judge in that case found that the Florida ban on same-sex marriage and a prohibition on recognition of same-sex marriages violated a fundamental right to marry and a right by same-sex couples to equal protection of the laws.
In referring the Tampa case to the state high court, the appeals court judges said that because of the significant constitutional implications, the case would have ultimately arrived at the Florida Supreme Court anyway.
“There can be little doubt that until the constitutional questions are finally resolved by the Florida Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court, there will be a great impact on the proper administration of justice in Florida,” the appeals court judges said.
Three members of the appeals court disagreed with the decision to refer the matter immediately to the Florida Supreme Court. The dissenters said the appeals court should hear the case and resolve it on narrow grounds.
“It is important to understand that the issue in this case is not whether Florida is constitutionally compelled to marry same-sex couples,” Judge Chris Altenbernd wrote in a five-page dissent.
“Although the parties argued broader issues to the circuit court, the narrow, dispositive issue in this case is whether Florida under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the US Constitution, must give credit to these lawful out-of-state marriages for the purpose of dissolution,” he said.
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Judge Altenbernd said the appeals court should take up that narrow issue on an expedited basis and decide it.
“This issue, unlike the constitutionality of the ban on same-sex marriage, may never require the attention of the supreme court,” he said.We started using Distributed Virtual Switches (DVS) with VMware (vSphere). The switches configure (and port groups) can be exported and used as a backup. The following script is a modified version of one posted in the links listed below.
PS: As of this release, there is a bug where the path to the modules regarding PowerCLI isn’t automatically added to the Machine Level environment variable PSModulePath. I manually added mine to the utility machine running the script
Adjustments introduces in the script:
Keeps around 30 days of configuration files on disk for backups
Process multiple vCenters in single script
Externalizes configuration into an XML file
Assumptions
Using PowerCLI 6.0 and modules (in reference links)
Using vCenter 5.5 and above
Using Windows Task Scheduler (in the connect-viserver I use –force to inherit the permissions of the Windows Task Scheduler ID)
The Windows Task scheduler account has “Logon As Batch Job” permissions.
E:ScriptsBackupDVS folder is present.
#Reference links (original script came from bolded link)
#http://vcdx56.com/2013/10/29/backup-vsphere-vnetwork-distributed-switches-using-powercli/
#https://communities.vmware.com/thread/512171
#https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Ee692801.aspx
#https://blogs.vmware.com/PowerCLI/2015/03/powercli-6-0-introducing-powercli-modules.html
#https://blogs.vmware.com/PowerCLI/2015/03/powercli-6-0-r1-now-generally-available.html
PowerShell script (backupdvs.ps1)
param
(
[String] $ConfigurationFile = $(throw “Please specify the configuration file for the Content move.`r`nExample:`r`n`tGet-MachineLookup.ps1 -ConfigurationFile `”E:DirectoryChangeThisPath.xml`””)
)
Import-Module VMware.VimAutomation.Vds
switch (Test-Path $ConfigurationFile)
{
True {Write-Host “Using $ConfigurationFile For Script Variables”
$Properties = [xml](Get-Content $ConfigurationFile)
}
False {Write-Host “$ConfigurationFile Not Found For Script Variables – Quitting”
Exit
}
}
$vCenters=$Properties.Configuration.Properties.vCenterList
$vCenterList = $vCenters.Split(“;”)
$BackupFolder = $Properties.Configuration.Properties.BackupFolder
foreach($vCenter in $vCenterList)
{
$date=get-date -uformat %d
$BackupPath=”$($BackupFolder)$($Date)$($vCenter)”
New-item -Type Directory -Path $BackupPath -force
connect-viserver $vcenter -force
$switches=get-vdswitch
foreach ($switch in $switches)
{
#
# Backup each vNetwork Distributed Switch not including the port groups
export-vdswitch $switch -Withoutportgroups -Description “Backup of $switch without port groups” -Destination “$($BackupPath)$switch.without_portgroups.zip” -force
#
# Backup each vNetwork Distributed Switch including the port groups
export-vdswitch $switch -Description “Backup of $switch with port groups” -Destination “$($BackupPath)$switch.with_portgroups.zip” -force
#
# Backup each port group individually
get-vdswitch $switch | Get-VDPortgroup | foreach { export-vdportgroup -vdportgroup $_ -Description “Backup of port group $($_.name)” -destination “$($BackupPath)$($_.name).portgroup.zip” -force}
}
}
External Configuration file (backupdvs.xml)
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<Configuration>
<Properties>
<vCenterList>vCenter1;vCenter2</vCenterList>
<BackupFolder>E:ScriptsBackupDVS</BackupFolder>
<Output>Backup-VDSwitch</Output>
<OutputErrors>Backup-VDSwitchErrors</OutputErrors>
</Properties>
</Configuration>Image caption Elon Musk has already developed a new rocket system for the US space agency
US entrepreneur Elon Musk is expected to give more details later of his supersonic "Hyperloop" concept to link Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The SpaceX and Tesla founder has teased audiences with titbits of information about the rapid transit idea, which he claims could make the 380-mile (610km) journey in "about half an hour".
It seems to involve sending passengers through a tube in capsules.
Mr Musk says Hyperloop could be built for less than a conventional rail link.
The current proposed 130mph (210km/h) high-speed train connection between LA and San Francisco is unnecessarily expensive and underwhelming in ambition, he has complained.
"I originally started thinking about [Hyperloop] when I read about California's high-speed rail project which was somewhat disappointing," he told a Google Hangout with Richard Branson last week.
"It's actually worse than taking the plane. I get a little sad when things are not getting better in the future.
"Another example would be like the Concorde being retired and the fact there is no supersonic passenger transport. I think that is sad. You want the future to be better than the past, or at least I do."
Mr Musk claims Hyperloop would be a practical solution for city pairs separated by 1,000 miles (1,600km) or less. Beyond this distance, it would be better to take a plane, he explained.
But for the shorter distance, his new concept would beat the plane, he argues, because it would not waste time ascending and descending.
"It does involve a tube but not a vacuum tube… not frictionless but very low friction," is all he will add.
Tube system
The speculation is that Mr Musk is thinking of some kind of "rail gun". This would see passengers sit in cars that were then fired down a tube which had had most of its air removed. A system of magnets would accelerate and brake the capsules, and also keep them from touching the sides of the tube.
"You want a transport system that is roughly twice as fast as the next best alternative, that costs less, that is safer, that is not subject to weather and is more convenient," Mr Musk said.
"If there were such a thing, I think most people would take it. In fact, it would increase the travel between the city pairs because of the increased convenience."
Image caption The hype is reminiscent of the pre-launch publicity for the Segway
Whatever Mr Musk proposes, people are sure to sit up and take notice.
The entrepreneur made his fortune with the internet payment system PayPal before switching his skills into developing the new Falcon rocket system for Nasa and the Tesla electric car. He is also a big investor in solar energy in California.
"[Hyperloop] is quite an old science fiction idea but Elon Musk is the sort of man who could make it work," commented physicist Martin Archer from Imperial College London, UK
"He's the guy who made electric cars go fast with Tesla, which many people didn't think would be possible; and he's the head of SpaceX which is the only commercial rocket builder that has managed to hook up with the International Space Station."
The pre-announcement hype that surrounds Hyperloop is reminiscent of the speculation that ran ahead of the unveiling of the Segway scooter in 2001.
Back then, the media was full of stories about a project that could "revolutionise personal transportation". The two-wheeled, self-balancing device was certainly innovative and found an eager market, but it has remained a niche product.
Mr Musk says he is so busy with SpaceX and Tesla that he will not immediately try to develop Hyperloop himself. Only if no-one else picks up the challenge will he consider attempting to make it a reality at a later time.
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmosWestern & Ashland BRT: Pros and Cons - This webpage summarizes the project details and describes the pros and cons for each of the 4 bus rapid transit scenarios
Get Lit: Use Lights At Night - A campaign to get bike lights onto cyclists' handlebars. Donate today
Chicago Crash Browser - Find where bicyclists and pedestrians were hit by cars in Chicago.
Bike 2015 Plan Tracker - Monitoring the status of implementing the 153 strategies in the Bike 2015 Plan
Chicago Bike Guide app - The Chicago Bike Guide is the best way to navigate Chicago's vast network of bikeways and cool destinations. Get trip directions, find available Divvy bikes and docks, read The Chainlink, Tumblr, and Twitter, all giving you the perfect view of getting around by bike in Chicago. The app works on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android phones and tablets.You did your due diligence and researched what it is that Muslims actually believe.
You may have even talked to a few Muslims about what Islam really is outside of news reports, extremism, and Hollywood stereotyping.
You may actually have found that Islam speaks to you, that it makes sense, and you are considering becoming a Muslim yourself. But you have so many questions you want answered before you take that leap of faith, quite literally.
I get it. I have been there.
I once was in this boat.
I believed in the absolute oneness of God, His message and His messengers (still do). But I was concerned with the hundred million things I didn’t know and worried deeply if this knowledge would be expected of me.
Would I need to start praying immediately, even though I had no idea how to do such a thing?
Would I have to wear hijab right away even though I didn’t own a hijab or know where to get one?
Would I be expected to learn Arabic by next week?
These were some of the nagging questions I was too shy to ask for fear of looking like an idiot.
So the questions mounted and I became paralyzed. I delayed my conversion to find out more, but what I found was that I didn’t need to do that. Because in Islam there are five pillars that uphold the foundation of one’s faith. And as in most construction projects, building faith is a process-one pillar at a time.
Taking the first step to becoming a Muslim does not mean you have to immediately thereafter take all other steps. Islam was revealed over a period of 23 years. The first converts to Islam did not know it all, all at once. And neither do you.
What follows are some questions that I had and that others have asked me about coming to Islam.
What Should I Do to Prepare for Conversion?
You don’t need to do anything to prepare for conversion.
If you believe God is one and then He sent messengers to guide humanity and that Muhammad was God’s final messenger, all you have to do is find a witness.
How Do I Go About Converting?
The conversion process is super simple. All you have to do is say in front of a witness (a Muslim) with conviction (the conviction part is paramount):
Ash hadu an la illa ha ill Allah. Wa dahu la shareeka lah. Wa ash hadu anna Muhammad Rasulullah.
Which means I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except for God without partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
What is the First Thing I Should Do after I Convert?
Learn about the five pillars and how they are implemented in the life of a Muslim.
Once you say the shahadah (testimony of faith, as seen in the previous answer) you have already established the first pillar.
Continue to learn about this first pillar and all that it means as you begin to learn about the next pillar, the prayer.
What Resources Are Available?
There are so many resources out there for you. You can find tons of videos about how to pray, make ablution and so on, on YouTube.
You can find many articles here at Aboutislam.net to answer any questions you may have about Islam.
Also New Muslim Care runs a wonderful program where you can find information, advocates, and mentoring. And IFoundIslam.net is a great resource as an online support group for new Muslims.
These are just a few of the online resources available to new Muslims or those thinking about converting to Islam.
You can also find information at your local mosque. If you don’t know where your local mosque is or don’t know how to get in touch with them, you can search for it on salatomatic.com.
How Should I Act in the Mosque?
Many people feel nervous about entering a place of worship that they are not familiar with. Being unfamiliar with a place and its people can be nerve racking in any setting. But if you follow these few guidelines you can be assured that you will not offend anyone.
Basic mosque etiquette is simple: Don’t curse, scream, or be rude. You know, have basic good manners. Both men and women should consider dressing modestly when visiting the local mosque.
Wear loose clothing that covers arms and legs, and if you are a lady and happen to own a scarf, it can’t hurt to cover your hair. Take off your shoes as soon or before you enter. You will probably see a pile of shoes or sign for where shoes go.
Some mosques have one communal area for women and men to worship in. But many mosques have separate sections for men and women. There is a debate over whether this is necessary, but for now if there is gender separation, make sure you are entering the mosque from your gender’s side.
There are usually signs. If not, don’t feel shy to ask.
As a Woman, Will I Have to Wear a Head Scarf?
Hijab was a big obstacle to my conversion. I didn’t want to wear it. I was super into fashion and thought I would have to wear all black and boring stuff which I later found out is not the case.
You can express your personality and style in your clothes as long as they are modest.
I didn’t wear hijab at first because of my reluctance and misunderstanding. But shortly after I converted, it just started to feel wrong to leave the house without being covered.
Men and women both have hijab. We are asked by Allah to guard ourselves by protecting our modesty in front of the opposite sex, except those we are closely related to and our spouses. For men that means they have to cover from the navel to below the knees.
For women that means covering everything but our face and hands. Hijab is a covering (a barrier). So whatever your gender is, you must cover the required parts of your body loosely as to not show your shape with material that is not see-through.
That being said, you don’t have to wear hijab until you are ready and feel it is something you can stick with. People might insist that you wear hijab and push you to do something you aren’t ready for. Don’t listen to them. It is your relationship with God not theirs.
Remember that new Muslims are like new-born babies. You must crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run. And wearing hijab might be harder for you than it is for others. Hijab is not a pillar of faith, but if you build the foundation for your faith you will find that pleasing God in any way He asks will come easily.
Do I Need to Learn Arabic Before I Convert?
Islam was sent by God to all of mankind, no matter the language of the people, level of education or what you have.
It is better to have knowledge of the original language of the Quran but no, you do not need to learn Arabic to convert to Islam. But once you become a Muslim, you should start learning what you are saying in prayer, since prayers are said in Arabic.
How Can I Tell My Family that I Am a Muslim?
This can be tough. Especially with all the slander Muslims receive in the media.
But you can start telling your family about your conversion by educating them on the truth of Islam. And hopefully they will be more understanding when you tell them about becoming a Muslim.
Your family might surprise you with love and support. Here is a letter to families of New Muslims that might be helpful to you in telling your family why you are choosing Islam.
Islam is not a destination but a journey that even those born into Muslim families are taking.
If you are thinking about becoming a Muslim, understand that does not mean you are expected to be perfect, you are not expected to run before you can walk, and you are not expected to know everything.
All you have to do is to start by testifying to your belief in one God and His messenger. And build your faith from there, one pillar at a time.
Welcome to Islam.The Renault e.dams driver charged from 14th to fifth in the opening race of the Tempelhof double-header.
Post-race checks then revealed that all four tyres on both of his cars were below the minimum pressure stipulated by tyre supplier Michelin.
Minimum tyre pressure was set at 1.60 bar – the tyres on Buemi’s first car came in at 1.46, 1.57, 1.54 and 1.52 bar respectively, while on the second car the pressures were 1.54, 1.54, 1.59 and 1.53 bar.
This breached Article 25.11 of Formula E’s sporting regulations and Buemi has been disqualified as a result.
"It was a mistake from our side that cost us greatly," said team co-owner Alain Prost.
"It is our duty to do better in tomorrow's ePrix for the team and obviously to keep Sebastien in the championship battle."
Buemi said: "Obviously, I am very disappointed today. After a poor qualifying, I did a great race to finish in fifth position and score the maximum points
|
's test (in miliseconds):
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I also tested each browser's ability to render Cascading Style Sheets, the design templates of a page, using nontropp's downloadable form:
I'm thinking Safari's big lead in CSS rendering is how it creates that everything-snaps-at-once feel when loading pages. And, for a browser that somewhat auto-loads with my OS, Internet Explorer has yet to bring a worthwhile statistic to the table.
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At this point, you might certainly wondering just where Firefox 3's vaunted speed/performance/stability improvements might actually, you know, matter. Follow along, then, to the other side of speed.
Test 3: Memory use—Winner: Firefox 3!
Unless you're rocking a workstation with more memory than you can spare, browsers shouldn't be using all your RAM and slowing other apps to a trickle. Firefox 2 was notorious for bloating far beyond its fighting weight after steady use, but developers' hard work seems to have paid off, at least by my tests:
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The blue portion is each browsers' memory use when first started, and the red extensions their size (according to Windows Task Manager) with those same eight tabs above opened. Again, few people will have eight tabs open, but I scaled it to see where the differences lie. I wanted to double-check Firefox's night-and-day improvement, so I closed and launched it again. This time, it was using 117MB-not a slim amount, but a still marked improvement over its peers. Of course, if you do have memory to spare, both Safari and Opera, as seen higher up, can put it to quick-footed use.
Conclusions
Let's re-emphasize that this was far from a scientific study, and your mileage will certainly vary on different systems. With Opera and Firefox especially, running a like-new version is somewhat of a cheat-almost any enthusiast is going to have a must-have extensions, features, and add-ons running, which throw off the speed and memory scales. Still, it was gratifying to actually sit down and measure all the major browser options on a human level, just a timer, a spreadsheet, and a few cups of nerve-boosting coffee. Thanks to x40sw0n for inspiring this post!
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What's your take on the battle for browser speed? What essential tricks and tips have you used to whip your web software into shape? Let's hear your takes on all this data in the comments.
Kevin Purdy, associate editor at Lifehacker, feels like he just got home from a seriously nerdy five-way date. His weekly feature, Open Sourcery, appears every Friday on Lifehacker.A 17-year-old boy and his 53-year-old uncle were shot in the Galewood neighborhood on the Northwest Side this morning, two of four people shot overnight in Chicago, according to police.
About 3:10 a.m., somone firing a gun chased the 17-year-old into a backyard in the 2100 block of North Mulligan Avenue, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.
A bullet struck the teen in the lower back, critically injuring him. Another traveled through a door or a window and hit the boy's 53-year-old uncle, who was in his bed, police said.
The uncle was struck in the leg and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. His nephew was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was listed in critical condition.
Shortly after, about 3:50 a.m., an 18-year-old woman was shot in the Near West Side's Heart of Chicago neighborhood. The woman was shot in the leg and taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where she was listed in good condition.
About 9:15 p.m. Friday night, a shooter walked up to a 16-year-old boy and opened fire in the 6600 block of South Bell Avenue on the South Side, according to police. The boy was struck in the buttocks and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.
Police were interviewing a person of interest after the shooting, which happened in the West Englewood neighborhood.
[email protected] | Twitter: @ChicagoBreakingUS President Donald Trump has named Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his national security adviser, taking over the post left vacant after Michael Flynn's resignation.
"He is the man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience," Trump told reporters on Monday, sitting next to McMaster, 54, who was dressed in uniform.
"He is highly respected by everybody in the military and we are very honoured to have him," Trump said from West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump also named Keith Kellogg, a retired army general who has been serving as the acting national security adviser, as chief of staff to the National Security Council.
The US president said John Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations, would serve the administration in another capacity.
Trump, McMaster and Kellogg ignored questions from reporters after the announcement, including over whether the new national security adviser would be allowed to hire his own staff.
The appointment came a week after Flynn was asked to quit after reports emerged that the retired lieutenant general misled Vice President Mike Pence about having spoken to Russia's ambassador about US sanctions before Trump's inauguration.
Trump interviewed four finalists to replace Flynn on Sunday, according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.
Robert Harward, a retired vice admiral and former Navy SEAL, reportedly turned down Trump's offer of the job last week over concerns that he would not be able to bring in his own team to staff the National Security Council.
Other reports said he was put off by apparent chaos in the White House.
A serving soldier
The national security adviser is an independent aide to the president and does not require confirmation by the US Senate. The role has varied from administration to administration, but the adviser attends National Security Council meetings along with the heads of the state department, the department of defence and key security agencies.
Having served in Iraq and Afghanistan, McMaster is a highly regarded military tactician known as "HR".
In 2014, he was listed as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, partly because of his willingness to buck the system.
Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Washington, DC, said that since McMaster was a serving soldier, he could not turn the president down even if he wanted to.
McMaster is "certainly seen as one of the thinkers of the US military", Bays said.
McMaster's fame grew after his 1997 book Dereliction of Duty criticised the country's military and political leadership for poor leadership during the Vietnam War.
"The main theme of that book was that during the time of Vietnam the generals didn’t say enough; they didn’t speak up enough to the president," Bays said.
"A very interesting theme as this is the man who is now going to be guiding and advising the president on national security matters."
McMaster heads the Army Capabilities and Integration Centre and is deputy commanding general of the Futures Centre at US Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis.The authors say any solution to cybersecurity must include working with the private sector. Facilitator needed for cybersecurity
There is widespread agreement across America that cybersecurity is an urgent national priority and the federal government needs to play a major role. The threat of a cyberattack is real, and its consequences could prove devastating to our economic and national security. Effective action cannot come too soon.
Any solution to cybersecurity must allow the private sector, which owns 85 percent of our nation’s critical infrastructure, the freedom to use all tools at its disposal to protect against cyber intrusions. Business owners understand the need to protect themselves in the cyber domain and are devoting considerable resources to do so. Industry is right to expect that any Senate legislation will complement their current efforts. As much as possible, Washington should facilitate — rather than dictate — cybersecurity.
Story Continued Below
When the Cybersecurity Act was brought to the floor last week, without either a hearing or a markup, industry understandably mobilized to express alarm. The bill’s proposed framework creates a government-based solution that hampers the private sector’s agility and ingenuity to meet this rapidly evolving threat.
The list of those opposed is telling. It includes the Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, the Internet Security Alliance, the Business Roundtable, IBM, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the National Association of Manufacturers.
They are raising legitimate concerns that the “voluntary” framework offered to industry is overly burdensome and prescriptive. It could quickly turn into a mandatory regulatory scheme. Increased bureaucracy and uncertain liability protections would actually slow the sharing of threat information between business and government. Resources better spent on innovation and deterrence would be diverted to satisfy government notions of compliance.
But instead of listening to the concerns of those who will be most affected by the Cybersecurity Act, it appears that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is rushing this bill through the Senate—announcing Tuesday his intention to force a cloture vote later that day or Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the number of cyberattacks on federal networks rose 39 percent in 2010, according to the Office of Management and Budget, while the number of incidents on private networks went down.World renowned author and peace activist David Grossman is very much attached to his homeland of Israel, but is also a harsh critic of its politics.
We have to allow the Palestinian story to infiltrate into our consciousness. We have to understand what makes them so rageful, so hateful, that they run in the street and stab us so massively, for so many years now... Only if we allow that, maybe we shall not be at war with them
In his latest book, ‘A horse walks into a bar,’ he combines both humour and horror in what some see as a metaphor for the contradictions dividing the country.
Grossman spoke to euronews’ Isabelle Kumar in Jerusalem.
Who is David Grossman? David Grossman is an award-winning Israeli author
Grossman writes both fiction and non-fiction
His books have been translated into more than 30 languages
He is a peace activist and an outspoken critic of the government
In 2006 one of his sons was killed during military service for the Israeli army
Isabelle Kumar, euronews: “If we look at your book ‘A horse walks into a bar’ the protagonist Dovalé is at once a very moral character, a humanist, yet on the other has quite a grotesque side, he shows an ugly side to the world. Does he embody your own contradictory feelings towards Israel?”
David Grossman: “Well first of all he is a literary character and he has many layers and inner contradictions. This is the thing that makes literary characters look alive. But maybe more than everything, Dovalé is a person who, because of something that happened to him when he was a child, when he was 14, his life took a different course from the course that was meant to go in.
“In a way you can say that he lives in parallel to the life he should have lived. Maybe also if you want, Israel has this destiny because in the last years we became a kind of mini empire, and I think from that moment on, we turned to a wrong parallel course of our life, of our being.”
World-renowned author & peace activist David Grossman met Isabelle_kumar. Watch it tonight from 22:40 #AskGrossmanpic.twitter.com/71hubrGo8c — euronews (euronews) 17 March 2016
euronews: “It seems like that there are so many messages in this book, but is there a particular message you wanted to get across?”
David Grossman: “The story that I tell is about a child Dovalé, who later became a stand-up comedian and the whole book takes place in a rundown night-club, but Dovalé who was a very sensitive, and fragile and very creative and passionate child, suddenly when he was 14 and he was sent for the first time in his life out of home to a kind of a semi-military type of camp, that we all went through when we were 14 and 15.
“He until then, he lived all his life, with a family that was very symbiotic, he, his mother and his father, and it was the first time that I said that he was torn away from them. And then one day when he was on the training field, a soldieress, a female soldier came and asked ‘who is Dovalé?’ and he says, ‘It’s me’, and she says, ‘Come with me, come, rush, rush, hurry, hurry,’ she says, ‘you have to be at four in Jerusalem at the funeral’, and he was shocked, ‘What funeral? Nobody talked with me about a funeral when I left home.’
“And very soon, his back pack is being packed by other soldiers, he is put in a military vehicle and he’s sent for four long hours, to the funeral in Jerusalem, but one question he has not asked and nobody told him. Who died? Is it mother or father? And these long four hours were so traumatic in his life they really made his destiny. And sometimes I think that the most cunning form of cruelty is indifference.”
euronews: “Dovalé also seems a very isolated figure, as he’s standing in front of his audience, they all, one by one, well most of them end up leaving, and he’s talking to an ever decreasing circle of people.
“And I know you resist maybe these kind of autobiographical references, but it also made me think of you, because some in your country, consider you a traitor for your beliefs. Do you ever feel that you’re more and more isolated in your own country?”
David Grossman: “I feel that my opinions are more and more isolated and I feel more and more people, they gave up their efforts to contain the very complicated reality here and they chose simplicity and you see how more and more Israelis are being tempted to this way of looking at the conflict of abandoning their attempt to achieve some political, rational solution and rather they are more and more prone to fanaticism and fundamentalism.
“You see it on both sides, it happens in Israel, it happens in Palestine, it makes the solution almost impossible.
euronews: “But we also see that dissident voices, voices who oppose the mainstream Israeli way of thinking are silenced. And I’m thinking here now of the Israeli government that have said that for example authors like yourself won’t receive government funding because you are not considered loyal to the Israeli state and I wondered what does that loyalty mean?”
David Grossman: “You should ask them what it means. I… first of all I don’t think I should even justify my loyalty, I was born here, this is my place, I take a very active part in the life in Israel, in the culture in Israel. I don’t think the question of loyalty should be aroused at all, it’s a fascist question, it’s one of the signs of the deterioration of the democracy and the democratic perception here in Israel.
“My loyalty is to my art, what I try to do in my books, in my writing, is to document as much as I can with as much accuracy as I can to document the nuances of life here in Israel because I think this life here is a fascinating life, sometimes it’s unbearable.”
euronews: “That brings me to one of your earlier novels, ‘To the End of the Land,’ and a mother there goes on a journey to outrun what’s called the notification here, the news that your child has died in the army.
“Now I know that fiction and reality merged for you when you were writing this book and you received this notification, but what I wanted to know is what does it do to a society to live side by side with this dread that your children will be killed?”
David Grossman: “Maybe this is the thing that characterises the Israeli society now more than everything else and this is fear. It’s fear for our children who go the army, but it’s also fear to walk in the street and the government and the right wing are making a cynical usage of this fear. We have a prime minister who is an expert in stirring together the real dangers that Israel faces and we do face real dangers here in the Middle East, but he knows how to stir together the real dangers with the echoes of past traumas.
“Now I think that a society that is dominated by fears is a declining society, it does not have the energy and the vitality that it takes in order to flourish, to blossom and also to solve its existential problems. If you categorise things only in categories of fear, of despair, you will not get far away. In the end, you shall have to realise your greatest fears.”
euronews: “We asked our online audience to send us in questions for this interview and I would like to bring in some of those voices. George Miller asks ‘how do we turn off this spiral of hate and rage, and we could add fear, that we see growing?’”
David Grossman: “The society is formulated by these fears by now, both the Israeli and the Palestinian societies. And people feel really that they are doomed to live like that forever and the air of despair is so heavy that people just do not have the mental energy to start to envision how life of peace can look like.
“So we do need leaders and politicians and also intellectuals and writers to formulate the option of peace, to insist on revitalising the option of peace that today is not existing at all.”
euronews: “Do you think you will be able to see peace in your lifetime? Possibly even your childrens’ lifetime?”
David Grossman: “I very much hope so. My struggle for peace is not only for the Palestinians to have their home and homeland and dignity, and I don’t want that they will live their life under the shadow of the occupation, I don’t want to cast shadow on anyone because when I cast shadow on someone my life is being shadowed.
“Being an Israeli and a Jew, I yearn to see Israel flourishing in conditions of peace, to see what it will do to us for the first time in our history, in our ancient history and our modern history, to live life without fear.”
euronews: “We talk a lot about the two state solution, that seems to be dead…”
David Grossman: “No, no, no. Don’t kill it so fast, it’s not dead, it’s the only possible option…”
euronews: “One state solution. Do you think the Israelis would be able to envision that?”
David Grossman: “Do you believe that these two peoples, the Israeli and the Palestinians, who have been not only scarred by a century of violence, but really distorted.
“Do you really think that they are mature enough to collaborate in an efficient and a positive way in one political entity? This will not happen.”
euronews: “Well this brings me to a question then from Robin Wilson. ‘How can progressives win an argument for Israel as a civic state of Jews, Arabs and others, rather than a Jewish state?’”
David Grossman: “No, no, I don’t want to be, to have only a Jewish state. And I think it’s important always that there will be other communities and other minorities here in this place in Israel.
“People who will feel and be totally equal to the Jewish majority and people who together will interact, Jews and Arabs, Druze and Christians, and create a rich and a prosperous place here in Israel.”
euronews: “Well as we saw there’s no love lost between you and the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and you recently said that he’s leading with his eyes wide shut. What did you mean by that?”
David Grossman: “I cannot understand how such an intelligent person, a person with such historic knowledge as he does, he ignores reality, he ignores the fact that if Israel relies only on its power, at a certain point down the road, Israel – God forbid, and this is the only context I’ll use, God, here – Israel will be defeated, there will be a stronger power than us, a more cunning and more courageous, a more sophisticated power that will defeat Israel.”
euronews: “Well I would like to bring in one of our voices again from our social media audience, and this person asks a question that I think is on a lot of people’s minds.. Hernan Pena asks, ‘I consider BB Netanyahu a war criminal, do you?’”
David Grossman: “No, I would say he’s a criminal of peace because for so many years he avoids every chance for peace and he refuses constantly to generate an option of negotiation and of peace between us and the Palestinians and this is dangerous. In doing that, he puts Israel in danger because… you know, this belief that if only we hit the Palestinians with a bigger and bigger and bigger stick, then they will start to love us and to start to negotiate with us, is a very primitive conception.
“There is this deep refusal really in all the Israeli leadership for years, to see the situation from the point of mind, sorry, from the point of view of the Palestinians. So this is something that maybe as a writer I can contribute to the debate.
“We have to allow the Palestinian story to infiltrate into our consciousness. We have to understand what makes them so rageful, so hateful, that they run in the street and stab us so massively, for so many years now. Yes, only if we allow that, maybe we shall not be at war with them.”
euronews: “We see that Benjamin Netanyahu, I would like to bring this back to him, who has likened the militant group Islamic State to Hamas and vice-versa. Do you think that’s a fair comparison?”
David Grossman: “You know, the Hamas is not my favourite part of the Palestinian society because they are fanatic, fundamentalist and in their basic declaration, they openly wish for the eradication of Israel and building an Islamic state on the ruins of it. Yet, the Hamas because of its structure and because of the geo-political situation, has also some political interests, unlike the ISIS, Daesh.
“For example, you will find among the Hamas, people who say that they are for a ‘houdnah.’ A houdnah is an Arabic term for a long ceasefire that by the way they can break when it suits them. But I look for the far distance and I say OK, maybe if we have a houdnah with the Palestinians in Gaza, with the Hamas, for 10, 20, 25 years, maybe things will change also there.”
euronews: “Israel is becoming increasingly a pariah state abroad, you travel a great deal, do you ever feel ashamed of being an Israeli?”
David Grossman: “I feel ashamed of what my government is doing, not ashamed of being an Israeli. I still think that this country is an amazing place.
“You know we sometimes tend to just, you know, criticise Israel totally and to forget how this country came into being, three years after the holocaust, after the shoah, and the fact that it built itself really from ashes and it created here a great culture and agriculture and hi-tech and industry and many layers of life that are quite unique. And, as I said, I don’t want to live in any other place.”
euronews: “OK, well let me give you a specific example then, and just see what you think about that. The EU has started labelling settlement goods as coming from settlements. Now you’re against the settlements programmes, what do you think about that?”
David Grossman: “I think they have the right to do it and I’m actually glad because it means that they accept the idea of the two states, they accept the total legitimacy of Israel within the green line.
“They have the right to mention to their audience that these products came from a disputable place. This is a price in a way that Israel brought upon herself.”
euronews: “Now you’re very passionate about peace, we’ve ascertained that during this interview. And I received this question from Mahmoud Dido Kilosho, who says ‘what do you do for traumatised Palestinians?’”
David Grossman: “First of all I think that Palestinians should do for traumatised Palestinians, for traumatised Palestine.
“What I tried to do ever since I started to come to my senses and to look at reality here, was to write about the complexity of this conflict and I described the life of the Palestinians and the situation of the occupation in three books, one novel and two documentary books.”
euronews: “Is that a sense of release for you?”
David Grossman: “Release? No, I think that… You know, I take reality very seriously and the alternative is be either cynical or desperate of the situation and I don’t want to be both.
“And look at us now, the largest superpower in the region and still we are victims of our fears, of our nightmares, sometimes of our neighbours and our enemies. We are not taking our destiny in our own hands.”
euronews: “You must take great pleasure in writing and it must take you away from this reality. Can you tell me a little bit about the pleasure you get from writing fiction?”
David Grossman: “Yeah, it’s much more pleasurable than writing about our reality. I think that being a writer brings you into contact with the endless options of every human situation, in every human situation there is an enormous arsenal of options, of potential, of passions, of energies.
“Sometimes it’s so difficult when I finish my working day, after 6, 7 or 8 hours and I have to go back to reality, especially to this terrible reality, it is really so hard.”
euronews: “Finally, I would like to bring it back to your latest book, A Horse walks into a Bar, it’s scattered with jokes, there’s jokes all the way throughout the book and I was wondering, is there a particular joke that you would like to tell us?”
David Grossman: “There are many jokes in the book and I so much enjoyed writing it because of the flow of jokes and I am a person who rarely remembers a joke. And now at least I know at least 30 jokes to tell.
“But I tell you a joke that is not from this book, and it has to do with the name of the book, A Horse walks into a Bar… A horse walks into a bar and asks for a chaser of vodka, the barman looks at him stunned, pours him, the horse takes the glass, drinks, how much is it. The barman says 50 bucks (dollars).
“OK, the horse pays, goes to the door, barman runs after him, excuse me, Mr Horse, what for a second, it’s amazing, I never saw something like that, a talking horse. The horse look at him, tells him, ‘with your prices, you will never see again.’”
with the contribution of Damon EmblingSpecial Report: A pressing foreign policy question of the U.S. presidential race is whether Israel might exploit this politically delicate time to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites and force President Obama to join the attack or face defeat at the polls, a predicament with similarities to one President Carter faced in 1980, writes Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
There is doubt in some quarters that Israel’s Likud government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would time an attack on Iran in the weeks before a U.S. election with the goal of dooming the incumbent Democratic president, Barack Obama, or forcing his hand to commit American military might in support of Israel.
But there was a precedent 32 years ago when another Likud government had grown alienated from the Democratic president and found itself in a position where it could help drive him from office by covertly assisting his Republican rivals in another crisis involving Iran.
In that case known as the “October Surprise” mystery President Jimmy Carter was trying to gain the release of 52 Americans then held hostage in Iran. Carter also was pushing the Likud government of Prime Minister Menachem Begin to reach a peace settlement with the Palestinians that would allow them to establish their own state on the West Bank.
Begin, however, was determined to implement a Likud strategy “to change the facts on the ground” by moving Jewish settlers into the Occupied Territories, what Likud called Judea and Samaria, part of historical Israel given to the Jewish people by God. That set up a clash with Carter who was determined to achieve a comprehensive Middle East peace that would establish a Palestinian state on the West Bank.
As Begin maneuvered to block such an arrangement, Carter grew frustrated and then infuriated. In his White House Diary, Carter described how heated the confrontation became after Begin insisted on deferring any agreement pending a Knesset debate.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Carter wrote. “We spent about forty-five minutes on our feet in his study. I asked him if he actually wanted a peace treaty, because my impression was that he did with apparent relish everything he could do to obstruct it. He came right up and looked in my eyes about a foot away and said that he wanted peace as much as anything else in the world. It was almost midnight when I left. We had an extremely unsatisfactory meeting
“I have rarely been so disgusted in all my life. I was convinced he would do everything possible to stop a treaty, rather than face the full autonomy he had promised in the West Bank.”
The disdain was mutual. Begin was furious over what he regarded as Carter’s high-handed actions at Camp David in 1978, forcing Israel to trade the occupied Sinai to Egypt for a peace deal. Begin feared that Carter would use his second term to bully Israel into accepting a Palestinian state on West Bank lands.
Former Mossad and Foreign Ministry official David Kimche described Begin’s attitude in his 1991 book, The Last Option, saying that Israeli officials had gotten wind of “collusion” between Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat “to force Israel to abandon her refusal to withdraw from territories occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem, and to agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Kimche continued, “This plan prepared behind Israel’s back and without her knowledge must rank as a unique attempt in United States’s diplomatic history of short-changing a friend and ally by deceit and manipulation.”
However, Begin recognized that the scheme required Carter winning a second term in 1980 when, Kimche wrote, “he would be free to compel Israel to accept a settlement of the Palestinian problem on his and Egyptian terms, without having to fear the backlash of the American Jewish lobby.”
In a 1992 memoir, Profits of War, Ari Ben-Menashe, an Israeli military intelligence officer who worked with Likud, agreed that Begin and other Likud leaders held Carter in contempt.
“Begin loathed Carter for the peace agreement forced upon him at Camp David,” Ben-Menashe wrote. “As Begin saw it, the agreement took away Sinai from Israel, did not create a comprehensive peace, and left the Palestinian issue hanging on Israel’s back.”
Buying Time
So, to buy time for Israel to build up its West Bank settlements and thus make a Palestinian state impossible, Begin felt Carter’s reelection had to be prevented.
The most inviting way was to cooperate with Republicans both in undermining Carter at home and possibly using Israel’s continuing clandestine influence inside Iran to obstruct Carter’s desperate efforts to win freedom for 52 U.S. hostages held by Islamist radicals there.
Questioned by congressional investigators about this history in 1992, Carter said he realized by April 1980 that “Israel cast their lot with [Ronald] Reagan,” according to notes I found among the unpublished documents in the files of a House task force that had looked into the October Surprise case. Carter traced the Israeli opposition to his reelection to a “lingering concern [among] Jewish leaders that I was too friendly with Arabs.”
In 1993, a special House task force released a report claiming to have found “no credible evidence” to support various allegations by Iranians, Israelis, Europeans, Arabs and Americans that the Reagan campaign went behind Carter’s back to make contacts with Iran that stopped Carter from gaining the hostages’ release until after Reagan was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 1981.
The task force stuck to that conclusion despite discovering that the Israelis began shipping U.S. military equipment to Iran in 1981 with what they claimed was approval from the Reagan administration. Those shipments were exposed when one of the Israeli-chartered planes crashed inside the Soviet Union in July 1981.
However, over the past couple of years, the House task force’s conclusions crumbled amid discoveries that important evidence was hidden from investigators, that internal doubts on the task force were suppressed, and that George H.W. Bush’s administration withheld information in 1991 that would have corroborated a key allegation.
The collapse of those 1993 findings by the House task force left behind a troubling impression — that Israel’s Likud hardliners may have teamed up with ambitious Republicans and some disgruntled elements of the CIA to help remove a U.S. president from office. And since the earlier Likud government had gotten away with it, that might encourage the current one to try something similar.
As for the historical mystery, it is far more reassuring to think that no such thing could occur, that Israel’s Likud whatever its differences with Washington over Middle East peace policies would never seek to subvert a U.S. president, and that Republicans and CIA dissidents no matter how frustrated by the political direction of an administration would never sabotage their own government.
But the evidence from 1980 points in that disturbing direction, and there are some points that are not in dispute. For instance, there is no doubt that CIA Old Boys and Likudniks had strong motives for seeking President Carter’s defeat in 1980.
Inside the CIA, Carter and his CIA Director Stansfield Turner were blamed for firing many of the free-wheeling covert operatives from the Vietnam era, for ousting legendary spymaster Ted Shackley, and for failing to protect longtime U.S. allies (and friends of the CIA), such as Iran’s Shah and Nicaragua’s dictator Anastasio Somoza.
Legendary CIA officer Miles Copeland told me in 1990 that “the CIA within the CIA” the inner-most circle of powerful intelligence figures who felt they understood best the strategic needs of the United States believed Carter and his naive faith in American democratic ideals represented a grave threat to the nation.
“Carter really believed in all the principles that we talk about in the West,” Copeland said, shaking his mane of white hair. “As smart as Carter is, he did believe in Mom, apple pie and the corner drug store. And those things that are good in America are good everywhere else.
“Carter, I say, was not a stupid man,” Copeland said, adding that Carter had an even worse flaw: “He was a principled man.”
Reagan’s Landslide
Carter’s inability to resolve the hostage crisis set the stage for Reagan’s landslide victory in November 1980 as American voters reacted to the long-running hostage humiliation by turning to a candidate they believed would be a tougher player on the international stage. Reagan’s macho image was reinforced when the Iranians released the hostages immediately after he was inaugurated, ending the 444-day standoff.
The coincidence of timing, which Reagan’s supporters cited as proof that foreign enemies feared the new president, gave momentum to Reagan’s larger agenda, including sweeping tax cuts tilted toward the wealthy, reduced government regulation of corporations, and renewed reliance on fossil fuels. (Carter’s solar panels were later dismantled from the White House roof.)
Reagan’s victory also was great news for CIA hard-liners who were rewarded with World War II spymaster (and dedicated cold-warrior) William Casey as CIA director. Casey then purged CIA analysts who were detecting a declining Soviet Union that desired détente and replaced them with people like the young and ambitious Robert Gates, who agreed that the Soviets were on the march and that the United States needed a massive military expansion to counter them.
Casey embraced old-time CIA swashbuckling in Third World countries and took pleasure in misleading or bullying members of Congress when they insisted on the CIA oversight that had been forced on President Gerald Ford and had been accepted by President Carter. To Casey, CIA oversight became a game of hide-and-seek.
As for Israel, Begin was pleased to find the Reagan administration far less demanding about peace deals with the Arabs, giving Israel time to expand its West Bank settlements. Reagan and his team also acquiesced to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, a drive north that expelled the Palestine Liberation Organization but also led to the slaughters at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.
And, behind the scenes, Reagan’s administration gave a green light to Israeli weapons shipments to Iran (which was fighting a war with Israel’s greater enemy, Iraq). The weapons sales helped Israel rebuild its contacts inside Iran and to turn large profits, some of which were plowed into financing West Bank settlements.
In another important move, Reagan credentialed a new generation of pro-Israeli American ideologues known as the neoconservatives, a move that would pay big dividends for Israel in the future as these bright and articulate operatives fought for Israeli interests both inside the U.S. government and through their opinion-leading roles in the major American news media.
In other words, if the disgruntled CIA Old Boys and the determined Likudniks did participate in an October Surprise scheme to unseat Jimmy Carter, they got much of what they were after.
Yet, while motive is an important element in solving a mystery, it does not constitute proof by itself. What must be examined is whether there is evidence that the motive was acted upon, whether Menachem Begin’s government and disgruntled CIA officers covertly assisted the Reagan campaign in contacting Iranian officials to thwart Carter’s hostage negotiations.
On that point the evidence is strong though perhaps not ironclad. Still, a well-supported narrative does exist describing how the October Surprise scheme may have gone down with the help of CIA personnel, Begin’s government, some right-wing intelligence figures in Europe, and a handful of power-brokers in the United States.
Angry Old Boys
Even before Iran took the American hostages on Nov. 4, 1979, disgruntled CIA veterans had been lining up behind the presidential candidacy of their former boss, George H.W. Bush. Casting off their traditional cloak of non-partisanship, they were volunteering as foot soldiers in Bush’s campaign. One joke about Bush’s announcement of his candidacy on May 1, 1979, was that “half the audience was wearing raincoats.”
Bill Colby, Bush’s predecessor as CIA director, said Bush “had a flood of people from the CIA who joined his supporters. They were retirees devoted to him for what he had done” in defending the spy agency in 1976 when the CIA came under heavy criticism for spying on Americans, assassination plots and other abuses. Reagan’s foreign policy adviser Richard Allen described the group working on the Bush campaign as a “plane load of disgruntled former CIA” officers who were “playing cops and robbers.”
All told, at least two dozen former CIA officials went to work for Bush. Among them was the CIA’s director of security, Robert Gambino, who joined the Bush campaign immediately after leaving the CIA where he oversaw security
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likely to prove an interesting negotiating challenge for Labor if it does manage to oust the Coalition government.
Bruce Poon, convenor of the Animal Justice party, said Labor and the Greens had done deals with parties that “aren’t really in line with their values”.
“If voters want to see their vote go to parties that share their values, they have to take control themselves,” he said. “These deals are tactical in nature and we understand them but it’s taking voters’ intentions away from them. There is a case for reform of the group voting tickets to take power back from the parties.
“I think we’ll get a diverse upper house, which is a good thing, but I’d prefer it to be across the progressive spectrum. We want to protect animals, so the Shooters and Fishers party, for example, would be disastrous. “
Peter Allan, an independent candidate, said he had written to 10,000 voters in the northern metropolitan region asking them to vote for Labor or the Greens in the lower house but to change their votes in the upper house to avoid rightwing micro-parties being elected.
Another candidate, prominent anti-domestic violence campaigner Phil Cleary, criticised Labor’s preferencing of Family First.
“There are too many dodgy deals and the parliament is in danger of becoming unworkable,” he said. “I hope and trust many Labor or Green voters will see sense and come my way in the Legislative Council.”
Greg Barber, leader of the Victorian Greens, said the Greens preferenced progressive minor parties ahead of Labor in many instances.
“We want to preference parties that have some policies in common with us and there’s a short list of those,” he said. “I can’t say I’ve vetted each one of these parties’ policy positions.”
Labor and the Greens have, however, not done any preference deals with the far right Rise Up Australia party. A candidate for the party, Rosalie Crestani, has vowed to take a local council to the Equal Opportunity Commission over its mentioning of same sex relationships, which she claims discriminates against heterosexuals.
Crestani said the Casey council had run diversity training that discriminated against heterosexuals as well as “displaying notices by a non-heterosexual lobby group on its notice-boards, again in a manner calculated to discriminate against and intimidate heterosexuals”.And there it is: The final Obscure Gentlemen comic. The one that ends it all. After this, there shall be no more… from me, that is. Meaning that while there are still a few more great comics left in this old girl, none of them will be from me after today.
First, I’d like to take a second to thank the Brothers Alvarez for allowing me to be a part of this sick, twisted outing known as The Obscure Gentlemen Web Comic, I am grateful for this opportunity to expose my sick and damaged psyche to you lovely folks. Seriously, the pleasure’s been all on this side of the table.
Second, about today’s bitter sweet comic. I had always wanted to do a callback to my second comic ever written (what I truly consider as my first comic, because, really, that other one doesn’t count). The comic I’m referring to is, of course, number 120, “I’ll Be In My Bunk”. Then, when it was decided that the comic would end, I suddenly had my idea and it would be a perfect way to bring about some closure: a sequel in the vein of the children’s classic, The Velveteen Rabbit.
Once again, thank you all for reading. And remember that I’ll be missed.
Travis “Yes, I have read a book. Try not to faint.” KennedyIT’S the reason catchphrases like “He’s On Fire” and “Boomshakalaka” became part of the common vernacular. And why dozens of schoolkids failed classes — or went broke.
NBA Jam, the iconic two-on-two basketball arcade game is truly an institution. Whether you played as Karl Malone and John Stockton or Charles Barkley and Dan Majerle, if you grew up in the 1990s there’s a fair chance some of your loose change went into one of these machines.
Here’s a few things you might not know about the game loved by a generation.
1. THE NBA INITIALLY REFUSED TO LICENCE THE GAME
NBA Jam was developed by a programmer/designer named Mark Turmell at a company called Midway. It was initially supposed to feature generic players, but Midway president Neil Nicastro wanted NBA stars and so the company approached the league about getting a licence.
According to Turmell, the NBA said no because they didn’t want their logo in “seedy” arcade halls. So Midway made a videotape (yes VHS) of well-presented family entertainment centres and sent it back to the league showing the type of G-rated environment the games would be housed in. The brains trust at the NBA — which pocketed $100 from every arcade game sold — quickly changed their mind.
2. THERE WAS ONE MAJOR STAR MISSING
ANYONE whose played NBA Jam will remember the frustration of having to play with the duo of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant — or BJ Armstrong in other versions — when they lined up as the Chicago Bulls.
The reason Bulls superstar Michael Jordan wasn’t included in the game is because he owns the rights to his own name and likeness — and Midway wasn’t able to secure an individual licence.
But Turmell told ESPN.com there were a handful of machines the company made which featured Jordan and Seattle Supersonics guard Gary Payton, who also wasn’t included in the original game. “One day, I got a phone call from a distributor out on the west coast who told me that Gary Payton was willing to pay whatever it cost to get into the game,” Turmell said.
“So we told him what to do in terms of taking photographs, so he sent in photographs of himself and Jordan, saying, ‘We want to be in the game, hook us up’. So we actually did a special version of the game and gave both players all-star, superstar stats.”
3. THE BULLS WERE PROGRAMMED TO FAIL
ANOTHER frustrating aspect of playing as the Bulls was Pippen and Grant’s propensity to miss shots late in games.
Turmell — a Pistons fan — revealed they were programmed to miss, but only against the rival Detroit Pistons.
“If there was a close game and anyone on the Bulls took a last-second shot, we wrote special code in the game so that they would average out to be bricks,” he told ESPN.com.
“There was the big competition back in the day between the Pistons and the Bulls, and since I was always a big Pistons fan, that was my opportunity to level the playing field.”
4. SHAQ USED TO TAKE NBA JAM ON ROAD TRIPS
SHAQUILLE O’Neal was a big fan of the game in the early days of his NBA career, so much so he’d have team assistants lug around the arcade game when the Orlando Magic travelled for road games.
“Yeah, I’d bring the machine on the road every now and then just because I loved playing so much,” Shaq told ESPN.com. “I remember back in the day I used to play as Chris Mullin against my boys, and I’d hit like 12 threes in a row and start yelling: ‘He’s on fire!’”
5. THE BEST NBA JAM CHARACTER WILL SURPRISE YOU
FORGET Reggie Miller’s three-point accuracy or Shaq’s ability to dunk, if you’re looking to win in NBA Jam it’s best to play as Turmell himself.
In a recent interview with Great Big Story, Turmell showed how deadly the individual player he created of himself was.
“If it’s just looking at pure attributes, I happen to be the best player in the game,” he said. “When you actually put in my secret character it just shows question marks for the stats, but they’re all 10s or nines. I’m pretty good at NBA Jam.”
6. THE GAME HAS A DARK SIDE
TURMELL swears the game is haunted. Midway had already finished making the game when one of its players — New Jersey Nets shooting guard Drazen Petrovic — was killed in a car crash in Germany.
“One night we were playing Mortal Kombat and there was a Jam machine next to it, and all of a sudden the game started calling out ‘Petrovic!’ ‘Petrovic!’ And this only happened after Petrovic had died,” Turmell told ESPN.com.
“Everyone started freaking out. Something weird was going on with the software, and to this day, if you have an original NBA Jam machine every once in a while it will just yell out ‘Petrovic!’ It’s wild.”
7. BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DARKER
MIDWAY also developed the equally popular Mortal Kombat fighting game. Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon revealed in 2009 there was supposed to be an unlockable court designed to look like a Mortal Kombat level.
But the “Kourt”, which featured a bloody skull as a ball and had a hoop made of bones, was ruled out by the NBA.
8. IT MADE HUGE REVENUE
ESTIMATES of how much pocket money NBA Jam pulled in vary between $1 and $2 billion. Some machines were pulling in as much as $2000 a week in quarters in the US during the peak of the game’s popularity.
“Jam was making so much money when it first came out,” Turmell told ESPN.com. “There was so much four-player action at this one arcade in Chicago that the first week they had to shut the arcade down, because there was a huge fight over whose turn it was to play.”
9. YOU COULD PLAY AS A US PRESIDENT
EXPERT players will have discovered this years ago, but for casual users there were a number of hidden characters you could unlock, including US president Bill Clinton.
Follow-up versions of the game allowed you to compete as Clinton’s wife, Hillary, vice president Al Gore, baseball player Frank Thomas and various team mascots.With song and with banners, Advocates for the transgender community gathered at the state capital Tuesday. At times the committee hearing for the legislation commonly known as the bathroom bill looked more like a rally. Some made fun of Senate Bill 6, like a man dressed as Moses who held card board signs that read, "let my people go to the bathroom."
In a Capitol Extension hearing room equally colorful statements were made, like that from a woman who told the committee she was a lesbian and a supporter of SB 6. In her opinion political correctness was a threat to areas she considered to be private.
"A trans-activists, I heard him say the other day to another woman, that we women are just going to have to get used to penises in our spaces," said the woman to the committee.
Top fox4news.com Searches
Public hearing underway for controversial bathroom bill. . Texas Public hearing underway for controversial bathroom bill Advocates for the transgender community gathered at the state capital Tuesday. At times the committee hearing for the legislation commonly known as the bathroom bill looked more like a rally.
SB6 limits access to public restrooms based on a persons gender at birth. A father and his 10-year-old daughter from Dripping Springs were among those to explain why they support the bill.
"Last year my wife and I, we were deeply concerned to find out the school administration had decided to allow boys in the bathroom with girls," said the man who asked to be identified by his first name of Rob.
His daughter, Shiloh, also expressed her concern about having to share a school restroom with a classmate of another sex.
"Very very uncomfortable, the thought of a boy coming in the bathroom with me is scary and it worries me because I want the bathroom to stay a private place to where a boy cannot come in because he is of the opposite gender," said Shiloh.
The legislation, which is sponsored by representative Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, allows for private businesses to opt out.
"People and customers will go where they feel comfortable and what best suits them," said Kolkhorst.
SB 6 applies to restrooms in places like public schools and state buildings.
"I would like to go to the bathroom just like anyone else," said Kayla Fricano who also goes by Kyle.
Fricano is transitioning to become a man. She believes the legislation unfairly targets people like her.
"Transgender individuals have been going to the bathrooms they've identified with for decades and there's never been an issue, there's an issue now because people wanted it to be an issue," said Fricano who added her purpose for going to a restroom has nothing to do with having a sexual encounter.
Supporters say all they're trying to do is protect women like Dana Hodges, who testified Tuesday.
"Going through this experience was especially dramatic for me as a survivor of rape that happened when I was a teenager," said Hodges.
Hodges went on to testify she was later victimized again after learning about a camera that was set up in a restroom she had used.
"I can say that it's a very real threat having a man with unrestricted access to the women's restroom is a very real threat not only are there rapes and violent episodes happening against women but they're also being videotaped like what happened to me."
The law does not provide a way to enforce it; there is no bathroom place. It does provide a mechanism for someone to file a complaint which is to be investigated by local authorities.
It's believed SB 6 will eventually clear the state Senate but its fate in the house chamber remains uncertain.Flexible electronic circuits would make possible radical new kinds of devices, like water-resistant tablet computers that can be rolled or folded. A group of academic and industry researchers has now demonstrated one of the most important components for this fully flexible future: graphene radio-frequency electronics that are speedy enough to produce, receive, and process telecommunication signals.
There are many different candidate materials for flexible circuits, each with its own set of problems. Some perform calculations too slowly for practical applications; others excel at speedy signal processing, but researchers know there’s no hope of manufacturing them at reasonable prices. That’s now starting to change, says Deji Akinwande, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Texas at Austin, who leads the work on printed graphene transistors. “I think we can realistically envision flexible smartphones, tablets, and other communication devices,” he says.
Akinwande’s group is focused on practical applications for graphene, one-atom-thick sheets of carbon with exceptional mechanical and electrical properties.
Graphene transistors and circuits, made on rigid surfaces using conventional chip-making techniques, have broken electronic speed records. But when researchers have tried to take advantage of graphene’s toughness and extreme flexibility in bendable devices built on plastic, the switching speed takes a dive. That’s a problem because for flexible electronics to become economical, says Akinwande, they must be printed over larger areas, like newspaper.
This week in the journal ACS Nano, Akinwande and University of Texas materials scientist Rodney Ruoff describe record-breaking 25-gigahertz graphene transistors printed on flexible plastic. Communications circuits have to be able to switch on and off billions of times per second—2.4 gigahertz for Bluetooth, and about 1 gigahertz for cellular communications. To really work for practical applications, the transistors in these circuits have to be rated about 10 times faster than that, says Akinwande. The University of Texas graphene transistors make the cut.
Other researchers have worked with different materials to make flexible circuits that reach even higher frequencies, but the materials and methods they use are not likely to be practical for large-scale manufacturing. University of California, Berkeley, materials scientist Ali Javey, for example, has made fast radio-frequency electronics by transferring thin slices of crystalline materials from rigid wafers onto flexible plastics. This method results in speedy circuits, but it requires expensive materials; the need to transfer lots of little slices of the crystal would make it difficult to pull off at large scale, according to Javey. “Graphene is very practical and low cost,” he says.
Indeed, says Akinwande, his group is very focused on keeping costs down by making graphene from inexpensive starting materials and producing the devices over large areas. To make the transistors, the researchers first fabricate all the non-graphene-containing structures—the electrodes and gates that will be used to switch the transistors on and off—on sheets of plastic. Separately, they grow large sheets of graphene on metal, then peel it off and transfer it to complete the devices. Akinwande says they use this graphene-last approach because the material is very sensitive to all the processing needed to make the other components. Finally, they top the sheet with a waterproof layer.
The graphene transistors are not only speedy but robust. The devices still work after being soaked in water, and they’re flexible enough to be folded up. “As you make [electronics] thinner, the mechanical properties get better and better,” says Javey. “And graphene is the thinnest material you can have.”
Akinwande is now working with industry partners, including glass maker Corning of New York and 3M of Saint Paul, Minnesota, to demonstrate printed graphene circuits on a larger, more practical scale. And the group is currently designing a printer for continuously manufacturing graphene circuits. “All the building blocks are done,” says Akinwande. He says the circuits could be manufacturable in five to 10 years.Another Atheist Responds to the Conversation I Posted on Friday
He writes:
Mark, I would suggest that Romans 1:20 would be much more obviously read as a creationist, or someone ignorant of evolution would understand it. It seems to me Paul is talking about animals, humans, the earth, you know, made things. But I’m no Biblical expert.
If by “creationist” you mean that Paul believes in a Creator, then of course. If you mean Paul has some theory of “creation science” then you are wildly anachronistic. Paul is simply saying that creation testifies to a Creator.
My reader then responds to my statement that “everybody, including you, has some sense of universally binding transcendent moral goods”:
No they don’t. Psychopaths don’t. Moral error theorists don’t. Some utilitarians don’t. That’s not a great number of people, but it does rather mean that everyone is a false claim.
What pointing to radical and remarkable exception to a law illustrates is, you know, the law. That a psychopath is unable or unwilling (it’s not clear) to acknowledge the moral law no more disproves its existence than colorblindness or a compulsion keep one’s eyes shut disproves the existence of light. We don’t call a psychopath “morally different”. We call him a monster, thereby testifying to our awareness of a universally binding moral law that the monster has ignored out of blindness or wilfullness. As to moral error theorists: typically they are full of self-contradictory bunk as anybody else who tries to selectively invoke and ignore the moral law. And utilitarians most emphatically steal from the moral law. Demanding “the greatest good for the greatest number of people” presupposes that you should do good for people. In other words,it relies (selectively) on the substance of the second greatest commandment, albeit whittled down by the typical blunder caused by the sin of consequentialism.
My reader then responds to my remark about ”the need for Christ to raise the natural law by grace and reveal things typically unknowable to us (like the demand to forgive and love enemies)”
Sorry Mark, but this is just plain false. The demand to forgive and love enemies is NOT a new concept brought about by Christ, other humans had managed to arrive at this conclusion in the far East prior to and without knowledge of Christ. Indeed, they went a step further and applied it to animals and all living things rather than just humans. (Jainism, founded 600BC)
Love of enemies (like the existence of the One God) is something discoverable in the moral law by human reason (on rare occasions). Still and all, it very seldom is, which is why people like Socrates and Ahknaten and the Jains stick out, just as the Jews stuck out with their monotheism in antiquity. So Thomas teaches that no small part of the work of grace is to help us get quickly to things we otherwise might only luckily arrive at if we happened to have a lifetime of leisure and a sufficient quantity of brains to figure out. That said, the central point here is not really about the originality of Christ's moral teaching (most of it is not original at all except in the sense that, as the eternal God who exists from the foundation of the universe, his spirit inspired it in the human heart in the first place), nor how grace perfects nature, but rather that the precepts of the moral law, be they “love your neighbor” or even something as difficult as “love your enemies” are inexplicable as *authoritative* and *transcendent* in an atheist universe. An atheist can say he happens to choose, for whatever idiosyncratic reason of personal taste, to love his neighbor or even his enemy (though most of my conversations with atheists have included lots of derision on “love your enemy” from them). But at the end of the day, that’s all the atheist has: personal taste resulting entirely from the chance happenstance of genes and nurture. Yet, as you will do below in a second, the atheist almost instantly reverts to asserting binding universal moral law the moment he forgets to pretend it doesn’t exist for the special purpose of denying the existence of You Know Who.
My reader then attempts to deny the transcendence of the moral law of justice (and therefore of You Know Who as Lawgiver) by writing:
Mark, this has been shown repeatedly in the other species, from chimps to dogs to even rats. Are you saying God has written a moral code onto the hearts of dogs and rats? Is it not more likely that this is a way of conduct that is beneficial to the survival of many species and so has been encoded into them?
It’s curious to me that you would assume that the good of life which God placed into all living things would somehow be different from or opposite to the still greater good of human life. Grace perfects nature, remember? Why would you assume that the telos of maturation and survival built into the nature of all other living things by the Creator would somehow vanish in human beings? Humans are rational animals. So of course they seek fullness of life as all creatures do according to their kind. But because they are rational animals, they do it with the unique faculty of reason and this involves the exercise of a moral sense sub-rational creatures lack. That’s why we blame and praise people and why we do not blame and praise other creatures. We do not try and judge alligators for eating people, but we do try and judge Jeffrey Dahmer. An alligator is not sinful for eating a teenage boy. Jeffrey Dahmer is. And his blindness or refusal to see the moral evil of his action is not proof of the non-existence of a binding and universal moral law, but of his failure to keep that law.
My reader then demonstrates the fact that he is perfectly aware of this, even in the act of pretending he is not, by selecting this sentence for what he imagines is a clinching rebuttal: “That’s why you know that raping children, taking gays out and shooting them, and lynching black people and forcibly inseminating you is *really* wrong and not merely something you happen to not prefer.”
Seems to me that many humans do not know this. Christians and Muslims have implemented exceedingly strong anti-gay laws including the death penalty. Islam has a death penalty for anyone leaving. The Old Testament has the rather extreme measure of stoning your bride to death if she’s not a virgin on your wedding night. The lynching of black people was mainly done by Christians, by a whole town, often for the ‘crime’ of a black man talking to a white woman. And raping children, well, you know.
“You know”... what? That Catholic priests are bound by a universal moral law known to the whole human race that says, “Do not rape children?” Yes, I do know. And so do you. That's why, the moment you forget the rubbish you were attempting to parrot about the moral law not being universal and binding on all human beings, you attempt to score a point based entirely on the fact that what abusive priests did was really evil and not merely something you subjectively happen to not prefer. You don't suggest somebody is a hypocrite for disliking chocolate ice cream that you love. Nobody is bound by your subjective taste for chocolate. But we are all bound by the universal moral law against child rape. So you can, and do, and must sit in judgment of an act of child rape and you know that I am bound to do the same. Similarly, your ridicule of Islamic brutality and sins of Christian racists rests entirely on your knowledge that the sins of Muslims and Christians against innocents are sins against the transcendent and universally binding moral law and not mere faux pas against convention like using the wrong salad fork.
So it is no proof that the moral law does not exist to point to the fact that some pretend to deny its existence, some may be blind to it, nobody keeps it well and none of us keep it perfectly. It’s simply a restatement of “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” As Lewis points out, the dead giveaway is that, while we may talk a good denialist game, we seldom really deny the existence of the law by our actions. Your telling “you know” is an example of this. The dogmatic "oughts" and "ought nots" of moralistic atheists is another. And the universal awareness of the binding nature of that law is another. Those who try, like you, to pretend it does not exist almost instantly give the game away by either complaining about unfairness to themselves, by blaming others (as you just did) or by explaining why their evil actions aren’t really wrong or expecting praise for their virtuous actions. All such admissions effectively acknowledge that whatever you *say*, you recognize transcendent authoritative goods. But the one who does that is, in the words of Richard Rorty, “still, in his heart, a theologian or a metaphysician. He believes in an order beyond time and change which both determines the point of human existence and establishes a hierarchy of responsibilities.” I can account for why you do that. Atheism, and especially moralistic atheism, cannot, because such atheism is, in the end, self-contradictory in its struggle to escape the obvious implication that You Know Who has written the law on the hearts of all men and women.It isn’t exactly what you’d expect to see at the ballpark, but it’s definitely something.
In Japan, the sport of baseball enjoys about as much popularity as it does in North America, and with many of the preliminary round matches for the World Baseball Classic games played on Japanese soil recently, the country’s love of the game was firmly on display.
Physically being at the stadium for a Japanese baseball game is truly a different experience for those who have ever attended a Major League Baseball game, with almost everyone in the crowd performing unique singing and dancing routines to cheer for each individual player on the home team. One thing that remains the same though, is the presence of team mascots, which are there to entertain the younger fans and rile up the crowd when needed.
At a recent home game, the Chiba Lotte Marines’ newest mascot made its appearance, and the fans seemed to be doing a little less cheering and a little more scratching of their heads.
While the Marines already have three bird mascots, perhaps the team felt that they weren’t doing enough to appeal to their fans who liked animals that inhabited the marine waters that they were named after. This fish could probably do the trick…if it wasn’t so awkward.
▼ Here it is doing a Mario impression.
Most reactions are strangely amused, while others are questioning the design, but one thing is for sure, this new mascot is getting people talking about the team! There’s no word yet on whether this design has been finalized, nor how it will interact with the other members of the Lotte Marines mascot team.
It’s always interesting to see how a group welcomes a new member onto their team as personalities will clash and everyone has to figure out how they can work together to be successful. However, for the sake of their fans, birds and fish better figure out how to become fast friends! Or else the team might have a bit of a rivalry on its hands, one that may live up to the eternal Fuu-san and Tsubakuro feud.
Source: Hachima Kiko
Featured image: Twitter/@marinesexpreesPARIS (Reuters) - France has stopped a large shipment of Belarus mushrooms contaminated with low-level radioactivity probably from Chernobyl and not linked to a radioactive cloud that appeared in southern Russia last month, officials said on Thursday.
Earlier, the head of French nuclear regulator ASN Pierre-Franck Chevet told the French senate that traces of cesium had been found on imported mushrooms from Russia and did not mention Belarus.
A spokesman for French nuclear safety institute IRSN said that a few days ago customs officials found that a 3.5 tonne shipment of Belarus mushrooms coming through Frankfurt, Germany was contaminated with cesium 137, a radioactive nuclide that is a waste product of nuclear reactors.
While the contaminated mushrooms did not represent a health threat to consumers, the shipment will be destroyed in a specialized incinerator in coming days, the IRSN said.
“There is no link with the ruthenium 106 pollution,” the official said.
Earlier this month the IRSN said that a cloud containing radioactive ruthenium 106 originating from southern Russia had blown over large parts of Europe in October but added that there was no danger to people.
Russia later confirmed it had measured ruthenium pollution at nearly 1,000 times normal levels in the Ural mountains, but did not acknowledge any accident.
“As the mushrooms came from Belarus, it is very likely the contamination originated in Chernobyl,” the official said.
ASN did not reply to a number of Reuters calls later on Thursday.
HIGHLY UNUSUAL
Chernobyl, Ukraine is just south of the Belarus border and was the site of a major nuclear disaster in 1986. Cesium 137, which has a 30-year half-life, is still widely found in the areas around Chernobyl.
The official said it was highly unusual for such a large shipment of mushrooms to be stopped and that none of the produce had made it onto French retail markets.
Mushrooms, more than any other vegetable, concentrate radioactivity because their thread-like root systems spread over a large area for several meters on the surface around the plant.
The IRSN said eating tens of kilos of the Belarus mushrooms would expose a consumer to a radioactivity level similar to natural ambient radioactivity during a whole year.
He added there had been no risk for the customs officials, even if they had touched the mushrooms with their bare hands.
Earlier, the head of the French nuclear regulator ASN told the French senate that traces of cesium had been found on imported mushrooms and said there was no connection with the ruthenium pollution.
French consumer protection agency DGCCRF said in a statement that the Belarus mushrooms had cesium 137 levels above legal limits but contained no ruthenium 106.
The agency said that following the discovery of the ruthenium, it had started testing samples of food products imported from the regions affected by the radioactive cloud. So far, it has not found food items with ruthenium 106 levels above legal thresholds.In his soon-to-be released autobiography “Ballplayer,” switch-hitting former Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones tells the tale of when he hashed out his contract at an Olive Garden the night before the 1990 MLB Draft, when Atlanta selected him at No. 1 overall.
A Braves scout offered the third baseman (then shortstop) the opportunity to go out to dinner anywhere he wanted, and Jones, then age 18, selected the Olive Garden in Daytona Beach, Florida. Fine dining it’s not, but Jones wasn’t looking to score an expensive steak or demand every last dollar he possibly could at that time, which is part of why he and super-agent Scott Boras didn’t see eye to eye – and don’t still.
Jones recalls his meeting with Boras and says he walked out of it, describing the agent as “smug and cocky.” So he hired someone else, BB Abbott, and ended up signing for $275,000, a far cry from the $1 million Boras says Jones deserved and should pursue. Boras recalls the meeting differently and says it lasted much longer, and despite Jones earning $168 million in salary over his playing career, Boras did not hesitate to take a jab at Jones’ modest ask for dinner and, of course, the contract.
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“Free salad … and free talent” Boras told Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports. “The Braves love it. That meal cost (Jones) $975,000.”
Now here’s what Jones had to say about that (text below):
@JonHeyman, I hope my response to @borascorp leaves no doubt as to what my @olivegarden salad has done for me and my family 27years later. pic.twitter.com/HwBP4FTyOE — Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) March 31, 2017
Meanwhile, this is all kind of a backhanded compliment for Olive Garden, but who doesn’t love unlimited salad and breadsticks?Angry Birds and Ninja Fruit are just about the most popular games available for Android.
Soon, Fruit Ninja is getting a new “Arcade Mode” soon. First on the iPhone and the iPad, then on out lovely Android devices.
Halfbrick is calling arcade mode its “most exciting and intense addition yet” to the Fruit Ninja game.
Arcade mode will span a time of 60 seconds where you will try to get the highest score possible. While similar to the Zen mode, the difference here is that there will be a bunch of bonus bananas for you to get which offer up some great bonuses.
In addition at the end of each game of Arcade mode that you play, your score and skill will be sent in and rated which will be used to unlock 3 unique awards. (Ninja Awards!)
Bonus Bananas:
Double Points – This banana will award you double points for a short period of time. Criticals and combos count too, so rack up those fruit for some massive scores!
This banana will award you double points for a short period of time. Criticals and combos count too, so rack up those fruit for some massive scores! Frenzy – If you’re not content with the amount of fruit on screen, the Frenzy banana will take care of that. A mammoth amount of fruit will begin flying in, but you have to stay focused to slice it all!
If you’re not content with the amount of fruit on screen, the Frenzy banana will take care of that. A mammoth amount of fruit will begin flying in, but you have to stay focused to slice it all! Freeze – The entire screen will slow down, allowing for maximum accuracy and combo potential!
Can’t wait for this update to be released.
Tell us what you think!
Via HalfbrickKyle Rudolph is excited for the competition between Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater and thinks it's good to have two quarterbacks who can start on the roster. (0:55)
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings are still waiting to see when they might get quarterback Teddy Bridgewater back from the knee injury he suffered on Aug. 30. It doesn't appear, though, that they've ruled out the possibility he could return in 2017, despite a report to the contrary.
The team said Friday there was no new update on Bridgewater's rehabilitation from a torn ACL and dislocated left knee, after a Bleacher Report video said Bridgewater was expected to need until March 2018 to return from the injury. Bridgewater's agent, Kennard McGuire, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that "I would not overreact to a story that has zero substance and no credibility.”
The Vikings referred back to coach Mike Zimmer's comments from his season-ending news conference on Jan. 3, when he said the team did not know when Bridgewater would return, attributing the lingering uncertainty to the many variables that come with a knee dislocation as opposed to a normal ACL tear. Zimmer reiterated those remarks in a Jan. 15 appearance on ESPN, saying, "There's been so much variation in these types of injuries and how long some of them have taken compared to others.
"Teddy, I would never bet against this guy. He's just got a smile on his face, comes in, works hard every day. You wish everybody who was injured would act exactly like he does."
When ESPN's Trey Wingo asked Zimmer if Bridgewater could return by the start of the season, Zimmer said, "I wouldn't bet against him for the beginning of the season, but typically, it's a little bit longer than that, so we'll just have to wait and see."Former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar says he’s not given up on conquering the featherweight division just yet, but remains open to potential bantamweight and lightweight bouts, if the opposition is right.
Speaking before Christmas on Talking Brawls podcast here on Severe MMA, the 145lb stand out spoke about a range of issues, including his next career move.
Edgar is coming off a decision victory over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 205 in New York and has now fought all top-five ranked fighter, except Ricardo Lamas, a fight he thinks makes sense.
“I’m not one really to call out names or anything like that. I fought everybody. I think the Lamas fight does make sense; he’s the highest ranked, assuming he’s free.”
Edgar lost for a second time to now featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 200, last July, pushing him further back in the line for a potential rematch with the Brazilian.
“I still think I’m close to 45’. I believe I’m right there knocking on that door. Obviously, I got to see what happens with Max and Aldo.”
The Ricardo Almeida black belt didn’t rule out moving to bantamweight. He has spoken numerous times about wanting to challenge for the UFC title at Bantamweight:
“I won’t rule out 135 either, if it’s for a title.”
The New Jersey native also re-affirmed his desire to have Conor McGregor on his fight record before he retires. The fight was widely rumoured after McGregor defeated Aldo at UFC 194, but never materialized.
“That was a fight I was looking for a while, and it just didn’t happen. I had an opportunity this summer
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instead to Shanghai. South Korea had insisted on bringing its own fans, raising its national flag and playing its national anthem, to which the North objected.
After losing a 2009 qualifying match by 1-0 to South Korea in Seoul, the North Koreans complained of biased refereeing and tainted food, saying the game “turned into a theater of plot-breeding and swindling.”
South Korea’s refusal to beam free World Cup television broadcasts across the demilitarized zone, which it did as a humanitarian gesture in 2006, might not have a dramatic impact.
Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, would probably not allow any matches to be shown live anyway, considering that the team could be humiliated or someone could hold up a sign of protest against the regime, said Brian Myers, a professor of international studies and an expert on North Korean propaganda at Dongseo University in Pusan, South Korea.
If North Korea somehow defeated or tied mighty Brazil, tightly edited snippets of the match — obtained perhaps from China or pirated — would be shown a day or two later, Myers said. Defeats might receive no mention in the state-controlled news media.
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“I can’t remember reading about North Korea losing a match,” Myers said in a telephone interview. “Occasionally, they show a couple minutes of soccer matches around the world. They might show one of the enemy — like the U.S. or Japan — losing.”
Unlike the former East Germany and Soviet Union, which intended athletic achievement as a sign of communist superiority, sports in North Korea serve to burnish nationalism and enhance the cult of personality of Kim Jong-il, said Michael Breen, a British journalist who lives in Seoul and has authored a biography of the leader.
That seemed evident when goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk said it was his duty to “safeguard the gates to the fatherland,” and the star forward Jong Tae-se said, “If Kim Jong-il is pleased, I will be honored.”
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Jong is one of two ethnic Koreans on the North’s roster who were born in Japan. He is a top forward in Japan’s professional league and is nicknamed the People’s Rooney for a stocky build and goal-scoring propensity that remind some of the English star Wayne Rooney.
There have been conflicting reports of Jong’s heritage. Some news accounts say he was born to South Korean parents and later renounced his South Korean citizenship. But Jong told reporters recently that his mother is North Korean, his father was born in Japan and that he himself attended Pyongyang-supported schools there.
Upon leaving his Japanese club team to begin World Cup preparations, Jong told reporters in Tokyo that his North Korean teammates were curious about his cellphone, and had passed it among one another. He also vowed to score in each match, adding, “We want to produce results that will stun the world.”
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Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Ivory Coast coach, cautioned that opponents better be prepared for the relentless, defensively robust North Koreans, saying: “Physically they are better than anyone because they have been in training camp for six months. They are organized, running all the time.”
Because so few North Koreans have the money or the permission to leave the country for the World Cup, the nation’s sports committee has recruited about 1,000 Chinese fans as surrogate cheerleaders, including actors and musicians, according to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency.
If North Korea does stun the world, it will not be the first time. At the 1966 World Cup, its army-based team shocked Italy on a lone goal by Pak Do-ik, who later was called the Dentist for inflicting so much hurt on the favored Italians.
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North Korea then blew a three-goal lead and lost, 5-3, to Portugal in the quarterfinals. Rumors spread that the Koreans had run out of gas after cavorting in Middlesbrough, England, where the Italian match was held, and were later killed or sent to re-education camps for their decadent behavior.
But a British filmmaker named Daniel Gordon found the truth to be otherwise in a 2002 documentary about that North Korean team called “The Game of Their Lives.” Players received decent apartments and increased rations for their startling upset, Gordon said in a telephone interview.
“It’s possible some prominent players got caught up in factional purges, but I’m not convinced it had to do with 1966,” said Gordon, who has been to North Korea more than 20 times. “As far as them going through bars and cavorting with women, there aren’t any half-Korean children running around Middlesbrough about age 40. That behavior didn’t happen.”The Milwaukee Bucks released the following statement from President Peter Feigin on the Wisconsin State Assembly arena financing vote:
Today, our collective effort to create a world-class sports and entertainment district in the heart of Milwaukee took a monumental step forward thanks to the bipartisan leadership of elected officials in Madison. We’re incredibly grateful for the commitment of state, county and city officials to work together in a historic fashion to help shape this public-private partnership. There’s still work to be done and we look forward to building on this progress with the city and county, but the passage of legislation today makes our future much clearer. The Bucks will not only remain home in Wisconsin, but we’ll soon begin a transformative economic development project that will help revitalize our community and region.
Peter Feigin, Bucks PresidentFrance's Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux gives a press conference, in Bobigny, north of Paris, Tuesday, March 21, 2017. The French interior minister has resigned amid investigation into parliamentary jobs he gave his daughters. The French financial prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation Tuesday into a report that Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux hired his two daughters for 24 temporary parliamentary jobs. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PARIS (AP) — French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux resigned Tuesday a few hours after prosecutors opened an investigation into a report that he hired his two daughters for a series of temporary parliamentary jobs, starting when they were 15 and 16 years old.
President Francois Hollande said he had accepted Le Roux’s resignation after a meeting with Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve at the Elysee Palace. He named the country’s low-profile trade and tourism minister, Matthias Fekl, as the new interior minister.
France’s national financial prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation Tuesday after TMC television reported Monday night that Le Roux employed his daughters as parliamentary assistants for a total salary amount of 55,000 euros ($59,000) over 24 short contracts.
The office said the preliminary investigation into the facts disclosed in the TV program is being led by the French police agency charged with fighting corruption and financial and tax wrongdoing.
While it is legal in France for politicians to hire family members, the TMC report suggests that Le Roux’s daughters did not perform all of the work. During some of their contracts as parliamentary aides, one of the daughters was doing a full-time internship in Belgium while the other was studying in an intensive class.
Le Roux’s daughters, now 23 and 20, allegedly started working as parliamentary aides for their father over short vacation contracts when they were 15 and 16 and Le Roux was a lawmaker in the French National Assembly.
“These temporary and official contracts, in accordance with the legal rules of the National Assembly, all corresponded, of course, to work actually carried out,” Le Roux, a member of the Socialist Party, insisted as he announced his resignation from Bobigny, a suburb outside Paris.
A similar scandal around employing family members has deeply damaged conservative Francois Fillon’s presidential bid. Fillon was handed preliminary charges last week for allegedly using taxpayers’ money to pay family members — his wife and two children — for jobs that may not have existed.
Left-wing politicians pointed out that Le Roux resigned as soon as the preliminary investigation had been launched, while Fillon decided to keep campaigning although he has been handed serious charges, including misuse of public funds, receiving money from a misuse of public funds funds and company assets. Fillon initially vowed to quit as presidential candidate if he were to be charged before changing his mind. Le Roux has not been charged so far.
While insisting he is law-abiding, Le Roux said he resigned because he didn’t want the latest controversy to “undermine the work of the government.”
He also said that as France’s interior minister he had a “particular responsibility imposed by the daily struggle against terrorism, delinquency and the control of migratory flows” and that the mission can’t afford to be affected by a debate about him.
Le Roux told the TMC program his daughters never got permanent jobs and has suggested their jobs weren’t fake — in contrast to what investigators suspect in Fillon’s case.
“They did work,” Le Roux insisted in an earlier interview with the TMC journalist.
Jean-Christophe Picard, president of the anti-corruption association Anticor, said that Le Roux had to resign to avoid any conflict of interest since he was the top boss of the police officers investigating his case.
The swift judicial reaction to the report on Le Roux’s daughters reflects a marked shift in French attitudes toward corruption in politics, notably since the new position of a national financial prosecutor was created three years ago.
Some of France’s most prominent politicians — including former Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac — have been embroiled in corruption scandals involving accusations from shady campaign financing to nepotism.
But the French public is growing frustrated with a political establishment it sees as enriching itself while average workers suffer, and there is growing public pressure for transparency.As social creatures, we tend to mimic each other’s posture, laughter, and other behaviors, including how we speak. Now a new study shows that people with similar views tend to more closely mirror, or align, each other’s speech patterns. In addition, people who are better at compromising align more closely.
“Few people are aware that they alter their word pronunciation, speech rate, and even the structure of their sentences during conversation,” explained Florian Jaeger, associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester and coauthor of the study recently published in Language Variation and Change. “What we have found is that the degree to which speakers align is socially mediated.”
“Our social judgments about others and our general attitude toward conflict are affecting even the most automatic and subconscious aspects of how we express ourselves with language,” said lead-author Kodi Weatherholtz, a post-doctoral researcher in Jaeger’s lab.
To test the social effects of how greatly we mimic each other’s speech patterns, the researchers devised an experiment in which participants first listened to ideologically charged messages with a set sentence structure. After listening to the diatribes they were asked to describe some simple illustrations showing characters performing simple actions, such as a waitress giving a banana to a monk.
Most participants subconsciously aligned their descriptions with the sentence structure presented in the listening phase of the experiment. But, how closely the participants aligned with the speaker varied based on how much they agreed with the speaker’s views (as assessed in a post-experimental interview). Those who shared views with the speaker altered their speech to more closely match the sentence pattern used by the speaker.
During the experiment, participants heard phrases like “Congress is giving too much money to welfare moochers.” Others heard the same ideologically loaded sentiment expressed with a different sentence structure: “Congress is giving welfare moochers too much money.” (Notice the order of the phrases “too much money”—which refers to the thing being given—and “welfare moochers”—the recipient.)
Those who heard the first version, “Congress is giving too much money to welfare moochers” (the recipient is mentioned after the thing being given), for example, were more likely to describe a picture as “The waitress is giving a banana to the monk” rather than “The waitress is giving the monk a banana” when they agreed with the speaker’s views.
When participants disagreed with the opinion expressed by the speaker, they aligned less or not at all. Additionally, participants who described themselves as compromising in conflict situations, showed more linguistic alignment with the speaker.
One of the researchers, Kathryn Campbell-Kibler, an associate professor of linguistics at Ohio State University, pointed out that testing for political influences on syntactic alignment might be interesting in its own right, but the purpose in this experiment was to influence social similarity and establish a situation in which participants were ideologically invested.
One reason people tend to align certain speech patterns is because it facilitates communication, Jaeger said. When we align how we talk, then sounds, words, and sentence structures become more predictable,
In addition to this well-known psychological function, the study’s findings provide evidence that speech alignment serves a social function. Similarity is a powerful social force, Jaeger explained. In short, we tend to like people who share certain characteristics with us. Thus, speaking in a way that is more or less similar to others can be a subtle means of influencing liking, trust, and other interpersonal emotions.
The findings shed new light on the relationship between human psychology and social behavior, Jaeger said. They suggest that social factors “piggy back” on the subconscious process—which is primary—and can boost the degree of alignment. “The extent to which we align is moderated by the attitudes we have towards our conversation partner,” added Weatherholtz.
These two traditions—the psychological and the social—”are not necessarily competing; they can be complementary,” said Jaeger. “What’s been lacking in the research is a way to talk to both communities and bring them together.”
A National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to Westherholtz, an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship to Jaeger, and the National Science Foundation supported the study.
Category: Society & Culture--Not this past summer but the one before, I had a few really bad months. A friend I grew up with died unexpectedly, and although some things in my life had been spiraling out of control for a while, I look back on his death as the day that I just dropped everything and couldn't figure out how to start putting the pieces back together. A month later, Rob and I moved away. I got homesick before we even left--it was the first time I was really living on my own, I missed my parents, and I thought about my lost friend every day, almost every minute. Life felt really heavy most of the time.I had a thesis to write, friends in Charlottesville to spend time with, and a boyfriend to love, but a lot of the time I couldn't get out of bed. I was depressed and tired and sick all the time. I couldn't sleep at night and I couldn't get up in the morning. I took naps during the day that were so deep and weird that I would wake up with some kind of sleep-induced hangover. I got a job at a coffee shop, working afternoons, and I gained fifteen pounds in like, less than a month.I've always been athletic--in high school I swam year-round, ran cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track. When I went to college I gained five or ten pounds, but it just went away when I came home for the summer. I feel so lucky that I've never really struggled with my weight or body image. Even when I was at my heaviest, I was still thin.I'm 5'4". These fifteen new pounds felt like a lot on me. My clothes stopped fitting properly and I got even more tired and depressed. I'd try to go for a run and end up walking. For the first time in my life, I started feeling bad about my body. The extra weight was frustrating, but even worse was the way I felt. I had been feeling sick for a few years--always dizzy and nauseated, sometimes throwing up randomly--but being heavier than usual just made it worse. My higher-than-normal anxiety grew even more, I had migraines, and I felt sad and depressed and scared all the time. I was breaking out, and losing hair, and feeling pretty pathetic in general. I would lie in bed and cry, and I could never specifically explain why.So in October or November, when my mom started talking to me about this thing called Paleo, I was ready to try anything. Even if it meant re-learning how to eat. Accepting the fact that "whole grain" wasn't good for me, and that neither was dairy. No more lattes or grilled cheese sandwiches or pasta--three almost daily occurrences in my diet. I was almost a vegetarian. After a sort-of Paleo Thanksgiving at home, I jumped in for real. It felt good to take control of something.Even after a week or two, I could tell a difference. My stomach felt less bloated and I was no longer in pain. My skin started to clear up, and I lost about a pound a day for a few days. When I woke up in the morning I felt human again. The coffee shop asked me to start opening instead of closing, and I know that I wouldn't have been able to get to work by 6:30 AM if I was still eating the way I had been.I don't blame all of my past troubles on my old diet. But my new one made me feel a lot better, and that was something.My anxiety subsided. Sure, I still get irrational every now and again, but I didn't spend hours upon hours obsessing about death anymore. That might sound morbid and dramatic, but it had been part of my life for months, and I was glad to see it go. I started running again. My headaches and dizziness and nausea went away. I had so much energy. I was able to get in control of my life again. I was happy, deep down, for the first time in a long time. And I wrote that thesis.When people find out that I'm Paleo, a lot of the time they say something like "Oh, wow, I just couldn't live without cheese." It is so much more than that. Maybe it's cheesy (ha!), but I'm proud of myself. Our choices matter. And cheese is awesome, but it's not that hard to give up.Paleo changed my life.It put me back on track. It gave me health, happiness, and a sense of control when things felt like they were too much to bear. I will never go back, because the girl who used to eat grains and dairy and sugar was also sad and tired and afraid of everything. And she's not here anymore.--President Obama announced 21 recipients of the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom today. Traditionally, the award is reserved for those private individuals who have served the nation and humanity by advancing art, culture and science.
But this year, the nation's highest honor also seemed like a participation prize for liberal activism. One-third of the of the winners had been involved in endorsing, fundraising or even stumping for Hillary Clinton.
While they deserve their awards for their talents, their combined efforts to turn that star power into political capital for Clinton failed this year. A consolation prize is in order.
With his working-class ballads, Bruce Springsteen dominated rock n' roll beginning in the late 1970s and then peaked in the early 1990s. And this year the Boss was "with her," putting on concerts to warm up the crowd for Clinton.
"I don't think people go to musicians for their political points of view," Springsteen told Rolling Stone. "But it's worth giving a shot when it's the only thing you have." It didn't work though. His poetry filled stadiums but failed to sway the electorate.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Lorne Michaels also won the award for leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the 1971 NBA championship and founding "Saturday Night Live," respectively. During this election, Jabbar spoke at the Democrat National Convention and Michaels' comics went in for Clinton early.
For his work in "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull," Robert DeNiro owns a pair of Academy awards. But his acting proved more persuasive than his political advice. The New York Democrat was confident in Clinton's victory earlier in the year, telling The Daily Beast, "There are going to be no surprises." Like nearly everyone, he was wrong.
Ellen Degeneres remains one of the funniest people on television today. Cicely Tyson acted on film, television and the stage. Both earned the presidential medal after publically endorsing the first female nominee of a major political party.
Actor, comedian and director Tom Hanks has won numerous awards for his work in front of and behind the camera. Thanks to Obama, he will add a presidential medal to that collection. Earlier in the year, he grabbed dinner at a fundraiser for Clinton.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.The 1873 Winchester Repeater Rifle—capable of firing fifteen shots in just over ten seconds—was the gun of American western expansion. It came to be known as “The Gun That Won The West.”
Because of this, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company was the most successful gun company in the late 19th Century and the Winchester family became fabulously wealthy.
In 1862, William Winchester, the heir to the family business and fortune, married the beautiful and intelligent Sarah Pardee. Four years later, Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Annie. The whole family lived together in a palatial mansion in New Haven, Connecticut.
And then came a string of terrible tragedies.
Baby Annie couldn’t absorb protein. And even with all they money in the world, Sarah Winchester couldn’t stop her daughter from starving to death before her eyes. Then, five years later William Winchester died from tuberculosis. He was 43 years old.
According to legend, Sarah Winchester’s friends advised her to seek the services of a Boston spiritual medium named Adam Koombs. As the legend goes, Koombs put Mrs. Winchester in touch with her deceased husband—but William had bad news.
He told Sarah Winchester that she would always be haunted by the spirits who had been killed by Winchester rifles.
Speaking through Koombs, William Winchester instructed Sarah to placate the spirits by building a structure that would perpetually grow to shelter the ever-increasing number of Winchester rifle victims.
And if she did this, Sarah Winchester would gain immortality.
Winchester rifles had killed a lot people. If Mrs Winchester was to appease their ghosts, she would need to build a very, very big house. And she had the money to do it. Having inherited her late husband’s stock in the rifle company, she was now one of the wealthiest people in the country.
Sarah Winchester moved from New Haven to an eight-room farmhouse in San Jose, California. Right away she began remodeling. At any given time there might have been a dozen people there working on the house—carpenters, tile setters, painters, and electricians.
Some reports estimate that her house swelled from 8 to 26 rooms in the first six months.
Others claim there was no end to the construction—that Sarah Winchester’s crew worked on the house in rotating shifts, 24 hours a day, for 38 years.
Over time the house became a tangled maze of halls and a mash-up of turrets and stained glass windows. And because she built over so many years, the house was also a wild combination of architectural styles
It also has doors that lead nowhere, staircases that stop halfway.
For a long time no one was able to see the hodgepodge of styles and ornaments in this house except Sarah Winchester and her staff of eighteen house servants, thirteen carpenters, eight to ten gardeners, and two private chauffeurs.
Sarah Winchester kept to herself. Supposedly she was also always shrouded in a veil.
It’s unclear how much of the Sarah Winchester legend is true. We don’t know whether she attempted to commune with ghosts, or whether she built her huge house to placate them, or whether she felt guilty about her fortune coming from guns.
After she died in 1922, the legends and rumors about her gained traction. Especially given that, in 1923, an entrepreneur named John H. Brown saw the possibility in the old decrepit estate and re-opened it as “The Winchester Mystery House.” Since then, it’s been the subject of all kinds of pseudo-documentaries on haunted houses.
Ghost.Adventures_”Winchester Mystery House” s05… by 1BadboyMMA
Today, you can buy a ticket to tour Sarah Winchester’s house. Soon you may also be able to stay overnight at the Winchester Mystery House.
The widely accepted narrative about Sarah Winchester, and the one that the current owners of the house are selling, is that she was haunted by spirits. But not everyone is buying it. Historian Mary Jo Ignoffo explores alternative theories about Sarah Winchester in her book, Captive of the Labyrinth.
Ignoffo found no evidence supporting the idea that Sarah Winchester communed with spirits. She believes that what drove Sarah Winchester to build was her desire to be an architect.
Sarah Winchester lived at time when it was highly unusual for women to be architects. She wasn’t licensed, so her own home was the perfect place—and the only place—where she could practice architecture.
Whatever her motivations were, Sarah Winchester built a house with more than 150 rooms, 2000 doors, 47 fireplaces, 40 bedrooms, 40 staircases, 17 chimneys, 13 bathrooms, six kitchens, three elevators, two basements, and one shower. She spent nearly all of her life being an architect.Lake Shore, Canada’s reality TV answer to MTV’s Jersey Shore, appeared with a bang. A year ago, an online teaser for the show, featuring eight combative cast members labelled by ethnic background, drew massive buzz — along with massive controversy from critics, who called the concept “racist.”
Salem Moussallam — billed on Lake Shore as “The Lebanese” — says he auditioned to generate publicity for his designer consignment store on Queen St. W. He's disappointed the show never took off. ( KATE ALLEN / TORONTO STAR )
This month, the project died with a whimper. “I am sorry to say this, but it's over,” reads an email from producer Maryam Rahimi, sent to the show’s cast on Oct. 2. Networks declined to pick the show up, she writes. Cast members, back at their day jobs, have mixed feelings about their short-lived ride as reality TV celebrities-in-waiting. “What do I say to people now?” asks Salem Moussallam — billed on Lake Shore as “The Lebanese” — who runs a designer consignment shop on Queen St. W. and says he auditioned to generate publicity for his business. “It’s been really embarrassing.”
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Others shrug it off. “I partied so much thinking that this was going to happen,” says Joey Violin (“The Italian”). “It’s probably better for me that it’s not happening — better for my health,” he says, adding he also spent too much money thinking that clubbing would generate publicity for the show. Rahimi’s email says producers pitched the show to three networks and “had a good connection” with Rogers. The network did not respond to a request for comment over the weekend. But an executive shakeup at the media giant brought in new people who hadn’t heard of the show, Rahimi’s email claims. “We became victims of circumstances. It was no one’ fault, this is just the way business is,” she writes. Rahimi didn’t respond to a request for comment. Violin thinks the show was “too controversial for Canada.” Lake Shore would have sequestered cast members in a house together and broadcast the resulting drama, supposedly generated by contestants’ clashing backgrounds. One contestant’s demonstration of the concept on Lake Shore’s online teaser drew widespread condemnation.
“I'm not racist. I hate everyone equally — especially Jewish people,” Sibel Atlug (“The Turk”) was filmed saying. Atlug’s comment led critics, including Bernie Farber, then CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, to call the show “racist.” Rahimi later said that in retrospect, maybe that clip went too far.
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Robyn Perza (“The Jew”) agrees. “The Jewish comment that was said — I think it might have had a lot to do with it,” she says. Networks “didn’t want to put an anti-semitic racial thing on TV,” she believes. Perza took time off from school during the year the show was in development. “It kind of screwed me over,” she says. Some cast members have discussed trying to keep the show alive, pitching it to networks on their own. Moussallam says he’s working harder than ever at his store — though not without setbacks. Last weekend, he says, his shop windows were broken and the vandals scrawled “Lake Shore is a joke.” While Violin never quit his construction job, he’s not happy to refocus on it. “It sucks that now I gotta take it real seriously again,” he says. But he says he had fun while it lasted. “I had a lot more 15 minutes of fame than a lot of normal people would.”In a video posted online Tuesday, supporters of Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown are seen at a rally doing tomahawk chops and war whoops in an apparent attempt to mock Democrat Elizabeth Warren, Brown's opponent in a closely watched Senate race.
In the video, posted to YouTube by the BlueMassGroup2012 account, Brown supporters confront Warren backers at a rally near Eire Pub in Boston on Saturday, according to the video's caption. The Brown supporters laugh as they mimic Native American war cries and do the tomahawk chop in the face of Warren's crowd.
Boston's WCVB identified three of the Brown supporters as Brown deputy chief of staff Greg Casey, constituent service counsel Jack Richard and Massachusetts GOP operative Brad Garrett.
Neither the Brown nor the Warren campaigns immediately responded to requests for comment on the video.
Matt House, spokesman for the Massachusetts Democratic Party, said the Brown campaign is "flailing."
"Scott Brown and his staff are launching outrageous and offensive personal attacks to distract from the issues that matter," House said in an email to HuffPost. "The behavior of his staff is completely inappropriate, but the tone of the campaign is set by the candidate."
"It is certainly something that I don't condone," Brown told WCVB when asked about the video. "The real offense is that (Warren) said she was white and then checked the box saying she is Native American, and then she changed her profile in the law directory once she made her tenure."
The ethnic heritage of Warren, a Wall Street reform advocate and Harvard professor, has become an unlikely campaign issue in one of the most hotly contested congressional races of the year. Warren has said she is part Cherokee and Delaware Indian, while her opponents have accused her of making such claims to advance her career.
A recent advertisement from the Brown campaign says Warren has been "facing tough questions about whether she claimed to be a minority for professional gain." The Warren campaign responded Tuesday with a video of its own, asserting the candidate's Native American heritage and denying she benefited professionally from it.
"As a kid, I never asked my mom for documentation when she talked about our Native American heritage," Warren says in the ad. "What kid would? But I knew my father's family didn't like that she was part-Cherokee and part-Delaware, so my parents had to elope."Cooking under pressure
Steam digesters, pressure cookers
If you try to live a greener life, wasting less, cutting back on energy, you may re-discover ancient, simple domestic routines that are a source of pleasure - like walking into a sunny garden to put your laundry out to dry. Pressure cooking doesn't have quite the same feel-good levels, and yet it can save a lot of energy, and may make some people think nostalgically of Grandma's kitchen.
Of course the pressure cooker isn't ancient. It was a 17th century invention: cutting-edge technology, with the unattractive name of digester. For nearly a hundred and fifty years, it kept that name. Its inventor, Denis Papin, thought it might help the poorest people to extract nutrition from bones, but early models were far too expensive for people who really needed to save money and cooking fuel. In the 19th century, the people who were most interested in these digesters, apart from scientists, were military men who wanted a quick way of producing meals in camp, and industrial inventors looking into canning or beef extract production.
In the UK, there were digesters being sold as "kitchen furniture" from the 1830s onward, and people put the case for their "economy" in producing "nutritious" food from bones. But they would have cost a poor Victorian family a couple of days' wages and presumably were sold to more prosperous households.
[The picture shows two digesters;] both, however, on the same principle, and made of cast-iron; No. 1 being of the smaller size, and No. 2 for any quantity from half a gallon upwards ; the price being, according to the size, from 12 shillings to 30 shillings, and for the smaller sort half the former sum.
Murray's Modern Cookery Book, by a lady, c1851
It wasn't till the 20th century that steam pressure cookers appeared in a good number of ordinary home kitchens. To begin with they looked dauntingly un-domestic: hefty contraptions with gauges, valves, and heavy-duty explosion-proof construction, like the one above right. In the USA they were bought by people who did a lot of home canning. The name "pressure cooker" became established as an alternative to "steam digester", "continuous pressure cooker" etc.
Then, in the 1930s they began to look more like other cookware, in time for their popularity during World War Two. During the war the US government wanted to encourage food preserving, and supported manufacture and sales of pressure cookers to community canning centres. Across the Atlantic, there were no spare resources for manufacturing new kitchen equipment, but people who already owned pressure cookers were able to conserve fuel, and make meat scraps edible.
After the war, a few cookbooks devoted to pressure cookery were published. Another wave of recipes for pressure cooking appeared with the 1970ish interest in wholefoods. The high temperatures possible with steam pressure make it easier to cook soybeans and some other ingredients associated with wholefood/vegetarian cooking.
Pressure cookers are popular in mountainous Tibet. At high altitudes they make it possible to get water boiling.
Dates - partial timeline
1679 Denis Papin shows his digester to the Royal Society in London (See picture below left.)
1681 Papin publishes A New Digester or Engine for Softening Bones
1682 Supper cooked in a digester is served to London intellectuals. (See quote below)
c1800 Nicolas Appert invents canning: a new way of preserving food using an autoclave, a "cooker" with steam pressure, like Papin's digester
1830s Digesters on sale in the UK
1874 A.K. Shriver is issued with crucial US patent for canning apparatus using steam pressure
1914 First record of the name "pressure cooker" - Oxford English Dictionary
1930s Pressure cookers start to look like "normal" domestic saucepans. (See drawing below right.) Alfred Vischer had been filing patents for easy-to-seal pressure cookers since 1921, and his Flex-Seal cooker started to get press attention in 1939. (Sometimes mistakenly spelled Vischler)
Early 1940s - pressure cookers used for canning supported by US Victory Garden movement
1682, 12th April: I went this afternoon with several of the Royal Society to a supper which was all dressed, both fish and flesh, in Monsieur Papin's digestors, by which the hardest bones of beef itself, and mutton, were made as soft as cheese, without water or other liquor, and with less than eight ounces of coals, producing an incredible quantity of gravy; and for close of all, a jelly made of the bones of beef, the best for clearness and good relish, and the most delicious that I had ever seen, or tasted. We eat pike and other fish bones, and all without impediment; but nothing exceeded the pigeons...
Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn, F.R.S., published 1862
21 February 2008
Back to top of pageSeveral weeks ago, the week after the White-Supremacist march on Charlottesville, singer-songwriter Billy Joel went up on stage for an encore wearing a yellow Star-of-David badge. Joel, whose grandfather was forced to escape Nazi Germany in 1938, often says that while both his parents are Jewish, he did not really grow up with any religious upbringing at all. “My circumcision was as Jewish as they got,” he explained in a 2001 interview, and while he now identifies as a secular Jew, he admitted to getting baptized in a Church of Christ when he was eleven years old.
The same week, I received two emails from congregants, each containing a column written by two different young women who rediscovered their Judaism during the latest surge in anti-Semitic incidents. “I learned the stories from the Torah but never learned the real meaning behind them,” writes Britni de la Cretaz, “As far as I was concerned they were just that: stories. Stories in the way Harry Potter is a story […] Stories that did nothing to help me understand the world or my place in it. And so, I turned away from the faith I was raised with.”
However, she writes, when the JCC in her South-Florida neighborhood was targeted in a bomb threat, she decided that “now more than ever [she] wants to teach [her] children what it means to be Jewish.” Similarly, Julia Revzin, a young woman who recently came back from a Birthright trip and now lives in Charlottesville, writes about her decision to go and look for the local synagogue the day of the march. “That day it didn’t matter if I was barely Jewish” she asserts, “that I’d never been bat mitzvahed, that my mom was a completely non-practicing Christian […] To a Nazi, there is no such thing as ‘not Jewish enough.’”
What Revzin understood, instinctively, is that “insomuch as we define ourselves as Jews, it is the hatred of others that defines us just as much.” A similar observation was already made shortly after World War II by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. In his formative essay Anti-Semite and Jew, he reviewed several ways in which Jewishness was defined – ethnic, religious and cultural – but concluded that all
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credit: Giovanni Maduli
Related ArticlesFansubbing—the unofficial creation of fan-made subtitles for TV shows and movies—is illegal, a Dutch court ruled this week.
The Free Subtitles Foundation, after coming under fire from the Netherlands' anti-piracy association BREIN, decided to raise some money and take BREIN to court. The Foundation's lawyer told TorrentFreak that the lawsuit sought to clarify whether the creators of a TV show or movie can reserve the right to create and distribute subtitles.
And indeed, that's exactly what the court ruled: that subtitles can only be created and distributed with permission from the rights holders. Doing so without permission is copyright infringement, and thus punishable with either jail time or a fine, depending on where you live.
Subtitle downloads are hugely popular on the Internet: there are thousands of websites that offer free subtitle files for TV shows and movies. Sometimes those subtitles are ripped from the original stream or disc, but often—especially if they're not in one of the handful of primary languages—they are the work of fansubbers.
Fansubbers, of course, maintain that they are doing a Good Thing by allowing millions more people to enjoy films and TV shows that they might not otherwise be able to understand. BREIN, however, asserts that subtitles are mostly used by people who download pirated media, and thus fansubbers are not only violating copyright themselves but also inciting piracy and damaging the market.
Following the court ruling, BREIN's director Tim Kuik said in a statement: "With this decision in hand it will be easier for BREIN to maintain its work against illegal subtitlers and against sites and services that collect illegal subtitles and add movies and TV shows from an illegal source."
Much like file sharing websites themselves, actually policing subtitle sites will be difficult. Just look at the world of anime fansubbing, which has been under fire for more than a decade but is still going strong—or, in some cases, has shifted to just straight-up anime streaming websites with baked-in English subtitles. A better solution might be for content creators and distributors to release officially subtitled content simultaneously worldwide, much in the same way that some big American TV shows and movies are now being released in Europe and Asia at the same time, rather than a few months or years later.
Now read about the 300-year battle to reform copyright for the digital age...While exposés are often loose with the "facts" (to put it kindly), history has shown they are still capable of strongly altering public perception by appealing to emotion; as any politician will tell you, fear and outrage are powerful motivators. Judging by The Dark Hobby's website, facebook page, and promotional video (below), the film will heavily rely on outdated, cherry-picked, and misrepresented information to demonize the aquarium hobby. This should come as no surprise because it has been the modus operandi for Robert Wintner and Rene Umberger for years in their ideological fight to outlaw the aquarium trade in Hawaii. Now they are aiming to repackage their message for mass consumption by way of this planned "documentary," no doubt hoping to do to the aquarium hobby what the film Blackfish (replete with lies and manipulation to sell its propaganda) did to Seaworld.
Starting on August 9, 2016, the producers are seeking $100,000 in crowd-source funding to produce their film. At the time of this publication, only $100 has been contributed by a lone backer.
While Advanced Aquarist has no desire to give this planned film publicity, we feel it is more important to keep aquarists informed about developments that represent a potential existential threat to our hobby. It's safe to assume most aquarists are in favor of science-based management of the world's natural resources, including ornamental fish. But in order to have a constructive discussion, we simply seek logical, factual dialogue, not demogougery such as this planned film.
In the opening frames, the juxtaposition of a net-fish-collector with sinister background music is a classic example of emotional manipulation. Appeal to emotion (or argumentum ad passiones or appeal to feels) is a logical fallacy characterized by the manipulation of the recipient's emotions in order to win an argument, especially in the absence of factual evidence.A man was charged today with killing his wife aboard a Princess Cruises ship in Alaska, according to federal court documents.
Kenneth Manzanares has been detained and faces murder charges in the death of his 39-year-old wife, who is identified by the initials K.M., according to a criminal complaint filed today in federal court by the FBI. A source with knowledge of the FBI's investigation told ABC News that the victim was Kristy Manzanares of Utah.
Princess Cruises said a domestic dispute occurred Tuesday night and resulted in the woman's death. The FBI said that it is investigating the "suspicious" death and that it dispatched teams from Anchorage and Seattle to Juneau and Utah to speak with the deceased's family. The agency has jurisdiction in this case, it said, because the death happened on the water.
The incident occurred while the cruise was traveling from Ketchikan to Juneau, acting U.S. Attorney for Alaska Bryan Schroder said in a press conference Thursday afternoon.
According to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Michael Watson, security and medical personnel "responded to an incident" in the cabin occupied by the Manzanareses aboard the Emerald Princess on Tuesday just after 9 p.m. local time, when the ship was seven miles off the coast of Forrester Island.
She was found with a severe head wound, and blood was spattered throughout the cabin, according to the court documents. She was pronounced dead at approximately 9:20 p.m. local time, the court documents state.
The FBI was then notified of the incident at 11 p.m., an agency spokesperson said in a press conference Thursday.
FBI investigating death of woman aboard Princess Cruise ship in Alaska
An Emerald Princess security officer told investigators he noticed blood on Kenneth Manzanares' hands and clothing at the time. According to the affidavit, the officer placed the man in handcuffs and detained him in an adjoining cabin.
The security officer told investigators that other witnesses entered the cabin earlier and also saw blood on man's hands and clothing. According to the affidavit, one witness, identified by the initials D.H., said that he saw the woman lying on the floor covered in blood and that when he asked Kenneth Manzanares what had happened, he replied, "She would not stop laughing at me."
Schroder said that comment was made after the witness had entered the room. Neither he nor the FBI would comment on whether there was a witness in the room at the time of the incident.
Other family members were onboard the ship at the time, the FBI spokesperson said.
The witness said he then saw Kenneth Manzanares grab the woman's body and drag her toward the cabin's balcony. The witness told investigators he grabbed the woman's ankles and pulled her back into the cabin. According to the affidavit, Emerald Princess security officers entered the cabin soon afterward.
"We don’t know what he intended to do once he got her out there," Schroder said.
"Later, when Manzanares was being processed during a search by the FBI for physical evidence, he spontaneously stated, 'My life is over,'" Watson stated in his affidavit, adding that he had probable cause to believe Kenneth Manzanares committed murder.
The FBI spokesperson described the crime scene as fairly small and said 15 agents interviewed about 200 passengers and crew members following the incident.
Schroder would not comment on the condition of the remaining members of the family who were onboard the ship.
Kenneth Manzanares attended his first court appearance Thursday afternoon dressed in an orange jumpsuit. His preliminary hearing was is scheduled for Aug. 10.
A judge did not grant bail because Manzanares is considered a flight risk since he doesn't have any ties to the district and is considered a danger to the community.
ABC News could not immediately reach Manzanares' court-appointed public defender, Jamie McGrady, for comment.
In a statement, Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, the company Kristy Manzanares worked for, described her as a "dedicated and loving mother who juggled her business schedule to make her children a top priority."
"It is with very heavy hearts and great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of a member of our real estate family," the statement reads. "...We will miss Kristy’s vibrant personality, welcoming smile, kind heart, and compassion for everyone she met."
Story continuesInitially we were skeptical, but open-minded, about the “debate-gate” lectern, mic, etc. issues in the first presidential debate. However, with responses from the debate commission now on record – it appears the manipulative constructs are not refuted, but actually confirmed.
Fox News Brit Hume and Fox correspondent James Rosen have been earnest in their efforts to ridicule anyone who has questioned several aspects of the debate. Ridicule is a potent weapon to dismissively label genuine inquiry “conspiracy theory”.
Face it, no-one wants to be considered weird or odd for asking questions. Then again, it is this inherent aversion which allows abusers to gaslight their victims. Accepting this truism it becomes challenging to confront deception when those who would willingly participate in fraud, circle the proverbial wagons to isolate the boy questioning the emperor’s invisible robe…
So let’s just stick to two essential bits of information that stand as queries made, and questions answered. Answers, that factually only raise more questions when common sense is applied:
POINT ONE – Yesterday, Fox correspondent James Rosen confirmed that Hillary Clinton’s lectern was outfitted with a light. Ignore the ridicule, tone, and dismissive construct of this Fox News segment and pay close attention to 02:32 when Rosen says the debate commission confirmed the lighting aspect:
On its face, that reply is an attempt to remove the issue. But those who are intellectually honest, and have inoculated themselves from gaslighting, will note Rosen’s explanation only raises more uncomfortable questions:
If what the debate commission says is true, then Why wasn’t Donald Trump’s lectern lit?
Secondly, and more importantly, the natural follow-up to such an explanation would have been: “Who was in charge of this light, turning it on and off”? It was obviously not the candidate herself. So who was in control of it?
That’s the question, that becomes uncomfortable to answer… because it instantly confirms an external party -separate from the candidate- was in control of an electronic medium connected to the lectern of that candidate.
This follow-up admission then raises the very real possibility that other electronic measures were similarly constructed…. and they wouldn’t want to go there in that conversation now, would they?
POINT TWO – “The Trump Microphone“. In another interview, essentially structured with the same dismissive intent, Politico questions Debate Commission Co-Chair Mike McCurry about Donald Trump’s microphone issues. McCurry was former President Bill Clinton’s Press Secretary.
.@mikeallen sits down with the co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential @debates to talk about Trump's mic https://t.co/8gpcL5ZCxu pic.twitter.com/a3fMVMXfCU — POLITICO (@politico) October 4, 2016
Notice how McCurry says “they”, meaning the sound engineers, were attempting to modulate the sound level of Donald Trump’s microphone during the debate itself.
Accepting McCurry’s retort, like the Rosen explanation/non-explanation, uncomfortable questions then begin to reconcile.
It is well known in political debate history that Al Gore’s 2000 debate sighs and noises when George W Bush was speaking were considered a liability and were ridiculed immediately following the 2000 debate. With that in mind, the “sound engineers” moderating the level of the Trump microphone can easily be accepted as an attempt to duplicate the historic controversy.
An objective debate watcher then acknowledges the immediately noticed “Trump sniffing” during Hillary Clinton’s response could very well have been, and indeed entirely most-like was, a result of this manipulative intent. Simply turn up the directional volume on Trump’s mic when Clinton was speaking and you can broadcast Trump’s breathing.
Then, after we accept this reality, we recognize the explanation of the issue being only related to the internal hall audience, was/is entirely FALSE. The microphone sound in the hall and the microphone sound in the broadcast were both being modulated.
The last aspect of McCurry blaming the Trump campaign for not conducting a sound check is entirely BULLSHIT. The mic check is not dependent on the candidate; the mic check is dependent on the sound engineer checking the mic, and both campaign staffs participated therein. This is what sound engineers do.
To nail this final point home, the non-gaslit person reviewing this disingenuous obfuscation will note Hillary Clinton herself never conducted a mic check, and the issue was isolated to her opponent.
When you add these two recent responses from the debate commission, into the weird post-debate lectern visitation by the Clinton team, where the Clinton team made seven trips to her lectern to remove “items” [-Discussed at Length HERE and HERE -] what you walk away from is an acceptance the architecture of the debate, designed by the debate commission, was constructed to the exclusive benefit of Hillary Clinton.
There are trillions of dollars at stake.
AdvertisementsRussia's state consumer watchdog said it was closing four McDonald’s restaurants in Moscow, in what will be widely seen as an anti-American measure during the continuing tensions over Ukraine.
Rospotrebnadzor announced it was suspending operations at the restaurants after testing ingredients and food products and finding unspecified but multiple sanitary violations on Wednesday.
The closures are likely to be interpreted as a Kremlin-backed swipe at the United States in the wake of mutual sanctions and diplomatic tussling over the civil war in Ukraine.
McDonald’s issued a statement confirming the temporary closure of the restaurants, including its famous branch on Pushkin Square – the first in the country to open, before the fall of the Soviet Union.
“We are studying the substance of the complaints in order to define what action is necessary in order to open the restaurants for customers as soon as possible,” it said.
The Pushkin Square branch of McDonald’s occupies a place in late Soviet history as Western culture and cuisine began to infiltrate. Customers queued for several hours to get in when it began serving on January 31, 1990.
McDonald’s closed its restaurants in Crimea following the Ukrainian region’s annexation by Russia in March, which some Russian politicians seized on as sign the company should get out of Russia.
In the past, Moscow has banned Georgian and Moldovan wine and Belarusian milk over alleged sanitary flaws after political spats with those countries. Some Georgian restaurants in Moscow were also forced to close after the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia in South Ossetia.
On August 7, Russia’s government introduced a ban on the import of a wide range of US and European foods in response to Western sanctions.
Meanwhile, two men and two women are facing vandalism charges for scaling a Stalin-era skyscraper in Moscow on Wednesday and painting its pinnacle in Ukrainian colours.
Police arrested them after the stunt, an apparent protest at Moscow’s support of pro-Russian separatists, in which a Ukrainian flag was also planted on top of the 577ft apartment block on the Kotelnicheskaya embankment. They could face up to three years in prison.
Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, praised the activists. “I like very much the fact that... one of Moscow’s highest buildings was painted in our colours,” he said.FILE - In this July 30, 2015 file photo, a sign supporting Medicare is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. Medicare on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, unveiled a far-reaching overhaul of how it pays doctors and other clinicians. Compensation for medical professionals will start taking into account the quality of service, not just quantity. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Changing the way it does business, Medicare on Friday unveiled a far-reaching overhaul of how it pays doctors and other clinicians.
The goal is to reward quality, penalize poor performance, and avoid paying piecemeal for services. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s one of the biggest changes in Medicare’s 50-year history.
The complex regulation is nearly 2,400 pages long and will take years to fully implement. It’s meant to carry out bipartisan legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama last year.
The concept of paying for quality has broad support, but the details have been a concern for some clinicians, who worry that the new system will force small practices and old-fashioned solo doctors to join big groups. Patients may soon start hearing about the changes from their physicians, but it’s still too early to discern the impacts.
The Obama administration sought to calm concerns Friday. “Transforming something of this size is something we have focused on with great care,” said Andy Slavitt, head of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Officials said they considered more than 4,000 formal comments and held meetings around the country attended by more than 100,000 people before issuing the final rule. It eases some timelines the administration initially proposed, and gives doctors more pathways for complying.
The American Medical Association said its first look suggests that the administration “has been responsive” to many concerns that doctors raised.
In Congress, staffers were poring over the details. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who worries that Medicare’s new direction could damage the doctor-patient relationship, said he’s going to give the regulation “careful scrutiny.” Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of a panel that oversees Medicare, called it an “important step forward,” but said the administration needs to keep listening to concerns.
MACRA, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, creates two new payment systems, or tracks, for clinicians. It affects more than 600,000 doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and therapists, a majority of clinicians billing Medicare. Medical practices must decide next year what track they will take.
Starting in 2019, clinicians can earn higher reimbursements if they learn new ways of doing business, joining a leading-edge track that’s called Alternative Payment Models. That involves being willing to accept financial risk and reward for performance, reporting quality measures to the government, and using electronic medical records.
Medicare said some 70,000 to 120,000 clinicians are initially expected to take that more challenging path. Officials are hoping the number will quickly grow.
Most clinical practitioners — an estimated 590,000 to 640,000 — will be in a second track called the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. It features more modest financial risks and rewards, and accountability for quality, efficiency, use of electronic medical records, and self-improvement.
Finally, about 380,000 clinicians are expected to be exempt from the new systems because they don’t see enough Medicare patients, or their billings do not reach a given threshold.
“Half of the physician practices under 10 (doctors) will not be reporting at all,” said Slavitt. Initially more doctors would have been covered.
Advocates say the new system will improve quality and help check costs. But critics say complicated requirements could prove overwhelming. The administration says some doctors will be pleasantly surprised to find out that reporting requirements have been streamlined to make them easier to meet.
With 57 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries, Medicare is the government’s premier health insurance program. The Obama administration has also been working to overhaul payment for hospitals and private insurance plans that serve Medicare beneficiaries. The unifying theme is rewarding quality over volume.
While some quality improvements have already been noted, it’s likely to take years to see if the new approaches can lead to major savings that help keep Medicare sustainable.
John Feore of the consulting firm Avalare Health said it appears many doctors are still unaware of the magnitude of the changes ahead.
“MACRA is a huge change in how physicians are paid, and there is a wide spectrum on whether they are ready,” said Feore. “By providing some options and a transition over a year or two, the (administration’s) intent is to allow them to get comfortable.”
Medicare also launched a new website with interactive features aimed at educating doctors about the changes.
Medicare’s previous congressionally mandated system for paying doctors proved unworkable. It called for automatic cuts when spending surpassed certain levels, and lawmakers routinely waived those reductions. MACRA was intended by lawmakers as a new beginning.
___
Online:
Medicare Quality Payment Program— https://qpp.cms.gov/WAUKEGAN, Ill. & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The SPIDER-MAN game, a new fully immersive slot gaming experience from WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc. (NYSE:WMS), will swing into action at the twelfth annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E®), October 2-4 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. The latest Sensory Immersion premium participation slot game to debut from WMS leverages the “spider-sense” tingling performance of the Company’s synchronized motion chair with the advanced sound and graphics powered by WMS’ next-generation CPU-NXT®3 operating platform to bring the thrills, excitement and sense of wonder of Marvel Entertainment’s iconic SUPER HERO™ to casino slot floors.
The new SPIDER-MAN slot game is WMS’ second game to feature the Sensory Immersion 2.0 synchronized motion system technology pioneered by D-BOX Technologies (TSX:DBO), following on the heels of the successful Aladdin & The Magic Quest® theme that is proving popular with players across the country and generating superior coin-in performance across casino floors. The SPIDER-MAN game is a “dual-array game” providing reel-spinning video action across two full 5x3 reel layouts with each spin, along with six random “Spider-Sense” features and exciting bonus rounds that include video and audio clips from the original film trilogy. Alternatively, players may experience the advanced graphics and the perfectly synchronized motion of their chair with the video graphics in an exciting bonus battle featuring the GREEN GOBLIN™.
The SPIDER-MAN game also features a first-of-its-kind take on Free Spins, enabled only through the increased capabilities of WMS’ new, third-generation CPU-NXT3 operating platform. The pure horsepower of the CPU-NXT3 platform makes it possible to synchronize the movement of the motion chair with the action of the exciting movie clips playing behind the reels during the spins, and also to have as many as eight reel sets spinning simultaneously on each play in the bonus round. Players will find this bonus even more exciting with the possibility of multipliers up to 50x the credits awarded on all reel sets’ line wins.
“Following the tremendous player reaction to our recent Aladdin & The Magic Quest game, our exciting new SPIDER-MAN game is a premium participation game that leverages the capabilities and functionality made possible by our next-generation CPU-NXT3 platform,” said Phil Gelber, Senior Vice President, Product Development of WMS Gaming. “The CPU-NXT3 platform is revolutionizing the slot experience by bringing a heightened level of excitement to the casino floor through a fully immersive sensory experience of sound, sight and motion. Our game developers have done an excellent job integrating the proven capabilities of motion chair technology to deliver the thrills and adventure inherent in the iconic SPIDER-MAN brand and feature films. Our Sensory Immersion 2.0 platform with the CPU-NXT3 operating system delivers enhanced graphics and sound, superior play mechanics and advanced touch screen technology, all integrated into the game play. This game demonstrates one of the many unique experiences WMS is able to bring to casino slot floors as we support our customers’ efforts to fully engage players with slot entertainment that increases player loyalty at their favorite casinos.”
See the new SPIDER-MAN Sensory Immersion 2.0 game along with more than 100 other new exciting participation and for-sale games that reflect WMS’ commitment to “Engaging Players. Delivering Results.™” that will be on display at G2E 2012 (booth #1118).
About WMS
WMS serves the gaming industry worldwide by designing, manufacturing and marketing games, video and mechanical reel-spinning gaming machines, video lottery terminals and in gaming operations, which consists of the placement of leased participation gaming machines in legal gaming venues. The Company also develops and markets digital gaming content, products, services and end-to-end solutions that address global online wagering and play-for-fun social, casual and mobile gaming opportunities. WMS is proactively addressing the next stage of casino gaming floor evolution with its WAGE-NET® networked gaming solution, a suite of systems technologies and applications designed to increase customers’ revenue generating capabilities and operational efficiency. More information on WMS can be found at www.wms.com or visit the Company on Facebook®, Twitter® or YouTube®.
D-BOX® and D-BOX MOTION CODE® are registered trademarks of D-BOX Technologies.
G2E is a registered trademark of the American Gaming Association and Reed Elsevier Inc. Used with permission.
SPIDER-MAN, MARVEL, GREEN GOBLIN, SUPER HERO and all related characters, TM & © 2002-2007 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. SPIDER-MAN movies © 2002-2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our future business performance, strategy, outlook, plans, products and liquidity. Forward-looking statements may be typically identified by such words as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, any or all of our forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Consequently, no forward-looking statements may be guaranteed. We undertake no obligation to update such forward looking statements, all of which are made only as of this date, August 6, 2012. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ from expectations include (1) delay or refusal by regulators to approve our new gaming platforms, cabinet designs, game themes and related hardware and software; (2) changes in regulations or regulatory interpretations that may adversely affect existing product placements or future placements; (3) an inability to introduce in a timely manner new games and gaming machines that achieve and maintain market acceptance; (4) a decrease in the desire of casino customers to upgrade gaming machines or allot floor space to leased or participation games, resulting in reduced demand for our products; (5) a reduction in capital spending or interruption in payments by casino customers associated with business weakness or economic uncertainty that adversely affects our customers' ability to make purchases or pay; (6) a greater-than-expected demand for operating leases by customers over outright product sales or sales financing leases that shift revenue recognition from a single period to the term of such operating leases; (7) future costs to restructure our business and other charges that may be higher than currently estimated, including additional charges related to actions at a later time not presently contemplated; (8) ability to realize in full, or part, the anticipated savings and expense reductions from restructuring and lower staffing; (9) adverse affects on product development, innovation and the ability to retain and attract key personnel following the restructuring and reorganization actions taken in fiscal 2011 and 2012; (10) a reduction in play levels of our participation games by casino patrons, whether due to economic conditions or increased placements of competitive product; (11) inability of suppliers of key components to timely meet our pricing or promotional competitive activity that adversely affects our average selling price or product revenues; (13) a failure to obtain and maintain our gaming licenses and regulatory approvals; (14) failure of customers or players to adapt to the new technologies that we introduce in new product concepts; (15) a software anomaly or fraudulent manipulation of our gaming machines and software; (16) a failure to obtain the right to use or an inability to adapt to rapid development of new technologies; (17) an infringement claim seeking to restrict our use of material technologies; (18) risks of doing business in international markets, including political and economic instability, terrorist activity, changes in importation and repatriation regulations such as currently experienced in Argentina, and foreign currency fluctuations; and (19) the unfavorable outcome of any legal proceedings in which we may be requirements to fulfill customer orders; (12) increased involved from time to time. These factors and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations are more fully described under “Item 1. Business”, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Legal Proceedings” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2012, and our more recent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Lucas Peterson, a celebrated travel columnist at the New York Times who recently visited Russia for the first time in his life, shared his impressions of the country’s two capitals with Radio Sputnik, and threw in some tips on how to get more bang for your buck from a trip to Moscow.
Peterson, known also as the Frugal Traveler, emphasizes budget travel that won’t break one’s bank. In his recent piece “ A $1,000 Day in Moscow for $100,” based on his ten day-visit to Russia, the journalist made a list of high- vs. low-budget places that are equally good for anyone ready to experience the Russian capital at its very best.
Of course, not everything made the column. Here are some bonus tips:
Moscow vs. St. Petersburg
In addition to the official Russian capital, Peterson visited St. Petersburg, the country’s second largest city and former capital in the days of the Russian Empire. The city, which attracts tourists interested in the posh lives of the Russian tsars, is often called Russia’s second capital, its Northern Capital (as it is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, 600 kilometers north of Moscow) or Northern Palmyra (in reference to the ancient city of Palmyra, known for its astonishing beauty).
Join me on a tour of this on the @nytimestravel Facebook page starting like now-ish! https://t.co/QckCs9rOUq pic.twitter.com/PXZwgRsuC4 — The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) 1 июля 2016 г.
The two capitals, according to Peterson, are strikingly different — and both are must-see places.
“It’s interesting to sort out the contrast of characters of the two cities,” he said of the striking difference between Petersburgers and Muscovites.
“Moscow seems to be a city that is focused on work and industry somehow,” while St. Petersburg enjoys the title of “cultural capital, with the Hermitage and a lot of beautiful buildings.”
No Need to Overpay
© Photo : Department for information technologies Take a Selfie With Gagarin! Moscow Launches Historical New Take on Global Pokemon Go Sensation
While Moscow, a cosmopolitan city of over 12.5 million people, offers destinations and entertainments for any taste and budget, there’s no need to pay through the nose to get the best time here, Peterson said.
For instance, comparing Moscow’s banyas (the traditional Russian public bath house), he said that you don’t need to go to the fanciest place to get a first-class experience.
“I had this luxurious bath experience [at Sanduny bathhouse, where two hours cost 16,000 rubles, or $240]. But I went to this other place [Vorontsov Bathhouse, a place popular with locals where an hour costs 1,500, or $22] and had a great time for a fraction of the money.”
Must-See Spots, Off the Beaten Path
While traveling, Peterson said, he always focuses on “doing things that are not ordinary tourist things,” like visiting places tourists often pass up and meeting local people. In Moscow, Peterson was astonished with a flea market at the Izmailovsky Free Market and the Botanichesky Sad (the Botanical Garden) park, both of which are really popular with locals but pretty much unknown to many of those coming to the city for the first time.
© AFP 2018 / JOEL SAGET A picture taken on May 7, 2016 in Moscow shows the entrance of Izmailovsky flea market.
© Flickr/ Dmitry Fedoseev Ostankino Tower as seen from Botanical Garden, Moscow
“I really enjoyed to go to Botanichesky Sad up in the north of the city. It was a really peaceful and tranquil place to just walk around. And really feel like you were transported away from the city. It didn’t feel like you are in Moscow.”
Some Cultural Stereotypes Are True
© Sputnik / Alexei Danichev Not by Crimea Alone: Must-Visit Pearls of Russia's North 14
While coming to Russia for the first time, Peterson said he needed some time to get used to lack of smiles on the streets. In his native US, things are absolutely different, he stressed.
“In the United States, when you see someone, even if you’ve never met them before, you smile very big and you are very friendly. But it’s not what happens in Russia – people think that it’s very intimate.”Nintendo Switch 32GB Gray Console with Neon Red and Neon Blue Joy-Con
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This item doesn't belong on this page.Introduction
As part of a project course in my second semester, we were tasked with building a system of our chosing that encorporated or showcased any of the Computational Intelligence techniques we learned about in class. For our project, we decided to investigate the application of Recurrent Neural Networks to the task of building a Subreddit recommender system for Reddit users. In this post, I outline some of the implementation details of the final system. A minimal webapp for the final model can be interacted with here, The final research paper for the project can be found here and my collaboraters on the project are Barbara Garza and Suren Oganesian. The github repo for the project can be found here with this jupyter notebook being here.
Model Hypothesis
The goal of the project is to utilize the sequence prediction power of RNN's to predict possibly interesting subreddits to a user based on their comment history. The hypothesis of the recommender model is, given an ordered sequence of user subreddit interactions, patterns will emerge that favour the discovery of paticular new subreddits given that historical user interaction sequence. Intuitively speaking, as users interact with the Reddit ecosystem, they discover new subreddits of interest, but these new discoveries are influenced by the communities they have previously been interacting with. We can then train a model to recognize these emergent subreddit discoveries based on users historical subreddit discovery patterns. When the model is presented with a new sequence of user interaction, it "remembers" other users that historically had similiar interaction habits and recommends their subreddits that the current user has yet to discover.
This sequential view of user interaction/subreddit discovery is similiar in structure to other problems being solved with the use of Recurrent Neural Networks, such as Character Level Language Modelling and Automatic Authorship Detection. Due to the successes of these similiarly structured problems, we have decided to explore RNN models for the subbreddit Recommendator System.
The Data
The secret sauce in any machine learning system, we need data. Reddit provides a convenient API for scrapping its public facing data, and the python package PRAW is a popular and well documented wrapper that we used in this project. With the aim of developing sequences of user subreddit interactions, all we need for our raw data is a list of 3-tuples in the form [username,subreddit,utc timestamp]. The following script provides a helper function to collect and store random user comment data from Reddit's streaming 'all' comments. Note that PRAW authentication config data needs to be stored in a file named'secret.ini' with:
[reddit]
api_key: key
client_id: id
client_api_key: client key
redirect_url: redir url
user_agent: subreddit-recommender by /u/upcmaici v 0.0.1
import praw import configparser import random import pandas as pd import numpy as np import sys #Import configuration parameters, user agent for PRAW Reddit object config = configparser. ConfigParser () config. read ('secrets.ini' ) #load user agent string reddit_user_agent = config. get ('reddit', 'user_agent' ) client_id = config. get ('reddit', 'client_id' ) client_secret = config. get ('reddit', 'client_api_key' ) #main data scrapping script def scrape_data ( n_scrape_loops = 10 ): reddit_data = [] #initialize the praw Reddit object r = praw. Reddit ( user_agent = reddit_user_agent, client_id = client_id, client_secret = client_secret ) for scrape_loop in range ( n_scrape_loops ): try : all_comments = r. get_comments ( 'all' ) print ( "Scrape Loop " + str ( scrape_loop )) for cmt in all_comments : user = cmt. author if user : for user_comment in user. get_comments ( limit = None ): reddit_data. append ([ user. name, user_comment. subreddit. display_name, user_comment. created_utc ]) except Exception as e : print ( e ) return reddit_data
raw_data = scrape_data ( 10 )
Version 3.5.0 of praw is outdated. Version 4.3.0 was released Thursday January 19, 2017. Scrape Loop 0 Scrape Loop 1 Scrape Loop 2 Scrape Loop 3 Scrape Loop 4 Scrape Loop 5 Scrape Loop 6 Scrape Loop 7 Scrape Loop 8 Scrape Loop 9
print ( "Collected " + str ( len ( raw_data )) + " comments" ) raw_data [ 0 : 10 ]
Collected 158914 comments [['Illuminate1738', 'MapPorn', 148
|
showcases.
Fans of the larger MidPoint Music Festival, held in late September, will want to attend Indie Summer shows to catch the latest information, purchase festival tickets, or enter special drawings.
Music will run 7–11 p.m. each Friday, with the headline act beginning at 10 p.m. All lineups and times are subject to change.
WIN 3-DAY PASSES TO MPMF!
May 29 Surfer Bloodw/ The Yugos, Automagik,Harbour
Jun 5 The Mowgli'sw/ One Day Steady, Nevele,Beloved Youth
Jun 12 Kopecky Family Bandw/ Coconut Milk, Near Earth Objects
Jun 19 Buffalo Killersw/ Ohio Knife, Mad Anthony,Go Go Buffalo
Jun 26 Sloanw/ Mother Mother, Old City
Jul 3 Red Wanting Bluew/ Young Heirlooms,Motherfolk, Chris Salyer
Jul 10 Saint Motel (MLB All-Star Weekend)
Jul 17 Q102 welcomes The Ting Tingsw/ Brick + Mortar, Black Signal
Jul 24 Giversw/ Prim, Even Tiles
Jul 31 The Whigsw/ MULTIMAGIC, Pop Goes The Evil, The Never Setting Suns
Aug 7 Tweensw/ Leggy, Smut, Shark Week
Aug 14 Judah & The Lionw/ Seabird, Matt Hires, Along The Shore
Aug 21 San Ferminw/ Lemon Sky
Aug 28 Wussyw/ Pike 27, The Perfect Children, JetLab
Sep 4 The World Is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Diew/ Injecting Strangers,Moonbeau, EdisonAbout the author
(NewsTarget) The latest indicator that there is more to breast milk than providing food for a baby's physical needs came recently when Dr. Mark Cregan, a molecular biologist with The University of Western Australia, discovered stem cells in breast milk. Not only is this a very exciting revelation, but Dr. Cregan is very hopeful that this is the first of many discoveries in the potency of breast milk."We already know how breast milk provides for the baby's nutritional needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably performs many other functions," Dr. Cregan recently said. He believes that breast milk takes over from the placenta at birth providing for all of a baby's genetic developmental needs. "It is setting the baby up for the perfect development," stated Dr. Cregan.It has already been established that breastfed babies have an IQ edge over their formula-fed peers. There are also a host of immune-system boosts that a baby receives when breastfed. Scientists are now maintaining that these health benefits carry a baby on into their adult life as well.Dr. Cregan's message is clear. "The point is that many mothers see milk as identical formula milk and breast milk look the same so they must be the same. But we know now that they are quite different and a lot of the effects of breast milk versus formula don't become apparent for decades. Formula companies have focused on matching breast milk's nutritional qualities but formula can never provide the developmental guidance," he says.Dr. Cregan received his PhD at the University of Western Australia, specializing in the cellular composition of breast milk. The focus of Dr. Cregan's research at this time is the cellular composition of breast milk in relation to milk synthesis, milk removal and potential lactation difficulties, as well as the potential use of breast milk in breast cancer research.His research team cultured the cells of human breast milk and the result was positive for the stem cell marker, nestin. Further analysis has shown that the cells could potentially be "reprogrammed" to pattern themselves to many types of human tissue.Additionally, the immunity cells found in breast milk have been found to survive a baby's digestive process and could possibly be used to provide a method of developing targets to conquer certain bacteria and viruses.Dr. Cregan recently presented his findings to 200 of the world's leading experts in the field. He stated, "We have shown these cells have all the physical characteristics of stem cells. What we will do next is to see if they behave like stem cells." If this is found to be the case, the stem cells in breast milk will provide science with an ethical method of harvesting stem cells for research.Jo HartleyWife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2Jo is a 41 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a natural approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about anything! http://loftymatters.com - Current Events http://winemaiden.com - Simply Abundant LivingThe level of student loan debt in the United States has risen to $1.5 trillion, and defaults are at more than 40% of debtors and rising. Student loan debt has grown to overwhelm all other categories of non-housing consumer debt in this nation.
Underneath this crisis are rising tuition costs, a predatory student loan industry and an absence of consumer protections for students. Student debt is the only debt that can’t be removed through bankruptcy.
Governor Cuomo recently signed a new law that is supposed to help with the cost of higher education, and Senator Sanders introduced similar legislation at the federal level, but these are not real solutions to the crisis.
Alan Collinge, the founder of Student Loan Justice, says that these efforts will not relieve current students of debt, nor will they protect future students from acquiring debt. He anticipates that this crisis will explode within the next 12 to 18 months. Nothing short of a student debt jubilee will work. We discussed this issue in depth on Clearing The FOG.
At present, these massive debts are crippling the lives of more than 40 million people. They are trapped in debt until death because in 2005 Congress, led by Joe Biden, a senator at the time, changed the bankruptcy laws so the debt would continue even after bankruptcy. In fact, student debt collectors can garnish wages, seize social security and take assets from estates to repay the debt. More than $1 billion has already been taken from Social Security to pay student debt.
Collinge writes about the human and economic impacts:
The human cost of this phenomenon cannot be understated. Families and individuals are being financially destabilized and wrecked. Family formation, home and other purchases are being delayed or cancelled, people are actually fleeing the country and even committing suicide as a result of this predatory debt.
Student loan debt was created by the rapidly rising costs of college and predatory lenders. As schools have lost public sources of funding over the past 50 years, they’ve turned to other methods of acquiring funds such as high tuition, room and board prices and assorted fees. This has been fed by rising amounts of money that students are permitted to borrow. Student loan officers are incentivised to encourage students to borrow large amounts without informing them of the disastrous risks they are taking.
Finance predators have been given a lot of power to collect student debts. In Texas, people who defaulted on student loans have had swat teams break down their doors and have been arrested for not paying. For-profit colleges have a history of targeting people living in desperately poor neighborhoods with student loans, even though they know the students will be unlikely to pay them back or even to graduate with a degree.
The result is that at present 27 million people are unable to pay back their loans and are in default or in arrears in some way. That is nearly 10 percent of the country unable to pay back their student loan debt and unable to declare bankruptcy. And, if a parent or grandparent co-signs the loan, they are in the same situation – with a loan that will follow them to the grave.
How student loan debt become the only kind of debt that cannot be relieved in bankruptcy.
Over the past forty years, student loans have become increasingly unprotected and predatory. If you follow former vice president Joe Biden’s senate career, you can map virtually every step of the process. Initially, legislators made it more difficult for students to be relieved of the debt in increments by requiring delays before a graduate could declare bankruptcy and stripping protections from particular types of student loans. By 2005, student,loan debtors found themselves without any rights. Biden was the Democrat with a middle-class image who provided cover and political weight to these efforts on behalf of his largest contributor, MBNA, and the finance industry generally.
The Obama administration made the crisis worse. They moved student debt into the Department of Education so that now the government is profiting from it immensely. While Obama promised to reverse the Biden law that eliminated bankruptcy protection from student debt, his administration did nothing. DOE’s program is now run by people brought in from the loan industry and they fight to make sure protection of debtors does not occur because they make more money from defaults.
Despite its impact on tens of millions of people and the anchor it creates on the economy, the DOE makes sure that the various loan forgiveness programs put in place over the last decade, such as debt forgiveness for working for non-profits and income-related provisions, fail. Hundreds of thousands have already failed in these programs. The Obama administration became an enemy of those suffering from student debt.
During the presidential campaign candidate Donald Trump criticized the federal government from profiting from student debt. Trump said in his campaign speeches, “That’s probably one of the only things the government shouldn’t make money off — I think it’s terrible that one of the only profit centers we have is student loans.” He was right, the average student loan debt is $34,000. Interest alone on this amount is about $90 billion per year. Unfortunately, President Trump has been silent on the issue and has done nothing despite the growing crisis. The DOE is making $50 billion in annual profits from student loan debt.
The other big profiteers are colleges and universities. As Collinge writes:
Not only have administrative salaries and capital improvements exploded at college campuses across the nation, their cash reserves (separate from their endowments) have ballooned over the past decade. Since the financial crisis of ‘08, the colleges have managed to build up reserves — aka slush funds — that could possibly be greater than the combined value of all college endowments.
What is the student debt movement to do? Of course the Biden bankruptcy protections should be repealed but that is not enough. We need a complete student loan debt forgiveness program. These debts are ill gotten gains and should be forgiven. If the government refuses to forgive these debts, people must rise up together and refuse to pay any student loan debt.
The people have the power to end this injustice and must mobilize to do so. A student loan debt jubilee, whether mandated by law or put in place by the people, will bring economic freedom to tens of millions, end their debt servitude and allow them to participate in the economy. It will be a significant economic stimulus, but more importantly it will end an injustice.
Visit StudentLoanJustice.org and join one of the fifty state chapters. It is critical that we are ready when the crisis implodes to demand nothing less than a student debt jubilee.L0pht Heavy Industries (pronounced "loft") was a hacker collective active between 1992 and 2000 and located in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The L0pht was one of the first viable hackerspaces in the US, and a pioneer of Responsible disclosure.[1] The group famously testified [2] in front of Congress in 1998 on the topic of ‘Weak Computer Security in Government’.[3]
Name [ edit ]
The second character in its name was originally a slashed zero, a symbol used by old teletypewriters and some character mode operating systems to mean zero. Its modern online name, including its domain name, is therefore "l0pht" (with a zero, not a letter O or Ø).
History [ edit ]
The origin of the L0pht can be traced to Brian Oblivion and Count Zero, two of the founding members, sharing a common loft space in South Boston with their wives, who ran a hat business in one half of the space. There they experimented with their own personal computers, equipment purchased from the Flea at MIT[4], at MIT, and items obtained from dumpster diving local places of interest.[5]
Founded in 1992 the L0pht quickly became a location for its members to store their computer hardware and work on various projects.[6][7] In time, the members of L0pht quit their day jobs to start a business venture named L0pht Heavy Industries, a hacker think tank. The business released numerous security advisories. They also produced widely used software tools such as L0phtCrack, a password cracker for Windows NT, a POCSAG decoder, and CD software collections.
In 1997, on August 8–10, Mudge, Brian Oblivion, Kingpin, Space Rogue, Stefan, Weld Pond, and John Tan of L0pht discussed recent projects and accomplishments, Windows NT, new projects, emerging trends and shortcomings in technologies, with Q&A session at Beyond HOPE at the Puck Building in New York City.[8]
In October 1999 L0pht was featured in a lengthy article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine.[9] In the article Jeffrey Hunker, NSC's then Director of Information Protection, said about L0pht, "Their objective is basically to help improve the state of the art in security and to be a gadfly, so to speak."
In January 2000, L0pht Heavy Industries merged with the startup @stake, completing the L0pht's slow transition from an underground organization into a "whitehat" computer security company.[10] Symantec announced its acquisition of @stake on September 16, 2004, and completed the transaction on October 8 of that year.[11]
On March 14, 2008, several members of L0pht sat at a panel at a standing-room-only group of infosec professionals at SOURCE:Boston. Present were Weld Pond, John Tan, Mudge, Space Rogue, Silicosis and Dildog.[12]
Senate Testimony [ edit ]
On May 19, 1998, all seven members of L0pht (Brian Oblivion, Kingpin, Mudge, Space Rogue, Stefan Von Neumann, John Tan, Weld Pond) famously testified[13][14][15] before the Congress of the United States that they could shut down the entire Internet in 30 minutes.[16] The Washington Post referred to the response as "a tragedy of missed opportunity".[17]
Four members of the original group Space Rogue, Weld Pond, Kingpin and Mudge[18] held a briefing entitled "“A Disaster Foretold — And Ignored” Revisiting the First-Ever Congressional Cybersecurity Hearing" hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Academy.[19] The briefing was held on May 22, 2018[20] was almost exactly 20 years after the original testimony and was streamed live via Facebook.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
At the Defcon 26 hacking conference, held on August 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, seven of the L0pht members sat on a panel entitled "The L0pht Testimony, 20 Years Later (and Other Things You Were Afraid to Ask)".[28] Among other things the panel encouraged attendees to keep on hacking but stay on the side of the law that kept them out of jail.[29]
The General Counsel of the National Security Agency, Glenn S. Gerstell quoted testimony [30] from the L0pht’s hearing during his keynote to American Bar Association’s 28th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law Conference on November 01, 2018. [31]
Products [ edit ]
As L0pht occupied a physical space, it had real expenses such as electricity, phone, Internet access, and rent. Early in the L0pht's history these costs were evenly divided among L0pht members. In fact, L0pht originally shared a space with a hat-making business run by the spouses of Brian Oblivion and Count Zero, and the rental cost was divided amongst them both. This was soon subsidized by profits made from selling old hardware at the monthly MIT electronic flea market during the summer.[32]
Occasionally, shell accounts were offered for low cost on the L0pht.com server to selected individuals; while these individuals had access to the L0pht.com server they were not members of L0pht. One of the first physical products sold for profit by L0pht was a POCSAG decoder kit, which was sold in both kit and assembled form. Subsequently, the Whacked Mac Archives were transferred to CD-ROM for sale,[33] soon followed by CD copies of the Black Crawling System Archives. The command line version of L0phtCrack, the password cracker for Windows NT, was given away free, but the GUI version was sold as a commercial product. This was followed by the creation of the Hacker News Network website to host advertisements. However, even with these sources of income, L0pht barely broke even, and eventually began doing custom security coding for companies like NFR.[34][35]
In January 2009, L0phtCrack was acquired by the original authors Zatko, Wysopal, and Rioux from Symantec. L0phtCrack 6 was released at the SOURCE Boston Conference on March 11, 2009. L0phtCrack 6 contains support for 64-bit Windows platforms as well as upgraded rainbow tables support.
Members [ edit ]
L0pht membership varied but included at various times:[36]There's been rumblings over the changes being made to Tim Drake for a couple months now. The New 52 has been about change and updating characters. Many have remained the same and only experienced minor tweaks. Since TEEN TITANS #1, there hasn't been too many changes but now we're seeing what exactly has changed.
In many ways, Tim Drake is still the same character. He's still the same former sidekick of Batman. How he got to where he is today is what has changed.
There will be some spoilers for TEEN TITANS #0. Make sure you read that issue to get the full details of what has changed and to find out the complete story of Tim's journey.
Olympic Level Gymnast
== TEASER ==
Tim excelled at everything he did. He was on his way to becoming an Olympic gymnast. He had a lot of encouragement and support from his parents. Tim's goal was to be the best at everything. This also plays a part in Tim wanting to become Batman's partner. For every accomplishment he reached, he was constantly setting more goals for himself. Both Batman and his dad were aware that Tim was meant for bigger things.
Batman Was Aware of Who Tim Was
In the pre-New 52, Tim Drake figured out who Batman and Robin were. He made his deductions and when he felt Batman needed a Robin after Jason died, he made his way to Batman and revealed what he knew. The way it's set now is rather than Tim stumble across the deduction of who Batman is, he set out to try to find out. Tim's determination and search for answers put him on Batman's radar. This makes sense in Batman should be aware if anyone was digging into his life, trying to put the pieces together.
Tim's Parents
We previously mentioned that Tim's parents are alive and in the witness protection program. It is possible that within the time they entered the program and today, they could have been killed. It's more likely that they are still alive and hiding due to Tim's messing around, trying to draw out Batman. His parents were alive when he originally became Robin but it's looking more like there's a possibility they will return at some point since we're seeing this play out in the zero issue.
Batman Brings Tim In
Originally Tim showed up on Bruce's doorstep after he figured out who Batman was. That isn't the case anymore. When Tim's parents' lives were in danger, they asked Batman to look after Tim. They knew he needed and deserved more than a life of "anonymity in the middle of nowhere under an assumed name." It isn't exactly clear if they asked Batman or Bruce Wayne but appears as if they asked Batman. Assuming they would still try to keep up on Tim's life after they relocate, they could easily figure out that Tim has a connection now to Bruce Wayne, which means they also know who Batman is.
The Name Change
We've heard that Tim was never actually called Robin. In the New 52, he went immediately to calling himself RED Robin. When he first arrived at the Batcave, he made it clear that he wouldn't be wearing the same design in costume "out of respect for Jason." He also came to the decision to call himself "Red Robin" instead of Robin.
The main thing that wasn't quite so obvious was the narration from Batman about Tim's name on the very last page. That definitely changes things and you'll have to read the issue for yourself to see what that's all about.STANFORD — The nation’s leading rusher limped to the bench to get his sprained ankle re-taped early, hobbled over to the sideline a few more times throughout the game, and finally left for good early in the fourth quarter.
There was nothing easy for Stanford or its star player Saturday night in the 120th Big Game, but the results were familiar — a 100-yard rushing game for Bryce Love, and the Axe remaining on The Farm.
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Photos: Stanford routs Arizona State Love finished with 101 yards on 14 carries, including a 57-yard touchdown, as the Cardinal beat Cal 17-14 at sold-out Stanford Stadium.
No. 20 Stanford (8-3, 7-2 Pac-12) scored its fewest points against the Bears in nine years, but it was enough for an eighth-straight win in the Big Game, setting a record for consecutive wins in the series.
After a 1-2 start, the Cardinal will win the Pac-12 North for the fourth time in six years if Washington beats visiting Washington State on Saturday.
“It has been a roller coaster for sure, ups and downs the whole way,” senior defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said. “But like all roller coasters, I love them. The stomach drop feeling, it’s great.”
After safety Ben Edwards intercepted a pass at the Cal 6, the Cardinal grinded out a 14-play drive without Love to run out the final 7:25 of the game.
Shaw (72-20) stayed undefeated in the Big Game to become the winningest coach in program history, breaking a tie with Pop Warner.
“Being resilient is the most important characteristic for me because life is tough,” said Shaw, who carried the game ball to the press conference. “So being left for dead after the third game of the year and winning seven out of the next eight is outstanding.”
Playing a nationally televised primetime game with a chance to boost his Heisman credentials, Love was clearly limited but still had one big moment six minutes into the second half.
With Stanford in its jumbo run package and all Cal defenders in the box, Love took the handoff, bounced outside and raced down the Bears sideline for his 10th touchdown run of 50 or more yards this season, capping his ninth 100-yard game in 10 tries.
“I thought about taking him out of the game before that long run because he was in a lot of pain,” Shaw said. “And then watching him outrun the whole defense on 1 1/2 ankles was unbelievable. … Injured or not, there’s nobody catching Bryce once he gets up to full speed. 80 percent, 90 percent, whatever he was. So much pride, so much determination. That’s why he’s one of the best college football players you’re going to see.”
With Love mostly bottled up, Stanford was able to make enough plays in the air. Junior JJ Arcega-Whiteside had a career-high seven catches for 79 yards, while redshirt freshman quarterback K.J. Costello — making his fifth career start — finished with a career-best 17 completions on 26 attempts for 185 yards, including the go-ahead 17-yard touchdown strike to tight end Kaden Smith in the second quarter.
“He threw a Nolan Ryan fastball,” Shaw said. “It was fast, it was quick, and it was extremely accurate.”
Stanford has kept the pocket clean for Costello (the Cardinal allowed only four sacks in its past eight games, and none on Saturday), and he had plenty of room to step up and throw a 17-yard strike to tight end Kaden Smith for the go-ahead touchdown midway through the second quarter to put Stanford up 10-3.
Jet Toner’s 41-yard field-goal attempt went wide right early in the fourth quarter, keeping Cal within three points at 17-14. But Edwards picked off a deep pass that floated through the air, and Stanford’s grinding offense took care of the rest.
Cameron Scarlett jumped over the pile for 2 yards on fourth-and-1 from the Cal 18 with 2:20 remaining to seal the win.Neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, who continues to rank in first or second place in polls for the Republican presidential primary race, has what could charitably be called an eccentric taste in home decor.
A recent profile in the Guardian took a photo tour of Carson's home in Upperco, Maryland, and dubbed what it documented as an "homage to himself."
Carson's walls are covered with dozens of news clippings, honorary degrees and photos of him alongside various celebrities, dignitaries and world leaders — as well as full-size paintings featuring Carson proudly posing in his white coat alongside the lord Jesus Christ.
No, really:
Ben Carson and Klingon Jesus: A Portrait - http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2015/nov/07/ben-carson-house-homage-to-himself-in-pictures#img-4... pic.twitter.com/Pa7ShzGBrW
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOQZ_oWwAAiNpc.png:large " id="embeddable-a3t6io" data-type="twitter">
Ben Carson and Klingon Jesus: A Portrait - http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2015/nov/07/ben-carson-house-homage-to-himself-in-pictures#img-4... pic.twitter.com/Pa7ShzGBrW https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOQZ_oWwAAiNpc.png:large
A pretty large portrait of Carson rests above his fireplace.
Ben Carson's house: a homage to himself - in pictures http://trib.al/k3BH1yp pic.twitter.com/C2v06QkIqV
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOBz86UwAAqwtX.jpg:large " id="embeddable-oblliko" data-type="twitter">
Ben Carson's house: a homage to himself - in pictures http://trib.al/k3BH1yp pic.twitter.com/C2v06QkIqV https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOBz86UwAAqwtX.jpg:large
Here are some other shots of all the strange memorabilia one finds in Casa de Carson:
worst thing in Carson's house isn't the painting of him with Jesus, it's this inscription with "Proverbs" misspelled pic.twitter.com/KhvLvAcEfh
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOKyHwUEAEdmr7.jpg:large " id="embeddable-qngkopg" data-type="twitter">
worst thing in Carson's house isn't the painting of him with Jesus, it's this inscription with "Proverbs" misspelled pic.twitter.com/KhvLvAcEfh https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOKyHwUEAEdmr7.jpg:large
Ben Carson's Home Is an Eerie Homage to Ben Carson More
Source: The Guardian
To those not inclined to find Carson's political views particularly compelling, this choice of furnishings will doubtless seem as weird as the candidate's consistently bizarre public pronouncements. Just recently, those include his alternate explanation for who really built the pyramids, his shifting narrative on his violent past as a teenager, inconsistencies in the story of his supposed full scholarship to West Point, and his theory that Jews could have prevented the Holocaust if they had just owned more firearms.
On the other hand, Carson's supporters will probably see the photos as more evidence that the legendary neurosurgeon is a very accomplished person and dedicated Christian.
Strangely enough, Carson isn't the only presidential candidate to prominently display paintings of himself. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is currently ranked well behind Carson in an average of polls kept by Real Clear Politics, has long kept a massive portrait of himself arguing before the United States Supreme Court in his office.The Great Sarah Bernhardt Asleep in Her Coffin, Silver gelatin print, circa 1882
This iconoclastic Frenchwoman was arguably the most famous actress of the 19th century. She went on to become a film star in the early 20th century. In the 1880s, Bernhardt (1844-1923) made her own funeral arrangements. She picked out her own coffin because she was going to “sleep” in it forever. She had it delivered to her home and regularly slept in it. In her 1907 autobiography she wrote, “My bedroom was very tiny. The big bamboo bed took up all the room. In front of the window was my coffin, where I frequently installed myself to learn my lines.”
Bernhardt has this photograph taken in the classic postmortem style of the early 1880s. Though she was 78 years old when she died, this photograph depicts her in a death pose while she was still young and beautiful. Thus, this ersatz postmortem photo is the image many associate with her death.
From Sleeping Beauty II - Grief, Bereavement and the Family in Memorial Photography by Stanley B. Burns, M.D.What is the Best Juicer on the Market?
Depending on your purpose of juicing you may find a certain type of juicer more favorable than the other. Centrifugal juicers are fast, it can literally turn your produce into glass of juice in mere seconds. If you prefer drinking your juice straight from the juicer, just like Joe Cross in Fat Sick and Nearly Dead film, then this type of juice extractor would be your perfect match. If you’re into juice fasting, or if you simply want to juice in batches to save time then your juice should have a maximum shelf life of 72 hours, only possible with cold press juicers.
You don’t need to spend more than $1000 to get a decent juicer. Higher priced juicers are not necessarily good juicers.
If you want to skip this epic guide, go check out these cold press juicers. Without any doubt they are the best juicers in the market today. If you are new to juicing however, I highly recommend reading up to the last paragraph. It will give you all the information you need in choosing the perfect machine for your juicing needs.
Types of Juicers
There are three main types of (electric) juicers—centrifugal, masticating, and twin gear juicers.
Centrifugal Juicers
Centrifugal juicers are also called high speed juicers. It separates pulp from the produce through grinding (one stage process) with the help of a motor that can revolve up to 15,000 RPM, fast enough to juice a whole apple in a few seconds. However, oxidation can be a trade off destroying some of the nutrients in the process resulting in a shorter juice shelf life (24 hours).
Learn more about centrifugal juicers →
Masticating Juicers
Masticating juicers are also known as slow juicers or cold press juicers. Using a dual stage juice extraction process, it crushes the produce into tiny bits then it squeezes the pulp as it passes along the shaft of the auger against the juicing screen. While juice extraction can be slow at 40-80 RPM, minimal oxidation occurs, thus keeping most of the nutrients intact giving your juice a 72 hour shelf life. In addition masticating juicers have two designs, vertical and horizontal, vertical masticating juicers are more compact which can be an advantage if you have a limited kitchen space.
Learn more about masticating juicers →
Twin Gear Juicers
Twin gear juicers are also called triturating juicers which can also be classified as a slow or cold press juicer at 82-110 RPM max. It uses a three stage juice extraction process, it crushes then it squeezes the produce twice (1. as it passes along the along the cavity of the gears, 2. as the gears rotate inwardly). When it comes to design it’s very similar with horizontal masticating juicers. Twin gear juicers have dual gear unit with a very narrow clearance. This feature makes it the most efficient juice extractor perfect for juicing wheatgrass and pine tree needles. Juice extracted from triturating juicers also last for 72 hours.
Learn more about twin gear juicers →
What is a cold press juicer then?
Cold Press Juicers
Cold press juicers are simply juicers which ideally do not produce heat, hence the word cold press and that includes both masticating and twin gear juicers. In reality all juicers produce some degree of heat but not hot enough to cause significant degradation of juice quality. Myth busted that is. Juice quality can be attributed to the amount of oxidation or breakdown of nutritional value from your juice. The faster the RPM the more oxidation occurs. All cold press juicers are slow juicers, and with slower RPM there will be minimal oxidation as well.
Learn more about cold press juicers →
Centrifugal VS Masticating VS Twin Gear Juicers
Type Centrifugal Masticating Twin Gear Nutrient Retention Moderate High Very High Juice Shelf Life 24 Hours 72 Hours 72 Hours Can Juice Hard Produce, Citrus Fruits, Soft Fruits Hard Produce, Citrus Fruits, Soft Fruits, Leafy Greens, Nuts & Beans Hard Produce, Citrus Fruits, Soft Fruits, Leafy Greens, Nuts & Beans Usability Easy Medium Hard Noise Level High Low Low Speed Fast Slow Slow Warranty 1-3 Years 10-15 Years 5-15 Years Price Affordable Mid-priced Expensive
In a nutshell that’s the difference between centrifugal, masticating, and twin gear juicers. Basically, cold press juicers (masticating & triturating) excel in nutrient retention and versatility, you can even make soy and almond milk with it but the price is something that you should consider.
Now that you know the main types of juicers let’s move on to the less popular types of juicers—functional juicers and hydraulic juice presses. However, I’m quite sure you won’t be needing any of these if you are going to purchase a cold press juicer.
Functional Juicers
Juicers which serves a single purpose are functional juicers, this include citrus squeezers and wheatgrass juicers. For processing small quantities of citrus fruits you’ll only need a handheld press but for juicing large quantities, electric citrus press will come in handy. Wheat grass juicers typically look like a horizontal masticating juicer without the motor. Your hand will dictate the RPM and I guess in terms of efficiency nothing will beat a human being. If you’re only juicing wheatgrass, it would be ideal to get a dedicated wheatgrass juicer.
Hydraulic Juice Press
Hydraulic juice press is the most unconventional type of juicer and probably the most difficult to use and maintain. Chances are you’re familiar with a hydraulic jack, a tool that is commonly used for lifting a car. That particular technology was the exact mechanism used in this type of juicer. As you pump the hydraulic press, it applies incremental pressure to your produce pushing the juice out of the pulp. There’s virtually no heat and oxidation and this means that even though it’s not type of juicer anyone will buy, the juice quality is comparable or even a whole lot better than masticating and triturating juicers. If you’re a doomsday prepper, this is probably a good backup juicer in case of massive solar flares. In that event all electronic equipment will fail, but it won’t stop you from juicing.
Learn more about hydraulic juice presses →
Here’s a tip, if you want to take advantage of a juice’s full nutritional value, you need to drink it right away or at least within 15 minutes. Or if you want to store it you also have a 15 minute window of putting it in an airtight jar and keeping it in a cool container away from sunlight and heat. Following this tip will give your cold pressed juice a shelf life of up to 72 hours. Juice extracted from a fast juicer juicer on the other hand should be consumed within a day.
What to Look for When Buying a Juicer?
Efficiency
As cliche as it may sound, you always get what you pay for. Less expensive juicers are also less efficient in extracting the most juice from your produce. You will end up buying more fruits and vegetables and in the long run you will spend more than the initial cost of buying a juicer. Investing in a premium quality juicer upfront will pay for itself over time.
Easy to Use
If you are always on the go, preparing your juice shouldn’t take much of your time. Juicers with lesser parts and with wider feeding chute will minimize your preparation and cleanup time. Compact juicers such as vertical masticating juicers and some centrifugal juicers are easier to use than horizontal type juicers.
Easy to Clean
Juicers without pulp ejection are the most difficult to clean and the most inefficient as the same time. It doesn’t make any sense if you will purchase a juice maker that will take more time to clean than juicing itself. Also take into consideration if a juicer is dishwasher safe, this will save a lot of time on your part.
Nutrient Retention
High RPM sucks up a lot of air into the juicing chamber promoting oxidation or simply the breakdown of nutrients from your juice. If you have used a centrifugal juicer before you’ll notice that the end product tend to be too frothy, and most of the models do have a froth separator. Frothing is a sign of oxidation and with centrifugal juicer you’ll only get 24 hour shelf life because of this exact reason. This wouldn’t be
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1998. The 1998 El Niño was followed by a La Niña cooling. Currently, there is no indication of a La Niña occurring.
It will be interesting to follow what will happen for the remainder of the year and the first part of 2018. Will the temperatures generally rise, fall, or remain about the same? If they remain about the same, then we will have a general trend of temperatures slightly higher than the trend between 1998 and 2016 and about 0.2 °C above the average temperatures for the entire record. During the early part of the record, there were two volcanoes emitting aerosols, which have a cooling effect.
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Data Quality – Sea Surface Temperatures: Last week, TWTW discussed the presentation of land based surface temperatures by Roger Andrews. He showed that the NASA-GISS (Goddard Institution for Space Studies) introduced a strong warming bias in their data when GISS made homogeneity adjustments to their data. This change may have added a spurious warming of as much as 0.4°C to the record over the past 100 years or so. The false warming also occurs in the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) dataset, particularly in the data for the Southern Hemisphere.
Andrews starts his latest analysis with:
“Matching sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to climate models requires a large stair-step cooling adjustment. In this post, we review whether this adjustment is valid and find that it isn’t. The specific implications are that combined land-ocean “surface temperature” series underestimate global warming between 1910 and 1950 by approximately 0.3°C and that most of the sea surface warming in the 20th century occurred before 1950, not after. And because discarding the spurious adjustments applied to the raw SST data results in a large mismatch between models and observations the general implication is that we still have no good understanding of what drives temperature changes at the ocean surface.” [Boldface added.]
In other words, the warming that occurred took place prior to 1950. Late 20th century warming reported in most datasets is not present in the raw data.
In arriving at his conclusion, Andrews plots the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) raw global sea surface temperatures (SST) and compares them with Hadley sea surface datasets (HadSST3). By subtracting the two, he shows that in years prior to 1940, the annual raw data has been warmed, increased substantially. Also, Andrews concludes that the major problem is with the WW II data, which are bad data (around 1942). Removing the data eliminates any strong upward shift during WW II.
However, for 30 years other researchers have applied various adjustments to the data, as much as 0.3°C to over 0.4°C. As Andrews expressed when discussing the land data:
“You don’t adjust your raw data unless you have ironclad reasons for doing so. You either verify them or throw them out.”
Andrews goes on to discuss other adjustments applied to the raw data, all of which are questionable. He finds ICOADS data series may be reliable and possibly free of serious instrumental bias. However, the limited number of observations prior to 1950 reduces the reliability of the data in earlier years. Andrews presents a figure showing the annual number of SST observations from 1860 to the present day (figure 12). In 1950 there were about 500,000 observations; in 1960, 1,000,000; and by 1995, 2,000,000. One can assert that even the limited number of observations prior to 1995 raises questions as to reliability.
As with land surface data, adjustments to these datasets create major problems in their credibility. As discussed in the February 11 TWTW, the adjustments made by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in Ashville, make their datasets even less credible than before.
Blending surface temperature data with atmospheric temperature data, as the principals of Remote Sensing Systems have suggested, is like blending waste water with spring water. The result may be less distasteful than waste water alone, but it is not drinkable. See links under Measurement Issues — Surface
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Credibility – Climate Projections: For those who enjoy the writings of Jonathan Swift, Australian author and journalist Clive James provides a refreshing alternative to the dull writing found on these pages. In a chapter of the book, “Climate Change: The Facts” James discusses the difficulty of addressing the false predictions of climate alarmists: “Mass Death Dies Hard.”
James suggestions that a starting point of “the theme of the permanently imminent climatic apocalypse might be taken as 3 August 1971, when the Sydney Morning Herald announced that the Great Barrier Reef would be dead in six months.” For over 45 years, we have had constant announcements of its imminent death.
James discusses the failure of major news organizations to recognize the reputable scientists who use hard evidence to strongly question such claims. He brings up the concept of rubber numbers:
“Just as all branches of the modern media love a picture of something that might be part of the Overwhelming Evidence for climate change even if it is really a picture of something else, they all love a clock ticking down to zero, and if the clock never quite gets there then the motif can be exploited forever. But the editors and producers must face the drawback of such perpetual excitement: it gets perpetually less exciting. Numbness sets in, and there is time to think after all. Some of the customers might even start asking where this language of rubber numbers has been heard before.
“It was heard from Swift. In Gulliver’s Travels, he populated his flying island of Laputa with scientists busily using rubber numbers to predict dire events. He called these scientists ‘projectors’. At the basis of all the predictions of the projectors was the prediction that the Earth was in danger from a Great Comet whose tail was ‘ten hundred thousand and fourteen’ miles long. I should concede at this point that a sardonic parody is not necessarily pertinent just because it is funny; and that although it might be unlikely that the Earth will soon be threatened by man-made climate change, it might be less unlikely that the Earth will be threatened eventually by an asteroid, or let it be a Great Comet; after all, the Earth has been hit before.
“That being said, however, we can note that Swift has got the language of artificial crisis exactly right, to the point that we might have trouble deciding whether he invented it, or merely copied it from scientific voices surrounding him in his day. James Hansen is a Swiftian figure. Blithely equating trains full of coal to trains full of people on their way to Auschwitz, Hansen is utterly unaware that he has not only turned the stomachs of the informed audience he was out to impress, he has lost their attention.”
One wonders whether Vincent Gray had Swift’s concept of “projectors” in mind when he severely criticized the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for using the term predictions. Gray convinced the IPCC that mathematical models that have not been verified and validated cannot make predictions. Then, the IPCC changed the term to projections.
Unfortunately, many once distinguished scientific organizations have embraced these “rubber numbers” and the “semi-science” built around them. The leaders of these organizations are undermining the credibility of their own organizations and the enormous efforts that went into building that credibility. See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy.
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Adapting to Climate Change: The earth’s climate has been changing for hundreds of millions of years. Our species evolved over periods of rapid climate change – ice ages interrupted by brief warm periods. The late Robert Carter, a co-editor of the reports of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), argued that the climate is changing and civilization needs adapt to change.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, researchers David Henderson and John Cochran argue that even if temperatures are rising, we do not know of an appropriate policy to address it. Readers realize that TWTW frequently cites the lack of hard evidence showing carbon dioxide (CO2) is the cause of late 20th century warming. The core arguments of Henderson and Cochran are cited in Article # 1, below.
Also interesting were a number of the published letter responses, parts of which are given below. For example:
“To assert that carbon dioxide ‘hurts nobody’s health’ is ignorant. Humans exhale carbon dioxide as a waste product. C02 is linked to myriad deleterious health ailments including respiratory conditions.”
It may surprise the author to recognize that what is a waste product to animals is necessary for life as we generally know it. See Article # 1, Article # 2, and links under Challenging the Orthodoxy – NIPCC.
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Model Based Alternative Electricity: All too frequently, model builders become divorced from reality. Those using models to study the future integration of 100 Gigawatts (GW) of solar power and 60 GW of wind power into the electric grid of India by 2022 for the US National Renewable Energy Laboratories are no exception. The power grid relies on electrical generation that can be controlled, so that grid operators can balance the power being used with the power being generated. There is some inertia, but as the September blackout in South Australia demonstrated, a system without immediate backup for variation in wind or solar can result in very costly and long repair.
The NREL study modeled 15-minute interval data and smoothed data variation. (See section 2.2.5 Load) This long interval data may be suitable for running water pumps, but for any high-tech use, it is far from satisfactory. Short-term, sudden changes can be disastrous for high-tech manufacturing, communications, etc. It is folly to use such a study to claim that solar and wind can be easily integrated into a high-tech grid, which India wishes to achieve. See links under Energy Issues – Non-US
*******************
Why Li? With an atomic weight of 7, Lithium (Li) is the third lightest element on the Periodic Table, the lighter ones being the gases Helium and Hydrogen. Its light weight and high energy density make Lithium very desirable for batteries in portable electronic devises and electric cars. Using a study by P. Kauranen of the Academy of Finland as a springboard, Euan Mears provides an overview of Lithium reserves as well as the other key component in Li-ion batteries, Cobalt.
Lithium is found in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, China, Australia, US and elsewhere in brines (water) and rock. So, there is little concern over production being limited by political upheaval. However, cobalt is found mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – not noted for political stability. See links under Energy Issues – Non-US
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Renewable Fuel Standards: Those staffing the EPA panels on hearings, also called listening tours, exhibit significant restraint, usually restricting verbal comments to polite thank-you and calling of the next person. Depending on the subject, the panelists may listen to many types of special pleading, including those testifying pulling photos of grandchildren out of wallets, endless data on what may happen if a regulation is changed, etc. For these reasons, those testifying for SEPP have tried to make their comments brief, pointed, and sometimes amusing.
This week, the EPA held hearings on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for blending ethanol and biomass fuels with gasoline, though some of the required fuels do not exist commercially. In SEPP’s testimony, I greeted the panelists as carbon-based life forms, then suggested that the best thing for the EPA to do is to request Congress and the Administration to repeal the laws creating the RFS. They are unneeded and obsolete. The 1987 repeal of the “Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978” was an example of the repeal of a law that unneeded and obsolete.
Breaking custom, after the comments the head of the panel remarked that being called a carbon-based life form is the politest thing he has been called for several years. See links in last week’s TWTW.
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Number of the Week: 4300 Days: According to Roy Spencer, it has been 4300 days, almost 12 years, since a major hurricane made landfall in the United States, category 3 or higher. After the 2004 and 2005 hurricane season, “projectors” such as former Vice President Al Gore claimed 2005 was the new normal. Perhaps, Clive James would ask: the new normal for whom? See links under Changing Weather.
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SEPP’S APRIL FOOLS AWARD
THE JACKSON
VOTING FOR THE COVERTED SEPP TROPHY HAS ENDED: We thank you for your support. The winner will be announced at the Annual Conference of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP), August 11 to 13.
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NO TWTW NEXT WEEK: Attending the DDP Conference, Thank you
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NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Commentary: Is the Sun Rising?
New Study By German Physicists Concludes We Can Expect Climate Cooling For Next 50 Years!
German physicists: “CO2 plays only minor role for global climate”
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Aug 1, 2017
http://notrickszone.com/2017/08/01/new-study-by-germany-physicists-concludes-we-can-expect-climate-cooling-for-next-50-years/#sthash.yJoqYMRp.FqaeNv2o.dpbs
Link to paper: Harmonic Analysis of Worldwide Temperature Proxies for 2000 Years
By Horst-Joachim Lüdecke1, Carl-Otto Weiss, The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, 2017
https://benthamopen.com/FULLTEXT/TOASCJ-11-44
Climategate Continued
Arctic Lake Sediments: Reply to JEG
By Steve McIntyre, Climate Audit, July 29, 2017
https://climateaudit.org/2017/07/29/arctic-lake-sediments-reply-to-jeg/
Julien Emile-Geay (JEG) submitted a lengthy comment concluding with the tasteless observation that “Steve’s mental health issues are beyond PAGES’s scope. Perhaps the CA tip jar pay for some therapy?” – the sort of insult that is far too characteristic of activist climate science. JEG seems to have been in such a hurry to make this insult that he didn’t bother getting his facts right.
Suppressing Scientific Inquiry
E&E Legal Wins Major Rulings in Two Separate Vermont Public Records Suits Involving AG’s Climate RICO Crusade
By Charles the moderator, WUWT, July 28, 2017
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/07/28/ee-legal-wins-major-rulings-in-two-separate-vermont-public-records-suits-involving-ags-climate-rico-crusade/
[SEPP Comment: On the States Attorneys General RICO scheme to suppress questioning of carbon dioxide’s influence on global warming / climate change.
Challenging the Orthodoxy — NIPCC
Climate Change Reconsidered II: Physical Science
Idso, Carter, and Singer, Lead Authors/Editors, 2013
https://www.heartland.org/media-library/pdfs/CCR-II/CCR-II-Full.pdf
Summary: http://www.nipccreport.org/reports/ccr2a/pdf/Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf
Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts
Idso, Idso, Carter, and Singer, Lead Authors/Editors, 2014
http://www.nipccreport.org/reports/ccr2b/pdf/Full-Report.pdf
Summary: https://www.heartland.org/media-library/pdfs/CCR-IIb/Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf
Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming
The NIPCC Report on the Scientific Consensus
By Craig D. Idso, Robert M. Carter, and S. Fred Singer, NIPCC, Nov 23, 2015
http://climatechangereconsidered.org/
Download with no charge
https://www.heartland.org/policy-documents/why-scientists-disagree-about-global-warming
Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate
S. Fred Singer, Editor, NIPCC, 2008
http://www.sepp.org/publications/nipcc_final.pdf
Challenging the Orthodoxy
Clive James, ‘Climate Alarmists Were Bound to Run Out of Credibility’
By Staff Writers, GWPF, July 31, 2017
https://www.thegwpf.com/clive-james-climate-alarmists-were-bound-to-run-out-of-credibility/
Link to paper: Mass Death Dies Hard
By Clive James, GWPF, 2017
https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2017/07/Clive-James.pdf
Link to book for purchase: Climate Change: The Facts
Institute of Public Affairs, 2017
https://payments.ipa.org.au/cctf/
Successful Cover-up and Lack of Accountability in Climate Deception
Guest opinion: Dr. Tim Ball, WUWT, July 30, 2017
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/07/30/successful-cover-up-and-lack-of-accountability-in-climate-deception/
Series and Research Reports Challenge ‘Consensus Science’
By Joseph D’Aleo, Redneck USA, Aug 4, 2017
https://redneckusa.wordpress.com/2017/08/04/series-and-reesarch-reports-challenge-consensus-science/
Defending the Orthodoxy
Carbon Brief’s Attempt To “FactCheck” The Telegraph Backfires Badly!
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 3, 2017
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2017/08/03/carbon-briefs-attempt-to-factcheck-the-telegraph-backfires-badly/#more-29034
The Death of ‘Alternative Energy’
The definition of what’s “alternative” has changed dramatically in the last decade, writes Andrew Beebe.
By Andrew Beeb, Green Tech Media, Aug 1, 2017
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-death-of-alternative-energy
“A coal plant built today would not be competitive with a combination of wind and solar in virtually any location in the country. And nowhere would it be competitive with natural gas.”
[SEPP Comment: If the cost of full and immediate backup is included, the first statement is false. Which region of the country wants unreliable electricity?]
The Costly Lessons of Climate Change
By Jim Baird, Energy Collective, July 31, 2017
http://www.theenergycollective.com/jim-baird/2409568/costly-lessons-climate-change
[SEPP Comment: But the warming effect of CO2 occurs in the atmosphere, not in the polar oceans.]
The IPCC gives us good news about climate change, but we don’t listen
By Larry Kummer, Fabius Maximus, Via WUWT, July 29, 2017
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/07/29/the-ipcc-gives-us-good-news-about-climate-change-but-we-dont-listen/
[SEPP Comment: Just get rid of fossil fuels for transportation and reliable electricity, the world will be safe from IPCC fears?]
Questioning the Orthodoxy
Bill Nye: The Real Message We Should Pay Attention To
By Joe Bastardi, ICECAP, Aug 4, 2017
http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-blog/bill_nye_the_real_message_we_should_pay_attention_to/
[SEPP Comment: Nye correctly stated that one of America’s greatest military leaders warned the nation of the dangers of the military-industrial complex and a scientific-technological elite.]
Commentary: The 6 biggest reasons I’m a climate-change skeptic — and why you should be a skeptic too
By Justin Haskins, The Blaze, July 23, 2017
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/07/23/commentary-the-6-biggest-reasons-im-a-climate-change-skeptic-and-why-you-should-be-a-skeptic-too/
Are Climate Warriors Giving Up?
By Brian C. Joondeph, American Thinker, Aug 4, 2017
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/08/are_climate_warriors_giving_up.html
After Paris!
Prove Paris was more than paper promises
All major industrialized countries are failing to meet the pledges they made to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, warn David G. Victor and colleagues.
By David Victor, et al, Nature, Aug 1, 2017
http://www.nature.com/news/prove-paris-was-more-than-paper-promises-1.22378?utm_content=buffer0fb8e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Seeking a Common Ground
Weather-related Natural Disasters: Should we be concerned about a reversion to the mean?
By Roger Pielke Jr. Risk Frontiers, July 31, 2017 [H/t ICECAP]
https://riskfrontiers.com/weather-related-natural-disasters-should-we-be-concerned-about-a-reversion-to-the-mean/
Review of Recent Scientific Articles by CO2 Science
Cold vs Heat as the Primary Cause of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Claeys, M.J., Rajagopalan, S., Nawrot, T.S. and Brook, R.D. 2017. Climate and environmental triggers of acute myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal 38: 955-960. Aug 4, 2017
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V20/aug/a4.php
No Direct Human Health Risk Under a CO2 Exposure of 3000 ppm
Liu, W., Zhong, W. and Wargocki, P. 2017. Performance, acute health symptoms and physiological responses during exposure to high air temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. Building and Environment 114: 96-105. Aug 1, 2017
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V20/aug/a1.php
The Competitive Advantage of Crops Over Weeds at Elevated CO2 Concentrations
Kaciene, G., Kiksaityte, A., Januskaitiene, I., Miskelyte, D., Zaltauskaite, J., Sujetoviene, G., Sakalauskiene, S., Miliauskiene, Juozapaitiene, G. and Juknys, R. 2017. Different crop and weed performance under single and combined effects of elevated CO2 and temperature. Crop Science 57: 935-944. July 31, 2017
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V20/jul/a13.php
“Commenting on these and other of their findings, Kaciene et al. conclude that ‘crops, especially legumes, take a considerably higher advantage from elevated [CO2] compared with weed species, as can be seen from significantly greater stimulation of biomass production and photosynthetic rate, a lower degree of photosynthetic downregulation, and higher water use efficiency,’ adding that ‘apart from this, [the] combined treatment with elevated (700 ppm) CO2concentration and air temperature elevated 4°C above ambient leads to even higher stimulation of plant growth and photosynthetic performance.’ And thus, it is that ‘these findings suggest that the investigated crop species, especially pea plants, have high advantage than weed under rising [CO2], and this benefit is detected to be even higher under elevated [CO2] and temperature.’”
Measurement Issues — Surface
Making the Measurements Match the Models – Part 2: Sea Surface Temperatures
By Roger Andrews, Energy Maters, Aug 2, 2017
http://euanmearns.com/making-the-measurements-match-the-models-part-2-sea-surface-temperatures/#more-19156
Australia’s MET Office Orders Full Review After Agency Was Caught Tampering with Temperature Logs
By Graham Lloyd, The Australian, Via GWPF, Aug 1, 2017
https://www.thegwpf.com/australias-met-office-orders-full-review-after-agency-was-caught-tampering-with-temperature-logs/
[SEPP Comment: A new way to keep warm on cold winter nights?]
Scandal: Australian Bureau of Meteorology caught erasing cold temperatures
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 1, 2017
http://joannenova.com.au/2017/08/scandal-australian-bureau-of-meteorology-caught-erasing-cold-temperatures/
BOM scandal heats up: Kininmonth, Watts, Nova quoted in The Australian “We audit banks, why not BOM?”
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 3, 2017
http://joannenova.com.au/2017/08/bom-scandal-heats-up-kininmonth-watts-nova-quoted-in-the-australian-we-audit-banks-why-not-bom/
BOM scandal: “smart cards” filter out coldest temperatures. Full audit needed ASAP!
The story changes: first it was quality control, then equipment failure, now a smart card?
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 5, 2017
http://joannenova.com.au/2017/08/bom-had-smart-cards-to-filter-out-coldest-temperatures-full-audit-needed-asap/
Measurement Issues — Atmosphere
UAH Global Temperature Update for July 2017: +0.28 deg. C
By Roy Spencer, His Blog, Aug 1, 2017
http://www.drroyspencer.com/2017/08/uah-global-temperature-update-for-july-2017-0-28-deg-c/
Link to July 2017 Map, Graph, and Global Temperature Report
Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville
http://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2017/july/JULY_2017_map.png
http://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2017/july/July2017_tlt_update_bar.png
http://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2017/july/julyGTR2017.pdf
Changing Weather
4,300 Days Since Last U.S. Major Hurricane Strike
By Roy Spencer, His Blog, July 31, 2017
http://www.drroyspencer.com/2017/07/4300-days-since-last-u-s-major-hurricane-strike/
Mainland US and Florida Hurricane ‘drought’
By Joseph D’Aleo, CCM, AMS Fellow, WeatherBELL Analytics, and ICECAP, July 31, 2017
http://icecap.us/index.php/go/political-climate/mainland_us_and_florida_hurricane_drought/
Changing Seas
Media blackout on NASA report that sea level has fallen the last two years
By Thomas Lifson, American Thinker, July 29, 2017 [H/t Timothy Wise]
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/07/media_blackout_on_nasa_report_that_sea_level_has_fallen_the_last_two_years.html
[SEPP Comment: References essays by Fred Singer.]
Changing Cryosphere – Land / Sea Ice
Polar Stability: Antarctic Cold Deepens, Arctic Refuses To Melt Faster In June/July 2017
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Aug 4, 2017
http://notrickszone.com/2017/08/04/polar-stability-antarctic-cold-deepens-arctic-refuses-to-melt-faster-in-junejuly-2017/#sthash.Em5vfojY.dpbs
Climate change evident as icebreaker sets mark for earliest Northwest Passage transit
By Frank Jordans, AP, July 29, 2017 [H/t Timothy Wise]
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/science/ct-climate-change-northwest-passage-20170729-story.html
[SEPP Comment: How early would the icebreaker have done it without electronics and if it was powered by sail?]
Questioning European Green
EU blasts Donald Trump for rejecting Climate Accord then increases coal exports from USA
US COAL exports have jumped more than 60 percent this year due to soaring demand from Europe and Asia, according to government data, allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to claim that efforts to revive the battered industry are working. [Imports From?]
By Staff Writers, Express, UK, July 28, 2017
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/834275/Donald-Trump-climate-change-policy-Paris-agreement-EU-coal-exports-US
Questioning Green Elsewhere
How Your Tax Dollars May Save Energy but End Up Penalizing Homeowners
By Alan Carlin, Carlin Economics and Science, Aug 4, 2017
http://www.carlineconomics.com/archives/3788
Cap-and-Trade and Carbon Taxes
“Alligator Shoes” in California (James Hansen is right on cap-and-trade)
By Robert Bradley Jr. Master Resource, Aug 2, 2017
https://www.masterresource.org/cap-and-trade-carbon-pricing/hansen-california-alligator-shoes/
[SEPP Comment: Keeping the cash flowing, the job of lobbyists.]
Subsidies and Mandates Forever
Refineries go to battle with oil majors over ethanol
By James Osborne, Houston Chronicle, Aug 1, 2017
http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Refineries-press-ethanol-reform-at-EPA-hearing-11723011.php
EPA and other Regulators on the March
“But Climate Change…” Wails EPA Official in Resignation Letter
By James Delingpole, Breitbart, Aug 4, 2017 [H/t Cooler Heads]
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/04/delingpole-but-climate-change-wails-epa-official-in-resignation-letter/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29
Congress Could Give Trump The Power To Immediately Repeal The ‘Waters Of The US’ Rule
By Michael Bastasch, Daily Caller, July 28, 2017 [H/t WUWT]
http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/28/congress-could-give-trump-the-power-to-immediately-repeal-the-waters-of-the-us-rule/?utm_source=site-share
Energy Issues – Non-US
Lithium: Reserves, Use, Future Demand and Price
By Euan Mearns, Energy Matters, July 31, 2017
http://euanmearns.com/lithium-reserves-use-future-demand-and-price/#more-19100
Link to paper: Raw material needs by the Li-ion battery industry
By Dr P. Kauranen, Academy of Finland, May 17, 2017
http://closeloop.fi/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Li-raw-materials-20170517.pdf
Germany Is Addicted to Russian Gas
By Weixin Zha and Anna Shiryaevskaya, Forbes, Bloomberg, July 4, 2017
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-03/german-addiction-to-russia-gas-raises-alarm-in-merkel-s-backyard
OPEC’s Existential Sucker Punch
By Julian Lee, Bloomberg, July 30, 2017 [H/t Bloomberg]
https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-07-30/electric-cars-run-over-opec-in-new-existential-crisis
Coal to dominate in India through 2047 says report
By Tildy Bayar, Power Engineering International, July 28, 2017 [H/t Paul Homewood]
http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2017/07/coal-to-dominate-in-india-through-2047-says-report.html
Link to report: Energizing India,
A Joint Project Report of NITI Aayog and IEEJ, June 16, 2017
http://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/Energy%20Booklet.pdf
“India’s energy mix would stay between 42 and 50 per cent for the next 30 years, providing baseload power along with nuclear.”
“Coal-fired plants supplied 58 per cent of India’s total power generation in 2015.”
Study Shows India Can Integrate 175 GW of Renewable Energy into Its Electricity Grid
Press Release, NREL, July 12, 2017 [Toshio Fujita]
http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2017/44814
Link to report: Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India’s Electric Grid, Vol. I—National Study
By David Palchek, et al. NREL, Financed by USAID, 2017
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy17osti/68530.pdf
Capital Investment in the UK Energy and Electricity Sectors
By John Constable, GWPF, Aug 2, 2017
https://www.thegwpf.com/capital-investment-in-the-uk-energy-and-electricity-sectors/
Link to report: UK energy in brief 2017
By Staff Writers: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, July 27, 2017
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-energy-in-brief-2017
“New data published by the UK’s Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy allows us to estimate that 36% of total energy sector capital formation since 2010 has been devoted to renewables. Nearly all of that has been in the electricity sector, where 83% of the capital invested (£52 billion) has been in renewable generation. This does not appear to be a balanced distribution of risk across technologies.”
Britain’s Energy Policy Keeps Picking Losers
By Matt Ridley, The Times, Via GWPF, Aug 2, 2017
https://www.thegwpf.com/matt-ridley-britains-energy-policy-keeps-picking-losers/
Drilling set to begin in British shale
Cuadrilla Resources says its drilling rig is on site and ready to tap into a natural gas basin in Lancashire.
By Daniel J. Graeber, UPI, July 28, 2017 [H/t GWPF]
https://www.upi.com/Drilling-set-to-begin-in-British-shale/7071501242802/
[SEPP Comment: Estimates two shale gas wells will be completed by the end of 2017.]
Gas Heating To Be Replaced By Thin Air!
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, Aug 1, 2017
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/gas-heating-to-be-replaced-by-thin-air/#more-29005
Energy Issues – Australia
Australians paying $600 per household to subsidize wind and solar
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, July 31, 2017
http://joannenova.com.au/2017/07/australians-paying-600-per-household-to-subsidize-wind-and-solar/
SA reduces blackouts by closing Holden Factory
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 2, 2017
http://joannenova.com.au/2017/08/sa-solves-blackouts-crisis-partly-by-closing-holden-factory/
[SEPP Comment: The factory is owned by General Motors and scheduled to close.]
Energy Issues — US
With OPEC Weakening, World Energy Now Pits Russia Versus U.S.
By Kenneth Rapoza, Forbes, July 29, 2017
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2017/06/29/with-opec-weakening-world-energy-now-pits-russia-versus-u-s/#37155fbc30e2
[SEPP Comment: Greatly overstated.]
As Venezuela Spirals, U.S. Oil Confronts a $10 Billion Threat
By Alex Nussbaum and Sheela Tobben, Bloomberg, Aug 3, 2017
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-03/as-venezuela-spirals-u-s-oil-confronts-a-10-billion-threat
[SEPP Comment: Canadian oil sands can fill the void – though it would take time to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which could have been built and operating by now with private funds.]
Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?
Next Generation of Fossil Fuels
By Donn Dears, Power For USA, Aug 4, 2017
http://www.powerforusa.com/2017/08/04/next-generation-of-fossil-fuels/
[SEPP Comment: Methane hydrates.]
Nuclear Energy and Fears
South Carolina companies scrap $14 billion nuclear project
By Devin Henry, The Hill, July 31, 2017
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/344628-south-carolina-companies-scrap-14-billion-nuclear-project
America’s Biggest Energy Problem
By Jamie Horgan, The American Interest, Aug 2, 2017
https://www.the-american-interest.com/2017/08/02/americas-biggest-energy-problem/
[SEPP Comment: Fear of nuclear power.]
Can The U.S. Even Build A Nuclear Plant These Days?
By Liam Denning, Bloomberg, Aug 1, 2017
https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-08-01/nuclear-power-sce-g-santee-cooper-plant-victim-of-new-reality
[SEPP Comment: Natural gas prices are no longer considered high and volatile.]
Wasting America’s nuclear opportunity
By Jeremy Carl and David Fedor, The Hill, Aug 3, 2017
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/345021-wasting-americas-nuclear-opportunity
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Solar and Wind
Britain’s £246m battery challenge won’t solve energy storage
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=a\uparrow \uparrow b)} as repeated exponentiation, etc. (This is equivalent to the hyperoperation sequence except it omits the two more-basic operations of successor and addition, inclusion of which requires additional starting values that somewhat complicate the definition.)
All up-arrow operators (including normal exponentiation, a ↑ b {\displaystyle a\uparrow b} ) are defined to be right associative, i.e. evaluated from right to left in an expression.
a ↑ b ↑ c = a ↑ ( b ↑ c ) {\displaystyle a\uparrow b\uparrow c=a\uparrow (b\uparrow c)} —— not ( a ↑ b ) ↑ c {\displaystyle (a\uparrow b)\uparrow c}.
3 ↑ ↑ 3 = 3 3 3 {\displaystyle 3\uparrow \uparrow 3=3^{3^{3}}} is 3 ( 3 3 ) = 3 27 = 7625597484987 {\displaystyle 3^{(3^{3})}=3^{27}=7625597484987} —— not ( 3 3 ) 3 = 27 3 = 19683. {\displaystyle \left(3^{3}\right)^{3}=27^{3}=19683.}
Note that due to right-associativity we have, for b ≥ 1, n ≥ 1 {\displaystyle b\geq 1,n\geq 1},
a ↑ n b = a ↑ n − 1 a ↑ n − 1 ⋯ a ↑ n − 1 a ( with b a's ) = a ↑ n − 1 a ↑ n − 1 ⋯ a ↑ n − 1 a ↑ n − 1 1 ( with b a's ) = ( a ↑ n − 1 ) b 1 {\displaystyle {\begin{array}{lcl}a\uparrow ^{n}b&=&a\uparrow ^{n-1}a\uparrow ^{n-1}\cdots a\uparrow ^{n-1}a\ \ ({\text{with }}b\ a{\text{'s}})\\&=&a\uparrow ^{n-1}a\uparrow ^{n-1}\cdots a\uparrow ^{n-1}a\uparrow ^{n-1}1\ \ ({\text{with }}b\ a{\text{'s}})\\&=&(a\uparrow ^{n-1})^{b}1\end{array}}}
where each a {\displaystyle a} appears as a left operand of the arrow operator (which is significant because the arrow operators are not commutative), and we have written ( a ↑ m ) b {\displaystyle (a\uparrow ^{m})^{b}} for the bth functional power of the function f ( x ) = a ↑ m x {\displaystyle f(x)=a\uparrow ^{m}x}. Because ( a ↑ m ) 0 n = n {\displaystyle (a\uparrow ^{m})^{0}n=n}, the original definition can therefore be written more concisely as follows:
a ↑ n b = { a b, if n = 0 ; ( a ↑ n − 1 ) b 1 if n ≥ 1 {\displaystyle a\uparrow ^{n}b=\left\{{\begin{matrix}ab,&{\mbox{if }}n=0;\\(a\uparrow ^{n-1})^{b}1&{\mbox{if }}n\geq 1\end{matrix}}\right.}
for all integers a, b, n {\displaystyle a,b,n} with b ≥ 0, n ≥ 0 {\displaystyle b\geq 0,n\geq 0}.
Tables of values [ edit ]
Computing 2↑m n [ edit ]
Computing 2 ↑ m n {\displaystyle 2\uparrow ^{m}n} can be restated in terms of an infinite table. We place the numbers 2 n {\displaystyle 2^{n}} in the top row, and fill the left column with values 2. To determine a number in the table, take the number immediately to the left, then look up the required number in the previous row, at the position given by the number just taken.
Values of 2 ↑ m n {\displaystyle 2\uparrow ^{m}n} hyper(2, m + 2, n) = 2 → n → m ₘ＼ⁿ 1 2 3 4 5 6 formula 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 ∗ n {\displaystyle 2*n} 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 2 n {\displaystyle 2^{n}} 2 2 4 16 65536 2 65 536 ≈ 2.0 × 10 19 728 {\displaystyle 2^{65\,536}\approx 2.0\times 10^{19\,728}} 2 2 65 536 ≈ 10 6.0 × 10 19 727 {\displaystyle 2^{2^{65\,536}}\approx 10^{6.0\times 10^{19\,727}}} 2 ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 2\uparrow \uparrow n} 3 2 4 65536 2 2... 2 ⏟ 65536 copies of 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\65536{\mbox{ copies of }}2\end{matrix}}} 2 2... 2 ⏟ 2 2... 2 ⏟ 65536 copies of 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\65536{\mbox{ copies of }}2\end{matrix}}} 2 2... 2 ⏟ 2 2... 2 ⏟ 2 2... 2 ⏟ 65536 copies of 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\65536{\mbox{ copies of }}2\end{matrix}}} 2 ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 2\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n} 4 2 4 2 2... 2 ⏟ 65536 copies of 2 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {2_{}^{2^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{2}}}}}}} \\65536{\mbox{ copies of }}2\end{matrix}}} 2 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 2\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n}
The table is the same as that of the Ackermann function, except for a shift in m {\displaystyle m} and n {\displaystyle n}, and an addition of 3 to all values.
Computing 3↑m n [ edit ]
We place the numbers 3 n {\displaystyle 3^{n}} in the top row, and fill the left column with values 3. To determine a number in the table, take the number immediately to the left, then look up the required number in the previous row, at the position given by the number just taken.
Values of 3 ↑ m n {\displaystyle 3\uparrow ^{m}n} hyper(3, m + 2, n) = 3 → n → m m
1 2 3 4 5 formula 1 3 9 27 81 243 3 n {\displaystyle 3^{n}} 2 3 27 7,625,597,484,987 3 7,625,597,484,987 {\displaystyle 3^{7{,}625{,}597{,}484{,}987}} 3 3 7,625,597,484,987 {\displaystyle 3^{3^{7{,}625{,}597{,}484{,}987}}} 3 ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 3\uparrow \uparrow n} 3 3 7,625,597,484,987 3 3... 3 ⏟ 7,625,597,484,987 copies of 3 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {3_{}^{3^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{3}}}}}}} \\7{,}625{,}597{,}484{,}987{\mbox{ copies of }}3\end{matrix}}} 3 ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 3\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n} 4 3 3 3... 3 ⏟ 7,625,597,484,987 copies of 3 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {3_{}^{3^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{3}}}}}}} \\7{,}625{,}597{,}484{,}987{\mbox{ copies of }}3\end{matrix}}} 3 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 3\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n}
Computing 4↑m n [ edit ]
We place the numbers 4 n {\displaystyle 4^{n}} in the top row, and fill the left column with values 4. To determine a number in the table, take the number immediately to the left, then look up the required number in the previous row, at the position given by the number just taken.
Values of 4 ↑ m n {\displaystyle 4\uparrow ^{m}n} hyper(4, m + 2, n) = 4 → n → m m
1 2 3 4 5 formula 1 4 16 64 256 1024 4 n {\displaystyle 4^{n}} 2 4 256 1.3407807930 × 10 154 {\displaystyle 1.3407807930\times 10^{154}} 4 1.3407807930 × 10 154 {\displaystyle 4^{1.3407807930\times 10^{154}}} 4 4 1.3407807930 × 10 154 {\displaystyle 4^{4^{1.3407807930\times 10^{154}}}} 4 ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 4\uparrow \uparrow n} 3 4 4 1.3407807930 × 10 154 {\displaystyle 4^{1.3407807930\times 10^{154}}} 4 4... 4 ⏟ 4 1.3407807930 × 10 154 copies of 4 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {4_{}^{4^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{4}}}}}}} \\4^{1.3407807930\times 10^{154}}{\mbox{ copies of }}4\end{matrix}}} 4 ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 4\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n} 4 4 4 4... 4 ⏟ 4 4... 4 ⏟ 4 1.3407807930 × 10 154 copies of 4 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {4_{}^{4^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{4}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {4_{}^{4^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{4}}}}}}} \\4^{1.3407807930\times 10^{154}}{\mbox{ copies of }}4\end{matrix}}} 4 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 4\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n}
Computing 10↑m n [ edit ]
We place the numbers 10 n {\displaystyle 10^{n}} in the top row, and fill the left column with values 10. To determine a number in the table, take the number immediately to the left, then look up the required number in the previous row, at the position given by the number just taken.
Values of 10 ↑ m n {\displaystyle 10\uparrow ^{m}n} hyper(10, m + 2, n) = 10 → n → m m
1 2 3 4 5 formula 1 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 10 n {\displaystyle 10^{n}} 2 10 10,000,000,000 10 10, 000, 000, 000 {\displaystyle 10^{10,000,000,000}} 10 10 10, 000, 000, 000 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{10,000,000,000}}} 10 10 10 10, 000, 000, 000 {\displaystyle 10^{10^{10^{10,000,000,000}}}} 10 ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 10\uparrow \uparrow n} 3 10 10 10... 10 ⏟ 10 copies of 10 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {10_{}^{10^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{10}}}}}}} \\10{\mbox{ copies of }}10\end{matrix}}} 10 10... 10 ⏟ 10 10... 10 ⏟ 10 copies of 10 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {10_{}^{10^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{10}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {10_{}^{10^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{10}}}}}}} \\10{\mbox{ copies of }}10\end{matrix}}} 10 10... 10 ⏟ 10 10... 10 ⏟ 10 10... 10 ⏟ 10 copies of 10 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {10_{}^{10^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{10}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {10_{}^{10^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{10}}}}}}} \\\underbrace {10_{}^{10^{{}^{.\,^{.\,^{.\,^{10}}}}}}} \\10{\mbox{ copies of }}10\end{matrix}}} 10 ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 10\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n} 4 10 10... 10 10 ⏟ 10 copies of 10 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {^{^{^{^{^{10}.}.}.}10}10} \\10{\mbox{ copies of }}10\end{matrix}}} 10... 10 10 ⏟ 10... 10 10 ⏟ 10 copies of 10 {\displaystyle {\begin{matrix}\underbrace {^{^{^{^{^{10}.}.}.}10}10} \\\underbrace {^{^{^{^{^{10}.}.}.}10}10} \\10{\mbox{ copies of }}10\end{matrix}}} 10 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ n {\displaystyle 10\uparrow \uparrow \uparrow \uparrow n}
Note that for 2 ≤ n ≤ 9 the numerical order of the numbers 10 ↑ m n {\displaystyle 10\uparrow ^{m}n} is the lexicographical order with m as the most significant number, so for the numbers of these 8 columns the numerical order is simply line-by-line. The same applies for the numbers in the 97 columns with 3 ≤ n ≤ 99, and if we start from m = 1 even for 3 ≤ n ≤ 9,999,999,999.
Numeration systems based on the hyperoperation sequence [ edit ]
R. L. Goodstein,[2] with a system of notation different from Knuth arrows, used the sequence of hyperoperators here denoted by ( +, ×, ↑, ↑ ↑, … ) {\displaystyle (+,\ \times,\ \uparrow,\ \uparrow \uparrow,\ \dots )} to create systems of numeration for the nonnegative integers. Letting square brackets ([1], [2], [3], [4],... ) denote the respective hyperoperators ( +, ×, ↑, ↑ ↑, … ) {\displaystyle (+,\ \times,\ \uparrow,\ \uparrow \uparrow,\ \dots )}, the so-called complete hereditary representation of integer n, at level k and base b, can be expressed as follows using only the first k hyperoperators and using as digits only 0, 1,..., b − 1, together with the base b itself:
For 0 ≤ n ≤ b -1, n is represented simply by the corresponding digit.
≤ -1, is represented simply by the corresponding digit. For n > b-1, the representation of n is found recursively, first representing n in the form
b [k] x k [k - 1] x k-1 [k - 2]... [2] x 2 [1] x 1 where x k,..., x 1 are the largest integers satisfying (in turn)
b [k] x k ≤ n
b [k] x k [k - 1] x k - 1 ≤ n
...
b [k] x k [k - 1] x k - 1 [k - 2]... [2] x 2 [1] x 1 ≤ n
Any x i exceeding b-1 is then re-expressed in the same manner, and so on, repeating this procedure until the resulting form contains only the digits 0, 1,..., b-1, together with the base b.
The remainder of this section will use the superscripts to denote the hyperoperators.
Unnecessary parentheses can be avoided by giving higher-level operators higher precedence in the order of evaluation; thus,
level-1 representations have the form b [1] X, with X also of this form;
level-2 representations have the form b [2] X [1] Y, with X,Y also of this form;
level-3 representations have the form b [3] X [2] Y [1] Z, with X,Y,Z also of this form;
level-4 representations have the form b [4] X [3] Y [2] Z [1] W, with X,Y,Z,W also of this form;
and so on.
Note that in this type of base-b hereditary representation, the base itself appears in the expressions, as well as "digits" from the set {0, 1,..., b-1}. This compares to ordinary base-2 representation when the latter is written out in terms of the base b; e.g., in ordinary base-2 notation, 6 = (110) 2 = 2 [3] 2 [2] 1 [1] 2 [3] 1 [2] 1 [1] 2 [3] 0 [2] 0, whereas the level-3 base-2 hereditary representation is 6 = 2 [3] (2 [3] 1 [2] 1 [1] 0) [2] 1 [1] (2 [3] 1 [2] 1 [1] 0). The hereditary representations can be abbreviated by omitting any instances of [1] 0, [2] 1, [3] 1, [4] 1, etc.; for example, the above level-3 base-2 representation of 6 abbreviates to 2 [3] 2 [1] 2.
Examples: The unique base-2 representations of the number 266, at levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are as follows:
Level 1: 266 = 2 [1] 2 [1] 2 [1]... [1] 2 (with 133 2s) Level 2: 266 = 2 [2] (2 [2] (2 [2] (2 [2] 2 [2] 2 [2] 2 [2] 2 [1] 1)) [1] 1) Level 3: 266 = 2 [3] 2 [3] (2 [1] 1) [1] 2 [3] (2 [1] 1) [1] 2 Level 4: 266 = 2 [4] (2 [1] 1) [3] 2 [1] 2 [4] 2 [2] 2 [1] 2 Level 5: 266 = 2 [5] 2 [4] 2 [1] 2 [5] 2 [2] 2 [1] 2
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]The Atlanta Braves now-deposed general manager, John Coppolella, apparently wasn't forthcoming in MLB's investigation into the team's international signings.
The Braves wound up losing 12 prospects acquired through international signings to free agency, and Coppolella was placed on the permanently ineligible list for his role in the signings.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred provided some additional information about why Coopolella was banned during a radio appearance Tuesday.
"I think that it was important to send a message about how seriously we take our rules and how seriously we take violations of those rules, particularly in the international market," Manfred explained to ESPN Radio's Golic and Wingo when asked about Coppolella's ban.
"Secondly, this was behavior that went on over a period of years and very pervasive in terms of the activity... Unfortunately, while the Braves were completely cooperative in the investigative process, I can't say the same for John."
A number of front-office changes were the result of the investigation, including Coppolella resigning, while assistant GM Gordon Blakeley and senior advisor John Hart both left their positions as well.
Alex Anthopoulos was named Braves' GM on Nov. 13.Sitting CIA directors generally don’t blast incoming presidents — much less in an interview with a foreign news agency. Yet here we are.
On Wednesday morning, the BBC published excerpts from an interview with CIA Director John Brennan, the first time a serving head of America’s best-known spy agency has sat down with the British media, according to the BBC. Brennan’s comments are, unmistakably, a shot at Donald Trump. He calls Trump’s proposal to scrap the Iran deal “disastrous,” warns that “the overwhelming majority of CIA officers” oppose Trump’s call to bring back torture of suspected terrorists, and says the famously Putin-sympathetic Trump should “beware Russian promises.”
Brennan is stepping down from the CIA leadership on January 20, so he’ll never have to deal with President Trump directly. That means he’s free to do something as brazen as trash the incoming president on one of the world’s most-watched TV channels.
Brennan is expressing some widely held grievances with Trump’s foreign policy
If you take a deeper look at Brennan’s comments, you start to realize that he’s expressing criticisms of Trump policies that are widely held in the foreign policy community.
Take his attack on Trump’s approach to the Iran deal, which Brennan calls “the height of folly.” He warns that doing so would allow Iran to simply restart its nuclear program.
This, as my colleague Zeeshan Aleem explains, is the consensus among even anti-deal experts and policymakers. That’s because of the way the deal is structured: Iran has already gotten the sanctions relief it was promised, but has yet to fully comply with the terms of the deal that dismantle its nuclear program. If Trump were to scrap the deal on day one, Iran would have everything it wanted without having to give up too much. It would have billions of new dollars as well, and a free hand to build a nuke without pesky international inspectors.
Brennan’s position on Russia is another good example. His argument is that the Obama administration’s negotiations with Russia have mostly failed to alter Moscow’s worst behavior — for example, its slaughtering of civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo and bombing of the moderate opposition looking to unseat Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad.
"I think President Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises," Brennan told the BBC.
This position puts Brennan on the same side as the nonpartisan US military brass, as my colleague Yochi Dreazen reports, since the nation’s top generals uniformly see Russia — and not, say, ISIS — as the biggest national security threat facing the country.
Trump takes a far rosier view of the Kremlin, praising Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “strong leader” and echoing Russian propaganda that its forces in Syria are fighting ISIS (they are in fact mostly hitting US-backed rebels there). “I think it would be great if we got along with Russia. We could fight ISIS together,” Trump said in the October 9 presidential debate.
On torture, Brennan comes down even harder — which is interesting because he’s gone back and forth on whether it works. He tells the Trump administration, fairly bluntly, that any attempt to reintroduce torture would be met with resistance in the CIA ranks:
Without a doubt the CIA really took some body blows as a result of its experiences. I think the overwhelming majority of CIA officers would not want to get back into that business.
There are many other examples in the BBC interview where Brennan, either explicitly or implicitly, rebukes Trump’s policy ideas.
Now, Brennan’s criticisms are hardly unusual — you could hear them from virtually any foreign policy expert in Washington — and Brennan is a longtime Obama administration veteran (his last job was as President Obama’s chief counterterrorism adviser). So it’s not surprising that he disagrees with Trump’s policy. Nor is it unheard of for CIA directors to weigh in on policy disputes.
But what’s interesting is that Brennan’s comments would, at any other time, be widely uncontroversial among the foreign policy establishment. Most nonpartisan experts in Washington think that tearing up the Iran deal now is a bad idea, Russia isn’t to be trusted, and the CIA isn’t interested in reviving the torture program.
But saying these things now, publicly, is inevitably seen as a rebuke to Trump — because his ideas are indeed quite far out of the mainstream. Brennan, of course, knows this. So there’s no other way to read this than as him using some of his final days in the public sphere to bash the incoming administration.What Makes a Card Bannable in Standard?
by SaffronOlive // Dec 11, 2017 Tweet
standard
Last week at the end-of-year SCG Invitational, about 65% of the Standard decks to make day two were Temur or Four-Color Energy, and nearly 75% were looking to cast Attune with Aether on Turn 1. Seeing those numbers, my immediate thought was Caw Blade Standard, which might be the last time a Standard format was so thoroughly dominated by a decidedly unbroken deck. At its heart, Caw Blade was an extremely fair Magic deck—essentially just UWx Control. It just happened to be overflowing with Legacy staples, which made the deck really good in Standard, and because it was so good, it was extremely heavily played. While having 65% of the format being Temur / Four-Color Energy and 75% Attune with Aether decks probably sounds like a lot, by the time Caw Blade was banned, there were Grands Prix where 88% of day two decks had multiple copies of Jace, the Mind Sculptor and 70% had Stoneforge Mystic.
While Energy isn't quite to the point of Caw Blade yet (while 75% is insane, 88% is even higher and almost unbelievable), it is seeing enough play where people are talking about the future of the deck / archetype in Standard. Rotation is still a long ways off, and based on the current numbers, it seems fair to wonder if Wizards will take action against Energy, especially if Rivals of Ixalan fails to shake up the format when it releases in about six weeks.
However, whenever there's a discussion about a potential energy banning, there's always one sticking point: while energy is very, very good, it's also a fair deck. It's not killing people on Turn 4 or based on some degenerate combo or broken card; it's just overloaded with a ton of very good, very parasitic cards that other decks can't play, which pushes more and more people toward playing Energy so they can take advantage of the best cards in the Standard format.
As such, the question is: are fair decks bannable? To really answer this question, we need to look at another, even bigger question: what causes cards to get banned in Standard? One of the great things about Wizards and bannings is that every time it bans a card, it releases an article discussing the reason behind the banning, so with a bit of digging, we can find these old announcements and get a pretty good sense of why Wizards bans cards in Standard. So today, we're going to discuss the six justifications Wizards has used for banning cards in Standard and then see how (and if) our current Energy deck fits into any of these categories, which could help us predict a future banning (or lack thereof).
#1: We Messed Up—Skullclamp, Felidar Guardian, Caw Blade
In some sense, every Standard banning is Wizards admitting it made a mistake, because unlike older formats with so many cards that it's impossible to test every interaction, Wizards does extensively test Standard, and one of its goals in making new Magic cards is to avoid making them so strong they need to be banned (Aaron Forsythe discusses this in the Caw Blade B&R announcement). But here, we're talking about a more specific kind of "we messed up."
While it's easy to forget, Wizards R&D is made up of real human beings, and even with all the safeguards they have in place, these people occasionally make mistakes, just like you or me. Every once in a while, a card that simply never should have been made ends up slipping through the cracks and seeing print. According to the banned-and-restricted announcements, we have two very clear examples of this type of mistake.
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While you should read the history of the design of Skullclamp because it's quite interesting, the bottom line is that the equipment changed a bunch of times during development, from an exceedingly safe (and perhaps even unplayable) card to a bannable card. Because the early versions of the card were so tame, no one bothered to keep track of the changes (some of which—like the changes to give creatures negative toughness—happened late in the development process), and suddenly an extremely broken card was let loose in Standard.
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The second big example is more recent: Felidar Guardian. Basically, Wizards just missed the combo potential. While this seemed hard to believe at first, considering that cards like Restoration Angel came with wording to prevent infinite combos, it's worth mentioning that Wispweaver Angel didn't have this language, and then just a few months later, Wizards printed a version of Hostage Taker that technically goes infinite with itself (even though Wizards caught and errata'd Hostage Taker before it had a chance to cause any gameplay problems), which makes it seem that perhaps Wizards has some weird blind spot when it comes to infinite blink combos in recent sets. Regardless, Wizards took responsibility for the mistake and said that it never would have let the infinite combo of Saheeli Rai and Felidar Guardian out the door if it had realized this was a combo, which is all Wizards can really do under the circumstances. Plus, the Felidar Guardian mistake (combined with some other issues) seems to have sparked the idea of having a dedicated, full-time Play Design team. So while there's no doubt Felidar Guardian was a mistake, it might have been a good mistake in the long run, thanks to the changes it helped bring about at Wizards.
#2: Too Heavily Played—Caw Blade (and a bunch of other decks)
One thing that comes up repeatedly in banned-and-restricted announcements is metagame numbers, but it's actually really difficult to make much sense of them. The "88% Jace, the Mind Sculptor and 70% Stoneforge Mystic on day two" numbers from the Caw Blade B&R announcement are headline grabbing, and it certainly makes sense that having one deck be (essentially) the entire format is unhealthy, but we see other smaller numbers mentioned in banned-and-restricted announcements as well. Being very heavily played was at least part of the reason why Affinity was banned (although hard numbers from way back in 2003 are scarce, and the announcement focused on other things) Meanwhile, being 40% of the metagame contributed to the banning of Felidar Guardian, and a 43% number was mentioned in the banning of Aetherworks Marvel, although it doesn't seem like being 40% of the metagame, in and of itself, is a bannable offense, since other reasons were given for those bans as well.
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Reading over all of the banned-and-restricted announcements, the bottom line seems to be that it certainly is possible for a deck to be banned almost exclusively because of the amount of play it sees (see: Caw Blade), but the numbers have to be really, really high for this to be the only justification for a banning, and even then, Wizards is likely to give the deck a reasonable amount of time in the format (to see if things change and how players respond) before actually dropping the hammer. Meanwhile, once a deck hits 40% of the meta, it reaches a danger zone. While just being 40% of the meta isn't necessarily enough for Wizards to ban the deck, the 40% number seems to be a point where the combination of heavy play and a second concern is enough to get a deck banned, at least in some cases.
#3: Attendance Dropped / Unfun—Caw Blade, Affinity, Aetherworks Marvel
At first I was going to talk about attendance dropping and the "unfun" justifications individually, but they typically go hand in hand. In fact, Aetherworks Marvel is the only "unfun" banning that didn't explicitly mention a drop in attendance at events, although based on what I remember from last spring, attendance was an issue during the heyday of Aetherworks Marvel.
Here, it's important to remember that, beneath everything else, Wizards' goal is to make money. Thankfully, the way it makes money is by making fun Magic cards, which makes all of us happy, so normally its a win–win, but if there's one thing that spurs Wizards to take quick and drastic action, it's when people stop playing their game. We not only saw this with Caw Blade and Affinity, where drops in attendance were cited as reasons for the banning, but with other changes as well (like the switch in rotation schedules, although it's possible the real reasons attendance was down at the time were Emrakul, the Promised End and Smuggler's Copter, but we'll never know for sure).
$ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Probably the best example of attendance issues fueling a banning is Caw Blade. In the announcement, Wizards talks about giving a "one-deck meta" a shot to see how players would respond. At least back in 2011, just having one playable deck in Standard was not enough to trigger a banning (although this may have changed over the past few years, since the bar for Standard bannings seems to have dropped a bit). What finally made Wizards ban Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Stoneforge Mystic was that people stopped showing up to tournaments, which spurred Wizards to finally drop the ban hammer.
That challenge here is attendance drops are one of the hardest things for those of us outside Wizards to measure. While I'm sure Wizards has some sort of data to track attendance at events, we are usually left with a bunch of anecdotal evidence and stories from individual local game stores, and even if we have a whole bunch of these stories, it's hard to parse out the root cause. Is it because Standard is in a bad place or something else? While many of the other banning justifications are fairly easy to see from the outside by looking at metagame numbers or broken combos, attendance is tricky to measure. Just know this: if there's one thing that makes Wizards take drastic action, above all else, it's a drop in attendance at Magic events.
#4: Not Enough Answers—Caw Blade, Aetherworks Marvel
Wizards is in a constant state of learning, forgetting, and relearning. When Jace, the Mind Sculptor was banned, one of the big lessons mentioned in the B&R announcement was that Standard needed to always have answers like Pithing Needle and Oblivion Ring. We saw the fruits of this lesson in Return to Ravnica block and even Theros, to some extent, but then Wizards started
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insane, your opponent will have to think twice about opposing you there. However, even those two Terror struggles pale in comparison to the riches of insanity provided by Opening Night (The Mark of Madness, 35) which screams nothing but sheer madness. With five Terror struggles, this conspiracy lends tremendous fuel to Hastur and Drawing the Sign.
Finally, The Mark of Madness allows Hastur's followers to use their strengths to overcome some of their traditional weaknesses. Although the followers of Hastur have long excelled at the Terror struggle, they have historically fallen short in the next icon struggle, the Combat struggle. The Mark of Madness addresses this with the introduction of Straitjacket (The Mark of Madness, 20), which doesn't technically add a new layer to the Terror struggle, but does allow your most maddening creatures to shatter your opponents' bodies as easily as they shatter their minds.
Which of Us Is Truly Mad?
Even as The Mark of Madness begins to reshape the Terror struggle, expanding it to encompass a great deal more of the game, it leads us to wonder: if we suddenly find the world is full of unspeakable horrors, are the raving Lunatics truly the mad ones, or were those of us who didn't shudder with panic or tremble with rage, were we the ones who were truly delusional?
Admittedly, insanity is not a relative term in Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game as it is in the world. Each character in play is either ready, exhausted, or insane, and in most cases, only characters who are ready are able to commit to stories. Characters who are insane are generally two turns away from doing anything useful. It takes one turn to restore one of your characters from insane to exhausted. Then, on the next turn, that character can ready, along with all your other exhausted characters.
Hastur's loyalists, however, have long viewed insanity as less of a setback and more as a waypoint along their greater journey. Given the tempo hit that players suffer when their characters are driven insane, this way of thinking about the world hasn't always done Hastur's followers a lot of good, but when The Mark of Madness arrives, we may learn that all of Hastur's Lunatics were merely ahead of their time.
Cards like Lure of the Moon (The Mark of Madness, 30), Starving Artist (The Mark of Madness, 1), and Moon Worshipper (The Mark of Madness, 2) are going to greatly accelerate the tempo of any Hastur deck that focuses on driving its characters insane for various benefits.
Even worse, though, is that as Hastur's madness lends strength to his followers, it insinuates itself like a disease among the larger population. Mad Maudlin (The Mark of Madness, 11) forces your opponents to drive characters insane if they wish to resource their domains, and The Dikes of Ys (The Mark of Madness, 23) causes the first character played each turn to enter play insane.
Because characters don't benefit from their Terror icons or Willpower until they are already in play, The Dikes of Ys can even slow the arrival of an Ancient One like Y'Golonac (Core Set, 122) or a team of Agency operatives working Undercover Security (Core Set, 7). In fact, because it works on every turn, if you choose not to play any characters on your turn, you can commit characters to stories on their own, gleeful in the knowledge that The Dikes of Ys can even hold back the threat of a Black Dog (Words of Power, 29).
With all these new ways they introduce to Induce Terror (The Mark of Madness, 32) and derive advantages from insanity, the new cards from The Mark of Madness create a truly nightmarish setting for your games of Call of Cthulhu, and in such a setting, is it more sane to carry on like everything's fine, or to rave and babble and obsess over the signs of otherworldly activities like one of Hastur's many Lunatics?
France First. Then, the World.
While the citizens of Paris may be the first to suffer the spread of Hastur's madness, they certainly won't be the last. The Mark of Madness adds unprecedented depth and flexibility to the Hastur faction and ensures that the game's iconic Terror struggle will once again loom large over every story phase.
The Mark of Madness is coming soon. Head to your local retailer to pre-order your copy today!The top vote-counter in the House says there is no doubt that the Republican ObamaCare repeal and replace bill will pass.
"We're gonna get this done," House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said with a smile on Thursday.
Scalise had a good reason to be in a good mood, despite being awake for 33 straight hours, fueled by adrenaline and several cups of chicory coffee from New Orleans. He was elated the GOP healthcare bill just cleared his Energy and Commerce Committee after what may be the longest legislative markup in history.
The gregarious 51-year-old Louisiana Republican believes Thursday’s marathon hearing and party-line vote in his committee had given the American Health Care Act enormous momentum as it heads into the next round of legislative hurdles.
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“We know we have a lot of work to do. We just got through step one. Today is the beginning of the end of ObamaCare,” Scalise told The Hill in an interview moments after the panel vote.
“If you look at the Democratic faces on the committee after 27-and-a-half hours,” he said, “you recognize just how powerful this moment is.”
As the House GOP’s chief vote-counter, Scalise has a unique perch as Congress — and the rest of Washington — debate the policy details and human impact of the GOP’s plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. He’s responsible for corralling the majority needed to push the bill through the House and over to the Senate, and that’s meant holding lots of listening sessions, evaluating different ideas to see if they “add or subtract” to his internal whip count and asking President Trump to help out whenever possible.
Unlike former President Obama, who was criticized for being standoffish and ignoring lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Trump has told congressional leaders he wants to be “directly engaged” in this process.
The president gave some GOP lawmakers a tour of the Oval Office earlier this week and will host the conservative House Freedom Caucus for pizza and bowling next week.
“He’s been very engaged. His staff is very engaged. He wants this bill on his desk,” said Scalise, whose deputy whip team met with the president this week about ways to build support.
“He’s been very hands on and it’s been very helpful.”
The vote on the House floor later this month could be a nail-biter, and all hands are on deck. Vice President Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price on Thursday shuttled between the Senate and House, meeting with GOP lawmakers who have been critical of the bill.
Asked by The Hill how his healthcare efforts were going, Pence on Thursday replied: “Steady progress!”
This week, the Republican Party appeared to be in an all-out civil war, with conservatives panning the legislation for not fully repealing Obama’s signature healthcare law and GOP leaders arguing that the measure represents the best chance to gut it.
But Scalise — sitting in a room where then-Rep. Abraham Lincoln used to warm himself by the fire in between House votes — argued that the current intraparty divisions portrayed in the media are way overblown. The Energy and Commerce markup, he said, revealed the true Democrat vs. Republican philosophical battle lines over the nation’s healthcare and insurance systems.
“Today you saw very clear lines because that’s what’s at stake. This bill truly does eviscerate ObamaCare. Every Democrat knew that. You could look at their faces. They knew we were about to eviscerate Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaWith low birth rate, America needs future migrants 4 ways Hillary looms over the 2020 race Obama goes viral after sporting black bomber jacket with '44' on sleeve at basketball game MORE’s signature achievement.”
Scalise estimated that nearly everyone in the 237-member GOP conference agrees with about “85 percent” of the leadership-backed health bill, including provisions like defunding Planned Parenthood, eliminating the employer mandate and killing ObamaCare taxes.
“It was significant that we got this first step done in a very unified way. The committee was unified. There was no Republican infighting,” Scalise said. “It was fun to fight between philosophies, conservatives and liberals, and that’s what happened for 27-and-a-half hours.”
Not one Republican rejected the bill in the Ways and Means Committee or the Energy and Commerce panel. However, conservative and centrist Republicans have expressed significant concerns and have not committed to backing the bill. If every Democrat votes no, Scalise can only afford 21 defections. Eight Republicans have indicated publicly they won't vote for the current measure.
Repealing ObamaCare is the biggest test of Scalise's political career. But he's not wringing his hands or worrying about the repercussions if Republicans don't get to the finish line. Part of the job of being whip is to never accept failure as an option.
Scalise, a former state legislator, was elected in the last year of the George W. Bush presidency in a special election to succeed Bobby Jindal. Nearly five years later, he became chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee and in 2014, he defeated Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and then-Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) to become whip.
He is very familiar with the intricacies of healthcare, having served on Energy and Commerce since 2009. While some prior whips, most famously Tom DeLay (R-Texas), secured votes through intimidation tactics, Scalise has his own style. He argues the merits and urges his members to look at the big picture. And like all whips, he doesn't take a "no" very easily.
One wildcard for Scalise’s whip count could be the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) score of the GOP bill, due out next week, which will include an estimate of how many Americans would lose insurance under the new plan. But Scalise predicts it won’t be a game-changer.
“Over the years, CBO has been all over the board on healthcare. The only consistent point is they’ve missed the mark on different pieces,” he said. “That’s the nature of a scorekeeper.”
Similarly, White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Wednesday said, "If you're looking for accuracy at the CBO, you're looking in the wrong place."
The CBO estimated that a wireless spectrum sale wouldn't generate any revenue, Scalise pointed out. It ended up raising more than $44 billion.
"They are the only referee we can use, but it doesn’t mean they are infallible,” Scalise said. “We’re not going to let some unelected bureaucrats in Washington stop us from moving forward with our agenda, but at the end of the day CBO is not the Holy Grail.”not compatible
miscellaneous
simple sound
script
eleven
one
E3 demo version
one
six
one
two
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1. E3 DEMO VERSION
1a. E3 DEMO VERSION NO VICTORY CRY
1b. E3 DEMO VERSION FEMALE VICTORY CRY - WORDLESS
1c. E3 DEMO VERSION FEMALE VICTORY CRY - WITH WORDS
2. TRAILER VERSION
3. ORCHESTRAL V1
3a. KEVKAS' EDITS OF ORCHESTRAL V1
3b. ORCHESTRAL V1 NO OUT-TRO
4. ORCHESTRAL V2
4b. ORCHESTRAL V2 NO OUT-TRO
5. CHANTING
1. E3 DEMO VERSION
rhythmic chanting from word walls
barbarian choir
dovahkiin victory cry (male)
Skyrim theme
1a. E3 DEMO VERSION NO VICTORY CRY
dovahkiin victory cry
rhythmic chanting from word walls
barbarian choir
Skyrim theme
1b. E3 DEMO VERSION FEMALE VICTORY CRY - WORDLESS
rhythmic chanting from word walls
barbarian choir
wordless female victory cry
Skyrim theme
1c. E3 DEMO VERSION FEMALE VICTORY CRY - WITH WORDS
rhythmic chanting from word walls
barbarian choir
female Dovahkiin victory cry
Skyrim theme
2. TRAILER VERSION
female vocals
victory melody
3. ORCHESTRAL VERSION 1
Skyrim theme
female vocals
victory melody
3a. KEVKAS' EDITS OF ORCHESTRAL VERSION 1
victory melody
female vocals
3b. ORCHESTRAL V1 NO OUT-TRO
Orchestral V1
female vocals
victory melody
Skyrim theme
4. ORCHESTRAL VERSION 2
tense musical phrase
female vocals
victory melody
4b. ORCHESTRAL V2 NO OUT-TRO
female vocals
victory melody
tense musical phrase
5. CHANTING
rhythmic chanting
MQKillDragonScript
one
MQKillDragonScript
E3 demo version
all versions
E3 demo version
Version 1.2
MQKillDragonScript
trailer version
all versions
trailer version
Version 1.2
MQKillDragonScript
trailer version
all versions
MQKillDragonScript
all versions
orchestral version 1
MQKillDragonScript
all versions
E3 demo version no victory cry
MQKillDragonScript
all versions
E3 demo version
trailer
orchestral version 1
kevkas' edits
orchestral version 2
chanting versions
NPCDragonDeathSequenceWind
NPCDragonDeathSequenceExplosion
MQGreyBeardAbsorbScript
.esp
Launcher
orchestral V1
kevkas' edits
orchestral v2
chanting
E3 demo version +/- victory cry
trailer version
E3 demo version
NPCDragonDeathSequenceWind
NPCDragonDeathSequenceExplosion
"I'm using this mod for a greybeard playthrough, thanks so much it is truly epic!!!"
"This mod makes me FEEL Skyrim! I mean just wow!!! I am soooo happy I manually picked through all the mods in this category. WOW!"
"Thank you so much for making this mod it should have been built into the game, but it wouldn't have all options you made for it suit other people taste.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!"
data/sound/fx/npc/dragon/deathsequence
data/music/special that end in wordofpower_01, wordofpower_02, and wordofpower_03
MQKillDragonScript.pex
My animation is not playing. I can't absorb souls at all. Help!!
Am I a sitting duck during the animation? Will I get eaten by other dragons?
Is this mod compatible with Deadly Dragons?
Why is there a pause between the wind sound and the "Dragon Soul Absorbed"?
MQKillDragonScript
Why does the music get louder/softer all of a sudden?
Why are the pitch and timing of the sounds off? They were perfect before...
Credits to Slothability for the awesome video.The original animation scripts arewith Dragonborn.If you own Dragonborn, download the compatibility scriptsis incompatible with the ritual spell animation because it changes the master destruction spell. All others are fine. Groovtama has a compatibility patch in the works. Download it here as part of his Word Wall Learning More Glorious is incompatible with DSAMG's music. It introduces pitch and speed variation, throwing off the timing/sync of the sequence.A compatibility patch is available under thesection.Contrary to what is portrayed in Skyrim trailers and demos, in game dragon killing is pretty anti-climactic due to an unsatisfying, unemotional dragon soul absorb process. This mod's goal is to infuse some glory into dragon soul absorbing throughandedits.There areversions of gloriousto choose from, all heavily modified snippets from the original soundtrack. Chooseto install.Theis unique in that it features a male dovahkiin victory cry. If you like one of the other musical versions (versions 2 - 5) but also want the victory cry, you can download aadd-on in the optionals section. For now there is onlyoption, which is male. You can also just install the victory cry by itself, without any music.There are alsoto choose from. Number six (sound sources only) is very simple and changes the sound source to prevent distortion of the music as you move about. Install this if you just want music, no animation. The other five make the player perform an animation while absorbing the dragon soul. These include i) Master destruction spell (ritual spell), ii) Greybeard meditation, iii) Ritual skull animation, iv) Ascension animation, and v) Ascension version 2. Chooseto install. As noted above, if you own Dragonborn, you should download compatibility versionsinstead of the ones in the updates section.There are alsoat the moment. One makes the music/victory cry more compatible with/won't play during the Greybeards' Way of the Voice Quest. It includes a sound fx, a script, and an.esp which you must enable. The other patch makes the music in DSAMG compatible with the popular Sound Propagation Overhaul mod, version beta 0.95.Disclaimer: any script has the potential to cause unwanted glitches, crashes, and/or bugs. Please report them in the comments section.Thanks very much and happy dragon killing!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uploaded E3 demo female victory cry, with words version.- Uploaded E3 demo female victory cry, wordless version.- Moved dragonborn patches to a new file to keep things less cluttered. Uploaded compatibility patch for Sound Propagation Overhaul.- Uploaded dragonborn patches for the remaining animations.- Uploaded dragonborn-compatible ritual spell animation patch, alpha release.- Uploaded video of ascension version 2.- Fixed incorrect file path for ascension version 2. Uploaded a Readme with simplified instructions.- Uploaded ascension version 2 script. Has a much smoother ending, in which Dovahkiin descends into a blessing/kneel position.- Reorganized demo videos to "videos" section. Uploaded modified versions of Orchestral Version 1 and Orchestral Version 2 that have the victory melody out-tro removed.- Updated Greybeard meditation animation script to 1.2. Now plays bracing animation after standing up. Sound sources changed back to default (dragon).- Updated ritual spell animation script to 1.2, which has smoother animation ending and changes sound source back to default (dragon). Updated script V to 1.1. Now changes both wind and explosion sound source to the player.- Added Greybeard quest compatibility patch.- Released ascension animation and demo video.- Released ritual skull animation script. Updated Greybeard meditation animation script to remove the sheathe weapon requirement. Added demo video of Greybeard meditation animation.- Released Greybeard meditation animation script.- Uploaded test video of E3 demo version at word wall.- Updated E3 demo version - no victory cry to 1.1.- Renamed victory cry version to E3 demo version. This is in light of future planned releases.- Uploaded experimental female victory cry version (in misc). Uploaded screenshots. Added mirror - Skyrim Forge.- Updated ritual animation script to 1.1. Added stand-alone dovahkiin scream to mix-and-match options. Added victory cry with the dovahkiin scream edited out. Updated trailer version to 1.1. Added demo video.- Released victory cry version. Added script that adds player animation. Added demo video.- Uploaded preview video for victory cry version.- Released trailer version. Released requested script to the change source of wind sound to the player.- Released orchestral v1, orchestral v2, and kevkas' edits of orchestral v1. Uploaded demo videos for the three versions.- Added chanting version.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For more detailed descriptions, read on:- Inspired by the E3 demo video #3 with Todd Howard - The dragon heart beat/explosion sound includes, and- The normal barbarian choir word of power sounds are totally replaced by the- This will affect the Greybeard Quest and the word wall sounds (see patch).Preview shown here:In-game demonstration (with ritual spell animation script):In-game demonstration (with ritual spell animation 1.2 script):In-game demonstration at word walls:- By request, this version is the same as above but without the- The dragon heart beat/explosion sound includesand the- The normal barbarian choir word of power sounds are totally replaced by the- This will affect the Greybeard Quest and the word wall sounds (see patch).In-game demonstration (with ascension version 2 script):- The dragon heart beat/explosion sound includes, and- Female sounds were mixed from Dark Phoenix's sound set from Marvel vs. Capcom 3.- The normal barbarian choir word of power sounds are totally replaced by the- This will affect the Greybeard Quest and the word wall sounds (see patch).In-game demonstration (with ritual spell animation 1.2 script):- The dragon heart beat/explosion sound includes, and- Female sounds were mixed from - Female sounds were mixed from Dark Phoenix's sound set from Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and the male Bethesda victory cry.- The normal barbarian choir word of power sounds are totally replaced by the- This will affect the Greybeard Quest and the word wall sounds (see patch).In-game demonstration (with ritual spell animation 1.2 script):- Inspired by the pre-release trailer - The wind sound is edited to include- The normal barbarian choir word of power sounds are totally replaced by the- This will affect the Greybeard Quest and the word wall sounds (see patch).In-game demonstration:In-game demonstration (with Greybeard meditation animation script):In-game demonstration (with Dragonbron compatible Ritual skull animation script):- The wind sound is edited to include the- This is followed by the normal barbarian choir/word of power sounds.- After this subsides,and thetake over, ending in drum beats.- This will affect the Greybeard Quest, but will not change word wall sounds (see patch).In-game demonstration (old version):In-game demonstration (new version + ascension animation script):- Custom version by community member kevkas that is basically the same as orchestral version 1, but there are gentler transitions between segments.- Theis also delayed a bit and theare quieter.- Like orchestral version 1, this will affect the Greybeard Quest, but will not change word wall sounds (see patch).- By request, this version is the same aswithout theandout-tro- The wind sound is edited to include the- This is followed by the normal barbarian choir/word of power sounds.- This will affect the Greybeard Quest, but will not change word wall sounds (see patch).- The wind sound is edited to include asung by the choir.- This is followed by the normal barbarian choir/word of power sounds.- After this subsides,and thetake over, ending in drum beats.- This will affect the Greybeard Quest, but will not change word wall sounds (see patch).- By request, this version is the same as above but without theandout-tro- The wind sound is edited to include asung by the choir.- This is followed by the normal barbarian choir/word of power sounds.- This will affect the Greybeard Quest, but will not change word wall sounds (see patch).- The wind sound is edited to includethat you would hear faintly as you approach a word wall.- This is a very subtle change, as it was my very first version and I wanted to start conservatively.- Personally, I wouldn't recommend it given the newer, more ambitious versions available.- This will affect the Greybeard Quest, but will not change word wall sounds (see patch).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------These are optional. Any mod that altersis incompatible. Chooseto install.I. RITUAL SPELL ANIMATION SCRIPTis edited to have the player automatically perform the master destruction spell (ritual spell) animation.- The player will not have control during the animation, but will be invulnerable to damage.- Made specifically for, but compatible with. See demo video underdescription.- animation ends with player returning to default stance rather than casting a spell down at the ground. Wind and explosion sound sources changed back to the dragon to fix volume issues.II. GREYBEARD MEDITATION ANIMATION SCRIPTis edited to have the player automatically perform the Greybeard meditation idle animation.- Upper limb position will randomly alternate between hands on hips, palms up, or hands folded in front (see screenshots).- The player will not have control during the animation, but will be invulnerable to damage.- Made specifically for, but compatible with. See demo video underdescription.- meditation is followed by the bracing animation (braced pain). Wind and explosion sound sources changed back to the dragon to fix volume issues.III. RITUAL SKULL ANIMATION SCRIPTis edited to have the player automatically perform the ritual skull idle animation (see image below for sequence).- The player will not have control during the animation, but will be invulnerable to damage.- The wind sound and explosion sound source are changed from the dragon to the player so that turning or moving will not distort the sounds.- Made specifically for, but compatible withIV. ASCENSION ANIMATION SCRIPTis edited to have the player automatically perform the ascension animation (T02ascendfemale).- The player will not have control during the animation, but will be invulnerable to damage.- The wind sound and explosion sound source are changed from the dragon to the player so that turning or moving will not distort the sounds.- Compatible with. See demo video underdescription.V. ASCENSION VERSION 2 SCRIPTis edited to have the player automatically perform the ascension animation (T02ascendfemale).- The player then descends and kneels for several seconds (blessingkneel) before arising.- The player will not have control during the animation, but will be invulnerable to damage.- Wind and explosion sound sources changed back to the dragon to fix volume issues.- Compatible with- See demo video underdescription.VI. SOUND SOURCES ONLY SCRIPTis edited to have the player as the source of the wind sound and explosion sounds, and not the dragon, so that turning or moving away from the dragon does not distort the music. Does not add any animation.- Compatible with. Use if you want music/victory cry without any animation.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The male dovahkiin victory cry is part of the. However, if you like the victory cry but not the E3 demo version you can download a stand-alone victory cry sound file, which may be combined with any one of the other choices of music that edit the wind sound. These include:, or. You can also have the victory cry without any music. The choice is yours!A. MALE VICTORY CRY (BETHESDA)- The dragon heartbeat/explosion sound includes a recording of the male dovahkiin victory cry seen at the end of the E3 demo video #3 with Todd Howard - Unfortunately Bethesda decided not to include the original sound file, so this is a recording that has been heavily edited to remove as much background noise as possible.B. FEMALE VICTORY CRY (VOICE ACTED) - CANCELLED- Unfortunately the voice actress who I had been collaborating with was too busy for the project. Please pm me if you are interested in recording a female victory cry.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i. GREYBEARD QUEST - WAY OF THE VOICE- During the main quest the Greybeards impart their knowledge of the Thuum to you. These sequences use the same sounds as used in the dragon soul absorb process. Hence, they are altered by all of the musical versions in this mod. Some may not care too much, but personally I find that the music is not appropriate for the scene.- I have put together a "patch" that fixes much of the Greybeard sequence. It includes the two original sound filesandwith slightly altered names and a revised script,that draws on these sounds instead. Naturally, every sound requires a Sound Descriptor and Sound Marker, so there is a anfile as well that must be activated in the- This patch will totally fix the Greybeard sequence for, and- It will fix the intro forandbut you will still hear whatever sound replaces the word of power. That has not been fixed. However, imo the sounds that replace the word of power in thefit very well and may even be preferable to the original sounds.- You will find the patch under the misc section.ii. SOUND PROPAGATION OVERHAUL- This awesome mod changes certain variables to enhance the realism of transmitted sounds all across Skyrim.- Unfortunately, changes made toandalter the speed and pitch of those sounds, causing the music in this mod not to be in sync or to be out of tune.- I have provided a replacement.esp for Sound Propagation Overhaul version 0.95 beta that changes certain values for these sounds back to normal.For all future versions of SPPO, this is what you need to do to make the compatibility patch.1. Open NPCDragonDeathSequenceWind and NPCDragonDeathSequenceExplosion under sound descriptors.2. Change the above circled values to zero.3. Save and enable.esp.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Some user comments:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manual - extract using Winzip or WinRar and copy/paste the data folder to your Skyrim directory. The sound, music, and script folders may prompt you to overwrite files already there. Click Yes.- NMM - download with NMM. Double click to install. You may get an error saying "file does not exist". That seems to happen with quite a few mods on Nexus. In that case, either try downloading a bit later when the servers are less busy or install manually.- Play testing - easiest way is to spawn a dragon using the console:Push ~ (tilde key), then typeplayer.placeatme EAFB4 1- Manual - delete the sound files inand the three files in. Also delete the file in data/scripts entitled, if you installed that.- NMM - click the uninstall button.Note - if you are encountering bugs, please provide the following information:* What the bug is, when it occurs, what seems to make it go away, etc.* What version of music you are using* What version of script you are using* Any other dragon-related mods you have installed---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Do you have the Dragonborn DLC installed? If so, you need to download the scripts from the DSAMG Dragonborn compatibility module. It is found in a separate file (see top of page). If that doesn't solve the problem, make sure that you have the Unofficial Skyrim Patch and Unofficial Dragonborn Patch installed. Dragonborn patch must be AFTER the Skyrim patch in your load order.No! During the animation the command ToggleGodMode (tgm) is turned on. It's the one you use to cheat, which makes you totally immune to damage and have infinite magicka and stamina. It is turned off immediately after the animation ceases. Therefore, you will not get killed during the animation. That said, if you are surrounded by enemies and suddenly TGM is toggled off, you will likely get spam killed after it's finished.Technically yes. Deadly Dragons does not edit the same script that DSAMG does, so it should be compatible. Music will be 100% compatible because it does not rely on scripts. Animations should be compatible also. The one caveat to that is Deadly Dragons tends to add encounters with multiple dragons. If you are fighting more than one dragon simultaneously, there may be asynchrony in the absorb process, meaning disruptions to the music, music not lining up with animations, and a delay in the message "Dragon Soul Absorbed" appearing. This is due to the sheer number of scripts running at the same time and also depends on your hardware capabilities.If you experience pauses or delays between the music and/or animation and things seemed not synchronized, likely you have too many scripts running that are overwhelming your system. The mod was designed so that transitions would be totally smooth, not even noticeable at all, but having too many scripts or other mods that are resource taxing will mean that my script,, runs slower. Try uninstalling one or two resource intensive mods to see if that corrects the asynchrony.The sound files were put together with the assumption that music and sound effects would be played at the same volume. If you have your music and sound effects at different volumes, there may be a noticeable difference in volume between parts of the absorb music. It's a simple fix - merely open up the game options in the in-game menu and make those levels the same.Players with DSAMG music installed who use the mod Sound Propagation Overhaul can expect to have the music sound off. SPO changed several parameters, such as pitch variability, volume, and distortion in order to make sounds more realistic. I have uploaded a compatibility patch, which you can find in the miscellaneous section. Replace SPO's.esp with the one provided. This works for SPO version 0.95 beta. For future versions of the mod, I may/may not release a patch. It's really simple to patch yourself, as long as you have CK. There's a tutorial in one of the patch section.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Making a female version of victory cry (cancelled, open recruitment).- All-in-one installer (in progress).- Absorb animation for vampire lords and werewolves (????).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gloomfrost for the original idea.- BsA Unpacker program.- Audacity sound editing software.- kevkas for contributing alternate version.- Groovtama for help with scripting.- Jeremy Soule and Bethesda, for making an amazing, enthralling game worthy of epic mods.Feel free to submit suggestions and requests in the comments section.The mod is intended for personal use only - please do not re-upload it to other sites or include it any of your own uploaded mods without explicit permission.The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, a master of social media, has started a new Instagram meme: hold up your leg and pretend you're aiming it like a gun.
It's unclear what the controversial artist is trying to say with the gag, but his Instagram feed has now been taken over by dozens of leg gun photos from fans. Men, women, children, dolls, Chinese, Americans, Kermit the Frog, and even one amputee with a prosthetic have joined in on the game.
The meme has gotten more creative. In one photo taken in profile, friends line up their leg guns and aim over each other's shoulders while sitting on a set of stairs. In another, a man in a gas mask sits at a computer and aims his leg gun at a picture of Mickey Mouse.
The move appears to have come from a Communist-era ballet, based on a photo noticed by Quartz. The caption on the first post translates as "Beijing anti-terrorism series," according to The Guardian. It may be a comment on the recent Tiananmen Square anniversary, school shootings in the US, the World Cup, or a general protest of the Chinese government, according to various commentators. Or it might just be for fun.If the federal government shuts down in just a week's time, D.C. could very well end up festering in its own trash. Numerous city and federal agencies would close; so would libraries and recreation centers.
But what about the new baby panda at the National Zoo? What will happen to her?
While the National Zoo would be closed to the public, the unnamed baby panda will be fine, according to Linda St.Thomas, chief spokesperson at the Smithsonian Institution. (The cub is still being fed by her mom, Mei Xiang, so that's free.)
"We will have staff there for the vets and the keepers and nutrition people. Everything they need for the proper care of the animals," St. Thomas says.
The future of the live Giant Panda Cam that has allowed the public to obsessively track Mei Xiang's pregnancy, her labor, and the first weeks of her cub's life, however, is not so secure.
St. Thomas says the Panda Cam is run by volunteers and that the people in charge of what stays and what goes amid a government shutdown have not made an official determination on the matter. "They have not decided on the Panda Cam," she says.
Worried about your regular workday panda fixes? That YouTube video of the baby panda sneezing may just have to keep you going.
Photo of Mei Xiang and her first cub courtesy of the National ZooWomen around the world have made rapid advances in politics over the past two decades, gaining election as prime ministers, presidents, chancellors, members of parliament, and other high offices. Although India has had a female prime minister, Indira Gandhi, few other women have made inroads into the corridors of power.
On Monday, a popular Indian television soap opera actress announced her candidacy for a parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh state as a member of the right-wing opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where she will directly challenge Congress Party scion, Rahul Gandhi. But Smriti Irani, 38, a glamorous former model, beauty queen and television producer perhaps best known as star of the TV soap opera "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" ("Because a mother-in-law was once a daughter-in-law, too"), faces a difficult struggle to win -- not only does she have to battle the powerful Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty of Congress, but also another political reality of India: high government positions are almost entirely dominated by men.
Indeed, India has very few women in positions of political power. Consequently, various women's rights groups in the country are demanding that upcoming parliamentary elections serve as a launch pad for upgrading the status of women and, more specifically, that New Delhi pass laws to facilitate the entry of more females into office. In the current Lok Sabha (the lower house of parliament), women hold only about 11.4 percent of all seats, while the Rajya Sabha (upper house) has an eerily similar 11.4 percent female representation. To put these figures in perspective, consider that in neighboring conservative Islamic nations like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh -- which are considered less-democratic states – females account for 28, 21 and 20 percent of MPs, respectively, according to Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU),
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then they run in perpetual motion from that point forward with no care and feeding involved," adds Chris Brady, CIO at NextGear Capital, an inventory finance provider for used-car dealers whose 75 branches serve 9,000 dealerships.
There's this misconception that you stand up your servers and then they run in perpetual motion from that point forward with no care and feeding involved. Chris Brady, CIO, NextGear Capital
That misconception is easy to understand. Corporate executives may think enterprise IT systems are like home computers: You set them up and they keep running with little or no intervention as long as security updates and patches are set to automatically download. It's hard to argue with the logic that servers costing $50,000 or more should have at least the same capabilities as the $1,000 Macs or PCs sitting on their desks at home.
The same goes for the functions they're accustomed to using easily in the cloud, such as email across many different devices. "A lot of IT teams for the past 10 years have been supporting Microsoft products," Vitale says. "Then -- boom! -- overnight this executive has an iPad and wants it to work on the network. People are getting rid of BlackBerries and want to use Android or iOS devices. It sounds easy to them, but it's not. They just expect it to work, and if it doesn't, there's a good deal of anger."
Indeed, IT often goes unappreciated unless and until something fails to work as expected. "I've seen a lot of companies where business units can overrule IT," Vitale says. That philosophy holds, he says, unless an important tech function fails. "Then they're waiting for the IT team to swoop in and save the day. It's the most thankless job in the world right up until something goes wrong."
But while it may be tempting to deliberately break something or allow it to fail so as to gain the recognition that comes with fixing a business-impacting problem, deliberately doing your job badly will not be beneficial to your department, your employer or your career. And there are better ways to get IT's value across to top executives, even when things are running smoothly.Tucked away behind a registration wall, Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter has heard from what he claims to be a reputable source that the upcoming Sony console—the PlayStation 4—is "essentially a PC" in terms of its technological make-up.
He writes that Sony and AMD are collaborating on the console's CPU, moving away from the PS3's Cell architecture to an x86 processor for the new console. He cites the Vita's architecture as a fundamental shift in the company's manufacturing of consoles.
"It's not about exotic, groundbreaking hardware anymore, it's all about creating the best possible games machine with an enviable set of development tools – and it's an approach that has already yielded results," he wrote. "While PlayStation Vita may lack a stand-out killer app, I still think that it's set the bar in terms of overall quality and quantity over and above any console launch I've seen in over 21 years in the business. Extrapolating that same philosophy towards PlayStation 4 makes a PC-style approach to Sony's next console seem very likely indeed."
For the doubters, it means the PlayStation 4 is pulling out all the stops with AMD and ATI integrated graphics. That architecture gives them a lot of mileage and room for more memory and better bandwidth, as there’s no bottleneck between the CPU and the graphics processor.
More information about Sony's new console is expected to be revealed at the upcoming E3 2012 in June.Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier thinks it’s time Canada stopped sending international aid to help with job training and infrastructure development in developing countries.
“Canada has to show solidarity and do its part,” he said in a foreign policy announcement Wednesday. “However, every year we spend millions of dollars funding job training, technology and infrastructure programs to help develop other countries’ economies. We will phase out these development aids for which there is no moral or economic efficiency argument.”
Bernier, widely seen as one of the frontrunners in the campaign to lead the party, came under fire Tuesday night at the French-language debate over his pledges to end supply management and corporate welfare.
While he said he supports giving Indigenous Canadians equal access to government services, he also said the government “can’t always send billions to solve problems.”
He echoed that sentiment in his press conference Wednesday, saying some First Nations in Canada have levels of infrastructure and services poor enough to compare to the developing world — and that Canada should not be sending money abroad for things like job training and infrastructure development when there are such basic inequities at home.
As well, Bernier slammed the move to pull Canadian fighter jets out of the combat mission in Iraq and Syria against ISIS in February 2016 and criticized the United Nations, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed to working with more closely.
“We are not going to try and please the foreign affairs establishment and the United Nations, a dysfunctional organization which for years has disproportionately focused its activities on condemning Israel as if it were the source of most conflicts in the world,” he said.
Bernier also weighed in on the decision of businessman Kevin O’Leary to enter the Conservative leadership race Wednesday morning, less than 12 hours after he skipped the French-language debate.
Several of the leadership candidates struggle with French — including Deepak Obhrai, Kellie Leitch, Brad Trost, Lisa Raitt and Erin O’Toole — and O’Leary has admitted he did not see the point in taking part in the debate when he can’t speak the language.
Bernier said the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada must be able to converse with all Canadians, not just anglos — but he stopped short of suggesting O’Leary should be disqualified on that basis.
“We need to have a leader who can speak to Canadians in every corner of this country,” he said. “We’ll see what the members say.”
Conservative leadership candidates will take part in their fourth debate on February 28 in Edmonton, and the winner will be announced on May 27.A genetic analysis of pubic lice suggests the parasites were transferred between early humans and gorillas about 3.3 million years ago.
Researchers say the findings suggest close contact between our ancestors and gorillas. But they claim it is far more likely that early humans caught the lice from sleeping in abandoned gorilla nests than from having sex with gorillas.
Pubic lice – also known as crabs – can leave irritating spots on the skin when they feed on the blood of their hosts. The parasites lack wings and cannot jump like fleas, so they remain stuck on a host until they come into close contact with another individual. Each species of pubic lice thrives on only one host species.
In the first part of the new study, scientists collected Pthirus gorillae lice from primates in Ugandan wildlife sanctuaries. David Reed of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, US and collaborators then analysed the DNA of these parasites and compared the gene mutations with those seen in the Pthirus pubis lice, which can live in the pubic hairs of modern-day humans.
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Close encounters
Humans and gorillas are thought to have last shared a common ancestor 7 to 9 million years ago. Reed says that because gene mutations accumulate over time in both lice species, he expected substantial differences between them. But the DNA analysis revealed the genes of Pthirus gorillae and Pthirus pubis were surprisingly similar.
The small number of genetic differences suggest the lice transferred between gorilla and early humans as recently as 3.3 million years ago. According to Reed, this suggests that early humans and gorillas made close contact, though he “seriously doubts” that pubic lice transferred between the two during sex.
Instead, he suspects that early humans might have picked up pubic lice from scavenging on gorilla corpses or sleeping in the abandoned sleeping nests of gorillas. Pubic lice can live for up to 24 hours once removed from their host. But he acknowledges: “I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to know for certain which hypothesis is correct.”
Journal reference: BMC Biology (DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-5-7)The Wild has traded Greg Zanon, 31, to the Boston Bruins for defenseman Steve Kampfer.
Kampfer, 23, who hails from Michigan and went to Michigan, spent most this season in Providence. He has five goals and seven assists in 48 Bruins games. He is a puck-moving guy, too.
In 202 games with Minnesota since signing as a free agent three years ago, Zanon, 31, had four goals, 24 assists and was minus-17. He's a gutsy shot blocker and, as I mentioned the last few days, the type of gritty defenseman that playoff contenders often seek as a rental.
Zanon was popular his first year for throwing his body in front of everything, but he quickly fell out of favor with the Wild this year and spent seven games in the press box. His speed seemed to be an issue this year and his defensive gap has often been a subject of scrutiny.
There was zero chance the Wild was going to re-sign him. I will try to find out more about Kampfer.
More later.by
A kudo to President Obama. But just one.
If he manages to pull off an agreement with Iran on limiting that country’s nuclear fuel enrichment program in the fact of determined resistance from Republicans, Neocons, the Israel Lobby and the warmongers in both the GOP and his own Democratic Party, he will have finally earned at least some small portion of the gold in his Nobel Peace medallion.
We could reasonably ask why he thinks it’s cool to negotiate with the “Axis of Evil” nation of Iran over the nuclear issue, but not with Russia over Ukraine. After all, Iran doesn’t even have a nuclear weapon, and on the evidence, isn’t trying to build one, so these negotiations aren’t really even preventing a nuclear war; they’re just calming the nerves of some trigger happy paranoids in Israel and Washington. But Russia does have nuclear weapons, and has made it clear that if the US pushes too hard at putting NATO weapons and forces near the Russian border, or if it tries to undo the annexation of Crimea, it will use them. Shouldn’t that kind of thing call for cool-headed negotiation, instead of aggressive moves like sending offensive armaments to Kiev?
But then we have some other issues too.
If Obama really wants an agreement with Iran on limiting its nuclear fuel enrichment program, why is he being so hard-assed about ending the grinding sanctions that have been imposed on the country? I mean a deal’s a deal. If one side gives you want you want, you have to give something in return. You can’t say, okay you stop enriching uranium, dilute the stuff that you already enriched to 20%, back down to 3.5%, and shut down most of your centrifuges so you can’t make much anymore. But we’re not going to end sanctions until you have done this for a while so we know you mean it.
That’s double dealing, and hardly conducive to building a new relationship with a country that has good reason to doubt your own sincerity (after all, the US corporate media in reporting on this story never mention it, but Iranian antipathy towards the US didn’t begin with the overthrow of America’s puppet, the Shah of Iran. It began in the 1950s with a coup orchestrated by the CIA and British intelligence which overthrew Iran’s secular elected government — a catastrophe from which Iran has never recovered.
In fact, as part of the deal Iran probably should have insisted on an apology for that outrage, along with a promise to never again meddle in Iran’s internal politics.
Instead we have this rather bullying agreement in which a weakened Iran, faced with both tough US-led economic sanctions and a brutally low world price for oil (also allegedly orchestrated by the US and its puppet state Saudi Arabia), has agreed to severely reduce its nuclear refining capability, receiving little but promises of future lifting of sanctions in return.
The other thing, though, is this rhetoric from our Peace Laureate president threatening that if Iran doesn’t agree to the negotiated terms of this pact (and the ruling imams of the Guardian Council still have to give it their okay), it will mean war.
Where does he get off making that kind of threat? Iran, it should be made clear, is not doing anything illegal. It is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and as such, allows inspections of its nuclear processing facilities as well as its nuclear power plant. This is in stark contrast to Israel, a country known to possess hundreds of nuclear weapons, though it won’t admit this, and which is not a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Pact. Indeed, Israel allows no inspections of its own nuclear facilities, including the Dimona Reactor where it makes plutonium for more bombs. Iran has no bombs, and isn’t making any, yet it is threatened with war if it won’t agree not to do something it already is not doing, and if it won’t stop doing something it has every legal right to do– namely to refine nuclear fuel, as many countries, from Japan and Taiwan to Brazil and Germany do all the time with nobody making a fuss about it.
Let’s be clear here. Making a threat to attack a country that does not pose an imminent threat — and since Iran a) has no nuclear bomb and b) is known not to have a bomb-making program (something even the CIA confirms) it is no imminent threat — is a war crime under the UN Charter, to which the US is a signatory. It is one of the so-called Crimes Against Peace, which since the Nuremberg Tribunal have been called the greatest of all war crimes, since all other war crimes like the murder of civilians or torture derive from.
That is to say that even as Obama finally makes one move in line with the hoped for promise of the Nobel Committee in awarding him a Peace Price before he had done anything at the start of his first term, he is grievously mocking them and the award they gave him by committing the worst kind of war crime.
This should not surprise us. President Obama has become one of the the great war-mongers of our history, presiding over an illegal war against Libya, another against Somalia, a third against Syria and now a fourth against Yemen. He is pressing towards war against Russia by moving US forces up close to the Russian Border in Estonia, Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe while imposing sanctions on Russia that are expressly aimed at “regime change” targeting President Vladimir Putin. He has more recently absurdly labeled Venezuela a “national security threat” to the US, earning the enmity of almost the entire Latin American region, save only the US puppet state of Panama. He has continued to have US forces occupy Afghanistan, where they maintain a pro-US puppet regime in power. And of course he persists in personally overseeing a drone war campaign against myriad nations — all of it illegal — and in terms the numbers of its civilian victim slaughter, an ongoing warcrime of immense proportions.
So for the sake of Iran and humanity, one small cheer for the tentative agreement reached with Iran to limit their nuclear program. Let’s all hope that the agreement survives death by a thousand cuts in both Tehran and Washington.
But let’s not go overboard in praising the president, who remains an insult to the Nobel Peace Price, a bloody killer of innocent men, women and children, and a blight on America’s reputation around the world.
Dave Lindorff is a founding member of ThisCantBeHappening!, an online newspaper collective, and is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press) and author of Killing Time: an Investigation Into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu Jamal.Fox News host Tucker Carlson invited a transgender woman onto his show Friday night ― and proceeded to insinuate that trans people are “faking” their identities to access federal funds.
Lawyer Jillian Weiss, a transgender woman, appeared on the Friday edition of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to discuss the Trump administration’s rescission of an Obama-era directive that ensured trans students could use the restroom corresponding with their gender identity in public schools.
What she was met with instead were claims by Carlson that people could masquerade as transgender to get access to gender-specific restrooms, as well as insinuations that trans people are “faking” their gender identities to get access to the federal government’s “$11 billion [spent] every year on sex specific programs.”
“I believe, for whatever it’s worth, for and politeness and decency and I’m not making people uncomfortable, especially children, I have four,” Carlson said. “But I also believe in honesty. So I want to get exactly what this means, I’m a 47-year-old man, I think that’s pretty obvious. If I were to decide tomorrow if I were a 47-year-old woman, should I be allowed to go shower and women’s locker room?”
The Fox News host then spent the rest of the segment lampooning Weiss into a corner about legal “standards” of what constitutes a man and what constitutes a woman, reinforcing a binary notion of gender already invalidated through the existence of people who are born intersex.
Carlson’s concerns seem to be more monetary than humanistic, trying to nail down legal standards that don’t yet exist because protections for trans people are not yet enshrined into American law in the midst of this ongoing civil rights battle.
On March 28, the Supreme Court is due to hear a case surrounding the rights of transgender Americans. The fight of 17-year-old Gavin Grimm to use the bathroom that corresponds with his gender identity is at the heart of this case, and the results will likely have profound, long-standing implications for the transgender community on a federal level.
Read more about the upcoming case here ― and thank you for standing strong, Jillian.The Psych Army collective is an outlet for psychedelic culture in the form of recurring cult like rituals that advance underexposed psychedelic music and art. The ritual of Free Acid gives deejays, musicians and other artistic visionaries a place to create and experience an art form born out of abstract thought and the desire to communicate the unknown. Bands and artists, from psych rock to psych hip hop, have performed since its inception and will continue to do so. The ritual is free, so anyone can join the loosely organized army and create new works of art. Another ritual known as The Left Field Experiment, was created for producers, deejays, and emcees to gather and create live psychedelic hip hop and electronic music. Resident members are located in and around the Atlanta area and many play on a regular basis.
As our movement continues to progress, we would like to present this art form to the world through digital recordings, vinyl records, tapes, and CDs, as well as continue to build Free Acid and The Left Field Experiment with larger events and more national and international talent.
In order for us to to grow as a record label and artistic ritual series we must enlarge our numbers and amplify our resources. Although the Psych Army was born out of an already thriving psychedelic art scene, we are always trying to induct new members to help spread the gospel. In addition to new members (you), we also need your resources in the form of printed monetary exchange coupons, sometimes referred to as money. With these resources we will release The Difference Machine LP, the deadCAT LP, a split 7" from Soft Opening and The N.E.C., and an Al Lover 7". We will also hire a PR company to help promote the records and print t-shirts, buttons, patches, stickers, and posters to advance the cause.
You might be wondering, can I join the Psych Army? Or, how can I support this amazing cause? Well, lucky for you friend, you can do both. If you donate, you not only support our cause, you get rewards like records, stickers, posters, patches, buttons, mp3s, concert tickets, t-shirts, gourmet feasts, concerts in your town, visual art, and more stuff to be added as the campaign goes on. The more you give, the more you get. Also, if you would rather support with your time and effort, please contact our website for a list of opportunities.
Thanks in advance for your support. We cannot do this without the whole army from throughout the galaxies across the universe.
Check out the bands:
The Difference Machine - Atlanta, GA
http://thedifferencemachine.bandcamp.com/
http://telly.com/YTHKJ
http://www.facebook.com/TheDifferenceMachine
The NEC - Atlanta, GA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptgH7mdFvwA
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NEC/20167392152?ref=ts&fref=ts
Soft Opening - Asheville, NC
http://softopening.bandcamp.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQB2YOazOPo
http://www.facebook.com/pages/soft-opening/188760638106?ref=ts&fref=ts
deadCAT - Atlanta, GA - http://deadcat.bandcamp.com/album/furniture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8guvMyRgS-E
http://www.facebook.com/deadCATdeadCAT?ref=ts&fref=ts
Al Lover - San Francisco, CA
http://allover.bandcamp.com/
http://allover.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-hippies-cheapdrugsfreelove
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Al-Lover/136850922995107?ref=ts&fref=ts
Video Credits:
Shot by Tim Reis (Peters Jefrey)
Lighting by Michael Bremer (Peters Jefrey)
Edited by J. Smiley
Audio by Michael Mosca (Headspace Sound)
Smoke by Johnny and BrittAllegations of perjury and making false statements by San Diego police officers have emerged in separate lawsuits filed by a lieutenant and a detective who claim they’ve been retaliated against for speaking out about misconduct.
One of the lawsuits includes sworn testimony from two department employees that is diametrically opposed. The discrepancies generated an internal investigation that appears to be ongoing.
The other complaint sparked a pair of subpoenas for additional records sought by the plaintiffs’ lawyer. The City Attorney’s Office wants to quash the subpoenas, and a hearing on that is scheduled next month.
Attorney Dan Gilleon filed both cases against the city and numerous police officials.
“Without a doubt, the San Diego Police Department does not tolerate officers who cross the thin blue line,” Gilleon said. “They absolutely punish anyone who has the courage and ethics to speak out against wrongdoing, and even criminal acts.”
Police officials would not discuss the allegations, but a spokesman issued a statement saying the department has strict rules against perjury or other legal violations.
“The San Diego Police Department does not tolerate employee misconduct at any level,” police Lt. Scott Wahl wrote. “We have a mandatory reporting policy, requiring immediate action should any member become aware of misconduct.”
A spokesman for City Attorney Mara Elliott issued a statement defending the city’s attempt to withhold records sought by one of the plaintiffs.
“It is appropriate for the court to quash the subpoenas because they seek information that has no relevance to the claims in the case,” the statement said.
The older of the two retaliation lawsuits was filed by police Detective Dana Hoover in 2014.
Hoover claimed she was harassed and transferred from her job in the homicide unit after she wrote an email to her supervisors outlining a series of issues within the department.
One of the most serious allegations involved what she called “false statements” another detective made as a witness during a murder trial almost three years ago.
According to Hoover, Detective Steve McDonald did not testify truthfully when he told the jury that the defendant had been picked out of a lineup.
McDonald “testified that the witness identified the suspect at the conclusion of the interview,” Hoover wrote in the email to her bosses. “That was not true. The witness did not identify the suspect, at all.”
Hoover was referring to a criminal case against Aron Franklin, a suspected gang member accused of shooting a 20-year-old man in Lincoln Park in January 2014.
Handwritten lineup notes included in the court record state: “It’s none of them. Number five is the only one that looks almost like the subject, but no. No one is the suspect.”
According to Hoover’s email to three police officials and a top city prosecutor, the defense attorney noted the discrepancy under cross-examination but Franklin was convicted anyway.
The District Attorney’s Office, which was served with one of the subpoenas San Diego city lawyers are trying to quash, said there is no reason to reopen the case against Franklin in light of Hoover’s allegations.
“People v. Franklin was appealed and the conviction was affirmed on appeal,” spokesman Steve Walker said in an email.
The lineup testimony was not cited as grounds for the appeal, according to the appellate court ruling handed down last year.
Franklin’s lawyers had challenged his conviction on a count of receiving stolen property and a gang-enhancement finding. Judges rejected both arguments.
Walker said the District Attorney’s Office could not comment on the motion by Hoover’s lawyers to subpoena additional records because of the pending lawsuit.
The second apparent case of perjury is more recent. It came up in a November deposition taken as part of an unrelated retaliation lawsuit filed by police Lt. Natalie Stone last year.
Stone sued the city, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman and Assistant Chief Sarah Creighton after reporting bullying by her supervisor at the training division, Capt. Brian Ahearn.
The suit alleges that Stone was demoted and denied promotions after filing the complaint, which accused Ahearn of abusive behavior and creating a hostile work environment.
Among other actions, Ahearn was prone to “loud outbursts, yelling, pounding his hands and fists on the desk and flailing hand gestures,” the complaint said.
As part of the litigation, Ahearn and Officer Kenneth Kries filed sworn declarations that address an incident between the two men at the training academy in July 2015.
Kries said under oath that Ahearn used both hands to push him in the chest. “I was shocked and embarrassed” by the encounter but unharmed, he wrote under penalty of perjury.
Ahearn said under oath that the two men were merely demonstrating a control tactic known as the Orcutt Police Nunchaku.
“Kries took a hold of both of my arms to demonstrate,” he wrote under penalty of perjury. “Kries and I demonstrated grabbing techniques on each other. Kries leaned into me and we ended the physical contact with pats on the back as a player and coach would do.”
Ahearn wrote that he was subsequently contacted by a lieutenant, who informed him that “Kries had reported that I had pushed him.”
“Given the allegations, I advised (the lieutenant) that he needed to brief Asst. Chief Creighton,” he wrote.
In a deposition last month, Creighton acknowledged that as an acting chief she was concerned that an officer or one of her police captains had lied under oath.
“I wanted a completely independent investigation,” she said.
When asked what she was going to do to find out who perjured themselves, the city attorney intervened in the deposition and instructed Creighton not to respond.
The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement works to improve police practices across the country. President Brian Corr said it is important that police and sheriff’s departments adopt and maintain clear policies that protect whistle-blowers from retaliation.
“Any situation where there is real or perceived retaliation against whistle-blowers can be very corrosive to relationships between police departments and the communities they serve, as we saw in the LAPD Rampart scandal,” Corr said.
He also said it is important for law enforcement agencies to create citizen review boards that are given the authority and disciplinary information they need to exercise independent oversight.In 2015, archaeologists discovered an intact tomb of a Mycenean warrior or priest later dubbed the “Griffin Warrior” in an olive grove near Pylos, Greece, dating to around 1450 B.C. It was an incredible find, with the researchers recovering gold and silver cups, weapons and armor, and 50 gold and gemstone seals engraved with intricate images. Now, reports Nicholas Wade at The New York Times, researchers have fully analyzed one of those agate seals and have found that it is on par with the greatest artworks of the ancient world.
But unlike ancient Greek sculpture or Roman mosaics, the seal might be hard to see without a magnifying glass. The engraved image is less than an inch and a half long, but includes an incredibly detailed scene of a warrior slaying two enemies. The seal has been named the Pylos Combat Agate.
“The stunning combat scene on the seal stone, one of the greatest masterpieces of Aegean art, bears comparison with some of the drawings in the Michelangelo show now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Malcolm H. Wiener, an expert on Aegean prehistory and a trustee emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum, tells Wade.
According to a press release, when archaeologists from the University of Cincinnati first found the agate, which was encrusted with dirt and grime, they did not recognizes its significance. It wasn’t until they began removing the layer of limestone on the agate that they saw the intricate image. “Looking at the image for the first time was a very moving experience, and it still is,” says Shari Stocker, one of the dig leaders and a research associate in University of Cincinnati's department of classics. "It's brought some people to tears."
How the stone was carved is something of a mystery. Some details are only half-a-millimeter in size and would have required the use of some sort of magnifying device to get the elements right. However, no such equipment has been found in the ancient Greek world, Wade of the Times reports.
The sealstone was likely designed to be mounted on a band and worn on the wrist. In fact, the victorious warrior on the stone is depicted wearing his own seal stone. For those wondering if the warrior image is from some early version of Greek epics like the Iliad or the Odyssey, the researchers say there is no real way to connect the two, especially since Homer’s works were written down around 700 B.C. It’s possible that the oral tradition behind the works stretches back to the time of the Griffin Warrior, but there is no evidence.
What the intricate seal does do, however, is build on what scholars know about the relationship between the ancient Mycenaeans, who lived mostly on the Peloponnese Peninsula on mainland Greece, and the Minoans, a culture that lived on Crete and likely created the Pylos Combat Agate. The Minoans were like the ancient Greeks of the ancient Greek world—they were miles ahead of other cultures in the region and developed sophisticated concepts of art, architecture, religion and thought that would heavily influence the rest of the Greek world. While archaeologists believed the Mycenaeans plundered the Minoans, absorbing many of their cultural ideas, the Griffin Warrior has challenged some of those assumptions, showing that there was an exchange of ideas between the Mycenaeans and Minoans, and that the mainlanders respected Minoan culture and used their iconography and art—like the Pylos Combat Agate—as symbols of political power.
The agate also shows just how advanced the Minoans were. “It seems that the Minoans were producing art of the sort that no one ever imagined they were capable of producing,” Jack Davis, head of the University of Cincinnati’s archaeology department, says in the press release. “It shows that their ability and interest in representational art, particularly movement and human anatomy, is beyond what it was imagined to be. Combined with the stylized features, that itself is just extraordinary.”
The Pylos agate may not be the only treasure from the tomb to rewrite early Greek history, either. The archaeologists have catalogued 3,000 objects from the tomb, many of which have not yet been cleaned or restored.During his Wednesday appearance on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,’ President Obama made three factual gaffes; one of them involved the claim that cities not found along the Gulf of Mexico are. Were Obama a Republican, these gaffes would have led news coverage for the next forty-eight hours. Not only did most of the media ignore or downplay these gaffes; the Associated Press went so far as to cover one of them up.
In its coverage Thursday, rather than point out the president’s geographical error, the wire service made it look as though no error was made. Here is how the AP memory-holed the gaffe:
If we don’t deepen our ports all along the Gulf – (and in) places like Charleston, S.C., or Savannah, Ga., or Jacksonville, Fla. – if we don’t do that, these ships are going to go someplace else and we’ll lose jobs.
Obama did not say “and in.”
The AP did it for him.
Today, buried in its correction section, the AP owned up to covering for the president:
In an Aug. 7 story on President Barack Obama’s comments on the need to deepen U.S. harbors, The Associated Press wrongly inserted an interpretive phrase in parentheses into a quote by Obama:
“If we don’t deepen our ports all along the Gulf – (and in) places like Charleston, S.C., or Savannah, Ga., or Jacksonville, Fla. – if we don’t do that, these ships are going to go someplace else and we’ll lose jobs,” Obama said.
Charleston, Savannah and Jacksonville are not Gulf ports. It wasn’t known if the president was suggesting they were. The AP should not have added the phrase in an effort to clarify his statement.
The media not reporting on or making an issue of an Obama gaffe has become the norm over the last five years. This is the first time I’m aware of, though, in which a major news outlet went so far as to correct a gaffe in order to fool its readers into believing it never happened.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNCWith the UFC again in roster-trimming mode, current fighters know job security is anything but a guarantee.
During this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night 76 event in Dublin, we talked to a number of fighters about the latest roster purge and how it’s affecting their lives.
“Everybody starts to realize they’re not safe,” UFC Fight Night 76 winner Garreth McLellan said.
While the younger and less experienced fighters are always on shaky ground, even vets like Ben Rothwell, Rory MacDonald and Max Holloway can remember when they were in the same situation.
“It’s a stressful thing for us as fighters because we don’t get paid a lot, especially the guys that are just coming up and don’t have a name built up,” former welterweight title challenger MacDonald said. “They’re fighting for ($5,000 to show and $5,000 as a win bonus) sometimes, and they’re getting cut, and they’ve already quit their jobs because they pursued this UFC career.”
However, not everyone – Neil Seery, for one – is as sympathetic.
Check out the full video above.
And for more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.NEW YORK — President Obama’s decision to cancel his September meeting with President Vladimir Putin was heartily welcomed by a broad swath of the American political class. In the view of many American critics of Putin and the Kremlin, it was about time to punish Russia. Were it not for Russia, their argument goes, not only would Edward Snowden now be facing justice in the United States, but President Bashar al-Assad of Syria would have been removed and the civil war ended, Iran would have forsworn its nuclear weapons program, and Ukraine and Georgia would be flourishing democracies solidly anchored in the West.
Why is Russia always at fault? Why the persistent calls to punish it?
To be sure, Russia often takes positions contrary to those of the United States, and the Kremlin is an easy target for criticism. Putin’s pugnacious style, his evident glee at poking the United States in the eye, along with his mounting appeals to xenophobic, baser sentiments to shore up his domestic position, all rub Americans the wrong way.
Yet the vehemence of calls for punishment is divorced from the real challenge Russia poses on the world stage. The truth is that the country is now less of a threat than at any time since World War II, and its potential to shape global affairs pales in comparison with that of the United States.
Russia is not the Soviet Union; it offers no compelling ideological alternative, nor is it about to invent one. And even though Putin harbors dreams of restoring Russia’s pre-eminence throughout the former Soviet space, China, various Islamic movements and Europe are all contesting Moscow’s influence along its periphery and, at times, within Russia itself.From Mario Drahgi's perspective, the euro zone has already been split for some time. When the head of the powerful European Central Bank looks at the credit markets within the currency union, he sees two worlds. In one of those worlds, the one in which Germany primarily resides, companies and consumers are able to get credit more cheaply and easily than ever before. In the other, mainly Southern European world, it is extremely difficult for small and medium-sized businesses to get affordable loans. Fears are too high among banks that the debtors will default.
For Draghi and many of his colleagues on the ECB Governing Council, this dichotomy is a nightmare. They want to do everything in their power to make sure that companies in the debt-plagued countries also have access to affordable loans -- and thus can bring new growth to the ailing economies.
The ECB has already gone to great lengths to achieve this objective. It has provided the banks with virtually unlimited high credit and drastically lowered the collateral required from the institutions. The central bank has also brought down interest rates to historical lows. Since early November, financial institutions have been able to borrow from the ECB at a rate of 0.25 percent interest. By comparison, the rate was more than 4 percent in 2008.
Lending Still in Decline
The only problem is that all those low interest rates have so far barely been put to use. Lending to companies in the euro zone is still in decline. In October, banks granted 2.1 percent less credit to companies and households than in the same period last year.
In addition to a further cut in interest rates to zero percent, the central bankers are considering new, drastic measures to combat the negative trend. Some of them are likely to be hotly debated when the Governing Council meets this Thursday in Frankfurt.
So what measures are still on the table and how would they effect the European economy?
One scenario that drives fear into the hearts of all savers is the so-called negative interest rate. It would mean that the banks would have to pay a fee for the money they park, currently without interest, at the ECB -- a kind of penalty interest rate. The idea is
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hatred, bigotry and violence. We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans,” he said.
His attorney general, Jeff Sessions, said earlier Monday that the violence in which a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters, killing one person, “does meet the definition of domestic terrorism in our statute.”
He told ABC’s “Good Morning America”: “You can be sure we will charge and advance the investigation towards the most serious charges that can be brought, because this is an unequivocally unacceptable and evil attack that cannot be accepted in America.”
Sessions said he expects to hear more from Trump on the matter after meeting with him Monday, as well as officials from the FBI. The president added a late-morning meeting with Sessions and FBI director Christopher Wray to his Monday schedule.
“We will not allow these extremist groups to obtain credibility,” Sessions told “CBS This Morning.”
In the hours after the incident on Saturday, Trump addressed the violence in broad strokes, saying that he condemns “in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.”
PBS NewsHour will update this story as it develops.The Yankees held a private workout for Rusney Castillo on Friday at the minor league complex in Tampa and are interested in talking dollars with the free agent Cuban defector, who will have plenty of choices.
According to industry sources, the Phillies, Mariners, Giants, Tigers, Cubs, Red Sox and White Sox also have shown interest in Castillo.
And unlike other teams that were at the showcase event in Miami on July 26, to which the Yankees sent four scouts, the Yankees like the 27-year-old right-handed hitter as a second baseman. Other clubs believe the 5-foot-9, 205-pound Castillo’s future is in the outfield.
Boston and Philadelphia worked out Castillo at their facilities, and reports had the Cubs looking at him Wednesday in a private workout.
Billy Eppler, the Yankees’ assistant general manager, sent multiple scouts to watch Castillo’s workout Friday, but declined to share what was in the reports he received.
According to a person on the grounds in Tampa, the Yankees had several talent evaluators from the professional and international side watching Castillo, who travels with a guy who hits fungoes, another who throws batting practice and a third man who towels him off in between sessions.
Castillo is represented by Roc Nation, which is headed by Jay Z.
Unlike the showcase event, when Castillo hit against a personal batting practice pitcher, the right-handed hitter faced Yankees minor league pitchers Preston Claiborne and Caleb Cotham, who are rehabbing injuries at the complex.
The Yankees are impressed with Castillo’s work at second and, as do other clubs, like his athleticism and a body that reminds several of Rickey Henderson’s cut physique.
The Yankees believe if he signs with them, Castillo would open at second base and be moved to the outfield if needed.
With second base a question mark next year, the Yankees will have an opening at the position currently being manned by Stephen Drew, who will be a free agent after the season and likely looking for a multi-year deal to return to short. Of course, the Yankees will need a shortstop, so Drew could just move to the other side of the bag.
Minor leaguer Robert Refsnyder hit.342 at Double-A Trenton in 60 games and entered Friday night’s action batting.302 in 53 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
With Alex Rodriguez likely returning from suspension next year to be possibly be a full-time DH, Carlos Beltran will have to play right field, and that would eliminate Castillo from playing the outfield for the Yankees. Martin Prado can also play second, but he would be needed at third if Rodriguez is the DH and Chase Headley, an impending free agent, doesn’t return.
So, what will Castillo cost?
That depends on whom you ask. Some clubs feel that since White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (six years, $68 million) was underpaid compared with his rookie season production (.303; 31 home runs; 86 RBIs heading into Friday), Castillo can top what Abreu got. Others don’t believe Castillo is in the class of Yoenis Cespedes (four years, $36 million) and Yasiel Puig (seven years, $42 million).
Other recent contracts given to Cuban defectors are the five years and $15.5 million given to Leonys Martin by the Rangers and the nine-year, $30 million deal Jorge Soler got from the Cubs.
“This guy could get $35 million to $50 million because of what Abreu, Cespedes and Puig have done,’’ said a person who has seen Castillo work out. “But eventually somebody is going to be wrong about one of these guys.’’
Making it difficult to assess what Castillo is worth is the fact he hasn’t played in an organized game in more than a year.
The only looks scouts have gotten since then are in workouts. It’s a similar situation to the ones that faced Cespedes and Puig.
“The league he played in Cuba wasn’t great but there is [Cuban] momentum, who knows?’’ an MLB decision maker said when asked about how much Castillo will sign for.Being that it's summer, I've decided to pretend I'm going to kickback once more from working for a bit and write about a more leisurely subject. The last time I took a break for some philosophical play, the topic was Tucker Max's failed donation to Planned Parenthood. To recap that debacle, there were many people who were so put off by Tucker's behavior and views that they suggested that Planned accepting his money ($500,000) and putting his name on a clinic would be too terrible to contemplate. Today, I'll be examining two fallacies that likely come from an largely-overlapping set of people: those who consider themselves feminists. While I have no idea how common these views are among the general population or even among feminists themselves, they've come across my field of vision enough times to warrant a discussion. It's worth noting up front that these lines of reasoning are by no means limited strictly to feminists; they just come to us from feminists in these instances. Also, I like the alliteration that singling that group brings in this case. So, without any further ado, let's dive right in with our first fallacy.
For those of you not in the know, the above meme is known as the "Critical Feminist Corgi". The sentiment expressed by it - if you believe in equal rights, then you're a feminist - has been routinely expressed by many others. Perhaps the most notable instance of the expression is the ever-quotable " feminism is the radical notion that women are people ", but it comes in more than one flavor. The first clear issue with the view expressed here is reality. One doesn't have to look very far to find people who do not think men can be feminists. Feminist allies, maybe, but not true feminists; that label is reserved strictly for women, since it is a "woman's movement". If feminism was simply a synonym for a in equal rights or the notion that women are people, then that this disagreement even exists seems rather strange. In fact, were feminism a synonym for a belief in equal rights, then one would need to come to the conclusion that anyone who doesn't think men can be feminists cannot be a feminist themselves (in much the same way that someone who believes in a god cannot also be an atheist; it's simply definitional). If those who feel men cannot be feminists can themselves still be considered feminists (perhaps some off-brand feminist, but feminist nonetheless), then it would seem clear that the equal-rights definition can't be right.
A second issue with this line of reasoning is more philosophical in nature. Let's use the context of the corgi quote, but replace the specifics: if you believe in personal freedom, then you are a Republican. Here, the problems become apparent more readily. First, a belief in freedom is neither necessary or sufficient for calling oneself a Republican (unlike the previous atheist example, where a lack of belief is both necessary and sufficient). Second, the belief itself is massively underspecified. The boundary conditions on what "freedom" refers to are so vague that it makes the statement all but meaningless. The same notions can said to apply well to the feminism meme: a belief in equal rights is apparently neither necessary or sufficient, and what "equal rights" means depends on who you ask and what you ask about. Finally, and most importantly, the labels "Republican" and "Feminist" appear to represent approximate group-identifications; not a single belief or goal, let alone a number of them. The meme attempts to blur the line between a belief (like ) and group-identification (some atheist movement; perhaps the Atheism+ people, who routinely try to blur such lines).
That does certainly raise the question as to why people would try and blur that line, as well as why people would resist the blurring. I feel the answer to the former can be explained in a similar manner to why a cat's threat display involves puffed-up fur and their backs arched: it's an attempt to look larger and more intimidating than one actually is. All else being equal, aggressing against a larger or more powerful individual is costlier than the same directed towards a less-intimidating one. Accordingly, it would seem to also follow that aggressing against larger alliances is costlier than aggressing against smaller ones. So, being able to suggest that approximately 62% of people are feminists makes a big difference, relative to suggesting that only 19% of people independently adopt the label. Of course, the 43% of people who didn't initially identify as feminists might take some issue with their social support being co-opted: it forces an association upon them that may be detrimental to their interests. Further still, some of those within the feminist camp might also wish that others would not adopt the label for related reasons. The more feminists their are, the less social status can be derived from the label. If, for instance, feminism was defined as the belief that women are people, then pretty much every single person would be feminist, and being a feminist wouldn't tell you much about that person. The signal value of the label gets weakened and the specific of certain feminists might become harder to achieve amongst the sea of new voices. This interaction between relative status within a group and signal value may well help us understand the contexts in which this blurring behavior should be expected to be deployed and resisted.
The second fallacy comes to us from Saturday Night Live, but they were hardly the innovators of this line of thought. The underlying idea here seems to be that men and women have different and relatively non-overlapping sets of best interests, and the men are only willing to support things that personally inconvenience them. Abortion falls on the female-side of the best interests, naturally. Again, this argument falters on both the fronts of reality and, but I'll take them in reverse order this time. The philosophical fallacy being committed here is known as the Ecological Fallacy. In this fallacy, essentially, each individual is viewed as being a small representative of the larger group to which they belong. An easy example is the classic one about height: just because men are taller than women on average, it does not mean that any given male you pull from the population will be taller than any given female. Another more complicated example could involve. Let's say you tested a number of men and women on an IQ test and found that men, on average, performed better. However, that gap may be due to some particularly well-performing outlier males. If that's the case, it may be the case that the "average" man actually scores worse than the "average" woman by in large, but the skewed group distributions tell a different story.
Now, onto the reality issues. When it comes to question of whether is the metaphorically horse pulling the cart of abortion views, the answer is "no". In terms of explaining the variance in support for abortion, gender has very little to do with it, with approximately equal numbers of men and women supporting and opposing it. A variable that seems to do a much better of explaining the variance in views towards abortion is actually sexual strategy: whether one is more interested in short-term or long-term sexual. Those who take the more short-term strategy are less interested in investing in relationships and their associated costs - like the burdens of - and accordingly tend to favor policies and practices that reduce said costs, like available contraceptives and abortions. However, those playing a more long-term strategy are faced with a problem: if the costs to are sufficiently low and people are more promiscuous because of that, the value of the long-term relationships declines. This leads those attempting to invest in long-term strategies to support policies and practices that make promiscuity costlier, such as outlawing abortion and making contraceptives difficult to obtain. To the extent that gender can predict views on abortion (which is not very well to begin with), that connection is likely driven predominately by other variables not exclusive to gender.
We are again posed with the matter of why these fallacies are committed here. My feeling is that the tactic being used here is, as before, the manipulation of association values. By attempting to turn abortion into a gendered issue - one which benefits women, no less - the message that's being sent is that if you oppose abortion, you also oppose most women. In essence, it attempts to make the opposition to abortion appear to be a more powerfully negative signal. It's not just that you don't favor abortion; it's that you also hate women. The often-unappreciated irony of this tactic is that it serves to, at least in part, discredit the idea that we live in a deeply misogynistic society that is biased against women. If the message here is that being a misogynist is bad for your reputation, which it would seem to be, it would seem that state of affairs would only hold in a society where the majority of people are, in fact, opposed to misogyny. Were we to use a analogy, being a Yankee's fan is generally tolerated or celebrated in New York. If that same fan travels to Boston, however, their fandom might now become a distinct cost, as not only are most people there not Yankee's fans, but many actively despise their baseball rivals. The appropriateness and value of an attitude depends heavily on one's social context. So, if the implication that one is a misogynist is negative, that tells you something important about the values of wider culture in which the accusation is made.
I suppose the positive message to get from all this is that attitudes towards women aren't nearly as negative as some feminists make them out to be. People tend to believe in equality - in the vague sense, anyway - whether or not they consider themselves feminists, and misogyny - again, in the vague sense - is considered a bad thing. However, if the perceptions about those things are open to manipulation, and if those perceptions can be used to persuade people to help you achieve your personal goals, we ought to expect people - feminist and non-feminist alike - to try and take advantage of that state of affairs. The point in these arguments, so to speak, is to be persuasive; not to be accurate (Mercier & Sperber, 2011). Accuracy only helps insomuch as it's easier to persuade people of true things, relative to false ones.
References: Mercier, H., & Sperber, D. (2011). Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 34 (02), 57-74 DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X10000968
Copyright Jesse MarczykThis hearty vegan beef stew uses tender portobello mushrooms in place of meat, along with potatoes and veggies simmered in a savory herbed red wine broth.
It has been a weird season so far here in the northeast. Fall was freakishly mild. Christmas was downright balmy. Spring is in the air and the cherry blossoms are in bloom. In January. And it’s killing my allergies. I totally wasn’t ready for that. And then, about a week ago, I found broccoli growing in my backyard. No kidding! I didn’t even plant broccoli, at least not this year. It seems to have returned from a crop from 2014. Maybe broccoli does that? I don’t know – I’m a terrible gardener.
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I got really excited when I found my January broccoli, just because it was so novel and all. It was only a little bit, mind you, like one little bite-sized baby floret, but I figured I’d let it hang and see if it got any bigger. Then it turned super freezing overnight, and my little broccoli bite froze. Bummer.
So it’s gone from hot to cold and back a few times since the whole broccoli ordeal of early 2016, but I’m excited to say the forecast is calling for ice pellets next weekend. I’m hoping the forecasters change their mind and make it snow before then. I know, my fellow Philly peeps are cursing me now, but I love a pretty winter snow and tend to feel ripped off if I don’t get at least one good one. Sorry!
Allow me to make it up to you with this stew. I’m all about the vegan comfort food recipes this winter (a kick that started with last November’s meatloaf recipe), and this stew is no exception. You know you want to curl up with a bowl of this stuff on a snowy night that preferably happens next Saturday, right? In any event, this was delicious, and this is coming from someone who didn’t like beef stew in her omnivore days. I think it was the beef part that I didn’t like, because a bowl of steaming hot potatoes, veggies, and in this case, portobello mushrooms (in lieu of beef) in a savory red wine broth sounds pretty much like heaven to me. It was.
One of the key ingredients to getting a super savory beef-stewy flavor out of this dish was Marmite. I hesitated to include this in the recipe, because I know lots of people will have to seek it out or order it online, so I made it optional…but also highly recommended. I seasoned my stew with Marmite towards the end, and it was plenty delicious beforehand, but afterwards it was amazing. If you’re at all inclined, I suggest you go for it, get yourself some Marmite and cook up this savory veggie stew.Where are YOUR donations going? Company pays to fly backpackers to Australia to collect charity donations on street corners (and keep 90c in every dollar you donate)
Charity muggers, or 'chuggers', stand on city streets asking for donations
Once company is offering the'specialised' workers a paid airfare for in return for six months work
Follows claims Between 85 to 95 per cent of first year donations line marketer's pockets
It can take four years for charities to see 75 cents in every dollar donated
Backpackers and tourists branded 'chuggers', or charity muggers, are being offered paid return flights to Australia, where they are earn their employers as much as 90 cents in every dollar donated.
The company behind the scheme, Cornucopia Consultants, defended its free-flight program, stating it is only offered it to the best collectors with'specialist skills' that are hard to find in Australia.
'Great fundraisers are hard to find, and our travel incentive is only offered to experienced fundraising professionals,' the company said in a statement.
Chuggers at work in London. 'Chugger' is short for charity mugger, a term used to describe charity workers who stand on street corners asking for donations
With on-street donations, donors are asked to make month-to-month financial commitments to their chosen charity. Collectors are paid a commission on sign-up, when donors hand over their bank or credit card details for monthly donations, and their employers take a cut of every dollar donated.
If donors commit to a short period, say 12 months, marketers start turning huge profits of between 85 to 95 cents in every dollar pledged. The percentage the charity receives increases over time, and tops out at around 7h cents in the dollar after four years.
MailOnline attempted to contact Cornucopia Consultants about the face-to-face fundraising scheme without success. It also tried to contact The Fred Hollows Foundation and Oxfam, two charities who have used Cornucopia for face-to-face fundraising in the past.
Charity marketers Cornucopia, there offices pictured here, say only the best people are employed and flown for free from the UK, America and Europe to work as charity collectors
Cornucopia, however, did issue a statement which said workers are trained to make people commit to donations on a long-term basis.
'Face-to-face fundraising is an effective way for people to connect with the charities that they want to support, and to provide long term financial support to charities.'
It also said regular donations provides charities with a very good source of predictable, long term income, and is 'one of the most effective ways for people to support their chosen causes'.Winnipeg woman who slipped out of police handcuffs and bailed out of a moving squad car — after attacking her ex-boyfriend during a booty call gone bad — has been spared jail.
"Police, paramedics and domestic partners can’t be treated the way you treat them … but rehabilitation is very much in my mind," said Judge Margaret Wiebe before sentencing Monique Harel to 30 months supervised probation.
Harel, 24, was arrested July 8, 2012 after her ex-boyfriend called police complaining she had attacked him.
Harel visited the man’s home to have sex after which an argument erupted and the man told her to leave.
"It’s at that point that Ms. Harel completely loses control," Crown attorney Ari Millo told court.
Harel slapped the man in the face then beat him about the head with a picture frame. When the man ran upstairs for help, Harel smashed a television.
When police arrived, Harel claimed the victim had tried shoving her head in the television, Millo said. Police quickly dismissed the story and arrested Harel.
En route to the police station, Harel slipped out of her handcuffs and jumped out of the cruiser. Millo said police estimated the cruiser was travelling as fast as 50 km/h at the time.
Harel was tackled to the ground after a short chase. She sustained a case of road rash but no other serious injuries.
Paramedics were called to the scene and Harel spit on one of them.
According to a pre-sentence report, family members linked Harel’s volatile behaviour to excessive drinking and drug use and suggested she may suffer from a mood disorder.
Millo recommended Harel be sentenced to six months in jail, noting a pre-sentence report suggests she continues to blame her victims for her actions.
Defence lawyer Matt Gould said Harel has made significant strides since her arrest — she now lives on her own and has a steady job — and would be better served by a sentence that provides her with counselling support in the community.
"She messed up, she understands that, and she is here to take responsibility for that," Gould said.
In addition to anger management counselling, Wiebe ordered that Harel undergo domestic violence counselling and complete an assessment for drug and alcohol addiction.
"Putting you in jail at this point would undermine the progress you have made," Wiebe said.
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Twitter: @deanatwpgsunLeo Szilard was one of the smartest people of the 20th Century. He conceived the idea of nuclear energy, patented the process of using it in a power plant, and helped Albert Einstein write the letter that sparked the Manhattan Project. All in his 30s.
Like any genius, Szilard’s curiosity was diverse. After World War II he became a biologist, attracted to a field that hadn’t been explored as deeply as physics.
The new field didn’t just change what he learned, but how he learned.
Szilard spent hours a day in the bathtub, solving physics problems in his head. Biology ruined that routine, because, as Szilard later said, he constantly had to get out of the tub to look up a fact.
Physics is guided by rational laws that have never, and will never, change. A master like Szilard could reason his way through problems like nuclear energy with only his mind as a tool. If an idea in his head followed the laws and reason of physics, it would in real life, and would continue working forever. That’s how a guy designed a nuclear bomb in the bathtub.
Biology is different. It’s guided by things like accident and mutation, so specific behaviors sometimes defy logic and can change entirely as evolution bulldozes the past.
The flu virus has killed 731,000 Americans in the last 40 years – more than died in World War II – and not for lack of effort by the medical community. A virus that mutates and evolves means a vaccine that might work today won’t work tomorrow. And since the mutation itself is an accident, researchers are kept in perpetual scramble. Like an unsolvable puzzle.
The physics vs. biology analogy is relevant in investing.
Too many investors view their field like a physicist in the bathtub, searching for something that’s logical and permanent, while not enough view it like a virologist, needing to update their knowledge and tactics to evolve with the chaos of what happens to work now.
***
Benjamin Graham’s book The Intelligent Investor was published almost 70 years ago, and is still one of the best-selling investment resources. It sells because so much of its message is timeless.
But investing evolves, and Graham’s book did, too. It went through four editions before his death in 1976.
Jason Zweig, who annotated Graham’s book, once wrote about using it as a practical guide in modern times:
Graham was constantly experimenting and retesting his assumptions and seeking out what works — not what worked yesterday but what works today. In each revised edition of The Intelligent Investor, Graham discarded the formulas he presented in the previous edition and replaced them with new ones, declaring, in a sense, that “those do not work anymore, or they do not work as well as they used to; these are the formulas that seem to work better now.” One of the common criticisms made of Graham is that all the formulas in the 1972 edition are antiquated. The only proper response to this criticism is to say: “Of course they are! They are the ones he used to replace the formulas in the 1965 edition, which replaced the formulas in the 1954 edition, which, in turn, replaced the ones from the 1949 edition, which were used to augment the original formulas that he presented in Security Analysis in 1934.”
Ben Graham’s brilliance was grasping what part of investing was timeless and what part required revision. His philosophy was rooted in principles of investor behavior that rarely change, but for tactical matters he wasn’t afraid to get out of the tub and look up new facts.
Just before he died, Graham was asked whether detailed analysis of individual stocks – a tactic he became famous for – remained a strategy he favored. He answered:
In general, no. I am no longer an advocate of elaborate techniques of security analysis in order to find superior value opportunities. This was a rewarding activity, say, 40 years ago, when our textbook was first published. But the situation has changed a great deal since then.
What changed was: Competition grew as opportunities became well known; technology made information more accessible; and industries changed as the economy shifted from industrial to technology sectors, which have different business cycles and capital uses.
Admitting this in real time is a hard skill. And it’s rare, because abandoning past strategies feels like defeat, and creates anxiety over what to do next. Obliviousness and denial are more common responses. But it’s a mandatory skill in any field where competition hacks away at the existence of outperformance, and social and regulatory forces evolve.
Think about the investment factors that have changed in just the last 20 years.
Private equity assets have gone from $600 billion to more than $5 trillion. The number of public companies has halved. Index funds have attracted effectively all public equity asset flows. Annual reports went from being sent in the mail to being scanned for keywords by supercomputers. The cost of storing industrial amounts of data went from millions of dollars on rack servers to thousands of dollars in the cloud. Social media connects what used to be walled off. Stocks went from being traded by humans to high-frequency traders, and now the HFTs have competed themselves down to zero profits. The Federal Funds rate averaged 6.5% from 1960 to 2000. Now it’s been below 1% for 105 of the last 188 months.
Looks what’s changed just this year: ICOs have raised more money for startups than venture capital funds. SoftBank launched a fund that is larger than all U.S. IPO proceeds raised from 2010-2012. I’ve heard rumors that things are unusual in Washington.
Buying stocks for less than hard book value worked, until it didn’t. A dividend yield below Treasury yields was a sign of an overvalued stock, until it wasn’t. Discounted cash flow models were an edge, until a spreadsheet could make one. Convertible bond arbitrage was profitable, until other investors realized just how profitable. This doesn’t happen in a field like physics. Gravity doesn’t get arbitraged away due to popularity.
It’s hard to look at how much markets evolve and expect a successful investing strategy to remain stagnant over time. There’s an irony in the number of investors who expect the companies they invest in to adapt and keep up with competition, but they, themselves, expect to invest like a physicist in a bathtub.
We solved the nuclear energy puzzle, the how-to-put-a-man-on-the-moon puzzle, and the send-information-around-the-world puzzle. But we will never permanently solve the investment puzzle, because solutions have shelf lives, and expiration dates that are usually only obviously in hindsight.
***
There will come a day when investing strategies and norms that work today will grow old and expire. Two groups will form: Those who embrace the reality of the industry’s chaos and adapt, and those who stay in the tub, embracing a world that adheres to the logical rules stuck in their head.
The hard part is that most of investing is stable over time. Most tactical changes are regretted. It’s difficult to tell, without hindsight, whether a strategy is expired or just temporarily out of favor. Long-term investing tends to work specifically because all strategies go out of favor from time to time, testing investors’ wills at the cost of returns. Distinguishing a paradigm shift from a temporary cycle is what separates good investors from momentarily lucky investors.
The investing industry is filled with brilliant people and terrible results. The reason is that the field has less to do with the kind of knowledge that makes a good physicist, and more to do with the rare intellectual flexibility and nimbleness that makes a good flu vaccine researcher.
Leo Szilard once said: “If you want to succeed in the world, you don’t have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier.”Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews – Haredim – crowded into the centre of Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against being made to fight in the army. As things stand, they are exempt from being drafted into the military so that they can carry out their orthodox lifestyle, but a proposed bill could be about to change that, and the Haredim are not happy.
They turned Jerusalem into a sea of black hats, white shirts and long beards. There were no fiery speeches and no chanting. Instead, the Haredim came in massive numbers to pray. The men carried out the Amidah, a standing prayer that’s recited silently. They were observing Mincha, the afternoon prayer service. Bodies of all sizes swayed back and forth while their lips moved without noise. Haredi leaders had called on all males over nine to attend this protest. Even women were asked to join, though they stood apart from the men in segregated groups, along the periphery of the crowd. Around 500,000 were expected to show up. Local media later reported that the real number was between 250,000 and 400,000. Either way, it was the biggest crowd I’ve ever stood in, but it was eerily quiet.
Until last year, the ultra-Orthodox had been exempt from serving in the Israeli military since the creation of the State in 1949. While the army has the authority to conscript any citizen or permanent resident once they hit 18, teenage Haredim are able to avoid conscription by studying religious texts in institutions called yeshivas. The Haredi feel that this study is a contribution to Judaism that is equal to – if not greater than – serving in the Israeli army. They see compulsory military service as a form or religious persecution, denying them the right to practice and pulling them towards a more secular lifestyle.
A lot of Israel’s Jewish population pretty much resent the ultra-Orthodox community. In their eyes, the Haredim are unwilling to contribute to society, place a financial burden upon the country as a whole, and exert cultural control over secular and liberal Jews through the rabbinical courts. Haredim make up 10 percent of the 8 million Jews living in Israel. They receive the most financial assistance from the state while being one of the lowest employed demographic groups in the country. They are also a rapidly growing segment of the population – it’s estimated that, in 25 years, a quarter of all Israel's Jews will be ultra-Orthodox.
Haim, a teenage Haredi boy, came up to me at the protest and asked if I wanted to put on tefilin – two small black boxes worn on the arms that contain scrolls with verses from the Torah. I politely declined and asked him how he felt about the protest today. Haim was born in Jerusalem and would be compelled to serve in the military if and when the law takes effect. He feels that the State is trying to lure religious youth away from their pious lifestyle but today’s rally had got him hopeful for the future. “The whole community is putting their differences aside and coming together for the good of us all,” he said. He thinks the law will pass but says, “This protest is about showing the world that we oppose it. We oppose the State trying to get rid of prayer.”
In 2012, the Israeli Supreme Court declared the exemption illegal on the grounds of inequality. The government proposed a bill last month that would call for strict numbers of yeshiva students to be drafted into the military while still allowing a certain amount of exemptions. Those that refused to serve in the military could face jail time. Even though the bill is expected to be passed into law later this month, it wouldn’t take effect for three years, which is a long time in Israeli politics. The Haredi community plans to keep the pressure up, through demos and prayers, hoping that they can get stop the law coming into force.
The demo was an impressive display of the sheer numbers that the ultra-Orthodox can muster when they need to. The major roads leading into the city were blocked off. The main bus station and the light-rail system were shut down. Thousands of police were stationed in the area to prevent any of the violence that has recently erupted at ultra-Orthodox protests. But on Sunday, the cops were conspicuously absent from the throng, choosing to hang back.
Flyers with protest slogans littered the streets and young boys held up signs that declared in English and Hebrew, “The Israeli Government harshly persecutes and tramples observant Jews!” and, “You created the problem by establishing the State of Israel. Don’t ask us to fix it by joining the IDF!” This second statement is evidence of a strong anti-Zionist sentiment held by some sections of the Haredi population, most notably Hasidic Jews.
Hasidic Jews believe in a form of ultra-Orthodox Judaism that originated in 18th century Europe. They are easy to spot by their traditional dress and payot – long, curly side-locks. Early Zionism was actually opposed by Hasidic Jews, because of what they see as Zionism's tendency to champion secularism, and the belief that Jews made a promise with God not to establish a state in Israel using force. So obviously they’re not all that happy with how things have gone since Israel’s formation.
One of the largest anti-Zionist sects, the Satmar, has large communities in Williamsburg and Brooklyn in New York and Stamford Hill in London. The Satmar are so thoroughly opposed to the Israeli state that it accepts no monetary aid from the government. One of its religious leaders recently declared a “Jihad against the Israeli government”.
I had met Yakov, a 20-year-old Hasidic Satmar from the UK, before the protest began and he told me that, “it’s better to convert to Islam than join the army”. He explained, “At least then you’re still monotheistic. In the army, you’re worshipping the state.” Yakov is against any interference in what he calls a "pure" way of life. For him, being Hasidic means living a life full of prayer. He says that he has a closer connection to God by abiding to strict rules and daily rituals that fill his life with deep satisfaction and meaning.
He sees no hypocrisy in being anti-Zionist and living in Israel. “I don’t have any other choice, I want to live in an environment where I can be immersed in a religious lifestyle. Living in Mea Shearim [a Hasidic enclave in Jerusalem] keeps me pure. I can go outside and not see anything secular.” While being a relatively idyllic place for a Hasidic Jew to live, tensions against the State in Mea Shearim frequently boil over into full-scale riots. This past July, a Haredi soldier who was visiting his family in the neighbourhood had to be rescued from an angry mob by police.
Because Yakov is not an Israeli citizen, he wouldn’t need to serve in the military. However, he is a strong opponent to the idea and doesn’t think the government can back up their threat to imprison those who choose not to serve. “They can't arrest every yeshiva student,” he says. “They’re going to have to build detention camps for them and what's that going to look like? Putting Jews in camps?"
He had a fair point.
“Even if they started doing that, we'd start yeshivas in the jails. Wherever they put us, we'll study; there’s no difference.”
After the prayer service had concluded, religious music blared from towering racks of speakers that had been set up around the area. The mood was festive and young Haredi men began to dance, arm-in-arm, in large circles. As the sun set, tens of thousands of Haredim crowded the streets. Encouraged by their sheer weight of number, they seemed confident that God would answer their prayers. Whether it's through political manoeuvring or divine intervention
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metropolitan English to refer to "their inferior and far-removed colonists".[1] In Vol. VI, Part IV, of the Medical Repository, 1803, pp. 449–50, Mitchill, wrote the following under the heading of "Medical and Philosophical News":
Proposal to the American literati, and to all the citizens of the United States, to employ the following names and epithets for the country and nation to which they belong; which, at the distance of 27 years from the declaration and of 20 years from the acknowledgment of their independence, are to this day destitute of proper geographical and political denominations, whereby they may be aptly distinguished from the other regions and peoples of the earth: Fredon, the aggregate noun for the whole territory of the United States. Fredonia, a noun of same import, for rhetorical and poetical use. Fredonian, a sonorous name for 'a citizen of the United States'. Frede, a short and colloquial name for 'a citizen of the United States'. Fredish, an adjective to denote the relations and concerns of the United States Example. Fredon is probably better supplied with the materials of her own history than Britain, France, or any country in the world, and the reason is obvious, for the attention of the Fredonians was much sooner directed, after their settlement, to the collection and preservations of their facts and records than that of the Dutch and Irish. Hence it will happen that the events of Fredish history will be more minutely known and better understood than those of Russian, Turkish, or Arabic. And thereby the time will be noted carefully when a native of this land, on being asked who he is and whence he came, began to answer in one word that he is a Frede, instead of using the tedious circumlocution that he was "a citizen of the United States of America." And in the like manner notice will be taken of the association of Fredonia and Macedonia and Caledonia as a word equally potent and melodious in sound.
Republic of Fredonia [ edit ]
In December 1826, a group of Anglo-American settlers and filibusters led by Empresario Haden Edwards in what is now Texas, declared the "Republic of Fredonia" centered in the town of Nacogdoches. This was the first attempt by Anglo settlers in Texas to secede from Mexico and form an independent state. The republic was short-lived however, lasting only from December 21, 1826 – January 23, 1827 when Mexican soldiers and Anglo militia men from Stephen F. Austin's colony put the rebellion down. [2]
1930s [ edit ]
In the Marx Brother's film Duck Soup, the tiny fictitious county of Freedonia ("Land of the Brave, and Free") is suffering from severe financial problems and government leaders request a loan from wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale to keep things afloat. The widow agrees on the condition that Rufus T. Firefly, played by Groucho Marx, take control and run the country. In the musical number that accompanies Firefly's first day in office, Groucho lets the audience know how things will run, singing lyrics such as "The last man nearly ruined this place, he didn't know what to do with it / If you think this country's bad off now, just wait 'til I get through with it." Firefly insults and angers Ambassador Trentino from the neighboring nation of Sylvania, which leads Freedonia into war.[3]
When the film was first released, the village of Fredonia, New York, complained about the possible negative impact the film might have on them. The Marx Brothers replied "Change the name of your town. It is hurting our picture."[3] The satirical depiction of Freedonia is said to have led Benito Mussolini to ban the film in Italy.[4]
1960s [ edit ]
In the 1960s, Woody Allen, working on Candid Camera, used Freedonia as a practical joke by asking passersby what they thought of the bid for independence for Freedonia.[citation needed]
1970s [ edit ]
In the film Jabberwocky (1977), Freedonia is one of the kingdoms conquered by the King Bruno the Questionable.[citation needed]
1980s [ edit ]
The American game publisher FASA's name was originally supposed to stand for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration." In their first publication (a set of starship deck plans for the game Traveller), the accompanying introduction was signed "Rufus T Firefly, Director".[citation needed]
1990s [ edit ]
In the Sierra Entertainment PC game Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire (1990), the character Ali Chica is a parody of Chico Marx. If a non-player character is asked about Ali Chica after his disappearance, the player is told that he went to Fredonia.[citation needed]
In the 1990s, the satirical magazine Spy pulled a practical joke on several members of the United States Congress. Impersonating a New York radio host (Henry Rose), the magazine successfully convinced several newcomers to Congress to comment on the "ethnic cleansing" in Freedonia, without their realizing that Freedonia was a fictional country.[5] Nick Smith urged caution; James Talent supported action; Jay Inslee warned that inaction would be unacceptable.[5] The story drew commentary elsewhere.[6][7]
2000s [ edit ]
Duck Soup is used as in-joke amongst characters portrayed as knowledgeable about the film in a Season 3 2001-2002 episode of The West Wing, while another episode in Season 6 (2004-2005) recalls the general plot details of Duck Soup. In "Enemies Foreign and Domestic", C.J. Cregg, Sam Seaborn, and Toby Ziegler are discussing the relevancy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in a post-Soviet world. C.J., being briefed by Sam on a number of countries she has to mention as possible new candidates for NATO membership, wonders why Freedonia's being left out of the mix. She goes on to reference Groucho Marx by singing "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" (which was his character in Animal Crackers) under her breath. When upbraided by Toby for not taking the briefing seriously, she asks why her attempt at humor is less valid than Sam's or his. Toby responds that he's heard her joke before, implying that he's seen Duck Soup. Determined that her Marx Brothers references be respected, she ends the sequences of references by offering to pay Toby $500 if he'll sing "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" (a song sung by J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho) in "At the Circus"). During Season 6 the question of the "situation in Freedonia" was asked of a candidate in a Senate debate, and after the candidate said he was studying it, there was no allowed time for the other candidates to challenge him about the existence of the country.
United Kingdom games "Democracy" (2005) and "Democracy 2" (2007) featured Freedonia as a playable country.[citation needed]
In the Doctor Who episode "The Shakespeare Code" (2007), the Doctor claims his companion Martha Jones is from Freedonia. He also claims this in the Doctor Who novel Sting of the Zygons (2007). Although the usage may be intended simply as a plausible name for a country of which the listener (William Shakespeare in the former case) has not heard, it is specifically linked to Duck Soup in at least one official reference work.[8]
2010s [ edit ]
In the film Despicable Me 3 (2017), Gru's brother Dru lives in Freedonia.
Use in general English [ edit ]
"Freedonia" is sometimes used in political editorials and news stories to illustrate a point about another, real country. Sometimes the point being made is that a particular country is so small or remote as to be unknown to its readers. Other times, the term may negatively connote that a real country is run by an autocratic leader who is out of step with his or her people. Still other times the author may simply use "Freedonia" to mean "a fictitious country for the purposes of illustration".[9][10][11]
See also [ edit ]Back in March we reported that Sunny Ocean had a glasses-free display at CEBIT. This potentially revolutionary gizmo was 27" in size and able to be viewed from some 64 different angles. At that time, the company claimed that a similar display of 100" was possible. While that claim seemed rather far-fetched then, Sunny Ocean has delivered another proof-of-concept that comes in very close to that size. Slashgear reports that they are showing off an 84" glasses-free display.
This version seems to be viewable at less angles than the smaller screen. They only claim that it is viewable from "several points" in a room. While that could mean many things, one would think that if the number were equal or greater than their previous claim of 64, they would be bragging about it. Still, a large-size glasses-free 3D display suitable for living room use is impressive enough. And the company does claim that their product will work for "large spaces" and "public venues".
Sunny Ocean's new toy will be at the IFA show next month, along with distribution agreements. That means we could be seeing this baby in stores in the near future. Since the future of 3D relies on glasses-free technology becoming the standard, this product has the potential to really change things up. 3D adoption has been somewhat impressive so far, but there's no way it'll become mainstream until
1. The price of capable TVs drops.
2. People no longer need to wear dorky glasses to use it.
Of course, even both of those things happening would be no guarantee of 3D's future as a format. The entertainment industry is pushing it hard right now, but they'll only follow it as far as the money goes. It may turn out that the eye-strain and the fact that it just doesn't work for between 4% and 10% of the population are hurdles too large to jump.Is it possible that a reasonable person could think President Obama doesn’t love America? Well, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani has faced heavy criticism for saying just that, but Giuliani isn’t crazy. His thoughts are usually well-collected. He is a Republican leader, and his opinion matters. That said, his comments aren’t helpful in today’s election context, and attacking Obama is generally off-message for Republicans who want to win in 2016, but Giuliani has a right to say what he thinks.
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani (Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press)
I’m a sufficiently intimidated, mostly tame Republican, so I won’t say I share the mayor’s views, but the fact is that a lot of Republicans do believe that Obama doesn’t clearly and consistently demonstrate his love for America in a way that they can always relate to. The media are in full-throttle attack mode against anyone who gives pause to Giuliani’s statements. Their blaring “how dare you” harangue reveals their defensiveness. Anyway, Giuliani speaks for himself in his op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal.
“Love” is a subjective term, and humankind has grappled with exactly what love is since the beginning of time. So who is to say who loves whom and who loves what?
Well, first of all, in politics, image matters. It’s easy to imagine Bill Clinton and either President Bush getting teary-eyed at the proverbial Fourth of July parade, as the veterans wave and flatbeds filled with 4-H kids roll by. It’s hard to imagine Obama in a similar situation. He has a cerebral, cool and aloof style that keeps him a little distant. It also probably makes some people wonder whether he feels much when faced with traditional triggers that warm the heart and produce the classic, patriotic, emotional response one would associate with the romanticized traditional love of country. Fair enough.
But beyond generalities about style and persona, Obama’s policies, declarations and overall conduct in office make some think he is dissatisfied with America and its self-image.
From the beginning, this president’s misguided approach to foreign policy has suggested something about what he sees as America’s place in the world. It goes all the way back to the 2008 campaign, when then-Sen. Obama said he would agree to meet unconditionally with America’s enemies, including the leaders of Venezuela, Iran and North Korea. This willingness to accommodate America’s traditional enemies and at times, disregard old friends, has been a nagging and persistent pattern in the administration from when he was first elected to the present day. Most recently, the president’s gift of recognition to our traditional enemy Cuba — while getting nothing in return — and his inaction as another traditional enemy, Russia, makes a mockery of peace talks and interferes in a country that wants the United States to come to its aid just add to the idea that Obama is quick to let America’s enemies have their way.
And then there is the disastrous, continuing effort to avoid offending Islamic terrorists. Most Americans probably fear Islamic terrorist action on our soil. And just this past weekend, the Obama administration warned people about the prospect of an attack at the iconic Mall of America. Yet the president won’t even put the words “Islamic” and “terrorist” together. Somehow the president manages to leave the impression that he doesn’t want to offend those who would like nothing better than to kill us. His refusal to call them out fits with the notion that he might not see the danger or apply all necessary means to fight these terrorist groups.
Many were left flat-footed and with jaws dropped after the president’s remarks at the recent National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where he let the Islamic terrorists know that he is keeping their actions in context. Obama felt compelled to equate today’s Islamic terrorist butchers to the Christian Crusaders of 900 years ago. It was just another example of how the president appears willing to try to understand — if not justify — the actions of those who hate America. When the president is slow to condemn our enemies, it raises doubts about what he really thinks of their case against America.
In the meantime, the president is ignoring our loyal ally, the prime minister of Israel, and plenty of America’s most experienced foreign policy leaders in dealing with Iran — a country that has said it wants to acquire nuclear weapons to use against Israel and the United States. Obama’s evolving position on how much of a weapons infrastructure he will allow Iran to keep is frightening to anyone who fears for Israel, the United States and our other allies. It makes one wonder about the president’s commitment to ensuring that Iran does not ever have nuclear weapons.
Obama also has a famously strained relationship with the military. His own former defense secretary, Robert Gates, was particularly pointed in his revelation that he didn’t think the president liked being around members of the military. And of course, for many Republicans, the U.S. military is the most revered of all government institutions. Lack of support for the military can be viewed not only as an indication of a lack of traditional patriotism but also as a lack of commitment to America’s strength.
And then there are the numerous odd incidents that cumulatively give us a picture of a president who doesn’t really care, including the disrespectful “latte salute”; the non sequitur of removing the bust of America’s great ally Winston Churchill from the White House; his embrace of the perpetually aggrieved Rev. Al Sharpton; right down to appointing a civil rights lawyer as secretary of labor even if he tends to look for grievances instead of helping to build up traditional businesses that put bread on the table for many Americans.
All this combines to give people plausible reasons to think that Obama doesn’t exactly see America as the light in the darkness or as the world’s best hope, and he even had to be shamed into acknowledging American exceptionalism. So is it reasonable to wonder whether his heart is really in it? Is it ridiculous to think this president is biased toward seeing America’s flaws and imperfections first and that he doesn’t see America as the worthy leader of the world?
There are plenty of reasons that suggest Obama might not love America as it is or in the traditional sense. Giuliani and others have the right to say it; whether or not it is wise or useful to do so is another story.Ink Detroit, a Royal Oak-based clothing company, is proud to announce the launch of their new Automotive themed clothing line just in time for the North American International Autoshow beginning their yearly event in the Motor City.
"We have already had some of our designs resemble the Motor City, such as the Detroit Diehard bracelets and t-shirts. The bracelet is actually a tire and helps raise money for Goodwill," said Steve Mansour. "Our sports themed lines have been very popular with both the men's and women's lines, but with this being the Motor City and the Autoshow coming up, we wanted to reflect the positive things happening here in Detroit."
The new line includes designs for both men and women and all Ink Detroit products always ensure to showcase the city in a positive light. The new featured automotive style shirts include both men's and women's " Detroit Burn Rubber" shirt and the "Detroit Michigan Nuts & Bolts" design.
Shirts are available online for purchase as of today at www.inkdetroit.com
Ink Detroit is a Detroit-based company that was founded in 2005 by Steven Mansour and Paul Marcial. The company designs stylish men's and women's clothing, plus accessories such as bracelets, hats and tote bags that are embellished with Detroit Style, Detroit Love, Detroit Humor and Toughness.
Source: Ink DetroitLibreOffice 4.1, which brings with it an experimental new sidebar, has been officially released.
The update also features ‘a large number of improvements in the area of document compatibility’.
These improvements aim to make the sharing of documents with those using other office suites, most notably Microsoft Office, better by ‘retaining the original layout and contents’.
Other new features and changes include:
Font embedding in Writer, Calc and Impress documents
‘Photo Album’ import (Impress)
Image rotation in 90 degree steps (Writer)
Stepped Lines type to Scatter graphs added
Improved Footnote and footer comment handling (Writer)
Experimental sidebar feature
3000 bug fixes
This release comes exactly one week after the final release of the 3.6.x series was issued.
LibreOffice 4.1 is a free download available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.
LibreOffice Download Page
Don’t fancy installing LibreOffice 4.1 manually? If you’re running Ubuntu 12.04, 13.04 or 13.10 you can add the LibreOffice ‘ test builds and backports’ PPA to upgrade to this release using Ubuntu’s Update Manager.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Hat tip to Erich E. for PPAThis is the rear view of the Jeep Gladiator Concept introduced at during the 2005 Detroit Auto Show (Photo11: DaimlerChrysler, Wieck)
DETROIT — Jeep enthusiasts who have long clamored for a pickup may soon get their wish.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to produce a Wrangler-based pickup and build it at the company's Toledo Assembly Complex, according to a person familiar with the automaker's plans who was not authorized to speak publicly. The truck wouldn't be sold for several years.
What would a Wrangler pickup look like? That's unclear at this point, but the automaker has shown a variety of interesting concepts over the years such as the Wrangler Red Rock Responder shown in March and the Jeep Gladiator it showed back in 2005.
News of a Wrangler pickup also would be the latest in a string of developments in the small to midsize pickup segment that has been ignored by many automakers.
General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in 2014. Toyota is in the process of launching its redesigned Toyota Tacoma, and Ford may bring the Ranger — a midsize truck it sells around the globe — to the U.S.
Fiat Chrysler, which has less cash for niche products than its main rivals, has been eagerly eyeing a midsize truck for years but feared the market would be too small.
But adapting the iconic Wrangler into a pickup gives the automaker a way to leverage the Jeep brand and enter the hot pickup truck market. Fiat Chrysler hopes a Jeep pickup could appeal to Jeep fans and people looking to haul outdoor equipment as the automaker strives to expand its global sales to 1.8 million by 2018 from just over 1 million last year.
News of Fiat Chrysler's decision to move forward with a Wrangler-based pickup was first reported by Automotive News and has been studied for years by the automaker.
Jeep CEO Mike Manley hinted in March that a Wrangler pickup could eventually become part of the Jeep lineup after the next-generation model is launched.
"I am a huge fan of a pickup truck in the Jeep brand. Not just because of the history — it has been part of our history over the years — but also because it is one of the top subjects of topics that we have for discussion with our customers," Manley said at the time.
Manley made those comments the same day the automaker unveiled a concept called the Wrangler Red Rock Responder. That beefy Wrangler pickup was one of seven customized Jeep concepts the company took to the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, in April.
It remains unclear what the automaker has in mind for a production version of a Wrangler pickup. But Responder showed how creative the automaker can be.
Jeep said the Red Rock Responder concept is a support vehicle "built to traverse the world's harshest terrain with premium off-road equipment to respond to any vehicle emergency with spare parts and tools stored in the built-in drawers and compartments of the cargo box."
It included 37-inch tires, a lift jack, fire extinguisher and roadside accessory kit. It was equipped with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine mated to an automatic transmission.
The automaker plans to move production of the Wrangler from its Toledo South assembly plant to its Toledo North assembly plant and move production of the Jeep Cherokee to a plant in another state.
The two Toledo plants, which are adjacent to each other, are collectively known as the Toledo Assembly Complex. The automaker plans to make the Wrangler pickup in the Toledo South portion of the complex.
The next-generation Wrangler is scheduled to be introduced in 2017 and the Wrangler pickup would come after that.
Fiat Chrysler, which ended production of the midsize Dodge Dakota in 2011, has always kept a close eye on the midsize pickup truck market.
The automaker showed a concept called the Dodge M80 in 2002 and another one called the Dodge Rampage in 2006. Chrysler also talked about plans for a compact pickup in November 2009 when it revealed its five-year plan.
Back in 2005, the automaker showed a Wrangler pickup concept called Gladiator. The Gladiator featured a rear-hinged back door on the passenger side, a side-mounted spare tire and an 8-foot cargo bed. The automaker also teased Jeep enthusiasts with the Wrangler JT concept at the Easter Jeep Easter Safari in Moab in 2009.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1EAxTPgThe Argentina international has been sidelined since September after tearing a ligament in his left knee during a league match against Las Palmas.
Defending Spanish champions Barca are top of the Primera Division standings, three points clear of Real heading into the first 'El Clasico' of the campaign at the Bernabeu.
Reports: Messi to miss Clasico through injury
When asked if Messi would be fit for the encounter in Madrid, Bartomeu said to Marca: "I hope he can play.
"He is recovering within the time frame that we set out."
Messi underlined his status as one of the best players in history last season when he scored 60 goals and set up 28 more in 60 appearances, helping the Blaugrana capture a Primera Division, Champions League and Copa del Rey treble.
The 28-year-old forward is already the all-time record goalscorer for Barcelona.
Since losing Messi to injury, Barca have won seven and lost just one of their nine games in all competitions.
They have won four on the trot in La Liga and will be hoping to continue that run when they face Madrid after the international break.
"Our aim is to win against our biggest rival," Bartomeu said.
Twelve Barca first-team players are currently on international duty, including Brazil captain Neymar, who is La Liga's leading scorer with 11 goals.
"We hope that all the players that are currently with their national teams return without injuries and with a lot of strength," Bartomeu added.
Have I orgasmed about El Clasico? Nearly, says Sergio Ramos
Rafa Benitez shrugs off linesman's claim over Clasico corruptionUnhinged #NeverTrump Crowd Calls for Punishing GOP Leaders Who Meet with Trump in DC
Last week the unhinged #NeverTrump crowd started up a list of conservative supporters of Donald Trump — so that they can blackball these Trump supporters.
The list was initiated by Cruz supporter Amanda Carpenter who is usually kind and intelligent but now suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Today Donald Trump is meeting with Republican lawmakers in Washington DC.
The #NeverTrump crowd wants these Republicans to be punished for meeting with GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
Erick Erickson, a so-called conservative who vows to never vote for Trump, at The Resurgent reported:
The capitulation of the Republican Establishment will happen today in Washington at the law firm of Jones Day, located at 51 Louisiana Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. Leaders of the party will gather to kneel before Donald Trump and pledge allegiance to him in an effort to finally stop Ted Cruz from making DC listen. Jeff Sessions will be there. Tom Cotton of Arkansas will be there. Other congressmen and Senators will show up too. The party faithful should, frankly, make them radioactive. This meeting comes as news spreads that Utah, the most Republican state in the nation, will be competitive for Hillary Clinton if Donald Trump is the nominee. But these guys don’t really care about that. They know the donor money will still flow and they will still control the access and power in Washington with Trump in charge. Ted Cruz would fundamentally shake things up. Trump will not. So these guys would rather Trump than Cruz and their process of uniting behind Trump will begin today. Conservatives should take note of who enters and exits 51 Louisiana Avenue today and hold them accountable.LONGMONT, Colo. -- What started in Longmont has spread to Fort Collins, Vail and 17 other Colorado cities which all voted to take internet into their own hands this November.
"It really differentiates Longmont from other cities in Colorado, and that's one of the things we were looking to do when we did it," Tom Roiniotis, general manager of Longmont Power Communications said.
Roiniotis runs Longmont's Nextlight, Colorado's first city-owned high-speed broadband internet service.
"What does it say when you see that many Colorado cities voting in favor of city-owned internet," asked Denver7 reporter Jennifer Kovaleski.
"I think what it says is that people aren't satisfied with the speed and the price of the service their getting from the incumbent providers," Roiniotis explained.
Voters in 19 other Colorado cities took their anger at big cable to the ballot box, overwhelmingly saying "no" to the ban on local government-run internet.
"Bringing real competition into internet service is gonna have a lot of benefits for all consumers," Roiniotis said.
Consumers have already seen that benefit in Longmont where they charge the average customer $50 a month for high-speed broadband internet.
"Not only are we offering the fastest speeds at the lowest price, but the competition has stepped their game up as well," explained Roiniotis.
In Longmont, the numbers tell Nextlight's success story.
It started with zero customers in 2014. Three years later, Roiniotis said they're serving nearly 17,000 customers.
"As the city grows, we grow with it so we never really stop building a network like this," he said.
Roiniotis believes other cities with city-run broadband will see cost savings, but what started in Longmont will take time to spread to other cities.
"People don't understand that, these are huge projects. You actually have to build and construct facilities that pass every yard in the city," said Roiniotis.Katrina Smith, the mother of Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, was one of 46 people whose sentences were commuted by President Barack Obama on Monday. The 46 sentences are the largest number of sentences commuted by a president since the 1960s.
Smith and Thomas’ grandmother, Minnie Thomas, were arrested in 1999 for narcotics trafficking, and have been in prison since Demaryius Thomas was 11 years old. Smith was scheduled to be released in 2017, while Minnie Thomas received a life sentence.
The White House issued a press release explaining the action, saying that “federal sentencing practices can, in too many instances, lead nonviolent drug offenders to spend decades, if not life, in prison.”
These unduly harsh sentences are one of the reasons the President is committed to using all the tools at his disposal to remedy unfairness in our criminal justice system. Today, he is continuing this effort by granting clemency to 46 men and women, nearly all of whom would have already served their time and returned to society if they were convicted of the exact same crime today.
Thomas posted the following photo to his Facebook on Monday:
It also included the quote: “God is good.. Great news today, My Best lady come home November 10.. Godbless..”
President Obama included a letter to all 46 people whose sentences he commuted:
(Correction: This article originally stated that Minnie Thomas died in 2014. It was Thomas’ paternal grandmother who passed away in 2014. We regret the error.)UNITED STATES - JANUARY 31: Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., speaks during the news conference to oppose the chained Consumer Price Index to cut benefits for Social Security and disabled veterans on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
WASHINGTON -- Hoping to get a lift from the changing tides on gay marriage, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Thursday that would ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, has been introduced in Congress regularly since the mid-1990s without ever being passed. But given the public discussion on gay rights over the past year, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), a co-sponsor, told HuffPost he thinks the bill has about as good a shot as ever in the Senate.
"There's a growing recognition that discrimination is wrong" against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Merkley said Thursday. "The same concept that's driving the marriage debate will help drive success on employment discrimination."
Gay marriage now has support from all but three Democratic senators -- Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.), Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.) -- as well as Republican Sens. Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Rob Portman (Ohio).
ENDA would bar companies from factoring sexual orientation or gender identity into employment decisions. Employers are already prohibited by federal law from discriminating over race, religion, age, gender or disability. The proposal exempts businesses with fewer than 15 employees as well as religious organizations.
For the ENDA bill, Merkley's co-sponsors include Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), as well as Kirk and fellow Republican Susan Collins (Maine). A companion bill has been introduced in the House by Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 21 states and the District of Columbia already have ENDA-style laws on their books for sexual orientation, while 16 states and D.C. include such laws for gender identity. Many companies have already put such policies in place voluntarily.
Harkin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, has said he plans to mark up the bill this year. It's doubtful, however, that the legislation will become a priority in the GOP-controlled House.
ENDA nearly became law in 1996, two years after it was first introduced. In the end, it fell one vote shy in the Senate, 50-49, days before the Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law. It hasn't come as close since.
Merkley noted that the narrow 1996 defeat came in an up-down vote, at a time when the filibuster was used less frequently. ENDA would now almost certainly have to reach 60 votes.Follow The Daily Ticker on Facebook!
Driverless cars are no longer science fiction — they're reality.
California became the second state (the first was Nevada) to approve autonomous, self-driving cars on the road. Jerry Brown, governor of California, signed the bill at Google's (GOOG) headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on Tuesday.
Google has trumpeted its computer-controlled cars and claims that its modified, driverless Toyota (TM) Priuses and Lexus RX 450h cars have logged more than 300,000 miles on busy highways and roads without an accident. (Google did say that one of its Priuses was involved in a minor accident last year).
"This law will allow California's pioneering engineers to safely test and implement this amazing new technology," Brown said.
Related: The Future Is Electric Cars: Fmr. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz
Google developed its autonomous cars in 2010. The artificial intelligence software system in the cars can navigate intersections, curves and roads by collecting images and data from video cameras, radar sensors and light detection devices.
The company purportedly has no plans to commercially sell one of its vehicles. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt told Reuters in July "self-driving cars should in our lifetime become the predominant way."
Self-driving cars are not unique to Google. All the major auto manufacturers have been researching similar technology for years. Bob Lutz, a former vice president at General Motors (GM), says driverless cars could be ubiquitous in 20 years. Many cars already offer gadgets that eliminate the human factor: self-parking technology, cruise control, lane departure warnings, GPS. Just as the automobile replaced the horse-drawn carriage, computers will replace human drivers, which Lutz says would be a good thing.
Related: Why the Electric Car Is Doomed to Fail
"Electronic driverless systems don't get drunk, don't smoke pot, they don't go to sleep," he says in an interview with The Daily Ticker. "We'll see a huge reduction in accidents."
According to the Census Bureau, there were 10.8 million motor vehicle accidents in 2009, the latest research available. Nearly 35,000 people die every year in car accidents and 90% of accidents are caused by human error. Driverless cars will likely reduce the number of fender-benders and serious collisions, but computers are no by means infallible. For the time being, autonomous cars will require at least one human passenger. The California law stipulates that these "robotic chauffeurs" cannot handle the state's roadways without a registered driver in the passenger seat.
Related: The Electric Car Revolution: A Major Jobs Creator
Are drivers enthusiastic or outraged at the driverless concept? According to a March J.D. Power and Associates survey, 37% of U.S. consumers expressed interest in the autonomous driving technology. Consulting firm Accenture polled U.S. and British consumers last year about driverless cars. Nearly half said they would be "comfortable" in a self-driving car.
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American Cancels Hundreds of Flights: Are Pilots to Blame?Category Select Category Addiction Administrative Law Ammo Ask Foghorn Ask the FFL ATF Business Campus Carry Competition Concealed Carry Constitutional Carry Contest Crime and Punishment Current Events Daily Digest Defensive Gun Use of the Day EDC for CCW Editorials Entertainment Everyday Carry Pocket Dump Export Facts About Guns Firearms Pocket Dump of the Day Fun and Games Game Review Gear News Gear Review Gun Control Gun Hero of the Day Gun Nation Gun News Gun Review Guns for Beginners Gunsmithing Handguns Historical Housekeeping Hunting I Am A Gun Owner Irresponsible Gun Owner… Kimber Gun Rights Bulletin Law and Order Law and the Courts Listicles Machine guns Mass Shooting (DO NOT MAKE PRIMARY) Media Military National Reciprocity News NRA NRA Convention NSSF Open Carry Optics Personal Defense Podcast Police Procedure Politics Press Release Question of the Day Quote of the Day Reloading Revolvers Rifles SHOT Show Shotguns Silencers Smart Guns Sponsored post Stand Your Ground Team FNH USA Technology Terrorism Texas Firearms Festival The Range at Austin Training & Technique TTAG Week in Review Uncategorized What I Carry and WhyTeaching Youth to Seed and Feed in Haiti Posted on July 7, 2015 by foodisfreeproject in Food is Free Blog Stories from the Food is Free Community Guest Blog Post from Moreen Valerie Tonny: In a country like Haiti with very little guarantee of a daily meal, teaching youth living in impoverished communities the importance of self-sufficiency is as crucial as teaching them to read and write. The country’s lack of resources leaves many young […] Comments Off on Teaching Youth to Seed and Feed in Haiti Continue Reading...
Abundance in the Front Yard Posted on April 6, 2015 by foodisfreeproject in Food is Free Blog Guest Blog Post by Ally Weinrauch Redcliffe, South East Queensland, Australia Behind the noise of traffic on the main road, behind the clatter of close proximity neighbors and groups gathering at the bus stop, behind the loudness of the urban density which is our city I can hear hens scratching for bugs. I can […] Comments Off on Abundance in the Front Yard Continue Reading...
Forest Man: How One Person Planted a Forest Bigger than Central Park Posted on February 23, 2015 by foodisfreeproject in Food is Free Blog It can seem so hard to make a difference in the world these days. When we flip on the news or read the headlines, we’re usually left feeling more paralyzed than inspired. We’re told of everything that’s broken and rarely offered actions we can take today to make the world a better place. The story […] Comments Off on Forest Man: How One Person Planted a Forest Bigger than Central Park Continue Reading...May
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struck a chord with me.”
His excitement was short-lived, though. “When I discovered what they were trying to do, I thought, ‘Oh, no. It’s déjà vu all over again.’ I see this as another likely link in the chain of failures.”
According to Tucker, the competition’s focus on innovation is misguided. “We’ve got plenty of innovation; we’ve been very good at that for a very long time. What we lack is effective systems,” he said.
And even if insufficient innovation were the problem, according to Tucker, high schools are the wrong end of the pipeline to target. “You can’t fix the problem by fixing high schools.”
Tucker is not alone in this opinion. The publicity efforts surrounding XQ “reflect a view that has been disproved over time—that the reason these reforms haven’t taken hold is that people are not aware of them,” said Annenberg Institute senior fellow Simmons. “The ‘exhortation’ strategy—build it and show it and they will come—hasn’t been very successful.”
But not everyone agrees. Vander Ark sees a tremendous need for innovation. “The dominant high-school model was badly obsolete when I started working on it [in the 2000s], and the world has changed dramatically since then,” he said. “I think that the secondary years have to be full of novelty and complexity, and that doesn’t look anything like what we have today.” According to Vander Ark, there are no more than 10 school networks nationwide that are already doing a good job at personalized learning and project-based approaches.
Devil in the Details
Already, the project has encountered a few small but nagging operational problems. The first, noted by Ali, is that the XQ contest turned out to be governed by state sweepstakes laws, which limited interactions between the contest runners and contestants during the approval process. The second is that the legal, contractual nature of the relationship between XQ and the winning groups has proven to be complicated. Powell Jobs and Ali did not want to give funds to school districts or exclude teams that lacked legal expertise, so they did not require contestants to establish ahead of time a legal entity that could legitimately receive funding from the LLC. Now, winners are scrambling to create legal entities for this purpose and to work out agreements among themselves about how those entities will be governed.
Both the XQ project itself and the winning teams are grappling with other operational questions as well. Will every team member, including students and teachers, have an equal say in decisionmaking? How will disputes be resolved? Will each team be in charge of scaling up its own model, or will everything that’s learned be handed off to XQ for dissemination?
A Movement, Not a Model
XQ supporters are hoping that some years from now these 10 schools, and maybe others, will be reaping great results. But that’s not all they’re hoping. The overarching ambition of the project sponsors is to raise awareness and bring new energy to the broader high-school-reform effort—to stoke interest in reinventing our century-old model. In the end, XQ might be better known as a broader advocacy effort aimed at reinventing secondary education rather than as a discrete attempt to develop new-look high school models.
The competition creators intended the design and development stages to be just as powerful and useful as the actual work the grantees will do on their schools. The support materials that XQ provided—13 “knowledge modules” and 250 resources that XQ curated for participants—resulted from conversations with school design teams that were competing to win XQ’s approval. The materials constitute a framework and a base, according to Cahill. “They can grow and develop. They’re not an ideology.”
Cahill said she views the XQ project as “a conversation and a process, not a bunch of educators saying ‘here’s the model; we’re going to do more of this.’” By putting local groups in charge, the XQ project also hopes to build momentum for change that even the strongest research evidence doesn’t always foster.
And as big a bet as the 10 $10 million grants may appear, the contest may only be the beginning of what the XQ project aspires to accomplish. Ali says that they are trying to build a community and an “ecosystem” around high school redesign, and to promote public engagement well beyond those directly involved. She talks about “earning” a movement.
“The contest is a vehicle to accelerate and galvanize that hunger and public interest and civic will,” according to Ali. Ten hugely successful school models would be great, but they were never intended to be the “it” of this work. Ali says she wouldn’t be surprised if Emerson’s additional spending is in the tens of millions.
But first, they need some amazing examples of what these “super schools” could look like—beacons that shine a bright light on what the high schools of tomorrow might become.
Alexander Russo is a freelance education writer and author who writes frequently about education philanthropy. He can be reached at @alexanderrusso.Michoacán governor, Silvano Aureoles, told reporters on Tuesday that the mayor not only ordered the officers to carry out the murders but was also present when it happened.
Álvaro Obregón lies about 20 miles south of the place where 10 people were found dead inside a burnt out pick up truck driven off the road just outside the town of Cuitzeo.
Juan Carlos Arreygue Nuñez was arrested on Monday alongside three officers from his municipal police force in the town of Alvaro Obregón, 12 miles east of the state capital Morelia.
A Mexican mayor has been arrested in the beleaguered state of Michoacán for allegedly ordering the murder of 10 people at the weekend.
Read more
A Mexican mayor has been arrested in the beleaguered state of Michoacán for allegedly ordering the murder of 10 people at the weekend.
Juan Carlos Arreygue Nuñez was arrested on Monday alongside three officers from his municipal police force in the town of Alvaro Obregón, 12 miles east of the state capital Morelia.
Álvaro Obregón lies about 20 miles south of the place where 10 people were found dead inside a burnt out pick up truck driven off the road just outside the town of Cuitzeo.
Michoacán governor, Silvano Aureoles, told reporters on Tuesday that the mayor not only ordered the officers to carry out the murders but was also present when it happened.
"The investigation points directly to the mayor," Aureoles said.
The governor added that police had initially thought the massacre was triggered by rival gangs fighting over access to nearby underground oil pipelines. The theft of oil is a major source of income for some Mexican criminal groups, with the volumes rising every year despite multiple government promises to crack down.
The investigation only reportedly focused on the mayor and his long-alleged ties to the Caballeros Templarios, or Knights Templar, cartel, after it was discovered that the victims were arrested before they were killed.
Witnesses said they were picked up from a small convenience store on Friday night and driven away in three police cars. Governor Aureoles said the murders were possibly linked to a dispute over control of the local drugs market.
The arrest of Mayor Arreygue for the alleged mass murder is a particularly dramatic example of the way political power has long been tightly associated with organized crime in Michoacán.
The state — long home to different cartels — was the site of the launch of former President Felipe Calderón's massive military offensive against drug cartels nearly a decade ago. The crackdown triggered a backlash that saw the violence spiral along with the number of cases of the alleged penetration of elected authorities by the cartels.
Related: Mexican Mayor Accused of Ordering Citizen Journalist's Killing in Veracruz
Follow Alan Hernández on Twitter: @alanpastenMechelle Vinson in front of the Supreme Court in 1986 after the justices heard her sex discrimination case. (Karl Schumacher/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
She was a bank teller, not an actress. And her boss was a branch manager, not a powerful movie mogul.
But nearly four decades before the explosive sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein by women in Hollywood, Mechelle Vinson filed a lawsuit against her supervisor that ended at the U.S. Supreme Court and redefined sexual harassment in the workplace.
Vinson had been fired from her job at Capital City Federal Savings Bank in Northeast Washington when she filed her lawsuit in 1978. In it, she claimed that during the four years she worked at the bank, the branch manager, Sidney L. Taylor, repeatedly sexually assaulted her — once forcing her to the floor in the bank vault. Taylor threatened to fire her if she refused his demands, she said.
The case, Meritor Savings Bank vs. Vinson, was the first of its kind to reach the Supreme Court.
The harassment, the lawsuit said, began in 1974. A few months after she began working as a 19-year-old teller trainee at the small bank, the manager asked her out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was connected to a motel, and after dinner the manager demanded she have sex in exchange for keeping her job.
She told him she appreciated his help in hiring her for the job, according to court records.
“I don’t want appreciation,” Vinson recalled Taylor telling her. “I want to go to bed with you.”
When she refused, he threatened her.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to go to bed with you,’ ” Vinson told The Washington Post in a 1986 interview. “And he says, ‘Just like I hired you, I’ll fire you. Just like I made you, I’ll break you, and if you don’t do what I say then I’ll have you killed.’ … And that’s how it started.”
[Mechelle Vinson’s Long Road to Court]
Taylor, a church deacon and a married man with seven children, denied the allegations. But Vinson, who still lives in the Washington area but couldn’t be reached for an interview, estimated that she “had intercourse with him some 40 or 50 times,” according to court documents. “Taylor fondled her in front of other employees, followed her into the women’s restroom when she went there alone, exposed himself to her, and even forcibly raped her on several occasions.”
In her interview with The Post, she described how terrifying and humiliating it was.
“We would have problems with the air conditioning and he would say, ‘Mechelle, go downstairs and check the air conditioning, and I would go, and he would come down, grab me,” she remembered. “It was just something like, you’re an animal, you’re nothing, and I’m going to show you you’re nothing.”
In 1977, Vinson, who’d risen to assistant branch manager, took an indefinite sick leave from her job. In 1978, she was fired and filed suit against Taylor and the bank, which was later acquired by Meritor Savings.
Her attorney, John Marshall Meisburg Jr., who filed Vinson’s first lawsuit, described it as an “allegation of sexual slavery.”
[Who killed Alberta Jones, Louisville’s first black female prosecutor?]
In 1980, a U.S. District judge ruled against Vinson, saying employers in sex harassment cases, unlike other discrimination cases, could be held liable only if they had been notified of the harassment and did nothing about it. A U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed that decision, and the bank appealed the case to the Supreme Court.
On June 19, 1986, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that sexual harassment violated federal laws against discrimination and that companies could be held liable for sexual harassment committed by supervisors — even if the company was unaware of the harassment.
“Without question,” Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote, “when a supervisor sexually harasses a subordinate because of the subordinate’s sex, the supervisor discriminates on the basis of sex.”
The ruling was hailed by women’s groups. It “states definitively, for the first time, that sex harassment is discrimination and that it is definitely illegal,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the National Organization for Women.
The impact on the American workplace was enormous, wrote Augustus B. Cochran III in his book “Sexual Harassment and the Law: The Mechelle Vinson Case.” Cochran said “the Supreme Court’s opinion, authored by one of the most conservative justices, brought the problem of sexual harassment into the spotlight and placed power relations between men and women at work squarely on the public agenda.”
In 1991, University of Oklahoma Law professor Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (AP)
Five years later, in 1991, Anita Hill made her sexual harassment accusations against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Much of the nation was transfixed by Hill’s televised testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee and Thomas’s vehement denials. He was confirmed and still sits on the Supreme Court.
[Anita Hill’s testimony compelled America to look closely at sexual harassment]
In the past year, dozens of women have accused powerful men — Bill Cosby, Roger Ailes, Bill O’Reilly and now Harvey Weinstein — of being sexual predators in the workplace. Nearly all of them echo the helplessness that Vinson described as her boss pressured her into having sex in a motel room:
“I didn’t know what to do,” she told The Post. “This is a man that I believed in. All the while he was nice to me, he was saying he was going to help me. I just felt sick, like, you know, why is this happening to me?... And he kept saying to me I was a big girl now and he wasn’t going to hurt me, and to take my clothes off.
“I just stood there. I didn’t do anything. I was stiff like a board, almost like I was dead. Tears were running down my face. He wasn’t saying anything. He just did what he wanted to do. He took my clothes off, he lay me down and that was it.”
Read more Retropolis:
LBJ’s shrewd moves to make Thurgood Marshall the nation’s first black Supreme Court justice
Civil rights crusader Fannie Lou Hamer defied men — and presidents — who tried to silence her
Whether she’s on the $20 bill or not, Harriet Tubman made men pay for underestimating her
A surgeon experimented on slave women without anesthesia. Now his statues are under attack.
They didn’t #TakeTheKnee: The Black Power protest salute that shook the world in 1968We discuss the latest news, including the public unveiling of Galactic Starfighter at the Community Cantina last week in San Francisco. Less than two weeks until the Ootini Fleet launches!
1. Introduction
2. Tip of the week
Congratulations to this week’s winner, DroidDreamer!
Please send your tips to [email protected] by next Wednesday for a chance to win a Tawnfaun code, courtesy of BioWare, and an OotiniCast-provided Cartel Market pack from the latest shipment.
3. Holofeed
A reminder that the double XP long weekend for Thanksgiving is nearly here! It commences Wednesday 27 November at noon CST, and runs until 1am CST on Tuesday 2 December. Long-time contributor to the show, The Malgadar, has compiled a most awesome list of tips for maximising one’s XP gains while double XP is in effect.
4. Community
5. Force Feedback
We discuss tweets from @DsanOB (Dan O’Brien), @Lawilc01 (Laurie M), @ForceChuckle, @TheTurg (Terg), @EmpireDivider (Moff Chong), @FerrousTerran, @Strongshocker (Chaz Lobo), @GregCarter78, @fnord3125 (Brian Peters), @SallyBowls, @Manciferous (Russ Moody) and @TheMalgadar, and emails and comments from Tarkko, DroidDreamer, Tex McShootEmUp, Chris and Oofalong.
As part of the discussion about the changes to Marauders/Sentinels, we reference Njessi’s blog post “Feeling a bit useless as Marauder DPS”.
Here’s Greg Carter’s TV playing SWTOR:
Brian Peters recommends RiffTrax’s treatment of The Star Wars Holiday Special.
6. Outro
Thanks to Redna (@R3DN4, twitch.tv/r3dn4) for joining us this week.
Information about our guilds on The Harbinger, Ootini Knights (Republic) and Ootini Rage (Empire), can be found here.
You can email questions and comments about the show to [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! You can subscribe to us on iTunes and Zune, and listen to us on Stitcher and Radio4Gamers.Ticket revenues, discounting the 2015 World Cup, increased thanks to Old Mutual Wealth Series and Six Nations matches at Twickenham
A record £99.6m was invested in English rugby union in the last year, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has revealed.
The annual report, published on Thursday, shows an 11% rise in the money put into the sport in 2016-17.
The RFU says the figures, which include an operating loss for the year of £6m, show the "commitment to invest all profits into rugby".
Year-on-year revenues were down as the 2015-16 results included revenues from the World Cup.
The governing body added that its balance sheet "remains strong" with net assets of £215m.
RFU chief executive Steve Brown said they always expected this to be a "period of reinvigoration".
"Growth was achieved across the key revenue streams, and our overheads were 9% lower year-on-year," Brown added.
The RFU's investment in Rugby Development increased by £1.8m to £35.9m, while investment in the professional game rose by £8m to £63.7m.The Israel Defense Forces is preparing for the possibility of a limited ground incursion into Syria in the case of massive rocket fire from the country falling on Israeli territory, Israel’s Channel 2 reported on Sunday.
The IDF carried out a large division-scale exercise this past week in the Golan Heights which included the scenario, according to the report. The preparations are being made in response to the rise in power of radical Islamists in Syria and an understanding that the current calm on Israel’s northern front is more fluid than it appears to be and could change at any moment.
According to recent reports, some extremist elements in Syria may have gained control of chemical weapons stockpiles, and the IDF exercise included preparations for this possibility as well. However, Israel’s defense establishment has estimated that the chances of such a scenario materializing are very low.
Israel is also continuing its preparations for a possible wide-scale confrontation with Hezbollah. In recent years, the Iranian terror proxy’s plans have centered on carrying a future war into Israeli territory, and in response the IDF has practiced the evacuation of citizens and communities located near Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon.
Aside from the training, Israel has reportedly been carrying out operational strikes against targets in Syria to prevent weapons from being smuggled through that country to Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon, but with limited success.
Additionally, according to Channel 2, Iran’s role in the ongoing Syrian civil war is becoming more dominant and is transforming from mere assistance to the regime of Bashar al-Assad to a leadership role in fighting rebel forces. Evidence of this is the extensive involvement of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force, responsible for terrorist operations outside of Iran, in the activities occurring on the Golan Heights.
Watch a video report on the IDF’s preparations below:A very interesting clownfish was recently brought to my attention by MJ Jones, who saw the fish labeled as “CF217X” at east coast wholesaler Carolina Aquatics, asking what I thought it was. Anyone who has become enthralled with the Anemonefish produced by Bali Aquarich has come to know the strains and types of fish by the company’s codes, and CF217X wasn’t on any published list. As near as I could figure out, CF (Clown Fish) + 217 (?) + X (hybrid?). A conversation with Wen-Ping Su started with an almost surprised response; “how did you get that fish?!”
After a bit of discussion, including the clarification that I didn’t physically have the fish in question, Su recalled that he had sent out only a few of these fish as extras into the US, listed only as “CF217X’. He revealed that 217 is the combination of 02 and 17; a hybrid cross between their CF02C4 (stardard true Amphiprion percula) and the CF17A (stardard White Stripe Maroon Clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus).
Visually, this clownfish stands out from any pure species in a couple ways. First, it carries a truly intermediate body shape between that of a Percula and a Maroon Clownfish. Then, there is the differing shade of orange. The most interesting aspect of this hybrid, a trait that seems apparent in other Maroon X Orange Ocellaris hybrids, is the reduction of black margins on the fins. All of this could still change as the fish mature; for now we’re only seeing what a single juvenile specimen looks like.
It’s extremely noteworthy that this is an intergeneric hybrid, a hybrid that doesn’t simply cross species lines, but actually crosses the genus division as well. It’s a step farther than the typical Angelfish or Butterflyfish hybrids we fawn over here at Reef Builders! When I pressed fellow contributor and hybrid guru Lemon if he knew of any intergeneric hybrids (outside of Clownfishes), he basically came up blank. “The closest I can think of is between Chaetodon tinkeri and Chaetodon miliaris. Well both are in the same genus so technically it doesn’t qualify, but Tinker’s is in it’s own subgenus and is pretty different from Miliaris.”
The Perc X WSM hybrid clownfish we are looking at here were reared only one time by Bali Aquarich in 2014. Their goal was to simply see what the hybrid would look like. They have no plans to make more “CF217X” at this time.
So at least for now, this is going to be one of those truly LE, “limited edition” fish. Kris Cline of Carolina Aquatics has procured all the remaining specimens of this new hybrid clownfish from Bali Aquarich; they are due to arrive from Indonesia tomorrow, January 7th, 2014. To be the only supplier in the world to have something is a little bit of a coup for a regional, family-owned and operated wholesaler like Carolina Aquatics. Once that supply runs out, it will be slim pickings unless Bali produces more, or some other breeder successfully recreates the hybrid.
The Hybrid Debate Continues
When it comes to hybridization in Clownfishes we’re embarking on a debate that’s raged in freshwater aquatics for decades, perhaps even a century or longer. It is one of the most divisive topics in that realm, with long-standing hybrids being somewhat acceptable as the damage has been done (there’s no going back), but any new hybrid pursuits raising condemnation from many aquarists over the conservation issues hybridization presents. In recent years, the Flowerhorn craze has become the most emblematic example of all that people perceive as wrong, or right, with hybridization in the ornamental fish trade.
I’ve certainly modified my opinions of hybrid marine fishes over the years. There is the veteran purist breeder in me who was raised in a freshwater arena where hybridization was the outright cause of conservation and business failure; many of the most respected freshwater aquarists draw a very hard anti-hybrid stance because of the lessons hard-learned. Why should we intentionally repeat past mistakes?
Then, there is the reality that we marine aquarists love our naturally-occurring hybrids when we see them…they’re nature’s “one offs” and I’ve long held the believe that recreation of naturally occurring hybrids would simply be recreating naturally occurring biodiversity. The re-creation of, say, the hybrid of Paracentropyge (venusta X multifasciata) could no doubt represent an incredible income source for a captive breeding operation, since there are effectively no wild caught specimens to compete with that can drag prices down to non-profitable levels. There’s no harm in the recreation of this example hybrid…no one would ever confuse it for a parental species, but the upsides for commercial angelfish propagation would be immense, and the parental species would need to be maintained and propagated as well in order to keep production viable for the long term. It’s actually a winning business and conservation scenario (anyone want to get in and fund me?)
But then we have the youngest crop of marine breeders who at times are eager to play mad scientist to simply create something new (and make a name for themselves) often without care or concern for the long term consequences. This is no doubt in part driven by how easy clownfish propagation has become, while most every other group of marine fish is perceived to be far more complicated (many are not, but Clownfish have become the marine aquariums “guppy” these days). I believe there is a fundamental lack of understanding, particularly among the often very young, first time breeder, that not all hybrids are equal; some are likely benign while others represent direct paths to the erosion of the genetic differences between species that, once having occurred, can never be undone. This is dangerous territory we are getting into, particularly should we be unable to access wild, pure broodstock in the future.
But I’m concerned this is already becoming reality, the marine breeders repeating the mistakes of their freshwater counterparts, refusing to learn from those who went before them. Good luck trying to find a genetically pure Darwin Black Ocellaris in the United States – I suspect that ship has sailed and all we will have in the future are hybrid mutts that “look enough like them”. The more I talk with producers of clownfishes, the more I realize just how loose we are collectively being with our genetic stocks.
Doing Hybrid “Right” – How (and why) Bali’s Newest Hybrid Got A Name
The middle ground we can strike is simple and two fold. First, breeders should avoid making hybrids between related species where the outcome will be difficult or impossible to differentiate from a pure species and even what some believe are only geographic races (because taxonomy changes, but geographic uniqueness does not). Granted, this is a lost cause in the Ocellaris/Percula complex at this time, and there are breeder out there who will push these lines almost directly out of spite, because no one else should dare tell them how and what to breed…so the problem will always persist at some low level as a result of arrogance and immaturity.
But more importantly, we need to embrace an ethic of transparency and record keeping for hybridization as it happens, as such a basic framework allows us to credit the originator of something that is new, but also gives us a framework within which we can reference this hybrid organism and market it as what it is. There is room to tolerate hybridization and even showcase it, as I’m doing here, provided we can come to a collective ethic that values and respects transparency and accurate information.
Simply put, it all comes down to a name. Having a singular name inextricably tied to a specific hybrid lineage ensures that everyone knows what the fish is. One hybrid name for one hybrid makeup….not 10 names for the same thing.
These days, anyone can now look up ‘Mai Tai’, ‘Blood Orange’ and ‘Cocoa’ Clownfish and should be able to find out that all three names designate unique biogeographic hybrids between types of “Ocellaris” and “Maroon” Clownfishes. Su, in his pragmatic point of view, was hesitant to select a name for this new hybrid, both downplaying that he had in fact created something “new” while also suggesting that he simply isn’t the best to name his fish (Nebula was in fact, another name provided by a third party to Bali Aquarich). Still, this hybrid needed a name, so Su invited myself to propose a name for his creation.
Knowing that Cline and Carolina Aquatics would be the sole source for the one-time limited quantity of new fish, we both engaged in a discussion to find a suitable name for Bali’s latest hybrid Clownfish. Given the coloration and prior names for similar hybrids, we knew we’d be playing around with citrus and cocktail-inspired words until we found the right one. Connoisseurs of a certain Wes Anderson film would have loved the name Citroën for this fish, although in the end, that’s also the name of a French car manufacturer. In the end, the simpler Citron is the name that Kris Cline, Wen-Ping Su, and myself all came to agree on for this unique, new hybrid clownfish.
Introducing the Citron Clownfish, by Bali Aquarich
I’ll leave you all with a thought I initially shared with MJ Jones; someone should take one of these new Citron Clownfish and pair it with a Blood Orange Clownfish. Why?
Well, the resultant offspring would be 25% A. percula, 25% A. ocellaris, 25% P. biaculeatus “White Stripe”, and 25% P. biaculeatus “Gold Stripe”. Now, I firmly believe that “Gold Stripe Maroons” should be restored to full species status as P. epigrammata…either way; the hypothetical next generation hybrid clownfish would consist of 3 to 4 unique species of clownfishes, and I can step aside from an ingrained anti-hybrid upbringing long enough to say there is something rather novel in that idea. Whether it will be pretty…that’s another story.
Image Credits – Kris Cline, CarolinaAquatics.comPosted 08 November 2014 - 15:54
Anniversary Collection – on release from 17th November 2014.
To celebrate 150 years of the Diamine brand they have created the “Anniversary Collection”.
The new triangular design ink bottles contain 40ml and will be available in eight stunning
colours: these bottles when collected can be arranged into a beautiful round desk display. I haven't been given any notification of price point yet but unlike the previous two Diamine collections, all these new inks will be available separately from the start.
AND there are possible rumours of additional colours in the future!
As usual, my scans are of dip-tested writing, using Lamy Safari pens with M nibs. I use a small sable paintbrush for the'swatches' but don't re-dip the brush between each one. The paper is my normal Rhodia 80gsm dot grid A5.
Diamine 1864 Blue Black
As you might expect, this is my favourite of all the Anniversary inks. A wonderful, rich dark blue-black with plenty of character. Obviously suitable for business and personal use and when compared alongside a black ink, 1864 definitely isn't! Fabulous!
Diamine Silver Fox
This is a mid grey in my opinion and although not one of my favourite 'colours' this one from Diamine will almost certainly be a winner. Along with Graphite, it will certainly find its way into my collection.
Diamine Regency Blue
A wonderful, deep blue which is nice and rich. Plenty of character and this again could be used for business and personal writing. Diamine have been careful not to make these inks similar to any others of their range and I can't compare it to any at all. Obviously, others out there might well liken them to others by different manufacturers but that's all part of the fun, isn't it?!
Diamine Safari
What can one say? The'missing link' between Salamander and Evergreen! A fantastic colour and one which will definitely get into the Limoges collection. My joint second-favourite, it reminds me of that wonderful 'bush' grass colour and if I had to compare this one, I'd say it was like Epinard. But I could be wrong...!
Diamine Carnival
Gorgeous red – if that's your bag! I don't use them as a rule but have to say that this ink and colour impressed me a lot. I can imagine it being popular and, along with Ciamine/Cult Pens Deep Dark Red, could well complete my collection at this part of the spectrum.
Diamine Blue Velvet
This wonderful ink is my second-favourite of the set; but only just and by the proverbial gnat's whisker! Bright and cheerful are the best words I can use to describe it and I just love it. It seems to be between Aster and Cornflower from the Flower set and it fits in that gap nicely. A lovely blue and my second favourite of the set.
Diamine Terracotta
This one has grown on me since I did the test and have typed this out. Not too pale at all and even dipped and on Rhodia it seems to shade quite well. Not that that bothers me in the slightest. A good colour but not one of my usual ranges.
Diamine Tropical Green
A good mid green with just a hint towards the blue side, according to my eyes. I bet it would look great on ivory or yellow/legal paper. It could be the only green to get if that's a colour that you hadn't considered before.
As I mentioned, these eight inks are being sold separately and that is going to be a real bonus for Diamine. A newly-designed and hand-illustrated box with ink colour label completes the packaging. Each bottle is labelled uniquely, with the colour on the label and side panels which are printed on the sides of the boxes although that isn't quite clear from the photograph, supplied by Diamine.)
This example is for the 1864 Blue Black.
Finally, as if we didn't know, the inks have been developed to celebrate the 150th Anniversary.
May we all wish Diamine well - a wonderful British achievement!ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdistan will be forced to seek a “new form of relations” with the central government in Baghdad if negotiations fail to resolve their disputes over oil and land, the president of the autonomous region said.
Kurdish Regional Government President Masoud Barzani smiles during an interview with Reuters in Arbil, about 350 km (220 miles) north of Baghdad June 2, 2013. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
Masoud Barzani, who has hinted at full independence from Iraq in the past, told Reuters the current round of talks, which started last month, marked the final opportunity to end a feud that has strained Iraq’s uneasy federal union to the limit.
How the matter is settled will have a major impact on oil producers like Exxon Mobil and Iraq’s neighbor Turkey, which has upset Baghdad and Washington by deepening energy ties with Kurdistan.
“The current talks will be the last chance,” Barzani said in an interview at his presidential office outside the Kurdish capital Arbil. “There has been a softening of their (Baghdad’s) position, but practically speaking there has been no progress”.
“Either we will be able to reach an agreement... or we will have to think of a new form of relations between the region and Baghdad,” he said, declining to elaborate.
Ten years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a stable power-sharing arrangement between Shi’ite, Sunni and ethnic Kurdish factions is still elusive and a recent intensification of violence has prompted warnings of civil war.
But Kurdistan has managed to insulate itself against the fallout, and is enjoying unprecedented prosperity for a region that was once the most impoverished and repressed in Iraq.
The northern enclave of more than 4.5 million people is also pursuing increasingly independent energy and foreign policies, antagonizing Baghdad to the point that both sides have deployed troops to reinforce positions along their disputed internal border.
STATEHOOD GOAL
Even if a compromise were to be found with Baghdad, statehood remains the ultimate objective for Barzani, a former guerrilla fighter who was born in the short-lived Kurdish republic of Mahabad in Iran in 1946.
Divided between Iran, Syria, Turkey and Iraq, the Kurdish people number more than 25 million and are often described as the world’s largest ethnic group without their own state.
“It’s the goal of all the Kurdish people and it’s a right,” said Barzani, who was wearing traditional costume with a red and white headdress. “I believe that to be the final solution.”
Key to realizing that ambition is oil. In recent years, the Iraqi Kurds have signed contracts on their own terms with the likes of Exxon Mobil, Total and Chevron Corp. That has infuriated the central government, which insists it alone is entitled to control exploration of Iraq’s oil.
Kurdistan used to ship crude through a pipeline network controlled by the central government and receive a share of the national budget. But exports via that channel dried up last December due to a row over payments for oil companies operating in the region.
The region says the constitution allows it to exploit the reserves under its soil, and is building the final leg of an independent export pipeline that could help bypass the central government and send as much as 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to international markets through neighboring Turkey.
Resource-hungry Turkey has cultivated close energy ties with Barzani’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), despite objections from the United States, which fears the region’s increasingly independent oil policy will lead to the break-up of Iraq.
“Both sides (Turkey and the KRG) are determined to make progress in terms of this relationship,” Barzani said. “When you have oil, oil will find its own way.”
The partnership has helped foster a nascent peace process between the Turkish state and rebels from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who have fought it for the past three decades. PKK fighters began withdrawing from Turkey into Iraqi Kurdistan last month, drawing complaints from Baghdad, which said it would not accept any armed group entering its territory.
Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, addresses the opening of a conference on "Recognizing Kurdish Genocide" in Arbil, about 350 km (217 miles) north of Baghdad, March 14, 2013. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
Asked whether he had any qualms about receiving several hundred guerrillas in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, Barzani said there was no cause for concern. “We are expecting that after the problem is solved, they will go back to their
|
her over. “If you haven’t already fallen in love with this team, you will after you see this Grey Cup Festival.”
The Aberdeen Pavilion will be the official home of the Ottawa REDBLACKS team party. The three-day RNation party begins Thursday, November 23, while the Horticulture Building will be transformed into Riderville for two full days. Details on transit for festival events will be available at GreyCupFestival105.ca come November.
The festivities will certainly animate the area with local businesses airing the game and special programming planned for Bank Street.
“Thousands of Canadians from across the entire country will take part in this national celebration, and we want to roll out the red carpet,” says Glebe BIA executive director Andrew Peck. “We can’t wait to welcome others to our great neighbourhood and world-class city, and show off our Grey Cup champions.”
The 105th Grey Cup Festival will also feature several high profile ticketed events like the Shaw CFL Awards & Rev-Up Party for those who want the ultimate Grey Cup experience.
The Grey Cup Festival begins Tuesday, November 21, and runs until Sunday, November 26, when the Grey Cup Championship Game kicks off at TD Place.
Visit the website at www.greycupfestival105.ca for a full schedule of events and more information about the festival. You can also follow the hashtag #GreyCup or @GreyCupFestival on Twitter for updates.
Trevor Greenway is responsible for communications at the Glebe BIA (Business Improvement Area).Martin Pistorius fell into a mysterious coma when he was a vibrant 12-year-old boy in the 1980s.
He found himself locked inside his own body – unable to speak, make eye contact or even move his own limbs.
Martin’s doctors told his parents, Rodney and Joan Pistorius, that the boy had cryptococci meningitis. They said Martin should be taken home to die in peace.
But Martin would live 12 years in that vegetative state.
Joan said, “Martin just kept going, just kept going.”
Like the reporting you see here? Sign up for free news alerts from WND.com, America’s independent news network.
According to NPR, Martin’s father would wake up every day at 5 a.m., dress the boy, put him in the car and drive him to a special care center.
“Eight hours later, I’d pick him up, bathe him, feed him, put him in bed, set my alarm for two hours so that I’d wake up to turn him so that he didn’t get bedsores,” Rodney recalled.
Read the heart-wrenching, true story of Terri Schiavo.
And during those 12 years, according to the Pistorius family, there was never any indication that Martin’s condition was improving.
One day, Joan, in a state of hopelessness, told her son, “I hope you die.”
She never imagined that Martin would have understood those dreadful words.
But by the time he was 14 or 15 years old, Martin began to awaken.
“Yes, I was there, not from the very beginning, but about two years into my vegetative state, I began to wake up,” Martin recalls. “I was aware of everything, just like any normal person. Everyone was so used to me not being there that they didn’t notice when I began to be present again. The stark reality hit me that I was going to spend the rest of my life like that – totally alone.”
Martin had even heard his mother’s cruel words.
“You don’t really think about anything,” he said. “You simply exist. It’s a very dark place to find yourself because, in a sense, you are allowing yourself to vanish.”
Martin added, “As time passed, I gradually learned to understand my mother’s desperation. Every time she looked at me, she could see only a cruel parody of the once-healthy child she had loved so much.”
At the care center every day, Martin’s caregivers played “Barney” reruns. They too believed he was a vegetable.
He said, “I cannot even express to you how much I hated Barney.”
Now Martin, 39, is in full control of his body. He’s married and lives a normal life in Harlow, England.
In his book “Ghost Boy,” he writes, “My mind was trapped inside a useless body, my arms and legs weren’t mine to control and my voice was mute. I couldn’t make a sign or sounds to let anyone know I’d become aware again. I was invisible – the ghost boy.”Just stopping in for a short post before continuing with a long-overdue series or two :) This post is a bit of a short fun one that describes a quest I had, and hopefully some useful extra ideas I found along the way.
Soon after I discovered Haskell, one question has plagued my mind. Day and night, I wondered…
Are there any Haskell types with more than one unique Monad instance?
This was a question that was pretty simple…so simple that I was sure many people had already asked and answered this. But I couldn’t really find any answers and nobody I asked at the time could really give me one either, so this soon embedded itself as a pretty deep mystery to my psyche.
The background?
Functor and Applicative
All Functor instances, if they exist, are unique for the type. The type uniquely determines the instance. There is only one possible Functor instance for [], one possible Functor instance for Maybe, Either, etc.
This fact is taken advantage of by GHC to allow you to derive, for some types, a Functor instance automatically.
There is no other possible Functor instance for that data type. Go ahead, try :D
However, this is not the case for Applicative. Everyone knows of course about the normal (cartesian product) Applicative instance and the zippy Applicative instance for list:
What is also fairly established is that every noncommutative Applicative instance also has a “flipped” version:
Every non-commutative Applicative admits an alternative instance where “flipping” the order of the “effects” is also a valid Applicative instance. So, not Maybe or Either, but State, [], and IO.
Cool. Types that have Functor instances only have one. Types that have Applicative instances very often have more than one.
So, the obvious next question is…what about Monad s? Is a Monad instance uniquely determined by its type?
Monad
The answer wasn’t that simple, for me. Yes, most Applicative s in the wild are non-unique, and there was a generating rule. But not so for Monad s. You can’t have a Monad where the effects are switched, because for (>>=), you need the effects of the first action in order to even decide what the effects of the next action are.
I vaguely remember from my past two data types that are very similar yet have very different Monad and Applicative instances: (finite) lists, (infinite) streams. From the outset, the two have almost identical structure. A Stream is just a list with no [] /nil:
The Functor instance is identical:
And the (only??) Applicative instance is the ZipList instance for lists:
The Monad instance is however very different from that of lists:
The Monad instance itself is actually interesting enough to write about. It all revolves around join, where join takes a stream of streams and creates a stream of the diagonals. So it takes the first element of the first stream, the second element of the second stream, the third element of the third stream, etc.
This is actually a special case of the Monad instance for all fixed-sized ordered containers. A length 5 vector, for example, will have the same Applicative and Monad instance as described here: (<*>) with “zipping”, and join with grabbing the diagonal of the 5-vector of 5-vectors.
This was a promising lead, but, it doesn’t take too much thought to see that neither lists nor Stream are appropriate for both instances.
So I didn’t really have any leads at that point; I tried a couple of other paths but nothing really panned out. So I shelved it for a while.
Revelation
Several centuries later, the final revelation came as many revelations do in Haskell — from a hint by Edward Kmett. He pointed out something interesting regarding a Monad instance that I had yet to notice:
This is the classic “Writer” monad instance, which is literally about as old as monads in functional programming is.
The key is that the Monad instance of (w,) depends on the Monoid instance of w. This is the “log”, so to speak. You need a Monoid instance in order to make the Monad instance…and the behavior of the Monad instance is directly determined by the behavior of the Monoid instance of w.
And… Monoid instances in Haskell are rarely ever unique! A different Monoid instance would create a very different Monad instance for the same type!
So, by factoring out the dependency on an external Monoid instance, you get…
and…voila! There it is!
This type is basically equivalent to (Bool, a). And Bool has multiple Monoid s on it. Instead of requiring an outside Monoid instance, we can encode the instance directly into the behavior of (>>=). And here we go!
Our instances are basically the Writer instance for (Bool, a), with different Monoid instances for Bool.
The first instance:
Which represents the monoids formed by (&&) with True or by (||) with False (depending on which one you pick as True and which one you pick as False ; the two instances are isomorphic)
The second:
Which represents the monoid formed by (/=) (or “XOR”) with False.
And there you go. One type, two possible unique, non-isomorphic Monad instances.Let me begin by saying that it's March and not April 1st, because what I'm about to reveal is not a joke. After 75 years of business, Calumet Photographic is closing their U.S. stores. This morning they announced through Facebook their "immediate closing in the United States".
After reading this I could barely believe it, I live in Chicago where their major headquarter is, so I picked up the phone and tried calling, but no response. I tried rentals, sales and any number I could find to make sure the information I was reading through Facebook was correct.
After getting in contact with a few assistants in the area, I discovered it was true. Nobody could get their rentals. Nobody is answering the phone. Calumet Photographic is closed. Facebook is blowing up with unanswered questions "What about my rentals?" "What about my orders?" "What about compensation for the employees?" I guess we won't know any answers to these questions until they issue a major press release or someone gets in touch with a Calumet Representative.
What do you think this means for our industry?
As commenters Frank and John Harrington point out below - Chapter 7 Bankruptcy paperwork has been filed.Looking for a bit more information about design and development directly to your email inbox? In this post we feature some great newsletters with news about design, development, and creative business alike.
Without further ado, 6 awesome newsletters for designers to subscribe to.
Thanks to Webdesigner News for sponsoring this post. Make sure to check it out for the latest news, articles, tutorials and everything else going on in the web design world.
Sidebar is one of my favorite newsletters. It has some awesome information about design. One link for every day of the week!
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Graphicdesignblender shares interesting tips for freelancers. From marketing to designer tricks, they share the best of the best.
The dribbble newsletter only comes once a month, but when it shows up in my inbox I am always super excited to read it. They have some amazing stories about designers and what they are working on.
Twice a month smashing magazine emails you the best design news, tips, and tricks to help you improve. Oh and not to mention you get a free e-book just for signing up!
All things web design, webdesignerdepot has you covered! For tips and tricks with a bit of news check them out!
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Around 15 people have been injured in France after a bus carrying teenagers crashed near the Swiss border.
Local media in France says three people have been seriously injured.
The Penygroes based Express Motors bus was travelling to Italy and toppled over on a motorway near Lons-le-Saunier, close to the Swiss border.
An employee confirmed that it was one of its coaches that was involved in the crash.
There were 48 people on board, most of them teenagers aged 14 to 17.
It is yet to be confirmed if those travelling onboard were part of a school trip.
Two helicopters were dispatched to the scene of the crash.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are providing support to a group of British nationals following a coach crash in France.
“We are in contact with the relevant local authorities.”LOS ANGELES -- For 99.9 percent of the players in the NBA, July 1, 2011 is circled on their calendars as the start of a potential lockout if the player's union and the league's owners can't come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement before the current one expires on June 30.
For Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest, July 1 marks the day he will announce just how much of his 2011-12 salary he will donate to charities to benefit mental health awareness.
It takes a dedicated 0.1 percentile-type of person to consider giving away a large percentage of the $6.79 million he is contracted to make next season.
"Either all or some," Artest said about his donation plans prior to the Lakers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. "You'll know July 1."
The 12-year veteran, who has made more than $52 million in salary through his first 11 seasons, refrained from providing much further detail, wishing to focus on the season and saying that he has already received enough publicity for raffling off his 2010 NBA championship ring on his personal website for charity.
As of last week, the raffle had already raised $464,525, according to Artest's manager. The winner will be selected on Christmas Day when the Lakers host the Miami Heat.
Artest said his wife and family are behind him with his decision.
"We lost $7 million before," Artest said, alluding to the money he lost while he was suspended for 73 regular-season games and 13 playoff games following the incident when he went into the stands in Detroit. "At least [this time] it's going to something good."
The city of Las Vegas honored him with "Ron Artest Day" in October for his charitable efforts associated with Xcel University, and former President Bill Clinton and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid attended the ceremony.
"President Clinton was happy about the turnaround [in my life]," Artest said.
The Lakers will meet with President Barack Obama on Monday in Washington, D.C., but Artest said he will not push his charitable agenda with the Commander-in-Chief.
"I don't think I have to," Artest said. "I think he already knows.... But I don't know if he's thought about it as much as I've thought about it.The Campus Rape Frenzy: The Attack On Due Process At America's Universities, co-authored by KC Johnson and Stuart Taylor, Jr., will be released on Tuesday, chronicling how America's college campuses have developed kangaroo court-like systems that trample on the due process rights of those accused of sexual assault.
Below is the Daily Wire's conversation with Taylor about just how heinous these systems are.
What prompted you to write this book?
Well, the book was originally KC's idea. We had collaborated on a book that I started on the Duke lacrosse case, which came out in 2007, and then he has followed these kind of issues very closely ever since then. I have followed them far less closely and oh, gosh, I don't know, maybe a year and a half ago when he was doing a lot of writing on the campus sexual assault frenzy (as we call it in our title and the attack on due process for college students subtitle), I was kind of following it from a distance and doing an occasional piece and KC was doing a lot, and he said, "I think it's time for another book." And I thought it was time, so that's how it got started.
So how did this whole campus rape frenzy culture come about? How did it all start?
The frenzy goes back, way back, to at least the 70s when Catherine MacKinnon and other radical feminist law professors started basically saying that almost all sex or even all sex that a women regrets is rape and started indoctrinating people in Women's Studies classes and so forth in that view. Some of the more radical bureaucrats in the Clinton administration kind of had that view and pushed it a little bit but not very far...and on the campuses there's been kind of a rape frenzy going on for decades.
But what it put into high gear is the Obama administration's decision on April 4, 19, 2011–it was pretty specific timing–to make federal case out of this, what we call the campus rape frenzy. They basically commanded in what I think is a blatantly illegal so-called guidance document–blatantly illegal for several reasons, including that they didn't put it through the notice and comment rulemaking that's necessary to make it a federal regulation...they commanded more than 7,000 colleges in the country–all those that receive federal money–to revolutionize their disciplinary rules for sexual assault allegations and really more broadly all sexual misconduct allegations which include a lot of conduct that's not illegal. It was about a 21-page letter and had about five very specific requirements, you must do this, you must do that, you must do the other thing, and that's what really got it into high gear, particularly because it was led from the White House by Vice-President [Joe] Biden and by President [Barack] Obama who were, among other things, spewing highly misleading rape statistics about a supposed one-in-five sexual assault rate for women on campus, which is a completely bogus statistic based on fraudulent, if at least misleading, studies. They pushed it really hard, and they not only issued these commands to the colleges–and the colleges all basically saluted and said, 'What else do you want us to do?' instead of challenging them–they basically threatened all the colleges that didn't do exactly what they wanted and didn't kick out as many as people as the Obama administration thought they should kick out as sexual assaulters. They threatened them all with ruinous publicity by putting them on lists of colleges under investigation; the media would handily comply by making a big deal of that as if they had been shown to have done something wrong when they haven't done anything wrong, and also threatening them with ruinous financial penalties in the form of taking away their financial money.
How exactly are the one-in-four, one-in-five statistics misleading and what are some of the other more egregious statistics that perpetuate the myth of campus rape culture?
Well the one-in-four, one-in-five–and it's usually the president says one-in-five so I'll stick with that for now–there are reliable, fairly reliable statistics on rape rates and in particular campus rape rates. They're put out by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics and have been for many years all kinds of crime statistics. They did a very comprehensive survey with a very large sample, and they've done a couple of subreports on the campus rape rates and they say it's about one-in-40 women, they say–it's probably more than one-in-50 if you adjust it a little bit for variables such as vacation time–they say the rate's about one-in-40 women who go to college are sexually assaulted–not every year, one-in-40 during their four or five years–and about one in a hundred, you know about fewer than about one in a hundred, about fewer than half of those are actually raped. Every, you know, sexual assault includes a tap on the butt, for example. So those are the reliable statistics.
So how do people get to one-in-five? There are a whole bunch of organizations including prestigious ones like the Washington Post, Pew survey and like the Association for American Universities surveys that make their surveys misleading in three ways. One, they have very small response rates, and the people who are motivated to respond are the ones who think they have been assaulted or raped or their friends have, you know so that loads the dice and gives you a high yes rate on whatever the question is. Two, the questions are highly misleading. They never ask these respondents, these women, "Have you been raped?" They never ask, "Have you been sexually assaulted?" because they know from historical experience that the answers will give you a very low rate, probably as low or lower than the one-in-40 that I mentioned earlier. They ask questions like, "Have you ever had sex with someone when you were intoxicated?" And if the answer is yes, they check that as a rape. "Have you ever had sex with somebody when you didn't really want to," whether or not you told him you didn't really want to. If the answer to that is yes, they check it as a rape, and so on down the list...they include a whole bunch of things that neither the law nor common understanding would classify as rape or sexual assault but these surveys do; they classify it that way. There are other ways in which they're misleading but those are the most obvious ones.
Explain then how these campus investigations into students accused of sexual assault completely violate due process rights.
Right. There's an argument of course about exactly what the due process rights should be and are in this kind of context. They're not identical to a criminal case; they're not quite as strong as a criminal case. So, for example, we don't claim that there ought to be a requirement of proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, which would be true in a criminal case. If it's a campus proceeding, we do say it ought to be something closer to proof by clear and convincing evidence, which is a familiar category in the law and more than proof by a mere preponderance of the evidence, which means almost a toss-up with a slight leaning toward, "Yeah, we think he's probably guilty, we're not sure." So one way in which they've degraded due process is they've lowered the burden of proof.
Another way is they've put a virtual ban on cross-examining accusers. That's probably the worst thing they've done because, because, as the Supreme Court has said many times, cross-examination is the greatest engine of truth that the legal process has ever come up with, and if you're talking about not being able to examine an accuser, particularly in a context where it's often he said, she said and there is no conclusive evidence other than which of them you believe, and you take away the right to discredit the accuser, you've really loaded the dice toward bias.
Other things they've done are they've required colleges to allow accusers to appeal if the initial decision-making body, or panel of students or faculty or whatever decides that the guy is innocent, then the accuser gets to appeal. That's called double jeopardy in the criminal process, and they've required that there be punishment, which they called interim measures, before there's been any investigation. So, for example, if the accuser and the accused are living in the same dorms, the minute she's files a complaint they order him to move out of the dorm and go somewhere else, which is often less, you know, he doesn't want to go.
And over the whole mess of specifics I'm talking about, the colleges know that these bureaucrats who are ideologues and near fanatics in the office of civil rights of the Education Department under Obama, they know perfectly well if they don't act like they're really, really tough on accused sexual assaulters, if they act like, "Well, gee, let's make sure we don't punish innocent people," then they'll get hammered by the federal government, and there are two ways in which the federal government hammers them, as they publicize it and make them sound in the media as though they're hotbeds of sexual assault in College X or College Y, and they threaten them by taking away their federal money.
What do you think are the most egregious examples of universities trampling on the rights of the accused?
There have been over 100 lawsuits by accused students who say they've been trampled and our book discusses 40 or 50 of them. The one we have in the introduction has got a special twist to it, which is that the facts show that the woman who accused the guy of sexual assault was actually the sexual assaulter and the guy was the victim and she twisted it around. But it was Amherst College, where what happened was that a woman who seemed to like to have a lot of sex seduced a guy, (Well, they were making out in front of a bunch of people who said, "Why don't you go to a room somewhere?" and so she took him to her room...and he was passed out drunk.) She was slightly tipsy by her own description. She gave him oral sex, which he doesn't remember at all, because he was either passed out or close to passed out drunk and then she sent him away and she summoned another guy whom she had been flirting with earlier in the evening and she had sex with him too. She said, "Bring your military-trained bod over here and entertain me" was her quote. This was in a text message. This is why we know what happened; she did a bunch of text messages that were later recovered.
And then after all this happened, she began to worry about the first guy whom she sexually assaulted, her roommate's boyfriend. Her roommate was away, but she realized that word was going to get around and people were going to be mad at her for seducing her roommate's boyfriend. So, she started telling people that he actually sexually assaulted her. She also fell in with the campus anti-rape group and a bunch of ideologues, and many, many, many months later–I think it was maybe a year and a half later–she got around to telling the college that he'd sexually assaulted her. They got around to having this ridiculous kangaroo court during which she was incoherent and the people running the case were feminist ideologues and they kicked him out, and when he later pulled together all these text messages and proved conclusively that he was innocent, Amherst College told him too late, we're not gonna reopen the case. There's one.
Which universities do you think are the worst when it comes to these kangaroo court systems and so forth?
Well we're talking about thousands of universities that have them, and you know even universities where the people that run the universities have enough sense to realize that it's a terrible system, they're terrified of the federal government, so they do what the federal government tells them. A lot of universities are all too eager to do this for ideological reasons. Among those that stand out as worst are Yale, Brown and gosh a bunch of others...but Yale and Brown have over and over and over again had outrageously biased one-sided proceedings, sometimes perhaps because the federal government was leaning on them, but other times because that's just what they do.
One example is that last fall, Yale kicked out its basketball captain in the middle of one of the greatest seasons they've ever had on a ridiculous allegation. Even if you take the woman's word for what happened it's ridiculous, and she didn't want to make a complaint. Yale sort of forced her to make a complaint in order to make themselves look like, "Oh, boy, we're really being tough on rape, we kicked out the basketball captain." It was an outrage, a travesty, and the people at Yale that did this should all be fired, but they won't be because that's how Yale operates.
One of the more chilling aspects, at least to me, was how cavalier some people were about the prospect of innocents getting expelled from college and being accused of sexual assault as a result of that kangaroo court system. But as you say in the book, it is actually a very traumatic experience for somebody that's innocent to be kicked off of campus and accused of sexual assault.
Yes, and we do describe that and we interviewed several, a lot of parents, a lot of moms and some dads and a couple of the young men, the young men really don't want to talk. The guys that have been traumatized don't want to talk most of the time to even someone like me who is sympathetic to them, just because they don't want their names to get in print, they don't want to relive the experience, but we learned a lot from the couple we talked to and also from all the parents we talked to–obviously lived through it with their sons–and there are kids who have done suicide attempts, there may have been some...suicides, there's a lot of post traumatic stress syndrome, there's a lot of depression, there's a lot of guys who just can't get their lives back in gear after they've been kicked out of college as sex criminals basically and then rejected by other colleges because word got around after they've been smeared all over their campuses as sex criminals by feminist activists.
And it's, you know what, it's hauntingly reminiscent of, we've all of heard cases, stories–and they're true stories, some of them–of women being terribly traumatized for many years, maybe for the rest of their lives, by having been raped. Well, the trauma seems to keep quite similar when it's experienced by a male who's been wrongfully accused. Obviously, nothing's been done to him physically, but in terms of the psychological harms, I think the situations are quite similar and they're really, really horrible. The people who kind of, you know, wave it aside as, "Oh, well, the guy can just pick himself off and get on with his life." No, he can't. It's horribly traumatizing.
So you talk about the federal government obviously playing a big role in establishing these type of kangaroo court systems; what about states? Because it seems like in your book you talked about state legislatures kind of, you know, abetting this process.
Yeah, it varies from state to state. The two worst–and there are a couple of others–are California and New York, non-coincidentally two huge blue states, and both of them adopted what are called affirmative consent laws, rules, for college students and only for college students, college discipline and only college discipline. These don't apply to anyone else. And affirmative consent basically means that there's a presumption that every sex act was a crime on the part of the male unless, you know, he can prove that every step of the way he explicitly asked for permission, or at least implicitly. So, "May I touch you here? May I touch you there? May I touch you in the other"– if you forgot to say "May I touch you in the other place" and you touched her in the other place, bang! That's a sexual assault under these laws...and the hypocrisy of it is emphasized by the fact that this is only for college students and only for college women. If they think it protects women–which it doesn't–but they're certainly not bothering even doing it for poor young women who can't go to college. And if they think that the guys ought to be punished, they're certainly not punishing guys outside of college. They're certainly not punishing, for example, members of the California and New York state legislature who might be charged with rape under these laws. They're just posturing and trying to make themselves look good to the extreme feminist activists by setting up young college guys. I think some of them may come to their senses when some of their own sons are railroaded out of college but it may take awhile for that to sink in.
As a whole, would you say that the courts have been favorable toward the accused or more toward the universities?
Courts have been all over the lot, and there isn't yet, I think, a clear pattern. There have been a lot of decisions favorable to accused, there have been a significant number favorable to the universities, and the ones favorable to the universities, some of them are really hard to understand. The California appeals court, for example, in a case involving the University of California in San Diego, the judges, when they were hearing the argument in the case, they were hearing how the university had rigged the process to nail the guy. One of the judges said basically, it looks like a kangaroo court to me, and the other judges agreed. Then, a little while later, they render their decision and they uphold what the university did, basically saying well, we'll defer to the university. And there are courts that did that. There have also been some very good decisions by Judge Saylor, a federal district judge for example, in a case involving Brandeis–he's in the northeast–there's one by a federal appeals court in the northeast, including three Democratic appointees, which is noteworthy, that struck a good blow for fairness, one by Judge Tim Ellis, a personal friend of mine actually in the northern district of Virginia, really knocking down George Mason University's unfair process...what the world really needs is one of these cases to get to the Supreme Court and for the Supreme Court to set a standard that protects due process, but that hasn't happened yet.
Do you think any of this will change at all under the new Trump administration or no?
I hope that a lot of it will change; in particular I hope that the Trump administration will wipe off the books all of the illegal orders the Obama administration has been issuing to the universities about the procedures–you know, you must have a low burden of proof, you may not allow cross-examination–the easy part would be to wipe those out. That could be done with a stroke of a pen because unlike some federal regulations, these ones weren't adopted through a process that makes it hard to wipe 'em out. These can be done easily. The harder and longer term task will be that even if all that is done, and even if, you know, Trump does all the obvious things that it can to set things right–which is not assured, you know, who knows whether they'll do that, they haven't shown their hand clearly yet–but even if they do the right things, there will still be huge bureaucracies, sex bureaucrats, at all the universities around the country, there will be bad rules that have been adopted under the lash of the Obama administration, but Trump revoking the Obama administration's orders doesn't make the bad rules go away. They are still there until people–students, faculty, student governments, individually state legislatures in good states–until they change the rules. So there's a lot of damage that's been done, long term damage–including the presumption of guilt that's widespread in the university culture now–lot of damage that will take a long time and a lot of effort by a lot of people to repair even if the Trump administration gets it started, which I hope they will.
So what kind of advice would you give to students or prospective students and parents when it comes to dealing with this stuff or how to avoid this kind of stuff in general if they're on a college campus?
Yeah, we have some suggestions on that at the end of the book. For example, student governments tend to be dominated by politically-correct leftist people. They're not particularly representative of the student body as a whole, but they are the ones who are motivated to get into student government and one thing we recommend is that students who would rather have fairness and who would rather not be governed by far-left radicals should become active and get into the student governments. Boards of trustees, parents, alumni, donors and other students, state legislators, members of Congress, and citizens should all realize that the universities–and that's not just in the sex area, it's in the politically correct censorship of free speech and the like–the universities are now dominated by far-left authoritarian radicals, and it's going to take a long time, if not forever, to set that straight.
And by the way, I say this not as a conservative, but as a moderate who voted for President Obama twice, for example–and I sort of regret it, at least the second time–but it sounds like it's coming from a far-right radical when you hear what I'm saying because it's so uncommon to see it in the national media. But every serious civil libertarian I know and every feminist I know and respect–and there are a lot of 'em–agrees basically with what I'm saying about this.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Among the attacks on Betsy DeVos, the nominee for Education Secretary, is Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and some other Democrats have attacked her because she gave, I think, $25,000 in contributions over several years to an organization called the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The acronym is FIRE. And Casey attacked her for this, said that's a radical group, they're trying to take away the rights for victims of sexual assault, and I think his spokesman said they were far-right, which is absurd and it is a libel, really, for them to take a group that is in fact a preeminent civil liberties group for campuses, at least in the country, one that's run by a liberal that protects the rights of liberals and conservatives, Christians, Muslims and across the board, free speech rights, due process rights, and now the sexual assault industry is attacking them as though they were some bunch of lunatics. The lunatics are the people doing the attacking, not the admirable people at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and Betsy DeVos, whatever her other qualities, should be proud of her contributions to that group.
Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter @bandlersbanter.Gemalto, a leader in digital security, released the latest findings of the Breach Level Index, a global database of public data breaches, revealing 18 data breaches led to 203.7 million data records being compromised in India in the first half of 2017.
Compared to the last six months of 2016, the number of lost, stolen or compromised records increased by a staggering 167 million with 61 percent of data breach incidents being identity theft.
Globally, a large portion of the 1.9 billion stolen or compromised data records came from the 22 largest data breaches, each involving more than one million compromised records. Of the 918 data breaches recorded worldwide more than
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ieth anniversary, Rebecca Taylor, Time Out London, March 25, 2008 | I was a fascist boot-boy, Andrew Orme, The Independent, March 10, 2004 | One man’s war against his demons, Rosie Boycott, The Observer, March 10, 2002 | Growing up in London’s Deep South, Matthews Collins, Searchlight, September 1998.
See also : AFA zine Fighting Talk (rar file comprising #1–21) | Beating the Fascists (The Untold Story of Anti-Fascist Action, Sean Birchall, Freedom Press, 2010) | Dave Hann (October 3, 2009) | Fightdemback interview with Dave Hann, co-author No Retreat (July 11, 2006).Bulldogs.com.au takes a look at Will Hopoate in action in his first few days training at Belmore HQ.
Hopoate joins the club from the Parramatta Eels, where he spent the last two seasons, playing 38 games, scoring seven tries.
Since making his debut in Round 13 of season 2010 for the Manly Sea-Eagles, the Manly Cove junior has gone on to play a total of 60 games, scoring 21 tries. The 23-year-old has also represented NSW on five occasions and has worn the City Origin jersey twice.
Chief Executive Raelene Castle is pleased to have a player of Hopoate’s calibre join the club.
“Will is an exciting young player who has already achieved so much in the game,” Castle said.
“Will will be a valuable and experienced acquisition for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and I look forward to him joining the club.” Coach Des Hasler added.Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year, one every 15 minutes. Driven by demand for ivory as a symbol of wealth or prestige, the illicit profits of ivory trade finance wars, terrorism, illegal drugs and human trafficing.
Trade in ivory has been around for centuries. It reached its peak when Africa was colonized. This coincided with the industrial revolution in United Kingdom, Western Europe and America creating a vast demand for ivory. It found use in diverse objects like piano keys, billiard balls, ornaments, jewelry, bow clips, hair pins, needles, buttons, etc. The worst and obvious victims of the trade were the elephants.
Entire populations of this beast was wiped out in North Africa about a thousand years ago, before the Europeans came. The colonization period saw the virtual decimation of the elephant in South Africa during the 19th century and West Africa in the 20th century. The two World Wars in the 20th century saw a sharp fall in ivory trade and provided some respite to the elephants. But the rising affluence from Japan's industrial revival, and the burgeoning wealth of the Middle-eastern oil-rich states in the 1970's, brought back a renewed interest in ivory. The affluent middle class in China since the 1990's created another great market for the product.
The Asian elephant's population has witnessed a decline of nearly 50 percent, from over a 100,000 a century ago to just over 50,000 presently. The male elephant carries tusks while the female does not. The tusk can reach a length of 5 feet and weigh up to 47 kilograms. The tusk of the Asian elephant is in demand for products that require intricate carving. Saudi Arabia and the oil-rich Gulf states are some areas where this ivory is in high demand.
The African elephant consists of two subspecies. The forest elephants are shorter and darker than their Savannah cousins. They are found in the central and western equatorial forests of Africa, primarily in Congo. The 1890's and early 1900's witnessed the mass decimation of this animal by the Belgian colonialists when slave labor was extensively used to transport ivory to North African ports for its ultimate destination in Western Europe.
The bush elephant that inhabited the bush areas of Kalahari in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe is another sub-species that was driven to extinction from rampant hunting by the Dutch and British colonialists.
But the main targets of the ivory trade have always been the Savannah elephants, the largest of all species, known for their huge and magnificent tusks. The male tusks can measure up to 7-8 feet and weigh up to 100 lbs. Unlike their Asian counterparts, even the females have tusks. These mighty creatures are often seen in the vast expanses of the Savannah grassland plains straddling Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The most shocking decline of this elephant species has been witnessed recently in Tanzania in a span of just six years. The count reduced dramatically from 109,000 to 43,000, which is a devastating drop of 60 percent. The Selous Game Reserve is a gold mine for ivory looters who have accounted for as many as 32,000 Savannah elephant deaths.
There are only about 470,000 elephants roaming the continent of Africa presently. Compare this to 3 to 5 million that roamed the vast expanses at the beginning of the 20th century. It's a frightening drop of 90 percent.
Governments and wildlife agencies have woken up to this terrible loss of wildlife. Virtually every country in the continent, from South Africa to Zimbabwe to Uganda and Tanzania, have placed a ban on ivory trading. Although these bans were put into effect decades ago, only 20 percent of the African elephant habitat is under formal protection.
From over 100 seizures made in the continent in the last 15 years, almost 465,000 pounds of ivory were recovered. That translates into the deaths of over 30,000 elephants. But this hasn't dampened the illegal trade in ivory. Tens of thousands of elephants are lost every year; one killed every 15 minutes.
Organized crime is involved in the transportation of ivory to its preferred destinations, mostly the US and China. The US has put a complete ban on the sale of ivory and ivory items. The immense demand for ornaments and jewellery carved from ivory make China the biggest consumer for the product. Steps have been taken in China to end domestic sales of ivory. In places like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, ivory is in demand for its alleged medicinal properties.
Despite recent efforts, elephant poaching is at its highest level in decades. Valued at US$19 billion annually, illegal wildlife trade ranks fifth globally in terms of value. Domestic ivory markets provides cover for criminals to launder illegal ivory from poached animals. The Internet is utilized for secret, fast and convenient communications and transactions. The criminals that smuggle ivory also smuggle guns, people, and drugs.
Unless the slaughter of elephants is halted, we will likely see these magnificent animals disappear within a few decades. Stopping the crisis will require efforts from a diverse coalition of governments, institutions, organizations, media, scientists, and individuals.Yes, the name is right. Jhon, not John. Out with one Colombian central defender, and perhaps in with another. The issues at the heart of the New York Red Bulls' defense might be addressed in the form of Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, a powerfully built Colombian. Metro New York has learned that Hurtado is set to go on trial with the team as the team continues its preseason preparations. In MLS since 2010, Hurtado spent the first four years of his MLS career with the Seattle Sounders before being traded away to the Chicago Fire, who then dealt him midseason to Chivas USA. Recommended Slideshows 4 Pictures PHOTOS: Singapore's treasures star in NY Botanical Garden's 2019 Orchid Show 4 Pictures 36 Pictures Oscars 2019: Red carpet looks and full list of winners 36 Pictures 36 Pictures All of these celebrities have had their nudes leaked 36 Pictures More picture galleries 16 Pictures These photos of Trump and Ivanka will make you deeply uncomfortable 16 Pictures 4 Pictures Inside Brooklyn's Teknopolis is tech that makes us more human 4 Pictures 4 Pictures Inside The Strand's Fight Against Being Named a New York City Landmark 4 Pictures Set to turn 31-years-old this May, Hurtado has a green card and will not count as an international player. This past offseason, the Red Bulls traded Jamison Olave to Real Salt Lake, sending the Colombian back to his original club in MLS. While the Red Bulls received a prominent piece of allocation money for Olave, they lost a stalwart of their central defense and a key part to their back four's organization. Currently, their likely centerback pairing includes Ronald Zubar, who last played with Ajaccio in France's Ligue 2, and Andrew Jean-Baptiste, who is young and promising but has been inconsistent. In addition, Damien Perrinelle has been solid in preseason, and the young Matt Miazga, who starred in the U-20 national team's qualification for the World Cup. Hurtado, who was among the best starting central defenders in the league while with Seattle, is solid in the air and his one-on-one defending and tidy in his distribution. He is currently available as a free agent. Related Articles The Muddled History of How the Margarita Was Invented Everything you need to know about Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn Try these good-for-you chocolates and candy for HalloweenBy Allan Taylor in Sports, WVU Sports | April 17, 2017 at 6:14PM
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Nathan Adrian played the final five games of his West Virginia basketball career with a torn labrum, an injury that will prevent him from playing professionally next season.
He sustained the injury while tangling arms with Texas forward Jarrett Allen during the Big 12 quarterfinals, and afterward told reporters he felt OK while sporting an ice pack on his left shoulder.
Taking injections to numb his left shoulder, Adrian made only 13-of-36 shots over the remaining two games of the Big 12 tournament and West Virginia’s three-game run to the NCAA Sweet 16.
Adrian still averaged 32 minutes of action per game during that closing stretch.
“It kind of made it difficult to raise my arm above my head,” Adrian said. “My left hand didn’t go all the way up, and I started missing everything left, because I couldn’t get my guide hand up on the shot.”
His agent had fielded potential contract offers from clubs in Belgium, Germany, Austria and Finland, but Adrian said last week’s surgery will require an extensive rehab.
“The doctors said it was even worse than the MRI showed,” he said. “I’m in a sling for six weeks.”
Adrian is completing his master’s degree in sports management after studying finance as an undergrad. He was named the Big 12’s scholar athlete of the year in men’s basketball.
The Morgantown High School product played 140 career games at West Virginia, and averaged a career-high 9.6 points as a senior when the team finished 28-9.This blog is cross-posted from Energy.gov.
This week, I’m in San Francisco to host the first gathering of global energy ministers since last December’s climate negotiations in Paris. These leaders represent countries that make up 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The focus of these meetings will be to expand international collaboration in clean energy research, development, demonstration and deployment to combat climate change, drive economic growth, and help ensure energy security.
In San Francisco, energy leaders will participate in the 7th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7), an alliance of countries that are global leaders in clean energy. It’s also the inaugural Mission Innovation Ministerial, a separate but largely overlapping group of countries that has committed to double support for clean energy research and development.
In addition, the week will feature a variety of other clean energy-focused events including the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment’s (C3E) Women in Clean Energy Symposium and the CEM Startups and Solutions Technology Showcase in San Francisco's Union Square.
The Clean Energy Ministerial is an alliance of 23 major countries and the European Commission that are working together to accelerate clean energy deployment. Their collaborations are already producing innovative local and national clean energy policies, ambitious emissions reductions, efficiency programs and technology collaboration.
For example, South Korea, South Africa, Chile and India have either adopted or proposed 16 efficiency standards and policies to make appliances such as water heaters, televisions and ceiling fans more energy-efficient through CEM’s Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment initiative.
As a result, India became the first country in the world to set comprehensive quality and performance standards for LEDs, aided by technical expertise in the United States. India then used those standards to initiate a bulk purchase program for hundreds of millions of LEDs at a remarkably low cost.
Another example of the CEM’s collaborative structure is the Clean Energy Solutions Center, which helps policymakers implement and design policies and programs. The Solutions Center has already provided no-cost clean energy policy support to over 90 countries and it is developing a new capability to help identify financing strategies. The Center is expanding to include a Finance Portal.
While CEM is pushing deployment of today’s clean-energy technologies, energy ministers and business leaders are also meeting for the inaugural Mission Innovation Ministerial, focused on developing the cutting edge clean energy solutions of tomorrow.
During the first day of the Paris climate negotiations last year, President Obama joined 19 other world leaders to announce Mission Innovation, an effort to double investments in clean-energy-technology research and development by 2021. Supporting breakthroughs in clean energy will lower the costs of clean energy technologies and in turn help to combat climate change, enable life-changing energy services to the poor and enhance global energy security.
During the Mission Innovation Ministerial, ministers from these countries will announce specific action plans from their respective governments to achieve those goals.
We have to make sure that we have the world’s best and brightest working on these tough issues. That means making full use of women’s talents, yet the energy industry remains one of the global sectors with relatively little representation of women.
That’s why we started the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Women in Clean Energy Symposium in 2011, with the goal of increasing the visibility of and encouraging more participation by women in clean energy. Since its inception, CEM countries have named 46 C3E Ambassadors and honored dozens of women around the world for their leadership in energy accelerators, education and deployment. On May 31, C3E will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a symposium at Stanford University.
It makes sense that the world’s energy leaders are gathering in California’s Bay Area. The state is a leader in progressive clean energy policies and deployment—while California’s Bay Area is a global hub of the clean-tech industry and venture capital. Plus, it is home to world-class universities, three of our DOE national labs, and some of the most innovative technology companies in the world. That makes California the perfect stage for global leaders to renew and advance their commitment to clean energy.Soon after the general elections of 2004, I heard a sociologist and an economist exchange stories about the new prime minister. Back in the early 1990s, the sociologist was asked to write a recommendation for one of Manmohan Singh’s daughters. Since he knew (and admired) her work, he agreed readily. When the young lady’s CV reached him, he found that she had gone to some considerable trouble to hide the fact that her father was finance minister. She was staying with her parents in their large Lutyens bungalow; yet had chosen to use as her mailing address a friend’s flat in East Delhi.
The economist said he had a better story. In the late 1970s, when Manmohan Singh was a secretary in the finance ministry, the two had lunch at the India International Centre. After the meal, the economist asked Singh: “Do you mind if after dropping you at South Block, your car drops me at my office on Ring Road?” “Do you mind if it didn’t?” answered Singh, a brush-off as gentle as has ever been delivered or received.
When he assumed office in 2004, Manmohan Singh was by some distance India’s best educated prime minister. He was the most widely travelled since Jawaharlal Nehru. He was the most honest since Lal Bahadur Shastri. He had a wide range of experience in government, having served as, among other things, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and finance minister.
There were great expectations of Singh as prime minister; few of which have been fulfilled. Those who thought that the co-author (with P.V. Narasimha Rao) of the first generation of economic reforms would further free entrepreneurs from State control have been disappointed. So have those who hoped the experienced administrator would modernize the civil service by encouraging the lateral entry of professionals, those who believed that the former secretary general of the South Commission would adopt a foreign policy independent of Western (more specifically, American) pressures; and most of all, those who imagined that a person of rectitude and personal honesty would promote probity in politics and administration.
This last failure explains, among other things, the appeal of Anna Hazare, a man whose intellectual vision is as confined as Singh’s is large. In the early part of 2011, as the evidence of cabinet collusion in the Commonwealth Games and 2G scams accumulated, the prime minister continued to shield his corrupt ministers. After Anna Hazare’s fasts, a popular, countrywide movement against corruption began to take shape. Singh still would not act. In the popular imagination, the prime minister was now seen as indecisive and self-serving, his fellow septuagenarian, Anna Hazare, as courageous and self-sacrificing. It is a mark of how disappointing Manmohan Singh’s second term has been that it has allowed an authoritarian village reformer — with little understanding of what Mohandas K. Gandhi said, did, or meant — to claim the mantle of the Mahatma.
About 18 months ago, Khushwant Singh wrote that Manmohan Singh was the best prime minister India has had. Khushwant is reliable on some matters: such as the history of the Sikhs, the attractions of Scotch whisky, and the poetry of Muhammed Iqbal. He is a man of enormous charm, with a large fund of good and bad jokes. But in so far as politicians go he has a disastrous track record. He once saw in the ruffian Sanjay Gandhi the redeemer of the nation.
Even at the time, Khushwant’s praise of Manmohan Singh seemed excessive. Now it seems ludicrous. But why has this honest, intelligent, experienced man, whose appointment as prime minister in 2004 was so widely welcomed, been such a disappointment in office? Here are four reasons, roughly in order of importance:
1. His timidity, bordering at times on obsequiousness, towards the president of the Congress. Singh is evidently so grateful to Sonia Gandhi for having made him prime minister that he yields to her on matters which are within his preserve rather than hers — such as the appointment of ministers, governors and ambassadors, and the framing of public policies and laws.
In truth, Sonia Gandhi needs Singh almost as much as he needs her. She did not become prime minister in 2004 because she knew she was plainly unqualified — never having worked in government, how could she conduct cabinet meetings, have official meetings with visiting presidents and prime ministers, participate in international conferences on climate change, and so on? Sonia Gandhi had bestowed on Singh an unexpected gift; however, by accepting it, he had done her a favour too. He should have made more of this reciprocity — by, for example, insisting that incompetent or malevolent ministers be replaced.
2. His timidity in not contesting a Lok Sabha seat. Singh was, by my count, the fifth person to be sworn in as prime minister while in the Rajya Sabha. The other four sought election to the Lower House at an early date. Surely in the 2009 elections, at least, he should have asked for a Lok Sabha seat, from a safe constituency if need be? This is a major source of the prime minister’s weakness, of his inability to assert his authority over the cabinet, or garner respect from the Congress, from its coalition partners, and, perhaps above all, from the Opposition.
3. His lack of judgment when it comes to choosing key advisers. The two principal secretaries in the prime minister’s office have been a notorious intriguer and a Gandhi family loyalist respectively. Unlike their predecessors, neither commands respect within the civil service at large. His two media advisers have been PhD’s turned editorial writers, with little experience of on-the-ground reporting, and scant understanding of the power of television to make and unmake images. A less intellectual media manager might have insisted that the prime minister go out often into the countryside, to meet and mingle with the aam admi.
4. His keenness to win good chits from Western leaders. Singh is reluctant to travel to most states of the Indian Union, but always happy to fly between continents for G-20 meetings and the like. As is well known, the one time he asserted himself was when canvassing for the Indo-US nuclear agreement. This treaty will do little to meet our energy needs in an efficient or sustainable manner. And Indo-US relations were on an even keel anyway. But, as when he told George W. Bush that “the people of India love you”, his campaign for the nuclear deal suggested that for him a good press in the West sometimes mattered more than focused action at home.
In his first term as prime minister, Singh did not notably enhance his reputation; nor, however, did he seriously diminish it. If he had retired from office in 2009, history would have judged him more kindly. If he thought himself able to carry on, then he should have sought election to the Lok Sabha. He did neither — to find his credibility steadily eroding. It was still possible, in the winter of 2010-11, for Singh to have retrieved some lost ground, by sacking Suresh Kalmadi and A. Raja as soon as the scale of the scandals they oversaw became evident, and by insisting that the Congress break its ties with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, even if that meant the fall of the United Progressive Alliance government in New Delhi.
These successive failures signal a character trait that one does not usually associate with upright and intelligent individuals —namely, a rather desperate desire to cling to office, at whatever cost to one’s reputation, one’s party, and one’s nation.To make the process of connecting to our local wifi at home a bit less complex I decided to create a qr code for it. That way people can easily use their camera of their smartphone to connect to our network without typing in the WPA key.
So I looked on the net for a qr generator and started by typing in our SSID, when realizing it can't be secure to fill in our wpa key too.. It may be a bit paranoia but well I don't trust anything on the interweb most of the time.
Doing some further research I found out about qrencode a command line tool which can be used to generate many different QR codes.
For installation in archlinux you can use pacman:
$ pkgfile qrencode extra/qrencode $ sudo pacman -Syu qrencode
Once installed you can generate a qr code consisting of your wifi data base on some standardized barcode contents.
When figured out what that content had to be I generated an svg file of our QR code:
$ qrencode -t SVG -o wifi-code.svg "WIFI:S:SSID-OF-YOUR-WLAN;T:WPA2;P:YOUR-WPA2-KEY;;"
You now should be able to print that svg file with your SSID connection information you could use to connect to your network by simple scanning the code from your smartphone using a barcode scanner of your choice.
And by not using the internet but your local machine there is no chance anyone is storing that data in some dark database ;)GM has already announced that it would invest more in small cars, a hot market. Now Ford is announcing a $75 million investment in its Michigan truck plant to retool it for C-class small car production.
"The plant will begin converting its body shop in November when the tooling and equipment specific to the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator will be disassembled and transferred to Kentucky Truck Plant [...] in the interim, 1,000 employees will be transferred next door to Wayne Assembly Plant where a third crew will be added in January to accommodate increased production of the hot-selling Ford Focus" Small Vehicles at Michigan Plant: Only in 2010
Retooling a manufacturing plant of that size isn't easy or quick, so the C-class vehicles will only start production in 2010. If Ford had been a bit faster to react and had make the change a few years ago, it would already have these vehicles now that demand is higher than supply in many areas.
In 2010, Cuautitlan Assembly will begin production of the Fiesta (only in Europe right now - lets hope they'll bring the 63 MPG Fiesta ECOnetic over), replacing F-Series pickups. Louisville Assembly, home of the Ford Explorer mid-size SUV, will make more small vehicles from the automaker’s global C-car platform the following year, but we don't know which ones yet.
Cars
2004 Prius Worth Twice as Much as Same Year Ford F150
Yes, It's a Hyper-Pimped Out Toyota Prius from Sweden
NOOO! Honda Fit Hybrid Not Coming to United States
More on Ford Converting the Michigan Truck Plant
Ford Official ReleaseHelp us build a DIY Resource Center and home for Murmur--a space for zine-making, DIY skill-sharing, discussion panels, and more!
Gimme Shelter
Our platform has been successful in part because of supportive Atlanta spaces. We look forward to collaborating further with these groups and others. However, part of realizing Murmur’s fullest potential depends on securing a space. With a space dedicated to this platform, we can focus more intentionally, productively and full time--rather than being relegated to the context of outside events.
Your support will help us fund the space and amenities, including technology and supplies, such as Risograph printers, laserjet and inkjet printers, screen printing and book-binding supplies, direct animation supplies, saddle staplers and other zine-making materials, a Gocco printer, projectors, computers, a button press, and more! These will be available for community use during workshops and other staff-supervised times! If we exceed our fundraising goals, we will focus extra funds on building the space as a DIY Resource Center.
Proposed space layout
About Murmur
Murmur functions as a conduit for DIY and ephemeral media. We provide lots of programming around this platform, including workshops on zine making, discussions on a variety of DIY topics, and, most famously, the annual Atlanta Zine Fest, which is now approaching its third year!
We provide spaces, tools, and educational resources--with the specific intention of facilitating each individual’s involvement in DIY. Accessibility and diversity are key. Murmur has created many spaces and opportunities for this cause. For this, we were recently featured in The Guardian as one of the “Top 10 galleries, art attractions and events in Atlanta,” and were awarded a Best of Atlanta 2014 award in Creative Loafing.
What do we mean by “accessible DIY”?
Commercial publishers and vendors operate on a for-profit basis; profit margins affect what work is released and where it is available for consumption. Gatekeepers dictate what projects see the light of day. These vetting processes make sense in a commercial setting. DIY provides an alternative. As such, DIY media often reflects the realities, aesthetics, and perspectives of marginalized or underrepresented groups.
However, resources to produce DIY and ephemeral media can be expensive and inaccessible. These resources include technology, supplies, information sessions, and spaces to create and exhibit work. We provide opportunities for collaboration, learning, and creation. Our supporters include emergent high school creators, established artists, business owners, arts publishers, ground-level cultural advocates, university students, community organizers, and curators. Each network benefits from the rich crossover that Murmur provides.
Reap Your Rewards!
We have so many awesome goods by our friends who support DIY. Donors include Fallen Arrows, Hodgepodge Coffeehouse and Gallery, Demian of Southern Star Tattoo, and local artists. We've posted some photos below so you know what you're gettin' is good! Big shout out to our donors and supporters <3
Murmur buttons by Fallen Arrows
Tshirt by Fallen Arrows (available in multiple sizes)
You can check out Demian's tattoo work hereNet percentage change in seats
taken
Net change in seats
in total.
Party name
Conservative have the following results: 331 35 11 +24 11,334,226 36.9 +0.8
Labour have the following results: 232 22 48 -26 9,347,273 30.4 +1.5
Scottish National Party have the following results: 56 50 0 +50 1,454,436 4.7 +3.1
Liberal Democrat have the following results: 8 0 49 -49 2,415,916 7.9 -15.2
Democratic Unionist Party have the following results: 8 1 1 0 184,260 0.6 0.0
Sinn Fein have the following results: 4 0 1 -1 176,232 0.6 0.0
Plaid Cymru have the following results: 3 0 0 0 181,704 0.6 0.0
Social Democratic & Labour Party have the following results: 3 0 0 0 99,809 0.3 0.0
Ulster Unionist Party have the following results: 2 2 0 +2 114,935 0.4 0.0
UKIP have the following results: 1 1 0 +1 3,881,099 12.6 +9.5
Green Party have the following results: 1 0 0 0 1,157,630 3.8 +2.8
Alliance Party have the following results: 0 0 1 -1 61,556 0.2 +0.1
TUSC have the following results: 0 0 0 0 36,368 0.1 +0.1
National Health Action have the following results: 0 0 0 0 20,210 0.1 0.0
Traditional Unionist Voice have the following results: 0 0 0 0 16,538 0.1 0.0
Respect Party have the following results: 0 0 0 0 9,989 0.0 -0.1
Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol have the following results: 0 0 0 0 8,419 0.0 0.0
Yorkshire First have the following results: 0 0 0 0 6,811 0.0 0.0
English Democrats have the following results: 0 0 0 0 6,531 0.0 -0.2
Monster Raving Loony Party have the following results: 0 0 0 0 3,898 0.0 0.0
Socialist Labour Party have the following results: 0 0 0 0 3,481 0.0 0.0
Christian Peoples Alliance have the following results: 0 0 0 0 3,260 0.0 0.0
Christian Party have the following results: 0 0 0 0 3,205 0.0 -0.1
Workers Party have the following results: 0 0 0 0 2,724 0.0 0.0
British National Party have the following results: 0 0 0 0 1,667 0.0 -1.9
Class War have the following results: 0 0 0 0 526 0.0 0.0Between 1942 and 1943, 250,000 innocent Jews were systematically murdered at the Nazi death camp Sobibor (Blatt). An underground movement, composed of a select few courageous individuals, plotted and executed a plan of escape to avoid the otherwise inevitable fate of their slain brothers and sisters. Though many prisoners died during the plan’s execution on October 14, 1943, hundreds more fled to freedom.
For many, that freedom was short lived; it is estimated that of the nearly three hundred prisoners who survived the liberation, only about fifty survived the war (Caplan). The significance and effectiveness of a revolt which saved a mere fifty Jews is easily overshadowed by the slaughter of some six million throughout the Holocaust. However, the revolt was effective; it proved that the Nazi death machine was an imperfect and beatable force and led to the survival of fifty individuals who would leave a legacy, not only in genealogical terms, but in the truth about what happened at Sobibor.
The Plan
Sobibor was a death factory; its purpose was singular: to assist in the annihilation of the world’s Jewish population. This was no mystery to the prisoners. In his account, From the Ashes of Sobibor, survivor Thomas Toivi Blatt reflects on the grim reality the prisoners were forced to confront:
“We knew our fate […] we were in an extermination camp and death was our destiny. […] Only desperate actions could shorten our suffering and maybe afford us a chance of escape. […] the will to resist had grown and ripened” (Blatt 139).The prisoners at Sobibor knew that escape was the only hope for survival. Past escape attempts were met with bloody Nazi retaliation, a deterrent which successfully frightened prisoners into submission. However, an underground movement, led by a Polish Jew named Leon Feldhendler, began plotting a final revolt and escape despite the permeating fear. To prevent panic and avoid detection, Feldhendler and his co-conspirators vowed to keep the plot a secret until the last moment. Blatt estimates that “of the 550 Jews […] fewer than 10 percent had any knowledge of the escape plan” (Blatt 143).
The Nazis made a fatal mistake when they allowed captured Russian soldiers to mingle with the Jewish prisoners. The underground movement swiftly enlisted the help of Alexander “Sasha” Aronowich Pechersky, a trained military officer from the Red Army. With Feldhendler’s knowledge of the camp and Pechersky’s military tact, a feasible escape plan took form.
Early plans, such as tunneling out of the camp, were deemed impractical and abandoned. The plan that emerged is described by Blatt as “the secret killing of as many Nazis and Ukrainians as possible within a period of one hour maximum” (Blatt 141).
It would be carried out in three phases: preparation, the secret execution of SS officers, and “open revolt” (Blatt 142). The conspirators would capitalize on the notorious greed and punctuality of the SS officers. Promises of quality goods such as boots, jackets, and jewelry, would lure them to the various workshops around the camp where they would be murdered with make-shift axes and knives crafted by workers in the carpentry and blacksmith shops.
It was decided early on that to successfully execute any escape plan would require the assistance of at least two of the Kapos, prisoners who worked for the Nazis. This would allow for easier movement throughout the camp on the day of the escape. The hope was to keep the execution of the SS officers secret until roll call, when a Jewish electrician would cut the camp’s power, preventing the guards from radioing for help. Prior to this, weapons would be dispensed to the prisoners who would be informed of the day’s developments. When a conspiring Kapo blew the whistle for roll call, which was planned to occur earlier than normal, the prisoners would fall in as usual, and be led by their Kapos to the front gates. It was believed that without the objection of the SS officers the group would be able to get close to the front gate without being suspected of escape by the Ukrainian guards.
At this point some would break off and assault the armory while the others stormed the front gate, breaking through to freedom. Success hinged on “the number of Nazis killed, weapons at the prisoners’ disposal, and the effect of surprise on the guards in the camp and in the towers” (Blatt 142). If the plan succeeded as expected, all of the prisoners would safely escape through the front gate of Sobibor, avoiding the mine fields which surrounded the camp. However, it was decided that if the plan was foiled, the open revolt would begin and prisoners would try to escape to the forest despite the chaos.
Despite the potential for failure, Feldhendler and Pechersky knew that if they didn’t lead the prisoners to freedom, the Germans would lead them to the gas chambers. As Blatt testifies in his account, they would rather “die from bullets […] than from gas” (Blatt 139). The plan would be carried out on October 13, 1943.
“Open Revolt”
The conspirators woke on October 13th ready to mercilessly exact their revenge on the Nazis who showed so little mercy to their family and friends. The absence of SS Wagner, one of the more intelligent SS officers, who was on vacation, lifted their spirits. However, panic struck the group when SS soldiers from the nearby labor camp Ossowa arrived at Sobibor. Blatt recalls his panic: “I was terrified. We are betrayed, everything is lost” (Blatt 144). Drunken revelry among the SS relieved the conspirators’ tensions; the guests were at Sobibor on a casual visit. The conspiracy hadn’t been betrayed. However, the additional troops could prove problematic in the revolt and could jeopardize the German punctuality the plan depended on. The underground decided to delay the revolt by one day. On October 14, 1943, the Jews at Sobibor would finally get their revenge and reclaim their freedom.Though there is no doubt that the hours between October 13 and October 14 slowed for the conspirators, when they awoke on the sunny October morning, their zeal was as fervent as ever.
Between midday and 4:00 pm, phase one was carried out. Weapons in tow, the killers took their positions in the shops around the camp. Nerves frayed when a machinegun-wielding Nazi escorted one of the conspiring Kapos and three other Jews from the Lager. The on-looking conspirators later found out that the four had just been brought to a different part of the camp to stack wood.
The conspiracy was secure. The blow of a Jewish axe split the first Nazi skull just after 4:00 pm; acting Commandant Untersturmfu
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experiment on the International Space Station.
The experiment, National Lab Pathfinder-Cells 3, is aimed at learning whether microgravity can help jatropha curcas plant cells grow faster to produce biofuel, or renewable fuel derived from biological matter. Jatropha is known to produce high quality oil that can be converted into an alternative energy fuel, or biofuel.
By studying the effects of microgravity on jatropha cells, researchers hope to accelerate the cultivation of the plant for commercial use by improving characteristics such as cell structure, growth and development. This is the first study to assess the effects of microgravity on cells of a biofuel plant.
"As the search for alternate energy sources has become a top priority, the results from this study could add value for commercialization of a new product," said Wagner Vendrame, principal investigator for the experiment at the University of Florida in Homestead. "Our goal is to verify if microgravity will induce any significant changes in the cells that could affect plant growth and development back on Earth."
Launched on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission in February, cell cultures of jatropha were sent to the space station in special flasks containing nutrients and vitamins. The cells will be exposed to microgravity until they return to Earth aboard space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 mission targeted for April.
For comparison studies of how fast the cultures grow, a replicated set of samples are being maintained at the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead.
"Watching the space shuttle go up carrying a little piece of my work is an indescribable experience," said Vendrame. "Knowing that my experiment could contribute to creating a sustainable means for biofuel production on Earth, and therefore making this a better world adds special value to the work."Coordinates:
The Transit Hotel, also known as The Transit, was a hotel and tavern in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was located at the intersection of 66th street and Fort Road, in the northeast part of the city.
Opened on September 11, 1908,[1] the Transit was strategically placed as the first or last stop for travellers between Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan, and for its proximity to the recently built J.Y. Griffin slaughterhouse (later Swift's Packing Plant).
The hotel included many modern conveniences, including hot and cold water, bathrooms on the top floor, and electric lighting.
From the Edmonton Journal:
"The hotel and the land that surrounds it have undergone many changes over the years. The hitching posts that surrounded the hotel are long gone, as are the packing plants and stockyards. Asphalt has replaced the dirt roads farmers once brought their pigs, sheep and cattle in on for slaughter. The Belvedere LRT station now sits on land where once there was a hatchery. Even the community known as Packingtown no longer exists. The area was incorporated as the Village of North Edmonton in 1910 and annexed by the city in 1912. Little remains of the hotel's original interior and exterior, although the current owners, Bob and Pauline Ruzycki, have spent a lot of time and money restoring the front facade to its original boom-town architecture, complete with a second-floor veranda, elaborate parapet and finialed roof line. The hotel was run down when they purchased it in December 1986."
The Transit has also been known to hold gerbil races and has seen only one murder in its history, over fifty years ago[2]
It closed permanently in June 2017. [3]CLOSE Gal Gadot and Chris Pine star in 'Wonder Woman,' directed by Patty Jenkins. Warner Bros.
Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) prepares for battle in no man's land. (Photo11: Clay Enos, Warner Bros. Entertainment)
Why are women crying when they watch Wonder Woman fight?
Director Patty Jenkins has grown accustomed to hearing stories about Wonder Woman audience members welling up as Gal Gadot, playing DC Comics heroine Diana Prince, grabs her shield and sword and plunges into battle in the new superhero epic (in theaters Thursday night).
“I didn’t even realize I needed this,” says Jenkins, who makes history as the first woman to helm a superhero movie. “I didn’t realize that I needed to let this out, that’s what I was tasked with. But it opened a door to all the expressions of this superhero, all the dimensions of a woman that maybe we haven’t seen or felt.”
To prepare herself for battle, Gadot, 32, spent six months in superhero training camp. “I had to gain a lot of body mass," says the Israeli actress, who introduced her character in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. "Gradually, we increased the intensity, the food, the workouts, so I can be my best shape.”
Wonder Woman opens on the island of Themyscira, where its population of female warriors (called Amazons) endure daily military exercises in relative peace. When the island’s security is breached by a fleet of Germans during World War I, the armored women fly into spectacular action, bows and arrows eclipsing the gun-wielding soldiers.
Robin Wright fights German soldiers in 'Wonder Woman.' (Photo11: Alex Bailey, Warner Bros.)
On the set, Jenkins instructed the Amazons not to appear angry as they battled. "This is them in their element," Gadot recalls Jenkins would say. "Just to fight in an aggressive, strong way. Own it."
The resulting fight choreography? "It's feminine-style super-bada--, super-original," says Gadot. "I’ve never seen a fight battle driven by so many women on the big screen. Never!"
Look for a particularly poignant battle scene as Wonder Woman weaves through the trenches of a bullet-ridden war zone known as no man’s land.
“Up until that point, she’s an Amazon who has stolen a costume,” says Jenkins, who had to sell the scene of Wonder Woman fighting a line of German soldiers solo to studio executives. "(They said), ‘She’s on the field by herself. How many times is she going to block a bullet?’ But the scene is about her,” says the director. “It’s a battle with oneself to change the way the world works.”
American spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) tries to ply the evil Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya) with champagne in the new 'Wonder Woman.' (Photo11: Clay Enos, Warner Bros.)
The message is proving universal. In China, where the cast recently screened Wonder Woman footage at a fan event, “it was palpable, the swell of emotions in the room as the audience watched this woman," says Chris Pine, who plays her mortal love interest, a spy named Steve Trevor. “It was really powerful. I got goosebumps.”
USA TODAY's critic called the resulting footage of Wonder Woman deflecting machine gun bullets solo "stunning to behold."
In the end, it’s the way the real Wonder Woman wanted it.
“You have to imagine (Gal) doing that shot standing there in the dead of winter," says Jenkins, who would run over to her star between takes to throw warm clothes on her. “She’s standing there in the freezing cold, not just because I told her to, because she fought every day to make this movie great. She would do anything she could to stay open and loving with the belief that this movie would matter to the world."
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2sn1eIgThe end of college football’s regular season results in numerous coaching vacancies and fans are on the edge of their seat about who their program will hire... and rightfully so. A good coaching hire can revitalize a program. A bad one can cause years of damage. Everything looks easy from a distance, but here are 10 that stand out for various reasons.
10. Auburn 1975: Doug Barfield Replaces Shug Jordan
Ralph “Shug” Jordan was a legend at Auburn. Heck, the school’s stadium is even named after him. When he decided to retire in 1975, the university replaced him with offensive coordinator Doug Barfield. From 1976-80, Barfield went 29-25-1 and two of those victories were due to forfeitures by Mississippi State thanks to NCAA probation. Barfield was fired in 1980 and has been a fixture in Alabama high school football since then. While his record at Auburn was not bad, it pales in comparison to his predecessor and successors.
9. Kansas 2011: Charlie Weis Replaces Turner Gill
The Jayhawks brought in Turner Gill from Buffalo after the 2009 season to replace Mark Mangino, who had resigned amid accusations of abusive coaching practices. Kansas gave Gill a five-year, $10 million contract and he proceeded to go 5-19 in his two seasons. Gill was fired at the end of the 2011 season, but his contract stipulated that he had to receive the remaining $6 million within 120 days of being fired. Kansas reached out to its top boosters to help cover that cost and then turned around and hired Charlie Weis to replace him. The ex-Notre Dame head coach went 6-22 and was fired after four games into the 2014 season. Kansas would have been better off just letting Gill finish out his contract.
8. Michigan State 1999: Bobby Williams Replaces Nick Saban
Nick Saban guided the Spartans to their best season in three decades before departing for LSU. Then he had second thoughts. How likely it was that he would have stayed and how hard athletic director Clarence Underwood tried to keep him is the subject of debate, but in the end Saban went to Baton Rouge. Underwood replaced him with running backs coach Bobby Williams, who coached the team to victory in the Citrus Bowl. Williams then went on to have one winning season in three years as head coach and his team was 3-6 in 2002 when he was fired.
7. Notre Dame 1980: Gerry Faust Replaces Dan Devine
Some would call this a terrible coaching move. Others, including Notre Dame athletic officials, called it “The Bold Experiment.” After Notre Dame head coach Dan Devine retired at the end of the 1980 season, he was replaced by Gerry Faust, who had coached for 19 seasons at Archbishop Moeller High School in the Cincinnati area and won five of the last six Ohio State Championships. Notre Dame officials knew it was a gamble, but Faust had an amazing record and had sent a lot of great players to Notre Dame, including Bob Crable and Tony Hunter (He also coached former Speaker of the House John Boehner.). Faust also was a devout Roman Catholic and Notre Dame was his dream job. The experiment ultimately failed. Faust went 5-6 in his first season and never matched the success of Devine. He resigned in 1985 in the midst of another 5-6 season and his final game was a nasty 58-7 blowout by Miami. Faust coached at Akron for the next nine seasons and – class act that he is – still attends Notre Dame games. While great coaches often get their start in high school, none since have ever gone straight from high school to leading a major program.
6. Arkansas 1989: Jack Crowe Replaces Ken Hatfield
Razorback head coach Ken Hatfield had won the Southwest Conference (SWC) in 1988 and ‘89, but had a tense relationship with AD Frank Broyles. When Hatfield bolted for Clemson after the 1989 season, Broyles asked Hatfield’s offensive coordinator, Jack Crowe, to stay and lead the program. Crowe went 9-14 in Arkansas’ last two seasons in the SWC. Then in 1992, the Razorbacks opened their first SEC season with a loss to The Citadel. Crowe was fired and defensive coordinator Joe Kines coached the team for the remainder of the season.
5. Alabama 2002: Mike Price Replaces Dennis Franchione
After Dennis Franchione surprised Alabama by leaving for Texas A&M at the end of a 10-3 season in 2002, AD Mal Moore then surprised fans by hiring Mike Price. In his 14 seasons at Washington State, Price had made the Rose Bowl twice. He also enjoyed the nightlife a little more than the Alabama officials preferred. His five months in Tuscaloosa included a reprimand for being seen out drinking into the early morning hours, but everything came to a head in April 2003. Price went to Pensacola for a golf tournament where he was seen at a strip club that ultimately resulted in a bawdy Sports Illustrated story (Price later sued SI and the lawsuit was settled.). Alabama President Robert Witt, who had promised to clean up the Crimson Tide’s image after NCAA sanctions, rescinded Price’s contract and hired Mike Shula. Price went to UTEP, where he and his family were beloved, and coached for nine seasons. Looking back, his actions seem pretty tame when compared to some of the coaching scandals that have occurred since then.
4. Tennessee 2008: Lane Kiffin Replaces Phillip Fulmer
After firing Phillip Fulmer in 2008, athletic director Mike Hamilton hired Lane Kiffin, the former offensive coordinator at USC and the recently fired head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Hamilton gave Kiffin full control of the program and he proceeded to fire the entire staff, including graduate assistants and secretaries. After leading the team to a 7-6 record, he bolted in January 2010 to return to the Trojans as their head coach, leaving the Volunteers with no other options than Derek Dooley to lead their program. Tennessee has never fully recovered.
3. SMU 1981: Bobby Collins Replaces Ron Meyer
When head coach Ron Meyer left to coach the New England Patriots, SMU hired Bobby Collins, who had an impressive seven-year run as head coach of Southern Miss. Collins put together a 43-14-1 record and two Southwestern Conference championships while at SMU, but his tenure resulted in the program being given the “Death Penalty” in 1987. Many are to blame for this and Collins inherited a program that was already violating NCAA rules, but he still bears a lot of the responsibility as head coach. As the NCAA report on SMU’s probation noted, Collins had told the NCAA that, “all known violations had been disclosed and that every effort would be made to avoid violations in the future. Both assurances turned out to be false.” SMU has never fully rebounded from the severe NCAA sanctions.
2. Nebraska 2003: Bill Callahan Replaces Frank Solich
After an eight-win season and six straight bowl appearances, Nebraska AD Steve Pederson fired head coach Frank Solich. Granted, Solich’s success had not mirrored that of his predecessor Tom Osborne, whose final four years had included three national championships. The Huskers’ vaunted option offense also was losing its effectiveness. So in addition to firing Solich, Pederson decided to scrap it and bring in head coach Bill Callahan to install the West Coast offense. The decision did not work out and both Pederson and Callahan were fired in 2007.
1. Ole Miss 2004: Ed Orgeron Replaces David Cutcliffe
The success of USC under Pete Carroll caused ADs across the country to reevaluate the way they managed their football programs. It also caused some to lose their minds, the most egregious example being Ole Miss’ Pete Boone. After taking the reins in 1998, David Cutcliffe led the Rebels to five straight winning seasons, something no coach in Oxford had done since Johnny Vaught. After losing many key starters at the end of the 2003 season, including quarterback Eli Manning, Ole Miss went 4-7 in ‘04. Boone fired Cutcliffe and replaced him with Ed Orgeron, the assistant head coach and recruiting director for USC. It became apparent quickly that Boone should have stayed with Cutcliffe. Orgeron won 10 games in three seasons and was fired in 2007. Cutcliffe is now at Duke, where he poised to take the Blue Devils to their fifth bowl in 10 years. And he is the last Ole Miss head coach to have five straight winning seasons.
— Written by Aaron Tallent, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Tallent is a writer whose articles have appeared in The Sweet Science, FOX Sports’ Outkick the Coverage, Liberty Island and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronTallent.There’s a challenge facing electronics engineers attempting to build magnetic memory that can store data for more than 10 years or so. The density at which this data is stored depends on the size of the magnetic grains used for this process. Engineers have known for some time that they just can’t continue to make these grains indefinitely smaller.
But today, Ruijuan Xiao at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, in Dresden, Germany, and a few buddies have worked out how to solve the problem. And get this: their fix doesn’t just tweak the density of magnetic data storage. They reckon that they can get an improvement of three orders of magnitude.
Here’s some background. In magnetic storage, the data is stored in the orientation of the field in a specific magnetic domain. So the task for data-storage guys is to find a material in which the spontaneous reversal of this magnetic field occurs significantly less often than once every 10 years. This is related to how easy it is to flip the magnetic field from one direction to another, known as the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE).
There’s a challenge facing electronics engineers attempting to build magnetic memory that can store data for more than 10 years or so. The density at which this data is stored depends on the size of the magnetic grains used for this process. Engineers have known for some time that they just can’t continue to make these grains indefinitely smaller.But today, Ruijuan Xiao at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, in Dresden, Germany, and a few buddies have worked out how to solve the problem. And get this: their fix doesn’t just tweak the density of magnetic data storage. They reckon that they can get an improvement of three orders of magnitude.Here’s some background. In magnetic storage, the data is stored in the orientation of the field in a specific magnetic domain. So the task for data-storage guys is to find a material in which the spontaneous reversal of this magnetic field occurs significantly less often than once every 10 years. This is related to how easy it is to flip the magnetic field from one direction to another, known as the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE).
It turns out that cobalt has the highest MAE of the ferromagnetic elements, which is why it is the material of choice for magnetic data recording.
The trouble is that the MAE of any material depends on its structure. The grains of cobalt in state-of-the-art data storage consist of about 50,000 atoms in a hexagonal close packed structure. In this formation, cobalt has an MAE of 0.06 meV per atom.
It should be possible to reduce the size of these grains to about 15,000 atoms, but in grains any smaller than that, it becomes impossible to guarantee the hexagonal close packing. And without that structure, the MAE drops precipitously and the data is lost over much shorter timescales.
What Xiao and co have found is a way to trick cobalt dimers into thinking that they’re in a hexagonal close packed structure. Their idea is to attach the dimers to a hexagonal carbon ring such as benzene or graphene. In this scenario, one of the pair of cobalt atoms bonds with the carbon ring, and the magnetic field between the cobalt atoms can be switched by applying a weak magnetic field and a strong electric field.
Now in this setup, the MAE of cobalt is calculated to be about 100 meV. And while chemical bonds usually have a significant effect on the MAE, Xiao and co say that the carbon hexagons do not.
If they’re right, carbon ring storage should allow engineers to access this extraordinary stability, and that could lead to fantastically long-lived memory.
It should also allow much higher memory density too. The cobalt grains now used in magnetic storage are roughly 8 nm across. Benzene rings, on the other hand, are merely 0.5 nm across.
The only question now is whether this team’s calculations hold true in the real world.
Ref: arxiv.org/abs/0906.4645: Co Dimers on Hexagonal Carbon Rings Proposed as Subnanometer Magnetic Storage BitsTHERE IS, it seems evident, more than enough blame to go around in the botched handling of the botched Christmas bombing. Not for some Republicans. With former vice president Richard B. Cheney in the lead, they have embarked on an ugly course to use the incident to inflict maximum political damage on President Obama. That's bad enough, but their scurrilous line of attack is even worse. The claim that the incident shows the president's fecklessness in the war on terror is unfounded -- no matter how often it is repeated.
These critics have set up a straw Obama, a weak and naive leader who allegedly takes terrorism lightly, thinks that playing nicely with terrorists will make them stop, and fails to understand the threat that the United States faces from violent extremists. Mr. Cheney said that the incident had made "clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war." Likewise, Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.) called on Mr. Obama to "recognize that we are at war with a murderous enemy who will not relent because we heed political correctness, acquiesce to international calls for deference or close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay." Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano "and the rest of the Obama administration view their role as law enforcement, first responders dealing with the aftermath of an attack. And we believe in a forward-looking approach to stopping these attacks before they happen."
There are two ways to show how baseless these attacks are: examining Mr. Obama's words and examining his actions.
Words first. "Evil does exist in the world," Mr. Obama said in accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. "Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms." In his weekly radio speech Saturday, he disposed of the war-vs.-law-enforcement canard, pointing out that in his inaugural address he made it clear that "0ur nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred and that we will do whatever it takes to defeat them and defend our country, even as we uphold the values that have always distinguished America among nations." "
But actions speak louder, and Mr. Obama's actions -- often at the cost of enraging his party's liberal base -- have also demonstrated tenacity and pragmatism blended with a necessary reassessment of the flawed policies of his predecessors and a recommitment to the rule of law. He wants to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, which is all to the good given its stain on the national character, but he has delayed that goal until acceptable alternatives can be found. He has brought criminal charges against some terrorists, but he has also sent others to be tried by military tribunals. He has invoked the authority of the executive to have lawsuits dismissed because they risk exposing state secrets. In addition to the new troop deployments, he has aggressively used predator drones to strike at terrorists, including outside Afghanistan. Even before the failed attack, his administration has been working aggressively with Yemeni authorities to deal with extremists there.
It is possible to disagree with the administration's decision to bring criminal charges against the suspect in the failed airplane bombing, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, although we think that was the proper course. It is possible to fault, as we have, some of the administration's public statements in the immediate aftermath of the attack. And as the president has acknowledged, the incident revealed failures in intelligence and in security screening that must be urgently identified and corrected. The country would benefit from a serious and bipartisan effort in Congress to ensure that the lessons of the Christmas attack are learned. A groundless campaign to portray Mr. Obama as soft on terror can only detract from that effort.FBI Probe Targets Musician Who Allegedly Swapped Naked Photos With Underage Female Fans Share
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7/26 UPDATE: Lombardo named in four-count child porn complaint
A singer-songwriter with an ardent and growing YouTube following is the target of a federal child pornography investigation focusing on his alleged exchange of naked photos with underage female fans, according to an FBI affidavit.
In late-December, agents raided the upstate New York home of Michael Lombardo, a 23-year-old musician whom the FBI described as having a “following of female fans ranging from middle-school aged children through college-age students.”
The federal probe was triggered after a Boston University student told agents that Lombardo, pictured at right, had arranged a New Year’s Eve sexual liaison with a 15-year-old girl who was planning to travel from her Indiana home to meet him.
In an FBI interview, the teenager said she “received nude pictures of Lombardo and had, at his direction, sent nude pictures of herself to him.” When agents examined the girl’s cell phone, they observed “multiple nude images of Lombardo” and “multiple explicit text messages” between her and Lombardo. The messages included “plans to meet as well as explicit discussions of specific sexual acts.”
According to the FBI affidavit sworn by Agent Frederick Bragg, two other female minors, both 17, have told agents that they recently exchanged naked photos with Lombardo and engaged in sexually explicit discussions with him via Skype. Additionally, one of the girls “reported that Lombardo masturbated on a web camera and instructed her to masturbate on camera as well.”
During a December 30 raid at Lombardo’s Rome residence, agents seized four computers, his cell phone, a Motorola tablet, and a variety of hard drives and computer storage devices, according to an FBI inventory. In seeking court authorization to search Lombardo’s home, Bragg noted that there was probable cause to believe that he had used the home to possess, produce, or distribute child pornography.
Lombardo, who has not been charged, did not reply to e-mail and phone messages. Mark Juda, who identified himself as Lombardo’s lawyer in a call to TSG, declined to answer questions about the FBI probe.
A Berklee College of Music graduate, Lombardo's YouTube channel is stocked with performance clips and videos shot while on tour. The pianist also maintains a Twitter account, where he notes, “I play songs on the internet. Some people listen to them.”
An active tweeter, Lombardo fell silent for ten days after the FBI showed up at his home just after midnight on December 30. “Hello all. Going off grid for a while… be safe and be well... we will talk soon. <3,” he wrote later that day.Massimo L. Salvadori Verso, 1990 - 375 pages, 1990 - History 0 Reviews This first modern study provides an original and balanced perspective of a theorist whom Lenin referred to as both'master of Marxism' and'renegade'. Examining Kautsky's political thought over a period stretching from the Paris Commune to the Second World War, the author argues for the consistency with which Kautsky developed his positions on socialism, democracy, political parties and the role of the proletariat. While Salvadori's analysis is grounded in the debates within the Communist International and the German labour movement, Kautsky emerges as a distinctly modern thinker who produced a Marxist theory of the state, and originated critique of the USSR as a'state capitalist' system. At this level, it provides a serious and measured exposition of the terms on which arguments for socialist strategy currently move. Preview this book »The Spider Cover of the first issue (October 1933), featuring the story "The Spider Strikes" Publication information Publisher Popular Publications First appearance The Spider, vol. 1, #1 ("The Spider Strikes") Created by Harry Steeger In-story information Alter ego Richard Wentworth Supporting character of Nita Van Sloan
Ram Singh
Ronald Jackson
Stanley Kirkpatrick
The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s.[1]
Background [ edit ]
The Spider was created in 1933 by Harry Steeger at Popular Publications as direct competition to Street and Smith Publications' vigilante hero, the Shadow.[1] Though similar, The Spider was millionaire playboy Richard Wentworth, who had served as a major in World War I, and was living in New York City unaffected by the financial deprivations of the Great Depression. The ninth pulp has him as the last surviving member of a rich family.[2]
Wentworth was easily identified as The Spider by his enemies in a number of earlier novels and was arrested by the police but quickly escaped, adopting a disguise and associated alias Tito Caliepi. The Spider's earliest costume consisted of a simple black domino mask, black hat and cape. Later in the pulp series, vampire-like makeup appeared and then a face mask with grizzled hair; a hunchback was then added to terrorize the criminal underworld with The Spider's brand of violent vigilante justice.[1] (Actor and comedian Harold Lloyd previously had used a similar mask, lank hair wig, and hunchback in the comedy film Dr. Jack (1922)). Caliepi sometimes begged, utilizing Wentworth's talent with a violin.
At times, Wentworth also ventured into the underworld disguised as small-time hood Blinky McQuade in order to gain needed information. To Scotland Yard, Wentworth was known as Rupert Barton and held a badge of Inspector for services rendered; by the fifth novel he also held the rank of Lieutenant in the FBI.[3]
Wentworth himself, according to the fifth story, was 5'11" tall, and had grey eyes and an old battle scar on his head that would flare up at times of great stress. He was an accomplished pianist and violinist, and he drove a Lancia. He could speak fluent Hindustani and so talk with Ram Singh in the latter's own language, with little fear anyone else would understand. Page's Wentworth was psychologically vulnerable and suffered "frequent bouts of fear, self-doubt, despair and paranoia."[1]
The stories often involved a bizarre menace to the country and a criminal conspiracy, and were often extremely violent, with the villains engaging in wanton slaughter of thousands as part of sometimes nationwide crime sprees: pulp magazine historian Ed Hulse notes that "Spider novel death tolls routinely ran into the thousands".[1] The master criminal of the stories was usually unmasked only in the last few pages. The stories often ended with Wentworth killing the villains and stamping their corpses with his "Spider" mark.[1] The first two novels were written by Reginald Thomas Maitland Scott, but they were slow-paced, so another author was brought in. Later stories were published under the house name, Grant Stockbridge; most of the Spider novels were written by Norvell Page. Other authors of the Spider novels included Donald C. Cormack, Wayne Rogers, Emile C. Tepperman, and Prentice Winchell.
The cover artists for The Spider magazine were Walter M. Baumhofer for the debut issue, followed by John Newton Howitt and Rafael De Soto.[4] The Spider was published monthly and ran for 118 issues from 1933 to 1943. A 119th Spider novel manuscript had been completed but was not published until decades later, then as a rewritten mass-market paperback with retitled characters (see paperback novels section, below).
The Spider sold well during the 1930s, and copies are still valued by modern pulp magazine collectors. Hulse has stated "Today, hero-pulp fans value The Spider more than any single-character magazine save The Shadow and Doc Savage."[1]
Supporting characters [ edit ]
Nita Van Sloan, is Wentworth's longtime fiancée, who often aided him. Though they are as close as man and wife, they know they could never marry and have a family, as Wentworth believes he will eventually be unmasked or killed as The Spider, and his wife and family would then pay the price.[1] In the issue #100 story, "Death and The Spider", Wentworth expected to die. Nita disguises herself as The Spider a few times, covering for Wentworth when he has been seriously injured.
Ram Singh, a Sikh (originally Hindu), is Wenthworth's fanatically loyal manservant; he is a deadly knife thrower and usually carries several knives with him, including the deadly kukri. Ram Singh never views his position as a servant as demeaning or negatively impacting his self-respect, feeling that he serves a man totally above other men. At times, he and Wentworth talk in Hindustani, which only they understand.
Sergeant Ronald Jackson, Wentworth's chauffeur, had served under Wentworth in World War I and often referred to him as "the Major". He was killed by "The Avenger" in The Pain Emperor story (Feb 1935).
Harold Jenkyns is Wentworth's butler, an elderly man who has been in the Wentworth family's service for a long time.
Police Commissioner Stanley Kirkpatrick or simply "Kirk", is Wentworth's main ally/antagonist, who is sure Wentworth is The Spider but can never prove it. He has promised to arrest him, try him, and send him to the electric chair if he ever has proof.
Professor Ezra Brownlee, an inventor and Wentworth's old war colleague, features heavily in the early Spider novels; he is killed in Dragon Lord of the Underworld (July 1935). Brownlee's son makes some appearances afterward, taking over from his late father.
Enemies [ edit ]
Despite The Spider's tendency to kill his enemies, he encounters several foes more than once, such as The Fly and MUNRO, a master of disguise. Some storylines featuring a struggle against a single villain lasted for several consecutive issues, such as The Spider's four-part battle against The Living Pharaoh and The Spider's three-part battle against The Master and his Black Police. Among the enemies he encountered just once were predecessors of the costumed super villains of comic books, such as Judge Torture, Red Feather, The Bloody Serpent, The Brain, The Emperor of Vermin, The Red Mandarin, The Silencer, and The Wreck. The names of two Spider villains, The Bat Man and The Iron Man, were later adopted for DC and Marvel comic book superheroes.
The Spider's seal and weapons [ edit ]
One of The Spider's distinguishing features is his "calling card." Wentworth often leaves a red-ink "spider" image (like a drop of blood) on the foreheads of the criminals he kills, so others will not be blamed. In the sixth novel (1934), the Spider imprints his red sign on a gold ring so that any who need his help can use it by taking it to Kirkpatrick (where Wentworth will find out about it). During the same time period, in the same benign fashion, and perhaps inspired by The Spider's calling card, Lee Falk's long-running 1936 syndicated comic strip hero, The Phantom, left a distinct skull mark in the faces of those enemies he fought, made by the ring he wore. The Spider's seal, however, was concealed in the base of his platinum cigarette lighter and was invented by Professor Brownlee. The Spider also carried a thin silken line (his "web") which had a tensile strength of several hundred pounds.
Brownlee also invented the lethal and almost silent air pistol the Spider used for "quiet" kills. He acted as a sort of on-call technical wizard for Wentworth, whom he looked upon as being close to a son. Wentworth also had a gun in one of his shoes in the early issues, which he used twice is issue 5.
Wentworth was a master of disguise; in the small steel case of burglar tools he carried under his arm, he also had his make-up kit (and in the early novels) The Spider's eye mask.
In Timothy Truman's 1990s comic book adaptation, Brownlee created the "Web-Lee", a non-lethal stun pistol that fired projectiles which erupted into a spider web-like mass, inundated with microscopic barbs of frozen curare.
Like The Shadow, The Spider's usual weapons of choice were a pair of Browning.45 caliber M1911 automatic pistols; he was a crack shot and normally shot to kill. However, he would not shoot anyone in law enforcement, although they frequently were under orders to shoot to kill him on sight.
Master of Men [ edit ]
The Spider's by-name was "Master of Men", indicating that he had a voice commanding enough to get many people to do his bidding. Wentworth could also imitate other people's voices. When he imitated Kirkpatrick's voice, he could give orders to lesser policemen during a stakeout, even during one intended to capture The Spider, so he could himself escape. Wentworth was not above disguising himself as a cop to escape when surrounded by policemen.
Movie serials [ edit ]
Columbia Pictures produced two Spider movie serials, both 15-chapter cliffhangers starring Warren Hull as Richard Wentworth. The first, The Spider’s Web (1938), was also the first film serial to be made from a popular pulp magazine series character. In this serial The Spider battles The Octopus and his henchmen who attempt to disrupt all commercial and passenger transportation systems, and later all U. S. industry; Spider pulp magazine novelist Norvell Page was one of the writers who worked on the serial's screenplay.
In the second serial, The Spider Returns (1941), The Spider battles the mysterious crime lord The Gargoyle and his henchmen, who threaten the world with acts of sabotage and wholesale murder in an effort to wreck the U. S. national defense.
Both serials feature a dramatic wardrobe enhancement to The Spider's magazine appearance: his black cape and head mask are over-printed with a white spider's web pattern and then matched with his usual plain black fedora. This striking addition gave the silver screen Spider an appearance more like that of a traditional superhero, like other pulp and comics heroes being adapted for the era's movie serials; it also made the serial Spider look less like the very popular Street and Smith pulp hero The Shadow,[citation needed] which also had been produced by Columbia and starred Victor Jory.
Novel reprints [ edit ]
All of the original 118 Spider pulp magazine novels have been reprinted over the years in both mass-market paperback and trade paperback editions or some other form.
Berkley Books (then Berkley/Medallion) first reprinted the Spider in 1969 and 1970, intending to reprint all 118 novels in order, hoping to tap into the reprint phenomenon of the Doc Savage novels being published by Bantam Books. However, these first paperback reissues met with poor sales after only four volumes, and the planned series was canceled.
In the mid-1970s, Pocket Books reprinted four Spider novels, featuring "modern"
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quite the same because we weren’t living together, but we pulled an all-nighter for the next one we did. Well, an all-nighter for us now means like staying up til 1am.
Matt: We really had no idea how many people would care or check back in if we made something new. It was a little scary tiptoeing back into things which is why we made it an April Fool’s cartoon. If nobody cared or everybody hated it, we could just say, “that was part of the joke! See ya in another 10 years!” and disappear. Fortunately, we didn’t have to do that. And even though we’ve only been able to make a few cartoons every year since, people still seem genuinely psyched when we are able to update. Coolest fans ever, man.
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Mike: It’s kind of funny how much it feels the same when we make Homestar cartoons today. for I’m still sitting across my brother with my headphones on, working for 12 hours, putting it up in the early morning, and maybe stopping at Waffle House on the way home.
Matt: We are constantly amazed that we were able to wriggle our way into a tiny, poorly animated corner of popular culture. We recently did a couple Homestar 20th anniversary live shows here in Atlanta and the response was bigger and farther reaching than we could’ve imagined. A father and son came all the way from Anchorage just to see the show. That blew our minds and made us want to pay for their airfare.
Mike: It was always a very singular creative vision. It’s pretty much just the two of us, and there’s never a moment where one of us writes something and the other one doesn’t agree. Any joke is something either one of us could’ve written. It’s pretty crazy that we have four or five hundred cartoons that are all largely tied together, and it’s nuts that 20 years since making that initial book I’m still talking about it.
Matt: We’ve felt so many times over the years that we are super fortunate, that it can’t get any better, that no matter what else we do, we did this one little thing that mattered to some people for a while. Is that a good epitaph, “He did this one little thing that mattered to some people for a while?” We always say that we could get jobs making donuts at a grocery store bakery and be totally happy for the rest of our lives since we got to do Homestar. And now we’ve been saying that for over a decade.
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Mike: We do Two More Eggs with the exact same process. We do one cartoon a week. We think of it, write it, animate it, and it’s done pretty quickly. I get the same weekly feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. Some of the other projects we’ve done force you to think about the same thing for a month, and my brain just doesn’t work that way.
Matt: It’s great to be back working in the same room with my brother, surrounded by the weird junk we hang on our walls, flanked by the wood-paneled television from the basement of our childhood home and a wall of outdated video games and electronics. A few weeks ago we got to spend all day 3D printing a fake action figure and filling it with beef stroganoff for the Walt Disney company. Once you hit that point, I don’t think you’re allowed to complain ever again.
Luke Winkie is a writer and former pizza maker from San Diego and living in Austin, Texas. He writes about music, video games, professional wrestling, and whatever else interests him. You can find him on Twitter @luke_winkie.Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Moved by the Assad regime's rapid advance, the Obama administration could decide this week to approve lethal aid for the beleaguered Syrian rebels and will weigh the merits of a less likely move to send in U.S. airpower to enforce a no-fly zone over the civil war-wracked nation, officials said Sunday.
White House meetings are planned over the coming days, as Syrian President Bashar Assad's government forces is apparently poised for an attack on the key city of Homs, which could cut off Syria's armed opposition from the south of the country. As many as 5,000 Hezbollah fighters are now in Syria, officials believe, helping the regime press on with its campaign after capturing the town of Qusair near the Lebanese border last week.
Opposition leaders have warned Washington that their rebellion could face devastating and irreversible losses without greater support, and the warnings are prompting the United States to consider drastic action.
Secretary of State John Kerry postponed a planned trip Monday to Israel and three other Mideast countries to participate in White House discussions, said officials who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.
While nothing has been concretely decided, U.S. officials said President Barack Obama was leaning closer toward signing off on sending weapons to vetted, moderate rebel units. The U.S. has spoken of possibly arming the opposition in recent months but has been hesitant because it doesn't want to al-Qaida-linked and other extremists fighting alongside the anti-Assad militias to end up with the weapons.
Obama already has ruled out any intervention that would require U.S. military boots on the ground. Other options such as deploying American air power to ground the regime's jets, gunships and other aerial assets are now being more seriously debated, the officials said, while cautioning that a no-fly zone or any other action involving U.S. military deployments in Syria were far less likely right now.
The president also has declared chemical weapons use by the Assad regime a "red line" for more forceful U.S. action. American allies including France and Britain have say they've determined with near certitude that Syrian forces have used low levels of sarin in several attacks, but the administration is still studying the evidence. The U.S. officials said responses that will be mulled over in this week's meetings concern the deteriorating situation on the ground in Syria, independent of final confirmation of possible chemical weapons use.
Any intervention could have wide-reaching ramifications for the United States and the region. It would bring the U.S. closer to a conflict that has killed almost 80,000 people since Assad cracked down on protesters inspired by the Arab Spring in March 2011 and sparked a war that has since been increasingly defined by sectarian clashes between the Sunni-led rebellion and Assad's Alawite-dominated regime.
And it would essentially pit the United States alongside regional allies Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar in a proxy war against Iran, which is providing much of the materiel to the Syrian government's counterinsurgency and, through Hezbollah, more and more of the manpower.
Syria's precarious position in the heart of the Middle East makes the conflict extremely unpredictable. Lebanon, across the western border, suffered its own brutal civil war in the 1970s and the 1980s and is already experiencing increased interethnic tensions. Iraq, to Syria's east, is mired in worsening violence. And Israel to the southwest has seen shots fired across the contested Golan Heights and has been forced to strike what it claimed were advanced weapons convoys heading to Hezbollah, with whom it went to war with in 2006.
Iran could wreak havoc in the region through its support of Shiite militant groups, and U.S. officials fear Iran may seek to retaliate for any stepped-up American involvement by targeting Israel or U.S. interests in the region. It's also unclear what American action would mean for relations with Russia, which has provided Assad with military and diplomatic support even as it claims that it working with the United States to try to organize a Syrian peace conference.
At the same time, it's unclear how Washington could fundamentally change the trajectory of a conflict that has increasingly tilted toward Assad in recent months without providing weapons to the opposition forces or getting involved itself.
The administration has been studying for months how to rebalance Syria's war so that moderate, pro-democracy rebels defeat the regime or make life so difficult for Assad and his supporters that the government decides it must join a peace process that entails a transition away from the Assad family's four-decade dictatorship.
But Assad's military successes appear to have rendered peace efforts largely meaningless in the short term. While Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov have been trying to rally support for the planned conference in Geneva — first envisioned for May and since postponed until July at the earliest — even America's allies in the Syrian opposition leadership have questioned the wisdom of sitting down for talks while they are ceding territory all over the country to Assad's forces.
Beyond weapons support for the rebels, administration officials harbor deep reservations about other options.
They note that a no-fly zone, championed by hawks in Congress such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would require the U.S. to first neutralize Syrian air defense systems that have been reinforced with Russian technology and are far stronger than those that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi had before the U.S. and its Arab and European allies helped rebels overthrow him in 2011. And unlike with Libya, Washington has no clear international mandate for authorizing any strikes inside Syria, a point the Obama administration officials has harped on since late 2011 to explain its reticence about more forceful action.
Homs has one of the biggest Alawite communities in Syria and is widely seen as pro-Assad. The rebels control the city center, however, with regime forces besieging them on the outskirts.
Many towns north of Homs also are rebel-controlled, while to the south Hezbollah-backed government forces have been clearing rebels from villages and towns. Fierce fighting there over the past three weeks has killed dozens of rebels, troops and Hezbollah fighters and wounded hundreds.
Seizing control of Homs would clear a path for the regime from Damascus to the Mediterranean coast, and firm up its grip on much of the country.
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AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.
Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.TO BE SURE, in affirming this authority, the judiciary placed procedural and evidentiary requirements on it, and in the process established what Judge Stephen Williams described as “an entirely new role [for the federal judiciary] in the nation’s military operations.” These new judicial requirements are certainly not trivial, and some are burdensome. And they have had an impact on the behavior of the government. Though courts approved most government detentions between 2009 and 2011, they did grant habeas relief to detainees in fourteen cases that the government did not subsequently challenge, a number that amounts to almost a quarter of the habeas cases then brought by GTMO detainees. The government also released others because it believed that in those cases they could not meet the detention standards announced by the courts.
The courts’ influence extends beyond GTMO to the battlefield. By ruling on who could and could not be detained, the courts have effectively defined the scope of the global conflict with Al Qaeda under the 2001 congressional authorization of force. When Obama administration lawyers determine how far they can go in targeting terrorist threats—especially threats outside the traditional battlefield in places like Yemen and Somalia—they are guided in part by the analysis and basic restrictions in these cases. They are also guided by these sources in their detention operations in Afghanistan.
In these and other ways, the judicial review established by Ratner and CCR have had a constraining impact on the President, his senior national security advisers, and soldiers in the field. So why are civil libertarians disappointed in these results? It’s not just because the courts’ decisions have been less than absolutist. It’s also because the constraints that the courts have imposed have actually served to empower the government. “Our opinion does not undermine the Executive’s powers as Commander in Chief,” asserted Justice Kennedy in his opinion for the Supreme Court in Boumediene. “On the contrary, the exercise of those powers is vindicated, not eroded, when confirmed by the Judicial Branch.”
The burdens imposed by the Boumediene decision and the other landmark Supreme Court decisions in the last decade have been accompanied by judicial and legislative approval for some extraordinary presidential powers in the long war against terrorists. It is a remarkable fact that in the eleventh year of the “war on terrorism,” the administration of Barack Obama is detaining 170 or so terrorists at Guantanamo Bay without charge or trial, is prosecuting some of these detainees in a military commission, and is detaining almost 2,000 more in Afghanistan.
These practices remain controversial in some quarters, and are not what the Obama administration set out to do. But there is no doubt that they are now lawful and legitimate practices within the American constitutional system. This is partly a result of the lawsuits. And it is partly because Congress often sided with the president (albeit with restrictions) when it was forced to exercise its national security responsibilities. The presidency was empowered to exercise its military prerogatives because the other branches of government considered the matter and, with caveats, told the President he could. Crucially, and in part as a result of deliberations in Congress and the courts, the executive branch’s prosecution of the war on terror today enjoys the widespread support of the American people.
THESE ARE PAINFUL FACTS for Ratner and his activist colleagues to acknowledge. Their lawsuits and campaigns achieved much in the decade after 9/11, much more than they expected. They built up a global social movement of activists, lawyers, foreign governments, and the media, to bring habeas corpus rights to GTMO and to pressure the government to release all but the most dangerous prisoners there. “Obviously, getting six or seven hundred people out of Guantanamo out of the nine hundred was a huge accomplishment,” notes Ratner. He and his colleagues, he says, “have also taken on what I consider the most egregious aspects of what I call the national security state since 9/11, and made them public debating issues.” By making the issues matters of public debate, they ensured that the courts and Congress and the American people had to engage in the issues, and to address them.
But the bitter reality for Ratner and his colleagues is that because the courts, Congress, and the American people do not share their outlook, the United States has arrived at a place in 2012 where the activists desperately did not want it to be. The GTMO Bar won landmark Supreme Court decisions on due process for detainees, on habeas corpus, and on the limits of presidential power over military commissions. And yet stepping back from these battles, Ratner believes that he and his colleagues lost the war. “We lost on the enemy combatant issue, and the definition. We lost on the preventive detention issue, more or less. We lost on the military commission issue, more or less.”
They lost on these issues because while the courts and Congress imposed constraints on these traditional practices by the Commander in Chief, they also affirmed the general legitimacy of the practices. The efforts of the other branches of the government placed these practices on a much firmer foundation than they were during the early unilateralist era of George W. Bush. The foundation became firmer yet because it was embraced, albeit grudgingly, by the administration of Barack Obama. “My problem is that when you have a Democrat doing it as well as a Republican … both the good and the bad becomes embedded in the rule of law,” says Ratner.
Ratner thinks that military detention, military commissions, and many other wartime prerogatives of the Commander in Chief are unnecessary, immoral, or illegal. But for those who disagree with Ratner on these points—for those who believe that the terrorist threat remains real and scary, and that the nation needs a Commander in Chief empowered to meet the threat in unusual ways—embedding these presidential prerogatives in the rule of law is an enormous blessing. It is a blessing, ironically, for which the nation has Michael Ratner and his colleagues to thank.
THE EXPERIENCE OF Michael Ratner and CCR is typical of the way that checks and balances have operated in the first decade of the indefinite war against Islamist terrorists. Many institutions have risen to check the power of the presidency. Some of these institutions—Congress, courts, and the press—are ones the framers expected to push back. Others—like globally networked human rights organizations and watchdogs inside the executive branch—the framers could not have imagined.
Nearly every national security institution, and every critic and watcher of these institutions, believes it is on the losing end of the stick in trying to influence U.S. counterterrorism policies and their associated accountability mechanisms. The Bush and Obama White Houses did not get the different things they wanted on GTMO and civilian trials, just as Michael Ratner and CCR did not get what they wanted on GTMO and civilian trials. Conservatives believe Ratner and the CCR achieved illegitimate victories in the Supreme Court that hamstrung the President. Ratner thinks he won some battles but lost the war. Congress pushed back on the presidency in novel ways, but it tried to go further, against both Bush and Obama, and failed. The press uncovered an astonishing array of classified national security secrets in the last decade, but it thinks the executive branch hoards too many secrets and unduly harasses journalists. The executive branch thinks leaks harm national security, and that it should crack down more on journalists and their sources. National security lawyers think they are besieged bastions of independence holding the executive branch in check; activist and media critics believe the lawyers are apologists for executive power. Lower court judges are unhappy that the Supreme Court dumped on them the duty to make terrorist detention policy from whole cloth in habeas corpus cases, and are frustrated that Congress has not stepped in more to fill the void. Some critics charge that these judges have released too many GTMO detainees; others charge that they have released too few. And so on, and so on.
This is how the country has moved, in fits and starts, toward a consensus legal infrastructure for national security policy. And in broad outline, and adjusting for modern circumstances, the process is one that James Madison would recognize. Madison believed that a properly designed government “would check interest with interest, class with class, faction with faction, and one branch of government with another in a harmonious system of mutual frustration,” as Columbia historian Richard Hofstadter put it in his classic 1948 book, The American Political Tradition. This is the system we have groped toward in the last decade, a system that preserves the framers’ idea that the executive branch should be legally and politically accountable to law and to the American people. Civil libertarians played a big role in getting us to this place, even if they did not get all they wanted.
Jack Goldsmith teaches at Harvard Law School and is a member of the Hoover Institution Task Force on National Security and Law. This article is adapted from his new book, Power and Constraint: The Accountable Presidency After 9/11.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpqH4TNnYJc
The Unreal Engine 4 implementation is similar the the Unity plugin in that it uses the Skeleton API to immerse the player in the game. The plugin uses a class and an animation blueprint to in order to complete this task.
The Class Blueprint
This blueprint uses the Unreal Engine PrioVR plugin, and a prebuilt PrioVR Character C++ class to control the character. This makes things quite simple since it takes just four functions to integrate PrioVR into your Unreal project. Calling Start from Event Begin Play, Update from Event Tick after Update perform a raycast from the player’s location to the ground level to set the player's height, in conjunction with SetHipsHeight, and Stop on Event End PlayStart sets up the players skeleton based off of the suit layout, player age or height, and communication port offset specified by the developer. Update grabs all of the rotations from the Skeleton and in junction with the Animation Blueprint rotates the player model, as well as performs the pedestrian tracking to move the player. SetHipsHeight sets the player's height based off of the the lowest body part given from the class blueprint and the ground level determined by the raycast. Stop disables the streaming of the skeleton to the model. This entire blueprint will also be available for download for quick integration of PrioVR in your project, and easy customization.
The Animation Blueprint
The animation blueprint uses the rotation data from its corresponding class blueprint and applies that rotation to the model. In order to do this, the animation blueprint modifies the bones that have sensors associated with them using the rotation channel of Unreal’s Transform (Modify) Bone. The picture above is for a PrioVR Core suit layout.
Question & Answer
Q: The Gantt chart and discrepancies with the “ready for manufacturing” statement?
When we said ready for manufacturing we meant that all the designs have been finalized, however, there are part lead times which are including in the times for manufacturing on the Gantt chart.
Q: What about the third party investors you talked about earlier?
No new news from them. We will update you when we receive any information.PC Champion's Cup Financial Fair Play Rules
Currently the inducement rules mean that the underdog receives any TV difference plus any spend by the overdog (up to 150k) in inducements. The underdog can then spend up to 150k of his own cash on top of that spend. This is seen as somewhat unfair in some specific cases as the underdog can the get what is effectively an unanswerable wizard (for example) even if the TVs are the same and that team is choosing second through luck of the draw. That makes the on-pitch TVs potentially very different.
To promote Financial Fair Play (deemed necessary after the scandal surrounding the 2517 purchase of Kill-ian Mbappe by Parravon St Guillaume) the organizers of the Champion's Cup are limiting the ability of the underdog to "top up" the extra inducement money to 40k (not including any cash-over-bank which counts towards TV they have) instead of 150k. This means that, at most, the on-pitch TVs will differ by 40k.
TV difference is the difference between the Overdog and the Underdog's TV
UnderdogPettyCash is the amount the underdog gets on top of his own cash due to spending by the overdog.
RoundUp is the amount UnderdogPettyCash is increased by to make on-pitch TV more equal. That equates to any cash over 150k the underdog has, plus up to 40k if the underdog has that much cash.
To that end, the underdog will receive, in total:
Cash equating to the TV difference between the teams, plus
Cash to account for spending by the overdog, plus
Any cash which is already accounted for in their TV, plus
Up to 40k to spend, taken from their own cash.
This puts the teams within 40k of each other.
In-game, that means for the Underdog:
If your treasury starts at 150k or more then it can get no lower than 110k.
Otherwise it can get no lower than 40k below what you have.
TVDifference = OverdogTV - UnderdogTV
UnderdogPettyCash = max(0, OverdogSpend - max(0, OverdogCash - 150))
RoundUp = min(UnderdogCash, 40) + max(0, UnderdogCash - 150)
Example 1:
1500TV (140k cash) spends 50k vs 1410TV (100k cash)
TVDifference = 1500 - 1410 = 90
UnderdogPettyCash = max(0, 50 - max(0, 140 - 150)) = max(0, 50-0) = 50
Roundup = min(100, 40) + max(0, 100 - 150) = 40 + 0 = 40
FreeCash = 90 + 50 = 140
TotalSpendable = 140 + 40 = 180
Example 2:
1610TV (180k cash) spends 100k vs 1300TV (20k cash)
TVDifference = 1610 - 1300 = 310
UnderdogPettyCash = max(0, 100 - max(0, 180 - 150)) = max(0, 100 - 30) = 70
Roundup = min(20, 40) + max(0, 20 - 150) = 20 + 0 = 20
FreeCash = 310 + 70 = 380
TotalSpendable = 380 + 20 = 400
Yes, the calculation is a little complex. Ideally this would all be in-game. However, to make things more simple and to help people try more examples there is a google sheet available. If you intend to use it lots I recommend making your own version to play with.
Please ask any questions below.Tim Duncan, one of the greatest players of all time and the greatest power forward ever, retired Monday, ending a storied career spanning 19 years, five NBA titles, three Finals MVPs, and two MVP awards. As commanding as Duncan was, though, he didn’t do it alone. He had great teammates, a great coach, a great organization, and great articles of clothing. I spoke to some notable pieces of menswear from Tim’s illustrious career to get their unique perspectives on Duncan, the era he helped shape, and why you can never have too many X’s in front of the XL.
Beige Draft Suit: What’s funny is, I had never heard of Tim Duncan before the draft. Not a basketball fan. Which, of course, people are always joking with me about because I’m a size XXXXXXXXL suit with a 40-plus-inch inseam in the trousers, so people are like “Well, who did you think would wear you?” I like college football. Roll Tide. But that’s what they call irony, I guess. Hey, you know what’s ironic? Tim never ironing me. Not once. Anyway, draft night, 1997. Fun night. I remember this picture well.
Light-Gray Old Navy Cargo Shorts: Wow, I haven’t thought about this day in a long time. This is from the celebration along the River Walk after Tim’s first title. Tim and I actually had a huge argument right before this. Well, really it was just me screaming at him. Which is pretty out of character for me. Over where to put his cell phone. I saw what he was going to do, and I was like, “Dude, I’m fucking cargo shorts. CARGO SHORTS. How are you gonna wear me, then not put your phone in one of my 25 pockets, bro?” And Tim just kinda rolled his eyes, you know how he does, and, pop, clipped that Nokia 8110 right to my waistband. You know, he got that phone because it’s the one Neo uses in The Matrix. [Sighs.] Sorry, I still get upset about this. You know, like, my whole purpose on this planet is I have a million pockets. That’s why I was made. Whatever. Couple of months later, I got stained while he was playing paintball and that’s the last time he wore me.
Tan Shadow-Striped Shirt: This is from Saturday night at the 2006 All-Star Game. Nate Robinson won the Slam Dunk Contest. When you’re sitting in a pitch-black, packed shipping container in some dead-ass warehouse in China, you don’t even dream of being bought by an NBA player right off the rack and ending up at the All-Star Game. I was psyched. Houston! The NBA All-Star weekend with Jamie Foxx performing at the Players Association party! Maybe Beyoncé will be there and spill a drink on me! We could run into Kobe! Kobe was my favorite player. Honestly, I always kind of saw myself on Bryant — nothing against Tim. I know I’m way too large, but, with some tailoring … Anyway. Like I was saying, I was super-excited. And, what happens? This dude leaves 30 minutes into the 3-point competition because he wanted to “beat the traffic.” Can you believe this dude? I watched the slam dunk competition thrown over the back of a chair in the hotel room as Tim fell asleep reading comic books.
XXXXXXXXL Blue Striped Shirt: This was the 2009 playoffs, I believe.
Nautica Big Easy XXL Jeans: Mmm. I don’t know.
XXXXXXXXL Blue Striped Shirt: Yeah. Look, that’s Fabricio Oberto in the background. Had to be right around 2008, 2009.
Nautica Big Easy XXL: I hated Oberto. What an asshole.
XXXXXXXXL Blue Striped Shirt: Tell me about it.
Nautica Big Easy XXL Jeans: Guy always carried himself like because he played in Europe, you know, he’s too good or whatever to wear pants th —
XXXXXXXXL Blue Striped Shirt: (Oberto accent) Trrrrrouserrrrs!
Nautica Big Easy XXL Jeans: I’m sorry, trousers, too good to wear TRRRRROUSERRRRS unless the fit was, like, tight enough to see if you’re circumcised.
XXXXXXXXL Blue Striped Shirt: That’s how they dress in Europe, though.
Nautica Big Easy XXL Jeans: Yeah, but you don’t have to be a jerk about it. “Teeeem, be careful you not drrrowning in your shirt, we have game tonight! Teeeem, your trrrrouserrs are bigger than my garage! Teeeem, your trrrrouserrs look like a sweatshop where they make other cheap shirts. Teeeem, you look like you coming from heroin smuggler’s prom. That shirt looks like a midlife crisis crossed with Atlantic City.”The advent of smartphones and apps has led to a variety of creative new businesses which are reinventing how we shop, work, and communicate. They’re also changing how we travel by bringing private aviation to the masses.
Some of these concepts, like SurfAir, seem to be doing well, while for some reason east coast equivalent Beacon never really got off the ground. Others — Flytenow and AirPooler — were quashed by FAA determinations about their legality.
It was probably inevitable that this phenomenon would make it’s way into my own flying life. The company I work for has entered into a partnership with JetSmarter, a mobile marketplace for private jet charter that the Wall Street Journal described as the “Uber of the air”. We’re flying scheduled service between the coasts and other major cities as part of their “JetShuttle” program. Instead of chartering an entire airplane, you can now book a single seat of your choosing.
I’ve done a few of these trips so far and the passengers seem delighted with the ability to avoid most of the hassles typically associated with air travel and large hub airports. A business jet’s interior looks more like a living room than a typical airliner, so it tends to facilitate discussion and interaction between the passengers. Flight attendants have told me that by the end of the flight, strangers have become friends. And some business connections are probably being made as well.
The JetSmarter membership isn’t cheap. It costs $9,000 annually and requires a $3,000 initiation fee. On the other hand, when you compare it with the cost of chartering a large cabin business jet for even a single cross country flight, the price seems downright thrifty. It’s even competitive with first class airline travel, especially for those who travel frequently.
At first I wondered how this sort of thing would be legal. Wouldn’t scheduled service require a Part 121 certificate? Apparently not. JetSmarter’s model has been validated under 14 CFR Part 380, which requires those who wish to arrange public charters to have their prospectus approved by the Department of Transportation. JetSmarter doesn’t operate the aircraft or have “operational control” over the flights; they simply help facilitate the placement of individuals onto an approved Part 135 certificate holder’s airplane. In that regard they function more like a broker than a charter company. Incidentally, brokers are not regulated by the FAA, DOT, or anyone else that I’m aware of.
I never would have expected to be flying scheduled service while working in the charter industry, but that’s the sort of thing you get when disruptive technologies begin to work their magic. It blurs the lines between what we traditionally think of as airlines and charter companies. For most folks, the primary distinction has been the fixed schedule of the former versus the non-scheduled, or “on-demand”, nature of the latter. But times are changing, and the aviation industry with it.
I can think of several other examples of this phenomenon. I learned to fly about 20 years ago, and back in “the day”, a training airplane was almost invariably a 152/172 or Cherokee of some kind. Oh, you’d find the occasional Tomahawk or Citabria in use for that purpose, but for the most part it was a Skyhawk/Cherokee game. Today’s trainers come from an impressive fleet of Diamonds, Cirruses (yes, people do learn to fly in them), prototypical Cessnas and Pipers, and more LSAs than you can shake a stick at. If my experience is any indication, tailwheels are seeing a resurgence in training roles—something regular readers of mine will know I’m happy about. And there are probably ten thousand more homebuilts are out there than when I took my first flight.
Do I even need to mention about how the general aviation cockpit has changed over the same period? In the corporate aviation world, we’re seeing the first hints of supersonic aircraft on the horizon with the Aerion AS2, Spike S-512, and whatever Gulfstream has got up it’s sleeve after partnering with NASA, Sukhoi, and parent General Dynamics.
JetSmarter also made a deal to purchase my company’s empty charter legs for the next few years. Traditional charter flights are priced round-trip, because even if the passengers only want to fly one way, the company has to get the plane back to its home base. The ability to offload those empty flights to a third-party for resale helps the bottom line and connects passengers with flights that meet their needs.
Any way you slice it, this is an exciting time to be part of the aviation world. I can’t help but wonder what they’ll think of next.While in some belief systems, the afterlife can only be accessed by spiritual means, in others, the underworld could be accessed directly from the Earth. Here are 13 real spots that people have thought (and in a few cases, still do) lead straight to the lands of the dead.
Photo of diorama from Fengdu by Matt Ryall.
Some of these involve the Christian concept of Hell, while others were supposed to lead to other (sometimes not unpleasant) afterlives. And there are plenty of other spots that have hellish names, including Hells Gate in British Columbia, the flaming Door to Hell in Derweze, Turkmenistan, and the southern pit of Erta Ale in Ethiopia, which is called the "gateway to Hell."
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Just a quick note: This piece was inspired by an Atlas Obscura piece about the beautiful Cenote Xkeken. In the course of researching this piece, I realized that Atlas Obscura had recently posted their own piece, "Go to Hell: 11 Ways to Enter the Underworld." I avoided reading the piece so as to avoid overlap, and while there is some, Atlas Obscura has a few underworld hot spots that aren't mentioned here—plus, they. I highly recommend checking out their list (with some gorgeous photos) and also following Atlas Obscura in general, because it's an incredible site.
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Photo of burial site in Hierapolis by Esther Lee.
The Ploutonion at Hierapolis: The ancient city of Hierapolis, near modern-day Pamukkale in Turkey was once home to a site considered sacred to Pluto, the god of the dead. Although the site was rediscovered in 1965, it was just this year that archaeologists announced the otherworldly significance of this holy spot. The same gases that heat the famous hot springs of Pamukkale originate from a cave beneath the Ploutonion, and because the vapors are toxic, the people of Hierapolis believed that they had been sent from Pluto himself and the site was treated as a ritual entrance to the underworld. Pilgrims would travel from all over the classical world to make sacrifices to Pluto; animals led into the cave would drop dead from the toxic fumes, while acolytes of Pluto would prove their devotion to the god by entering the cave and emerging alive (perhaps thanks to their knowledge of pockets of breathable air within the cave).
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Photo of Ming Shan by Britrob.
Fengdu, China: The 2,000-year-old City of Ghosts, located in Chongqing municipality, has long been thought to be the place the dead stopped on their way to the afterlife, though it seems to have gotten this reputation in a roundabout way. A legend from the Han Dynasty tells of two imperial officials, Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng, who forsook the court life to practice Taoism in Fengdu and became immortal. Their names combined sounded like "King of Hell," and so Ming Shan, the hill that overlooks Fengdu, became known as the abode of Tianzi, the King of Hell. The city is filled with Buddhist and Taoist temples, said to be filled with immortal spirits that judge and torment the dead. A freshly dead soul, it was said, must first cross the Bridges of Helplessness to have their virtue judged, then face the Mirror of Retribution at the Ghost Torturing Pass and either become immediately reincarnated or face a series of torments before reaching the Wheel of Rebirth. Living visitors can reach the city by boat (the lower portion was flooded after the construction of the Three Gorges dam along the Yangtze River) and walk the bridges, face the demons who guard the spirit world, view sometimes gruesome dioramas of the afterlife, and gaze upon the 138-meter-high statue of the Ghost King, the largest sculptured carved onto a rock. While Fengdu is centuries old, some its symbolic structures were created rather recently. For example, the Last Glance at Home Tower, the final sight ghosts will see of the living world, was constructed in 1985.
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Photo of Masaya crater by Brian Johnson & Dane Kantner.
Masaya Volcano: The Aboriginal people of Masaya in modern-day Nicaragua did not believe that the mouth of their caldera was a gateway to the afterlife, but there was a local tradition that the volcano was a god and that a sorceress lived inside its fiery pit. But it was the Spanish explorers who arrived in the 16th century—and had little familiarity with volcanos—who associated with volcano with diabolic activity. In 1529, Mercedarian Fray Francisco de Bobadilla hauled a cross up the volcano, hoping to exorcise what he believed was the Mouth of Hell. And he wasn't alone; Friar Toribio Benavente wrote
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the letter recommended that Tavenner issue an Authority to Operate for six months while security testing continued on the site, which she approved.
“This is a temporary Authority to Operate,” Sebelius said as she examined the document during the hearing.
She went on to say that it “discusses mitigation strategies for security that are ongoing and upgraded and an authorization to operate on a permanent basis will not be signed until these mitigation strategies are satisfied. It is under way right now, but daily and weekly monitoring and testing is underway.”
Yet Sebelius’s matter-of-fact description of the temporary authorization is a lot different from the 2012 memo from Zients on federal cyber-security.
Page 11 of the Zients memo includes the following section:
Does OMB recognize interim authority to operate for security authorizations? No. The security authorization process has been required for many years, and it is important to measure the implementation of this process to improve consistency and quality government-wide. Introducing additional inconsistency to the government's security program would be counter to FISMA's goals.
On Tuesday, CNN reported that until it was fixed last week -- weeks after the site was live -- a security hole allowed any user to “easily reset your healthcare.gov password without your knowledge and potentially hijack your account.”
CMS did not respond to an email seeking comment on the Authority to Operate issue.
On a Wednesday afternoon conference call, CMS spokeswoman Julie Bataille insisted that the system was secure.
“Security testing happens on an ongoing basis,” Bataille said. “We used industry best practices to make sure that we continue that process. I want to assure you that when consumers fill out their online marketplace applications, they can trust that the information they are providing is protected by stringent security standards and the technology underlying the application process has been tested and is secure. As I’ve said, that testing happens on an ongoing basis.”
UPDATE: HHS has now responded, but the response does not address the issue of whether the issuance of a temporary authorization violated official OMB guidance issued by Zients.
In an emailed statement, HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters repeated nearly verbatim the response from CMS spokeswoman Bataille from earlier in the day. Peters said, “When consumers fill out their online Marketplace applications, they can trust that the information they’re providing is protected by stringent security standards and that the technology underlying the application process has been tested and is secure. Security testing happens on an ongoing basis using industry best practices.”
An HHS official added that security control assessments of the enrollment and eligibility functions of the information data hub and exchange have been done, that security testing is done as functionality is added, and that the memo approved by Tavenner, “gave temporary authority to operate for six months and listed a number of strategies to mitigate risks including regular testing.”
HHS also passed along an exchange that Sebelius had with Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., in which Sebelius testified that security firm Mitre Corp. “did an assessment of the system, gave us a preliminary report (they are in the process of posting their final report) that did not raise flags about going ahead, and the mitigation strategy was put in place to make sure that we had a temporary authority to operate in place while the mitigation was going on, and then a permanent authority to operate will be signed.”
This story was first published at 6:26 p.m.Sen. Bernie Sanders' team is keeping up the pressure on Hillary Clinton's campaign to hold a debate in New York before the April 19 primary, and openly wondered whether Clinton was "afraid" to debate in the state Clinton once represented as a senator.
Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver told MSNBC that while they held up their end of the bargain with earlier debates by holding debates in New Hampshire and Michigan, it's time that the Clinton camp do the same.
"This is not us demanding more debates, this is asking us to do what the Clinton people have already agreed to do," Weaver told Steve Kornacki. "It would be very, very dishonest for them not to do the debates they have promised to do. They promised to do one in March, we said let's do it in Michigan, that's where it happened. Another one coming up in April, and there's another one coming up in May."
"[W]e don't know why Secretary Clinton appears to be concerned about having a debate in New York. If we're going to have one in April... why won't they have it in New York?" Weaver asked. "That's where Secretary Clinton was elected twice to the U.S. Senate. I just don't understand what the Clinton campaign is afraid of in terms of debating in New York."
The Clinton camp immediately fired back by echoing a call made Monday for Sanders to change his tone. Senior Clinton strategist Karen Finney said the Sanders campaign should decide against coming up with good "attack" lines against Clinton, and revert back to the positive campaign they were running earlier in the race.
"[Sanders] doesn't get to decide where and when he wants a debate," Finney said. "Let's go back to our process that had been working quite well, rather than trying to make this into kind of a gimmick. At the same time, they're trying to talk about how they're going to attack Hillary Clinton. I guess that's what we're saying."
She also noted that there have been conversations between the two sides, but that nothing is imminent.As we older wrestling fans bitterly walk into our thirties and forties, we have this tendency to slip on rose-tinted sunglasses. This is done in an attempt to view today’s wrestling world through old lens, as much of a chore it is to try and build parallels to the two.
In particular, we sometimes champion a wrestler in today’s field by dressing them in the repurposed shell of a wrestler we heralded about an era or two back. Daniel Bryan became the bearded, jovial reincarnate of Chris Benoit, one that nobody would feel guilty about enjoying. Bray Wyatt’s manner of speech invoked memories of Jake Roberts and Kevin Sullivan, the calm savage. CM Punk at one time had seanced the spirit of Stone Cold Steve Austin, through profanity, blunt honesty, and defiance. When Punk’s walkout in 2014 too eerily matched Austin’s 2002 vacancy, Dean Ambrose stepped in to be the unconventional, office-scorning rebel.
What about Dolph Ziggler? Before, Ziggler was a more convincing offspring of Curt Hennig than Curtis Axel is, flailing like a fish out of water off the simplest of offensive strikes, curly blonde locks scattering like the frills of a pom-pom. Salesmanship aside, Ziggler’s legitimate athletic background, like Hennig’s, was oh-so-perfectly melded with a willingness to portray the preening-douche-turned-punching-bag for so many. Imbued with these traits, Ziggler is indispensable.
Ziggler also shares similarities with other Hennig fashioner, Shawn Michaels. In the 1990s (hell, up until his 2010 retirement), Michaels could steal the show as either a face (drawing sympathy for the comeback, telling a story equally through emotion and athletics) or a heel (for the same qualities as Hennig and Ziggler). Michaels will forever have tenancy in wrestling’s penthouse suite for his ability to take the most jaded know-it-all, the ‘I wouldn’t have written the story THIS way’ grouch, and reduce him to a bright-eyed believer through sheer will. It’s a skill nobody can duplicate.
This isn’t to say Ziggler is scraping insulation in Michaels’ ceiling at present time, but after Survivor Series, there’s a new inkling of just how sky-high Ziggler’s ceiling may be.
It’s a role Michaels nailed eleven years ago, the hopeless hero. Michaels needed to survive against Chris Jericho, Christian, and a less-inked Randy Orton in order to save Steve Austin’s job. The fact that Michaels had lost enough blood to fill a fish-tank only upped the drama several rungs. Looking like Carrie White, Michaels lucked his way into eliminating Christian and Jericho before Orton ended the miracle run after Batista interfered. Anyone who watched that match will tell you while catching their breath that it’s typical, by-the-book HBK, while exhaling, “And it’s f–king incredible.”
Sunday night, Ziggler was in the same predicament, with some wholly moving twists.
In the match to determine whether The Authority would be vanquished or whether some upper-midcard babyfaces would be fired instead, Ziggler, once canon fodder so far wedged into the sole-grooves of WWE’s shoe, was the last hope for the good guys. This was especially shocking, given that the usual Superman, John Cena, had been disposed of through Big Show’s annual heel turn midway through the bout. Across from a weary (but not bloody, per Mattel’s humble invective) Ziggler were Seth Rollins, Kane, and Luke Harper. Alas, it’s a parallel.
Knowing that only Cena could take out the 82nd Airborne without assistance, the St. Louis crowd began looking for the run-in. Given that Randy Orton was recently spurned by the heels, and that the Gateway City is Orton’s home, the natives earnestly chanted for him while Ziggler was bounced around by the corporate ladder. Not a good sign when you’re so far down the caste, fans believe more in the savior than the worker.
Then it happened: Ziggler won over the crowd. Repeated kickouts, subtle appeals through relaying of agony and exhaustion, and the fans were pulling for Ziggler to complete the comeback. If Daniel Bryan didn’t belong in Ziggler’s generation, I’d say that Dolph usurped the underdog schtick from him.
There weren’t any YES chants, but the fans popped fierce when Ziggler downed Kane cleanly with the Zig Zag. The cheers were louder when Dolph managed to roll up Harper and rid him from the bout. JBL was angrily stunned. Michael Cole, in a rare moment of intense focus, sold Ziggler as a warrior, running on empty for the sake of his job. Ziggler and Rollins engaged in a tremendous series of near falls in the lead-up to the Sports Entertainment Finish, well-executed and welcome for all of its convolution.
‘Holy crap, it’s Sting!’ will trump ‘holy crap, Dolph pulled it off!’ when panning for website clicks, but Ziggler’s story is needed long-term. The match has absolutely made Ziggler, Sting’s deus ex machina help or not. WWE has needed organic heroes more than it’s needed accurate dates on its WWE Network content. Punk said see ya, Bryan’s out long-term, Ambrose is there if they truly want him, and Roman Reigns’ biggest feud may be the one he’s having with the teleprompter.
Ziggler was dead, an afterthought. His outspokenness had cancelled out his world-class athleticism, and if a PPV in 2013 or 2014 passed by without him, nobody blinked. His demotion was accepted; his scripted wins these days more startling than appreciated. Whoever shook their head in the office and said, ‘wait, why aren’t we doing MORE with Dolph?’ may be a one-eyed-prophet in the land of the blind, but that one eye understands the man’s value.
I’d argue that Ziggler’s survival trumps Bryan’s WrestleMania wins. We all knew that Bryan was getting those victories as an apology for a winter’s worth of short-sighted booking, and angry fans weren’t to be denied. Ziggler’s rise from fodder is more notable because in less than 20 minutes, he won over the crowd that wanted Orton, and busted his ass for each ounce of renewed appreciation.
Writing out of Hunter and Stephanie aside, this is why we all loved last night’s match. We all believed because Dolph Ziggler made us believe. Shawn Michaels chuckles knowingly.
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Justin Henry Justin Henry has been an occasional contributor to Camel Clutch Blog since 2009. His other work can be found at WrestleCrap.com and ColdHardFootballFacts.com. He can be found on Twitter, so give him a follow. More Posts Follow Me:Access to all the comics I create
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Hi! I’m Yale Stewart and I’m a cartoonist. Thanks for stopping by to check out my Patreon! A lot of you have asked me about when I’d start a Patreon, and it looks like the time has finally come. On the other hand, some of you may be wondering why I need a Patreon at all, so let me explain.My claim to fame is webcomics, which I put online for everyone to read for free. I love doing that, as it means anyone and everyone can read my comics at no cost to them. However, since it doesn’t pay, I generally have to find outside sources of income, whether it’s freelance work, commissions, or hitting the convention circuit. Frankly, I enjoy all of those things, but sometimes the overall workload can get in the way of my favorite thing: making comics. With Patreon, I’d like to achieve a greater amount of both financial—but also production—stability.Financial stability speaks for itself, but let me talk a little bit about production stability. If I have a better idea of where my rent is coming from, I can spend less time on random oddjobs, and can focus on making comics. To start, I’d love to get to a reliant, page-per-week update schedule. With enough support, I hope to even get back to two-pages-per-week. Patreon could also open up other possibilities, such as live streaming the creative process on platforms like Twitch, or exploring other genres that interest me, whether it’s fantasy, biographical, or particularly comics inspired by music.To break it down, here's what Patrons will receive from my page regardless of how much I earn:The more I'm able to earn monthly, though, the more content I can create, in both volume (the number of comics) and diversity (videos, tutorials, AMAs, etc.).For now, though, I’d like to just be able to produce comics steadily and reliably, and further develop the community of all of my amazing supporters who’ve helped me make this my career for the past 6 years. If you can chip in, I appreciate it more than you could ever know. If you can’t, hey, that’s totally cool, too. Either way, you’ve been helping me live the life I’ve wanted for myself since I was five years old, and that’s good enough for me.Mr Gibbs confirmed the relationship when confronted by Fairfax Media on Friday. Speaker Bronwyn Bishop must produce the documents claiming the chopper excursion expenses. Credit:Andrew Meares "I do know Damien, what's that got to do with anything?" Mr Gibbs said. "We were staffers together. I know a lot of guys at Parliament, I was a staffer there myself." Mr Gibbs said the pair first met in or around the year 2000. Asked if he was Mr Jones' best man, Mr Gibbs said: "Yeah, what's the relevance of all this?"
Mrs Bishop on Thursday caved to political and public pressure and repaid the $5227 cost of the charter. She also paid a $1300 loading as penalty. Bronwyn Bishop's former chief of staff Damien Jones. But the relationship between Mr Gibbs and Mr Jones raises new questions about the charter, which Mrs Bishop used to make a grand entrance at a Liberal Party function in November last year. Fairfax Media is not suggesting any improper conduct by Mr Gibbs or Mr Jones. Lobbyist Andrew Gibbs. Credit:LinkedIn
Sources have told Fairfax Media that Mr Gibbs' quote was the most expensive of three obtained by Mrs Bishop's office. But Mr Gibbs says that is not the case. "They have to get three quotes and they have to take the cheapest quote," he said. "There's no opportunity for untoward behaviour because the Department of Finance keeps a very close eye on it." Mr Gibbs said there was "nothing untoward or cozy" about his relationship with Mrs Bishop's office and Mr Jones. Fairfax Media has asked Mr Jones, through Mrs Bishop's office, for details of the three quotes requested. Reports have said that MyJet is typically among the most expensive options on the market in Melbourne.
MyJet doesn't actually operate any helicopters itself, so it sub-contracted one from fellow charter company Air Melbourne. Air Melbourne's website notes their twin-engine Augusta helicopters "seat up to seven passengers and reach speeds of up to 311km per hour, making our helicopters the quickest, easiest and most luxurious way to travel". That type of chopper usually costs about $3000 to $4000 an hour to hire, industry sources have told Fairfax Media..
That is about the same hourly cost as a mid-sized corporate jet capable of carrying about 10 people in business-class seating.
In comparison, a single-engine Robinson R44 costs about $1200 an hour. In general, a single-engine chopper can only fly during the day. Mr Gibbs operates as a political lobbyist under the business name Primary Policy Partners. The government's official Lobbyist Register confirms Mr Gibbs is a former Howard government staffer who left government employ in January 2001.
He lists five companies on his client details list, including MyJet Aviation. It also lists Elliott Holdings Australia T/A Ellwaste, Chris Richards Group, Cohuna Aviation Club and HTT CORPORATION. Mr Jones has also been approached for comment but has not yet responded. His job title is listed on various parliamentary documents as Mrs Bishop's chief of staff. He also serves as her spokesman. The Greens have called for a full, independent investigation following the latest revelations. "The more details revealed about this absolutely extraordinary episode the more apparent it becomes that something fishy is going on," said Greens senator Lee Rhiannon.
Labor on Friday said there was "no way" Mrs Bishop can remain as Speaker if she signed a form claiming the helicopter flight was for official business.
In a call that escalates pressure on the under-fire Speaker, Labor's finance spokesman, Tony Burke, suggested Mrs Bishop may need to resign. Mrs Bishop was listed as an expected guest at a public memorial at Parliament House on Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of the MH17 disaster but does not appear to have attended. - With Matthew O'Sullivan and Fergus Hunter Follow us on TwitterThink it’s safe to type a quick text while walking? Guess again
UB emergency medicine professor says injuries related to texting and walking are on the rise
“While talking on the phone is a distraction, texting is much more dangerous because you can’t see the path in front of you.”
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Texting and walking is a known danger, but Dietrich Jehle, professor of emergency medicine at the University at Buffalo, says distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving.
Consequences include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic. The issue is so common that in London, bumpers were placed onto light posts along a frequented avenue to prevent people from slamming into them.
“When texting, you’re not as in control with the complex actions of walking,” says Jehle, MD, who is also an attending physician at Erie County Medical Center, a regional trauma center in Western New York. “While talking on the phone is a distraction, texting is much more dangerous because you can’t see the path in front of you.”
Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently, Jehle says.
Jehle explains that pedestrians face three types of distraction: manual, in which they are doing something else; visual, where they see something else; and cognitive, in which their mind is somewhere else.
A study at Stony Brook University found that when people used their cell phones while walking, they veered off course 61 percent more and overshot their target 13 percent more than when they were not distracted.
In his practice, Jehle has seen, first-hand, the rise of cell phone-related injuries.
Tens of thousands of pedestrians are treated in emergency rooms across the nation each year, and Jehle believes as many as 10 percent of those visits result from accidents involving cell phones. He says the number of mishaps involving texting and walking is likely higher than official statistics suggest, as patients tend to underreport information about themselves when it involves a behavior that is embarrassing.
Historically, pedestrian accidents affected children, the intoxicated or the elderly, says Jehle. However, cell phone related injuries have skyrocketed over the past 10 years, coinciding with the rise of smartphones.
And with social media so pervasive, texting isn’t the only concern. It’s not uncommon to find a person walking, head down, scrolling through their Twitter feed or checking email.
A study from Ohio State University found that the number of pedestrian ER visits for injuries related to cell phones tripled between 2004 and 2010 — even though the total number of pedestrian injuries dropped during that period.
The study also found that the age group most at risk for cell-phone related injuries while walking are adults under 30 — chiefly those between the ages of 16 and 25.
Laws discouraging texting and walking have been written up, but are strongly voted down, says Jehle. His suggestion: mobile applications that text via voice command or use the phone's camera to display the approaching streetscape while pedestrians text.
Although Jehle prefers that pedestrians keep their eyes off of their phones until they reach their destination, he says the apps are better than nothing at all.Wellington health workers, including doctors and nurses, have been missing out on allowances, overtime and holiday pay because of a payroll system described as "diabolical".
"If we made those kind of mistakes in our roles that payroll are making, patients would die," one unnamed nurse at Capital & Coast District Health Board said.
"I think the feeling amongst members is that Capital & Coast doesn't care enough to get the pay right," Deborah Powell, an advocate for more than 500 medical and health practitioners at CCDHB, said.
KENT BLECHYNDEN/ FAIRFAX NZ Wellington Hospital, where some of the Capital & Coast DHB staff have become frustrated with continuing payroll problems.
Powell, from the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (Apex), said payroll problems affected all DHBs, but Capital & Coast's had been a "nightmare".
Despite some improvements, it was "among the bottom third" of all DHBs in terms of "sheer quantity" of payroll problems, eclipsed only by the massive conglomeration of Auckland and Northland's four DHBs, she said.
"They're always in catch-up mode. They're just constantly chasing their tail."
The health board has suffered payroll problems since as far back as 2012, when it reported 5757 total underpayment incidents.
Some staff have reported being overpaid, but most complaints relate to underpayment.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation organiser Georgia Choveaux said: "Because pay rates differ significantly between shifts and days, the nursing team often find it hard to even know whether there is a problem with their pay or not."
Ian Powell, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said: "Generally it's unsatisfactory, and some would say diabolical."
There had been recent improvements, but "it's still very very slow and it really is unreliable in terms of people knowing whether they've been paid the right amount or not."
Deborah Powell said constantly checking for payroll mistakes was undermining staff morale and there was a "snowball effect" with routine pay issues absorbing the time of payroll staff, which often left one-off problems neglected.
"It's exhausting. To have to check your pay is another thing on top of what is a mentally and physically demanding job.
"Our members describe just being deflated and giving up. They work hard and expect pay should not be one of the hassles in their lives."
She said Apex intervened in December on behalf of more than 50 CCDHB radiographers on several issues while other staff waited for shift and on-call leave to be processed.
CCDHB's payroll was under-resourced and unnecessarily complex, but the payroll errors were probably not a deliberate or malicious strategy, she said. Nevertheless, there were too many errors and the response time in sorting out payroll mistakes was too slow.
One person familiar with the payroll system said it had been tweaked several times, comparing it with a house that had structural problems on which cosmetic work was done, but underlying issues never fixed.
CCDHB chief financial officer Tony Hickmott said the health board took issues affecting people's pay seriously. Every fortnight it processed pay for about 5100 workers, across 20 multi-employer collective agreements.
"A small percentage of people raise issues with us following pay runs. At the start of each year, issues can also occur when the DHB has large intakes of new staff including junior doctors and nursing graduates."
Pay issues generally arose around rostered workers, or new staff who worked different shifts and had some extra payment arrangements for overtime and shift allowances, he said.
"When issues are raised we prioritise them, and where necessary make a special payment to affected people, so that they do not have to wait until the next pay-cycle.
"We appreciate that any issue with a person's pay is frustrating, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve the many business processes that surround pay."
In 2012, timesheets submitted late were blamed for the highest number of underpayments, the DHB said in an Official Information Act response at the time.A quarter of women with breast cancer will die from cancer spreading around the body – exercise is the most important lifestyle factor in preventing this
Petri Artturi Asikainen/Getty
For women who have recovered from breast cancer, exercise appears to be the most important lifestyle choice to reduce the risk of death from a relapse.
Around a quarter of all women with breast cancer will eventually die when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. But living more healthily can reduce the risk of this happening.
To find out what lifestyle changes might have the greatest benefit, Ellen Warner and Julie Hamer of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada, analysed 67 studies that examined factors such as diet, exercise and weight, and their effect on the health of women who had been successfully treated for breast cancer.
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They conclude that physical activity can reduce the chance of death from a breast cancer relapse by up to 40 per cent. “Exercise had the most consistent and greatest [impact] on the relative risk of breast cancer death,” says Warner. The ideal amount is 150 minutes of moderate physical activity spread over a week, she says.
It is hard to isolate why exercise confers such benefits, says Warner, but one possible explanation is that it suppresses inflammation that could otherwise damage cells and increase the risk of cancer spreading.
One potential problem with the study is that the women decided how much exercise to do, but those with undetected secondary cancers might have been too tired or in too much pain to exercise, skewing the apparent benefit of exercise on the death rate, says Anne McTiernan of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. “A randomised trial, with women assigned at random to an exercise or control group then followed over time, would be very helpful,” she says.
Warner says the second most important lifestyle factor is limiting weight gain after cancer treatment. Different types of diet appeared to have no effect on risk of relapse.
Journal reference: Canadian Medical Association Journal, DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.160464It is always a hard day when someone in the military is arrested, but alas that is what happened today when a United States soldier was arrested for allegedly being involved with ISIS. The soldier arrested was Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang. He has been serving in the military since early 2001.
He was arrested by a FBI SWAT team at the Schofield Barracks. The FBI made the decision to arrest him following intel they received that he was allegedly trying to give classified documents and use a drone to communicate with members of ISIS.
There has been an on going investigation into him over a year and today it reached a dramatic climax as he was arrested. Ikaika Kang had served active duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan and it is believed he became radicalised while serving in both locations. His father, Clifford Kang, said to media sources that Ikaika began studying Islam while serving abroad. It is important in times like this that we take time to reflect on the evils of ISIS and the hardship that the men and women in the military go through. If you support those people who risk their lives day and night to protect our freedom then please SHARE this article with your family and friends. Source: Fox News
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commentsApril 5, 2016 - Deep Dissatisfaction Among U.S. Voters, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Trump Supporters Want Leader Who Ignores The Rules
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There is a deep well of dissatisfaction among American voters who say the U.S. has lost its identity, that they are falling behind financially, that their beliefs and values are under attack and that public officials don't care what they think, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today.
A total of 57 percent of all voters "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" with the statement, "America has lost its identity," as 43 percent "somewhat disagree" or "strongly disagree." Among all Republicans, 79 percent agree, while only 36 percent of Democrats agree. The highest level of agreement is expressed by GOP supporters of Donald Trump, as 85 percent "agree," the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds.
Among all American voters, 57 percent agree with the statement, "I'm falling further and further behind economically," with 67 percent of all Republicans and 48 percent of Democrats agreeing "strongly" or "somewhat." Trump voters stand out with 78 percent strongly agreeing.
The pattern continues as 62 percent of all voters, including 85 percent of all Republicans and 40 percent of Democrats agree that their "beliefs and values are under attack." Ninety one percent of Trump backers agree, the highest of any candidate.
"Many American voters, especially Republicans, are dissatisfied with their own status and the status of the country, but by far the most dissatisfied are Donald Trump's supporters, who strongly feel that they themselves and the country are under attack," said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, PhD.
"Trump supporters are true stand-outs. They want a leader who is very different from the leader sought by other voters, explaining the mystery many see behind Trump's support," Dr. Schwartz added.
There is a wide partisan division among American voters on the statement, "The government has gone too far in assisting minority groups." Agreement is 45 percent among all voters, 72 percent among all Republicans and 18 percent among Democrats. Agreement is highest among Trump backers, 80 percent.
Agreement with the statement, "What we need is a leader who is willing to say or do anything to solve America's problems" is 53 percent among all voters, 68 percent among all Republicans and 39 percent among Democrats. Trump backers agreement is highest with 84 percent.
There is widespread agreement, 76 percent, with the statement, "Public officials don't care much what people like me think." Agreement is 84 percent among all Republicans and 68 percent among Democrats. Ninety percent of Trump supporters agree, the highest of any candidate.
There is a lower level of agreement, 64 percent, with the statement, "The old way of doing things no longer works and we need radical change." Agreement is 71 percent among all Republicans and 58 percent among Democrats. Agreement is highest among Trump supporters with 83 percent.
Among all American voters, 56 percent agree with the statement, "Leaders don't worry about what other people say; they follow their own path." Agreement is 65 percent among all Republicans, 46 percent among Democrats and 74 percent of Trump voters agree, the highest of any candidate.
From March 16 - 21, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,451 voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research.
Visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling or www.facebook.com/quinnipiacpoll Call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter @QuinnipiacPoll.
Introduction to questions 31 - 40
Now I would like to read you some statements. For each one, please tell me if this is something with which you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree.
31. America has lost its identity.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 28% 43% 38% 22% 55% 12% 10% 16% Somewhat agree 29 36 41 39 30 24 18 29 Somewhat disagree 18 12 11 23 9 23 22 24 Strongly disagree 25 9 10 16 5 40 51 29 DK/NA 1 1 1 - - 1 - 2
32. I feel as though I'm falling further and further behind economically.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 28% 34% 26% 23% 46% 20% 12% 32% Somewhat agree 29 33 36 21 32 28 26 29 Somewhat disagree 23 20 24 30 14 25 32 19 Strongly disagree 19 12 13 26 8 25 30 20 DK/NA 1 1 1 - - 1 - 1
33. I feel as though my beliefs and values are under attack in America these days.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 40% 65% 67% 44% 76% 17% 15% 19% Somewhat agree 22 20 21 30 15 23 18 26 Somewhat disagree 18 8 6 12 5 26 28 24 Strongly disagree 19 6 6 13 4 34 38 31 DK/NA 1 - 1 - - 1 - 1
34. The government has gone too far in assisting minority groups.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 25% 43% 41% 20% 55% 8% 6% 9% Somewhat agree 20 29 35 29 25 10 9 10 Somewhat disagree 21 18 13 35 11 24 26 23 Strongly disagree 32 6 6 14 5 57 59 56 DK/NA 3 3 5 1 4 1 - 2
35. Public officials don't care much what people like me think.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 45% 54% 42% 38% 66% 34% 29% 40% Somewhat agree 31 30 37 37 24 34 32 35 Somewhat disagree 16 11 14 16 7 21 24 17 Strongly disagree 7 4 4 9 3 10 13 8 DK/NA 1 1 3 - 1 1 1 -
36. What we need is a leader who is willing to say or do anything to solve America's problems.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 27% 36% 24% 21% 54% 19% 20% 17% Somewhat agree 26 32 32 27 30 20 17 25 Somewhat disagree 22 18 21 33 9 26 25 28 Strongly disagree 23 11 20 18 4 34 37 29 DK/NA 2 3 3 2 3 1 1 2
37. The old way of doing things no longer works and we need radical change.
REGISTERED VOTERS.................................................. REPUBLICANS/REP LEANER....... DEMOCRATS/DEM LEANER....... CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.. CANDIDATE OF CHOICE Tot Tot Cruz Kasich Trump Tot Clinton Sanders Strongly agree 33% 40% 32% 24% 55% 26% 14% 41% Somewhat agree 31 31 28 30 28 32 31 35 Somewhat disagree 21 17 19 32 8 25 31 14 Strongly disagree 13 10 16 14 7 16 22
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successful societies are inherently conservative, and to assert that Barack Obama’s administration is the most left-leaning government in Washington in 50 years.
The opposition leader advanced his arguments about conservatism in an interview with the journal World Affairs. He was making a broad point that in Australia elections are won from the political centre.
Abbott told Mary Kissel, an editorial board member of the Wall Street Journal: “All successful societies are inherently conservative … and Australia is undeniably a successful society” with its “high and rising standard of living”, “just and generally accepted institutions” and “a relatively happy recent history”.
“Good Labor governments can tap into that basic conservatism, just as poorly performing Coalition governments can alienate a basically conservative electorate,” Abbott said. The journal cited Abbott as saying the Australian public was “more comfortable” with the idea of a Liberal-led government. But, he added: “I think it’s inevitably got much more to do with their disappointment and dismay at the Gillard government.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Abbott brands Obama and his administration “the most left-of-centre government in at least half a century”.
He adds: “Now I’m not being critical of Obama … he’s following a well-trod path. But I think it is a fact that the Obama government is a much more statist government than the Clinton administration.”
Abbott suggests that statism is on the rise around the world in part due to the fallout from the global financial crisis, and the departure from politics of “charismatic centre-left politicians who embraced market capitalism” – figures such as Bob Hawke, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.
Abbott welcomes the Obama administration’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, but he appears to question whether the changes outlined by Gillard and the US president will actually alter the status quo in practical terms.
As Kissel notes in the piece, the Obama administration negotiated a permanent deployment of 2,500 troops to Darwin, on Australia’s northern coast, by 2016. “Look, I welcome the so-called pivot to Asia,” Abbott says, “as does the Gillard government. But if all it is is a marine brigade in Darwin in a few years’ time, that’s hardly going to change the strategic balance in this part of the world.”
On Australian political issues, Abbott remarks that the Liberal party has been “very careful, at least in recent years, not to alienate minority groups”. He says the party during the 1980s made mistakes. The Liberals “were at serious risk of alienating newcomers”. Immigrants, Abbott reflects, “are natural conservatives if they are appealed to the right way”.
Abbott does not cite any specific examples in the published interview, but the Liberal party’s One Australia policy in the late 1980s proposed a cut in Asian immigration. John Howard later acknowledged that policy had been a mistake.
On the subject of foreign investment, the opposition leader notes there is “a degree of anxiety about Chinese and Middle Eastern investment. But in the end the vast majority of Australians understand that we need foreign investment.”Actor Radhike Apte, who starred in films like Hunterr and Badlapur, is the latest victim of technology's sinister side. It has been reported that Apte’s nude images, which she shot for a short film by director Anurag Kashyap, have been leaked online and doing the rounds on WhatsApp.
Incensed at the leak, Kashyap lashed out on the culprits and was quoted by Times of India (ToI) as saying: “There is a short film of 20 minutes that I had been commissioned to direct (there are 6 other directors from different parts of the world who have also directed different films that will eventually form a part of one big film that is yet to be released). This film was with subtitles and meant for release only in the international market. My story was inspired by a true story and is a very powerful film. It was very difficult to make this short film due to this little sequence in the film of a few seconds that involves the actress to lift her dress and expose her lower front part and needed that very minor partial nudity front shot. It took us so much time to do it in a non-sexual way, as it is meant to be absolutely non-sexual and we took all the care we could. It was not easy to find an actor who is brave enough to participate in it. The entire shooting crew was women as we knew that we were making something as sensitive as this. And there were girls at every stage of the post-production. At every stage of the post-production, that part was either sent blank or pixelated before being sent. So, nobody even knew who is a part of the film. And everybody assumes that since it is an Indian film, it will always be pixelated. After taking all the care, the film was delivered to New York a month back. And then, all of a sudden after a month from nowhere, this video popped up online.”
Kashyap further said: “It has to be some Indian guy there, otherwise other material from other sources that is much more sexual is available to the West and something like this does not get them excited. I had shown the film before sending it to many of my friends including Vikramaditya Motwane's mother and she cried as she felt it was so powerful and we needed to put out something like this. Radhika Apte herself was so proud of it. But when you put out a video like this without context, people start making jokes on it. You try to take a step forward as a filmmaker, they take you five steps back.”
The case is now being investigated by the Mumbai Police.
Read:She’s doing films in six languages! Who is Radhika Apte, anyway?
First Published: Apr 27, 2015 14:52 ISTTurkish-made training airplane Hürkuş breaks speed record
ANKARA/ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency
DHA photo
A Turkish-made basic training aircraft called the Hürkuş, which was designed and manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), set a record high speed of 659 kilometers per hour on Feb. 28 in a test flight in Ankara.The two-seat Hürkuş began a dive from 27,000 feet (9,000 meters) at the test site, reaching a top speed of 659 km per hour during the dive.The Hürkuş was accompanied by an F-16D owned by the Turkish Air Force.Hürkuş test flights are currently planned to be completed by May and the aircraft is waiting for certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). All of the test details and results are shared with the EASA. Any aerial vehicle which is approved by the EASA can be commercially sold and used for passenger or cargo transportation.TAI has completed a significant portion of its work on the Hürkuş-B, a military training model, for the Turkish Air Force, after it launched the Hürkuş-A.The Hürkuş-B model’s montage will start in April to make its first flight in December 2017. First delivery is planned in June 2018.Note: By submitting this form, you agree to Third Door Media's terms. We respect your privacy.
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Google announced they are more than doubling their health conditions database, so that when you search for health or medical topics in Google, you are more likely to find factual medical data on that condition.
Google launched medical content in search back in February with about 400 conditions. Over the next few weeks, you should see more than 900 conditions listed. Google also is adding downloadable PDFs and updating the overall design on both Web and mobile.
Here are the three large changes happening with Google’s medical search results:
Hundreds more health conditions (soon more than 900 total, more than double the number Google started with) with quick at-a-glance info on symptoms, treatments, prevalence and more
Visual design improvements and some more specific triggering so it’s quicker and easier to get the info you need (for example, you can now search for “pink eye symptoms,” and you’ll get straight to the symptoms tab)
A “Download PDF” link so you can easily print this information for a doctor’s visit — this has been a top request from doctors
I am sure doctors are going to appreciate their patients walking in with PDFs printed out of Doctor Google.Introducing a 28-man roster with 25 active spots would give managers and front offices more options for building a team. Illustration by Elias Stein Editor's note: In the days leading up to Rob Manfred's one-year anniversary as commissioner on Jan. 25, we asked our writers what one change or innovation they would make to improve baseball if the sport started over today.
The change: Expand active rosters to 28 players, with the manager designating 25 eligible players for each game. This is a rule that exists in Japan and should be brought over here.
Currently, major league rules allow teams to bring up a 26th player for doubleheaders, so the 25-man roster limit isn't ironclad. Teams also use many more players during a season now than even a generation ago, in large part because of the incessant bullpen shuffle of relief pitchers -- you know, when a team plays a long extra-inning game and taxes its bullpen so it calls up a new guy the next day, or if too many relievers are used on consecutive days somebody gets sent down even if he's been pitching well. In 2015, teams used an average of 25 pitchers for the season; in 2000, that number was 20; in 1985, it was 16.
The 25-man roster size was first established in 1914 and made permanent in 1920 -- except for the 1986 to 1989 seasons, when teams carried 24 players to cut costs. It's time to acknowledge the game has changed: While pitching staffs once consisted of maybe nine pitchers, now teams carry 12 or even 13, limiting the number of position players.
How it would work: Pretty self-explanatory. Obviously, the inactive players would almost always consist of the most recent starting pitchers. But maybe a manager wants to sit a player for a few days to nurse an injury or sit a reliever for one night if he has pitched three or four games in a row. The Giants might want to keep Madison Bumgarner active as a pinch-hitting option.
Why it would help baseball: More than anything, it would bring more strategy into the game. By carrying so many relievers, the modern game has decreased managerial flexibility on offense. For example, back in the 1970s and even into the 1980s, teams usually carried three catchers, allowing a manager to pinch-hit for his starting catcher with a better bench option, knowing he had two backups in reserve. Now, managers are afraid to hit for their catcher and burn their only backup (let alone, you rarely have the flexibility to use a pinch hitter and then bring in a reserve).
The pinch runner has essentially become extinct, except in the postseason when teams can carry fewer pitchers due to all the off days. Platoons? In 2015, batters had the platoon advantage 54 percent of the time; in 1995 it was 57 percent, and in 1985 it was 60 percent. More relievers and fewer bench players means managers more often get the platoon edge when going to the bullpen -- which, as a side effect, cuts into offense.
The fear might be that teams would simply use the three extra spots to carry more relievers and god knows we don't need more pitching changes. Sure, that might be a popular notion at first, but I think teams would soon realize they would be operating at a disadvantage by carrying 15 pitchers. But here's the thing: If a team wants to do that, that's OK. Managing the roster itself becomes a form of strategy. Carry that third catcher. Give a roster spot to the pinch runner or defensive replacement. Add an extra platoon player. If you want to try a six-man rotation, you can do that. Giving front offices and managers more toys to play with would be a good thing, as would allowing teams to build rosters in different, creative ways.
How realistic is it: My first thought is that small-market teams would be against it. More roster spots would mean more money to spend on payroll, which would help the rich teams. The Rays would have to fill their three extra spots on minimum-salaried players, but the Red Sox or Dodgers could sign higher-priced veterans.
Expanded rosters would allow small-market teams such as the Rays to focus even more on utilizing roster depth to compete. Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports
But you know what? I don't think this would hurt small-market teams at all. Look, for starters the Rays could pay James Loney $9 million instead of $9.67 million and not increase their payroll at all. Aside from that, a larger roster should help the small-market teams, at least those that build quality organizational depth.
Think about it: Stars are expensive and they play every day. The Red Sox aren't going to pay David Price all that money to pitch less often. The Tigers aren't going to give Justin Upton more off days just because they have an extra outfielder on the roster. Well, a team like the Rays or A's can't sign those types of players. But an expanded roster could allow them to platoon at a couple of more positions than they can now -- improvement through depth as opposed to finances. Instead of signing that expensive free-agent starting pitcher, maybe they sign an extra reliever to build more bullpen depth and require less work from their starters.
I also like that it benefits smart front offices, those that can kind find those quality 4-A players who might have a limited overall game but can contribute in a more confined role.
If anything, the biggest fight might come from the players themselves. We're talking about 90 additional roster spots from April through August -- that's about $45 million in new salary if all those are minimum-salaried players, a small percentage of the players' overall take but money that is coming out of somebody's pocket.
But, really: Joe Blanton just got $4 million. I think the players will be fine.Mexico is located in one of the Earth’s most dynamic tectonic areas. It is a part of the circum-Pacific “ Ring of Fire ”—a region of active volcanism and frequent seismic activity. Among its towering volcanic peaks are Citlaltépetl (also called Orizaba), which forms the highest point in the country at 18,406 feet (5,610 metres), and the active volcano Popocatépetl, which rises to 17,930 feet (5,465 metres) to the southeast of Mexico City. These and other Mexican volcanoes are young in geologic terms, from the Paleogene and Neogene periods (about 65 to 2.6 million years ago), and are examples of the volcanic forces that built much of the central and southern parts of the country. Mexico is situated on the western, or leading, edge of the huge North American Plate, whose interaction with the Pacific, Cocos, and Caribbean plates has given rise to numerous and severe earthquakes as well as the earth-building processes that produce southern Mexico’s rugged landscape. It is in this dynamic and often unstable physical environment that the Mexican people have built their country.
Physiographic regions
Mexico can be divided into nine major physiographic regions: Baja California, the Pacific Coastal Lowlands, the Mexican Plateau, the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica, the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Southern Highlands, and the Yucatán Peninsula.
The Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico is an isolated strip of extremely arid land extending between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez). Unevenly divided between the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur, the peninsula is nearly 800 miles (1,300 km) long but seldom more than 100 miles (160 km) wide. The central core of the peninsula is a granitic fault block with peaks of more than 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) above sea level in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir and Sierra de Juárez. The gently sloping western side of these mountain ranges is in contrast to the steep eastern escarpment, which makes access from the Gulf of California extremely difficult. The Sonoran Desert extends onto the peninsula along the northern end of the gulf.
The Pacific Coastal Lowlands begin near Mexicali and the Colorado River delta in the north and terminate near Tepic, some 900 miles (1,450 km) to the south. For most of that distance, they face the Gulf of California while traversing the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Nayarit. Bounded on the east by the steep-sided Sierra Madre Occidental, the lowlands are a series of coastal terraces, mesas, and small basins interspersed with riverine deltas and restricted coastal strips. Although the vast Sonoran Desert dominates their northern section, parts of the lowlands have been irrigated and transformed into highly productive farmland.
The largest and most densely populated region is the inland Mexican Plateau, which is flanked by the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental. The plateau consists of the vast Mesa del Norte (Northern Plateau) and the smaller but heavily populated Mesa Central (Mesa de Anáhuac). The Mesa del Norte begins near the U.S. border; covers great stretches of the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, Jalisco, and Aguascalientes; and ends near San Luis Potosí city. From there the Mesa Central stretches to a point just south of Mexico City. The plateau tilts gently upward from the north toward the south; at its northern end, the Mesa del Norte is about 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) above sea level. Throughout the region, relatively flat intermontane basins and bolsones (ephemeral interior drainage basins) are interrupted by mountainous outcrops. In the north the Chihuahuan Desert covers a section of the plateau that is more extensive than the U.S. state of California.
The Sierra Madre. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The Mesa Central covers large parts of Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, and México states and the Federal District (Mexico City). Its southern end rises 7,000–9,000 feet (2,100–2,700 metres) in the vicinity of Mexico City. The Mesa Central, moister and generally flatter than the Mesa del Norte, is divided into a series of fairly level intermontane basins separated by eroded volcanic peaks. The largest valleys rarely exceed 100 square miles (260 square km) in area, and many others are quite small. Among the generally fertile basins is the Bajío (El Bajío, or the Basin of Guanajuato), the traditional breadbasket of the country, which is located in the northern part of the Mesa Central. Many of the basins were once sites of major lakes that were drained to facilitate European and mestizo settlement. Around Mexico City the weak, structurally unstable soils that remain have caused the colonial-era Metropolitan Cathedral and other buildings to shift on their foundations and, over many years, to list or sink unevenly into the ground.
The snowcapped peak of the volcano Iztaccíhuatl overlooking harvested corn in the agricultural region of Puebla state in the Mesa Central of Mexico. Chip and Rosa Maria de la Cueva Peterson
Mexico City: Metropolitan Cathedral Metropolitan Cathedral at night in Mexico City. Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City, Mexico Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City, Mexico. © Rafael Ben-Ari/Fotolia
The largely volcanic Sierra Madre Occidental, which forms the western border of the Mexican Plateau, has an average elevation of 8,000–9,000 feet (2,400–2,700 metres) and extends roughly 700 miles (1,100 km) from north to south. It has been highly incised by westward-flowing streams that have formed a series of gorges, or barrancas, the most spectacular of which is the complex known as Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in southwestern Chihuahua state.
Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in the Sierra Madre Occidental, in Chihuahua state, Mexico. © Kerrick James
The Sierra Madre Oriental, a range of folded mountains formed of shales and limestones, is situated on the eastern side of the Mexican Plateau. Often considered an extension of the Rocky Mountains (which are cut by the Rio Grande but continue in New Mexico and western Texas), it runs roughly 700 miles (1,100 km) from north to south before merging with the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica. Its average elevations are similar to those of the Sierra Madre Occidental, but some peaks rise above 12,000 feet (3,650 metres). The mountains have major deposits of copper, lead, and zinc.
The Cordillera Neo-Volcánica, also called the Neo-Volcanic Axis or Trans-Volcanic Axis, is a geologically active mountain range whose smoldering cinder cones link the Sierra Madre Occidental with the Sierra Madre Oriental at the southern edge of the Mesa Central. As it crosses Mexico from Cape Corrientes on the west coast to Xalapa and Veracruz on the eastern coast, it forms a mountainous backdrop to the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero, México, Morelos, and Puebla as well as the Federal District. This volcanic range includes the spectacular peaks Citlaltépetl, Popocatépetl, and Iztaccíhuatl (Ixtacihuatl), among others. One of the world’s youngest volcanoes, Parícutin emerged violently from the fields of Michoacán between 1943 and 1952. The region is rich in silver, lead, zinc, copper, and tin deposits. The hot, dry Balsas Depression, which takes its name from the major river draining the region, is immediately south of the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica. The depression is formed of small, irregular basins interrupted by hilly outcrops, which give the area a distinctive physical landscape.
Citlaltépetl (Orizaba Peak), the highest point in Mexico, located in western Veracruz state. © Digital Vision/Getty Images
The Gulf Coastal Plain, which is much wider than its Pacific coast counterpart, extends some 900 miles (1,450 km) along the Gulf of Mexico from Tamaulipas state (on the Texas border) through Veracruz and Tabasco states to the Yucatán Peninsula; it includes the Tabasco Plain in its southeastern section. The triangular northern portion of the plain, which is characterized by lagoons and low-lying swampy areas, reaches a width of more than 100 miles (160 km) near the U.S. border but tapers toward the south. North of the port of Tampico, an outlier of the Sierra Madre Oriental reaches the sea and interrupts the continuity of the Gulf Coastal Plain. South from there the plain is narrow and irregular, widening at the northern end of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
The Southern Highlands are a series of highly dissected mountain ranges and plateaus, including the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mesa del Sur, and the Chiapas Highlands, also called the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. On their southwestern side, approximately from Puerto Vallarta to the Gulf of Tehuantepec, are a series of relatively low ranges known collectively as the Sierra Madre del Sur. The crystalline mountains, which achieve elevations of 7,000–8,000 feet (2,100–2,400 metres), often reach the sea to create a rugged coastal margin, part of which is known as the Mexican Riviera. Several coastal sites, such as Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, and Puerto Escondido, have become alluring tourist destinations. However, the less-hospitable inland basins provide a difficult environment for traditional peasant farmers. Farther northeast is the Mesa del Sur, with numerous stream-eroded ridges and small isolated valleys some 4,000–5,000 feet (1,200–1,500 metres) above sea level. The picturesque Oaxaca Valley is the largest and most densely settled of these, with a predominantly indigenous population. It is one of the poorest areas of Mexico.
Panoramic view of the coastal resort of Acapulco, Mex. Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images
Bisecting the Southern Highlands is the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a low-lying, narrow constriction of land that reaches an elevation of less than 900 feet (275 metres). Its hilly central area descends to narrow coastal plains on the south and to the Tabasco Plain on the north.
The Chiapas Highlands are an extension of the mountain ranges of Central America. Within the highlands the low, crystalline Sierra de Soconusco range lies along the Pacific coast. To the northwest and paralleling the coast is the Grijalva River valley. A group of highly dissected, folded, and faulted mountains is located between the valley and the Tabasco Plain, a southeastern extension of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Among the active volcanic peaks of the region is El Chichón, which destroyed several villages in 1982.
The Yucatán Peninsula lies to the northeast of the Tabasco Plain and extends northward, forming a divider between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The peninsula’s limestone (karst) terrain is generally pockmarked and uneven but seldom exceeds 500 feet (150 metres) in elevation. There is little surface drainage, and subterranean erosion has produced caverns and sinkholes (cenotes), the latter being formed when cavern roofs collapse. The islands of Cozumel and Mujeres lie off the peninsula’s northeastern tip, near the resort boomtown of Cancún.The Stadium Authority overseeing construction of the Minnesota Vikings' new home has chosen Ryan Cos. to develop two parking garages to serve the stadium.
For Ryan Cos., winning the parking contract over two competitors is a key hurdle in its plan for a $400 million redevelopment of the eastern end of downtown Minneapolis. KARE-11 reports Stadium Authority members said Ryan's ambitious plan will make for a world class game day experience.
The Star Tribune reports Ryan Cos. has said its project including offices, condos, retail space, and a park could not proceed without the stadium parking contract. Monday's decision by the authority gives Ryan that cornerstone.
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In May Ryan Cos. unveiled its plans for a five-block area on the downtown side of the stadium. Most of the project would occupy land now owned by the Star Tribune. Ryan reportedly has a purchase agreement to buy the land by the end of the year.The situation in Japan is tragic and worrying, and our hearts continue to go out to those affected and responding.
On Friday, we recommended that donors wait to see how the situation unfolds before giving. At this point we are ready to make a recommendation, though of course this is subject to change as the situation changes.
We believe that
Those affected have requested very little, limited aid. Aid being offered far exceeds aid being requested. (Details below.)
Charities are aggressively soliciting donations, often in ways we feel are misleading (more on this in future posts).
Any donation you make will probably be used (a) by the charity you give it to, for activities in a different country; (b) for non-disaster-relief-and-recovery efforts in Japan.
If you’re looking to pursue (a) and help people in need all over the world, we recommend giving to the best charity you can, rather than basing your giving on who is appealing to you most aggressively with images and language regarding Japan.
If you prefer (b), a gift to the Japanese Red Cross seems reasonable.
Overall, though, a gift to Doctors Without Borders seems to us like the best way to effectively “respond to this disaster”. We feel they are a leader in transparency, honesty and integrity in relief organizations, and the fact that they’re not soliciting funds for Japan is a testament to this. Rewarding Doctors Without Borders is a move toward improving incentives and improving disaster relief in general.
Below, we give the evidence we’ve found that
Because the situation is changing rapidly, we often include archived versions of the pages we link to (these archives will retain their content even if the pages themselves are changed).
Determining room for more funding in a disaster
First see whether a significant gap exists between requested and pledged/committed aid. Requests for money are, in our view, a necessary (though not sufficient) indicator that there is room for more funding. Next, collect whatever information is available about the progress of the relief effort, and look for signs that money is or isn’t a primary bottleneck to a better effort. In the case of Haiti, we’ve found signs that non-monetary issues have been primary obstacles to progress. If it seems that more money is both requested and needed, look at what is being spent, and on how many people, and make an assessment of how this giving compares to everyday relief for the world’s poor. In the case of Haiti and the Asian tsunami, we concluded that relief appeared less cost-effective than everyday international aid. The story might be very different in less-publicized disasters that have more trouble attracting funding.
As argued previously, we think it’s an open question whether a given disaster has room for more funding. Our basic (evolving) process for assessing the needs in a disaster situation is:
At this stage, we don’t believe that this crisis passes the first test above. It looks to us like more aid is being offered than requested.
Info from OCHA and ReliefWeb
One of the first places we look in a situation like this is to U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is “the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies,” as well as its affiliated site ReliefWeb. ReliefWeb is especially useful because in addition to consolidating official updates on an unfolding crisis, it consolidates official appeals for funding. Here’s what we observe from these sources:
Japanese Red Cross
This bulletin is being issued for information only, and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The Japanese Red Cross Society, with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has determined that external assistance is not required, and is therefore not seeking funding or other assistance from donors at this time.
The latest official update from any Red Cross appears to be a March 12 information bulletin from the Japanese Red Cross archived ). This bulletin opens with the following:
I’m not exactly sure how to square this with the donate page for the Japanese Red Cross (archived), which states:
If you wish your fund to be distributed directly among the affected population of the earthquake and tsunami, please direct your fund to the following bank account. If you need the receipt of your fund, please state so clearly in the comment section of the bank transfer order. All the fund received under this account will be transferred to the Distribution Committee, which is formed around the local government of the disaster-affected prefecture and to administer the distribution of fund.
One possible interpretation is that funds will be given directly to those affected by the earthquake, but funds are not needed for the relief effort itself.
Japanese government
Japan’s government has received offers for assistance from 91 countries, and has accepted assistance from about 15 based on assessed needs, mostly for specialized international urban search and rescue (USAR) teams and medical teams.
This quote from Reuters archived ) is consistent with the above picture:
Charities
Charities seem to be sending a very different message from the above sources. By and large, they seem to be aggressively soliciting donations, and we feel that many are implying these donations will be used in the relief/recovery effort. (Details in a future post.)
However, a close look at the language they’re using reveals that their actual involvement in relief/recovery may be very limited and they are seeking donations for other activities. Gizmodo’s Mark Wilson did a good early analysis of this phenomenon, and a look at the up-to-date descriptions of activities from the Chronicle of Philanthropy (archived) and InterAction (archived) still appears to me to indicate limited involvement, and to be full of language that raises questions about whether involvement is forthcoming. A few examples:
“Catholic Relief Services: The organization said Friday it has personnel standing by throughout the pacific, waiting for requests for help from Caritas Japan.”
“Oxfam America: The organization’s Web site this morning displayed the headline “Worst Quake in Japan on Record” and asked visitors to donate to its Saving Lives 24/7 Fund.” The Saving Lives 24/7 fund (archived) appears global in focus.
“Save the Children: The charity said Friday it is mobilizing people and supplies to respond to the earthquake. The organization has worked in Japan for 25 years. On Saturday, it announced it had partnered with online game company Zynga to add calls to donate in the company’s games. On Sunday, the charity said it has sent an emergency team to assess needs in the worst-affected areas.”
” World Vision: The charity this morning reported that its offices in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands are on alert to assist in tsunami response. A team is also on standby for possible deployment.”
One notable exception is Doctors Without Borders, which has been completely explicit that it is not seeking funding for Japan relief. Its note on funding for Japan (archived) states
At this point, we are drawing on unrestricted donations given to MSF to fund our efforts, and we are not accepting donations specifically earmarked for recovery efforts in Japan. We greatly appreciate your generosity and encourage your support of our work. We will continue to post updates on our homepage, Facebook, and Twitter as new information becomes available.
Many other organizations may also be soliciting donations only for global efforts, but Doctors Without Borders has the most clear and explicit note that we’ve seen.
On Friday, we stated that “we prefer Doctors Without Borders … because of its past decision to stop accepting donations for Haiti relief; this greatly reduces the risk in our eyes that it will over-solicit, a very important concern in this case.” It appears that Doctors Without Borders has, in fact, not over-solicited.
This may cause Doctors Without Borders to raise less money in this disaster, but we’re hoping at least some donors will reward it.
The bottom line
I wouldn’t want anyone to take this post as an argument that (a) the situation in Japan is anything other than extremely tragic and extremely challenging; (b) you shouldn’t give to charity.
My interpretation, rather, is that
the people and government of Japan are extraordinarily well-prepared, as well as competent and well-resourced, and do not need significant external assistance in order to mount a maximally effective relief and recovery effort.
Therefore, you as a donor do not have the power to improve the relief and recovery effort in Japan. If you do give, your gift will probably be used (a) by the charity you give it to, for activities in a different country; (b) for non-disaster-relief-and-recovery efforts in Japan.
Of the above two possibilities, I find (a) more appealing, because Japan is a wealthy country and everyday needs are greater elsewhere. But if you’re looking to pursue (a) and help people in need all over the world, I’d highly recommend giving to the best charity you can, rather than basing your giving on who is appealing to you most aggressively with images and language regarding Japan.
If you prefer (b), a gift to the Japanese Red Cross seems reasonable.
Overall, though, a gift to Doctors Without Borders seems to me like the best way to effectively “respond to this disaster”. We feel they are a leader in transparency, honesty and integrity in relief organizations, and the fact that they’re not soliciting funds for Japan is a testament to this. Rewarding Doctors Without Borders is a move toward improving incentives and improving disaster relief in general.
Others with similar sentimentsFunnyman Dave Chapelle is coming back from something of a self-imposed exile in a big way, announcing three additional Radio City Music Hall events combining his comedy with top tier musical performances, a la his hugely successful 2004 Block Party DVD event.
The lineup is as follow:
Tuesday June 24th: Dave Chappelle and The Roots.
Wednesday June 25th: Dave Chappelle, Busta Rhymes, DJ Premier, and Janelle Monae.
Thursday June 26th: Dave Chappelle and Erykah Badu
More artists are said to be announced at a later date.
The addition of these comedy/concert events follows word that five consecutive nights of comedy only (June 18-22), were sold out within minutes.
Reserved tickets for these additional dates will start at $79.50, through ticketmaster.com, starting Monday, June 2 at 10 a.m.
Comments:Last week, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) released a report studying the gender and ethnicity of the directors of more than 220 scripted television shows during the 2013-2014 network season. For those in favor of diversity, the study yielded disturbing, if not predictable, results.
During the 2013-2014 season, white men directed 69 percent of all episodes studied, down from 72 percent. Men of color directed 17 percent of episodes; up from 14 percent the year prior. White women directed just 12 percent of episodes, and women of color directed an abysmal two percent of all analyzed episodes. Both numbers for women remained static from the 2012-2013 season, indicating zero improvement.
Shows such as Boardwalk Empire, Fargo, Hannibal, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made the DGA’s “Worst of” list because they were directed exclusively by white men. In total, 62 out of the 225 series analyzed used women and minority directors less than 15 percent of the time.
On the other hand, DGA’s “Best of” list featured 49 series that were helmed by women or minority directors at least 40 percent of the time. Mike & Molly, The Fosters, Awkward and Modern Family were among the placeholders on the “Best of” list as were Orange is the New Black, Two Broke Girls, Pretty Little Liars, and Switched at Birth.
We had a chance to chat with TV writer, director, showrunner, and producer Jill Soloway about the current state of television diversity
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he travels the world doing Premier Pro and After Effects training for both beginners and high-end professionals. Jarle also runs PremierePro.net, where you can find lots of free templates, presets and tutorials.
Additional tests
The following video shows results of transcoding to 10-bit GoPro Cineform YUV.
The following video shows results of transcoding GoPro footage to DNxHD. As you can see, this footage looks pretty much identical before and after transcoding, even after grading. So the impact of the transcoding process depends on the footage.
Was This Post Helpful:Last month a popular do-gooder website featured a curious headline: “400 Farmers Destroy Life-Saving Rice Crops, and That’s a Good Thing.”
The story went on to describe how a mob in the Philippines — not farmers, as the headline wrongly claimed, but a motley group of city kids and political activists — trampled a test plot of Golden Rice, a blazingly yellow, genetically modified variety that contains snippets of DNA extracted from maize and a bacterium. Golden Rice was designed to be high in beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A that is lacking in the diet of many in Asia and beyond. Upwards of a million deaths and perhaps as many as half a million cases of childhood blindness annually are caused by a deficiency of Vitamin A.
The incident in the Philippines wasn’t the first time that protestors have destroyed fields of genetically modified (GM) crops. Others trampled include grape vines in France, sugar beets in Oregon, potatoes in Belgium, wheat in Australia — the list goes on.
But the attack on the potentially lifesaving rice seems especially cruel. And it has reignited the interminable debate over genetic engineering.
These crops were originally talked about as an answer to world hunger. By combining genetic materials from different species, wheat, for example, could be made to withstand high temperatures or drought; or bananas could be crossed with a virus to function as a vaccine for those who consumed it.
Critics of this technology, however, warn that it potentially produces new proteins that may be allergenic, or otherwise harmful to human health. Supporters counter that this is also true of conventional cross-breeding, which has been going on for centuries.
Scientific opinion remains divided on the degree of risk, but the majority of U.S. researchers say there is as yet no convincing evidence of adverse health effects. Because of the relative newness of the technology, however, most scientists agree that rigorous tests need to be conducted on a case by case basis to insure safety.
The key problem, though, is that the Food and Drug Administration depends on producers of GM foods to evaluate the safety of their own products. There is no independent scientific verification of these industry assessments.
So some public interest groups, not surprisingly, are skeptical of this self-regulation and have proposed more stringent rules. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine is now calling for a moratorium on genetically modified foods pending long-term independent studies to assess their effect on human health.
But for many, this controversy over genetic engineering transcends scientific questions and touches on fundamental beliefs about the integrity of nature and the limits of human technology. Some, like the protestors in the Philippines, appear to have an almost religious conviction that messing with building blocks of life is just plain wrong — even when it creates a potential lifesaver like Golden Rice.
The basic research on Golden Rice goes back a decade and a half and has been fostered by a virtual who’s who of multinational agro-giants like Monsanto and Syngenta and global NGOs including the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Nonetheless, the project remains highly controversial. Now, more than 10 years after it was touted as a quantum leap in agriculture in a Time magazine cover story, Golden Rice has not yet made it into the dinner bowls of those who need it.
The technological as well as patent and regulatory barriers to its development and use have proven thornier than expected. Public resistance has also been stiffer. The activist group Greenpeace battled successfully to block the world’s biggest rice producer, China, from adopting the genetically modified grain. Even moderate critics like natural food guru Michael Pollan have questioned its efficacy.
Pollan recently wrote in the New York Times that Golden Rice is not the “killer app that everyone thinks it is.” He argues, sensibly, that without efforts to improve overall diet and tackle Third World poverty, simply adding beta-carotene to rice won’t go very far toward ending malnutrition. He also points out that brown rice, nutritionally superior to Golden Rice, is largely shunned in rice-eating lands, and there is little reason to think that a bizarrely colored, genetically modified variety will fare any better.
“I’m not afraid of it,” says Pollan. “I just think it’s another glittering Western techno fix.” Better to encourage people to eat a variety of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, he concludes, than to manipulate rice into producing a single micronutrient that nature never intended it to carry.
The fact remains, however, that lots of people in the Global South can’t afford a balanced diet, or don’t have access to markets where good-quality produce can be purchased. Vitamin A supplementation has already been shown to lower child mortality by a quarter to a third. So isn’t it time to give Golden Rice a chance?
Yet this may not happen any time soon. Opposition to genetically modified foods has been mounting. More than 60 nations, including the European Union, China, Russia and Brazil, have either banned or restricted their sale. Here in the United States, the state legislatures in Connecticut and Vermont have called for the labeling of all GM foods, and 28 other states are now considering similar legislation.
Ironically, much of the fiercest opposition to this technology is in the Third World — which could benefit the most from it. Indian biologist Vandana Shiva called Golden Rice “a Trojan horse,” whose real aim is to win public support for genetic engineering. She calls it a “hoax” perpetrated by Western corporations to rip off poor farmers and consolidate their control over global agriculture by replacing native varieties with patented genetically engineered seeds, which could not be saved from the harvest but needed to be repurchased from the company every year.
But others are not so cynical. “The guys who developed it did it for the right reasons,” says geneticist Richard Jefferson in Grist. “They really were outraged by micronutrient deficiencies. They were out there in the rice paddies and in the villages. Every one of the Rockefeller Foundation meetings was in the developing world, and we were out there, learning things with these people.”
So no, Golden Rice is not a hoax. But it is a disappointment. Disappointing because it promised a lot, but has so far failed to deliver.
This is also true of all genetic engineering. The “miraculous” technology that Big Ag promised was going to increase agricultural yields, boost nutrition and taste, cut pesticide use, create drought-resistant crops and feed the hungry world has not yet managed to convincingly pull any of these rabbits out of its magician’s hat.
Genetic engineering has been a runaway commercial success in the United States — 60 percent to 70 percent of processed foods on American supermarket shelves contain GM ingredients — but it remains a conspicuous public relations failure. It has also been an agricultural failure — accelerating the proliferation of precisely the kind of large-scale chemical-intensive monocultures that many agronomists warn will be unsustainable in the long run.
Despite 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialization, biotechnology has failed to significantly increase U.S. agricultural yields, according to a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, which says that organic agriculture often tops the productivity of GM crops on a per acre basis. Nor has genetic engineering cut the use of agro-chemicals, as promised. Reuters reports that popular genetically modified varieties like Monsanto’s Roundup Ready corn and soybeans actually require more herbicide than their conventional cousins, due in part to the development of resistant “superweeds” that need ever-more-toxic dousings to kill them.
But if genetic engineering has not lived up to its own hype, it has accomplished what it set out to do: created virtually indestructible crops designed to withstand the insults of industrial agriculture, and last forever on supermarket shelves.
The technology has been a wildly lucrative profit center for biotech companies like Monsanto, Bayer and Syngenta — and their shareholders. Whether it can profit the rest of us with more abundant, safe and nutritious food remains to be demonstrated.
PHOTO (Top): A scientist shows Golden Rice (L) and ordinary rice at the laboratory of the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, Laguna south of Manila, August 14, 2013. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
PHOTO (Insert 1): A corn farmer holds corncobs during a protest against genetically modified corn in Mexico City, January 23, 2013. REUTERS/Bernardo Montoya
PHOTO (Insert 2): Scientist Tony Evangelista speaks next to two-month old Golden Rice plants at a laboratory of the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, Laguna south of Manila, August 14, 2013. REUTERS/Erik De CastroA teenager has been arrested after two men on a moped carried out five acids attacks in London that lasted less than 90 minutes, police say.
One victim was left with "life-changing" injuries after being doused late on Thursday night in the east of the capital, the Metropolitan Police said.
The assaults appeared to be linked and two involved victims having their mopeds stolen.
The scene of one of the crimes. (Twitter) ()
A male teenager has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and robbery.
One of the victims, a 32-year-old man on a moped, suffered injuries to his face when two male riders on another moped threw a corrosive substance in his face.
One of the men then stole the victim's vehicle and the other continued to drive away in the moped they arrived on.
Less than an hour later, a corrosive substance was reportedly thrown in a person's face on Shoreditch High Street.
The victim was taken to hospital but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Minutes after this attack, police were called to a robbery in Cazenove Rode, Stoke Newington, where a corrosive substance had also been thrown.
In a fourth incident in Clapton, a man on a moped had liquid sprayed in his face by two men also on a moped, before his vehicle was stolen.
The victim was taken to hospital.
Police investigations are ongoing.
You can get breaking news alerts when a major story happens near you by downloading the 9NEWS Alerts app, available on iPhone and Android.
With AAP and AFP.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019Call it Tittiepocalypse.
Boobs are everywhere on YouTube, and they are smothering out the voices of the men—or at least some prominent YouTubers.
These boobs, video creators complain, are not only stealing clicks; they’re hiding pertinent content.
For weeks, cries of censorship and cyberbullying have been echoing across the digital halls of the video-sharing site as a few prominent men have come out swinging, accusing opportunistic women of using their sex appeal—read: boobs—to rob them of traffic and the cash that comes with it.
This latest YouTube controversy centers around a roughly eight-month-old phenomenon known as “the reply girls.”
The reply girls are young women—some young enough to still be in high school—who make videos in low-cut tops and push-up bras. Rather than baring their souls, they’re baring that age-old device often used to get attention: cleavage.
Their sole intention—by their own admission—is to draw traffic and make money and they’ve figured out ways to game the YouTube system. Some cite their poverty as the reason they’ve gone into the reply-girl business.
The tricks they use—along with their sex appeal—include the manipulation of video tags and the ability to spot videos as they’re going viral.
It’s working. Reply-girl videos are everywhere.
And those making the videos they’re responding to—primarily men—are none too pleased. For weeks they’ve been decrying the practice, calling out the reply girls for robbing them of clicks and money that they say should be theirs.
“You know something is wrong if I have to complain about boobies,” said YouTuber Skweezy, in a video last week that now has nearly 800,000 views since hitting the front page of the social news site Reddit.
Weeks of backlash reached a fever pitch yesterday when Yogscast, a prominent video game commentating team, jumped into the fray, making a forum post called “Replygirls ruining YouTube.”
The problem is basically a technical one having to do with related videos.
In the world of YouTube, fans often respond to popular videos by making their own response video. Those show up in the “related videos” space both at the end of the video, and on the right side bar, along with actual, similar videos.
The idea is that if you watch a popular video featuring a puppy playing with a baby, or a video game walk-through, you’ll want to watch similar videos, found on the right-hand side of the screen. Increasingly, however, those related videos are being squeezed out. Taking their place: reply-girl videos.
Related videos often bring in more money for the channel, because they’re populated with the channel’s other videos (or with partner videos).
The reply-girl videos, themselves, follow a simple formula: their breasts are in focus, their faces cut off mid-forehead. While the camera is focused on their assets, the girls talk about the video they are replying to. But what they say often makes little or no sense. Sometimes it’s blatantly clear the reply girl didn’t even watch the video she is responding to.
Their only goal is to get content featuring their boobs up as quickly as possible so their video will be viewed by as many people as possible. They’ve figured out how to game YouTube’s related videos system. They copy all of the tags on a popular video, guaranteeing their reply video will appear in the related videos section on the right hand side of the screen.
Each reply girl makes any where from five to 15 such videos a day.
YouTubers dislike these videos, giving them disproportionately high thumbs-down votes. But they also clearly work: Some of these videos can get millions of views. And on YouTube, views mean money. Many of these girls are part of YouTube’s Partner Program, meaning they share profits from ad revenue.
The “reply girl” phenomenon really took off last summer when one Canadian young woman named Alejandra Gaitan started the trend with her “thereplygirl” channel in July. Her videos have been viewed more than 12 million times.
In a video interview with the YouTube channel lolpervs, done last week before the controversy intensified, thereplygirl, who is a native Spanish-speaker, said she turned to YouTube in the summer because she was living below the poverty line for seven years and “really wanted to make some money on my own.”
It’s obviously working, and more than a handful, even robots, have followed thereplygirl’s lead.
“We men can’t help ourselves,” said Skweezy in “RE: GIRLS THAT MAKE TERRIBLE RE: VIDEOS,” his February 15 video addressing the issue. “Titties are like venus fly traps for our dicks. We make one wrong click, and regret it instantly.”
Of course, boobs have long drawn viewers on YouTube. And more than one prominent male YouTuber has used misleading thumbnails featuring scantily clad women. That’s partially how Ray William Johnson, YouTube’s first millionaire, rose to fame.
Perhaps that’s why aside from sharing a link to Skweezy’s video, he has largely remained silent about the reply-girl videos that plague his related videos section.
Philip De Franco, who also draws his share of reply girls, also rose to YouTube celebrity-dom based on his thumbnails of sexy women. He commented briefly, negatively, on the reply girl issue in Dec. of 2011.
Another male YouTuber, DireBoris’, posted a kooky Russian video on the Reply Girls, where he called them “mother beeches” and said they make him “so mad.” His rant has been viewed more than 5 million times in less than a month, according to YouTube statistics.
In a Feb. 16 video called “Dear Reply Girls…,” YouTuber Benedict, of the YouTube channel Cup of Tea called the reply girls “the vultures and leechers of YouTube,” adding they’re “depressing because they have almost no dignity at all.
“Related videos are useless now.”
Yogscast, the well-known Minecraft video-game commentators on YouTube, made their first move against the reply girls on Jan. 31 when they changed the tags on their video to read “hate having to write new tags because of horrible cam whores copying them in order appear on the related videos.”
But the reply girls are not going down without a fight.
Forever faithful to their formula and unfazed by the slur, the reply girls copied those tags and responded to Yogscast’s video as they usually do.
Yesterday, Yogscast notched it up, appealing to their million strong user base in a post in which they say they’re losing money and views, as their related video game content (their videos are story arcs, and often shot in series), are no longer readily accessible.
The duo also accused the reply girls of violating YouTube’s community guidelines because their videos are tantamount to spam. They cited this passage in asking fans to flag the videos as spam:
“Do not create misleading descriptions, tags, titles or thumbnails in order to increase views. It’s not OK to post large amounts of untargeted, unwanted or repetitive content, including comments and private messages.”
At press time, the thread had over 800 responses. Some took it a step further and posted the private information of some of the reply girls or posted comments that could be viewed as cyberbullying. They were promptly banned from the Yogscast forum and their posts deleted. Other Yogscast forum users took to drafting a letter they would send to YouTube en masse addressing the flaw in the tagging and related videos algorithm. Others mentioned these videos were “causing the regression of the respect of women on the Internet.”
Hannah, a crew member and spokesperson for Yogscast, told the Daily Dot that they “asked our fans to remain as polite as possible and take it up directly with YouTube.” She declined to comment further.
The YouTube accounts of a couple of the young women identified as reply girls on Yogscast’s forum post have disappeared from YouTube since yesterday. It was not clear if they deleted them on their own or they were removed by YouTube.
But at least two reply girls say the campaign against them has resulted in bullying, hate, and even death threats.
Two of the biggest “reply girls,” thereplygirl and MeganSpeaks, have responded to the criticisms in video form.
In one video, thereplygirl says she’s received death threats and false DMCA notices, but compares herself to Rebecca Black. Her voice wavers a bit, and her eyes look like she’s been crying as she says “haters make me stronger” and “my videos follow absolutely all of the community guidelines.”
In a video uploaded yesterday titled “yogscast hates me,” thereplygirl says she’s received 300 new private messages telling her to “go kill yourself” before reiterating that her videos don’t violate community guidelines. “If you don’t like my videos, why do you watch them?,” she asks.
MeganSpeaks, the other top “reply girl,” has also made a few videos addressing her “haters.” Like “thereplygirl,” she, too, looks tired.
MeganSpeaks began her reply channel in August, and has amassed 36 million views on her videos. Her signature thumbnail is a bright fat arrow pointing to her chest. But in these videos, there are neither arrows nor cleavage.
“Hate, hate, hate, right now: I’m seeing a lot of it,” says MeganSpeaks in her video, over the strains of light, almost mournful, piano music. “I started this channel because, I wanted something a little bit more connecting to people” says MeganSpeaks. “People don’t realize that I am a person, I am a human being.”
In another video, she reminds the viewer she doesn’t just do reply videos but has other channels, including a gaming and music channel. “I do other things.”
(Incidentally, Yogscast also targeted a few male chronic responders, who also vlogged their outrage or “deepest” apologies.)
Some YouTubers have decried Yogscast’s call to action, crying censorship.
One man who goes by BuddhaCharlie says Yogscast is acting like SOPA in trying to get the “reply girls banned.”
YouTube, which does not comment on individual partners or videos, has been silent on the matter. But as the backlash grows, the Google-owned company will be forced to do something, even if that is only the revamping of how related videos work.
If they don’t, YouTube could become an amateur softcore-porn forum filled with irrelevant links.
The site’s motto, after all, is “Broadcast Yourself”—not “Broadcast Your Breasts.”Amnesty International Says Turkey Detained Its Country Director
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amnesty International Amnesty International
Amnesty International says that Turkish authorities have detained its country director for Turkey, Idil Eser, amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent.
The U.K.-based rights group says Eser was taken into custody Wednesday morning with seven other human rights workers and two foreign trainers.
It happened as they took part in a "routine training event" in a hotel on an island near Istanbul, Amnesty adds.
On Thursday, the rights groups said that it has learned the detainees are being investigated for alleged membership in an armed terrorist organization.
"The absurdity of these accusations against Idil Eser and the nine others cannot disguise the very grave nature of this attack on some of the most prominent civil society organizations in Turkey," Amnesty's Secretary General Salil Shetty said in a statement.
"Their spurious detention while attending a routine workshop was bad enough: that they are now being investigated for membership of an armed terrorist organization beggars belief," he adds.
NPR's Peter Kenyon in Istanbul reports that "there was no explanation for the detentions, and no immediate comment from police."
Amnesty said the detainees were denied access to lawyers for at least 28 hours, which it has said runs counter to Turkish law.
Last month, Turkish authorities detained Amnesty's Turkey country chair Taner Kiliç, accusing him of ties to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who they blame for the failed coup attempt last July. Kiliç "remains in jail pending trial," Reuters reports.
Amnesty says it is the first time in its history that a country has detained its chair and director at the same time.
Tens of thousands have been swept up in the purge since the coup attempt. "Turkey has jailed more than 50,000 people pending trial and suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, police, teachers and public servants, over alleged links with terrorist groups," the wire service reports.
The Turkish government defends the measures as necessary for its security; human rights advocates say authorities are using security as a justification to clamp down on all forms of dissent.
As The Two-Way has reported, "a referendum in April, which passed by a narrow margin, radically expanded the powers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan."
"If anyone was still in doubt of the endgame of Turkey's post-coup crackdown, they should not be now," Shetty said. "There is to be no civil society, no criticism and no accountability in Erdoğan's Turkey."[R-DEV]Mineral PR:BF2 Lead Designer
Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 7,790 Belgium Belgium
PR:BF2 v1.4.3.0 Changelog
This patch includes some more fixes for the major v1.4 release as well some other balances and tweaks.
v1.4.3 is available now for servers and will soon be available to clients through the automated updater.
PR:BF2 v1.4.3.0 Changelog (2016/December/5)
-----------------------
GENERAL: Fixed requesting kits from APC's.
Fixed main menu music not playing.
Fixed GTLD and FLIR lases not being removed.
Fixed smoke grenades sticking to players.
REALITYADMIN: Added option to switch players (not SL's/CO's or players on switch list) when they go dead for balancing.
Fixed early squad kick remembering values from previous rounds.
KITS: Added alternative Argentine Sniper kit with M14.
VEHICLES: Fixed MG gunner shaking on MEC & NVA UAZ jeeps.
Fixed M1A1, M1A2 COOP versions having no collision on turret.
WEAPONS Updated the SSGP1 Sniper Rifle's scope magnification from 8x to 6x.
Fixed IDF Matador projectile penetrating vehicles.
Reduced Recoil on handheld AT.
Made blowpipe harder to control.
Increased minimum speed required for blowpipe proximity detonation.
LEVELS: Al Basrah Fixed glitched cache.
Bamyan Updated viewdistance and fog by reducing it by 100m to improve performance. Fixed spawnpoints for MEC being blocked.
Gaza Fixed glitched cache. Fixed blocked Hamas spawnpoints.
Goose Green Added new night sky setting. Found on skirmish16 and AAS16. Fixed minimap showing wrong scale. AAS16: Assets and flags are now same as on AAS64. AAS64: Made rallypoint at start for airfield spawn. AAS32: Changed Wessex to Gazelle. Skirmish: Added crates to flags.
Kashan Desert COOP64: Fixed stationary Milan's with the working bot variant.
Lashkar Valley AAS16: Updated assets to remove all GER Puma's. Now Fuchs and light logistic and transport vehicles. Removed bombcar. Some other small changes to spawners.
Silent Eagle AAS: Fixed spawnpoints on GER Airfield being blocked. Added new brighter skysetting for all main layers. Old skysetting can be found on AAS32/CNC.
The Falklands AAS: Updated ticket bleed on all layers. AAS32/64: Updated routes to include Mt Malo.
Xiangshan AAS: Made chinese sniper kit assigned to chinese team. Made both kits not respawn.
This patch includes some more fixes for the major v1.4 release as well some other balances and tweaks.v1.4.3 is available now for servers and will soon be available to clients through the automated updater.(2016/December/5)-----------------------In what was surely an easy call for voters, Sounders FC forward David Estrada was named MLS Player of the Week after a sublime performance in Saturday's league opener.
The 24-year-old had all three Seattle goals in a 3-1 win against Toronto FC. He becomes the 14th Sounder to earn the honor (first this season, obviously).
In the end, the vote was nearly unanimous.
Estrada's hat trick was the third in club history, matching midfielder Lamar Neagle (August 27, 2011 vs. Columbus) and forward Blaise Nkufo (Sept. 18, 2010 at Columbus). He also became just the third MLS player to score three goals in his team's first regular-season game, joining Brian Ching (April 2, 2006) and Jason Kreis (March 20, 1999).
Estrada has scored four of the Sounders' six goals in all competitions this season. Brad Evans and Alvaro Fernandez have the others, both in CONCACAF Champions League action.Jason W. Briggs (June 25, 1821 – January 11, 1899) was a leader in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement and was instrumental in bringing about the 1860 "Reorganization" of the church, which resulted in the establishment of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Early membership [ edit ]
Jason W. Briggs was born on June 25, 1821 in Pompey, New York. In 1841 at Potosi, Wisconsin he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by William O. Clark. By 1842, Briggs had been ordained an elder of the church and he organized and became the head of a branch in Beloit, Wisconsin. By 1843, Briggs had organized a second branch in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
In 1844, the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, was killed and a succession crisis ensued. Brigham Young, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles assumed control of the church's headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois. Briggs became convinced that Young's organization had fallen into apostasy and by 1846 he and his branches affiliated with James J. Strang who had organized a new church headquarters in nearby Voree, Wisconsin.
Briggs was a fervent opponent of polygamy, and when Strang began to practice plural marriage openly, Briggs broke with his organization. He affiliated briefly with William Smith's organization of the church before learning that William, too, had been practicing plural marriage.
After these set-backs, Briggs despaired that the Latter Day Saint movement had irrevocably fallen into iniquity. He later reported that November 18, 1851,[1] on the prairie near Beloit, he was pondering this concern when the "Spirit of the Lord" came upon him and spoke, saying:
Verily, verily, saith the Lord, even Jesus Christ unto his servant, Jason W. Briggs, concerning the church: Behold I have not cast off my people; neither have I changed in regard to Zion. Yea, verily, my people shall be redeemed, and my law shall be kept which I revealed unto my servant Joseph Smith...
According to Briggs, the Lord further explained that "in mine own due time will I call upon the seed of Joseph Smith," (i.e., one of his sons), "and will bring one forth, and he shall be mighty and strong, and he shall preside over the high priesthood of my Church..." And finally, Briggs said the Lord assured him "that which ye received as my celestial law," (i.e., plural marriage), "is not of me, but is the doctrine of Baalam."
After reporting that he received this guidance, Briggs began to coordinate with leaders of branches in Wisconsin and Illinois, including Zenos H. Gurley, Sr. who resolved with him to wait for a leader to be raised up "from the seed of Joseph." They began to establish a "New Organization" of the church and Briggs was called to preside over its first conference on June 12, 1852 in Beloit.[1] In 1853, Briggs was called as an Apostle and sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve and as the "Representative President of the Church."
Important leaders including William Marks and Aaron Smith (former leader of a Strangite schismatic group) joined the movement.
On April 6, 1860 at a General Conference of the New Organization of the church in Amboy, Illinois, Joseph Smith III joined with the group and was sustained to follow in his father's role as President of the Church.
Disagreements and disfellowship [ edit ]
By 1885, Briggs was out of harmony with Joseph Smith III. Briggs was theological liberal and was aware of "higher criticism" of the Bible being taught at the time in German universities. Like these German scholars, Briggs believed that Scripture was contextually understood and that revelation was never a final process, but progressively revealed over time. Such views angered more conservative members. Briggs also attacked the idea of the pre-existence of souls, then a cherished doctrine; he also questioned whether the church should again attempt a gathered community due to the disastrous results in Joseph Smith's lifetime. While many of Joseph Smith III's actual positions mirrored Briggs's thoughts, Briggs presented them more stridently than Smith ever did. Furthermore, Briggs angered Joseph Smith III by his constant reminders that Joseph Smith had practiced polygamy, contrary to what Joseph Smith III believed. In addition, Briggs sparred with Smith over who should be allowed to print their views in the RLDS periodical, the True Latter Day Saints' Herald.[2] At the 1885 RLDS conference, Briggs was not sustained in his position as Apostle and in 1886 he withdrew from the Reorganization. Briggs died on January 11, 1899.
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]SD cards have been a staple for many photographers who require endless amounts of storage for their RAW format images or ultra-high definition 4K videos. This demand is something that Sony has answered to in the form of the new SF-G series SD cards, which they are claiming to be the “World’s Fastest SD card”. The new range comes in either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB with Sony stating read speeds of 300MB/s and write speeds of 299MB/s, paired up with UHS Class 3 and Class 10 performance. And while many would have been sold on the performance figures alone, the SF-G series goes one step further by offering a host of reliability and durability features in the form of Waterproof, Temperature resistance, shock-proof and X-ray proof ratings.
Alongside the SF-G cards, Sony has also planned to launch the MRW-S1 card reader which allows users to transfer data from their SD cards, with the reader offering an “in-built SuperSpeed USB (USB3.1 Gen. 1) standard A port for cable-free PC connection”. Not much else has been released on the card reader, however release dates have been set for March 2017 and April 2017 for the SF-G SD cards and MRW-S1 card reader respectively. Keep reading below for the official press release, or head over to the product page here.
Sony SF-G Press Release
Faster than ever before
Sony has applied years of experience in professional media to expand the current high performance memory card line up with an ultra-fast speed model that will maximise your camera performance. Introducing the world’s fastest SD card, the SF-G series is the perfect accompaniment for your high-performance DSLR or mirrorless camera, offering up to 299MB/sii write speeds, contributing to longer high-speed continuous burst mode shooting for high-resolution images with cameras supporting UHS-II.
Available in 32GB, 64GB or 128GB storage capacity, this memory card’s blazing-fast write speed also allows for a shorter buffer clearing time, making sure you will never miss those life-changing moments or shots.
A Sony developed algorithm prevents loss of speed in data writing even after repeating burst shooting, and contributes to the camera’s speed of burst shooting – this is an SD card you can rely on.
Another brilliant feature of this SD card is the ultra-fast read speed of up to 300MB/s.ii Paired with a memory card reader, the cards can transfer large volumes and file sizes to a computer very quickly, contributing to a more efficient workflow for professionals.
“As the continuous shooting of higher-resolution images and adoption of 4K video with DSLR and mirrorless camera increases, the inherent need for larger, faster and more reliable cards becomes apparent. Thanks to the SF-G series, we continue to show our commitment to providing a full range of extremely high performance media devices to professional photographers and enthusiasts, maximising their camera performances” said Romain Rousseau, European Product Marketing Manager.
The perfect back-up
Sony’s SD products are highly reliable and durable and offer such features as water proofing and anti-static protection which help keep your precious contents safe. But when you are out all day shooting fast with time at a premium, accidental deletion of images can happen. With Sony’s free downloadable File rescue software, you can quickly recover deleted images or videos, including RAW images and 4K XAVC-S video files.
MRW-S1, the fastest card reader for SF-G series
In conjunction with SF-G series, Sony is introducing a new memory card reader, model MRW-S1, the perfect solution to drastically improve workflow efficiency after shooting by quickly transferring large data from SF-G series SD cards to a PC. This compact card reader offers an in-built SuperSpeed USB (USB3.1 Gen.1) standard A port for cable-free PC connection, so that your files can be copied faster than copying through the SD slot on a PC.
The new SF-G series SD cards will be available in stores in March 2017 and the MRW-S1 card reader will be available in stores in April 2017.Original Patent For Perforated Toilet Paper On A Roll Solves Over Vs. Under Debate Once And For All
After pitting loved ones and enemies alike against each other for what feels like all of human existence, it seems we may finally have a definitive winner in the “over vs. under” toilet paper draping debate.
Though there are still likely to be those who remain loyal to the “under” side of the line, as writer Owen Williams points out on Twitter, Seth Wheeler’s original patent for his perforated toilet paper invention in 1891 shows the paper in an “over” position, indicating that that is how it’s meant to be used.
The patent for toilet paper should settle the over vs under debate pic.twitter.com/arZl6l6ALn — ⚡️ Owen Williams (@ow) March 17, 2015
Indeed, another drawing from the Google patents database shows the paper on the outside of the roll as well:
Wheeler’s Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company was the first in the world to make perforated toilet paper, originally patenting that idea in 1871 (PDF) before the 1891 patent added the roll aspect.
And it seems even back then, Wheeler knew people would be prone to using too much paper in the john.
“In carrying out my invention the sheets of paper are only partially separated, having their points of attachment arranged in a novel manner, whereby each sheet will easily separate from the series as it is drawn from the roll, there being no litter occasioned, and any waste of paper is thereby prevented,” he wrote in the patent.By Captain Pyke | December 6, 2012 - 10:23 pm
We're getting close to the holidays and what better way to celebrate than with a free signed copy of Robert Greenberger's Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History. Thanks to the fine folks at Voyager Press, we're giving away a copy to one lucky fan. The winner will receive a hardback version of Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History with a signed book plate inside the front cover. All you have to do is like our Facebook page and leave a comment below by 11:59 PST December 14th. Once all of the names have been gathered, we'll have a drawing and announce the winner on both our Facebook page & Twitter stream.
So, what are you waiting for? Beam over to Facebook and enter to win.
Content Entry Details.
STEP 1: Like our Facebook page
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June 25, 2014
Statewide Boat-draining Rule Takes Effect July 1
ATHENS – Beginning July 1, boaters must drain all water from their boat and on-board receptacles before leaving or approaching a body of fresh water anywhere in Texas.
The new Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulation is designed to help combat the further spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species. It applies to all types and sizes of boats whether powered or not: personal watercraft, sailboats, kayaks/canoes, or any other vessel used on public waters.
The regulation requires the draining of livewells, bilges, motors, and any other receptacles or water-intake systems coming into contact with public waters.
Live fish, including personally caught live bait, cannot be transported from the water body where the fish were caught in or aboard a vessel in water from the water body where the fish were caught. Personally caught live bait can be used in the water body where it was caught.
Anglers are allowed to transport and use commercially purchased live bait if they have a receipt that identifies the source of the bait. Any live bait purchased from a location on or adjacent to a public water body that is transported in water from that water body can only be used as bait on that same water body.
Anglers participating in a fishing tournament confined to one water body may transport live fish in water from that single water body to an identified off-site weigh-in location, but all water must be drained and properly disposed of before leaving that location. Anglers are required to possess documentation provided by tournament organizers that identify them as participants in the tournament.
Movement from one access point to another on the same lake during the same day does not require draining, and there is an exception for governmental activities and emergencies. Marine sanitary systems are not covered by these regulations.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and a coalition of partners are working to slow the spread of zebra mussels by reminding boaters to Clean, Drain and Dry their vessels before traveling from one lake to another. The partners in this effort include: North Texas Municipal Water District, Tarrant Regional Water District, City of Dallas Water Utilities Department, Trinity River Authority, San Jacinto River Authority, Sabine River Authority, Brazos River Authority, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Lower Colorado River Authority, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, City of Grapevine, Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
More information is online at www.texasinvasives.org/zebramussels.
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In the post-midnight darkness near the lava fields of Kona, Hawaii, Jason Gunter could move forward no more.
Every day since collapsing about four miles from the finish line Oct. 10, 2009, at the Ironman World Championship, the Fort Myers double amputee and attorney has plotted and prepared for redemption.
For the first five years, the unlikeliest of Ironmen would log onto the 140.6-mile race's website in early April. He would survey the five winners of the triathlon's physically-challenged lottery, of which there were 25 to 30 entrants. He would not see his name.
This April, Gunter did not even bother to look. And then the text messages on his phone started flashing.
"I know right away what they were about," Gunter said. "I knew I had a monumental task in front of me."
Gunter, 50, said this will be his second and last attempt to conquer Kona, the world's most famous triathlon.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, the Fort Myers resident will get his second shot at swimming 2.4 miles in Kailua Bay. Then he must bike 112 miles, including a Queen Kaahumanu Highway stretch across 95-plus degree lava fields with crosswinds of up to 45 miles per hour. Then he must run the marathon distance of 26.2 miles, also in extreme heat and humidity.
Six years ago, Gunter accomplished the swim and the bike ride but surrendered to the course after passing mile No. 22 of the marathon. NBC camera crews captured him sitting down, then lying down on his back, almost 17 hours after he started.
"I don't like to fail at anything," Gunter said. "So it's important to me to finish this. Kona has taken down athletes who are much better than me. There are no guarantees. Even now."
Gunter lost his right hand and left leg just below the knee in a 1992 boating accident in Pine Island Sound. Not until 2008 did Gunter begin running with the aid of a prosthetic blade. Not until 2009, six months prior to his rookie effort at Kona, did Gunter begin triathlon training.
Much has changed since then. He has rebuilt his 6-foot-1 body to 176 pounds of toned and taut, middle-aged muscle. He has refined his diet and his race-day nutrition plans, knowing he will be burning upwards of 10,000 calories on race day. He has state-of-the-art gear, including a custom-made attachment for his left leg to the bike and a carbon-fiber running blade worth about $15,000.
"When I see myself, I do not see myself as being challenged," Gunter said.
Wallowing in self-pity never became an option for Gunter. Since 2010, he has finished three Ironman races of equal distance to Kona: two in Cozumel, Mexico, and one in the Woodlands, Texas. But those races did not represent redemption for him. Instead, they served the sole purpose of preparing for Kona.
CLOSE Every day since collapsing about four miles from the finish line Oct. 10, 2009 at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, the Fort Myers double amputee and attorney has plotted and prepared for redemption. (Andrea Melendez/news-press.com) Andrea Melendez/news-press.com
Conquering challenges
Gunter likely never would have set foot in Hawaii were it not for losing two limbs on Aug. 16, 1992.
Then 27 and a firefighter for the Cape Coral Fire Department, Gunter was fishing and thrown from his 22-foot Aquasport when the steering wheel pulled left. The boat's propellers, running in circles, damaged the limbs so severely they had to be amputated. A friend pulled him from the water and took him to safety.
An avid sportsman and athlete before the injury, Gunter said he never thought about running again until 2007, when he watched the Kona Ironman on TV. He watched one of his inspirations and future friends, double amputee and Georgia resident Scott Rigsby, finish the race.
At that moment, Gunter said he realized he was "settling for mediocrity," even though he graduated in 1998 from Nova Southeastern law school ranked fourth out of a class of 243 students and had established a since-thriving, personal injury law practice in downtown Fort Myers.
In 2008, Gunter began running with the prosthetic. In April, 2009, Gunter won a lottery that secured his place in that year's Kona Ironman. He had less than seven months to train, prior to which he did not even own a bicycle.
"It was devastating to see him get so close," said Rigsby, who lost his legs in a car accident and since has finished Kona twice. He will be there again Saturday, not to run, but to support Gunter and the other physically-challenged athletes.
"His body just gave out," Rigsby said. "Back then, he needed just a little more time in pain."
More than 2,300 athletes will be competing this year. They have a 17-hour window in which to finish or face disqualification. Gunter finished his other three triathlons in 12 to 16 hours and was about 16 hours into Kona in 2009 upon his collapse. The record time for Kona is eight hours, three minutes and 56 seconds by Craig Alexander of Australia in 2011.
Last year, 2,115 athletes entered, and 1,992 finished.
There are three ways to enter Kona: By earning a qualifying time at another Ironman triathlon, by winning a spot in the Ironman/Ebay charitable auction or, in Gunter's case, by winning a lottery.
Pushing through pain
Gunter swims without prosthetics. He bikes with a prosthetic, custom-made by Cape Coral resident Dave Simmons. Also made of carbon fiber, it attaches to the pedals of his black, Trek speed concept bike. For the ride, he also wears a prosthetic over his right arm that has a clamp allowing him to grip the handlebars.
"Since the day he failed there, he's worked every day to get to that situation where he can finish it," said Simmons, 54, who owns Simmons Racing Boots and specializes making custom-fitted, in-line speed skates. That area of expertise helped Simmons make the one-of-a-kind prosthetic for Gunter.
"He's not just going to finish it," Simmons said of the Ironman. "He's going to destroy it. I believe that.
"When I first met him, he was already pretty fast. He's missing a leg, so he's missing most of his power on one side. But when I started making components to make him faster, I couldn't ride with him anymore. I couldn't keep up with him. He'd be gone."
Bill Valenti, 42, has been training with Gunter and has seen the progression.
"I think the first time he got the opportunity to go, he went not knowing what it really was," Valenti said. "This time, he is just a badass. He has finished multiple Ironmans. He knows every possible detail. He's as prepared if not more so than anybody I know."
When Gunter transitions from biking to running, he removes the biking prosthetics and replaces the biking leg with the one for running. He wears a fluorescent yellow Newton running shoe on his right foot.
Loree Gunter, who began dating Gunter in 1989 and married him in 1994, will meet her husband in the transition areas and assist him with the prosthetics as his official, race-day "handler."
"It was devastating, but a relief that it was over," Loree Gunter said of her husband's first attempt. She received a text message from his handler at the time, notifying her that her husband was in the hands of paramedics.
Jason Gunter said knowing his family was worrying about him was the toughest part. He has watched the video of his collapse and keeps that image in his mind as a motivator. But he also has envisioned himself finishing.
"I'm not used to seeing myself that vulnerable," said Gunter, who encountered no problems with the prosthetics in 2009. But his back began aching during the bike ride. That, combined with his lack of experience, his lack of knowledge about race-day nutrition and the strenuous conditions led to him finally halting, sitting down and then laying down on his back. His final move that day: into an ambulance and onward to a hospital for dehydration treatment.
"Mentally, I'm very strong," Gunter said. "Mentally, I wanted to keep going. My body was just not cooperating. To me, it was so surreal. It was like I was watching myself outside of my own body."
Several race organizers began tending to Gunter near the end. The small gathering soon turned into a throng of supporters and spectators, including the camera crew from NBC, which televises the race. One of the spectators began praying for Gunter.
"That was pretty wild," Gunter said. "That they perceived my situation to be so dire. My prosthetic was fine. It was more of a complete breakdown from the elements of the race.
"It's Kona. It's Ironman. The undertaking – the distances are so unfathomable to go through. My body just gave out like anybody else's would. I don't have any excuses."
No excuses
Gunter won't have any excuses this time, either. He again will have the support of his family. His brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Jane Gunter, and his parents, Lou and Mary Nell Gunter, also will be traveling to Kona in support.
Mary Nell Gunter will be bringing the same 2009 finish-line tickets that went unused the last time.
"I thought Jason would never let go of it when we came back home," Mary Nell Gunter. "I think he was a bit shocked when he got the call this time."
Every year, Gunter's colleagues, paralegal Mike Hulse and associate attorney Conor Foley, have seen the disappointment on their boss's face when he didn't win the lottery. But this year, the disappointment made way for determination.
Hulse compared Gunter's first Ironman attempt to a baby learning to walk. This time, Gunter arrives to Hawaii as a fully-formed athlete, ready to finish.
"There are people who train years and years for this," Gunter said. "And then when you get out there, you're facing the humidity. The heat. The wind. That makes it extremely challenging. You can't even think about all of that though. If you do, it becomes too overwhelming."
Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).
Read or Share this story: http://newspr.es/1RAauzDSix daredevil firefighters race to rescue big cat stuck on hotel roof... only to discover it's an 8ft stuffed toy
When the calls came in saying an escaped tiger was on the loose, everyone knew it was serious.
Dozens of people dialled 911 after seeing the eight-foot long animal perched on top of an abandoned hotel, apparently pausing in the middle of its hunt.
But when fire-fighters went in for a closer look, they discovered that it was actually rather more tame - because it was a life-sized stuffed toy.
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Top cat: The Houston Fire Department received several calls Wednesday about a tiger on the roof of an abandoned hotel, though it turned out to be a stuffed toy
Cat on a hot tin roof: The tiger was on the roof of an abandoned hotel in Houston, Texas
Rather than snarling and leaping at them, the vicious predator merely fell from its ledge to the floor with a gentle tug.
At least one fire truck and six firemen were involved in the ‘rescue’ in Houston, Texas, including two men on a cherry picker who were sent up to try and talk the tiger down.
A video posted on YouTube shows them carefully inching towards the beast, which had one paw dangling over the side and its head tilted so it appeared to have just been startled.
When they realised it posed no threat, they then pulled it off with a large hooked stick so it fell to the floor where their colleagues picked it up and held it by the neck as if it were a trophy.
One fire-fighter even played with it as if he was being attacked.
Dramatic rescue: Two men on a cherry-picker helped'rescue' the tiger
It isn't real? A Houston firefighter looks confused as he realises the tiger belongs at a toy store, not a zoo
Perks of the job: Onlooking fire-fighters record the rescue on their phones. They had to remove the big cat because it posed a risk to drivers, who would rubberneck when they saw a tiger on the roof
It is not clear how the tiger ended up on the ledge of the abandoned hotel, but fire crews said it had to be removed as drivers were slowing down to look at it, potentially causing an accident.
Real life animal escapes are rare - but deadly when they happen.
Last year dozens of pack animals were shot dead after their owner opened their cages before killing himself in Zanesville, Ohio.
I've got him: A fire-fighter looks amused as he holds the toy tiger after his co-worker knocked it from the roof
Job well done: The firefighters take the tiger away after one pretended to be attacked by the creature
Tigers, wolves, mountain lions, cheetahs and bears up to 300lbs in size were all hunted down by police as they roamed the rural town.
Some of the animals were thought to have eaten each other as families stayed in their homes for fear of being attacked.
Real life tigers are among the most deadly predators on Earth and can grow to 11ft long and weigh 700lbs.
In 2007 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. was killed and two others injured when two 350lbs Siberian tigers escaped their cage at San Francisco zoo and rampaged through the crowd.
Real animals on the loose: Police killed dozens of animals, including this lion, last October after they escaped from the wild-animal preserve in OhioThe man accused of shooting his wife last weekend fired a shotgun out of the window of the home striking the victim in the right hip, the affidavit for the arrest warrant indicates.
In the probable cause section of the affidavit, which was obtained by the Herald Democrat Thursday, the document notes that Samuel Todd Towne, 55, said his wife, who was outside the house, broke the window on the front door and he stuck a 12-gauge shotgun out of that window to scare her. Towne told Grayson County Sheriff's Office investigators that his wife grabbed the barrel of the gun and it went off.
The 46-year-old victim was taken to Texoma Medical Center, and hospital officials said she was released Wednesday.
The affidavit, which was prepared by Investigator Dusty Wainscott of the Grayson County Sheriff's Office, notes that the incident occurred at about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 8 in the 400 block of Gun Club Road. Wainscott arrived to the scene of the white trailer home at about 1 a.m. He noted in the affidavit there was blood drops and shattered glass outside the door and a bolt action shotgun was located leaning against the wall outside the residence.
According to the affidavit, the incident came about through arguments communicated through texting. Towne told investigators that he and his wife had been arguing through text messages about going out to celebrate her birthday at a bar. The two did not go out together and visited bars at separate times. Towne returned to his home at about 8 p.m. and texted his wife.
Towne gave consent to investigators to search his phone and read the texts, the affidavit said. Part of the following texts Towne sent to his wife were noted in the report: “Get out of my life! I've had all I can take from you! Don't bother coming home! Just get out of my life!”
After sending an explicit text a minute later, Towne later wrote “House is locked down! Do your damage trying to get in! As always!” Then two minutes later he sent: “Hope you don't get shot trying to break in!”
All the documented texts were sent before midnight and the affidavit said they were written without a response from the victim. The affidavit stated that at about 12:30 a.m. Towne spotted the victim pull into the driveway and attempt to enter the house. The shooting incident occurred and the affidavit noted that “Towne advised that his finger had to be on the trigger due to it going off.”
Towne told investigators that after the victim was shot, he offered to take her to the emergency room. She refused and got into her car and drove off. He then called 911 and reported the incident, the affidavit stated. He told investigators that he knew it was his wife as the incident played out and that he was just trying to scare her with the shotgun.
The warrant for Towne's arrest was issued Monday and Towne turned himself over to the Grayson County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. Towne was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, family violence and bond was set at $100,000. Towne posted bail the same day and was released by the Grayson County Jail.
Online court records do not list an attorney for Towne and there was no answer at his home Thursday afternoon.Author's Note: A number of readers have complained that this article is insensitive to the pain and suffering of the Japanese people. Please accept my sincere apology. I have friends and former colleagues in Japan and I offered them my prayers for their safety and recovery last night. I have been to Japan and have a respect for its traditions and people. The devastation from the quake is terrible.
At the same time, my editorial mission here is to look at Apple, its products and markets. If that appears callous, I ask your forbearance. Some of the comments in the story were made several months ago, so please keep that context in mind.
Apple releases the iPad 2 on Friday and on the very same day a 9.0 earthquake rocks Japan, one of the centers of NAND flash production. What might the fallout from the quake be to Apple's product availability and rollouts as well as to prices?
According to analyst Jim Handy at Objective Anaysis Semiconductor Market Research, a number of Fujitsu and Toshiba manufacturing sites are located near the earthquake epicenter. In addition, Tokyo, Kobe and other centers are located on the east coast of Japan.
In a letter this morning he said the market in Japan as well as production for the world markets will be affected.
Over 40 percent of the world's NAND flash and roughly 15 percent of the world's DRAM are manufactured in Japan. Japan is a significant source of chips to support consumer electronics devices. A two-week shutdown would remove from production a sizable share of each of these. It doesn't take a large production decrease to cause prices to increase dramatically. Objective Analysis anticipates phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake. Demand will be impacted as well since many electronics manufacturers are in Japan, and their consumption of semiconductors will be halted until earthquake damage is repaired.
Apple NAND suppliers are not all in Japan. According to iSuppli, Apple is supplied by Toshiba and Samsung as well as other vendors. However, Apple primarily purchases flash memory from "top flight" vendors, such as Samsung and Toshiba. Most of Apple's DRAM comes from Korean vendors and would be unaffected.
In the January financial call with analysts, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook talked about supply chain issues for flash as well as the Japanese market, which had been a surprise for the company.
And there are several other Asian countries doing extremely well. Japan is not in the segment that you're looking out, but Japan by itself, the revenue was up 83 percent year-over-year. And if you're familiar with the Japanese economy and the growth there, to grow 83 percent on the base that we're doing is stunning. And so we are placing more and more resource in these areas and continue to look for expansion possibilities throughout Asia.
Cook said in January that the company expected a favorable pricing environment for DRAM. And they had expected prices in certain commodities to fall.
Cook was asked about long-term commitments in on supply. He offered some details on flash supplies.
From our point of view on the design side, we design components where we believe we can innovate beyond what's available in the market. And the most recent example of this is the A4 chip. But with the A4 chip, we didn't feel like we had to invest in the fab itself and build the fab because we felt like they were good options in the market for doing that, but not good options in terms of buying a design, and so we really focused on design. On the operational side of the house, as you probably remember, we've historically entered into certain agreements with different people to secure supply and other benefits. The largest one in the recent past has been we signed a deal with several Flash suppliers back at the end of 2005 that totaled over $1 billion because we anticipated that Flash would become increasingly important across our entire product line and increasingly important to the industry. And so we wanted to secure supply for the company, and we think that, that was an absolutely fantastic use of Apple's cash. And we constantly look for more of these. And so in the past several quarters we've identified another area and come to some recent agreements that Peter talked about in his opening comments, in that these payments consist of both prepayments and capital for process equipment and tooling. And similar to the Flash agreements, they're focused in an area we feel is very strategic. And so I'd prefer not to go into more detail about what specific area it's in, but it's the same kind of thinking that led us to those deals that led us to the Flash deal.
Of course, the iOS devices are flash based. But Apple is also showcasing the performance benefits of flash memory in its Mac products, such as the MacBook and MacBook Air. Solid-state drives are an option for MacBook Pros. Customers want the flash goodness.
So here's my guesstimates: Apple has locked in prices for flash memory components. It must have a reasonable supply already in the chain. And with $43 billion in cash, the company can get what it needs. But likely it won't have to stretch far.
As one of the world's biggest customers for the technology, it will get its supply before the smaller buyers — even if those "smaller" companies are Hewlett Packard, Motorola and even Samsung. In the manufacturing business, Japanese manufacturing giants and the arms of Korean chaebol conglomerates can't play in-house favorites. The biggest customer gets first choice.
That means that everyone else, big and small will feel the pinch more than Apple. Way more.The U.S. “diplomatic post” in Benghazi in flames after the attack of Sept. 11, 2012. (Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters)
From time to time, the Fact Checker writes an analytic look at news events, based on his three decades of experience covering diplomacy and politics, rather than a traditional fact check. This is one of those columns.
There have been many questions raised about the development of the administration’s talking points in the aftermath of the attack on Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, including the U.S. ambassador. There have been allegations that the administration deliberately covered up the fact that this was a terrorist attack. We have noted before, in our extensive timeline of Benghazi statements, how long it took the president to concede that point in the midst of his reelection campaign.
But with the release of 12 versions of the talking points Friday by ABC News, perhaps there is an alternative explanation: This basically was a bureaucratic knife fight, pitting the State Department against the CIA.
In other words, the final version of the talking points may have been so wan because officials simply deleted everything that upset the two sides. So they were left with nothing.
Let’s examine the evidence for a bureaucratic explanation.
First, some important context: Although the ambassador was killed, the Benghazi “consulate” was not a consulate at all but basically a secret CIA operation which included an effort to round up shoulder-launched missiles. In fact, only seven of the 30 Americans evacuated from Benghazi had any connection to the State Department; the rest were affiliated with the CIA.
The official reports, such as the one from the Accountability Review Board and the Senate Homeland Security Committee report, essentially dance around that uncomfortable fact:
“In December 2011, the Under Secretary for Management approved a one-year continuation of the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, which was never a consulate and never formally notified to the Libyan government.” (ARB)
“The attacks in Benghazi occurred at two different locations: a Department of State ‘Temporary Mission Facility’ and an Annex facility (‘Annex’) approximately a mile away used by another agency of the United States Government.” (Senate report)
So, from the State Department perspective, this was an attack on a CIA operation, perhaps by the very people the CIA was battling, and the ambassador tragically was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, for obvious reasons, the administration could not publicly admit that Benghazi was mostly a secret CIA effort.
The talking points were originally developed by the CIA at the request of a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Interestingly, all of the versions are consistent on one point — that the attacks were “spontaneously inspired by protests at the U.S. embassy in Cairo,” a fact later deemed to be incorrect.
The talking points through Friday begin to become rather detailed, at which point there is sharp push-back from the State Department. Let’s look at the version as of 5:09 p.m. on Sept 14, a Friday, and see the red flags for State:
■The talking points refer to a “direct assault against the U.S. consulate.”
■ The CIA says it “warned of social media reports calling for a demonstration in front of the Embassy and that jihadists were threatening to break into the Embassy.”
■ The CIA says it “has produced numerous pieces on the threat of extremists in Benghazi and eastern Libya.” It cites “at least five other attacks” against foreign interests and says it “cannot rule out the individuals had previously surveilled [sic] the U.S. facilities.”
The clear implication is that State screwed up, even though internally, it was known that this was a CIA operation. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland especially objects to the reference to previous warnings, saying it “could be abused by members [of Congress] to beat up the State Department for not paying attention to warnings.”
Moreover, Nuland had been constrained from saying much about the attack at her daily press briefings, so she was unsure why the agency would suddenly give so much information to members of Congress.
After the CIA makes minor changes, such as deleting a reference to the militant group Ansar al-Sharia, Nuland responds, “These changes don’t resolve all of my issues or those of my building’s leadership.” At that point, a White House official weighs in and writes in an e-mail:
“We must make sure that the talking points reflect all agency equities, including those of the State Department, and we don’t want to undermine the FBI investigation. We thus will work through the talking points tomorrow morning at the Deputies Committee meeting.”
UPDATE: CNN says it obtained an actual copy of this email and it differs from how it was previously reported, particularly because there is no specific mention of the State Department:
“We need to resolve this in a way that respects all of the relevant equities, particularly the investigation....We can take this up tomorrow morning at the deputies.”
The final version of the talking points shows what happened: Just about everything was cut, leaving virtually nothing. The reference to “consulate” was also deleted, replaced by “diplomatic post.”
From a bureaucratic perspective, it may have seemed like the best possible solution at the time. From a political perspective, it turned out to be a disaster.
For reasons unknown, the White House sent U.N. Ambassador Susan E. Rice on five Sunday shows with those talking points — and the rest is history. The talking points were so weak that Rice immediately raised suspicions that the administration was hiding something important. (She instantly earned Pinocchios.) She also repeatedly referenced the supposed impact of an anti-Islam video, which was never a part of the talking points.
Further investigation may make the bureaucratic explanation moot. But, in Washington, one should never underestimate the importance of internal conflict between agencies.
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Follow The Fact Checker on Twitter and friend us on FacebookIN DECEMBER, a pair calling themselves “The Benevolent Fisted Rulers” offered up 4-hectare plots of Gliese 581 g, the most habitable exoplanet yet discovered, for sale on eBay.
Setting aside the ethics of exoplanetary land grabs, the move seems a touch premature. The alien world is 20 light years away and its very existence is not confirmed. Still, if the planet does exist, it is possible that it has some good exo-real estate.
Raymond Pierrehumbert at the University of Chicago examined the range of climates that Gliese 581 g might have and found one that would have a pool of water on one side, making it look like an eyeball. Even if further observations disprove the existence of Gliese 581 g, the work could help determine the habitability of exo-Earths still to be discovered.
First spotted in September via wobbles in the light emitted by its host star, Gliese 581 g is likely to be rocky. That, combined with the fact that it orbits the star at just the right, “Goldilocks” distance to provide the warmth needed for liquid water, made it the first planet discovered outside our solar system with the potential to host life.
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But Gliese 581 g also differs from Earth. For a start, it orbits its dim, red dwarf star so closely that its year lasts just 37 days. This boosts the chance that its star’s gravitational tug has caused the planet to spin at the same rate that it moves around the star, so that one side of the planet always faces the star and the other is always dark. Pierrehumbert assumed that the planet is indeed locked in this configuration when he looked at the various climates it might support.
One option is that the planet has no atmosphere. Although all water on the surface would remain frozen, at least there would be no gas to transport heat away from the starlit side. This could keep temperatures there high enough to thin the ice, allowing light that could support life to reach liquid water beneath the surface.
The scenario most likely to support life, though, was one with an atmosphere containing carbon dioxide. A greenhouse effect would heat mainly the region directly facing the host star, producing an ice-covered planet with a large area of liquid water – the “eyeball Earth” (The Astrophysical Journal Letters, DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/726/1/L8).
“The most habitable case is where you have enough CO 2 to actually have this open water swimming pool,” Pierrehumbert says. The pool’s diameter would be about a quarter of the planet’s circumference (see diagram). It would arise if the atmosphere contained about 20 per cent CO 2 – much higher than Earth but within the limits imposed by the carbon available to form planets.
NASA’s infrared James Webb Space Telescope, due to launch in 2014, should help resolve what Gliese 581 g actually looks like. That’s assuming the exoplanet exists: it was spotted once, but a second set of planet hunters failed to find evidence of it in their data.
In any case, the new work could aid studies of the habitability of planets orbiting red dwarfs that are yet to be discovered, says Manoj Joshi of the University of Reading in the UK. “Hopefully we’re getting to the point when we can shift from theorising what the climates might look like, to what we think they should look like”.They passed legislation to stop him from lifting sanctions on Russia. They recoiled at his snap decision to ban transgender Americans from the military. And they warned him in no uncertain terms not to fire the attorney general or the special counsel investigating the president and his aides.
Republican lawmakers have openly defied President Trump in meaningful ways this week amid growing frustration on Capitol Hill with his surprise tweets, erratic behavior and willingness to trample on governing norms. But at the same time, they’ve worked to advance legislation they want him to sign.
In the latest signs of a backlash, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday he would not hold hearings on a replacement if Trump dismissed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday he would pursue legislation that would prevent Trump from summarily firing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
“Some of the suggestions that the president is making go way beyond what’s acceptable in a rule-of-law nation,” Graham said. “This is not draining the swamp. What he’s interjecting is turning democracy upside down.”
Some of the defiance came from already outspoken Trump critics such as Graham and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), who rebuked the president from the Senate floor Thursday.
(The Washington Post)
“If you’re thinking of making a recess appointment to push out the attorney general, forget about it,” Sasse said. “The presidency isn’t a bull, and this country isn’t a china shop.”
But some generally pro-Trump lawmakers emerged Wednesday as critics of the unexpected transgender ban, which the president announced in a series of morning tweets with no notice to key figures on Capitol Hill who might normally be called upon to defend his actions.
Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) issued statements Wednesday saying Trump went too far in banning all transgender service members. On Thursday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) refused to back the ban, saying he would await a Defense Department review of the issue despite Trump’s clear wishes.
“I look forward to seeing what they actually produce,” Ryan said.
On the sanctions issue, the Senate, on a 98-to-2 vote on Thursday, cleared legislation targeting Russia, Iran and North Korea that the Trump administration had sought to water down — particularly a provision that would require Trump to seek congressional approval before lifting sanctions against Russia. The bill had passed the House earlier this week on a 419-to-3 vote.
Several lawmakers said that if Trump vetoes the measure, Congress was prepared to override it.
“No president likes Congress to tie their hands,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). “This is a very unique and particular case at a key moment.... If the president vetoes it, as is his right, there will be a debate, but I believe it will be overridden.”
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type of file system you would like to have on the new partition. To do that, press ‘t’ and then enter ‘c’ for a FAT file system. There are several other filesystems supported. You can see a list of all those by pressing ‘l’.
Note that fdisk will not write the partition table to disk until you explicitly tell it to do so. So, go ahead and enter ‘w’ to write the partition table to disk. You can quit the program without saving any changes to disk by pressing ‘q’ before you press ‘w’. At this point, you have created a raw partition with no filesystem on it. As such, the pendrive is useless. Run
$ sudo eject /dev/sdb
Now, unplug the drive and plug it in again. If your linux box supports automounting, you should get an error saying unable to read the disk. This is simply because you have not created any filesystem on the disk. Put in simple words, the disk is not formatted yet. So go ahead and eject the drive using the same command as above.
Now, format the pendrive as FAT using the command
$ sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
Note that the above command takes the specific partition to be formatted like sdb1 or sdc1, so different partitions on the disk may be formatted as different file systems. That’s it, you are now ready to create your bootable USB disk using the commands in the previous section.
Ripping a CD or DVD for local storage
Sometimes, you need to return a dvd to a friend and you do not have enough time to burn a copy of the dvd or donot have an extra dvd drive that can do the job. Moreover, your USB drive read is much slower that read from disk. So, why not make an exact copy of the entire cd or dvd to your disk which you can view anytime later or burn it to a dvd later. All you have to do is enter the following command
$ dd if=/dev/dvd of=myfile.iso bs=2048
Here, if stands for input file. As you already know, every device is a file in Linux. Hence, the dvd drive is represented by /dev/dvd and the cdrom drive most likely by /dev/cdrom. Use the one appropriate for your case.
As you guessed, of stands for output file which is an exact mirror image of the cd or dvd which you can write to another cd or dvd anytime using the commands in the previous section.
Now, that you have an iso file on your disk, you cannot simply view it anytime you want. To access the contents of the iso file, you will need to mount it at a particular mount point. So, go ahead and create a mount point
$ sudo mkdir /tmp/myfiles $ sudo mount -o ro,loop -t iso9660 myfile.iso /tmp/myfiles $ cd /tmp/myfiles
Thats it… you can now access the files as though you were accessing them from the dvd or cd only much faster. You have to keep in mind that you will not be able to write anything directly into /tmp/myfiles just as you would simply not be able to write into a dvd or cd. Thats the reason, the iso file is mounted as read-only.
Hiding a file or directory within an image
This is one severely cool trick which allows you to hide any file or directory within a harmless looking image. When you click on such a file, all you see is the image on your default image viewer. The image is not altered in any way. What you don’t see is the file you have hidden within the image…. Here is precisely how to do it.
First you will need a harmless looking.png or.jpg image file… Feel free to download your favorite one from google images.
Now, the file or directory you wish to hide has to be compressed into a zip archive. $ zip -r <compressed.zip> <file1> <dir1>
Now, cat the image you downloaded with the compressed file you created above $ cat image.png compressed.zip > secret.png NOTE: do not change the ordering of the image and the compressed file. The image always has to always come first in the cat command.
Now, remove the files and directories you wanted to hide and also the compressed.zip file using the rm command.
Thats it… You now have a file by the name “secret.png” which if you open, will display the harmless looking image file. Nobody suspects that the image is hiding something sinister(unless ofcourse they are intelligent enough to do a ls -l and see the size of the image file)
Now, all you have to do to get back your secret files and directories is
$ unzip secret.png
Don’t worry if you get some weird warnings or errors when you run the command regarding some invalid content in the header. Thats the whole point you see!!! When we catted the image file at the start of the zip file, we inadvertently modified the header of secret.png, and hence the warnings and errors. Nonetheless, you should now see the compressed.zip file in the directory. Just extract its secret contents with
$ unzip compressed.zip
How to completely paralyze any Linux system which is using the bash shell
Most linux distros that you use today come preloaded with the bash shell as default, so you wouldn’t need to worry much to completely wreck your college linux server box or your best friends laptop in a matter of seconds. Just type in the following command, sit back and relax while the system starts to choke itself.
$ :(){ :|:& };:
This is one of the most cryptic commands you have probably ever seen and also one of the shortest ones considering the amount of carnage you are about to cause as soon as you press the enter key. But the command is really very simple to understand. So, here is the breakup of the command.
This command is creating a bash function by the name ‘:’, hence you see :()
The body of this bash function is within the curly braces { }
What we are doing within this function is calling the same function ‘:’ again. Kinda like recursion. And this function call is running in the background. Thats the reason you see the ampersand (&) at the end. In short, this function is telling bash to keep on forking an innumerable number of child processes. But, this is just the function definition, no harm here. The actual fun starts after the semicolon(;) which as you know acts as a seperator between two linux commands. The first command was merely writing the function definition. But the ‘:’ you see after the semicolon is the command that is actually calling the function ‘:’.
All hell is let loose on the system. Bash starts to fork child processes that grow exponentially. Within a matter of seconds, you will have millions of child processes on your system, and every system can only take so much. The system is in effect, choking itself, and in seconds, your system is completely lifeless…. mouse doesn’t work, keypresses don’t do anything… So you cannot even press Ctrl+C to stop the system from killing itself. All you can do at this point, is to hold down the power button for some time to hard-reboot the system. And the really funny and interesting about this command is that, the more processing power your system has, the faster it will kill-itself because it is creating child processes at a much faster rate that a slow, dim-witted computer where you might even have time to press Ctrl+C after you have realized your mistake. Now, you don’t call this command the “bash fork bomb” for no reason.
This goes without saying that “With great power comes great responsibility” :P
Some random, super-cool command line fu
A stopwatch on the terminal $ time read This will start a stopwatch on your terminal. Simply press Ctrl+D to stop the timer and see the elapsed time.
How to know how many CPU cores are there on the computer? $ sudo cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep processor | wc -l Infact, you can see a lot of info about each of these cores with the command $ sudo cat /proc/cpuinfo
Finding the name of the linux distro running on the computer $ sudo cat /etc/issue
How to know whether you have a 32bit or 64bit OS running on your computer? $ sudo getconf LONG_BIT
Killing a process that has locked a particular file, when you know the file name that is locked, but don’t know which process is locking it. $ sudo fuser -k <file_name> This is useful when you get an error saying this particular file is locked by another process. This happens many times when you are updating your linux installation and the process got terminated leaving the /var/lib/dpkg/cache file locked. You get an error when you try to re-start the system update again. You can use this command in such situations.
Easiest way to re-run the previous command with superuser permissions $ sudo!!
This saves you from pressing up arrow and then home key and then typing sudo.
Easily doing a reverse search for a command you entered previously. In bash, simply press Ctrl+R and then start typing the part of the comamnd you remember. Hit enter when you find the command you were looking for. This command gives rise to another neat trick. Suppose you use a lengthy command very frequently during the session. The first time you run the long command, run it as follows $ <command> #my_label The next time you want to run the same command, all you have to do is press Ctrl+R to start reverse-search and then enter “my_label” followed by enter key… How cool is that!!!.
How to get vi stlye editing commands working in bash $ echo "set editing-mode vi" > ~/.inputrc
some super useful bash command editing keys Press Ctrl+W to erase a single word before the current cursor position. Press Ctrl+U to erase the entire line before the current cursor position. Press Ctrl+K to erase the entire line after the current cursor position. Press Ctrl+A to go to the beginning of the command. Press Ctrl+E to go the the end of the command.
How to display a popup notification when a command completes ( requires libnotify to be installed ) $ wget <URL> ; notify-send "wget" "your download is complete" The above command displays a popup notification once wget finishes downloading the file. wget can be replaced by any command actually. The first argument to the notify-send command is the “title” and the second argument is the “body” of the popup notification. You can change it to whatever you like.
Turning of the monitor to save power when there is no hardware key available to do so(say, on a laptop) $ xset dpms force off
How to copy the output of any command directly to the system clipboard $ <command> | xsel --clipboard
How to open an file from the command line using the default application for that file $ xdg-open <file_name>
How to save the output of any command as an image file $ <command> | convert label:@- <image_name.png>
How to convert an entire man page into pdf format for later viewing $ man -t <command_name> | ps2pdf - <command_name.pdf>
Installing the same packages and software you already have on a fully configured linux system, on another freshly installed linux system in a single command First, run this command on the fully configured linux box $ sudo dpkg --get-selections > my_linux_software Then, transfer this file to the freshly installed linux box an enter the following command $ cat may_linux_software|sudo dpkg --set-selections && sudo dselect install Ofcourse, you will need network connection on your freshly installed linux box, but you will be saved from laboriously selecting all your favorite software from the software management tool.
Deleting a particular line number from a given file without opening it in any editor $ sed -i 8d <file_name> This command deletes the 8th line from the specified file.
Running a command at a specified time $ echo "command you want to run | at 01:00 Note that the time is in 24hr format.
How to create a pencil sketch out of any image file $ convert <input_image> -colorspace gray \( +clone -blur 0x2 \) +swap -compose divide -composite -linear-stretch 5%x0% <output_image> You can ofcourse add an alias or better still, a bash function for such long commands in your ~/.bashrc to make your life easier.
How to check unread mail from your gmail inbox from the command line $ curl -u [email protected]:your_password --silent \ "https://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom" | tr -d '
' | \ awk -F '<entry>' '{for (i=2; i<=NF; i++) {print $i}}' | \ sed -n "s/<title>\(.*\)<\/title><summary>\(.*\)<\/summary.*name>\ \(.*\)<\/name><email>\(.*\)<\/email>.*/
\3\(\4\) - \1 - \2
/p" This command might look like too much to handle, but it is really extremely simple. All it is doing is reading from your gmail account’s atom feed and formatting the output using awk and sed. As before, you are better of creating an alias(or a bash function) in your ~/.bashrc for this command.
A super-simple chat program that you can run from the command line
You will need to install “netcat” on your linux box for this to work.
Open a terminal on Computer A and type in $ nc -l 12345
Also note down the IP addr of Computer A by running the “ifconfig” command. Let us say, the IP addr of Computer A is a.b.c.d
Now, open a terminal on another Computer B which also has “netcat” installed and type in $ nc a.b.c.d 12345
Here, 12345 is simply a port number. You can specify anything you want as long as it is not already in use.
Thats it… You have a chat program running. Type anything and press enter, it will be immediately visible on the other computer. To test this out you might as well run the two commands on two different terminals on the same computer, in which case, you will have to replace the IP addr a.b.c.d by the simple string “localhost”.
The fastest way to transfer files from Computer A to Computer B over the network from the command line
You will need “netcat” installed for this to work.
On Computer A with ip addr a.b.c.d, run the command $ tar -cf - /path/to/dir | \ pv -s $(du -sb /path/to/dir | awk '{print $1}') | \ nc -l 12345
On computer B, run $ nc a.b.c.d 12345 | pv | tar -xf -
All we are doing here is tarring the directory we want to transfer and then using netcat to transfer the file over the network. Note that there are actually no intermediate archives that are created either on Computer A or Computer B.
The pv command in the middle is only there to show you a progress bar of how much data is left to be transferred. This can be useful for large files. But you can always competely remove it from both of the above commands and still work correctly. Only thing is you won’t have any feedback until the entire directory is transferred. Note that pv is not available as default on most linux boxes. You will have to install it.
You may be wondering why do we need to perform a tar when we are simply transferring a single file instead of a directory. The answer is you don’t. To transfer a single file:
On Computer A you will run $ cat /path/to/file | nc -l 12345
To receive the file on Computer B, you would run, $ nc a.b.c.d 12345 > myfile
As simple as that!!!.
A word of caution. On some computers with different version of netcat installed, you will need to replace the command “nc -l 12345” with “nc -l -p 12345” for netcat to work correctly. All other commands remain same.
How to get a progress bar while copying huge files
Normally cp command does not give you any output while you are copying files. You have no idea how much copying is left to be done. However you can use a slightly different command to copy large with a progress bar shown. As you might have guessed, the solution is to use “pv” command described in the previous section.
$ cat originalfile.txt | pv > newfile.txt
Wuff… this is one huge article, but one which I enjoyed writing and one I hope you will enjoy executing. I have at some point used all of these commands in my day to day work. It is very likely that you may get errors saying command not found while executing some of these commands, because you don’t have the necessary packages installed. You can always install them and continue playing or you can leave a comment below and I will help you get it working. Enjoy Linux :) :) and stay tuned for more comprehensive articles on specific Linux tools like vim, ssh, scp, rsync, git version control system and more in the future.
Once again I sincerely thank Mr. Chandrashekar Babu for his superb linux training classes at Cisco and for enlightening us about some of the above Linux command line tricks.David Sorokin [email protected], Jan 2010
Contents
Introduction. 2
General Case. 2
Bind Macros. 6
The Identity Monad. 7
The List Monad. 8
The Maybe Monad. 10
The Reader Monad. 12
The State Monad. 15
The Writer Monad. 19
Monad Transformers. 25
Inner Monad Macros. 27
The Reader Monad Transformer. 29
The State Monad Transformer. 32
The Writer Monad Transformer. 37
Reducing Monad Macros. 42
Loops. 44
Other Monad Macros. 45
Conclusion. 46
A monad can be defined with help of two functions, one of which is higher-order. Direct working with them is tedious and error-prone. In this article I’ll describe an approach that greatly simplifies the use of monads in Common Lisp. It is possible due to macros.
I suppose that the reader is familiar with Haskell’s definition of the Monad type class. To create a monad instance, we have to define the mentioned two functions. The first of them is called return. The second one is known as the bind function and it is denoted in Haskell as operator (>>=):
class Monad m where
return :: a -> m a
(>>=) :: m a -> (a -> m b) -> m b
This definition actually allows the programmer to use common names return and (>>=) for very different functions. I’ll try to create similar Lisp macros that will be common for all monads. Also Haskell provides a useful do-notation which is a syntactic sugar for monads. The macros I will create will provide similar facilities as well.
Also I created a new project with name cl-monad-macros. It is available by the following link: http://common-lisp.net/project/cl-monad-macros. The corresponded package contains definitions of all monad macros described in this article.
The package and all examples were successfully tested on the following Lisp systems:
· Steel Bank Common Lisp (SBCL);
· Clozure CL (CCL);
· CLISP;
· LispWorks;
· Allegro CL.
General Case
Let’s suppose that some monad is defined with help of two hypothetical functions UNITF and FUNCALLF:
(defun unitf (a)
;; evaluate as in Haskell: return a
…)
(defun funcallf (k m)
;; evaluate as in Haskell: m >>= k
…)
The UNITF function is the return function. Function FUNCALLF is an analog of the idiomatic bind function but only the order of arguments is opposite. Further I call namely this new function a bind function. Please take care.
We could limit ourselves to using only these functions, but it would be tedious. Please take into account that the first argument of the bind function must be a function, most probably an anonymous function. Moreover, we can use a sequence of monad values in one computation, which complicates the matter significantly.
Therefore I offer to use the following macros:
Common Lisp Haskell (unit a) return a (funcall! k m) m >>= k (progn! m1 m2 … mn) m1 >> m2 >> … >> mn (let! ((x1 e1)
(x2 e2)
…
(xn en))
m) do x1 <- e1
x2 <- e2
…
xn <- en
m
The UNIT macro is equivalent to a call of the return function. The FUNCALL! macro is expanded to a call of the bind function. Macro PROGN! is equivalent to the monadic then function, which is denoted in Haskell as (>>). It allows the programmer to create a sequence of computations. Internally, it is based on more primitive FUNCALL! macro.
Source form Reduction form (progn! m) m (progn! m1 m2) (funcall!
#’(lambda (#:gen-var)
(declare (ignore #:gen_var))
m2)
m1) (progn! m1 m2 … mn) (progn! m1 (progn! m2 … mn))
Here #:gen-var means an automatically generated unique variable name with help of GENSYM.
Macro LET! is somewhere an alternative to the arrow symbol from the do-notation of Haskell. It is also based on the FUNCALL! macro. It binds computations e1, e2, …, en with values x1, x2, …, xn, which can be then used in computation m.
Source form Reduction form (let! ((x e)) m) (funcall!
#’(lambda (x) m)
e) (let! ((x1 e1)
(x2 e2)
…
(xn en))
m) (let! ((x1 e1))
(let! ((x2 e2)
…
(xn en))
m))
Please note that the LET! macro accepts only two arguments, the last of which is the monad value. It was made intentionally for similarity with the LET and LET* operators in the following sense. If we want to propagate a sequence of computations then we have to apply the PROGN! macro in all cases:
Common Lisp Haskell (let! ((x e))
(progn! m1 m2 … mn)) do x <- e
m1
m2
…
mn (let ((x a))
(progn! m1 m2 … mn)) do let x = a
m1
m2
…
mn
Thus, macros UNIT, FUNCALL!, PROGN! and LET! provide an unified common way of working with the monads. To distinguish different monads from each other, we can implement these macros as a MACROLET defined by global macro WITH-MONAD that has the following application form:
(with-monad (return-func funcall-func)
;; Here we can use UNIT, FUNCALL!, PROGN! and LET!
body1 … bodyN)
The first sub-parameter return-func defines a name of the return function. The second sub-parameter funcall-func defines a name of the bind function. This macro is expanded to a MACROLET saving the same body.
(defmacro with-monad ((unit-func funcall-func) &body body)
`(macrolet
((unit (a) (list ',unit-func a))
(funcall! (k m) (list ',funcall-func k m))
(progn! (&body ms) (append '(generic-progn!) '(,funcall-func) ms))
(let! (decls m) (list 'generic-let! ',funcall-func decls m)))
,@body))
Here the GENERIC-LET! macro is used to process the LET! expression in accordance with the stated above definition.
(defmacro generic-let! (funcall-func decls m)
(reduce #'(lambda (decl m)
(destructuring-bind (x e) decl
`(,funcall-func #'(lambda (,x),m),e)))
decls
:from-end t
:initial-value m))
The PROGN! expression is processed already by the GENERIC-PROGN! helper macro.
(defmacro generic-progn! (funcall-func &body ms)
(reduce #'(lambda (m1 m2)
(let ((x (gensym)))
`(,funcall-func
#'(lambda (, x)
(declare (ignore,x))
,m2)
,m1)))
ms
:from-end t))
Then the following test expression
(with-monad (unitf funcallf)
(let! ((x1 e1)
(x2 e2))
(progn! m1 m2
(unit (list x1 x2)))))
is expanded ultimately to
(FUNCALLF
#'(LAMBDA (X1)
(FUNCALLF
#'(LAMBDA (X2)
(FUNCALLF
#'(LAMBDA (#:G983)
(DECLARE (IGNORE #:G983))
(FUNCALLF
#'(LAMBDA (#:G982)
(DECLARE (IGNORE #:G982))
(UNITF (LIST X1 X2)))
M2))
M1))
E2))
E1)
The expanded code is generic enough. Actually, macro WITH-MONAD satisfies some abstract contract providing definitions for macros UNIT, FUNCALL!, PROGN! and LET!. As we’ll see later, there are other specialized macros that are like WITH-MONAD and that satisfy the same contract but generate a more efficient code for their monads. Moreover, in case of the monad transformers new macros are necessary.
It’s important that macros like WITH-MONAD can be nested, which allows the programmer to work with different monads in the same s-expression. Each new application of the WITH-MONAD macro shadows the previous definition of macros UNIT, FUNCALL!, PROGN! and LET!. It means that at any moment only one monad can be active.
Although we can always use directly the WITH-MONAD macro, it is more convenient to create a short name for each monad in accordance with the following pattern:
(defmacro with-my-monad (&body body)
`(with-monad (unitf funcallf)
,@body))
where UNITF and FUNCALLF were used as an example.
In the rest of the article you’ll see a lot of definitions of the LET! and PROGN! macros. Actually, all them can be reduced to the following two macros that will work with any monad.
(defmacro universal-progn! (&body ms)
(reduce #'(lambda (m1 m2)
(let ((x (gensym)))
`(funcall!
#'(lambda (,x)
(declare (ignore,x))
,m2)
,m1)))
ms
:from-end t)) (defmacro universal-let! (decls m)
(reduce #'(lambda (decl m)
(destructuring-bind (x e) decl
`(funcall! #'(lambda (,x),m),e)))
decls
:from-end t
:initial-value m))
Nevertheless, there is one subtle optimization issue related to the order of arguments of the FUNCALL! macro. During the macro expansion of expression
(let! ((x e)) m)
macro UNIVERSAL-LET! will generate ultimately for the most of monads described in this article something like
(let ((k #’(lambda (x) m))) ; save the first argument of FUNCALL!
…
(let ((a (f e))) ; use the second argument of FUNCALL!
(funcall k a))
…)
But I’m not sure that any Lisp compiler is able to optimize it to the following equivalent code that would be more efficient
…
(let ((x (f e)))
m)
…
Please note that there would be no such problem if the FUNCALL! macro had another order of parameters, i.e. an idiomatic order as in Haskell. Then FUNCALL and LAMBDA would alternate with each other directly in the code and the compiler most probably could reduce them.
…
(let ((a (f e)))
(funcall
#’(lambda (x) m)
a))
…
But I think that a similarity with the standard FUNCALL function is more important and I’m ready to provide optimized versions of the LET! and PROGN! macros whenever it makes sense.
The Identity Monad
The Identity monad is the simplest case. The return function is IDENTITY. The bind function is FUNCALL. Then UNIT macro becomes an acronym of the IDENTITY function, FUNCALL! becomes the ordinary FUNCALL, PROGRN! is equivalent to PROGN, but LET! is transformed to LET*. This coincidence in names can be considered as a rule of thumb. Only the LET! macro is a small exception.
(defmacro with-identity-monad (&body body)
`(with-monad (identity funcall)
,@body)
But there is a much more efficient implementation:
(defmacro with-identity-monad (&body body)
`(macrolet
((unit (a) a)
(funcall! (k m) (list 'funcall k m))
(progn! (&body ms) (append '(progn) ms))
(let! (decls m) (list 'let* decls m)))
,@body))
Remembering about this monad, it is easy to memorize names FUNCALL!, PROGN! and LET!.
Our test expression
(with-identity-monad
(let! ((x1 e1)
(x2 e2))
(progn! m1 m2
(unit (list x1 x2)))))
is expanded to
(LET* ((X1 E1) (X2 E2))
(PROGN M1 M2 (LIST X1 X2)))
The List Monad
This section is devoted to the List monad. I’ll introduce macro WITH-LIST-MONAD that will implement a contract of the WITH-MONAD macro but that will do it in its own optimized way.
A monad value is just a list. Following the idiomatic definition, we can write the UNIT and FUNCALL! macro prototypes:
(defmacro list-unit (a)
`(list,a))
(defmacro list-funcall! (k m)
`(reduce #’append (mapcar,k,m)))
Please note that NIL is also a value of the list monad. We’ll use this fact further.
Here is a definition of the PROGN! macro prototype.
(defmacro list-progn! (&body ms)
(reduce
#'(lambda (m1 m2)
(let ((x (gensym)))
`(loop for,x in,m1 append,m2)))
ms
:from-end t))
At each reduction step we introduce a loop that appends the second argument as many times as the length of the first list. If the first list is NIL then the result of the loop is NIL as well.
The LET! macro prototype can be implemented similarly and also without use of the lambda.
(defmacro list-let! (decls m)
(reduce
#'(lambda (decl m)
(destructuring-bind (x e) decl
`(loop for,x in,e append,m)))
decls
:from-end t
:initial-value m))
Here we replace each variable binding with the corresponded loop. It should generate an efficient enough code.
Macros UNIT, FUNCALL!, PROGN! and LET! actually are defined in a MACROLET implemented by the WITH-LIST-MONAD macro.
(defmacro with-list-monad (&body body)
`(macrolet
((unit (a) `(list,a))
(funcall! (k m) `(reduce #'append (mapcar,k,m)))
(progn! (&body ms) (append '(list-progn!) ms))
(let! (decls m) (list 'list-let! decls m)))
,@body))
The same test example
(with-list-monad
(let! ((x1 e1)
(x2 e2))
(progn! m1 m2
(unit (list x1 x2)))))
is now expanded to
(LOOP FOR X1 IN E1
APPEND (LOOP FOR X2 IN E2
APPEND (LOOP FOR #:G1030 IN M1
APPEND (LOOP FOR #:G1029 IN M2
APPEND (LIST (LIST X1 X2))))))
We can ask for something more practical:
CL-USER> (with-list-monad
(let ((numbers '(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)))
(let! ((x numbers)
(y numbers)
(z numbers))
(if (= (+ (* x x) (* y y)) (* z z))
(unit (list x y z))))))
((3 4 5) (4 3 5) (6 8 10) (8 6 10))
Please note that here we use the fact that NIL is a legal value of the List monad. Therefore we can omit the else-part of the IF operator. Moreover, if numbers were an empty list then the topmost loop would immediately return NIL.
Also we can define the following function perms that produces a list of permutations of a given list.
(defun perms (xs)
(with-list-monad
(if (null xs)
(unit nil)
(let! ((y xs)
(ys (perms (remove y xs :count 1))))
(unit (cons y ys))))))
Now we can test it.
CL-USER> (perms '(1 2 3))
((1 2 3) (1 3 2) (2 1 3) (2 3 1) (3 1 2) (3 2 1))
The Maybe Monad
The next monad is the Maybe monad. It allows efficiently stopping a complex sequence of computations right after discovering a failure. If there is no failure then a full chain of computations is performed.
The constructor, getters and predicates for this data type are defined below.
(defmacro make-maybe (&key (just nil just-supplied-p))
(if just-supplied-p `(cons,just nil)))
(defmacro maybe-just (a)
`(car,a))
(defmacro maybe-nil ()
nil)
(defmacro maybe-just-p (m)
`(consp,m))
(defmacro maybe-nil-p (m)
`(null,m))
The prototypes of the basic return and bind macros can be defined in the following way.
(defmacro maybe-unit (a)
`(make-maybe :just,a))
(defmacro maybe-funcall! (k m)
(let ((xk (gensym))
(xm (gensym)))
`(let ((,xk,k)
(,xm,m))
(if (maybe-nil-p,xm)
(make-maybe)
(funcall,xk (maybe-just,xm))))))
The key point is the IF expression that cuts the further computation if the result of the former one is NIL.
Based on these macros we can build their counterpart PROGN!.
(defmacro maybe-progn! (&body ms)
(reduce
#'(lambda (m1 m2)
`(if (maybe-nil-p,m1)
(make-maybe)
,m2))
ms
:from-end t))
The LET! macro is similar but it allows the programmer to bind variables within one computation.
(defmacro maybe-let! (decls m)
(reduce
#'(lambda (decl m)
(destructuring-bind (x e) decl
(let ((xe (gensym)))
`(let ((,xe,e))
(if (maybe-nil-p,xe)
(make-maybe)
(let ((,x (maybe-just,xe)))
,m))))))
decls
:from-end t
:initial-value m))
In the three cases we see the cutting IF expressions. They stop immediately the computation right after discovering a failure.
Actually, these last four macros are implemented as a MACROLET defined by macro WITH-MAYBE-MONAD. As always, we could implement the latter with help of generic macro WITH-MONAD providing the necessary return and bind functions which are trivial for this monad. But macro WITH-MAYBE-MONAD is much more efficient.
(defmacro with-maybe-monad (&body body)
`(macrolet
((unit (a) (list'maybe-unit a))
(funcall! (k m) (list'maybe-funcall! k m))
(progn! (&body ms) (append '(maybe-progn!) ms))
(let! (decls m) (list'maybe-let! decls m)))
,@body))
Our old example
(with-maybe-monad
(let! ((x1 e1)
(x2 e2))
(progn! m1 m2
(unit (list x1 x2)))))
is expanded to
(LET ((#:G1051 E1))
(IF (NULL #:G1051) NIL
(LET ((X1 (CAR #:G1051)))
(LET ((#:G1050 E2))
(IF (NULL #:G1050) NIL
(LET ((X2 (CAR #:G1050)))
(IF (NULL M1) NIL
(IF (NULL M2) NIL (CONS (LIST X1 X2) NIL)))))))))
Now we can consider something more illustrative
CL-USER> (with-maybe-monad
(progn! (progn
(format t "Step 1.")
(make-maybe :just 'OK))
(make-maybe) ; NIL – failure
(progn
(format t "Step 2.")
(make-maybe :just 'OK))))
Step 1.
NIL
Moreover, SBCL will warn about an unreachable code during compilation if we’ll try to define such a function!
The Reader Monad
The Reader monad is a rather complicated thing. The monad value is a function that returns a result of the computation by the given environment value. In Haskell it can be defined like this
import Control.Monad
newtype Reader r a = Reader {runReader :: r -> a}
instance Monad (Reader r) where
return a = Reader (\r -> a)
m >>= k = Reader (\r ->
let a = runReader m r
m' = k a
in runReader m' r)
read :: Reader r r
read = Reader (\r -> r)
In accordance with this definition I’ll create a monad macro WITH-READER-MONAD.
The UNIT macro prototype is simple enough.
(defmacro reader-unit (a)
(let ((r (gensym)))
`#'(lambda (,r)
(declare (ignore,r))
,a)))
The FUNCALL! macro prototype is crucial for understanding the monad macro.
(defmacro reader-funcall! (k m)
(let ((r (gensym))
(a (gensym))
(kg (gensym)))
`#'(lambda (,r)
(let ((,kg,k)
(,a (funcall,m,r)))
(funcall (funcall,kg
|
immediately if the players in the transaction have not started their game for that day. The roster change will take effect the next day if any of the players have been locked into a game for that day. A team must have an open roster spot to add a player.
Free Agents & Waivers: If a player is on the Free Agent list, he may be added by any team in the league at any time. If a player is released from a league team, the player will go to waivers for two days. A waiver claim may be made by any team, and the team with the highest waiver will be granted the player after the waiver period. There is not a limit on the number of acquisitions that a team can make in a year.
Keeper Rules:
Definition of a keeper: A player that is kept by a team over multiple years in exchange for a draft pick. A keeper cannot be kept out of the draft for more than three seasons
Keeper Eligibility & Procedures: A team may select up to six players to designate as keepers every season. A team is not required to select any players as keepers in any season. A keeper can only be kept if the team has an available draft pick for the round that the keeper requires
Any draft pick may be used to select a keeper. When a drafted player is designated as a keeper, the team will forfeit the draft pick from the round the player was drafted. A Minor League Prospect acquired after the draft will cost the final available pick of the draft and will be tied to that draft round as long as they are kept.
A keeper must be designated as a keeper by the March 13, 2016 deadline, but isn’t required to be designated any sooner.
Only two types of players are eligible to be keepers.
Players drafted onto a team. If a drafted player is traded, the player can still keep his keeper status. The player trade does not restart the keeper player’s clock though. The player must return to the draft pool three years after he was originally drafted. Minor League prospects (who are rookie eligible by MLB rules) owned by a fantasy team before they appear in a Major League game this season.
Players may not be put in the Minor League roster spots until they are officially designated for assignment (unless they are drafted in the Minor League Draft).
– The longest that a player may be locked in as a keeper for any team is three full seasons. If a team trades for a keeper eligible player, the three season clock started when the player was originally drafted, NOT when he was traded. A minor league prospect’s first partial year counts as “year one.” There is no minimum limit for keeping a player. All keepers must return to the draft pool after the third season or earlier.
– A keeper may be dropped at any time during any season. At that point, the player’s keeper status is cleared. Drafted players MUST be kept or traded to keep their keeper status.
Joining the League: When a manager is needed for the league, any current manager is welcomed to refer a new manager for consideration. Prospective Managers will complete a short questionnaire to help determine if they are a good fit for the league. The new manager prospects will be voted on by the current league managers and added to the league as soon as possible.
Leaving the League: It is expected that a manager who wants to exit the league will give the commissioner advanced notice. This will allow the open spot to be filled without any interruption to the league schedule.
Removal from the League: When a team is left vacant during the season (two weeks of inactivity), the team’s manager will be removed and the manager role will be filled as soon as possible. The team’s roster will stay intact and the team’s keeper rules will stay intact. The new manager may rename the team. The team will exist in the same manner that it has all season. The only change will be the manager (and possibly the team name).
A manager can be removed at any time if the league commissioner and managers agree that a manager hurts the competitive balance of the league due to lack of effort and/or knowledge.
League Fees: Every manager has a $20 buy-in. The league buy-in is required to be paid by the keeper deadline day each season. If league fees are not paid on time, the manager will be locked out of his/her team until it is paid. If the manager is locked out during on keeper deadline day, no keepers will be kept. If the manager is still locked out during the draft, the team’s draft picks will be skipped and the team will have to be assembled from the Free Agent market.
League Awards: The league has a perpetual trophy that will be awarded to the league champion at the end of each season. The championship team’s name and the manager’s name will be added to the trophy at the league’s cost. The league champion will be responsible for the trophy until the end of the next season.
Also, the champion of the league each season will be invited to The Champions League. The Champions League is a rotisserie style fantasy baseball league exclusively for Integrity League champions.
Commissioner’s Duties:
Interpret the rules and procedures when there is any question about intent or clarity
Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the league
The person to contact when a manager has a question or a concern
Fix a player add/drop mistake
Can set a manager’s roster if needed
Current League Champion’s Duties:
Hold the league’s perpetual trophy and is responsible for its upkeep.
Responsible for transferring the trophy to the new champion (including shipping costs).
Future Rules & Procedures Changes: There may be situations that require discussions about rules or procedures changes. When these situations arise, all managers in the league will vote for or against the changes. Changes will not be made to the rules during the season unless it is absolutely necessary.On day 1 of the IAAPA trade-show, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment gave us 3 new things to see. First up Joel talked about all the initiatives of the company and exciting things ahead!
Over at the chance rides booth we saw the Submarine Quest ride vehicle and learned of some of the features; including an interactive touch screen that adapts to the player so that children and adults alike can have a fun educational experience whilst riding.
Here’s a couple close-ups of the scale model complete with lap bars:
Here’s another look at the concept for the Ocean Explorer area as well as at a look at what the loading area will look like for Submarine Quest:
Over at Intamin, we got to see something a little more our size with a car from the Wave Breaker roller coaster coming to SeaWorld San Antonio:
Finally we take a look at the lead car for each of the 2 Invadr roller coaster trains coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg from Great Coasters International:
Also, another look at the concept art:
For more on SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment and beyond be sure to follow us via our social links:A protester has tried to disrupt a Hillary Clinton rally in Des Moines, but was quickly removed. Courtesy CNN
A PROTESTER has tried to disrupt a Hillary Clinton rally in Des Moines, but was quickly removed from the event.
The woman, protesting on behalf of animal rights, tried to rush onto the stage during a rally at Lincoln High School, but, struggling, was escorted, out by security.
Clinton is visiting the battleground state of Iowa for the first time since her narrow win in the lead-off caucuses.
Earlier, Clinton accused Republican opponent Donald Trump of inciting violence with his call for gun rights activists to stop her from nominating liberal US Supreme Court justices.
Clinton’s comments added to a growing outcry over Trump’s remarks at a North Carolina rally, which some interpreted as a call for violence against his White House rival.
His remarks also fuelled concerns about his ability to stay on track.
NEW YORK: Man climbing Trump tower with suction cups
In his remarks on Tuesday Trump said of Clinton: “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks.
“Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know,” he continued.
The US Constitution’s Second Amendment guarantees a right to keep and bear arms.
“Words matter, my friends,” the former US secretary of state said at the Des Moines, rally.
“And if you are running to be president or you are president of the United States, words can have tremendous consequences.
“Yesterday, we witnessed the latest in a long line of casual comments from Donald Trump that crossed the line,” she said, citing “his casual inciting of violence. Every single one of these incidences shows us that Donald Trump simply does not have the temperament to be president and commander in chief of the United States.”
Trump insisted in an interview with Fox News that his remarks were a call for political, not physical, action.
“There is tremendous political power to save the Second Amendment, tremendous,” the New York businessman said.
“And you look at the power they have in terms of votes and that’s what I was referring to, obviously that’s what I was referring to, and everybody knows it.”
But high-profile Republicans and rank-and-file voters appeared shaken on Wednesday after a string of Trump missteps.
Some pledged to withhold their endorsement and others backed Clinton.
Some sought for an unprecedented way to oust Trump from the Republican ticket.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, said the party was in “uncharted waters” and called for leaders to look for ways to replace him.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll taken from August 5-8, showed that nearly one-fifth of 396 registered Republicans said they want Trump to drop out of the race for the White House.
Clinton’s campaign moved to bring disenchanted Republicans into the fold by announcing an intraparty outreach effort on behalf of the Democratic nominee.
Clinton’s campaign now has a website for Republicans and political independents to sign up to pledge their support, listing 50 prominent Republicans and independents who have endorsed her so far, including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Trump’s comment and the resulting backlash occurred as Reuters/Ipsos polling showed some 44 per cent of 1162 registered voters believe Trump should exit the race for the US presidency, and that as of Tuesday, Clinton led Trump by more than 7 percentage points.LUCKNOW: Hindu women protesting the arrest of their men and the ‘false’ cases lodged against them; horrified Muslim gang-rape survivors in relief camps; harassment on way to school forcing Hindu girls to stay at home; mass ‘panic’ marriages of Muslims girls from victim families.Women have borne the brunt of the September riots in western UP, which were perpetuated in the name of saving their honour. The communal violence, in which 65 people were killed and over 60,000 displaced, only reinforced the region’s deep-rooted patriarchy.Over a dozen women panchayats have taken place in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Shamli in the past one month. “Such panchayats are adding to the tension and we cannot stop them because any mishandling of women will only deepen the crisis,” says a police officer.While local leaders justify these ‘armed’ panchayats, saying the women are only protesting against the injustice being meted out to their men, some dailies have published photographs glorifying the women who brandished countrymade pistols and swords as ‘chandis’ (goddesses) out to protect their honour.“Women with weapons standing along with their children not only shows the sense of insecurity among them but also how divisive forces have successfully penetrated into the society,” said Manju Bharti, a Muzaffarnagar-based activist. “Communalisation of women means the rift will last for generations.”In sharp contrast to these armed women are the scores of those who were sexually assaulted during the riots and who are now living in relief camps. Activists who visited these camps say rape survivors are devastated and do not want to go back to their native villages, where they were violated and their family members were killed.Over 600 weddings have taken place in the relief camps so far. People claim, somewhat dubiously, that most of the marriages were fixed before the riots and are being solemnized now. Post-riots, new restrictions have also being imposed on the movements of girls. Attendance of girls in schools has registered a huge drop.For the past two years, instances of sexual assault and harassment were used selectively to whip up communal passions, eventually leading to the horrific violence.“Men are constructing ‘fear’ in the name of ‘honour’ and then using it to impose their decision on women,” says activist Roma Malik, who visited the affected areas recently. “Violence against women is common in both the communities, but this time it has been given a communal colour, making it a double whammy.”Muslim rape survivors are keeping quiet, fearing stigma. Many Hindu women, their men behind bars, fear they may be targeted now. And the fear of something untoward happening is making Hindu girls drop out of schools and forcing Muslim families to marry off their daughters.“The communal forces which instigated the riots have hijacked the khap panchayats infamous for issuing Talibani diktats against the women,” says Madhu Garg, state secretary, All India Democratic Women’s Association, who has prepared a report on the riots after visiting the affected areas.All this does not bode well for the status of women. The sex ratio in Muzaffarnagar is an abysmal 889 females per 1,000 males and the child sex ratio is a pathetic 863. Female literacy is 58.69% against the average of 69.12%. Most girls drop out of school after Class 10. Crimes against women are common in the region.“Muzaffarnagar is also known for honour killings, an average of one to two in a month,” Garg said. “Today, young girls of both communities are greatly affected — they fear even going to school or college. The irony is the government is also playing into the hands of religious hardliners and panchayat leaders.”"The Juice" redirects here. For other uses, see Juice (disambiguation)
Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed The Juice, is an American former running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman, and convicted robber.
Simpson attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he played football for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. He played professionally as a running back in the NFL for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1. He is the only player to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in the 14-game regular season NFL format.
Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After retiring from football, he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting.
In 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. He was acquitted by a jury after a lengthy and internationally publicized trial. The families of the victims subsequently filed a civil suit against him, and in 1997 a civil court awarded a $33.5 million judgment against him for the victims' wrongful deaths.
In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with the felonies of armed robbery and kidnapping.[1] In 2008, he was convicted and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole.[2] He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center near Lovelock, Nevada.[3] Simpson was granted parole on July 20, 2017. He was eligible for release from prison on October 1, 2017, and was released on that date.[4][5]
Early life
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Simpson is a son of Eunice (née Durden), a hospital administrator, and Jimmy Lee Simpson, a chef and bank custodian.[6] His father was a well-known drag queen in the San Francisco Bay Area. Later in life, Jimmy Simpson announced that he was gay. He died of AIDS.[7][8]
Simpson's maternal grandparents were from Louisiana, and his aunt gave him the name Orenthal, which she said was the name of a French actor she liked.[9] Simpson has one brother, Melvin Leon "Truman" Simpson, one living sister, Shirley Simpson-Baker, and one deceased sister, Carmelita Simpson-Durio. As a child, Simpson developed rickets and wore braces on his legs until the age of five,[10] giving him his bowlegged stance.[11] His parents separated in 1952, and Simpson was raised by his mother.[12]
Simpson grew up in San Francisco and lived with his family in the housing projects of the Potrero Hill neighborhood.[13] In his early teenage years, he joined a street gang called the Persian Warriors and was briefly incarcerated at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center.[10] Future wife Marquerite, his childhood sweetheart, described Simpson as "really an awful person then";[14] after his third arrest, a meeting with Willie Mays during which the baseball star encouraged Simpson to avoid trouble helped persuade him to reform.[11] At Galileo High School (currently Galileo Academy of Science and Technology) in San Francisco, Simpson played for the school football team, the Galileo Lions.
Although Simpson was an All-City football player at Galileo, his mediocre high-school grades prevented him from attracting the interest of many college recruiters. After a childhood friend's injury in the Vietnam War influenced Simpson to stay out of the military, he enrolled at City College of San Francisco in 1965.[11] He played football both ways as a running back and defensive back and was named to the Junior College All-American team as a running back.[15] City College won the Prune Bowl against Long Beach State, and many colleges sought Simpson as a transfer student for football.[11]
Simpson chose to attend the University of Southern California (USC), which he had admired as a young football fan,[11] over the University of Utah and played running back for head coach John McKay in 1967 and 1968.[16] Simpson led the nation in rushing both years under McKay: in 1967 with 1,543 yards and 13 touchdowns, and in 1968 with 1,880 yards on 383 carries.[17]
As a junior in 1967, Simpson was a close runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting to quarterback Gary Beban of UCLA. In that year's Victory Bell rivalry game between the teams, USC was down by six points in the fourth quarter with under eleven minutes remaining. On their own 36, USC backup quarterback Toby Page called an audible on third and seven. Simpson's 64-yard touchdown run tied the score, and the extra point provided a 21–20 lead, which was the final score.[18] This was the biggest play in what is regarded as one of the greatest football games of the 20th century.[19]
Another dramatic touchdown in the same game is the subject of the Arnold Friberg oil painting, O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight. Simpson also won the Walter Camp Award in 1967 and was a two-time consensus All-American.[20]
Simpson was an aspiring track athlete; in 1967 he lost a 100 m race at Stanford against the then-British record holder Menzies Campbell.[21] Prior to playing football at Southern Cal, he ran in the USC sprint relay quartet that broke the world record in the 4 x 110-yard relay at the NCAA track championships in Provo, Utah on June 17, 1967.[22]
As a senior in 1968, Simpson rushed for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns in the regular season, earning the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award. He still holds the record for the Heisman's largest margin of victory, defeating runner-up Leroy Keyes by 1,750 points. In the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, #2 USC faced top-ranked Ohio State; Simpson ran for 171 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run in a 27–16 loss.[23]
Buffalo Bills
Simpson breaking the NFL's single-season rushing record in 1973
The first selection 1969 AFL-NFL Common Draft was held by the AFL's Buffalo Bills, after finishing 1–12–1 in 1968. They took Simpson, but he demanded what was then the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. This led to a standoff with Bills' owner Ralph Wilson, as Simpson threatened to become an actor and skip professional football. Eventually, Wilson agreed to pay Simpson.[24][25]
Simpson entered professional football with high expectations,[24][25] but struggled in his first three years, averaging only 622 yards per season.[26] Bills coach John Rauch, not wanting to build an offense around one running back, assigned Simpson to do blocking and receiving duties at the expense of running the ball. In 1971, Rauch resigned as head coach and the Bills brought in Harvey Johnson.[24][27][28] Despite Johnson devising a new offense for Simpson, Simpson was still ineffective that year. After the 1971 season, the Bills fired Johnson and brought in Lou Saban as head coach.[24] Unlike Rauch, Saban made Simpson the centerpiece of the Bills offense.[29]
In 1972, Simpson rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, gaining a league-leading total of 1,251 yards. In 1973, Simpson became the first player to break the highly coveted 2,000 yard rushing mark, with 2,003 total rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.[26][30] Simpson broke the mark during the last game of the season against the New York Jets with a 7-yard rush. That same game also saw Simpson break Jim Brown's single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards.[31] For his performance, Simpson won that year's NFL MVP Award and Bert Bell Award.[32][33] While other players have broken the 2,000-yard mark since Simpson, his record was established in a time when the NFL only had 14 games per season, as opposed to the 16-game seasons that began in 1978.[34]
Simpson gained more than 1,000 rushing yards for each of his next three seasons. He did not lead the league in rushing in 1974, but did cross the 1,000-yard barrier despite a knee injury.[35] In game 11 of 1974, he passed Ken Willard as the rushing leader among active players, a position he maintained until his retirement over five seasons later. Simpson also made his first and only playoff appearance during the 1974 season. In a divisional game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Simpson rushed for 49 yards on 15 attempts and caught a touchdown pass, but the Bills lost the game 32–14.[36]
Simpson won the rushing title again in 1975, rushing for 1,817 yards and 16 touchdowns. Simpson also had a career-high 426 receiving yards and 7 receiving touchdowns that season.[26] Simpson once again led the league in rushing in 1976, rushing for 1,503 yards and 8 touchdowns.[26] Simpson had the best game of his career during that season's Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions on November 25. In that game, Simpson rushed for a then-record 273 yards on 29 attempts and scored two touchdowns. Despite Simpson's performance, the Bills would lose the game 27–14.[37]
Simpson played in only seven games in 1977, as his season was cut short by injury.[9]
San Francisco 49ers
Before the 1978 season, the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown San Francisco 49ers for a series of draft picks.[38] Simpson played in San Francisco for two seasons, rushing for 1,053 yards and four touchdowns.[26] His final NFL game was on December 16, 1979, a 31–21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.[39] His final play was a 10-yard run on 3rd and 10 for a first down.[40]
Career summary
Simpson gained 11,236 rushing yards, placing him 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list when he retired; he now stands at 21st. He was named NFL Player of the Year in 1973, and played in six Pro Bowls. He was the only player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14-game season and he's the only player to rush for over 200 yards in six different games in his career. From 1972 to 1976, Simpson averaged 1,540 rushing yards per (14 game) season, 5.1 yards per carry, and he won the NFL rushing title four times.[26] Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.[41]
Simpson played in only one playoff game during his 11-season Hall of Fame career: a 1974 Divisional Playoff between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Simpson was held to 49 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 37 yards, and one touchdown, and the Bills lost 14-32 to the team which went on to win Super Bowl IX.[citation needed]
Simpson acquired the nickname "Juice" as a play on "O.J.", a common abbreviation for "orange juice". "Juice" is also a colloquial synonym for electricity or electrical power, and hence a metaphor for any powerful entity; the Bills' offensive line at Simpson's peak was nicknamed "The Electric Company".[42]
NFL records
Fastest player to gain 1,000 rushing yards in season: 1,025 in 7 games in 1973 and 1,005 in 7 games in 1975 (tied with Terrell Davis). [43]
Fastest player to gain 2,000 rushing yards in season: 2,003 in 14 games in 1973.
Most rushing yards per game in a season: 143.1 per game in 1973.
NFL career statistics
Legend Led the league NFL record AP NFL MVP & Offensive Player of the Year Bold Career high
Season Rushing Receiving Year Team GP GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Rec Yds TD Lng Y/R R/G Y/G 1969 BUF 13 0 181 697 2 32 3.9 53.6 13.9 30 343 3 55 11.4 2.3 26.4 1970 BUF 8 8 120 488 5 56 4.1 61.0 15.0 10 139 0 36 13.9 1.3 17.4 1971 BUF 14 14 183 742 5 46 4.1 53.0 13.1 21 162 0 38 7.7 1.5 11.6 1972 BUF 14 14 292 1,251 6 94 4.3 89.4 20.9 27 198 0 25 7.3 1.9 14.1 1973 BUF 14 14 332 2,003 12 80 6.0 143.1 23.7 6 70 0 24 11.7 0.4 5.0 1974 BUF 14 14 270 1,125 3 41 4.2 80.4 19.3 15 189 1 29 12.6 1.1 13.5 1975 BUF 14 14 329 1,817 16 88 5.5 129.8 23.5 28 426 7 64 15.2 2.0 30.4 1976 BUF 14 13 290 1,503 8 75 5.2 107.4 20.7 22 259 1 43 11.8 1.6 18.5 1977 BUF 7 7 126 557 0 39 4.4 79.6 18.0 16 138 0 18 8.6 2.3 19.7 1978 SF 10 10 161 593 1 34 3.7 59.3 16.1 21 172 2 19 8.2 2.1 17.2 1979 SF 13 8 120 460 3 22 3.8 35.4 9.2 7 46 0 14 6.6 0.5 3.5 Career 135 116 2,404 11,236 61 94 4.7 83.2 17.8 203 2,142 14 64 10.6 1.5 15.9 9 yrs BUF 112 98 2,123 10,183 57 94 4.8 90.9 19.0 175 1,924 12 64 11.0 1.6 17.2 2 yrs SF 23 18 281 1,053 4 34 3.7 45.8 12.2 28 218 2 19 7.8 1.2 9.5
[26]
Acting career
Even before his retirement from the NFL, Simpson embarked on a film career with parts in films such as the television mini-series Roots (1977), and the dramatic motion pictures The Klansman (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Cassandra Crossing (1976) and Capricorn One (1978). In 1979, he started his own film production company, Orenthal Productions, which dealt mostly in made-for-TV fare such as the family-oriented Goldie and the Boxer films with Melissa Michaelsen (1979 and 1981), and Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983), the pilot for a proposed detective series on NBC.[citation needed] He also starred in the comedic Back to the Beach (1987) and The Naked Gun trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994).
Besides his acting career, Simpson worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC.[44] He also appeared in the audience of Saturday Night Live during its second season and hosted an episode during its third season.[45]
Frogmen
Simpson starred in the un-televised two-hour-long film pilot for Frogmen, an A-Team-like adventure series that Warner Bros. Television completed in 1994, a few months before the murders. NBC had not yet decided whether to order the series when Simpson's arrest cancelled the project. While searching his home, the police obtained a videotaped copy of the pilot as well as the script and dailies. Although the prosecution investigated reports that Simpson, who played the leader of a group of former United States Navy SEALs, received "a fair amount of" military training—including use of a knife—for Frogmen, and there is a scene in which he holds a knife to the throat of a woman, this material was not introduced as evidence during the trial.[46]
NBC executive Warren Littlefield said in July 1994 that the network would probably never air the pilot if Simpson were convicted; if he were acquitted, however, one television journalist speculated that "Frogmen would probably be on the air before the NBC peacock could unfurl its plume".[47] Most pilots that are two hours long are aired as TV movies whether or not they are ordered as series. Because—as the Los Angeles Times later reported—"the appetite for all things O.J. appeared insatiable" during the trial, Warner Bros. and NBC estimated that a gigantic, Super Bowl-like television audience would have watched the Frogmen film. Co-star Evan Handler said that the studio's decision not to air it or release it on home video, and forego an estimated $14 million in profits, was "just about the only proof you have that there is some dignity in the advertising and television business".[46]
Juiced
In 2006, Simpson starred in his own improv, hidden-camera prank TV show, Juiced. Typical of the genre, Simpson would play a prank on everyday people while secretly filming them and at the end of each prank, he would shout, "You've been Juiced!" Less typical, each episode opened with topless strippers dancing around Simpson, who is dressed as a pimp. He sings his own rap song, which includes the lyrics "Don't you know there's no stopping the Juice / When I'm on the floor I'm like a lion on the loose / Better shoot me with a tranquilizer dart / Don't be stupid, I'm not a Simpson named Bart." In one episode, Simpson is at a used car lot in Las Vegas where he attempts to sell his white Bronco (made famous during the chase in Los Angeles prior to his arrest). A bullet hole in the front of the SUV is circled with his autograph, and he pitches it to a prospective buyer by saying that if they "ever get into some trouble and have to get away, it has escapability."[48] In another sketch called "B-I-N-G-O.J.", Simpson pretends to be having an affair with another man's girlfriend. Later he transforms into an old white man whose dying wish is to call a game of bingo. Juiced aired as a one-time special on pay-per-view television and was later released on DVD.[49]
Filmography
Endorsements
In 1975, People magazine described Simpson as "the first black athlete to become a bona fide lovable media superstar."[14] Chuck Barnes helped him form business relationships with Chevrolet and ABC early in his career. By 1971, New York wrote that Simpson was already wealthy enough to, "retire this week if [he] wanted to."[53] His amiable persona and natural charisma landed Simpson numerous endorsement deals. From 1975, he appeared in advertisements with the Hertz rental car company, in whose commercials he was depicted running through airports, serving as an embodiment of speed;[54] Simpson estimated that the very successful campaign raised the recognition rate among people he met from 30% to 90%.[11] He was also a longtime spokesman for Pioneer Chicken and owned two franchises, one of which was destroyed during the 1992 Los Angeles riots; as well as HoneyBaked Ham, the pX Corporation, and Calistoga Water Company's line of Napa Naturals soft drinks. He also appeared in comic book ads for Dingo cowboy boots.
Family life
Simpson with his daughter, Sydney Brooke in 1986
At age 19 on June 24, 1967, Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley. Together, they had three children: Arnelle L. Simpson (b. 1968), Jason L. Simpson (b. 1970), and Aaren Lashone Simpson (1977–1979). In August 1979, Aaren drowned in the family's swimming pool.[55][56]
Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977, while she was working as a waitress at the nightclub "The Daisy".[57][58] Although still married to his first wife, Simpson began dating Brown. Simpson and Marguerite divorced in March 1979.[59][60](pp126–28)
Brown and Simpson were married on February 2, 1985, five years after his retirement from professional football.[61] The couple had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (b. 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (b. 1988).[62] The marriage lasted seven years, during which Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989.[63] Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences.[60](p136) In 1993, after the divorce, Brown and Simpson made an attempt at reconciliation, but according to Sheila Weller "they were a dramatic, fractious, mutually obsessed couple before they married, after they married, after they divorced in 1992, and after they reconciled."[64]
Legal history
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murders and trials
Criminal trial for murder
Simpson's mugshot, June 17, 1994
On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Nicole's condo in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Simpson was a person of interest in their murders. Simpson did not turn himself in, and on June 17 he became the object of a low-speed pursuit in a white 1993 Ford Bronco SUV owned and driven by Al Cowlings.[65] TV stations interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast the incident live. With an estimated audience of 95 million people, the event was described as "the most famous ride on American shores since Paul Revere's".[66] The pursuit, arrest, and trial were among the most widely publicized events in American history. The trial, often characterized as the Trial of the Century because of its international publicity similar to that of Sacco and Vanzetti and the Lindbergh kidnapping, culminated after eleven months on October 3, 1995, when the jury rendered a verdict of "not guilty" for the two murders. An estimated 100 million people nationwide tuned in to watch or listen to the verdict announcement.[67] Following Simpson's acquittal, no additional arrests or convictions related to the murders were made.
Immediate reaction to the verdict was known for its division along racial lines: a poll of Los Angeles County residents showed that most African Americans there felt that justice had been served by the "not guilty" verdict, while the majority of whites and Latinos expressed an opinion that it had not.[68] O. J. Simpson's integrated defense counsel included Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, Robert Shapiro, and F. Lee Bailey. Marcia Clark was the lead prosecutor for the State of California.[69][70]
According to a 2016 poll, 83% of white Americans and 57% of black Americans believe Simpson was guilty of the murders.[
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Despite his photography experience, he’d never made a video before in his life. Weiss says he’s been touched by McAfee’s willingness to let him spread his wings in messaging for the ticket, and he does not think he could see fit to be a vice president for any other nominee.
He’s also touched that McAfee, who himself has accusations of being complicit in the 2012 murder of a neighbor in Belize hanging over his head, trusted him even though Weiss also has what he insists is an example of justice perverted in his past: an arrest, trial (with hung jury) and eventual pleading out to lesser, non-sex-crime, charges on a rape accusation in 2012. As an L.A. Weekly story explained, Weiss “agreed to the [plea] deal [on charges of false imprisonment] only because the felony false imprisonment charge would ultimately go away, and because the sex crime charges would vanish. And, he said, he had exhausted his resources paying attorneys' fees.”
“John has been very supportive,” Weiss says, even though to many “being falsely accused of a crime like rape is a scarlet letter. I now know from the inside out how dysfunctional and corrupt and broken our justice system is.”
And if their ticket does win, he promises they will “go bolder” in messaging in non-traditional ways. “I do agree with the so-called moderates that we need to focus on being effective,” Weiss says. “But making what we have bland, not giving America an option to be excited about, is a terrible sales tactic. Liberty is: don’t hurt people, enjoy your life. It’s very simple. I can’t be myself when I’m restricted. None of us can. We need to remove our chains as a society to thrive and move forward and do amazing things.”A California man visiting the Big Apple on business disappeared two days before Thanksgiving– and now his family fears for his life.
Steven Reynoso, 30, was last seen leaving the Renaissance Hotel on West 47th Street and Seventh Avenue around 6 p.m. on Nov. 25, shortly after his girlfriend went to catch a Broadway show.
Reynoso, who came to New York with his girlfriend, said he was going to catch up with some friends the night he vanished. He never returned to their hotel room.
Then he missed his flight back to California on the November 26.
“This is not like him. I think something is wrong,” his father, Angel Reynoso, 80, told The Post.
His brother, Hector Reynoso said Steven came to New York to raise money for a hangover cure he sells in California.
“He was supposed to meet with a few business partners in New York,” he explained.
It wasn’t immediately clear if that’s who he was meeting up with the night he disappeared.
“It’s out of character. He would call. We don’t know where he is. He would have gotten in touch ASAP,” his brother explained.
Reynoso’s girlfriend texted him repeatedly, but had no luck.
Family and friends have been monitoring his Instagram page for clues hoping to hear from him, but his account as been inactive since the night he disappeared.
Calls to his cell phone went straight to voicemail. Soon after, the number was disconnected, his family said.
His father said he is prepared for the worst and just wishes for his son to come home.
“We have been trying to contact him for ten days now. He never made it home for Thanksgiving. He was supposed to be here with the family,” he said.
“The day after he went missing his phone died or it was turned off. Now it says not in service. At this point we are prepared for the worst,” he added.
His relatives say the couple was not fighting and have no idea why he never showed up for his flight.
“She waited for him at the airport. He never showed up. She stayed three days in New York after he went missing but nothing,” his father said.
Steven Reynoso was last seen wearing a black peacoat, tennis shoes, and jeans.
He is 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds.
Anyone with information should call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.Getty Images/Pascal Le Segretain Happiness is one of the most important things in life, yet it's also one of the hardest to study.
Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest and most complete studies of adult life ever conducted. Waldinger described some of the secrets to happiness revealed by the study in a recent TED talk.
The study followed two cohorts of white men for 75 years, starting in 1938:
The researchers surveyed the men about their lives (including the quality of their marriages, job satisfaction, and social activities) every two years and monitored their physical health (including chest X-rays, blood tests, urine tests, and echocardiograms) every five years.
They came away with one major finding: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.
In his TED Talk, Waldinger pointed out three key lessons about happiness:
1. Close relationships
The men in both groups of the Harvard study who reported being closer to their family, friends, or community tended to be happier and healthier than their less social counterparts. They also tended to live longer. By comparison, people who said they were lonelier reported feeling less happy. They also had worse physical and mental health, as defined above.
A 2014 review of dozens of studies published in the journal Social and Personality Psychology Compass suggests that loneliness can get in the way of mental functioning, sleep, and well-being, which in turn increases the risk of illness and death.
2. Quality (not quanity) of relationships
It's not just being in a relationship that matters. Married couples who said they argued constantly and had low affection for one another (which study authors defined as "high-conflict marriages") were actually less happy than people who weren't married at all, the Harvard study found.
However, the effect of relationship quality seems to depend somewhat on age. A 2015 study published in the journal Psychology and Aging that followed people for 30 years found that the number of relationships people had was, in fact, more important for people in their 20s, but the quality of relationships had a bigger effect on social and psychological well being when people were in their 30s.
3. Stable, supportive marriages
Being socially connected to others isn't just good for our physical health. It also helps stave off mental decline. People who were married without having divorced, separating, or having "serious problems" until age 50 performed better on memory tests later in life than those who weren't, the Harvard study found.
And other research backs this up. A 2013 study in the journal PLOS ONE found that marriage, among other factors, was linked to a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
All of this suggests that strong relationships are critical to our health.
Society places a lot of emphasis on wealth and "leaning in" to our work, Waldinger said. "But over and over, over these 75 years, our study has shown that the people who fared the best were the people who leaned in to relationships, with family, with friends, with community."
You can watch the full TED talk here.This article is about Erasmus Darwin, who lived 1731–1802. For his descendants with the same name, see Erasmus Darwin (disambiguation)
Erasmus Darwin (12 December 1731 – 18 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist,[1] inventor and poet.
His poems included much natural history, including a statement of evolution and the relatedness of all forms of life.
He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family, which includes his grandsons Charles Darwin and Francis Galton. Darwin was a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a discussion group of pioneering industrialists and natural philosophers.
He turned down an invitation of George III's to become a physician to the King.
Early life and education [ edit ]
Darwin's House in Lichfield, now a museum dedicated to his life and work.
Darwin was born in 1731 at Elston Hall, Nottinghamshire near Newark-on-Trent, England, the youngest of seven children of Robert Darwin of Elston (12 August 1682 – 20 November 1754), a lawyer and physician, and his wife Elizabeth Hill (1702–97). The name Erasmus had been used by a number of his family and derives from his ancestor Erasmus Earle, Common Sergent of England under Oliver Cromwell.[2] His siblings were:
Robert Darwin (17 October 1724 – 4 November 1816)
Elizabeth Darwin (15 September 1725 – 8 April 1800)
William Alvey Darwin (3 October 1726 – 7 October 1783)
Anne Darwin (12 November 1727 – 3 August 1813)
Susannah Darwin (10 April 1729 – 29 September 1789)
Charles Darwin, rector of Elston (28 September 1730 – 24 May 1805)
He was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, then later at St John's College, Cambridge.[3] He obtained his medical education at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. Whether Darwin ever obtained the formal degree of MD is not known. Darwin settled in 1756 as a physician at Nottingham, but met with little success and so moved the following year to Lichfield to try to establish a practice there. A few weeks after his arrival, using a novel course of treatment, he restored the health of a young man whose death seemed inevitable. This ensured his success in the new locale. Darwin was a highly successful physician for more than fifty years in the Midlands. George III invited him to be Royal Physician, but Darwin declined. In Lichfield, Darwin wrote "didactic poetry, developed his system of evolution, and invented amongst other things, a carriage steering mechanism, a manuscript copier and a speaking machine.
Personal life [ edit ]
Darwin married twice and had 14 children, including two illegitimate daughters by an employee, and, possibly, at least one further illegitimate daughter.
In 1757 he married Mary (Polly) Howard (1740–1770). They had four sons and one daughter, two of whom (a son and a daughter) died in infancy:
Charles Darwin (1758–1778)
Erasmus Darwin II (1759–1799)
Elizabeth Darwin (1763, survived 4 months)
Robert Waring Darwin (1766–1848), father of the naturalist Charles Darwin
William Alvey Darwin (1767, survived 19 days)
The first Mrs. Darwin died in 1770. A governess, Mary Parker, was hired to look after Robert. By late 1771, employer and employee had become intimately involved and together they had two illegitimate daughters:
Susanna Parker (1772–1856)
Mary Parker Jr (1774–1859)
Susanna and Mary Jr later established a boarding school for girls. In 1782, Mary Sr (the governess) married Joseph Day (1745–1811), a Birmingham merchant, and moved away.
Darwin may have fathered another child, this time with a married woman. A Lucy Swift gave birth in 1771 to a baby, also named Lucy, who was christened a daughter of her mother and William Swift, but there is reason to believe the father was really Darwin.[4] Lucy Jr. married John Hardcastle in Derby in 1792 and their daughter, Mary, married Francis Boott, the physician.
In 1775 Darwin met Elizabeth Pole, daughter of Charles Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore, and wife of Colonel Edward Pole (1718–1780); but as she was married, Darwin could only make his feelings known for her through poetry. When Edward Pole died, Darwin married Elizabeth and moved to her home, Radbourne Hall, four miles (6 km) west of Derby. The hall and village are these days known as Radbourne. In 1782, they moved to Full Street, Derby. They had four sons, one of whom died in infancy, and three daughters:
Edward Darwin (1782–1829)
Frances Ann Violetta Darwin (1783–1874), married Samuel Tertius Galton, was the mother of Francis Galton
Emma Georgina Elizabeth Darwin (1784–1818)
Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin (1786–1859)
John Darwin (1787–1818)
Henry Darwin (1789–1790), died in infancy.
Harriet Darwin (1790–1825), married Admiral Thomas James Maling
Darwin's personal appearance is described in unflattering detail in his Biographical Memoirs, printed by the Monthly Magazine in 1802. Darwin, the description reads, "was of middle stature, in person gross and corpulent; his features were coarse, and his countenance heavy; if not wholly void of animation, it certainly was by no means expressive. The print of him, from a painting of Mr. Wright, is a good likeness. In his gait and dress he was rather clumsy and slovenly, and frequently walked with his tongue hanging out of his mouth."
Death [ edit ]
Darwin died suddenly on 18 April 1802, weeks after having moved to Breadsall Priory, just north of Derby. The Monthly Magazine of 1802, in its Biographical Memoirs of the Late Dr. Darwin, reports that "during the last few years, Dr. Darwin was much subject to inflammation in his breast and lungs; he had a very serious attack of this disease in the course of the last Spring, from which, after repeated bleedings, by himself and a surgeon, he with great difficulty recovered."
Darwin's death, the Biographical Memoirs continues, "is variously accounted for: it is supposed to have been caused by the cold fit of an inflammatory fever. Dr. Fox, of Derby, considers the disease which occasioned it to have been angina pectoris; but Dr. Garlicke, of the same place, thinks this opinion not sufficiently well founded. Whatever was the disease, it is not improbable, surely, that the fatal event was hastened by the violent fit of passion with which he was seized in the morning."
His body is buried in All Saints Church, Breadsall.
Erasmus Darwin is commemorated on one of the Moonstones, a series of monuments in Birmingham.
Writings [ edit ]
Botanical works and the Lichfield Botanical Society [ edit ]
Darwin formed the Lichfield Botanical Society (despite the name, composed of only three men, Erasmus Darwin, Sir Brooke Boothby and Mr John Jackson, proctor of Lichfield Cathedral[notes 1]) to translate the works of the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus from Latin into English. This took seven years. The result was two publications: A System of Vegetables between 1783 and 1785, and The Families of Plants in 1787. In these volumes, Darwin coined many of the English names of plants that we use today.
Darwin then wrote The Loves of the Plants, a long poem, which was a popular rendering of Linnaeus' works. Darwin also wrote Economy of Vegetation, and together the two were published as The Botanic Garden. Among other writers he influenced were Anna Seward and Maria Jacson.
Zoonomia [ edit ]
Darwin's most important scientific work, Zoonomia (1794–1796), contains a system of pathology and a chapter on 'Generation'. In the latter, he anticipated some of the views of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, which foreshadowed the modern theory of evolution. Erasmus Darwin's works were read and commented on by his grandson Charles Darwin the naturalist. Erasmus Darwin based his theories on David Hartley's psychological theory of associationism.[8] The essence of his views is contained in the following passage, which he follows up with the conclusion that one and the same kind of living filament is and has been the cause of all organic life:
Would it be too bold to imagine, that in the great length of time, since the earth began to exist, perhaps millions of ages before the commencement of the history of mankind, would it be too bold to imagine, that all warm-blooded animals have arisen from one living filament, which THE GREAT FIRST CAUSE endued with animality, with the power of acquiring new parts, attended with new propensities, directed by irritations, sensations, volitions, and associations; and thus possessing the faculty of continuing to improve by its own inherent activity, and of delivering down those improvements by generation to its posterity, world without end![9]
Erasmus Darwin also anticipated survival of the fittest in Zoönomia mainly when writing about the "three great objects of desire" for every organism: "lust, hunger, and security."[9] A similar "survival of the fittest" view in Zoönomia is Erasmus' view on how a species "should" propagate itself. Erasmus' idea that "the strongest and most active animal should propagate the species, which should thence become improved".[9] Today, this is called the theory of survival of the fittest. His grandson Charles Darwin, much less libidinous and who led more of an invalid life, and who is not known to have illegitimately fathered children, or fathered children he did not plan, acknowledge and raise, posited the different and fuller theory of natural selection. Charles' theory was that natural selection is the inheritance of changed genetic characteristics that are better adaptations to the environment; these are not necessarily based in "strength" and "activity", which themselves ironically can lead to the overpopulation that results in natural selection yielding nonsurvivors of genetic traits.
Erasmus Darwin was familiar with the earlier proto-evolutionary thinking of James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, and cited him in his 1803 work Temple of Nature.
Poem on evolution [ edit ]
Erasmus Darwin offered the first glimpse of his theory of evolution, obliquely, in a question at the end of a long footnote to his popular poem The Loves of the Plants (1789), which was republished throughout the 1790s in several editions as The Botanic Garden. His poetic concept was to anthropomorphise the stamen (male) and pistil (female) sexual organs, as bride and groom. In this stanza on the flower Curcuma (also Flax and Turmeric) the "youths" are infertile, and he devotes the footnote to other examples of neutered organs in flowers, insect castes, and finally associates this more broadly with many popular and well-known cases of vestigial organs (male nipples, the third and fourth wings of flies, etc.)
Woo'd with long care, CURCUMA cold and shy
Meets her fond husband with averted eye:
Four beardless youths the obdurate beauty move
With soft attentions of Platonic love.
Darwin's final long poem, The Temple of Nature was published posthumously in 1803. The poem was originally titled The Origin of Society. It is considered his best poetic work. It centres on his own conception of evolution. The poem traces the progression of life from micro-organisms to civilised society. The poem contains a passage that describes the struggle for existence.[10]
His poetry was admired by Wordsworth, although Coleridge was intensely critical, writing, "I absolutely nauseate Darwin's poem". It often made reference to his interests in science; for example botany and steam engines.
Education of women [ edit ]
The last two leaves of Darwin's A plan for the conduct of female education in boarding schools (1797) contain a book list, an apology for the work, and an advert for "Miss Parkers School". The work probably resulted from his liaison with Mary Parker.[citation needed] The school advertised on the last page is the one he set up in Ashbourne, Derbyshire for their two illegitimate children, Susanna and Mary.
Darwin regretted that a good education had not been generally available to women in Britain in his time, and drew on the ideas of Locke, Rousseau, and Genlis in organising his thoughts. Addressing the education of middle class girls, Darwin argued that amorous romance novels were inappropriate and that they should seek simplicity in dress. He contends that young women should be educated in schools, rather than privately at home, and learn appropriate subjects. These subjects include physiognomy, physical exercise, botany, chemistry, mineralogy, and experimental philosophy. They should familiarise themselves with arts and manufactures through visits to sites like Coalbrookdale, and Wedgwood's potteries; they should learn how to handle money, and study modern languages. Darwin's educational philosophy took the view that men and women should have different, capabilities, skills, spheres, and interests, where the woman's education was designed to support and serve male agency, accomplishment and financial reward and relieve him from daily responsibility for children and chores of life.[11] In the context of the times, this program may be read as a modernising influence in the sense that the woman was at least to learn about the "man's world", although not be allowed to participate in it. However, the text was written seven years after A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft, which has the central argument that women should be educated in a rational manner to give them the opportunity to contribute to society.
Some women of Darwin's era were receiving more substantial educations and participating in the broader world. An example is Susanna Wright, who was raised in Lancashire and became an American colonist associated with the Midlands Enlightenment. It is not known whether Darwin and Wright knew each other, although they definitely knew many people in common. Other women who received substantial educations and who participated in the broader world albeit sometimes anonymously, whom Darwin definitely knew, were Maria Jacson and Anna Seward.
Lunar Society [ edit ]
The Lunar Society: these dates indicate the year in which Darwin became friends with these people, who, in turn, became members of the Lunar Society. The Lunar Society existed from 1765 to 1813.
Before 1765:
Matthew Boulton, originally a buckle maker in Birmingham
John Whitehurst of Derby, maker of clocks and scientific instruments, pioneer of geology
After 1765:
Darwin also established a lifelong friendship with Benjamin Franklin, who shared Darwin's support for the American and French revolutions. The Lunar Society was instrumental as an intellectual driving force behind England's Industrial Revolution.
The members of the Lunar Society, and especially Darwin, opposed the slave trade. He attacked it in The Botanic Garden (1789–1791), and in The Loves of Plants (1789), The Economy of Vegetation (1791), and the Phytologia (1800).[12]
Other activities [ edit ]
In addition to the Lunar Society, Erasmus Darwin belonged to the influential Derby Philosophical Society, as did his brother-in-law Samuel Fox (see family tree below). He experimented with the use of air and gases to alleviate infections and cancers in patients. A Pneumatic Institution was established at Clifton in 1799 for clinically testing these ideas. He conducted research into the formation of clouds, on which he published in 1788. He also inspired Robert Weldon's Somerset Coal Canal caisson lock.
Mary Shelley in her introduction to the 1831 edition of Frankenstein notes that some unspecified "experiments of Dr. Darwin" were part of the evening discussion topics leading up to her inspiration and creation of her novel.[13]
Cosmological speculation [ edit ]
Contemporary literature dates the cosmological theories of the Big Bang and Big Crunch to the 19th and 20th centuries. However Erasmus Darwin had speculated on these sorts of events in The Botanic Garden, A Poem in Two Parts: Part 1, The Economy of Vegetation, 1791:[14]
Roll on, ye Stars! exult in youthful prime,
Mark with bright curves the printless steps of Time;
Near and more near your beamy cars approach,
And lessening orbs on lessening orbs encroach; —
Flowers of the sky! ye too to age must yield,
Frail as your silken sisters of the field.
Star after star from Heaven's high arch shall rush,
Suns sink on suns, and systems, systems crush,
Headlong, extinct, to one dark centre fall,
And death and night and chaos mingle all:
— Till o'er the wreck, emerging from the storm,
Immortal Nature lifts her changeful form,
Mounts from her funeral pyre on wings of flame,
And soars and shines, another and the same!
Inventions [ edit ]
Darwin was the inventor of several devices, though he did not patent any. He believed this would damage his reputation as a doctor, and encouraged his friends to patent their own modifications of his designs.
A horizontal windmill, which he designed for Josiah Wedgwood (who would be Charles Darwin's other grandfather, see family tree below).
A carriage that would not tip over (1766).
A steering mechanism for his carriage, known today as the Ackermann linkage, that would be adopted by cars 130 years later (1759).
A speaking machine, which was a mechanical larynx made of wood, silk, and leather and pronounced several sounds so well ‘as to deceive all who heard it unseen’(at Clifton in 1799). [16]
A canal lift for barges.
A minute artificial bird.
A copying machine (1778).
A variety of weather monitoring machines.
Rocket engine [ edit ]
In notes dating to 1779, Darwin made a sketch of a simple hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine, with gas tanks connected by plumbing and pumps to an elongated combustion chamber and expansion nozzle, a concept not to be seen again until one century later.[17][18]
Major publications [ edit ]
Family tree [ edit ]
Appearances [ edit ]
Surviving houses [ edit ]
Erasmus Darwin House, his home in Lichfield, is now a museum dedicated to Erasmus Darwin and his life's work. A school in nearby Chasetown recently converted to Academy status and is now known as Erasmus Darwin Academy.
Works [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Mimosa pudica in normal and touched state. in normal and touched state.
Thigmonasty or seismonasty is the nastic response of a plant or fungus to touch or vibration.[1][2] Conspicuous examples of thigmonasty include many species in the leguminous subfamily Mimosoideae, active carnivorous plants such as Dionaea and a wide range of pollination mechanisms.[3]
Distinctive aspects of thigmonasty [ edit ]
Thigmonasty differs from thigmotropism in that nastic motion is independent of the direction of the stimulus. For example, tendrils from a climbing plant are thigmotropic because they twine around any support they touch, responding in whichever direction the stimulus came from. However, the shutting of a venus fly trap is thigmonastic; no matter what the direction of the stimulus, the trap simply shuts (and later possibly opens).
The time scales of thigmonastic responses tend to be shorter than those of thigmotropic movements because many examples of thigmonasty depend on pre-accumulated turgor or on bistable mechanisms rather than growth or cell division. Certain dramatic examples of rapid plant movement such as the sudden drooping of Mimosa pudica or the trapping action of Dionaea or Utricularia are fast enough to observe without time lapse photography; some take less than a second. Speed is no clear distinction however; for example the re-erection of Mimosa leaves is nastic, but typically takes some 15 to 30 minutes, rather than a second or so. Similarly, re-opening of the Dionaea trap, though also nastic, typically takes days to complete.[4]
Botanical physiologists have discovered signalling molecules called turgorins, that help mediate the loss of turgor.[4] In species with the fastest response time, vacuoles are believed to provide temporary, high speed storage for calcium ions.[5]
Examples of plants exhibiting thigmonasty [ edit ]
Thigmonasty in the Asteraceae [ edit ]
Thigmonasty other than leaf closure occurs in various species of thistles. When an insect lands on a flower, the anthers shrink and rebound, loading the insect with pollen. The effect results from turgor changes in specialized, highly elastic cell walls of the anthers. Similar pollination strategy occurs in Rudbeckia hirta.[6]
Thigmonasty in the Droseraceae [ edit ]
The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) presents a spectacular example of thigmonasty; when an insect lands on a trap formed by two curved lobes of a single leaf, the trap rapidly switches from an open to a closed configuration. Investigators have observed an action potential and changes in leaf turgor that accompany the reflex; they trigger the rapid elongation of individual cells. The common term for the elongation is acid growth although the process does not involve cell division.[7]
Thigmonasty in the Fabaceae [ edit ]
Pulvinus in extended and contracted position
Mimosa pudica is a plant with compound leaves that droop abruptly when stimulated. This is a classic example of thigmonastic action and has attracted detailed investigation. Contact or injury that causes leaflets to deform, will trigger an action potential. The action potential travels through the plant, initiating drooping of the leaflets as it passes. However, it does not pass the pulvinus at the base of a petiole, and so a local disturbance will not cause all the leaves on the plant to collapse.
The pulvinus is a motor structure consisting of a rod of sclerenchyma surrounded by collenchyma. Such pulvini occur widely in the Fabaceae. In its extended position, the cells of the entire collar of collenchyma are distended with water. On receiving the action potential signal, the cells in the lower half of the pulvinus respond by expelling potassium and chlorine ions and taking up of calcium ions. This results in an osmotic gradient that draws water out of the affected cells, so that they temporarily shrink. This pulls the entire structure downward like a folding fan.
Many other Fabaceae react to touch with the same rapid leaf closure motion. The pea vine thigmonastically closes its leaves around a support. Catclaw Brier, a prairie mimosa, native to North America, shuts its leaves on contact. The plant is attractive to herbivores, and this behavior presumably provides protection against grazing.
Thigmonasty in the Oxalidaceae [ edit ]
Sensitive leaves also occur in plants of the wood sorrel family. Examples include many species of Oxalis, Biophytum sensitivum, and Averrhoa carambola (the plant which produces starfruit).
Other forms [ edit ]
Some fungi exhibit trap closure similar to the venus fly trap. Mycologists have discovered action potentials in fungi[8] but it is not currently clear whether they have any significance to thigmonastic behavior.
See also [ edit ]WASHINGTON—According to a study released Tuesday by the Department of Education, a majority of American high school graduates are critically unprepared for the rigors of high school, lacking the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the basic academic requirements of secondary education.
“Upon graduation from high school, most American students are simply not ready to enter a ninth-grade classroom,” said Deputy Education Secretary Anthony Miller, noting that tens of thousands of 18-year-olds now completing their compulsory public educations “would have no idea what was going on” if they were to take even one high-school-level course in English, algebra, or physical science. “Across all subjects, our findings indicate that very few graduating seniors have developed the proficiencies needed to succeed in high school.”
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“We’re handing out diplomas to a whole generation of students who are completely unequipped to handle the four years of education they just finished,” he added.
Miller told reporters that in terms of core academics, almost no recent graduates had acquired the fundamental competencies one must possess to successfully maintain a full high school course load. He suggested that while some might be able to manage one or two high school classes, or perhaps a full-time middle school schedule, in most cases anything more would be “pushing it.”
In addition, Miller stated that the class of 2014’s standardized test scores and measures of writing ability clearly indicated that the vast majority were still “years away” from being able to endure the rigors of a high school education.
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“When you talk to teachers, they all seem to agree on one thing: High school is a challenge today’s high school grads just aren’t up to,” department spokesperson Mike Immelman said. “They’re reading on a level that falls far short of what the curriculum mandates, and their understanding of math and science is riddled with enormous gaps that would need to be filled before they could begin to contend with grades nine through 12.”
“If we want our nation to be competitive in the 21st-century global marketplace, we must invest enough resources to ensure our high school graduates can hack it in high school,” Immelman continued. “Frankly, it’s a good thing these grads aren’t in high school anymore, because in all honesty, they wouldn’t be able to cope with it.”
The study went on to stress that students should not be faulted for their situation, as most of the blame lies with high school teachers and parents who are largely unqualified for teaching and parenthood.Two medical marijuana dispensaries on El Cajon Boulevard have been ordered to shut down. NBC 7's Sherene Tagharobi reports on Nov. 19, 2014. (Published Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014)
Two San Diego marijuana dispensaries on El Cajon Boulevard have been given 24 hours to shutter their operations.
City Attorney Jan Goldsmith says Green Urban Association and the Bakery Collective are operating illegally in zones where a city ordinance forbids medical marijuana cooperatives.
Located behind the SD Smoke Shop and with no exterior signage, Green Urban Association has been operating in North Park since at least Aug. 2013, the city alleges.
Green Urban Association, which sits at 3140 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park, is about two blocks from the Children’s Creative and Performing Arts School and is across the street from the Father Joe’s Villages Boulevard Apartments.
According to Goldsmith, the operators face another violation for operating a marijuana dispensary within 600 feet of a school.
He said the property owners are already under permanent injunction not to maintain a dispensary there or anywhere else in the city.
“They're making money off of this by renting to these dispensaries, and I will tell them, it's going to cost them more when I get done with them. So I would suggest they rent to a legal use,” said Goldsmith.
The dispensary has posted the court order on its front door.
Property owners of the Bakery Collective, located at 6559 El Cajon Boulevard in the College Area, have already settled with city, agreeing to pay investigative costs and civil penalties.
However, people were still seen coming and going from the business Wednesday while security guard stood outside.
More than 200 unpermitted marijuana dispensaries have been closed down through the city attorney in the last four years. Just last week, a dispensary in Mission Valley was ordered to shut down.
Despite raid and court orders, the City Attorney’s Office is continually chasing dispensaries that simply pop up in another location.
“They're basically sticking their nose out to council and the neighborhood and saying we're gonna do whatever we want...have to enforce our laws,” Goldsmith said.
A maximum of 36 dispensaries are allowed within San Diego limits, given certain restrictions, but those shops need permits to be legal.
In 2011, the city ramped up its efforts to file lawsuits against property owners and dispensary operators violating the city’s zoning regulations.
“When we see an effort to play whack ‘em all, we give that special effort,” said Goldsmith. “They're special problems, and we will hold them to a higher standard as far as our remedies.”A grassroots religious movement called Christians Against Dinosaurs contends that dinosaurs are a hoax perpetrated on the public by the paleontology community in exchange for “millions of dollars, a pat on the back by the liberally biased media, and a big high-five from all the feminists who want to kill babies and scream at their bodies.”
The organization’s website does not lay out a specific agenda or set of beliefs beyond stating that dinosaurs do not exist. It’s easy to wonder if it might be a parody of religious fundamentalism, though its earnestness suggests otherwise. As Poe’s law states, “without a clear indicator of an author’s intended sarcasm, it becomes impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism.”
We got in touch with the group to learn more.
A screenshot from the CAD website.
Christians Against Dinosaurs
A young woman named Kristen Auclair features prominently in the group’s videos, but does not claim any sort of leadership or spokesperson role. “There’s no actual leader,” she told the Daily Dot over the phone. “Our only tenet is to spread information about the anti-dinosaur theory and really educate people.”
The previously mentioned lack of cohesive mission statement is due to the group’s consisting of “lots of different denominations,” said Auclair. “There are some with much deeper scientific backgrounds than mine.” Ms. Auclair declined to name where she works today, having recently left a job in the insurance industry after “dozens and dozens of atheists and horrible, violent people” sent “profanities and vulgarities” to her former employer.
Jeff Wilson is a professor at University of Michigan’s Department of Earth and Environmental Studies and a curator of its Museum of Paleontology. He does not have a favorite dinosaur. “I’m not crazy for dinosaurs in that way,” he said, “and I didn’t grow up interested in them. I’m fascinated by complexity, particularly anatomical complexity—and dinosaurs have that.”
Wilson takes umbrage with this group’s claims. “Scientists have worked out the notion that dinosaurs are real examples of past life,” he told the Daily Dot. “There’s no idea of a dinosaur that someone constructed and then filled in the gaps. Fossils don’t lie, and we can’t make them do things they don’t do. They only go together a certain set of ways.”
Kristen Auclair of Christians Against Dinosaurs denies that the prehistoric creatures ever existed.
Screenshot
The word “dinosaur” was coined in 1842 by biologist Richard Owen, but Wilson explained to us that fossils have been found since the 17th century. “The organic nature of fossils is an issue that was resolved in the late 1600s by Steno. And while there is some ambiguity in certain fragmentary fossils, there are
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fast-tracking a bill that will allow President Barack Obama to approve the TPP free trade agreement.
Revelation About The TPP
The TPP has lived in infamy for quite a bit as the TPP basically gives up sovereignty of the United States to huge powerful corporations, which gives them complete global monopolies over labor practices, immigration, Big Pharma, GMO food and criminalization of garden seeds and much more.
This is awful news as the TPP is essentially handing over 80% of its power to enormous, powerful corporations and monopolies and the TPP is also an enabler to just about any activity that the corporations want to do. This includes obnoxious pricing tags, pollution from dumping toxic waste in random locations and the destruction of labor safety laws.
The worst part of this is that this would end up to one of America's worst problems worsening: jobs being outsourced to other countries. This would wreck the economy greatly.
Essentially, this entire ordeal with the Confederate flag flapping was a mass media mass hysteria event that allowed something actually relevant and horrifying to occur behind everyone's back. This idea that the country is eliminating the support of slavery by banning the flag, but the TPP is essentially enslaving millions regardless of color with this bill.
Americans are basically the property of big corporations and monopolists, and many do not even realize such, which is scary and does not bode well for the United States and its people. Slavery may be coming back with a vengeance.
Once again the elites have triumphed over the people and the rich once again become richer, which has long been the narrative in the United States. It is arguable that this has long been America's biggest weakness and does not seem to be ending anytime soon.In February 1968, the English rock band the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh in northern India to take part in an advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) training course at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The visit followed the group's denunciation of drugs in favour of TM, and received widespread media attention. Led by George Harrison's commitment,[2][3] the band's interest in the Maharishi's teachings changed Western attitudes about Indian spirituality and encouraged the study of Transcendental Meditation. The visit was also the most productive period for the band's songwriting.
The Beatles had intended to join the Maharishi in India soon after attending his seminar in Bangor, in Wales, in late August 1967. Their attendance at the seminar was cut short by the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, after which they committed to making a television film, Magical Mystery Tour. Convinced of the merits of TM, Harrison and John Lennon became spokesmen for the Maharishi's Spiritual Regeneration Movement, as he gained international prominence as the guru to the Beatles. The band members arrived in India in mid February 1968, along with their wives, girlfriends, assistants, and numerous reporters. They joined a group of 60 people who were training to be TM teachers; among the other celebrity meditators were musicians Donovan, Mike Love and Paul Horn, and actress Mia Farrow. While there, Lennon, Paul McCartney and Harrison wrote many songs, and Ringo Starr finished writing his first. Eighteen of those songs were recorded for The Beatles ("the White Album"), two songs appeared on the Abbey Road album, and others were used for various solo projects.
The retreat and the discipline required for meditation was met with varying degrees of commitment from the individual Beatles. Starr left on 1 March, after a ten-day stay; McCartney left later in March to attend to business concerns. Harrison and Lennon departed abruptly on 12 April following rumours of the Maharishi's inappropriate behaviour towards Farrow and another of his female students. The divisive influence of the Beatles' Greek friend Alexis Mardas, financial disagreements, and suspicions that their teacher was taking advantage of the band's fame have also been cited by biographers and witnesses as reasons for the two Beatles' dissatisfaction.
The band's denunciation of the Maharishi proved detrimental to his reputation in the West, and their return from Rishikesh marked the start of a divisive atmosphere that anticipated the group's break-up in 1970. Harrison later apologised for the way that he and Lennon had treated the Maharishi; like many of the other students at the ashram, he said that any allegations of the Maharishi's inappropriate behaviour were unfounded. Harrison gave a benefit concert in 1992 for the Maharishi-associated Natural Law Party. In 2009, McCartney and Starr performed at a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation, which raises funds for the teaching of TM to at-risk students. As a result of continued interest in the Beatles' 1968 retreat, the abandoned ashram was officially opened to the public in 2015 and has been renamed Beatles Ashram.
Background [ edit ]
The Beatles attended Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation (TM) seminar in Bangor in Wales, but their stay was cut short on 27 August 1967 after they learned that their manager, Brian Epstein, had been found dead in his London home. Eager to explore meditation further, the Beatles made plans to travel to the Maharishi's training centre in Rishikesh, India, in late October.[6] At Paul McCartney's urging, however, they postponed the trip until the new year to work on their Magical Mystery Tour film project, since he was concerned that, with the loss of Epstein, the band should first focus on their career. The two most committed to the Maharishi's teachings, George Harrison and John Lennon appeared twice on David Frost's television program in autumn 1967 to espouse the benefits of TM.
Now publicised as "The Beatles' Guru", the Maharishi went on his eighth world tour, giving lectures in Britain, Scandinavia, West Germany, Italy, Canada and California.[10] Harrison introduced Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys to the Maharishi when he and Lennon joined their teacher at a UNICEF benefit in Paris in December. Wilson's bandmate Mike Love described the Maharishi's lecture to them as "awe-inspiring" and "the most profound experience I'd ever felt".[nb 1] Having long shared Harrison's interest in meditation and Indian religious texts, Scottish singer Donovan also recognised the Maharishi as the "guide" they had been searching for.
The Maharishi received considerable media coverage in the West, particularly in the United States, where Life magazine devoted a cover article to the TM phenomenon and declared 1968 "the Year of the Guru". Many members of the mainstream press remained suspicious of the Maharishi's motives, however; the British satirical magazine Private Eye nicknamed him "Veririchi Lotsamoney Yogi Bear".[19] Lennon defended the Maharishi's requirement that his students donate a week's wages to his organisation, the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, saying that it was "the fairest thing I've heard of". Lennon added: "So what if he's commercial? We're the most commercial group in the world!" The Beatles were nevertheless concerned that the Maharishi appeared to be using their name for self-promotion. According to Peter Brown, who had temporarily assumed Epstein's role following his death, the Maharishi was negotiating with ABC in the US to make a television special featuring the band. In an effort to stop him from pursuing this venture, Brown twice visited the Maharishi in Malmö, Sweden – on the second occasion with Harrison and McCartney – only for him to "giggle" in response. In Brown's description, Harrison defended their teacher, saying: "He's not a modern man. He just doesn't understand these things."
Harrison flew to Bombay in January 1968 to work on the Wonderwall Music soundtrack, expecting the rest of the group to follow shortly. When they were delayed he flew back to London. The group then spent a week in the studio, recording songs for a single that would be released while they were away on their spiritual retreat. The song chosen as the B-side, Harrison's "The Inner Light", was mostly recorded in Bombay and featured Indian instrumentation and lyrics espousing meditation as a means to genuine understanding of the world. Although it remained unreleased until late 1969, Lennon's "Across the Universe" contained the refrain "Jai Guru Deva", which was a standard greeting in the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. Aside from the celebrity musicians who now endorsed TM, the Maharishi had gained the support of American film star Mia Farrow while in New York. In late January, amid the publicity surrounding her separation from her husband, Frank Sinatra, Farrow accompanied the Maharishi to India in advance of the Beatles' departure from London.
Arrivals [ edit ]
It hadn't seemed very long ago that John Lennon had declared, casually, but catastrophically, that religious disciples were " thick and ordinary ". Now, in mid-February 1968, a stunned world looked on as pop's reluctant anti-Christs found themselves chasing a self-proclaimed guru halfway across the globe in search of spiritual guidance. – Author and journalist Mark Paytress, 2003
The Beatles and their entourage travelled to Rishikesh in two separate groups. Lennon, his wife Cynthia, Harrison and his wife, Pattie Boyd, together with the latter's sister Jenny, arrived in Delhi on 15 February. They were met by Mal Evans, their advance man, who had arranged the 150-mile (240 km), six-hour taxi drive to Rishikesh. Once there, the party walked across the Lakshman Jhula footbridge, over the River Ganges, and up the hill to the Maharishi's ashram. McCartney, his girlfriend Jane Asher, Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen all landed in Delhi on 19 February. Since the press were now expecting McCartney and Starr's party, after the arrival of the first group, their party was subjected to constant attention. As soon as Starr arrived, he asked Evans to take him to a doctor because of a reaction to an inoculation.[37] As a result, Starr, McCartney and their partners stayed overnight in Delhi, and then travelled to Rishikesh with Evans early on 20 February.
The Lakshman Jhula suspension bridge over the River Ganges
The Beatles arrived at the ashram three weeks into the course, which was due to end on 25 April.[39] They were followed by a retinue of reporters and photographers, who were mostly kept out of the fenced and gated compound.[40] In addition to Evans, Beatles aide Neil Aspinall were there for much of the time. Alexis "Magic Alex" Mardas, the Greek electronics engineer who had been among the first to recommend the Maharishi to the band in 1967, arrived four weeks later. Denis O'Dell, the head of the Beatles' company Apple Films, also joined the band for a brief time. In his memoir The Love You Make, Brown says that he only learned of the Beatles' intention to leave for India that same month, even though he and the band were committed to launching their multimedia company Apple Corps. He adds: "The mastery of Transcendental Meditation, they hoped, would give them the wisdom to run Apple."
Also there at the same time were Donovan, songwriter and sculptor Gyp "Gypsy Dave" Mills, Mike Love, jazz flautist Paul Horn, actors Tom Simcox and Jerry Stovin,[48] and dozens of others, all Europeans or Americans.[39] Farrow was joined by her sister, Prudence, and their brother John. American socialite Nancy Cooke de Herrera was also present, in her role as the Maharishi's publicist and confidant.[50][nb 2] A lifelong devotee to TM and subsequently an instructor to many celebrities,[53][51] Cooke de Herrara later wrote that the Maharishi gave "special attention" to the celebrity meditators, which she feared would feed their egos and be detrimental to the experience. Although members of the press were barred from the ashram, journalist Lewis Lapham was granted access to write a feature article on the retreat for The Saturday Evening Post.[nb 3] Paul Saltzman, a young Canadian filmmaker who was travelling around India, initially camped outside the compound until invited in and welcomed into the Beatles' circle.[58] Despite speculation, Shirley MacLaine did not attend the retreat,[10] and Lennon, who had thought of bringing his artist friend Yoko Ono, decided against it.
Facility [ edit ]
View of Rishikesh from beach
Located in the "Valley of the Saints" in the foothills of the Himalayas, Rishikesh is a place of religious significance and known as the "yoga capital of the world".[64] The Maharishi's International Academy of Meditation, also called the Chaurasi Kutia ashram,[65] was a 14-acre (57,000 m2) compound surrounded by jungle, set across the Ganges from the town, and 150 feet (46 m) above the river.[66] The facility was designed to suit Western habits;[67][68] Starr later compared the ashram to "a kind of spiritual Butlins" (a low-cost British holiday camp). The bungalows allotted to the Beatles were equipped with electric heaters, running water, toilets, and English-style furniture. According to Cooke de Herrera, the Maharishi obtained many "special items" from a nearby village so that the Beatles' rooms would have mirrors, wall-to-wall carpeting, wall coverings, foam mattresses and bedspreads. She wrote that, compared to the other students' bungalows, the Beatles' cottages "looked like a palace". In Cynthia Lennon's description, her and her husband's bedroom contained a "four-poster bed, a dressing table, a couple of chairs and an electric fire".
Meditation domes at the International Academy of Meditation (pictured in 2006, long after the ashram's closure)
Evans recalled that there were around 40 members of staff, including cooks, cleaners, a joiner, and a full printing department. For the Beatles' stay, four small stone-covered buildings had been constructed along the path down from the main centre to the ashram gates. These dome-shaped rooms included a raised platform, accessed by ladder, on which each Beatle could engage in advanced meditation. The Maharishi's own accommodation was a long, modern-style bungalow located away from the other buildings.
The ashram was surrounded by barbed wire and the gates were kept locked and guarded.[39][75] While the Maharishi kept the media away from his famous students, he himself gave interviews to the press.[39] To the Beatles' gratitude, he asked the reporters to come back after the band had had "a little time with the course".
Experience [ edit ]
The Maharishi had arranged a simple lifestyle for his guests. The days were devoted to meditating and attending lectures by the Maharishi, who spoke from a flower-bedecked platform in an auditorium. He also gave private lessons to the individual Beatles, ostensibly due to their late arrival. The tranquil environment and protection from the media throng helped the band to relax. Harrison told Saltzman, regarding the Beatles' motivation for embracing TM: "We have all the money you could ever dream of. We have all the fame you could ever wish for. But, it isn't love. It isn't health. It isn't peace inside, is it?"[80] In Saltzman's description, Harrison had a genuine dedication to meditation whereas Lennon's approach was "more adolescent … He was looking for 'The Answer'. Well, there isn't The Answer." At their first meeting with the Maharishi after arriving in Rishikesh, Donovan remembers that an awkward silence filled the room initially, until Lennon walked across to the Maharishi and patted him on the head, saying, "There's a good little guru." Everyone in the room then erupted with laughter. Harrison's nickname for their teacher was "the Big M".
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, pictured in Amsterdam in September 1967
In the Maharishi's teaching, there were seven levels of consciousness, and the course would provide students with experience in the fourth of these levels, that of "pure" or transcendental consciousness.[nb 4] While Transcendental Meditation had earned the sobriquet "the McDonald's of meditation" for its quick and simple application, and the Maharishi espoused its scientific basis over religious dogma, strong Vedic and Hindu-aligned aspects remained. His lectures included stories and parables, and comparisons between TM and Western practices, particularly Christianity. He advocated meditation before prayer, and said that Christianity's upholding of Jesus Christ's earthbound suffering as a divine attribute was a "humiliating teaching" and a distraction from self- and God-realisation.
The Maharishi soon cancelled the formal lectures and told students to meditate for as long as possible. One student meditated for 42 straight hours, and Boyd said she once meditated for seven hours. Jenny Boyd meditated for long periods as well, but also suffered from dysentery (misdiagnosed as tonsilitis); she said Lennon also felt unwell, suffering from jet lag and insomnia. The lengthy meditation sessions left many students moody and oversensitive. Several people on the course and the Maharishi were particularly concerned about Prudence Farrow's unwillingness to stop meditating. Like the 60 other students at the ashram, the Beatles adopted native dress and the ashram had a tailor on the premises to make clothes for the students. The women in the Beatles party shopped in local towns and bought saris for themselves and material to be made into shirts and jackets for the men. These towns included Dehradun and Mussoorie, where markets were held by Tibetans who had been driven out of their homeland by Chinese encroachment into Tibet. The Beatles' adoption of traditional Indian clothing affected Western fashion when they wore them after going home. Much of the proceedings at the ashram was filmed by various students on a 16mm handheld camera. Segments of this footage appear in the 1995 television documentary The Beatles Anthology.
John and George were in their element. They threw themselves totally into the Maharishi's teachings, were relaxed and above all had found peace of mind that had been denied them for so long. – Cynthia Lennon
Vegetarian meals were eaten in a communal dining area, where food was vulnerable to aggressive monkeys (Hanuman langurs) and crows. Lennon described the food as "lousy", while Pattie Boyd says it was "delicious". Menu items included chickpeas mixed with cumin seeds, whole wheat dough baked over a fire, spiced eggplant, potatoes that had been picked locally, and, for breakfast, cornflakes, toast and coffee. Evans stockpiled eggs for Starr, who had problems with the diet because of his past illnesses.[37] Starr recalled: "The food was impossible for me because I'm allergic to so many different things. I took two suitcases with me, one of clothes and one full of Heinz beans." After dinner, the musicians gathered on the roof of Harrison's bungalow to talk and listen to the Ganges river. Sometimes they listened to records and played guitar or sitar. Lapham recalled a conversation one evening between members of the Beatles and other students when Lennon described the band's songs as "diaries of its developing consciousness" and said that this progression was also reflected in the photos and artwork used on their albums. Although the weather was quite cool in February, it grew hot over the ensuing weeks. By mid April, the Maharishi was planning to move the whole retreat to Kashmir, at a higher and cooler altitude.
The Beatles' approach to meditation was marked by a friendly competitiveness among the four band members. Lennon was complimentary about Harrison's progress, saying: "The way George is going, he'll be flying a magic carpet by the time he's forty." Boyd recalls that she and Harrison each achieved an "out-of-body experience" through meditation but that, because their individual practice disturbed the other, they decided to move into separate rooms. While Lennon was "evangelical in his enthusiasm for the Maharishi", according to his wife, Cynthia, she herself was "a little more sceptical". Cynthia later wrote that she "loved being in India" and had hoped she and Lennon would "rediscover our lost closeness"; to her disappointment, however, Lennon became "increasingly cold and aloof".[112][nb 5] After two weeks Lennon asked to sleep in a separate room, saying he could only meditate when he was alone. Meanwhile, he walked to the local post office every morning to check for Ono's almost daily telegrams. One of these telegrams read: "Look up at the sky and when you see a cloud think of me".
Songwriting [ edit ]
Donovan taught the Beatles a guitar finger-picking technique that they later incorporated in some of the songs on their 1968 double album commonly known as "the White Album".
Saltzman recalls that the Beatles were "very close and tight" during his time at the ashram.[80] According to the diary kept by one of the Maharishi's aides, Ravindra Damodara, however, at times McCartney "talk[ed] mean" to Harrison and appeared to want to be the Beatles' "boss". Donovan taught Lennon a guitar finger-picking technique that McCartney partly mastered also. The technique was subsequently implemented by Lennon on the Beatles songs "Julia" and "Dear Prudence". The latter was composed by Lennon to lure Prudence Farrow out of her intense meditation. Lennon later said: "She'd been locked in for three weeks and was trying to reach God quicker than anyone else."
The stay at the ashram turned out to be the group's most creative period for songwriting. According to Lennon, he wrote some of the "most miserable" and some of his "best" songs while he was in Rishikesh. Starr completed his first solo composition, "Don't Pass Me By", which he had begun writing in 1963. In his 2005 autobiography, Donovan recalls that while the other three Beatles played acoustic guitars, Starr sometimes played a set of tabla hand drums, which Harrison had bought for him in Delhi. The retreat was also a productive one for Donovan as a songwriter. He recalls having "many a great little jam" with McCartney and says that, with Harrison demonstrating on sitar the knowledge he had gained through his teacher, Ravi Shankar, he and Harrison were "soon chording a new song or two", including the Indian-styled "Hurdy Gurdy Man".[nb 6]
Plans were discussed for a possible concert in Delhi to feature the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Donovan, and Paul Horn. While he also wrote several new songs in Rishikesh, Harrison complained that more time should be spent on meditating. When McCartney discussed his vision for an album containing the songs they had amassed so far, Harrison replied: "We're not fucking here to do the next album. We're here to meditate!" In Donovan's recollection, when not meditating, McCartney was rarely without his guitar and kept the Beatles party "entertained" with parody songs such as "Rocky Raccoon" and "Back in the U.S.S.R.", but he was not "totally convinced" about TM. Many of the Beatles' new songs were inspired by nature and reflected the simplicity of their surroundings. In this way, they contrasted markedly with the band's psychedelic work over the previous year, although few of them were overtly reflective of the TM experience. An exception was "Sour Milk Sea", in which Harrison exhorts listeners to embrace meditation and "illumination", while Lennon's "Child of Nature" and McCartney's "Mother Nature's Son" were both inspired by one of the Maharishi's lectures.[nb 7]
Special events [ edit ]
Group photo, February 1968. Seated in front of the Maharishi are (front row, from left to right): Ringo Starr, Maureen Starkey, Jane Asher, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pattie Boyd, Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon.
In late February, the Maharishi arranged for a group photo of all the students. In Lapham's description, the Maharishi began preparing for the shot early one morning and approached the task as if "the director on a movie set". Instructing his assistants, he oversaw the assembly of a platform of risers, the precise placement of flowers and potted plants in front of the raised stage, and the seating allocation for each of the students from his hand-drawn diagram. The students were then called down to take their allocated seat, surrounding the Maharishi; each member was dressed in traditional Indian attire and adorned with a marigold garland of orange. Lapham commented that the Maharishi had the Beatles positioned "in the center of the set", surrounding him, with the other students "arranged according to the degrees of their celebrity". The Maharishi had a large picture of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati – the guru evoked by Lennon in "Across the Universe"[143] – placed behind him. The Maharishi encouraged his students to present their best "cosmic smiles" to the camera. The photo took half an hour to complete while the participants sat facing the bright morning sun. In 2009, The Hindu described the result as "one of the most iconic photographs in the history of rock 'n' roll".[145][nb 8] For the Beatles' public image, their attire contrasted with the modern, psychedelic clothing they had worn on arrival from London. The photo and others from the shoot were used in Lapham's cover article for The Saturday Evening Post, a magazine that, although in decline by 1968, was influential among America's suburban middle class.[151][nb 9] Saltzman was one of the photographers at the session. His shots from this time were compiled in his book The Beatles in Rishikesh, published in 2000.[153][154]
On 25 February, the Maharishi held a party to celebrate Harrison's 25th birthday. The event included communal chanting, a sitar performance by Harrison, and a firework display. The Maharishi gave Harrison an upside-down plastic globe of the world and said: "George, the globe I am giving you symbolizes the world today. I hope you will help us all in the task of putting it right." Harrison turned the globe over and said "I've done it!", and the other students applauded. For Love's birthday, on 15 March, members of the Beatles and Donovan performed "Spiritual Regeneration/Happy Birthday Mike Love", a song based on the Beach Boys' "Fun, Fun, Fun". Lennon presented Love with a round handmade card containing a self-portrait of him naked, and Harrison gave him a painting of Guru Dev. A dual celebration was held on 17 March for the birthdays of Boyd and Horn. On 8 April, the Maharishi gave an Indian prince's outfit to the Lennons for their son in England on his birthday.
An aviation company owner and patron of the Maharishi's, Kershi Cambata (K.S. Khambatta), flew two helicopters to Rishikesh to take the Maharishi and his guests for rides. Lapham wrote that Cooke de Herrera, a friend of Cambata, had arranged this event to provide what she called a "visitation of modernity". McCartney recalled that he asked Lennon why he was so eager to be the one to go with the Maharishi on his helicopter ride, and that Lennon replied: "I thought he might slip me the Answer."
In early March, an Italian newsreel company filmed the Maharishi and many students, including the Beatles and other musicians, going down to the river while the musicians sang standards such as "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "You Are My Sunshine".[nb 10] One evening when the moon was full, the Maharishi arranged for everyone to cruise on the Ganges in two barges. The trip started with the chanting of Vedas by two pandits, but soon the musicians brought out their instruments. The Beatles sang Donovan's songs, while Love and Donovan sang Beatles songs, and Horn played flute.[166]
Early departures [ edit ]
McCartney and Starr told Lapham that they had each experienced the benefits of meditation but the band's trip to India was more out of support for "George's thing". Starr's wife had a strong aversion to insects;[37] McCartney recalled that Maureen was once "trapped in her room because there was a fly over the door". Spiders, mosquitoes and flies were present at the ashram, and when Starr complained to the Maharishi he was told: "For people travelling in the realm of pure consciousness, flies no longer matter very much." Starr said in reply, "Yes, but that doesn't zap the flies, does it"? Starr disliked the food, and he and Maureen missed their children. The couple left India on 1 March, and on their return to the UK, Starr was keen to avoid the impression that he was no longer interested in TM. He told reporters: "The Academy is a great place and I enjoyed it a lot. I still meditate every day for half an hour in the morning and half an hour every evening and I think I'm a better person for it … If everyone in the world started meditating, the world would be a much happier place."
McCartney and Asher departed in mid to late March.[nb 11] According to Cooke de Herrera's account, McCartney had arranged to get back to London to supervise Apple Corps, and Asher had a theatrical commitment; as he left he told Cooke de Herrera, "I'm a new man." According to what he told Lapham, however, McCartney was uncomfortable with the Maharishi's flattery, particularly his calling the Beatles "the blessed leaders of the world's youth", and he found himself lost in the Maharishi's more elaborate discussions. Damodara wrote that Asher had no interest in meditation, a view echoed by Saltzman, who said that she was eager to visit the Taj Mahal with McCartney. McCartney later said that his intention had always been to stay for only a month, and that he knew he risked accusations from his bandmates that he was not sincere about meditation.
Mia Farrow departed to begin work on a new film in London, where she arrived on 8 March. Described by author Jonathan Gould as "restless", she had left the ashram before to visit Goa, and then returned. In her 1997 autobiography, Farrow recalls that she felt overwhelmed by the Maharishi's attention to her, which included private sessions, gifts of mangoes, and a birthday party where he gave her a paper crown. Love left the retreat on 15 March, having stayed just over two weeks, due to his tour commitments with the Beach Boys, but would complete his TM instructor course in 1972. Donovan departed because he recognised he had a "mission" in music and sought to convey the Maharishi's teachings in that way.[nb 12]
Tensions [ edit ]
Business arrangements and Mardas' arrival [ edit ]
According to Gould, Lennon and Harrison viewed their bandmates' departures as an example of McCartney and Starr "once again balking on the path to higher consciousness", just as the pair, particularly McCartney, had earlier held out before joining them in their LSD experimentation. While Harrison and Lennon remained steadfast in their devotion to meditation, some members of the Beatles' circle continued to be distrustful of the Maharishi's hold on them. Aspinall was surprised when he realised that the Maharishi was a sophisticated negotiator, knowing more than the average person about financial percentages. According to Saltzman, Evans told him that the Maharishi wanted the band to deposit up to 25 per cent of their next album's profits into his Swiss bank account as a tithe, to which Lennon replied, "Over my dead body." In Brown's account, Lennon was not opposed to paying the tithe until Alex Mardas, the Maharishi's "most powerful critic", intervened.
Mardas arrived after McCartney had left.[190] He pointed to the luxury of the facility and the business acumen of the Maharishi and asked Lennon why the Maharishi always had an accountant by his side.[40] Mardas also derided the characters of the non-celebrity meditators and was highly critical of the way the Beatles had been assembled for the "class photo" and the promotion of the Maharishi's movement. In an attempt to silence his criticism, according to Mardas, the Maharishi offered him money to build a high-powered radio station. Lennon later told his wife that he felt that the Maharishi had, in her words, "too much interest in public recognition, celebrities and money" for a spiritual man. Cynthia Lennon, Cooke de Herrera, and author and Beatles associate Barry Miles have blamed Mardas for turning Lennon against the Maharishi. Miles writes that Mardas feared for his status as Lennon's personal guru, and set about sabotaging the relationship between the Beatles and the Maharishi. In a statement published in The New York Times in 2010, Mardas denied that this was the case.[190][196]
Competing documentary film proposals [ edit ]
Before leaving London in February, the Beatles had considered making a documentary film about the Maharishi through Apple Films. The idea gained traction once they got to the ashram, which led to their summoning Denis O'Dell to Rishikesh. Together with Aspinall, he flew to India intent on dissuading the Beatles from making the film.[nb 13] According to Cooke de Herrera, the Maharishi gave the Beatles and Apple the rights for a film about him, his movement and his teacher, Guru Dev. Joe Massot, who had directed Wonderwall, said that Harrison phoned him from India inviting him to participate in the project.[200] However, Charles Lutes, the head of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in the US, had already arranged with the Maharishi to produce a similar documentary, with Horn. In early April, Lutes arrived at the ashram to ensure that his venture was not jeopardised by the Beatles' interest. He signed a contract with Four Star Films and John Farrow was scheduled to direct the film.[166] Horn expected that Donovan, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Mia Farrow would appear in it.
According to Mike Dolan, another of the TM students, when a film crew from Lutes' company Bliss Productions arrived later in April, Lennon and Harrison "were more than a little pissed" and made a point of staying out of sight. Horn said that the arrival of the film crew was the catalyst for the discontent that resulted in the last two Beatles' premature departure from Rishikesh. In Massot's recollection, the crew was led by producer Gene Corman, who subsequently pleaded with Massot to use his influence with Harrison and Lennon to ensure the Beatles' participation.[200] Cooke de Herrera also felt that the Four Star deal and the presence of the film crew was the reason for the sudden departure.
Allegations of sexual impropriety [ edit ]
Before leaving the ashram, Mia Farrow told some of the other students that the Maharishi had made a pass at her. In her 1993 autobiography, Cooke de Herrera says that Farrow confided to her, before the arrival of the Beatles, that the Maharishi had made a pass during a private puja ceremony by stroking her hair. Cooke de Herrera says she told Farrow that she had misinterpreted the Maharishi's actions. Farrow's 1997 memoirs are ambiguous, describing an encounter in his private meditation "cave" when the Maharishi tried to put his arms around her.[nb 14] She also says that her sister Prudence assured her that it was "an honour" and "a tradition" for a "holy man" to touch someone after meditation.
In Pattie Boyd's account, it was the allegations of the Maharishi's sexual impropriety that caused life at the retreat to go "horribly wrong". Through Mardas' insistence, Lennon became convinced that the Maharishi, who said he was celibate, had had a sexual encounter with one of the young female students.[nb 15] As reported by Brown, the woman was a "pretty blond nurse from California" who, Mardas said, had engaged in a sexual relationship with the Maharishi. Dolan recalls that she was in fact a "feisty" schoolteacher from New York, named Rosalyn Bonas (or "RB"),[215] who was having an affair with Mardas. She had become disillusioned at the extent to which Hindu tradition and the Vedas were part of the course, and was prevented from leaving early for the US due to the conditions of her airline ticket. Jenny Boyd wrote that she had seen Mardas and the woman deep in conversation, "obviously cooking something up".[nb 16]
On the Beatles' final night at the ashram, Mardas arranged to entrap the Maharishi by spying on him and the woman when they were alone together. Mardas then reported to the others that he saw the two of them in a compromising position. Many of the people at the ashram – including Harrison, Horn, Cooke de Herrera, Dolan, Cynthia Lennon and Jenny Boyd – did not believe that the Maharishi had made a pass at any woman. According to Cynthia, however, Mardas' allegations "gathered momentum... without a single shred of evidence or justification".[nb 17] In her autobiography, Pattie Boyd also expresses doubt regarding the truth behind Mardas' claims, but in this atmosphere of suspicion, she had a "horrid dream about Maharishi" and, the next day, told Harrison that they should leave. According to Harrison, Lennon "had wanted to leave anyway", to see Ono, and the speculation surrounding Farrow and other female students "stirred up a situation" that Lennon was able to exploit.[nb 18]
Infringements of the Maharishi's ban on alcohol and recreational drugs [ edit ]
Deepak Chopra, who was not present but later became a disciple of the Maharishi and a friend of Harrison, said in 2006 that the Maharishi was displeased with the Beatles because they were taking drugs,[227] including LSD, at the ashram.[228][229] Members of the Beatles group also violated the Maharishi's "no alcohol rule" when they consumed "hooch" that Mardas, whom Cynthia thought was not an active meditator, acquired from a nearby village and shared with the women. Harrison and Lennon did not imbibe and were highly critical of those who did.
Massot recalled that he himself arrived at the ashram with a small amount of hashish, which he shared with Lennon.[200] In his autobiography, Donovan writes that when John Farrow arrived, he presented him with a large block of hashish that "someone had brought into the ashram". Donovan took the block from Farrow's hand and threw it out into the Ganges. Dolan, who stayed in a bungalow next to the one occupied by Mardas and Bonas, said that Bonas "openly" smoked hashish, and he became used to the "familiar smell of
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. In the 10 events prior to Brock winning the belt the UFC sold a total of 4,315,000 payperviews. In the next 10 events, beginning with UFC 91, they sold a total of 7,725,000 payperviews. That is an increase in sales of over 75%, or 300,000 more buys per event. It is as if those 300,000 that had purchased their first UFC event to see Brock were now not only fans of his but of the promotion he was the champion of.
And to expand on the comparison between the pre-Brock Championship and Brock Championship eras further: between the peak of UFC 66 and the heavyweight title bout of UFC 91, the UFC held 21 payperviews events, selling a total of 9,250,000 payperviews and averaging 440,000 buys per event (if we remove the Brock cards during this span the average drops to 422,00 buys). Compare that to the 28 events that took place during Brock’s reign as UFC champion which sold a total of 17,825,000 payperviews, an average of 636,600 buys per event (For his part, Brock events average 1,205,000 payperviews sold during this time, while non-Brock events averaged 542,000). This is a 70% increase over the pre-Brock Championship era. One could legitimately make the claim that Brock Lesnar has been more valuable to the UFC than the whole of Canada, their most valuable foreign market and a country that is responsible for a 1/4 of all their payperview revenues.
That Brock Lesnar has had a major impact on the bottom line of the UFC is incontrovertible, but what is questionable is how much of this resulting growth is sustainable. One would imagine that the numerous new fans he has drawn would have have since migrated to being fans of the sport, but recent trends don’t seem to support this. In the last 10 events of the Brock Lesnar Championship era the UFC sold a grand total of 7,770,000 payperviews. In the first 10 events of the Post-Brock era they have sold 4,765,000 payperviews, a precipitous drop of nearly 40% and less than what they sold in their 10 events back in 2006. For whatever reason the fans that Brock brought with him do not appear to be sticking around (a scenario Rich Luker predicted).
Perhaps this sudden downturn is merely an aberration, resulting from a combination of bad luck and poor cards. Perhaps, the UFC is merely on another poor stretch, similar to the one from UFC 106 to UFC 110, the UFC’s worst 5-card drought since 2005 which took place ironically in the midst of Brock’s reign. The curious thing about that stretch, beside the rash of injuries that many blame for its poor showing, is that it happened immediately after Lesnar’s first bout with diverticulitis, when the prevailing view was that he would never fight again. Was this a preview of how the Brockheads would react to a post-Lesnar UFC?
Of course, this is only a hypothesis and may be quickly disproven with a strong Autumn. But one would assume that if the UFC had actually gained significantly in popularity over the last few years they wouldn’t see it only limited to Brock Lesnar events but to their cable television programming as well, but that hasn’t been the case. Here are the yearly Nielsen rating averages for their Spike Fight Night Cards:
Year Average Rating
2006 1.5
2007 1.43
2008 1.64
2009 1.14
2010 1.2
2011 1.4*
* Only two Fight Nights have been held so far this year.
And with the exception of the Kimbo Slice starring season 10, the Ultimate Fighter has seen its audience deteriorate as well, with last season being the lowest rated in the reality show’s history. As Jonathan Snowden pointed out recently, while "sports programming has seen a ratings increase of 21 percent over the the last five years", the UFC has oddly seen its ratings going in the opposite direction.
So are we seeing one of Kid Nate’s doomsday scenarios come to life? Should we prepare for another dark ages? Obviously no. Even if the UFC retreats back to its 2007 numbers, it will still be a highly profitable company and mixed martial arts will remain a very viable sport.
It just won't have Brock Lesnar to prop up the irrational exuberance and unrealistic expectations held by many.
All payperview numbers and Nielsen ratings were taken from MMAPAYOUT and their Blue Book.Nestled in Chavez Ravine and framed on one end by the steep San Gabriel Mountains and on the other by a jumble of Downtown LA skyscrapers, Dodger Stadium has been heralded for its beauty since the day it opened in 1962. It’s especially striking when the sun sets: The clouds turn bright pink and the sky is painted purple and gold.
“A cotton-candy sky with a canopy of blue—looks good enough to eat,” legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully once said.
It’s a picturesque setting for a great ball game.
After a hugely successful 2017 season that found the team playing in the World Series for the first time since 1988 (they didn’t take the title, but it was wildly fun to watch), the Dodgers have clawed their way back into the World Series. They boast a strong pitching staff and powerful batters, but it’s been a tough match-up against the Boston Red Sox.
A cotton candy sky with a canopy of blue—looks good enough to eat.
If you’re one of the lucky fans who has scored a ticket for an at-home World Series game, you’re in a for a treat.
Here, we present a venue guide with tips on the best ways to get to the stadium (hint: not by driving), the most fun section, and where to find elote slathered in mayo and cheese (and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crumbs).
Names to know
Some of the same players who made last year’s team are still on the roster this year. As SB Nation puts it: “For the most part, the band is back together.”
Clayton Kershaw : The team’s (one-time?) ace. The Dodgers boast a superb pitching staff, from Hyun-Jin Ryu to Walker Buehler to Kenley Janson, but Kershaw has had an amazing career. He’s regarded as one of decade’s best pitchers in baseball. He has the option to opt out of his contract after this season, so be sure to soak him in here in Los Angeles while you can.
: The team’s (one-time?) ace. The Dodgers boast a superb pitching staff, from Hyun-Jin Ryu to Walker Buehler to Kenley Janson, but Kershaw has had an amazing career. He’s regarded as one of decade’s best pitchers in baseball. He has the option to opt out of his contract after this season, so be sure to soak him in here in Los Angeles while you can. Justin Turner : One of the best hitters in the game, says SB Nation’s Eric Stephens, and “the gift that keeps on giving.” The Southern California native hit a thrilling walk-off home run at home in Game 2 of the 2017 NLCS.
: One of the best hitters in the game, says SB Nation’s Eric Stephens, and “the gift that keeps on giving.” The Southern California native hit a thrilling walk-off home run at home in Game 2 of the 2017 NLCS. Enrique Hernandez : The Dodgers’ best supporting player, according to the New York Times. As a utility player, he has a “part-time role,” but he “has been a major contributor to the team’s heart and soul and sense of humor.”
: The Dodgers’ best supporting player, according to the New York Times. As a utility player, he has a “part-time role,” but he “has been a major contributor to the team’s heart and soul and sense of humor.” Cody Bellinger : The young lefty hit 25 home runs in the regular season (not as good as last season, when he tied Mike Piazza’s franchise record for a rookie, but still impressive).
: The young lefty hit 25 home runs in the regular season (not as good as last season, when he tied Mike Piazza’s franchise record for a rookie, but still impressive). Yasiel Puig: An enthusiastic, high-energy player—and a crowd favorite. (SB Nation says that when Puig was asked why he thinks the Dodgers can do well this postseason, he quipped: “We have a lot of handsome guys.”)
Vin Scully Considered the greatest sports broadcaster ever, Scully retired in 2016 after 67 seasons as the voice of the Dodgers. But he’s a local legend whose name will live on forever—the street that leads to the stadium is named after him.
Getting there
We’ve tested all of the methods and can tell you with absolute confidence that driving to the stadium is not enjoyable. If you don't have to drive, don't.
The best option is to take the free Dodger Stadium Express shuttle from Union Station, which you can access via Metro's Red, Purple, and Gold lines, along with Metrolink and Amtrak.
For those who live on or near Sunset Boulevard, Metro’s 2 bus is your best. It travels along Sunset, all the way from Westwood to Echo Park, and drops off at Vin Scully Avenue. It’s a bit of a steep walk into the ballpark from there, but it’s only.5 miles, and it’s a pleasant stroll.
Alternatively, we suggest riding a bike (there's bike parking in multiple locations), grabbing a Lyft (though rideshares can get stuck in traffic, too), or walking from Echo Park or Chinatown's Gold Line station.
If you have to drive, save money by paying in advance online.
Hot tip! “When entering the stadium, the only lane you should get into is the one moving the fastest. Ignore whether the lane says ‘credit,’ ‘pre-paid,’ ‘bus,’ etc., because they're all exactly the same." —Caroline Juen, Love & Loathing in Los Angeles
Where to sit
Sure, some sections are fancier than others, but truly, even in the nosebleeds, there are no bad seats. The stadium was designed without pillars and posts, so views from every seat are totally unobstructed.
If you’re attending a day game, the one factor you should take into consideration is sun. It can get scorchingly hot, especially in August and September. Here’s a helpful map from the Los Angeles Times of the stadium’s shadiest sections.
Ready to drop a good chunk of change? Go nuts at the Dugout Club, where an individual ticket costs $500 to $1,050. These seats wrap around home plate between both dugouts. Fans have their faces right up in the action and are treated to private restrooms, a free buffet, and in-seat waiter service.
On a budget? Consider the cheap seats in the Top Deck area (TD 1-13 on a seating map). The view of the game is great from that high up, and the chances of getting hit in the face by a foul ball decrease greatly.
Buy tickets here.
Hot tip! “For just plain having the most fun, nothing matches right-field pavilion 302, which overlooks the visiting team's bullpen. Fans are heckling the relievers, you get to see a real major league pitcher really up close, and there is always the chance for a home run.” —A Martínez, host of KPCC’s Take Two and former host of Dodger Talk
What to eat
Dodger Stadium is not a foodie destination, and that’s okay, because you can bring in your own eats. There are plenty of great restaurants nearby, including Guisados, Chego, and, if you’re fancier, Winsome. Pick up the food-to-go, then walk into the stadium. If you prefer to eat in the ballpark, there are some tempting options—if you know where to go.
Our friends at Eater LA say some of the better food is located in the left-field pavilion. That’s where you’ll find elote—“tender, just-grilled corn on the cob slathered in rich mayo and not-so-funky cheese”—and barbecue brisket sandwiches that stand up to “some of the better ’cue joints in the city.”
If you want to grub really hard, buy a ticket (from $33) to the all-you-can-eat section in right field, where you can get down on unlimited Dodger Dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and soda.
For Eater’s full rundown on where to eat in the stadium, click here.
Hot tip! “I would get garlic fries and maybe a Dodger dog. But I always eat before going, because the food sucks. In an ideal world, I'm bringing in Chego, for their rice bowls, which stay hot and good, and drinking a few $6 cans of Hite.” —Matthew Kang, Eater LA editor
A midcentury gem
Originally a display of fashionable design and modern conveniences, the stadium has stood the test of time. A visitor from the first season would recognize the clean midcentury modern lines, an architectural style that has come to define LA.
Construction of the modernist stadium, designed by Emil Praeger and complete with terraced entrances, exposed concrete, and wavy aluminum shade structures above outfield bleachers, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken in Los Angeles.
On opening day, shortstop Maury Wills proclaimed the new ballpark “the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Construction crews moved about 8 million cubic yards of earth to carve out the stadium’s foundation and flatten the surrounding terrain to create the venue’s massive, baseball-glove-shaped parking lot.
Mark Langill, the team's official archivist, has said that on opening day, April 10, 1962, shortstop Maury Wills proclaimed the new ballpark “the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The backstory
As beloved an LA landmark as Dodger Stadium has become, some ugly things happened to get it built. Chavez Ravine, now home to the ballpark, was once a Mexican-American community occupied by hundreds of families.
In 1950, it was selected as the site of a new housing project, and most of these families were displaced by the city through eminent domain. The housing project was eventually shot down and the city sold the land to Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley at a lowball price. When construction began on the new stadium, police dragged longtime Chavez Ravine residents from their homes so that demolition could begin.
That didn’t cork enthusiasm for the stadium—some 500 Angelenos turned up for groundbreaking ceremonies in 1959.
The Dodgers fell to the Cincinnati Reds in their first game in their new stadium, but the big story of the day wasn’t the final score. It was that Los Angeles finally had a Major League Baseball team and the Dodgers had finally played a home game in their very own grand ballpark. Back in Brooklyn, they played at too-small Ebbets Field, and when they first moved West in 1958, they temporarily played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Now the third-oldest Major League Baseball stadium in the nation, Dodger Stadium has left Angelenos with more than 50 summers of memories.
“Every time I visit I have this overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It almost feels like I’m stepping back in time,” says Caroline Juen, who runs Love & Loathing in Los Angeles. “In a city that doesn’t have a terribly high appreciation for history, I’m so happy that at least we have a good old-fashioned ballpark to gain insight into our city’s past.”
— Associate editors Bianca Barragan and Elijah Chiland contributed to this guide.For years, analysts and forum dwellers have foretold the death of PC gaming. And they continue to be wrong. While PC sales might be slumping, the size of the gaming market is actually growing. The PC Gaming Alliance claims the market was worth $20 billion in 2012, an increase of 8% over the previous year and a whopping 90% over the past five years.
According to the non-profit group, there were over a billion PC gamers last year. More impressively, at least 250 million of those folks were "core" gamers playing "sophisticated strategy, action and role-playing" titles rather than casual fare.
The Chinese gaming market is apparently growing more than any other. It was responsible for 34% of PC gaming revenue last year and enjoyed a growth rate of 9%. All the regions tracked by the PCGA experienced growth, though, including the US.
As one might expect, the changing nature of the computing landscape is having an effect on PC gaming. PCGA Executive Director Erik Noreke claims "The traditional desktop is no longer the gaming platform of choice as we are seeing more and more laptops with powerful GPUs and high end audio systems." Modern notebooks certainly handle newer games better than previous-generation systems did, especially when integrated graphics are concerned. I'd be curious to see how many of those "core" gamers are discarding desktops for notebooks; the percentage is probably much lower than for those who are just playing FarmVille.
The PCGA predicts the PC gaming market will continue to expand through 2016, when it will be worth a whopping $25.7 billion. Interestingly, the organization says the explosion of mobile gaming is helping the PC by driving "the growth of small self-funded teams that can develop more targeted products on a modest budget." So, the PC gaming market is supposed to continue to grow while increasingly being supplied by smaller, independent developers. Sounds healthy to me.NEW YORK (Reuters) - Large global banks are facing increased pressure from U.S. regulators to clamp down on casino money-laundering as the government pushes the industry to police not only its own transactions but customers’ as well.
File photo shows the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, from behind the famous sign on the south end of the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 15, 2004. REUTERS/Ethan Miller/FILE
Bankers, casino executives and consultants said the U.S. crackdown has resulted in unprecedented scrutiny and collaboration between the two industries, including banks vetting casino customers’ anti-money laundering systems, checking to make sure casinos don’t accept anonymous wire transfers, and offering databases and other information to help the gaming industry identify risky transactions.
While the idea of money-laundering through casinos is nothing new – and has been fodder for plots in Hollywood movies like “Casino” – until recently, banks haven’t been expected to take part in regulators’ and prosecutors’ pursuit of such criminals.
Some bank executives grumble about the extent of the work they have to do for government enforcement agencies now, and the penalty for failure. Standard Chartered Plc said on August 6 that a computer in its anti-money-laundering surveillance system made an error, which a source said could trigger fines between $100 million and $340 million payable to New York State’s financial regulator. In an interview with Reuters on August 7, Standard Chartered Chief Executive of Asia, Jaspal Bindra, said the penalties are unfair.
“We are supposed to police that our counterparties and clients are not money laundering,” said Bindra, “and if when we are policing we have a lapse, we don’t get treated like a policeman who’s had a lapse, we are treated like a criminal.”
Casinos were historically a popular place for criminals to launder money because it was easy to make large-scale transfers through casino accounts, and swap ill-gotten gains for chips, and back into clean cash. Because of this, regulators have required casinos to report suspicious or abnormally large transactions for a number of years. That hasn’t stopped the flow of illicit funds because criminals have grown more sophisticated in working around the rules, and because casinos have not always fully complied with the rules, according to anti-money-laundering consultants.
In recent years, regulators have also become more aggressive about enforcing the rules – on both casinos and banks. In 2012 financial institutions agreed to pay $3.5 billion in anti-money laundering infractions, up from the $26.6 million in 2011, according to the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.
In light of the enforcement actions and tough public statements by federal authorities, banks have begun taking further steps to ensure their casinos customers’ accounts are legitimate. As opposed to merely asking whether a casino has anti-money laundering programs, banks are now reviewing them and conducting onsite work to test their efficacy, said Adam Shapiro, a director specializing in preventing money laundering at Promontory Financial Group.
“What we’re seeing is some catch-up in oversight of other institutions involved in transferring money,” such as casinos, Shapiro said.
The casino industry is just one of many that enforcement officials have started targeting through banks to enforce laws.
The Department of Justice’s “Operation Choke Point,” which aims to protect consumers from online scammers, has subpoenaed 50 banks that process transactions for companies like payday lenders. Meanwhile, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is penalizing banks including Ally Financial Inc (ALLY.N) that fund loans made by auto dealers, if the car sellers are found to have discriminated against minorities or other protected groups.
Spokespeople at the CFPB and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. Spokespeople at Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) declined to comment.
TIME TO STEP UP
Preventing money laundering has become a higher priority for the Department of Justice and other enforcement officials in recent years, and banks have been a key target of enforcement actions. HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBA.L) and JPMorgan Chase have been censured for lax controls that did too little to prevent money laundering by Latin American drug cartels and Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, respectively.
The increased scrutiny on banks in regards to money-laundering has only recently extended to the casino industry. In August 2013, Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N) agreed to pay the Justice Department more than $47 million over anti-money laundering lapses linked to high-roller Zhenli Ye Gon, a Mexican pharmaceutical magnate.
Prosecutors said Ye Gon transferred around $45 million to Las Vegas Sands, mostly from accounts of Mexican currency-exchange companies with which he had no obvious affiliation. His actions did not arouse any serious suspicion from casino staff, prosecutors said. Ye Gon is currently fighting extradition to Mexico, which has charged him with drug trafficking. His case is pending, according to his attorney.
Pressure on the gambling industry intensified over the past year as the head of a U.S. Treasury agency that monitors the financial system for evidence of money laundering gave two speeches reminding the casino industry of its compliance obligations. Jennifer Shasky Calvery, who has led the agency – called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN – since September 2012, has a background in prosecuting organized crime.
A spokesman for FinCEN declined to comment.
“Banks that do business with casinos would be wise to pay attention to what the FinCEN director is talking about,” said Kevin Rosenberg, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. “Banks are years ahead of casinos when it comes to anti-money laundering compliance. Now it’s the casinos’ turn to step up.”
But there are limits to how much banks should be expected to know about the casino customers because casinos are either unwilling or unable to hand over detailed information about individuals to bankers, said one anti-money laundering executive at a large bank.
In addition to regulators’ own actions, bank examiners are pressing institutions they oversee to better manage the risk associated with the casino-related transactions they process, compliance officers in both industries said.
The anti-money laundering executive said his bank has forbidden casinos from accepting transfers of large sums of money from corporations or limited liability companies if the identity of the person that controls the account is unknown. Owners of private businesses and operators of junkets to Las Vegas commonly transfer money from such entities to gamble, but they could also be used for illicit purposes.
A spokesman for the American Gaming Association said in an email that the industry group is currently developing a list of best practices around anti-money laundering and “know your customer” issues that it expects to have completed in the coming months.
An executive at another large U.S. bank whose clients include gaming companies said that when the bank’s compliance team comes through Las Vegas, he sometimes arranges meetings between them and the compliance staffs of different casinos. The meetings are an opportunity to share know-how about what the latest money-laundering threats are and how each side is updating systems and screening transactions, said the executive. Powwows like these have been encouraged by regulators, including FinCEN’s Calvery.
Additionally, even though banks want to obey regulators’ directives, they are reluctant to have too much oversight and validation outsourced to them if it comes with having to assume legal liability when something goes awry with casinos’ compliance programs.
“Banks don’t want to be casinos’ de facto regulators,” said James Dowling, the founder of Dowling Advisory Group, a consulting firm specializing in regulatory compliance. “I think you’ll get a lot of pushback from the banking industry if they have to do that.”A genuinely pro-capitalist U.S. foreign policy would advance both the national and rational self-interest of Americans, which is: to live and flourish under authentic freedom, true justice, and the rule of law, with individual rights to life, liberty, and property protected by government against the initiation of force or fraud by hostile foreigners. To be clear, this does not mean fighting unjustified wars in Viet Nam, Iraq or Libya.
Both President Obama and the GOP-led Congress failed yet again this week to abide by these principles as they apply to U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Libya. Not only do these operations remain undeclared wars – hence lawless and unconstitutional acts – but decisions this week by Obama and his GOP allies will likely only prolong the lawlessness, and in the process further undermine our freedom and fiscal health.
On Afghanistan this week, about which Mr. Obama once told ABC News (in July 2009) he was “always worried about using the word victory,” the U.S. has declared defeat. Recall that Obama increased troop levels there from 34,000 when he took office to 103,000 a year ago; now he says he’ll reduce those levels to 68,000 by next summer, which would still leave troops at double the level they were when he took office. Yet there are few signs of actual U.S. success in this decade-long “war.” Much like his predecessor, Mr. Obama seems to be blithely exploiting U.S. troops in Afghanistan, using them as nation-builders, thus sitting ducks, not enemy-killers. But Obama’s schemes are no better in Libya – and resemble yet another U.S. foreign policy disaster-in-waiting
Part of the problem is that U.S. foreign-policy makers are no longer guided by the principles of the Founders. The U.S. Constitution rightly makes the president the commander-in-chief of the military (Article One, Section 2), but in order that he properly and effectively deploy the military it also requires him first to persuade Congress to vote upon and declare war (Article Two, Section 8), which means the President must cite the provocation, name the enemy, and project a plausible path to victory. In this way, unjustified wars are more easily avoided, and crucially, when Congress approves war it implicitly pledges to support the military. In a less-cited provision, the Constitution also requires that while Congress funds the military, “no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years” (Article 2, Section 8).
Clearly, the Constitution’s framers sought to divide and restrict the U.S. power to declare, finance, and wage war. Also, they hoped it would be rare, undertaken only with utmost necessity for the protection of America’s security and liberty, and never “open-ended” in time. In short, U.S. wars were to be few and winnable, not common and interminable. The Framers also knew that domestic liberty and property are most at risk during war, a principle that’s been documented in subsequent U.S. history by Robert Higgs in Crisis and Leviathan (1987).
If instead of America seeking victory in a delimited war against a specific enemy it eschews victory amid an endless war against ubiquitous and elusive assailants – as is so in today’s so-called “war” on a mere tactic (“terrorism”) – then threats and assaults on domestic civil-economic liberties also will become ubiquitous and interminable. Instead of a “return to normalcy” (and sustained prosperity), as it was called after World War I, we’d be left in a state of perpetual abnormalcy, with prolonged mistreatment of the troops, outlandish deficit-spending, vast money-printing, increased regimentation, and intensified assaults on privacy and other rights.
This tragic principle should make clear why those who push so loudly and incessantly for endless, more-expansive, but fundamentally unjustified U.S. wars – such as the Krauthammer neo-conservatives and U.S. Senators John Kerry, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham – most undermine American liberty and security. Posing as patriotic “hawks,” in fact they’re transforming a republic of liberty into an empire of tyranny.
Since the Constitution’s adoption in 1789 the U.S. Congress has declared war only five times: the War of 1812, Mexican War (1848), Spanish-American War (1898), World War I (1916), and World War II (1941). Yet presidents have committed U.S. forces hundreds of times without such approval, starting with Jefferson’s deployment of the navy to Libya in 1801. The most carnage inflicted on U.S. military personnel in lawless deployments occurred during the Korean “conflict” (1951-53), Viet Nam (1966-75), and Afghanistan-Iraq (2001-present). The last quarter century has seen the U.S. military used without Congressional approval in Libya (1986), Panama (1989), Somalia (1992), Bosnia (1995), Kosovo (1999) and Libya (2011). Congress isn’t blameless in these cases, either, for it has refused to withhold the funding necessary for such ventures.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that war hasn’t been declared officially (i.e., constitutionally) by the U.S. since 1945, compared to the prior 150 years (1791-1941), because in our “modern” era left-wing “progressives” have preached that the Constitution is old-fashioned and essentially irrelevant to the protection of economic liberties. Why then not also evade the document when it comes to waging war or treating civil liberties? We all know the U.S. has acted beyond all constitutional constraint in the other areas of life – see confiscatory taxation and the regulation of business and personal matters – so why not also in matters military? This is the natural progression of any autocratic police state – which it seems American government is becoming.
On his Libyan invasion Obama hasn’t complied with the Constitution because the goal has nothing to do with America’s self-interest (i.e., self-defense), as I first explained last March. Now that the invasion is older than three months, Obama also has violated the War Powers Act (1973). Enacted by two-thirds of a Democrat-controlled Congress over the veto of President Nixon, with the aim of restricting his actions in the Viet Nam “conflict,” the Act allows the President to use delimited military force without a formal war declaration, but only if it’s “a national emergency created by attack upon the U.S., its territories or possessions, or its armed forces” and only if he obtains ex-post authorization from Congress.
Under the Act the President must “notify” Congress within 2 days of committing armed forces, and those forces can’t be deployed for more than 60 days, plus a 30-day withdrawal period, for a total of 90 days. The legal clock has already run out on Obama’s Libyan invasion – yet no one in Washington is bothering to stop him.
Similarly, since 1973 the War Powers Act has been ignored by most presidents (and Congresses) and today is derided by both sides as “unconstitutional,” even though the Supreme Court hasn’t ruled as such, and even though the Act serves as perfectly reasonable attempt to restrict U.S. war powers without unduly weakening the executive. The intellectual context of the Act suggests its overall intent: it was adopted in the same year famed historian Arthur Schlesinger published his classic, The Imperial Presidency. But cavalier views of war powers generally and of the Act specifically makes the U.S. no less imperial now than in the 1970s.
As a candidate in 2007 Obama openly defended the War Powers Act and derided then-President George W. Bush for ignoring it: “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation,” Obama said. Yet he now claims that he has such power, and wields it properly. By now thousands of U.S. military personnel have toiled on his idiosyncratic Libyan invasion, while billions of dollars have been spent and hundreds of expensive U.S. cruise missiles have been fired. Mr. Obama initially said it would take mere “days and weeks, not months” to finish what he denies is a “war,” as the Libya campaign “does not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor does it involve U.S. ground troops.”
So the new foreign policy of allegedly “dovish” Democrats is that a U.S. President can unilaterally bomb another nation, so long as that nation doesn’t “actively” exchange fire or observe U.S. ground troops. More than absurd, Obama’s approach is abjectly arbitrary, for he characterizes the new U.S. military approach as “leading from behind” – in this case, “hiding” under the veil of NATO, which everyone knows is a mere U.S. proxy. The blatant contradiction of “leading from behind” is the Obama Doctrine: the U.S. may unilaterally bomb another nation, yet never to secure a victory, and it can unilaterally demand the ouster of any foreign leader, yet also leave him securely in place – which makes the U.S. both a liar and a paper tiger.
To their credit, earlier this month ten Congressmen (seven Republicans and three Democrats) sued Mr. Obama for violating the War Powers Act, naming “the executive branch’s circumvention of Congress and its use of international organizations such as the U.N. and NATO to authorize the use of military force abroad, in violation of the Constitution.” Yet the GOP-led Congress has failed pathetically to check Obama. Last week it voted against authorizing his Libyan campaign (by 295-123), yet hours later voted for funding it (by 230-180). Most Republicans (93%) voted against the authorization, while most Democrats (56%) voted for it, but then 57% of Republicans (and 48% of Democrats) endorsed the funding.
Some Congressmen consistently voted against both the authorization and the funding, but those who opposed authorization and supported funding constitute the kind of contemptible, unprincipled hypocrites who ruin any nation. More accurately perhaps, hypocrisy is embedded in the electorate, which chooses such “leaders” in the first place. Regardless, neither liberty nor security is served by the sheer travesty that U.S. foreign policy has become.Health Care and the Profit Motive
Spring 2010
When it comes to health care, liberals and conservatives often seem to be living in two different worlds. To those on the left, America's health-care system is a heartless capitalist jungle: a place where the bottom line is king, and the working poor are exploited. President Obama, for example, has accused insurance companies of holding Americans hostage in exchange for profits, and doctors of cashing in on children's sore throats by needlessly removing their tonsils. The right, meanwhile, sees American health care as an outpost of socialism: The government distorts prices and suppresses innovation, impairing the quality and affordability of care and constraining individual autonomy. Hence Republicans' call for less government involvement in insurance, and their complaints that heavy-handed Medicare rules are the source of our woes.
Simply put, liberals believe that health care is treated as a market commodity today but should not be, and conservatives think that health care is not treated as a market commodity but should be.
The first question raised by their disagreement is an empirical one: Does health care today actually function as a commodity, or has the market in coverage and care been hopelessly distorted by the government? The second question is both economic and moral in nature: Should health insurance be distributed by the market and subject to the profit motive? Or is it a basic right to which any citizen of a wealthy country is entitled, and which should therefore be available to all through the munificence of the state?
The second question is by far the more important and more vexing of the two. The right has long ignored it, while the left has taken its own answer for granted. This is part of why any debate over how to improve the system inevitably reaches an impasse. To overcome that impasse, both sides must take up both of these questions directly.
PAYING FOR HEALTH CARE
In a sense, both liberals and conservatives are right to complain about our current system for financing health insurance. We experience the downsides of both the market and heavy government involvement without reaping the benefits of either.
According to the latest Congressional Budget Office figures (excluding the illegal-immigrant population), about 87% of Americans have health insurance. Most of them — about 57% of those insured — get their coverage through an employer. Another 17% are over the age of 65 and so get their coverage through Medicare, while 15% are covered by government programs for the poor (mainly Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program). Only 10% of Americans with coverage buy their own health insurance directly, in what is commonly called the "individual market."
This last fact is the key to understanding the peculiarly distorted character of our health-care market. Ninety percent of Americans with health insurance neither choose it on their own, nor pay for it directly. Analysts use the term "third-party payment" to describe the fact that insurers reimburse hospitals and doctors, bypassing policyholders. But in practice, the 235 million Americans with employer- or government-sponsored health coverage actually have fourth-party insurance — since they don't even choose their insurers, let alone pay directly for care.
For most Americans, health care looks something like this: A patient purchases health insurance, or receives it from his employer. The insurer then directs the patient to use physicians in its network, with whom it has negotiated reimbursement rates. The patient
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longitudinal analyses that addressed important limitations of cross-sectional research (particularly residential self-selection bias), we found almost no evidence that absolute or relative geographic accessibility of supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, or mass merchandisers affected BMI. Moreover, the significant cross-sectional associations in unexpected directions disappeared in the longitudinal analyses.
Regarding the effects of neighborhood poverty, we found no support for the idea that food-outlet access matters most to people living in high-poverty neighborhoods. Specifically, there was no evidence that area poverty level altered the relationship between food-outlet accessibility and BMI.
Our study adds to a still small but growing number of longitudinal studies that have generally found that food outlets have either no effect on BMI or effects that are small in magnitude and not clinically meaningful. 43–49 Our findings suggest that cross-sectional results should be interpreted with caution and that it is unlikely that additional cross-sectional research will provide needed insights into whether geographic accessibility of supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, or mass merchandisers is a promising target for policy interventions to promote healthier BMI. One important area where additional longitudinal research would be useful is in populations with low socioeconomic status. For example, a longitudinal analysis of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics showed that each additional supermarket per 10,000 people per ten square miles was associated with a 0.130-unit lower BMI longitudinally among poor women but was not associated with BMI among nonpoor women or among poor or nonpoor men. 49 Longitudinal associations between fast-food restaurant accessibility and BMI were not clinically meaningful in either poor or nonpoor women or men in that study.
Overall, our findings suggest that public policies to alter the residential geographic accessibility of supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, or mass merchandisers alone are unlikely to be effective in promoting healthier BMI in adults. However, our study did not address the possibility that policy-induced changes in food-outlet accessibility could have beneficial effects on BMI in children or could lead to other positive changes, such as improved nutrition, increased neighborhood economic activity, job creation, and improvements in individual income.
Our findings are consistent with the possibility that, to reduce the risk of obesity, changes in food access may need to be accompanied by fiscal policies that alter the relative prices of healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages. Beyond supporting new food outlets and limiting others, policies addressing the availability, prices, and marketing of food products within food outlets may be useful. 33,50 For example, strengthening the requirements to stock healthy food items in outlets participating in federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could serve to transform the product mix in food stores that currently favor unhealthy products. 7,51–53
The strength of our study comes from the use of a large, nationwide, longitudinal, geocoded sample of health care records. That data set made it possible to construct person-specific measures of the food environment and provided the kind of sample size required to reliably measure even small associations between BMI and the geographic accessibility of a variety of food outlets. In addition, the structure of the data allowed us to take advantage of changes in people’s exposure to different food outlets that arose through processes of neighborhood change and individual migration. Variation in food environments from neighborhood change seems to be a useful way of avoiding many of the sources of potential bias in the current literature. Because our study included people living across the country, it was feasible to study the differential effects of the food environment on people living in higher-poverty neighborhoods. Unlike many survey-based studies, our study allowed us to study BMI using clinical measurements rather than less accurate self-reports. And because our sample consisted of veterans using VA health care, our study implicitly controlled for health insurance status and access to health care services that might confound associations in other samples.
Conclusion
Public policy may have an important role to play in achieving populationwide reductions in BMI. But the policies currently under discussion, based on assumptions of a causal link between food outlet access and BMI, lack support from rigorous empirical analysis. Strategies like the healthy food financing initiatives are designed to alter geographic access to supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, and mass merchandisers. It is possible that such policies will promote equity in access to healthy foods and reduce the saturation of unhealthy food sources in economically and socially disadvantaged neighborhoods. But our findings suggest that such policies alone are unlikely to lead to healthier BMI over time among adults.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Previous versions of this research were presented at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2016 Annual Meeting, Cape Town, South Africa, June 2016, and at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2015 Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2015. The authors are grateful for support from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (Award No. R01CA172726) and the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service. This material is based upon work supported in part by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official position or policy of the National Institutes of Health or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
NOTES'It's like he never left!' Harry Styles welcomes back Zayn Malik on the One Direction US tour following death of his aunt
Groupies throw themselves at them everywhere they go.
But for One Direction - it's all about the bromance.
Harry Styles was elated to welcome back Zayn Malik to their North American tour after the Bradford teenager was forced to miss dates following the death of his aunt.
Back in action: Zayn Malik has returned to the One Direction US tour following the death of his aunt
Floppy haired Harry tweeted a picture of a grinning Zayn sticking his tongue out and posing in sunglasses, accompanied with the caption: 'Like he never left'.
Prior to posting the snapshot, Harry was clearly excited at the return of his bandmate, saying: 'Off to a radio interview...first show tonight with Zayn back...It's gonna be fun :)'
Zayn also reached out to fans, tweeting: 'Back in the US can't wait to see the boys hopefully they haven't missed me too much aha! :D x x'
The 19-year-old rushed back to the UK last Wednesday for the funeral.
Transatlantic stars: One Direction perform live in concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto
The heartthrob missed several dates, where the boyband are supporting US group Big Time Rush.
Harry announced the news on Twitter last week.
He tweeted: 'Zayn has suffered a loss in his family & has had to go home for a few days so won't be at our next shows in the US.
'Our thoughts are with him and his family at this sad time.'
In true One Direction fans style, #StayStrongZayn quickly became a trending topic on Twitter.
And then there were four: Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall performed at in Virginia as a quartet
Although he didn't reference the death directly on his Twitter page, Zayn did retweet a message from a fan which read: 'God has no Phone, but I talk to him. He has no Facebook, but he is still my friend. He does not have a twitter, but I still follow him. (sic)'
The remainder of the band continued with dates over the following week, stopping in Mashantucket, Fairfax, Boston, Houston and Durham.
A spokesperson for One Direction confirmed the news to Mail Online and asked that the family's privacy be respected at this time.
There is further excitement for the boys as a free live gig was announced via The Today Show.Share this
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Email You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. University University at Buffalo
Engineers have used high-performance computing to examine the best way to treat an aneurysm.
To reduce blood flow into aneurysms, surgeons often insert a flow diverter—tiny tubes made of weaved metal, like stents—across the opening. The reduced blood flow into the aneurysm minimizes the risk of a rupture, researchers say.
But, if the opening, or neck, of an aneurysm is large, surgeons will sometimes overlap two diverters, to increase the density of the mesh over the opening. Another technique is to compress the diverter to increase the mesh density and block more blood flow.
“When doctors see the simulated blood flow in our models, they’re able to visualize it.”
A computational study published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology shows the best option is the single, compressed diverter—provided it produces a mesh denser than the two overlapped diverters, and that it covers at least half of the aneurysm opening.
“When doctors see the simulated blood flow in our models, they’re able to visualize it. They see that they need to put more of the dense mesh here or there to diffuse the jets (of blood), because the jets are dangerous,” says lead author Hui Meng, a mechanical engineering professor at the University at Buffalo.
Working with the university’s supercomputing facility, the Center for Computational Research, Robert Damiano and Nikhil Paliwal, both PhD candidates in Meng’s lab, used virtual models of three types of aneurysms—fusiform (balloons out on all sides), and medium and large saccular (balloons on one side)—and applied engineering principles to model the pressure and speed of blood flowing through the vessels.
The engineers modeled three different diverter treatment methods—single non-compacted, two overlapped, and single compacted, and ran tests to determine how they would affect blood flow in and out of the aneurysm using computational fluid dynamics.
“We used equations from fluid mechanics to model the blood flow, and we used structural mechanics to model the devices,” Damiano says. “We’re working with partial differential equations that are complex and typically unsolvable by hand.”
These equations are converted to millions of algebraic equations and are solved using the supercomputer. The very small size of the mesh added to the need for massive computing power.
“The diverter mesh wires are 30 microns in diameter,” Paliwal says. “To accurately capture the physics, we needed to have a maximum of 10 to 15 micron grid sizes. That’s why it is computationally very expensive.”
The models showed that compressing a diverter produced a dense mesh that covered 57 percent of a fusiform-shaped aneurysm. That proved more effective than overlapping two diverters.
The compacted diverter was less effective in saccular aneurysms. As diverters are compressed, they become wider and bump into the sides of the vessel, so they could not be compressed enough to cover a small opening of an aneurysm. Compression was more effective in a large necked saccular aneurysm, producing a dense mesh that covered 47 percent of the opening.
Because a porous scaffold is needed to allow cell and tissue growth around the neck of the aneurysm, complete coverage using a solid diverter isn’t the best option, Paliwal says. Further, solid diverters could risk blocking off smaller arteries.
The team next would like to look back over hundreds of previous cases, to determine how blood flow was affected by the use of diverters. The idea is to build a database so that more definitive conclusions can be drawn.
“We’re going to look at and model previous cases, and hopefully we’ll have a way to determine the best treatment to cause the best outcome for new aneurysm cases,” Damiano says.
Source: University at BuffaloDzone.com is one of my favorite destinations and I started contributing some articles there on how I think the industry should move on JSON and SQL. Here is a teaser:
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How SQL Extensions are Helping SQL Adapt to Flexibility of JSON
It is clear that all types of databases are on boarding JSON. However there are varying levels of “native-ness” they can offer.
On the native-ness level, most native implementations are the new JSON based operational document databases — Couchbase, MongoDB, DocumentDB etc come with JSON documents as the data model and provide fast access to data natively taking JSON in and serving JSON out. Most provide SQL based languages to query (Couchbase Server N1QL and DocumentDB SQL) the data except MongoDB (see find() method).
Relational Databases are retrofitting JSON by using a data type much like XML. SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and Postgres all are following this path. The query language provides functions to manipulate JSON. They translate JSON in and out of their native data type — tables, columns and rows.
Even some columnar and key value databases like Cassandra, MapR-DB, Riak are on board with JSON. They are trying to extend their native models with a JSON cover on top, much like relational databases.
Aside from databases, many SQL based analytics languages like Drill, Hive, Spark and others also have extended their languages to process JSON.
It is clear JSON is popular as it is the de-facto serialization format. Here is how SQL is being extended to help process the flexiable natre of JSON…
Happy reading.
-cihanAs President Donald Trump continues to battle with the press, leaked audio from a fundraiser earlier this week hears him call CNN staffers “horrible human beings,” and threatens the prospect of suing the organization.
The Intercept leaked the audio from Trump’s first re-election fundraiser on Wednesday, which reportedly charged attendees $35,000 for a ticket. The event was closed the press, even though the media was told just hours before that they would be allowed to cover, according to CNN.
Trump zeroed in on Van Jones especially, referencing a video in which the popular CNN commentator called the story of collusion between Trump and Russia a “nothing burger” (Jones later clarified that he was “pushing my fellow Democrats to deal with bread and butter issues — and not just hope and believe Trump will be impeached and gone tomorrow”).
“Van Jones — you see this man?” Trump said. “These are really dishonest people. Should I sue them? I mean, they’re phonies. Jeff Zucker, I hear he’s going to resign at some point pretty soon. I mean, these are horrible human beings.”
“It’s a shame what they’ve done to the name CNN,” he went on. “But as far as I’m concerned, I love it. If anybody’s a lawyer in the house and thinks I have a good lawsuit — I feel like we do. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
It’s only Trump’s latest attack on CNN in the wake of news that three of the new organization’s journalists resigned over a retracted story about his ties with Russia. Earlier in the week, he tweeted, “Fake News CNN is looking at big management changes now that they got caught falsely pushing their phony Russian stories. Ratings way down!” CNN Communications later corrected him on Twitter, replying that the network just posted its most-watched second quarter in history.
Listen to the audio from the fundraiser below.Image copyright Getty Images
There has been a steep rise in reports of self-harm among girls aged 13 to 16, according to a study of data from GP practices across the UK.
The BMJ study, which looked at figures from 2011-2014, said GPs could be getting better at picking up self-harm.
But it was likely that rising stress and psychological problems in young people were also behind the trend.
The NSPCC said giving children support early could be a matter of life or death.
Since 2001, girls have had much higher rates of self-harm than boys - 37.4 per 10,000 compared with 12.3 in boys.
While self-harm rates stayed constant among 10- to 12-year-olds and 17- to 19-year-olds, there was a 68% increase among 13- to 16-year-olds over the three-year period studied.
This took the rate in girls from 45.9 per 10,000 in 2011 to 77 per 10,000 in 2014.
The researchers, from the University of Manchester, looked at data for nearly 17,000 patients from more than 600 GP practices.
Image copyright Sophie Martin Image caption Sophie Martin self-harmed as a teenager
Sophie Martin began self-harming when she was 12 years old after being bullied at school.
When her dad took her mum to court in a custody battle, she blamed herself.
"I thought it was my fault, I had to be punished for it. And that's when I started self-harming," she told BBC News.
She said: "It was a release, it was painful, but it made me feel better."
Things went from bad to worse for Sophie when she confided in her best friend about how she felt.
"She told her boyfriend at the time and then he posted it all over Facebook. That made the bullying worse," she said.
After her mum found out what was happening, she went to see a GP but it was about a year before she could access mental health services.
'Still have the fear'
By that time she had moved schools and also felt like she was leaving her past behind.
But a couple of years later, when a relationship broke down, she began self-harming again.
The self-harm charity Harmless took her on and gave her one-to-one sessions with a psychologist.
"Talking to someone really helped. You don't want to say to your mum 'I hate myself, I hate my body, I hate how I look'," Sophie says.
Two years on, things are looking up. She is now in her last year of a certificate in beauty therapy.
"I'm great now. My anxiety has really dropped. I still have the fear that I will relapse, sort of.
"That's why I like to keep Harmless there so I could message them straight away and say I need to see someone."
'School stress'
Nav Kapur, study author and professor of psychiatry and population health at the University of Manchester, said parents and young people should not be unduly alarmed by the findings.
"We know that for many young people things get better and they no longer hurt themselves as adults.
"But of course we must take self-harm seriously; it's important to understand its underlying causes."
The study also found that young people living in the most deprived areas were the least likely to be referred to specialist mental health services.
Self-harm is seen as the biggest risk factor for subsequent suicide, which is now the second most common cause of death in the under-25s worldwide.
Image copyright Getty Images
The NSPCC charity said the figures were "heart-breaking". It held more than 15,000 counselling sessions about self-harm last year.
"Self-harm can often be an expression of a deeper problem, which is why early intervention services to support these children are vital.
"Without this, the consequences really can be a matter of life or death."
Tom Madders, director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said school stress, body-image issues, the pressure created by social media and difficult experiences in childhood could all have an impact on the mental health of teenage girls.
He said: "As a society, we also need to do more to prevent mental health problems from developing in the first place.
"To start with, we need to rebalance the education system, so that schools can prioritise wellbeing and not just academic performance."
What adults can do to help a child who is self-harming
Show you understand
Talk it over
Discover the triggers
Build their confidence
Show you trust them
Choose who you tell carefully
Help them find new ways to cope
How to spot warning signs
Look for physical signs such as cuts, bruises, burns and bald patches from pulling out hair. These are commonly on the head, wrists, arms, thighs and chest.
The emotional signs are harder to spot:
depression
tearfulness and low motivation
becoming withdrawn and isolated, for example wanting to be alone in their bedroom for long periods
sudden weight loss or gain
low self-esteem and self-blame
drinking or taking drugs
Source: NSPCCIn the late 1970s, Chuck Barris was a patron of the arts to starving artists like Paul Reubens, aka Pee-wee Herman.
Reubens expressed his affection for the producer, who died on Tuesday at 87, as he recalled his 14 appearances on Barris’ late 1970s hit “The Gong Show.” Before that, he appeared three times as a contestant — in his nerdy Herman persona — on Barris’ “The Dating Game.”
Reubens received AFTRA scale payments, $500 in prize money if he won on “Gong Show,” and even residuals for reruns. The money helped him focus on his craft as an actor and comedian with the Groundlings improv group.
“I’ve told people for years that Chuck Barris supported a lot of struggling artists,” Reubens told Variety. “I didn’t have to have a second job because of ‘The Gong Show’ for a couple of years.”
In truth, contestants weren’t supposed to make repeat visits to “Gong Show.” Reubens had to disguise himself in his various acts lest the show run afoul of the FCC rules that govern game shows following the quiz show scandals of the early 1960s. But a number of actors, comedians, and fellow Groundlings members were semi-regulars on “Gong Show,” because Barris knew they would deliver, even if they didn’t win.
Related Pee-Wee Herman, Bob Saget, Other Stars Pay Tribute to Chuck Barris
Reubens didn’t spend much time with Barris behind the scenes because FCC rules bar off-camera fraternization between producers and contestants. “You couldn’t talk to the judges and you had to be escorted if you had to go to the bathroom,” Reubens recalled.
But over time he became acquainted with Barris, and the two saw each other occasionally after Reubens’ career took off in the 1980s.
“He was always friendly and funny with me,” Reubens said.
In addition to the cash prizes from “Gong Show,” the “booby prizes” for losing were also memorable. One was a shrimp burger cooker, which came with a gift certificate to buy shrimp burgers. Another was a set of bowling balls. Reubens also received multiple cans of green paint, which were used to paint the green room at the Groundlings’ Melrose Avenue theater.
“Gong Show” taped at the NBC studio complex in Burbank. The show would plow through five episodes in a day. Reubens still remembers the chaotic atmosphere backstage.
“You were there with five shows’ worth of contestants — it was like a zoo,” Reubens said. “You’d be there with all these insane people who had driven across the country or taken a bus across the country for their shot at fame.”
For his first “Gong Show” outing in 1977, Reubens delivered a comedy routine about radio show sound effects with another actor-comedian, Charlotte McGinnis, a friend from his days studying theater at Boston University. They billed themselves as Betty and Eddie. After they won, Reubens and McGinnis took out a full-page ad in Variety.
“I sat by the phone and waited for it to ring. I fully expected my life was going to change and my career would take off,” Reubens said. “I think we got one phone call and we had a meeting with a manager.”
Having “Gong Show” on his resume didn’t land him much in the way of paying gigs. But the “Dating Game” appearances (Reubens thinks it was 1976) helped him hone the Herman character that would be his springboard to fame. He knew from his first “Dating Game” audition that Herman was destined for greatness.
“It helped me in terms of understanding the power of the character and how the outside world reacted to it,” Reubens said. “It made me realize that I was really going to be this person on stage.”By Athar Parvaiz
At the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Rizwan Ahmad Bhat stands next to his shikara (a traditional boat), named Do Badan Ek Jan (two bodies, one soul), waiting for tourists. Last year this time, the lake was packed with visitors exploring its waters and the views of the surrounding Zabarwan hills.
This summer, the lake and its shores are empty of tourists and the smartly-dressed boatman is upset. “Look at our empty boats,” said Bhat, 31. “We have nobody to take on a ride.”
Half-a-dozen other boatmen, dressed in T-shirts and jeans, stood around, listening to the conversation. They complained that the media is scaring tourists away from Kashmir. “When people watch TV, they think Kashmir is burning and we should not go there,” said one of them, and others agreed.
Until July 2016, when young militant leader Burhan Wani’s killing sparked a prolonged chain of violence in the Valley, Bhat and other boatmen used to earn Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 a day. Now they count themselves lucky if they make Rs 400 a day.
It is the same story at Ali Shah Carpets on Saida Kadal Road, 7 km off Srinagar’s city centre. Unsold rugs and shawls worth crores of rupees are piling up to the dismay of general manager Rafiq Ahmad Shah. “Tourism is a flop this year, so is our production,” he said. Orders were given to artisans in winter for summer sales as no one had foreseen crisis.
The ebbs and flows of violence and tourism
Tourism is important for Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, contributing 8% to the state’s gross domestic product. In 2016, the state had recorded 1,299,112 (1.29 million) tourists. The sector employs over 100,000 people, directly and indirectly, according to approximate industry estimates.
But tourism is also highly sensitive to issues of law and order. In recent months, the national media have been swamped with stories of violence in the Valley and between April and early June this year, only a few thousand tourists arrived, said tourism officials who did not wish to be named.
The Valley has seen a decline in insurgency-related violence in recent years but there has been a rise in street violence, mostly stone-pelting, as IndiaSpend reported on May 30, 2017. Tour operators and tourism officials argue that this violence is too sporadic and localised to affect travellers.
For tourists, however, any trouble, big or small, is avoidable. Bengaluru resident Badri Raghavan scrapped a long-awaited Kashmir vacation with his wife and three children in June 2017 though the cancellation cost was steep. The family’s plans had included a houseboat stint on the Nageen lake in Srinagar and homestay in Sonamarg.
“The tour operator insisted that it is safe but if I have all of seven days in hand for a vacation why would I spend it looking over my shoulders all the time?” said Raghavan.
Tourism figures for the Valley have had a direct link with its law- and-order situation. Kashmir was a strong favourite among national and international tourists until 1988, with over 700,000 arrivals. But in 1989, armed violence began in the Valley and the numbers dropped by 200,000. That year, there were 1,500 violent incidents which included bomb blasts and firing.
In 1990 and 1991, there were 4,211 and 3,780 violent incidents reported, respectively, thereby bringing tourist arrivals to a meager 6,287 tourists, a 98% decrease from tourist arrivals since 1989.
In 1995, violence eased in the Valley and in early 1996, assembly elections were conducted after eight years of governor’s rule. With a civilian government in place, tourist confidence too returned. In 1998, over 100,000 visitors arrived in Kashmir.
Four years later, India and Pakistan were at the brink of war following the December 13, 2001 attack on Parliament. Assembly elections held in the same year in Jammu and Kashmir in September were also marred by violence. Consequently, tourist inflow declined sharply in 2002, falling to 27,356.
With the start of the India-Pakistan peace process in 2003, and up until 2012, tourist figures climbed steadily to over 1.3 million. In 2015, the numbers fell below 1 million, but this time because floods had devastated Kashmir in September the previous year, affecting its tourism infrastructure badly.
Source: Department of Tourism, Government of Jammu & Kashmir
Note: Includes domestic & foreign tourists
Hotels fully booked last year; now, only 25% occupancy
Two top sales officials at two leading Srinagar hotels, who requested anonymity, said April-June occupancy is down by 70-80% this year compared to 2016.
“From April to June last year, we had no vacancies at all given the huge influx of tourists,” said one of the hotel officials, requesting anonymity. “But this year, we have just managed 25% occupancy. It is because of the fear psychosis being created about Kashmir, especially by TV channels.”
Currently, only 15 of 80 rooms in his hotel have guests staying in them.
In recent years, media portrayal of events as well as non-events in Kashmir have become a serious concern for Kashmiris, especially for those who rely on tourism and related activities.
“In a place like Kashmir, tourism inflow is often dependent on peace. But the media reportage about Kashmir is disrupting tourism by creating a false narrative about the situation in Kashmir,” Mahmood Ahmad Shah, director-tourism, Kashmir, told IndiaSpend. “In winter itself, TV channels were predicting the start of a bloody summer in March.”
Most early bookings were cancelled last year and there were hardly any new bookings this year, according to one of the two hotel officials IndiaSpend spoke to.
Tour operators also accused the media of prompting a Kashmir “boycott”. “Messages like ‘avoid travelling to a place where Indian flags are burnt’ were being circulated on WhatsApp group (sic). Who would dare to come now?” Farooq Kuthoo, secretary-general of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, was quoted as saying in The Hindu on July 6, 2017. The newspaper went on to quote a Gujarati student activist Rimmi Vaghela: “There is a concerted effort to shoo away Gujaratis from travelling to Kashmir this year online. Besides the social media, the vernacular press in Gujarat plays up the incidents of violence like never before.”
Prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Pervez tweeted recently:
Boycott Kashmir is what some right wing groups in India want in this hot weather across India. — Khurram Parvez (@KhurramParvez) June 10, 2017
At a recent leadership training session for academics at the Kashmir University, the trainer asked an academic from Rajasthan for the first word she associates with Kashmir. ‘Militancy’ was the answer. For the Kashmiri academics in the classroom, this seemed like a reflection on how Kashmir is portrayed in the media, an assistant professor later said.
“We are the victims of media propaganda,” said Abdul Hamid the manager of a hotel in north Srinagar. “A stone-pelting incident takes place somewhere, someday in Kashmir and it is shown repeatedly on TV for days together as participants on talk shows keep debating stone-pelting and militancy in Kashmir. This is creating a negative message about Kashmir.” Only three of the hotel’s 14 rooms had guests.
Either unemployment or wage cut for workers
The tourism crisis has affected workers more than owners, said Hamid. “Hotel owners at least get tax rebates when the tourism industry suffers, but most workers are either laid off or have their salaries slashed up to more than 50%,” he said.
In his late 20s, Shabir Ahmad from Tangmarg (Baramullah), was employed as a service boy by a Srinagar hotel in March 2015. He was asked to either accept a 60% wage cut or leave. “I preferred to stay as I have no other skill,” said Ahmad. “Now, I and other employees are just hoping that the tourist inflow to valley improves.”
Foreign tourists scarce, exacerbating tourism woes
Many countries including US, UK, Germany and France issued travel advisories against Kashmir.
“We used to love dealing with foreign tourists because they stay for days and weeks together,” said Tariq Ahmad Patloo, a houseboat owner at Dal Lake pointing to the pages of his old log books at his houseboat New Sea Palace. “Now, our houseboat gets just three-four foreign tourists a year.”
Between 1990 and 2005, the number of foreigners travelling to Kashmir remained way under 20,000. It witnessed a steady increase after an improvement in the security situation across Kashmir.
In 2011 and 2012, the number of foreign tourists was 32,110 and 37,166 respectively. But, from 2013, this number declined again.
Source: Department of Tourism, Government of Jammu &; Kashmir
(Parvaiz is a Srinagar-based journalist.)
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.Tornado hunter Ricky Forbes was driving in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia when he noticed a cub stranded on a busy road dangerously close to traffic as its concerned momma bear looked on from behind a concrete barrier.
Forbes pulled over and started filming what he described as "the coolest thing I've ever seen": a momma bear rescuing its cub. Watch just how cool it was on this video posted by the U.K. MailOnline, which also offers a few instant replays:
Forbes, who lives in Canmore, Alberta, is the driver for Tornado Hunter, a professional storm-chasing team. But this time he was behind the camera in the right place at the right time.
As you can see, maternal instincts kicked in and momma bear did what mothers do: protect their offspring. The black bear grabbed the cub in her mouth and pulled it over the cement barrier to safety.
A sibling was peeping over the barrier to watch the entire rescue. A photo sequence can be seen below.
"It was a very amazing sight to see," Forbes told the U.K. MailOnline.
Less than a week before, a black bear was hit and killed by a motorist near Yoho National Park. According to MailOnline, a wildlife official told the Calgary Herald that bears are more prevalent near roads at dawn and dusk at this time of year, and motorists need to keep a watchful eye out.
Fortunately, this story had a very happy ending.
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Follow GrindTV on Google+Being 100% interoperable with the JVM, and subsequently with JavaScript, has always been among Kotlin’s top priorities. With the amount of existing code, and a rich JVM ecosystem, having the ability of interoperating and leveraging these is crucial.
With the upcoming release of M9 we’ve improved on this, making the integration even more seamless.
Platform Types
Dealing with nulls is one of the biggest issues when it comes to Java interoperability. Almost any Java method may, potentially, return null, so Kotlin has treated Java types as nullable, and we either need to resort to using the safe-call (?.) operator or notnull-assertion (!!) to avoid compilation errors:
val x = javaCanReturnNull() // Java call that can return null 1 val x = javaCanReturnNull ( ) // Java call that can return null
on trying to pass the value x to the following functions:
fun nullNotAllowed(value: String) {} fun nullAllowed(value: String?) {} 1 2 fun nullNotAllowed ( value : String ) { } fun nullAllowed ( value : String? ) { }
in the first case, Kotlin compiler would issue an error. This means that the call to nullNotAllowed would need to be:
val x = javaCanReturnNull() nullNotAllowed(x!!) 1 2 val x = javaCanReturnNull ( ) nullNotAllowed ( x!! )
As of M9 this is no longer the case. This allows for much cleaner code, and avoiding the overuse of?. and!! operators when interacting with Java.
Much the same way, when implementing Java interfaces, methods that can have potentially null arguments, no longer require these declarations to be declared as nullable in Kotlin. For instance, given:
public interface SomeFoo { void foo(String input, String data); } 1 2 3 public interface SomeFoo { void foo ( String input, String data ) ; }
when implementing this in Kotlin:
public class SomeInterestingFoo(): SomeFoo { override fun foo(input: String, data: String?) { // String? no longer required... } } 1 2 3 4 5 public class SomeInterestingFoo ( ) : SomeFoo { override fun foo ( input : String, data : String? ) { // String? no longer required... } }
the parameter input no longer has to be of type String?. You can choose to make it either String or String? — depending on its actual meaning. In this example we chose input to be not-null, and data to be nullable.
Annotating methods with platformStatic
Kotlin has object declarations which can be viewed as singletons. And these are consumable from Java, albeit not with the nicest syntax. Given:
object Foo { fun bar() { } } 1 2 3 4 object Foo { fun bar ( ) { } }
consuming this from Kotlin, would be:
Foo.bar() 1 Foo. bar ( )
whereas from Java it would look like this:
Foo.INSTANCE$.bar() 1 Foo. INSTANCE $. bar ( )
With the next release, we’ll be able to call the method from Java the same way as from Kotlin by simply adding an annotation to the function declaration:
object Foo { platformStatic bar() { } } 1 2 3 4 object Foo { platformStatic bar ( ) { } }
making the code much cleaner. Same applies to class objects.
Removing roadblocks
Another benefit of platformStatic is removing some showstoppers that existed when using certain Java libraries such as JUnit. In particular, the latter requires a static method in Java when using Theories. The workaround for this was quite tedious. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. We can use the platformStatic annotation to solve this issue.
RunWith(javaClass<Theories>()) public class TestDoubling { class object { platformStatic DataPoints public fun values(): IntArray { return intArray(-1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) } } Theory public fun testDoubling(a: Int?) { Assert.assertThat<Int>(doubling
|
learn from what has just happened in the United States. For those of us who reject Trump’s style of politics and seek progressive solutions, we must now be realistic about the challenges we face and present credible solutions that resonate with people. And we must regain their trust.
Offering hope and a positive vision of the future is key. Trump harnessed support on the promise of ‘making America great again’, going way beyond a critique of the status quo. Here in Britain those of us on the left should champion a great pride in our country – a patriotic vision quite distinct from the politics of hate and division.
An economic vision which means proper investment in education, skills, and training, particularly in those parts of the country which have been left behind. We must modernise our infrastructure and rebalance our economy between London and the rest of the country.
We also need a vision that changes the way we share power. Instead of top-down decisions driven by a desire for quick results, we need to find a way for people’s voices to be genuinely heard – above the white noise of politics.
And we need real, long-term actions to tackle social ills like poor health, obesity, and mental illness, which can fuel so much of the anger that was felt during the referendum campaign.
At a time when our country feels so divided, we need to recapture that national sense of community spirit and public service. The election in the United States has exposed deep divisions which President-elect Trump should seek to heal. We must do the same in our country.
I know that most people in Britain are willing to help a stranger in need, and to play their part in making their community a better place. That is the spirit we need to rekindle and encourage. If we do not, we lay ourselves open to the divisiveness and demagoguery of extremists.
Many within the political establishment did not expect Donald Trump to win this week. But his victory reminds us of the challenge we face in our country to overcome divisions and halt the tide of cynicism which has engulfed our politics. The stakes are high; we cannot afford to fail.
Dan Jarvis is the MP for Barnsley Central.The NCAA has told University of North Carolina officials that the university apparently did not break NCAA rules in the scandal surrounding the school's Afro and African-American Studies Department, according to a statement released by the school Friday.
North Carolina, which first notified the NCAA that it had identified potential academic issues involving student-athletes in AFAM courses a year ago, updated the NCAA enforcement staff on Aug. 23 about the situation.
"The NCAA staff reaffirmed to university officials that no NCAA rules appeared to have been broken," the school said in its statement.
In May, UNC made public an internal probe that found 54 AFAM classes were either "aberrant" or "irregularly" taught from summer 2007 to summer 2011. That included unauthorized grade changes, forged faculty signatures on grade rolls, and limited or no class time.
UNC has said that no student received a grade without submitting written work. But more than 50 percent of the students in those suspect classes were athletes. As first reported by The News & Observer of Raleigh, one class last summer had an enrollment of 19 -- 18 football players and one former football player.
Late last month, a faculty committee looking into the scandal issued a new report stating that academic counselors assigned to the athletes may have steered them into those classes. Then former two-sport athlete Julius Peppers' transcript was discovered on UNC's website, showing that numerous classes in the AFAM department helped Peppers stay eligible before he left UNC early for the NFL after the 2001 season. Peppers was an AFAM Studies major.
His transcript raised more questions about how far back the department's problems were and helped spawn a new independent probe, led by former North Carolina Gov. James G. Martin. That investigation is reaching back before 2007.
UNC reiterated Friday that it shared the results of its original internal probe with the NCAA on Aug. 24, 2011 -- well before the NCAA sanctioned the football program last March for improper benefits and academic misconduct involving a tutor.
An enforcement staff member made "several" trips to Chapel Hill in the fall of 2011, according to the statement, and found "no violations of current NCAA rules or student-athlete eligibility issues related to courses in African and Afro-American Studies."
The university also supplied the NCAA with a copy of the internal review it finished in May.
"University officials will continue to keep the NCAA informed as developments warrant," the statement said.Since 2014 HPN has trawled the internet in order to find out which club is meant to pick which player in the upcoming draft, in lieu of our lack of knowledge about junior footy.
This is HPN’s fourth annual attempt at the Consensus Phantom Draft. In most years the method is within the two or three most accurate phantom drafts with respect to the final place that a given player is selected at, however the method becomes increasingly more accurate as the time until draft day narrows.
The method is simple – we have assembled eight draft rankings in order to sort the prospective draftees. We’ll use this to identify which players and clubs there is consensus on, and where the experts disagree. HPN looks at two different measures: the average draft position and the “mode” – the position a player is most.
At the end of the draft, we’ll take a look back and see which phantom drafters have been the most accurate. Last year, Callum Twomey nailed the first round, and Brett Anderson was the most accurate across the whole draft.
The phantom drafts/power rankings we’ve used so far are:
We are not re-publishing their work here in full because we don’t want to steal traffic away from these sites, and want them to get fair reward for their hard work. If you want to read the reasons for all the selections made by those writers above, we encourage that you have a read.
We encourage readers to bring new phantoms and power rankings to our attention, especially those at independent websites which we might have missed. Hit us up @hurlingpeople on twitter, via email at hurlingpeoplenow [at] gmail.com or via the comments below.
Here, then, is the first version of the Consensus Phantom Draft:
Pick Club Name Pick High Low Mode 1 Brisbane Lions Luke Davies-Uniacke 2.0 1 4 2 2 Fremantle Cameron Rayner 2.1 1 4 1 3 Carlton Paddy Dow 2.4 1 3 3 4 North Melbourne Adam Cerra 4.8 2 7 7 5 Fremantle Jaidyn Stephenson 5.8 4 8 5 6 Collingwood Andrew Brayshaw 6.6 4 13 5 7 St Kilda Darcy Fogarty 8.6 4 12 12 8 St Kilda Nick Coffield 9.0 6 11 9 9 Western Bulldogs Aaron Naughton 9.1 5 14 6 10 Carlton Hunter Clark 10.9 8 15 8 11 GWS Aiden Bonar 12.0 8 23 10 12 Adelaide Jack Higgins 12.8 7 18 11 13 West Coast Charlie Constable 15.1 8 20 20 14 Sydney Jarrod Brander 15.4 6 38 12 15 Brisbane Lions Nathan Murphy 16.8 11 24 15 16 Western Bulldogs Oscar Allen 17.0 13 38 13 17 Richmond Ed Richards 20.4 11 37 19 18 Brisbane Lochie O'Brien 23.3 14 38 21 19 Gold Coast Sam Hayes 23.6 10 38 26 20 Richmond Noah Balta 25.3 6 44 17 21 West Coast Lachlan Fogarty 29.0 15 49 17 22 Richmond (F/S) Patrick Naish 29.5 16 41 38 23 Brisbane (Academy) Connor Ballenden 29.8 18 40 38 24 Geelong Joel Garner 32.3 16 44 44 25 North Melbourne Matthew Ling 32.9 22 49 38 26 Geelong Charlie Spargo 33.1 23 49 38 27 West Coast Zac Bailey 33.6 19 49 38 28 GWS Jack Petruccelle 33.9 19 49 38 29 GWS Gryan Miers 34.9 28 49 28 30 Melbourne Sam Taylor 35.4 22 49 38 31 Carlton Tim Kelly 37.4 23 49 38 32 Melbourne Jordan Houlahan 39.3 23 49 38 33 West Coast Harrison Petty 39.4 24 49 38 34 Sydney Charlie Ballard 40.0 29 49 38 35 St Kilda Dylan Moore 40.3 31 49 38 36 Geelong Bailey Fritsch 40.4 32 49 38 37 Melbourne Toby Wooller 40.8 35 49 38 38 West Coast Brandon Starcevich 41.0 37 49 38 39 Collingwood Ryley Stoddart 41.1 37 49 38 40 Adelaide Kane Farrell 41.3 37 49 38
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Shortly before the 2009 election, the then–NDP MLA for Vancouver-Kensington stood up in the legislature and delivered a remarkable speech. David Chudnovsky announced that if British Columbians watched the legislature in action, they would be “appalled”.
“They sent us here to govern, and we don’t,” the MLA said. “Everybody who works here knows that the real governing takes place in the premier’s office with a few handpicked friends and advisers.”
He characterized debates in the legislature as a “sideshow”.
“The people sent us here to listen to one another, but we don’t,” Chudnovsky added. “They sent us here to negotiate with one another, but we don’t. They sent us here, every one of us, to advise the government, to take the debate seriously and to be taken seriously, but we don’t. That’s mostly because the debate hardly matters.”
Veteran muckraking journalist Sean Holman decided to include clips from Chudnovsky’s speech in the trailer for his new documentary, called Whipped: The Secret World of Party Discipline. Holman, who covered the B.C. legislature from 2003 to 2012, has managed to persuade former MLAs to go on camera and speak frankly about why legislators rarely vote against the wishes of their party.
“Because of the inherent secrecy of party discipline, we’ve never really, until this point, been able to know exactly why that is—exactly the dynamics that take place, and exactly the factors that keep everyone in that building from stepping out of line,” Holman told the Georgia Straight over the phone from Calgary, where he’s an assistant professor of journalism at Mount Royal College.
He said that Chudnovsky’s 2009 speech “essentially summarized” a basic problem with the B.C. legislature: what’s said in the chamber doesn’t matter.
“You go down there and you hear countless hours of the debate,” Holman said. “And the fact of the matter is that none of that debate usually makes a difference. The last time a piece of government legislation was defeated in the house was 1953. To put that in perspective, that’s the same year that Joseph Stalin died and the same year that Dwight Eisenhower was sworn in as America’s president. That just boggles the mind.”
Holman mentioned several reasons why MLAs are so willing to succumb to the wishes of the party whip. A key factor, he suggested, is the “team-oriented aspect of provincial politics”.
“If you break ranks from that team, you’re essentially helping the other side,” he said. “So you better not step out of line or suddenly you become the enemy.”
Holman claimed that this keeps people out of politics who might be more likely to represent the interests of their constituents over the interests of the party. He added that many MLAs don’t have much influence at all on the government, which he called a “sad thing”.
“I think the biggest shock is the system works exactly the way we suspect it does,” he maintained.
Another of his concerns is the way that media outlets respond to MLAs who challenge the party establishment. They are often described as “mavericks” or in other unflattering terms.
“How we characterize the difference has the effect of preventing people from breaking ranks,” he stated.
Holman suggested there are different dynamics at play within the B.C. Liberal and B.C. NDP caucuses. He pointed out that New Democrats often recruit candidates for their idealism. But because the party is influenced by the labour movement, notions such as “solidarity forever” also hold sway.
“I think that creates a natural tension within the NDP that, to a certain extent, doesn’t exist in the Liberal party,” he stated.
He pointed out that if a government commands a majority in the legislature and it has party discipline, it can do anything it likes. And that disturbs Holman, who described himself as a “passionate believer in democracy and the role the media plays”.
“I really honestly think this documentary should be mandatory viewing for anyone who is heading into the legislature or thinking about heading into the legislature,” Holman concluded.Izvor: N1
U Pressingu kod Petra Štefanića gostovao je izabrani zastupnik Živog zida Ivan Pernar.
S obzirom na sve što se događalo u Živom zidu, kako se osjećaju sada vaši birači?
"Živi zid je jedan paradoks. Mi imamo situaciju gdje se nas napada iako smo ostvarili vrhunski rezultat. Napadaju nas bivši članovi, optužuju nas da smo loše vodili stranku, loše upravljali novcem. Najviše o nečijem radu sudi rezultat. Mi vidimo rezultat u saborskim mandatima."
Iznose li članovi Živog zida prljavi veš u javnosti?
"Kad čujem prljavi veš, ja se nasmijem. Te optužbe nemaju pameti. Ja da sad kažem da sam kupio samo jedan bicikl i to na račun stranke, jer svuda kuda idem, idem biciklom, a curi dao stari bicikl ništa to neće promijeniti u očima javnosti. Zanimljivo je što su sve drugi kupovali ženama, ljubavnicama... A meni se predbacuje bicikl."
Išli ste u koaliciji kao Jedina opcija, a sada su iz tog proizašla dva kluba. Kako to?
"Točno. Zašto? Imamo zastupnika Mišića iz Promijenimo Hrvatsku. On je protiv legalizacije konoplje, mi smo za. Na koji bi način mogao govoriti zajedničkim jezikom. Išli smo skupa, ali ide i SDP s HNS-om pa svaki ima svoj klub. HSLS je u prošlom sazivu imao svoj klub. Bitno je da u budućnosti idemo zajedno. Ni Lovrinović ni Mišić nisu solo igrači. Idemo zajedno. Svaki klub ima pravo na svoj prostor, ako imate jedan klub imate jedan prostor. Ali medije to uopće zanima. Mediji objave nešto, a demanti će biti na kraju teksta."
Idemo se prebaciti na vas petero i Živi zid. U javnosti kruži percepcija da ste skupina neuravnoteženih ljudi.
"Ta se percepcija pokušava nametnuti preko medija. Svi ljudi koji su uneravnoteženi u Živom zidu i izlaze, mediji im daju naslovnice, a nas normalne izbjegavaju."
Zašto ste bili pozvani na razgovor u policiju?
"Imali smo situaciju gdje je otac bio pedofil, a majka je branila dijete. Usprkos tome riječki sud je odlučio na silu predati dijete ocu. To se dogodilo, a dijete je pobjeglo natrag. Ja sam snimio intervju s tom majkom. A otac je rekao da sam ja snimao maloljetno dijete i lažno me prijavio. I majka i sin kažu da ga ja nisam snimao i usprkos tome što svjedoci kažu, policija mene zove na razgovor i prijeti silom, a zna da saborski zastupnik nije dužan odazivati se na obavijesne razgovore."
U koju svrhu ste snimali?
"Snimao sam u svrhu medija."
Ali vi niste novinar?
"Gospodine dragi, napravio sam više medijskog posla u pitanju deložacija nego mnogi mediji. To što policija mene uhićuje, pritvara pet godina nije bahatost, bahatost je kad sam se ja jednom odbio odazvati na razgovor."
Uspjeli ste se legalnim organima zemlje pozvati na to da ste političar, a tek ste izabrani.
"Riječka policija godinama skriva tko je ubio sestre Blažević. Ista ta policija koja prikriva ubojicu, napada mene."
Kakve to ima veze?
"Upadate u riječ izabranom saborskom zastupniku..."
To mi je posao.
"Ja ću otići ako ne želite razgovarati."
Ne želim da odete.
"Policija štiti ubojicu, ali mene napada."
Jeste li paranoični?
"Da, ne vjerujem u instituciju. Kad su bila dva pripadnika SOA-e u kineskom restoranu u Ilici... Ja mogu vjerovati da mene nitko ne prisluškuje, ali me iskustvo naučilo suprotno."
Paranoični ste, dakle?
"Vjerujem da je ovaj sustav spreman učiniti sve da me kompromitira."
Zašto biste bili toliko važni?
"Jer ne razmišljam kao establishment. Nedavno sam se sastao s čovjekom iz ruskog veleposlanstva. Kaže da čita sve o napadima na mene. Rekao mi da to što rade meni, oni u Rusiji rade opoziciji. Ali da napadi na mene prelaze zdrav razum."
Jeste tužili koga?
"Koga? Ja ne vjerujem u pravni sustav ove zemlje."
Gdje je nestao Ivan Vilibor Sinčić?
"Gdje? Nestao je jer ga mediji napadaju."
Zvali smo ga na N1 svaki dan?
"Je li je objektivno novinarstvo kada se nas pokušava pokazati kao najkorumpiranije u državi. Demonizira nas se iz dana u dan, a o strankama koje imaju crne fondove, ni riječi."
Zašto Sinčić nije išao predsjednici na konzultacije?
"Išlo nas je troje. Lovrinović, Aleksić i ja."
Obično ide predsjednik stranke?
"Ide onaj kojem je to u tom trenutku najpraktičnije. Rekao mi je Sinčić "Ivek, odi ti"."
Zašto je Hrvoje Runtić otišao iz Živog zida?
"Dragi gospodine, mi iz Živog zida smo najveći kriminalci u državi. HDZ i SDP su male bebe u usporedbi s nama. Kad je vidio da je Božo Petrov pošten i da se on drži potpisanog kod javnog bilježnika, otišao je k njemu."
Jeste li ironični?
"Ne, ne. Ja sam ozbiljan."
Ispast će Vam takav naslov na portalima?
"Nama bankari plaćaju milijune."
Nudim Vam zadnju i priliku da priznate da ste ironični.
"To je na gledateljima da procijene."
Znači Runtić laže?
"On umanjuje optužbe. Tu su bili paketi, a ne kuverte."
Znate da Vam zbog ovog USKOK može doći?
"Da, ja ih pozivam. Milijuni eura su dolazili ispod peke. Dragi gospodine, zanimljivo je za reći... Velike stranke... Runtić je rekao da smo mi od Milanovića prije izbora primili dva milijuna kuna."
U redu. Je li Vladimira Palfi završila fakultet?
"Što se mene tiče, je."
Kako to mislite?
"Po meni je."
Kako to? Ima diplomu?
"Ima diplomu."
Vidjeli ste?
"Rekla je da mogu vidjeti. Nisam vidio, ali vjerujem na riječ. Nađite jednog političara koji je na zahtjev žute štampe pokazao svoju diplomu?? Ja vas pitam!!"
Ne znam, možda i je.
"Zašto bi Palfi morala plesati kako Hanžeković svira?!"
N1 pratite putem aplikacija za Android | iPhone/iPad | Windows| i društvenih mreža Twitter | Facebook | Instagram.BEIRUT – The two most powerful Syrian rebel groups in the northeastern outskirts of Damascus have engaged in a firefight, according to an NGO monitoring the conflict in the war-torn country.
“Damascus’s eastern Ghouta is witnessing… continued unrest between Jaysh al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman after quarrelling between the two sides and fierce armed clashes,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Tuesday morning.
Activists working with the SOHR said that they witnessed fighters from Jaysh al-Islam—the largest faction in eastern Ghouta—surrounding positions in Zamalka, which is a Faylaq al-Rahman stronghold.
Meanwhile, Faylaq al-Rahman—which is considered the only other group capable of matching Jaysh al-Islam’s military presence—set up checkpoints on the roads connecting Hamouriya, Saqba, Irbin and Hazza.
The SOHR reported that the clashes had erupted after Jaysh al-Islam members tried to seize a building used by Faylaq al-Rahman in Zamalka. The latter group then expelled Jaysh al-Islam’s fighters from the building after which the two factions mobilized their forces.
“Fierce clashes proceeded to break out between the two sides. So far there has been no information regarding human losses,” the NGO added.
The Observatory’s activists reported that they had seen Jaysh al-Islam summoning reinforcements from the town of Douma amid continued tension and attempts by several factions operating in the area to resolve the dispute between the two rebel giants and calm the situation.
Neither Jaysh al-Islam nor Faylaq al-Rahman—both of which are part of the Unified Military Command of Eastern Ghouta—have issued any statements on the fighting, which comes two weeks after tensions mounted in the besieged area over a merger between Faylaq al-Rahman and a smaller Islamist group.
Although rebel groups in the area have not made any official comment on the incident, pro-opposition news outlets published accounts similar to that of the SOHR.
“The dispute between the two factions came after an attempt by Jaysh al-Islam to use one of the buildings under the control of Faylaq al-Rahman in the town of Zamelka for Jaysh al-Islam’s private military purposes,” Step News Agency reported Monday.
“Faylaq al-Rahman rejected this matter and expelled the Jaysh al-Islam members from the location. This prompted the latter to mobilize is forces on the outskirts of the town of Hamouriya, and Faylaq al-Rahman did the same,” the pro-rebel outlet further explained.
“Confrontations then flared up between the two sides. The agency was unable to confirm if human losses were incurred.”
Orient News, meanwhile, said that “light clashes” had erupted between the two largest factions operating in eastern Ghouta suburbs.
East Ghouta tension
Tensions mounted in Damascus’s eastern Ghouta suburbs on February 18 after fighters from the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union merged with Faylaq al-Rahman hours after Jaysh al-Islam had launched a public campaign aiming to entice the Islamist fighters to join its ranks instead.
Jaysh al-Islam published a video that claimed to show Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union members in the eastern Ghouta town of Douma joining the larger Islamist group. In the video, an alleged Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union fighter said he and his compatriots had “enlisted” in Jaysh al-Islam because of “poor treatment and a lack of care for us as mujahedeen.”
“We call on our brothers in the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union to emulate our example [and] follow in our footsteps [by] enlisting in Jaysh al-Islam,” the spokesperson said.
However, the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union fired back, accusing Jaysh al-Islam of intimidating its members in Douma and forcing them into making the video statement.
“Jaysh al-Islam is surrounding several of the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union’s bases in eastern Ghouta and forcing members [of the eastern Ghouta sector] to make statements [saying that they have] enlisted in Jaysh [al-Islam] after it learned of Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union’s merger agreement with Faylaq al-Rahman,” Ajnad al-Sham spokesperson Waiel Olwan said on Twitter.
He also re-tweeted a post by Twitter user Alaa al-Ahmad that said Jaysh al-Islam had “stormed one of the Union’s bases in eastern Ghouta and filmed the enlistment of one of the Union’s divisions [into] Jaysh al-Islam by force of arms and heavy machine guns.”
“Any talk of a merger with [Jaysh al-Islam] is fabricated. The Union will be dissolved in its entirety into Faylaq al-Rahman,” the post added.
A day later, Faylaq al-Rahman and Jaysh al-Islam issued a joint statement announcing that both sides had resolved the dispute over the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union merger.
“After the meeting that was concluded between Faylaq al-Rahman leadership and Jaysh al-Islam leadership the misunderstanding that took place… was resolved and incorporation of the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union into Faylaq al-Rahman was given Jaysh al-Islam’s blessing,” the statement announced.
The two sides confirmed that this was a step that “contributes to the unification of ranks and brings success to joint action in a manner that serves the interests of the Ghouta in particular and the revolution in general.”
The Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union was formed in November 2013 as a conglomeration of five Islamist brigades active in the outskirts of Damascus. In 2014, it was considered the second largest Islamist group fighting the regime in the capital; however its profile has been partially eclipsed by Faylaq al-Rahman.
Faylaq al-Rahman was also formed in November 2013, bringing together a number of Free Syrian Army-affiliated units under the command of Abd al-Nasr Shmeir, a defected Syrian army officer who is now one of the top rebel leaders in eastern Ghouta.
The Institute for the Study of War classifies Faylaq al-Rahman as one of the only twelve “powerbroker” groups or factions powerful enough to determine “the success of military operations against either the Syrian regime or ISIS.” Jaysh al-Islam is the only other rebel faction in eastern Ghouta listed by the ISW as a “powerbroker.”
NOW’s English news desk editor Albin Szakola (@AlbinSzakola) wrote this report. Ullin Hope (@UllinHope) translated the Arabic-language source material.Update: Apple has documented the security fix here.
Now that the just-released iOS 9.3.5 security update is now available, details about what exactly it fixes have been green lighted for release as well. Both Vice and NYT have detailed accounts of the very serious security issue that iOS 9.3.5 fixes…
The New York Times describes the exploit as one believed to be found an effort “to spy on dissidents and journalists.”
Investigators discovered that a company called the NSO Group, an Israeli outfit that sells software that invisibly tracks a target’s mobile phone, was responsible for the intrusions. The NSO Group’s software can read text messages and emails and track calls and contacts. It can even record sounds, collect passwords and trace the whereabouts of the phone user. In response, Apple on Wednesday released a patched version of its mobile software, iOS 9.3.5. Users can get the patch through a normal software update.
The report notes that the exploit was fixed 10 days after first being discovered, an an Apple spokesperson added that all customers should update to the new software version.
Vice has a more eery account of how the exploit came to light:
On the morning of August 10, Ahmed Mansoor, a 46-year-old human rights activist from the United Arab Emirates, received a strange text message from a number he did not recognize on his iPhone. “New secrets about torture of Emiratis in state prisons,” read the tantalizing message, which came accompanied by a link. Mansoor, who had already been the victim of government hackers using commercial spyware products from FinFisher and Hacking Team, was suspicious and didn’t click on the link. Instead, he sent the message to Bill Marczak, a researcher at Citizen Lab, a digital rights watchdog at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs.
And here’s more detail on the surveillance company behind the exploit:
Since its founding in 2010, NSO has developed a reputation for providing sophisticated malware to governments that need to target cellphones in their investigations, although the use of its tools has never been documented before. The company claims that its products are completely stealthy, like a “ghost.” The company has been so guarded about its wares that it’s never had a website, and has rarely given interviews or any comments to the press. But some information has leaked out, including a sale for $120 million to a US-based venture capital firm in 2014 and a subsequent reported valuation of $1 billion. NOS’s malware, which the company codenamed Pegasus, is designed to quietly infect an iPhone and be able to steal and intercept all data inside of it, as well as any communication going through it.
Also of concern is that the exploit is believed to date back to iOS 7:
Moreover, the malware is programmed with settings that go all the way back to iOS 7, which indicates that NSO has likely been able to hack iPhone devices since the iPhone 5.
The 2010 iPhone 4 stopped receiving updates after iOS 7.1.2 and cannot update to the fix (so be aware). Apple’s iOS distribution data also says that 10% of active users are running iOS 8, although iOS 9 is compatible with any iOS 8 device and users can update.
The full Vice piece is especially worth a read, and all readers should advise family and friends to take the iOS 9.3.5 seriously if privacy is a concern. The latest iOS 10 beta already includes the fix.A Boston lawyer says the T and Keolis owe commuter-rail riders a lot more than just a 15% discount on their Mass passes, so, of course, he's filed a lawsuit.
The suit, filed earlier this week in Middlesex Superior Court by Robert Richardson, seeks to make Raquel Rodriguez, identified as "a resident of the Commonwealth," lead plaintiff in an action seeking not just refunds for January, February and March passholders, but damages as well.
Although the complaint does not say which line Rodriguez rides, it does state she usually took an 8:40 a.m. train but during the snow crisis was forced to choose between a 7 a.m. train - too early because she had to get her children to school at 7:30 a.m. - and a 10:50 a.m. train - too late because she would get to work her normal starting time and be fired.
The complaint accuses the T and Keolis of breach of contract for failing to honor rider needs for decent daily service in those months and accuses the authority and the rail company of being "unjustly enriched by keeping the hundreds of dollars Plaintiff and putative Plaintiffs paid the defendants for commuter rail monthly passes for parts of January and March, 2015 and all of February, 2015, when Defendants failed to provide timely and reliable commuter rail service."
Complete complaint, Rodriguez vs. MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services, LLC.Kamal Jain (1969–2015) was a state chair for the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts, a Libertarian state senate candidate, and a two-time candidate for state auditor (once on the Republican ticket, once as a Libertarian). His campaigns provide a blueprint for running on government transparency. They also demonstrate how “losing” candidates can raise public awareness and have a significant impact on government policy.
Jain lost his Libertarian run for auditor in the general election, and lost to an establishment favorite in the Republican primary. But because of his hard-fought campaigns, $24 billion that the state had been hiding in “off-budget spending,” and which the media refused to report or even acknowledge existed, saw the light of day.
Jain’s 2010 campaign appeared to impress Steve Grossman, a Democrat who was running for treasurer that year.
Several months after Jain had been crisscrossing the state on his slogan “Every Dollar and Every Dime of government spending ONLINE,” Grossman made transparency the focus of his campaign and ran on the slogan, “the government’s checkbook online.” Grossman won his race, and he subsequently disclosed the state’s total government spending — including “off-budget” — on the official Massachusetts treasurer’s website.
Here’s what Kamal Jain wrote in an online forum during the 2010 election, which can serve as a platform for any candidate running on transparency:
For the record, I am the ONLY candidate for state auditor from any party who has a vision and a plan for enhancing democracy and improving civic engagement through Total Transparency. Every other candidate for auditor who speaks of “transparency” says that they will tell the people what is going on, and yet offers no way in which the people can check the veracity of those statements.
Financial Transparency
Every Dollar and Every Dime of government spending, down to the transaction level, must be available to all of the people, in an easy-to-understand format and at no charge: every RFP [request for proposal], every response, every contract, and every invoice. The total of the details presented must add up to the amount of total spending as indicated in each year’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
Within six months of my taking office, the auditor’s office will launch a free-to-use, easy-to-navigate, and easy-to-understand online transparency portal that will be open to the public. The underlying data will also be made available to anyone who wants it. Newspapers, think-tanks, bloggers, and other interested parties will no longer have to pay for this information as they do today.
Legislative Transparency
Readily available technology must be implemented to allow every vote by every legislator to be reported in near real time, and it must correspond to the reported results on each bill acted upon by the legislature.
I will recommend legislation requiring all proposed legislation be made publicly available online for a minimum period of time before a vote is taken, giving the people time to read and understand what is being voted on and to contact their legislators prior to the vote.
The people must have access to the bill and the voting record before the governor has an opportunity to sign or veto legislation. It is wrong for the legislature to sell voting data to anyone; it is and should be a matter of written public record. Every vote by every legislator, every time.
Procedural Transparency
All contract award decisions; all hiring, termination, and promotion decisions; all outsourcing and privatization decisions must be made public except in the case where legal or security constraints would be compromised.
Other candidates for auditor promise to go behind the curtain and tell the people what is going on back there. I pledge to tear down the curtain and invite the people to come in and see for themselves.
If we could find billions of dollars that [were] being wasted or spent inappropriately … would you want that? If we could end cronyism that lines the pockets of those with connections, would you want that?
As a society, we cannot have an honest discussion about appropriate levels of funding for programs until we can have an honest discussion about actual spending. Every dollar, every dime.
Kamal Jain was well respected by those who saw him campaign, and beloved by many for his generous nature. A hardworking activist,
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." They're the essential tools of gerrymandering. I don't really stress the efficiency gap. If I had to explain the efficiency gap, I'd go to the concept of lots of wasted votes – but I would first start off with packing and cracking, then explain wasted votes in the context of packing and cracking.
And what do we mean by "wasted votes" in this context?
Wasted votes are all the votes for the losing candidate plus all the votes for the winning candidate above 50 percent plus one.
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The art of gerrymandering is the art of wasting the other side’s votes as efficiently as you can.
Yes, and the efficiency gap measures the way that a party favored to win does so by wasting as few votes as possible – voters that can then be spread into other districts. The party that’s disfavored by the maps wins their seats by a substantial margin. Those voters are packed into that district. In a cracked district, there are a lot of wasted votes for the losing party – who might get 45 percent – but very few for the winning party. That’s how I explain it.
Did a bell go off in your head when you saw this paper? This is it! This is the standard that we're looking for?
It's a possible standard. To tell you the truth, in the meetings with Nick and Ruth in Milwaukee …
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I mean, people were talking about it today as the long-sought holy grail.
Some people were attracted to the efficiency gap. Others said, "Well, just a minute now, we want a test case of partisan gerrymandering. We don't want this to be a case which gets Nick Stephanopoulos his Ph.D. thesis!” I've become a fan more and more as time has gone on. But you have to remember, we were kind of beggars. At the time, we were looking for some free lawyers who would take the case!
An awful lot of luck has to happen. Assuming we win this case, a lot of little lucky things had to happen in the interim, like the recall election that allowed the Democrats to take control of the State Senate, without which we wouldn’t have gotten a lot of the discovery – the hard drives, the emails – that was part of the smoking gun on partisan intent.
When the Republicans redistricted, they set it up in a way designed to produce confidentiality: They had the State Senate and Assembly hire a lawyer with state funds, then sent over the actual map drawers – many of whom were legislative staffers – made them employees of the law firm, and tried to protect all their work under lawyer-client privilege. The courts blew through that and required disclosure.
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But when the Democrats got control of the State Senate, they were suddenly clients of the law firm, because they were using state funds. They asked the law firm for the records. The law firm complied – and we discovered there were things that had been turned over to the State Senate leadership that should have been in the disclosure to the lawyers in the previous case, but were not: hard drives that contained not only the emails, but all the memorandums, all the drafting documents, draft maps, everything. The court just flipped at that.
What would you call the most insidious effects of partisan gerrymandering?
Well, I'd say there are two consequences that are most insidious. There are the various consequences in terms of legislation. Certainly the substantial defunding of the University of Wisconsin system, the right-to-work legislation – those would be examples.
The other impact is the noticeable dampening of enthusiasm for campaigning for local elections. At a statewide level, when you try to recruit people to run for office or work for campaigns, they think the idea of putting Democrats into the majority is hopeless. It’s had a real chilling effect in that respect, and quite understandably so.
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There was an amazing number out of Wisconsin in 2016: Out of 99 state Assembly districts, 47 lacked a major-party challenger. Everyone looked at the districts, measured the likelihood of winning, and passed on even making a race.
That’s a pretty big number. It’s the lack of competitive seats. The efficiency gap nicely sums it up – there are many more Democratic seats that are won with 75-percent-plus of the votes than Republican seats. There are very few swing districts. The Democrats’ votes are packed, cracked and wasted. Then there are a bunch of Republican seats [where] they win around 55 or 60 percent – they win many more seats, much more efficiently.
What is your hope? Ideally what is the best result, as you look at this?
I hope we win. I hope the courts begin to get into the area of setting some limits. All the data shows that gerrymandering is only getting worse, by both sides. It's a problem, and a national one, of single-party control.
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Right now, Republicans are doing it more than Democrats. That’s because more states have single-party Republican control than [are controlled by] Democrats. But I’m not claiming Democrats are holier than thou. The courts can shake that up a bit, and they need to. But it’s only going to set some limits. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of partisan gerrymandering.
It’s very encouraging to see everything that’s going on around the country. This is a real problem for democracy and an increasing number of people seem to understand that. Ultimately, we have to get redistricting out of the hands of legislatures. There are problems with commissions and a lot of issues about how you structure them. They’ll need structure from the courts. But the first essential step is to take the power away from legislators.
Have you spent any time examining alternative election forms like ranked-choice voting or multi-member districts, both of which would be more effective in providing choice and options to voters than a commission?
I am hardly an expert but I am familiar, because I am a political junkie and my friends do this kind of stuff. My gut tells me that’s a harder sell – but it’s certainly possible that you could get ranked-choice voting in many states and municipalities. That seems to be a good system to me, but it could take a while.
You started in a tea room. Now you’re on the verge of the Supreme Court. Not a bad run – and you could go down in history as the plaintiff who changed everything.
If we win, my grandchildren will know me as the plaintiff in this case. They won’t know what I did as a law professor. I get a lot of congratulations, but I really feel like what I did was a relatively small amount. My role has been small compared to a lot of the others. My fear would be that we win, and then there’s a change on the Supreme Court a year or two later, and it all somehow ends up reversed.
It’s nice symmetry to have spent time studying Baker v. Carr, and then coming back around to this. It’s been fun and it’s been a good retirement activity. Saving democracy.No parking here.
Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images
Parking takes up space. And space is often quite expensive. Buying a house in San Francisco is expensive. So it should come as no surprise that a parking space—which, much like a closet, takes up space—in San Francisco is also expensive. But actual market rate transactions for parking are so rare that the sale price of one made news in San Francisco.*
Now I’ll be the first to admit that $82,000 is an awful lot to pay for a spot in a garage, and no doubt the vast majority of urban parking in America isn’t that costly. But the costs really are there. And not just in Manhattan or San Francisco. There are plenty of suburbs with expensive houses and widely available free parking. Which is to say there are plenty of suburbs with expensive land and a massive regulatory subsidy for automobile storage. In other words, we treat parking spaces as if they’re public goods that would be underprovided by market transactions. But, of course, parking spaces are both rivalrous and excludable. Where conditions are right, the market price of parking can be quite high and creating and selling (or leasing) parking spaces is a perfectly reasonable line of business. It’s simply that if people had to pay the full cost of parking there’d be somewhat less car ownership, somewhat less driving, and somewhat smaller vehicles.
Correction, June 14, 2013: This post originally stated that market-rate transactions for houses are rare when it should have said that such transactions rarely take place for parking spaces.Join us on Monday night, 11/17, to celebrate the release of Dragon Age Inquisition, Far Cry 4, GTA V, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (for XBox 360 and PS3) and WWE 2K15 (for XBox One and PS4).
Our doors will open 9pm in most locations, but check with your local store for opening times.
These titles will be available for pick-up at 12:01am Eastern Standard time. Customers will be able to pick their copy the game up at the following times based on their time zone:
Eastern: 12:01am on 11/18/14
Central: 11:01pm on 11/17/14
Mountain: 10:01pm on 11/17/14
Pacific: 9:01pm on 11/17/14
Alaskan: 8:01pm on 11/17/14
Hawaiian: 7:01pm on 11/17/14
Don't forget to bring your trade-ins to take advantage of our great trade specials to reduce the price of your game. Everybody likes to save money!
We would love to hear from you about your experience. So, follow the instructions on your sales receipt to let us know how the midnight launch was at your local GameStop.
Want to learn more? Call this hotline number for more details: 1-888-490-7664
Dragon Age Inquisition, Far Cry 4, GTA V, Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor and WWE 2K15 will be available for pick-up at 12:01am on 11/18! Stores will remain open until 1:00am on 11/18 to assist customers.
We hope to see you there!
Power To the Players.Wenger must win a trophy to silence his critics, insists ex-Arsenal keeper Seaman
Arsene Wenger's critics will only stop when Arsenal win a trophy, former Gunners goalkeeper David Seaman has warned.
The north London club are currently in the midst of a nine-year drought, having not won a trophy since lifting the 2005 FA Cup.
Some fans have called on Wenger to be sacked in recent seasons but Seaman, who played under the Frenchman, believes he is still the right man for the job - providing he wins some silverware.
Backing: Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman (right) believes Arsene Wenger (left) must win a trophy to silence his critics
Frustrated figures: Lukas Podolski (left) and Tomas Rosicky (right) argue after Arsenal's Champions League exit to Bayern Munich
Repeat performance? Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring the winner in Arsenal's 1-0 victory against Tottenham earlier this season
Seaman told the Sunday Mirror: 'Arsene Wenger is brilliant. When I was there he was brilliant and he still is brilliant.
'They just need to get one trophy and then it shuts everybody up. And then Arsenal can push on.
'But it’s getting that first one. It’s not easy. He’s got to win something and the fans are desperate.'
Arsenal go into Sunday's north London derby with Tottenham looking to haul themselves back into the title race having lost 1-0 to Stoke in their last league fixture.
The Gunners currently sit seven points behind leaders Chelsea but they could cut that gap to just a single point should they beat local rivals Spurs and win their game in hand.
Seaman, who won two Premier League titles under Wenger, believes his former side should not be written off just yet.
Prepared: Wenger takes his Arsenal side to White Hart Lane for a north London derby with Tottenham on Sunday
Glory days: Seaman lifts the 2003 FA Cup with Arsenal team-mate Fredrik Ljunberg (right)
Up for the cup: Mesut Ozil scores in Arsenal's FA Cup quarter-final victory against Everton earlier this month
He said: 'We’re still doing OK in the league. People are writing us off but if we can hold it together we have a chance. This team deserves it.As we think about what we have to be thankful for this holiday season, we should remember that millions of Americans can’t afford two of the most basic necessities: adequate food and shelter.
Food insecurity. Some 15.8 million households with roughly 42 million people were “food insecure” last year, meaning someone in the household had inadequate access to food at some point during the year. In most of these households with children, only the adults were food insecure because adults often devote their limited food resources to their children. Still, 3 million households last year included children who were food insecure at times.
Some 6.3 million households containing over 14 million people had “very low food security” last year — a more severe form of food insecurity in which household members have to take steps such as skipping meals because they lack resources.
The share of households that are food insecure — and the share with very low food security — fell last year but remain above pre-recession levels (see graph).
Homelessness. Some 1.5 million people spent at least part of 2015 in a homeless shelter. Over 450,000 of them had disabilities, over 120,000 were veterans, and over 300,000 were children. In fact, children under age 5 are at greater risk of homelessness than people at any other age.
Moreover, shelter use is only the tip of the iceberg; housing insecurity is much more prevalent among poor families with children than the homelessness data alone indicate. The families of more than 1 million school-aged children are living doubled up with other families, in hotels or motels, or on the street, Education Department data show.
Research consistently links homelessness and housing insecurity to a range of adverse outcomes for children that have long-term consequences, including increased risk of cognitive, mental health, and behavioral problems, physical health problems such as asthma, and poor school performance.
The importance of the safety net. The figures cited here would be far higher if not for key safety net programs such as SNAP (formerly food stamps) and Housing Choice Vouchers. SNAP helps millions of households afford adequate food — for example, food insecurity among children falls by roughly a third after their families receive SNAP benefits for six months. Housing vouchers targeted to veterans have helped cut veteran homelessness in half, and a major recent study found that vouchers are the most effective tool for families seeking to escape homelessness and raise their children in safe, stable homes.Union Station is losing money and the city needs to take immediate action to avoid losing millions more in the future, Toronto's auditor general warns in a new report.
Over the last five years, the city made some $59 million from leasing out commercial space in the massive commuter hub, but operating that space cost $62 million. The audit also found that even when Union's new commercial space is fully operational, the city could wind up absorbing up to $2.5 million every year to run it.
The station's $800 million renovation won't be finished until early 2018, but the auditor's findings are already causing concern at city hall.
"Why is it that the taxpayer is now going to be on the hook for this gap?" said Coun. Stephen Holyday, who chairs the audit committee.
Holyday said he's worried that the gap could balloon if city management can't find other ways to make money at Union.
He is, however, "optimistic" that the city will be able to recoup some $9.4 million in rent that the auditor general's report found wasn't collected during a five-year span. (Who owes the city money remains confidential at this time.)
"But I want to hear from management why this has occurred," he said.
City staff already working on fixing problems
Construction work is continuing throughout the commuter hub, which 250,000 people pass through every day. (John Rieti)
Auditor General Beverly Romeo-Beehler issued 22 recommendations to better manage the station in her report. Deborah Blackstone, spokesperson for the city's Real Estate Services Division, said in an email to CBC Toronto that the city takes the matter "extremely seriously" and is working with the auditor general on solutions.
Blackstone added that city staff have already started working on a number of key areas and plan to implement all of Romeo-Beehler's recommendations by the third quarter of 2018, including reviewing the station's financial model.
"This information will become more accurate as construction is completed and as leases are finalized," she said.
Once complete, the renovated station will feature 165,000 square feet of commercial space featuring, according to the station's website, "an eclectic mix of the most noteworthy and unique independent retailers, restaurants, art, music and cultural events."
For now, less than three per cent of that new commercial space has opened.
Union Station management says the revitalized station will feature shopping, food and cultural events. (John Rieti)
Romeo-Beehler's report urges the city to be ready for the launch.
"Once the focus on Union Station leasing has been restored, attention should quickly be turned towards ensuring future success of leasing in the revitalized Station," the report states.
"Management should implement a strong framework to proactively and effectively monitor commercial operations."
'Validate assumptions' about Union Station revenues, staff told
The long list of recommendations mainly revolve around keeping a better handle on how business is done at Union Station, including monitoring deals with other major users like Via Rail and Metrolinx and monitoring what the city is spending at Union and what it can expect to get back in revenue.
The report found "lease administration functions" have not been performed for several years.
Romeo-Beehler is also calling for records surrounding leases to be kept in a central location and reviewed every year.
The report also calls for city staff to "validate assumptions" underlying the estimates of how much money Union Station will generate, and to provide city council with an updated financial forecast.
The recommendations are set to be debated at next week's meeting of the audit committee.A SYDNEY man allegedly ordered 200 hash browns from a McDonald’s drive-through before being arrested by police and registering a blood-alcohol level of 0.175.
The alleged incident took place about 4:50am on Saturday at the Thornleigh McDonald’s drive-through in northern Sydney.
Police claim the 30-year-old Epping man became angry at staff when he couldn’t order chicken nuggets because they weren’t on the breakfast menu, reported the Hornsby Advocate. Instead he opted for hundreds of dollars worth of hash browns.
The man reportedly did four laps of the drive-through during the incident and ordered the 200 hash browns on his second go around.
How he was ever going to eat so many hash browns is anyone’s guess, but in the end he never got the chance. After police were called he was allegedly found intoxicated at the wheel, while still waiting for his hash browns.
According to the report, the driver registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.175. Anything above 0.150 is considered high range.
His licence was suspended and he is due to face Hornsby Court on November 30.Seventeen people suspected of helping to smuggle children into Britain for crime have been arrested in Romania.
About 300 police officers, including 20 from the Metropolitan Police, carried out searches at homes in the south-east Romanian town of Tandarei.
Thirty people were questioned on suspicion of taking 168 Roma (Gypsy) children to Britain for "criminal activities", Romanian police said.
Pistols, hunting rifles and money were seized, and 17 people were arrested.
A Met Police spokesman said: "The Romanian national police organised crime unit executed search warrants at 33 addresses in Tandarei, south east Romania.
"The operation is being supported by Metropolitan Police officers from Operation Golf - an investigation into child trafficking."
The spokesman added: "We believe some of the children may be in the UK and they have been referred to local safeguarding youth boards and other relevant agencies."
Officers continued to share intelligence with Romanian authorities, with 26 Met officers remaining in the country as part of the investigation, the spokesman added.After the Carter Administration's cancellation of the B-1A program due to fiscal concerns, the rise of air-launched cruise missiles and the possibility of developing a stealth bomber, Boeing put forward a low-risk, relatively cheap, cruise missile delivery vehicle alternative based on the mighty 747. It was called the Cruise Missile Carrier Aircraft, or CMCA for short.
The idea was relatively simple, turn the premier long-range commercial hauler into an arsenal ship capable of carrying between 50 and 100 air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs). At the time the AGM-86 air-launched cruise missile was all the rage (it is still in service today) so the 747 CMCA concept was built with the 21ft winged missile in mind.
The configuration was fairly straight forward, the design was based on the 747-200C, a nose-loading cargo derivative of the ubiquitous airliner, with nine rotary launchers mounted on tracks inside of the stripped-out cabin. Each rotary launcher would hold eight missiles, and they could be slid back into a launching position at the rear right side of the aircraft via the help of an overhead handling system.
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A bay door on the right side of the 747's tail cone would open and an ejector system would punch the missiles out into the air stream and send them on their way either one at a time, or in rapid succession.
In this configuration, a single 747 CMCA could launch 72 AGM-86 ALCMs on a single sortie, which is absolutely impressive considering a B-52 can carry up to 20. Satellite data links and other forms of communication could have allowed for the CMCA's missiles to be re-programmed from external sources while the aircraft was already in flight. The "hump" area behind the cockpit that is usually reserved for first class passengers on airline versions of the 747 had enough square footage that limited command and control and network relay functions could be added to the basic CMCA concept.
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Seeing as the range of the AGM-86 is between 500 and 1500 miles, depending on version of missile and the weight and type of the warhead it carries, which can be up to 3,000lbs, the 747 CMCA could launch massive salvos of independently targeted cruise missiles at enemy targets while staying safely outside of the enemy's airspace and zone of control. Most importantly, it could do this in an economic fashion after traveling thousands of miles from its home base, and even the 747's already massive range could be extended with aerial refueling.
Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
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Boeing saw the 747 design as has having a decent chance of success with the USAF for the CMCA mission seeing as the service was already purchasing the E-4 "Nightwatch" airborne command posts, which were based on the same airframe.
In the end, the 747 CMCA was passed over, with the B-1 being revived by the Reagan Administration as well as the B-2 being procured semi-clandestinely under what would become the Advanced Tactical Bomber program. The B-52 fleet also received some capability upgrades as well. The iconic bomber was already considered geriatric some 35 years ago, yet it would remain as America's primary air-launched cruise missile delivery platform for another three decades, with no end in sight.
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In retrospect it would seem that choosing not to develop the CMCA was a poor move. Such an aircraft, especially if it were eventually upgraded to carry smaller GPS guided munitions, would have been an extremely effective weapon system to have orbiting high over Afghanistan and Iraq.
When it comes to the loitering weapons platform mission, the CMCAs could have operated at much lower cost than the B-1 or B-52 force during both those wars. Additionally, the arsenal ship concept was really ahead of its time when the CMCA was put forward, as smart munitions, especially those guided by GPS, were some twenty years from being fielded operationally.
Additional proof as to the 747 CMCA's great potential can be seen in a similar and highly successful cruise missile carrying arsenal ship concept of recent times, albeit one that is at home far beneath the ocean's surface instead of high up above it. This being the conversion of America's oldest Ohio Class nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) into nuclear guided missile submarines (SSGNs).
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Turning the world's most deadly weapon of all time into BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile slinging arsenal ship was a fairly unconventional move for the US Navy, but one that has proved to be a huge success. Instead of simply retiring the first four Ohio Class ballistic missile subs, which were capable of firing 24 Trident SLBMs, the Navy reworked them to carry 154 Tomahawks and as a many as 66 US Navy SEALs and their equipment.
What was once the ultimate in Cold War era mutually assured destruction (MAD) capability became a conventional weapon of modern times. The SSGNs offering a "war in a box" to be deployed undetected off of any coastline for over a month at a time, all the while being able to strike strategic targets close to 1,000 miles inland, not to mention making an enemy's shores and ports vulnerable to Frogmen raids and surveillance missions.
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The SSGN concept was proven highly effective in Libya during Operation Odyssey Dawn, which would eventually lead to Qaddafi's fall from power. During the multi-national effort the USS Florida launched a whopping 93 Tomahawks, 45% of the total for the campaign, and had a success rate of 90 out of 93 targets totally destroyed.
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Like the Ohio Class SSGN that has just found its stride in the modern era of smaller wars, countries with questionable intentions, and the 'pivot' towards the Pacific Theater, the 747 CMCA could offer an incredibly relevant long-range strike capability today. Being able to load a 747 with close to 100 air launched cruise missiles, that can be fired off 1,000 miles off the coast of an enemy country, namely China, would offer a very survivable and credible threat without the extremely high costs of developing or even operating a purpose-built military bomber. Nor could any military bomber from the past or on the design table for the future hold nearly as many ALCMs as Boeing 747 CMCA concept.
For every CMCA based on the 747-200C, you would need 4 B-52s to hit the same amount of targets. Seeing as the 747 is widely used for commercial operations, is equipped with fuel-efficient high-bypass turbofan engines, has ongoing product support and a solid global logistics train, the cost and reliability difference of operating it compared to four B-52s would be monumental. If a new CMCA were developed based on the larger and more efficient 747-800F, the B-52 would look even less attractive as the CMCA could carry even more missiles, farther and for less money per mile.
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In the maritime strike role an aircraft like the 747 CMCA could wreak havoc on enemy flotillas operating thousands of miles out to sea. Using an external targeting source, namely the MQ-4C TritonBroad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) version of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, and satellites, the CMCA could ripple close to a hundred network-enabled, long-range anti-ship cruise missiles at the enemy force. In doing so it would provide so many targets that the enemy's naval air defenses would be overwhelmed.
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With Lockheed's new stealthy LRASM, which will be smaller than the AGM-86, a single CMCA could potentially launch well over 100, and more like 150, of these smart anti-ship missiles on a single mission. With LRASM's low radar and infrared signature, and its ability to actively avoid detection, or even kill an offending radar emitter when working in conjunction with other LRASMs, as well as the shear quantity that the CMCA could theoretically unleash, it would be doubtful that a enemy carrier group could survive such an onslaught.
Once the enemy's metaphorical door is kicked down, and air superiority is largely gained, the CMCA can go to work providing close air support for multiple operations separated by as many as 100 miles. Acting once again as an arsenal ship, just not a cruise missile carrying one, the CMCA can have various munitions loaded into its belly, including ones that can glide over 50 miles from their launch point.
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In such a configuration, the CMCA's rotary racks could contain 500lb, 1,000lb, and 2,000lb JDAMs, while another rack holds dozens of Small Diameter Bombs, and yet another could hold low yield AGM-176 Griffin missiles. Even larger glide weapons, such as the Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), could also be carried and rapidly targeted to hit large targets dozens of miles away and a small lot of JASSM or SLAM-ER cruise missiles could be carried for contingency time-sensitive strike on regional targets.
With the addition of an off the shelf targeting pod, such as the Sniper XR, the CMCA, like its B-52 and B-1 cousins, could also deliver laser guided munitions, generate targeting coordinates for its JDAMs, and provide electro-optical surveillance for ground forces far below.
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Seeing as the 747 based CMCA would not be carrying anywhere near the weight that it would with a full load of large air launched cruise missiles, extra fuel can be carried so that the CMCA can provide armed assistance from on high for potentially dozens of hours at a time, all with commercial airliner economy and reliability.
The massive internal capacity of the CMCA would allow for other missions to be done concurrently with the arsenal ship role, including command and control, communications relay, line-of-sight UAV control, or even more elaborate intelligence gathering tasks. Because the 747 can be equipped with a front-loading tilt-up nose, entire containers that could contain full mission suites could be loaded onto the CMCA in addition to weaponry for true multi-role capability. In other words, the CMCA's potential is just not one of a standoff missile launcher, but also as a close air support arsenal ship and multi-role roll-on/roll-off mission module carrier.
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Although the original 747 CMCA was never built, in many ways it was a highly logical and commercially available option that was far ahead of its time, as without other types of guided munitions it was really a niche capability. Today, with so many types of smart weapons available, both that are fired at standoff and at close ranges, the CMCA could prove its value in many different missions, and when it was not hauling bombs or cruise missiles it could haul pallets of freight or the aforementioned missionized containers.
Today, even the USAF's AC-130 gunships, which traditionally bristle with direct-fire cannons, are becoming indirect-fire bombers in their own right, and the Navy's new P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has a latent but very potent bomber and standoff attack capability as well. Yet none of these aircraft possess the volume of fire or incredible heavy weapons hauling capability of a 747 based arsenal ship.
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With the way budgets are collapsing in on weapons programs, and with the USAF's questionably optimistic cost and inventory goals for their next generation stealth bomber, now known as the Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B), maybe Boeing would be smart to have 747 CMCA reemerge to fill in the inventory gap that may be left by another stealth bomber that is too expensive to buy in the numbers requested by the USAF (just read anything about how B-2 become known as the "two billion dollar bomber!). Although, don't expect this to happen unless Boeing (partnered with Lockheed) loses the LRS-B competition to Northrop Grumman.
Come to think of it, I know of an incredibly low hour 747 freighter that the USAF already blew billions on for a way more risky and less technological relevant or logical program than the CMSA concept, that being the Airborne Laser Program, the result of which was the still-born YAL-1.
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Currently that YAL-1 is being used as an umbrella for rattle snakes at the DoD's mega boneyard, known as AMARG, located next to Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. Maybe putting it to use as an arsenal ship testbed would be better than letting it rot out there, but like all things military these days the question is "where will the money come from?" Well it will materialize rapidly if that next generation bomber currently in development ends up costing a billion dollars per copy even before its production numbers get slashed and it enters a DoD "death spiral."
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Although it is by no means stealthy, who would doubt that in this modern era where stealth technology's tactical edge is eroding, and with the challenges of area denial and anti-access warfare looming in the Pacific, that a 747 CMCA would not be an incredibly powerful and relevant weapon system to possess. When a 747-800 based CMCA packing close to 100 long-range stealthy cruise missiles flies all the way across the Pacific Ocean without the need of tanker gas, and devastates 100 strategic enemy targets in a single volley with minimal risk to its operators lives, stealth really doesn't even matter at all does it?
Wait, why again isn't the USAF knocking on Boeing's door for this thing like yesterday?
Pictures via USAF, Boeing, public domain.
Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer who maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address [email protected] the JavaScript Interview: What is Functional Programming?
Eric Elliott Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jan 3, 2017
Structure Synth — Orihaus (CC BY 2.0)
“Master the JavaScript Interview” is a series of posts designed to prepare candidates for common questions they are likely to encounter when applying for a mid to senior-level JavaScript position. These are questions I frequently use in real interviews.
Functional programming has become a really hot topic in the JavaScript world. Just a few years ago, few JavaScript programmers even knew what functional programming is, but every large application codebase I’ve seen in the past 3 years makes heavy use of functional programming ideas.
Functional programming (often abbreviated FP) is the process of building software by composing pure functions, avoiding shared state, mutable data, and side-effects. Functional programming is declarative rather than imperative, and application state flows through pure functions. Contrast with object oriented programming, where application state is usually shared and colocated with methods in objects.
Functional programming is a programming paradigm, meaning that it is a way of thinking about software construction based on some fundamental, defining principles (listed above). Other examples of programming paradigms include object oriented programming and procedural programming.
Functional code tends to be more concise, more predictable, and easier to test than imperative or object oriented code — but if you’re unfamiliar with it and the common patterns associated with it, functional code can also seem a lot more dense, and the related literature can be impenetrable to newcomers.
If you start googling functional programming terms, you’re going to quickly hit a brick wall of academic lingo that can be very intimidating for beginners. To say it has a learning curve is a serious understatement. But if you’ve been programming in JavaScript for a while, chances are good that you’ve used a lot of functional programming concepts & utilities in your real software.
Don’t let all the new words scare you away. It’s a lot easier than it sounds.
The hardest part is wrapping your head around all the unfamiliar vocabulary. There are a lot of ideas in the innocent looking definition above which all need to be understood before you can begin to grasp the meaning of functional programming:
Pure functions
Function composition
Avoid shared state
Avoid mutating state
Avoid side effects
In other words, if you want to know what functional programming means in practice, you have to start with an understanding of those core concepts.
A pure function is a function which:
Given the same inputs, always returns the same output, and
Has no side-effects
Pure functions have lots of properties that are important in functional programming, including referential transparency (you can replace a function call with its resulting value without changing the meaning of the program). Read “What is a Pure Function?” for more details.
Function composition is the process of combining two or more functions in order to produce a new function or perform some computation. For example, the composition f. g (the dot means “composed with”) is equivalent to f(g(x)) in JavaScript. Understanding function composition is an important step towards understanding how software is constructed using the functional programming. Read “What is Function Composition?” for more.
Shared State
Shared state is any variable, object, or memory space that exists in a shared scope, or as the property of an object being passed between scopes. A shared scope can include global scope or closure scopes. Often, in object oriented programming, objects are shared between scopes by adding properties to other objects.
For example, a computer game might have a master game object, with characters and game items stored as properties owned by that object. Functional programming avoids shared state — instead relying on immutable data structures and pure calculations to derive new data from existing data. For more details on how functional software might handle application state, see “10 Tips for Better Redux Architecture”.
The problem with shared state is that in order to understand the effects of a function, you have to know the entire history of every shared variable that the function uses or affects.
Imagine you have a user object which needs saving. Your saveUser() function makes a request to an API on the server. While that’s happening, the user changes their profile picture with updateAvatar() and triggers another saveUser() request. On save, the server sends back a canonical user object that should replace whatever is in memory in order to sync up with changes that happen on the server or in response to other API calls.
Unfortunately, the second response gets received before the first response, so when the first (now outdated) response gets returned, the new profile pic gets wiped out in memory and replaced with the old one. This is an example of a race condition — a very common bug associated with shared state.
Another common problem associated with shared state is that changing the order in which functions are called can cause a cascade of failures because functions which act on shared state are timing dependent:
Timing dependency example
When you avoid shared state, the timing and order of function calls don’t change the result of calling the function. With pure functions, given the same input, you’ll always
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unresolved disappearance of the five booksellers can only underscore the theme of increasingly restrictive mainland rule.
“The Freedom of the press situation is very serious," Cheng told VOA. "Most Hong Kong media are in the hands of big corporations, and these big corporations, without exception, all have important business in China. That is the reason why media exercise self-restraint.”
Cheng also said Hong Kong’s press freedom ranking declined in recent years, according to reports issued by international group Reporters without Borders. As for Hong Kong’s academic freedom, Cheng said Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's government has used its power to appoint academic officials in a manner that allows it to exert greater influence over the management of city universities.
“For example, the pro-Beijing Council of the University of Hong Kong last year refused to appoint Johannes Chan to be the vice president of the University," he added. "Hong Kong government appointed Arthur Li to be the Chairman of the board of Hong Kong University, [and] both events arouse great social concern and protest.”
Johannes Chan is said to support student protests.
“Hong Kong's political instability is due to the fact that, for the Communist Party leadership, the democratic aspirations of Hong Kong’s people is unacceptable," said Cheng. "They want to make Hong Kong people understand their definition of the so-called 'one country two systems.' The Party leadership therefore has taken a tough policy on all issues; they want to teach Hong Kong people a lesson.”Florida woman waves gun at neighbor over loud music [Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel]
Police in West Palm Beach, Florida, arrested a 47-year-old woman for allegedly bursting into her neighbor’s home to threaten them with a gun for playing their music too loudly.
The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported that Heather Mary Watt was charged on Monday night with aggravated assault with a weapon, armed burglary, burglary with a weapon and displaying a weapon during a felony following the incident.
Residents of the house described Watt as “clearly drunk and unstable” when she waved her handgun at them. They told police they were afraid for their lives and that Watt told them at one point that she was “from Texas and always carries a gun.”
As of Tuesday night, she was booked into Palm Beach County jail and held without bail.
Watch the Sun-Sentinel‘s report on the incident, posted on Wednesday, below.Alberta's paramedic regulator has terminated its registration committee, dogged by a months-long controversy over licences for first responders with mental health issues like work-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
Documents leaked to CBC reveal the Alberta College of Paramedics voted Tuesday to terminate all eight committee members responsible for regulating paramedic licences. The terminations come into effect Jan. 22.
"On January 22, 2016, all members of the Registration Committee... will be terminated from their positions on the committee," reads the motion included in a "request for decision" document distributed to the college's elected council members this week.
The suggested course of action was to provide a 10-day grace period so members could resign before their official termination.
The college confirmed Thursday the motion passed with a majority vote.
The terminations are the latest turn in a mire of unprecedented legal posturing, complaints and counter complaints, plus stalled government mediation, among college leadership. Meanwhile, rank-and-file paramedics are calling for administrators to resign, even the organization's top manager.
The maelstrom stems back to a decision in the case of Alberta paramedic Dave McAllister.
Controversy and complaints
McAllister had difficulty renewing his registration (commonly known as a licence to practice) when he revealed on his renewal form that he had post-traumatic stress disorder, had sought treatment and was cleared by a doctor to go back to work. After a nine-month appeal process, his full licence was restored.
But the registration committee disagreed with the decision-making process. They wanted a chance to appeal and defend their reasons for denying him his licence. And they made it known.
Paramedic Dave McAllister returned to work mid-September. (CBC) On Sept. 21, just a few days after McAllister got his full licence back, the committee chair penned a letter asking the college's elected council members to investigate.
"The registration committee requests that council order an immediate human resources operational review … of the joint leadership," wrote then-chair Barry Straub on behalf of the committee. The letter recommended registrar/executive director Tim Essington and deputy registrar Becky Donelon be placed on administrative leave until the review was finished.
When council didn't act on that recommendation, the registration committee hired high-powered Calgary law firm Miller Thomson to represent them, and sent a second letter. This time they contacted Alberta deputy health minister Carl Amrhein.
"We write to request that you take action under the Health Disciplines Act to determine whether the Council of the Alberta College of Paramedics and the College Registrar are performing their duties in a proper manner," wrote current registration committee chair Dana Terry on behalf of his colleagues.
"In the past month, the registration committee members, particularly the chair, have been subject to a barrage of pressure including veiled threats, the untimely removal of their management consultant and bad faith questions regarding the legitimacy of the decisions of the registration committee," she added.
One day after that letter went out, the elected council voted to place Terry and the entire registration committee on administrative leave.
They then suspended all eight members, around the same time that Donelon filed conduct complaints against them.
Stormy situations
In the roughly two months since then, the provincial government attempted to mediate but did not resolve the problem. The registration committee's lawyer filed a formal letter accusing the college of "acting in bad faith," and the registration committee as a whole was terminated.
"Council voted for removal because certain stances and actions of the Registration Committee, outside of conducting actual registration reviews, were not consistent with the College's governance model," wrote Krista Rivet, college spokesperson, in an email.
She confirmed the vote and explained the terminated members' duties will be carried out by an interim committee that was appointed in October. She said the college cannot comment on the other developments listed in the request for decision document because "the motion and the rationale are confidential."
"There doesn't seem to be any common sense," said George Porter, a veteran Alberta paramedic and advocate, after he heard about the termination vote.
He called for a government review of the registration committee's decisions at the Alberta paramedics annual general meeting this fall. And he's making plans to attempt a special meeting of the membership as soon as possible, to craft a non-confidence motion and vote to punt the entire college leadership.
According to Porters interpretation of health legislation, if 10 per cent of the membership sign a petition asking for such a vote, the college would be obligated to call the special meeting.
When CBC contacted Alberta's ministry of health about the college's termination vote, a spokesperson said it was the first his office had heard of it.
"When the college and the registration committee contacted us for assistance earlier this winter, we arranged for a mediator to work with them to understand and resolve any concerns," Timothy Wilson said.
"In light of the information you have shared, the ministry will follow up with the college."In 2012, President Obama captured a historic majority of millennials, propelling him to a second term in the White House. In fact, if voting had started at age 30, Mitt Romney would be our president today. This means that our generation had the power to reverse the decision that the rest of the electorate made.
Hillary Clinton has been unable to repeat that success starting with the Democratic primaries. In some states that Clinton eventually won, her opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, walked away with more than 80 percent of voters under the age of 30. These problems have continued in the general election as her lead over Republican presidential rival Donald Trump fell from 24 points in late August to just 5 points this month in Quinnipiac surveys.
So if you want to know why all of the sudden Clinton is writing a column on Mic and giving a speech about millennials this week — the proof is in the polling.
Fifty days from the election, Hillary is trying to butter up to millennials, writing about all the "great lessons" she's learned from our generation.
So, as she attempts to tell us what she's learned from our generation, I'd like to tell Hillary Clinton what her old way of thinking has taught our generation: that there's one set of standards for ordinary Americans and another set for the powerful and connected. We know it's well past time to throw that model out.
Just look at what we've seen from Secretary Clinton this campaign.
There's the Democratic National Committee, stacked with allies and cronies, perfectly positioned to secure your primary victory at whatever cost. And then there's the grassroots Democratic voters, whose choices were repeatedly undermined and marginalized throughout the process.
There's powerful foreign contributors to the Clinton Foundation, donating millions for special access to then-Secretary of State Clinton, and then there's the citizens of those same countries oppressed by homophobic and misogynistic regimes.
There are the elite donors gathered at a high-dollar event in South Carolina to hear Hillary Clinton's record on criminal justice reform, and then there's the young activist (a paying attendee), who was forcibly removed from the room for simply asking Clinton to answer for past descriptions of young African American males as "super predators."
There is $48.5 million in campaign contributions she's received from hedge funds and $21 million she accepted in speaking fees from firms like Goldman Sachs (the transcripts from which she refuses to release), and then there are the promises made to Americans along the campaign trail in flyover states about getting tough on Wall Street.
There's the mistreatment of sexual assault victims, who "should be believed" — unless that's politically inconvenient for Mrs. Clinton.
There's the insular Clinton staff, who took great pains to set up a private and unsecured email server in her home during her time at the State Department in order to get around the transparency laws we know are needed to hold politicians accountable. The FBI concluded that she recklessly and knowingly mishandled classified information. Contrast her experience with the lower level intelligence officials, who mistakenly downloaded less critical information on personal devices. They're serving prison sentences because their last name isn't Clinton.
You know why politicians behave that way? To cover up the ugly truth. Hillary's truth is this: She has to hide the ball, has to demonize her opponents, has to ask us to believe people who have a different ideology than hers belong in a "basket of deplorables".
She has to behave this way because if she let us judge her on her proposals, she'd lose in a landslide.
In her op-ed to millennials, Clinton tells us that we are "the most open, diverse and entrepreneurial generation in our country's history." That's true — but her response to it couldn't be more off base.
She fails to understand the root cause of the barriers that face young voters. Not a single challenge she laments needs to be there. They're artificial barriers, put in place because people just like Hillary are still trying to govern this new economy, and the new generation that created it, the old way.
We don't accept the old way of doing things.
We're not looking for one-size-fits-all solutions, delivered by those at the top, many of whom have a personal stake in the rigged Washington game.
Hillary says she listened to millennials and learned from us. Truth is, millennials have listened to Hillary, too. And we've learned all we need to know.
Alex Smith is the national chairman of the College Republican National Committee. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.A week after a falling chunk of concrete at the Mitchell Park Conservatory led Milwaukee County officials to close its desert exhibit, all three domes were closed indefinitely.
County Executive Chris Abele announced Friday the domes would be closed “over the weekend,” but the conservatory was still closed this morning and Abele has not said when it will reopen.
The Arid Dome, or desert dome, was closed on Jan. 28 after employees discovered a piece of concrete had fallen from its ceiling.
The county has released few details about what happened on Jan. 28 and why it decided to close the entire conservatory a week later.
“The domes are structurally sound, but there are still concerns,” said Abele spokesperson Melissa Baldauff. “We are waiting on more information by the engineering firm and hope to have that this week.”
Baldauff said more details about the domes and their structural problems will be released today at 3 p.m.
Construction of the Mitchell Park Domes was completed in 1967, and they have been an iconic Milwaukee landmark ever since.
County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb said he’s skeptical of the Domes’ structural integrity.
“That doesn’t seem to match up with concrete falling and it being closed,” he said.
Lipscomb said Abele and the Parks Department should be more forthcoming about what’s happening at the aging city landmark.
“We were told that they’re going to share some information from the engineer,” Lipscomb said. “I thought we were getting something Friday, but that wasn’t the case. It does beg the question: What should we have known, and when?”
The Parks department asked for and received $500,000 from the county on January 30, 2014 for “additional inspection and repair of the Arid and Show Domes,” according to Finance, Personnel and Audit committee minutes published on the county’s website.
Lipscomb said the County Board didn’t receive any updates on the domes in the two years since that money was allocated to the parks department.
“I’m not sure if, at that time, they had reports that were more detailed,” Lipscomb said. “We’d like all the information … and there needs to be a broader community conversation about whether this is an icon that we’d like to save for future generations.”
State Senator Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, who is running against Abele for county executive in April, released a statement this morning that blamed Abele for putting off repairs on the domes and accused him of secretly lobbying for legislation “that put our parks and cultural institutions at risk.”
“It’s a tragedy that the future of our Domes has been compromised by millions of dollars worth of deferred maintenance that has piled up under the last two county executives and that there has yet to be a plan to keep the public informed on what will happen with the Domes future,” Larson said. “As county executive, I will work with our neighbors to do what it takes to ensure our Domes are available for future generations.”
Baldauff denied Larson’s accusations and said the domes have a long history of structural problems and repairs that extend years before Abele was elected.
“Effective managers understand that observing a problem doesn’t solve it, as anyone who’s ever been a successful leader can attest to,” Baldauff said. “That’s why instead of pointing fingers at previous County Executives and previous County Boards from which he inherited a mess, Chris Abele has spent five years catching up on deferred maintenance in Milwaukee County. Decisions regarding public safety and significant investments of taxpayer resources aren’t to be taken lightly or made into political theater. The county executive knows that the resources required to do large scale projects such as the work necessary on the Domes belong to the public, which is why he is committed to soliciting community input before making any decisions.”
Check back at BizTimes.com this afternoon for more information on this developing story.There’s a powerful integration trick that I don’t believe is too widely known. Some calculus books mention it in a footnote, but few emphasize it. This is unfortunate since this trick applies to more problems than many of the more ad hoc techniques that are commonly taught.
Karl Weierstrass (1815-1897) came up with the idea of using t = tan(x/2) to convert trig functions of x to rational functions of t. If t = tan(x/2), then
sin(x) = 2t/(1 + t 2 )
) cos(x) = (1 – t 2 ) / (1 + t 2 )
) / (1 + t ) dx = 2 dt/(1 + t2).
This means that any integral of a rational function of sines and cosines can be converted to an integral of rational function of t. And any rational function of t can be integrated in closed form by using partial fraction decomposition, though the partial fraction decomposition may need to be performed numerically.
I call this the sledgehammer technique because it’s overkill for the simplest trig integrals; other less general techniques are easier to apply in such problems. On the other hand, Weierstrass’ technique is very general and can evaluate integrals that look impossible at first glance.
Related posts:A Bloomberg News piece featured as a main headline on the widely trafficked news aggregator DrudgeReport.com cites a quote from President Elect Donald Trump that doesn’t exist.
Bloomberg editor Ros Krasney literally invented a tweet she attributed to the president elect Saturday morning in an article discussing the Hamilton musical controversy, at which Vice President Elect Mike Pence was booed.
Here it is from Bloomberg:
“I settled the Trump University cheated more than 6,000 students with false promises of teaching them his real estate secrets,” the president-elect said on Twitter.
Trump of course never said this.
Here’s what he actually said:
I settled the Trump University lawsuit for a small fraction of the potential award because as President I have to focus on our country. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
The ONLY bad thing about winning the Presidency is that I did not have the time to go through a long but winning trial on Trump U. Too bad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
And they call Infowars.com fake news!
Update: Bloomberg later corrected their tweet:Get ready for the national spotlight to shift away from the NFL to college basketball — and not in a good way. NBC News reported a few minutes ago that the FBI rounded up several NCAA assistant coaches in a corruption probe that appears unprecedented in sports:
BREAKING NEWS / NBC: The FBI has arrested several NCAA asst. basketball coaches in a corruption scheme. Presser @ 12n with U.S. Attorney — Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) September 26, 2017
MORE: NCAA-related arrests were made across the country last night, a senior law enforcement official tells @NBCInvestigates — NBC News (@NBCNews) September 26, 2017
The Department of Justice sent out an announcement of a press conference at noon today. Ten people have been arrested already, and “representatives of a major sportswear company.”
TMZ has a scoop on the nature of the corruption, and on the sportswear exec involved. If they’re correct, Adidas’ Jim Gatto paid six figures in bribes to get top athletes to colleges sponsored by the company:
The FBI claims Jim Gatto — the Director of Global Marketing for Adidas Basketball — paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to funnel top prospects to Adidas sponsored colleges … including Louisville. The FBI says 4 NCAA coaches were also arrested as part of the investigation — including Auburn coach Chuck Person. Oklahoma State coach Lamont Evans was also arrested. USC assistant coach Tony Bland was also arrested.
So, “Oh boy” is right. NCAA basketball is big business, and maybe too big business for its own good. Gatto allegedly tried to bribe one player and his family to choose one of Adidas’ partners, and that suggests that the tactic might have been used with others. According to TMZ, the FBI has wiretaps of these conversations, which means they’ve been looking into this for quite a while. When people start to sing — and they will, believe it — this may well stretch back for years, and perhaps more than one corporation, too. Once bribes start becoming common, it’s tough to believe that only one entity entered the market on that basis without blowing the whistle on it. Of course, that may be exactly how the FBI got involved in the first place.
Will this overtake the NFL story? We’re still at the very beginning of this story’s life cycle, of course, but media feeds on Twitter seem to have mainly missed this breaking news from NBC and the DoJ to continue its wall-to-wall coverage of the pregame protests in the NFL. That scandal may be exacerbating an already-extant trend of fans away from professional football, but a corruption scandal in college basketball could end up burying the league — and much of the billions of dollars that get made from it. That seems like a much more topical issue than kneeling before games, but YMMV.
Update: Fixed last sentence.
Update: ESPN has a more complete list of the suspects. Note that “advisers” also allegedly got in on the act:
Other people named in the documents include James Gatto, director of global sports marketing at Adidas; Merl Code, who recently left Nike for Adidas; Christian Dawkins, an NBA agent who was recently fired from ASM Sports for charging approximately $42,000 in Uber charges on a player’s credit card; Jonathan Brad Augustine, president of The League Initiative and program director of the Adidas-sponsored 1 Family AAU program; Munish Sood, a financial adviser; and Rashan Michel, a former NBA official who founded Thompson Bespoke Clothing, a custom clothier for athletes. Since 2015, the FBI has been investigating the criminal influence of money on coaches and student-athletes who participate in intercollegiate basketball governed by the NCAA, federal authorities said. They said the probe has revealed numerous instances in which bribes were paid by athlete advisers, including financial advisers and associate basketball coaches, to assistant and associate basketball coaches to exert influence over student-athletes so the athletes would retain the services of those paying the bribes.
The coaches acted as the gateways to the athletes:
“Moreover, many such coaches have enormous influence over the student-athletes who play for them, in particular with respect to guiding those student-athletes through the process of selecting agents and other advisers when they prepare to leave college and enter the NBA,” the complaints said. “The investigation has revealed several instances in which coaches have exercised that influence by steering players and their families to retain particular advisers, not because of the merits of those advisers, but because the coaches were being bribed by the advisers to do so,” the papers said.
So much for ethics. This will likely get worse.Geometry Wars-esque twin stick with an increasing difficulty, but the twist isn't as obtuse or forced now. It's actually pretty damn smart. Instead of the impossibly skewed rhythm battles from the the other games, it's a melancholic sequence using hope starkly juxtaposed with hopelessness[4]. After watching the characters learn of the recurring cycle of lies and murder they're trapped in, the player is given the option to delete their data. However, it isn't an obvious separation from the game's narrative as it was in the first NieR and can be rather dubious in how it plays out. The line blurs between how the pod addresses the player and acknowledges the characters in its own universe.
Rather than force you to hopelessly slam your head against the wall this time, the game gives you the option to accept help from other people who have played the game and allowed their entire save files to be deleted so you can succeed. So while you begin to receive much-needed help from earlier players, you also have to watch the significant sacrifices that these people made die and disappear (presumably forever) all on your behalf. This is all while the music progressively reaches a point to where a choir begins singing in the background (which I learned today is
The final hellboss sequence in this game is also a good example for how the game collaborates with its music. Initially it's a-esque twin stick with an increasing difficulty, but the twist isn't as obtuse or forced now. It's actually pretty damn smart. Instead of the impossibly skewed rhythm battles from the the other games, it's a melancholic sequence using hope starkly juxtaposed with hopelessness. After watching the characters learn of the recurring cycle of lies and murder they're trapped in, the player is given the option to delete their data. However, it isn't an obvious separation from the game's narrative as it was in the firstand can be rather dubious in how it plays out. The line blurs between how the pod addresses the player and acknowledges the characters in its own universe.Rather than force you to hopelessly slam your head against the wall this time, the game gives you the option to accept help from other people who have played the gameSo while you begin to receive much-needed help from earlier players, you also have to watch the significant sacrifices that these people made die and disappear (presumably forever) all on your behalf. This is all while the music progressively reaches a point to where a choir begins singing in the background (which I learned today is the game's entire staff singing very cheerfully ). The final boss actually being a credits sequence is also fascinating to watch as certain things are harder shoot down than others (e.g. "Square-Enix" is a pain in the ass to destroy).
1. Both of which have a very anti-human theme pervading the entire game.
2. "Hellboss" is just going to be my term for any final encounter in a Yoko Taro title from now on, referring to any stupidly difficult and obtuse sequence the player has to overcome in order to complete the game. As it stands, only Drakengard 1, 3, and NieR Automata have these (though the first NieR does have an equivalent in terms of being "remembered" for how it ends).
3. Despite the fact that I actually enjoyed Drakengard 3 (Zero still remains my favorite Taro "protagonist" with A2 as a close second), that final boss is still one of the sickest things I've seen in a video-game to date: Despite the fact that I actually enjoyed Drakengard 3 (Zero still remains my favorite Taro "protagonist" with A2 as a close second), that final boss is still one of the sickest things I've seen in a video-game to date: https://youtu.be/2pLRhv6eZyI?t=198
4. Interesting thing to note here is that out of the four games in this series worth playing, two end in an absurdly dark manner, the other two end on somewhat hopeful notes. Automata is actually one of the latter. The hopeful ones are always sequels to the real dark ones.
5. Devola and Popola in particular are now on my very short list of favorite video game characters because of how this in particular affects them.
Most of my time spent with 2010'swas spent staring slack-jawed at the screen. Between its bizarre genre shifts, oppressively dark anime-esque narrative, and patchwork mechanics, there was a fascinating and bizarre game. It indulges itself in almost every flaw and merit allowed for a video game, all while weaving a weird tale about humanity's extinction and your role in it. It became one of the few games that I've played that has aged as well asin terms of what it's actually doing as a video-game.(*this is your spoiler warning*)It was even more strange as its universe only exists as a spinoff of a sort-of joke ending from, a game I don't particularly like. Hell, I didn't even know it was "in the same universe" until well-after I got into the game, asimmediately had my attention on its own merits after its initial teaser trailer was one of those games I rented when it released and was extremely happy that I only rented it at the time. A shallow musou-like with a side of, its saving graces were its batshit insane narrative and how the cacophonous soundtrack feeds into your psychopathic actions as a character throughout the game. I wound up hurling any number of expletives at the screen when it came to Ending E's final hellbossand was very happy when it came time to return the game (and I would be just as flustered ten years later).The games have a reputation for being "bad", but the metrics by which most people use for that began to irritate me when the firstwas released.is by no means a poor-playing game, but you wouldn't have known that at the time, given how far people went out of their way to criticize the game for things that only marginally matter to what made the game special (sidequest design, shallow action RPG combat, not fantastic looking, etc.). Not that those things shouldn't be called out, but as I said--- people were mostly tripping over rocks in the driveway and just giving up entirely on making it out of the yard.So then we come to, which fused Taro's narrative fuckery with Platinum's action game pedigree. Along with, this was the reason I kept the damn Playstation 4. Fortunately neither game let me down andmay be one of my favorite games in a very long time.While it wasoverall narrative arc that pinned me down the first time, it was the small things inthat wowed me this this time around. Things such as the recording of the player's actions during 2B's bootup in route B and the smooth transitions between the game's primary third person action combat and the hacking minigames inherent to the universe (and how effortlessly they made the music shift between the two). It begins to play with and disrupt the methods of "video-games" in such a way that I haven't seen since JD goes off book in Sons of Liberty. That the game organically tethers the in-universe pain of losing the major server feature of YoRHa's command bunker to the player's real-life save game feature (how you save in the game changes halfway through it) is amazing. These things begin to stack up anddoes it constantly compared to the original game where they were more along the lines of cute novelties. They seem far more intentional now---deft, realized.Also more than its predecessors (specificallyand),best exemplifies itself as a game working in a grand synergy with its own soundtrack. Both the the game itself and its music are layered and uncharacteristically beautiful, with the music punctuated by nonsense languages arranged into lyrics (which is also complemented by the narrative overall). Occasionally the vocals will change and the tracks are almost all dynamic with two or three various mixes shifting around depending on your actions. The remixed tracks from the first game are also placed in sequences that actually mean something relative to the scenarios in which they play. The first time you go through the game, you will see the seams on the story and world's absurdity but it will be fairly tepid right up to the end of your first playthrough. Then you start replaying it and those seams break, shit begins to spill out, and your understanding of its reality begin to warp substantially as the story spirals out of control.For example, the track "Birth of a Wish" is mixed quite a few times, but the most prominent differences are in the desert sequence (the first real mission on Earth for 2B) and final sequence of path A, with different chants by the Machine Lifeforms:The way the chants permeate the scenarios you play them in made me regard them as a musical sequence in a Disney movie (i.e. with a bit of a sick and twisted edge). The game dances with its music in a way the series hasn't done before, at least not this well (the first game makes up for it with more memorable banter and dialouge between the main characters, so at least it was a trade-off for something worthwhile).There's even a weird treatment of how reveals work in this game (which isn't entirely new to the series, but feels more realized this time). Anyone who played the originalknew there was no way that humanity was still alive (as the player actively dooms it through their actions in the first game), so a good chunk ofis spent waiting for other shoe to drop for 2B and 9S in terms of that information coming to light (at a point it becomes obvious for newcomers as well). This becomes apparent in path B as you're playing with 9S and its added as a by-the-way in such a manner (from the player's perspective) that reminds me of a meaningless headstart in your average MMO power-creep cycle. A lot of the players will know this by that point but its such a shock to the characters and the information itself has drastic repercussions for most of them. The knowledge the player is granted is only valuable insofar that they're allowed to realize just how hopeless it all is right before the characters themselves do (if those characters are even allowed make it that far).sense of nihilism has always been a uniquely charming thing to experience andis no different.While I do have quite a few things to say regardingand, they can wait.was the game I was waiting for this year, and it didn't disappoint me in the slightest (which doesn't happen too often) so I'll probably be spending a little while savoring it before going back to those two (and before Stormblood releases).Image copyright AP Image caption The so-called Car Wash investigation has rocked Brazil and led to the arrest of senior politicians
Brazilian prosecutors leading a major corruption investigation have returned $60m (£49m) to state oil giant Petrobras.
The money was retrieved from senior politicians, civil servants and businessmen who agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
The kickback scheme cost Petrobras an estimated $1.8bn, said company boss Pedro Parente.
The scandal has rocked the country and led to mass street protests.
Dozens of politicians and some of Brazil's wealthiest businessmen have been arrested as part of the inquiry, known as Operation Car Wash, over the past two years.
Under new legislation, they were allowed to tell what they knew and return some of the corruption money in exchange for shorter sentences.
'Society at our side'
Many in Brazil criticised the operation, saying it was politically-motivated and targeted mostly members of the left-wing Workers Party, including former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
But Operation Car Wash top prosecutor, Deltan Dallagnol, urged the public to support the investigation.
"We will be defeated if society is not at our side," said Mr Dallagnol.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Petrobras chief Pedro Parente says the company could eventually retrieve most of its money lost in the scheme
The political crisis triggered by the Petrobras investigation eventually led to the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff in September.
Ms Rousseff was not directly implicated in the scandal and was dismissed for allegedly tampering with the budget.
But many politicians close to the governing coalition were arrested and charged for taking bribes from Petrobras.
Prosecutors say they were paid vast amounts in exchange for granting lucrative contracts to private companies that overcharged Petrobras.
The prosecutors had previously returned $150m (£120m) of corruption money to Petrobras.Following the revelation of Trump's alleged "violent assault" on his then wife, Ivana Trump, we searched the archives for prior incidents and statements.
Controversy erupted last month when mogul Donald Trump announced his candidacy for Republican presidential nominee, with a speech that called illegal Mexican immigrants "rapists." Following the speech, many companies, including Spanish-language TV network Univision, NBC and Macy's cut ties with the candidate. Today, his comment has taken on new meaning, as the political blog The Daily Beast published an article exposing a decades-old accusation from Ivana Trump, his former wife.
In a 1993 book Lost Tycoon and the Many Lives of Donald J. Trump, which drew from a deposition taken during her divorce from Trump, Ivana described a horrific scene with her ex-husband. After a painful scalp reduction surgery to remove a bald spot, Donald Trump confronted his then-wife, who had previously used the same plastic surgeon. "Your fucking doctor has ruined me!” Trump cried. What followed was a “violent assault,” according to Lost Tycoon. Donald held back Ivana’s arms and began to pull out fistfuls of hair from her scalp, as if to mirror the pain he felt from his own operation. He tore off her clothes and unzipped his pants. “Then he jams his penis inside her for the first time in more than sixteen months. Ivana is terrified… It is a violent assault,” Hurt writes. “According to versions she repeats to some of her closest confidantes, ‘he raped me.’”
In response to this story, lawyer Michael Cohen, a special counsel for The Trump Organization You’re talking about the frontrunner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as a private individual who never raped anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse.
This is false: in 1993 spousal rape was made illegal in all fifty states. This was not the first time Trump has been accused of inexcusable behavior towards women. And while the mogul seems to feel very strongly about rape, he has a long history of statements and actions that betray his misogyny and a thoroughly confused sense of ethics. Here is an abridged a timeline of those statements and incidents.
1989
After the notorious murder of a white female jogger in New York's Central Park, Trump took out a full-page ad in New York newspapers calling for the execution of the "Central Park 5," the men who were suspected of raping the jogger. He wrote, "Criminals must be told that their CIVIL LIBERTIES END WHEN AN ATTACK ON OUR SAFETY BEGINS! BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” The men, all of whom were black, served between six and thirteen years in prison before evidence emerged in 2002 that their confessions had been coerced and DNA evidence pointed to another assailant. They were released.
That same year, Trump paid for the medical expenses of a seeming stranger, a woman who was raped and thrown off a roof in Crown Heights.
1990
A New York Times article on Trump and Ivana's divorce cited "cruel and inhuman treatment by Mr. Trump" as the reason for granting their separation.
1992
Trump suggested to prosecutors that Mike Tyson, who was charged with the rape of Desiree Washington, a competitor for Miss Black America pageant, be allowed to pay the victim "millions and millions" of dollars instead of facing jail time. He also suggested that Tyson could use proceeds of an upcoming fight to pay off the victim.
2009
A book by former Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean described Trump's requirement that contestants "parade" in front of him before he picked whether they would enter the pageant. “Many of the girls found this exercise humiliating,” Prejean wrote. “Some of the girls were sobbing backstage after [Trump] left, devastated to have failed even before the competition really began... even those of us who were among the chosen couldn’t feel very good about it — it was as though we had been stripped bare.”
2013
Multiple tweets sent by Trump implied that the high incidence of sexual assault in the military was due to the integration of men and women in the organization.
26,000 unreported sexual assults in the military-only 238 convictions
|
for the different mounting, most apps experiencing the problem are using the older, deprecated camera API. Google says it tried to “work out a way to adjust the default” on their end, but that such a solution would have broken apps using the older API.
So, sadly for developers, the only solution here is for them to update their apps to the camera2 API. Android developer relations and LG are contacting app developers, but the Tech Lead is also asking users to contact developers of problematic apps. If you notice an app that has this problem, it’s probably a good idea to send them an email or a tweet letting them know what’s up.Getty Images When the Solidarity trade union helped bring down the Communist government in Warsaw 25 years ago, few could have imagined Poland’s economic success.
What is the most remarkable economic success story of the last quarter century? Most people would probably say China. A few might vote for India, or Brazil, or Turkey or Dubai. In fact, however, it is probably a country that few people would immediately think of — Poland.
Twenty-five years ago next week — on the 19th of August 1989 to be precise — Communism fell in Poland. At the time, few would have placed much of a bet on Poland prospering. Saddled with Soviet-era heavy industries, a poorly trained workforce, and with few natural resources, there was little prospect of a quick transition to Western European-levels of prosperity.
But Poland got some big things right. It privatized its industries very quickly, restoring free and competitive markets. It limited taxes. It limited debt. Government wages were capped. And it has steadily climbed the tables for free, competitive economies.
As a result Poland has been a brilliant success. Since it joined the European Union n 2004, its economy has grown by an average of 4% a year, among the fastest rates on the entire continent. Per capita gross domestic product is above $10,000.
True, it faces plenty of challenges, like most countries. But it is the world’s best advert for the way that lower taxes and freeing-up markets can create economic success out of very little. The stock market has not caught up with that yet — but it will do over the next few years.
Soviet-dominated Communism was a long time dying in Poland.
Strikers led by the Solidarity trade union had been challenging the system for years. But the defining moment came on Aug. 19, 1989, when the anti-Communist editor and Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki was appointed prime minister. Despite calls from other Eastern European countries for Russia to intervene, as it had done earlier in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, it did nothing.
Within days, the Communist system had been brushed aside. By the end of the year, almost all of the Eastern bloc had overthrown its Communist governments. But Poland was first, and the 19th of August was the day when, in retrospect, its grip on power had been weakened beyond repair.
At the time, no one would have taken much of a wager on it prospering.
Among the Soviet satellites, it was Czechoslovakia and Hungary that had been the richest pre-war. Soviet planners forced Poland to concentrate on coal mining and agriculture, and a few heavy industries such as shipbuilding — although ironically, it was in the shipyards of Gdansk that opposition to the system first stirred.
By the time the regime fell, Poland was making virtually nothing that the rest of the world wanted, and had no skills to draw upon. It would be hard to come up with a country with worse economic prospects.
Across the border in the Ukraine, a country with which it shares a similar history, there is an illustration of what it could have become. Ukraine remains poor, underdeveloped and politically chaotic. But Poland got a few big things right from the very start — and they have worked.
Industry was privatized very quickly. Oligarchs were not allowed to seize the assets of the state. Instead, proper private companies were established that had to compete in free and competitive markets. At first, many of them didn’t have a clue what to do or what to make. But they can learn as quickly as anyone else, and Poland now has thriving private industries.
Taxes have been kept under tight control. Companies are taxed at a rate of 19%, one of the lowest levels in Europe, aside from Ireland and a few tax havens. The top rate of personal tax is capped at 32%, again one of the lowest levels inside the European Union. The government can’t borrow to spend money it can’t raise in taxes, either. The constitution limits the debt-to-GDP ratio at 60%, and it still has headroom before it runs into that barrier.
Ordinary Poles are a thrifty bunch as well, with total household debts at 37% of GDP. In Britain, it is above 130% of GDP and most developed economies are at similar levels.
Poland is not a perfect free market by any means. In its rankings of economic freedom, the Heritage Foundation puts it at number 50, sandwiched between Spain and Hungary. But the important point is this: It has been steadily improving its ranking, liberalizing its economy as it grows richer. Its ranking has risen in each of the last 20 years so it steadily moving in the right direction.
The results have been impressive.
Between 1989 and 2007 its economy grew by 177%. It sailed through the crash with a single year of recession. This year it is forecast to grow at 3%, despite the tough conditions in Western Europe, the major market for its exports.
Of all the big European nations, it is the only one to equal Germany for consistency in the past decade, and, with Germany about to turn down, it may well overtake it.
True, there are some problems. There are few Polish companies that are taking on the world. The average consumer would struggle to think of anything Polish they have bought. Much of its growth has been as a manufacturing base for German businesses. Its demographics are challenging. The population has started to gently decline, the result of a low birth rate, and high levels of emigration.
As it grows wealthier, however, the Polish Diaspora may start to come home. There are an estimated 500,000 Poles in Britain — if some of them decide to go back, their skills will hugely benefit the economy.
The mystery is that the stock market has not really noticed yet. At just over 50,000 the Warsaw index WIG, -0.98% is still well down from the 67,000 it hit in 2007. It has hardly kept pace with other emerging markets.
That will surely change. China is slowing down. Brazil is disappointing investors. Russia is no one’s idea of a safe investment anymore.
But Poland is diligently building a modern developed economy — and anyone who invests in that process will surely be rewarded.
Also read these stories:
The most popular gauge of world growth is useless
Why the markets brush off horrific world events
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"The ink for that printer is like $2,700," Sabo said. "Now, I can say on Facebook something like, 'Hey, I need a yellow cartridge,' and it shows up on my doorstep, boom, next day."
Sabo is a conservative guerrilla artist, something so new to the broader conservative movement that people used to doubt that he existed. He proved them wrong in the winter, when he flew east for the Conservative Political Action Conference with a case of posters and a speech. The man who'd designed the viral "tattoo body" poster of Cruz, usually accompanied by the slogan "Blacklisted and loving it," was a 5'5'' ex-Marine with art school credentials and a litany of complaints against "circle-jerking" liberal artists.
[The guy who made Ted Cruz into a ripped, tattooed smoker]
On camera for the first time, he talked about trolling a fundraiser for Wendy Davis, the unsuccessful 2014 Democratic nominee for governor of Texas, with a poster of her as a brittle, plastic "Abortion Barbie."
"Hell, I didn't even know who she was running against," he remembered from the same CPAC stage that hosted Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, and Ben Carson. "I kicked her bigwig Hollywood donors square in the n--s... for $220, I caused that much hell for the Hollywood elite."
Sabo sells his work at CPAC. (Katie Zezima/The Washington Post)
Last week, as Republicans gathered for a presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, in Simi Valley, Calif., Sabo's proudly unwholesome workshop was busier than ever. Cruz's campaign had entered into a deal with Sabo, buying and selling his work in a "Sabo Store" at his campaign site. The biggest order asked for 1,000 versions of the tattoo body poster, pegged to Cruz's campaign against the Iran nuclear deal. Smaller orders had Sabo producing stylized pop culture jokes about the senator — a takeoff on the Converse All-Star logo, a poster with Cruz walking toward a camera and the legend "Straight Outta Congress." Prices start at $25.
"I did 1,000 of those tattoo posters, 100 of the bigger ones, 100 of the 'Straight Outta Congress,' 100 T-shirts, 50 tank tops, 100 caps," said Sabo. "You're looking at someone who learned to survive off canned ravioli. I was five months late on rent. I was literally scraping up quarters coming up with money to buy burgers at McDonald's."
To be clear, Sabo's Internet success predates the Cruz deal. The tie-in with a presidential candidate is just 2015's latest example of a Republican thriving by banishing "political correctness" from his orbit. Sabo is proudly blunt and foul, working in a room that's framed by a "F--- Peace" sign ("after 9/11") and a "F--- Tibet" sign ("from being in college, seeing people with their bags and shirts, not knowing what Tibet was even about"). He travels with a suitcase covered in "Clinton baggage," self-made bumper stickers with references to her scandals. On the day before the debate, that baggage was sitting underneath a strap-on device and next to a loaded gun — across the room from some cans of Vienna sausage that Sabo had relabeled "Planned Parenthood baby d--ks."
The Cruz art is some of the most printable. On one wall, near the portrait of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as a fully headdressed Cherokee ("I bought FauxCohantas.com," said Sabo), are some pictures of classic celebrities' heads spliced onto the bodies of toughs. There's Albert Einstein holding two pistols; there's Bettie Page covered in prison tattoos. The Cruz poster, said Sabo, was inspired by these works from a Venice Beach artist, and after a while Sabo found his own design sort of...lame. Every time Cruz was asked about it, he joked about his "prison body" or how the unrealistic poster portrayed him "smoking," the implication being that everything else was real.
"I thought: I’m gonna just shelve it," said Sabo. "It's kind of lame and old, that’s how I felt about it. Then Donald Trump went and broke out his flamethrower."
Sabo could not stand Trump. "He’s a demagogue, and he’s capitalizing on the rage in the party," he said. Cruz was basically the only politician Sabo could stand. The only positive factor of the Trump race was his disrespect for media norms, something Sabo paid tribute to with some art modeled on the California road signs that warn of undocumented immigrants passing by. A mother and father were pictured trailing four children, each smaller than the last, under the slogan: "Undocumented Democrats say DRUMP TRUMP."
"Allowing CNN to set the tone for our Republican candidates is proof the GOP has their head up their a---es," Sabo explained. "No one seemed to sharpen up their pitchforks when Bill Maher called Sarah Palin a ‘c--t.’ How many times has Bill Clinton been accused of rape? People circle the wagons around them."
Sabo was well aware of how the media might make him a problem for Cruz. He tried to prevent that by avoiding having his picture taken with the senator when both were at CPAC. But the poster/gear deal, the "Sabo Store," was the signal for the Texas Tribune to look at Sabo's work and tweets and beg some questions about whether Cruz endorsed this stuff. Sabo writes in all caps, because "it stands out," and has tweeted unsolicited advice for the Secret Service about how "TAKING A BULLET FOR A T--D IS JUST STUPID."
"The more attention I get, the more these liberal reporters will go back to my Twitter feeds," Sabo said with resignation. "And it’s not really hard to find 'bad' things I said."
His solution: Lead with the chin, and explain himself. He opened his home studio to the IJReview, too, and let the conservative site follow him as he pasted up "ad takeovers" near the debate site. His posters, asking candidates to speak to "the hell Democrats have made of the black community," were taken down, but he obviously stood by the message. He was a Southerner, and proud of that, but not racist.
"I feel uncomfortable when a black man comes up to me and calls me sir," he said. "I’m not a bigot, though I may sound like it."
When he did sound like it, the misunderstanding was all on the left — and probably intentional. Above the futon, Sabo kept a poster that demonstrated his support for individual rights and his hatred of bigotry. He made it for rallies against California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state,
"Someone said to me, 'you know, the gay community supported a black man for president, but the black community supported prop 8,'" he said. It got him thinking. He assembled photos of gay men who'd survived vicious bashings, and of holier-than-thou televangelists, the people who never curse but pose more of a threat to decorum than Sabo does. He put that under another poster, the letters cut out to reveal the images underneath. The letters spelled "F-g: The New N----r."
This, years before a presidential campaign found him, was how Sabo brought people together.Deposed president who still claims to be leader to hold press conference in southern city of Rostov on Friday
Ukraine's ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych, has surfaced in Russia and is still claiming to be the legitimate ruler of his country, according to Russian media reports quoting top government sources.
"Given that President Yanukovych appealed to Russian authorities with a request to guarantee his personal safety, that request has been granted on Russian territory," a government source told Interfax.
An appeal to Ukrainian citizens from Yanukovych said: "My allies and I were being threatened with revenge and so I was forced to ask the Russian authorities to guarantee my personal safety from the actions of extremists."
Yanukovych said he continues to believe he is the legitimate president of Ukraine and wants to achieve a compromise that would enable Ukraine to exit the crisis. The deposed president called the current session of Ukraine's parliament – which among other things is electing a new government – "illegitimate".
"There is an orgy of extremism on the streets of many cities," wrote the president. "I am certain that in these conditions all the decisions taken [by the parliament] will be ineffective and not carried out.
"In this situation, I officially declare that I am determined to fight to the end for the implementation of important compromise agreements that will bring Ukraine out of the deep political crisis."
On Thursday evening it was announced that Yanukovych would give a press conference on Friday afternoon in the southern Russian city of Rostov on Don – contradicting earlier claims that he was in the Moscow region staying at a top government sanatorium that has previously hosted officials such as Leonid Brezhnev and Boris Yeltsin. No other details about the press conference were immediately available.
The president has lost authority even among his closest allies following his flgiht from Kiev – the mayor of a town in his eastern heartland has described him as "history", his close aides have fled and even the oligarch most tightly allied to him, Rinat Akhmetov, has said he is ready to work with the new authorities.
Ukraine's new prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, accused Yanukovich's government on Thursday of stripping state coffers, saying $37bn of credit had "disappeared in an unknown direction".
Speaking in parliament before he was appointed head of a national unity government, Yatsenyuk said that in the past three years "the sum of $70bn was paid out of Ukraine's financial system into offshore accounts".
"I want to report to you: the state treasury has been robbed and is empty," he said.
The new government's authority does not extend to Crimea, and it is possible Yanukovych may find support there. However, even in areas that are cynical about the makeup of the new government, there is little support for Yanukovych personally.
He left his opulent Kiev residence – now open to the public – in a hurry on Friday night, and last appeared in the role of president in a television interview on Saturday when he compared the new government in Kiev to the Nazis.
It is believed that he fled the port of Sevastopol by boat after being refused permission to leave the country from Donetsk, and arrived in Russia by sea.
The acting interior minister, Arsen Avakov, said he had not ordered a full-scale search to track down Yanukovych in Crimea because he felt that political stability in the region was more important than the fate of the ex-president.
The Ukrainian parliament has voted that Yanukovych should be sent to the international criminal court in The Hague, though legal experts have said the court would be unlikely to take on such a case.Canada's top court has overturned all restrictions on prostitution, declaring that existing laws violated sex workers' right to safety.
The Supreme Court of Canada struck down bans on brothels, street solicitation, and living on the earnings of prostitution in a unanimous 9-0 decision on Friday, and gave the Canadian government one year to re-write the country's prostitution laws.
The impugned laws deprive people engaged in a risky, but legal, activity of the means to protect themselves against those risks. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
While prostitution itself is technically legal in Canada, most prostitution-related activities were previously considered criminal offences.
In the decision, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said many prostitutes "have no meaningful choice" but to "engage in the risky economic activity of prostitution," and that the law should not make such activities more dangerous.
"It makes no difference that the conduct of pimps and johns is the immediate source of the harms suffered by prostitutes," McLachlin wrote.
"The impugned laws deprive people engaged in a risky, but legal, activity of the means to protect themselves against those risks."
The legal challenge to Canada's prostitution laws was brought by a group of sex workers who argued that the now-overturned restrictions put them in danger.
'Important day for human rights'
Katrina Pacey, a lawyer for the petitioners, called it "an unbelievably important day for the sex workers but also for human rights."
"The court recognised that sex workers have the right to protect themselves and their safety," she said.
However, Justice Minister Peter MacKay said the government was "concerned" by the decision and was "exploring all possible options to ensure the criminal law continues to address the significant harms that flow from prostitution to communities, those engaged in prostitution, and vulnerable persons".
Don Hutchinson, vice president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, a religious group that opposes the decriminalisation of prostitution, warned that the ruling could lead to increased human trafficking and victimisation of people.
"I think we're going to see an increase in cross-border traffic for those hoping to access our brothels,'' Hutchinson said.
The safety of prostitutes became a high-profile issue in Canada following the trial and 2007 conviction of serial killer Robert Pickton, who preyed on prostitutes and other women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
Last year, a lower court in the province of Ontario struck down the ban on brothels on the grounds that it exposed sex workers to more danger.
Prostitution is legal in much of Europe and Latin America, and brothels are legal in numerous countries, including the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.The hawk, which is usually prey for eagles, is in excellent health after being taken in, and now ‘thinks he’s a bald eagle’, according to one expert
Biologists and bird watchers in Canada are closely monitoring a young red-tailed hawk that has – against all odds – been adopted into a nest full of bald eagles and is seemingly thriving after taking on eagle-like behaviour.
The chick was first seen in the nest in British Columbia in early June, said biologists – possibly after one of the bald eagles raided a hawk’s nest to provide food for their young.
Surrounded by three eaglets and oblivious to his status as prey, the hawk probably began squawking for food, leading the bald eagles to begin feeding it as one of their own.
“My guess is that this little guy begged loud and hard for food – not even thinking about the danger,” David Bird of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation, which has been monitoring the nest on Vancouver Island, told the Vancouver Sun. “Food overrides everything in these birds. He begged away and Mom and Dad said, ‘OK, here’s an open, gaping beak. Let’s put food in it.’”
Montreal traffic camera captures stunning images of snowy owl in flight Read more
Bird watchers began regularly visiting the nest, many of them looking on with dread as they waited for the day when the eaglets – who are up to four times bigger than the hawk – would see the small chick as prey. “The fact that it survived so long is absolutely amazing,” said Bird, who believes the hawk is a male. “The bottom line is that he was much smaller, and eagles always prey on things that are weaker than them.”
To the surprise of many the hawk thrived, aided by some unusual survival techniques. “This guy has definitely imprinted on bald eagles, and thinks he’s a bald eagle,” said Bird, an emeritus professor of wildlife biology at McGill University who now lives on Vancouver Island, told the newspaper. “The eaglets that he was raised with seem to have accepted him as another sibling, and the parents seem to have adopted him as their young.”
An abundance of food may have also helped keep the hawk from being seen as prey by the eaglets, along with a streak of aggression – the scrappy chick has been seen stealing food from the eaglets, at times even weaving through their legs to snatch food away.
Believed to be about three months old, the hawk has grown to full size and is in excellent health. The next few weeks will prove crucial to the hawk’s development, said Bird, with biologists watching closely to see if he can figure out how to gather food on his own.
The young hawk has been seen poking at seaweed close to the eagle nest – a typical foraging behaviour for bald eagles. But he’s also been observed swooping to pick up pinecones and sticks, a behaviour often seen in young hawks as they hone the skills needed to hunt rodents and rabbits from high above.
If his unconventional upbringing proves to have fallen short in teaching him how to hunt, said Bird, “that’s when I think we would catch him and retrain him in a wildlife rehabilitation facility”.— NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the league has not stopped investigating allegations that the Washington Redskins and other teams besides the New Orleans Saints had bounty programs when Gregg Williams coached for them.
“We haven’t closed an investigation,” Goodell said at a news conference on the first day of the annual league meeting. “We have not stopped investigating. If we get information, we follow up on it.... We have not met with people that we will meet with as soon as these meetings are over. So we will continue. We have not said that everybody has got a free pass here.”
When the NFL announced harsh penalties last week against the Saints for paying cash bonuses to players for injuring opponents, the league said in a statement that it had found no evidence to corroborate reports that the Redskins and other teams had bounty programs involving Williams, the Redskins’ defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2007.
A person familiar with the situation said last week that the league’s active investigation of the Redskins and other teams was over but left open the possibility of taking future action if new information surfaced.
Redskins players and former assistant coaches said when results of the league’s investigation of the Saints were announced on March 2 that the Redskins had a similar bounty program when Williams coached for them. Former Redskins safety Matt Bowen wrote in the Chicago Tribune that such a bounty system existed under Williams when he was with the team.
Williams, now the defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, was suspended indefinitely last week for his role in the bounty scheme he administered as the Saints’ defensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Saints Coach Sean Payton was suspended for an entire season. General Manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for a half-season and assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for six games. The Saints were fined $500,000 and stripped of two second-round draft choices.
“Let’s be clear, and we discussed this with the clubs today: I think it’s fair to say that non-contract bonus payments have been happening around the league more frequently than we would like, and that is going to be discontinued,” Goodell said Monday. “The problem is those payments escalate and you get to what is more specifically referred to as bounties where you’re targeting players for injury.
“We have not found any evidence that that’s happening around the league where players, coaches or anybody else have identified players to take them out of a game. We will continue to follow up on any information we have. We will not resist anyone who comes forward with that. We will look for continuing violations and if we find it, we will aggressively pursue it,” Goodell said.
A spokesman for the Redskins declined to comment.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Monday that NFL owners support the penalties Goodell levied against the Saints.
“I think he has the full support of the membership with what his decision was, and he’s in the best position to speak to that,” Kraft said. “I don’t have all the facts.”
Disciplinary action against players involved in the Saints’ bounty program has not been announced yet. The league’s investigation concluded that the bounty system was primarily funded by players.
In another matter upsetting the league meetings, Goodell declined to comment on the salary cap hit imposed on the Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, which the two teams are challenging via arbitration.
According several people familiar with the matter, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen addressed representatives of the other 30 NFL teams during one of Monday’s meetings. They argued that their teams’ actions violated no salary cap rules, those people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the league’s no-comment stance.
Representatives of the other teams discussed the case without members of the Redskins and Cowboys delegations present, they said, but were mostly unconvinced by the two owners’ arguments. Allen and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder also declined to comment Monday.
The NFL took $36 million in salary cap space over two years from the Redskins and $10 million from the Cowboys over the same time period. The league concluded that the two teams structured player contracts in 2010, when the league had no salary cap, to gain an unfair advantage when the salary cap was reimposed in subsequent seasons, people familiar with the case have said.Let’s be real here - getting research papers published is hard. But what if you could use your cat to cut through all that bureaucracy and get your paper into the journal of your choice. You’d give it a shot, right?
It wouldn’t fly now, but back in 1975, it was a whole different story, because a cat named F.D.C. Willard was the co-author of a peer-reviewed physics paper called "Two-, Three-, and Four-Atom Exchange Effects in bcc 3He."
Published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the paper describes the results of an experiment exploring the behaviour of the helium-3 isotope at various temperatures.
Conducted by Jack H. Hetherington, a professor of physics at Michigan State University, the experiment yielded important insights that are still being referenced today, but when Hetherington tried to submit it for publication, there was a problem.
"I had submitted the paper... and was rather proud of the work, considering it suitable for rapid publication in Physical Review Letters," Hetherington told author R. L. Weber for his 1985 book, More Random Walks in Science.
"Before I submitted it, I asked a colleague to read it over and he said, 'It’s a fine paper, but they’ll send it right back.'"
Why? Hetherington had opted to use the royal "we" in his paper rather than "I", and the journal had a specific rule that prohibited the use of "we" unless the paper had multiple authors.
"Changing the paper to the impersonal seemed too difficult now, and it was all written and typed; therefore, after an evening’s thought, I simply asked the secretary to change the title page to include the name of the family cat, a Siamese called Chester," Hetherington explains.
Chester, the son of a cat named Willard, who Hetherington describes as "one of the few unfixed male Siamese cats in Aspen, Colorado", was given the pen name of F.D.C. Willard, which stands for Felis Domesticus Chester Willard.
As you can see here, the paper was accepted, and F.D.C. Willard from the Michigan State University physics department was an officially published cat.
As nice as it must have been for Chester to suddenly be an expert on particle physics, surely it would have made more sense for Hetherington to just find an actual colleague in the physics department and throw their name on the paper instead?
Well, there’s actually a whole lot more method to this madness than you might think, because Hetherington wasn’t particularly interested in sharing the spotlight with someone else when he did all the work.
He told Weber that he was conscious of the fact that researchers’ pay and reputation is partly based on their research output, and didn’t want that diluted. He also suspected that if everyone found out the co-author was a cat, well, that’s just free publicity.
"In any case, I went ahead and did it, and have generally not been sorry," he said. "Most people are amused by the concept, only editors, for some reason, seem to find little humour in the story."
Ten lucky friends of Hetherington’s got signed copies of the paper, and F.D.C. Willard was happy to lend a paw print, but the identity of the mysterious co-author was only made known to the public after someone asked to speak to this Willard character at Michigan State.
"[A] visitor asked to talk to me, and since I was unavailable, asked to talk with Willard. Everyone laughed and soon the cat was out of the bag," Hetherington told the Today I Found Out website.
More Random Walks in Science, R. L. Weber
F.D.C. Willard went on to publish another article on helium-3 in the French science magazine, La Recherche - and this time as the sole author - before fading into obscurity once more.
But far be it from physicists to forget their feline compatriot. On 1 April 2014, the American Physical Society (APS) announced that all cat-authored papers would be available as open-access documents:
"APS is proud to announce a new open access initiative designed to further extend the benefits of open access to a broader set of authors. The new policy, effective today, makes all papers authored by cats freely available.... Not since Schrödinger has there been an opportunity like this for cats in physics."
If both NASA and cats are on the open-access train, you know it's good. We salute you, Felis Domesticus Chester Willard.Bernanke is asked about a Fed audit...
Video - National Press Club Q&A - February 03, 2011
Another first for DB readers. Thanks to Dr. Pitchfork, here's a clip from this afternoon's speech that was just posted to Youtube. No other sites have published it yet. Quoting Bernanke:
"The Dodd-Frank legislation...has basically created a completely transparent Fed, as far as the financials are concerned."
Even I'm shocked by this blatant lie, and I'm cynical and jaded. He makes it up as he goes along and shovels it to the faithful. Let us continue with Bernanke's distorted view of transparency:
"Currently, every program that we initiated during the crisis has been completely open to the GAO. All the information has been provided to the public.”
"On December 1st, we put out a complete record of all 21,000 loans that we made during the crisis....explaining...who was the borrower, what was the collateral....All that information was provided.”
"Every aspect of the Fed’s financial dealings are wide open.”
All of the above quotes are absolutely untrue. Indeed, they have NOT provided all the information, in particular information about collateral. The information they provided in regard to Dodd-Frank only lists a dollar amount for the loan, along with the face value of the collateral – but we have NO IDEA what kind of collateral was used or how it was valued. Bernanke just flat out lied here.
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Look out. Here comes the diversionary, false argument that'monetary policy independence' is somehow now in jeopardy...
“What Audit the Fed means, in the language that has been used by some members of Congress, is not about the financials of the Fed. Rather, it’s about, quote, auditing monetary policy."
“[T]he GAO would be assigned by the Congress to look at monetary policy decisions, to take the materials prepared for the [FOMC] meeting, to depose, potentially, the members at the meeting, to essentially provide an evaluation to the Congress at very short horizons of whether or not the Fed was making the right monetary policy decision.”
“[Auditing the Fed] has nothing to do with financials. It would be very much a significant step towards direct congressional oversight of the decision-making process itself.”
No one. I mean, NO ONE, who favors an audit of the Fed wants Barney Frank and John McCain running our monetary policy. Ron Paul has made it crystal clear that his Audit the Fed bill has NOTHING to do with monetary policy, and there is nothing in the bill that suggests otherwise. Moreover, the release of FOMC minutes will be delayed by several months to a year before disclosure. Again, Bernanke is just making things up.
And the uninformed, gullible denizens of our Republic turned Debtopia notice nary a word. Say what? Who's Ben Bernanke. $700 billion for a TARP? Where the hell do you buy your camping gear.
###
However, Ron Paul does know who Bernanke is...
Video - Texas Straight Talk - Dec. 13, 2010
Ron Paul Lectures Bernanke: U.S. Moving Towards Fascism
House Monetary Policy Chairman Ron Paul says go back to Princeton, Ben...
Give Us Fed Transparency Or Give Us Death (Op-Ed - Ron Paul & Jim Demint)
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A Full and Complete Audit of the Fed in 2011
By Chairman Ron Paul
Since the announcement last week that I will chair the congressional subcommittee that oversees the Federal Reserve, the media response has been overwhelming. The groundswell of opposition to Fed actions among ordinary citizens is reflected not only in the rhetoric coming out of Capitol Hill, but also in the tremendous interest shown by the financial press. The demand for transparency is growing, whether the political and financial establishment likes it or not. The Fed is losing its vaunted status as an institution that somehow is above politics and public scrutiny. Fed transparency will be the cornerstone of my efforts as subcommittee chairman.The decades-long experiment of contracting out public goods and services by governments, known as “privatization,” has often had dire consequences for the public, workers, and the environment. Our report, Cutting Corners: How Government Contractors Harm the Public in Pursuit of Profit, details the negative impacts on the public of cost-cutting by contractors across a variety of public goods and services and at every level of American government.
To maximize profit, companies have often cut corners by reducing the quality and accessibility
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as obviously subordinate to this one great concern. But here, as it happens, is the very question I wish to raise in what follows: Will we ever indeed be allowed really to have that conversation? I ask this, because, the most intransigent and extreme members of our respective communions—and those, I fear, who in the East are usually at present the most impassioned and obstreperous among us—seem often incapable or unwilling to acknowledge any recognizable distinction between substantial and accidental differences, between real and imagined difficulties, between obvious and merely suppositious theological issues, and between matters of negligible import and those that lie at the heart of our division.
As regards my own communion, I must reluctantly report that there are some Eastern Christians who have become incapable of defining what it is to be Orthodox except in contradistinction to Roman Catholicism; and among these are a small but voluble number who have (I sometimes suspect) lost any rationale for their Orthodoxy other than their profound hatred, deranged terror, and encyclopaedic ignorance of Rome. For such as these, there can never be any limit set to the number of grievances that need to be cited against Rome, nor any act of contrition on the part of Rome sufficient for absolution.
There was something inherently strange in the spectacle of John Paul asking pardon for the 1204 sack of Constantinople and its sequel; but there is something inherently unseemly in the refusal of certain Eastern polemicists to allow the episode to sink back to the level of utter irrelevancy to which it belongs. (In any event, I eagerly await the day when the Patriarch of Constantinople, in a gesture of unqualified Christian contrition, makes public penance for the brutal mass slaughter of the metic Latin Christians of Byzantium—men, women, and children—at the rise of Andronicus I Comnenus in 1182, and the sale of thousands of them into slavery to the Turks. Frankly, when all is said and done, the sack of 1204 was a rather mild recompense for that particular abomination, I would think.)
Now, on the one hand, I am obviously talking about a certain kind of ecclesial extremist, of the sort who can imagine no version of the Catholic faith that does not conform in every detail to the practices and prejudices of his childhood; and all of our churches contain such persons. Of course, in almost every case, the great irony of such persons—whether they be ultramontanist Catholics or what we call the ‘ultra-Orthodox’—is that what they generally take to be the immemorial heritage of the Catholic faith is the distinctly modern form of the church that happened to hold sway in the days when their infant minds still luxuriated in idyllic pliancy. Thus when a certain kind of militantly conservative Catholic priest is heard to claim that the celibate priesthood was the universal practice of the early church, established by Christ in his apostles, and that therefore even married Catholic priests of the Eastern rites possess defective orders, the historically astute among us should recognize that such a delusion is possible only for a person having no understanding of the priesthood more sophisticated than his pristine boyish memories of Fr O’Reilly’s avuncular geniality, and the shining example of his contented bachelorhood, and the calm authority with which he presided over the life of the parish church of St Anne of Green Gables. And when this same priest ventures theological or ecclesiological opinions, it is almost certain that what he takes to be apostolic Catholicism will turn out to be a particular kind of post-Tridentine Baroque Catholicism, kept buoyantly afloat upon ecclesiological and sacramental principles of an antiquity no hoarier than 1729.
Similarly, when a certain kind of Greek Orthodox anti-papal demagogue claims that the Eastern Church has always rejected the validity of the sacraments of the ‘Latin schismatics’, or that that the real church schism dates back to the eighth century when the Orthodox Church became estranged from the Roman over the latter’s ‘rejection’ of the (14th-century) distinction between God’s essence and energies, the historically literate among us should recognize that what he takes to be apostolic Orthodoxy is in fact based upon ecclesiological and sacramental principles that reach back only to 1755, and upon principles of theological interpretation first enunciated in 1942, and upon an interpretation of ecclesiastical history that dates from whenever the prescriptions for his medications expired.
On the other hand, though it is true that such persons are extremists, it is also true that they represent merely the acute manifestation of a chronic pathology. In truth, the most unpleasant aspect of the current state of the division between East and West is the sheer inventiveness with which those ardently committed to that division have gone about fabricating ever pro founder and more radical reasons for it. Our distant Christian forebears were content to despise one another over the most minimal of matters—leavened or unleavened Eucharistic bread, for instance, or veneration of unconsecrated elements—without ever bothering to suppose that these differences were symptomatic of anything deeper than themselves. Today, however, a grand mythology has evolved regarding the theological dispositions of the Eastern and Western Christendom, to the effect that the theologies of the Eastern and Western Catholic traditions have obeyed contrary logics and have in consequence arrived at conclusions inimical each to the other—that is to say, the very essence of what we believe is no longer compatible. I do not believe that, before the middle of the 20th century, claims were ever made regarding the nature of the division as radical as those one finds not only in the works of inane agitators like the altogether absurd and execrable John Romanides, but also in the works of theologians of genuine stature, such as Dumitru Staniloae, Vladimir Lossky, or John Zizioulas in the East or Erich Przywara or Hans Urs von Balthasar in the West; and until those claims are defeated—as well they should be, as they are without exception entirely fanciful—we cannot reasonably hope for anything but impasse.
Now, speaking only for my tradition, I think I can identify fairly easily where Orthodox theology has fallen prey to this mythology. Eastern Orthodox theology gained a great deal from the—principally Russian—neo-patristic and neo-Palamite revolution during the last century, and especially from the work of Vladimir Lossky. Indeed, in the wake of the Bolshevik revolution, the very fate of Orthodoxy had become doubtful to many, and so the energy with which Lossky applied himself to a new patristic synthesis that would make clear the inmost essence of Orthodoxy is certainly understandable; but the problems bequeathed to Orthodox scholarship by the ‘Russian revolution’ in theology are many. And the price exacted for those gains was exorbitant. For one thing, it led to a certain narrowing of the spectrum of what many Eastern theologians are prepared to treat as either centrally or legitimately Orthodox, with the consequence that many legitimate aspects of the tradition that cannot be easily situated upon the canonical Losskian path from the patristic age to the Hesychastic synthesis of the 14th and subsequent centuries have suffered either neglect or denigration. But the most damaging consequence of Orthodoxy’s 20th century pilgrimage ad fontes—ironically, I think—has been an increase in the intensity of Eastern theology’s anti-Western polemic, or at least in the confidence with which it is uttered. Nor is this only a problem for ecumenism: the anti-Western passion of Lossky and others has on occasion led to severe distortions of Eastern theology; and it has often made intelligent interpretations of Western Christian theology all but impossible for Orthodox thinkers. Neo-patristic Orthodox scholarship has usually gone hand in hand with some of the most excruciatingly inaccurate treatments of Western theologians that one could imagine. The aforementioned John Romanides, for instance, has produced expositions of the thought of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas that are almost miraculously devoid of one single correct statement; and while this might be comical if such men spoke only for themselves, it becomes tragic when instead they influence the way great numbers of their fellows view other Christians.
In any event, I want to consider, in turn, three areas where this mythology has metastasized to unprecedented proportions in the past half century—theology, doctrine, and ecclesiology—and to suggest a few possible (if unlikely) solutions to the difficulties that each presents.
II. Theology
This is the most spacious of the three categories, and the most fabulous. Theology, inasmuch as it need not possess the hard lucidity of doctrine nor claim for itself much authority or probative power beyond the stochastic, is fertile soil for false distinctions. It is here, consequently, that those who have devoted their lives to the perpetuation and apocalyptic mythologization of the division of the ancient churches are most indefatigable in their efforts. No sooner is one fantastical theological obstacle surmounted by the cool rationality of the historian or the impeccable logic of the theologian than another is erected; no sooner is one of the interminably pullulating vines of theological legend hacked away than another springs up from its inextirpable roots. There is no area of Christian speculation where the truly creative agent provocateur is unable to find some vital difference between East and West, the profundity of which we have only now begun to grasp: the Trinity, nature and grace, sacraments, human nature, the divine image, heaven and hell, sanctification, original sin, soteriology, iconography, the vision of God, spirituality, even Christology. And any suggestion that perhaps differences in terminology (say, between talk of’ created grace’ and talk of ‘divine energies’) might not necessarily betoken an irreconcilable antagonism between the two traditions is quickly lost in the ceaseless, swift, agile shifting of the conversation from one incorrigible difficulty to another. I shall take one example—Trinitarian theology—to illustrate two things: the power of interested scholarship to create false dilemmas whose only function is to keep contentious debates alive, and the power of such scholarship to distort the theological tradition of both sides of the divide in the process.
Since at least the time of Vladimir Lossky it has become something of a fixed idea in modern Orthodox theology that Western theology has traditionally forgotten the biblical truth that the unity of the Trinity flows from the paternal arche and come to believe instead that what constitutes the unity of God is an impersonal divine essence prior to the Trinitarian relations. It was Theodore de Regnon who, in 1892, first suggested a distinction between Western and Eastern styles of Trinitarian theology: the tendency, that is, of Latin thought to proceed from general nature to concrete Person, so according priority to divine unity, and of Greek thought to proceed from Person to nature, so placing the emphasis first on the plurality of divine Persons. This distinction was not made in order to suggest a dogmatic superiority on either side, of course; nor, I think, was it very true. But it was seized upon, rather opportunistically, by a number of 20th-century theologians, and now we find ourselves in an age in which we are often told that we must choose between ‘Greek’ personalism and ‘Latin’ essentialism. And, supposedly, this is a difference that goes all the way back to the patristic period (at least, if certain extremely misleading interpretations of Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa are to be believed). It has become so lamentably common among my fellow Orthodox to treat this claim that Western theology in general posits some ‘impersonal’ divine ground behind the Trinitarian hypostases, and so fails to see the Father as the ‘fountainhead of divinity’, as a simple fact of theological history (and the secret logic of Latin ‘filioquism’) that it seems almost rude to point out that it is quite demonstrably untrue, from the patristic through the medieval periods, with a few insignificant exceptions. In fact, I would go so far as to claim that the understanding of the generation of the Son and the procession of the Spirit found in Augustine is not only compatible, but identical, with that of the Cappadocian fathers—including Gregory’s and Basil’s belief that the generation of the Son is directly from the Father, while the procession of the Spirit is from the Father only per Filium (sed, to borrow a phrase, de Patre principaliter). I have no wish to dwell very long upon the matter here, but I might observe that both Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa even distinguish generation and procession within the Trinity in terms primarily of the order of cause: that is, both claim that the procession of the Spirit differs from the generation of the Son principally in that the former occurs through the Son. As Gregory writes (in a passage that would fit very well in, say, Book V of Augustine’s De Trinitate):
... while confessing the immutability of the [divine] nature, we do not deny difference in regard to cause and that which is caused, by which alone we discern the difference of each Person from the other, in that we believe one to be the cause and another to be from the cause; and again we conceive of another difference within that which is from the cause: between the one who, on the one hand, comes directly from the principle and the one who, on the other, comes from the principle through the one who arises directly; thus it unquestionably remains peculiar to the Son to be the Only Begotten, while at the same time it is not to be doubted that the Spirit is of the Father, by virtue of the mediation of the Son that safeguards the Son’s character as Only Begotten, and thus the Spirit is not excluded from his natural relation to the Father.1
This is the very argument—made by Augustine in De Trinitate—that scores of Orthodox theologians in recent decades have denounced as entirely alien to Eastern tradition.
Again, I do not want to venture too far into purely technical matters, but I can think of no better example of an almost entirely imaginary theological problem, pursued with ferocious pertinacity solely because it serves to exaggerate and harden—or, rather, to rationalize—the division between Christian East and West, but that succeeds only in distorting the tradition of both almost beyond recognition. And I cannot emphasize this last point too forcefully. Since the time of Lossky, various modern Orthodox theologians have adopted an exaggerated ‘Photianism’ and have, in their assault on ‘filioquism’, argued that—though, within the economy of salvation, the Spirit is breathed out by Christ upon the apostles—the Trinitarian relations as revealed in the economy of salvation are distinct from the eternal relations of the immanent Trinity. This is theologically disastrous, and in fact subversive of the entire Eastern patristic tradition of Trinitarian dogma. Were this claim sound, there would be absolutely no basis for Trinitarian theology at all; the arguments by which the Cappadocians defended full Trinitarian theology against Arian and Eunomian thought—in works like Basil’s De Spiritu Sancto and Gregory’s Adversus Macedonianos—would entirely fail. Orthodoxy would have no basis whatsoever.
In any event, as I say, this is only one example among many. In the abstract, theology as such should throw up no impediments to the ecumenical enterprise between East and West; whatever differences may exist between the two traditions, none of them is of any appreciable magnitude, and even if they were they would still constitute only differences between theologoumena, not between dogmata. And yet it is in fact in the realm of theology that the greatest number of obstacles are thrown up to intelligent and charitable dialogue; for where there remains some desire to rationalize and deepen the division between the churches, the sheer speculative plasticity of theological reflection and language allows for an endless multiplication of ever newer ‘ancient’ differences. As for how to remedy this situation, I can offer only the weak recommendation of better education: perhaps we might find a way to force young Orthodox theologians to read Augustine and Aquinas, rather than fatuous treatments of Augustine and Aquinas written by dyspeptic Greeks, or to force young Catholic theologians to immerse themselves in Byzantine scholasticism and Eastern ecclesiology, and to force everyone involved to learn the history of the church in all its ambiguity. But, whatever we do, we have too long allowed bad scholarship and empty cant and counterfeit history to influence and even dictate the terms of the relation between Orthodoxy and Rome
III. Doctrine
Doctrine presents us with another kind of obstacle, at once more concrete and more minimal in form. These differences, once one puts aside purely tendentious attempts to magnify or multiply the doctrinal divergences of the two traditions, are very few indeed, easily identified, and in some cases easily resolved (if there is a will to do so). One of the great virtues of the Roman Catholic approach to doctrinal pronouncements is that, in their official formulae, these pronouncements are often so scrupulously pure of detail that they are capable of a vast variety of theological receptions. Of the two modern Marian dogmas—the Assumption of Mary and the Immaculate Conception—the first is obviously perfectly in accord (though too vague to be identical) with the story that the Orthodox Church celebrates every Feast of the Dormition; the second, it has often been noted, seems to imply a doctrine of original sin quite different from that common to the East, but here two points need to be made: first, theological differences are not doctrinal differences and, second, the doctrine is again stated with such chaste minimal ism that it is an error to imagine that any particular historically conditioned understanding of original sin must necessarily attach to it. In truth, it is not so much the substance of such doctrines that must remain issues of contention between us, but simply the question of whether there was ever sufficient authority to promulgate them in the first place: and that, of course, takes us back to the issues of papal infallibility, and papal primacy, and the nature of Oecumenical councils.
That said, doctrines do divide us, and I think that, in the nature of things, the Eastern church inevitably has a keener sense of this. I have among my Roman Catholic theologian friends, especially those who have had little direct dealings with Eastern Christianity, some who are justifiably offended by the hostility with which the advances of the Roman Church are occasionally met by certain Orthodox, and who assume that the greatest obstacle to reunion of the churches is Eastern immaturity and divisiveness. The problem is dismissed as one of ‘psychology’, and the only counsel offered one of ‘patience’. Fair enough: decades of communist tyranny set atop centuries of other, far more invincible tyrannies have effectively shattered the Orthodox world into a contentious confederacy of national churches struggling to preserve their own regional identities against every ‘alien’ influence, and under such conditions only the most obdurate stock survives. But psychology is the least of our problems. Simply said, a Catholic who looks eastward should find nothing to which to object, because what he sees is the Church of the Seven Oecumenical Councils (but—here’s the rub—for him, this means the first seven of twenty-one, at least according to the definition of Oecumenical Council bequeathed the Roman Church by Robert Bellarmine). When an Orthodox Christian turns his eyes westward, however, he sees many elements that appear novel to him: the filioque clause, the way in which papal primacy is articulated, Purgatory, etc. Our divisions do truly concern doctrine, and this problem admits of no immediately obvious remedy, because both churches are so fearfully burdened by infallibility. And we need to appreciate that this creates an essential asymmetry in the Orthodox and Catholic approaches to the ecumenical enterprise. No Catholic properly conscious of the teachings of his Church would be alarmed by what the Orthodox Church would bring into his communion—he would find it sound and familiar, and would not therefore suspect for a moment that reunion had in any way compromised or diluted his Catholicism. But to an Orthodox Christian, inasmuch as the Roman Church does make doctrinal assertions absent from his tradition, it may well seem that to accept reunion with Rome would mean becoming a Roman Catholic, and so ceasing to be Orthodox. Hence it would be unreasonable to expect the Eastern and Western churches to approach ecumenism from the same vantage: the historical situations of the churches are simply too different.
To show what I mean, I suppose I should point to the two areas where I suspect the most important dogmatic progress needs to be made, one of which is very obvious—the filioque clause—and the other of which is less so—the doctrine of Purgatory. In the first case, actually, doctrinal concord should not (in ideal circumstances) be elusive. Indeed, were this simply a matter of theology, my impulse would be to defend the clause, so long as it is understood to mean that the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son (the Father being, as scripture clearly reveals, the soul wellspring of Godhead), because I believe that that is the authentic Eastern teaching as well, and the only teaching that can at once be made congruent with the evidence of scripture and the logic of Orthodox theological tradition. Not everyone here agrees: as I have said, Vladimir Lossky and others have argued the opposite; but I find their arguments not only unpersuasive, but historically absurd and theologically catastrophic. But this is not solely a matter of theology, and where doctrine is concerned a much narrower set of standards must apply. That the insertion of the phrase in the creed was irregular Rome freely acknowledges, and John Paul II as much as said that it should be taken as no more than a theological gloss upon the Spirit’s procession from the Father, and he was himself obviously quite happy to revert to the Greek half of the diptychs in his own usage. But, given that we are talking about doctrine, I must be honest and point out that on this matter half measure will avail us nothing, and anything short of a total ablation of the phrase from all Catholic rites will prove fruitless. For really it does not matter how sophisticated we become in our grasp of theological history, or how subtle in our dogmatic negotiations with the past; it is simply a fact that so long as the clause is used in any quarter of the Roman communion, there will not be reunion with the East. It has too long served as the historical symbol par excellence of what divides us, and around the ambiguity and irregularity of its insertion in the universal symbol of Catholic faith, without the assent of the Eastern churches, cluster so many of the most divisive issues of theological history, that it will remain an insurmountable obstacle to unity for not only the foreseeable, but the imaginable, future. Orthodox hierarchs could undertake reunion only at the price of massive internal schisms—and what then would be gained? It may seem unfair to ask Rome to make so immense and possibly disruptive a gesture without any reciprocal move on the part of the East, but—given the asymmetry of the ecumenical situation mentioned above—this cannot be treated as an occasion for a quid pro quo. A decision must be reached about what is most important: if it is unity, the phrase must be expunged from all confessional use; if the phrase is, however, to remain, we may as well resign ourselves to disunity in perpetuity.
On the second matter, Purgatory, it may seem somewhat counterintuitive to place this issue alongside something of such enormous consequence as the filioque clause; but here I think is one area where Roman doctrinal pronouncements have not been as marked as one might wish by that formulary minimalism I praised above. The Eastern church believes in sanctification after death, and perhaps the doctrine of Purgatory really asserts nothing more than that; but Rome has also traditionally spoken of it as ‘temporal punishment’, which the pope may in whole or part remit. The problem here is it is difficult, from the Orthodox perspective, to see how it could be both. That is, if it is sanctification, then it is nothing other than salvation: that is, the transformation of our souls, by which the Holy Spirit conforms us to God, through all eternity, and frees us from the last residue of our perversity and selfishness. The Orthodox and Catholic Churches are as one, after all, in denying that salvation is either a magical transformation of the human being into something else or merely a forensic imputation of sinlessness to a sinful creature: it is a real glorification and organic transfiguration of the creature in Christ, one which never violates the integrity of our creatureliness, but which—by causing us to progress from sin to righteousness—really makes us partakers of the divine nature. Very well then: what then could it mean to remit purgation? Why, if it is sanctification, would one want such remission, and would it not then involve instead the very magical transformation of the creature into something beyond itself that the Orthodox and Catholic Churches both deny? These are not, granted, unanswerable questions, but they are questions as yet unanswered, and there is genuine need for a serious engagement on what the doctrinal formulation regarding sanctification after death should be, and whether Roman and Orthodox traditions can be reconciled in a more than superficial way on this one issue.
IV. Ecclesiology
Let me turn, finally, to the real root of our division, ecclesiology. It may be the case that the one singular failure of the early church was in not convoking a council to deal with the matter of ecclesiology as a properly doctrinal locus. It is here, perhaps, where all other problems come to rest. Papal primacy, and especially the doctrine of papal infallibility, of course, remain at the very centre of what separates us: Does the one imply universal jurisdiction, and if so of what sort? Does the other absolve the Pontiff of any responsibility to conciliar authority? And so on.
Catholic ecumenists, I should point out, often misconstrue the nature of the Orthodox distrust of their good will. It is not simply the case that the Orthodox are so fissiparous and jealous of their autonomy that the Petrine office appears to them a dangerous principle of homogeneity, to which their fractious Eastern wills cannot submit. Rather, it more often than not appears to be a dangerous principle of plurality. After all, under the capacious canopy of the papal office, so many disparate things find common shelter. An obvious example: three men are called Patriarch of Antioch in the Roman communion (Melkite, Maronite, and East Syrian)—which suggests that the very title of patriarch, even as regards an apostolic see, is merely honorific, because the only unique patriarchal office is the pope’s. To Orthodox Christians it often appears as if, from the Catholic side, so long as the pope’s supremacy is acknowledged, all else is irrelevant ornament. Which yields the sad irony that the more the Catholic Church strives to accommodate Orthodox concerns, the more disposed many Orthodox are to see in this merely the advance embassy of an omnivorous ecclesial empire. Now, of course, this plurality of patriarchs is an accident of history; but it is also an insufferable situation. We surely must acknowledge that the apostolic dignity of a patriarchate should not be reduced to an honorary title attached to a metropolitan responsible for one rite among others within his jurisdiction. And the very notion that the pope could possibly possess the authority to ‘appoint’ a patriarch in another see is an historical and theological nonsense for which the Orthodox should rightly have no patience whatsoever. So this too we must address: What is the unique dignity of the apostolic office of patriarch, and what is its jurisdictional authority, and how does it relate to the preeminent patriarchate occupied by the Bishop of Rome?
As regards the doctrine of papal infallibility, and especially the claim that the definition of dogma by the pope proceeds ex sese et non ex consensu ecclesiae, two comments seem worth making. The first is that, taking the doctrine again in its most minimal form, the claim of infallibility is inoffensive: if indeed the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind of the church, and the church promulgates infallible doctrine, and the successor of Peter enjoys the privilege of enunciating doctrine, then whenever he speaks ex cathedra of course he speaks infallibly; this is almost a tautology. It is the question, obviously, of how one gets to that point that is all the object of our contention. As for the claim that it is not reached ex consensu, the only real question is whether this is a prior or a posterior condition. That is to say, what does it imply regarding the authority of councils, or other patriarchates, or tradition? Obviously Rome denies that the pontiff could generate doctrine out of personal whim. And, after all, clearly it is true that no doctrine could possibly follow from the consensus of the church, if for no other reason than that the church is not democracy, and truth is not something upon which we vote. That said, I do not wish to conjure this issue away, and I would that the definition had never been pronounced; but this I can say: it is not clear to me that, as formulated, the doctrine destines us to perpetual division. It can, I suspect, be integrated into a fully developed teaching regarding conciliarity, one that can accommodate a certain magisterial privilege that is unique, but not isolated from the charisms of episcopal collegiality.
These, however, are familiar questions and need not be more fully addressed here. There is, though, one final ecclesiological issue that it seems to me should be raised, and that rarely is, and that bears directly upon the way in which the matter of papal jurisdiction is phrased in Ut Unum Sint. It is no great secret that the popular picture of the division between East and West—the myth, that is, of a sudden definitive catastrophic breach between the churches that immediately created two distinct communions—bears little relation to history. We know that, even after the excommunications of 1054, both Rome and Constantinople were—as far as anyone could tell- in communion with the Patriarchate of Antioch, for instance; that this estrangement between two patriarchs affected next to nothing in the northern Balkans; that even after the sack of Constantinople the boundaries between Catholic and Orthodox were fluid in much of the oekumene; that as late as the time of Nicholas Cabasilas, and well beyond, the sacramental validity of the Western church could not credibly be challenged, or vice versa. As I have said, it was only in the 18th century that denigrations of the orders or sacraments of the respective ‘other’ church became part of theological discourse; and those who still cling to this view of a hermetically sealed sacramental order—Orthodox or Catholic—over against a now invalid anti-church are in fact not defenders of tradition, but rank modernists. The worst manifestation of this is the practice among some Greek parishes—which I would not call irregular but heretical, if I had the authority so to do—of rebaptism. The attempt of certain modern Orthodox to justify this practice from Cyprianic principles would be compelling were it not so manifestly a thoroughly contemporary development, out of keeping with the thinking of the Eastern church right through the high middle ages, and if it were not for the absolute absence of any analogy between the two situations.
Chrysostom Frank published an article some years ago that laid out quite compactly, but with a wealth of detail, how porous (or, in some cases, nonexistent) were the partitions between the churches for centuries after the excommunications of 1054.2 Communicatio in sacris between Orthodox and Catholics, Frank notes, continued in some places till the 17th century. At the Council of Florence (1438–39), for instance, both sides spoke of the division between East and West as a wall of separation erected within the one Catholic Church. In various reaches of the Ottoman Empire, Frank observes, great numbers of Orthodox and Catholic believers—among the clergy no less than among the laity—proceeded as if there were no division. Latin missionaries were even known to regard the local Orthodox bishop as their ordinary, and Catholic priests were allowed to preach in Orthodox churches, catechize, hear confessions, and even on occasion administer the Eucharist. Orthodox Christians did not hesitate to show their reverence for the Catholic sacrament at corpus Christi processions, and on the Island of Andros the Orthodox bishop and his clergy—fully vested and bearing candles—participated in the procession itself. In the 17th century, Frank shows, there were abundant signs of cordiality between the communions: a former Athonite abbot in 1628 asking Rome to open a school on the Holy Mountain, the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch in 1644 inviting the Jesuits to open a house in Damascus, the Metropolitan of Aegina in 1690 petitioning the pope for Jesuits to undertake pastoral work in his diocese. And then, Frank sadly observes, in the 18th century both churches hardened in their positions, and soon this history of accord was forgotten.
That said, it is still not the case, even in the modern period, that an absolute division between the two communions has ever existed. Under communist rule in Russia, for instance, Orthodox and Catholic communicants sometimes received from the same chalice, with tacit episcopal consent, and there are parts of Syria and Lebanon today where this fluidity of boundaries is an open secret and intercommunion a simple fact of life. In fact, I know of two Syrian parishes in the United States that have passed from the jurisdiction of an Orthodox to a Catholic bishop or in the opposite direction where communicants who consider themselves either Catholic or Orthodox belong to one church and one altar. To put it simply, there has never been a time when a perfect and impermeable wall has stood between the sacramental orders of East and West.
Perhaps none of this is very important: local irregularities, after all, are not an index of church discipline. But all of this raises a question for me. To wit: when and where can we really locate the schism? Not only in time and space, that is, but within dogmatic and canonical norms? We are divided, we know, but how, when, and by what authority? And, while it is a social and cultural and political fact that we are divided, what is its theological rationale? Can the failure of communion between two patriarchs or bishops—a frequent event in the early church—create a real division of sacramentally united communions from one another? Could, for instance, the Orthodox really believe that the pope could excommunicate another patriarch and his flock? By what provision of Eastern canon law? And if Rome cannot, how much less Constantinople? And if communion has never truly wholly ceased, how can we actually identify the moment, the cause, or in fact the possibility of that division?
And this, I think, may be the real question that a discussion of papal jurisdiction must ultimately broach, the least obvious or expected question of all: not how we can possibly discover the doctrinal and theological resources that would enable or justify reunion, but how we can possibly discover the doctrinal and theological resources that could justify or indeed make certain our division. This is not a moral question—how do we dare to remain disunited?—but a purely canonical one: are we sure that we are? For, if not, then our division is simply sin, a habit of desire and thought that feeds upon nothing but its own perverse passions and immanent logic, a fiction of the will, and obedience to a lie.
In any event, my last remark is only this: reunion of the Orthodox and Roman Churches has become an imperative, and time is growing short. I say this because I often suffer from bleak premonitions of the ultimate cultural triumph in the West of a consumerism so devoid of transcendent values as to be, inevitably, nothing but a pervasive and pitiless nihilism. And it is, I think, a particularly soothing and saccharine nihilism, possessing a singular power for absorbing the native energies of the civilization it is displacing without prompting any extravagant alarm at its vacuous barbarisms. And I suspect that the only tools at Christianity’s disposal, as it confronts the rapid and seemingly inexorable advance of this nihilism, will be evangelical zeal and internal unity. I like to think—call it the Sophiologist in me—that the tribulations that Eastern Christianity has suffered under Islamic and communist rule have insulated it from some of the more corrosive pathologies of modernity for a purpose, and endowed it with a special mission to bring its liturgical, intellectual, and spiritual strengths to the aid of the Western Christian world in its struggle with the nihilism that the post-Christian West has long incubated and that now surrounds us all, while yet drawing on the strengths and charisms of the Western church to preserve Orthodoxy from the political and cultural frailty that still afflicts Eastern Christianity. Whatever the case, though, we are more in need of one another now than ever. To turn away from ecumenism now may be to turn towards the darkness that is deepening all about us. We are called to be children of light, and I do not think that we will walk very far in the light hereafter except together.
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1 Gregory of Nyssa, Ad Ablabium, 55–6.
2 Chrysostom Frank, ‘Orthodox-Catholic Relations: An Orthodox Reflection’, Pro Ecclesia, VII, 1, Winter 1998.Continue Reading Below Advertisement
When most publications report on an all-lady riot, they lead with the number of casualties. In the National Police Gazette, they lead with how close the dames were to ripping each other's clothes off (ALMOST) and leave out virtually every other detail. In 1896, a story of a near titty sighting was far more newsworthy than human lives or property damage. You know, all this female violence is depressing me. Let's check out some of NPG's cartoons...
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As offensive as this is, I think she should be more concerned about how he struck a match on her when she's built like a squid stuffed with bread crumbs. This comic really illustrates the Catch-22 of our grandparents' generation -- a husband only liked his wife when she had an ass you could strike a match on, and a wife only liked her husband when he wasn't striking a match on her.
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This was an article about injecting your wife with sodium pentothal when that lying whore won't admit she's sleeping around. Doctors also thought it would be a great way to track the spread of VD, since everyone in the medical community knows
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on television because I've had a different opinion than everyone else, and we've had things to roll up our sleeves and do. But things have changed. But I want to start at the beginning. I want to show how I responded on radio when I first heard the news that a mosque was being built across the street from ground zero.
REALITY: Park 51 is being built two blocks away from Ground Zero. The Park 51 cultural center and mosque will be located two blocks away from Ground Zero. Politifact noted, "The proposed mosque is not at or on Ground Zero. It does not directly abut it or overlook it." The Park 51 website states that "on completion of our planned building some years from now there will not be any views of the Ground Zero memorial from the building."
CLAIM: Obama said U.S. would have 137.8 million jobs by 2010. From the August 10 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Consumers have no confidence in the economy. Job worries drove July consumer confidence level to the lowest since - this is ridiculous - the lowest since February. Today, we learn that the fed downgraded their economic outlook. We lost another 131,000 jobs last month. After Obama bragged about stopping the hemorrhaging, the number of Americans on food stamps has hit an all-time high. Yes. Look at the chart by the Heritage Foundation. The president pledged to create 3.5 million jobs by 2010. That would put us at 137.8 million jobs. What is the actual amount? Where is it? Based on the July 2010 numbers, that leaves a deficit - don't worry - only about 7.6 million jobs. Plus, the administration highest profile economic officials - Tim Geithner, Peter Orszag, Christina Romer - they both resigned. Yes. They're out of here.
REALITY: Obama said the stimulus would increase employment by 3.5 million jobs compared to what would have happened otherwise. The Obama administration did not say that the Recovery Act would increase the number of total jobs by 3.5 million over the number of jobs that existed when the legislation was passed, nor did he say that the number of total jobs would not decrease following the passage of the bill. In January 2009, Obama's economic advisers estimated that a stimulus package would raise employment by between "3.3 to 4.1 million jobs" by the end of 2010 and clearly noted that this estimate is calculated "relative to the no-stimulus baseline." During a February 9, 2009, press conference, President Obama cited "the magnitude of the crisis" and stated that even with the stimulus package that would save or create millions of jobs, "[t]hat still means that you're going to have some net job loss" in the short term; "but at least we can start slowing the trend and moving it in the right direction."
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that as of the second quarter of 2010, the Recovery Act "Raised the level of real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) by between 1.7 percent and 4.5 percent" and "Increased the number of people employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million."
CLAIM: CAP recommended cutting history, constitutional studies, economics "from education." From the August 13 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: I told you earlier this week about George Soros and the funding that he sent to the Center for American Progress -- not really a place known for its, you know, cost-cutting measures. But, it -- there is a booklet on education. And it said that these are the things, these are the niche items that we can cut from education. Are you ready? U.S. history, constitutional studies, and anything to do with economics. That's what the Center for American Progress -- they say that is "niche": the Constitution. Well, the reason I wanted to tell you about that is because that "niche" history is being erased and it's only going to get much, much worse.
REALITY: CAP never recommended cutting any of these subjects from public education. Beck is referring to an April 2010 research paper released by the Center for American Progress, which recommended saving money by eliminating certain federal Department of Education grant programs "that are ineffective, duplicative, or outdated." Beck has previously promoted the idea of abolishing the Department of Education.
CLAIM: In Canada, the Bible is hate speech. From the August 27 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: A lot of Americans have lost sight of that. And certainly, our country doesn't focus on the Bible anymore. Our neighbors in Canada think the Bible is hate speech now, believe it or not. It wasn't always that way. In fact, this is kind of a new recent trend. The founders relied on the Bible. Do you know that -- do you know that more than 30 times all the other books, all the other things they could have read, more than 30 times the Book of Deuteronomy over everything else. That's what the founders used.
REALITY: The legislation to which Beck is likely referring protected arguments based on religious texts. In 2004, Canada added "sexual orientation" to the list of protected groups under its hate propaganda law, a move that was labeled, "Bible as hate speech" by right-wing media. (Beck's website linked to a World Net Daily article with such a headline at the time.) The law states that those who "wilfully promote hatred against any identifiable group" are "guilty of an indictable offence," unless "in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text."
CLAIM: Imam Rauf wants to impose Shariah law in the United States. From the August 23 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: The imam from the Ground zero mosque apparently wants Sharia law in America. I will introduce you to the guy who has been doing the research on this -- next. [...] BECK: Everybody is talking about Ground Zero and the mosque. Should it be there? Should it not be there? I believe, as a nation, we're pretty clear. You can build any house of worship wherever you want to build. But, shouldn't we be asking a more important question? Who are the people behind this? Where are they getting the funding? What do they really believe? According to our next guest, the imam behind the Ground Zero mosque, Imam Rauf, makes no bones about his goal to build a mosque near sacred ground and to bring Sharia to America. To further explain, Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy and assistant secretary of the Reagan Defense Department. OK. Well, I guess we start with Sharia. Explain quickly what Sharia is for anybody who doesn't know. FRANK GAFFNEY, PRESIDENT OF THE CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: Sharia is a political program that the authorities of Islam have long believed, a millennium or so, must be imposed over the entire world, to be ruled by a theocracy, a caliph, and to impose Sharia as the rules. To give you a sense of how it operates, look at Saudi Arabia, look at Iran. They are governed by Sharia. And guys like Feisal Abdul Rauf, who want to bring Sharia to America, have in mind having us governed the way they are.
REALITY: Rauf has argued that America is already Shariah compliant. As Media Matters has previously reported, Rauf, in his book What's Right With Islam, argued that "the American political structure is Shariah compliant" because it "protects" "God-given rights." He wrote that "Muslim legal scholars have defined five areas of life that Islamic law must protect and further. These are life, mind (that is, mental well-being or sanity), religion, property (or wealth), and family (or lineage and progeny)." Because the American political system "upholds, protects, and furthers these rights," Rauf said that it is "therefore legally 'Islamic,' or Shariah compliant, in its substance."
CLAIM: Opposition to building mosques is limited to the one near ground zero. From the August 24 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Paterson doesn't get it. Bloomberg doesn't get it. Bloomberg has green-lit this project at the same time he's out there in the media eloquently defending the right of Muslims to build a mosque, which no one is arguing with. I mean, have they built any mosques since September 11? Have there been any mosque -- because I haven't heard anyone screaming and yelling about it. It's this one!
REALITY: Mosques have faced opposition across the country. As the Washington Post reported, "In Tennessee, three plans for new Islamic centers in the Nashville area -- one of which was ultimately withdrawn -- have provoked controversy and outbursts of ugliness. Members of one mosque discovered a delicately rendered Jerusalem cross spray-painted on the side of their building with the words 'Muslims go home.'" In addition to the Murfreesboro Islamic center, mosques in Texas, Florida and California have been vandalized.
CLAIM: The mosque of the Cordoba is built right on top of a Christian church they conquered. From the August 24 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Right. Now, let me show you the Cordoba Mosque, if you can bring that picture up, please. This is - remember, the Cordoba initiative is the Ground Zero Mosque. What is the significance? This is the mosque of the Cordoba. BARTON: It's got the same foundation, built right on top of a Christian church they conquered. BECK: OK. Now, America - and David doesn't even know this. Please bring up - please bring up the picture of the room of the Last Supper. This is the room that they say Jesus had the last supper in. This is not my photo, because I'm in Washington. I have a photo of my wife and I standing in this room. And it is the most amazing room you have ever been in. Why? You can barely see it on that wall, but on that wall, that is Arabic writing. Where the photo is taken from is the back corner. When you walk in, there is the back corner. There is a minaret in the corner. It has all been defaced and it has all been written. It is a Muslim room or was. When you walk around the great city of Jerusalem and see there is - there is one group of people that is very clear are trying to erase the Jews and Christianity.
REALITY: The Cordoba mosque has been a cathedral for 700 years. As the Christian Post reported, "Built in the 8th century after the Moorish invasion of Spain, the Cordoba house of worship was transformed from a mosque into a cathedral in 1236 when King Ferdinand III captured the city of Cordoba from the Moors. Since then, except on rare occasions, Muslim prayer rites have been forbidden inside." As historian Kenneth Wolf told Media Matters via email:
Yes, the conquering Muslims (711) did eventually replace a church with a mosque in Córdoba. But for the first fifty years after the invasion, they shared the main church in the city (St. Vincent's) with the local Christians, dividing it into two parts so that it could serve both communities. Later (765) when it was clear that there was not enough space for the growing number of Muslim worshippers, the authorities bought the other half from the local Christian leaders and allowed them to rebuild a church in another part of the city to make up for their loss. It should also be pointed out that when the Christians later reconquered Córdoba in 1236, the mosque was immediately consecrated as a church; and in the sixteenth century, the middle of it was gutted to build the Renaissance-style cathedral that can be seen there today.
CLAIM: Soros Fund Management reduced its equity investments from $25 billion to $5.1 billion. From the August 25 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Look, gang, this is all about power. Do you know who is taking money out of the stock market? Who's taking the off-ramp right now? George Soros. Wait a minute, you mean the guy who's -- yes, the guy who's issuing these statements on me? Yes! George Soros, the fund management, reduced his $25 billion in equity investments to $8.8 billion in March and then down to $5.1 billion at the end of June. Why? He's getting out of the market because he knows. Experts are saying that they believe he is shifting his money towards government bonds. Gee, what do you think? Maybe to be liquid. This guy doesn't care about people or countries, just money and power. He didn't care when he famously profited off of England's misery. He won't care when our day of reckoning comes because he'll profit on that as well. He and his family will be going to Singapore. Well, can your family go to Singapore? Make no mistake. The day is coming and we must stick together and rely on the truth.
REALITY: $25 billion is the total value of Soros Fund Management's assets. As Bloomberg recently noted, "Soros Fund Management LLC manages about $25 billion." Reuters reported in that its "total U.S.-listed equity holdings," or stock investments, were "$8.8 billion at the end of 2009," and "[t]he fund listed $5.1 billion of equities as of June 30."
CLAIM: Obama "got a shady home loan" through Rezko and ShoreBank. From the July 20 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: How about the media not really caring about the slumlord Tony Rezko or the fact that Obama got a shady home loan through him? Didn't spark any interest. How is this one? That loan came through Shore Bank, home of Crime, Inc. Have you seen Crime, Inc. or shore bank anywhere else?
REALITY: No reports exist of Obama securing home loan through ShoreBank with help from Rezko. It's not clear what Beck is referring to. Media Matters found no reports mentioning Rezko's involvement in Obama's home loan or reports of Obama having a loan through ShoreBank. Obama reportedly got his home loan from Northern Trust. Beck may be referring to Obama's purchase of a piece of land from Rezko's wife. As FactCheck.org noted, "there's no evidence Obama did anything improper."
CLAIM: Hezbollah is involved in carbombing in Mexico. From the August 16 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Again, is an election going to stop these three? Another part of the perfect storm is our borders. Has anyone noticed the violence escalation on the boarder? Just last month, the cartels had a two-hour firefight with authorities -- two hours. An Arizona sheriff just announced the border patrol officials are pulling their men off the border because it's just too dangerous. Well, that's great! Here's an idea. Show me the map. Why don't you say we pull back -- oh, I don't know, somewhere about here, Portland -- is that enough? Why don't we pull back to Oregon? Why don't we give them California? I haven't even mentioned the fact that car bombings are now happening on our border. And nobody seems to notice that car bombings -- oh, yes, where do we see those? Hezbollah. Hezbollah is involved. [...] BECK: My concern on our border has always been our security. I mentioned a few minutes ago about an increase of violence along our southern border. And what is eye-opening isn't just the increase in violence -- it's the type of violence. This summer, Mexican drug cartels launched a car bomb attack in Juarez. This is just a stone's throw away from El Paso. And I know a lot of Americans are going, oh, yes, well, that's par for the course. Violent area, you know? Yes, well, this time, they've done -- they've done this Mideast style: car bomb. Now, why would they do that? Congresswoman Sue Myrick is asking DHS to, quote, "Engage us and Mexican law enforcement and Border Patrol officials about Hezbollah's presence, activities and connections to gangs and drug cartels." Hezbollah has already been active in Colombia and Venezuela for quite some time. So, is it really that big of a stretch to think that maybe Hezbollah might migrate north?
REALITY: This appears to be baseless speculation. News sources like the Israeli National News that posited a link between Hezbollah and the attack did so solely based on the fact that it was a car bombing. News reports following the attack did not state that Hezbollah was involved. The Los Angeles Times reported that Mexican police arrested Fernando Contreras Meraz, "a regional boss of an armed gang known as La Linea" and the man suspected of detonating the bomb.
CLAIM: Putin went whale hunting. From the August 26 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Does anyone believe in Divine Providence anymore? I know Ronald Reagan did. I know George Washington did. I know Abraham Lincoln did. Reagan said, for whatever reason, God made America free. And he wasn't throwing cliches out when he said once a country loses her freedom, those people will never get it back again. That if freedom is extinguished in America, there is no place on the face of the earth for the world to run to. Do you think Russia and China are going to lead the world on what? The environment? You got Putin yesterday taking pictures of himself hunting whales. Yes, yes, yes.
REALITY: Putin was collecting skin samples. As the Associated Press reported on August 25, Putin fired "a special arrow designed to collect skin samples" that would help researchers "determine where the whale came from."
CLAIM: Jim Wallis "is an admitted Marxist." From the August 25 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: You go ask your pastor, priest or rabbi if that is true. You might think someone would follow up on these surveys since two of the three best-known spiritual advisors, Jeremiah Wright and Michael Pfleger are extremist clergy members far out of the mainstream of Christianity into liberation theology. The third, Jim Wallis, is an admitted Marxist. But no, no, no. Interest from the supposed big three of TV news -- no. No, that's not helping. Hey, Katie Couric, how are you ratings? No one has paid any attention the anti-capitalist in the administration.
Several socialists, admirers of Mao - none of this has aroused the interest of the adoring media crowd. Their only response is call me or you or anybody else a liar, a hater, a bigot, stupid, full of lies -- whatever.
REALITY: Wallis actually describes himself as a convert from "secular radicalism and Marxism to Jesus Christ." Beck has previously claimed that Jim Wallis is a "Marxist" on the March 23 edition of his show, and as evidence, aired a portion of a radio interview in which Wallis mentioned his past beliefs. In response, Wallis wrote in a March 24 blog post that Beck "left out" the rest of the conversation, and that he and Dorothy Day " were sharing our conversion stories from secular radicalism and Marxism to Jesus Christ and his gospel of love and justice."
CLAIM: Journalists from Time, Politico, Huffington Post, Salon, and The New Republic plotted on email listserv to "fix" Jeremiah Wright damage. From the July 20 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Here are just a few of the highlights of the text going back and forth. When video surfaced of Barack Obama's pastor of 20 years, Rev. Jeremiah Wright who called America "KKK of A" - he called whites the oppressor and so on and so forth. When ABC asked Obama if his reverend loved America, the journalists over at "JournoList," listserv, called George Stephanopoulos a disgusting little rat snake. That was Richard Kim of "The Nation." Others took the rage and plotted it in to action. Journalists from "Time," "Politico," "The Huffington Post" - no. I wonder why the president recommends them. "The Baltimore Sun, "The Guardian," "The Salon," "The New Republic" all plotted to fix the damage of Jeremiah Wright. Spencer Ackerman of "The Washington Independent" urged colleagues to deflect attention from Obama's relationship with Wright. His suggestion - pick one of conservative critics and play the race card.
REALITY: Daily Caller provided no evidence that journalists from those publications plotted Jeremiah Wright damage control. Beck's claim is based on a Daily Caller article about Journolist, a private listserv that was comprised of left-leaning journalists, academics and activsts. After obtaining access to the listserv, Daily Caller claimed "Employees of news organizations including Time, Politico, the Huffington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Guardian, Salon and the New Republic participated in outpourings of anger over how Obama had been treated in the media, and in some cases plotted to fix the damage," but the article provides no evidence to support the claim that employees of Time, Politico, Huffington Post, Salon, and The New Republic were plotting on the listserv to "fix the damage of Jeremiah Wright."
CLAIM: Rashid Khalidi is "an anti-Semite" and "anti-Jewish." From the July 27 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: But I think I also know you and people like you, people like Oliver Stone. There's Sean Penn, Danny Glover, others that are slowly but surely revealing themselves for who and what they really are because they're arrogant. They think they are in the mainstream now. Unfortunately, this anti-Jewish, anti-Israel sentiment isn't limited strictly to Hollywood now. I don't know if Barack Obama knows or has any association with this particular anti-Semite, Oliver Stone. But he does know and has had association with Rashid Khalidi, not just an anti-Semite, anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, but believed to have been part of the PLO when it was considered a terrorist organization. He is developing a new Gaza flotilla, you know, that he can put out there. In fact, he's calling it the "audacity of hope." He is also a respected professor.
REALITY: Beck appears to be conflating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. Media Matters could find no reports of anti-Semitic statements or writings by Khalidi. An October 31, 2008,New York Times profile of Khalidi quoted Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, who "said he has known Mr. Khalidi for years," saying of Khalidi: "He has always been consistently in favor of dialogue and common ground." Marty Peretz of The New Republic, wrote, "I have written more appreciative words about Khalidi than Obama ever uttered. In fact, I even invited Khalidi to speak for a Jewish organization with which I work."
CLAIM: Oakland has "taken away" your "right to own a gun." From the August 25 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Oakland -- the Oakland police spokeswoman, Holly Joshi, warns citizens that, quote, "If you come home to find the house burglarized and you call, we're not coming." Oh, they're not coming. Uh-oh! So, in other words, if I come home and I discover that my house is broken into in the middle of the night, I just walk in. I have no idea that it's safe to re-enter or anything else. Oh, wouldn't it be really great is if I didn't have a right to have a gun either because I could just walk unarmed to my house in the middle of the night. And I know the police aren't coming. That's what I like to call fear. They accuse me of fearmongering -- that's fear, America. And that's why the Second Amendment is more important than ever. Your right to own a gun, if it is taken away like it is in Oakland, California, who's got the guns? Oh, yes, that's right, the bad guys where the police aren't going to come if they break in to your house.
REALITY: Guns are not banned in Oakland. Gun ownership is regulated but not illegal in California and Oakland. There are reportedly no licensed gun dealers in Oakland, but gun ownership is not banned in the city.
CLAIM: "George Washington loved the Indians." From the August 18 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: We're going to start with the Founders and the American native. The prevailing wisdom of the Native Americans was that they were primitive savages and inferior intellect. That's what we started get into in the 1800s. We've heard of scalpings before. And you think of the scalping, that was just an Indian reference. Yes, Indians did scalp people. But many times -- not exclusively -- but many times, they did it because people paid them. Not that it justifies it, but that's what it was. The English made Mohicans for the heads of the Pequots. I think that it's interesting that they both have casinos next to each other now, the Mohicans and the Pequots. The Dutch paid for wampum and wear (ph) in the heads. The English soldiers scalped each other. Even puritan ministers would scalp to make money. But the -- well, they're just a bunch of heathen savages -- that was a line that came into play, it was eventual justification for pushing Indians off their land. That really didn't play a role until commerce and government started to collude. However, not everybody thought Indians were primitive savages with no brains. George Washington loved the Indians. Thomas Jefferson had a different view of Native Americans. In 1784, he dug out on his property a 12-foot high mound. It was -- it was something that he couldn't figure out. He found several complex layers of burials. He concluded that the mound was the work of Indian ancestors. Jefferson began to ponder this and he believed that the Indians possibly came, in his words, from Egypt or Asia. He looked at some of the ancient writings. He compared them. He was fascinated with language. He compared Egyptian and Indian. He started to say, well, you know what? They're not as primitive as everybody thinks.
REALITY: George Washington waged a bloody campaign against Iroquois nations. According to U.S. News and World Report, "Washington ordered what at the time was the largest-ever campaign against the Indians in North America.... From his headquarters in Middlebrook, N.J., Washington authorized the 'total destruction and devastation' of the Iroquois settlements across upstate New York so 'that country may not merely be overrun but destroyed.'" From a March 22, 2008, article in the Michigan Historical Review (accessed via Nexis):
In the summer of 1779 George Washington, the commander in chief of the American forces, sent an army to western New York to punish the Seneca and other Iroquois who had allied themselves with the British for what he viewed as a great betrayal. Maj. General John Sullivan was placed in charge of this campaign and given a clear mission: "the total destruction and devastation of their settlements and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible." To make his intentions clear, Washington reiterated them in his formal instructions and in several subsequent letters to Sullivan: that Seneca country "may not be merely overrun but destroyed'; that Sullivan must make "the destructionof their settlements so final and complete, as to put it out of their power to derive the smallest succour from them, in case they shouldeven attempt to return this season"; and that he should not agree topeace with the Indians until "after you have very thoroughly completed the destruction of their settlements." [...] These expeditions had devastating consequences for the Seneca and other Iroquois peoples. More than forty towns and an estimated 160,000 bushels of corn were destroyed, along with innumerable orchards. The orchards at Apple-town alone contained an estimated fifteen hundredtrees. The clear intent of Sullivan's campaign is revealed in the additional effort devoted to the destruction of orchards that both represented years of investment and stood as a physical claim of Indian ownership of the land. The destruction of annual vegetable crops brought a winter of suffering and starvation to the Seneca, but the loss of mature orchards was intended to destroy their will to return to their lands. By undermining the possibility of a quick recovery and return, Sullivan's forces paved the way for white settlement of these lands.
CLAIM: Obama Sr.'s article calls for Soviet-style Marxism. From the August 9 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: As an American, chances are, your father didn't dream of leaving his family and 2-year-old toddler behind to continue his education at an Ivy League school so that he could take that American government-paid education back to his home country, along with a woman he picked up in Boston who had become his third wife to encourage his nation to drop the newfangled socialism being promoted in favor of old-style Soviet Marxism. Do you know anybody who had a dad who that was their dream? I don't know him, but the only one whose dad had that dream that I know is Barack Obama. Those were the dreams of Barack Obama's father. But they were a little more complicated than that, but essentially, that's what Barack Obama senior did. He fought against African socialism advocated by pro-western third way leader. This guy. And the president of Kenya, this is Kenyatta. Do you have Kenyatta? There he is. And he fought against those guys in favor of the communist allied leader. He wrote an article in 1965. It's called "Problems Facing Our Socialism," written by Obama senior. This has a point. It's not just a history lesson. This actually applies to today and maybe can help you figure out what's really going on in the world and maybe help wake your neighbors up. In this report, this mocks the government's economic policy of African socialism while focusing on what needs to be done in Kenya. He says "What is more important is to find means by which we can redistribute our economic gains to the benefit of all and at the same time be able to channel some of these gains to future production. It's the government's obligation." He goes on: "We also need to eliminate power structures that have been built through excessive accumulation so that not only a few individuals have control of vast magnitude of the resources as is the case now. How could we afford to ignore the pockets of this economy which are underdeveloped without some positive statement about their development? In Kenya, the colonial government only developed the so-called white areas." Anti-colonialism -- in this case, it was anti-English and Marxist. Not even Marxist. It was full-fledged Soviet.
REALITY: The paper was reportedly "moderate and conciliatory." Politico reported that Obama Sr.'s "central aim" in the paper "was moderate and conciliatory" and that Kenya expert Raymond Omwami, an economist and UCLA visiting professor from the University of Helsinki" said that the paper doesn't show Obama Sr. to be "a socialist." Politico said:
In other words, Obama senior's paper was not a cry for acceptance of radical politics but was instead a critique of a government policy by Kenya's Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, which applied African socialism principles to the country's ongoing political upheaval. "The critics of this article are making a big mistake," says Omwami, who at Politico's request read the document and the associated Internet debate over the weekend. "They are assuming Obama senior is the one who came up with this concept of African socialism, but that's totally wrong. Based on that, they're imbuing in him the idea that he himself is a socialist, but he is not." Omwami says he would instead refer to the elder Obama as "a liberal person who believed in market forces but understood its limitations."
CLAIM: At OIRA, Cass Sunstein "makes all of the rules." From the July 29 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: Now, let's -- let's focus for a minute on what dictatorship really is. A dictatorship -- according to the dictionary that I have but that could be rewritten now -- is an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. Pretty simple. Never in America -- it could never happen in America. That's why these people failed in 1969. But let's take a look at the direction that we're heading now. You tell me. Are we headed -- are we headed in the direction of more power going to you or the government? See, the dictator is a really bad word, but if we replace "dictator" with -- "all powerful" -- all powerful government. Well, which is it going to? A government controlled by the few? Or maybe even one. Or you having the power? Health care and financial reform, both massive bills that leave much of the decision-making into the hands of the unelected bureaucrats who are selected by the president, namely, Cass Sunstein, most dangerous man in America. That's what Glenn Beck has been saying. Cass Sunstein. Why? Because Cass Sunstein makes all of the rules now.
From the July 26 edition of Glenn Beck:
BECK: I think we're at that time. I thought about this, this weekend, and watchdogs, I need your help. We need you to scour these 5,000 pages. I need you to scour these bills and I need you to look for parts of a machine that will help make cap and trade unnecessary to pass through Congress. I believe they're turning this machine on with the help of Cass Sunstein -- again, the guy I've said from the beginning is the most dangerous man in America, because he's our regulatory czar. He's the guy that just takes the laws and then turns them into regulation. All these bills are, is someone else regulates. Well, Cass Sunstein is the guy who is that "someone else."
REALITY: OIRA does not write the federal government's rules and regulations. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs does not have the power to create regulations. Rather, OIRA reviews regulations written by other agencies. Environmentalists reportedly objected to Sunstein's appointment because of his reliance on cost-benefit analysis. Julian Sanchez of the CATO Institute has also written:In a major escalation of rhetoric, North Korea issued a new threat of a nuclear strike on the United States on Thursday.
The U.S.'s "reckless nuclear threat will be smashed by the strong will of all the united service personnel and people and cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means of the DPRK and that the merciless operation of its revolutionary armed forces in this regard has been finally examined and ratified," according to an English-language version of the North Korean state news agency KCNA, which quoted a spokesman for the general staff of the North Korean army.
Most observers say North Korea is still years away from having the technology to deliver a nuclear warhead on a missile, but it does have plenty of conventional military firepower, including medium-range ballistic missiles that can carry high explosives for hundreds of miles.Bela B Felsenheimer: "Scharnow"
In Scharnow, einem Dorf nördlich von Berlin, ist der Hund begraben. Scheinbar. Tatsächlich wird hier gerade die Welt gewendet: Schützen liegen auf der Lauer, um die Agenten einer Universalmacht zu vernichten, ein mordlustiges Buch richtet blutige Verheerung an, und mittendrin hat ein Pakt der Glücklichen plötzlich kein Bier mehr. Wenn sich dann ein syrischer Praktikant für ein Mangamädchen stark macht, ist auch die Liebe nicht weit.
Bela B Felsenheimers Debütroman "Scharnow“ ist als Buch, Hörbuch (gelesen vom Autor) und eBook erschienen bei Heyne Hardcore.
Bela B Felsenheimer: "Scharnow ist über(all)" - Lesereise 2019:
19.03.19 - Dresden - Scheune (Ausverkauft)
19.03.19 - Dresden - Scheune - Zusatzlesung (Ausverkauft)
20.03.19 - Halle - Objekt 5 (Ausverkauft)
20.03.19 - Halle - Objekt 5 - Zusatzlesung (Ausverkauft)
21.03.19 - Leipzig - Werk 2 (Ausverkauft)
21.03.19 - Leipzig - Werk 2 - Zusatzlesung (Ausverkauft)
25.03.19 - Erfurt - Frühlingslese (Ausverkauft)
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use has been associated with dependency on the mobile phone [ 14, 15 ], and problematic mobile phone use has been a focus in the literature concerning psychological aspects of mobile phone use, where criteria for substance addiction diagnoses or behavioral addictions [ 16, 17 ] have been used to define problematic use [ 18 - 24 ] including compulsive short messaging service (SMS) use [ 20 ]. In this context, heavy or problem mobile phone use (overuse) has been associated with somatic complaints, anxiety, and insomnia [ 21 ], depression [ 21, 24 ], psychological distress [ 22 ], and an unhealthy lifestyle [ 25 ]. However, possible positive effects of mobile phone use on mental health can also be hypothesized, for instance the ease of reaching someone to talk to when in need, implying access to social support. Social support buffers negative effects of stress [ 26 ], while low social support is a risk factor associated with mental health symptoms [ 27 ].
In a previous study we found prospective associations between high information and communications technology (ICT) use, including high frequency of mobile phone use, and reported mental health symptoms among young adult college and university students [ 11 ], but concluded that the causal mechanisms are unclear. The study was followed by a qualitative interview study with 32 subjects with high computer or mobile phone use, who had reported mental health symptoms at 1-year follow-up. Based on the young adults' own perceptions and ideas of associations, a model of possible paths for associations between ICT use and mental health symptoms was proposed [ 12 ], with pathways to stress, depression, and sleep disorders via the consequences of high quantitative ICT use, negative quality of use, and user problems. Central factors appearing to explain high quantitative use were personal dependency, and demands for achievement and availability originating from domains of work, study, the social network, and the individual's own aspirations. These factors were also perceived as direct sources of stress and mental health symptoms. Consequences of high quantitative mobile phone exposure included mental overload, disturbed sleep, the feeling of never being free, role conflicts, and feelings of guilt due to inability to return all calls and messages. Furthermore, addiction or dependency was an area of concern, as was worry about possible hazards associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields. For several participants in the study, however, a major stressor was to not be available. The study concluded that there are many factors in different domains that should be taken into consideration in epidemiological studies concerning associations between ICT use and mental health symptoms [ 12 ].
Mental health problems have been increasing among young people in Sweden and around the world [ 1, 2 ]. Cultural and social changes in terms of increased materialism and individualism have been discussed in relation to this [ 3, 4 ], including the possibility of a decreasing stigma about mental illness, improved screening for mental illness, and increased help-seeking behaviors [ 5 ]. Because of the quick development and widespread use of mobile phones, and their vast effect on communication and interactions in work and private life, it is important to study possible negative health effects of the exposure. Extensive focus has been on exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). Self-reported symptoms associated with using mobile phones most commonly include headaches, earache, and warmth sensations [ 6, 7 ], and sometimes also perceived concentration difficulties and fatigue [ 6 ]. However, EMF exposure due to mobile phone use is not currently known to have any major health effects [ 8 ]. Another aspect of exposure is ergonomics. Musculoskeletal symptoms due to intensive texting on a mobile phone have been reported [ 9 ], and techniques used for text entering have been studied in connection with developing musculoskeletal symptoms [ 10 ]. However, our perspective is predominantly psychosocial.
All analyses were performed using the statistical software package SAS, version 9.2 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine associations between the mobile phone exposure variables, and between mobile phone use and social support. The Cox proportional hazard model (PHREG proc with time set to 1) was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for multivariate analysis of cross-sectional and prospective associations between exposure variables and mental health outcomes. The robust variance option (COVS) was used in the cross-sectional analysis to produce adequate CIs [ 35, 36 ]. The low category in each exposure variable was used as reference level. The PRs were adjusted for background factors including relationship status, educational level, and occupation at baseline. Missing values (non-responses to items) were excluded from the analyses, which means that the n varied in the analyses. Prevalence ratios with a CI not including 1.00 (before round-off) were considered statistically significant. In the prospective analysis, subjects who reported symptoms at baseline were excluded from the analysis of the mental health outcome variable concerned. All analyses were done separately for the men and women.
Background factors were collected to describe the study group and to adjust for in the multivariate analysis, including: relationship status: single or in a relationship; highest completed educational level: elementary school (basic schooling for 6-16-year-olds), upper secondary school, or college or university studies; and occupation: working, studying, or other (other included being on long-term sick leave, or on parental or other leave, or being unemployed). The variable social support was based on the item: When I have problems in my private life I have access to support and help, a one-item adaptation of the social support scale in the Karasek-Theorell job content questionnaire [ 34 ], here relating to private life (rather than work life). Response categories were: a = applies very poorly; b = applies rather poorly; c = applies rather well; d = applies very well. The responses were categorized as low (response categories a and b), medium (response category c), and high (response category d).
Symptoms of depression (one item) and symptoms of depression (two items) were made up by the two depressive items from the Prime-MD screening form [ 32 ]: During the past month, have you often been bothered by: (a) little interest or pleasure in doing things? (b) feeling down, depressed, or hopeless? Response categories were Yes and No. It is proposed that it is sufficient if one of the two items is confirmed in screening to go forward with clinical assessment of mood disorder. This procedure has high sensitivity for major depression diagnosis in primary care populations [ 32, 33 ]. In our cohort study group, approximately 50% of the men and almost 65% of the women confirmed at least one of the two depressive items, which indicates that the instrument is probably very sensitive but has low specificity in our study group. Therefore, we constructed two outcomes: Symptoms of depression (one item), in which the Yes category contained those who confirmed only one of the depressive items, and Symptoms of depression (two items), in which the Yes category contained those who confirmed both depressive items. The No category in both outcomes contained those who disclaimed the two depressive items.
The Sleep disturbances variable was constructed by including the most common sleep disorders (insomnia, fragmented sleep and premature awakening) into a single-item, adapted from the The Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire [ 31 ]: How often have you had problems with your sleep these past 30 days (e.g., difficulties falling asleep, repeated awakenings, waking up too early)? Response categories were: a = never, b = a few times per month, c = several times per week, and d = every day. The responses were divided into Yes (responses c-d) and No (responses a-b), based on clinical significance.
The outcome variable Current stress was constituted by a validated single-item stress-indicator [ 30 ]: Stress means a situation when a person feels tense, restless, nervous, or anxious or is unable to sleep at night because his/her mind is troubled all the time. Are you currently experiencing this kind of stress? Response categories were: a = not at all, b = just a little, c = to some extent, d = rather much, e = very much. The responses were divided into Yes (responses d-e) and No (responses a-c), based on frequency distribution while yet taking content of response categories into account.
Information about mobile phone exposure was collected from the baseline questionnaire. This included the average number of mobile phone calls made and received, and of SMS messages sent and received, per day, but also more qualitative aspects of mobile phone use, including how often the respondent was awakened at night by the mobile phone, how he or she perceived demands on availability, and whether he or she perceived the accessibility via mobile phones to be stressful, as well as perceptions regarding personal overuse of the mobile phone. Responses were divided into high, medium, and low categories, based on the frequency distribution of responses, except for overuse which was categorized according to number of items confirmed. A combined quantitative mobile phone use variable was constructed by merging the variables frequency of calls and frequency of SMS messages (Spearman correlation r = 0.35, p < 0.0001). The mobile phone use variable correlated well with the original calls and SMS variables (r = 0.73, p <.0001, and r = 0.84, p <. 0001, respectively).
The study population consisted of a cohort of young adults (Figure ), 20-24 years old (corresponding to the United Nations' definition of young adults [ 28 ]). Ten thousand men and 10 000 women, born between 1983 and 1987, were randomly selected from the general population (from a registry held by the Swedish Tax Agency), 50% living in the County of Västra Götaland, Sweden, and 50% in the rest of the country. In October 2007, a questionnaire containing questions about health, work, and leisure-related exposure factors, background factors, and psychosocial factors was sent by post to the selected population [ 29 ]. Besides returning the postal questionnaire it was also possible to respond to the questionnaire via the web if desired. A lottery ticket (value approx. 1 Euro) was attached to the cover letter and could be used whether the recipient participated in the study or not. Two reminders were sent by post. The response rate at baseline was 36% (n = 7125). One year later, those respondents who had indicated that they would accept to be offered to participate in further studies (n = 5734) were invited to respond to an identical questionnaire, this time administered via the web. The data collection process was otherwise similar to that at baseline, but with the addition of a third reminder offering a paper version of the questionnaire and two cinema tickets to respondents. The response rate at follow-up was 73% (n = 4163). After excluding those who failed to respond to both questions concerning frequency of mobile phone and SMS use at baseline, 4156 remained in the study group. All in all, non-participation and dropout from the study was 79% (Figure ).
There were no clear associations between availability demands or being awakened at night and the mental health outcomes. For women, medium overuse was associated with current stress and high and medium overuse was associated with sleep disturbances. High accessibility stress was associated with current stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression (two items) for both the men and the women. In the majority of analyses (32/40), the high category of the exposure variable generated a higher PR compared to the medium category.
When excluding participants reporting symptoms at baseline from the analysis of the outcome variable concerned, high compared to low mobile phone use at baseline was associated with reported sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression (one item) in the men (PR 1.8, CI 1.21-2.69 and PR 1.7, CI 1.14-2.46, respectively) and symptoms of depression (two items) in the women (PR 1.5, CI 1.02-2.24), at 1-year follow-up (Table ).
There were positive associations between high compared to low mobile phone use and current stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression (two items) for both the men and the women, after adjusting for relationship status, educational level, and present occupation (Table ). Among the more qualitative mobile phone variables, availability demands was associated with current stress and symptoms of depression (two items) for the men and with all mental health outcomes for the women. Being awakened at night was associated with current stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression (one and two items) for the men and women. For the men, overuse was associated with current stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression (two items), and for the women, overuse was associated with all mental health outcomes. The strongest associations (highest PRs) were found for accessibility stress in relation to the mental health outcomes. For the men, accessibility stress was associated with current stress and symptoms of depression (one and two items), and for the women, accessibility stress was associated with all mental health outcomes.
The frequency of mobile phone use variable had low positive correlations with all of the more qualitative mobile phone variables using Spearman correlation analysis (see Table ). Furthermore, there were low positive (or little if any) associations between most qualitative mobile phone variables, and no association between availability demands and accessibility stress.
The drop-out group at the initial cohort baseline consisted of more men (a difference of 17 percentage points), were somewhat younger (an age difference of <0.1 years), more often married (a difference of 1.4 percentage points), and more often foreign-born (8 percentage points), compared to the study population invited to participate [ 29 ]. The final study group (n = 4156) consisted of almost twice as many women as men (65% vs. 35%). Compared to the initial cohort baseline (n = 7125), the study group participants were slightly less often single (40% compared to 42%), had a slightly higher educational level (with 15% compared to 14% having college or university level education, and 5% compared to 7% having completed only elementary school), and were less often working (44% compared to 48%) and more often studying (45% compared to 41%) at baseline. The level of mobile phone use was slightly lower in the study group; 54% were categorized as low mobile phone users compared to 51% in the initial cohort baseline, while 23% compared to 26% were categorized as frequent (high) mobile phone users.
The women reported stress almost twice as often as the men (29% compared to 16%) at baseline. Twenty-three percent of the men and 34% of the women indicated sleep disturbances. Of the men, 27% reported one and 24% two symptoms of depression, and of the women, 30% reported one and 34% two symptoms of depression. Among participants who were symptom-free at baseline (in outcome variable concerned), the prevalence at 1-year follow-up was as follows for the men and women, respectively; current stress: 10% and 19%, sleep disturbances: 15% and 20%, symptoms of depression (one item): 24% and 28%, and symptoms of depression (two items): 12% and 18%.
A little more than half of the participants were categorized as having low mobile phone use (five or fewer calls and five or fewer SMS messages per day) and 22% of the men and 24% of the women as having high use (eleven or more calls or SMS messages per day) (Table ). A massive majority reported that they were expected to be available on a daily basis and one out of four around the clock. Only a few percent found accessibility via mobile phones very stressful, while about half of the participants did not find it stressful at all. Most participants were never, or only on rare occasions, woken up by the mobile phone, and only a few reported being woken by the mobile phone on a weekly basis. Thirteen percent of the men and 22% of the women indicated that they themselves, or someone close to them, thought that they used the mobile phone too much, and 6 and 14%, respectively, had tried, but failed, to cut down on mobile phone use (Table ).
Fifty-two percent of the men and 34% of the women were single at baseline. A majority of the respondents had completed upper secondary school, 13% of the men and 16% of the women had finished college or university studies, while 5% of the men and 6% of the women only elementary school. Fifty-one percent of the men and 41% of the women reported work as main occupation, while 40% of the men and 48% of the women studied, and 8% of the men and 12% women were categorized as other. Forty-three percent of the men and 56% of the women reported high social support, 41% of the men and 32% of the women reported medium social support, and 16% of the men and 13% of the women reported low social support.
Discussion
Frequent mobile phone use was associated with current stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among the young adult men and women in cross-sectional analysis. Prospective analysis indicated that high frequency of mobile phone use could be a risk factor (or marker) for developing sleep disturbances in the men, and symptoms of depression in both the men and women, at 1-year follow-up. The pattern of PRs larger than 1.0 was rather consistent (though not all statistically significant), suggesting a robustness of results, and there was even an indication towards a dose-response relationship between exposure and mental health outcomes (if looking only at PRs). It should be noted that the "high" category of mobile phone use in our study does not reflect an extreme part of the population, since almost 25% of the study group belonged to this category. The use of the Cox regression procedure for estimating PRs gives wider than adequate CIs [35], which was corrected for in the cross-sectional analysis by adding the robust variance option. However, in the prospective analysis the CIs are still conservative. The results are further supported by the finding of prospective associations between high frequency of mobile phone use and mental health outcomes in our previous study among young adult university students [11].
The majority of the young adults reported that they were expected to be reachable via the mobile phone all day or around the clock. One could expect that this would feel compelling and perhaps even stressful, but most respondents did not consider the accessibility to be stressful, and there was no association between the two variables. Yet, expected availability around the clock was associated with most mental health outcomes in cross-sectional analysis (no clear prospective associations). The risk for reporting mental health symptoms at follow-up was greatest among those respondents who had indicated that they perceived the accessibility to be rather or very stressful, and in cross-sectional analysis, it was even sufficient to consider the accessibility to be just a little stressful for higher prevalence of mental health outcomes. The over-all low associations between the mobile phone variables suggest that availability demands and accessibility stress not necessarily coincide with actual frequency of use.
Reports in the media claim nightly disturbances by mobile phone calls or messages to be a menace for today's adolescents. This may be the case among younger persons, but was not as obvious in our group of young adults, with only few being woken up regularly. However, there were cross-sectional associations between being awakened a few times or more during the past month and all mental health outcomes (no clear prospective effect).
It has been suggested that mobile phone use enhances social support [12,37], but, in our study, high frequency of use had little or no association with perceived access to social support in private life.
Quite a few participants reported subjective overuse which could indicate possible addiction to the mobile phone or its functions. Addictions can consist of excessive behaviors of all types, and some factors can be argued to be present in all types of addictions (e.g., salience, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse) [17]. The most common symptom of problem mobile phone use among adolescents in a study by Yen et al [24] was "withdrawal symptoms without cellular phone use". Furthermore, impulsivity, especially urgency, has been related to mobile phone dependency, and feeling compelled to provide for needs as soon as possible has been suggested to increase the likelihood of using the mobile phone in a destructive way, for example when prohibited [15]. There is also the risk for addiction through gambling on mobile phones [23], which could be detrimental since the mobile phone enables gambling without time or space restrictions.
Methodological considerations We know little about what time span may be relevant when assessing possible effects of the exposure on mental health, and whether concurrent, short-term, or long-term exposure and effects are of interest. We have data from baseline and follow-up after 1 year, making it possible only to perform either cross-sectional analysis (so that causal inferences cannot be made) or prospective analysis with a 1-year latency period that could be considered rather long. The exposure during the latency period is not known, and the same applies to the mental health outcomes, concerning symptoms that are common in the population and that could appear and disappear in the latency period. Consequently, it is difficult to draw clear inferences about the effect of the exposure on the outcomes within the study design. Using a questionnaire to collect information on exposure as well as health aspects poses several limitations. It is important to emphasize that the study concerns subjective symptom-reports and not actual mental disorders or diagnoses. The prevalence of reported depressive symptoms was alarmingly high in our study group. The suggested procedure that it is sufficient if one of the two PRIME-MD depressive items is confirmed in screening for depression [32,33] proposes that about 20% of the study group would be clinically depressed (positive predictive value of 33% [33]). The prevalence of depression is most likely lower in our population than in primary care populations as, for example, the 1-month prevalence of depression among Finnish young adults (20-24 years of age) was 9.6% [38]. Hence, the instrument seems too sensitive for our population, and we chose to analyze one-item and two-item responses as separate outcomes, with the expectation that the two-item outcome has higher specificity than the suggested procedure. Recall bias and recall difficulties are most certainly present in the study, with, for example, difficulties to correctly specify the average number of calls and messages sent and received per day over the past month. Furthermore, when merging calls and SMS messages into one variable (mobile phone use) we lose information about specific exposure. Also, while the high and low categories are distinct from each other, the medium category overlaps to some extent with the high and low categories, which means that, in some instances, individuals in the medium category may in fact have had a higher exposure (number of calls and SMS messages) than some individuals in the high category, or lower than some in the low category. There is a risk that misclassifications obscure results. We have limited our study to psychosocial aspects of mobile phone use. Possible biophysical pathways due to exposure to electromagnetic fields have not been considered. Furthermore, there might be factors, e.g. individual factors or personality traits, not accounted for in our study, which co-varies with exposure variables and are "true" pathways to mental health problems. This could particularly be the case concerning accessibility stress which had no association with availability demands and low association with actual frequency of use, but yet seemed to be the greatest risk factor among the mobile phone variables for developing mental health symptoms. The study suffered from a high drop-out rate, which is fairly common when performing studies via questionnaires in the general population. The young adult population is probably especially difficult to recruit because more often than in another age group, their life situation undergoes drastic changes, including moving more often and therefore being more difficult to reach. The drop-out analysis shows that especially women and native-born Swedes are overrepresented in the data. Earlier studies, e.g. [13,14,21], have indicated gender differences in mobile phone usage, therefore gender-specific analyses were performed. However, the results of the analyses were strikingly similar for men and women in the present study. There is probably a healthy participant selection bias, and there is also an indication of bias towards lower mobile phone exposure, which could affect results in cross-sectional analyses but should have less influence in the prospective analyses. Even though the study group is more representative in comparison to studies among only college and university students, caution must be used when generalizing the results to the general population of young adults.As you get ready for Marvel comics' mega-event this summer, it's worth remembering this isn't the first time Secret Wars has been waged. Back in 1984, a similarly "covert conflict" enveloped these heroes and villains. How much do you know about the first event that changed Marvel universe forever?
It wasn't Marvel's idea.
Seeing how successful rival toymaker Kenner was with its DC Super Powers action figures, Mattel approached Marvel about doing a similar toyline with their heroes, but only if Marvel would publish an accompanying comic book tie-in. It needed to be some big event that would draw Marvel's biggest heroes and villains together.
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The name wasn't Marvel's idea either.
According to then-editor-in-chief and Secret Wars writer Jim Shooter, Mattel told Marvel that the words "secret" and "wars" tested well with focus groups of children, and nobody bothered to try to think of anything more. So when the new Secret Wars comes out in April and May and sells a hundreds of thousands of issues and potentially millions in merchandise, remember it's only named that because of a bunch of kids in the '80s.
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In fact, even Spider-Man's new black costume wasn't Marvel's idea.
Secret Wars was Marvel's first massive event that happened in continuity, with things that happened to the characters reflected in their individual titles. Perhaps the most famous change was Spider-Man's new, all-black outfit, which he got from a mysterious alien machine on Battleworld and wore on Earth for a long while until he realized it was an evil alien symbiote. Anyways, according to Wikipedia, the idea for the costume came from "22-year-old fan named Randy Schueller, after Marvel in 1982 had asked its readers for ideas for new Spider-Man stories. Schueller's idea was purchased by Jim Shooter for the sum of $220." I'd say Marvel came out on the better end of that deal.
It was the first time Magneto was recognized as a good guy.
In the comic, the all-powerful Beyonder summons Marvel's greatest heroes and villains — and a few wild cards, like the Lizard — and stick them on a planet he's assembled of bits and pieces of other worlds throughout the galaxy specifically for the event (it's called Battleworld, as it will be in the new Secret Wars event). One of the comic series' most interesting decision is that it placed longtime X-Men foe Magneto on the good guys' side. In the story, the Beyonder announced it was because Magneto's selfless goal to further the cause of mutants made him closer to a hero than the villains, who were mostly just greedy and/or violent. Magneto has wavered between anti-hero and noble bad guy ever since. I'm pretty sure this was Marvel's idea, for the record.
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It featured the most powerful being in the Marvel universe… for a while.
For all intents and purposes, the Beyonder was a god when he was first introduced in Secret Wars. He tore apart an entire galaxy just to clear out room to make Battleworld (he left one star as a sun, for good measure). Galactus, who is himself one of Marvel's most powerful entities, was one of the villains summoned by the Beyonder; when he arrived, Galactus tried to attack his kidnapper, and was smacked down instantly. In Secret Wars II, the Beyonder actually killed Death, until the Molecule Man asked him to bring it back. Since then, the Beyonder has been retconned a lot (see below).
Iron Man wasn't a part of Secret Wars.
Well, his armor was, but Tony Stark wasn't At the time Iron Man was pulled to Battleworld, Jim Rhodes was wearing the suit after Stark had asked him to following his relapse into alcoholism. It should be noted that both Tony Stark and many Marvel writers have forgotten it wasn't actually him on Battleworld. Although in his defense, Stark was probably super-drunk at the time. He actually has a reason for not remembering he wasn't a part of the event.
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DC's Crisis On Infinite Earths exists because of Secret Wars.
Although some places say that Marvel rushed Secret Wars into production in 1984 in order to beat DC's 1985 mega-event Crisis on Infinite Earths, this isn't true, at least according to Shooter:
We began work on Secret Wars well more than a year before DC began Crisis, and in fact DC was NOT planning a "big, company-wide crossover" till after they found out about [Secret Wars]. Back in those days, comics folks from all companies hung out together, played volleyball together, played poker, etc. You couldn't keep secrets if you tried–and we didn't really care if DC knew what we were doing. We didn't think it would make any difference. Crisis was a response to the huge success of Secret Wars.
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Since Crisis is what cleaned up the giant mess that was DC continuity at the time, they probably should have sent Marvel a thank you card for forcing them to get their house in order.
Mattel didn't pay any attention to the comic.
Although Mattel was the one who demanded the comic tie-in, and forced Marvel to add certain bases and vehicles so that they could be incorporated into the Secret Wars toyline, Mattel seems to have not actually paid much attention to what actually happens in the comic. After the first eight figures were released, Mattel basically stopped caring, and released whatever Marvel characters they wanted, The second wave featured Daredevil, the Falcon and Hobgoblin, none of whom appeared in the comic. Wave 3 of the figures was never produced, but it would have included only three characters from Secret Wars — Hulk, Thunderball and Mr. Fantastic — and for characters who didn't, including Dazzler, Mystique, Annihilus, and Abomination. Figures of Iceman, Constrictor and Electro were released overseas, and they weren't in Secret Wars either.
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Secret Wars stopped a child predator.
The X-Men comics of the time were written by Chris Claremont and were Marvel's biggest seller. They also happened to include the character of Piotr "Colossus" Rasputin dating Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde, even though Kitty was a too-young 14-year-old and Piotr had been established as a minimum of 18 or 19, if not older. This was weird and gross. Supposedly, the aforementioned Jim Shooter felt it was time to knock this shit off, and created an alien healer named Zsaji for Colossus to fall in love with on Battleworld. Zsaji conveniently died, but Colossus conveniently didn't stop mourning her when he returned to earth, and Kitty was free to… uh… become a ninja for a while.
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Secret Wars II was neither secret, nor a war, nor any good.
The Secret Wars miniseries was such a phenomenal seller that of course Marvel churned out a sequel, even though the toyline was already pretty much over. Shooter took on writing duties, and basically managed to capture none of the things fans loved about the first series. Instead of featuring Marvel's greatest heroes and villains engaged in an epic brawl, it featured the Beyonder coming to Earth and wandering around and doing stupid shit like 1) trying to date Dazzler, 2) turning a building into solid gold and wrecking Earth's entire economy, 3) joining the mafia for a bit, and 4) choosing to look like David Hasslehoff with greasier hair.
In fact, Secret Wars II was so terrible it never happened.
In New Avengers: The Illuminati #3, writer Brian Michael Bendis just flat-out says Secret Wars II was actually a big fake event that happened on a replica Earth the Beyonder made out of an asteroid with imaginary heroes and people and so forth. Basically, the Beyonder Truman Show'ed himself until Black Bolt told him to get lost, which he did, because he was the Inhuman mutant at the time and Black Bolt was his king. So that worked out.
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No one really knows what the Beyonder's deal is anymore.
The Beyonder was so terrible and dumb in Secret Wars II that he's had the hell retconned out of him. He's gone from omnipotent god to shockingly dumb omnipotent god to space baby to an evolve Cosmic Cube to half of a cosmic entity named Cosmos to a human villain called the Maker to the first Inhuman mutant, and so on. I'll bet you anything he shows up in Jonathan Hickman's upcoming Secret Wars, though, even though the new Battleworld is supposedly being formed by universes crashing together.
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The Human Torch has no game.
A lot of Marvel heroes have the hots for the alien Zsaji besides Colossus; it's supposed that her healing powers make its recipients fall for her. Anyways, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch is one of the good guys who falls for Zsaji's charms. His attempt to woo her consists solely of singing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" at her. Despite what you see in these two panels, it does not work. I assume Zsaji kisses him to get him to stop singing.2015.07.31: New paper "Dual EC: A Standardized Back Door". Randomness is essential for secure cryptography. Random numbers are used for secret long-term keys, secret short-term keys, public "nonces" that must never repeat, secret nonces, and more. An attacker who can control these random numbers, or who can merely predict the secret random numbers, has the power to decrypt encrypted messages and forge authenticated messages. Cryptographic users obtain random numbers from software and hardware devices called "random-number generators" (RNGs). This site collects new results on one RNG, Dual EC, and also provides detailed background on this RNG. Dual EC was standardized by the American standardization bodies ANSI and NIST and by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO. Cryptographers raised alarms about undesirable properties of Dual EC, including a potential back door; these alarms began while the NIST standard was still a draft. In September 2013, the New York Times mentioned Dual EC as an example of NSA's Bullrun program. In response, NIST issued an official bulletin that "strongly recommends" against Dual EC. On 21 April 2014, NIST issued a draft revision of SP 800-90A removing Dual EC. The comment period lasted till 23 May 2014. On June 24, 2015, NIST published a Revision 1 of SP 800-90A. NIST's press release mentions the removal of Dual EC and comments "This algorithm has spawned controversy because of concerns that it might contain a weakness that attackers could exploit to predict the outcome of random number generation." In February 2014, NIST issued a request for comments on the "principles, processes and procedures" behind NIST's "cryptographic standards development efforts". In May 2014, NIST's advisory committee "formed a panel of experts to assess NIST’s existing cryptographic standards and guidelines and the process by which they have been developed". Summaries of subpages with new content For details on the research credit stated in these summaries see the individual pages. Vulnerability of the RNG ecosystem
There is a large ecosystem that eventually gives random numbers to users. This ecosystem includes designing, evaluating, standardizing, selecting, implementing, and deploying RNGs. This page considers a high-level attack strategy against the ecosystem.
There is a large ecosystem that eventually gives random numbers to users. This ecosystem includes designing, evaluating, standardizing, selecting, implementing, and deploying RNGs. This page considers a high-level attack strategy against the ecosystem. Certicom's patent applications regarding Dual EC key escrow
Certicom has patents in multiple countries on Dual EC exploitation and Dual EC escrow avoidance. The patent filing history also shows that Certicom knew the Dual EC back door by 2005; NSA was informed of the Dual EC back door by 2005, even if they did not know it earlier; and the patent application, including examples of Dual EC exploitation, was publicly available in July 2006, just a month after SP800-90 was standardized. Research credit: Lange and an anonymous contributor.
Certicom has patents in multiple countries on Dual EC exploitation and Dual EC escrow avoidance. The patent filing history also shows that Certicom knew the Dual EC back door by 2005; NSA was informed of the Dual EC back door by 2005, even if they did not know it earlier; and the patent application, including examples of Dual EC exploitation, was publicly available in July 2006, just a month after SP800-90 was standardized. Research credit: Lange and an anonymous contributor. Modification in SP800-90 in March 2007
In March 2007 the SP800-90 Dual EC standard was changed. The June 2006 version of Dual EC had an error from the attacker's perspective: the back door was difficult to exploit if the user incorporated "additional input" for each output block, even if the additional input was guessable. The March 2007 change fixed this error, allowing exploitability whether or not the user incorporated "additional input". The same change appears in the current version of ISO 18031. Research credit (alphabetical order): Bernstein, Checkoway, Green, Lange.
In March 2007 the SP800-90 Dual EC standard was changed. The June 2006 version of Dual EC had an error from the attacker's perspective: the back door was difficult to exploit if the user incorporated "additional input" for each output block, even if the additional input was guessable. The March 2007 change fixed this error, allowing exploitability whether or not the user incorporated "additional input". The same change appears in the current version of ISO 18031. Research credit (alphabetical order): Bernstein, Checkoway, Green, Lange. Extended Random
The proposed "Extended Random" TLS extension improves the exploitability of the Dual EC back door. The published security motivation for Extended Random is incorrect. Research credit for exploitability (alphabetical order): Checkoway and Green. Research credit for security analysis of the motivation (alphabetical order): Bernstein and Lange.
The proposed "Extended Random" TLS extension improves the exploitability of the Dual EC back door. The published security motivation for Extended Random is incorrect. Research credit for exploitability (alphabetical order): Checkoway and Green. Research credit for security analysis of the motivation (alphabetical order): Bernstein and Lange. Exploitability in TLS
The basic Dual EC attack turns out to be highly oversimplified: it ignores critical limitations and variations in the amount of the PRNG output actually exposed in TLS, additional inputs to the PRNG, PRNG reseeding, alignment of PRNG outputs
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1 file at somepoint in the future i will update this post. There is no real time battles in the Campaign and i shall explain this better in question 3.
A:Choose the faction you want to download from
If u did not change installation path it should be in computer/C/Program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/ total war shogun 2 demo/data. So when you are done There should be a extra pack file in your data folder with the name of the faction you installed on it.
3. Q: Does this mod allow me to play real time battles in the campaign?
A: No the mod cannot do this because it is completely impossible in the demo. The demo just does not have the files needed to do real time battles like that. Mitch could add custom battles in random spots on the campaign map but as of now he chooses not to because all real time battles(custom or not) cant be lost even if you quit just after the battle starts the game will still give u the victory(and once again at least as of now this cannot be changed) So the battles wont have any meaning on the campaign(and also it can pretty much be used to cheese the whole campaign.)
If you want to do real time battles in the demo check out mitches 100% nonscripted siege battle and historical battle:
Mitch is also working on a custom battle creator for everyone to use and when that is released i shall post a link of it in here.
4. Q: I installed the mod but the new campaign button is greyed out.
A: That is normal. Go to tutorial and select the tutorial campaign and it will start the campaign with the mod.
5. Q: I installed the mod and started the tutorial Campaign but it still shows chosokabe when it starts.
A: I have not had this happen to me so i cant give definite help(when i get more info i will update).
Chances are you either installed it wrong OR What has been happening to others is that u start watching chosokabe but u dont control them in that case just find the faction that u installed and play them. If you dont have any fog of war just do a turn or a few and the fog of war should appear 2. Q: How do i install the mod?A:Choose the faction you want to download from http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=428223. The mod comes packed in.rar format that u can extract with Winrar(and probably 7zip but need a confirmation about that. To install the mod extract the.rar file into shogun 2 demo data folder.If u did not change installation path it should be in computer/C/Program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/ total war shogun 2 demo/data. So when you are done There should be a extra pack file in your data folder with the name of the faction you installed on it.3. Q: Does this mod allow me to play real time battles in the campaign?A: No the mod cannot do this because it is completely impossible in the demo. The demo just does not have the files needed to do real time battles like that. Mitch could add custom battles in random spots on the campaign map but as of now he chooses not to because all real time battles(custom or not) cant be lost even if you quit just after the battle starts the game will still give u the victory(and once again at least as of now this cannot be changed) So the battles wont have any meaning on the campaign(and also it can pretty much be used to cheese the whole campaign.)If you want to do real time battles in the demo check out mitches 100% nonscripted siege battle and historical battle: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=428829 Mitch is also working on a custom battle creator for everyone to use and when that is released i shall post a link of it in here.4. Q: I installed the mod but the new campaign button is greyed out.A: That is normal. Go to tutorial and select the tutorial campaign and it will start the campaign with the mod.5. Q: I installed the mod and started the tutorial Campaign but it still shows chosokabe when it starts.A: I have not had this happen to me so i cant give definite help(when i get more info i will update).Chances are you either installed it wrong OR What has been happening to others is that u start watching chosokabe but u dont control them in that case just find the faction that u installed and play them. If you dont have any fog of war just do a turn or a few and the fog of war should appear 1.
THANKS TO
6000
PLANS FOR UPDATES
TO INSTALL
ENJOY!
V1-2 Download Count (23 - 25 Feb 2011) = Over 6000!!Seattle Mayor Ed Murray on Tuesday dropped his re-election bid after four men claimed he sexually abused them when they were teenagers, allegations Murray vehemently denied as an anti-gay political conspiracy aimed at derailing his campaign.
Murray for weeks pushed ahead for a second term despite the allegations but told reporters he decided it would be best for the city for him to abandon his campaign. He said he will serve out his term through the end of this year.
“It tears me to pieces to step away but I believe it’s in the best interest of this city that I love,” said Murray, 62, flanked by his husband and tearful supporters.
Murray reiterated his denial of the allegations that first emerged last month when a man filed a lawsuit claiming Murray paid him for sex in the 1980s. Three other men also came forward with similar allegations, including one who is jailed on drug charges.
“The allegations against me are not true,” Murray said. “And I say this with all honesty and with the deepest sincerity. But the scandal surrounding them and me is hurting this city.”
He has previously claimed the allegations were part of an anti-gay conservative campaign to oust him, but Murray did not repeat those accusations during his speech. Several of the accusers have said they are gay but were not involved in politics.
Murray, a Democrat, said he was proud of accomplishments including raising Seattle’s minimum wage to $15 and called his term “the absolute, absolute opportunity of a lifetime.”
But the mayor, a former longtime state lawmaker, said the mayoral race should be dominated by issues important for Seattle instead of a scandal.
Murray was the favorite to win before the lawsuit emerged in early April, with community activist and lawyer Nikkita Oliver his highest-profile challenger. But others have since jumped into the race, including former Seattle Mike McGinn, who Murray beat in 2013.
State Sen. Jamie Pedersen, a Democrat, said after Murray spoke that “we’ve lost somebody as a leader in the community who has accomplished an amazing amount of good.”
Asked about the sex abuse allegations, he said: “If they’re true, it’s tragic. If they’re not true, it’s tragic,”
Before winning the city’s top job, Murray served for 18 years as a state lawmaker.
He was the prime sponsor of Washington’s gay marriage law, spearheaded an effort to protect LGBTQ youth in public schools and led the state’s push to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
After President Donald Trump was elected last fall, Murray became a frequent, high-profile critic.
He recently announced Seattle was suing over Trump’s executive order that threatens to withhold federal funds from communities that refuse to cooperate with efforts to find and deport immigrants in the country illegally.
Delvonn Heckard, the man who filed the lawsuit against Murray, believes the mayor’s decision to drop his re-election bid “is one step towards justice and achieving (Heckard’s) cause of spreading truth,” his lawyer said in a statement.
The Associated Press does not typically name alleged victims of sex abuse but Heckard has said he wanted his identity made public.
A judge last week sanctioned Heckard’s lawyer, Lincoln Beauregard, with a $5,000 fine for “flagrant” violations of ethical rules governing lawyers. Murray’s lawyer had accused Beauregard of using media stunts to try to generate negative publicity about the mayor.
Murray grew up in working class neighborhoods in and around Seattle and eventually became one of the state’s most prominent political figures.
As a young man he considered joining the priesthood and spent a year at a seminary in 1976 before studying sociology at the University of Portland, a private Catholic institution.
Murray worked as a paralegal with public defender lawyers in Portland before returning to Seattle and joining the vanguard of the gay rights movement in the 1980s.
He served as campaign manager for Cal Anderson, a Seattle state senator who was the Legislature’s first openly gay member.
Anderson, Murray’s political mentor, died in 1995. Murray failed in his bid to win Anderson’s seat.
He became a state lawmaker after he was appointed to fill the legislative seat of the state representative who won the state senate campaign.
____
Associated Press writers Manuel Valdes and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to this report.
© 2017, Associated Press, All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This Story Filed UnderShortly after match retrieval my gifter let me know that my gift would be late because they ordered stuff online. No big deal to me but I've been super curious ever since. Unfortunately, I was moving this weekend and had limited time to look at my gifts in all of the calamity. They arrived though and they are INCREDIBLE. My gifter could not have found anything more perfect for me. In addition, there was a super cute Tardis blue note and Tardis blue tissue paper. Super Cute! And apparently there is something more on the way. I am incredibly lucky and grateful. Thanks so much Doctor Who loving stranger.
Update: My second package just arrived and I can't even find the right words to express my gratitude. My gifter is incredible. I wish I knew your name so I could send you a thank you card. Today, a poster arrived. It's beautiful. I am blown away by your generosity. Thanks from the bottom of my heart."Plai Uthen", the 17-year-old male elephant that charged into a crowd of foreign tourists after one of them pulled his tail in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri on Thursday. A Chinese tour guide was killed and two tourists injured.(Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
CHON BURI: A Chinese tour guide was trampled to death by an angry bull elephant and two tourists injured in Bang Lamung district on Thursday evening.
Bang Lamung police and rescue workers were called to the scene around 5.30pm.
They found He Yongjie, 34, dead at an elephant camp in a fruit orchard named Sam Liam Thong Kham in Moo 1 of tambon Huai Yai.
He was stamped to death by “Plai Uthen”, a 17-year-old male elephant. His bag containing a passport and other personal documents were found by his body.
Two tourists who had been riding the elephant sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Barriers around the camp were damaged.
Au Bamrung, 37, the mahout and owner, said two foreigners had been riding on the back of the elephant around the orchard under his supervision. As they passed some waiting tourists one of them pulled the elephant's tail, making him angry.
The elephant charged into the crowd and killed the guide. One of the tourists fell from the elephant's back but the other managed to hold on.
Sakda Malee, 17, a security guard, said scared tourists scattered across the camp in fear when the elephant ran at them. Some of them fell over and were slightly injured.
The tour guide’s body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for a post mortem examination. Authorities will inform his family.Amid a growing debate over U.S. policies for using drones, the Air Force has reportedly reversed its policy of sharing the number of drone strikes in Afghanistan and erased previously published statistics from its website.
The Air Force Times reports that the Air Force began publishing monthly data on airstrikes launched from remotely piloted aircraft in Afghanistan in October and made the statistics available in November, December and January.
The statistics report for February contained an "empty space" where the data on drone strikes had previously been and reports from previous months had been scrubbed of drone strike data, according to the paper.
Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Bill Speaks told the Air Force Times the Defense Department was not involved in the policy change. Air Forces Central Command did not respond to a request for comment.
Over the last decade of war, remotely piloted drone Predators and Reapers have become a critical weapon to gather intelligence and conduct airstrikes against terrorists or insurgents around the world. They have been used extensively on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and northern Africa.
The White House on Thursday said President Obama does not have the authority to use a drone to kill a U.S. citizen on American soil if the citizen is not engaged in combat.
Attorney General Eric Holder made the assertion in a letter to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who held up the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director amid claims that the administration could use drones to target Americans suspected of terrorism.
Paul's filibuster challenging U.S. drone policies was met with criticism from fellow Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who chided Paul and defended the administration's drone policies on the Senate floor Thursday.
Their critiques of Paul's actions were acidic at times. McCain read approvingly from a Wall Street Journal editorial titled "Rand Paul's Drone Rant." McCain said Paul's reasoning did not match his "showmanship."
Click here for more from the Air Force Times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.Not of this World
The Life and Works of
Seraphim Rose
In a basement apartment near downtown San Fransisco in the early 1960's, Eugene Rose, the future Fr. Seraphim, sat at his desk covered with stacks of books and piles of paper folders. The room was perpetually dark, for little light could come in from the window. Some years before Eugene had moved in there, a murder had occurred in that room, and some said that an ominous spirit still lingered there. But Eugene, as if in defiance of this spirit and the ever-darkening spirit of the city around him, had one wall covered with icons, before which a red icon-lamp always flickered.
In this room Eugene undertook to write a monumental chronicle of modern man's war against God, his attempt to destroy the Old Order and raise up a new one without Christ, to deny the existence of the Kingdom of God and raise up his own earthly Utopia in its stead. This projects work was entitled The Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God.
Full Article...Patti LuPone, the two-time Tony Award-winning actress, is
back on Broadway opposite Christine Ebersole in the original musical War Paint, about two cosmetics
entrepreneurs, Helena Rubinstein (LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Ebersole). Following
a sold-out run in Chicago, the show is making its Broadway debut at the
Nederlander Theatre, with previews beginning March 7 and opening on
April 6.
Inspired by the book of the same name written by Lindy
Woodhead and the documentary The Powder
& the Glory, War Paint tells
the story of these two masterful women who, on their way to the top, found
themselves locked in a fierce 50-year tug-of-war over the cosmetics industry
and beyond. “It’s poignant, it’s funny, it’s dramatic. It’s the lives of these
women, which were complicated,” LuPone tells ET by phone.
MORE: 2017 Spring Theater Preview
While Arden and Rubinstein came from different backgrounds,
their paths were similar and their aspirations could have united them. Instead,
they ended up ruthless rivals. “That’s their Greek tragedy,” LuPone laments.
“That’s their epic flaw: Had they joined forces -- which would have never
happened -- they would have continued to rule the world.”
When not onstage, LuPone can be seen on-screen, where she’s
had memorable parts as Libby Thatcher on Life
Goes On and Dr. Seward on the final season of Penny Dreadful. Most recently, she appeared as Rabbi Shari on The
CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and can be
seen ripping into Leslie Mann in The
Comedian, now in theaters.
On a break from War
Paint rehearsals, LuPone shares her thoughts with ET about the new musical,
rivalries offstage and how Crazy
Ex-Girlfriendcreator Rachel Bloom gets it right.
Joan Marcus
Why She Wanted to Do
‘War Paint’:
“Well, it was offered to me and I rarely turn down an offer.
[Laughs] I just thought it sounded
like a great idea -- an original, American musical. I got on board.”
While There Is a War
Onstage, Why Audiences Won’t Be Reading Any About Backstage Drama:
“You know what? You would have heard about it already. If
there were any conflict, there would have been a change of cast or there would
have been a gossip mill. Like, ‘Ooh, we can't wait to see them bring it onstage.’
But that isn't the case. You know what I mean? We've rehearsed this and we
played this and we're back in rehearsals. There's great respect onstage. And I
say that of all the actors onstage … Those things always crop up when someone's
unprepared. I said to the producers, ‘We have to walk in that stage door with
love abounding. There cannot be any rancor because there's rancor onstage.’ And
there isn't -- that's such a blessing. And it's something to be careful of. You
have to make sure it stays that way.”
Why She Was Nervous About Letting Loose on Leslie Mann in ‘The Comedians’:
“Well, that was interesting because I don't really know Leslie. I felt as though I should hug her after every take to let her know it wasn't personal. But we had a great director and she's a fearless actress, so it was a lot of fun. But I was worried she might think, from my end, that it was coming out of a real place. Film is so different from theater … There's no rehearsal period. There's no introduction to your fellow actors. But I did, I would hug her after every take. And you know, we both knew this was what was required.”
Why Rachel Bloom Is a Master of On-screen Musical Comedies:
“I’m crazy for Rachel Bloom. I’m crazy for her. I think that is one smart show. Of all the musical comedies on television or on the big screen, Rachel knows how to do it. And see, that’s the thing: I don't think they know how to film musicals anymore. When you look at the old ones, you can see the dancers' legs. That's what it's all about. When you have a dance number, you want to see their legs, not their chest and their neck. But [Crazy Ex-Girlfriend] knows how to do it.”
Why New York Shows Like ‘Law & Order’ and ‘The Good Wife’ Matter for Theater Actors:
“I’ve been in the business a very long time, and at the beginning of my career, there was no reciprocity between stage and film actors. According to casting directors, if you were a stage actor, you could not do television. And the intrepid creators that come to New York to film television shows and hire stage actors, they have my heart. It’s hard enough to get work when you're a stage actor, but then to see your work taken away by a film actor who wants to come to Broadway just to get -- I don't know, credibility or something -- and comes for three months and then leaves… It's just that I'm really grateful to those networks, studios and creators that shoot in New York.”Windows Live Hotmail is no doubt one of the excellent email services we have got today. The customers of this email platform are happy with the way it facilitates the customers with its advanced features. A Hotmail email account service is very helpful to the users as they can commune with any of their associates in the best way. Moreover, it is not only a great platform to commune with near and dear ones but also a wonderful gateway into the bracing world of technology. With its diverse features, the Hotmail account service is widely used among the Citizens. Many customers of Windows Live Hotmail are worried about the frequent occurrences of errors in their account service which avoid them to access the complete features of this account. These times are certainly challenging for a new Hotmail customer as he is helpless in searching the complete solutions for user account issues. However, an excellent Hotmail customer service number can grant an easy way for resolving these issues. Some issues which can come while accessing this webmail service are as follows:-
Sign up errors
Login in technical issues
Hacked account issues
Blocked account glitches
Attachment problems
Email configuration issue
Spam mail error
Other general Hotmail issue
Email service has always been very useful for the clients, but the thing is that users should always take care which mail application could be the better option for them. Hotmail has always been such a brilliant platform that is used for both mail and messenger service. Through using this brilliant webmail program, users always get the reasonable results. There are a wide variety of features available in the single Hotmail application, but for certain occasions, users may face sudden technical errors that might not be resolved on their own by the users easily.
Hotmail Customer Service provided by TechNet takes you to the helpdesk team where you find some experienced professionals offering their services to fix common technical issues which you face in a real time. With the help of their advanced tools and methodologies, it gives you the easiest way to find the solution instantly without any difficulty. In this course, the users find Hotmail support phone number as one of the best supportive ways to get a direct assistance from the experienced professionals. The user can avail quick tech support through the Hotmail customer support number without any technical barrier.Five of the Church’s most senior figures said the Government now presided over a country suffering from family breakdown, an unhealthy reliance on debt and a growing divide between rich and poor.
The Bishop of Manchester accused Labour of being “beguiled by money” and “morally corrupt”.
The Bishop of Hulme said they were “morally suspect” and the Bishop of Durham said they had reneged on their promises.
They were joined by the bishops of Winchester and Carlisle who claimed ministers had squandered their opportunity to transform society and run out of steam.
The bishops said Labour sacrificed principled politics and long-term solutions for policies designed to win votes. One described the Government as “tired” and another said its policies were “scandalous”.
Meanwhile, in an article for The Sunday Telegraph, David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of leading Britain to the “brink of bankruptcy”.
The Conservative leader said the “debt crisis”, which he claimed was the Government’s responsibility alone, would serve as the Prime Minister’s “political epitaph”.
Although they were speaking independently in a series of interviews with The Sunday Telegraph, the bishops’ common criticisms reflect the deepening rift between the Government and the Church on social and moral issues. Relations have become increasingly fractious following condemnation of Mr Brown’s spending plans by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the publication of a report that accused the Government of marginalising the Church.
In February, the General Synod, the Church’s parliament, will hold a debate on the implications of the financial crisis that is expected to lead to heavy criticism of the Government. The Rt Rev Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, said ministers had not done enough to help the poor.
“Labour made a lot of promises, but a lot of them have vanished into thin air,” he said. “We have not seen a raising of aspirations in the last 13 years, but instead there is a sense of hopelessness.
“While the rich have got richer, the poor have got poorer. When a big bank or car company goes bankrupt, it gets bailed out, but no one seems to be bailing out the ordinary people who are losing their jobs and seeing their savings diminished.”
The Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, the Bishop of Manchester, condemned Labour for encouraging people to get further into debt. “The Government has acted scandalously. This is not just an economic issue, but a moral one. It’s about what we value,” he said.
“The Government believes that money can answer all of the problems and has encouraged greed and a love of money that the Bible says is the root of all evil. It is morally corrupt because it encourages people to get into a lifestyle of believing they can always get what they want.”
Bishop McCulloch said New Labour was guilty of pursuing the policies championed by Margaret Thatcher, which the Church condemned in its landmark 1985 report, Faith in the City. It blamed Thatcherite policies for the growth of spiritual and economic poverty in Britain’s inner cities.
“Both administrations have been beguiled by money,” said Bishop McCulloch.
“It is ironic that under a Labour government we have the poor feeling they have been betrayed and the gap is getting ever greater. Any government of integrity would have exercised restraint, but this has been sadly lacking.”
The Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, the Church’s Bishop for Urban Life and Faith and also the Bishop of Hulme, said: “The Government isn’t telling people who are already deep in debt to stop overextending themselves, but instead is urging us to spend more.
“That is morally suspect and morally feeble. It is unfair and irresponsible of the Government to put pressure on the public to spend in order to revive the economy.”
Bishop Lowe suggested that it was a cynical ploy to improve the economy in time for the next general election.
“They are trying to take the credit for this, but are playing with people’s livelihoods in the process.” The bishop commissioned a Church report, Moral, But No Compass, published earlier this year, which said Labour had failed society and marginalised the Church.
It revealed the level of unease felt among senior clerical figures over the direction being taken by the Government.
The Rt Rev Graham Dow, the Bishop of Carlisle, and the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester, said Labour deserved credit for some past achievements but it was struggling to balance its conscience with the pressure to win the next election.
“I agree with the Conservatives that the breakdown of the family is a crucial element in the difficulties of our present society,” said Bishop Dow.
“The Government hasn’t given sufficient support to that because it is scared of losing votes.” He argued that Labour’s failure to back marriage and its “insistence on supporting every choice of lifestyle” had had a negative effect on society. “I think Labour has got tired,” he said. Bishop Scott-Joynt said: “The Government hasn’t done anything like enough to help those less well off, particularly in terms of tax redistribution. There also has been the disaster of the 10p tax.
“It is imperative that this Government help the poorer people and hold the hard-hit communities in its sights, but it seems to have its eye on re-election instead.”
A senior ministerial source said: “The Government has a proud record on promoting fairness and opportunity for all, combating poverty and in tackling Third World debt and promoting international development.
“We also believe it is morally right to provide real help and resources to people facing unemployment or worried about losing their homes.”
*Gordon Brown will use his New Year message to pledge to work with Barack Obama, the US President-Elect, to end the economic crisis and get to grips with climate change. The Prime Minister will say that the main challenge of 2009 will be to build a “better tomorrow, today”.Hi all! We're now halfway through the kickstarter and almost 50% funded! Fantastic! Keep those motors running a little longer!
As I said at the start of the campaign, I didn't want to bore you by just having a 'Pop-The-3-Balloons" battle mode. So I've been working on some custom battle arenas with a few of the crossover Indies from the Indie Karts list, with arenas themed like the games the Indie characters are from, not just visually but also bringing their rules over too.
The first example of this initiative is in the Toto Temple Deluxe arena. You have to dash to the centre to be the first to grab the goat, then try to avoid the other player's efforts to steal the goat from you. Keeping the goat until you have 4000 points to win the round!
Get The Goat!
Another Indie Karts crossover battle mode I'm revealing today, is the Fist Of Awesome themed Fist Fight Arena! One punch from these giant spring loaded gloves will send your opponent hurtling across the arena, putting them in a spin. These are no kid gloves!
FIST!!
See the above Fist Fight screen in 1080p here
More Indie themed arenas like these will be included in the final game, and possibly another announced before the end of the kickstarter campaign! Let me know in the comments which crossover game you'd like to see a Battle Mode for.
Thanks for being here, I appreciate every one of you. Even you!
Cheers,
PaulLyon, France - For days, the rain had battered the sides of the prison, pattering incessantly on its sheet metal walls. A hurricane was on its way - that much Mourad Benchellali had gathered. But no one had come to get him, and from what he could tell, it seemed unlikely that he or any of his fellow prisoners would be moved.
Staring out from a steel-mesh door, Benchellali struggled to contain his frustration. The number of guards he counted patrolling his cellblock had grown fewer and fewer, and those who remained were wearing survival gear. He remembers hearing rumours that the sea might rise and crash into the prison, as the storm tore closer.
One of the guards left on duty was someone he ordinarily enjoyed talking to: a religious man, well-versed in the Bible. Benchellali himself was the son of an imam, and usually, he appreciated the guard's gentle presence, his willingness to stop and chat.
But this time, things were different. Benchellali was tense. He didn't know if the hurricane would strike, or if it would swerve into another part of the Caribbean. Precious little information reached him from the outside world, isolated as he was in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"How is it that your lives are important, and ours aren't?" he remembers calling out to the guard. "Us, we can drown. It's not a big deal. But you guys? You save your skin."
The guard, he recalls, replied with his usual fervour: "Don't worry. God is with you." The situation, the guard told him, reminded him of Noah, the man chosen by God to survive a world-levelling flood in both Christian and Islamic faiths. "With you, it's the same. You detainees shouldn't worry. Even if it rains, even if the water bursts its banks, you will be saved in the end."
It wasn't often that Benchellali felt treated like someone worth saving. After all, Guantanamo detainees were supposed to be "the worst of the worst", a condemnation repeated by several Bush administration officials during the post-9/11 "war on terror".
Even now, a shadow of suspicion follows Benchellali wherever he goes. Thirteen years have passed since he boarded a plane out of Guantanamo, back to his native France. But the stigma has never faded.
A recurring dream in Guantanamo
Sitting in a train station cafe on a rainy Saturday in Lyon, 36-year-old Benchellali wears the straight face of a man who isn't prone to outbursts of sentimentality. And yet, looking back, he admits the guard's words touched him - so much so that years later, "Noah" sprang to mind when it came time to name his only child, a son.
"He's the most beautiful gift that I could ever have gotten," Benchellali says, staring into his empty cappuccino cup. He credits his son for giving him the motivation to talk about his past, although sometimes, he gets fed up with being prodded about his story after all these years.
"It tires me out," Benchellali says in French. He has tried to move on, building a life for himself teaching others how to lay tiles. "I often remind the people I encounter that I'm not just an ex-Guantanamo detainee."
His dark hair slicked back with gel and his broad shoulders hidden under a brown leather coat, Benchellali looks strikingly unremarkable - just another commuter hunkering down in the cafe, waiting for the storm to end.
All the same, he keeps his eyes low. As he prepares to launch into his story once more, his fingers nervously start to rip and twist the empty sugar packets from his coffee into tiny, feathery ropes. Words like "al-Qaeda" and "bin Laden" invariably earn him glances from surrounding tables.
Benchellali didn't expect to have the life he has now. During the nights he spent in Guantanamo, he says he kept having the same dream: of a little boy, someone he instinctively recognised as the son he'd have one day. But his fellow inmates tried to let him down gently, warning him not to get too attached to the idea. It was just a dream after all. Guantanamo was their reality.
Prisoner 161: held without charges
When Benchellali first set foot in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre on January 17, 2002, he didn't know if he would ever leave again. No one told him how long he would stay, or what he was charged with. He didn't even know he was in Cuba when he arrived.
READ MORE: Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture
From that point on, Benchellali was known by the internment serial number 161, a mark of his status as a resident "enemy combatant" - a term used to designate people involved in hostilities against the United States and its allies. Pentagon documents from 2004 identify him as a "member of [al-Qaeda]" with a "commitment to Jihad" and "ties to other global terrorist networks".
Those are allegations that Benchellali has long denied. He insists he's not a dangerous man - just a young guy whose naivete led him into trouble. "It's difficult to explain," he says. "I knew appearances played against me."
Like many of Guantanamo's early detainees, Benchellali never had the chance to present his case at trial. He was a "terrorism" suspect with no means of arguing his innocence - or admitting to his mistakes.
"I never said I did nothing wrong. I've always said, 'Yes, it wasn't a good idea to go to Afghanistan. Yes, I found myself in an [al-Qaeda] training camp'. But what I don't accept is that they called me a terrorist. That's not true."
Although Guantanamo's detainees have been denounced as "battle-hardened terrorists", few were ever charged, much less convicted. One high-ranking State Department official went so far as to describe many of the detainees as "victims" of incompetent vetting, imprisoned without solid evidence against them.
"There was no meaningful way to determine whether they were terrorists, Taliban or simply innocent civilians picked up on a very confused battlefield," the official, Lawrence Wilkerson, said in testimony delivered to the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
The 2011 release of confidential Guantanamo documents, orchestrated by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, revealed prisoners from a range of backgrounds. These included an Al Jazeera cameraman, a taxi driver, and even an 89-year-old Afghan man with symptoms of senile dementia, some of whom were explicitly assessed as "not affiliated with [al-Qaeda] nor as being a Taliban leader".
Benchellali's file is not so straightforward. It indicates that prisoner 161 had family ties to "terrorism"; that he admitted to being in an al-Qaeda training camp; and that officials considered him a "high risk" to the US and its allies.
Travelling to Afghanistan at 19
By his own account, Benchellali was a small, skinny 19-year-old when he decided to leave for Afghanistan with a friend. He says his older brother Menad encouraged them to go, saying it would be a great opportunity to learn about Islam.
Benchellali knew Afghanistan was a dangerous country, with warring factions and a steady arms trade. That was kind of the point. Back home in Venissieux, Benchellali considered himself a weakling - and in his rough-and-tumble neighbourhood, it was strength that counted. He saw visiting Afghanistan as a chance to prove himself, once and for all.
So when his brother offered to set them up with fake travel documents and arrange their travel, Benchellali says he ignored his misgivings and accepted. He trusted his brother, and he saw the whole process as an adventure.
Benchellali and his friend first stopped in London for the travel documents, then made their way to Afghanistan, where his brother's friends awaited them. He says he thought he was going to scale mountains and explore the country. Fighting was the last thing on his mind.
"It wasn't about jihad. When I left for Afghanistan, I wasn't angry. I didn't have any hate," he says.
But one day, after arriving in Afghanistan, Benchellali and his friend fell into a trap. Their hosts, fellow French speakers, offered to take them on a trip to meet other young Muslims. Instead, Benchellali and his friend found themselves being dropped off at an isolated al-Qaeda training camp. There, Benchellali would come face-to-face with one of the group's leaders: a tall, bearded man he learned was Osama bin Laden.
Surrounded by desert in an unfamiliar land, Benchellali felt stuck. The camp's al-Qaeda leaders refused to grant him permission to leave - not until he had finished two months' worth of military training. It was the summer of 2001. By the time he left, the world would be a different place.
After September 11
The September 11 attacks had triggered a global "war on terror", and Afghanistan quickly became the subject of a massive bombing campaign. US forces also led a dragnet operation to arrest "terrorism" suspects on the ground - a campaign that allegedly offered bounties in exchange for prisoners.
In the tumult, Benchellali joined a group of men fleeing across the Pakistan border. When they stopped to have tea at a mosque, they ended up being locked inside and taken into custody.
A Department of Defense report - one of 779 files that WikiLeaks obtained and published - offers no specifics as to why Benchellali was transferred from there to Guantanamo, other than that he "poss
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(17%) and Sarah Palin (15%) now lead a smaller field of potential Republican presidential candidates in rank-and-file Republicans’ preferences for the party’s 2012 nominee. Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Herman Cain essentially tie for third, with Cain registering 8% support in his initial inclusion in Gallup “trial heat” polling. Notably, 22% of Republicans do not have a preference at this point. [emphasis added]
Yawn. This poll conducted May 20-24 with a random sample of 971 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents tells me nothing I want to know or need to know. I’m not necessarily picking on pollster Gallup; my objections apply to most of these almost weekly presidential preference polls. They mislead and misrepresent more than enlighten. In sum, they represent manufactured noise with little signal.
These “national” preference polls carry the assumption that a national electorate elects the president of the United States. That’s misleading. The vote in each state provides for electors to the Electoral College. That Mitt Romney “leads” a national preference poll means nothing because we’re not told how Mitt fares state by state. But one national poll costs far less than 50 individual state polls. And how many journalism entities are willing to spring for the latter? [One organization, Public Policy Polling, has done several match-up polls, Obama vs. GOP X, in several key states.)
And the “now lead” wording in Gallup’s press release? It’s horse-race language. The press doesn’t like to pay for polls that do not carry “news,” as misleading as such faux news might be.
Gallup’s language is not necessarily true. The margin of error in this poll is plus or minus four percentage points. Gallup even calls my pal Mitt the “clear front-runner”: Romney would be the clear front-runner, but arguably the weakest front-runner in any recent Republican nomination campaign. But he isn’t clearly ahead. In this poll, his support could be as low as 13 percent and that of fiscal conservative Ron Paul could be as high as 14 percent. Even Herman Cain (who’s he?) might be only a percentage point behind Mitt.
Gallup, to its credit (most national polls don’t do this) reported the rate of non-preference: Notably, 22% of Republicans do not have a preference at this point. Frankly, I find it notable that 78 percent of respondents do have a preference 17 months before the election. I wonder: Did Gallup attempt to quantify the depth of conviction with which respondents hold their preferences? Or did respondents throw out a name 1) based solely on “brand recognition” or 2) any name just to get the pollster off the damn phone?
There are sites aplenty that aggregate and proffer preference polls. Some generate a “poll of polls.” One such “average” of many polls is at nationalpolls.com (whose website and Facebook pages give no indication of who or what funds this site). Such a compilation of the mean of many polls is nonsense. Yet people (and journalists) might use this average of polls to argue political choice and/or public policy. It may also sway the number and size of campaign contributions, particularly of the corporate kind, available to candidates. Such an average is worthless. How does it account for each poll’s differing size of sample, question wording, margin of error, and date conducted? Sheesh.
Take the presidential preference polls or aggregates thereof presented by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other journalistic or quasi-journalistic entities with a heaping mound of grains of salt.It was a good year for a lot of NRL coaches. When we asked seven NRL.com writers who they rated as the best coach of the 2016 NRL season, we got five different answers: Ricky Stuart, Brad Arthur, Anthony Griffin, Craig Bellamy and Neil Henry.
NRL Roundtable: Who was the best recruit in 2016?
What makes a good year for an NRL coach? That's up for discussion in this week's NRL Roundtable.
Dominic Brock (Production Editor): Let's kick things off by talking about the best individual coaching decisions of the year. As an example, last season Wayne Bennett persisted with playing Anthony Milford in the halves for Brisbane despite a lot of critics early in the season calling for Milford to be moved to fullback where he had starred for Canberra. Bennett was proved right in the end, with Milford at five-eighth arguably the best player on the field in the 2015 NRL Grand Final. Which crucial coach decisions spring to mind from 2016?
Chris Kennedy (National Correspondent): The biggest and most obvious coaching overhaul was surely Anthony Griffin. If you'd told me in Round 1 that Penrith would be hosting an elimination final in September with Peter Wallace at hooker and Bryce Cartwright partnering Nathan Cleary in the halves I'd have called you mad. Given this also involved decisions to move on Jamie Soward and James Segeyaro – who I'd have called two of Penrith's most important players at the start of the year – the whole reshuffle has to be called a bold and gutsy success.
Andy Bryan (Deputy Editor): Agreed, I think Anthony Griffin moving Peter Wallace to hooker was a remarkable decision. Prior to the 2016 season, Wallace had played just four NRL games at hooker, three in 2007 and one for the Broncos in 2013. The rest of his 164 matches had been played at halfback, five-eighth or the bench. But wasn't the permanent move a masterstroke by Griffin. The pair had an uneasy past at the Broncos, but they certainly revitalised Wallace's career using the No.9 jersey, allowing rookie sensation Nathan Cleary to take the reins in the No.7 – a jersey he looks to have cemented for a long time.
Martin Gabor (National Correspondent): If you look back at Round 1, Will Smith was fullback, Soward and Wallace were in the halves and Segeyaro had the 9 on his back. Fast forward to week two of the finals and the Panthers had a completely different spine, but one which was a lot more effective. While the Wallace move was in my opinion the biggest of the year, the decision to thrust 18-year-old Nathan Cleary into the halves against none other than the Melbourne Storm was almost as big. It took just one game for him to take control of the side, and by season's end was a whisker away from being named Rookie of the Year.
AB: Unbelievable considering Segeyaro was a Dally M Hooker of the Year and considered one of their superstars. Who saw it coming?
CK: Another that's probably been a little overlooked but was controversial at the time was Shane Flanagan's decision to opt for Ben Barba at fullback over Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes. Plenty were clamouring for Holmes to be given a shot after Barba's struggles last year but Flanno found the best way to not only fit all three important players into the starting 13, but also to get something like the best footy out of each of them. Obviously winning a premiership at the end of it all is the ultimate vindication but Barba's resurgence alone meant this call was a success well before the halfway point of the year.
AB: That's a great call CK, I remember at the time people thought it was a dud decision. Barba certainly repaid the faith.
[2016] Telstra Premiership: Ben Barba Valentine Holmes
MG: Bird started the pre-season at fullback against the Wests Tigers, and while Barba was starved of opportunities in the second 40, Flanagan said after the game that he had seen enough from the 2012 Dally M winner to suggest he could handle a permanent move back to the No.1 jersey. Safe to say that it worked out pretty well in the end.
CK: I actually thought he made the right call at the time. Can I get some kind of prize?
DB: You get to tell everyone you were right, that's a prize in itself.
CK: Ah yes.
DB: We're all big Shaun Fensom fans in the NRL.com office. How about Ricky Stuart's decision to drop Fensom from Canberra's 17 altogether, and also bump Paul Vaughan down the pecking order? The Raiders had some very handy mid-season recruits but the Fensom axing was a surprise when it happened. Again, a call that paid off you have to say?
AB: I'm an unabashed Fensom fan. I was in the sheds when he led the Raiders under-20s side to the first NYC championship. Still think he has plenty to offer.
DB: Of course, and a lot of teams would take him in a second. But this Raiders side didn't really need a tackle machine of his calibre this season, it turns out.
MG: He was my first pick in NRL Fantasy Draft, so I wasn't pleased about it at the time, but it would be impossible to argue against it considering they got within a kick of making the grand final.
AB: But yes, you can't argue with their results.
CK: Everyone knows I'm a massive Fenno fan. Given they finished second and one win away from a GF appearance it's tough to be too critical. But part of me also wonders if having Fensom there instead of Luke Bateman would have stopped them achieving the same results. Nothing against Bateman mind you, just he's the guy who plays the same position.
MG: Vaughan is an interesting one because I can't remember him ever having a bad game. But similar to Fensom, who do you swap out to bring him in?
CK: Vaughan over Priest I guess. And similar to Fenno/Bateman – would having Vaughan there instead of Priest have stopped them winning the games they won?
DB: OK, one axing that did seem to have an effect on the way a team played is Jason Taylor's decision to drop Robbie Farah. It hardly came out of the blue, but it was a bold call considering the amount of pressure involved in dropping a club legend.
AB: Hard to know if it was the right call or not to be honest. We'll probably never really know, but there is no doubting it was ugly.
CK: This is a tough one to call. The fact no-one really gave them a chance of making the eight and yet they entered Round 26 needing a win to secure a finals berth. The fact they looked a bit nervous and got pumped by 50 may be an argument they could have benefited from Farah's experience in that game but who knows if they'd have been in that position given the way Mitch Moses flourished over the back end of the year in Farah's absence. But like you say, the ugly fallout and unwarranted attention suggests it all could have been handled better either way.
[2016] Telstra Premiership: Robbie Farah Mitchell Moses
MG: The one positive to come out of Farah's axing was Moses's rise to chief playmaker at the club. He took control of the Tigers in the second half of the season and was a worthy winner of their Player of the Year award. I'm excited to see how he goes next year with Jacob Liddle/Matt Ballin at dummy half.
AB: Perhaps this season alone isn't going to be a fair gauge. We'll know a lot more next season and the coming seasons. And not just on the field either. It will be interesting to see what it means for the Wests Tigers as a club in the next few years. History will tell the story of the whole saga, one feels.
DB: True. I both feel like it was the right decision for the Tigers, but that I wouldn't begrudge Farah keeping the NSW No.9 jersey next season. He's a quality player, just maybe not a fit with Jason Taylor's Tigers team for whatever reason.
CK: Is it worth covering off on any coaching calls that didn't quite come off? The short-lived experiment of Kurt Mann at fullback for the Dragons? The slightly longer-lived but also-failed experiment of Dylan Walker at five-eighth for Manly? The season-long confusion over who was best suited to start at hooker for Souths between Cam McInnes and Damien Cook?
MG: The Lolohea mystery?
CK: Ah, the Tui conundrum. I'm still mystified by all that.
DB: The less said about some of those decisions the better. There were some head-scratchers in there.
AB: There are a lot of examples. But it must be remembered, the Darren Lockyer move to five-eighth was also viewed as somewhat of an unmitigated disaster for a while...
DB: To be fair to the Warriors, I'm still not sure what position is Lolohea's best. He's definitely a first-team NRL player though.
CK: Far be it from me to tell an NRL coach how to do his job but if I had Tui Lolohea in my squad I don't think I'd play him off the bench and bring him on after... what was it, 82 minutes?
AB: He's an impact player after all...
DB: Maybe they were worried about his defence?
AB: What this conversation does show is just how tough a gig coaching in the NRL is.
CK: What about Brad Arthur? I don't think any coach had as much thrown at him this year. It may have been done out of necessity if not desperation but Clint Gutherson to 5/8 was certainly a winner.
MG: It seemed anyone he moved to 5/8 was a masterstroke. Takaraingi and Ken Edwards filled in admirably, but Gutho made it his own by the end of the year.
CK: True. Takas has played there before but Edwards made a solid fist of it during an injury crisis.
DB: Who needs Kieran Foran?
[2016] Telstra Premiership: Clinton Gutherson Brad Takairangi
CK: Even the improvement he got out of Corey Norman this year has to be a testament to Arthur's coaching ability.
MG: I think in general coaches made some great calls when it came to rookies in 2016. Bevan French, Nathan Cleary, the Saifiti brothers etc. Their experience in 2016 will be invaluable going forward.
DB: Definitely. It really was the year of the rookie – and of course a lot of credit has to go to the coaches who gave them a chance.
Before we finish up, let's throw forward to next season. Are there any big coaching decisions we're anticipating for 2017, assuming the playing squads stay roughly as they currently are?
AB: Manly have a lot to consider. We've seen what happened with Farah at the Wests Tigers. The Sea Eagles have just re-signed the Trbojevic brothers. How will Manly handle the transition with their club legends Brett Stewart and Steve Matai? They've been the mainstays in a team that has won multiple premierships and been successful for so long. The Stewart/Trbojevic fullback conundrum will be the big talking point to start the season on the Northern Beaches.
DB: Tom Trbojevic has to be very, very close to a permanent fullback role.
AB: It is a very delicate situation, both Brett and Tom have Manly in their blood. Tom can't play on the wing forever. It just highlights the difficulty of being a coach at this level. So much to consider.
MG: Cronulla's biggest headache will be who replaces Michael Ennis. They already have Manaia Cherrington and Jayden Brailey on the books, but they've also been linked with Damien Cook. I don't know what will happen there, but I'd love to see Brailey given a chance somewhere in their 17.
CK: Brailey could be like Te Maire and Cleary this year – not in the frame Round 1 but blooded through the year. The Knights also look to be fairly up in the air. The Roberts-Taylor-Elgey conundrum is a welcome headache for Neil Henry. Who partners Corey Norman in the Eels halves, and who plays fullback – and how does Josh Hoffman fit in? And who will be Mitch Pearce's halves partner at Roosters? (Watson, Matterson, other...)
MG: Don't forget Luke Keary.
AB: Bingo.
MG: Watson did more than enough to cement his spot in the 17 for next season, but given they splashed some coach to bring him over from Souths, I'd be shocked if Keary didn't start at 6 in Round 1.
AB: We haven't even begun to look at the Warriors and their new coach. There are massive expectations on that squad in New Zealand from both the organisation and the fans. Jim Doyle was very strong on that point just a few weeks ago, they expect more and demand it too.
CK: How do Souths use Farah? Is he an 80-minute man again or do they go with a bench utility? And is he allowed to play his natural game? Souths are very structured after all.
AB: There will obviously be big pressure on rivals Rabbitohs and Roosters to bounce back after horrible seasons.
My closing thought: Who'd be a coach? They all look so happy.
DB: It's certainly a tough gig. At least they can get some credit when their gambles pay off. Thanks for your time guys.Smoke rose from the cigarette in my mouth. It burned my eyes, transforming the setting sun before me from orange to a pale brown. I wasn’t a smoker, but the alcohol coursing through my veins drove me to stop and buy a pack. I stood in front of the 7-11, smoking and staring at the sun
The sun dropped below the horizon as I finished the cigarette. I lit another one, then started my motorcycle and headed home with the cigarette dangling from my lips. It bobbed in the wind, periodically releasing ash and sparks over my shoulder.
Elizabeth walked onto the porch as I pulled into the driveway. She watched me get off my bike, then said flatly, “You’re drunk.” I had not stumbled or said a word. I had only made eye contact with her and yet she knew. After fifteen years together, my wife could tell whether I had been drinking from subtle changes in my behavior that others never noticed.
I lied. “I had one beer.” Actually it was true if I ignored the bucket of liquor that accompanied that beer.
She frowned, seeing though my bullshit. “I thought you were gonna lay off?” When she realized I was not going to answer her question, she continued, “Are you coming in for dinner?”
My son Gage ran from the house on the stiff legs of a two-year-old and yelled, “Da!”
I lied again. “Not now. I want to mount that rear fender.”
“OK. It’ll be on the stove when you’re ready. Gage and I are gonna eat now.”
They went inside the house and I headed for my shop. Once inside, I grabbed the bottle of gin tucked among motorcycle parts on the shelf. I filled my mouth then sat on a stool with the bottle between my feet. I lit a new cigarette and stared at the motorcycle with no intention of working on it.
The smell of Loctite came to me. It was an odor intimately tied in my brain to working on machines. Combined with the fresh wave of alcohol from the gin, it was now relaxing me. I stared at the motorcycle on the lift before me, running my eyes over the curves of sheet metal which mirrored the wheels and engine. It was a lovely form that caused my thoughts to drift slowly. They floated here and there, eventually coming to my first motorcycle and how I had cajoled my Old Man into buying it for me.
I was born in Philadelphia, the city of “Brotherly Love.” The place never showed an abundance of that feeling when I was a kid in the 80s, but it did have plenty of racism, greed and drugs. When it came to race and ethnicity, each group lived with there own kind. The Irish hung with the Irish, the Blacks with the Blacks, the Jews with the Jews, and the Italians with the Italians. There was no mixing. Neighborhoods changed from one group to the next across a single street, and as a kid I had a map of these sociopolitical divides memorized since crossing them quickly changed my standing. Shenanigans passable in the Jewish areas were spotted and dealt with swiftly in the Black areas. Italian kids were tough as nails. And Irish kids were never to be fought because their parents procreated with authority, giving them countless siblings who would materialize from nowhere as backup the moment a punch was thrown.
Greed was another of the city’s great attributes. Politely branded “entrepreneurial spirit,” it was nothing more than Machiavellian aggression where roles were overstated, opponents and colleagues were fucked for gain, and money was king. Business was conducted with an iron fist and consequences were rarely considered. The behavior trickled from adults down to kids, influencing playground transactions. Toys would be bartered as if on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and when a kid had nothing more to offer he was pushed out and ignored like a leper.
Racism and greed never got to me. But it was the city’s third problem that did: booze and drugs. Alcohol came into my life the same way it did for most kids, from their parents’ bar. Ours was an inconspicuous block of laminated wood and fake leather that sat unnoticed by me for years until one day my friend Trevor and I were alone in my house. We had heard rumblings from other kids who had drunk alcohol that it made you feel giggly and light-headed. Curiosity got the better of us, and we began inspecting the bottles on the bar with intent. First was peach schnapps, which sounded too fruity even for a kid. Next came gin, which sounded too weird, though I had no clue it would my crutch for decades to come. Finally we found whisky. Trevor and I had been watching Western movies, the ones dubbed “Spaghetti Westerns” because they were filmed in Italy rather than the American Southwest, and we both knew whisky was the choice of all gunslingers. Trevor opened the bottle, sniffed, then recoiled. After my sniff, we agreed it was too potent to drink straight. We knew adults usually mixed alcohol with other non-alcoholic drinks and began debating what to mix our whisky with. After a bit we agreed – Milk! We grabbed two pint glasses, filled them more than half way with whisky then ran down to the kitchen and topped off the glasses with milk. Five minutes later we were riding our BMX bikes across town with our drinks in hand and no clear destination. We got drunk, fell off our bikes and spent the rest of the day doing all the dumb shit inebriated kids do. But most importantly, we never got caught.
The following years, my taste for alcohol grew. I would drink whatever I could get my hands on, though getting booze when you’re young is hard. I eventually took to hopping from one backyard in my neighborhood to the next to see what was in people’s garages. It was normal for people to keep a handful of beers in the house, then put the rest in a refrigerator in the garage. I would dress in dark clothes, paint my face black and carry cheap throwing stars bought in Chinatown like some deranged, beer-foraging ninja.
One night I came to a garage with a big roll-up door, wide enough for two cars. There was a door next to the rollup which at the time was unlocked. I went inside and found a refrigerator stocked with a fancy-looking beer that had a label which read “XX.” I unshouldered my empty duffle bag and filled it with all thirty or so beers. But before I left, I took the time to look over the tools on the guy’s workbench. Most of it was junk, except for a nice pair of bolt cutters. I threw them in the duffle and headed for the park to begin drinking.
A week later I returned to the garage. This time the door was locked, so I rolled up the garage door a foot or so and prodded it open with a stick then slid under on my back. Again I unloaded the refrigerator of beer then left, taking the time to lower the garage door and toss away the stick.
Though I did countless stupid things as a kid, I was smart enough to stay clear of the garage for almost a month. But when the desire for beer became too much, I went back. The door was again locked. When I tried the garage door, it did not move. On the framing was a new padlock, which gleamed softly in the moonlight. I stood in the moonlight cursing. But then a smile came to me and I ran home. A few minutes later I returned with the guy’s bolt cutters in hand. I squeezed the cutters with all my strength, using the framing of the garage door for leverage, until they slammed shut and the lock broke with a loud PING! I retreated to the bushes and watched the house for any signs of someone heading out to check on the noise. But no one came, and after I was sure the coast was clear, I rolled up the garage door and propped it open with the bolt cutters. I slid under the garage door and unloaded all the beer in the fridge into my duffle bag. I slid back under the door, and with no intention of returning I left the guy’s bolt cutters leaning on the garage door.
My love of alcohol soon spread into weed, then into anything I could get my hands on. I went to school drunk. I came home high. I did everything as far from sober as possible. It became my new steady state. But things soon began to turn to shit as my friends died. One was hit by a train while high on weed. Another got coked up and was run over by a car. The deaths shook me up enough to move away from drugs but not booze, and for the next year I continued drinking everything within grasp.
One day I came home from school, and my dad asked me to speak with him and my mother in the kitchen. “Your mother and I need to talk with you,” he said as I took a seat beside them. “I’ve been offered a promotion.”
My dad worked for an electrical connecter company as a middle manager, which meant he traveled, had meetings and expensed lunches. Beyond that I did not know or think much of his job, so I responded, “OK,” in the tone of an uncaring teenager.
“It’s in Harrisburg,” my father said. “Which means we’re moving.”
“No way!” I burst out. “All my friends are here. I’m not leaving.”
“Your mom and I have already made the decision.”
“I won’t go!”
“You will go.” My dad raised his voice and leaned towards me. He was six and a half feet tall and over 300 pounds, an ex-NFL lineman who intimidated me even though I would never have admitted it. “It’ll get you away from these so-called friends of yours and give you a fresh start.” My parents knew of my drug and alcohol problem, but were the type to avoid directly addressing them. Hearing him say this caught me off guard.
“Harrisburg is a very nice place,” my mom said in a softer tone. “You’ll love it.”
“Where’s Harrisburg?” I asked.
“It’s an hour west of here. It’s the state capital. It’s as nice as Philadelphia, just…a bit more rural.”
“The boonies?”
“No, just smaller and less congested,” she said.
“That sounds horrible. I don’t want to go.”
“That’s too bad because I already said we’re going,” my dad said in his end-of-the-conversation manner then got up and left without another word. My mother smiled and rubbed my hand then followed my dad out of the room. I was left to smolder in juvenile anger. How dare they make me leave all my friends and the place I knew. But no matter what scheme I envisioned pulling to make them stay, I knew there was no changing the outcome. So, like countless kids before me, I began to scheme how I could work the situation to my favor.
Later that night after my dad had cooled off, I strolled into the living room and sat next to him as he watched TV. Without making eye contact with him, I said, “If I go without making problems, can I get a motocross bike?” I had always wanted one even though there was nowhere in our neighborhood to ride it.
“I can do that,” he said still looking at the TV.
“OK.”
“OK.”
And with just those few words and never looking at one another, the move was settled. A week before Christmas we were gone.
Our new home was in the middle of the woods. Neighbors’ houses could be seen in the winter when the leaves had fallen, but come summer they were almost totally obscured from view. The first days of school were a culture shock hell. Upon discovering I was from Philly, the other kids took to calling me “city slicker.” I countered this with something like “dumb ass rednecks” or “inbred hillbillies.” A few punches were thrown, but many of these same kids eventually became my fiends. Adolescent boys work this way: first they taunt and humiliate, then they become inseparable.
The day came when I got the motorcycle my Old Man agreed to buy to shut me up. It was a Yamaha TT350, a used four-stroke dirt bike built for trail riding. I had searched the magazines dedicated to selling used trucks and bikes for weeks and finally found it near my house and for an amount my dad was willing to spend. Without our own truck or van to pick it up, the owner agreed to deliver it to our house. The day he came, my dad paid the man in cash then promptly walked back inside our house before the man was even out of our driveway. I had my motorcycle!
I stood in awe of the bike, drunk with the fact that I finally owned a motorcycle. Vibrations ran to the core to my limbs as I stared at the machine. And then reality struck: I had no clue how to ride the thing. I had never driven anything motorized before and had only vague clues of what to do, clues gathered mostly from television and watching adults drive. I mustered my courage to do the only thing I could – figure it out on my own.
I rolled the bike from the driveway into a swath of dirt surrounding our house. At the time there was no grass, just woodchips that the previous owner put down to keep the mud from getting everywhere. I straddled the bike and begin kick starting the engine. My first attempt resulted in a harsh recoil of the kicker arm, sending a shock wave into my knee. At the time, the workings of an internal combustion engine were a black box to me, and I had no clue what a compression stroke was. The kicker arms went all the way down the on my second attempt, but nothing happened because the choke was off. The third, nothing. The fourth, nothing. And for the next ten minutes I kicked and kicked until I was sweating and the engine was surely flooded with gasoline.
I sat on the front stoop of our house and looked at the bike, doubtful of whether I still liked the damn thing. But then I got up and pushed the kicker arm slowly until I began to find the “sweet spot” where the piston was just on the opposite side of the compression stroke and kicked. The engine came to life.
I gave it gas, then quickly released the clutch. The motorcycle stalled. Surely it needed more gas, so I started the bike again and after gassing the hell out of the engine quickly released the clutch. The motorcycle shot out of my hands and across the yard until it hit a tree and fell over. I ran over and picked up the bike. After starting it again, I gave it gas and quickly released the clutch. The motorcycle rooster-tailed woodchips and shot across the yard on its rear wheel with me chasing along behind holding the handle bars. I let off the gas and got back on the seat with a slight incline in front of me. I took a deep breath then gave it gas and quickly released the clutch. The front wheel shot up and the motorcycle flipped over, landing between my legs and crushing my nuts.
For an hour I practiced giving the motor just enough gas so that when I quickly released the clutch the bike would start moving with just enough control that I could stay on but not rocket off wildly. This persisted for two days until, while staring at the clutch lever and pondering my sore ribs, I had an epiphany: what if I let the clutch out slowly? I tried and the bike began moving slowly and controllably. I felt as if I had solved some great puzzle which for eons had plagued mankind.
For years that motorcycle held my attention enough to break my desire for booze. I learned how to work on the engine, how to weld parts broken by the abuses of off-road riding and, most importantly, how to logically think through problems. That bike led me to my next bike and to another after that. But over the years old desires had crept back in, slowly at first, then more aggressively. And in what felt like a blink of an eye, my hair was going grey, and I was still bound to booze.
“Hey. Are you coming in?” Elizabeth asked, poking her head into my shop.
“Yeah,” I said coming back to the present. The half-finished bottle of gin sat between my feet amid a detritus of cigarette butts.
“You’ve been out here for hours. It’s past midnight and you never ate dinner.” She looked sad.
“I promise I’ll stop this,” I said.
“If not for me, then Gage. He deserves to have his father around.”
I let that sentence sink in. For a brief moment I thought about telling her how much I really drank each week but could not come to do so. The thought of her thinking less of me was too much.
“Why do you drink so much anyway?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” I knew alcohol problems ran in my family, but my dad entirely ignored alcohol. The few times I asked him about it he was evasive, changing the subject without showing any readable emotion. Had he had a problem but just never spoke to me about it? His father had a wicked drinking problem. One morning he was on his roof repairing a hole when a travelling salesman walked up to the house to hock something. My grandfather, who was already drunk before noon, told the man to “get the hell of his property” without listening to his pitch. The salesman must not have moved fast enough because my grandfather got off the roof and chased him down the driveway with a roofing hammer.
“Well you better figure it out soon,” Elizabeth said.
“Why?” I asked her, thinking she would say she would leave me.
“Because before you know it Gage will be a man, realize you’re being a bum and kick your ass.”
I nodded, remembering the day I first overpowered my dad wrestling in the living room and how that moment changed the power structure between us, how he spoke differently to me, looked differently at me. “True,” I mumbled.
“Come on,” Elizabeth said coming over and gently pulling me up by my arm. “Let’s go to bed.”
“I’m tired.”
“I know,” she said leaning her head on my shoulder. “And tomorrow’s a new day.”
A few days later, I went for a run. It was the first time I had exercised in a long time and it was brutal. But getting in shape, I hoped, would keep me from laying into the bottle. I was running through town when I came to a four-way stop sign. A car full of young girls came to a stop in front of me on the cross street and waited for me to run through the intersection. As I passed in front of their car, I heard them giggle. I opened my stride and stood taller in hopes of looking like I was a seasoned runner, a man in good shape. As I cleared the intersection, their car accelerated and passed behind me. I could hear them speaking through the giggling but nothing was clear beyond one word that I caught just before they drove beyond earshot – “old.”It's not quite Firefox for the iPhone, but it's the next best thing.
In a blog post Wednesday, Mozilla detailed its plans for Firefox Home, an iPhone app based on Firefox Sync that gives users access to browsing history, bookmarks, and tap sets, from their desktop-based Firefox browser.
According to Mozilla, the free app is "encrypted end-to-end." Mozilla has yet to actually submit Firefox Home to Apple, so there's no telling whether the app will fall victim to the company's infamous vetting processes.
Apple has been particularly stringent about apps that "duplicate existing function," a complaint it has lodged against a number of browsers in the past, given the existence of the proprietary Safari for iPhone. (Opera, for the record, did manage to make it into the App Store, breaking some records in the process.)
Firefox Home feels like a workaround from Mozilla. It's not quite a full browser, but it's a way to keep iPhone owners in the Firefox camp. The new app will reportedly also work on the iPad, but isn't optimized for that platform.Former Cop Tries Cannabis as Last Resort to Treat Parkinson’s Disease
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As research and anecdotal evidence increasingly indicate cannabis has medical benefits, a new series of videos from a man suffering from Parkinson’s disease highlights just how vital the plant can be.
Larry Smith, a former police officer, began to suffer from the debilitating neurological disease twenty years ago. In 2011, filmmakers began documenting his experience for the upcoming film, Ride with Larry. The documentary and accompanying awareness campaign “seeks to enlighten audiences to the human cost of Parkinson’s disease while providing insights into the tangible benefits of an active lifestyle, particularly through recumbent cycling,” according to the film’s Facebook page.
More recently, Larry began to experiment with medical marijuana to treat his worsening symptoms. In a video uploaded to Ride with Larry’s Facebook page last week, he arrives in San Diego, California, to obtain a license.
“My symptoms are a great deal more obvious than ever before, and the pain is a little sharper,” Larry says with some difficulty speaking.
“Larry’s at the point where he’s having so much trouble walking, now he takes twenty pills a day,” his wife Elizabeth explains, noting that increasing the dose could increase the side effects.
While in San Diego, Larry and his wife visit a medical marijuana doctor to obtain a prescription.
“These are not the days of Reefer Madness,” Larry observes in the video, referencing a 1936 propaganda film meant to demonize cannabis use. “Yet I and millions of other people can’t have it without facing serious jail time.” Larry currently lives in South Dakota, which does not have a medical marijuana program.
In Part 2 of the series, Larry uses his prescription to purchase
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a rock through the window of a church or mosque for six to be dead by morning. I wanted to know ‘what made violence so easy?’ and ‘Why is it typically young people?’ These questions led me on a journey that resulted in the founding of World Faith.
WW: How is interbelief work important to World Faith’s mission to counter violence and end global poverty?
FF: World Faith is mobilizing a global movement of young people with diverse world views to tackle global poverty – and lower religious violence while doing so.
We believe there are two drivers of religious conflict; narratives of ‘other-ism,’ and the economic context that makes violence possible. To be clear, this isn’t engaging the issue of theology or doing ‘dialogue.’ Rather, we are addressing the sociological phenomenon of religious identity, and the inter-group dynamics that can either be religious violence at its worst, or interfaith collaboration at its best. With this in mind, we’ve had 4,000 volunteers volunteer over 150,000 hours of service, directly impacting the lives of over 200,000 people in 14 countries.
WW: Have humanists and atheists effectively participated in World Faith projects?
FF: We have had humanist, atheist, agnostic, and nonreligious participation on every level of the organization. Our current board includes Chris Stedman, the Executive Director of Yale Humanist Community, as well as other nonreligious members as well. We’ve had nonreligious leaders, staff, and volunteers, and inevitably had nonreligious and atheist beneficiaries, although we don’t have the data to prove that.
Also, from top to bottom, many times the presence of atheists, humanists, and the nonreligious is understated. That is because in many countries we work people have a legally established religious identity, based on their parents and the community they were raised in, and not on their own profession. Therefore, many go by their “official” religious status, and not the one that accurately describes their worldview.
WW: What specific obstacle(s) have you encountered in interbelief work? And do you have ideas about how to overcome it/them?
FF: While our work publicly is focused on countering the narratives of violence, and the message of those who perpetrate it, we rarely are interacting with those forces head on. Rather, our struggle is often dealing with inertia, apathy, and risk-aversion.
We have inertia from those working with older models of interfaith and interbelief work, who focus on religious leaders (read old men) from established religious institutions. Our whole model is focused on getting young people to take action rather than old people talking, so often times there’s no real interest to engage with our model.
We find apathy with some young people who care about the issues we’re addressing, but simply not enough to actually dig in and do the work. While there’s an exciting mass of young people who do work with us, I know that it’s easier to get a Retweet than a commitment for someone to come volunteer for an hour. Like with any movement, we see this simply as opportunities for people to step up and or step back based on their dedication, availability, and skills.
Lastly, sometimes we are pioneering new models in exciting places, which are under-researched, under-funded, and possibly even dangerous. As a result, we occasionally find funders to be risk-averse. We are a young organization working in scaling places on big problems. That sounds, and truthfully is, somewhat “risky.” However, the great counter to that is that we’re socially entrepreneurial, and have gotten significant support from social entrepreneurial organizations who seek out frontline innovators like us to develop and support.
I believe that these challenges do not define us, but by addressing them, they have helped us become a better organization. Admittedly, not all lessons are learnt as easily as the next.
WW: In what ways can atheists engage more effectively with faith communities?
FF: While I don’t believe the impetus is really on atheists to engage, I do believe that there are a few ways that they could become more involved in interbelief work.
Firstly, I’ve heard the claim from some that as a nonreligious person they have nothing in common with religious people. This is a pretty ridiculous claim, when it comes to experience, narratives, and especially values. I’ve met humanists who are dedicated to social justice, and their humanism is the inspiration for their justice work. I also know religious folks whose religious tradition informs their call to create a more just world. This shared value creates a huge opportunity for interbelief collaboration.
However, it will be crucial for people of faith to treat nonreligious people with equal dignity and respect. Insinuating that without God we’d all be murderous heathens is a clear infringement of that idea, but often times it’s more subversive, from innocent but misguided questions to simply using language that is not inclusive. There’s much work to be done on this front, but I don’t believe we can succeed in making a safer and more prosperous world without it.
Wendy is a graduate of Yale Divinity School, where she was a founding member of an atheist, agnostic, and multifaith community that continues to foster interbelief dialogues and initiatives. Currently she’s traveling the world with Pathfinders Project, which aims to create a permanent Humanist Service Corps. Wendy writes about religion, atheism, and interbelief primarily for her blog and State of Formation. When she is able, she plays tennis, takes photos, and enjoys offbeat museums.402 SHARES Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reddit
At GDC Europe 2015, Autodesk has announced that their new Stingray game engine will launch worldwide on August 19th. The engine will support the Oculus Rift VR headset out of the box.
Autodesk is the maker of industry standard computer visualization tools for architecture, engineering, CGI and more, including programs like Maya and 3ds Max, software well known to the entertainment and gaming industries for modeling and animating capabilities. While it would be common to see Autodesk programs used somewhere along the game-making pipeline, assets from the software would ultimately be exported for use in a game engine like Unity or Unreal Engine.
With Stingray, Autodesk wants to reclaim that end step and provide a system for creating and publishing games using assets from their software. The pitch to game developers is of course that Stingray will provide seamless interoperability with other Autodesk programs, with “one-click workflow and live link,” according to the company.
When Stingray launches, it will support the Oculus Rift DK2 out of the box. Details on are thin, but the company lists the DK2 as one of Stingray’s platforms that will support “Deployment and Testing,” which would suggest that developers will be able to view their projects through the headset during development and publish their game in a way that’s compatible with the headset.
Other supported platforms include iOS, Android, Windows 7 & 8, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The list notably excludes Mac OSX.
Autodesk says that Stingray features modern rendering features like physically-based shading, advanced particle effects, global illumination, and screen-space effects, along with integrated systems for lightning, animation, AI navigation, UI, audio, and physics.
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Stingray will be available through the Autodesk Subscription at $30/month and later become available to those with a Maya LT Desktop Subscription. Stingray joins other major game engines like Unity, Unreal Engine 4, and CryEngine, all which feature support for the Oculus Rift.(CNN) In his final Cabinet meeting of 2017, President Donald Trump touted the many historic accomplishments Donald Trump had ushered in during his first year in office. He then turned over the floor to Vice President Mike Pence to talk more about Donald Trump's greatness.
And Pence, on cue, was more than happy to oblige. Here are a few of the greatest hits:
"Congratulations and thank you. Thank you for seeing through the course of this year an agenda that truly is restoring this country.
"You've restored American credibility on the world stage. We're standing with our allies, we're standing up to our enemies."
"You signed more bills rolling back federal red tape than any president in American history. You've unleashed American energy. You've spurred an optimism in this country that's setting records."
"I'm deeply humbled as your vice president to be able to be here. Because of your leadership and because of the strong support of the leadership of the Congress, you're delivering on that middle class miracle."
"I want to thank you Mr President. I want to thank you for speaking on behalf of and fighting every day for the forgotten men and women of America."
This is nothing new from Pence. From the second Trump plucked him from relative obscurity to serve as the vice presidential nominee, Pence has lauded -- and defended -- Trump at every turn. Through impolitic comments. Through policy flip-flops. Through attacks on Trump's own Cabinet and GOP congressional leaders. Through it all, Pence has been perched over Trump's shoulder -- figuratively, but also many times literally -- telling him "You're right, boss. Good job. Keep doing it."
There's strategy here, of course. (Unlike the President, Pence has displayed a keen sense of strategic positioning -- and execution -- all the way back to his days as a member of the House.)
Read MoreUpdate:
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that QB Pat White is leaving Buffalo to workout with the Raiders on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mike Rodak reports that the Bills have signed QB Thaddeus Lewis to their active roster.
to their active roster. Jeff Russo of WKBW reports that the Bills are expected to sign QB Dennis Dixon to practice squad.
to practice squad. Ian Rapoport has confirmed that the Bills are signing Dixon to their practice squad.
Buffalo has announced that Lewis will start their Week 6 matchup against the Bengals.
Last night, Jason La Canfora sounded convinced that the Bills were signing White, but for whatever reason, he visit with the Raiders regarding this backup job.
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Jason La Canfora reports that the Bills are signing former Redskins QB Pat White.
This comes just minutes after the Bills lost out on bidding for Josh Freeman, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
With E.J. Manuel expected to be out for about six weeks, we’ll have to see if they if White is able to push undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel to the bench.
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Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports is “hearing” that free agent QB Pat White will work out for the Bills on Saturday.
Peter Schrager reports that the Bills are also bringing QB Dennis Dixon for a workout Saturday as well.
The Bills are expected to be without first-round pick E.J. Manuel for at least a month following the LCL sprain he suffered Thursday night. This leaves undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel as the team’s starter for now.
White has generated almost no interest on the open market since his release from the Redskins back in September. After a poor start to his career in Miami, White seemed to be a much more polished signal caller during a preseason stint with Washington.
There has been speculation that the Bills could be an option for Josh Freeman, but they do not have a workout scheduled with him as of now.It's a Monday evening in New York, and the after-work rush is on at gyms around the city. Mike Rocks, a 32-year-old account manager at a genetic lab, is stretching quickly before jumping into his twice-a-week kettlebell routine. But he's not at his usual gym. For several months now, Rocks has been coming to the Cliffs Climbing + Fitness, a sprawling complex in a former warehouse in Long Island City, in Queens, New York. With more than 30,000 square feet of sheer, angular walls dotted with thousands of chalk-covered holds, it's one of the largest climbing gyms in the country. The $4 million facility includes all the wall space a rock hound could want, plus a traditional exercise area that's stocked with free weights, cable and cardio machines, kettlebells, and even a gear store — just the sort of variety that Rocks was looking for.
"I do two days of climbing per week and two days in the fitness area," he says. "Before this I was a member of a New York sports club, and I became just another jock, pumping weights, getting strong for no functionality. Here everyone wants to be a better athlete, fitter, healthier."
All around the country, tens of thousands of gym rats are giving up their Spinning classes and CrossFit WODs in favor of the climbing wall. According to the industry publication Climbing Business Journal, 29 climbing gyms — facilities with huge artificial walls studded with grips for indoor climbing — opened shop in 2014, and 40 more are expected this year. Walltopia, one of the leading manufacturers of climbing walls, has reported a 300 percent increase in business in the last four years alone.
"Climbing gyms used to be these dark, dirty places where only climbers would go," says professional climber Chris Sharma, a co-owner of Sender One, a glossy new gym in Santa Ana, California. "Nowadays pretty much everyone you talk to has tried climbing or knows someone who has."
RELATED: The Climber's Workout for Beginners
A decade ago most climbing gyms attempted to re-create the look and feel of real rock. In the process, they constructed dusty, drab vaults that catered to hard-core rock hounds — and almost no one else. But that aesthetic has been turned on its head, and climbing gyms now attract urban professionals tired of the same old circuit-training class. Today's gyms are bigger, have more space and natural light, and are outfitted with multistory climbing walls painted with bright, eye-catching colors like orange, yellow, and green.
"It's never going to be real rock," says Sharma. "Accepting indoor climbing as something totally different has given gyms the freedom to finally create something that's inspiring."
Besides building airy spaces in neon colors, climbing gyms have added a full complement of yoga classes, functional-circuit boot camps, and kettlebell classes. In-house coffee bars and saunas are not uncommon, and some gyms also have creative work spaces and lounges. They host kids' birthday parties, after-school programs, and even late-night parties with DJs.
"It's the workout without the work," says Mike Wolfert, who opened the Cliffs in 2014. "You don't feel like you have to go to the gym. You actually want to go."
"Community is the secret to why climbing is so cool," says Lance Pinn, a co-owner of the Brooklyn Boulders (BKB) franchise, which added locations in Somerville, Massachusetts, and Chicago in the last two years. "Once people experience that, they get it. We're trying to become that third place people talk about — you know, other than work and home."
ALSO: 6 Pieces of Gear Every Rock Climber Needs
All that new participation translates into an influx of money for the sport, and many mainstream brands have taken notice. Adidas Outdoor USA, a spin-off of the athletic-apparel brand, recently bought Five Ten, one of the most beloved brands in climbing, and now sponsors a team of 22 climbers that includes Kevin Jorgeson, who made worldwide headlines in January with his record-breaking ascent, with Tommy Caldwell, of Yosemite's Dawn Wall.
"There are about a thousand climbing gyms out there, and we think that will double in the next few years," says Greg Thomsen, managing director of Adidas Outdoor, which supplies a hundred of those gyms with employee clothing and artwork. "More important, they're arriving in areas where kids have only ever had access to sports like basketball."
How many of those new gymgoers will transition to climbing outdoors is hard to say. But plenty of elite climbers got their start in gyms, among them Jorgeson and Sharma. "Even though it's about being outside for me," says Sharma, "I feel connected to the climbing-gym world because that was my introduction to the sport. I'm the product of a climbing gym."
And when climbers do transition to the outdoors, it doesn't mean they stop coming to the gym. To train for the Dawn Wall, Jorgeson spent a huge amount of time indoors, and Caldwell even built a climbing wall in his backyard to problem-solve a particular move.
"Climbers in the past were more adventurers — they didn't work out, per se, other than climbing," says Thomsen. "But the new generation, they know they can't attain the level of performance they need without spending time in the gym."
"You're seeing more professional climbers doing focused indoor training to accomplish outdoor goals," says Jorgeson.
Thanks in part to the Dawn Wall ascent, climbing has suddenly hit the mainstream, in consciousness if not participation. And the boom, if it comes, will most certainly be felt in the gym first, not the outdoors.
"A lot of people were made aware of the sport because of that climb," Jorgeson explains. "But if you don't have a place to experience it, then it's just a headline and you're going to forget about it next week."
Of course, having an entire generation of climbers trained in the gym presents its own issues. "There are people starting in climbing gyms who don't know how to act when they go outdoors," says Sharma, who is opening a state-of-the-art gym in Barcelona, Spain, in July. But more climbers ultimately means a more sustainable future for the sport.
"I feel good about more people coming into climbing," says Sharma. "Our sport has been so small for so long, so it's great to see that people are psyched on it. I know what a positive thing that was in my life, and I would love for more people to have something similar."The Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks could be working out a deal ahead of the expansion draft in June.
TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli reports the Blackhawks could allow the Golden Knights to select Trevor van Riemsdyk in the expansion draft, on the condition Vegas also takes forward Marcus Kruger in a trade.
#Hawks would allow VGK to take D Trevor van Riemsdyk in draft, on consideration that @GoldenKnights also take Marcus Kruger in trade. #TSN — Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 31, 2017
Seravalli, who added the situation could be flipped, with the Golden Knights taking Kruger in the draft and trading for van Riemsdyk, said the deal is not 100% done yet but is looking likely.
The Blackhawks are motivated to make the move because should the salary cap remain flat for next season, they would be $4 million over. Kruger is scheduled to make a little over $3 million per year the next two seasons.
The Blackhawks, should they choose the seven forwards, three defence and one goaltender option, will be forced to expose van Riemsdyk as Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson all own no-move movement clauses. The Blackhawks could choose the eight skaters and one defence option, but that would require them to expose Kruger in order to protect van Riemsdyk as four forwards (Artem Anisimov, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane) also own no-move clauses.
Kruger, 26, scored five goals and added 12 assists in 70 games with the Blackhawks this season. He added one assist in four playoff games. Earlier this month, Kruger won a gold medal with Sweden at the world hockey championship. He had three assists in 10 games at the tournament.
van Riemsdyk, the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk, is scheduled to make $825 thousand next season before becoming a restricted free agent. The 25-year-old appeared in 58 games this season, scoring five goals and adding 11 assists. He played in all four playoff games as the Blackhawks were swept by the Nashville Predators, but failed to record a point.
Last June, the Blackhawks traded Bryan Bickell to the Carolina Hurricanes to free up cap space, but had to give up Teuvo Teravainen in the process. The Blackhawks received a second and a third-round draft pick back in the deal.KAIST
It won't be the cheetahs that kill us after all, but, apparently, the robotic dinosaurs. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's (KAIST) MSC Lab have designed a sprinting robot -- but, unlike Boston Dynamics' Cheetah, which is modelled on the fastest mammal alive, it takes its inspiration from the Cretaceous -- more specifically, the Velociraptor.
And it's fast. Running on its two legs, the Raptor -- as it has been named (ironically dropping off the part of its name that means "fast") -- has been clocked in at 46kph (28.5mPH) on a treadmill. That's faster than Usain Bolt, the fastest known human, whose recorded top speed is 44.72 kph (27.44 mph), and nearly as fast as Cheetah, which was clocked at 47kph (29.3mph) in September 2012.
The two robots are very different. Cheetah is bulky and solid, where Raptor is lightweight and minimal. Instead of solid feet, it has two flexible carbon-fibre prosthetic blades on lightweight legs that have just one motor apiece. A tendon -- similar to the idea employed in Festo's robotic kangaroo -- allows the legs to reclaim some of the energy they expend.
KAIST
It also has a tail, of sorts, to provide balance. Although it doesn't look like a Velociraptor's tail, it works in a similar manner: a pole fixed to the side of the robot swings as it runs, providing a counterweight to keep it from falling forwards or backwards.
Before you scoff that Cheetah is still faster than the Raptor, when Boston Dynamics released its first set of speed tests for the robot in March 2012, it was coming in at 30kph (18mph) -- just a few months before its Bolt-breaking speed.
Both robots need to be attached to a rail to keep from falling over, so we're not quite at the point where we need to be concerned about being chased by a roboraptor. Once the training wheels come off, though -- well, who's up for robot races instead?Here's a treat, a dispatch from that vast realm of potentially cool projects that simply never actually ended up being movies. This particular would-be movie is Neuromancer, an adaptation of William Gibson's seminal 1984 cyberpunk novel that would've been directed by Joseph Kahn, the acclaimed music video director who made his feature debut with 2004's tongue in cheek actioner Torque. The treat today is a selection of storyboards by Dan Fraga, giving a beat for beat idea of an action sequence that would've taken place in Istanbul, had this version of the story come to fruition. Fraga's work is crazy detailed, and the action here looks ambitiously audacious.
Kahn was one of several directors to attempt a cinematic take on Gibson's novel, which has been so hugely influential on science fiction and action since its debut that one of the biggest challenges in bringing it to the screen now would be to keep it from feeling derivative of all the properties that owe it a huge debt. Kahn followed fellow music video helmer Chris Cunningham and was proceeded by Vincenzo Natalie, who hopes to get production on his version underway in 2012.
Anyways, these storyboards debuted on Fraga's blog, but we were pointed to them by Kahn's funny and informative Twitter (@JosephKahn). Take a look at the elaborate cybernetic eye implants on action vixen Molly, which could be indicative of Kahn's unusual visual approach to the technology in the story. As far as I recall, this action bit was not in the book, but in the backseat you can see what I'm guessing are the hacker protagonist Case (short haired gent) and sadistic weirdo Peter Riviera, along with one of Riviera's signature holographic creations.
So there you have it. Vincenzo Natali's Neuromancer might manage to get made with independent financing, though at this point it's hard to believe Gibson's stylized story will ever actually grace movie screens. Either way, we won't be seeing a Joseph Kahn-directed Neuromancer.BP Plc reported on Tuesday a profit of US$720 million for the second quarter, down from US$1.3 billion for the second quarter of 2015, citing lower oil and gas prices, and significantly lower refining margins.
The US$720-million underlying replacement cost profit, BP’s definition of net profit, is US$120 million below an analyst consensus provided by the company and lower than the US$819-million estimate of 13 analysts polled by Bloomberg.
The Brent price was US$46 on average in the second quarter this year, up from US$34 in the first quarter, but still well below the US$62 average in the second quarter of 2015. Despite the fact that refining margins improved from the first quarter, they were at their weakest for a second quarter since 2010, BP noted.
The downstream business booked an underlying pre-tax replacement cost profit of US$1.5 billion, down from US$1.9 billion in the second quarter last year, as significantly weaker refining margins more than offset the benefits of lower costs and stronger fuels marketing performance, BP said.
For the first half of 2016, the group’s underlying replacement cost profit fell to US$1.252 billion from US$3.89 billion, chiefly due to lower oil and gas realizations on the upstream result. Organic capital expenditure came in at US$7.9 billion, BP said, expecting full-year 2016 capex to be below US$17 billion. Upon announcing the first-quarter results in April, BP said it expected this year’s capex at around US$17 billion.
Related: ‘’The Worst Is Behind Us’’ Schlumberger CEO Sees Reason For Optimism
In the second quarter, BP booked a US$5.2 billion pre-tax charge for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which brings the total pre-tax charge for the 2010 rig explosion to US$61.6 billion. The latest charge includes all material liabilities BP has estimated regarding the incident.
“We are very pleased to have finally drawn a line under the material liabilities for Deepwater Horizon,” CEO Bob Dudley said.
Looking ahead, Dudley said the group expected the environment to continue to be challenging. BP, however, has a pipeline of new projects expected to add 500,000 boepd of new production capacity by the end of 2017, the chief executive noted.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The Somali region has a rich heritage of archaeological sites and seems to have enjoyed a deep longevity in settlement and use. We are here focusing on the archaeology from the Neolithic period, the last 5000–6000 years up to the twentieth century. Even so, we have only made a selection of the sites known to us from this period. Although there is some overlap with my own surveys at various times and I also visited many of the sites through governmental missions, the main surveyor of the Department of Archaeology, Mohamed Abdi Ali, reported a large part of the sites presented here; some he had found while visiting these areas and others our other regional surveyors and custodians such as Abdirahman Kahin, Ahmed Nuur Saalah and Jaamac S. Hassan passed on to him.
1 1 2 3 4 No. ID Name Rock Art Megalithic Ruined towns Deco. stelae cem. Anct. Christ. bur. Inscriptions Cluster 001 1 Dhagah Nabi Galey x x x x 002 2 Dhagah Maroodi x 003 3 Hor Joog x 004 4 Ceel canood x 005 5 Xabaalo Tumaaloood x? 006 6 Sheikh x 007 7 Dhaymoole x x x 008 8 Seeto (in Burao) x 009 9 Shimiris x 010 10 Old Jidhi x 011 11 Caynaba (Aynaba) x 012 12 Aw-Barkhadle x x x 013 13 Fardowsa Sheikh x 014 14 Nagaagir Megalithic site x x 015 15 Dhagah Shabellah x 016 16 Dacawaale x x 017 17 Dhaymoole and Laaso Da'awo x x x x 018 18 Dhagahda Seefaha leh x x x 019 19 British burials in Sheikh 020 20 Briish burials in Berbera 021 21 Jilib Rihin 022 22 Gidheys x x x x 023 23 Galo Caddo x 024 24 Aroori Laanta Gadal Baxday x 025 25 Dhagaha Fooda Cad x 026 26 Laas Geel x x x 027 27 Dhubato x x x x 028 28 Aw-Bare x 029 29 Faaraxoodka x 030 30 Ancient Amud x 031 31 Dhagah Kure x x 032 32 Gabiiley x 033 33 Lafaha Maadh-yaal x x 034 34 Ruined wall of Dhagah kure x 035 35 Ceeg weyne x x 036 36 Ximan area x 037 37 Sabeeno Furte and Albaabale x 038 38 Haadh x 039 39 Shalcaw x x 040 40 Heis x x x 041 41 Maydh x x 042 42 Godmo Biyo Cas x 043 43 Midhishiyo shelter 044 44 Darayley and Bagan x x x 045 45 Maduuna Ceel Afweyn x 046 46 God Caanood x 047 47 God Hardhane x 048 48 Dhagahyo Gobaad x 049 49 Dhagah habeedaleh x 050 50 Sabo Cad x x x 051 51 Jifo-micidheer x 052 52 Siir x x 053 53 Qubuuraale x 054 54 Qalcadda x 055 55 Isku-dar x 056 56 Riyo-xidho x 057 57 Kal Bare x 058 58 Raari buul x 059 59 Gugux x 060 60 Sheikh loobogay x 061 61 Suuqsade (Xarago tir) x x x 062 62 Dhuxun of Xagal x x 063 63 Hayeeti oodan x 064 64 Qar-Gebi Haqayo Malaas x x x? 065 65 Boorama x 066 66 Madigaan tomb x 067 67 Geel ku Qoran x 068 68 Haylan x 069 69 Sheikh Darood tomb x 070 70 Laas Qoray x 071 71 Qumbucul x 072 72 Oodweyne x 073 73 Bon x 074 74 Qacableh x x 075 75 Sheikh Harti tomb x 076 76 Salwayn x 077 77 Qoorgaab x 078 78 Taleeh x x 079 79 Dhambalin x x x 080 80 Zaylac x x 081 81 Cad Cad x 082 82 Sheikh Dameero Boobe x 083 83 Buulo Haar x 084 84 Karin Hagane x 085 85 Goroyo Cawl x x 086 86 Abaadara in Haro Sheikh x 087 87 Balihiile, Cadaw Yuurura x 088 88 Beer 1 & 2 x 089 89 Dhoobowayn cave x 090 90 Garab Cad x 091 91 Dhagah Guduud of Ceel Saaf x 092 92 Gola-Fardood in Waraabeeye x 093 93 Gelimaysi of Huluul x 094 94 Bali Abokor x 095 95 Badhi Gelis x 096 96 Dara-yar, near Garadag x 097 97 Taalooyin near Beer x 098 98 Derbiga x 099 99 Mura Arab x 100 100 Taalo dheer x 101 101 Abbasa x 102 102 Qubuuraaleh x 103 103 Maduuna/Xareed x 104 104 Kaladhac x 105 106 Mohamed Ali x 106 107 Naaso Hablood x x 107 108 Badhka x x 108 109 Mohammed Mooge x x Open image in new window Open image in new window Open image in new window Format: JPEG
Resolution, 600 dpi
Made by Mads Skytte Jørgensen
Base map credits: Content may not reflect National Geographic's current map policy. Sources: National Geographic, Esri, DeLorme, HERE, UNEP-WCMC, USGS, NASA, ESA, METI, NRCAN, GEBCO, NOAA, increment P Corp.
Rivers: http://www.diva-gis.org/ This article includes a table (Table) and four maps, the latter of which are referenced throughout by numbers within parentheses, after place-names. Mapincludes all sites mentioned in the table; Maprepresents all megalithic sites and decorated stelae cemeteries; Maprepresents rock art sites and Himyarite and Sabaean inscription sites; and Maprepresents Christian burials, pre-Islamic and Islamic ruined towns. The credit information for the maps is as follows:
Rock Art and the Archaeology of Pastoralism, Ancient Writing and Symbolism of Time (ca. 3000 BCE–1500 CE) When Arnoldi (1984) discussed the artistic heritage of the Somali, only verbal heritage and objects were reported. However, now this should also include rock art and cave paintings, which mainly came to light in the last few decades (Brandt and Carder 1987; Gutherz et al. 2003; Mire 2008). We have over 70 sites reported to us but we now present about 30 sites in this map. The studies of rock art in this region are still in their infancy; however, the pre-civil war efforts include the work of Clark (1954), Lewis (1958) and Brandt and Carder (1987). Beyond these, not much was known until the 2000s, through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s work in Somaliland. The rock art sites are represented in Map 3. The sites of Laas Geel (26), Dhagah Kure (31), Karin Hagane (84), Dhagah Nabi Gallay (1), Haadh (38), Jilib Rihin (21) and Dhambalin (79) depict paintings that are generally of the same style as that of the bovine rock-art sites of northeast Africa and Proto-historic, Ethio-Sabaean style (Červiček 1971, 1979). Also the petroglyph site of Dhagah Maroodi (2) is unique, since most of this type of bovine rock-art sites are painted rather than engraved. Most of the rock-art sites are on the plateau and concentrated in the natural shelters of the mountain chains, a roughly east–west belt in the middle of Somaliland. Hunt (1951) and Pallister (1963) have outlined the topography of this region. However, it will suffice to say that painted or engraved rocks are mostly of granite and limestone, but also sandstone like at Dhambalin (Mire 2008). God Hardhane, a limestone cave with pecked images, is a type of rock art found in Sanaag mostly. The unpublished site of Sabeeno Furte (37) (see Fig. 1) is also in a limestone mountain chain near Eerigaabo, in the Sanaag region. The paintings are on the side of a cliff, where the stone has been cut and smoothed, and the animal images are pecked. A considerable effort has gone into creating this art, as it is about 4–5 m above the bottom, where there is a spring and an underground lake below the rock. The depictions include pecked mounted horses and male figures standing alone, camels alone as well as carrying loads, caravan style. The depiction style is similar to that of the God Hardhane cave (47) (Lewis 1958), located near Ceel Afweyn, also in Sanaag region. The rock art sites of Somaliland show that between the third and second millennium BCE, herding humpless cows (Gutherz et al. 2003), sheep and goats (Mire 2008), as well as hunting antelopes, giraffes and other wild animals, was the basis for the subsistence economy. These sites inform us about the earliest pastoralists in the Horn of Africa and food-producing societies from ca. 5000 years ago. The depictions of various wildlife and hunting scenes also suggest a mixed economy and much greener environment than the region offers today. The composition of the paintings suggests symbolism related to beliefs and practices (Mire 2008). The colours are rich mono- and polychromes, including shades of orange, yellow, white, violet, green, red, brown, blue, and pink. Colours have mostly been sourced from local stones, some scattered at the sites. Furthermore, we also have a cross-cultural superimposition at the rock art sites of Dhambalin and Dhagah Kure. Dhambalin is the first and only site in Somali territory that depicts sheep and goats unambiguously. This site also contains a number of hunting and herding scenes that seem ritualistic, in terms of decoration of the animals and the hunting human (male) figures with dogs, and surrounded by animals including antelopes and giraffes. Animal or ‘tribal’ marks are also prevalent at most sites. Other animals include dogs or Canidae which accompany the human figures. In the case of Dacawale (16) in Dhaymoole where my maternal family lives, we have what appear to be lunar calendars, depicting a 28-day calendar, and crescents and full moons as well as geometric and other intricate designs and animal depictions. There is not much scope here for detail but at Dhambalin, sheep, goats and bovines are decorated and some of the decorations are similar to those at
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out of the Canadian Hockey League, and thus can not be sent to the AHL until next season. He either makes the Canadiens, or returns to the WHL, where he was recently traded to the Everett Silvertips.
What the Habs can do though, is give him a nine game tryout and then send him to Everett, without using up a year of his entry level contract. Once a rookie hits the ten game mark in the NHL, his contract counts for the season, and does not slide to the next year.
I think Scherbak is good enough, and could benefit enough, that keeping him around for nine games would make a lot of sense.
Scherbak is certain to dominate the WHL once again this season, and has a World Junior Tournament, in Montreal no less, to look forward to this year as well. Throwing in nine NHL games would add to an already pressure packed season for the young winger, but would also have him much more prepared for next season.
The idea is not for him to make the Canadiens roster full time this season, but for him to be ready to take a serious run at a top six roster spot a year from now. The best way for him to be ready to take that huge jump next season, would be to give him a small taste of the NHL life this October.
Scherbak has exceptional talent, and looks to be a steal of a pick so late in last year’s first round. He may not be ready to display that talent with the Montreal Canadiens this season, but giving him a brief regular season look this year could lead to him exploding out of the games in October, 2015.I love making journals……here are a few I’ve made recently:
A simple stamped journal:
I used an inexpensive sketchbook journal from Michael’s and used foam stamps with white ink:
Stamp and allow to dry!
Some Chalkboard-style journals……you don’t want to use chalk on them…..but Chalk Ink works amazing!
I started with regular old composition books. Note: not all composition books are equal! make sure you buy the ones with the sturdy cover.
I applied chalkboard paint….this color is from Martha Stewart’s line:
The black journal was spraypainted. When the journals are dry I let them cure for about 24 hours and then use Chalk Ink markers to sketch designs and quotes on them:
To remove the Chalk Ink just use a wet wipe….and if it leaves a “ghost image” just swipe it lightly with a Magic Eraser:
How about a custom photo cover or scanned artwork? This would be great for Christmas…..maybe add some kid’s artwork:
I scanned in some artwork and printed it onto T-Shirt Transfer paper first:
I painted the cover of a composition book with Gesso primer first (Gesso is slightly absorbent and helps to absorb the transfer paper):
I ironed the transfer onto my cover:
Instant custom cover!
If you mess up the transfer at all just use some sandpaper to scuff the whole cover up to make it look distressed on purpose:
Materials used:
Chalk Ink Markers
Composition Notebook
Martha Stewart Green Chalkboard Paint
Martha Stewart Gray Chalkboard Paint
Krylon Chalkboard Spray Paint
Acrylic Gesso
Super Soft InkJet Transfer Paper
Make sure to check out the DIY Journal Kit downloads! Click the image below:It’s hard to have to choose the looniest of the Democrats but after her latest bravado performance it would be even harder to argue that it’s not Maxine Waters.
The befuddled and babbling old granny appears to have been hit hard by the double whammy of Trump Derangement Syndrome and old age dementia. Mad Maxine who belongs in a nursing home instead of Congress is fixated on two things: Russia and impeachment.
Despite not being able to tell the difference between Korea and Ukraine she sure as hell knows that Vladimir Putin himself colluded with President Trump to cheat Hillary out of her rightful spot upon the Oval Office throne.
Clearly impressed with the outright lunacy of Monday’s disgusting anti-Trump tribunal gussied up as a House investigation into Russian election meddling the crazy old bat took to Twitter to declare:
Get ready for impeachment. — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 21, 2017
Via the Washington Examiner “Maxine Waters tells Trump to ‘get ready for impeachment’”:
California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters said that she’s ready to impeach President Trump on his 61st day in office. “Get ready for impeachment,” Waters tweeted. It’s unknown if Waters was referring to a specific reason to impeach Trump or was just making a general statement. The tweet comes a day after FBI Director James Comey revealed the bureau is looking into any possible contacts between Trump’s campaign and the Russian influence campaign on the presidential campaign. The intelligence community has reported in the past The Kremlin worked against Hillary Clinton’s election and developed a preference for Trump.
And if you think that’s crazy, it’s probably the least batshit thing on her Twitter account and while this author is not a trained mental health professional it would seem that she has an unnatural obsession and is badly in need of help. She has even invented the hashtag #KREMLINKLAN which is generously peppered throughout her ravings.
Read my full statement on today's House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian active measures during the 2016 election. pic.twitter.com/V4cpvFmkS3 — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 21, 2017
My takeaways: Donald Trump is a liar & the FBI Director still has no credibility. He needs to also explain HIS interference in the election. — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 21, 2017
"Rep. Maxine Waters talks potential Trump impeachment" https://t.co/Yuu8MCrHch — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 18, 2017
"Trump supporters are in for a rude awakening…" Catch the rest of the interview today on @cheddar at 3:00 pm (ET) today. #CheddarLIVE pic.twitter.com/l6RH2RiVE5 — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 17, 2017
Trump's sideshow stunts & accusations will not distract from the questions surrounding his #kremlinklan. https://t.co/U4Vh93XvVr — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 13, 2017
Outrageous #KREMLINKLAN —–>Trump adviser admits to contact with DNC hacker https://t.co/tWiHDXdBq0 — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 11, 2017
The only thing imploding fast is the Trump Administration. Follow the money. Keep the focus on Trump's #kremlinklan and ties to Russia. pic.twitter.com/PgdetqnYbV — Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 7, 2017
And that is only a tiny sampling of the ramblings of a clearly disturbed woman.
The longer that this charade drags on one can’t help but get the idea that perhaps this is less about the Russians interfering in the election or their alleged association with Trump than about score settling for Benghazi and the impeachment of Bill Clinton.Jackie & the Crystal – an action adventure game originally inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time.
Preface:
Jackie & the Crystal is my passion project – so please don’t get too invested if anything below sounds too interesting or exciting. Currently, PixelSpice Games consists of me, myself, and I – Sammy B. Like many indie developers, I work on my projects when I can. That means fitting dev time in after work, around family, social events, etc. If you want to understand a bit more about me and some personal details about why I’m passionate about the game, keep reading the preface, otherwise skip down to the “Premise” section below.
My background:
I’ll keep the about me brief – I’m a hobbyist Unity developer (since 2012) with professional non-gaming coding experience (since 2010). I have experience in both game jams and my day job with managing and delivering projects, and feel the scope of this game is attainable – it just might take awhile. Unity provides me something different from my day job – it gives me a creative outlet. I’d love to be able to paint wonderful artistic canvases, but that’s not something that’s in me. I am not an artist, and as such I’m currently using a hodgepodge of third party art. While I’m attempting to represent the overall planned art direction – the current art is all placeholder. Actually, anything in this posting about the game could change, so take it with a grain of salt.
Why I’m Making this game:
The Legend of Zelda, the Ocarina of Time (OoT) absolutely blew me away when it came out. Not that surprising – it’s still one of the most well reviewed games ever made. The game really inspired me, and one of my best friends at the time, to be creative. He and I would talk at length about our game “Jaqiro’s Quest”. At it’s core it started out as an OoT clone. It grew and morphed as the years (and games) went by. It was something we bonded over throughout our friendship. Until I left for college and, as is all too common, we grew apart. Late last year, almost a decade later, I learned he recently took his own life.
I’ve always wanted to make the game we talked about – and even though it took awhile I now have the knowledge and tools needed to do just that. I’m making this game not just as a passion for myself, but in his memory as well.
Premise:
Jackie & the Crystal doesn’t place you as the central character in a grand story. Instead, players find themselves in control of Jackie – a street rat and a thief. While the story does include some common fantasy tropes, you play as a side character in the overall story. In the course of the story the player obtains an artifact from the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy) and discovers that she can use the crystal to control time. Using the crystal Jackie can change her choices and alter the world as she knows it. (Sounds a lot like Ocarina of Time, right? I know – bear with me for a bit. Despite the similarities in premise, the crystal actually has very little in common with the Ocarina of Time.)
Gameplay:
Like most third person action/adventure games (and Zelda:OoT), the game play will involve light puzzles, progression primarily through gear/item unlocks, small scale combat, and boss fights. Additionally, the crystal allows the character to travel back and forth between segments of the game through time. The resulting storyline is less of a line, and more of a web with choices leading down multiple chains of events. While it’s not final, based on the original concept you can “beat the game” without ever finding or using the crystal.
Progress:
I’ve been developing Jackie & the Crystal since January 2017. As of the end of July the majority of the player and it’s general world interactions are complete. Additionally, a good amount of work has gone into setting up UI and backend systems to support the flow of the game (ie: quests, scene transitions, camera work, all that “general game stuff” nobody thinks about). Probably the most fun things I’ve worked on so far have been dynamic wall climbing and the grappling hook – inspired by the hookshot.
Thanks for reading
If you managed to actually read all of this, thank you. No really, this project means a lot to me, and it’s nice to think that others will find what I’m working towards interesting. I plan to do Devlogs and updates on this site when I have time, but following me (and bugging me) on Reddit and Twitter is probably better as I’ll try to be active on both those platforms. I hope you enjoyed my first devlog ever – I’ll try to improve on brevity in the future.Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Sunday criticized the House Republicans’ plan to phase out ObamaCare’s expansion of Medicaid.
“I'm in Munich, but I understand that there was an initial effort by House Republicans to, for example, phase out Medicaid expansion, which means phasing out coverage,” Kasich said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “That is a very, very bad idea, because we cannot turn our back on the most vulnerable. We can give them the coverage, reform the program, save some money and make sure that we live in a country where people are going to say, ‘At least somebody is looking out for me.’”
An outline of an ObamaCare replacement plan put forward by House Republicans on Thursday called for phasing out the Medicaid expansion by lowering the federal share of the cost back down to its traditional level, meaning that states would have to pour more of their own money into the program if they wanted to keep the expansion, a tall order.
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Kasich’s comments illustrate how thorny the issue of Medicaid expansion is for congressional Republicans as they look to repeal ObamaCare. Conservatives are pushing to scrap the expansion, along with the rest of the law, but Republican governors from states that accepted the expansion, like Kasich, are wary of their constituents losing coverage and their states losing the extra federal funding.
Other Republican governors from states that expanded the program, such as Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, have previously defended Medicaid expansion.
ObamaCare expanded eligibility for the program up to 138 percent of the poverty line in the 31 states that accepted the expansion. Medicaid expansion has covered about 11 million new people.
How to handle Medicaid expansion is of particular focus in the Senate, where many Republican senators represent states that expanded the program. Those senators have been discussing how to handle the issue under repeal.
Republican lawmakers say they will consult with governors when they come to Washington for a conference next weekend.Insects are among the most important consumers of plants in terrestrial ecosystems, and plants have evolved an array of traits that allow them to detect and respond to damage from feeding insects (Karban and Baldwin 1997). Changes in plants that increase resistance to subsequent herbivory can occur locally at the site of damage, or systemically at sites distant from the attack (Karban and Myers 1989). Localized feeding causes induction of chemical defenses in undamaged tissues by several proposed mechanisms, including signaling molecules that move within the plant (Pearce et al. 2008), airborne transport of leaf volatiles (Frost et al. 2007, 2008; Heil and Silva Bueno 2007a), and electrical signals (Mousavi et al. 2013; Fromm and Lautner 2007; Van Bel et al. 2011). Vibrational signals are likely to complement other signals that plants receive from herbivory; however, none of these mechanisms has been shown to transmit signals to all plant parts as rapidly as mechanical vibrations (10–100 m/s; Cocroft and Rodriguez 2005). We have found that plants can take advantage of this rapid and overlooked source of information about herbivory to produce a systemic response, via perception of the mechanical vibrations produced by feeding.
Glucosinolate and anthocyanin responses were both elicited by exposure to chewing vibrations, but at least in anthocyanins there was no direct effect; instead, anthocyanins were primed, with the increase in defenses revealed only as a response to herbivory. Was the induction of defenses large enough to have an ecological effect? For the noctuid caterpillar Spodoptera exigua feeding on A. thaliana, there is a strong negative correlation (r = −0.719) between induced glucosinolates and caterpillar growth rate (Mewis et al. 2005, Fig. 8F). We estimate from that relationship that the increase in total GS induction caused by exposure to chewing vibrations would decrease S. exigua growth rate by approximately 15–20 % (estimated from the levels of aliphatic + indolyl GS in the playback and same-age leaves, compared between control and chewing treatments). We lack similar information for the relationship between anthocyanins and S. exigua growth, so we cannot estimate the impact of increased anthocyanins on herbivores. Anthocyanins and other polyphenols have biological activity in many insects, but the effect varies, as with all putative chemical defenses, with the specific plant and herbivore combination (see Appel 1993 and Lattanzio et al. 2006 for reviews). For both kinds of chemistry, more precise estimates of their impact on fitness will require measuring vibration effects on induced defenses and insect growth, and examining other traits influencing plant fitness, such as oviposition choice.
Priming is “preparing for another battle” (Frost et al. 2008), a form of defense that prepares a plant to respond more quickly or more strongly to future herbivory. Under what circumstances might chewing vibrations predict a future herbivore attack? The most important role of herbivore vibrations is likely to be within individual plants, with vibrations propagating out from the fed-upon leaf, complementing other signal pathways to cause a systemic response. However, ‘eavesdropping’ between plants may be possible, as with the green leaf volatiles that function in within-plant signaling but can be perceived by neighboring plants (Karban et al. 2006; Heil and Silva Bueno 2007a, b). Vibrations can travel from plant to plant through connecting roots or stems (Cokl and Virant-Doberlet 2003), and even through the air between leaves that are within a few centimeters (Eriksson et al. 2011). Under those conditions, the vibrations generated by a chewing caterpillar could alert nearby plants to the presence of an herbivore. The observed relationship between vibration amplitude and induced glucosinolates suggests that the effect of herbivore vibrations will be largest near the source. However, although the amplitude of plant-borne vibrations decreases with distance, the decrease is not monotonic (Cokl and Virant-Doberlet 2003), and the same level of vibrational energy will cause more motion in smaller-diameter structures. Accordingly, understanding the within-plant and between-plant spread of vibration-induced defenses will require more precise mapping of the transmission of vibrational energy, and assessing the effectiveness of chewing vibrations in eliciting defense when their amplitude and other characteristics have been altered with distance. Furthermore, although A. thaliana responded differently to chewing vibrations, leafhopper song, and wind when each was presented alone, we do not yet know how the presence of multiple vibration sources influences signal detection. For example, does wind interfere with plant perception of herbivore vibrations, such that vibration-based herbivore detection functions best when wind speeds are low? Clearly, research on the sensory ecology of plants in a natural vibrational environment is needed to reveal the role of vibrations in plant defense in the field.
For a vibration-based herbivore detection system to function in nature, plants must distinguish the vibrations that signal herbivore feeding from the many environmental vibrations that do not. The priming of defenses in A. thaliana plants is indeed selective: anthocyanins were primed by caterpillar chewing vibrations, but not by wind vibrations or leafhopper song. How such selectivity is achieved is an open question in plant sensing. Acoustically signaling animals, such as frogs and insects, distinguish among signals on a multivariate basis, rather than a univariate one (Gerhardt and Huber 2002). The selective responses of the A. thaliana plants in this study may also have depended on a combination of signal features. For example, chewing and wind-induced vibrations differ greatly in their frequency content: chewing vibrations contain both low and high frequencies, whereas wind vibrations are dominated by low frequencies (Fig. 4b; Cocroft and Rodriguez 2005). Rootlets of Z. mays seedlings grow more strongly toward waterborne tones in a particular frequency range (Gagliano et al. 2012a). Likewise, it would be possible for A. thaliana leaves to selectively prime their defenses to chewing by responding only to vibrations containing higher frequencies. However, although frequency range may be sufficient for A. thaliana to distinguish chewing from wind-induced vibrations, a frequency-based mechanism is unlikely to account for the plants’ lack of response to leafhopper song, whose amplitude spectrum is broadly overlapping with that of chewing (Fig. 4b). Chewing vibrations and leafhopper song do differ strikingly, however, in their temporal pattern: chewing vibrations consist of repeated, short bursts of energy, while the leafhopper song was relatively constant in amplitude (Fig. 4a). The selectivity of A. thaliana may thus rely on both frequency content and gross-temporal features. Reliance on multiple signal components would likely increase the reliability of vibration-based herbivore detection, because vibrational signals are subject to frequency filtering and degradation of temporal features as they propagate along plant stems (Fig. 1; Virant-Doberlet and Cokl 2004).
The mechanisms used by plants to detect and respond to mechanical vibration have received a burst of recent experimental attention (Chehab et al. 2009; Monshausen and Gilroy 2009; Niklas 2009; Coutand 2010; Li and Gong 2011; Gagliano et al. 2012a, b; Veley and Haswell 2012; Haswell and Monshausen 2013; Gagliano and Renton 2013). Mechanoreception is thought to start by triggering of mechanosensors in the cell wall and/or plasma membrane, similar to those known from bacteria but unconfirmed in plants (Haswell and Monshausen 2013). The mechanosensors cause fluxes of Ca2+, ROS, and H−, which trigger downstream responses that involve many plant hormones, and rapid expression of genes that respond early to many plant stresses (Lee et al. 2005; Walley et al. 2007; Kagaya and Hattori 2009). Several of these hormones, especially jasmonates and ethylene and their respective biosynthetic pathways, have important roles in plant responses to herbivory (Moreno et al. 2009; Leon-Reyes et al. 2010). As a result, jasmonate and ethylene signaling pathways are a likely proximate mechanism by which plant-borne mechanical vibrations that mimic insect feeding influence early plant defense responses. Additional information about the specific vibrational cues used by A. thaliana may also inform the search for mechanisms; for example, the relationship between vibration amplitude and the glucosinolate response was stronger when amplitude was expressed on a decibel scale, suggesting a parallel between plant perception and animal perception (Varshney and Sun 2013) of mechanical stimuli.
The ability of plants to increase their defenses in response to micrometer-scale vibrations lends support to recent hypotheses that plants can detect and respond to low-amplitude vibrations produced by neighboring plants (Gagliano et al. 2012a, b, Gagliano and Renton 2013). Plant responses to acoustic cues were suggested by studies showing that seedling germination (Gagliano et al. 2012a) and growth (Gagliano et al. 2012b) are influenced by the presence of nearby plants, even when visual and chemical cues were excluded (Gagliano and Renton 2013). The above-ground and below-ground portions of plants will experience contrasting vibrational environments, with soil damping much of the vibrational energy originating in leaves and stems (Hill 2008). However, below-ground herbivory can be extensive (van Dam 2009), and the vibrations generated by root herbivores are also a potential set of cues for inducible defenses in roots.
The vibrations produced by chewing herbivores likely interact with other cues to elicit systemic defenses. The current study suggests two hypotheses, not mutually exclusive, for why playback of chewing vibrations caused systemic priming of glucosinolates and anthycyanins. First, because vibrations propagate throughout the plant, the transmitted vibrations could have caused priming in the systemic leaves, as they did in the playback leaf. Alternatively, the vibrations in the playback leaf could have triggered systemic signaling from that leaf in the form of airborne volatiles, phloem-borne signals, or electrical signals. If chewing vibrations do cause the release of airborne volatiles, it is possible that vibrational and volatile signaling could have a synergistic effect as they do in social insects (Hölldobler 1999), where both function to communicate alarm within a colony and each can modulate the threshold of response to the other. Future research will be designed to understand how mechanical vibrations interact with other forms of within-plant information transfer to generate systemic responses to herbivory.After finishing a study contending that solar activity is increasing global warming, scientist Willie Soon of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reported his news to a utility company that was a major funder of his work.
"I have a big super-duper paper soon to be accepted on how the sun affects the climate system," Soon wrote in a 2009 email to Robert Gehri, a research specialist with Southern Company Services, a mega utility company in the southeastern U.S. that generates power largely from coal.
Soon, one of few skeptics in the climate science community, described the paper that was published in the journal Physical Geography as "fairly significant scientifically in that this is the first successful formulation of a sun-climate connection." He was writing a follow-up note to Gehri, whose company has provided more than $400,000 from 2006 through 2015 to fund Soon's research—and part of his salary.
The emails and related documents were obtained by Greenpeace through Freedom of Information Act requests. They were made public today by Greenpeace and the Climate Investigations Center, an environmental watchdog organization based in Virginia.
The communications show that Soon called his peer-reviewed research papers "deliverables" in return for funding from fossil fuel companies. In addition, the documents reveal that Soon and Harvard-Smithsonian gave the coal utility company the right to review his scientific papers and make suggestions before they were published. Soon and Harvard-Smithsonian also pledged not to disclose Southern's role as a funder without permission.
Although the emails don't show a response from Gehri, an industry executive with a long track record of working behind the scenes to downplay the significance of global warming, they do show Soon sharing a collegial familiarity with industry executives, media skeptics and organizations dedicated to undermining prevailing climate science.
The theory advanced by Soon that the sun is a contributor to recent climate change has been widely discredited by scientists worldwide as well as by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's leading international body on climate science. Nevertheless, the theory has stoked long-simmering public confusion about the sun's role in global warming that continues to this day.
For decades, the industry has latched on to controversial findings like those advanced by Soon and a small group of contrarian scientists to create the impression that researchers are divided about the cause of climate change. It has pumped millions of dollars into research projects to cast doubt on mainstream climate science showing that the primary driver of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels.
The trove of documents released today offers one of the starkest glimpses yet into the workings of this strategy of peddling scientific doubt. Scientists, academics and policymakers say the strategy has helped the industry in delaying or thwarting decisive steps toward curbing global warming.
"The industry has had a longstanding, rather broad-based campaign to create doubt about the science," said Michael MacCracken, a former program director for the U.S. Department of Energy's Carbon Dioxide Research Program. He is now the chief scientist for climate change programs with the Climate Institute, an independent climate research organization in Washington, D.C.
The campaign "has paralyzed implementation of what could have been a reasonable ramping up of control efforts over the last few decades, putting the nation and the world now into a situation where much more aggressive action to limit emissions is needed," MacCracken said.
One of the first worldwide calls to address global warming resulted in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that mandated greenhouse gas reductions.
In response, the American Petroleum Institute (API) coordinated a plan to spend millions of dollars to convince the public that the climate accord was based on shaky science. The institute pulled together a Global Climate Science Communications team to enlist scientists who shared the industry's views. The action plan developed by the team said "victory will be achieved when those promoting the Kyoto treaty on the basis of extant science appear to be out of touch with reality."
Among the 12 people listed as members of the team was Robert Gehri, the Southern Co. executive who was Soon's corporate contact on the 2009 sun study. Others included representatives from Exxon and Chevron and organizations critical of global-warming science.
Today the industry persists in its campaign to muddy the picture of climate change. ExxonMobil, API and the Charles Koch Foundation for years were among the largest funders of research and lobbying intended to cast doubt on the science documenting global warming.
Soon, who is not paid a salary by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center but relies on grants for his wages, has tapped that largess. In addition to the research grants from Southern Co. totaling $409,754 between 2006 and 2015, Soon collected nearly $800,000 in funding from ExxonMobil, API and the Charles Koch Foundation between 2003 and 2012, according to years of public records obtained by Kert Davies, executive director of the Climate Investigations Center.
Soon declined numerous requests for an interview and when reached by phone Thursday after business hours said it was "rude" to be contacted at home.
The 49-year-old scientist earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in science and his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California. Soon has been affiliated with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics since 1991. (The group is not officially associated with Harvard University, though it is located on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Mass.)
Soon and his co-authors have published dozens of papers in top scientific journals worldwide, sometimes without disclosing the source of funding for those projects, a practice that raises ethical questions and often violates the conflict-of-interest policies of the publications.
The reports cover a wide range of climate-denial perspectives. Many of the studies postulate that changes in solar activity are responsible for global temperature trends, such as the 2009 paper that Soon boasted about to Southern Co. The studies all question the extent, severity, cause and existence of man-made climate change.
Questions regarding Soon's credibility and impartiality have circulated for years and have been grist for environmental organizations critical of his research findings and his ethics.
Controversy erupted early this year with the publication of a paper co-authored by Soon in Science Bulletin, a scientific journal cosponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
In the paper, Soon and three other climate skeptics attempt to discredit the UN panel on global warming, the IPCC. Soon and his co-researchers contend the IPCC used flawed techniques to calculate changes in global temperature that exaggerated the threat of global warming by as much as 50 percent. The paper has been roundly criticized by climate scientists and academics.
Each of the writers said at the end of the piece that they had no conflicts of interest. But Davies of the Climate Investigations Center challenged that assertion because of the FOIA paper trail showing Soon has long accepted industry money.
The newly released documents show that the dust-up over the Chinese journal echoed a practice Soon engaged in with a variety of less obscure journals that published his work.
Although Soon has at times disclosed the support he received from Exxon, API and the Koch Foundation, the documents show he failed to disclose his special relationship with Southern.
"As further consideration to SCS [Southern Company Services], Smithsonian shall provide SCS an advance written copy of proposed publications regarding the deliverables for comment and input, if any, from SCS," according to a funding agreement signed by Smithsonian's William J. Ford, contract and grant specialist; and Bryan Baldwin, Southern's manager of environmental assessment.
Christine Pulliam, a spokeswoman for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said Soon expressed his own opinion. She defended the center's funding agreements and its scrutiny of the research performed.
"The Smithsonian stands by the process by which the research results of all of its scholars are peer reviewed and vetted by other scientists," Pulliam said. "This is the way the scientific process works. The funding entities, regardless of their affiliation, have no influence on the research."
Southern Co. did not make an official available to explain its association with Soon. Company spokeswoman Jeannice Hall issued a brief statement that the company "funds a broad range of research on a number of topics that have potentially significant public policy implications for our business."
Agreements such as those between Soon and Southern raised troubling issues, according to Juscelino Colares, a professor of law and associate director of the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland.
"It all goes to the matter of credibility," said Colares, who teaches courses on international environmental law. "Why are they hiding something? Why are they giving non-science the weight of science? This is manipulation that gives the funder the last word."
Davies said the close relationship with industry that the Soon documents reveal raises doubts about the impartiality that is supposed to come with scientific research.
"It shows that he is not just being funded to do science but to impact the public policy arena," Davies said.
As part of a final report to Southern in 2011 outlining the papers and presentations he produced for a $60,000 grant, Soon explained the policy relevance of the research he delivered: "The hypothesized dangerous consequences of rising atmospheric CO2 are too speculative for responsible regulatory policy."
In announcing the completion of his 2009 sun-climate paper to Koch foundation executives, who had contributed $65,000 to fund the study, Soon said his findings were consistent with the hypothesis that the sun causes climatic change in the Arctic.
"It...raises serious questions about the wisdom of imposing cap-and-trade or other policies that would cripple energy production and economic activity, in the name of preventing catastrophic climate change," Soon told the executives in a 2009 email.
One study Soon published—funded by Southern and the Koch foundation—has stirred the debate about the fate of polar bears in the face of climate change and the loss of sea ice. In the study, Soon dismissed the idea that polar bears in the Canadian Arctic were at risk from the impacts of climate change—and questioned whether the region was even warming at all.
Davies said Soon's polar bear research goes to the heart of how the industry employs research like Soon's to deflect attention from the true cause of global warming.
"Climate change isn't something you can go out and see like a polluted river," he said. "But with the polar bears, all of a sudden you could see the results of climate change."
They were starving as their hunting grounds melted away, and people were beginning to connect all of this to the consequences of fossil fuel and atmospheric carbon, Davies said.
"So the companies are happy having Willie Soon out there," he said "These companies are paying him to go out in the world to cast doubt."
InsideClimate News reporters Lisa Song and Sabrina Shankman contributed to this report.The absolute highlight of my trip to BotCon this year, it was amazing to hear Kojin Ono talk about the process that lead up to the designs of some of the most iconic figures in the Transformers toy line. He was kind enough to share quite a few previously unseen early concept designs from the line, and it was incredible to see how much some of these figures changed from "concept" to "execution". Top that with the announcement that Takara-Tomy is bringing back Diaclone as a modern toy line, and this little nerd was on cloud nine.
I took the liberty of recording the audio, and snapping as many pictures as I could, for those of you who were unable to attend.
Audio
http://www.plastiquefreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/audio_2.mp3
Diaclone Commercials
Picture GalleryWell it was Sunday bloody Sunday
When they shot the people there
The cries of thirteen martyrs
Filled the Free Derry air
Is there any one amongst you
Dare to blame it on the kids?
Not a soldier boy was bleeding
When they nailed the coffin lids! "Sunday Bloody Sunday" written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the aftermath of the massacre by British troops of civil rights protesters in Derry, Ireland during 1972 In my opinion, John Lennon should be recognised as the greatest Irish singer ever: his California-based biographer Jon Wiener after all said that Lennon "thought of himself as Irish." The Irish roots of the two main members of the Beatles, Lennon and Paul McCartney, has not yet been fully acknowledged, despite the fact that Lennon, like McCartney, also had two Irish Grandparents. Incredible then, considering how well known the Irish roots of the world's most popular duo of songwriters - they are for some strange reason, not listed for example in The Guinness Book of Irish Facts and Feats by Ciarán Deane (Guinness Publishing, Enfield, Middlesex, 1984). The Beatles came from Merseyside - an area around the city of Liverpool which has the largest Irish population in England, mainly as a result of the exodus of people from Ireland during the Great Famine in the 1840's. Early in their career, the Beatles had played in Ireland three times: in Dublin and Belfast in 1963, and once again in Belfast in 1964. It was after the split of the Beatles in 1970, that both Lennon & McCartney began releasing songs about the Irish question - all of which were all banned by the BCC: McCartney wrote Give Ireland Back to Irish which became a hit single in 1972, and Lennon wrote Sunday Bloody Sunday, and The Luck of The Irish, both of which were on the album Some Time In New York City that was also released in 1972. On one hand The Guinness Book of Irish Facts and Feats informs you, for example, that the Socialist anthem, The Red Flag was written by Jim Connell from Co. Meath in Ireland (d. 1929), and under the heading "Top-selling contemporary Irish and Irish-related popular music artists" it lists only U2, Van Morrison and Bob Geldof. Under the heading "The London Irish", it lists John Lydon from the Sex Pistols (whose father is a Gaelic speaker from Co. Galway), Boy George, Elvis Costello and The Pogues - but nowhere is either Lennon & McCartney, or the Beatles mentioned - but then again neither is another world famous Irish singer - Mary O'Brien - commonly known as Dusty Springfield. Lennon - like another famous son of Ireland, Che Guevara
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that is also a living laboratory in support of the educational and research missions of the university.[76] The Gardens are located off Cougar Lake Road, near the Cougar Lake Recreation Area and the Cougar Village apartments.
The Southwest Illinois Advanced Manufacturing Center (SIAM) was launched in 2005, performing applied and basic research for product/process development and improvement.[77] The center was funded by the U. S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration. The Hoffman Center on the N.O. Nelson Campus of Lewis and Clark Community College in Edwardsville provided over 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m2) of space for SIAM.[78] The center was closed in 2012.
Alton Campus [ edit ]
SIUE's campus in Alton, Illinois, 17 miles (27 km) from the main campus, the site of SIU's Alton residential center from 1957 to 1965, now houses the School of Dental Medicine and its offices, classrooms, labs, clinics, and ancillary services.[79]
The Alton campus is also home to the Alton Museum of History and Art, located inside Loomis Hall.[80]
East St. Louis Center [ edit ]
Offering comprehensive programs, services and training to more than 6,000 people annually, the SIUE East St. Louis Center (ESLC) is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals in East St. Louis and surrounding urban communities.
SIUE's East St. Louis Center, located in East St. Louis, Illinois, 22 miles (35 km) from the main campus, opened in 2003. The current location is the Center's fifth in the city since 1957, but it is the first site specifically designed and built for this purpose. The Center provides educational programs, community outreach health services, and cultural events to an economically deprived area of the Metro East. It also provides clinical and practicum experiences relating to urban community needs for various University baccalaureate, professional, and master's programs and for Urban studies research.[81]
The ESLC operates in conjunction with the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School to prepare students for career and college programs.[82] The ESLC includes a Head Start Program providing services to children up to age five, pregnant women, and families; a Latchkey Program to provide local families with after-school care for children ages six to 12;[83] and the SIUE East St. Louis Center Performing Arts Program, established in 1967 (formerly known as the Katherine Dunham Center for the Performing Arts and originally as the Performing Arts Training Center [PATC]) to provide cultural and performing arts classes and workshops.[83] The Center also houses the Community Nursing Services office of the SIUE School of Nursing,[84] the East St. Louis Dental Clinic of the SIUE School of Dental Medicine,[85] an eye care clinic, and the East St. Louis Community College Center.[81]
Springfield Campus [ edit ]
SIUE also maintains an off-site location in Springfield, Illinois, for graduate nursing students as part of the SIUE School of Nursing.[86] Classes at the Springfield Campus are delivered via live televideo conferencing as well as traditional lectures.[86] The location is near the SIU School of Medicine and works with the School of Medicine to help students engage in interdisciplinary activities.[86]
Academics [ edit ]
The university is classified as a Master's college and university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.[87] Total enrollment in fall 2015 was 14,265, the largest overall enrollment in the university's history. The new freshman class of 2015 of 2,096, representing the second largest group of new freshmen in SIUE's history. The average ACT Score for SIUE's fall 2015 freshman class was 23.2; the national average freshman ACT score is 20.9.[88] There are more than 91,000 living alumni. The student body in the fall of 2013 came from all 102 Illinois counties, 38 states, and 43 foreign nations. The international student population exceeds 300. The top five countries represented on campus are India, Turkey, Iran, China, and Nigeria.[89]
SIUE offers 65 baccalaureate degrees, 8 Post-Baccalaureate certificate, 49 master's degrees, 12 Post-Master's or Specialist certificates, and doctoral degrees in Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Educational Leadership, and Nursing Practice.[90] The university also offer three cooperative Doctor of Philosophy degrees in education, engineering, and history in conjunction with SIUC.[91] Additionally, the Office of Educational Outreach provides and coordinates continuing education programs offered by several academic departments.[92]
SIUE confers degrees from its eight colleges and schools:[91]
The Engineering Building as seen at night.
In fiscal year 2014, SIUE faculty and staff received 185 grants and contracts for research, teaching, and service initiatives worth more than $34 million—which ranked eighth among more than 680 comparable public and private universities in the country. The grants awarded were from agencies that included the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.[93]
Accreditation [ edit ]
SIUE has had full accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1969.[94]
The SIUE School of Business and its Department of Accounting are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).[95] All of the SIUE School of Education programs are fully accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education as well as by the Illinois State Board of Education,[96][97] and its Early Childhood Education Program is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.[97] In the SIUE School of Engineering, the Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accrediting Commission of the American Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); the Computer Science Program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET;[98] and the Construction Management program is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE).[99] The SIUE School of Nursing is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for a period of ten years;[100] additionally, the Certified Nurse Anesthesia Program is fully accredited for a ten-year period by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs.[101] The SIU School of Dental Medicine is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA),[102] and the Endodontic Residency and Periodontics Residency programs offered in cooperation with St. Louis University are also accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the ADA.[103] In the spring of 2009, the SIUE School of Pharmacy, the University's newest school, received full accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).[104]
Departments within the SIUE College of Arts Sciences university are accredited or certified by: the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications,[105] the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,[106] the Council on Social Work Education,[107] the National Association of Schools of Music,[108] the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration,[109] and the National Association of Schools of Theatre,[110] as appropriate. In addition, the American Art Therapy Association[111] and the American Chemical Society[112] have formally reviewed and approved SIUE's programs as meeting their standards.
Rankings [ edit ]
U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2019 edition dropped SIUE 25 places from 2014 so that SIUE became tied for number 72 in the "Best Regional Universities-Midwest" category.[117] Back in the 2014 edition, U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges had placed SIUE at number 47, and at that time placed it among the top 10 public universities, both in the "Best Regional Universities-Midwest" category. Plus, back then in 2014, SIUE was tied with Butler University at #3 of the "Up-and-Coming Schools (Midwest)".[118]
Washington Monthly, a national political magazine, in its "2018 College Guide and Rankings" ranked SIUE at number 99 among private and public colleges and universities in the nation that are classified as "Masters Universities" with the rankings based on contributions to the public good.[119] Previously, in 2014, Washington Monthly had ranked SIUE 40th in its "Masters Universities" category, the 2018 ranking dropping SIUE 59 places.[120]
The National Council for Home Safety and Security's 2018 listing of the Safest College Campuses in the U.S. placed SIUE 11th among schools with an enrollment over 10,000; this placed the school No. 1 in Illinois and ranked ahead of all institutions in Missouri.[121] The online news magazine The Daily Beast ranks SIUE 21st in the nation among its 2010 Top 50 Safest Colleges: University Primetime News ranked it as the ninth safest. These ratings led to feature stories on SIUE's safety. SIUE police officers are academy trained and engaged in a Community Policing program.[122][123][124]
SIUE students' commitment to community service through volunteer efforts earned them a spot on the 2009 & 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an honor given to only six US colleges and universities each year.[125]
SIUE's School of Business was ranked as a "Best 310 Business School" in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review.[126] In The Princeton Review's 2012 rankings, SIUE's business school was ranked in the top 294.[127] In 2006, SIUE's Department of Psychology won a national award from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and in 2014, the same department won a departmental service award from the American Psychological Association.[128]
Athletics [ edit ]
SIUE Athletics wordmark
Cougar Mascots
SIUE once housed two live cougar mascots. From 1968 to 1985, the female cougar, Chimega (an Apache word for cougar), was the official mascot. On March 18, 1985, Chimaga died of old age. In July 1982, Kyna became the second official mascot of SIUE. After only five years at SIUE, Kyna was sent to a wildlife preserve in Southern Illinois near Metropolis. SIUE no longer houses live mascots.[129]
The SIUE athletic teams are nicknamed the Cougars. SIUE is a member of the NCAA at the Division I level.[130] The university is a member in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and most teams compete in the OVC.[130] However, the university also fields certain sports that the OVC does not sponsor competition in; SIUE is an associate member of the Missouri Valley Conference for men's soccer and an associate member of the Southern Conference for wrestling.[131][132] Until 2008, SIUE competed in the NCAA's Division II as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The university has won 17 NCAA National Championships, 16 of which, occurred while the university was a member of Division II.[133]
The school mascot was Cory the Cougar until 2010, when the school decided to get a new mascot, "Eddie the Cougar"—the new name being a direct reference to Edwardsville.[134] The number 57 on Eddie's jersey is in honor of the university's founding in 1957.[135]
Student life [ edit ]
Student body [ edit ]
SIUE's students come to Edwardsville from throughout the United States and around the world. Slightly less than 88% of the student body is from Illinois, with more than 43% of in-state students from Madison and St. Clair counties.[89] Out-of-state students represent 10.8% of SIUE enrollment and are from 43 of the 50 US states, with the majority being from Missouri.[89] In addition, 3.1% of SIUE's students are native to 51 other nations.[89]
Student clubs and activities [ edit ]
Numerous extracurricular activities are available to students, including nearly 260 student organizations, Greek organizations, and sports clubs.
Many of the student activities are overseen by the staff of the Kimmel Leadership Center[136] which also offers students the opportunities to engage in community volunteer programs.[137] Among these programs, students can take part in the Student Leadership Development Program, which consists of 60 hours of volunteer service and attending a structured reflection session. Half of the volunteer hours must be completed in the community. Participants can receive credit toward a leadership transcript by documenting service hours and by providing an account of skills obtained and duties performed.[138]
The Department of Campus Recreation sponsors a wide variety of intramural sports, club sports, and recreation activities such as group fitness classes, aquatic programs, gym and fitness programs, special events, and outdoor recreation activities and trips.[139]
The Greek community at SIUE has 19 fraternities and sororities and four governing councils with a tradition of campus leadership and community involvement.[140] In December 2009, the SIU Board of Trustees approved the "Greek Learning and Living Community," authorizing the renovation and conversion of eight buildings in Cougar Village to a Greek Village so as to provide fraternity and sorority houses on-campus as a part of the university's housing program.[141]
Student media and publications [ edit ]
The school newspaper, The Alestle, is named for the school's three campuses: Alton (the location of the dental school), East St. Louis and Edwardsville.[142] The Alestle is a member of the Illinois College Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Alestle is published exclusively online on Tuesdays and in print on Thursdays during fall and spring semesters and on Wednesdays during summer semesters. It was established in 1960.[142]
WSIE-FM 88.7 is the university owned radio station that specializes in modern jazz, news, SIUE sports, and student programming. The station serves the Greater St. Louis Area and Southwestern Illinois and is also available on-line at http://www.wsie.com. The station offers hands-on training for SIUE students to gain knowledge of radio station production.[143]
SIUE Web Radio <https://web.archive.org/web/20120301143201/http://www.siue.edu/WEBRADIO/> is a sister organization to WSIE. The station began in 2003 as a branch of the traditional station but eventually broke off and is now a separate organization that partners with the Mass Communications Department and The Alestle.[144]
Student government [ edit ]
The Student Government (SG), SIUE's student government, serves the primary function to serve as an advocate on student issues and voice students' concerns about campus issues.[145] The organization has a combined undergraduate and graduate student senate.[145] The student government at SIUE is composed of two branches. The legislative branch consists of twelve senators elected by the student body on a yearly basis.[145] The Executive Board consists of the Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, and Student Trustee who are also elected by the student body.[145] The Financial Officer, Internal Affairs Officer, Organization Relations Officer, External Affairs Officer and School Spirit & Pride Chair are also considered part of the Executive Board and are appointed by the Student Body President then confirmed by the Senate.[145]
Notable alumni [ edit ]
In the Fall of 2016, SIUE had 103,747 living alumni.[8] The SIUE Alumni Association[146] has offices in the B. Barnard Birger Hall. Among the notable alumni are:
Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Coordinates:The number of assumptions involved in designing any product is staggeringly large and usually fundamental.
Take bikes. You know they'll probably be made out of some kind of metal, whether aluminum or steel, unless you're talking about the very expensive racing types built from lightweight carbon fibers.
Would you believe cardboard? An Israeli entrepreneur has apparently pulled off a prototype bicycle made of recycled cardboard, according to the Israeli blog Newsgeek (via TheNextWeb).
Yes, that sounds nuts. How could a cardboard bike support an adult rider?
That's what soldier and entrepreneur Izhar Gafni heard from engineers when he asked about using cardboard to make a truly green – or would it technically be brown? – bicycle.
He asked because he heard about a canoe made of cardboard. If that was possible, why not a bike?
So, Gafni didn’t listen to the experts. (Click on the video below for how he made his bicycle, start to finish.)
BUSINESS FIGURES BEHIND THE VENTURE
As impressive as making his idea work was, some of the figures behind the project are as worth noting. Gafni estimates that the cost of the raw materials for a bike would be between $9 and $12, with a likely selling price of between $60 and $90 to the consumer.
Time for a little extrapolation. You could double the high end of materials costs to get $24, which could be a distribution price. Double it again and you've got $48 to a store. If Gafni is right about the retail price range, that's a minimum of a 25 percent mark-up, and as much as an 85.5 percent margin at the top end.
In other words, this could be commercially viable for the existing retail distribution structure, which is an important consideration when bringing a product to market.
Also, the product characteristics and price combination could be very attractive to consumers. If some economies of manufacturing scale could bring the product to the lower price, you could have a cheap bike for adults that could withstand moisture and also be lightweight.
If someone stole the bike (and it's hard to believe that something so cheap would have appeal to thieves), the replacement cost would be negligible. This might be the type of product that would appeal to the hospitality industry – a good choice perhaps for B&Bs, inns, and even resorts.
It's a great reminder that smart, innovative business is often not business as usual.
Read more at Inc.com:
Tech Start-up Steals Killer Retail Strategy
To Design Better Products, Hit the RoadThe Special Investigation Unit, a police watchdog, is investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident between Hamilton Police and a man who suffered a serious injury while being arrested early Saturday morning.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, Hamilton Police were called to a disturbance at an A&W restaurant in the area of King Street West and Bay Street North.
Police located the man near Gore Park where there was an interaction as the man was being arrested.
According to the SIU, the man suffered a serious injury and was taken to Hamilton Health Sciences Centre.
A spokesperson for the SIU, Jason Gennaro, told CBC the man was treated at the hospital and released into police custody.
The SIU is an arm's length agency designated to investigate deaths, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault involving police services.
Three officers are involved in the investigation — one is the subject officer and two are witness officers.
Investigators are continuing to gather and analyze evidence.
The SIU is asking anyone with information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529.On October 7, voters get to choose Venezuela’s next president. It’s all over but the cheers, postmortems, and perhaps opposition planned disruptions.
Chavez remains overwhelmingly popular for good reason. He’s a shoe in for reelection.
In modern times, no previous Venezuelan leader included popular interests on his agenda. Chavez prioritizes them. Why give up a good thing! Why return to the bad old days!
Vital social benefits include universal free healthcare and education, affordable housing, subsidized food, land reform, indigenous rights, and much more.
Gasoline for a Chevrolet Suburban’s 39-gallon tank costs $3.51. In Norway, it’s $394.68. Why indeed sacrifice beneficial changes.
Polls show what looks like a sure thing. In mid-September, 11 had Chavez ahead by 13 – 28%. Throughout the campaign, they’ve been relatively unchanged. One or two right wing ones faked it. They claim a close race.
With tongue in cheek perhaps, the Washington Post days earlier said although most polls show Chavez ahead, “one survey last month put the two candidates roughly even.”
The Post omitted explaining how great a lead Chavez has. Instead it claimed opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski promises to fight crime, create jobs, and provide better electricity and water services.
He’ll also end years of vital social change. He wants wealth and power interests running Venezuela. He wants ordinary people on their own sink or swim.
Expect Venezuelans to resoundingly reject him for good reason. He a corporate scoundrel they want no part of.
Earlier, The New York Times said Chavez replaced Fidel Castro as Washington’s main Latin American bete noire. He’s the leading regional opponent of US policies.
The Times rarely misses a chance to vilify him. It shouldn’t surprise for a broadsheet totally supportive of America’s worst policies.
On September 13, the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (VSC) headlined “One month before Venezuela’s Presidential election, polls show huge leads for Hugo Chavez,” saying:
At this time, he looks unbeatable. Capriles is way behind. “There is little evidence to support the claims by the opposition that ‘undecided voters’ could still determine the situation.”
Capriles’ spin about polls shifting his way doesn’t wash. According to VSC:
“Comparing those pollsters that undertook polls published in both July and August, there is no uniform pattern of the lead narrowing.”
“More importantly, even where there has been a slight narrowing – which on average was by just 1% – this is insignificant given Hugo Chávez’s huge lead.”
VSC’s Lee Brown added:
“Hugo Chávez clearly has a convincing lead according to the overwhelming majority of pollsters.”
“The evidence from looking at the full range of polls, rather than cherry picking, does not back up the claims of the campaign of Henrique Capriles Radonski that the race is close or that Capriles is ahead.”
“Nor is there any evidence that Capriles is making any real inroads into Chávez’s lead as they’ve also claimed.”
“Hopefully these statements from the right-wing opposition are just the kind of things that get said in the cut and thrust of a campaign.”
“But the bigger worry is that it’s part of an orchestrated claim by the opposition to give the impression of an impending victory and then to claim fraud on 7 October should they lose, as the polls suggest is very likely.”
An earlier article highlighted the possibility. In late August, Chavez warned about opposition forces planning to declare victory before electoral results are announced. They’ll say they won, reject official National Electoral Council (CNE) results, and claim fraud.
Perhaps violence and other destabilizing disruptions will follow. They’re capable of anything, said Chavez. He’s seen plenty since taking office in February 1999. He stayed there because Venezuelans want him.
Each time he ran he won impressively. It’s no surprise. On October 7, he’ll do it again for another six-year term. Expect dark opposition forces to cry foul. It never washed before and won’t now.
Venezuela’s elections are closely monitored. Independent observers agree. The process is open, free and fair.
The Carter Center monitored earlier elections. On September 24, its web site headlined “Carter Center Conducts Study Mission to Venezuela Elections,” saying:
It’s “conducting an independent study mission to follow the campaign, with political and electoral analysts interviewing political actors and technical experts on the ground.”
Post-election, a report will follow. It’ll discuss “Venezuelan perceptions of the electoral process and the results.”
This year it won’t send technical experts to assess the automated voting system. It said:
“The most important role in monitoring any electoral process belongs to the national citizens, including the political parties, national observer organizations, and the voters themselves.”
“Voters can participate in the verification of the electronic vote counts on election night when the paper receipts are counted, national observer groups are organizing to monitor election day, and the political campaigns are expected to field party witnesses in each voting site.”
“Local universities and NGOs are monitoring campaign conditions and media access during the campaign. The Carter Center will use all of this information, in addition to interviews, in its report.”
Since 1998, it observed four Venezuelan elections and referenda. All were open, free and fair.
On September 22, Venezuela Analysis headlined Former US President Carter: Venezuelan Electoral System ‘Best in the World,’ saying:
At an annual Carter Center event, he said:
“As a matter of fact, of the 92 elections that we’ve monitored, I would say the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world.”
He added that America’s is “one of the worst….because of the excessive influx of money.”
True enough, but he left unexplained the full extent of a corrupted, dysfunctional, farcical system. It has no credibility whatever. No wonder half the electorate opts out. Why bother when corporate run machines vote. People have no say. Money power decides results, not voters.
Venezuelans get the real thing. Their franchise is respected. Before Chavez took office, less than half of Venezuelans were registered to vote. They couldn’t participate in choosing officials.
Chavez promised change. He focused on voter access and rights. He eliminated earlier electoral fraud. In 2003, he initiated Mision Itentidad (Mission Identity).
It implemented Article 56 of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Constitution, stating:
“All persons have the right to be registered free of charge with the Civil Registry Office after birth, and to obtain public documents constituting evidence of the biological identity, in accordance with law.”
The mission constituted a combined mass citizenship/voter registration drive. Millions of Venezuelans got national ID cards. They assured their right to vote. Over five million Venezuelans were enfranchised for the first time.
They included qualified immigrants and indigenous people. They never had voting rights before. They and other Venezuelans take full advantage. On October 7, expect turnout to be high. Venezuela’s democracy shames America’s fraudulent process.
Reports suggest Chavez’s opposition is in disarray. In mid-September, a video showed top Capriles aid Juan Carlos Caldera accepting a 40,000 bolivars ($9,300) bribe. It was given to arrange a meeting between Capriles and an unknown businessman.
“We want it to be a monthly affair,” said Caldera. Access has a price. It works the same way in America. You have to pay plenty to play.
In response, Caldera was sacked. He’s a parliamentary deputy for Capriles’ First Justice (PJ) party. He was also his Roundtable of Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition representative to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE).
Plans are for a National Assembly investigation to follow. United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) legislator Julio Chavez called the video “overwhelming proof that compromises the acts of some leaders of the Venezuelan opposition.”
He accused Caldera of “bribery.” He said he may have broken Venezuela’s law on political parties and another on organized crime. He suggested perhaps the money was intended to destabilize pre and/or post-electoral activities.
On September 17, VCS headlined “Four opposition parties withdraw from right-wing coalition,” saying:
They include Vota Piedra, Cambio Pana, Unidad Democratica, and Mano pro Venezuela. They withdrew from MUD. Ballots will exclude them.
Vota Piedra representative Leonard Chirinos said secret privatization plans led to the decision and much more. MUD’s document calls for deregulation, mass privatizations, and slashing or eliminating social services.
David de Lima was the first opposition figure to go public. He said MUD is “falling to pieces.” He predicted “more declarations. This is the start of a series of statements that there’ll be in the country against….Capriles.”
On September 18, opposition candidate Yoel Acosta Chirinos withdrew. He declared support for Chavez. Another, Hermann Escarra, publicly called MUD’s government plan “unconstitutional.”
He’s the third opposition figure to denounce it. William Ojeda did earlier. He criticized MUD’s “hidden agenda.” His political party, Un Nuevo Tiempo, expelled him.
He said “Democrats in Venezuela don’t accept hidden agendas…or neoliberal obsessions.” He called failure to recognize social policies Chavez instituted “an act of blindness….No neoliberal policy on anyone’s agenda will (work) because the people don’t accept” it.
Escarra accused MUD of “attack(ing) the constitution in a very serious way….It’s the gravest thing I’ve ever read.” It’s “savage capitalism.”
It wants public pensions abolished, Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, privatized, and other measures violating constitutional provisions.
“If this (plan) were to happen,” he added, “we’d have to go out into the street. We can’t allow such a huge step backwards.”
Escarra helped write Venezuela’s Bolivarian Constitution. At the same time, he’s been an opposition spokesman. He’ll now maintain ties as an independent.
A Final Comment
Days ahead of October 7, Bolivarianism looks sure to win. Imagine if America and EU countries prioritized its principles. Instead of neoliberal austerity-caused hard times, prosperity might be just around the corner or perhaps firmly established.
Socially beneficial policies help everyone. No one’s excluded. Just societies do things that way. Neoliberal ones leave most people on their own out of luck. Record high misery index readings show America’s dire state. It also reveals bipartisan indifference.
Bolivarianism is mirror opposite. On October 7, expect Venezuelans to extend its mandate overwhelmingly for another six years. They can’t imagine another way for good reason.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected]
His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hourEinstein’s general theory of relativity turns 100 this year! Find out more in a special issue from Science.
After decades of effort, physicists say they are on the verge of detecting ripples in spacetime called gravitational waves, whose existence Albert Einstein himself predicted nearly a century ago. Researchers working on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) will use enormous instruments in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, to look for the gravitational waves set off when two neutron stars spiral into each other. LIGO ran from 2002 to 2010 and saw nothing, but those Initial LIGO instruments aimed only to prove that the experiment was technologically feasible, physicists say. Now, they're finishing a $205 million rebuild of the detectors, known as Advanced LIGO, which should make them 10 times more sensitive and, they say, virtually ensure a detection. Such an observation would open up a whole new type of astronomy—and likely bag a Nobel Prize.
To read the full story, see the 6 March 2015 issue of Science.Frank Corrado of the Toronto Maple Leafs carries the puck up ice against the Detroit Red Wings during game action on April 2, 2016 at Air Canada Centre. | Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images
Frank Corrado hasn't played a single minute yet this season. That's expected to change Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Frank Corrado’s long wait appears to be over.
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock told reporters after a 6-3 home win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday that Corrado would likely make his season debut Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Corrado, a 23-year-old defenseman, has been a healthy scratch for all 14 of Toronto’s games this season. His plight has led to a movement on Twitter via the hashtag #FreeFrankCorrado.
Of course, Corrado’s situation to start a season is nothing new.
After being claimed off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks before opening night in 2015-16 season, Corrado was kept out of the lineup for every game until Dec. 15. He only saw regular action once veteran blueliners Dion Phaneuf and Roman Polak were dealt. (Polak re-signed with the Leafs as a free agent in the off-season.) Corrado wound up playing in 39 games last season, scoring once and adding five assists.
Corrado had been doing his best to be diplomatic about his roster status this season. But it was clear Thursday his frustration was starting to surface. Now it seems like he’ll finally get his chance.
Babcock also mentioned defenseman Matt Hunwick and center Peter Holland would probably draw back into the lineup. Hunwick, an alternate captain whose Corsi For percentage is second worst on the team at 44.87, was activated before Friday’s game but did not play. Holland has one assist in six games and hasn’t played since Oct. 25 when the Leafs were crushed 7-3 by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While no players have been mentioned to come out of the lineup, it’s safe to say Polak, Martin Marincin and Ben Smith are prime candidates.
Polak and Marincin are the Leafs’ bottom-two defensemen with the worst possession numbers this season of blueliners on the ice Friday. They also have limited offensive stats, combining for four points in 22 games. Smith has worst Corsi For percentage on the team at 39.51 in 13 games with Colorado and Toronto. The fourth-line center has a one goal and an assist, both recorded in his nine games as a Leaf.Diamonds are known for many things: hardness, luster, and their reputation for being a “girl’s best friend.” But the gems have important scientific uses, too. New research suggests that a certain type of artificial diamond can be used as a nanoscale temperature probe with unmatched precision over time and space.
“I think this work is a real advance,” says materials scientist Daniel Jaque of the Autonomous University of Madrid, who was not involved in the study. “It’s a good paper on a hot topic.”
The tiny diamond probes can measure temperatures ranging from 120 K to 900 K (–153°C to 627°C)—as cold as the poles of Mars and almost 200° hotter than the surface of Venus. They can also detect temperature changes across distances as small as 5 μm (roughly the size of a sperm cell’s head) and on timescales as short as 800 picoseconds (0.0000000008 seconds). Scientists discovered the properties of the probes—reported in the current issue of Applied Physics Letters—when they set out to investigate a unique defect in diamonds grown using nickel precursors. The technique incorporates some nickel atoms into the diamond’s crystal structure, forming what is called an “S3 defect center.” Like many other diamond defects, the S3 center emits a glow when struck by a pulse of laser light. Scientists can then use the lifetime of the resulting luminescence to calculate the temperature of the probe: As the temperature drops, the diamond glows for longer periods of time.
Luminescent temperature probes aren’t a totally new idea, but what makes the S3 defect so appealing is that it combines speed and precision across a wide range of temperatures, says materials scientist Estelle Homeyer of the University of Lyon in France and lead author of the paper. Her co-author, spectroscopist Christophe Dujardin of the University of Lyon, adds: “There are many kinds of impurities in diamond, and this particular defect was the most interesting. It’s more universal. You combine all the purposes in one probe.”
The superior versatility of the S3 defect comes from its electronic structure, which can be excited at two different energy levels. This produces luminescence at two separate wavelengths that have lifetimes ranging from 277 millionths of a second to about 100 billionths of a second. This difference makes the nickel-doped diamond luminescence extremely sensitive to fluctuations in temperature.
Researchers say the diamond probes could be used for a wide range of applications, but Jaque suspects they’ll be most useful for observing the nanoscopic world, in particular the minute temperature fluctuations in living cells. But this might be limited to thin layers of cells in laboratory settings, since the visible light emitted by the diamond probes—a faint green glow—does not penetrate whole human tissue very well. “Only infrared light can penetrate into your body. You cannot do that by using visible light,” Jaque says. Still, a micron-scale look at the thermodynamics of human cells with picosecond time resolution would be a tremendous tool for scientists.
The probes could have applications for material sciences, too, says co-author Gilles Ledoux of the University of Lyon, especially in measuring the friction between two materials at very small scales—an area of study currently not very well understood. But the team points out that the probes are still in their infancy. For starters, scientists don’t know precisely how to make the S3 defect centers. Current techniques rely on growing diamonds with a nickel precursor and hoping the defects show up. “We do not know how to prepare it. We just collect it from many diamonds, [and] some of them have this effect. It’s a long path,” Dujardin says. Now, the technique gives a temperature reading accurate to 2, but a more refined approach might allow researchers to standardize the size of diamond particles and the number of defects to increase precision even further.When deciding whether something is as healthy as the packet claims, it always pays to read the fine print.
Consumer NZ has released its list of '"winners" in the Bad Taste Food Awards, which aims to call out companies claiming that their products are healthier than they are.
The products might not go as far as 7-Up did in 1955, when it claimed in an ad that the drink was so wholesome that mothers could mix it with their babies' milk.
But the list does show that some products' claims seem at odds with their ingredients.
Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said that despite consumer laws, food marketers continue to push the boundaries.
Consumer NZ says a 750ml bottle of Powerade ION4 Mountain Blast contains 11 teaspoons of sugar.
READ MORE
* Recipe: How to make your own McDonald's Big Mac at
|
, well, a banana republic, either.
Photo Credit: Joe Raedle / StaffWhatever you think of Donald Trump, his political achievement is enormous, and he deserves the credit.
With no background in elected office, Trump has led the Republican presidential field for eight months. His strong plurality has proved to be demographically and geographically diverse. He has soundly beaten a series of talented, well-funded opponents. He has effectively tapped into deep-seated anger and resentment, promising the recovery of a nation that his followers regard as weak, lost and unrecognizable.
And Trump is not just winning; he is also redefining how politics is done. Out: policy speeches, white papers, paid media, the ground game. In: monologues, social media, free media, advance work on big rallies. Few politicians in history — Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mastery of radio and Ronald Reagan’s use of television come to mind — have more instinctually and effectively adapted to new communication methods.
Many Republicans now look at these undeniable successes and ask: “How far should we go for unity’s sake?” Some are beginning to make their inner peace with Trump. He will, after all, eventually need experts to advise and guide him. His Supreme Court picks are bound to be better than Hillary Clinton’s. Maybe we just need to respect the democratic will.
These justifications are not insane, but they are ultimately not persuasive. Trump has little history of changing or refining his views through study and policy advice. Many of his goals, while too foolish to implement, are too vivid to revise. Try to imagine President Trump backing down on building the great wall or halting Muslim migration.
Republican front-runner Donald Trump spoke in Palm Beach, Fla., after primary voters took to the polls in five states: Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina. (Reuters)
On the Supreme Court, even well-intentioned Republican presidents have made choices that haven’t worked out quite as planned. How would Trump, lacking a serious judicial philosophy, and perhaps facing a Democratic Senate, make his decision? Consult his radically pro-choice sister, an appeals court judge? Let his prospects battle it out on a season of “Survivor”? On these matters, Trump is entirely unmoored and unpredictable. It is hard to justify a presidency, which would be dangerous and destabilizing in other ways, on odds this long.
What the argument for accommodation is missing is the core reality about Trump. His answer to nearly every problem is himself — his negotiating skill, his strength of purpose, his unique grasp of the national will. But this is more “will to power” than separation of powers; more Nietzsche than Madison. Trump is not proposing a policy debate that can be adjudicated in the normal processes of our government. He is offering himself as master of every situation. We are supposed to turn in desperation to the talent and will of one man, who happens to be bristling with prejudice and blazing with ignorance. We are seeing the offer of personal rule by someone with no discernible public or personal virtues.
Americans are discontented with the governing class, with good reason in many cases. But Trump would be the oddest answer in our history to a leadership void. He has offered disaffected people an invitation to political violence. “Knock the crap out of them, would you?” he said at one rally. “Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell — I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise.”
And this permission for violence is paired with an embrace of ethnic and religious bigotry, casting blame and suspicion on Muslims and undocumented immigrants. It would be difficult — or should be difficult — for any Republican to endorse a presidential candidate whose election would cause many of our neighbors to fear for their safety. Or to embrace a candidate who promised to purposely target children in the conduct of the war on terrorism. Or a candidate who has praised the “passion” and patriotism of followers and has predicted riots if he doesn’t get his way at the GOP convention.
For Republicans, accommodation with Trump is not just a choice; it is a verdict. None will come away unstained. For evangelical Christians, it is the stain of hypocrisy — making their movement synonymous with exclusion and gullibility. For GOP job seekers, it is the stain of opportunism. (Consider the sad decline into sycophancy of Chris Christie.) For conservatives, it is the stain of betrayal — the equivalent of supporting George Wallace in 1968 as an authentic populist voice.
All this leaves completely horrible options: sitting the election out, supporting a third-party candidate, contemplating a difficult vote for Clinton. But these are the only honorable options. As one Republican friend wrote me of Trump: “He would destroy everything Hillary Clinton would destroy, plus one more thing: the Republican Party.”
Read more from Michael Gerson’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.Crime
Achyuta Rao says that a man claiming to be from Ahmedabad told him that he had put out a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on the activist’s head.
A child rights activist in Hyderabad alleges that he has received a death threat following his fight in the case of 13-year-old Aradhana Samadaria, a Jain girl who died after fasting for 68 days.
This comes after the Hyderabad police dropped all charges against her parents, and the activist moved court to reopen it.
Aradhana had died in October last year after fasting for 68 days as part of a religious custom, and activists had filed a complaint against her parents for violating her rights as a child.
Achyuta Rao, who works with the NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham (BHK) and is a former member of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), said that he received the call on Saturday.
"It was around 5pm when I got the call. The person at the other end first established my identity, and began talking about Kashmir, and how our soldiers were being beaten there. He asked me if I would ever take action on that," Achyuta told The News Minute.
"I was confused, and I told him that I was a child rights activist, and my work was confined to Telangana," he narrates.
Achyuta says that the caller then asked him about his religion, adding, "He asked me why I was interfering in the religion of Hindus and Jains. I told him that my work was not related to religion. He then asked me why I reopened the case after the police dropped it, and said that he had put out a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on my head."
The caller claimed to have called from Ahmedabad.
Following this, Achyuta wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, detailing the incident, and asking for an inquiry. He also sought police protection in the letter.
"The police are yet to respond, but I will not be intimidated. I will work for the rights of children till my last breath," Achyuta says.
The Aradhana case
Late on the night of October 3, 2016, a day after she finished her 68-day fast, Aradhana fainted. She was then rushed to the hospital, where she was declared "brought dead" after a cardiac arrest.
For more than two months prior to her death, she had survived only on boiled water.
The incident came to light only four days later, after Achyuta lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad police.
At the time, The News Minute spoke to Aradhana's father, Lakshmichand Samadaria, who claimed that they had not forced their daughter to observe the fast, and that she herself had insisted on keeping one.
Read: We didn’t force her, she insisted: Father of 13-yr-old Jain girl who died after 68-day fast
While many Jain leaders also came forward to defend the parents, activists called Aradhana's death a'murder', stating that the parents encouraged her and even took her out in a procession on the last day of her fast.
"Allowing a child starve to death, even if it was for religious rituals, is criminal. Action must be taken against them under child protection laws," Achyuta had pointed out at the time.
Following the complaint, the Market police station in Secunderabad had booked Aradhana's parents, Lakshmichand and Manisha Samadaria, under Section 304 (II) of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
However, last month, the police dropped the case, citing 'lack of evidence'.
"The girl was cremated soon after her death. We cannot establish the cause of death because there is no scope for exhumation. The doctor gave a medical report suggesting it was due to cardiac arrest. It indeed is difficult to go ahead with charges against the parents," a senior official from the North Zone police had told Deccan Chronicle.
Calling the police act "biased", Achyuta had said that there was "strong evidence" in the form of an advertisement in the daily, Hindi Milap, released by the family just after Aradhana had completed her fast.
The police even "facilitated the accused to go out of state to enable them to escape for the arrest and awaited till they get relief from court not to arrest... (sic)", Achyuta had claimed.
Achyuta has now managed to reopen the case by approaching a local court.
"We have asked the court to either personally oversee the investigation, or hand over the responsibility to an organisation like CBI. We have no trust in the police," he says.
He adds that the court has also served notices to the police and Aradhana's parents to appear before it on April 24.
"We have also submitted the HC's statement, when they had denied bail to Aradhana's parents, which had said that parents are responsible for their children," Achyuta adds.Posted by OrdainWomen on Mar 3, 2017 in Blog |
Heather Moore-Farley is an OW profile holder and serves on the OW Social Media Committee.
“As your mothers and sisters in Christ, we are here to support you and bless you this day.”
Almost a year ago, my daughter sat in a camping chair on a beach wrapped in a towel, still damp with the water of the San Francisco Bay. It was chilly, but women from our ward and neighboring wards and a couple of family members surrounded her, shielding her from the wind, while I gave her a “women’s blessing” as part of her baptismal program.
I had wanted a more prominent role in her baptism than I had in her baby blessing. After discussion with my husband, we asked our daughter, “Would you like a women’s blessing or a parent blessing after your confirmation?” She said, “A women’s blessing,” though I don’t know if she knew exactly what that meant. Admittedly, I didn’t fully know either.
At our tithing settlement the previous December, I asked our bishop what sort of arrangements we needed to have for the baptism. He said all he needed to do was approve the program. A couple of weeks ahead of the baptism, I sent him a copy of our proposed program, with a women’s blessing listed after the confirmation. Shortly I received a simple response that the program was approved. I invited every woman coming to the baptism to participate. I wanted my daughter supported by all the important women in her life.
This was not the first blessing I had been a part of. I’ve participated in group women’s blessings for women needing comfort, where if anyone in the circle feels inspired they can add a few words. I have blessed my children when they were sick and my husband and I have done intimate 2-person naming blessings for our babies.
But it was my first public blessing and I was nervous, partly that I wouldn’t know what to say but mostly that no one would join me in the circle. After a full circle of men for her confirmation, I was afraid that none of the women would join in.
But my ward came out and came through for me and I am so grateful to them. We blessed her to know we supported her in her life journey and to find joy in it. The women who surrounded her are her Primary teachers, her future Young Women leaders. It was so meaningful that the women who do and will support her in life were able to do so on her baptism day. I hope she’ll never forget it.Description
The Viking Longboat Urn will give a send off to remember: set upon the water, set adrift and set alight. Then as the fire ebbs away the boat sinks gracefully below the water.
Handmade from sustainable wood, finished to a very high standard. With crafted detail – shields, a striped sail and steering oars.
You simply place the cremated ashes in to hull of the boat, put the deck back in place, set it alight and then set it adrift on a lake or calm sea.
Alternatively they can be buried like the famous boat at Sutton Hoo, in East Anglia.
They come with a stand so you can keep them on display as long as you’d like before the ceremony, or on display permanently if you wish. We can also arrange for the deck to be beautifully engraved with a name or phrase for a small additional charge.
They also come with two pegs that go into the hull of the boat to adjust the length of time the boat floats on the water.
The Standard Viking Longboat Urn is 80cm in length. We also offer a Keepsake size which is 25cm.
We deliver these boats to across the world at reasonable shipping costs, so when you get to the checkout it will calculate your shipping costs for most countries. If not please contact us and we can confirm this for you.
What others say about the Viking Longboat Urn:
As Charles Cowling author of the Good Funeral Guide puts it about the Viking send off: “It is spectacular. The flames rise to the heavens as the wind fills the longboat’s sails and it journeys. There is compelling emotional and spiritual appeal in this imagery, of journeying, transition, transfiguration and consummation. The spirit rises as the craft moves over the face of the waters; that which is earthly is subsumed by the sea. All the elements are present: earth, air, fire, water. And there is an inexorable dynamic.” “I have to tell you that we had the service of my husband’s ashes done on Lake Superior recently with the Viking Boat Urn. It was the most beautiful service….calm waters, rose petals from his funeral and wild flowers thrown by people into the water as the Viking Boat Urn burned and sailed. We had beautiful sailing music. Waters were very calm….took 33 minutes to go down. We actually had to start the engine of our boat to circle him so there were waves. The third wave worked and the Viking Boat Urn went down. After that had a pink sunset on the water and then the full super moon. Was an incredible evening and just what he had wanted. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” Deb, USA “I have just received my Longboat Urn, and even though I have not fully unwrapped it yet – I can see it and I am delighted with it – it is stunning and so well made. Really beautiful. I am so thrilled with it. Thank you so very much. Brian will be smiling. I never imagined I would be able to give Brian his final wishes in such a dignified and beautiful way. Thank you so very much. I will keep in touch with your website, With warmest wishes” Alyson, UK
“Thank you so much, my viking ship arrived today, and is very impressive, it is going to be on my sideboard for the next few months.” Lesley, UK
More reviews are at the bottom of the page.
Want to see the Viking Longboat urn in action?
See link for the Viking Boat ceremony we filmed in Somerset. This is a natural process with wood, fire and water so we can’t predict accurately how long the boat will, the amount of fuel used, the weather and turbulence all have an impact. The calmer the water the longer it stays afloat.
For more delivery information please click here.This post was authored by Ann Laurie*.
“Mommy, I had the best time of my life!” said my beautiful 8-year-old daughter Elsie after returning from the Daddy-Daughter dance at her school. It was a bumpy road to get here, but Elsie’s happiness made it all worth it. This is our story about how Lambda Legal helped make this day possible.
Elsie is the light of my life. She is bubbly, smart, and funny. She likes to paint her nails, play with dolls, watch the Disney Channel, and hang out with her friends. Elsie is also transgender. For Elsie, that means she now wears the clothes that she likes and feels most comfortable in, which are usually the clothes that girls in her school typically wear; she goes by the name Elsie and not Joey, the name given to her at birth; and we use female pronouns when addressing her. These changes have made a remarkable difference in her life—she’s more relaxed, comfortable and confident. She doesn’t hide anymore. We aren’t waking up early on Monday mornings to take off her nail polish. She isn’t nervous about taking her shoes and socks off at school for fear that someone will see her polished toes—she is finally free to live as the girl that she has always been. She is growing into herself. So, when Elsie came home from the Daddy-Daughter dance, an important tradition for girls in our small town in Ohio, and expressed such happiness, I knew it was because she felt accepted.
At first, however, Elsie was not even invited to the dance. Her school records still incorrectly say that she is a boy, and the school’s principal had determined that the dance was only “for all of the female students.” He was essentially saying that Elsie isn’t really a girl. As the mother of a transgender child, I am all too aware that plenty of people won’t understand what Elsie is going through and that I will have to fight for my daughter and her right to live her life truthfully, but I will admit that this first battle completely blindsided me. I did not expect to have to fight for her to be able to attend a dance. A dance might not seem like a big deal for a lot of people, but it was really important for Elsie. Participating in an event for the girls in our community was vital to my daughter’s emotional health and sense of belonging. She had been excitedly anticipating this dance for months. As a matter of fact, she had been looking forward to the dance because, for her, it was an important step in her transition, almost as important as shopping in the girl’s section of the store. She was in heaven the first time we shopped in the girls’ section, and my mother, Elsie’s grandmother, had bought her dress for the dance back in January. Almost every day after school, Elsie would ask to put it on and just wear it for a few moments before carefully putting it away again. She needed this dance more than I will ever really understand.
When I learned that Elsie might not be able to go to the dance, I insisted that the school reconsider. While we waited, Elsie became anxious and sad with each day that passed that she didn’t get an invitation. The dance was all that her friends talked about and Elsie didn’t know how to explain being the only girl not allowed to go. I tried to reassure her that it was just a mistake and that she would get an invitation soon, despite not being sure that she would be able to go. Regardless of my best attempts to shield her from what was happening, she understood what was going on. “They’re not gonna let me go because I used to be Joey!” she finally said one day, feeling angry and embarrassed.
At the end of that week, the principal finally responded to my calls, and he told me that the superintendent would not allow Elsie to attend the Daddy-Daughter dance. I was so upset to hear this and I lashed out. “You are discriminating against her and I will fight you on this,” I said to the principal, so disappointed. I didn’t know how to tell Elsie what happened, especially because I would have to confirm what she had been fearing all along. She was being singled-out and treated differently because the principal and superintendent didn’t believe that she is a girl. Elsie is a good kid and hadn’t done anything wrong. She is only being honest about who she is, yet she was being punished for it. She didn’t deserve to be treated this way, and we needed help.
That afternoon, I called the Lambda Legal Help Desk and spoke with Alexis, one of the legal assistants in Chicago, who was kind and diligently took down all of the information about what had happened that week. She said that she would do her best to help, but the dance was quickly approaching. The next day, Elsie asked about the dance like she did every day. I sat her down and told her what had happened, but tried to reassure her that I was doing everything I could for her. This was taking its toll on her. She woke up in the middle of the night crying and begging me not to send her to school until after the dance. I was heartbroken, but thankfully, Lambda Legal sprang into action. Only a few days after my conversation with Alexis, I spoke with Lambda Legal attorneys Kyle and Aisha, who let me know that they would be immediately sending a letter to the school about its obligation to respect Elsie’s gender identity and allow her to go to the dance. I let Elsie know know that a wonderful group of people was going to try to change the school’s mind so that she could go to the dance. This gave her hope.
Though Lambda Legal couldn’t make any promises, I prayed that the letter would help convince the school and I waited to hear what might happen next. Only a few days later, the school called to let me know that Elsie would be getting an invitation to the dance. Happy to finally know that Elsie would be able to attend with the rest of the girls, I immediately sent a text to Renee, the mother of Elsie’s best friend Lana, and she responded within minutes to let me know that she had ordered a corsage for Elsie. I waited for Elsie at the bus stop so that I could deliver the good news the moment she stepped off the bus. She was ecstatic, jumping up and down and even doing cartwheels! When the day finally came for the dance, she and Lana had light blue dresses that sparkled—they looked absolutely adorable. Lana’s dad, John, who took them to the dance, wore a matching tie. It was a perfect evening.
While this experience was a blow for Elsie at first, she seems to have bounced back. She did say afterward, “I hope this doesn’t happen again, will this happen again?” I was honest and told her that I didn’t know. Elsie understands that there will be bumps in the road, but I hope she understands that she will never be alone because she has me and I will fight for her forever, and I am so thankful that Lambda Legal was there to help.
*All names in this story have been changed in order to respect the privacy of our clients. The Lambda Legal staff referenced in this post are: Legal Assistant Alexis Paige, Staff Attorney Kyle Palazzolo and Tyron Garner Fellow Aisha Davis.Differences in Tango 15 April 2016 A special thanks to RoutingCube for proposing this idea on r/DanceSport
Among all the Ballroom Dances, Tango is the black sheep. The technique in all other four dances varies slightly, but in Tango, things are often completely different from the other four. These differences all work to maintain the character and historical method of dancing Tango, while creating a new way to generate the power and ease of movement, and they come in four main areas: position, hold, movement, and footwork.
Position
There is a twist in the body in Tango not found in the other dances. To achieve this, face the wall with your feet together. Slightly flex the knees, and then slip the right foot back so the ball of the right foot is in line with the arch of the left foot. While the feet still point at the wall, turn the knees slightly to the left, the hips slightly more, and continue that twisting action up the body until the shoulders, which should face diagonally to the Wall, which is to say there is a 1/8 difference in alignment between the feet and the shoulders. Because of this, steps forward with the left foot will be in CBMP, and steps forward with the right foot will have a right side lead, and the Walks will naturally curve slightly to the left.
Hold
Because of the twist that both partners have through their bodies, discussed immediately above, the Lady will feel more on the Man's right side than in the other four dances, which will naturally cause three main differences in the hold:
1 The Man's right arm will wrap around the Lady's back further and with a sharper slope downward from the elbow to the fingers. The fingertips should reach around the Lady's back, until they are just past the Lady's spine. 2 The Lady's left hand will not be placed on the Man's right shoulder, as it is in the other four dances. Rather, her hand will hook around the Man's upper arm, so that the back of her hand is pressing up from underneath his upper arm, just near his underarm. 3 Whereas in the other dances, the Man's left arm will seem to hang gently from his hand down to his shoulder, in Tango, the Man's left forearm should be almost parallel to the floor from the elbow to the wrist, with a sharp angle at the elbow.
Movement
In the four other dances, weight swings freely from foot to foot, and a clear transfer of weight allows for the technique of Swing and Sway to develop. In Tango, weight is maintained between feet on all walking steps, and so Swing is not generated from movement, and Sway is not necessary to control movement. For an in depth comparison between walking in Tango and the other Standard dances, click here. Besides specific line figures, such as the Oversway, the topline should remain flat and mostly parallel to the ground when compared to the other dances.
Compare the movement of Victor and Anastasia (currently ranked second in the world in Professional Ballroom) in these videos, depicting their Waltz and their Tango.
Notice that the movement in Waltz flows with Swing and Sway, while in Tango, the movement is mostly flat, with the excitement and dynamics coming from rotation and flight across the floor.
Footwork
If you have read any of the technical details for a Tango figure and any figure from any of the other four dances, you will notice a dissimilarity in the footwork. Whereas in the other four dances, the footwork might be Heel-Toe (HT) or Toe-Heel (TH), in Tango, it is Heel-Flat (H) or Ball-Heel (BH). Because there is no full transfer of weight on walking steps in tango, as discussed in the movement section, weight should be held between both feet, and the feet are picked up from the floor and placed down onto the floor. Because of this difference in the style of moving the body and the legs, the footwork is slightly different as well.MLB and Veqta To Live-Stream 20 Games Per Week to Indian Viewers
The deal is part of the league’s plans for international expansion
Story Highlights
Indians love cricket, but how do they feel about the great American pastime?
Major League Baseball announced a deal with Indian OTT video service Veqta to live-stream 20 games a week for the 2017 season, beginning this week. This isn’t so much filling a need as creating an audience: baseball is popular in Latin America and Asia, but the Indian subcontinent is unexplored territory.
“Revenue is always an important piece. But, at the same time, when you’re dealing in markets like India that are less traditional baseball markets, getting with partners, driving interest in the game, and having a partner like Veqta that is going to be engaged in some of the grassroots and promotional activity that we are in the stages of planning is paramount,” explains Dominick Balsamo, VP, media sales and marketing partnerships, MLB.
Veqta will live-stream games from the rest of the regular season and postseason and is allowed one game per three-hour window. For example, it might have the rights to one at 7 p.m. ET and another at 10 p.m. Since most slots have multiple games available, Veqta will have to pick one per slot.
How Veqta will choose remains to be seen. As Balsamo notes, the league currently has no Indian players for Indian viewers to root for. However, some of the more established big-city teams — New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers — are known in India and are popular, according to Veqta co-founder/Director Vikram Tanwar.
The London office of MLB International, a division created decades ago to broadcast games abroad, has been revamped and is responsible for driving interest in baseball not only in Europe but in North Africa and the Middle East as well. That office coordinated this partnership, and the league will be watching to see how Indian viewers respond.
The deal came together quickly in late March and was completed so recently that Veqta missed Opening Day. On Friday, Balsamo still wasn’t sure when the service’s first game will air, because details were still being ironed out. IP delivery of the games, not surprisingly, will be handled by BAMTech.
This deal is part of larger changes for Veqta itself: up to this point, the company has been a free service, but it will start charging a monthly subscription price of 49 rupees (about 76¢ U.S.) this month. Veqta is available through the web and iOS and Android apps. Although the deal includes only live telecasts at the moment, it could expand to include on-demand non-game content from MLB Network in the future.
Bringing baseball to India seems like a curious move, but it fits within the league’s larger strategy of expanding around the globe.
“When you look at the global landscape, the general approach for us always is — especially on the international end — to think globally but act locally,” Balsamo says. “Since MLB International started in the early ’90s, that’s been the approach.”
The league has a new office in Mexico City and has been giving a little more attention to that market to help it grow. The league has also run postseason all-star tours in Asia. Balsamo hints that there might be more news in that area relatively soon.
And the league is looking at holding regular-season games in multiple foreign countries — Mexico, the UK, Japan, Korea, Taiwan — though not before next year. Long plane rides can be a challenge in a crowded baseball season, Balsamo notes, adding that, if this shapes up, the longer trips are likely to occur early in the season.
The best way to drive interest in baseball is to give different countries their own teams, and that’s something the MLB would like to see. Although there’s no timetable, the next international expansion team could appear just south of the border.
“The idea right now in Mexico is for us to dedicate resources to that market, and I feel that it has the opportunity and the ability to be a place where a major-league team can call home one day. Whether that happens in five years or 10 years, I’m not sure,” Balsamo says. “The proximity to our other clubs, on the same continent, is a good start. But I think, being a good baseball country, Mexico certainly has an opportunity.”Bombs Away
Last year the Kansas City Royals were built on team speed, defense and a strong bullpen. This was the new recipe for success in a small market. Placing a higher value on defense than on-base percentage, and realizing limiting the other team to 6 innings in which to score would ultimately land this team in the playoffs.
But then a funny thing happened in October. The Royals decided to add a dimension to their games that had not been seen that entire year. They started hitting the long ball. Players like Mike Moustakas stroked 5 dingers to set the Royals all-time record in a postseason. The team that was dead last during the regular season in long balls ended up winning multiple games in the postseason with the home run.
Last year the Royals played 13 games before slugging their 4th round-tripper of the year. In 2015 the Royals have done it in 17 innings.
It is no doubt a pace they will not keep up, but it did make me think a little about the new found power this team has found. What has changed? The Royals are still running! They already have racked up 4 stolen bases (one even coming by the fleet of foot Salvy) on the fledgling season, and they are still fielding (I know it is only 2 games trust me…) committing zero errors in 79 total chances. So it isn't some dramatic change in team philosophy.
Only one of the bombs has come from a player that wasn't on the 2014 roster, so it isn't an influx in power hitters either. So what is it? The only answer I can honestly think of is CONFIDENCE. This team seems incredibly confident on the field, and off. More so than at anytime I can ever remember watching Royals players, this team believes they will win.
This is something I noticed in the postseason. They seemed to be playing with house money. And there is no thinking about the negatives when that happens. Thus everything you do, you do with much less stress, hence more confidence.
I think that is exactly what we are seeing at Kauffman these past few games. This team KNOWS they have what it takes to play with anyone. They know they are a better team than the White Sox, and they trust they will do whatever it takes to win. If this type of confidence can last all season, I may be eating my words about 84 wins and missing the playoffs.
This is obviously a what have you done for me lately piece. I will probably be complaining about it in the near future, but hey, it's fun! And something that you know isn't lost on this team, "Chicks dig the long ball!"
Graphic Courtesy of ESPN: Royals lead league in OPS during this young season:
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commentsEveryone remembers their first time watching Enter the Dragon, it's full to the brim with 1970s clichés.
John Saxon plays the loveable rogue. He's plagued by money problems, but one flash of his glorious chest hair and he can convince women half his age to jump into bed with him. Meanwhile, Jim Kelly plays the black guy just trying to get a fair shake.
A surprisingly slow burner as martial arts flicks go, Enter the Dragon only really explodes into all out action when our hero, Bruce Lee is caught in the antagonist's underground lair with about thirty minutes left of the movie. Here his black tactical turtle neck is conveniently ripped, so he peels it down to the waist, exposing that ludicrous eight pack.
Stupid, sexy Lee.
Then he's attacked by wave after wave of guards: confiscating, using, and discarding a handful of different weapons as he works his way through them. It's silly, but it's absolutely hypnotic.
This segment climaxes with the infamous ten second clip which was cut from many versions of the film, where Lee breaks out the nunchucks. This scene was censored in many countries because every child—and plenty of adults—who saw the film immediately went out and made themselves a flail. Shortly thereafter, they whipped themselves or a friend in the eye with it. That is why to this day California can't have nice things.
But Enter the Dragon is only half of Lee's legacy. The other half was released after his death: The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. A text which was largely comprised of Lee's own notes, it is often assumed to be his own work when really it is in many places a mash up of direct quotes from his own influences—the boxing of Edwin Haislet, the philosophies of Jiddu Krishnamurti and so on. But we are all a product of our influences.
What is fascinating about Lee's writings is that he was a Wing Chun master—a star pupil of the great Yip Man through his teens. He could have stopped there and repeated the same stuff forever; everyone else at the time did. You were a karate man, or a judo man, or a kung fu man. But Lee learned everything he could—becoming the godfather of martial arts cross training.
In recent years it seems that Bruce Lee was in many ways a prophet. In his process of absorbing what is useful and discarding that which is useless, Lee accurately predicted the future of mixed martial arts and combat sports. Many of the factors which featured so heavily in Bruce Lee's own teachings and philosophies were thought to be useless even five years ago and have come full circle to make the MMA world sit up and pay attention.
The Side Kick
The side kick has been a staple of kung fu flicks since long before Lee got onto the scene. But for Lee, the side kick was an obsession. Every movie he made, he showed it off. The side kick exists in Wing Chun but it was when Lee met the Taekwondo practitioner, Jhoon Goo Rhee and asked him for pointers that he truly came to master the kick.
Also how I make my way to the floor when my song comes on.
Mixed martial arts used to be a game striking game built from bare bones Muay Thai. Roundhouse kicks and squarer stances. In recent years though, we have been seeing a move in many of the sports elite strikers towards a more side on stance, and an emphasis on very low kicks—at the knee or below. This is because when one round kicks a thigh, the leg can ride up and the opponent can snag it and have an easy attempt at taking you down.
The low roundhouse kick to the calf has caught on. But more than that, the low thrusting kicks are all the rage now. The oblique kick which Jon Jones famously hobbled Quinton Jackson with, and the side kick to the lead knee are the real game changers though. They're so fast, so long and so, so hard to catch. They debuted in the UFC when Anderson Silva needed to stay active but never actually fully commit to attacking the great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player, Demian Maia.
But they don't just work on guys who want to dive on your leg—Jon Jones used the side kick to lead leg and the body to pacify and break down the swarming power puncher, Vitor Belfort. Belfort likes to dash in on a straight line and pump his hands. If he gets into his range, you're likely
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But Smith said that change was not based on good business practices. “We didn’t ask for it, we didn’t want it, it’s not a good business decision. Perhaps it was a political thought — ‘Yeah, let’s let everybody charge what they want and business will go on as usual,’ but that’s not how it works actually out in the real world,” she said, arguing people will be caught unawares by surge prices and that drivers and “drunks” could get into fist fights. The city’s new rules dictate that all companies must clearly state the fares and surge pricing before users agree to any ride.
Read more about:Militants in the Gaza Strip fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev early Sunday, only a day after Israel Air Force jets bombed targets in the coastal enclave.
On Saturday, Israeli planes bombed at least three targets in the Gaza Strip, Gaza medics said. As a result of the strike, a Palestinian man and a seven-month-old girl were wounded, the medics said.
Medics said a strike launched on a Hamas national guard post in Rafah, a town near Gaza's border with Egypt, hit near a home and the baby was wounded in the head by shrapnel. The injury was not listed as serious and was described as slight.
Qassam rocket fired by Hamas militants. Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the attack, saying the IAF bombed a smuggling tunnel and two more terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, a Qassam rocket fired by Gaza militants exploded in the western Negev, landing at the Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries were reported.
Islamic Jihad had been blamed for a rocket fired on Wednesday from Gaza that struck the deepest in Israel since a Gaza war of two years ago, damaging a home in the city of Be'er Sheva.
One of the Grad rockets hit a house in a residential neighborhood. There were no injuries.Depression is a master of procrastination.
The disease, which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates afflicts 350 million people worldwide, can reduce productivity in individuals by as much as one-third. It’s an issue that researchers from Tufts Medical School this week determined costs the U.S. a whopping $44 billion per year in lost wages.
With these statistics in mind, lead author Dr. Debra Lerner set out to explore solutions to what has slowly become America’s own efficiency vacuum. Her team of researchers studied 380 individuals, aged 45 and up, from 23 organizations—splitting them into groups of two. The first received telephone-based therapy that was specifically tailored to work issues. The other received just basic counseling.
The intervention, eight sessions over the course of four months, proved extremely effective. The first group, who received work-specific therapy, saw a 51 percent decrease in mean depression symptom severity, coupled with a 44 percent drop in unproductive hours and a 53 percent drop in absenteeism. The control group’s numbers were far lower, with a 26 percent decrease in depression, and 13 percent for both unproductive hours and absence days.
The main goal of the work-related therapy was to help individuals recognize that unhappiness at work may be less about work and more about their health. “Many people haven’t made that connection,” says Lerner. “They think problems at work are simply problems at work, and everything else is just their depression.”
Once they were able to accept that problems at work were stemming from their own depression, not just unhappy workplaces, their perspective and productivity changed. Accepting the disease as a disease seems to be one of the biggest obstacles in finding relief from it.
Today, depression is one of the most prevalent and far-reaching diseases in the world—and one of the most ignored. According to the CDC, of the 350 million people reportedly suffering from it worldwide, less than half have access to treatment. Without adequate care, particularly in developing countries, the disease leads to at least 1 million suicides per year.
The lack of attention depression garners is no doubt colored by the assumption that happiness is a choice—implying that the opposite must be too. The truth reveals a lack of choice that’s unsettling. Depression, as swaths of scientific researchers have shown, is no more a choice than any other illness.
Dr. Heidi Ledford addresses the discrepancy in the way depression is viewed in an article titled “If Depression Were Cancer.” “If the extent of human suffering were used to decide which diseases deserve the most medical attention, then depression would be near the top of the list,” she writes.
For years the scientific community has raised flags about the increasing dangers of this epidemic. A 1997 paper in The Lancet predicted that unipolar major depression would be the No. 2 leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by 2020. It’s an idea echoed by WHO in 2010, and many in the psychiatric field since.
But some in the field worry that reports and predictions like these only serve to make the problem worse. Dr. Gary Greenberg, author and 30-year veteran of the psychotherapy world, says these studies employ diagnostic criteria that—while useful for more quantitative things like blood pressure—aren’t necessarily a clear marker for mental illness.
“I think what you’re looking at there is research artifact,” he says. “That’s what happens when you start asking those questions.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) uses nine criteria for diagnosing depression, some of which are vague in nature, like “fatigue” or “change in sleep.”
Anyone that has watched a commercial for antidepressants and heard the lines “Are you tired? Angry?” understands how easy it could be to qualify for this condition.
But by studying how many people are affected by this disease, and how the brain functions during this time of stress, Greenberg argues that science is leaving out one of the most important pieces of the puzzle: why. “I don’t want to underplay it,” he says of the numbers. “It must be an indication that life is getting harder for many people. Depression diagnosis is one of the greatest exports of the last century, but its highly possible we help to export the problems that cause it.”
Research into depression is almost exclusively dedicated to this systematic consideration of what is going on in the brain, not what factors led to it—a fact that is in part due to the difficult nature of examining risk factors. “It’s much easier to look at a person’s state of mind than to figure out whether the problem is poverty or misogyny,” Greenberg says.
While WHO’s intention in releasing information about the growing severity of depression in the U.S. is to increase awareness, the result is a significant boost in psychiatry—a move that is both proactive and stunting.
“People start to think about mood states,” says Greenberg—who worries that the knowledge promotes more drug regimens than personal exploration that may take a deeper look at the problems. “Suddenly psychiatry isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s a necessity.”Today Congress looks at a resolution calling for a pro-Bitcoin national policy.
The bipartisan H. Res. 835, which was introduced in July by Rep. Adam Kinzinger and co-sponsored by Rep. Tony Cardenas, will be before the House today. Coin Center supports this resolution. We believe that this type of formal articulation of a pro-innovation policy is essential to guaranteeing America’s long term competitiveness in the open blockchain industry.
Last week we sent a letter of support to Reps. Kinzinger and Cardenas, applauding their forward-thinking leadership in encouraging the development of open blockchain networks, and strongly supporting the resolution. In the letter we outline the challenging regulatory landscape that companies seeking to innovate with these technologies face in the U.S. today:
In recent years, various nations, and the United Kingdom in particular, have taken significant steps to provide a more welcoming home for technologists and fintech firms. Many in the press have identified this growing gap and have warned of a coming exodus of innovative companies. This is a particularly dire state of affairs for American fintech competitiveness given two troublesome structural features of US financial regulation not present in the UK and other nations: our federalist patchwork of incongruous and overlapping state money transmission regulation, and the rules-based rather than principles-based approach pursued by most regulators in this space. These two structural issues are not a product of mistakes or miscalibration by any particular legislature, agency, or governmental body specifically; they are features of the larger historical landscape of financial regulation in the US. A landscape now overdue for pruning.
If passed, this resolution sets forth a sense of commitment from the House of Representatives to develop policies that will alleviate these burdens and position the United States as an attractive place for the next generation of digital currency businesses to thrive.
Link/TweetThe second reason for my surprise is the assertion that legislators, law enforcement and people in general are concerned about the sexual assault of women. In forensic labs across the nation, there are many rape kits that never get turned in or tested. In colleges across America, rapists are allowed to take class, play sports, hold scholarships and graduate while their victims are psychologically and often academically destroyed. The current statistic in the U.S. is 1 in 3 women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. It is approximated that 70 percent of sexual assaults go unreported because victims don't want to go through the publicizing of the worst thing to ever happen to them. This is underlined by the knowledge that their rapists, if convicted, will likely spend very little time in jail. That being said, are we expected to believe that a concern for preventing the sexual assault of women is at the forefront of political decision-making? If so, how impeccably convenient!Image copyright EPA
Images of people scrambling over barbed wire fences in Calais or crossing the Mediterranean in fishing boats have dominated the media over the last few months. And a debate has even emerged about the very words used to describe people.
The word migrant is defined in Oxford English Dictionary as "one who moves, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another".
It is used as a neutral term by many media organisations - including the BBC - but there has been criticism of that use.
News website al-Jazeera has decided it will not use migrant and "will instead, where appropriate, say refugee". An online editor for the network wrote: "It has evolved from its dictionary definitions into a tool that dehumanises and distances, a blunt pejorative." A Washington Post piece asked if it was time to ditch the word.
There are some who dislike the term because it implies something voluntary but that it is applied to people fleeing danger. A UN document suggests: "The term'migrant'… should be understood as covering all cases where the decision to migrate is taken freely by the individual concerned, for reasons of 'personal convenience' and without intervention of an external compelling factor."
Image copyright Getty Images
"Migrant used to have quite a neutral connotation," explains Alexander Betts, director of the Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University. "It says nothing about their entitlement to cross that border or whether they should be." But some people believe that the word has recently developed a sour note. It is being used to mean "not a refugee", argues Betts.
Online searches for migrant are at their highest since Google started collating this information in 2004. And in the past month (to 25 August using the Nexis database), the most commonly used term in UK national newspapers (excluding the Times, the Sun and the Financial Times) was migrant - with 2,541 instances. This was twice as popular as the next most frequently used word, refugee.
A refugee, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention, "is any person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country".
"Refugee implies that we have an obligation to people," says Betts. "It implies that we have to let them on to our territory and give them the chance to seek asylum."
But there would be many people who would be wary of labelling someone a refugee until that person has gone through the legal process of claiming asylum. In the UK, and other places, claims for "refugee status" are examined before being either granted or denied.
Image copyright Getty Images
"The moment at which they can officially say whether they are refugees or economic migrants is the moment at which the EU state that is processing their claim makes its decision," says Tim Stanley, historian and columnist for the Daily Telegraph. "I am not questioning the validity of their narrative, I am not saying that anyone was lying about it. I am saying that it is down to the state in which they have arrived to define what they are."
Asylum seeker refers to someone who has applied for refugee status and is waiting to hear the result of their claim. But it is also often used about those trying to get to a particular country to make a claim. The word asylum is very old indeed having first been used in 1430 to refer to "a sanctuary or inviolable place of refuge and protection for criminals and debtors, from which they cannot be forcibly removed without sacrilege".
The most common descriptor for asylum seeker in UK newspaper articles between 2010 to 2012 was the word failed.
But while the term failed asylum seeker describes someone who has gone through a well-defined process, there are less specifically applied terms.
One of the more controversial ones is illegal immigrant, along with illegal migrant.
A study by the Migration Observatory at Oxford University analysed 58,000 UK newspaper articles and found that illegal was the most common descriptor for the word immigrants.
Image copyright AP
"The term is dangerous," argues Don Flynn, director of Migrants Rights Network. "It's better to say irregular or undocumented migrants." Calling someone an illegal immigrant associates them with criminal behaviour, he adds.
Other critics of the phrase say that it gives the impression that it's the person that is illegal rather than their actions. "Once you've entered the UK and claimed asylum, you are not illegal. Even if your asylum claim is refused, you still can't be an illegal migrant," says Zoe Grumbridge from Refugee Action.
The UN and the EU parliament have called for an end to the phrase. Some people have also criticised the use of clandestine. In 2013, the Associated Press news agency and the Los Angeles Times both changed their style guides and recommended against using the phrase "illegal immigrant" to describe someone without a valid visa.
But others disagree, saying that the phrase can be a useful description. "If you are coming into a country without permission and you do it outside the law, that is illegal," says Alp Mehmet, vice chairman of MigrationWatch UK. "If they haven't entered yet, they are not illegal immigrants, although potentially they are migrating using illegal means."
Clearly there are those who want to make a distinction between people using the accepted legal channel to enter a country and those who are entering by other methods.
"I understand why people are uncomfortable with that term but it is accurate when you are talking about someone who has broken the law to enter the country or who has been told to leave the country and is breaking the law by staying," says Stanley.
Image copyright Getty Images
Another criticism of the term immigrant, with or without the word illegal added on to it, is that it is less likely to be used to describe people from Western countries. Some commentators have suggested that Europeans tend to be referred to as expats.
"Very often when we talk about British people who migrate," says Emma Briant, author of the book Bad News for Refugees, "we tend to talk of them as expats or expatriates. They are not immigrants." There has been some satirical commentary about the differences between the terms.
But the shift towards the neutral blanket term migrant has been pronounced. To again use UK national newspapers as a measurement, 15 years ago, in the month to 25 August, the terms refugee, asylum seeker and illegal immigrant were all used more often than migrants.
And many disagree that migrant is in any way offensive. "It's a proper description for anyone who has moved across a border," says Don Flynn from the Migrants Rights Network.
Judith Vonberg, a freelance journalist who has written for the Migrants' Rights Network about the issue, goes further. She says that ditching the word could "actually reinforce the dichotomy that we've got between the idea of the good refugee and the bad migrant".
Alp Mehmet, from Migration Watch, also believes that migrant should be used but because it is an easy word to understand. "Everyone… knows exactly what we mean by migrants."
Some people also believe that migrant is an appropriate phrase to use when a group of people could include both refugees and economic migrants. Tim Stanley argues that it does accurately reflect a significant number of people who are making the crossing into Europe. "It is why the UNHCR is absolutely right to describe that group of people as both migrants and refugees," he says.
The use of the term economic migrant has been much debated. Home Secretary Theresa May used it in May to describe migration into Europe. She said that there were large numbers of people coming from countries such as Nigeria and Somalia who were "economic migrants who've paid criminal gangs to take them across the Mediterranean".
The term economic migrant is "being used to imply choice rather than coercion", says Betts. "It's used to imply that it's voluntary reasons for movement rather than forced movement."
Some words have fallen almost completely out of favour. Alien was used regularly in the UK press before World War Two, says Panikos Panayi, professor of European history at De Montfort University. "The first major immigration act [in the UK] was called the Aliens Act 1905," he says.
But in the US, alien remains official terminology for any person who is not a citizen or national.
The Obama administration proposed Dreamers as a new positive way - with its reference to the American Dream - of describing undocumented young people who met the conditions of the Dream act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors).
There is another word with positive connotations that is not used much anymore. "Exile has gone out of credit," says Betts, since the end of the Cold War. "It had a slightly sort of dignified and noble connotation," he argues.
It was used to describe someone who had been forced out of their country but was still politically engaged with it and was planning on going back one day. "I think that today, many Syrians are in that position," says Betts.
The shifting language of migration might seem petty to some but to those involved in the debate there is no doubt of its importance. "Words matter in the migration debate," says Rob McNeil from the Migration Observatory.
Additional reporting by Jody-Lan Castle and Harry Low
More from the Magazine
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Around 3,000 migrants are camped around Calais in northern France. Many of them think life will be better in the UK than France - or many other EU countries - but are they right?
Would Calais migrants really be better off in the UK? (July 2015)
Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.The encouraging statistic for Newcastle United fans is that their new signing Aleksandar Mitrovic scored 36 goals in his two seasons at Anderlecht. The worrying statistic is during that time he picked up two red cards and 13 yellows. He is big, explosive and talented but there is a streak of wildness. Perhaps it is only natural, given he is 20, but there are times when he can seem rather younger than that.
If Mitrovic on the pitch is tough, passionate, committed and no stranger to controversy, off it he often seems as though he is on some sort of standby setting. He walks and talks slowly, and spends most of his time outside football with his family, his girlfriend, Kristina, or watching television.
Newcastle confirm signing of Aleksandar Mitrovic from Anderlecht Read more
His regular changes of outlandish haircut – “life’s boring enough without always having the same hair,” he says – should not be taken as an indication he is some kind of peacock or playboy. The comparison to Mario Balotelli was made early in his career but it is one Mitrovic rejects. “Balotelli is not my role model,” he said. “I like him as a player very much and he is very talented. He could have been at the very top but my style does not have anything with him.”
His models, rather, are Didier Drogba and, more recently, Diego Costa. “He runs, scores, defends, is passionate and is a team player,” Mitrovic said of the Spain international. “I want to be like that.”
Effort certainly is not an issue. Mitrovic’s fitness coach, Andreja Milutinovic, who worked last season with Internazionale, describes him as one of the most professional players he has worked with, saying Mitrovic has never been late for training and has his own programme he follows outside of team practices. The Serbian journalist Aleksandar Stojanovic once joined him in training at Partizan and was struck by his silent concentration lifting weights and then in hill sprints in Kosutnjak forest in Belgrade.
Despite that, there was a time when Mitrovic was accused of being overweight; the result, it turned out, of his mother’s cooking. More recently, he reportedly returned to Anderlecht from international duty apparently the worse for wear from, it was said, having stuffed himself with pizza. He has switched to natural shakes, introduced more fish to his diet and tries not to eat too late at night to keep his body fat down. The fact is, though, as he himself acknowledges, he likes to eat and, for all his efforts in the gym, he seems to be somebody who puts on weight easily.
Eating aside, however, there is a single-mindedness about Mitrovic, a will to win perhaps best seen at the European Under-19 Championship in 2013 when Serbia beat France in the final and he was named player of the tournament. “He is dedicated to the team,” said the then coach, Ljubinko Drulovic. “Did you see him in the final coming back to our penalty box when France were attacking – not a set piece but during open play? He is a team player. He likes to win. He even criticised some players for not doing their duties in defence, saying to one: ‘If you don’t follow your full-back again I’ll come and beat you up, understand?’”
Alongside that there is a recklessness, a thoughtlessness, a hot-headedness that can get him into trouble. Mitrovic scored against Borussia Dortmund last December and celebrated by sticking his tongue between index and middle fingers, a gesture that was widely condemned for being sexually suggestive. “It’s personal,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about it but it’s not what they think. They should have asked me about it and now, as they did not, and they have accused me, I don’t want to speak about it.”
It has been suggested that what he was actually miming was cutting the tongues of his critics. Not there have been too many of them. Belgian journalists seem to have regarded him with affection, as a big likable kid who occasionally does something a bit daft.
In another Champions League game, against Paris Saint-Germain the previous season, Mitrovic and the midfielder Luka Milivojevic clashed with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “He swore at us in Serbian,” Mitrovic said. “What did he think we were going to do? Back off?”
Backing off is something he has never done. Mitrovic is aggressive and self-assertive, somebody who works ferociously hard – even if he occasionally eats a little too much. He’s got the physique and the technical ability and if at 20 he is a little gauche, so what? Far more important, surely, is that he has a determination and an edge.
He is far from the finished product but there is plenty of raw material to refine.Online gaming powerhouse Bigpoint is showing off scenes today from its upcoming online role-playing game based on HBO’s hit television show Game of Thrones.
The company is already one of the biggest players in online games thanks to licensed titles such as Battlestar Galactica Online, which has more than nine million registered users. It is using big brands such as Game of Thrones to get an edge with its free-to-play online games.
The Game of Thrones TV series was inspired by George R.R. Martin’s fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Since the HBO series debuted, video game fans have been chomping at the bit to see a game adaptation.
Martin and HBO spilled the news about the game last year, but Bigpoint hasn’t had a chance to show off its work until now. Bigpoint’s new web site for the game offers you the chance to sign up and “die for your house.”
Bigpoint grew big as a browser-based game publisher in Hamburg, Germany, but in the past couple of years it has expanded into the U.S. and moved its headquarters to San Francisco. The company will show a sneak peek of the game, a browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (an MMORPG that doesn’t require a long download) at the upcoming Game Developers Conference next week in San Francisco.
The game will be set in the fictional medieval world of Westeros and its Seven Kingdoms, where summers can last for decades and winters can last a lifetime.
“With a rich and complex story, expressed through an amazing level of detail, it’s easy to see why the HBO series … has amassed an army of fans worldwide,” said Heiko Hubertz, chief executive and founder of Bigpoint. “We intend to build a game that resonates intimately with its diehard community of followers, while also creating an authentic gaming experience that attracts newcomers to the franchise. The excitement of online games is that, over time, their collective input will help shape the game’s destiny; we’re eager to see how the story unfolds.”
Bigpoint plans to create high-end graphics to deliver a “visceral gaming experience” and capture the “bloodthirsty struggle for power, corruption, and deception” from the series. Players will have to master both combat and politics to ensure survival of their dynasties.
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of HBO said the series can be naturally extended into a game, which is one more example of transmedia, or the exploitation of a popular property across books, televisions, games, and other media. Norwegian game studio Artplant will develop the title for Bigpoint on top of the Unity 3D development platform. Artplant helped develop Battlestar Galactica Online.
Work on the game began last summer and a closed beta test is planned for the fall of 2012. Bigpoint has more than 250 million registered users. Last year, investors Summit Partners and TA Associates bought a majority stake in Bigpoint for $350 million in a deal that valued Bigpoint at $600 million. Bigpoint has more than 800 employees now.Council will be cutting traffic lanes on Argyle Street in downtown Halifax to make way for a pedestrian thoroughfare as part of a trial.
The street, a popular nightspot with many bars and restaurants and home of Neptune Theatre, currently has one lane for cars to drive down.
The pilot project, approved by council earlier this week, will test a pedestrian-only lane in the section of Argyle between Blowers and Sackville streets.
"Argyle Street is the heart of entertainment in Halifax and is positioned to become a showcase street in the city. Ideas for enhancing the streetscape have been discussed for many years," the council report from the Planning and Design Centre says.
The report says the plan includes input from local businesses and the community at large.
"It is a community-driven plan," says the report.
Business owners and patrons of the area have been supportive of the plan, which would also be cyclist friendly.
City staff estimate the trial will cost $40,000.We currently run nine courses, with more to come. You enroll starting with Course IA and complete each course before enrolling in the next one in sequence.
Courses IA & IB
Introducing the Buddha’s Teachings and the Foundation for Buddhist Practice
Courses 1A and 1B cover topics such as happiness, working with emotions, gaining an accurate view of ourselves and our lives, and how to set up a daily practice.
Course II
Renunciation
Three Principal Aspects of the Path
Course II explores the meaning of renunciation and the determination to be free, the reasons and methods for cultivating it, and how to ascertain when we have generated renunciation.
Course III
Bodhicitta
Three Principal Aspects of the Path
Bodhicitta is the altruistic intention to benefit all living beings, including oneself, and to become a Buddha in order to do so. This module explores the advantages of bodhicitta, its importance, and how to cultivate it.
Course IV
Karma
Karma means action. This module covers virtuous and non-virtuous actions and their results, how the law of cause and effect functions, and how to purify destructive actions.
Course V
The Four Truths for Noble Ones – Part 1
The Four Truths for Noble Ones (often translated as the Four Noble Truths) are the foundation of the Buddha’s teachings. Here we examine our current situation, its causes, the possibility of attaining liberation, and the path to that liberation.
Course VI
The Four Truths for Noble Ones – Part 2
In Part 2, we delve more deeply into the aspects of the Four Truths for the Noble Ones.
Course VII
Refuge
Once we have a basic understanding of cyclic existence and our human potential, we take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha. This course explore what that means.
Course Vlll
The Six Perfections – Part 1
The six far-reaching practices—generosity, ethical conduct, fortitude, joyous effort, meditative stabilization, and wisdom—benefit us and those around us, now and in the future. This course examines the first three practices—generosity, ethical conduct, and fortitude—exploring what makes them “far-reaching,” and how to cultivate them.At WWDC this year Apple and Twitter announced a new partnership to bring Twitter to iOS (s aapl) devices. While this is impressive, the total number of new iOS users is dwarfed by the number of people who use feature phones worldwide. So how will services like Twitter bridge this opportunity gap?
The answer may be found in BlueVia, a prime example of the next generation of developer-friendly telco platforms. BlueVia is a spin out from Telefonica, itself a large telecommunication provider. The BlueVia platform exposes a simple set of REST APIs that enable developers to use SMS, MMS, location, and other services previously obscured with telco-only technologies like IMS and ParlayX. Perhaps more importantly, it is based on an attractive business model: pay developers for using telco APIs.
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Unlike prior telco approaches that required developers to pay thousands of dollars in advance for blocks of text messages they may never use, BlueVia offers developers a revenue share for sending messages on behalf of Telefonica customers.
Twitter will be launching a phone-based photo service based on MMS, and the word is out that BlueVia APIs will be used as a key part of this launch. This could help solve Twitter’s business model problem by generating cash payments to Twitter from the operators for each MMS message sent. I sat down with the architects of BlueVia, Jose Valles and Ruben Mellardo, to get a better understanding of why a web company like Twitter would be interested in using telco APIs. The result is a heavily edited Q&A below:
What is BlueVia?
Valles: BlueVia is a business proposition to developers to take the core assets of an operator and release that power into the hands of developers. It’s about giving them functionality that can be used in their software, offering them the chance to easily earn money from our customers and helping them to get in front of as many of our customers as possible.
Why did you launch it?
Valles: Telefonica had been working for several years with developers with little success. We weren’t focusing in our core assets. We were doing scattered things in innovation labs. We were missing the real scale of Telefonica that means giving developers a chance to work with more than 270 million customers. We weren’t using the right technologies. And probably the most painful thing was the business approach to developers. The old model is to charge the developer up front – before the developer sees any revenue from their app. We turned that model around and said, “Let’s share our revenue with developers.” I’m proud to say we’re the first operator to do this.
What are the most important assets to open up to developers?
Mellardo: We want developers to be able to innovate on classical enablers like SMS and MMS, faster than we can, and with new ideas. SMS is universally available but there are many more applications that could be invented. This increases SMS usage, bringing new revenues to Telefonica and we share this revenue with the app developer.
What other enablers are important?
Mellardo: The Payment API is crucial. We’ll expose others over time like Call Management and Voice. I think it’s important for them because they can do business with us beyond the classical “application downloads” business model. If you are going to use APIs, this is recurring revenue for the developer. This is a moral issue where we can be equable and share with developers.
What kinds of things can now be done that couldn’t be done before?
Valles: As the APIs are cloud based APIs, you can embed Telco capacities in any connected device, no matter if it’s a smartphone, a PC, a tablet, a connected car, or a TV. For example, Otter uses our APIs in an Android app to get paid whenever a customer sends an SMS. This has enabled Otter to change its pricing model. You can find it in the Android Market Place in US for $4.99 but it can be found in Telefonica Movistar Argentina for free. Another example is TextDeck, a Mac app that allows you to send SMS to your Google contacts straight from the Dashboard. The developer gets 20 percent of each SMS sent.
Mellardo: In terms of Telefonica, it’s very easy for a developer to start working with SMS and MMS. You can just sign up on the web, and developers with web skills can work with us, instead of having to know a lot about telecommunications infrastructure. The developer can now receive SMS and MMS in their applications directly, and simply. The Payment API for developers will allow them to charge customers using the phone bill. This is very simple and straightforward. They can solve the HTML5 in-app billing and charging problem.
How does this fit with the evolution of telcos/operators over the next few years?
Valles: One of our main struggles has been being able to address growing demand of customers: more and more specialized services. We are good at doing big things – deploying fiber, 3G, and LTE – but not about addressing the demand for customized services.
Mellardo: But in the internet world you have a lot of services with lots of personalization for a few users. That’s the new model and that’s not something we can do. In a year, we can launch 10 or 20 services, but not 1,000 services. So we need the community to have a lot of services, and the only way we can get there is by having third parties innovate and build. And we need to grow financially, and this is the only way to do that sustainably in the long term.
What’s the biggest surprise?
Mellardo: When we launched BlueVia, I expected a lot of criticism and cynicism from the community. But then I saw the community of developers say “Hey, these guys are changing; these guys want to do business with us; they want to give us a revenue share from their core assets; maybe these guys are going to be fair with us.” This was a really pleasant surprise.
Sam Ramji is Vice President of Strategy at Apigee, a company that manages APIs. Prior to Apigee, Ramji led open source strategy across Microsoft.SUGAR HOUSE — Every Tuesday, Brian Parker takes out the trash for his parents. And for the rest of the neighborhood.
"He'll leave generally around 10 o'clock (in the morning) and sometimes it's not until 10 o'clock at night that he gets back," said Edward Parker, Brian's dad.
As capable as he is, something's always been missing.
"I've never had a job where I'd have to be there, check in, stay there until the end of my shift," Brian Parker said.
Then, he met Heidi Nielson.
"People with special needs are committed people and they want to work, and they want to contribute to society," Nielson said.
She and her husband, Chris, heard about an ice cream store in Dallas called Howdy Homemade Ice Cream.
David and Susan Koelliker, friends of the Nielsons, encouraged them to open a franchise.
"We all have special needs, don't we? I mean we are all walking around with special needs," David Koelliker said.
Koelliker has been fighting a brain tumor for eight long years. Once a popular dentist, he sees the world differently now.
And it sealed the deal.
"All of the sudden he called his wife over and he said, 'Sue, Chris and I are going to start an ice cream store and it's going to be employed by angels," Nielson said.
Angels like Brian, who came into the world at over 10 pounds. "I thought, 'Oh my goodness, he's going to be able to follow his Dad and play some football,'" Edward Parker said.
Howdy Homemade Ice Cream opens in Salt Lake City employing mostly people with special needs. (Photo: KSL TV)
"When he was born, it was not obvious that he was any different from any other child," Janice Parker, Brian's mom, said.
Life has not been easy for Brian. He has significant developmental delays. Not everyone sees how much he has to offer.
"Brian has taught a lot of people what it's like to be different," Janice Parker said.
Howdy Homemade is staffed mostly by people like Brian. Nielson's grandfather owned Dufin's ice cream store, which closed 50 years ago, and he had a daughter with special needs. "Call it divine intervention or whatever you want to call it. Someone's working on our behalf making a new ice cream store two generations later," she said.
As Brian learned the job, it took some practice, and trial and error. "Oops, I dropped it on the floor," he said.
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with some of the most unremarkable rides I’ve ever run across. Other than tradition — why do I, someone many years outside of its target demographic, continue to care?
The fact is that they have honed their craft down to a razors edge.
Simply put, they are very good at making people feel very good. Every time I visit, they’ve cut a little time out of the lines, added just enough to an old attraction to make it worth seeing again, and placed enough “new” content in to give the old park a fresh coat of paint.
More than that, everything from the music, to the shows, to the cast’s well trained cheer, is designed to leave me feeling a little better about the world. That kind of Marketing is absolutely priceless.
Learn to turn work into play. This last point is one that product designers constantly overlook. There are certain “features” that we add to our offerings that frustrate users. Usually these are data entry tasks or other forms of manual labor that we weren’t creative enough to work out of the process. Instead of letting these hiccups slow adoption, we should take a lesson from the Mouse and learn to turn them into opportunities to add more value.
I would not doubt if a sizable chunk of Disney’s ride budget goes into line design. Between Fast Passes, expanding and shrinking the queue depending on demand and the range of audio and visual treats to keep bored customers chomping at the bit to get on, Disney (along with many other theme parks) have become masters of transforming one of the most tedious human activities (waiting) into something that is at least bearable, and sometimes even mildly entertaining.
There is a certain amount of tedium that just can’t be eliminated from your product, don’t use this fact as an excuse not to mitigate the damage caused.
Web 2.0 Roundup
If you work it out, most people spend 60 dollars for what amounts to 45 minutes (at best) of actual rides. The rest is expensed on some combination of waiting, walking and eating overpriced food. Yet, at the end of the day, everyone feels like every dime was well spent.
That is branding.
(Image) (RSS)One of the odd things about traveling between the Bay Area and New York a lot is the asynchronicity of mass culture between coasts: That is, the things that get popular in the Bay Area (PostMates, Burning Man) don’t always get popular in New York right away, and things New Yorkers think are a big deal (cronuts, Banksy) are greeted with shrugs in San Francisco.
Today, the inter-city hype gap I most experience is with Uber. In New York, most people who know about Uber see it as the fanciest of a handful of on-demand car services. (The way it works: You open the Uber app on your smart phone and choose one of several grades of cars — luxury SUV or Prius? — indicate where you want the vehicle to pick you up, and pay for your ride by credit card, with the rate varying according to distance and your choice of vehicle.) In New York, where the yellow cab market is functional and robust, Uber is seen as a good app, but not a life-changing one, and its use is still pretty much limited to young people with disposable income.
In San Francisco tech crowds, though, Uber is seen as the messiah. Other than Tesla Motors, there’s probably no Silicon Valley company that has more insane expectations swirling around it. Plugged-in people in the Bay Area will tell you things that are hard to believe: Uber is the most exciting company in the Valley. Uber will be a $100 billion company in five years.
I assumed that most of this was tech-bubble hype. But in the past few months, after conversations with Uber employees, investors, and people familiar with the company’s long-term plans, I started understanding the company’s potential. And now, after a set of Uber financials leaked to Valleywag this week, I feel confident joining the bandwagon: Uber very well could be enormous someday, maybe bigger than Facebook.
I can sum up the bullish case for Uber in one word: Amazon.
Amazon began in 1994 as a bookseller, then quickly realized that the efficient warehousing and shipping infrastructure they’d built to sell books could be used to get all kinds of things to customers quickly. So they branched out, first to consumer items like kitchen tools and electronics, then to cars and art and all manner of other things, some of which weren’t even sold by Amazon but used Amazon as a sales portal. Then, they started shooting up all kinds of other businesses – Amazon Web Services, a now-enormous cloud data service that hosts an insane number of websites, a Kindle e-publishing business, and a streaming-TV service to rival Netflix. Now, when you think of Amazon, you don’t even think books, or any other single category. You think, “Here’s a place I can go to get stuff.”
Likewise, Uber’s plan is to outgrow its car-service roots, and become, as investor Shervin Pishevar put it, “a digital mesh” capable of providing all kinds of transportation and logistical services to people in the cities it serves. Once it has you summoning cars from your phone, the logic goes, it can use that same back-end technology to hook you in for all other kinds of deliveries — food, clothes, Christmas trees. And eventually, like Amazon, it can become something akin to an all-purpose utility — it’ll just be a way you get things and go places. There’s a reason the company recently changed its tagline from “Everyone’s private driver” to the much broader “Where lifestyle meets logistics.”
Uber declined to comment for this story, but here are some facts about the company that are publicly available:
It’s one of the fastest-growing companies on Earth, having expanded into 22 countries and 60 cities, most in the last several months. (Uber launched in Guangzhou, Abu Dhabi, and New Delhi this week.)
, Abu Dhabi, and New Delhi this week.) It’s making serious money – according to Valleywag’s leaked screenshot, its run-rate (estimated annual revenue, if you extrapolate the numbers we have out to a full year) is more than $200 million. By comparison, Twitter, a company worth $25 billion as of today, did $317 million in revenue last year. By those standards, Uber’s last valuation – $3.5 billion – seems laughably small.
small. It’s hiring like crazy. Just look at its jobs list, or see that it plans to quadruple its staff from last March’s level by next March.
March. It’s filled with experienced business operators and financiers, like Wall Street legend David Bonderman (the founder of TPG Capital, and a new Uber board member). In other words, it’s not one of those Silicon Valley start-ups run by cocky 22-year-olds.
Capital, and a new Uber board member). In other words, it’s not one of those Silicon Valley start-ups run by cocky 22-year-olds. It’s now a financial services company.
On that last point: Last week, before its financials leaked, Uber did something huge. The company said it had lined up $2.5 billion in outside financing for low-interest car loans for UberX drivers – that is, making it possible for up to 200,000 drivers to buy their own cars at very low interest rates, under the condition that they use those cars on the Uber network for the duration of the loan. These drivers are locked in once they’ve agreed to the loan, unless they want to see their rates balloon. (I couldn’t get specific rate information out of a company spokeswoman, though she confirmed that under the program, UberX drivers “agree to two financing rates: one that reflects the cost savings of them partnering with Uber and one that doesn’t. As long as they remain on the UberX system, they receive the former set of terms.”)
Why is this huge? Because it will solve two of Uber’s problems at once: the supply of available UberX vehicles, and the stability of its driver force. Imagine that 100,000 drivers take Uber up on its offer for a low-interest loan. That essentially means that 100,000 drivers are pledging to work for Uber for as long as their loan lasts (a standard duration will be four years, the company says). And as more drivers come onto its network, Uber will be able to increase availability at lower prices. The UberX ride that costs $30 will soon cost $20, then $15, and you’ll barely have to wait for a pickup. (Oh, and Uber will be minting money: the company has estimated that each Uber vehicle grosses $100,000 a year, meaning that all those additional cars could create tens of billions of dollars in sales.)
That’s the short-term objective for Uber: to kill the taxi business, and become the cheapest, best way to get around major cities all over the world.
The medium-term objective for Uber is much broader, and has to do with what tech nerds call the “death of the ownership society.” As Uber rides become cheaper and cheaper, there will be less need for people to own their own cars. This is already happening, to some extent. (Here’s a blog post about a guy who sold his 3-series BMW because it was cheaper to use Uber instead.) But it will become more plausible as prices come down. And it will start to apply to lots of other products as Uber opens up partnerships with non-car companies. Why buy an expensive grill for a summer picnic, knowing that you’ll use it maybe ten times a year, when for $40, Uber can deliver you a grill (and a few packs of hot dogs) in half an hour, and send a car to pick it back up the next day? (Unlike Kozmo and other companies that have tried similar schemes, Uber already has the fleet and dispatch system in place; it’d just be a matter of throwing a grill in the trunk.)
So, step one: Take over taxi industry. Step two: Kill ownership. From there, who knows what could happen in the long term? Uber could start using self-driving cars made by Google (one of its investors) to eliminate the need for human drivers, driving down its costs even more. It could introduce a near-instantaneous delivery service to rival Amazon’s drones. It could roll out a subscription service, akin to Amazon Prime, that would include perks like predictive transportation, so that, for example, when Uber sees an appointment on your Google calendar for a cross-town meeting, it sends a car to your office automatically at the right time. There’s no reason that other companies couldn’t try to do these things, too. But Uber has first-mover advantage, and it’s got most of the kinks – customer interface, payment, fleet management, supply-and-demand considerations – worked out already, making it a prime candidate to beat competitors to new product areas.
The result of Uber’s efforts, in other words, could be the creation of a techno-metropolis, in which people and goods are ferreted around seamlessly and, perhaps, automatically. It would be like something out of a sci-fi movie. And Uber would be standing at the center of it all, collecting a cut of every transaction.
This all sounds sort of fanciful, and it is. A lot of things would need to go right, in succession, for Uber to achieve its grand plan for global domination. There’s no guarantee that regulators (who have been trying to shut down Uber for ages) won’t find a way to slow down or stop the company in new markets, or that foreign competitors won’t pop up and take away the company’s overseas ambitions. Drivers in some cities are already rebelling against the company’s pay policies, which they say are unfair. And going public, as Uber is expected to do in the next few years, could introduce pressure to juice quarterly returns, rather than adopting the Amazon strategy of forcing competitors out of the market by keeping margins extremely low for years. So grains of salt are warranted.
What we do know is that Uber has demographics and economics on its side. More people are moving to cities, and all of them need to get themselves and their stuff around. Uber has developed a good platform for doing that. And even if it only achieves its short-term goal of replacing the existing taxi industry with fleets of vehicles using its technology, it will still be a huge, huge company. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, Uber isn’t reliant on the flighty, unpredictable advertising market – its revenue is made when people buy stuff, with real money.
If you’re a taxi service, a delivery app like PostMates, or a courier service of any kind, Uber’s plans should scare the hell out of you. They’re fast, they’re ruthless, and they have the support of some of the biggest companies in Silicon Valley. All that doesn’t necessarily add up to success, especially given the regulatory tightrope the company walks. But if they can pull it off, Uber might follow Amazon to massive revenues and a status as a “get stuff” company. In ten years, we might be scratching our heads: Wait, Uber used to be a car service?Three. Day. Weekend. There’s meat on sticks and beach attire this weekend, and Reggae Sunday returns on Peaks Island. Because it’s Memorial Day weekend. There’s also a rooftop dinner, a new exhibit at the PMA, and movies for people who like music – but this weekend also marks the opening of things we’ve been waiting a long time for: kayak rentals, patios, amusement parks, mountain roads, and ropes courses, so be sure to squeeze some of those in, too.
More weekend ideas for you: 11 things to do on Memorial Day Weekend
For the weekend of May 22-25, 2014:
Eat food on sticks
Brewers & Skewers
5 p.m. Thursday | East Ender, Portland | $42 | http://www.mainebeercompany.com/events/
Food. Beer. The Brewers & Skewers event features beers from Oxbow Brewing Company and Maine Beer Company and food from East Ender. $42 gets you four beer tickets and eight passed apps. Call for reservations: 207-879-7669.
Catch two music-related movies
Movies for People Who Like Music
8 p.m. Friday | One Longfellow Square, Portland | $10 | www.onelongfellowsquare.com
Two movies for music lovers with inquiring minds. At 8 p.m. it’s “Anvil – The Story of Anvil” which focuses on the band Anvil, called “the demigods of Canadian metal.” At 9:30 p.m. it’s “Searching for Sugar Man,” the Oscar-winning documentary about two South Africans search for little-known American musician Sixto Rodriquez.
Eat, drink & dance on the roof
Rooftop Dinner
6 p.m. Friday | The Rooftop at The Portland Regency Hotel, Portland | $90 per person | mainewine.com
This dinner isn’t cheap. We get it. But imagine this: A four-course gourmet dinner including poached sea scallops topped with caviar over Tuscan black rice with white asparagus and cocoa-espresso rubbed tenderloin with mashed white sweet potato. Imagine a rooftop overlooking our little city and plenty of Cellardoor wine. And as the sun sets, imagine yourself gettin’ down to live music from Band of New York.
See photorealism on exhibit
“Richard Estes’ Realism”
Opens Thursday and is on view through Sept. 7 | Portland Museum of Art, Portland | $5 in addition to museum admission | www.portlandmuseum.org
The Portland Museum of Art opens its major summer show, a retrospective of Maine-based photorealist painter Richard Estes. The exhibition features 50 years of paintings from New York, Maine and Europe.
“Stigmata: A Tragedy in Three Acts”
Annual Jimmy Buffet party
7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday | Mayo Street Arts, Portland | $5 suggested donation | mayostreetarts.org A 16th-century Italian nun struggles to keep her sexuality and her ambition alive in an environment of brutal religious repression. Mayo Street Arts hosts a staged reading of Carolyn Gage’s new play “Stigmata.” Saturday’s performance includes a talk-back moderated by Megan Grumbling.
Reggae Sunday
1 p.m. Sunday | Dock Fore, Portland | No cover | facebook.com/dock.fore It’s a three-day weekend, which means Sunday is basically another Saturday. That means you can hit Dock Fore’s Jimmy Buffet Party (decked out in your best island garb, of course) for some beer specials and reprises of Margaritaville and not have to worry about waking up early for work on Monday.
Eat with the family
Family Feast Memorial Day Bash
Music starts at 1 p.m. Sunday | No cover before 11 a.m. | Jones Landing, Peaks Island | www.facebook.com/ Reggae Sunday returns this weekend (the first in what will be a long summer season of Sunday reggae, so if you can’t make it this weekend, you’ll have plenty of other chances). This Sunday, there will be live music from Royal Hammer. No cover before 11 a.m., and the music gets started at 1 pm.
3 p.m. Monday | Bunker Brewing Company & Tandem Coffee, Portland | $20 plus cash for beer | www.facebook.com
Hang with the family (bring your own or hang with the family of locals nearest you). Beers will be poured and meat will be grilled. There will also be Sno cones, pie, and a bouncy house for the kids.Etymology Edit
Vitalik Buterin picked the name Ethereum after browsing Wikipedia articles about elements and science fiction, when he found the name, noting, "I immediately realized that I liked it better than all of the other alternatives that I had seen; I suppose it was the fact that sounded nice and it had the word 'ether', referring to the hypothetical invisible medium that permeates the universe and allows light to travel."
History Edit
Ether Edit
Platform Edit
Development Governance and EIP Edit
In October 2015,[65] a development governance was proposed as Ethereum Improvement Proposal, aka EIP, standardized on EIP-1.[66] The core development group and community were to gain consensus by a process regulated EIP. A few notable decisions were made in the process of EIP, such as EIP-160 (EXP cost increase caused by Spurious Dragon Hardfork)[67] and EIP-20 (ERC-20 Token Standard).[68] In January 2018, the EIP process was finalized and published as EIP-1 status turned "active".[65]
Criticisms Edit
Izabella Kaminska, the editor of FT Alphaville, has pointed out that criminals are using Ethereum to run Ponzi schemes and other forms of investment fraud.[69] The article was based on a paper from the University of Cagliari, which placed the number of Ethereum smart contracts which facilitate Ponzi schemes at nearly 10% of 1384 smart contracts examined. However, it also estimated that only 0.05% of the transactions on the network were related to such contracts.[70]Alex Salmond predicted there will be a second referendum on Scottish independence within two years
Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has claimed there will be a second independence referendum within two years.
Mr Salmond said another vote will be needed if Scotland wants to remain in the European Union.
His comments put him at odds with SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who has been insisting publicly that independence is only one of several options to keep the country in the single market.
And a survey released this week said more than half of Scots oppose a second referendum.
Mr Salmond, who failed in his bid to tear Scotland out of the UK in 2014, made his latest comments ahead of the second anniversary of the referendum tomorrow.
During the first independence campaign, he said the vote was a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity for Scots.
But in an interview with the UK arm of Russia Today, Mr Salmond said there could be a second chance if Scotland is not properly represented in Brexit negotiations.
He said: ‘I would expect Nicola Sturgeon to fulfil her mandate to keep Scotland within the single marketplace.
‘I would expect her to give Theresa May the opportunity to embed Scotland within the negotiations to enable that to happen.
‘I fully expect, my reading of the situation is, the UK will not be flexible or wise enough to do that – and therefore I expect there will be a Scottish referendum in roughly two years’ time.’
Mr Salmond said he expects Nicola Sturgeon to keep Scotland in the single marketplace - although this will require another referendum
But a poll published earlier this week found there has been no surge in support for independence since the EU referendum – and that Scots do not want a rerun of 2014.
Pollster Ipsos Mori asked Scots how they would vote if a referendum were held immediately. Among those who would be very likely or certain to vote, 48 per cent backed independence, while 52 per cent supported remaining in the UK.
Support for a second ballot in the next two years stood at 41 per cent, while 54 per cent opposed such a move and the remainder did not know.
Mr Salmond also predicted that the government would not be 'flexible or wise enough' to embed Scotland in negotiations about the single marketplace
There were clear if unsurprising divisions on the issue, with 84 per cent of Yes voters supporting another vote and 92 per cent of No voters opposing.
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: ‘In his attempt to claim some publicity, Alex Salmond seems willing to throw a pall of uncertainty over Scotland’s future, just at the very moment when we need some stability.
‘Only this week, polls showed – again – that a clear majority of Scots do not want a second, divisive referendum.
‘The SNP needs to listen for once, put aside its obsession with independence and get back to sorting out the problems it has created in government over the last ten years.’
Earlier this week, Miss Sturgeon told MSPs a ‘hard Brexit’ – where Britain would lose its membership of the European single market – would be enough to cause her to hold another referendum. She also claimed there is a ‘real risk’ that the UK will face a ‘lost decade or more’ outside the EU – but that independence could help Scotland avoid that.
Mr Salmond said he expects Nicola Sturgeon to deliver on her promise of remaining in the single market
She added that the ‘least worst option’ for the UK was to remain a full member of the single market or of the European Economic Area.
An SNP spokesman said: ‘We have still had no clues from the UK Government on what their meaningless mantra – “Brexit means Brexit” – actually means in practice.Opinion
Grow your own marijuana law
Retail marijuana sales for adults are now legal (at least at the state level) in Colorado and Washington. Next month, voters in Alaska and Oregon may decide to follow suit. It is nearly certain that marijuana legalization will make it onto the California ballot in 2016, during a presidential election season that will generate enormous interest among young voters. It is less certain whether that proposition will succeed; right now, support is above 50 percent, but propositions tend to lose support as election day approaches. Much may depend on how outcomes look in Colorado and Washington next year, and whether Alaska and Oregon build or end the momentum next month.
Ballot propositions are a blunt instrument for policymaking. Activists and their lawyers draft language, and as long as it’s constitutional, voters get to vote up or down without the give and take that happens (or at least used to happen) in the legislative process. The major legalization propositions thus far (including 2010’s failed Proposition 19 initiative in California) are variations on a state tax-and-regulate scheme of commercialization. That may indeed be the best way to legalize marijuana, but no one really knows yet, and it may not be the best option for attracting votes in 2016. In fact, there is a whole menu of options for designing and regulating some form of adult legal access to marijuana, some that have been tried elsewhere.
What should we look for in a marijuana proposal?
There are many conflicting values at stake, including public health and safety, personal liberty and state revenues. The schemes best at promoting personal liberty and public revenues are not the schemes most likely to protect public health and safety. (Just think about marijuana candies.) And the health and safety concerns are real. Current research suggests that marijuana may be safer than you were told when you were young (at least if you are over 40), but also that it is riskier than you may think it is.
So here are five alternatives worth considering, arrayed roughly from lower risk/lower revenues to higher risk/higher revenues:
1) Decriminalize possession.
Many of the most compelling arguments for reform involve complaints about the corrosive effects of drug-law enforcement. Decriminalizing possession is a no-brainer; it saves money without any serious impact on levels of use. But California is one of the states that already has done this, and voters will have to decide whether it’s OK that non-medical users still have to break the law to obtain marijuana.
2) Grow your own. California could simply legalize home cultivation of a small number of plants. This already has been tried in Alaska and in South Australia, and the available evidence suggests that neither community saw increases in marijuana use. Skeptics point to “smurfing,” in which traffickers scatter their growing operation across many households. But so what? We already have a black market industry, so the perfect shouldn’t be the enemy of the good. Home growing takes the profit and the promotion out of marijuana use.
3) Cannabis co-ops. Since around 2002, Spain has tolerated co-ops of growers and buyers, and there are now several hundred of them. They require membership, and the co-op leaders have an incentive to self-regulate the process so they can stay in operation. It is more of a hassle for consumers than a retail sales outlet, but that may discourage impulse buying and driving under the influence.
4) Dutch-style cannabis coffee shops. Contrary to popular belief, the Dutch haven’t legalized marijuana, but they have a written policy of non-enforcement for sales of small quantities in regulated coffee shops. While use did rise when the coffee shops started spreading, it later leveled off once they started closing shops that sold to minors or disrupted neighborhoods. The quasi-legal status of the coffee shop gives the government more control than in a fully legal retail system, and it has kept prices from falling because the government still cracks down on large-scale production.
5) Tax THC. The biggest risks posed by legalization involve the potential for significant increases in the number of consumers and the amount they consume. Though the United States had more marijuana users in the late 1970s, today’s users are consuming more, and more often — which may be why admissions for marijuana treatments are rising in many countries, including the Netherlands. Legalization will probably drive prices down, perhaps dramatically — too low to simply offset with a “sin tax” that taxes by weight or as a percentage of sale price. But if users are going to smoke more, we can at least discourage them from using the most potent products by taxing by the concentration of the mind-altering ingredient in the cannabis plant, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and other components. (Users of primo products say they can “titrate” their dose. Seriously?) Skeptics say it is too difficult to measure THC, but that’s not very convincing when High Times magazine offers the same kind of product specs you’d find in an issue of Stereophile or Car and Driver Magazine.
There’s a good chance that California will legalize marijuana in the coming years. Whether you like the idea of California legalizing marijuana or you don’t, everyone who cares should pay attention to the choices. November 2016 is two years away, but voter propositions start solidifying far sooner, and it will be too late to negotiate the details once one qualifies for the ballot. It is possible that marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington will prove to be no big deal. Marijuana use was a lot more common in 1979, the historical peak of use, than it is today, so some increase in use is well within our historical experience. But that was milder weed, promoted by black light posters and stoner comedians rather than a major tobacco-like industry. So we have a lot to think about.
Robert MacCoun is a psychologist, a professor of law at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at www.sfgate.com/submissions/#1.New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, a vocal gay rights leader, will open President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration with a prayer on Sunday's kick-off event at the Lincoln Memorial.
"I am writing to tell you that President-Elect Obama and the Inaugural Committee have invited me to give the invocation at the opening event of the Inaugural Week activities, We are One, to be held at the Lincoln Memorial," Robinson wrote in an email to friends.
The announcement comes after weeks of outcry from the gay community over Obama's choice of evangelical, anti-gay pastor Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation.
"It's important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way," Robinson said in an interview with the Concord Monitor. "Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority or, in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters."
Robinson is the first openly gay diocesan bishop in the Anglican Communion. "God never gets it wrong. The church often takes a long time to get it right. It is a human institution, but one capable of self-correction," Robinson told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I believe in my heart that the church got it wrong about homosexuality. There is great excitement in my heart to be living in a time when the church is starting to get it right."blastbob
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Hero MemberActivity: 602Merit: 500 [ANN][YAC][HOWTO] Howto mine yacoin May 08, 2013, 10:09:58 AM
Last edit: May 08, 2013, 11:11:36 AM by blastbob #1 See official thread here
Will update the infomation as questions come in
Currently yacoin only allows mining through offical client, until someone hacks cgminer etc.
Download:
Source : https://github.com/pocopoco/yacoin
Windows QT : https://mega.co.nz/#!UowEmZYS!AAK7DVwYoTqy96oTRzUaLCS0UMsAfosJiRQmBn1jzcA
How to start in windows: ( With Extra seed nodes )
Code: yacoin-qt.exe -gen -addnode=82.211.30.212 -addnode=76.115.8.101 -addnode=192.168.1.237 -addnode=54.217.249.235 -addnode=54.217.249.230 -addnode=54.217.249.229 -addnode=54.217.249.139 -addnode=54.217.249.230
(Optional/Problems) Control CPU usage: ( Add this to the command line above )
Code: -genproclimit=1
How to compile on linux with git source: (Command line only)
Code: cd ~/ ; git clone https://github.com/pocopoco/yacoin.git ; cd ~/yacoin/src ; make -j4 -f makefile.unix USE_UPNP=- ; mv yacoind ~/ ; rm -Rf ~/yacoin ; mkdir ~/.yacoin ; cd ~/
Currently yacoin only allows mining through offical client, until someone hacks cgminer etc.( With Extra seed nodes ) Bitrated user: blastbob.
bitdwarf
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The cryptocoin watcher
Sr. MemberActivity: 406Merit: 250The cryptocoin watcher Re: [ANN][YAC][HOWTO] Howto mine yacoin May 08, 2013, 10:58:22 AM #11 Quote from: champbronc2 on May 08, 2013, 10:46:21 AM With 41kHash /sec am I wasting my time even bothering? Also, how can I tell when I win something through the YAClient?
No, my i5 2500k gets 100-200 kHash/s. When you win a block it will show as a transaction pop-up labeled "Mining", then it'll show a clock in the transactions list if it's approved and it's being confirmed. No, my i5 2500k gets 100-200 kHash/s. When you win a block it will show as a transaction pop-up labeled "Mining", then it'll show a clock in the transactions list if it's approved and it's being confirmed. 𝖄𝖆𝖈 : YF3feU4PNLHrjwa1zV63BcCdWVk5z6DAh5 · 𝕭𝖙𝖈 : 12F78M4oaNmyGE5C25ZixarG2Nk6UBEqme
Ɏ: "the altcoin for the everyman, where the sweat on one's brow can be used to cool one's overheating CPU" -- theprofileth
Petr1fied
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Hero MemberActivity: 630Merit: 502 Re: [ANN][YAC][HOWTO] Howto mine yacoin May 08, 2013, 11:02:42 AM #12 Quote from: champbronc2 on May 08, 2013, 10:46:21 AM With 41kHash /sec am I wasting my time even bothering?
Most likely yes but you never know. You may get lucky. I started 3 computers on it (2 desktops and 1 laptop) and managed to find 2 blocks. nothing in the last hour and a half so I'm not wasting any further time on it.
Quote Also, how can I tell when I win something through the YAClient?
Well you may get mined notifications but chances are most of them will be orphans. You'll maybe get 1 in 10 notifications maturing if you're lucky. Most likely yes but you never know. You may get lucky. I started 3 computers on it (2 desktops and 1 laptop) and managed to find 2 blocks. nothing in the last hour and a half so I'm not wasting any further time on it.Well you may get mined notifications but chances are most of them will be orphans. You'll maybe get 1 in 10 notifications maturing if you're lucky.
cryptocancer
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NewbieActivity: 56Merit: 0 Re: [ANN][YAC][HOWTO] Howto mine yacoin May 08, 2013, 11:09:46 AM
Last edit: May 08, 2013, 12:42:03 PM by cryptocancer #13
-addnode=76.115.8.101
my client is going to be up for awhile.
YAC: YB983sKHcfrRuzVgayyTjHWywhoNzHPU1x
YAC FTW GL HF DD try appending arguments with...-addnode=76.115.8.101my client is going to be up for awhile.YAC: YB983sKHcfrRuzVgayyTjHWywhoNzHPU1xYAC FTW GL HF DD
LOG123
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...
Full MemberActivity: 153Merit: 100... Re: [ANN][YAC][HOWTO] Howto mine yacoin May 08, 2013, 11:15:33 AM #16
Hang the diapers,
Stuff the boots with slaw
Watch for the shaven YAC to float by in it's canoe
Oh my god, It's time to shave some YACs,Hang the diapers,Stuff the boots with slawWatch for the shaven YAC to float by in it's canoeHAMILTON, ON – August 16, 2016 – The City of Hamilton’s Waterfront Development Office has applied to amend a zoning by-law and submitted a draft plan of subdivision for city-owned lands located at Piers 6, 7 and 8 (65 Guise Street East) in Hamilton.
The public have an opportunity to have their say on the application and the City’s proposed land uses for the West Harbor community before a report is prepared for Council consideration this fall. Attend Conversation Couch on Thursday, August 18. Further engagement opportunities coming in Fall 2016.
Purpose and effect of applications
Zoning By-law Amendment To rezone the lands to allow development of a mixed-use area consisting of commercial, residential, institutional and parkland uses.
To permit medium density dwelling types of varying densities and building heights, in addition to mixed-use buildings with commercial and community uses.
To permit the creation of public open spaces including a gateway park, waterfront park and greenways.
Draft Plan of Subdivision To allow for the creation of: Eight (8) development blocks intended for residential and mixed use development Two (2) blocks for institutional uses Two (2) open space blocks One (1) open space / institutional block One (1) block for waterfront commercial uses.
To also establish the public street road pattern and four (4) blocks for utility purposes
Review the Pier 7 and 8 Draft Plan of Subdivision and Zoning application documents.
Feedback opportunities
Conversation Couch A “conversation couch” is taking place this Thursday, August 18 at the Evergreen Community Storefront (294 James St N) from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. Edward John, Housing and West Harbour Planner, will chat about the next steps in the Pier 7 and 8 redevelopment process and answer any questions related to housing, inclusionary zoning or any other planning and development questions. If you are unable to attend this session, comments or questions about the application can be submitted to:
Edward John
Phone: 905-546-2424 Ext. 5803
Email: [email protected]
Public engagement events The City of Hamilton’s Waterfront Development Office is offering further public engagement opportunities in the fall of 2016. Learn more about the events
These events are continually updated - please check back often or join our mailing list.
About the Waterfront Redevelopment Project
The City of Hamilton’s waterfront redevelopment positions the community to meet the cultural and recreational needs of a
|
Going
forward, it looks like they will keep enhancing border controls and arresting would-be defectors
through those they ask for help. Internal propaganda featuring re-defectors
will also keep on coming.”It's been five years since Red Hot Chili Peppers put out a studio album... but the band is back! They recently debuted their latest single "Dark Necessities" and announced their 2016 album The Getaway, which is due out on June 17th via Warner Bros. Records. To celebrate, the band is performing an exclusive concert for fans in Los Angeles during Red Hot Chili Peppers iHeartRadio Album Release Party on AT&T LIVE, hosted by Harms.
[Buy The Getaway on iTunes]
During their iHeartRadio Album Release Party, the band will be performing new songs off their new album The Getaway for the first time for fans, in addition to some RHCP favorites like "Scar Tissue," "Dani California," and more. As is any Red Hot Chili Peppers show, this concert is one you WON'T want to miss.
{ "position1" : { "type" : "artist", "id" : 6771, "name" : "Red Hot Chili Peppers" } }
The Getaway is Red Hot Chili Peppers' eleventh studio album, and the first album the band has come out with since their 2011 record titled, I'm With You, which featured hit singles like "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" and "Monarchy of Roses." The Getaway was produced by Danger Mouse and mixed by Grammy-winning producer/engineer Nigel Godrich, who is replacing Rick Rubin's 24-year producing career with RCHP. The new album features 13 new songs including "Dark Necessities."
How To Watch The Concert
If you can't make it to the show -- we've got you covered. Fans can tune in free for a video stream of the exclusive Red Hot Chili Peppers iHeartRadio Album Release Party on AT&T LIVE on Friday, June 17th (album release day) at 9pm ET on iHeartRadio.com/watchATT. Also, if you're a DIRECTV subscriber, you can also watch the show on the AUDIENCE Network, DIRECTV Ch 239 or U-Verse Ch 1114.
Listen to Hit Songs from Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Dark Necessities"
"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie"
"Scar Tissue"Guys, seriously. Seriously, guys. YOU GUYS.
McDonalds Australia has officially begun the rollout to serve their breakfast menu 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They are beginning in Wollongong and the Illawarra from today (not including food court kiosks), then next month the Gold Coast will be the lucky fast food fans to be stuffing their faces with hashbrowns at 4:30pm, or any other time, ever.
Mark Lollback, Chief Marketing Officer for McDonalds said, “We are always listening and taking on feedback from our customers and All Day Breakfast
was one that people are always asking of us. We are excited to let our customers know that
we have heard them and to announce that our Wollongong patrons will have the opportunity
to be among the first in Australia to enjoy All Day Breakfast.” THANKS MARK, YA BLOODY LEGEND.
Just imagine… you can grab a McMuffin as an after-work snack. You could get Hotcakes for dessert at 8:00pm. But most importantly: soon, dear friends, we will not have to drunkenly set our alarms and wake up very, very hungover to travel to the Golden Arches before 10:30am. We can lazily roll out of bed sometime past midday, and receive delicious hangover-curing breakfast foods at whatever time we damn well please.
Praise be to breakfast food, praise be to hangover cures, and praise be to McDonalds. Our country truly is richer for this gift.
via Newscorp
Image via FacebookPORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell will join English Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion on a short-term loan, it was announced today. Ridgewell begins training with Brighton this week, with the clubs set to complete the transfer, subject to international clearance, once the window opens Saturday, Jan. 2.
Ridgewell, 31, helped lead the Timbers to their first MLS Cup in his second season in Portland, captaining the club to a 2-1 victory over Columbus Crew SC on Dec. 6 after making 32 regular-season appearances in 2015. A veteran of more than 250 matches in the English Premier League with Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, Ridgewell tallied his first career MLS postseason goal in the 23rd minute of a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas in the first leg of the Western Conference Championship on Nov. 22 at Providence Park.
“Similar to last year, Liam expressed an interest in staying in the UK on a short-term loan to maintain his fitness and to stay sharp leading into the upcoming MLS season,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager. “We feel that this loan works well for all parties involved and we look forward to having Liam rejoin the group towards the end of preseason.”
A native of Bexleyheath in London, Ridgewell, who joined Wigan Athletic on a similar, short-term loan in preparation for the 2015 MLS season, has made 47 regular-season appearances with the Timbers since joining the club in June 2014, tallying two goals and two assists.
"Prior to last season Liam was able to get valuable offseason games with Wigan and it helped him hit the ground running in 2015. When a similar opportunity came about with Brighton, we felt it would again be advantageous for both Liam and our club,” said Caleb Porter, head coach of the Timbers. “It was also important to have the loan end before our preseason tournament like last year so we have time to plug Liam back in before our first match."
Ridgewell is expected to miss the first portion of Timbers preseason training camp before returning to Portland for the Simple Invitational and the start of the 2016 season that begins on Sunday, March 6, as Portland plays host to Columbus at Providence Park.Origin
Alfred Pennyworth is Batman's loyal butler, and usually tens in the Bat-Cave, cooking, mending Batman's numerous costumes, and keeping the Bat-Family in shape and order.
Current Events
Alfred Pennyworth has been told to "Take a vacation" by Bruce Wayne after the butler let Damian Wayne out of the Batcave, resulting in the Death of the young boy.
Character Evolution
Golden Age
Golden Age Alfred
During the Golden Age, Alfred was this bumbling, fat, amateur detective. He always tries to help Batman but ends up doing something stupid or messing up the case. However, in the 1943 Batman serial William Austin played Alfred as a thin man, with a mustache and spoke in a dignified English accent. So the writers wrote a story where they sent Alfred to a health spa where he lost his weight and grew a mustache. Alfred's origin was also in a jumble or mix up, and as Denny O'Neil once stated "continuity wasn't a problem those days, the Batman I did and the one Julius Schwartz were very different" (this was after the golden age). Alfred had two origins: One was that he raised Bruce Wayne since his parents were murdered and the second was that he came into Bruce Wayne's life after Bruce had adopted Dick. Alfred lived with the Waynes for months without knowing they were Batman and Robin. One night, Alfred heard a screaming coming from the old grandfather clock, he opened and discovered the entrance to the Batcave and Dick Grayson as Robin with an injured and unmasked Batman. Dick was yelling for Alfred and he helped Batman back to his full health (The latter one was used during the Silver Age with the addition of him being an actor and fought in World War 2).
Note: The original name for Alfred in the Golden Age was Alfred Beagle. This name was kept for Earth-Two continuity. With the results of Crisis on Infinite Earths the characters were merged and "Beagle" was forgotten.
Silver Age
Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams were offered the chance to work on Batman and clean him up and in a way bring him back from the dead. O'Neil read up on the old Batman stories and wrote Batman in stories that made him a detective, a brooding and emotionally cracked Batman who hung in the shadows and patrols the streets for crime rather than wait for the Bat signal. They also had Dick move to college. Batman also moved to his penthouse at the Wayne Foundation building and created a new Batcave underneath it.
They also tried to minimize suspicions that Batman was homosexual. To do this, they killed off Alfred. How? Batman and Robin were on a mountain when a huge boulder was pushed off to kill them. Alfred pushed Batman and Robin out of the way and he himself got crushed. Dick Grayson's Aunt Harriet was used as Alfred's replacement. Alfred was later resurrected by a scientist named Dr. Brandon Crawford. Crawford used a regeneration machine and brought Alfred back. However, Alfred's physical appearance changed into a pasty skinned, rock patterned being with a desire to kill Batman and Robin. He now called himself the Outsider and used his telekinetic powers on Zatanna, the Grasshopper Gang, and the Batmobile to attack Batman. Batman and the Outsider later met and fought. Batman discovered it was Alfred and during their fight, the Outsider got pushed into the same regeneration machine and returned to normal as Alfred. Alfred did not remember any of his time as Outsider. He then returned to the Wayne Household as their butler again.
Post-Crisis
Alfred's history was changed little after the Crisis On Infinite Earths. Alfred's real name is Alfred Beagle, during his days as a British Intelligent agent, he changes it to Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred later leaves the government and becomes an actor and a make-up artist. Alfred's mother approved of Alfred's decision of becoming an actor. However, his father wanted to continue the Pennyworth tradition of becoming a butler. Finally, Alfred's father was about to die and Alfred swore that he would continue the family tradition. Alfred left England to serve the Wayne Family.
Upon arriving at the Manor, Thomas Wayne greeted him and as Alfred introduce himself, it is obvious that young Bruce was admiring him. Bruce offered to carry his suit cases but they were too heavy for him.
Alfred: (smiles) It seems that young Master Bruce, I believe, has so much to learn.
Bruce: (trying to lift the bags) The first thing <urf> I want to learn is your funny way of talking! (Bruce's parents and Alfred are laughing)
Some time later, Alfred helps young Bruce after a bully starts bullying him and teaches Bruce to think with his head rather than fists. Alfred was thinking about leaving when Bruce asked him not to go, when the Waynes were murdered Alfred decided to stay. Alfred raises young Bruce Wayne together with Dr. Leslie Tompkins. Later, Bruce decided to travel abroad and Alfred stayed at Wayne Manor and gets into a little romance with Dr. Leslie Tompkins.
One night, when Bruce Wayne goes out on his first night, Alfred is fast asleep. He hears a sound and wakes up to follow a trail of blood. He hears the sound of shattering glass and the bell ringing. Bruce was in his chair bleeding and a bat has crashed through the window. Alfred nurses Bruce's wounds. In a story titled 'Waiting in the Wings', Alfred informs Bruce that he will be leaving the Wayne Manor.
One night, before Alfred leaves, some of Bruce's friends come to visit him. However, Bruce is already out as Batman. Bruce's friends watch a t.v. news report, a street gang kidnaps the son of their rival they gather on the roof top with explosives. The roof top is that of the old theater where Bruce saw The Mark Of Zorro before his parents were murdered. Batman battles the crooks while his friends gasp at some of the injuries Batman suffers and Alfred tries to stay in character. Batman saves the boy and hands him over to the police. He says to them, "Take care of the boy". Bruce's friends thought it sounded like Bruce but Alfred says that Bruce's voice is half an octave lower. A phone rings and Bruce's friends answer it, it was Bruce who says he can't come because of bad traffic. The guests leave and Alfred faces a critically injured Batman.
The next morning, Alfred calls some of Bruce's friends and speaks in Bruce's voice and tells them he has to go out of town for a while. Alfred tells Bruce that he sent off Bruce's guests last night by mimicking his voice on the telephone. Bruce tells him, "Alfred, as your father was to my father, you will never be just a butler". Alfred walks out of the room with Batsuit and his shadow forming the Bat logo.
Major Story Arcs
Knightfall and Knight Quest
A new masked criminal named Bane frees all of Arkham Asylum in hope of weakening Batman. When Batman was finally weakened, Bane broke into Wayne Manor, after discovering Batman's secret identity, and fought with the physically and spiritually weakened Batman. Alfred picked up a gun and tried to shoot Bane. The fight between Bane and Batman took them to the Batcave where Bane delivered the killing blow, breaking Batman's spine.
Alfred then faced the biggest challenge of his career. The sheer amount of bullet holes, broken bones and knife wounds was too much even for him. Batman lay near the brink of death and Alfred desperately calls Dr. Shondra Kinsolving who uses her healing powers to repair some of Bruce's injuries. Alfred spent tiring and sleepless nights to take care of Bruce. Bruce then gives the mantle of Batman to Azrael. One night, while Azrael was out as Batman with Tim, Bruce decided to tell Shondra that he is Batman. He learns from her assistant that she was in Jack Drake's house (who was paralyzed too). Alfred was asleep and Bruce did not want to wake him. Bruce wheeled over in his wheelchair to the Drakes house (it was next door). He spotted an armed guard and attacked him with a tree bark. Already tired he went over to the house to see both Shondra and Jack Drake being kidnapped.
Bruce did his best and attacked the kidnappers. Bruce attacks one of them and breaks his nose, but the guy attacks back and Bruce is lying helpless on the ground as the kidnappers escape. Alfred comes in time to help Bruce.
Bruce later goes out to find Shondra. He travels to Santa Prisca with Alfred. While there Bruce talks about his failure and not being strong enough. Alfred tells Bruce that he had done something far more expected from a normal man. Bruce says that the pep talk is unnecessary.
After discovering that Bane was not responsible for the kidnapping, Bruce concluded that Shondra may have been the primary target and not Jack Drake. Bruce checks on Shondra's past and finds out about a man named Benedict Asp. Asp's past was a mystery and his files were closed by the order of M.I.5 the Secret Service.
In London, The vigilante named The Hood captures a gang bringing in cigarettes illegally. He then shines his signal into the air and suddenly a bat signal lights up next to it. The Hood follows it and meets with Batman. Batman asks for his help, and is willing to pay. The Hood says that he doesn't work for money. Batman tells him it's not money, rather the location and arrival of a drug shipment. The Hood asks whether he really is Batman.
Batman challenges him to a fight and Alfred, who is hiding, sighs. The Hood tells him it's alright and that he can sense something in Batman's voice. Batman tells him to break into the headquarters of M.I.5 and steal the files regarding Benedict Asp. The Hood agrees and swings away. Batman almost falls to the ground since he was strapped to a flag pole the entire time and was burning with pain even then. He then changes into a civilian clothes and leave to the hotel with Alfred.
Meanwhile, Shondra is being held in a dungeon by Benedict Asp along with Jack Drake. Asp brings with him Colonel Vega and his assistant. Asp needs Shondra for an experiment he is conducting and when she denies, Asp punches and tortures Drake who was still paralyzed. Shondra reluctantly agrees. She tells Asp that he used to abhor violence. Asp tells her he still does.
The Hood breaks into the M.I.5 headquarters and steals the files regarding Asp. Meanwhile, Bruce is exercising in order to heal quickly. He then rests on his bed and thinks about a the women he has met, Catwoman, Talia, and Poison Ivy, and how something keeps distancing them from him like Talia torn between her father and him. Bruce thinks that Shondra may be the perfect one for him.
The Hood arrives and meets Batman in an alley. He hands over the papers and Batman silently takes them. The Hood gets suspicious and yanks off Batman's mask only to find Alfred underneath. Alfred then uses his theatric skills to convince the Hood that he is a poor man who was told by the 'big mister' to give him this. Hood lets him go and takes the envelope containing the location of the drug shipment. Alfred then smiles and is thankful that he was a former actor and questions about why he ever left it.
Asp then conducts his experiments, Colonel Vega's assistant then cut his hand with a dagger. Asp talks about how they used to work together with him being the amplifier increasing Shondra's abilities. He tells her that he wants to find out what they really do together. Shondra with Asp using his psychic's to increase her power, heals the assistants hand. Meanwhile, in another room Colonel Vega gets some readings on his instruments, he then takes the exact frequency of Shondra's power and reverses it and releases it upon a lab rat and it instantly dies. Asp then begins feeding drugs to Shondra to amplify her powers.
Alfred reads to Bruce the files but it leads to nowhere. Alfred then takes the newspaper and finds out that Asp is holding an Annual Hunting Ball. Bruce and Alfred go there in disguise. Asp uses his psychic powers and Shondra's abilities to kill an entire English village. This traumatizes Shondra and she went into a psychic battle with Asp. The energy released during the fight heals Bruce's back and he defeats Asp. However, Shondra's mind then regressed back to childhood. Bruce had no choice other than to put her in a mental hospital and Bruce prepares to leave England when Alfred informs him that he will be staying in England.
No Man's Land
Gotham becomes devastated by an earthquake which completely levels the city. Wayne Manor was completely destroyed and it's debris fell into the Batcave, utterly destroying it. Batman worked hard both as Bruce Wayne and Batman to help his broken city.
Alfred himself spent time trying to seal the visible opening to the Batcave with Harold, Tim and the other members of the Batman Family. Eventually, the Manor was rebuilt using debris from the previous one and now resembled a Scottish castle with it's own cannon.
Batman & Son
At the beginning of this arc, Alfred worries that cleaning up Gotham is making Batman lose the Bruce Wayne side to his personality. Eventually, both Robin and Alfred convince Bruce to go out on a vacation. They visit the London Pop Art Museum where Bruce learns that Talia had obtained the Man Bat formula and unleashed an army of Man Bat's to kidnap the British Prime Minister's wife. Batman is eventually defeated and discovers that he has a son named Damian Wayne. Bruce brings him to the Batcave. At first Damian is not interested and his impetuousness made him locked in the Manor.
Damian also wanted to fight crime as his father but was angry that he took away his sword and didn't get a laptop. When Batman left to battle Spook, Damian put on a cloak and beheaded the Spook. He showed this to Tim and when Tim tried to talk some sense into Damian, he punched him off the giant T-Rex robot. Batman eventually came back with Damian and found Alfred tied and Robin seriously injured. Alfred operated on Tim and left him in his bed.
Batman went with Damian to confront his mother who kidnapped the British Prime Minister's wife so that she could gain a Garrison at Gibraltar. The issue ends with the ship they were on exploding and Batman finding only Damian's cloak. Damian and Talia had escaped.
Batman R.I.P.
Scandal hits the pages of Gotham's newspapers claiming that there is evidence proving that the deceased Thomas and Martha Wayne were not the angelic socialites everyone remembers to them to be. With allegations of drugs and physical abuse, Alfred is also rumored to be Bruce's real father due to an affair he had with Martha. Seemingly ignoring the rumors in order to investigate a secret society only known as The Black Glove, Bruce begins to become obsessed with finding out the truth behind them, who they are and what they want with him. Alfred and all those close to Bruce begin to become worried about his obsession, but it is too late as the Black Glove initiate a mental trigger within Bruce's mind leaving him incapacitated. Members of the Black Glove invade the Batcave, capturing and savagely beating Alfred into unconsciousness.
Alfred awakens to Dr. Hurt wearing Thomas Wayne's original Bat costume. Hurt, claiming to be Thomas Wayne, tries to have Alfred admit that Bruce is his son. Disgusted at Hurt's mockery of the memory of the real Thomas Wayne, Alfred states that he knew Thomas, and Hurt is not him. Unpleased with Alfred's response, Hurt hits him with a champagne bottle, and leaves him in the Batcave as the Black Glove's "party" migrates to Arkham Asylum.
As Bruce returns to the manor after seemingly defeating Hurt, Alfred, bandaged and already beginning to clean, greets Bruce at the door as if nothing had ever happened. Before Bruce heads to the cave, he takes the time to simply thank his oldest friend. Unbeknownst to them both, this would be the last few moments the two would spend together for some time.
Batman Reborn
After the events of Final Crisis, the Batman Family is in shambles with the apparent death of Bruce Wayne. Both Superman and Wonder Woman come to the Batcave to bring Dick Grayson and Tim Drake the cape and cowl Bruce was wearing during his apparent death. Alfred eventually joins to bring both Superman and Wonder Woman their favorite drinks. Feeling bad that he is still working at such an emotional time, Superman asks Alfred if he is alright. With a pause, Alfred states "Am I alright? No, sir. I am not. My son has died." Later, Alfred and Dick have a tearful and emotional conversation about not being ready for what they both knew would eventually happen. Despite Alfred's saddened state, he tells Dick that they must not have a funeral for Batman, if the world was to know that Batman had died, it would destroy the legacy that Bruce spent so much of his life creating, Batman must live. Instead of a funeral, the body that was recovered by Superman after Final Crisis was buried in an unmarked grave next to Thomas and Martha Wayne, with only Bruce's closest friends and allies knowing the location.
Without a Batman to police the city, Gotham becomes a war zone of crime, with most of the Arkham inmates being set free by the new Black Mask. Alfred takes up a support role in helping Dick and the rest of The Network attempt to get Gotham under control. After Damian is wounded by a bullet fired by a renegade Jason Todd, Alfred tends to his wounds, fashions him a Robin suit and sends him out, along with Squire, to find Tim, who had been defeated and captured by Jason.
After the events of Battle for the Cowl, Dick finally accepts the mantle of Batman and takes Damian on as his Robin. Alfred remains in the same role as he did for Bruce, supporting the new duo both technically and emotionally. Early on in his career as Batman, Dick has massive amounts of self doubt, not thinking he'd be able to live up to the standards Bruce set as Batman. Alfred cleverly suggests that Dick play to his strengths. He reminds Dick that he comes from a family of performers, and should see the mantle of Batman is simply a role. But instead of trying to mimic Bruce's version of Batman, Alfred suggests that Dick make the mantle his own. As with helping Dick, Alfred attempts to help Damian fit into his new role. Initially being stubborn, Damian eventually shows few instances where he allows himself to actually listen to Alfred.
During Blackest Night, Alfred attempts to deliver flowers to the grave of Bruce Wayne, but finds that the grave has been dug up and desecrated by Black Hand, unbeknownst to him at the time.
The Return of Bruce Wayne
Shortly after the events of Blackest Night, Dick Grayson returns the skull of Bruce Wayne that Black Hand had been using, back to Bruce's body, which then resided within the bunker beneath Wayne Tower. Dick eventually takes the body to England in order to dip it into one of the last known Lazarus Pit. Going to check on the body, Alfred finds it missing, and immediately tells Damian, who was left behind due to a spinal injury, about what has happened. The two look through Dick's notes, figuring out his plan to attempt a resurrection of Bruce Wayne. After putting the body into the pit, Dick soon finds that the body was not that of Bruce Wayne's but one of the clones created by Darkseid during Final Crisis. After fighting off Dick along with Batwoman, Knight, and Squire, the clone instinctively flies a plane back to Gotham and confronts Alfred and Damian. The impromptu duo attempt to fight off the Batman clone and survive long enough for Dick and Batwoman to show up and defeat it.
Realizing that Bruce Wayne's body was never actually recovered, Alfred, Dick, and Damian all come to the conclusion that Tim Drake was right, Bruce Wayne is not dead. Thanks to artifacts and other clues found by Tim, it is discovered that Bruce is actually lost in time thanks to the Omega Sanction Darkseid used on him. Alfred, Dick and Damian then begin to investigate Wayne manor searching for any clues Bruce may have left in the past. While Dick searches a secret wing and cave system of the manor, Alfred researches into the Wayne family past, searching for any anomalies in the family tree. Alfred finds two of interest, a Mordecai Wayne, whose family portrait wasn't uncovered until years after his time, who also bore an exact resemblance to Bruce. The second person of interest Alfred finds an omitted Wayne ancestor who shares Bruce's father's name, Thomas. Alfred finds that the first Thomas Wayne was the "black sheep" of the Wayne family, and generally disregarded in the lineage due to his leading of a satanic cult. Before Alfred can put anymore pieces together, Dr. Hurt's minions invade the Wayne property and attack Damian along with Oberon Sexton in the graveyard, forcing Alfred to help from the Batmobile.
Road Home and the Final Return?
When Bruce returned from time and death, he took up the guise of Insider for a short time. As Insider, Bruce only told a handful of his most trusted friends and family that he had officially returned. Alfred was one of those people in the short list. When Bruce Wayne was testing to see if Stephanie Brown, whom was Batgirl, was really ready for the task in the future, she succeeded with flying colors. In Crime Alley, Bruce met up with Alfred and they talked about Stephanie as Batgirl and also Cassandra Cain giving the mantle of Batgirl to Steph. Alfred mentioned that Bruce hadn't looked for Cassandra, but he told Alfred that Cassandra is in Japan and that Tim Drake has been speaking with her in recent days. With that, Bruce disappeared into the shadows and Alfred went back to Wayne Manor.
When Vicki Vale was getting closer to the truth about, Bruce Wayne being the Batman, Alfred had a conversation with her at the Mansion. However before that occurred, he had Tommy Elliot (who was still in disguise as Bruce Wayne) play the role as billionaire playboy. However when the plan had failed, it only gave Vicki more questions. Alfred eventually took Tommy back to the prison that was specially designed for him. At the mansion, Alfred didn't deny that Bruce Wayne was Batman, and when Alfred gained the chance he swapped Vicki's evidence with a toy. Not knowing what Alfred had done, Alfred knew that his mission was a success as Vicki didn't have any evidence to reveal members of the Bat-family.
In the end, Vicki Vale became a member of the family and was invited with open arms. Thanks to Bruce, Alfred and other members.
Alfred of the Future...?
In Batman #666 where Damian becomes the new Batman after his father is dead, he keeps a cat named Alfred in his penthouse/new Batcave. Like the old Batman, Damian speaks to the cat and talks about his cases to this version of Alfred.
Personality
Alfred can be described as Batman's confidant and moral compass. He often patches Bruce when he is severely injured. Alfred is most famous for his dry wit and often advising Batman on his personal matters. Alfred's advice has helped Batman out more than once, in an issue of Detective Comics, Alfred figured out a way to defeat a more powerful Doctor Phosphorus: baking soda, which Batman used to defeat Phosphorus. Alfred has also helped other members of the Batman Family during their times of Crisis. He is also the only member of the Batman Family that is allowed to own firearms. And he knows how to use them.
Powers & Abilities
You don't get to be Batman's butler/getaway driver/waiter/counselor without expecting him coming home with injuries. Alfred was a former military surgeon and knows his stuff. Through the years Alfred has repaired Bruce's most serious injuries from broken bones to fractured limbs. However, after Batman's back was broken by Bane, Alfred stabilized Bruce's condition due to the severity of Batman's injuries. Alfred's skills have also extended to helping other members of the Batman Family.
Alfred is a skilled fighter and still retains those abilities. In The New Adventures of Batman comic book, it is said that Alfred has been kidnapped 27 times and in that issue Alfred was kidnapped, but escaped and defeated his kidnappers without getting dirt or anything else on his suit. Considering his age and lack of superpowers, and also in comparison to the advanced combat training Bruce associates received, Alfred is the only member of the Batman Family who possess the permission of Bruce Wayne to use firearms when facing danger, and in this case, giving preference to his shotgun.
Character Profile
Real Name: Alfred Pennyworth
Occupation: Butler to Bruce Wayne as well as father figure, friend, and First Aid to the Caped Crusader
Height: 6ft
Weight: 160 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Base: Gotham City
Partnerships: Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, Red Robin, Red Hood, Thomas Wayne, Martha Wayne, Lucius Fox, Leslie Thompkins, Spoiler, Black Bat, Azareal, The Outsider
Teams: Batman Family, Batman Inc., The Outsiders
Foes: Joker and Scarecrow
First Appearance: Batman #16 (May 1943)
Created by: Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson
Alternate Versions
All-Star Batman and Robin
In All Star Batman and Robin #4, written by Frank Miller and drawn by Jim Lee, Batman kidnaps a young Dick Grayson after his parents were murdered and verbally abuses him to toughen him up. Alfred was seen in the first issue and has a habit of calling Vicki Vale or any other woman 'Love'. Later, Vicki Vale suffers a car accident while chasing Batman and the police officers who had kidnapped a young Dick Grayson. Alfred patches her up and sends her to a hospital while shirtless himself. Later, he is back in the Batcave, Bruce had denied Dick any food or warm clothes. Bruce tells Dick to eat the rats which live in the cave as he himself had done. Alfred disobeys the orders and provides Dick with one of Bruce Wayne's pajamas and gives him a cheese burger. Batman argues with Alfred and leaves him saying that the brat is going to ruin everything.
Later, Alfred helps Dick design a new costume, one based on Robin Hood. Dick at first wants to call himself the 'Hood'. Batman disagrees and says that he is Robin. Alfred then redesigns the suit to the classic Robin costume.
(All Star Batman along with The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Holy Terror Batman and Batman Year One is now part of the Multi-verse designated as Earth 32, 'The Dark Knight Universe'.)
Elseworlds
Batman vs Lobo- In this world Alfred is a bit more bulkier. He helps Batman out in a robotic Batman suit by attempting to stall Lobo long enough for Batman. But soon he is overcome by Lobo and in attempts to save himself he is killed.
Alfred has appeared in all of Batman's Elseworld's tales. Even tough he played little part in some of them, it shows that he is a vital asset to the Batman Family. Alfred's notable appearances include Dracula: Red Rain where he was turned into a vampire by Batman who was bitten by Dracula himself. In Superman/Batman Generations where Batman and Superman had aged since 1939, Alfred's ghost visits Bruce Wayne when he has grown old. Alfred also counseled Batman when Dick left for college and it is also revealed that Alfred was the one who convinced Batman to relinquish his Batman identity when he grew too old and pass it onto Dick Grayson.
Other Media
William Austin's Alfred that later went on to influence the character greatly
Batman (1943 serial)
In the first serial, Alfred was played by William Austin. He set the look of Alfred for all comics and other media since.
Batman and Robin (1949 serial)
Eric Wilton played Alfred in the second serial, but went uncredited.
Batman (1960s TV series)
In the Batman TV series of the 1960's Alfred was portrayed by Alan Napier. His main purpose was to answer the Bat-phone. He would also assist Batman by actually wearing the bat-suit a couple of times when villans got too close to figuring out Batman's secret identity.
His biggest moments were in "Pop goes the Joker/Flop goes the Joker". First that Batman used his paintings to stop Joker from stealing far more valuable works of art and second, Joker goes to Wayne Manor to get revenge on Bruce Wayne and Alfred stops him by fencing with a fireplace poker. He also prevents Joker from finding the Bat-cave entrance in the nick of time!
Alfred portrayed by Alan Napier in the iconic Batman show of the 60's.
His lowest moment was in "Fine Finny Fiends/Batman Makes the Scenes" when the Penguin captured and brainwashed him to find out when the local millionaires were going to hold a big charity event. Batman & Robin undid the brainwashing in the end, but Alfred was still ashamed of himself.
Season three: Alfred was the only one who knew the secret identities of Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. Batgirl never knew that this mere butler knew Batman & Robin and vice-versa.
Birds of Prey
In this TV adaptation Alfred is portrayed by Ian Abercrombie and helps out Barbara and Helena in the Clock Tower every now and again. He does not play a very vital, or big, role in the show except to tie Babs and Helena to Batman.
Gotham (2014)
Sean Pertwee on Gotham
In the FOX television show, Alfred Pennyworth is portrayed by British actor Sean Pertwee.
Set in the younger years of Bruce Wayne's life, Alfred is a more active presence in training and helping a young Bruce to overcome the death of his parents. While at first resistant to Bruce's obsession with investigating the murders, he eventually makes the decision to help and cultivate Bruce's desire to better himself.
Film
Batman / Batman Returns / Batman Forever / Batman and Robin
Michael Gough
In the Tim Burton/ Joel Schumacher movies Alfred was played by British actor Michael Gough, one of only two actors to appear in every film in the series alongside Pat Hingle as James Gordon. He was supposedly related to Barbara Wilson, who became Batgirl in the Batman & Robin movie.
He never played the big a role in the movies and was mostly just along as a supporting character and to give out a few supportive lines and sarcastic comic relief. Gough also starred in several original commercials as Alfred for sponsored products of the Batman films.
Michael Caine
In the Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight Trilogy of adaptations, Alfred is played by famed British Actor Michael Caine.
Portrayed as an ex-british military officer in these adaptions and plays a far more vital role as Bruce Wayne's best friend and co conspirator, as well as occasional comic relief. Alfred is a greater motivator and far more supportive of Bruce's cause, though his need to see Bruce live a normal life takes an emotional toll on him.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
In 2014, it was announced that Alfred would appear in Zack Snyder's sequel to his 2013 film Man of Steel, alongside a cast of characters including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor. Jeremy Irons, Oscar-winning star of Dead Ringers, The Lion King and Reversal of Fortune, will play Alfred.
Animation
Batman The Animated Series (1992)
In the Animated series Alfred was voiced by Clive Revill for the first four episodes. The job then went to Efrem Zimbalist Jr. for the rest of the original animated series and the subsequent DC Animated Universe cartoons The New Batman Adventures (1997), Superman (1997), Justice League (2003), and Static Shock (2001). Zimbalist also voiced the character in the animated films Mask of the Phantasm (1993), SubZero (1998), and Mystery of the Batwoman (2003).
The Batman (2004)
In this cartoon series Alfred is voiced by Alastair Duncan. He also appears in the spin-off film The Batman vs. Dracula (2005), again voiced by Duncan.
Young Justice (2011)
Alfred appears in several episodes and is shown to be supportive of Dick Grayson. He is voiced by Jeff Bennett.
Batman: Year One (2011)
Alfred appears in the animated film, with Jeff Bennett reprising his role from Young Justice.
Beware the Batman (2013)
Alfred will appear as a main character, and will be portrayed as more proactive in aiding Bruce's war on crime, with his military training coming into play. He will be voiced by J.B. Blanc.Is California's costly tough-on-crime era over? That's perhaps too optimistic a conclusion to draw from Tuesday's election results. In passing Proposition 36,
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didn't!
Stephanie You are the true example of an independent, strong and successful woman. It has been an honor to work next to you. Thank you for being a part of my last night at WWE. I was honored! I wish happiness and love for Paul, you and the girls.
To all the agents Thank you for all of your help, advice and guiding me to have my segments successful Arn, Fit, Dean, Road Dogg, Scott, Joey, Mike, Kidman, Jamie and Johnny."
Source: WWEIt was drizzling and gray, late fall, on the old Rickards Movie Ranch, high in the Santa Monica Mountains, in rural, red-state western Malibu. Bleached skulls were tacked to the outside wall of a stage-set saloon; rusting wagon wheels leaned at angles. A hand-painted sign announced a “Public Hanging, 5PM.” Inside the saloon—the shooting location of TV Westerns and Gravy Train commercials and Playboy spreads—a secret meeting was under way. “This cat is dangerous,” a woman said, her voice carrying tremulously over the saloon door. “He should not be part of the gene pool.” “Absolutely! Get him out of here,” a man said. “For years and years, I’ve lived like this,” another woman said. “Now I’m afraid.” The saloon doors swung open, and Wendell Phillips beckoned me inside, where nine people sat around a large table, in a room crowded with memorabilia of the Old West: hides, brands, a full-mount coyote. Phillips, who is sixty-seven, with a bald head and a sizable mustache, is a former SWAT-team member and now has a law practice defending police officers. He and his wife, Mary Dee Rickards, were leading the meeting, for the victims of a mountain lion known as P-45. P-45, the King of Malibu, is a hundred-and-fifty-pound male with golden eyes and mittlike paws who dominates the western swath of the Santa Monicas. After killing an alpaca at a Malibu winery in late 2015, he was captured and fitted with a G.P.S. collar by the National Park Service, which designated him the forty-fifth subject in a long-running study, led by a wildlife ecologist named Seth Riley, on the mountain lions of Los Angeles. (The “P” comes from Puma concolor, the species whose common names include puma, panther, catamount, cougar, and mountain lion.) Since P-45 was collared, according to Phillips, he has killed some sixty goats, sheep, llamas, and alpacas, a miniature horse, and a four-hundred-and-fifty-pound heifer: members of the class of rustic pet known as “hobby animals.” Gallingly, he has eaten little—a nibble of heart meat here, a nip of scrotum there. Except in the case of pygmy goats, for which he has a taste, he seems to kill for sport. Rickards, who has short blond hair and a cheerful manner, grew up on the ranch and runs a cat rescue there. She and Phillips have horses and dogs and, until recently, had alpacas. Then one night P-45 jumped into the alpaca pen, killing two of them. When it happened again last spring, and three more died, Phillips gave away the rest of the herd and turned his attention to pursuing the culprit. To Phillips, P-45 is a sociopath, a freak—“the John Wayne Gacy of mountain lions.” The Santa Monica Mountains extend from the Pacific Coast through the Hollywood Hills, to end in Griffith Park. Urban though Los Angeles is, its mountains are furrowed with densely vegetated canyons full of deer and coyotes, cactuses, live oaks, wheeling hawks—a patchwork of public and private holdings claimed both by top carnivores and by their human counterparts. The real estate is increasingly contested. At some two hundred and forty square miles, the range is the perfect size for one or two dominant males and several females, along with their young. The National Park Service study is currently tracking ten mountain lions in the area, including three breeding males. There is also an unknown number of uncollared lions. Living at such close quarters intensifies the lions’ natural territorialism; in this population, the leading cause of death is conflict with other lions. But adolescent lions who set out in search of their own hunting grounds often come to an impasse. The range is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Hollywood Freeway (the 101) to the north, and bisected by the 405 between Brentwood and Bel Air. Just as the roads keep native lions in, they also keep outside lions from entering, and first-order inbreeding has become common. Lush but confined, the mountains are a cushy prison, a Hotel California for apex predators, whose future is threatened by a double deficiency: not enough space for a group of lions with not enough genetic differences among them. The carnivore biologist Jeff Sikich captures and examines a mountain lion in the Santa Monica Mountains. Courtesy National Park Service. As a result, the mountain-lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains is in danger of entering an extinction vortex, a downward spiral in which everything starts to fail. “They could be in the process of genetic flatlining,” Robert Wayne, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, says. “Without our assistance, the Santa Monica Mountain pumas are likely to go extinct.” This is what nearly happened to the Florida panthers, in the mid-nineties, when intensive inbreeding caused physical changes that hindered reproduction. According to Riley, who recently published a paper on the subject, if similar problems occur and no new lions enter the area the likelihood of L.A.’s lions disappearing in fifty years is 99.7 per cent. But genetic rescue can come in the form of just one new animal in each generation—in Florida, where the population was larger, it took just six females from Texas to reverse the spiral. From this point of view, Los Angeles can’t spare a single cat, and certainly not one matching P-45’s profile. According to a preliminary genetic analysis done at Wayne’s lab, P-45 comes from north of the 101: he is an outsider, a lion who successfully navigated the freeway and miles of suburbs to introduce his precious DNA to the Santa Monicas. Under threat, P-45 has inspired a committed following. In November, an editorial in the Los Angeles Times titled “Save P-45” defended his behavior as entirely natural. “Killing P-45 is not the answer,” the editorial said. “Surely there is a better way to manage the conflicts that arise when humans and their domestic animals move into areas that have long served as habitat for wildlife.” P-45’s alien provenance aggravates the unease that Phillips and his neighbors feel. “I know P-45 is not indigenous to here,” Phillips told me. “I think he was a killer someplace else.” He added, “I’m not too happy about P-45’s genes getting passed down.” Though the young generally travel with their mothers—mountain-lion fathers are more likely to kill their kittens than to train them—he saw the potential for P-45 to accustom his offspring to a life of theft and slaughter. Besides, he said, “I’m tired of living inside a biology project.” If the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the state’s mountain-lion population, or the National Park Service, which he blames for protecting P-45, refused to solve the problem, he warned that vigilante justice would prevail. “Somebody’s going to shoot him soon,” Phillips said. “They’re just not going to report it. They’re not going to call N.P.S., not going to call Fish and Wildlife. They’re just going to shoot him, pound the collar off with a hammer, put it in a lead box in a bucket of water, and bury P-45 ten feet deep. That will be the end of that story. He will pass from reality into legend.”
Puma concolor, an evolutionary adept that, unlike the sabre-toothed cat, survived the Late Pleistocene Extinction, is found from Tierra del Fuego to the Canadian Yukon. Until successive extermination campaigns largely eradicated mountain lions from the Midwest and the East, they ranged throughout the United States. Now, as urbanization in the West encroaches on their remaining habitat, some are making audacious attempts to reclaim ceded lands. In 2011, a cat from South Dakota travelled more than fifteen hundred miles, to Greenwich, Connecticut, before being struck and killed by an S.U.V. on the Wilbur Cross Parkway. Los Angeles is one of two megacities in the world that have a population of big cats. In the other, Mumbai, leopards live in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and occasionally eat the humans who make their homes around its edge. Though there have been instances of mountain lions targeting people in California—between 1986 and 2014, there were three fatal attacks—it has never happened in Los Angeles County. (Since the beginning of the twentieth century, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation, there have been fewer than thirty fatal attacks in North America; it is an often cited fact that vending machines kill more people than mountain lions do.) “They’re called ghost cats for a reason—they’re very elusive,” Jeff Sikich, a carnivore biologist with the National Park Service, who manages the field work for the mountain-lion study, told me. “We’ve seen with our data that they do a great job at avoiding us.” But, he said, “in this urban, fragmented landscape, they see us almost every day.” “When you say he’s smart, do you mean in a tests-well way or in a lot-of-money way?” In Los Angeles, a place long mocked as hostile to nature, the lions are a symbol of stubborn, resilient wildness. Powerful enough to jump fifteen feet in the air from a standstill, they provide a bracing reminder of humans’ place in the food chain. Back-yard wildlife cameras have become popular, which, along with grainy security-camera footage, create a kind of lion TMZ. In December, the actor Will Smith, who lives on a hundred-and-fifty-acre estate in Calabasas, in the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains, went on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and gleefully shared images of what appeared to be a large mountain lion skulking through the brush beside his house. “Look at that thing!” Smith said. “I’m asleep right now, and I think I’m safe—while this is going on!” A ranger, Smith said, had recommended that he encircle his house with lion urine as a deterrent. Smith suggested that a better way to deal with the animal would be to “relocate it to Denzel’s house.” The lions would probably still be living in obscurity had it not been for P-22, a strong, lean cat with a white muzzle and a pelt the color of orange-blossom honey, whose unlikely story has made him a celebrity. P-22 was born in the Santa Monicas, about seven years ago; scientists believe that as an adolescent he headed east, away from the scratch marks, growls, and scent trails of intimidating older males like P-45. Astonishingly, P-22 crossed both the 405 and the 101, and took up residence in Griffith Park, which sits across the highway from the rest of the Santa Monica range like the heel sliced off a loaf of bread. In February, 2012, Miguel Ordeñana, a biologist who was studying the flow of animals in and out of the park, noticed a mountain lion among the images recorded by his wildlife camera. It was like seeing Big Foot. “It’s almost a mythical animal—people send in photos, and they’re usually house cats or coyotes,” he told me. “This image really proved that Griffith Park is more connected than we thought, and valuable not only to the wildlife that live in the park but to wildlife that live in neighboring parks.” Several weeks later, Sikich captured P-22 and fitted him with a G.P.S. collar, so that he could monitor his movements and study his diet. The park, which was given to the city in 1896 by an eccentric entrepreneur named Griffith J. Griffith, is five times the size of Central Park, and contains the Hollywood Sign, the Observatory, and the L.A. Zoo. A few years before donating the land, Griffith led a hunting party to go after two mountain lions suspected of killing pigs there. These days, P-22 is welcomed as an honored guest of the park, even as millions of people visit each year, including joggers, cyclists, and goat-sized children vaguely supervised on its playgrounds and its trails. In the fall, Los Angeles celebrated the first official P-22 Day: more than two thousand people attended, among them scores of elementary-school children, in craft-paper ranger vests, who read letters of appreciation to an animal who has become part of the curriculum in many public schools. Mary Button, a representative of Friends of Griffith Park, said, “We’re thrilled to have P-22 here in his home.” The park is eight square miles, but for P-22 it’s a Hong Kong microflat—the smallest known home range for an adult male mountain lion. If he wants to breed, he will have to face death on the freeways again, or hope for a mate as daring as he was. A lion alone, P-22 is living out the classic science-fiction narrative of the protagonist who wakes up to discover that he is the last of his kind. By day, when the trails are overrun with humans, P-22 hides in plain view, resting in the dense brush down in the shady draws. After dark, he stalks the park and its environs, haunting the deer that graze in Forest Lawn cemetery and ambling around the Hollywood Sign, on Mt. Lee. It was on Mt. Lee that Steve Winter, a big-cat photographer for National Geographic, set up a flash-equipped camera trap. After waiting for more than a year, he got a shot of P-22, bathed in light, in front of the Hollywood Sign: a magnificent holdover from the Ice Age posed with the unmistakable emblem of the American megalopolis. Griffith Park is adjacent to the residential neighborhoods of Beachwood Canyon and Los Feliz, and P-22 regularly visits both. One morning, at Jason and Paula Archinaco’s house—a six-thousand-square-foot structure built into a hillside across the street from the park—two contractors for A.D.T. home security came tearing out of a crawl space where they’d been working, frantic with fear. They had seen a mountain lion, and needed to take the rest of the day off. Jason called the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the media. By the time Paula got home from a meeting down the hill, the street was clogged with news vans, and a helicopter hovered overhead. For the next twelve hours, she worked the door like a bouncer at a hot night club; for every two reporters who came out, two more could come in. “It was like we had a Kardashian in our house,” she said. P-22, one of ten mountain lions that the National Park Service is tracking in the Santa Monica Mountains, made his way to Griffith Park by crossing two heavily trafficked highways. Cut off from other lions, he became a local celebrity. Courtesy Miguel Ordeñana To the Archinacos, who have three domestic cats, a no-shoes policy, and a Buddha garden, P-22’s brief residence under their house felt like a visitation from a spirit animal. Paula said, “He had these big amber eyes. He looked sad, like, ‘Why did I get caught?’ ” Fish and Wildlife tried to dislodge him by pelting him with beanbags, but he wouldn’t budge. Finally, when the crews went home, P-22 sneaked out unobserved and went back into Griffith Park. P-22 has attuned the people of Los Angeles to the unsustainable predicament of their lions. “He is that relatable victim,” Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, the California director of the National Wildlife Federation, says. “He’s a social-justice story, an environmental story, a love story, stranded, as he is, in the park. He is a champion for so many issues—nobody has enough space.” An ebullient outdoorswoman with sun-streaked blond hair, Pratt-Bergstrom has worked in Yellowstone and Yosemite. “I’m a National Parky,” she said, explaining that most of her career has been devoted to a traditional approach to conservation, in which you keep wildlife in preserves and let the cities go. “If you told me I’d be doing wildlife conservation in L.A. three years ago, I would have laughed. ‘L.A. doesn’t have any wildlife! What’s there to do?’ ” P-22 changed Pratt-Bergstrom’s mind. Now, with a fresh P-22 tattoo on her shoulder, she uses his plight to advocate for connectivity (the conservation principle that calls for linking areas of habitat), especially in cities, where habitat may exist but the boundaries to it are often fatal. Her initial plan to reserve the domain name L.A. Cougars was modified after a Google search returned NSFW results; now she uses Save L.A. Cougars. In P-22’s name, she also maintains a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; one Valentine’s Day, she set up a Tinder account for him. On his Facebook page, which has more than six thousand likes, she includes a friendly bio: “Hi! I’m LA’s loneliest bachelor. I like to hang out under the Hollywood sign to try and pick up cougars. Likes: Deer, catnip, Los Feliz weekends. Dislikes: Traffic, coyotes, P-45.” Last fall, Pratt-Bergstrom retraced P-22’s presumed route from the western Santa Monicas into the park: forty-seven miles, which she completed in three days, with a lion-tracking G.P.S. collar around her neck and a cardboard cutout of P-22 strapped to her back. The danger of overidentifying with animals, particularly carnivores, is that it leads people to expect human behavior of them. When, inevitably, the animals disappoint, the reaction is often punitive. Last spring, the affection of the public and the forbearance of officials were tested when P-22 got past a nine-foot-high fence at the L.A. Zoo and ate the face off an endangered Australian koala named Killarney. After a brief discussion about whether it was time to remove P-22 for his own sake, and possibly for ours, city leaders decided that he should stay. Pratt-Bergstrom took it as a significant victory. “In any other city, he would probably have been shot,” she said. “The zoo said, ‘Our bad—we didn’t have a tall enough fence.’ This is the second-largest city in the country, and it has said it’s O.K. with an admittedly dangerous predator living in its midst. This is a real shift, and it’s revolutionary for wildlife. L.A. is making a home for a mountain lion. C’mon, everyone else!”
Every other day, Jeff Sikich, of the National Park Service, searches the steep, prickly hills of western Malibu for a cat named P-19 and her kittens. The Park Service refers to P-19 as the Selfie Cat: in a fetching picture captured by a wildlife camera, she looks almost as if she were sucking in her tawny cheeks to pose. Not long before P-45 was collared, he mated with P-19; the kittens are the only known carriers of P-45’s prized north-of-the-freeway DNA. In a complicated family tree, their success could help reverse the damage caused by two generations of inbreeding: before finding P-45, P-19 twice mated with her father, who then also mated with one of their kittens. Lions like P-22 can live in close proximity with humans without being spotted. “They’re called ghost cats for a reason—they’re very elusive,” one biologist says. But, he adds, “in this urban, fragmented landscape, they see us almost every day.” Courtesy National Park Service P-19’s kittens by P-45 are a female and a male, known as P-46 and P-47. A few weeks after their birth, Sikich sneaked into their den and, with a veterinarian, surgically implanted very-high-frequency radio transmitters in their abdomens. The transmitters’ batteries tend to falter after about fifteen months—also the age at which mountain lions typically leave their mothers, a behavior that scientists call dispersal. P-19’s kittens will reach fifteen months in March, and Sikich needed to capture them before then to fit them with G.P.S. collars of their own. The challenge was greater than usual: six months ago, P-19’s G.P.S. stopped working. Luckily, she also had a radio transmitter on her collar, which, along with the kittens’ implants, would give Sikich the information he needed to set a trap for them. Early one morning, I met Sikich in a lot near a state park in the mountains, and got into his white government truck. He is forty-one, six feet two and lanky, with green eyes and close-cropped grayish hair. Stealthy and circumspect, he has captured more than a hundred lions in his career. “You have to be the cat to catch the cat,” he says. Once, when P-22’s G.P.S. was down, he ambushed him from a tree limb with a blow dart loaded with sedatives, and replaced the collar while P-22 slept. There is an inherent tension in his work, which explains the caginess in his bearing: wanting the public to care about mountain lions in general, he is wary of anyone’s knowing too much about any particular lion. He often parks far from his tracking grounds and hikes indirectly, lest he be followed, and he never publicizes the lions’ exact locations. He said, “We don’t want people hiking to these points, hoping for photo ops or selfies, and we don’t want people who don’t like lions to be able to find them.” On the roof of the truck was a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree antenna. Sikich turned it on and entered a code associated with P-19’s radio transmitter, and one for each of the kittens. We drove through Westlake Village, an affluent suburb in the San Fernando Valley, and into a subdivision, listening for their signals. When we heard them, Sikich stopped on the side of the road. From the back of the truck, he pulled out a contraption that looked like a project from a middle-school science fair: the Wright brothers’ airplane, rendered in hangers from the dry cleaner. This was a directional antenna—which once nearly got him shot by the L.A.P.D. in Griffith Park when he was tracking P-22. While officers trained guns on him, he dropped the antenna and threw his hands in the air, shouting “Biologist! Biologist!” Sikich pointed the antenna at a steep green hill behind the houses and arced it slowly through the air. We heard a faint clicking, P-19’s signal, which strengthened as he moved the antenna north, then fell away. He reversed directions, again finding the signal’s peak. For the next hour, we drove through neighborhoods, trying to find additional listening points that could help narrow down the whereabouts of the lion family. This was mountain-lion country, but the landscape, with its red tile roofs and basketball nets and mini-S.U.V.s, was in the process of forgetting it. At the end of a cul-de-sac, we scaled a low cinder-block wall and entered open space. Eventually, Sikich was able to point to where the lions were: in a drainage near the top of the green hill, where the terrain formed gentle pleats, like fabric beneath a cinched belt. We were at the mountains’ northern edge, overlooking the 101. Below us, beside the road, was the entrance to an underpass that Sikich believed may have been P-45’s way into the Santa Monicas—and could be the kittens’ way out. The road shhhhhhhhed insistently, soul-killing as a vacuum. A hundred and seventy-five thousand cars pass here every day, and a collision with any one of them would almost certainly be fatal to a lion. In December, Sikich verified the death of one of the lions in the study when he found her collar smashed against a Jersey barrier in the middle of a ten-lane freeway; a few weeks later, one of her young kittens died as it attempted to cross; a few weeks after that, another of her kittens was killed on the same road. For P-19’s kittens, staying behind in the crowded Santa Monicas would also likely mean death, in a fight with their father or with another breeding male. Since 2002, when the Park Service study began, only one male lion born in the Santa Monicas has lived past the age of two. P-19 has been nicknamed the Selfie Cat. In photos taken by wildlife cameras, she looks almost as if she were sucking in her cheeks to pose. Courtesy National Park Service
In late January, P-19’s radio transmitter failed. All that remained were the kittens’ implants, whose signals were easily obstructed, often faint, and, in any case, soon to go dark. The matter of catching the family became urgent: any day, they could go from study subjects to ghost cats once more. For weeks, the cats had been evading Sikich, bypassing the bait he laid and spending long stretches of time on private land, where he could not follow. Then, one morning, a carnivore intern working with him located the kittens on land belonging to the Park Service, in a wilderness between Phillips’s property and the Pacific Ocean. Sikich dragged in a roadkill deer and buried it with leaf litter, scraping the earth as a lion would, so that P-19 might think she’d stumbled on another lion’s cache. In a tree above a rocky promontory, he hung a speaker attached to an MP3 player loaded with a track he calls Deer in Distress: Ma ma maaaa maaaaah. That night, a camera he had set there recorded P-19 and the kittens, eating heartily. At last, Sikich had his chance. The next day, while the cats were resting nearby, he divided up the remaining meat between two cages, placing it behind a treadle at the back: if a lion stepped there, the door would close, and Sikich would get an alert on his cell phone. In the evening, we met along the Pacific Coast Highway, where he had service. Just as the sun went over the horizon, his phone signalled. We drove up a steep canyon, followed by a truck carrying several of his colleagues, and pulled over at a soft shoulder. It was a starry night, and water rushed in a nearby stream. A cold wind blew—good for lion work, it carried away our scent. We scrambled up an incline, breathing the dark-green smell of crushed sage. The researchers wore headlamps, which raked searchingly across the terrain, lighting a sign that read “Danger Mountain Lion Capture Area.” Sikich went ahead to check the traps. When he rejoined us, he was beaming. “P-19 just went in,” he said. “We’ve got her and one of the kittens.” Sikich loaded a dart with anesthetic and sedative, and he and a colleague headed into the woods. Fifteen minutes later, they came back, staggering under the weight of the animal they held between them on a tarp: P-47, the male. “Man! P-47’s a beast,” Sikich said. Nose to tail, he was nearly seven feet long, covered in a thick mustardy coat flecked with black. His paws looked as big as a hand spread wide. Bottom heavy, his body tapered to an elegant head with a Greek nose. Under his neck the fur was rabbit-white and soft. Sikich fitted the kitten with a G.P.S. collar, took samples of blood and hair, and pulled back his gums to measure his teeth. Perfectly white canines nearly an inch long formed a circular bite, like the wax Dracula teeth you see on Halloween. P-47 snored, his belly full of deer. I thought of my children, asleep in their beds. The researchers weighed the cat at a hundred and eight pounds—thirty-five pounds heavier than a male kitten from an earlier P-19 litter at the same age. “That’s P-45’s DNA for sure,” Sikich said. When it was time to wake P-47 up, Sikich wrestled him into his empty cage. “This is great,” he said. “A young dispersing male with a collar. It’ll be super interesting to see where he goes.” Injected with a reversal drug, P-47 blinked, hissed, hammocked his shoulders, and reared to bare his teeth: Haaaahhhr. Staring at us, he banged his head on the top of the cage and started gnawing on its bars. For a moment, it looked as if he would tip it, and then Sikich, to my horror, propped the door open with a stick and encouraged him to leave the cage. The researchers turned down their lamps and stood back a few feet. Through the gloom, I could see P-47’s eyes, like unlit yellow traffic lights. He quieted, and from the cage we heard a chirp, like a songbird’s warmup. A moment later came a high-pitched answering squeak: his sister, P-46, uncaged, disconcertingly close, invisible to us. The siblings talked this way, back and forth, as if to reassure each other that everything would be all right. When P-47 finally bounded out of the cage and disappeared, I noticed that for a long time my heart had been beating with an unaccustomed, satisfying fear.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, P-45 indulged himself. Down the road from Wendell Phillips’s place is a tumbledown alpaca farm that for the past four years has belonged to Victoria Vaughn-Perling, who lives in a suburb that is a twenty-minute drive away. She is a weaver, and it was always her dream to retire to the countryside. But alpaca wool—she hadn’t known—is susceptible to moths, and whatever work she finished the moths were just as fast to undo. Her plans to move to the farm never took shape, either. She and her husband, Joseph, separated, and it was all they could do to keep renters in the place. Many nights, it sat empty. Because highways prevent lions from entering the Santa Monicas, the gene pool of the local population is shrinking. P-19 mated twice with her father before mating with P-45, an aggressive interloper who has inspired both hope and fear. Courtesy National Park Service After losing nine alpacas to mountain-lion attacks over the summer, the Vaughn-Perlings tried to upgrade the pens where the animals stayed at night. They added motion-sensor lights and a line of electric fencing, and played talk radio turned up loud. Above the electric line, Victoria strung colored pennants, to make the barrier appear higher than it was. Some nights, she stayed out in her car, with the lights on, ready to blare the horn if the lion returned. Joseph, a technologist, looked for ideas on the Internet. In retrospect, Victoria told me, she could see that they had been naïve. “We didn’t know what we were doing,” she said. Thanksgiving weekend was rainy, and she didn’t make it to the farm, believing that a lion wouldn’t hunt in the rain. The radio shorted out; the lights and the electric fence, powered by the sun, failed to turn on. P-45 came. Two nights later, Wendell Phillips brought me to the farm. Construction lights illuminated a pitiful scene of alpaca carnage. In a corral surrounded by a waffling, loose-weave wire fence some eight feet tall, a chocolate-brown alpaca lay in a heap, matted with blood, its long neck rumpled like a cast-off knee-high. Nearby was a fluffy white alpaca named Cuzco. Its neck arched like a ballerina’s, and there was a gaping hole in its abdomen. In the attack, P-45 had killed ten more of the Vaughn-Perlings’ alpacas, including a baby, which had been found strung up on the fence; he had eaten only from Cuzco. The following night, he went down the road to the Shalom Institute, a Jewish retreat center, which has a petting zoo where visitors can learn about animals in the context of Torah study. Phillips told me that the zoo, which had also suffered previous attacks, was far better defended than the Vaughn-Perlings’ farm. “I’ve seen medium-security correctional facilities that weren’t as secure,” he said. Still, P-45 leaped onto the roof of the animals’ enclosure, spooking them so badly that they broke the gate from the inside and delivered themselves to him in an open pen. “That smell, if you’ve never been to a homicide scene, is the smell of death,” Phillips said, standing over Cuzco. He pointed out the killer’s signature: the blood around the head; the tooth marks where he’d crimped the windpipe, suffocating it; the open cavity, intestines removed. “I doubt he’ll be back tonight,” he said. “Ate enough from the body cavity. Probably gorged up asleep somewhere.” He showed me his weapons, a.40 Smith & Wesson Springfield XD tactical—a SWAT entry gun—and a semi-automatic Bushmaster. “The black rifles that the media hates so much,” he said. In California, mountain lions have special protection. Although for much of the twentieth century the state paid bounty hunters to kill them, since 1990 trophy hunting has been banned. There is, however, a provision for “depredation permits”—permission, retroactive or in advance, to kill a mountain lion that threatens or attacks a person or his property. In 2015, a hundred and seven mountain lions were killed on depredation permits. The Vaughn-Perlings had lost nineteen animals to P-45. Victoria got a depredation permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and asked Phillips to execute it. He had experience. Last spring, after the second attack on his place, Phillips took out his own permit to shoot P-45. Inside an old stall used for hay storage in the Western Town on his property, he had rigged a blind, cutting a window into a wall that looked over a pasture, where he left one of his dead alpacas as bait. For three freezing nights, he lay in wait, sometimes dozing off in the chair he’d dragged in, an elaborately carved wooden throne, which, Mary Dee Rickards said, had appeared in Errol Flynn’s “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” The alpaca started to stink. On the third night, at a little past one, Phillips startled awake to see an enormous creature leap over a five-foot fence. “I was not prepared for him to be as large as he was,” he told me. “He looked almost like an African lion, and his coat was almost as brown as deer hide. He was obviously an apex predator in the prime of his life. Not much body fat.” P-45 rolled the alpaca over with his paw as if it were a beach ball. Phillips took aim, but just as he fired P-45 ducked his head to eat. P-45 fell to his side, and Phillips was sure he had delivered a mortal wound. But then P-45 clawed his way over the fence and into the surrounding bushes. After Phillips reported shooting him, Sikich, worried that he was injured, tracked him into dense undergrowth a quarter mile away, where he had hunkered down. When Sikich hiked in, P-45 took off, apparently unscathed. “We didn’t hear of a domestic animal being killed for two or three weeks after that,” Phillips said. “And then he started killing again.” P-19’s kittens with P-45 were a female and a male, P-46 and P-47. Kittens typically travel with their mothers; mountain-lion fathers are more likely to kill their young than to train them. Courtesy National Park Service The night of my visit to the alpaca farm was unusually cool, with the temperature dropping into the forties. Around 10 P.M., Victoria came out of the house, wearing prescription sunglasses—she’d mislaid her eyeglasses—a light shirt, and a skirt that flared around her knees. She whispered, as if the lion could hear. “If there’s something that’s aggressive, capriciously aggressive, and is attacking so many different people’s homes, eventually it’s going to be a child,” she said. She wished that the people who were actually responsible, whoever they might be, would move the lion somewhere else. “It’s not killing to eat,” she said. “It’s killing for the pleasure.” To understand P-45’s behavior, though, one need not enter the psyche of a criminal mastermind. Just picture a cat, after dinner, toying with a ball of alpaca yarn. “This is a mountain lion being a mountain lion,” Sikich told me. “It’s programmed to jump on prey items. The only unnatural thing here is having non-native animals in a native animal’s territory unprotected.” It is a message that he and his colleague Seth Riley have been trying to impart for quite some time. Months earlier, they’d scheduled a workshop for animal hobbyists living in mountain-lion country, in the hope of educating them about how to keep their animals safe. They had thought that fifteen people might attend, to see their demonstration of a lion-proof enclosure made with kennelling materials available at Home Depot. Instead, a few nights after P-45’s Thanksgiving spree, hundreds of people turned out for the workshop, ready to defend his life. Centuries of frontier history began to flow the other way. “I hear P-22 is going to take a hit out on anybody who takes out P-45,” one man joked as he found a seat in a barn at the Paramount Ranch, a National Park property that once belonged to the movie studio. Activists had come from all over the state. One protester held a sign that said “Paws Up Don’t Shoot.” There was a tone of self-abnegation, and an inversion of Phillips’s resentment of the beast marauding his paradise. Humans
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further details, citing privacy issues.
CBC News has attempted to contact the Matharoos. However, a Toronto number provided on court documents wasn't connected.
Matropolitan.com, the Matharoo's website, also features one post about a Toronto nail salon and prominently features the CN Tower among world landmarks on its header.
The case has reportedly been adjourned until Jan. 26. It's unclear if the women remain in custody or have been granted bail.Bicycle accidents have been documented as one of the most common mechanisms of accidents in children. Several reports describe intra-abdominal injury secondary to bicycle handlebars. Reported injuries include liver and spleen trauma, bowel perforation, and pancreatitis. However, there are few reports of penetrating handlebar injuries. We report a case of a penetrating bicycle handlebar producing an open iliac wing fracture. A number of reports have stressed the dichotomy between the benign external appearance and the potential severity of the intra-abdominal injury after a bicycle handlebar injury. Thus, a high index of suspicion must be maintained when evaluating a child after such an injury. All patients with a significant mechanism should have a thorough and complete evaluation, including radiographs. As with all traumatic injuries, a multidisciplinary approach is often required to efficiently manage these injuries. Although uncommon, open pelvic injuries in children do occur. The principles of management are the same in children as they are in adults. All children with open pelvic fractures require emergent operative debridement and, if indicated, stabilization. Special attention should be given to ensure that the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts do not communicate with the fracture. With attention to these fundamental principles, severe pelvic injuries in children can be managed with few long-term sequelae.Arapahoe Basin Ski Area announced it will open for the 2017-18 season on Friday, Oct.13
Dave Camara / Summit Daily file photo
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area announced today it will open for the 2017-18 ski and snowboard season on Friday, Oct. 13. The Black Mountain Express lift will start turning at 9 a.m., giving skiers and snowboarders access to the intermediate High Noon trail. Arapahoe Basin is often one of the first ski areas to open in North America. Mountain operations will continue to make snow as weather permits with the goal of opening additional terrain.
“Mother Nature has been kind to the Basin,” said Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin chief operating officer, in a statement. “It’s exciting to kick off the ski season earlier than usual, and welcome winter back to Colorado.”
Early season lift tickets can be purchased online, in advance at tickets.arapahoebasin.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the mountain. Current lift ticket window pricing will run through Dec. 15, with adult (ages 19-69) full-day tickets priced at $79, youth (ages 15-18) window tickets priced at $67 and child (ages 6-14) window tickets priced at $39. Children age 5 and under ski free every day of the season. Information about season passes and multi-day tickets can be found at ArapahoeBasin.com
Skier services available starting opening day include ski and board rentals (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at the Kids Center (for both kids and adults) and retail sales at Arapahoe Sports (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Snowsports value season private lessons are available starting opening day. Dining options at the mountain will include: breakfast at Legends Café from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; full lunch and après service in the 6
th
Alley Bar & Grill starting at 10:30 a.m.; lunch service at Black Mountain Lodge (mid-mountain) starting at 10:30 a.m. A-Basin Mug Club sales start opening day at 8 a.m. in Marnie’s Bar on the 2
nd
floor of the A-Frame; mugs are $45 and entitle the owner to beverage discounts in the 6
th
Alley Bar & Grill and a free beer to kick off the season. Mugs are sold on a first-come, first-served basis; limit one mug per customer and purchasers must be 21 years of age.Illinois police say they have already harvested and destroyed almost twice as much wild-growing marijuana this year as they did in all of 1991.
A team of 15 state troopers and local officers from rural police departments had slashed, burned and buried more than 38 million ''ditch weed'' plants as of Monday, said Illinois State Police Sgt. Jim Hinkle, coordinator of a state eradication program called Operation Cash Crop.
Hinkle said in 1991 law enforcement officials harvested about 20 million naturally growing pot plants. In 1990, they destroyed just 2.8 million wild plants, which are remnants of a nationwide effort by farmers to grow hemp for rope during World War II.
State officials say the increased harvests are the result of an increase in federal grants for marijuana eradication and reflect a higher emphasis within state and federal goverment on eliminating the drug threat.
The state received $406,000 this year and $541,000 last year from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for its marijuana program. Before that, the state received about $50,000 annually.
''It`s a big priority,'' said Franz Hirzy, a DEA spokesman in the Chicago field office. ''We`ve made some tremendous gains here, to the point that there is a shortage of quality marijuana in the Midwest.''
Most of the police harvesting has been in rural north central and northwestern Illinois, where the history of the naturally growing cannabis weed can be traced to pre-settlement days, when Native Americans also used it to make rope.
But since smoking dope became popular in the 1960s, local officials have complained about pot pickers and farmers infiltrating the region. In the continuing efforts to eradicate the nuisance, one county`s officials recently gave their sheriff the extra title of ''noxious weed superintendent.''
The wild weed found along roadways is very low-grade and would sell for a fraction of the up to $2,500 per pound that premium marijuana attracts on the street. But officials say the native plant is a public threat because dope dealers use it as filler, which they mix with the potent stuff to increase their profits.
Meanwhile, police have not had as successful a year eliminating illicit marijuana growing operations around the state. They blame that partially on this summer`s wet and cool climate that`s been favorable to the growers.
As of Monday, only 18,400 cultivated plants had been destroyed in Illinois, compared with a total of 347,700 in 1991, Hinkle said. But he said this year`s tally is bound to rise dramatically as the growing season ends and dealers move in to harvest.
''The weather has been so good that the guys-the bad guys-have not had to go out to tend their plants,'' Hinkle said. ''When they come out to tend them, boom, we`ve got them!''The military regime continues to create deeper digital confusion. It refuses to jettison its campaign for a single internet gateway that would out-firewall the "great firewall of China". Now it seeks official authorisation to legally and secretly intercept all internet traffic. This amendment to the military's poorly conceived Computer Crime Act (CCA) is sailing through the appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA).
The revelation about this bill is a huge disappointment, and not just to those who are intensely focused on civil rights. The proposed changes to the CCA are important on several levels: they will authorise any state security agency to gather details like the login and password of every citizen who does online banking. It will allow them to intercept the business dealings of every company with an online presence, even their in-house emails.
The planned amendments, slated to become law next month, do not stop there. They specifically require ISPs to allow the state security apparatus full access to the internet traffic of their clients. Further, the ISPs will be gagged, with heavy penalties for any who blow the whistle on the state's prying. Even if an ISP knows that state officials are intercepting highly personal details, such as online ATM transactions or business secrets, they are forbidden from revealing this rights abuse.
All of this -- and much more -- was dug up and publicised last week by the Thai Netizen Network. This NGO was also instrumental in exposing plans to reduce international internet traffic to a single gateway, for easier state monitoring. The network explained this major security change was part of a plan contained within the CCA amendments to authorise "man in the middle" attacks. This would completely break the internet's encrypted web traffic, noted within browsers by the prefix "https". This is the only step that makes online banking secure.
In its secret documents unearthed by the network, it is clear the military government wants to break "https" encryption to get inside anti-monarchy websites. Even by itself, this is a highly questionable misuse of authority. But the much greater danger is that the state, and corrupt state agencies, will misuse and abuse their authority for wider and far more sinister purposes beyond even outright theft and blackmail.
The reality of this potential threat is horrendous. It continues the debasement of the desired and so-far actual image of Thailand. The government is boosting its so-called "Thailand 4.0" policy of support for digital development. Good and expanding internet access is a key. But so is confidence. If the NLA passes these Computer Security Act amendments into law next month, the country's reputation will have only one way to go.
As with the single-gateway policy, currently tabled and lurking ominously in the background, Thailand will take a massive hit from these proposed "wiretap" provisions. Businesses will have no confidence that their online transactions -- even email -- are confidential. Every person who does online banking -- a rapidly growing number -- will labour under the suspicion that their accounts are not only insecure, but may even be tampered with.
The NLA may be military-appointed, but it is sworn to work in the national interest. Its members must knock back these computer-security bills. It is time for the public to be informed of just what is in and behind these laws. The military's original Computer Crime Act of 2007 was a mess, but with proper work under the public spotlight, the NLA can repair the damage and promote real computer security.Orange County Deputy Probation Officer Erin Merritt holds a canister of methadone which she found in a former heroin-addict probationer's apartment in Santa Ana, California July 22, 2011. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department plans to launch an effort on Thursday to identify non-violent prison inmates convicted of low-level drug charges who would be good candidates for clemency from President Barack Obama.
The department’s No. 2 official, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, plans to lay out details at a legal conference in New York, according to excerpts of his speech released prior to delivery.
In a sign of changing U.S. views about long prison sentences, Obama in December commuted the sentences of eight people after deciding their crack cocaine offenses did not justify their long prison terms. Each had served more than 15 years in prison.
“It is the department’s goal to find additional candidates, who are similarly situated to the eight granted clemency last year, and recommend them to the president for clemency consideration,” Cole’s prepared remarks said. He is scheduled to deliver the speech at 12:40 p.m. ET (1740 GMT).
Candidates for clemency would include inmates who have had clean records in prison, do not present a threat to public safety and are facing excessive sentences, according to the speech.
The U.S. Constitution gives the president power to grant “reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney advises the president on the merits of specific cases.Originally designed and coded in 2013 out of a need to print dynamic PDF documents from WordPress forms, Formidable PRO2PDF provided the automation necessary for a small insurance agency to produce more business, with the same number of employees.
Today, this Add-on Plug-in for Formidable Forms provides the entire WordPress community with a cost free method of creating dynamic PDF documents – without programming or coding – with one simple shortcode.
With the ability to merge all Formidable Form fields into Adobe PDF Form text, checkbox or radio button fields, this plug-in also integrates email attachment functionality with Formidable Form’s Email Notification Actions. Allowing site visitors to send flattened or editable PDF’s to preset or dynamic email addresses based on user input – and with a signature too!
Since the May 2015 public release of this plug-in, ongoing development has been driven 100% by user input. From adding a Word.docx output, to dynamically naming the PDF file attachment, new feature requests and support questions have been the driving force for development. If this plug-in does not work as needed for your project, don’t hesitate to ask for help, and if at all possible, we’ll design it to work for you too.
We remain at your service! – Formidable PRO2PDF13. Jason's Name Was Josh
If you're reading this article, you probably love the entire Friday the 13th series of movies - or maybe you're just curious about the title. Either way, I'm hoping you'll find a few fun Friday the 13th facts in this article that were previously unknown to you. To help those of you who might get confused later, here's the list of the Friday the 13th movies. They're referenced endlessly in this article, so take a moment to familiarize yourself with them. Friday the 13th (1980) Friday the 13th Part II (1981) - Jason wore a sack on his head instead of the hockey mask Friday the 13th Part III (1982) - the awful 3D chapter in the series, but we finally get Jason in a hockey mask Friday the 13th Part IV (1984) - The Final Chapter - Tommy Jarvis kills Jason at the end Friday the 13th Part V (1985) - A New Beginning - this is the one where Jason is not the killer Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) - Jason Lives - Tommy Jarvis brings Jason back to life Friday the 13th Part VII (1988) - The New Blood - the psychic girl Friday the 13th Part VIII (1989) - Jason Takes Manhattan Friday the 13th Part IX (1993) - Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday Friday the 13th Part X (2002) - Jason X - Jason in space Friday the 13th Part XI (2003) - Freddy vs. Jason Friday the 13th Part XII (2009) - The reboot Ok, ready? Then let's be off.The original script for Friday the 13th called for Jason's name to be Josh. If things had worked out the way director Sean Cunningham originally expected, the name Josh Voorhees would have quickly been forgotten. You see, Cunningham did not plan on sequels to Friday the 13th, so who really cared what the name of the kid who drowned was? Besides, Josh Voorhees wasn't the killer, so it didn't matter that his name failed to conjure images of a serial murderer. Thankfully, someone decided the name sounded better as Jason Voorhees. Can you imagine movies named Freddy vs. Josh, Josh X, or Josh Takes Manhattan? Neither can I.Easter Egg Hunt on April 8th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Delray Marketplace. Free.
South Florida Parenting’s Eggapalooza on April 9th at 11 a.m. at Mizner Park Amphitheater. $8 per person. Babies under 18 months are free. Cash only.
Get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny at Town Center Mall, March 24th through April 15th. Go to simon.noerrbunny.com to reserve your appointment.
Lady Bug Release, Easter Egg Hunt and Ice Cream Social on April 15th at 2 p.m. at the Chapel of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church
Lynn University Egg Hunt on April 15th at 12:30 p.m. Hunt for more than 10,000 eggs filled with candy and prizes. Bring your own basket. Admission and parking free. Lacrosse game at 1 p.m. Lynn University is located at 3601 N. Military Trail in Boca.
Author: Warren Redlich Warren Redlich is a real estate agent and an attorney. He focuses on selling homes in West Boca Raton. Find out more at Yes Boca Real Estate. View all posts by Warren RedlichThe type of emotion the UCLA men’s basketball team carried into its first meeting with Oregon State this season is the opposite of the feeling accompanying it into the second.
The level of emotion, however, is nearly identical.
Entering Sunday’s matchup with Oregon State, No. 10 UCLA is coming off Thursday’s roller coaster victory over No. 5 Oregon that nearly blew the roof off Pauley Pavilion as the Bruins overcame a 19-point deficit.
When it visited Oregon State Dec. 30, UCLA was fresh off the other end of a dramatic game. The Bruins had just blown a four-point lead in the final 15 seconds of a loss to Oregon on Dillon Brooks’ 3-pointer a the buzzer.
The Bruins’ coaching staff was admittedly concerned about any lingering effects. And UCLA confirmed those fears for the first three quarters of its victory over Oregon State, leading the last-place team in the Pac-12 by five with less than 10 minutes to play before separating for a more comfortable 13-point final margin.
“We were most worried about that going to Oregon State,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said. “That’s where the veterans’ leadership comes in too and the freshmen getting onto the next play and the next game. … We were a little hesitant in the first half, but got things put together.”
Fresh off its most significant win of the season, Thursday’s 82-79 win over Oregon in front of a deafening sellout crowd at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA (22-3, 9-3 Pac-12) faces a similar challenge.
Oregon State (4-21, 0-12) is certainly easy to overlook with losses in 15 of its last 16 games and all 12 in conference.
But UCLA’s win over Oregon doesn’t lighten the burden for the Bruins. In fact, it arguably puts more pressure on UCLA to take care of the team at the bottom of the conference now that hope for a Pac-12 championship has been renewed.
A loss to Oregon State would be as detrimental to UCLA’s NCAA tournament resumé as the win over Oregon was beneficial.
“Coach has been preaching it all February,” UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball said. “February sets up March.”
Ball is coming off an odd game in which the nation’s leader in assists had just one against Oregon. But the freshman made the game’s two biggest shots, including a step-back, 30-foot 3-pointer with 32 seconds left. His season-low assist total was indicative of his minimal impact until the last 15 minutes of the game, when he scored 10 of his 15 points.
Fellow freshman Ike Anigbogu had one of his best games of the season against Oregon with nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
It was probably not a coincidence that the last 17 minutes of the game was arguably UCLA’s best defensive stretch of the season. Alford believes the Bruins much maligned defense may be turning a corner in February. Its performance against Oregon State will only provide further evidence.
“Most players, confidence comes in ‘Am I making shots?’ and all we’ve done all year is make shots,” Alford said. “I’ve tried to tell them all year, we’ve got to build that same confidence at the defensive end.”December 18, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Boise State quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith will join Chris Petersen‘s staff at Washington, a source has confirmed to The Seattle Times.
That would seem to put into question Marques Tuiasosopo‘s future with the Huskies. The source said Tuiasosopo would prefer to continue to coach quarterbacks, and after the Fight Hunger Bowl, that position will no longer be available at UW.
Here’s how the pieces for UW’s new staff appear to be coming together under Petersen, based on sources and various reports:
Offense:
Jonathan Smith, quarterbacks
Brent Pease, wide receivers
Keith Bhonapha, running backs/recruiting coordinator
Chris Strausser, offensive line
Defense:
Pete Kwiatkowski, defensive coordinator
Bob Gregory, linebackers
Jimmy Lake, secondary
That’s seven assistants (with their Boise State positions listed above), which leaves room for two more.
Pease was let go as Florida’s offensive coordinator earlier this month, and he will reportedly come to UW to coach wide receivers.
It’s unclear who the coordinators will be, or who will coach the defensive line, tight ends and special teams (or if the Boise assistants will take on new roles).
Perhaps Smith, the former Oregon State quarterback under Dennis Erickson, gets his first shot to call plays? Remember, Petersen gave a 29-year-olds Bryan Harsin and Justin Wilcox their first chance as coordinators at Boise in 2006.
Former Boise State and Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, when I talked to him earlier this month about his good friend Petersen, said he’d be open to returning to college football as an assistant in the right situation. I don’t know if that’s a realistic option now for UW, but I do know Hawkins had tremendous success before heading to Colorado.
Kwiatkowski has been the defensive coordinator at Boise State, and it seems likely that he’ll have the same position here.
The more the pieces come together, the less likely it seems Wilcox will have a spot to return to UW. I haven’t heard anything definitive on that yet, but that’s the sense right now.
There could still be room for Tosh Lupoi to remain at UW, but I haven’t heard anything solid on that either.
Gregory, Boise’s interim coach for its bowl game, told The Idaho Statesman today that he has not talked to Harsin, the new Boise coach, about a position there, and footballscoop.com suggests that Gregory is coming to UW, too. (Gregory, by the way, was Wilcox’s position coach at Oregon in the 1990s and served as Cal’s defensive coordinator from 2002-09, where Wilcox got his first full-time coaching job in 2003.)
Footballscoop is also reporting that Fresno State’s director of operations, Mike McHugh, will come to UW in the same role.
Word is he's going to UW “@IDS_BroncoBeat: Bob Gregory said he has not talked to Harsin about a job on his staff” — FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) December 18, 2013The 2016 Collector’s Aegis of Champions registration site is now open.
All Battle Pass owners who reach Battle Level 1000 are invited to receive The International 2016 Collector’s Aegis, an exclusive 1/5th-scale, bronze-plated alloy replica of the famed champion’s prize.
To claim your Collector’s Aegis, please visit the registration site to provide your shipping and contact information. You will need to use your Steam account credentials and have a Battle Level of 1000 in order to access the site.
Your Collector’s Aegis can only be delivered to the address you provide during registration. If you need to change your shipping information after successful registration, please contact Catalyst Customer Support at [email protected]
Deliveries will be spread across two waves of shipments—the first will ship in September, with the second to follow in October. Please note that all communication regarding your shipment will be sent to the email address you provide during registration, and failure to provide accurate shipping or contact information may cause fulfillment issues for your Collector’s Aegis.
Registration is required to receive your Aegis, so make sure to sign up before the conclusion of The International 2016 Grand Finals to claim this lasting symbol of the legendary support you have extended in helping make this the premiere tournament in all of esports.Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer are to front a new BBC Two series in which they go fishing together.
In the show, experienced angler Whitehouse suggests his friend take up the hobby to help recover from his triple heart bypass he had in 2015.
Whitehouse has also suffered serious heart problems and has had stents inserted into his arteries to help the blood flow.
He said: ‘Before Bob Mortimer and I die of heart disease, we're going fishing all around the country. I've sold it to him by saying fishing is long periods of boredom punctuated by short, sharp periods of incredibly intense boredom. As a Middlesbrough fan, he lapped it up.’
Mortimer added: ‘Paul is a lifelong friend and the chance to have one last adventure together before we snuff it was irresistible. He is an experienced angler and I haven't fished since I was a teenager. As a teacher, I expect him to be brutal.’
Six half-hour episodes of the show, provisionally titled Paul and Bob Go Fishing have been commissioned from from Owl Power, the production company they have just set up together
Lisa Clark, who produced all the Reeves and Mortimer shows as well as briefly looking after Top Gear with Chris Evans will be executive producer.
She said: ‘This authentic series is as much an insight into the hearts (literally) of two of the UK’s best loved comics as it is about capturing the serenity and beauty of one of the most popular pastimes in the UK.
‘Their recent experiences will see them reflect with searing honesty on life’s big topics. It promises to be revealing, emotional and highly amusing.’
According to the blurb for the show: ‘Across the half-hour episodes they’ll dissect life, death and comedy. Paul will be in charge of the fishing while Bob is in charge of the accommodation and cooking heart-healthy food. From recipes, regrets, relationships and rituals; to childhood, comedy and the countryside, the pair will discuss everything alongside the ever-present shadows of showbiz and mortality.’
David Brindley, head of popular factual programmes at the BBC, commissioned the show with BBCTwo controller Patrick Holland. He said: "Frankly, it’s a joy to be working with two of the country’s finest comedians. I’m delighted Paul and Bob have allowed us to follow this very intimate fishing expedition and eavesdrop on their frank, moving, and of course, entertaining musings.’
There is no indication yet as to when the show will air.
Published: 5 Oct 2017No sooner did President Obama claim last week the IRS scandal was just a mirage than new evidence emerged to show it was anything but.
The conservative group Judicial Watch says documents it obtained “confirm” the agency targeted the donors of certain tax-exempt organizations. And the Government Accountability Office faulted IRS procedures, saying they failed to prevent bias in the selection of nonprofits for audits. That’s key, since the agency has been accused of targeting conservative groups.
Yet here was Obama on the Jon Stewart show denying the IRS did anything wrong.
“The truth of the matter is that there was not some big conspiracy there,” said Obama. “They were trying to sort out these conflicting demands.” Indeed, he added, “the real scandal” is that the agency doesn’t have the money to do more audits. Right.
So did the agency do anything wrong?
You be the judge:
First, there’s the IRS’ internal auditor charging the agency targeted conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
Then there’s Lois Lerner, the former IRS official at the heart of the scandal, pleading the Fifth and claiming her hard drive crashed, destroying all the evidence.
Later it turns out the IRS deliberately erased her backups, after the messages were subject to a congressional subpoena.
And we learn the Justice Department apparently colluded with the IRS, discussing “several possible theories to bring criminal charges under FEC law” against groups “posing” as tax-exempt nonprofits.
Of course, the biggest scandal of all is that Team Obama has managed to stonewall and leave the public hanging. And that no one has been held accountable.The "glitter cannon" is part of her superhero powers, she told BuzzFeed News.
Jordan Reeves, a spunky 10-year-old girl in Columbia, Missouri, was born with a left arm that ends at her humerus, or just above her elbow. Born Just Right/Photo by Jen Reeves
But instead of building a traditional prosthetic at a design event for kids without limbs, Jordan developed a "circle shooter" or "glitter cannon" that shoots sparkles. Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Born Just Right/Jen Reeves / Via youtube.com
She calls the device "Project Unicorn" and says it is an essential part of her superhero alter ego, Girl Blaster. "I just like the look of sparkles and how shiny they are," Jordan told BuzzFeed News. "And I like unicorns because they're magical and awesome."
Jordan made her creation at an event called Superhero Cyborg. The event was a five-day-long design training in San Francisco led by KIDMob, a nonprofit design organization for kids, and Autodesk, a 3D design software company. (Autodesk/Photo by Sarah O’Rourke) (Autodesk/Photo by Sarah O’Rourke)
The event aimed to help kids create a hand or arm that was not just functional, but had super abilities, Kate Ganim, KIDMob's co-director, told BuzzFeed News. "What happens if we push it to be an exoskeleton to enhance a body's natural capability?" said Ganim, who has a master's degree in architecture from California College of the Arts. "These kids are often viewed as disabled, but what happens when we invite them to be super-abled? What would that look like?"
Over a short week in January, five kids worked with six professionals and students in architecture and engineering to create their own "body modification," as the organization described the projects. One kid made a "sport splint." Kid Mob/Kate Ganim David.
Other kids made devices that have multiple functions, including an ability to shoot like a water gun. Kid Mob/Kate Ganim Riley Kid Mob/Kate Ganim Sydney
This kid called his project the Nubinator 3.0. Kid Mob/Kate Ganim Kieran.
The group learned 3D modeling and printing, plaster casting, electronics, and sewing to build their wearables. They also did quite a bit of exploring superpowers and super abilities to build into their devices. (AutoDesk/Sarah O'Rourke)
But Jordan, and the rest of the group, aren't done with their projects. Jordan is still working with her current prosthetist and her mentor from the Superhero Cyborg event on the project and hopes to create the ultimate glitter cannon. View this video on YouTube youtube.com / Via youtube.com
The most recent version of the project is a 3D printed hand that will bend at the elbow. Jordan and her team are developing a way to make the device shoot sparkles and form a fist shape using her natural strength so that she can hold her phone. The group will present their final projects in June.
What Jordan liked best about the event was that she had free range to create whatever inspires her. She says she now wants to do 3D printing as a career. Born Just Right/Jen ReevesTermite Biology
Diversity
Termites are soil or wood inhabiting eusocial insects which generally have soft, white bodies and secretive habits. Most termites each dead plant material, which is digested with the help of bacterial or protozoan symbionts in their gut. Globally, termites play an important role in reducing dead plant material, but they can be quite destructive to human-built structures.
In many species of termite the nest is simply the cavities created in the wood as the termites eat, but in African and Australian grasslands some termites construct large nests of soil which is cemented with feces and saliva. In tropical rainforests Nasutitermes species attach their nests of chewed plant material and feces to trees, fence posts, and other aboveground locations. Nasutitmermes workers construct covered walkways from their nest to foraging areas.
Reproduction
At the appropriate season for establishing new colonies, winged females and males (alates) leave their nest and join in a mass mating flight which is composed of many (thousands or even millions) of alates from that species' colonies. Males and females form pair bonds, and you may see pairs of males and females running, with the male closely following the female (this is called tandem running) in search of nesting location. Once the male and female have paired, they break off their wings, and spend the remainder of their life flightless.
These mass mating flights are easy pickings for predators--frogs, lizards, birds, and spiders all may benefit greatly from the easy availability of termite alates as food. This may be an example of predator saturation; the termite colonies produce far more alates than could possibly find nesting sites in order to insure that at least a few survive. Unlike ants, bees and wasps, termite workers may be male or female. The king continues to live after his initial mating with the queen and lives in the nest; the king and queen may remate occasionally.
Caste
division of labor
Termites have incomplete metamorphosis. This means that, like cockroaches and grasshoppers, immatures look very much like adults, lacking only wings. Termite workers are essentially immatures, and in the "lower" termites, workers may ultimately develop into reproductives.
At hatching termite immatures lack the intestinal symbionts which enable them to digest cellulose. They gain their initial infection of symbionts by feeding on feces from other termites in the colony. Usually such feeding is directly from the anus of the other individual--this is called proctodael feeding.
In order to grow, insects must shed their exoskeleton by molting. When a termite molts it also loses the linings of its foregut and hindgut, as well as the symbionts living in the gut. Termites rely on proctodael feeding in order to reinfect themselves with their symbionts after they molt; the symbionts are regained from the feces of another termite.
Studies of caste in termites are based on measurements of workers. The measurements allow the scientist to determine to which molt the worker belongs. Both males and females serve as workers, and in some species there are sex differences among the workers in their role in the colony. In general, termite workers can be divided into nest workers, who construct the nest and care for the eggs, foragers, who are equipped for chewing wood or other plant material, and soldiers, whose large heads, strong jaw muscles, and sharp jaws enable them to defend the colony from attackers such as ants. Nest worker and foragers have smaller heads. Head size, gender, and behavioral role can be combined in a diagram of termite caste:
**insert caste diagram**
Communication
Termites often work in the dark, and their best-known modes of communication are pheromones. Trail pheromones guide foragers to food. Other pheromones may regulate how many members of each caste are produced, or may inhibit workers from becoming reproductives.
Some species also produce vibrational signals by striking a surface with their heads. Thousands of termites simultaneously bashing their heads produces a noise that is audible to humans at a distance of several meters. Head bashing communicates alarm, alerting the entire nest to a threat. Termites probably lack a hearing organ--they perceive the signals as vibrations through their legs or antennae.
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copyright ©2002 Michael D. Breed, all rights reservedAMD has released its newest Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers which bring game optimizations for a few new games and which will probably be one of the last drivers under Catalyst brand.As you probably know, AMD is set to release its new Radeon Software Crimson major drivers update. The new release will bring both the Radeon Software, which will replace Catalyst drivers and Radeon Settings, which will replace Catalyst Control Center. Until then, AMD has released its newest Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers with few game optimizations.According to the release notes, the new Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers bring performance optimizations for Star Wars: Battlefront, Fallout 4, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. It does not include any other bug fixes but has an updated known issues list including some problems with Assassin's Creed Syndicate game and Star Wars: Battlefront on certain notebooks with Intel CPU and AMD GPU.The new Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers are probably the last drivers to be launched under the Catalyst brand as earlier reports suggested that the new Crimson major drivers update should launch on November 24th As it was the case with all the earlier AMD Catalyst drivers, Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers are available for Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions and support all AMD Radeon graphics cards since Radeon HD 5000 series.You can find new Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers via link below.Source: AMD.comA controversial CTA project to route the Brown Line onto a ramp over other elevated trains in Lakeview has been expanded in scope and would cost roughly $570 million, instead of $320 million, a CTA analysis released Tuesday said.
The minimum four-year project, opposed by some residents will also disrupt rail service during off-peak hours and on weekends, as well as bring increased noise, dust, traffic delays and other inconveniences to the neighborhood.
That's all according to a CTA environmental assessment of the plan to ease a rail bottleneck by building a fifth-track bypass structure north of the Belmont station, where the Red, Brown and Purple/Evanston Express lines intersect at Clark Junction.
The CTA has not secured funding for construction of the bypass flyover bridge, which is part of the transit agency's overall Red and Purplemodernization project, estimated to cost $4.7 billion. Moreover, the flyover's $570 million portion of that total could rise because of inflation if the project doesn't start as planned in 2017, according to the new analysis.
The CTA has so far received funding only to conduct environmental studies, but the Federal Transit Administration has signaled support for the project because of its potential to expand passenger rail capacity throughout the densely populated Red Line corridor.
However, the CTA report provides new details about disruptions that await nearby residents and businesses during the long construction period.
"Temporary construction impacts could include noise, vibration
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was brought under indigenous control during Sobhuza's reign.[5]
Later life and death [ edit ]
1959 Buick LeSabre, owned by Sobhuza II. Photographed at the Sobhuza II Memorial Park in Lobamba
Sobhuza celebrated his Diamond Jubilee in 1981. At this time, he had successfully restored and indeed strengthened the monarch's role as the chief arbiter of decision-making in his kingdom.[5] In the early 1980s King Sobhuza attempted to acquire control over KaNgwane, a Bantustan set up by the South African government in an attempt to reunite all Swazi people separated by the colonial boundary. He died on 21 August 1982 at Embo State house at the age of 83.
Sobhuza's official incumbency of 82 years and 254 days is the longest precisely dated monarchical reign on record and the world's longest documented reign of any sovereign since antiquity. Only Pepi II Neferkare of Ancient Egypt and Taejo of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo are claimed to have reigned longer, though these claims are disputed.
Family and succession [ edit ]
Mswati III, Sobhuza II's son and eventual successor
Known by the honorific "Bull of Swazi" by virtue of his numerous progeny,[9] King Sobhuza continued the tribal practice of maintaining many consorts. According to the Swaziland National Trust Commission, King Sobhuza II married 70 wives, who gave him 210 children between 1920 and 1970. About 180 children survived infancy, and 97 sons and daughters were reported living as of 2000. At his death he had more than 1000 grandchildren.[10]
Sobhuza died in 1982, having appointed Prince Sozisa Dlamini to serve as 'Authorized Person', advising a regent. Selection of a successor was confirmed only after King Sobhuza's death, a regent being necessary if the heir remained under age at that time. By tradition, the regent would be one of the queens consort who had borne the late king a son.[6] The first regent was Queen Dzeliwe, but after a power struggle Sozisa deposed her and she was replaced by Queen Ntfombi. During this period Andy Warhol boosted her renown, and that of Eswatini, by including her portrait along with those of Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth Realms, Beatrix of the Netherlands and Margrethe II of Denmark in his Reigning Queens series.[11] Ntombi reigned on behalf of her young son by King Sobhuza, Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, who was designated as Crown Prince or Umntfwana. He was crowned King Mswati III in 1986.
One of Sobhuza's sons-in-law was Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, King of the Zulus of South Africa, who married the Swazi king's daughter, Princess Mantfombi (born at Siteki in 1956, betrothed in 1973), at Nongoma in June 1977.[6] Another in-law is Zenani Mandela, the daughter of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who belonged to a cadet branch of the Thembu dynasty which reigns as paramount chiefs in the Transkei. She wed Sobhuza's son, Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini who, although an older half-brother of Mswati and Mantfombi,[6] did not inherit the Swazi throne, instead launching, with his wife, an enterprise in the United States.
Honours [ edit ]
National honours [ edit ]
Grand Master of the Royal Order of the King Sobhuza II (Kingdom of Swaziland, 1975).
Foreign honours [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Relatively heavy smoking of marijuana may as much as double the risk of someone contracting lung cancer, suggests a new, Canadian-led study that adds nuance to the debates over medical marijuana and outright legalization.
The study, which contradicts other recent research that concluded the connection was all but non-existent, looked at a large group of Swedish men who were surveyed about their lifestyles in 1969-70, then tracked over the subsequent 40 years. Those classified as “heavy” pot users when young were more than twice as likely to have lung cancer by 2009, the researchers — Russ Callaghan, a psychiatry professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, and colleagues in Russia and Sweden — found.
Mr. Callaghan said he does not want to “demonize” marijuana, noting that two legal drugs, tobacco and alcohol, unquestionably cause “dramatically” more harm. But it is important to get to the bottom of its possible negative effects as well as potential benefits, he said.
“It is seen as organic and natural,” he said. “[The study] does add one piece of evidence to suggest a caution around that.”
Other leading scientists in the field, however, say the nature of the data used in the new research, published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control
, makes its findings suspect. Much more convincing evidence was analyzed recently by the International Lung Cancer Consortium, asserted Hal Morgenstern, a University of Michigan epidemiologist and part of that group.
The consortium scrutinized results from six “case-control” studies that compared 2,100 cancer patients and 3,000 healthy controls, finding no significant link between marijuana and malignancy, the scientists told a conference in April.
Though marijuana smoke does contain cancer-causing chemicals, the majority of people simply don’t consume enough of it to get ill, said Mr. Morgenstern.
“When you think about people smoking 20-40 cigarettes a day for 40 years, they’re smoking hundreds of thousands of cigarettes,” he said. “The exposure [to harmful smoke] that marijuana users get … is more than a magnitude of difference less.”
There are reasons to fear that smoking pot might lead to cancer, including the fact it contains some of the same carcinogens as tobacco, tends to be inhaled more deeply and generally is smoked without a filter.
‘It is seen as organic and natural. [The study] does add one piece of evidence to suggest a caution around that’
Meanwhile, use of medical marijuana is increasingly popular, with varying amounts of evidence suggesting it can help alleviate chemotherapy-related nausea, some forms of pain and loss of appetite in cancer patients.
The international lung cancer consortium is not alone in dismissing the danger of a cancer connection. A similar review published in February by Donald Tashkin, a medical professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, found no association between cancer and low-to-moderate marijuana smoking, and mixed evidence on heavy, long-term use.
Mr. Callaghan said he and colleagues used the Swedish data because it provides a particularly comprehensive picture of the health of its subjects. They looked at 49,000 men conscripted into the army in 1969-70 and subjected to extensive testing and surveys at the time — including questions about cannabis use — and tracked them through various health registries as they aged.
After filtering out the effects of smoking, alcohol consumption, respiratory disease and socio-economic status, the researchers found that those who had reported using pot at least 50 times by 1970 were more than twice as likely to have contracted lung cancer by 2009.
The researchers admit the study could not trace how much the men used marijuana or tobacco after the initial interviews. They speculate that similar patterns would have continued through their 20s and 30s.
Mr. Morgenstern said it is also possible, though, those individuals who contracted cancer and who had been heavy pot smokers when young switched to cigarettes later, meaning the tobacco, not marijuana, made them sick.
In fact, pot leads to “far less” dependency than does tobacco, noted Dr. Tashkin in an email interview.
The Canadian-Swedish study, with 49,000 participants, sounds large, but the sample included only 189 lung-cancer patients, he added. The “case-control” studies the consortium analyzed involved interviewing thousands of cancer patients and healthy people about their marijuana use, making the findings more statistically powerful, he argued.
National Post
[email protected] the completion of the team's first 10 training camp practices, the Jaguars are set to kick off the preseason against the New England Patriots on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
The next four weeks will help the Jaguars finalize their roster. However, before we can get into the four-game slate, it's time to take another stab at the final outcome.
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Below you'll find my prediction for the team's initial 53-man roster as well as the first incarnation of the 10-man practice squad:
Quarterback (3, 3)
Who Stays: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Brandon Allen
Who Goes: N/A
Analysis: Bortles is the unquestioned starter, but he needs to become the player the Jaguars' front office envisioned when they drafted him with the third overall pick in 2014. If he falters early on, the Jaguars may be best served to bench him, so that he can avoid injury and a guaranteed fifth-year salary.
Henne has already been named the backup, a role he is very familiar with. He has been Bortles' backup for three seasons.
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Allen has produced a consistent offseason, showing accuracy and potential in practice. It makes sense to keep him as a development arm, as the team did last season.
Running Back (4, 7)
Who Stays: Leonard Fournette, Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon, Corey Grant
Who Goes: Tim Cook, Tyler Gaffney
Analysis: Fournette was the fourth overall pick in April and has looked the part so far in training camp. He is expected to eventually be the workhorse back, but will likely split carries with Yeldon and Ivory early on.
Ivory will probably be the short-yardage back to start the season. Yeldon is expected to take on third-down duties as the strongest pass blocker and receiver at the position. Grant has stood out with his speed on special teams over the last two seasons. He offers quickness unparalleled on the roster.
Cook seems destined for the practice squad, while Gaffney was added to fill a temporary void in practice.
Fullback (1, 8)
Who Stays: Marquez Williams
Who Goes: Tommy Bohanon
Analysis: While Bohanon has handled most of the fullback duties throughout training camp, he hasn't necessarily taken advantage of the added reps. While Williams recovered from an undisclosed injury on the physically unable to perform list, Bohanon struggled with regular drops in team and individual drills. Williams seems to be the old school, hard-nosed type of fullback the Jaguars desire. The team spent a draft pick on the rookie, which plays into his favor as well.
Wide Receiver (6, 14)
Who Stays: Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, Dede Westbrook (kick returner), Arrelious Benn, Rashad Greene (punt returner)
Who Goes: Shane Wynn, Jamal Robinson, Larry Pinkard, Amba Etta-Tawo, Keelan Cole, Kenneth Walker
Analysis: The top three wide receivers are obviously locked in. If the trio is healthy, they are among the best three-receiver sets in the league.
The Jaguars spent a fourth-round pick on Westbrook, who has begun to emerge in camp. He is likely to take on kick returner duties, along with Lee.
Benn is the special teams ace. He has received heaps of praise from Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis.
The only way Greene sticks around is by winning the punt returner job. He has produced a strong training camp and I expect him to stay with the team for his third season.
Wynn is probably the hardest cut to make on offense at this point. He has dominated individual drills against his cornerback teammates and has stood out in team drills as well. He may just get caught up in a numbers game in Jacksonville, but end up elsewhere.
Etta-Tawo, Cole and Robinson have all had their moments in camp, but the numbers seem heavily against them. Pinkard and Walker have also produced but seem destined for someone else's practice squad.
Tight End (3, 17)
Who Stays: Marcedes Lewis, Ben Koyack, Mychal Rivera
Who Goes: Neal Sterling, Alex Ellis, Caleb Bluiett
Analysis: Lewis is the steadfast, tenured tight end on the roster. He is the best blocking position player on the team and he is likely to play a massive role in the running attack.
Koyack is a former seventh-round pick, who offers a mix of receiving and blocking potential. He has been very active during training camp, especially as a target across the middle.
Rivera was signed to be a threat in the receiving game, but is currently being held out of practice due to an undisclosed injury. If Rivera is out for a while, Ellis or Sterling could jump him in the lineup. Sterling will be a tough cut given his background as a draft pick.
Bluiett has "developmental practice squad player" written all over him. He needs to show more consistent hands in the preseason.
Offensive Line (9, 26)
Who Stays: Cam Robinson, Patrick Omameh, Brandon Linder, A.J. Cann, Jermey Parnell, Tyler Shatley, Luke Bowanko, Jeremiah Poutasi, Josh Wells
Who Goes: Earl Watford, Avery Gennesy, Chris Reed, Demetrius Rhaney, Malcolm Bunche, Nila Kasitati
Analysis: Robinson was drafted in the second round to battle with Branden Albert for the starting left tackle spot. When Albert decided to retire abruptly, Robinson was thrown into another competition with Wells. Robinson will be the guy protecting Bortles' blindside moving forward.
Omameh showed promise last season as the starting left guard, but eventually suffered a season-ending injury. He will get a chance to return to that success this year. Linder and Cann will return to their spots at center and right guard this season. Parnell will also continue to man the right tackle position.
Wells seems locked into the swing tackle position. Shatley, Bowanko and Poutasi provide versatile depth and experience within Nathaniel Hackett's offense.
Gennesy and Kasitati are likely practice squad candidates. The team signed Watford in free agency, but it's hard to make the team when you're missing practices due to injury. Reed is one of the few returning offensive linemen that is seemingly losing his footing on the roster.
Rhaney and Bunche were added as linemen with experience to take on reps and compete.
Defensive Line (9, 35)
Who Stays: Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Abry Jones, Calais Campbell, Dante Fowler, Dawuane Smoot, Stefan Charles, Sheldon Day, Michael Bennett
Who Goes: Malliciah Goodman, Lerentee McCray, Jonathan Woodard, Hunter Dimick, Carroll Phillips, Tueni Lupeamanu, Kevin Maurice
Analysis: Ngakoue set the team record for sacks by a rookie last season and he seems poised to repeat that performance this year. The team paid Jones and Campbell a lot of money to man the nose tackle and strong-side end positions, respectively. Jackson has Pro Bowl potential in his second year at three-technique.
Fowler and Smoot will back up the defensive end positions. Their draft pedigrees will keep them on the roster ahead of the likes of Goodman, McCray, Dimick, Phillips and Woodard. If Fowler continues to act up in practice and fails to deliver in the preseason, he could find himself on the trading block.
Day and Bennett will likely stick around as interior depth with Charles serving as the backup at nose tackle.
Maurice seems to be a good bet for the practice squad, while Lupeamanu's size could hurt his standing.
Linebacker (6, 41)
Who Stays: Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, Paul Posluszny, Josh McNary, Audie Cole, Hayes Pullard
Who Goes: Blair Brown, P.J. Davis, Justin Horton
Analysis: Smith and Jack are locked into their roles as the starting WILL and MIKE linebackers, respectively. Posluszny converted to SAM linebacker this offseason and he has yet to really lose a step in practice. The preseason will be his biggest test.
McNary and Cole were brought in to play special teams. Cole could have a bigger role at SAM linebacker if Posluszny fails to adapt.
Pullard has been around the ball a lot during training camp and having a playmaker at that position is advantageous.
Brown will be a tough cut as a fifth-round pick, but this season is about picking up wins and performing. He is probably the toughest cut on defense. Horton or Davis will likely join him on the practice roster.
Cornerback (5, 46)
Who Stays: Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, Aaron Colvin, Josh Johnson, Tyler Patmon
Who Goes: Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Brian Dixon, Jalen Myrick, Ezra Robinson, Doran Grant, Charles Gaines
Analysis: Ramsey and Bouye form one of the strongest cornerback duos in the league (on paper). When Ramsey (core) and Colvin (ankle) recover from their respective injuries, it will stabilize what has been a rough training camp for the Jaguars cornerback unit.
Johnson and Patmon offer experience and potential play-making ability. The team needs depth and both can play inside and outside.
Jean-Baptiste has come on strong with interceptions as of late, so he could be in contention for a spot. Grant is another depth player who may have a shot.
Myrick was a seventh-round pick but he has been repeatedly beaten during individual and team drills this offseason. He is likely to return on the practice squad.
Dixon, Robinson and Gaines will likely need to look for work elsewhere.
Safety (4, 50)
Who Stays: Tashaun Gipson, Barry Church, Peyton Thompson, Jarrod Wilson
Who Goes: Jarrod Harper, Tracy Howard, Jeron Johnson
Analysis: The starters are set with Gipson and Church receiving big money deals in back-to-back offseasons. Behind them, there is little question that Thompson and Wilson are the best options.
However, Wilson's recent injury woes (undisclosed) have kept him out of practice. His absence has led to some compelling uncertainty at the backup strong safety spot.
Still, Harper and Howard have yet to stand out this offseason and Johnson was added just a few days ago.
Special Teams (3, 53)
Who Stays: Matt Overton (LS), Jason Myers (K), Brad Nortman (P)
Who Goes: N/A
Analysis: Overton was signed to replace long snapper Carson Tinker, who suffered a torn ACL last week. Myers and Nortman have yet to receive competition this offseason.
10-Man Practice Squad
Who Stays: Jalen Myrick, Blair Brown, Jonathan Woodard, Doran Grant, Amba Etta-Tawo, Keelan Cole, Kevin Maurice, Tim Cook, Caleb Bluiett, Avery Gennesy
Analysis: Myrick, Brown and Woodard are all former picks with upside. Etta-Tawo, Bluiett, Cole, Grant and Cook have all shown promise, but the numbers game won't be kind to them. Maurice and Gennesy offer youthful depth for both lines.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.Smashing Pumpkins has a new album out. Oceania is easily worth the $10 bucks you’ll plop down for it on iTunes or Amazon. And, as much as I’d love to write a review that somehow manages to mention the underrated Machina/The Machines of God, I won’t. Just buy his music, and then tell Billy on his Twitter account to keep being honest about the Occupy Movement’s desire to confiscate wealth from industrious, talented and hardworking members of society.
Confused? Don’t be. The politically puzzling Corgan has been in the news lately, most notably for being one of the few artists who will openly say that President Obama — the guy who was going to transcend partisan politics — sold his supporters a big vat of snake oil. The president who runs “Terror Tuesdays” doesn’t sit well with Corgan. I give him credit for saying so.
I know that Billy has yukked it up with Bill Maher in the past, but after watching his interview with Alex Jones of InfoWars (not normally my cup of tea) I can’t help but think that he’s on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Take his comments on the Occupy Movement.
I think there are certain troubling aspects about [the Occupy movement], particularly the idea of wealth distribution. In my particular instance, I came from a family that didn’t have anything. Everything I earned in life I made. Myself. With songs that I wrote. So when somebody starts talking about how I have to give to somebody who didn’t do that, that’s a deeper conversation. … It doesn’t mean I don’t have a social concern. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to contribute to charities. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to help my fellow man.
Bingo! God bless you, Bill Corgan. You made a million dollars. In fact, you probably have many, many millions of dollars in assets. I do not. And guess what? I don’t begrudge you for that wealth. Spend it. Make another 10 albums. Share you talents with the world. Be successful. Unlike the Occupy movement, conservatives don’t want your money. You’re a talented guy, and we like it when talented people have more money to invest and innovate and do entrepreneurial things with. The Occupy kiddies want your money so they can smoke pot and loaf around, and liberal politicians want it so they can buy votes. You’re only one Thomas Sowell read away from joining us, Billy. Give it a try. I suggest The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy.
Billy goes on with some other very astute observations about today’s left; “they don’t want to hear ideas, they don’t want any dissent, they don’t want any questioning. … [they’re] the party of: be quiet and get in line.”
This is blasphemy. There are quite a few cocktail party invitations that will be revoked over those lines, Mr. Corgan. But that is nothing, because as the Jones interview goes on you really do yourself in — by mentioning liberty:
For me when you really hit the right target is when you talk about liberty and what liberty really means. The responsibility of liberty, the responsibility of freedom. It’s not just this utopian anarchy … What is your responsibility as a man, as a parent, as a citizen of Texas, to your community. To the people who work here in your business. … Our country is supposed to be about innovation. It’s supposed to be about intelligence. Even old Bush. “We’re the beacon on the hill.” Well, are we the beacon on the hill? We should be.
Ask yourself: When was the last time any prominent liberal Democrat used his or her air time to talk about liberty? You can’t talk about liberty without talking about responsibility. Those are two words that don’t sit well with liberals. And yet, if you ever listen to an extended speech by Marco Rubio or Paul Ryan, it is the constitution, liberty and the founding fathers that will almost always make a meaningful appearance.
Conservatives don’t want you to be a “rat in a cage,” Billy. We want you to be free — free to release albums, build bookstores, and get involved with WWE ventures. It is liberalism that seeks to put you into a box. And come election time its advocates want to offer you an extra pellet or two to keep you coming back for more.
With luck, the next Smashing Pumpkins album will be the first ever rock album dedicated to Milton Friedman.
A man can dream, can’t he?World Cup For Dummies: Soccer Lingo You Need To KnowBefore you tie an American Flag to your back and order a pint at your local soccer-friendly bar, you might want to learn a few phrases that will help make your World Cup experience even better.
Browns Uniform Redesign Underway For 2020 RevealIn 2015 the Browns were in dire need of a fresh look and after missing on the redesign they aim to score big in 2020 with a modern look that pays homage to the history of the once great franchise.
The Seven Things You Should Know About Minor League Baseball.Ken Carman talks about life in the minors.
A Quick History Of Cleveland Browns Logos
A Quick History Of Cleveland Cavaliers LogosWith the Cleveland Browns recently unveiling changes to their logo we decided to take a look at The Cavaliers minor and major logo changes through the years.
Andrew Siciliano Tells Browns Fans What To Watch For During The Senior BowlAndrew Siciliano of the NFL Network discusses GM John Dorsey's plan, how QBs need to separate themselves, and more from the Senior Bowl.
Cavs 2015-16 Schedule Features Opener At Chicago, NBA Finals Rematch On ChristmasThe Cleveland Cavaliers will open the 2015-16 NBA season at Chicago on Oct. 27 and travel to Golden State on Christmas in an NBA Finals rematch.
Browns To Hire Amos Jones As Special Teams Coordinator To Replace Chris TaborTabor, who was with Cleveland for 7 seasons, left the Browns earlier this month to take the same role with the Chicago Bears under Matt Nagy.
Cavs Notes: Tyronn Lue Believes They'll Be Fine, LeBron On Challenging Season, Derrick Rose Hopes To Play ThursdayCleveland has lost 4 in a row and they will host the Orlando Magic Thursday night.
Browns GM John Dorsey: “Yeah, I Do Have A Leader. You Know What His Name Is? Best Available Player”John Dorsey talks about his thoughts on Baker Mayfield's potential at the next level, what he's looking for in the makeup of a quarterback,Todd Haley and Joe Thomas' future.By of the
Two privacy organizations have called out Milwaukee police for secretly tracking the precise locations of cellphone users without getting search warrants.
Law enforcement officials are using devices, called Stingrays, that simulate a cellphone tower. They can find phones even when they're not in use, or when they have location privacy enabled. Originally developed for national security, they have become a powerful tool for local police who promise the FBI they won't acknowledge having Stingrays to anyone else, including judges who might ask what led to a defendant's arrest.
The ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a California nonprofit founded in 1990 that advocates for digital freedom and privacy, say the practice, which pulls in all phones in the vicinity, not just the targeted number, amounts to unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment.
"It makes it a whole lot easier to use it if no one's asking questions," said Nate Wessler of the ACLU's privacy project in New York. "It's convenient (for law enforcement) but inappropriate."
The two groups have filed a friend of the court brief in the case of Damian Patrick, 27. Police originally claimed only that they had "obtained information" from an "unknown source" that had pointed them to Patrick's location, in a car where a gun was found on the floor in front of him.
It later came out that police simply tracked Patrick's phone in real time with the help of his service provider and probably a Stingray.
"The requirement that police obtain a warrant ensures that judges can prevent the police from undertaking unjustified fishing expeditions that can reveal intimate details about a person's activities, associations and beliefs," the groups' brief says.
They also argue police should have revealed that they tracked Patrick's phone as part of discovery in the case. The truth didn't come out until months later, during a hearing on Patrick's motion to suppress evidence.
Milwaukee police did not return a request for comment on its use of Stingrays.
The department, like the more than 50 other state and local law agencies who have them or similar devices, must sign a nondisclosure agreement with the FBI that prohibits mention of the technology to anyone — even prosecutors, defense lawyers and judges — without written FBI permission.
The ACLU says records show that from late 2010 to August 2015, Milwaukee police used the Stingray in 579 cases, from homicides and sexual assaults to kidnappings and robberies — and to track down witnesses who didn't appear at trials.
As of April 2014, Wisconsin law requires police to get a search warrant before using the devices, which imitate cellular towers used by wireless providers such as Sprint and Verizon. It forces any mobile phone nearby to identify itself, allowing police to capture data from their targeted phone, as well as all other phones within range.
In October 2013, a task force was rounding up people wanted for violating probation. Police got an order from a state judge for Sprint data about Patrick's phone. A service provider can place a phone in a general area, and then a Stingray, often inside a vehicle, can pinpoint the exact location of the phone, even inside buildings.
On Oct. 28, 2013, the same day the Milwaukee police Stingray log shows its use for a fugitive roundup, Patrick was found in a car, along with a gun.
It wasn't until a February 2014 hearing on his motion to suppress the evidence that it was revealed police had not in fact acted on an informant's tip to find Patrick, but had actually tracked his location by his cellphone.
Prosecutors agree a warrant to track someone's cellphone needs to be based on probable cause, but they argue that the state court judge's order to get Sprint's records of Patrick's calls was the functional equivalent.
Patrick made a conditional guilty plea, was sentenced to 57 months and then appealed the denial of his suppression motion.
To get a judge to order a phone company to reveal records, investigators basically need to say it would be helpful to an investigation, a much lower standard than what investigators would have to show as probable cause required for a search warrant: that evidence of a specific crime exists at a specific location.
The thought had been that cellphone customers don't have an expectation of privacy in the information because they willingly share it with a provider. But privacy advocates say as cellphones grow increasingly powerful and essential to many users, that view is changing.
Since 2013, about a dozen states have adopted requirements for search warrants to track cellphones, and others have introduced similar legislation.
Wessler of the ACLU noted that Wisconsin's law says a warrant should be granted if investigators show the phone tracking will provide "information relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation," a lower standard than usually required for a search warrant.
Some federal agencies have adopted that as a policy, but there is no statutory requirement. Patrick's attorney and the ACLU want the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to definitely say one way or the other if the practice triggers Fourth Amendment protections. Other circuits have taken differing views, meaning the question could ultimately land with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Other cities review Stingray cases
In other cities, revelation of the extent of Stingray use, and the extent to which that use was purposely hidden or obscured, has led public defenders to seek reviews of cases where it might have been challenged.
Randy Kraft, a spokesman for Wisconsin's State Public Defender's office said it "is exploring methods to identify cases in which Stingray and similar technology is used."
"In addition, the SPD is considering whether a policy change would be appropriate, and we will reach out to the Legislature if that route becomes necessary."
In some instances nationally, prosecutors have dismissed cases rather than reveal the use of Stingrays when pressed by defense attorney or judges about the sources of information. That has happened even though there has been increasing coverage of the use of Stingrays over the past two or three years, and it's no secret that police around most of the country use the technology.
In fact, the nondisclosure agreement specifically prohibits Stingray users from disclosing Stingray use "in response to court ordered disclosure."
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski, who spent years in the felony division, said he didn't recall a case where live cellphone tracking was suspected or revealed, but said he doesn't like the idea that it may have been going on and kept from him.
"Law enforcement needs to be candid and honest with courts and judges," he said.In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to set up your SketchUp model so you can reference existing floor plans and elevations for reference. You’ll learn how to use layers and scenes to organize your model to help you reference your imported files throughout the modeling process.
Let me start out by saying I’m a Harry Potter fan. I’m also a fan of set design and other creative architecture. I was browsing through some photos online and stumbled across a picture of the floor plans and elevations of the Weasley’s home, otherwise known as
I thought it would a fun project to see if I could slice the image and import them into SketchUp to try to model it. The house is a very exaggerated structure that has been extended with many additions that look like they may fall off the house at any minute. I knew it would be challenging to model with everything being off square, but I had a lot of fun building it.
Watch the video, or continue below
The Burrow
I came across the plans and elevations of the burrow at http://www.elizabethstewart.co.uk/blog-category/harry-potter-studio-tour-a-set-designers-dream/?hc_location=ufi. Once I sliced up the image, I took each floor plan and elevation and placed them in the SketchUp model to use as reference. You’ll notice that the floor plans are located at the actual height where they occur in the model. This makes it easy to confirm details while modeling. If you had section cut drawings that you’d like to import, you could do the same thing and locate them in the model where they occur.
The elevations are located at a distance away from the model. This gives you more visual space to compare between the drawing and the model while in perspective view, allowing you to keep the elevation layer visible while modeling.
Each image is assigned to a different layer, so that I can turn them on and off, depending upon what part of the model I’m working on.
Setting up a model like this involves a few steps:
Importing the plans and elevations into SketchUp. (I prefer jpegs, but you could use DXF if you have them) Scaling the plans and elevations. Aligning the plans and elevations. Assigning each image to a layer so you can toggle visibility. (Optional) Set up scenes to quickly align camera and set layer visibility for each view.
The Burrow
by MSketcher
on Sketchfab
Importing plans and elevations
You might assume that the best type of file to import would be a CAD file, but in my experience that is not the case. The apparent advantage of importing a DXF into SketchUp is that the file is converted into SketchUp entities, saving you from having to reproduce them yourself. However, in my experience I find most CAD files to have broken edges, superfluous entities or layers, or are not 100% precise with their dimensions. This can cause a ton of headaches in SketchUp.
I prefer drawing my work from scratch, that way I know with certainty that all of my geometry is accurate. I’ve also tried to “trace over” imported CAD (by keeping the imported entities contained in their own group), but have found it challenging because SketchUp wants to snap to the imported entities, which aren’t always accurate.
So, this is why I prefer jpeg. It gives me a flat surface to draw on, no entities that mess up my inference system, and if the file isn’t scaled perfectly, it doesn’t matter because I’m typing in my own dimensions.
That said! If you have DXF files, definitely try importing them into SketchUp and see what they look like. Well executed CAD files imported into SketchUp can save you a ton of time, it’s just that I rarely see CAD files clean enough to import directly into SketchUp.
Importing JPEG images
In my case, I had a single image that I needed to slice up into separate images. Most likely, you’ll already have your plans and elevations as separate images. However if you need to split up an image, a really easy way to do this is to use the built-in snipping tool on Windows. If you’re on a Mac, just press command + SHIFT + 4 and that will let you grab a screen shot. (The image will save to your desktop)
To import the images into SketchUp, follow these steps:
Create a new SketchUp file. It helps to orient the camera to top view, go to Camera -> Standard Views -> Top. Then, go to File -> Import. In the drop-down menu, make sure to change the file format to “All supported Image types”. ( Otherwise, your image won’t appear in the folder so you won’t be able to select it.) Find your image, and click Import. (Keep “Use as Image” selected for the import option.) Your image will now be attached to the end of your cursor. Double click at the origin of the axes to place the image in your model. Once you’ve placed the image, don’t change your camera perspective! It’s important because SketchUp’s default scale for image imports is relative to the current camera perspective. In order to import each image at the same scale, don’t Pan or Orbit the camera while importing images. (If your images are drawn at different drawing scales, this isn’t important because you’ll have to manually scale each image individually.)
Repeat this for each image you want to import. I like to focus on all the plans at once, then I go back and do the elevations. By double-clicking, each image will be imported at the same scale. This can be advantageous to you if each drawing was drawn at the same scale because you’ll then be able to scale all of the images to “actual size” all in one move, instead of having to do each image individually.
Scaling the plans
Once all of your images are imported, you can use the Tape measure tool (T) to quickly scale them to full size. (In SketchUp, it’s usually best to model at real-world dimensions) If all of your images were drawn at the same drawing scale, and you were able to import them at the same scale, then you can scale your entire model all at once.
To scale all of
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body, we shame the collective female body. Body positivity only flourishes in the absence of body-shaming—no matter what form. Suggesting the salad to the heavy-set girl hurts her, no matter how well-intentioned the remark; bombarding me with snide asides, back-handed compliments, unsolicited concern and advice, the skinny sarcasm, bad jokes, negative body speculations, unfair accusations, unwelcomed weight policing and annoying food-pushing has the same effect.BEIJING — As more than 100,000 Chinese soldiers swarmed over far fewer American Marines and soldiers in subzero temperatures on treacherous terrain in one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War, two United States Navy pilots took off from an aircraft carrier to provide cover for their comrades on the ground.
One of the airmen, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, was the son of an African-American sharecropper from Mississippi. The other, Lt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr., was the son of a white patrician merchant family from Massachusetts.
An hour into the flight, Ensign Brown’s plane was hit by enemy fire, forcing him to crash land on the side of a mountain at Chosin, north of Pyongyang. Lieutenant Hudner brought his plane down nearby and found Ensign Brown, but could not rescue him.
On Monday, nearly 63 years after the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Mr. Hudner, 88, arrived in Beijing after a 10-day visit to North Korea aimed at finding his friend’s remains.The state of São Paulo is planning to launch an 830mn-real (US$321mn) tender this week for its Paraíba do Sul river basin offtake project.
According to state governor Geraldo Alckmin, the administrative council of state water utility Sabesp is due to officially approve the initiative on Thursday and the tender should be launched on Friday, local paper Valor Econômico reported.
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Works are scheduled to start within 90 days, Alckmin said.
The project involves redirecting water from the Paraíba do Sul river basin in Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states to São Paulo state's Cantareira water system. The levels of both the Paraíba do Sul river and Cantareira are low because of a crippling drought.
[GRAFICO:FIGURA:ID_907]
An agreement for the work – originally estimated at 500mn reais – was signed by Alckmin, Rio de Janeiro governor Luiz Fernando Pezão and Minas Gerais governor Alberto Pinto Coelho in November.
Alckmin announced the news during the opening of a General Motors supply center in the São Paulo state city of São Caetano do Sul on Monday.
[GRAFICO:FIGURA:ID_553]
WATER REUSE
During the opening event, the governor also said that local water company Aguapolo will increase its supply – through water reuse systems – by 0.18m3/s in the drought-stricken region. Aguapolo, which is composed of Sabesp and local engineering firm Odebrecht, supplies water to factories in the ABC petrochemical hub.Brutal. So, so brutal. (Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)
Northern Iowa set – shattered, really – college basketball’s cruelest record Sunday night. No Division I team had ever blown a 12-point with less than a minute remaining before the Panthers’ 12-point lead over Texas A&M evaporated Sunday night in Oklahoma City in the final 44.3 seconds of regulation. It had never happened in Division I, not even in some untelevised, December tiny-conference game. But it happened to the Panthers in the second round of the NCAA tournament, in full view of the whole country.
It led to a 92-88 double-overtime loss that left your voice hoarse from screaming at the television, screaming something like, “Throw the ball down the court!” or “Nooooooo!” It left you scraping yourself off the living room carpet. It left you cringing hours later, sitting in bed, despite a clear dearth of stakes.
[Texas A&M performs the biggest March miracle ever]
After further examination of the horror-show final 45 seconds of regulation, it is easy to understand why this had never happened before. Every possible decision, bounce, action and twist of fate had to go against Northern Iowa for it not to win in regulation. The game wasn’t tied until 1.8 seconds remained, and it’s staggering how much had to happen to preserve those 1.8 seconds.
What’s truly amazing is not that Northern Iowa made an unparalleled series of panicked, boneheaded mistakes. It’s that Northern Iowa could make those exact panicked, boneheaded mistakes in precisely the same sequence and still not have blown the lead. It was neither heroic comeback nor historic choke. It was a force majeure.
Having sifted through the wreckage, here are 14 things that could have happened in 45.3 seconds of clock that would have negated Northern Iowa’s unthinkable collapse and unimaginable agony.
1. Matt Bohannon didn’t have to bang his left knee on the court. A crucial moment happened even before UNI’s fold began. Bohannon is the senior coach Ben Jacobson designated as the Panthers’ inbounds passer late in games. Before Jeremy Morgan hit two free throws to make the margin 12, Bohannon injured his left knee and went to the bench for the remainder of regulation. The Panthers led by 12, and so it seemed the lack of their senior inbounder probably wouldn’t matter. Of course, it mattered.
[Best of the bracket: Everything you missed this weekend]
2. Northern Iowa could have grabbed one rebound. With 35 seconds left and UNI still up 12, A&M guard Alex Caruso missed a three-pointer. Freshman 6-foot-3 guard Admon Gilder rose to snare an offensive rebound in front of 6-7 forward Klint Carlson and put back a lay-up. With that one defensive rebound, the game would have been over – UNI would have been shooting free throws with a 12-point lead, the ball on the A&M end of the court.
3. Morgan could have knocked the ball out of bounds at midcourt. With the lead cut to 10 and 31 seconds left, Morgan mishandled an inbounds pass at halfcourt as a Texas A&M double team swarmed him. The Panthers still led by 10 with about 30 seconds left when the ball hit his hands. At that point, he didn’t even really need to avoid turning the ball over; he needed to avoid a specific kind of turnover. Had the ball simply bounded out of bounds, or into a scrum, the Aggies would have had to score against a set UNI defense, which at least would have chewed clock, probably enough to thwart a total comeback. Instead, the ball bounced toward the court, Gilder corralled it cleanly and fired a quick pass to Danuel House, who converted an easy layup against a scrambling defense.
[Feinstein: No room for Cinderella in the Sweet 16]
4. Paul Jesperson could have heaved the ball down the court. Upon receiving an inbounds pass with UNI up eight with 24 seconds left, Jesperson could have done literally anything but what he did, including simply falling out of bounds under his own hoop and forcing A&M to score against a set defense. What he did was catastrophic: He tried to hurl the ball off an Aggie’s leg, which actually served as perfect bounce pass to set up Jalen Jones’s easy dunk. With 21.7 seconds left, Texas A&M trailed by six.
5. Wyatt Lohaus could have not made the worst possible inbounds pass. Lohaus, Bohannon’s primary replacement, tossed a pass to the corner that never even touched a hand and landed out of bounds. Even if he threw the ball to a teammate in the corner and that teammate took a five-second call, the clock would have ticked to 16 seconds. At that point, the clock remained so far in UNI’s favor that even that kind of terribleness might have been a clinching play.
The horrific inbound not only meant no time elapsed. It actually managed to put time back on the clock. When Lohaus was under the basket trying to inbound, the clock showed 21.7 seconds. With the stoppage in play caused by the ball being thrown out of bounds, referees checked the monitor to review exactly what time Jones’s dunk happened. They ruled it happened with precisely 22 seconds remaining. Not that 0.3 seconds meant much, but everything little thing that could go against UNI was going against UNI.
6. House could have missed a shot. UNI could not have choked without clutch moments from Texas A&M, and this might have been the most pivotal. House caught an inbounds pass on the left wing, rose up and swished a three-pointer. If it missed, the game would probably have been over – even a stickback would have left it a four-point – two-possession – game. At this point, Texas A&M had scored seven points in 10 seconds and trailed by three with 19.6 seconds left.
[Handicapping the West region]
7. The ref could have swallowed his whistle. The officials were not to blame, not even a little. But they played a role in the comeback. After a long pass led to a quick dunk, UNI pushed the lead back to five with 17.6 seconds left. Caruso then drove and converted a layup, and Jesperson made contact with him, holding his hands up while backing away. The official called an and-one.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad call, but it was far from obvious. This moment had less to do with poor officiating than chance – if that play happens 10 times in that situation, Jesperson maybe gets called for a foul five times. Every little hinge that could go swivel against Northern Iowa did.
8. Caruso could have missed the free throw. Caruso shot 78.5 percent from the foul line this season and made 3-of-5 free throws for the game. This was one of the three. The lead had been cut to two with 11.8 seconds left.
9. Jesperson could have heaved the ball the length of the court. Jacobsen turned to Jesperson to inbound the ball, and Jesperson could have thrown the ball anywhere but where he did. If he heaved it deep to a teammate, maybe a Panther comes down with it, maybe not. There probably would have been some sort of clock-chewing scramble for the ball. In the event of a turnover, at least Texas A&M would have had to dribble the length of the court. Instead, he passed it to 6-1 guard Wes Washpun in the left corner, the worst place to inbound the ball.
Two Aggies converged on Washpun, which set up the final play of regulation. Trapped by two Aggies, the baseline and a sideline, Washpun hugged the ball, panicked, leapt and, like Jesperson before him, tried to chuck the ball off a defender’s leg. It served as a bounce pass to Gilder, who dribbled to the hoop and made a game-tying layup with 1.8 seconds left. Even in that one play, so many things, even beyond the obvious, could have happened to avoid the final act of the comeback.
10. Washpun could have been called for five seconds. Washpun caught the ball with 11.8 seconds remaining. When he leapt and attempted to bounce the ball off an Aggie’s leg, the clock showed 5.5 seconds. Washpun held the ball while closely guarded for 6.3 seconds and could/should have been called for a five-second violation. If he had been, Texas A&M would have to score against a set UNI defense after inbounding from the corner, the hardest place on the floor from which to set up a play. They might have scored, but it would not have been as easy as the resulting layup from Washpun’s ill-fated fling.
Brain cramp: Players cannot be called for five seconds in college basketball games when in the backcourt. We regret this error.
11. Jones could have been called for a foul. Again, officiating didn’t decide anything, but it played a role. As Washpun hugged the ball in the corner, Jones swiped at the ball. It might have been a foul. It’s possible Jones was trying to foul Washpun to stop the clock. Like Jesperson’s foul earlier on Caruso, it wasn’t a bad call. But it’s a call that frequently gets made – let’s conservatively say it’s called 30 percent of the time. For UNI to blow the game, the ref had to swallow his whistle in this one instance. And he did. Not the wrong call, but a decision that had to go against UNI and did.
12. Washpun could have passed to Morgan. A couple seconds after Washpun caught the ball, Morgan ran to the right wing, about 15 feet in front of Washpun, wide open. It would have been difficult for Washpun to get the ball over two tall defenders, and maybe it was impossible for him to see Morgan. But Morgan had zero defenders around him for a solid two seconds. Any kind of pass would have reached him safely and likely sealed the game. Watching Morgan standing there, hands outstretched, is painful.
13. Washpun could have chucked the ball over his head. This — surely easier said than done — is what should have happened even after everything else turned against UNI. If Washpun had heaved the ball as high and as far as he could have down the court with around seven seconds showing, it’s highly doubtful the Aggies would have had enough time to retrieve the ball, come down the floor and score.
14. Gilder could have missed a shot. Even after everything that went wrong for Washpun in the corner, the Panthers led by two with 4.8 seconds left. Gilder corralled the ball, took two dribbles and made an acrobatic shot, laying the ball in on the right side of the rim as momentum carried him to the left side of the hoop. UNI’s appalling chain of events led to the moment, but Gilder had to make a clutch play for it matter.
It was impossible. It was a special kind of mess. It got worse. The Panthers somehow regrouped and led by three points with less than a minute remaining in overtime. They still led by two until Caruso made a driving layup with five seconds left. They had to play another overtime before they lost, and the blown lead had calcified into a painful memory.
It took so much for it to happen, more than any of them could control.This month, Scientific American launches a cover story on the “Neuroscience of Meditation” describing how this ancient Hindu and Buddhist practice is now being accepted in the secular world. This article is just the latest of many proclamations that meditation has moved on from the realm of “bearded swamis” (read: “mystical” South Asians) to acceptance in the American mainstream (read: “normal” white people).
The Scientific American article illustrates how problematic such an assertion is. To demonstrate how meditation has become more acceptable in the American intellectual community, the three white and European authors cite over a dozen white and European scientists and a total of zero people of color. Apparently, when enough educated white people are willing to sign off on an “exotic” practice of “unwashed hippies” (who were of course heavily influenced by Indian and Native Americans), then we should all start taking the practice seriously.
What may be most surprising is that obvious prejudice against meditation’s Hindu and Buddhist roots is nakedly embraced. Cue Richard Davidson, founder What may be most surprising is that obvious prejudice against meditation’s Hindu and Buddhist roots is nakedly embraced.of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds: “There is a swath of our culture who is not going to listen to someone in monks’ robes, but they are paying attention to the scientific evidence.” Naively, Davidson may have intended to say that people in this country trust science over religion, but the 83 percent of Americans who identify as Christian would likely disagree. In particular, the 42 percent of Americans who believe that “God created humans in their present form” seem perfectly comfortable listening to someone in robes tell them what to believe, we just need to switch the kasaya for a western habit.
Instead of the difference between religious and scientific sources, then, what seems more likely is that Americans are starting to hear messages about meditation from sources they are more comfortable with, namely, “normal” white people.Americans are starting to hear messages about meditation from sources they are more comfortable with, namely, “normal” white people. Thus TIME’s coverage of the “mindfulness revolution” glorifies a white, thin, cisgender woman in meditative bliss on its cover (though props to them for consistency), and the New York Times tells us about this South Asian spiritual practice from the perspective of a white, cisgender, able-bodied, heterosexual man. To reach the broadest possible audience of Americans, mainstream publications hew to a strict racial, gender, and class phenotype in order to “earn their trust.” A la Davidson, this means representing meditation with faces and voices as far from South Asian descent as possible.
Time Magazine can only illustrate mindfulness / meditation with white blondes closing their eyes. 2003 – 2014. pic.twitter.com/xFfDZKbpDZ — David Gelles (@dgelles) January 23, 2014
There is value to conducting rigorous studies on meditation to evaluate its scientifically measurable effects. However, it’s too easy to let ourselves off the hook — as a society and as individuals — by saying that this shift from the religious “fringe” to the the secular “mainstream” isn’t rife with colonialism, oppression, and cultural appropriation.
The perfect example of how not to take into account power, race, and history in one’s analysis comes from Sam Harris, author and CEO of Project Reason. He helped remove any doubt about his ethnocentricity by comparing mainstream Muslims to “Christians of the 14th century.” Harris (for those keeping track, also a white, heterosexual, able-bodied, cisgender male) gleefully proclaims his Manifest Destiny, writing in “Killing the Buddha” that “well-educated Westerners…bear the greatest responsibility for the spread of ideas.” If Harris is particularly unkind (and arguably bigoted) toward Muslims, he is much more charitable toward Buddhism, but still feels that those who openly identify as Buddhist are “complicit in the world’s violence and ignorance to an unacceptable degree.”
Harris’s arguments exemplify the white/European’s culturally hegemonic one-two punch: well-educated Westerners propagate their ideas freely while South Asians must leave their identities at the door. Viewed from a different angle, Harris’s interpretation also seems like the most appropriate way to characterize three white and European authors citing over a dozen white and European scientists in order to describe an ancient, South Asian practice as finally being “accepted” by the American mainstream.
Based out of Oakland, California, Vishnu Sridharan, J.D., has worked on international and domestic anti-poverty platforms for the past decade. He also has a deep background in human rights, in particular social and economic rights, from his legal advocacy in China and community building efforts as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and a law degree from Stanford Law School. His writings have appeared in Foreign Policy, CNN.com, the Christian Science Monitor, Slate and Politico. Read more at vishnusridharan.com.GENEVA (Reuters) - A European Union proposal to find spaces for 120,000 refugees will not work unless reception facilities are provided for tens of thousands at any time, the U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday.
"A relocation program alone, at this stage in the crisis, will not be enough to stabilize the situation," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.
UNHCR was no longer expecting a mandatory quota of relocation spaces allocated between EU countries, which it had hoped for, but urged EU leaders to back the 120,000 places as an emergency response, on top of 40,000 places for refugees who have arrived in Greece and Italy.
The new figure of 120,000 represents only 20 days of the daily average of 6,000 arrivals. Fleming said the UNHCR, which had called for an initial 200,000 places, expected the EU proposal would need to be expanded in the future.
Fleming said UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres had been on the phone to "every kind of leader who has some kind of role" including EU foreign ministers and prime ministers.
UNHCR has said a meeting of justice and home affairs ministers on Tuesday and a European Council meeting on Wednesday would be "crucially important" and possibly the EU's last chance to manage the crisis.
There had been a total of 477,906 "new sea arrivals" in Europe this year, Fleming said.
(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Angus MacSwan)Image copyright Alamy
Twenty-five years ago a new church was consecrated in the town of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria, dedicated to the Armenians killed en masse in 1915. Ironically the building erected in memory of the victims of violence has now been destroyed by bombs.
In the basement of the Armenian Martyrs' Memorial Church in Deir al-Zour lay a shrine - a sunken area filled with sand, and laid on top, a pile of human remains.
"I was so shocked. I just stood and looked at the bones," says British-Armenian writer Nouritza Matossian, who visited the church in 2001.
"Everybody was hushed, it was silent in there. We were all lost in our thoughts. It was really quite an isolated moment. It wasn't pulling at you to cry or weep. It was just very simple and dignified and noble."
Image copyright Further To Fly Photography USA
A stone pillar rose up through the ceiling, into the church and up to the roof.
"I looked at this beautiful shrine and I thought, 'What an amazing idea to have taken this column which was like a tree, rooted in the ground, and take it right up through the body of the church, right up into the cupola and up into the sky,'" she says.
It was not an old building - the Syrian government had approved its construction in the 1980s and it was consecrated in 1991 in memory of Armenians who died in 1915.
Matossian's ancestors were among those caught up in the events a century ago. As the Ottoman Empire crumbled, hundreds of thousands of Armenians, mainly from eastern Anatolia, were rounded up and sent hundreds of miles away across the Syrian Desert.
Some were forced to walk, while others were taken in trains and caravans to the city of Deir al-Zour.
Image copyright Nouritza Matossian Image caption Matossian's grandfather, Hovhannes (right), on the day Nouritza's mother and father got married
Matossian's grandfather, Hovhannes, had already left Antep - now Gaziantep in Turkey - after an outbreak of violence in 1910. Although he had moved to Cyprus, the rest of his family stayed behind and were eventually deported.
They were "driven across these deserts starving, without water, stripped naked, their clothes were torn off their backs everything was taken from them," says Matossian.
"Deir al- Zour was the end of the road, it was the last Ottoman outpost into the desert in the eastern part of Syria," says Heghnar Watenpaugh, a Lebanese-Armenian historian at the University of California, Davis. "Beyond that there's really nothing, no settlements.
"Very few people made it there, and once they made it they were killed outright, or just succumbed to disease and starvation."
Find out more
Image copyright Nouritza Matossian
Armenians say 1.5 million people were systematically killed. Turkey maintains the number is closer to 300,000, and denies accusations of genocide, saying that many ethnic Turks also died during World War One.
In the years that followed, Deir al-Zour became "a major pilgrimage site for Armenians," says Watenpaugh, and a shrine was finally built. But the Armenian Martyrs' Memorial Church stood for less than a quarter of a century before it was destroyed.
In 2014, it was blown up during fighting between the so-called Islamic State group and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front. The central church of the complex was almost completely demolished.
"It's a very dark moment in our life, in our history. I never thought this could be repeated," says Matossian.
Image copyright Alamy Image caption The Armenian Martyrs' Cathedral Church in Aleppo
Before the Syrian civil war, there were an estimated 100,000 ethnic Armenians in Syria - most of them descendants of those who survived the deportations. There were small communities in cities across the country but the majority, more than 60,000, settled in Aleppo.
For many of them Aleppo "is like a sacred word, a magical incantation," says Watenpaugh. "All of our families went through Aleppo at some point during the deportations. For some, it was a place where salvation was possible, where you could bribe your way out of the deportation or find some way to escape."
She says Armenian women were often taken by Bedouin families, sometimes willingly and sometimes by force.
"They became part of extended Bedouin households and the concubines or wives of various Bedouin men.
"Today, when Bedouin come to Aleppo on business and go to a store run by an Armenian they will often call the Armenians of Aleppo khalo - brother of my mother. That's because there is this very strong connection between the Bedouin who know that their mothers or grandmothers were Armenians."
Nouritza Matossian's great-aunt was one of the Armenian women picked up by local Bedouin. Years later, she was spotted in Aleppo.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A Bedouin woman from Syria with her face tattooed
"Our relations saw her in the bazaar, and they recognised her, they called out her name - Berjouhi," says Matossian.
"She recognised them but there were children with her, and she swept up her children and disappeared into the crowd. She was married or she was living with these people and she didn't want to leave her children behind.
"Her face was covered in tattoos. In order to assimilate them, the Bedouin made them change their religion, and they tattooed their women - it was a sort of tribal thing."
Deir al-Zour made a deep impression on Matossian and she returned to the city in 2007.
At the shrine, she bought a small box as a memento. Inside is a tiny cross made of olive wood, two ears of wheat, two little candles, incense, and a tube of soil.
"The priest told me that that is the earth of Deir al-Zour. Some people take earth from where they're born and they spread it on their grave when they die. This soil has that significance," she says.
"I always keep this box within eyesight, on my desk. I never expected that one day I would be looking at this box and that church would be gone, destroyed. It's very hard to accept."
The Museum of Lost Objects traces the stories of 10 antiquities or ancient sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.
Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.Josh Newell decided it would be chill to jump over a four-foot fence at Ohio’s Columbus Zoo and pet two cougars. That is dumb because he easily could have died, and, honestly, should have. It is dumber because he decided to film himself doing it and obviously got caught.
“I don’t know, I said, ‘Here, kitty,’ as a joke,” he said of his sophisticated motivation. “You know the cat’s not going to come and here comes the cat... So I figured if the cat’s going to go out of his way to get some loving, I’m going to go ahead and jump the barrier to show him some love.”
What the hell does that even mean?
The Associated Press reports:
Newell of suburban Gahanna pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge and was found guilty. He was sentenced to four days in jail, with two of those suspended, and fined $200 plus other costs in Delaware Municipal Court, north of Columbus. He left court wearing a T-shirt printed with the words “Cougar Love,” WBNS-TV reported.
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He ultimately feels no remorse because the fences were so low and easy to hop that he figures the zoo wanted him to hop them. That’s a super legit logic with no potential for negative consequences.The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:04 PM
Maricopa County paid more than $200,000 last month to settle a years-old claim brought by a Phoenix woman against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and other public officials.
But the legal claim did not involve any actions Arpaio took directly, nor any taken by sworn deputies or other county employees.
It was the actions of one of the sheriff’s volunteer posse members that, according to court documents, allowed a car to drive into the path of Annette Howard as she participated in a 2010 bike race in north Phoenix. The posse member’s negligence cost taxpayers, just as any traditionally compensated employee’s negligence would.
Howard’s case posed questions about posse training and liability that are being raised anew since Arpaio’s recent announcement that he was sending his volunteers to patrol areas around public schools in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shootings.
Howard was among a group of bicyclists in a race near Anthem, a master-planned community north of Phoenix, on Dec. 11, 2010. She was headed south on Daisy Mountain Drive at the same time as Patty Jo Thrush was northbound in a Honda. Thrush stopped her car at the intersection of Daisy Mountain Drive and Memorial Drive when a posse member waved her through the barricades. Thrush turned in front of the peloton and collided with Howard, who suffered extensive injuries, according to court documents.
The posse member was later identified in court records as Mike Williams, but Tommy Richardson, an attorney for Howard, said depositions in the case revealed that any number of posse members could have made the mistake. Training for the volunteer corps in how to handle special events like bicycle races is negligible.
“That was the big thing in the deposition: ‘What kind of training do you have?’ These guys don’t have any training specific to bicycles. They plopped them out on the roadway in the morning saying, ‘Don’t let the vehicles interfere with the racers,’” Richardson said. “You don’t have anyone familiar with the racecourse, they don’t have anyone familiar with the speed of the bikes.”
The case, settled in December, highlighted a question sometimes raised about the sheriff’s posse: whether members are well-enough trained to do the kinds of jobs they are often called on to do. The group of more than 3,000 volunteers is intended to supplement and augment the work done by sworn sheriff’s deputies.
Less than 10 percent of posse members are certified to carry weapons.
Earlier this month, those posse members were thrust into a potential new role when Arpaio proposed sending gun-carrying volunteers to act as deterrents in neighborhoods near schools in unincorporated areas of the Valley and in cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Office for law-enforcement services.
Arpaio’s supporters saw the plan as a way to deter murderous people from approaching school grounds, but without the up-front costs associated with full-time officers working in schools. The sheriff’s critics immediately pointed to the lack of training posse members have in areas such as identifying threatening people as they approach school grounds or dealing with active shooters.
The volunteers are now patrolling areas surrounding 59 schools, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
When the schools program was announced, the deputy chief overseeing posse operations said the Sheriff’s Office would offer training in active-shooter scenarios for volunteers involved.
Sgt. Brandon Jones, a sheriff’s spokesman, said posse members typically go through extensive training to join the volunteer corps. They get additional training if they want to carry weapons, drive a marked car — which posse members pay for — or conduct traffic control.
“I, as a posse member, would not be allowed to sign up for that detail unless I was trained,” Jones said. “There absolutely is training for everything. Before I can drive a marked sheriff’s car I have to spend a certain number of hours with a deputy on ride-along. There’s a class for anything they want to do.”
Other proposed posses have also come under scrutiny recently, including a proposal from Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu to send an armed group of volunteers into the desert to focus on intercepting drug loads. Insurance underwriters deemed that posse too risky, and a risk-sharing program for 11 Arizona counties began changing its rules to specifically bar such programs.
Maricopa County’s insurance policy generally covers posse members engaged in their official capacity, said Cari Gerchick, a county spokeswoman, but issues of liability are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, as they are with any other county employee.
Peter Crowley, a longtime risk-management director for Maricopa County who retired last year, said the public’s liability exposure for volunteer employees is no different from the liability exposure for fully compensated workers. Appropriate training can help when legal issues arise, he said.
“You want to give the training that’s appropriate to the position — to be able to say to anybody that ‘we’ve trained this person as best we can.’ They’re volunteering their time, and we recognize we have some exposure here, that’s why we don’t just throw them out and say, ‘Do the job.’” he said. “It increases the possibility of being held negligent if you, as an employer, have someone who is volunteering their time and they’re in a position where they should have some training and they don’t.”
County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, a frequent Arpaio critic, asked county administrators to explore the issue of increased county liability after Arpaio’s schools plan was announced.
“I think the posse can be a good thing, and they can be good to do things that aren’t a part of overall criminal protection, but sometimes I think they overreach, and that’s why I was worried about schools,” Wilcox said. “It’s a big concern of mine, particularly because of liability issues.”Online poker companies indicted for fraud
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The founders of the three largest Internet poker companies have been indicted for bank fraud and money laundering, federal law enforcement officials said Friday.
The United States Attorney in New York unsealed the indictment against eleven people, including the founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker. In addition to charges of bank fraud and money laundering, the companies are accused of illegal gambling offenses.
The sweeping 52-page indictment alleges that the companies, based offshore, used "fraudulent methods" to get around U.S. anti-gambling laws "and to receive billions of dollars from U.S. residents who gambled through the Poker Companies."
The authorities also issued restraining orders against more than 75 bank accounts, and seized five Internet domain names used by the companies to host their illegal poker games.
The companies allegedly arranged for the money from U.S. gamblers to be disguised as payments to hundreds of non-existent online merchants for the purchase of items such as jewelry and golf balls, according to the indictment.
The defendants include Isai Scheinberg and Paul Tate of Poker Stars; Raymond Bitar and Nelson Burtnick of Full Tilt Poker; and Scott Tom and Brent Beckley of Absolute Poker.
"As charged, these defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.
Prosecutors also filed civil charges against the poker companies and several individual "payment processors," seeking at least $3 billion in penalties.
Prosecutors also alleged that John Campos, a part owner of SunFirst Bank in Utah, agreed to process Internet gambling transactions in exchange for a $10 million investment in his bank by one of the other defendants.
Prosecutors said they are working with Interpol and foreign agencies to secure the arrest of the remaining defendants, who are not presently in the United States.
"These defendants, knowing full well that their business with U.S. customers and U.S. banks was illegal, tried to stack the deck," said Janice Fedarcyk, FBI assistant director-in-charge. "They lied to banks about the true nature of their business. Then, some of the defendants found banks willing to flout the law for a fee."
The indictment shines a light on Internet gambling in the United States.
"The operation of their business is illegal, and in about half the states the player himself is violating state law," said Denver attorney Chuck Humphrey, who runs a Website dedicated to online gambling laws.
Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, said he was "shocked" by the indictments, adding that his group "will continue to fight for Americans' right to participate in the game they enjoy."
"Online poker is not a crime and should not be treated as such," D'Amato, a former U.S. Senator, said in a statement.
Humphrey said Internet poker companies have argued in court that online poker is legal because it is a game of skill, as opposed to a game of chance.
But he pointed to recent cases involving online sports gambling, which resulted in jail time for some defendants, as an example of what might happen to those indicted Friday.
By charging the defendants with bank fraud, a criminal offense, Humphrey said prosecutors stand a better chance of extraditing them from countries where gambling is legal.
It was not immediately clear what will happen to any money that U.S. citizens had in accounts associated with the poker companies.
In 2007, federal prosecutors charged NETeller, an online payment company, with taking part in an online gambling conspiracy. That case resulted in a so-called deferred compensation agreement, in which the company agreed to return $94 million to U.S. customers.The GOP frontrunner’s statements appear to be drafted on the fly and while several figures play key roles the loss of his political adviser in August is being felt
When Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner in the race for the
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Avoiding The Eye - Ships Free Today! Once one the world’s richest waters, they’re vastly depleted. As a result, experts say the only solution is banning fishing entirely for five years to provide time for generating new supplies. In Peruvian and Chilean waters, jack mackerel are severely depleted. What used to take hours to catch now takes days. Chileans call them jurel. Once plentiful in southern Pacific waters, they are going fast toward entirely disappearing based on current trends. Rich in protein, they’re also reduced to feed for aquaculture and pigs when there’s not enough for humans. It takes over 11 pounds of jack mackerel to raise two pounds of farmed salmon. In two decades, stocks dropped from an estimated 30 million metric tons to less than three million. As a result, new fishing grounds are sought. Areas around Antarctica are being exploited to secure what’s left. An ICIJ southern Pacific study showed why jack mackerel depletion foretells fishing stock fates globally. At issue is decades of unchecked plunder, government complicity, and public indifference. University of British Columbia’s Daniel Pauly calls mackerel a metaphor for overall decline. Looting the seas unchecked assures eventual demise of a valued global food source for millions. It’s one of many environmental crimes destroying planet earth for profit unless stopped. Doing so requires holding corrupt politicians responsible and replacing them with honest ones. Only grassroots activism can achieve it. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected] Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/ var linkwithin_site_id = 557381; linkwithin_text=’Related Articles:’TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL’s discipline report for Week 18 of the 2017 United Soccer League season.
Saint Louis FC’s Christian Volesky has been suspended for one game for his ejection against Louisville City FC on July 22. Volesky will serve his suspension this Saturday as Saint Louis visits the Richmond Kickers at City Stadium.
Three players have been suspended for their respective teams’ games this weekend after receiving their fifth cautions of the season. Two occur in Saturday’s game between Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Weidner Field, where the Switchbacks will be without forward Kevaughn Frater and S2 will be without midfielder Ray Saari.
Elsewhere, OKC Energy FC midfielder Juan Pablo Guzman is suspended for Sunday’s game against the LA Galaxy II.
The following 27 players enter their upcoming matches one caution away from a yellow card accumulation suspension. A fifth caution would result in a one-game suspension and undisclosed fine. Here is the breakdown per club:
Bethlehem Steel FC (3): Cory Burke, Seku Conneh, Giliano Wijnaldum
Charleston Battery (2): Tah Anunga, Romario Williams
FC Cincinnati (2): Sem de Wit, Aodhan Quinn
Harrisburg City Islanders (3): James Thomas, Mouhamed Dabo, Abass Mohammed
New York Red Bulls II (2): David Abidor, Dan Metzger
Orlando City B (1): Zach Ellis-Hayden
Phoenix Rising FC (2): Omar Bravo, JJ Greer
Portland Timbers 2 (1): Rennico Clarke
Rio Grande Valley FC (1): Todd Wharton
Sacramento Republic FC (1): Trevin Caesar
Saint Louis FC (2): Konrad Plewa, Dragan Stojkov
San Antonio FC (1): Ben Newnam
Swope Park Rangers (2): Kharlton Belmar, Liam Doyle
Tampa Bay Rowdies (2): Keith Savage, Tamika Mkandawire
Tulsa Roughnecks FC (1): Jorge Luis Corrales
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (1): David Norman
The following are one caution away from a yellow card accumulation suspension for receiving an eighth caution, which would result in a one-game suspension and undisclosed fine:At online retailing giant Zappos, two of the top managers have no titles, and no one — except for two in-house lawyers — has an office. Not even the CEO.
The Nevada-based company's 1,300 workers (average age, 36), from the founders to programmers, mill about rooms without walls. Small cubicles serve as stations to park personal items, but work can be done anywhere — on couches, at shared tables or at the coffee shop down the street. Ear buds, not partitions, act as sound barriers.
"They're more concerned about being around other people who do cool things than how big their desks are," says Zach Ware, a no-title Zappos executive. "Our workspace has become our laptops."
The office of The Office is fading and shrinking in the process.
Technology, the urge to go green, telecommuting and a generation of workers who grew up with smartphones in their hands and computers in their laps are revamping the work culture. Companies are knocking down walls, even dismantling cubicles to create a free-flowing layout that many believe gets the creative juices flowing and encourages collaboration.
Younger workers welcome the change, says Patricia Lancaster, head of The Lancaster Group real estate consulting company who teaches at New York University's Schack Institute of Real Estate. "They don't aspire to the big corner office," she says. "They don't even want it."
And they don't need an assigned work station to call their own. Their cherished family photos adorn not their cubicles but their computers' wallpapers. They're kept on smartphones and posted on Facebook, not pinned to a bulletin board at desks.
At the same time, office equipment from printers and copiers to computers are shrinking. The paper trail is also waning, making big file cabinets obsolete in many work areas.
There's an added bonus for employers: Open floor plans accommodate more workers in less space, a welcome savings for companies scrambling to cut costs in a rough economy. Efficiency is also at a premium at a time when environmental concerns are on the rise.
A survey this year by CoreNet Global, an association of corporate real estate and workplace professionals, found that for many companies, the average allocation of office space per person will fall to 100 square feet or less within five years.
Only 24% of the 465 companies surveyed said they had already hit this low, but 40% said they would by 2017. Square footage per worker has already slipped from 225 square feet in 2010 to 176 today, according to CoreNet.
The main drivers: More companies stressing "collaborative and team-oriented space" and "smaller but smarter" offices in a bad economy, says Richard Kadzis, CoreNet's vice president of strategic communications.
The trend is expected to accelerate as 10-year and 15-year leases signed in the late 1990s and early 2000s expire.
"That is going to encourage companies, when they do go to market in this new environment, to try to make upgrades to a 21st century office space," says Dan Fasulo, managing director of Real Capital Analytics. "It absolutely makes sense. Your more forward-looking firms have already made the transition."
Offices traditionally use 200 to 300 square feet per worker — an average of everything from clerks' cubicles to executive suites. By encouraging staff to work from home, getting rid of offices, even resorting to "hoteling" — workers check in when they're in the office and get assigned a desk for the day — some companies are slashing average square footage per worker to less than 100, about the size of a one-car garage.
"Obviously, you're going to need less space when you have open space," says Adam Leitman Bailey, a New York City real estate lawyer. "American workers need less space than they did 10 years ago. Just by not needing an office, you're saving space."
Working in the city
The move back to cities and to urbanized suburbs close to city centers, transit lines, shops, restaurants and apartments is helping fuel the trend. Space in developed areas is more expensive and harder to find, but that's where younger workers want to be.
"Cities around the world are competing to become creative digital lifestyle centers," Lancaster says. "To do that is not how big offices are. (Young workers) are into culture, parks, working closer to home, having dogs in the office."
By being located near urban services, companies are saving space. Not as many workers drive, so fewer parking spaces are needed, and eateries and fitness clubs are nearby, so there's no need for a large cafeteria or on-site health club.
"We consider the entire city to be a workplace," says Patrick Olson, who heads the development of Zappos' new downtown campus in Las Vegas.
Now headquartered in Henderson, Nev., Zappos will move next year. The company now averages about 120 to 150 square feet per employee. When it moves into its new digs in the old City Hall building, it will slash the ratio almost in half.
The trend "could help lead to somewhat of a rebirth in some of these older cities," Fasulo says.
Accenture, a global management consulting and technology services company, last month moved its Washington, D.C.-area office from a more remote suburban location in Reston, Va., to the very urban Ballston area of Arlington, across the Potomac River from the capital.
The new office has a cafe that doubles as a working area, technology that allows employees to work almost anywhere, and walk-and-work stations equipped with low-speed treadmills and electric height-adjustable desks. Floors are made of cork, and countertops of recycled glass. More than half the workers are Generation Y's twenty- and thirtysomethings.
The federal government, which occupies millions of square feet of office space in the Washington area, is moving in the same direction, says Marc McCauley, director of real estate development for Arlington Economic Development.
The General Services Administration, which oversees office space for government agencies, owns and leases 354 million square feet of space in 9,600 buildings in more than 2,200 communities nationwide. When renovation of GSA's downtown Washington headquarters is finished next year, the building will accommodate 4,500 workers — almost 2,000 more than today — because of shared work spaces and telecommuting.
"Teleworking is getting a big push from the federal government," McCauley says. "Technology makes it so much easier."
Working from home is on the rise nationally. In 2005, 3.6% of the 133.1 million workers ages 16 and older telecommuted, according to Census data. Five years later, 4.3% of 137 million workers did their jobs from home.
Open spaces not for all
Not everyone is embracing the office-as-living-room concept.
"We lawyers still need offices, and that is not going to change," Bailey says. "We need quiet to focus on our briefs and deals."
Despite that, space needs are declining even in offices that have more traditional layouts, because technology allows people to take on more duties. Lawyers, for example, don't need secretaries to take dictation. They do their own typing. Receptionists may greet visitors and also handle social-media and technical duties.
"There's a struggle right now between the old and the new," Bailey says. "We don't know what works. In the end, it's what's going to be best for the talent we hire."
In Houston, a hub of the oil and gas industries, traditional office quarters still rule, says Coy Davidson, senior vice president of Colliers International, a large real estate services firm.
"They're still using private offices," he says. But Davidson himself often telecommutes.
"My office is 30 miles away from my residence, and I live in a big city with a lot of traffic," Davidson says. "I still have a fairly large office, but I'd be fine with 150 square feet myself."
No one knows how far the trend will spread.
Nevertheless, there is an undeniable generational shift in workers' relationships with the work space. "The corner office doesn't have the cachet it once had," says Robert Lang, professor of urban affairs at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. "There are other markers for status. It's not the turf. It's your network power."
Stephanie Michael, 22, just graduated with a double degree in science and economics from the University of Maryland and is headed to the University of Virginia law school in the fall.
Desks? Offices?
"I don't really see that as being super important," Michael says. "I don't see status as office size." What she values more are flexible hours and the ability to work from home a few days a week, as some of her friends already do.
But because technology allows work anytime, anywhere, it can become "a Faustian bargain," says Lang, referring to the legend of Faust, who traded his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge. "The work is everywhere, unfortunately. There is less time you have to be in an office, but now you're sitting on a beach texting somebody for work."LUDHIANA: Powercom and Transco employees remained on strike on the second day on Tuesday against the ‘indifferent attitude’ of Punjab government towards their demands. Around 85% of the technical and clerical staff continued its agitation against the pension issue. However, union leaders had to reportedly struggle hard to bring employees together for the strike. The agitation had started on Monday midnight and was likely to continue till Tuesday midnight.According to the employees, Powercom has refused from taking responsibility of pension of those employees who had got retirement before unbundling of the board. “Authorities are only ready to responsibility of those who would retire now. Government had promised that there would be no changes in the service conditions after the unbundling. However, several changes were now being implemented,” he added.Apart from this, employees are also demanding fresh recruitments so as to deal with staff crunch. Against the 55% posts lying vacant in Powercom and total sanctioned staff for central zone being 8,840, only 5,966 posts have been filled and 2,874 are still lying vacant. Out of this, 6,388 posts are sanctioned for technical employees. However, only 4,717 have been filled. Talking about the agitation, Swaran Singh, president, Joint Forum, said that they have been demanding for rollback of the Energy Act 2003 because it is ‘against the rights’ of employees. “Those who had got retirement before the unbundling would not get any pension from Powercom. This is totally unjustified. We also held a meeting with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal twice following the unbundling and had asked the management to solve these issues. However, the management has not tried to talk to us till date,” he added.Meanwhile, senior officers had to face a tough time in managing the power supply and department had to appoint XENs and SDOs for ensuring uninterrupted power supply. The JEs and linemen who had not participated in the strike had a tough time in rectifying the snags in various residential areas.However, one of the Powercom officials stated that power supply was normal. “There were no problems since we staged a peaceful protest,” he added.“Powercom employees should also think about the residents before holding such agitations. We have to suffer a lot due to technical snags and power failure,” said Kavita, a resident from Model Town.Gurdeep Singh, a resident from Haibowal, said, “Why should we be made to suffer. Employees should find some other way of protest instead of creating problems for people.”Representation of Götz with his famous quote: "But he, tell him, he can lick my arse" from Goethe's play (plaque in Weisenheim am Sand
Götz von Berlichingen is a successful 1773 drama by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, based on the memoirs of the historical adventurer-poet Gottfried or Götz von Berlichingen ( c. 1480–1562). It first appeared in English in 1799 as Goetz of Berlichingen of the Iron Hand in a rather free version by Walter Scott.[1]
Goethe's plot treats events freely: while the historical Götz died an octogenarian, Goethe's hero is a free spirit, a maverick, intended to be a pillar of national integrity against a deceitful and over-refined society, and the way in which he tragically succumbs to the abstract concepts of law and justice shows the submission of the individual in that society.
Götz von Berlichingen was one of Goethe's early successes but its large cast size, frequent quick scene changes, and long running time caused the original version to eventually fall out of favour. The play has been re-arranged and cut many times, including two versions by Goethe that were published posthumously. A 1925 silent film Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand was directed by Hubert Moest, while a 1955 Austrian production Goetz von Berlichingen starred Ewald Balser in the title role. In 1979 Wolfgang Liebeneiner directed Raimund Harmstorf in a film version, Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand.[2]
Famous quote [ edit ]
The first version of the drama included a quote that gained fame fast. In the third act, Götz is under siege by the Imperial Army in his castle at Jagsthausen. The captain of the army asked him to surrender; from a window, he gives his answer:
Mich ergeben! Auf Gnad und Ungnad! Mit wem redet Ihr! Bin ich ein Räuber! Sag deinem Hauptmann: Vor Ihro Kaiserliche Majestät hab ich, wie immer, schuldigen Respekt. Er aber, sag's ihm, er kann mich im Arsche lecken! Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Götz von Berlichingen mit der eisernen Hand, act 3, Goethe's Werke, vol. 8 (1889), p. 109
It can be translated as:
Me, surrender! At mercy! Whom do you speak with? Am I a robber! Tell your captain that for His Imperial Majesty, I have, as always, due respect. But he, tell him that, he can lick me in the arse!
Goethe based this passage on the autobiography of the historical Götz, who records himself as saying (in a different context) "er solte mich hinden lecken" ("He can lick me on the behind").[3]
The "he can lick me in the arse" quote became known euphemistically as the Swabian salute or the Götz quote. Only the editions of 1773 and 1774 had the full quote. After that, it was long common practice in printed editions to truncate the quote to "er kann mich —".
Mozart in 1782 wrote a canon inspired by it, "Leck mich im Arsch". Mozart or Wenzel Trnka wrote the canon "Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber".
References [ edit ]Johannesburg - The Pretoria man who may have found debris from a Malaysian plane that vanished two years ago says he stumbled on the wreckage while taking a stroll on the beach at Mossel Bay.
Neels Kruger, who is an archaeologist and an aviation enthusiast, told News24 that he found the wreckage while walking with his family alongside the lagoon at the Klein Brak Rivier near Mossel Bay in the Western Cape on Monday afternoon.
"At first I found it strange, but then I had a closer look and saw the honeycomb core on the inside of the wreckage," Kruger said.
While he was not sure what part of the plane it could be, he assumed it was the housing of the plane's engine.
Kruger has been following the story of the missing plane very closely.
Rolls Royce logo
He said when he flipped over the debris, it had the grey stripes of the Rolls Royce logo underneath.
"I could still see half of the Rolls Royce logo, which had the double R imprinted on it," he said.
Malaysia Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on Tuesday it would send a team to retrieve the piece.
He reportedly said that based on early reports, there was a possibility that it was part of an "inlet cowling of an aircraft engine".
Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 passengers and crew on board, shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing.
A piece of the plane washed up on the French island of Reunion in July 2015 but the aircraft has still not been found.
Kruger said he took photos and sent it to one of his friends who is in the aircraft industry to get insight on whether this could be linked to the missing plane.
"My friend spoke to a few people in the industry and they immediately said that I should contact the South African Civil Aviation Authority," Kruger said.
After making contact with the authority, he was instructed to bubble wrap the debris and keep it safe.paralleluniverse Profile Joined July 2010 3949 Posts Last Edited: 2012-12-22 13:44:31 #1
+ Show Spoiler +
Inconsistency in loading screen:
Unable to create 2-player maps in a party with more than 2 players:
Further thoughts on leave league and suggestions to deal with ladder anxiety:
Add a view replay button on the score screen: Unable to start a game or kick people stuck on pending: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387109¤tpage=5#83 Inconsistency in loading screen: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387109¤tpage=5#90 Unable to create 2-player maps in a party with more than 2 players: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387109¤tpage=7#124 Further thoughts on leave league and suggestions to deal with ladder anxiety: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387109¤tpage=8#145 Add a view replay button on the score screen: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=387109¤tpage=10#183
The original post follows below.
This post is to point out bad, redundant or inconsistent UI in the new HotS Battle.net and to suggest some improvements and extra features. The TLDR version is reading the bold parts which gives a summary of the suggestions. The Battle.net
Profile Page
1. Use more iconic units in the banner art.
The banner art is ineffective in depicting the 3 races. For example, shown above is an unusual picture of a dark Templar, which few players would recognize. Artwork of more prominent and iconic units should be used instead. Perhaps also put a race-theme background on the profile page, like the old profiles.
There’s also a large gap shown in the screenshot. This gap wasn’t there in patch 2.0.1, why is it there now? Unless there is a reason for it, this gap should be removed.
2. Either use the bar in the season snapshop to display the win ratio or remove it.
The progress bar under the season snapshot is always full. Use it to represent win ratio, global rank as a percentile or something else. Otherwise, there’s no point, so the bar should be removed.
Ladder Page (in Profile)
3a. Streamline the Ladder page by removing the showcase boxes and change the Ladder Summary page to list each ladder that the player is in for the current season, which directly links to the division ladder list.
3b. Remove the Current Ladder page, since the summary page would now directly link to the division ladder list.
3c. Remove general information pages like the Grandmaster and Current Season pages from the profile and put it into a Community page, which includes other general information like news, profile search and a global ladder.
The 3 boxes where players can showcase the ladder they’re in looks awful. The boxes are huge, devoid of information, and have a tacky icon of Kerrigan on the top right corner. Remove this icon and instead use the text “Heart of the Swarm ladder” (or “Wings of Liberty ladder” depending on the expansion the player has), and include useful information, such as expansion, league, wins, losses, points, division, division rank, global rank (as a percentile) in a rectangular box similar to the one at the top of the screenshot.
In fact, this whole Ladder page should be redesigned. Currently, to view a team that isn’t showcased you would need to go: Profile > Ladders > Current Season > Heart of the Swarm > <ladder mode>. This is excessive. The Ladder Summary page should put all ladder modes (not just 3) in a list like the one on the top of the screenshot, allowing for scrolling if needed. For each ladder mode (1v1, 2v2, etc.) that the player is ranked in, it should display the information listed above, reducing this from being 5 pages away to 3.
The Grandmaster and Current Season page should be removed from the profile and put elsewhere. It’s got nothing to do with the player’s profile. It’s general and universal information. It should be grouped with other general information like the news and put into a community page. A global ladder and profile search should be included here too. The Previous Season page can also be deleted because it’s already covered by the Career Summary page.
Alternatively, group all of these items, excluding the news, and call it a ladder information page. WC3 had one on the internet. It’s awesome:
Please borrow some ideas from the WC3 ladder page.
4. Change the color used to display the division name so that it is readable.
5. Remove the Leave League option.
This option allows a player to leave their league. This is a very bad feature. There is no legitimate use of this feature. Players with MMR near the boundary of promotion could abuse this feature to make it easier to get promoted. If the goal is to make promotions easier, then do this by increasing the uncertainty threshold of MMR required for promotion.
If instead the goal is to make it easier to change divisions, there is no point in changing divisions. Divisions are already meaningless. Allowing division hopping would make the division rank even more meaningless for absolutely no reason at all, since players could “choose” newer and easier divisions.
Allowing people to leave their league also resets their points to 0 and refunds their entire bonus pool. So this hurts casuals who aren’t aware that using this option requires them to start from scratch.
Moreover, it makes points a worse measure of skill, because the player would have to use up their entire bonus pool again in order for points to correctly measure skill, even if the system already has an accurate MMR for players who were active enough to use up their previous bonus pool. This wouldn’t be an issue if joining a new league after leaving a league retained the player’s previous points and bonus pool, accounting for time elapsed. But then, players could abuse this as a way of hiding their stats and ladder standing by leaving their league after each game.
So this introduces many abuses, changes points from a “skill+time” measure to a “skill+(highly weighted time)” measure, and there is no legitimate use for this feature.
However, the change where points for losing are absorbed from bonus pool is excellent, because it doesn’t affect the legitimacy of points.
Match History
6. Remember the filter that is applied to Match History when navigating back to it after viewing a score screen.
Currently, if the player filters the match history (1v1, 2v2, custom, etc), views a score screen, then goes back to the match history, the filter isn’t saved.
Matchmaking Page
7. Add pictures for each race when they’re selected in the Matchmaking page.
It would be good for new players to see what the races look like. Use iconic and very recognizable units, such as the Marine, Hydralisk and Zealot.
8. Separate unranked and ranked matchmaking queues.
Players who queue using unranked can be matched with ranked players. This has been described as working as intended to reduce queue times. But queues should be separated to prevent abuse. Here are some possible abuses:
-Deliberately lowering your MMR to bronze level to beat up on low skill players, with no consequence to your ladder standing.
-Leave or backstab in team games, also with no consequence to your ladder standing.
-If you're losing, you can even ask the opponent very nicely to give you a free win by leaving, and if your opponent is playing unranked, there's no reason for the opponent to say no.
-If you want to practice TvZ with unranked, then you should leave every game which is not TvZ, thereby giving your opponents free wins.
While it’s possible to do these things now, it would stuff up your ladder standing. Pooling rank and unranked games in HotS will mean that there's no incentive to stop anyone from doing this. Everyone would be able to freely smurf with no consequence, which was a major problem with multiple accounts in WC3. This is an error that should not be repeated.
9. Allow players to choose the match-up in unranked play.
Sometimes players want to practice a particular match-up. It’s unranked, there’s no reason not to do this. It would prevent the fourth abuse in the above list.
10. Add a global ladder and use a percentile to make it more easily readable.
A global ladder should be added because division ranks are meaningless. There is no point in ranking against 100 arbitrary and faceless players. As Blizzard says, “Players who play competitively on the ladder can now better track their progress regardless of which league they’re in. And those players that would like to enjoy the benefits of matchmaking, but are not interested in the pressure of being ranked can now use the unranked play mode.” This quote is from:
11. Fix the favored system or simply stop displaying whether a player is favored.
The favored indicator basically compares your points to your opponent’s MMR. This is why your opponent is nearly always favored until you have played for a few dozen games. Both players can both be favored because it isn't actually measuring who is favored to win. The reason for the current system is to "explain" to players why they get so many points for winning: you beat a favored opponent so here are a lot of points. But the real reason for rewarding lots of points at the start is to move the player's points minus bonus pool towards their MMR, so that better players can be ranked higher. Thus, the current system is deceptive.
Either change it to display who is more likely to win, (which means it would no longer be possible for both players to be favored in the same game), or simply stop displaying it altogether. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the second option.
12. Allow more colors instead of just red and blue for ladder play.
Seeing only red and blue for 1v1 games is getting to be an eyesore. Colors should be randomly assigned out of the first 8, like in WC3.
Custom Games Page
13. In the Browse and Bookmarks tab, list maps instead of listing map by mode to prevent duplicate entries. Remove the Mode column.
As the above screenshot shows, the maps Hunting Grounds and Korhal City are both repeated 3 times, because of different modes. In fact, Hunting Grounds 2v2 is repeated twice, even though they are the exact same modes, because one has a Blizzard rating and another doesn’t. There should be 1 entry per map, neither the mode nor Blizzard rating should matter.
If a player wants to play a map in a particular mode, they could either join a game or create a game. For the former, they could go to the Open Games page where the mode is displayed. For the latter, they could find the map, create the game and choose the mode in the game lobby. Therefore, it is superfluous and a waste of space to list a map 5 times just because it has 5 modes.
14. Fix the Category drop-down menu to correctly filter by Category.
The screenshot in 13 shows that I’ve filtered by Co-op vs AI, yet melee maps where the game mode is 1v1 appears. If I filter by Miscellaneous (described as “Unclassified game type”) to find unit tester maps, then maps that are classified as Melee still show up. So the filter is clearly not working properly.
This is partly because melee maps are oxymoronically classified as Miscellaneous, but as I’ll explain in 15d, they shouldn’t be.
15a. Keep only melee maps in Custom Games by moving all non-melee maps to the Arcade, so that the Category drop-down menu can be removed.
Custom Games should only contain melee maps, not maps like HOTS Unit Tester Online or Starcraft Master. Are these maps in Custom Games instead of the Arcade because they only use units in the melee game? If I create a Nexus War map with only units in the melee game should it go in Custom Games and not the Arcade? Why are some unit testers and micro training maps in the Arcade instead? The line shouldn’t be so blurred. All non-melee maps should be in the Arcade. In this case, the Category drop-down menu would be redundant and should be removed as explained in 15b to 15e.
15b. Remove the Co-op vs AI category.
Co-op vs AI is just melee. This category is redundant. If people want to add AIs they can already do so. In addition, filtering by Co-op vs AI doesn’t even work, as explained in 13.
15c. Remove the Melee Spectator category. Allow spectator functionality in public custom games.
Melee Spectator is baffling, because you can already spectate any private game. While it's not currently possible to spectate public custom games, Melee Spectator doesn’t solve this because there are virtually no maps in this category and it doesn’t work unless someone uploads a specific map. It should be possible to spectate all maps, rather than only having a restrictive set of player published maps that can be publicly spectated being dumped into this category.
Hence, this category should be removed and spectator functionality should be added to public custom games, like WC3 and Dota 2. This is a very fun and relaxing feature in these games.
15d. Remove the Miscellaneous category. Add Custom Teams as a mode for Melee. Move legitimately miscellaneous maps, such as unit tester maps, to the Arcade.
Miscellaneous is the same thing as Melee. The only difference is you can make custom sized teams (e.g. 1v4v2) using Miscellaneous, but this feature can simply be folded into Melee by adding Custom Teams as an additional mode for melee maps. As explained above, the fact that melee maps are classified as Miscellaneous is bad UI designed because it makes filtering by Miscellaneous quite useless since it returns mostly melee maps, instead of legitimately miscellaneous maps.
Furthermore, the screenshot below shows that there’s another category, Other, which doesn’t appear in the drop-down menu and is superfluous because it should be the same thing as Miscellaneous.
There shouldn’t be 3 melee categories, there should just be 1: melee. The miscellaneous category should be removed, melee maps should not be classified as Miscellaneous, Custom Teams should be folded into melee, and legitimately miscellaneous maps, like the unit tester maps highlighted above, should be moved to the Arcade and properly classified there.
15e. Remove the Monobattle and Trainer category. Move maps with these categories (there are virtually none) to the Arcade.
The Monobattle and Trainer categories are redundant and should be removed from the Custom Games page. These maps virtually don’t exist, with the exception of Blizzard’s SC2 Master. The Monobattle and Trainer categories should be put in the Arcade, since these aren’t the standard melee game, as explained in 15a.
16. Remove the Play Offline tick box by making it automatic for 1 human player games.
Every game with 1 human player can automatically be offline, and every game with more than 1 human player can only be online. So the Play Offline tick box (next to the Create Game button in the screenshot in 13) is completely unnecessary. The choice should be automatic. Currently there are some minor differences between online and offline games. For example in the offline game, you currently don’t earn XP points. But you can still earn online achievements for your Battle.net account (as long as you don’t use a cheat code). Yes, I’ve checked that it works. So there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to earn XP points too, given that what happens in an offline game is still tracked by Battle.net.
17. Add the Has High Rating tick box to the other options in the Show drop-down menu or remove it from the Newest option.
The Has High Rating tick box only appears for Newest. But this is an inconsistency, because there’s no reason why that tick box shouldn’t be added for the other options like Top Played or Up & Coming (it might not be needed for Top Rated).
But then there’s also no reason why a Has High Popularity tick box can’t be added for all the categories except Top Played. Fix this inconsistency.
18. When showing Blizzard Maps, remove the Author column and add back the Rating column
When showing Blizzard Maps, this is the only option where the columns Mode and Rating aren’t shown, and the Author column is added. This is an inconsistency. There is no point in displaying the Author column because it’s only showing Blizzard maps, it conveys zero information (the author is Blizzard). Make it show Name, Category and Rating like all the other show options such as Top Played and Top Rated (I’ve suggested in 13 to remove the Mode column).
19. Add a load game button to the Custom Game page
Currently, it’s possible to save an offline game, but this is not so useful because there’s no way to load a saved game without first entering another offline game. Either:
(1) Remove the option to save offline games. Is there any conceivable reason to save games against a computer?
(2) Add a load saved game option to the custom game page.
(3) Allow online custom games (with multiple players) to be saved and do (2). This feature is in WC3.
20. In publicly open games, allow the settings to be changed. Remove Locked Alliance for melee maps because it can’t be turned off or allow it to be turned off.
When joining a custom game, often there are no open games, so a new lobby is made. In these cases, I don’t see
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the 1980s, when Fabius was prime minister and Iran was at war with Iraq, and its relationship with Gulf Arab governments that are locked in a regional power struggle with Tehran.
Images on social media showed protests against Fabius at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, and flyers depicting a bloody red carpet and the pledge: “We will not forgive or forget.” (Additional reporting by Marine Pennetier in Paris; Editing by William Maclean and Larry King)Is Bernie Sanders The Likely Democratic Nominee in 2020?
Even more Democrats now think Bernie Sanders is their party's likely presidential nominee in 2020 despite calls for new Democratic leadership and news reports about an FBI probe of Sanders' wife's financial dealings as a college president.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 40% of Likely Democratic Voters think it’s at least somewhat likely that Sanders will be the national Democratic presidential nominee in the next election. Forty-seven percent (47%) think it’s unlikely. This includes 15% who say it’s Very Likely the Vermont senator will be the 2020 nominee and nine percent (9%) who say it’s Very Unlikely. Another 13% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on June 26-27, 2017 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
ORImage copyright Getty Images Image caption Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants indefinite detention of terrorists
Australia's prime minister has moved to strengthen anti-terror laws after attacks in the US and France.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said proposed changes would allow continuing imprisonment for convicted terrorists at high risk of reoffending.
The process would be supervised by courts and also subject to medical and psychological checks.
The age at which anti-terror legislation applies to individuals would also be lowered from 16 to 14.
The government will work with state and territory administrations to roll out the reforms.
Mr Turnbull said the measures were necessary after an increase in the number and severity of terrorist attacks across the world.
"The threat is real," he said.
"We can never ever be complacent and we are not. We are focused constantly on the single most important obligation of our government... which is to preserve and protect the safety of the people."
Convicted terrorists would be subject to continuing imprisonment in a court-supervised process similar to measures in place for sex offenders and extremely violent criminals.
The changes would also make advocating genocide an offence.
Attorney-General George Brandis will meet with state and territory attorneys-general in coming days to discuss the new laws.
"If a person, having served a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, shows every indication of a willingness to repeat that crime, to reoffend as soon as they are released, they should remain behind bars," Mr Brandis said.
Senator Brandis said UK Prime Minister Theresa May had previously shown an interest in Australia's approach to domestic security.
"I know that her own thinking when she was home secretary earlier in the year was guided by some of the law reform we undertook in Australia," he said.The idea began percolating, said Dan Price, the founder of Gravity Payments, after he read an article on happiness. It showed that, for people who earn less than about $US70,000 ($92,105), extra money makes a big difference in their lives.
His idea bubbled into reality on Monday afternoon, when Price surprised his 120-person staff by announcing that he planned over the next three years to raise the salary of even the lowest-paid clerk, customer service representative and salesman to a minimum of $US70,000.
Gravity Payments founder, Dan Price.
"Is anyone else freaking out right now?" Price asked after the clapping and whooping died down into a few moments of stunned silence. "I'm kind of freaking out."
If it's a publicity stunt, it's costly one. Price, who started the Seattle-based credit-card payment processing firm in 2004 at the age of 19, said he would pay for the wage increases by cutting his own salary from nearly $US1 million ($1.315 million) to $US70,000 and using 75 to 80 per cent of the company's anticipated $US2.2 million ($2.894 million) in profit this year.Well week 7 got started midweek with; DC United 2-1 over KC, Chivas 4-0 over New England, FC Dallas 1-0 over Houston, and LA 1-0 over Colorado. For 6 of those teams they will have the quick turnaround and be back in action on Saturday.
LA Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC - 2pm MT - Telefutura
Many Sounders fans are starting to panic, their team is just 2-2-3 and things don't seem as easy as they did last year, the reality is welcome to MLS. It can be easy when teams don't know what to expect but we all know the speed of Zakuani, the grit of Alonso, and the talent of Fred2. The Galaxy went from being the overwhelming favorite in MLS Cup that lost, to simply being the class of the league so far in 2010. So what will happen when LA revisits Qwest field site of 2009 heartbreak, and as Sounders look to reclaim their home field advantage?
Seattle faces some nagging injury problems with Noonan, Evans, Graham, and Marshall, with Jaqua still on the disabled list, but their lineup is still one of the most impressive ones in MLS with speed and skill in almost every position and the leadership of Kasey Keller and Ljungberg. It is a bit troublesome that they are dead even with 8 goals scored and 8 allowed, but it only is a matter of time until Ljungberg opens his goal account of 2010. Can their defense do a better job of stopping the likes of Edson Buddle, that is the question every team facing LA is trying to answer right now. Without a healthy Marshall that task will likely fall to Patrick Ianni, will he be up to it?
So MLS did LA no favors this week as this will be their 3rd match in 7 days, and 2nd on the road. They were able to get a 1-0 win in Colorado in a tough fought match, they got their first goal of the year that didn't involve Edson Buddle. We all know the engine of LA is Landon Donovan, but the fuel this year has been the incredible start of Edson Buddle, who has when healthy always been a solid striker but few expected this 9 goals and 1 assist start to the 2010 season. The fact that the LA defense has been so solid, allowing just 2 goals in 7 matches, is no surprise as it was the area of greatest improvement for the Galaxy last year. Back from his injury in MLS cup, the other Donovan has been perhaps more impressive with a 0.29 GAA, and 5 shutouts, but his defense has limited teams to just 21 shots on goal so far this year. So which defense and keeper will blink first in this matchup? You have to believe this will be an end to end match with lots of energy but I have a feeling it will end up in a 2-1 win for the Galaxy who simply are firing on all cylinders early in the MLS season.
Chicago Fire at Toronto FC - 2pm MT - Direct Kick
Like a lot of week 7 matchups, this one will go a long way in letting people know who is for real and who might just be pretending. TFC is unbeaten in their two home matches over Philly and Seattle, but winless on the road, resulting in a 4-2-0 record, with all but one of their goals being scored by Dwayne De Rosario. Chicago is 2-2-2 and as good on the road 1-1-1 as they at home, the Fire have gotten goals from 5 different players, while Dykstra has been solid in goal with a 1.00 GAA.
It is clear that so far this season Toronto has lived off set pieces as 3 of their 7 goals have come from the PK spot and one more came from a direct free kick (all by De Ro). So can the team that has only scored two goals from the run of play in 6 matches find a way to win without the PK spot? With the "RSL experiment" over and head coach Preki admitting trying to play with 10 men behind the ball was a mistake, so it is no surprise that De Ro, de Guzman, and Cronin are all back in the starting lineup. For me the key might just be the play of Nick LaBrocca on offense, and Nana Attakora on defense, both were the stars for TFC last weekend.
Chicago has found a way to score without Blanco, and their defense has remained solid, the creativity now comes from Pappa and Husidic and so far they have been very good with 4 goals and two assists between them. They also have McBride and Collins John up top with 3 more goals and two more assists. Carlos de los Cobos ran into a tough test last weekend with Chivas USA and the Red's could be just as tough this weekend as BMO field is a tough place for opposing teams to get results. Only 5 teams have gotten a win in Toronto in the last two seasons, and I just am not sure that Chicago will be able to this weekend, I pick this one to end 1-1.
Philadelphia Union at Real Salt Lake - 2pm MT - Direct Kick
Yeah right that one will be coming on Friday afternoon
New England Revolution at Columbus Crew - 5pm MT - Fox Soccer Channel
The Revolution have played almost twice as many matches (7) as Columbus (4), both teams have two wins, but New England has 4 losses. In fact New England's two wins are over DC United and Toronto FC, teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and they haven't won a match since April 10th, 0-3-1 since then. The Crew are a solid team that has to be honest gotten lucky in their last two matches, a draw against Seattle in a match that they were outplayed in, and a win over RSL again in a match they were out played in and could only score from the PK spot, while RSL had a goal pulled off the scoreboard. You have to wonder how good is Columbus, and how bad is New England.
While New England will get two suspended players back as Dube and Niouky are back from their red card suspension, but Perovic will be out on red card suspension. New England will also be without Matt Reis, Taylor Twellman, Emmanuel Osei, Mike Videira, and Shalrie Joseph, the good news is that the early leader for Rookie of the Year, Zack Schilawski, who leads the team with 4 goals (or half of New England's 8) appears to be fitting in well to the MLS style. Even with former USMNT player Cory Gibbs on their backline the Rev defense has allowed 11 goals, tied for 3 worst in MLS. You have to wonder what Steve Nicol can pull out next to try to get the Revolution back to their traditional winning ways?
Only two teams haven't tasted defeat yet in MLS, the LA Galaxy (6-0-1) and Columbus (2-0-2), and the reality is that Columbus is one of the best teams at home in MLS and while they will be without Danny O'Rourke who is suspended for the second time for a red card. Injuries have Gino Padula listed as doubtful and Chad Marshall may be listed as probably but he has only played once so far this year. For Columbus their gameplan starts with defense, they have only allowed 3 goals so far this year and none in their two home matches. So far this year half of their offense has come from GBS who has 3 of their 6 goals, I would expect that the Crew will keep their perfect home record and pick up the win 2-1.
DC United at FC Dallas - 7pm MT - Direct Kick
This match had the potential last weekend to be one of the biggest stinkers in a long time for MLS, but both teams put together impressive efforts on Wednesday to get their first wins of 2010 and now the question is which team can maintain their momentum from their midweek matchup? FC Dallas gets the home field advantage if it is one with the smallest crowds in MLS so far this year, they are just 0-0-3 at home. DC United of course hasn't won on the road and their only goals away from RFK came at Philly (2), while they have given up 7.
Injuries continue to plague the men in black, Burch, Jakovic, Namoff, Pontius, Quinn, and James are listed as out or questionable, while Pena, Rice, and Simms are listed as probable. It was the work of Danny Allsopp on Wednesday that got both goals for United in their 2-1 win over the Wizards, their first goals at home and Danny's first goals of his MLS career. The defense held up their end giving up just a single goal, but United is still -10 in goal differential on the season and they will have to improve if they are to get more wins.
As small as the crowds may be at Pizza Hut Park, the team is starting to look a lot better, they got a draw with New England last weekend, and beat Houston in Houston for the first time ever on Wednesday. They will be without Jair Benitez who adds some bite to both their defense and offensive effort, he is on red card suspension, and the projected lineup has Pearce moving back the the backline after a midweek match in the midfield. Kevin Hartman appears to have secured his place in goal for now, and now will need to get the defense in front of him organized and working together. Dallas has been very fortunate this year already getting 3 PK's awarded to them and Jeff Cunningham has converted all 3. This matchup should be interesting as both teams look to prove that the midweek win was just the start of their turnaround. I am going with the home team to get their first home win of 2010 as this one ends up 1-0 FC Dallas.
New York Red Bulls at San Jose Earthquakes - 8pm MT - Direct Kick
If you had to pick two teams as early season surprises it would be San Jose who after a bad 3-0 loss ont heir opener have improved their record to 3-2-0, including 2 wins over Eastern Conference foes. The Red Bulls, have to be the biggest surprise with just a single loss as they lead the East at 5-1-0. Both sides have lost to Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center, and this early season matchup of surprises is my match of the week.
I like a lot of people really wonder what is going on with New York, the only really impressive win of their 5 is the win at Seattle, beating DC United, FC Dallas, and Philly (a combined 3 wins) just isn't impressive. I have been impressed with their style of play, they do a nice job of possessing the ball and scoring (8 goals in 6 matches), while their defense has done nicely allowing just 4 goals in 6 matches. Rookie defender Tim Ream has impressed many, while i think it has been the play of Joel Lindpere has been a plus for a team that clearly was missing a creative playmaker last year. One might look at the 4 goals of Juan Pablo Angel might look impressive, half of them have come from the PK spot.
San Jose is starting to get healthier, as they only have Omar Jasseh listed as out and in San Jose the Quakes hold a 10-2-2 record against the Red Bulls/Metrostars, while out scoring them 28 to 14. I have been very impressed with the efforts of rookie Ike Opara who has been solid on defense and already has 2 goals and would be my choice for rookie of the year after 6 weeks. One has to wonder how good San Jose will be if Ryan Johnson can start scoring the way he did last year? They key for San Jose is how their defense does, in 3 wins they have given up just a single goal, in their two losses they have given up 6, so can San Jose shut down the Red Bulls? I don't think they can shut them down but I think they can clip their wings and pull out a 2-1 win at home.
Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA - 8:30pm - MT
The battle for second place in the West and the battle of the two most evenly matched teams in MLS, consider that both have 3-3-1 records, Chivas has a +1 goal differential, while Houston is +2, the only real edge may come in the fact that Chivas is 2-1-0 at home and Houston is 0-1-1 on the road. Houston is still battling injuries to Ching, and Cameron and establishing who will be the creative force in their midfield. Chivas has many new faces but wow they seem to be finding a way to come together and in recent weeks you have to be impressed with Martin Vasquez's squad.
Chivas has struggled against Houston winning just a single game against them in 13 matches, they have scored just 8 goals while giving up 23. This team however looked really good against New England, even before the man advantage and have 4 results (3-1-1) in their last 5 matches. Some of the mystery names like Padilla are becoming more and more well known, you have to wonder who will be the next one to step up and get his name on the lips of Chivas fans?
It had to be a heart breaker for Houston as they dropped a 1-0 decision at home, now they head out on the road for the 3rd time this year and they will have to battle a hot team as they try to get their first win away from Robertson Stadium. I really liked the energy of Oduro and Landin over the last few matches and they are both capable of breaking opponent's hearts in an instant. I have been less impressed with the defense of the Dynamo who have given up 7 goals so far this year and 3 on the road, they will need a much better effort if they hope to slow down Chivas who have scored 8 in their last 3 matches. I don't think they will be able to shut down the Goats at home and Chivas get a 3-2 win in a great match.
My Picks
LA Galaxy 2- Seattle Sounders 1
Chicago Fire 1 - Toronto FC 1
Columbus Crew 2 - New England Revolution 1
FC Dallas 1 - DC United 0
San Jose 2 - New York Red Bulls 1
Chivas USA 3 - Houston Dynamo 2I'm sure many people were disappointed to see the Lyric MR4 firmware get released last month and have the firmware update NOT include the Lyric / Apple Homekit integration that has been promised since the Lyric first debuted at ISC West back in 2015. We've been as frustrated as our users and potential customers have been that have been waiting anxiously for the Homekit integration to the Lyric system, and since Honeywell was at the mercy of Apple releasing the approval for the functionality to be made available, even Honeywell wasn't sure exactly when it was coming.
With all that said, we're excited to announce that as of this week, a Lyric running MR4 firmware can now integrate with Apple's Homekit!
We just found out about the release and we haven't been provided with all the details on the functionality the integration allows but once we get more information from Honeywell and do some testing ourselves, we'll be posting more about this awesome update to the Lyric system!
In the mean time, if you want to confirm your Lyric can do Homekit, just press Security > Tools > enter Master Code > Advanced and if you're on MR4, you should see a Homekit Reset button that wasn't there previously.
If you aren't seeing that button, you should check the System Information tab to see if you're on the MR4 firmware (01.04.07178.491) and if you aren't you can either ask your alarm monitoring company to remote upgrade you or if you have the right firmware version to allow a local firmware update request, you can go to Security > Tools > enter Installer Code to see an option for 'Update firmware' which will get you up to the latest version.It's been another wild ride this week with President Trump holding one of his serious teleprompter speeches announcing that he has a secret plan to win in Afghanistan that he can't tell us anything about and then turning around to hold a raucous campaign rally in Phoenix reminding the world that he's really an undisciplined narcissist. More than one pundit observed that Trump is more clever than he seems with his crazed behavior, because as long as he's giving succor to Nazis and neo-Confederate racists, nobody's talking about the Russia investigation.
That's giving Trump way too much credit. He is an impulsive person who has shown no sign that he's that strategic about anything. And even if his frantic efforts this week were attempts at misdirection, it was to no avail. There have been quite a few developments in the Russia story, none of which are good news for the president.
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The first big revelation was in the blockbuster New York Times story on Tuesday about Trump's deteriorating relationship with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump has been tweeting his disappointment with McConnell for some time, so it was no big secret that he is unhappy with him over the health care vote. But apparently the two men had an angry confrontation over the phone on Aug. 9, in which Trump cursed at the majority leader over his inability or unwillingness to "protect" Trump from being investigated over Russia.
Trump doesn't seem to understand that Congress is an equal branch of government, endowed with oversight responsibilities. But if there was ever any chance that congressional Republicans could provide cover, it went out the window when Trump fired the FBI director and then reassured the Russian ambassador the next day in an unpublicized meeting in the Oval Office that he'd relieved the "pressure" by doing it. Everything in his behavior since then, including his incessant whining about Jeff Sessions' recusal from the probe as a personal betrayal, has made it more impossible.
Perhaps we might excuse Trump's argument with McConnell as a general temper tantrum; maybe he threw in the complaint about Russia as an afterthought. But Politico followed up the Times story with more reports of phone calls with Republican senators in which the president requested that they abandon their plans for Russia-related legislation. He reportedly tried to convince Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee that the bipartisan bill sanctioning Russia was unconstitutional and damaging to his presidency. Corker didn't listen and the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, which is not something you see every day.
Trump also called up Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina to complain about the latter's bill designed to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from a presidential firing. Unsurprisingly, Trump is not a fan of the legislation or of the legislative branch exercising its oversight responsibilities over his administration when it comes to Russia.
As one GOP aide told Politico, "It seems he is just always focused on Russia."
Meanwhile, there was some intriguing news about the investigation this week. ABC News reported that Christopher Steele, the former MI6 operative who compiled the notorious "dossier" about Trump's Russian ties, has spoken to Mueller and turned over all his sources. Perhaps that shouldn't be surprising, but Steele had reportedly gone underground for his own protection and was unreachable by investigators.
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Another key figure behind that research report on Donald Trump's ties to Russia reportedly testified for 10 hours before Senate Judiciary Committee investigators. Glenn Simpson is a former reporter who is now a principal in Fusion GPS, the company hired to compile the information. He has supposedly turned over 40,000 documents to the committee. We don't know what was said, obviously, but on Wednesday the committee chair was quizzed by an astute constituent at a town-hall meeting and told him that if the committee voted to release the testimony and Simpson agreed, it might be made public. Simpson's attorney released a statement saying they have no objection to making the transcript of the testimony public.
CNN reported on an explosive new tie between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, right around the same time as the infamous Donald Trump Jr meeting meant to gather dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Congressional investigators have unearthed an email from a top Trump aide that referenced a previously unreported effort to arrange a meeting last year between Trump campaign officials and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The aide, Rick Dearborn, who is now President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, sent a brief email to campaign officials last year relaying information about an individual who was seeking to connect top Trump officials with Putin, the sources said.
It is unclear where this request went, and CNN reports that Dearborn was "skeptical" of it. But Dearborn was formerly chief of staff to then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, and investigators are said to be interested in whether or not he had anything to do with arranging meetings between his boss and former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak -- the meetings Sessions failed to disclose during his Senate confirmation hearings.
This new email is in addition to reports from earlier this month that yet another Trump campaign official, George Papadopoulos, had tried to arrange meetings between Trump and Russian officials.
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One might ask whether meeting with Russian emissaries and leaders is a normal function of presidential campaigns. It's not. Nobody in that business can think of another instance. In fact, Republican strategist Steve Schmidt -- who worked on George W. Bush and John McCain's presidential bids -- had this to say back on Aug. 4 to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, also a former GOP strategist who worked on the same campaigns:
We worked on two presidential campaigns at high levels and there weren't any Russians around. I don't think there were Russians around the Obama campaign or the Kerry campaign either. This campaign had Russians all over the place!
All of this is circumstantial. But between Trump's increasingly manic insistence on discrediting the press, resisting any sanctions or pushback for Russian meddling and demanding the Congress cease exercising its oversight duties, it's hard to escape the suspicion that he's getting ever more nervous about something. He must be going against his lawyers' advice, since he is clearly feeding suspicions of obstruction of justice, which is one of the charges the special counsel is investigating.
Common sense says that normal people who have nothing to hide don't act this way. Of course, nobody ever said Donald Trump was normal.SS said the gift was sent on 19th December, and I believed him/her - we need to believe in SS - and so days, weeks, months went by. Today, casually, this landed on my doorstep! The surprise! suspense! fear! relief! "Forget scissors, lets tear the box apart" said the postman and the neighbours and the children. (Yes, during that waiting time, I managed to create a huge anticipation). "Going to the Woods is Going Home" is what I first saw... What a great line. That's something I would say! How did SS know? And the message on the box... now there is a good spirit if you are looking for one. Thank you Canadian SS from BC. Were I a personified Red Cedar, I would bow down with pride. Worth the wait. The scent IS amazing and shareable; we (the Gingkos and the Lemongrass) have knighted you "The Greatest Gift-Giver". Stand Grand and Tall!With Donald Trump and Steve Bannon are offering new assaults on human rights and American values every day, the struggle to keep struggling is exhausting. We could all use a little extra inspiration, and you may be ignoring a huge source: comic books.
Though every other movie and TV show is based on a comic nowadays, these adaptations are not even the tip of the tip of the iceberg that is the vast history of comics. While just about any comic could provide escapism, a select few offer inspiration.
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Some titles provide inspiration that’s directly political, feeding into our need to engage and protest. Other titles are inspiring in a circuitous way, refreshing our spirits and making us feel better about being alive. Both types of refreshment are needed right now. Get thee to a comic book store and check out some titles that, directly or indirectly, can help us stay energized right when we need it the most.
Transmetropolitan: No comic is more directly relevant to our current situation, nor more hopeful in its own absurd way. In this 60-issue sci-fi series, writer Warren Ellis and artist Darick Robertson created Spider Journalism — a heightened take on the already heightened person of Hunter S. Thompson. Living in a semi-dystopian future that now feels like non-fiction, Jerusalem works tirelessly to bring down a corrupt President via means that are often extreme but boil down to basic journalism: finding, documenting, and telling the truth. Warning: After reading this comic, you will yearn for a real-life version of Thompson’s favorite weapon, the bowel disruptor.
American Barbarian: This creator-owned series by unabashedly Jack Kirby-esque writer/artist Tom Scioli is one of the weirdest odes to the spirit of America ever created. In this exuberant adventure, a Thundarr the Barbarian-type hero with red, white, and blue hair fights dinosaurs, robo-dinosaurs, and an evil pharaoh with tanks for feet named Two-Tank Omen. I am unable to confirm the rumor that Two-Tank Omen made Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court.
Ms. Marvel: The ongoing adventures of Marvel Comics’ Pakistani-American teen hero, by co-creator G. Willow Wilson and various artists, felt necessary pre-Trump: they’re even more necessary mid-Trump. Kamala Khan continues to carve out a space in a superhero universe previously dominated by white dudes, providing vital representation and shaping the superhero movies of the future (and not the distant future, let us hope). To paraphrase Commissioner Gordon, she’s the Muslim hero we deserve and need right now.
Ragnarök : In 2014, writer/artist Walter Simonson — who did career-defining work for Marvel on “Thor” in the 1980s — returned to his most famous character in the ongoing creator-owned IDW series “Ragnarök.” But this isn’t just another new spin on mythology or superheroes. In “Ragnarök,” named for the Norse day of doom, that day has passed, and Thor has inexplicably found himself alive (though damaged) after the death of his parents, children, friends, and home. This series was already an inspiring look at heroism in the face of disaster, but it’s much more important in the era of Trumpery, which feels like an American Ragnarök. This comic is a perfect myth for our time — and not only because Simonson’s Thor says things like, “I never liked trolls.”
Captain America: The very first issue of Captain America, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, was published over a year before the U.S. entered World War II and remains a pinnacle of political comics: the very first thing Captain America ever did was punch Hitler in the face. As Amanda Marcotte put it here in Salon: “Sorry, Fox News: Captain America has long been a liberal, anti-nationalist character.”
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Uncle Sam: This two-part 1997 series by Steve Darnell and Alex Ross is frighteningly relevant right now. We first see this version of Uncle Sam as a confused vagrant spouting quotations from past Presidents and other national figures, from Patrick Henry to Dan Quayle. After careening through the confusing history of America in all its honor and horror, poor Sam ends up in a Japanese monster-style battle against another Uncle Sam. This clever story is an entertaining reminder that America has always been its own best/worst frenemy, and sometimes frenemies have to fight.
The Ultimates: The first arc of Al Ewing & Kenneth Rocafort’s run on "The Ultimates" in 2015 is an ode to limitless possibility that feels particularly refreshing in these constrained, cramped times. After Marvel rebooted their universe, a group of extremely diverse superheroes set to work on solving, as their name suggests, the ultimate problems. The first problem was Galactus: the giant purple fella who eats planets the way you eat kale chips. Adam Brashear, Ms. America, Black Panther, and the rest of the team decided to fix the Galactus problem, not by killing him, but turning him into a life-giver rather than a doom-bringer. In any universe, Marvel or real, optimistic solutions can feel like crazy talk, but Ewing and Rocafort made them feel brave, wise, and necessary.
Cage: Marvel has been getting a truckload of attention for Ta-Nehisi Coates’ work on “Black Panther,” and deservedly so. But another comic about one of the first black superheroes completely flew under the radar, and that’s a shame. Animator Genndy Tartakovsky, in a mere four issues of “Cage,” revisited the blaxpoloitation roots of Luke Cage and created the most visually bonkers Marvel Comic in years, maybe since Bill Sienkiewicz went nuts on “The New Mutants” in the eighties. By taking full, ludicrous advantage of the possibilities of the page, Tartakovsky created a glorious comic that should inspire as all to break out of our own cages, self-imposed or otherwise.
Bitch Planet: The 2016 campaign and election of Donald Trump was a worst-case scenario for women and anyone who cares about them, with an admitted sexual predator elected President. This enshrinement of misogyny is depressing to say the least, but at least we’re not yet living in the world of “Bitch Planet”: a sci-fi dystopia in which women are sent to space jail for being non-compliant. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Valentine De Landro have built a compelling world and feminist classic in which the struggles of the inmates are a powerful parallel to the struggles of real women. “Bitch Planet” is a devastating warning against where misogyny leads.
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Shirtless Bear-Fighter: This forthcoming comic (by writers Jody Leheup and Sebastian Girner and artist Nil Vendrell) was recently announced by Image Comics. Just the fact that this comic exists is a ray of hairy sunshine in a bleak, shirt-filled world. Sometimes you need nuanced, complex narratives; other times you just need a comic about a dude hitting bears. I’m certain the Comedy Central version of Stephen Colbert would agree.
All-Star Superman: In this singularly humane story by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, Superman deals with his own mortality. He develops cancer after getting up and personal with the sun — but never, ever gives up on making the world a better place. The page where Superman rescues and comforts a suicidal teen is one of the most uplifting in the history of comics, and the series is full of the optimism that made Superman a wonder in the best comics and the Christopher Reeve movies. This Superman — unlike the scowling jerk in current DC movies — is so noble he even believes Lex Luthor has good in him. That kind of optimism, so hard to come by these days, is much-needed.By Edward Chaykovsky
According to promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, a deal has been reached for the super middleweight unification between WBC champion Badou Jack (20-1-2, 12KOs) and IBF world champion James DeGale (23-1, 14KOs).
Hearn, who promotes DeGale, says the World Boxing Council was advised that a deal was reached between both sides and they just waiting for a date and venue to be finalized.
This is potentially the last fight for Jack at 168. He's been a career super middleweight since turning pro in 2009 and captured the WBC title last year with a twelve round decision over Anthony Dirrell.
Jack was in action back in April, when he went to a controversial twelve round draw with former IBF champion Lucian Bute. The Canadian superstar tested positive for a banned substance in a post-fight drug test, but the result has yet to be changed to a no-contest. On that same card, DeGale won a tougher than expected decision over durable Mexican contender Rogelio Medina.
Hearn was told by the WBC that the Jack-DeGale winner will have to make an immediate defense against mandatory challenger Callum Smith, who Matchroom also represents. From what Hearn has heard, the fight is going to receive a date in late November. Smith is likely going to take another stay-busy fight in the interim.
"They've had notification from both sides - that fight is made between Badou Jack and James DeGale. I think they are waiting on contracts. I'm guessing that fight will get done and the resolution will state that the winner of Badou Jack and James DeGale will have to start immediate negotiations with Callum Smith. So [Smith is] in a great situation. Again, we're waiting on dates for Jack against DeGale, rumored for the end of November. And then Callum Smith will get the winner," Hearn told BoxingScene.com's Declan Taylor.Companies concerned about keeping their data safe from prying governments are turning to Swiss data centers that have the security of national laws which protect information from the other countries’ spy agencies.
Mateo Meier, director at Artmotion, Switzerland’s biggest offshore hosting company, said revenues grew 45 to 50 percent last year as companies from industries as varied as oil and gas to technology to finance look for a place to store confidential data.
Recent leaks of the American National Security Agency’s (NSA) PRISM surveillance program have sparked growing concern over data privacy, with implications for global corporations using US-controlled cloud services, such as AWS and Azure. Cloud-based file sharing services like Dropbox and online office resources such as Office 365, which are hosted in the US and the EU, also are at risk from government agencies.
In addition to the U.S., leading collectors of commercial secrets are the UK, France, Israel, Russia and China. In Paris, Le Monde ecently reported that the DGSE intercepted signals from computers and telephones in France, and between France and other countries, although not the content of phone calls, to create a map of "who is talking to whom". It said the activity was illegal.
Meier said Art
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The regulation changes announced Thursday do not include banning the sale of energy drinks to young people as the panel recommended; nor do they restrict where they can be sold.
At a news conference in Ottawa on a university campus, Aglukkaq said Canadians think of energy drinks as foods, not health products, and as a result, the government is changing how it regulates them.
The health minister said a wide range of views were considered, noting that some people want the drinks sold by pharmacists while others have been calling for less-stringent rules. She said that the government is taking a "balanced approach" that will allow Canadians to make their own informed choices about what they consume.
"I firmly believe it is up to individuals as well as parents to make their own decisions when it comes to what they eat and what they drink. That's why our focus is on giving people the information they need to make good, informed decisions," she said.
She rejected the notion that she didn't go further with the new rules because of pressure from the industry.
"If I was afraid to annoy the industry, I wouldn't be making this decision today," she responded.
The shift from regulating the drinks as natural health products to considering them to be foods means the popular beverages will have to carry labels listing their ingredients, allergens and nutrition information.
Beyond this change, Health Canada is imposing further requirements for the caffeine-filled beverages:
Allowing a maximum concentration of 100mg of caffeine per 250 ml.
Setting a maximum concentration of 180 mg of caffeine in any single-serve beverage.
Requiring labels to indicate total caffeine content and say the product is a source of high caffeine.
Limiting the types and levels of vitamins and minerals that can be added.
Requiring statements on the product saying it is not recommended for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Making manufacturers add a warning that the drink shouldn't be mixed with alcohol.
The shift in regulations from natural health products to foods won't mean major changes for the industry.
According to Aglukkaq's department, most of the products on the market already meet the caffeine limits that will allow them to be sold as foods and the only change companies will have to make is to revise their labelling.
Panel's key advice not taken
In announcing the new regulatory framework and requirements, Aglukkaq rejected key recommendations from an expert panel that reported to her last year.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the government is taking a balanced approach in regulating drinks that are high in caffeine.
The eight-member panel wanted energy drinks to be referred to instead as "stimulant drug containing drinks" and for that term to be on the product label. The labels should also say that adverse reactions to caffeine include insomnia, anxiety, allergic reactions, palpitations and withdrawal, according to the panel.
It specifically recommended that the drinks should not be regulated as foods, but should be treated as drugs and sold the same way caffeine in a tablet form is sold — in pharmacies, over the counter.
The panel also wanted a ban on people under 18 years old purchasing the drinks.
Aglukkaq acknowledged the popularity of the drinks is growing among teens and children, who don't give a lot of thought to ingredients.
"I believe today's changes will be especially helpful to parents of teenagers who regularly consume energy drinks," she said.
Change could take 2 years
Health Canada will work with industry to implement the regulatory changes and "minimize market disruption," meaning the drinks aren't likely to disappear from store shelves during the transition period. Companies are expected to meet the new requirements within 18 to 24 months of receiving their market authorization.
The new measures will not satisfy those who have been calling for a ban on the sale of the beverages to young people.
Health Canada says it doesn't recommend the drinks for teens, but it isn't moving to restrict their access. Instead, it is "directing industry to further strengthen its code of practice" when it comes to marketing and promoting the products with young people.
It also says it is using social media platforms to raise awareness among young people about the risks of consuming too much caffeine.
The expert panel said that because energy drinks should be considered drugs, companies should be prohibited from distributing free samples. The panel also wanted a ban on advertising the products to children and youth.
Aglukkaq said the government prefers its "balanced" approach and that more awareness about the risks of too much caffeine will help consumers and parents make informed choices about the products.
The NDP's health critic, Libby Davies, said the new labels are a positive step but she's concerned about the amount of caffeine that is still allowed in the beverages, and, about the marketing of them to young people. She said Aglukkaq should have taken stronger action on the aggressive marketing tactics of some companies.
"She needed to come out and make it clear that the government of Canada does not think that that's an acceptable practice," said Davies. The NDP MP said the government did take some positive steps but overall, caved in to the industry.
The Canadian Beverage Association, which represents makers of energy drinks and other beverages, said it was supportive of Health Canada's decision to regulate energy drinks as foods.
"We are still concerned that energy drinks are being treated as a unique product with specific labeling requirements unlike other beverages in Canada containing caffeine," Stephanie Baxter, senior director of communications for the group, said in a statement.The 1990s were quite the magical decade. And for those of us who were lucky enough to have been around then, we remember the weird commercials that peppered our Saturday morning cartoons.
"Every '90s Commercial Ever," made by digital movie studio RocketJump, is an amazing parody that filters these campy ads through an insanely accurate lens, replicating everything from the absurd acting to the ridiculous shilling of tooth-rotting, gut-busting snacks. Oh, and it also gets super weird.
Take a look at this commercial promoting some Capri-Sun-like and Bagel-Bite-esque foods, in the oddest thing since "Too Many Cooks."
Warning: Video is violent and may be upsetting, particularly if you've ever been attacked by a many-headed mutant.
Dez Dolly, a writer, director, producer and co-founder of RocketJump, is the brains behind the parody and explains his inspiration in the behind-the-scenes video below:
"We were talking about commercials from the '90s—they're so incredible—which you can now find on YouTube, and they're absolutely incredible, they're so bizarre. And there were these Capri Sun ads that we were talking about, where these kids drink the juice and then turn into liquid metal and splash around and skateboard and shoot hoops. They make absolutely no sense whatsoever, and we thought it would be really fun to start there, and then have the spot take this really dark turn."
The BTS also gives some insight into how the spot-on '90s-style glitchy visual quality was achieved and how VGP Effects made such terrifying creatures. Oh, and check out the (slightly more horrific) "uncensored version" here.
CREDITS
Director: Dez Dolly
Executive Producers (RocketJump): Matt Arnold, Dez Dolly, Ben Waller, Freddie Wong
Writers: Matt Arnold, Will Campos, Dez Dolly
Producer: Ashim Ahuja
Director of Photography: Jon Salmon
Editor: Joey Scoma @ The Sweatshop
Original Music: Maxton Waller
Cast
Mom: Anais Fairweather
Darius Jackson: Anthony Alabai
Jax: Dylan Williams
Jess: Mykayla Williams
Slade: Hayden Luedde
Brad: D'Arragnan Sloan
Kelly: Anastasia Sloan
Cody: Robert Sloan
Cronenberg Creature: Clinton Jones
Crew
1st Assistant Directors: Jeremy Cohen, John Helms
2nd AC: Thomas Jacobeson
DIT: Daniel Hollister
Gaffer: Tony Jou
BB Electrician: Dominic D'astice
Key Grip: Frank Garbutt
BB Grip: Anthony Barrese
Prop Master: Zachary Smith
Art Assistant: Christian Ramirez
Makeup Assistant: Lisa Carr
Wardrobe Stylist: Layne McGovern
Wardrobe Assistant: Millicent Thompson
Seamstress: Regina Amato
Sound Mixer: Chris Howland
Boom Operator: Kelly Ambrow
Sound Design: Kevin Senzaki
Makeup Artist: Erika Frank
Behind the Scenes: Nathan Koepp, Lauren Haroutunian
Photography, Social Media: Benji Dolly
Production Accountant: Jamie Lukaszewski
Makeup: Vincent Guastini Productions Effects & Design Studio
Key Artists, Sculptors: Jeff Farley, Chris Marchwinski
Silicone Animatronics, Painter: Vincent Guastini
Fabrication: Joshua Ballze
Onset Puppeteers: Vincent Guastini, Joshua Ballze
Visual Effects: Playfight
Additional Postproduction Services: Alex Reeves; Point of Blue Studios
Big Game Products Logos, Branding by Dangerbrain: Alfonso Surroca, Sebastian SurrocaYou gotta meet Margaret*. I changed her name to protect her privacy. She recently emailed me to vent against Western Medicine’s push to get everyone hooked on drugs and stab kids with risky, ineffective vaccines! Interestingly enough, she has seen medicine from an angle that most people aren’t privy too.
Margaret is a pharmacist. With a Pharmacy (PharmD) degree, and over two decades working in the field of pharmacy, she’s seen firsthand how “guideline-driven” medicine has artificially forced every patient into the same clinical box, thereby hooking them on drugs. The result is that “Doctors don’t THINK anymore — they just do what they’re told, which is to put people on meds. So many people in medicine (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) don’t really question anything,” says Margaret. “They’re so busy that they just do what the ‘guidelines’ say to do, rather than look at individuals and what makes sense.”
A former employee of a major pharmaceutical company, Margaret left her job so she could spend more time with her family. At the time, she questioned her former employer’s “huge marketing budget” and now believes the marketing of drugs to the general public — along with guidelines-driven medicine — needs to stop.
“We never get the flu shot,” she adds, referring to herself and her family. “I’ve read the entire package insert and can take on anyone who tries to tell me that it is useful with just that information alone. My years in pharma taught me just how clinical trials are designed to show the planned outcome — they aren’t real studies at all.”
In a world where most parents don’t even bother READING the flu vaccine insert, Margaret is a refreshing example of a mother who takes charge.
She initially contacted me to ask: “Shane, what has been the response been to what you write about vaccines? For those of us with licenses to protect, we don’t feel very safe voicing concerns about vaccines.”
I understood completely.
Big Pharma fires anyone who speaks out. They work hard to cover up the truth.
I told Margaret what I tell everyone: The science can’t be disputed. And since my job doesnt depend on parroting the status quo, I’ve had no problems whatsoever. My four kids are all unvaccinated and are strong, healthy, and vibrant. Attending school has never been an issue, and who cares anyway, health comes first.
Curious to learn more about Margaret’s experience as a pharmacist, I asked for an interview.
She generously agreed to share more of her perspective as a pharmacist. What follows is a candid interview in which Margaret encourages parents to stop, THINK, and get a reality check when it comes to vaccinating their kids. Commenting on how vaccines are pushed — and sometimes even forced — on everyone, she says, “They’ve done a very good job of psychological indoctrination.”
She also shares her thoughts on what needs to change in mainstream medicine, and why she chose to stop vaccinating.
*Not her real name. Name changed to protect her privacy.
TPC #1: Please summarize your overall pharmacy experience and how you’ve generally worked with patients/clients.
Pharmacist: I’m a pharmacist, but not one who is into mainstream medicine. I have broad pharmacy experience, and many years working in Pharma (just like you, Shane)!
I heard the mantra, “Today’s drugs fund tomorrow’s discoveries…” but after a while, that didn’t justify the huge marketing budget in my opinion. I quit working at one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies without a job lined up. I had my first child, and I wanted to hang out with him and figure out next steps.
I think I like retail pharmacy best, because it’s so important to talk to patients about their medications, especially people who want to make lifestyle changes to get OFF their medications. But many people prefer to take a pill rather than change.
2. Why did you choose to become a pharmacist?
Margaret: I really stumbled into it! I never thought of myself as a science person, but I took some science classes and found I liked them. Pharmacy is just more science.
3. What are you most proud of when it comes to your career?
Margaret: I’ve enjoyed helping people. Especially if people are interested in lifestyle changes to get off medications — that’s a pleasure to help them.
4. What has shocked you the most, while working as a pharmacist?
Margaret: Even in pharmacy school, my professors stressed that things would change in our careers and we had to be adaptable. Yet so many people in medicine (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) don’t really question anything. They’re so busy (the workloads are so heavy!) that they just do what the “guidelines” say to do, rather than look at individuals and what makes sense.
When I was a student, clinical pathways or guidelines were a new thing, and now they’ve become essentially law — if you don’t follow treatment guidelines with what you recommend for a patient, you can be sued. The “art” of medicine has, for all practical purposes, disappeared. Now it’s the Law of Medicine.
5. What is your biggest critique of mainstream medicine?
Margaret: Guideline-driven medicine. Most people have no idea about this and the effect on their health. It makes everyone fit into the same box, and it drives your doctor’s treatment within that box instead of individualizing it. [Everyone gets same drug, same dose.]
Doctors don’t THINK anymore — they just do what they’re told. The only guideline I think is unquestionable is the one for cardiac arrest — follow that emergency clinical pathway, for sure. Otherwise, it’s all about hooking patients on drugs.
6. Have you chosen to vaccinate anyone in your family?
Up to 6 months, yes. But not all of them. At that point, I pulled the plug on vaccines (see here why), as well as our pediatrician. Now I use religious waivers. Unfortunately, after the vaccines, one of my children became very lethargic. I had been researching them a lot up until then, and I decided to stop vaccinating. From that point on I focused on nursing and boosting immunity naturally.
Later in life, my child was allergic to virtually all nuts and sesame. It didn’t run in our family. I researched the sesame and found that the allergy is increasing in places like Asia and Israel, where most vaccines are in sesame oil.
Oils in vaccines don’t have to be labeled because they’re considered not active ingredients, and they may vary on the lot. Manufacturers break up lots of vaccines and ship them all over, so that there’s no pattern to any reactions. Unfortunately, this can lead to the onslaught of allergic reactions.
7. Do you get the flu shot?
Margaret: We never get the flu shot. I’ve read the entire package insert and can take on anyone who tries to tell me that it is useful with just that information alone.
It doesn’t work.
If you read the package insert, you’ll see that in the non-treated group, 4% got the flu. In the treatment arm, about 2% got the flu. So your risk of getting the flu is only 4% anyway. They got the 50% reduction in flu from simple math — 2% is half of 4%. But your odds of NOT getting the flu are 96%.
If you put it that way, then the shot is not very compelling, is it? But they made it sound like it was, by telling you your risk was reduced by 50% without telling you what the real odds of getting the flu were in the first place.
My years in pharma taught me just how clinical trials are designed to show the planned outcome — they aren’t real studies at all.
8. You mentioned, “My years in pharma taught me how clinical trials are designed to show the planned outcome — they aren’t real studies at all.” Can you explain what this means for the average American with respect to vaccines?
Margaret: Study design is not complicated. You have your null hypothesis, which supposes that there is no difference. And you have your hypothesis, which supposes that there IS a difference. To prove your hypothesis, you usually need such a big number of people that the study is too expensive to conduct. So they go cheap and do smaller studies that show numerical differences, but not statistically significant differences…and they run with that. All they ever need to do is show that their drug is not worse than the other drug, and they win. Then they can do a marketing spin with the data, like they have with the flu vaccine.
9. In your experience, how is the truth about vaccines being covered up?
Margaret: Studies and the lack of studies. The studies that are currently out there — even those for vaccine approvals — quite clearly show there are serious side effects. We don’t know who is most at risk, yet the uniform mandate that all these vaccines be given is forced on all of us.
People deny that there are serious side effects, and that makes me crazy because the package insert for the vaccines themselves say there are side effects! There is not one other drug where the dose is the same no matter how big the child is…and that is troubling. We should be studying why some children react badly. There are genetic differences among us that influence the efficacy or safety of other drugs…yet if you question vaccines, you’re called “Jenny McCarthy” or you’re told you don’t know the science.
But I DO know the science, and the science is not being examined at all. That’s irresponsible.
10. In your professional opinion, should ALL people be required by law to take vaccines?
Margaret: No. Unlike most other drugs that you could stop taking if you had a reaction, you can’t take back a vaccine. A person’s body is so precious, and even if he’s a total looney tunes, he has a right to say no to a drug. It’s not like saying no to breathing! And it’s not like smoking around children — that is so clearly dangerous, we all know that.
At one time, smoking was said to be helpful to athletes and was even promoted for athletic performance! The tide turned on smoking, once someone blew that whistle. There have been whistle-blowers for vaccines, yet the train for mandates keeps on going. When you look at the incidence of chronic conditions among children today, you have to ask, “Why?” Is it our food quality? Is it vaccines? Is it air and water pollution? Is it chemicals in our homes? Because we don’t know for sure, it should not be mandated.
11. What do you think about how vaccines are being pushed — and sometimes even forced — on everyone?
Margaret: They’ve done a very good job of psychological indoctrination. Most people believe vaccines have saved millions of lives from “HORRIBLE” diseases like measles, mumps, and even chickenpox. But when I ask people why they think those diseases were chosen for vaccines, as opposed to something like HIV, they have no answer. The answer is simple…making a vaccine for measles was easy. Making one for HIV is very hard. So drug development went the path of least resistance.
Then once a vaccine existed, suddenly the disease was proclaimed to be killing millions when it never did. Chickenpox is a great example. Everyone in my childhood had chickenpox and not one person I knew died or even had serious complications. By the way, the rationale for the development of the chickenpox vaccine was entirely economic — to avoid parents missing work. It was never about the disease itself being fatal. But once they had the vaccine, they then proclaimed that chickenpox was such a serious disease.
12. What is your biggest concern about vaccines and our kids today?
Margaret: We don’t know the long-term impact of what they’ve been given. We know now that there were simian viruses in the measles vaccines given in the 60s, and those simian viruses were oncogenic, meaning cancer-causing. There are also some very good animal studies that show an increase in autoimmune diseases in vaccinated primates. I worry most about the link with autoimmune diseases like MS, Rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
13. What would you like parents to know about vaccines?
Margaret: I think people have to stop and take a reality check. Depending on the age of your parents, ask them if they had measles, mumps, chickenpox, or pertussis. Ask them if it was really bad or if they knew anyone who died. Don’t ask about polio. (Polio, by the way, still exists today under different names, so it was not eradicated by the vaccine, and most cases of polio are not paralytic.) I asked my own parents, and they said they had all those diseases, and they really weren’t a big deal.
The best treatment for measles is vitamin A. It’s a disease that is quite mild if you have adequate vitamin A. Everyone used to know that, which is why so many kids back in the day took Cod Liver oil. Being sick sometimes is a part of life. We have to decide if we’re so terrified of ordinary diseases like measles that we would rather vaccinate against it and risk worse consequences like autoimmune diseases or cancer. I’d take measles over cancer any day.
We also need to educate parents that some of these diseases are actually MEANT to happen to children. Having some of these diseases triggers developmental processes in children. Just like a longitudinal study I saw where it was noted that children had growth spurts after they recovered from being ill. Being sick occasionally may actually be necessary for normal development.
14. What do you think needs to change in mainstream medicine?
Margaret: Stop the guidelines. Doctors are now reimbursed on their adherence to guidelines, which is why they push vaccines. They are paid less by insurance carriers if their vaccine rates decline, so they kick patients out who won’t do what they’re told to do. That’s why you should offer to pay cash (if you can) when you see your doctors so that they have less incentive to promote these things on you.
And stop allowing the marketing of drugs to the public. When that was approved, all of this craziness was unleashed. It’s been very detrimental ever since, because the media will never question something they make money from. Once they no longer make advertising money from drug companies, then the real questions will be asked. If people think the only reason any drug or vaccine was developed was to do “good,” they need to think again. Drug companies have marketing departments just like any other industry. It’s all about sales and how to convince (or force) you to take this drug, or get that vaccine.Paddy McGuire was born a boy, but from the age of two, began to wear skirts, played with dolls and read books aimed at girls. Now aged eight, Paddy says she is and always has been, a girl.
Paddy McGuire was born a boy, but has grown up a girl Credit: Good Morning Britain
She dresses as a girl at home, but says she pretends to be a boy at school to avoid teasing. Paddy, from Leicester, is one of the youngest transgender people in the country, and her story features tonight as part of a documentary series on Channel 4 looking at young transgender people in Britain and America. Paddy, her mother Lorna, her father Paddy Snr, and her brother, 13-year-old Robbie, spoke to Good Morning Britain this morning. Her mother describes Paddy's development as a transgender youngster:
Lorna also thanked her family for their support for Paddy, and said they want to raise awareness for other children who don't get the same level of acceptance "for being who they are, and are forced to be somebody they are not".
The McGuire family spoke to Good Morning Britain today Credit: Good Morning BritainUrban legends can be fun or terrifying, it depends on how much you believe in them. However, even the most unbelievable ones can leave anyone terrified, especially when they become so widespread that they begin to become almost undeniable. You must have heard some stories that this applies to, right? Of course you have, because the internet is the ideal place to tell a tale.
Would you be able to tell which urban legends frighten your friends the most? Today, we bring you a selection of 10 legends – or real stories – that can make even your most courageous friends have chills. Maybe they’ll even scare you!
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The Choking Dobermann
Years ago, an Australian woman was coming home and realized that her Dobermann was lying on the floor and wasn’t breathing. Immediately the woman put the dog in the car to run it to the vet. After leaving the animal at the clinic, she decided to go home.
On the way home, she received a call from the vet. He said that the woman should leave the house immediately because the dog had choked on a person’s finger and the invader could still be in the house. The family then called the police, who went to the scene and found a burglar hiding in a closet. He was missing a finger and had fainted due to blood loss. Is it real?
Organ Thief Taxi Drivers
A few years ago, a story that conquered the world was the story of the taxi driver organ thieves. That is right: according to a Korean legend, some taxi drivers used to sedate their customers so they could steal kidneys and other easily removable organs. Apparently, scalpels were used and if the victims came to during the surgery, there was no anesthesia to help them deal with the pain. After the robbery, the bodies were dumped in fields or on the side of the road.
The White Death
Imagine a little Scottish girl who hated her life. Now imagine that she was able to erase all the traces of her life-burning documents, ripping photos and eliminating any evidence that she had ever existed. Finally, she committed suicide and her body was missing for days.
It took a few days before her body was found and little by little all her relatives died mysteriously. Do you want to know the worst thing? Once you’ve heard the story you’re on her list. The way she sees it anybody who knows about her needs to be taken out.
Beware of the Bathroom
Another urban legend from Korea. This one originated in scary high schools were young and depressed students took their own lives in the bathrooms due to the fact that they wouldn’t be bothered there. The legend says that they still haunt the bathrooms looking for other kids to kill and fill out there ghoulish ranks.
The Pokémon Phantom
Have you heard about “Lavender Town Syndrome”? This is a supposed illness that caused many Japanese children to kill themselves after playing too much Pokémon Red and Blue on the Game Boy. All the suicides apparently happened after an excessive exposure to the songs played in the city of Lavender – precisely the Pokémon’s ghost town.
Annie96
A young woman named Annie is alone at home and enjoys chatting with a friend over the internet – PC instant messengers still dominated the market back in the day. Suddenly, she notices that someone very much like her friend appears in the window and a frightening conversation continues.
Through the messenger, she asks him to stop scaring her. He says he cannot because he thinks about her too much. Suddenly, the tone of the conversation changes and she invites him to come and meet her. He asks how he can be sure that it’s really him that you’re chatting with. Annie goes offline. You can check the whole dialogue through this link.
The Experiment
A mad scientist decides to do a cruel experiment: test the effects of isolation on the human mind. For this, he imprisons several children for several years preventing them from interacting with other humans and having contact with any living.
Cruel? It could be worse. Few knew, but his real purpose was the search for eternal youth! He wanted to steal the mind of a child so that he could dominate the body and go back to being the child he no longer was.
More Pokémon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKnCBwsa-bU
Another macabre story involving Pokémon, but this time it is the Silver version. One student finished the game and decided to play again to relive it all. The problem is that the more he plays, the more he realizes that the characters in the game are dying in the story. Do you know what is scary? Pokémon characters never die!
Laughing Jack
If you had a child and he told you that he just met an imaginary friend, would you be happy? A woman didn’t give much thought when her five-year-old son said he was amusing himself with his new colleague: Jack Laugh. It didn’t take long before the mother and boy’s relationship began to change. Several times, she realized that her son was acting strangely.
In the mornings, the boy’s action figures would all be arranged in the mother’s room. The boy acted aggressively and emptily, no longer resembling the boy he used to be. All of his strange behavior was justified in the same way: “Jack Laughing taught,” “Jack Laughing did,” “Jack Laughing gave.” The situation made the woman lose her mind and she ended up stabbing her son to death.
Squidward’s suicide
Few imagine, but SpongeBob is not as innocent a cartoon as it seems. In the early 2000s, a Nickelodeon trainee found a lost episode of the animation. In the episode, Squidward was tired of all of SpongeBob’s shenanigans. In desperation, he begins to cry blood and ends his life. The tape has since been destroyed and all we have today is the frame in which he appears crying.Welcome to Rogue Squadron! Historically this series has dealt primarily with presenting new squadrons for FFG’s Xwing miniatures game. But moving forward it will be branching out a little to cover other topics, though still primarily focused on X-wing. I’m Wayne Basta, editor-in-chief for the Gamer Nation blog and sometimes novelist. I’ll be your flight instructor for this adventure. So strap in and remember to fly casual.
Today we’re going to talk about ways to deal with Stress when playing X-wing. There are a lot of ways to receive stress in this game and some squadrons that are built specifically to deliver it en mass. We’ve covered a few of this on the blog before, most notably a Panic Attack and the Special K. Dealing out stress to your opponent can be a strong tactic and great way to control the board.
So how do you deal with getting stress? Most importantly, how do you deal with the dreaded double stress? There are a couple tactics we’ll explore in our second part but today we’re going to start with the pre-game by looking at what pilots, ships and upgrades you can take that handle stress well. Then next week we’ll take a look at specific game tactics.
Ships
Independent of pilots, there are a few ships that handle stress better than others. These are ships that, primarily, have a lot of green maneuvers to choose from so they can shed that stress. A few also just don’t have any red maneuvers meaning that even if they are stressed, they still have their full maneuver dial available to them. While they may not be able to shed stress, and are still denied actions, they don’t lose any maneuver options.
TIE Interceptor
TIE F/O
A-Wing
K-Wing
Decimator
Aggressor
Upgrades and Pilots
Next up we’ll look at what pilots and upgrades exist to help deal with stress. We’re going to break them down into three categories:
Shedding Stress
The main benefit of these cards is opening up your choices for how to get rid of the stress once you have it. These are great ones to have in circumstances when you want to deliberately stress yourself (such as using Push the Limits). You can control when you get the stress and these help you get rid of it the next round.
Keyan Farlander (B-Wing) When attacking, you may remove 1 stress token to change all of your Focus results to Hit results.
Hobbie Klivian (X-Wing) When you acquire or spend a target lock, you may remove 1 stress token from your ship.
4-Lom (G1-A) At the start of the End phase, you may assign 1 of your stress tokens to another ship at Range 1.
Epsilon Leader (TIE/FO) At the start of the Combat phase, remove 1 stress token from each friendly ship at Range 1.
Nien Nunb (Rebel Crew) You may treat all Straight maneuvers as green maneuvers.
Kanan Jarrus (Rebel Crew) Once per round, after a friendly ship at Range 1-2 executes a white maneuver, you may remove 1 stress token from that ship.
R2 Astromech (Astromech) You may treat all 1- and 2-speed maneuvers as green maneuvers.
Twin Ion Engine MK II (Mod) You may treat all bank maneuvers as green maneuvers.
Wingman (EPT) At the start of the Combat phase, remove 1 stress token from another friendly ship at Range 1.
Coping With Stress
Many of these cards, though not all, are quite useful when you’re getting stress from other sources. When a stresshog or a Tactician K-Wing drops double stress on you in a round, it doesn’t matter how good you are at shedding stress, you’ll still be spending two rounds doing it. These cards can help you in the meantime.
Ezra (both), Ibtisam, Wired, Predator, and Lonewolf allow you to keep modifying your dice results. Tycho, Soontir, Kyle, K4, Chopper, Cool Hand, FCS allow you to gain some token or action even while stressed which are great for when you find yourself double stressed. Targeting Astromech and Outlaw Tech have a more narrow use but help give you some action after taking a red maneuver. Hera is unique in that she doesn’t help you get actions but does keep your dial open.
Soontir Fel (TIE Interceptor) When you receive a stress token, you may assign 1 focus token to your ship.
Tycho Celchu (A-Wing) You may perform actions even while you have stress tokens.
Ezra Bridger (Attack Shuttle) When defending, if you are stressed, you may change 2 of your Focus results to Evade results.
Ibtisam (B-Wing) When attacking or defending, if you have at least 1 stress token, you may reroll 1 of your dice.
Hera Syndulla (Rebel Crew) You may reveal and execute red maneuvers even while you are stressed.
Kyle Katarn (Rebel Crew) After you remove a stress token from your ship, you may assign a focus token to your ship.
Ezra Bridger (Rebel Crew) When attacking, if you are stressed, you may change 1 of your Focus results to a Critical result.
Chopper (Rebel Crew) You may perform actions even while you are stressed. After you perform an action while you are stressed, suffer 1 damage.
K4 Security Droid (Scum Crew) After executing a green maneuver, you may acquire a target lock.
Outlaw Tech (Scum Crew) After you execute a red maneuver, you may assign 1 focus token to your ship.
Targeting Astromch (Astromech) After you execute a red maneuver, you may acquire a target lock.
Cool Hand (EPT) When you receive a stress token, you may discard this card to assign 1 focus or evade token to your ship.
Predator (EPT) When attacking, you may reroll 1 attack die. If the defender’s pilot skill value is “2” or lower, you may instead reroll up to 2 attack dice.
Lonewolf (EPT) When attacking or defending, if there are no other friendly ships at Range 1-2, you may reroll 1 of your blank results.
Wired (EPT) When attacking or defending, if you are stressed, you may reroll 1 or more of your Focus results.
Fire Control Systems (System) After you perform an attack, you may acquire a target lock on the defender.
Avoiding Stress
These cards help you avoid receiving stress entirely, which is what you ideally want to do in the first place. Unlike most of the others these cards almost all have a downside. They are either one time use, cause damage or are limited in range and function like Yorr. Doing damage to yourself is not something you really want to do very often but sometimes, getting rid of that stress can make the difference between a win and a loss.
Jek Porkins (X-Wing) When you receive a stress token, you may remove it and roll 1 attack die. On a Hit result, deal 1 facedown Damage card to this ship.
Captain Yorr (Lambda) When another friendly ship at Range 1-2 would receive a stress token, if you have 2 or fewer stress tokens, you may receive that token instead.
Leia Organa (Rebel Crew) At the start of the Activation phase, you may discard this card to allow all friendly ships that reveal a red maneuver to treat that maneuver as a white maneuver until the end of the phase.
Electronic Baffles (System) When you receive a stress token or an ion token, you may suffer 1 damage to discard that token.
Adrenaline Rush (EPT) When you reveal a red maneuver, you may discard this card to treat that maneuver as a white maneuver until the end of the Activation phase.
Combinations
If you can ever combine some of these cards, particularly from the different categories, you can make very strong anti-stress ships. The best combination would be Hera (crew) on Tycho Celchu’s ship as stress would become completely meaningless. But alas, no crew slot on A-wings.
As for game legal combinations, some great ones are:
Tycho + Wired He loves having stress so gaining, even limited, rerolls on defense is useful 4-LOM + Wired Since 4-LOM has a built-in way to shed his stress at the end of the round, having Wired would allow him to benefit during combat from rerolls and then get rid of it before the next round. Ibtisam or Keyan + Hera With
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5479, 5480, 5483, 5484, 5485 Audit Other System Events 5024, 5025, 5027, 5028, 5029, 5030, 5032, 5033, 5034, 5035, 5037, 5058, 5059, 6400, 6401, 6402, 6403,6404, 6405, 6406, 6407, 6408 Audit Security State Change 4608, 4609,4616, 4621 Audit Security System Extension 4610, 4611, 4614, 4622, 4697 Audit System Integrity 4612, 4615, 4618, 4816, 5038, 5056, 5057, 5060, 5061, 5062, 6281 Glbal Object Access Auditing Registry (GOAA) N/A File System (GOAA) N/A
I figure if only one person finds it useful, then the 2 or so hours I spent doing this and double-checking it against the GPO’s are well worth it!London (CNN) A US air base in the UK was locked down briefly Monday when a car attempted to ram a checkpoint at the entrance.
A man was arrested after the incident at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, in eastern England, authorities said.
According to Suffolk police, shots were fired by American service personnel and a man has been detained "with cuts and bruises."
The base is no longer on lockdown, a public affairs officer for RAF Mildenhall told CNN.
The UK Ministry of Defence told CNN that the incident took place at the entrance of the base after the driver tried to force the car past the gates.
Police have responded to reports of a disturbance at RAF Mildenhall in #Suffolk and a man has been detained with cuts and bruises and taken into custody. No other people have been injured as a result of the incident.
Read more - https://t.co/GNFFXrwysT pic.twitter.com/KTc7EcUTer — Suffolk Police (@SuffolkPolice) December 18, 2017
Read MoreImage copyright AP Image caption Police arrested 23 people during raids on Molenbeek after the attacks in Paris
About three miles to the west of Brussels' Grand Place there's a neighbourhood far removed from the chocolate shops and cafes so synonymous with the city's tourist centre.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is a densely-packed district where unemployment is high and disengagement rife. Children play on green open spaces framed by graffitied walls, and behind the colourful shop facades there are pockets of poverty.
The population is transient, but some families have settled; mothers with buggies are a familiar sight. Within its melting pot of cultures there's a large Muslim community.
The recent Paris attacks have thrust Molenbeek into the international spotlight. Belgian authorities carried out a series of raids searching for key suspects believed to have lived in the area. Two people arrested have been charged with terrorist offences.
It's led to Molenbeek being widely labelled as a jihadi haven, but for some residents that's an unfair description.
Restaurant owner Derdabi Nabil said his regular customers came from more than 30 different countries but live in harmony in this corner of Brussels.
He was working on the day of the first police raids in connection with the Paris attacks.
"There were lots of police and lots of weapons," he said. "It was the first time we've seen anything like that.
"There is not usually any problem here. There is no problem here."
But Molenbeek has a history of connections with cases of extremism. It was searched as part of anti-terror operations that were carried out in Belgium in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
A suspect in a thwarted attack on a high-speed train from Belgium to France was reported to have stayed at his sister's house in Molenbeek, and a Frenchman accused of shooting dead four people last year at the Jewish Museum in Brussels also spent time in the area, according to Reuters news agency.
"Molenbeek is a strange part of the town," Brussels-based intelligence expert Claude Moniquet said.
"It has a very mixed population with thousands of immigrants, approximately half are of Muslim descent and in some parts 70-80%.
"That means no mixing population and the possibility of a place to hide for terrorists."
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The crackdown in Molenbeek follows multiple attacks on bars, restaurants, a concert hall and a stadium in Paris on Friday
Some argue that Molenbeek has fallen between the cracks of long-term political divisions that dominate Brussels.
Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon admitted a high proportion of those who have left Belgium to join Islamist groups came from the area, and recently vowed to "clean it up".
"The number of people going to Syria has gone down," he said. "But those who go, still come from Molenbeek and Brussels."
But some are angered by labels like "hotbed of extremism" which they see as an exaggeration.
For many, Molenbeek is home despite its problems, and they don't want the actions of a few to permanently taint an entire community.Here, in ascending order of dangerousness to the party and its hopes, are the problems with his plan.
1) The theme “law and order” invites media attention to Trump’s own manifold problems with the law. This has and will happen anyway, which is why it’s the least of the problems, but it’s not quite zero. It’s one thing for a politician to be caught bending the rules in areas where it’s already understood he or she is no angel. (Who was surprised to discover in 1998 that Bill Clinton had not improved as a faithful husband?) But if there’s abundant video of you demanding respect for law, it becomes a bigger problem if there’s also abundant video of you breaking laws to take financial advantage of ordinary people.
2) Sean Hannity’s TV audience needs little convincing that dangerous black people are lurking behind every darkened corner. But Sean Hannity’s TV audience won’t decide this election. There’s scant evidence that the people who will decide the election regard crime and disorder as top-of-mind issues. Even after the apparent 2014 to 2015 uptick in metropolitan violent crime, the United States remains almost as safe a country today as it was in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A focus on the issues of physical security that swing-voter Americans don’t much worry about detracts from attention to the issues of economic security that they intensely care about.
3) Here we’re getting into the problems that hurt. The essence of dog-whistle politics is that only the dog can hear the whistle. But the Trump campaign can never execute a deft or subtle maneuver for the threshold reason that the Trump campaign fumbles everything. Instead of careful signaling sympathy and concern to crime-anxious constituencies, the Trump campaign crudely broadcasts a blatant message of racial provocation. The Republican Party is a coalition of which economically stressed down-market whites constitute an important bloc—but only a bloc. Romney voters matter, too—and they’re not going to follow along as the message transitions from “blue lives matter” to “black lives kill.”
4) Trump launched his campaign as a candidate of immigration enforcement. That’s an important and popular message, but one that has to be handled with care. Non-white voters especially will need to be convinced that the purpose of the policy is to enhance the cohesion of an American community of which they are respected and fully equal members. The fear and contempt for nonwhites emanating from the pro-Trump media—and oftentimes from the Trump campaign itself—discredits and destroys that effort. It will be pitifully easy for the Clinton campaign to disparage the combined immigration and law-and-order messages of the Trump candidacy as an attack on everyone who doesn’t wear a white skin.
5) Whatever else Trump is, he’s obviously not a steady pair of hands. That did not much hurt him so long as his dominant message was: “Vote for me to shake things up.” An impulsive, anger-prone, bullying TV personality probably is more likely to “shake things up” than a careful and deliberate career politician. Suddenly though, Trump is talking less about shaking things up than calming things down. And Trump is just obviously and manifestly not a person interested in, willing to, and capable of doing that. If America wants tranquility and security, it will want somebody a lot less exciting and excitable than Donald Trump to deliver it. In 1968 Richard Nixon didn’t promise to shoot rioters. He promised to “bring us together.” Nobody supposes that Trump will keep us together.
So long as Trump was advertising bold disruptive change, it didn’t look incredible that he might be the man to deliver. But if the plea is for domestic tranquility—it’s hard to imagine a less plausible candidate for that message. “Make America Quiet Again” is not a slogan for a cap on Donald Trump’s pugnacious head. But Hillary Clinton could wear it well. And if the Trump campaign continues down its present angry path? She will.It’s been a bumpy road for Bumpy’s Café. Like a lot of Alberta businesses, it has felt the effects of the economic downturn and now will have to contend with extra labour costs associated with Alberta’s minimum wage increase.
“Being in the food industry, we already count pennies – we don’t count dollars,” café owner John Evans said. “We really watch every penny we spend.”
Effective Saturday, Oct. 1, Alberta’s minimum wage will be raised by $1 an hour to $12.20 per hour.
It will be one of the highest minimum wages in the country as the NDP gets closer to its goal of raising the wage to $15 an hour by 2018.
READ MORE: A look at minimum wages across Canada
The move will force some changes at Bumpy’s.
“We’ve frozen hiring – we’re trying not to do any hiring right now at all,” Evans said. “We’re looking at ways – if we have to cut back hours, whether we do some labour-saving techniques, bring in a product that’s already made rather than doing it from scratch like we’ve always liked to do. We don’t want to have to do that, but our hand is sort of being forced at this point.”
Evans said he’ll have no choice but to raise his prices, but he doesn’t think he’ll have to let any of his staff go.
In that regard, Evans is better off than many other Alberta businesses according to a recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses.
“When we add additional wage pressures into this kind of economy, small business owners are feeling the pinch,” Amber Ruddy with CFIB said.
“One in four Alberta businesses say they will have to lay off staff because of this policy.”
READ MORE: Reality check: Is a $15 minimum wage bad for the economy?
But some businesses, like Fiasco Gelato, support the move towards a so-called living wage – but not blanket increases that could discourage businesses from hiring young people entering the work force.
The province remains committed, at least for now, to the approach it’s taking – convinced it’s the right thing to do for several hundred-thousand low wage earners.
“All hardworking Albertans deserve to make a wage that allows them to support themselves and their families,” Labour Minister Chistina Gray said.
Effective Saturday, the province will also eliminate the lower minimum wage for liquor servers.
-With files from David BoushyAfrica Backing Hydropower
June 5th, 2008 by Joshua S Hill
The quest for cleaner energy generation is one that is going to be a main focus for the next several decades. Without a doubt, humanity has finally realized that our insane overdependence on oil and other fossil fuels is, if nothing else, simply not healthy. It will eventually run out, and we’ve decided to, finally, look for alternate sources.
But turn our eyes away from the mainstream and western face of this planet, and we see that Africa is already on the renewable energy bandwagon.
According to a report at Bloomberg.com, Uganda has just announced that they will start building the 200-megawatt Karuma hydropower plant sometime in the first quarter of 2009. President Yoweri Museveni said that this is a chance to tackle the national electricity shortage.
Museveni told parliament on Thursday that the government had already allocated $200 million for the project, of a predicted $500 million total cost. Ugand is in talks with Norway’s Norpak Power Ltd. over developing the plant. But even without the involvement of Norpak, Uganda is intent on going through with this project. “We are working with the Norwegians, but in case they delay we shall continue alone,” Museveni said.
But Karuma is not the only hydropower plant in Uganda, and was in fact delayed in favor of the construction of the 250-megawatt Bujagali power project. Currently, Uganda has a demand of 380-megawatts, but provides a total of 245-megawatts via hydro and thermal power.
credit: Jonathan Assink at Flickr under a Creative Commons licenseA 21-year-old woman and her 1-year-old son are expected to survive their injuries after a drive-by shooting in Stockton, police said.The two victims and a 22-year-old man were driving in the area of Swain Road and Tam O’ Shanter Drive at about 10:55 p.m. Saturday after eating at a restaurant.Police said a black vehicle pulled up next to them and someone inside began firing, striking the victims’ car several times.The woman and her son were hit and taken to area hospitals. Both were initially listed in critical condition.Police are investigating the shooting as gang-related.Stockton police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 209-937-8377.
A 21-year-old woman and her 1-year-old son are expected to survive their injuries after a drive-by shooting in Stockton, police said.
The two victims and a 22-year-old man were driving in the area of Swain Road and Tam O’ Shanter Drive at about 10:55 p.m. Saturday after eating at a restaurant.
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Police said a black vehicle pulled up next to them and someone inside began firing, striking the victims’ car several times.
The woman and her son were hit and taken to area hospitals. Both were initially listed in critical condition.
Police are investigating the shooting as gang-related.
Stockton police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 209-937-8377.
AlertMeImage copyright Reuters Image caption Drones are widely used by enthusiasts for racing, filmmaking or photography
You could call it a demonstration of the proliferation of drone use with frightening possibilities.
Last week's attack in northern Iraq in which a small drone exploded killing two Peshmerga fighters and badly wounding two members of the French special forces, marks something of an innovation in modern warfare.
The US launched the first armed drone attack back in October 2001. Since then the use of armed drones has been the preserve of the most sophisticated military actors in the world.
Israel and the US had the early technological lead with Russia and China rapidly developing their own drone industries. Modern military drones can operate over huge distances and remain aloft for extended periods.
They have become an invaluable means of gathering intelligence and conducting surveillance. Their armed counterparts can strike with an array of precision-guided weapons. That is, if you like, the high-end of drone technology.
'Off-the-shelf' terror tool
But as cheaper drones have become available on the high street for amateur photographers and enthusiasts, so the technology has been used by militant groups as well.
So-called Islamic State (IS) and groups like the formerly-named Nusra Front (with close links to al-Qaeda) have been using cheap off-the-shelf drones for some time for surveillance purposes or to shoot propaganda videos. But now they are turning them into weapons.
The exact details of last week's lethal attack in northern Iraq are still unclear. Some reports suggest that the drone exploded as it was being dismantled. It is not clear if these are simply flying booby-traps; other reports suggest that on a separate occasion one was crashed into a building which then exploded.
This is a long way from the sophisticated weaponry deployed daily by the Americans and some of their allies. Indeed the small commercial drones cannot carry much of a pay-load, so their destructive potential is limited, but they clearly can kill, as last week's incident shows.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The US and Europe use state-of-the art drone technology - like this Reaper drone - in warfare
US troops in the region have been warned to take cover when small drones are observed - up to now they have been regarded as relatively harmless. This kind of weaponised commercial drone is expected to figure in the IS defence of Mosul, though there are no clear estimates of how many of these drones they may have purchased.
How to disarm a drone?
There have been a variety of technical responses to this new drone threat, which alarms police and security officials even more than commanders on the battlefield. Relatively cheap commercial drones are now on sale almost everywhere and anything that can carry a small camera can carry a small explosive device.
Countering this new drone threat involves two main approaches. One is to try to shoot it down or capture it in some way. The other is to interfere with the signals by which it is guided to its intended target.
An anti-drone rifle was spotted in an American position in Iraq earlier this year. The device is called the Drone Defender. It works by disrupting the drone's guidance signal and it looks like a standard military rifle but with two antennae projecting from the front.
The advantage of this type of system - especially for police or security applications - is that it is non-kinetic, in other words it does not send bullets or shells up into the sky, which would clearly be impossible in anything other than a war zone.
Other defensive systems seek to take over control of a drone by cyber means, while others take a more direct route - one manufacturer has even developed a projectile that captures the drone - like spider-man - in a weighted mesh net.
'Drone genie is out of the bottle'
What is alarming is that this new threat has come as something of a surprise. It has been widely predicted by both security officials and military futurologists. There have long been fears that major sporting events, like the last European football championships in France for example, or indeed any major public event - could become the target for a terrorist using some kind of easily-available drone.
And while technologies are available to counter these "improvised flying explosive devices" they are probably not yet reliable enough or available in sufficient numbers. As ever, for now, the attackers may have a temporary advantage as the defenders struggle to catch up.
That of course does not apply in the world of sophisticated military drones where the US and the West in general has a huge advantage. But this is changing too. The US is exporting the weapons to some of its allies.
China too is becoming an exporter of armed drones. And efforts to try to draw up some kind of international treaty to govern the sale and spread of these weapons have so far foundered.
Indeed the proliferation of these weapons is going in two ways - at the top-end of the market sophisticated military systems are spreading relatively quickly and at the bottom-end guerrilla groups, terrorists, drug cartels and so on are beginning to use less sophisticated drones for a variety of purposes.
The drone genie is clearly out of the bottle. As online retailers make plans for the widespread delivery of packages by drone, it is easy to see how those with malign intentions could use the self-same technology for deadly purposes.VANCOUVER, BC - Major League Soccer announced today that Vancouver Whitecaps FC striker Kenny Miller has been named the league's Player of the Week for Week 16. The Scottish international earned the weekly award, as voted on by North American Soccer Reporters (NASR), following an impressive performance featuring two MLS Goal of the Week nominees.
Having recently recovered from a hamstring strain, which saw him miss two months of action, the 'Caps Designated Player was the driving force behind Vancouver's 4-3 comeback victory over New England Revolution this past Saturday.
Trailing 2-0 at home after only 20 minutes, Miller turned the match around three minutes later. Young Canadian international Russell Teibert found the Scotsman in behind New England's defence on a brilliant run from the left. Before Miller was able to get a shot off, he was tripped up by Revs rookie defender Andrew Farrell in the box. The result was a red card for Farrell and penalty kick confidently converted by Miller's strike partner Camilo.
Miller, wearing the captain’s armband, continued his outstanding play on 39 minutes with a fine individual effort. Upon receiving the ball some 40 yards from goal, the experienced striker flicked it over the head of Revs defender Stephen McCarthy, headed it down to himself, and then finished with a slick left-footed strike to tie the match at 2-2.
Finally, to cap off his performance, the 'Caps in-form goalscorer put the match to bed in the 68th minute. After a long ball up field from Camilo, Miller let the ball bounce, took a touch off his chest, then struck a sweet half-volley from outside the box over the head of goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth for his second goal of the match and the eventual winner in a 4-3 victory for Vancouver.
At 0.93, Miller now leads MLS in goals per 90 minutes among players who have played at least 100 minutes this season. Miller is also tied for second in the league with three game-winning goals.
Prior to Saturday, New England had conceded the least goals against in MLS, having only surrendered a stingy nine goals in 14 games.
Miller becomes the second Whitecaps FC player to win the honour, as Camilo was previously named Player of the Week following his two goal, one assist performance against Sporting Kansas City at Empire Field during Week 3 in Vancouver's inaugural season in 2011.
Whitecaps FC are back in action this coming Wednesday, June 19, when they host fellow Western Conference side Chivas USA. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT at BC Place. Tickets start at just $20 and are available at whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at soccerreporters.com.A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced a Ukrainian pilot to 22 years in prison after convicting her of complicity to murder in the 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine, opening a door to a possible prisoner swap between the two countries.
The United States denounced the ruling as a show of "blatant disregard for the principles of justice."
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko quickly offered to exchange two Russians held in his country for the return of the pilot, 34-year old Nadezhda Savchenko. Moscow had refused to consider a swap until the legal proceedings were finished.
The Kremlin was non-committal, saying that it will be up to President Vladimir Putin to make a decision.
In a statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the verdict, which it called unlawful, is "an indisputable proof that it is useless to seek justice in modern Russia. When Russia is politically driven, it disregards the fundamental norms and principles of international law, its national legislation, humanity, justice and morality."
Savchenko bursts into song
Upon hearing the guilty verdict, Savchenko burst into song and started to chant "Glory to Ukraine!" That was echoed by Ukrainian spectators in the courtroom in Donetsk, a Russian town near the border with Ukraine.
The judge called for a break before returning to hand down the sentence, which also included a fine for crossing into Russia illegally.
The Savchenko case has attracted strong criticism from the West and is an open wound for Ukraine, which says she was captured by Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine and turned over to Russia, and therefore should be treated as a prisoner of war.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the conviction and sentencing of Savchenko "show a blatant disregard for the principles of justice and contravene Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements," and called for her immediate release.
People attend a rally demanding the liberation of Savchenko by Russia in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Monday. (David Mdzinarishvili /Reuters)
Although she was an air force officer, Savchenko was fighting in a Ukrainian volunteer battalion against Russia-backed rebels when she was captured by the separatists in June 2014. She surfaced in Russia less than a month later. Moscow insists she escaped from the rebels and was captured after crossing the border by herself.
Speculation persists that Moscow could agree to exchange her for the two Russians captured in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said they were active-duty soldiers despite Russia's persistent denial that it has sent troops or equipment to bolster the rebels.
Poroshenko offers swap
Poroshenko offered a swap in a video statement released after the verdict. He claimed that Putin had assured him last year that "he will return Nadiya Savchenko to Ukraine after the verdict."
"In my turn, I'm ready to hand over to Russia two Russian servicemen who were captured on our territory for their part in an armed aggression against Ukraine," Poroshenko said. The Russian men are now on trial, and Poroshenko said he will be willing to hand them over after the verdict is in.
Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and government troops in eastern Ukraine, which flared up after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, has killed more than 9,100 people and left the rebel-held areas isolated from the rest of Ukraine.
The judge dismissed all defence arguments and said he had no reason to doubt the testimony of the separatist rebels.
The sentencing capped a two-day hearing in which Judge Leonid Stepanenko recounted the case in great detail and in a monotonous voice, sending some spectators to sleep. The lawyers passed the time looking into their phones or talking to Savchenko, who was confined in a cage. One lawyer read a magazine on the American Civil War. Savchenko smiled at her sister who was in the courtroom.
After the judge pronounced sentence, Savchenko shouted that he should have made it 23 years as prosecutors had asked. And then she sang.There is this thing that people (mostly men) love to do on Twitter, something other than harass women and send DMs of their half chubs. It’s called threading, and it’s one of the many things ruining my Twitter experience.
Threading happens when someone has a lot of thoughts or feelings on a particular topic, so many that they can’t fit them all into 140 characters. So, ostensibly to help readers follow along on their train of thought, they thread the tweets together by replying to themselves. Sometimes they even use numbers!
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Yesterday, a man named Eric Garland, a “strategic analyst for businesses and government agencies” with around 30K followers, decided it was time for some “game theory” without consultation from the rest of the internet (it wasn’t time and will never be time). The ensuing political rant is so insane and prolific it took up almost 6 pages when posted into a Google doc, and included a map. I dare you to read his thread in full and try to still respect yourself.
The content of Garland’s self-proclaimed “<THREAD>” isn’t really important, as most aren’t. They are typically “intellectual” dribblings from men who love Explaining Things To Me (essentially a subtype of Online Mansplaining). These are people who want their ideas to take up the absolute most space possible. Like Manspreading, but of digital space.
Enter: Manthreading.
Manthreading is when Jeet Heer, a senior editor at The New Republic, thinks people fucking vegetables warrants 21 points:
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Manthreading is when Josh Marshall, editor and publisher of Talking Points Memo, decides to fight back against the alt-right’s Nazi Pepe by suggesting that Kermit be a political icon for good and using the hashtag #ImWithKer. (It’s so embarrassing, and was worse when he had a kermit avi):
Or how about Venture Capitalist Marc Andreessen deciding that four threads on Stagnation Theory were not enough, and adding a fifth, the Stagnation Theory Wrap-up (5/5):
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The best thing about Manthreading is how unnecessary it is. There are other tools—blogs—you can use if your have more than a few tweets worth of content to spew onto the internet. Twitter co-found Ev Williams fucking built Medium for this exact reason. Twitter...but longer. Wyd, Manthreaders?
The thing about Manthreaders, though, is that they want their little nuggets to spread as widely as possible. It’s not enough to write a great blog and get a compliment on it. They want constant kudos for each point, a stream of high fives for each of their killer “owns.”
I think they also like the idea that tweets seem easy and casual, as if they are quickly firing off pearls of wisdom, not at all rehearsed. But we all know y’all have a word doc at the ready, honey. ;)
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So, in conclusion, here’s MY fucking <THREAD>:Catfight, catfight! In one corner, local L.A. crackpot and fluff journalist extraordinaire, Patt Morrison. (See her interview a celebrity Beagle here.) In the other, doe-eyed indie nymph and elf-whisperer, Zooey Deschanel. Two enter! Both leave! We get something to talk about for five minutes!
The trouble began with an opinion piece by Morrison published Sunday on the LA Times website, which began with the restrained observation, "I can't believe Zooey Deschanel is really the snobby cow she came off sounding like Saturday evening." She was referring to a black-tie event held for the visiting royal newlyweds in downtown L.A. and attended by Deschanel. The source of these serious allegations of bovine pomposity? A quote lifted from a USA Today article.
Ms. Deschanel worried aloud that the neighborhood around the fabulously restored Belasco Theatre might look shabby to the regal couple. "I just don't want them to see the worst of L.A.," said Deschanel. Excuse me? Downtown, the worst of L.A.? What, Ms. Deschanel, you don't have any homeless people there near your Westside home? Or does that not count, because they're on the beach, not the sidewalks?
Deschanel posted an open letter to Morrison on her Tumblr and hellogiggles.com, a website she co-founded, in which she corrected several factual errors in Morrison's insane hit piece:
I never spoke to you at this event; in fact, you weren't even there. I am completely and utterly shocked that a professional journalist, whom I have never met, would take a partial quote out of context, and use it as the basis for a misguided personal attack. [...] Let me be clear, the quote from USA TODAY that you used as the foundation of your piece, was taken completely out of context. I NEVER said Downtown LA was "the worst of LA." I did make a reference to a parking lot adjacent to the theater that had a lot of trash in it in an attempt to be humorous. I simply said, "it's funny they brought royalty here, there is a parking lot with trash around the corner." [...] I LOVE DOWNTOWN LA and I relish in any opportunity to spend time there. [...] You make so many far-fetched conclusions; for one thing, you state, "go back to your house on the Westside." Well, I can't do that because I do not live on the Westside.
And so on and so forth. Morrison has since posted a response to the response in which she calls Deschanel "a talented and charming actress" who she hopes will "head back to greater downtown L.A. one of these days." No apology was offered. In response, Zooey alerted her 400,000+ Twitter followers to the piece, eliciting tweets of celebrity solidarity (@mindykaling wrote: "you my friend, were the victim of a lazy person on a slow news day. LAME!" while @msleamichele cheered, "you seriously rock..read your response letter on @hellogiggles and I must say you are a smart, witty, and awesome lady"), while simultaneously unleashing a torrent of online hate in Morrison's general direction, for whom summer's about to feel a whole lot longer than 500 days.
[Photo of Deschanel via Getty Images]In the early morning hours of Monday, 23 October, Israeli occupation forces carried out mass arrests in the village of Issawiya, with reports noting that 50 Palestinians had been seized by occupation forces in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank in pre-dawn raids.
Dozens of military vehicles stormed the Jerusalem town of Issawiya accompanied by an overflying helicopter as occupation forces stormed a number of homes, reportedly arresting over 40 youths. Among the homes attacked was that of released prisoner and Palestinian lawyer Shireen Issawi; she was summoned to interrogation by the Israeli occupation intelligence forces under threat of re-arrest. Issawi’s nephew, Tarek Firas al-Issawi, was among the 40 youths arrested in the village.
Mohammed Abu al-Hommous, a member of the Follow-Up Committee of Issawiya, said to Ma’an News that 40 young people had been seized by occupation forces that raided their homes, and that after the mass arrests, forces re-entered the village, stationing themselves at the entrances and the center of town at the same time students left for school.
Mohammed Mahmoud, Palestinian lawyer who accompanied the detainees at Moskobiyeh interrogation center, said that 27 of the Issawiya youth remained in custody, including Mohammed Ibrahim Mustafa, Adham Khaled Abu Shammala, Ayoub Ali Abu al-Hommous, Bader Abu Assab, Uday Ali Derbas, Khaled Mohammed Ali, Walid Tawfiq Abu al-Hommous, Alaa Ahmad Dari, Abdel-Razzaq Musa Mustafa, Mohammed Ramadan Masri, Adam Kayed Mahmoud, Ahmed Eid al-Roumi, Wasim Eyad Dari, Yousef Issa Mustafa, Ahmed Abdel-Raouf Mahmoud, Mohmmed Tawfiq Abu al-Hommous, Amir Othman Darwish, Mohammed Hussein Assad, Yousef Tareq Darwish, Imad Abu Riyala, Mahmoud Attiyeh, Qusay Ahmad Dari, Maamoum Basil Mahmoud, Yazan al-Herbawi, Majd Marwan Dari and Fadi al-Issawi.
At least 14 of the detainees are children ranging in age from 14 to 17.
In addition, at least 15 more Palestinians from the West Bank were seized in a series of raids in Beit Fajjar south of Bethlehem, Qalandiya refugee camp and elsewhere.
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EmailIn some areas parties are fielding 'paper candidates' as part of an informal arrangement.
Union: Parties aiming to maximise anti-SNP vote across the country. SWNS
Unionist parties are working together by fielding "paper candidates" in some key SNP constituencies they are looking to win at the general election, STV News has learned.
The move is aimed at ensuring the anti-SNP vote is not split in marginal seats, which could see the Nationalist candidate win in those areas.
Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Liberal Democrats are fielding contenders in all 59 seats but some will be "paper candidates" - they will appear on the ballot paper but will not be actively campaigning.
STV News understands all three parties are deploying the tactic in target areas including Edinburgh South, Edinburgh West, Perth and North Perthshire, East Lothian and Moray.
All bar one of these seats, Edinburgh South, was won by the SNP in 2015's general election when they took 56 of Scotland's 59 constituencies.
A senior Conservative source said it was "not a formal arrangement" between the parties but the "reality of the situation" on the ground was they were, in effect, helping each other in certain seats.
The Conservatives are aiming to topple SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson in Moray, where there is a lack of active campaigning by the Lib Dems and Labour.
A similar scenario is playing in Perth and North Perthshire, as well as across most of north east Scotland, with the exception of Aberdeen.
STV News understands Scottish Labour's entire Edinburgh operation is based upon ensuring Ian Murray is re-elected on June 8.
A senior party source told STV News the party is heading for fourth place again in Edinburgh West.
Candidate Mandy Telford is believed to have been informed she would be receive very little help with her campaign as all resources were being diverted to Murray's.
"This is about defeating the SNP because they are incumbents in the vast majority of seats," the senior Labour source said.
"But in the voters' minds clearly many care about the union and many will vote along those lines in SNP marginals and we will benefit from that in some areas."
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "Labour is fighting to win as many votes as we can in every single seat in Scotland."
A Lib Dem insider admitted the party was hardly spending a penny in most seats and was instead diverting funds to their top target seats of Edinburgh West and East Dunbartonshire.
The source said the move was not about the constitution but about instead ensuring "most effort goes in to the seats we can win".
An SNP spokesman said: "Voters will be asking whether these parties have any principles left whatsoever.
"These nudge-and-a-wink backroom deals completely take the electorate for granted and are deeply insulting to voters - they show that only the SNP are prepared to stand up for each and every part of Scotland."
You can find all the candidates standing in the election in the link below:
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iker gang violence. #Waco #TwinsPeakShooting — Black Millennials (@BlkMillennials) May 18, 2015
Where are Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich when their country needs them? This white violence must cease!!! #StopWhiteOnWhiteCrime — The Blakk Samurai (@BlakkSamurai) May 17, 2015
Another line of commentary that's predictable in media coverage and commentary surrounding violence involving black people has to do with black cultural pathology.
Politicians and pundits are notorious for grasping for problems in African-American communities — especially fatherlessness — to explain the kind of violence that, when it happens in a white community, is treated as an isolated crime versus an indictment of an entire racial group's way of life.
Politicians and pundits are notorious for grasping for problems in African-American communities
The total absence around the Waco incident of analysis of struggles and shortfalls within white families and communities is a painful reminder of this.
Its Jim Beam and Marlboro's fault! If white ppl smoked and drank less harsh stuff they wouldnt be so violent! #StopWhiteOnWhiteCrime — The Blakk Samurai (@BlakkSamurai) May 17, 2015
Has Rand Paul blamed the fatal shooting in Waco on the "lack of fathers," for in that community, yet? — maria lia calvo (@MariaLiaCalvo) May 18, 2015
RT @AsiaChloeBrown: Right. Where are the fathers in Waco? RT @KristyT Why are they shooting up their own neighborhood? — Sterling Archer (@udontdowhat) May 17, 2015
The "Why are they shooting up their own neighborhood?" question in that last tweet is a sarcastic reference to a common sentiment expressed after the Baltimore riots that followed the death of Freddie Gray, and the destructive elements of the mostly peaceful protests in Ferguson, Missouri, surrounding the police shooting of Michael Brown. It's another line of thinking that's conspicuously absent in the television and social media commentary that's surrounded the Waco shootout.
You'll also hear people lamenting that politicians, reporters, and commentators have largely refrained from calling the bike gang members "thugs." There's been widespread sensitivity around the racialized use of that term ever since it was deployed against slain black teen Trayvon Martin, who was killed by George Zimmerman in 2012.
This issue came up again, more recently when Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake used it to describe the young people who destroyed property when protesting Freddie Gray's death. The fact that the bike gang members accused in this case haven't been slapped with this label is an infuriating reminder of its racial undertones and the way it is so easily and disproportionately deployed against black people, either as an intentional code word of because of deep-seated stereotypes about race and criminality.
More died today in Waco than Ferguson & Baltimore combined & the media still won't refer to bikers as thugs. Think about that. #WacoThugs — RagingTeabagger (@RagingTeabagger) May 18, 2015
The backdrop for the frustration: how black people are treated by the police
To really understand the angst over the language and analysis surrounding what happened in Waco, you have to remember that there's more going on here than just frustration with reports, cable news commentators, and Twitter reactions.
All of this is underscored and intensified by larger concerns about the way the same racial biases that fuel differences in coverage and conversation play out in real life: in the same way observers speak and write differently when black people are involved, police — perhaps unconsciously— treat black people unfairly. Many times, these biases have deadly consequences.
That's why some observers of the Waco tragedy have taken note of the fact that the gang members in the brawl weren't brutalized or killed by the police officers who arrested them, and actually appeared to be treated with a certain level of civility.
Did cops shoot any of those Waco bikers? Has the media used the word "thug" to describe any of them? Asking for a friend..... — D.Lee.Blackburn (@DL_Blackburn) May 18, 2015
A writer at the blog Crooks and Liars lamented, "Check out the cell phones and smokes while they wait for the cops to process them. No rides in the paddy wagon for them. Just sit on the curb and wait until nice Mr. Policeman has a moment to process you."
That, of course, stands in contrast to what has happened in a string of high-profile cases involving the police-involved deaths of black men who, unlike the Waco bike gang members, were entirely unarmed.
So what's the media supposed to do?
Some have interpreted the backlash as a criticism of media coverage of this particular event, and are confused about what critics want to happen here. Is the media supposed to use harsher language to describe the white bike gang members' actions? Call them thugs? Ask about their fathers?
Still trying to figure out the SJW complaints about the Waco biker gangs. Do they think the media is praising the murderous thugs too much? — jon gabriel (@exjon) May 18, 2015
(In the tweet above, "SJW" refers to shorthand for "social justice warriors" — the people who are doing most of the highlighting of bias on Twitter.)
That confusion is understandable. After all, it's not as if the media has swept this tragedy under the rug or minimized its intensity. The New York Times quoted a Waco law enforcement official who said, "In 34 years of law enforcement, this is the worst crime scene — the most violent crime scene — that I have ever been involved in. There are dead people still there. There is blood everywhere." Outlets aren't holding back from using the term "gang," or talking about the death toll, or explaining the dynamics that led to the battle. Steve Cook, executive director of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association, told Vox's Libby Nelson that the gang members are "domestic terrorists."
But the key thing to understand is that the criticism here is not really of the coverage of what happened in Waco. It's of the juxtaposition of what happened here with what happens when the people involved are of a different color. The message is not that the conversation about Waco should be overblown, hypercritical of an entire culture, or full of racial subtext. It's despair over the sense that if the gang members were black, it almost certainly would be.
Watch: The myth of race, debunked in 3 minutesXi Jinping Hints at Shifting Regime Stance Toward Falun Gong
News analysis
The Chinese Communist Party has a lengthy list of “sensitive” days, or the dates of events that the regime deems politically threatening. On those sensitive days and in the lead-up, the Party’s security apparatus becomes unusually vigilant and often conducts roundups and crackdowns on those associated with the events.
Two sensitive anniversaries are June 4 and April 25. The first is the date of the massacre in Beijing, when tanks crushed pro-democracy student activists in 1989. The second, in 1999, was when practitioners of Falun Gong made a peaceful appeal to the Party leadership. But this year, Xi Jinping, the leader of the Communist Party, has deviated from the script.
Through a number of unusual political gestures, Xi Jinping appears to have hinted at a departure from the policy of his predecessor toward the persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline, a large group that was targeted for elimination in 1999 shortly after they mounted their appeal to the central administration.
Xi Jinping’s recent actions include moderate remarks on how to treat petitioners, the purge of some particularly rough security officials, demands that the security forces conduct themselves with probity, and what borders on conciliatory remarks about religion in China. In part due to the sequence and timing around such a sensitive anniversary, these actions, while subtle, indicate a potential shift in stance and emphasis regarding the Party’s status quo policies.
Beijing, 1999
Over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gather in Beijing on April 25, 1999, to appeal for a safe and legal environment for their spiritual discipline and are arranged by police around the Party leadership compound Zhongnanhai. (Minghui.org)
On April 23, 1999, 45 Falun Gong practitioners were assaulted and arrested by police in Tianjin, a city about 90 miles from Beijing, as they engaged in a peaceful protest at Tianjin Normal University. The practitioners were demanding that the academician He Zuoxiu retract an article defaming Falun Gong, a practice of self-improvement that involves slow exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
He Zuoxiu, by then a committed enemy of Falun Gong, is the brother-in-law of Luo Gan, the then-head of public security, who had for years sought to target Falun Gong. The practice had spread freely in China throughout the 1990s, most of the time with the tacit or explicit support of various state entities. Large numbers of Communist Party members counted themselves among practitioners and were excited at the revival of ancient traditions in modern China.
All this was seen by some hardliners, Luo Gan prominent among them, as a threat to the ideological and political security of the regime.
After news of the April 23 arrests spread, large numbers of practitioners decided to petition the central authorities in Beijing, which is done at the Office of Letters and Calls, adjacent to the Party leadership compound of Zhongnanhai. On April 25, Beijing police blocked the road to the Office, and marshalled the arriving practitioners—over 10,000—to surround Zhongnanhai, the official residential and office compound of the Party’s top leadership and a sensitive location in Beijing.
In the early afternoon, premier Zhu Rongji emerged and agreed to speak to representatives. The matter seemed to be resolved after nightfall.
The Party chief, Jiang Zemin, however, was furious and soon declared the appeal “the most serious political incident since June 4.”
In a letter issued to the Politburo that night, Jiang Zemin declared: “Can it be that we Communist Party members, armed with Marxism and a belief in materialism and atheism, cannot defeat the Falun Gong stuff? If that is so, wouldn’t it be the greatest joke on earth?”
That summer, on July 20, Jiang ordered the regime’s security and legal apparatus to suppress Falun Gong. “Ruin their reputations, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically,” were the orders given to police, according to numerous reports by Falun Gong practitioners who say the police told them of these instructions.
According to Minghui.org, a clearinghouse for information about the persecution, more than 3,900 practitioners are known to have died from torture and abuse, and hundreds of thousands others have languished in detention since July 20, 1999, the formal start of the anti-Falun Gong campaign. In addition, researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been killed for their organs as part of a grisly state-run organ-transplantation industry.
Ever since 1999, the anniversaries of April 25 and July 20 have often seen police across China break into the homes of practitioners and make arrests.
Petitioning and the Security System
A petitioner who was protesting about medical and land issues is detained by police outside the Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing on May 8, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)
It is this background that undergirds the significance of Xi Jinping’s recent gestures, subtle though they may be.
Petitioning—that is, delivering complaints to higher levels of government—quickly became the primary means with which Falun Gong practitioners appealed to the regime. Once it became clear this method would be met with violent reprisal, the appeals largely ceased. Petitioners now are a large body of disenfranchised Chinese who are often treated lawlessly by the Party’s security forces.
On April 21, Xi Jinping said that it is in the Chinese regime’s interests to “amicably settle reasonable and lawful appeals by the masses” who submit petitions, according to a statement carried by state mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency. Chinese premier Li Keqiang added that the regime should “strive to dispel conflicts and protect the legal rights” of petitioners.
Closer to the April 25 anniversary, Xi Jinping took aim at the regime’s security apparatus.
Under former security czar Luo Gan, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC)—a small but powerful Party organ that controlled the police, the prisons, and the courts—had played a crucial part in staging the so-called “siege of Zhongnanhai” and the persecution of Falun Gong.
The Beijing police had deliberately directed Falun Gong practitioners to the streets around Zhongnanhai, and the 610 Office, an extralegal organization set up specifically to oversee the persecution, came under the purview of the PLAC.
On the eve of this April 25, four top security officials, including Hebei provincial PLAC Party Secretary Zhang Yue, were purged. Zhang is considered responsible for the torture of Falun Gong practitioner Liu Yongwang, who was tied to a board, whipped with leather belts, and shocked with electric batons.
The following day, the PLAC chief Meng Jianzhu told the public security head, the chief justice, the procurator-general, and other security apparatchiks gathered at a national-level meeting, that Xi Jinping was once again demanding that the security apparatus remain a professional and disciplined outfit—an implicit contrast to the corrupt, personal fief of Xi’s political rivals.
Religion
People practice the Falun Gong exercises at Union Square in New York as they celebrate World Falun Dafa Day on May 12, 2016. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)
What is perhaps Xi’s most conspicuous gesture is his chairing of a conference on religion on April 22 and 23, the first high-level meeting on the topic to be held in 15 years—and on the anniversary of the first large-scale arrests of Falun Gong practitioners.
Party leaders typically helm work meetings to set or change policy direction. Key messages are often buried between ponderous lines of stiff, mandatory Party parlance, but they can be teased out through a close parsing of the language and tone used.
Chairing the religion conference in 2001, Jiang Zemin made it clear that the regime should completely dominate religious groups, which pose an existential threat to the “stability” of communist rule. Jiang added that “deviant religions” should be suppressed—the logical conclusion to his efforts earlier that year to unite the five recognized religions in China against Falun Gong, and the staging of a self-immolation in Tiananmen Square to vilify the spiritual discipline.
In the recent meeting on religious affairs, Xi Jinping said that religious teachings can “enrich” and should be “harmonized” with Chinese culture. He added that the Party should proactively “guide” religious groups and that the governing of religious work should be carried out in accordance with the law. Absent from Xi’s speech is any mention of “evil religions,” and the overall tone he adopted appeared far more conciliatory than Jiang’s combative stance.
Some of Xi’s remarks at the conference have been seen as nothing new. The line about “resolutely guarding against overseas infiltrations via religious means,” for instance, was highlighted as another example of his hardline stance. Lines like this, however, are standard boilerplate in Party rhetoric. Even within the atheist strictures of official Party ideology, degrees of tolerance are possible.
The article on Xi’s religious work meeting took up three-quarters of the state-run People’s Daily front-page real estate, as opposed to only one-third page on Jiang’s 2001 session, an indication that Xi expects his remarks to be taken seriously.
The People’s Daily and Xinhua headlines said, “Comprehensively improve religious work standards under new conditions.”
A Hint of Change?
The attempted defection by former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun (first domino) set in motion a chain of events exposing and inflaming the Communist Party’s internal strife, which has come to a head presently. The once powerful Bo Xilai (second domino) is now in prison, and the man Bo is believed to have conspired with against Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the former domestic security czar Zhou Yongkang, has also been arrested. (FENG LI/GETTY IMAGES (BO, WANG); JIN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (ZHOU); VADIM BERESTETSKY/EPOCH TIMES (ILLUSTRATION))
Since coming to office in 2012, a range of actions Xi Jinping has taken have had the effect, whether intentional or not, of easing the burden of persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners.
As the largest group of prisoners of conscience in China, and the only group that is targeted by a top-level secret agency specifically tasked with its elimination, Falun Gong practitioners have for years constituted the majority of occupants in labor camps and other places of detention. They have also constituted the majority of reported cases of torture, according to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture.
But in December 2013, the labor camp system that had oppressed Falun Gong for so long was formally abolished. Stepping into its place, of course, were even less regulated “legal education centers” (colloquially known as brainwashing centers). Nevertheless, one of the major instruments of repressing Falun Gong had been set aside.
Xi has also overseen the promotion of legal reforms that have made Chinese courts more accountable to the handling of Falun Gong and other cases, and around China, practitioners have been able to file criminal complaints against Jiang Zemin without encountering direct, systematic violence. While many plaintiffs have been detained and abused, others have been left alone entirely. Either situation forms a vast contrast to the brutal deaths by torture that befell those who attempted to prosecute Jiang over a decade ago.
Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has also seen the disgrace and imprisonment of numerous high-level Party officials who built their careers on the persecution of Falun Gong. Even elite cadres once considered untouchable—security czar Zhou Yongkang, 610 Office head Li Dongsheng, and the ambitious Chongqing chief Bo Xilai, all of whom are implicated in the persecution of Falun Gong—have been purged.
The persecution of Falun Gong has been extremely costly for the image of the Communist Party—both the resources spent to execute it and the existence of perhaps tens of millions of disenfranchised Chinese citizens who refuse to abandon their faith and insist that it be vindicated. These citizens have formed a social constituency determined to influence the decisions of officials and policymakers.
There is also a large group of educated Chinese diaspora who practice Falun Gong and work consistently to shed light on the persecution. Through letters, faxes, emails, and telephone calls, they directly affect Party officials who carry out the campaign in China.
While Xi Jinping has never made any public remarks about Falun Gong, the Falun Gong factor in many of the political moves he has made since coming to power is impossible to ignore. The most recent gestures, all taking place around April 25, leave the most space so far for an interpretation that Xi is somehow signaling. What precisely he may be signaling, however, and where it will lead are as yet unclear.For nearly three decades, Joseph Mitchell worked at The New Yorker, where he produced some of the magazine’s most venerable essays, including his masterpiece, “Joe Gould’s Secret” in 1964. This piece was a follow-up to his 1942 profile on Gould, “Professor Sea Gull,” which made the Greenwich Village vagrant famous. Though he came from money and attended Harvard, Gould opted for the bohemian life on the streets of New York. His friends—e. e. cummings among them—often functioned as patrons, giving the eccentric little man money or food. Gould was notorious for an ongoing project called “An Oral History of Our Time,” which was made up of overheard conversations and observations from Gould’s life as a bum. It was said to be over one million words. But much to Mitchell’s chagrin, he soon discovered that Gould’s book didn’t exist, and almost 20 years after the initial profile appeared, Mitchell revealed Joe Gould’s secret, which was also, in many ways, Mitchell’s.
Gradually, then suddenly, Mitchell stopped writing. And for the next 30 years he published nothing. Though he still showed up at the office everyday, no new Joseph Mitchell pieces ever appeared in the magazine again. The man was blocked. As David Remnick put it, “No one but a fool would ask about his silence.”
What happened? Why did one of the most revered writers in America suddenly stop publishing? And why, more importantly, are we so fascinated by such occurrences? Why is it, in other words, that when a successful author chooses to either stop producing work or avoid the limelight altogether, that our interest in their work changes? Or, more accurately, our analysis of their work changes? Why do we scrutinize Elena Ferrante’s novels for any glimpse of the real person? Why did Mark Moskowitz spend years searching for Dow Mossman, the author of The Stones of Summer? Why did people regularly journey to Cornish, New Hampshire to catch a glimpse of J.D. Salinger? And just who the hell is this Thomas Pynchon fellow, anyway?
In terms of Joseph Mitchell’s sudden silence, a new book hopes to answer that question. Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker by Thomas Kunkel explores the life and work of the iconic writer, and delves into the years after his final publication. As I read the book with undisguised glee, a few things became very apparent. First, Mitchell’s life was a lot like his famous profiles: short on drama, long on observation. Mitchell’s story can be summarized thusly: He was born in North Carolina on a farm, moved to New York and wrote for a few newspapers, married, joined The New Yorker, produced incredible portraits of his city, and then stopped. There were no major controversies, no secret shortcomings, no epic battles, no divorces. But that doesn’t mean Man in Profile isn’t a fascinating read. Kunkel, instead, tells the story of Mitchell’s writing, almost piece by piece, and by doing so gives us a complex profile of a man who was best known through his beautiful work.
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But here’s the other thing that occurred to me: the answer to the great Joseph Mitchell mystery is tragically (and disappointingly) banal. So, too, I suspect, are the answers to many of these literary enigmas. A writer who disappears (or who never appeared in the first place) becomes a fiction, and with that comes guesswork, conjecture and, inevitably, mythologizing. If we were to discover who Elena Ferrante is, or what happened to Margaret Mitchell, or Harper Lee, the answers would probably never be as interesting, or as meaningful, as the fictions we create in their absence.
“I believe that books,” Elena Ferrante wrote to her publisher before the publication of her first novel in 1991, “once they are written, have no need of their authors. If they have something to say, they will sooner or later find readers; if not, they won’t… I very much love those mysterious volumes, both ancient and modern, that have no definite author but have had and continue to have an intense life of their own… True miracles are the ones whose makers will never be known… Besides, isn’t it true that promotion is expensive? I will be the least expensive author of the publishing house. I’ll spare you even my presence.”
As James Wood notes, “It is hard to argue with the logic of this withdrawal,” but do we really, in a practical sense, agree with her? What are books without their authors? Judging by our actions, we don’t believe this at all. Consider the way scholars still obsess over Shakespeare’s identity or the degree to which he collaborated on his plays. The art itself, it seems, is not enough for us.
Listen to the way Wood, in the same essay, collects the information about Ferrante:
It’s assumed that Elena Ferrante is not the author’s real name. In the past twenty years or so, though, she has provided written answers to journalists’ questions, and a number of her letters have been collected and published. From them, we learn that she grew up in Naples, and has lived for periods outside Italy. She has a classics degree; she has referred to being a mother. One could also infer from her fiction and from her interviews that she is not now married.
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It is like a speech out of a detective novel. And why not? Ferrante’s novels are fantastically good, and, moreover, they positively gush with potentially fascinating autobiography. Why wouldn’t we want to know more about this author? Why wouldn’t we want to pick and poke until we uncovered some fundamental truth?
Stepping back a bit farther, it’s plain to see that the aforementioned writers are no ordinary artists. Salinger, Mitchell, Lee, Pynchon, Ferrante—together they’ve produced some of the more enduring works of literature of the twentieth century. So maybe our fixation on their private lives (or, in some cases, their very identities) makes total sense. In some way, whatever information we can cull from their books or from investigations can extend, albeit briefly, our experiences of their writing, like finding an old grocery list of a dead friend. Maybe it doesn’t mean all that much in and of itself, but to some it is a treasure.
But there’s something else here, isn’t there? Isn’t it a struggle to understand why someone so talented and respected and revered wouldn’t want the fame and fortune that comes with it all? Who among us, for instance, could turn down the opportunity to receive a major award, as Thomas Pynchon did in 1974 when he won the National Book Award for Gravity’s Rainbow? (He sent a vaudeville comedian in his place.) One mustn’t forget that the very people obsessing over these reclusive and secretive authors are themselves writers (or at least literary types). Writers have even more reason to question such deliberate obscurity, for we spend most of lives struggling to emerge out of crowd so we can be pronounced special. But Salinger, Pynchon, et al—they desperately avoid what so many of us strive for.
* * * *
Or, in the case of Joseph Mitchell, they are undone by it. By the 1970s, Mitchell didn’t recognize the New York he lived in. Crime was rising while historic buildings were falling. The New Journalism catapulted a handful of young writers into the limelight, changing the way people read and wrote nonfiction (though of course Mitchell had been doing this for years; or, as John McPhee put it, “When the New Journalists came ashore, Joe Mitchell was there on the beach to greet them”). Mitchell’s city, in other words, looked very different from the one he’d portrayed with such exquisite detail in the previous decade. Despite this, readers of The New Yorker still clamored for his work, and still believed him to be the best chronicler of the city. “With all this pressure,” Kunkel writes, “how could the master keep producing… well, masterpieces?”
Always a perfectionist, Mitchell became increasingly hard on himself, leading him deeper into depression. In addition, Mitchell suffered a number of important losses over the years: his mother, his great friend and colleague A.J. Liebling, his wife, and his father. Also, he began to spend more time on his family’s farm in North Carolina, the place he considered his real home, to help out his aging and ailing father before his death. He pursued philanthropic endeavors—even serving on New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, a position Mayor Ed Koch appointed him to.
So what’s the answer to the great Joseph Mitchell mystery? Life. Life happened. There was no single incident that pushed him into silence, no earth-shattering secret to reveal. Joseph Mitchell spent his remaining years, as he put it, “living in the past,” a phrase he found inadequate in capturing exactly how he felt but better than any other description. He aged. Those he loved died. Writing became more difficult. Is this really so hard to comprehend? And shouldn’t we respect it? Shouldn’t we be grateful to him for giving us such wonderful writing and let him be?
Look at Harper Lee. After To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, Lee disappeared from the public eye, stopped granting interviews, and, shock of shocks, went about living her life the way she wanted to. This has never sat right with people, who desperately longed for another novel like To Kill a Mockingbird, and another hero like Atticus Finch. It was assumed, like Mitchell, that Lee felt direly inhibited by expectations, and froze. And since 1960, she has given her adoring public nothing…
…until now of course. Now, this summer, the world will finally get what it had stopped hoping for: a new work by Harper Lee. But what’s been especially fascinating leading up to the publication of Go Set a Watchman hasn’t been the excitement around it but the controversy. This is, after all, a sequel to one of the most important American novels of the 20th century, yet the literary world has rightly viewed it with not just suspicion but concern: is this the way we want another book? Has our constant hounding of reclusive writers made such a possibly ill-conceived publication inevitable? We’re getting what we want, but will it be worth it? If the book disappoints (which is not hard to imagine), what will happen to our perception of Lee? Will knowing what another novel by Harper Lee looks like be better than imagining one?
* * * *
Samuel Johnson once wrote, “A transition from an author’s books to his conversation, is too often like an entrance into a large city, after a distant prospect. Remotely, we see nothing but spires of temples, and turrets of palaces, and imagine it the residence of splendor, grandeur, and magnificence; but, when we have passed the gates, we find it perplexed with narrow passages, disgraced with despicable cottages, embarrassed with obstructions, and clouded with smoke.”
Joseph Mitchell, J.D. Salinger, Thomas Pynchon, Harper Lee—it is important to remember that they are simply human beings, whose lives are full of banal trivialities much less interesting than their fictions. Who is Thomas Pynchon? He’s just a guy—a particularly brilliant one, yes, but discovering everything there is to know about him won’t really add to our understanding of his books. Like Johnson’s metaphorical city, a closer look at Pynchon would be a let down of ordinariness.
All of this, of course, is not meant as criticism of these writers. Their ordinariness is their right, just like their privacy. The disappointment I’m talking about is one we’ve set up for ourselves. Life is never more fascinating than when it withholds answers, because in place of answers we create fictions no real person could live up to. It’s a lot like Joe Gould’s Oral History. It’s such an appealing idea: a brilliant vagrant writing a masterpiece. And since no one had read the thing, Mitchell and others created a fictional version of it in their minds. But the truth about Joe Gould—like the truth about Mitchell, and Lee and Salinger and Pynchon, probably—was much more plausible than the alternative: he was delusional, manipulative and dishonest. There was no Oral History, just as there is no great secret to Joseph Mitchell’s final years.
Of course, we will go on with our intense fascination with reclusive or secretive writers. We will continue to imagine them as impossibly interesting people—as ourselves, only better. Joseph Mitchell admitted how much of himself he saw in Gould, and that his nonexistent Oral History wasn’t all that different from the “big novel of New York” that Mitchell always hoped to write but never even began. After realizing that Gould’s braggadocio regarding his Oral History was to deceive himself as much as others, Mitchell writes:
He must have found out long ago that he didn’t have the genius or the talent, or maybe the self-confidence or the industry or the determination, to bring off a work as huge and grand as he envisioned, and fallen back on writing those so-called essay chapters. Writing them and rewriting them. And, either because he was too lazy or because he was too much of a perfectionist, he hadn’t been able to finish even them. Still, a large part of the time he very likely went around believing in some hazy, self-deceiving, self-protecting way that the Oral History did exist… it might not exactly be down on paper, but he had it all in his head, and any day now he was going to start getting it down.
* * * *
This, tragically, is true of most of us. Most of us won’t have the skill or talent or determination to finish even one book, let alone a masterpiece, though some of us delude ourselves for much longer than others. Gould captured something in the people who read about him—a belief in greatness, in amazing people performing incredible acts. We’re not wrong: greatness does exist. Gould may not have written his Oral History but Mitchell actually wrote “Joe Gould’s Secret,” and “Mazie” and “The Rats on the Waterfront” and “Mr. Hunter’s Grave”—just as Harper Lee, Margaret Mitchell, et al, wrote their books. And when there are people who seem able to accomplish the things that have always stayed out of our reach, it’s a bit of a struggle to understand why they’d give it up, or why they wouldn’t want validation. They are the best of us, and all we want is to celebrate them, read them, let them know how much they’ve given us. Why don’t these rare, great figures want those things? But the thing we forget about greatness is that underneath it exists a human being, with all the fragility and frailty that entails.Welcome to the 55th Bitshares State of the Network (BSotN) report. A weekly report focusing on the changes in the ecosystem and track longer term changes in a effort to identify emerging trends and changes in the Bitshares platform.
The Bitshares State of the Network Reports seeks to combine raw data from a wide range of metrics and combine them into meaningful information to identify emerging trends and changes in the Bitshares network.
This section will highlight any observations made while analysing the data.
Bittrex has listed their intention to delist the Bitshares (BTS) token from their exchange by the 13th of October. At the moment there is no official statement as to the reason and there is a number of rumours floating around. The Bitshares Developers are in contact with Bittrex to discuss the matter. In the meantime you should take action to move your balance from their exchange to the Bitshares Decentralized Exchange (don't worry it is not hard to do, @ash has made a video of the process HERE; If you need an account you can use the banner above). I will say that BTS has held its price well compared to other coins being delisted in the same batch (DAR, DRACO and BATA all down between 55-65% compared to Bitshares 24% decrease since the notice appeared) showing that buyers are in the market and i will also say beware of Fear Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) especially in Telegram; people (trolls) are paid or have financial incentives to provoke an emotional response in times like these; some might even look at FUD as a positive indicator.. generally armies of sock puppets do not have your best interest in mind. It is worth pointing out that Bitshares is its own Exchange! The founding principles of Bitshares and its core product is the Bitshares Decentralized Exchange (DEX) and it solves a real security concern by allowing traders to maintain custody of their own funds while having the freedom to trade on chain. The DEX allows traders to trade against BTC but also other Alt coins as well as the native counterparty free smartcoins (like BitUSD, BitCNY, BitEUR, Silver, Gold and others). These Smartcoins are essentially stable currencies pegged to the price of the asset they are derived from. Each smartcoin is the result of a smart contract that during issuance of the coin locked up at least 2x the face value of the asset; collateralised in Bitshares (BTS) (Smartcoin market cap is greater than 10 Million USD). At any time you can'settle' the smartcoins and release the underlying BTS for 100% of the face value or just trade it on the DEX for your desired currency/asset. If you want more info on Smartcoin please see HERE.
BlockchainProjects BV have announced that 'CompanyLedger' will soon be launching on the Bitshares Blockchain. CompanyLedger will list tokens that comply with Dutch law in a manner that is comfortable to investors. In cooperation with a respected Dutch law firm, a legal format has been established to make shares trade-able on the Bitshares blockchain and with the option of executing a peer-to-peer ICOs. See their announcement HERE
The Bitshares Foundation has announced a major step forward in transparency and accountability of their escrow worker service by enabling a public ledger of all operations via a plain text accounting system utilizing the 'Ledger' software. The escrow worker service facilitates the oversight/audit and payment of shareholder approved projects (worker proposals) in USD). You can get more information including steps to audit the ledger yourself HERE
@apasia.tech has announced their new Exchange business located in Thailand to launch on the Bitshares Network. The new Exchange/Gateway is looking to offer on and off ramps for Thai Baht (THB), they are also looking to launch a Smartcoin pegged to the Thai Baht (such as BitTHB) in a similar fashion to what RuDEX did with the Russian Ruble. You can find their announcement HERE. They have also announced a new API node located in Thailand to provide lower latency connection to the Bitshares network for their customers. That announcement can be found HERE
OpenLedger has integrated AirBitz into their wallet security model allowing new users to login and protect their Bitshares accounts with their mobile device and the AirBitz app!. @ash has done an initial intro video which can be found HERE
DoorOne has had their Bitshares wallet listed on the Apple app store for download by IOS devices, seemingly defining the Apple/Bitshares relationship. You can find their IOS app HERE
The Bitshares GUI worker proposal (which has more than 5 dev's and is spending over 150,000 USD on wallet improvements over the next 5 months) has closed another sprint and a new release of the Bitshares
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Shark could crash due to a packet reassembly bug. ( Bug 11799 )
The NCP dissector could crash. ( Bug 11591 )
The following vulnerabilities have been fixed:
Most Linux and Unix vendors supply their own Wireshark packages. You can usually install or upgrade Wireshark using the package management system specific to that platform. A list of third-party packages can be found on the download page on the Wireshark web site.
Wireshark source code and installation packages are available from https://www.wireshark.org/download.html.
Wireshark and TShark look in several different locations for preference files, plugins, SNMP MIBS, and RADIUS dictionaries. These locations vary from platform to platform. You can use About→Folders to find the default locations on your system.
5. Known Problems
Dumpcap might not quit if Wireshark or TShark crashes. (Bug 1419)
The BER dissector might infinitely loop. (Bug 1516)
Capture filters aren’t applied when capturing from named pipes. (Bug 1814)
Filtering tshark captures with read filters (-R) no longer works. (Bug 2234)
Resolving (Bug 9044) reopens (Bug 3528) so that Wireshark no longer automatically decodes gzip data when following a TCP stream.
Application crash when changing real-time option. (Bug 4035)
Hex pane display issue after startup. (Bug 4056)
Packet list rows are oversized. (Bug 4357)
Wireshark and TShark will display incorrect delta times in some cases. (Bug 4985)
The 64-bit version of Wireshark will leak memory on Windows when the display depth is set to 16 bits (Bug 9914)
Wireshark should let you work with multiple capture files. (Bug 10488)
Dell Backup and Recovery (DBAR) makes many Windows applications crash, including Wireshark. (Bug 12036)Looking for news you can trust?
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In December 2008, climate activist Tim DeChristopher successfully disrupted a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auction of thousands of acres of public land in Utah by posing as a bidder. Auctioning off the land, which bordered national parks and monuments, was one of the last actions of the Bush administration and a farewell handout to the oil and gas industry. DeChristopher, a 27-year-old student at the University of Utah at the time, bid $1.79 million on more than 22,000 acres of land.
DeChristopher—or Bidder No. 70, as he was known that day—didn’t have the money to actually buy the plots, of course, but he did succeed in disrupting their sale before BLM figured out what he was up to and had him arrested. And when Ken Salazar took over as Secretary of the Interior in 2009, he invalidated the lease sale, based on the conclusion that the previous administration had not adequately evaluated the environmental impact of the sales. Even though DeChristopher’s position on the sale was essentially validated, federal prosecutors are seeking criminal charges against him. His trial in federal court in Salt Lake City began this week, and he faces two felony charges for disrupting the auction. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
The trial began on Monday with the jury selection and continues on Tuesday. The judge has already thrown out the defense that his actions were necessary to prevent environmental damage on this land and, more broadly, the exacerbataion of climate change. (See our 2009 interview with DeChristopher, as well as a more recent interview in Yes! on the question of whether his actions should constitute a crime.) But the case that DeChristopher and his supporters will attempt to make in court is that this was an act of civil disobedience to prevent environmental harm rather than a criminal act.
The Salt Lake City Weekly is covering the trial and the actions around the city in support of DeChristopher. How the case plays out will certainly be worth watching in the coming days.The violence is the latest to rock the divided country since the toppling of long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Since then, radical Islamists have clashed with western-backed authorities.
The death toll from intense clashes between government forces and militias in the Libyan capital has risen to 78, with as many as 1,000 injured, the government's health ministry reported Saturday.
The fighting broke out in Tripoli Friday between forces loyal to the UN-backed unity government and a rival militia loyal to an Islamist government that preceded the current one.
Khalifa Ghweil seized power in mid-2014 but was toppled in March 2016 by the unity government led by Fayez Serraj. Libya was thrown into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising brought down long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
The latest clash started when the militia loyal to Ghweil, the self-appointed prime minister, attacked facilities manned by forces aligned with Serraj's Government of National Accord (GNA), according to Libyan media reports.
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Fighting broke out in a residential neighborhood, around a complex of luxury villas that, until March, had served as the headquarters for militias loyal to Ghweil. There were reports of explosions and artillery fire in the Abu Slim, Al-Hadhba and Salaheddin districts in the south of the city.
Tripoli had been relatively calm since, but dozens of armed groups still operate there.
The United Nation's Libya envoy Martin Kobler appealed for a halt to the latest fighting.
Now live 00:57 mins. TOP STORIES | Government troops battle "IS" militants
"Voices of reason should prevail for the benefit of the country," he said. "Political aims must not be pursued through violence. Civilians must be protected."
Tanks and artillery
Witnesses said tanks were deployed during the fighting.
British ambassador Peter Millett tweeted that he could hear explosions and artillery in south Tripoli.
Related Subjects Libya Tripoli
He condemned "action by these militias who threaten security" ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Saturday in Libya.
Meanwhile, GNA forces seized a prison holding senior officials from the Gadhafi regime. Guards at the al-Hadhba prison were forced to withdraw after the attack.
The GNA's interior and justice ministries issued a joint statement saying that all the prisoners had been handed over to them and were "in good health."
Now live 26:00 mins. Conflict Zone | Martin Kobler on Conflict Zone
Those imprisoned include more than 30 senior officials from the toppled regime, including Gadhafi's last prime minister, Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, and his former intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi. Both men were sentenced to death in 2015.
The GNA blamed Ghweil and Salah Badi, both leaders of the Fajr Libya coalition of militias which took power in Tripoli in 2014, for the latest violence and vowed to "retaliate mercilessly."
They "have exceeded all limits... Nothing stops them, not faith, not law, not custom and not morals," it said.
"This is their gift to the people for the month of Ramadan," the statement said.
bik/rc (dpa, AFP, AP)AMD's Radeon R9 290X represented a big step forwards for the company at the high-end of the graphics card market when it launched at the end of last year; a step that, finally, helped it draw level with Nvidia and its beefy GeForce GTX 780. Here, we compare the two cards head to head.
The hardware
While Nvidia's GeForce GTX 780 employs a cut-down version of the GK110 GPU first found in the staggeringly expensive GTX Titan, the Radeon R9 290X marks the debut of AMD's new Hawaii XT GPU.
The Hawaii XT GPU is still based on AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture, but it's physically much larger than the Tahiti-class GPU of the previous generation. As a result, everything is bigger and better than before, with double the shader engines, more Compute Units, more L2 cache and a 512-bit memory interface replacing the 384-bit interface of Tahiti.
Nvidia's GTX 780, on the other hand, takes the GK110 core of the GTX Titan (a card which cost around £800 at launch), trims the number of stream processors from 2,688 to 2,304, keeps the chunky cooler, and chops the price in half. On paper, it only loses out to AMD's Radeon R9 290X in a couple of areas: it has 3GB of GDDR5 RAM rather than the R9 290X's 4GB, and a 384-bit memory interface.
Performance
Suffice it to say, both these cards are overkill unless you're planning to play games at a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 or higher. At this resolution, and with Crysis running at its Very High detail setting, the R9 290X took the lead with an average of 67fps; the GTX 780 was narrowly behind with 62fps. In Crysis 3 at Full HD, the R9 290X maintained its narrow lead, edging a single frame ahead with an average of 66fps, with neither card dipping below a minimum of 57fps at any point.
At 2,560 x 1,440, the AMD card pulls slightly further ahead, managing an average of 43fps to the GTX 780's 41fps. The AMD card also maintained a higher minimum frame rate. While the GTX 780 dipped to 34fps, the AMD never strayed below 36fps.
AMD wins the performance crown by a whisker, then, but it's worth noting that it's also more power-hungry, noisier and runs hotter. Our test system idled 6W higher with the AMD card installed, and peak power draw increased by 22W to 362W. After running FurMark for a period of time, the AMD GPU settled at 94˚C, and the increased fan speed became noticeable; by comparison, the GTX 780 maintained a steady 82˚C operating temperature, and did so with a comparatively low increase in fan noise.
Verdict
It's an incredibly close-fought battle. Performance and pricing is neck and neck, and it would only take the slightest price cut for either card to take the upper hand.
At the time of writing, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 780 is a little cheaper than its AMD-branded rival, and it also runs cooler and is more power-efficient. If all-out performance is the primary concern, however, there can only be one winner: AMD's Radeon R9 290X edges ahead where it matters, delivering smoother frame rates at higher resolutions – right now, that's the one we'd buy.Pioneering surgeons took out a woman's entire womb to treat her unborn baby's spina bifida in a medical breakthrough.
The groundbreaking operation was devised by a team of innovative medics in Texas, and it can improve the lives of children born with a condition that could leave them partially paralyzed.
During the procedure surgeons lit up the womb, giving it a glowing appearance, and once the uterus was lifted out of the expectant mother, it was drained of amniotic fluid that can ravage a gap in the spinal nerve tissue.
The team that carried out the surgery is publishing their work, providing hope to the hundreds of mothers who give birth to a child with spina bifida each year.
Pictured is a womb that doctors operated on in Texas to treat a fetus's spina bifida. Surgeons lit up the womb, which gave it a glowing appearance in the dark operating room
Twenty-eight year-old Lexi Royer (right) had the surgery last month. She is pictured here with her husband Joshuwa, a firefighter and emergency med tech
Lexi Royer, a 28-year-old hairdresser, underwent the surgery last month when her baby was 24 weeks.
Doctors initially offered her an abortion, and they warned her that her child would likely have brain damage, require feeding tubes and need a wheelchair.
Speaking for the first time since undergoing the operation, she told the New York Times: 'It’s such a relief to move forward.'
'I can’t imagine going on further in the pregnancy not knowing every day what damage is being done and if he’s getting worse.'
Twenty-eight of the surgeries performed last month on Royer's womb have been performed. Each time, the fetus has lived
WHAT IS SPINA BIFIDA? Every year around 1,500 babies in the US are born with spina bifida. Most cases are detected at a 20-week scan. The most common and most serious form of the disease is called myelomeningocele. In patients with myelomeningocele the spinal column remains open along the bones making up the spine. The membranes and spinal cord push out to create a sac in the baby's back. This sometimes leaves the nervous system vulnerable to infections that may be fatal. In most cases surgery is carried out to close the gap in the spine after birth. But damage to the nervous system will usually already have taken place, resulting in: partial or total paralysis of the lower limbs
bowel and urinary incontinence
loss of skin sensation
Ultrasounds taken since the operation have shown the baby is making good progress and is able to move his ankles and feet. Royer is due to give birth January 14.
Dr Michael Belfort, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston was behind the procedure. There have been 28 of the operations so far, and all have been successful. Only a few of the babies have had to have brain shunts.
During the procedure doctors remove a pregnant woman's entire womb by cutting a hole in her abdomen.
Two slits are then made in the womb. They allow surgeons to use their tools and give them space to insert a live camera that records the inside of the womb.
Carbon dioxide is then pumped inside, offering the medics greater space to work.
Surgeons are then able to use skin from elsewhere to cover up the baby's exposed spinal cord, before placing the womb back inside the woman.
To develop the procedure Dr Belfort and a colleague spent two years practicing on sheep and a rubber ball with a doll inside wrapped in chicken skin to mimic the defect patients with spina bifida have.
Their work is now being published in the journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr Belfort is training colleagues at Stanford University to do the procedure. But some doctors are warning that pumping carbon dioxide into the womb during the surgery might damage the baby and cause neurological problems for the child later in life.FACT: StarCrawlers has the best backers in the universe.
THE MISSION CONTINUES. PREORDER AMOUNTS WILL BE ADDED TOWARDS STRETCH GOALS!
What's the Backer Bundle all about?
Every pledge contributes to the success of StarCrawlers! As a special thank you to the community, backers will also receive additional exclusive in-game rewards as stretch goals are unlocked. All items below will be added to the Backer Bundle which will be awarded to everyone who backs at Tier 2 and beyond!
RECENTLY UNLOCKED BY THE COMMUNITY:
You’re a Crawler, and that means you work for those that can pay. Asset recovery, commercial espionage, and mayhem for hire are just a few of your crew’s specialized services. If something shady needs doing, chances are a Crawler will be involved. Succeed and you’ll be rewarded with better pay then any corp drone can dream of. Plus, you'll earn the respect of the eclectic assortment of merchants, opportunists and adventurers who make their home in the fringes of space.
In StarCrawlers, you’ll lead a crew of Crawlers, each with their own unique skills and abilities. Together you’ll take on jobs to explore abandoned spacecraft, battle mighty enemies, and unravel corporate intrigue. Some key features of StarCrawlers:
Classic first person dungeon crawling in a detailed sci-fi universe
Narrative AI procedurally generates missions and dungeons with randomized encounters, traps, and enemies
Strategic RPG style combat featuring a time unit action system
An atmospheric soundtrack by Ben Prunty
Class ability customization and modification
Randomly generated and upgradeable loot
PC, Mac, and Linux support
Nurse Ratchet & Grinder - two of the nicest killer robots you'll ever meet
Classic CRPG with a sci-fi flavor
In StarCrawlers you'll be navigating the halls of massive abandoned ships and sneaking through corporate facilities in a dynamic and interactive environment. Hack terminals to create shortcuts or find valuable data, disable or evade a variety of traps, grab as much salvage as you can carry, and keep your eyes peeled for hidden areas, loot and enemies.
Narrative AI
Randomized environments doesn't just mean slapping rooms together! The Narrative AI in StarCrawlers builds procedurally generated levels based on the story of the mission you're running. Whether on a rescue job in a pirate hulk or extracting data from a corp security station, your dungeon will be custom built to match. Lower the difficulty level for a casual dungeon dive or crank it to 11 and face fiendish traps, complex dungeons, and the toughest enemies.
Doc Sams - Mission Giver, Barkeep, Gentleman
Player-driven experience
The Narrative AI is also responsive: your choices of allies and how you resolve events alter not only the results of the mission, but how the story of your Crawler crew evolves.
Strategic RPG style combat
Combat in StarCrawlers has a traditional turn-based RPG style with a time unit action system. Unleash a series of light attacks with speedy, low cost actions, or strike a mighty blow with a heavy, high cost action. Smart choices about which abilities to use and when make the difference between victory and defeat. Take a look at the video below to see combat in action.
You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content. Play Replay with sound Play with
sound 00:00 00:00
Build a Relentless Crew of Crawlers
No Crawler can survive alone. You'll need to hire a crew, level them up, specialize their abilities, and customize their gear. Each Crawler class has their own set of combat abilities as well as special skills that provide advantages outside of combat - helping you to navigate your environment more effectively, and deal with traps, encounters, and threats. Assembling a crew that works well together is a focus of StarCrawlers! Initial classes include:
The Cyber Ninja is a trained killing machine, dispatching foes with deadly efficiency. As melee combatants, they can be vulnerable to counter-attack, but have abilities to evade and retaliate against the clumsy strikes of their enemies. While exploring, they are invaluable in situations that require subterfuge and cunning.
Technical virtuosos, Hackers possess powerful tools to corrupt and control their enemies, but lack in direct damage attacks. Their high-tech skills are vital outside of combat to disable traps, hack security terminals and access secure data.
Specializing in advanced weaponry and raw power, the Soldier’s a likely candidate If you need something blown-up, exploded, or detonated. Intimidation and damage output go hand in hand, but if you’re looking to charm the locals, you may want to consider other options. The Void Psykers are capable of building up tremendous psychic energy and unleashing high damage attacks to obliterate their foes. However, tapping into the void is dangerous and carries the risk of unleashing a deadly backlash. When dealing with events, her precognition abilities and terrifying aura can give you the upper hand.
We are very excited to have Ben Prunty (best known for his work on indie games such as FTL, Gravity Ghost, and Scale) as part of the team. With Ben’s original soundtrack as the background for everything you do, exploration through the StarCrawler universe will be an auditory adventure.
On Prime worlds, affluence and privilege abound - technological paradises, both luxurious and beautiful, these planets are home to the wealthiest and most powerful citizens in the universe. In the vast majority of inhabited space, things are very different....
Corpworlds are commonplace - entire planets dominated by large-scale manufacturing operations for their corporate overlords, keeping the distasteful side-effects of the Prime world's extravagance away from its citizens.
The fringes of space are home to drifters, pirates, Crawlers, and other colorful characters who prefer to avoid the busy inner worlds, or to stay outside the reach of those who control them. Your crew makes their home on what used to be a space station. Abandoned long ago, it has been reclaimed by the enterprising citizens of the region and “improved” with a healthy dose of bolted-on salvage and outer-world ingenuity. From here, your story begins...For girls in Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, FGM is 'practically universal'
More than 200 million girls have been subjected to female genital mutilation and cases of the procedure are expected to rise, the UN has warned.
The study carried out by the organisation's children's agency shows the practice - common in many African countries - is far more widespread than previously thought.
Those worst affected are girls in Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, where it is 'practically universal' for youngsters.
The ancient ritual - practised across a swathe of African countries and pockets of Asia and the Middle East - usually involves the partial or total removal of a girl's external genitalia.
Scroll down for video
Rates of female genital mutilation are expected to rise in the next 15 years, the UN has warned. File image
In its most extreme form the vaginal opening is also sewn up. In many countries girls are commonly cut before their fifth birthday.
Communities which support FGM often consider it a prerequisite for marriage. Many also see it as a religious obligation although it is not mentioned in the Koran or Bible.
But FGM can cause a host of physical and psychological problems. In some cases, girls can bleed to death or die from infections caused by dirty blades.
Of the 200 million FGM victims, 44 million are aged 14 and younger, and of the 30 countries where it is most widespread, the majority of girls undergo it before their fifth birthday.
Claudia Cappa, the lead author of the report, said: 'In countries like Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, the practice is practically universal.
'Being born in those countries means you have 9 out of 10 possibilities of undergoing the practice.'
The prevalence rates for FGM stands at a staggering 98 percent for Somalia, 97 percent for Guinea and 93 percent for Djibouti.
The new global figure on FGM includes nearly 70 million more girls and women than the last estimate for 2014, largely due to new data provided by Indonesia and population growth.
Despite growing momentum to end the practice, experts warn that booming populations in some high prevalence countries are undermining efforts to tackle the practice.
UNICEF stated: 'If current trends continue the number of girls and women subjected to FGM will increase significantly over the next 15 years.'
Somalia (pictured) remains the worst-affected country, with the procedure 'practically universal' for girls born there
Geeta Rao Gupta, the director of UNICEF, stated: 'Female genital mutilation differs across regions and cultures, with some forms involving life-threatening health risks.
'In every case FGM violates the rights of girls and women. We must all accelerate efforts - governments, health professionals, community leaders, parents and families - to eliminate the practice.'
Countries which have seen sharp declines include Liberia, Burkina Faso and Kenya. The data also indicates widespread disapproval of the practice in many countries.
The report does not include data from all countries where FGM has been reported. Those left out include India, Colombia, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Nintendo promised one new Smash Bros. character reveal this morning and instead gave us three: the returning Captain Falcon and two characters from Fire Emblem Awakening—Robin and Lucina.
Chrom also made an appearance in this morning's trailer, but sadly, he appears to be an assist trophy or Final Smash for Robin, not a playable character. Watch the reveal here:
Captain Falcon has been in the Smash series since it first debuted on Nintendo 64. The other Fire Emblem characters are total newcomers, joining Marth and Ike to raise the total Smash Fire Emblem count to a whopping four.
Robin, by the way, is the official canon name for the main hero. You'll be able to play as both the male and female versions in the new Smash, which is out this fall for 3DS and Wii U.
Note: the original headline for this post said four characters were announced, but we've altered it to clarify that Chrom isn't playable.Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Bill would give Theresa May significant new powers
Monday sees the return of the government's Counter Terrorism and Security Bill to the Commons where MPs will get their say on the legislation's most controversial measure: should ministers be able to ban British citizens from coming home?
Under the proposal, Home Secretary Theresa May would be able to sign a Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) to ban a suspected extremist from returning home to the UK for up to two years at a time.
The individual could return if they agreed to some kind of investigation or monitoring arrangements to ensure they were not a threat.
Home secretaries can already cancel passports under the Royal Prerogative - but the power cannot be used at the drop of a hat - and it cannot be used to stop someone coming home.
British law is quite clear: if you are a British citizen, then you have the right to abide in the UK.
So how does the legislation propose changing things?
TEOs will face tough questions in parliament and, almost certainly, a slew of legal challenges as soon as they are used
Clause One of the new bill aims to take some pressure off ministers by allowing police and border officers to confiscate passports and tickets at the border gate if they suspect that someone is leaving the UK to become involved in terrorism - or they are returning from having done so.
In practical terms, it would clearly disrupt someone's plans because they would find it a lot harder (although not impossible) to disappear overseas without travel documents.
But in legal terms, the right to challenge a confiscation at port is pretty limited and is likely to see some substantial questions in parliament.
A senior police officer can approve retaining a passport for more than 72 hours - and if they still want to hold it after two weeks, a court can give police up to 30 days to do so.
By way of comparison, if a police officer arrests and locks you up on suspicion of a crime, they must charge or release you within 24 hours. If you are suspected of a serious crime like murder, they can ask a court for permission to hold you further, up to a maximum of 14 days in terrorism cases.
Balance of rights
Creating a balance between the police's right to "confiscate and investigate" and the individual's right to travel is likely to be the parliamentary battleground.
But critics will still say that this bill puts too much unchecked power in the hands of the state - not least because of the proposed TEOs.
Four conditions must be met for the home secretary to use this power:
She must reasonably suspect that the individual is or has been involved in terrorism-related activity outside the UK
An exclusion order would be necessary to protect the public from the risk of terrorism
The individual is outside the UK
The individual has the right to live in the UK
If she then imposes a TEO, the individual can't get back into the country unless the home secretary issues a permit - or they have no choice because they've been deported home.
How do you get a permit? By agreeing to a number of conditions, such as a police interview or admission to some kind of de-radicalisation scheme.
Putting aside the practical question of whether any nation would happily house the UK's suspects just because the government doesn't want them back, the whole point of a TEO is to create some kind of breathing space for the "managed return" of people about whom the security services have concerns.
But TEOs will face tough questions in parliament and, almost certainly, a slew of legal challenges as soon as they are used.
Presumption of guilt
One major criticism is that TEOs lead to somebody being "sort of guilty" without being convicted of a crime or going through a legal process to justify restrictions on freedom.
David Anderson QC, the terror laws watchdog, put it another way when asked by MPs what he thought: where are the courts in all of this?
Image copyright PA Image caption Passports could be confiscated
When the home secretary imposes a TPim monitoring order against a terrorism suspect, there is an automatic review of that decision by a judge - including examining in secret the intelligence used to justify the move.
There is no such automatic judicial oversight built into examining the rationale for imposing a TEO.
That means that someone could find themselves barred from the UK until they accept a form of monitoring - even if they would want to argue that it is unnecessary because they pose no threat to their own country.
There are precedents: not a single Muslim who 20 years ago went to fight against the Serbs in Bosnia faced prosecution in the UK for doing so. More recently, Whitehall was quite relaxed about British-Libyans leaving the UK to fight alongside other jihadists against Col Gaddafi's regime.
The Danes have, in contrast, started to do it differently.
They are allowing fighters to return home in the hope that the authorities get a better chance to differentiate between those who will go back to a quiet life and those who are genuinely dangerous.
The British want to be able to do the same - it is just that the route to getting there is different.We are back with the newest edition of our Top 10 fan frags of the month series, powered by our partner Sennheiser, the leading provider of premium headsets. Our video editor, Daniel “kedz” Siva, wants you to send him your best frags in order to create a stunning video to showcase the skills of G2’s faithful. And to spice things up, we will be giving away a headset by Sennheiser and also two high-value skins provided by Kinguin, which has a stunning skin collection available on its website.
Please keep in mind that we will only accept GOTV demos as they allow creativity to flourish. Here is how the whole process will be carried out:
Send us your demos until Wednesday, February 3rd. Only one demo per person allowed!
Please rename the demo to include the time stamp of the action (tick), your country, your name, the map and the action (M4A1-S ace, for example), in this order: Tick_Country_Name_Map_Action.
The video will be released on Wednesday, February 10th, and the three winners will be contacted
Below you can find all the info about how you can send us your frags:By Barbara Lewis and Braden Reddall
LONDON/HOUSTON — Saudi Arabia’s cushion of spare oil capacity is thinning far faster than widely believed, threatening to trigger price spikes in the months ahead, energy industry experts warned at the Reuters Global Energy and Climate Summit on Monday.
Concerns are growing over the kingdom’s ability to pump more oil beyond an anticipated summer boost, leaving the world exposed to any further unexpected disruptions. The world’s top exporter promised to produce as much oil as the market needs after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries last week failed to reach a deal.
Saudi newspaper al-Hayat reported Saudi Arabia would boost output to 10 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, which Goldman Sachs’ global head of commodities research Jeff Currie said would leave only 500,000 bpd spare. Currie and his team have warned for months about overstated Saudi output capacity.
“If you get up to (10 mln bpd), you start to really create a very tight market relative to spare capacity,” he told the Reuters Global Energy and Climate Summit in London.
“But the question that’s more appropriate is when do you get to 9.5, when do you get to 10? Because when you start to look out over the horizon, their ability to create more flexibility in spare capacity increases tremendously.”
Peter Oosterveer, group president for energy and chemicals with global engineering giant Fluor Corp, recently met with executives in the Middle East, and returned with a feeling that Saudi Arabia’s capacity was not as large as some estimates.
He did not provide any specific numbers on the kingdom’s overall production, but said workable spare capacity was in the range of 1.5 to 2 million bpd.
“That doesn’t mean to say that it isn’t ultimately available,” Oosterveer said at the Summit. He added that there did not seem to be a great deal of concern in Saudi Arabia about the current level of capacity.
“There’s always a lot of activity in Saudi, and there’s still a lot of activity in Saudi as we speak,” he added, with more focus there on exploration and production projects compared with two or three years ago.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world with a significant base of idle capacity, and therefore can act as a supplier of last resort in times of crisis. It has already ramped up output following the halt in Libya’s over 1 million bpd of oil exports, and is expected to pump more shortly.
Following a wave of investment as oil surged to a record high US$147 a barrel in 2008, Saudi Arabia says its capacity stands at 12.5 million bpd, giving it a comfortable cushion based on recent output estimates.
But analysts are still beginning to debate the risk of a repeat of the last decade, when years of underinvestment and a surge in Chinese demand forced OPEC to pump nearly flat out, drawing down their reserve to less than 1 million bpd.
That fundamental tightness underpinned the five-year rally that lifted prices six-fold until 2008. While few expect that to recur as spectacularly, some are warning of spikes.
“Once spare capacity falls below 2 million bpd, which will be sometime next year, then we will see substantial spikes in the oil price from time to time,” Robeco fund manager Peter Csoregh told the Summit.
“There’s an inherent bias, especially in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, to overstate their spare capacity.”
© Thomson Reuters 2011In 2016, 26 percent of electricity used by Hawaiian Electric Companies came from renewables
Release Date: 3/8/2017
Download PDF
Honolulu, March 8, 2017 - The Hawaiian Electric Companies reached a nearly 26 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard in 2016, up from 23 percent the year before. The companies' renewable portfolio across the five islands served is comprised of customer-sited generation - mainly private, rooftop solar systems - and grid-scale technologies including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, biofuels and hydroelectricity. The numbers were submitted to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission in the companies' annual RPS report.
Hawaii Island customers’ use of renewable electricity passed the halfway mark for the first time in 2016, with 54 percent of electricity coming from renewables, up from 49 percent in 2015. Maui County also reached a new high of 37 percent, up from 35 percent. On Oahu, 19 percent of electricity used by customers came from renewable resources, up from 17 percent the year before.
"For customers, the increased use of renewable energy is not only helping stabilize bills but is reducing our state's dependency on imported oil and cutting emissions that contribute to climate change," said Alan Oshima, Hawaiian Electric president and CEO.
Due to expanded use of renewable resources, the Hawaiian Electric Companies used 300,000 fewer barrels of oil in 2016 than in 2015.
Numbers reported to the Public Utilities Commission are annual totals and averages. At times, when conditions are favorable, renewable energy has powered up to 45 percent of Oahu electricity needs and up to 60 percent on Maui and Hawaii islands.
Total electrical energy generated using renewable energy sources rose by 62,620 megawatt-hours in 2016, a 4.4 percent increase compared to the previous year. Total energy from customer-sited private generation attached to the grid rose by 139,934 megawatt-hours in 2016, a 21.8 percent increase over the previous year.
RPS as of December 31:Foxconn, the China-based manufacturing partner of Apple, is in the "trial production stage" of producing the Cupertino company's long-awaited television set, according to China Business News.
No further details were released. It goes without saying: take this with a pinch of salt.
What makes this interesting is that it comes only a fortnight after Foxconn Chief Executive Terry Gou said the company was "making preparations" for the forthcoming television, which was followed by a stern denial a few days later claiming that any reports were "inaccurate".
What may sound like a backtrack is at very least a case of "he said, she said."
Local publication China Daily, who reported the original claims, said the product would be dubbed 'iTV', which has already had the Telegraph suggesting the U.K. broadcaster with the same name could sue over the trademark, despite ITV's chief executive refuting such claims. The report said the television set would include feature an aluminium body, with voice-activated assistant Siri and FaceTime video calling.
One J.P. Morgan analyst said the Cupertino-based technology giant would not release a television set until 2014. Mark Moskowitz said Apple would need a "major pull factor." He also said his firm's research "does not indicated any looming TV-related product launch."
However, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster was confident to claim the television set would be announced this year.
Munster said Apple could unveil the slightly differently named "iHub" television set as soon as December, with the product going on sale in early 2013. He estimates Apple could take more than 10 percent of the market within 1-3 years after the launch.
December is an odd time to launch a product, particularly if the launch was set for the following month in January or February.
Looking at the other major product launches, the early months of the year, usually around March-April is generally when we get our hands on the latest iPad tablet set for a summer launch. During the middle-months of the year, typically around June-July, we are presented with the next iPhone, which is due in time for the Christmas holiday season.
A launch in January 2013 would the Christmas holiday sales patch -- crucial for end-of-year sales -- but also chips into "depressing" January where most people can barely pinch the pennies together. For a television set to cost in the region of $1,500-$2,000, according to Munster, it will likely prove to be an impossible time for a product launch.
We contacted Apple for comment, and we will update this story when we have more information.
This
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GB storage, and a 430mAh battery. The Watch Style, on the other hand, will feature a 10.8mm thick case, 1.2-inch round display (360×360), 512MB RAM, 4GB storage, and a 240mAh battery. Each smartwatch should have Bluetooth and WiFi, IP68 (Sport) and IP67 (Style) water and dust resistance, and Google Assistant integration, plus the Watch Sport will gain 3G and LTE connectivity, GPS, NFC, and a heart rate sensor. Additionally, both watches will feature a digital crown of sorts, to help with navigating the new Android Wear 2.0 UI.
We don’t yet know pricing, but it’s safe to assume that Watch Sport is the more expensive of the two.
Again, February 9 is thought to be the big day. As we learn more, we’ll be sure to update you.Posted 22 September 2011 - 10:05 PM
If you have a deal question that is not listed here feel free to drop me a line and we'll help.
Q: What day do promotions begin? What day do they end?
A: Typically, promotions begin on either a Sunday (general sales/deals) or a Tuesday (release week deals), and last until Saturday. I f there is an exception, it will be speci f ically called out as such in the deal itsel f.
Q: What happened to the Gaming Coupons?
A: Due to abuse and f raud, gaming coupons have been temporarily suspended and replaced with Shop Your Way Rewards bonus points. Gaming Coupons are expected to return in time f or the Nintendo 3DS launch on March 27.
Q: Shop Your Way Rewards Points?
f Kmart’s rewards program Shop Your Way Rewards (abbreviated SYWR). The program o f f ers a base o f 10 points per dollar spent. Points can be redeemed just like cash, with 1000 points being worth $1. To f www.shopyourwayrewards.com/sywr/faq_do ind out more about the program, please see this link: A: Shop Your Way Rewards Points are the currency o
Q: Do the Collector’s Edition/Limited Edition/etc. versions o f a game also get the deal?
A: Normally, yes. Any exceptions are normally noted prior to the deal becoming active. Sometimes the deals on the special editions o f a game are better than the regular edition.
One such example o f this was with the Epic Mickey release the week o f November 30, 2010. The regular edition received a $20 gaming coupon, while the Collector’s Edition received a $30 coupon.
Q: How do I f ind out i f Kmart will be stocking a speci f ic game’s special edition, and how can I try and get stock o f it allocated to a local store?
A: Send an email to SHC Stock Boy at
. Make sure to include the game, platform, and your local store’s address, and the SHC Gamer crew will make an attempt to allocate stock to your local store.
Note: No guarantees about stock can be made, and this is not a reservation. It is still possible that your store will not receive a copy, or that it might sell out prior to your attempt to purchase it.
Q: What about pre-orders? Can I pre-order X game at my local Kmart?
A: Kmart.com does pre-orders, but any special release week deals may not be active prior to release day, so it is advised to purchase only on release day or later. Kmart stores, however, Do not do pre-orders at this time.
Q: What is the limit on the number o f copies I can purchase o f a title to get the release week deals?
A: 2. The limit is two per customer. Release week deals during February and March are in the f orm o f SYWR points, so the limitation is based o f f the SYWR card scanned. Once the coupons return, the limit will still be 2 per customer.
Q: I was looking f or an XBLA points card/PSN card, but couldn’t f ind any in the electronics section. What’s wrong?
f t Card Mall” along with other prepaid cards. I f you can’t f ind any in the electronics section, check any o f the Gi f t Card racks that your local Kmart store may have. Stores are responsible f or reordering these cards, i f you have a location that does not have any represented on the sales f loor please let me know at [email protected] A: Sometimes, the XBLA points cards or PSN cards are stocked in the “Gi
A2: In response to current New Jersey legislation, Kmart took down all stored value cards including PSN and XBLA cards. I f you see any competitors who have not done this please let me know as I would love to reintegrate these cards.
Q: A game I am interested in is having a promotion where you buy the game and get a $20 PSN card or 1600 XBLA points card f ree. Can I buy the PS3 version and get the XBLA card, or buy the Xbox 360 version o f the game and get the PSN card f ree?
A: Unless otherwise noted, yes you can mix and match between the system o f the game and the system the points card is f or.
Q: Something didn’t ring up right when I purchasing something at Kmart. What should I do?
A: First, make sure that it’s actually ringing up incorrectly. If it is, then don’t panic! Simply send me (SHC-Gamer) an email at
. Be sure to include your Name, Phone Number, Mailing Address, a picture of your receipt (preferred, or the receipt number), and a short description of your problem. If you have a problem where you overpaid for something, a Gift Card for the difference will be mailed to you. It will arrive within 7-10 business days in most cases.
Q: I f ound a great deal at a local store, but I want to price match it to Kmart. Is that possible?
A: No. Kmart does not price match.
Q: I asked an employee at the store about the deal. They said that the deal wasn’t going on because it wasn’t in the weekly ad (or some other excuse). Is that true?
f it is advertised on the KmartGamer.com blog, the deal is active at your local Kmart store. The Kmartgamer.com blog is f eatured in the circular as the heading o f the entertainment section f or customers and store associates to re f erence. I f f or some reason a deal does not ring up correctly f or you please f eel f ree to email me at [email protected] and I will investigate and correct the issue for you as quickly as possible. A: I
Q: Do Sears stores honor Kmart promotions?
A: Kmart offers do not cross over to Sears unless otherwise specified on the offer itself.
MyGopher FAQ (Store Pick-up and Delivery):
Shop Your Way Rewards FAQ:
http://www.shopyourw...com/sywr/faq_do
Special SYWR Note:
To earn SYWR bonuses a member has to have a valid email address on their profile and opted in before purchasing an item with a bonus offer. This has been communicated to members through SYWR emails and in the circular along with new signage indicating to receive bonus offers they have to have a valid email address on file and opted in to receive email. Opting in to receive SYWR bonus offers is not too bad:WATCH: An NDP Member of Parliament, who made allegations of sexual misconduct against a Liberal MP, told Global News she regrets ever telling her story to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. Jacques Bourbeau explains why.
OTTAWA – The NDP MP who accused Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti of having sex without her “explicit consent” says she now regrets telling Liberal leader Justin Trudeau about the allegations.
In an interview with Global News, the MP said she wishes Trudeau handled the allegations against Pacetti and Liberal MP Scott Andrews differently. The Liberal leader kicked both out of caucus. Neither case has been resolved or investigated.
“I’m not feeling better than before I talked to Mr. Trudeau,” the NDP MP said.
“It’s really worse for me at this time.”
WATCH ABOVE: Liberal MPs Massimo Pacetti and Scott Andrews have both been suspended over allegations of personal misconduct.
The NDP MP said she approached Trudeau with her allegations, as well as those of her colleague, to make him aware of the behaviour of some of the men in his caucus.
But she said she never pressured him to act.
In a statement, Trudeau’s spokeswoman said given the seriousness of the allegations he had a “duty to act” and he did.
“At no time were other remedies ever raised as potential options by the other individuals in question,” spokeswoman Kate Purchase said.
The NDP MP agreed to speak with Global News on the condition of anonymity: She said she doesn’t want the allegations to define her career or her family.
She’s upset with the backlash she has received on social media and in newspapers, with some questioning the circumstances of her story.
The NDP MP is worried that backlash will discourage other women from coming forward.
“Some people for sure will be afraid of trying to come [forward] because of what’s happened,” she said.
“I don’t think it’s going to encourage you to talk and say ‘Ok, I will talk,’ [because] my life will be destroyed.”
She said she never wanted her story to become public, but chose to speak out after details of a private meeting on Parliament Hill between herself, another NDP MP and a small group from both parties were leaked to the media.
“At the beginning we wanted to keep that confidential. … We didn’t want to go to the media, we didn’t want to make, like [a] police complaint or whatever.”
The NDP MP broke her silence this week, revealing details about her alleged interactions with Pacetti. She said she went to his hotel room at 2 a.m. for a drink, and that he sat on the bed and pulled her close to him.
She produced a condom, but calls what happened sex without explicit consent.
“I froze. It was clear there was something bad, there was something not going well,” she said.
“Even if I do not say no, it’s a relation. There’s a reaction of two people.”
But the MP said she does not want to go to the police.
“I don’t need the criminal process to feel better. … I won’t feel better if that guy is in jail.”
She said she is willing to participate in an independent House of Commons investigation as long as it remains confidential.
READ MORE: NDP MP accuses Liberals of breaching privacy of misconduct victims
Both Pacetti and Andrews have maintained their innocence. In a statement, Pacetti said he was “troubled” the MP “chose to air these allegations in the media as this is inconsistent with statements conveyed through her party that privacy and fairness must be respected for both sides.”
He also called for a confidential third-party investigation.
For her part, the MP said she just wants to move on.
“I want, at some point, to be able to just turn the page and just continue my life.”Posted on by lskenazy
Hi Folks! Just got two articles on school-wide bans and the coincidence compelled me to share them. Here’s a piece about a middle school in New Jersey banning hugs, because some “unsuitable” ones had been witnessed and, said the superintendent, the schools must teach “appropriate” behavior.( Of course, the school isn’t doing that at all, since it seems to be damning appropriate hugs right along with the “unsuitable” ones.) Here’s another piece on the story.
And then there’ this piece from England about the small trend of schools banning best friends, so kids don’t get hurt if-or-when they get dumped. The comments are really wonderful there, including this one:
So, is the government also encouraging Polygamy? Because if you live in a group marriage then you won’t feel as hurt when one of your spice dumps you??
I not only love the logic, I love the idea of calling spouses spice! Appropriate hugs to you all — L.
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Filed under: Bad Laws, Rules and Verdicts, Infantilizing young folk, School and Zero Tolerance and Bullies, Uncategorized | Tagged: ban best friends, no hugging in school, school bans best friends, school hug ban, school policy, zero tolerance, zero tolerance for best friends, zero tolerance for hugs |NEWARK, N.J. -- As the Devils made preparations for their game against the Detroit Red Wings at Prudential Center on Friday, former teammate Martin Brodeur was taking the initial steps in a possible return to the NHL in his tryout with the St. Louis Blues.
Receiving an opportunity to join a Stanley Cup-contending team and having a shot at obtaining 700 career regular-season wins is something the 42-year-old goalie has been waiting for since becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Devils coach Peter DeBoer said he was glad Brodeur may be given a chance to return to the game, particularly in the Western Conference.
"I'm real excited for him," DeBoer said. "What a great opportunity. I think if you're hand picking a spot that would be right at the top of the list, it would have to be St. Louis. I'm glad it's in the other conference, but I'm happy for him."
Brodeur, the NHL's all-time leader in regular-season wins (688-394-105-71), shutouts (124) and games played (1,259), had been working out on his own while waiting for the right opportunity to join another team.
The Devils opted not to re-sign Brodeur after giving Cory Schneider a seven-year contract extension worth a reported $42 million in July.
"He has the desire to play, which is great, and has the ability, so it's good he's getting this opportunity and he must be excited," Schneider said. "I'm sure it's been a long few months for him, but it sounds like he was patient and wanted to take his time and pick his place that would work for him. Hopefully this is his place. I've always said that guys like Marty don't come along very often, so however long you can watch him play and have him a part of the League is great."
Blues starting goaltender Brian Elliott sustained a lower-body injury against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday and is considered week-to-week, leaving coach Ken Hitchcock with just one goalie with NHL experience in rookie Jake Allen. The team did recall Jordan Binnington from the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League under emergency conditions but the 21-year-old has no NHL experience.
Enter Brodeur, who was advised Wednesday by his agent Pat Brisson that the Blues had expressed interest in bringing him aboard on a tryout basis beginning Friday. The Blues are scheduled to play the Edmonton Oilers at home on Friday before traveling to play the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Brodeur told Northjersey.com that he wasn't sure if he would be traveling to Minnesota with the team. He said a decision on whether he will be signed will likely occur Tuesday before the team plays the second game of a four-game road trip against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
The Devils and the Blues are not scheduled to play again this season unless they face off in the Stanley Cup Final.
"I don't know if [no more games against the Devils] was part of it for Marty, but they are a very good team," Schneider said with a grin. "I think he'll fit in very well there and hopefully it'll add something for them."
Brodeur and Blues coach Ken Hitchcock worked together with Canada at three Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010) and for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Devils defenseman Andy Greene was glad to see Brodeur given another opportunity.
"I'm excited for him," Greene said. "He said he was going to be patient and wait to see what happens, and it's good to see him getting the chance there. He deserves it and I wish him all the best."
Greene was quick to credit Schneider for carrying the load for much of this season in New Jersey. Schneider is expected to make his 22nd start against the Red Wings on Friday.
"We're very happy with the way Cory has played for us," Greene said. "He's played exceptionally well and given us a chance to win every night. Some nights we haven't been there for him and some nights he's kept us in the game."
Devils forward Adam Henrique said Brodeur always had the desire to keep playing and close out his career on a positive note.
"To get practicing with a team and try to get back into the swing of things is great for him," Henrique said. "Who knows what will happen moving forward. Obviously [St. Louis] has an injury to one of their key goalies. It'll be good to see him back on the ice.
"The kid in him still wants to play and have fun, so hopefully it'll work out for him, and if not there hopefully somewhere else."
Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mikemorrealeNHL
Author: Mike G. Morreale | NHL.com Staff WriterENLARGE Jennifer Palmieri Photo: Associated Press.
“I know how to be a gracious loser.” Jennifer Palmieri declares in opening a Washington Post op-ed. That may be true. But Palmieri, who worked as communications director for Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential campaign, has determined not to employ such knowledge.
“I could have let it go last week when Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump’s campaign manager, challenged me to look her in the eye and say she ran a campaign that gave white supremacists a platform,” Palmieri writes. “But I decided this was a year where normal rules don’t apply.”
The exchange with Conway took place at a conference last week, hosted by Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. After hesitating “for a split second,” Palmieri replied: “It did. Kellyanne, it did.” The Post op-ed is an elaboration of that assertion—one that makes clear Palmieri learned nothing from what now appears to have been Mrs. Clinton’s worst error in an error-filled campaign.
“At Harvard,” Palmieri writes, “some on the Trump team crowed that we in the Clinton campaign and those in the press were foolish because we took Trump’s words ‘literally.’ ” That observation originated with Selana Zito, one of 2016’s best campaign journalists, in a September report for the Atlantic: “The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.”
Palmieri doesn’t buy it:
That’s right. We did. You should take a candidate for president’s words literally. You know who else took his words literally? White supremacists. The white supremacists who lauded Trump with cries of “Hail, Trump!” [David] Duke, who expressed confidence that Trump’s decision to make [Steve] Bannon his chief strategist meant Duke’s ideology would have a prominent place in the West Wing. The students who mocked Hispanic athletes with chants of “build that wall.” The man in New York City who threatened the off-duty female Muslim police officer last weekend.
That’s quite a flimsy case. Of Palmieri’s four examples, only one—the young chanters of “build the wall”—offers any support for the claim that anyone took Trump’s words literally. As for the New York incident, the anti-Trump Daily News reports that the perpetrator allegedly said: “ISIS [expletive], I will cut your throat, go back to your country!” That’s repugnant, but any connection to Trump is a matter of pure inference.
The other two examples demonstrate only that some odious characters admire Trump. That admiration is not reciprocated, at least if you follow Palmieri’s advice and take the president-elect’s words literally. He has repeatedly disavowed Duke, and when the New York Times asked him if he thought he had “energized” the “Hail Trump!” conferees, he replied: “I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group.”
Palmieri’s complaint echoes the most infamous moment of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, when she told a September LGBT for Hillary gala: “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? They’re racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic—you name it.”
CNN reports that at the Harvard conference Robby Mook, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager, acknowledged that the “deplorables” comment “definitely could have alienated some voters.” But, he said, “Hillary apologized right away after that and said that she misspoke and that she regretted the comment.”
That’s less than a half-truth. Mrs. Clinton put out a statement pointedly admitting only that “I regret saying ‘half’—that was wrong.” As we noted at the time, she didn’t even say if she thought “half” was an under- or overestimate.
But the Times reported two days after Election Day that immediately after making the “deplorables” comment, Mrs. Clinton “told one adviser that she knew she had ‘just stepped in it.’ ” She was right about that, though she might have felt—or been advised—that a real apology would not undo the damage and would risk alienating Democratic base voters such as the audience members who responded to her antagonism toward the “deplorables” with literal applause.
If Palmieri plans to continue her career in politics, she ought to study a fascinating op-ed by Diane Hessan, which the Boston Globe published last month. (CNN’s Jake Tapper cited the Hessan piece in framing the question that drew the Mook response we quoted.)
Hessan worked as a volunteer “on special assignment for the Clinton campaign.” She conducted phone interviews with 300 undecided voters in swing states, “and 250 of them agreed to stay in touch, to send me weekly diary entries about their emotions, what they were thinking about both Clinton and Trump, and how they were leaning when it came to their vote.”
Her objective was not to win them over but to understand them—to gather intelligence for the campaign to use in developing its appeals:
Last week, I reread all of my notes. There was one moment when I saw more undecided voters shift to Trump than any other, when it all changed, when voters began to speak differently about their choice. It wasn’t FBI Director James Comey, Part One or Part Two; it wasn’t Benghazi or the e-mails or Bill Clinton’s visit with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the tarmac. No, the conversation shifted the most during the weekend of Sept. 9, after Clinton said, “You can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.”
All hell broke loose.
George [a source in northeastern Pennsylvania] told me that his neighborhood was outraged, that many of his hard-working, church-going, family-loving friends resented being called that name. He told me that he looked up the word in the dictionary, and that it meant something so bad that there is no hope, like the aftermath of a tsunami. You know, he said, Clinton ended up being the biggest bully of them all. Whereas Trump bullied her, she bullied Wilkes Barre.
Palmieri closes her op-ed with this advice to the president-elect:
If Trump expects the Americans who did not vote for him to accept him as president, he needs to show that he accepts all of them as Americans. He needs to show that he understands their concerns and hears their fears.
I suggest he and his team try “hashtag ‘we are all Americans.’ ”
That’s actually not a bad idea, though the hashtag (which should be written #WeAreAllAmericans) needs work. The first-person plural pronoun is ambiguous: It could be a message of unity, or it could be one of division, implying “they are not Americans.”
The latter, after all, was Mrs. Clinton’s message in September, when she said of the so-called deplorables: “They are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.” That’s wrong. Even Americans who hold the most odious views, those whom Trump has rightly disavowed, are still Americans. We all are.
Worst Appeals to Authority
“Brian Williams: ‘Fake News Played a Role in This Election and Continues to Find a Wide Audience’ ”—video title, RealClearPolitics, Dec. 8 “Brian Williams: ‘Fake News Played a Role in This Election and Continues to Find a Wide Audience’ ”—video title, RealClearPolitics, Dec. 8
Fox Butterfield, Is That You?
“Florida wildlife data show that a record number of manatees died in 2016 after being hit by boats, even as the overall number of the beloved marine mammals increased.”—Associated Press, Dec. 8 “Florida wildlife data show that a record number of manatees died in 2016 after being hit by boats, even as the overall number of the beloved marine mammals increased.”—Associated Press, Dec. 8
We Blame George W. Bush
“Exclusive: ‘Faithless Elector’ Now Blames Mike Pence for Vote Switch”—headline, Daily Caller, Dec. 8 “Exclusive: ‘Faithless Elector’ Now Blames Mike Pence for Vote Switch”—headline, Daily Caller, Dec. 8
Stop the Presses! No, Really, Stop Them.
“Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren Contribute to a Progressive-Themed Essay Collection”—headline, AdWeek.com, Dec. 8 “Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren Contribute to a Progressive-Themed Essay Collection”—headline, AdWeek.com, Dec. 8
The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations
“Reid: Trump ‘Not as Bad as I Thought He Would Be’ ”—headline, TheHill.com, Dec. 8 “Reid: Trump ‘Not as Bad as I Thought He Would Be’ ”—headline, TheHill.com, Dec. 8
Hypothesis and Proof
“Biden Says Trump Distracted Media’s Attention to Win Election”—headline, Washington Times, Dec. 8, 2016
Washington Times, Dec. 8, 2016 “Bobby Jindal: Donald Trump ‘Looks Like He’s Got a Squirrel’ on His Head”—headline, CBSNews.com, Sept. 10, 2015
He Was as Tall as a 6-Foot-3-Inch Tree
“Chris Cuomo Sneers: Climate Change Skepticism Like Opposing Interracial Marriage”—headline, NewsBusters.org, Dec. 8 “Chris Cuomo Sneers: Climate Change Skepticism Like Opposing Interracial Marriage”—headline, NewsBusters.org, Dec. 8
Problem and Solution—I
“Terry McAuliffe Says His Pet Chicken Named Hillary Died Right Before Election”—headline, Washington Examiner, Dec. 8
Washington Examiner, Dec. 8 “Megyn Kelly Smokes Hillary Clinton as a ‘Chicken’ Because of WikiLeaks Story That’s Too Hot to Handle”—headline, IJR.com, Nov. 5
Problem and Solution—II
“Hillsboro Ice Rink Closed Due to Threat of Ice”—headline, Hillsboro (Ore.) Tribune, Dec. 8 “Hillsboro Ice Rink Closed Due to Threat of Ice”—headline, Hillsboro (Ore.) Tribune, Dec. 8
Inherit the Wind
“Report: Costly Wind Turbines Projected to Yield $1.39 in Daily Savings”—headline, FoxNews.com, Dec. 8 “Report: Costly Wind Turbines Projected to Yield $1.39 in Daily Savings”—headline, FoxNews.com, Dec. 8
Question and Answer—I
“See Why an Aide to Hillary Clinton Told Her, ‘You Shake Your Tail Feathers Girl!’ ”—headline, Washington Post website, July 31, 2015
Washington Post website, July 31, 2015 “Scientists Find Feathered Dinosaur Fossil Trapped in Amber”—headline, The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 9
Question and Answer—II
“Who Needs Canada?”—headline, Animation Guild Blog, July 13, 2013
Animation Guild Blog, July 13, 2013 “Biden: The World Needs Canada ‘Very, Very Badly’ Right Now”—headline, Politico.com, Dec. 9
Question and Answer—III
“In the Age of Drones, Who Owns the Sky?”—headline, Epoch Times, June 25, 2015
Epoch Times, June 25, 2015 “Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox to Buy All of Europe’s Sky”—headline, Associated Press, Dec. 9
Look Out Below!
“Jewish Groups Gather 1 Million Signatures to ‘Drop Bannon’ ”—headline, Times of Israel, Dec. 8 “Jewish Groups Gather 1 Million Signatures to ‘Drop Bannon’ ”—headline, Times of Israel, Dec. 8
It’s Always in the Last Place You Look
“Virginia Congressman Visits Trump Tower in Search of Navy Post”—headline, Washington Post, Dec. 9 “Virginia Congressman Visits Trump Tower in Search of Navy Post”—headline, Washington Post, Dec. 9
Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control
“Amid social, political and environmental tumult around the world, the Pantone Color Institute on Thursday plucked fresh and zesty ‘greenery’ as the color of the year for 2017.”—Leanne Itale, Associated Press, Dec. 8 “Amid social, political and environmental tumult around the world, the Pantone Color Institute on Thursday plucked fresh and zesty ‘greenery’ as the color of the year for 2017.”—Leanne Itale, Associated Press, Dec. 8
Breaking News From 2036
“Renault Prepares to Unleash Its First Alpine Sports Coupe in Two Decades”—headline, Yahoo! Tech, Dec. 8 “Renault Prepares to Unleash Its First Alpine Sports Coupe in Two Decades”—headline, Yahoo! Tech, Dec. 8
Secretary Oops
From a Wall Street Journal report on President-elect Trump’s transition process: From a Wall Street Journal report on President-elect Trump’s transition process:
Illustrating the difference a successful interview makes, Mr. Trump came away impressed after a session in New York last month with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is now considered the leading candidate to head the Energy Department. Advisers to both men said the meeting lasted longer than expected.
It reminds us of the best moment (or, from Perry’s standpoint, the worst) of his short-lived 2012 campaign for president, when he said in a November 2011 debate:
And I will tell you, it’s three agencies of government, when I get there, that are gone: Commerce, Education and the—what’s the third one there—let’s see. Oh, five. OK. OK. So Commerce, Education and—the—[pause]—EPA. There you go. No, sir. No, sir. We were talking about the agencies of government—EPA needs to be rebuilt. There’s no doubt about that. The third agency of government. I would do away with the Education, the Commerce and—let’s see—I can’t. The third one, I can’t. Sorry. Oops.
If he’s appointed, maybe he’ll eliminate the department just by forgetting about it.Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
Normally, I love America’s cute Southern drawl. Normally, sweet old ladies who generously bake apple pies for their friends are entirely inoffensive to me. But Tree Trunks can die alone in a forest somewhere in the Land of Ooo and it’d be her best appearance in an episode of Adventure Time.
Tree Trunks is a tiny, yellowish-greenish elderly elephant who lives near the forests in the Candy Kingdom. She tends to her garden of apples, making apparently-delicious apple pies for her friends.
When we first meet Tree Trunks during her more minor roles at the start of Adventure Time, she seems like an unassuming character. She’s kind of slow moving and she definitely lives in her own world, but she’s kind enough. Who could hate a little old lady who frequently bakes Candy Kingdom-renowned apple pies for her buds Finn and Jake? Right?
Me. I hate her. I’m the one. And I don’t feel the slightest bit bad about it. Tree Trunks is oblivious at best, selfish and frankly gross at worst.
In her first major episode, “Tree Trunks,” she gets Finn and Jake caught in an increasingly dangerous situation thanks to her complete disregard of them and their efforts to protect her. And the only thing she ever feels bad about is how she might be perceived, or how she feels in relation to how Finn and Jake’s troubles involve her.
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Before all this, we see moments of her true character coming through in various episodes. Finn and Jake are horsing around in Tree Trunks’ backyard when she invites them in for some freshly-baked apple pie.
What a sweet-looking lady, right?
Not 30 seconds later we see her entirely aggressive reaction to a fly landing on her pie. Now, you are probably thinking, “But it’s just a fly! Surely this is a familiar occasion that years of baking pies and living in the goddamn forest full of other suchs bugs and creatures would have prepared her for.” What a right observation you’ve made! But, nah.
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Look at it. Look at those motions towards violence her flung-up arms are presenting. Look at those angry wrinkles on her forehead, her mouth agape in voicing her rage. It’s a fly, Tree Trunks. Calm yourself.
The invasion of the fly who acts in its nature is so jarring to her, in fact, that she’s almost possessed by her disturbance.
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I mean…
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I’m terrified.
And then she goes and wastes a perfectly good pie for one point of contamination.
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Those boys do not care one bit about some tiny hairs on the tiny legs of a tiny housefly landing in a tiny little perimeter of your apple pie. And, even if they were, they could cut around it like I would.
Tree Trunks, do you know how many people would fight in a gladiatorial stadium against their own family members for that pie? Do you know how hungry people are out there? Do you ever turn on the news?
Anyway she manages to convince Finn and Jake to take her on a dangerous adventure to find the “apple of apples” to make the best apple pie ever. Not a bad deal for anyone involved, but it did kind of play out like she manipulated Finn and Jake into being her bodyguards for this thing, but, whatever, they do generally enjoy adventures at least.
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Now, I’m fully aware that Tree Trunks is at the mercy of her old age and her likely waning mental clarity. But her complete lack of awareness and understanding and listening skills are still annoying.
Here she is, in the midst of the dark forest, acting like she knows anything when she almost got eaten by a wall of flesh. (Yes, a wall of flesh. Adventure Time is weird.)
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She proceeds to wander off, continue to act an oblivious fool, and get Finn beaten to shit while he tries to protect her from all the dangers she keeps walking straight into.
And when poor Finn—with his jacked-up, black and blue face—laments the position he got stuck in, her only reaction is a selfish one. “Are you mad at me?” She widens her eyes into a glistening, puppy-dog demeanor and Finn’s guilt overrides his pain. Because Finn has empathy and Tree Trunks happily—and, sure, maybe unknowingly—takes advantage of that.
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Wonderfully, Tree Trunks also has a large ego. And many of us have seen how a combination of ego and a lack of empathy play out—it’s generally pretty ugly and involves their personality running rampant at the expense of others’ well being. While Finn takes on yet another monster, Tree Trunks throws some makeup on and goes against Jake’s directives to stay put.
Oh, yeah, cause that’s gonna work. Have you looked in a mirror Tree Trunks? I hear YouTube has some great makeup tutorials. Just saying: Tree Trunks doesn’t know shit.
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(Actually, based on evidence presented in the show and completely not based on my own personal opinion of her, Tree Trunks does seem to have some effective wiles about her. Though for the record I have no idea why or what people see in her.)
At the end of all this, Tree Trunks becomes a crystal-possessed, evil ruler of the Crystal Dimension and tries to crystalize Finn to force him to rule with her. When she comes to after Finn and Jake rescue her from his crystal-minded prison, she confesses she “likes” Finn. Let’s all remember that she’s an old lady and Finn is a teenager. Not just weird but illegal, too, though I confess to not knowing much about the laws of the Candy Kingdom.
Next, in “Apple Thief,” Tree Trunks is so consumed by her own priorities of finding whoever stole her apples that even when she finds Raggedy princess in a fucking ditch in her front yard after being knocked down there by some “ne’er-do-wells,” all she continues to care about is that maybe they were the same people who stole her apples and oh god her apples. Who cares that this woman was just attacked when there are apples to be reclaimed?! Vengeance will be Tree Trunks’!
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In “Dream of Love,” Tree Trunks falls in love with Mr. Pig, the character she was introduced to in “Apple Thief.” Love is a wonderful thing, but excessive PDA is not, especially when the people around you are explicitly asking for you to stop grossing them out. In fact, they bother the attendees of Princess Bubblegum’s party/concert so much that Cinnamon Bun calls the whole thing off.
And not only that, but Tree Trunks has the nerve to ask Princess Bubblegum to perform a song specifically for them, to dance “cheek-to-cheek” to, after they’ve ruined the whole party for everyone else.
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When Finn suggests they need to hide their affection to not make the whole world throw up, they decide the best option is not to hole up in their house like a normal couple does when they’re in the new-couple stage of not being able to keep their hands off each other. Nope, they decide to try to “hide” all around the Candy Kingdom, even going so
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That’s all you need to know.”
Soon, he asked me to buy another round of drinks. Apparently, our SAS friend was a little strapped for cash.
“Buy your own fucking drink.”
Perhaps the most popular issue among veterans on social media and various military-themed websites is stolen valor. You know, those sad, pathetic pukes who throw on medals and pretend to be soldiers. That SAS poser in Prague is a good example. We all delight in exposing these frauds for what they are. We like to examine their photographs on Facebook and use our keen military insider knowledge of AR-670-1 to critique what is wrong with their uniforms. Then we like to continuously point out how stupid these people are.
But it doesn’t stop there. Not to be deterred in our search for the faux soldiers and with our insatiable desire to expose stolen-valor cases—we always need fresh meat for the grinder—we start turning on each other. Veterans are in such a hurry to “out” people they suspect of stolen valor, they take to social media and accuse real veterans of being fakers. We’ve seen this happen over and over again where veterans jump the gun, acting like keyboard commandos suffering from small-penis syndrome.
I actually respect many of the websites and individuals out there who expose stolen valor. Military frauds can do real damage to people. Using fraudulent credentials, they get hired for jobs they are not qualified for. Some of them lure in unsuspecting women with their fake war stories. Their stupidity in public can make actual veterans look like idiots. Some of these fakers even collect money for their fake military charities for personal enrichment. These are perfectly good reasons to call bullshit on the bullshitters.
What I find disturbing is that many veterans seem to have nothing better to do than troll the Internet looking for stolen valor. When they don’t find it, they find legitimate veterans that they have an issue with and start attacking them. As one friend told me, “We don’t have a war to fight anymore, so it is like we fight each other instead.” Take, for instance, the pissing contest between Michael Hawke and Joe Teti. Ultimately, this fight isn’t about stolen valor, it is about a perceived loss of business opportunities in the entertainment industry. Stolen valor is just the window dressing, but the public doesn’t know that.
Eating our own is something we do very well, especially in the Special Operations community.
At the end of the day, I give not a single fuck about stolen valor. As the editor-in-chief of SOFREP, I made a deliberate editorial decision that we would talk about the issue of stolen valor only occasionally, and only when warranted. Call me crazy, but I think that the conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq are a little more important.
What actual American soldiers are doing is much more important. I think writing about what our friends in Denmark’s Jaeger Corps, Poland’s GROM, and Australia’s Commandos are doing in the War on Terror is a bit more important than some goofy asshole who throws on some Special Forces patches on his jacket.
Do you know why I don’t care about stolen valor?
Because I have a life. You could work 24/7 trying to track down stolen-valor cases; that is how prolific these clowns are. The question you have to ask yourself is, is it worth your effort? Don’t you have professional and personal goals to meet in life? If I spend all my time writing about stolen valor, do you know what I’m not writing about? Real soldiers. I’ll be damned if I’m going to write about fake soldiers when I can write about real ones—some of them quite heroic.
The fake CIA-SEALs like Jamie Smith can say whatever they like, but it won’t take away a single thing that I, or any of my teammates, accomplished during our military service. Our actions speak a hell of a lot louder than the bullshit on the Internet.Stream Basement’s Promise Everything
Basement has provided us with a stream for their new LP ‘Promise Everything’, out on January 29th on Run For Cover Records. The record explores through its 10 tracks a further display of their alternative and grungy energetic sound, while allowing the band for a more thorough exploration of melodies.You can make an opinion for youself by listening to it below - but I must say I am once again pleased with the growth of this band.
My favorite tracks so far : apart from previously released Aquasun and Oversized, I particularly love Brothers Keeper, Hanging Around, For You The Moon and the wonderful album closer Halo. What are yours?
Thanks to noisey for the stream and a nice interview of Alex by Emma Garland.The Law Society of Upper Canada voted 35 to 9 at a meeting Thursday in favour of capping fees, rejecting a proposal to ban them outright.
Ontario lawyers will no longer be able to take sky-high fees when they refer clients to other lawyers and they can no longer advertise for services they don’t intend to provide.
Details of the cap have yet to be hammered out — they could be ready by April — but the working group’s recommendations suggest that referral fees be dramatically reduced, possibly to a maximum of 5 per cent to 10 per cent, and made transparent. Clients would have to consent in writing to a fee, be given a choice of lawyers to represent them and be able to decline the referral.
The law society will also prohibit lawyers from using “bait and switch marketing” — that is, attracting potential clients with services, prices or terms different from those ultimately provided. While the meeting did not single out a particular type of lawyer, the new policies will most often apply to personal injury lawyers.
The meeting, made up of lawyers who are elected “benchers,” also accepted recommendations released earlier this week by the law society’s Advertising & Fee Arrangements Issues Working Group that will give lawyers clearer guidance on what type of marketing breaks the rules — such as citing paid-for awards that are not genuine indicators of quality, or using “sexually offensive” marketing material to lure clients.
He said regulation and capping of fees, rather than an outright ban, could allow for “innovative and useful services to emerge and evolve.”
Malcolm Mercer, chair of the law society working group, said Thursday’s policy changes mean that “injured people in Ontario will be better protected by ensuring they have the information to make the choices that are in their interest.”
Thursday’s vote comes on the heels of a Star investigation into the referral fee and marketing practices of Ontario’s personal injury lawyers.
In one story, the Star looked at law firm Diamond & Diamond and found that for many years it has been attracting thousands of would-be clients and then referring cases out to other lawyers in return for sometimes hefty referral fees. Along the way, the firm’s marketing, which has included women in tight T-shirts and ads above urinals at the Air Canada Centre, has raised the ire of the law society, clients and some lawyers. Diamond & Diamond maintains it has a growing number of lawyers working on cases at the firm, but would not say how many cases are referred out.
In another story, the Star showed that the world of personal injury advertising is like a “wild west,” with many lawyers apparently breaking rules designed to prevent false and misleading marketing. The Star found that more than two dozen Ontario personal injury law firms described themselves as the “best” or “No. 1.”
The Star also found that for years, lawyers working on contingency for accident victims — “you don’t pay unless we win” — have been “double dipping,” taking more money from their clients than the law allows. As a result, the Star story said, many Ontario residents have been overcharged thousands of dollars and likely do not know it.
The vote at the law society’s Thursday meeting, a monthly event called Convocation, did not address concerns about contingency fee agreements, but the working group continues to explore that issue.
Some critics of the policy changes the law society voted to adopt say that referral fees and misleading advertising are symptoms of larger issues with the contingent fee system, which could only be changed through legislation.
Some also argue that the new policy changes won’t put an end to so-called brokerage houses — firms that draw in clients with flashy ads only to refer them out for a fee to lawyers at different firms, often without the client’s consent. Those types of firms will find a workaround by restructuring or charging fees elsewhere, they say.
Hearty debate about whether to ban or cap referral fees filled a law society boardroom prior to the vote. Those in favour of a cap suggested referral fees are in the public interest because they ensure lawyers don’t keep cases they are not competent to work on. Others, such as lawyer Michael Lerner, said that referring out cases is part of a lawyer’s professional obligations and he finds such fees offensive.
“I have a great deal of difficulty paying someone for doing the right thing,” Lerner said.
In a written statement to the Star, Adam Wagman, president of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, called the new policy changes “a clear step in the right direction,” but said he hopes the new rules come with a commitment to increased enforcement.
Paul Harte, past president of the association, which represents about 1,600 personal injury lawyers, clerks and staff, said that the current rules regarding advertising were sufficient and adding guidance may not achieve compliance.
Law society rules state that advertising for lawyers’ services must be “demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable” and cannot be “misleading, confusing or deceptive.” Marketing must also be “in the best interests of the public” and “consistent with a high standard of professionalism.”
Cracking down on bad behaviour is key to curbing the use of misleading advertising, Harte said.
“If you want to deter behaviour. there have to be consequences to rule-breaking. Someone needs to be disciplined.”
When asked about enforcement, Mercer said the law society is currently investigating about 90 cases of advertising and referral fee complaints involving lawyers from various firms across Ontario.
He also said that Convocation deals with policy, not prosecution, and “it’s not for us as policy-makers … to comment on those issues.”Image credit: SpaceX
Hesitations have been edited out for readability’s sake, unless they are contextually useful. Words that I was unable to hear are marked within square brackets: […]. Any words I’m unsure about are also in [square brackets]. My comments are in {Curly braces}. Emphasis is mine. This is the transcript taken from the below recording, with times added above each speaker.
{The first question Musk answers is not included in the recording.}
00:00
Musk:
Any [enterprise you can imagine] on Mars, things that are, we [take for granted] on Earth as well as things that [won’t exist anywhere] but Mars, so we’re [like the Union Pacific] so, our goal is to get people there, we’ll need to construct the initial propellant plant to produce [much] propellant on Mars, and so the initial, [obviously] the Mars spaceport and the sort of the beginnings of [a key] central element [of] a Mars base and then thereafter, um, and we definitely wanna make sure we [don’t infringe] upon the opportunities that people may have to create things on Mars, and if [people thought that] SpaceX is just gonna do that then they [they’ll] be less willing to do it so [we’re really] trying to create a conduit to Mars to enable people to do an incredible [number of] things there.. [And just like how the Union Pacific, sort of, made California really,] um, we’d like to have it be that way for Mars. I think there is, um, like I say I’m not too worried about safety on the way there from radiation, I think that’s basically is {Gets cut off by question}
01:26
Question Asker 1:
[Well not just] radiation but also micro-gravity, and the life support systems. Is that also [included] in the Architecture […]?
01:34
Musk:
Yeah yeah, I think those are essentially solved problems, we’ve been able to have astronauts on orbit for well over a year and this is a three month [journey, so] really I think that’s more or less a solved problem, you could do it in a more [mass efficient ways], it’s not a [fundamentally] new technology [keeping people alive] in space. I would say that’s fairly straightforward. I’d say the challenge really is getting there, and the huge challenge is making it something - [making the cost such that] enough people [can afford to go] to make it a self sustaining civilisation, that’s the [monumental] challenge.
02:26
Question Asker 2 (Reuters):
Thanks for coming over here, I wanted to ask you first about if funding this mission would affect any of [your holdings … and in other words as you tap out other assets to fund this] and if you could clarify a little bit about [the] time to get to Mars, I think I heard you say 90 days but [for this flight]? Thanks.
02:50
Musk:
Well I mean the [interplanetary transit] time is pretty straightforward, it just depends on your departure velocity [from Earth], the synchronisation event only occurs [every] [26] months, [so] every 26 months there’s approximately a 6 month window [where] you can do a Mars transit, which kinda makes sense because Mars has, takes [… {22.5}] months to go around the Sun, and you can basically transit to Mars when you’re in the right quadrant, you can’t go [when] it’s on the other side of the Sun, and the faster you exit Earth the quicker you can got to Mars so the low energy transition to Mars, or transit to Mars would be [6 to 7] months, that would be [dV/maybe] 4.5km/s departure velocity, at 6km/s you can drop that down to, so roughly 3 months, and over time I expect that number will come down to [perhaps] under a month, although the amount of [kinetic] energy you need to do that, and to then [obviously] high energy [aero]breaking is substantial so I […] [any service to Mars] […] quite energy expensive.
04:12
Question Asker 2 (Reuters):
Thanks, and then [finally] your personal investment in this, and you’re chairman Tesla, SolarCity what do you [tap out] if anything [to fund it]?
04:22
Musk:
I can’t comment on public company […] because you know the [consequences] of that would be quite severe, […] at some point in the future, not immediately, the reason that I’m accumulating personal assets in order to fund [humanity] becoming a multiplanetary species. [There’s some other] things I’m funding as well, […] healthcare, environmental issues, and education but, um, I mean AI [safety], but really the primary [thing], the thing that will [absorb almost all our] resources is the [establishment] of a [self-sustaining civilisation] on Mars. I have no reason to [accumulate] resources beyond that, [in fact].
05:12
Musk (or Moderator):
Can I ask everyone to [limit it] to one question, Than you.
05:15
Question Asker 3 (BBC):
{Even as a Brit this question was really confusing}
One question, […] of the BBC, see [you are plotting] to go, you talk about your timeline [launching] to Mars into early 2020, are you going to launch any sort of website where [each can] come and register, maybe like one of Mars[One] you know [it’s really interest] so [if it then doesn’t happen] so [people think “Oh I can’t do anything” they can get really] engaged?
05:44
Musk:
I think when we get closer to actually sending people to Mars, [we’re gonna wanna, we’ll try to get] some sense of what the demand level is, and you know people could [perhaps] put down a small down-payment on a trip to Mars, but we want to get pretty close to the actual trips and be highly confident that we [can meet cost targets] within [a reasonable] the time-frame before we would do that, certainly [maybe] two or three years before an expected launch [date].
06:21
Question Asker 3 (BBC):
{Asks to clarify the last sentence of Musk’s response}
06:31
Musk:
Basically two or three years before an expected launch. We wanna make sure we know what it actually is going to cost and the time [certainly] a year or two [before] taking, accepting advance orders.
06:48
Question Asker 4:
Can you talk a little bit more about the cryogenic on-orbit refuelling, [what’re] the technical challenges with that and do you have plans to [fly with] that in the future?
07:13
Musk:
On-orbit refuelling essentially it's about having two spacecraft, yeah, ahem, dock, mate and exchange fluids (there's certainly a joke in there somewhere). [But we’ve] already docked with the space station, and [well technically it’s called berthing,] but it’ll be an autonomous docking, probably an autonomous docking capability around the end of next year, and so having fully autonomous docking capability basically gives you on-orbit [refilling]. [When I say ] refuelling… I use the word refilling because there’s 3 and a half times as much oxygen as there is fuel and the [oxygen fuel ratio is 3.5 to 1 so really it’s] reoxing {sic} [rather than] refuelling, that’s actually what it amounts to. Actually I think that’s going to be a relatively straightforward element, if we can dock with the space station which is a very complex docking manoeuvre, the [NASA requirements] are quite severe for space docking, then having two spacecraft dock in orbit is not too much of a problem.
08:30
Question Asker 5 (PBS):
What’re the obstacles you can’t control that you need to be able to overcome to accomplish this goal?
08:38
Musk:
[Stuff] that I can’t control? Well I guess there’s always space [and fortune]. Really the pace of progress on Mars depends on the pace of progress of SpaceX to [what degree do we] achieve a good launch [rate], our success rate with Falcon 9 is roughly 93%, it’s not out of [family] with some other launch vehicles, but it needs to be a lot better, and we, the Falcon Heavy the launch timeline, [Dragon 2], and make sure that we [manage the company such that we’ve got sufficient cashflow to] fund [Mars properly], and of course I will [supplement that] personally. [And I think there may be other] individuals who are willing to do that, and [conceivably at] some point in there future there may be a – well I have no idea if there will be but there might be a NASA [COTS] programme, or something like that. […]necessary really, this is ultimately about maximising probability that the future is good and minimising existential risk, so I think [whatever means] increases that probability is good. So I [don’t see any] fundamental [technical] obstacles to what we’ve proposed […] [a lot of hard engineering though]
10:30
Question Asker 6:
[….] You propose a manned mission to Mars could arrive in 2025, is that still [your plan] and would it be on the Falcon Heavy rocket or on the New Rocket that you’ve presented today and then how [fast will you build up to that vision] of having 100 people [fly] to Mars?
10:58
Musk:
For sending people to Mars [it] definitely would be Interplanetary Transport System would be what we’d send people with, it could technically be done with a bunch of Falcon Heavy launches but you really wouldn’t want to travel to Mars in a Dragon, the interior volume is roughly equivalent to that of a large car, so 3 months is a long time to spend on a car, and we [really] need to transport a lot of equipment there. So the first mission with people on it would [be with sort of] the Heart of Gold Spaceship, so from a [time-based] standpoint we aspire to launch in late 2024 with an arrival in 2025, but that’s optimistic [so I would stress] that that’s aspiration and within the realm of possibility, but a lot of things need to go right. That said I don’t think [we’ll be significantly] beyond that [if it should go later].
12:22
Question Asker 7 (Washington Post):
Leading up to today there was a lot of anticipation and then after the September 1st failure you started hearing concerns about saying you should be focused on Falcon 9 and commercial crew and getting astronauts to LEO and the station {ISS} […] coming up. I wonder if you could address those and what your response is to all that?
12:48
Musk:
I haven’t actually […]… I mean, less that 5% of SpaceX’s resources are working on the Interplanetary Transport System, so it is very much a secondary or tertiary priority to [ascertaining] exactly what happened on the last mission {AMOS6}, last [...] flight, or almost flight, the most taxing and difficult thing, um yeah. It would be incorrect to say it’s anything other than our absolute top priority to understand exactly what went wrong there and what we can do to prevent anything like that in the future. [We’ve] eliminated all the obvious possibilities for what occurred there so what remains are the less probable answers. But anyway this is the [small things] on a long road. There will probably be other failures in the future, and we’ve not lost a single contract as a result of the it, people in the launch business understand that is something happens. With SpaceX it gets, I dunno, 100 times more press than if another rocket fails. Maybe 1000. And so the public tends to think only our rocket fails but actually lots of rockets fail.
14:27
Question Asker 8 (New York Times):
[I believe you gave that you have to have] $10Billion [and I was wondering what] that includes [, does it include a Mars port?] And could you describe what sort of public private [partnerships] you’re envisioning to help pay for it, or are you hoping for a NASA contract?
14:44
Musk:
Um yeah, when I founded SpaceX I had no expectation of any government contracts, I [founded] SpaceX with entirely my own money, [out of] $180 Million from the sale of PayPal to Ebay, [of which] $100 Million went into SpaceX, $70 Million to Tesla, $10 Million to SolarCity, [so] everything actually but uh; I expected the most likely outcome was failure, although I should say originally I thought I would only spend [$50Million] on SpaceX and have $20 Million left over but then [I couldn’t let my baby die] so I put all in. The I… [A common criticism is that somehow I’m after the government’s money] by various arseholes out there, really, so… NASA is our most significant customer, we do about [20 of our launches] but 3/4 of our launches are commercial. In the future, there may be a NASA contract, there may not be, I don’t know. If there is that’s a good thing, if there’s not probably not a good thing, because there’s larger issues than space here, are we humans gonna become a multiplanetary species or not? Not [pedestrian] questions of is it public or private or what the percentage [is. These are] small and [tawdry] questions.
16:37
Question Asker 9 (Aviation Week):
We haven’t heard much from [your side] about the near-term missions to Mars you’re working on, using the Dragon 2 or Red Dragon […] I wonder if you could walk us through what you hope to accomplish with these missions? How in [the …] you expect I guess one per planetary opportunity and wether, um, you know if you’ll make payload space available to NASA or other [companies/countries]?
17:09
Musk:
Really we wanna use Dragon, Dragon 2 to be a pathfinder, if it’s anything to go by. We need to sort out interplanetary navigation, [deep space] communication [at] high bandwidth, uh, there’s currently no high-bandwidth deep-space communication system, and then entering the Mars atmosphere, and landing. What’s landing like if you’re heavy - I mean, Dragon will be about 10 times heavier than anything that’s landed on Mars before, and it will land with thrusters close to the surface. So with Curiosity they [really were concerned about having thrusters close to the surface, which is why they used] this sort of hovering thing, there’s no way to do that with a giant Spaceship. [There’s key questions like] if you’re coming in hot and fast, then you ou dig a big hole in the ground. What kind of dust and rocks do you throw up? The Mars [surface is actually] pretty hard, how well does it hold up to rocket blasts? [They’re all tough] questions. I wouldn’t give the first Dragon landing high odds, maybe [50%], maybe 50%. The history of landing on Mars is not a good one, [actually for] those familiar with Mars. So for a first timer I’d say pretty good - [if we have] a 50% likelihood I’d say that’s pretty good. We’re just [gotta think about] all the issues, sending them on every opportunity, maybe sending 2 in 2020 and then also we wanna find out what’s the easiest way to get water - because water’s [useful] for doing the [local] propellant production. Carbon Dioxide is easy, it’s in the atmosphere. So we’re looking to make sure the dust filters, you can clean the dust filters [but getting the CO 2 should be easy]. Getting the water, much harder. There’s ice all over Mars, but in what form, how dirty is the ice, how much energy do you need to use to extract the water, because there’s only a small water percentage per unit mass of the regolith, you’re [gonna use] more energy to heat it, to purify it so how to [deal with … is one of the biggest issues.]
20:00
Question Asker 10:
I noticed on […] options list there there was no mention of Satellites, you’ve spoken before about a SpaceX satellite constellation that might provide revenue, a cash flow for this or other missions. Is that still part of the SpaceX plan?
20:17
Musk:
[We] have some ideas about a satellite constellation but now’s not the time to talk about them I think [we’ll reserve that] for a future event. There’s certainly a lot of opportunity there, [they’ll certainly] be very helpful in funding a Mars [city].
20:40
Question Asker 11 (National Geographic):
I was wondering about the Planetary Protection aspect of sending spacecraft to Mars and putting Humans on Mars and if this is something you’ve though about; if so, what issues do you consider […] question [and] do you have any potential solutions?
21:00
Musk:
We’ve really not seen any sign of surface life on Mars, there’s clearly nothing on the surface of Mars. There may be subterranean [chemotrophic] bacteria, I suspect they’re pretty hardy and there’s not much we could do to take them out even if we wanted to. So that’s what we’re really talking about in terms of planetary protection. The planet we should be concerned protecting is Earth - that's where life exists as we know it, in abundance. [To a certain extent] we are life's [agents], we can bring life as we know it and breathe life into Mars where it [doesn't exist] today, and ensure that if there is some kind of cataclysmic event on Earth that life as we know it continues to exist.
22:03
Question Asker 12:
{Start of question is hard to get} […] Why focus on developing new technologies to make us multiplanetary rather than developing technologies that can help us save the Earth?
22:20
Musk:
Well you know I do have another day job… Tesla is doing electric [cars and] solar power, [I think] important part of making Earth’s future good, we have to have sustainable energy generation, energy consumption, and the one thing I forgot to mention actually [is the fact] that we’re going to use solar power on Mars to create fuel and oxygen, that same [thing] in the long [term] could be extended to Earth, where we can actually extract CO 2 from the atmosphere, combine it with water and [bind] it to form CH 4 O 2, so in the long term it could be equally sustainable fuel source on Earth as well.
23:12
Question Asker 13:
We’re [just] beginning to talk [to] possibly growing plants on Mars if you were to change the atmosphere, you didn’t get into that any further, is that a separate track of research you’re working on, [could you] take that a little bit further?
23:23
Musk:
You mean the Mars Oasis thing or… Sorry [what’s your question?]
23:28
Question Asker 13:
You think you could [raise the pressure] on Mars or?
23:31
Musk:
Yeah yes, absolutely. In the long term if you warm the planet up there’s a lot of carbon dioxide and ice on Mars, so um if you warm the planet up you actually create oceans, there [used to be] oceans on Mars, [but] it got too cold, and then over a [billion] years a large part of the atmosphere kind of was blown away by the solar wind, but that happens over timescales of hundreds of millions [or] billions of years, so if you warm the planet up you will densify the atmosphere, and just with atmosphere [densification] and um, there may need to be protection, there may not need to be protection, you could grow plants on the surface of Mars. You can basically terraform Mars to make it an Earthlike planet.
24:23
Question Asker 13:
[So do yo have] the intention to terraform Mars and what the method is for that?
24:29
Musk:
Terraforming […] will take place over a long period of time, and I think ultimately would be the decision of the people of Mars. We need to get there in the first place, [worry about] getting there in the first place. [Otherwise it’s a little academic]
24:47
Question Asker 14 (Netflix Originals){Sic}
Talk to me about getting there in the first place. Can you talk about some of the short-term concrete benefits of sending people to Mars in the near future?
25:03
Musk:
Well the larger point is creating a self-sustaining civilisation on Mars to provide insurance for life as a whole, life as we know it, [we’re] backing up the biosphere, it really is the decision as to whether or not we want to become a multi-planet species, a spacefaring civilisation or not, some people think [it’s fine] to stay on Earth forever […] but I think the future where we are a spacefaring civilisation and out there amongst the stars is infinitely more exciting and inspiring than one where we are not. Basically I think you have to [hate] humanity if you don’t like that future.
25:48
Question Asker 14:
What’re the implications of not going?
25:50
Musk:
Well, being confined to one planet until [an] eventual extinction event.
29:08
Question Asker 15 (Thomas Schumann, Scienceblog.dk):
I just came here now […] launch capability on the booster
26:24
Musk:
I did not understand your question
26:26
Question Asker 15 (Thomas Schumann, Scienceblog.dk):
Launch Abort {capability on the booster}
26:29
Musk:
{Note, this answer is clearer because of an altenate recording}
Oh launch abort, the spacecraft itself is capable of aborting from the booster, the erm… Launch abort on the spaceship itself is kinda pointless, if you’re on Mars you’re taking off or you’re not taking off. You know, parachutes don’t work too well and [you can’t have] some standard abort system, and just how do you abort 100 people it’s just not feasible, the key is to make the spaceship itself extremely safe and reliable, and have redundancy in the engines, high safety margins and have [it be] well tested. Much like a commercial airliner. Like they don’t give you parachutes.
27:22
Question Asker 15 (Thomas Schumann, Scienceblog.dk):
But you’re saying the vehicle itself would be able to separate from the booster?
27:24
Musk:
Yeah, the spaceship could separate from the booster and fly away from the booster if there’s a problem at the booster level.
27:32
Question Asker 16:
I dunno if anyone’s asked you this question before but what kind of data are you getting from and sending to NASA and the other space agencies, in regards to this new, bold plan to colonise Mars?
27:54
Musk:
Well we’re in constant communication with NASA particularly since we work with them on many levels, [I] provided part of the presentation today to some of the NASA senior management ahead of time, [we] only really finished the presentation early this morning so you’re seeing it fresh.
28:17
Question Asker 17:
{Very clipped audio, not much of this was understandable}
I SpaceX trying to […] Mexico? Mexico […] Is Mexico part for this great plan to go to Mars?
28:48
Musk:
Because of ITAR constraints it’s quite hard for us to do manufacturing or source components from outside the US, whereas this is different for Tesla. [It has nothing to do with] some sort of desire to only source things from the US on the part of SpaceX, because rockets are considered advanced weapons technology it’s very difficult for us to make it more international. We’d like to but we can’t, that’s against the law. Tesla is much more international because it is not against the law.
29:26
Question Asker 18:
I have a question about shielding technology, as you know in space [there are a lot of micro-dust], fragments of meteorites and stones and a large piece could damage the ship so I want to ask you about the [status] of shielding technology and how you plan to [apply] it to the ship
29:54
Musk:
Yeah I […] shield, so a Dragon has impact shielding as well as thermal shielding and we’d have shielding as well on the spaceship. The other value is scale of the spaceship that the walls will be so strong that actually they could resist a lot of micrometeorite impact by themselves, but [it’s] something that we understand quite well and something that we have on our Dragon spacecraft. It’s not [something] that’s a problem in deep space or on Mars, it’s just something that tends to be a problem [at] certain altitudes on Earth orbit.
30:37
Question Asker 18:
So are there plans to create any [energy] shields […]
30:39
Random Audience Member
Noooooo
30:42
Musk:
Energy shields?! Uh
30:44
Question Asker 18:
Like the ship is protected by a [thick] wall, you put material in the ship that are strong enough to contain any damage from the microfragments
30:51
Musk:
Yeah yeah
30:54
Question Asker 18:
So what about energy shields, are you planning to…
30:56
Musk:
Well maybe you’re referring to having a big sort-of electromagnetic [field] around the ship, that’s not going to be very helpful against micrometeorites but it could be helpful [if you have a big enough field] for alpha particles from the sun or any kind of high energy charged particle, if you have a big enough field [should deflect that]. [So that could be] useful in the future.
31:25
Question Asker 19 (SpaceFlight Now):
So we noticed that [now you have it looks like] you have like three grid-fins, three landing legs, can you talk a little bit about that design change, why you went from four down to three?
31:36
Musk:
Well you only really need three. Well so for control, technically you can get away with two grid-fins in a V configuration, with three you’re really doing fine, you essentially want to control pitch, yaw, and roll and [just like] an aircraft [with an empennage, where you’ve got] a rudder and an elevator, and ailerons – three gives really good control on [three] axis but four is kinda redundant - I guess there’s some value to having redundancy but you really only really need three.
32:20
Question Asker 19 (SpaceFlight Now):
In that case do you still have control ability with 3 going down to 2 if something happens to 1?
32:25
Musk:
Umm, you could probably [correct] with attitude control thrusters [at the expense] of additional propellant. The really hard one is pitch. Pitch requires, you need a really powerful thruster to control pitch, to that’s really the control dimension that’s the hardest which you can do with just two fins.
32:45
Question Asker 19 (SpaceFlight Now):
Well I mean, in the Mars entry it shows the craft coming in on the long side of it, [how] does it have that enough control authority to get pitched up and actually put the tail down? Heavy thrusters that can…
33:00
Musk:
Yeah, yeah there’ll be heavy duty control thrusters on the spacecraft, and they won’t be cold gas they’ll be gaseous Methane-Oxygen and [they’ll certainly be] pretty powerful for attitude control thruster [terms]. I mean you’re talking 10 ton {Assuming metric} thrust-pack thrusters, or if not more. The thing to remember with Mars is once you’ve slowed down, once you’re sub
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six first prizes and the CINE Golden Eagle, and recently the film had 1,244 broadcasts on 211 PBS stations.
An intense combination of immersion photojournalism, contextual journalism and long-form investigation, this is a story with depth and length that evolves into a continuum. Instead of Binder changing subjects, what changes are the subjects. Meanwhile, always present is the constant of death, Gail Farrow’s death. At the age of 27, the loving mother was taken from her four adorable boys and husband. For a quarter of a century, this story of loss and survival and growth has covered Binder as much as he has covered the story.
Filmmaker: Initially, in 1988, what drew you into taking photos of the Farrow family?
Binder: AIDS in the 1980s was the most important event happening in the world. As a photojournalist, I wanted to provide context to the issue and document the historic circumstance. I needed a subject that could connect AIDS with people who did not find any connection with the disease. Through an AIDS organization I contacted Gail Farrow and she gave me an opportunity to provide a recognizable context to the illness and provide humanity to the conversation.
Filmmaker: Gail Farrow contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion, right? How did this affect the story?
Binder: That Gail got AIDS from a blood transfusion in a hospital has helped people to recognize she and the family are like them. There are assumptions that she was a drug user or that she may have been responsible for getting AIDS. That’s not the case. So we can see Gail and her family in universal terms dealing with illness, loss and healing. This story adds up to being one about much more than AIDS.
Filmmaker: But why pursue this subject for a quarter century? Some might call that a little obsessive.
Binder: The short answer is, I don’t know. It has been a serendipitous process – in the first year and half, I was with the family every day. Over the years I kept seeing them, documenting their lives as the four boys grew up, the problems, the good times. And through these years the story just kept asking to be told.
Filmmaker: Who were major influences on your work?
Binder: The great photographer W. Eugene Smith was a huge influence. He provided the template for still photographic storytelling. His work showed how knowing the person and the circumstances were done through images of intimacy. Even in gruesome situations, images of tenderness and intimacy provide much more connection than simply images of gruesomeness. Then there is Dorothea Lange’s essay [“Photographing the Familiar”], which places value on the recognizable, the familiar.
I love Pennebaker and Barbara Kopple films because they are so immersive with the sound and motion and images, and they bring a different experience in connection with the family. There’s Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath – that book was everything to me, the story structure and his insistence that readers put out the effort to understand the story.
Filmmaker: So what motivated you to make the change in 2008 from still photography to moving images?
Binder: There simply are not many places left in print for these kinds of stories. There are so many more outlets for film. That, and I like working with a team and I wasn’t working with picture editors or writers in my freelance photo work. And then there’s this: I had a couple of experiences with magazines significantly changing the context of my work. That was frustrating. With my film I was able to completely maintain the context of the story.
Filmmaker: Was it difficult to make this transition from one medium to another?
Binder: I understood the story I wanted to tell and the tone and the pace I wanted, the challenge was in the technical aspects – the nature of how sound and motion work in constructing the narrative. I started editing the film on paper with the transcripts and quickly understood this was not working because the tone and intonation of what was being said matter as much as how the thoughts are connected. The challenge was in working with the captured material to develop the seamless narrative. I did have a great editor, Jon Mercer, who brought all his talents to constructing the story. The gear was a challenge, but nothing too tough.
Filmmaker: Although Gail Farrow is a central character in your film, you did not have film of her since she died two decades before you turned to filmmaking.
Binder: The letters that Gail wrote to her family were her voice in the film. The letters are very important. And we used my photographs of all the family members. They were used not simply as historical archival content but as characters themselves.
Filmmaker: How has the story changed over the quarter century?
Binder: The story has shifted at every telling. The original story was about a woman, Gail Farrow, who was living with AIDS and knew her time was short and her children would grow up without her. She focused on her family as much as possible. The update 10 years later in Life magazine was a story lamenting the past while documenting the kids’ early-teenage years. A coming-of-age story within the context of their deceased mother’s hopes and dreams for them. In the film Calling My Children, we see the family struggling to remain connected as the kids are now young adults and have lives of their own.
The challenge has been in crafting each telling of the story as it shifts and morphs while simultaneously maintaining the central threat of the story.
Filmmaker: Your next project?
Binder: A longer film – maybe an hour, maybe hour and half – a fuller telling of the children’s lives as they now have families of their own. Ronald Jr., Frank, Kennie and Bennie are around the same age their parents Gail and Ronald were when I started in 1988. Most of them have children of their own who are about the same age they were when I did the original story.
Filmmaker: Will this feature film be your final project on the Farrow family?
Binder: That’s tough to know. This was never intended to be what is now a 25-year-long project. I do imagine that I’ll continue.
For the website of Calling My Children, click hereThe millennium development goals (MDGs) were agreed 15 years ago against a backdrop of unprecedented popular campaigning. The Jubilee debt campaign was at the heart of it. When the G8 met in Birmingham in 1998, for instance, tens of thousands of Jubilee protesters formed a human chain around the city centre.
It was an unparalleled mobilisation, with unprecedented results: low-income countries’ debt fell from 69% of their national income in 2000 to 29% today.
Now we face a year in which similarly groundbreaking mobilisation is needed. The world is struggling to muster the political will for a 2C climate deal at the COP21 conference in Paris. And there is little sign of an action plan for delivering the new sustainable development goals that matches the ambitious nature of the targets themselves. The goals will be agreed in New York in September.
Sustainable development won't happen without the means to implement it Read more
The Jubilee debt campaign succeeded in large part because it was based around a powerful framing. The biblical idea of Jubilee – a festival that the Israelites were supposed to observe every 49 or 50 years, when all debts were to be forgiven – resonated with people far beyond the church groups that formed the campaign’s backbone.
But the campaign was always about more than debt relief. For one thing, Jubilee campaigns were about sufficiency, recognition of sustainable limits and the need for nature to rest. Each Jubilee year was also a Sabbath year – a time of “solemn rest for the land”, as the Bible puts it. No crops were sown; people lived off what the land produced naturally.
These years were about rest for poor people, too. Liberty was proclaimed throughout the land; everyone, slaves included, was free to go home. No one was to lend money to poor people at interest, or sell them food for profit.
They were also about the fair allocation of wealth. Jubilees called for a managed reset of land ownership, which – in the agrarian context of the time – was effectively a reboot of wealth distribution, designed to reduce inequality.
These three themes – living within environmental limits, ensuring everyone can meet their basic needs, and keeping inequality from getting out of hand – are at the heart of the sustainable development agenda.
And they are also, we argue in a Tearfund report published on Thursday, the three defining features of a restorative economy – a new growth model that would embed these Jubilee principles right at its heart.
The genesis of our report was the recognition of a paradox: that while the past 15 years have in many ways been a golden age for poverty reduction, they have also made it clear that the more our current economic model succeeds at development, the more it fails on sustainability.
The Earth’s life support systems have become stretched to breaking point as more people achieve greater affluence. Tearfund is already seeing the consequences of this for people living in poverty with whom it works.
To resolve the problem, a transformation of our economy is needed. And given the formidable barriers to this happening – inertia, vested interests, institutions built for another age, public apathy – a new theory of influence is needed too.
The Earth’s life support systems have become stretched to breaking point as more people achieve greater affluence
As the report sets out, this is going to mean less time spent on insider lobbying and more on building a movement that lives the values of a restorative economy and mobilises to demand political change – exactly what we saw in the US civil rights struggle, the campaign to abolish slavery, and other movements that have overcome apparently impossible odds.
We think the movement will be shaped by a few key shifts in perspective. We need to move our thinking from “people like us” to just “people – like us”. We need to look longer-term – beyond the next news cycle, the next financial quarter, the next election. We should also be moving towards a different good life – one that understands that security, wellbeing and consumption do not mean the same thing.
These themes are vividly present in the notion of Jubilee – an idea intimately bound up with the restoration of right relationships between God, people and creation.
In the 1990s, development campaigners began a momentous undertaking that changed how millions of people see the world and the life chances of hundreds of millions living in poverty. Now, it is time to complete our unfinished millennium Jubilee through changes in our lifestyles – from living within our fair share of the world’s resources to using our power as voters, citizens and consumers – and in how we campaign for transformative political change.
• Richard Gower is co-author of the Tearfund report, and director of Foresight Economics consultancySmall wonder, then, that he maintains that posting to YouTube has been an essential part of his success as an inventor. “Sharing an idea the right way is just as important as doing the work itself,” he says. “If you create something but nobody knows, it’s as if it never happened.”
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Before posting his own ideas, Mr. Lee watched other people’s videos about the Wiimote. An online community of electronics hobbyists share ideas in video form not only on YouTube, but also at sites like instructables.com and makezine.com.
Thirty years ago, pioneers of the personal computer industry swapped ideas and tried to outdo one another at meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club in an auditorium at Stanford. Today, these “meetings” happen virtually and globally, with people modifying, improving and otherwise riffing on one another’s ideas — then posting the results in video form. This wide-scale collaboration, Mr. Lee says, lets the hobbyists “take advantage of economies of scale of innovation.”
In late 2002, Mr. Lee started a small company to build and sell an invention that helps filmmakers minimize camera-shaking. He sells this “Poor Man’s Steadycam” for $39.95 online — commercial versions start at five times that price — though he encourages people to download free instructions from his Web site and to build the device themselves for $14 in parts.
Mr. Lee says that the company is profitable, with revenue of about $250,000 in its first five years, but he adds that he is not much of a businessman. He has been out of inventory for over a year.
The steadycam company is his only foray into business. His decision to share, rather than sell, most of his ideas is linked to his definition of success, which he measures in terms of impact, not dollars. This, he says, is a reason he chose to join Microsoft: the company’s enormous customer base represents “real potential to help other people.”
He chooses his personal projects based on what he calls their “work-to-wow” ratio. “I want to get the biggest wow for the smallest amount of work,” he explains, adding that for him, wow is synonymous with impact.
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The ratio of the Wiimote projects was fantastic: each idea that has reached millions of people took only three to four days to conceive, build, film and post.
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Mr. Lee encourages innovators to ask themselves, “Would providing 80 percent of the capability at 1 percent of the cost be valuable to someone?” If the answer is yes, he says, pay attention. Trading relatively little performance for substantial cost savings can generate what Mr. Lee calls “surprising and often powerful results both scientifically and socially.”
As evidence, he might point to a do-it-yourself interactive whiteboard, another of his Wiimote innovations. Interactive whiteboards, which in commercial form generally sell for more than $1,000, make it possible to control a computer by tapping, writing or drawing on an image of the desktop that has been projected onto a screen. Mr. Lee’s version can be built with roughly $60 in parts and free open-source software downloadable from his Web site.
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Some 700,000 people, many of them teachers, have downloaded the software, Mr. Lee says. Much more expensive whiteboards may offer more features and better image resolution, but Mr. Lee’s version is adequate for most classroom applications.
It is also easy to build. An after-school Lego robotics club for fifth graders at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School in Williamsburg, Va., built a Wiimote whiteboard in four one-hour sessions. “Once it was done, the kids were so excited,” recalls Kofi Merritt, then the school’s computer resource specialist, who suggested and advised the project. “They recognized themselves as innovators and demonstrated the whiteboard in classroom after classroom.”
MR. LEE’S ideas have acquired a momentum independent of Mr. Lee himself. At educational conferences, teachers have presented how-to tutorials for their colleagues. And at Microsoft, his appreciation for online video has rubbed off on others. The company recently gave Mr. Dietz permission to go public with a new invention of his own: a drinking glass that, when placed on the Microsoft Surface table — a table with an interactive, multitouch display built into the top — alerts a waiter to offer a refill.
After writing a paper on his invention, Mr. Dietz wanted to test the concept in the market. His first step? He posted a video on YouTube.Anxiety is an incredibly common mental health disorder in the Western world, yet we often brush it off as something that is within an individual’s control. Anxiety sufferers are likely used to hearing comments like “stop worrying so much,” “just calm down,” or “quit being so negative,” even though halting those anxious thoughts is easier said than done.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge hope to raise awareness of the disorder with a new study published in the journal Brain and Behavior. The study, which analyzed nearly 50 systematic reviews on which groups of people are most vulnerable to anxiety disorders, found that women and young people in particular were at greatest risk of developing anxiety.
Led by Olivia Remes, a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge who’s studying mental health disorders, the researchers focused on the prevalence of anxiety disorders between 1990 and 2010, and found that it stayed around the same — every four out of 100 people had anxiety — during those two decades.
Pixabay, public domain
When it comes to women having a higher risk of developing anxiety, more research will be needed to understand the specific mechanisms that play a role in the trend. It’s possible that women tend to accept mental health issues and seek help more often than men, and thus have a higher diagnostic rate, but scientists also hypothesize that there may be emotional or hormonal undercurrents as well. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), women are twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder as men.
“We don’t really know for sure why women and young people are most affected, but it could be that women are more impacted than men because of brain chemistry and hormonal fluctuations,” Remes told Medical Daily. “Women have had the more traditional role of caring for the young, so evolutionarily speaking, they may be more prone to worrying. And when they’re exposed to stress, they’re more likely to develop anxiety.”
The fact that anxiety affects women more than men is not new; and it also tends to be a controversial topic in the psychology world. The question remains: Are women biologically wired to worry, or does society breed mechanisms of worry and nervousness in females from a young age? It’s possible, for example, that young girls are raised to associate problems with emotions, while boys are told to suck it up and deal with it in a more “manly” fashion. The researchers also found that pregnant women were more likely to develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
“Women are more likely to use emotion-focused coping strategies,” Remes said. “They tend to think and ruminate more about what happened, and this increases anxiety. Men tend to cope by problem-solving.” As for young people, Remes notes that researchers still don't quite know why anxiety may manifest itself more than in older individuals, but fast-paced modern lifestyles and even excessive use of social media may play a role.
Groups that had a higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder included not only women and young people under the age of 35, but also anyone living in Western countries or North America. According to their findings, the rate at which people suffer from anxiety is much higher in North America than it is in general across the world, with eight out of every 100 people affected in North America. East Asia has the lowest anxiety rate, with only three in 100 people having anxiety, based on the current measuring tools.
“We don’t have enough research to know what’s driving these rates, but I think it would be interesting if we found out about cultural differences,” Remes said. “There’s significantly fewer studies in the developing world, so we know less [about mental illness in that area].” She also notes that another factor might be the differences in how anxiety manifests within various cultures. Social anxiety in the U.S. might mean a fear of standing up and speaking in front of a large group of people, while in Asia, the same term may refer to harboring shame or embarrassment in front of family.
Remes believes that furthering research on these topics could only improve awareness of mental health conditions around the world, and allow people — whether they’re a pregnant female, a young person, or an older male — to recognize their own symptoms of anxiety, or perhaps even prevent them.
“Preventing it before it starts is key, because once it starts it’s pretty hard to have a successful, lasting recovery,” Remes said. “A lot of people who get treatment relapse.” She adds, however, that there are some steps anyone can take — no matter whether you’re a female, male, young or old, or where in the world you live — that could keep anxiety at bay. Those include consistent physical activity, solid sleep every night, and some form of meditation. Cognitive behavioral therapy as well as antidepressants and other anxiety medications have also been shown to benefit anxiety sufferers.
Putting mind over matter could pay off too. Remes suggests that learning to replace ruminating thoughts with problem-solving ones could only help, and is made easier by lifestyle changes. Sometimes, taking action is the surest way to recovery. “[With] the constant worrying, I think it’s easier to do something rather than [ruminating],” she said. “Doing physical activity, leading a healthy lifestyle can help out with these things, instead of waiting around.”
Source: Remes O, Brayne C, van der Linde R, Lafortune L. A systematic review of reviews on the prevalence of anxiety disorders in adult populations. Brain and Behavior, 2016.Five Hundred Years of Gem Cutting in the Mountains of Jura
Lapidaries on the Swiss/French Border: 1550–2017
Justin K Prim Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jul 25, 2017
In Eastern France, near the Swiss border, there lies a sleepy, forest covered mountain range full of secluded villages with an unusually interesting history. If you were to visit these villages today, a casual observer might not notice much that would indicate this region’s importance to the history of gem cutting. In modern times, the mountain range has become a haven for skiing holidayers, yet if you were travel back a few hundred years, you might find a gem or two.
The Jura Mountains in Relation to France
The Jura mountains, whose name is derived from the Celtic word for “forest,” has had people living on them since at least the 13th century, though the region’s lapidary history only goes back to the 16th century. Local legend says that a watchmaker from Geneva named Michaud introduced the technique of stone cutting to Jura in 1735. The farming villages that are scattered across the mountaintops eagerly took to the trade because it gave them winter work while they had no agricultural income. In the higher mountain altitudes, the soil is of poor quality so the farms were meager which might explain why the lapidary trade excelled in these plateau villages and in the Valserine Valley.
Valserine Valley Photo by Patrick Morand
This border region saw a lot of population groups moving back and forth over the years. With the rise of Calvinism in the 16th and 17th centuries, many of nearby Geneva’s Catholic artisans from the watchmaking industry were pushed west across the French border due to religious persecution. At that time, Geneva was experiencing an exceptionally prosperous period with many rich merchants and when the extremist Calvinists rose to power they pushed the merchants, watchmakers, jewelers, and their associated lapidaries out of the city. This brought a lot of families and their trade secrets into the Jura region. Saint Claude in Jura became a kind of mountaintop sanctuary for Catholic pilgrims. The local past-time handicraft of producing small wooden religious items meant that the local Jurassians already had a meticulous skillset when the lapidary trade arrived and it spread easily. The first lapidaries were present in Jura around 1550.
The Gem Cutting Cities of the Jura Mountains Map by the The Museum of Lapidary
In 1685, with the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, Protestant jewelers from the diamond cutting trade were pushed out of an increasingly Catholic France and many took refuge in Geneva. This revitalized the Swiss watchmaking industry and by association, boosted the lapidary activity in Jura. It is for this reason that the famous Protestant explorer, gem merchant, and jeweler of King Louis XIV, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier sold his Chateau in Aubonne near the base of the Jura mountains and left for Russia and hopefully safer lands to settle in.
In 1704, the use of Ruby bearings in mechanical watches was developed. Ruby’s low and predictable friction improved watch accuracy as well as improved bearing life. The demand for the tiny custom-cut rubies increased exponentially, giving rise to many lapidary shops around Jura in villages such as Mijoux and Septmoncel. In 1712, Joseph Guignard became the first lapidary of the Valley of Joux which counted 50 stonecutters in 1749. In 1735, a cutter named Michaud arrived in Lamour, another small village in the Joux Valley. By 1770, there are 600 lapidaries working on the plateau of Jura.
The Use of Ruby for Watch Counter-Pivots Photo by Wikipedia
By this time, the Age of Enlightenment had arrived in France. The well known writer and historian Voltaire settled in Ferney, near Geneva and started a watch company called Manufacture Royale. Voltaire’s company put a large competitive strain on Geneva’s watchmaking industry, causing it to close its borders which nearly suffocated the lapidary activity in nearby Jura and the town of Gex at the base of the mountains. This caused the lapidaries of Jura to begin to turn away from Geneva and look towards Paris for customers.
Lapidary families such as Gauthier-Clerc, Dalloz-Furet, Hugon, Roland, Fournier, and Chevassus-Berche started to show their products to jewelers in Paris and some families such as Bavoux, Chevassus-Mathias, and David, become merchants, facilitating the transfer of cut stones between Jura and Paris. By 1770, this relationship with France’s capital caused Jura to experience an economic boom. The Jurassian women began to dress themselves in the latest Parisian fashions and the town of Septmoncel became known as “Little Paris.”
Ancient Jura Cutters Photo by the The Museum of Lapidary
The lapidary trade developed further under King Louis XVIII. Finely cut stones came into fashion and Paris began supplying orders for gemstones and jewelry around the world. During this period, the number of cutting houses multiplied. As demand increased, the small lapidary houses started making more money which eventually enabled the creation of the first full fledged lapidary workshops. These modern factories were comfortable, well equipped, and large. In 1840, the first lapidary factory, La Grande Fabrique, was founded in Lajoux by David Missilier. La Grande Fabrique employed 200 workers in the factory plus an additional 100 lapidaries that worked from their home workshops. In 1846, Missilier had contracts with over 300 Swiss watch companies. Jura and its lapidaries were starting to gain notoriety and in 1832 an honorable mention was awarded to the lapidaries of Septmoncel at the Public Exhibition of the Products of the French Industry.
In 1878, with the help of lapidaries from Antwerp, Eugène Goudard from Divonne, developed a machine for cutting diamonds and installed it in a village near Saint Claude which is now known as Montbrilliant. Sainte Claude with its La Bienne river was an ideal location because the diamond workshops needed to utilize water power to drive the powerful diamond cutting machines. Goudard recruited workmen from among the best local lapidaries and started a thriving diamond cutting business alongside the colored stone cutters of the watch and jewelry industry.
A Jurassian Lapidary at Work Photo by the The Museum of Lapidary
The 20th century brought the Industrial Revolution to Jura, inspiring new technological innovations, along with new ideas about worker’s rights. The Lapidary Workers’ Union was founded in 1911 in Septmoncel. The Union was especially concerned with payment criteria for its lapidaries and it developed tables and charts that divided cut stones into difference pricing categories. The small stones were charged per piece and the bigger stones were charged per carat. The smaller the stone, the more expensive they were, because of their difficulty to cut. In 1914, César Mandrillon founded a lapidary cooperative company called Les Ateliers Coopératifs des Lapidaires Jura. The cooperative provided work for home-studio lapidaries, paid its members for their work, paid them shareholdings, and managed a pension fund for their retirement.
The Jura faceting machine circa 1908 Photo by Justin K Prim
Lapidary technology was developing and by 1885, the Jurassians were using the “mechanical stick” which had many sides providing the first mechanism for “indexing” a faceted stone. This allowed the lapidaries to be more precise and create more repeatable results. In 1895, Emile Dalloz of Saint-Claude and Jules Grandclément of Moussières grouped several sticks together and substituted the traditional cylindrical millstone for the flat wheel, creating the first automated cutting machines.
The newly designed “mechanical stick” with its Indexes Photo by Justin K Prim
By 1920, it’s estimated that there were 8,000 lapidaries in the Jura Mountains, mostly farmers seeking employment in the winter months. Technology continued to be improved upon, and they had developed a new kind of faceting head with the “case-mechanics” (for the location of the facets) and the “évention” (for angles). Another new development was an automated machine able to cut hundreds of stones at a time. With the creation of the synthetic Ruby by Auguste Verneuil, Jura started to become proficient in the production of faceted synthetic stones. The Groupe Dalloz company was founded in 1917 in Septmoncel and has since become a world leader in synthetic cut stones.
After World War I, the lapidary activity in Jura was at its peak. In the 1920's, there was an increase in demand for square sapphires and baguettes with the lozenge tables, of which the American market was very fond. The sale of these stones happened in Paris, which had become an important gem and jewelry trading center.
The financial crisis of the 1930’s hit the Jura cutting industry and destroyed many of the local lapidary businesses. In the 1950’s, another wave of financial despair moved through the region and nearly wiped out all of the at-home workshops that still existed. The home cutting business continued to decline until 1989 when the last home workshop closed its doors. In recent years, as with many European cutting centers, it has become very difficult for Jura to compete with the importation of cheap Asian-cut stones. Today, there remain three or four small workshops in Saint-Claude and the surrounding region. Some French lapidaries are destined for repair and maintenance cutting, while the most exceptional workshops are linked to the Paris jewelry industry and continue to cut stones for some of the most prestigious jewelers in the world.
Though still tucked away in it’s sleepy forest sanctuary, the lapidary industry survives in Jura and there are many landmarks for the curious seeker including the very impressive Museum of Lapidary in Lamoura, Trabbia Vuillermoz Jewelry Shop and Museum in Mijoux, The Museum of Pipes and Diamonds in Saint Claude, La Taillerie in Bellefontane along with several cutting factories that are scattered around the Jura plateau.
The Jura Lapidary in his Home Studio. Mural Photo by Justin K Prim
References
Trabbia Vuillermoz Jewelry Shop and Museum in Mijoux
The Museum of Lapidary in Lamoura
Museum of Pipes and Diamonds in Saint Claude
Lapidary Demonstration in Septmoncel
Jura’s Lapidary Trail
The Lapidaries of Jura — Video
The Workshop of the Lapidary in Lélex
Gemcutter Andre Verguet in Longchaumois
Jura Archaeology Museum
World Atlas, Jura Mountains
Lapidaries Of Haut Jura
Manufacture Royale
L’Atelier Des Lapidaires La Peyrière
Jean Baptiste Tavernier — Wikipedia
Georg Frederich Strass — Wikipedia
Jewel Bearing — Wikipedia
About the Author
Justin K Prim is an American lapidary and gemologist living and working in Bangkok, Thailand. He has studied gemcutting traditions all over the world as well as attending gemology programs at GIA and AIGS. He is currently working on a book about the worldwide history of gemstone faceting. He works as a Lapidary Instructor for the Institute of Gem Trading as well as writing articles, producing videos, and giving talks about gem cutting history.
If you enjoyed reading this please clap, it helps. Also, please check out my other gemcutting related articles.Following a highly successful callout last month, the Empty Cages Collective has announced the details of a ten-day run around Britain for its Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons (CFTP) tour, talking about the fight against the social and ecological impact of the United States prison-industrial complex. The topic is of particular interest in Britain, which as in many other arenas has been undergoing a long-running transformation to bring its prison system more into line with US norms.
The tour is set to kick off in London on Thursday (see full details below). Writing in an essay last month, CFTP explained:
The ‘Prison Industrial Complex’ (PIC) is a term coined to describe the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social and political problems.
The UK currently has the largest prison system of all Western European countries and is home to the most privatised prison system in Europe. Its cultural embrace of surveillance, policing and repressive policies are making it open ground for colonisation from North American and other companies seeking to exploit the custodial markets in the UK. This capitalist force is now extending to other repressive projects in Europe.
Britain is in the midst of a massive prison building programme which activists fear will not only lead to significantly worse conditions for prisoners and their families but further prise open the sector to private interests, raising the spectre of jailings for profit, environmental destruction and lethal resource-grabbing becoming as common as they are in the US.
The tour is set to coincide with a day of action at the Australian High Commission in London on September 29th against youth prisons. An aboriginal-led coalition of Australian abolitionists initially made the call, seeking international support for their campaign to close youth detention centres and end deaths in custody, which is being backed by British prison abolitionists.
Upcoming events
Thursday September 28th
London
7pm, 125 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9RG
https://www.facebook.com/events/114869449183950/
Friday September 29th
Cardiff
With IWW Cymru Wales and No Prisons De Cymru
Connect International English Academy, First Floor, 26-28 Churchill Way, CF10 2DY Cardiff
https://www.facebook.com/events/129793397664005/
Saturday September 30th
Port Talbot
10.30am, Aberavon Beach Hotel, The Princess Margaret Way, Swansea Bay, Port Talbot, SA12 6QP
https://www.facebook.com/events/116023012410416/
Swansea September 30th
With No Prisons De Cymru
7pm, Swansea Environment Centre, SA1 1RY
https://www.facebook.com/events/115834292452554/
Sunday October 1st
Bristol
With Bristol Anarchist Black Cross
7pm, Kebele, 14 Robertson Road, Bristol, BS5 6JZ
https://www.facebook.com/events/686514301554356/
Monday October 2nd
Manchester
With Manchester No Prisons
11am, Partisan Collective, 19 Cheetham Hill Road, M4 4FY Manchester,
https://www.facebook.com/events/695802160615245/
Tuesday October 3rd
Leeds
With Yorkshire Campaign Against Prisons
Wharf Chambers, 23-25 Wharf St, Leeds LS2 7EQ
https://www.facebook.com/events/262431267610681/
Wednesday October 4th
Leicester
With Leicester Prison Resistance
Venue TBA
https://www.facebook.com/events/664969193699307/
Thursday 5th October
Norwich
With DIT Collective
Space Studio, Swan Lane, Norwich, NR2 1HZ
https://www.facebook.com/events/538149689910439/
Friday 6th October
Liverpool
Venue TBA
https://www.facebook.com/events/167401487144097/Congressman Ken Buck is a Republican in Eastern Colorado's extremely conservative Fourth Congressional District (CD4). Buck received 66% of the vote in 2014. Why would anyone run against him?
On Wednesday, August 27, I announced my intention to challenge Ken Buck (R-CO) in the 2016 election. In this multi-part series, I will explain why.
Part One: Is Ken Buck Independent - or just Ineffective?
Politics is about working together to reach goals that ultimately benefit your constituents. Voters suffer when their representatives cannot accomplish this basic task of governance.
Ken Buck's website touts his "Independent Voice". In one example of that independence, Buck proudly broke ranks with the Republican leadership of the House and voted "No" on a bill that would have granted the President fast track authority in negotiating a Pacific rim trade agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Republican leadership in the House and the Senate, as well as most Republican members of Congress, felt that the bill would provide greater markets for American goods, lower overseas labor costs for American companies, and other benefits. Most Democrats opposed the bill, as did labor unions and environmental groups.
So why did Buck go against Republican leadership and ultimately vote with Democrats and against the wishes of the Republican party and the American Chamber of Commerce? In an emailed fundraising letter, Buck said it was because "Obama could use his overreaching trade authority to advance: A radical climate change agenda; Amnesty for illegal aliens; Unpopular gun control laws; Payoffs for big labor".
Amnesty? Gun control? What do those issues have to do with the TPP?
The Denver Post, which endorsed Buck in the 2014 election, called his rationale "mind-boggling" and said that Buck's concerns were "both imaginary and unrelated to the actual goals of the Trans-Pacific Partnership." (See Denver Post, June 23, 2015, "Ken Buck offers worst arguments yet against TPP")
The Post went on to remind readers that "Colorado exports more than $1 billion in agricultural products, and more than $300 million in beef and veal alone -- much of which comes from Buck's 4th Congressional District. If anyone should be supporting free trade, it is the freshman congressman."
But
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scrupulous care. We are much obliged to you all for your trouble. We will write to you very soon and thank you for the sweet. We enjoyed it very much.’’ p. 64, [1].
Thus, all that the great revolutionary leader of Rashbehari Bose received from his motherland was a packet of sweets for his granddaughter.
Section E: Societal Contempt for Revolutionaries
Most revolutionaries have suffered the same apathy that Rashbehari was subjected to, or even worse. We present a portrait of his close friend and comrade, Srish Chandra Ghosh (1887-1941), who was a major revolutionary in his own right, to make our point.
Born to Birajkrishna and Mahamaya, Srish Chandra hailed from the ancestral village of Rashbehari, Subaldaha village of Raina post office in Burdwan district. Having lost his father in early childhood, he was raised by his uncle Bamacharan Ghosh at a home adjoining Rashbehari’s – in Phatakgora region of Chandernagore. Rashbehari’s mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi and Srish’s aunt Brajeshwari Devi were sisters, Rashbehari’s father Binodbhari and Srish’s uncle were childhood friends and both worked at the same governmental press p. 54, [1]. Srish and Rashbehari were lifelong friends. p. 3, [1]
Inspired by the renowned Professor Charuchandra Roy, Srish plunged into nationalism starting his student days in Duple School p. 54, [1]. Along with Moti Lal Roy, Srish became a member, and later one of the brains, of a secret society of Chandannagar, of which Charuchandra Roy was the kingpin. The Society maintained contact with the Calcutta Anarchists through Srish (and Basanta Banarjee). The goal of the Society was to liquidate investigating officers so as to kindle fear among other officers pp. 8-9 [11]. Srish became a key member of a wide range of revolutionary activities. He had assisted in the attempt to assassinate Mayor Tardival of Chandernagore, helped protect Jugantar press started by Barindra Ghosh, the brother of Aurobindo Ghosh, from police repressions, by transferring it from British ruled Calcutta to French ruled Chandannagar, delivered a revolver to Barindra Ghosh in jail, which Kanailal Dutta used in jail to shoot the revolutionary turned approver Narendranath Gosain in jail hospital p. 54, [1], pp. 13-14, [11] (Kanailal Dutta’s daring feat received huge publicity in Bengal, he received a hero’s ovation at death), organized the manufacture of bombs in Chandannagar, and provided secretive refuge to multiple revolutionaries who escaped from British India to Chandannagar, including Aurobindo Ghosh.
Srish had introduced Rashbehari to the Bengal group of revolutionaries, including Moti Lal Roy, then leader of the Chandannagar group of revolutionaries p. 54, [1], p. 104, [12]. Both Motilal Roy and Pratul Chandra Ganguli, then an important leader of the Anushilan group of revolutionaries have attested that, in December 1911, in a meeting comprising of Moti Lal Roy, Pratul Chandra Ganguli and Rashbehari, it was Srish who had suggested the idea of dropping a bomb on Viceroy Hardinge, p. 105, [12]. Srish had learnt the art of Bomb making in Maanicktala garden, and had instructed others in the art p. 18, [11]. Srish was present along with Rashbehari in a trial run involving a similar bomb on the night of Kali Puja, 8 November, 1912 p. 112 [12]. The bomb was finally dropped on 23 December, 1912, and happened to be the first revolutionary effort that Rashbehari organized. Rashbehari’s involvement was discovered, inevitably, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on 20 February, 1914. Rashbehari absconded. While Rashbehari was on the run, Srish used to be his constant companion, and Srish had tried his utmost to protect Rashbehari from all peril. He concealed Rashbehari in his house, locked the room from outside, and supplied food to Rashbehari under utmost secrecy p. 120, [12]. On March 8, 1914, this house was suddenly searched by the Calcutta police headed by Denham and Tegart. The Weekly report of the Bengal Intelligence branch dated July 29, 1914 states that “he (Rash Behari) was present at home on the night his house was searched at Chandernagore, and actually watched the search from behind a mango tree in his garden close by.’’ Rashbehari’s half-brother Bejonbehari has written that Srish had anticipated the coming danger and had hid Rashbehari in the vicinity of his house; following the police raid, Srish arranged for Rashbehari’s stay at Hatkhola for some time under the care of Narendra Nath Bannerjee pp. 120-121, [12]. Srish had also assisted in the attempt to incite mutiny among soldiers in 1915, which Rashbehari had led, and concealed the mauser pistols looted from Rauda company p. 54, [1].
In 1914, the British authorities had appealed to the French administration of Chandernagore to expel “the leaders of the Chandernagore gang of seditionists and revolutionaries’’ – they had identified Srish Ghosh as one of the most dangerous among them pp. 22-23 [11]. The extradition attempt failed, but dire circumstances delivered to the British the man they were seeking. The tragedy of Indian revolutionaries was that they had to scrape for funds (wealthy Indians rarely contributed to them, unlike their generous support for Congress, Gandhians in particular). Srish depended on his uncle’s family for his subsistence. He was ordered by his aunt to accompany his cousin to the home of her in-laws. Having no choice but to comply, in 1915, he was arrested by British police in Howrah station in broad daylight; he could safely traverse to British India alone and in the dead of the night, but his aunt forced him to go day time pp. 54-55, [1]. In a detailed note dated March 10, 1917, Charles Tegart, then the officiating Deputy General of Police, Intelligence Branch, CID, Bengal, has written that: “Srish, perhaps, was the most energetic and had greatest control over the party (Chandannagar group of revolutionaries); Moti Babu is the cleverest and is a good adviser; Rashbehari was impetuous and could do nothing in Chandernagore or Calcutta without Srish’s and Moti’s help. Now that Srish and Rashbehari have gone, Moti Babu is the real leader.’’ pp. 25-26, [11]. Leaving aside the fact that Tegart’s angst against Rashbehari was likely driven by the fact that British could never get him, dead or alive, despite massive manhunts they had launched for him, it is incontrovertible that Rashbehari’s principal organization was outside Bengal and he relied on Srish and Motilal for shelter while in Bengal.
Post his release, Srish remained in touch with Rashbehari, who was then living the life of an exile in Japan. Rashbehari lost his home in the great Kanto earthquake of 1923. The nation Rashbehari fought for, deserted him in the resulting financial woes and desperation, but childhood friend, Srish could not. Rashbehhari had a wife and two infant children to support. So, he requested Srish for an assistance of 1000 rupees. Srish was then penniless himself, and barely subsisted on charity. So, he publicized Rashbehari’s appeal, and contacted Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Lala Lajpat Rai on Rashbehari’s behalf. A grand total of sixteen rupees could be collected as a result of this publicity. Finally, Rabindranath sent Rashbehari, through Srish, six hundred twenty one rupees he could raise in Shantiniketan’s Japan assistance fund [10]. Rashbehari used to regularly correspond with Srish from abroad, and also sent him books, and kept him abreast of all developments concerning him, including his naturalization in Japan [10] p. 55, [1].
Srish’s aunt refused to let him stay at her home in 1924. He took refuge in Motilal Roy’s Prabartak Sangha. Motilal had relinquished revolutionary activities by then; so Srish had to move to Benoarilal Saha’s home to continue the same p. 55, [1]. A British note dated 11 March, 1933, revealed that Srish and Brojen Pal had formed an organization called the Juba Samiti, and the former was in touch with Rashbehari p. 32, [11]. During this period, Srish again gave refuge to multiple revolutionaries hunted by the British: Eg: Dinesh Majumdar, who received life-sentence after attempting to assassinate Charles Tegart on 25 August, 1930 p. 29, [11] and escaped from the Midnapore Central jail (1933), Bipin Ganguly, the leader of the Hindusthan Socialist Republican Organisation, Nalini Das, who had escaped from the Hijli detention camp, Haripada Sen, who escaped from the Perojpur sub-jail, and the leader of the Anushilan Party, Sachindra Kar Gupta, a convict who escaped from the Midnapore jail p. 32, [11]. Eight or ten other absconders from Chittagong and other parties were also hiding in Chandannagar, Srish’s base p. 32, [11].
Finally, due to poverty and repeated persecution, Srish lost his mental balance. Having lost sanity, Srish would be seen moving around, tightly clasping to his bare chest the books that Rashbehari sent him. The books and Rashbehari’s letters were never recovered. Srish recovered his sanity, but committed suicide on 2nd May 1941 by consuming opium p. 55, [1].
Section F: A revolutionary’s take on India’s indifference to their breed
One of Rashbehari’s closest revolutionary comrades, Sachindranath Sanyal has described the indifference with which India treated her best and the bravest, even prior to independence: “Only the valiant knows how to respect another. How many Indians look upon the Indian revolutionary group in the manner in which the British did or still does? Indians have always neglected the revolutionary groups of India. They had very little empathy for the fearless revolutionaries. No one else has treated Indian revolutionary groups with as much contempt. Those from whom the revolutionaries had the highest hope of sympathy, they were the ones to curse the revolutionaries for atrocities, yet the revolutionaries never lost courage.’’ p. 91 [2]
Sachindranath Sanyal has gone on to contextualize as to why the revolutionaries have been at the receiving end of such deep-rooted contempt, yet we cannot, but miss the pain that motivated his pen: “The biggest guilt of these revolutionaries, it seems, was just this that they could not succeed in their mission. After striving in vain for month after month, year after year, they could only achieve a great failure. The path that has failure as its end result is it not wrong? Does this failure have any value? The experienced leaders and wise critics of India used to often ask these questions of the revolutionaries. We focus only on one aspect of failure; but how do the greatest treasures of this world conceal themselves behind such failures, how gradually accruing strength due to the failures one day suddenly success emerges, during the times of despondency of failure and defeats many of us cannot internalize these concepts. In all societies, at all times, the wise and experienced men of the society laugh at and humiliate the revolutionaries. The reason for this is that in almost every country the first attempt of all revolutionaries have failed, and the wise and experienced men of the society judge all aspects based on such failures. Per that rule the Indian revolutionaries were misguided in the opinion of the wise and experienced men. And among these critics those who are extremely knowledgeable and cautious they do not hesitate to call these revolutionaries as “idiots.’’ The wise editor of the established monthly periodical “Modern review’’ of India had said in reference to the revolutionaries “if there are even some Indians who are armed revolutionaries, then Indians would surely need to doubt their wisdom and intellect.’’ …. In reference to these revolutionaries, renowned legal expert barrister Mr. Norton had once said “All these revolutionaries fail in their mission that is why they are now criminals of the government, but if they could attain their goal then they would be celebrated as patriot, hero and saint in this very world.’’ The path that Indian revolutionaries had adopted, whether India would be liberated through that path or not, who can tell! Suppose if they are misguided; but our views don’t match theirs, for this reason it is not right to call them “idiots’’. Who knows among the civilized people of this world, whether these revolutionaries have better protected India’s reputation, or the force of the arguments of the critics opposed to them have! But still we know that when all attempts of the Russian revolutionaries had failed in the last sixty years, when initially the handful of Italian revolutionaries had challenged the might of the Austrian empire, then the revolutionaries of these countries had to tolerate similar abuses and ridicules. After futile industry of sixty years, surviving many obstacles and failures, withstanding the opposition and neglect of the entire world, today Russian revolutionaries are going to fulfil their aspirations. After almost forty years of struggle, with what sacrifices, what suffering and what stress have Italy attained her freedom. But those who were the first travelers of this path of liberation, at the time of the failure of their first revolutionary attempts, how much criticism they had to withstand. In this connection, the ever-memorable saying of Irish hero T. Mcksweeny comes to mind: “Any man who tells you that an act of armed resistance – even if offered by ten men only – even if offered by men armed with stones – any men who tell you that such an act of resistance is premature, imprudent, or dangerous, any and every such man should be at once spurned and spat at, for remark you this and recollect that somewhere and somehow and somebody a beginning must be made and the first act of resistance is always and must be ever premature, imprudent and dangerous.’’ pp. 167-169, [2]
So, critics denounced Indian revolutionaries as “idiots’’, idiots they must have been to have given their all to an ungrateful nation just so that political opportunists and power-seekers can reap the fruits of their sacrifices? Who, but “idiots” can accurately be described as: “Like the wandering ascetics of old, these young men willingly forsook all that was dear and near to them, to carry on a life-long struggle for their goal. Fear of death and physical sufferings worse than death did not deter them; obstacles and difficulties like Himalayan barriers could not deflect them from their course. Deserted by friends and relatives, ignored, if not derided, by their countrymen, without means or resources to keep their body and soul together, haunted by spies and hunted by police, flying from one shelter to another, these young men carried on a heroic but hopeless struggle, from day to day, from month to month, and from year to year. They chose the life of hardship and privations and consecrated their lives to the service of their country. Many of them rushed headlong to destruction. They died in order that others may live. ” p. 72, [5] (Eminent historian R. C. Majumdar’s description of Indian revolutionaries).
References:
[1] Rashbeharir Atma-katha O dushprapya Rachana, edited by Amal Kumar Mitra
[2] Sachindranath Sanyal “Bandi Jiban’’
[3] Rashbehari Basu – His Struggle for India’s Independence, Editor in chief, Radhanath Rath, Editor Sabitri Prasanna Chatterjee, Biplabi Mahanayak Rashbehari Basu Smarak Samiti
[4] Saswati Sarkar, Shanmukh, Jeck Joy, Dikgaj, “Rashbehari Bose: India’s Messenger in Japan’’ http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rashbehari-bose-indian-freedom-struggle-india-japan-ties-british-raj-mahatma-gandhi-toshiko-soma-netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-propaganda/story/1/10257.html
[5] “History and Culture of the Indian People, Vol. 11, Struggle for Freedom”, Edited by RC Majumdar
[6] Saswati Sarkar, Shanmukh, Jeck Joy, Dikgaj, “Rashbehari Bose: The Revolutionary, The Statesman http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rashbehari-bose-indian-freedom-struggle-india-japan-ties-british-raj-mahatma-gandhi-toshiko-soma-netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-the-standard-bearer/story/1/10259.html
[7] Saswati Sarkar, Jeck Joy, Shanmukh, Dikgaj Rashbehari Bose’s second war from East Asia – battleground Japan and Singapore http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rashbehari-bose-sachindranath-sanyal-japan-revolutionary-china-indian-freedom-struggle-second-world-war/story/1/9745.html
[8] Jeck Joy, Saswati Sarkar, Shanmukh, Dikgaj “The legend of Rashbehari Bose and the forgotten Hindu-German conspiracy’’ http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rashbehari-bose-hindu-muslim-riots-partition-1947-mahatma-gandhi-independence-hindu-german-conspiracy-ina/story/1/8230.html
[9] M. Sivaram “The Road to Delhi’’
[10] Saswati Sarkar, Jeck Joy, Shanmukh, Dikgaj “Rashbehari Bose and the woman who saved him’’ http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rashbehari-bose-indian-freedom-struggle-japan-british-raj-tosiko-soma-bose/story/1/10005.html
[11] Sailendra Nath Sen “Chandernagore – From Bondage to Freedom,’’ 1900-1925
[12] Uma Mukherjee, “Two Great Indian Revolutionaries – Rash Behari Bose and Jyotindra Nath Mukherjee’’
[13] J. G. Ohsawa “The Two Great Indians in Japan’’
[14] T. R. Sareen, “Indian National Army – A documentary study,’’ Volume 4, 1944-45
[15] Leonard Gordon “Brothers against the Raj’’During the White House briefing on Wednesday afternoon, CNN’s Jim Acosta threw a fit in the briefing room and quoted the poem engraved at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Video: Here's the beginning of the absolutely hysterical duel between Stephen Miller and Jim @Acosta #TTT pic.twitter.com/sLgekVyhP2 — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 2, 2017
“The statue of liberty says, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, it doesn’t say anything about speaking English or being able to be a computer programmer,” Acosta said. “Aren’t you trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into this country if you’re telling them, you have to speak English, can’t people learn how to speak English when they get here?”
When Stephen Miller tried to explain that poems on statues do not constitute immigration policy, Acosta doubled down.
“You’re saying that does not represent what the country has always thought of as generations coming into this country?” Acosta shot back. “That sounds like some national park revisionism.”
“Tell me what years meet Jim Acosta’s definition of the statue of liberty poem law of the land,” Miller pressed the CNN reporter. “You’re saying one million (immigrants) a year is the Statue of Liberty law of the land?”
Acosta then tried to argue that talks of a border wall decreased legal immigration.
“Surely, Jim, you don’t think that a wall affects green card policy,” Miller said. “Do you really at CNN not know the difference between green card policy and illegal immigration? You really don’t know that?”What do alarmists not want to let the “deniers” do? Google does a good job indexing the Web and placing the most relevant and referenced results on top. In the spirit of science, I let the data guide me, and ran a Google search for “don’t let the deniers *“. The results were quite interesting, although not entirely surprising.
The top results are totally dominated by references to alleged “climate change deniers” on alarmist and/or extreme leftist websites, except for one reference from Joanne Nova.
The alarmist mouthpieces barely bother talking to the alleged “deniers,” but direct their rhetoric toward their own readers/watchers/followers. In other words, they just want their sheeple not to listen to the skeptics.
Google counted 4.5 million results for the abovementioned query. All the results on the first page were related to climate change. The top phrase on the first page was “don’t let the deniers tell you …“. The trivial “don’t let the deniers ‘deny‘” was encountered only once, near the bottom of the page.
The second page was similar to the first one, except that it contained two references to some “DNA deniers.” The phrase “don’t let the climate deniers sleep” provided some variety and comic relief. Was it sponsored by Big Pharma, trying to increase sales of sleeping pills? 🙁
Next, I performed a more focused search for “don’t let the deniers * you”. Google counted 5 million results. All the results on the first page and all but two on the second one were related to climate change. Here are the top alarmist fears of what the “deniers” could do to their flock: “tell you,” “sway you,” “fool you,” and “urge you to change your heart“.
This looks like a live re-enactment of the Spanish Inquisition, complete with accusations of weather cooking, calls to drown witches (or airline executives), and worries about almighty CONSENSUS. Historians, rejoice: you have a unique opportunity to interview modern replicas of Torquemada, to see firsthand his ways of thinking, motives, and intents, and to understand the related social dynamics.
The experiment was performed on February 22, 2016 from a large city in Texas, using the Microsoft Edge browser. I cleaned out the browser’s cache and cookies before each search.Share this article:
The Anaheim Police Department has spent almost a decade secretly building an inventory of powerful cell phone surveillance devices and making them available to neighboring cities in Orange County, according to the ACLU.
“This cell phone spying program, which potentially affects the privacy of everyone from Orange County’s 3 million residents to the 16 million people who visit Disneyland every year, shows the dangers of allowing law enforcement to secretly acquire surveillance technology,” ACLU attorney Matt Cagle wrote in a posting on the ACLU of Northern California blog.
The devices include the suitcase-sized “Stingray equipment, a hand-held and easy-to-hide cell phone spy tool, and “most surprisingly,” a military- grade piece of equipment known as a “dirtbox, which until now was only thought to be used by the federal government, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to Cagle.
“If a city of only a few hundred thousand people like Anaheim has purchased this wide array of devices, it begs the question of how widespread these tools really are,” he wrote.
“Additionally, Anaheim has represented in its secretive funding requests that ‘every city in Orange County has benefited’ from its cellular surveillance equipment, raising further concerns about transparency, democracy and accountability.”
The posting asserted that by “loaning out this technology well outside Anaheims borders,” the police department has subjected people throughout Orange County to surveillance decisions made by unelected leaders from other communities.
The ACLU said its findings were based in part on “heavily redacted” documents it obtained through a public records lawsuit.
City officials declined to comment because of the pending litigation, said Ruth Ruiz, a city spokeswoman.
—City News Service
Documents disclose Anaheim cops have ‘powerful’ inventory of surveillance devices was last modified: by
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Follow us:The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press are at the core of a free society, yet we’re increasingly discovering that, while in theory, almost everyone believes in freedom of speech, in practice, few are committed to the policies that truly safeguard it.
On the campaign trail, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump called for “closing down” parts of the Internet as an anti-ISIS measure. Trump further claimed that freedom of the press was detrimental to the fight against terrorism, and demanded that libel laws be expanded to allow individuals to sue media organizations that publish unflattering stories about them. Following the 2016 election results, pundits blamed social media for creating an increasingly polarized voting public; Facebook and Google announced an initiative to go after so-called “fake news sites,” despite controversy over which sites, exactly, should qualify as fake; and more and more platforms have adopted increasingly restrictive policies regarding acceptable speech.
Nick Gillespie and Flemming Rose are among the many classical liberals who worry about the trajectory freedom of speech and freedom of the press seems to be taking. As editor in chief of Reason Magazine and Reason TV, Gillespie has faced Department of Justice subpoenas and a gag order from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. When Rose, then-culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, became the target of death threats and more after commissioning 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad to be published around an op-ed on Islam, free speech, and multiculturalism in 2006, he refused to retract his opinions, instead becoming a global activist for free speech-detailed in his book The Tyranny of Silence: How One Cartoon Ignited a Global Debate on the Future of Free Speech, published by the Cato Institute.The United Launch Alliance (ULA) have completed a major review into the ability to Human Rate the Atlas V launch vehicle. In cooperation with NASA, ULA engineers conducted a System Requirements Review (SRR) and Systems Design Review (SDR), creating the certification baseline to launch NASA astronauts into Low Earth Orbit via Atlas V’s various crewed spacecraft options.
Atlas V HR:
ULA are one of the favorites to provide launch services for several crewed spacecraft that are currently working under the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) process, with the ultimate aim of winning a NASA contract to provide domestic crew access to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Altas V is the launch vehicle of choice for three of the commercial crew competitors – Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser, Boeing’s CST-100 and initially Blue Origin’s biconic-shape capsule – with a downselect of the suitors expected within the very near future.
The Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family, a family which has a heritage in launching humans into space. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture ULA.
The two stage rocket is driven by the Russian-built RD AMROSS RD-180 engine – a kerosene/liquid oxygen derivative of the RD-170 engine developed for the Zenit boosters of the Energia rocket – with a Centaur Upper Stage powered by Pratt & Whitney’s RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Atlas V configurations can include Aerojet strap-on boosters.
The official effort to begin the process of certifying Atlas V for human missions began in 2010, when NASA awarded ULA $6.7 million to accompany its own $1.3 million investment to develop an Emergency Detection System (EDS) prototype test bed. The EDS will monitor critical launch vehicle and spacecraft systems and issue status, warning and abort commands to crew during their mission to LEO.
The EDS is the sole significant element necessary for flight safety, in order to meet the certification requirements for Atlas V’s human space flight capability, a certification ULA were always confident of acquiring.
ULA then signed a Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA almost a year ago to the day, allowing for a major performance milestone, known as the Design Equivalency Review (DER) – a rigorous assessment of the flight-proven Atlas V launch vehicle’s compliance with NASA human spaceflight requirements.
To successfully complete the DER, NASA human spaceflight experts and ULA engineers worked over a span of several months to perform a detailed review of all NASA requirements and processes, and identified the extent to which the Atlas V meets those requirements.
Other milestones included the Development of Hazard Analyses unique for human spaceflight, the Development of a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), the Documenting of Atlas V CTS (Crew Transportation System) certification baseline, and to then conduct the SRR.
Thursday’s announcement confirmed the completion of what is the fifth milestone of its SAA process, with ULA’s Engineering Review Board confirming that Atlas V can readily comply with NASA’s stringent safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, leading the way to develop a “safe, reliable and cost effective” Crew Transportation System (CTS).
ULA note that the SRR and SDR reflected the culmination of on-going efforts involving ULA design and development engineers, NASA technical experts and representatives from ULA’s commercial spacecraft customers. The SRR/SDR was a multi-disciplined technical review that ensured the Atlas V system can proceed into the detailed design and development phase to provide launch services for NASA’s commercial human spaceflight needs.
“The SRR/SDR were the result of an extensive effort with NASA and our commercial spacecraft partners during which we cooperatively established the baseline from which we will proceed into the detailed design and development phase of NASA’s Crew Transportation System,” said Dr. George Sowers, ULA’s vice president for Human Launch Services.
“We continue to receive valuable insight from NASA’s human spaceflight experts as we move forward towards the certification of Atlas V for human spaceflight.”
Click here for Atlas V News Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/atlas-v/
With 31 successful missions spanning 10 years of operational service – along with the large responsibility of flying complex exploration missions, as well as critical Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office national security missions – ULA was able to provide a wealth of design implementation, detailed system and sub-system analysis, qualification, certification, and flight data leading up to and during the reviews.
Among adjustments required to evolve the Atlas V for human spaceflight, designers would have to modify the launch pad so crew members can board the spacecraft. The upper stage of a crewed Atlas V would require the use of two Centaur engines, stronger than the current Atlas V upper stage that uses a single engine.
“Our partnership with ULA during this round of development has really been focused on understanding the core design of the launch vehicle,” said NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager Ed Mango said. “In these reviews we were able to see how ULA plans to modify the vehicle for human spaceflight.”
ULA note the SRR confirmed that the NASA CTS requirements applicable to the Atlas V are defined and testable, and are consistent with cost, schedule, risk, technology readiness and other system constraints.
The SRR assessed the unique impacts of human spaceflight requirements as captured in the system specification, and ensured that the system requirements are consistent with NASA’s needs and concept of operations.
The ULA, NASA and commercial spacecraft customer teams reviewed the detailed evidence that demonstrates how the existing, flight-proven Atlas V will meet NASA’s Human Spaceflight Certification requirements. The team paid particular attention to the comprehensive certification approach that will lead to CTS flight readiness.
“The SRR/SDR was a key milestone in our support of the NASA Commercial Crew Development Program,” added Mike Holguin, ULA’s Commercial Crew Program manager. “The relationships we’ve forged will provide a solid foundation as we move forward into the next phase of the program.”
(Images: L2 Content, NASA CCDev, SNC, ULA, Boeing)
(NSF and L2 are providing full transition level coverage, available no where else on the internet, from Orion and SLS to ISS and COTS/CRS/CCDEV, to European and Russian vehicles.
(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ – to view how you can access the best space flight content on the entire internet.)A pair of cougars was spotted walking on the Skytrain tracks in Port Moody early this morning.
TransLink police spokesperson Anne Drennan told Global News the cougars were spotted around 4:10 a.m.
Drennan said two adult cougars were walking along the guideway through Inlet station towards Moody Centre station on the Evergreen Line.
READ MORE: Trio of cougars spotted near Port Moody fish hatchery
Staff did a sweep of the area, but no cougars were found.
“It’s not clear how the cougars were able to access or leave the tracks. We are inspecting fencing to ensure there are no easy ways in for the cats. We will also be watching in case they return,” TransLink said in a statement.
Drennan says transit officials didn’t warn the public, but an internal memo was sent out to staff.
Conservation officers have also been notified.
— With files from Negar MojtahediIt’s been a couple of years since Jean-Pierre Jeunet released his last film, MicMacs. As if to make up for lost time, the director of Amelie and, of all things, Alien Resurrection (Jenuet’s last English-language film), now has two projects on the go, both of which may be in English.
Variety reports that Jeunet’s next project will be an English adaptation of The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet, the debut novel of Reif Larson. Jeneut is said to be currently writing the screenplay with Guillaume Laurant, his Amelie and A Very Long Engagement co-writer.
Spivet is a mix of reality and fantasy and tells the tale of a 12-year-old genius cartographer who sets out on what the Amazon blurb calls:
a wild cross-country adventure
He’s headed to the Smithsonian to receive the museum’s prestigious Baird award. Fancy.
Jeunet has also picked up the film rights to Red Leaves, a mystery novel by Thomas H. Cook. Red Leaves apparently focuses on doubt and the question of guilt – did teenage Keith kidnap and murder the young child he was babysitting?
The question of whether Keith really did do the girl harm supposedly becomes almost secondary as the lives of his family, and the family of the missing child, disintegrate.
Variety reports that Red Leaves would be produced by Jenuet’s own Tapioca Films in partnership with the American producer Eric Bromberg.
Bromberg’s involvement may be an indicator that this film will also be in English – though Jodie Foster’s involvement with A Very Long Engagement might have seem to main the same thing, and certainly didn’t.
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None foundYAMUNANAGAR: A week after a number of students from Kashmir sustained injuries during a clash at an engineering college in Radaur town of Yamunanagar, around 100 students from Bihar, studying in another technical institute in the area, left for their homes. This follows the stabbing of three students from the state in front of the college gate.The incident occurred at Ganpati Institute of Technology, Bilaspur on December 11, where around 200 students from Bihar are enrolled in various courses. Bilaspur deputy superintendent of police is investigating the matter before registering an FIR against the accused.While the district administration claimed that all students had agreed to stay back at the institute, some students told TOI that around 100 students from Bihar left for their homes. "We are in Delhi with our three friends, Abhay, Kunal and Deepak who were stabbed in front of the college gate. After some time, we will board trains to our homes in Bihar," Anoop, a B Tech student of the institute said over the phone.When asked about the reason for them leaving the college, they said, "We are insecure now. Our friends are being targeted by students from Uttar Pradesh. So we decided not to stay here." Meanwhile, Bilaspur sub-divisional magistrate Pooja Chanwaria denied students from Bihar leaving the institute. "This cannot be true as I convinced the students not to leave the college and take their exams. I assured them full security. But I will also check with college officials," she said.Jack Zduriencik became the general manager of the Seattle Mariners in 2009. Here's the team on-base percentage each season and its rank in the American League:
2009:.314 (14th)
2010:.298 (14th)
2011:.292 (14th)
2012:.296 (14th)
2013:.306 (13th)
2014:.300 (15th)
2015:.298 (14th)
In 2013, the Mariners actually finished second in the AL in home runs. They didn't have many runners on base, however, and still finished 12th in the league in runs scored. This season, they're fourth in home runs but are tied with the White Sox for last in the league at 3.62 runs per game after Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Yankees. That makes this year's offense no different from what Mariners fans have seen for more than a decade: In nine of the past 12 seasons, the Mariners have ranked last or next-to-last in the AL in runs.
The problem is they don't have hitters, they don't have enough guys who can get
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of others. Commercial fishery of monkeyface eels is insignificant, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Lombard says he believes he is the only angler in California catching them for profit via his Sea Forager business.
"You can't catch a large number, so no one makes money," he said. "I can get maybe 14 a day, and that's ridiculous. Most people may get three."
So far, the only challenge Bay Area chefs have had selling the kooky-looking catch is trying not to look at each fish as a personality.
Dunmore finds himself apologizing to each creature before he slices.
"Sorry, buddy."
Inside: Restaurant reviews, plus all the dish on the local food scene in The Inside Scoop. E2, E3
Sunday: Chefs kick up the heat in their kitchens. Food & WineGoogle has been trying to catch up to its competitor Amazon in the smart home market for some time, since the latter launched the increasingly popular Amazon Echo ahead of the big G.
And while Google Home still has a way to go before it becomes a mainstream hit, a new study appears to show it’s significantly smarter than Amazon’s smart speaker.
That is, the device was shown to be six times more likely to answer user questions than the Echo according to New York-based 360i (via AdWeek).
Related: Google Home vs Amazon Echo
The ad agency developed its own software to test the two speakers, by asking both voice-controlled devices 3,000 questions and comparing the answers.
The results are interesting considering Amazon’s smart speaker reportedly accounts for about 70% of the smart speaker market at this point.
Amazon’s Echo performed best in retail search queries
However, it remains unclear just what questions were asked during the study, which could be a big factor when considering the differences between the two devices’ search capabilities.
No doubt Google’s superior general search capabilities played some part in the result, but the report does note that Amazon’s Alexa assistant, which runs on the Echo, was, unsurprisingly, pretty impressive when it came to retail search.
Google, on the other hand, has been buiding its “Knowledge Graph” which is essentially a database of facts collated from Google search results over the past five years.
It’s this which gives the company such an edge when it comes to general search results, though Amazon is improving its service all the time.
That means, the types of questions that were asked could cast new light on just how the results were reached in this particular case.
We’re sure more information will be made available in time, so stay tuned for more on the study in the coming weeks.
Let us know if you’ve tried both the Echo and Google Home in the comments.Ralph Nader
Born: 27-Feb-1934
Birthplace: Winsted, CT
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Sexual orientation: Asexual
Occupation: Activist
Party Affiliation: Independent
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Unsafe at Any Speed
Before Nader's 1965 book, Unsafe at Any Speed, car dashboards were usually made of metal. Seat belts were available only at exotic auto parts stores, where they were expensive and customers had to bolt them to the car's floorboards. Even at low speeds, a car wreck could propel passengers into the metal dashboard or snap the driver's neck on the metal steering wheel. At mid-speed wrecks (say, 20 miles an hour), passengers could be thrown into the windshield, which was made of "safety glass" that could chisel a passenger's face and body. Car doors were not attached to the car's body firmly enough to withstand collision forces, and would often pop open or off in an accident, which would instantly make the car's frame (and the passengers inside) much more likely to be crumpled by the crash.
Nader's book focused mostly on the Chevrolet Corvair, but many of the problems detailed were applicable in every auto showroom and highway smash-up. The response to Unsafe at Any Speed led Congress to pass the Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. And since then, everything that adds the word "safety" to the word "automotive" -- seat belts, air bags, even the idea of manufacturers' recalls, or requiring crash tests -- can be traced to that act of Congress, and to Nader's book.
His parents were Lebanese immigrants who ran a restaurant. It's said that Nader had no toys as a child, because his mother thought toys were "a waste of time". In grade school, Nader had few friends, but one of them, David Halberstam, became a noted author, and won a Pulitzer Prize. At Princeton, Nader was a straight-A student who, in his spare time, organized an anti-DDT activist group. Once, leaving the Princeton campus for summer break in his 1949 Studebaker, Nader slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid the jaywalking Albert Einstein. He graduated summa cum laude with a degree in politics, writing a thesis on Lebanese Agriculture. Afterward he attended Harvard Law School and graduated with distinction.
Nader worked as a lawyer for several years while researching Unsafe at Any Speed. After that book made him famous he formed Public Citizen, a non-profit activist group dedicated to consumer protection. Its members became known as "Nader's Raiders". Nader also started the U.S. Public Interest Group (PIRG), an umbrella group of state PIRGs fighting corporations and politicians over issues from prescription drug costs to polluted waterways to the economic lunacy of building tax-funded ballparks for billionaire sports team owners. Nader also founded the Center for Study of Responsive Law, Center for Auto Safety, the Disability Rights Center, the Pension Rights Center, the Project for Corporate Responsibility, and the Clean Water Action Project. Without the work of Nader, his followers, and the groups he's organized, there would probably be no Safe Drinking Water Act, no Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), no Environment Protection Agency (EPA), no Consumer Product Safety Administration, and no Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1974.
In 1996, Nader ran for President as a Green, mostly scolding Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican Bob Dole over environmental issues. He was able to get on the ballot in 22 states. In 2000, Nader ran for President again, this time using the Green Party to get on the ballot in 44 states. He received prominent support from liberal stalwarts like Michael Moore, Phil Donahue, Eddie Vedder, and Patti Smith. Nader said he didn't trust Al Gore: "Gore changes his clothes three times a day, and he has absolutely no idea who he is." And he denounced George W. Bush as "a giant corporation disguised as a human being." Nader got about 3% of the vote nationwide, while Gore got 48.4% and Bush got 47.9%. In Florida, where Gore and Bush finished in a dead heat, Nader received 97,000 votes.
His detractors called Nader an egomaniac, arguing that his candidacy handed Bush the Presidency. Others, including Nader, say he is entitled to run for public office like any other citizen, and that Americans deserve more than two choices -- and better choices than the two they get.
As a result of his perpetual candidacy for President, Nader is despised by many left-wingers who might otherwise be his natural allies, and applauded by right-wingers who sometimes donate to his campaigns after giving Republican candidates the maximum amount allowed by law. It's a backwards world. In 2004 and 2008, Nader ran for President again without the support of the Green Party, making few ripples and earning few votes. As Barack Obama passed the electoral threshold on election night 2008, Nader, appearing live on Fox News, wondered aloud whether Obama would be "Uncle Sam for the people of his country, or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations."
Father: Nathra Nader (restaurateur, d. 1991)
Mother: Rose Bouziane Nader (b. 7-Feb-1907, d. 20-Jan-2006, heart failure)
Sister: Claire Nader (PhD, chair, Council for Responsible Genetics)
Sister: Laura Nader (PhD, Professor of Anthropology, University of California at Berkeley)
Brother: Shafeek Nader (founder, Northwestern Connecticut Community College; d. 1986)
University: AB Politics, Princeton University (1955)
University: LLB, Harvard Law School (1958)
Academy of Achievement (1990)
American Bar Association
Public Citizen Founder
International Forum on Globalization Associate
Green Party Presidential candidate 1996, 2000, not a party member
Nader 2000
Nader for President 2004
Phi Beta Kappa Society
Wedding: Edward Cox and Tricia Nixon (1971)
Pied San Francisco, CA (12-Aug-2003)
Lebanese Ancestry
Risk Factors: Bell's Palsy, Malaria
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (22-Jan-2011) · Himself
Killer at Large (8-Apr-2008) · Himself
Manufacturing Dissent (11-Feb-2007) · Himself
American Drug War: The Last White Hope (2007)
The One Percent (29-Apr-2006) · Himself
Who Killed the Electric Car? (23-Jan-2006) · Himself
An Unreasonable Man (23-Jan-2006) · Himself
Fun with Dick and Jane (21-Dec-2005) · Himself
Last Party 2000 (2-Nov-2001) · Himself
Official Website:
http://www.votenader.org/
Is the subject of books:
Ralph Nader: Battling for Democracy, 2000, BY: Kevin Graham
Author of books:
Unsafe At Any Speed ( 1965 )
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Submit a correction or make a comment about this profileAn Interview with Curator Robert Cozzolino on David Lynch the Artist
By Courtenay Stallings
[The following is an extended version of the article that appeared in Issue 3 of The Blue Rose Magazine. Be sure to subscribe to the Blue Rose for more coverage of Twin Peaks.]
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At the same time David Lynch was participating in The Art Life (2016) documentary and developing Season 3 of Twin Peaks (2017) with Mark Frost, he was collaborating very closely with the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) on his first major art exhibition in the United States — David Lynch: The Unified Field — which opened in 2014 and explored his art from his early years at PAFA to his later work through 2013. The exhibition brought together 90 paintings and drawings from 1965 to his more recent work. The exhibit also displayed several of his short films from his time at PAFA where he was a student before moving to Los Angeles to study at the American Film Institute (AFI).
Robert Cozzolino, who is currently the Patrick and Aimee Butler Curator of Paintings at Minneapolis Institute of Art, was the senior curator and curator of modern art at the PAFA for David Lynch’s The Unified Field exhibition. Cozzolino worked with Lynch to curate his life’s work as a painter and mixed media artist.
Courtenay Stallings interviewed Cozzolino in the summer of 2017 for her article “‘A Unified Field’ of Dreams” in issue #3 of The Blue Rose Magazine. The following includes portions of the interview with Robert Cozzolino.
Courtenay Stallings: How did David Lynch’s exhibition at PAFA come about?
Robert Cozzolino: I think there was a sense that he must be an overbooked star and had nothing better to do than what his old art school thinks of him. So nobody really made any overtures to him … It wasn’t until a colleague and I were talking about other alumni who should have major shows, and David Lynch came up. We thought “what if?” We were surprised when they contacted us and said “We sent your letter on to him, and he said he wants to see you.”
So the fact that it was PAFA — I think that was the thing. One of the things I came to realize while working on that project is the thing that happened to him during his formative years, particularly as a student in Philadelphia and afterwards, and the time between when he was formally involved before he left for LA. That was a really critical time creatively for him — a lot happened; a lot came together. A lot of what he figured out what he wanted to do happened in those years. And it was because of really supportive mentors and peers who were all like-minded and really wanted to make art. So that supportive atmosphere really gave him the boost he needed and the confidence he needed to just do his thing. It really meant a lot to him. He told me in our first meeting in LA when we went to go visit him that if it were any other institution to ask about this, he probably would have said no, but [said yes] because it was his alma mater (even though he didn’t graduate from there) …
There’s a number of people who David kept in touch with since the Philadelphia days, which I thought spoke volumes about who he is as a person. And then when you think about it, going back to Eraserhead, he works with the same people over and over again if what they do together makes magic. But it’s the same people he knows he can rely on over and over again like Jack Nance in Twin Peaks in the first season. … I think asking about a show in Philadelphia at the Academy touched that part of him that made it make sense to him.
CS: What year did you initially start working with Lynch to plan the exhibit?
RC: I think we reached out to him in 2010. He would accept a half-hour meeting at his place. We were there for like an hour or two hours. We sat and talked with him first. I think what he was trying to figure out was what were we up to. And also knowing that whatever a curator of an art museum says about it — don’t worry we’ll organize it — that it was going to occupy his time; that he was going to have to be involved in some way. He wanted to weigh what kind of people we were personality-wise. I think it wouldn’t have worked unless he got along with us, and he just wouldn’t have been interested. And I also think that he wanted to make sure that if it were going to happen, he was going to have some kind of time investment. …
I went out there a few times looking through files, looking through drawings and paintings, and also spending a lot of time at the house. And I interviewed him for an hour and a half or so ….
I do know that he and Mark Frost were talking about revamping Twin Peaks around the time I was doing my research, but I don’t have any idea how much they were working on it in practice, but it seemed like the years leading up to me coming to talk to him he had really been training making objects. He’d had a few shows at a gallery in New York and LA, and it was favorably reviewed, and collectors who hadn’t really collected his work were starting to collect it. I had a feeling it was just the right moment. His attention was on it. He had the confidence that while he would need to devote some time and energy thinking about it or approve decisions about stuff, he got the sense that it was going to be OK without him having all of his attention on it. That was good.
He was creating a database for the first time of all of the works of his. I worked very closely with [his assistant] on this stuff. I think it was definitely the years between 2008 and 2014, when the show happened, he was really spending a lot of time making drawings and making paintings and making objects and thinking about … tapping into the aspect of his life that had always been there but had either been in the foreground or the background depending on the kinds of projects he was doing. So the main aim of that show was to take his output as an artist seriously and to not compartmentalize it but to say this is always something he’s done, and everything he’s done as an individual artist … is coming out of the same stream. It was getting people to pay attention to that. And not to think of it as the stuff he does when he doesn’t make a film but more of this is how he thinks visually …
It’s interesting to me having worked on his show and looked at his films and thought of them as moving paintings and then going to this after so much time thinking about the relationship between the static work he does and the film work he does … there are so many motifs … the idea of the box in New York is in print. It’s in the devices through which he brings his compositions in the late 1960s in those paintings in Philadelphia. Even the fact that Cole’s office is in Philadelphia — that’s funny, but there’s a meaning to that. It’s not just happenstance that that’s where the character David Lynch plays in Twin Peaks. As he said to me, he feels like Philadelphia has been like one of his muses. It’s been the major muse for the work that he’s done so I always look for references to Philadelphia in everything that he does.
CS: Sometimes there’s a way that people see an artist versus the way the artist defines or doesn’t define themselves. Years ago, I attended a talk with Jim Dine at the High Museum of art in Atlanta, Georgia. The moderator called him a “pop artist,” but he took issue with that even though that’s how people typically label his work. Is there a difference in how Lynch defines himself as an artist versus how the public views him?
I do remember a time when we were talking in the studio, and I said to him I really wanted his show to be focused on his paintings, drawings, prints and his output as a visual artist and for that to be right there prominent in the foreground. That’s the way the show would be framed. And he said, “Oh people always say that, but they always fall back on the films.” And I said, “No, I promise you that I will treat you seriously.” Because of his success with The Elephant Man and Blue Velvet, which I think preceded the show at Leo Castelli, people were going to see him as a celebrity who paints. I think he just tried not to draw any attention to it. And he just matter of factly went about doing it without really trying to hustle in the art world. That whole aspect of what is expected of an artist that you have to have — you have to really be out there doing stuff, going to parties, being connected … I think he’s happiest when he is at his house, and he doesn’t have to go out and schmooze with people, and he can just do his thing and be with his family. That’s really important to him: being able to have the mental and physical space to be able to just make stuff and think about stuff. He doesn’t live an extremely extravagant lifestyle, and he also isn’t going out of his way to become a famous artist. I don’t think he thought that as a filmmaker, either.
In terms of how he would define himself as an artist: I don’t think he would. He’s just making things that excite him about the things that excite him. It was hard to get him to talk about anything: What does this mean here? What prompted this object? Or what prompted this scenario? Or from some of the more [surreal] paintings from the 2000s — there’s a …. There’s a woman wearing a neck brace, and she’s got an electric knife and there’s a dog, and she’s like in a hotel room, and the text on the painting is “Change the fucking channel, fuckface.” I think sometimes these are just stream-of-consciousness things that occur to him. If he made any distinction between making paintings/making two-dimensional objects and making film, which he did make some kind of distinction between the two of them, … because the physical process is different, the thinking process is slightly different.
I don’t think he actually has a lot of premeditation for the recent series of paintings and drawings that he’s done. I don’t think they are completely improvised, but I don’t think he’s doing studies…. Where, as a filmmaker, I do know that he’s very careful about that. He’s careful to let you know that things are not improvised. For instance, with Inland Empire, the only correction he made in the essay I wrote was I talked about an improvisatory process for Inland Empire because the way that I had seen him talk about it or read him talking about it was that he got an idea, and he filmed it. Then he got another idea that didn’t seem like it was connected, and maybe two ideas later that he filmed to see how they were connected. To me, that seemed like it was sort of an improvisatory process, but he was careful to correct that it wasn’t. He wasn’t improvising. He knew exactly what he was doing when he was filming scenarios — even why he was filming them. He knew what would be in them. It’s just that he didn’t know that they were connected. I know that is a very careful distinction he makes. However, talking to people and reading interviews with people who have been on the set with him — if something accidental happens on the set that is visually exciting or adds another thing to it that he didn’t realize could be there, he will embrace that.
Looking at his stills while I was curating the exhibition, he was really, really specific about what is framed in the picture. That is one of the close relationships between his two-dimensional work and his still work is that he is really thinking about picture playing. He’s really thinking about how you are framing even if it’s live action and even if it’s not just a still of something … He is really carefully controlling what the viewer is able to see. I think that’s a sensibility that comes from him originally and always having been a painter and having to think about that.
CS: Yes, and in your essay in the book based on the exhibit The Unified Field you do a really good job of outlining his process as an artist, and you kind of make those ties to filmmaker, too. There’s a part that explores how many painters want to be stationary in their work, but Lynch likes to move around, and we see this in his filmmaking, too. One of the things I’ve read a lot is “let’s not try to make sense of this” and “David Lynch has no meaning,” or “he’s just making stuff up as he goes.” You just made an interesting distinction of how Lynch can be very intentional, but he’s also working from his subconscious, and he’s very open to something happening on set. Is it a discredit to him as an artist to say that he’s just making this up as he goes along, and he’s just putting random things together? What are your thoughts about this regarding his art?
One of the things is, which is a practical one, is that when he’s in his studio, he’s in control, and it is up to him. He makes all the decisions. They can be made quick. They can be erased. They can be removed. They can be scraped away. They can be burned away. And it can only take just a couple of minutes to do any of that stuff, but when you’re responsible for a crew, or if you’re doing any production, you have to have a plan, or you’re wasting everyone’s time. Even if you’re a seasoned improviser … you’ve got to come at it with a level of preparation that’s expert.
And, when you’re committing things to film, and you have actors and people that are trying to deal with their lines and where they’re supposed to be … trying to control the scene with regard to lighting and all that kind of stuff, you can’t do a whole lot of improvisation especially if it’s something like this 18-hour movie that he has made, which has to be carefully planned out. [Regarding Season 3] I have this feeling that a lot of what happens, little things that happen along the way, are going to be critical, are going to be repeated, and there will be motifs and returning motifs coming up over and over again. You’re going to see by the end how carefully composed it is. I mean, it already is. The first episode and the slowly building of mystery and the careful attention to what, again … looking at what kind of decisions have been made about what’s in Naomi Watts’ (Janey-E’s) kitchen — those kinds of things. Because I know he thought about it and had to approve it. Also, he’s so against product placement that there’s not going to be anything remotely like that in Twin Peaks.
I think the people that think there’s just crazy stuff and a series of images, and he’s making it up as he goes along is a naïve position. You can’t really do that … he’s going to have a point to it. He’s going to have a narrative arc, and it may not be a straightforward a narrative arc in the way that Mulholland Drive is not a straightforward narrative arc, but I think you can’t underestimate how powerful his experience and how natural his work as a painter is [regarding film] — sort of adding things visually, adding things in terms of sound, adding things for an 18-foot mural that are going to come back maybe later than you realize, but you’re going to have to look at it for a long time.
There is going to be eternal rhythms to it because he is composing in the sense that a painter composes, but he is also composing in the sense that a sound artist composes. All of that is at work in Twin Peaks, and he sees these very elements as a kind of palette. That’s one of the places where in all the things he does as a creative person overlap…. It’s in Six Men Getting Sick — sound is as critical as the visual, and they work together. So that siren that goes off gives the whole thing a different effect than it would if it was just completely silent or if it was some other sound.
To read Courtenay Stallings’ essay “‘A Unified Field’ of Dreams” on David Lynch the artist, order issue #3 of the Blue Rose Magazine. Subscribe to the magazine in general at www.bluerosemag.com. For more information on the David Lynch: The Unified Field exhibit, read the book, which is based on the exhibit, by Robert Cozzolino and available at Amazon.com.
_____________
Courtenay Stallings is the associate editor and a writer for The Blue Rose Magazine
Subscribe NOW to get Issues 5-8 (including Women of Lynch coming in August)Bahrain is best known as a Persian Gulf base for the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet and as a playground for residents of Saudi Arabia who can drive over a causeway to enjoy the nightclubs and bars of the far more permissive kingdom. Its ruler, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, is an important ally of the United States in fighting terrorism and countering Iranian influence in the region.
It is far too soon to tell where Bahrain’s popular political uprising will go. The demands are economic — people want jobs — as well as political, in that most would like to see the nation transformed from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional one. But the events here, inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, have altered the dynamics in a nation where political expression has long been tamed by harsh police tactics and prison terms.
In a rare speech to the nation, the king expressed his regret on national television over the two young men killed by the police and called for an investigation into the deaths. But in an unparalleled move he also instructed his police force to allow more than 10,000 demonstrators to claim Pearl Square as their own.
As night fell Tuesday and a cold wind blew off the Persian Gulf, thousands of demonstrators occupied the square or watched from a highway overpass, cheering. Where a day earlier the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at any gatherings that tried to protest, no matter how small, or peaceful, people now waved the red and white flag of Bahrain, gave speeches, chanted slogans and shared food.
The police massed on the other side of a bridge leading to the square. A police helicopter never stopped circling, but took no action, to the protesters’ surprise.
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By 10 p.m., many of the people headed home from the square, with many saying they had plans to return the next day. A core group planned to spend the night there in tents.
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“Now the people are the real players, not the government, not the opposition,” said Matar Ibrahim Matar, 34, an opposition member of Parliament who joined the crowd gathered beneath the mammoth statue. “I don’t think anyone expected this, not the government, not us.”
Bahrain’s domestic politics have long been tangled. The king and the ruling elite are Sunni Muslims. The majority, or about 70 percent, of the local population of about 500,000, are Shiite Muslims. The Shiites claim they are discriminated against in jobs, housing and education, and their political demands are not new.
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The demonstrators have asked for the release of political prisoners, the creation of a more representative and empowered Parliament, the establishment of a constitution written by the people and the formation of a new, more representative cabinet. They complain bitterly that the prime minister, Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the king’s uncle, has been in office for 40 years.
They also want the government to stop the practice of offering citizenship to foreigners willing to come to Bahrain to serve as police officers or soldiers, a tactic they say is aimed at trying to reduce the influence of Shiites by increasing the number of Sunnis.
While the demands are standard here, what is new is the way the demonstrations have unfolded, following the script from Egypt and Tunisia. Young people organized a protest using online tools like Twitter and Facebook. They tapped into growing frustrations with economic hardship and political repression but were not aided by the traditional opposition movements.
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The day began early, around 7 a.m., at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, where Ali Mushaima, 21, died the night before from a shotgun wound to his back. About 2,000 mourners lined up in a parking lot behind a truck that carried his coffin on its roof.
As soon as the procession exited the hospital grounds, a young man bolted from the crowd and charged at the police standing nearby. He threw a rock and the police fired tear gas into the crowd. They fired other weapons, too, and Fadel Matrouq, 31, was killed.
The mourners regrouped a block away and walked slowly for about 90 minutes behind the coffin to the Jidi Haffiz cemetery, a dusty expanse of sun-baked land dotted with simple graves. For more than an hour thousands of people milled peacefully around the area in a blend of politics, mourning and faith.
Mr. Mushaima’s father was escorted by both arms gently through the crowd, after his son was laid out on a white tile table, washed for burial and wrapped in a cloth decorated with golden Arabic script from the Koran. When the body was taken to the gravesite, there were as many as 10,000 people in the street, some mourning, some calling for the government to be dissolved, some chanting slogans and prayers.
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Among the crowd were some people who carried protest signs stating their political demands, while others carried black, yellow and red flags that said “Ya Hussein,” referring to the most revered figure in Shiite Islam.
When the body was in the ground, people in the crowd moved toward Pearl Square, not knowing if they would arrive at their destination or be cut off by the police, again. When they made it, they rejoiced.
“The government has brought us past the tipping point,” said Abd al-Amir al-Jawri, 40, an activist who was elated as he recorded events with a video camera. “This is it.”See 480 signatories below
Open letter to Prime Minister Harper, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, and Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau:
We, the undersigned academics, lawyers, and community leaders, are profoundly perturbed by the unbalanced and partisan position adopted by the Canadian government and federal political parties regarding the current violence in Gaza. While more than 650 Palestinians – 75 per cent civilians, according to the United Nations – have been killed in Israel's latest military operation, official statements have focused exclusively on denouncing Hamas' rocket strikes (responsible for two fatalities) and uncritically proclaiming Israel's right to self-defence.
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While Hamas' indiscriminate rocket firings are illegal under international law, Israel is still bound by basic international humanitarian law principles protecting civilians during times of war and prohibiting collective punishment. Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilian life and infrastructure in Gaza violate fundamental norms of international law. As of July 22, the toll of the ongoing offensive (the third major military assault on Gaza in six years) includes:
– at least 147 children killed, including four by missile strike while playing soccer on a Gaza beach; – 3 504 Palestinians injured (it is uncertain how many are civilians, but the number includes 1 100 children and 1 153 women); – 2 655 families whose homes have been destroyed or severely damaged; – 117 000 people displaced; – at least 90 schools and 18 health facilities damaged (including the destruction of al-Wafa Hospital, the only rehabilitation hospital in Gaza and the West Bank)
– 1.2 million people with no or very limited access to water and sanitation services.
And the toll increases by the hour.
Multiple human rights groups have documented and condemned likely Israeli war crimes in Gaza. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay concluded two weeks ago that "Deeply disturbing reports that many of the civilian casualties, including of children, occurred as a result of strikes on homes... raise serious doubt about whether the Israeli strikes have been in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law." This week, Ms. Pillay confirmed: "There seems to be a strong possibility that international law has been violated [by Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip], in a manner that could amount to war crimes."
Amnesty International's report observed, "In several cases of [air strikes on civilian homes in Gaza], no evidence has emerged to indicate that the alleged 'Hamas operatives' were inside the homes at the time of the attack, that the homes were being used to store munitions, or otherwise being used for military purposes." According to Philip Luther, director of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa Program: "Unless the Israeli authorities can provide specific information to show how a home is being used to make an effective contribution to military actions, deliberately attacking civilian homes constitutes a war crime and also amounts to collective punishment against the families."
Human Rights Watch similarly found that "Israeli air attacks... have been targeting apparent civilian structures and killing civilians in violation of the laws of war."
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The disregard for international law conveyed by the government's silence on such potentially grave violations committed by Israel discredits Canada domestically and internationally. Moreover, adoption of such a one-sided position subverts Canada's own official foreign policy goal of achieving a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement" between Israel and Palestine. Rather than maintaining a studious silence in the face of these documented violations of international humanitarian law, a true friend would act responsibly and call Israel to account for those violations.
As a country claiming to champion universal human rights and dignity, Canada's foreign policy must align with international law, and reflect the equal value of Palestinian and Israeli life. The callous devaluation of Palestinian life communicated by our political leaders does not represent us as Canadians.
Sincerely,
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Associate Professor of Global Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Dr. Reem Bahdi, Associate Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Law; Dr. Cornelia Baines, Professor Emerita, Dalla Lana Faculty of Public Health, University of Toronto; Dr. Himani Bannerji, Professor Emeritus, York University; Dr. Gregory Baum, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University; Susan Boyd, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia; Dr. William D Coleman, Professor, Balsillie School of International Affairs and Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, McMaster University; Dr. Mohammad Fadel, Associate Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Law; Dr. Christos Giannou, former head surgeon, International Committee of the Red Cross Harry Glasbeek, Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar, Osgoode Hall Law School; Guy Goodwin-Gill, Senior Research Fellow (International Law), All Souls College, University of Oxford; Dr. Wael Hallaq, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, Columbia University; Dr. Nader Hashemi, Associate Professor, Joseph Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver; Dr. Rhoda E Howard-Hassmann, Canada Research Chair in International Human Rights, School of International Policy and Governance and Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University; Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, York University; Jasminka Kalajdzic, Associate Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Law; Azeezah Kanji, Noor Cultural Centre; Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan, former refugee judge; Order of Canada and Order of Ontario; Dr. Jeff King, Senior Lecturer in Laws, University College London; Dr Gary Kinsman, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Laurentian University; Dr Atif Kubursi, Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics, McMaster University; Dr Andree Levesque, Professor Emerita, History Department, McGill University; Dr Abby Lippman, Professor Emerita, McGill University; Michael Lynk, Professor, University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law; Dr Mojtaba Mahdavi, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Alberta; Jim Manly, Member of Parliament
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be the Lib Dem front man for the cross-party Scottish campaign against independence. Mr Kennedy has a better standing in Scotland than some Lib Dems but he has a reputation for failing to turn up for some appointments. The pro-union campaign has decided the risk of the latter if outweighed by the benefits of the former.
Labour’s pro-union campaign is still expected to do the “heavy lifting” in the referendum campaign and it’s launch could come before the cross-party campaign.
Keep up to date with Gary’s blogs via Twitter: @GaryGibbonBlogToday and tomorrow, the accreditation body of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ (NEASC) will gather for its September meeting. On the agenda is whether or not to threaten Gordon College’s academic accreditation because of its Biblical stance on human sexuality.
[Continue reading the background info below and CLICK HERE to email the NEASC.]
As you may have heard, Gordon has been under relentless assault all summer since its President, Michael Lindsay, signed a letter to President Obama concerning a pending executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The letter, from several Christian leaders, requested that federal exemptions remain intact for religious organizations to live out their First Amendment freedoms.
President Lindsay’s association with the letter highlighted the fact that Gordon has a behavioral policy for members of its community that confines sexual activity to marriage between one man and one woman. This policy, and President Lindsay’s defense of it, both fall squarely within the rights protected by our federal Constitution and Massachusetts state law.
Nevertheless, in a letter to President Lindsay, the NEASC’s Commission on Institutions of Higher Education admitted it would be discussing its relationship with Gordon due to recent prominence in the news “over a matter that may relate to the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation or its policies.”
The letter attempted to reassure the college that its accreditation was not currently at risk, but left the door open to possible future action, saying, “the Commission will discuss the matter and decide what action, if any, to take. But… the range of actions that the Commission could take at the September meeting would not include withdrawal of accreditation or probation.”
This sounds encouraging, but there are several causes for concern. The first is that although there is what appears to be a promise NOT to revoke accreditation at this month’s meeting, there is no guarantee that such action would not be taken at the commission’s next meeting, usually held in November.
The second concern is that there are a number of actions the Commission could take to attempt to harass and intimidate the school into yielding on its policy. For example, the Commission could, at this week’s meeting, call for a “Focused Evaluation Visit” and send investigators to the school to snoop around looking for students and faculty with grievances concerning the policy.
However, the Commission’s letter itself may not be worth the paper it’s printed on. It turns out that the chair of the Commission is none other than Patricia Maguire Meservey, the president of Salem State University, who wrote the following in the Salem News this past July:
“As a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community … I am deeply troubled by [President Lindsay’s] request and the potential ramifications if approved ….”
She went on to allege that Lindsay’s “support of the ability of organizations to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation sends a chilling message to many members of our community.” Perhaps most tellingly, Meservey admits that, “while I can understand a religious organization’s wishes to uphold their core religious values, I do not believe those values trump the basic human right to be treated equally and fairly,” and that “tolerance simply isn’t enough.”
Again, these are the published words of the chair of the Commission scrutinizing Gordon’s accreditation as we speak. The school has every right to be very concerned at this point. It is also my understanding that the Commission is receiving lots of pressure from homosexual activists pushing for them to take some kind of action against Gordon. Here’s where you can help.
Send an email to the Commission HERE, letting them know that you want them to recognize Gordon’s Constitutionally protected rights to both set its own behavioral policies and for its president to petition the government in the form of a letter to preserve those rights.
If Gordon College is bullied into changing its behavioral policy, every faith-based school in New England — Catholic, Protestant or otherwise — will be at risk for the same treatment. Email NEASC TODAY!The off-season tends to get a little dull sometimes around the KSR compound, especially as the news ever so slowly trickles in during the months of June and July. We have to get a little creative around here sometimes. I’m going to start a weekly series called “We Ask You Wednesdays,” that can hopefully get some of you all involved via Twitter. Most of you all, All of you all, Everyone but my Mom and Dad, Some of you all will probably hate it, but it’s either this or I’ll post another Trey Lyles mix tape.
Each week, the question will change and we will hit on a variety of topics, mostly UK-related… but you never know. Each week the best responses will make it on to the website. This week’s fifth volume of the “We Ask You Wednesday” allowed Kentucky fans to answer the following question via Twitter in 140 characters or less: IMAGINE IT’S 2014. WHERE DO YOU SEE THE UK ATHLETIC PROGRAM? WHAT KIND OF CHANGES (COACHING, CONFERENCE, ARENAS, ETC.) AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DO YOU SEE COMING IN THOSE 10 YEARS?
Couldn’t complain about this run if true…
I certainly hope not on at least 1 of the following predictions…I’ll let you guess which one…
Wilder always looking out for UK Hoops…
This seems like a possibility…
As long as there is Wi-Fi… please
There are 3 things certain in life: Death, taxes and success in UK Rifle…
Many of you all predicted a vastly different conference alignment…
I especially like the last part….
Shout out to the first team I covered while writing for KSR College back in the day…
I think Bertha is already on the way out…
I’ll take that…
BEST ANSWER OF THE WEEK: (and also the one that is almost GUARANTEED to come true..)The Arizona Legislature embraced a signature component of President Barack Obama's health care law Thursday after a drawn out battle that divided the state's Republican leadership and saw GOP Gov. Jan Brewer work closely with Democratic lawmakers to expand Medicaid access.
The Legislature passed Brewer's $8.8 billion state budget and Medicaid expansion after months of stalled negotiations, tense debates and political maneuvering from both sides.
Brewer called it a "sweet victory" for Arizona's budget and its people. The expansion will provide health insurance to an additional 300,000 poor Arizonans under a key provision of the Affordable Care Act.
"The day has been a red-letter day for the people of Arizona," Brewer said. "It was a win, win, win all the way around."
A newly formed coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans worked closely with Brewer to push back against the conservative leaders who run the Legislature and had blocked debate on the Medicaid expansion for six months. Lawmakers worked through the night Wednesday to get the plan through the House, and the Senate vote came hours later Thursday afternoon.
Brewer, an early critic of the Affordable Care Act, surprised the nation when she embraced the Medicaid expansion as the law of the land in her State of the State address in January. She noted that rejecting an expansion would mean Arizona taxpayers would subsidize care for those in other states while receiving no benefits themselves.
The expansion is expected to help reduce the amount of uncompensated care hospitals must absorb and help cut what Brewer called a hidden health care tax that people who buy insurance pay, through higher premiums, to cover others' care.
After the Legislature secured her political win, Brewer softened her support for the health care law Thursday.
"Medicaid was here long before Obama health care. I have never liked Obama health care," she told reporters after the vote. "It has nothing to do with Obama health care."
Republicans control the Legislature and all statewide elected offices in Arizona, but the Medicaid fight highlighted internal fractures between those who want smaller government and others who, like Brewer, say broader health care access is good for the state.
"The bottom line here is greed," said Sen. Al Melvin, a Tucson Republican who is running for governor and voted against the Medicaid expansion. "The people who want this know in their hearts that Obamacare is going to collapse under its own weight."
The expansion is optional under last year's Supreme Court decision upholding the health care law, and many Republican governors rejected it.
In all, 23 states plus Washington, D.C., are moving ahead with the expansion, while 15 states have turned it down. Another 12 states are still weighing options.
Nearly all the states refusing are led by Republicans. Several of the states accepting have Republican governors, but most are led by Democrats.
Washington will pick up the entire cost of the expansion for the first three years and 90 percent over the longer haul. It's estimated that less than $100 billion in state spending could trigger nearly $1 trillion in federal dollars over a decade.
In Arizona, Republican leaders in the Legislature called the expansion a massive government overreach that would drive the federal government deeper into debt. They predicted the government promises of paying for the expansion would turn out to be false.
"This is the biggest mistake we've made in the Arizona Legislature this year and maybe ever," said Republican Sen. Kelli Ward, of Lake Havasu City. "It's going to decrease the quality of care in Arizona, it's going to decrease access of care in Arizona and it's going to increase costs for all of us."
Republican Sen. Michele Reagan chastised conservative business leaders who sided with Brewer in the health care debate.
"I wonder how many businesses would make a decision to fund something so large and so unknown for an indefinite amount of time without a check and balance guarantee in place?" said Reagan, of Scottsdale.
The Senate president and House speaker had blocked action on the expansion for months, with the Senate finally adopting it in May. Speaker Andy Tobin continued to stall as he tried to get Brewer to compromise, but she finally had enough Tuesday and called the Legislature into a surprise special session. Both chambers started afresh Tuesday evening.
As the debate progressed, Brewer's allies refused to so much as answer questions on the floor or discuss provisions in the proposed budget. Instead, lawmakers exchanged barbs and policy rebuttals on Twitter long into the night as conservatives ranted on the floor.
"I've never seen the case where a governor has rolled over her own party because she was throwing a temper tantrum," said Republican Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, of Gilbert.
Senate President Andy Biggs said lawmakers had little information about what was in the budget before passing it. He said he only learned of the special session after a reporter called him Tuesday afternoon.
"I am deeply and profoundly disappointed at the manner at which this came down," he said.
Brewer dismissed the insults, predicting that all would be forgiven and Republican leaders would move forward together.
"Tomorrow they'll probably say `I'm sorry' or we will just forget it," she said. "I just try to listen and let it go."
The Medicaid plan would cover people making between 100 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level and restore coverage to more than 100,000 childless adults who lost Medicaid coverage because of a state budget crunch. About 1.3 million Arizonans already are covered by the state's plan.Whether you love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Donald Trump’s run for the presidency has had a huge effect on the country, especially our broken political process. Right now the globalists are working overtime to crush Trump and his message. They believe that if they can stop Trump, Americans will go back to being bovine worker drones in their globalist machine. But that is impossible. What has been seen cannot be unseen.
Here are some of the ways that Trump has forever changed US politics.
The message is more important than money
Up until Trump announced his candidacy, the assumption has been that the candidate with the largest war chest wins. DC beltway analysts and New York marketing experts had elections down to a science. If you can afford to pay the best experts and buy more ads than your competition, you’ll win. A good example of this was the Marco Rubio campaign. Everything about Rubio was done according to the textbook. His message was created and market tested in conjunction with Frank Luntz to ensure it would have maximum voter appeal. All that Rubio had to do was execute, run the requisite number of television ads, and he would win. That conventional wisdom was forever destroyed by Trump.
Instead of following this conventional route, Trump went with his gut. No doubt he consulted certain people such as Senator Jeff Sessions in constructing his immigration message, but his general approach was to bypass focus groups and target big issues that voters felt strongly about. Because Trump staked out positions that resonated with the GOP voter base he was able to build a durable following without spending a lot of money. According to Bloomberg, Hillary has spent roughly $432M on the campaign while Trump has spent $213M—less than half. Yet the polls are still close so Trump’s focus on message over Madison Avenue advertising experts is paying off.
Sometimes you have to offend people
Another piece of conventional wisdom that has been proven wrong by Trump is the idea that you cannot offend anyone in the electorate, even very tiny portions of it. You can see it in Hillary’s message, which is 100% focused on women and minorities. Mainstream Republican candidates are a little less politically correct but not by much. While they might say “radical Islamic terror,” they are always very quick to point out that Islam itself is a religion of peace. All terrorists are, in the GOP view, “perverters” of Islam. The reasoning behind this “don’t offend” approach is that a politician cannot afford to lose even one vote.
There are many problems with this approach but the biggest one is that sometimes solving a problem requires offending a group of people. Trump’s statement that there seems to be a problem with Islam and terrorism could definitely be construed as being offensive toward Muslims, but until we have the courage to have an open discussion about it, we will never solve the problem of terrorism. Trump’s defeat of 16 of GOP’s best and brightest proves that it is more important to speak the truth than it is to worry about who you offend.
Conservatives are a fake opposition
The greatest gift that Trump’s candidacy has given us is the realization is that the Conservative Movement that powers the Republican Party was never meant to change America for the better. It’s only purpose was to provide the appearance that voters have a real choice. This allowed the progressive agenda of feminism, gay marriage, and the elimination of national borders to advance without the masses rising up in open rebellion.
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The fact that the GOP was only a fake opposition party became evident from the moment that Trump announced his candidacy. During his speech Trump mentioned two distinctive policies that have defined him ever since. The first is the idea that illegal immigration must be stopped. The second was that the US has negotiated bad trade deals that are decimating US manufacturing. While other Republicans had mentioned immigration as a problem in the past, none of the 2016 batch of candidates had made it a priority. And none of the other Republicans had chosen to attack existing trade deals.
There was swift retribution for Trump’s comments. Several companies canceled contracts that they had with Trump’s company. The Republican elite rushed to condemn Trump’s statements as offensive to Hispanics. They also dismissed Trump as not being a serious candidate.
As it became clear that Trump was winning, the GOP establishment tested various other attacks to no avail. At the GOP convention, most of them grudgingly endorsed Trump, but they were just waiting for a more opportune moment to attack Trump. That moment came after the “grab them by the pussy” tapes were released on October 7th. GOP leaders and pundits coordinated their statements against Trump with the media and the Democrats.
The reason the GOP establishment is working to stop Trump because he represents a genuine departure from the standard Democrat and Republican policies. Trump’s policies threaten to take away power from the donor class, the wealthy plutocrats who really run the country. By attacking Trump the Republican establishment demonstrated that it was only interested in representing the interests of its wealthy donors, not its voters.
If elected, Trump will have a chance to change the Republican Party into a party that really represents the interests of most Americans. If he loses, the GOP will likely try to revert back to its fake opposition policy but no one will be fooled into thinking that it presents a real alternative.
The media is a mouthpiece of the ruling elite
Regular readers of Return of Kings have seen the perfidy of the mainstream media before. When Roosh tried to hold meet-ups for men, the international press went into attack mode. Newspapers all over world obediently printed minor variations on the same false headline that Roosh was “pro-rape.” The same thing has occurred with Donald Trump when women began to accuse him of groping them.
Before publishing a story that tarnishes a person’s reputation, it is standard journalistic practice to check the accuracy of the story. This includes contacting the person who has been accused to get their response. It involves doing some checking of the accuser’s reputation and looking for corroboration. In the case of the women that Trump allegedly groped, none of this was done. The media ran the groping accusations even though the women’s stories were easily debunked because the media’s only job is to carry the water for the globalist elite.
Nowhere has this been more apparent than with the release of the Wikileaks Podesta emails. The emails show a high degree of coordination between the media and the Democrats. In one particularly egregious case, Politico writer asks Podesta to review what he has written to ensure he has not “fucked up” anything.
Conclusion
Although Trump has changed US politics, we will suffer a serious setback if he loses on November 8th. As I have written before, it is likely that Clinton will move quickly to modify US demographics to prevent another conservative from ever being elected. The big difference will be that we are now wiser as to how things really work. We’ve been rudely woken from our sleep and injected with 500 mg of caffeine. There is no way we are going back to sleep again.
Read More: How You Can Cast A Vote For Donald TrumpTwo King's-Edgehill School students saved the day for a pair of blind women at a pumpkin regatta in Nova Scotia on Sunday by offering up their giant gourd after the women's pumpkin got a hole in it.
This was the 18th annual Windsor Pumpkin Regatta and people paddled across Lake Pesaquid in giant, hollowed-out pumpkins.
For Milena Khazanavicius, 44, competing in the event was an item to check off of her bucket list. She's been blind for about half her life and she's been coming to the regatta for around a dozen years.
'About to have a breakdown'
As Khazanavicius and Stephanie Berry's pumpkin was being lowered into the water this weekend, it took on water because it was punctured.
"I was about to have a breakdown," said Khazanavicius.
Fortunately, two students from King's-Edgehill stepped up and offered their pumpkin for the women to use.
"When they said it was these two young boys, I thought, oh my, the world is good. You should have seen my face," said Khazanavicius.
Teams wait at the starting line for Sunday's Windsor Pumpkin Regatta to begin. (Jennie Bovard)
The teens still competed using the women's punctured pumpkin and had success with it.
"They took our sinking pumpkin and they paddled and were taking the water out," said Khazanavicius.
The teens, Lane Latreille and Justin Betance ending up finishing the regatta in first place.
She and Berry didn't have as much luck and finished in last place, but they still had a ball.
"We were exhausted. My legs were shaking. I don't even know how we crawled out of that pumpkin at the end," said Khazanavicius.
The two had a kayaker whose job was to guide them across the lake.
Khazanavicius says people often have misperceptions about what blind people can do. She's proud she participated in the race.
"It makes no difference what disability you have. If you want to do it, you can do it. With a little bit of help, it's achievable," said Khazanavicius.
She said the pair were the first blind people to successfully go across the lake in the Windsor Pumpkin Regatta.Washington Wizards 2015-16 Player Grades: Week 17
We’ve been waiting for the Washington Wizards to get healthy for quite a while. It was the built-in excuse – but now Bradley Beal, Otto Porter and Nene are all back, and the Wizards still suck. Who could have possibly seen this coming?
At least this week we could have bowed our heads and said, “Hey, they were playing the Thunder and Warriors, there was nothing they could have done.” John Wall, with a superhuman effort, even succeeded in making the Golden State game interesting.
Then the Wizards just had to go and pee in our cornflakes by blowing a big lead against the Hornets. There are no more excuses. There’s nothing left to say. This team is bad, and Ted Leonsis, Ernie Grunfeld and Randy Wittman should feel bad.
Let’s grade.
John Wall: 24.8 PPG (52.8 FG%), 6.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG
John Wall has often been criticized for coming up small against his best individual competition, but that was not an issue last week, as he put on one of the most epic performances of his career against Stephen Curry and the Warriors.
Wall finished with 41 points, the second-highest total of his career, in an incredibly entertaining shootout with the league’s best player. While Curry rained three after three, Wall attacked the rim with ferocity, nearly singlehandedly making it a game before foul trouble forced him out at the worst time.
He then followed it up with his first triple-double of the season: 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against MVP candidate Ish Smith and the 76ers. He also shot 50 percent of his threes – the Wizards suck, but it wasn’t the worst week to be Johnathan Hildred Wall.
Grade: A
Bradley Beal: 20.0 PPG (54.1 FG%), 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG
It hasn’t translated into wins, but it’s been fantastic to see Bradley Beal burst right back into the lineup as the consistent scoring option we know he can be.
Win or lose, Bradley Beal staying in the lineup and putting 20 or so points is the best thing that can happen for the Washington Wizards. Beal is most likely destined for a maximum contract after the end of the season, and it would be wonderful if the Wizards can confidently make that decision based off a great second half.
Which makes it really too bad that Brad’s probably going to fracture his tailbone in some sort of horrible, hilarious slapstick incident, and miss 20 games in March and April. That’s the #WizLife.
Grade: B+
Otto Porter: 11.8 PPG (48.6 FG%), 3.8 RPG, 2.5 SPG
Wall and Beal generally killed it this week, and that was really it outside of a brief burst of life from Otto Porter against Charlotte. In one of the most random scoring binges of his career, Otto scored 17 points in the second quarter – naturally, he finished with 20, and the Wizards blew the game and lost.
It was Porter’s sixth game of the season with 20-plus points, and his sixth with four or more steals. Three of those have come in the last two weeks: he also got four against Golden State, and in a 17-point loss to Toronto on January 26.
Grade: B-
Jared Dudley: 9.0 PPG (48.0 FG%), 2.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG
For the first time, we’ve recently heard the name “Jared Dudley” being whispered in trade rumors, possibly to the East leaders Cleveland Cavaliers. It makes sense: why wouldn’t a team want Jared Dudley, especially Cleveland, a contender that needs shooters?
Dudley’s a solid, proven veteran, the Washington Wizards’ best defender and most automatic shooter. He’s also on an expiring contract – which won’t have the same meaning at this trade deadline due to the impending rise of the salary cap, but it can’t hurt either.
Jared Dudley would be the perfect rental rotation guy for a contender, and he could come for relatively cheap.
If you’re the Cavs, it makes sense to go after him – and if you’re the Wizards, it makes sense to look at deals. DC’s not going to the playoffs anyway.
Grade: C+
Marcin Gortat: 14.5 PPG (57.8 FG%), 10.0 RPG, 1.3 APG
Against the Thunder and Warriors, Marcin Gortat failed to notch a double-double: the first time he’s gone two straight games without a double-double since late November.
With Wall so locked in against Curry and Golden State, it was surprising that Gortat only finished with 9 points – he’s often the first beneficiary of Wall’s talent, and the point guard had 10 assists that night.
Then he rebounded with a vintage Gortat performance, gliding through the wretched 76ers for 21 points and 13 rebounds. All it adds up to another week with a double-double average – he’s a tenth of a rebound away from having a double-double average for the season, which he hasn’t done since the 2011-12 season.
Grade: B-eatpraylove Profile Joined October 2010 United States 53 Posts #1 Jumping the Shark on which Soren Johnson (of Civ 4 fame) was the guest. He made the alarming comment that Activision's CFO had said that StarCraft 2 was not really worth it. I'm guessing this would have been on the investor's conference call in February.
The comment is at 50:16. Here's a link:
http://gameshark.libsyn.com/jumping-the-shark-episode-62
Has anyone else heard about this? Couldn't find anything on TL. So I was listening to an episode ofon which Soren Johnson (of Civ 4 fame) was the guest. He made the alarming comment that Activision's CFO had said that StarCraft 2 was not really worth it. I'm guessing this would have been on the investor's conference call in February.The comment is at 50:16. Here's a link:Has anyone else heard about this? Couldn't find anything on TL.
Fat.Cat91 Profile Joined May 2011 50 Posts #2 Listen to companies that makes shitty games like call of duty more... Zero Hwaiting!!!
udgnim Profile Blog Joined April 2009 United States 7482 Posts #3 Activision's idea of worth it is Blizzard pushing out tons of games / expansions / DLC to feed to the masses until franchises are destroyed, but at least Activision can show investors revenue growth for however many short years their model will work for them.
E-Sports is competitive video gaming with a spectator fan base. Do not take the word "Sports" literally.
Tokay Profile Joined July 2010 Sweden 115 Posts #4 On May 02 2011 16:02 Fat.Cat91 wrote:
Listen to companies that makes shitty games like call of duty more...
When the company that makes shitty games owns blizzard, listening to them can be quite important.
When the company that makes shitty games owns blizzard, listening to them can be quite important.
nimbus99 Profile Blog Joined October 2010 Canada 194 Posts #5
im SO happy they didnt make it monthly, although if they did, everyone would just play BW which wouldnt be that bad at all LOL thats so funny, the big corporate assholes probably wish they put a monthly charge on ALL battle.net accounts. It would be one fee, but you can play wow, sc2, and d3....im SO happy they didnt make it monthly, although if they did, everyone would just play BW which wouldnt be that bad at all Hail to the Emperor of Terran
bloodorc44 Profile Joined January 2011 United States 31 Posts #6 On May 02 2011 16:05 nimbus99 wrote:
im SO happy they didnt make it monthly, although if they did, everyone would just play BW which wouldnt be that bad at all im SO happy they didnt make it monthly, although if they did, everyone would just play BW which wouldnt be that bad at all
It is a monthly charge for everyone in China, and there are many complaints. Blizzard says they are "working on fixing it, soon™"
It is a monthly charge for everyone in China, and there are many complaints. Blizzard says they are "working on fixing it, soon™"
Taiyoken Profile Joined April 2011 Canada 130 Posts #7 Except Activison doesn't own Blizzard?
Yoshi Kirishima Profile Blog Joined July 2009 United States 9357 Posts #8 Hopefully Activision will die and then Blizzard can be alone again (with the billions they made when Activision bought them). Either that or Activision return to their former glory back in the old days.
Btw I can't believe people actually buy CoD with all the DLC shit. I mean yeah if you have a job $60 a year and DLC and xboxlive (unless u have ps3 or PC) isn't that much if you play the game even less than often, but compared to games like SC1 and SC2? No way xD Mid-master streaming MECH ONLY + commentary www.twitch.tv/yoshikirishima +++ "If all-in fails, all-in again."
qdenser Profile Joined September 2010 Canada 133 Posts #9 the whole idea of trying to maximize profit is sick and twisted. that someone can be proud of acting only out of greed for more dollars is something i can't understand. BW is still out there and a lots of people still watch it. SC2 is a different game and different people. Please go back to BW if you think sc2 is not suited for you - Dustin Browder
Bensio Profile Blog Joined April 2010 United Kingdom 620 Posts #10
Blizzard, I would have worked for $1 an hour just to tell Dustin "stop it, just stop it" Disgusting, why oh why did the merge happenBlizzard, I would have worked for $1 an hour just to tell Dustin "stop it, just stop it"
corpuscle Profile Blog Joined April 2011 United States 1966 Posts #11 Activision wanted the first expansion pack to be Starcraft 2: The Greenest Day.
Billie Joe Armstrong has been infested by the Zerg, and his only hope for redemption is Tre Cool, hardened commander of the Dookie Defenders, a rebel corps fighting for freedom and 13 year-old girl's hearts and wallets (mostly the wallets). Power chords and powered pylons clash when Mike Dirnt and his alien armada intercede, their zealotry exceeded only by their power to ROCK. From the void I am born into wave and particle
Eury Profile Joined December 2008 Sweden 1115 Posts #12 On May 02 2011 16:00 eatpraylove wrote:
So I was listening to an episode of Jumping the Shark on which Soren Johnson (of Civ 4 fame) was the guest. He made the alarming comment that Activision's CFO had said that StarCraft 2 was not really worth it. I'm guessing this would have been on the investor's conference call in February.
The comment is at 50:16. Here's a link:
http://gameshark.libsyn.com/jumping-the-shark-episode-62
Has anyone else heard about this? Couldn't find anything on TL. So I was listening to an episode ofon which Soren Johnson (of Civ 4 fame) was the guest. He made the alarming comment that Activision's CFO had said that StarCraft 2 was not really worth it. I'm guessing this would have been on the investor's conference call in February.The comment is at 50:16. Here's a link:Has anyone else heard about this? Couldn't find anything on TL.
Starcraft has sold over 5 million copies on a platform that you don't have to pay any license fees for, of course it is worth it.
However, compared to WoW, Starcraft 2 is a very small part of Blizzard's overall revenue.
WoW went from 98% of Blizzard's revenue in 2009, to 89% in 2010. Also keep in mind that not only did WoW generated 9 times as much money as Starcraft 2 last year, the profit margins for WoW is probably a lot higher.
At the end of the day Starcraft is still very profitable for Blizzard, even though it can't compare to World of Warcraft. Very few games, if any, can. Starcraft has sold over 5 million copies on a platform that you don't have to pay any license fees for, of course it is worth it.However, compared to WoW, Starcraft 2 is a very small part of Blizzard's overall revenue.WoW went from 98% of Blizzard's revenue in 2009, to 89% in 2010. Also keep in mind that not only did WoW generated 9 times as much money as Starcraft 2 last year, the profit margins for WoW is probably a lot higher.At the end of the day Starcraft is still very profitable for Blizzard, even though it can't compare to World of Warcraft. Very few games, if any, can.
eviltomahawk Profile Blog Joined August 2010 United States 10876 Posts Last Edited: 2011-05-02 07:17:58 #13 Rough transcript:
"In New York City a few weeks ago, apparently the CFO of Activision basically said that Starcraft 2 is not really worth it. Monetarily (something something). We spent a lot of money on it. We got more money, but the return on the dollar is nothing compared to what the online, free-to-play companies are making. That profit margin just doesn't compare. When you're a major company like Activision, you have an obligation to the shareholders to pursue... if there is a strategy where the profit margin is twice as high as what you're pursuing, then it's time to exchange strategies. It doesn't make sense for Blizzard, it doesn't make sense for anyone.
But here's the thing. I don't necessarily believe the middle class game is dead because not every company out there needs to be making decisions based off of what's going to make them the most money, and in fact many don't. In the strategy gaming space, the two classic examples are Paradox and Stardock (?). Those companies are making those games not because they think are going to make the most money but because those are the games that they choose to make."
(goes on to discuss the "mid tier" game and other stuff, including stuff about League of Legends) ㅇㅅㅌㅅ
zook Profile Joined May 2007 United States 19 Posts #14 In certain countries they have the option to pay for sc2 on a subscription basis for daily/weekly/monthly fees. Some of those places with subscriptions also have the option to buy the subscription for life with a one time fee i.e Taiwan sc2 server. Considering sc2 has such a large following that multiple other companies invest their time and money into promoting it shows that the game itself is quite successful, in addition the game builds such a loyal fan base that lasts for years and is willing to jump through leaps and bounds to see the further development of the game. Activision doesn't have people constantly making new mods/content for their games for free such as UMS games, sc2 tools/utilities to improve gameplay. Activision doesn't know what it takes to have a loyal fanbase that is excited about everything they do. When Activision makes a new announcement nobody cares and expects it to flop in most cases only exceptional is call of duty and even that fanbase is floppy until the next FPS comes out thats the same if not slightly better...when Blizzard announces something new people go nuts because they know a lot of love and hard work will come into developing an incredible new title or that's what they except when they hear the name Blizzard Nice to have a fan!
CrazyFarmer Profile Joined January 2011 Canada 13 Posts #15 On May 02 2011 16:05 nimbus99 wrote:
LOL thats so funny, the big corporate assholes probably wish they put a monthly charge on ALL battle.net accounts. It would be one fee, but you can play wow, sc2, and d3....
im SO happy they didnt make it monthly, although if they did, everyone would just play BW which wouldnt be that bad at all LOL thats so funny, the big corporate assholes probably wish they put a monthly charge on ALL battle.net accounts. It would be one fee, but you can play wow, sc2, and d3....im SO happy they didnt make it monthly, although if they did, everyone would just play BW which wouldnt be that bad at all
Both are owned by Vivendi, the merging also doesn't affect Blizzard due to them being self-published.
Just take it as Activision being annoying cunts. Both are owned by Vivendi, the merging also doesn't affect Blizzard due to them being self-published.Just take it as Activision being annoying cunts.
Goldfish Profile Blog Joined August 2010 2163 Posts Last Edited: 2011-05-02 07:20:44 #16
In this case, would Activison be able to affect Blizzard at all or is it Vivendi that calls the shots? I remember in an interview that Vivendi (Company that owns Blizzard) was the one that purchased Activision (Vivendi also decided to remove Blizzard North and scrap that early version of Diablo 3 too I think).In this case, would Activison be able to affect Blizzard at all or is it Vivendi that calls the shots? https://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsServerFeedback/feedback/details/741495/biggest-explorer-annoyance-automatic-sorting-windows-7-server-2008-r2-and-vista#details Allow Disable Auto Arrange in Windows 7+
On_Slaught Profile Joined August 2008 United States 11568 Posts #17 Activision and EA... the worse things to ever happen to gaming. Sure we get more games,
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Act requires unions to schedule secret ballot elections for executive officers at least once every three years (for locals) or five years (for national unions) (Department of Labor 2014). The rhythm of officer elections provides a second exogenous source of variation in union activism, as elections are scheduled by union bylaws, not driven by local labor market conditions. Union officer positions are not contested in all election years.1 But these positions could potentially be contested, so election years impose increased threat of replacement on incumbent union leaders. As one legal scholar put it, union elections push incumbents to respond to rank-and-file demands: during election cycles, “practices and policies may be modified to meet the criticism and lower the level of discontent” (Summers 1984).
Building on research on governmental spending and elections (Levitt 1997), I expect that during the year leading up to a union election, union officers will curry favor with the union membership by increasing union activism spending. In many unions, bureaucracy and agency problems reduce the level of union militancy below that sought by union members (Stepan-Norris and Zeitlin 2002; Edelstein and Warner 1979; Friedman 1982). During years when union officers are more accountable to the union membership, officers should put more effort into pressuring companies into wage increases (Strauss 2000; Bruno 2000). As Lipset, Trow, and Coleman found in their canonical study of the International Typographical Union, “[t]he principal issue of controversy in most local [election] contests is the collective-bargaining agreement” (1956). During one election, when an International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) caucus picketed against a proposed contract, a candidate for union president endorsed the protestors and the contract was rejected (Association for Union Democracy 2009). During another election year, workers at Teamsters Local 743 were laid off by Montgomery Ward, and opposition candidates organized protests over severance pay (Kutalik 2008). Employers seem to notice the effects of this internal dissent at the bargaining table: a 2003 survey of employers in active collective bargaining found that 51 percent of respondents identified internal union disagreements as heavily or moderately influencing bargaining.2 If union officers advocate more for members in the lead-up to an election, then union spending, activism, and wages should all increase during election years.
Model
ln ( y it ) = β ln ( s it ) + α 1 t + α 2 i + e it, (1) y it , is a measure of union wages (dues per member, discussed below), and the main explanatory variable is s it , annual union spending. Union fixed effects α 2 i remove stable union-level characteristics, while the year fixed effects α 1 t remove common time-variant changes in wages. Unlike previous studies of union wage effects, which compare union and non-union workers, firms, or industries, I compare years when a union is more active to years when it is less active. The baseline model for union i in year t is as follows: where the logged outcome,, is a measure of union wages (dues per member, discussed below), and the main explanatory variable is, annual union spending. Union fixed effectsremove stable union-level characteristics, while the year fixed effectsremove common time-variant changes in wages.
As mentioned above, if strong local labor market conditions or firm profitability increased union revenue at the same time as they increased union wages, the estimated union spending effect, β ˆ , would be biased upward in a naïve OLS regression of ln ( y it ) on ln ( s it ) . To address this omitted-variable bias, I use investment shocks and officer election timing as instrumental variables for union spending. These instruments must be exogenous to e it from equation (1) (e.g., local labor market conditions), and must not affect wages except through changes in union spending. If these assumptions about the instruments hold, omitted variables affecting union spending no longer bias the estimates. I discuss the validity of these assumptions below. The instruments also need to be relevant to ln ( s it ) , which I test formally below. However, the instruments do not need to explain a large portion of the year-to-year variation in union spending to produce an unbiased estimate of wage effects. Recent overviews of instrumental variable (IV) analysis from a sociological perspective can be found in Bollen (2012) and Winship, Muller, and Morgan (2014).
l n ( s it ^ ) from the union spending variable regressed on the instruments z ′ it : ln ( s it ) = z ′ it π + α 1 t + α 2 i + v it (2) In a two-stage least squares (2SLS) model, I first estimate the predicted valuesfrom the union spending variable regressed on the instruments
ln ( y it ) to be modeled using the variation in union spending predicted by financial shocks and union officer elections. The predicted values from equation ( ln ( y it ) dues per member as follows: ln ( y it ) = β 2 SLS l n ( s it ^ ) + α 1 t + α 2 i + e it, (3) β 2 SLS is the unbiased estimate of the wage effect of union spending. In all equations, standard errors are clustered at the union level, to address potential serial correlation in wages. The linear projection from equation ( 2 ) allowsto be modeled using the variation in union spending predicted by financial shocks and union officer elections. The predicted values from equation ( 2 ) are used in the second-stage regression to predictdues per member as follows: whereis the unbiased estimate of the wage effect of union spending. In all equations, standard errors are clustered at the union level, to address potential serial correlation in wages.
Data and Variables
OLMS Data
To study unions as activist organizations, I use administrative data rather than the household surveys of wages usually used to study union wage effects. All unions that represent private-sector employees are required to report financial information to the Department of Labor's Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS), a regulator tasked with enforcing election and anti-corruption requirements in unions. While these data are self-reported by unions, they are mandatory and subject to audit by OLMS.3 OLMS makes these data available for the universe of reporting labor unions from 2000 to 2014 (Holmes and Walrath 2007; Breda, Bryson, and Forth 2014). These data allow the analysis of individual union-level variation in year-to-year union activity.
Figure 1. View largeDownload slide Private sector union decline, 2000–2014 Figure 1. View largeDownload slide Private sector union decline, 2000–2014 The OLMS data include all private-sector unions. Figure 1 shows the decline in union members over time in the OLMS data, as compared to private-sector union members in the Current Population Survey (CPS). The OLMS count is generally larger than the CPS estimate, which likely reflects the inclusion of some public-sector workers and some retirees in the OLMS data. Nonetheless, the estimates are similar and the downward trend in union membership levels holds in both.
4 Figure 2. View largeDownload slide (a) Size distribution of US union locals (2014) and (b) distribution of union members by size of union (2014) Figure 2. View largeDownload slide (a) Size distribution of US union locals (2014) and (b) distribution of union members by size of union (2014) Union members are scattered across 27,200 union locals, which are in turn affiliated with 6,000 national unions, district councils, and other intermediate organizations. Figure 2 shows the distribution of union locals by membership. Many unions are small, but the distribution is right-skewed, and large locals dominate membership numbers: half of union locals have fewer than 200 members, but the median union member is in a union with 8,200 other workers. The analytic sample is restricted due to several kinds of missing data. First, some 2,000 of the non-local union entities do not directly collect dues. Second, the OLMS has minimal reporting requirements for very small unions: 12,600 unions with less than $10,000 in annual revenue are not required to quantify investment income as a portion of revenue. These unions represent less than 5 percent of the union members covered in the OLMS data. Third, 2,100 union locals are missing data on financial income, membership, or election scheduling. After dropping all of these unions with missing data, the analytic sample consists of 16,500 unions and 172,000 union-year observations. This sample includes unions that account for 70 percent of total union annual spending and 86 percent of union members over the period.
Table 1 provides descriptive statistics on the variables used, which I discuss in detail below.
Table 1. Role in analysis Mean SD Min. Max. n ln(Dues/member) Dependent variable 5.62 1.05 −6.64 14.74 172,294 ln(Union spending) Independent variable 11.76 1.82 2.30 20.96 172,294 ln(Union financial income) Instrument construction 6.52 2.71 0.00 16.60 172,294 Investment shock instrument Instrument 0.00 0.94 −9.22 9.02 171,721 Union officer election year Instrument 0.37 0.48 0.00 1.00 172,294 ln(Union pressure spending) Independent variable (alt.) 10.99 1.89 0.00 19.81 172,294 Share of members in bargaining Moderator 0.16 0.31 0.00 1.00 85,042 Role in analysis Mean SD Min. Max. n ln(Dues/member) Dependent variable 5.62 1.05 −6.64 14.74 172,294 ln(Union spending) Independent variable 11.76 1.82 2.30 20.96 172,294 ln(Union financial income) Instrument construction 6.52 2.71 0.00 16.60 172,294 Investment shock instrument Instrument 0.00 0.94 −9.22 9.02 171,721 Union officer election year Instrument 0.37 0.48 0.00 1.00 172,294 ln(Union pressure spending) Independent variable (alt.) 10.99 1.89 0.00 19.81 172,294 Share of members in bargaining Moderator 0.16 0.31 0.00 1.00 85,042
Table 1. Role in analysis Mean SD Min. Max. n ln(Dues/member) Dependent variable 5.62 1.05 −6.64 14.74 172,294 ln(Union spending) Independent variable 11.76 1.82 2.30 20.96 172,294 ln(Union financial income) Instrument construction 6.52 2.71 0.00 16.60 172,294 Investment shock instrument Instrument 0.00 0.94 −9.22 9.02 171,721 Union officer election year Instrument 0.37 0.48 0.00 1.00 172,294 ln(Union pressure spending) Independent variable (alt.) 10.99 1.89 0.00 19.81 172,294 Share of members in bargaining Moderator 0.16 0.31 0.00 1.00 85,042 Role in analysis Mean SD Min. Max. n ln(Dues/member) Dependent variable 5.62 1.05 −6.64 14.74 172,294 ln(Union spending) Independent variable 11.76 1.82 2.30 20.96 172,294 ln(Union financial income) Instrument construction 6.52 2.71 0.00 16.60 172,294 Investment shock instrument Instrument 0.00 0.94 −9.22 9.02 171,721 Union officer election year Instrument 0.37 0.48 0.00 1.00 172,294 ln(Union pressure spending) Independent variable (alt.) 10.99 1.89 0.00 19.81 172,294 Share of members in bargaining Moderator 0.16 0.31 0.00 1.00 85,042
Union Spending
The main independent variable is union spending, which measures varying year-to-year union activism. Union spending, like the other financial variables discussed below, is deflated to 2000 dollars and logged. In the main analysis, spending includes all reported expenditures, which range from representational activities, like paying organizers and business agents, to political and charitable donations. To test the validity of union spending as a measure of union activism, table 2 presents model A predicting spending based on data (from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service [FMCS], discussed below) that indicates whether a union is engaged in collective bargaining or on strike in a given year. During bargaining years, unions spend 7 percent more in than non-bargaining years. During years with strikes, unions spend 12 percent more. Union spending correlates with indicators of union activism.
Table 2. ln(Union spending) ln(Financial income) ln(Strike length) ln(Union spending) ln(Union pressure spending) (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G) (H) ln(Total union assets) 0.881*** (0.013) Investment shock 0.168* 0.0550*** 0.0549*** (0.082) (0.002) (0.002) Union officer election year 0.0156*** 0.0138*** 0.0146*** (0.002) (0.002) (0.002) ln(Union admin. spending) 0.0345*** (0.001) Strike year 0.118*** 0.163*** (0.013) (0.016) Bargaining year 0.0688*** 0.131*** (0.005) (0.007) Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 1,638 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 1,221 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 1.3 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 within-R2 0.003 0.418 0.039 0.018 0.000 0.022 0.018 0.020 F-statistic 27.67 2449 1.22 844 59 346 445 102.9 ln(Union spending) ln(Financial income) ln(Strike length) ln(Union spending) ln(Union pressure spending) (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G) (H) ln(Total union assets) 0.881*** (0.013) Investment shock 0.168* 0.0550*** 0.0549*** (0.082) (0.002) (0.002) Union officer election year 0.0156*** 0.0138*** 0.0146*** (0.002) (0.002) (0.002) ln(Union admin. spending) 0.0345*** (0.001) Strike year 0.118*** 0.163*** (0.013) (0.016) Bargaining year 0.0688*** 0.131*** (0.005) (0.007) Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 1,638 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 1,221 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 1.3 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 within-R2 0.003 0.418 0.039 0.018 0.000 0.022 0.018 0.020 F-statistic 27.67 2449 1.22 844 59 346 445 102.9
Table 2. ln(Union spending) ln(Financial income) ln(Strike length) ln(Union spending) ln(Union pressure spending) (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G) (H) ln(Total union assets) 0.881*** (0.013) Investment shock 0.168* 0.0550*** 0.0549*** (0.082) (0.002) (0.002) Union officer election year 0.0156*** 0.0138*** 0.0146*** (0.002) (0.002) (0.002) ln(Union admin. spending) 0.0345*** (0.001) Strike year 0.118*** 0.163*** (0.013) (0.016) Bargaining year 0.0688*** 0.131*** (0.005) (0.007) Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 1,638 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 1,221 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 1.3 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 within-R2 0.003 0.418 0.039 0.018 0.000 0.022 0.018 0.020 F-statistic 27.67 2449 1.22 844 59 346 445 102.9 ln(Union spending) ln(Financial income) ln(Strike length) ln(Union spending) ln(Union pressure spending) (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G) (H) ln(Total union assets) 0.881*** (0.013) Investment shock 0.168* 0.0550*** 0.0549*** (0.082) (0.002) (0.002) Union officer election year 0.0156*** 0.0138*** 0.0146*** (0.002) (0.002) (0.002) ln(Union admin. spending) 0.0345*** (0.001) Strike year 0.118*** 0.163*** (0.013) (0.016) Bargaining year 0.0688*** 0.131*** (0.005) (0.007) Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 1,638 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 1,221 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 1.3 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 within-R2 0.003 0.418 0.039 0.018 0.000 0.022 0.018 0.020 F-statistic 27.67 2449 1.22 844 59 346 445 102.9
Investment Shocks
Unions experience resource shocks from financial investments, which can be used to identify union spending changes exogenous to local labor market conditions. In identifying exogenous variation in financial income, I follow Shoag (2010), who uses abnormal investment returns to public pension funds to estimate the effects of state-level public spending. I compare years when a particular union's investments perform better than usual, to years when a union's investments underperform. When union investments provide more income, unions can pay for more activism. The resulting increased pressure on employers can increase union wages.
f it , for union i in year t: ln ( f it ) = β 1 ln ( d it ) + α 1 t + α 2 i + z 1 it, (4) z 1 it is a random error that I use as the abnormal investment shock. Year-fixed effects α 1 t remove market-correlated returns: those returns could be from growth in the real economy and could be correlated with labor market conditions. I also condition on changes in each union's total assets, d it , as a union's choice to make additional financial investments could be responsive to local bargaining opportunities. Model A in table z ˆ 1 it , of this model measure year-to-year volatility in abnormal, non-market-correlated union investment returns. For investment income to serve as a valid instrument for union spending, two assumptions must be met: investment income cannot be correlated with the error term of wages conditional on union spending (exogeneity), and investment income cannot affect wages except through union spending (exclusion). To isolate abnormal investment shocks that satisfy these conditions, I model union dividend and interest investment income,, for union i in year t: whereis a random error that I use as the abnormal investment shock. Year-fixed effectsremove market-correlated returns: those returns could be from growth in the real economy and could be correlated with labor market conditions. I also condition on changes in each union's total assets,, as a union's choice to make additional financial investments could be responsive to local bargaining opportunities. Model A in table 2 shows that these controls remove 40 percent of the year-to-year change in each union's investment income. The residuals,, of this model measure year-to-year volatility in abnormal, non-market-correlated union investment returns.
The distribution of the instrument has heavy tails, but is otherwise bell-shaped, as in Shoag's (2010) study. The median absolute value of the exponentiated residuals is $440, and the mean is $17,550. While the median abnormal shock is small, I argue only that it can increase spending at a margin relevant for union activism. For example, a sample contract campaign covering 500 workers budgeted for paper, refreshments for meetings, advertising, and picket signs at $3,285 (California School Employees Association 1996). One way investment returns matter for union activism is through the union's strike fund: the longer a union can issue strike payments to its members, the longer a strike can last. As a test to provide direct evidence that union investment returns affect union activism, I estimate the effect of abnormal investment shocks on the length of strikes. I include union-fixed effects to compare the length of a strike for the same union during years of higher or lower investment income, which limits the estimation sample to the small number of unions that experience two strikes over the period. Nonetheless, model B in table 2 shows that the results are clear and statistically significant: a 1 percent increase in abnormal investment returns causes a 0.17 percent increase in the length of a strike. These results show that union investment shocks can strengthen union activism.
Next, I fit the first-stage model given in equation (2) of the effect of the estimated residuals z ˆ 1 it on union spending. Model D in table 2 shows that a 1 percent increase in abnormal, non-market-correlated union investment returns is associated with a 0.06 percent increase in union spending. This effect has a t-statistic of 26 and explains 2 percent of the overall year-to-year variation in union spending.5
Union Officer Elections
6 While the magnitude of this effect is not large, it could nonetheless be sufficient to marginally increase pressure on employers. Finally, model G incorporates both the election timing and investment shock instruments in a first-stage model, as in equation ( Figure 3. View largeDownload slide Union officer turnover in election and non-election years Figure 3. View largeDownload slide Union officer turnover in election and non-election years Figure 4. View largeDownload slide Union spending in election and non-election years Figure 4. View largeDownload slide Union spending in election and non-election years The second instrument used in this analysis is union election timing. Figure 3 shows that union election years increase the rate of turnover of union officers by 40–60 percent, from an annual average of 13 percent of officers replaced to 20 percent. If some of this turnover indicates successful election contestation, then during union election years, officers are more accountable to the union membership. If officers advocate more for their members in the lead-up to an election, then union spending should increase during election years. Because union election years are set in advance by union bylaws, the timing of potential election years is exogenous to local labor market factors. Figure 4 shows that across most years included in the analysis, unions spend more during years when union officers face elections. Model E in table 2 confirms this visual evidence and shows that during officer election years, unions spend 1.6 percent more than in non-election years.While the magnitude of this effect is not large, it could nonetheless be sufficient to marginally increase pressure on employers. Finally, model G incorporates both the election timing and investment shock instruments in a first-stage model, as in equation ( 2 ) above, and shows that both instruments are independently significant.
Several IV diagnostics can assess (i) the predictive power of the instruments and (ii) the correlation of the instruments with the error term of the outcome variable. Both the investment shock and union election instruments pass these diagnostics. For all models with the main sample, Wald F-statistics are above the 10 percent critical values proposed by Stock and Yogo (2005). This test suggests that the first-stage relationships between the instruments and union spending are strong enough to avoid bias related to instrument weakness (Bound, Jaeger, and Baker 1995). Union spending is sufficiently responsive to investment shocks and union elections for those instruments to isolate reliable variation in union spending. Second, for the models including both instruments, it is possible to test the correlation between the instruments and the residuals from the second-stage IV estimates. Significant correlation with the residuals would cast doubt on the assumption that the instruments are exogenous and could suggest that the instruments vary with local labor market conditions, firm profitability, or other omitted variables. For all models except one (the lagged model, discussed below), a Hansen's J-test fails to reject the null of instrument exogeneity. Coupled with the theoretical reasons for expecting instrument exogeneity discussed above, these tests suggest that the instruments satisfy the assumptions of IV analysis.
Dependent Variable
For the outcome wage variable, I use the dues per member received from each union. Unions report dues income and membership in the OLMS data, but do not directly report their members’ wage rates. The dues per member measure of wages is imperfect, but I argue that its measurement error is either random or conservative for the purposes of this analysis. There are three ways that the dues per member received by a union can change. First, it can change when wages for union members increase. Dues are generally calculated as pay worth two to three hours of work per month, or as 1 percent to 2 percent of total pay. Since 2005, OLMS requires unions to report the specific method used to calculate dues. Text analysis of the reports suggests that 85 percent of reporting unions index dues to wages, either through a percentage of pay (30 percent of unions), a fixed number of hours’ worth of pay per month (33 percent), or a more complex formula (24 percent; e.g., 1 percent of total pay plus a base rate). The remaining 14 percent of reporting unions list a single dollar amount for their dues owed. The majority of unions thus explicitly index dues to wages. When those unions’ members’ wages increase, dues received per member also increase.
As a general measure of the level of union wages, the particular translation of dollars of wages into dollars of dues income depends on a given union's formula. But in the context of the panel models used in the present analysis, with fixed effects for each union and dues transformed to the log scale, this measure yields consistent estimates of the effect of union spending on wages. Changes in the union dues formula in the course of the time series contribute to measurement error in the dependent variable, resulting in error variance heterogeneity but leaving point estimates asymptotically unbiased if measurement error has a zero mean. The variation in dues per member thus provides a proxy for union-specific wage changes.
However, there are two additional ways that dues per member can change, which generate non-classical measurement error. First, dues per member can change due to a compositional change when employers hire more high-wage workers due to business expansion or changing production technology. This bias should be uncorrelated with the instruments when employers make this decision with respect to firm production needs. In contrast, if employers choose to hire higher-wage workers in response to union pressure, then unions have still increased the wages paid per union job, which is included as part of the total effect of union activism estimated here.
More concerning, a union could raise the dues charged per member in response to some factor correlated with elections or investment shocks. For example, in 2014 the UAW implemented their first dues increase since 1967, from 2 to 2.5 hours of pay per month (Snavely 2014). The UAW justified the increase because it was running out of money in its strike fund. When unions raise dues because of resource constraints, this biases wage effects toward zero. When unions receive windfall financial income, they should be less resource constrained. Similarly, during union election years, union officers should be less willing to implement controversial increases in dues. In a robustness test below, I test these expectations by using the subsample of unions that do not index their dues rates to wages. In sum, a positive association between investment shocks or officer elections and dues per member should reflect increased pay from union pressure, rather than increased extraction of dues from constant wages.
Heterogeneity in Union Wage Effects
To provide a further test of whether union activism affects wages, I examine heterogeneity in union wage effects by using (i) the timing of collective bargaining and (ii) the union spending that could actually put pressure on an employer to raise wages.
First, because a crucial tool unions use to raise wages is collective bargaining, during years when a union and an employer are negotiating a contract, increased union power should be especially effective at raising wages. Contract expiration dates occur every three or five years with substantial regularity and are reported to the FMCS. I link the OLMS data to FMCS reports on collective bargaining (obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request) using a fuzzy merge on union addresses, names, and local numbers. In total, 312,000 FMCS bargaining episodes were successfully merged, leaving 85,000 contracts unmerged. Previous estimates suggest that only half of collective bargaining agreements are reported to the FMCS (DiNardo and Lee 2004), so in the analysis using the collective bargaining episodes, I exclude as non-reporters all unions with no bargaining agreements during the period. Based on the reports for the non-excluded unions, I calculate a share of each union's membership covered by actively bargained contracts in each year. Years in which a higher share of members face bargaining should increase the effect of union pressure spending on wages.
ln ( s it ) = z ′ it π + ( z ′ it * c it ) τ + α 1 t + α 2 i + v it (5) ln ( s it ) * c it = z ′ it π + ( z ′ it * c it ) τ + α 1 t + α 2 i + v it (6) Collective bargaining enters the model by interacting union spending with the share of union members c in union i covered by an actively negotiated bargaining agreement in year t. In the 2SLS context, this moderator requires first-stage equations to estimate predicted values of both union spending (equation 5 ) and its interaction with active collective bargaining (equation 6 ):
ln ( y it ) , as in equation ( ln ( y it ) = β 2 SLS l n ( s it ^ ) + γ c it + ω 2 SLS ( l n ( s it ) * ^ c it ) + α 1 t + α 2 i + e it (7) The predicted values from these equations are then used to predict the dues per member proxy for union wages, as in equation ( 3 ):
By increasing potential union activist influence, the predicted interaction between the share of union members in active bargaining and union spending, ω 2 SLS , should be positively associated with ln ( y it ) .
Second, I replace the overall union spending variable in equations (2) and (3) with a subset of expenditures that excludes investment purchases, office overhead, per capita taxes paid to parent labor organizations, and interest payments on debt. These deductions remove on average 35 percent of each union's spending. The remaining spending should include a higher ratio of spending on pressure activities. Consistent with this expectation, model H in table 2 shows that union pressure spending is significantly more responsive to union involvement in bargaining or strikes than is overall union spending. If the effect of union spending on dues per member occurs through increased union pressure on companies, then union pressure spending should thus have a larger effect than the total spending variable.
Results
Main Results
Table 3 provides estimates of the causal effect of union activism on union members’ wages. Model 1 uses OLS estimation to show that in years when unions spend 1 percent more, dues received per member increase on average by 0.38 percent. To isolate exogenous variation in union spending, model 2 instruments for union spending with investment shocks. Model 2 finds that in years when unions spend 1 percent more due to investment returns, dues per member increase by 0.22 percent. The correlation between union spending and labor market conditions is substantial and biases estimates of the union pressure effect upward by 70 percent. Nonetheless, the 2SLS model retains a positive and statistically significant (p < 0.001) effect of union spending on dues collected per member. Model 3 uses the union officer election instrument and produces a point estimate more similar to the OLS result (0.39 percent). However, it is imprecisely estimated, and its confidence intervals overlap with both the financial shock instrument and the OLS result. This imprecision likely results from the relatively weak association between union elections and spending (apparent in figure 4 above). Finally, model 4 uses both instruments and produces an estimate of 0.23 percent. These results suggest that while the OLS approach is biased upward, a reasonable estimate of the real wage effect of a 1 percent increase in union spending is between 0.15 percent and 0.30 percent.
Table 3. OLS 2SLS (1) (2) (3) (4) ln(Union spending) 0.384*** 0.223*** 0.396*** 0.226*** (0.009) (0.036) (0.113) (0.035) Instrument: None Financial shock Officer election Both Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 R2 0.126 0.105 0.126 0.106 Wald test (p-value) 0.000 0.003 0.000 Hansen's J-test (p-value) 0.150 OLS 2SLS (1) (2) (3) (4) ln(Union spending) 0.384*** 0.223*** 0.396*** 0.226*** (0.009) (0.036) (0.113) (0.035) Instrument: None Financial shock Officer election Both Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 R2 0.126 0.105 0.126 0.106 Wald test (p-value) 0.000 0.003 0.000 Hansen's J-test (p-value) 0.150
Table 3. OLS 2SLS (1) (2) (3) (4) ln(Union spending) 0.384*** 0.223*** 0.396*** 0.226*** (0.009) (0.036) (0.113) (0.035) Instrument: None Financial shock Officer election Both Union fixed effects Y Y Y Y Year fixed effects Y Y Y Y Observations 171,682 171,682 171,682 171,682 Unions 16,526 16,526 16,526 16,526 Panel years (mean) 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 R2 0.126 0.105 0.126 0.106 Wald test (p-value) 0.000 0.003 0.000 Hansen's J-test (p-value) 0.150 OLS 2SLS (1) (2) (3) (4) ln(Union spending) 0.384*** 0.223*** 0.396***
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245-2576.
Newton Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Grace Community Church, 1600 S. Anderson St.
Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Open to all community members. For more information call Steve Williams at (316) 727-3223.
Kingman Community Thanksgiving Dinner
St. Patrick�s Catholic Church, 630 W. Ave. D.
Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Open to all community members for free, but free-will donations will also be accepted. The dinner will offer deliveries or transportation to shut-ins. To arrange that, contact the church office at (620) 532-5440.
Garden City Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Trinity Lutheran Church, 1010 Fleming St.
Thursday from 5-6:30 p.m.
All members of the community are invited. There will be an optional service following the dinner.
Dodge City Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Kansas National Guard Armory, 2120 N. First Ave.
Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The meal is free, all members of the community are welcome to attend. For more information call New Hope on the Plains at (620) 225-7970.
Liberal Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Stepping Stones, 1015 N. Washington Ave.
Thursday from 1-7 p.m.
Open to all. For more information call (620) 626-6024.Are you raising a future Bitcoiner? A new startup has just surfaced with one vision: to educate our children about Bitcoin. How will this happen, you ask? That is where The Bitcoin Academy and Bitcoin Bootcamp come in. The idea is very simple and will allow students of all ages to learn about Bitcoin and Cryptography in both the classroom and online.According to founder Morgan Rockwell, “The Bitcoin Academy has a goal of creating a network of classrooms online & in the real world including real dedicated classrooms in major cities around the world. We will organize business clubs and foundations, meetups and conferences, seminars and hangouts, all dedicated to teaching the world of Crypto Currency and Bitcoin as a new means of mathematical & financial expression and freedom.”“There are actually two businesses, The Bitcoin Academy and Bitcoin Bootcamp. The vision for these began when I started thinking about how to introduce Bitcoin to the brick and mortar world. I started creating devices that are open source in both hardware and software that could make a machine accept Bitcoin. I feel that The Bitcoin Academy is a priority to all Bitcoin supporters. I feel there is a missing aspect of education that teaches kids the benefits and how to use Bitcoin. We need to get back to teaching kids math and science again.”This exciting idea focuses on partnering with schools around the nation. It will start by creating classes dedicated to Bitcoin and crypto currency, then will partner with a school who adds the class to their curriculum. The first classes are planned to be held in Portland, Oregon schools by contacting and partnering with district trustees in the area. The Bitcoin Academy will focus on partnering with schools K-12 while Bitcoin Bootcamp will focus on adopting classes into private schools. The adoption of The Bitcoin Academy curriculum in a single school will allow them to create similar classes in other schools around the nation, and the curriculum will increase as the number of supporting schools increases.Although The Bitcoin Academy is certainly in the early stages, there is no question that the instruction of Bitcoin and crypto currency in schools would be a huge breakthrough for the Bitcoin community. This idea will require teachers, volunteers, the support of schools, and support from individuals. Currently The Bitcoin Academy has a few volunteer teachers and is receiving resumes from teachers interested in teaching at the school. In the future, Morgan hopes The Bitcoin Academy and Bitcoin Bootcamp will be franchised throughout the nation. “All of this takes money, or better yet Bitcoin.”
The Bitcoin Academy is accepting donations to help make the idea a reality. The donations made will go to creating an entire curriculum and providing students with necessary ‘school supplies’ (mining hardware, labs, networks, computers, etc.) while bringing insight into the evolving world of money, computers, and business. “The goal is to have the facility and business completely set up before the end of the year.” This will all occur in a school setting and will be open to any student.
“The Bitcoin Academy provides a stepping stone for our students to reach the future they envision.”
All donations to The Bitcoin Academy can be made at The Bitcoin Academy website, GoFundMe, or by using Bitcoin Starter.
http://www.gofundme.com/43q6uo
www.thebitcoinacademy.com
Morgan also founded Bitcoin Kinetics and created the first washing machine to accept Bitcoin.archives of global protests
The Body As a Weapon for Civil Disobedience Originally published in Spanish by La Jornada _______________________
Translated by irlandesa
Masiosare
La Jornada
Sunday, October 15, 2000.
The Body As a Weapon for Civil Disobedience
*Jess Ramrez Cuevas*
"Tutte Bianche" in Bologna
...The Tutte Bianche (white monkeys) went to Prague in order to participate in the protests against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Hundreds of young Italian activists from the Social Centers and from the Ya Basta Association, parliamentarians and even religious persons, carried out ingenious civil disobedience tactics in the face of the Czech police, who threw gas at them and beat them with their billy clubs.
The political imagination and clothing - or lack thereof - of these globalphobes caught the attention of journalists and surprised demonstrators from other countries who were accompanying them...
Two forces found themselves body to body on the Nusle bridge in Prague, each of them defending an idea of a different world. On one side, a contingent of men and women dressed in white suits, protected with foam rubber, helmets, gas masks, shields made from garbage cans and an entire repertoire of the most incredible instruments, from nets of colored balloons to barriers of tires. On the other side, a fence of police in Robocop uniforms, protected by tanks, tear gas launchers, shields and truncheons. An impassable wall blocking their way.
The police were there in order to protect representatives of the planet's financial and economic powers. The demonstrators were questioning globalization in the name of millions of persons who are suffering its consequences: hunger, poverty and death. In the middle of the two forces, a nude young men passed by, his body tattooed with denuncias against savage capitalism, in between each confrontation.
In the midst of the battle, Don Vitaliano, a parish priest from Avellino, was helping the demonstrators in their attempts to break the circle which was protecting the thousands of IMF and World Bank delegates. "With our bodies, with what we are, we came to defend the rights of millions, dignity and justice. Even with our lives. In the face of the total control of the world which the owners of money are exercising, we have only our bodies for protesting and rebelling against injustice," he said.
Luca, spokesperson for the Tutte Bianche, said to the journalists who had come to Prague: "We are not armed, we are acting as citizens, putting our persons at risk, in order to demonstrate that the democracy of the IMF and the World Bank is tanks and armed police. We are not criminals, they are suppressing citizens exercising their rights. We want to show that it is possible to rebel against the order using our bodies as weapons."
If, as Foucault wrote, the body is the object of the power's micro- physics, if all social and political control exercises its mastery of the body, if the market economy has converted the body into merchandise, the 'white monkeys' have called for a "rebellion of bodies" against world power, reflects Sergio Zulin, one of the organizers.
In the midst of the transformations produced by globalization and technological changes, in the face of the crisis of alternatives to the reigning model, in response to the weakening of the State, traditional parties and the ways of doing classic politicsthe 'white monkeys' have appeared, who call themselves Italian zapatistas. This movement is made up of old autonomous activists (tied to Toni Negri), members of the Ya Basta Association, young persons from the Social Centers of the main cities in Italy, ecology groups, campesinos and civil associations. They are all promoting a creative form of protest, active civil disobedience.
But where did these activists come from, with their ideas which shatter traditional political schemes and who show up dressed as if for a carnival?
The Search For a New Language
"Since Chiapas and Seattle, civil disobedience has become an international referent, a way of telling millions of people that we want to live within the new conditions of society, but fighting," said Frederico Mariani, president of the Ya Basta Association, one of the principal organizers of the action in Prague.
Although civil disobedience has its history with Gandhi, the civil rights struggle in the United States in the sixties and in peaceful statements of protests throughout the world, Frederico Mariani explains that "after 1994 there was a change. The zapatistas made a great contribution with their proposals for building a new politics, without fighting for power. We are trying to translate the message and the forms they are proposing."
"For us," said Mariani - who was one of the 140 Italian observers expelled from Chiapas in 1998 - "it was a very strong symbol to see an army of indigenous with empty rifles. To know an army that was waiting for the moment it could stop being an army. People who are fighting for the rights of their people. Zapatista women protesting who, under different conditions, could be compared with the white suits, helmets and shields in order to protect themselves from police blows and gas. That is our referent."
"At the beginning, we discussed previous experiences of direct action, of sabotage, of revolutionary violence. We concluded that under the new conditions of civil disobedience, using our bodies as weapons, we could unleash the force of those citizens who had not responded to the old schemes," he emphasized.
"It's an imaginative way," Mariani said, "of involving the other in a problem. With peaceful methods of direct action, the language of violence stays on the side of the police, of governments. Classic demonstrations no longer bother them. On the other hand, now we are disobeying as citizens, and they suppress, but we are defending ourselves. That attracts society's attention, which echoes our protest."
Frederico Mariani relates how they began practicing civil disobedience actions more than a year ago. "We trained ourselves to resist the police. We built shields, we collected old masks, tires to use as barriers, and we designed protection for the body. We use the body as a weapon of political struggle."
"Seattle came, and with it the confirmation of a new movement which had regained civil society's participation, even though it didn't have a program yet. In Italy, until a few years ago, the street fight was a monopoly of a few ultras who practiced exclusionary methods, groups who burned cars and broke shop windows. The majority of the people were scared to reach that level," he added.
"We added a new factor, a form of radical confrontation which went beyond classic demonstrations, and which presents us with the possibility of mass participation with secure methods," summarized Frederico Mariani.
Another of the great successes, Mariani concluded, "is the participation of young people, who are aware that their intervention with their own bodies, protected from violence by the police, has clear effects. The movement is growing. This is a great achievement, which the entire world recognizes, to the point that we were able to take a train to Prague. Great spaces are opening up to us. It's not a political group, it's a horizontal movement where each person contributes to the debate and to the organization in a particular way. Everything is interwoven, there are people of all ages, everyone is able to share equally. Old schemes of vanguards and leaders have fallen."
"When the World is For Sale, Rebelling is Natural"
The 'Prague Spring' of the 'white monkeys' of Rome, Naples, Bologna, Padua, Milan and other cities, put thousands of bodies and minds in the path of the illegitimate and unacceptable structures of international powers. No one controls them, they answer to no one. "We made Prague the capital of alternatives to the prevailing model, of the demands for a different future, for a new world," wrote the young pierced ones, greudos and punks of the Social Centers of Milan in a manifesto distributed in Prague.
"The 'white monkeys', inspired by the uprising of the indigenous of Chiapas, have set themselves a new challenge in order to emerge from the subsoil, and in that way to become involved in society, in order to promote the self-management and self-organization which has been being built over these last few years. In order to move from resistance to a new offensive in the arena of dreams, of rights, of liberty, for the conquest of the future, which is being denied to new generations today," they state.
Max, a youth from the Social Center of Padua, reports on the actions against MacDonald's in Venice, Padua, Rome and Milan, which they took in order to be in solidarity with Jos Bov, leader of French campesinos opposed to globalization.
Massimo, a singer for the rock group 99 Posse, which emerged from the Social Center of Naples, was in Prague with the Tutte Bianche in order to bring "our music and our presence to their music." 99 Posse has participated in many actions in support of Chiapas, for the legalization of drugs, against fascism and against the repression of immigrants.
Orlando, from the group Milk Warriors, a group of ecologists from Milan, recounted how they put on a peaceful performance in Prague in front of the MacDonald's, with corncobs and a flag with the emblem of a cow, in order to protest against the transgenetic foods being sold by that transnational company.
"We want to build a humanity in which we are all included, where no one dies from hunger, where no one suffers injustices," commented Don Vitaliano, who participates himself in active disobedience, organizing rock concerts and meetings in the San Miguel convent in Avellino, in support of immigrant rights, for decriminalization of drugs and against war and repression.
Vilma Mazza, of Radio Sherwood - an independent radio station headquartered in Padua which broadcasts in northern Italy - said that the radio broadcast live from Prague during the days of the protests. "It's our way of reporting what was happening to all those who were not able to come, but who were supporting us."
Vilma, a veteran activist of social struggles in Italy over the last few decades, explains that the 'white monkeys' movement takes in many sectors who share these issues of globalization and its effects in Italy.
After more than 20 years of organizing traditional demonstrations, including some very large ones, she pointed out that these actions had become stale. "That's why we went out with the white monkeys, first in a march for immigrant rights in 1999. We all confronted the police. More than 10,000 demonstrators stayed back, supporting without moving. Everyone participated from their position. We confronted in defensive ways, not offensive ones. That civil disobedience opened the space for people to participate who didn't want to confront the police, but everyone defied the police from their position," Vilma said.
"From that point on," she explained, "we have been carrying out actions to fight the effects of neoliberalism in our country, from closing the camps for undocumented migrants in Trieste, Milan and Bologna (to the shout of 'we are all illegal immigrants'), to protests against transgenetic crops in Genoa and Venice, opposing the destruction of the environment and the exploitation of women and men with work flexibility and unstable jobs."
"We have also opened social centers as solidarity spaces for young people. We have occupied factories and old buildings in order to provide shelter there for migrant workers who have no housing. We have also supported Albanian war refugees, and we took a boat to the Albanian coast in order to demand an end to borders and respect for the rights of everyone."
Another struggle which has been being fought of late is against privatization of public transportation and for its being a free service for students, the unemployed and pensioners. And a card for young persons under the age of 30 which guarantees access to specified services, to culture and to entertainment.
"In the same way that unemployed French persons assaulted the Paris Stock Exchange, we have been able to consolidate a new method of the more traditional political-social struggle, speaking to all of society, widening the conflict, invading communication channels, restoring a guarantee to all the excluded of all colors who are today sensing the fragility of their own future," wrote the 'white monkeys' in their opening manifesto last year.
The Radio Sherwood presenter explained that thousands of persons in Europe live excluded, without rights or a dignified life. That is why they are now promoting "the right to a universal citizens' salary." This is described in a document as "the weapon with which to attack the new millennium, the ideal demand to move into the battle for the reduction of work hours, for the right to services and quality of life, for the redistribution of wealth, in order to give birth to a great liberation movement of our being. We are talking about a salary and about free access to basic services and to culture, for everyone."
"We are next to those who are continuing the struggle begun in San Cristbal de Las Casas and Seattle, and which has now reached Prague. We are talking about the rights of the people as being above the laws of the market, of the rejection of the myths of public security, and we are talking about a real society, about horizontal participation, in order to decide our destiny," was one of the messages they left at the IMF meeting.
www.tutebianche.org
www.agp.org
After S26 - ya basta interview
Date 20 Oct 2000 ________________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
http://www.ainfos.ca/
________________________________________________ ya basta interview An interview I did recently with a friend from the Italian Ya Basta network is at the following temporary URL - http://www.geocities.com/swervedc/yabasta.html Changing the World (One Bridge At A Time)? Ya Basta after Prague
You probably saw them on TV: a phalanx of Michelin men and women trying to push their way through police lines at s26. With its origins in the Italian movement of self-managed social centres, the Ya Basta network is fast becoming known across the global anti-capitalist movement. From its decision a few years back to stand for municipal elections on green and communist party tickets, to its role in Prague, Ya Basta has been no stranger to controversy within the radical left. Here Steve Wright talks with Hobo from Radio Sherwood (http://www.sherwood.it), a media project that is closely linked to Ya Basta.
What are the origins of Ya Basta and the tute bianche? What are their connections to the social centres movement in Italy?
Ya Basta and tute bianche are not synonyms. The 'Ya Basta!' association (http://www.yabasta.it) is a network of many groups across many Italian cities. It was formed after Italian militants participated in the first Encuentro in Chiapas in 1996. It has the dual purpose of supporting the Zapatista struggle and of spreading the deep meaning of the struggles against neo-liberalism in Europe. In 1998, most Ya Basta militants also joined the emerging movement called the tute bianche (white overalls). This comprises young people from the social centres, unemployed and casual workers, people searching for their first job, all united against the pressure of neo-liberalism, asking for a universal basic income, but also asking for better conditions of life for everybody. White overalls were chosen as a strong image to symbolize the condition of invisibility imposed upon all those people forced to live without guarantees, without social security, on the margins of a 'normal' life.
How did Ya Basta become involved in S26? How was the demonstration organised?
As I said, Ya Basta is not only a support network of the Zapatista movement, but also accepts their principles of democracy, dignity and humanity as universal categories in an increasingly globalised world. So it wants to affirm these principles in Europe as well. Neo-liberalism is the same, the multinationals are the same, the few people (World Bank, IMF, etc.) who rule the whole world are the same... the battle we have to fight is the same, in Chiapas as in Seattle or in Prague. So s26 in Prague was the first important occasion to send a signal in Europe of a real resistance to the plans of globalised capital. Ya Basta and tute bianche were involved from last summer in the meetings held in Prague to organize the demonstrations and direct actions (by the way, some of the Italian were rejected at the Czech border because they had taken part in these meetings).
We decided to reach Prague by train, given the large number of people involved. We had done this for earlier Euro-demonstrations in Amsterdam and Paris,'squatting' a thousand seats in a train and affirming our right to freely demonstrate wherever in Europe. This time we didn't want to spend most of our energy in defending our right to leave, so we negotiated an agreement with the railways and we paid a nominal 'political price' to get a train for Prague.
But things didn't go so well at the Czech border. The train was blocked for almost two days by the police, who wanted to reject a number of people as persona non grata. Finally, after international media attention was focussed on the case, the demonstrators were allowed to reach Prague.
What led to the decision to use padding and shielding at demonstrations? How successful has this tactic proved to be?
For years our practice of self-defence has been instrumentalised by the media. Every time the police charged a legitimate and peaceful march or demonstration, it was always the fault of 'the autonomists'. The papers would carry headlines like 'violence returns to the streets', 'the years of lead are back', or 'urban guerilla warfare again'. We realised that the communication of events often modifies things more than the events themselves. We decided to send strong images and signals that left no doubts as to intentions. So we invented, rummaging through ancient history, systems of protective apparel, like plexiglass shields used tortoise-style, foam rubber 'armour', and inner-tube cordons to ward off police batons. All things that were visible and clearly for defensive purposes only. We wanted people to understand on which side lay reason, and who had started the violence. When we decide to disobey the rules imposed by the bosses of neo-liberalism, we do it by putting our bodies on the line, full stop. People can see images on the TV news that can't be manipulated: a mountain of bodies that advances, seeking the least harm possible to itself, against the violent defenders of an order that produces wars and misery. And the results are visible, people understand this, the journalists can't invent lies that contradict the images; last but not least, the batons bounce off the padding. But the question goes beyond the purely practical aspect and is symptomatic of what we call 'bio-politics', the new form of opposition to power (cf. Foucault).
This is what Judith Revel writes in the first issue of Posse, a new Italian journal edited by Toni Negri: 'Comrades dressed up in inner tubes. The papers are wrong to talk of shields: that is, of a defensive armament. There were shields present, but what's striking is the attempt to interpose between bodies — the bodies of demonstrators, the bodies of police agents — an element that blocks both visibility and contact. That is, one that affirms its own political space as something no longer disciplinary, but rather bio-political. The bio-political is a form of politics that, from within the post-disciplinary paradigm of control, reconstructs the possibility of a collective acting. The danger lies in mistaking the epoch, returning to the only collective acting that we believe we know: that of face-to-face, the facing off which is so clearly a part of the old conflict-form of discipline. The padding on the comrades' bodies signifies instead the passage to another political grammar'.
How do you respond to those critics (e.g. http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/353/pragues26.html) who accuse Ya Basta of manipulating other demonstrators during the encounter with police in Prague?
I don't believe that anyone was manipulated by anyone else. There were affinity groups, and everyone freely and consciously chose what to do and with whom. We don't think that anyone, including ourselves, has a monopoly on the truth. Each does what they consider most useful and effective. Some sections of the demonstration, such of those involving these critics, were few in number, whereas during the demonstration our numbers grew. Other comrades chose to join our section: not only tute bianche or Italians, but also anarchists and trotskyists of various countries and nationalities. Clearly the vetero-communist vision of some, linked to a strictly marxist-leninist style of politics, has stopped them from seeing past their own noses. We have no grounds for reproaching other sections of the demonstration that engaged in direct action elsewhere in the city, just as most of them have nothing to reproach us for. On the contrary, we wish that there had been many more of them, so that we could have forced the police blockades. But probably even all together we wouldn't have succeeded. We did our bit, what we had decided upon in the joint assembly, committing a huge number of police in a face off on the bridge with continuous charges, resisting and advancing.
Can s26 be considered a success? What comes next?
In terms of Europe, it was certainly a success. The forum ended a day early because of the curfew atmosphere created in Prague. The movements from across Europe finally found themselves together, visible and determinate against an economic globalisation that threatens to create a dual society. For Europe Prague was the beginning, but in the minds of everyone were memories of Seattle, Washington, Melbourne... This begins to confirm the validity of a new way of finding ourselves side by side in the world's streets, confronting global problems.
The next leg for us will probably be Nice, where an EU summit is to be held in early December, to formalise a European bill of rights. A sort of constitution, although much more for economic investors than people, neglecting a good part of the social problems that afflict Europe.
What are Ya Basta's connections to other radical circles in Europe and beyond?
We have many contacts in several European countries: Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Finland, to name a few. Back in 1997 we held a European meeting in Venice, where we presented to others our program — borrowed from the Zapatista struggle — of fighting for a 'Social Europe', where people not money come first. In a sense, that was the first step in our current direction, trying to escape the isolation which many radical groups found themselves in, and to connect with vast parts of what Marcos calls 'civil society'.
Relations between Ya Basta and some other circles in the Italian movement became increasingly strained in the late nineties, with strong disagreements about orientation and activity. What were the terms of this debate, and have relations improved in the meantime?
We chose to abandon ideologies, others didn't. The split can be very simply defined in this sense. Our analysis of the current world has led us to consider some aspects of this society — like the profound modification of the production system, the dominant role of information, the importance of the environment and other themes until now considered more'social' than 'political' — and to act accordingly, trying to cut the chains that tied us too tightly to marxist orthodoxy. We've always been heretics anyway, believing that you must have the courage to change and to follow new paths when you suspect that they could lead to results.
Other groups, more tied to traditional ways of understanding marxism and politics, don't agree with us. Some of them accuse us of being'reformist' or'media-fixated' (implying that we live in a virtual world). Recently, though, we have seen a point of commonality in the struggles we are doing together, a sort of re-acquaintance with people who can appreciate the big results obtained by our struggles, from forcing the closure of immigrant detention centres in Milan and Trieste, to the symbolic blocking of NATO bases in the Veneto — which reopened debate about the Balkans war — to the ship in solidarity with Albanians and against the criminalisation of immigrants (the first sailing demo!), to the recent Prague demo.
Within the Veneto region, Ya Basta and Radio Sherwood are two aspects of a broader network. Can you tell us something about the other organisations they're connected with?
Radio Sherwood has now evolved into something more complex: the 'Sherwood Communications Agency'. This involves a massive use of the internet (Sherwood Tribune), along with the ability to intervene in the media, so as to give voice and visibility to the whole network, from Ya Basta and the social centres to ADL and Razzismo Stop.
ADL (Workers Defence Association, http://www.adl-cobas.org) is a bit like a union, although rather different from the traditional form of European unions. It has more than one thousands members in the region, organised in twenty workplace collectives, and is affiliated to the radical union confederation CUB. Its main activity is legal defence for workers, while its political activity is very similar to that of the tute bianche. Razzismo Stop (http://www.sherwood.it/r-stop) is an association for the defence of immigrant rights; it works side by side with immigrants to spread a new culture. It offers legal advice and concrete aid, from Italian language courses to welcome camps for refugees from ex-Yugoslavia, as well as social and educational activities for detained immigrants. Over the years it's become a real reference point of anti-racism, even for some institutions. Razzismo Stop has always been in the front line opposing expulsions and detention camps for immigrants, linking its daily social programs to a strong political activity.
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Uploaded 28 October 2000. This interview will shortly be appearing in the new web zine Aut.
www.tutebianche.org
S26 Prague
S26 Global Action Day
Tute Bianche
PGADemocratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he's not interested in granting former national security adviser Michael Flynn any conditions in exchange for testimony on potential Russian interference in the U.S. election.
"Sounds like a guy that wants immunity, and generally innocent people don't seek immunity," Swalwell said on "CNN Tonight."
"I don't want to hear from him in a setting where there are conditions. I think we should hear from him in the public and that we should get to the bottom of just exactly why he was working with RT, who as a former intelligence agency director, he above all people knows that that agency is connected to Russia's intelligence services," Swalwell continued.
Flynn received $56,250 in payments for work done for two Russian firms and Kremlin-backed news outlet RT.
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Flynn reportedly told the FBI and the House and Senate Intelligence committees that he is willing to testify about President Trump's campaign's potential ties to Russia in exchange for immunity from prosecution, as reported by The Wall Street Journal Thursday.
Flynn's lawyer said in a statement, “General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit.”
“No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch hunt environment without assurances against unfair prosecution," lawyer Robert Kelner said.When Peter Croft and Johnny Woodward first freed the Moonlight Buttress in 1992, they rated it 5.13b, making it one of the hardest big-wall free climbs in the world.
Over the next decade, the perennially popular “clean aid” route saw a handful of free ascents by a crop of well-known crushers, and, ultimately, consensus pegged the Moonlight Buttress down to 5.12d.
Nowadays the Moonlight Buttress is a casual day outing for people with 19-inch forearms who’ve never even placed a cam. A few climbers are starting to think the Moonlight Buttress might only be 5.12b—and if so, that makes it a full number grade easier than it was during the first free ascent.
So … what has changed since 1992? Were Croft and Woodward just a couple of grade fluffers compared to today’s dime-a-dozen bone crushers?
Me thinks gnomes. After 24 years of aid climbers crawling up the Moonlight and bounce-testing every single textbook cam placement in the relatively soft Navajo sandstone, subsequently gouging out the 1,000-foot splitter one hang-dogging fat-ass at a time, the finger locks have meow gotten much easier.
At this rate, the Moonlight Buttress will be a super fun 5.9 hand crack soloed by every Honn-abee in hand jammies.
To stave off this obscene destiny, can we all just please agree that the Moonlight Buttress is no longer going to be an aid climb?
Or … can we not agree to that?
This is the question du jour. Must we climbers be open, encouraging, and accommodating to every whimpering gumby who wants adventure like they want their Burger King orders—their way?
Here, that conflict is illustrated, perhaps, by the fact that Mountain Project lists two different pages for the Moonlight Buttress—one for clean aid, and one for free climbing.
Two worlds, not colliding online … but very much colliding in reality.
What’s interesting about the Moonlight Buttress is that the “clean” protection ethic that was best first articulated in Doug Robinson’s seminal 1972 article, “The Whole Art of Natural Protection” didn’t account for what “clean” protection such as cams (not that cams were even around back then) would do to sandstone splitters after 20+ years and thousands of ascents.
If you’re one of those climbers who thinks, “Hey, we’re all climbers and it’s all good, bro!” then you aren’t thinking hard enough. Now that more and more people are interested in taking their sport-climbing-honed skills up onto big cliffs like El Capitan, I predict this discussion/conflict will define the next five to 10 years of climbing.
A discussion pertaining to this issue erupted on the Evening Sends Facebook page. Some of the most relevant voices in climbing chimed in about how fixed gear will begin to play a role in this unfolding conflict, particularly on El Capitan, which is a veritable 3,000-foot Christmas tree of shiny, fixed ornaments.
The question is no longer as simple as whether or not metal of one variety or another should be used. It’s about answering a multitude of questions, beginning with is this route going to be primarily used by aid climbers or free climbers, and what kind of experience would improve the quality of the climbing on the route while remaining true to the original style in which it was first climbed (aid or free)?
Here are some highlights from the Facebook debate:
James Lucas: Maybe Valley climbers will remove bullshit fixed gear and replace it with bolts. At least people are starting to freeclimb more on El Cap.
Marc André Leclerc: I thought the bird beak protected climbing on Corazon was awesome. Would’ve been lame with bolts. You could rip a pitch and hit nothing but air anyways.
James Lucas: yeah…I’m not into it. If you’re gonna alter the rock, it should be long lasting. A good beak for you might be shit for the next ascent. Punching holes in flakes on the top of Golden Gate, the fixed hexes on the Enduro pitch of the Salathe, the numerous pins, they should either be pulled and climbers should use the large variety of removable protection we have at our disposal (c3s, huge cams…) or bolts should be placed. People need to forget some of the traditional tactics and consider the future of the crag. If there’s been tat on a bolt for fifteen years, the bolt shouldn’t be given a permadraw, it should be moved. Set El Capitan up to have minimal impact. Climbing gear is good enough now that the pro should either be non-damaging and removable or it should be a bolt. Putting heads and pitons in the rock harms the rock more than a bolt.
Max Jones: A few years ago, Mark [Hudon] and I cleaned about 100 heads/deadheads from the first two pitches of Mescalito. In some places there were two or three stacked on top of each other. When removed many small cam placements appeared. What was odd is the crack, with all that copper, has essentially been sealed from damage by pins until beaks and good small cams were invented. Why would anyone want to clip their way up a time bomb head ladder when you can use ones brain and place gear. I think I agree that on the free routes bolts are better than placements that will blow out a crack.
Justen Sjong: James Lucas, If this is the case we are going to have so many cool new free lines on El Cap! I’m all for protection that lasts but not just adding bolts for sheer convenience. There is a fine line that we are walking but I strongly believe that most of us can make the right choice. Just think long and hard about the long term impact on the rock. Love seeing El Capitan getting so much free climbing traffic.
Dave Allfrey: There isn’t a blanket rule to be applied here, Marc likes it, James doesn’t, but I think there is a difference between a pitch that takes good beaks and, for example, the hammered in stoppers on the Enduro pitch on the Salathe. The wires are rusting, they are poorly placed and old, I doubt they would hold a substantial fall. Maybe Totem Cams would fit those weird flares, but Camalots wouldn’t. It’s a tricky, and perhaps slippery slope for making this changeover. I do think that if some of the fixed hardware were replaced with permanent gear (bolts) the climbing would be more fun and aesthetic. And, as important, we need to update some of the old, crappy bolts that litter the mountain (like the ones on ‘The Move’ pitch of Golden Gate, one already pulled out straight from the hole). It’s too bad there isn’t a way to receive a permit to power drill so that mass updates could be made and higher quality glue-in bolts could be added to anchors and routes on El Cap to preserve them once and for all.
Marc André Leclerc: The beaks on corazon are in an A1 seam,
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require businesses to obtain 'prior express written consent' before placing telemarketing calls to mobile phones using an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) or an artificial or prerecorded voice," a Bloomberg Law summary explains. "The same regulations will now also require businesses to obtain 'prior express written consent' before placing telemarketing calls to residential lines using an artificial or prerecorded voice. As a result, effective Oct. 16, oral consent is not enough."
This new restriction applies to text messages as well. The FCC's order notes that "text messaging is a form of communication used primarily between telephones and is therefore consistent with the definition of a 'call.'" Thus, the commission said it "concluded that text messages would be subject to the TCPA."
Robocallers cannot relieve themselves of the burden of obtaining written consent by claiming an "established business relationship."
But not all unsolicited messages are banned. Your wireless carrier is still free to bug you. The FCC order says, "We do not require prior written consent for calls made to a wireless customer by his or her wireless carrier if the customer is not charged. One commenter requests that the Commission clarify that wireless carriers may send free autodialed or prerecorded calls, including text messages, without prior written consent, if the calls are intended to inform wireless customers about new products that may suit their needs more effectively, so long as the customer has not expressly opted out of receiving such communications."
There are also exemptions for health care organizations, emergency calls, charities, and political groups. In addition, the TCPA's requirement of prior express written consent does not apply to "calls that are manually dialed and do not contain a prerecorded message," the law firm Klein Moyniham Turco notes.
Penalties range from $500 to $1,500 per unsolicited call or message.
The FCC's changes to the TCPA also require "an interactive opt-out mechanism that is announced at the outset of the message and is available throughout the duration of the call." That has already gone into effect.
Robocallers have been targeted separately by the Federal Trade Commission, which has shut down telemarketing companies for ignoring the Do Not Call list and scamming people out of money.Achieving the perfect work-life balance is a hot topic as of late. Suggestions include things like scheduling exercise classes after work, never eating lunch at your desk, and outsourcing chores like grocery shopping.
The thing is, I don’t have a work-life balance and I like it that way.
I used to avoid telling people that, but I’m no longer ashamed about it thanks to James Clear’s article on The 4 Burners Theory—it finally gives me a way to defend my anti-work-life balance vote.
What’s The 4 Burners Theory?
The 4 Burners Theory asks you to envision your life as a stove with 4 burners. Each burner represents a part of your life:
Family Friends Health Work
According to Clear, “in order to be successful you have to cut off one of your burners. And in order to be really successful you have to cut off 2.”
Clear explains that while he tried to find workarounds, all he could come up with was the realization that life is filled with tradeoffs. He offered 3 ways to handle this problem:
Outsource the burners. This could mean hiring employees, which helps you outsource some of your work burner or you could hire a nanny for your children, which helps you turn down your family burner. Embrace your constraints. The question to ask yourself is, “Assuming a particular set of constraints, how can I be as effective as possible?” Clear explained. My favorite option: Take a seasonal outlook on life. That means you should divide your life into focused seasons. This is what I’ve done for my life, and it’s how any entrepreneur, who is feeling guilty for turning down a burner or 2, should look at their life.
“Embrace your constraints.”
For example, I’m a single and driven twentysomething who’s perfectly fine with turning down all of my burners except for work.
According to Meg Jay, author of The Defining Decade, your twenties are the defining decade of adulthood. 80% of life’s most defining moments take place by about age 35, and two-thirds of lifetime wage growth happens during the first 10 years of a career.
When people tell me I’m living an unbalanced—and therefore unhealthy—life, I brush it off. They believe because I’m nearly 30 and single, I need to focus on dating and friends—like working less is going to allow me to meet the man of my dreams.
Bill Gates is a prime example of a wildly successful entrepreneur, who—whether he knows it—subscribes to The 4 Burners Theory.
According to the BBC, Bill Gates worked an obsessive—some would say unhealthy—amount of time in his early days.
“Gates admitted, ‘I was quite fanatical about work’ during those early days. ‘I worked weekends, I didn’t really believe in vacations.’ He also noted that, while he was more intense than most people, he was ‘no more intense than Steve Jobs was,’ invoking the name of a similarly driven and similarly successful tech icon.”
Now, the world’s richest man works so little, he’s able to squeeze in 50 books per year.
“Don’t apologize for putting work before life.”
“‘Eventually I had to loosen up, as the company got to a reasonable size,’” he said. And he said that meeting his wife, Melinda, also changed the equation. ‘She arrived at kind of the perfect time, and we fell in love… Now we actually take quite a few vacations. I’m sure myself in my 20s would look at my schedule now and find it very wimpy indeed.’”
My point is this: The importance of each burner will change throughout life. Depending on who you are and where you are in your life, different burners are going to be more important to you than others.
This is perfectly fine. Don’t let people make you feel bad about it.
In the words of Nathan Barry:
“Commit to your goal with everything you have—for a season. ”Below is the letter we received from devout Pastafarian, Micah Cliffe:
Hello mateys!
As the subject of this email is, I am offended by the sign posted on Bruin walk today (attached). You see, I am an ordained minister in the Church of His Noodly Appendages, and this flyer is blatantly incorrect, if not hateful.
I study the holy writings in the Loose Canon, and The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not have a hell in which to burn.
” Q: If there’s a Beer Volcano and a Stripper Factory in Heaven, what’s FSM Hell like?
A: We’re not entirely certain, but we imagine it’s similar to FSM Heaven, only the beer is stale and the strippers have venereal diseases. Not unlike Las Vagas.”
Please do not give the impression that Pastafarians are a hateful group. We just want to eat some Italian food and sail the seas as pirates.
Ramen
Here is the sign in question:
The Bruin Roast would like to apologize for offending Micah and any other Pastafarians, and are in reverence of His Noodly Appendages.
AdvertisementsWhat are we prepared to sacrifice to keep children safe? On Monday night at Manchester arena, 22 people were senselessly slaughtered. Many of them were young girls, pouring out of a pop concert, giddy with excitement. Hours before the killer was identified or Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack, the political conversation had already turned to vengeance, and respected public thinkers were calling, in the name of those dead children, for further crackdowns on immigrants and perceived outsiders, for troops on the streets, for "internment camps'" with straight faces and the sincere implication that anyone who disagrees is weak-willed and possibly a terrorist sympathiser. A lot of little girls have been killed. What good are tolerance and human rights today?
Nobody can be expected to be instantly rational when dozens of kids have just been maimed and murdered. There are, however, individuals who seem more than prepared to exploit the occasion to further their own agendas. Yet again, we are told that the state is failing in its duty to protect "our" children, that pansy liberals won't let us raise the "obvious solutions" to this problem. Nobody can quite bring themselves to articulate exactly what those "obvious solutions" might be, hedging the issue instead with grave looks, raised eyebrows and stern allusions to the consequences of political correctness. The consensus is that we are living in a nation so paralysed by hand-flapping progressive talk-talkery that ordinary, right-thinking folks aren’t allowed to say what’s really on their minds.
The truth is that nobody’s stopping anyone from saying what they think about any of this, and if you don’t believe me, take a brisk scroll through Twitter this afternoon, and keep some eyeball bleach on hand. In fact, the reason a lot of people are stopping short of saying what they think ought to be done is that they know full well that what they think ought to be done is unacceptable and shameful in any sane society. So shameful, indeed, that it takes a professional shit-stirrer to speak it aloud.
Enter Katie Hopkins. It’s not just pro-trolls like her who have called for a "final solution" following the Manchester Arena bombing. Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson declared that we should start putting "thousands" of people in "internment camps" in the name of protecting children. Spiked editor Brendan O’Neill echoed the tone, blaming "multiculturalism" for mass murder, and implying that anyone advocating calm and tolerance in the face of terrorism does not feel sufficiently angry about the murder of 22 of their fellow citizens. “It is becoming clear,” insists O'Neill, “that the top-down promotion of a hollow ‘togetherness’ in response to terrorism is about cultivating passivity.”
In fact, Britain is far from passive in the face of extremist violence. Britain already has one of the most robust counter-terrorism programs on the planet. We are among the most surveilled societies in the Western world. We have a counter-extremism program, Prevent, that places a duty in schools, universities and other public bodies to report any suspected radical or "extremist" activity, and is so exacting that it has been condemned by experts and educators across the board as an infringement of the right to free speech and thought. The authorities responsible for heading off and hunting down these psychopaths and all who sail with them are hardly slacking on the job. The problem is that there's really no way to up the game from here without going full police state. The pundits condemning the relevant institutions as shirkers today know this full well, which is why a police state is exactly what they’re asking for, with the inference that anyone who disagrees is awfully relaxed about the violent death of young girls and their parents.
So let’s not mince words. Let's be absolutely clear what’s at stake here. Let us acknowledge that yes, we could do more to stop this, if we wanted. And then let's think about whether that's really, actually, what we want.
Yes, we could do more. We could allow the state to round up and lock away anyone even remotely suspected of violent, extremist tendencies; anyone who has ever accessed a suspicious website or attended a dubious lecture. We'd have to lock those people up for a very long time, of course, because if there's one thing that nudges people from a passing interest in anti-state violence into full on fanaticism, it's active state oppression. We could ban anyone who's ever been in any way associated with extremist ideology from entering the country, including those who are fleeing violence themselves. We could institute total surveillance of everyone’s online activity. We could build those internment camps. They’d be expensive, so it’s only fair that potential degenerates and their associates be obliged to work for their keep. Of course, you wouldn't want those internment camps spread out - you'd want the inmates concentrated in one place. What could we call such camps? I’m sure we’ll think of a name.
If we did all that, and more, then yes, there's a chance that we could stop atrocities like this from happening again. Even then, there's no guarantee. The most exacting neo-stasi infrastructure can’t always stop the rogue loner with a breadknife and a brain boiling with arcane violence. It would, however, significantly lower the odds.
The question is not whether it can be done. Of course it can be done. Paranoid, bloodless, hyper-vigilant police states have been instituted in European nations before, and if any country on earth has the infrastructure to make it work right now, it's Britain, a small island with an extensive surveillance architecture, a mostly urban population, a conservative government currently seeking re-election on a tough-love platform, and no pesky constitutional rights to free speech. We can do it if we want to. Sure we can. The question is whether we should. The question is whether it's worth it. Is it worth it, to prevent the loss of one more young life, the devastation of one more family?
Don’t answer that right now. Give it a few days, at least, because right now it makes a great deal of emotional sense to say yes, yes, it’s worth it. Anything to stop something like this happening again. To save one child. To keep hundreds more from being traumatised for life just because they went to a pop concert with their friends. I suspect that today, tucked away in the collective psyche of a great many otherwise tolerant and decent people, is a furious, frightened voice yelling - sure, let’s do it. Let’s shut the borders and build the camps. It might not be nice, it might not even be right, but these evil dickheads are killing kids, so frankly, fuck the Geneva convention.
That furious, frightened instinct needs to be named so we can deal with it like adults. The anger and the fear here are real and legitimate, even though a great many bad actors are exploiting them to further racist, xenophobic agendas. It’s alright to be frightened and furious. It’s not alright to let those emotions dictate public policy. Today, with the faces of murdered little girls all over the news, is not a day to ask anyone what they’re prepared to sacrifice to make sure this never happens again.
Because the truth is that the only way to stop this sort of human monster is to become like them. The only way to be sure that no swivel-eyed extremist who hates life, and liberty and raw youthful joy so much that he's prepared to blow up a pop concert full of teenagers can never do that again is to acquiesce to the sort of state apparatus that is anathema to joy and liberty and life, the sort of state apparatus that no child should grow up with.
This is why platitudes about 'unity', about 'not letting hate win', about keeping it together and trying not to let our worst instincts take over, are not, in fact, platitudes at all. They are not banal. They are not hollow. It takes enormous strength of character, at a time like this, not to give in to fear and rage and the rationale of revenge. The people of Manchester are showing that strength in the wake of one of the most horrific mass murders this tense and divided nation has ever seen. We owe it to them, to the victims of this attack, and to their families not to sully their memories by surrendering to the logic of intolerance.
It is at moments like this when a community proves its character. It is at times like this that it is more, not less essential to refuse racist and fascist ideas. Tolerance is not passivity. Kindness is not weakness. It is not cowardly to stay with our anger and our grief and refuse to let those emotions sway our commitment to human dignity, or to look dreadful vengeance in the face and refuse it. It is strength. It is strength more profound and more human than fundamentalists of any faction can comprehend, and if we hang on to that strength, they will never, ever win.Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, leaves after a cabinet meeting in Downing Street in central London, Britain June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will look to hire foreign trade negotiators to help it meet the challenge of striking new trade deals with countries in Europe and beyond after last month’s shock decision to leave the European Union, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said.
“I don’t think we can only recruit people who are British,” Hammond told BBC television on Monday. “If we can find Australians, Americans who have got high-level skills in trade negotiation, let’s recruit them as well.”
He also said the government was taking steps to rehire former civil servants who have trade negotiating skills. Currently only a few of the 55 British officials in the European Commission’s trade department actually work on trade deals.
Britain faces the task of renegotiating its relationship with the EU after voters decided on June 23 to leave the bloc. It also has to rework its trade ties with more than 50 other nations around the world which have agreements with the EU.
The European Commission negotiates trade deals on behalf of the EU member states meaning Britain has not had its own dedicated team of trade negotiators since it joined the bloc in 1973.Sydney teenager Tamim Khaja charged over alleged terror plot, attempting to join IS in Syria
Updated
An 18-year-old Sydney man has been charged with planning a terrorism attack and preparing for foreign incursions, with police alleging he was trying to get hold of a gun to carry out an attack in the city.
Tamim Khaja, of Macquarie Park in Sydney's north-west, was arrested in Parramatta by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team on Tuesday morning.
The teenager is expected to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.
The ABC understands he was a former student at Epping Boys High School and when he was in year 12 last year, he was investigated by counter-terrorism police after allegedly preaching radical Islam at the school.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said earlier Khaja's arrest had prevented an attack, which was allegedly being planned and was described as "probably imminent".
Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said police would allege Khaja was looking for "possible sites in Sydney to undertake a terrorist attack and was making arrangements to acquire a firearm".
Deputy Commissioner Burn said Khaja was acting alone in the alleged plot but said he had associations with some people already before the courts.
Police will also allege Khaja was planning to leave the country to go to Syria to join the Islamic State terror group.
Officers said Khaja had been known to police for about a year and had attempted to leave the country to fight with terror organisations overseas in February, but was unable to do so.
His passport was later cancelled.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Gaughan earlier said both offences Khaja had been charged with carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Khaja's lawyer Osman Samin earlier said bail would be applied for "in due course".
Authorities said his arrest was not related to raids conducted at properties in Melbourne, which were part of an operation connected to the arrest of five Victorian men who allegedly planned to travel to Indonesia by boat.
Topics: terrorism, sydney-2000
First postedWASHINGTON - Convinced that the United States is in decline, China's distrust is growing of the longtime superpower which it sees as bent on holding back the Asian power's rise, an influential scholar says.
In a candid new study, well-known experts from China and the United States with wide experience in the other country describe the Pacific powers as seeking a partnership but hampered by distrust of their rival's intentions.
The scholars proposed steps to build confidence between the world's two largest economies including deeper discussions on defense and three-way dialogues with Japan and India.
Wang Jisi, dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, wrote in the study that "China's strategic distrust of the United States is deeply rooted, and in recent years it seems to have deepened."
Wang said the financial crisis in 2008 showed to many Chinese that their country was rising, the United States was declining and that actions by Washington - on issues from territorial disputes in the South China Sea to climate change - marked veiled attempts to keep Beijing down.
"America's financial disorder, alarming deficit and unemployment rate, slow economic recovery and domestic political polarization are viewed as but a few indications that the United States is headed for decline," Wang wrote.
Wang said Chinese leaders were "sober-minded" and did not think that the United States would soon fall as the top world power - or that US economic decline would be desirable, in light of China's reliance on exports.
But Wang said Beijing had grown distrustful after US actions such as repeated calls for improvements in human rights, pressure over North Korea and Iran and weapons sales to Taiwan, which relies on Washington for its defense.
The arms deals, despite warming relations between Beijing and Taipei, "added to the suspicion that Washington will disregard Chinese interests and sentiment as long as China's power position is secondary to America's," he wrote.
Ken Lieberthal, who wrote the US portion of the study, said Wang is "widely considered to be China's top specialist on the United States" and has dealt extensively with Chinese officials who handle foreign affairs.
Lieberthal told AFP that the study was not an effort to reveal any hidden views, saying he doubted that Chinese President Hu Jintao or his likely successor Xi Jinping would "sit down and pour their hearts out" to Wang.
Lieberthal, the director of the Brookings Institution's John L. Thornton China Center who served as a senior aide to president Bill Clinton, said the essays instead tried to offer an "honest understanding" of underlying thinking.
Before the financial crisis, China assumed the United States would long remain the top power but Beijing now believes Washington is trying "not only to get back on our game but to work harder to slow China's rise," Lieberthal said.
"If that is their conclusion, then they don't trust the motives of even some things that we do - in fact, I would argue, much of what we do - (which) is to try to integrate China, accept its rise and to integrate it as constructively as possible in the global system," he said.
In his essay, Lieberthal spoke of US concern about the "massive theft of US intellectual property" which he said created a perception that it was part of a Chinese strategy.
Lieberthal also wrote of the political difficulty for US leaders in cooperating with China despite human rights concerns, writing: "Americans tend to be deeply suspicious of countries that trample on the civil rights of their own citizens."
The two scholars together recommended a "sustained, deep dialogue" on military affairs so China can defend its core interests but let the United States meet obligations to its Asian allies.
The experts also called for the United States to encourage Chinese investment and for three-way dialogues involving India and Japan, which could prevent a "strategic cleavage" that pits Beijing and Washington against each other in the region.Thanks for stopping by Chez Franc’s Kickstarter page! We have worked for nearly two years developing a delicious hot dog concept. Now our dream is about to come true! Dan and Jacquetta met when she staged (“stage” is a fancy food-world word for internship) at the Michelin-starred restaurant where Dan worked as Sous Chef. One day Dan shared that his passion is making hot dogs, and the idea stayed with Jacquetta. Several months after the stage ended, Jacquetta asked Dan to be her partner in this venture. The rest is history!
Chef Dan & Jacquetta working hard on the truck!
In the summer of 2013, the pair signed a lease on a space on beautiful California Ave. in Palo Alto and has slowly been going through the process of opening their restaurant. After some unexpected holdups, construction finally started, and now the restaurant is scheduled to open within a few months.
Mission Dog
One unexpected cost has been the price of new sausage making equipment. The top equipment is out of the budget without your help. Dan and Jacquetta are asking you to help fund the purchase of a new meat chopper, sausage stuffer and smoker. These items have a combined cost of over $37,000. Remember, with Kickstarter, if we don’t reach our goal, we don’t receive the money.
Truffle Dog
Take a look at the awesome benefits, including an invitation to our Open House, a cooking class with Chef Dan, even free hot dogs for life! Within the next few months, Chez Franc will open on California Avenue in Palo Alto. The restaurant will serve hot dogs and sausages, but also sides, appetizers, desserts, artisan sodas, and beer and wine! We promise something or everyone.
Outside of Chez Franc
While waiting for the restaurant to open, we have successfully launched the Chez Franc food truck which currently serves San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. This truck currently serves great hot dog combinations similar to those in our restaurant. The only difference is we have to purchase the hot dogs instead of making them ourselves.
The food at Chez Franc is unlike any hot dog restaurant. We use the finest local ingredients to make delicious creations. One seasonal hot dog is the “Summer” which is an all-beef frankfurter with peach, burrata, speck prosciutto, basil and balsamic. Another current favorite is the “Mission”, an all-beef frankfurter with bacon, avocado mousse, spicy bean aioli, crema, jalapenos, scallions, a cilantro.
We can’t wait to be open for business in Palo Alto! Thank you for donating to this campaign and being part of the Chez Franc Family!“I saw them coming up the road pre-Parade and looked at Sylvia and DonnaTella and said, ‘Ladies, let’s make a wall!’ Before I knew it, I was standing tits to nose with the leader guy on the megaphone. It felt like I had the strength of all the people who had ever been hurt by these people standing right behind be me giving me power! I was almost in auto-pilot mode from my days as a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. I planted myself in his path and wouldn’t move. When he walked around me, I got back in front of him again and again.I stared him in the eyes and could see the pain in his eyes, I could see he was scared and he should have been. He tried to hit me with his sign, but like Bianca Del Rio says 'Not Today, Satan!' pushed his sign away from my face and hair, because you DO NOT TOUCH my hair. And, it was all I could do to NOT get violent, but I didn’t because once that happens, we all lose.Nicola Sturgeon will be handed powers to significantly reshape the welfare state in Scotland within weeks.
The UK Government is to fast-track moves that will allow the First Minister to create new benefits payments.
The changes could be in place by the time that Holyrood returns from its summer break in September.
Read more: Ruth Davidson hits out at Nicola Sturgeon as row erupts over EU vote
The SNP has said that it plans to use the range of new welfare powers destined for Holyrood to create a more compassionate system.
But Ms Sturgeon will not yet be able to alter existing benefits.
Sources said that the complexity of the UK’s social security operation mean that that would take longer to devolve.
Around 50 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) staff are currently working on the devolution programme.
A Whitehall source said: “Some of the powers can be handed over quickly.”
The changes were agreed by the Smith Commission on extra devolution.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon - Holyrood could block Brexit
The cross-party group was set up in the wake of 2014's independence referendum.
The resultant Scotland Act will being in sweeping tax and welfare reforms set to reshape the political settlement between Edinburgh and London.
Conservative ministers are keen to give the SNP responsibility to raise part of the money they spend and be forced to take tough decisions on issues such as welfare.
MSPs are also due to be be given powers to vary elements of the new Universal Credit benefit, end the spare room subsidy, or "bedroom tax", increase Carers' Allowance.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell has pushed for powers to be transferred as quickly as possible.
Read more: Watch - Why Nicola Sturgeon will not be declaring tennis Scotland's national sport after Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory
He said earlier this year: “If the Scottish Government wanted to treble Jobseeker's Allowance, they could.”
A Conservative source said that the powers were "really significant... so the Scottish Parliament can begin the process of creating its own welfare system within Scotland and within the range of powers provided by the Smith Commission".
The UK Government will make the order in Parliament on Thursday.
The Scotland Bill also included plans to give MSPs control over all income rates and bands from April next year.
Overall, the Scotland Bill will devolve almost full control over income tax and a £2.5 billion welfare budget to Holyrood.
But the SNP has repeatedly said that the plans fall short of delivering the Smith report in full.
The party has said that decisions on 85 per cent of welfare spending will continue to be made in London.Lord Kerr of Kinlochard. IAN NICHOLSON PA Archive/PA Images Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, a British peer who has served as an ambassador both to the EU and US, does not expect rising populism across the west to deliver any more shock results in upcoming major elections.
The peer, who worked closely both with Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair during his ambassadorial career, was a panellist at an event hosted by the Institute for Government on Thursday morning, which Business Insider attended.
He was asked whether he felt Donald Trump's shock election win was a sign of things to come across western democracies, particularly in France and Germany, where mainstream parties are under threat from right-wing, populist movements.
The Lord, who also authored Article 50, said the threat posed by populism was not as large as some commentators have claimed. "I believe that the next French president is Alain Juppé (not Marine Le Pen). I think the next German chancellor is Angela Merkel. I don't think what we've seen is going to sweep across these countries."
In France, far-right party Front National is currently the second-most popular party ahead of May's presidential election, while in Germany, anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished ahead of Merkel's Christian Democrats in some regional elections earlier this year.
Lord Kerr added, though, that the recent growth in support for right-wing groups across Europe will likely be short-lived, rather than the start of a shift in political culture across the west.
"It looks as if crises that are in their origin financial are blamed on the establishment and from there there's a kick to the right," he said. "But studies show this initial kick to the right effect fades after five to seven years."
[Inequality] will not be cured by leaving the EU. It will get worse if we leave the EU
The Brexit vote, he said, was at least partly a result of Brits feeling ignored by the political establishment and economically left behind.
"But inequality has nothing to do with the EU," he added. "It will not be cured by leaving the EU. It will get worse if we leave the EU."
Also on the subject of Brexit, Lord Kerr said national debate around issues like immigration has become overwhelmed by emotion at the expense of evidence, claiming immigration is needed to keep the country "running."
Lord Kerr was on the panel with former government advisor Rachel Woolf and journalist Professor Daine Roberts to discuss how populism, particularly Trump's shock victory, will change policy-making in western democracies.
Reflecting on Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton, Lord Kerr dismissed the popular theory that the economy and in particular inequality was the primary reason why voters backed the Republican candidate.
"The median income of the Trump voter was a lot higher than that of the Clinton voter. I'm not sure if it was about the economy." he said.
Professor Roberts agreed. She said:
"I think America is extremely divided. It wasn't economic. It was definitely the human factor and not the most attractive of human factors. Trump voters were generally upper middle class, although some were from Rust Belt states. This election was about race and very much about gender. I think it all comes down to education. We have so many Americans who don't know how government works."Offers and Samples For You
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WASHINGTON — Katz’s Deli, the 129-year-old pastrami palace on New York’s Lower East Side, is looking to expand, and D.C. might be on the list, the shop’s owner tells WTOP.
Jake Dell told WTOP Wednesday that D.C. would be on his radar should he move forward with any deli expansion plans. But he said it was premature to talk specifics.
“D.C. is a wonderful food market,” Dell said. “I just came down there about two weeks ago and went around to some wonderful restaurants with friends. There is a lot of cool things happening in food down there.”
Dell also said that D.C. would be a good fit because of its proximity to New York.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Katz’s Deli plans to expand its shipping service to international markets in the coming months. The paper also reported that Philadelphia and Boston were on the list of cities that Dell might consider for expansion.
Katz’s will open its first outpost in Brooklyn as part of a food hall set to open this summer.
Katz’s already ships its pastrami, corned beef, matzo ball soup, latkes and just about everything else on its menu throughout the United States.
Beyond New York deli aficionados — both locals and tourists — Katz’s Deli is also known as the spot where a famous scene between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in the movie “When Harry Met Sally” was filmed.
The table where the scene took place is even marked with a placard overhead.
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.
© 2017 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.Australia will also increase funding for refugee programs by $130 million.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced Australia will take refugees from Central America as part of its annual intake, which will remain at the 2018-19 goal of 18,750.
Key points: Australia will help resettle refugees fleeing violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador
Mr Turnbull also said annual refugee intake would stay at 18,750
That announcement criticised by Bill Shorten, aid groups
Mr Turnbull made the announcement during an address at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, convened by US President Barack Obama, aimed at finding a better international solution to deal with 65.3 million people displaced around the globe.
But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten labelled the announcement on the intake numbers as a "hoax", saying the Prime Minister had "reheated the leftovers" from Tony Abbott's policies.
The US earlier this year announced a plan for Costa Rica to temporarily take refugees fleeing violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Mr Turnbull said Australia would help the US resettle some of this group.
"We will also participate in the US-led program to re-settle Central American refugees currently in a re-settlement centre in Costa Rica," he said.
"Australians support these actions because they have confidence that our migration system is well managed."
People swap with Manus, Nauru refugees ruled out
Mr Turnbull told the invitation-only meeting Australia's humanitarian intake would remain at 18,750 on an ongoing basis.
Former PM Mr Abbott initially announced the rise — up from 13,750 — would be achieved in 2018-19, but did not make clear whether the increase would be permanent.
Mr Turnbull told reporters in New York there was no plan to increase Australia's intake beyond the 18,750 figure, describing it as "sustainable and maintainable".
The figure remains below the 19,998 intake reached in 2012-13, when the Government took onshore applications from people who had arrived by boat. Just under 40 per cent of the available visas were granted to onshore applicants.
"Obviously governments have the absolute right to review it and adjust it, either up or down as circumstances change," he said.
"A lot of people say 'Australia is a big country, we've got lots of room'.
"The reality is that one of the features of the Australian migration story — and we are a nation built by immigration — is that we have done a very effective job over many decades, of settling our migrants, ensuring that they are integrated, and of course the ones that have the greatest challenge are very often the refugees."
Special Minister of State Scott Ryan ruled out a people swap in terms of the refugees and asylum seekers currently on Manus Island and Nauru when taking in refugees from Central America.
"There is no basis at all for this allegation of [a] people swap," he told the ABC.
"There will not be a people swap."
Mr Turnbull also announced funding for refugee programs would be increased by $130 million over three years.
He said the funds would help support peace building and give assistance to refugees and forcibly displaced communities in host countries.
Announcement doesn't solve real problem: Shorten
Addressing reporters in Adelaide, Mr Shorten called on the Coalition to spell out the negotiations its ministers had with other countries.
"Malcolm Turnbull has flown to New York to reannounce Tony Abbott's policies," he said.
"They haven't dealt with the elephant in the room … The fact that we have nearly 2,000 people trapped in indefinite detention on Manus [Island] and Nauru."
Mr Shorten also called for more information over what he called the "Costa Rica solution".
|
, a journalist, was already headed there for a conference, and he decided to tag along. Though the couple hosted an inauguration party four years ago for out-of-town friends, Mr. Schriefer said that this time, “the thrill is gone.”
“It’s sort of a nothing right now; it’s not getting the attention it got four years ago,” he said. “It feels like it’s going to come and it’s going to go, and unless you’re really paying attention, you’ll hardly know that it’s been here — other than staying away from downtown for a few days.”
Kevin Sheridan, who worked on Mr. Romney’s campaign and is now an executive vice president at JDA Frontline, said that during Mr. Obama’s first inauguration, he skipped the chilly temperatures of Washington for a trip to the Caribbean. This time, he and much of the Washington-based staff at his firm were taking a “well-timed” annual work retreat to Charleston, S.C., where they have another office.
“D.C. is a wonderful town,” he said. “D.C. with a few extra hundred thousand out-of-towners is not an easy place to navigate, and I figure I’m doing my little part to make a little extra space for those who are here to party.”
Still, Mr. Sheridan added: “I wish them luck. It’s a great moment for the country, but they don’t need me to be here for it.”Kerala state-run channel skips PM's address to children
India
oi-PTI
By PTI
Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 5: Hundreds of school children in Kerala, both from government and private institutions, watched the Teacher's Day address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today but state-run education channel Victers skipped the live cast in a last-minute change of decision.
Though Kerala government had made it clear that it was not compulsory for schools to make arrangements to carry live the Prime Minister's message to children, many school managements showed it by making their own arrangements. Children in a majority of government schools, which depended on Victers channel, could not watch the programme as the channel did not air the event in the last minute.
Though there was no official word on what went wrong, sources at IT@school which runs the channel said though they made all arrangements to provide links to schools, the telecast was cancelled as it was not made mandatory.
Indian Union Muslim League, to which Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb belongs, has criticised the circular issued by Director of Public Instructions to schools for making arrangements for the event.
Though Rabb had said the government was not against telecast of the event, schools have freedom to decide on the matter. State BJP president V Muraleedharan came out strongly against the channel's failure saying it was "deliberately sabotaged" by the Education Department. Even though most schools were closed for the 10-day Onam vacation, a large number of children and teachers thronged their institutions in the afternoon to listen to the message of the Prime Minister and get a change to ask him a question.
Director of Public Instructions Gopala Krishna Bhat told PTI that since the state government had already made it clear that it was not compulsory for schools to live telecast the PM's address, the Education Department had not made any arrangements for monitoring the schools.
PTISearch and Rescue for backcountry users in British Columbia is free: It’s time to quash out the misinformation
Steve Jones Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 5, 2016
All signs have now been removed. Thanks everyone!
Dec 9th 11:30 AM Update:
I have been informed that the incorrect sign at Cypress Provincial Park has been removed. It’s a little confusing but it appears that the sign may have been put up by BC Parks staff (most other signs in that room are Cypress Resort signs and there was no BC Parks label on the sign.) BC Parks staff will be reviewing the sign and making any required changes before it is put up again.
December 7th 2:40 PM Update:
I have not heard from Whistler Olympic Park but they have edited their webpage to remove the problematic wording. Thank you!
December 5th 5:30 PM Update:
I have just received some great news from Robyn Barker at Manning Park Resort. The full comment can be seen below in the comments section. They will be changing the wording on their website and signage to reflect the that rescue subjects are not charged for rescues in BC.
My response to Robyn and Manning Park Resort:
“ Robyn, thank you very much for your quick review of the issue and for your actions. We all share the same concerns about backcountry users needing to be prepared and we are all frustrated when we come across people who have not yet taken that message seriously. As you have pointed out, E.C. Manning Park is a long way from the nearest town with a rescue team. Even in areas that are very close to rescue teams, a rapid response is not always possible. Everyone who ventures into the backcountry must be prepared to be self-sufficient and to self-rescue to the extent that is possible. I appreciate that your signs are designed to communicate that message. However, when things go horribly wrong, it’s important that people do not hesitate to activate a request for help out of fear of financial consequences and so thank you for changing that part of the wording. I am looking forward to making continued visits to Manning Park Resort and E.C. Manning Park.”
Initial Post:
This letter is directed to two audiences:
To backcountry users of BC: Know that SAR is a free service. You should always head into the mountains with the proper equipment, knowledge, experience and partners. However, stuff happens. Bones break. Equipment malfunctions. People get lost. Don’t hesitate to call for help when you are in trouble. To the Whistler Olympic Park, Manning Park Resort and Cypress Mountain Resort and/or BC Parks: Please immediately remove all materials from your websites and physical locations that suggest that members of the public that are visiting the backcountry areas adjacent to your ski areas will be charged if they need SAR services. You may choose to form your own policies for your frontcountry customers but there are no SAR teams in BC that charge for backcountry rescues for members of the public.
If you break a leg in BC, it doesn’t matter if it happens on a sports field, a sidewalk or a hiking trail: The system will do its best to make sure you are brought to safety. Without a doubt, Search and Rescue is the most cost-efficient part of our healthcare system because it is staffed entirely with volunteers. These volunteers put in massive amounts of time and put their own lives at risk to save people who need finding and rescuing.
SAR volunteers are adamant that rescue subjects should never be charged for a rescue and there is no SAR team in BC that charges a fee for their service. If there is fear of a massive bill, subjects and their families will delay putting out a call for help. There are many downsides to delayed calls:
Search Area: Let’s assume that your subject may move at 3 km/h in any direction from their last known location. After 2 hours, your search area is 13 km². After 6 hours, your search area is 113 km². A quick response makes a huge difference.
Let’s assume that your subject may move at 3 km/h in any direction from their last known location. After 2 hours, your search area is 13 km². After 6 hours, your search area is 113 km². A quick response makes a huge difference. Daylight and Weather: Delayed calls result in searches having to be performed in the middle of the night. This is more complicated because SAR teams in BC do not have access to helicopters that perform search operations at night. Delays also increase the risk of the tracks being wiped out by weather.
Delayed calls result in searches having to be performed in the middle of the night. This is more complicated because SAR teams in BC do not have access to helicopters that perform search operations at night. Delays also increase the risk of the tracks being wiped out by weather. Success Rate: Due to the increasing size of the search area and the unforgiving survival curves for injured subjects that are exposed to the elements, delayed searches more turn into body recovery missions or end without any resolution.
Due to the increasing size of the search area and the unforgiving survival curves for injured subjects that are exposed to the elements, delayed searches more turn into body recovery missions or end without any resolution. Costs: Even when all of the search hours are provided by volunteers, delayed searches generate higher levels of costs (helicopter time, incidentals, etc.)
Even when all of the search hours are provided by volunteers, delayed searches generate higher levels of costs (helicopter time, incidentals, etc.) Danger: Complexity and time in the field combine to expose volunteers to greater levels of danger.
The people who actually perform Search and Rescue missions in BC could not be more clear about the fact that SAR is free in BC and that it is important for the public to know that it’s free. Here are just two examples:
From the BC Search and Rescue Association:
“ The British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) believes that the perceived or actual belief that a lost or injured person or their loved ones will be charged for a search and rescue response could directly affect the decision as to if or when a call for professional help will be made.”
“ The BCSARA will conduct search and rescue missions when requested to do so by the authorized tasking agencies for persons in danger or distress in the province of BC without charge. We will do so regardless of the reason they have found themselves requiring our assistance.”
From North Shore Rescue:
“ We do not support charging for rescues primarily due to the risk of a lost or injured person or their family/friends delaying a call for help. Through over 50 years of Search and Rescue work on the north shore, we have seen many calls where family have been under the impression that they would be charged, and delayed their calls for help. Another situation we have run into is a subject being under the impression they would be charged, and avoiding rescuers (trying to follow them out). There are significant risks and costs which can be associated with this.”
Given all of the above, it is frustrating that three major ski areas are currently telling members of the public otherwise.
Whistler Olympic Park (December 7th update — Problem now fixed)
Whistler Olympic Park is located in the Callaghan Valley. Backcountry users can pay a small fee to park in their parking lots. Users quickly travel beyond the boundary of WOP facility into a vast area of Crown Land with many backcountry skiing destinations. Many of the visitors to this area are tourists or are unfamiliar with how SAR works in BC.
WOP currently tells users that if vehicles are not removed by 4:30 pm then they will notify RCMP who will contact SAR which is a fair policy. However, appearing to speak on behalf of local SAR teams, WOP states that users will be charged for the full cost of the rescue. This is simply not true.Disclaimer: RWBY and all affiliated characters/titles belong to Rooster Teeth, those wonderful geniuses.
Nora leaned back on the small bench and tipped her large water bottle back, seemingly inhaling the water as she pulled hard on the mouthpiece to get it into her parched throat faster. Yang kept a lustful eye on her outstretched, toned body as it leaned back, covered in sweat and glistening under the lights in the sparring room. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed and Yang was having trouble keeping herself from tackling her and ravishing her right there in the middle of the room. She decided to turn away and spare herself the stimulation in order to save the rest of the room from a very obscene moment between the couple.
"You have got to get a control of yourself Yang," Nora spoke directly into her ear from behind and she felt a shiver of desire run up her spine.
"You have to stop being so damn sexy all the time," Yang tilted her head back and kissed Nora lightly on the cheek, just brushing her lips against her sweat stained skin.
"And if I don't?" Nora lowered her head and nibbled lightly on Yang's exposed collar bone eliciting a low, pleased moan from Yang.
"Then we will," another moan. "We will never get any training done." Yang pushed out with her legs and stood up and away from the obviously aroused redhead.
"But you expect me to just stay calm and collected with you in nothing but a sports bra and spandex?" Nora turned her face from that of a seductress to a pleading, innocent girlfriend. Yang looked down at Nora who was wearing exactly the same outfit.
"I think we maybe need some ground rules here." Yang smirked, "Or better, a contest."
"You wanna bet against me?" Nora sat back on the bench, her interest piqued.
"Yeah, whoever wins the next bout gets to start first when we get back to the dorm." Yang crossed her arms over chest and smiled smugly at Nora.
"Oh, oh that sounds like a great idea." Nora rolled off the bench to her feet. "Can we start right now?" They both looked over at the sparring ring and saw SSSN still going hard under the shielded dome. Yang was impressed by Blake's boyfriend. He used the most ludicrously complicated weapon she had seen in a long time, a pair of long handled nunchucks with shotguns imbedded in all four rods. He wielded them with brutal efficiency though, swinging and spinning and twirling them faster than her eyes could track, letting off blasts in rapid succession at whatever came near him. Boy was she glad they weren't in the same bracket until the singles rounds.
"I don't think so, we gotta wait for them to finish." Yang glanced up at the clock, the other team still had a few minutes before the timer buzzed. The sparring gym had become very popular in the days immediately before the Tournament and the staff had been forced to introduce a timer to keep teams from dominating the shielded sparring area for long periods of time.
"Uggghhh," Nora collapsed back onto the bench in a fit, "We gotta hurry though, everyone else is gonna be back soon and I'm so tired of being quiet." Yang laughed out loud at that, while true Nora hadn't been loud lately as they snuck around, she hadn't exactly been quiet either. Definitely not quiet enough to avoid a certain Faunus's ears.
"How about I tell you some juicy gossip to pass the time?" Yang squatted in front of Nora and put her hands on her own knees.
"If it's about Neptune being gay, I know Yang." Nora sighed and Yang laughed, looking over her shoulder at the blue haired boy. Everyone knew that about him.
"No, no, no. It's about Velvet and Coco." Yang said and Nora sprung out of her slouch, "Oh that's got your attention," Yang laughed out loud.
"Well yeah. Did something happen to them? I mean not that I want it to." Nora reigned in her excitement ever so slightly. "But did it?" The anticipation in her eyes was evident, like waiting in line for sweets.
"Maybe, I might have heard something." Yang stood and spun in a little circle, leading Nora on, "From someone that would definitely know." Nora grabbed Yang by the waist and pulled her backwards onto her lap. Yang landed with a giggle and swung her arm around Nora's shoulder, sitting in her lap sideways like a child. "Somebody named Coco."
"No?" Nora's face was a mix of shock and excitement and she dropped Yang to the ground. The blonde landed in a heap at her girlfriend's feet and laughed, Nora was so easily excited.
"Yep, she came over the other day while we were eating lunch and you were training with your team." Yang pulled herself up onto the bench and Nora turned excitedly to her. A series of booms went off in the training area and Yang turned her attention that way, "Oh look the fight is getting really intense."
"Yang," Nora grabbed both of her shoulders and turned her back so they were face to face, "You do not get to leave me hanging."
"Oh, you mean like nibbling on your shoulder while we're out in public?" Yang smirked and Nora's face fell into surprise.
"You're evil," Nora furrowed her eyebrows.
"I am not, I'm just getting even." Yang crossed her arms triumphantly and turned back to the fight. She watched for a second or two, happy she had gotten her revenge and then felt a hand firmly placed on her butt where it hung off the back of the small bench. She turned with a start to Nora who was also just watching the fight, her hand apparently acting all on it's own. Yang sighed, Nora was trying to get back at her but it wouldn't work, she returned her attention to the fight. Then the hand slid up her back, the fingers lightly grazing Yang's exposed skin and pushing at the hem of her sports bra. Yang turned back to Nora and found herself face to face with her redheaded lover. Before she could react Nora lunged forward and pressed her lips firmly against Yang's. Her free hand reached around Yang's head and pulled her in close while the one on her back made sure she couldn't pull away. Yang resisted at first, she knew exactly what Nora was doing but then she realized there was no point, she was gonna get all worked up either way so she let Nora take her and enjoyed it. They kissed for a moment, pressed into each other until Nora realized it wasn't doing what she wanted and pulled away, keeping her hands on Yang.
"Pleeeeease tell me what she said." Nora pleaded in a childish voice that just did not fit what they had been doing moments ago. Yang decided that performance at least deserved a little something.
"Well it's not really what she said as much as what she did," Nora pulled back from Yang and brought her knees to her chest, clenching her hands in excitement, "She," Yang laughed as she realized what she was about to say, "Coco hit on Weiss."
Nora gasped.
"Nooo," Nora's voice was much louder than she intended and she slapped both hands over her mouth.
"Yep, and you know Weiss threw a fit." Yang laughed as Nora kept her hands firmly over her mouth to prevent further outbursts. "She yelled at her and asked why in the world she was hitting on her if she was dating Velvet." Nora nodded her head, hands still over her mouth, "And Coco said they broke up a while ago." Nora screamed under her hands, the noise still clearly audible to Yang though it probably didn't carry very far.
"Oh my Oum," Nora dropped her hands once her scream stopped, "That's crazy. Do you know who dumped who?"
"We thought Coco must have dumped Velvet because she was already out trying to get at Weiss." Yang said and Nora nodded her head along in agreement.
"Uhh, how was Weiss about shooting her down?" Nora seemed to get nervous.
"She was pretty harsh about it, I think she said 'Absolutely not'. It was pretty rough but Coco took it fine, she's tough." Yang chuckled a little remembering Coco's next attempt to proposition her and decided that it was probably safer for Coco if she didn't tell Nora about that tidbit. She looked over at Nora and saw she still seemed a little put off. "You're not worried about Coco are you?"
"No, I'm worried about Ruby." the excitement in Nora's eyes died and her legs slumped to the floor on either side of the bench. "What if Weiss is that harsh with her too?"
"I don't think she will be, I mean yeah she's rough on the edges but Weiss is actually pretty cool and she's getting better." Yang put a hand on Nora's knee to comfort her a little.
"But, I've never seen her do rejection softly. I don't even know if she knows how Yang." Nora lifted her head and Yang could see she was really troubled by this. "It's a big deal for Ruby, only a couple of us even know she's a lesbian and that already freaked her out. If she comes out to Weiss and she turns her down, or what if she freaks out…?" Nora trailed off as she got herself even more concerned about the whole situation.
"Nora why didn't you say this the other day?" Yang rested her other hand on Nora's other leg and ran little circles on the inside of her knees with her thumb to try and calm her even slightly.
"You and Ren were being so supportive of her and she was already so freaked out. I know she has to try, she has to put herself out there. I just don't wanna see her get hurt Yang. I've been there and it really, really sucks." Nora leaned forward and put her head down on Yang's shoulder in exasperation. Yang moved one hand up to her back and rubbed gently.
"I know how Weiss seems. Oum, I didn't even like her until we all fought together at initiation." Yang lifted Nora's chin up so she could see her eyes, "But those two are so close. Even if Weiss is completely uninterested I know she won't say anything to hurt Ruby. I trust her." Yang gave Nora a light kiss on the lips, "But, you know. You really are the sweetest girlfriend ever. Worrying about my sister like that." Yang laughed and Nora's frown eased.
"Okay, but if it all blows up then we have to be there for her." Nora gave Yang a very intense look in a way Yang wasn't used to.
"Yeah, of course we will. She's my sister after all." Yang laughed. Nora leaned forward and nuzzled her head into the crook of Yang's shoulder and Yang got a glance towards the other side of the gym and saw Velvet slowly approaching them, looking warily about her as she did. "Hey, we've got a visitor." Yang whispered and Nora pulled away to look behind her. The couple pulled apart slightly and returned to watching the fight until Velvet reached them.
"Uhh, hi, Nora, Yang." Velvet started uneasily.
"Oh hey Velvet." Nora turned to the girl and waved, she was still several yards away and if they hadn't been expecting her to come over they may not have even noticed she was there.
"What's up Velvet? You waiting to train too?" Yang looked over and noticed that Velvet was fully decked out for combat.
"Uhh, well, kind of," the girl shuffled her feet nervously despite the fact that she was a year ahead of the tow she was talking to, "Do you uhh, I don't know why you would, but do you know what my semblance is?"
"I've never even seen you fight," Yang laughed uneasily. She really hoped that Velvet hadn't overheard them talking about her and Coco, she knew how well Faunus could hear and this girl's ears were huge.
"I uhh, well," Velvet fiddled with the pouch on her hip and then pulled out a small old fashioned looking camera rather suddenly, "I watch other people fight and I can copy their movements exactly."
"Oh wow, that's, that's really incredible." Yang was actually taken back. Being able to mirror another Hunter's movements perfectly could be an incredibly powerful skill.
"How do you make that work if your weapon doesn't match though?" Nora cocked her head to one side and looked at Nora's camera, "What is your weapon?"
"I don't actually have one," Velvet held up her camera with a hint of pride, "That's what this is for." She stepped over and showed them the screen on the back. As she scrolled Yang saw that all of her pictures contained the entirety of some other student's weapon. "If I take a picture, then this box," she tapped the box at her hip that she had removed the camera from, "draws on my aura to make a fake of the weapon for me to use."
"No way!" Nora jumped up from her seat and grabbed her hammer off the wall behind them, "Do mine, do mine." She held the hammer out in front of her with both hands. Velvet was startled by her sudden movements but recovered and readied herself to take a photo.
"Oh, uhh, okay. Please stand still." Velvet raised the camera and Yang leaned back instinctively to avoid being in the shot. Velvet snapped a photo, leaned the camera forward to check it and then tucked the camera back into the pouch slung from her hip.
"This is so exciting, there's gonna be two Magnhilds." Nora jittered with excitement. Velvet gave Nora a nervous smile and held her hands out in front of her, mimicking Nora's usual grip on the mighty war hammer. She closed her eyes to focus and the outline of Magnhild began to form out of blue light in her hands. The lines of energy whipped about in the air faster and faster until the entirety of the hammer was replicated in a glowing blue construct in her hands. Velvet opened her eyes and exhaled slowly.
"Ta da," Velvet spun the hammer over the back of her hand and rested it on her shoulder just as Nora did after a successful battle.
"That's so weird to see," Yang stood and looked around the sides of the hammer, checking the little details she had become intimate with while she and Nora had been dating. Everything seemed to be in exactly the right place, a perfect copy.
"Ahhhh," Nora screamed in joy, "Oh that's the coolest thing ever. Can I hold it?"
"Umm, no not really." Velvet shrugged and released her grip on the hammer, it began to fall towards the ground but immediately dissipated into nothing. "I feed it my aura to keep it going so if I let go it, umm, well it vanishes." Nora's shoulders fell, much of her excitement vanishing as well.
"That's really awesome, but what's up? You didn't come over just to show us your semblance did you?" Yang asked, keeping her voice nice and cheery. She wasn't upset with Velvet at all, just curious what was up and still a little worried that she had overheard them talking about Coco and her breaking up.
"Oh well, I actually," Velvet winced as Neptune came smashing into the shield wall with a loud thunk and slid to the floor. It took her a moment to recover and continue speaking, "I wanted to know if I could watch you train and take pictures of your weapons?" Velvet tried to give them a confident smile but it was rather meek. "For uhh for the tournament. So I have more things to use." Yang was confused slightly by the innocence of the request, she could have done all of that without asking them and they never would have known.
"Yeah of course you can," Nora responded before Yang could recover herself.
"Oh thank you," the Faunus girl clasped her hands together and nodded her head excitedly, "You're both so strong, it will really help." A genuine smile filled her cheeks.
There was a loud noise of a power unit disengaging and the shield wall evaporated away.
"Woooo yeah! I win." The three girls turned and saw Sun dancing in the middle of the sparring arena and cheering for himself, "That means you guys are on laundry duty and I get to go see Blake." He put both thumbs in his ears and made farting noises at the other members of his team and then went running for the exit. They all groaned and slowly made their way towards the lockers.
"Alright, you're up." Neptune jerked a thumb back over his shoulder towards the now empty sparring ring as he and the rest of his team made their way past Yang, Nora and Velvet.
"Yes, finally" Nora jumped clear over the dividing wall to the center of the ring and started swinging her hammer around in wide arcs, a habit she said was to make sure it could still hit stuff.
"You've got pretty good timing," Yang laughed and gave Velvet a smile before jumping into the ring. There was a loud, computerized buzz and the shield raised back into place. Yang and Nora ran at each other as soon as the buzzer sounded and their duel was on.
They traded blows fairly evenly, knocking each other back and forth around the ring with their hellacious strength. The flashing of Velvet's camera seemed to accent their more climatic clashes but it didn't distract either of them from the battle, it was nearly as bright as the flashes from Yang's Ember Celica. In the end Yang was able to knock Nora's aura below the acceptable limits by setting up a nasty combo inside the range of her hammer. The shield wall fell and they made their way back to Velvet.
"Ohh yeah, that was great." Yang cheered as they exited.
"It's just cause I can't send you flying in there. You just hit the shield wall." Nora moaned.
"You know hitting that shield hurts just as bad as hitting the ground." Yang threw an arm over Nora's shoulder and kissed her cheek just as they reached Velvet who made a nervous little cough at their show of affection.
"Thank you, so much for letting me watch." Velvet held up her camera proudly, "I got a lot of really good shots."
"No problem Velvet." Nora smiled cheerfully, over her brief mood from having lost the match to her girlfriend.
"Think of it as an apology for the other day." Yang moved over to the bench and grabbed her and Nora's waters.
"For what?" Velvet looked honestly curious.
"For making out in the hallway." Nora caught her water bottle out of the air when Yang tossed it and hurriedly began drinking. Velvet blushed at the mention of when she caught them and looked at her feet.
"Oh, uhh, no I'm sorry about that." She wiggled her feet back and forth nervously.
"Seriously, you didn't do anything." Yang moved forward and put a hand on Velvet's arm comfortingly. Velvet shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh.
"I guess I thought I was getting better but I still miss her a little." Velvet said quietly, almost too quietly for Yang and Nora to hear.
"You mean Coco?" Nora asked gently. Velvet's head jerked up in surprise, as if she thought they hadn't heard her at all and then she just sighed again.
"Yeah." Velvet turned and sat on the bench with a small huff.
"You wanna talk about it?" Yang sat on the bench next to her at a respectful distance.
"There's not a lot really. I dumped her about a month ago now. I just need to move forward I guess." She looked back and forth between the couple, "I'm sorry I shouldn't be bothering you with my problems." She got up to leave but Nora stopped her.
"You're not bothering us Velvet." Nora had the same compassion in her voice from the other day with Ruby. "We're totally here if you need to talk about it."
"I just," Velvet's voice faltered slightly, "I felt like she only wanted me for, uhhh" she stopped completely and her cheeks went beet red. "Umm, you know." She didn't meet their gaze. Yang and Nora sat their for a moment, waiting for Velvet to continue and then her implied point hit them both at the same time.
"Ohhh," they moaned together.
"Wow, Velvet I'm so sorry." Nora moved to sit by her on the bench as well.
"Yeah, I mean we knew Coco was all over you. But you really felt that way?" Yang asked.
"Well," Velvet sighed again, "I didn't want to. So I brought it up to her and she didn't say no. She just went on and on about how dangerous our lives are and how there's no time to get all emotional."
"That's so terrible." Nora leaned in and hugged Velvet without warning causing her to jump slightly at the contact. After a moment Nora pulled away and Velvet seemed to have brightened up.
"I'm glad you did something about it though." Yang tried to reassure her.
"I had to," the brunette took a deep breath and steadied herself, "And now I have to move on. I have to show her I can if nothing else."
"Yeah," Yang and Nora both cheered her on. They were doing that more and mora lately Yang noticed, responding as one. Regardless, their energy seemed to help Velvet brighten even further.
"And there's a lot of other cute girls at Beacon and some cute boys too." Velvet smiled and looked around the gym at all the people.
"Wow Velvet." Yang was stunned, "I didn't know you were that open." Velvet blushed again, but remained happy.
"Well, I just, if I like someone, I like someone. It doesn't really matter to me what else is going on." She looked at Yang, the smile and blush still both present on her face.
"That's awesome," Nora clapped her on the back, "I'm glad you're ready to move forward." Velvet stood and turned around to face them.
"Thank you so much for helping me." she patted her camera case, "With everything." she bowed her head just slightly and went trotting off into the gym, much more skip in her step than when she came.
"So," Yang leaned over to Nora, "You know we still have a bet t settle?"
"Oh do I." Nora turned on Yang with a mischievous grin. "I just hope we can finish before Jaune gets back."
A/N - Woooo day two of the weekend double feature and more on the degradation of Crosshares. I like them as a ship but I thought this was an interesting way to deal with them. What did you think? Also, you know what this all means right? And yes, Allen Ramsey II (as well as others) I did have to pick up the phone because you did in fact call that.
I hope you liked it. There will be one more chapter on Tuesday before I take my little break for Anime Expo. I might have some time to write and post during that break, but I won't be updating this story or "Friends and Loved Ones". If I do post anything it will just be little one shots and maybe a string of anti-Cardin stories just to get some of that out of my system.
Thanks so much for reading.
-Zach‘Unite the Right’ Organizer Jason Kessler Indicted on Felony Perjury Charge
Jason Kessler, the organizer of the “Unite the Right” rally that claimed the life of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, has been indicted by an Albermarle County grand jury on a felony perjury charge.
The charge comes from a sworn statement that Kessler made back in January. Court records indicate that he gave a statement alleging that he was assaulted by James Taylor on the Downtown Mall on January 22, while attempting to acquire signatures for his petition to get a man named Wes Bellamy removed from the Charlottesville City Council.
Taylor alleges that when he refused to sign Kessler’s petition, Kessler punched him and was subsequently charged with assault. On January 23, Kessler filed an assault complaint against Taylor, claiming that the man, “grabbed the petition and [Kessler’s] arm, violently shaking to separate the two,” according to CBS19.
Video footage later revealed the Kessler’s testimony was not factual. The assault charge was promptly dismissed and Kessler plead guilty to an assault charge in April and received 50 hours of community service.
The perjury charge carries a potential sentence of one to ten years in prison, and up to $2,500 in fines.Kasaragod natives are now in the midst of a collective attempt to grab the state government’s attention
On 29 July 2016, Malayala Manorama republished a news report that had appeared on its pages a hundred years ago. It interestingly read as follows: “More than 1000 people have petitioned the Madras Government to consider their request to merge Kasaragod Taluk with Malayaam (Malabar) district.”
Ironically, a century later, the people of Kasaragod -now a district in its own right in Kerala- are still fighting against the authorities’ seeming negligence of their native soil.
Kasargod natives are now in the midst of a collective attempt to grab the state government’s attention to the fact that their district too is part and parcel of God’s Own Country.
To cite an example of reported negligence, recently when Kerala announced its high speed rail project -found feasible by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation- Kasargodians –much to their chagrin- realized that the project was to be implemented only up to Kannur.
And this is not the first time it has happened. That’s when a group of indignant youngsters came together to form a Facebook group called ‘Kasaragodinoridam’ (A Space for Kasargod) in order to ensure their rightful place on the developmental map of Kerala.
Through this group, they carry out a vigorous campaign titled: “Whatever be my politics, I too join against negligence shown to Kasaragod.”
As part of this novel protest, one of the administrators of this group on Facebook, Muhammed Jaseem sent a request –on behalf of all Kasargodians- to DMRC Chairman E Sreedharan on July 26, seeking an extension of the high speed railway to include Kasaragod too.
Initially, the project proposal had planned for a rail-corridor extending from Thiruvananthapuram right up to Mangaluru. It was only later that it was curtailed till just Kannur.
Sreedharan did promptly respond to this unusual request, but only to clarify that the said project would not be deemed a profitable venture, if extended only upto Kasargod.
“The traffic studies carried out by the DMRC have revealed that there will be no significant ridership, if the line is extended from Kannur to Kasaragod -a distance of 80 kms. The cost involved will be disproportionate to the benefits that would accrue. Further, the Karnataka government has not shown any interest in extending this line up to Mangaluru. Therefore, unless there is a possibility to extend this line up to Mangalore, there is no point in taking the line to Kasaragod which will involve an additional cost of Rs 14, 400 crores,” E Sreedharan said in his reply.
This has however only agitated the protestors further, as they ponder over the unsaid query, “Is not Kasaragod a part of Kerala?”
“For the authorities, Kasaragod is just a place meant for punishment postings or transfers, or maybe to flag off an occasional Kerala Yatra by politicians,” fumes Naufal Rahman, one of the administrators of the group, while speaking to The News Minute.
Kasaragod MLA NA Nellikkunnu alleges that it is the state government that is responsible for such blatant show of negligence vis-à-vis the northernmost district of Kerala.
“They say it would cost around Rs 1,20000 crores for the project to be implemented till Kannur, and that a few more crores would have to be spent, if extended up to Kasaragod. Would that actually be much of a loss to the exchequer?” he asks.
The group -comprising 16346
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is currently offered in more than 500 Sprint retail locations, Wave7 said. Sprint plans to expand it to stores across the country at some point this week.
Sprint didn’t return a request for comment from FierceWireless. Wave7 reported in a note to subscribers earlier this week that Sprint plans to offer free basic subscriptions to Hulu to customers with unlimited plans; the carrier declined to reply to questions regarding that topic as well.
Mobile World Congress 2019 Attend the 2-Day Executive 5G Panel Series FierceWireless is returning to Barcelona, Spain, during Mobile World Congress 2019 with a two-day Executive 5G Panel Series at the Fira Congress Hotel, conveniently located across the street from the MWC Convention Center. The panel events will take place on Feb. 25-26 and will cover 5G and The Fixed Wireless Access Opportunity, Taking 5G Indoors, and Making 5G Ubiquitous. Attendees will have the opportunity to network and hear from 5G leaders including Verizon, Vodafone, Orange, Sprint, NTT Docomo, Boingo Wireless, Qualcomm, and more over the course of two days.
Secure your spot at the event today! Now is your chance to join fellow industry professionals for networking and education. Registration information and the schedule can be found on the website here. Register today
While financial terms of the joint venture haven’t been disclosed, the Sprint-branded credit card is clearly designed to build customer loyalty and to encourage users to spend money. It offers no interest and double points on Sprint purchases during the first year, and users can earn rewards toward Sprint accessories, phones and their service bills.
Also, as Wave7 pointed out, the Sprint credit card could boost the number of customers on autopay, ensuring they pay without having to send reminders via text or automated calls.
The alliance with Sprint marks Home Credit’s initial effort to reach U.S. consumers, and while Home Credit U.S. is based in Delaware, the joint venture operates out of Sprint’s headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas. The market research firm also noted that the joint venture is hiring for 12 positions out of that office.
“In a first of its kind partnership with Sprint, we’re providing financing to customers who value advanced mobile communications that connect them to things that matter most,” according to a page on the website of Home Credit U.S. “This is our first step in providing innovative solutions to the U.S. market.”NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
National Public Radio's chief news editor, David Sweeney, has departed the organization following several sexual harassment allegations, the network reported Tuesday. Edith Chapin, the current senior manager, is replacing him.
"David Sweeney is no longer on staff," Chris Turpin, acting senior vice president of news, said in a staff email, according to NPR reporters Merrit Kennedy and David Folkenflik.
Three women — two current NPR journalists and one former — filed complaints against Sweeney in recent weeks. One producer told NPR reporters that Sweeney suddenly kissed her once in 2002 when the two were driving in Washington, DC, while they were on assignment. Another said Sweeney attempted to kiss her in 2007 while they were drinking at a restaurant after she had approached him for advice.
NPR editor Lauren Hodges also told reporters at the network that Sweeney repeatedly asked her questions about her personal life back in 2013, gave her unsolicited gifts, and made jokes about taking her on vacation with him.
After she stopped responding to Sweeney's messages, Hodges said, she was removed from NPR's news desk. She added that the incident caused her to question whether she had been passed over for career opportunities because of her reluctance to engage socially with her superiors.
Michael Oreskes resigned as chief of NPR’s newsroom following accusations of sexual harassment that dated back to the 1990s. Chuck Zoeller/AP The three women's complaints came just weeks after NPR's chief newsroom executive, Michael Oreskes, was forced to resign after facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment that had allegedly occurred over the previous 20 years.
Chapin will reportedly be assuming Sweeney's duties, and is currently responsible for overseeing the network's entire news division and managing all desks and reporters, according to her biography on NPR's website. She previously managed the network's international desk as senior supervising editor, after 25 years at CNN.Get the biggest Arsenal 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
Mesut Ozil is driving a hard bargain over a new contract - but Arsenal remain confident he will sign one.
Despite reports in Germany, the Arsenal midfielder has yet to agree a contract with negotiations ongoing between the club and Ozil’s representatives.
Ozil, 27, knows his market value has rarely been higher as he seeks a big rise from his current £140,000-a-week deal which expires in 2018.
Arsenal are likely to come to an agreement around the £200,000-a-week mark but Mirror Sport understands that, while the club remain confident he will sign, a final agreement has yet to be reached.
Arsenal training: Best pictures
Talks and discussions are ongoing and the club are hopeful that Ozil - who is happy at Arsenal and with life in London - will commit himself within the next few weeks.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Mike Hewitt)
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Ozil has already been joined at Arsenal by another Germany team mate Shkodran Mustafi and the club want him and Alexis Sanchez to sign new deals.
Sanchez wants around £200,000-a-week with a buy-out clause before signing an extension on his deal which also expires in 2018.Spanish radio network Cadena Ser has reported that the public prosecutor representing the Inland Revenue in the Neymar Case, Edmundo Bal, has made a police complaint stating that he has received threats regarding his handling of the judicial process against Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, his predecessor Sandro Rosell, and FC Barcelona.
According to Cadena Ser, Bal received a telephone call in which a "male voice told [Bal] about his interest in football, mentioned several former Barcelona players and then spoke about [Bal's] wife in an intimidating manner."
On March 23 the Public Prosecutor's Office stated its intention to seek a sentence of two years in prison for Bartomeu, seven years for Rosell and fines totalling 62.6 million euros against FC Barcelona on charges of alleged tax fraud in the signing of Brazil international forward Neymar from Santos.I’m going to do my best to stay serious and scientific here but well, this is a post about the clitoris so it may not last. This particular part of the female anatomy has been something the general public has given a lot of thought but as it turns out, science has mostly ignored. Turns out, we only really discovered the clitoris in 2009. Women the world over may disagree but we now know there’s a whole lot more than meets the eye when it comes to the clitoris and the results are rather stimulating. For your brain. Because you’re learning something new. Oh, forget it, just read on. (Following images are internal anatomical illustrations and should be safe for work.)
According to the official blog of the Museum of Sex in New York City, there is an internal clitoris. Yes, you heard that right. Internal. As you may or may not know, the clitoris has only one purpose, that of pleasure. “It is not required for reproduction. It doesn’t have a urethra running through it like the penis, and thus, does not urinate,” writes Ms. M on the blog. “Sadly, it is precisely because the clitoris has no function apart from female pleasure that science has neglected to study it as intricately as the penis.”
If you asked someone to point to this particular body part they’d (hopefully) point to a tiny spot at the top of the vulva just under the “hood.” But apparently, that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as it were. Highlighted in pink below is the actual size and location of a woman’s clitoris.
Well hello there! Nice to meet you, clitoris! And here I thought I knew you so well…
Here’s the exact breakdown of this image.
The scientific name for the external “little button” or “bulb” is glans. Not to be confused with glands, glans simply refers to a small circular mass. This little structure contains approximately 8,000 sensory nerve fibers; more than anywhere else in the human body and nearly twice the amount found on the head of a penis! From reading her work, it’s clear that Marie Bonaparte mistakenly thought that the clitoris was completely comprised of the glans; and because it is super sensitive and all anyone can see of the organ, her confusion is mirrored by most women today. The fact is, though, that most of the clitoris is subterranean, consisting of two corpora cavernosa (corpus cavernosum when referring to the structure as a whole), two crura (crus when referring to the structure as a whole), and the clitoral vestibules or bulbs. The glans is connected to the body or shaft of the internal clitoris, which is made up of two corpora cavernosa. When erect, the corpora cavernosa encompass the vagina on either side, as if they were wrapping around it giving it a big hug! The corpus cavernosum also extends further, bifurcating again to form the two crura. These two legs extend up to 9cm, pointing toward the thighs when at rest, and stretching back toward the spine when erect. To picture them at rest, imagine the crura as a wishbone, coming together at the body of the clitoris where they attach to the pubic symphysis. Near each of the crura on either side of the vaginal opening are the clitoral vestibules. These are internally under the labia majora. When they become engorged with blood they actually cuff the vaginal opening causing the vulva to expand outward. Get these puppies excited, and you’ve got a hungrier, tighter-feeling vaginal opening in which to explore!
Words like “subterranean” and “cavernosa” just make me think the clitoris is destined for further exploration. By science. Hey, look! It’s an erect, internal clitoris!
So what does this mean for you, a person with a clitoris? And you, person who likes someone with a clitoris? Just because a good chunk of it is inside the body doesn’t mean it’s useless. “Many women can bring themselves to orgasm without ever inserting anything inside of themselves. They are causing their internal clitoris to become erect and likely stimulating their glans, bulbs, and crura by rubbing themselves on the outside,” writes Ms. M. “The corpus cavernousum is the additional erectile tissue encompassing the vagina, and greatly erogenous when stimulated internally.”
Why are many of us just learning about this for the first time? “The sad fact is it wasn’t until the 1990’s that researchers began using MRI to study the internal structure of the clitoris. By then, the intricate details of the penis were already well known,” according to Ms. M. “Urologist Helen O’Connell of the Royal Melbourne Hospital set out to better understand the microscopic nerve supply to the clitoris using MRI, something that had already been done for men with regard to their sexual function in the 70s. In 1998 she published her findings, informing the medical world of the true scope and size of the clitoris. Yet ironically that same year, men in America began popping Viagra to cure erectile dysfunction.” Sadly, many textbooks, medical guides and yes, the internet, still do not include this information or particular viewpoints of the female anatomy.
“Alas it wasn’t until as recent as 2009, French researchers Dr. Odile Buisson and Dr. Pierre Foldès gave the medical world it’s first complete 3-D sonography of the stimulated clitoris,” she said. “They did this work for three years without any proper funding. Thanks to them, we now understand how the erectile tissue of the clitoris engorges and surrounds the vagina – a complete breakthrough that explains how what we once considered to be a vaginal orgasm is actually an internal clitoral orgasm.”
Also, an important fact to point out, “Dr. Foldès has been performing surgery on women who have suffered from clitoral mutilation, restoring pleasure to over 3,000 circumcised patients,” and is dedicated to studying the clitoris for many reasons. “When I returned to France to treat genital mutilation, I was amazed that they were never tried. The medical literature tells us the truth about our contempt for women,” he said. “For three centuries, there are thousands of references to penile surgery, nothing on the clitoris, except for some cancers or dermatology -and nothing to restore its sensitivity. The very existence of an organ of pleasure is denied, medically. Today, if you look at the anatomy books that all surgeons have, you will find two pages above. There is a real intellectual excision.“
You can read more about the internal clitoris and watch a video of artist Betty Dodson drawing it at the Museum of Sex.
I, for one, am amazed by this news. Anyone else think it’s kind of sweet that the clitoris has octopus arms it uses to hug our vaginas? We make a great team.
(via io9)Back Next
1. Mexico in Copa Libertadores Embed from Getty Images
As a member of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), Mexico never had the opportunity to participate in official tournaments organized by South America’s CONMEBOL; let it be Copa America for national teams or Copa Libertadores for club teams. This changed in 1993 when CONMEBOL began to invite two national teams into Copa America competitions which have typically been given to CONCACAF sides. This opened the door to demonstrate how influential a Mexican participation can be in these tournaments both financially and on-the-field.
In their first Copa America participation in 1993 the Mexican national team reached the final against Argentina. Although it ended with a loss, Mexico demonstrated that they were a competitive opponent who was not afraid to face historical giants. This, along with the expansion of globalization of the sport, began the process which would welcome Mexican teams into Copa Libertadores.
Mexico’s participation in Copa Libertadores began in 1998 after the Venezuela football federation decided to put on sale its two seeds for the competition. Mexico agreed to buy those seeds which meant the two invited Mexican clubs would have to face two Venezuelan teams in a short pre-Libertadores group competition where the top two reached the tournament. That year, the invitees were Chivas of Guadalajara and Club America who would face Caracas and Atletico Zulia. The result? Both Mexican sides reached the group stages of the tournament.
This system to face Venezuelan teams in pre-Libertadores was in place for six years until 2004 when the Interliga was established. This small tournament was composed of eight Mexican teams where the finalists would qualify directly into the Libertadores. While in 2004 only the two Interliga teams qualified, from 2005 until 2010 it was these two teams plus a third representative chosen from the Supercopa champion of Mexican soccer. From 2011 until 2016, Mexican teams were given two direct seeds plus one to compete in a pre-Libertadores playoff.
Sadly, recent scheduling changes made by CONMEBOL to the competition meant the tournament would now be played from January to November. In response, the Liga MX made the disappointing decision to conclude their participation in the prestigious tournament as it would collide with the already busy schedule which must favor the CONCACAF Champions League. However, schedule changes announced recently for the Concachampions where the tournament will be played from February to May opens the door once again for Liga MX teams to participate in Copa Libertadores.
The Libertadores tournament is undoubtedly strengthened with the inclusion of Mexican teams. Liga MX sides have the financial well-being to sign international star players like Andre-Pierre Gignac, Edu Vargas, Nicolas Castillo, Edson Puch, Nahuel Guzman, or Agustin Marchesin to name a few from a very long list. Moreover, with a population of over 120 million in Mexico plus another estimated 30 million in the United States, the Liga MX offers a tremendous market to CONMEBOL.
Yet, as Mexican teams have never won a Libertadores title, many fans of the tournament may argue that Mexico has no place in such historic competition. Comments like ‘these teams are all money and no passion’, ‘how many titles have they won?’, ‘who are they in South American soccer?’, or ‘can’t see a Mexican in a Mexican team’.
Nonetheless, Mexico can pride itself by being both a financial asset and a strong performer.
In the next page, you will view the aggregate stats for Mexican representatives throughout 1998-2016.
Loading...There’s a jet stream in our core
Jet stream in Earth’s core
We would normally associate jet streams with the weather but, thanks to ESA’s magnetic field mission, scientists have discovered a jet stream deep below Earth’s surface – and it’s speeding up.
Launched in 2013, the trio of Swarm satellites are measuring and untangling the different magnetic fields that stem from Earth’s core, mantle, crust, oceans, ionosphere and magnetosphere.
Together, these signals form the magnetic field that protects us from cosmic radiation and charged particles that stream towards Earth in solar winds.
Measuring the magnetic field is one of the few ways we can look deep inside our planet. As Chris Finlay from the Technical University of Denmark noted, “We know more about the Sun than Earth’s core because the Sun is not hidden from us by 3000 km of rock.”
The field exists because of an ocean of superheated, swirling liquid iron that makes up the outer core. Like a spinning conductor in a bicycle dynamo, this moving iron creates electrical currents, which in turn generate our continuously changing magnetic field.
Tracking changes in the magnetic field can, therefore, tell researchers how the iron in the core moves.
The accurate measurements by the unique constellation of Swarm satellites allow the different sources of magnetism to be separated, making the contribution from the core much clearer.Pirelli's motorsport boss says teams are keen to see more tyre stops again
Paul Hembery explains to Sky Sports why he is unhappy with Pirelli's 2015 and reveals the firm's plans for next year.
After the Strategy Group meeting have you a clearer idea about what changes you'd make in 2017?
“I guess the most obvious one is the change to the tyre width, particularly the rear tyre width going 10cm wider. Not only will that change dramatically the look of the car, but it will give a lot more performance if it is combined with the increased aero package they are talking about, so that will cause lap times to be reduced.
“We are still being told that they want races to be two or three stops so there is work still to do to ensure that happens, but apart from that that is it – although that is a pretty dramatic change.”
So you are staying with 13-inch wheels then? No one pushing for 18?
“Nothing really away from 13. I don’t know why everyone talks about 18 when if they wanted a change you’d probably want to go 20 to make it really dramatic. Going to wider tyres is the main topic at the moment.”
Watch as Martin Brundle jumped into a GP2 car fitted with Pirelli's 18-inch wheels. Watch as Martin Brundle jumped into a GP2 car fitted with Pirelli's 18-inch wheels.
Are the tyres too conservative at the minute with too many one-stop races rather than two or three? When Pirelli came into the sport they originally promised to keep a step between the compounds.
“Yeah, we are not where we need to be this year and it is true that the requirement is for two or three. So we are not quite hitting the mark, but then we have no testing ability. We have zero testing ability so it is okay to sometimes ask us to do things, but we also need the ability to do our job. We are looking to make changes next year to get back to two or three stops, but we also need to have an agreement in place to allow us to do the testing to give us better information so we can ensure that happens.”
Romain Grosjean said he wants to go back to the days of 2012 when you could be second on the last lap, but hit the cliff after pushing the tyres too hard and finish 10th. Is that something we could see again next year?
“Probably not to that extreme, but he is quite right. Different people have different views and there are some that say they want tyres that don’t degrade and they can push on which is probably close to what we’ve got now. Others want drivers to have a big influence, like Romain suggested there, where the driving style and ability can make the difference. So I think somewhere in the middle is probably where we are going to be.”Need a mobile developer, cybersecurity pro or other IT expert?
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So far, the testimony in the Lori Drew cyber-bullying trial, which began Wednesday in Los Angeles, has generated headlines for its inherent drama and tragedy: the mother of a teenage daughter, accused of using the MySpace social network to stage an elaborate hoax that ends with the suicide of a troubled 13-year-old classmate, Megan Meier.
But the legal foundation for the prosecution's case seems like it belongs to a different court proceeding, one that doesn't involve a mother's tears and stories of teen girl gossip-mongering. Federal prosecutors are charging Drew with violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, normally reserved for hacking cases. Indeed, defense attorneys made it clear during opening statements that no homicide charge has been filed against their client.
Drew has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of using a computer without authorization. Prosecutors are claiming that the 49-year-old Missouri woman violated MySpace's terms of service agreement by using the account to harass or intimidate another person.
If found guilty, Drew could face a maximum of 20 years in prison. But that verdict could also set into motion ramifications for social networks, and for lawmakers eager to deal with the new phenomenon of cyber-bullying.
The Prosecutor's Gambit
Minneapolis attorney Michael Fleming, chairman of the cyberspace law committee for the American Bar Association, says there's been some controversy generated by U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien's intention of using the CFAA as the basis for his case against Drew.
"A lot of folks are upset because they don't like that application," Fleming told TechNewsWorld. "A lot of folks are upset that he's taken a concept written for hackers, and they're mad because he couldn't find an acceptable murder statute. But if you read the literal wording of the statute, the prosecutor says, 'I don't care if it was written for hackers.' The prosecutor is saying it applies to what Lori Drew did."
One of the criminal offenses prosecutable under the CFAA is the unauthorized use of a computer to cause physical harm to a person, or to cause the "modification or impairment, or potential modification or impairment, of the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, or care of one or more individuals."
During Wednesday's testimony, Megan's mother, Tina Meier, told the court that her daughter was on medication for depression and attention deficit disorder and had previously tried to commit suicide.
The prosecution claims that Drew and her daughter, Sarah, along with an 18-year-old accomplice, used MySpace to lure Megan into a relationship with a non-existent "Josh Evans." When "Josh" turned against Megan in MySpace messages -- and told her that "the world would be better off without you" -- Megan wrote, "you are the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over." That last statement was revealed for the first time in open court Wednesday by O'Brien, and is at the heart of his case against Drew.
"It's a statute nobody thought of, and to some degree kudos to the prosecutor for getting clever, but a lot of people are upset about the use of that cleverness," Fleming said.
New Terms for Terms of Service Agreements?
The jury will have to decide whether Drew violated MySpace's terms of service agreement -- which all members must acknowledge via mouse click before an account is provided for them -- by using the account to post content that "harasses or advocate harassment of another person." Stalking is also prohibited activity on MySpace.
Different Web sites and social networks post their terms of service with varying degrees of transparency, Doug Isenberg, attorney and founder of Atlanta's GigaLaw Firm, told TechNewsWorld. "Just about every Web site has some type of terms of service agreement, and some of them are passively displayed on the Web site and some require more active acceptance by the user. For the most part, the courts have upheld the validity of those types of contracts."
Most users won't read through the entire TOS, Isenberg said, "because we're just so eager to start using the service and because they're not negotiable. You don't have a choice."
Lessons from a Sad Case
Some states are already trying to address cyber-bullying, Fleming said, and this case could accelerate their efforts. "This is, to me, a classic example of the law of unintended consequences. It's not that the law is behind the technology, it's that nobody thought through the consequences of situations where it's not a guy in some basement trying to steal passwords. If a legislature decides they don't like this result, they're probably going to come in and put some rules around what type of harms are we really trying to address with these particular statutes."
Isenberg also sees the potential for a second look at Web site terms of service agreements. "It's possible we could end up with some interesting new case law and learn something from the courts about what is and not required to make these TOSes legally enforceable. There are ways to present these types of online contracts properly and ways to do it improperly."Reasoning:
"Marijuana and other illicit drugs are addictive and unsafe especially for use by young people. The science, though still evolving in terms of long-term consequences, is clear: marijuana use is harmful. Independent from the so called 'gateway effect'—marijuana on its own is associated with addiction, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects.
Despite successful political campaigns to legalize'medical' marijuana in 15 states and the District of Columbia, the cannabis (marijuana) plant itself is not medicine. While there may be medical value for some of the individual components of the cannabis plant, the fact remains that smoking marijuana is an inefficient and harmful method for delivering the constituent elements that have or may have medicinal value. As always, the FDA process remains the only scientific and legally recognized procedure for bringing safe and effective medications to the American public. To date, the FDA has not found smoked marijuana to be either safe or effective medicine for any condition (see more on medical marijuana below)." "2011 National Drug Control Strategy," whitehousedrugpolicy.gov, released July 11, 2011 "Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine. Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit." Director Gil Kerlikowske at a press conference following $1.2 billion marijuana raid in Fresno, CA, as quoted in "Drug Czar: Feds Won't Support Legalized Pot," by Marc Benjamin of the Fresno Bee, July 22, 2009As I spoke about in a previous post, I am fairly drawn to details about DEFCOIN, the cryptocurrency set to make its major debut at DEF CON 22.
Under the hood, DEFCOIN is just another altcoin, a find/replace of the litecoin source with the word defcoin instead. There really isn't much really exciting about it from that perspective.
As far as purchasing power goes, it likely isn't going to get you too far either - even at the conference. There are currently rumors of swag and beer buying abilities but outside of that it is hard to know what having any DEFCOIN at all will get you. Prices I have seen for a DEFCOIN range from $0.000365 to $0.01USD.
So why in the hell do I care about this?
In the four years I have been following Bitcoin, I have seen the DEF CON community slowly change each year regarding its attitude towards Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency space.
Four years ago, nothing at all. I don't think I remember more than one or two mentions of it.
Three years ago Bitcoin was barely mentioned. People would, at best, roll their eyes. That is, if they gave the conversation any attention at all to begin with.
Two years ago people were talking about it but it was pretty much the butt of every joke. Presenters made fun of it (although their talks were unrelated) and vendors scoffed at the idea of accepting it. I did start to meet some fellow miners though too but most folks would just laugh at our proudly discussed rigs.
Last year, things started to get better. It started before the conference even began with Dark Tangent (the founder of DEF CON) asking if there was an easy way to accept Bitcoin for conference dues. There is no pre-paying for DEF CON, it all happens from one crazy and insanely well run line-up that processes about 8,000 people in the matter of 4 hours, all handled with Cash. Unfortunately, it didn't materialize (which is completely understandable really) but it was still exciting to see.
At the conference itself, you also started to see fun new Bitcoin inventions such as The Bitcoin Briefcase - probably one of the first portable Bitcoin ATMs. People lined up to throw their loose change into the Bitcoin Briefcase and have it spit out a QR code with their fractions of our beloved cryptocurrency.
I have also purchased coin at the last three DEF CONs and have been greeted with a nice rise soon after I returned home. This could be an absolute coincidence... or it could be a collective sigh of relief after the technology survives yet another DEF CON without anybody destroying it.
So am I just excited that more people are accepting my hobby and not seeing me as some sort of crazy libertarian daydreamer? Am I excited that maybe I can buy some swag this year with my hard-earned coin or maybe even pay entry fees? Sure, all of those things would be nice but I really don't need either. What I am excited as hell about is the science :D
DEF CON gathers the worlds top security nerds together for a weekend where nothing is safe. While at the hotel, you are in what is considered as one of the most hostile networks in the world. Cell phones, computers, key Internet protocols and services, and even medical equipment (yes, including that bluetooth pacemaker in your body) are all fair game for discussion and demonstration at DEF CON.
Now Bitcoin is a huge beast, one of the most powerful distributed networks of computing power known to us civilians. Doing science on that is going to piss off a lot of people, and even be a bit difficult to pull off. But now we have a target that is much smaller and more malleable, DEFCOIN!
DEFCOIN is not going to just be awesome because of the swag you can buy.
DEFCOIN is not going to be sought out only because you can maybe trade it for a beer.
DEFCOIN is not going to be really entertaining just because of the games you can play using it or parties you can gain entry to.
DEFCOIN is going to be amazing because it is the Honeypot of cryptocurrencies
As a smaller network, you are going to have very public examples of the 51% attacks, or teams fighting to actively counter such events.
This is a chaotic conference with lots going on, making it a great place for DEFCOIN wallets to be targeted or DEFCOIN carries socially engineered.
This is not just another altcoin folks. This is where cryptocurrency will be put to a really heavy set of tests against some of the smartest and biggest (mostly well meaning) jerks there are.
If this sounds kind of scary, well it probably should. I love Bitcoin but I want it to be as secure as we believe it to be - which takes some time and effort. Having a smaller network be that target of awful things is probably for the best. It will allow mostly theoretical attacks to be studied and discussed; it will make people more aware and more interested overall. Through all of the attacks, it will start important conversations on how to protect yourself from theft attempts, and hopefully help establish better standards and practices for wallets and services.
So when bad things happen to DEFCOIN in August and the media get a hold of it, claiming the end of the world for cryptocurrencies, just remember, this is a good thing. This means an issue found and studied. This means a greater interest in the technology. This is progress - DEF CON just shows their love in interesting ways.
Disclaimer: I am not a part of the team that has brought DEF COIN to be, nor do my beliefs reflect their motives.One of the great lessons that psychedelics are known for revealing is how profoundly connected we are with the natural world, but nature is not just the sum of all living things- it is the dynamic process of life, death, and rebirth. The kingdom of Fungi, which contains the psychedelic mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis, happens to play a critical role in the decomposition process, turning dead plants, animals, and even humans into fertile, nutrient-rich soil which gives rise to new life. Is it a coincidence that these master decomposers may have something incredibly valuable to teach us about death, not just in ecosystems but also in the minds of the curious humans who consume them?
Brothers Dennis and Terence McKenna were early apostles of psychedelic mushrooms, and did much to bring them into mainstream cultural awareness with their classic book on mushroom cultivation: Psilocybin – Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide. While Terence, the great bard, would go on to spread the legendary psychedelic meme of the “heroic dose”- 5 dried grams of psilocybin mushrooms taken in complete darkness; his brother Dennis, was a founding member of the Heffter Research Institute. Which has published research on psilocybin’s uncanny ability to treat depression and anxiety in terminally-ill cancer patients. We spoke with Dennis recently about what mushrooms have to teach us about dying with dignity, and how much greater that could be than fighting and fearing death until the very end.
Thank you again for speaking with us Dennis. What do you believe is wrong with how we currently treat death and dying in the medical world?
Biomedicine has got all sorts of problems, but one of the major ones is that we don’t do death well. We just don’t. For a physician to say their patient has died is to say that they failed, and that’s not always true. Sometimes the most merciful thing is to let a person die with dignity. Nobody lives forever, and eventually medicine is going to fail, unless we get immortality worked out, but I don’t think that would be a good thing frankly. Medicine has got to get beyond this idea of survival at all costs at the sacrifice of quality of life and dignity- that’s not the point of medicine. The point of medicine is to do what you can within limits and when the times comes, and let it go. Substances like psilocybin can be integrated in a compassionate and useful way if we can come to terms with the idea that people deserve to die a beautiful death, if we can accept that concept.
What makes psilocybin particularly good at dealing with death?
Psilocybin is kind of the perfect medicine for hospice situations. It’s non-toxic and people can be quite ill and yet tolerate high doses because it’s very compatible with human metabolism. It’s perfect for people in terminal states, and I hope that eventually we will be using it far more often for these sorts of situations.
People who are in a terminal state are often very anxious about dying, they are totally focused on it and can’t really get away from that stress. When they undergo psilocybin therapy what that does for them based on post-session interviews is they all say the same thing, ‘I realized there was no point in worrying about death, I’m alive now, I’m not dead, so let’s focus on that. When death comes it will come, but it’s not something I can stop or control’. That’s the therapeutic breakthrough that psilocybin offers, and we don’t necessarily need a drug to realize this but many people seem to need it.
What would the ideal use of psilocybin in a hospice scenario look like?
What I would love to see is whole families coming together at a hospice center for a shared psilocybin experience before someone is too ill to interact. Can you imagine how cool that would be, and how healing that would be for everyone in the family? Psilocybin puts you in a state where you can actually say things to each other that maybe you could never say before. In my own experience with death, my brother and my mother and my father all dead, and all difficult situations in the terminal stages, it’s just very hard sometimes to express yourself. You want so much to be able to say something to a family member but you just can’t do it because this static in the system that builds up over years and years. I think psilocybin can and will be incredibly healing for people in these situations. That is a revolution in medicine if you can change attitudes towards death. I think the potential is very much there.
I can definitely see that. People so often carry around guilt and regrets related to what they never got to say to loved ones before they died, and that makes mourning so much harder. In a retreat situation like you describe with family, all of that would come out and then some. I can imagine people being able to embrace the situation in a really healthy way, both the dying person and their family.
Just to be able to actually communicate directly to the person and say ‘I forgive you, and if I hurt you, I’m sorry’… that can resolve so much. When that is not resolved, you carry it inside and it eats away at you. When a person is gone, they’re gone, so we might as well use the present moment to come to terms with things. I’ve also seen this happen with ayahuasca in the retreats I do. Ayahuasca is not the ideal medicine for people that are dying because
|
a moment to gather your strength.//
<<timedinsert 4s>>//It's ok to feel <<print $feelnow2>>. You're totally allowed to feel <<print $feelnow3>>. And never doubt your worth or power just because you feel <<print $justFeel>>.//<<endtimedinsert>>
<<timedinsert 8s>>//You're allowed to feel that here. Here, you are safe. You are valued. You are loved.//<<endtimedinsert>>
<<timedinsert 12s>>//When you're ready, it's time to do something about it.//
[[ooo|do something about it]]<<endtimedinsert>>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Do you wish to make a plan?//
<<revise yes "Yes">> <<revision yes>>[[No|noPlan]] <<becomes>>
//Then I wish you safety and the best of luck. <3 You deserve both, and you deserve happiness beyond.//
[[ooo|end]]
<<endrevision>>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Are you ready to talk to someone about it?//
<<revise yes2 "Yes">> <<revision yes2>>| [[No|cantTalk]] <<becomes>>
<<if $emergencyFriend neq "">>//If <<print $emergencyFriend>> is safe to talk to, you may want to contact them.
If not, your community may have counseling resources available that can help you decide what you need.//
//Are either of those options you feel safe trying?//
[[Yes|fleeEnd]] | [[No|cantTalk]]<<else>>//You didn't list a friend to contact, but if you can think of one right now that you feel safe talking to, you may want to contact them.
If not, your community may have counseling resources available that can help you decide what you need.
Are either of those options you feel safe trying?//
[[Yes|fleeEnd]] | [[No|cantTalk]]<<endif>>
<<endrevision>>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Well that sucks. That's going to make things a little harder.//
If I can't have what I really want, then I want <<cyclinglink $noRevenge "clarity" "peace" "happiness" "an end to anger over this" "fulfillment" "change" "something better than this">>.
Because I deserve <<cyclinglink $deserve "to be loved" "to be appreciated" "to succeed" "to not be held back" "to be free" "to be heard" "to laugh" "to feel joy" "to not be afraid all the time" "to not be alone" "all that and more" end>>.
[[ooo|deserve]]
[[Esc|emergency]]
//<<print $player2>> is going to be playing with you today.//
//In a sense you've been playing with them since it happened, haven't you?//
//You haven't <<print $deal>> yet, so there they are, in the back of your mind.//
[[ooo|Event]]
[[Esc|emergency]]
To make that happen, I'll need to <<textinput "todo" "To Do" "Submit">>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Contact// <<if $emergencyFriend neq "">>//<<print $emergencyFriend>>//<<else>>//someone you can trust if you need to talk to someone.//<<endif>>
//Your care checklist://
<<print $selfCareOne>>
<<print $selfCareTwo>>
<<print $selfCareThree>>
//If you need support resources and are in the USA:
Dialing 211 in many areas can connect you to support resources. If you are in an abusive situation, 1-800-799-SAFE is another option.
I apologize that this has been distressing.
<3 Please be safe. Know that you are loved.//
[[ooo|credits]]
A few things before you begin.
<<revise reassure "I want to reassure you...">><<revision reassure>>
<<gains>>First, this game is run entirely in JavaScript in your browser. So whatever you think, whatever you type, when you close your window, it goes away. <<gains>>
No one will ever see it but you.<<gains>>
All site analytics have been removed from this page. Even so, you may download this page by right clicking anywhere and choosing "Save as..." and run it locally if you feel safer that way. <<gains>>
Second, this is a two-player game. However... <<gains>>the second player won't be playing with you. They'll be in your mind as you play.<<gains>>
Third, there is no winning or losing. <<gains>>Only you can decide what counts as success.<<gains>>
Lastly, if you ever feel the need to end, there is an escape hatch link at the end of each passage. <<gains>>If you know you have greater self-care needs, you can set it up [[here|Setup]].
[[Skip This Step|Player 2]]
<<endrevision>>
Enter the name of a friend you can contact. If it would be helpful, you can also add their phone number or screen name.
<<textinput "emergencyFriend" "Setup2" "Submit">>
Or you may [[leave it blank|Setup2]].
//Whoa now. Is that really what you want to do?//
<<cyclinglink $maybe "Yes!" "No..." "Kind of?">>
What I really want is <<cyclinglink $reallyWant "for them to stop doing it" "for them to feel what I felt" "for them to apologize" "for them to be off my mind completely" "to forget it ever happened" "to never see them again" "for them to feel utterly helpless just once" "for them to empathize just a bit" "to escape from them" "for them to be punished">>.
[[ooo|flee]]
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Right on!//
//You may use the box below to share any thoughts you want to say but aren't able to say aloud. No one will ever read it but you.//
<<textinput "cantTalk" "gone" "And let it go...">>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Player 2 by [[Lydia Neon|http://www.lifeinneon.com]] | [[@LifeInNeon|http://twitter.com/LifeInNeon]]
CSS and Macros by [[Leon Arnott|http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/blog/584]]
<3//
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If I had my way <<print $time>> I would have <<print $backThen>>.
But I can't<<revise back ", can I?">><<revision back>><<becomes>>.
What I can do is <<cyclinglink $violence "punch them in the teeth" "kick them in the shin" "smash their car windows" "send them meat in the mail to creep them out" "sign up their email address for every politician's mailing list" "use a flamethrower on a sensitive part of their body" "set up a real life version of Saw" "replace the inside of their computer monitor with wasps" "stage a hostile takeover of their company so I can personally fire them" "stab them in the heart with sharpened ends of their favorite children's toy" "cover their floor with dulled bear traps and rusted caltrops" "mix ipecac with their food" "poison them, though that's not terribly creative" "squirrel away food scraps in their house, then introduce some pregnant rats, and finally copperhead snakes" "post screenshots of their livejournal from years ago to Facebook" "sew prawns into the lining of their mattress">>.
Yes, that's what I'll do...
[[ooo|revenge]]
<<endrevision>>
[[Esc|emergency]]
<<if $reallyWant eq "to escape from them">>//Are you ready to leave?//
<<revise yes "Yes">> <<revision yes>>| [[No|cantFlee]] <<becomes>>
//Do you have a plan?//
<<revise yes2 "Yes">> <<revision yes2>>| [[No|cantFlee]] <<becomes>>
//Then I wish you safety and the best of luck. <3 You deserve both, and you deserve happiness beyond.//
[[ooo|end]]
<<if $emergencyFriend neq "">>//If <<print $emergencyFriend>> is safe to talk to about this, you may want to contact them now.//
[[ooo|end]]<<endif>>
<<endrevision>><<endrevision>>
<<else>>//Do you have hope that can happen?
Don't answer too hastily. Let the first impulse sit for a moment and really consider.//
[[Yes|hope]] | [[No|nope]]<<endif>>
[[Esc|emergency]]
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And as for <<print $player2>>, I <<cyclinglink $p2feeling "hate" "love" "despise" "hate myself for still loving" "put up with" "try to forget about" "ignore" "try to ignore" "haven't really thought about" "don't care about">> them. They <<cyclinglink $p2feeling2 "never liked me" "used to love me" "love me, but.." "were always hard to get along with" "used to be my best friend" "were cool until it happened" "are still pretty cool" "lost my trust" "lost my friendship" "blew their shot with me" "don't take my calls anymore" "unfriended me" "blocked me" "can go fuck themselves" "aren't worth my time" "just frustrate me">>.
[[ooo|bad player 2]]
[[Esc|emergency]]
//I am sorry you're in that position. I want to assure you that you deserve happiness and freedom from the situation you are in.
You may use the box below to share any thoughts you want to say but aren't able to say aloud. No one will ever read it but you.//
<<textinput "cantTalk" "gone" "And let it go...">>
[[Esc|emergency]]
<<if $whatHappened neq "">>//You said this is what happened://
<<print $whatHappened>>
<<else>>//You didn't explain, but that's alright. The details are yours.//
<<endif>>
When it was happening, I felt too <<cyclinglink $felt "upset" "helpless" "irritated" "confused" "alone" "furious" "worthless" "insulted" "disappointed" "annoyed" "shocked" "vexed" "exhausted" "powerless" "unheard" "ignored" "unimportant">> to do more than I did at the time.
Since then I have tried to <<cyclinglink $forget "forget about it" "ignore it" "let it slide" "fix it many times" "understand it" "get way from it" "process it" "get over it" "get through to them" "make them understand" "hurt them" "get back at them">> but it hasn't <<cyclinglink $help "helped " "worked so far" "gotten through to them" "done any good" "given me satisfaction" "let me move on">> like I had hoped.
[[ooo|Feelings Now]]
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Let's find out who you're playing with.
This will be a game about a real event in your life.//
It was a time when someone <<cyclinglink $event "let me down" "insulted me" "hurt me" "belittled me" "excluded me" "angered me" "assaulted me" "did something worse">> and I haven't <<cyclinglink $deal "dealt with it" "confronted them about it" "fixed it" "resolved it" "forgiven them" "forgotten it" "let it go" "avenged it">> yet.
It happened <<cyclinglink $time "yesterday" "last week" "earlier this month" "last month" "earlier this year" "last year" "when I was a child" "when I was a teen" "when I was a young adult" "at a time I don't remember">>.
But it <<cyclinglink $fault "wasn't" "was">> my fault. I <<cyclinglink $started "didn't start" "started">> it.
//Who was it that did it?//
<<textinput "player2" "Player 2 2" "Submit">>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Then I wish you safety and the best of luck. <3 You deserve both, and you deserve happiness beyond.
You may use the box below to share any thoughts you want to say but aren't able to say aloud. No one will ever read it but you.//
<<textinput "cantTalk" "gone" "And let it go...">>
[[Esc|emergency]]
//Would you care to describe what happened that made <<print $player2>> your player 2?//
<<revise yes "Yes">> <<revision yes>> | [[No|Feelings]] <<becomes>>
//Take as much time as you like.//
<<textinput "whatHappened" "Feelings" "Submit">><<endrevision>>
[[Esc|emergency]]Google Glass could find big adoption in the adult movie industry. Android app maker MiKandi, known for their huge adult entertainment app offering has said that they are readying their first Google Glass app within days.
MiKandi CEO Jesse Adams told The Register: "It's not that Google Glass is just a camera, but Glass is more than that; it's a pretty awesome communications device. So you don't just use it for viewing content, but also for talking about it and sharing, letting people interact with media in totally new ways."
Adult movie stars could wear Glass and have their fans interact in real-time with them via social media. This could lead to totally new experiences.
The adult entertainment industry has long history of early adopting technology. The problem with Google Glass is though Google. They will never allow Google Glass to be used in the adult entertainment industry.The 189-year old Vegetarian Dog
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The current article you are reading does not reflect the views of the current editors and contributors of the new Ecorazzi
Many of us have heard that a vegan, plant-based diet can extend the lifespan of a human being, but did you know that this can be true for our canine friends, too?
Enter Bramble, a blue merle Collie from the United Kingdom who once held the Guinness World Record for oldest living dog. How old was she? A whopping 189 dog years, which equals 27 human years! Bramble thrived on an exclusively vegetarian diet, ate one meal of lentils, rice, and organic veggies each day, and got plenty of exercise.
Bramble was the companion animal to Anne Heritage, a vegan. Heritage calls Bramble an inspiration: “[She] just goes to show that if you eat the right things and keep on exercising, you can extend your life.”
Do you have a veggie-loving pooch in your family?
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com(Natural News) The monopolistic tendencies of Amazon.com in trying to control every facet of the consumer marketplace have now reached the clothing market with the introduction of “Prime Wardrobe.” The new service, which is only available to Amazon Prime members, looks to put brick-and-mortar clothing retailers out of business entirely by allowing customers to order boxes full of three clothing items or more that they are encouraged to wear for a while before deciding whether or not to buy them.
According to the company, Amazon Wardrobe offers customers a full seven days to try out clothing, shoes, and other wearable accessories with no obligation to purchase any of these products. In fact, customers aren’t even charged for any items they keep until after the week-long tryout period.
As an incentive to keep more products than they send back, customers are offered a 10 percent discount if they keep three or four of whatever they receive in the box. If customers keep five or more items, this discount doubles to 20 percent, a revolutionary model that’s sure to shake up the clothing market, especially since it covers the full gamut of the latest brands and styles.
“Over a million eligible items can be found across women’s, men’s, girls’, boys’, and baby clothing, shoes, and accessories – including popular styles from Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Adidas, Timex, and Carter’s as well as the latest fashions from Theory, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, J Brand, Milly, Parker, and more,” says Amazon.
The only way to break up Amazon monopoly: Shop small and local
Prime Wardrobe clearly appeals to folks who hate to shop at actual retail stores and who want a simpler way to shop for clothing from the comfort of their own homes. Such a service also empowers customers to feel as though they’re the ones taking charge of their own clothing needs without having to browse busy store aisles in person.
But is the convenience really worth handing over yet another element of the national economy to Amazon? The multinational corporation recently purchased Whole Foods Market, granting it significant new control over the food supply. Do consumers really want to do the same thing with clothing?
Amazon is already facing antitrust accusations over this deal as federal authorities mull over the company’s predatory tactics in swallowing up entire industries – supply chain and all. While Amazon still only controls less than five percent of the American grocery market, even with Whole Foods in its possession, it would be naive to think that the deal was only about groceries.
“Buying Whole Foods will enable Amazon to leverage and amplify the extraordinary power it enjoys in online markets and delivery, making an even greater share of commerce part of its fief,” writes Lina Khan for The New York Times, who argues that Amazon is experiencing such success only because of a failure of our antitrust laws.
“[Amazon] has captured 43 percent of all internet retail sales in the United States, with half of all online shopping searches starting on Amazon,” she adds. “In 2016, it had over $63 billion in revenue from online sales in the United States – or more than the next 10 top online retailers combined. It controls 74 percent of e-book sales, is the largest seller of clothes online and is set to soon become the biggest apparel retailer in the country.”
While it might seem like all is lost, the consumer is still king at the end of the day. Everyday people can take matters into their own hands and refuse to feed the beast by refusing to do business with Amazon. Buying small and buying local is a great way to do this, as it will help to level the playing field, despite how antitrust laws are enforced or not enforced.
Sources:
Amazon.com
NaturalNews.com
NYTimes.comDrinks company will show slogan in England and Wales but not Scotland and Ireland.
Volvic Orange: Water company decided to ditch advertising slogan. Volvic
Volvic has scrapped a mineral water advertising campaign with the slogan Orange and Proud in Scotland and across Ireland
The advertising board posters by the drinks company will only be displayed in England and Wales over fears they would associate the orange-flavoured product with the Protestant religious order and offend Catholics.
While advertising experts said the firm made the right decision, critics claimed it was political correctness gone mad.
Volvic is owned by the French multinational food company Danone. The posters featuring a smiling model with ginger hair holding the bottle will appear on advertising boards in England and Wales.
They will not be displayed in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or Scotland - although the product will be sold in shops everywhere.
A Danone statement said: "We are aware of the sensitivities, which is why these posters will not appear in Ireland, Northern Ireland or Scotland.
"This campaign was designed as a fun and positive brand statement for Volvic as part of our marketing campaign."
Ian Twinn, director of public affairs at the ISBA, which represents British advertisers, said the advertising agency should have tested the campaign on the market to make sure it worked.
"I think they have probably made the right decision given that they have gone for that creative idea and that was going to be the advert and then thought oops, it won't work in Ireland north or south or Scotland - they really could not win.
"There are sensitivities here either way and you really cannot win."
A Grand Lodge of Ireland Orange Order spokesman said: "The institution would challenge Danone to publicly explain the rationale of their advertising disparity within the UK, particularly given the fact Orange lodges also exist in England. Such a position is ridiculous and inconsistent."HARRISBURG, Pa. — Blue and white filled the halls of the state Capitol today (March 22), as the Penn State Grassroots Network joined forces with Penn State alumni, network volunteers and student government groups to meet with lawmakers to discuss the importance of supporting Penn State.
“We are here today because of our love for Penn State and because we want to raise our voices in support of Penn State students and Penn State — now, and ‘for the future that we wait’ as loyal Penn Staters,” said Kevin Steele, president of the Penn State Alumni Association.
“How are we doing that? By rallying, right here and now in the Capitol rotunda, as advocates for Penn State; by sharing our personal stories about the ways that Penn State has helped prepare us for life and for our careers; by visiting with our legislators and telling them how state support helps Penn State stay world-class, accessible and affordable; and most importantly, by urging our lawmakers to support the highest level of funding possible this year for Penn State and for higher education in Pennsylvania.”
Penn State President Eric Barron said, “We are grateful for the state support we receive every year, which is an investment that yields exceptional returns. Consider that Penn State is the single largest contributor to the Pennsylvania economy, supporting more than 67,000 jobs statewide. We educate nearly 100,000 students, more than any other university in the Commonwealth. Nearly 70 percent of our undergraduates are Pennsylvania residents. Scientific research conducted at Penn State generates approximately $2 billion in economic impact and supports more than 18,000 jobs throughout the Commonwealth.”
Now in its eighth year, the focus of Capital Day is for small groups of Penn State advocates to meet with elected officials to share their stories of how the Commonwealth’s support of Penn State has impacted their lives, while also positively benefiting their local communities.
“I wanted to come because I think it will be a great opportunity to network and help the common student,” said Edward Callaham, an information sciences and technology sophomore from Penn State Hazleton. “Since we’re a smaller campus, I felt it was my responsibility to reach out and speak to the legislators."
Fellow Hazleton student Dixie McCoy, a junior majoring in liberal arts, said she was eager to discuss the impact of education face-to-face with lawmakers.
“Hazleton has enabled me to be a more outgoing person, to do things that I wouldn’t normally do,” said McCoy, who is also the campus’ Student Government Association president. “It’s made me well-rounded.”
During their office visits, volunteers discussed with legislators how state support helps Penn State keep tuition increases as low as possible, especially for Pennsylvania residents; keeps the University’s educational programs strong and suited to Pennsylvania’s workforce needs; keeps its 19 undergraduate campuses across the state strong; helps ensure student career success; and boosts job growth and economic development across the Commonwealth.
The meetings also provided an opportunity to show how the legislature’s continued investment in Penn State is an investment in the Commonwealth’s future, its economy and citizens’ quality of life.
In addition to meetings with legislators, Capital Day included a rally in the Capitol rotunda featuring members of the Penn State Blue Band, the Nittany Lion mascot, Penn State cheerleaders and Berkey Creamery ice cream.The state decision clearing Southern California Gas Co. to resume limited operations at the Aliso Canyon gas storage field was touted Friday as good news during the company’s quarterly earnings call. But the legal and regulatory challenges from the massive gas leak at the facility are not over and could drag on for years.
Several government agencies have investigations and lawsuits pending against SoCal Gas over the release of about 109,000 metric tons of natural gas into the atmosphere and surrounding community. Thousands of plaintiffs who allege they suffered financial and other damages have filed hundreds of lawsuits for compensation. And the very existence of the gas reservoir perched above the community of Porter Ranch is up for debate by state regulators.
All told, these challenges have incurred costs that continue to mount.
Rising cost of the Aliso Canyon gas well blowout
In its report to shareholders for the second quarter of 2017, SoCal Gas said its costs responding to the gas leak have grown to $832 million. That’s up from the $799 million in the first quarter.
The amount does not include the cost of future legal claims or potential settlements or penalties.
About two-thirds of that cost was for relocating more than 8,000 households away from communities downwind from the gas leak -- the largest of its kind in the nation -- that erupted in October 2015 and lasted four months.
Sempra Energy is the parent company of SoCal Gas. And during Friday's earnings call, Sempra chairwoman Debra L. Reed repeatedly mentioned the resumption of limited natural gas operations at Aliso Canyon. On July 28th, the company got the go-ahead from state regulators to begin injecting new gas reserves into the underground reservoir.
“While the recent approval to resume gas injections is positive news, we remain concerned about system reliability this summer and in the coming winter given the length of time it took to receive this decision as well as the limitations on targeted gas storage levels,” Reed said.
The gas storage field previously had a capacity of 86 billion cubic feet, and it had been drawn down to about 14 billion cubic feet following the leak. Gas and utility regulators cleared the company to add enough gas to bring the volume up to about 24 billion cubic feet, an amount deemed enough to supply gas-fired power plants over several days of high demand like during a heat wave or cold snap.
When the gas volume was lower, SoCal Gas and some state energy experts warned the lack of gas storage could lead to power outages if gas was not available to power plants when demand peaked. However, state-imposed changes on the way large customers order and use gas have reduced the risk of shortages, and no gas-shortage related power outages have occurred.
'An extraordinary number of lawsuits'
As of Aug
|
and indeed especially the women were purportedly so Nordic in appearance that if it were not for their clothing they were said to be nearly indistinguishable from whites. In 1738, the French Canadian trader Sieur de la Verendrye made the first official outside contact with the Mandan and described them as living in 9 villages at a tributary of the Missouri river called the Heart River, and noted that they also exhibited customs that were decidedly more European than the neighboring tribes.
By 1784 the word had gotten out on this mysterious tribe of blue-eyed Indians, and they were featured in the media, with the August 24, 1784 edition of the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser proclaiming that a new tribe of white people had been discovered and that they were “acquainted with the principles of the Christian religion” and “extremely courteous and civilized.” Perhaps one of the more famous of the explorers to come across the Mandan was none other than Lewis and Clark, who visited the tribe in 1804 and described them as “half-white,” as well as peaceful, civilized, courteous, and polite. They also noted that the tribe’s numbers had dwindled significantly due to the frequent small pox epidemics that terrorized them, as well as attacks against them by neighboring tribes, namely the Assiniboine, Lakota, Arikara and the Sioux.
Of course this all led to intense speculation as to what the origins were of this bizarre tribe, and one of the earliest ideas put forward was that they were the descendants of pre-Columbian explorers to the New World. For instance there were many legends from various regions of the present day United States of Welsh speaking natives, perhaps descended from Welsh settlers coming to these shore in the 12th century, in particular a Prince Madoc, who along with his followers was said to have emigrated to America from Wales in about 1170.
One Welsh explorer by the name of John Evans became so convinced that this was the case with the Mandan that he launched an expedition up the Missouri river in 1796 to search for them and prove that their language was derived from Welsh and contained Welsh vocabulary. Evans would trek up the river in the winter of 1796 and he could find no evidence whatsoever of the Welsh influence he had been so sure he would find, forcing him to concede that this was not where the Mandan origins lay. Indeed, he became extremely skeptical that there were any of these legendary “Welsh Indians” at all, saying in a letter to a Dr. Samuel Jones:
Thus having explored and charted the Missurie for 1,800 miles and by my Communications with the Indians this side of the Pacific Ocean from 35 to 49 degrees of Latitude, I am able to inform you that there is no such People as the Welsh Indians.
Another explorer who believed that the Mandan had European roots, perhaps even Welsh, was the frontiersman and pictorial historian George Catlin, who spent several months with the tribe in North Dakota, living amongst and drawing and painting them in 1832. One of the things that first struck him about these mysterious people was just how European they looked, describing that many of them were nearly white and had light hair and blue eyes, and he also noticed that they had more advanced techniques for manufacturing goods and dwellings, customs, traditions, town layouts, and language vastly different from neighboring tribes. Caitlin would say of the Mandan:
They are a very interesting and pleasing people in their personal appearance and manners, differing in many respects, both in looks and customs, from all the other tribes I have seen. So forcibly have I been struck with the peculiar ease and elegance of these people, together with their diversity of complexions, the various colours of their hair and eyes; the singularity of their language, and their peculiar and unaccountable customs, that I am fully convinced that they have sprung from some other origin than that of the other North American Tribes, or that they are an amalgam of natives with some civilized race.
Even some of the legends of the Mandan people themselves expressly mentioned that they had been descended from a strange white man who had appeared to them aboard a canoe in ancient times after an enormous flood had wiped out everything in sight. They claimed that this stranger had taught them about medicine and had influenced their religion, which oddly featured many of the same beats as Christianity, such as a great flood, a virgin birth, and a child born who could work magical miracles, among others. This was noticed by other later expeditions as well, such as an 1833-34 expedition led by German naturalist A.P. Maximilian, who felt that the similarities between Christianity and the Mandan religion were too close to be mere coincidence. Caitlin would write of this:
It would seem that these people must have had some proximity to some part of the civilized world; or that missionaries or others have been formerly among them, inculcating the Christian religion and the Mosaic account of the Flood.
Another idea on the Mandan origins is that they came from pre-Columbian visitations by Viking explorers. The first official European to ever officially make contact with the Mandan tribe, Sieur de la Verendrye, claimed that at the time he had found a strange runestone with Nordic inscriptions on a riverside near the village. The stone was allegedly sent to France to be studied but it is unclear what happened to the “Verendrye Runestone” after that, and indeed it is uncertain if it ever really existed at all. Unless the stone ever turns up again it remains just as mysterious as the Mandan.
The idea of Vikings in the New World before the days of Columbus has been talked about for some time, with one prevalent and somewhat controversial theory having to do with Eric Thorwaldsson, also more famously known as “The Red,” who established two colonies on the coast of Greenland in 986. The story goes that Eric The Red then abandoned these outposts when the wild, rugged land proved to be too cold and forbidding, and made his way to North America along with the colonists. The theory then claims that the King of Norway is then said to have sent an expedition to the New World to find out what had happened to them, and that this expedition made their way up the rivers to end up in the Dakotas and other areas, after which they became stranded and then assimilated into the native tribes, giving them their Nordic genes.
However, there is very little evidence to prove that Vikings ever actually reached North America. The Verendrye Runestone vanished without a trace and then there is the hotly debated Kensington Runestone, which was a giant slab covered in runes allegedly found by Swedish immigrant Olof Ohman in Minnesota in 1898. In this case the inscriptions claimed that the runes had been created by 14th century Scandinavian explorers, and although the authenticity of the runestone is still debated it has mostly been classified as a hoax by the scientific community.
Regardless of where the Mandan really came from the fact is that we will probably never know for sure. In 1838 the tribe was hit by a devastating smallpox epidemic, and although this was a specter they had been haunted by for centuries, this time it was absolutely catastrophic, wiping them out at such a rate that after only a few months there were only an estimated 30 to 140 of them left. With the Mandan teetering on the edge of extinction, enemy tribes swept in and took them as slaves, after which they were assimilated and absorbed.
Consequent intermarriage and interbreeding meant that any unique genetic heritage they may have had was quickly erased, and the last known full-blooded Mandan was a Mattie Grinnell, who died in 1971. Since there are no more full-blooded Mandan left and only an estimated 8 speakers of its language left today, it is difficult to get a grip on their heritage, even with our advanced DNA testing techniques, and their origins and history will likely forever remain shrouded in mystery, leaving us to merely speculate and debate on it.
It is somewhat sad that this tribe disappeared before we were ever able to really comprehend who they were. All we are left with is the tales and accounts from explorers, but other than that their legacy has evaporated into the tides of history. They are a vanished people who sowed bafflement and wonder, but ultimately left numerous questions swirling about them, doomed to a limbo of superstition, speculation, and rumor. Who were these people? Why did they look and act so differently, and what was the meaning behind their strange ways? To the alien explorers just starting to penetrate this wilderness at the time they may have seemed to be baffling anomalies, and interestingly they still are.Get the biggest politics 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
Security firm Serco has booked asylum seekers into hotels after winning a £175million Government contract to provide accommodation in the North West.
A group of about 30 asylum seekers, mainly from Sudan and Syria, have full board accommodation at the three-star Britannia Hotel in Stockport, Gtr Manchester, with access to the pool, spa, gym, sauna, and bistro.
A six-month stay for 30 would cost around £200,000.
Serco signed a deal in 2012 to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in Manchester and the North West over five years.
Jenni Halliday, of Serco, said: “The use of hotels does not cost taxpayers anything extra. Our priority is to make sure that they are safe.”
Another 20 asylum seekers have been staying in a Travelodge in Sidcup, Kent, paid for by the Home Office.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Decisions on the use of hotel accommodation, including which premises are used, are made by individual contractors who bear the cost.
“We have made clear to our providers that the use of hotels is only ever acceptable as a short-term contingency measure. We are taking steps with providers to ensure that this is the case.”Tonight I witnessed a blatant display of hero worship directed towards Norwegian literary sensation, Karl Ove Knausgaard. And I shamelessly admit that I was one of the disciples. Well, sort of. When I learned that he was giving a reading tonight at the English-language bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, I jumped on the metro after work and headed over. The crowd was large.
The gatekeepers at the door (below) told me it was standing room only. Seeing as how it was only 6:20 pm and Knausgard wouldn’t be appearing until 7, I chose to wait outside. I’m too restless to stand in a crowd for 40 minutes. I must say that the staff at Shakespeare and Company are very professional and courteous. It’s an old, atmospheric, cozy bookstore oozing with history … and books! Everyone was reading, it was great to see.
Chairs and an audio system had been set up outside.
With 40 minutes to kill, I walked around the block and took some photographs. When I came back to the bookstore it was 7 pm. We waited and waited, and then at 7:10 pm I looked up and saw our literary hero standing at the window on the second floor. He was smoking and talking with someone. Knausgard is a chain-smoker and, evidently, not a punctual man. He seemed to be oblivious to the crowd below.
Impatient now, I felt like standing under the window and shouting up “Hey! We’ve been waiting for you for hours … it’s time to come down now.”
And finally he did come down to begin reading from his newest, yet-to-be-published book. Here he is, blurry, in the background. The outdoor crowd stood motionless while listening to his voice over the speaker system.
I felt like I had stumbled across a cult gathering or a group of followers devoted to a preacher, a prophet or spiritual leader. Or a Norse mythic hero.
As I walked back to the metro station, I thought to myself – Is it any wonder we need our heros today more than ever?
I recommend these articles that I really enjoyed. They’re called Passage through America –Today, I took some time off to attend the court hearing in the GPL violation/infringement case that Christoph Hellwig has brought against VMware.
I am not in any way legally involved in the lawsuit. However, as a fellow (former) Linux kernel developer myself, and a long-term Free Software community member who strongly believes in the copyleft model, I of course am very interested in this case - and of course in an outcome in favor of the plaintiff. Nevertheless, the below report tries to provide an un-biased account of what happened at the hearing today, and does not contain my own opinions on the matter. I can always write another blog post about that :)
I blogged about this case before briefly, and there is a lot of information publicly discussed about the case, including the information published by the Software Freedom Conservancy (see the link above, the announcement and the associated FAQ.
Still, let's quickly summarize the facts:
VMware is using parts of the Linux kernel in their proprietary ESXi product, including the entire SCSI mid-layer, USB support, radix tree and many, many device drivers.
as is generally known, Linux is licensed under GNU GPLv2, a copyleft-style license.
VMware has modified all the code they took from the Linux kernel and integrated them into something they call vmklinux.
VMware has modified their proprietary virtualization OS kernel vmkernel with specific API/symbol to interact with vmklinux
at least in earlier versions of ESXi, virtually any block device access has to go through vmklinux and thus the portions of Linux they took
vmklinux and vmkernel are dynamically linked object files that are linked together at run-time
the Linux code they took runs in the same execution context (address space, stack, control flow) like the vmkernel.
Ok, now enter the court hearing of today.
Christoph Hellwig was represented by his two German Lawyers, Dr. Till Jaeger and Dr. Miriam Ballhausen. VMware was represented by three German lawyers lead by Matthias Koch, as well as a US attorney, Michael Jacobs (by means of two simultaneous interpreters). There were also several members of the in-house US legal team of VMware present, but not formally representing the defendant in court.
As is unusual for copyright disputes, there was quite some audience following the court. Next to the VMware entourage, there were also a couple of fellow Linux kernel developers as well as some German IT press representatives following the hearing.
General Introduction of the presiding judge After some formalities (like the question whether or not a ',' is missing after the "Inc." in the way it is phrased in the lawsuit), the presiding judge started with some general remarks the court is well aware of the public (and even international public) interest in this case
the court understands there are novel fundamental legal questions raised that no court - at least no German court - had so far to decide upon.
the court also is well aware that the judges on the panel are not technical experts and thus not well-versed in software development or computer science. Rather, they are a court specialized on all sorts of copyright matters, not particularly related to software.
the court further understands that Linux is a collaborative, community-developed operating system, and that the development process is incremental and involves many authors.
the court understands there is a lot of discussion about interfaces between different programs or parts of a program, and that there are a variety of different definitions and many interpretations of what interfaces are
Presentation about the courts understanding of the subject matter The presiding judge continued to explain what was their understanding of the subject matter. They understood VMware ESXi serves to virtualize a computer hardware in order to run multiple copies of the same or of different versions of operating systems on it. They also understand that vmkernel is at the core of that virtualization system, and that it contains something called vmkapi which is an interface towards Linux device drivers. However, they misunderstood that this case was somehow an interface between a Linux guest OS being virtualized on top of vmkernel. It took both defendant and plaintiff some time to illustrate that in fact this is not the subject of the lawsuit, and that you can still have portions of Linux running linked into vmkernel while exclusively only virtualizing Windows guests on top of vmkernel. The court went on to share their understanding of the GPLv2 and its underlying copyleft principle, that it is not about abandoning the authors' rights but to the contrary exercising copyright. They understood the license has implications on derivative works and demonstrated that they had been working with both the German translation a well as the English language original text of GPLv2. At least I was sort-of impressed by the way they grasped it - much better than some of the other courts that I had to deal with in the various cases I was bringing forward during my gpl-violations.org work before. They also illustrated that they understood that Christoph Hellwig has been developing parts of the Linux kernel, and that modified parts of Linux were now being used in some form in VMware ESXi. After this general introduction, there was the question of whether or not both parties would still want to settle before going further. The court already expected that this would be very unlikely, as it understood that the dispute serves to resolve fundamental legal question, and there is hardly any compromise in the middle between using or not using the Linux code, or between licensing vmkernel under a GPL compatible license or not. And as expected, there was no indication from either side that they could see an out-of-court settlement of the dispute at this point.
Discussion of specific Legal Issues (standing) In terms of the legal arguments brought forward in hundreds of pages of legal briefs being filed between the parties, the court summarized: they do not see a problem in the fact that the lawsuit by Christoph Hellwig may be funded or supported by the Software Freedom Conservancy. Christoph is acting on his own behalf, using his own rights.
they do not see any issues regarding the place of jurisdiction being placed in Hamburg, Germany, as the defendant is providing the disputed software via the Internet, which according to German law permits the plaintiff to choose any court within Germany. The court added, of course, that whatever verdict it may rule, this verdict will be limited to the German jurisdiction.
In terms of the type of authors' right being claimed by the plaintiff, there was some discussion about paragraph 3 vs. 8 vs. 9 of German UrhG (the German copyright law). In general it is understood that the development method of the Linux kernel is a sequential, incremental development process, and thus it is what we call Bearbeiterurheberecht (loosely translated as modifying/editing authors right) that is used by Christoph to make his claim.
Right to sue / sufficient copyrighted works of the plaintiff There was quite some debate about the question whether or not the plaintiff has shown that he actually holds a sufficient amount of copyrighted materials. The question here is not, whether Christoph has sufficient copyrightable contributions on Linux as a whole, but for the matter of this legal case it is relevant which of his copyrighted works end up in the disputed product VMware ESXi. Due to the nature of the development process where lots of developers make intermittent and incremental changes, it is not as straight-forward to demonstrate this, as one would hope. You cannot simply print an entire C file from the source code and mark large portions as being written by Christoph himself. Rather, lines have been edited again and again, were shifted, re-structured, re-factored. For a non-developer like the judges, it is therefore not obvious to decide on this question. This situation is used by the VMware defense in claiming that overall, they could only find very few functions that could be attributed to Christoph, and that this may altogether be only 1% of the Linux code they use in VMware ESXi. The court recognized this as difficult, as in German copyright law there is the concept of fading. If the original work by one author has been edited to an extent that it is barely recognizable, his original work has faded and so have his rights. The court did not state whether it believed that this has happened. To the contrary, the indicated that it may very well be that only very few lines of code can actually make a significant impact on the work as a whole. However, it is problematic for them to decide, as they don't understand source code and software development. So if (after further briefs from both sides and deliberation of the court) this is still an open question, it might very well be the case that the court would request a techncial expert report to clarify this to the court.
Are vmklinux + vmkernel one program/work or multiple programs/works? Finally, there was some deliberation about the very key question of whether or not vmkernel and vmklinux were separate programs / works or one program / work in the sense of copyright law. Unfortunately only the very surface of this topic could be touched in the hearing, and the actual technical and legal arguments of both sides could not be heard. The court clarified that if vmkernel and vmklinux would be considered as one program, then indeed their use outside of the terms of the GPL would be an intrusion into the rights of the plaintiff. The difficulty is how to actually venture into the legal implications of certain technical software architecture, when the people involved have no technical knowledge on operating system theory, system-level software development and compilers/linkers/toolchains. A lot is thus left to how good and 'believable' the parties can present their case. It was very clear from the VMware side that they wanted to down-play the role and proportion of vmkernel and its Linux heritage. At times their lawyers made statements like linux is this small yellow box in the left bottom corner (of our diagram). So of course already the diagrams are drawn in a way to twist the facts according to their view on reality.State Department says it is withholding fraudulent passports, but rights groups say Yemeni Americans are being unfairly targeted
In late 2012, Khaled boarded a plane in America, bound for Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. Since coming to the US at the age of 19, Khaled had worked continuously, except for a few months here and there, in various jobs, hoping to one day own his own business.
Every few years, when Khaled felt he had saved enough money, he would return to Yemen for a few weeks or months to visit family.
He did not know that this time he would be spending the next year stranded in Yemen without a passport, unable to return to his home in the US.
A few weeks into his trip, Khaled visited the American embassy in Sana’a to apply for a passport for his son. Khaled claims that he was taken into a back room and questioned. His American and his Yemeni passport were taken away from him. “They pressured and rushed me to sign a paper. I feared for the safety of my family, and felt threatened, so I surrendered my passport and signed what they wanted me to sign,” he wrote to an attorney, with the help of a translator.
Khaled is one of more than a dozen American citizens alleging they’ve have had their passports revoked for various reasons at the American embassy in Sana’a since 2012. The Guardian is identifying him by his first name only because he fears reprisals from the US government.
The reasons behind the revocations are unclear. The State Department alleges that some of the passports were issued fraudulently, sometimes claiming the individual had another name or alias before coming to the US. Campaigners say that in some cases the name in question seems to have been made up at the embassy, and in others was the result of a discrepancy rooted in a Yemeni tribal name, which is often three or four words long and is sometimes altered in the American naturalization process.
“The pattern of confiscations, all affecting Yemeni Americans, raises serious constitutional concerns,” says Yaman Salahi, a lawyer at the Asian Law Caucus.
A coalition of nine civil rights and community organizations, including the Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus and the American Civil Liberties Union in California last week submitted a report to the United States Human Rights Network. The report will then be forwarded for review by the CERD Committee at the UN in Geneva.
The report alleges that American citizens have had their passports revoked without due process; many say they have been subjected to coercive interrogations. In most of the cases documented in the report, Yemeni Americans were visiting the US embassy in Sana’a to file routine travel paperwork. Some American citizens have been stranded in Yemen for up to a year.
Fear within the Yemeni American community has made it difficult for groups to get an accurate sense of the scope of the problem. The civil rights groups claim there are over a dozen cases but probably many more; the State Department confirms that revocations have occurred, but claims that a previously cited number of 100 cases is a gross exaggeration, and will not provide numbers. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Consular Affairs said: “Passports have been returned to many individuals. In instances where an individual’s passport was revoked, the individual was notified in writing.”
Since 9/11, Yemen has been as an important US ally, and the American embassy in Sana’a has been a nexus of controversy. In September 2008, the US embassy in Sana’a was attacked by rioters. Yemen was under travel warning for American citizens from August 6 2013 until January 28 2014. The country was also home to Anwar al-Awlaki, the first American citizen to be killed by an American drone.
A general view of the US embassy compound in Sanaa. Photograph: Mohamed Al-Sayaghi
In May 2014, the embassy was closed for almost five weeks.
Khaled says that on the day his passport was taken from him, he was not permitted to leave the embassy until he agreed to sign a document admitting to identity fraud – which he did, and which he contests. The Guardian has obtained a copy of the statement, which is in English, and is typed on US Department of State letterhead.
“They threatened to revoke my passport and the passport of my son, and they threatened to involve me in cases of terrorism,” Khaled said.
After he left the embassy, Khaled claims its officials refused to answer his emails or phone calls. Without proof of citizenship, he did not know whether he would ever be able to return to the US, and since he was not in California to manage the business he co-owned, it eventually folded.
He was stranded. Eleven months and a day after his passport was confiscated, Khaled says he received formal notification that his passport had been revoked, and was told he could apply for a limited validity passport, which would allow him to return to the US but not leave again.
On February 8 2014, after being in Yemen for over a year, he was issued a one-time limited validity passport by the embassy. He used it to fly home to the US, but it was immediately taken from him at airport immigration.
“My citizenship held my future and allowed me access to my future. My future has been corrupted,” Khalid said in an interview with the Guardian by phone conducted via a translator.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Consular Affairs says: “At every US embassy and consulate, we treat all applicants for consular services with dignity and respect as we strictly adhere to law and regulation.”
Typically, the State Department says, a passport can be revoked for a number of reasons, including citizenship fraud, failure to pay child support, a felony arrest warrant, a criminal court order barring departure from the United States, or a request for extradition to the United States. Passport revocation is not the same thing as denaturalization – stripping someone of citizenship – which requires a much higher burden of proof.
Once someone has been notified in writing that their passport has been revoked, they can apply for a hearing, which usually takes place at the State Department in Washington DC.
Fatima Iqbal, a lawyer at the Council on American-Islamic Relations has been representing Khaled since he contacted her organization from Yemen via email. She was part of a team of three lawyers who represented Khaled at a hearing in DC in April. Iqbal said: “The hearing was devoid of any due process. The department relied on this coerced statement almost exclusively.”
Patrick Weil, a visiting professor at Yale law school, says the State Department is acting outside its authority.
“The way the State Department was confiscating passports, arguing that this person was not legally naturalized was an abuse of power, because if they thought their was an issue over their naturalization, they should have asked the Department of Homeland Security to go to a federal court for consideration of their denaturalization. That’s the way to pursue them. The State Department has no authority to assess that a naturalization has been decided illegally,” says Weil.
On July 11, Iqbal received a letter from the State Department with a decision, saying it would be upholding the revocation of Khaled’s passport. He is not denaturalized, but Khaled is now unable to leave the country. His wife and five children remain in Yemen. “I speak to them on the phone every day. If I don’t speak to them or see them on a computer, I lose a sense of my life.”
Yaman Salahi, a lawyer at the Asian Law Caucus, says: “The people affected are generally working class, so requiring them to pay for lawyers and travel to Washington DC imposes a huge financial burden on their families.”
Salahi has filed two Freedom Of Information Act requests seeking information on the scope of the passport revocations; they are still pending.
According to the Asian Law Caucus, one individual waited 10 months and 20 days after his passport was seized at the embassy before receiving a formal letter that it had been revoked. Another waited nine months, 15 days; and a third individual, eight months, 13 days.
The American embassy in Sana’a has declined to comment. A spokesperson for the State Department said: “There is no statutory or regulatory time frame in which notification must be made. The department acts expeditiously and once that decision is reached, notification is sent in a timely manner.”
Jan Brown, an immigration lawyer in New York City who has many clients within the Yemeni American community, has seen four recent cases of passport revocation, with echoes of Khaled’s case.
Neither Brown nor his clients are in touch with any of the nine civil rights groups filing the report to the UN. He says his clients are all Yemeni American, “all male, all between 40 and 60 years old, and have all been in America for many, many years.” One of the four has had his passport returned to him; the other three cases are still open.
He describes the situation of one client: “He was interrogated, he was told he would be put on a terror list, they tried to get him to confess that passports were obtained fraudulently.”
Brown has been practicing immigration law in New York City for 36 years and says he has never encountered passport revocations before. “I’ve never seen it before at all. We’re assuming that if it has been done it’s been done sparingly or sporadically, but it’s never been done at this scale.”
His other three clients, like Khaled, were stranded in Yemen for between six and seven months before being offered limited-validity travel passports to return home.
Brown has been able to obtain a copy of one client’s voluntary statement from the State Department. Unlike Khaled’s, the statement, signed at the embassy in Sana’a, is hand-written in Arabic.
“They’re picking on people like my clients who are just people. They’re not interested in politics, they live and work and take care of their families.”
Like Iqbal, Brown has been to one DC hearing for a client. “I felt that it wasn’t completely impartial,” he said.
Asked if the individuals would be willing to speak about their experiences, he responded that they probably would not. “They are confused or traumatized.”Katelin Halloway, Reddit’s vice president of people and culture, will be on campus for a public discussion Tuesday, Sept. 5, to kick off a campus series called Be Woke. The free, public talk will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Wolf Law Wittemyer Courtroom.
If you go Who: Open to the public
What: Be Woke: “Defining Culture at Reddit: Building Communities with an Open Heart”
When: Tuesday, Sept. 5, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Wolf Law, Wittemyer Courtroom
In her discussion “Defining Culture at Reddit: Building Communities with an Open Heart,” Halloway will talk about how Reddit builds culture and community in the workplace. She’ll also share her vision for Reddit’s culture and talk about how she’s helping build teams and tools that are reflective of the diversity that exists across Reddit’s thousands of online communities to work every day.
"We chose Reddit as our first company and case study in the series because they are a well-known technology company seeking to diversify their talent, while facing a history of accepting and dealing with intolerant communities," said Andrea Guendelman, co-founder and CEO of BeVisible. "The question we will be asking is how do you break the intolerance cycle from the inside out."
The CU Boulder Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement has paired with the startup BeVisible to host a series of Be Woke campus events, culminating in a hackathon on Oct. 13. The purpose of the BeWoke series is to address and discuss diversity and inclusion issues in corporate America, particularly in tech, with an aim to increase the access of diverse students to opportunities and foster inclusive communities. Many of the opportunities for economic empowerment today can be found in the tech sector, according to Guendelman.
“We are delighted to partner with BeVisible to launch the Be Woke series,” said Alphonse Keasley, associate vice chancellor in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement. “CU Boulder is looking to provide leadership in diversity and inclusiveness, and this collaboration will benefit our entire community of students, staff and faculty.”
The Oct. 13 hackathon event will be hosted by the head of inclusion and diversity at Lyft, Tariq Meyers, and the head of diversity and inclusion at Comcast, Maria Arias. The goal of the event is to gather students, industry leaders and community members to hack the hiring process.
“The hackathon aims to connect diverse students with corporations and partners in the innovation economy, and also dispel any misconception that an interest in diversity and inclusiveness is limited to colleges and universities,” Guendelman said.
Next up: Kevin Foster, regional recruiter from Intel Corporation, will meet with diverse students with engineering and computer science backgrounds Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Idea Forge in the Engineering Building. He will discuss topics such as nailing the interview, success in the workplace, getting the first job, a day in the life, employment strategies and more.It’s mid afternoon in a mountain village close to the Azerbaijan border and the air is thick with the smoke of a dozen chargrill barbecues. Men are turning giant skewers of chicken and lamb on the coals while their obedient sons fan the flames, dressed in traditional Armenian costume.
High above the gorge the sun is pouring down from a cloudless sky and beyond the river bridge there’s dancing: troupes of young men and women, linking arms, kicking their legs and singing in unison as wild music blares out from speakers beneath the chestnut trees.
Armenia is a tranquil land of epic vistas, crumbling monasteries and rolling vineyards Credit: AP/FOTOLIA
On the trestle tables there are baskets overflowing with freshly picked fruit and bottles stacked up high, filled with a dark red liquid. It’s semi-sweet wine from the areni grape because today, October 1, is the annual Areni wine festival.
You know you’re in wine country the moment you arrive at Yerevan airport. You can’t really miss it as there’s a 20ft high inflatable wine bottle parked outside the terminal.
Troupes of young men and women, linking arms, kick their legs and sing in unison
A Christian country sandwiched between predominantly Muslim Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan, Armenia likes its alcohol. They also produce what they say is the best brandy in the world and driving into town the advertisements are everywhere for Ararat brandy.
My driver deposits me at the quaint Villa Delenda, one of the few surviving relics of 19th-century town houses in the capital, Yerevan. Outside its ivy-covered walls stone bollards line the cobbled pavement, stencilled with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and the words “Defend Yerevan”.
Developers are eagerly eyeing up Yerevan, but for now its antiquated charm endures Credit: AP/FOTOLIA
Was this, I wondered, a reference to the deadly on-off conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region? No, says Maryam, one of the girls who run the villa as a guesthouse, with part of the proceeds going to charity. It’s a campaign to stop the developers from bulldozing the last of Yerevan’s historic buildings.
Inside the villa its all woven carpets, wooden floorboards and exquisite locally-made ceramics which they sell from a shop in the basement. A kindly old woman bustles around me, speaking only Russian. It’s late and the staff have gone home but she fetches me a bowl of potato soup, floating with mushrooms and herbs, and stands, arms folded, to watch appreciatively as I wolf it down with hunks of bread.
She tells me her name is Amelia and I wish I had enough Russian to ask her about her life. I put her age at about 75, meaning she would have lived two thirds of her life in the USSR, when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union, before it disintegrated in 1991 and Armenia became an independent country.
Despite the developers, Yerevan is a delightful capital. Its wide, leafy boulevards are lined with cafés and wine bars where Armenians like to sit chatting late into the night.
People here still talk about the recent visit of the world’s most famous living Armenian, Kim Kardashian, when her husband, the singer Kanye West, jumped into a fountain after a concert and invited the crowd to join him.
People here still talk about the recent visit of the world’s most famous living Armenian, Kim Kardashian
Armenians from the large overseas diaspora who visit for the first time are said to be pleasantly surprised by how modern, safe and civilised Yerevan is, and then rudely disappointed to find the suburbs and roadsides littered with the hangover detritus of the failed Soviet economy.
Driving out of the capital on my first morning, two things are immediately apparent. The abandoned, derelict factory buildings and the grim, Russian dormitory blocks surrounded by empty carcasses of old vehicles, rusting oil tanks and decrepit machinery overgrown with weeds. Armenia needs a clean-up.
Of course it's not all crumbling churches, snow-capped peaks and rolling countryside Credit: AL
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development, values, the reflection process, problem-solving, and resources for Scout leaders.
Are You Delivering the Promise? The results of a 1992-1993 BSA survey are a valuable resource for any Scout leader looking for the keys to success in delivering the promise of Scouting to boys.
A Chronicle of Scouting in Eastern Europe & Russia. With the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and Russia, Scouting has returned to many lands where it had previously taken root. These pages chronicle the return of former members and the addition of new members to the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
The National Organisation of Russian Scouts (N.O.R.S.) carries on traditions of Russian Scouting from its foundation in 1909, and its exile from Russia, down to the present day. This official site records the history of Russian Scouting since its beginnings.
The White Stag: A Special Heritage, explores the links between a Hungarian Legend and Leadership Development in the Boy Scouts of America.
“Scouting Milestones” is a wonderful resource for Scouting history. Researched by Colin “Johnny” Walker, and elegantly presented, it offers insight and drama to “the continuing evolution of our Scout History. However, our aim is to provide the Scouts of the World with the results of original research, clearly presented and cross referenced, utilising, wherever possible, previously unpublished photographs and illustrations.”
Other Related Scouting Links including the World Organization (WOSM), several National Scouting Organizations and some of the major Scouting resources on the World Wide Web.
International Scouting. The organization of the World Bureau and the International Division of the BSA; the story of the World Crest; and links to the history of the membership of the World Organization listing the Founding Members, countries in which Scouting was disbanded, and National Associations returning to the World Organization after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. Among his many works, he wrote a March of the Scouts. The music would later be adopted by the Guides as “The World Song” with a new set of lyrics. Here is the original Scout March, Partiolaisten Marssi, for chorus & piano (or orchestra), Op. 91b, as performed in Finnish with the original lyrics by the Dominante Choir and the Lahti Symphony under the direction of Osmo Vänskä.
The World Wide Scouting Reference: InterNETional Scouting Page is the comprehensive, home base to keep posted on Scouting on the Internet.
Pine Tree Web Index. Links to over 800 pages on the Pine Tree Web (last revised November 14, 1998). For specific inquiries, please use the Search Box below.
Resources from Pine Tree Camp. A collection of links to materials for the Junior Leader Training Conference (JLTC). These include: The Pine Tree Book of Quotations (now totaling over 200 quotations on leadership, Scouting and life); Vespers from Pine Tree Camp, a Scouts’ Own; Resources for Evaluation at JLTC; and, excerpts from Patrol and Troop Leadership, a 1972 handbook on leadership development(CNN) — For visitors with shopping at the top of their agenda in Seoul and beyond, it may be hard to keep up; Korean fashion is furiously fast and fickle.
But from Seoul's distinctive street style (loud statement pieces are the calling cards) to runway chic, these top 10 South Korean fashion brands are defining some of Asia's trendiest looks.
For the moment anyway.
1. 8seconds
"Spain has Zara, Korea has 8seconds," says "InStyle Korea" fashion editor Sujin Yang.
Launched in February in 2012 by Samsung subsidiary Cheil Industries as a domestic competitor to foreign fashion brands such as UNIQLO, 8seconds' heavy marketing paid off with ₩60 billion ($54 million) in sales in 2012.
The brand's goal for 2013 is ₩150 billion ($134 million) in sales. It hopes to bring its success abroad with international stores open by 2014.
The name is supposed to signify the length of time that we perceive as the "now," according to the brand's somewhat convoluted mission statement.
With colorful and creative displays, the stores are some of the most fun to visit in Korea.
A signature 8seconds look combines neon tribal print leggings, Space Age-silver bomber jacket and retro polka dot blouse, all at extremely low prices, in the Forever 21 range.
8seconds Garosugil flagship store: 535-12 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 70 7090 1144
Myeong-dong branch, 50-1 Myeongdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 70 7090 2272
2. Lucky Chouette
Lucky Chouette is the variegated, street-inspired and accessible line by Kim Jae-hyun, who was chosen to be part of Seoul's 10 Soul -- a fashion project launched by the Seoul government to promote upcoming Korean designers.
"Kim Jae-hyun is already a familiar figure in the fashion world through her Jardin de Chouette line," says Yang, adding that Kim's atelier is always crowded with Korean celebrities.
Silhouettes tend to be chunky and casual -- skirts are short and flared, blouses are oversized.
Prints play a big part in the Lucky Chouette design, as does the owl, which is supposed to symbolize luck.
Lucky Chouette Cheongdam store, 21-15 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 2 3444 1002
Lotte branch, 2/F Lotte Department Store, 1 Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 772 3211
3. Steve J. & Yoni P.
Having debuted their first collection at London Fashion Week in 2007, this duo's designs can be found at foreign high-fashion retailers such as Opening Ceremony
In Korea, the initial wave of popularity that greeted them is as strong as ever.
The clothes are wearable, but with an unexpected kick in the details.
The brand's flagship store in Hannam-dong this season is a playground of summery dresses with floral prints, fancifully re-imagined stripes and paisley.
Steve J & Yoni P, 685-12, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul; +82 2 543 4766
4. Beyond Closet
This menswear label is the creation of designer Ko Tae yong, who created costumes for the hit Korean wave drama "Boys Over Flowers."
Launched in 2008, the brand stocks classic and collegiate baseball jackets, sports jackets and button-downs in vibrant and boyish blues, reds and yellows.
While the look won't exactly fly at a job interview, it's great for sartorially conscious men in their twenties and thirties whose masculinity isn't derailed by a healthy dose of cute in their wardrobes.
The brand's runway wear is available for purchase on their website or at the showroom.
Multi-brand shop A Land also stocks the line in its various locations (Myeongdong, Sinsa-dong, COEX, Gangnam, Hongdae and the Mokdong Hyundai Department Store).
A Land Myeong-dong, 53-6 Myeongdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 1566-7477
5. Jain Song
"Jain Song is known for her sharp, sophisticated and clean looks," says Yang about the designer's eponymous label.
Song interned with her mother, veteran designer Kim Dong-soon, before launching her own collection in 2004.
It's been a successful riding from there, with collaborations with high fashion boutique 10 corso como, LG Mobile, Estee Lauder and Iope.
The brand has an online shop, and its Hannamdong flagship store Mo Jain Song, which opened this year, is quickly becoming a popular hangout for the city's young and stylish with its pretty outdoor cafe and carefully cultivated rooftop garden.
The flagship store stocks a variety of curated lifestyle items along with the fashion line.
Mo Jain Song, 739-6 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul; +82 2 797 6231
6. Reike Nen
Founded in 2010 by designer Rei Yoon Hong Mi, the Reike Nen shoe brand deconstructs classic footwear like oxfords and pumps, fuses them with creepers and wedges or cuts them into sandals.
Despite the restrained color palette -- white, sometimes black and the occasional neutral -- the shoes manage to be wholly original, quietly dominating an outfit without being overtly attention seeking.
Best of all, the shoes are light and comfortable.
Sold at Opening Ceremony in the United States, Reike Nen also has an online shop. Domestic offline shops include the Steve J & Yoni P store in Hannam-dong, as well as the following multi-brand stores:
Flow, 84-10, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnamgu, Seoul; +82 2 511 4074
Koon With a View, 546-5, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; +82 2 548 4504
7. Style Nanda
"This nine-year brand is climbing the fashion ranks at a dangerous speed and pretty much leading Hallyu (Korean Wave) fashion," says Yang.
Style Nanda began as an Internet site selling secondhand clothes from founder Kim So-hee.
Now it has an enormous three-story flagship store in Hongdae (as well as a Lotte YoungPlaza location) and is the second most sought after Korean brand by Chinese tourists in Korea, according to Lotte Department Store.
Style Nanda, 335-21 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul; +82 2 333 9217
8. PartspARTs
"Life is short, PartspARTs is long."
That's what PartspARTs designer Im Seonoc says about her brand, with an emphasis on the "art."
This is a reflection of her multidisciplinary background, which includes film, art and contemporary dance.
The garments are made solely from jersey through a technology-informed process designed to minimize waste.
The spring/summer collection is all chic and modern shift dresses and wide-legged trousers, made of sleek lines, unexpectedly sexy cuts and silky smooth textures.
The brand's items of the moment are a work-friendly tote bag and color-blocked blouse.
9. MVIO
MVIO makes business wear for men that like to dress up, and is a great stop for guys looking for a more creative off-the-rack business casual pieces.
Another Cheil Industries brand (a Samsung subsidiary), MVIO is led by creative director Han Sanghyuk, who features traditional cuts with an aggressively stylish android twist.
The spring/summer 2013 collection is built around theme of a "perfect man."
The Ken Doll-like perfection is a little off-putting, but the reasonable prices are nice -- pants start below ₩100,000 ($90) and three-piece sets start from ₩210,000 ($189).
MVIO, Lotte Department Store; 1 Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul; +82 2 772 3561
10. The Studio K
South Korean fashion editors and fashionistas adore designer Hyejin Hong's brand the Studio K, says Yang.
Often called "the Korean Marni," the brand's designs are minimalist and elegant, inspired by algorithms and technology, according to the designer.
It's difficult to step into what may look like a paper construction or a sartorial rendering of a skyscraper and not feel overshadowed, but the clothes are miraculously flattering.Consider supporting us on Patreon so we can continue providing quality tokusatsu news coverage.
Three of the most recent Ultra Series films are being dubbed in English thanks to William Winckler Productions.
Tsuburaya has been on a roll during 2016, the 50th anniversary of the Ultra Series. They started the year with a movie based on their latest show, Ultraman X, are currently airing Ultraman Orb, and have a plethora of plans for the future.
SciFi Japan revealed that one of those plans was English dubbing for their recent films, one of which is the aforementioned Ultraman X The Movie. The other two movies are Ultraman Ginga S The Movie and Ultra Fight Victory. The first two films were released theatrically, but Ultra Fight Victory is a compilation film composed of 13 short clips.
The dubs were handled by William Winckler Productions, the company that previously handled the Gaiking, Danguard Ace, and Star Zinger anime compilation films for Toei. Those projects were eventually released by Shout! Factory, but the dubbed Ultraman films do not yet have a distributor.
Source: SciFi JapanGuest essay by Eric Worrall
h/t Willie Soon – a group of Cambridge Conservation Scientists have discovered that greens enjoy the same carbon belching perks as the rest of us, and rarely purchase carbon offsets or make other personal sacrifices such as reducing meat consumption.
Conservationists take nine flights a year, despite knowing danger to environment, study shows Sarah Knapton, science editor 10 OCTOBER 2017 • 5:52PM Conservationists may preach about the importance of going green to save the planet, but most have a carbon footprint which is virtually no different to anyone else, a new study has shown. Scientists as Cambridge University were keen to find out whether being fully informed about global warming, plastic in the ocean or the environmental impact of eating meat, triggers more ethical behaviour. But when they examined the lifestyles of conservation scientists they discovered most still flew frequently – an average of nine flights a year – ate meat or fish approximately five times a week and rarely purchased carbon offsets for their own emissions. They were also less green in travelling to work than medics, and kept more dogs and cats. A recent study suggested pets are a hefty ecological burden. It takes more than two acres of grazing pasture to keep a medium-sized dog fed with meat, while the eco-footprint of a cat is similar to a Volkswagen Golf. Even the study’s four authors – all conservation scientists – admitted that between them they took 31 flights in 2016 and had each eaten two meat dinners in the week before submitting the research. …
Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/10/10/conservationists-take-nine-flights-year-despite-knowing-danger/
The abstract of the study;
The environmental footprints of conservationists, economists and medics compared Author Andrew Balmford, Lizzy Cole, Chris Sandbrook, Brendan Fisher Many conservationists undertake environmentally harmful activities in their private lives such as flying and eating meat, while calling for people as a whole to reduce such behaviors. To quantify the extent of our hypocrisy and put our actions into context, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey of 300 conservationists and compared their personal (rather than professional) behavior, across 10 domains, with that of 207 economists and 227 medics. We also explored two related issues: the role of environmental knowledge in promoting pro-environmental behavior, and the extent to which different elements of people’s footprint co-vary across behavioral domains. The conservationists we sampled have a slightly lower overall environmental footprint than economists or medics, but this varies across behaviors. Conservationists take fewer personal flights, do more to lower domestic energy use, recycle more, and eat less meat – but don’t differ in how they travel to work, and own more pets than do economists or medics. Interestingly, conservationists also score no better than economists on environmental knowledge and knowledge of pro-environmental actions. Overall footprint scores are higher for males, US nationals, economists, and people with higher degrees and larger incomes, but (as has been reported in other studies) are unrelated to environmental knowledge. Last, we found different elements of individuals’ footprints are generally not intercorrelated, and show divergent demographic patterns. These findings suggest three conclusions. First, lowering people’s footprints may be most effectively achieved via tailored interventions targeting higher-impact behaviors (such as meat consumption, flying and family size). Second, as in health matters, education about environmental issues or pro-environmental actions may have little impact on behavior. Last, while conservationists perform better on certain measures than other groups, we could (and we would argue, must) do far more to reduce our footprint.
Read more (paywalled): http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000632071730071X
I strongly suspect many frequent flying greens have a transactional view of climate, they justify personal environmental excess by virtue of the work they are doing. In their minds, any personal excess is likely justified by their efforts to convince the rest of us to make lifestyle sacrifices.
A wind farm engineer I once knew justified buying a diesel guzzling pleasure boat on the grounds of all the good he did, filling the landscape with wind turbines.
Of course, if any greens really wish they had an alternative to flying; there is still time to sign my petition, to ensure that climate scientists have access to all the latest teleconferencing equipment, so they never again have to travel in person to attend a climate conference.
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RedditStephen Hsu is Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies and Professor of Theoretical Physics at Michigan State University. Educated at Caltech and Berkeley, he was a Harvard Junior Fellow and held faculty positions at Yale and the University of Oregon. He was also founder of SafeWeb, an information security startup acquired by Symantec. Hsu is a scientific advisor to BGI and a member of its Cognitive Genomics Lab.
Luke Muehlhauser: I’d like to start by familiarizing our readers with some of the basic facts relevant to the genetic architecture of cognitive ability, which I’ve drawn from the first half of a presentation you gave in February 2013:
The human genome consists of about 3 billion base pairs, but humans are very similar to each other, so we only differ from each other on about 3 million of these base pairs.
Because there’s so much repetition, we could easily store the entire genome of every human on earth (~3mb per genome, compressed).
Scanning someone’s SNPs costs about $200; scanning their entire genome costs $1000 or more.
But, genotyping costs are falling so quickly that SNPs may be irrelevant soon, as it’ll be simpler and cheaper to just sequence entire genomes.
To begin to understand the genetic architecture of cognitive ability, we can compare it to the genetic architecture of height, since the genetic architectures of height and cognitive ability are qualitatively the same.
, we can compare it to the genetic architecture of, since the genetic architectures of height and cognitive ability are qualitatively the same. For example, (1) height and cognitive ability are relatively stable and reliable traits (in adulthood), meaning that if you measure a person’s height or cognitive ability at multiple times you’ll get roughly the same result each time, (2) height and cognitive ability are valid traits, in that they “measure something real” that is predictive of various life outcome measures like income, (3) both height and cognitive ability are highly heritable, and (4) both height and cognitive ability are highly polygenic, meaning that many different genes contribute to height and cognitive ability.
and traits (in adulthood), meaning that if you measure a person’s height or cognitive ability at multiple times you’ll get roughly the same result each time, (2) height and cognitive ability are traits, in that they “measure something real” that is predictive of various life outcome measures like income, (3) both height and cognitive ability are highly, and (4) both height and cognitive ability are highly, meaning that many different genes contribute to height and cognitive ability. All cognitive observables — e.g. vocabulary, digit recall (short term memory), ability to solve math puzzles, spatial rotation ability, cognitive reaction time — appear to be positively correlated. Because of this, we can (lossily) compress the data for how a person scores on different cognitive tests to a single number, which we call IQ, and this single number is predictive of their scores on all cognitive tests, and also life outcome measures like income, educational attainment, job performance, and mortality.
cognitive tests, and also life outcome measures like income, educational attainment, job performance, and mortality. This contradicts some folk wisdom. E.g. parents often believe that “Johnny’s good at math, so he’s probably not going to be good with words.” But in fact, the data show that math skill is quite predictive of verbal skill, because (roughly) all cognitive abilities are positively correlated.
By convention, IQ is normally distributed in the population with a mean at 100 and a standard deviation of 15.
Culturally neutral cognitive tests like progressive matrices are very tightly correlated (0.9) with IQ. So you can estimate someone’s IQ (and hence their verbal ability, spatial rotation ability, short term memory, cognitive reaction time, etc.) pretty well using only one test like Raven’s progressive matrices.
tightly correlated (0.9) with IQ. So you can estimate someone’s IQ (and hence their verbal ability, spatial rotation ability, short term memory, cognitive reaction time, etc.) pretty well using one test like Raven’s progressive matrices. It’s very difficult to raise one’s score on these cognitive tests with training. In large studies, it looks like thousands of dollars worth of training can raise your score by a small fraction of the standard deviation.
Additional IQ points do appear to “matter” — even above, say, IQ 145. E.g. the mean IQ of eminent scientists (IQ 160) is much higher than that of average PhDs (IQ 130). Also, in a longitudinal study of children identified as gifted at age 13, the “1 in 10,000”-level children had significantly better life outcomes than the “1 in 100”-level children, even though they generally all received “gifted child” development paths.
One source of details and references for most of this is The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence.
Before we continue, Stephen, do you have any corrections or clarifications you’d like to make about my summary, or additional sources that you’d like to recommend to our readers?
Stephen Hsu: A couple of comments on the summary, which is excellent:
Raven’s correlation might not be as high as 0.9 with overall IQ, it might actually be 0.8 or so. These numbers fluctuate around depending on the study. In general two tests might be considered valid “IQ tests” if they correlate at > 0.75 or so with g. This is the case with most standardized tests like ACT, SAT, GRE, etc. Mean IQ of participants in the Roe study was quite high, but I doubt that the average among eminent scientists (averaging over all fields) is 160; probably a bit lower like 145. In any case the Roe and SMPY data are sufficient to suggest nontrivial returns to IQ above 130 in STEM.
It seems you understood my talk perfectly well. The answers to your questions may already be in there, but I’m happy to discuss and clarify further.
Luke: Have we identified any genes that are (with high confidence) associated with cognitive ability? What can our history of identifying genes associated with other polygenic traits (e.g. height) tell us about our prospects for identifying genes associated with cognitive ability?
Stephen: Recently the results of a massive GWAS for genes associated with educational attainment were published in Science. Some of the researchers in this large collaboration are reluctant to openly state that the hits are associated with cognitive ability (as opposed to, say, Conscientiousness, which would also positively impact educational success). But if you read the paper carefully you can see that there is good evidence that the alleles are actually associated with cognitive ability (g or IQ).
At the link above you can find a historical graph:
This graph displays the number of GWAS hits versus sample size for height, BMI, etc. Once the minimal sample size to discover the alleles of largest impact (large MAF, large effect size) is exceeded, one generally expects a steady accumulation of new hits at lower MAF / effect size. I expect the same sort of progress for g. (MAF = Minor Allele Frequency. Variants that are common in the population are easier to detect than rare variants.)
We can’t predict the sample size required to obtain most of the additive variance for g (this depends on the details of the distribution of alleles), but I would guess that about a million genotypes together with associated g scores will suffice. When, exactly, we will reach this sample size is unclear, but I think most of the difficulty is in obtaining the phenotype data. Within a few years, over a million people will have been genotyped, but probably we will only have g scores for a small fraction of the individuals.
Luke: Could you describe for us the goals and methods of the work you’re currently doing with BGI?
Stephen: The goal of our cognitive genomics project at BGI is to understand the genetic architecture of human cognition. There are obviously many potential applications of this work, in areas ranging from deep human history (evolution) to drug discovery to genetic engineering. But my primary interest is intellectual.
The methods are straightforward: obtain genotype and phenotype data and look for statistical associations (GWAS). More specifically, we want to determine the parameters of a polygenic model relating genotype to phenotype. (This as yet undetermined set of “fundamental constants” is one of the most interesting few megabytes of information in the biological world.) The leading term in this model is linear (meaning we are guaranteed a certain amount of progress from simple techniques), but eventually we will be interested in nonlinear corrections (epistasis, gene-gene interactions, dominance, etc.) as well.
We started out by looking for high g individuals because, as outliers, they produce more statistical power per dollar of sequencing. The cost of sequencing is still our primary constraint, and will be for at least a few more years. For example, the cost to sequence our 2000 high g volunteers is well into the millions of dollars. I also felt, given my background, that I had reasonable insight into where to find and how to recruit volunteers from the high g tail.
Ultimately, I hope that various genomics labs around the world will collaborate to produce a public data repository with g as one of the phenotype variables.
Link:
International partners describe global alliance to enable secure sharing of genomic and clinical data
Luke: How feasible do you think “iterated embryo selection” will be, over the next several decades, for the amplification of cognitive abilities via genetic selection?
Background for our readers: iterated embryo selection is a plausible future technology that could allow strong genetic selection for intelligence without needing to wait 15-20 years between generations. It was first described in detail in the FAQ for MIRI’s The Uncertain Future project (see Rayhawk et al. 2009), was later described in a book (Miller 2012), and was finally published in a journal in Sparrow (2013).
Stephen: I have no particular insight into specific challenges related to producing gametes from pluripotent stem cells. It’s not my area of expertise. However, I am confident that genomic selection for traits such as g will be possible. I would be surprised if, after analyzing millions of genotype-phenotype pairs, we were not able to produce a predictive model that captures, say, 50% of variance in g. That means, roughly, we might be able to predict g from genotype with standard error of somewhat less than a population standard deviation (e.g., 10 IQ points; note I don’t think the real world “meaning” of g is better defined than within an error of this size). This means that selection on g can proceed relatively efficiently, assuming the basic reproductive technologies are under control.
I think there is good evidence that existing genetic variants in the human population (i.e., alleles affecting intelligence that are found today in the collective world population, but not necessarily in a single person) can be combined to produce a phenotype which is far beyond anything yet seen in human history. This would not surprise an animal or plant breeder — experiments on corn, cows, chickens, drosophila, etc. have shifted population means by many standard deviations (e.g., +30 SD in the case of corn).
Let me add that, in my opinion, each society has to decide for itself (e.g. through democratic process) whether it wants to legalize or forbid activities that amount to genetic engineering. Intelligent people can reasonably disagree as to whether such activity is wise.
Links:
“Only he was fully awake”
Maxwell’s Demon and genetic engineering
Epistasis vs additivity
Deleterious variants affecting traits that have been under selection are rare and of small effect
Luke: Work on the genetics of cognitive ability tends to be more controversial than work on the genetics of, say, height. Why do you think that is? Has your work, or the work of your colleagues, been made more difficult because of such issues?
Stephen: Given our difficult history with race there is an understandable discomfort with the idea that cognitive ability is strongly influenced by genetics. In the worst case, it might be found that historically isolated populations of humans differ in their average genetic capacities for cognition, due to variation in allele frequencies. Let me stress that at the moment our understanding of the genetics of intelligence is far too preliminary to reach a firm conclusion on this issue.
At the extremes, there are some academics and social activists who violently oppose any kind of research into the genetics of cognitive ability. Given that the human brain — its operation, construction from a simple genetic blueprint, evolutionary history — is one of the great scientific mysteries of the universe, I cannot understand this point of view.
Luke: What do you think a truly superior human intelligence would be like?
Stephen: I think we already have some hints in this direction. Take the case of John von Neumann, widely regarded as one of the greatest intellects in the 20th century, and a famous polymath. He made fundamental contributions in mathematics, physics, nuclear weapons research, computer architecture, game theory and automata theory.
In addition to his abstract reasoning ability, von Neumann had formidable powers of mental calculation and a photographic memory. In my opinion, genotypes exist that correspond to phenotypes as far beyond von Neumann as he was beyond a normal human.
I have known a great many intelligent people in my life. I knew Planck, von Laue and Heisenberg. Paul Dirac was my brother in law; Leo Szilard and Edward Teller have been among my closest friends; and Albert Einstein was a good friend, too. But none of them had a mind as quick and acute as Jansci [John] von Neumann. I have often remarked this in the presence of those men and no one ever disputed me.
— Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner
You know, Herb, how much faster I am in thinking than you are. That is how much faster von Neumann is compared to me.
— Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi to his former PhD student Herb Anderson.
One of his remarkable abilities was his power of absolute recall. As far as I could tell, von Neumann was able on once reading a book or article to quote it back verbatim; moreover, he could do it years later without hesitation. He could also translate it at no diminution in speed from its original language into English. On one occasion I tested his ability by asking him to tell me how The Tale of Two Cities started. Whereupon, without any pause, he immediately began to recite the first chapter and continued until asked to stop after about ten or fifteen minutes.
— Herman Goldstine, mathematician and computer pioneer.
I always thought Von Neumann’s brain indicated that he was from another species, an evolution beyond man,
— Nobel Laureate Hans A. Bethe.
Links:
Wikipedia: John von Neumann
The differences are enormous
“Only he was fully awake”
Luke: Thanks, Stephen!Liberals will hate this and never-Trumpers will scoff but when the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement say this, be very proud of your voting choice.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been working the border since he got into office back in January. Many had hoped he as taking care of Hilary Clinton and placing her behind bars sooner or later, but you have to give him his due in controlling the border situation and also going after MS-13.
ICE Deputy Director Tom Homan: “[@realDonaldTrump] has done more for border security and public safety than any of the six presidents I’ve worked for.” pic.twitter.com/atVFFK0R6d — Fox News (@FoxNews) December 4, 2017
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Source: Washington Examiner
“This president has done more for border security and public safety than any of the six presidents I’ve worked for. Just since his leadership in January, border crossings are at a 45-year low. Now that’s not a coincidence. That’s because this president has let the men and women of Border Patrol and ICE do their job,” Homan told Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.” Homan was nominated in mid-November to permanently oversee the interior enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security. As a candidate, Trump promised to deport criminal illegal immigrants on his first day in office. During the administration’s first 100 days, more than 41,000 illegal immigrants were arrested under Homan’s command of ICE.
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Proof positive that the left is relentless and will do everything and anything possible to continually and constantly prove them stupid. Sanctuary cities are an open engraved invitation to criminals, crime, criminality, lawlessness, chaos, mayhem, murder, violence, destruction, and death.
Americans should be viewing how the left cares nothing for the individual but rather instead only that of the masses and their votes.
How more clear can it be, than to come from the guy, who is in charge? He says Trump has done more than all of the six Presidents that he has served. He also states, “that every place they have put up a wall, illegal crossing has gone down significantly.”
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I agree with the Director on this. The whole concept of Sanctuary Cities/States is insane. Those who are for this are putting those places in danger due to the criminal element utilizing this to hide from the law. I say no funding for any ‘sanctuary’ and let ICE do its job without interference.
What did you think of this interview and do you agree, Sanctuary cities should be abolished? SHARE your opinion below in the comment section.
Don’t forget to follow the Wayne Dupree Show social media accounts on Facebook, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Google Plus & Twitter.Restrictions on air and road travel when the president is at his Mar-a-Lago resort threaten ‘to grind our economy to a halt’, says one hotel owner
For Donald Trump it will be a weekend of relaxation in familiar surroundings, a round of golf with the Japanese prime minister on his beloved south Florida course and an opportunity to play the genial host at the exclusive members-only Palm Beach club that Trump has dubbed the “winter White House”.
But as the 45th US president enjoys a second vacation in as many weekends at Mar-a-Lago, his private coastal retreat, the wealthy town that hosts him continues to grapple with the unprecedented financial and logistical burdens imposed upon it as a sometimes home to the new commander-in-chief.
Mar-a-Lago rap sheet: noise, traffic stops and a $28,000 ring theft that never was Read more
Community leaders are concerned by the spiralling security costs of protecting Trump and his family during his frequent escapes from Washington DC, and fears are growing that some local traders could be put out of business amid the air and land lockdowns mandated by the presence of a president who has promised to protect the interests of small-business owners.
“People will just say I’m not going to stay in the Palm Beaches, I don’t need the aggravation. It’s going to grind our economy to a halt,” said Jeff Greene, a hotel owner who says that he has already lost bookings from prospective guests at his upmarket Tideline Ocean Resort and Spa further south along Ocean Boulevard from Trump’s waterfront estate.
“For people in Palm Beach, it’s exciting having a president here … But you can’t close down our roads, it’s just not right. You can’t close down our town for four years, or eight years.”
The Secret Service requires airspace and road routes around Mar-a-Lago to be closed when Trump comes to town, and Greene worries that restaurants and hotels on narrow Palm Beach island will be the first to lose out. “This is a seasonal resort community, a place where there are a number of small business people who have to make their whole livelihood in a short period of time,” he said.
“And basically the opportunities in a town like this are exactly the times he’s planning on being here, Christmas, New Year, Presidents’ weekend, Easter and all these other weekends, like last weekend and this coming weekend. In our hotel we depend on February and March to make 50% of our annual profit.”
While hoteliers such as Greene are unable to yet put a dollar figure on their expected losses, Palm Beach County’s airports, flight schools and other aviation-related businesses are already counting the cost.
Trump’s four-day visit last weekend caused more than $250,000 in lost revenue from fuel sales and landing fees, according to a dossier released this week by county aviation officials, mostly at Palm Beach international airport, where Air Force One lands and departs.
At Lantana general aviation airport, inside the 30-mile flight restriction zone around Mar-a-Lago imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration, all operations cease during presidential visits. Jonathan Miller, chief executive of airport operator Stellar Aviation, said the repeated groundings, including training and sightseeing flights, are forcing several Lantana tenants to consider their futures. Palm Beach Aircraft Services estimates losses could reach $2m a year and several private plane owners have already switched to other airports, Miller said.
“When [the president’s] here for three days we lose at least $30,000. Our small businesses can’t survive, they’ll either shut down or leave,” said Miller, who added that more than 400 people work at the airport.
“There’s a little bit of hysteria and emotion but these short-term losses have significant impacts to us and the long-term damages will literally kill this airport. It’s not a one-off type of event. He’s going to be here a lot.”
Miller has joined with the Palm Beach airports director, Bruce Pelly, and concerned county commissioners to appeal to the Secret Service for a relaxation of some of the tightest restrictions to “get Lantana functioning”.
While the airports’ losses grow, Palm Beach is also seeking relief for security costs to protect
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draw strength from the radical campaigning shift that Labour has taken under Jeremy Corbyn and the 2017 manifesto. I am proud that the majority of Labour’s new Scottish MPs are supporting me: the symbolism of their victory and the politics of the 2017 manifesto will be at the heart of our drive to end poverty.
And I will draw on my own work as a trade union organiser supporting people in the workplace as a guide to how we bring about improvement for Scotland’s people and a more equal Scotland.
Let us take health inequalities. The SNP Scottish government has discussed health inequalities a great deal but for all that, it has done nothing to improve this unacceptable state of affairs. Poverty and inequality, which have increased under the present Scottish government, are what cause the shocking postcode-driven life expectancy that mars our society.
Life-expectancy in Scotland is amongst the worst in Europe, whilst differentials in life-expectancy are stark. In 2015 the Scottish parliament health committee said: “A boy born in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, can expect to live until he is 82, yet for a boy born only eight miles away in Calton in the East End of Glasgow life expectancy may be as low as 54 years, a difference of 28 years or almost half as long again as his whole life.”
Vital though it is, the NHS by itself can’t resolve the harmful failure that this health committee statement demonstrates. Tackling health inequalities requires that we have to use all the levers of power to tackle this problem.
We must never forget that health inequalities are as a result of political and economic decision-making and the way society is currently organised. But we should also remember that how we organise society in the future can help eliminate inequalities. As First Minister I will reverse the decline of our public services: including investing in our crisis ridden mental health services, particularly for our young people.
Accepting inequality is a political choice. I will never accept inequality as a natural state of affairs.
To make tackling health inequalities a national priority I will take action, including the following measures:
Establish national targets for reducing health inequalities.
Create a cross-portfolio cabinet secretary for health equity.
Introduce statutory guidance that ensures better and more effective co-ordination of activity between government, local authorities, health boards and communities that ensures tackling health inequalities is their first priority.
Ensure a health inequality impact assessment is undertaken on every single policy proposal put forward by every public authority; including the government.
Review and improve where public funds are allocated to make sure more resources go to where they are needed most, based on socio-economic circumstances of communities.
Charge Scotland’s special health board – National Services Scotland, Health Scotland – to provide evidence, data, evaluation and implementation support for equity measures that will help identify where allocation of resources is needed most.
With me as first minister, and with our growing movement for real change, we will use all of the powers of the Scottish parliament, legislative and fiscal, as well as its powers of influence with Scottish civic society. If you want to be part of this change, join us here.Scientists have found two new mysterious giant holes in Siberia, like the one that appeared in Siberia two weeks ago. The new craters are smaller than the first but they share a similar structure. Scientists are still puzzled by the origin of these formations. Here are all the details:
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Crater of Antipayuta
This hole was found near the village of Antipayuta in the Taz district. It has a diameter of 50 feet (15 meters) and it's located a few hundred miles away from the first one, also in the Yamal Peninsula.
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A deputy of the regional parliament Mikhail Lapsui visited the area by helicopter:
Its diameter is about 15 meters. There is also ground outside, as if it was thrown as a result of an underground explosion. According to local residents, the hole formed on 27 September 2013. Observers give several versions. According to the first, initially at the place was smoking, and then there was a bright flash. In the second version, a celestial body fell there.
Marina Leibman, Chief Scientist of the Earth Cryosphere Institute said:
I have heard about the second funnel on Yamal, in Taz district, and saw the pictures. Undoubtedly, we need to study all such formations. It is necessary to be able to predict their occurrence. Each new funnel provides additional information for scientists.
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Crater of Nosok
This funnel was found by herders near the village of Nosok, in Krasnoyarsk region. It has a diameter of 13 feet (4 meters) and an estimated depth between 197 and 328 feet—60 and 100 meters. According to locals the hole has a perfect cone shape. Experts said:
It is not like this is the work of men, but also doesn't look like natural formation.
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SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on FacebookReuter Marine Le Pen (L), French National Front political party leader and Marion Marechal-Le Pen (R), French National Front political party member and candidate in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA) region, react on stage with flowers at the end of a political rally as the campaign continues for the upcoming regional elections in Nice, France, November 27, 2015.
Support for France’s far-right party, the National Front, has been surging following the deadly attacks in Paris on November 13.
And the party appears set for its biggest victory yet at the French regional elections this weekend, when the country votes in the first round.
According to recent polls, the party led by the outspoken Marine Le Pen is set to capture victories in as many as three regions out of 13 “super regions” created by French President Francois Hollande.
The two “rounds” of elections, which end December 13, mark the final time France will vote before the 2017 presidential elections — which is Le Pen’s ultimate preferred destination.
The Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie and the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur regions have long been expected to swing to the National Front.
But a new poll in Les Échos indicates that the Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne-Ardenne region might also elect the National Front’s candidate, giving the party more gains than expected.
The party’s anti-immigration and anti-European Union stance is resonating with voters amid a climate of fear of terrorism and social instability, especially after last month’s attacks, for which the Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility. More than ever since the attacks, the main concerns for the French electorate have become the migrant crisis and security issues, which benefit the National Front.
Those worries are especially present in northern France’s Calais, where the local population is faced with the “Jungle,” a makeshift camp now housing thousands of migrants and refugees hoping to pass through to the United Kingdom.
“The Front National vote was already high in this region, but the migrant crisis and the Calais issue, and now the November 13 attacks, are extremely favourable to that vote,” Pierre Mathiot, a politics professor at Lille’s Sciences Po university, recently told The Guardian.
But for Marine Le Pen, who is the National Front candidate in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region, those are not the only factors pushing the vote in her favour. It is the poorest region in France, part of the country’s rust belt, and is plagued by higher-than-average unemployment rates.
Meanwhile, in the south of the country, 25-year-old Marion Maréchal Le Pen (Marine Le Pen’s niece), has been surging in polls and is likely to win the the vote in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region.
‘Trickery’
Politicians in France are only very slowly starting to recognise the potential success of the National, having so far failed to counter the far-right. Mathiot told the Guardian that in northern France, the left has been in power for so long that it had lost the habit of “being in political competition.”
Alain Juppé, France’s prime minister from 1995 to 1997, urged French voters to open their eyes to the reality of the party’s political platform.
“With so much demagogy, the Front National is fooling a number of disillusioned voters … into thinking there is a solution there. But one needs to think a bit before voting, and not get carried away by one’s anger,” Juppé told newspaper Le Monde.
Manuel Valls, the country’s current prime minister, has warned voters not to fall for the far-right party’s alleged “trickery,” according to the BBC.
The president of the Medef, the largest employer federation in France, recently told the French newspaper Le Parisien that the National Front’s platform was “not economically responsible.”
“Bringing the retirement age back to 60, raising all salaries and the minimum wage by $220 and bringing back the franc, raising the import tax. … It is exactly the opposite of what we need to kick-boost economic growth in this country. The economy needs pragmatism and lucidity,” he told Le Parisien.
And a local newspaper in the region in which Marine Le Pen is running recently ran a front page that warned its readers against voting for her, titling the cover, “Marine Le Pen and the FN are not who they claim to be.”
La Une de #LaVoixDuNord pic.twitter.com/RDPJyUNbvr
— La Voix du Nord web (@lavoixdunord) December 1, 2015
But despite the negative onslaught, Marine Le Pen’s rising popularity these days seems nearly impossible to stop.
Her competitor in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region, Pierre de Saintignon, told RTL on Wednesday she would “not be presiding over the region” and that he would “take his responsibilities when the times comes” to ensure it.
His statement though makes it perhaps clearer than ever that her popularity is set to give Le Pen the biggest victory of her political career. It might also indicate that her party is primed to have another breakthrough performance in the 2017 presidential elections.
“The Islamic State fulfils its promises. It had announced attacks in France. There have been attacks in France,” she said recently at a rally in Nice to support Marion Marechal-Le Pen.
“Our politicians must open their eyes,” she added. “Yes, there is definitely a link between massive immigration … and radical Islam.”
NOW WATCH: France says it hit two targets in airstrikes on ISIS capital
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October 19, 2016 - WND.com Former Assistant FBI Director Jim Kallstrom is one angry man. Hillary Clinton appalls him, and he is not afraid to say so. On the John Gibson Radio Show, freed from the restraints he works under on Fox TV, Kallstrom let loose on Hillary’s “clear, clear obstruction of justice” in the e-mail case and FBI Director James Comey’s apparent whitewash of the same. “She was lying about everything,” Kallstrom said of Hillary’s FBI testimony. “Are we going to become some third world nation that doesn’t care about the law?” And as to Hillary’s frequent claims of memory lapse, Kallstrom asked, “Is that the mental health of someone we want to be president of the United States?” For all his outrage, however, Kallstrom knows he can hold a press conference tomorrow and end Hillary’s career. To do so, however, he would throw his own very comfortable life into complete turmoil. “If you tell the biggest lie over and over again I guess people begin to believe it, Kallstrom said aptly of Hillary, but Kallstrom himself has lived with a very big lie for the last twenty years. Kallstrom’s lie centers on the fate of TWA Flight 800, the investigation of which he headed. When Kallstrom arrived on the scene in Long Island the day after the crash in July 1996, the truth was indeed what he was seeking. By July 30, 1996 -- less than two weeks after the 747 blew up -- FBI agents had interviewed 144 “excellent” witnesses to a missile strike. As revealed in a recently unearthed CIA memo, the evidence was “overwhelming” and the witness testimony “too consistent” for the cause of the plane’s destruction to be anything other than a missile. 1996 being an election year, however a missile strike on an American airliner involved far too much political risk for the Clinton White House. I know from my sources and Hillary’s White House logs that she was in the room when political decisions were being made that fateful night. With her were two other people, President Bill Clinton and deputy national security advisor, Sandy Berger, their ultimate fixer. Working through the CIA, the White House took effective control of the investigation. For reasons only he knows, after an obvious struggle, Kallstrom knuckled under. This epic misdirection climaxed with a November 1997 press conference announcing the suspension of the FBI investigation. There, Kallstrom set forth a bill of particulars that misled the public on almost every detail. The most spectacular bit of deceit was a specious CIA animation created to discredit the eyewitnesses and lay the blame for the crash on some inexplicable and unprecedented mechanical malfunction. Those interested in the details can read my new book my book, TWA 800: The Crash, The Cover-Up, The Conspiracy. For the short course, you can check out my Book-TV presentation on this subject that debuted on C-SPAN II last week. http://cs.pn/2ejfmxB I made the presentation at the TWA Museum in Kansas City. As the audience and I both knew, 53 TWA employees were killed in the crash. As I told those in attendance, I would not dishonor the memory of the dead—nor would the Museum have let me—If I were merely peddling some conspiracy theory. Kallstrom knows, as I know, what happened to TWA 800. When I watch him on Fox-TV I find myself feeling sorry for the man. He helped construct a case he knew to be fraudulent, and he had to sense just how fragile the construction was. If it collapsed, the CIA analysts could run and hide. The NTSB bureaucrats could plead ignorance, and the Clintons could seek executive privilege. He alone would have to answer to the victims’ mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. Nothing the courts might throw at him would wound that deeply. Whether he knows it or not, Kallstrom has lost face with the millions of people who have followed this case for the last twenty years. If he read the blistering emails I receive about his every appearance on Fox News, he would not want to show that face in public. With one very public and painful press conference, however, he could repair his reputation with at least half of America and restore his soul. This would take an heroic act of will. Kallstrom knows what’s at stake. If you have access to him, remind him at #Kallstromknows.
Who is Jack Cashill?Pan Am Games planners worried for months that the unfinished concrete floors in the athletes’ village that is now housing international competitors would garner bad press and complaints, according to documents obtained by the Star. One organizer told his colleagues the finish standards were below those of the 2011 Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, as officials worked to remedy the problem at a cost of $1.4 million.
An athletes' village room as it appeared in August last year. ( AARON HARRIS / TORONTO STAR )
To avoid the feared international embarrassment, pitted, stained and scuffed floors were ultimately covered over with a dark grey skim coat — a smoother, more polished finish — and matching baseboards, while hallways and some common areas were carpeted. But not before officials fretted over the floors in a months-long back-and-forth, questioning whether they would be acceptable to governing bodies and incoming teams, and scrambling for solutions to avoid delaying completion of the living quarters — as revealed in emails and internal documents obtained through a freedom of information request. The state of an athletes’ village can be a perilous issue for the host country’s reputation; the Sochi Winter Olympics last year was mocked for poorly designed athletes’ quarters, including strange toilet setups.
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The TO2015 organizing committee, which is overseeing the Games and construction of facilities, had always planned to leave the Pan Am athlete suites partially finished, in partnership with construction firm EllisDon and developer Dundee Kilmer. When the last athletes fly home after the Parapan Am Games in August, the buildings will be completed as condominiums — with hardwood floors — and a student residence for George Brown College. TO2015 spokesperson Teddy Katz said adequate flooring was an important consideration to reduce noise, meet Paralympic standards and not degrade the city’s reputation. “Unfinished floors and ragged walls without baseboards would reflect poorly on our region’s reputation as hosts. Quite simply, the village wouldn’t look finished,” he wrote in an email. He said the costs — $1.2 million for the sealing and baseboards and $200,000 for carpeting — was largely made up in other cost savings and covered by the overall budget for the village, which was fully financed by the province. He added that organizers decided on the most “cost-effective” solution and that a vinyl alternative would have cost $1.4 million — or $200,000 more. Katz insisted the village was completed “on budget” and referred follow-up questions on how exactly the budget was balanced to the province.
On its website, developer Dundee Kilmer described the spaces to house 7,500 athletes and games officials as just “bare bones ‘shells.’” The finishing touches — including new wood floors — will be added after the Games. An October 2013 review of one suite finished to look like an athlete’s room signaled the beginning of internal concerns about the lack of finishes, according to the documents.
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The review found the concrete floor had “pits, holes, blemishes, stains and scuff marks, resulting in an unclean, unfinished appearance.” The following month, a Games contractor for the village, Mark Cutler, told provincial Infrastructure Ontario official Denise McNally in an email that the floor was “unacceptable” and that it would be “reputationally damaging.” McNally responded that the concrete would be clean, but a floor clear of splatter marks was “something we can’t enforce.” “Call it a faux finish,” she said. The issue flared up again months later when representatives from the Canadian Olympic Committee toured the village and were less than impressed with the state of the flooring. In an email to his colleagues in March 2014, Allen Vansen, the executive vice president of operations, sport and venue management for TO2015, noted the COC’s concerns, saying that they had “‘never’ encountered the level of flooring finish being proposed in any past Games village” and that it was of “significant concern.” By then a “skim coat upgrade” was already being applied, but the COC officials had apparently toured through the wrong suite — one that didn’t have the dark covering. Regardless, Vansen warned his colleagues that the COC officials felt the other National Olympic Committees “would absolutely view this as being unfinished suites (and) that this would be a story by many media about the Village not being finished.” Vansen said: “The level of finish we are providing is significantly below what Guadalajara provided,” and that Games village, by comparison, had marble or carpet throughout, according to the documents. Earlier, Vansen assured his colleagues that the coating would be “applied in a fashion that presents a ‘finished flooring’ appearance.” He told Games CEO Saad Rafi that the skim coat was a cheaper option than laminate. He put the coating at $700,000, below an estimated $1.25 million for the laminate. “Let’s not accept substandard, as that will be the focus and it need not be, as we can tackle it before athletes arrive,” Rafi told Vansen. Though in emails it appears the COC later conceded to the dark grey floor covering, issues over not having baseboards remained. Those, too, were eventually resolved by shelling out for the added finish. A spokesperson for the COC told the Star they were invited to provide feedback on the flooring. “The COC feels that the final option chosen meets the standards of the NOCs living in the (Pan Am Athletes’ Village),” Cherry Ye wrote in an email.
Read more about:According to Christianity, God will send an atheist who lived a just, loving, and generous life to hell while sending to heaven a serial rapist/murderer who confessed his sins immediately before execution. It is incumbent on conscientious people everywhere to hunt down this god and kill it.
The story of the Garden of Eden is not so much about the Fall of Man as it is about the Fall of God – for becoming entangled in such nonsense.
Christianity : It doesn’t matter so much how you live your life, it’s whether you believe in a highly improbable god-man zombie referenced in an ancient, highly-contradictory, politically-compiled book authored in foreign lands and in foreign languages decades after the fact by unknown non-eyewitnesses, and repeatedly interpolated and edited by error-prone, agenda-laden scribes.
God loves you!!
(but will torture you if you don’t love him back)
Faith is the selling point of a fraudulent product.
Christian theology is incoherent to the point of absurdity. God killing his son so he can forgive our future sin is like me breaking my son’s legs so I can forgive my neighbor in case she ever parks her car on my drive. It is quite ridiculous.
If you have to fight science to defend your faith, it’s a good clue that there is something seriously wrong with your faith.
Christian: Why don’t you believe?
Atheist: Because snakes don’t talk, people don’t turn to salt, seas don’t part, the earth doesn’t stop revolving, whales don’t run hotels, virgins don’t give birth, and dead people don’t come back to life.
Christian: Oh…..okay.
Unlike the god of the Old Testament, the god of the New Testament is not happy when his enemies lay dead and broken before him. He ferociously pursues them into death to inflict never-ending suffering. But, despite it all, he LOVES them!
A virgin gives birth to a baby, who grows up to be a man who also happens to be the creator of the universe. The man walks on water and talks to demons who obey his orders. The man is killed but comes back to life. Then he flies up into outer space. What part of this does not sound like a fairy tale?
I am so impressed that God has communicated so thoroughly and so consistently to all of his followers. They agree on everything, well, except for abortion rights, women leaders, euthanasia, stem-cell research, gay rights, becoming rich, dancing, gambling, drinking, R-rated movies, gun control, birth control, climate change, evolution, literal interpretation of the Bible, the Trinity, Mary’s virginity, and universal health care. Other than those, it it truly impressive how God has communicated to his followers what is right and what is wrong.
I reject the glorification of genocidal deities, fictional or real.
I despise religion because I hate to see beautiful minds vandalized by superstition.
Atheism: It isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship with reality.
I don’t want to be a good person so I can live with God after I die. I want to be a good person so I can live with myself while I am alive.
Christianity- The belief that God sacrificed God to God to save God’s creation from God
Jesus was a long-haired, dark-skinned, liberal, pacifist, socialist- in other words, everything Christians are not.
KYROOT’S WAGER: Why risk following any religion when it’s likely that the ‘real’ god is watching us and will raise up only those of us who have correctly determined that all earthly religions are fake.
To follow a religion is to lock your mind voluntarily inside a cage.
Come on. You just can’t come up with anything more ridiculous than someone who honestly thinks that all human woes stem from an incident in which a talking snake accosted a naked woman in a primeval garden and talked her into eating a piece of fruit.
If I was a god and I saw a priest molesting a child I would stop him … that’s the difference between me and the Christian god.
What could possibly be more arrogant than thinking the universe was made for mankind, that only we bipedal primates are made in the image of God, that all other sentient beings are here for us to use, that you happened to be born into the one true faith among the tens of thousands of false ones, and that the force that created the laws of physics wants a personal relationship with you.
We know that intelligence requires a material substance (brain, computer chip) and that a material presence requires a specific location, and that the properties of space-time preclude light or information from traveling at speeds greater than 300,000 km/hr, such that it becomes impossible for any single conscious being to see all and control all of the universe in real time.
Some people use Bible verses to justify beating children, withholding medical treatment, handling snakes, drinking poison, chopping off body parts, plucking out eyes, driving out demons, withdrawing from the affairs of this world, not saving for the future, discriminating against LGBQ and women, stifling science education, renouncing the pleasures of life, and expecting the world to end.
Christianity isn’t really monotheistic is it? There are angels, archangels, principalities, seraphim, cherubim, thrones, ophanim, dominions, the holy spirit, God, Jesus and a whole bunch of saints. Calling that monotheism is just Orwellian double speak.
Once you realize that the Bible was written by ordinary Bronze Age men and that it contains mostly myth and fictionalized history, then everything makes sense.
People who embrace Christianity are not well individuals. They might be healthy, happy, loving, and productive citizens, but they are not well- their minds are locked inside a contorted view of reality that renders impossible a holistic expression of universal harmony.
We can imagine that a god of reality would do things much differently, not demanding adherence to numerous and minute rules most of which have no effect on the welfare of the person, the society, or the planet. Such a god would most likely expect nothing much beyond the golden rule, to simply be nice and live life for the common good- not prescribing circumcision, banning foods, demanding worship, or sacrificing earthly goods. No, but a god manufactured by humans would likely be cast as a dominator, such as to be effective at controlling people and their money. Such is the fictional being we call Yahweh.
We die just like every other living thing. It is not a pretty picture, but it is all we have and I contend that a life lived under this understanding will be more authentic, adventurous, and fulfilling than one burdened by the false hope for an afterlife.
God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of them all — the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that god commanded him to perform this act in fact he does not believe In God at all, so his acts are based on an Inner sense of morality. And look at the Kindness he can bestow upon others Simply because he feels it to be right.
Asking ‘if there is no god, what is the purpose of life?’ is like asking ‘if there is no master, whose slave shall I be?’
God declines to provide any actual evidence of Jesus’ divinity while simultaneously making his forgiveness contingent upon accepting that premise.
Some healings are too hard for god. Mostly he can heal only with the help of time, drugs, surgery, and the action of the person’s immune system.
After spending some time in the hospital’s pediatric ward, I can say that I have seen the absence of God.
No story about Noah and his ark is complete without the bloated, gnarled, rotting carcasses of men, women, children, infants, fetuses, and other animals that God murdered floating alongside and bouncing against the boat.
A true god would not take sides in a tribal conflict. A god invented by humans would.
Since God inseminated his own mother, does that make him a motherfucker?
Religion trains people to dial down the logic centers of their brains.
The god of Christianity fails on all of these points. A god who actually loved us would, first of all, not threaten us with Hell. Second, he would let us know who he is and make his existence positively known. Third, if he decided to give us life after death, he would guide every one of us to this happy place.
SCIENCE ASKS QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT NEVER BE ANSWERED
RELIGION HAS ANSWERS THAT MUST NEVER BE QUESTIONED
The Christian says “Muslims and Jews are wrong.”
The Jew says “Christians and Muslims are wrong.”
The Muslim says “Christians and Jews are wrong.”
The atheist says, “You are all correct.”
To deny marriage rights to gay couples, i.e. the full expression of their love and commitment to each other and the associated benefits, based on YOUR religious beliefs, is one of the lowest forms of human morality.
Oscar Wilde: Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn’t there, and finding it.
In the infinitesimally small chance that Christianity is true, and this was proven beyond doubt, I would still choose not to go to heaven; because I would categorically refuse to worship this piece of shit god for the next trillion trillion years.
Real love is impossible under the threat of eternal torture. The claim that God loves us, but will torture most of us, is preposterous.
According to Christianity, not believing in Jesus is a worse sin than murder.
Evolutionary biologist: “Let’s take a look at the evidence and see what conclusions we can make.”
Creationist: “Here’s the conclusion, let’s see what evidence we can find to support it.”
Everything makes much more sense when you assume there is no god.
A lie boldly told quashes many truths meekly stated.
There is no better evidence that Christianity is false than to show that a more comprehensive study of itself leads more to doubt than faith.
A divine being ‘dictating’ to human writers would almost certainly have done a better job of establishing a clear and well understood doctrine that would not have required a quarrelsome debate among human interpreters for the next twenty centuries.
Since the Bible and the church are obviously mistaken in telling us where we came from, how can we trust them to tell us where we are going?
Faith means never having to say you’re wrong
If the Garden of Eden, The Tower of Babel, the Great Flood, the Egyptian exile, and Jonah and the whale are allegories, how can we be sure that anything in the Bible is factual?
Why is it that God forgives people who knowingly sin (murderers, rapists, cheaters) but doesn’t forgive people who unknowingly sin (non-believers)?
The fact that the Christian god “chose” a certain people over all others and helped them to murder other people, men, women, and children, who were just as good and honorable, tells you that one of two things is true- either that God doesn’t exist or he doesn’t deserve to be worshiped, and if it’s the latter, we are fucked.
Depressed teen: Nobody accepts me!
Jesus: I know the feeling.
Depressed teen: What do you do when they won’t accept you?
Jesus: I tell them to go to Hell.
Evolutionist: Humans evolved from a common ancestor we share with chimpanzees that lived about 6 million years ago.
Christian: Were you there?
Evolutionist: Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?
Christian: Of course I do, there is no doubt in my mind.
Evolutionist: Were you there?
We don’t need apologetics for houseflies. You simply point to them and say “there’s one now.”
Apparently the mightier you are, the more you need middle-aged pseudo-academics to ‘demonstrate’ your existence. Quite a paradox.
Christian: God hates abortion!
Atheist: Didn’t God kill some pregnant women in the Great Flood?
Christian: Well, yes, probably.
Atheist: Doesn’t that constitute abortion?
Christian: No.
Atheist: Why not?
Christian: Because God did it.
The Old Testament is a font of evidence alerting any clear-thinking person that the God created by the Jews is not a real entity, but just an imaginary deity who failed to transcend the limited depth of Iron Age knowledge, understanding, morality, ethics, and wisdom.
Christians are in the uncomfortable position of worshiping a god who is morally inferior to themselves.
When confronted with the size and scale of the universe and the myriad forms of evil, disasters, pain, and suffering, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the world described by Christianity does not match the world in which we live.
Science is the impartial discovery of reality; religion is the subjective creation of fantasy.
If God is so concerned about homosexuality and abortion, why didn’t Jesus say anything about it?
Elite athletes make first place, strange shapes appear on toast and some people narrowly escape death, but amputated limbs never regrow, mountains never move and food never spontaneously appears in front of the hundreds of children that starve to death each hour.
“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.” – Marcus Aurelius
It’s not that atheists have nothing to live for- it’s that they have nothing to die for.
Believing your delusions is called insanity. Believing other peoples’ delusions is called religion.
Debating a person who believes in the Noah flood story is like an astronomer explaining to someone that meteors are not falling stars.
Why do I have to believe in Jesus to be forgiven if I don’t have to believe in Adam and Eve to be condemned?
Christians rail against gay marriage, which Jesus said nothing about, but have no problem marrying divorced women, which Jesus specifically condemned as an act of adultery. (Matthew 18:15-17)
If Christianity was real, it’s truth would permeate our core existence and its denial would require a surrender of our faculties rather the free exercise of them.
I gave up on Christianity because the evidence failed to support the purported claims and I actually care if what I believe is factually true or not.
Christianity: The belief that God sacrificed God to God to save God’s creations from God
Prayer is magical thinking that does not produce magical results.
Religion is an illusion created to help people avoid reality.
If a god made contact with humans, it would be so obvious and universal that there would be only one religion. Since this has not happened, it is reasonably certain that no god has made contact with humans, and furthermore, it is highly probable that he/she/it either does not exist or else does not know that we exist.
If you think that 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years from now, people will still be being punished for sins they committed during 75 years while on earth, then you have just figured out that God is a total asshole.
Arguing with a Christian is like playing chess with a pigeon. You could be the greatest player in the world, but the pigeon will still knock over all the pieces, shit on the board, and strut around triumphantly.
Science brings people together, religion divides
If God will not reveal Himself to you in a way that is clear and unmistakable, it is absurd to think you deserve eternal torment for not “believing.”
Christianity at it’s core is about getting people to join their group and believe that by joining their group one can stop a wrathful god from exacting everlasting judgement on those who do not join.
Christianity- the greatest lie ever sold
God says do what you wish, but make the wrong choice and you will be tortured for eternity in hell. That’s not free will. It’s like a man telling his girlfriend, do what you wish, but if you choose to leave me, I will track you down and blow your brains out. When a man says this we call him a psychopath. When god says the same we call him “loving” and build churches in his honor. – William C. Easttom II
Christian: You killed Jesus!
Jew: You’re welcome!
Christian: I BEG YOUR PARDON!
Jew: Don’t you believe that Jesus had to die for you to be saved?
Christian: Well, yeah.
Jew: Then, you’re welcome!
If God exists and decided to assign mankind to an afterlife in either a glorious paradise and a dreadful inferno, he would make doubly and triply sure that the criteria for this decision is unmistakably clear. Constrastively, if disparate human minds devised such a theology, then contradictory and ambiguous results would appear, as they do.
Christianity is like a beautiful, shiny car, but when you look under the hood, the engine is missing.
The story of the redemption will not stand examination. That man should redeem himself from the sin of eating an apple by committing a murder on Jesus Christ, is the strangest system of religion ever set up. Thomas Paine
Christians brag that they give more to charity than atheists- not true. Give $100 to a church and about $7 goes to help people in need. Give merely $10 to Red Cross and about $9.30 goes to helping people in need.
Christian: Jesus is Lord!
Atheist: Is that what you think?
Christian: I don’t think. I know.
Atheist: I don’t think you know either.
Gandhi didn’t accept Christ, so although he did 1000 good things, he also did 1 bad thing and because of that 1 bad thing he deserves to be tormented forever in Hell by a ‘loving’ God……yeah, makes perfect sense.
When a person becomes an atheist it is a seminal moment because for the first time in their life all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly and there is no longer
|
we have full redundancy. None of these except Wyldside are unique, but we want to install one of each because that's way more confusing for our opponent.
Once all four of those cards are installed, this deck ends up generating a lot of money and drawing a lot of cards, so we're playing Ekomind to maximize our expanded hand size and card draw, and we're using Darwin as a "money sink".
We're playing a single Woman in the Red Dress because we have the influence and I haven't seen her in play yet. Plus, it triggers at the start of our turn, so we don't need a click to use it.
I'm pretty sure this strategy is actually insane but I'll hold off on that judgment until I see it in action.Wolfswinkel is a magician dwelling on the island of Ninnyhammer
He is stated to have been a member of a circle of magicians based on the Nonce before his vow of loyalty to Christopher Carrion, on whose orders Wolfswinkel murdered the other magicians of the circle. Because their magical powers were set into the hats they wore, Wolfswinkel has no choice but to wear all of these hats simultaneously when working magic, much to his annoyance.
Wearing these hats, he is able to perform several feats of psychokinesis, including manipulation of objects, ignition of fires, and the creation of artificial life. Upon the removal of the hats, he loses control over his magic.
Wolfswinkel is an alcoholic and is most often clad in a bright yellow suit that appears to be made of banana skin. He is frequently made to seem ridiculous, both as himself and as the villain of a play lampooning his fights with Candy Quackenbush, whom he attempted to give as a prisoner to Christopher Carrion. In the second book, Kaspar accompanies Carrion to the human world and reveals to Candy the fact that she is the reincarnation of Princess Boa. Moments later, Kaspar goes into cardiac arrest and dies.
malingo the geshrat was kaspers slave until candy quackenbush saves him.Airtel Payments Bank’s customers will get interest at a rate of 7.25% on deposits, the company said in a statement. (Reuters)tel
Bharti Airtel Ltd today launched India’s first payments bank with a commitment to invest Rs 30 billion to develop a pan India banking network and digital payments ecosystem.
Airtel’s nationwide launch across all the 29 states comes days ahead of Paytm’s scheduled launch of its payments bank operations next week. It had been running a pilot in Rajasthan Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for little less than two months, with over one million customers already on its network.
Airtel Payments Bank’s customers will get interest at a rate of 7.25% on deposits, the company said in a statement. Also, the customers will be able to transfer money to any bank account in India free of charge from Airtel-to-Airtel numbers within Airtel Payments Bank.
“Just like mobile telephony leapfrogged traditional telecom networks to take affordable telecom services deep into the country, Airtel Payments Bank aims to take digital banking services to the unbanked over their mobile phones in a quick and efficient manner,” Bharti Enterprises’ Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said at the launch event. “Millions of Indians in rural areas will get their first formal banking experience with Airtel Payments Bank,” he added.
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Airtel said it will have a network of 250,000 banking points through its retail stores across 29 states from day one.
This is more than the total number of ATMs in the country. Customers will be able to open savings accounts, deposit and withdraw cash across any of these banking points. The company hopes to leverage its nationwide network of over 1.5 million retail outlets to help expand its banking services.
Further, the company said that Airtel Payments Bank will develop a nationwide merchant ecosystem of over five million partners including small kirana stores, grocers, pharmacies, restaurants, etc. These merchant partners will accept digital payments from Airtel Payments Bank customers over mobile phones.
Airtel, India’s largest telecommunication services provider, got a payments bank licence from the Reserve Bank of India in April last year – the first in India.
Airtel Payments Bank customers will be able to avail banking services without paperwork, including using E-KYC through their Aadhaar UID numbers for opening accounts.
Earlier this month, Paytm – India’s largest mobile wallet by number of users – also received final approval from RBI to launch a payments bank. Paytm claims it has over 150 million e-wallet users.
RBI had given in-principle approval to 11 entities in 2015 to launch payments banks, which could take short deposits of up to Rs 100,000 from each customer, and could not lend money.
Three entities already surrendered their licenses, leaving in fray Idea Cellular, Vodafone India, India Post Payments Bank and Reliance Industries, among others.
Digital wallets saw a record surge in users after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unexpectedly demonetised high value currency notes in order to curb black money and counterfeiting. With the government actively pushing for digitisation and cashless economy, and with the rising smartphone penetration and expanding internet connectivity, payment banks and e-wallets are expected to gain in a major way.A video released Monday night showed Hillary Clinton meeting privately with Black Lives Matter representatives from Massachusetts last week, and telling activists that change would come through changing the system, not changing hearts.
The videos were released by GOOD Magazine after activists Daunasia Yancey and Julius Jones appeared on MSNBC on Monday night.
The videos were filmed during a closed-door meeting following a campaign stop in New Hampshire last week, New York magazine reported early Tuesday.
At first, Clinton gave a fairly canned response, citing her work with the Children’s Defense Fund. She seemed to chastise the activists’ questions and dodged the question about her and former President Bill Clinton’s role in the rise of mass incarceration.
“You’re going to have to come together as a movement and say, ‘Here’s what we want done about it,'” Clinton said to the activists in the video. “You can get lip service from as many white people as you can pack into Yankee Stadium and a million more like it.”
But when an activist called her response “victim blaming,” Clinton had an incredibly candid response:
Look, I don’t believe you change hearts. I believe you change laws, you change allocation of resources, you change the way systems operate. You’re not gonna change every heart. You’re not. But at the end of the day we can do a whole lot to change some hearts and change some systems and create more opportunities for people who deserve to have them to live up to their own God-given potential … You can keep the movement going, which you have started, and through it you may actually change some hearts. But if that’s all that happens, we’ll be back here in 10 years having the same conversation.
Watch first video below:
And here is the second video of the exchange:While everyone has heard of the Islamic State being referred to as either ISIS or ISIL, there is a new nickname called “DAESH” gaining prominence in recent months… and the Muslim terrorist group hates it.
In a related report by the Inquisitr, singer Pat Boone called President Obama a “traitor” for his handling of international affairs. It’s also been reported that Algeria may have warned France a day before the Paris terrorist attacks began.
The reason the Islamic State gave themselves this name is due to their commitment to establishing an Islamic caliphate over the entire world, starting with countries in the Middle East. Since they are a terrorist group, and not a state, the term DAESH has started to become popular since it’s believed using the other terminology indirectly legitimizes them.
DAESH derives from the Arabic name with which they refer to themselves, “al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi Iraq wa al-Sham.” This new “loose” acronym, pronounced “Die-esh,” is already starting to be used by the heads of governments, although much of the media has not yet caught on.
For example, Australia’s prime minister Tony Abbott prefers DAESH because the Muslims terrorists hate the term and “what they don’t like has an instinctive appeal to me.”
“I absolutely refuse to refer to it by the title that it claims for itself (Islamic State), because I think this is a perversion of religion and a travesty of governance,” Mr. Abbott said, according to the Telegraph. “I’ve never used that term and I would strongly counsel people against ever using the presumptuous title that they have given themselves … Daesh hates being referred to by this term, and what they don’t like has an instinctive appeal to me…. Given that the fight begins in Iraq and Syria, we probably should refer to this organisation by the term that is most used by its opponents in those countries – that is, Daesh.”
Even before the Paris terrorist attacks occurred, the French government had switched over to DAESH.
“This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims, and Islamists,” France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. “The Arabs call it ‘Daesh’ and I will be calling them the ‘Daesh cutthroats.'”
The reason DAESH hates being called DAESH is because it’s similar to the verb Daes, which means “one who crushes something underfoot. It also sounds similar to Dahes, or “one who sows discord.” Needless to say, from now on, this reporter will be filling articles with a DAESH of this, and a DAESH of that, when writing reports on the terrorists formerly known as the Islamic State.Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron insists his party will'rescue the NHS'. Credit: PA
Party leaders have returned to the campaign trail amid opposition fears of a Conservative landslide after the Tories made sweeping gains in the local elections. The Liberal Democrats are seeking to regain the electoral initiative with their "flagship" plan to put a penny on income tax to raise £6 billion-a-year for the NHS and social care. Leader Tim Farron said: "Theresa May doesn't care about the NHS or social care. People are lying on trolleys in hospital corridors and she has done nothing. "The Liberal Democrats will rescue the NHS and social care. We are prepared to be honest with people and say that we will all need to chip in a little more."
Speaking at a GP surgery in south London on Saturday, Mr Farron later said: "Everybody else is pretending it can be done on the cheap, it cannot be done on the cheap. He said it would cost individuals an average £3 a week for an average income earner to "secure the best health, the best care, for your loved ones throughout the whole of their lives".
NHS England is facing a forecasted deficit of £873 million this year.
The Lib Dems' health spokesman Norman Lamb said: "This pledge is the first step in restoring it to where it should be. A penny on the pound to save the NHS is money well spent in our view." Reacting to the announcement, the Conservatives said that all the main opposition parties were now committed to raising taxes. Treasury minister Jane Ellison said: "A vote for anyone other than Theresa May means you will pay more tax. "Jeremy Corbyn, the Lib Dems and SNP will hit 30 million people in the pocket with higher income taxes."
Corbyn concedes Labour face 'historic' task
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn has admitted Labour faces a task on a "historic scale" if it is to regain power in the General Election after losing more than 300 councillors in local elections. Mr Corbyn acknowledged that Labour had lost "too many" councillors and now faced a mammoth job if he is to gain the keys of No 10. "We have five weeks to win the General Election so we can fundamentally transform Britain for the many not the few," he said in a statement. "We know this is no small task, it is a challenge on an historic scale."
Jeremy Corbyn admitted Labour faces 'no small task'. Credit: PA
And with the Conservatives gaining more than 500 councillors, as well as winning tightly-fought mayoral races in the West Midlands and Tees Valley, Theresa May insists she is taking "nothing for granted".Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has hired pro-life pollster and political strategist Kellyanne Conway (pictured right) as his new campaign manager.
“I want to win,” Trump said of the decision on Tuesday. “That’s why I’m bringing on fantastic people who know how to win and love to win.” During the GOP primary, Conway worked to nominate Trump’s closest opponent, pro-life Sen. Ted Cruz.
Conway’s firm, The Polling Company, has previously done survey work highlighting the American people’s dim view of Planned Parenthood once they learn about the abortion giant’s sale of aborted baby parts. “This survey shows us that we should be bullish when talking about the abortion industry and Planned Parenthood,” Conway said at the time. “The facts, figure and fundamental truth about Planned Parenthood hurt them in the eyes of the public.”
“I have known and trusted Kellyanne Conway my entire professional life,” Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in reaction to the hire. “No one is better at understanding what real people are thinking and how to connect with them than Kellyanne.” Dannenfelser expects her to be a major asset in “expos[ing] Hillary Clinton’s extremism in this general election.” Clinton is 100% pro-abortion and a longtime ally of Planned Parenthood.
This is the second major hire Trump, a former pro-choicer, has made to appeal to pro-lifers. In May, he brought on respected pro-life expert John Marshburn as his Policy Director.– NXT alumnus Marcus Louis has posted an open letter on his Facebook page detailing the ways he believes WWE can improve itself. Louis, who also worked as Baron Dax in Impact for a short time, posted the following to Facebook (now deleted) in which he says the company needs to fix their storyline writing issues and says that after watching raw for the first time in over a year, he’s come to the conclusion that the company “needs to rethink what they do.”
Louis says that WWE’s creative should get to know their talent better, start writing storylines with them and create custom-made roles instead of interchangable ones. You can see the full post below:
“In my quest for wrestling inspiration, I watched Raw which I hadn’t in well over a year.
I think WWE really needs to stop recruiting wrestlers until they have solved their screenwriting issues.
I know a lot of these guys on a personal level, I’ve seen them in the ring, I’ve seen them do interviews, I know their personalities and most importantly I understand their characters. There is so much that could be done. I have no doubt that there’s a detrimental level of laziness going on. Let me explain something that WWE has failed to understand:
Pro Wrestling is not MMA and Pro Wrestling is not acting either. You cannot hand your guys scripts and have them act your play for the very simple reason that they’re not actors, they will fail at that exercise.
Their job isn’t to fight either, you can’t just have them wrestle and hope for the best, you cannot hope to recreate nor capture sports excitement/intensity, this is not what you’re dealing with, the wrestlers will fail at doing that too.
Get to know your performers on a personal level, listen to them, observe them, know their strengths and their weaknesses, study them. You should know everything about a Kalisto, a Gable or a Crews before you start putting pen to paper. It’s crucial you do so.
Once you know your guys, start writing WITH them. Don’t wait until Monday evening 6pm to tell them about your vision and hand them a script. It takes weeks of preparation for a trained and experienced actor to pull a role off. A pro wrestler cannot remotely come close to succeed at such task. Start brainstorming weeks, even months ahead, go on the road with your wrestlers, travel with them, spend time with them, that way they’ll have time to absorb the ideas and create a custom made role.
Same with the promos and interviews. Listen to how these guys and girls talk, listen to their voice, understand their vocabulary or literacy levels. You should know this inside out before you write anything for them. If not you’ll have these horribly painful microphone segments we’re enduring with guys reciting lines they’ve learned an hour ago trying to be someone they have absolutely nothing in common with, especially when it comes to “voice”.
It’s hard work, yes, 100% but what do you want out of it? Do you want to write a mediocre show poorly acted? or do you want to write a compelling, entertaining show that feels organic and real?
Quit the office vs boys nonsense too, Vince or HHH needs to see WWE creative more like a newspaper team. Be the editor in chief so to speak, lay out the general idea but assign a multi week/months storyline to a writer and send them on the road with the 2 or 4 wrestlers they’ll be writing for, give them the freedom to write something good and trust this group to come up with something good and organic. Then you report back weeks before the deadline so the story is well explained, well understood and fits into the bigger picture. That way it leaves enough time to re write if absolutely necessary. But then again, the decision makers need to start trusting their writers and talent as well as being prepared to put that kind of work in. Teamwork I guess.
It takes long term planning and management but once again, do you want a good show?
Last but not least, you’d alleviate a lot of frustration and passive aggressiveness from your performers. They’ll be more involved, more motivated, they’ll be doing the things they love and bring a level of passion WWE is yet to see on screen.
WWE needs to rethink what they do. They’re missing out on what this show could be.”This article is about the man wrongfully convicted of rape. For the wood engraver, see Timothy Cole
Timothy Brian Cole (July 1, 1960 – December 2, 1999) was an African-American military veteran and a Texas Tech University student wrongfully convicted of raping a fellow student in 1985.
Cole attended two years of college followed by two years of service in the U.S. Army. After his Army service, he returned to college at Texas Tech in Lubbock.[1] Cole died after serving 14 years in prison, but was posthumously pardoned.
Crime and aftermath [ edit ]
On March 24, 1985, Michele Mallin, a student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, had just parked her car when she was accosted by a man, forced back into the car, and raped.[2] The rape was one of a number of similar attacks in the area at the time. Police showed photographs of potential suspects to Mallin, including one of Cole, another student at Texas Tech. She picked his photograph and later picked him out from an identity parade.[1] Cole was convicted by a jury of rape, primarily based on the testimony of the victim. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. While incarcerated, he was offered parole if he would admit guilt, but he refused.[1] Cole died in prison on December 2, 1999, during an asthma attack. His family, later joined by the victim, sought to clear his name through the Innocence Project of Texas.[2]
Another man, Jerry Wayne Johnson, confessed to the rape in 2007. Further, Mallin later admitted that she was mistaken as to the identity of her attacker. Mallin told police that the rapist smoked during the rape. However, Cole never smoked because of his severe asthma. DNA evidence later showed him to be innocent.[2] Johnson confirmed in court that he was the rapist and asked the victim and Cole's family to forgive him. "It's been on my heart to express my sincerest sorrow and regret and ask to be forgiven," said Johnson, who is serving life in prison for two other 1985 rapes. However, Johnson cannot be charged in the Mallin case because the statute of limitations has expired.[3][4] On February 6, 2009, a Texas district court judge announced "to a 100 percent moral, factual and legal certainty" that Timothy Cole did not commit the rape. The judge, Charlie Baird, reversed the conviction and ordered Cole's record expunged.[3][4] It was the first posthumous DNA exoneration in the history of the state of Texas.[5] Cole's exoneration led to numerous changes in Texas law.
Legislation [ edit ]
The Texas Senate passed legislation to exonerate Cole. The Texas House of Representatives bill passed through committee and then the full house. After that, it went to Governor Rick Perry to be signed into law.[6][7] Another bill, named after Cole, was passed by the legislature and sent to the governor on May 11, 2009. It made those who are falsely convicted of a crime eligible for $160,000 for each year of incarceration—half paid as a lump sum, and half paid out over the claimant’s lifetime as an annuity[8]—and provide them with free college tuition.[9][10] Texas law firm Glasheen, Valles & Inderman also worked with Texas Senator John Cornyn to convince the United States Internal Revenue Service that compensation for incarceration stemming from a wrongful conviction should not be treated as taxable income, that instead it should be treated the same as compensation for personal injuries which is not taxable income.[11] This ultimately led to the passing of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015.[12]
The bill also established the Timothy Cole Advisory Panel on Wrongful Convictions. A panel set up to study the causes of wrongful convictions and to devise ways of preventing them is to report to the Texas governor no later than 2011.[13] While Perry stated he wanted to issue a pardon, he felt that he was not legally able to do so. However, on January 7, 2010, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an opinion which cleared the way for the governor to pardon Cole.[14] On March 2, 2010, Governor Perry granted Timothy Cole the state's first posthumous pardon. On May 19, 2015 Governor Greg Abbott signed the Tim Cole Exoneration Review Commission into law. The Tim Cole Commission will review past exonerations and make recommendations to the Texas Legislature regarding criminal justice reform.
Memorials and posthumous degree [ edit ]
Historical marker at Cole's grave
On February 3, 2012, on the third anniversary of Cole's exoneration, the State of Texas unveiled a historical marker at his grave. In June 2012, the Lubbock City Council voted to honor Cole with a memorial. The statue is the first of its kind to recognize a wrongfully convicted person.[15] The $250,000, 19-foot (5.8 m) bronze and granite statue, paid for by local attorney Kevin Glasheen, is located at 2500 19 Street, and was unveiled in September 2014.[16]
During the first week of March 2015, the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents approved for Cole an honorary degree in law and social justice. A ceremony was held on May 15, 2015.[17][18]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]Kale and Tomato Soup
by Chef Michel Nischan
A hearty soup that brings together the rich flavors of kale and collards and the sweetness of tomatoes
Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes (cut in half, seeded, and diced)
3 cloves fresh garlic (cloves peeled and thinly sliced)
1 red barrel onion (peeled and diced)
2 cups chopped kale (cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 cups chopped collards (cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 cups chopped mustard (cut into bite-sized pieces)
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock
Sea or kosher salt
Fresh milled pepper
Directions
Heat grapeseed oil in a soup or sauce pot over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and "fry" until golden. Add onions to pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped greens and sauté until wilted. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
This segment appears in show #3205.
← Back to RecipesTo mark Record Store Day, Pulse's US Editor Ross Gardiner chews on the vinyl vs digital debate and explains why his experiences trying to DJ on turntables has made him understand dance music a lot better.
Along with the EDM vs the Underground dead horse that all dance music journalists have been beating relentlessly for the last few years, the Vinyl vs Digital format war has been the great dance music debate of our time. I’m guilty of it. When I read that a minor and potentially boring DJ that I’m interviewing is a vinyl purist, I’ll try to coax a quote out of them extolling the virtues of wax and shitting on the button bashing syncophants, because you lot love it! The aging readers of Pulse Radio, Mixmag and Resident Advisor love nothing more than a 1s and 2s fanatic claiming that the new digital breed don’t know what they’re doing.
The common complaint is that it has become too easy get up there and play, and that the new breed have no understanding or appreciation for the structure of the music and the complexities of mixing. But a lot of people, and myself included in this to be honest, think it doesn’t matter what format you use as long as you keep me dancing all night.
If you’re interested in DJing for the virtuosity, go watch some clown scratch for six hours. I just want to listen to music.
But while I do believe that it doesn't really matter, I find myself getting caught up in arguments with my peers who refer to vinyl as obsolete, 'dead tech', because I know the value of learning on turntables over syncing and filtering your way through your earliest forays into the genre.
My first foray into DJing was back in Glasgow about ten years ago. This guy we knew was moving to Dubai and needed to offload his vinyl setup. He had two 1200s in mint condition and a Technics scratch mixer for £400. Fuckin’ steal man.
“But I’ll do you that price on one condition mate,” he said to me. “You have to take my whole record collection as well.”
“Ehhhhh, alright!” I said, thinking ‘Fuckin’ jackpot mate!’.
We didn’t realize until the deal was done that his entire record collection was 2500 happy hardcore records from 92-99. Absolute migraine-inducing garbage, all of it. Egregious 180bpm, swedge munching filth.
Ricardo Villalobos' sexy as fuck living room setup
And it was now stacked up in boxes and bin bags all over our tiny flat. Luckily my flatmate, who was a very talented DJ, had about 50 half decent house records to get us started. And off we went, learning to beatmatch and string it together.
I liked the music but wasn’t a head back then. I just liked the act of mixing the records seamlessly. Just as I was starting to get the hang of it the upstairs flat flooded and the roof caved in on my turntables! One of the tone arms was broken and lumps of plaster had dried inside the mechanism. And that was that. My DJ career was in ruins.
The ensuing years saw me piss about on a controller for a little bit, trainwreck on a CDJ setup every now and again, but I largely left my inner DJ behind in a plastered broken mess.
After spending a couple of years writing about dance music I decided to get stuck back in to making music again. I bought some turntables about 9 months ago. I got a pair of Fisher Price belt-drive Stanton T.52s and Numark mixer for $175 on Craigslist. One of them spins slightly slower than the other, they have about as much torque as a half-charged electric toothbrush, and the EQ on the mixer is practically binary. But I’m making music for under a couple of hundred bucks and I’ve come to realize how much playing on turntables has accelerated my understanding of dance music.
You have to really work with the structure of the records and know them back to front. You don’t have waveforms to guide you, or a BPM counter to tell you if it’s in time. Your ear learns to hear when your tracks are drifting apart, and if you just rely on syncing you aren’t as sharp at catching when the beats aren’t perfectly matched. Plus your hands are always busy, thus making you look a bit more meaningful than some twat aimlessly twiddling knobs and fucking around with the effects.
And vinyl is expensive. So your purchases mean something. So while your average amatuer digital DJ will get on Beatport and load his basic ass USB pen up with the top ten deep house weapons, I’ve got $20 to spend on used wax I’ve never heard of, trying to make sure that I get a few things I can match up with stuff I’ve already got. You always get some duds, but the B-sides and remixes always have some surprises, and the result is a considerably more diverse and interesting collection of music.
I’m not trying to be a DJ, and I’m not sure that I’ll ever play out anywhere, but for me, the act of going to the record store, digging around, finding some weird gems, and figuring out where they go in my expanding collection is a true job. You don’t get that kind of engagement with your music on Beatport or Traxsource. I’m not knocking it - god knows if I was a gigging DJ I would almost certainly use CDJs - I’m just saying it’s not as fun.
I’m getting tired of the format war, and I think the DJs are getting exhausted by it now too. But there’s no question that playing on vinyl forges a stronger bond with the music and helps to remove the blinkers that can come with abundant choice in digital stores. And after all, having a couple of sexy 1200s and a wall of records in your living room looks so much cooler than Pioneer space station blinking and flickering away.JACQUES Faty just can’t stop exploring. A career that has taken him to many quarters of the globe has barely begun to sate the curiosity of an enquiring mind that can’t stop asking questions.
It’s why Sydney FC’s defender has travelled so much, forgoing a career at the very top to see what other challenges there might be in life. It’s why he converted from Christianity to Islam, but is just as fascinated by every facet of human nature.
And it’s why he came to Australia, to feel for himself the welcome of Australian people that friends and colleagues had told him about years before..
media_camera Jacques Faty and friends at Mecca.
That thirst for experience is why his Instagram account carries selfies of him and friends, including the former Chelsea striker Demba Ba, in Mecca two months ago, after they accepted the invitation of Saudi football officials to talk with younger players and visit Islam’s holiest site
When you make the point that most footballers prefer to spend their holidays on the beach in Dubai, Faty laughs and points out that the week before, that’s exactly where he was.
“But I was very curious to visit this place (Mecca) - you watch it on TV, you see pictures, but to be there myself was a very important moment. I was 20 years old when I converted to Islam. Before that I was very Christian in my heart. I think that Christianity actually pushed me to go further in my knowledge.
“I read the Bible and that pushed me to read other books and open my mind. My mother was Christian and my father was Muslim so I was open already. I pushed myself to read the Koran, and I kind of found my way. Even my view of soccer changed - I knew a little about the religion, and now I wanted to know about the people.
“We talk about a religion, but sometimes people inside a religion are not all the same. That’s why I moved to Turkey (in 2011), to meet people, see how they lived and acted. It’s a very nice thing when you discover something in life.”
Discovering has been the theme for Faty throughout a career that has taken in the Champions League, the African Nations Cup, a stint in China and now the A-League, where he has quickly become both a senior voice in Sydney’s dressing room, and also one of its most popular figures.
“Just becaause I’m Muslim it doesn’t mean I can’t have a good time!” he grins.
“It doesn’t mean I have to be negative or angry. Sometimes the main image of Muslims is of angry people. I am just a simple Muslim you know - my cousin (Sydney midfielder Mickael Tavares) is a Christian and he’s my best friend.
media_camera Jacques Faty takes on Besart Berisha in last season’s A-League grand final.
“I want to enjoy my friends, it doesn’t matter if they’re white or black, Muslim, Christian or Jewish. What I want to see is the attitude of people more than anything. Some days I see people who do not believe in God act better than some people who do. They’re all just human beings. It’s their attitude (to other people) that matters.”
It’s the attitude in Australia that has blown him away since arriving in January - though he had been alerted to it before.
“People had told me overseas, that how people are in Australia is amazing. My friend Jonathan Bru, when he played for Melbourne Victory, told me to come to see for myself.
“Honestly when I came here for the first time, you see how people smile, how they are open. Even last week, I was with Mikey (Tavares) and we were looking for a store we couldn’t find. One guy came to us and said, Are you looking for something? You need some help? He gave us the directions.
“In a lot of countries that would never happen, you know? People here in Australia, I don’t know what they eat every morning, but I like it! People act in the way people should.”Call for Ideas for 2018
Posted on December 25, 2017 by Niki Vazou & Jasper Van der Jeugt (permalink)
Google Summer of Code will take place again in 2018. Last year, Haskell.org was not selected, and we decided to run our own program, which ended very successfully.
This year, we would like to apply to Google Summer of Code again, since their sponsorship is very significant. The main feedback we received last year was that we didn’t really have a great homepage for Summer of Code with ideas for students (things were very rushed and we ended up submitting a link to an outdated bug tracker – not ideal!).
We already started fixing that last year by building a nicer webpage to host ideas. We would now like to call on the community to submit ideas for the students.
If you are the maintainer or the user of a Haskell project, and you have an improvement in mind which a student could work on during the summer, please submit an idea here:
https://summer.haskell.org/ideas.html
Or contact Niki Vazou (nvazou [AT] cs.umd.edu) or myself (m [AT] jaspervdj.be) directly.
For context, Google Summer of Code is a program where Google sponsors students to work on open-source projects during the summer. Haskell.org has taken part in this program from 2006 until 2015. Many important improvements to the ecosystem have been the direct or indirect result of Google Summer of Code projects, and it has also connected new people with the existing community.
Projects should benefit as many people as possible – e.g. an improvement to GHC will benefit more people than an update to a specific library or tool, but both are definitely valid. New libraries and applications written in Haskell, rather than improvements to existing ones, are also accepted. Projects should be concrete and small enough in scope such that they can be finished by a student in three months.
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An RSS feed is also available.Eliana Gown is rated 4.9 out of 5 by 9.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from So Light and Pretty! This dress was so light and airy which is nice compared to how heavy other wedding dress can be. It is a little sparkly from the iridescent sequin. I liked the all lace train as it made the dress feel more wedding-like. I would need to get the straps shortened as it is a little too long on me and the bust taken in a bit as well. The V cut was a little lower than I expected but I love it! Makes the dress feel a bit sexier.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from This dress is gorgeous! I saw this dress online and loved it. Went into the store and fell in love with this gorgeous lovely gown. It was more than I could have ever imagined! I ordered it and can not wait to wear it in October on my wedding day on the beach! Thank you for making my dream come true.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from Amazing dress The pictures do not do this dress justice. It is amazingly beautiful!UPDATE: More than a dozen charges will be filed against a Cedar Rapids man who led authorities on a chase in two counties and then barricaded himself inside his garage.
Gary A. Arntzen, 61, was arrested around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday after deputies wearing SWAT gear broke into the garage and used a Taser when he wouldn't comply with orders. Four police vehicles were damaged in the ordeal, but no one was injured.
Arntzen was in Shellsburg just before 7 p.m. when police tried to stop him for speeding, authorities said. He would not pull over, and a chase ensued that lasted about 90 minutes before concluding at his residence near the corner of Highway 30 and Sisley Grove Road SW.
Authorities said Arntzen weaved between Linn and Benton counties in the Shellsburg and Palo areas. Deputies from both counties were in pursuit, along with Shellsburg police and Iowa State Patrol troopers.
Linn County Sheriff's Col. John Stuelke said most of the chase took place on gravel roads at speeds of 60 to 70 mph. He said stop sticks were used several times, but were unsuccessful.
"He would just drive through the ditch to avoid them," Stuelke said.
Arntzen made his way south toward his residence. Around 8:
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: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -15.23ms, avg: 2.047, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -14.98ms, avg: 2.036, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.98ms, avg: 1.985, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -12.97ms, avg: 1.935, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.08ms, avg: 1.940, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -12.89ms, avg: 1.932, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.03ms, avg: 1.938, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.14ms, avg: 1.943, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -12.95ms, avg: 1.934, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.08ms, avg: 1.939, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.16ms, avg: 1.942, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.20ms, avg: 1.945, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -12.99ms, avg: 1.937, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 3 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -12.82ms, avg: 1.928, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 3 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.33ms, avg: 1.953, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.40ms, avg: 1.956, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.20ms, avg: 1.948, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.31ms, avg: 1.951, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.38ms, avg: 1.954, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.17ms, avg: 1.945, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.24ms, avg: 1.948, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.30ms, avg: 1.952, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.38ms, avg: 1.955, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.19ms, avg: 1.948, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.30ms, avg: 1.952, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.37ms, avg: 1.955, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.18ms, avg: 1.947, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.28ms, avg: 1.949, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.31ms, avg: 1.949, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.31ms, avg: 1.951, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.10ms, avg: 1.942, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.19ms, avg: 1.946, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.25ms, avg: 1.949, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.31ms, avg: 1.952, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.12ms, avg: 1.944, lo: 1, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.12ms, avg: 1.841, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.95ms, avg: 1.832, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.79ms, avg: 1.824, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.89ms, avg: 1.829, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.97ms, avg: 1.834, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.06ms, avg: 1.838, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.91ms, avg: 1.832, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.03ms, avg: 1.837, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.12ms, avg: 1.842, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.97ms, avg: 1.835, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.09ms, avg: 1.839, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.15ms, avg: 1.842, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.97ms, avg: 1.835, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.08ms, avg: 1.839, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.16ms, avg: 1.844, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.01ms, avg: 1.838, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -11.13ms, avg: 1.842, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.20ms, avg: 1.795, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.06ms, avg: 1.790, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -9.95ms, avg: 1.783, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -9.05ms, avg: 1.736, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -8.90ms, avg: 1.730, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -8.78ms, avg: 1.724, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -8.99ms, avg: 1.734, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -8.87ms, avg: 1.729, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -8.76ms, avg: 1.723, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -7.84ms, avg: 1.676, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -7.74ms, avg: 1.671, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -7.65ms, avg: 1.665, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -6.71ms, avg: 1.618, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -6.61ms, avg: 1.613, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -6.51ms, avg: 1.609, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.59ms, avg: 1.562, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.51ms, avg: 1.558, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.43ms, avg: 1.555, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.56ms, avg: 1.561, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.67ms, avg: 1.566, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.59ms, avg: 1.562, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -5.70ms, avg: 1.568, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.73ms, avg: 1.518, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.65ms, avg: 1.515, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.58ms, avg: 1.512, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.77ms, avg: 1.519, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.75ms, avg: 1.520, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.68ms, avg: 1.517, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.62ms, avg: 1.514, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.78ms, avg: 1.521, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.62ms, avg: 1.463, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.57ms, avg: 1.460, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.52ms, avg: 1.457, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.66ms, avg: 1.464, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.66ms, avg: 1.465, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.61ms, avg: 1.462, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.56ms, avg: 1.460, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.69ms, avg: 1.466, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.52ms, avg: 1.407, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.48ms, avg: 1.406, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.45ms, avg: 1.404, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.40ms, avg: 1.350, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.25ms, avg: 1.292, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.24ms, avg: 1.292, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.29ms, avg: 1.294, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.236, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.236, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.236, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.43ms, avg: 1.302, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.242, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.242, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.53ms, avg: 1.307, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.52ms, avg: 1.306, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.57ms, avg: 1.309, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.59ms, avg: 1.310, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.58ms, avg: 1.309, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.58ms, avg: 1.309, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.81ms, avg: 1.371, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.78ms, avg: 1.370, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.76ms, avg: 1.369, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.75ms, avg: 1.369, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.97ms, avg: 1.429, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.92ms, avg: 1.427, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.87ms, avg: 1.425, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -4.08ms, avg: 1.485, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.82ms, avg: 1.422, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.77ms, avg: 1.420, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.73ms, avg: 1.418, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.96ms, avg: 1.480, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.73ms, avg: 1.418, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.71ms, avg: 1.417, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.68ms, avg: 1.415, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -2.67ms, avg: 1.415, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.47ms, avg: 1.354, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.44ms, avg: 1.353, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.42ms, avg: 1.352, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.50ms, avg: 1.356, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.48ms, avg: 1.355, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.46ms, avg: 1.354, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.51ms, avg: 1.356, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.49ms, avg: 1.355, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.57ms, avg: 1.359, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.55ms, avg: 1.358, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.52ms, avg: 1.357, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.60ms, avg: 1.359, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.239, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.240, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.240, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.240, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.243, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.244, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.244, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.244, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.56ms, avg: 1.308, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.55ms, avg: 1.308, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.54ms, avg: 1.307, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.77ms, avg: 1.369, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -1.78ms, avg: 1.370, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.55ms, avg: 1.308, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.54ms, avg: 1.307, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.246, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.247, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.248, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.248, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.59ms, avg: 1.310, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.58ms, avg: 1.309, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.247, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.247, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.247, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -0.59ms, avg: 1.310, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.248, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.248, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.248, lo: 0, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.249, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.187, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.187, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.187, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 3 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.187, lo: 0, hi: 2, ex: 3
RAW Paste Data
Things that have an effect on CSGO: Timers - HPET, TSC and ACPI+++. Clock correction Clock correction notes: * Why is clock correction touching anything all? This artifact of CC is easily seen when comparing gotv vs record. This is reproducible every time you play. This is reproducible every time you play. They don't look anything like each other. * I've seen the "They are not supposed to look the same." argument you gave us a while back. What??? Do you even understand your own code??? If what I do and see on my screen is not the same as the servers, then how the hell am I supposed to do anything when clock correction gives me false feedback on every turn? I'm literally playing without lag compensation when clock correction is at its worst, because nothing is where it is supposed be. -> Enemy models are not where the actual hitboxes are. My aim is not where I'm aiming. 3. Low ping will always be better. Valve says. Note: No. Low ping will have the first shot, nothing more as long as the netcode isn't overwhelmed by something else. 4. Clock correction (code) is so bad and the implementation is so horrible that it is easily exploited by hackers. Sure it is supposed to even out the ping difference, but at its current stage it isn't even doing that. -> Look below for what clock correction really does in action. Note: VAC can't detect my exploits no matter what you do. Ban players because they have high ping? Ban players because the system is time drifting? No system is alike and no timers run the same numbers. And by your own words Valve, no internet connection is stable over distance, which is obviously a false statement. Mine is 99.5% over 1000km. Conclusion: Clock correction needs to go. It is infested with poor choices. Even on LAN servers with bots I get prefired everywhere until I turn clock correction off or correct the flawed settings myself. On LAN I get prefired! I've tested about everything that can be changed and tweaked in Windows and it always comes back to clock correction doing stuff it isn't supposed to. You aren't even looking in the right direction. Clock correction is the reason why this game suck so much and why you can never fix the hitreg. Clock correction. That is all. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clock Correction (CC) affects all clients. This is why debugging from a server point-of-view alone is pointless. This was initially thought to be a server problem, but it's not. There are two factors at play: server stress and client time. The more stressed a server is, the less accurate a client will be able to match its clock because of how packets and frames are smoothed. Looking at the server SV and VAR alone won't help, because they aren't telling the important numbers. The idea of CC is just genious, don't get me wrong. You take a players ping into calculation and compensate equally for it. So where is the problem? CC is broken. The code in use, is currently giving zero compensation. It is just a clock waiting to be manipulated. No computer run the exact same clocks. Some players will naturally have a clock that run too fast, while others will have a clock that run too slow. Unfortunately that's the standard we have today. Different timers. Now to the core of the problem. The current timesync controller in this cvar cl_clock_correction* is currently set to loose, so it allows for insane time drifting. In the most extreme case possible to summon, it is a wopping 400ms difference, and I'm not even kidding when I say this. Anyway. When a timer is running to fast, it will naturally get ahead of everything, but since the code (CC) is currently broken it doesn't know this. A player with a fast timer will get X ms compensation, while a poor guy with a slow clock will only get additional delay added. tl;dr - a player can run ahead of his hitbox by exploiting CC, making it almost impossible to hit him. The safest trick is to manipulate the system timer. 100% fool proof exploit. Now. cl_clock_correction. What's the point of having this cvar enabled, when all it does is allow players to exploit it? VAC can't detect this so this is currently heaven for exploiters, since they know they can't be detected by any anti-cheat software to this date. An anti-cheat that bans players for having a clock that naturally runs a little faster? This exploit is 100% safe. Can't be done. What can be done is making VALVE aware of the problem. I've already made a ticket and I'm just waiting for an answer. In the meantime. The only workaround is to disable cl_clock_correction. Force it off with a server plugin. Not only will it ensure that everyone stays true to the server tick, it will also boost the overall precision of the game tenfold or more, since it removes an unprecise lag compensation trick. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample from clock correction in its current state. It starts nicely, compensating ping. Evening out the game you know. Then, look! The code breaks and resets to 0. Clock correction isn't doing shit after that, but make trouble. Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 1 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 2 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 3 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 3 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 5 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): 0.00ms, avg: 1.000, lo: 1, hi: 1, ex: 5 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.08ms, avg: 1.435, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -3.03ms, avg: 1.434, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -6.67ms, avg: 1.617, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.24ms, avg: 1.796, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -10.07ms, avg: 1.790, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -13.63ms, avg: 1.967, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -17.11ms, avg: 2.143, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -20.54ms, avg: 2.317, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -20.25ms, avg: 2.305, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -26.20ms, avg: 2.602, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 3 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -25.81ms, avg: 2.583, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -25.45ms, avg: 2.566, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -28.86ms, avg: 2.733, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -32.13ms, avg: 2.898, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -35.35ms, avg: 3.062, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -34.81ms, avg: 3.041, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -38.16ms, avg: 3.207, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -41.41ms, avg: 3.367, lo: 0, hi: 4, ex: 4 Clock drift: adjustment (per sec): -40.76ms, avg: 3
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she’s the jobs candidate. Meanwhile, none of her projects makes sense.”
Boon was convinced the provincial government’s failure to seriously factor the environment into their development decisions would be offset by the election of Justin Trudeau. Surely the feds, with their commitment to sustainable development, would put the brakes on the Wild West approach of Christy Clark and company?
So the farmers and landowners were overjoyed when the new PM appointed B.C. native Jody Wilson-Raybould as justice minister. Combined with Trudeau’s promise of real government-to-government dialogue with First Nations, Boon and the others believed Site C would be stopped by Ottawa now that one of their own was sitting around the cabinet table.
“We had great hopes for Trudeau and Jody. When she was leader of another First Nations group here, she attended two or three Paddle for the Peace annual events. She was videotaped talking about the destructive nature of flooding 83 acres in the Peace River Valley.
“Now she refuses to answer questions in Parliament. Just another example of a political party in government going rogue. Trudeau is doing exactly what he said they wouldn’t do. A downright sad thing.”
In the opinion of former Liberal cabinet minister David Anderson — still the longest-tenured federal environment minister in Canadian history — Trudeau’s approach to resource development and the environment comes from a profound misunderstanding of British Columbians.
“I don’t think that Trudeau understands the people’s attachment to this coast. If I were him, and I thought this could hurt the coast, I wouldn’t do it. Yet he wants to increase tanker traffic sevenfold. You can’t tell me that kind of increase out of the port of Vancouver is not increasing risk. Trudeau should be called on this misstatement of fact that is actually worthy of Donald Trump.”
The route these tankers will take through Burrard Inlet is ominous — through the two Narrows of Vancouver Harbour, into the Salish Sea, in and around the Gulf Islands, and through the Straits of Juan de Fuca, crossing ferry routes along the way. When you add to that the LNG tankers from Squamish coming down Howe Sound to the Salish Sea, it isn’t difficult to imagine a doomsday scenario.
The nature of what a major oil spill can do to the environment was indelibly branded into David Anderson’s memory by the 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe in Prince William Sound.
“Ottawa should remember how huge disasters happen. The captain of the Exxon Valdez was drunk. He gave a conflicting order — avoid the ice and steer to port when you’re west of Bligh Reef. After this terrible spill, the clean-up equipment was hidden under snow. When things go terribly wrong, it never works out according to plan.”
Anderson not only disagrees with Ottawa’s decision to approve the $6.8 billion Kinder Morgan project (which he says he probably would have resigned over), he also doesn’t put much stock in the environmental conditions Trudeau has placed on the approval.
In the case of Kinder Morgan, there are 157 conditions. Liberal MP Joyce Murray is trying to rally the 17 members of the B.C. Liberal caucus to ensure full compliance with all of the conditions. Anderson isn’t comforted.
“Here’s the reality. If construction goes on, they will inevitably arrive at a condition they can’t meet. Trudeau says Ottawa will stop them. They won’t.”
In part, Anderson bases that conclusion on what the Liberals did when they had a chance to make Kyoto work:
“They said we’d never reach our targets. But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was we never tried. We could have been ahead of the curve. What we did was foolish. We had the opportunity for fairly major change, we had an industry buy-in, and we blew it. It’s like deja vu all over again.”
Anderson still remembers how Trudeau the Elder took British Columbia by storm in 1968, winning 16 out of 23 seats. After 1972, the Liberals were left with just four. In Anderson’s estimation, although Justin Trudeau jumped from just two B.C. seats in 2011 to 17 in 2015, he could share the same fate as his father.
“That’s because Trudeau has so clearly put the interests of the government of Rachel Notley over the interests of coastal British Columbians. Notley needed a pipeline and a lifeline. She got four of them. It’s not a win-win for Ottawa — it’s win-lose.”
Is it possible for Trudeau to avoid his father’s fate on the West Coast? Anderson looks in the direction of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, fading now as dusk falls.
“Trudeau is just one year into a four year stint in government. Something might happen. But right now, he is at serious risk of losing significant seats in British Columbia. Justin is more like Prince Harry or Prince William — idolized. But the show-biz types can fall dramatically fast, you know.”
After an hour or two of talking, the tall, gaunt figure with the striking blue eyes rises to leave. When I am alone again, I make my way down to the rocks on Ten Mile Point by the water’s edge.
The buffleheads and mergansers retreat in silent convoys at my approach. An otter raises its slick, black head for a look-see, then slips beneath the pewter surface of the water as if he was never there.
Out in the Strait, a huge tanker shows its silhouette, framed by a low island and the Olympic Mountains. Even from this distance, you can see the ocean foaming as its bow cuts through the water. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip’s words return to me, sadder than ever:
“When you yearn for some light, especially after the darkness of the Harper years, even a glimpse of it will suffice. ‘Sunny ways’ sounded so good. Now we know that a new sun has not risen in the East — just another politician.”
Editor’s note: The first version of this piece stated that Prime Minister Trudeau’s principal secretary, Gerald Butts, is a governor and a member of the executive committee at McGill University. Mr. Butts stepped down from both positions last year. iPolitics regrets the error.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) has chosen Frankfurt to be a new base for its European Union operations as Britain prepares to leave the bloc, according to a source familiar with the matter, becoming the latest U.S. bank to pick the German city.
FILE PHOTO - A view of the Morgan Stanley London headquarters at Canary Wharf financial centre in London, Britain June 24, 2016. REUTERS/Russell Boyce/File Photo
International banks are planning to set up subsidiaries in the EU to ensure they can continue to serve clients if their London operations lose the ability to operate in the EU after Britain leaves in March 2019.
Morgan Stanley is planning to use its Frankfurt subsidiary as the center for its EU trading operations, according to the source.
“That means 200 new people will be coming to Frankfurt,” the source said.
But the bank is likely to spread some of its operations across the EU, with its asset management business expected to go to Dublin. That pattern is likely to be followed by many banks - picking one EU center to be their main regional subsidiary in the bloc but then locating other parts of their businesses in several countries.
A spokesman for Morgan Stanley declined to comment. The news was first reported by the Press Association.
Details of banks’ Brexit arrangements are starting to emerge following a July 14 deadline for them to submit details of their contingency plans to the Bank of England.
Citigroup (C.N) is expected to announced officially this week that it will also be using Frankfurt as its new EU base, while Barclays (BARC.L) said on Friday it was in talks with regulators in Dublin about expanding its operations there.
Morgan Stanley’s choice was expected, with a source telling Reuters in January that the bank was likely to move jobs to Frankfurt after Brexit, given it already had a licensed entity there.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said on July 11 that his bank would probably use Frankfurt as the legal domicile of its European operations after Brexit, but that jobs may be put elsewhere as well.
Banks are pushing ahead to implement the first stages of their Brexit contingency plans, warning that they do not have time to wait to see the outcome of Britain’s exit discussions with the EU.
Most are currently focused on ensuring they have the right legal and operational structures in place, holding back on plans to move hundreds of staff until the final Brexit deal is clearer.
Frankfurt is so far looking to be the most popular choice for banks’ post-Brexit centers.
Japanese banks Nomura (8604.T), Daiwa Securities (8601.T) and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T) have all said they are planning to set up new units there, as has British lender Standard Chartered (STAN.L).A chaotic scene erupted Tuesday night at the University of Connecticut after students shouted down a conservative speaker invited to campus to give a talk titled “It is OK to Be White.”
The event ended after the speaker, Lucian Wintrich, was arrested and escorted out of the auditorium.
Video from the event, organized by the public university’s College Republicans, shows Wintrich, a White House correspondent for the conservative website The Gateway Pundit, attempting to give his speech as audience members heckled him.
“Go home Nazis,” students can be heard chanting at Wintrich as he attempted to give his address. A number of audience members later walked out of the event.
The Daily Campus, UConn’s student newspaper, reports other chants included “black lives matter” and “fuck you” as the conservative speaker “discussed how he disliked the negativity society puts on [Donald] Trump supporters and white men in general.”
Lucian Wintrrich speaking at #UCONN. Lots of angry protestors in crowd. https://t.co/xmadzIKZBM — Kevin Galliford (@KallMeKG) November 29, 2017
Fox News reports that a physical altercation later broke out in the auditorium, leading to Wintrich’s arrest.
From the Fox News report:
Videos posted online show two audience members approaching Wintrich’s podium. A woman appears to grab a piece of paper from the podium and then start to leave. Wintrich is then seen following her up an aisle and grabbing her from behind, apparently trying to retrieve the paper. A commotion then ensues, involving Wintrich and numerous audience members. Campus police then quickly step in and take Wintrich to a nearby restroom. According to the Chicago Tribune, windows in the area were shattered and UConn police were investigating a smoke bomb that was set off outside the lecture hall.
Wintrich was charged with breach of peace, according to The Daily Campus. The student newspaper also reports that “police blocked off students attempting to bombard the car” Wintrich entered as he left campus.
One student was arrested during the event, according to a campus spokeswoman, who said that law enforcement is investigating the smoke bomb incident.
Wintrich addressed the events on Twitter, saying he was disappointed that protesters interrupted the event.
“It’s really unfortunate that some of the kids at @ UConn felt the need to be violent and disruptive during a speech that focused on how the leftist media is turning Americans against each other. Tonight proved my point,” he said.
Wintrich also posted a photo of his mugshot, and said he’d be posting his full speech on The Gateway Pundit‘s website.
Well… maybe this made it all worth it… here is my actual mug shot from tonight: pic.twitter.com/SzSrw4GsgJ — Lucian B. Wintrich (@lucianwintrich) November 29, 2017
Meanwhile, UConn President Susan Herbst chastised both Wintrich and the agitators.
“We live in a tense and angry time of deep political division. Our hope as educators is that creative leadership and intellectual energy can be an antidote to that sickness, especially on university campuses. Between the offensive remarks by the speaker who also appeared to aggressively grab an audience member and the reckless vandalism that followed, that was certainly not the case on our campus tonight. We are better than this,” Herbst said.
According to the UConn College Republicans, Wintrich’s appearance on campus drew backlash before Tuesday night’s event. A Facebook post from the group mentioned that flyers promoting the talk were taken down by other UConn students.
Read The Daily Campus report and the Fox News article.
MORE: ‘It’s okay to be white’ signs spark outrage on campuses
Read More
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on TwitterKansas just passed the most restrictive abortion law in the country. It really throws down the gauntlet and:
Declares the life of each human being begins at fertilization, with all state laws to be interpreted and construed to protect the rights, privileges, and immunities of the unborn child, subject only to the U.S. Constitution and the judicial decisions and interpretations of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Abortion is one of those issues where each side tends to think that they totally possess the moral high ground. This can lead to a loss of perspective. There will be a tendency when you muster at least a local majority to throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at your opponents, regardless of collateral damage to other policy goals. Like sensible tax policies.
Kansas exempts prescription drugs from sales tax. Most, if not all states, have a similar exemption. Educational materials purchased for distribution to the public for free by a non-profit to foster the improvement of public health are also exempt. Tangible personal property purchased by a 501(c)(3) organization that provides health services to the medically underserved is also exempt.
The new legislation repeals the exemption for drugs that are prescribed for abortion. It also repeals the not-for-profit sales tax exemptions for organizations where abortions are performed. That's not enough. There are also income tax provisions. I have to confess that I am having trouble figuring one of them out. Kansas adjusted gross income is increased by:
For taxable years commencing after December 31, 2013, that portion of the amount of any expenditure deduction claimed in determining federal adjusted gross income for expenses paid for medical care of the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse or dependents when such expenses were paid or incurred for an abortion, or for a health benefit plan, as defined in section 1, and amendments thereto, for the purchase of an optional rider for coverage of abortion in accordance with K.S.A. 2012 Supp. 40-2,190, and amendments thereto, to the extent that such taxes and assessments are claimed as an itemized deduction for federal income tax purposes.
Kansas follows federal adjusted gross income pretty closely and allows federal itemized deductions relatively unscathed. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the above provision, since medical expenditures are generally not allowed against federal adjusted gross income. I have seen comments like this:
It would also prohibit women who claim income tax deductions for medical expenses from including the cost of abortion services.
I'm not sure that provision gets it done, but if it does not, I'm not sure what it is doing. Let's assume for the sake of argument that they have made the cost of an abortion non-deductible for Kansas income tax purposes along with the sales tax provisions. What is it that they think they are accomplishing other than cluttering up their tax law and making pointless work for the Kansas Department of Revenue?
This Is One Of The Sources Of Needless Tax Complexity
Kansas can't ban abortions because of Roe v Wade. So it is going to throw some provisions into its income tax law so that somebody who pays say $1,000 for an abortion might have to pay an extra 60 bucks or so in Kansas income tax. The sales tax on prescription drugs is even worse. Prior to this bill, if a doctor prescribed the drug it was exempt. Pretty simple. What is the mechanism that will have to be put into place in order to tax some prescriptions. Will the doctors have to indicate what the prescriptions are for? Will the Department of Revenue issue a list of drugs, which they will have to update, that might be taxable depending on purpose? Will either of these provisions have the slightest effect on the number of abortions that are performed?
The provision that entirely yanks the sales tax exemption for health care facilities that provide abortions might actually have some effect, since the prospect of having to pay sales tax on everything might influence a center to pass on providing abortion services.
Likely these provisions will be litigated. I would think it probable that they would stand up, but it is more fairly fruitless effort clogging the system.
Can't We All Get Along On Some Things?
One of my great wishes is that taxation should be declared the Switzerland of the culture war. Setting tax policy to raise the right amount of revenue without distorting the economy is challenging enough without bringing other issues into it. Also, it is more or less likely that you will do more harm to your cause than good by attacking the other side with tax provisions. It seems though that fighting the culture war with tax provisions is an irresistible impulse. Kansas has just succumbed.
You can follow me on twitter @peterreillycpa.
Afternote
I was talking about this with my covivant. CV does not read my blog as religiously as one would think. CV pointed out that if Kansas wants to be thorough in recognizing the unborn, the number of federal exemptions should be adjusted upward for a taxpayer who is pregnant on December 31. The Court of Claims addressed this issue on the federal level in Cassman v. U.S., 31 Fed. Cl. 121 ( 1994 ). Interesting question might be whether someone in Kansas might be able to use the Kansas statute in a federal case. Great opportunity for more low tax dollar litigation. On the other hand, it gives people work.I rescued a lot of people last year.
They plead for help, they were dropped in my lap, I found them trapped in high towers — they were in all kinds of predicaments, and every time, they told me they needed my help to escape their captors, or run to safety, or find self-actualization, or whatever the narrative told me I should care about. These characters had lively animations, incredible artificial intelligence, and strong dialogue. I wanted to believe their stories.
But mechanics speak louder than words, and in most cases, the people — usually damsels — who I was rescuing didn't need me at all. Elizabeth in BioShock Infinite is a good example. Independent, indestructible, helpful and willful, she could easily have trudged through Columbia without any help from me — and nothing that I did in the story ever changed her course or even slowed her down, even when I got myself killed. While a lot of craft and care went into telling me that I had to save her life, nothing in the game actually made that true. And so I started to think about games where a character really did count on me — where my decisions changed their lives, and the smaller the decisions, the better.
The power of weakness
In role-playing games, we usually find ourselves with a party of sidekicks, and in most cases, those sidekicks are as powerful as we are. In some RPGs, they even level up at the same time as the player, keeping the whole group in sync. So I was surprised last summer when I finally got the chance to play Earthbound on my Wii U. In this 1994 Japanese role-playing game, your party often includes characters at wildly different levels, and the differences tell much of the story.
You start out as Ness, a normal little boy with a baseball cap who slowly gets stronger as he explores the suburbs. The first companion that he finds is Paula, but when he first meets her, she's not an asset. To track down Paula, Ness goes far away from the safe city, through caves and forests that are littered with enemies. When he rescues her from a jail, he's around level 20 — but she's only level 1. She's forced to join your party, but all of the monsters nearby are way above her level, and those monsters surround you — and so you have to protect her, knowing that the wrong move or a stray attack could get her killed.
But Paula's not helpless. As I carefully led her through battles and helped her gain experience, she revealed her own abilities and spells, and started to wade into the fight. I paid close attention to her stats and skills in every battle, and by the time she had pulled up alongside Ness, I felt like I knew everything about her. This whole "training" period took about half an hour of playtime, but it felt like weeks. And when she was ready, she and Ness took on the local boss together and won, and the victory was sweet.
Paula's character design isn't as memorable as Elizabeth's. I don't remember what her sprite looks like, or any of the few lines of dialogue they gave her. But I bonded with Paula because of what we'd been through together: The process of incrementing a handful of numbers created a relationship that would stick through the rest of the game.
The tactical RPG Jeanne D'Arc pulled a similar trick on me. The cast of characters that join your army in this game are memorable and weird, and I tried to use and train them all — but one character kept getting left behind: Liane, who was the main character's best friend at the start of the game. Liane was a mainstay in the first few battles, but she seemed less impressive and less useful as the campaign went on. I started to neglect her, and that left her several levels behind the rest of the army.
And then — and sorry, this graf has spoilers — the game pulled a fast one on me: The main character, Jeanne, was taken out of the game for a while, and Liane was forced to replace her. This meant that my most powerful character was out of commission, but I was saddled with my weakest one, and I had to make her work through battle after battle. I wound up using free battles and careful tactics to bring her up to speed, and because I spent that time with Liane and gave her so much attention, the end of her storyline knocked the wind out of me in a way that the script alone could not have done.
You can't do it all
Over the holiday break, I finished a game that frankly gutted me — a game where I felt like every character, a whole community, needed me and was deeply connected with me. I finally played Persona 4 Golden and, wow, now I see what everyone was talking about. I wish it had never ended.
Throughout the game, protagonist Yu Nurakami makes friends with strangers and forms "social links" with them. Every meaningful interaction between Yu and another character helps them increment the social link, which starts at 1 and maxes out at 10. Those social links can help you in the dungeon crawling section of the game, although I played at normal difficulty, and they weren't exactly a gamechanger. I spent the whole game building my social links because I just wanted to get to know the characters better.
At first the social links felt blunt and transactional: Every time you spend time with someone, you're reminded that you improved your relationship with them, and advised about the benefits that brings. But after a while, I started to like the way it kept score, because it made me pay attention to the pace of our relationships.
Not every social link works the same: A character like Teddie will automatically bond with you over time, and so you start to take him for granted; others are hard to track down, and you end up valuing them more. The romance subplots are also hard to predict, and they add tension and surprise to the steady progress of your friendship.
But there's another reason that the social links work: you can see just how easy it is not to finish them. The defining feature of Persona 4 is the calendar. Even with a year to spend in Inaba, you realize early on that you probably won't get to do everything you want, and as the end of the year comes up, you can skim through the social links and see who didn't get enough attention, and which characters you'll never really get to know.
And you know that this is all in your hands: If you were smarter, or read a walkthrough, you could max out everyone, finish every quest and get everything done in one year, but if you're a normal player on your first spin through, it probably won't happen. And so the opportunity slips through your fingers.
After a while, I started to like the way it kept score, because it made me pay attention to the pace of our relationships.
One of the themes of the game is connectedness and seeing the truth of other people, and another motif is the idea of making memories; your pals in the game are always talking about making memories together before it's time for you to go home. The memories are ephemeral but the chance to make them is concrete.
Every day you waste is a day that you could have spent with someone else, or helped someone else. You see the opportunities for connection and you miss them when they're gone.
That's why I have actual regrets from my first playthrough of the game, and why I may clock another 60 hours to try it again. A script can give me the most dramatic, apocalyptic, life-and-death scenario in the world to try to make me care; but knowing that I can help someone in the smallest way, and then giving up the chance, is much, much more painful.
Chris Dahlen chose Chie. He is formerly of Edge, The Onion AV Club, Paste, and Kill Screen Magazine, where he was co-founder and editor. He was also the writer on Klei's Mark of the Ninja. Look for him on Twitter @savetherobot.Washington (CNN) Hillary Clinton is "bringing the same-old, same-old to the table" in her just-launched presidential campaign, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus says.
The GOP head compared Clinton's tactics -- kicking off her bid for the Democratic nomination with a cross-country minivan trip from New York to Iowa -- with her first solo political campaign, the 2000 New York Senate race.
"There's nothing new with Hillary Clinton's campaign. It's the same exact thing that she did -- what, now, 15 years ago," Priebus told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Monday. "So there's nothing new there to see."
The RNC chief's comments preview a contrast that several Republican contenders -- particularly Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the trio of freshman who have officially entered the race so far -- are trying to draw with the 67-year-old Clinton.
There's an age gap -- but Clinton's decades in the public eye has also left her with baggage that short-tenured Republicans don't have to carry.
Read MoreFAJARDO, P.R. — Puerto Rico, dealt only a glancing blow by Hurricane Irma, has become an impromptu emergency hub for its Caribbean neighbors that were left devastated by the storm’s wrath.
Puerto Ricans relieved at being spared the worst destruction donated water, clothing, first aid and other supplies, and dozens of recreational boaters sailed to nearby islands to deliver the assistance and evacuate now-homeless islanders on the return trip.
A 54-foot dive boat named the Tobias cast off on Sunday morning from the marina here, the largest in the Caribbean, and made its way eastward under a searing sun to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, the fourth vessel of the day to make the trip. It would return later crowded to capacity with 46 St. Thomas residents escaping the near-total devastation of the island.
“We were very blessed here, and we have to do everything we can to help,” said Cristina Morales, the owner of the Tobias.
Government-led missions have also been evacuating people from the islands to Puerto Rico. Some 1,200 mostly American citizens, have been carried from Saint Martin and Saint Thomas in six C130 aircraft, and more than 50 patients have been airlifted to Puerto Rican hospitals, officials said.Visits to the emergency room for alcohol intoxication in the United States have increased by more than 50 percent over the past decade, a new study finds.
What's more, ER visits tied to alcohol are taking up an increasing portion of hospital resources, and are requiring longer hospital stays than in the past, the researchers said.
"These visits place a strain on the U.S. emergency care system and represent a public health problem," the researchers, from The George Washington University's Center for Healthcare Innovation and Policy Research, wrote in the Oct. 7 issue of the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism. There is a need for more attention to efforts to identify and reduce problematic drinking, which could also help to reduce alcohol-related ER visits, they said. [7 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health]
In the study, the researchers analyzed information from a national survey of U.S. hospitals, called the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which includes information about ER visits. They looked at ER visits in which the patient received a diagnosis of alcohol intoxication or alcohol abuse. In addition, patients were included in the study if the reason for their ER visit was listed as "alcohol-related problems," "adverse effects of alcohol," "alcoholism" or "alcohol detoxification." Such visits could include cases in which a patient was injured because he or she was intoxicated.
From 2010 to 2011, there were an estimated 3.8 million ER visits related to alcohol intoxication. That's up from about 2.4 million visits in the years 2001 to 2002, the study found.
The total number of hours that patients spent in the ER for alcohol-related visits more than doubled during the study period, the research found. As a proportion of total ER hours spent caring for all patients, alcohol-related visits made up 3 percent in 2011, up from 2.2 percent in 2001, the researchers said.
The researchers also found that the use of CT scans or MRI machines for alcohol-related ER visits increased during the study period. During the years 2001 to 2002, 11.5 percent of alcohol-related ER visits used CT/MRI scans, but in 2010 to 2011, that increased to 38.2 percent.
Such scans may be used to check for head injuries in patients with alcohol intoxication, the researchers said, but there is a concern that these scans — which can be expensive and time-consuming — are being overused. A recent study found that the percentage of CT scans that actually lead to a diagnosis are declining, meaning that doctors are using CT scans more often but aren't detecting more health problems. There is also a concern that exposure to radiation from CT scans can increase the risk of cancer.
The overall length of a stay for alcohol-related ER visits increased by 16 percent, from about 5 hours in 2001 to 2002 to 5.8 hours in 2010 to 2011. This rise is likely due to an increase in the intensity of care that patients with alcohol intoxication received in the ER, said study co-author Peter Mullins, a medical student and public health researcher at The George Washington University.
Factors such as increased use of CT/MRI scans, and IV (intravenous) fluids (which also saw a rise during the study period) can contribute to longer stays in the ER, Mullins said. It's also common for doctors to allow patients to metabolize the alcohol and show they are sober before being discharged, which can also require a significant amount of time in some cases, he said.
Still, "given the number of hours these patients spend in the [emergency department], these visits represent an opportunity for intervention on the part of emergency providers," the researchers wrote.
One tool to reduce problem drinking is called the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) tool, in which a health care provider assesses a patient for risky substance use, engages him or her in a short conversation and provides a referral for patients who need additional treatment.
But this tool is used mostly in primary care offices, rather than the ER. Efforts to improve the effectiveness of the SBIRT tool, and to figure out the best approach for using it in the ER, "are likely to result in a cost-effective intervention," the researchers said.
Other interventions, such as follow-up phone calls to patients after they leave the ER, could help reinforce the counseling they received in the ER and promote follow-up treatment, the researchers said.
The reason for the rise in alcohol-related ER visits is not known. The findings are "particularly striking," given that previous research has found a decrease in binge-drinking behavior in the United States during the same time period, Mullins said. Future research could study more specifically why these patients are ending up in the ER, he said.
Original article on Live Science.
Editor's RecommendationsUPDATED: The Syfy drama will return for one last go with a six-episode order.
Syfy has renewed Warehouse 13 for a fifth and final season.
Executive produced by Jack Kenny, the one-hour drama starring Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly is currently airing the rest of season 4.5, which wrapped production in late 2012.
Syfy, which just gave the expensive multiplatform drama Defiance a second season, has ordered six more episodes of Warehouse 13 to launch in 2014 in order to wrap up the story, confirms The Hollywood Reporter. An official announcement is expected on Friday.
Production begins this summer in Toronto.
When THR spoke to Kenny in April, the showrunner revealed that he and the writers were already breaking stories in anticipation of a fifth-season pickup.
"Our marching order from Syfy is 'Think big,' " Kenny told THR at the time of the season five mandate. "Do all those episodes that you thought were too big to do before: bigger scenes, bigger excitement, take bigger chances."
Saul Rubinek and Allison Scagliotti co-star in the Universal Cable Productions series.
Warehouse 13 airs at 10 p.m. Mondays on Syfy.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @insidethetubeFor Variety’s latest issue, we asked former “Saturday Night Live” writer Chris Kelly to pen a tribute to Kate McKinnon, one of 50 people to make our New Power of New York list. Here’s why McKinnon represents a new generation of movers and shakers that capture the best of Manhattan. For the full list, click here.
When you’re a writer at “Saturday Night Live,” you usually watch the show from a monitor backstage in between making tweaks to another sketch. But occasionally, there’s something you have to watch from the floor. You just know you’re going to want to have seen it live. And for me, those sketches are called Kate McKinnon Sketches.
Whether she’s playing a frank Midwesterner describing an alien abduction in graphic detail, or smiling enthusiastically as any number of weirdos on “Weekend Update,” or accompanying herself on the piano while singing “Hallelujah” just days after the election, it’s always inspiring to watch her live. She’s just so commanding and weird, confident and slippery. There’s no one else like her.
I’ve written hundreds of sketches with Kate, and still, during almost every show, I turn to my co-writer Sarah Schneider and say, “She’s incredible.” Because there’s nothing she can’t do, and no sketch she doesn’t make better. I cannot tell you how many times we’ve sent Kate out with writing we worried wasn’t quite there, only to watch her wring a laugh out of every sentence — and sometimes word. Kate can trick an audience into thinking they’re hearing good writing, and for that I love her.
Related Melissa McCarthy Is 'Very Done' With Playing Sean Spicer on 'SNL' Audible, Broadway Video Ink Production Deal for Comedy Originals (EXCLUSIVE)
But what people don’t see is how tireless she is behind the scenes. When we do music videos, she brings in instruments and writes the melody. When we rework political pieces on Friday nights, she stays until 4 a.m. rewriting with us, and then on the way home, texts us still more, better jokes. She just cares so deeply that the work is good but doesn’t ever want or need credit. And that is why, when she finally reads this, she’ll say, “No, no, I did nothing. It’s all you guys.”
But it’s not. It’s her.
Iveta Karpathyova for Variety
Chris Kelly left “Saturday Night Live” recently after six years with the show. Read the rest of our New Power of New York list.(Photo by www.epcrugby.com)
Ulster Rugby has been riding an increasing wave of optimism and energy these past few seasons, with the feel-good factor showing few signs of abating. A comfortable 29-9 victory over the Glasgow Warriors, who had won all five of their previous games, gives a good marker of where this current Ulster squad are at as the season progresses.
The crowd of over 16,000 at the new Ravenhill highlights the growing affinity and connection the Ulster public have with their side. This fixture would have generated under 10,000 a few season’s years ago which is a credit to everyone involved with the club as it continues to grow.
The Old Ravenhill, despite a small capacity of around 11,500, was always a very tough place for opposition teams, with its suffocating and claustrophobic nature proving too intimidating for many. The 41-7 victory over European heavyweights Leicester Tigers in 2012 is a classic example of how a crowd can lift a team to overwhelming levels of energy and intensity.
Leicester were simply blown away that day.
The new 18,000 stadium layout offers a perfect matchday experience for the fans as the terraced areas along the touchline encourages a more atmospheric and boisterous environment.
The danger in re-developing the ground was losing that unique imposing atmosphere. By incorporating terracing into the new design, mirroring what Munster have done at Thomond Park, the new Ravenhill has managed to keep hold of all the positive aspects of the past while offering a relevant, modernised and state-of-the-art stadium with great facilities.
So many new club rugby grounds have followed football by having an all-seater situation, with many sharing grounds like the Ospreys with Swansea City and London Irish with Reading.
The fantastic new Ravenhill stadium has proved a hit with the fans
(photo by ulsterrugby.com)
This offers many financial advantages to the clubs but can reduce the mood tremendously. This was apparent when the Cardiff Blues moved to Cardiff City’s new 27,000 seater stadium in 2009, where they were lucky to get 8,000 on a good night. This resulted in a flat, indifferent and apathetic atmosphere, transferring onto the players, producing a dire spectacle for fans which
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Miller said among the new violations was the company's order that some workers not associate with employees who have been involved in union organizing.
As part of the original settlement agreement with the NLRB, the company agreed to post information in its plant that outlined in detail 10 different types of organizing interference it promised to avoid, according to the agreement.
The agreement included a list of 16 employees the company sent home early on June 11, 2015, for engaging in union activity. The company agreed to provide back pay for time lost. But Ground Effects has since fired two of those employees, who were among about a dozen workers and UAW Local 600 officials who took part in a rally outside the plant in Dearborn on Wednesday.
Those two workers feel they were targeted because of their union organizing activities and cited for minor infractions in their firings.
Maria Sanchez, 37, of Allen Park said she was fired Feb. 10 for putting screws into a Ford F-150 bedliner in the wrong order. But she said the company had not told employees the order in which the screws should be installed.
"They said I had to start from the passenger side. But (until then) they never specified what side you were supposed to start on," she said.
John Salazar, 56, said he was fired in December for falsifying documents. But Salazar said he and other employees had been signing documents the same way for years with the company's knowledge.
"Basically, they just picked out a reason to fire me," Salazar said.
Windsor, Ontario-based Ground Effects operates several companies in Windsor and also has locations in Flint, Warren, Belvidere, Ill., Bowling Green, Ky., Kansas City, Mo., and Toluca, Mexico.
In Dearborn, the company and its workers apply spray-on bedliners in the beds of Ford F-150 pickups.
The UAW also filed 10 complaints on Feb. 18 with the Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration signed by employees. The complaints allege, among other things, that workers at the Dearborn plant are suffering from "adverse health effects, including burns, rashes, hair loss and asthma because of the chemicals they are working with and a lack of proper safety equipment."
Salazar and Sanchez they've experienced those health issues and said they suspect they were fired because they took part in a protest in December and have been involved in union organizing activity. They were among about a dozen workers who began protesting at the plant at 3 a.m. Wednesday.
"Today, our goal is just to get the point across to management that we need a union in here," Sanchez said.
During the first election, Salazar said the company sent people into the plant to talk to employees for long periods of time and warned employees that the plant would be closed and moved elsewhere if workers voted in favor of a union.
"They more or less threatened us with our jobs if we didn't go along with their wishes," Salazar said.
Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrentSnavely.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/1oPERsK"Sometimes it seems like a bad trade. But bad trades are part of baseball – now who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for God’s sake?"
-- Annie Savoy, Bull Durham
Or who will ever forget Justin Upton-for-Martin Prado for that fact, either? Now to be fair there were other parts to those trades – Pappas was acquired by the Reds along with Ted Davidson and Bob Johnson; and Brandon Drury, Nick Ahmed, Randall Delgado, and Zeke Spruill also landed in Arizona with Upton – but the point remains the same: both the Reds and Diamondbacks clearly didn’t get enough by dealing away two superstar caliber outfielders.
And it was moves like the latter that forced the Diamondbacks to look in another direction as the club, under the guidance of the newly-minted Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, relieved Kevin Towers of his General Manager duties in early September, bringing to an end one of the more criticized runs in recent memory.
After piloting the D-Backs to the third best record in franchise history in 2011, Towers began selling off bit-by-bit some of the club’s more valuable assets, getting pennies on the dollar in return, including dealing a team-controlled 25-year-old Upton, a former #3 overall pick, and two promising pitching prospects.
In total, Towers would consummate 34 trades during his four-year tenure at the helm:
And while a few of those deals worked well in terms of net WAR for Arizona – namely acquiring relievers Brad Ziegler and Matt Reynolds –the overall results of those trades are, well, staggering.
Total WAR Total $ $/WAR ARI 13.40 $83,934,750 $6,263,787 Opp 31.90 $85,085,300 $2,667,251
Towers acquired 13 wins above replacement and at the approximate cost of $84 million in salary, for an average of $6.2 million. He would deal nearly 32 wins above replacement for just about the same cost ($85 million), or an average price of $2.7 million. Basically, Arizona paid open market price for one win without considering the talent leaving the club and opposing teams more than doubled their acquiring WAR for just over 40-percent of the cost.
No business on the planet can sustain a successful business model with that type of failure.
A few things to note about the study:
Future value was not considered, both in terms of money and on-field production. If some of the players Arizona acquired unexpectedly blossom – Drury, Delgado, O’Brien, etc.. – the end results change. And likewise, if a player like Prado tanks during the final years of contract then the price per WAR increases for opponents.
A player’s value was analyzed from the point of the trade through the end of his team-controlled years with his new club.
Finally, salaries are estimated based on time of trade(s)
Towers’ best deal: acquiring Brad Ziegler from the A’s for a couple of spare parts. Ziegler’s gone on to amass more than 4.5 wins at the average cost of $2 million.
His worst deal, believe it or not, is trading off Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook, and Collin Cowgill for the right to pay a disappointing Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow a combined $18.5 million for just under three wins of production.
Again, this doesn’t look at future value. Maybe Brandon Drury or Peter O’Brien or develop into useful big league bats and Prado puts up bupkis in the next two years. But any future contributions aren’t likely to swing the pendulum hugely in Arizona’s favor, especially considering Upton is still under team control through the end of next season and Parker, Cook, Trevor Bauer, and Adam Eaton are several years away from free agency.
In the end, it wasn’t just one deal that did in Kevin Towers as a GM; it was a history of selling low and buying high that pushed the team back towards mediocrity.
All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.
For more analysis check out Joe Werner's site: ProspectDigest.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoltinJoeyJukebox John keeps changing his tune
It’s obvious that the McCain campaign and the RNC have decided to go after Barack Obama as a flip-flopper. What’s equally obvious, though, that Republicans couldn’t have chosen a worse narrative.
McCain & Co. seemed to stumble on this line of attack almost by accident. They’d experimented with a variety of memes in recent months, none of which had any real salience. The right settled on “flip-flopper,” in large part because it’s the closest available, already-written Republican narrative, and in part because McCain staffers haven’t been able to think of anything else.
The irony, of course, is that the McCain campaign couldn’t have picked a more hypocritical line of attack. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of reversals from the Republican nominee, numbered and organized by category for easier reference.
Remember, McCain recently said, “This election is about trust and trusting people’s word.” Just a few days prior, the McCain campaign admonished Obama for trying to “have it both ways” on issues.
I should note that there’s nothing offensive about a political figure changing his or her mind once in a while. Policy makers come to one conclusion, they gain more information, and then they reach a different conclusion. That is, to be sure, a good thing — it reflects a politician with an open mind and a healthy intellectual curiosity. Better to have a leader who changes his or her mind based on new information than one who stubbornly sticks to outmoded policy positions, regardless of facts or circumstances.
So why do McCain’s flip-flops matter? Because all available evidence suggests his reversals aren’t sincere, they’re cynically calculated for political gain. This isn’t indicative of an open mind; it’s actually indicative of a character flaw. And given the premise of McCain’s presidential campaign, it’s an area in desperate need of scrutiny.
The perception people have of McCain is outdated, reflective of a man who no longer has any use for his previous persona. What’s wrong with a politician who changes his or her views? Nothing in particular, but when a politician changes his views so much that he has an entirely different worldview, is it unreasonable to wonder whether it’s entirely sincere? Especially when there’s no other apparent explanation for six dozen significant reversals?
McCain has been in Congress for more than a quarter-century; he’s bound to shift now and then on various controversies. But therein lies the point — McCain was consistent on most of these issues, right up until he started running for president, at which point he conveniently abandoned literally dozens of positions he used to hold. The problem isn’t just the incessant flip-flops — though that’s part of it — it’s more about the shameless pandering and hollow convictions behind the incessant flip-flops. That the media still perceives McCain as some kind of “straight talker” who refuses to sway with the political winds makes this all the more glaring.
Here’s the list.
National Security Policy
1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.
2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.
3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”
4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.
5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.
6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.
Foreign Policy
7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he’s for it again.
8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.
9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.
10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.
11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.
12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.
13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.
Military Policy
14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”
15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.
16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.
17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”
18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.
19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.
20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”
Domestic Policy
21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)
22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”
23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.
24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.
25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.
26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.
27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.
28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.
29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.
30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.
32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.
34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.
35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”
36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.
37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.
38. McCain said the Colorado River compact will “obviously” need to be “renegotiated.” Six days later, McCain said, “Let me be clear that I do not advocate renegotiation of the compact.”
Economic Policy
39. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.
40. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.
41. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.
42. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
43. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.
44. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”
45. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.
46. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.
47. McCain was against massive government bailouts of “big banks” that “act irresponsibly.” He then announced his support for a massive government bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Energy Policy
48. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.
49. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.
50. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.
51. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.
52. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.
53. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.
Immigration Policy
54. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.
55. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.
56. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”
Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law
57. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.
58. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.
59. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.
60. In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.
61. In June, McCain described the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” In August, he reversed course.
Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform
62. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.
63. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.
64. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.
65. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.
Politics and Associations
66. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)
67. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.
68. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.
69. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.
70. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.
71. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
72. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
73. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.'” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.
74. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.
75. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.
76. McCain has been both for and against considering a pro-choice running mate for the Republican presidential ticket.
If and when you learn of a reversal that has not yet made the list, I hope you’ll let me know.
Digg It!
Subscribe to receive updates to The Official McCain Flip-Flop ListObservers have repeatedly alleged IS has used chemical weapons, and the Pentagon has confirmed the jihadists have deployed chlorine and sulfur mustard devices (AFP Photo/Philipp Gulland)
Washington (AFP) - A rocket fired by Islamic State jihadists at US forces in Iraq may have carried a chemical agent, a US defense official said Wednesday.
No one was injured in Tuesday's blast near an airfield by the northern town of Qayyarah and no one showed any immediate signs of exposure to the suspected mustard agent, the official said.
Several hundred US troops are working with Iraqi partners to strengthen the airfield ahead of a push on the IS stronghold of Mosul.
The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an incoming round had exploded within the base perimeter during an "indirect fire" attack.
A small team of US troops later inspected the fragmented ordinance and found one bit with a suspicious, tar-like black oily substance that they tested in the field.
That initial test was positive for a "mustard agent." A second test was negative, and a third sample has been sent to a proper laboratory for definitive analysis.
The official downplayed the seriousness of the incident, saying the shell would have been "militarily ineffective."
"Our concern is not much greater after seeing this," he said.
Still, the troops who handled the fragments went through a standard decontamination procedure.
US-led coalition warplanes last week destroyed a factory near Mosul suspected of being used by IS to make chemical weapons.
Observers have repeatedly alleged IS has used chemical weapons, and the Pentagon has confirmed the jihadists have deployed chlorine and sulfur mustard devices.
Iraqi security forces, backed by coalition air power, are in the final weeks of "shaping" operations ahead of an assault to recapture Mosul, which IS seized in 2014 and which remains the jihadists' last main stronghold in Iraq.( ) The annual Provo Freedom Festival decided July 3 that a local LGBT resource center would not be allowed to walk in Grand Parade, according to Encircle: LGBT + Family & Youth Resource Center.
The Festival, according to, "highlights freedom through bands, professionally crafted floats, giant helium balloons and local and national performers," while encouraging participants to "promote patriotism and traditional family values to around 300,000 spectators."
According to by Encircle, the Festival revoked its previously approved application to participate because it is being classified as an advocacy group.
Encircle disputes that classification, however, citing its status as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Nolo, a website offering multiple types of, says 501c3 organizations may not participate in political campaigns. Nolo advises they may, however, "engage in non-partisan activities and legislative or issue advocacy."
Encircle maintains it does not advocate any "certain political party or legal action."
According to its website, the group "functions as a hub for resources that support the overall well being of LGBTQ individuals." Encircle, which opened its doors February 14 of this year, offers community, skills training, and counseling, among other services.
"We maintain, as we always have, that our mission is to 'Empower families to sustain the circle of their love, enabling each member to thrive,'" the group said in its Facebook post addressing the parade's decision. "We respect the decision of the parade committee and will use this as an opportunity to show Provo who we are. We will always come from a place of love and intention, never fear or reaction. We are here to be a safe space for all, which means being planted firmly."
The group will hold a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. July 4 at its Provo Resource Center, located at 91 West 200 South.
Encircle's statement, in its entirety, reads as follows:
Dear Encircle Family and Friends:
We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being willing to walk with us in the America's Freedom Festival Parade in Provo tomorrow morning. We know you are all as excited as we are to spend time together celebrating the Fourth and our freedoms as families and as a community.
Encircle: LGBTQ+ Family and Youth Resource Center opened fewer than six months ago, and as such a young organization, it seems we have not yet been able to sufficiently introduce ourselves to the broader Provo community. Initially, our application to the America’s Freedom Festival Parade was approved; however, today we learned that our group is no longer allowed to participate. We are disappointed that we have been rejected for being classified as an “advocacy group." As a 501c3, we dispute this classification. We do not and never have advocated a certain political party or legal action. We maintain, as we always have, that our mission is to “Empower families to sustain the circle of their love, enabling each member to thrive.”
We respect the decision of the parade committee and will use this as an opportunity to show Provo who we are. We will always come from a place of love and intention, never fear or reaction. We are here to be a safe space for all, which means being planted firmly.
In lieu of walking in the parade with us tomorrow, please join us for a pancake breakfast at the Encircle home. We will get started at 8 am.
Thank you all for your continued support.
No sides, Only Love:
The Encircle Team
UPDATE: Paul Warner, the executive director of the Freedom Festival, told 2News Wednesday he and Encircle were planning to meet sometime next week. He declined comment on the matter until after that meeting is complete.Michael Webster reads from the formal document that cements Dame Patsy Reddy as New Zealand's 21st Governor General.
More tofu, Ma'am?
It's unlikely to be a sentence ever uttered to the Queen, such is the low probability she and the Duke of Edinburgh would travel to New Zealand now (Although, one would delight in hearing the gaffe-prone Prince Phillip's reaction in being presented with a polenta square.)
But the fare served at Government House has marched regally with the times.
KEVIN STENT/FAIRFAX NZ. New Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy inspects the Guard of Honour at her swearing-in ceremony.
New Zealand has it's third female and first vegan Governor General in Dame Patsy Reddy, who was sworn in on Wednesday.
READ MORE:
* Hollywood big guns among crowd at swearing in of new Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy
* New Governor-General Patsy Reddy ties the knot with long-term partner
* Explainer: Who is Dame Patsy Reddy, and what will she do as Governor-General?
* Dame Patsy Reddy'stunned' at Governor-General offer
* Next Governor-General won't be a former politician - John Key
* Who will be New Zealand's next Governor-General?
Dame Patsy, who succeeds Sir Jerry Mateparae, received a general salute from the Royal Guard of Honour, inspected the troops of which she is now Commander-in-Chief, and took the affirmation of allegiance, before receiving a 21-gun salute.
Kristin Lajeunesse This is not what was served at Dame Patsy's private banquet, but vegans can fine-dine with the best of them. Provided they have the right chef on the job. The Government House chefs are no strangers to catering to all sorts of dietary options.
Her first banquet, at Government House that night, was strictly in her honour and no less formal than should be expected for a vice-regal affair.
The menu was completely "plant-based", confirmed a Government House spokeswoman.
Guests began with an Eastern tasting plate, that included shiitake mushroom consomme, karengo and tapioca crackers, steamed buns with miso roasted aubergine and pickled cucumber and crispy fried tofu with lemongrass, chilli and black vinegar.
KEVIN STENT/FAIRFAX NZ. New Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy at her swearing in ceremony.
For the main, chargrilled new-season asparagus was served with Maori potato skordalia, beetroot and sesame felafel and a tahini and baby beetroot salad.
Desert was a citrus syrup cake with date and cacao filo, cupuacu (a tropical rainforest fruit related to cacao), coconut sorbet and petits fours.
Wednesday's banquet was for Dame Patsy's family, close friends and colleagues, however the full gamut of options would be available during any official dinner for foreign and visiting guests.
That was in stark contrast to former Queen's Representative Sir Jerry, whose omnivorous farewell at Parliament began with an entree trio of Aoraki Salmon.
Of the main, guest could either dine on grilled beef fillet or braised eggplant, lentil and kale casserole.
The dessert was a pineapple and passionfruit Eton Mess, all washed down with either a Chard Farm Pinot Noir, a Cloudy Bay Sav or an Ata Rangi Chardonnay.
In actual fact, Government House has been catering for the variety of dieting options available in the 21st century for a number of years.
Government House has four full time chefs and more are called on if needed. There is also a team that spends weeks creating menus when hosting visiting dignitaries.
Great pride is taken in sourcing New Zealand food and wine and experimenting with flavours and dishes.
Vegan Society of New Zealand spokeswoman Claire Insley said it was "exciting" to hear New Zealand had a vegan Governor General.
"It's wonderful that all dietary options are catered for, especially in this day and age. Of course, we find a lot of chefs actually do enjoy the challenge of having to create different options.
"It's just quite exciting to hear we have a vegan Governor General, and I'm sure it will help to bring it into the mainstream."
Insley congratulated Dame Patsy for ascension to the vice-royal office, and for her dietary decisions.Dragonflies may have hovered and hunted across the planet for the last 325m years, but their modern relatives are staring extinction in the face. Experts warn that one-third of British species are now under threat, a plight that today sees the opening of the UK's first ever dragonfly centre to celebrate and protect one of the country's most fascinating insects.
Located at Wicken Fen nature reserve in Cambridgeshire, the new centre hopes to reverse the decline of the 42 species found regularly in the UK. Conservationists blame the decline on the loss of wetlands, and pesticides and insecticides drifting from farmland.
Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, who opened the centre today, said: "The loss of wetland habitat throughout the UK is having a massive impact on the long-term survival prospects for many dragonfly species." He warned that three British species have already become extinct since the 1960s.
Dragonflies spend much of their lives underwater as larva "nymphs", and when the winged adult finally emerges its flying lifetime is comparatively short, ranging from just weeks for small species to a few years for the largest. They are a key indicator of water quality and a valuable natural predator of mosquitoes and midges.
Some British species are faring worse than others. White-faced darters have seen a signifcant loss and drying out of the bog pools where they live, while the Norfolk hawker's limited distribution - mostly in the Norfolk Broads - has left it vulnerable to sea level rises and salt water infiltration.
As well as pressure from the historic loss of East Anglian fens, many of which have been drained and converted to farmland, British dragonflies and their prey are at risk from insecticides and pesticides. Vicky Kindemba, freshwater officer at conservation charity Buglife, said: "Different chemicals affect invertebates differently, but one we know about is permethrin - used to treat wood and animals to remove fleas and woodworm - which can affect dragonflies when it finds its way into the water course." Chemicals reaching rivers and streams from agricultural run-off can disrupt dragonfly breeding patterns - reducing the number of eggs, for example.
There are signs that increasingly conservation-conscious farmers are aware of the problem. David Felce, who runs Midloe Grange Farm near the site of the new dragonfly centre, said: "We have several types of dragonfly on the farm, including blue emperors and brown hawkers, which we've protected by building grass buffer zones near our seven ponds and water courses. As well as acting as a failsafe to keep insecticides away from dragonflies and other insects, the grass is a habitat for wildlife in its own right."
Dragonflies are doing better this year compared to 2008, according to anecdotal evidence from naturalists at the British Dragonfly Society. "We think it's due to the sustained wet weather during late spring and early summer last year," said Katharine Parkes, a spokesperson for the society. "This year, although we've still had wet weather, it's been showery rather than sustained, and dragonflies are very good at making the most of sunny intervals."
However, long-term records are required to establish an accurate picture of dragonfly health, and the data collected by naturalists from 1986 to 2005 shows a third of British species are now classified as endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened under official Red List criteria.
Wicken Fen, where the dragonfly centre opened today, is one of the few bright spots for dragonflies and home to 21 of Britain's species. Stuart Warrington, the National Trust's Nature Conservation Advisor for the East of England, said: "Dragonflies symbolise the importance of Wicken Fen and our ambitious project to create a 22 square mile nature reserve. Work to develop good quality habitats for dragonflies, such as clean ditches and ponds, has led to successful breeding of all the species found at Wicken and on the land surrounding the fen."
The new centre, staffed by volunteers, will give visitors access to educational displays, advanced courses on species identification and guided "safaris" to see the fen's darting inhabitants, from the emperor dragonfly to the hairy dragonfly.
Dragonflies: fast facts
• There are more species in the dragonfly family than there are species of mammals
• The wings of a dragonfly beat at up to 35 times a second
• The insects can fly forwards and backwards at up to 18mph
• The eyes of a dragonfly cover a field of vision close to 360°
• The largest species have been known to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
• Dragonflies don't sting humans
• This article was amended on 28 July 2009. Due to editing changes, the original said that the dragonfly family "has more species than any other mammal". This has been corrected.The Doctor's set is a vanity set made up of the The Doctor's Shirt and The Doctor's Pants. They are purchased from the Clothier for 40 (set), on the day after a Full Moon.
These items are to be equipped in the Social slots as they only provide a visual appearance.
The Doctor's clothes are a reference to the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) from Doctor Who.
The Fez may also be considered to be a part of the set, since the Eleventh Doctor has been known to wear fezzes with the excuse that "Fezzes are cool", which is also the tooltip for the Fez.
Desktop 1.2.1: Graphics variant for female characters added.
Console 1.02: Graphics variant for female characters added.
Mobile 1.0.2: Graphics variant for female characters added.“I don’t think people are that overawed by us,” the always candid Howard, 31, said. “I just think a few goalkeepers have come over and done well, so people are going to be more willing to take a risk” on an American.
Photo
Hahnemann said he thought the goalie position was more prized in North America than it was in England, mentioning both soccer and hockey.
“After an N.H.L. game, what does everyone
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the cavorting of women with demons in the middle of the night causes bad weather, crop failures, diseases, accidents, and assorted other maladies, then either you are insane or you lived 500 years ago, when almost everyone accepted the witch theory of causality, and burning women at the stake was considered to be a moral good in the name of improving the community. The people who torched women were not so much immoral as mistaken. They undoubtedly truly believed that what they were doing was right and good, but their actions were grounded in an incorrect understanding of causality.
Today we no longer accept the witch theory of causality because science debunked it. In its stead science created natural and more accurate explanations for such phenomena as weather and diseases. Science has also debunked other superstitious beliefs, such as demon possession; the need for animal and human sacrifice to appease God; that Jews caused the Black Death; that African Americans are an inferior race; that women are the weaker gender; that animals do not suffer, so it’s okay to harm or eat them; and—to your question—that homosexuals have a “gay lifestyle” or “gay agenda” that they want to force on straights and that will corrupt the morals of the youth.
With the exception of psychopaths and sadists, who seem to enjoy harming others, most people act in what they consider to be moral ways, so when we can clearly see (and measure) that they are in fact behaving in ways that lead to the suffering or death of sentient beings, it is probably more accurate to say that they are mistaken in their beliefs than that they are simply immoral or evil. And the solution is not so much that we need to make them more moral as it is that we need to correct their mistaken beliefs. Science and reason are the best tools we have for doing just that, so ultimately moral progress comes about from generating better ideas rather than better morality.
Harris: What role has religion played in our moral progress?
Shermer: I like to paraphrase Winston Churchill in his description of Americans: You can always count on religions to do the right thing…after they’ve tried everything else. It’s true that the abolition of slavery was championed by Quakers and Mennonites, that the civil rights movement was led by a Baptist preacher named Martin Luther King Jr., and that gay rights and same-sex marriage were backed early on by some Episcopalian ministers. But these are the exceptions, and for the most part people who opposed abolition, civil rights, and gay marriage were (and still are, in the latter case) their fellow Christians. In my debates with Dinesh D’Souza, he holds up William Wilberforce—the British abolitionist—as an example of how religion drives moral progress. But when I looked into that history a bit more carefully, it turns out that Wilberforce’s opponents in Parliament were all his fellow Christians, who justified slavery with religious and Bible-based arguments. (Plus, as I note in my book, “Wilberforce’s religious motives were complicated by his pushy and overzealous moralizing about virtually every aspect of life, and his great passion seemed to be to worry incessantly about what other people were doing, especially if what they were doing involved pleasure, excess, and ‘the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances.’”)
The gay rights revolution we’re undergoing right now is a case study in how rights revolutions come about, because we can see who supports it and who opposes it: The vast majority of conservative and fundamentalist Christians have opposed (and still do oppose) same-sex marriage and equal rights for gays, whereas secularists and non-religious people support the movement; and those religious people who do endorse same-sex marriage are members of the most liberal and the least dogmatic sects.
So, while I acknowledge that many religious people do much good work in the world, manning soup kitchens and providing aid to the poor and disaster relief to those in temporary need, religions overall have lagged behind the moral arc, sometimes for an embarrassingly long time.
Harris: Where do you think we are headed? Is moral progress nearly inevitable at this point, or is serious moral decline a real possibility?
Shermer: I’m optimistic for the future. I titled the final chapter of The Moral Arc “Protopia,” in contrast to unrealistic utopias and dystopias. The word was coined by the futurist Kevin Kelly, founder of Wired magazine, who tracks trends in science, technology, and society. Protopia consists of gradual, steady, stepwise improvements in humanity. Today is ever so slightly better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be ever so slightly better than today, and so on. The moral arc is not a smooth curve—there are periodic setbacks such as ISIS/ISIL, Syria, and Putin—and it is not impossible that something like a global nuclear exchange could lurch us back into barbarism, but it is highly unlikely. No terrorist organization has ever overturned the government of a state and established its own. Putin will never reconstruct a Russian empire on par with the USSR. The taboo against using nuclear weapons is stronger than ever before, and it’s now even shifting toward possessing nuclear weapons. The chances, say, that the French will ever march through the Chunnel and advance on London to conquer England are so remote as to be almost laughable. I seriously doubt that the nations of the world will change their minds about slavery and make it legal again, or disenfranchise blacks and women, or reinstitute the death penalty for such petty crimes as shoplifting or insulting the king.
I believe that the moral progress we have made is real and lasting. We can do a lot more, to be sure, and there will always be episodes of violence and other setbacks on the protopian journey, but the long-term trends are extremely encouraging, and we have many good reasons for optimism about the future of humanity.
legacy-site/shermerbook_copy.jpgWith Australia Day come and gone, I found myself getting into many an argument with people on Facebook about the very thing we celebrate every year (and take a very welcomed day off work because of). For those of you who do not know, Australia Day celebrates the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the first fleet of British ships on its shores. There would be no issue with this, if the country wasn’t already populated with native Aboriginal Australians who had their own culture, spirituality, and customs that took a massive shock with the arrival of white settlers.
This, along with a myriad of controversial actions often involving bloodshed, created a dichotomy of people (and Facebook friends). One side, feverish with national pride, the other, obsessed with the crimes of the past, mainly of Western culture’s influence on the native populace and the “theft” of their land.
This latter group has replaced Australia day with phrases such as “Invasion Day” and “Survival Day,” and we have seen similar movements in the United States and Britain for analogous holidays. Are they valid in their evaluation? I mean, how can you deny that there was once an area of land with people already living in it, that other people settled into and overwhelmed, often using force to push their own beliefs and culture onto?
The answer is you cannot—there are, however, certain truths that these groups conveniently gloss over which paint a much more balanced and realistic view of the situation.
1. If it were not for the British, it was only a matter of time before someone else “invaded” Australia
Colonization was the name of the game back in that day. Almost all powerful nations were doing it to some extent, the most notable players being the Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Britain, and France. If the British did not colonize Australia, it was simply a matter of time before someone else did. Yes, it is possible that life could have been better for the Aboriginal people under a different rule, but it’s also quite possible life would have been significantly worse.
It’s something we will never know, but one thing we can be certain of is that sooner or later, someone was going to lay claim to that land and the lacking technological development of the native culture sealed their destiny. Furthermore, colonizing wasn’t exclusively a “white” people thing to do, as you can see in the photo above.
2. Aboriginal people practiced “colonization” too
They simply lacked the technology to be as effective as the evil Westerners. When the people who protest these holidays look at native cultures, they do it with rose-colored glasses. Some go as far to ignore well documented facts like the Inca’s taste for blood and sacrifice, or Native American’s slavery practices. Others accept some bloodshed between the different tribes, but cite their relatively small scale as evidence of how horrible the English were compared to the mostly peace loving, native clans.
The reality is that “colonization” and bloodshed was not held back among native tribes because of lack of will, but simply the lack of technology to do so. Around Australia it is demonstrated well by the “Musket Wars” where Mauri (Native tribes from New Zealand) exchanged Muskets for goods from settlers and proceeded to “colonize” the land of the tribes next to them, causing massive casualties and sometimes whipping out whole tribes completely.
What made Australian Aboriginals more placid was not only their lack of killing efficiency, but also their harsh environment. While clashes among tribes occurred, even minor losses of strong hunting males could mean the destruction of tribes on both sides of the conflict.
3. Lack of development created cultural practices that were far from ideal
Lack of food and technological advances led to some less than desirable practices. Cannibalism is well documented among native cultures around the world. Australian Aboriginals were not exempt. In cases of extreme disparity, a practice of population control was utilized where a newborn baby was placed on a rock and had their head bashed in. The original pro-choice option.
While we can make an excuse for such things as harsh necessities, we can safely say that after 2000 or so years in Australia and having the largest technological claim to fame being a stick that returns back to you, that without an injection of Western farming techniques, those practices would most likely have continued for hundreds if not thousands of years more. How many lives would have been claimed if their island was simply forgotten and allowed to continue untouched by Western hands?
4. Australian Aboriginals were complete misogynists
And not in the airy-faerie way this term is used today. Australian Aboriginals literally saw women as property, to be traded, beaten, or raped on a whim. These are traditional practices that echo in the Aboriginal treatment of women today. Bess Nungarrayi Price, an Aboriginal activist, truthfully said that
“ …individual human rights are a Western invention. And that there are many rich and educated white people who would rather Aboriginal people lived with daily violence, poverty and ignorance in order to maintain their idea of what Aboriginal culture should be.
This inconvenient, debated, but very well documented truth is one of the best arguments for a Westernised Australia. Particularly because the group that reaches for the blinders when it comes to Native cultures is composed mostly of leftists and feminists. Native Australians had a real rape culture, a culture that quickly expresses itself in rural communities where parents of children will often feel safer when their kids are locked up in a white fella’s prison.
Arranged marriages, beatings, sex and rape of minors are common practice when Aboriginals are left to their own devices. On one hand, these are simply traditions, the way things were done before the white man came. Bleeding heart leftists scream for something to be done when another 12-year-old girl gets beaten and raped by a relative, yet refuse to acknowledge what makes this scenario a common occurrence, and viciously attack anyone stating some semblance of truth.
For more information about the topics covered, here are some videos and articles I recommend to get you started:
But even if after doing ample research on the topic you cannot see anything positive what so ever from the British “invasion” of Australia, there is one lesson from history you should take on board and apply in our current time.
5. Aboriginal culture was overrun because they lacked the ability to control their borders and property rights
The English, in essence, were just another clan whose culture shadowed that of the current one. Currently, Europe is being flooded with “refugees.” A clan of people who hold different cultural practices to those in the land mass that they are traveling to. The impact of this cultural “invasion” will be determined by the size and the intensity of the population.
If Aboriginal Australians had the ability to control their borders, they could still allow for white settlers, but only letting in so many as to adopt their way of life. Using common sense and lacking political correctness, they would have noted that a refugee from a certain region, such as natives from New Zealand, would more readily adapt to their culture. Hence, they could select which cultures to allow in larger numbers, and which would need more time to acclimatize themselves.
The West has this ability to protect its borders, yet lacks the blessing of the elites to implement this control. Hence, for better or for worse its culture will be challenged as was the Aboriginal. Will the current Western culture change for better or worse with the impact it faces? To guess, one must view both sides without rose covered glasses or the deep seated self-hatred of anything white or Western perpetuated by the political left.
Read More: Why The Native Peoples In Australia Were DoomedManchester United were involved in a mid-air drama in Germany on Tuesday night with the chartered plane carrying the team forced to abort its landing just 400 metres above the runway at Cologne’s Konrad Adenauer Airport.
With the Monarch Airlines A321, flight number MON 9254, scheduled to touch down at 5.30pm local time, the pilot was forced to abandon his landing due to another aircraft being on the runway. The plane circled the airport before landing 10 minutes late at 5.40pm.
One passenger on the plane, which was carrying David Moyes’s squad and senior figures including former chief executive David Gill to Wednesday's Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, claimed that the experience was'very frightening,’ with cabin crew understood to have made an announcement following the incident in order to calm frayed nerves on the 185-seater aircraft.
United defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted about the drama shortly after landing, saying, 'Landed in Germany....just....I’ve only just recovered after that choppy landing!
<noframe>Twitter: Rio Ferdinand - Landed in Germany....just....I've only just recovered after that choppy landing! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23TouchedCloth" target="_blank">#TouchedCloth</a>!! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23mufc" target="_blank">#mufc</a></noframe>
Neither Sir Bobby Charlton nor former manager Sir Alex Ferguson was on the plane.
Despite the delayed landing in Cologne, United’s base for their encounter with Leverkusen, Moyes and defender Chris Smalling appeared relaxed and unfazed by the dramatic landing when they arrived at the pre-match press conference in Leverkusen.Find Your Next Car New
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With the Memorial Day weekend and summer driving season approaching, motorists are facing a familiar trend -- surging gasoline prices.
But while pump prices have increased nearly 17% over the last 24 days, and are likely to go even higher over the coming weeks, experts don't foresee anything like the record levels of 2008.
"An overall increase is not abnormal for this time of year," said Bob van der Valk, a fuel-pricing analyst with 4Refuel Inc. in Lynnwood, Wash. "It will follow a similar trend, just starting at a lower price than 2008 did."
He also cited recent refinery fires in California, Pennsylvania and Illinois, curtailing supply, as a reason for the current spike.
The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline increased Friday to $2.391, up 2.9 cents in a daily survey compiled for motorist group AAA. That's the 24th consecutive increase, during which the price of gas has increased 34.3 cents, or 16.7%. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have regular unleaded gas prices of $2 and higher.
But the surge in prices is somewhat relative. The average price is down 38% from the $3.831 per gallon AAA reported one year ago. And it's down $1.72 or 41.8%, from the record high of $4.114 set last July 17.
Gas prices could increase to $2.41 this weekend, said Tom Kloza, publisher of Oil Price Information Service.
"That would be an astounding 50% increase from November," he noted. "We have never seen a similar percentage increase from winter to spring."
As a result of the comparatively lower prices, van der Valk said he expected Americans will drive more this summer when they take time off.
That wasn't the case last year, when prices at the pump were volatile. Soaring prices curtailed travel, and by July 17 gas prices had risen already 35% year-over-year.
Consumers finally began to see a reprieve in August. But late summer brought Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and gas prices shot back up in September, reaching more than $5 per gallon in some parts of the country. On Sept. 16, gas prices started declining amid weakening demand as the global economic slowdown took hold.
Barring major hurricanes or other unforeseen events, van der Valk expects the average price to peak around $2.75 by Labor Day. California and other West Coast states could see prices spike as high as $3, he added.
Kloza doesn't see quite as big a spike.
"If you believe in $3 gas, you believe in the Dow going back to 10,000," he said. "Fundamentals are the only way prices will move higher -- and I don't see that."
Instead, Kloza predicted average national prices will peak this year around $2.50 --and "we may be really close" to that level, he said.
And then, the cycle heads downward again.
"It could go below $2 by Christmas," van der Valk said. "People will say, 'Great, the gas companies are giving it away again.'"KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Sixteen Afghan civilians, including nine children, were shot dead in what witnesses described as a nighttime massacre on Sunday near a U.S. base in southern Afghanistan, and one U.S. soldier was in custody.
While U.S. officials rushed to draw a line between the rogue shooting and the ongoing efforts of a U.S. force of around 90,000, the incident is sure to further inflame Afghan anger triggered when U.S. soldiers burned copies of the Koran at a NATO base.
U.S. officials said an American staff sergeant from a unit based in Washington state was in custody after the attack on villagers in three houses. Multiple civilians were also wounded, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition said
President Barack Obama called his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai promising to establish the facts quickly and “to hold fully accountable anyone responsible.”
There were conflicting reports of how many shooters were involved, with U.S. officials asserting that a lone soldier was responsible, in contrast to witnesses’ accounts that several U.S. soldiers were present.
The incident was one of the worst of its kind since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said anti-U.S. reprisals were possible following the killings, just as the Koran burning incident a few weeks earlier had touched off widespread anti-Western protests in which at least 30 people died.
Neighbors and relatives of the dead said they had seen a group of U.S. soldiers arrive at their village in Kandahar’s Panjwayi district at about 2 a.m., enter homes and open fire.
An Afghan man who said his children were killed in the shooting spree accused soldiers of later burning the bodies.
Obama said he was deeply saddened. “This incident is tragic and shocking and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan,” Obama said in a statement.
“INTENTIONAL MURDERS”
Afghan President Karzai condemned the rampage as “intentional murders” and demanded an explanation from the United States. His office said the dead included nine children and three women.
Afghan officials also gave varying accounts of the number of shooters involved. Karzai’s office released a statement quoting a villager as saying “American soldiers woke my family up and shot them in the face.”
Minister of Border and Tribal Affairs Asadullah Khalid said a U.S. soldier had burst into three homes near his base in the middle of the night, killing a total of 16 people including 11 people in the first house.
The ISAF spokesman said the U.S. soldier “walked back to the base and turned himself into U.S. forces this morning,” adding there had been no military operations taking place in the area when the incident occurred.
Panjwayi district is about 35 km (22 miles) west of the provincial capital Kandahar city. The district is considered the spiritual home of the Taliban and has been a hive of insurgent activity in recent years.
“I saw that all 11 of my relatives were killed, including my children and grandchildren,” said a weeping Haji Samad, who said he had left his home a day earlier.
BLOOD-SPATTERED WALLS
The walls of the house were blood-splattered.
“They (Americans) poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them,” Samad told Reuters at the scene.
Afghan National Army soldiers keep watch as Afghans gather outside a U.S. base in Panjwai district Kandahar province, March 11, 2012. REUTERS/Ahmad Nadeem
Neighbors said they had awoken to crackling gunfire from American soldiers, who they described as laughing and drunk.
“They were all drunk and shooting all over the place,” said neighbor Agha Lala, who visited one of the homes where killings took place.
“Their (the victims’) bodies were riddled with bullets.”
A senior U.S. defense official in Washington rejected witness accounts that several apparently drunk soldiers were involved. “Based on the preliminary information we have this account is flatly wrong,” the official said. “We believe one U.S. service member acted alone, not a group of U.S. soldiers.”
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Karzai to offer his condolences. “I condemn such violence and am shocked and saddened that a U.S. service member is alleged to be involved, clearly acting outside his chain of command,” Panetta said in a statement. “A full investigation is already under way. A suspect is in custody and I gave President Karzai my assurances that we will bring those responsible to justice.”
The Afghan Taliban said it would take revenge for the deaths, in an emailed statement to media.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said an investigation was under way and that “the individual or individuals responsible for this act will be identified and brought to justice.”
ISAF Commander General John Allen promised a rapid investigation.
Civilian casualties have been a major source of friction between Karzai’s Western-backed government and U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan. NATO is preparing to hand over all security responsibilities to Afghans and all foreign combat troops are scheduled to leave by end-2014.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance remained firmly committed to its mission and said anyone responsible would be held accountable.
The Koran burning and the violence that followed, including a spate of deadly attacks against U.S. soldiers, underscored the challenges that the West faces as it prepares to withdraw.
Slideshow (7 Images)
Sunday’s attack may harden a growing consensus in Washington that, despite a troop surge, a war bill exceeding $500 billion over 10-1/2 years and almost 2,000 U.S. lives lost, prospects are dimming for what the United States can accomplish in Afghanistan.
“These killings only serve to reinforce the mindset that the whole war is broken and that there’s little we can do about it beyond trying to cut our losses and leave,” said Joshua Foust, a security expert with the American Security Project.With his sixth assist in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Russell Westbrook officially etched his name into the history books. He has joined Oscar Robertson as the only player in NBA history to average a triple double for an entire season.
He also joins Robertson and Nate “Tiny Archibald” as the only players in league history to average 30 points and 10 assists in a season.
Westbrook recorded his 820th assist at the 10:36 mark in the third quarter when he found a streaking Victor Oladipo with a pinpoint outlet pass for a fast break layup. He picked up rebound No. 820 in Oklahoma City’s April 4 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Here is the assist that sealed the triple-double average for the season.
There it is!
With this assist, Russell Westbrook will average a TRIPLE-DOUBLE for the season. #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/AVeQQlHiOM — NBA (@NBA) April 8, 2017
Westbrook only needs four more assists to pick up his 42nd triple double of the season, a mark that would be the most in NBA history. He is currently tied with Robertson’s single-season record of 41.
In the words of Mark Jackson, “Mama, there goes that man.”DETROIT – Brendan Smith expects the partisan crowd inside Joe Louis Arena will detonate once the captain’s name is announced over the sound system prior to Game 4 of the Red Wings best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins.
“They’re definitely going to erupt. They should. I erupt when I see him on the ice, imagine what fans are like,” Smith said. “He’s a fan favorite. He’s well spoken. He’s humble. He’s one of the best players. It’s going to be cool and good for everybody. We have to channel it in the right direction and towards the game.”
Down 2-1 in the series, and just two goals to show for in the first three games, the Red Wings certainly can use the emotional lift that Henrik Zetterberg’s return can provide the team and their fans.
Zetterberg worked on a forward line with Pavel Datsyuk and Justin Abdelkader at Thursday’s morning skate. The captain was not available after the practice as he hurried out of the building for an appointment with his back specialist. Pending medical clearance, Zetterberg will be a game-time decision, Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
“Z told me that when I asked him this morning he said he was going to the doctor,” Babcock said. “But because we were even talking about it I put him on a line, I put him on the power play, and the doctors decide not me. So I’m hopeful. We’ll know at game time after warm-ups.”
If he returns tonight, it will mark Zetterberg’s first game since he led Sweden to a 4-2 win over the Czech Republic in an Olympic opener in the Sochi Games on Feb. 12. The next day, Zetterberg, who was Sweden’s captain, couldn’t get out of bed in the Olympic village.
Excruciating pain and discomfort prevented Zetterberg from returning to the United States right away, but as soon as he could tolerate the long flight home he underwent surgery in New York City on Feb. 21.
Not sure of how much ice time Zetterberg will get or just how affective he’ll be against the Bruins, Babcock is sure of some things that his captain will bring to the Wings.
“I can expect him to provide great leadership both in the room and on the bench, so if we get nothing else that’s good enough,” Babcock said. “But I think he’s pretty competitive and he’s been working at it. Obviously when you have back surgery they don’t let you come back early. So the doctors and him have had a plan and he’s been working on it, he’s skated a ton, he’s done lots of bumping, not much in practice because we haven’t had any. You don’t practice very much (in the playoffs) but with all of the optional skates and stuff like that he feels he’s close that’s why he’s going to see the doctor.”
Getting a player of Zetterberg’s caliber back in the lineup gives the Red Wings a solid two-way performer who has an uncanny ability to find time and space. But he’s also extremely hard on the puck, which makes him difficult to defend in the corners.
The Bruins expect that Zetterberg will play tonight, but they’re not going to scrap their game plan for one player.
“The biggest thing is they have another real good player on their team,” Boston coach Claude Julien said, referring to Datsyuk. “We’re not aware of where he is in his conditioning, but at the same time every playoff game has to be about your team. You make adjustments to play against the other team not just an individual. That’s not going to change for us.
“I think we always kept a close eye on Datsyuk. It’s not one guy we’re looking at necessarily we look at it as a group. We’ll be aware on the ice when he’s there. I don’t get last change so we might not always get the perfect matchup, but our team puts trust in being able to play together and work together to slow these guys down.”
Besides Zetterberg, veteran forward Todd Bertuzzi is expected to make his 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs debut tonight. Bertuzzi will replace rookie forward Tomas Jurco on Riley Sheahan’s line with Tomas Tatar.
Jurco has no points and is a minus-1 through the first three games of the series.
“It was three kids playing together and it wasn’t going as well I would have liked,” Babacock said. “I didn’t think we spent enough time in the offensive zone with that group and I’m hoping that one veteran player can help them out.”
In the last two playoff runs, Bertuzzi has no points with a minus-7 rating in 11 games for the Red Wings.
Daniel Alfredsson (back pain) will miss his second straight game in the series. According to Babcock, the veteran forward should be ready for Saturday afternoon's Game 5 in Boston.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos head coach John Fox said he saw Matt Prater at the team's facility Saturday morning, but elected to send the ailing kicker home for a third consecutive day.
Prater did not participate in the Broncos' practice Saturday because of a virus and did not practice with the team this week. Fox said Prater was sent home, in part, for him to recover and in part to prevent any other players from getting sick.
Broncos kicker Matt Prater was sent home with an illness Saturday. Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/Getty Images
The Broncos leave Sunday for New Jersey, where they will play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.
"We've got hand washers... all over the building," Fox said. "We sent him home, he's going to be fine for the game, hopefully he feels much better (Sunday) morning as we fly to New Jersey."
Prater led the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs during the regular season and was 25 of 26 on field goal attempts in the regular season, including 6 of 7 from 50 or more yards, including an NFL-record 64-yarder on Dec. 8 against the Tennessee Titans.
Prater is 5 of 6 in the postseason, including a 4-for-4 performance in the AFC Championship Game this past Sunday.
Fox said the Broncos taken the requisite precautions all season when it comes to players and staff members who are ill. At one point earlier this season, Broncos head trainer Steve Antonopulos sent Fox home for a day.
"It's happened all season, happened to every team in the league," Fox said. "Guys do get sick, just like any household in America. We feel confident he'll be fine shortly."
Also, Saturday defensive tackle Sione Fua (calf) was held out of practice for the second consecutive day. All of the other Broncos players participated, including defensive Mitch Unrein (knee) and running back Knowshon Moreno (ribs), who were limited in Friday's workout.Since two men butchered British soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich in the name of Islam last week, there's been a worrying rise in Islamophobia. Social networks were immediately plagued with morons tweeting stuff like, "I ain't racist....but I fucking hate dirty fucking Muslim paki bastards," and the EDL have capitalised on Rigby's murder as much as they possibly can, staging marches all over the country to spout idiotic propaganda about every British Muslim being a murderous fanatic.
Unlike the EDL's Stella-toting thugs, the lion's share of Britain realise that the Woolwich murderers aren't at all representative of Islam – that they're just a couple of intensely misguided maniacs who aren't particularly fond of Britain's foreign policy. Nonetheless, a group of Muslims, along with some non-Muslim supporters, gathered in Ilford yesterday to show their solidarity with Lee Rigby's family and make the point that the vast majority of Muslims aren't homicidal extremists who kill people in broad daylight and wait for the police to turn up and shoot at them.
When I arrived at the march, the turnout wasn’t quite what I'd hoped for. This wasn't exactly the media scrum I'd expected and the local news hounds who had turned up looked pretty dismayed. One told me that she'd heard there was a mosque around the corner that hadn't been informed about the event, which seems kind of odd but I guess explains why hardly anyone showed up.
Poorly organised and small in number though they may have been, I had an inkling that the people who had turned up were going to be more representative of Muslim attitudes than Lee Rigby’s killers. So once they'd finished their march and speeches, I had a chat with a few of the demonstrators.
Natascha Shaikh, community activist, and Labour councillor Afzal Akram.
VICE: What was your initial reaction to the murder of Lee Rigby?
Natascha: Shock. Horror. Living in London, you don’t think something like this could happen on your street. We were mortified that it was done in the name of Islam. I’m a Muslim, I follow Islam, I’m not an Islamist. I think we need to distinguish between the two now.
Akram: London’s a very cohesive city, so when things like this happen it’s very horrifying. Especially when it’s being done in the name of Islam. This isn’t Islam – it’s not being done in my name or any other Muslim that I’m aware of. This was a criminal act and they should be punished accordingly.
Some people have been quoting certain verses from the Quran and saying that the attack had a lot to do with Islam.
They can quote what they want. You can take any line from any book and quote it and put it into any context you want. The Quran does not preach hatred. Islam is a peace-loving religion. Taking a line and twisting it doesn’t make a difference.
It seems that a high proportion of radical Islamists are recent converts rather than people who have been brought up as Muslims. What do you make of that?
Natascha: I was going to say that. I think there's a lot of attention seeking here – people who aren't integrating into the community that well, so it’s their way of getting attention. These are the people who terrorists will recruit.
Akram: We have to be careful not to tar everyone with the same brush. Not all converts are going to go about killing. But some people seem to be finding the wrong people to teach them what Islam is about. They get taught the wrong thing and convert for the wrong reasons. I was born into a Muslim family and I learnt not just from the Imams at the mosque, but the culture, family and friends around me.
Imam Ahmed, Ilford Mosque: That mentality has no concern with Islam. Islam condemns terrorism. First of all, we are human beings. We are cousins. There is the prophet Adam and we are his offspring.
Shakir Qureshi, founding chairman of think-tank Karwan e Fikar UK (holding the loudspeaker).
Shakir Qureshi: The Muslims of Britain think the murder of Lee Rigby wasn’t an act of Islam. We can’t accept that a member of our community could do that kind of thing. We condemn it strongly and stand with the family of Lee Rigby.
What do you make of the backlash against Muslims?
EDL and BNP people have attacked me on Facebook regarding this walk – using dirty language against me, against my community, against my religion. This is not correct. They’re trying to create a fuss. We can’t allow such people to harass us, to disturb our way of living and to create the feeling that Muslims are against Christians or Christians are against Muslims.
Do you think it's problematic to blame the murder on radical Islam when the killers mostly talked to the cameras about foreign policy rather than theological issues?
Authorities and communities have to sit down and think about these problems as early as possible. For instance, the story about weapons of mass destruction was fake, and so many people in Iraq have been killed because of it. These types of things must stop. I’ve been doing demonstrations about drone attacks in Pakistan because innocent people are being killed there. But if I demonstrate for those innocent people, I must demonstrate for this innocent man who has been murdered very brutally on the street. It’s totally barbaric.
Paul Salahuddin Armstong, co-director of The Association of British Muslims.
Can we really say that Lee Rigby's murder had nothing to do with Islam when the killers were shouting "Allahu
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hinders a system of corporate neofeudalism. Corporations are advancing, with Barack Obama’s assistance, charter schools and educational services that are stripped down and designed to train classes for their appropriate vocations, which, if you’re poor means a future in the service sector. The eradication of teachers’ unions, under way in states such as New Jersey, is a vital component in the dismantling of public education. Corporations know that good systems of public education are a hindrance to a rigid caste system. In corporate America everyone will be kept in his or her place.
The beating down of workers, exacerbated by the prospect that unemployment benefits will not be renewed for millions of Americans and that public sector unions will soon be broken, has transformed those in the working class from full members of society, able to participate in its debates, the economy and governance, into terrified people in fragmented pools preoccupied with the struggle of private existence. Those who are economically broken usually cease to be concerned with civic virtues. They will, history has demonstrated, serve any system, no matter how evil, and do anything for a salary, job security and the protection of their families.
There will be sectors of the society that, as the situation worsens, attempt to rebel. But the state can rely on a huge number of people who, for work and meager benefits, will transform themselves into willing executioners. The reconfiguration of American society into a corporate oligarchy is conditioning tens of millions not only to passively accept state and corporate crimes, but to actively participate in the mechanisms that ensure their own enslavement.
“Each time society, through unemployment, frustrates the small man in his normal functioning and normal self-respect,” Hannah Arendt wrote in her 1945 essay “Organized Guilt and Universal Responsibility,” “it trains him for that last stage in which he will willingly undertake any function, even that of hangman.”Organs of state repression do not rely so much on fanatics and sadists as ordinary citizens who are desperate, who need a job, who are willing to obey. Arendt relates a story of a Jew who is released from Buchenwald. The freed Jew encountered, among the SS men who gave him certificates of release, a former schoolmate, whom he did not address but stared at. The SS guard spontaneously explained to his former friend: “You must understand, I have five years of unemployment behind me. They can do anything they want with me.”
Arendt also quotes an interview with a camp official at Majdanek. The camp official concedes that he has assisted in the gassing and burying of people alive. But when he is asked, “Do you know the Russians will hang you?” he bursts into tears. “Why should they? What have I done?” he says.
I can imagine, should the rule of law ever one day be applied to the insurance companies responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans denied medical care, that there will be the same confused response from insurance executives. What is frightening in collapsing societies is not only the killers, sadists, murderers and psychopaths who rise up out of the moral swamp to take power, but the huge numbers of ordinary people who become complicit in state crimes. I saw this during the war in El Salvador and the war in Bosnia. It is easy to understand a demented enemy. It is puzzling to understand a rational and normal one. True evil, as Goethe understood, is not always palpable. It is “to render invisible another human consciousness.”
Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his book “The Gulag Archipelago” writes about a close friend who served with him in World War II. Solzhenitsyn’s defiance of the Communist regime after the war saw him sent to the Soviet gulags. His friend, loyal to the state, was sent there as an interrogator. Solzhenitsyn was forced to articulate a painful truth. The mass of those who serve systems of terrible oppression and state crime are not evil. They are weak.
“If only there were vile people … committing evil deeds, and if it were only necessary to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them,” Solzhenitsyn wrote. “But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
The expansions of public and private organs of state security, from Homeland Security to the mercenary forces we are building in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the burgeoning internal intelligence organizations, exist because these “ordinary” citizens, many of whom are caring fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, have confused conformity to the state with innocence. Family values are used, especially by the Christian right, as the exclusive definition of public morality. Politicians, including President Obama, who betray the working class, wage doomed imperial wars, abandon families to home foreclosures and bank repossessions, and refuse to restore habeas corpus, are morally “good” because they are loyal husbands and fathers. Infidelity, instead of corporate murder, becomes in this absurd moral reasoning the highest and most unforgivable offense.
The bureaucrats who maintain these repressive state organs, who prosecute the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or who maintain corporate structures that perpetuate human suffering, can define themselves as good — as innocent — as long as they are seen as traditional family men and women who are compliant to the laws of the state. And this redefinition of civic engagement permits us to suspend moral judgment and finally common sense. Do your job. Do not ask questions. Do not think. If these bureaucrats were challenged for the crimes they are complicit in committing, including the steady dismantling of the democratic state, they would react with the same disbelief as the camp guard at Majdanek.
Those who serve as functionaries within corporations such as Goldman Sachs or ExxonMobil and carry out crimes ask of their masters that they be exempted from personal responsibility for the acts they commit. They serve corporate structures that kill, but, as Arendt notes, the corporate employee “does not regard himself as a murderer because he has not done it out of inclination but in his professional capacity.” At home the corporate man or woman is meek. He or she has no proclivity to violence, although the corporate systems they serve by day pollute, impoverish, maim and kill.
Those who do not carry out acts of rebellion, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, are guilty of solidifying and perpetuating these crimes. Those who do not act delude themselves into believing they are innocent. They are not.
Chris Hedges is a senior fellow at The Nation Institute and a weekly columnist for Truthdig. His newest book is “Death of the Liberal Class.” On Dec. 16 he, Daniel Ellsberg, Medea Benjamin, Ray McGovern, Dr. Margaret Flowers and several others will hold a rally across from the White House to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and attempt to chain themselves to the White House fence. More information on the Dec. 16 protest can be found at www.stopthesewars.org.'Ruthless' brother of President Assad accused of being behind chemical weapons attack which killed 1,200 Syrians
Israeli TV station accused Maher al-Assad of being behind deadly attack
He is c ommander of Republican Guard and Fourth Armoured Division
Channel 2 news report claimed shelling came from Division's base
Syria has denied using stocks of sarin to shell the area
An Israeli television channel has alleged that Maher al-Assad was behind the chemical attack
The brother of President Bashar al-Assad has been accused of being behind the chemical weapons attack which killed thousands of Syrians.
Maher al-Assad, a feared figure within the regime, has not been seen for more than a year.
But an Israeli television channel has alleged that he was behind the attack which killed up to 1,200 in Damascus last week - including many children.
The commander of the 10,000 strong Republican Guard and the Fourth Armoured Division Maher has been a core figure in Syria's two and half year civil war.
The Channel 2 news report claimed that the shelling originated from the base of the Fourth Armoured Division, just south of Damascus.
Syria has denied using stocks of sarin to shell the area.
It would not be the first time that Maher - said to be his brother's 'enforcer' - had been linked with some of the war's bloodiest episodes, the Guardian reports.
Maher Assad, who is known for his brutality and commands key government units fighting against the Syrian rebels, was injured in the Damascus bombing on July 18, 2012, which also claimed the life of his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat and the defence minister Dawoud Rajha.
It has been reported that at the time of the 2011 uprising Maher was spotted shooting at unarmed protesters.
Said to be violent and and quick tempered, Maher trained at the Damascus military academy with elder brother and heir to the presidency, Bassel, the Telegraph reports.
David Cameron has insisted any military action in Syria would be to prevent the future use of chemical weapons
Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said its armed forces were in place in the region and was'ready to go' should President Barack Obama order action
Dictator Bashar Al-Assad said that any U.S. intervention in Syria was doomed to end in failure during an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia in Damascus
It was thought that Maher was to replace Bassel when he was killed in a car crash in 1994. But the ruthless and 'hot-headed' Maher was bypassed for his older brother Bashar.
It comes as it was today reported that Britain and the U.S. could launch missile strikes on Syria as early as Friday.
But David Cameron today insisted any military action in Syria would be to prevent the future use of chemical weapons as he warned Britain was not looking to get involved in 'a Middle Eastern war'.
The Prime Minister said the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons on 10 other occasions before the attack that killed up to 1,200 in Damascus last week and warned the world'should not stand idly by'.
Death toll: Hundreds died in the alleged chemical attacks, including many women and children
Calling Assad a 'thug' and a'murderer,' John Kerry declared, 'History would judge us all extraordinarily harshly if we turned a blind eye to a dictator's use of chemical weapons.'
'Evidence': Secretary of State John Kerry said images like these contributed to the U.S. assessment that chemical weapons were used in Syria
Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said its armed forces were in place in the region and was'ready to go' should President Barack Obama order action.
Reports in America suggest they could lead missile strikes from as early as Thursday.
But the tyrannical al-Assad regime has warned it will fight back with 'all means available' and its foreign secretary said attacking the country to help rebels in their war with the state was 'delusional'.Image caption Lord Strasburger said he had invited the Electoral Commission to investigate
A Liberal Democrat peer has resigned from his party's group in the House of Lords following allegations expected to be made in a Channel 4 investigation.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Dispatches will allege "a £10,000 donation was paid by the stepfather of an undercover businessman which would be against the rules on donations."
Lord Strasburger of Langridge has denied doing anything wrong.
The allegations are due to be broadcast in the Channel 4 programme next week.
The BBC has not seen any evidence to corroborate what the Daily Telegraph is reporting and neither has it heard from Channel 4.
Under rules overseen by the Electoral Commission and set out in law, any donation above £7,500 has to be declared and the use of a proxy as a donor - to hide the real giver of the money - is not allowed.
'Common practice'
In a statement published by the Liberal Democrats, Lord Strasburger said: "Whatever Channel 4 may say in their Dispatches programme, I do not think I have committed any offence.
"Having said that, I believe that we should all be accountable for what we do, so I have invited the Electoral Commission to carry out an investigation into my actions.
"In the meantime, whilst I maintain that I have committed no offence, I have stopped fund-raising for the party.
"Also, for the sake of the party, I have resigned the whip from the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords until the investigation is completed."
In a response to a suggestion in the Daily Telegraph that this apparent donor, working for Dispatches, had met the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, a spokesman for the party said: "It is common practice for senior party figures from all parties to meet with potential and current donors."
The statement adds: "Dispatches has raised important questions about one particular donation, which the party is taking seriously.
"The party had no reason to believe that the donation was made by anyone other than the person who signed the cheque."
Willie Rennie, who leads the Lib Dems in Scotland, says Lord Strasburger had taken the right course of action.
The MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife told the BBC: "We need to have a proper investigation to find out the truth in this regard and step back just now... the proper processes are taking place. We shouldn't make a judgement before that conclusion."
Lord Strasburger, 68, from Bath, is a semi-retired businessman who took his seat in the House of Lords as a life peer in 2011.BERKELEY — The City Council has agreed to give a developer a $13 million break on fees for a downtown hotel project, warning that it might not be viable otherwise.
Center Street Partners LLC has a use permit to build a 16-story tower on the northeast corner of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street. The site currently is occupied by a low-rise Bank of America branch that would be demolished and rebuilt on the ground floor of the Berkeley Place Hotel, which will have about 335 rooms and is supposed to have a dining room, conference space, a cafe and full-service restaurant, parking garage, pool and fitness room.
Under a financial arrangement approved July 19 by an 8-0 vote of the council with Councilman Max Anderson abstaining, the city would rebate $1.5 million a year for up to eight years, with adjustments for inflation. The rebate would be capped annually at 50 percent of the Transient Occupancy Tax proceeds generated by the hotel. Rebates would cease when their cumulative total equals the $13.1 million estimated total of impact and permit fees.
According to a staff report by Economic Development Director Michael Caplan, the project, without the rebates, would achieve an approximately 6.7 percent return, compared to an expected 8 percent to 12 percent return for similar projects; the projections are from the developer group, reviewed and confirmed by independent consultants, Caplan’s report continued.
The lower rate of return would make it difficult to obtain financing, officials of the developer group and the city agreed.
“Our conclusion is, without this rebate, this project is unlikely to be feasible,” Caplan told the council.
Several council members have said that development of a downtown hotel is a high city priority.
In his report, Caplan said the hotel project is expected to generate $4.2 million a year in new general fund revenue for the city, and that a $1.5 million-a-year rebate on fees would still net the general fund $2.7 million a year.
“The net impact of this resolution would be positive for the city’s general fund,” the report stated.
Anderson noted that while city officials discuss giving back “millions upon millions” to developers, poor city residents are “fighting tooth-and-nail every year for a modicum of services.”
Commenting on the project’s supposed employment benefits to residents, Anderson said that workers come from as far as Stockton to work on Berkeley construction projects.
The developer group previously had estimated that a project labor agreement with building trades is a “significant community benefit” worth $5.635 million.
Also, it estimated the community benefit of a labor agreement with the hotel workers union at $7.941 million.
About two dozen members of the public spoke, with more than two-thirds criticizing the rebate deal. Several chastised the council for what they characterized as a giveaway of taxpayer money to a developer at a time when residents, especially in South Berkeley, face a shortage of affordable housing and services.
Contact Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760. Follow him at Twitter.com/tomlochner.Photo
SAN FRANCISCO — By now, seeing one of Google’s experimental, driverless cars zipping down Silicon Valley’s Highway 101, or parking itself on a San Francisco street, is not all that unusual. Indeed, as automakers like Audi, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz make plans for self-driving vehicles, it is only a matter of time before such cars become a big part of the great American traffic jam.
While driverless cars might still seem like science fiction outside the Valley, the people working and thinking about these technologies are starting to ask what these autos could mean for the city of the future. The short answer is “a lot.”
Imagine a city where you don’t drive in loops looking for a parking spot because your car drops you off and scoots off to some location to wait, sort of like taxi holding pens at airports. Or maybe it is picked up by a robotic minder and carted off with other vehicles, like a row of shopping carts.
Inner-city parking lots could become parks. Traffic lights could be less common because hidden sensors in cars and streets coordinate traffic. And, yes, parking tickets could become a rarity since cars would be smart enough to know where they are not supposed to be.
As scientists and car companies forge ahead — many expect self-driving cars to become commonplace in the next decade — researchers, city planners and engineers are contemplating how city spaces could change if our cars start doing the driving for us. There are risks, of course: People might be more open to a longer daily commute, leading to even more urban sprawl.
That city of the future could have narrower streets because parking spots would no longer be necessary. And the air would be cleaner because people would drive less. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 30 percent of driving in business districts is spent in a hunt for a parking spot, and the agency estimates that almost one billion miles of driving is wasted that way every year.
“What automation is going to allow is repurposing, both of spaces in cities, and of the car itself,” said Ryan Calo, an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Law, who specializes in robotics and drones.
Harvard University researchers note that as much as one-third of the land in some cities is devoted to parking spots. Some city planners expect that the cost of homes will fall as more space will become available in cities. If parking on city streets is reduced and other vehicles on roadways become smaller, homes and offices will take up that space. Today’s big-box stores and shopping malls require immense areas for parking, but without those needs, they could move further into cities.
The Autonomous Intersection Management project, created by the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, imagines cities where traffic lights no longer exist but sensors direct the flow of traffic. Although a video showing off the automated traffic intersection looks like total chaos, the researchers insist that such intersections will reduce congestion and fuel costs and can allow cars to drive through cities without stopping.
Of course, getting to a utopian city will take a little longer than circling the block looking for a spot. A spokesman for Audi said a fully automated car would not be available until the end of the decade. And the regulatory issues to be addressed before much of this could come true are, to put it mildly, forbidding.
But the pieces are starting to fall into place, at least enough to excite future-minded thinkers. Last year, Jerry Brown, the governor of California, signed legislation paving the way for driverless cars in California, making it the third state to explicitly allow the cars on the road. And federal agencies are starting to consider their impact. In May the Transportation Department made its first formal policy statement on autonomous vehicles, encouraging cities to allow testing of driverless cars.
But to some, this promise — or overpromise as the case may be — sounds familiar.
“The future city is not going to be a congestion-free environment. That same prediction was made that cars would free cities from the congestion of horses on the street,” said Bryant Walker Smith, a fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and a member of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford. “You have to build the sewer system to accommodate the breaks during the Super Bowl; it won’t be as pretty as we’re envisioning.”
Mr. Smith has an alternative vision of the impact of automated cars, which he believes are inevitable. Never mind that nice city center. He says that driverless cars will allow people to live farther from their offices and that the car could become an extension of home.
“I could sleep in my driverless car, or have an exercise bike in the back of the car to work out on the way to work,” he said. “My time spent in my car will essentially be very different.”
“Driverless cars won’t appear in a vacuum,” Mr. Smith said. Other predictions for the future city imagine fewer traditional-looking cars. Taking their place will be drones and robots that deliver goods.
Oh, and that food-delivery car double-parked outside? That, Mr. Calo said, will be replaced by a delivery drone.
E-mail: [email protected] NSRAP
Mission
The Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project (NSRAP) seeks equity, justice, and human rights for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Nova Scotia. NSRAP seeks to create change in our communities and our society at large so that all 2SLGBTQIA+ people are included, valued, and celebrated. We will achieve this through building community and developing strong networks outside of the community in addition to public outreach, education, and political action.
History
Since 1995, NSRAP has strived to provide a coherent voice for gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirited, transsexual, transgender, and queer people – a group we refer to as the ‘Rainbow Community’ – throughout Nova Scotia.
In 2010, NSRAP celebrated 15 years of service to Nova Scotia’s Two-Spirited, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Asexual & Aromantic, Intersex, and beyond (2SLGBTQIA+) Community. NSRAP has been working across Nova Scotia as a voice for our right to legal and social equity. For nearly 20 years NSRAP has been a strong advocate for the rights of our community. NSRAP played a key role in the Halifax Rainbow Health Project and continues to work on transgender health issues, including provincial funding of gender confirming surgeries, and the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ elders in long term care. NSRAP has participated in numerous human rights cases involving same-sex rights, and was instrumental in bringing marriage equality to Nova Scotians.
Governance
NSRAP is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and most of our work is done through our volunteer committees. As a registered non-profit, we are guided by our by-laws.The second generation version of the Nokia Wireless Charging Plate is a big improvement over the original, with a bigger surface area, a thin and light new form factor, and cool lighting effects. Best of all, it comes in Nokia's 2014 colors, green and orange, and white.
If you haven't already, be sure to check out IFA 2014: Microsoft Devices Announces New Lumias, Accessories, Firmware for an overview of all of Microsoft's devices announcements today.
Here's what's happening with the Nokia Wireless Charging Plate DT-903:
Wireless charging. Like previous Nokia-branded wireless charging devices (see below), the DT-903 lets you more easily charge a compatible mobile device, including many Lumia smart phones.
Qi compatible. The Nokia Wireless Charging Plate DT-903 is compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard.
More stylish and functional. The DT-903 is much more attractive than previous wireless chargers and features a larger surface that makes it easier to start the phone charging. With previous devices, it was sometimes possible to misalign the phone, preventing it from charging correctly.
Colors. It comes in green, orange or white.
Lighting effects. The DT-903 issues a colored light—matched the color of the device—when you place a device on it for charging.
Smart functionality. Working in tandem with Windows Phone 8.1.1, the DT-903 can emit light in even smarter ways. It can pulse when it detects that your Lumia needs a charge, for example. And it can blink when you receive a notification.
Availability: October 2014
Pricing: $59.99 in the United States
Learn more: You can read about my experiences with wireless charging in Nokia Wireless Chargers Review, Nokia Lumia 720 + Wireless Charging Cover, Lumia 1020 + Wireless Charging Cover, JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker for Nokia Review, and Smart Phones and Wireless Charging.A village watchman in the central Philippines allegedly mistook an actor playing a masked gunman in a British film for a real assassin and fatally shot him, police said today.
Watchman Eddie Cuizon tried to accost Filipino actor Kirk Abella late on Saturday, then shot him as the actor was directed to speed away on a motorcycle with a masked driver, said community police chief Alexis Relado of Cebu City's Parian district.
Cuizon, 52, told police he had been woken up by a concerned citizen who reported the presence of armed men in his community.
He told police he saw two masked men on a motorcycle and approached them but they sped away and he stumbled as he tried to stop them, injuring his knee. He fired at Abella when the actor pulled out a gun, which turned out to be made of plastic, Relado said.
Many street killings in the Philippines, including those of political activists and journalists, have been perpetrated by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
Abella, 32, was one of the actors in the movie Going Somewhere, being shot by British theatre and film director Alan Lyddiard in Cebu, Relado said.
Lyddiard's website says the movie is about a fictional documentary film-maker's travails in Cebu, where he plans to make a movie about the first circumnavigation of the world by Ferdinand Magellan, whose voyage to the Philippines led to its colonisation by Spain. Magellan was killed by a native chief on Mactan island near Cebu in 1521.
Neither Lyddiard nor any members of his crew, including a Filipino woman who had arranged for police assistance with traffic and crowd control in Parian, could be reached for comment.
Cuizon will be charged with homicide and for violation of a gun ban, Relado said.Four arrestees demonstrating infront of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Headquarters at 217 W. Jones St. in Raleigh have been released on bail totaling $3,000. Conspiracy charges (which police had originally put on 3 activists) have been dropped for the time being.
North Carolinians with the grassroots group, Croatan Earth First! organized a mobile protest on December 18, 2012, carrying banners, signs and drums led chants to vocalize their opposition to the dangerous energy extraction process. Two local North Carolinians locked themselves to the front of the Archdale building’s front doors in protest of the state’s continued movement towards legalizing hydraulic fracturing.
“Fracking has been devastating communities and land across the country,” says Earth First!er Lydia Nickles, “and it will destroy North Carolina’s clean air, water, and biodiversity.” Croatan Earth First! seeks to highlight the involvement of both the NC Department of Energy and Natural Resources and the NC Mining and Energy Commission, which are working closely on developing policies to initiate hydrofracking in North Carolina, despite numerous and glaring conflicts of interests. A large number of Mining and Energy Commission members have close ties to the oil and gas industry, including: Ray Covington, a partner at NC Oil & Gas, who profits financially from an increase in leased lands for fracking; Chairman Jim Womack, a Lee County Commissioner and an oil industry supporter who claimed, at a DENR public meeting, that North Carolinians are more likely to be hit by a meteor than have water contaminated by fracking; and Charles Holbrook a former employee of Chevron Oil. “We consider this commission illegitimate, and it should in no way be making the decision as to whether our water could be poisoned in 5-10 years,” said Ms. Nickles.
Despite evidence that North Carolina’s geological formations make it particularly vulnerable to aquifer contamination by fracking fluids, DENR has done nothing to modify their Spring 2011 report, which grossly underestimated the environmental risks of hydrofracking in NC. The EPA recently released a study that confirmed contamination of the water aquifer in Pavillion, Wyoming by fracking fluids. Croatan Earth First! also cites the numerous spills that have occurred in the highly fracked Marcellus Shale—including 4,700 gallons of hydrochloric acid spilled this year in Bradford County, and a 30-foot methane geyser which erupted in Tioga county, PA, as evidence of the numerous threats hydrofacking poses to environmental and public health. Furthermore, a blowout at one of Chesapeake Energy’s rigs in Oklahoma this year burned escaping methane for several days, and more than 70 residents had to be evacuated to escape the acute effects of the strong greenhouse gas.
This past Tuesday, a natural gas pipeline exploded along I-77 in West Virginia, injuring people and catching nearby buildings on fire. “The explosion of the pipeline in nearby West Virginia is only one of many frequent industry accidents nationwide. If fracking comes to North Carolina, we can expect more pipelines here, and more accidents closer to home.” Piedmont Natural Gas is currently building a number of pipelines throughout the state as many coal plants convert to natural gas.
Croatan Earth First! intends for this mobile demonstration to illustrate the direct and active ways that hydrofracking can be fought by the majority of North Carolina citizens who oppose the practice, as legal attempts to block hydrofracking have been exhausted. “Our only recourse, after so many attempts to block the legalization process, is to oppose hydrofracking with our presence,” continued Nickles. “We are willing to put our bodies between the land we love, and those who want to destroy it. Join us.”
Check out Croatan Earth First
AdvertisementsConcealed weapons have been banned from school and college campuses in California according to a new law signed by the governor, just days after a gunman in Oregon opened fire and killed nine.
The new law would require those with concealed-weapon permits to get permission from campus authorities before bringing them in.
The law would "close a loophole" in the state's Gun Free Schools Act, according to state Sen. Lois Wolk, who introduced the legislation.
The bill was sponsored by the California Police Chiefs Association and the Peace Officers Research Association of California, as well as University of California and California State Universities.
The bill was introduced by Wolk in February, but was signed into law Saturday as the national debate on gun control ramped up once more after another school shooting.(CNN) In early 2015, dirty water in Flint, Michigan, was being tested for lead, two lawsuits were challenging rate increases, and now a study finds residents were then paying the highest water bills of 500 communities surveyed nationwide, according to a nonprofit advocacy group.
Flint was deemed the "most expensive" water provider of the nation's 500 largest community water systems in January 2015, and its residents paid $864.32 yearly for 60,000 gallons of water, the Food & Water Watch group said.
That rate was almost three times national average of $316.20 for government utilities, the group said.
The group advocates publicly owned water systems, which it says provide the most equitable and affordable service, and the group stands up "to corporations that puts profits before people," it says. Flint's water system is publicly owned.
The next highest water provider was the publicly owned service in Bellevue, Washington, where residents paid $855.25 annually, the group said.
JUST WATCHED Suffering continues in Flint water crisis Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Suffering continues in Flint water crisis 03:10
Flint residents didn't have to pay the highest water bill for too long because in August 2015, a state judge ordered the city to roll back water and sewer rates by 35% and end a monthly service charge that generated $900,000 systemwide, according to Food & Water Watch and and the attorney for residents who filed two suits.
The state judge also ordered two sides in a lawsuit to discuss how the city must repay its water and sewer fund by $15.7 million, said the attorney, Valdemar L. Washington, also a Flint resident and a retired state judge.
The nonprofit group's finding was no surprise to Washington. He is the attorney behind two pending lawsuits that were filed after residents saw water and sewer rates increase by double-digit percentages in 2011 and 2012, he said.
"I didn't need a study to tell me I was paying the highest bills," he said. "All I had to do was look at my water bills."
"What prompted me to take action was one month's bill," which amounted to $600, Washington said.
"I said there was something really wrong with that picture, and that's when I sued."
"Even in Phoenix, where there's a desert, they don't pay as much as we do out here. And we're surrounded by the Great Lakes. What's going on?" Washington said.
JUST WATCHED Flint native Michael Moore: Water crisis'version of manslaughter' Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Flint native Michael Moore: Water crisis'version of manslaughter' 07:14
"It's completely insane for people to be paying so much who are getting frankly so little," said Ben Jealous, former president and CEO of the NAACP.
A spokeswoman for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said Flint was in a financial emergency about two years ago, when the state decided to save money by switching the city's water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River.
But the river had such a notorious history that locals called it the "General Motors sewer."
Flint's drinking water later became contaminated with elevated levels of lead, and now the state is handing out bottled water and water filters to residents.
"The Flint City Council originally voted to move away from Detroit Water and Sewerage Department in large part because water rates for residents were unaffordable. Therefore the data in the report is not surprising," said Anna Heaton, a spokeswoman for the governor.
Flint officials declined to comment on the nonprofit group's findings: "Not at this time. We've been busy addressing some other matters today," city spokeswoman Kristin Moore said.
JUST WATCHED Governor: More Flint kids may have high levels of lead Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Governor: More Flint kids may have high levels of lead 00:48
On Wednesday, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said she wants the replacement of the city's lead pipes to begin next week so that the community can have clean water as soon as possible. She urged Snyder to pressure the state legislature to move immediately to approve funding for the first phase of a $55 million lead pipe replacement plan.
The governor also favored speedy pipe replacement, but it's part of multistep process.
"I don't know if I'd want to say next week or not, but we're talking a very short timeline to start having some pipes replaced in the community," the governor said. "I don't think it's inconsistent with what the mayor is saying. Again, people may have differences in timelines, but her goal is to get pipes replaced. Well, that is one of my goals, but it's one of the steps in this larger process."
Snyder announced on Thursday that Flint will get an additional $2 million from the state to help pay to replace the city's water infrastructure. The money will cover the costs for replacing water lines for several hundred homes, according to Weaver's plan.Introduction
A void from the Core era, no generally accepted process to hard fork exists on Bitcoin Cash. This lack of process will hinder Bitcoin Cash development as coins like Ethereum charges ahead with Buterin consensus and Dash with master nodes.
I propose here a simple way to hard fork, one that respects Nakamoto consensus, protects the right to be heard, and encourages unity without coercion. This proposal does not apply to emergency hard-forks. All temporal concepts refer to block height estimates.
Please comment to signal interest. I will post revised versions if there is sufficient community support and feedback.
The Proposal
1. One or more developers publicly announce a hard-fork plan in the form of functional code. The plan should specify an identifier (e.g., "P1") and a fork time. There should be at least 43 calendar days between a plan's announcement and fork time.
An announcement is public only if it is reasonably calculated to reach a majority of miners, developers and merchants.
An announcement has occurred only with functional code.
Any non-trivial revision to a plan, including to the plan's fork time, is considered a new plan and must be publicly announced again.
2. A miner signals its support for a hard-fork by including its identifier in coinbase parameter. A miner signals its disapproval of a hard-fork by excluding its identifier in coinbase parameter.
A miner is free to consider the totality of circumstances, including competing hard-fork plans, reactions of merchants and users, and opinions of other miners in making this decision.
3. At the fork time, signaling miners will fork, while non-signaling miners will not. There is no expectation for dissenting miners to conform above a consensus threshold.You’re in a new place. This person is yelling at you in a language you don’t understand. None of his gestures make any sense. You’re beyond tired already. Your diet’s completely changed. You’re achy from carrying the extra weight of your luggage. Finding accessible public transportation is a never-ending challenge. People from home keep asking “How’s it going?” but you know they’d just rather see an Instagram snap of your experience than hear about it.
The shock sets in. This just got REAL. Your life will probably never be the same.
Am I talking about international travel or the first few months of parenthood?
BOTH actually. One prepares you well for the other.
The preparations.
So much to read! So much to do! So much to accumulate!
You start saying your goodbyes to friends and family you know you may not see for a long time. Not that you’re going away for like, forever. But let’s face it: are they really going to want to hang out with you when you do come back? They have lives that have continued despite your new adventures.
You study up. You try to learn the lingo, you put together lists, you make logistical arrangements. How will I get here? What happens if something goes wrong? Do I have all the right phone numbers/emails/addresses?
Time seems to move both quickly and slowly. Just yesterday, it seems, you had
|
RESPONSE
In a statement, the spokesperson for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), Redur Khalil said that the Syrian government launched aerial strikes on Hasaka for the first time since the outbreak of Syrian Civil War in 2011.
“This aggressive act by the Syrian government is a reaction to the victories that the YPG-led forces made in Manbij against the Islamic State (IS) group,” Khalil said.
“The Syrian government is against the Kurdish victories against IS, because this makes us [Kurds] stronger,” he explained.
“We, the People Protection Units, vow to defend our people and lands against this aggressive act,” Khalil said.
CASUALTIES
Regarding the casualties, Kurdistan24 learned from the public hospital of Aziziya that on Friday, about 17 civilians and 4 Kurdish security elements lost their lives.
Additionally, about 12 Pro-Assad militias were killed and about 45 civilians were wounded in Alnashwa neighborhood.
On Thursday, Al-Aziziya neighborhood in the east of the city was hit by mortar shells claiming the lives of three children and wounding five women.
Kurdistan24 learned from activists that the mortar shells came from a military base belonging to the Syrian army (known as Regiment Twenty One) based on Kawkab Mountain south of the city.
The clashes between the Syrian Kurdish Security forces (Asayish) and YPG against the militias affiliated with the Syrian government broke out on Tuesday when the pro-Assad militias known as the National Defense Forces (NDF) arrested several Kurds arbitrarily.
Syrian government forces and their affiliates could not be reached for comment.
The city has witnessed violent clashes many times in the last three months.
Hasaka is the capital of the surrounding province of the same name. The city is under the shared control of the government forces with their affiliates, and Kurdish forces (Asayish and YPG).
Some professional institutions in the city are still operating and are funded by the Syrian government.
These include the Public Directorate of Education, the Justice Palace, Directorate of Migration and Passport, and many other public departments.
Editing by Ava Homa
(Kurdistan24 correspondents Heybar Othman and Ekrem Salih contributed to this report from Hasaka)Trial By Error, Continued: The Real Data
by David Tuller, DrPH
David Tuller is academic coordinator of the concurrent masters degree program in public health and journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.
‘The PACE trial is a fraud.’ Ever since Virology Blog posted my 14,000-essord investigation of the PACE trial last October, I’ve wanted to write that sentence. (I should point out that Dr. Racaniello has already called the PACE trial a “sham,” and I’ve already referred to it as “doggie-poo.” I’m not sure that “fraud” is any worse. Whatever word you use, the trial stinks.)
Let me be clear: I don’t mean “fraud” in the legal sense—I’m not a lawyer–but in the sense that it’s a deceptive and morally bankrupt piece of research. The investigators made dramatic changes from the methodology they outlined in their protocol, which allowed them to report purported “results” that were much, much better than those they would have been able to claim under their originally planned methods. Then they reported only the better-looking “results,” with no sensitivity analyses to analyze the impact of the changes—the standard statistical approach in such circumstances.
This is simply not allowed in science. It means the reported benefits for cognitive behavior therapy and graded exercise therapy were largely illusory–an artifact of the huge shifts in outcome assessments the authors introduced mid-trial. (That’s putting aside all the other flaws, like juicing up responses with a mid-trial newsletter promoting the interventions under investigation, failing to obtain legitimate informed consent from the participants, etc.)
That PACE suffered from serious methodological deficiencies should have been obvious to anyone who read the studies. That includes the reviewers for The Lancet, which published the PACE results for “improvement” in 2011 after what editor Richard Horton has called “endless rounds of peer-review,” and the journal Psychological Medicine, which published results for “recovery” in 2013. Certainly the deficiencies should have been obvious to anyone who read the trenchant letters and commentaries that patients routinely published in response to the egregious errors committed by the PACE team. Even so, the entire U.K. medical, academic and public health establishments refused to acknowledge what was right before their eyes, finding it easier instead to brand patients as unstable, anti-science, and possibly dangerous.
Thanks to the efforts of the incredible Alem Matthees, a patient in Perth, Australia, the U.K.’s First-Tier Tribunal last month ordered the liberation of the PACE trial data he’d requested under a freedom-of-information request. (The brief he wrote for the April hearing, outlining the case against PACE in great detail, was a masterpiece.) Instead of appealing, Queen Mary University of London, the home institution of lead PACE investigator Peter White, made the right decision. On Friday, September 9, the university announced its intention to comply with the tribunal ruling, and sent the data file to Mr. Matthees. The university has a short window of time before it has to release the data publicly.
I’m guessing that QMUL forced the PACE team’s hand by refusing to allow an appeal of the tribunal decision. I doubt that Dr. White and his colleagues would ever have given up their data willingly, especially now that I’ve seen the actual results. Perhaps administrators had finally tired of the PACE shenanigans, recognized that the study was not worth defending, and understood that continuing to fight would further harm QMUL’s reputation. It must be clear to the university now that its own reputational interests diverge sharply from those of Dr. White and the PACE team. I predict that the split will become more apparent as the trial’s reputation and credibility crumble; I don’t expect QMUL spokespeople to be out there vigorously defending the unacceptable conduct of the PACE investigators.
Last weekend, several smart, savvy patients helped Mr. Matthees analyze the newly available data, in collaboration with two well-known academic statisticians, Bruce Levin from Columbia and Philip Stark from Berkeley. Yesterday, Virology Blog published the group’s findings of the single-digit, non-statistically significant “recovery” rates the trial would have been able to report had the investigators adhered to the methods they outlined in the protocol. That’s a remarkable drop from the original Psychological Medicine paper, which claimed that 22 percent of those in the favored intervention groups achieved “recovery,” compared to seven percent for the non-therapy group.
Now it’s clear: The PACE authors themselves are the anti-science faction. They tortured their data and ended up producing sexier results. Then they claimed they couldn’t share their data because of alleged worries about patient confidentiality and sociopathic anti-PACE vigilantes. The court dismissed these arguments as baseless, in scathing terms. (It should be noted that their ethical concerns for patients did not extend to complying with a critical promise they made in their protocol—to tell prospective participants about “any possible conflicts of interest” in obtaining informed consent. Given this omission, they have no legitimate informed consent for any of their 641 participants and therefore should not be allowed to publish any of their data at all.)
The day before QMUL released the imprisoned data to Mr. Matthees, the PACE authors themselves posted a pre-emptive re-analysis of results for the two primary outcomes of physical function and fatigue, according to the protocol methods. In the Lancet paper, they had revised and weakened their own definition of what constituted “improvement.” With this revised definition, they could report in The Lancetthat approximately 60 % in the cognitive behavior and graded exercise therapy arms “improved” to a clinically significant degree on both fatigue and physical function.
The re-analysis the PACE authors posted last week sought to put the best possible face on the very poor data they were required to release. Yet patients examining the new numbers quickly noted that, under the more stringent definition of “improvement” outlined in the protocol, only about 20 percent in the two groups could be called “overall improvers.”. Solely by introducing a more relaxed definition of “improvement,” the PACE team—enabled by The Lancet’s negligence and an apparently inadequate “endless” review process–was able to triple the trial’s reported success rate..
So now it’s time to ask what happens to the papers already published. The editors have made their feelings clear. I have written multiple e-mails to Lancet editor Richard Horton since I first contacted him about my PACE investigation, almost a year before it ran. He never responded until September 9, the day QMUL liberated the PACE data. Given that the PACE authors’ own analysis showed that the new data showed significantly less impressive results than those published in The Lancet, I sent Dr. Horton a short e-mail asking when we could expect some sort of addendum or correction to the 2011 paper. He responded curtly: “Mr. Tuller–We have no such plans.”
The editors of Psychological Medicine are Kenneth Kendler of Virginia Commonwealth University and Robin Murray of Kings College London. After I wrote to the journal last December, pointing out the problems, I received the following from Dr. Murray, whose home base is KCL’s Department of Psychosis Studies: “Obviously the best way of addressing the truth or otherwise of the findings is to attempt to replicate them. I would therefore like to encourage you to initiate an attempted replication of the study. This would be the best way for you to contribute to the debate…Should you do this, then Psychological Medicine will be most interested in the findings either positive or negative.”
This was not an appropriate response. I told Dr. Murray it was “disgraceful,” given that the paper was so obviously flawed. This week, I wrote again to Dr. Murray and Dr. Kendler, asking if they now planned to deal with the paper’s problems, given the re-analysis by Matthees et al. In response, Dr. Murray suggested that I submit a re-analysis, based on the released data, and Psychological Medicine would be happy to consider it. “We would, of course, send it out to referees for scientific scrutiny in the same manner as we did for the original paper,” he wrote.
I explained that it was his and the journal’s responsibility to address the problems, whether or not anyone submitted a re-analysis. I also noted that I could not improve on the Matthees re-analysis, which completed rebutted the results reported in Psychological Medicine’s paper. I urged Dr. Murray to contact either Dr. Racaniello or Mr. Matthees to discuss republishing it, if he truly wished to contribute to the debate. Finally, I noted that the peer-reviewers for the original paper had okayed a study in which participants could be disabled and recovered simultaneously, so I wasn’t sure if the journal’s assessment process could be trusted.
(By the way, Kings College London, where Dr. Murray is based, is also the home institution of PACE investigator Trudie Chalder as well as Simon Wessely, a close colleague of the PACE authors and president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists*. That could explain Dr. Murray’s inability or reluctance to acknowledge that the “recovery” paper his journal peer-reviewed and published is meaningless.)
Earlier today, the PACE authors posted a blog on The BMJ site, their latest effort to salvage their damaged reputations. They make no mention of their massive research errors and focus only on their supposed fears that releasing even anonymous data will frighten away future research participants. They have provided no evidence to back up this unfounded claim, and the tribunal flatly rejected it. They also state that only researchers who present “pre-specified” analysis plans should be able to obtain trial data. This is laughable, since Dr. White and his colleagues abandoned their own pre-specified analyses in favor of analyses they decided they preferred much later on, long after the trial started.
They have continued to refer to their reported analyses, deceptively, as “pre-specified,” even though these methods were revised mid-trial. The following point has been stated many times before, but bears repeating: In an open label trial like PACE, researchers are likely to know very well what the outcome trends are before they review any actual data. So the PACE team’s claim that the changes they made were “pre-specified” because they were made before reviewing outcome data is specious. I have tried to ask them about this issue multiple times, and have never received an answer.
Dr. White, his colleagues, and their defenders don’t yet seem to grasp that the intellectual construct they invented and came to believe in—the PACE paradigm or the PACE enterprise or the PACE cult, have your pick—is in a state of collapse. They are used to saying whatever they want about patients—Internet Abuse! Knife-wielding! Death threats!!–and having it be believed. In responding to legitimate concerns and questions, they have covered up their abuse of the scientific process by providing non-answers, evasions and misrepresentations—the academic publishing equivalent of “the dog ate my homework.” Amazingly, journal editors, health officials, reporters and others have accepted these non-responsive responses as reasonable and sufficient. I do not.
Now their work is finally being scrutinized the way it should have been by peer reviewers before this damaging research was ever published in the first place. The fallout is not going to be pretty. If nothing else, they have provided a great gift to academia with their $8 million** disaster—for years to come, graduate students in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere will be dissecting PACE as a classic case study of bad research and mass delusion.
*Correction: The original version of the post mistakenly called the organization the Royal Society of Psychiatrists.
**Correction: The original version of the post stated that PACE cost $8 million, not $6.4 million. In fact, PACE cost five million pounds, so the cost in dollars depends on the exchange rate used. The $8 million figure is based on the exchange rate from last October, when Virology Blog published my PACE investigation. But the pound has fallen since the Brexit vote in June, so the cost in dollars at the current exchange rate is lower.On this day three years ago the Pozzo family completed their takeover of Watford. Given what has followed June 29, 2012, will to go down as a momentous day in Hornets history.
Overnight Watford went from a club whose ambition was Championship survival to a club the Pozzos wanted to become established in the Premier League.
After clinching promotion to the top flight last season, the Hornets are halfway there.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing and there have been unpopular decisions - such as terminating then manager Sean Dyche’s contract a week after sealing their takeover - but the Pozzos, and specifically Gino Pozzo, have always done what they think is best for the Hornets.
And given what the Golden Boys have achieved since their arrival, it is difficult to argue they have got anything dramatically wrong.
During the Pozzos’ time in charge, six managers or head coaches have come and gone from Vicarage Road - current Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores will hope to last significantly longer than the majority of his processors.
Fifty-four players have been signed. Some have been excellent additions, such as Almen Abdi and Gabriele Angella, others have made less of an impact. Remember Jean Alain Fanchone or Lucas Neill?
Watford have played 138 games since the Pozzos’ arrival and have won 65 of those. There have been 31 draws and only 42 defeats.
A total of 250 goals have been scored, an average of just over 83 a season, while 172 have been conceded. They are impressive numbers.
The Pozzo influence on Watford is all-encompassing, however. There have been several improvements made at Vicarage Road, including the construction of the brand new Sir Elton John Stand, and at the Hornets’ London Colney training ground.
But most important of all is the Hornets’ promotion and the incredible amount of money that comes with it.
Can the Golden Boys become an established top flight club? With Gino Pozzo and his family at the helm you are confident they will.
And how many newly promoted clubs can say that?The "Residue of Design" - George Duncan's F9F Crash… Near the USS Midway (CV-41) June 23, 1951 The Cream Rises... George Chamberlain Duncan was born on 11 February 1917 in Tacoma, Washington, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, in June of 1939. After two years on the battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48), he was accepted for flight training at Pensacola, and earned his wings in mid-1943. However, he did not join Naval Fighter Squadron 15 (VF-15) on the aircraft carrier USS Essex (CV-9) until September of 1943. Flying F6F Hellcats, he ultimately flew 54 missions, but did not score his first victory until June 15th, 1944, when he shot down a Japanese Zero over the island of Iwo Jima. A few days later, on June 19th, during the famous "Marianas Turkey Shoot," which was part of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Duncan claimed three more Zeros. He earned his "Ace" status on September 12, when he destroyed two more Zeros over the Philippines. The next day, again over the Philippines, he claimed one Oscar, one Nate, one Betty bomber, and shared credit for another, running his total to 9.5 aerial victories, and by early November of 1944, he had shot down four more Jap fighters, making his war total 13 and a half "kills", and having earned the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Still photo of the F9F's impact Still photo of the F9F's fireball Recovery efforts, and Duncan's rescue Portside camera footage of Duncan's crash - hosted by YouTube Bucks for Buck Rogers... After World War II, Duncan attended, and graduated from the third class of the Navy's Test Pilot Training in December of 1949 (during which time, he had collided a Vought XF6U-1 with the ground on takeoff, and crashed into the Patuxent River). With his test pilot credentials, Duncan was assigned to the Carrier Suitability department of the Navy Flight Test Division at Pax River, and flew in what would be the first carrier landing and takeoffs of the Grumman F9F Panther. The Panther, the Navy's primary jet fighter and ground-attack plane, scored the first air kill by the US Navy in the Korean war, when on July 3rd, 1950, LT JG Leonard H. Plog of Naval Fighter Squadron 51, flying an F9F, shot down a Yak-9. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney J48 turbojet engine with 7,000 pounds of thrust, the assigned aircraft - Bureau # 125228 - was hoisted aboard the USS Midway (CV-41) at Norfolk, Virginia, and carried out into the Atlantic Ocean. There, Duncan and his plane were catapulted, and trapped by, the carrier without any problems. But on the second test flight, as Duncan was coming in for his trap landing, he was lined up to catch the third wire, strung across the carrier's flight deck. But, without any warning, the descending Panther caught an air pocket, and dipped below the flight deck. Duncan pulled back on the stick, then saw nothing but flames! With Cameras Rolling... Duncan had managed to kick the nose of his plane upwards just as the plane smashed into the edge of the carrier's deck, splitting the jet in half. From behind the cockpit to the nose of the plane, the partial fuselage violently tumbled and rolled down the deck of the carrier, as the remaining chuck of the plane, and its fuel, ignited into a fireball and chased Duncan's cockpit down the deck. The force of the impact popped the canopy off of Duncan's cockpit, as well as his helmet. But amazingly, he was still strapped into his seat, and alive. Skidding to a stop, deck hands on the flight deck rushed to Duncan's aid, and pulled him from the fiery remains of his jet, and rushed him to the sickbay. Duncan was burned by the fireball, and his ears were badly scorched, but he was otherwise unharmed by the crash. Several months later, Duncan was back flying. As nearly every landing on an aircraft carrier is filmed, for educational and safety purposes, footage of Duncan's crash circulated throughout the fleet, as a lesson in what could happen on the open seas. Encore... F9F Panthers were withdrawn from front-line service after the Korean War in 1956, but remained in training roles and with reserve units until 1958, some continuing to serve in small numbers into the 1960s. Film footage of this accident was used as a SB2C "Helldiver" striking the ramp before turning into an F9F "Panther" jet fighter bomber as it explodes, in the 1976 film "Midway". n addition to its use in "Midway", Commander Duncan's crash was featured in 1954 movie "Men of the Fighting Lady " as the demise of Keenan Wynn's Lt. Cdr. Ted Dodson and later in the 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October" as a damaged F-14 "Tomcat." He continued to serve in the Navy, rising to command Naval Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51) and Air Group 5 during the Korean War. He went on to become the captain of the USS Ranger for over a year, and after serving in the Navy for 33 years, he retired in 1968 to become a Washington area lawyer. He passed away on December 15th, 1995. George Duncan's experiences on that June day are covered in George Wilson's book about the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, entitled Flying the Edge. The USS Midway remained in the Navy until April 11th, 1992, when is was decommissioned. In 2004, she became a museum ship in San Diego, California, and is open to the public.Income-based repayment or income-driven repayment is a student loan repayment program in the US that regulates the amount that one needs to pay each month basing on one's current income and family size.[1]
The phrase is an umbrella term for four specific repayment plans that are available within the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan Program. These four repayment plans are also named Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR).[2]
Mechanics [ edit ]
Payments under the IBR Plan are 10% or 15% of discretionary income, but will never be more than the 10-year standard repayment amount. Whether a borrower pays 10% or 15% of discretionary income depends on when the borrower first started borrowing student loans.[3]
Payments under the PAYE Plan are 10% of discretionary income, but will never be more than the 10-year standard repayment amount.[4]
Payments under the REPAYE Plan are also 10% of discretionary income; however, unlike IBR and PAYE, payments for high-income borrowers may be higher than the 10-year standard repayment amount. Also, unlike IBR and PAYE, if required monthly payments do not cover the accruing interest, 50% of the unpaid interest is forgiven, thereby reducing negative amortization.[5]
Payments under the ICR Plan are the lesser of 20% of discretionary income or a 12-year standard repayment amount adjusted based on the borrower's income.[6][7]
Eligibility [ edit ]
Eligibility requirements for the income-driven repayment plans depends on which plan the borrower chooses and when the student borrowed.
The ICR Plan has the fewest number of eligibility requirements. A borrower is only required to have an eligible loan.[6]
The IBR and Pay As You Earn Plans require that the borrower demonstrate a "need" to make income-driven payments and have eligible loans.[3][4]
The Pay As You Earn Plan is limited to those who borrowed recently. Specifically, the borrower must be a "new borrower" as of October 1, 2007 and have received a disbursement of a Direct Loan on or after October 1, 2011.[4] A borrower is a "new borrower" if, when receiving a federal student loan on or after October 1, 2007, the borrower did not have an outstanding balance on another federal student loan.
The Revised Pay As You Earn Plan is available to all Direct Loan borrowers regardless of when the money was borrowed. FFEL loans can be made eligible if they are consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan.
Eligible loans [ edit ]
Eligible loans for the ICR Plan are all loans made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program except Parent PLUS Loans. However, if a Parent PLUS Loan is consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan, then the Direct Consolidation Loan may be repaid under the ICR Plan.[6]
Eligible loans for the IBR Plan are all loans made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and Federal Family Education Loan Program except for Parent PLUS Loans. Unlike ICR, Parent PLUS Loans cannot be consolidated into a consolidation loan in order to qualify.[3]
Eligible loans for the PAYE Plan are all loans made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program except for Parent PLUS Loans. Unlike ICR, Parent PLUS Loans cannot be consolidated into a consolidation loan in order to qualify.[4]
Borrowers with Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans and Federal Perkins Loan Program loans may become eligible for the ICR, Pay As You Earn, and Revised Pay As You Earn plans by consolidating them into a Direct Consolidation Loan.[6][4]
A "need" to make income-driven payments [ edit ]
The IBR and PAYE Plans require that borrowers demonstrate a "need" to make income-driven payments. This debt-to-income test checks to see whether the borrower would see a payment amount reduction under the IBR or PAYE Plan relative to the 10-year standard repayment plan.[8]
Different terms and conditions under the IBR Plan [ edit ]
The IBR Plan has different terms and conditions depending on when the student borrowed. If the borrower is a "new borrower" on or after July 1, 2014, then the borrower will have payments that are generally 10% of discretionary income and forgiveness is provided for after 20 years of qualifying payment.[3] If a borrower is not a new borrower on or after July 1, 2014, then payments will generally be 15% of discretionary income and forgiveness is provided for after 25 years of qualifying repayment.[3]
Similar to the definition of "new borrower" for Pay As You Earn, a new borrower for the IBR Plan is one who, when receiving a federal student loan on or after July 1, 2014, the borrower did not have an outstanding balance on another federal student loan.
Determining eligibility [ edit ]
Utilizing the repayment estimator online, a borrower can estimate his other monthly payments under all repayment plans, including IBR. However, the repayment estimator can only estimate eligibility. To receive an official determination of eligibility, a borrower must contact his or her loan servicer. The National Student Loan Data System (Nslds.ed.gov) can let a borrower know who is the servicer of his/her loan.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program [ edit ]
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program provides for the forgiveness of certain types of federal student loans after 10 years of qualifying employment and payments.[9] The IBR plan is one of the qualifying repayment plans for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.[9] And, to receive Public Service Loan Forgiveness, borrower must have repaid their loans under one of the "income-driven repayment plans", including IBR.[9]
Applying for an income-driven repayment plan [ edit ]
To apply for an income-driven repayment plan, the borrower needs to submit the Income-Driven Repayment Plan Request and provide information about family size and income.[10] Income can take the form of tax information (adjusted gross income), or "alternative documentation of income", such as a pay stub.[10]
Tax information, as well as the application, itself, and certification of family size, may be provided electronically through StudentLoans.gov.[11] If completing the application electronically, a borrower may transfer tax information into the application directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).[11]
According to the application, borrowers may also self-certify that they currently have no income, thus avoiding needing to try and document that they have no income.[10]
Because the eligibility criteria are complex, the application allows borrowers to indicate that they want their loan servicer to determine which of the income-driven plans the borrower is eligible for, and to place the borrower on the income-driven plan with the lowest monthly payment amount.
Which plan to choose [ edit ]
Most borrowers seeking an income-driven plan should choose Revised Pay As You Earn. The REPAYE plan provides benefits that the IBR, ICR, and PAYE plans do not, including a 50% interest subsidy if the required payment does not cover the accruing interest.[4] However, there could be disadvantages to choosing the REPAYE plan which could result in higher amounts being paid over the life of the loan or very high monthly payments for borrowers with high incomes.
Recent announcements [ edit ]
On June 9, 2014, President Obama announced that the Department of Education would modify the PAYE Plan so that it is available to all borrowers, regardless of when they borrowed.[12] The new repayment plan, Revised Pay As You Earn, launched on December 17, 2015.[13]
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General recently calculated that the portion of total Direct Loan volume being repaid through IDR plans has increased 625 percent from the FY 2011 loan cohort ($7.1 billion) to the FY 2015 loan cohort ($51.5 billion). For IDR plans, the Federal government is expected to lend more money than borrowers repay. From the FY 2011 through FY 2015 loan cohorts, the total positive subsidy cost (net cash outflow) for student loans being repaid through IDR plans has increased 748 percent (from $1.4 billion to $11.5 billion)[14]The big story coming out of the Democratic National Convention is speaker Khizr Khan (shown), the Pakistani-born lawyer whose son was killed by Muslim jihadists in Iraq in 2004 — and who now rails against the man who wants to keep Muslim jihadists out of America. That man, of course, is GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, and, in typical Trumpian style, he isn’t taking the criticism lying down.
Trump initially received condemnation for saying of Khan’s wife, Ghazala — who sat silently under a hijab while her husband spoke at the DNC — that perhaps “she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say.” Trump did take pains to mention that the Khan’s deceased son, Army Captain Humayun Kahn, was a “hero.” But this didn’t stop some Republicans from issuing condemnations, representative of which was South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham’s statement, "This is going to a place where we've never gone before, to push back against the families of the fallen.”
Of course, at issue aren’t “families,” but one family — that chose to enter the political campaign. Note that “campaign” is a term of war, and, as I pointed out in “The Grieving Activist,” it’s unreasonable to place yourself on the firing line and not expect to take flak. Launch salvos, actual or political, and return fire ought to be anticipated.
Nonetheless, Trump’s comments about Mrs. Khan were certainly not the wisest choice; more prudent was a later tweet the candidate sent in which he pointed out, referencing the scene of Captain Khan’s tragic death, that “Hillary voted for the Iraq war” — he didn’t. Yet the big story here shouldn’t be that Khan fired first or Trump fired back, but that Khan misfired and peddled a lie.
Consider columnist Byron York’s analysis of Khan’s DNC speech: Khan “suggested that Trump's Muslim ban and Mexican border wall proposals are unconstitutional. Specifically, Khan cited the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of the law' in suggesting that Trump's policies violate the Constitution."
Ironically, Khan claimed in his speech that Trump was ignorant of the Constitution, yet the above is silly beyond words. As York pointed out, “There's simply no sense in which a border wall violates the Constitution” nor is there anything “unconstitutional about deporting people who are in the United States illegally.”
Then there’s Khan’s implication that Trump’s proposal to temporarily ban or limit Muslim immigration is a violation of the 14th Amendment’s “equal protection” clause. Stating the obvious, York writes that this amendment “makes clear that its protections apply to ‘all persons born or naturalized’ in the U.S.; persons ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof’; and persons ‘within its jurisdiction.’ None refers to foreign persons in foreign countries.”
And of course, the norm for nations — the U.S. being no exception — is to pick and choose among immigrants. For more than 40 years American immigration was governed by the National Origins Act, which, as the name suggest, limited or excluded certain prospective immigrants based on national origin. And WWII-era liberal icon Franklin Roosevelt was “Trump on Steroids,” wrote the American Spectator last December, “using his presidential powers to declare Germans, Italians, and Japanese in America ‘enemy aliens,’ slapping curfews on them, registering them, taking away everything from their guns to their binoculars to their right to travel to their jobs.” In fact, controlling who enters our nation is so vital for national security that the idea we must be forbidden from doing so could be considered treasonous.
As for confused statements, Khan also told CNN that Muslim terrorists “have nothing to do with Islam,” but also said that Muslims “are the solution to terrorism." If they’re not the problem, however, why should they be the solution? Why didn’t Khan rather say, “You can’t expect Muslims to be the solution because terrorism has nothing to do with us”? Moreover, if today’s terrorists “have nothing to do with Islam,” why do they all happen to claim Islamic status? If they’re co-opting the faith, why do they choose only Islam to co-opt? Why do a percentage of them not commit their acts in the name of Christianity, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, or libertarianism (perhaps screaming “Liberty Akbar!”)? Is there something about Islam that makes it uniquely co-optative?
One also might wonder how many Muslims are like Gamal Abdel-Hafiz — now a homeland-security advisor to Barack Obama — and if they can be a solution if they are. After all, as an FBI agent years ago, Abdel-Hafiz refused to do his duty investigating a terrorist suspect, saying, "A Muslim doesn’t record another Muslim.” And this raises another question: If terrorists “have nothing to do with Islam,” why didn’t Abdel-Hafiz instead say, “I’ll be happy to record this man because if he’s a terrorist, he can’t really be Muslim”?
And while columnist Charles Hurt opines that Khan was “tricked” by Democrats into smearing Trump, other sources contend that he’s actually a much larger, and darker, part of the problem himself. As American Thinker writes:
According to Theodore Shoebat and Walid Shoebat [proprietors of Shoebat.com], Mr. Khizr Muazzam Khan is a promoter of Islamic Sharia law and a co-founder of the Journal of Contemporary Issues in Muslim Law (Islamic Sharia). In fact, in the past, Khizr Khan has shown "his appreciation for an icon of the Muslim Brotherhood," by the name of Said Ramadan who "wrote material for the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia, an organization that has been promoting Islamic revivalism and indoctrination to recruit young people in Malaysia to jihadism." Mr. Said Ramadan was the son-in-law of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood including Ahmad Bahefzallah, the boss of Huma Abedin (Hillary Clinton's aide)[.]"
… Shoebat writes that "Khizr Khan currently runs a law firm in New York called KM Khan Law Office, a firm that specializes in 'immigration services.'"
After earlier pointing out that Khan also once wrote a paper entitled In Defense of OPEC, the Shoebats then theorize, “It is likely that Khan is a Muslim plant working with the Hillary Clinton campaign, probably for the interest of Muslim oil companies as well as Muslim immigration into the U.S." And continuing to pull no punches and opining on Khan’s motives, the Shoebats write, "It is obvious that Khan is upset, that a Trump victory will eliminate and destroy decades of hard work to bring in Islamic immigration into the United States which was spearheaded by agents in Saudi Arabia like Khan and Huma Abedin’s father (Sayed Z. Abedin)."
Whether or not the above is accurate, it certainly is true that Hillary Clinton will, just as her former boss Barack Obama has, encourage Muslim immigration into the United States. And this is no surprise since, according to retired Air Force general Tom McInerney, the leftists in power have even welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood — into the very halls of Washington, D.C. As he said in 2014, “I haven’t got their names exactly but there’s a list of them, at least 10 or 15 of them in the U.S. government.”
And this is why many critics contend that jihadists aside, Hillary Clinton and her fellow travelers are more problem than solution themselves.About This Game 'BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend' is the sixth installment of the BlazBlue series, a combination of 2D fighting action game and visual novel. The game incorporates flashy performance and unique fighting moves with the Drive Button system to quickly take down the opponent. Now players can dish out super-powerful Guard Crush attacks when their opponent’s Barrier Gauge is low with the revamped Guard system. A player can quickly turn the tide of the battle by using BlazBlue’s unique mechanic - Overdrive - to enhance his skills and abilities. With two new characters, Celica and Λ-11-, joining the roster, the player will be able to choose from 28 different playable characters. Also, a story mode named “Remix Heart” is newly added, featuring two characters, Mai Natsume and Kajun Faycott. My Room A totally new system, ‘My Room’ has been
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,7 +4720,7 @@ iris_upload_dirty_render_state(struct iris_context *ice, */ unsigned flush_flags = 0; - uint64_t bound = ice->state.bound_vertex_buffers; + uint64_t bound = dynamic_bound; while (bound) { const int i = u_bit_scan64(&bound); uint16_t high_bits = 0; @@ -4704,7 +4760,7 @@ iris_upload_dirty_render_state(struct iris_context *ice, } map += 1; - bound = ice->state.bound_vertex_buffers; + bound = dynamic_bound; while (bound) { const int i = u_bit_scan64(&bound); memcpy(map, genx->vertex_buffers[i].state, @@ -4717,8 +4773,59 @@ iris_upload_dirty_render_state(struct iris_context *ice, if (dirty & IRIS_DIRTY_VERTEX_ELEMENTS) { struct iris_vertex_element_state *cso = ice->state.cso_vertex_elements; const unsigned entries = MAX2(cso->count, 1); - iris_batch_emit(batch, cso->vertex_elements, sizeof(uint32_t) * - (1 + entries * GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length))); + if (!(ice->state.vs_needs_sgvs_element || + ice->state.vs_uses_derived_draw_params)) { + iris_batch_emit(batch, cso->vertex_elements, sizeof(uint32_t) * + (1 + entries * GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length))); + } else { + uint32_t dynamic_ves[1 + 33 * GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length)]; + const int dyn_count = cso->count + + ice->state.vs_needs_sgvs_element + + ice->state.vs_uses_derived_draw_params; + + iris_pack_command(GENX(3DSTATE_VERTEX_ELEMENTS), + &dynamic_ves, ve) { + ve.DWordLength = + 1 + GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length) * dyn_count - 2; + } + memcpy(&dynamic_ves[1], &cso->vertex_elements[1], cso->count * + GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length) * sizeof(uint32_t)); + uint32_t *ve_pack_dest = + &dynamic_ves[1 + cso->count * GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length)]; + + if (ice->state.vs_needs_sgvs_element) { + uint32_t base_ctrl = ice->state.vs_uses_draw_params? + VFCOMP_STORE_SRC : VFCOMP_STORE_0; + iris_pack_state(GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE), ve_pack_dest, ve) { + ve.Valid = true; + ve.VertexBufferIndex = + util_bitcount64(ice->state.bound_vertex_buffers); + ve.SourceElementFormat = ISL_FORMAT_R32G32_UINT; + ve.Component0Control = base_ctrl; + ve.Component1Control = base_ctrl; + ve.Component2Control = VFCOMP_STORE_0; + ve.Component3Control = VFCOMP_STORE_0; + } + ve_pack_dest += GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length); + } + if (ice->state.vs_uses_derived_draw_params) { + iris_pack_state(GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE), ve_pack_dest, ve) { + ve.Valid = true; + ve.VertexBufferIndex = + util_bitcount64(ice->state.bound_vertex_buffers) + + ice->state.vs_uses_draw_params; + ve.SourceElementFormat = ISL_FORMAT_R32G32_UINT; + ve.Component0Control = VFCOMP_STORE_SRC; + ve.Component1Control = VFCOMP_STORE_SRC; + ve.Component2Control = VFCOMP_STORE_0; + ve.Component3Control = VFCOMP_STORE_0; + } + ve_pack_dest += GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length); + } + iris_batch_emit(batch, &dynamic_ves, sizeof(uint32_t) * + (1 + dyn_count * GENX(VERTEX_ELEMENT_STATE_length))); + } + iris_batch_emit(batch, cso->vf_instancing, sizeof(uint32_t) * entries * GENX(3DSTATE_VF_INSTANCING_length)); }Two-time auction winner Tim Draper has revealed to CoinDesk that he is not participating in today’s auction of more than 44,000 BTC confiscated from convicted Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht.
The venture capitalist and Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) partner was the sole winner of the first US government auction of nearly 30,000 BTC (then valued at roughly $18m) held last July, again purchasing 2,000 BTC (worth $750,000) in an auction of 50,000 BTC held in December 2014.
Though short in his remarks, Draper told CoinDesk that he “didn’t participate” in today’s auction, which is scheduled to conclude at 18:00 UTC.
Draper did not elaborate on any reasons underpinning the decision.
Confirmed participants in the auction so far include bitcoin hedge fund Binary Financial and over-the-counter bitcoin trading firm Genesis Trading. Major US bitcoin exchanges including Coinbase, Gemini and itBit have stated that they are not participating or declined to comment on their involvement in the sale.
Representatives of the US Marshals Service (USMS), the government agency overseeing the auction, did not respond to requests for clarity as to when any winner in today’s auction could be expected to be announced.
Draper was, however, optimistic about the recently rising price of bitcoin in his remarks, concluding his email by writing:Stretchers outside the venue. That’s the main thing I remember. For the past five years, I’ve lived in a sleepy Southern college town, and on the rare occasions when we do get a great live show in town, those live shows are usually fairly sedate affairs. But when Danny Brown came to town, all that went out the window. A couple of years ago, Brown played the biggest of our local clubs, selling it out and packing it full of mostly white, mostly affluent college kids who were losing their minds. At the door, I saw security confiscate one kids’s bag of Cool Ranch Doritos; he hopelessly protested that he wanted to throw it onstage during this one specific line. And if he’d managed to smuggle it in, the snack-food projectile would’ve been in keeping with the spirit of the night. These kids came to party, and Danny Brown responded, blasting through a set of high-octane get-fucked-up rap music. And when I stumbled out of the venue, a little drunk myself, I saw flashing lights and EMTs and a couple of stretchers, there for the kids who’d partied a little too hard. But here’s the thing: Brown was touring behind Old, and album about trying and failing to process trauma, about getting fucked up as a failed coping mechanism. He made music with layers, music drenched in self-loathing and regret, and the world accepted it as party music. It sounded like party music. So maybe Brown just had to make something that didn’t sound like party music.
Atrocity Exhibition, the new Danny Brown album, does not sound like party music. Instead, it’s an overwhelming mess of an album, with Brown forcing his rabid-hyena yowl over beats that sound like they’re collapsing in on themselves. Brown’s great subject is his own brokenness. The whole second half of Old was taken up with bad-faith EDM bangers, songs about losing yourself in drugs and hedonism and then, more quietly, realizing how you were failing at outrunning the trauma of your childhood. Brown raps about the squalid ruins of his Detroit hometown with the same enthusiasm that he uses to discuss cocaine-addled threesomes, and he keeps the same dark edge in his voice. And he spends all of Atrocity Exhibition zoning out on that same feeling of futility. “Everybody’s saying you got a lot to be proud of,” Brown muses on opening track “The Downward Spiral,” making it implicit that he doesn’t believe them. And then: “I gotta figure it out, I gotta figure it out.” At least as far as we can hear on Atrocity Exhibition, he never does.
Brown named Atrocity Exhibition after a Joy Division song that’s named after a J.G. Ballard novel. And if you’re listening for it, it’s possible to hear traces of Ian Curtis’ antisocial animosity and feverish wriggle in what Brown is doing. But he’s also talked about what the title means, about the idea of putting misery out on display so that people can gawk at it. In response, he’s made a profoundly uncomfortable album, one that pushes against expectations in every conceivable way while still absolutely working as a rap album. Brown is still a great rapper — enough of a cornball to make a “head sent me to the moon”/”Mac Tonight” pun (one that only people in their 30s will get) and confident enough to rhyme “I’m Coltrane on Soul Plane” with “bitches know my name from Cancun to Spokane.”
But I also hear him freaked-out and damaged, whether he’s rapping in his inside voice or doing the full bugged-out yelp. “Mama found some racks in some dirty jeans / Told her keep the money, take ‘em to the cleaners” — that could be a brag, but it could also just be some real talk about Brown’s profound disinterest in all the money he’s making. When he talks about sex, it verges on Cronenbergian body horror: “I be on the chemicals, she be on my testicles / Poke her with my tentacle then put her on the schedule.” And plenty of the drug-consumption lyrics could also be read as calls for help: “Lost my brain, going insane / Self-medicate is how I cope,” “Might need rehab, but to me, that shit pussy.” Just as he was on Old, this is Danny Brown rapping from some dank hole of depression.
And I haven’t even gotten into what really sets Atrocity Exhibition apart: The music. This does not sound like a rap album, at least in any conventional sense. The most recognizably 2016 rap track is probably the rap-assassin posse cut “Really Doe,” on which Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, and Ab-Soul all team up over a tense, tingling beat from Detroit Dilla acolyte and old Brown collaborator Black Milk. That’s a hard, jittery rap beat, but it’s an oasis of calm compared to just about everything else on the album. Alchemist’s work on “White Lines” is built from a jarring, discordant ice-cream truck keyboard melody and a profoundly drunk breakbeat stagger, while Evian Christ’s track for “Pneumonia” is a damaged smear of trap music, and Petite Noir turns in woozy, falling-apart new wave on “Rolling Stone.”
Most of the album — nine of the 15 tracks — comes from the UK producer Paul White, the Martin Hannett to Brown’s Ian Curtis. White’s tracks on Atrocity Exhibition are a jangled swirl of samples, noises dropping in at arrhythmic intervals, never settling into anything resembling a groove. It’s a profoundly uneasy listen, all these echoing acoustic bass-wobbles and chopped-up Afrobeat ripples and John Carpenter drones refusing to ever resolve or settle. Other than “Really Doe” and the B-Real hook on the atypically sunny weed anthem “Get Hi,” the album is entirely free of guest-rappers, and that’s a good thing. It’s a personal album, but it’s also a challenging one, and very few rappers could navigate beats this chaotic with anything like Brown’s gnarled virtuosity. Brown alone knows how to handle these tracks, which belong to the Bomb Squad/Madlib school of rap-music rupture. The songs tend to be short, often whirling to a stop around the 2:30 mark, and that’s good, too. They’re just too fucked up to keep going much longer.
You have to be in the right mood to listen to Atrocity Exhibition. The production sounds so foreign, so alien, that it takes time to wrap your brain about it. And the songs are written from a place of such darkness and numbness that they don’t lend themselves to hedonism, the way Brown’s older records did. (I’m curious how Brown is going to make these songs work in the context of his bacchanalian live shows, but he’s a hell of a performer, and I know he’ll pull it off.) But if you’re ready to meet Brown where he’s living, you will find a profoundly adventurous and expressive rap record, an album that shoots for the stars and, more often than not, hits them. We are living through an era where many, many rappers are capable of great things. But there’s only one person alive who could’ve made this album, and that’s Danny Brown.
Atrocity Exhibition is out 9/30 on Warp.
Other albums of note out this week:
• Bon Iver’s experimental, processed-all-to-hell, absolutely beautiful 22, A Million.
• Jenny Hval’s expressive, experimental, heavy Blood Bitch.
• S U R V I V E’s evocative synth-waver RR7349.
• Nicolas Jaar’s ambient-thump return Sirens.
• Itasca’s lovely, floating folker Open To Chance.
• Drive-By Truckers’ politically driven Southern rocker American Band.
• Opeth’s pastoral prog-metaller Sorceress.
• Pixies’ scrappy, punchy Head Carrier.
• Oathbreaker’s expressively heavy art-metaller Rheia.
• Emma Ruth Rundle’s heavily pretty Marked For Death.
• Alcest’s fluttering shoegaze-metaller Kodama.
• Microwave’s pounding post-hardcore attack Much Love.
• EZTV’s woozily catchy indie rocker High In Place.
• Ultimate Painting’s woozy, psychedelic Dusk.
• Regina Spektor’s dramatic, showy Remember Us To Life.
• Warehouse’s lo-fi DIY masterclass super low.
• The Growlers’ Strokes-affiliated garage-popper City Club.
• Modern Baseball side project Slaughter Beach, Dog’s catchy, impactful Welcome.
• Machinedrum’s twitchy electronic LP Human Energy.
• BANKS’ smokey alt-soul effort Altar.
• Sam Evian’s Serge Gainsbourg-damaged Premium.
• Peaer’s depressive self-titled sophomore effort.
• Hello Shark’s plaintively specific Delicate.
• Brain Tentacles’ spazzy self-titled jazz-metal debut.
• Mr. Oizo’s dance slammer All Wet.
• Craig David’s reliably slick Following My Intuition.
• Infinity Crush’s bedroom-popper Warmth Equation.
• Bob Weir’s National-aided solo album Blue Mountain.
• Van Morrison’s I’m-still-here statement Keep Me Singing.
• The Faint’s career-spanning collection Capsule: 1999-2016.
• Moses Sumney’s Lamentations EP.
• La Sera’s Queens EP.
• Pional’s When Love Hurts EP.
• Letters To Cleo’s reunion EP.
• Fake Palms’ Heavy Paranoia EP.
• Grapell’s Love Chamber EP.Far left independent movie theaters nationwide are preparing to screen “1984” tonight in an anti-Trump protest.
The movie is about Bernie Sanders style Socialism and Big Brother government spying.
This could end badly for idiot leftists.
The Huffington Post reported:
Dozens of independent movie theaters nationwide are preparing to screen a film adaptation of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984 to protest President Donald Trump’s proposed plan to eliminate humanities agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts.
Screenings of the 1980s film, which features the late John Hurt, will take place in more than 85 theaters across 34 states on April 4. The date marks the first time the story’s protagonist, Winston Smith, writes in his diary ― a major act of resistance against Big Brother, the figurehead of an authoritarian state that uses perpetual war, mass surveillance and censorship to control its people.In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined the evidence for an overlap between ASD and mitochondrial dysfunction and/or MD. From our analysis, MD was reported in 5.0% of children with ASD. We also found that there is a rather high prevalence of abnormal values in direct (that is, lactate, pyruvate and lactate-to-pyruvate ratio) and indirect (that is, carnitine, ammonia, CK and AST) biochemical markers of mitochondrial dysfunction in the general population of children with ASD, and that children with ASD, as a group, have significantly abnormal values for direct (that is, lactate, pyruvate and ubiquinone) and indirect (that is, carnitine) biochemical markers of mitochondrial dysfunction compared with controls. The variability in the values of these biochemical markers was, for the most part, significantly larger in the ASD group as compared with the control groups, indicating that the ASD population manifests a wide variety of values of biochemical markers for mitochondrial dysfunction. Two studies reported significant correlations between markers of mitochondrial dysfunction and autism severity. Additionally, there appears to be a high prevalence of mtDNA deletions, but not pathogenic mtDNA mutations, in the general ASD population, and studies of nDNA have not found consistent abnormalities. In vitro studies with limited sample sizes have identified mitochondrial dysfunction, lower mitochondrial GSH reserve and higher mitochondrial oxidative stress in the cells of individuals with ASD compared with controls. Neuroimaging studies have also reported abnormalities in biomarkers of energy metabolism in children with ASD. One study reported a trend for higher levels of brain oxidized mitochondrial protein content in ASD compared with controls. Although many of the studies included in this review have limitations, their cumulative findings suggest that there is evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD, or at the least, in a subset of children with ASD.
Our review also demonstrates that children with ASD/MD have distinct characteristics as compared with the general population of children with ASD and have many similarities to the general population of children with MD. Abnormalities in mitochondrial histology and ultrastructure were reported in some children with ASD/MD. Surprisingly, only a relatively modest percentage (21%) of children with ASD/MD had a genetic abnormality that might account for mitochondrial dysfunction. Although two studies suggested that children with ASD or features of ASD constitute a small proportion of the general MD population,48, 58 certain limitations of these studies indicate they may not accurately reflect true prevalence. Several animal models of ASD reported mitochondrial dysfunction. A limited number of studies reported various improvements in children with ASD and mitochondrial dysfunction with certain treatments. Below we will discuss some important aspects of this review, limitations of our analyses, and important avenues for further study.
Children with ASD/MD: a distinct subgroup of children with ASD or a distinct MD syndrome?
Mitochondrial dysfunction is the most common metabolic abnormality associated with ASD.115, 177 Meta-analysis of three studies115, 132, 145 indicated that the prevalence of MD in ASD was 5.0% (95% CI 3.2, 6.9%), which is significantly higher than found in the general population (∼0.01%),47 indicating that an association between ASD and MD is likely, at least in a subgroup of individuals with ASD.25 However, this 5% prevalence is most likely an underestimate of the true prevalence of MD in individuals with ASD since these studies excluded children from testing for MD who had either normal lactate or medical disorders potentially related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, two of these three studies exclusively used lactate to identify children to be fully assessed for MD.115, 132 This latter limitation appears to be common in the reviewed studies, as only a few studies evaluated ASD children who had a normal lactate for MD.142, 143, 147, 150 Using only lactate as a screening test for MD may miss some individuals with MD. In the future, the development of sensitive and specific non-invasive or minimally invasive methods for identifying MD, such as the routine examination of mitochondrial function in lymphocytes, should make the identification of the true prevalence of MD in ASD children more realistic.
In general, MD and mitochondrial dysfunction may be underrecognized in the general ASD population,9 especially because the identification of children with ASD and concomitant mitochondrial dysfunction can be quite challenging. For example, biochemical markers may be abnormal only during illness,25, 49, 142, 143, 147, 150 tissue mitochondrial heteroplasmy can result in mitochondrial dysfunction being limited to only certain body tissues,99, 139 and known genetic defects are not commonly found in ASD/MD. Of note, routine laboratory testing to screen for mitochondrial dysfunction in children with ASD is not often performed,132 perhaps because previous investigators have suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction is rare in ASD177 and should only be considered when there is a family history of MD or neurological features suggestive of MD.134, 142 However, our review indicates that many children with ASD/MD do not have a family history of MD or neurological features that distinguish them from the general ASD population.25, 132, 133, 142 In fact, the phenotypic presentation of mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD is quite broad, ranging from significant to no neurological problems,25, 139, 142, 147 with some investigators describing children with ASD/MD as being indistinguishable from other children with ASD and others describing them as atypical for ASD.25, 132, 133, 142 Furthermore, our review suggests that some ASD children with abnormal markers of mitochondrial function do not meet definite or probable criteria for MD but rather may have a mild form of mitochondrial dysfunction, such as partial complex deficiencies, that may not be considered significant by some clinicians.9, 25, 35, 85
Interestingly, two studies reported a significant correlation between biochemical markers of mitochondrial dysfunction and the severity of ASD symptoms.105, 112 This correlation suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction exists on a continuum rather than in a discrete subgroup of ASD children. Such a notion is consistent with many of the findings in this review, including the much higher prevalence of abnormal biochemical markers of mitochondrial dysfunction as compared with the prevalence of MD in the general ASD population, and the particularly high variability in biochemical markers of mitochondrial dysfunction in the general ASD population. Clearly, additional studies are needed to better define the clinical and biochemical characteristics of ASD/MD children and to determine if a discrete ASD/MD subgroup exists or whether mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD is better represented on a continuum.
Our review of the 112 children with ASD/MD reported in the medical literature found several distinct clinical characteristics in this group, such as developmental regression, seizures, motor delay, GI abnormalities, and a higher prevalence of elevated lactate and pyruvate, as compared with the general ASD population. Additionally, children with ASD/MD had many similarities to the general population of children with MD, including the prevalence of male sex, regression, seizures, hypotonia, cardiomyopathy, myopathy and ETC abnormalities. This suggests that these clinical characteristics are more likely due to mitochondrial dysfunction than to ASD. Of course, this might also be an artifact of using diagnostic criteria for MD to define children with ASD/MD. However, other clinical characteristics which were significantly more prevalent in children with ASD/MD as compared with the general population of MD, such as fatigue/lethargy, ataxia, GI abnormalities and elevated lactate, are unlikely to be due simply to the use of diagnostic criteria. From our review, it also appears unlikely that these abnormalities reported in ASD/MD are due to factors, such as poor diet, anxiety or GI symptoms. Although three studies did attempt to identify MD from the general ASD population, these studies did not fully define the clinical or biochemical characteristics of the individuals identified.115, 132, 145
The finding of a significantly elevated prevalence (74%) of GI abnormalities (such as reflux, constipation, diarrhea and inflammation) in children with ASD/MD compared with both children with ASD and children with MD is intriguing and deserves further study. Recently, increased awareness of GI problems in ASD has been noted12, 178 and the findings of this review suggest that GI abnormalities in ASD may be related, in part, to mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, mitochondrial dysfunction has been demonstrated in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease, and carnitine supplementation reversed both the metabolic and clinical abnormalities in this model.179 It is also possible that some metabolites originating from the GI tract, such as propionic acid produced by Clostridia, other enteric short chain fatty acids and certain cytokines might act as mitochondrial toxins. These factors might also contribute to seizure activity and our analysis found that seizures were significantly more common in ASD/MD compared with the general population of ASD. Given the high energy demands of both the GI tract and cerebrovascular endothelium, mitochondrial dysfunction may also contribute to barrier dysfunction in the brain and GI tract in ASD. Additionally, as mitochondria have an important role in lipid metabolism, previous reports of abnormalities in lipid metabolism180, 181 and lipid peroxidation182 in some individuals with ASD could be due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Further studies are needed to determine the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in barrier dysfunction, lipid abnormalities, GI dysfunction and seizure activity in ASD.
Interestingly, in the reviewed studies, no child with ASD/MD presented with a classic mitochondrial syndrome. Some experts have reported that autistic features are relatively common in children with MD in conjunction with a global neurological syndrome.183 However, the two studies that examined the presence of ASD characteristics in the general MD population did not support this assertion. It is possible that children with MD do not present with the typical symptoms of ASD. Alternatively, it may be that features of ASD are not specifically examined or recognized in many children who are diagnosed with MD, or that a potentially high severity of the presenting symptoms of MD does not trigger a differential diagnosis of ASD. These possibilities are supported by the finding that only 2% of children with ASD/MD were diagnosed with MD before ASD. It is possible that children with ASD/MD constitute a specific syndrome within children with MD, but further studies will be needed to better define common clinical symptoms within larger cohorts of children with ASD/MD.
Regression in children with mitochondrial dysfunction and ASD
Twelve studies reported a regression in developmental milestones in ASD children who had MD or abnormal biochemical markers of mitochondrial function.23, 25, 49, 85, 132, 137, 139, 140, 141, 142, 147, 148, 149 In these studies, regression was noted in several areas, including language, motor skills, eye contact, play skills, social interaction and receptive skills. In one case series of 25 children with ASD/MD, unusual patterns of regression, such as multiple regressions (9 children), regression with catabolic stress (7 children) and regression after age 3 (6 children) were noted.25 In some studies, factors associated with regression included illnesses25, 140, 142 and fever.49, 142 For example, in one case series of 28 children with ASD/MD, regression was reported in 17 children (61%), with a majority (12/17, 71%) experiencing regression with a fever >101°F, including 4 of 12 (33%) who developed regression with fever following routine vaccination.49 Regression after routine vaccination was also reported in another child who developed ASD/MD after a post-vaccination fever.25, 85 However, these latter three studies25, 49, 85 noted the important role of childhood vaccinations in preventing life threatening diseases. Interestingly, some children with ASD have clinical improvements during fever,184 suggesting that there are subgroups of children with ASD that respond differently to fever and that it is probably not the fever itself, but the underlying physiological process leading to fever that is related to regression in children with ASD.
It should be noted that, in each of the reviewed studies, it is not clear if mitochondrial dysfunction contributed to or caused the reported regression. Our analysis indicated that the prevalence of regression was significantly higher in children with ASD/MD as compared with the general population of children with ASD (52 vs 25%). Given that regression in individuals with MD is known to occur with stressors such as dehydration, fever and infection,50 and that the prevalence of regression in children with ASD/MD is approximately double that of the general population of ASD, it is likely that the regression reported in at least a subset of children with ASD/MD is related to mitochondrial dysfunction. This is significant because early identification of children with underlying MD who might be at risk of undergoing regression into ASD because of a metabolic stressor could lead to prophylactic measures to prevent the development of ASD, or at least minimize the severity of ASD symptoms once acquired. Although such a subset of children is likely to constitute a limited proportion of the general ASD population, given the high prevalence of ASD, the absolute number of individuals who could be protected is likely to be significant. One caveat is the assumption that these children had identifiable MD before the regression, which is empirically unproven because the MD was not identified until after the regression.
Secondary mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD
A majority (79%) of the children with ASD/MD identified in this review did not possess a genetic etiology that might account for mitochondrial dysfunction. Although a yet unidentified genetic defect may be present in some of these cases, secondary mitochondrial dysfunction is likely.9, 85 Biochemical abnormalities reported in some children with ASD could contribute to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction. For example, several studies have documented a significantly lower mean GSH concentration110, 130, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189 and a lower mitochondrial GSH reserve35 in children with ASD as compared with controls. GSH depletion is associated with impaired mitochondrial function73 and increased ROS production.36 Increased ROS can impair mitochondrial function36, 190 and may be particularly significant in individuals with ASD because they have been shown, as a group, to be under higher oxidative stress and have reduced levels of antioxidants as compared with controls.35, 110, 130, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 191 Furthermore, GSH protects mitochondria against the adverse effects of tumor necrosis factor-α,36 a pro-inflammatory cytokine that can inhibit mitochondrial function.66, 67 This might be particularly important since studies have reported higher tumor necrosis factor-α in lymphocytes,192 cerebrospinal fluid193 and brains194 of individuals with ASD as compared with controls.
In one reviewed study, exposure to physiological concentrations of NO reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential in ASD cells more than in control cells,35 suggesting that ASD mitochondria are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of NO. Several studies have reported a significantly higher mean concentration of NO in ASD individuals as compared with controls,110, 195, 196, 197 making it possible that individuals with ASD are not only more vulnerable to NO but also have higher baseline NO concentrations. These two factors could act synergistically to cause significant mitochondrial impairment in individuals with ASD.
Abnormalities in synaptic transmission reported in ASD could also contribute to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction. For example, an imbalance in the excitatory (glutamatergic) and inhibitory (GABAergic) neurotransmitter systems has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD, with a relative increase in the glutamatergic neurotransmitter system.198 In vitro glutamate exposure has been shown to inhibit mitochondrial β-oxidation130, 199 as well as generate ROS200 and deplete GSH.130, 200 In one reviewed study, in vitro glutamate plus malate exposure adversely affected mitochondrial function in cells from individuals with ASD to a greater extent as compared with control cells.119
In another reviewed study, exposure to ethylmercury (thimerosal) led to a larger increase in free radical generation and a greater reduction in the ratio of reduced GSH to GSSG in ASD cells compared with control cells.35 These findings suggest that mitochondria from children with ASD may be more vulnerable to damage from environmental toxicants than mitochondria from typically developing children.35 In this context, exposures to environmental toxicants could contribute to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction in some children with ASD.9, 201 For example, in vitro exposure to diesel exhaust particles has been shown to inhibit mitochondrial function,80 and elevated environmental concentrations of diesel exhaust particles have been associated with ASD.202 Other environmental toxicants that inhibit mitochondrial function and have been associated with ASD include mercury,76, 77, 202, 203, 204 lead,78, 205, 206, 207 cadmium,79, 202 polychlorinated biphenyls81, 208 and pesticides.83, 209, 210, 211 Interestingly, some investigators have suggested that mtDNA deletions reported in some children with ASD may be secondary to elevated levels of ROS caused by environmental factors.146
Abnormal calcium signaling, which has been implicated in ASD,212, 213 may also contribute to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction.26, 214 For example, the mitochondrial AGC, which is coded by SLC25A12, is involved in the malate-aspartate reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide shuttle and is activated, in part, through calcium signaling.215 One mouse model97 reported myelination deficits in mice with mutations in SLC25A12 and several studies111, 113, 122, 124, 125, 126 reported single-nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC25A12 were associated with ASD, although this association was not found in every study.114, 115, 117, 129, 216 However, in one study of six individuals with ASD and six controls, increased calcium levels and mitochondrial AGC transport rates were observed in all six ASD brains. The removal of calcium by a chelator led to a larger drop in mean AGC transport rate in the ASD group compared with controls.101 This finding suggests that abnormal calcium signaling contributes to AGC dysfunction in the brains of some individuals with ASD and may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction.
A recent rat model of ASD demonstrated that the administration of propionic acid induced mitochondrial dysfunction and led to certain behavioral and biochemical features of ASD, such as repetitive behaviors, social interaction problems, hyperactivity, oxidative stress, lowered GSH levels and altered carnitine levels.61, 62, 64, 65 In addition, Clostridia, an anaerobic, spore forming Gram-positive rod bacteria, is known to produce propionic acid61 and a derivative of propionic acid recovered in the urine of ASD individuals has been reported as a marker of Clostridia.217 Furthermore, significantly elevated concentrations of Clostridia in the GI tract have been reported in ASD children compared with controls218, 219, 220 with improvements noted with vancomycin treatment in some children.221, 222 Additional studies examining the roles of propionic acid and Clostridia in ASD are needed.
Currently, it is unclear if these endogenous and exogenous factors reported in some individuals with ASD contribute to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction or ASD symptoms, or if these factors are merely epiphenomena. However, these factors represent potential pathways that may impair mitochondrial function and increase the vulnerability of mitochondria to damage. Furthermore, a combination of these factors may lead to synergistic adverse effects on mitochondrial function. In this context, mitochondrial dysfunction could worsen a vulnerable system that is already under oxidative stress, resulting in an increase in the formation of ROS. As increased ROS can cause further damage to already damaged mitochondria and can directly impair mitochondrial function,190 adding mitochondrial dysfunction to a metabolic system that is already under high oxidative stress can result in the initiation of a vicious cycle that progressively impairs cellular function, leading to neurodegeneration, regression or failure of cognitive systems to properly develop.27 Clearly, further studies are needed to examine a possible link between the effects of these potentially detrimental substances and mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo. Although the effects of the environment on mitochondrial dysfunction are becoming increasingly recognized,223 and environmental pollutants, particularly environmental mercury, have been associated with an increased likelihood of ASD in epidemiological studies,202, 203, 204 the mechanism of such environmental toxicants for increasing the risk of ASD has not been well studied in vivo. Clearly, mitochondrial function is a ripe area of research when investigating the biological mechanism(s) of action of environmental toxicant exposures and indigenous abnormalities associated with ASD.
Mitochondrial dysfunction and synaptic transmission in ASD
Given the association between ASD and mitochondrial dysfunction, it is possible that mitochondrial dysfunction might have a role in the development, pathogenesis or severity of ASD. For example, mitochondrial dysfunction could be specifically detrimental to synaptic transmission because synaptic function is highly dependent on mitochondrial function.41 Furthermore, single-nucleotide polymorphisms in microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 1123 and SLC25A12122 reported in some individuals with ASD could alter synaptic plasticity and mitochondrial movement along dendrites. Such possibilities would be consistent with recent studies that have implicated synaptic dysfunction in ASD.224
Mitochondrial dysfunction can also lead to reduced synaptic neurotransmitter release, particularly in neurons with high firing rates, such as GABAergic interneurons.27 Since GABAergic neurons are inhibitory, they may be especially important between 12 and 30 months of age, because this window of development corresponds to an over-production in excitatory neurotransmitters and receptors.225, 226 Thus, without proper GABAergic neuronal function, the brain may be highly susceptible to excitotoxicity during this developmental period. Interestingly, this is the age range when regression most commonly occurs in ASD.227 Additional studies are needed to investigate these possibilities.
Identification of mitochondrial dysfunction in children with ASD
In the reviewed studies, the workup for MD varied widely from study to study. Lactate was by far the most commonly studied biochemical marker of mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD. Both lactate and pyruvate demonstrated a high prevalence of being abnormal in ASD, were significantly elevated in the general ASD population as compared with controls, and had a significantly higher prevalence of being abnormal in ASD/MD as compared with the general ASD population. Carnitine also had a high prevalence of being abnormal in ASD and was significantly depressed in the general ASD population as compared with controls. However, it is difficult to determine the utility of certain biomarkers (alanine, ammonia, carnitine, ubiquinone, alanine-to-lysine ratio and acyl-carnitine panel) for identifying mitochondrial dysfunction in the general population of children with ASD because the number of reports describing these biomarkers in ASD/MD was limited. Despite the lack of information that was derived from published reports, these biomarkers should be strongly considered when screening for MD in children with ASD because abnormal alanine is a recognized marker of MD54 and ammonia, ubiquinone and an acyl-carnitine panel can help identify mitochondrial dysfunction when lactate is not elevated.57, 228, 229 Further studies are needed to systematically examine the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of these markers for diagnosing MD in the general ASD population.
Figure 3 outlines a suggested algorithm for screening for mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD. In order to standardize the collection and optimize the diagnosis of MD, some investigators have recommended obtaining laboratory tests in the morning while fasting38, 56 and repeating abnormal tests to verify true abnormalities.38 Obtaining laboratory values
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of Turkish: It is unfortunately true that the greater superiority, profundity and breadth of Turkish as compared to Persian as a medium for poetry has not been realized by everyone... In the early days of my youth I began to perceive a few jewels from the inkwell of my mouth. These jewels had not yet become a string of verse, but jewels from the sea of consciousness which were worthy of being placed on a string of verse began to reach shore, thanks to the nature of the diver. Then I reached the age of comprehension and God (whose praises I recite and who be extolled!) instilled in me sensitivity and attentiveness and a desire for the unique. I realized the necessity of giving thought to Turkish words. The world which came into view was more sublime than 18,000 worlds, and its adorned sky, which I came to know, was higher than nine skies. There I found a treasury of superiority and excellence in which the pearls were more lustrous than the stars. I entered the rose garden. Its roses were more splendid than the stars of heaven, its hallowed ground was untouched by hand or foot, and its myriad wonders were safe from the touch of other hands. Mir Ali Shir Nava'i died on January 3, 1501. Sultan Husain Baiqara attended the funeral, and afterwards observed three days of mourning in the home of his lifelong friend. A huge commemorative feast was held to enable the citizens of Herat collectively to honor their departed poet laureate. Almost immediately, other writers took up the standard of literary Turkish. Babur (1483-1530), founder of the Mughul dynasty of India and a descendant of both Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, composed his famous autobiography in the Chagatai language. Far to the west, in the Ottoman Empire, writers of Ottoman Turkish studied Nava'i's works assiduously, and modeled their poems on his. The Herat bard, though he wrote in a different dialect of Turkish, indisputably functioned as a catalyst in the evolution of Ottoman poetry. Nava'i also exerted a huge influence on the style of Fuzuli of Baghdad (d. 1556), the Azerbaijani who over the centuries has been the most beloved poet in the Turkic-speaking world. With the rise of the great Ottoman and Azeri poets, the place of Turkish as the third classical language of Islam was solidified. Back in Central Asia, Nava'i's reputation as the peerless master of Chagatai remained unchallenged, and if anything his stature increased with the passage of time. For 400 years after his death, Chagatai served as the literary language of Muslim Turks from the Volga to Chinese Turkestan. The linguistic conservatism of Chagatai during this period can be attributed in part to the towering prestige of Nava'i, and the desire of writers to imitate his style and vocabulary. Eventually, Chagatai outlived its usefulness, and gave way to its genetic offspring - the modern Central Asian Turkic languages, among them Uzbek, Kazakh, Kirghiz, and East Turki (also known as New Uighur). The supplanting of Chagatai by daughter languages parallels, in fact, the replacement of Latin by the modern Romance languages. The story of Nava'i does not end with Chagatai's demise early in this century. A new chapter is still being written, thanks to the extraordinarily high regard in which the poet is held by the Muslim Uzbeks of the Soviet Union, Afghanistan and China. If Nava'i is the Chaucer of the Turks in general, to this one particular group of Turks he is Chaucer, Dante, Cervantes and Shakespeare all rolled into one. Along with East Turki - the language of the Muslim Uighurs of China and the Soviet Union - Uzbek is the modern tongue that has the closest affinity with classical Chagatai. The Uzbek people have adopted Nava'i as their national poet, and in the Soviet Union Chagatai is commonly referred to as "Old Uzbek." In 1966, which marked the 525th anniversary of Nava'i's birth, a year of official and deeply felt celebration took place in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan, or the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, contains no fewer than five historic centers of Islamic civilization: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Kokand and Khiva. To commemorate the poet and facilitate access to his oeuvre, a complete, 15-volume edition of his works was published in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. Separate editions of individual works and an assortment of anthologies also appeared, as did novels and plays based on Nava'i's life and a torrent of scholarly and biographical literature. Yet let us not forget that Mir Ali Shir Nava'i is hardly the exclusive property of the Uzbeks. Wherever Muslim Turks are found - in cities as far apart and different from one another as Istanbul in Turkey, Tabriz in Iran, Kazan in European Russia, Tashkent in Soviet Central Asia and Urumchi in China -Nava'i's poetry is still cherished almost 500 years after his death. Like Dante and Chaucer before him, he single-handedly made a language respectable, and added that language to the roster of the world's major literatures. And as is true of Dante and Chaucer, it is impossible to envision a time when his works will no longer be read. In this connection, one is reminded of the following couplet of Nava'i's: Barry Hoberman, who studied Islamic and Central Asian history at Harvard and Indiana universities, now freelances from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
This article appeared on pages 24-27 of the January/February 1985 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.
See Also: CENTRAL ASIA, LITERATURE, NAVAI, MIR ALI SHIR
Check the Public Affairs Digital Image Archive for January/February 1985 images.The Pebble smartwatch is best-known for being a smash hit on Kickstarter. It broke records and leapt to a total of 85,000 orders by the time the campaign ended. The only thing left to do was ship, but unfortunately the company quietly announced a pair of delays that left an actual ship date in limbo — an unfortunately common problem with Kickstarter campaigns.
Today at CES, CEO Eric Migicovsky announced that the company now has a firm shipping date for its backers: January 23rd. It will go out in batches, Migicovsky tells us, and it only recently ramped up to full production at its factory in China, producing around 15,000 of the watches each week.
The story of Pebble actually began in 2008
The story of the Pebble smartwatch didn't begin with the record-breaking Kickstarter campaign that launched it. It began in 2008, when Eric Migicovsky was a student at the University of Waterloo, on RIM's doorstep. That's when he began development on what would become the inPulse smartwatch — the so-called "BlackBerry watch" designed to work with RIM's phones. It was not a commercial success, to put it mildly: first announced in 2009, only 1,500 had been sold as of last April.
Migicovsky's latest smartwatch has sold 85,000 units on Kickstarter, and now that his company has announced it's beginning shipments later this month, that number will surely go higher. The difference between 1,500 and 85,000 is as big as the difference between the smartphone landscape in 2008 and 2013 — and that difference helps to explain why the Pebble has had so much more success. That, and the fact that it's one of the best-designed smartwatches to date with a relentless focus on simplicity in its slightly limited featureset.
Pebble's Kickstarter success created an entirely different set of problems, however. It meant that Pebble had to radically rethink its original plans for manufacturing the e-paper smartwatch, which in turn meant delays — the bane of too many Kickstarter projects. Originally, Migicovsky told The Verge, Pebble had planned on making "small batches of one to two thousand units in the Bay area."
Pebble had to radically rethink its original plans
"Luckily," he says, Pebble "had another plan in parallel to the original small-scale manufacturing plan where we would pursue manufacturing in Asia." He hired a "team of consultants" on deck to help guide Pebble through the process of ramping up manufacturing. That inevitably meant tradeoffs as the company got a crash course in yields and other "things that only sort of come into play when you're manufacturing at a large scale."
Not over promising is a good way to think of the watch itself
Pebble was juggling a lot: trying to rapidly spin up a factory in China while simultaneously having to learn how the whole process even worked would be complicated enough, but Pebble also needed to finish the software for the smartwatch at the same time. Unsurprisingly, Pebble's original shipping estimate of September flew by. Since then, it's obvious that Migicovsky has learned not to over-promise. After September, Pebble didn't give a new date because "we weren't really interested in just constantly pushing back something."
In fact, not over-promising is a good way to think of the watch itself. Unlike other smartwatches — and even the original inPulse — it's not launching with any third-party apps beyond simple watch faces. Instead, it focuses on its core time-telling and notification features.
In terms of the ecosystem, our feeling internally was that we want to make sure that when people open Pebble, when the open the box, it works great and it fulfills the basic needs that they had for the watch and I think that it fills the features that we promised on our Kickstarter page. If we failed to do that, there probably would be no need for an amazing [app] ecosystem because people wouldn't be happy with the watch.
Migicovsky says that apps are "still very much a large part of where we're taking Pebble," but didn't promise (notice the theme?) when they would be available. What he did promise is that his company will be delivering regular over-the-air updates to the smartwatch to add more features and functionality. A deal with Runkeeper is already on the books; accelerometer updates and direct push alerts from apps are planned as well.
"We're pretty confident that we've got the hardware right"
With Pebble about to ship to Kickstarter backers, the next step is general retail availability. Migicovsky says that Pebble has "tens of thousands" of pre-orders lined up and that "our goal is to just keep pumping out Pebbles."
"We're pretty confident that we've got the hardware right, down pat," Migicovsky says. "Now it's just up to us to make sure that we're updating and continuing to publish updates on the software side." With the smartwatch space just starting to really heat up, Migicovsky and his team at Pebble will have to make good on that promise — over and over again.Say hello to the Holophone: Amazon developing 3D handset with a 'floating hologram' screen that can be viewed without glasses
Phone rumoured to show images that 'float above the screen like holograms'
Company also said to be working on an 'audio-only' streaming device
Amazon is said to be working on a phone with a glasses-free 3D screen.
According to reports in the Wall Street Journal, the device will use retina-tracking technology to make images on the smartphone's display appear to 'float above the screen like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles.'
The company is also rumoured to be working on an 'audio-only' streaming device.
Following Amazon's foray into the tablet market with the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD - being shown off here by CEO Jeff Bezo - the company is said to now be working on a smartphone with a 3D screen
AMAZON TO LAUNCH SET-TOP BOX
Amazon is set to launch a TV box later this year to allow people to easily stream video to their living room set. The service is expected to take on existing broadcasters as well as rumoured TV services from Apple and Intel. It will use Amazon's existing video services, called Amazon Video on demand in the US and Lovefilm in the UK.
This would be similar to an iPod or MP3 that connects straight to the cloud and lets you stream music anywhere.
It's expected that the device will only work with music in your Amazon Cloud Drive account.
If the rumours are true, it won't be the first 3D smartphone.
HTC released the EVO 3D in America in June 2011.
Amazon's rumoured 3D phone would not be the first. Phone maker HTC launched the EVO 3D in June 2011. It has a 4.3inch HD screen capable of autostereoscopy - the ability to view 3D content without the need for specialised glasses. It also has two rear-facing 5MP cameras that can take photos in 3D
It has a 4.3inch HD screen capable of autostereoscopy - the ability to view 3D content without the need for specialised glasses.
It also has two rear-facing 5MP camera that can take photos in 3D.
Speculation about Amazon smartphones began in 2011.
The latest rumoured gadgets will be a follow-up to Amazon's Kindle Fire and the Kindle Fire HD.
Amazon launched the tablets in September last year.
The company is also said to be working on a set-top box that would stream video from Lovefilm - a video rental and streaming site owned by Amazon.
It will use Amazon's existing video services, called Amazon Video on demand in the US and Lovefilm in the UK.
'The e-commerce giant is planning to introduce a device this fall dedicated to streaming video over the Internet and into its customers’ living rooms, according to three people familiar with the project who aren’t authorized to discuss it,' Bloomberg has claimed.
Earlier this month Amazon introduced 14 televisions pilots, which it financed, and it is now monitoring customer feedback to decide which ones to produce as full series.
Alpha House, starring John Goodman, the Hollywood actor known for his roles in The Big Lebowski and Argo, is a pilot produced by amazon, and could eventually be watched on a Kindle TV box
Alpha House, starring John Goodman, the Hollywood actor known for his roles in The Big Lebowski and Argo, is a pilot produced by amazon, and could eventually be watched on a Kindle TV box.
The Amazon shows include Alpha House, starring John Goodman, the Hollywood actor known for his roles in The Big Lebowski and Argo.
Bill Murray, of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, also appears.
Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, the unit that is creating the shows, said: ‘I think the distinction between a regular TV show and an online TV show will soon fade away.
‘It just makes sense that if you’re trying to decide what TV show to make, it might be a good idea to ask customers which one they like.’
Each pilot is available on Amazon Instant Video or Lovefilm for free, with viewer feedback deciding which show will get a full series order from the company.• Performing fifty-one rakats of salaa daily,
• Reciting Ziyarah of Arba’een,
• Wearing a ring in the right hand,
• Placing the forehead on dust [during sajda], and
• Saying “Bismillah al-rahman al-rahim” aloud in salaa.” al-a’mal, p. 589, as stated [by Ibn Tawus] Imam Hasan Al-Askari (A) has said: The signs of a believer are five:• Performing fifty-one rakats of salaa daily,• Wearing a ring in the right hand,• Placing the forehead on dust [during sajda], and• Saying “Bismillah al-rahman al-rahim” aloud in salaa.” Imam Hasan Al-Askari (A) includes the performance of Ziyarah of Arba’een as one of the five marks for a believer, in addition to reciting 51 rakats of salaa, audible recitation of Bismillah, wearing a ring on one’s right hand and doing sajda on dust. Why is so much importance given to the performance of the Ziyarah of Arba’een and the observance of Arba’een (40 days of mourning)? The 40th (Arba’een or Chehlum) marks an important turning point in the movement of Kerbala. This day, which is no less important to the day of Aashura is important for many reasons – the prime being that the Ahlu’l Bayt reached the land of Kerbala on this day and performed the visitation to Sayyid ash-Shuhada Imam Hussain (A) and the loyal family and friends who gave their life for the cause of Islam. Ziyarat, as we all know is a visitation, which in essence, is the act of speaking with and visiting our role models. Of course the physical manifestation of the ziyarat is actually being present in Kerbala to perform the Ziyarah of Arba’een, but, in reality, that is not possible for every believer. So does making ziyarah while not in Kerbala give one the same benefits? Ahadith tell us that performing the Ziyarah of Imam Hussain (A) far from Kerbala would hold the same significance as being in the land of Kerbala, as long as the person performing the Ziyarah has truly understood the status of the Imam and seeks to emulate him. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A) states that the heavens wept over Imam Hussain (A) for forty mornings, rising red and settling red. As we complete 40 days of remembrance of our Imam, we re-assert our pledge of obedience and loyalty to him, “I bear witness that you are the Imam (who is) the upright, the pious, well-pleased (with Allah), the pure, the guide and the rightly-guided.
I bear witness that you fulfilled the pledge of Allah and you struggled in His way…I am a friend of whoever befriends him …” By performing the Ziyarah of Arba’een, we pledge that we will continue to follow the path of justice and righteousness and will reject injustice and speak up against the oppressors of the time, “I am an enemy of whoever is his enemy” In essence, we make a promise to continue to mould our lives according to the teaching of Imam Hussain (A) But why is it that we mourn and remember Imam Hussain (A) for a period of forty days and then move on?
Our Prophet (SAW) has said, “The earth mourns the death of a believer for forty mornings.” Therefore it appears that the deceased should be remembered and mourned over for a period of forty days. Performing an act for a continuous period of forty days is also known to help one to not just form a habit, but also to carry on the practice for the rest of his life. If we look at studies dealing with bringing a lifestyle change, we notice the time period emphasized to bring about a change is usually 6 weeks which is about the same time period as 40 days (to be exact it is 42 days). In the book 40 Days to Personal Revolution: A Breakthrough Program to Radically Change Your Body and Awaken the Sacred Within Your Soul, the author Baron Baptiste explains the significance of forty days: “Why forty days? Because the number 40 holds tremendous spiritual significance in the realm of transformation. Jesus wandered in the desert for forty days in order to experience purification and come to a greater understanding of himself and his mission. Moses and his people travelled through the desert for forty years before arriving at their home in the holy land. Noah preserved the sacredness of life by sailing his ark for forty days and forty nights. According to the Kabbalah, the ancient Jewish mystical text, it takes forty days to ingrain any new way of being into our system….” Reciting particular duas for a period of 40 days is highly recommended in our practices as well. The unit 40 (forty) is said to be very effective. If a particular Duaa is recited 40 times, or 40 people gather to recite it, or it is recited for 40 days then its effectiveness is highly increased. It is reported from Imam Ja’fer al-Sadiq (A) that whoever recites Dua-e-Ahad for forty days, after morning prayers will be amongst the helpers of the 12th Imam (A). Visitation of the shrine of Imam Hussain (A) as well as Masjid-e-Sahla for 40 consecutive Tuesdays / Thursdays is also very highly recommended and is one of the acts that promise a visit from the 12th Imam (A). Thus, as we perform the Ziyarat of Arba’een and commemorate the Arba’een, 40 days of mourning of Imam Hussain (A), we hope and pray that this forty days of remembrance of Imam Hussain (A), brings about a transformation in us by which we can continue to follow the path of Imam Hussain (A) and carry on his message of upholding justice with true faith and a strong sense of sacrifice! References:
www.duas.org
www.hujjat-workshop.org
www.world-federation.org
A’maal of Muharram and Safar (Tayyiba Publishers)
Kerbala and Beyond by Yasin T. Al-Jabouri
The Miracle of Ziyarat-e-Ashoora
Commentary on Ziyarat Ashura, translated by Saleem Bhimji from the work of Ali Asghar Azizi Tehrani
Kitab al-Irshad, translated by IKA Howard, authored by Sheikh Al-MufeedThe sun loomed over vine-covered bricks that huddled on an abandoned roof corner like a bird’s nest on a rocky ledge. Its rays teased the darkness of the alleyway below, flirting illumination at the shadowed passage, kissing the mossy walls that have now become Jim’s prison.
Laying on his side on soggy asphalt, Jim grabbed his head and strained his eyes to tighten his blurred vision. How long have I been here, he thought. A stinging in the creases of the sunburned skin outlining his squinting visage replied, all day.
Jim looked up to the mist above the buildings, illumined by the setting sun which was now out of sight behind the brick structures surrounding him, and peered at the rolling, invading, orange fog drowning him in shadow. He scanned the alley as he propped himself up with sore, languid arms. Bruised and tender, his palms sunk into the weed covered dirt sprouting out between the cracks in the asphalt.
The air hinted mildew and excrement. Searching for the source, he discovered a rusted dumpster. Ruptured, its black, shiny plastic insides spilled out of its sides like aged roadkill. The tenants of the building had stored their trash in this box long after they had the means to empty it, and it now lived on, housing rats and roaches and God knew what else.
A pair of eyes revealed themselves in a bag resting on the heap. Adrenaline nipped sharply at Jim’s heart, and a closer look brought into focus the fur and fluffy black and white tail of a raccoon. His fear subsided, only to flood his chest again as he focused on another set of eyes floating beyond it.
Jim stood.
“What—” he croaked, taking a step forward, his vision centered on the figure’s bright blue eyes as its outline drew itself in the fog.
“Hello?” Jim ordered, as if this creature, piercing Jim with its gaze would be soothed into parley by assertive gentility. Fog flowed from its dark mouth in harmony with the depressing of its chest. It then gritted its teeth, lowering itself into a sprinter’s take-off pose.
“Who—” Jim started to ask, and right then, the monster leapt forward and in two bounds approached the dumpster with quickening steps. Jim turned and started running. As he looked back, he saw the monster gliding over the dumpster with its hands slapping the lid, and he turned forward desperately scanning the wall for a way up. He skipped two steps up the wall and gripped a red gridiron covering a window which mocked him with unreachable freedom, and he started his ascent.
His motions were natural. I’ve done this before, he thought. His body, however, felt sluggish and achy. Every muscle he used to launch up or leap out and clasp a ledge or cleft stressed, but held, like the mast of an old sailboat, burdened by use, and hardened with the moisture from a dozen sailors’ sweat. His hand reached the roof, and the brick he held liberated, leaving him hanging there like an unzipped jacket angling weakly on a hanger’s groove. As his eyes tracked the sinking brick they met, once again, with the piercing stare of the monster, so he quickly dug his toes into a mortar line between some bricks, reaffirmed his grip, and jump-slid onto the roof, his fear tricking him into thinking his ankles had already been grasped as he pulled his feet over the edge. He spent no time confirming the progress of his pursuer and sprinted across the rooftop, hopping over unused machines encased in aluminum housing units, sliding with seasoned agility under rusted air ducts. He approached an iron door and with full speed and force slammed into it. The sound of slapping iron echoed throughout the staircase, sneering at him from within as he laid flat against the locked door, and he crumpled down to the ground like a crash dummy.
Searching through his headache, he discovered his pursuer halfway across the rooftop, fog pumping from its mouth, routing the summit like a steam train. He found his strength and sprang up, scanning for an exit, but found none and ran out onto the roof’s eaves and peered below. His eyes locked onto an industrial bin, squinting to see its contents: Empty, red, cardboard boxes. The height of the drop daunted him, so he looked back at his hunter for inspiration. He frighteningly turned back towards the bin, taking a deep breath, and jumped, aiming directly for the center of the bin. He jumped up, not out, so as to position himself mid-air over his target and let gravity do the work. He knew not to jump at his target, but to fall onto it, preventing an overshot. Somehow, he knew the technique.
The initial g-force in his abdomen caused him to gasp, so he quickly inhaled but started screaming, circling his arms and kicking his legs like a swimmer, desperately clawing for control, navigating the air with a breast-stroke. After a few stories, his eyes welled up as the air rushed up all around him, faster and faster, the wind swiping tears from his eyes. He slammed into the bin dead-center and sent boxes flying up into the air like a meteor strike would shatter dirt. In the center of the crater, Jim stirred and tasted styrofoam: the boxes were filled with it. He exhaled in relief and looked up towards the roof. He saw his monster grinning at him through the falling packaging peanuts, like gazing up at the looming sun through falling snow. What is he waiting for, he thought. What is he grinning at, he wondered.
Jim snapped out of it and hurried out of the bin, searching for a direction, and followed a line of construction cones into the street. He knew the thing was not behind him but he couldn’t stop thinking about the way it stared at him from the rooftop. It seemed anxious, like it was waiting for something. It seemed, he thought, almost human.
He slowed to a jog when a loud crash invaded his senses. It had caught him, he thought. He feared he was done for, hugging his head, surrendering to his knees. After a few seconds he heard tapping. Tapping, he thought, no, running! His head shot back to catch a glimpse of the figure’s head bobbing like a fruit in the wind, fists swinging like an angry, dicing chef.
Like a mouse carrying stolen cheese, Jim took off down the street, searching for a hole, searching for some cover. He thought he heard another crash echoing in the distance. What is happening? he thought.
The sun lazed low past the horizon. Jim couldn’t see it through the fog, he could sense it. He smelled the night coming like the beast was upwind. He felt the air thicken as fog approached from the sea: a blanket rushing to tuck him in. He heard the monster behind him, its breath pumping from its chest, its feet slapping the concrete. It sounded like more than one pair, now. Had the monster multiplied? he thought. Would he be chased interminably, forced into fatigue by a beast and his progeny?
Then he heard their voices: a whole family, like barking seals. In fact, they are seals, he thought, he must be at the piers. The slaps he heard were the ice cold, green waves striking the dock walls. He heard seagulls and a bell far off across the water where a fishing boat, the crew his potential saviors, were just out of reach. If only they knew that he needed help, that soon after, he wouldn’t have the energy to struggle, and he would lose his life here, on the dock, but a few waves away from having a future. He thought of all the captives he had heard about on the news, girls and boys who were taken from their lives. Some runaways, and some equally unlucky, were taken to a faraway place to be used or abused, often hidden in the basement of the average person’s neighbor. He thought about those kids, shutting off their minds, gazing at the walls, wishing they were clear like cleaned glass, that someone on the other side would peer in, curiously, to see their low-life acquaintance, and the dark reds and murky grays that poisoned his soul, that found other ways to penetrate the souls of the poor prisoners around them: Neighbors people never knew they had, and whose screams of pain, whimpers of hopelessness, they never knew they had heard faintly, muffled by mere drywall. If only they heard. Instead, the captives and their captor the only audience of this broken symphony heard hymns of sorrow in an average hall on an average street, which might as well have been in outer space where sound waves don’t travel.
Jim traveled over the dock, his feet slamming against wooden planks. Softened by moisture, the planks gave his steps extra bounce and speed, and he hoped they wouldn’t do the same for his pursuers. He didn’t feel tired; he ran as though he could run forever. His stamina was impressive and it gave him comfort. He thought he might be able to run until some day he had found some police, or maybe a priest.
He quickened his stride and ran at near full speed. In the distance, the end of the dock took its closed, rectangular shape. No, he thought, it’ll catch me, it’ll kill me! If he hadn’t been surrounded by fog, he could map out a route, eye out in the distance the most difficult path, the one with the most obstacles just to slow it down.
Then, a huge red flash blinked in the distance. Praying for something in that direction, Jim blindly leapt from the pier and soared through the air with his eyes focused on an unfamiliar shape rocking below him. His feet and hands slammed on the deck of an anchored boat, and he rolled and used his momentum to run two steps to jump off of it to the next.
He had found the marina, and could leap from boat to boat until he came to another pier. He quickened over the next boat, and the next. One had a cabin on the deck in front of him, and as he landed he got through half of his roll before slamming into it, knocking the wind out of him. He got up, inhaling as hard and deep as he could to gain back his breath, stepping back and putting one foot against the boat’s guardrail, and pushed off towards the cabin wall. He ran two steps up and gripped the top edge with both hands, pulling himself to its roof.
He stood to catch his breath, and listened to the air behind him, hearing the monster traverse the boat park: it had taken the same route. How did it know where to go, Jim wondered, how can I outrun this beast if he knows where I am without seeing me?
Up until this point, his fears had been quieted by his adrenaline, but they now bubbled up to the surface, weighing down on his intestines. Every time the beast would step across a boat to jump, his heart would palpitate; every thud that resonated on the beast’s landing would pull his intestines down, lower and lower. With the steps he would grab his chest and the crashes, his belly.
Jim’s primal instinct crept up on him. Run, said the voice in his mind. With every thud and boom of the landing, it said run! He took a few steps towards the sidewall of the cabin, backwards. He strode a couple of steps to the edge and leapt from it, but slipped slightly, floating down to the dock which now came into focus. He started sinking towards the water and stretched out. His forearms slammed onto it, and his hands slid to the corner of the wood, forcing splinters into his palms and fingers. The pain from his left hand was too much to bear and it dropped to his side. Once again he was left dangling from one arm, like chum for his pursuer to jump up over the water and snatch him from the hook. He let out a scream as every movement of his hanging shifted the splinters in his fingertips. He put up his other hand and lifted one leg to the dock edge, rolling onto his back, tears streaming down his temples into his hair.
A gargling yell coming from the boats forced his eyes wide open, and he looked in its direction. He heard another thud and it motivated him to get up and start running. He glided into the empty street, and a big red light blinked many yards above him on the “Visitors Welcome” sign over the road.
Jim jogged down the street grasping at the splinters in his hands. His blood made gripping the splinters like pulling blackheads with moist fingers. Behind him, he faintly heard the steps of the beast’s stride, and it seemed to have slowed its pace. Was it fatigued, he wondered. In no horror movie that he had seen did the antagonist stop to take a rest unless it were planning to materialize around the corner or in a shadow behind the hero when he himself stopped to rest. Why was this monster slowing down, he thought, was it getting tired? He wondered as he flinched from the sensation of accidentally pushing the splinters deeper into his skin as he attempted to wrestle them out.
Jim quickened his pace, and as he gained speed, he heard the sounds of sprinting footsteps echo around the street. It sounded like many pairs of feet now. Had the beast truly multiplied, he questioned, and the thought terrorized him. He stopped to get a better listen, but the steps didn’t get louder.
“What’s going on,” he yelled, “what is this?”
As he continued running, the sounds of the footsteps finally did get louder and were joined by yells and whistles. These noises are the sounds of the demons which haunt me, he thought, and with each few yards he strafed, the steps and the hollow undertones of the beasts became more pronounced. His adrenaline was kicking in and as he ran, the howling turned into roaring, sending fear up and down his back and shoulders. He helplessly imagined the monsters gripping his back and forcing him down. He expected at any moment the beasts to snarl at him from an inch behind his ear, the warmth from their breath soothing and consoling him into their arms, his casket.
Jim felt his end sweeping up to him with the wind that teased him as he ran. He felt the years slipping away, his memories turning to dust, scattered by death’s breath and lost in its darkness. What memories had he of today, he thought. How had he ended up in that alley with the dumpster? What unlucky turn had he made in his life that warranted this suffering? He realized he had no memory of the past day, week, month, year. Am I dead, he wondered, is this real? Just then, the howling and stepping reached a high decibel, and Jim learned of their true source.
“People.” he said.
People! Some dressed in jackets and windbreakers to brave the cold weather, and some less prepared, huddling next to each other, hiding from the cold wind behind cars and against the buildings on the street. How long had they stood here, he thought, what were they cheering for?
With his mouth and eyes wide open, he stumbled to the nearest person and extended his bloodied hands out to her, crying for assistance.
“Help me,” he pleaded, “they’re after me, they’ll kill me!”
The lady eyed his hands and studied his terror-stricken face. Jim’s hands got a foot away from her overcoat before she finally stopped clapping and with a horrified expression ran a few steps and screamed. The people around them also quit cheering and instead stared at him in disgust.
“Please,” he groaned, “help me!”
He buried his face in his hands and wept, kneeling on the asphalt. His tears mixed with the blood on his hands and as he inched his face away, strings of sticky, dirty crimson stretched from it like hot, melted cheese from a bitten pizza. Women covered the eyes of their children and told them not to look. Men grimaced and a couple of them—their stomachs already uneasy from hot dogs and beer—brought their hands to their mouths and gagged.
The silence that now surrounded Jim was broken by the rumbling of running footsteps. He looked back. It had multiplied, he thought, arising to his feet, motioning to the few people who still stood near him.
“Get away,” he yelled, “run!”
He ran to a red scaffold constructed on the side of the nearest building. The people didn’t run, they just stood there watching him scale the scaffold with puzzled looks on their faces.
Jim hurried up the scaffold as it shook against the building, and paused when he felt a shifting in its stability: He was feeling the steps of the beasts as they stomped onto it. He looked up and started to climb the bars that framed the structure, swinging
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editor with Paul Bacon of Human Security and Japan’s Triple Disaster (Routledge 2014). These books will be launched at an event at the United Nations University on 29 July 2014.You can follow him on Twitter at @hobson_c
Recommended citation: Christopher Hobson, "What Role for Nuclear Power in Japan’s Future?", The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 11, Issue 27, No. 2, July 7, 2014.
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Notes
1 Richard J. Samuels, 3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2013).
2 Jacques Hymans, “Veto Players and Japanese Nuclear Policy after Fukushima,” in Possible Futures for Japan (NYU Press, forthcoming).
3 Mark Willacy, Fukushima (Macmillan Australia, 2013).
4 Matthew L. Wald, “Assessing Fukushima Damage Without Eyes on the Inside,” The New York Times, June 17, 2014.
5 Andrew DeWit and Christopher Hobson, “Abe at Ground Zero: The Consequences of Inaction at Fukushima Daiichi,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 11, no. 35 (September 2, 2013).
6 TEPCO, “Decommissioning Plan of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power,” accessed June 25, 2014.
7 Mari Saito, Aaron Sheldrick, and Kentaro Hamada, “Japan May Only Be Able to Restart One-Third of Its Nuclear Reactors,” Reuters, April 1, 2014.
8 Andrew DeWit, “Japan’s Energy Policy Impasse,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 12, no. 14, accessed June 25, 2014.
9 “Nuclear Safety Expenditures Top ¥2 Trillion,” The Japan Times Online, July 5, 2014.
10 On 11 June 2014 the United Nations University hosted a closed expert meeting with NRA Commissioner Oshima Kenzo and the NRA’s three international advisors: Dr Richard Meserve (USA), Dr Mike Weightman (UK), and Mr. André-Claude Lacoste (France). A video of this meeting will be available soon. For a summary, see here.
11 The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, The Official Report of The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (The National Diet of Japan, 2012).
12 Kiyoshi Kurokawa, “Message from the Chairman,” in The Official Report of The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (The National Diet of Japan, 2012).
13 Jeff Kingston, “Abe Promotes Secrecy, Sidelining Transparency and Open Government,” The Japan Times, October 5, 2013.
14 “Onagawa: The Japanese Nuclear Power Plant That Didn’t Melt down on 3/11,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, accessed June 25, 2014.
15 Investigation Committee on the Accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Executive Summary of the Final Report of the Investigation Committee on the Accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company, 2012.
16 NHK World, “Japan’s Nuclear Regulator Criticizes Utilities,” accessed June 26, 2014.
17 “Tohoku Electric Seeks Reactor Restart; Praise, Anger Expressed over NRA Changes,” AJW by The Asahi Shimbun, accessed June 25, 2014.
18 Hamada, Kentaro, “Evacuation Plans Stir Fresh Doubts over Japan Nuclear Restarts | Reuters,” Reuters, June 30, 2014.
19 J. Mark Ramseyer, Why Power Companies Build Nuclear Reactors on Fault Lines: The Case of Japan, Harvard John M. Olin Discussion Papers, 2011.
20 Kenji Kushida, “The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and the Democratic Party of Japan: Leadership, Structures, and Information Challenges During the Crisis,” The Japanese Political Economy 40, no. 1 (2014): 29 – 68.
21 Hiroko Tabuchi, “Day Laborers Brave Risks at Japan’s Nuclear Plants,” The New York Times, April 9, 2011, sec. World / Asia Pacific.
22 Justin McCurry, “Plummeting Morale at Fukushima Daiichi as Nuclear Cleanup Takes Its Toll,” The Guardian, October 15, 2013, sec. Environment.
23 Paul Jobin, “Back to Fukushima,” HesaMag 4, no. Autumn-Winter (2011): 35–39.
24 Annie Thebaud-mony, Nuclear Servitude: Subcontracting and Health in the French Civil Nuclear Industry, 1 edition (Amityville, N.Y: Baywood Pub Co, 2011).
25 Christopher Hobson, “Hidden Insecurities: The Workers of Fukushima Dai-Ichi,” in Human Security and Japan’s Triple Disaster: Responding to the 2011 Earthquake, Tsunami and Fukushima Nuclear Crisis (London: Routledge, 2014).
26 “90% of TEPCO Workers Defied Orders, Fled Fukushima Plant in 2011,” AJW by The Asahi Shimbun, accessed July 6, 2014.
27 Mari Saito, Kiyoshi Takenaka, and James Topham, “Insight: Japan’s Long War to Shut down Fukushima,” Reuters, March 8, 2013.
28 “Ex-Fukushima Worker Warns of More Leaks from Hastily Constructed Tanks,” Mainichi, December 23, 2013.
29 Iizuka, “Conditions at No. 1 No Better.”
30 Jeff Kingston, “After 3.11: Imposing Nuclear Energy on a Skeptical Japanese Public,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 11, no. 23, accessed June 25, 2014.
31 “New Nuclear Watchdog Commissioner Received Additional Industry Payment,” AJW by The Asahi Shimbun, accessed July 6, 2014; Mari Saito and Kentaro Hamada, “Independence of Japan’s Nuclear Regulator Questioned after Shakeup,” Reuters, June 10, 2014.
32 “Government Shows No Intention of Disclosing Fukushima Disaster Interviews,” AJW by The Asahi Shimbun, accessed June 28, 2014.
33 Lawrence Repeta, “Japan’s 2013 State Secrecy Act -- The Abe Administration’s Threat to News Reporting,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 12, no. 10, accessed June 28, 2014.
34 James Tollefson, “The Discursive Reproduction of Technoscience and Japanese National Identity in The Daily Yomiuri Coverage of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster,” Discourse & Communication, 2013, doi:10.1177/1750481313510817.
35 James Conca, “Scaring The Japanese People With Radiation Is Criminal - Forbes,” Forbes, June 25, 2014.
36 Christopher Hobson, “Rebuilding Trust in Tepco,” The Japan Times, accessed June 29, 2014.
37 Andrew DeWit, “3.11 and Japan’s Shift to Smart, Distributed Power,” Asia Policy, no. 17 (2014): 159–64.
38 Mari Saito, Aaron Sheldrick, and Kentaro Hamada, “Japan May Only Be Able to Restart One-Third of Its Nuclear Reactors,” Reuters, April 1, 2014.
39 Jeff Kingston, “After 3.11: Imposing Nuclear Energy on a Skeptical Japanese Public,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 11, no. 23, accessed June 25, 2014.
40 Daniel P. Aldrich, “A Normal Accident or a Sea-Change? Nuclear Host Communities Respond to the 3/11 Disaster,” Japanese Journal of Political Science 14, no. Special Issue 02 (2013): 261–76, doi:10.1017/S1468109913000066.
41 “Court Hears First Arguments in Oma Nuclear Plant Lawsuit,” AJW by The Asahi Shimbun, accessed July 6, 2014.
42 “Fukui Court Blocks Oi Nuclear Reactor Restart, in Landmark Ruling,” The Japan Times Online, May 21, 2014.
43 Pushker A. Kharecha and James E. Hansen, “Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Historical and Projected Nuclear Power,” Environmental Science & Technology 47, no. 9 (May 7, 2013): 4889–95, doi:10.1021/es3051197.
44 “Energy Report Calls for Reliance on Nuclear Power,” The Japan Times Online, June 17, 2014.
45 Harvey Wasserman, “The Crisis at Fukushima 4 Demands a Global Take-Over,” War Is A Crime, accessed July 1, 2014.
46 For a list of Andrew DeWit’s publications in The Asia-Pacific Journal, see here.
47 Chisaki Watanabe and Masumi Suga, “Renewables Get Raked over Coals under Abe,” The Japan Times Online, April 14, 2014.
48 Chris Bryant, “Germany’s Renewable Energy Experiment Comes at a Cost,” Financial Times, September 15, 2013.
49 Andrew DeWit, “Japan’s Energy Policy Impasse,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 12, no. 14, accessed June 25, 2014; Mari Saito, Aaron Sheldrick, and Kentaro Hamada, “Japan May Only Be Able to Restart One-Third of Its Nuclear Reactors,” Reuters, April 1, 2014.
50 Jacques Hymans, “Veto Players and Japanese Nuclear Policy after Fukushima,” in Possible Futures for Japan (NYU Press, forthcoming).You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters
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— A bill on its way to Gov. Pat McCrory could allow two high-profile North Carolina legal cases to move forward after they were blocked by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this month.
A group of Asheville residents has been pursuing a civil case against CTS Corp., an electronics manufacturer that had an Asheville operation in the 1960s and 1970s. CTS closed its doors and sold the property in 1987.
People who subsequently bought homes on and near the property didn't discover until 2008 – 21 years later – that their well water was contaminated with toxic chemicals from CTS that cause cancer, birth defects and other illnesses. They filed suit in 2011.
North Carolina's product liability law, written in 1979, strictly limits liability to 10 years from the last contaminating act, a time frame known as a "statute of repose" for civil claims.
Lower courts found that a 1980 federal environmental law preempts the state's limits. But the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed, ruling on June 9 that the state's statute of repose overrides the federal law and bars the plaintiffs from suing CTS.
The ruling would also affect a lawsuit over contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune filed against the federal government by thousands of retired Marines and their families who were exposed to toxins and radiation when they were stationed at the base between 1957 and 1987.
That case has been led by retired Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger, whose 9-year-old daughter, Janey, died of a rare form of leukemia in 1985. It would be 2007 before the full extent of the contamination was known.
The federal government has also invoked the state's 10-year liability limit in its defense.
Senate Bill 574 clarifies that North Carolina's product liability law does not apply to latent groundwater contamination claims.
Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover, said the intent of the 1979 legislation was to limit liability for material goods and products.
"Unlike product liability, groundwater contamination claims arise from unknown exposure to unknown elements at unknown times. They have long latency periods," Goolsby explained. Because of the Supreme Court's ruling, he added, "The General Assembly must clarify the text of the statute."
The bill passed the Senate with little debate, 49-0.
It moved through the House in a single day last week, where Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, explained the reason for the rush to passage.
"The Supreme Court, in a way, it makes a final decision. It decides cases, but then there's a 30-day pending time frame afterwards before a mandate issues, which becomes the critical trigger date," Glazier said.
He explained that House Bill 574 would allow both cases to stay alive on their merits – either through a Supreme Court rehearing, which would be extremely unusual, or more likely, through further filings in the case.
The change in the state law, once enacted by the governor, will give the plaintiffs a small window to revive the case before the Supreme Court's mandate is issued July 9.Harry Enten, an analyst for FiveThirtyEight, gives Donald Trump a 96 percent chance of winning Florida's winner-take-all primary. | AP Photo FiveThirtyEight predicts a dominant night for Trump
FiveThirtyEight is predicting a near-sweep for Donald Trump, good news for John Kasich and bad news for Marco Rubio going into critical presidential primaries on Tuesday night.
Harry Enten, an analyst for Nate Silver’s numbers-driven site gives Trump a 96 percent chance of winning Florida's winner-take-all primary. As for Rubio, the Florida senator has just a 4 percent chance of taking his home state. Ted Cruz has less than 1 percent chance of winning, and Kasich doesn’t come into play. FiveThirtyEight predicts Trump will walk away with 41 percent of the state’s Republican vote, followed by Rubio with 28 percent, Cruz with 19 percent and Kasich with 10 percent.
Trump is likely to win Illinois with a 63 percent chance and North Carolina with a 89 percent, as well, FiveThirtyEight predicts.
In Ohio, FiveThirtyEight gives Kasich an 80 percent chance of winning his home state and its 66 delegates. Trump's odds are 19 percent, and both Cruz and Rubio fall under 1 percent. The site predicts Kasich taking 39 percent, Trump 33 percent, Cruz 20 percent and Rubio 6 percent of the vote.
FiveThirtyEight isn't issuing predictions for Missouri, due to the lack of polling but said the state may be Cruz’s best chance of getting a win on Tuesday night.Thursday, March 2, 2017, 9:08 AM
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 9:08 AM
Oklahoma is now testing a new system that will enable law enforcement to have nearly real-time information on drunk drivers.
“The IDEA Act is a game changer for public safety in Oklahoma,” Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael C. Thompson said. “For years, law enforcement officers and the courts have been plagued by the inability to accurately track impaired and drunk drivers in Oklahoma. The IDEA Act levels the playing field with law enforcement and drunk drivers, and enables accountability.”
The system:
Creates a way for law enforcement officers to see, nearly in real time, the location of all impaired driving offenses and the location where the last drink was consumed, when known.
Provides law enforcement officers with a searchable database to identify previous arrests and whether those arrests were related to impairment by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.
Creates a standardized impaired driving arrest report for all law enforcement officers to utilize and to provide to prosecutors.
“The goal is to provide every law enforcement officer with a modern database to search and enter impaired driving arrest,” Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Ronnie Hampton said. “This information will allow countermeasures to identify areas where impaired driving poses the greatest risk, and to help prevent overserving of alcoholic beverages.”Back in 2012, a powerful Arctic cyclone smashed the sea ice with days of wind and waves. This year, a storm that’s nearly as strong threatens to make a similar mark on late-season melt. With a very unstable Arctic weather pattern in play, there’s an outlier possibility the dynamic is setting up for something even more dramatic by late August.
****
Earlier today, a strong gale roared up out of the Laptev Sea north of central Siberia. Feeding on the abnormally warm, moist air over the Barents Sea and the hot air over northwestern Siberia, the storm collided with comparatively cold air over the central Arctic. The differences between hot/cold and damp/dry air can really bomb out a storm system.
(Storms, heat and moisture feed up through a high-amplitude wave in the Jet Stream over northern Europe and Siberia and into a developing Arctic cyclone over the Laptev Sea during the early hours of August 15, 2016. Image source: LANCE MODIS.)
Central pressures in the storm fell to 969 millibars and the winds whipping out over the Laptev, East Siberian, and central Arctic waters gusted at 45 to 55 miles per hour. Waves of 6 to 10 feet or higher roared through the newly-opened waters filled with increasingly dispersed ice floes.
The Great Arctic Cyclone of 2016?
This powerful storm is pulling these strong winds over some of the weakest and thinnest sections of Arctic sea ice. During July and August a huge section of ice running along the 80° North Latitude line and stretching from the Laptev, through the East Siberian Sea, and into the Beaufort Sea grew ever more thin and eventually dispersed. Now 25 to 60 percent ice concentrations in this region abound — a tongue of thinning which stretches nearly to the North Pole itself.
(A powerful storm running out of the Laptev Sea and into the central Arctic is threatening sea ice with strong winds, large waves, and the motion of abnormally warm surface waters. Image source: Earth Nullschool.)
The storm is generating waves, mixing warmer-than-normal surface waters with even higher temperature waters just below. These sea surfaces are between 1 and 2 degrees Celsius above average over much of the area, with pockets of 3 or even 4 C above normal surface water temperatures interspersed. The storm’s Coriolis Effect will spin chunks of ice out from the pack to float lonely in these warmer-than-normal waters as they are churned by the raging swells.
Storm Raging Over Warm Waters, Thin Ice
Currently, the storm’s strongest winds and waves are running through a big melt wedge that extends from the Laptev and East Siberian Seas toward the 85th parallel. The motion and force produced by the storm’s winds and waves will eject the ice currently located over the northern East Siberian and Chukchi Seas even as waves eat into it. Upwelling of warm water in the seas beneath the center of the storm will open and disperse the ice, generating holes and polynya as it tracks north of the 85th parallel and toward the Pole.
(Very low concentrations of ice, like those seen in this Uni Bremen image, are vulnerable to disruption and melting by storms during August and early September. Current ice thinning and dispersal are among the worst seen for any year. With a powerful storm now raging over the ice, impacts to end-season totals could be significant. Image source: Universität Bremen.)
Compared to the Great Arctic Cyclone (GAC) of 2012 — an event that helped to tip that year into the strongest late-season melt on record — this storm is a bit weaker. The GAC bottomed out at 963 mb and carried on for about four days. The current storm, by comparison, is expected to remain in place for quite some time even as it slowly weakens over the coming days.
Arctic sea-ice extent values are now tracking at around third lowest on record, or just above the 2007 line. Such a strong storm certainly has the potential to knock a big hole in the ice, possibly propelling 2016 closer to 2007 ranges or even beyond them. Surface waters in the Laptev, East Siberian, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas aren’t quite as warm as they were in 2012, but there’s still a lot of potential here for storm-associated melt. Meanwhile, the very warm waters over the Kara and Barents Seas remain a disturbing feature.
(Above-average sea-surface temperatures during late summer have more potential to rapidly melt sea ice when they are churned up and put into motion by powerful storms. Image source: NOAA NCEP.)
Models predict that lows will continue to feed in from the Atlantic and northeastern Siberia along various high-amplitude waves in the Jet Stream to combine in a triangular bite between the East Siberian Sea, the Laptev Sea and the Pole. Such continued reinvigoration will tend to enforce a generally stormy and unstable atmosphere. And there’s some risk (small, but worth considering) that the current storm could refire into something more powerful on the fuel provided by one of these lows.
Troubling Atmospheric Instability Loads the Dice for Future Bombification
Already, a few of the long-range models are popping with amazing predictions of storm-center intensity in the range of 950 to 960 mb. Both the GFS model and CMC models separately produced these results for the nine to 12 day timeframe. GFS had backed off its own high-intensity forecast when this odd CMC run popped up (see below).
(CMC 10-day forecast model run showing an extremely powerful 955-mb low just north of Svalbard on August 25th. Such a storm is low-probability at this time, but its formation would likely result in serious impacts to sea ice. Image source: Tropical Tidbits.)
Though these are long-range outliers, there is quite a lot of fuel for strong storms in the region this year due to conditions related to human-caused climate change. In particular, ocean surfaces in the Barents and Kara Seas are in record-hot ranges. And the heat and moisture coming off those waters is fuel for some serious atmospheric instability as the Polar region attempts to cool. Any significant cooling in the 80-90° North Latitude region would help to generate a strong dipole between this zone and the Kara-Barents. Such a dipole would create strong instability for storm generation.
A low bombing out at 953 to 955 mb in ten days, as the CMC model currently indicates, would represent an Arctic megacyclone with serious potential to wreck sea ice. The location predicted would generate a strong push of warm water from the Barents and Laptev and on toward the ice-clogged polar waters. The resulting Ekman pumping and powerful swell generation would have the potential to generate severe ice losses in the late August timeframe.
Probabilities for such a storm this far out are low, but given the underlying conditions, it’s worth putting a marker out. This is, therefore, a situation to watch. We’ve already got one strong storm blowing away at the ice. A one-two punch would hurt even more. In other words, the situation in the Arctic just got really interesting. Let’s just hope it doesn’t tilt into scary…
Links:
Big Cyclone
LANCE MODIS
Earth Nullschool
Universität Bremen
Ice vs. Storm
NOAA NCEP
Tropical Tidbits
AdvertisementsWe figured it was time to update our list from 2015. Here they are X funny fantasy football names.
Kirk “Marries First” Cousins
Christian “Mingle” McCaffrey
God Hates Jags
My Ball Ertz I Should Really See A Doctor This Is A Warning Sign For Testicular Cancer
Who Farted? It Zeeks In Here
Who dey and the blowfish — Doc Toboggan (@crashdoyen) August 7, 2017
Wentzylvania
LeGarrette “Philly” Blounts
Kareem Hunt For Red October
Too Many Dalvin Cooks In The Kitchen
O.J. “I Swear I’m Not Going To Murder Anyone” Howard
Just my Luck, dude where’s my Carr, I wentz there. Hahaha — louie (@ThatDudeLouie88) August 7, 2017
Jared Goff Clap
Pour A Matt Forte Out For The Fallen Homies
Two In The Pink One In The Linc
Todd Gurley Gone Wild
Mike Vick In A Box
Donald JayAjayi Trump — Steve Miller-Miller (@millertwice) August 7, 2017
Wentz In A Lifetime
Dix Out For Harambe
Jeff Saturday Is For The Boys
Total Jag Offs
Sproles Survivor
Sex Cauldron. I don’t do puns. — Ryan Conner (@rccomedy) August 7, 2017
Suh For The Money
I Hope That’s Hair Gel And Not Jacquizz
Ziggy “Trying To Find The” Hood
Up In The Cutler
It’s A Me Marcus Mariota
Ron Mexico, Bubba’s Franks in the Jacuzz, Adrian Beatizson. — todd (@pokergod420) August 7, 2017
In A Van Down By The Rivers
Brady And The Tramp
Gronk You Like A Hurricane
Lucky “Popping” Whiteheads
Rex Machines
Driving Chris Henry — Wally Brennan (@wbrennan52) August 7, 2017
Beauty And The Beast Mode
Jerry Jonesing For Some Hot Dudes
Dakstreet Boys
Don’t Catch Thielens
Chicks Diggs The Long Ball
Chris Long Cox
Uncle Luke Kuechly
David Has A Goliath Johnson
The Jordy Nelson Works In Mysterious Ways
Le’Veon’s Hells Bells
Dez NutsBEREA, Ohio -- Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor completed a touchdown pass in team drills Tuesday but then tweaked his right hamstring and sat out the rest of practice.
Coach Mike Pettine said the injury is not believed to be serious but that Pryor will undergo an imaging test just to be sure.
Pryor had the hamstring wrapped with ice for a while on the sidelines and then took off the wrap and watched the rest of the session.
He gave a sneak preview of the pass in offense-only drills when he took the ball on an end-around right and fired it into the hands of Dwayne Bowe.
In 11-on-11s, Pryor took the ball again from Josh McCown and fired a wobbling duck down the right sideline, where cornerback Pierre Desir could've picked it off but misjudged it. Travis Benjamin hauled it in for a TD instead.
"They said it was wobbly and ugly," Pryor said with a smile. "They said I lost my QB skills. I told them I never had them."
Pryor later said he wasn't worried about the hamstring but that he might need to sit out a day or two. He said he hopes to be back for the Orange and Brown scrimmage Friday in Columbus, but that he won't rush back and jeopardize the start of the season.
As for Pryor throwing the pass and showing the new wrinkle, Benjamin said, "he can do it all."
Hopefully for the Browns, he won't miss any time in his bid to make the team as a wideout.
More here later on Pryor.I like to think I keep my finger on the pulse. Currently, I’m eating Migos Rap Snacks while wearing a Supreme Obama anorak with matching pants and listening to French Montana’s “Unforgettable” featuring Swae Lee. So it’s safe to say I’m plugged in, but I don’t know who the hell Da Real Lambo is, so I did some extensive Googling so that you don’t have to.
Who is Da Real Lambo?
Da Real Lambo is a struggle rapper from Miami who looks to be well into his 40s. He could be in his late 30s, but I doubt it. No word on how long he’s been rapping, but I’ve never heard a Da Real Lambo song, and I don’t think Da Real Lambo has any music on the radio, but again, I’m OK if I’ve missed this. In fact, tell me how I managed to miss it in the comments.
What does he have to do with LeBron James?
He was married to LeBron James’ mother.
Wait, LeBron James’ mom was married to a struggle rapper?
Yes.
So Da Real Lambo was LeBron’s stepfather?
Well, yes and no. Black people have a thing where we call people our family even when they are not. I still have brothers and cousins who are not actually brothers or cousins. Black people also have a thing where we don’t claim people who are actually related. Da Real Lambo is technically Bron-Bron’s stepdad, but I don’t think he ever claimed him.
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So why is this news now?
Well, what story you get depends on who’s telling it. Some say that LeBron got tired of struggle Lambo flossing on his dime, so he cut him off and told his mom to dump this dude. There are others who claim that Lambo’s relationship with Gloria ended on its own.
So why do we care?
Well, now Da Real Lambo is threatening to spill all the Gatorade and is claiming that he sides with Kyrie Irving in the latest rift between the Cleveland Cavaliers superstars. He adds that LeBron is selling an image that isn’t true. In an Instagram post, he claims that Bron has been cheating on his high school girlfriend-turned-wife, Savannah.
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Da Real Lambo also posted this cryptic video, which many believe is about King James:
Where is Da Real Lambo’s mustache?
I was wondering the same thing. I think when you are in your 40s, hair starts falling out. Maybe he has a receding mustache and decided to cut it all off because he couldn’t pull off a mustache combover, which is really hard.
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Either way, he wants back into the palace, but I don’t think King James is having it. In the words of the great 1980s cartoon G.I. Joe, “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!”Image copyright Sandeep Kumar Image caption Forest officials described Ram as "beautiful" and "flamboyant"
One of India's oldest and most popular lions in the wild has died from old age, forest officials told the BBC.
Ram was found dead on Saturday, officials at the Gir sanctuary in western Gujarat state said. He was thought to be about 15 years old.
Forest officials described him as "beautiful" and "flamboyant" and said Ram was their "most photographed lion".
Gir sanctuary is home to more than 500 lions and is the only habitat of Asiatic lions in the world.
Ram and his brother Shyam were a famous pair of lions that ruled over Gir forest in recent years.
"We carried out a post mortem on him to ascertain the cause of death. He died from natural causes. He was cremated in the presence of government and local village officials." deputy conservator of forests Ram Ratan Nala told the BBC.
Image copyright Amrish Bhatt Image caption Together with Shyam (in the photo above), Ram ruled over Gir forest for years
Mr Nala said Ram was loved in the neighbourhood and many forest staff in the area fasted for a day to mourn his death.
"Ram along with his brother Shyam ruled over Gir for many years and the two fathered many cubs over the years," Sandeep Kumar, who was Mr Nala's predecessor, told the BBC.
"At one point, the duo had about two dozen cubs in their pride," he said.
The forest staff named the lions Ram and Shyam which are popular Indian names and also the name of a hit Bollywood film.
Image copyright Sandeep Kumar Image caption These cubs were born in Ram and Shyam's pride last year
Unlike tigers who do not share their territories with other males, lions generally form a coalition with another male member of their family and the two protect their territory together, Mr Kumar explained.
"But every kingdom must come to an end. With Ram now dead and Shyam getting on in years, it will get very difficult for Shyam to protect their territory and the area is likely to be taken over by other younger males soon," he added.Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera team has launched a new website to showcase their recent images of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
The high-resolution images, taken either with the narrow- or wide-angle scientific imaging camera, will show the comet as recently as the day before.
They will be posted to a dedicated website but followers can also subscribe to a mailing list to receive the images directly via email.
The cadence of the images released will depend on the scientific operations of the spacecraft and in particular on the as-run OSIRIS observations on any given day, along with the availability of images downloaded from the spacecraft.
A minimum of an image per week should be expected, up to an image a day if they are taken daily.
“Following perihelion and a far excursion, we are now back at closer distances – about 100 km – to the comet, providing a view similar to that when we first arrived on 6 August 2014,” says Holger Sierks, principal investigator for the camera at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen, Germany.
“We’d like to share this view with the community and the general public, in near-real time, as we re-approach and eventually descend to the surface of the comet.”
The images will be released by a robotic system in JPG format, raw or calibrated as available, following a brief pre-selection by OSIRIS scientists. Basic ‘metadata’ stating the date, time, distance to the comet and the Sun, and the resolution of the image will be included with each.
There will not be a detailed scientific description of the images because the goal is to provide up-to-date ‘postcards’ of the comet. Traditional image releases with scientific interpretation will still be made, separately, in the usual way.
The images will also be added to our ESA galleries and shared on our Rosetta social media channels. In addition, we plan to showcase them in a weekly blog post alongside our regular navigation camera NavCam CometWatch feature.
“This new initiative is a welcome addition to our long-established NavCam ‘CometWatch’ releases, and gives us another way to enjoy riding along with Rosetta as it follows the comet through the Solar System,” notes Patrick Martin, ESA’s Rosetta mission manager.
“Now that we’re closer to the comet again we’re looking forward to seeing its surface in more detail. We’re also looking forward to sharing a fantastic view as Rosetta descends to the surface of the comet next September,” says Matt Taylor, ESA’s Rosetta project scientist.
Subscribe to the mailing list by emailing your request to: [email protected]
Visit the website at: https://planetgate.mps.mpg.de:8114/Image_of_the_Day/public/
The OSIRIS dataset from both the wide- and narrow-angle cameras covering the period 20 June 2014 – 16 September 2014 are currently in processing and are foreseen for release via the Archive Image Browser and the Planetary Science Archive early next week.New York, New York. The city so nice they say it twice.
Unless, of course, you count the number of citizens being raped, murdered, robbed or otherwise assaulted since Bill de Blasio took over the town and began “reforming” the police department and City Hall’s progressive approach to dealing with crime in one of the most densely populated urban centers on the planet. The NYPD has a hard enough job on its hands as it is, but the new rules of engagement don’t seem to be working out very well unless you happen to be a criminal. At the Daily Caller, our friend Kerry Picket reports:
NYPD crime statistics show the New York City murder rate spiked 8.3 percent since last year, while rape rose 5.8 percent. Additionally, misdemeanor sex crimes skyrocketed a whopping 18 percent. The numbers surfaced as the city mourns its fourth officer killed in the line duty this year. F.B.I. Director James Comey, said on Friday that the extra scrutiny and disparagement of police officers following incidents between law enforcement and officers are more hesitant. “I don’t know whether that explains it entirely, but I do have a strong sense that some part of the explanation is a chill wind that has blown through American law enforcement over the last year,” Mr. Comey said during remarks at the University of Chicago Law School.
Four dead cops this year, and Hizzoner didn’t even show up for a ceremony honoring Patrolman Phillip Cardillo who died in the line of duty back in 1972. But at least he sent a note.
The Mayor’s office sent a statement in his absence: “The Mayor is grateful to Patrolman Phillip Cardillo and his family for giving the ultimate sacrifice to New York City in his efforts to protect our city’s residents. The Mayor has also been honored to attend street renamings for officers who have died in the line of duty during his administration.”
Well, that’s certainly nice. But the fact remains that nobody was ever prosecuted for Cardillo’s murder and it’s been a sore spot between the police and Democrat administrations ever since.
All across the nation crime rates have been falling for some time now but there are notable exceptions. Chicago, Baltimore and the Big Apple have defied the national trends and are seeing crime rates creeping back up. While causal relationships are difficult to quantify
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impractical currency. Fortunately, bitcoins can be divided into tiny subunits all the way down to one hundred millionth of a bitcoin. This smallest unit has been named a Satoshi, in reference to Satoshi Nakamoto, which is believed to be a pseudonym of the mysterious creator of the cryptocurrency, who’s true identity has never been discovered.The girl, who refused to marry a man who failed to count beyond nine and answer mathematical questions on Tuesday last in Mainpuri district, got married to a high school pass bridegroom.
Khushboo, a resident of village Guliarpur under Kisni police station of Mainpuri district, had set an example by refusing to marry ‘illiterate’ and ‘mentally unfit’ bridegroom. According to the family members, the girl had studied till class 8 and wanted to become a teacher.
On Friday night, Khusboo married a 21-year-old high school graduate, Amit who is a farmer in village Kejri Dibiapur of Oriyya district.
The entire village gathered to welcome the marriage party and celebrated the ceremony with much fanfare before giving a tearful farewell to the ‘proud daughter’ as she left for her new journey.
Earlier, Khusboo’s father Srikrishna Babu Saxena, had fixed her marriage with Omveer, son of Rajendra Singh, resident of village Saraia, Oriya district.
When the marriage proceedings began, one of the bride’s friends told her that the groom was unable to recite wedding mantras properly.
It was then that Khushboo decided to ask Omveer a few mathematical questions. When her parents tried to stop her, she told them she couldn’t get married to an illiterate person.
After asking several questions, Khushboo came to the conclusion that ‘he was mentally unfit’ and had called off the wedding.
First Published: Dec 14, 2015 10:26 ISTWith their membership declining and workers demanding jobs, many unions look to Trump to deliver.
You’ve heard the contemptuous laughter from American liberals.
Donald Trump, a “friend” of labor? The man who employed thousands of undocumented construction workers on so many of his job sites? Who fought the efforts of culinary workers to form a union at the Trump International Hotel? Who’s already signed off on the GOP’s fiercely anti-union, “right-to-work” agenda?
Sure, Trump won support among blue-collar workers in the Rust Belt, his critics admit. But just how did he do it? By stoking xenophobic fear and racism toward “foreigners,” they say. Trump may be a “master showman,” as Bernie Sanders conceded recently, but he’s also a “total fraud” when it comes to the rights and interests of workers.
The problem? These criticisms aren’t resonating inside America’s beleaguered trade union movement. While Democratic Party ideologues outside of organized labor may rail against Trump, there are strong divisions within labor’s ranks over how to respond to his presidency.
It’s hardly new. Trade unionists for years have been divided over how to respond to Republican administrations. The overall national union structure, led by the AFL-CIO (formed in 1955) includes the powerful building-trades union which represents workers on major government and private sector infrastructure projects and traditionally leans conservative on foreign policy and social issues like abortion.
Most building-trades members have long voted Republican. During the Vietnam War, they were the “hard hats” that supported Richard Nixon and railed against “welfare cheats” and students protesting the war. And until fairly recently, many viewed immigration as a prospective threat to their jobs.
But today’s AFL-CIO also includes some of the fastest-growing public sector unions, including the AFSCME and SEIU. These unions, which have seen their membership balloon as large numbers of African-Americans and Hispanics have joined their ranks, tilt sharply Democratic. And in recent years they have pushed the union leadership to adopt a broad-based “progressive” agenda on issues ranging from health care to immigration reform.
The divisions between the two wings of the labor movement have already shown up in their response to Trump’s nomination of fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder as Secretary of Labor. Puzder has blasted efforts to increase employee workplace protections, opposes an increase in the minimum wage (which Trump supports) and has even talked favorably about replacing workers with robots. Some labor groups did openly oppose Puzder, but many others held their fire.
Trump so far has done his best to straddle these divisions. Much of of his stated agenda, including opposition to free trade agreements, and pressure on big companies to reinvest in the American economy – and American workers – is turning out to be more than “populist” rhetoric. Trump has already issued an executive order cancelling the TPP, a symbol of the bipartisan American globalism on trade that often disadvantages domestic workers. He may very well withdraw the United States from NAFTA, or force it to be renegotiated.
Trump’s also cut a string of deals with major American manufacturers to keep some of their planned overseas production at home. He’s even threatened to punish companies that insist on relocating without trying to reach a deal to stay put. Critics say these measures are largely window-dressing.
But there’s no question that Trump’s plans to rebuild America’s roads and bridges — if fulfilled — will be a huge boon to the construction industry. And not only native-born workers but millions of Hispanic immigrants that comprise today’s industry — nearly 30%, in fact — will benefit.
Labor’s top leadership has done the math: the percentage of the unionized workforce fell to 10.7% last year – with just 6.4% in the private sector — its lowest level in generations. And 42% of union households voted for Trump last November, just under the modern record set by Ronald Reagan in 1984.2017 Melee Recommended Ruleset
Notice – The Ruleset has been amended since this page was initially created, and the updated ruleset is found here
Purpose / Motivation
Super Smash Bros. Melee is a constantly evolving game. We discover new techniques, we push the limits of the game, and we define and redefine what is deemed the best evaluation of skill. Sometimes the game evolves to a point where new topics come up that change the landscape of the entire scene, requiring an answer from the organizers of the events in which they take place. The competitive Melee scene has very much reached this kind of crossroads in 2017. Now is the time for a new standardized ruleset, and here’s why:
Reason #1: The scene needs an actual ruleset amendment process
If you’re wondering what the previous ruleset amendment process was, well, there really wasn’t one. Since competitive Melee has existed, rulesets have only changed when one major decided to shake something up and others followed along. We saw this when Pound 4 made the move to ten legal stages, then when Apex 2012 made the move to six legal stages and the current set format. The scene needs an actual ruleset amendment process to accommodate the constantly evolving game.
Reason #2: Our major event lineup needs more unity on formats and rulesets
It’s no secret that most of our majors lack unity right now. We still see instances in which one organizer decides to get cute with a rule nobody actually wants, and it costs both players and spectators the full experience they deserve. Or instances where a major interprets a rule one way, but another major interprets a rule the other way. We need to clarify the nuts and bolts of the Melee ruleset so there’s less confusion at events.
Reason #3: Newly developed technology needs to be officially addressed
20XX training packs. Memory card hacks. SmashBox controllers and its variants. The list goes on. The rise of Smash-related technology has put players in a unique situation to leverage game modifications to aid their training sessions and tournament gameplay. For the sake of players’ and spectators’ well-being, newly developed Smash-related technology deserves to be officially addressed so everyone has clear expectations of what’s legal and illegal moving forward.
In this spirit, a Competition Committee has been founded to create a standardized Melee ruleset and build a process for future ruleset amendments as necessary. The following document is going to discuss what we learned during the initial stages of this process, and then present what we’ve done to accommodate the next step of the Melee scene’s evolution. Although there is no current governing body requiring anyone to use the standardized ruleset, the founding organizers of the Competition Committee and all signatories of this document pledge to abide by and enforce the ruleset at events they host. Our goal is not to force the hand of others, but to inform the community about what stance our current major tournaments have on various ruleset topics.
Structure / Process
The structure of the Competition Committee is based on the principle that the ruleset must reflect a balanced representation of the opinions and interests of the major tournament organizers as well as the general Melee community (including players, casters, and streamers). In the past, this was generally done entirely on the TO side, with the understanding that if TOs made bad rules, people wouldn’t go to their tournaments. But as the Melee community has grown, there has been occasional disconnect between these groups in understanding each other’s desires and circumstances. Organizers have a responsibility to respond to the expressed will of the community, and the attendees/viewers of events should be made cognizant and be considerate of problems that organizers face. The job of the Competition Committee is to facilitate this process.
To this end the Competition Committee consists of two bodies: a group of 5 community leaders (The Leadership Panel, or “The 5”), and another group of 25 community representatives (The At-Large Panel, or “The 25”, members TBD). What we hope to impress upon the community here is that having a committee and amendment process which allows for a just avenue for change is more important that getting the ruleset perfect immediately or crafting a process around some a priori desired result. Ad hoc rule changes open the door for the ruleset to be subject to the whims of the community or whomever is running the next big event which can change from day to day. The process is much more important than any one particular rule change.
Amendments
In keeping with the principle of balanced representation, a rule or procedural change must meet the approval of both bodies to become part of the standard ruleset. Amendment submission is open to the entire community, which means for the first time ever, anyone can make a material contribution to the Melee ruleset. Amendments are first voted on by The 5. If an amendment passes with a majority vote, then it moves to the 25, where it will become part of the standard ruleset if voted on by a majority.
Given this system, a ‘yes’ vote from The 5 can be interpreted as explicit support of the amendment, or the opinion that the amendment should be left up to The 25 to decide. Generally The 5 intend to publish an explanation of their votes.
We expect that some of the rules in the present ruleset will come up for amendment and this is an intended part of the conservative but open-minded strategy we used to create these rules in the first place.Indeed, some of the founding votes were made with the opportunity for change in mind; many of us felt that the full amendment process is more appropriate for the most radical proposals. That way, more voices will be voting, allowing for a more accurate gauge of community sentiment. Having said that, a few material decisions to the ruleset were made in its founding which we felt important to highlight. Keep in mind that not all of these decisions were unanimous, so the following reasoning is only meant to represent the majority opinion:
The Ruleset
Mid-Set Coaching
The growth of the competitive scene has had many benefits, including the emergence of a new type of Smasher: the Coach. While we appreciate their contribution outside the game, we believe the presence of mid-set coaching has numerous negative consequences for the competitive scene:
No longer strictly 1 vs. 1. Adapting to your opponent is a skill we highly value, and active coaching in the middle of a set prevents that skill from being tested in full effect. We recommend reading Amsah’s post from 2014 to expand on this point; it’s a great read. Creates an uneven playing field. Having a coach is a clear and inherent advantage if your opponent is coachless. Sponsored players on pro teams have more resources, and are more likely to have a full-time coach, so if legalised “the rich get richer.” Logistically onerous. Mid-set coaching takes time, frustrating spectators and extending the runtime of the tournament. For mid-set coaching to be legal, we’d have to set strict time limits, enforcing which would take valuable administrative staff away from their duties, especially if we wanted to regulate more than just main stage.
Controllers
Notching has been done for a long time and largely without complaints. It’s also not such a drastic advantage over non-notched controllers that it needs to be regulated; the angles and motions can be learned without significant trouble. As well, notching and other small modifications like removing springs from shoulder buttons generally are available to anyone to do on their own and don’t absolutely require access to experts or special parts to achieve. Thus, we’ve decided that case modifications should be permitted.
However, the output signal of the controller should not in any way be altered by custom external hardware. If in the future the community decides that hardware solutions to controller issues are warranted, these should be standardized by the Committee and provided by tournament organizers only. We recognize that there is a developing problem of controller hunting and that we need to consider possible solutions (which may include hardware and/or software mods) if enough people agree on the severity of the problem.
As for non-Gamecube controllers, the Committee’s vote to ban should be understood as a tentative ban as part of the ongoing conversation about non-GC and box-style controllers. In our opinion, the use of a GC controller is somewhat intrinsic to what we consider “playing Melee” and the skills involved in doing so, and the weight of this principle and the integrity of the game has to be measured against any advantages provided by allowing other controllers.
A general principle we are working with is that non-GC controllers should not have any obvious or significant material advantages over GC controllers except increased accessibility. The general player base should not have to weigh the advantages/disadvantages of using alternative controllers. That is to say, the differences/advantages of the non-GC controller should be such that we expect players in general will very, very rarely choose the non-GC controller over the GC controller unless they have an accessibility concern that is aided by the use of the non-GC controller. The difficulty thus far has been in enumerating all the possible differences between GC controllers and alternative controllers (e.g. box-style), because the mechanics of the GC controller as well as how the GC reads its inputs are so complicated and have some controversial manufacturing variances, and solutions to those may be different discussions entirely.
By accessibility, we mostly mean the ability to be used by players with physical handicaps/disability/injury or who are unavoidably in danger of developing such in the near future by continued use of the GC controller; we think the idea that box-style controllers should be allowed because they will meaningfully increase crossover from traditional FGC players is a fantasy. We are also not convinced that we have explored modification options with the GC controller to improve ergonomics. Box-style controllers additionally may solve some ergonomic issues but create new ones themselves; TOs in general are not presently in a position to endorse box-style controllers as ergonomic solutions and it would be irresponsible to do so. If we do decide there are some features of GC controllers that are widely considered to be flaws that detract from gameplay, our opinion is that we should pursue external hardware and/or software modifications to solve them instead of allowing alternative controllers.
Official Game Version
NTSC Melee has the unique problem of gameplay differences between various versions of the game. This can lead to disputes over what is the appropriate version to play, as some characters are distinctly better or worse with some of the differences. We’ve decided to go with the most common, and most recent, iteration of NTSC Melee, 1.02.
Pauses
Pause should be set to off at all times, but there have been numerous incidents in Smash history where it was kept accidentally on, leading to controversy and debate over what happens next. Often the players mutually agree to some terms, but under the duress of social pressure from their peers: ask for a stock or game loss, and you’re a villain, be more lenient and you’re a “homie.” As a theme, we’d like for situations like this to be prevented, with mutual agreement avoided at all costs. Instead, we’ve set the penalty at a stock loss, with TO discretion up to a game loss in scenarios where a stock is more valuable for one player than another (i.e. the offending player pauses interfering with their opponent’s recovery. If the offending player has 2 stocks and the recovering player only has 1, they could potentially win the game for pausing if their only penalty is giving up 1 of their 2 stocks).
Conclusion
The full ruleset can be found here (Google Doc)
To recap, we put together this ruleset with a “conservative but open-minded” strategy, generally avoiding controversial changes in the rules (but which is clear and can stand well on its own), acknowledging where there is controversy, where there are problems that need to be addressed, and most importantly, putting together a collaborative process for implementing changes as a community.
The Melee community TOs pride themselves on being among the most open and accessible leaders in all of competitive gaming, and we welcome discussion and feedback. We are ready to accept proposed changes to the rules according to the process as described in Section 2 of the ruleset.Virginia Gov. and Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE ally Terry McAuliffe questioned the effectiveness of Donald 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's recent pitches to African-American voters Thursday.
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“What he said about the African-Americans, ‘You’re all — you have no jobs, your schools are horrible, you’re worthless.’ Is that an endearing message to get people to vote for you?” McAuliffe said in an interview with WRVA's "Ask the Governor" program, as reported by The Washington Post.
“He didn’t call them ‘worthless,’ just for the record,” said host Jimmy Barrett. “But I understand what you’re saying.”
“Well, basically the implication is, ‘Your life sucks,'" McAuliffe continued.
Democrats latched on to Trump's plea to black voters last week, calling it an inaccurate picture of life in the U.S. for African-Americans.
"What do you have to lose? You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose?" the GPO nominee said to black voters at a rally in Michigan.Speaking at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta–the church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached–U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday that he will soon unveil long-planned Justice Department guidance aimed at ending racial profiling.
Holder traveled to Atlanta to meet with law enforcement and community leaders for the first in a series of regional meetings around the country. The president asked Holder to set up the meetings in the wake of clashes between protesters and police in Ferguson, Missouri.
“In the coming days, I will announce updated Justice Department guidance regarding profiling by federal law enforcement. This will institute rigorous new standards–and robust safeguards–to help end racial profiling, once and for all,” Holder said. “This new guidance will codify our commitment to the very highest standards of fair and effective policing.”
{snip}
“We are dealing with concerns that are truly national in scope and that threaten the entire nation. Broadly speaking, without mutual understanding between citizens–whose rights must be respected–and law enforcement officers–who make tremendous and often-unheralded personal sacrifices every day to preserve public safety–there can be no meaningful progress,” Holder said. “Our police officers cannot be seen as an occupying force disconnected from the communities they serve. Bonds that have been broken must be restored. Bonds that never existed must now be created.”
{snip}
While the grand jury has made its decision, the Justice Department continues its investigation into the death of Brown and into allegations of unconstitutional policing patterns or practices by the Ferguson Police Department, Holder said to loud applause.
Holder also told the crowd that the meetings he’s convening around the country are just the beginning and that he wants to start a frank dialogue and then translate that into concrete action and results.
{snip}
Original Article
Share ThisLand Rover has announced an all-new model to add to the Range Rover line up. It is called the Range Rover Velar, and you will see it in full at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
Yep, the fourth Range Rover. The second image above denotes its place in the family hierarchy: big brother to the Evoque, and little brother to both the Range Rover Sport and full-fat, Range Rover proper. Apparently, according to Land Rover, there was ‘white space’ between the Evoque and RR Sport, which this new Velar handily fills.
All we’ve got to go on so far are the two images above, but you can clearly see that a) it follows the mould of something like a BMW X6, and b) it has a panoramic glass roof which looks quite lovely. Zoom into the first image, and you’ll even spot a nifty touchscreen in the central console…
It’s been built - as all Rangeys are - to tackle many different types of terrain (but will likely only see one) using clever bits of tech, and features “sustainable materials”.
Engines? No idea, but expect Jaguar Land Rover’s Ingenium range to feature (four- and six-cylinder units with turbos and superchargers), as well as a (hopefully) range-topping, hair-raising V8 version. We can but hope that SVO have had more than a sniff around this new RR Velar.
Land Rover’s chief design officer, Gerry McGovern, said: “We call the Velar the avant garde Range Rover. It brings a new dimension of glamour, modernity and elegance to the brand.
“The Range Rover Velar changes everything,” he added.
What’s a Velar, you might still be wondering? Well, the new Range Rover takes its name from the original RR prototypes from the 1960s. Back then, LR tells us, development engineers needed to shroud the first RR to conceal its identity and keep it a secret, and chose the name because it derives from the Latin ‘velare’. Which means ‘veil’, or ‘cover’.
Thankfully, you’ll see it fully uncovered on 1 March. Until then, let us know your thoughts on the latest addition to the Range Rover family.Each month we aim to provide a helpful round-up of writing competitions, fellowships, publication opportunities and more for writers at all stages of their careers.
For new writers, or for anyone seeking a refresher, we highly recommend reading How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines.
Deadlines and details do sometimes change, so please check the relevant websites (linked in bold) for all the latest details. For more opportunities and regular updates follow Aerogramme Writers’ Studio on Facebook and Twitter.
Granta
is accepting unsolicited submissions until 1 April. Granta publishes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. There are no strict word limits, though most prose submissions are between 3000 and 6000 words and the editors advise they are unlikely to read more than 10,000 words of any submission.
Colm Tóibín International Short Story Award
is open for entries until 1 April. Entries must be between 1,800 and 2,000 words in length and there are no restrictions on the subject matter. First prize is €1000.
Pennsylvania State University
Altoona Campus English Program is taking applications for a one-semester teaching residency in poetry and playwriting/screenwriting. The program is targeted at early career writers, preferably without a published book.
Quotable
is a quarterly print and online publication. Submissions are now open for its 21st issue on the theme ’Finale’. The editors are seeking flash fiction (up to 1000 words), short fiction (up to 3000 words), and creative non-fiction (up to 3000 words), as well as poetry and art. Submissions close on 1 April.
Norman Mailer Center and Writers Colony
offers Summer Fellowships for fiction, nonfiction and poetry writers at the Ucross Foundation located on a 20,000-acre ranch in northeastern Wyoming. Six applicants will be chosen and receives full tuition and housing for the entire three-week period of their stay. Applications close on 1 April.
Grain Magazine’s Annual Short Grain Writing Contest
offers prizes for both fiction and poetry and is open to writers worldwide. A total of CA$4500 in prize money is on offer. Entries close 1 April.
North American Review’s Torch Prize for Creative Nonfiction
offers a first prize of $500. Writers may submit only one piece of creative nonfiction, no longer than 30 pages. Entries close 1 April.
Headland
is a New Zealand-based international literary journal of short fiction & creative non-fiction. The journal is accepting submissions until 1 April for its sixth issue and the editors are encouraging writers from all over the world to submit their work.
Cosmopolitan
is building its network of website contributors. Interested writers are asked to provide an essay up to 800 words about a memorable, crazy, hilarious, or touching college experience. If the essay is published you’ll receive $100 and additional assignments.
BBC Writersroom
is accepting unsolicited comedy scripts until 4 April. Writers may be non-British-born, but must be a current resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland.
Right Now
is looking for writers interested in penning regular reviews of literature, film, plays, musicals, television programs, exhibitions or other media with a human rights-related theme for the Right Now website. Applications close 5 April.
Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
has increased its combined prize money to AUD$12,500 this year. The competition is open to writers worldwide and entries close on 11 April The deadline for the 2016 prize has been extended to 18 April.
Pilcrow & Dagger
is accepting submissions for its May/June issue featuring the theme ‘New Beginnings’. Pieces may be up to 5000 words. Closes 11 April.
Ninth Letter
is seeking fiction, non-fiction, and poetry from immigrant writers for a special online edition. Closes 15 April.
MacDowell Colony Fellowships
support residences of up to eight weeks for writers and other artists. Located in New Hampshire, studios, room and board are provided. Applications for Fall 2016 residences (1 October to 31 January) close on 15 April.
Harpur Palate
is literary journal published bi-annually by the Department of English at Binghamton University. It publishes poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from all over the world, including work by well-known authors including Sherman Alexie, Gary Fincke, Peter Sears, Alex Lemon, Maura Stanton, and Rebecca Morgan Frank. Submissions for the summer issue close on 15 April.
The Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize
is a new competition open to black, Asian, minority ethnic writers living in the UK and Ireland. The winner will receive £1000, and their story will be published on Guardian website. Entries close 15 April.
Event Magazine’s Non-Fiction Contest
is open to creative non-fiction up to 5000 words in length. There is US$1500 prize money available in addition to the regular publication payment. The entry fee includes a one-year subscription. Entries close 15 April.
Normal School
is a bi-annual journal based at California State University at Fresno featuring nonfiction, fiction, poetry, criticism and journalism. It is particularly interested in essays that challenge established norms for the genre or that don’t seem to fit in easy categories of classification. The current reading period ends on 15 April.
Bath Short Story Award
is open to stories up to 2200 words in length. Stories may be in any genre and entries from both published and unpublished writers are encouraged. First Prize is £1000 (US$1500) and a selection of twenty winning, shortlisted and longlisted stories will be published in a print and digital anthology. Entries close on 25 April.
Redivider’s Beacon Street Prize
is open to fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. The winner in each category will receive $100 and publication in the winter 2016 issue of Redivider. The winning pieces will be selected by guest judges: Alexandra Kleeman (fiction), Steven Church (nonfiction) and Amy Gerstler (poetry). Closes 30 April.
Tahoma Literary Review
is a literary journal published in both print and e-reader formats. Payment for fiction and non-fiction ranges from a minimum of $50 to $300. Payment for poetry and flash is $25 to $50. Submissions for issue 7 close on 30 April.
Bristol Short Story Prize
is open to stories up to 4000 words. Entries can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical, romance, children’s etc). Twenty stories will be shortlisted and published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 9. Entries close 30 April.
Lunch Ticket
is a biannual journal published by the MFA community of Antioch University of Los Angeles. Submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, writing for young people and visual art for its summer/fall 2016 issue close on 30 April.
SI Leeds Literary Prize
is a biennial prize for unpublished fiction by Black and Asian women resident in the UK aged 18 years and over. The Prize is for full manuscripts only, of either novels or short story collections The winner receives £2,000 plus professional networking and development opportunities. Entries close 30 April.
Late Night Library
is accepting submissions for the 2016 Debut-litzer Prizes in the categories of fiction and poetry. Winners will receive US $1000 and a featured appearance on Late Night Conversation. Debut books first published in North America between 1 January and 31 December 2015 are eligible to enter. Entries must be postmarked by 30 April.
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest
is open to original short stories and essays on any theme. The winner in each category receives US$1500 and there are a total of 10 minor prizes of $100. Entries should be maximum of 6000 words. Closes 30 April.
Calabash: A Journal of Caribbean Arts and Letters
considers submissions of poems, short stories, one-act plays, interviews, book reviews, parts of memoirs, personal essays, critical essays, cultural news, announcements, and other new and emerging genres. Submissions close 30 April.
New South
seeks to publish high quality work, regardless of genre, form, or regional ties. Submissions for issue 9.2, due for publication in September 2016, close on 30 April.
FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards
aims to recognise extraordinary artistic talent in three categories – fiction literature, film-making and art across more than 100 emerging market nations. The winner in each category receives US$40,000. Works of fiction may be entered from residents or passport holders from Africa and the Middle East. Entries close 30 April.
Buffalo Almanack
is an online quarterly journal of fiction, photography and literary criticism. It welcomes submissions for new and established writers. New issues are released quarterly and submissions are open throughout May.
The O. Henry Prize Stories
is an annual collection of the year’s twenty best stories published in American and Canadian magazines. Entries must be submitted by the magazine’s editors and should reach the series editor, Laura Furman, by 1 May. The 20 stories selected for the 2015 O. Henry Prize collection are available here.
Malahat Review’s Far Horizons Poetry Award
is currently accepting poetry from emerging writers worldwide. No more than 3 poems per submission (multiple submissions welcome). Entry fee comes with one-year subscription. A prize of $1000 will be awarded to one winner. The deadline is 1 May.
Prairie Schooner
was established in 1926. Its intention is to publish the best writing available, both from beginning and established writers. Submissions close 1 May.
David Nathan Meyerson Prize for Fiction
is only open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction, either a novel or collection of stories. The winner receives US$1000 and publication in Southwest Review. Stories can be up to 8000 words in length and all entries will be considered for publication. The deadline for entries is 1 May.
Diverse Voices Quarterly
aims to be an outlet for and by everyone: every age, race, gender, sexual orientation and religious background. Submissions received by 1 May will be considered for the August/September issue.
Lockjaw Magazine
is a biannual online journal including literary ephemera, art, and music. Submissions for issue IV open on 1 May.
Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
award up to five fellowships of US$35,000 each year. This international screenwriting competition is open to writers based anywhere in the world, regardless of citizenship. The regular entry deadline is 18 April, with late entries accepted until 2 May.
Wellstone Center in the Redwoods
offers four writing fellowships per year, as well as week-long writing residencies and an emerging writers residencies. The Center is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, four miles for Pacific Ocean. The next fellowship application deadline is 6 May.
Griffith Review’s The Novella Project Competition
offers a prize pool of AUD$25,000. While there is no firm word length requirement, writers are advised that works between 10,000 and 25,000 words are preferable; 35,000 words is the maximum. Entrants must be from either Australia or New Zealand. Closes 13 May.
Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest
is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish a book. The winner in each genre will be awarded US$1000. Entries close 15 May.
subTerrain Magazine
is based in Vancouver and is published three times a year. Submissions for its summer/fall issue, which carries a general theme, close on 15 May.
Alaska Quarterly Review
is a literary journal devoted to contemporary literary art, publishing fiction, short plays, poetry, photo essays, and literary non-fiction in traditional and experimental styles. The editors encourage new and emerging writers, while continuing to publish award-winning and established writers as well. Unsolicited submissions will be accepted until 15 May.
Raymond Carver Short Story Contest
is open to writers from around the world. First prize is US$1500 and the guest judge for 2016 is Caitlin Horrocks. Entries open on 1 April and close on 15 May.
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
is dedicated to recognising and supporting the work of emerging writers whose fiction has not yet achieved success. Entries must be less than 3500 words and the competition is open to writers based anywhere is the world. The winner receives US$1500 and publication. The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition first ran in 1981; entries for the 2015 prize close on 15 May (discounted entry available before 1 May).
Creative Nonfiction
is seeking new essays for issue on the theme ‘Joy’. In addition to publication one writer will receive a prize of $1000 and one runner-up will receive $500. Closes 16 May.
A Very Short Story Contest
sets writers the challenge of creating a great short story in ten words or fewer. There is no entry fee and the winner receives a free writing class. Closes 16 May.
Litro Magazine
is seeking submissions for its July 2016 print issue with the theme ‘Cuba’. It accepts short fiction, flash/micro fiction and non-fiction. Submissions close 25 May.
Book Smugglers Publishing Novella Initiative
is seeking original novellas from all around the world to be published in 2017. Manuscripts should be original speculative fiction, between 17,500 and 40,000 words long. Closes 30 May.
Irish Literary Review
is an online publication for new poetry and short fiction from Ireland and around the world. Flash fiction should be under 500 words, fiction should be no shorter than 1500 words and no longer than 3000 words and poems should not exceed 40 lines. The current reading period closes 30 May.
New England Review
was founded by poets Sydney Lea and Jay Parini in New Hampshire in 1978. It welcomes submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, translation and creative writing for the NER website. New submissions will be accepted until 31 May.
Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction
is for manuscripts between 40,000 and 75,000 words and may include long stories or novellas. One winning writer will receive US$1000 and publication by the University of Georgia Press under a standard book contract. Writers must be residents of North America. Entries close 31 May.
Harvard Review
publishes short fiction, poetry, essays, drama, and book reviews. Writers at all stages of their careers are invited to apply, however, it only publishes a very small fraction of the material received. Submissions close 31 May.
AGNI
is proud to be known as a magazine that publishes important new writers early in their careers. AGNI considers poetry, short fiction, and essays and most of the work it publishes is unsolicited. Submissions may be accepted for publication in AGNI or (with the writer’s permission) AGNI Online. Closes 31 May.
One Story
is a literary magazine that contains, simply, one story. Approximately every three-four weeks, subscribers are sent One Story in the mail, or on their digital devices.Submissions are open between 1 September and 31 May. Stories must be between 3,000 and 8,000 words and can be in any style on any subject.
Baltimore Review’s Summer Contest
has the theme ‘Games’. Three winners will be selected from among all entries. There is a 3000 word limit for fiction and creative non-fiction, and one to three poems can be included per entry. All
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city, saying the jury selection process had been successful so far in identifying potential impartial jurors.
Attorneys for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, who is accused of carrying out the largest mass-casualty attack on U.S. soil since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, have repeatedly sought to move the trial out of Boston. They have contended that too many potential jurors had a personal connection to the April 15, 2013 attack that killed three people and injured 264.
The jury selection process, which wrapped up its fifth week on Friday, has shown a number of candidates with direct ties to the event, including a man married to a nurse who tended to the wounded, as well as others who were locked down in their homes during a manhunt for Tsarnaev three days after the attack.
Still, of the more than 150 potential jurors so far brought in for questioning at U.S. District Court in Boston, a process known as “voir dire,” some have been suitable, the judge said.
“The voir dire process is successfully identifying potential jurors who are capable of serving as fair and impartial jurors in this case,” U.S. District Judge George O’Toole wrote in his ruling on Friday.
“That the voir dire process has been time-consuming is not an indication that a proper jury cannot be selected for this case,” O’Toole added. “It is rather in the main a consequence of the careful inquiry that the court and counsel are making into the suitability of prospective jurors.”
Of the 1,350 people who were brought in early last month to fill out questionnaires, a minimum of 64 need to qualify for the final pool from which a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates will be selected.
Adding to the challenge is the fact that Tsarnaev could face the death penalty if convicted by a federal jury. Massachusetts state law does not allow for capital punishment and it remains unpopular in the state, a fact that has also been made clear by the jury selection process.
Prosecutors contend that Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, placed bombs at the race’s crowded finish line and three days later shot dead a police officer as they prepared to flee the city. Tamerlan died that night, following a gun battle with police.Chabot moved his family to Texas to escape liberalism.
Former Congressional candidate and Iraq veteran Paul Chabot can help you move from a blue state to the biggest red one.
On May 23, Chabot announced on Twitter that he had started a company called Conservative Move to help those looking to leave liberal land for conservative country.
According to Chabot, the new company’s website received over 3,700 visitors within four hours of launching, and 500 families have signed up so far.
“The Democrats are so extremely liberal that it’s disenfranchising the voters in their states,” Chabot told CNSNews.com, noting that high taxes, crime and poor educational systems are alienating even some life-long liberals. “California is so completely out of step with the rest of the country.”
So far, Texas and Arizona have been the most popular locations that conservatives have wanted to move to, he said.
Conservative Move lays out a five-step relocation plan on its website. First, your family can see if moving to a more conservative area is right for them. Chabot’s website boasts of great schools, low crime, and good-paying jobs in northern Texas. The company plans to cover more areas of the country as it expands.
Next, you can set up a free consultation and start exploring employment opportunities in the area. Afterwards, the company will help find a realtor to sell your old house. Conservative Move introduces you to their team’s real estate agent in North Texas and, voila! You are ready to begin your transition.
Founder Paul Chabot’s family made the move from California to Collin County, Texas in January of this year. California “went to increase the gas tax once again,” Chabot explained. “Crime is out of control, there are bad schools.”
Plus, the northern Texas economy is looking up, thanks to government policies that foster growth, he added. “Toyota moved from California to Collin County, Texas. It’s a business-friendly state,” Chabot said.
The area also has low levels of crime, with the city of McKinney’s crime rate being 30% below the national average. In addition, the city of Plano within Collin County was rated the #3 city to live in by Money Magazine last year. There are several towns within the county to choose from, some featuring sports arenas, and the county boasts high-performing schools.
Paul Chabot told CNSNews.com that one of the goals of Conservative Move is to show that the best areas of the country are being inhabited and represented by conservatives by creating a company that helped state-to-state transitioning on a family level.THE Afghanistan Government now has more women in its cabinet than we do.
PM-elect Tony Abbott today named his new ministry which includes just one woman, Julie Bishop.
Meanwhile our Afghani counterparts have three women in their Cabinet. They are Work, Social Affairs, Martyred and Disabled Minister Amina Afzali, Public Health Minister Soraya Dalil and Women's Affairs Minister Husn Bano Ghazanfar.
Mr Abbott has copped criticism from Labor's Chris Bowen for the lack of women appointed.
Mr Bowen said it was a sad day in Australian politics, and said Australia has "gone backwards".
Anthony Albanese tweeted "I actually thought the 1 woman out of 20 Cabinet positions might be just expectation management but it is now a reality".
Bill Shorten added "Same number of women in Abbott's first Cabinet as Malcolm Fraser's #BackToTheFuture".
Mr Bowen also indicated the Labor leadership result will be announced on October 13.
Mr Abbott said his new ministry was one of the most experienced in the Coalition's history and reflects some significant promotions.
Mr Abbott announced his Cabinet and outer ministry team in Canberra, nine days after the coalition's election win over Labor.
He faced criticism from the media earlier after only naming Ms Bishop in his Cabinet, with Sophie Mirabella and Bronwyn Bishop now out.
NSW MP Bronwyn Bishop has already been announced as the next Speaker in the House of Representatives.
"I'm obviously disappointed there aren't more women in Cabinet," Mr Abbott said.
"Nevertheless there are some very good and talented women knocking on the door of the cabinet and there are lots of good and talented women knocking on the door of the ministry.
In February British Prime Minister David Cameron admitted he had not appointed enough women to his Cabinet and revealed his wife urges him to promote female talent.
Only four full members of his Cabinet are women.
Continue the conversation via Twitter @newscomauHQ
###Editor's note: This has been updated after originally running in December, 2017.
The first installment of Carson Wentz vs. Jared Goff could not have been more dramatic.
It took place a year ago this week. When the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams was over – after Wentz tore his knee while lunging for the end zone in the third quarter, and stayed in to finish the drive with a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery on one good leg; after Nick Foles replaced him and helped the Eagles to a 43-35 victory to clinch the NFC East; and after Philly celebrated the feat inside the cramped visiting locker room at the Los Angeles Coliseum – Wentz walked outside with an air cast around his left leg, got onto a cart, and was driven away into the night.
Goff to L.A., Wentz to Philly Jared Goff will lead the playoff-bound Rams when they host the Eagles on Sunday (7:20 p.m. ET, NBC). Carson Wentz may miss the game with a back issue. • How they became top two picks in 2016
• The highs, lows of young QB rivalry
• Foles back for another L.A. moment?
• More: Rams | Eagles | Playoff Machine
During an intense, emotional nine months of recovery that followed, Wentz was forced to watch the Super Bowl from the sideline. He pushed himself well ahead of schedule in his rehab, only to be denied his goal of starting opening day. He returned Week 3 and has played well overall but not to his 2017 MVP-caliber form.
His comeback season has not gone as anticipated, as the Eagles sit at 6-7. Now, Wentz could miss Sunday’s game and perhaps longer because of a back issue.
Goff and the Rams, meanwhile, are riding high. Under the tutelage of coach Sean McVay, Goff has blossomed into one of the top signal-callers in the game. He has thrown 27 touchdowns on the season, the Rams rank third in scoring (32.7 points per game), and L.A. is tied for the top record in the NFL at 11-2.
Goff and Wentz represent the seventh quarterback pair to be selected first and second overall since 1967 and are the fifth to meet head-to-head.
The first game, officially, went to Wentz, as did the first two seasons since the QBs came into the league in 2016. This year, to this point, has belonged to Goff. It appears what we’re seeing develop is a rivalry that has a chance of going back and forth for years to come.
Truth is, it started well before either of them played a snap in the league. Goff and Wentz are represented by the same agency, Rep 1 Sports, and trained together during the pre-draft process. That unique set-up brought the competitive side out of both athletes, as they went throw-for-throw with the unspoken understanding that the No. 1 overall draft slot was on the line.
Jared Goff, left, and Carson Wentz celebrate their draft wins. Goff went to the Rams No. 1 and Wentz to the Eagles. AP Photo/Matt Marton
Leading up to their first meeting as pros in 2017, we took a look back at the pre-draft process and told that story from the accounts of those who experienced it. The four executives directly involved -- for the Rams, Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns -- declined interviews. But several others shared their memories of the 2016 draft.
Training together
Goff and Wentz worked side-by-side in their competition to become the No. 1 pick. They not only became the first 1-2 quarterback combo to share an agent -- Ryan Tollner -- but they trained together in the lead-up to the draft. Three days a week, they would take the field, alternating snaps and matching throws.
With North Dakota State advancing to the FCS championship game, Wentz arrived in California to begin training a week later than Goff and was itching to catch up.
Ryan Lindley, former NFL quarterback who trained Wentz and Goff: "I want to say [Wentz] took a red-eye right after they played their championship game and came right out to Orange County from Texas and wanted to get going. I was like, 'Hey, man, you're coming off wrist surgery not even eight weeks earlier, came off playing a football game the day before. We can take a couple days off.' But he wanted to get right to work. And I think it irked him a little bit that Jared already had a week up."
Wentz: "We had just finished winning our fifth national championship there, and I knew I was already a couple weeks behind, kind of that pre-draft prep and everything, so I was ready to get it going. I just got out there as quickly as I could."
Goff: "I met him. Immediately, right away, you can tell what type of worker he is."
Wentz: "Jared and I, we threw on the field together a couple times a week. But we had our own private film sessions with our quarterbacks coach and everything and kind of did our own thing. It was just good to be around him."
Lindley: "I mean, obviously Jared took it seriously and knew it was a big deal and was excited to work with us. But once Carson got there, you knew there was a bar being set, and each one wanted to jump the other each day and raise it even higher.... You put two alphas in a cage, they're going to put their hair up and be a little bit on edge, go after it a little bit."
Wentz: "He can throw the ball well. He had a lot of arm talent. And he's a great dude. We got along great."
Goff: "Most times, through my life, I've thrown, and thrown with quarterbacks, and you kind of know where you are with them, for the most part. I remember throwing with him and it was like, 'This guy can play.' Right away. I'm like, 'OK, he can play.'"
Lindley: "At the time, coming in, Jared was a better deep-ball thrower. He's done a little bit more of that -- obviously they kind of aired it out at Cal -- and Carson was, and still is, an amazing thrower on the run. And he could do a lot with his feet.... I felt good with their progress, but you could kind of see if one was a lot better than the other, they'd want to do it again. 'Let me get another rep. I can do better. I can do better.'"
Goff: "Of course, the competitor in me, every time he throws a good throw, I want to throw a good throw. And I'm sure it was the same with him."
Tollner: "They pushed each other in terms of preparing and watching film and in the weight room, out on the field throwing. And one thing that I think was evident to both players from Day 1 was, 'This other guy's pretty good.'"
Lindley: "The battle for who was the first quarterback taken was out there, for sure. I think at the end of day, each one of them -- that's a feather in your cap to be labeled by an NFL team as the best guy in your draft class. And I think they wanted that."
Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will forever be linked by the 2016 draft. Allen Kee / ESPN Images
Throughout their workouts, it was not uncommon for Goff or Wentz to check in with Lindley to gauge his take on the competition.
Lindley: "It would be different each day. Both have a different way of putting it out there. They'd never completely throw it out there like, 'Yo, how did I look compared to Carson?' I don't think either of them was that self-conscious. But it would be like, 'Hey, I noticed I needed to improve on this a little bit. How does so-and-so do that?' You could see it getting to know them. But at the end of the day, they wanted to keep it veiled and know they were kind of checking in subtly."
Wentz: "I think we both kind of loved the competition and everything, and it made us both better. I thought it prepared us well for the draft."
Goff: "It definitely pushed both of us. I don't think there was any, 'I want to go higher than him.' I wasn't feeling anything that way, and I don't think he was, either. I think, for both of us, it was, 'We want to end up in a good situation. Regardless of who goes first, who goes second, both of us want to end up in a good situation.'"
Private workouts
Weather -- and even the simulation of weather -- played a role in how the draft process unfolded. A North Dakota blizzard on March 24 kept 14 teams from attending Wentz's pro day. Only one head coach, the Cleveland Browns' Hue Jackson, was in attendance. "Divine intervention," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, looking up to the heavens. California rain proved to be a key ingredient in the Rams' courtship of Goff. The skies opened over Berkeley prior to their private workout with the Cal quarterback, setting precisely the scene they needed.
Tollner: "One of the questions related to Goff was, he's California born and bred, and could he still throw the ball in adverse conditions? If you recall, there were questions in the process about Jared's hand size, how he grips the football, and how might a rainy day, a late December outdoor contest, affect his ability to throw the ball? It was a cold, kind of windy day in California with rain, and Jared really embraced the opportunity to go out and throw for the Rams' brass."
Former Rams coach Jeff Fisher: "We had watched the weather early that day and we felt like we were going to have a window of about an hour and a half or two hours to get it done. But he preferred to just throw in the rain."
Jared Goff's pro day couldn't have gone better. He threw the ball well despite the rain. AP Photo/Ben Margot
The Rams' contingent included Fisher, general manager Les Snead, offensive coordinator Rob Boras, quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke and receivers coach Mike Groh. They stayed at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, California, and Goff was coincidentally staying there, too. They ran into each other in the lobby the night before their workout, which took place the weekend after the combine. The Rams were trying to map out a time that worked. Some of those in attendance will tell you Goff basically demanded to throw in the rain, though Goff dismissed that a bit.
Goff: "I was under the impression that it was at a set time and I was going. I don't know. But it was raining. There was nothing I could do about it."
Fisher: "We kept the ball as dry as we could. I had a towel and would put the footballs under my jacket between throws. We were trying to do what we could to keep the balls dry. They were still wet, but we felt like they were manageable for him to throw, and he did a really, really good job with everything."
Tollner: "Jared apparently threw the ball exceptionally well that day."
Goff: "It went well. I know when I throw good balls. Yeah."
Wentz was having a different experience with the Browns as a result of a coach's decision to soak balls with water during the workout to try to create adverse conditions.
Tollner: It was Cleveland that was doing the wet-ball deal. Their coach would walk up and dump a water bottle on the ball as they're holding it, and then have them take a few reps throwing the ball.... I mean, it was a pretty unrealistic example of a wet ball: You're holding a dry football and somebody pours a bucket of water on it and tells you to keep the grip and throw it."
Wentz (after his pro day): "It happens. It was pretty doused. It would've had to be a torrential downpour."
Fourteen teams missed Carson Wentz's pro day because of a blizzard in North Dakota. AP Photo/Bruce Crummy
Things went smoother when an Eagles contingent -- Pederson, Eagles vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, offensive coordinator Frank Reich, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and owner Jeffrey Lurie -- visited Wentz in Fargo, North Dakota.
Pederson: "We got off the plane, got right to the stadium, he greeted us right at the door. He was ready to go. He already went through a preworkout before we got there. And then DeFilippo and Frank took him through about 30 minutes of throwing and agility work. Pretty impressive. You sit there and you're going, 'All right, this kid might have a little something.'"
Tollner: They went to dinner -- their coaches and Howie -- at I believe one of the nicest restaurants in Fargo, and they all had just a genuinely enjoyable dinner. The Eagles group came away really, really impressed by him -- the way he carried himself and just his level of confidence."
Roseman (on draft day): "His presence when he walks in the room, when he talks to you not only about football but about life, and then when you watch him interact with people. He walks in the restaurant, just the impressions people have.... I saw the manager and the hostess talking to each other and saying, 'Carson is just the greatest guy. He's always so humble, and he's always so appreciative of all of us here.'"
Wentz: "I just remember I felt really confident with all my workouts and board work -- drill work, board work, watching film, kind of everything. I felt really good all the way through that draft process with the Rams, with the Eagles, and all the teams that I met with."
Pederson: "It was toward the end of March we set up that trip to go work out Goff and Wentz and [Kevin] Hogan at Stanford, and then come back and meet with the kid at Memphis, Paxton Lynch, those four guys. And we spent equal amount of time with all of them. We wanted to make sure we were fair with our evaluations. But at the same time, we could have spent two days with Carson. It was easy with him."
Trading up
Goff was in Philadelphia, getting ready for bed on the night of April 13. His visit with the Eagles was scheduled for the following morning. But then he got a phone call. The Rams had acquired the No. 1 pick from the Tennessee Titans, giving up six picks -- two of them in the first round -- to move up a whopping 14 spots. Kobe Bryant was playing in his final NBA game that night, and the Rams didn't want to steal his spotlight by announcing their trade. The rest of the world would find out the next day.
Goff: "I woke up the next morning, and, of course, it's three hours ahead. So I'm in my meetings with Philly. And again, I have so much respect for Philly. I love their coaches and love Lurie, love everything they have going on there, love Howie, and I think they're a really, really good franchise. I'm sitting in an interview -- or a meeting, I believe -- with one of their psychologists. My phone just starts going buzz, buzz, buzz. It just starts buzzing off the hook. And that's when I was like, 'Oh, shoot, they must've just traded up. It must've just happened.' Sure enough, I look at my phone, and it's happening. I look at the TV, and it's happening."
The Rams had tried to trade up in the draft the prior year, after scouting Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Titans held the top two spots and wouldn't budge.
Fisher: "We kind of had a sense of the quarterback class at that time and felt like, to have an opportunity to get a franchise quarterback in that group, we had to go there.... We would have gone through the same exercise had the team stayed in St. Louis. I can say that with absolute certainty. This was a need that the team had to address no matter where we were."
Tollner: "The Titans have the first pick and we represented their quarterback in Marcus Mariota, so there were certainly discussions with Jon Robinson, the Titans GM, about the possibility of moving out of the first pick, and there were discussions with Les Snead, the Rams GM, about trying to get all the way up to No. 1 to ensure he would get the player he wanted. And how can you execute that trade from 15 to 1? Very, very difficult.
Rams GM Les Snead had kept an eye on Jared Goff since he started as a true freshman at Cal. Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports
Snead (at the April 14 news conference): "We were at the combine.... You get to draft for suites, and the Titans were our neighbors [in 2016]. It was easy for us to sneak out the back there and chat about the pick. It's a long process. Through the process, you get a feel [the Titans] were willing. But they definitely had a value for their pick. You have that luxury when you have a QB."
Tollner: "All of this was going on for a couple months prior to the draft. And the Rams became fixated on the idea; Les Snead became fixated on the idea of trading all the way up to No. 1."
Robinson (to Titans.com on April 14): "We've had some discussions back-and-forth going back to the combine. Some initial, exploratory discussions, if you will. Things kind of heated up over the last several weeks, and then we were finally able to come to a decision."
Fisher: "Our board was good with respect to the other quarterbacks, but we felt, to truly have the opportunity to get one of the top two -- Jared or Carson -- we were going to have to move up.... We really felt at that time, based on all the information we had gathered on both players, we couldn't go wrong if we could get to either one or two."
Robinson (to Titans.com on April 14): "It was a chance for us to really bolster the depth of our football team, having six shots at the top 76 players in this draft, not to mention five next year with the extra one and the extra three."
Goff: "I knew it was me or Carson. And we both did. We didn't find out for sure until sometime later, but yeah, that's the first thing you think of is, 'Oh, man, is it me?'"
The Eagles had already traded up from No. 13 to No. 8 in March, but they, too, were eyeing a quarterback. The Browns also wanted a quarterback, but seemingly didn't become infatuated with Goff or Wentz. They went back-and-forth with the Eagles for weeks and ultimately accepted five picks -- two in the first round -- for the No. 2 overall selection on April 21, seven days after the Rams' trade.
Tollner: "I was in constant communication with Howie [Roseman], and when the Rams executed the trade up to No. 1, then the feeling was, 'OK, who do you think they're going to take?' And I felt it would be Goff, and that's when they started to make the move."
The Eagles were able to trade up for Carson Wentz with the Browns, who weren't enamored with him or Jared Goff. Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports
Roseman (on April 21): "It's rare for us to be in the top 10 in the draft, but that was our No. 1 goal in the offseason."
Goff: "I found out about the Eagles' trade on my Rams visit. I was here a week later, and sure enough, on the TV, 'Eagles move up to No. 2.'"
Sashi Brown, former Browns vice president of football operations (at the 2017 NFL combine): "We do like the trade.... Understanding where we were as a roster, understanding that we were passing on the opportunity to take a player, whether it's [defensive end Joey] Bosa or Wentz.... This is a trade when you probably look back at it that will work out for both teams."
Goff: "At the end of the day, when they were both one and two, I was like, 'Man, those are probably my two favorites.' I liked L.A. the best, but the Eagles were right there. And I would've been very happy with either one of them."
Wentz: "I think it ended up working out for both of us."
The decision
The Rams traveled to play the Oakland Raiders to open the 2015 preseason on Aug. 14. For Snead, who started paying attention to Goff when he became the first true freshman to start at Cal, it was a chance to watch him practice. The Rams' interest in Goff -- and desire for a franchise quarterback -- grew stronger as the 2015 season played out, ultimately motivating them to move up to the No. 1 overall pick.
Tollner: "The Rams identified early in the process that they were going to take a quarterback, and they were willing to do whatever it took to get one. I think that they had their sights set on Jared very early."
Goff: "I loved the coaches, and I loved the whole [Rams] organization. I liked [chief operating officer Kevin] Demoff, Les, the previous staff. I did like them a lot. I had a good rapport with all of them. I loved Fisher, and Les was awesome. It was just a really good feeling, a really good vibe."
Pederson: "It kind of went back-and-forth. It was like, 'OK, this week it's Carson, next week it's Goff.' As you study and go back and look at all their tape and look at different things, probably the one thing is that you couldn't see bad-weather games with Carson because he was always in a dome. I think he played in one bad-weather game and he played in 40 degrees and raining. That was like the worst he's been in during his college career, where Goff was at least outside -- California -- there's always going to be rain, different things, so you can compare all kinds of stuff. But at the end of the day, we just felt real comfortable that if we'd get our chance, that [Wentz] would be our guy."
Carson Wentz, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, says the draft worked out for both him and Jared Goff. Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire
The Eagles worked out Goff, Wentz, Lynch and Hogan in late March, weeks before they would trade from No. 8 to No. 2. They returned to Philadelphia, and that's when they pretty much knew Wentz was the player they wanted.
Pederson: "We started writing up our reports and talking some more and doing some more of the analytical stuff with all of the quarterbacks. Then we had the 30 visits, and both Goff and Dak Prescott was here, Carson was here. And we just came away at that point thinking, 'Man, Carson.'"
Wentz: "I just felt a great connection with this coaching staff, with the city. Just kind of the blue-collar work ethic -- everything about it. I just kind of fell in love with it."
Tollner: "The Eagles made the trade up to two expecting to get Carson, and I think that my gut feel on that was sort of a strong factor for them, and it turned out to be right."
Roseman (on draft day): "He was our top player on our board."
Goff pretty much knew he was going No. 1 about a week before the draft. Snead and Fisher had decided well before that. But they mostly kept it to themselves, partly because they still wanted to hear honest, fair, unbiased opinions from their scouts and coaches. Stan Kroenke, the Rams owner, knew about the decision before he sat down with Goff at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills in the days leading up to the draft.
Jared Goff was ultimately picked No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Rams. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
Goff: "We had the same agent. He's got information from the Eagles, he's got information from the Rams. We both find out. It was never for sure until my name was called. So I'm still sitting at the table, waiting for my phone to ring. You never really know for sure."
Wentz: "I think we both had a pretty good idea of where we would end up, but we still were just waiting for that call -- when the Rams were on the clock, right then and there."
Tollner: "Both of them had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with those teams at the combine, at a private workout, at a team visit. And they both came away saying, 'This would be a great place to play. I think I can be successful here.' I think they liked the people, the location.... There were certainly other teams that [they] thought presented great opportunities, as well, but those were two that both players came away saying, 'This would be pretty cool to get drafted here.'"
Fisher: "[Goff] was very, very excited. We had a conversation earlier in the day. You're just checking the phones, you're making sure you can get in touch with him. He's got the family in New York, and we told him he would be hearing from us very shortly, once the draft got started.... It wasn't that phone call where he's on national TV. It was the phone call to let him know shortly ahead of time. I know he had a smile on his face, and he said, 'I won't let you guys down. I'm very excited, and thanks for the opportunity.'"
Wentz: "It was a crazy whirlwind. You're playing every scenario in your head. Trying not to, but you naturally are. But at the end of the day, wouldn't trade it for the world where I ended up."
ESPN Denver Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold contributed to this report.Volkswagen is telling U.S. dealers to stop selling its most popular cars until transmission fluid leaks can be fixed.
The order covers about 25,000 Jetta, Passat, Beetle and Beetle convertible models equipped with 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions, spokesman Scott Vazin said Wednesday. They were built after Feb. 1.
An “O-ring” that links a transmission fluid line to a cooler can fail and cause leaks, potentially causing a fire. Vazin says no fires or crashes have been reported. VW plans to replace the defective parts.
About half the cars remain on dealer lots. Vazin says VW is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on how to fix the cars that have been sold.
He says owners with questions about their cars should contact their dealers.
Vazin expects parts to be available to make the repairs in two weeks or less. The simple repairs should take about a half-hour, Vazin says.
The stop-sale order was first reported by the trade publication Automotive News.The Hollywood Reporter‘s Ingrid Schmidt reports:
“Given the increased frequency of terrorist bombings and mass shootings and an under-lying sense of havoc fed by divisive election politics, it’s no surprise that home security is going over the top and hitting luxurious new heights. Or, rather, new lows, as the average depth of a new breed of safe haven that occupies thousands of square feet is 10 feet under or more. Those who can afford to pull out all the stops for so-called self-preservation are doing so — in a fashion that goes way beyond the submerged corrugated metal units adopted by reality show “preppers” — to prepare for anything from nuclear bombings to drastic climate-change events. Gary Lynch, GM at Rising S Bunkers, a Texas-based company that specializes in underground bunkers and services scores of Los Angeles residences, says that sales at the most upscale end of the market — mainly to actors, pro athletes and politicians (who require signed NDAs) — have increased 700 percent this year compared with 2015, and overall sales have risen 150 percent. “Any time there is a turbulent political landscape, we see a spike in our sales. Given this election is as turbulent as it is, we are gearing up for an even bigger spike,” says marketing director Brad Roberson of sales of bunkers that start at $39,000 and can run $8.35 million or more (FYI, a 12-stall horse shelter is $98,500).
Adds Mike Peters, owner of Utah-based Ultimate Bunker, which builds high-end versions in California, Texas and Minnesota: “People are going for luxury [to] live underground because they see the future is going to be rough. Everyone I’ve talked to thinks we are doomed, no matter who is elected.” Robert Vicino, founder of Del Mar, Calif.-based Vivos, which constructs upscale community bunkers in Indiana (he believes coastal flooding scenarios preclude bunkers being safely built west of the Rockies), says, “Bill Gates has huge shelters under every one of his homes, in Rancho Santa Fe and Washington. His head of security visited with us a couple years ago, and for these multibillionaires, a few million is nothing. It’s really just the newest form of insurance.”
…There’s been this idea in the last several years that it’s OK to be obese as long as you’re otherwise healthy. Some studies, including even this one earlier in the week, have suggested that for certain people, obesity may not be such an important issue in long-term health, as long as you have good cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and triglyceride levels. In this way, the concept of “healthy obesity” has become an actual thing in the eyes of some researchers, and the public. But a new study shows that the idea may be quite misleading, since over time, healthy obesity often devolves into unhealthy obesity, and the markers of health naturally worsen over time. So “healthy obesity” may not be a steady state at all – it may just be a phase that will likely deteriorate in the future.
The researchers, from University College London, looked at data over a period of 20 years – longer than any study on healthy obesity had tracked health previously. Their first group consisted of 2500 people, 66 of whom were said to be “healthy obese,” based on their metabolic profiles, which included analyses of high-density lipoprotein (“good”) cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose or use of diabetes medication, triglyceride (blood fats) levels, and insulin resistance.
Of those who started out in the “healthy obese” category, over the next two decades, more than half had moved into the “unhealthy obese” category – and just 6% had lost enough weight to move into the healthy non-obese category.
The researchers then looked at a larger group of participants, consisting of 389 “healthy obese.” After 10 years, 35% had become “unhealthy obese”; after 15 years, it had risen to 38%, and to 48% after 20 years. Just 10% of the original healthy obese had lost the weight to became “healthy non-obese” after 20 years. Which prompted the authors to suggest that the “natural course of healthy obesity is progression to metabolic deterioration.”
In other words, for most people, healthy obesity is just a phase that will likely give way to unhealthy obesity in the future.
This is not the first study to suggest that healthy obesity is somewhat of a myth, at least for most people. Earlier research had found that obesity of any kind, healthy or unhealthy, increases the risk of heart disease
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weeks later, Ponzi received a letter from a company in Spain asking about the advertising catalog. Inside the envelope was an international reply coupon (IRC), something which he had never seen before. He asked about the IRC and found a weakness in the system which would, in theory, allow him to make money.
The purpose of the postal reply coupon was to allow someone in one country to send it to a correspondent in another country, who could use it to pay the postage of a reply. IRCs were priced at the cost of postage in the country of purchase, but could be exchanged for stamps to cover the cost of postage in the country where redeemed; if these values were different, there was a potential profit. Inflation after World War I had greatly decreased the cost of postage in Italy expressed in U.S. dollars, so that an IRC could be bought cheaply in Italy and exchanged for U.S. stamps of higher value, which could then be sold. Ponzi claimed that the net profit on these transactions, after expenses and exchange rates, was in excess of 400%. This was a form of arbitrage, or profiting by buying an asset at a lower price in one market and immediately selling it in a market where the price is higher, which is completely legal.[7]
Seeing an opportunity, Ponzi quit his job as a translator to set his IRC scheme in motion, but needed a large capital outlay to buy IRCs at cheaper European currencies. He first tried to borrow money from banks including the Hanover Trust Company, but they were not convinced and its manager, Shimelensky, turned him down.[7]
Undaunted, Ponzi set up a stock company to raise money from the public. He also went to several of his friends in Boston and promised that he would double their investment in 90 days. He later shortened this to 45 days at 50% interest, thus doubling investments in three months, in an environment when banks were paying only 5% annual interest. The great returns available from postal reply coupons, he explained to them, made such incredible profits easy. Some people invested and were paid off as promised, receiving $750 interest on initial investments of $1,250.[7]
Securities Exchange Company [ edit ]
Ponzi in 1920, while still working as a businessman in his office in Boston
Soon afterward, in January 1920, Ponzi started his own company, the "Securities Exchange Company,"[9] to promote the scheme. In the first month, 18 people invested in his company with a total of $1800. He paid them promptly next month, with the money obtained from the newer set of investors.[7] He set up a larger office, this time in the Niles Building on School Street. Word spread, and investments came in at an ever-increasing rate. Ponzi hired agents and paid them generous commissions for every dollar they brought in. In just one month's time, between February and March, 1920, the total amount invested had risen from $5,000 to $25,000 ($62,000 to $309,000 in 2017 Dollars, respectively). As the frenzy began building, Ponzi hired agents to seek out new investors in New England and New Jersey. At that time, investors were being paid impressive rates, which, subsequently encouraged others to invest. By May 1920, he had made $420,000 (~$5 million in 2017 Dollars). By June 1920, people had invested $2.5 million in Ponzi's scheme (almost $30 million in 2017). By July, he was raking in a million dollars per week and rising. By the end of July, he was approaching a million dollars per day.[7][10]
He began depositing the money in the Hanover Trust Bank of Boston (a small bank on Hanover Street in the mostly Italian North End), in the hope that once his account was large enough he could impose his will on the bank or even be made its president; he bought a controlling interest in the bank through himself and several friends after depositing $3 million. By July 1920, he had made millions. People were mortgaging their homes and investing their life savings. Most did not take their profits, but reinvested. Ponzi's company meanwhile had set up branches from Maine to New Jersey.[7]
Even though Ponzi's company was bringing in fantastic sums of money each day, the simplest financial analysis would have shown that the operation was running at a large loss. As long as money kept flowing in, existing investors could be paid with the new money. This was the only method Ponzi had to continue providing returns to existing investors, as he made no effort to generate legitimate profits.[11]
Ponzi's initial investors consisted of worker immigrants just like him. Gradually news travelled upwards, and many well to do Boston Brahmins also invested in his scheme. In its heyday, nearly 75% of Boston's police force had invested in Ponzi's scheme. Ponzi's investors even included those closest to him, like his chauffeur John Collins and his own brother-in-law. He was indiscriminate about whom he allowed to invest. This included young newspaper boys investing a few dollars to HNWI, like a banker from Lawrence, Kansas who invested $10,000.[7] Summarily, he was, quite literally, willing to take any cent he could get his hands on.
Infeasibility of Ponzi's scheme [ edit ]
Though Ponzi was still paying back investors (mostly from money from subsequent investors), he had not yet figured out a way to actually change the IRCs to cash. He also subsequently realized that changing the coupons to money was a logistical impossibility. For example: for the initial 18 investors of January 1920, for their $1800 investment, it would have taken 53,000 postal coupons to actually realize the arbitrage profits. For the subsequent 15,000 investors that Ponzi had, he would have had to fill Titanic-sized ships with postal coupons just to ship them to the United States from Europe. However, Ponzi found that all the interest payments returned to him, as investors kept re-investing.[7]
Ponzi's subsequent lifestyle [ edit ]
Ponzi lived luxuriously: he bought a mansion in Lexington, Massachusetts,[12] and he maintained accounts in several banks across New England besides Hanover Trust. He bought a Locomobile, the finest car of that time.[7] He had initially bought two first class tickets to Italy for a delayed honeymoon with Rose, but instead decided to change them to bring his mother from Italy to America in a first-class stateroom on an ocean liner. She lived with Ponzi and Rose for some time in Lexington, but died soon after. On July 31, 1920, Ponzi told Father Pasquale Di Milla, the director of the Italian Children's Home in Jamaica Plain, that he would donate $100,000 in honor of his mother.[13] Ponzi also bought a macaroni company and part of a wine company in an attempt to gain profits that could be used to repay the investors of his IRC scheme.
Suspicion [ edit ]
Ponzi's rapid rise naturally drew suspicion. When a Boston financial writer suggested there was no way Ponzi could legally deliver such high returns in a short period of time, Ponzi sued for libel and won $500,000 in damages. As libel law at the time placed the burden of proof on the writer and publisher, this effectively neutralized any serious probes into his dealings for some time.
Nonetheless, there were still signs of his eventual ruin. Joseph Daniels, a Boston furniture dealer who had given Ponzi furniture which he could not afford to pay for, sued Ponzi to cash in on the gold rush. The lawsuit was unsuccessful, but it did start people asking how Ponzi could have gone from being penniless to being a millionaire in so short a time. There was a run on the Securities Exchange Company, as some investors decided to pull out. Ponzi paid them and the run stopped.
On July 24, 1920, the Boston Post printed a favorable article on Ponzi and his scheme that brought in investors faster than ever. At that time, Ponzi was making $250,000 a day. Ponzi's good fortune was increased by the fact that just below this favorable article, which seemed to imply that Ponzi was indeed returning 50% return on investment after only 45 days, was a bank advertisement that stated that the bank was paying 5% returns annually. The next business day after this article was published, Ponzi arrived at his office to find thousands of Bostonians waiting to give him their money.[citation needed]
Despite this reprieve, the Post's acting publisher Richard Grozier (who was running the paper in the absence of his father Edwin, its owner and publisher) and city editor Eddie Dunn were suspicious and assigned investigative reporters to check Ponzi out. He was also under investigation by Massachusetts state officials, and, on the day the Post printed its article, Ponzi met with state officials. He managed to divert the officials from checking his books by offering to stop taking money during the investigation, a fortunate choice, as proper records were not being kept. Ponzi's offer temporarily calmed the suspicions of the state officials.
Collapse of the scheme [ edit ]
By this time, Ponzi was seeking another deal to get him out of trouble, but time was running out. On July 26, the Post started a series of articles that asked hard questions about the operation of Ponzi's money machine. The Post contacted Clarence Barron, the financial journalist who headed Dow Jones & Company, to examine Ponzi's scheme. Barron observed that though Ponzi was offering fantastic returns on investments, Ponzi himself was not investing with his own company.
Barron then noted that to cover the investments made with the Securities Exchange Company, 160 million postal reply coupons would have to be in circulation. However, only about 27,000 actually were in circulation. The United States Post Office stated that postal reply coupons were not being bought in quantity at home or abroad. The gross profit margin in percent on buying and selling each IRC was colossal, but the overhead required to handle the purchase and redemption of these items, which were of extremely low cost and were sold individually, would have exceeded the gross profit. Barron noted that if Ponzi really was doing what he claimed to do, he would effectively be profiting at the expense of a government—either the governments where he bought the coupons or the United States government. For this reason, Barron argued that even if Ponzi's operation was legitimate, it was immoral to take advantage of a government in this manner.
The stories caused a panic run on the Securities Exchange Company. Ponzi paid out $2 million in three days to a wild crowd outside his office. He canvassed the crowd, passed out coffee and doughnuts, and cheerfully told them they had nothing to worry about. Many changed their minds and left their money with him. However, this attracted the attention of Daniel Gallagher, the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Gallagher commissioned Edwin Pride to audit the Securities Exchange Company's books—an effort made difficult by the fact his bookkeeping system consisted merely of index cards with investors' names.
In the meantime, Ponzi had hired a publicity agent, William McMasters. However, McMasters quickly became suspicious of Ponzi's endless talk of postal reply coupons, as well as the ongoing investigation against him. He later described Ponzi as a "financial idiot" who did not seem to know how to add.
The denouncement for Ponzi began in late July, when McMasters found several highly incriminating documents that indicated Ponzi was merely "robbing Peter to pay Paul". He went to his former employer with this information. Grozier offered him $5,000 for his story. On August 2, 1920, McMasters wrote an article for the Post declaring Ponzi hopelessly insolvent. The article claimed that while Ponzi claimed $7 million in liquid funds, he was actually at least $2 million in debt. With interest factored in, McMasters wrote, Ponzi was as much as $4.5 million in the red. The story touched off a massive run, and Ponzi paid off in one day. He then sped up plans to build a massive conglomerate that would engage in banking and import/export operations.
Trouble now came from an unexpected quarter—Massachusetts Bank Commissioner Joseph Allen. An initial investigation into Ponzi's banking practices found nothing illegal, but Allen was afraid that if major withdrawals exhausted Ponzi's reserves, it would bring Boston's banking system to its knees. Allen's suspicions were further aroused when he found out a large number of Ponzi-controlled accounts had received more than $250,000 in loans from Hanover Trust. This led Allen to speculate that Ponzi was not nearly as well-financed as he claimed, since he was getting large loans from the bank he effectively controlled. He ordered two bank examiners to keep an eye on Ponzi's accounts.
On August 9, the examiners reported that enough investors had cashed their checks on Ponzi's main account there that it was almost certainly overdrawn. Allen then ordered Hanover Trust not to pay out any more checks from Ponzi's main account. He also orchestrated an involuntary bankruptcy filing by several small Ponzi investors. The move forced Massachusetts Attorney General J. Weston Allen to release a statement that there was little to support Ponzi's claims of large-scale dealings in postal coupons. State officials then invited Ponzi note holders to come to the Massachusetts State House to furnish their names and addresses for the purpose of the investigation. On the same day, Ponzi received a preview of Pride's audit, which revealed Ponzi was at least $7 million in debt.
On August 11, it all came crashing down for Ponzi. First, the Post came out with a front-page story about his activities in Montreal 13 years earlier—including his forgery conviction and his role at Zarossi's scandal-ridden bank. That afternoon, Bank Commissioner Allen seized Hanover Trust due to numerous irregularities. The commissioner thus inadvertently foiled Ponzi's plan to "borrow" funds from the bank vaults as a last resort in the event all other efforts to obtain funds failed.
By the morning of August 12, Ponzi knew he was at the end of his tether. He held a certificate of deposit at Hanover Trust that was worth $1.5 million, but that total had been reduced to $1 million after bank officials tapped into it to cover the overdraft. Even if he had been able to convert it into cash, he would have had only $4 million in assets. Amid reports that he was about to be arrested any day, Ponzi surrendered to federal authorities that morning and accepted Pride's figures. He was charged with mail fraud for sending letters to his marks telling them their notes had matured.[14] He was originally released on $25,000 bail and was immediately re-arrested on state charges of larceny, for which he posted an additional $10,000 bond. After the Post released the results of the audit, the bail bondsman feared Ponzi might flee the country and withdrew the bail for the federal charges. Attorney General Allen declared that if Ponzi managed to regain his freedom, the state would seek additional charges and seek a bail high enough to ensure Ponzi would stay in custody.
Magnitude of losses [ edit ]
The news brought down five other banks in addition to Hanover Trust. His investors were practically wiped out, receiving less than 30 cents to the dollar. Ponzi's investors saw their financial pictures all but destroyed; they lost about $20 million in 1920 dollars (225 million in 2011 dollars).[15] By comparison, Bernard Madoff's similar scheme that collapsed in 2008 cost his investors about $18 billion, 53 times the losses of Ponzi's scheme.[16]
Prison and later life [ edit ]
In two federal indictments, Ponzi was charged with 86 counts of mail fraud, and faced a lifetime in prison. At the urging of his wife, Ponzi pleaded guilty on November 1, 1920, to a single count before Judge Clarence Hale, who declared before sentencing, "Here was a man with all the duties of seeking large money. He concocted a scheme which, on his counsel's admission, did defraud men and women. It will not do to have the world understand that such a scheme as that can be carried out... without receiving substantial punishment." He was sentenced to five years in federal prison.[17]
Massachusetts [ edit ]
He was released after three and a half years and was almost immediately indicted on 22 Massachusetts state charges of larceny,[2] which came as a surprise to Ponzi; he thought he had a deal calling for the state to drop any charges against him if he pleaded guilty to the federal charges. He sued, claiming that he would be facing double jeopardy if Massachusetts essentially retried him for the same offenses spelled out in the federal indictment. The case, Ponzi v. Fessenden, made it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. On March 27, 1922, the Supreme Court ruled that federal plea bargains have no standing regarding state charges. It also ruled that Ponzi was not facing double jeopardy because Massachusetts was charging him with larceny while the federal government charged him with mail fraud, even though the charges implicated the same criminal operation.
In October 1922, he was tried on the first ten larceny counts. Since he was insolvent, Ponzi served as his own attorney and, being as persuasive as he had been with his duped investors, the jury found him not guilty on all charges. He was tried a second time on five of the remaining charges, and the jury deadlocked. Ponzi was found guilty at a third trial, and was sentenced to an additional seven to nine years in prison as "a common and notorious thief".[17] Remarkably, during his various prison terms, he continued to receive Christmas cards from some of his more gullible investors, as well as requests from others to invest their money—from his prison cell.
After word got out that Ponzi had never obtained American citizenship (despite having lived in the United States for most of the time since 1903), federal officials initiated efforts to have him deported as an undesirable alien in 1922.[18]
Florida [ edit ]
Ponzi was released on bail as he appealed the state conviction, and fled to the Springfield neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, and launched the Charpon Land Syndicate ("Charpon" is an amalgam of his name), offering investors in September 1925 tiny tracts of land, some under water, and promising 200% returns in 60 days.[2] In reality, it was a scam that sold swampland in Columbia County.[19] Ponzi was indicted by a Duval County grand jury in February 1926 and charged with violating Florida trust and securities laws. A jury found him guilty on the securities charges, and the judge sentenced him to a year in the Florida State Prison. Ponzi appealed his conviction and was freed after posting a $1,500 bond.
Ponzi traveled to Tampa,[19] where he shaved his head, grew a mustache, and tried to flee the country as a crewman on a merchant ship bound for Italy. The ship, however, made one last American port of call; he was caught in New Orleans and sent back to Massachusetts to serve out his prison term.[2] Ponzi served seven more years in prison.
In the meantime, government investigators tried to trace Ponzi's convoluted accounts to figure out how much money he had taken and where it had gone. They never managed to untangle it and could conclude only that millions had gone through his hands.
Italy [ edit ]
Ponzi was released in 1934. With the release came an immediate order to have him deported to Italy. He asked for a full pardon from Governor Joseph B. Ely. However, on July 13, Ely turned the appeal down.[20] Ponzi's charismatic confidence had faded, and when he left the prison gates, he was met by an angry crowd. He told reporters before he left, "I went looking for trouble, and I found it." On October 7, Ponzi was officially deported.
Rose stayed behind, and divorced him in 1937.[21] She had not wanted to leave Boston, and Ponzi was in no position to support her in any event.
In Italy, Ponzi jumped from scheme to scheme, but little came of them. He eventually got a job in Brazil as an agent for Ala Littoria, the Italian state airline.[3] During World War II, however, the airline's operation in the country was shut down after the British intelligence services intervened and Brazil sided with the Allies. During that time, Ponzi also wrote his autobiography.[22]
Death [ edit ]
Ponzi spent the last years of his life in poverty, working occasionally as a translator. His health deteriorated and in 1941, a heart attack left him considerably weakened. His eyesight began failing, and by 1948, he was almost completely blind. A brain hemorrhage paralyzed his right leg and arm. He died in a charity hospital in Rio de Janeiro, the Hospital São Francisco de Assis of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro on January 18, 1949.[3]
Supported by his last and only friend who spoke English and had notions of Italian, barber Francisco Nonato Nunes, Ponzi granted one last interview to an American reporter, telling him, "Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought, I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over."[4][23][24]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]
Media related to Charles Ponzi at Wikimedia CommonsDropbox is going head-to-head against a very popular web app, Google Docs. Dropbox Paper is a collaborative document editing platform in your browser. It lets you edit a document in real time with your Dropbox contacts. Here’s how it works.
Paper users can create a document and type text right away. Compared to Google Docs or Quip, it has very few rich-text editing features. If you want to format your document, you’ll have to use another word-processing app. In some ways, this is reminiscent of Etherpad.
What if you want to add images and videos? You can browse your Dropbox and add a Dropbox link directly in the document. Paper will automatically change these links into images and videos. It also does the same with other web content, such as YouTube videos, SoundCloud songs and more.
You can write todo lists, @mention people in the document to notify them when you need someone else’s feedback and also leave comments next to a specific paragraph.
Our own Sarah Perez first reported the existence of Project Composer back in March. It’s the result of the acquisition of HackPad. Some ProductHunt users could even use an early version of the product.
I called Paper a Google Docs competitor, even though it seems quite different with the smart embeds and mostly plain text approach. It looks like a white board more than a document creation platform. But then again, many Google Docs users already use the service to quickly draft something.
So it’s unclear whether Google Docs users will switch to Paper to do something they can already do with Google Docs without the nice embeds. Paper isn’t available just yet. You have to sign up to a waiting list first.
[gallery ids="1224573,1224574,1224575,1224576"]When President Barack Obama pushed through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012, he was wrong to have made such a dramatic change to U.S. immigration policy via executive fiat in a fit of pique (though the legality of the move is a thing about which reasonable Reasoners disagree).
At minimum, it was pretty clearly immoral for the Obama administration to collect the names of 800,000 people—to charge them $495 each every two years, even, for the privilege—in order to put their names on a list that every single person in the White House darn well knew might be used to round them up and deport them the next time a restrictionist came into power.
And lo and behold, here we are with Donald Trump casually dangling the sword of Damocles over the heads of these definitionally law-abiding residents (you're not eligible for DACA if you have committed a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or even several minor misdemeanors). He's promised to give Congress time to act, but his administration has also sent mixed messages about what enforcement looks like for DACA recipients in the meantime and has already cleared the way to use the DACA list itself to go after illegal immigrants if there's no new legislation.
But even though Obama's abuse of executive authority sucks and his willingness to imperil vulnerable immigrants in the long run for short term political gain is inexcusable, you've got admire the way he managed to gather together a cluster of humans who represent the least controversial group of immigrants you could possible imagine. Unless you are a full-scale hard-core restrictionist—that is to say, unless you think we should admit no new residents, citizens, or guest workers into the United States—you'd be awfully hard pressed to find a more politically palatable crowd the beneficiaries of DACA.
Dragged here by their parents or guardians, DACA beneficiaries are free of the original sin of illegality (for surely we are not so Old Testament as to hold children culpable for their sins of their fathers?). Because they were raised and educated in the United States—the median DACA recipient came here when she was 6 years old and attended public schools—they are already assimilated and likely proficient if not fluent in English. To be eligible for the program, applicants must have a high school degree or GED, or be currently enrolled in school.
DACA folks have all of the hallmarks of second-generation immigrants or H1-B visa recipients, where the cost-benefit analysis gets crystal clear on their payoff for the U.S. socially, economically, and culturally.
Unlike the DREAM Act, DACA contains no path to citizenship. Beneficiaries are not eligible for federal welfare or student aid payments, they can work but must have their permit renewed every two years. They cannot have been older than 16 when they entered the country (and no older than 31 in 2012) meaning that the DACA pool contains young workers with many years of tax-paying productivity ahead of them and is perfectly free of expensive sickly seniors.
In fact, could there be a recent move afoot to object to the DACA crowd because they're too good? Yesterday Andrew Kaczynski flagged this odd little vignette in which Fox's Todd Starnes and Kris Kobach complain "we had two Texas high schools were the valedictorians were [sic] illegal aliens." This kind of zero-sum thinking is also applied to the jobs the DACA beneficiaries are doing (the typical current DACA kid is now 22 and works for about $18/hour.)
To be clear, I think virtually any plan to expand the raw numbers of immigrants to the United States is good—I'll take chain migration, amnesties, quota increases, asylees, refugees, or any other way in. So I was an especially easy sell. But even congressmen far less enthusiastic than I about throwing open the golden door should be embracing DACA recipients. They are assets to the United States who don't deserve be punished for Obama's hubris and lack of foresight.
If Congress can't get it together in the next 6 months to preserve their status (and I say that with very little faith in the current Congress' ability to get it together in nearly any sense), then it may be time to concede that for now, at least, the restrictionists—or the forces of political dysfunction—have won.
For more, check me out on Tucker Carlson Tonight earlier this week:Hyperdouraku is an Airsoft Gun review blog. They have a custom gun contest and some of the entries are pretty cool. Now before we get into Airsoft is not Firearms, we do talk about airguns on occasion. So set that aside and appreciate some of the cool and ridiculous builds the Japanese have come up with. If you want to check out the entire list of entries, click this link.
Here is one of the winners, a custom Luger. The crenelated front is a standoff piece used for pressing into bad guys for control/compliance. Typically if you try pressing the barrel/slide of a semi auto pistol into something the slide will move back and the pistol might not fire when needed, but with a stand off piece that type of malfunction is removed. I am most concerned about the RMR mounted to the toggle action. Every shot, the RMR will be flipped up and down. Not sure if it will hold zero like that. The creator should have made a frame mount to attach the RMR. Similar to the ALG defense Six Second mount or something along the lines of the mount I have on my STI Steelmaster. The addition of the Grip Force adapter and the front grip are interesting modifications. I am curious how that would feel and point as it looks to have changed the grip angle of the Luger.
I see you like grenade launchers so I added a launcher to your launcher.
The Japanese have a penchant for overly sized bladed guns. You see it in a lot of Anime. This erector set was added to a Glock 18C. If you look carefully you can see a Glock 18C hidden in there.
This is an odd entry. The entrant modified a Nerf Recon blaster shell to fit around a Glock 18C. I suspect this is non-blowback electric pistol since there is not enough room for the slide to reciprocate.
This AR creation actually looks feasible. Some may remember the Warfairy P-15 stock. This is similar in concept. The creator also added the front grip of a P90. I think this could actually work on a real AR15.
Remember the infamous Shovel AK? Well this guy took it a step further and added the shovel.The image of a figurine, close to which is depicted a circle - a solar sign, the sign of the sun - is highlighted on the cap of one of the scientists. Picture: Sergei Alkin
There are ancient images of humans, a bull, a trees and birds in 20-plus 'perfectly preserved' petroglyphs in a remote spot in TransBaikal region. Most intriguing in the newly revealed rock art is a figurine and nearby a human-like image is a circle, seemingly a sign of the sun.
Scientist Sergei Alkin said: 'We can assume that the figure with the solar sign depicts a shaman with a drum.'
The experts kept the ancient art gallery discovery under wraps for three years to preserve the integrity of the site as they returned for more trips to study the intriguing drawings.
The paintings were found many years ago by hunters, but it was only in 2013 that scientists were alerted. Local resident Evgeny Karelin took the experts to the site on Largi River, near the village of Gorbitsa, some 545 kilometres north east of regional capital Chita.
The experts kept the ancient art gallery discovery under wraps for three years to preserve the integrity of the site as they returned for more trips to study the intriguing drawings. Picture: Sergei Alkin
Dr Sergei Alkin, from Novosibirsk University, was the first academic to closely examine the rocks, where paintings were made with red and orange ocher, an earthy pigment containing ferric oxide.
'The rock art at Largi river is a rare site,' he said. 'It is large and contains many images, while generally on the rocks in this area show between one and three poorly preserved drawings.
'Secondly, we are pleased that it is perfectly preserved. The site was found by accident many years ago by a local hunter and hardly visited by other people.'
Work is now underway to interpret the ancient artistry.
'Of course, we must understand that interpretation of these images is not easy,' he said. 'Central in the composition are the anthropomorphic images.
'It is difficult to say definitely who they represent: the hunters or spirits? In particular, there is a figurine, close to which is depicted a circle - a solar sign, the sign of the sun. It has a cross inside. In many local cultures it may represent shaman drums.
'It is large and contains many images, while generally on the rocks in this area show between one and three poorly preserved drawings.' Pictures: Sergei Alkin
'So it is possible to assume that the figure with the solar sign depicts a shaman with a drum.'
This image is highlighted on the cap of one of the scientists.
Another striking element of this rock art are numerous points and lines. 'Such points are sometimes interpreted as a symbol of counting, as if the author recorded the number of certain objects, perhaps cattle in the herd.
'As for the number of vertical lines above the horizontal line, it is quite possible that these show dugout canoes with people sitting in them. Anyway, this is how such images have been interpreted by colleagues in other regions. There is only one such image known in Trans-Baikal region so far.'
He defended the secrecy of delaying an announcement on the rock art for several years.
'We now have a complete copy, with which we can work already to study the images, and analyse the plot (depicted in these pictures). On the one hand, our task was to tell everyone about these amazing petroglyphs, brought to the study other scientists.
'As for the number of vertical lines above the horizontal line, it is quite possible that these show dugout canoes with people sitting in them.' Picture: Sergei Alkin
'On the other hand, we wanted this rock art to remain undamaged with no marks and drawings left by tourists.'
They did not announce the find for several years enabling study of the remarkable rock art. The actual location in 'a wild and remote area' is still not disclosed.
Preliminary dating suggests the find is around 4,000 years old. In the future, with more resources, an attempt will be made to date it more precisely.
'The rock art is not just paintings or engravings,' he said. They are associated with the rituals and ceremonies. Usually at the site under the images are the altars, there are various tools, and arrowheads. But so far we have not found traces of ritual activity at the foot of this rock with paintings.'
A view of the Shilka river, close to the estuary of the Largi river. Picture: Sergei Alkin
Yet there is a well known site of ancient hunters and fishermen on the estuary of the Largi river nearby. Here fragments of Bronze Age vessels have been found. The scientist hopes that in the near future it will be possible to find a connection between this site and petroglyphs.
'Today this place is remote and scarcely populated, but in the times when Largi rock art was created it was relatively well inhabited.' The first archaeological remains were discovered here in the early twentieth century.
'Over the years, we have found here the first sites of the Upper Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age, and managed to conduct large-scale studies of fortifications dated from the late first and early second millennium BC. So in the past, this area was not deserted.'
Dr Sergei Alkin, from Novosibirsk University, was the first academic to closely examine the rocks. Picture: Novosibirsk State University
The artists here are likely to be people of Tungus or Mongolian origins.
Next, archaeologists plan to study the chemical composition of ocher - natural dye that was used to create petroglyphs. Scientists hope that the composition will help locate the source of the raw material used by the ancient people.
Dr Alkin added: 'In addition, we want to explore the neighbourhood in search of other petroglyphs. There is a possibility that the Largi rock art is not the only one in this area. We will search.'Women in cycling are tired of complaining about the same issues but sometimes the arguments have to be made: putting women in bikinis by podiums is degrading, outdated and unwelcome in a sport that should be aiming for equality
The Belgians famously spent 589 days without an elected government in 2010 and 2011. But when it comes to cycling organisation and governance, it seems they are still in a state of lawlessness. Following in the infamous tradition of the E3 Harelbeke race, the one-day classic in Belgium that used sexist posters as promotion, Lotto Cycling Cup – the organisers of the Flanders Diamond Tour – who oversaw the employment of four women in slight “bikinis” to parade through the VIP area during the race and then appear at the foot of the podium itself as Jolien d’Hoore celebrated a well taken victory in her first race back from a six-week layoff.
That the cycling press is yet again talking about another sexist display, which overshadows d’Hoore’s triumphant back-to-back victories is bad enough, but that her moment of celebration was upstaged by a display that is either degrading, humiliating and demeaning or something out of a Borat-style satire, depending where you sit on the spectrum of offence, is worse. It is the attitude of the race organisers that really sticks in the craw.
In a hastily issued apology – after cyclist journalist Marijn de Vries tweeted a photograph of the podium – the organisers were terribly sorry but went on to blame the local organisers. As with any organisation, there is a buck, and in this case it stops with Lotto Cycling Cup. If they were aware, as seems likely, that women wearing minuscule pieces of clothing that just about covered their boobs and bum were parading around during the day, then they had ample opportunity to impose a dress code. With 118 women lining up to take the start, surely some spare kit would not have been hard to find?
Unless, of course, the organisers had been enjoying the display and chose to turn a blind eye? After all, in our connected world, not all publicity is good but it can be potentially viral. And, really, what’s the fuss over a race unknown outside the quaint little world of women’s cycling when Chris Froome is tearing up the climbs of the Dauphiné?
That this is yet another example of everyday sexism in cycling is almost too mundane to report. That De Vries nearly didn’t bring it to the attention of cycling fans because she feels sick of “moaning” about the sport is truly saddening. But tweet she did, because she feels that it’s important to speak out and challenge things when her sport is bought into disrepute:
Marijn de Vries (@marijnfietst) This is the podium of today's Flanders Diamond Tour, a UCI 1.1 women's race. What an utter disgrace @LottoCyclingCup! pic.twitter.com/lVHu8ksqGe
Women’s cycling has worked hard to develop a sporting model that is attractive for sponsors, entertaining for
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in," says Pervez Hoodbhoy, a well-known Pakistani physicist, academic and security analyst who was among the organisers.
Dr Salam arrived in Islamabad to attend the ceremony, but couldn't enter the QAU premises due to fierce agitation started by student members of the powerful political and religious wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party.
Image caption In 2014 Prof Salam's tombstone was defaced and the word Muslim was covered over
"The situation grew extremely tense; I clearly remember, they were threatening that they would break Dr Salam's legs if he dared enter the university campus; we had to call off the programme," Mr Hoodbhoy recalls.
Move on some 37 years later and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday surprised many by approving a plan to rename that same department of the QAU as the Dr Abdus Salam Centre for Physics.
He also approved five annual scholarships for Pakistani students competing for doctoral programmes in physics at overseas universities.
Many have welcomed the decision. Dawn newspaper, in an editorial comment on Wednesday, expressed hope that "a historic wrong is finally on course to being set right".
"That it has taken nearly four decades for this country to honour a globally renowned scientist who was one of its own, is a sad reflection of the priorities that hold sway here... For Dr Salam was an Ahmadi, a persecuted minority in Pakistan, and his faith rather than his towering achievements was the yardstick by which he was judged," Dawn noted.
Religious extremism
Abdus Salam was born to a family of modest means in the Jhang region of central Punjab in 1926. He studied maths at Government College Lahore and earned a scholarship to the University of Cambridge where he completed his doctorate in 1951.
Image caption Prof Salam's supporters argue that his posthumous rehabilitation shows that Pakistan wants to become a 'normal' country
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Photographs of members of the Ahmadi community who have been killed in different attacks hang on a wall in the Ahmadi museum in Chenab Nagar, Punjab province
Between 1960 and 1974 he worked as an advisor to the Pakistani president on scientific matters, and is widely credited with laying the foundations of both the country's space and nuclear programmes.
He left the country in 1974 in protest over the enactment of a constitutional amendment that declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, but in doing so did not sever links with the scientific community in Pakistan.
During this period, a rising tide of religious extremism backed by powerful quarters in the military establishment led to the creation of a furiously anti-Ahmadi social narrative which has still not run out of steam.
As such, his not an inspirational story in Pakistan, and there is no mention of him in textbooks.
Until recently, any public mention of Dr Salam as a hero invariably provoked a backlash from what many call the "guardians of faith".
So why did Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif take the gamble of honouring him now - so long after his death in Oxford in 1996 at the age of 70?
It appears that the immediate trigger came through a rare TV programme commemorating the 20th anniversary of Dr Salam's death on 29 November, which the prime minister happened to be watching, according to a credible source.
Soon after the programme, he rang up one of the participants in the programme to recommend naming the National Centre of Physics after Dr Salam.
But more significantly, the prime minister's decision came in the wake of a similar controversy which followed news that that one of the four candidates for the head of Pakistan's army, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, was married to a woman who had Ahmadi relatives.
Gen Bajwa's selection by the prime minister despite this campaign, and the fact that the army did not object to it, appears to have silenced the anti-Ahmadi groups for the moment.
Who are the Ahmadis?
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Ahmadis have endured many years of persecution in Pakistan
The Ahmadi movement has its origins in British-controlled northern India in the late 19th Century
It identifies itself as a Muslim group which follows the teachings of the Koran
But it is regarded by orthodox Muslims as heretical because it does not believe that Mohammad was the final prophet sent to guide mankind, as orthodox Muslims believe is laid out in the Koran
The community takes its name from its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who was born in 1835 and was regarded by his followers as the Messiah and a prophet
In 1947, the community moved its religious headquarters from Qadian in India to Rabwah in Pakistan
In 1974, under severe pressure from clerics, Pakistan's first elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced a constitutional amendment - known as the second amendment - which declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims
A decade later, a new law was brought in barring Ahmadis from calling their places of worship mosques or from propagating their faith in "any way, directly or indirectly"
Described by rights organisations as one of the most relentlessly persecuted communities in Pakistan, the Ahmadis have seen their personal and political rights deteriorate steadily over the years
Pain of Pakistan's outcast Ahmadis
Listen: Abducted because of my faith
Jailed British Ahmadi in Pakistan blasphemy appeal
The prime minister appears to have seized this moment to correct the wrong Pakistan has done to Dr Salam, believes Pervez Hoodbhoy.
"The decision shows that Pakistan wants to become a 'normal' country, and Nawaz Sharif would like to change its image from a state promoting extremist ideologies to one that can overcome obscurantism and own up to its heroes, Muslim or no Muslim," he says.
But the shift, if there is one, is only just beginning, and some elements have already made what is being seen as a feeble attempt to throw a spanner in the works.
On the very day the prime minister honoured Dr Salam, a police party raided the Ahmadi sect's headquarters in the town of Rabwah. They arrested four people and sealed a printing press which they said was printing "hate material".
An anti-Ahmadi group claimed on its website the raid was conducted following its complaint.
It seems the road to normalisation is not going to be without blockages.Summary
Background In the past 15 years, Brazil has undergone notable social and public health changes, including a large reduction in child mortality. The Bolsa Familia Programme (BFP) is a widespread conditional cash transfer programme, launched in 2003, which transfers cash to poor households (maximum income US$70 per person a month) when they comply with conditions related to health and education. Transfers range from $18 to $175 per month, depending on the income and composition of the family. We aimed to assess the effect of the BFP on deaths of children younger than 5 years (under-5), overall and resulting from specific causes associated with poverty: malnutrition, diarrhoea, and lower respiratory infections.
Methods The study had a mixed ecological design. It covered the period from 2004–09 and included 2853 (of 5565) municipalities with death and livebirth statistics of adequate quality. We used government sources to calculate all-cause under-5 mortality rates and under-5 mortality rates for selected causes. BFP coverage was classified as low (0·0–17·1%), intermediate (17·2–32·0%), high (>32·0%), or consolidated (>32·0% and target population coverage ≥100% for at least 4 years). We did multivariable regression analyses of panel data with fixed-effects negative binomial models, adjusted for relevant social and economic covariates, and for the effect of the largest primary health-care scheme in the country (Family Health Programme).
Findings Under-5 mortality rate, overall and resulting from poverty-related causes, decreased as BFP coverage increased. The rate ratios (RR) for the effect of the BFP on overall under-5 mortality rate were 0·94 (95% CI 0·92–0·96) for intermediate coverage, 0·88 (0·85–0·91) for high coverage, and 0·83 (0·79–0·88) for consolidated coverage. The effect of consolidated BFP coverage was highest on under-5 mortality resulting from malnutrition (RR 0·35; 95% CI 0·24–0·50) and diarrhoea (0·47; 0·37–0·61).
Interpretation A conditional cash transfer programme can greatly contribute to a decrease in childhood mortality overall, and in particular for deaths attributable to poverty-related causes such as malnutrition and diarrhoea, in a large middle-income country such as Brazil.For many Montrealers, finding a parking spot close to home is an exercise in frustration at the best of times.
For an increasing number, it has become even more so because of the encroachment of car-sharing companies like Communauto and Car2Go.
“There should be a limit,” said Jo-Anne Wemmers, who lives in Vendôme Village, in southeastern Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. “Maximum two per block.”
Wemmers said it has become nearly impossible to find parking in the neighbourhood even for car-owners who have residents-only street parking permits.
When walking around the block, she has counted as many as 10 car-sharing vehicles in a stretch of road already jam-packed with parked cars ever since the McGill University Health Centre superhospital opened in 2015.
Why so many in this and some other Montreal neighbourhoods, while others are spared?
The answer lies in the fact that decisions about parking regulations are still made by borough administrations rather than the central city.
Only six of 19 boroughs allow car-sharing companies to use universal parking permits. The boroughs are: Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Mercier—Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Villeray—St-Michel—Parc-Extension and Sud-Ouest.
The permits cost around $1,400 each depending on the type of vehicle, according to city of Montreal spokesperson Jules Chamberland. The permits allow the companies to leave their vehicles in residential zones without fear of a ticket as long as they respect street maintenance schedules.
The borough of Outremont allows parking in specified zones only. Ville-Marie borough allows only electric car-sharing vehicles to use residential parking.
As for independent municipalities on the island, most don’t offer universal parking permits to car-sharing companies. Westmount, for instance, doesn’t authorize them.
Result? Shared cars are left to congregate in bordering districts — such as N.D.G. — where universal parking permits are accepted.
Larry Karass, who lives on Grey Ave., said he has observed people leaving the cars on his street and walking home to neighbouring Westmount.
Wemmers — his neighbour — said limits should be imposed on the number that are allowed to park on a given block.
“That has been the idea we have proposed on several occasions to our elected representatives,” to no avail, Wemmers said.
In other words, the dispute has nothing to do with the merits of car-sharing.
“It’s a question of balance between car-sharing vehicles and residents,” noted Anouk Laurent, who lives on Marlowe Ave. and has been a member of Communauto.
Jérémi Lavoie, general manager of Car2Go, said every one of his company’s shared vehicles removes up to 11 private ones from city streets, preventing up to 14 metric tons of greenhouses gases.
“Each Car2Go vehicle in Montreal is shared by about 107 people, and each Car2Go is used multiple times a day — an ideal alternative to personal vehicles that sit unused the vast majority of the day,” he said, citing a recent three-year study by the Transportation Sustainability Research Centre at the University of California Berkeley.
How it works: Members use an app to locate an available car, unlock the door, find the keys inside and go on their way.
At the end of their trip, they leave the car in one of the company’s “home areas,” which includes approved residential zones.
Westmount Mayor Christina Smith said her municipality is fully aware of the environmental benefits, and is in discussions with Car2Go about the possibility of integrating car-sharing into its parking policy.
As it stands, Westmount has extensive resident-only parking and four-hour time limits. Overnight parking is not allowed without a permit. Generally, car-sharing vehicles require spots with longer time limits.
“Parking is at a premium for everyone,” Smith said. “Maybe if there are more Car2Gos, there will be fewer residents needing to own their own car.
“We know this sort of car-sharing business will be much more prevalent in the future.”
In N.D.G., councillor Peter McQueen said most borough councillors would not agree with the idea of restricting the number of car-sharing vehicles in residential-only parking zones.
He added: “Car2Go and Communauto are more than happy to come and move cars as soon as several accumulate on any one street” when they are alerted to the problem.
However, Wemmers said it should not be up to residents to notify the companies, which can identify clustering thanks to the GPS systems aboard their vehicles.
Montreal councillor Lionel Perez, who represents the Darlington district and sits on the executive committee, admits there are some issues with cars clustering in busier areas or along areas that border districts that don’t employ the universal permit system.
“The good news is people are actually using these car-sharing vehicles,” Perez said.
These programs not only help the environment, he noted, but also contribute financially to city coffers with each permit purchased.
“Studies throughout the world have demonstrated that the more of these you have, the less car ownership you have,” Perez said.
“The fact that these cars are very noticeable influences the perception that, ‘hey, they’re taking away parking,’ but very often there’s a rotation.”Indigenous tribes say the Belo Monte dam poses a threat to their way of life Bidding for contracts to build a huge hydroelectric dam on a tributary of the Amazon in Brazil has been stopped for a second time. A court granted an injunction halting the auction due later in the day. The government says the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River is crucial for economic development. Indigenous groups and environmentalists oppose the dam, saying thousands of people will be displaced and a sensitive ecosystem damaged. The latest development came just a day before Tuesday's planned auction and it is highly likely there will be further legal wrangling. A spokesman for Brazil's electric energy agency, Aneel, indicated that the auction would go ahead if the injunction was lifted at the last minute. Last week, a judge ruled bidding could proceed, overturning an earlier order to halt. The proposal to build a hydro-electric dam on the Xingu river, a tributary of the Amazon in the northern state of Para, has long been a source of controversy. The initial project was abandoned in the 1990s amid widespread protests both in Brazil and around the world. Environmental groups say the Belo Monte dam will threaten the survival of indigenous groups, and the lives of up to 40,000 people could be affected as 500 sq km of land would be flooded.
The government says whoever is awarded the project will have to pay $800m to protect the environment. Belo Monte would be third largest hydro-electric dam in the world, after the Three Gorges in China and Itaipu, which is jointly run by Brazil and Paraguay. It is expected to provide electricity to 23 million Brazilian homes. With Brazil's economy continuing to show signs of growth, ministers say hydro-electric plants are a vital way to ensure power supplies over the next decade - and at least 70 dams are said to be planned for the Amazon region. Critics say the Belo Monte plant will be hugely inefficient, generating less than 10% of its capacity during the three to four months of the low-water season.
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionA productive alternative to JavaScript, the CoffeeScript language can speed up development of your HTML5-based games and other browser apps. In Part 1 of a four-part series on CoffeeScript, Jeff Friesen introduces you to CoffeeScript and shows you how to obtain and use the CoffeeScript compiler.
In December 2012, I wrote an article for SitePoint titled "Happy Holidays from CoffeeScript." Although I had planned to write the article's HHFCS application source code in JavaScript, I found it much easier and faster to write the code (especially the class-oriented code) in CoffeeScript. I think you'll find that CoffeeScript improves your productivity as well.
In this four-part series, I'll introduce you to the CoffeeScript technology. Part 1 (this article) begins by defining CoffeeScript and listing its advantages (and one disadvantage) versus JavaScript. Then I'll show you how to obtain and use the CoffeeScript compiler, contrasting the sample CoffeeScript code with its JavaScript equivalent. You can download the code from this article here.
What Is CoffeeScript?
CoffeeScript is a small programming language that compiles into JavaScript. Inspired by languages such as Ruby and Python, its syntactic sugar enhances source code readability, promotes brevity, and offers new features such as list comprehensions. CoffeeScript source code is often much shorter than its JavaScript equivalent—without sacrificing runtime performance.
In December 2009, developer Jeremy Ashkenas announced the release of CoffeeScript and its compiler, which was initially written in Ruby and subsequently rewritten in CoffeeScript. In a 2011 readwrite.com interview, Ashkenas pointed out several advantages of CoffeeScript over its JavaScript counterpart:
CoffeeScript offers a more succinct and consistent syntax. Ashkenas pointed out that his CoffeeScript ports of existing JavaScript libraries often resulted in one-third less code.
CoffeeScript embraces JavaScript's good parts (for example, the beautiful object model that underlies JavaScript) while solving some of its bad parts (such as eliminating the with statement).
statement). Compiled CoffeeScript code often runs as fast as JavaScript code—or even faster. As Ashkenas reported, "[You] can avoid slow forEach statements, and get the speed of native for loops for many operations."
statements, and get the speed of native loops for many operations." CoffeeScript offers many helpful features, such as "correct prototype-based–classes, comprehensions over arrays and objects, bound function literals, safe lexical variables, destructuring assignments," and more.
CoffeeScript also works well with frameworks such as jQuery, but we won't deal much with jQuery in this series. Check out blog posts such as Stefan Buhrmester's "How CoffeeScript Makes jQuery More Fun Than Ever" to learn about using CoffeeScript with jQuery.
Of course, CoffeeScript has some disadvantages. Ashkenas points out that "the main disadvantage lies in introducing yet another compile step in between you and your JavaScript.[… We] try to mitigate that disadvantage as much as possible by compiling into clean, readable JavaScript. And by providing conveniences like --watch, which can keep an entire directory of CoffeeScript files always up-to-date."
In the past, CoffeeScript has been criticized for its lack of a proper debugging capability. However, CoffeeScript 1.6.1 and later support the generation of source maps, which tell a JavaScript engine what part of a CoffeeScript program matches up with the code being evaluated. Browsers that support source maps can automatically use them to show the original source code in a debugger.
CoffeeScript Compilers
The CoffeeScript compiler translates CoffeeScript source code into its JavaScript equivalent. Two versions of the compiler are available: the core compiler, which runs in any JavaScript environment (including a browser), and the command-line compiler. Regardless of which version you want to use, visit the official CoffeeScript website to obtain the compiler.
Core Compiler
At the time of writing, the core compiler was Version 1.6.3. You can download this file and access your local copy or embed its link into your HTML file. Listing 1 presents an hw.html file that accesses the compiler via the link and embeds some CoffeeScript code.
Listing 1 - The core compiler lets you embed CoffeeScript source code in an HTML file.
<html> <head> <title> Hello, World </title> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://coffeescript.org/extras/coffee-script.js"> </script> </head> <body> <script type="text/coffeescript"> msg = ["Hello", "World"] for i in [0...msg.length] alert msg[i] </script> </body> </html>
The <script> element in Listing 1 references the core compiler via the previously mentioned link. It also presents a <script type="text/coffeescript"> element that embeds some CoffeeScript code. This code creates a two-element string array and then iterates over the array, outputting each element via an alert dialog box.
The core compiler automatically detects, compiles, and executes all scripts present in <script> elements whose type attributes are set to text/coffeescript.
Listing 1 demonstrates two items that are unique to CoffeeScript (you'll learn more about them later in this series):
[0...msg.length] is an example of a range. Here, i takes on successive whole numbers that range from 0 through one less than msg.length.
is an example of a range. Here, takes on successive whole numbers that range from 0 through one less than. alert msg[i] reveals that you don't have to surround a function/method call's arguments with parentheses (although you must provide them occasionally).
Command-Line Compiler
Because the core compiler compiles CoffeeScript code before each run, which can impact performance, you'll often want to use the command-line version of the compiler to precompile CoffeeScript source files into JavaScript files and then reference these files from your HTML. Complete the following steps to obtain and start using the command-line compiler:
Visit nodejs.org and install the latest version of Node.js, a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications. I clicked the Install button, downloaded node-v0.10.5-x64.msi for my Windows 7 platform, double-clicked this Microsoft Installer file, and followed subsequent instructions to install Node.js. From the command line, execute this command to install CoffeeScript:
npm install -g coffee-script While you're still at the command line, type the word coffee. If all goes well, you should be prompted with coffee>. Press Ctrl-V to change the prompt to ------> to signify input mode, and then enter the following lines:
msg = ["hello", "world"] for i in [0...msg.length] console.log msg[i] The prompt changes to....... for the second and third lines. After entering these lines, press Ctrl-V to exit input mode and execute these lines. You should observe the following output:
hello world You must specify at least a single space before console (you'll learn why later in this series). Note that console.log lets you send output to the console window. You can't use alert() because the concept of a dialog box doesn't make sense in a console-oriented context.
Executing coffee with no arguments demonstrates interactive mode, in which you enter and execute short snippets of CoffeeScript code interactively. You can achieve the same effect by specifying coffee -i or coffee --interactive. However, you'll often want to compile a CoffeeScript source file into its JavaScript equivalent, as I'll now demonstrate.
Listing 2 presents the contents of a small text file named hw.coffee.
Listing 2 - This source file contains the same CoffeeScript source code as found in Listing 1.
msg = ["Hello", "World"] for i in [0...msg.length] alert msg[i]
The.coffee extension isn't mandatory: I could just as easily have named this file hw.c, but hw.coffee is more descriptive. Execute the following command line to compile hw.coffee into hw.js :
coffee -c hw.coffee
You could specify --compile instead of -c to perform the compilation.
If all goes well, you should observe a new hw.js source file in the current directory. Listing 3 presents this file's generated JavaScript source code (slightly modified for readability).
Listing 3 - The equivalent JavaScript code is placed in a closure.
// Generated by CoffeeScript 1.6.2 (function() { var i, msg, _i, _ref; msg = ["Hello", "World"]; for (i = _i = 0, _ref = msg.length; 0 <= _ref? _i < _ref : _i > _ref; i = 0 <= _ref? ++_i : --_i) { alert(msg[i]); } }).call(this);
Listing 3 presents JavaScript code within the context of a closure. This top-level function safety wrapper avoids name conflicts with the global namespace and is a CoffeeScript feature.
ℹ The coffee command recognizes a -b or --bare option that you can use to eliminate the top-level function safety wrapper. For example, coffee -c -b temp.coffee removes this wrapper from the JavaScript equivalent of the CoffeeScript code in a fictitious temp.coffee file.
Notice that variables i and msg are declared at the beginning of the closure. This technique makes them local variables, which cannot conflict with any same-named global variables. (Name conflicts are one of the JavaScript problems that CoffeeScript solves.)
After declaring the array in much the same manner as in JavaScript, Listing 3 presents a for loop that successively assigns range values from 0 through one less than msg.length to i. It then invokes alert() with the string at this array location.
Listing 4 presents a revised hw.html file that accesses hw.js.
Listing 4 - Where performance matters, access JavaScript source files from your HTML files, rather than embedding CoffeeScript in those files.
<html> <head> <title> Hello, World </title> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://coffeescript.org/extras/coffee-script.js"> </script> </head> <body> <script type="text/javascript" src="hw.js"> </script> </body> </html>
The coffee command offers additional options for specifying an output directory, executing JavaScript Lint to warn against questionable coding practices, watching files for changes, and more. You can find a complete list of options at the main CoffeeScript website.
Conclusion
Now that you know what CoffeeScript is, how to embed CoffeeScript code in an HTML document for compilation via the core compiler, and how to use the command-line compiler to precompile CoffeeScript code into JavaScript, you're ready to explore the CoffeeScript language. Part 2 of this series introduces you to CoffeeScript's basic language features.SHARE THIS STORY:
With little fanfare and almost no news media attention, some of the same radical groups involved in shutting down Donald Trump’s Chicago rally last week are plotting a mass civil disobedience movement to begin next month.
George Soros has just declared war on America. With the Soros millions behind them, a brand new far Left anarchist group named after the Arab Spring hoax of a few years back, has vowed to set America on fire both figuratively and literally. These are the exact same people that caused mass disruptions at Donald Trump’s rally in Chicago last week. They are vowing to not quit until thousands of them are in jail for crimes against the government. Though they don’t mention Trump by name, they are obviously aiming to stop his run for the presidency as they just attempted to do in Chicago.
The operation, calling itself Democracy Spring, is threatening “drama in Washington” with the “largest civil disobedience action of the century.” The radicals believe this will result in the arrest of thousands of their own activists. They intend to march across the East Coast in order to spark a “fire that transforms the political climate in America.”
Chaos, Protests at Cancelled Donald Trump Rally in Chicago:
This is what it looked like when they launched their attack at the Trump rally in Chicago last week, and it is what you can expect Democracy Spring to do on a nationwide level come April. (Sound for this video starts around the 11:30 mark.)
“We will demand that Congress listen to the People and take immediate action to save our democracy. And we won’t leave until they do — or until they send thousands of us to jail,” the website for Democracy Spring declares, channeling rhetoric from the Occupy movement.
The group is backed by numerous organizations, including the George Soros-funded groups MoveOn.org, the Institute for Policy Studies, and Demos. Next month’s Democracy Spring chaos is set to begin with a meetup on April 2 at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
The good news is, however, that after they attacked Trump at the rally in Chicago which led to him winning all of Illinois yesterday, this new movement virtually guarantees a Trump presidency in November.
To which we say…game on!Alexei Gorulenko on board of rescuers' helicopter. Picture: Russian Ministry of Emergencies
Four men vanished in the Siberian taiga as winter approached, and only two came out alive, cold and seriously malnourished several months later.
The 39 year old widow claimed the two survivors ate her husband 'bit by bit until only the skull was left'.
The court upheld Alexei Gorulenko's insistence that this was not murder or manslaughter, but he was convicted of causing bodily harm and given a suspended three and a half year sentence. The other survivor Alexander Abdullaev, 38, was treated by the court as a witness and not punished.
Both men had acknowledged that they ate their companion, 44 year old Andrei Kurochkin, to survive.
In a rambling statement, Abdullaev said he ate his friend 'but not because I was hungry. I had another reason,' reports say. He declined to say what it was.
Andrei Kurochkin with wife Olga, left and daughter Alyona. Picture: The Siberian Times
The prosecution at the trial in Neryungri in the Sakha Republic alleged Gorulenko beat Korochkin, who died three days later, and said Abdullaev admitted the two fishermen then dismembered, cooked and ate the man's corpse. The court heard they carried his body with them as they sought to escape their frozen hell.
The suspended sentence was greeted with disbelief by the widow, who said: 'I am shocked by the decision of this judge.
'I am shocked with this verdict, and with the work of investigator who dealt with the case. Nobody expected it to end like this, that a cannibal walks free with a suspended sentence. I just can't understand what the judge was thinking about when produced such a verdict for Gorulenko'.
The crime he was convicted of carries a maximum sentence of eight years in jail and she was 'appalled' that her husband's former close friend avoided prison.
However, Russian law does not treat the act of cannibalism as a crime.
Procesutors had sought ten years for Gorulenko, but the judge reduced the original murder charge.
Alexei Gorulenko with wife Irina; another survivor Alexander Abdullaev getting on board of rescuers' helicopter, pictured inside the helicopter on his own and together with Alexei Gorulenko. Pictures: Russian Ministry of Emergencies, The Siberian Times
Kurochkina is now to appeal the verdict. 'The last recorded acts of forced cannibalism were in besieged Leningrad (during World War Two) and under the rules of war, people performing it were executed,' she said. 'Modern Russia cannot tell these people to 'enjoy their meal'.
Gorulenko 'hasn't spoken to me once. He didn't call, he didn't explain what happened in the taiga. He didn't even say sorry... you know like people do'.
'And he was Andrey's childhood friend. He has now gone back to fishing and this summer he will return to the taiga'.
Earlier Kurochkina had appealed to President Vladimir Putin after fearing the case was not being properly investigated.
A fourth man Vladimir Komarov remains missing, presumed dead.
The men had gone on a fishing trip when their vehicle was swept away in a flood, in the remote taiga, or wilderness, in the diamond-rich region.This article is over 1 year old
Social services minister says debt recovery system criticised in Senate inquiry is tackling ‘a massive amount of overpayments’ to claimants
Christian Porter defiant on Centrelink's 'robodebt' flaws: 'This is not a matter for apology'
The social services minister, Christian Porter, has refused to apologise for Centrelink’s automated debt recovery system, after a Senate inquiry found it had caused trauma, stress and shame to Australia’s most vulnerable.
The Senate inquiry into the robo debt system released its final report on Wednesday night, recommending the system be suspended until its flaws are resolved.
The report described the debt recovery system as “so flawed that it was set up to fail” and said it had “a fundamental lack of procedural fairness” at every stage.
“This lack of procedural fairness disempowered people, causing emotional trauma, stress and shame,” the report found.
Senate inquiry calls for Centrelink robo-debt system to be suspended until fixed Read more
But Porter said on Thursday the system was “not a matter for apology”.
He described the inquiry’s report as “political” and noted there was a strong minority dissenting view in the report.
“This is not a matter for apology,” Porter told the ABC. “What we have is a responsibility to the taxpayer to make sure that we are paying people exactly what it is that they dutifully required to receive and no more and no less.
“There are a massive amount of overpayments that occur in the system, now we are actually tackling that problem. That’s not a matter that we would apologise for, there have been a whole range of refinements to the debt recovery system.”
Victorian Legal Aid has been helping people hit by the debt recovery system since last year. It has dealt with twice as many Centrelink matters in the first five months of this year than the same time last year.
The organisation’s civil justice director, Dan Nicholson, said Porter’s comments show the government was continuing to ignore clear evidence of flaws with the system.
“It’s been clear from the very start that there’s a disconnect between government claims of a system working well and the real experience of people dealing with Centrelink,” Nicholson told Guardian Australia. “It’s a shame the government continues to have a tin ear.”
The system has been plagued by criticism since it was launched in earnest in September.
Critics say the increased automation of the debt recovery system has caused the issuing of false debts and shifted the onus onto vulnerable Australians to prove they don’t owe the government money.
The inquiry made 21 recommendations, including that all debts calculated using the often-inaccurate “income averaging” method be reassessed by humans.
That method divides a person’s annual income crudely by 26 fortnights to assume they have been working all year, and were therefore ineligible for welfare payments.
The inquiry also called for the government to review all cases in which a 10% debt recovery fee was automatically imposed. Welfare rights groups have previously warned that automatically slugging individuals with a 10% recovery fee may be unlawful.
It recommended that voluntary data-matching guidelines be adhered to, barriers to communication with vulnerable groups be resolved and the new online portal for debt matters be redesigned.
More information should be provided to debtors on their rights and options, and funding for community legal centres should be reviewed to ensure they were able to assist affected individuals.
The inquiry also called for the Department of Human Services to be adequately resourced to implement the recommendations.
The lack of resourcing for the department has been a key concern of the Community and Public Sector Union.
Even though it's an error, I have to start repaying my 'debt': Centrelink debt victims share their stories Read more
The union has warned Centrelink is an agency in crisis, due to thousands of job cuts, and said staff were dismayed at the impact of the debt recovery system.
The CPSU on Thursday urged the government to implement all the recommendations of the inquiry.
“This senate inquiry has confirmed what our hardworking members in Centrelink already knew all too well,” the CPSU’s national secretary, Nadine Flood said. “Robo debt is a shameful shambles that’s caused unreasonable suffering to hundreds of thousands of Australians who’ve received debt letters and the staff who’ve tried to pick up the pieces.”
The human services minister, Alan Tudge, attacked the accuracy of the inquiry report on Wednesday.
“This is a politically motivated and factually inaccurate report, reflecting the fact that Labor and the Greens don’t support auditing of the welfare system,” he said.
He pointed to an earlier report by the commonwealth ombudsman, which said the system was capable of calculating debts fairly if it was provided with the right information.
The ombudsman’s report also found it was placing unreasonable and unfair demands on individuals, and had numerous deficiencies that could have been resolved by better project management.
Nicholson said it was wrong to frame the ombudsman’s report as an endorsement of the system.
“I think the government is placing heavy reliance on the ombudsman’s report, as if that somehow gave the initiative a good bill of health,” he said. “On balance, you would have to say that the report is highly critical.”The historic Formosa Cafe closed abruptly last month, but the building's owners say they don't want to demolish the building or alter it significantly, Gabe Kadosh, the real estate broker handling the disposition of the property for the landlords, told Curbed.
Still, it’s unlikely the restaurant—which had a long and colorful history—will return as it had operated since the 1930s. The owner of the business, Vince Jung, grandson of original co-owner Lem Quon, is completely out of the picture, Kadosh said.
Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable ate at the Formosa Cafe. Lana Turner and boyfriend Johnny Stompanato met with gangster Mickey Cohen in a back room. Ava Gardner was a regular in a corner booth. The restaurant played itself in the film L.A. Confidential, Vintage Los Angeles' Alison Martino told KPCC.
Here’s what else we know:
The building is protected under the city of West Hollywood’s preservation ordinance. Any new tenant will have to seek city approval to change the cafe's signature red color, its prominent neon sign, the front entrance, the roof and any other important features of its exterior, West Hollywood city official Antonio Castillo told Curbed. The city likely wouldn't allow such changes without a good reason.
The landlords plan to meet with city officials and architects in the next 10 days to clarify what can be done to the structure, Kadosh said.
The plan is to reopen the building for business under a new lessee/tenant no later than nine to 12 months from today, said Kadosh, a vice president, retail services, with Colliers International.
All of the interior decoration, including the historic celebrity 8-by-10s that once lined the cafe's walls, was removed by Jung. No one's spoken to him since he shut
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or friends’ homes to access the internet.
According to police, he told the girl he was 23 and she told him she was 14.
Pascolini began by discussing daily events with the girl, but then sent messages of a sexual nature.
He coaxed the girl into providing several nude images of her, then continued to send messages of a sexual nature, according to police.
Pascolini admitted to possessing and viewing the photos, as well as talking to the child about meeting for sex, according to prosecutors.
Originally arrested in April 2012, Pascolini was freed after posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bond, but was returned to the Cook County Jail in October 2012 for violating terms of his bond, state’s attorney’s office spokesman Stephen Campbell said.
He has been held in the jail without bond ever since.
Pascolini will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life when he is released from prison, prosecutors said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)Christina Commisso, CTVNews.ca
The Quebec Liberals have a strong lead over the Parti Quebecois with just days left before the provincial election, a new poll shows.
According to a new CTV/Ipsos Reid poll, Liberal support sits at 37 per cent among decided voters, which has remained unchanged, while support for the PQ is down four points to 28 per cent.
Liberal support is even stronger among Quebecers who are most likely to vote in the April 7 election.
Among those who said that nothing short of an emergency would stop them from voting, 40 per cent indicated that they support the Liberals, while 28 per cent are planning to vote PQ.
Support for the Liberals and PQ was even among Quebecers who opted to complete the survey in French, with each party receiving 31 per cent support.
However, the Liberals have a commanding lead over the other parties among those who completed the survey in English, with 83 per cent support. Meanwhile, the PQ have 3 per cent support among this group.
Other parties
If the election was held tomorrow, the poll showed that the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) led by Francois Legault would receive 19 per cent of the vote (up 3 points), while Quebec Solidaire would take 13 per cent support (up 3 points). The poll showed the Option Nationale would receive 1 per cent of the vote (down 1 point), while two per cent of Quebecers would vote for some other party – including the Green Party, and 7 per cent remain undecided.
Nearly one-third of Quebecers undecided
Three in ten Quebecers (28 per cent) say their vote is still up for grabs, while 72 per cent of those surveyed say they will vote for a certain party no matter what.
However, supporters of each party vary in their resolve.
Eight in ten (81 per cent) Liberal voters are committed to vote for the Liberal Party no matter what, compared to 78 per cent of PQ supporters, 57 per cent of CAQ supporters, 57 per cent of Solidaire supporters and 46 per cent of Option Nationale supporters.
Couillard tops Marois as ‘best premier’
Asked about who's best suited to govern Quebec, the poll showed that Liberal leader Couillard has 33 per cent support, while Marois and Legault each have 25 per cent of the vote.
Of those polled, 13 per cent said they believe Quebec Solidaire leader Francoise David would make the best premier, while 3 per cent chose Green Party leader Alex Tyrrell.
In a poll conducted mid-March, Couillard topped Marois when asked about which leader voters can trust, taking 29 per cent support over Marois' 24 per cent.
When it came to who would best manage Quebec's economy, Couillard was ahead once again with 33 per cent support, while Marois had 27 per cent.
The Ipsos Reid survey polled 1,012 Quebecers between March 28 and April 1. The poll is accurate to within plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.March 2, 2017, 3:23 PM GMT / Updated March 2, 2017, 3:23 PM GMT By Brooke Sopelsa
Dozens of major U.S. companies have joined a “friend of the court” brief supporting transgender student Gavin Grimm in the Supreme Court case G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board, the LGBTQ-rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced Thursday morning.
Grimm, a transgender boy, filed a suit against the Virginia school board alleging it violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by denying him to use the bathroom that corresponds with his gender identity. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in his case on March 28.
“Diversity and inclusion are essential features of amici’s businesses, and recruiting and retaining the best employees—including those in or allied with the transgender community—is a critical component of their diversity missions,” the amicus brief states.
The 53 companies that signed on to the brief, which HRC plans to submit Thursday, include Airbnb, Amazon, Apple, Gap, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Spotify and Twitter.
“These companies are sending a powerful message to transgender children and their families that America’s leading businesses have their backs,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “Across the country, corporate leaders are speaking out because they know attacking transgender youth isn't just shameful—it also puts the families of their employees and customers at risk.”
Related: Both Sides Tell Supreme Court to Go Ahead With Transgender-Rights Case
This is not the first time corporations have made their support for the LGBTQ community know to the Supreme Court. Ahead of the court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 landmark case that made same-sex marriage the law of the land, 379 U.S. companies signed a brief in support of same-sex marriage.
Follow NBC Out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.Trying to convince consumers and businesses to support bitcoins isn't easy.
The bitcoin cryptocurrency remains an extremely volatile currency, with values sliding from $1,100 down to $200, as the demise of several bitcoin exchanges generate huge headlines. By midday Sunday, a single bitcoin was valued at $240, still showing a significant amount of volatility.
There are a growing number of bitcoin-related startups focused on helping foster a strong bitcoin community - with Goldman Sachs and IDG Capital Partners investing $50 million to help look at possible bitcoin investments.
Financial institutions, initially showing hesitancy to embrace bitcoins, are quietly trying to learn about the bitcoin ecosystem. Some European banks have opened up their checkbooks to support bitcoins, providing much-needed financial support to startups.
"I think bitcoin needs more diversity, not less, and when we frame questions that way, it gives the impression to people who are curious about it and have significant value to add that you aren't going to be as welcome as if you were in it from the beginning, and I don't think that's true," said Brian Forde, Digital Currency Initiative director at MIT, in a statement to CoinDesk.
Original ArticleHot on the heels of my Flea review, whilst I have posted pics of my beloved Mainland (and raved about it), I noted I had not provided a detailed review.
On opening the box it was clear that this was a lovely instrument. The Mahogany finish is wonderful, deep grained with a kind of 3D shimmer effect to it. The colour just glows a lovely dark orangey brown. the top and back have a white bound edge, and the top is finished with Mainlands trademark ropework finish around the edge and sound hole. Some love this, some hate it, but I usually find that those that dislike it have seen trade pictures that make it look a stark black and white - it isnt - the white is very creamy and the whole thing looks mellow.
SCORES
Looks - 8.5
Fit and finish - 7.5
Sound - 8
Value for money - 9
OVERALL - 8.3
The background to Mainland is quite interesting - they are assembled in the USA by hand by Hoosier Mikes (from Ukulele Underground) team in Nashville Indiana. The parts though are made and shaped in the far east in the same production facilities as many other mid level ukes such as Ohana I believe. Mike used to be the man at Bushman Ukuleles, (which still exist I think) but he went it alone.What he has provided though is a range of beautifully finished all solid ukuleles at a great price point that I personally would argue is hard to match for the money.I had read so many good things that I placed my order from the only UK Mainland dealer - the very nice people at Eagle Music in Huddersfield. I opted for the Concert scale uke, and for something a little classier the slotted traditional headstock with backwards facing tuners. Was £179, though I think its a touch cheaper if you go for a standard headstock.The neck is wonderfully finished and the fingerboard is a beautiful smooth dark wood that just looks quality. Frets are nicely finished too. I think the saddle and nut are bone which is a nice touch.Headstock as I say is slotted design with rear facing geared tuners with pearloid buttons. If you order from Mainland you can specify exactly what you want down to button colour for no, or little extra cost which is cool. The tuners are nice quality and hold well. Mainland logo is on the headstock in similar ropework finish, but if I am honest, it looks a little pale on the mahogany background - could do with standing out a bit more.To hold and play, the uke is very comfortable and a nice weight. The extra scale in the concert neck is nice to play on, and the action and intonation was absolutely spot on everywhere - NO complaints here.Came strung with Aquilas which are obviously nice, but to be honest, I dont think a sweet solid instrument benefits from these butch strings that well. As you will read elsewhere on the blog, I have been playing around with string types on the mainland and seem to have now settled on the new edition Martin Flourocarbons - they give the nicest balance to my ears between volume and sweet chiming sound.And that sound is what I really like about the Mainland - and what sets well made all solid instruments apart from the cheaper end - the sound is just really sweet and rings - nice sustain (yes, sustain - on a ukulele) but real bell like chimes from it.I've found myself getting very precious about this uke - certainly not a uke I would take to the pub for a jamming session - I polish it too much (how sad) - but then it has its place - this is my "sit down when the house is quiet and relax with my uke" ukulele!It therefore comes totally, 100%, no ifs buts or maybes recommended from me. If you are looking for a step up from a beginner uke, or just a uke in the £150 -£200 price bracket, you would be daft to ignore these.Keep an eye on the Mainland Site too, as Mike is introducing new models, new wood types and shapes - all look nice. I hear the red cedar models are lovely too!Story highlights Crime rates have been declining for years
Most crimes are committed by people known to the victims
But perception of crime doesn't always match statistics
Many U.S. residents believe crime is getting worse
You can't escape the headlines. An Australian going to college in the United States is gunned down by teens who police say killed him out of boredom. A few days later, a World War II veteran is beaten to death for reasons still unknown.
The death of Australian Christopher Lane in Duncan, Oklahoma, even sparked calls for Aussies to boycott travel to the United States because of all the violence.
Two shocking, high-profile crimes, one question: "What the hell is going on!?" Facebook user Stacey James Gordon wrote on CNN's Facebook page.
"This country better wake up...our youth have serious issues," Heather Chesser wrote.
Although the cases have struck a nerve with their disturbing randomness and apparent cruelty, the reality is that living in the United States may never have been safer, and you're much more likely to be the victim of a crime committed by someone you know than you are to be assaulted by a stranger.
Nearly eight of every 10 murders in the United States between 1993 and 2008 were committed by someone the victim knew, according a 2010 report by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. The report didn't include figures for 2011 or 2012.
JUST WATCHED WWII veteran beaten to death Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH WWII veteran beaten to death 01:24
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Similarly, nearly two out of every three nonviolent crimes were committed by someone the victim knew.
Pair that with figures on overall crime: According to the FBI, the violent crime rate in the United States is about half what it was in 1992.
And between 1992 and 2011, the annual number of murders in the United States fell from 23,760 to 14,612 despite a growing population.
Rape, robbery, assault, even property crimes also fell in a well-documented decline that has gone on for years, albeit with a small upturn in 2012.
Criminologists have cited shifts in the crack cocaine market, which drove many 1990s-era murders; an increase in the number of offenders behind bars; the country's aging population; and more sophisticated policing for the declines.
But perceptions of crime haven't always followed the reality.
In May, a Pew Research Center study found that 56% of Americans believe that gun violence is higher than it was 20 year ago, even though it has fallen precipitously since the 1990s.
And in 2011, Gallup found that 68% of Americans believed crime was getting worse, despite the reality of declining crime rates nationwide.'Breaking Bad' fans rejoice!
Walter White won't appear in the first few episodes of AMC's 'Breaking Bad' prequel 'Better Call Saul', but actor Patrick Fabian said the show will still be a treat for viewers.
Pennsylvania native Patrick Fabian credits the teachers he encountered at Cedar Cliff High School and his schooling at Penn State University with equipping him with the ambition and tough skin he needs to survive in Hollywood (ehh, Albuquerque, New Mexico, where 'Better Call Saul' is filmed).
For his role in the upcoming AMC series, Fabian plays Howard Hamlin, a hotshot lawyer for the firm Hamlin, Hamlin and McGill.
We talked to Fabian about how he prepared for the role (which didn't include watching 'Breaking Bad'), what fans can expect from the two-day premiere and his thoughts on being renewed for a second season before the pilot episode has aired.
Tell us about your character, Howard Hamlin.
"I'm one of life's successes. I am rich. It's a big company. The sun shines on me. For some people, being successful is aspirational and for others it rubs them the wrong way. It rubs Saul Goodman the wrong way. Saul's played by Bob Odenkirk, of course, he's the character that has been spun-off of Breaking Bad."
What helped you get into character for this role?
"[The wardrobe department] got me some of the nicest suits I've ever had on my body and your wardrobe really helps inform how you're going to act in things a lot of times. [I wear] all of the sort of things that will make you feel sort of pampered and I think Howard is very much a pampered character. And he just sort of assumes everybody else is pampered and may be a little bit surprised that other people in the world actually suffer, which is something he's read about but doesn't necessarily experience.
"Also, I've been in the career for 25 years now. I've played a lot of lawyers along the way. I have to thank my education for that because I tend to be kind of articulate and articulate people tend to play a lot of lawyers, a lot of teachers in this business."
What was it like filming in Albuquerque, Mexico?
"[Albuquerque has] some of the bluest skies in the world and you see it in 'Breaking Bad' and you'll see it as well in 'Better Call Saul'. [The show] definitely uses the locations. It's very, very, very georgous. The fact of the matter is, it is the desert and I enjoy living in California because of the ocean. I'm kind of a water baby, so I get a little landlocked after a couple of days in Alburquerque. But it's gorgeous. The people are receptive, they're really glad that we're filming there and I can't wait to explore more of it this second season."
The first episode hasn't even aired on television and the series has already been renewed for a second season. How does that feel?
"I think AMC was very excited about the pilot. They saw what they saw after the first show was shot and they have confidence in Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, who are the guys who created this. They're going to run with it, I think. Look, anytime a network wants to pick up a show I'm on for a second season, I'm all for it. I say 'yes.'
"It's a complete rarity. It's a real vote of confidence in the creators. 'Breaking Bad' has established such a giant worldwide audience that there's a hunger and an appetite for this show outside the United States. It probably makes good business sense just to make a whole bunch, just because you want to make sure that Europe and South America gets their fill [too]. I don't make those decisions, but I'm glad that they're happening."
Did you watch 'Breaking Bad' before you were hired for this role?
"I didn't watch it until I got the job. The reason was my wife was pregnant with our first child and we sat down and watched the pilot and we just turned to one another and we're like 'I don't think we're on board for this one.'
"We were just in a different headspace and by the time we got in the right headspace to see it we had two kids. I can tell you, I did not watch 'Breaking Bad' in it's first run, but I did watch 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' back to front about a hundred times.
"I binge-watched 'Breaking Bad' as soon as I got the job. We've got two kids and we're staying up until two in the morning saying, 'do you want to watch one more?' It was thrilling to watch it all like that and then show up in Albequrque to shoot the pilot."
Do you have to watch 'Breaking Bad' to enjoy 'Better Call Saul'
"If you did not watch 'Breaking Bad', you are still going to be able to enjoy 'Better Call Saul', without a doubt. If you've watched 'Breaking Bad' there's going to be Easter eggs and stuff in there that is going to make you go 'aww man' and 'oh yeah.' Your enjoyment level is going to be much more layered, without a doubt."
What would you say to fans that are expecting the show to be just like 'Breaking Bad'?
"It's not the same. The feelings that we had at the end of watching five years of 'Breaking Bad' are almost impossible trying to recreate out the gate with a new show. It has similar themes. You're going to know what world you're in. It's going to be the same 'Breaking Bad' world, but I don't think anybody's going to be disappointed who loved 'Breaking Bad.' I think ['Better Call Saul' is] really good.
"There's going to be people who are mad that Walter White isn't in the very first frame, but we know that's not happening this season. That was a different show and this is a different show. I think people will be pleasantly surprised."
Can you tell us anything about the upcoming two day premiere?
"If you are a fan of 'Breaking Bad' I wouldn't miss those first two [episodes], that's for sure. People who havent's seen 'Breaking Bad' might be saying, 'I don't understand. What's that about? Why are you so excited about that thing going on?' That's all I can say. Honestly, if I tell you anything they'll kill my character. You won't even see me in the show. How about that?"
'Better Call Saul' will air over two nights on AMC on Feb. 8 and 9 at 10 p.m.[JURIST] The US House of Representatives [official website] voted 303-121 [roll call] Thursday to approve a bill that would curb the powers of the National Security Agency (NSA) [official website] to collect phone records. The USA Freedom Act [HR 3361 materials] would end the bulk collection of phone records and instead require the NSA to query phone companies about individual suspicious phone numbers. Supporters have called the bill an important step in protecting Americans’ privacy, but some have argued that the legislation does not go far enough. The Senate is expected to take up similar legislation and is still reviewing the House bill.
The revelations surrounding NSA surveillance programs [JURIST backgrounder] have sparked worldwide debate and controversy. In February current and former US officials released a report stating that the NSA is collecting less than 30 percent [JURIST report] of all American’s phone records due to the inability to keep up with the increased use of cellular phones. In late January the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] filed a motion [JURIST report] on behalf of terror suspect Jamshid Muhtorov to suppress evidence the NSA obtained from surveillance conducted pursuant to the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 [text, PDF]. Also in January the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board [official website], an independent agency created by Congress to protect American privacy under anti-terrorism laws, issued a report calling the NSA’s metadata program illegal [JURIST report] and saying that it should be ended. Earlier in January President Barack Obama announced detailed plans [JURIST report] to change surveillance policy, curbing the abilities of intelligence agencies to collect and use American phone data."People are just upset and angry and throwing her under the bus," said Jon Cross, Fiorina's operations director for her Senate campaign. "If we didn't win, why do you deserve to get paid? If you don't succeed in business, you shouldn't be the first one to step up and complain about getting paid."
The most stunning line in the's new report exposing Carly Fiorina's failure to pay vendors for work they performed during her failed 2010 campaign for Senate in California is this If you don't succeed in business? That's interesting. That's very interesting indeed, you see, because Fiorina most definitely did not succeed in business. As CEO of Hewlett-Packard, she nearly destroyed the once-legendary Silicon Valley powerhouse, pushing it into an ill-advised merger that cost the company 30,000 jobs and tanked its stock
And yet after HP's board of directors finally ousted her in 2005, Fiorina exited with a $21 million severance package, plus another $21 million in stocks, options, and a pension (plus—my favorite detail—three months of tech support).
That's $42 million she received in exchange for utter failure, but still Fiorina refused for five years to pay the $30,000 she owed to the widow of her pollster who collapsed of a heart attack in the middle of her campaign, surrounded by reams of Fiorina's data. If this widow and all her other vendors didn't deserve to get paid, though, then why did Fiorina?
(Thanks to James Pindell for inspiring this post.)Police made two more arrests on Monday in a hazing scandal at La Vernia High School. (SBG San Antonio)
LA VERNIA - Police made two more arrests on Monday in a hazing scandal involving sexual assault at La Vernia High School.
Two students were led out of the high school in handcuffs, which brings the total to nine students that face sexual assault charges after seven students were arrested on March 23.
One mother chose to talk to News 4 San Antonio about the sexual assault issues that have happened at La Vernia ISD. She claims the assaults have not only taken place at the high school, but the junior high as well. She wanted to remain anonymous during the interview to protect the identity of her family.
The mother said on February 15th one 8th grade student assaulted a female classmate. "The student was enticed into the boys bathroom and was sexually assaulted. When that incident occurred two other people came forward about it and no one has heard anything since then."
The offender was taken off campus that day and is no longer at the school, but this mom said all of the parents should have been told.
She said she is upset and frustrated because the administration did not notify the parents the issue had happened. She said she believes every parent has a right to know what happens at the school and no email, notification or call was sent to alert the parents of the incident.
Fox San Antonio has asked numerous times for Superintendent Dr. Jose Moreno to go on camera and answer our questions, but he said he has been advised not to. Instead Dr. Moreno released this statement to Fox San Antonio:
As you know, La Vernia ISD has been faced with a very difficult situation involving allegations made against and the arrests of a number of students at the District. It has been very challenging to balance and respect the rights of all involved, but that is what the District is tasked with doing. I want to make sure everyone knows that as soon as the District was informed of the arrests, our campus administrators took immediate and appropriate action; however, because of federal law protecting the confidentiality of student information, I cannot tell you what disciplinary actions have been or will be taken. In addition, we have been requested by law enforcement officials to not investigate the allegations until after they have completed theirs, and the District is complying with that request, and is taking action in accordance with the District’s Student Code of Conduct based upon the information provided by law enforcement officials to date. District personnel are fully cooperating with and assisting the La Vernia Police Department, and will continue to do so throughout their investigation into the allegations. La Vernia ISD is and will always be committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all of our students, and has dealt with this situation with that commitment in mind. -José H. Moreno, Ed.D.
RELATED: La Vernia student athletes facing sexual assault charges after hazing incident
RELATED: Mom of La Vernia victim says he was sexually assaulted with baseball bat, bottles, pipes
A statement released last week by the La Vernia ISD superintendent, Dr. Jose Moreno read:
Dear La Vernia Parents and Community,
"A complaint was filed in reference to High School Boys’ Athletics. The District is aware of the complaint and is fully cooperating with the authorities as they conduct a thorough investigation. The District is under strict guidelines and is not able to comment on the complaint at this time. Rest assured that every precautionary measure has been taken to ensure that our students are supervised and safe."
Texas Rangers and the Wilson County Sheriff's Office is assisting in the investigation.
Check back for more information on this developing story.The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals, and may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command.[1] The award was officially constituted when Queen Victoria issued a warrant under the Royal sign-manual on 29 January 1856 that was gazetted on 5 February 1856.[2] The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War.[3] The first awards ceremony was held on 26 June 1857, where Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in a ceremony in Hyde Park.[4]
The first citations of the cat, particularly those in the initial gazette of 24 February 1857, varied in the details of each action; some specify date ranges while some specify a single date. The original Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously.[5] Between 1897 and 1901, several notices were issued in the London Gazette regarding soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy in 1902, six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC, but not "officially" awarded the medal. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six soldiers.[6] The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920, but one quarter of all awards for the First World War were posthumous.[7][8] Three people have been awarded the VC and Bar, which is a medal for two actions; Noel Chavasse, Arthur Martin-Leake and Charles Upham.[9] Chavasse received both medals for actions in the First World War, while Martin-Leake was awarded his first VC for actions in the Second Boer War, and his second for actions during the First World War. Charles Upham received both VCs for actions during the Second World War.
The Victoria Cross has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. The largest number of recipients for one campaign is the First World War, for which 628 medals were awarded to 627 recipients.[10] The largest number awarded for actions on a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857, at the Second Relief of Lucknow, during the Indian Mutiny.[11] The largest number awarded for a single action was 18, for the assault on Sikandar Bagh, during the Second Relief of Lucknow. The largest number awarded to one unit during a single action was 7, to the 2nd/24th Foot, for the defence of Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), during the Zulu War.[12]
Since 1991, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have created their own separate Victoria Crosses: the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Victoria Cross (Canada), and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. Only five of these separate medals have been awarded, all for actions in the War in Afghanistan; Willie Apiata received the Victoria Cross for New Zealand on 26 July 2007; on 16 January 2009 Mark Donaldson, on 24 August 2010 Daniel Keighran, on 23 January 2011 Ben Roberts-Smith, and on 13 February 2014 Cameron Baird (posthumous award), were awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. As these are separate medals, they are not included in this list.[13]
Recipients [ edit ]
This along with a ‡ indicates that the row is a link to a separate page containing the recipients of wars or campaigns with a large number of recipients.
This along with a * indicates that the Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously.
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
GeneralThymeleaf is a modern server-side Java template engine for both web and standalone environments. Thymeleaf's main goal is to bring elegant natural templates to your development workflow — HTML that can be correctly displayed in browsers and also work as static prototypes, allowing for stronger collaboration in development teams. With modules for Spring Framework, a host of integrations with your favourite tools, and the ability to plug in your own functionality, Thymeleaf is ideal for modern-day HTML5 JVM web development — although there is much more it can do.
Natural templates HTML templates written in Thymeleaf still look and work like HTML, letting the actual templates that are run in your application keep working as useful design artifacts.
Integrations galore Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, Spring, Play, even the up-and-coming Model-View-Controller API for Java EE 8. Write Thymeleaf in your favourite tools, using your favourite web-development framework. Check out our Ecosystem to see more integrations, including community-written plugins to speed-up your development with Thymeleaf.Vladimir Putin has emerged as one of the most implacable critics of military intervention against the Syrian regime over an alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21.
At a closing news conference at the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg on Friday, he maintained there was no evidence President Assad gassed his own people.
"I come from the standpoint that everything that happened with regards to the so-called use of chemical weapons was a provocation by militants, who were relying on support, help, from those countries that supported them from the start. Looked at in this way, the provocation makes sense," he said
The leaders of the world's top emerging and developed countries remain spilt over military intervention in Syria, with only 11 states at the G20 supporting a statement calling for a "strong international response" to the chemical attack.Picture: Teessidecannabisclub
Over Christmas, there were two pretty unique parties in Teesside – in a speakeasy-style ‘Cannabis Club’ where people can blaze up freely.
Labour MP says party has been 'too apologetic' over anti-Semitism
It’s similar to the ‘speakeasy’ drinking clubs where Americans drank in secret during Prohibition – and its creator hopes to inspire others around Britain, in a push for legalisation.
The club – in a top-secret location, which varies every time – caught the interest of Professor Green – who interviewed founder John Holliday for the BBC.
The club staged Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations where people could smoke in a social setting.
The idea is that there’s no drug dealing – and no alcohol – but the organisers don’t stop people bringing (and smoking) their own weed.
(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
John said: ‘It is somewhere to go where people can be social – what we’re doing should be happening across the UK.
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‘It’s also about raising awareness and letting people know about the positive benefits of cannabis.
‘You have to sign up in advance and find out the location 24 hours before. We’re just pushing the boundaries a bit and hope cannabis social clubs spring up across the country as a result.
‘It’s inevitable that this will spread and there’s nothing that can be done about it – cannabis clubs meet up in temporary locations all the time, all we’ve done is formalise it in bricks and mortar.’
Cleveland Police were asked for a comment and declined – but the force has previously said it will continue to enforce existing drugs laws.A morning rush hour bomb has killed at least 71 people at a bus station on the outskirts of Abuja, the deadliest attack ever on Nigeria's federal capital.
Suspicion fell on Boko Haram, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's blast from the armed group battling Western influence, who are mainly active in the northeast.
As well as the 71 dead, police said 124 people were wounded in the first attack on Abuja in two years, Reuters news agency said.
Security experts suspect the explosion occurred inside a vehicle, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, director of search and rescue operations, said.
The bus station, 8km southwest of central Abuja, serves Nyanya, a poor, ethnically and religiously mixed satellite town.
Nyanya is filled with government and civil society workers who cannot afford Abuja's exorbitant rents.
Visiting the site later in the day, President Goodluck Jonathan pledged that Nigeria would overcome the insurgency.
"The issue of Boko Haram is quite an ugly history within this period of our own development," he said.
"But we will get over it... The issue of Boko Haram is temporary."
Charred bodies
Monday's bombing in Abuja left a hole roughly 4ft deep and spread debris across the compound, an AFP reporter and witnesses said.
Bloody remains lay strewn over the ground as security forces struggled to hold back a crowd of onlookers and fire crews hosed down a bus still holding the charred bodies of commuters.
The attack underscored the vulnerability of Abuja, built in the 1980s in the geographic centre of Nigeria to replace coastal Lagos as the seat of government for what is now Africa's biggest economy and top oil producer.
Boko Haram, which says it is fighting for an Islamic state, has largely been confined to Nigeria's remote northeast.
The group has been particularly active in the area over the past few months and is increasingly targeting civilians it accuses of collaborating with the government or security forces.
Boko Haram has carried out several previous attacks in and around Abuja, including a 2011 car bombing at the UN headquarters in the city that killed at least 26 people.
Bus parks have been among Boko Haram's most favoured targets, including multiple, coordinated bombings at a terminal in the northern city of Kano last year that killed more than 40 people.
Boko Haram violence has cost more than 1,500 lives already this year, but most of the unrest has affected villages in the remote northeast.
Last May the military launched a massive offensive to crush the uprising and has described Boko Haram as being in disarray and on the defensive.
A major attack in Abuja, just a few kilometres from the seat of government, will perhaps cast further doubt on the success of that campaign.
Jonathan, who is expected to face a tough re-election battle next year, has faced intense criticism over the continuing Boko Haram violence.
Political implications
With much of the recent violence contained in the northeast, Jonathan had been able to claim that progress was being made in the battle against the fighters.
An escalation of violence in or near Abuja would pile further pressure on Jonathan.
Jonathan said the latest presumed Boko Haram attack and others like it were "unnecessary distractions that are pushing us backwards".
"The government is doing everything to make sure that we move our country forward," he said.
Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, who has been declared a global terrorist by the US, pledged in a recent video message to widen the group's violence outside its northeastern stronghold.
Nigeria is Africa top oil producer and largest economy, but more than 80 percent of the its 170 million people live on less than $2 per day.
Analysts say that the Boko Haram unrest has partly stalled economic growth and scared away potential investors.By Heath McCoy Think of a poor hamster on a spinning wheel, caught up by momentum and unable to stop until it
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for the 2018-19 campaign.
Tottenham's superb home record - dropping just four points at home all season and winning their previous 12 - makes them favourites to beat Arsenal on Sunday, while Spurs can also halt an altogether less impressive record in the process.
A win for Tottenham will ensure that 'St Totteringham's Day' - the date on which Spurs can no longer finish above Arsenal in the league - will not be celebrated by Gunners fans this season, with Spurs desperate to finish above their rivals for the first time since the 1994/95 season.
The Spurs squad looked relaxed in training on Friday, no doubt taking Pochettino's message to enjoy their football to heart.
The coach told club legends Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa in the build-up to the derby: "Our football idea is the same when you were a player or manager.
"The football you love to see and the football that you feel, we share.
"The last sentence I always say before we play is: 'Remember, enjoy. Enjoy the game.' That is most important, to feel free to play.
"We work a lot during the week to prepare for the game, that is true, but then it is to trust in yourself and trust in your team-mate and enjoy football.
"As when you were a child playing football, it was an emotion."If you live in a place where snowy and icy winters are the norm, you know the dangers of falling through the ice. And this guide is especially pertinent for those areas of the country where freezing weather only visits sporadically. When frigid temps descend for a short time upon a location that’s not used to seeing them, people, especially children, are apt to go out exploring their neighborhood ponds and reservoirs. As you can imagine, this creates a danger because the cold weather hasn’t been around long enough to create ice strong enough to walk on. That very scenario has happened here in Tulsa this winter, where two young men, in separate accidents, both drowned when venturing out onto a thinly-frozen creek and pond. So be sure to share this guide with your kids after you study the info yourself.
While no ice is guaranteed to be safe to walk on, the general rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t venture out onto clear ice that is less than 2 inches thick. An even safer bet is 4 inches. And if it’s “snow ice” or white ice, it’ll need to be double that to support you.
If you know you’ll be on ice, it’s also a good idea to carry rescue ice picks with you. They’re cheap, and could make the difference between life and death. You can also make your own with a couple nails and dowels.
Big thanks to Lieutenant Harold Osborn of Denver’s North Metro Fire Rescue District for consulting on this piece.
PS-We’re not making up that bit about your beard. Watch this video for this and other fascinating and life-saving insights from a hypothermia expert and thermophysiologist.
Like this illustrated guide? Then you’re going to love our book The Illustrated Art of Manliness! Pick up a copy on Amazon.
Like this illustrated guide? Buy the poster!
Illustration by Ted SlampyakA couple of Fridays ago, I woke up, staggered into the kitchen for my morning Diet Coke, and found myself to the right of Sarah Palin.
It was unfamiliar territory, to say the least.
Just because a candidate is a woman doesn't mean she's a woman's candidate. New Times columnist Sarah Fenske and Amy Silverman, her editor, were at each other's throats over Hillary Clinton but that was nothing compared to the vitriol they've exchanged since John McCain picked Sarah Palin. Finally, Amy and Sarah agreed to disagree and to share their two very different perspectives with readers. Read Sarah's column here.
"Guess who McCain picked?" my husband asked.
Continue Reading
I guessed Lieberman, then Hutchison, then I stopped in my tracks.
"No way. He did not pick her."
"Oh, yes."
Neither of us was sure how to pronounce her name, and we didn't know much about her politics, but both my husband and I knew exactly who Sarah Palin was. We paid attention in April, when she had her fifth baby, Trig.
We pay attention to things like that. Our 5-year-old daughter has Down syndrome.
I immediately started shrieking, and didn't stop for a week.
"I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it! I KNEW John McCain couldn't resist putting a baby with Down syndrome up there on the national stage — that opportunist!!"
I paced the kitchen with my husband at my heels, admonishing me to keep my voice down so I didn't wake the kids. I gave him a dirty look and paused to take a breath. And then it happened. I said it.
"And what the fuck does this woman think she's doing; does she have any idea what it takes to raise a kid with Down syndrome? She thinks she can be vice president and take care of that baby?"
I stopped, startling myself, and clapped my hand over my own mouth. Where had that come from?
How Sarah Palin parents her kids is absolutely none of my business. I know that. At least, the rational me knows that. I mean, it's not like I want to hear what Palin thinks of my life.
I have two daughters — Sophie, my 5-year-old, and Annabelle, who is 7 — and I have a full-time job.
My own balancing act is inelegant. Forget leading the free world; I can't even balance my hair on the top of my head as well as Sarah Palin does. I don't wear high heels. My glasses were on clearance at LensCrafters. And my milk never did come in, so I never got to leave a meeting to breastfeed. I sneak out of bed at 4 a.m. to get some work done before it's time to make lunches, so I can sneak out of work at 2:30 to take my kid to her Brownie meeting. My eye twitches all the time from fatigue, and there are currently three overflowing baskets of laundry in my living room. My office is even worse.
I know how hard it is, being a working mom. And how important.
But I stopped yelling only for a moment. Then I started again. I had taken up a pitchfork and joined the Mommy Wars — and on a side I never would have expected.
"Oooooh, no judgments. We don't judge each other," a friend (another working mom) said, almost under her breath, when I called her that morning after dropping the kids at school, and continued my rant.
"I know!" I screamed. "I don't know where this is coming from!"
Actually, I did. As a staff writer at New Times for many years, I wrote a lot about John McCain — on other topics, too, but a lot about McCain. When Annabelle was born, that continued. It wasn't until Sophie came along that I felt compelled to take a different job at the paper, as an editor. It's just as tough, but not as all-consuming as writing those long cover stories we publish each week.
So, basically, I stopped writing about McCain so I could spend more time with my baby with Down syndrome (I was also, frankly, banking on the notion that he'd never make a run for president in 2008) and now here he is, poised to be the next leader of the free world, and his running mate is a woman with a baby with Down syndrome.
People say otherwise, but politics is at its best when it's personal, when it cuts so close to the vest it nicks your heart. That is when people make it out to the polls. It's when change happens.
But really, this is ridiculous.
Tell me you wouldn't run around your kitchen shrieking, too.
I'm pretty much done shrieking. Now I'm just scared.
And mad that I wasted so much time being pissed at myself for being distracted by Sarah Palin's personal life. Her personal life is not a distraction; it's her selling point, and to that end, it deserves the scrutiny it's gotten, and more. When she put her four kids center stage — literally — and talked about the fifth fighting in Iraq, she made perfectly clear what she brings to this campaign: her experience as a hockey mom.
And how sad that she was willing to put her oldest daughter through the humiliation of having her unplanned pregnancy outed to everyone in the world with access to a television set.
Palin is shamelessly using her personal life to sell her candidacy in a way that's reminiscent of just one other politician I can think of — and that's John McCain. But at least in McCain's case, he's his own pawn, vis-à-vis his POW story. Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig are their mother's pawns.
My conservative friends are right. If I agreed with Sarah Palin's politics, I'd probably think that was all just fine (see Sarah Fenske's column in this issue).
But I don't share Palin's politics. And I've got my own daughters to think about.
Yes, I'd love for them to have role models, to see women aspiring to the highest office, the best job, to do it all in heels and backwards and better than any man.
But I can't indulge in symbolism — not this week, anyway. I don't have time. The world's going to shit. The air here in Phoenix is so thick with pollution it hurts to breathe. The other day I took a sip of tap water that tasted so bad I spit it out. Later this week, I have to go to Sophie's public school to try to convince everyone from the principal on down that my kindergartner's safety is in jeopardy. She keeps escaping from the playground at recess. They say there's no money for a part-time aide. I get that. This year, budget cuts cost the school its full-time librarian.
And you expect me to rely on Sarah Palin, a woman who wants to ban books and teach creationism, and John McCain, a man who wants to ban government spending on almost everything but war, to help me take care of my kids?
I often joke that I'm closer to being a socialist than a social conservative, but actually, it's true. I do believe that government has a role in our lives, and more than ever since I had kids, particularly Sophie. I never had to navigate a government agency 'til Sophie was born, and let me tell you, there's room for improvement. There's never enough funding — that's a given — but worse, the whole system is so poorly managed you practically need a Ph.D. in public policy (or another parent who's already been though this, or a lawyer, or all three) to help you get services for your kid.
Just last month, I met a mother with a 6-year-old son with Down syndrome. He's pretty much never had any therapy at all; he's not speaking, he isn't potty trained. The mom gave up after someone told her there was a waiting list for services (not true) and several of her calls went unreturned. All you need to do is drive to the center of any large city in America and watch homeless schizophrenics push shopping carts to see the effects another social conservative — Ronald Reagan — had on another disenfranchised group, the country's mentally ill.
Maybe Sarah Palin means what she says, and she really will devote more resources to helping people with developmental disabilities. Right now, there's a heated debate on the Internet over whether she's cut funding in Alaska. Frankly, I don't see it as a good sign that there's any question at all.
Sophie's one of the smartest kids with Down syndrome her teachers have ever seen, but the reality is that she'll never be completely independent. And if something were to happen to me and my friends and family, Sophie would have to rely on the kindness of strangers — namely, the government. I don't know if Sarah Palin would create a safety net strong enough to catch Sophie, but I do know one area of my daughter's life (both my daughters' lives) that interests her greatly.
Reproductive rights.
It's the elephant in the middle of the room. I know, I know, if I were against abortion, like Sarah Palin, the woman would be my role model. I'd think she was one badass chick, and I'd want to go out drinking with her.
But I'm pro-choice. When the obstetrician told me I had a significantly higher chance of having a baby with Down syndrome (not just because I was 36, but because of what a blood test indicated) I called my husband and said, "What should we do? Should I have an amniocentesis?"
"Why would you do that?" he replied. "It's not like you'd get an abortion."
As soon as he said it, I knew it was true. That was my choice — our choice — to make. Now Sarah Palin wants to make it for me, and more important, she wants to make it for my daughters.
We won't be teaching abstinence-only at home (though my husband will surely tell both girls they can't date 'til they're 40!), so I don't expect Annabelle to get pregnant at 17. But if she does, the choice of what to do needs be our family's choice, not our government's.
When it comes to this topic, to be honest, I can barely bring myself to think of Sophie.
You should meet Sophie. She is one of the most engaging human beings I've ever encountered. I know everyone always says that about people with Down syndrome. But with this kid, it's true. Then again, I'm not so sure I want you to meet her. Not 'til you've had an FBI background check.
Just yesterday in Costco, she introduced herself to the woman in line behind us. "I'm Sophie!" she announced, eager to make a new friend. The grandmotherly woman smiled and nodded. Now, I know she's only 5, and believe me, we're trying to teach Sophie about Stranger Danger, but if you've ever been around a person with Down syndrome (or, at least, my little person with Down syndrome), you know there is a very real threat here.
What if — and I can hardly type the words — someday Sophie meets a bad man? Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion under any circumstance, including in the case of rape.
I am clearly not done shrieking.Russell Brand, the controversial comedian, blamed the British government for the Tunisia beach massacre and called the one-minute's silence for the victims "absolute bull****".
The self-styled revolutionary denounced David Cameron's decision on Thursday to hold the silence at noon on Friday as an "empty, futile gesture", as he attacked the Prime Minister's foreign policy.
"There's no point in having a minute's silence on Friday - it's a minute of bull****," the comedian said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"As long as during that time, they [the government] continue to sell arms, they continue to bomb foreign countries - they have no interest in a solution. They are only interest is perpetuating the problem and continuing to profit from it."
The coffin of John Stocker is taken from the RAF C-17 carrying the bodies of nine British nationals killed in the Tunisia terror attack at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire
Brand called on his fans to show respect for the victims of the atrocity by demanding that the government "stops selling arms to countries on its own human rights abuse list" and "stops carrying out foreign wars".
"It will have a lot more impact than a minute's silence," the activist added.
The comedian has courted controversy in the past. Earlier this year Brand said he has never voted and never would as the UK's political system has created a "disenfranchised, disillusioned underclass" that it fails to serve.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will join people across the country in pausing at noon on Friday for the minute's silence during a visit to the University of Strathclyde's Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow, Buckingham Palace said.
Mr Cameron will also join the silence in his Oxfordshire constituency.The Federal Communications Commission is taking action, and wireless carriers are now on guard. Once the government department's new net-neutrality rules took effect on Friday, Sprint stopped throttling customers on unlimited plans, according to The Wall Street Journal. The carrier says its policy would have been allowed under the new rules, but it made the change anyway just to be sure.
Sprint made this decision a few days before the FCC fined AT&T $100 million for making misleading promises of unlimited data. The carrier, which no longer offers such plans, throttled customers who went over unspecified data limits and didn't notify those affected. This slow experience, well below advertised speeds, violated the 2010 Open Internet Transparency Rule.
Sprint faced a similarly sized fine just six months ago for overcharging customers for unwanted text messages. With the FCC not hesitating to slap companies on the wrist, it's understandable why some would choose to exercise caution going forward.Image caption A diver at two of the three cannon found off the Sutherland coast
Archaeologists are trying to piece together clues to the identity of a shipwreck in the north-west Highlands.
Three cannon and part of a wooden hull lie on the seabed near Drumbeg in Sutherland.
Archaeologists believe it could be the remains of a Dutch vessel that got into difficulty between 1650 and 1750.
The site was given emergency protected status on 18 March this year, but the Scottish government has proposed giving it a more permanent designation.
Local scallop divers have known of the wreck site in Eddrachillis Bay since the 1990s, but only recently have archaeologists been able to make a proper assessment of it.
The wreck gives us a unique window into our history Philip Robertson, Historic Scotland
Archaeologists from WA Coastal and Marine examined the wreck last year on behalf of Historic Scotland.
It was confirmed to be of national historical importance and is now one of seven Scottish shipwreck sites proposed for the government's new Historic Marine Protected Area status.
WA Coastal and Marine, an educational charity, used a diver-based imaging technique to create 3D models of the site and the three cannon.
The models are being used in the effort to better understand the wreck's story.
Archaeologists said that the accuracy of the models allowed for the measuring and analysing of the remains on dry land.
They have already been able to establish more accurate measurements of the cannon. This has helped to match them to other cannons which in turn could reveal important details about the ship and its crew.
A historical record of the shipwreck has still to be found.
Most powerful
However, the cannons and a number of artefacts recovered from the site, including cannonballs and a piece of decorated tile, provide some clues to the vessel and its crew.
Charles Trollope, an independent cannon specialist, has identified the cannons as being of a type cast in Sweden for use by the Dutch.
The weapons could have been used by the Drumbeg ship's crew to ward off privateers, privately-owned armed vessels commissioned by a state to attack an enemy's shipping.
Today, the cannon are heavily encrusted and colonised by small red seaweeds.
Image caption Wessex Archaeology has created 3D models of the cannon
Also recovered from the wreck was a broken Delft tile decorated with an image of a three-masted ship flying the Dutch flag. Delft is a blue and white pottery made in the Netherlands.
French sailors
One theory is that the vessel was owned by the Dutch East India Company, also known as VOC.
Founded in 1602, it was the world's biggest and most powerful trading company until it collapsed in financial ruin in 1799.
Its vessels regularly sailed around the north of Scotland because of the favourable winds and also to avoid the English Channel, particularly at times of war and tensions in Europe.
Image caption A decorated tile was recovered from the Drumbeg wreck site
The wrecking of VOC vessels in Shetland was recorded by the Dutch company, and centuries later the shipwrecks were located by divers.
One reported loss in Scotland outside the Shetland Islands, and which has still to be found, was the Trompetteer. It was seized and then burned by French sailors off the Scottish coast in 1692.
Some or all of the crew of the Drumbeg ship may have survived their ordeal, archaeologists have suggested.
There is possible evidence of foreign sailors setting up home in the north-west Highlands after their ships foundered off the Scottish coast.
The First Statistical Account of Scotland published between 1791 and 1799 records how the climate of the area was pleasant enough for "natives of the East and West Indies" to live there.
Philip Robertson, a Historic Scotland marine archaeologist, said the origins of the Drumbeg crew was still unknown.
But he added: "The wreck gives us a unique window into our history and, interestingly, the trading activity off the Scottish coastline and across the world."
'Fantastic results'
Dr Jonathan Benjamin, of WA Coastal and Marine and the University of Edinburgh, said Scotland was a maritime nation with a rich seafaring history.
He added: "However, there are only a handful of underwater archaeological sites around Scotland's coasts that are over 200 years old.
"The wooden shipwreck at Drumbeg has remained on the seabed for three to four hundred years before it was discovered by a local diver and reported to Historic Scotland.
"This is an exciting and significant discovery. This site demonstrates the value of collaboration between archaeologists, local community members and divers to enhance our knowledge of underwater cultural heritage in Scotland."
John McCarthy, also of WA Coastal and Marine, added: "We have conducted a lot of research on new methods of underwater digital survey and the survey at Drumbeg gave us the perfect opportunity to apply this new technology to an entire wreck site for the first time, and with fantastic results."by Rabbi Shmuel Landesman
I am proud to be a musmach of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan. My rebbeim and chaveirim were the best. I was privileged to be in the shiur of Rav Yehuda Parnes for 3.5 years in a very overcrowded classroom. Rav Parnes insisted on remaining there because it was the very room in which Rav Shimon Shkop gave shiur, as did the Rav (before Furst Hall was built). I also attended Rav Aharon Kahn’s shiur in the corner classroom with the Aron Kodesh facing east. That was the room where Rav Moshe Soloveitchik had a daily minyan because he refused to daven in the Beis Midrash, where the Aron faced north. I would sit in the Beis Midrash learning Gemara, thinking how my grandfather had sat in the very same room learning Gemara some 60 years earlier. I would also think how my great-grandfather gave shiur in the very same yeshiva some 75 years earlier (when it was on the Lower East Side).
Therefore, due to my love for Yeshiva, I am dismayed by the actions of a few of our fellow RIETS musmachim. Our chaveirim have founded the Open Orthodox movement and are ordaining women, engaging in interfaith theological discussions, defending the questioning of Torah MiSinai and mocking rabbinic traditionalists. What in the world is going on?
Yiddishkeit is a way of life, a way of living and a way of learning. We have a Mesorah (Tradition) as to how Yiddishkeit is transmitted. There is a system, a methodology. Today, in the 21st century, we are still living and learning Torah through this Mesorah or Tradition. Historically, there have been groups of Jews who have broken off and started new movements that rejected this Mesorah. But, the Sabbateans, Karaites and Sadducees all disappeared. Only we Pharisees, Rabbinic Jews, Mesorah Jews, have continued on. In the United States, the Reform and Conservative movements gave us Mesorah Jews a big scare during the first two thirds of the 20th century. It looked like Orthodoxy might die out. However, B”H, in the 21st century Orthodoxy or Mesorah Judaism is booming, while the Conservative and Reform movements are imploding.
Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, President Emeritus of Yeshiva University, would proudly tell us how during his long tenure as head of Yeshiva, not one student switched from RIETS to the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary. (In the 1950s, a plurality of JTS students were Yeshiva College graduates.) Rabbi Lamm explained that this was due to the Conservative movement’s drastic turn away from Halacha and the strength of an Americanized Orthodoxy.
So, for the past several decades, RIETS has been a rather large tent accommodating a wide range of types. Apparently it was not large enough. To my surprise, certain musmachim started putting down RIETS as having become too “right wing” or “Chareidi”. A special blame was placed on the new generation of RIETS Roshei Yeshiva for the ominous trend. But, this was disingenuous, for these musmachim knew and lived the history of RIETS.
To explain to my younger chaveirim: Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin was the President and Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva from 1943-1976. In the 1940s, unlike today, RIETS had not produced musmachim who were qualified to be the Roshei Yeshiva. To his everlasting credit, Dr. Belkin hired the greatest Eastern European Roshei Yeshiva available, regardless of their hashkafa. Rav Mendel Zaks, Rav Yerucham Gorelick, Rav Dovid Lifshitz helped make the Yeshiva great. They also possessed little secular education and were opposed to Torah Umada. The loudest complainers about RIETS’ recent supposed move to the right were students of these rabbis. No one can seriously posit that today’s American born, college-educated RIETS Roshei Yeshiva are more right wing or yeshivish than their predecessors were or that they have changed the Yeshiva. (Incidentally, in the early 1940s, there was much opposition to hiring the Rav, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, to succeed his father as a Rosh Yeshiva, due to his Agudah affiliation – the Rav was then a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel.)
A decade or two ago, a couple of rabbinic alumni, ignoring Rabbi Lamm’s pleas not to do so, opened a new, more “Open” Orthodox yeshiva. After several years, they started referring to themselves as a new movement, “Open Orthodoxy”. This was all rather condescending, since the rest of us have always been open to the world. However, in the end, the opening of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah worked out well, because RIETS could now be more selective as to whom it accepted into the Yeshiva.
Jumping to today, the Open Orthodox movement and its related institutions of my fellow RIETS musmachim have made drastic and rapid changes to Yiddishkeit. We musmachim are all first, second or third generation talmidim of the Rav. As is well known and documented, the Rav was firmly opposed to ordaining women and engaging in interfaith theological dialogue. He also gave no quarter to Scientific Biblical Criticism and emphasized the critical importance of Chachmei HaMesorah.
It has been a full generation since the Rav was around, and circumstances can change. Prof. Shnayer Leiman told me that classically, the rabbinic leaders of the generation (Chachmei Hamesorah) were the rabbanim to whom Klal Yisrael turned with life and death shaylos. A generation ago in the United States, the Chachmei Hamesorah to whom we turned were principally Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin and, especially for YU musmachim, the Rav. Fortunately, we also have in our generation Chachmei HaMesorah here in the United States, every one of whom is firmly opposed to the changes made by Open Orthodoxy. So, Open Orthodoxy has turned to a Judaic Studies professor from Bar Ilan University to be its rabbinic authority permitting these drastic changes. Professor Daniel Sperber is a lovely man whose seminal work on Jewish customs is a favorite of mine. We used to shmooze a lot when he would teach at Bernard Revel Graduate School in the summers. We also spent a Shabbos together, and I enjoyed his company immensely. (Back then, Dr. Sperber related to me that his paternal grandfather had been a member of the Moetzes Gedolei Torah of Agudath Israel.) I do not know any RIETS musmachim who call Prof. Sperber when facing life or death shaylos. I do not know any RIETS musmachim who call Rabbi Avi Weiss when facing life or death shaylos. We all know whom we call – the Chachmei Hamesorah.
There is legitimate discontent in our social circle. Life is difficult. American society, in which we are immersed, has radically moved away from traditional Jewish values. Western society is relentlessly egalitarian with regard to gender roles and also with regard to religion. In an era in which everything I know about my smart phone I learned from my kids, there is no concept here of transmitted wisdom.
However, to adopt the above mentioned practices will not solve anything for the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. Ordaining women, engaging in interfaith theological dialogue and rejecting the traditional understanding of Torah MiSinai and Mesorah have not stopped the Conservative movement from falling apart. Why do our chaveirim at OO think that adopting these already tried practices will enable them to succeed?
I used to be a pulpit rabbi out of town – in Massapequa, Long Island and Binghamton, New York. While the shuls were Orthodox, most of the members and Jews in the community were not. Fortunately for me, in that pre-Open Orthodoxy era, traditional Jewish standards with regard to gender roles, interfaith dialogue and belief in Torah MiSinai were clear. Unfortunately for our chaveirim who are currently out of town, Open Orthodoxy has confused many non-yeshiva educated Jews as to traditional Jewish standards in these areas. The congregants think that Open Orthodox rabbis who hold “Progressive” standards are also Orthodox.
Therefore, we must publicize the fact that Open Orthodox rabbis are no longer part of the Orthodox Jewish world. In November, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel, for the first time in its history, declared that a group of self-identifying Orthodox Jews, those affiliated with Open Orthodoxy, are Chutz Lamachaneh, or outside of the camp. (Incidentally, the Moetzes made it very clear that it considers Modern Orthodoxy and RIETS to be part of the Orthodox Torah camp.)
The founders of Conservative Judaism were Orthodox Jews, just four generations ago, who thought they could save or conserve Halacha by changing it. They tampered with the Mesorah and the result has been disastrous. I ask my Open Orthodox chaveirim, “Why will your deviationist movement fare any better in the long run”?
Rabbi Shmuel Landesman is a member of a family that has taught and/or learned Torah at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan since 1915. He lives with his wife and children in New Jersey.(CNN) -- As the Vatican announced Friday that Pope Benedict XVI has signed a pastoral letter about Ireland's abusive priests, it became increasingly clear that the church abuse crisis has entered a new international phase, with allegations spreading across a half dozen countries -- including the pope's native Germany.
"Now we have obvious confirmation that this is a global crisis," said John Allen, CNN's Vatican analyst and senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. "Anywhere there is a substantial Catholic population there is the potential for this type of scandal."
Allegations of church-based sex abuse are increasing across Europe, including in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. New abuse allegations have surfaced in Brazil, home of the world's largest Catholic population.
Ireland continues to wrestle with the fallout from years of revelations about abusive priests. It wasn't until this week that Ireland's top Catholic cardinal acknowledged the church's response to the abuse had been "hopelessly inadequate."
The pope's letter on Ireland's church scandal will be released Saturday, a Vatican spokesman said. "My hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal," Benedict said earlier in the week.
But new revelations about church abuse continued Friday, including in the Munich, Germany, archdiocese where Benedict once served as archbishop.
While few Vatican watchers expect Benedict to step down over the growing crisis, the German charges are bringing the scandal closer to this pope than to any of his predecessors. "The scandals threaten his reputation in terms of how he governs the church," said Allen. "But there's also a threat to his personal reputation and moral authority."
Under the pope's tenure as archbishop in the early 1980s, the Munich archdiocese ignored warnings to keep a molesting priest away from children, the doctor who issued those warnings said Friday.
Werner Huth, a psychoanalyst, said he specifically demanded the priest never be allowed to interact with children again. Instead, Huth said, the church allowed the priest to return to work and to deal with children.
The priest, the Rev. Peter Hullermann, was convicted of abusing minors in 1986. The current pope left the Munich archdiocese for a new post in 1982.
Huth, who said he regularly did psychoanalytical evaluations for the Catholic church, said he does not believe Pope Benedict XVI was ever aware that Hullermann had been returned to service. Huth said he warned other church officials about Hullermann's pedophilia many times.
Hullermann, who resumed work in the church and continued to work with children after his conviction, was suspended last week as information about his past came to light.
Though more than 300 cases of alleged abuse have emerged in Germany -- mostly since January -- no others have surfaced that could implicate the pope. "If it's one case, it's embarrassing but survivable," Allen said. "If it becomes five or 10, a pattern emerges and it becomes something more serious."
Those who've watched Catholic abuse scandals unfold elsewhere said there's a high likelihood of more allegations in Germany and other countries where news of scandal recently broke. "It starts with the victims, then the media pick it up, and once the dam is broken, new revelations and victims pour out," said David Gibson, a Vatican expert who has written a biography of Benedict.
"Once victims are emboldened to come forward, it emboldens prosecutors and government officials to undertake investigations they may not have before out of fear of offending the church," he said.
Beyond the Vatican, the crisis threatens to erode membership in Europe's remaining Catholic strongholds and to change secular Europe's posture toward the church from shrugging toleration to outright hostility. But church experts say the crisis is likely to have far less impact in parts of the world where Catholicism is growing fastest, like Africa and Southeast Asia.
In traditionally Catholic Ireland, the pews were already emptying before the sex abuse scandal broke. "But places like southern Germany and Austria and Poland are still very Catholic," said Gibson. The accumulating abuse allegations "will erode church participation there while accelerating the pace of secularization in places like France and England."
In Brazil, where a recent TV report included a video purportedly showing a priest having sex with a 19-year-old altar boy, the Catholic Church is already losing market share to Pentecostal and evangelical churches. Those churches may subtly seize on a handful of abuse allegations as part of their broader appeals to those disillusioned by the Catholic Church's top-down structure.
But in regions like Africa, which has seen its Catholic population grow from 2 million in 1900 to 150 million today, the new allegations are likely to generate relatively little distress. Nigeria is now home to the world's largest Catholic seminary, while Europe and the United States now depend on wider Africa to supply their priests.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report.Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation
Will Leslie choose her career or love? Has Tom left City Hall for good? Will Ron's eyebrows ever grow back? Last season's finale of Parks and Recreation was packed with more cliff-hangers than a whole season of The Killing!
Parks and Recreation finale: Will Ben and Leslie heat things up? And where's Tom going?
Executive producer Mike Schur says the good news is that for the past month, he and the show's writing staff have been coming up with answers — and he was only too willing to share! The bad news is that the current plan comes with a bit of a caveat, which is "all of this stuff is subject to change once the scripts come in and we realize we totally screwed up."
Until then, Schur tells us about the dawn of Tammy 1, the future of Jean Ralphio and the potential dilemma for Chris in the upcoming season of Parks and Recreation (one of TVGuide.com's Emmy picks for best comedy series):
The first thing we need to talk about is Ron's (Nick Offerman) lack of facial hair. Will he have recovered all of it when the show returns this fall?
Mike Schur: I can tell you this: The current plan is for Ron's facial hair to go through a lot of changes in the first few episodes. He'll have several different looks in the first few episodes if things stay the way they're planned. Honestly, it wasn't our goal — to send Ron's facial hair through its own arc — but we pitched these stories for him involving Tammy 1 and all these other things and we found ourselves in this funny situation where a lot of the ways that we wanted to tell the story of what was happening to him involved his facial hair — as it should, probably, when you have someone with facial hair as distinctive as Nick's.
Will dyeing be involved?
Schur: I don't want to do any mustache spoiler alerts! It's not going to be anything subtle, though. That I can say.
Why Ron Swanson's birthday turned super sweet
When will we meet Tammy 1? What can you say about the kind of person she is, especially in relation to Tammy 2 (Megan Mullally)?
Schur: You'll see her very early in the season. Probably not in the
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PZ Meyers may not be aware of is that my words were promulgated by a conversation with a male feminist who told me in no uncertain terms that looking at females sexually was wrong. It’s wrong to follow your natural imperative to note the sexual attractiveness of a woman in your presence, because that makes women feel bad. That’s nonsense. I am a biological organism that got here because my ancestors loved to fuck, and fucking starts with lust. I’m glad that PZ Meyers doesn’t take issue with this, but when he claims that ALL feminists are sex positive, he’s simply being disingenuous. There are plenty of feminists, many of whom I have addressed in the past, who are virulently anti-porn and anti-male sexuality. Meyer’s ignores this at the peril of his credibility.
First of all, nowhere have I ever claimed that all feminists are sex positive; some feminists are assholes, just like some atheists (case in point: The “Amazing” Atheist) are total flaming jerkwads.
But also, I really, really despise the naturalistic fallacy. Why, yes, some of my ancestors were stoat-like mammaloids one step beyond a reptile, and the males would wrestle the females down and ejaculate into their reproductive tracts whether the female was cooperative or not. I wouldn’t even be surprised to learn that some significant fraction of my human ancestors were locked in loveless marriages, or even brought about some of their progeny by rape. These facts do not justify stoat-like fucking or rape.
Lust and fucking are great, but that also does not imply that they should be the boundaries of our relationships — I lust after my wife all the time, but I also recognize her as a fellow sapient human being with her own interests. I also meet women all the time and don’t have sex with them — in fact, no matter how much of a Lothario you might be, the fraction of women with whom you will have sex is infinitesimally small. You are a stunted and impoverished human being if you look at half the population of the planet only through the lens of lust and sex; that’s probably the least important perspective on human relationships that you’ve got.
Of course you can notice that a member of the sex you find stimulating is attractive; that’s not the issue. It’s the sad wankers who meet strange women and think “great rack!” instead of “I wonder what she’s got to say?” that have the real problem.
And then he completely misses the mark.
Here’s an M. Night Shymalan style twist for you, PZ. Something that shatters your narrative of me as a would-be rapist just looking for the right bush to hide in. I’m a submissive. As in, I like to be dominated. Spanked. Humiliated. As in, the exact opposite of what you’re portaying me as.
So? I had no assumptions at all about his sexual habits. He seems to be obsessed with his own gratification, and there’s nothing about that that is incompatible with being a submissive. Although the fact that he likes to be humiliated does explain much about his behavior on the internet.
Also, does he even realize that saying you’ve got a “Shyamalan twist” to your story just means you’ve got a really shitty gimmick?Image stoled shamelessly fromNattering Nabobs
It's almost looking as if the Trump transition team's attempt to repackage Sen. Jeff Sessions as a longtime civil rights advocate is getting a bit of pushback from reality. Sure, everyone already knew that back during the Reagan administration, the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee had found ol' Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III just a tad too racist to be a federal judge, but that's because R's back then were a bunch of politically correct cucks who still thought it might hurt their reputations to be openly racist. Since those times, the Republicans have become much more adept at turd-polishing, and ol' Jeff Beauregard is now a respected member of the Senate. Somehow, he also retroactively grew a record of prosecuting civil rights cases that he hadn't had back in 1986. Team Trump even listed some of his outstanding achievements in a list of talking points for Republicans about Trump nominees, extolling
Sen. Sessions’ strong civil rights record includes a host of desegregation lawsuits he filed in Alabama while he was U.S. Attorney, voting in favor of the 30-year extension of the Civil Rights Act, voting to confirm Attorney General Eric Holder, spearheading the effort to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks, and much more. [emphasis in original]
Funny thing about that "host of civil rights lawsuits," though: The actual Justice Department civil rights attorneys who prosecuted those cases say Sessions had virtually nothing to do with them. In an op-ed in the Washington Post Wednesday, three former Justice Department attorneys from the period when Sessions was U.S. attorney for Alabama, J. Gerald Hebert, Joseph D. Rich and William Yeomans, explain that beyond his name being listed on the court filings, which is standard practice for any Justice Department case, Sessions was completely uninvolved:
The record isn’t Sessions’s to burnish. We won’t let the nominee misstate his civil rights history to get the job of the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
The attorneys note Sessions lists on his confirmation questionnaire for the Judiciary committee four civil rights cases he claims he "personally handled" as U.S Attorney; three were about voting rights, and another involved school desegregation. After complaints that he had not in fact personally prosecuted the cases, he submitted a supplemental form saying he'd provided "assistance and guidance" to the Justice Department attorneys who'd actually pursued the cases. The lawyers say both claims are a load of hooey, although they say it a lot more formal-like, as befits your law-talking guys:
We worked in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which brought those lawsuits; we handled three of the four ourselves. We can state categorically that Sessions had no substantive involvement in any of them. He did what any U.S. attorney would have had to do: He signed his name on the complaint, and we added his name on any motions or briefs. That’s it.
A Trump appointee exaggerating his record? We are ever so thankful we were sitting down when we read that! The attorneys explain that Civil Rights Division lawyers handle most voting rights and school desegregation cases from Washington, while the local U.S. Attorney simply signs the paperwork as a "mere formality." And it's very rare for a state U.S. attorney to advise Justice Department lawyers as cases proceed. It happens, but that wasn't the case with the three cases these lawyers accuse Sessions of wrongly taking credit for.
What's more, the attorneys point out that when Sessions underwent his unsuccessful confirmation hearings in 1986, he hadn't listed those four cases on his Judiciary Committee questionnaire; instead, he'd listed criminal cases he actually had prosecuted. Why the switch? Possibly because he and Team Trump hoped nobody would call attention to how little involvement Sessions actually had in civil rights cases. Back in 1986,
Sessions indicated that he discussed civil rights cases with department attorneys only when they came to Mobile, Ala., to get him to sign complaints. He also said he did not try any civil cases himself while U.S. attorney, focusing instead on criminal prosecutions. Indeed, he said it was Tom Figures -- the same African American assistant whom Sessions allegedly called “boy” -- who handled all of the office’s civil rights cases.
Huh! It's almost as if taking credit for stuff you had nothing to do with is some kind of theme for the Trump people. If the boss can do it, why not Sessions?
The lawyers aren't especially impressed by the other talking points touting Sessions's supposed civil rights record. The reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, they note, "took no special courage -- the measure passed the Senate 98 to 0." (And while they don't mention it, the same could be said for his vote to honor Rosa Parks -- the only vote anyone would notice would be a vote against it!) Mind you, when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Sessions "celebrated," and "has opposed all efforts to fix it since."
These guys being attorneys, they know how to deliver a well-crafted final argument. This closing paragraph should be used in college writing classes (at least at campuses where the Young Republicans won't try to harass teachers into leaving town):
Sessions has not worked to protect civil rights. He worked against civil rights at every turn. Sessions knows that his real record on race and civil rights is harmful to his chances for confirmation. So he has made up a fake one. But many of us who were there — in Alabama in the 1980s, 1990s and beyond — are still around. We lived that story, too. And we are here to testify that Sessions has done many things throughout his 40-year career. Protecting civil rights has not been one of them.
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, we hope you're preparing your witness lists.
[Washington Post / WaPo/a> via the Rachel Maddow Show]Illustration: Jim Pavlidis. So Abbott's first risk comes from himself. Namely, that bitterness will creep in and start to whisper bad thoughts. In the odd weak moment or two, they may be acted upon. He will need to be on guard against the down moments we all have. Even if good intentions were there and remain, there are other risks. Friends, perhaps out of misplaced loyalty, will be whispering unwise counsel in his ear: "You could have won", "You weren't given long enough" and any number of other platitudes born out of ignorance and bathed in fantasy. No one wants to embrace the reality that their demise was all their own work. So-called friends will be feeding their own resentment rather than genuinely putting Abbott's welfare first. So his second risk comes from his own allies. These risks venture onto a stage already littered with other hazards. The first is that as a former prime minister, the media will be watching every word. It would be easy to kid yourself that they were interested because all your experience has given you insight that others might not have. If one were prone to believing in oneself, as all those who ever aspire to leadership are, you just might see yourself as having a better or more informed experience. One might be blind to the normal media pattern of seeking conflict and controversy. It is a trap into which one might easily fall. Abbott would be aware of all of these risks. They mean that as soon as he says something that's going to get publicity, the timing of his remarks will be scrutinised for any hint that they were deliberately placed to suck oxygen from a Prime Ministerial moment. At that point the rumours will start that he has gone sour and is behaving like Rudd, claiming loyalty but using the media for mischief. If the remarks he makes are contentious or highlight the understandable differences of opinion that exist in all parties, Abbott will again be accused of saying things in order to cause trouble.
Illustration: michaelmucci.com It is reasonable to ask whether such accusations would be fair. I think the answer is "Yes", because we all know the higher profile a former prime minister has and we all know how making remarks that suck oxygen from good-news stories or blow it onto more difficult ones causes difficulty for incumbent prime ministers. So nobody, including Abbott, will be able to claim innocence. As a former PM he carries that extra risk and will not be able to say that he should be allowed to behave like any new backbencher, because he isn't. We all know it and so does he. His Coalition parliamentary colleagues are entitled to expect that he not rock the boat, just as he expected them not to. There is a long list of "captain's picks" in which Abbott indulged himself. He pulled the rubber band of loyalty – finally to breaking point – on the way he expected everyone to toe the line. Now they will expect him to toe the line. Tony Abbott will recontest his seat of Warringah. But should he? Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Then there's the broad membership of the Liberal Party across Australia. Mums and dads who go out and drop pamphlets in letterboxes, raise funds and man polling booths. Put simply, they want their team to win. And there's no victory without them. They are entitled to expect that someone who has especially been a beneficiary of their hard work will not indulge himself and make their task harder next time. They are entitled to think that having got so much opportunity from the party, he now owes a greater loyalty back than members who had no such luck.
So Abbott will face the expectation that he doesn't behave as if it's all about him. The expectation will be that he realises it never was. Winning and maintaining government is very much a team game. Even the best players – and Abbott surely was one of them as opposition leader – have to accept when their day in the sun has gone. Will Malcolm Turnbull have to keep his eye on Tony Abbott? Credit:Andrew Meares People might say that 'You have had a fair go; now you should be fair and go' sounds harsh. But in this case I think it would be the best and fairest thing for Abbott. Unless I have been lied to, and that can happen, Abbott has told a number of people that he is young enough to have another crack at the leadership. Even if that is meant in the most pure and innocent form, as in "Well, the Prime Minister might be hit by a proverbial bus", it does not augur well for the future. It shows an incapacity on Abbott's part to see what went wrong and how much of that related to his own behaviour. It also reveals a failure to recognise that there are others who have come up in the ranks and will continue to do so. It is not a static world through which only he progresses. Sadly, it would also mean every decision Abbott makes will be firstly about positioning himself for that opportunity rather than firstly about securing a team win now.
Bronwyn Bishop and Philip Ruddock. Credit:James Brickwood, Alex Ellinghausen Political teams are like rose bushes – you have to keep pruning or there are no new blooms. When John Howard gave me the flick in 2007 he offered to say that I had decided I would move on. I declined the offer; the truth is what it is. My press release thanked him and the Liberal Party for the opportunities I had enjoyed and others had missed out on. My spot was filled by Malcolm Turnbull. Pruning delivers results. Bronwyn Bishop, Philip Ruddock and a few others should stop being so selfish, start showing a bit of gratitude for all they have enjoyed, and allow some new blooms to burst forth. People might say that "You have had a fair go; now you should be fair and go" sounds harsh. But in this case I think it would be the best and fairest thing for Abbott. And for the party that gave him such tremendous opportunities. Amanda Vanstone is a Fairfax columnist and was a minister in the Howard government.Ancient Spartan Women – The Backbone of the Warrior State
(Image source)
In learning about Ancient Sparta, most of what is discussed is the lives of the men. Such as the fact that Spartan boys left home at the age of seven to be raised by the State in the agoge (the rigorous education program for all Spartan men). But as the cliche goes, behind every great man is a great woman. And it cannot be ignored that the strong Spartan women were the backbone of the warrior state.
Women in Sparta enjoyed a great deal more rights than their sisters in other Greek territories. They could own property, intermingle with the opposite sex, get an education, exercise and some even competed in the Olympic games (a thing forbidden to most women in Greece).
The elevated status of Spartan women was no accident though. Sparta at its very core was a military state, and just as laws were put in place to ensure the health and fitness of the men, there were also laws that encouraged strength and health of the women. After all, the Spartans believed that strong women produced strong sons and warriors.
SPARTA’S FOCUS ON CULTIVATING WARRIOR CITIZENS
In reading this article, you must disillusion yourself with most of what you learned in the 300 movies. While entertaining, a large part of the movie was completely inaccurate. Sparta was not some model democracy with warriors fighting for freedom. Sparta was a totalitarian, military society where the state ruled almost every aspect of life. And a vast majority of the people living in Sparta were slaves.
By 600 BCE Sparta had conquered her neighbors in the southern half of the Peloponnese. These conquered people were called “Helots,” and forced to do all the agricultural work on land owned by the victors. This made Sparta a self sufficient state, leaving the citizens with more time for physical fitness and training for war. Yet Sparta was a brutal state that depended upon the oppression of the very large slave population to thrive. For every Spartan, there were eight helots.
Not needing to import anything, Sparta isolated itself from the culture of the rest of the world. But they feared the prospect of revolt from their huge slave population, and thus the country became an armed camp.
In order to survive, the state had to ensure that every one Spartan was strong enough to defeat at least eight helots. To that end, Spartans learned from an early age discipline, hardship, and the skills of a soldier. As part of their upbringing, Spartan youths were encouraged to go out into the countryside and kill helots who looked like they might become community leaders.
Since boys left home at an early age, and husbands and fathers spent a great part of their time in military training with other men, the women had much more time and autonomy to themselves than other women in Greece.
YOUTH AND TRAINING FOR LIFE
Young Spartans Exercising, From The National Gallery of London
According to Plutarch’s testimony, Spartans practiced infanticide in order to weed unhealthy children out of their society [1]. If a baby was weak, the Spartans would leave it on a hillside, or it was taken away to become a slave (helot). Infanticide was actually common in most societies up until today, but the Spartans were particularly picky. And it wasn’t just a family matter. The state decided the fate of the child. However, it is unclear whether this practice of infanticide applied just to boys, or boys and girls.
One thing that made Sparta unique among the Greek city-states is that the girl babies were just as well fed as their male counterparts. In Athens, the boys were fed better than the girls. But in Sparta, the strength of women as well as men was of vital importance to the state. So it was encouraged to feed girls enough for them to become big and strong. [2]
While boys were sent away to the agoge at the age of seven, it is believed that girls stayed home with their mothers. However, according to the writings of Pomeroy, there was some institutionalized education for girls. Girls were educated on and off through different periods of Spartan history. During the Hellenistic period it stopped, and under the Romans it was restored.[3]
Literacy was a skill limited to the elite. Though there is evidence from the classical period that women wrote letters to their sons while they were away in battle. [4] Women also studied what was called mousike – which was not just music, but dance and poetry [5]. There are surviving statues from the period showing women playing musical instruments.
The spartan exercise regimen for girls was to make them every bit as fit as their brothers. Spartan girls learned how to ride on horseback. Other events for girls included running, wrestling, throwing the discus, and “trials of strength” [6]. It is also possible that girls exercised in the nude in public, just like the men. After all, there is archaic Spartan art that shows girls exercising naked, while this was only true for men in Athens. Women also competed in various festivals, the most prestigious of which was the Heraean Games.[7]
MARRIAGE AND SEX
While I have discussed the freedoms of Spartan women above, it seems likely that Spartan marriages were arranged by the parents with little thought of the preferences of the perspective bride and groom. Yet aside from this detail, women still had more freedom in marriage and sex than most Greek women.
SPARTAN GIRLS MARRIED LATE
The average age of marriage for a Spartan woman was 18. While for other Greek women, the age was around their early teens. Some Spartan women even got married in their early to mid twenties (which was considered very late in the ancient world considering that people didn’t live very long). Because of this, Spartan women were much more mature when they got married, and were more likely to have a greater deal of control over their marriages than women who got married at a younger age.
Spartan women also typically married men who were closer to them in age. Men in their mid twenties or thirties. This might not seem that close in age to us modern folk today. But in the ancient Greek world, it was normal for a 30 year old man to marry a 14 year old girl. This was done so that women had the maximum amount of their breeding years to produce babies. But since the health and strength of the child was a bigger priority in Sparta than the number of children, getting married later made more sense. It is well known today that a woman will have a healthier child in her late teens and twenties, than her early teens, because she has been given more time to finish developing.
Yet despite all their relative freedoms, women in Sparta were still treated like breeding machines by the state. It is said that only a man who died in battle and a woman who died in childbirth would get their names inscribed on their tombstones. [8][9]
FEMALE POWER IN MARRIAGE
(Image Source)
Many Greeks in other lands thought that Spartan women had too much control over their husbands. Plutarch wrote that “the men of Sparta always obeyed their wives.” Aristotle was even more critical of the influence women had in politics arguing that it was contributing to the downfall of the country. Women did not have a vote in the assembly but seem to have had a lot of influence behind the scene.
ATYPICAL MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
Marriage among the Spartans was different from the rest of Greeks for many reasons. For one, it seemed that there was a great effort to get rid of the practice of giving a dowry. Some say this is because the Spartan state wanted couples to create children on the basis of health and strength, instead of money.
Married life for Spartans was also unique in that it was normal for the husband to spend a good deal of time away from his wife. Men were encouraged to live at the barracks until their 30’s. Until then, husbands and wives could only meet with one another in secret. Also, even in his 30’s, a man would still spend a great deal of time eating and training at the barracks – instead of eating home cooked meals. One outsider who ate with the Spartans at the barracks remarked, “Now I know why Spartan’s don’t fear death.”
A MOST UNUSUAL WEDDING RITUAL
On the night of the wedding, the bride would have her hair cut short, be dressed in a man’s cloak and sandals before being left alone in a dark room, where they would be visited and ritually “captured” by their new husband. Married women were forbidden from wearing their hair long. [10]
I guess after being around dudes forever, you have to make the transition to females go easier somehow.
WOMEN AND THEIR MULTIPLE LOVERS
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In terms of other interesting sexual practices, some historians suggest that the Spartans engaged in polyandry: a practice where women were allowed to have sex with multiple male lovers. It is said that this was permissible because the state was the backbone of social life, not the family. Because of this, it is suggested that the identity of a child’s father was less important than it was in other cultures. Books like Sex Before Dawn even say that polyandry was a normal set up in many tribal cultures, where property was shared, rather than inherited along patrilineal lines. Since Sparta was a military state where property was divided and provided by the state, rather than familial inheritance, strength and health was the focus of sex and childbearing – not marriage and family.
Herodotus says that the bigamy of Anaxandridas II was un-Spartan (Herodotus, Histories, V.40.2) but Polybius wrote that it was common at his time, and a time-honoured practice.(Polybius XII.6b.8) Along with plural marriage, older men seem to have allowed younger, more fit men, to impregnate their wives. Other unmarried or childless men might even request another man’s wife to bear his children if she had previously been a strong child bearer. [11]
DIVORCE
Women were allowed to divorce with little consequences. They did not need to fear losing their home and property, because they lived among the community as equal citizens. They were also not discouraged from remarrying. A Spartan woman was also not forced to relinquish her children, because the identity of the child’s biological father was not vitally important.
MATRIARCHAL DUTIES
Because men spent so much time off at war, or training in the barracks, women were masters of the home. This is why women had social and political power in their communities. Due to this Aristotle was critical of Sparta, claiming that men were ruled by women there, unlike in the rest of Greece. Aristotle, Politics 1269b.
Aristotle also criticized Spartan women for their wealth. He attributed the state’s precipitous fall during his lifetime, from being the master of Greece to a second-rate power in less than 50 years, to the fact that Sparta had become a gynocracy whose women were intemperate and loved luxury. Aristotle, Politics 1269b–1270a.
All Spartan women took advantage of helot labor, so they did not have to spend their time doing the tedious work that most domestic Greek women performed. Therefore, the Spartan women had more time to participate in matters such as governance, agriculture, logistics, fitness, art, music, etc.
But they also spent a lot of time bearing and raising children. Bearing and raising children was considered the most important role for women in Spartan society, equal to male warrior in the Spartan army.
Also, despite the many glowing freedoms of Spartan women compared to women in other provinces, the state still preferred male babies in order to create a large and powerful military force. So women took pride in the warrior sons they birthed and raised. Having a son who died valiantly in battle was a source of great pride for a mother. By contrast however, having a son who was a coward was a source of great despair. The ancient author Aelian claims that women whose sons died as cowards lamented this [12]. By contrast, the female relatives of the Spartans who died heroically in the Battle of Leuctra were said to have walked around in public looking happy. [13]
When a warrior left for battle his mother would say, “Come home with your shield or upon it.”
RELIGION
The cults for women in ancient Sparta reflected society’s emphasis on their role as child-bearers and raisers. Consequently, cults focused on fertility, health and beauty. I will elaborate on the cults below.
THE CULT EILEITHYIA
(Eleithyiae, Zeus & the birth of Athena | Athenian black-figure kothos C6th B.C.)
Eileithyia was the goddess of childbirth and midwifery. Some say there is a link between this Goddess and early Minoan culture. 19th-century scholars suggested that her name is Greek, from the verb eleutho (ἐλεύθω), “to bring,” the goddess thus being The Bringer.
In the Illiad she is described as following:
And even as when the sharp dart striketh a woman in travail, [270] the piercing dart that the Eilithyiae, the goddesses of childbirth, send—even the daughters of Hera that have in their keeping bitter pangs;
—Iliad 11.269–272
THE CULT OF HELEN
Most people are familiar with the story about Helen of Troy. The face that launched a thousand ships and all that. But much to my surprise upon researching this subject, she was also worshiped in some places as a Goddess. She had a festival at Laconia, the principle region of the Spartan state. (In fact the word “laconic” is derived from laconia, because the Spartans were known to speak in a concise, and to the point manner.) In the cult of Helen, women used objects such as mirrors, eye-liners, combs, and perfume bottles.
FAMOUS WOMEN IN SPARTA
QUEEN GORGO
Because of the 300 movies, she is probably the first Spartan woman that most people today are familiar with. She was the wife of King Leonidas I, Cleomenes’ half-brother, who fought and died in the Battle of Thermopylae (that famous battle with Persian King Xerxes) you know..the bald guy in gold underwear who supposedly sounds like a androgynous robot. (Scene in 300 where he becomes a God).
But anyways, Gorgo is one of the few female figures actually named by the Greek historian Herodotus, and was well-known for her political judgment and wisdom.
Arguably, Gorgo’s most significant role occurred prior to the Persian invasion of 480 BC. According to Herodotus’s Histories, Demaratus, then in exile at the Persian court, sent a warning to Sparta about Xerxes’s pending invasion. In order to prevent the message from being intercepted by the Persians or their vassal states, the message was written on a wooden tablet and then covered with wax. The Spartans did not know what to do with the seemingly blank wax-tablet once they received it. Only Queen Gorgo figured out the puzzle. She advised them to clear the wax off the tablet and thus found the secret message. (“Herodotus ”History” [Translated into English]”. Ancienthistory.about.com. 2010-06-15.)
ARACHIDAMIA
(Image Source)
She was also a Spartan queen. She is most notable for her role in leading Spartan women against Pyrrhus during his siege of Lacedaemon in the 3rd century BC. In the face of the siege, the Spartan council of elders wanted to send the Spartan women off the Crete for their safety. But Arachidamia refused that offer. She entered the council with sword in hand, and contested this proposal, questioning whether the Spartan women were expected to survive the ruin of their own city. (Plutarch, Parallel Lives: Life of Pyrrhus § 27.2)
Instead she led the women into the battle effort. The women helped build a defensive trench, supplied the troops with defensive weapons, refreshment and took care of the wounded.
CYNISCA
Cynisca was a Spartan princess and the first woman to win an Olympic victory. She also had a cult in Sparta.
IN SUMMARY
While much of history has concentrated on the role of Spartan men, it cannot be ignored that the Spartan women were a vital part of the warrior society. They raised warriors, and were brave leaders in their communities. They encouraged the men to be brave in battle, while also knowing how to take care of themselves and hold their own.
Life in the Spartan state was very difficult and harsh. So it took a harsh and strong woman, to raise a fierce society.
LINKS ON SPARTA
8 Reasons It Wasn’t Easy Being Spartan
Women in the Ancient World
Women in Sparta (on Wikipedia)
Social and Political Roles of Women in Athens and Sparta
SCANDALOUS” SPARTAN WOMEN:
EDUCATED AND ECONOMICALLY EMPOWERED
RELATED METAL GAIA ARTICLES
Ancient Egyptian Women – Marriage, Sexuality and Goddesses
Ancient Celtic Women
Ancient Norse Women
LONG BORING LIST OF FOOTNOTES
[1] Pomeroy 2002, pp. 34–35
[2] Pomeroy 1994, p. 36
[3] Pomeroy 2002, pp. 27–28
[4] Pomeroy 2002, p. 8.
[5] Pomeroy 2002, p. 5
[6] Hughes 2005, p. 59
[7] Pomeroy 2002, p. 24
[8](Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus, 27.3)
[9](Dillon 2007, p. 151).
[10] Cartledge 1981, p. 101
[11] Powell 2001, p. 248.
[12] Pomeroy 2002, p. 58
[13] Pomeroy 2002, p. 58.
Pomeroy, Sarah B. (1994), Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women
in Classical Antiquity, London: Pimlico, ISBN 978-0-712-66054-9
Dillon, Matthew (2007), “Were Spartan Women Who Died in Childbirth
Honoured with Grave Inscriptions?”, Hermes 135
Cartledge, Paul (1981), “Spartan Wives: Liberation or License?”, The
Classical Quarterly 31 (1)
Powell, Anton (2001), Athens and Sparta: constructing Greek
political and social history from 478 BC, London: Routledge, ISBN
978-0-415-26280-4By James Watkins
We are in unique position here at The Red Letter. We are Reds, as well as Americans. We are displaced Scousers, in a sense, resolute in our commitment to the honor and tradition of Liverpool Football Club.
We have a dual allegiance. It is an allegiance that rests primarily with the club itself, in a history of passion and commitment unrivaled in the modern game. But it is also one defined by our identity as Liverpudlians abroad. We have a responsibility to this network as well, and to offer support and encouragement to our fellow Reds across the country.
“You’ll never walk alone” is an anthem that holds special meaning here. Many of us have never walked the streets of Merseyside, passed through the Shankly Gates or stepped foot in the Kop – and many of us never will – but these four words offer an assurance that each of us belong to something greater than our self. As King Kenny once declared, “No one is bigger than the club.”
My individual story of adoption is not unique, and I’m certain many of you will relate.
I am a die-hard Liverpool FC supporter, currently based in Portland, Oregon. I’ll be the first to admit, I am neither a lifelong fan of Liverpool FC, nor a seasoned veteran of the game. My childhood was mired in the typical chaos of youth sports, where I shuffled between baseball, soccer and basketball. Soccer was always my first commitment, but the overwhelming pressure to train, perform and improve stifled any true passion for the game itself. It wasn’t until I stopped playing organized soccer that I was able to embrace the beauty and fervor of the English Premier League. I’ve never looked back.
After all, Americans have the luxury of pledging allegiance to whichever team happens to find success at that very moment – the “flavor of the week,” if you will. Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Chelsea remain the perennial, easy choices. Sometimes, I struggle to articulate why Liverpool earned my support, but it is actually a very simple answer:
I didn’t choose the club, the club chose me.
I was floored by the passion, community and fervor of Anfield; the beautiful interplay between Alonso, Gerrard and Torres; the commitment of players like Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt; and the sheer intimidation of the Kop. This beautiful combination drew me to Liverpool FC in the season of 2008-09. And as they say, “the rest was history.”
Except, in our case, that phrase is a bit more meaningful. It is both a blessing and a curse: Liverpool’s record as the “most successful team in Europe” is used by fans to defend the club’s reputation, and as fodder among rivals to mock its recent failures in the league. I have found myself among a group of supporters desperate to uphold the romantic, idealized notion of commitment that has faded along with the arrival of figures like Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour.
On the West Coast, we rely on virtual communities of supporters like LFC Boston or the Liverpool Offside. We set our alarms for 4:30 a.m., and stumble half-drunk for a Saturday morning clash with the Red Devils. And it means scouring the depths of the Internet for a shady, pirated stream of a meaningless league tie with Wigan.
It is a trying experience, especially with the volatility of recent league campaigns and the abbreviated tenures of Roy Hodgson and King Kenny. And in the absence of public statements from the club this summer, the current level asshattery on Twitter is staggering. We are here to analyze, defend and uphold the club’s reputation as the most decorated club in England. Across the country, we huddle together in pubs, restaurants and living rooms to reinforce that community and move forward as a collective force for the men in Red.
Remember that allegiance, my friends and in doing so, you can rest easy with knowledge that “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Post edited by Tim Treacy, editor of LFC Boston’s ‘The Red Letter.’
@timtreacy Follow Tim on Twitter
AdvertisementsQuentin Tarantino has admitted he was aware, for decades, about Harvey Weinstein's alleged misconduct towards women.
The director said he failed to act in order to protect women despite knowing about several instances of alleged sexual assault, stating: "I knew enough to do more than I did."
In a new interview Tarantino, who worked with Weinstein on some of his best known films including Pulp Fiction, said he regretted not taking action with the knowledge he had.
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"There was more
|
. Indeed, “how did you become a bioinformatician?” is a question that I hear very often.
For lack of a better plan, most people grab a book about Linux or sign up for a Coursera class, try to do a bit every day and... well, just learn bioinformatics. I have seen extremely few people succeed this way. The content inevitably becomes too difficult, motivation decreases and other commitments take over. I will not lie, self-learning bioinformatcs is hard and it is frustrating... but it can be fun if you know how to do it. And most importantly, if you understand your worst enemy: yourself.
Here is a small digest of how it happened for me. I do not mean that this is the only way. I simply hope that this will be useful to those who seriously want to dive into bioinformatics.
Step 1. Get out of your comfort zone
I am happy to celebrate my fifth year without using Excel (actually I don’t even have it). What is wrong with Excel? Not much really. Only that it keeps you thinking like a non bioinformatician. Bioinformatics is not a tool, it is another way of thinking, and if you want to acquire it you have to let go of the other ways.
Most people give up when they get lost. Ironically, this is the moment when they were finally learning something new. If you feel totally incompetent, you are doing it right. The risk is to seek reassurance by doing things like you are used to (say, using Excel). There is nothing wrong about being a beginner, even if you are an expert at something else. If you want to dive, you first have to sink.
Getting out of my comfort zone happened naturally at the beginning of my post-doc. I found a Linux computer on my desk, I was too proud to ask for a Mac instead. All I managed to do in the first week is to change my username from user to guillaume. Things did not look very promising...
Step 2. Become addicted
Seriously? Yes! If you are about to learn something as demanding as bioinformatics, you need to spend the time it deserves, and the only way it can happen is if it becomes an addiction.
By addiction, here I mean anything that takes self control in order to stop. Who addicted to bioinformatics exercises? Nobody, so this is not the right way. You do not need to like it in order to become addicted to something, you just need to want it. The best way is to find a problem that really fascinates you and to try to solve it using bioinformatics. This could be anything, as long as you are really interested in finding the solution.
The first problem that caught my attention was to identify ‘sticky proteins’ in two-hybrid datasets. Nothing particular, neither difficult, I just got into it. It took me an incredible amount of sweat to write a few lines of lousy Perl code, but in the end it worked. This was the first of a long series of addictions at the computer. I enjoyed each and every one of them, and I still do.
Step 3. Join the community
You made it till here, well done! There is only one last roadblock on the way, but it is a bulky one. So far you have been self-learning, it is now time to non self-learn. Actually, it is time to learn bioinformatics because let’s be honest, you haven’t learned anything about it yet.
Learning by doing and by solving problems that you care about is the right attitude, but you cannot reinvent 50 years of work on your own. Solving your problems will give you an impression of competence, which will give you the motivation you need to carry on... but most likely you are doing it all wrong. Getting out of the Dunning-Kruger hole is always hard and there is only one way to do it: expose yourself.
Or more accurately, expose your work. This will hurt in the beginning, but you need to share your work with experts, or at least people who know better, and soak the negative feedback. You also need to read their code and take inspiration from them. Reading someone else’s code is extremely hard, but it is the only way to learn real bioinformatics.
It took me four long years to realize that I was no longer making any progress on my own. Things changed with this blog. In the back end, it runs as a Python app adapted from Nick Johnson. It took me a considerable amount of time to make my way through his code, but this is how I learned most of what I know about web apps. Later I became involved in Cross Validated, which was also the occasion to realize that I am not as good as I thought in statistics and that there is so much I can learn from others.
Final words
You probably noticed that this post is not a tutorial, I am not saying anything about which book to read, which Coursera class to take, or which website to visit. I do not have particular recommendations, there are tons of material online, and you need to find the ones you like. If you happen to know good sources, do not hesitate to suggest them in the comments below.Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly were arrested in Ferguson, Missouri tonight amid more clashes between protestors and police. Both HuffPost and WaPo reacted rather strongly to the police taking such action.
RELATED: HuffPost’s Reilly on MSNBC: Ferguson Cop Wouldn’t Say What I Was Under Arrest For
The Huffington Post media page’s splash sums up rather strongly how they feel about what’s happened.
Meanwhile, Reilly’s colleague and HuffPost Washington bureau chief Ryan Grim told Talking Points Memo, “We’re very glad that Ryan has been released and is doing well. But this is what happens when local police are allowed to become para-military units.”
RELATED: WaPo’s Lowery Describes Being Arrested, Assaulted by Ferguson Cops on Maddow
Meanwhile, Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron issued a strong statement of condemnation. Here it is in full:
“Wesley has briefed us on what occurred, and there was absolutely no justification for his arrest. He was illegally instructed to stop taking video of officers. Then he followed officers’ instructions to leave a McDonald’s — and after contradictory instructions on how to exit, he was slammed against a soda machine and then handcuffed. That behavior was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news. The physical risk to Wesley himself is obvious and outrageous. After being placed in a holding cell, he was released with no charges and no explanation. He was denied information about the names and badge numbers of those who arrested him. We are relieved that Wesley is going to be OK. We are appalled by the conduct of police officers involved.”
Update- 11:34 pm: Grim has since issued this official statement on behalf of The Huffington Post:
We are relieved Ryan Reilly and Wesley Lowery are safe, but we are disturbed by their arrest and assault. Ryan was working on his laptop in a McDonald’s near the protests in Ferguson, MO, when police barged in, armed with high-powered weapons, and began clearing the restaurant. Ryan photographed the intrusion, and police demanded his ID in response. Ryan, as is his right, declined to provide it. He proceeded to pack up his belongings, but was subsequently arrested for not packing up fast enough. Both Ryan and Wesley were assaulted. Compared to some others who have come into contact with the police department, they came out relatively unscathed, but that in no way excuses the false arrest or the militant aggression toward these journalists. Ryan, who has reported multiple times from Guantanamo Bay, said that the police resembled soldiers more than officers, and treated those inside the McDonald’s as “enemy combatants.” Police militarization has been among the most consequential and unnoticed developments of our time, and it is now beginning to affect press freedom.
[featured image via screengrab]
— —
Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] in Collections by xenatt 2109 days ago
More Photo
CIRCLE
include RAM CPU BATT CLOCK WEATHER DATE AND ITUNES
This geeklets Powered by ImageMagick you must install imageMagick First
RAM + CPU + BATT script base on http://www.macosxtips.co.uk/geeklets/collections/cpu-ram-battery-wifi-and-uk-worded-fuzzy-time--1/
INSTALLATION GUIDE
1.Install imagemagick by home brew or Mac port Follow Command
Homebrew http://mxcl.github.io/homebrew/
Macport http://www.macports.org/
install imagemagick follow command
http://sethvargo.com/20110726/install-imagemagick-on-mountain-lion/
2.Copy Folder CIRCLE to [HOME FOLDER]/Documents
AKA HOME/Documents/CIRCLE
3.Config CONFIG File ~/Documents/CIRCLE/CONFIG
CONFIG File look like this
WEATHER_FORMATT c
WEATHERICONCOLOR White
WEATHERICONRING_COLOR White
WEATHERTEXTTHEME White
WEATHERDEGREETHEME White
ITUNES_THEME BlueBar
CLOCK_THEME White
BATT_THEME Whitecolor
WDAY_THEME White
MONTH_THEME White
NDAY_THEME White
CPU_THEME White
RAM_THEME White
CLOCK_DIGITAL yes
WEATHER_CODE
Yahoo's weather City code You can get it form http://weather.yahoo.com
WEATHER_FORMATT
c for Celsius
f for Fahrenheit
WEATHER Geeklets
Support Native and Positive Degree
-30 to 100 for Celsius
+60 to 120 for Fahrenheit
WEATHERICONCOLOR
This Geeklets Can change Color by put imagemagick color name form http://www.imagemagick.org/script/color.php
WEATHERTEXTTHEME
in ~/Documents/CIRCLE/WEATHER/TEXT you must see theme's folder and put Folder's name like
AKA WEATHERTEXTTHEME White
And Other theme
AKA
WEATHERDEGREETHEME
ITUNES_THEME
CLOCK_THEME
BATT_THEME
WDAY_THEME
MONTH_THEME
NDAY_THEME
CPU_THEME
RAM_THEME
you do it like WEATHERTEXTTHEME
CLOCK_DIGITAL
If you want to show digital clock you put 'yes' And 'no' if you want to hidden
4.Open glet file
if you like this please voteImage caption Thames Water said it had nearly £1bn of deferred tax on its balance sheet
Thames Water, the UK's biggest water firm, paid no corporation tax this financial year despite making £145m in pre-tax profit.
It said it had delayed paying corporation tax due to investments in its infrastructure amounting to £1bn a year between 2010 and 2015.
"The government's tax system allows us to delay, not avoid, payment of tax based on how much we invest," it said.
The firm increased bills by 6.7% last year.
Thames Water's tax payments were detailed in its results for the year to the end of March, showing that pre-tax profits had fallen 35% due to bad weather as well as a rise in unpaid bills.
It said revenues rose 6% to £1.8bn.
Operating profits, which strip out exceptional items were £549m for the year.
The figures come in the wake of criticism by Jonson Cox, chairman of water industry watchdog Ofwat, who said the tax-reducing corporate structures of some water companies were "morally questionable".
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Simon Evans of Thames Water: ''We make no apology for taking advantage of the capital allowances''
"Tax policy is not for an economic regulator and these structures may be legal and common in private equity. But some aspects are morally questionable in a vital public service," Mr Cox wrote in an article for the Daily Telegraph.
Thames Water, which is privately owned, said it had contributed around £150m in other taxes, including central and local government business rates, PAYE and national insurance.
"We currently have nearly £1bn of deferred tax on our balance sheet," it added.
Thames Water serves London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Wiltshire and has 14 million customers.This week in the Fantasy Spotlight the focus is on the New York Giants. The Giants are coming off a season that ended abruptly on wildcard weekend in Green Bay. Big Blue had a good off-season both in free agency and the NFL Draft. The spotlight shines on a team many across the league believe is primed for another Super Bowl run.
Fantasy Spotlight 2017 Preview: New York Giants
Quarterback
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning is coming off a season of mixed results. While the veteran quarterback threw for over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns, he continued to struggle with turnovers, throwing 16 interceptions. Despite an extremely successful career, his 3:2 career touchdown to interception ratio is something that remains a concern for Giants fans.
The consistency has always been a problem for Manning being a fantasy contributor. With a shaky offensive line and lack of a solid running game over the past few seasons, it has been tough to depend on Eli on a weekly basis. The receiving corps has a chance to be near the top of the league and for that alone Manning will get attention fantasy draft day. Fantasypros.com gives Manning an ECR (expert consensus ranking) of 121st and his current ADP (average draft position) is 131st.
Spotlight Says: QB2, best as a streaming bye week replacement.
Geno Smith/Davis Webb
The Giants signed Geno Smith as a free agent and drafted Davis Webb to fill out the depth chart. Even with an injury to Manning, neither will be a significant fantasy producer in 2017.
Spotlight Says: Undrafted
Running Back
Perhaps one of the biggest questions marks for the Giants entering the 2017 season is Paul Perkins. Is he capable of being a number one running back in the NFL? It’s time to find out. Perkins is coming off a rookie season that saw him rush for 456 yards on 112 carries in very limited action. Perkins showed flashes in a late season start against the Washington Redskins. He finished as the 55th ranked fantasy running back for 2016. His current ECR is 67th and his ADP is 80th. Both these rankings are extremely generous for a second year running back who needs to prove himself. We here at the fantasy spotlight need to see more from Perkins before we can anoint him a legit fantasy running back.
Spotlight Says: RB3, with Low RB2 Ceiling.
Here is the x-factor for the Giants running game. Brought into the fold after the 2014 season, Shane Vereen has started only one game in two seasons with the Giants. Vereen, a fantastic pass catching back, was unable to stay healthy in 2016, appearing in only five games. If Vereen can show he is healthy, he is an asset in PPR leagues and could prove to be the most valuable of the Giants running backs. Vereen is going undrafted in some leagues and carries an ECR of 193rd. If he can stay on the field, he could be a huge steal in PPR leagues.
Spotlight Says: Standard RB3, PPR RB2
The Giants re-signed Orleans Darkwa in the offseason, signed Shaun Draughn as a free agent and drafted Wayne Gallman. If Perkins and Vereen fail to produce look for Darkwa to get the first crack to step in. Gallman may offer long term value in dynasty leagues, but as far as 2017, do not expect much of an impact.
Spotlight Says: Undrafted
Wide Receiver
So, do you care that Odell Beckham Jr decided to not show up to the Giants OTAs? We didn’t think so. Despite dealing with tons of criticism for missing the Giants optional practices, Beckham is a top five wide receiver going into 2017. Coming off a ten touchdown, 1,367-yard performance in 2016, Beckham carries an ECR of fifth and overall ADP of sixth. Per playerprofiler.com, the Giants number one receiver was second in the NFL last season with a 35.4 red zone target percentage. He was also third in the league in yards after catch with 529. Manning has some new weapons to work with in 2017, however the Manning to Beckham Jr connection is just like taxes…it’s guaranteed to happen.
Spotlight Says: WR1
The Giants made sure that Brandon Marshall didn’t have to move his family far this off-season. The former New York Jets wide receiver signed with the Giants to line up opposite of Beckham Jr. Marshall is coming off a disappointing 2016. His 788 yards receiving was the third lowest output of his career and it was also only the third-time in 11 seasons Marshall failed to crack 1,000 yards. Despite the disappointment of 2016, Marshall should have a bounce back 2017 season. Eli Manning will be looking for the 6’4″ frame of Marshall, especially in the red zone. The veteran finished third with 21 red zone targets last season. Marshall carries an ECR of 74th and ADP of 60th.
Spotlight Says: WR2
You want to talk about a perfect slot receiver to target late in your fantasy drafts? Look no further than Sterling Shepard. Last season as a rookie, Shepard started all 16 games for the Giants and lined up in the slot 74 percent of the time. He caught 65 passes for 683 yards. While those stats may not be overwhelming, Shepard did manage to catch eight touchdowns. Ten of those 65 receptions occurred in the red zone. Teams will continue to focus their attention on Beckham Jr., along with new addition Brandon Marshall, allowing the field to be open for Shepard. His ECR is 137th and his ADP is 136th. Some experts believe Shepard loses value with the Marshall addition, the fantasy spotlight feels the opposite.
Spotlight Says: Low WR2/High WR3, late round steal.
Tight End
Evan Engram
The Giants have had a long-standing hole at the tight end position. They hope they addressed that need during the 2017 NFL draft. Evan Engram was drafted in the first round, 23rd overall. Engram enters his rookie season as the all-time leader in receptions (162), yards (2,320) and touchdowns (15) for Ole Miss. Engram impressed at Giants rookie minicamp with his speed and strength. His ADP is 188th and he is being drafted as the 25th ranked tight end. The four-time All-SEC tight end will get the chance to make an impact right away for the Giants in 2017.
Spotlight Says: TE3, draft in dynasty leagues, late round flyer in standard/PPR leagues
Summary
Draft: Odell Beckham Jr, Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard
Do Not Draft: Paul Perkins, Evan Engram
Best Value: Sterling Shepard
Worst Value: Paul Perkins
Surprise Potential: Shane VereenTo call Saturday a rough day for Temple (Texas) assistant coach Toby Rumfield is a dramatic understatement. First, his team fell one hurdle short of claiming a state crown. Then, he traveled home and found that someone had robbed his house, knowing he was in Arlington.
The former Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer, who also serves as Temple’s head baseball coach, told Texas CBS affiliate KWTX that he returned to his house following Temple’s 16-7 loss to discover it had been thoroughly ransacked. Here’s a list of the loot that was gone from the Rumfield household when he arrived back from the Class 5A Division I title game.
The burglar or burglars escaped with a long list of items including a watch, nine video games, two flat screen TVs, two iPads, a PS4 game console, and various items of jewelry. Also among the items that may have been stolen were two Cincinnati Reds championship rings, police said.
Ouch. Losing World Series rings? That’s some tough luck, particularly after coming so close to a state crown. In fact, the only thing that makes the theft even worse is this comment from Temple head coach Scott Stewart, speaking to the Dallas Morning News following the game:
“If you have a dishonest bone in your body, Temple would be a great place to be right now because there is nobody there to stop you,” Stewart said.
If only he knew how accurate that sentiment was.Equal Fights is episode 12B of The Powerpuff Girls. It aired on January 5, 2001.
Contents show]
Synopsis
A villainess named Femme Fatale convinces the Powerpuff Girls to hate men in order for her to get away with stealing all of the Susan B. Anthony coins in Townsville.
Plot
The city of Townsville has always been a place where people are satisfied---they get there fair share and help each other out.
While the girls are at school, they receive a call from the Mayor saying that the bank's being robbed, and so they dash into action. The narrator asks what kind of MAN is robbing the bank, but the robber turns out to be a WOMAN named Femme Fatale who demands Susan B. Anthony coins only (since other money has men on it). Right before she can escape, the girls appear on the scene and quickly haul her off to jail.
Femme Fatale claims to the girls that the city of Townsville belittles their talents, also pointing out that female superheroes aren't looked up to as much as male superheroes are. Realizing this shocks Buttercup, causing her to drop Femme Fatale. Before she hits the ground, her fall's broken by a construction worker and she flees, but the girls quickly apprehend her once more. Femme Fatale somehow convinces the girls that sending her to jail would be a blow for all womankind and that they're on the wrong side. They set her free and return home, allowing her to commit more crimes.
At school, the girls scare the boys when one knocks a girl down playing catch and causes much fear for them. Back at home, the Professor is in the middle of cleaning the house and politely asks the girls to clean their room to which he receives a death glare. Later, while destroying her male dolls, Blossom receives a call from the Mayor asking them to save the day. Blossom denies, telling him to go do it himself, and hangs up. Ms. Bellum calls them and asks the girls to meet her in the Mayor's office where they are confronted by both her and Ms. Keane. They talk about the girls' new outlook on life and try to correct it by making them realize that the boy who knocked the girl down did it by accident and was only playing with her. The two also explain that Utonium only asked for them to clean their bedroom while he did all the other chores and that the mayor couldn't save the city because he doesn't have superpowers.
While the girls realize that they overreacted, they still point out that Femme Fatale's the only real female villain in town, and Mrs. Bellum tells the Girls that they didn't stop her, which Blossom justifies by saying that all girls have to look out for each other, only for a voice to go "Oh really?" and three other women come forward: a female bank employee whose bank Femme Fatale stole Susan B. Anthony coins from, a policewoman whose arm Femme Fatale broke, and a teenaged girl whose hairstyle Femme Fatale apparently copied (the girl gets looked at funny for it, as it was petty). The three women ask the girls if Femme Fatale was looking out for them when she did these particular things to them. The intervention helps the girls realize that not only did they go overboard in their actions, but that Femme Fatale is a hypocrite.
At a coin convention, Femme Fatale is confronted by Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, who question her if she even knows who Susan B. Anthony was. When it becomes apparent that she doesn't, the girls decide to tell Femme Fatale the real story of her:
For a very long time, women weren't allowed to do much of anything, which Susan B. Anthony knew was wrong--in 1872, she had broken the law by voting (which American women didn't have the right for until August 18th of 1920). However, while Susan B. Anthony was found guilty of what she did, the authorities wanted to show her leniency because she was a woman. But she didn't want any kind of special treatment, she wanted to be treated equal and demanded that she be sent to prison just like any man who had broken the law.
After saying that last part, Blossom says, "And that's what we're gonna do to you!" The sisters beat Femme Fatale up and send her to prison, where she gives a very stereotypical complaint about how the uniform makes her look (she claims that horizontal stripes make her look fat).
When the narrator closes the episode, he states that there are no chick narrators and something was thrown at him.
Characters
Main Characters
Minor Characters
Trivia
There are two morals derived from this episode: 1.) Feminism is ultimately about gender equality and not necessarily women getting special treatment and/or being superior to/sexist towards men. 2.) Like in Members Only, men and women should be treated equally and given equal opportunities for the same things.
While Femme Fatale raises a good point in that female superheroes usually aren't as popular as male superheroes and that heroes like Supergirl and Batgirl are basically just extensions of their male counterparts (Superman and Batman, respectively), there are plenty of other female superheroes besides Wonder Woman who aren't intended as direct extensions to already existing male superheroes. Femme Fatale also points out how villainy is similarly dominated by men like heroism is, even though there are actually tons of female supervillains. This may be because, in the series, most of the villains that the girls go up against are guys—Femme Fatale was just a one-shot female villain while the only actual recurring female villains in the series are Princess Morbucks (who Femme Fatale calls "that little brat") and Sedusa (who Femme Fatale calls "the chick in the underwear"). Femme Fatale points out that while Superman and Batman already have their own movies, the Powerpuff Girls themselves don't. The series eventually got its very own feature-length film in 2002. Additionally, one attempt at a Catwoman movie was made in 2004 and a live-action Wonder Woman movie was released in 2017.
It's never actually explained why Femme Fatale is a misandrist. One popular fan theory is that she was mistreated by some male figure in her life, and it caused her great emotional discomfort. Given her selfish nature, it's likely that she simply blamed men in order to excuse her crimes.
Femme Fatale is a misandrist. One popular fan theory is that she was mistreated by some male figure in her life, and it caused her great emotional discomfort. Given her selfish nature, it's likely that she simply blamed men in order to excuse her crimes. This is the only major appearance of Femme Fatale. After this, she's never mentioned or seen again in the series until the last episode ( The Powerpuff Girls Rule! ).
). In political terms, this episode is the last episode to air during Bill Clinton's time as the U.S.A. President. Bill Clinton was the President of the United States from January 20, 1993, until January 20, 2001, and "The Powerpuff Girls" was created during Bill Clinton's term as United States President.
The $100 bill in the episode is based on the real world US $100 bill.
The teenage girl who talks to Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup is wearing a white t-shirt with a picture of Blossom on the front of it. The teenager also bears a striking resemblance to Femme Fatale as well (just younger with either acne or freckles).
At the beginning of the episode, the trees outside the Girls house are pink.
The episode has met with controversy, as there's been arguing over whether or not the episode sends out a positive message of feminism. Lauren Faust has even confirmed that this episode was an old shame of hers, as she wasn't sure if the episode was a good way to teach feminism to children.
This is one of two episodes that focus on gender discrimination (sexism). The other being Members Only.
Production NotesShibes,
I don’t know if you know this, but Australia and Dogecoin have some history together. To celebrate our origin story down under, today (well, tonight here) is going to be our official “Celebrate Australia Shibes Day”
Not 100% sure what that means, but it probably involves me tipping you folks, a lot. 🙂
After our Twitter announcement on Monday, even one of our investors got in on the fun (sorry for calling you out Rick…)
Today’s a bit of a fun one, since our work on the next few days announcements got delayed. Was trying to figure out a good idea as to what to do today, and this seemed like the best idea. Plus, it’s still early in Sydney!
Also, I’m jealous. It’s cold here in Arcata and I bet you’re all wearing shorts right now. 😛
Cheers, mates.
–mohland
AdvertisementsAt Qwaya we run our servers in AWS. We build our own base AMI’s in order to ensure a stable base infrastructure and to be able to quickly launch new servers when needed.
We have a few AMI’s arranged as described in the image below:
The base image holds all the packages we want installed on all hosts, it sets up docker, logspout logging to Papertrail and [Datadog][datadog] monitoring.
The Web and Worker images holds different systemd files for different parts of our application.
We use Buildkite for building and deploying, which uses a bring-your-own technique for build servers. We have two kinds, one for building and one for deploying.
While we really should have our configs in something like Consul, we’re not there at the moment. In order to limit the number of AMI rebuilds, we try to place configs in cloud-init to limit rebuilds.
Make
We use Make as our build tool to only rebuild the necessary AMI’s after a config change. Normally, Make builds output files from source files which are all local. However, the AMI’s we’re building are of course not local, they’re stored in the AWS cloud.
Instead we generate a proxy target file locally, one for each AMI, that stores the generated AMI id. This file is then the target for building the AMI.
Again, AMI are not stored locally, so we need to make sure that the generated AMI id files are available when building AMI’s on other machines. We upload the generated AMI id files to an S3 bucket, and the Make file downloads all them before commencing the build.
It basically looks like this:
# Set a variable for each AMI file BASE_AMI_ID_FILE = $( AMI_ID_DIR ) /base_ami.txt WEB_AMI_ID_FILE = $( AMI_ID_DIR ) /worker_ami.txt... # Set a variable that holds all AMI id files AMI_ID_FILES = $( BASE_AMI_ID_FILE ) $( WEB_AMI_ID_FILE )... # For each AMI id file, declare dependencies and the build command $(BASE_AMI_ID_FILE) : $( shell find ansible / roles /... - type f ) packer / base_ami. json ansible / base_ami. yaml build_packer.sh centos_ami base_ami... # Finally, declare a.PHONY target that downloads the latest AMI # id files and builds the AMI's amis : get - latest - ami - ids $( AMI_ID_FILES )
Packer
As can be seen in the Make script above, we have a local script build_packer.sh that runs Packer. It takes two parameters, the box name to base the box on, and the box name to build. The names map to the AMI id files mentioned above, and the same name is used for the Packer json file.
# syntax: build.sh <from_box> <to_box> if [ $# -eq 0 ] then # No params given, exiting exit 1 fi build_from = $1 build_target = $2 ami_dir = build/ami_ids build_file = packer/ ${ build_target }.json build_result_file = ${ ami_dir } / ${ build_target } _packer_result.txt new_ami_id_txt_file = ${ build_target }.txt new_ami_id_txt_file_path = ${ ami_dir } / ${ new_ami_id_txt_file } old_ami_id_file = ${ ami_dir } / ${ build_from }.txt mkdir -p ${ ami_dir } export BRANCH_NAME = $( git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD ) export COMMIT_ID = $( git rev-parse --short HEAD ) # Reading base ami id from ${old_ami_id_file} SOURCE_AMI_ID = ` cat ${ old_ami_id_file } ` if [ -z ${ SOURCE_AMI_ID } ] then # No source AMI id found exit 1 fi # Current base ami id: ${SOURCE_AMI_ID} export SOURCE_AMI_ID # Run Packer to build box ${build_target} using ${build_file} # tee the build log to a result file packer build ${ build_file } 2 > & 1 | tee ${ build_result_file } # Check for errors in log file if egrep -q 'Non-zero exit status|Error' ${ build_result_file } then echo "Build failed, exiting" exit 1 fi # Every now and there's a glitch in the AWS if grep -q "Build 'amazon-ebs' errored:" ${ build_result_file } then echo "Amazon error in build, exiting" exit 1 fi # Find the newly created AMI id in the output new_ami_id = ` cat ${ build_result_file } | awk '/^us-east-1/{print $2}' ` # Writing new ami id ${new_ami_id} to file echo ${ new_ami_id } > ${ new_ami_id_txt_file_path } if [ -n " ${ new_ami_id } " ] ; then # Updating ${new_ami_id_txt_file} with value ${new_ami_id} aws s3 cp ${ new_ami_id_txt_file_path } "s3://ami-ids/ ${ new_ami_id_txt_file } " --acl public-read fi
Caveats
We version all of our code using Git and Github. In a new clone of Git, the modification time of all files is set to the time of the clone, not the time they were added to Github.
This means that on a new clone, all AMI files have the same modification date and all AMI’s are subsequently rebuilt when the build is run. This is normally just a problem when we provision new Buildkite build machines.
Conclusion
We find this a decent way to build AMI’s that depend on each other. However, building an AMI takes a few minutes, so I would advice against creating large tree structures which would cause a complete rebuild to take hours rather than minutes.Study objective We examine the characteristics of clinical decision support alerts triggered when opioids are prescribed, including alert type, override rates, adverse drug events associated with opioids, and preventable adverse drug events.
Methods This was a retrospective chart review study assessing adverse drug event occurrences for emergency department (ED) visits in a large urban academic medical center using a commercial electronic health record system with clinical decision support. Participants include those aged 18 to 89 years who arrived to the ED every fifth day between September 2012 and January 2013. The main outcome was characteristics of opioid drug alerts, including alert type, override rates, opioid-related adverse drug events, and adverse drug event preventability by clinical decision support.
Results Opioid drug alerts were more likely to be overridden than nonopioid alerts (relative risk 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21 to 1.50). Opioid drug-allergy alerts were twice as likely to be overridden (relative risk 2.24; 95% CI 1.74 to 2.89). Opioid duplicate therapy alerts were 1.57 times as likely to be overridden (95% CI 1.30 to 1.89). Fourteen of 4,581 patients experienced an adverse drug event (0.31%; 95% CI 0.15% to 0.47%), and 8 were due to opioids (57.1%). None of the adverse drug events were preventable by clinical decision support. However, 46 alerts were accepted for 38 patients that averted a potential adverse drug event. Overall, 98.9% of opioid alerts did not result in an actual or averted adverse drug event, and 96.3% of opioid alerts were overridden.The Oklahoma City Thunder’s pick-and-roll play is integral to their offense, which you might remember from my Western Conference finals preview. Of the Thunder’s 1,304 half-court possessions in the playoffs, 426 were pick-and-rolls, according to Synergy Sports. When you consider their roster, these statistics make sense: They are a young team with many ball handlers and they don’t need to run intricate sets. We can be sure the Thunder will keep going to it, and thus the Miami Heat will continue to live and die by their defense.
The Heat tend to trap pick-and-roll ball handlers very hard — until they pick up their dribble or make a pass. During two regular-season games, both of which were played late this season, the Heat stifled Russell Westbrook and James Harden. We can use those games to analyze what we’ll see in this series.
We pick up this possession with Russell Westbrook coming off a ball screen set by Nick Collison on the wing. Udonis Haslem had been covering Collison, but he jumps out to trap Westbrook from one side, while LeBron James (Westbrook’s defender) comes over the screen to trap on the other.
The trap prevents Westbrook from using his explosive speed to get to the basket. Instead, Westbrook has to dribble backward, away from the rim.
Miami releases the traps when one of the following happens: the ball handler passes, picks up his dribble, or dribbles backward. Since Westbrook dribbles backward, James leaves to cover Collison while Haslem stays on Westbrook. At first glance this looks like a mismatch, but it isn’t.
When Westbrook drives, he likes to pull up for the jump shot off the dribble. This is why he plays off screens so deftly. He only needs a little space to rise up and make a jumper. However, with Haslem on him in what has essentially become an isolation, Westbrook can’t get the space he needs. He
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excited about this team, even though 2016 has been a disappointment.
“The future still looks good. I’m always going to be optimistic,” Forte said. “We still have a lot of talent on this team. It just has to get drilled in and displayed on the field to the best of our ability. That’s the worst thing — wasted talent. There’s guys I grew up with in the neighborhood that were more talented than me who aren’t in the league. We have to figure out a way to not just win games, but not lose games because when you’re playing in these games and you have silly, stupid penalties and mistakes in the game plan. We can’t have that. We study all week so we don’t make those mistakes, especially mentally. The mental part of the game is 80 percent or more. You can’t have it.”The Wall Street Journal has reported several key pieces of the massive Sprint-Softbank deal, in which Softbank will pay $20 billion for 70% of Sprint. According to the Journal, as part of the larger deal, Sprint will take control of Clearwire, a company of which it currently owns 48%.
This will allow Sprint to continue using its spectrum, and likely grant Softbank technical assistance as it tries to build a high-speed wireless network in Japan using similar technology. For Sprint, however, it’s an acquisition in which it finds itself the manager of a technology that it’s quickly leaving behind. The company has long since stopped purchasing new WiMax phones, in favor of LTE.
Let’s go over this quickly, as with three parties it is confusing. Sprint owns nearly half of Clearwire, but not enough to exercise control. Softbank wanted “entry into the U.S. market,” and Sprint needed cash. Clearwire loses money, and has large amounts of debt. Thus, to own it would be risky, as taking on external debt is never an exciting position.
However, Sprint is less appealing if Clearwire goes under, as it currently uses Clearwire spectrum (at least for now), and it would not have the asset on its books any longer. Thus, Sprint takes $20 billion from Softbank, picks up more total ownership in Clearwire to control it – thereby securing whatever Softbank wants out of it completely – but dodges its financial obligations. It’s a winning move for nearly everyone, except perhaps for current Clearwire investors who may have preferred an outright sale.
What Sprint worked out with other Clearwire owners is not known at this time.
The size and impact of this collection of deals make it quite interesting, especially as it will impact nations on either side of the Pacific. If terms of all the above deals shake loose, we will bring them to you.
Top Image Credit: TheDarkThing
Read next: Microsoft's new Surface ad is heavy on hardware, light on WindowsA lot of people got higher than ever at this year’s 4/20 protest rallies in Vancouver. But so did the bill.
A joint news release from the city of Vancouver, the Vancouver park board and Vancouver police said the costs to manage and clean up after the rallies at Sunset Beach Park and the Vancouver Art Gallery on April 20 totalled $245,379 this year, after reviewing all costs associated with the unsanctioned event. That’s a 66 per cent increase over last year’s total of $148,000, which itself was a 60 per cent increase on 2015’s total cost of $92,500. The event appears to be gaining some serious momentum.
It’s also $90,000 more than what was estimated as the cost for the Sunset Beach protest when organizers filed for a permit, and were denied by the Vancouver park board in early March.
That didn’t stop the 4/20 rally from taking place, however — it was larger than ever. The city estimated a whopping 40,000 attendees at peak time, up from 25,000 in 2016.
The park board will be invoicing the organizers of the Sunset Beach Park site for their share of expenses, the city said, although it’s not clear what that number will be yet. Likely the largest cost will be reseeding Sunset Field, which acting park operations director Howard Normann said was “trashed” by the event.
Dana Larsen, one of the organizers for the Sunset Beach rally, said his group has already agreed to pay for that.
Larsen took issue with a several aspects of the news release, such as lumping the two separate rallies together.
“(We’re) not responsible for what happens at the gallery,” he said. “That’s a separate group, a group that refuses to work with the city or anybody else like we do. (…) They cost proportionately a lot more.”
The numbers from the city bear this out. According to the joint news release, the Sunset Beach protest racked up $127,245 in policing costs, while policing the Art Gallery event cost $43,425.
Larsen doesn’t feel his event’s policing budget — “something we have no control over,” he said — should be held against the rally. He pointed to the policing costs for February 28’s Trump Tower protest, attended by just over 200 people, which VPD said came to $105,000.
Furthermore, he felt the event was being demonized. If this was something other than a cannabis rally, he said, “the city would be highlighting all the revenue it brings to the surrounding community, all the business it brings in, people coming in not only from the Lower Mainland but also all over the world.
“They’re buying hotel rooms, they’re renting cars, they’re eating meals. So there’s a huge economic benefit to the community and Vancouver to having this event. With other community-type events those numbers get highlighted and promoted, but with ours the focus is on the relatively low cost of putting this on. That I think is a bit prejudicial.”
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Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email [email protected] a New Streetsblog Series: Getting Transit Right
Over the past 15 years, Los Angeles spent billions of dollars to nearly double the size of its fixed-guideway transit system, adding light rail routes throughout the county. Those lines opened up new access for Angelenos headed to Santa Monica beach, Pasadena, U.S.C., and East L.A. — certainly making travel more convenient for many trips.
But after all those investments, total transit ridership in the L.A. region is down. Over the past three years alone, the number of annual transit trips declined by 100,000,000 — an average of more than 300,000 fewer riders per weekday.
How could this happen? How could a region spend so much on improving transit, only to see ridership decline?
With cities across the country raising impressive sums to expand their transit systems, these questions are increasingly essential. So far, few American cities have hit on a policy combination that achieves the goal of making transit more useful to more people.
Thanks to a grant from TransitCenter, Streetsblog will be exploring these issues in a new series, “Getting Transit Right.” We’ll be looking at a dozen American cities to better understand which transit strategies are working and which are not.
The cities we’ve chosen are geographically and economically diverse. Some have metro lines that are more than a century old. Others are just exploring their first high-capacity bus routes. But they all share an interest in using transit to connect people to opportunity, help residents get around without driving, and create more walkable neighborhoods.
For each city, we’ll put together an in-depth profile of the state of the transit system and what public officials are doing (or failing to do) to improve it. We’ll interview local experts and inform our analysis by crunching data. Then the story of each city will be told through the lens of these policy areas:
Service quality : How useful is local transit service for getting around without needing to rely on a schedule? Are residents able to use bus and train service throughout the day? Which parts of the region are effectively served, and which areas are left out?
Land use : Do the areas around transit stations support car-free travel, with a mix of uses and a pedestrian-oriented street environment? Is the region taking steps to prevent auto-centric, exurban development? Is parking required for new projects, or are builders being encouraged to design for walkability around transit stops?
Maintenance : Is the transit system in good condition and up to modern standards? What strategies are policy makers pursuing to repair and upgrade transit infrastructure?
Recent expansion : Have recent transit investments proven effective at growing overall transit ridership? Are they serving areas where the need and demand for transit are greatest? Have they supported the creation of walkable neighborhoods and encouraged people to switch from driving to transit?
Future plans : Which transit projects does the region plan to invest in? Will money for new lines be spent to attract as many riders as possible, or will it support ineffective routes and political pet projects? Will stations be built close to major clusters of development and activity, or on the edges, beyond easy walking distance?
We’ll grade each city on how it’s doing in these policy areas. Allocating resources so transit service connects major clusters of residences, jobs, and other uses will rate highly, while politically expedient but low-ridership projects will not. Land use decisions that foster the growth of walkable neighborhoods will score well; park-and-ride development will not.
Our goal is to provide insight into how the allocation of transit resources can serve more people more effectively. Over the course of the series, we aim to generate analysis that readers can use for reference — best practices as well as paths to avoid. (To get transit right, you have to identify how transit can go wrong.)
We’ll begin our regular “Getting Transit Right” coverage next week, with a series of articles on Atlanta, which last November passed a $2.5 billion transit referendum. We hope readers find the series enlightening and that our work will help public officials and advocates make well-informed decisions for cities and transit riders.Rockstar's much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V will require an 8GB installation, meaning that many Xbox 360 owners will need additional hardware to play that game. On PlayStation 3, the game will come on a single Blu Ray disc, but will still require an 8GB installation before playing. For Xbox 360, however, the game will come on two DVDs, one for installing and one for playing.
The news, first spotted by Eurogamer, means that owners of Xbox 360 models that came with 4GB or 8GB of storage will need to purchase a USB stick or external hard drive to play the year's most anticipated release. Answering a Q&A on its official blog, Rockstar added "if using a USB flash drive it must be at least USB 2.0 with a minimum 15mb/s read speed and formatted for Xbox 360 use. A new USB flash drive is recommended to ensure optimum performance." Elsewhere in the Q&A, Rockstar confirmed a few details on Grand Theft Auto V's gameplay. Gamers will be able to switch between the three stars of the game at any point, and can instigate fights between the characters, but it will not be possible to kill any of them. Grand Theft Auto V is set for release on 17th September for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Image caption Itamar Franco was seen as an unassuming politician
Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco has died in Sao Paulo aged 81 from complications from leukaemia.
Mr Franco, who had been vice-president, took over the presidential role in October 1992, when then-president Fernando Collor de Mello was facing impeachment proceedings.
He remained in the post until January 1995, at a time of hyper-inflation.
His choice as finance minister, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, is widely credited with stabilising the economy.
Mr Franco was elected in 1990 as the running mate of Fernando Collor de Mello.
He was obliged to step in as corruption charges swirled around Mr Collor. He officially assumed the presidency in December 1992 when Mr Collor resigned.
Mr Franco himself was seen as a modest, unassuming politician and he left office with high approval ratings. He also served as governor of his home state of Minas Gerais.
But he hit the headlines in a dramatic way in 1994 when he was watching the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro alongside model Lilian Ramos.
As she danced next to the president, photographers took pictures that revealed she was not wearing any underwear.
Mr Franco will also be remembered for the Plan Real, a set of economic measures devised to end Brazil's high inflation rate by raising interest rates and controlling government spending.
After his spell as president, he served as ambassador to Portugal and as Brazil's representative to the Organization of American States.
He was still serving as a senator for Minas Gerais at the time of his death.
On Sunday, Mr Itamar's body will be taken to Juiz de Fora in Minas Gerais, where he grew up and started his political career.
There, his body will lie in state before the cremation in the state capital Belo Horizonte on Monday.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has declared seven days of mourning.Loading...
SWEDEN -- More than 550,000 people are in housing queue in the Swedish capital Stockholm. The average time to get an apartment last year was over eight years. Getting an apartment in Stockholm's inner city is virtually impossible.But Ali and Alaa got an apartment instantly. They did not wait. They first got an accommodation in Farsta, and now they move into one of Södermalm's most popular areas. They have been in Sweden for a year and a half. They have never been in the queue. They have never paid for themselves. They are satisfied.But far from everyone is happy - many of the newly arrived migrants are dissatisfied with the apartments. They want to live better. They want larger apartments, which taxpayers should pay for. They want more. Yes, it is an almost unimaginable insolence, ingratitude and greed the Swedish hospitality and generosity are met by.Meanwhile, half a million Swedes remain on the world's longest housing waiting list. Treading in the same place they were yesterday, last week, last month, last year. Quiet. Waiting for their turn, as the politicians plan to put even more people in front of them in the queue next year.Take my word for it; the Trump landslide will fade compared to SD's landslide in Sweden in 2018.Comment below.Lawrence Lessig, “the most important thinker on intellectual property in the Internet era” (The New Yorker), masterfully argues that never before in human history has the power to control creative progress been so concentrated in the hands of the powerful few, the so-called Big Media. Never before have the cultural powers- that-be been able to exert such control over what we can and can’t do with the culture around us. Our society defends free markets and free… (more)
Lawrence Lessig, “the most important thinker on intellectual property in the Internet era” (The New Yorker), masterfully argues that never before in human history has the power to control creative progress been so concentrated in the hands of the powerful few, the so-called Big Media. Never before have the cultural powers- that-be been able to exert such control over what we can and can’t do with the culture around us. Our society defends free markets and free speech; why then does it permit such top-down control? To lose our long tradition of free culture, Lawrence Lessig shows us, is to lose our freedom to create, our freedom to build, and, ultimately, our freedom to imagine.(Probably nobody will read this, but I will be suprised if someone did).
I feel inspired to make amazing art because I've seen tons of talented artists online with beautiful masterpieces. Although all my art right now are primitive, I am going to upload all of my completed drawings here (probably even if it looks terrible) to see how much progress and improvements I will make. Hopefully my friend and I can practice together and improve dramatically. If I manage to polish up my pencil and paper drawings, I may go into more complex stuff such as digital arts. My ultimate goal is to make professional quality looking artwork to share with others. I may not get there but it will still be a fun journey.
I have some motivation right now, but sometimes I may lose them all and don't feel like drawing. I hope this doesn't happen too often.
I hope I can get help from others and I appreciate any critiques given.Muslim doctors in Pakistan and America are mostly found to be radical in their religious beliefs.
These days I walk in a state of mental enslavement to Laurent Gayer, a member of the National Centre of Scientific Research in Paris, who has written the final book on Karachi. His Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City (2014) will never be improved upon as an examination of the violent mind. Among many nuggets scattered in his work, one is about early student politics in the city: “[A] coalition of progressive groups formed an electoral alliance (the Progressive Students Alliance) and managed to defeat the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) at Karachi University’s students’ union elections in 1975-1976. However, the IJT managed to regain control over KU’s students’ union the following year. In this rise to power, the IJT relied upon the support of science students, a trend which is not specific to Pakistan (among students, most recruits of Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian Islamist groups have come from science, engineering, law and medicine). Progressive and left organisations, for their part, found their strongest support in the Faculty of Arts.”
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However, one Pakistani nuclear physicist, Pervez Hoodbhoy, recently dubbed “jahil (illiterate)” by a chief reporter on TV, has not succumbed to the trend. His book, Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality (1991), tells us that the trend is new as in antiquity, when philosophy and mathematics went together, most Muslim scientists were apostatised and punished by their co-religionists.
Pervez, whom I admire shamelessly, is an educationist too, and got put off by a 1987 conference on “scientific miracles” under Islamist dictator General Zia-ul-Haq, where Pakistani scientists mixed religious miracle with scientific discovery. Encouraged by funding of Rs 66 lakh (half of which was provided by Saudi Arabia), our guys flew off the handle and talked rubbish about science and demeaned the divine writ of the Quran.
A scientist from Al-Azhar misinterpreted the Quran to claim that mountains were like nails holding the earth down. An Egyptian engineer found that the empty copper shells of armour-piercing ammunition used in the Arab-Israeli war were intended by Allah to destroy “djinns”. Another 1986 conference held by the Pakistan Association of Scientists and Scientific Professions was regaled with a formula by Arshad Ali Beg of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to arrive at the “munafiqat” (hypocrisy) ratio of a given society.
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Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission chief Salim Mehmud tried to shine too, by making a hash of the theory of relativity by linking it with the “mairaj” (ascension) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Another senior nuclear scientist, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, proposed that all energy-related problems could be solved by taming the “djinns”, because they were made of fire. Many others, lured by the limelight, delivered gems of medieval gibberish in the name of Islamic science.
Pervez, a PhD from MIT, sat down and examined the roots of these ridiculous attitudes among Muslim scientists and came up with a well-researched book about the maltreatment of the scientific principle in Muslim societies. He got Nobel laureate Abdus Salam to write its preface because the professor had already made a plaintive appeal to the Muslim world to spend money on scientific advancement, instead of “conquering” science through dogma.
Salam agreed with Pervez’s diagnosis of the anti-scientism of Muslims, but added that a more direct cause lay in the Islamic practice of allowing its ill-educated clergy to issue “fatwas” of excommunication against discoverers of new scientific facts. What had happened to scientists like al-Kindi, al-Razi, al-Haytham and Ibn Sina was still continuing. Al-Kindi was lashed 50 times in front of an illiterate approving crowd; al-Razi was hit on the head with his own book on rationalism till he lost his eyesight; Ibn Sina’s entire life was spent running away from one prince after another for fear of being killed for heresy; Ibn Khaldun, the great social scientist discovered by the West, was condemned by Taha Hussain in our times as “a non-believer pretending to be a Muslim”.
Pervez tells us that scientific facts are contingent. They are empirically proven but subject to change upon further discovery. In his view, it is wrong to link the eternal truth of Islam to this evolving understanding of the phenomena. In a way, science is based on the principle of “uncertainty”, whereas religion, after faith is converted into “certitude”, says goodbye to science. Certitude (yaqeen) commits one to judge others, whereas faith still has space for self-doubt and remains humane.
The gap of learning between India and Pakistan is significant because it goes beyond the argument of population ratios. One has to helplessly concede that where Muslims control their societies, the one branch of knowledge that becomes neglected are the sciences.
Pakistan’s father of the atom bomb, A.Q. Khan, wrote in the daily Jang that, in 1812, when Marathas and Rajputs attacked the state of Bhopal and the ruler could not fend off the invaders, the prime minister went to a majzub (religious person in trance) who pointed to a place where miraculously, a lot of weapons were discovered. Khan rates ghairat (honour) as a high virtue of the state. It is an unscientific concept, but he uses it to communicate with the nation. He wrote in Jang that many admired him for discussing the great national habit of ghairat (honour).
Sultan Bashiruddin, our top nuclear expert, believed he could draw electricity from a captured djinn. (For Pakistan’s needs, just one djinn would suffice.) Pakistan’s current top nuclear scientist, Samar Mubarak Mand, has revealed the same “miracle” symptom.
According to the late journalist Abbas Athar of the Daily Express, Mand told an audience that when he was in Kharan, Balochistan, in 1998, organising the nuclear test, he found that Allah had put a miracle murga (chicken) in the pot from where everyone was eating. After feeding 183 people, the murga was still crowding the pot. He had bought only five chickens. Athar Abbas thought Pakistan should have more degchis (pots) from Mand to produce endless chicken.
Muslim doctors in Pakistan and America are mostly found to be radical in their religious beliefs; so are the lawyers, in a rebuke to Jinnah, who was a secular man. Among the first to contact Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan were Pakistani doctors and nuclear scientists. Gayer includes “engineering, law and medicine” as the branches of knowledge that make the Muslim mind toxic, more than the contrived narrative embedded these days in the arts syllabi.
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In Europe, Bacon in the 17th century delinked reason from the principle of deduction fundamental to religion. Somehow, the continent learned to link civic virtue to the principle of induction or observation, and the states decided that the only “goodness” was the avoidance of crimes, spelt out in the penal codes. There is no reward for piety; avoidance of crime makes one a good citizen. Up in the Khyber tribal agency, warlord Mangal Bagh punishes people for not being pious — he burns the houses of those who don’t come to the mosque five times a day — and the Constitution of Pakistan has Articles 62 and 63 to back him.
The writer is consulting editor, ‘Newsweek Pakistan’CINCINNATI, Ohio -- A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the criminal convictions against more than a dozen members of an Amish community who orchestrated a series of beard-cutting attacks against its enemies.
A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled that the 15 defendants who challenged their convictions did so too late. This is their second appeal and the arguments raised the second time around were waived because they weren't brought up the first time, the opinion says.
"In criminal case after criminal case, we have declined to allow a criminal defendant who fails to challenge part of a conviction in an earlier appeal to raise it in a later appeal," Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote in the opinion. "Seeing no fair reason to give full review to these arguments now, especially as no defendant has explained the omissions from the earlier appeal, we decline to break from this consistent practice."
(You can read the full opinion here or at the bottom of this story.)
The defendants are members of a breakaway sect of an Amish community made up of 18 families in the Jefferson County community of Bergholz, located about 100 miles southeast of Cleveland. They were convicted of multiple crimes in September 2012 for carrying out five nighttime raids in 2011.
Members of the community rousted five victims out of bed and chopped off their beards and hair with horse mane shears and battery-powered clippers. The attackers documented the attacks with a disposable camera.
Prosecutors brought hate-crime and obstruction charges against 16 members of the Amish community. They said the attacks were carried out at the behest of Bishop Samuel Mullet against the bishop's enemies. Witnesses portrayed him as a fire-and-brimstone preacher who imposed strict, and often bizarre, discipline on his flock.
The 6th Circuit later overturned the hate-crime convictions, citing faulty jury instructions. Cleveland-based U.S. District Judge Dan Polster re-sentenced all of them to shorter sentences in March 2015, and noted that it was clear that the attacks were religiously motivated.
Men's beards and women's hair have spiritual significance to the Amish.
Mullet, 70, is serving a 10-year, nine-month prison sentence at a minimum-security prison in Lisbon. Other defendants were re-sentenced to between one and five years in prison, though Ed Bryan, Mullet's federal public defender, said all but Mullet have been released.
In its new opinion, the 6th Circuit, which Sutton called "a sequel," also rejected arguments challenging the new sentences. Sutton wrote that while some of the defendants argued that their sentences were too harsh, he felt that they were "substantively reasonable."
News of the attacks made national headlines and raised questions about the federal hate-crimes law, which carries much harsher sentencing enhancements.
Mike Tobin, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said in a statement that the appeals court "recognized the district court's finding that the violent attacks committed by Samuel Mullet and his 15 co-defendants were religiously motivated hate crimes.
"We hope that this fact, along with the fact that Samuel Mullet will remain incarcerated for his convictions on obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI, allow the victims of these attacks to continue living their lives safely and peacefully."
Bryan said he would petition the full 6th Circuit to hear the case. He said he is disappointed with the ruling and feels the judges did not recognize that Mullet's sentence is disproportionately long compared to those in the case who were convicted of more serious offenses.
He said his client "pays the toll for everyone else's conduct."
Updated with background, more from the appeals court's opinion and comments from the U.S. Attorney's Office and Mullet's attorney.
If you want to comment on this story, please go to Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.The great ape escape: Panic at German zoo as five chimpanzees create makeshift ladder out of branches and jump out of pen
2,500 visitors evacuated by police and zookeepers armed with pepper spray
5 year old girl and elderly man hurt in the panic
4 of the chimps returned of their own accord
A great ape escape caused panic in Germany when five clever chimpanzees broke out of their zoo compound, using a ladder they had fashioned together out of tree branches.
After scaling the wall on Wednesday, the primates were able to walk among the 2,500 visitors to Hanover's Experience Zoo.
While the chimps were content to taste life on the other side of the fence, a five year old girl and an an elderly man were hurt in the panic as staff hurriedly evacuated the park.
Watch your back: An escaped chimpanzee strolls among many young guests
All gone: The chimp's enclosure, meanwhile, sat empty as feeding time came and went
Emergency: Guests were hurried to exits for fear one of the escaped chimps might attack a human
A total of 27 seven police cars raced to the scene to help steer the animals, which are often aggressive, extremely strong and capable of killing a human in seconds.
The chimps scaled the walls of their using a makeshift ladder
They were joined by zookeepers armed with pepper spray.
'At first it was quiet and then panic broke out,' said one visitor.
A five-year-old girl hurt herself when she fell over at the sight of them but was not seriously injured.
An elderly man also needed medical attention when he was locked in the tropical house in 100 degree heat as the chimps roamed outside.
Four of the five chimps - seven in total live in the enclosure - tasted freedom and decided they didn’t like it much.
They wandered back to the enclosure on their own - but leader of the pack Maxi was enjoying himself on the outside.
'He took himself off to see the head gorilla,' said Simone Hagenmeyer, the zoo spokeswoman.
'He was a bit harder to coax back.
'He’s getting on a bit so we gave him a ladder to climb back into the enclosure.'
An inquiry is now underway to determine what happened.
The zoo could be faced with a huge bill for the fleet of police, ambulances and fire engines that raced to the scene.TOKYO (Reuters) - Embattled Toshiba Corp (6502.T) will pick a Japanese government-led group of Japanese, U.S. and South Korean firms and funds to buy the conglomerate’s semiconductor business, two people briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Toshiba Corp is seen outside an electronics retail store in Tokyo, Japan, February 14, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
The consortium, whose bid clears Toshiba’s 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) minimum, has been seen as one of the strongest suitors for the unit - the world’s No. 2 producer of NAND chips - as it would automatically have the government’s stamp of approval, other sources have told Reuters.
Toshiba needs to sell the prized chips unit to cover billions of dollars of losses from its now-bankrupt U.S. nuclear unit.
The three-country group has been fighting to counter a 2.2 trillion yen offer from U.S. chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO.O) and its partner, U.S. private equity firm Silver Lake, which sources have said Toshiba management favors.
The group includes the state-backed fund Innovation Network Corp of Japan, the government’s Development Bank of Japan, and U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS) and the core banking unit of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) are to provide financing under the consortium’s proposal, sources have said.
Another person with direct knowledge of the matter said Toshiba’s board will vote on a preferred bidder on Wednesday and announce the result through the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
A Toshiba spokeswoman said the company cannot comment on specifics of the sale process.
The Japan-U.S.-Korea bid has been orchestrated in large part by Japan’s trade ministry, which wants to keep the valuable chip unit under domestic control.
But Toshiba wants to complete the deal as quickly as possible to help cover massive cost overruns at its Westinghouse Electric Co nuclear unit, which went bankrupt in March, and to dig itself out negative shareholders’ equity that could lead to a delisting.
The conglomerate wants to reach a definitive agreement on a buyer by its June 28 annual shareholders meeting.
The consortium had told Toshiba it needs to resolve a legal dispute with Toshiba’s U.S. chip-venture partner Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) before it will invest in the firm’s chip unit, sources briefed on the matter said before the decision.
Western Digital has sought a U.S. court injunction to prevent its partner from selling the chip business without the U.S. firm’s consent. Chief Executive Steve Milligan said this month that Toshiba was violating contractual rights and had left the U.S. firm no choice but to pursue legal action.
A condition that Western Digital, which has proposed its own bid, essentially drop its legal action could pave the way for the California-based firm to join the government-led consortium.
“The ball is now in Western Digital’s court,” a source said.
But Western Digital is reluctant to join the group in its current form due to worries that sensitive technologies belonging to its joint venture with Toshiba could be leaked to rival SK Hynix, sources said.
It regards their technology in NAND semiconductors, which provide long-term data storage, as on par with that of industry leader Samsung Electronics (005930.KS). By contrast, SK Hynix is weak in NAND although strong in DRAM chips, which help electronic devices perform multiple tasks at once.
Western Digital declined to comment.
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, is also a suitor. Formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry (2317.TW), the Taiwanese firm is leading a consortium that includes Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and computing giant Dell Inc.
($1 = 111.7400 yen)Been staying up past my bedtime and re-watching Network. If you’re not familiar, the Paddy Chayefsky creation is one of the finest screenplays ever written. It also eerily predicts the rise of pundit-driven entertainment/news. Many commentators have noted that NewsCorp’s Glenn Beck is a rather transparent re-creation of Howard Beale…
There is a very good reason that you will never, ever catch this movie being re-broadcast on your favored cable TV outlet. This movie delves into the undue influence of corporate conglomerates on the framing of news. It delves into the art of crafting propaganda to quell a populace irritated with the powers that be. It delves into the sociopathic qualities and behavior that it takes to wield power as a capable corporate executive. Sadly, this is a post-structuralist piece that you won’t see unless you go out of your way to look for it.Health concerns over the Red Bull energy drink were fuelled yesterday after Europe's highest court upheld a French ban on the product.
The fizzy drink has been linked to several deaths and some experts have criticised its high levels of caffeine and other stimulants.
Red Bull is Britain's best-selling energy drink, with 213 million cans consumed last year. It has been dubbed the 'clubbers' drink', and is often mixed with vodka. The popular adverts claiming that Red Bull 'gives you wings', have led to the brand being described as 'the Porsche of soft drinks'.
It contains caffeine, vitamins, and sugar which, the company claims, kick-starts the body's metabolism and keeps people alert. But France has refused to authorise its sale, along with other vitamin-fortified foods such as Danone yoghurt and Kellogg's cereals.
The European Commission (EC) challenged France's ban after manufacturers complained it was inhibiting imports.
In a ruling yesterday, the European Court of Justice upheld the main part of the EC challenge, ordering France to lift the ban unless it could prove the health risks. But the court said that the French government did have a right to ban Red Bull.
The judges said that a study by the French Scientific Committee on Human Nutrition found that Red Bull contained excessive caffeine. The committee also raised concerns about the drink's other ingredients - taurine, an amino acid the company claims can 'kick-start' the metabolism - and glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate.
The EC's Scientific Committee on Food conducted a study last year, and found that while caffeine levels in energy drinks were safe, more studies were needed to assess the dangers of taurine and glucuronolactone.
While other toxicology experts had concluded that the caffeine levels in Red Bull are safe, France had a right to ban the drink on the advice of its own experts, the court said.
One can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine - equivalent to one cup of coffee. Three years ago, Ross Cooney, 18, from Ireland, died after he shared four cans of Red Bull and played in a basketball match.
An inquest into his death ruled that he died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.
Lyndel Costain, a dietician, said: 'The problem with caffeine is that the effects can vary, so it is difficult to say what is a safe level. High levels of caffeine can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or anxiety disorders. Not much is known about taurine and glucuronolactone, but high levels of them could affect the body.'
Red Bull - which sells 1.6 billion cans worldwide - said yesterday that its product was safe.
A spokeswoman said: 'Red Bull will continue to be sold in 100 countries worldwide.' She added: 'No authority in the world has ever discovered or proven an unhealthy effect in or from Red Bull.'
Only France, Denmark and Norway have banned the drink. Britain's Committee on Toxicity investigated Red Bull in 2001 and found that it was safe, but warned pregnant women against it because high caffeine intake has been linked to a risk of miscarriage.
An EU ruling which comes into force this year means that Red Bull and other energy drinks will have to carry 'high caffeine content' warnings. An urban myth that taurine was made from bull's semen has only added to its popularity.
Safety fears Ross Cooney, 18, was a healthy basketball player, but died in 2000 just hours after drinking Red Bull.
The student from Limerick, Ireland, died after sharing four cans of the drink with friends before a basketball game.
At his inquest, the coroner called officials from the Austrian-based company to give evidence about their product. They said that no adverse effects had been proven in connection with the drink.
The inquest jury later ruled that the teenager had died as a result of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, but called for an inquiry into high-caffeine energy drinks.
A Brazilian study found that those who
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said that extending the truce depended on how the Houthis and their ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, complied with the ceasefire.
The world’s top oil exporter has accused the Houthis of violating the truce but said it would exercise self-restraint to allow the delivery of badly needed supplies to Yemenis.
Yemeni Vice President Khaled Bahah, who also heads the government in exile, said his administration was in favor of extending the truce but a decision on that depended on the situation on the ground.
“We need the ceasefire to continue for long, not just for a few days, but it depends on the operation on the ground,” Bahah told Reuters in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
“There is an effort for an extension, but it depends on how it is on the ground. But it’s our wish from the government side that we need to extend it,” he added.
AID, FIGHTING
Hadi told the conference that the Iran-allied Houthis must quit cities they had captured since they moved on Sanaa and pushed his government aside in September last year, adding that they should not be allowed to “take advantage of the truce to expand more and kill civilians.”
The conference was rejected by both the Houthis and fighters loyal to former president Saleh, meaning it will not provide an opportunity for peace talks.
However, some leading figures from Saleh’s party, the General People’s Congress (GPC), have traveled to Riyadh and pledged loyalty to Hadi’s government.
Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the United Nations, which had previously sponsored Yemeni discussions on ways of ending the crisis before the Saudi-led air strikes began, was looking to resuming the talks in Geneva around the end of May.
“We need flexibility, we need open minds... and we need them to come with an open mind and no preconditions,” he said.
Aid flights have started from the United Arab Emirates to the capital Sanaa, which is under Houthi control and has faced air strikes but no ground fighting. The United Nations said aid ships had docked at ports in Hodeida and Aden.
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 20 tonnes of medical supplies had been sent from Dubai to Djibouti for delivery to Yemen. It said it was increasing shipments of medical supplies during the truce.
A shipping source in Yemen said seven ships with fuel, wheat and food had docked in Hodeida and in al-Mukalla on Friday.
On Sunday, a vessel with more than 30,000 food parcels sent by the UAE docked at al-Buraiqa port, near the oil refinery in the southern city of Aden. Aden itself is under control of anti-Houthi forces, according to shipping sources in the city.
The sources said this was the first aid consignment to reach Aden, which has been devastated by heavy fighting.
In some of the worst clashes since the truce, at least 10 people died in overnight battles in Taiz city between Houthis and local militiamen, residents and medical sources said.
Some fighting also took place in the city of Dhalea on Saturday night and residents reported at least five people killed. Clashes were under way in Shabwa, a province east of Aden, where local fighters were trying to wrest back the provincial capital, Artaq, from the Houthis.United States Print This George Tenet says Bush/Cheney knew 9/11 was about to happen - before it did By Jake Anderson, TheAntimedia.org Blacklisted News
EX-CIA CHIEF: BUSH AND CHENEY KNEW 9/11 WAS IMMINENT, CONCEALED INTELLIGENCE
A new report from
The claim comes from none other than ex-CIA Chief George Tenet, who recounted with palpable frustration how Bush, Cheney, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice ignored multiple warnings from both him and then-counterterrorism chief, Cofer Black, during the late spring and summer of 2001.
Previously, the most salient proof the Bush administration had advanced warning of 9/11 was the infamous August 6th edition of the CIA Presidential Daily Brief given to George W. Bush. Titled “ Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S., ” the document has often been cited by journalists and whistleblowers making a case of willful negligence against Bush and Cheney. The new information from Tenet and Black presents a considerably deeper timeline, showing there was a consistent stream of intelligence warnings starting at least four months prior to September 11th.
According to Black, by May of 2001 “ it was very evident that we were going to be struck, we were gonna be struck hard and lots of Americans were going to die. ”
Reacting to the threat, Tenet and Black formulated a plan called “the Blue Sky paper,” which called for a comprehensive but covert CIA and military campaign to wipe out Al Qaeda before it could launch attacks. Specifically, Tenet wanted a paramilitary team deployed to the Afghan sanctuary with the goal of “creating a bridge with Uzbekistan.”
Tenet says the response to the “the Blue Sky paper” was stunning. The administration did not want to address the issue, and notably, “didn’t want the clock to start ticking.” In its report, POLITICO translates this to Tenet claiming Bush and Cheney didn’t want a paper trail of the warnings. It’s unclear whether Tenet directly asserted this sentiment or if reporter Chris Whipple inferred it.
What is clear is that for the entire summer preceding the 9/11 attacks, the administration ignored warnings about the threat of Al Qaeda and outright rejected a CIA plan to destroy the terrorist group.
Tenet gets more specific with the nature of the intelligence:
A new report from POLITICO corroborates a suspicion long held by critics of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. It affirms the former president and vice president not only had intelligence warning the terror attacks of 9/11 were imminent, but that they repeatedly ignored the CIA’s warnings. The most shocking assertion is that Bush and Cheney actively attempted to hide the paper trail documenting the fact that the evidence was presented to them.The claim comes from none other than ex-CIA Chief George Tenet, who recounted with palpable frustration how Bush, Cheney, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice ignored multiple warnings from both him and then-counterterrorism chief, Cofer Black, during the late spring and summer of 2001.Previously, the most salient proof the Bush administration had advanced warning of 9/11 was the infamous August 6th edition of the CIA Presidential Daily Brief given to George W. Bush. Titled “” the document has often been cited by journalists and whistleblowers making a case of willful negligence against Bush and Cheney. The new information from Tenet and Black presents a considerably deeper timeline, showing there was a consistent stream of intelligence warnings starting at least four months prior to September 11th.According to Black, by May of 2001 “Reacting to the threat, Tenet and Black formulated a plan called “the Blue Sky paper,” which called for a comprehensive but covert CIA and military campaign to wipe out Al Qaeda before it could launch attacks. Specifically, Tenet wanted a paramilitary team deployed to the Afghan sanctuary with the goal of “creating a bridge with Uzbekistan.”Tenet says the response to the “the Blue Sky paper” was stunning. The administration did not want to address the issue, and notably, “didn’t want the clock to start ticking.” In its report, POLITICO translates this to Tenet claiming Bush and Cheney didn’t want a paper trail of the warnings. It’s unclear whether Tenet directly asserted this sentiment or if reporter Chris Whipple inferred it.What is clear is that for the entire summer preceding the 9/11 attacks, the administration ignored warnings about the threat of Al Qaeda and outright rejected a CIA plan to destroy the terrorist group.Tenet gets more specific with the nature of the intelligence: “The world felt like it was on the edge of eruption. In this time period of June and July, the threat continues to rise. Terrorists were disappearing [as if in hiding, in preparation for an attack]. Camps were closing. Threat reportings on the rise.”
Rice has consistently downplayed this meeting. In her memoir, she said her recollection of the July 10th warning is not “crisp” because she and Tenet had been regularly discussing the terrorist threat.
How the president’s national security advisor—and the president and vice president themselves—did not prioritize the urgency of new intelligence regarding a terrorist attack against the United States is still a matter of confusion and deep disappointment for Tenet.
“To me it remains incomprehensible still. I mean, how is it that you could warn senior people so many times and nothing actually happened? It’s kind of like The Twilight Zone,” says Tenet. “I still look at the ceiling at night about a lot of things. And I’ll keep them to myself forever. But we’re all human beings.”
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On July 10th, Tenet met directly with Condoleezza Rice at the White House, where Richard Blee, head of the agency’s Al Qaeda division, told the national security advisor, “There will be significant terrorist attacks against the United States in the coming weeks or months. The attacks will be spectacular. They may be multiple. Al Qaeda’s intention is the destruction of the United States.”Rice has consistently downplayed this meeting. In her memoir, she said her recollection of the July 10th warning is not “crisp” because she and Tenet had been regularly discussing the terrorist threat.How the president’s national security advisor—and the president and vice president themselves—did not prioritize the urgency of new intelligence regarding a terrorist attack against the United States is still a matter of confusion and deep disappointment for Tenet.“To me it remains incomprehensible still. I mean, how is it that you could warn senior people so many times and nothing actually happened? It’s kind of like The Twilight Zone,” says Tenet. “I still look at the ceiling at night about a lot of things. And I’ll keep them to myself forever. But we’re all human beings.” Print This Make a Donation! Donate here If you appreciated this article, please consider making a donation to Axis of Logic. We do not use commercial advertising or corporate funding. We depend solely upon you, the reader, to continue providing quality news and opinion on world affairs.
---The Hundred Years War was started in 1337 by King Edward III of England, grandfather of King Richard II. The constant fighting was taking its toll on England and France. Both King Richard and the French King Charles VI were looking for a truce, if not a complete cessation of hostilities. Richard’s wife, Anne of Bohemia had died in 1394 and it made sense for him to marry a French princess to cement any agreement. Talks began shortly after Anne’s death of a marriage between Richard and Princess Isabella of Valois.
Isabella of Valois was born on November 9, 1389 at the Louvre in Paris. She was the eldest child of King Charles VI of France and Queen Isabeau of Bavaria. King Charles suffered from bouts of madness which may have been made for some frightful moments for the young princess. Queen Isabeau kept her small children close to her until they were weaned from their wet nurse. When she left Paris, many times she took her children with her. When the Queen was separated from her children she would visit them and bring gifts and write letters to them.
A document exists from 1404 conveying an agreement between Queen Isabeau and the Celestines de Notre-Dame de Paris to construct a gate allowing herself and her children access to the order’s gardens and vineyards as well as the church and monastery for worshipping purposes as well as for pleasure. We can just imagine Isabella and her sisters wandering and playing in these pleasant gardens.
Isabeau purchased devotional books for her daughters demonstrating her interest in educating them. An entry in her account books indicates the purchase of little brooms and a golden mill with pearls for Isabella. Other purchases for Isabella and her sisters included pets, parrots and turtledoves, birthday presents, toys and clothes. While Isabella’s upbringing until she married may not have been ideal due to her father’s illness, her mother appears to have tried to ensure the days were filled with the usual childhood pursuits and education.
In 1394, when Isabella was five years old, King Richard II of England’s beloved first wife Anne of Bohemia died of plague. Soon afterwards, Richard went on campaign in Ireland. Already offers were coming in for new brides for Richard from the King of Aragon, the Duke of Bavaria and the King of Scots. Charles VI of France was anxious to prevent an alliance with Spain and maintain peace between France and England. Charles’ uncle, the Duke of Burgundy also wanted to strengthen his authority in Flanders by safeguarding his trade relations with England. In May of 1395, Charles sent envoys to Ireland to propose a marriage with his daughter Isabella. Charles commissioned a treatise by Philippe de Mezières stating all the advantages of the marriage. Mezières argued that by having control of Isabella so early in her life, Richard could educate and mold her as he wanted.
In the summer of 1395, Richard sent the Archbishop of Dublin, the earl marshal and several others to Paris to negotiate. When the earl marshal met Isabella he asked her what she thought of going to England and marrying the King. The chronicler Froissart reports her as saying she would be happy “For I am told that then I shall be a great lady”.
Richard’s envoys demanded from King Charles two million gold francs as Isabella’s dowry. The amount was negotiated down to eight hundred thousand francs with a down payment of three thousand. If the match was broken off, the French would be responsible for paying the English three million francs and Charles was obligated to pay for Isabella’s journey to Calais, the last port in France before she sailed to England. If Isabella died before she was thirteen, Richard was to marry one of her relatives, possibly one of her sisters and keep four hundred thousand francs. If Richard died before Isabella was twelve, she would receive five hundred thousand francs and a dower settlement of £6,666 per year. Any jewels in her possession were to be returned to France with her. Included in Isabella’s trousseau were dolls trimmed with silver utensils.
On March 9, 1396 a twenty-eight year truce between England and France was concluded and a proxy marriage was performed at the Sainte-Chappelle in Paris three days later. In October, Isabella and her father left Paris with a large retinue and by October 26 they met Richard at Ardes. A few days later, Isabella, dressed in a blue gown and jeweled crown, curtsied before Richard as he kissed her. Her father formally handed her over to Richard’s care.
This was Richard’s first formal international embassy and neither party wanted to be out shown by the other. There was a city of tents erected with elaborate pavilions for the monarchs. A steady stream of sumptuous gifts passed between the pavilions and Richard wore his most extravagant fashions. This display would be repeated again during the reigns of King Henry VIII and King Francis I about one hundred years later at the Field of Cloth of Gold. The entire spectacle cost Richard between ten thousand and fifteen thousand pounds but the expense was considered worth it as it highlighted his royal prestige.
On All Saints Day, Isabella was carried in a cloth-of-gold litter to the church of St. Nicholas in Calais for the wedding ceremony. Isabella was given into the care of the duchesses of Gloucester, Eleanor de Bohun and Lancaster, Katherine Swynford. She would spend the rest of her married childhood between their two households. Isabella also had her own French governess, Margaret de Courcy.
Two days later Richard and Isabella sailed for England. Some of the ships were wrecked on the way. They landed at Dover and then journeyed through Rochester and Canterbury to Eltham where they stopped to await Isabella’s entry into London. When Isabella arrived in London, there was a terrible crush of people on the bridge between Southwark and Kennington and several people were killed.
On January 3, 1397, Isabella spent the night in the Tower of London before her coronation. On January 4th she rode in procession before ladies and knights in red gowns with the white hart badge of her husband. She met Richard at Westminster and was crowned the next day. Two weeks of celebration and tournaments followed. As happened with the marriage of Richard to Anne of Bohemia, people grumbled about the expense of the proceedings. Isabella was seen as an unsuitable bride for their king due to her youth and inability to provide an heir any time soon. Also, many nobles were against the truce with France and the marriage and Isabella received a discourteous reception from some of them.
Because of Isabella’s youth, she had no political influence for the next three years. Isabella and Richard went on pilgrimage to Canterbury in February of 1397 and they were together during Christmas of 1397 at Lichfield and attended the opening of Parliament in January of 1398 at Shrewsbury. Shortly after this Richard, who had been in political trouble with his nobles and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke before, was becoming increasingly tyrannical and paranoid. He sent Bolingbroke into exile and instituted a “pleasure” fine in violation of the Magna Carta. He collected thousands of pounds in forced loans and his court became increasingly magnificent.
While all this was unfolding, Isabella spent most of her time at Eltham under the tutelage of Margaret de Courcy. She was well treated and became devoted to her husband. Letters between Isabella and her parents were transmitted by Pierre Salmon. In the spring of 1399, Richard visited her at Windsor where a tournament was held in her honor. Richard was going on campaign in Ireland again. Before he left, he played with Isabella, held her hand and kissed her, promising he would call for her to join him in Ireland soon. His real plan was to send Madame de Courcy back to France and he probably never intended to bring Isabella to Ireland. In fact, this was the last time she saw her husband.
While Richard was in Ireland, Bolingbroke came back to England and raised thousands of troops. Richard’s uncle, Edmund, Duke of York who was in charge of the kingdom while Richard was gone, was forced to choose between Richard and Bolingbroke and he chose Bolingbroke. Richard made his way back to England with a small company but they soon deserted him. He was taken to Flint Castle where Bolingbroke had him arrested.
Richard was forced to abdicate and Parliament declared Richard deposed. Henry Bolingbroke was crowned as King Henry IV at Westminster on October 13, 1399. Richard was purportedly murdered at Pontefract Castle in February of 1400. There was a requiem held in Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London which King Henry attended.
In the meantime, Isabella was awaiting news of her husband at Donning in Berkshire. She was not allowed to see her husband and at one point her house was stormed and her attendants’ badges were torn from their livery. In December, the earls of Kent and Salisbury visited her and informed her Richard was free and it was an imposter in the Tower of London. We can only imagine how frightened Isabella must have been during all this turmoil. When she finally realized Richard was dead, she plunged her household into deep mourning.
Isabella’s position was tenuous. She hadn’t reached the age of canonical consent and she wasn’t technically a queen dowager. All of her dowry had been paid and the French were demanding it be returned. King Henry sent an embassy to Paris to discuss the marriage of Isabella to his son Henry, now Prince of Wales. The Prince did eventually marry Isabella’s younger sister Catherine. The English didn’t have the money to return the dowry and they couldn’t afford to endanger their truce with France.
After Richard’ deposition, Isabella’s parents were frantic to have her returned home. They were diligent in their negotiations. Documents reveal the ambassadors were instructed to confirm with Isabella that her parents were working on her rescue. She was urged not to marry anyone that King Henry might recommend. She most likely refused to marry the Prince of Wales out of loyalty to Richard. If the ambassadors were allowed to speak to Isabella alone they were to assure her that her parents wanted to see her and were doing everything in their power to return her to France as quickly as possible.
In May of 1401, a treaty was signed at Leulinghem whereby King Henry agreed to return Isabella to France with her jewels and property. She was accompanied by the Earl of Worcester and handed over to the Count of St. Pol at Calais on July 21, 1401. Isabella returned home to her parents to their great joy. She reentered her mother’s household but of course her status was not as important there as it was when she was Queen of England. But her mother did make sure she was surrounded by ladies of higher rank than she had before she went to England.
In May of 1406, Isabella was married to her cousin Charles of Orleans, son of Duke Louis of Orleans. When Louis was murdered in November of 1407, Charles became the new Duke. This marriage may have been seen by Isabella as a source of humiliation as her new husband was only the son of a Duke and she had once been a Queen. Records indicate Isabella visited her mother in April of 1409 when she was pregnant. She would die on September 14, 1409 after giving birth to her daughter Joan. Isabella was buried in Blois at the chapel of the abbey of St. Laumer, now the church of St. Nicholas. In 1624, her remains were moved to the Orleans chapel in the church of the Celestines in Paris where she had played as a child.
Further reading: “The Life and Afterlife of Isabeau of Bavaria” by Tracy Adams, “Queen Consorts: England’s Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York” by Lisa Hilton, entry on Isabella of Valois in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography written by J.L. Kirby, entry on King Richard II of England in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography written by Anthony TuckI’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about nothing.
The idea of nothing once intimidated me. When I saw something that seemed purposeless, or when I thought there might be an absence of life, a paranoia drove me to put something there. That something, for me, was God.
I should say here that my contemplation of nothing is not necessarily an unimpeachable feature of atheism. There are many atheists who do not think about the idea of nothing at all — to them, what I say may be nonsense. But for me…
Let me try to explain.
Yesterday I saw a movie called The Walk, and it was about Philippe Petit, a man who wanted to walk between the World Trade Center Twin Towers back in 1974. As I watched the film, I noticed that several cues hinted his motivation. He wanted to impress crowds. He wanted to fulfill a dream. There was a drive, a purpose.
But that purpose faded for me for five minutes near the end of the movie, where he was walking on the wire, between the two towers. Everything fades for a while — the height, the crowds, even the buildings. All that was there, for about 30 seconds in the film, was the wire, stretching out some indeterminable length. It was calming. Peaceful. Beautiful.
A wire through a void.
And in walking the wire with him, I felt….
***
We live in a huge, vast universe of space. And we’re, like, this spinning ball making our way round a sun a million earths large in this vast…well, I know there are stars, and satellites, and planets and asteroids, and comets, and the rest. But still, it just strikes me as this vast, wide, overwhelming nothingness.
Not impregnated with a God or anyone who cares about us save ourselves. Just a spinning, pale, blue dot traveling along a line of nothingness. This infinitesimal thread of time and space.
And when I used to think about it, it frightened me, because I thought it was supposed to frighten me, as I thought the sense of emptiness was meant be filled with faith in an authority I saw as God. But now, thinking about that speck of dust spinning around an enormous universe, silently, peacefully, along a line through the vast blackness and winds of seemingly (or perhaps really) infinite nature of space — it makes me feel…
***
So I was running once, through Sedona, AZ, about seven or eight miles. At first, I ran for the beauty of the light dashing through shadows in the red canyon. But there’s a point in running when all your concerns and worries and distractions begin to fade. So eventually, I ran…just because…I honestly couldn’t tell you. It was just beautiful and raw, like “the fact is the only beauty labor knows” shit. It felt so peaceful, so quiet, so overwhelmingly gorgeous of an experience. Focusing on the trail ahead, like I was gliding on the surface of existence…and yet bound tightly within it. Floating and grounded, in that empty, wondrously meaningless space of consciousness that maybe you could call…
***
So a couple years ago I was reading A Farewell To Arms, and throughout it, there’s a soldier of World War I who is an ambulance driver named Frederic Henry. He leaves war, with all its shattered idealism, as a deserter, and is going to have a child with his wife that he marries on the run, Catherine Barkley, and they escape from the War, and it’s a fairy tale ending, full of bright hope and promise, until the end, the very last couple pages or so, when Ernest Hemingway (the author) kills off Catherine Barkley as she gives birth to her long-awaited child, who also dies, and the novel ends with Frederic Henry, with everything taken from him — glory, honor, love of his life, offspring, everything — walking out the hospital in the rain, away from largely indifferent nurses who are just spending another day of work at the hospital, and he is thoroughly alone enough for my core to feel it..
Anyways, this feeling overtook me, and I thought this feeling represented this real fact in this fiction that was a small, like, microcosm or symbol of life, or whatever — a microcosm or symbolic thing of life in how it seemed so often chock-full of a pursuit of a dream of beauty that we call “the American dream” or “justice” or some other such idealistic thing, but that somehow, propping it up, or underneath it all, and underlying it, and lying all around its edges is something of a raw void that seems, perhaps, horrifying but only if you’re still holding on to the dream that it’s not real. But when you lose the faith in the dream — and in that moment, that’s what Hemingway made me do, through his character Frederic — there are no tears, no smiles, no sadness, no happiness, no pain. Maybe peace, and yet that’s both too simple and too complex. It’s like…losing everything and realizing you’re still there, and that all along, you were still there — not the definition of you, but just a raw you, and you’re everything but you’re also, in the truest sense…
***
I’m driving down a road late on a Friday night, my last night I would call myself religious, and my faith is coming together and falling apart at the same time. I’ve spent hours over the years haunting bookstores and libraries and message boards, thinking, reading, thinking, praying, thinking, talking, thinking, writing…seeking confidence in doubt in all the supposedly right places I could. The doubts were there for greater trust, I thought, as in those gaps was God. And I filled them, filled them, filled them…for twenty years I’d tried to anxiously fill the gaping hole of doubts with more evidence, more faith, more trust, more love, more passion, more, more, more, and more — it was the solution, until now. Now, late on a Friday night driving down Highway 121, it wasn’t a solution anymore. The edifice all caved in on itself; my doubts had coalesced to burn off the illusions and I realized…
I wasn’t a Christian anymore. At that moment, though I am currently an atheist, I had no idea whether God existed or not; I just knew I wasn’t a Christian anymore.
And when I knew that, I lost my sense of up and down. Everything that had made up that solid ground that I had been so firmly standing on emptied under me. And I had been afraid, before, that this moment of losing God would feel like a free falling existential crisis, with constant horror, with a frantic searching of paranoia. To be sure, later there would be a storm as family and friends reacted to the news, and the contours of where I stood might become a bit more defined again, but right now….now I felt…not calm, not ecstatic — maybe a bit relieved, but also vaguely overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time, because at the heart of my existence was just the raw fact of me, and for the first time in my life there was this raw realization that it was up to me what I was going to do with me and my perspective and existence in general…and I realized that as I just sat there in the dark, alone, and it wasn’t just a shrugging OK but it wasn’t not OK — it was…
***
I’m reading David Foster Wallace, that writer who committed suicide, and he wrote this book Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, and I’m reading about the fictional interview some woman has with some man called subject 46. And he talks about brutal things — rape, murder, starving to death, experimenting on people during the Holocaust — all these horrific things. And in talking about this, he goes over the way people can treat you. And the words that haunt me, that pierce me to the core of my being with claws that haven’t left it ever since, are, “they can treat you like a thing.” Like, people can treat you as a thing. Worse than Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, where they see you as different than you are — no, they can treat you like a thing.
Like, your dignity or — lemme make it personal — my dignity as a fucking human being who deserves, innately, rights and respect and honor and to be the grand star at the center of the goddamn universe…people can say, “Fuck that shit” and see me as a thing. Worse than a “Coloreds Only” sign on a water faucet — I can be treated like a cadaver to be operated on and experimented on and hurt, except the people hurting me don’t think about hurting me and feel no malice, no cruelty, nothing. Just nothing. They can treat me like a thing.
And so I’m reading this standing there in Barnes and Noble with the bright calming lights over my head and the clacking of coffee cups and the polite chatter and the rustling turning pages and Sarah Bareilles singing in the fucking background — all of it together in a chorus saying, “It’s OK” over and over as this book is stripping me raw and I feel more naked than I’ve ever been in the entire history of my life…
And then, in my soul (which I don’t believe in but I need a word like that now), I believed it. In whatever is that deepest part of the psyche, I suddenly knew it was true.
And you would think this was terrifying. But the next thing subject 46 said was also true — that I DECIDE in this void who I am. This is a void and realizing that it is a void gives us the freedom to own our beauty, or brilliance, or…whatever the fucking hell it is — it’s whatever makes us, “ourselves,” it’s this…
It’s what Nietzsche said about the watchman who, in the face of God’s death, declared that we had to become gods to replace Him…it’s like, we know we are nothing, or — more, exactly, could be nothing, or whatever — but, that doesn’t matter a damn, because we can decide to see ourselves as human beings with some innate dignity while being fully aware of the gaping void, like a focus on a wire stretching out to infinity between the twin towers or…
we can DECIDE….
And it’s all in the face of…
***
So Emily Dickinson has this fucking awesome poem that I read for the first time back in undergrad and that I read maybe once every couple weeks to remind me of it…and it’s in the public domain, so I can actually quote it in full — here it is:
There’s a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.
Heavenly hurt it gives us;
We can find no scar,
But internal difference
Where the meanings are.
None may teach it anything,
‘ T is the seal, despair, —
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air.
When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath;
When it goes, ‘t is like the distance
On the look of death.
The oppression Dickinson is talking about, I learned, is the gap — the gap between our existence and the brilliance of nature. And I think this is the sense of awe we know — we look at the vaulted ceilings of the Sistine Chapel or the brilliance of the stars in the night sky and we feel the “heavenly hurt” of being small and different compared to the universe that we’re in.
But we are made up of stars like those we see twinkling in the night sky. This computer, these fingers, our eyes, everything…it’s all just…there. The stars, in our minds, in all their spectacular beauty, are as lifeless as corpses…and yet, when I look in the night sky or sit near a swiftly moving stream or set my eyes on a beautiful landscape I begin to think or know that I’m part of it all and it’s beautiful because I am the universe looking at itself and it’s beautiful to me.
As Zora Neale Hurston put it:
When the consciousness we know as life ceases, I know that I shall still be part and parcel of the world. I was a part before the sun rolled into shape and burst forth in the glory of change. I was, when the earth was hurled out from its fiery rim. I shall return with the earth to Father Sun, and still exist in substance when the sun has lost its fire, and disintegrated into infinity to perhaps become a part of the whirling rubble of space. Why fear? The stuff of my being is matter, ever changing, ever moving, but never lost; so what need of denominations and creeds to deny myself the comfort of all my fellow men? The wide belt of the universe has no need for finger-rings. I am one with the infinite and need no other assurance.
***
I’ve thought a lot about the soul, which is strange for an atheist. And yet there is this…this raw…this thing I’ve been talking about, this nothing that I’ve been trying to get at, this gap in, as Dickinson put it, “where the meanings are.” Defining it as God seems to be a lie. But maybe, I’ve wondered…maybe when we’re talking about a soul, we’re talking about that nothing, that void. And it’s not frightening. It’s like a peaceful thing. It’s not a soul in the sense of something necessarily conscious. It’s like…just nothingness.
But it’s this part of ourselves that makes nothing, that makes the void, so pregnant with beautiful meaning in our lives. Our desires, our logic, our beauty, our perspectives, our decisions to give ourselves and each other dignity on this spinning “pale, blue dot”…this comes from there being, in my mind, no God, and in its place a void containing nothing but ourselves and the entirety of existence…just there, with no meaning save that which we give it.
That makes me eagerly embrace my life, because in this nothing, no meaning is mandated or handed down; for me it is decided by care and empathy for others and my own passions. And the freedom of there being a ” nothing” there, a void on which to paint my life, gives me something to live for. It makes the basis of my existence, if it makes sense to put it this way, “pure.” As Alan Watts put it:
So if you really go the how way and see how you feel at the prospect of vanishing forever — of all your efforts, and all your achievements, and all your attainments turning into dust and nothingness — what is the feeling? What happens to you? All kinds of poetry emphasize the theme of transcendence. There is a kind of nostalgic beauty to it. “The Banquet Hall deserted, after the revelry, all the guests had left and gone on their ways. The table with overturned glasses, crumbled napkins, bread crumbs, and dirty knives and forks lies empty. And the laughter echoes only in one’s mind. And then the echo goes, the memory, the traces are all gone. That’s the end you see.”
Do you see, in a way, how that is saying the most real state is the state of nothing? That’s what it’s all going to come to. With these physicists who think of the energy of the universe as running down dissipating into radiation, and gradually and gradually, and gradually, gradually, until there is nothing left. And, for some reason, we are supposed to find this depressing. But if somebody is going to argue that the basic reality is nothingness — where does all this come from? Obviously from nothingness. Once again you get how this looks behind your eyes. So cheer up….Nothingness is really like the nothingness of space, which contains the whole universe. All the sun and the stars and mountains, and rivers, and the good men and the bad men, and the animals, and insects, and the whole bit. All are contained in void. So out of this void comes everything and you it. What else could you be?
So…I’m typing this now, but one day the heat-death of the universe will happen, and all I strive for today will turn to dust, and that may well be the end of everything. And the scary thing about it, the reason why people cling to God, is that, I think, they (like me, once) cannot bear the thought of there being nothing. But — and I realize this is a controversial point, but it is mine — to a major extent,
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complete with diagrams was introduced to the Banfield staff and added to the electronic medical record system in 2010. Before that time, there was no standardized method of diagnosis for overweight dogs; assessments were made on a subjective basis. The reason for requiring a minimal visit frequency (once every 3 years) during the follow-up period was to exclude dogs with only 1 or 2 visits, thereby providing the possibility of detecting an overweight body condition ≥ 3 times during the 10-year period. For phase 2 of the study, the aim was to identify whether undergoing gonadectomy (rather than age at gonadectomy) was a risk factor for dogs subsequently becoming overweight. Two cohorts were created for this evaluation: gonadectomized and sexually intact dogs. For the gonadectomized group, data from the 3 cohorts in phase 1 were combined. For the sexually intact group, dogs that had their first hospital visit between 1997 through 2000 and were on record as sexually intact through to 2010 were considered for inclusion. This extended period was required to include a sufficient number of dogs to approximate the number of gonadectomized dogs. Dogs in the sexually intact cohort were frequency matched to dogs in the gonadectomized cohort on the basis of age. To accomplish this, a random sample of sexually intact dogs was selected from each calendar year and from specific age groups (0 to < 6 months, 6 to < 12 months, 12 to < 24 months, 24 to < 36 months, 36 to < 48 months, and 48 to 60 months) to mimic the proportions of gonadectomized dogs in the same age groups. Sexually intact dogs matched in a previous year were ineligible to be reselected for another match. Dogs > 60 months of age at the first visit were excluded, as were those that met the same exclusion criteria as in phase 1. Data collection—Information extracted from the records included age in months at study entry, sex, breed, breed size, state of home hospital, number of hospital visits during the study period, whether dogs were enrolled in a WPb (prepaid medical care plan) at any time during the study period (yes or no), and whether the dog was diagnosed as being overweight or having hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, or hyperadrenocorticism (yes or no) at any time during the study period. Dogs were assigned to breed-size categories on the basis of the typical adult weight achieved by various breeds as follows: small or toy breed (< 9.1 kg [20 lb]), medium breed (9.1 to 22.7 kg [20 to 50 lb]), or large breed (> 22.7 kg). No attempt was made to confirm the accuracy of diagnoses other than that of being overweight, such as evaluation of serum thyroxine concentration, blood glucose concentration, radiographic findings, or results of ACTH stimulation testing, because these were not the main variables of interest and were included solely for the purpose of controlling for potential confounders. Inclusion of data on diet or exercise patterns was considered, but review of the records revealed such data were not recorded for all dogs for all visits. Statistical analysis—Data for each continuous variable (ie, age and number of visits/y) were tested for normality through examination of histograms. Because a pronounced left skew was evident for all distributions, these variables are reported as median (range). The follow-up period began on the study entry date and ended on the last day of the following 10-year period. Dogs were censored from the study when a diagnosis of being overweight was recorded; when dogs did not have this diagnosis and the last hospital visit was within the 10-year follow-up period, the date of that visit was used as the censoring date. Statistical softwarec was used to evaluate unconditional associations between a diagnosis of being overweight and each of the following variables for each phase of the study (for the sole purpose of identifying associations): cohort assignment, breed size, sex, age in months, number of hospital visits per year within the follow-up period, WP status, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, and hyperadrenocorticism. Logistic regression (multinomial or binomial) was used to identify differences among age groups (phase 1) and between gonadectomized and sexually intact groups (phase 2) for categorical variables. When values in the contingency table for phase 2 data were < 10, the Fisher exact test was used instead. For the 2 continuous variables, the Kruskall-Wallis test was used. Values of P < 0.05 were considered significant for all analyses. To determine the incidence of dogs being overweight for each phase of the study, multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed with the aid of statistical software.d The event modeled was the date a dog was first diagnosed as overweight within the follow-up period. Selection models for each dependent variable for each phase of the study included cohort assignment, breed size, sex, age in months, number of hospital visits per year within the follow-up period, WP status, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, and hyperadrenocorticism. First, all variables were entered into the Cox model to detect significant first-order (between 2 variables) and second-order (among 3 variables) interaction terms. Interaction terms identified as significant (P < 0.05) were entered into the model by forward selection, with individual variables entered as well. The variable of sex was also added to control for potential confounding, regardless of whether significance was attained. Nonsignificant variables were eliminated from the model if they were not included in a significant interaction term, had no confounding effect (ie, addition or removal from the model did not change the coefficients for the other variables by > 20%), and were not time dependent. When the final model for phase 1 data was identified, an overall goodness-of-fit test was performed, revealing a poor fit (P = 0.011) of data to that model. Therefore, the data were examined for influential data points, and 3 dogs with an unusually high frequency of hospital visits (15 to 191 visits/y) were identified. After data for these dogs were removed from the analysis for phase 1, the goodness-of-fit test showed the fit had improved (P = 0.16). A log-cumulative hazard plot of the final model for phase 2 data revealed nonparallel lines for gonadectomized versus sexually intact dogs, suggesting a violation of the assumption of proportional hazards.15 To address this, a time-dependent variable for the diagnosis of being overweight was added to that model. For all HRs, P values for 2-tailed tests and 95% CIs are reported. Product-limit survival estimates were also calculated and graphed to yield survival curves.e Hazard ratios and ORs were interpreted as an estimate of the relative risk of one group of dogs versus another group developing an outcome, with an HR or OR of 1 indicating no difference in risk.
Results Dogs—Records of 27,627 spayed or neutered dogs in 1998 were evaluated; that year, Banfield operated 168 hospitals in 18 states. From these records, data pertaining to 782 dogs ≤ 6 months of age (early group), 861 dogs > 6 months to ≤ 1 year of age (standard group), and 287 dogs > 1 to ≤ 5 years of age (late group) at the time of gonadectomy were extracted for inclusion in phase 1 of the study. Median age at gonadectomy (ie, at study entry) was 5.48 months (range, 2.26 to 6.00 months) for the early group, 6.94 months (range, 6.03 to 12.00 months) for the standard group, and 21.42 months (range, 12.03 to 60.00 months) for the late group. The 5 breeds represented most among the 1,930 gonadectomized dogs were Labrador Retriever (333 [17.3%]), Golden Retriever (118 [6.1%]), German Shepherd Dog (106 [5.5%]), Shih Tzu (80 [4.2%]), and Beagle (64 [3.3%]). Although the intent was to include dogs with a minimum visit frequency of once every 3 years, the median visit frequency for each group was as follows: early group, 3.6 visits/y (range, 1 to 30.4 visits/y); standard group, 3.2 visits/y (0.8 to 34.8 visits/y); and late group, 2.8 visits/y (0.9 to 21.6 visits/y). For phase 2, the gonadectomized group consisted of the same dogs included in phase 1. The sexually intact group consisted of all dogs that met the inclusion criteria (n = 1,669). There were 784 dogs ≤ 6 months of age (median age, 2.5 months [range, 0.2 to 6.0 months]), 597 dogs > 6 months to ≤ 1 year of age (median age, 8.6 months [range, 6.0 to 12.0 months]), and 288 dogs > 1 to ≤ 5 years of age (median age, 24.0 months [range, 12.1 to 60.0 months]) at the time of first visit (ie, study entry). The 5 breeds most represented were Labrador Retriever (191 [11.4%]), Chihuahua (99 [5.9%]), German Shepherd Dog (97 [5.8%]), Rottweiler (67 [4.0%]), and Pomeranian (48 [2.9%]). The median hospital visit frequency for the sexually intact group by age category was as follows: ≤ 6 months of age, 2.7 visits/y (range, 0.7 to 38.4 visits/y); 6 months to ≤ 1 year, 2.4 visits/y (range, 0.7 to 60.9 visits/y); and > 1 to ≤ 5 years of age, 2.4 visits/y (range, 0.7 to 10.6 visits/y). Univariate analysis—Phase 1 univariate analyses revealed no difference in the proportion of dogs subsequently recorded as overweight (defined as overweight, obese, or having a body condition score ≥ 4/5) among the various gonadectomy groups (P = 0.36; Table 1). An additional analysis performed to address potential concerns about the cutoff age used to define early gonadectomy showed no difference in the risk of being identified as overweight between dogs gonadectomized at < 5 months of age (n = 85) and those that underwent gonadectomy at 5 through 6 months of age (597; P = 0.66). Table 1— Characteristics of pet dogs that were gonadectomized at ≤ 6 months of age (early group), > 6 months to ≤ 1 year (standard group), or > 1 to ≤ 5 years (late group) or remained sexually intact and were retrospectively evaluated over ≥ 10 years in a study to identify associations between gonadectomy and risk of becoming overweight. Of dogs that underwent gonadectomy, males were no more likely to become overweight at any point during the study than were females (578/869 [66.5%] vs 704/1,061 [66.4%]; P = 0.94). No difference among groups was detected for proportions of dogs with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism (P = 0.51), osteoarthritis (P = 0.28), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.62), or hyperadrenocorticism (P = 0.63). Among gonadectomized dogs, the percentage enrolled in a WP in the early group was significantly (P < 0.001) greater than that in the standard or late groups. Nonparametric testing revealed that dogs in the early group had a significantly higher (P < 0.001) hospital visit frequency (3.6 visits/y) than did those in the standard (3.2 visits/y) or late (2.8 visits/y) groups. Without controlling for other factors, results of phase 2 analyses showed that a significantly (P < 0.001) greater proportion of dogs that had been enrolled in a WP at some point during the study period were gonadectomized than were dogs never enrolled in a WP. In addition, the proportion of gonadectomized dogs identified as overweight was significantly (P < 0.001) greater than the proportion of sexually intact dogs with that diagnosis (Table 1). Of those that were sexually intact, the proportion of males that became overweight was significantly (P < 0.001) greater than the proportion of females that became overweight. Osteoarthritis was significantly (P = 0.015) more prevalent in sexually intact dogs than in gonadectomized dogs. Similar to the pattern for gonadectomized dogs, the median hospital visit frequency for sexually intact dogs was significantly (P < 0.001) greater for dogs that were ≤ 6 months of age at study entry than for dogs 6 months to ≤ 1 years of age or dogs > 1 to ≤ 5 years of age. Hospital visit frequency differed significantly (P < 0.001) between sexually intact (median, 1.8 visits/y) and gonadectomized (3.0 visits/y) dogs. When data from both phases were combined, dogs enrolled in a WP had a significantly (P < 0.001) higher visit frequency (median, 3.0 visits/y) than did dogs not enrolled in a WP (median, 1.8 visits/y). However, enrollment in a WP was not significantly (P = 0.06) associated with a dog's risk of becoming overweight (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.54). In neither phase was state of home hospital significantly (P > 0.10 for all) associated with becoming overweight. Multivariate hazard analysis—The final model for phase 1 data included the variables age at gonadectomy, sex, breed size, WP status, and visit frequency. Visit frequency was the only single variable in the model that significantly (P < 0.001) predicted dogs becoming overweight after gonadectomy. The variables age at gonadectomy (P = 0.76 for standard vs early; P = 0.32 for late vs early), sex (P = 0.36), breed size (P > 0.26 for all comparisons), and WP status (P = 0.79) had no individual effect on the risk of becoming overweight in this model. Significant interaction terms identified included various combinations of breed size, age at gonadectomy, and visit frequency and the combination of visit frequency, breed size, and WP status (Table 2). Again, male dogs were no more likely to be identified as overweight than were female dogs (P = 0.36). Among dogs that underwent gonadectomy, assuming the mean visit frequency (3.93 visits/y), small- or toy-breed dogs in the early group were approximately two-thirds as likely to become overweight as were medium- or large-breed dogs. In the standard group, small- or toy-breed and medium-breed dogs were approximately two-thirds to three-quarters as likely to become overweight as were large-breed dogs. In the late gonadectomy group, small- or toy-breed dogs were less likely to become overweight than were medium-breed dogs. For every 1-unit increase in the number of visits per year, the risk of becoming overweight also increased significantly (P < 0.05) by 33% to 69%, regardless of breed size or WP status. Table 2— Results of multivariate modeling of the hazard of becoming overweight after gonadectomy at ≤ 6 months of age (early group; n = 782), > 6 months to ≤ 1 year (standard group; 861), or > 1 to ≤ 5 years (late group; 287). The final multivariate model for phase 2 data included a term representing reproductive status that accounted for the nonconstancy of the hazard of becoming overweight over time as well as the variables age at study entry, sex, breed size, WP status, visit frequency, and interactions between sex and reproductive status (gonadectomized vs sexually intact) and between visit frequency and WP status. Unlike the model for phase 1, the variables hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, and hyperadrenocorticism (yes or no for all) were also significant and included. The variable representing HR over time for gonadectomized versus sexually intact dogs revealed that gonadectomized dogs were at significantly greater risk of becoming overweight than were sexually intact dogs during the first 2 years after gonadectomy or study entry but not afterward (Table 3). The model also showed sexually intact male dogs were at a significantly lower risk of becoming overweight, compared with the risk for sexually intact female dogs (HR, 0.61). In addition, dogs with hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, or hyperadrenocorticism were less likely to become overweight than were dogs without these conditions. Table 3— Results of multivariate modeling of the hazard of becoming overweight among dogs that did (n = 1,930) or did not (1,669) undergo gonadectomy.
Discussion Results of the present study involving pet dogs evaluated at veterinary practices throughout the United States indicated that gonadectomized dogs had a higher risk of being identified as overweight (defined as overweight, obese, or having a body condition score ≥ 4/5) than did sexually intact dogs at several time points, but that this increased risk was significant during the first 2 years after surgery only. However, age at the time of gonadectomy appeared to have no effect on the risk of becoming overweight. The findings reported here are more representative (in sample size and in characteristics) of the general US pet dog population than have been reported elsewhere, and they raise some important concerns. The authors' intent in performing this study was not to encourage debate on the practice of neutering dogs, but rather to explore the impact of gonadectomy on weight gain as a first step in determining how to prevent dogs from becoming overweight. Although a high proportion (1,282/1,930 [66.4%]) of all gonadectomized dogs became overweight during the study period, a lower but not unimportant proportion (621/1,669 [37.2%]) of sexually intact dogs also became overweight, which suggests that overweight body condition is common in pet dogs (proportion of all study dogs affected, 1,903/3,599 [52.9%]). One strategy for avoiding an overweight body condition in gonadectomized (as well as sexually intact) dogs may be as simple as controlling energy intake. It is the mismatch of energy intake and energy expenditure in animals, including humans, that creates a positive energy balance and subsequent weight gain. Energy requirements of pets are dependent on their species, size, life stage, and energy expenditure.16 Findings of experimental studies17,18 involving small numbers of young adult Beagles (n = 4/study) suggest spayed dogs have a decrease in energy requirements after ovariectomy. Many effective dietary strategies are available for reducing body weight in dogs19–22; however, our findings suggested an opportunity to prevent dogs from becoming overweight. Dietary goals for pets should be proactively implemented to match individual energy and nutrient requirements at each particular life stage to maintain a lean or ideal body condition score, and this includes the time after gonadectomy. In dogs that undergo gonadectomy while still growing, the challenge becomes meeting energy requirements for proper development and providing the correct amount of nutrients. Veterinarians have the opportunity to educate clients in this respect, not only at gonadectomy but also in the years following the procedure. This is one of the reasons that annual or semiannual veterinary visits are important for healthy young adult dogs; they offer the chance to monitor a pet's body condition, assess and modify the diet as needed, and help owners to understand the importance of good feeding habits. By supporting dog owners in the appropriate management of their pets' weight during early life stages and after gonadectomy, veterinarians can help reduce the potential for excessive weight gain as pets reach adulthood. Although it is widely believed that gonadectomized dogs have a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese than do sexually intact dogs, a dearth of strong scientific evidence was available to support this premise before the present study was conducted. In a small (n = 32) randomized controlled trial,9 weight gain over a 15-month period did not differ significantly between sexually intact and gonadectomized dogs, regardless of age at gonadectomy (7 weeks or 7 months). A cross-sectional study2 yielded evidence that the prevalence of overweight and obese body condition is higher in gonadectomized than in sexually intact dogs, but such study designs provide no evidence as to whether a given factor precedes another. The few experimental studies17,18 that identified associations between ovariectomy and overweight status did not include control dogs and involved ad libitum feeding, which limit generalization of the findings. The hypothesis that age at gonadectomy influences weight gain in dogs has also been evaluated in the past, but with equivocal results. Results of the present study suggested that age at gonadectomy is not a risk factor for dogs becoming overweight or obese after surgery. This conflicts with the findings of Spain et al,8 who reported that dogs that underwent gonadectomy before 5.5 months of age were less likely to be overweight later in life, compared with dogs gonadectomized at ≥ 5.5 months of age. However, our findings are in agreement with those of Howe et al,11 who reported no difference in the risk of becoming overweight between dogs that underwent gonadectomy at ≤ 24 weeks (6 months) versus > 24 weeks of age. Although it may be argued that many dogs included in the early gonadectomy group of the present study were sexually altered at an age that might not be considered early (ie, 6 months), the median age of dogs in that group was 5.5 months, and dogs as young as 2.3 months were included. In selecting ages for defining the early group, we decided to use 6 months as the cutoff because this is the age at which gonadectomy is commonly recommended at Banfield Pet Hospitals. If the cutoff used to define early gonadectomy had been earlier (eg, < 5 months of age), it is possible that results would have been different. However, no difference was identified between dogs gonadectomized at < 5 months of age and those gonadectomized between 5 and 6 months of age. A limitation of the present study was that obese and overweight conditions were considered the same outcome. Indeed, it is possible that if obesity alone had been the outcome investigated, an effect of age at gonadectomy would have been detected. However, we chose to combine the 2 diagnoses because we believe that an overweight body condition has the potential to lead to obesity and because the ability to distinguish notations in the medical records regarding overweight versus obese dogs was not consistent across the entire study period. Judgment of these variables was highly subjective for most of the study period, and given that multiple sites each with multiple assessors were involved, inter-rater reliability was likely imperfect and misclassification of dogs in regard to the study outcome was possible. It was not until 2010 that a standardized 5-point body condition scoring system was introduced with the intent of improving the accuracy and consistency of these assessments. The possibility of misclassification is particularly important because it concerned the outcome of interest. However, there is no reason to believe that sexually intact dogs or gonadectomized dogs of various age groups would have been misclassified to different extents because of this potential bias. Interestingly, results suggested that sexually intact male dogs were less likely to become overweight than were sexually intact female dogs. To our knowledge, this finding has not been reported previously. This is particularly noteworthy given that there was no sex difference among gonadectomized dogs with respect to the probability of being diagnosed as overweight. This may possibly be explained by differences in concentrations and types of circulating hormones between sexually intact male and female dogs and the influence of those hormones on body condition. Another interesting finding was that regardless of neuter status, large-breed dogs were generally at greater risk of becoming overweight or obese when controlling for other factors than were medium- and small- or toy-breed dogs, with a few exceptions (Tables 2 and 3). Thus, possible opportunities for veterinary intervention were identified for 2 groups: sexually intact female dogs and large-breed dogs of any reproductive status. The observation that an increase in visit frequency appeared to increase the risk of being identified as overweight might be explained by the fact that the more often a dog visits a veterinary hospital, the more likely any excess body weight will be detected and recorded in the medical record. One could also argue that because dogs in the gonadectomized group had a higher visit frequency (3.0 visits/y) than did sexually intact dogs (1.8 visits/y), the opportunity to detect excess weight in gonadectomized dogs was greater or may have occurred sooner. The available information did not allow investigation of these hypotheses. It is also possible that the higher visit frequency among dogs eventually identified as overweight in the gonadectomized versus sexually intact groups in the present study reflects a different type of human-animal bond, given that owners who view their dogs from a highly anthropomorphic perspective are reportedly more likely to have obese dogs than owners who perceive them more as pets.23 Ideally, veterinary visits would provide a forum for discussing with owners the importance of appropriate nutrition and exercise for maintaining a healthy weight in dogs, and a high visit frequency would increase the opportunity to impress this importance upon owners. However, it cannot be determined from the study design whether opportunities for owner education or other interventions were missed. It is possible that nonoverweight dogs with less frequent visits were overweight at some point, but this weight gain was not evident at the time they visited the veterinarian. The visit frequency reported here should not be interpreted as being typical of veterinary practice because inclusion criteria required that dogs have at least 1 visit every 3 years and had ≥ 10 years of regular hospital visits on record from the time of study entry. Although sexually intact dogs had a lower risk of becoming overweight or obese than did gonadectomized dogs during the 2 years after gonadectomy or study entry in the present study, they had a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis during the study period (as defined solely by a record entry of this diagnosis). One possible explanation is that sexually intact dogs participated in different activities or were managed differently, compared with gonadectomized dogs. Another reason might be that the percentage of dogs with a breed predisposition for osteoarthritis was higher in the sexually intact group. However, the observed distribution of breeds at high risk for osteoarthritis such as Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, and Rottweiler24 in the 2 study groups does not appear to support that possibility. When interpreting data on osteoarthritis and other diagnoses and their associations with a diagnosis of being overweight, it is important to consider inter-rater variability, which is a major limitation of retrospective studies, particularly those involving medical records compiled at several sites by multiple veterinarians with various degrees of experience. Inter-rater variability in the present study could have been controlled for by requiring that any dogs with these diagnoses have confirmatory tests on record; however, because such a criterion would have severely restricted the number of dogs with each diagnosis available for inclusion and because these variables were included solely to control for any confounding they might have introduced, only the recorded diagnosis was used to define whether the disease was present. The degree of inter-rater variability in making the described diagnoses could not be assessed; however, as with the outcome diagnosis in this study, the degree of misclassification resulting from differences in clinicians' criteria for diagnoses was unlikely to be substantially different among study groups. Indeed, when nondifferential misclassification of predictor variables (or putative risk factors) exists, the effect on study results is typically to bias findings toward the null hypothesis,15 making it more difficult to find associations when they do exist. Two findings in the study reported here were unexpected. Because excess body weight is a common clinical finding in dogs with hypothyroidism,25,26 it was presumed that an overweight or obese body condition would be overrepresented in these dogs. This was not the situation. Also surprisingly, dogs that had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis at some point during the study were less likely to be identified as overweight than were dogs without the disease, even when other factors were controlled. Although a definitive association between osteoarthritis and obesity has not been established,27 we had presumed that dogs with osteoarthritis would be less likely to exercise and hence at risk for gaining weight and that weight gain would contribute to the progression of osteoarthritis by increasing the load on affected joints. Because dogs were censored from the study when a diagnosis of being overweight was recorded, it is reasonable to assume that these diagnoses did not follow a diagnosis of hypothyroidism or osteoarthritis. However, whether the diagnosis of hypothyroidism or osteoarthritis preceded or was made concurrently with that of overweight or obesity was not determined. Additional research is required to further define the relationship between these 2 diseases and body weight in dogs. The present study showed that dogs enrolled in a WP at any point during the study period were significantly more likely to undergo gonadectomy than were dogs that were never enrolled in a WP, but this should not be interpreted as suggesting that owners who enrolled their dogs in WPs had characteristics different from other owners that might protect a dog from becoming overweight. Although owner characteristics were not investigated, the intent of the described WPs is to bundle the cost of gonadectomy and other preventive services to help make pet health care affordable and accessible to owners. Therefore, gonadectomy was more common in dogs enrolled in WPs than in dogs not enrolled in WPs because the WP was likely purchased by owners already intending to pursue gonadectomy. On the other hand, WP status alone had no significant effect on the likelihood of dogs becoming overweight. The findings reported here confirmed that spaying and neutering increase the risk of dogs becoming overweight during the first 2 years after the procedure, which is a period when the frequency of veterinary visits can decline, perhaps because some owners of healthy dogs do not believe it important that their pets receive regular veterinary care in the young adult period. Our results indicated that this period is indeed important. Veterinarians have the opportunity during that time to shape a dog's future health by guiding and supporting clients in maintaining their pet's optimum body condition, with the aim of mitigating the development of obesity and its unhealthy sequelae. ABBREVIATION CI Confidence interval HR Hazard ratio WP Wellness plan a. Oracle 11g R2, Oracle Corp, Redwood Shores, Calif. b. Optimum Wellness Plan, Banfield Pet Hospital, Portland, Ore. c. Stata/IC, version 11.1 for Windows, StataCorp LP, College Station, Tex. d. PHREG, SAS, version 9.2, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC. e. LIFETEST, SAS, version 9.2, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC.
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Panciera DL. Hypothyroidism in dogs: 66 cases (1987–1992). J Am Vet Med Assoc 1994 ; 204: 761 – 767. [Google Scholar] 27. Marshall W, Bockstahler B, Hulse D, et al. A review of osteoarthritis and obesity: current understanding of the relationship and benefit of obesity treatment and prevention in the dog. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2009
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give clearance for him to play," and that "the Heat (and other doctors) disagreed with that assessment," keeping Bosh on the sidelines.
That's not where Bosh wants to be. He's continued to travel with the team, continued to work out, posting Snapchat videos about how much he misses the game and how he's "still got it":
And his wife, Adrienne Bosh, broke out an eyebrow-raising hashtag in response to a tweet by Skolnick about how Miami could have used her husband in its first-round matchup with the Charlotte Hornets:
“He didn’t talk about [how tough it is sitting out], but you can see it," Heat point guard Goran Dragic said last week, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. "He’s emotional. We worked hard for this the whole season. Everybody understand he wants to be there, and we want him to be there. It’s tough.”
It might soon get tougher. After blowing the Hornets out in Game 7 to advance to a second-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors, for whom Bosh starred for seven seasons before joining the Heat in free agency in the summer of 2010, longtime Miami columnist and ESPN personality Dan Le Batard said Tuesday on his nationally syndicated radio show that the situation has progressed to the point where the Boshes might be involving the National Basketball Players Association — the union that represents NBA players, led by executive director Michele Roberts — in what he described as a "super unusual situation."
Le Batard's discussion of the issue starts at around the eight-minute mark here; below, an edited transcript of some of his remarks:
I can't think of a lot of instances where a sports organization is acting in what appear to be the best interests of the player over their own interests, and against the will of the player. From the people I'm talking to, Chris Bosh wants back on the court. And now. Wants to get back to the Miami Heat. And the Miami Heat, on medical advice, are saying absolutely not. No.
They're paying him. They need him. They badly want to get to an Eastern Conference finals against LeBron, and they are telling him, "No. You cannot work." And I was trying to think of examples of this, where a sports organization chooses the best interest of the player over the organization and the player is acting in a way that doesn't — and, by the way, a player who's super rational, super diverse, super smart, has a lot of interests; he's not a crazy person, he's got five kids — and he's appearing to take a stance here that is super dangerous. Because if you talk to medical experts, they will tell you a recurrence of blood clots can be catastrophic.
And so, the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh are at a crossroads. There is a conflict here that promises to get a little bit messier. It's been private until now, but it leaked out in social media last week, and now I'm hearing the union — that the Boshes want so badly on the court that they're trying to get the union involved. [...] They have found a doctor that might be ready to clear him.
[...] I don't know what you do, because there is a — you've got to protect these guys from themselves. And the idea — this is the conflict as I see it: Bosh is not a crazy person, but he's hard-wired to be a competition-a-holic. He's got five kids. Being a father's the most important thing to him in his life. But for some reason, he thinks he's good to go, and I think it's because he's not showing the symptoms he showed the first time, that he doesn't feel physically bad, even as doctors, experts, are telling him, "Hey, a recurrence of blood clots, that one can be catastrophic." You could have a Hank Gathers situation. You could have a "die on the basketball court" situation, that liability — that no waiver is protecting the league from, and no waiver is protecting the Miami Heat from. Not when the onslaught comes.
You know, if that catastrophe happens, and all of a sudden, what it's going to be is. If we're Captain Hindsight on the second guess on a coach at the end of a game, you know we're going to be there with, "How could you let him play?" And the answer's going to be, "Well, he signed a waiver! He wanted to play!" And it's still going to be, "How could you let him play? How could you possibly let him play, when so many doctors are saying that you can't play?" [...]
He wants to get out there, and his wife wants him out there, and they're wearing "Bring Bosh Back" shirts at the games, and they're putting private pressure on the Heat, and putting public pressure on the Heat, and he's flying with the team. He's around all the time. And I just don't know how messy this is going to get, because he is a good soldier, but he seems to be — as the stakes get ratcheted up, as you find yourself with the possibility of Chris Bosh being able to play LeBron James with a Finals appearance on the line — he feels the need, more and more, because of the pipeline that he came up through to be there for his teammates in a time of need.
I don’t know exactly what to believe here, OK, but I do trust the organization and I trust the people in the organization who tell me things because I’ve never been lied to by them about much of anything. They’re telling me that they’re protecting him from him, but he doesn’t feel any symptoms. This doesn’t feel like the last time. All the doctors the Heat are talking to are saying, and they’re the foremost authorities on this stuff, "Hey, a second recurrence of a blood clot situation could be catastrophic, where you’ve got a death on the court."
A Heat spokesman declined comment to the Palm Beach Post, and Bosh’s agent, Henry Thomas, did not respond to the Post's request for comment. A spokesperson for the National Basketball Players Association told Yahoo Sports: "Our top priority is Chris' health and well-being. We have spoken with Chris and his agent, and have reached out to the Miami Heat. We are hopeful that all parties involved can meet as soon as possible to resolve the situation."
On one hand, you can certainly understand the Heat's reluctance to clear Bosh for a return if their medical staff has even the smallest scintilla of a concern that bringing him back could cause a potentially career- or life-threatening recurrence of clotting. On the other, the idea of the Heat continuing to hold Bosh against his will and despite the possibility that there are qualified medical professionals who would clear him constitutes not only an odd inversion of the standard trope in such situations — Unscrupulous Team X fudging test results or looking past undotted i's and uncrossed t's to get Valuable Player Y back on the court, even if it puts said player in greater jeopardy — but also a possible opening salvo in what could be a forthcoming battle over players' personal medical information, how it relates to internal/contractual disputes, and the determination of how and why players are restricted from certain activities. If the players' union isn't yet involved in this particular matter, it seems likely that it will be in other such matters in the future.
Whatever the future holds, in the here and now, Bosh will continue to remain with the team and in the public eye...
Chris Bosh didn't fly up with the #Heat but I'm told he is supposed to be coming up with Micky Arison today for Game 1 — Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) May 3, 2016
FYI, Bosh flew to Charlotte with Micky Arison for Games 3-4. So, don't read too much into that — Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) May 3, 2016
... which adds another layer of intrigue to what already promised to be a pretty fascinating second-round matchup between Bosh's former and current teams.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.So something that has been in the pipeline for a while but lack of enough free time has kept me from posting this but fear not it is now here.
For those of you that do not know, KR Multicase are a UK based manufacturer and distributer of foamtrays and cases specifically designed for the wargaming community. Daryl and his team work tirelessly to support the community and regularly bring out new trays and cases to fill gaps and meat our demanding needs.
Many years ago they released the Kaiser Case. This was a fantastic expansion that gave you an additional method of transporting your cases by given shoulder strapped capacity for 1,2 & 4 cases.
These were great bags, but they were not without their limitations. Roll forward a few years and towards the middle of last year Daryl revisited the range and decided to make some changes based on customer feedback.
This lead to the release of the Kaiser 2.0 range. Whilst there are a number of reviews that look at the new cases in isolation this will aim to provide a comparison to their old counterpart.
As you can see the New kaiser case is a lot chunkier than the older version, and lets have a look at why. As usual the quality is fantastic, having spent a while checking it over, all the stitching is very good and nothing feels like it will drop off when lifting a box full of metal.
There are also pockets all over the place. The case has 1 side zip pocket, 1 side mesh holder, 2 front A5 velcro pockets, 1 front large Zip pocket and a rear large Zipped pocket. That is a lot of storage!
The front Zipped pocket provides plenty of room to fit your large hardback books in. In this instance the book is the new V3 Flames of War hardback. This book is chunky and still has extra room.
The rear pocket provides all the space needed for fitting in your codex and all other source books.
The side mesh pocket is big enough to fit a dice bag or a can / bottle of your favourite E number dispenser. The mesh pocket has an elastic top which will help keep things in place and avoid anything falling out.
The side Zip pocket is another great addition and will comfortably fit a nice chunky sized tape measure or pack of cards. It also has a plastic window that will enable you to insert a piece of paper with your name in which will make identifying your case at tournaments that little bit easier. My only annoyance on this side pouch is that it is not quite big enough for my needs. With my warmachine I have everything in card sleeves and deck protector boxes. The side pocket is just a little too small to fit them in, but this is the only real bad thing I can say at this moment in time. If I switch to top loaders they will easily fit in the pocket.
Yet more additional storage in the forms of these 2 front pouches, these will easily fit your small softback rulebooks such as flames, malifaux, 40k etc. The left pouch in this instance easily fit all of my tokens and templates without any issues. The velcro ensures that nothing falls out as well.
Aside from the deck protector box, I managed to fit everything show above and my usual card case in at one time. This made the case quite heavy and as I mentioned before the stitching really holds strong. The plastic clips for the straps are sturdy and the strap itself does not cut in thanks to plastic support. The case itself also has a Very solid and sturdy carry handle if you do not need hang it from your shoulder.
The most important bit of this case is the central holder for well your actual models. KR have made even more improvements on the inside boasting 4 solid side sections. In the previous Kaiser cases these were not that strurdy and leaving the case empty would lead to the side sloping inwards. This is not the case with the revised versions. All the sides as well as the top and bottom sections are very well padded as well to give your cases that extra bit of protection with all of the extra bits you will be carrying.
The quality of this case goes all the way down to its feet with 4 feet at the bottom of the case to stop it sliding around unwanted, this is especially useful if you intend to store your cases on shelving etc.
Overall this is a fantastic case by itself and even more so giving that it is an improvement to a previous design, everything that you would not have likes about your previous Kaiser case is included in this version. From quality to price, there is nothing to really find fault with, it is nice to see that just because something is affordable it still has the same high quality of other so called top market cases. In my opinion these are right up there and should be seriously considered if you are looking for a reliable and affordable solution for storage and transportation of your models.
AdvertisementsA motorboat with two dead Finnish men on board was discovered in northern Estonia's Muuga Bay on Saturday morning. It is suspected that the men died of a carbon monoxide poisoning.
"The men who were found in the boat's wheelhouse did not have signs of violence, but we found signs indicating to a carbon monoxide poisoning—when they were found the wheelhouse was full of carbon monoxide. The exact cause of death will be determined by expertise," head of the Police and Border Guard Board's marine guard center Ivar Treffner said. He added that additional information is being gathered, but at present it seems that it was an unfortunate accident.
The marine guard center received a call at 10 a.m., saying that a pilot boat had noticed a vessel without a name and registration number in Muuga Bay.
The Tallinn guard station departed for the vessel at 10:14 a.m. and volunteer sea rescuers from Prangli reached the vessel at 10:22 a.m. about two kilometers from the harbor.
The boat with the two men who were found on the vessel, born in 1993 and 1986, was towed to Leppneeme harbor at 10:51 a.m., after the volunteers had tried to resuscitate them without effect.
The motorboat is registered in Finland.The way zsh handles keyboard input can be completely customized.
However, often users run into problems, when their terminal emulator sends charactersequences for special keys, that zsh doesn’t know about by default.
If you’re here, because your special keys, like HOME, DEL etc. don’t work. Use the terminfo solution presented on this page. It will work with almost all terminals on all systems, that provide terminfo (even NetBSD has that these days). And without any user-intervention.
See EmacsAndViKeys for keybinding nirvana.
zkbd – special keys solution
If you use several different terminal emulators, it’s likely, that you’ve run into the problem of porno, that pressing a special key like PageDown will just display a tilde instead of doing what it’s supposed to.
There is a function described in zshcontrib(1) that reads and stores keydefinitions for special keys, if it recognizes a terminal, it hasn’t seen before.
This is a snippet, that shows how it could be used:
autoload zkbd
function zkbd_file() {
[[ -f ~/.zkbd/${TERM}-${VENDOR}-${OSTYPE} ]] && printf ‘%s’ ~/”.zkbd/${TERM}-${VENDOR}-${OSTYPE}” && return 0
[[ -f ~/.zkbd/${TERM}-${DISPLAY} ]] && printf ‘%s’ ~/”.zkbd/${TERM}-${DISPLAY}” && return 0
return 1
} [[! -d ~/.zkbd ]] && mkdir ~/.zkbd
keyfile=$(zkbd_file)
ret=$?
if [[ ${ret} -ne 0 ]]; then
zkbd
keyfile=$(zkbd_file)
ret=$?
fi
if [[ ${ret} -eq 0 ]] ; then
source “${keyfile}”
else
printf ‘Failed to setup keys using zkbd.
’
fi
unfunction zkbd_file; unset keyfile ret # setup key accordingly
[[ -n “$key[Home]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Home]” beginning-of-line
[[ -n “$key[End]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[End]” end-of-line
[[ -n “$key[Insert]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Insert]” overwrite-mode
[[ -n “$key[Backspace]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Backspace]” backward-delete-char
[[ -n “$key[Delete]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Delete]” delete-char
[[ -n “$key[Up]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Up]” up-line-or-history
[[ -n “$key[Down]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Down]” down-line-or-history
[[ -n “$key[Left]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Left]” backward-char
[[ -n “$key[Right]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Right]” forward-char reading $terminfo[]
To get special keys working, you can also try to ask the terminfo database for the actual key sequences; this requires a valid terminfo database for the terminal in question, but works in most cases and requires no user interaction.
The following snippet assigns data from the $terminfo[] array to a $key[] hash, that is compatible to the hash created by zkbd (see above). That makes it possible to switch back and forth between the zkbd solution and the terminfo solution in case something goes wrong.
# create a zkbd compatible hash;
# to add other keys to this hash, see: man 5 terminfo
typeset -g -A key key[Home]=”$terminfo[khome]”
key[End]=”$terminfo[kend]”
key[Insert]=”$terminfo[kich1]”
key[Backspace]=”$terminfo[kbs]”
key[Delete]=”$terminfo[kdch1]”
key[Up]=”$terminfo[kcuu1]”
key[Down]=”$terminfo[kcud1]”
key[Left]=”$terminfo[kcub1]”
key[Right]=”$terminfo[kcuf1]”
key[PageUp]=”$terminfo[kpp]”
key[PageDown]=”$terminfo[knp]” # setup key accordingly
[[ -n “$key[Home]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Home]” beginning-of-line
[[ -n “$key[End]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[End]” end-of-line
[[ -n “$key[Insert]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Insert]” overwrite-mode
[[ -n “$key[Backspace]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Backspace]” backward-delete-char
[[ -n “$key[Delete]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Delete]” delete-char
[[ -n “$key[Up]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Up]” up-line-or-history
[[ -n “$key[Down]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Down]” down-line-or-history
[[ -n “$key[Left]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Left]” backward-char
[[ -n “$key[Right]” ]] && bindkey — “$key[Right]” forward-char # Finally, make sure the terminal is in application mode, when zle is
# active. Only then are the values from $terminfo valid.
if (( ${+terminfo[smkx]} )) && (( ${+terminfo[rmkx]} )); then
function zle-line-init () {
echoti smkx
}
function zle-line-finish () {
echoti rmkx
}
zle -N zle-line-init
zle -N zle-line-finish
fi CTRL-V – manually find out esc.-sequences
If you don’t like automation like zkbd provides, you can get the keysequences like this:
In order to see the sequence to give to bindkey for the key you want, use quoted-insert (control-V) and press the key combination. Another way to do this is to `cat > /dev/null` and then press the key combination.
So, in order to get bind something to your keyboard’s delete key, you do:
% bindkey ” delete-char
That means you *literally* hit control-v followed by delete. The angle-brackets are there for the sake of readability. You DO NOT HAVE TO INCLUDE THEM, in order to get the proper sequence. Also note, that the single-quotes are probably needed, do not leave them out.
Why isn’t Control-R working (anymore)?
You are probably in vi-Mode, because you have set $EDITOR or $VISUAL to something starting with ‘vi’. And this question sounds a lot like you do not want that. 🙂
The quick fix is to simply switch to emacs-like keybindings via bindkey -e.
However, if you are sure that you want vi-bindings, issue the following commands to enable ‘history-incremental-search-backward’ in both vi-keytables:
bindkey -M viins ‘^r’ history-incremental-search-backward
bindkey -M vicmd ‘^r’ history-incremental-search-backward
Swapping Keys
If you would like to swap keys inside zsh (like `~), i.e. swap keys X and Y so typing X gives Y and vice versa; check this post from Peter Stevenson:
Link: ZU#9947 (IMO the function is a bit too long for this page)
Most Wanted
Here are a few things, that users miss from time to time.
One of the things I most missed about bash when first switching to Zsh was that M-b and M-f (backward-word and forward-word) would jump over an entire /path/location, rather than to each word separated by a ‘/’. To make the behavior more like bash, you can evaluate this command:
export WORDCHARS=”
If you prefer, you can make WORDCHARS local to the definition of say, backword-word, so that kill-word still deletes an entire path. To do this, you need to define a widget function. For example, for backward-word, I use this:
tcsh-backward-word() {
local WORDCHARS=”${WORDCHARS:s@/@}”
zle backward-word
}
zle -N tcsh-backward-word
PiyoPiyo: This is what I use in my own setup:
# by default: export WORDCHARS=’*?_-.[]~=/&;!#$%^(){}<>’
# we take out the slash, period, angle brackets, dash here.
export WORDCHARS=’*?_[]~=&;!#$%^(){}’
A question about binding keys: The one emacs keybinging I really miss in zsh is Ctrl-LeftArrowKey? and Ctrl-RightArrowKey? as backward-word and forward-word. I can’t seem to find out if it is possible to duplicate these keybindings in zsh. Is the terminal able to distinguish between LeftArrowKey? and Ctrl-LeftArrowKey?? It doesn’t seem to be from my investigations. Has anybody done this? Can it be done? – Merc
This appears to work:
bindkey ‘^[[5D’ emacs-backward-word
bindkey ‘^[[5C’ emacs-forward-word
This works: – czo
My xterm (KDE Konsole) was showing “;5D” and “;5C”, so I just used them instead:
bindkey ‘;5D’ emacs-backward-word
bindkey ‘;5C’ emacs-forward-word on my urxvt it works with -/- bindkey “\e\e[D” backward-word
bindkey “\e\e[C” forward-word – phelix
If you see such a key sequence, I would try using it before a custom remapping as described below.
–mattflaschen
a terminal has no knowledge of a Ctrl-Arrow keypress, BUT if you use a terminal emulator (like xterm or rxvt under X11) you can assign an X keyboard event to a string sequence like ‘^[[5D’ that you then use in bindkey. Here is a line I have in my.Xresources
XTerm*vt100.Translations: #override
\
Ctrl Left : string(“\033[90~”)
\
Ctrl Right : string(“\033[91~”)
I have remapped shift-enter (using loadkeys for the console, and xmodmap in X) to produce Ctrl-J and added
bindkey “^J” self-insert
to my.zshrc. Thus I can type multiline command lines, and still be able to move the cursor up/down between the lines while editing. (This also works quite well with Ctrl-A and Ctrl-E, which if they’re at the beginning/end of a line jumps to the beginning/end of the previous/next line.) – ZrajmCLARENDON, N.Y. (AP) -- A man who shot a sheriff's deputy after crashing his car during a high-speed chase was shot and killed by the deputy Saturday, authorities said.
The deputy was slightly wounded during the shootout just before 3 a.m. in the town of Clarendon, the Orleans County sheriff's office said. Authorities identified the slain gunman as James Ellis, 44, of Wyoming, New York
Officers responded after someone called 911 to report a disturbance involving a man with a gun inside a home in the town of Shelby, the sheriff's office said, but the gunman fled in a car before officers arrived.
The officers gave chase but Ellis crashed into a telephone pole before they could catch up with him, according to the sheriff's office. Ellis then got out of his car and started firing, authorities said.
Deputy James DeFilipps took covered behind trees but was struck by two shots before returning fire and killing Ellis, according to the sheriff's office.
DeFilipps, who was wearing his bulletproof vest, was treated for minor injuries and released.The vehicle in question. Image: Dustin Slaughter
The Philadelphia Police Department admitted today that a mysterious unmarked license plate surveillance truck disguised as a Google Maps vehicle, which Motherboard first reported on this morning, is its own.
In an emailed statement, a department spokesperson confirmed:
"We have been informed that this unmarked vehicle belongs to the police department; however, the placing of any particular decal on the vehicle was not approved through any chain of command. With that being said, once this was brought to our attention, it was ordered that the decals be removed immediately."
The spokesperson also claimed that an inquiry is forthcoming.
When reached for comment yesterday, Google confirmed it is investigating the unauthorized use of its Google Maps logo. The spokeswoman we reached suggested that the company might have more to say at a later time.
Brandon Worf, who for three years worked at Busch and Associates, a sales group that specializes in public safety technology, described the ALPR gear installed on the vehicle as "scary efficient" after reviewing yesterday's photos.
Worf says that this particular model, called the ELSAG MPH-900, "is based on the use of infrared cameras to find plate numbers and letters via temperature differentials between those characters and the surrounding background through optical character recognition."
The cameras are able to read and process "several plates simultaneously" and "in a fraction of a second."
All plates swept up in such a dragnet fashion "are logged with the time/date of the read, GPS latitude/longitude coordinates of where the read occurred, and a photo of the plate and surrounding vehicle," he added.
ALPR has a broad range of applications, including drug interdiction, collection of unpaid taxes and fees, AMBER alert missions, and recovering stolen cars. The question remains: why disguise the technology—and so poorly?
"For one, I would think it's highly illegal to have Google's markings on there, but that's another issue entirely," Worf said. "But it boils down to the fact that most people at first glance wouldn't recognize an ALPR system if they saw it, and for those that do, they likely wouldn't know what Google would be doing with one.
"Frankly, what I don't get is why they felt a need to hide something like this. It certainly makes one question the motive for doing so," he added.
"It's certainly concerning if the city of Philadelphia is running mass surveillance and going out of its way to mislead people," said Dave Maass, a former journalist and researcher at the nonprofit advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Maass speculated that the disguised unit may have been part of a "targeted" investigation. But he was quick to point out that there really is no such thing when it comes to police using ALPR.
As for the department's unauthorized use of Google's logo?
"If I were Google, I would be seriously rankled over the use of their logo to hide surveillance," he said.Spoiler Warning: Major spoilers ahead for all "X-Men" related comic book movies from Fox
How FOX has handled the "Wolverine" franchise has always been a contentious topic, breeding a lot of polarized opinions, with several loyalists calling for the rights to revert to Marvel Studios. This echoes the sentiments of those who believe that FOX mishandles the "X-Men" franchise in general.
RELATED: LOGAN: The First Trailer’s Most Amazing Moments
There was a glimmer of hope for Weapon X fans, however, with the success of "Deadpool," which reignited the belief that we could see justice done in "Logan" to the Canadian anti-hero with an adamantium skeleton and healing factor. The gore-fest that Ryan Reynolds and company put on teased that, just maybe, Hugh Jackman could actually become the foul-mouthed, claw-popping killing machine we're familiar with from a plethora of Marvel comics. With optimism popping anew, CBR has decided to look at what we want to see when the movie lands in March 2017.
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15 Berserker Mode
An animalistic take on Wolverine was something that we never got from earlier films. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" delivered a different and somewhat diluted spin while James Mangold's follow-up, "The Wolverine," offered slight glimpses into his grittier nature. It was only in Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Apocalypse" that we saw Logan fully unleashed in this mode when the young X-Men stumbled across his Weapon X program: a 16-year wait for diehards.
With Mangold returning and loosely incorporating the "Old Man Logan" story, audiences have already been treated to Logan unsheathing claws with murderous intent in the red-band trailer. In said comic, Logan struggled with his inner turmoil while living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun by villains. The entire X-Men roster was annihilated, with Wolverine's role in the massacre making him swear never to use his claws again. If he ends up suppressing such instincts while trying to protect the newly-introduced clone in Laura (aka X-23) and old friend Charles Xavier, then once he mentally breaks, expect the worst. Hell hath no fury like an unhinged Logan.
14 Logan's The Reason The X-Men Are Gone
In "Old Man Logan," the grief that engulfed Wolverine was due to him slaughtering his X-Men teammates because of illusions fed to him by Mysterio, making him think they were his enemies. The weight of this guilt led to him putting his claws away, as well as retiring the Wolverine persona. These threads of abandonment have already been sewn throughout material released displaying an older and weathered Logan in (self-imposed?) exile, which begs the question: where are the X-Men in this movie?
What was his role in their apparent disappearance? From the trailer, it seems that the team disbanded, or worse, were wiped out. He appears to be remorseful, so if that regret stems from a failed mission that led to their demise or him being manipulated to kill his brethren, then expect an emotionally riveting story. What could spice things up even further is if Logan wasn't just responsible for taking the X-Men out, but as teasers have shown, that he also played a key role in the apparent lack of mutants in the world. Blame is a poison that courses through Logan's veins and we're hoping it's exploited to show that despite the torture, Logan can overcome.
13 Mister Sinister
In the "Apocalypse" post-credits scene, we saw men in suits visiting the Weapon X facility where William Stryker conducted his mutant research on Logan, taking away an x-ray and a blood sample marked "Weapon X" on behalf of the Essex Corporation. This was a direct reference to the nefarious Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister. When it comes to genetic manipulation, Sinister's usually concerned with the Summers family, as well as Jean Grey, who he cloned, creating Madelyne Pryor, Cable's mother.
However, fiddling with Logan's DNA to produce X-23 is an addition that would make sense, especially as he already had to be expelled from her mind in a solo comic series a few years ago. This was part of a rivalry that pitted Laura against a clone of Sinister himself, called Miss Sinister. With that acquaintance formalized, roping Sinister in as chief architect and perhaps X-23's "father" would be an interesting dynamic, especially given how much he likes to play God and tinker with immortality. All of these are the right ingredients to square him up against Logan, so we're hoping Sinister does have a main presence.
12 Genosha
Given the state of the world today and the sociopolitical views on refugees and migrants, Genosha would be a powerful statement to make. In the comics, it's an island where mutants seek haven and hide from the xenophobia shown towards the children of the atom. The X-Men, and Magneto in particular, have often elevated its status in the mainstream Marvel universe so it's something fans would love to see.
This movie offers what appears to be its own version of Caliban, whose powers allow him to locate fellow mutants. We've seen little-to-no sign of other mutants from Mangold's new vision, which begs the question: could they be hiding out as Morlocks? Maybe in Genosha? Could Caliban be the key to finding them? Genosha doesn't necessarily need to be an island; it could simply be a compound or stronghold as per the ones we've seen heroes hole up in in "The Walking Dead." Even if it's a bar or a train, a simple retcon can smartly paint Genosha as an ideal, a philosophy and a symbol of hope -- a place of protection and light for mutants; or to put it in the modern parlance, a safe space.
11 Neo-Western Soundtrack
A proper soundtrack adds definition, flair and character to a movie or series. "Luke Cage" on Netflix is a great example of this. The musical element of that show flavored it with a distinct personality that not only lit Harlem up, but added a cavalier touch to Cage himself. The '80s synth-vibe also empowered "Stranger Things" in a similar way. In our first look at "Logan," a big talking point was how the trailer overlaid the footage to Johnny Cash's "Hurt" (a cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic), which perfectly reflected the Promethean aspect of Logan.
Pairing this song with the character embodied his tortured existence and how he hid himself away in an empire of dirt and pain. Here, we're presented with a Clint Eastwood-on-the-run vibe, which deserves a raw Western-influenced soundtrack. Chris Pine's "Hell or High Water" is a fine example of how such a modern Western should unfold, as its score brought its essence out even more, fully capturing the drama of bank-robbing brothers on the lam. "Logan" has the traits begging for something similar and we can already hear its score flowing subtlety and with a minimal acoustic presence; all for the angst our main character will undoubtedly be wallowing in.
10 Sabretooth Cameo
"Origins" borrowed heavily from its 2001 comic by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert. Both the film and the book reconciled James Howlett and Victor Creed as half-brothers, sharing the same father and healing factor. The movie added its own narrative, presenting the duo as soldiers before Creed's bloodlust turned him into Sabretooth. Liev Schreiber took on this role in Gavin Hood's film and was one of its redeeming factors, dramatically playing up his brotherhood with Jackman while wiping away Tyler Mane's past depiction.
Sabretooth eventually switched allegiances and helped Wolverine stave off Stryker's cohorts, but since then, we haven't seen him. It's tough to pinpoint where he could fit in because we don't know if he's a savage or a regretful half-brother. After all, FOX doesn't have a knack for ironing out continuity in their ever-contorting timelines. It'd be awesome if he pops up while Logan's rummaging through old souvenirs: in a photograph or while visiting a gravestone? In Jackman's last hurrah, maybe they'll cross paths as Schreiber himself may have hinted. Imagine the maelstrom of emotions if he meets his former enemy, or if Creed ends up being the only person Logan can turn to for help.
9 The Feral Family
In the comics, the author of all Logan's agony was Romulus, leader of the Lupines, who evolved from canines and not primates. Other members of the feral family that Logan encountered include Feral, her sister Thornn, Wolfsbane, Wild Child and Logan's son, Daken. It's unlikely that Romulus will factor into this film, so his role could fall to the experimental Sinister, whose grasp has always exceeded his reach. It's a safe bet that there aren't any limits to what the Essex Corporation has been detailing all these years, so maybe they could shuck a few Logan-esque mutants in our hero's path -- there is some claw-on-claw
|
much they were worth.
Over the next six months, it became obvious the patents were worth a lot.
One AOL executive remembers sitting at a desk at AOL's office in Dulles, reading an AOL patent for a technology where a user inputs geographic Point A and geographic Point B, and gets turn-by-turn directions back. This executive thought: Everyone in the world is violating that patent. There were many more like that. AOL owned patents for the foundations of the Internet: instant messaging, email, chat rooms, shopping carts, Internet radio, and search. Another sign that AOL had something with its patents were the 17 unsolicited offers to buy them made during 2011.
By the time AOL started meetings with Starboard in the middle of January 2012, Armstrong knew AOL had a valuable asset that wasn't being recognized by shareholders. And when Starboard finally declared war on Feb. 24, Armstrong was pretty sure the patents would help him win the fight.
Then, in early March, an industry rival inadvertently did Armstrong and AOL a huge favor. New Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson, also dealing with an activist investor, had decided to make money from Yahoo's patent portfolio by suing Facebook over 10 patent violations.
This put Facebook in a patent-buying mood. On a Saturday in early March, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg called Tim Armstrong to find out if AOL's patents were for sale.
Armstrong said yes, and the talks quickly resulted in a stunning offer from Facebook. It wanted to buy AOL's patent portfolio for a billion dollars.
A billion dollars!
At the time, AOL's entire market cap was only a little more than a billion dollars. A surprise billion dollars in the bank would almost certainly end the proxy fight with Starboard.
Armstrong immediately brought the offer to AOL's board of directors. The offer shocked them. What shocked them more was that Armstrong was certain that AOL should not accept Facebook's offer.
Accepting the first big offer for the patents without a more formal auction process would only give Starboard more ammunition to say AOL was being irresponsible. AOL launched a two- to three-week auction for the patents.
Armstrong — the world's greatest salesman, the kid everyone loved — worked the phones, speaking directly with the principals at the world's richest technology companies. He was in his element.
Finally, he negotiated a deal with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to sell 800 of AOL's patents for $1.1 billion. This deal was far more favorable than the deal Facebook had offered because it left AOL with a number of patents the board thought it would need in the future. AOL cleverly structured the deal so that some of the companies it had acquired a decade before, including Netscape, were sold with the patents. That way it could mark the sale down as a loss and avoid paying a high tax bill.
The week AOL announced the patent sale publicly, its stock went up 43% in one day.
After the sale, Armstrong wondered if Jeff Smith would change his mind and seek a settlement, even if it meant not getting a board seat, rather than going through with a proxy war he was sure to lose.
Smith didn't.
Fredric Reynolds University of Miami After the sale was announced, Smith called AOL board member Fredric Reynolds.
Smith had noticed that in AOL's announcement, it had said the company was going to return a significant portion of the sale's proceeds to shareholders.
On the phone, Smith told Reynolds he wanted AOL to give the entire $1.1 billion to shareholders, through a share buyback or a straight dividend.
Reynolds said AOL wanted to save some of the money "for a rainy day" and to be able to do more acquisitions.
Politely, Smith went off on Reynolds.
Smith said, "With all due respect, I don't think the shareholders are happy with the acquisitions that you've done. You have a substantial amount of cash on your balance sheet already and you're producing hundreds of millions of dollars in cash flow every year. I don't think that the shareholders really want to trust you to keep that for acquisitions. I don't think that you've told them that you're keeping that for acquisitions. I think that if you told them that you were keeping it for acquisitions, I think that the shareholders would be very unhappy about it."
Smith told Reynolds Starboard was going to stay in the fight.
Time to make promises and threats
The truth is that a proxy war is a contest between a company's management team and an activist shareholder for the hearts and minds of about 10 professionals.
A public company like AOL has many thousands of shareholders but there are only about 10 large ones who matter.
In AOL's case, its 10 largest shareholders own about 50% of the company. They are mostly hedge funds and mutual funds. You might recognize some of their names from your 401(k) or TV commercials: BlackRock, State Street, RS Investment, DE Shaw, Dodge & Cox, and Vanguard.
Each fund is run by a professional who controls all the votes for every share owned by their fund.
So as soon as Jeff Smith published his first open letter Dec. 21, 2011, Armstrong began a campaign to win these professionals to his side.
Armstrong had until the middle of June 2012, when final shareholder votes were due and the next year's board of directors would be officially elected. And, in the interim, he worked his relationship magic.
One of Armstrong's colleagues describes the period of constant shareholder meetings between December and June as "Groundhog Day," after the Bill Murray movie where the main character keeps waking up on the same day over and over again.
Armstrong has always had a strong work ethic, and he thrived on the grueling hours. A colleague says he was taken aback when one night, after five days on the road visiting shareholders, he overheard Armstrong on the phone with his wife.
Tim Armstrong and wife Nancy AP "Hi Nancy," Armstrong said, "Can you bring my clothes to the field? Yeah, no, if you can pick up anything that would help."
Armstrong was going straight from the airport to his daughter's lacrosse game, which he was coaching. He was asking his wife if she could meet him at the game with clothes to change into. Armstrong was actually coaching three youth sports teams at the time — his son's basketball team and two different girls' lacrosse teams.
Despite his tireless campaigning, Armstrong was still nervous about the proxy war in mid-April 2011.
Jeff Smith had just surprised Fredric Reynolds with the news that Starboard would not be ending its proxy fight, despite AOL's $1.1 billion patent sale.
Now Armstrong only had two months left to lock down the votes of those 10 fund managers.
He and his lieutenants decided it was time to start making promises to AOL's top shareholders — and perhaps a threat or two if necessary.
The threat to shareholders, which never came directly from Armstrong, was that if Smith won the proxy war and was allowed to reconfigure AOL's board and restrain Armstrong's vision for the company, Armstrong would quit. Although AOL's shareholders might not have been thrilled with all of Armstrong's decisions over the prior three years, they certainly didn't want him to leave. After all, he had done what none of AOL's CEOs had been able to do since the peak of the dotcom bubble: Make AOL's stock go up.
The promises to shareholders, meanwhile, came during a conference call to announce AOL's first-quarter financial results.
Armstrong told analysts, "We regularly spend time with many shareholders and after listening to their feedback and ideas we're announcing the following today."
Then he listed off five commitments AOL would make going forward.
He said AOL would increase its earnings expectations for 2012 and 2013, distribute 100% of the patent sale proceeds back to shareholders, more clearly report which parts of AOL were doing well and which were not, appoint an independent board member, and, importantly, bring Patch to profitability by the end of 2013 "through revenue and cost improvements."
Internally, that last promise — the one about Patch — stunned Armstrong's colleagues. As much as AOL executives hated what Jeff Smith was putting the company through, many of them agreed that he had a point about Patch. They didn't believe that Patch could reach profitability through actual revenue growth. That meant that in order to keep his promise Armstrong was going to have to drastically reduce the size of Patch.
The votes come in
As the calendar raced toward June 14, AOL's proxy firm began emailing daily vote tallies to AOL's senior vice president of investor relations, Eoin Ryan.
The numbers looked good for Armstrong and the AOL board. In fact, it became clear that management was going to win the proxy war going away.
Starboard's Jeff Smith called around to see why shareholders weren't voting for his candidates.
AOL's big shareholders told him two things: They said they were grateful he'd gotten involved with AOL and forced management to make a series of promises. They said they had rejected Smith's directors because there was gossip that if Smith's candidates won, Armstrong would immediately resign.
On June 13, the day before voting was over, it was obvious that Tim Armstrong and his board had won.
Looking back on the contest, a major AOL shareholder says Armstrong won the proxy fight because he is "trustworthy." This fund manager says that when he is making huge investments of tens of millions of dollars into public companies, "All I have to go by is: Do I trust the CEO and the board that they will do what they say they will?" He said with Armstrong, the answer is yes — that he had a "flawless track record of doing exactly what he said he would do."
Illustration by Mike Nudelman
Winning the proxy fight against activist shareholder Jeff Smith was huge for Tim Armstrong. The win protected his job and reputation. It also saved his vision of AOL as a multibrand media company, powered by technology, and seeded with funding from a profitable, but declining subscriber business.
But the high point of Tim Armstrong's first five years at AOL was not June 14, 2012, the night he celebrated his win over Starboard with family in Baltimore. The high point was the first weekend of November 2012. This was the weekend Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast coast of the United States.
AOL and Patch employees volunteered for Sandy relief AOL
That was the weekend when Patch — Armstrong's baby — finally really mattered for AOL and tens of thousands of readers. It was when, finally, Patch looked like it would be a long-term success.
By October 2012, the Patch network had grown to 906 sites. Among the communities covered by those sites, 329 of were affected by Hurricane Sandy. The 400 Patch journalists writing for those sites wrote 14,000 articles on Sandy. They wrote useful stories that their communities needed, answering questions like whether Sandy would hit their town, when it would hit, which stores would be open to sell supplies, which shelters had blankets, and when the power would come back on. Every day of the week Sandy hit, Patch broke new traffic records. Traffic was twice as high as normal. In the 329 communities in Sandy's path, traffic was four times higher than normal. Patch's mobile app saw a 700% increase in downloads.
That week, government officials in the towns affected by Sandy reached out to Patch executives for help. People around the country were sending supplies, but they were sending the wrong supplies to the wrong areas. Would Patch help get the message out about which towns need which supplies?
Patch CEO Jon Brod brought the request to Armstrong on a Friday night. The next morning, Armstrong called Brod with a different plan. Armstrong said to Brod: Instead of passing along a message and helping other people send the right supplies to the right towns, AOL and Patch should just get the job done themselves.
As he had when AOL sold its patents, Armstrong began calling the heads of major corporations, asking for help. Wal-Mart and Home Depot responded most quickly. Then Armstrong flew down to AOL's massive office complex in Virginia. With the help of 500 AOL employees and senior executives, he loaded two 18-wheel trucks with supplies. The trucks had huge AOL and Patch logos painted on their sides. After Dulles, they stopped at AOL's Advertising.com office in Baltimore for more supplies. Then they rolled on, reaching Long Island by Monday morning.
Our guess at Armstrong's mascot for Patch Illustration by Mike Nudelman When the deliveries were done, Armstrong threw a big rally in Dulles with all the employee volunteers who had helped. Heidi Klum showed up. Armstrong was ecstatic and impassioned and everyone else in the vicinity could feel it.
The moment felt great for Armstrong because of how he and AOL as a whole responded to Sandy. But it felt great because Patch, the product Armstrong had founded and funded — sometimes over the screams of shareholders — finally seemed to be succeeding. What's more, Patch was succeeding a month after re-launching with a major redesign called Patch 2.0 — a redesign that had Armstrong's fingerprints all over it.
After that May 2012 earnings call in which Armstrong promised shareholders he would bring the division to profitability by the end of 2013, he got even more deeply involved with the product than he had been before.
Until then, Patch had relied almost exclusively on full-time and freelance journalists for content. It had a few thousand users blogging on the platform, but their content wasn't getting noticed by other consumers. Armstrong decided Patch needed to be more of a platform for user-generated content — more like YouTube, Facebook, or Tumblr. Then Patch would have more content and more traffic, with smaller costs.
Armstrong took feedback from Patch users whose kids played soccer and lacrosse with his kids, and started drawing what he thought the new Patch should look like on legal pads. In the Web design community, this is called "wire-framing," and Armstrong did a lot of it.
Abel Lenz LinkedIn Then, once a week, he went over to the Patch offices, a 15-minute cab ride away from AOL's headquarters, and shared his ideas with Patch's product design team. In these meetings, Armstrong was full of ideas. He talked a lot about what "humans" wanted from Patch, almost as though he was not one. At one point, he became obsessed with the idea that what Patch really needed was a mascot — something to give Patch a particular personality and voice. He wanted it to be an elf in a rain slicker.
The person most responsible for turning Armstrong's sketches and ideas into actual websites was a Patch creative director named Abel Lenz.
Technically, this wasn't Lenz's job. Technically, Lenz's job was to come up with his own product ideas and designs for Patch. And he did do that, too. But mostly he tried to give Armstrong exactly what he wanted. And the problem with trying to give Armstrong exactly what he wants in a product is that he has too many ideas.
"He is extremely creative," says Susan Lyne, the CEO of AOL's Brand Group. "He knows that some of them are going to be useful and some of them are not. He doesn't edit them. He likes to brainstorm. He likes to think about the possible."
Lyne says she knows which of Armstrong's ideas actually matter to him because they are "the things he repeats frequently."
A former Google colleague of Armstrong's says this is an old trait of his. He says Armstrong is "unusually open to possibilities and that sometimes this gets him into trouble."
As Patch 2.0 neared its completion in the summer of 2012, Armstrong went to his board and told them, thanks to the redesign, he would have no problem keeping his promise of profitability to shareholders.
He was wrong.
The cost of winning.
Over the next 10 months, it became clear the success of Patch during Hurricane Sandy was an aberration.
Even as Patch traffic soared in the fall of 2012, the division continued to struggle with revenue growth. Online ads are sold ahead of time, and Patch wasn't able to monetize all the Sandy traffic. Despite Armstrong's Patch 2.0 redesign, costs stayed high. Worst of all, Patch traffic dropped from its post-Sandy peak.
It remained obvious to many of Armstrong's senior executives at AOL that Patch was not going to be able to reach profitability by the end of 2013 without serious cost-cutting. If Armstrong himself was beginning to realize this, however, he didn't show it. Armstrong's apparent stubbornness and blindness with respect to Patch, moreover, continued to cause significant friction between him and his senior team.
Executive turnover had always been a big problem for AOL under Tim Armstrong. During Armstrong's tenure, AOL has had two COOs, four executives in charge of media, four presidents in charge of advertising, three chief technology officers, four heads of public relations, three human resources bosses, and two general counsels.
Armstrong recognizes that AOL has gone through more turnover than normal, and he lays the responsibility for this largely on the executives he has replaced. AOL is a tough place to work, he says, and not everyone can cut it. Armstrong also says his current staff is an upgrade in talent. He's particularly proud of hiring Susan Lyne, the former president of ABC, and Bob Lord, the former CEO of digital agency Razorfish, who now runs AOL's ad sales.
Some Armstrong critics, meanwhile, put the blame for AOL's executive churn on him. He falls in love with people, they say, and then he falls out of love with them. His constant stream of ideas and passions leave his team wondering what is really important and what they should focus on. And his willingness to oust those who challenge him on projects he cares about has left some former executives feeling betrayed.
One of the executives most in Armstrong's ear about Patch was his chief operating officer, Arthur Minson.
AOL Minson had joined AOL as CFO in the summer of 2009, while it was still part of Time Warner. As CFO, Minson's greatest success was helping AOL slow the rate at which its dial-up access business was shrinking. Then Minson played a key role in AOL's proxy fight with Starboard. Following that victory, Armstrong made Minson chief operating officer.
Minson was quite vocal about his skepticism about Patch. And in February 2013, Armstrong suddenly fired him.
Armstrong says that Minson left because AOL no longer needed a COO. Armstrong says Minson "was a tremendous CFO." Minson himself declined to comment.
Even with Minson out of the company, the pressure on Armstrong to fulfill his promise to make Patch profitable by the end of the year did not go away.
On the contrary, it heated up.
Armstrong's senior staff bore much of the pressure, and more of his lieutenants left the company. Some of Armstrong's Monday morning meetings grew testier. One AOL executive, Bud Rosenthal, seemed to frequently find himself on Armstrong's bad side. He kept asking tough questions about Patch.
During a public conference call with analysts to report AOL's first quarter earnings in May 2013, Armstrong responded to questions on Patch's progress toward profitability by saying, "No team on planet Earth is working harder than we are to get Patch to profitability, and that's a big focus."
Finally, in the summer of 2013, more than a year after Armstrong made his promises to shareholders, the realization appeared to finally sink in He decided to make Bud Rosenthal, one of the most vocal Patch skeptics, the CEO of Patch. This in itself was a big step. Instead of appointing a "yes man" to run the division, Armstrong had tapped someone who thought Patch needed major changes.
Then, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, Armstrong and AOL reported the company's second quarter financial performance. The news was good. AOL reported 2% annual revenue growth, beating Wall Street expectations. It was the second quarter in a row the company had grown. AOL was spending $400 million to buy an advertising technology startup called Adap.TV. Thanks to that deal, AOL would soon top even Google as the top video ad seller on the Web. When the markets opened that morning, AOL's stock went up again.
This could have been one of Armstrong's best days as CEO. But he had some big unfinished business to attend to.
On the call, Armstrong explained to analysts that he and his team had divided Patch's 900 sites into three segments: profitable Patch sites, Patch sites that looked like they could become profitable by year's end, and Patch sites that did not look like they would be profitable by the end of the year.
Then Armstrong said a bit more than he intended to. He told the analysts that there was going to be a board meeting the next day, in which plans for that bottom third of Patch sites would be finalized. He hinted that AOL planned to give them away to other publishers in their markets. It sounded like there might be layoffs.
For AOL as a whole, this was a celebratory day. The agenda for Armstrong's day was to get on the phone with the Adap.TV employees and welcome them into the company. But, instead, Armstrong decided to head over to Patch. He felt he needed to be forthright with Patch employees about what was coming — especially after he had dropped so many ominous hints on the earnings call.
Abel Lenz took this photo Wednesday August 7 Jim Romenesko At Patch's headquarters, a short cab ride away, Armstrong told everyone he was going to meet with the board Thursday and present three plans for cutting costs at Patch. He promised that he would return Friday to explain which plan the board had opted for.
After the meeting, new Patch CEO Bud Rosenthal came up to Armstrong and said he'd noticed something odd while his boss was talking. One of the Patch executives, Abel Lenz, had been taking pictures the whole time. The picture-taking offended Armstrong. He'd been trying to be candid with his employees about their jobs.
Rosenthal went to Lenz and asked him not to take any more pictures during meetings.
The next day, a Thursday, Armstrong met with his board. At first it looked like the board would favor a plan to eliminate 600 of Patch's 900 sites, leaving just 300 towns. But Armstrong couldn't stomach this deep a cut. He favored cutting just 300 sites. Finally, the board told him it needed a week to review the options.
Eventually, AOL would decide to shut down every Patch site except for those located in 14 major markets. But that Friday, there was no news for Armstrong to share with Patch employees. Armstrong could have hung back at AOL's headquarters and celebrated two consecutive quarters of growth. Instead, he decided that since he'd promised to report back to them, he should.
When he got to Patch headquarters that Friday, Armstrong was emotional. Cutting costs at Patch was the right thing to do — the only thing to do. In the months ahead, investors would reward him and AOL for the discipline the cuts showed, and send AOL's stock soaring. But that didn't mean it was easy. Especially for Tim Armstrong.
Armstrong didn't feel good. He'd founded Patch. He'd hired all of Patch's employees. He'd convinced his board to let him invest hundreds of millions of dollars in it. He still believed in the product. He regretted promising to make it profitable so soon. He felt that, given time, Patch would have turned AOL into a company worth many billions of dollars. He felt like he was quitting. He felt, in a word, awful.
But Tim Armstrong had changed since his Google days. Back then, he'd been unable to put the hundreds of sales people he hired through a painful, but much needed reorganization. He had put off the decision and then left the company before he had to make it. Now, however, Armstrong was ready to make the kind of hard, unpopular choices that he had to make if AOL was to succeed, no matter how bad they felt.
Armstrong began his speech. At the front of the room, he saw Abel Lenz — the man with whom he'd built Patch 2.0, which was now so obviously a failure.
Abel Lenz took a photo, something he had been explicitly told not to do two days earlier.
Armstrong snapped.
He said, "Abel, put that camera down right now."
He said, "Abel, you're fired."
And the room went quiet.
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A note on sources
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This story is based primarily on first-hand reporting consisting of dozens of interviews, including a few with Tim Armstrong.
Other people I spoke to are or were employed at AOL. Many of these people spoke on a not-for-attribution basis. Some spoke on the record. I have not identified many on-the-record sources because I did not want to allow for the process of elimination to identify others.
This story, being told in a narrative fashion, does not identify the sources of information for particular facts, including thoughts. I would caution readers against assuming that because I have reported a person's thoughts, that person is a direct source. A person will often share thoughts about pivotal moments in their lives with a large group of people.
As a part of the narrative, my story includes dialogue.
I am grateful to James B. Stewart's "note on sources" at the end of his book, "DisneyWar." That note helped me think about how to describe my own sourcing. In his note, Stewart describes how he sources dialogue. It's a perfect explanation, and I'd like to quote it and use it as my own explanation.
"As part of the narrative, I have included passages of dialogue. Dialogue— what words were said— is a fact like any other. It is not necessarily a quotation from an interview with me and I would discourage readers from inferring that one or both of the speakers is a direct source. Especially in today's world of instant communication, it is sometimes amazing how many people turn out to be privy to what others may assume is a private conversation. Many of the conversations reported in this book either took place before an audience or became known to a wide circle of people, often within minutes of their taking place. … In a few cases other people were listening in on speakerphones, extensions, or overheard conversations without one or both of the speakers' knowledge. Readers should bear in mind that, given the vagaries of human memory, remembered dialogue is rarely the same as actual recordings and transcripts. At the same time, it is no more nor less accurate than many other recollections."
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Bibliography
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Auletta, Ken. "You've Got News: Can Tim Armstrong Save AOL?" New Yorker. Jan. 24, 2011.
Del Rey, Jason. "At AOL Under Tim Armstrong, the Only Constant is Change." AdAge. Feb. 6, 2013.
Diamond, David. "In The Zone." Wired. May 6, 1997.
Lee, Edmund. "AOL's Patch Limps Toward Profitability." Bloomberg. Jun. 18, 2013.
Romensko, Jim. "THE LAST PHOTOS THAT ABEL LENZ SHOT BEFORE HE WAS FIRED BY AOL BOSS TIM ARMSTRONG." Romenesko. Aug. 14, 2013.
Romensko, Jim. "LISTEN TO AOL CEO TIM ARMSTRONG FIRE PATCH'S CREATIVE DIRECTOR DURING A CONFERENCE CALL." Romenesko. Aug. 10, 2013.
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Acknowledgments
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I'm grateful to Jay Yarow for reading this story and suggesting edits. Jill Klausen saved me with copy edits. Mike Nudelman made the great cover image and section headers. I'm grateful to to the people who took time out of their busy days to respond to my emails and get on the phone to talk about Tim Armstrong and AOL.Now that we’ve finally established that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not caused by vaccinations, it’s time to uncover its real origins inside our DNA. And thanks to a first-of-its-kind machine-learning program from Princeton University and the Simons Foundation in New York City, scientists have a “highly enriched” gene pool that helps them better pin down the 400-1,000 genes that have already been identified as risk factors for the disorder.
To gather the impressive pool of genes, scientists conducted an in-depth analysis of the human genome, starting with a functional brain network they constructed a little more than a year ago. This helped depict how genes work together in the brain’s molecular circuits. The team also used data from previous experiments that focused on how genes work throughout the whole body.
Taken together, scientists could better see the genes that are “turned on” in any given cell at certain points both in our development, as well as the genetic disruptions that occur in the brain of someone with ASD. The machine was then able to efficiently analyze more than 100 million gene interactions and pick out those which corresponded to ASD, landing on a pool of 2,500 genes that may be potential causes of autism.
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay
Following up on these leads will help scientists delve deeper into autism's genetic basis and may also possibly lead to new diagnostic and treatment techniques.
"Geneticists can now focus on the top-ranked autism-risk gene predictions from our machine-learning program, both to direct future genome sequencing studies and to prioritize individual genes for experimental studies," said co-lead author Arjun Krishnan said in a recent statement.
While it’s likely that not all of the 2,500 top gene candidates are actually related to ASD, the findings help to bring forward several genes which were previously not linked to the disorder. Rather, Krishnan said, "these novel genes for autism risk are great candidates for further study."
Source: Krishnan A, Zhang R, Yao V, et al. Genome-Wide Prediction and Functional Characterization of the Genetic Basis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nature Neuroscience. 2016.
Read More:
Brain Images Indicate Biomarkers For Autism Spectrum Disorder, May Revolutionize Treatment: Read Here
Children With Autism May Increase Siblings' Risk Of Developing The Disorder: Read HereA new report by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee argues that the US government, not BP, should have been in charge of oil spill response and managing the compensation of victims.
In inflammatory language, the politicians took Mr Obama to task for the "decision to place the perpetrator of a reckless and unnecessary tragedy at the helm of recovery operations", after the accident which killed 11 men and caused a three-month leak.
The committee, chaired by Darrell Issa, said: "Many believe BP is not meeting its obligations and the federal government has abdicated its responsibility to intervene.
"Failure to fund removal of clean-up equipment debris, uncertainty surrounding mental health services, and frustration associated with the compensation process are among the concerns of affected Gulf Coast residents."
After conducting interviews for a year in the worst affected states, the authors of the inquiry found many Gulf Coast residents feel they are not getting a fair deal from the $20bn (£1.2bn) compensation fund set up to help those who suffered financial loss.
The fund is administered by Ken Feinberg, a lawyer appointed by Mr Obama, who was meant to be "independent" of BP. However, a court has ruled that it cannot be described as such because its operations are funded by the British oil giant.
Mr Feinberg is in the process of scaling back operations, closing eight regional offices, as he does not envision a flood of new claims, having paid out $4bn to hundreds of thousands of applicants.
But the report raised new concerns about "excessive compensation delays, inconsistent judgments, requirements that victims relinquish further claims against BP as a condition of compensation, and efforts to dissuade victims from obtaining legal representation."
The committee found one example of two fishermen in the Lafourche Parish who filled out very similar claims and had similar incomes, but one received $100,000 more.
It also criticised the fact that the applicants have their claims pushed back to the bottom of a three-month queue if they make a small mistake on their forms.
If a flood of Gulf Coast residents turn to the courts rather than the compensation fund, it could lengthen and complicate the cases BP is facing in a huge multi-district action scheduled for February.
BP, whose share price dropped 10.5 to 455.65p, declined to comment.I have three wonderful daughters – two teenagers and one young adult. I can hardly imagine anything more horrible than the prospect that one of them might one day enter therapy for help with some common psychological problem such as anxiety, insomnia or depression and, at the end of that process, accuse me of childhood sexual abuse on the basis of "recovered" memories. Even though I would know with absolute certainty that such allegations were untrue, the chances are that nothing I could say or do would convince my accusers of this.
A few days ago I sat in a lecture theatre mostly filled with middle-aged or elderly parents living through this exact nightmare. Typically, their adult children had started therapy with no pre-existing memories of being sexually abused, but had become convinced during the therapeutic process that they had indeed been victimised in this way. So convinced were they that the "recovered" memories were true, they more often than not accused their parents directly of this vile act and then cut off any further contact, leaving their parents devastated and confused, their lives shattered.
The occasion in question was the 15th Annual General Meeting of the British False Memory Society. The BFMS began life in 1993, the year after the formation of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation in the US. Accused parents were at the forefront of founding both organisations. Both have scientific and professional advisory boards to support them in their aims, which include providing support – including legal assistance where necessary – to those affected by such accusations, providing information and advice to professionals, and improving our understanding of false memories by encouraging and supporting academic and professional research.
One serious problem appears to be that many people mistakenly believe that the false memory controversy is "yesterday's news". They are aware that there was a huge increase in such allegations back in the 1980s and 1990s. They may even be aware that many professionals and academics have reacted against such claims, most notably Elizabeth Loftus, whose pioneering work in this area has done more to increase our understanding of the true nature of false memories than any other scientist. But it is simply not the case that this is a dead issue.
Although the incidence of new cases is much reduced from when the controversy was at its peak, new cases do still come to light with depressing frequency, as the files of the BFMS can attest. Furthermore, the fallout from the peak period is still very much with us. There are still many families throughout the world being torn apart by these accusations, many of whom will sadly never achieve any kind of reconciliation.
One intriguing aspect of this awful situation is why the media generally appeared to lose interest. The press and broadcasters are often guilty of focusing on the human interest angle of stories at the expense of good solid scientific evidence, the MMR controversy being a case in point. As most scientists know, there never really was a "controversy" over MMR, with the consensus among medical experts being that there is no link between MMR vaccination and autism. But the human interest value of tearful interviews with sobbing mothers supported by the views of a few maverick scientists was always going to be enough to bias the media coverage of this issue, with tragic consequences.
In the case of the false memory controversy, however, there was human interest on both sides of the story. Obviously, sensationalist accounts of "recovered" memories of brutal childhood sexual abuse – or even better, ritualised Satanic abuse leading to the development of "multiple personalities" – were always going to be tempting to a certain type of journalist, despite the lack of any good scientific evidence supporting such claims. But we also had the other victims to consider: the accused family members and those around them. Why were their stories given so little coverage?
I got some answers at the BFMS meeting. There are some cases where the accused are willing to go public but are prevented from doing so by legal gagging orders and are thus not free to present their side of the story. But much more common is the situation where the accused do not want to jeopardise their chances of obtaining the one thing they want more than anything else in the world: reconciliation with their estranged children. Furthermore, to go public with such stories inevitably will invite suspicion. Unless one is very familiar with the scientific research relating to false memories, there may well be the temptation to assume that there's no smoke without fire.
There is a general perception that the public mood is much more volatile with respect to the issue of paedophilia than it used to be. Remember the attack on a paediatrician in Portsmouth by an illiterate mob who did not know the difference between a paediatrician and a paedophile? The episode has often been cited as a prime example of the dangers of adopting a vigilante mentality. The fact that the story appears to be an urban myth is often missed by journalists, who refer to it in sensationalist stories published in the very newspapers that attempted to whip up such sentiments in the first place.
According to an article by Brendan O'Neill on the BBC news website, the incident that gave rise to these stories involved a female paediatrician consultant, Dr Yvette Cloete, in Newport, Gwent (not Portsmouth), who returned from work to find "paedo" sprayed on her door, probably by local youngsters. Distressing as this incident was for Dr Cloete, it is a long way from an excited mob threatening physical violence. But for all that, the perception that there may be a violent backlash against anyone even suspected of paedophilia is a strong factor in explaining the reluctance of many accused to go public.
There are now many cases of "retractors" whose stories could potentially be featured in media coverage. Retractors are individuals who initially believed that their memories of abuse were real but later came to realise they were not. Again, one cannot overstate the courage of such individuals in acknowledging that they have put other family members through unimaginable pain and suffering on the basis of a sincerely held but mistaken belief. Understandably, however, such individuals are often too upset and possibly ashamed to want to tell their stories publicly.
It is hard to find a silver lining inside such a grim and depressing cloud, but there is one. Although it may be of little consolation to those who continue to suffer as a consequence of "recovered" memories, the controversy did trigger a huge amount of research into false memories. Since the mid-1990s, hundreds of papers have been published on the topic and it is probably fair to say that the results have come as something of a surprise even to the researchers themselves. Numerous experiments have shown that is much easier than anyone might have supposed to implant false memories in a large minority of the population.
Reliable experimental procedures have been developed to study susceptibility to false memories and we now understand a great deal about the conditions that are most likely to give rise to false memories (for an excellent introduction to the field, read Richard J. McNally's Remembering Trauma). It turns out that the conditions typically found in the psychotherapeutic context fit the bill perfectly. Specifically, a vulnerable individual being informed by the therapist, an authority figure, that their current psychological symptoms strongly indicate that they must have been abused as children even if they can no longer remember the abuse due to repression. Once this has been accepted by the client, they are encouraged to engage in a range of
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regime has been running into two key strategic challenges.” It is “short on manpower and relied on a wider array of foreign and domestic militias to stop the recent rebel offensive in northern Hama than it has in previous Hama offensives.”
It is unclear if Iran or Russia, both under sanctions, can keep Assad afloat. While “winning” the war is still not impossible for Assad, said Arterbury, “attempting to retake the country in its entirety risks draining what little remains from its people and its treasury.”
Arterbury, who researches Syria’s militant groups, said a “continuation or an increase in covert lethal aid to some opposition factions, as well as greater coordination with Jordan in the south,” could also be on the table for Trump. “There’s a realization of the ‘day after Daesh’ that will leave Assad as the elephant in the room.”
For any political solution, however, in Syria, the Trump administration could see itself turning to Russia. While Arterbury does not see high likelihood for a US-Russia deal on Syria in the near future due to “the delicacy of ongoing investigations” about Trump associates relations with Russia, “something can still be done.”
“Russia is not wedded to Assad in the same way that Iran is and may, therefore, be more amenable toward brokering a deal so long as its key strategic assets in Syria remain untouched,” Arterbury said. One tool in this bargain could be the Ukrainian issue, and the Trump team’s willingness for a Ukraine-Syria tradeoff with Moscow.
Tillerson raised eyebrows at the G-7 Summit on Tuesday when asking his European counterparts,“Why should US taxpayers be interested in Ukraine?” While this question might not indicate an inclination to negotiate over Ukraine, Arterbury noted that the Trump administration has also been relatively quiet on the Ukrainian issue, suggesting it may not occupy as much a centerpiece as it does for some Senate Republicans and Democrats.
Al-Hayat newspaper reported this week that the US might be willing to negotiate Assad’s ouster in return for easing Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia. Such chatter remains, however, early in the game as no breakthrough emerged after Tillerson held his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US continues to seek to increase its leverage inside Syria.On Tuesday the president bestowed the power upon his satrap of defense, General Mattis, to set troop levels in Afghanistan. In response Thursday, Mattis has committed an additional 4,000 troops to the country to provide support for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in counter-insurgency operations to deal with the ever-growing Taliban forces. This comes, tellingly, after Mattis concurred with senator McCain that the united $tates is “not winning” in Afghanistan—an admission of what the world has already known for years. Nevertheless, the renewed interest in afghan involvement is not exclusively a Trump project, as our readers know. The u.$. has been re-insinuating itself into the Afghan war since the waning days of the Obama administration, when it was clear that the Taliban was gathering strength and launching renewed offensives to capture new territory in the country.
Imperialist “news” organs have so far loved to talk about a “resurgent” Taliban, indicating that while the united $tates had been there, the group had been battered into submission. However, it is clear that the resurgence of Taliban forces came around 2006, and since then has not been atomized or pushed into a full retreat. Even through the height of amerikan occupation the Taliban continued to grow, drawing soldiers from the Afghan refugee population in Pakistan and from those displaced by amerikan bombing and war crimes. While imperialist propagandists like those at the Wall Street Journal would suggest that the united $tates army is undefeated, and it is only the ANSF which has been under siege by the Taliban forces, it is clear that no matter how Mattis adjusts the troop levels in Afghanistan, they cannot win. The united $tates military is just as impotent in dealing with the Taliban as the corrupt, treacherous ANSF.
The trajectory of u.$. involvement in Afghanistan is water on the proverbial oil-fire, it will neither douse Taliban troop sources, nor overcome the Taliban militarily (to the contrary, the blaze will continue to spread). Nonetheless, the traitors in the Afghan leadership have endorsed the idea of more amerikan soldiers, believing that with greater troop deployments they can buy time for their doomed regime against the Taliban in particular, and the afghan resistance generally. However, the united $tates continues to assure the public that these deployments are only to serve a supporting role, and that it is primarily the defeat of the Islamic State in Afghanistan that they are after. This only reinforces the understood reality of an unwinnable war with the Taliban, something that even the most doggedly political line-towers in the general staff can no longer deny.
That has not stopped some from trying to imagine new ways to win the war, and assure amerikan domination over the region. Erik Prince, the founder of the blackwater mercenary company, has recently come out with his own plan for victory in Afghanistan. He suggested, in a piece written for the Wall Street Journal, that the united $tates should integrate Afghanistan as a legal colony, and install a “Viceroy” to direct the internal policies of the country entirely to the liking of Washington. This plan, in his mind, will centralize the amerikan authority over the country, and eliminate what he sees as an uncooperative and disloyal government in Kabul. Of course, few in the u.$. ruling cabal have taken him seriously, despite his business relationship with Trump, but there is an almost surprising resonance among imperialist shock troops for this kind of rhetoric.
Naturally, Prince would like to see a greater role played by his condottieri in the conflict in Afghanistan, as wars line the pockets of all the imperial adventurers who operate in the so-called security contracting business. As if killing Third World children was not already flooding the First World with enough money. The level of absurdity and desperation that the west has sunk to over their perpetual failures in West and Central Asia is terrifying, despite its revealing a deep corruption in their resolve toward victory. They know they are losing, however they will try all they can to salvage their burning theaters, all we can hope for is that these are the last gasps of a dying empire. The people of Afghanistan have weathered the storm, and they will outlive the empire. Anti-imperialists in the west should hasten this process, and help put to rest any more “creative” ideas of continued occupation. Mattis sends 4,000 but it certainly will not be the last deployment, we must oppose every act to preserve the empire.
Sources:If the government wants to search your Facebook account—snooping through everything from your posts, photographs, and videos to your private messages, check-ins, likes, and search history—shouldn’t you know about it in time to protect your constitutional rights? We certainly think so. And that’s what we told the D.C. Court of Appeals last week when we filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a largely secret case concerning the government’s search of Facebook accounts.
In practice, the targets of electronic searches of Facebook accounts and similar data often don’t learn about them until months after they have occurred and the materials have already been handed over to the government. That’s because the government regularly obtains gag orders to prevent Internet companies like Facebook from notifying their users about government searches of their data. In our brief, which we filed together with the ACLU of DC and Public Citizen, we argued that, absent an overriding government interest in secrecy, the government should not be allowed to block Facebook from notifying its users about the search warrants targeting them.
The case is entirely sealed, save for a three-page public notice drafted by Facebook announcing its effort to lift the gag order and calling for friend-of-the-court briefs in support of its position. From that notice, we know that the government issued search warrants to Facebook demanding “all contents of communications, identifying information, and related records” over a three-month span for three accounts. Along with the warrants, Facebook received a gag order that prohibits the company from telling the targets of the search about the warrants.
That gag order was issued under the same statute that Microsoft is challenging in a separate case, and for good reason. Microsoft has said that, of the more than 5,000 federal demands for customer data it received over 18 months, almost half came with gag orders—and most of those were indefinite, resulting in an alarming number of secret searches.
To our knowledge, Facebook has not challenged the warrants themselves in the D.C. case, but it has argued that the accompanying gag order is unconstitutional. A lower court limited the gag so that it would expire 30 days after Facebook produced the records to the government. Laudably, Facebook refused to accept that limitation and appealed the order, arguing that notice should not be delayed because 1) the events underlying the investigation are public, 2) the search targets anonymous political advocacy and speech, and 3) Facebook has already retained all of the relevant records, which means that the subjects of the search can't destroy them when they receive notice.
Given the limited facts presented, it is hard to imagine how these warrants can be lawful. The government’s demand for “all contents of communications” over a three-month period is extraordinarily broad. It almost certainly defies the Fourth Amendment’s requirement that a search warrant describe with particularity what the government may search and seize, especially where the search targets materials protected by the First Amendment and threatens to unmask anonymous speakers. The warrants at issue in this case would allow government investigators to examine the targets’ communications with an untold number of Facebook users, including family members, romantic partners, and political allies. They would also reveal the targets’ political affiliations, reading habits, and their views on everything from politics and religion to movies and television shows.
The Constitution exists to prevent such harms, but it can do so adequately only if targeted users know their rights are in jeopardy. The users are in the best position to show how the warrants infringe their constitutional rights—and to do so before production to the government brings about the very harms the First and Fourth Amendments are meant to stop, including unwarranted invasions of privacy, unmasking of anonymous speakers, and chilling of protected speech. Without a convincing reason for secrecy, the government should not be allowed to prevent Facebook from telling its users that their accounts are being searched. We hope the D.C. Court of Appeals agrees.This is a variation of the book review I wrote for my Graduate Course in International Politics. The work I submitted is similar to this but is way more formal. I originally wrote this to submit but then realized it may back fire big times. So, instead of getting rid of this, I am posting it here for all of you to enjoy.
* The book is available online at Princeton University Press and at Amazon*
Every now and then there is a book that plays on fantasy to makes you question reality. Daniel Drezner’s Theories of International Politics and Zombies is that book. Easily one of the most creative books written on politics in the recent past, IP & Zombies takes serious theories and mixes them with pop culture references to build an argument that is fun to read and easy to understand. Taking on the recent obsession with everything undead, Drezner makes zombies the basis for an intriguing discussion on political theories in the times of the undead.
The premise of the book is simple; if the world was attacked by Zombies, how would the humans react to it? On the face of it, it sounds simple enough. Human would obviously go after the undead and return them to their … ultimate end. But the real question is, how will humans do that? Drezner tries to answer this question by building scenarios using all major international political theories. In a way what he attempts is truly genius; to operationalize the approaches that dictate state’s behavior, so the reader can understand the practical implications instead of impressing them with technical jargon. A simple question, an interesting premise and unpretentious language to explain something in 120 pages that normally takes a whole semester.
I pondered for a while on how to approach a review of this book that would do it justice and eventually reached the conclusion that I should approach it like Drezner would i.e. using pop culture references. Think of this book as music festival à la Coachella or Glastonbury. There is one main attraction, the headline artist, along with many smaller attractions that are designed to complement that the star attraction. Behind all this fun in the sun is the serious business of managing it all and making it financially viable. Thus there are layers to all this, the front end and the back-end. The front end works with the Zombie and Me narrative while the back-end operates on the why this and not that notion.
For IP & Zombies the star attraction is the super metaphor that explains anything and everything. Zombies are the headliners, the star attraction and even the complementing entertainment courtesy the metaphorical mastery of Drezner. The author uses Zombies for different purposes throughout the book. The core metaphor is Zombies representing Anarchy (P 12, 13). At later stages zombies are used as a minority (in terms of domestic politics), potential social issue (in terms of NGO advocacy) and even painted as occupiers.
Like every music festival needs headliners, reaction to Anarchy (in this case zombies) is what makes a headliner in the field of political science. For realism it is a core assumption i.e. the world is anarchic and states are trying to make sense out of it by looking out for themselves. So in a way the realists have always assumed that zombies are there. For liberals the assumption is that there is no anarchy and that states would cooperate with each other to maximize their gains. Institutionalism and constructivism to a certain extent consider anarchy to be an issue as well. So when Drezner talks about the Zombie Apocalypse, he is painting a world that is anarchic in nature and the states have to deal with the menace in the best way possible. But because this is the star attraction i.e. how do we deal with zombies, we have to wait till the end to hear it. Till then, as readers we have to make do with complimenting entertainment which in this case is listening to all other theories.
Realism is the first to play its set. One would assume given Realism’s familiarity with the main stage as the IR rock star of yesteryear, it would have no issues playing a killer set. But as we go along, Drezner makes us realize that while Realism still may be the Beatles but John Lennon is long gone and Ringo isn’t really pulling his weight. For them zombies are a major threat to national security so the states with capacity would deal with them better. Weaker states, it is assumed would get ravaged and eventually taken over by the undead. For realists, it would be the same with or without the zombies, as bottom line is that all states are looking out for their interests. So irrespective of their audience, realists like the Beatles stick to the basics and choose to think inside the yellow submarine.
Next up is the Liberal theory that takes a chop at Zombies. Much like Pitbull, liberalism relies heavily on the power of collaboration. The idea is that as long as the states were to work together and form alliances things would be addressed in a much better way. This is where Drezner could have done a better job. Instead of giving us Liberalism’s greatest hits, he focuses on one element that is more close to liberal institutionalism rather than proper liberalism. The argument is, in order to deal with zombies, states would sit together and form institutions like World Zombie Organization (P. 54). The purpose of these institutions would be deal with the undead so as to stop them from chomping away on humanity. But as with most institutions the issue is effectiveness and ability to operate across border with same kind of effectiveness. The author points out that the possibility of this happening is similar to Pitbull getting a solo hit i.e. very low. Drezner goes on to explain that the non-state actors play a role in diminishing the potency of these institutions by giving the example of NGOs that would potentially oppose any attempts at complete zombie eradication. The eventual result, much like Pitbull’s last song, is going to be a situation where a lot could have been done but hardly anything was achieved. The undead problem would join other worldwide issues like aids and cancer i.e. it would be acceptably unacceptable.
The author makes an effort to argue the Constructivist and Neo Conservative approaches. As a reader I felt that he painted them as exact opposites of each other. While one is fairly hippie and works off the mantra of ‘why can’t we all just get along?’ like Taylor Swift, the other approach is more like Aretha Franklin and demands for R.E.S.P.E.C.T from Zombies. Drezner does Constructivist theory a favor by laying out a better case than any of the other approaches. He argues that once zombies become a fact of life, humans will try to socialize them (P 74). This would change the social norms that would adapt to the new (hopefully) minority undead. Much like Taylor Swift’s music, constructivist approach albeit annoying is not as bad as it initially sounds.
Neo Conservative approach however is a different story. From the get go, much like Aretha Franklin it is crystal clear about what needs to be done i.e. Zombies need to be put in their place. That would mean a full blown attack on zombies. But like real life, steps to getting respect sound easy but getting actual respect is a whole different story. Drezner points out, while taking several shots at the US foreign policy in Afghanistan and Iraq, that the idea on paper would sound right but in practice would be a quagmire. Without clear end point, this would be a disaster.
Next up, is that unknown artist that captures your attention and your imagination as the next big thing, think Florence + The Machine, Drezner presents his arguments on Bureaucracy and its dealing with zombie problem. Most of the literature on International Politics tends to ignore the importance bureaucracy plays in managing basically everything. He starts by calling bureaucracies as ‘organized anarchies’ that look for problems to crate solutions for (P. 87). Using puns and deep digs like ‘the bureaucratic turf wars would be bloody in every sense of the word’ (P. 88), Drezner points out a crucial factor that it comes down to how effectively bureaucracy is able to adapt to the changing scenarios brought about the looming zombie wars. He argues that it would take time for the bureaucracies to get it right but by the time they get it right the political support may no longer be there for their upgraded strategy. Kind of like what used to happen to Florence + The Machine earlier in their career when they would open with lesser known songs and by the time they got to their good stuff, half the crowd had already gone home. For humanity to take a headshot, our bureaucracies need to adapt quickly.
Drezner saves the best for last. Think Mumford and Sons playing a surprise show you just stumble upon. The psychological responses to zombies sound simple and boring. But once they start going they have this genius of simplicity and rudiment working in its favor. We get to hear about the issues of confirmation biases the humans will have when deciding about the undead menace, the human spirit of hoping against all hope much like the song ‘I will wait’ where the protagonist is willing to wait even though the person they are waiting for is long gone. But it would take an effort, a change in narrative to get humanity in to the ‘little lion man’ mindset much like a counter insurgency narrative. The idea that the new normal requires a constant struggle and adaptation to a changing environment. And the only way to do that is to come out of the metaphorical ‘Cave’ humanity is stuck in and copy the zombie flat management structure to deal with the imminent threat.
The nature of the zombie changes so must the technique to fight it. In political terms, scenarios change so must the approaches to address them. That is essentially what this book is all about i.e. need for an evolution in state structures that are more efficient and faster to adapt to the problems at hand. Like the music festival that is this book, the one key fact remains that whosoever is able to read the crowd and play their set according to that will walk out as the rock star, be it the legends of yesteryears or the unknown hippies who play ukuleles, the bottom line in the ability to adapt. It is like Nirvana coming out to play the last set, they know what the crowd wants i.e. the greatest hits and they give it to them while being mellow about the prospect of life and just focusing on the now. And while they go out there and start with ‘smells like teen spirit’ the ultimate rebel anthem, they end with ‘you know you are right’ a reflective song that makes peace with the situation.
As mentioned earlier, behind every music festival is a serious business; the business of feasibility i.e. does it even make sense to go on with it all? Is it even worth it? Throughout this book we get to see different approaches play their sets, present their greatest hits for what they feel will work best with the crowd. The hope is that there will be at least one or at best a few sets that would attract people to show up. And while each set may not be perfect and has shortcomings, put together they make a pretty good experience. In terms of international politics, that means while all our theories on their own may not be perfect, put together they give humanity a fighting chance and keep us in business.
On a broader level the book does have a few shortcomings and while it make a great set of cases, like everything else it could be improved. Starting from the premature dismissal of realism and liberalism to overplay of constructivism, Drezner limits himself with the Zombie metaphors. In a way it is Coachella all over again, where its awesome commercial success is what limits its originality. Instead of digging deep within a theoretical framework, Drezner’s overemphasis on keeping everything zombie-isque takes away from what could have been excellent discussions on real issues in favor of sarcastic digs at the obvious. I realize that this is nitpicking, but then again I am a political scientist and much like the music critic attending a festival, my focus is not the hipster feel good vibe in the air but what is being played on the main stage and by now even the Beatles do not cut it anymore.
That being said, there are a few issues that warrant serious research in the future. Evolving structure of the state (P 106, 107), as Drezner points out, need to be researched further. Stating that we need evolution is one thing, outlining how we will go about it is another. For his part, the author has done all he could to put on a great show, it is now up to researchers to glean the important bits of the whole experience to put together a show reel. Additionally the role and importance of bureaucracies in the international political arena needs to be brought center stage. Most theories of international politics lack clarity on this subject and it remains a grey area. There is also potential for a serious discussion on the potential of transnationals and their role in international politics, particularly security.
Much like Coachella, this book is hip, cool and fashionable. It has everything any one could ask for in a zombie/political science book but in small quantities. And while the experience is enjoyable one does realize the more serious issues at play. The theories that we still assume to be the Beatles of their field are barely keeping it together and surviving mostly on past glories. The theories that we keep dismissing are the ones that have serious potential but much like Florence + The Machine, we only want to consider them when they are willing to give us what we want rather than evolving our sense of music to accept their brilliance from the start. And though there are theories that look glamorous on the face of it i.e. liberalism, because they play on our hopefulness in the goodness of this world. Most of them, much like Pitbull, tend to fizzle out fairly quickly the moment we realize we are not being sold what we were promised. The promise was to fix the zombie problem not make peace with it. Point is, like Coachella, this book is unique in its take on a complex and often pretentious subject.
Daniel Drezner took a risk much like Michael Eavis. While Eavis gambled on people’s thirst for music and camping, Drezner bet on political scientists having a sense of humor and average readers having some level of political sense. And just like Glastonbury is now the benchmark for music festivals, Theories of International Politics and Zombies will become the benchmark for social scientists trying to write a book on serious issues using pop culture references. What this book does is much more than just explain politics of zombies, it makes politics fun. It is no longer a task, it becomes an experience. For the field of IR/IP this book serves as a great primer for new students especially undergraduates. It does the basics right while giving a crash course in writing simple yet effective language.While I don't usually go out of my way to write negative reviews, I felt compelled to write this one. As a former users of Jaybirds, Beats, Klipsch, etc.. I did not expect to receive anything near that quality for $12.99. I did, however, expect to receive a pair of headphones that worked. The biggest problem with these headphones is that during your run or workout they will almost surely go haywire. Meaning that the volume will begin to turn up and down automatically, the song will change automatically, or they will simply shut off. I cannot make it through a single hour long workout without this happening. In addition, the minute you get a drop of sweat on the controls, it's game over. They start behaving even more erratic. Finally, I can't shut down the power on these headphones. After every use, I have to keep them on the charger because they always stay on. If you are like me and you are looking for a pair of inexpensive headphones that simply get the job done, these are not for you. I'm not really sure how this product has received 4.5 stars.Wednesday, June 22, 2016
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- A man has been arrested accused of giving his mother with dementia feces disguised as chocolate, according to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
An incident report states Quami Dewayne Kelly, 20, was arrested Tuesday accused of exploitation of elderly or disabled person.
In the report, it said a deputy was called to a home on Melrose Drive around 7 p.m. Tuesday and found the woman's caregiver hysterical. The woman's caregiver said Quami Kelly kissed his mother goodbye and put what she thought was chocolate in his mother's mouth. After it started to smell, the caregiver learned it was actually feces and started to get it out of the woman's mouth, according to an incident report.
The caregiver said over the last few months, the woman had a foul odor to her breath but she couldn't figure out what was causing it. The woman she takes care of has a diminished mental state and suffers from dementia. According to the incident report, her caregiver said she has to keep a close watch on her at all times otherwise she will wander. The woman also cannot talk.
The report states deputies confronted Quami on scene and questioned him. He was later arrested and detained for further investigation.Viper-The malevolent familiar of a sadistic wizard who captured and hoped to tame him, Viper was curiously glad to have been sprung from the sealed and unchanging subterranean Nether Reaches where his race had lived for millions of years, after tectonic slippage had sealed off the Netherdrakes in luminous caverns. Viper spent some time appearing to submit to the wizard's enchainments, hoping to learn what he could of the dark magics the mage practiced. But he soon realized that few spells were as deadly as the toxins that were his birthright. Exuding an acid that swiftly ate away the bars of his cage, the Netherdrake slipped free of his confines, spit poison in the old spellcaster's eyes, and soared out to let the world know that it had a new master.Those scribbles in the back are other VipersLast night, Grimes, aka Claire Boucher, aired a half-hour mixtape she put together for BBC Radio 3’s “Late Junction.” The mix features Aphex Twin, Animal Collective, the Internet, Shonen Knife, Kelsey Lu, and more. “I tried to include a mix of weird stuff that I like that’s old, and some newer stuff I love that inspires me, and all-time favorite songs,” she said by way of introduction. Check it out below, and scroll down for the tracklist.
Embedded content is unavailable.
Tracklist:
01 Aphex Twin - Xtal
02 Kelsey Lu - Morning After Coffee
03 Delerium - Aria (ft Mediæval Bæbes)
04 Shonen Knife - Ah, Singapore
05 Yamantaka//Sonic Titan - Hoshi Neko
06 The Internet - Special Affair
07 Kali Uchis - Ridin Round
08 Dil Se (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Satarangi Re
09 Bajirao Mastani (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Deewani Mastani
10 Tei Shi- Basically
11 HANA - Chimera
12 Now Now - Thread
13 Animal Collective - We Tigers
Revisit Grimes’ performance of “Circumambient” at Pitchfork Music Festival 2012:Focus: Gravity Makes the Universe Classical
Weak gravitational waves that fill the Universe are enough to disturb quantum superpositions and ensure that large objects behave according to classical physics.
NIST Large-scale quantum weirdness. Thousands of rubidium atoms placed in a superposition state (in this case being in two places at once) generate this striped pattern as the superposition is allowed to break up and the two components interfere. Cosmological gravitational radiation will break up any such large-scale superpositions that might have spontaneously arisen anywhere in the Universe, according to new calculations. Large-scale quantum weirdness. Thousands of rubidium atoms placed in a superposition state (in this case being in two places at once) generate this striped pattern as the superposition is allowed to break up and the two components interfere. Cosmolog... Show more
NIST Large-scale quantum weirdness. Thousands of rubidium atoms placed in a superposition state (in this case being in two places at once) generate this striped pattern as the superposition is allowed to break up and the two components interfere. Cosmological gravitational radiation will break up any such large-scale superpositions that might have spontaneously arisen anywhere in the Universe, according to new calculations. ×
The Universe may have begun as a quantum event, but astrophysical and terrestrial phenomena today are distinctly classical in nature, with no hint of quantum indefiniteness. The ultimate reason, a new report in Physical Review Letters suggests, may be a tiny but ubiquitous background of gravitational waves left over from the big bang. These waves randomly disturb quantum states everywhere enough to ensure that real-life Schrödinger’s cats are never seen.
Quantum mechanics allows the existence of the strange states known as superpositions, in which, say, an electron can be both spin up and spin down at the same time. While single particle superpositions can be fairly stable, theorists have wondered why larger objects never seem to appear in such states, exemplified by Erwin Schrödinger’s famous half-alive, half-dead cat. Many theorists now believe that macroscopic superpositions, in which numerous quantum components must maintain a precise relationship with each other, are disrupted by continual environmental influences. Such disturbances, acting differently on each component of a superposition, “decohere” it into a classical state that is, say, dead or alive, but not both. Even a system as small as an atom requires extraordinary protection from stray electromagnetic fields in the lab to remain in a superposition.
Since gravitational fields are both pervasive and inescapable, researchers have proposed that they play a fundamental role in ensuring that macroscopic systems behave in a classical way. Miles Blencowe of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, has now calculated the decoherence caused by the cosmic background of gravitational radiation, small ripples in spacetime representing “echoes” of the big bang. This background is a cousin to the more familiar cosmic microwave background but is thought to be at a slightly lower temperature of about 1 kelvin. Although these gravitational waves would rarely be the largest environmental influence on an object, Blencowe wanted to see whether they alone would guarantee that macroscopic quantum superpositions would never be seen in the wild.
A gravitational wave represents a disturbance in space and time that, as it travels across a superposition, can push its components out of sync. To get a sense of the size of such effects, Blencowe studied a simple model of an object that could be placed in a superposition. He theoretically constructed an atomic-scale blob of mass and energy consisting of an arrangement of a fictitious field. He then imagined this blob prepared in a superposition of a ground state and an excited state separated by one electron volt (eV) in energy and estimated how quickly gravitational background radiation would upset it. The answer: not quickly at all. It would take about 10 45 seconds, or 10 28 times the age of the Universe, for such a superposition to decohere.
This result isn’t surprising because the interaction of weak gravitational waves with a small object like an atom is tiny. But Blencowe showed that the decoherence rate rises with the square of the energy difference between two states in a superposition. For a larger object, equivalent to Avogadro’s number of atoms prepared in an overall superposition, that difference would be 6 x 10 23 eV, and the decoherence time would fall to about 0. 01 seconds.
In inflationary models of cosmology, the gravitational radiation background is likely to be more complicated than the simple form assumed by Blencowe, says Claus Kiefer of the University of Cologne, Germany. Still, he says, whatever gravitational radiation exists would lead to decoherence in the way Blencowe describes. The new result is “certainly interesting because it shows the ubiquitous action of decoherence,” says Kiefer.
–David Lindley
David Lindley is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Virginia, and author of Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the Struggle for the Soul of Science (Doubleday, 2007).Before I begin my review, I need to ask. Do you like the Dark Souls games?
If you answered “no,” this is your getting off point.
Dark Souls III is the latest in the Dark Souls series, starting with Dark Souls in 2011 (Or Demon’s Souls in 2009, depending on who you ask), and has become a notorious franchise for its often-overstated difficulty and cryptic lore over the years. And now, five years later, we have Dark Souls III, a fantastic title that still feels a bit like it’s just more of the same. More of the same enemies, more of the same locations, more of the same characters. Basically, if Bloodborne was the American Super Mario Bros 2, Dark Souls III is the Lost Levels.
Dark Souls III opens in a way that should be instantly familiar to series fans. An old woman giving exposition before letting you loose into a tutorial area populated by developer messages. The entire game is packed full of Souls mainstays—from big guys in armor serving as bosses to the return of everyone’s favorite shifty merchant Patches—but while it was mostly retreading old ground, it never felt too rehashed. Sure, a few characters and areas from the previous titles show up, but the majority of challenges in your way are all original.
Along with familiar concepts comes familiar gameplay, and there are very few new additions to the core mechanics. You’ll still be balancing stamina and health, still watching enemy patterns so you can deliver punishment with light and heavy attacks, and still resting up at bonfires. Thankfully, the life gems of Dark Souls II have been removed, and having to rely on solely estus once more makes everything feel all the more tense. Estus can be allotted between two flasks at the blacksmith, allowing you to either drink to consume energy (managing your special attacks) or to restore life. Personally, I rarely used the special attacks, but I can certainly appreciate the new wrinkle of strategy added to the estus.
Of course, what would a Dark Souls game be without hordes of enemies? During my journey through Lothric I’ve slain all manner of hunched-over goblins, massive gargoyles, and writhing piles of maggots that take form into giant beasts. As customary with the Souls franchise, each enemy has a vastly different moveset, making every place you visit come with new and terrifying challenges. And for good measure, Dark Souls III throws in some old “favorites,” such as the Bonewheel Skeletons or the Mimics, ensuring plenty of traumatic flashbacks to be triggered at every step of the way.
The boss fights are the main attraction, however. From Software seemed to have learned their lesson from Dark Souls II, because every encounter in Dark Souls III feels wonderful and unique. One level you may be fighting off demonic bishops, and the next you’ll be taking on a giant, screen-consuming skeleton lord. As to be expected, each boss plays dramatically differently, and no two bosses fall victim to the same tactics.
And while Dark Souls II was a step down difficulty wise, Dark Souls III is a noticeably harder game. You can expect tons of dastardly ambushes when you least expect them, and frustratingly enough, I found that nearly every single chest I came across sprouted into a mimic. Combat wise, some later game enemies will really give you a run for your money with swift and punishing movesets, and there were a few times where I threw my hands up in the air and just closed the game. But no matter how many times I did so, I’d find myself crawling back just a few hours later, thirsting for more souls.
While the combat was as on-point as ever, I was honestly a bit burned by the level design. The original Dark Souls did a brilliant job of making the vast world interconnect through shortcuts and multiple entrances to an area, but much of Dark Souls III felt like a straight path with very little deviation. While there are some neat shortcuts you can unlock, there’s nothing as drastic or mind blowing as riding that elevator from the Undead Parish to Firelink Shrine in the first game.
Like its predecessors, the basic plot is easy enough to understand, but the more interesting in Dark Souls III is rather cryptic. If you really want to discover just what’s going on, the finer details must be deciphered through NPC dialogue, item descriptions, and contextual information. Perhaps my favorite touch
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vin Richins arising from the death of Mr Richins, a patient with severe sepsis who died of “salt-water drowning”, all the defendants in this case were found guilty of causing the patients’ death by fluid overload. The legal precedent has now been set. In a more recent case (March 2017) a Fulton County State Court Jury (Atlanta, GA) awarded the plaintiff $45.8 million in a case resulting from fluid overload. “In his opening statement, Attorney Stone used a bucket and a table full of water bottles to highlight his contention that [the Hospitals’] negligent care set in motion an ultimately catastrophic fluid overload. Walking jurors through [the patients’] treatment records, Stone poured water into a one-gallon bucket each time entries showed that [the patient] was given additional IV fluids, despite notes that she was not urinating enough. The water soon overflowed into a larger container Stone said represented [the patient’s] body, and, importantly, her lungs.” Similarly, the High Court of Ireland awarded damages of 3 million Euros in a case where “the plaintiff received excessive intravenous fluid, exposing him to a significant risk of fluid overload, and causing him to develop pulmonary edema and cardiac arrest”.
In our hospital we manage patients with a conservative physiologically guided fluid strategy, state-of-the-art supportive care together with a novel pharmacologic intervention.[14] Our patients with sepsis and septic shock simply do not develop progressive organ failure from sepsis and our mortality in these patients is less than 10%. This is despite the fact that we are 11% compliant with the SEP-1 mandate.
Furthermore, SEP-1 mandates measurement of a serum lactate within 3-hours of presentation in all patients (Dr Levy does not agree with this; see Appendix 1) with repeat measurement within 6 hours if the initial lactate level is elevated. This mandate is without a scientific basis. A recent analysis which included 16 studies found that 6-hour lactate measurement compliance was unrelated to mortality. Furthermore, it should be noted that in the development of the qSOFA score (SEPSIS-3) the “addition of lactate measurement did not meaningfully improve predictive the validity.” [15]
In summary, there is now overwhelming scientific evidence, supported by legal precedent that not only is the EGDT, SSC and SEP-1 protocols of no benefit to patients they are potentially harmful.[16-18] These protocols violate the American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Physicians (ACP) code of ethics, [19,20] and the basic Hippocratic Principle of Medicine, “Primum Non Noncere”. We have entered the era of precision medicine [21] and the SEP-1 mandate must be abandoned immediately, before additional patients are harmed. In addition to the harm caused to patients, the SEP-1 mandate has created an administrative nightmare that has wasted hundreds of thousands of work hours and millions of dollars.[1]
Paul E Marik, MBBCh, MD, M.Med,(FCP(SA), DA(SA), Bsc Pharmacology (Hons), DTM&H, FRCP (C), FACP, FCCM, FCCP.
Appendix 1.
Excerpts of the sworn Testimony of Dr Mitchel Levy, dated January 9th 2017, in the State of South Carolina, County of Aiken, in the Court of Common Pleas, Second Judicial Circuit, Civil Action No. 15-CP-02-00794 (this information is in the public domain and available from the court).
Did the 2008 guidelines until 2012 represent the best consensus of knowledge of experts about the treatment of sepsis?
A (Dr Levy). The guidelines represent suggestions for clinicians at the bedside. I think the important thing to remember about guidelines that we always say is they're called guidelines
because they're meant to guide, not dictate care. So, even if someone says I think the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines represent the appropriate standard of care, even if they say that, that doesn't mean they should do everything that the guidelines recommend. They still have to take into account the individual patient in front of them and apply the guidelines to be consistent with what they know this patient would benefit from
Is it true that related to the guidelines from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign that as with all guidelines they represent the best available synthesis of contemporary knowledge in reducing mortality in severe sepsis and therefore should have clinical applicability?
I can't agree with that statement.
And what happens if they're hypotensive?
If they become hypotensive CVP can be a good guiding adjunct for the direction of fluid therapy.
It's either low blood pressure or elevated serum lactate, right?
So, I would not agree with that. Again, I would say that based on the patient's clinical presentation it's reasonable for a physician even in following these guidelines to, in the presence of normotension without evidence of severe acidosis to not get a serum lactate.
The only way that you can follow this guideline is if you get both a blood pressure management and a lactate measurement because you have to have both data points at the first bullet point on the first set of chart, right?
Again, I'm just not going to agree with that.
So, how were you determining in your practice before how much fluid a patient would need?
Well, we would start with 20 CCs per kilogram, which is about two liters, one and-a-half to two liters of fluid. And they would get that fluid immediately upon arriving in the emergency department.
Okay. And for some people that proved adequate?
Right.
And some people it proved inadequate?
And for some people it proved to be too much. And so, for some patients with left ventricular dysfunction with an unrecognized cardiomyopathy, they did worse with that amount of fluid.
References
Klompass M, Rhee C. The CMS Sepsis Mandate: Right Disease, Wring Measure. Ann Intern Med 2016. Rhee C, Gohil S, Klompas M. Regulatory mandates for sepsis care- Reasons for caution. N Engl J Med 2014; 370:1673-76. Rhodes A, Evans L, Alhazzani W et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock:2016. Intensive Care Med 2017. Rhodes A, Evans L, Alhazzani W et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock:2016. Crit Care Med 2017. Buchman TG, Azoulay E. Practice guidelines as implementation science: the journal editors perspective. Intensive Care Med 2017. Dellinger RP, Schorr cA, Levy MM. A users guide to the 2016 Surviving Sepsis Guidelines. Intensive Care Med 2017. Kelm DJ, Perrin JT, Cartin-Cebra R et al. Fluid overload in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock treated with Early-Goal Directed Therapy is associated with increased acute need for fluid-related medical interventions and hospital death. Shock 2015; 43:68-73. Acheampong A, Vincent JL. A positive fluid balance is an independent prognostic factor in patients with sepsis. Crit Care 2015; 19:251. Marik PE, Linde-Zwirble WT, Bittner EA et al. Fluid administration in severe sepsis and septic shock, patterns and outcomes. An analysis of a large national database. Intensive Care Med 2016; ePub:DOI 10.1007/s00134-016-4675-y. Maitland K, Kiguli S, Opoka RO et al. Mortality after fluid bolus in african children with severe infection. N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2483-95. Ognibene FP, Parker MM, Natanson C et al. Depressed left ventricular performance: response to volume infusion in patients with sepsis and septic shock. Chest 1988; 93:903-10. Parker MM, Suffredini AF, Natanson C et al. Response of left ventricular function in survivors and nonsurvivors of septic shock. J Crit Care 1989; 4:19-25. Marik PE. Iatrogenic salt water drowning and the hazards of a high central venous pressure. Ann Intensive Care 2014; 4:21. Marik PE, Khangoora V, Rivera R et al. Hydrocortisone, Vitamin C and Thiamine for the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock: A retrospective before-after study. Chest 2017; ePub:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2016.11.036. Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW et al. The third international consensus definitions for sepsis and septic shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA 2016; 315:801-10. Mouncey PR, Osborn TM, Power S et al. Trial of early, goal-directed resuscitation for septic shock. N Engl J Med 2015; 372:1301-11. Angus DC, Barnato AE, Bell D et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of early goal-directed therapy for septic shock: the ARISE, ProCESS and ProMISe investigators. Intensive Care Med 2015; 41:1549-60. Marik PE. The demise of early goal-directed therapy for severe sepsis and septic shock. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2015; 59:561-67. Brotherton S, Kao A, Crigger BJ. Professing the values of medicine. The Modernized AMA Code of Medical Ethics. JAMA 2016; 316:1041-42. Snyder L. American College of Physicians Ethics Manual. Sixth Edition. Ann Intern Med 2012; 156:73-104. Marik PE, Varon J. Precision medicine and the Federal sepsis initiative! Crit Care Shock 2016; 19:1-3.It was a long day after Sun introduced RWBY and JNPR to his team. After the food fight, Scarlet was able to make out that one of the people Sun wanted them to meet. And he couldn't believe he was able to meet her again.
Weiss Schnee, an heir to the wealthy Schnee Dust Company and part time songstress to the Atlesian Grande Theatre.
Scarlet and Weiss were more than elated to see each other after many years of being separated. When they were young, a conflict of interest with Weiss and Scarlet's families dissolved business and personal relations indefinitely.
At the time, neither Scarlet nor Weiss understood why they couldn't play and talk with one another. But overtime, shady dealings of the Dust Company were revealed when Scarlet was old enough by his father. And although angry at the time, Scarlet understood why his father did it.
After all this time, he was happy to see Weiss again. However, as one of Weiss' oldest friends. he needed to clear something with Neptune.
Before the blue haired boy entered their dorm room, Scarlet tugged at the sleeve of Neptune's jacket.
"Woah!" Neptune yelped and stagger back. Sun and Sage turned back at the two.
"What happened?" Sun asked them.
"Neptune and I need to talk and we need to use the room. You and Sage wait for a few moments." Scarlet explained.
"Uhh okay?" Sun answered uncertain of the situation.
"Thanks," Scarlet said and practically dragged Neptune in and closed the door.
Sun turned to Sage. "Wonder what's gonna happen?"
"It's best we let them sort it out. We will intervene if it becomes out of hand" Sage answered.
In the room, Scarlet sat Neptune down on one of the beds, while Scarlet sat himself on an adjacent one.
"I need to talk to you about Weiss," Scarlet started with.
Neptune looked at his teammate curiously before his nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "What about Weiss?"
Scarlet let out a soft sigh, "Before I get to my point, understand that I care about her. What I say is of concern for her, but may not completely match with what she thinks or feels, alright?"
Neptune nodded, feeling more nervous, "Understood."
Scarlet then looked Neptune in the eyes, "Are you interested in Weiss in any way?" Scarlet asked in a calm but notably heavy tone. "And please be completely honest."
Neptune couldn't hide the fact he was blushing, "Weiss is definitely beautiful. Not just in looks too, from the whole day with Team RWBY, I really admire her fighting skills and determination to learn and perfect something. She seems charming that way."
Scarlet had a slight smile, "That's how you really felt in her company?"
Neptune nodded, "Yes."
"And you're not sugar coating just for dramatic effect?" Scarlet emphasized.
Neptune again nodded, "Of course dude, I swear on her behalf."
"I see," Scarlet understood. "Then I need you to do something important."
"Yeah?" Neptune wondered.
Scarlet's small smile became a smirk, "If you and Weiss do date each other, you need to stop flirting with other people if you're in a relationship. It's disrespectful to her, and makes you look fickle and pathetic." Scarlet said bluntly.
Neptune felt down on the last part, but again understood it was a very valid point, "I will, I promise."
Scarlet then let out a sigh of relief before finishing his point, "I don't want to take sides, you're both my friends and mature enough to know if your relationship does or doesn't work. Just know you have my support." Scarlet then stood from his seat and patted Neptune's shoulder. "Good talk then."
Scarlet went to open the door, "We're done" he said to Sun and Sage before he took a towel and headed to the bathroom.
Sun sat of his bed and looked at Neptune, "So…are you and Scarlet good?"
Neptune nodded and smiled, "Yeah, he was concerned about me and Weiss. Could tell he cares a lot for her, almost like a dad."
Sun understood and grinned at a thought, "You know, from my time getting to know the girls, I think he and Ruby would be interesting together. Oh and Sage you could hang out with Yang. Then we can all hang out with someone new."
Neptune scoffed, "Dude, you just wanna pair us off to be near Blake."
Sun crossed in arms defensively, "Hey! …Okay maybe."
Sage put a hand on his temple, already feeling tired "Don't drag me into this."
oOoOo
The following day, Weiss and Scarlet walked on the courtyards of Beacon Academy. Weiss decided to direct Scarlet in all of his lecture halls early in the morning.
"And this is the combat arena to review and practice for the tournament, as well as your final class in the afternoon." Weiss explained before the large doors.
Scarlet nodded, "Thanks for directing me, Weiss."
Weiss smiled proudly, "Anytime for one of my best friends."
Scarlet smirked, "I'm surprised you still considered me as a friend after all this time apart."
Weiss narrowed her eyes, "Why Scarlet, are you insinuating I'm fickle?" Weiss huffed, her arms crossed.
"Maybe." Scarlet joked, and stepped from Weiss hitting his left arm. Scarlet chuckled. "You know I'm kidding. You were the one who promised we would meet again."
"Well your sense of humour was never amusing to begin with," Weiss continued to huff and walked off and Scarlet following behind.
They walked in relative silence, until Weiss decided to slow down so Scarlet caught up at his own pace. Weiss didn't face him when she spoke, "Look, it's just been so long. Nearly twelve years, our families have been estranged, and we've never been able to contact each other. I've wondered how you are or how much you've changed, and if you still wanted to talk to me one day. And…here you are."
Weiss didn't hear from the boy for a long moment, only to look at her side. Scarlet had a soft smile on his face, "I feel the same Weiss."
"Good," Weiss answered and continued to walk to the cafeteria, failing to hide her own smile.
When the two walked by the windows of the cafeteria, their teammates were already seated in tables a distance from each other.
Weiss looked at the direction of Team SSSN's table. Weiss thought she was imagining things when Neptune flashed a boyish grin at their direction. Either way, Weiss felt her face start to burn red.
Scarlet almost rolled his eyes at the two, "he likes you by the way." Scarlet said nonchalantly.
"Huh?" Weiss suddenly turned to Scarlet, only to see the red head's roguish smirk.
"Neptune thinks you're beautiful in looks, skill, and determination. I "asked him" last night." Scarlet elaborated.
Weiss felt her cheeks burned up in embarrassment, "You interrogated him, didn't you?"
Scarlet shrugged, "Well partially, I wanted to know for myself if he would treat you well. He…had a track record of being a flirt." Scarlet's tone became more relax, "but he's a good man once he stops trying so hard to keep a cool image."
"…I see," Weiss said, thinking about it for a moment, "Still, I would like to get to know him."
Scarlet nodded, then thought about a suggestion, "Well if you're free, you could always ask him on a date tonight."
They both stopped by the door, "I would love to, but…" Weiss lowered her voice to a whisper "my team is doing something…secretive."
"Secretive?" Scarlet whispered back.
Weiss looked to the side before she decided, "If…you want to know and get involved. Go to my team's dorm at three thirty this afternoon."
Scarlet looked at the determination in his friend's eyes, and nodded, "Alright."
Both of them entered the cafeteria like nothing peculiar happened. After they picked up breakfast, Weiss waved bye and went to her table, while Scarlet did the same.
Neptune looked at Scarlet, then at Weiss at a distance. "Scarlet, don't tell me you told Weiss about what happened last night?"
Scarlet looked at his teammate's before he bluntly said, "Yep." Scarlet then sat down with his tray. Before Neptune was about to worry over it, Scarlet cut in, "She likes you too, so stop worrying."
Neptune huffed and calmed down, "I could have said it myself."
"Sure you would…" Scarlet droned, then looked to his entire team, "I'll be visiting Weiss' dorm this afternoon, so don't hold up if you're all wondering."
"Why?" Sun butted in.
"We wanted to catch up," Scarlet explained.
Sun looked more closely at his red haired teammate's face.
Scarlet noticed and glared back, "What?" he argued.
"If you get to visit Ice Queen. It's only fair I get to visit RWBY too!" Sun argued.
"Haven't you visited them enough times?" Scarlet pointed out.
"Yeah, and I still like visiting them!" Sun pouted. "Plus they might have something fun planned."
"And, you have more moments to fanboy over a certain black haired girl," Neptune said surely.
Sun glared at Neptune and backhanded his teammate's chest. "Well why don't you come? Then you could tell Weiss how YOU feel!"
The two boys then went to a tirade of arguments while Sage let out a tired sigh, "I don't think we can stop them now."
Scarlet pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes, we're teamed up with children."
oOoOo
Classes passed on like a breeze for Team SSSN since some were just orientations and reviews from the past semester.
Currently, they were in their dorm redressing from their uniforms to their usual clothes.
"So…Scarlet, what do you think of my Beacon friends?" Sun asked out in the open.
Scarlet looked his team leader for any sign he's up to something devious, "They all seem like good people. Simple as that." He said while shouldering his red coat on his left. Scarlet suddenly felt Sun sit beside him, and Sun hooked his arm in a chummy way.
"Aww…no one where you thought, "Wow, that person seems so cool, I wanna hang with them."" Sun asked while stretching his arm out in a broadened horizon's way.
Scarlet pretended to think for a moment, "…Blake."
"I knew yo- Blake?" Sun asked in surprise and felt a bit unsure.
"Yes," Scarlet started with fond smile, "I thought she looked beautiful and elegant the first time I saw her, and she seems to know to brush off nosey people. I would like to get to know her better." Scarlet said in all honesty, looking at Sun look somewhat down trodden.
"You two don't start." Sage warned sternly.
"Yeah, you two need to chill." Neptune added, fastening his last arm belt. "We wouldn't like to look pissed when we visit them."
"So you're all coming." Scarlet questioned.
"Yeah, why're you all uncertain? I do it all the time." Sun wondered to him.
"And I'll have to come to keep Sun from doing anything too reckless," Sage mentioned, and put his hands in his pockets.
Scarlet then stood up and grabbing his weapons in tow. "Fine. I planned to meet Weiss by three thirty, so we need to be on time."
All four boys exited their dorm and walked on.
Scarlet turned to Sun, "I can see why you like Blake, she has cute ears." He mused.
"Cute ears?" Sun muttered confused, then sharply turned to their blue haired teammate, "Neptune!"
Neptune raised his hands in defence, "It's wasn't me! I swear!"
oOoOo
Scarlet knocked the door and waited a brief moment until someone opened it.
Ruby looked on to the team of boys, with a surprised and then confused expression, "Uh hi guys. Why the visit?"
Scarlet looked at Ruby and somewhat to Weiss, "Weiss invited me to something," and then thumbed to his team, "but they decided to come along."
"Ruby, just invite them in. Might as well let them join the fun." Yang said casually.
"Uh okay?" Ruby said unsure, and let the team of boys in.
Weiss' icy blue eyes met Neptune's cool cerulean gaze when he entered the room. Like early this morning, Neptune gave out a warm smile that Weiss swore she could melt a puddle in. This was a rare feeling for her. Unconsciously, she smiled back. "Hi, Neptune."
Neptune in return, felt the same warmth and slowly growing attraction. Sun warned him of her "Ice Queen" tendencies, but he'd have to see for himself if she really was. At the moment, he felt a snow angel was in his presence. "Nice to see you too, Weiss."
Everyone couldn't help but look on to the sweet and slightly mushy scene. Each feeling different levels of curiosity and amusement.
Ruby decided to say it out loud, "Uh…are you two okay? You both look…red." A slight tone of amusement in her voice.
Both Weiss and Neptune snapped from their moment and looked to their teammates. Scarlet, Sun, and Yang in particular looking smug.
Yang spoke up, "You should leave any PDA for later, we have a job to do."
"Right," Weiss answered on her and Neptune's behalf and stood next to each other.
"So what's this thing you're doing," Sun asked out to RWBY, casually putting his arms at the back of his head.
"We're doing three different investigations," Ruby stated.
"I and Ruby were going to the CCT to investigate Schnee records for any dust robberies and inconsistencies. And seeing I'm in the family, I have clearance rights." Weiss explained rather eloquently.
"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members in a far district. I'll be getting in and hopefully find out what they're planning." Blake followed.
"And I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard." Yang finished.
"After, we'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we found." Ruby concluded, then looked between the members of Team SSSN. "Normally we don't get friends involved if we don't have to. But…the more the merrier in this case? Hehe." Ruby albeit awkwardly.
Team SSSN nodded in understanding.
Sun looked particularly psyched. "Awesome! I'll go with Blake!" His tail curled out in front of the group "Being less conspicuous that way."
"I'll go with the lovebirds and Ruby to the CCT," Scarlet said, and caused Weiss and Neptune to double over at the mention. Scarlet smirked, "We'll be back up if anything too crazy happens."
"Since there's already a surplus of people in Weiss and Ruby's group, and I would look conspicuous with Sun and Blake, I'll partner with Yang and back her investigation." Sage reasoned out.
"Okay sounds good! Everyone agree?" Ruby asked of the group. Everyone voiced their own form of agreement.
"Alright! Then let the investigation begin!" Ruby called in zest.
Sun then stepped in front of the window and jumped outside, surprising the girls.
"Sun?!" Blake called and looked out to him.
"Yeah?" Sun said and hung from a branch by his tail. He noticed the look from the girls, and smiled in assurance, "I'm a really good climber. Got too excited." He then looked at his mission partner, "See ya down Blake." Sun then quickly climbed down.
Blake sighed exasperated, and slightly smiled at his energy. "We'll see you later." She told everyone and climbed down after him.
The rest of the group exited the room and walked to separate directions. Yang walked off to the right of the hall with Sage beside her.
"So Sage, have you ever ridden on a motorcycle?" Yang asked the verdant haired boy.
Sage's gold eyes seemed to light up, "I have. I ride a Vacan Cruiser back in Mistral. Why do you ask?"
Yang then smiled mischievously, "Well if you know how I drive one. You would be second guessing speed."
Sage thought while he walked with her, "Then I'll meet you out. I should at least get my own helmet from the dorm."
In the opposite direction, Ruby walked on ahead with Weiss, Neptune, and Scarlet following. Feeling he would be a third wheel with both his childhood friend and blue haired teammate at the moment, he walked ahead beside Ruby. It would be good way to know someone while he was in Vale.
Ruby looked at him, and gave a tentative smile, "Oh…hey Scarlet."
The older boy looked to her and gave a small smile, "Hello Ruby."
There was a long pause as they walked, "Um I guess….this is like a double date huh?" Ruby mentioned.
Scarlet raised a curious brow. "Is it now?" He questioned.
Ruby shrugged, "I…don't know. I don't even know what makes a regular date." Ruby then felt a bit self-conscious, "Or why I even asked this question, sorry."
Scarlet chuckled, "Well date or not. I hope you're with good company today."
"Oh I hope you do too?" Ruby said and turned back to the hall, still keeping her awkwardness down.
Looking at their individual teammate's moment, Weiss tugged at Neptune's arm for her to whisper to him, "Don't they seem…friendly?" She glossed over.
Neptune smiled and whispered back, "They definitely seem friendly."
Weiss felt a mischievous streak, "Ruby has…enthusiasm for weapon design. And I haven't told her what Scarlet's family does."
Neptune could almost taste the payback, "That is interesting."
oOoOo
Ruby, Weiss, Neptune, and Scarlet, or RWNS as Ruby suggested as a temporary team name for them, neared the CCT after long chats between them. Ruby retold how the incitation process was with her team and the many crazy incidences that that happened in succession.
"…So I didn't understand if Weiss could launch me up to the Cliffside, and she told me off that she could when I was about to ask. I had to make sure or else I would have fallen off a chasm!" Ruby told the group.
"I know what I'm good at without question, and you've been gung-ho and crazy all that day!" Weiss claimed, "Need I remind you, you nearly leveled the front of the school when you tripped over my luggage of dust vials!"
"Hey! That was an accident!" Ruby argued.
There was silence after the argument, until Neptune asked. "So what happened after Weiss launched you. Were you able to hook the Nevermore?"
"Oh I did." Ruby started, "I ran up the cliff wall with Weiss' glyphs as traction, then I pulled the Nevermore by the neck up and at the peak, I used the recoil of my rifle to decapitate it to rose petals."
Neptune smiled at the idea, "Sounds awesome, would have loved to see it." He complimented.
"It was an epic day I would admit." Ruby said with pride and zest. She then looked out and rushed near the tower's view. "Woooow! I forget how big the Transmit tower looks up close!"
"You should see the one in Atlas." Scarlet mentioned.
"Oh that was the first one, right?" Ruby asked him.
"Yup. The Atlesian CCT is the first and largest of the towers, as well as the central hub that makes sure the other three have a consistent connection. And of course, Beacon Academy was aptly named due to this CCT's location, reminiscing a lighthouse to the Kingdom." Scarlet explained.
"My, aren't you well read?" Weiss teased her friend.
Scarlet scoffed, "Might as well be tour guide while we're on this investigation."
Ruby then recalled on her plan, "Ohh before we go, I need to take a picture of the tower!" When Ruby tried to get her Scroll, she fumbled and fell out of her hands.
The device slid to the feet of a ginger haired girl, and she picked it up, "Oh, you dropped this." She said and held it out.
Ruby's eyes' widened at the girl's presence, "Penny?!"
Penny looked and sounded wary, but Ruby was too shocked to mind it. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since that night at the docks!" Ruby exclaimed.
Penny tried to look sure of herself, "S-Sorry. I think you're confused." She suddenly hiccupped, throwing the Ruby's Scroll back into her hands. "Uh... I've got to go!" Penny said and quickly walked away.
Weiss turned to Ruby, "What was that about?"
Ruby continued to watch Penny go and knew what she need to do, "I don't know what, but I'm going to find out." Ruby started walking off in Penny's direction as she shouted back to her group. "You go make your call! I'll meet you guys later!"
"Ruby you shouldn't just run off like this!" Weiss shouted angrily, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Uhh should one of us come with her?" Neptune suggested to the group.
Scarlet looked between Weiss and Neptune, "I'll go with her," he volunteered, "Just call either of us went you're done contacting the SDC." He then took out his own Scroll and held it out to the tower.
"Um, what are you doing?" Weiss wondered to her friend.
"Ruby didn't take a picture, might as well do it for her," Scarlet explained and looked at the quality of the capture, he faced his companions for the last time, "We'll see you two." And started off to Ruby's direction.
Weiss and Neptune watched the red haired boy go on.
"It's been awhile since Scarlet went his way to look out for someone." Weiss mentioned, only to have a small smile, "I'm glad he hasn't changed that much."
Neptune mused over her sentiment, "From my time as his teammate, he's really like you said. But…beleaguered in some cases." He finished tentatively.
Weiss had an idea of who that beleaguer would be, but refrained from saying his name, "We should head to the tower before it gets dark." Weiss said to her group partner.
oOoOo
Scarlet didn't have to walk off too far when he spotted Ruby and her supposed friend. He overheard Ruby when she held on to the ginger haired girl's arm.
"…Penny, please stop! Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me! Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big, something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night! Please... As a friend." Ruby asked of the other girl.
Penny then looked around and noticed Scarlet nearby. "Umm one of your friends are behind us."
Ruby then looked behind and saw Scarlet coming down the stairs. "Scarlet!"
Scarlet stood in front of the two, "I volunteered to come with you Ruby. No use for three people do one task in the CCT."
"Oh…okay?" Ruby said, her tone uncertain of the situation right now.
Scarlet then turned to Ruby's companion, "I'm Scarlet. It's nice to meet you."
Although Penny was just as uncertain, she was always happy to be able to speak with someone new. She raised her hand in greeting, "Salutations Scarlet! My name is Penny."
Scarlet nodded, and looked to the girls, "I get the feeling what you'll talk about is secretive, but can I be filled in on this? I won't say a word to the school or the authorities if that's both your concerns."
"You promise?" Ruby asked of the boy.
Scarlet nodded, "I promise you both." He said in earnest.
Ruby then looked to Penny, "Scarlet and Neptune are members of Sun's team. Neptune's accompanying Weiss to the CCT."
"I see," Penny said and decided, she closed in between them. "It isn't safe to talk here. So we'll meet somewhere else."
Penny told both of them to meet her in front of a café near a park square a good distance away from Beacon. She went her separate ways from Ruby and Scarlet, while they headed to a different direction.
Since it would take a while, Ruby decided to make conversation, "So Scarlet…what's Mistral and Haven like?"
oOoOo
Weiss and Neptune headed inside the tower's elevator doors, and closed behind them. A female sounding AI spoke from the panel.
"Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?" It said.
"We'd like to go to the communications room, please." Weiss stated for their behalf.
"Absolutely. Could you please place your Scrolls on the terminal to verify your identity?" It asked.
Weiss and Neptune retrieves their Scrolls and held them to be scanned.
"Perfect! Thank you, Miss Schnee, Mister Vasilias." The AI thanked, it turned off and the elevator started to ascended.
The two of them stood in silence, not certain if they should properly address the awkward knowledge of each other's feelings revealed from their mutual friend. The elevator finally stopped to the communications room. Weiss' expressions shifted from calm to a more business like expression.
Weiss walked up to the front desk where a holographic secretary appears in the seat.
"Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit center. How may I help you?" She said.
"I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss requested.
"Absolutely. If you could head over to Terminal Three, I'll patch you through."
"Thank you!" Weiss greeted, she and Neptune walked over to her assigned cubicle. Weiss took in a cleansing breath before she had to answer the call.
"Nervous, Weiss?" Neptune asked, visibly concerned for her.
"A bit," Weiss admitted, "but it's not the time to look the part."
"…Okay," he said. Neptune stood by the cubicle, looking out the window when the call started.
The face of a short-haired brunette appears on the monitor with the Schnee snowflake rotating behind her. "Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well." She offered.
Weiss kept her feelings in check, and stayed business like, "No, thank you. I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list." She then placed her Scroll on the terminal slot.
The Operator looked through the data. "I see. If you don't mind... what may I ask is this for?" The operator questioned.
"School project." Weiss answered in certainty.
"Um... There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am." The operator mentioned, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Well, then, I'll be sure to treat them with care." Weiss assured her.
"Right... Very well." The operator said albeit nervous in her tone. She quickly found the files and signals of the data transfer sounded, "The data is being transferred to your Scroll now."
"Wonderful! That will be all, then." Weiss greeted to end the request, but the operator asked the same dreaded question.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?" She double checked.
Weiss nearly lost her smile, but kept it in the last moments. "Yes, I'm sure."
The operator understood and greeted Weiss a good day before the call is dropped.
Weiss took her Scroll and stared at it for a few moments. She let out a tired breath and stood up. "We're done here."
Neptune looked at an avoidant demeanor of Weiss before he replied, "Alright." He wordlessly followed her to the elevator with the doors closing behind them.
Neptune wasn't sure if he should ask something so personal from her, but he could expect a no if she didn't want to tell him. "Weiss? Do you need to get something…difficult off your mind?"
For a long moment, he didn't hear an answer and assumed it's a no, but then…
"When we're out of this tower." Weiss answered a tad cryptic, her gaze still on her closed
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