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arygiannis isn't a fan of Uber. In July, the Ward 39 councillor warned Uber users that they could face fines up to $20,000 for hailing the ride sharing service. Less than one month later, he confronted an UberX driver who was picking up a passenger in Scarborough.
On September 24, he released an open letter to the Prime Minister alleging that Uber doesn't pay HST. Since Toronto city councillors are so fond of Twitter, he tweeted it out on the same day and subsequently received mixed feedback.
Redditor Fla_fla_flunky posted a particularly eloquent part of the online conversation after Karygiannis replied to Twitter user @HarryEatsBagels in the wee hours of the morning.
The subsequent discussion on Twitter hinges on two issues (well, three if you include the all-caps response from Karygiannis): 1) whether Uber drivers are legally on the hook to pay HST because as independent contractors, they'd need to file it only if they made more than $30,000 in a 12-month period, and 2) whether or not licensed taxi drivers are skipping out on HST when they make pre-arranged cash-fare deals.
We compiled the Karygiannis conversation below. Let us know what you think.A New Vision for SDSU: JMI Unveils Its West Campus and Stadium Plan
7:30-8am - Breakfast and Networking
8-9am - Program
9-9:30am Q&A
A few years ago, John Moores, ex-Padre owner and SDSU benefactor, and his JMI team began envisioning a redeveloped sports, education and business complex at the Qualcomm Stadium site in Mission Valley. Now, as the Chargers work to develop a downtown San Diego football stadium, the JMI team (represented by President John Kratzer and Steve Peace), working in concert with Steve Black of Cisterra Development, another prominent San Diego developer (and SDSU alumni), will unveil their proposal to develop the Qualcomm Stadium site into a civic gem that all SDSU alumni and San Diego County residents will claim proudly.
Speakers:
John Kratzer, President and CEO of JMI Realty
JMI Realty was organized in 1992 as the real estate subsidiary of JMI Services, the investment management company of the John Moores Family. Kratzer is responsible for JMI Realty’s overall strategic direction and provides oversight for all of JMI Realty’s development, construction, financing and acquisition and disposition activities. Under Kratzer’s leadership, JMI Realty acted as the Master Developer for the $1.4 billion development of downtown San Diego’s Ballpark District including Petco Park, the Omni San Diego Hotel, the Metropolitan Condominiums, East Village Square, and the Hotel Solamar.
Steven Black, Chairman of Cisterra Development
Cisterra was formed in 1999 to develop technology campuses on the East Coast, Europe and Canada for Cisco Systems. Prior to forming Cisterra, Black served as Chief Development Officer of Kilroy Realty Corporation, a publicly traded real estate investment trust. He has also served in a number of other prominent senior management positions within the real estate development industry during the last 30 years. Over the tenure of his career, Black has been involved in the development of approximately 20 million square feet of projects.
Steve Peace, Political Consultant
Steve Peace served 20 years in the California State Legislature, having been first elected to the Assembly in 1982, and later served in the State Senate from 1993 to 2002. Throughout his Legislative career, he represented one of the most diverse districts in the State of California. He was one of only three elected officials to endorse California's non-partisan Open Primary system. When the Supreme Court overturned the Open Primary, then-Senator Peace introduced legislation that today allows decline-to-state voters the ability to vote in primary elections.
Dennis Cruzan, Founding Partner of Cruzan
Dennis Cruzan has over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, including acquisitions, asset management, sales, leasing, finance and construction/ development. In his previous tenures, Dennis served as co-manager of JMI Realty’s multi-family, office, and hospitality development activities, acting as development partner with the Padres for the new Ballpark District in downtown San Diego. Prior to working for JMIR, Dennis was the CEO and chairman of Burnham Real Estate (now Cushman & Wakefield); a founder and principal of Centremark, a development and investment company specializing in office, industrial and multifamily real estate in Southern California; and also served as a development partner at Oliver McMillan, focused on leasing, acquisitions and project management. Dennis received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at San Diego State University.
Vincent Mudd, Managing Principal of Carrier Johnson
Vincent Mudd is the Managing Principal at Carrier Johnson + CULTURE. In addition to managing the operations of San Diego’s largest local architecture and interior design firm, Vincent is also a licensed general contractor and taught Sustainable Design and Construction at San Diego State University’s College of Extended Studies. Mr. Mudd has a high level of financial acumen, is Six Sigma proficient and has experience negotiating complex national and global transactions. Highly committed to civic engagement, Vincent is the Chairman of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation.
The Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate is dedicated to producing day one ready students for the real estate community.
NOTE: This event is organized and presented for the sole purpose of providing information and educating SDSU students, alumni, and the general public about an important real-estate matter facing the local community. The event does not imply any endorsement by San Diego State University.Honeydew melon is not a fruit that you can casually mention in a conversation. Honeydew is not like strawberries or apples, a fruit whose existence you appreciate and enjoy without controversy. Oh no, honeydew is a different animal altogether, one that inspires feelings in people. Feelings of joy and happiness, anger and loathing, sadness and disappointment, all of which they will need to immediately share with you. You could be breaking the news of a terminal illness to someone, and if by some strange chance honeydew comes up, it’s all over. You will now be discussing honeydew and nothing else.
This abundance of opinions quite obviously stems from the ubiquity of honeydew, and the laziness in which it’s presented to us. It is the filler in the fruit salad that no one ever wants, treated as the unequivocal bitch of the bowl. It is the afterthought of the catering platter, the green backdrop used to help the cantaloupe's vivid orange and pineapple’s electric yellow pop. And this, for most of us, defines all our interactions with honeydew. It’s not something that makes our eyes light up when we see them piled high in a supermarket bin, like we do at the first sight of fresh summer peaches or delicate September figs. Honeydew is the white noise of the fruit world, and most months, it more than earns that title.
Photo by Wealthylady via Getty Images
But when honeydew is ripe, oh Lord when it’s ripe! A honeydew that has reached its apex state is more glorious than all other melons that neighbor it in the produce aisle. It is bursting with floral sweetness, dripping with juices that almost taste like, obviously, honey. It makes all those more colorful melons tremble in its wake as they remember that so much of their success comes only from looks, while honeydew blows them all away in the talent department. In the immortal words of Krusty the Clown: “Honeydew is the money melon.”
Now let’s address the obvious: while you can make good decisions when buying your own melon, especially during peak season, most of your interactions with honeydew will be in social situations where sub-par specimens will be presented to you in bite sized cubes. The people making those fruit platters obviously don’t care, so it’s up to you to coax the magic out of them. Here’s some ways you can do that:
Marinate
Fill a cup all the way with cubes of honeydew cubes, then cover with whatever is available you think could work. Orange juice, ginger ale, and champagne are all good choices.
Add a pinch of something
Sprinkling just a little bit of salt over any melon makes it taste so much better. If there’s some balsamic vinegar on the table, try a dash of that. Maybe there are some honey packets for a tea station? Those would work, too. If your experiments don’t work, just toss them out and try again. It’s not like there aren't pounds of honeydew still languishing on the buffet for you to give it another go.
Use to infuse
Cut your cubes up even smaller and put in your cup of herbal tea or cocktail. When you’re done drinking, you’ll have a nice little honeydew surprise at the bottom.Avoiding Stress on Moving Day
Well, here it is, one of the most stressful days in your life. Moving day. This day seems to be the day when your relationship or marriage is put to the test. Tempers will need to be in check and attitudes must be left at the door. You finally bought that dream home and you’re ready to move your things in. So how do you and your significant other manage to get through moving day with little or no stress? Here are a few tips to follow:
Hire a Moving Company
The best way to relieve most of your stress is to hire a moving company. Allowing the professionals to pack, wrap and load your treasures is the simplest way to avoid headache. However, you must hire a company with highly professional movers. You want to ensure the company is credible and has experience. Checking references on their website is a must. The last thing you need is to pay money for a crew to pack and load all your belongings only to have them incorrectly prote3cted resulting in damage. It is best to contact three companies that you like and personally visit each one. Get a feel for the people and how professional they interact with you then select the one you are3 most comfortable with.
Pack your Personal Mementos Yourself
Nothing is worse on moving day than to find your precious china dishes from your great grandmother cracked and broken because they were not packed properly. Whether you’re using a moving company or doing this yourself, it is important that you do the job yourself. Take the time necessary to devote to this special issue yourself, then there is no one to blame if something should end up damaged. It is so frustrating to rely on others to do the job when really; the only person who will do the best job is you. Save the headache and delegate these special items to your hands only.
Make a List
You want to make a list and check it twice. Organize a plan of everything that needs to be accomplished on moving day to ensure you are on track and nothing is forgotten. Did you schedule the pickup time for the movers to arrive? Did you contact the post office about a change of address? Does your realtor need you to leave the house in any specific condition before you exit? Is the electrical and water shut off? Are all the closets and cabinets clear? Writing down these important tasks and questions a few months ahead of moving day will be of great help. Carry the list with you and add to it when a thought pops in your head. The more organized you are, the less stress you will have.
So many emotions surge through your body on moving day. Make sure aggravation and stress are not included. Follow the above tips and you will enjoy moving day and the excitement of the journey that has just begun.Theo Walcott's contract dispute with Arsenal is set to continue into the new year, despite Gunners boss Arsene Wenger issuing a Christmas deadline.
Walcott has so far rejected Arsenal's attempt to re-start formal negotiations but talks are expected to resume.
The England forward, 23, could sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from 1 January or join a Premier League side for free in the summer.
Liverpool, Chelsea, and both Manchester clubs have indicated an interest.
Wenger on Walcott 26 September "We want him to stay, I always said exactly the same. We are all professional and let's hope we can extend his deal. I speak to Theo of course, we are always in touch with them [his agent] and you have to give us some time to try and sort that out." 1 November "There is urgency, how much I don't know, but there is urgency. We want to sort it out before Christmas, one way or the other. I would not like to [sell Walcott]. I have not even thought about that, because at the moment I think we will still manage to make a deal with him." 8 November "My desire is to keep Theo. We do what is needed to keep him and hopefully we can sort this situation out very soon. Very soon is before the end of December one way or another, that is for sure."
Wenger said he does not want Walcott to leave in the upcoming transfer window, even if that opens the possibility of him departing for nothing at the end of the season.
But the Frenchman made similar suggestions about Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie as they entered the final year of their contracts, only to see them sold to Manchester City and Manchester United respectively.
Liverpool are keen to recruit Walcott in January, Chelsea and Manchester City would rather wait until the summer - unless he is put up for sale in the new year - and Manchester United have asked to be kept informed.
City pursued Walcott last summer and had a bid rejected before the transfer window closed.
Walcott's preference is to stay with Arsenal if they meet his wage demands and offer him opportunities to play as a central striker having spent most of his Gunners career on the wing.
They are prepared to raise his salary from £60,000 a week to £75,000 a week, but the Southampton academy graduate is holding out for closer to £100,000 a week.
Walcott may choose to delay his decision until the summer, at which point he would know how the season had materialised for both himself and Arsenal.
But it is understood the main reason negotiations have not recommenced is the player's anger at being relegated to the substitutes' bench after he turned down the improved contract.
Although Walcott has started each of the last five matches he has been available for, earlier in the campaign he started just three of 13 matches when fit.
He is Arsenal's top scorer this season with 10 goals in 17 appearances and when asked on Friday if Walcott would be a part of the club's long-term future, Wenger replied: "I believe so, yes."
Arsenal signed the then 16-year-old Walcott from Southampton in 2006 for an initial £5m rising to £12.5m. He has scored 30 goals in 161 league appearances for the club and has 30 caps for England.One of the biggest surprises of Columbus Crew SC’s opening day 18-man roster was the absence of midfielder Tony Tchani.
The eight-year veteran has been more or less a constant fixture in the center of the park under Gregg Berhalter. Over the first three seasons of the head coach’s tenure, Tchani appeared in 86 of 102 possible Major League Soccer games (starting 85 of them).
The Black & Gold added to the central midfield depth in the offseason, bringing in Ghanaian Mohammed Abu and Brazilian Artur.
In the preseason, it became apparent that Abu would start alongside Wil Trapp in the two central midfield role, but Artur did not feature at all. Yet come Saturday, Abu was in the starting lineup and Artur was on the bench before entering the game after 76 minutes.
This led to speculation that Tchani could be on the outside looking in at his typical No. 8 role and possibly even expendable, if he’s not going to feature, given his high cap number.
Following Sunday’s Crew SC scrimmage against Akron, where Tchnai played roughly 55 minutes, Berhalter addressed Tchani’s status within the team.
“It’s a long season,” he said. “I don’t think by a person not being in the 18 yesterday it says where they’re going to end up or what the season’s going to be for them. A lot of the guys playing today are going to play important roles for the team this year. So we’ve got to get them fit, we’ve got to keep them sharp and make sure they’re ready.”
Berhalter admitted that there is more depth in the midfield this year than the club has typically had, something that makes things more competitive. In fact, he likes this fact in that his players have to work hard to find playing time.
This message has been discussed with the players.
“The message to the guys is, ‘There’s a good chance you’re going to contribute this year. You’ve got to stay focused, you’ve got to stay positive, you’ve got to be able to help the team. Because you never know when your number’s going to get called,’” Berhalter said. “It’s about saying, ‘Okay, if you can do these couple things better, you’re going to get an opportunity. You’re not playing because of X, Y and Z. If you do X, Y and Z, you’ll be playing.”
With his size and strength, Tchani offers something that the other central midfielders do not. In MLS, that is something needed against certain oppositions and Tchani still could serve a role with Crew SC.
While Tchani didn’t get an opportunity on Saturday, he looked his usual self on Sunday in the scrimmage and it appears he will remain in Columbus for now and fight for a place on the team sheet.Mayor Murray today announced Michael Mattmiller as his appointment for the position of the Director of the Department of Information Technology (DoIT), the City of Seattle’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
“The City of Seattle should be a national leader in the use of technology to empower residents and businesses and enhance the delivery of city services,” said Murray. “Michael has demonstrated the knowledge and focus on collaboration and engagement that I believe is necessary to drive technology adoption and make technology work for our city. I look forward to working with him toward our shared vision of an innovative, interconnected city.”
An experienced consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Microsoft, Mattmiller has worked with government agencies and businesses to solve complex systems and technology challenges. His work has spanned technology domains, including software and service development, operations, security, and privacy.
“I’m honored to be joining the City of Seattle and the Department of Information Technology,” said Mattmiller. “The hardworking professionals of DoIT are passionate about using technology to enable the City to serve the people and businesses of Seattle. I look forward to working with DoIT staff to help the Mayor achieve his vision for both city staff and Seattle residents and businesses.”
With the leadership of the new CTO, the City of Seattle will embrace the latest technology trends and deliver effective software and infrastructure solutions to support the ‘city worker of tomorrow,’ expand the city’s digital equity efforts, identify and implement ways to access government and services and unlock innovation within the city.
Mattmiller will start on Monday, June 23 and will make $140,000 annually. The CTO appointment must be confirmed by the Seattle City Council.
The Department of Information Technology has 193 employees and an annual budget of $41.8 million. The department is responsible for the City’s main data center, Seattle.gov website, The Seattle Channel, the City’s fiber network, the City’s data and telephone network, the Public Safety Radio network, cable franchises, and technology oversight and planning."The Buccaneers had to find anyone and everyone they could find," historian Jason Vuic says. Vuic is talking about the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an NFL expansion team, as they prepared for their inaugural season. The Buccaneers had reason for some optimism, having selected the highly regarded defensive end Lee Roy Selmon with the No. 1 pick in that year’s draft. But how to fill out the rest the roster? The Beginning Of Buccaneers Football "They found one guy off the streets of Watts. He’d been out of football for three years. Guys who were cut by the Canadian League were on the Buccaneers’ roster. They found guys from the defunct World Football League," Vuic says. "I know for a fact that the Buccaneers actually tried out a Coca Cola delivery man at one point."
"You kinda hate to be linked with one of the worst football teams in history. But, at the same time, you know, if it didn’t happen, we wouldn’t be talking about anything." Dave Green
Tampa Bay owner Hugh Culverhouse had made a fortune as a tax lawyer. But, according to Vuic, much of his money was tied up in real estate, so he didn’t have a lot to spend on players. Or on refreshments. "He had a Coke machine in the locker room. So there were no free drinks," Vuic says. "You know, the great Lee Roy Selmon would say, 'Hey, you got a quarter?' in the middle of an interview, because he wanted a Coke." Culverhouse also refused to cover players’ phone calls when they were at hotels during away games. "There were two roommates on the road. Someone made a 75-cent phone call, and he billed each roommate 38 cents," Vuic says. "One time a player separated his shoulder, and he couldn’t get his arms up. So they cut his jersey off and billed him for the jersey." "The whole scene when we arrived in Tampa was not that good, for so many reasons," says Dewey Selmon, the brother of Leroy (the star defensive end who asked a reporter for a quarter). "I said, 'Lee Roy, are we sure we're supposed to be here?'" Dewey recalls. "There is this orange-colored little uniform, and I said, 'Well, I don’t know what to call it, but who is this swashbuckler on these helmets?' And he was — he was so cute looking!" The Bucs eventually did cobble together an NFL roster. And on Aug. 21, 1976, at Tampa's first preseason game at their home stadium, Hugh Culverhouse, wearing what looked like a very inexpensive plaid polyester suit, expressed optimism. "May I say that we're here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to bring the fans great professional football," he told the crowd. Veteran defensive end Pat Toomay, who’d won the Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys, was picked up in the 1976 expansion draft. He said it felt like being “exiled to Siberia.” "Pat Toomay, very early on, saw the train wreck that was developing," Vuic says. "And he comes out of a film room one day with Larry Ball, a linebacker who had played on the perfect Miami Dolphins team. And Ball goes, 'What do you think?' And Toomay says, '0-14.'" The Bucs began their first season by racking up losses against Houston, San Diego, Buffalo and Baltimore while being outscored 99-26. The defense, behind the Selmon brothers, performed reasonably well, but the offense was inept. Bucs punter Dave Green was a busy man. And that brought him closer -- literally and figuratively — to the fans in the wheelchair section near the end zone at Tampa Stadium. "I was having one of those games. And of course, when I was punting, it was always 4th and 80 every time I went in," Green says. "I was always on that end line. We were just always so backed up. I heard one of the guys in the wheelchair yell out at me. He says, 'Green, if you shank this one, I’m jumping out of this chair and kicking your ass.' And I’m starting to go — but it kinda woke me up. I’m going, 'Here’s a guy in a wheelchair, and he’s got a better attitude than I got.'" Pat Toomay's Prediction Comes True The Bucs dropped their next four games to Cincinnati, the previously winless Seattle Seahawks, Miami and Kansas City. The losing began to wear on Dave Green and Dewey Selmon. "After you lose eight straight games, well, at that point you’re hurting inside pretty bad," Dewey says. "Coaches, players, the fans. But then you kinda grow up. You say, 'Well, we can’t beat ourselves up after every loss, 'cause we’re going to lose a few more.' You start reading between the lines. You say, 'We’re not very good.'" "You didn’t like losing. You hated it," Green says. "I remember one morning, getting up Monday morning, and it was a bad game. I wanted to get up that morning and run through the neighborhood and pick up all the newspapers. I knew the press was gonna be all over us."
"The '76 season, Lee Roy and I did not go into restaurants and sit down to eat. We always went through the drive-through. He said, 'Last time I’m going in and taking all them questions. Let’s get our drive-through and head home." Dewey SelmonUI Update Preview
Hello! This is GM Lars. GM Magnus and GM Yuki have been working on the upcoming UI update furiously and GM Magnus has this to say:
“Hello. GM Magnus is here to take on 17 tasks at once.
Since the Lobby UI update is going smoothly, I would like to share some images with you.
GM Yuki — our new UI team member — has contributed so much to it.
Thank you, GM Yuki. You worked so hard for it. ㅜㅠ
That awesome background art you see is the work of GM Silvia. We appreciate your talent!
<MAIN LOBBY>
<USER PROFILE>
<GAME ENTRY POPUP>
<WAITING FOR A MATCH>
<CHARACTER INFO & SKINS>
This is all we can share for now. I wonder how many of the mood & functionality changes you can point out. We’ll continue to work hard on the update. Thank you.”PASADENA, Calif. - NASA's Mars rover Curiosity drove twice as far on July 21 as on any other day of the mission so far: 109.7 yards (100.3 meters).
The length of the drive took advantage of starting the 340th Martian day, or sol, of the mission from a location with an unusually good view for rover engineers to plan a safe path. In weeks to come, the rover team plans to begin using "autonav" capability for the rover to autonomously navigate a path for itself, which could make such long drives more frequent.
Curiosity is about three weeks into a multi-month trek, from the "Glenelg" area where it worked for the first half of 2013, to an entry point for the mission's major destination: the lower layers of Mount Sharp. The mission's longest one-day drive prior to July 21 was about 54 yards (49 meters), on Sol 50 (Sept. 26, 2012). After completing the longer drive, Curiosity drove 68.2 yards (62.4 meters) on July 23 (Sol 342), bringing the mission's total driving distance so far to 0.81 mile (1.23 kilometers).
The Sol 340 drive included three segments, with turns at the end of the first and second segments. Rover planners used information from stereo imaging by the Navigation Camera (Navcam) on Curiosity's mast, plus images from the telephoto-lens Mast Camera (Mastcam). The drive also used the rover's capability to use imagery taken during the drive to calculate the driving distance, a way to verify that wheels have not been slipping too much while turning.
"What enabled us to drive so far on Sol 340 was starting at a high point and also having Mastcam images giving us the size of rocks so we could be sure they were not hazards," said rover planner Paolo Bellutta of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "We could see for quite a distance, but there was an area straight ahead that was not clearly visible, so we had to find a path around that area."
The rover was facing southwest when the sol began. It turned slightly more to the west before driving and used visual odometry to be sure it drove the intended distance (about 55 yards or 50 meters) before turning back farther southward. The second leg, next turn, and third leg completed the drive without visual odometry, though the rover was using another new capability: to turn on visual odometry autonomously if tilt or other factors exceed predetermined limits.
New software on Curiosity gives it the capability to use visual odometry through a range of temperatures. This was needed because testing this spring indicated the Navcam pair linked to the rover's B-side computer is more sensitive to temperature than anticipated. Without the compensating software, the onboard analysis of stereo images could indicate different distances to the same point, depending on the temperature at which the images are taken. The rover was switched from its A-side computer to the redundant B-side computer on Feb. 28 due to a flash-memory problem -- subsequently resolved -- on the A-side. The Navcam pair linked to the A-side computer shows less variability with temperature than the pair now in use.
"For now, we're using visual odometry mostly for slip-checking," said JPL's Jennifer Trosper, deputy project manager for Curiosity. "We are validating the capability to begin using autonav at different temperatures."
The autonomous navigation capability will enable rover planners to command drives that go beyond the route that they can confirm as safe from previous-sol images. They can tell the rover to use the autonomous capability to choose a safe path for itself beyond that distance.
Curiosity landed at the "Bradbury Landing" location within Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012, EDT and Universal Time (Aug. 5, PDT). From there, the rover drove eastward to the Glenelg area, where it accomplished the mission's major science objective of finding evidence for an ancient wet environment that had conditions favorable for microbial life. The rover's route is now southwestward. At Mount Sharp, in the middle of Gale Crater, scientists anticipate finding evidence about how the ancient Martian environment changed and evolved.
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.
More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. You can follow the mission on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/marscuriosity and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/marscuriosity.
News Media Contact
Guy Webster 818-354-6278Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, [email protected] Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports
On Tuesday morning, the Vancouver Canucks signed defensive defenseman Chris Tanev to a lucrative five-year contract extension. No one doubts Tanev’s ability to key the rush or block shots or disrupt the possession game of Vancouver’s opponents, but the 25-year-old’s offensive game has been non-existent throughout his career.
Does that matter? Nope, but we understand the confusion. Let’s get into precisely why it doesn’t matter on the other side of the jump.
Theory
If you’re anything like me you grew up with a stack of hockey cards and the Hockey News’ annual NHL yearbooks. You pored over the statistics and judged players accordingly. 10 goals and 40 points is what a good defenseman should produce, right?
That was the extent of my thinking about NHL players back in the day, but hockey is a game of ratios, not a game of raw numbers. Scoring 10 goals and recording 40 points isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Helping your team outscore the opposition consistently at the NHL level.
The Cooler
Whether or not it really matters, at the end of the day Tanev is something of an offensive black hole.
It’s not his counting stats that should concern you though, it’s that the Canucks legitimately generate fewer shots, fewer goals and fewer scoring chances when he’s on the ice. Like William H. Macy in the Cooler depresses a casino’s customers’ ability to win, Tanev does legitimately restrain the club’s ability to manufacture offense.
My favourite way of measuring a defenseman’s individual impact on 5-on-5 offense isn’t by looking at goals, assists and total points. Rather it’s by looking at team relative shot rate. Team relative shot rate compares how many shots a team generates with a player on the ice, versus how many shots they manage when the player is on the bench (or in the press box nursing an injury). Over the past three seasons the five defenseman who score best by this metric are Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Duncan Keith, Christian Ehrhoff and Johnny Boychuk – which sounds about right.
With Tanev on the ice over the past three seasons the Vancouver Canucks have generated.43 fewer shots on goal, rated per 60 minutes of even strength ice time, than they have when Tanev isn’t on the ice. So to some extent what Tanev does on the ice – whether it’s a lack of offensive instincts, or his not having a booming slapper – it has legitimately served to downgrade the rate at which the Canucks score goals at 5-on-5.
That.43 number though isn’t that bad though. It is below average for a player that logs as much ice time as Tanev does, but it’s a better number than that managed by a variety of more famous defenseman with a reputation for being good at offense, including Tyler Myers, Dion Phaneuf and Jack Johnson.
A game of ‘more’
So why does a defenseman having a negative impact on his club’s overall offensive game at 5-on-5 not matter? The short of it is that, of course it does. It just doesn’t matter that much in Tanev’s case because his positive defensive value outweighs his negative offensive value. By a lot.
While the Canucks have generated.43 fewer shots rated per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time with Tanev on the ice over the past three seasons, they’ve also given up 3.81 shots fewer. Or to put it simply: Tanev is good enough in his own end of the rink that he still helps the Canucks outshoot their opponents in spite of his lagging offensive abilities.
It’s like the flip side of an offensive defenseman – be it Keith or Karlsson or P.K. Subban – who can be error prone on occasion when keying the transition game. You’ll take the odd costly turnover, because on balance, what they’re providing the team is so much more valuable than a costly turnover every five games or so.
Opportunity
Here’s another key thing to remember about Tanev’s lack of offensive production: he basically never sees the ice during Vancouver’s power play opportunities. For his career to this point, Tanev has averaged fewer than 15 seconds of power-play ice time per game, a paltry number.
Everyone focuses on his lack of shots and other such statistics, but those need to be qualified with the admission that Tanev is almost never used at 5-on-4.
Generally speaking coaches are good and reliable talent evaluators, so Tanev’s lack of power-play time very probably does speak to a lack of pure offensive ability. Tanev’s only marginally below average even-strength production rates are still crucial context here though, particularly because it’s not like he’s a massive offensive liability. In fact Tanev’s even-strength scoring rates are – far from cataclysmic – legitimately on the low-end of what you might reasonably expect from a top-four defenseman.
(Courtesy: Ownthepuck.blogspot.com)
Of course the offensive stats aren’t what should stand out to you from the chart above. Rather it’s his elite defensive impact.
Conclusion
In discussing Tanev’s new contract with the media on Tuesday, Canucks general manager Jim Benning characterized the Vancouver blue liner in a rather interesting way.
“He’s unique.. because he’s like a transitional defensive defenseman where he’s real good defensively, but he can skate the puck out of his own end and get it up to our forwards,” Benning said.
A ‘transitional defensive defenseman’ is a lovely term, and an excellent upgrade on the ‘hybrid shutdown defender’ lingo we’ve been throwing around over the past few years. It speaks to Tanev’s quiet value.
With Tanev on the ice the Canucks outshoot opponents. A team that consistently outshoots their opponents will, over time, win more games than they lose.
What logically follows is that Tanev helps the Canucks win games. Offensive production be damnedTraditionally, the Dalits and Muslims didn’t have a national party of their own. The three national parties of India - Congress, BJP and Communist Party [Marxist] are all dominated by what is known as caste Hindus.
This meant that the Hindu upper caste votes were divided among three major groups, depending on your social/economic inclination. If as a caste Hindu you would not vote Congress or BJP or Communist merely because they are upper caste [they all are].
In a paradoxical way, it eventually became a benefit to the minorities - both Dalit and Muslim - who don’t have a party of their own and could switch votes from party a to party b. From their perspective, all the major parties are equally unrepresentative of them and they could easily switch loyalties based on specific schemes and plans. The switch could be easily enmasse [at least in the case of the Muslims] providing a decisive advantage to those at the receiving end.
Just like how Ohio & Florida traditionally decided the outcomes of US Presidential elections, the Dalit and Muslim vote were traditionally key to major parties. The ability to swing these groups was the part of the spin masters toolkit.
If there arises a specific Muslim-focused party and if the Muslims vote loyally to that party every time, they will get into a disadvantage as the main national parties can no longer expect to get their votes & can thus safely ignore their needs. That is the paradox. In fact, this paradox is how BJP can win Jammu & Kashmir with far more Muslim population than say Tamil Nadu or Kerala.
The same is true for a Dalit focused party like the BSP. They have marginal impact at the national level and have been having a roller coaster ride in UP.
Thus, if there comes a viable Dalit-Muslim alliance, the national parties can no longer count on minority votes and thus would effectively consolidate the majority votebase [since 1987 and more importantly in 2014, this sort of happened with BJP taking away most of the caste Hindu base from
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blogs and comments. Today, however, I depart from this normal rule, because a number of people did send some very unusual videos of the fire damage in California, and for once, given the nature of the strangeness of what I've seen about those fires, I watched them, and want to pass them along to you, with apologies for the amount of time each video represents.
On and on we could go... This video includes the video I posted earlier of the tree burning from inside out. Now sap will conduct heat, but the problem here is the tree so burning is surrounded by trees which are not burning. The patterns in evidence - as one commentator to these videos who stated that he was a professional firefighter for 30 years - are not normal. That's putting it mildly.
What's unusual about these videos, and I've selected only two, there are many more, is that various means are being proposed for the strangeness of the damage we're seeing. Tress that are burned, but not houses; houses that are burned, but not trees. There is nothing normal about it. But what is intriguing is that in proposing mechanisms to explain all this two seem to be being bandied about: military grade accelerants (nanothermite), and electromagnetic, specifically, microwave, weapons. And we've seen that pattern of explanation before, with 9/11.
Additionally, since I blogged previously about the possibility that these fires may have been deliberately set, and that authorities suspect the same, and even suspect possible drug cartel involvement to take out the local marijuana growing industry, this raises disturbing possibilities. Namely, if this is the case of some extra-territorial or non-state actor being involved, then this means it has access to some pretty sophisticated technologies, and is willing and able to use them. Again, shades, possibly, of 9/11. One need not mention, again, the statements of former US Defense secretary William Cohen that such technologies exist and that they may have fallen into the hands of such non-territorial and non-state actors. The lockdown of the area by the military -ostensibly to prevent looting - also would be corroborative of the fact that someone in authority "suspects something" and is gathering (or surpressing) evidence.
This one I suspect is a case of "you tell me", but the bottom line here is, there is little that is "normal" about these fires.
See you on the flip side...Related News
U.S. President, Barack Obama, on Tuesday, said America would suspend duty-free benefits for South Africa on March 15, a move that could cost South Africa up to seven million dollars.
He said this in Washington, adding that the suspension was because South Africa failed to meet the requirements of a trade deal.
He noted that “I have determined that South Africa is not meeting the requirements and that suspending the application of duty-free treatment to certain goods will be more effective in promoting compliance.”
The suspension was seen by analysts as a move to put pressure on Pretoria to loosen its restrictions on U.S. farm exports, especially poultry products.
Mr. Obama said South Africa had earlier said it was concerned that an outbreak of avian flu in the U.S., which killed nearly 50 million birds, could pose animal and human health risks to its economy.
South Africa’s trade ministry has not responded to the comment.
It, however, said last week that it was close to striking a deal over farm produce trade with Washington that would see it retain the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Bart Stemmet, NKC African Economics analyst, said that Obama’s proclamation was likely the stick to go with this warning to lift restrictions.
He expressed the hope that the local authorities would also heed to it.
Stemmet said he expected a deal to be struck before the March deadline, because Pretoria cannot afford the financial damage a removal from AGOA would have on an already struggling economy.
“We are confident that the suspension will ultimately be avoided.
AGOA is a U.S. trade agreement designed to help African exporters.
(Reuters/NAN)What is the so-called "Greek Debt Crisis"? Is it simply the result of economic mismanagement by the Greek people and their successive governments, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
Joining us to answer this question, we welcome once again Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (former US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy), who explains that the crisis is not fundamentally about debt at all, but rather the playing out of a strategy by the financial and political elites to establish two main principles: the looting of European countries by the "One Percent", and the systematic destruction of their national sovereignty.
We also discuss the Iran Nuclear Deal and the recent address by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on "extremism" (described by Glenn Greenwald as "one of the creepiest and most authoritarian speeches you'll ever hear.")
(Download Podcast HQ 128 kbps)No-Kill Shelters Save Millions Of Unwanted Pets — But Not All Of Them
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Allen/NPR Greg Allen/NPR
It's been 20 years since San Francisco helped start a revolution: It became the first U.S. community to guarantee a home to every adoptable dog and cat.
Since then, the no-kill movement, as it's called, has been credited with greatly reducing the number of dogs and cats that are euthanized, from some 20 million down to about 3 million each year.
But like any movement, this one has had its disagreements — including what the term "no-kill" actually means. While some shelters indeed put no animals down, shelters are allowed to euthanize a percentage of their animals and still keep the no-kill designation. And some animal advocates say trying to place every animal in a home isn't advisable.
"At some point, you begin to adopt out animals that have serious health issues or serious temperament issues that you should not."
There are an estimated 14,000 shelters and pet rescue groups in the U.S., taking in nearly 8 million animals each year. Most are small groups, like Paws 4 You, founded 7 years ago in Miami by Carol Caridad. At any given time, she says, the shelter has between 80 and 95 dogs.
Paws 4 You works to find homes for dogs the group pulls from Miami-Dade Animal Services, the county-run shelter. And some dogs are easier to place than others. Caridad points out two, Charlene and Cisco, who have been with her for more than 3 years.
"They may react and get loud when they first see someone new," she says, "but they are all extremely loving."
If the dogs had not been taken from the county shelter, they likely would have been euthanized years ago.
Paws 4 You, like most pet rescue groups, operates a no-kill shelter. But the term means different things to different people. Caridad saves all her dogs — including one or two that aren't that friendly and may never be adopted.
But shelters can euthanize up to 10 percent of their animals for reasons of health and temperament, and still be considered "no-kill."
"The no-kill concept will be a constantly debated question among a lot of animal lovers, as to whether we are there or whether we are still working on getting to the goal," says Richard Avanzino, former head of San Francisco SPCA, which kick-started the no-kill movement in 1994.
Avanzino is now president of Maddie's Fund, a group that works to promote the no-kill movement. He says about 700,000 of the 3 million dogs killed each year are, as he calls it, "legitimate euthanizations" — animals that are unadoptable because of health or behavior.
But not all dog lovers embrace the no-kill philosophy. Patti Strand, director of the National Animal Interest Alliance, an organization that represents the American Kennel Club and other dog breeders, says "the word 'no-kill' has become, really, a marketing term."
Like just about all in the dog world, Strand supports shelters and adoptions. But she says the phrase no-kill is misleading. Unlike government-run, "open-access" shelters that take all the animals that come in, most no-kill shelters limit the number and types of dogs and cats they accept. For open-access shelters, Strand says the goal of adopting out 90 percent of the dogs taken in may not be practical — or safe.
Of particular concern, she says, are shelters in rural areas and the South, which take in large numbers of strays and unwanted dogs. "At some point, you begin to adopt out animals that have serious health issues or serious temperament issues that you should not," she says.
Strand says that in Portland, Ore., where she works with the American Kennel Club chapter, most of the calls to the group's help line come from people who have adopted dogs that turn out to have unexpected problems.
The no-kill movement has taken hold strongest in Northern states, from New England to the West Coast. In other states, like Florida, the supply of unwanted dogs still outstrips the demand — and euthanizations are still very much a fact of life.
In Miami, the county-run animal shelter takes in more than 15,000 dogs and 13,000 cats each year. In 2012, the county adopted a resolution that its shelter, the largest in Florida, would become a no-kill facility.
Alex Munoz, director of the Animal Services Department, says they're making progress toward that goal.
"Over the past few years we've increased our overall save rate from less than 50 percent to over 80 percent for both dogs and cats," he says.
But that still means Miami's animal shelter, while embracing the no-kill philosophy, euthanizes thousands of dogs and cats each year. It's a fact that upsets many rescue groups, some of whom have been critical of the county agency.
But Munoz says it all comes down to numbers. "The shelter is not an infinite space. There are 222 cages, and on any given day, there's more than 300 dogs."
Munoz says the agency is stepping up its spay and neuter program and holding more adoption events in the community, and hopes to get Miami close to the 90 percent no-kill goal within the next year.'Witch' Burnings Haunt Kenyan Tribe
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gwen Thompkins/NPR Gwen Thompkins/NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gwen Thompkins/NPR Gwen Thompkins/NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gwen Thompkins/NPR Gwen Thompkins/NPR
In much of Africa, people believe in some form of witchcraft. Just recently, soccer fans in the Democratic Republic of Congo accused a player of using black magic at a game. The ensuing riot killed more than a dozen people.
In Tanzania and Ghana, belief in the magical powers of albinos and hunchbacks has reportedly led to a rash of killings this year.
In May, 11 people died in a "witch" burning in southwestern Kenya, but questions linger over whether neighbors in that particular region of Kenya believed the people killed were witches.
The burning took place in a farming area in the lush southwestern reaches of the country, dominated by the Kisii tribe. News of the incident made headlines in Kenya, but there was little surprise among the general public.
That's because Kisiis are known to believe more fervently in the power of witchcraft than any other tribe in the land. And among the Kisiis, reprisals against witchcraft reportedly are getting more and more violent.
A Book Of Names
Local authorities say that in May, a security guard turned over a suspicious notebook he found at a school. The notebook reportedly listed the names of local witches and the minutes of their meetings. But before turning over the book to the authorities, residents of the area apparently copied down the names. Over a two-day period, a mob cut down 11 mostly retired and elderly people and burned their homes to cinders.
Enoch Obiero, a Pentecostal minister, says the mob came to his door and dismembered his wife, a retired schoolteacher. He claims that jealous relatives paid the killers.
"They didn't even come to the funeral," Obiero said. "It is not easy to forgive someone who has done you such a terrible thing."
The authorities say they have arrested more than 100 people in the burnings, but whether they will successfully prosecute any of the suspects is unclear.
It is rare for people in this insular farming community to testify against one another, for fear of revenge attacks. Instead, many protect themselves by visiting witch doctors like Onyango Nyakundi.
No Such Thing As A Good Witch
For 40 years, Nyakundi has been using herbs and a little bloodletting to shield his customers from being bewitched. And for about $20 a visit, he says he can cure anything from a headache to cancer.
"The person who does not believe in that is just living a life in denial," Nyakundi said. He added that people cry "witch" for any number of reasons. Sometimes, they really believe that a witch is in their midst. But sometimes, he says, accusations are made to settle petty scores.
To understand what happened in May, it is vital to understand a core value in the Kisii region and among many believers in black magic: They say there is no such thing as a good witch.At least 22 killed in suspected attack on Ariana Grande concert at Manchester
News Hour:
At least 22 people were killed and more than 59 injured in an explosion at the end of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday and two U.S. officials said a suicide bomber was suspected.
The blast happened at about 22:35 BST on Monday following a pop concert by the US singer Ariana Grande.
The cause is unknown but Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts were with those affected by “what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack”.
If confirmed, it would be the deadliest militant assault on Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London’s transport system in July 2005.
Police responded to reports of an explosion shortly after 10:35 pm at the arena, which has a capacity for 21,000 people, and where the U.S. singer had been performing to an audience that included many children.
Unconfirmed reports from two unnamed US officials suggested the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.
Ariana Grande, 23, later said on Twitter: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.” May, who faces an election in two-and-a-half weeks, said her thoughts were with the victims and their families. She and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the June 8 election.
broken.
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words. — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 23, 2017
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but U.S. officials drew parallels to the coordinated attacks in November 2015 by Islamist militants on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris, which claimed about 130 lives.
British police were on alert for any further attacks. Central London’s Victoria coach station and roads around it were closed after discovery of a suspect package, the BBC said.
Islamic State supporters took to social media to celebrate the blast and some encouraged similar attacks elsewhere.
Britain is on its second-highest alert level of “severe”, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.
British counter-terrorism police have said they are making on average an arrest every day in connection with suspected terrorism.
Like this: Like Loading...Happy salutations for a wonderful New Year, you naughty beauties!
I want to also express my deep gratitude for the recent personal messages of well wishes for both my birthday and the New Year – you know who you are and thank you. I may not be as active on here as I once was, but please know that I still get warm and tingly feelings when someone follows me or just goes digging around in the archive. What a long strange trip it’s truly been.
Another Richlee year has come and gone and if my calculations are correct, 2016 will be the fourth year of Richard and Lee together as a couple. There may well be an official anniversary for them in the coming year as well, but what do I know? But really, I hope they both continue to be happy and healthy; it still makes me smile when I think of them sharing their lives together. In this very frustrating, sad and violent world, they make me believe in beauty, love, loyalty and just goddamn crazy talent. This last year, it was a true pleasure to see Richard and Lee both obliterate the acting boundaries of what people expect from them.
So, to all my wonderful, sexy and loyal followers and friends: may you be blessed with good health, love in its many forms, delicious food and drink, warm friends, inept enemies, giddy bouts of happiness, beautiful flowers, intellectual stimulation, personal successes and most importantly, peace for this coming New Year.
Cheers,
xoxoxo Julie0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
On his radio show today, Rush Limbaugh unveiled his brand new conspiracy theory that environmentalists were secretly behind the oil rig explosion that has spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. He reasoned, “What better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plants than by blowing up a rig?”
Here is the audio courtesy of Media Matters:
Limbaugh laid out his conspiracy theory, “Now lest we forget, ladies and gentlemen, the carbon tax bill, cap and trade, that was scheduled to be announced on Earth Day, I remember that, then it was postponed for a couple of days later, after Earth Day…This bill the cap and trade bill was criticized by hard core environmentalist wackos because it supposedly allowed more offshore drilling and nuclear plants, nuclear plant investment, so since they’re sending swat teams down there folks, since they’re sending swat teams to inspect the other rigs, what better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plants than by blowing up a rig? I’m just noting the timing here.”
Of course, the part of Rush’s conspiracy theory that makes no sense is why any environmentalists would want to destroy the very environment that they are trying to save by blowing up an oil rig and spewing 5,000 barrels of oil per day into the Gulf? Wouldn’t this be a violation of everything that the environmental movement stands for? I don’t think that anything can be read into the timing of the explosion, because as Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) pointed out today, there have been 509 oil fires in the Gulf since 2006.
Instead of being a left wing conspiracy, maybe this incident shows that we need to look at the environmental dangers of offshore drilling a little more before we agree to expand it. President Obama announced today that swat teams were being sent to the Gulf to help investigate the cause of the explosion. Anything could have caused this explosion, but I think that it is absurd that Limbaugh would blame the very people who love the environment for destroying it. Rush’s conspiracy theory is not logical, but he will say anything to blame the left and protect the interests of right wing corporate America.
If you’re ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:Not an April Fools’ prank. Seriously.
According to Politico and the Washington Post, a couple of weeks ago President Obama was scheduled to receive an award from the organizers of the Freedom of Information Day Conference, to be presented at the White House by “five transparency advocates.” The White House postponed that meeting because of events in Libya and Japan, and it was rescheduled for Monday, March 30.
That meeting did take place—behind closed doors.
The press was not invited to the private transparency meeting, and no photos from or transcript of the meeting have been made available. The event was not listed on the president’s calendar, which tells us only that he was in an education town-hall meeting at 10:30 on Monday, and then apparently just lounged around until he went on TV at 7:30 (to tell us why he had transparently and unilaterally decided to start bombing another country a couple of weeks before without telling Congress). Nor is the award mentioned anywhere on the White House website, including on the page devoted to transparency and good government. Were it not for the testimony of the transparency advocates who met secretly with the president, there wouldn’t seem to be any evidence that the meeting actually took place.
They say they didn’t know the White House had failed to tell anybody about the transparency meeting.
“I think this is a particularly bad situation and I’m not going to try to defend the president on that,” said Gary Bass, founder of OMB Watch, who was allegedly part of the alleged meeting. It was “crazy stupid” to keep it a secret, said another alleged attendee, Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight. “Someone on the White House staff should get their butt kicked for this one.”
They did insist that Obama deserved the award, not because his is necessarily the “most open and transparent administration in history,” as he promised; or because he has taken steps to protect whistleblowers, because he hasn’t; but because he has at least started to change the fetish for classifying any and all information that the government has had in the past. Still, they were not pleased with him about the closed meeting on openness.
“It’s almost a theater of the absurd to have an award on transparency that isn’t transparent,” said Bass. “The irony is,” he continued, “that everything the President said [about transparency] was spot-on. I wish people had heard what he had to say.”Mark Hoffman Kevin Stark roasted coffee in the San Francisco Bay area for a couple of years. He was diagnosed with asthma but three physicians familiar with diacetyl-related disease say results of his lung tests could signal early signs of bronchiolitis obliterans, which causes irreversible damage. Stark is now a graduate student at Northwestern University.
In 1981, a worker at the Maxwell House coffee factory in Houston died from what was reported at the time to be "bronchial asthma." She was 46, a mother of three. In 1982, another worker at the plant died — from the same thing.
The deaths were not recorded in a national database of occupational illnesses that could have alerted public health specialists to a potential problem. Nobody linked the sicknesses to the workplace.
Several years later, in 1990, workers at the same plant wondered if they were being exposed to something hazardous in the air. Coffee dust? The chemical used to decaffeinate coffee? A lot of workers had chronic coughs. Quite a few, it seemed, were getting cancer while churning out Maxwell House coffee, known by its popular slogan, "Good to the Last Drop."
When scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came to investigate, they found the workers were right. Researchers pulled the death certificates of 67 employees who had died during the previous dozen years and discovered elevated cancer rates among a segment of workers at the plant. Especially prevalent: lung cancer.
The federal agency could not pinpoint an exact cause but recommended Maxwell House put some engineering controls in place to "control hazards to the extent feasible." Officials also suggested the company monitor workers' health and inform them of the dangers of coffee dust.
The file was closed. No alarms were sounded.
Workers at another Houston roasting and processing plant had also worried about their health and asked the CDC in the 1980s to examine their concerns, according to an investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Complaints were similar — some workers coughed excessively; others were short of breath; eye, nose and throat irritation was common.
And workers from at least two additional coffee plants in other states would eventually seek help from the CDC. What could be causing severe and sometimes fatal lung and respiratory diseases? How widespread were the problems?
Nearly 35 years later, as the coffee industry booms with boutique roasters and more workers than ever are at risk — most of them unknowingly — the questions remain unanswered.
"We don't have a system in place in the United States for connecting the dots," said Robert Harrison, a physician and occupational medicine specialist at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.
A system that tracked patients by occupation could have helped doctors spot and prevent — decades ago — what the Journal Sentinel has now uncovered: Workers from multiple coffee plants with signs of respiratory illness that medical experts suspect could be linked to their jobs roasting and grinding coffee.
The discovery is part of an ongoing investigation, Gasping for Action, that has exposed how diacetyl — a chemical known for destroying lungs of microwave popcorn workers in the early 2000s — also poses risks to coffee workers and e-cigarette users across the country.
Although more than a dozen epidemiological and animal studies over the last 15 years have concluded that diacetyl devastates the lungs — and experts deem it one of the most toxic chemicals they have ever seen — government regulators and coffee companies have done little to protect workers from it.
Despite huge advances in medicine and data collection and analysis in recent decades, the nation's workplace-illness surveillance system remains incapable of detecting clusters of medical conditions related to specific jobs, the Journal Sentinel has found.
The CDC's National Occupational Mortality Surveillance database lumps coffee roasters with meat, fish and tobacco workers. The coffee industry as a whole is coded with seafood and other miscellaneous food operations.
Federal agencies don't require states to include occupational information on death certificates. States can volunteer to collect the information and share it with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health — known as NIOSH — the CDC's research arm. Only 17 states do.
As a result, deaths are not traced by specific job or even industry.
Nor are illnesses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, also tasked with tracking workplace injuries and illnesses, relies on data supplied by employers. Studies show that chronic illnesses, especially, are under-reported. And that system, too, uses the same broad coding categories for jobs and industries.
Public health experts have mounted an effort in recent years to have occupation and industry included in electronic medical records, a move the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not adopted.
“We’re floundering around with these chemicals in the workplace as if it was the 1830s,” Allen Parme said.
Meanwhile, a handful of fairly simple solutions exist to protect coffee workers. Air sampling, improved ventilation and medical monitoring could significantly reduce risks to the more than 600,000 people in the United States who work around coffee every day.
"We're floundering around with these chemicals in the workplace as if it was the 1830s," said Allen Parmet, an occupational medicine specialist credited with helping identify the lung disease in the popcorn workers. "Unless the patient comes in and says, 'I'm a coffee worker, I'm exposed to diacetyl, I potentially have bronchiolitis obliterans and here's the paperwork' — unless that happens — nobody gets it. They'll just treat him for asthma or smoker's cough.
"If we had the will, we could fix it."
•••
Raquel Rutledge Casey Blanche undergoes lung function testing in June. Blanche has roasted coffee for more than 11 years, most recently at Just Coffee Cooperative in Madison before moving to Singapore in July. Blanche,36, had no symptoms but doctors say results of one of the tests indicate possible early airways obstruction. They suggest he be closely monitored.
Diacetyl forms naturally during coffee roasting and is released in high concentrations when beans are ground and storage bins are opened. It is also made synthetically and added to foods and beverages — including some flavored coffees — to add a buttery taste.
Five coffee roasters— from cafes to mid-size facilities — agreed to share their medical tests with the Journal Sentinel and have the results reviewed by three doctors with experience in diacetyl-related illnesses. Of the five workers, four had lung tests or symptoms consistent with hazardous exposure to the chemical, according to the doctors. Further testing would be required for a diagnosis.
As with the earlier cases from Maxwell House and other plants, the connection between coffee roasting, diacetyl and the workers' lung issues had not been recognized by their doctors, employers or public health officials.
Test results from a 30-year-old roaster, Kevin Stark of Chicago, worried all three doctors.
Stark worked in a mid-size roasting facility in the San Francisco Bay area for about two years, roasting between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds a day. Part of the beauty of the job, he said, was using his sense of smell to create unique roasts. He had his nose in a lot of coffee every day.
"I definitely was very tactile with my roasting," said Stark, now a graduate student at Northwestern University. "It's a sensual part of the craft.... It is a little troubling to think there is more to it than just simple-smelling caramel."
Each doctor concluded that Stark has airway obstruction consistent with the early stages of bronchiolitis obliterans— the same disease that sickened and even killed microwave popcorn workers.
Stark's tests could also point to asthma, which is what his doctor diagnosed a couple of months after Stark was hired at the roastery. Over the years, Stark thought he might have allergies, but they seemed to worsen soon after he started working around coffee. He never suspected he had asthma. And he had never heard of bronchiolitis obliterans.
The difference is critical.
Bronchiolitis obliterans is a little-known and rarely diagnosed disease marked by a buildup of scar tissue in the lungs that restricts airflow. Diacetyl is known to attack, inflame and virtually obliterate the bronchioles, the lung's tiniest airways, causing scarring. Damage is irreversible. Diacetyl also can cause a range of less deadly lung diseases and injuries that experts say are often misdiagnosed as asthma.
The doctors recommended that Stark seek further testing.
"This could be the harbinger of major problems and he should be followed closely," said James Stocks, a doctor in Tyler, Texas, who in 2012 detected bronchiolitis obliterans in five workers at a coffee plant there. With bronchiolitis obliterans, he said, "what is lost is gone forever."
•••
Family photo/Archives.com Norma Bowers worked for more than a decade at the Maxwell House coffee plant in Houston before she died in 1981 at age 46. Her cause of death was listed on her death certificate as asthma.
Norma Bowers cherished her job packaging coffee at the Maxwell House plant on Harrisburg Blvd., just two miles from her home on Houston's southeast side. It was the 1970s. More and more women were working and Bowers was proud to help her husband, a cargo worker at Braniff Airlines, support the family.
That's how Bowers' son and daughter — then teenagers — saw it.
Nick de la Torre/Houston Chronicle Maxwell House, a brand of the Kraft Heinz Company, was one of the country’s leading coffee sellers in the 1970s, known by its popular slogan “Good to the Last Drop.” Two workers at one of the company’s Houston plants died of asthma in the early 1980s. Company representatives would not say what the company does today to protect workers from respiratory disease.
Their mom didn't seem to mind the rotating shifts or repetitive work. Before heading out the door every day, she pulled on her blue pants and matching button-up shirt with Maxwell's signature coffee cup logo. And she tucked a bottle or two of Primatene Mist inhaler in her pocket.
"She never complained, she just did the work," said her son, Darrell Bowers, now a railroad engineer and real estate broker in Houston. "It was a good-paying company and she was dedicated."
The inhaler was supposed to help Norma Bowers get through the day. She was having trouble breathing and her condition seemed to get worse. Never much of a smoker, her doctors thought it was asthma. She wasn't aware that being around coffee — the chaff, the green beans, the dust — could be triggering or exacerbating her breathing problems.
Although coffee dust had been a suspected respiratory irritant since at least the 1950s, little was done to minimize its impact on plant workers. Bowers was provided a paper mask to help keep dust out of her face.
She couldn't know at the time that simply breathing the fumes from the roasted and ground coffee every day could destroy her lungs. Few in the industry had ever heard of diacetyl. The buttery-smelling compound wouldn't surface as a lung-slayer for another 20 years.
Bowers' illness progressed over the more than 10 years she spent at the plant. Eventually she would come home from work and need oxygen. She could no longer bowl in her league. Once a swimmer, at 46, her 5-foot-9 body was slowly suffocating.
On Sept. 25, 1981, Bowers passed out while at work. She was rushed to a hospital, where she died.
"It was a very frightening thing to see," said Darrell Bowers, who was in his early 20s at the time.
Norma Bowers' daughter, Joan Bowers, who was a couple of years younger than her brother, remembers the day clearly. She was living at home and saw her mom before she went to work.
"I got a chance to say, 'Bye, see you later. Have a good day.' And that was it," she said. "It was such a shock to me, for someone to go to work that morning and not come home."
Bowers' dad was on jury duty that day.
"He walked in the door and I was the one that had to tell him that mom passed," Joan Bowers said. "He just had to take a seat and get himself together."
Medical experts familiar with diacetyl-related disease reviewed Bowers' autopsy for the Journal Sentinel. The newspaper obtained the report from the Harris County, Texas, archives.
Gary Porter Emanuel Diaz de Leon was diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans after working at a coffee roasting facility in Tyler, Texas. Doctors say Diaz de Leon, a nonsmoker, at age 41 had the lungs of a 70 year old.
Video: Emanuel Diaz de Leon talks about how lung damage from diacetyl has affected his life
With the limited information included in the decades' old file, the experts could not definitively say whether diacetyl played a part in Bowers' death. They suspected it might have, but without pictures and additional medical history, they couldn't say for sure.
Bowers' lung illness resembles that of Emanuel Diaz de Leon, who worked in a different Texas city — 30 years later. Diaz de Leon's lungs were severely damaged within 18 months of working at the Distant Lands coffee plant in Tyler.
Stocks, a pulmonologist, thought it odd when Diaz de Leon showed up in his medical clinic huffing and puffing in December 2011. He was 41, an active soccer player and nonsmoker, but had the lungs of a 70-year-old.
Stocks asked Diaz de Leon where he worked and requested he bring in the company's Material Safety Data Sheets, which list the potential hazards of the ingredients in use in the plant. When Stocks saw they included diacetyl, he was curious. He remembered reading in medical journals about injuries popcorn workers had suffered from diacetyl in the butter flavoring chemical — ultimately giving rise to the term "popcorn lung."
A lung biopsy confirmed it. Diaz de Leon had bronchiolitis obliterans. Stocks anticipates he will die well before his normal life expectancy.
•••
Clues have been cropping up for decades, signaling something toxic is assaulting coffee workers' lungs.
Nearly three dozen studies on coffee workers and respiratory illness date to at least 1958, a review by the Journal Sentinel found. Some focus on the green beans, others the dust. One study, done at an Ohio plant in 2001, mentions "volatile organic compounds" from the flavoring liquid added to some of the coffee.
Researchers from NIOSH found potential respiratory hazards such as ethanol, propylene glycol, benzaldehyde and furfuryl alcohol in the air at Euclid Coffee Co. in Cleveland. The report makes no mention of diacetyl, also a volatile organic compound. It wasn't on their radar; there is no indication that they tested for it.
The government agency recommended the company increase ventilation around the flavoring area. In doing so, the "risk of respiratory irritation could be greatly reduced," they wrote.
Once again, the file was closed. No alarms sounded.
In order to know whether elements such as diacetyl might be threatening workers, employers need to have air samples taken from areas around the workers and in their breathing zones and have them tested. Historically, that's seldom done in the coffee industry.
In September, after a Journal Sentinel investigation discovered high levels of diacetyl in two Wisconsin roasteries that do not use added flavors, the CDC posted a national warning to employers and workers about the potential dangers of diacetyl in coffee plants.
The CDC outlined various ways workers could be protected. The National Coffee Association — which had initially denied that naturally occurring diacetyl could be a problem — vowed to alert its members and encourage them to monitor their workplaces.
Coffee factories have little incentive to test the air, since the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not have any regulations limiting workplace exposure to diacetyl or 2,3-pentanedione, another lung-damaging compound released in coffee processing.
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OSHA has known of the seriousness since at least 2006, when clusters of microwave popcorn workers became ill, but has failed to implement regulations. NIOSH, meanwhile, has a draft proposal for a recommended safety level, but it has not moved forward. The agency has been saying for more than a year that the proposal is in the final review stage.
Adequate ventilation is a key factor in reducing occupational exposure to chemicals such as diacetyl. Other engineering controls that can mitigate risk are enclosing the roasting and grinding processes, increasing air exchange and wearing respirators, according to NIOSH.
It's unclear what systems Maxwell House has in place today to ensure worker safety. Company executives would not answer questions regarding workplace safety, air monitoring or Bowers' death.
Michael Mullen, senior vice president for corporate and government affairs at the Kraft Heinz Co., parent company of Maxwell House, responded to a detailed list of questions with: "No comment."
Both the Teamsters and the United Food and Commercial Workers unions, which together represent workers from about a dozen coffee processing companies, have tried to get a handle on the scope of the problem — with little success.
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theon cares one way or the other who "invented email"?All of their "debunking" claims rest entirely on a RAND report written by David Crocker in 1977, where they take two sentences totally out of context. Here's what Ayyadurai, Weber and their friends claim Crocker said:It's telling that Ayyadurai and his friends never actually tell you the name of the report or link to it. Because actually reading what Crocker wrote would undermine their argument. The report is called "Framework and Functions of the 'MS' Personal Message System" and you can read it here. Not only do Ayyadurai and his friends take Crocker entirely out of context, the two sentences above are not even contiguous sentences.. The first sentence is on page 18 of the paper. And it just says thatimplementation (the program called MS) is focused on certain facets, and"no attempt is being made to emulate a full-scale inter-organization mail system" even though the entire point of the paper is how various email implementations are clearly replicating inter-organizational mail systems. The second sentence comes on page 21 (with lots in between) and just focuses on the fact that lots of users have very different requests and desires, and it's impossible to satisfy everyone -- and that it, alone, is beyond the scope of this project. He's not, as Ayyadurai implies, claiming that building an interoffice email system is impossible. He's claiming that creating a full system that satisfies absolutely everyone is impossible. However, he does make it clear that other components are being worked on, and when combined could create a more functional email system. Here's that part, back in context:From the actual source documents (which, again, Ayyadurai and his friends fail to link to and totally misrepresent), it's clear that all Crocker is saying is that no single system will satisfycurrent interests. He's not saying it's impossible to create an interoffice email system. He's just saying that lots of different people have lots of different needs for an interoffice email system, and for the team building MS, it would be too difficult to satisfy everyone's exact requests, so they're focusing on certain features, knowing others will add other components later. And, given that people are still working to improve upon email today, it seems that'sbasically true.Back to the rest of the paper, which actually does a tremendous job undermining basically all of Ayyadurai's claims (again, which suggests why no one names or links to the full paper) -- in the very first paragraph (again, this isto Ayyadurai doing anything) it talks about research for "computer software" for "electronic mail." Ooops. It goes on:In other words, the very paper that Ayyadurai and his friends insist prove that there was no email prior to 1978 talks in depth about a variety of email programs. Again, remember that this was written in 1977. This is not historical revisionism. It goes on:In other words, lots of folks are working on email systems. Ayyadurai tries to brush all those aside by saying that his actually included things like "folders." But again, Crocker's paper notes:It actually has a whole section on folders. It also shows some sample messages at the time, showing "to," "from," "cc," "subject," and "message" fields, showing that the very basics of interoffice mail (such as "cc" -- standing for carbon copy, which was a standard bit of interoffice mail) had already moved into email. Here's a screenshot (which you can click for a larger version):Ayyadurai has built up his entire reputation around the (entirely false) claim that he "invented" email. His bio, his Twitter feed and his website all position himself as having invented email. He didn't. It looks like he wrote an implementation of an email system in 1978, long after others were working on similar things. He may have added some nice features,: Nope, bcc was in a 1977 RFC ). He also appears to have potentially been ahead of others in making a full address book be a part of the email system. He may, in fact, be the first person who shortened "electronic mail" to "email" which is cool enough, and he'd have an interesting claim if that's all he claimed. Unfortunately, he's claiming much, much more than that. He's set up an entire website in which he accuses lots of folks, including Techdirt, of unfairly "attacking" him. He apparently believes that some of the attacks on him are because he spoke out against corruption in India. Or because people think only rich white people can invent stuff. None of that is accurate. There's a simple fact, and it's that Ayyadurai did not invent email.He does not even attempt to counter any of the actual facts. The documents that are presented are misleading or out of context. He misrepresents what a copyright registration means. And his main "smoking gun," in support of his claim that people are trying to unfairly write him out of history, is presented in a misleading way, out of context, with two entirely separate sentences pushed together to pretend they say something they didn't.He's clearly quite proud of the email software he wrote in 1978, and that's great. He should be. It may have made some incremental improvements on what else was already out there, but it is not inventing email. It's also entirely possible that he was wholly unaware of everything else that was out there. And, again, that's great. We've talked many times in the past about multiple people coming up with the same ideas around the same time. Ayyadurai should be quite proud of what he's done. But he's simply not telling the truth when he claims to have invented email. His website is full of accolades from the past, including his Westinghouse award (which is a prestigious award for high schoolers), his copyrights and his later patents. There are local newspaper clippings. That's all great. It reminds me of the folder my mother has on all the nice things that happened to me as a kid. But none of it means he invented email.It's unclear why Huffington Post is publishing this ludicrous and disproven narrative. It's unclear why one of the biggest names in PR is involved in all of this, though you can take some guesses. But there are facts, and they include that "electronic mail" existed long before V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai wrote his program as a precocious teenager. Huffington Post is either not disclosing a paid-for series of posts (which would be a massive ethical breach) or they've been taken for a ride. Neither option speaks well of HuffPo and its journalistic integrity.
Filed Under: dave crocker, email, history, inventor of email, journalism, larry weber, lies, ray tomlinson, rewriting history, shiva ayyadurai, va shiva ayyadurai
Companies: huffington post/r/place backed by the Bitcoin blockchain
Pixels on a canvas
On April 1st 2017, Reddit unleashed /r/place to the world. I like to think of it as a modern art experiment. A user could change the color of a single pixel on a canvas every 5 minutes. This is what came out of it:
A similar experiment happened in 2005 when a student sold pixels on a canvas to fund his university education. It was dubbed The Million Dollar Homepage. More on that here.
Would this work for Bitcoin?
The experiment starts with a 100x100 grid, each pixel having 16 BTC addresses attached to it, one for each possible color. The address with the most bitcoin received, decides the color of the pixel.
Let’s look at the pixel at coordinates [45,52]. The green color of that pixel has the address 1Fdi1pTd4rhUyDVtFPmCzTXpdVaxYKPzFi and a balance of 0.01 BTC. Out of all the colors which correspond to that pixel, green has the most BTC received so the pixel is green. If you would like to make it red, you would need to donate so the red address has more balance than the green balance.
I was really curious about using the blockchain as a database. I guess I found a way :)
How does it work? On a server, I am running bitcoind in prune mode, I pre-generated the addresses for each pixel and labeled them. A cronjob asks the bitcoind through the RPC interface for the balance of each pixel and computes a JSON file and an image. These 2 output files are than transferred to a server which serves cryptoplace.
For the frontend, I am using Leaflet and imgViewer2. After experimenting I think I would have been happier if I implemented the UI from scratch - although the libraries saved me a lot of time.
The code is open source, you can find it here.
Would you like to see support for other crypto currencies? Which ones? I am happy to answer any question you might have.
Go ahead, you can draw anything!Inquiring minds are investigating a 44 page PDF by the Center for College Affordability on why financial aid is ineffective. Please consider Financial Aid in Theory and Practice.
Executive Summary
Financial aid programs are supposed to improve access and affordability in higher education. The effectiveness of these programs is increasingly being questioned as college attainment figures stagnate and the financial burden on students and families continues to climb year after year. This report identifies the main culprit for this unsatisfactory state of affairs as a misunderstanding of the effect of financial aid on schools.
Currently, financial aid programs take costs per student as a given, and attempt to offset some of those costs. However, costs are not given. In fact, it is widely acknowledged that colleges and universities are engaged in an academic arms race. Thus, when financial aid programs make more money available to schools, this money is spent and results in higher costs per student. The end result is more costly higher education, generally accompanied by higher tuition, which has negative implications for access and affordability.
Figure 5: Financial Aid, Enrollment, Spending and Tuition, 1986-2007
The original theory of financial aid would predict that the increases in federal aid and state appropriations over the last twenty years should primarily affect enrollments and affordability. Figure 5 shows the trends over time for a number of variables (inflation adjusted where appropriate), each of which is indexed using 1986 as the base year. Since 1986, federal aid has nearly tripled, while state
appropriations (total, not per student) have increased by slightly more than 40 percent. But enrollments at both two and four year schools have only increased by about 40 percent. If one looks at graduates, rather than enrollments, the figures are even worse. Moreover, the financial burden on students, as measured by the level of tuition and required fees, has almost doubled, as has spending per student.
Unintended Consequences: Ravenous Cookie Monsters Engaged in an Arms Race
Fundamentally, there are unintended consequences of the current financial aid system because from the perspective of competing schools, it does not make sense to take their costs, subtract the state subsidy per student, and charge the remainder in tuition (some of the money for which comes from grants and loans to students). Schools have an incentive to spend as much as possible, because spending is useful in building a better school (or at least what appears to be a better school).
The ravenous need of schools for money was originally described as “Bowen’s Rule - All universities, and in particular major institutions with or seeking elite status, will use any and all funds they receive for the pursuit of perceived excellence and improvement.”17 Bowen’s Rule has been confirmed by others such as Charles Clotfelter, who, as Rupert Wilkinson noted, showed that colleges “increased their prices and general spending because they could get away with it – not to make money in itself but to buy the best of nearly everything.” (Emphasis original)18
While spending money in the pursuit of excellence by universities sounds great—who doesn’t like excellence—there is the downside that whatever they spend has to come from somewhere. Indeed, the expenditure of additional resources is the same thing as raising the cost per student. Thus, if the financial aid system allows for schools to acquire additional resources, it will have the effect of raising costs per student.
Thus, the original theory is in need of revision. Instead of taking costs per student as given, the revised theory notes that financial aid can be expected, under certain circumstances, to lead to an increase in costs per student. Specifically, whenever aid is made available to students who are already paying existing costs, it will increase their ability to pay, which is noted by colleges who in turn increase the price they charge these students. The revenue is spent to improve the school, with the consequence that costs per student increase. This increase in costs is typically accompanied by an increase in tuition, which has negative consequences for affordability and access.
Before moving on, I should point out that I am not the first to put forward a critique of the financial aid system. In fact, quite a few people precede me:
“If anything, increases in financial aid in recent years have enabled colleges and universities blithely to raise their tuitions, confident that Federal loan subsidies would help cushion the increase.”28
“One result of the federal government’s student financial aid programs is higher tuition costs at our nation’s colleges and universities.”29
“Ironically, federal programs in totality give incentive for institutions to increase tuition and to set high sticker prices.”30
“Each institution faces the choice of maintaining tuition at the lowest possible level or of raising tuitions to ‘harvest’ the federal student aid as an indirect institutional subsidy.”31
The first statement is all the more remarkable because it was coming from the Secretary of Education at the time, and later came to be known as the Bennett Hypothesis. It is perhaps the most widely known critique of the financial aid system. The argument is that financial aid would increase the ability of students to pay, but that schools would see this and either (1) raise tuition; or (2) cut back
on their own aid.
How Schools Spend Money
The University of Illinois spent $6 million on the Irwin Academic Services Center which “helps only about 550 of the school's 37,000 students” because it is restricted to athletes. But, “at least four other schools have multimillion-dollar tutoring centers just for their athletes” including the $12 million facility at the University of Michigan.54
Princeton built a $136 million, 500-bed dorm ($272,000 per bed, much more than the median home costs).55 MIT’s Simmons Hall cost $194,000 per bed.56
“Framingham State College will spend more than $191,000 building a two-car garage and
stone patio for its state-owned president's house …even as the college's budget faces a potential $2 million cut”57
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey “spent more than $80,000 in 2005 to shuttle the head of a volunteer advisory board from her home in Pennsylvania’s Poconos to the school’s Newark campus.”58
Ohio State University spent $140 million60 “to build what its peers enviously refer to as the Taj Mahal, a 657,000-square-foot complex featuring kayaks and canoes, indoor batting cages and ropes courses, massages and a climbing wall big enough for 50 students to scale simultaneously”61
The University of California gave 16 employees severance checks, and then rehired them. In the most egregious example, one person “left her old job on April 30 and began her new one on May 1.” She was given the same salary, but managed to collect a $100,202 severance payment anyway. And prior to this she was given “a $44,000 relocation allowance and a low interest $832,500 home loan, for which she was not otherwise entitled.”62
In 2006-2007, 293 employees at private schools made more than $500,000. “[T]he highest paid college employee in the country was Pete Carroll, head football coach at the University of Southern California, with $4.4-million in total compensation (pay plus benefits).”63
The only large program that does not contribute to the arms race is the means-tested Pell grant program.
Email Regarding Pell Grants
Hey Mish
I live in Phoenix and have many friends working for the University of Phoenix. there. The big joke there is the Pell Grant. Most first time students call to get it but never finish one day of class. Because it's a grant, they keep the cash and never pay it back.
Thank you once again for exposing the corrupt government policies involving student loans. I also largely worked my way through undergraduate and three graduate programs. When I was in my doctoral program we were able to borrow tuition-level amounts from Pell grants. Those proved quite difficult to repay actually. Just after I finished these programs the loan mavens raised the available amounts, made the loans immune to bankruptcy, and people began borrowing tuition and lifestyle support monies.
The part that you may not be aware of is that financial vampirism has now come full circle with many Universities FORBIDDING graduate students to have any part time employment. They now MUST borrow a full ride. At our hospital we have medical and other advanced students in trainee status. The medical students tell me that they will graduate with over $300,000 in student loans and the Psychology students (depending on their schools) as much as $200,000+ in student loan debt. This means that these professionals must find the most lucrative practice subspecialties to enter or they will never be able to repay these mountains of debt. Many will fail.
The social stupidity of all this is unbelievable. We have a generation of financially crippled professionals coming on. We need these people in the areas of their training, particularly general practices, clinics etc. and yet many will not be functional because they will be fleeing from debt collectors or competing for scarce positions. Many will simply become disillusioned and quit. They will not be able to afford the amenities of life, having families etc. if they play by the rules. On the government-public policy side we have malinvested gigantic quantities of money and degraded the resource, health professionals, that we were attempting to improve.
Sincerely
Art
Pell Grant Money Goes To For-Profit Colleges
Students aren’t the only ones benefiting from the billions of new dollars Washington is spending on college aid for the poor.
An Associated Press analysis shows surging proportions of both low-income students and the recently boosted government money that follows them are ending up at for-profit schools, from local career colleges to giant publicly traded chains such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan and Devry.
Last year, the five institutions that received the most federal Pell Grant dollars were all for-profit colleges, collecting more than $1 billion among them. That was two and a half times what those schools hauled in just two years prior, the AP found, analyzing Department of Education data on disbursements from the Pell program, Washington’s main form of college aid to the poor.
This year, the trend is accelerating: In the first quarter after the maximum Pell Grant was increased last July 1, Washington paid out 45 percent more through the program than during the same period a year ago, the AP found. But the amount of dollars heading to for-profit, or “proprietary,” schools is up even more — about 67 percent.
For-profits are also grabbing a growing share of loans subsidized by the government to help low-income students. They collected about $7 billion in subsidized Stafford loans in 2008-2009, up from $4.7 billion two years before. Taxpayers subsidize the interest rate and take the hit when students default. Nearly one-quarter of students at for-profit schools default within four years, more than double the rate of other schools.
Overall, the sector enrolled about 2.7 million students in 2007-2008, the latest year with complete federal data available. That was only about 10 percent of total enrollment in higher education, but it’s about 2 million more than a decade before.
The numbers are even more striking for low-income students: The number of Pell recipients enrolled in for-profit schools is 50 percent higher than two years ago.
A Real Solution
Students aren’t the only ones benefiting from the billions of new dollars Washington is spending on college aid for the poor.
studentsThe largest pro-Kurdish group fighting in Syria has said it is ready to co-operate with Moscow, after Russian jets began launching airstrikes in the country.
After Russia began a series of 20 strikes in the north of the country on Wednesday night, the leader of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) called the move “an important step”.
Sipan Hemo, general commander of the YPG, told Russian news agency Sputnik that his fighters want to co-operate with Russia against the forces of Islamic State (IS).
“We can work together with Russia against IS,” Hemo is quoted as saying.
“We want air support against IS. We want weapons support.”
The Russian military launched a series of airstrikes against targets on Syrian soil hours after President Vladimir Putin received permission from his parliament.
Moscow declared that the target of the airstrikes would be Islamic State.
However, the areas that were struck, which include parts of the government stronghold of Latakia and the central province of Homs, are not known for IS activity, with much of Homs instead controlled by the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front.
Syria’s main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, was quick to criticise the airstrikes, which it said had left at least 36 civilians dead.
Russia hit back at the critics on Thursday, with the Kremlin issuing a statement saying the targets had been on “a known list of terrorist organisations agreed upon with the Syrian army”.
The statement did not specify which groups had been targeted, but stressed that Moscow had been the sole funder of the attacks and received no financial support from Damascus.
Sputnik, a Russian-owned agency supportive of Putin’s government, also reported that a senior Kurdish official had welcomed the strikes, asking for support from Moscow.
“We have asked for help from several countries in the fight against IS,” Idriss Nassan, foreign minister for the Kurdish region of Kobane on the border between Syria and Turkey.
“We want it from Turkey, we want it from Russia, and we want it from the United States,” Nassad said.
“We are ready to co-operate with anyone who fights against IS.”
In his statements to Sputnik, though, Hemo said he would support Russian strikes targeting al-Nusra Front as well as IS.
“Russia should fight not only against IS, but also against al-Nusra. There is no difference between Nusra and IS – they are both al-Qaeda,” Hemo is quoted as saying.
The YPG has deployed in force against IS in northern Syria, enjoying significant success in pushing the militants back from several strategic sites.
The group has also clashed repeatedly with militants from al-Nusra Front, despite being allied to the Free Syrian Army, a loose coalition of anti-Assad fighters that is part of a fragile alliance with al-Nusra Front.A man has been convicted of raping a woman with Down syndrome after luring her back to his house.
Faisal Ellahi, 34, was also found guilty by a jury of sexual assault, after two-and-a-half hours of deliberations and a five-week trial.
During the trial, the jury saw DVDs of interviews with the victim in which she said she became separated from her mother on street before being stopped by Ellahi.
He took her to his house where the rape and sexual assault occurred.
Ellahi, who is originally from Haripur in Pakistan, pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person at his Dublin home on 12 June 2013.
The jury was not required to deliberate on the third count if it convicted of rape.
After the verdict came in, a visibly-moved Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the case was one of the most difficult he had ever dealt with.
He told the jurors their verdict was "absolutely correct" and that Ellahi's claim that the woman consented to the acts or was capable of consenting to them was "absolutely ludicrous".
"He attempted to deceive you, as he did others, and fool you, but you didn't fall for it," he told jurors.
Referring to the victim and her family, the judge said the case was an example of how "very bad things can happen to very good people".
The victim's family wept and hugged as the verdict came in. There was no reaction from Ellahi.
Mr Justice Hunt heard the victim's family want the matter dealt with as soon as possible.
He set a sentence date for 18 January 2016 and said that he hopes the authorities will deport Ellahi after his sentence is complete.
The trial heard that the victim told a specialist interviewer that Ellahi locked the door behind them and that she was afraid he was going to stab or kill her.
"I wanted to go home but he wouldn't let me," she said.
At one point she panicked and started banging on the door screaming: "Help, mum, help."
Ellahi gave evidence in his own defence in which he admitted propositioning many women as he walked the streets near his Dublin home.
He said he would stop women and ask them to come home with him for "consensual fun". He said he also used prostitutes.
The court heard evidence from 16 women who were approached by Ellahi in the area around the time of the rape.
One woman who lived across the road from him said he tried to force his way inside her home after she returned from a night out.
During his evidence Ellahi admitted "sexual contact" with the victim but denied penetrative sex and claimed that he did not know she had a mental impairment.
He said she looked "normal" to him and that she enjoyed herself.
He said he never heard of Down syndrome until his arrest.
He said in his native country people with mental impairments are kept at home or in hospitals and that they wear name badges to indicate they are disabled.
Ellahi moved to Ireland in 2005 where he found work as a security guard. He was unemployed at the time of the rape and spent his days walking the streets, he said.
A psychologist for the defence, Dr Rioghnach O'Leary, said Ellahi comes from an area of Pakistan where Sharia is practised and where there are strict rules against physical contact between men and women.
She presented evidence that he was in the bottom 3% of the population in cognitive functioning and as a result "would have difficulty in adapting to social norms" in Ireland.I’m glad to return Melee Science in article form with HTC Esports. We’ve been on a brief hiatus and I know that we’re all itching to bring more analysis content out there.
It’s been roughly two years since the last major updates to the Melee tier list and I wanted to give some of my thoughts on the 2017 metagame. Before we get into the tier list, let’s create a foundation for it. Here are some criterions that I use.
Character kit and matchups
The central core of the tier list relies on each characters’ abilities and tools with what we know in 2017. “In 2017” is emphasized as the key point as we still have many characters that still need optimization and fine-tuning, especially the low and mid tier characters. With the knowledge we currently have, who has the best tools to succeed and who can win the important matchups against the top tiers, like Fox?
Results
This is where theory begins to deviate. What are the actual results of the characters in 2017? How frequently do these characters hit the Top 32 or win events? Even with its faults, this metric can give us some idea of a character’s upper limit. To emphasize on my previous point, many characters are still unexplored, so it’s fair to pose hypotheticals such as, “if a top 5 player were to play a mid-tier character, how far could they get?”
Consistency and Execution
In theory, characters such as Fox and Yoshi have powerful kits if people were to play at a tool-assisted level. How does this play out in practicality? Can a player realistically execute a waveshine back and forth against a Peach every time he lands a drill or an initial shine? We’ve seen people cite certain VODs where it looks like a matchup is “solved,” but we should also ask ourselves, how often a player can execute at that high of a level. Part of why we still see slower characters such as Ice Climbers in the metagame is because people are capable of making mistakes, so it’s important to factor execution errors even when we talk about high level melee. Even the best players will mess up a dash or miss an L-cancel.
Individual Biases
There is never going to be an objective measure of a tier list, so anything that deviates will be because of my personal biases.
Other notesSearch sheldonbrown.com and sheldonbrown.org
Check out the video below to see how it works, then scroll down this page for more information, and to place an order!
As bicycle use increases, conventional road markings have proven not to offer sufficient visibility, recognition and compliance. While the U.S. Federal Highway Administration has granted Interim Approval for green paint in bike lanes, it is our considered opinion at ShelBroCo, based on repeated observations, that bolder measures are necessary. We have taken up this challenge and can offer as our newest product a 21st-century technological triumph, a pavement marking paint that does double duty as an illuminated warning signal!
How did we do it? Think of your local craft brewery gone high-tech! Our special strain of bacteria is cultivated in large vats, and fed a carefully formulated nutrient slurry under controlled temperature conditions. Genes from fireflies have been spliced into the DNA of the bacteria, so they glow when immersed in an electromagnetic field. Active compounds are harvested and blended into our own secret paint formula. A simple grid of wires under the road or path surface supplies power, and voilà! ShelBroCo Magic Green Paint lights up!
We have been privileged over the past few years to engage world-class microbiologists in our top-drawer, cutting-edge synbio research project. "I couldn't think of more exciting work," says ShelBroCo Chief Scientist Scott Dian-Nao Tsien (Ph.D., MIT 2007). "It is humbling and deeply fulfilling for a recent graduate to take up work which leads so quickly to a wide range of practical applications."
ShelBroCo Magic Green Paint is 100% made in the USA. Production has ramped up to full scale following the October, 2014 purchase of the sprawling Pfungstadt brewery complex in Norristown, Pennsylvania, funded by HJF Venture Capital. ShelBroCo is proud to create jobs which pay a living wage and to play its part in the resurgence of American manufacturing industry.
Yes, ShelBroCo Magic Green Paint may be used at advanced stop lines, in mixing zones, at blind corners of buildings, to warn motorists of approaching bicyclists, to warn bicyclists of approaching motorists, to demarcate pedestrian zones at bus stops, to highlight other road markings -- or for additional possible uses limited only by your imagination!TL;DR: test quality is not just about verifying correctly whether your code works, it’s also about making your test easy to read and understand. You can do that by structuring your test using the four-phases xUnit standard.
People don’t write tests to be read, they write them to be executed
One of the main reasons to write tests is to have an automated way to check if your code is doing what you expect it to do. That means, trying to verify its correctness. Your test suite acts as a safety net that guarantees your software will continue to work as expected while you refactor, build new features or fix bugs. That’s amazing! But, throughout the years, software developers discovered that tests can be even more than a safety net.
Write tests as examples of how to use your code
A test is an example of how to use your code, not just a way to verify its correctness. Seeing tests as examples of how to use your code changes a little bit the priorities you have when writing them. If the test should serve as an example, then it should be easy to read and understand. Therefore, you should also focus on test readability, not just test “executability” (I know, weird word). One way to improve readability of a piece of text (or code) is to write it in a way the readers are used to, a structure that they expect, some standard way… Let’s think about that.
Back at your school days, you learned that when writing an essay, you’re supposed to structure it in: introduction, body and conclusion. Why? Because that structure helps you to better express your ideas. That means, it helps the reader to understand your message. Is there any equivalent of that for automated tests writing? In fact, there is. It’s called the xUnit structure.
Structure your tests using the xUnit standard
First, let’s see a test that can have its readability improved:
describe Stack do describe "#push" do it "puts an element at the top of the stack" do stack = Stack.new stack.push(1) stack.push(2) expect(stack.top).to eq(2) end end end
One can understand the test above, but still, it’s not easy to quickly scan the test and see that it has logical parts. Those parts would be the the xUnit phases.
The standard xUnit test structure is composed of 4 phases: setup, exercise, verify and teardown.
Setup: this where you put the object under test in the necessary state for the behavior you want to check;
this where you put the object under test in the necessary state for the behavior you want to check; Exercise: when you send a message to your object;
when you send a message to your object; Verify: here, you should check if the object under test behaved the way you expected;
here, you should check if the object under test behaved the way you expected; Teardown: basically where you clean up stuff in order to get your system back to the initial state.
Now, let’s re-organize the test above making explicit that there are different logical parts:
describe Stack do describe "#push" do it "puts an element at the top of the stack" do # setup stack = Stack.new # exercise stack.push(1) stack.push(2) # verify expect(stack.top).to eq(2) end end end
It’s easier to scan, isn’t it?
About the comments, no, we don’t need them. I added them in order to make the example clear. Let’s remove them and keep this structure:
describe Stack do describe "#push" do it "puts an element at the top of the stack" do stack = Stack.new stack.push(1) stack.push(2) expect(stack.top).to eq(2) end end end
One can say that we just added two line breaks, that’s true. But that’s just the how, not the what. The what is: improving test readability. The how is: structuring the code based on the xUnit four-phase standard, by adding two line breaks. Got it?
Using a standard structure to ease the communication of an idea is not something new. As an example, Rails does that when it generates a standard directory structure. When entering on a new Rails project and scanning it, you know your way and where stuff are because you already expect a defined structure and you are used to it. It’s not something completely new, you’re used to that structure. I could also say that even Ruby uses that concept when it talks about the “principle of least surprise”, but maybe I would be going too far. So, let’s get that wrapped up.
Why care about test readability?
So, why should I care about all of that stuff? I mean, isn’t just having my test suite on green enough? No.
Test readability will be really important in a lot of situations. Like when a test gets red, someone needs to fix it. In order to do that, one needs to understand what the test is about. If the test is well structured and easy to read, they can fix it faster.
Also, if you think about your tests as examples of how to use your code, someone that is trying to use a class that you wrote, can see how it’s done in the tests. The test readability will be equally important here too.
So, what about you, how do you improve your test’s quality? How do you improve your test’s readability?At a dinner party in New Delhi, an elegant gentleman walked up to me and asked if I was serving in the Indian Army. My haircut perhaps gave this away, as I answered in the affirmative (I was then an instructor at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun). When I enquired if he had any military connections, he replied ‘yes’; his two elder brothers had both been officers. To this, my natural response was, “What were their regiments?” He then said with a sad smile, “Let me tell you a story.”
And this was the story he narrated to me:Several years earlier, he had run into the Pakistani military attaché, Brigadier Beg, in India at a circuit house (Dak Bungalow) while driving on the Delhi-Ahmedabad highway. Apparently the attaché had upset him earlier in the day with his lack of road manners, and when informed of the same, to make up, the Pakistani Brigadier invited him for a drink. During the course of their conversation, and on learning that his guest (the gentleman who was narrating the incident to me) was an Indian Muslim, the Pakistani Brigadier said to him that it was only in the 1965 war that he learnt that Muslim officers were also serving in the Indian Army.(The Indian Army’s armoured (tank) units had made substantial gains in fierce battles in the Sialkot sector of Pakistan’s Punjab. Many well known armoured regiments were part of India’s 1Armoured Division’s thrust lines, such as Poona and Hodson’s Horse, 2Lancers, 3, 16 and 18 Cavalry. Many thought it was only a matter of time that Sialkot would fall to Indian troops, as Pakistan’s Armoured Division, despite its apparently superior tank units, was in retreat. Pakistan’s commanders desperately needed a tactical break to regain some of the momentum of battle.)It was at this stage of the war—around 8 September 1965—that the Pakistani Brigadier, then a young Lieutenant, was summoned by his Brigadier Commander. He was asked plan and undertake a commando raid that would take him into Indian frontline positions around Sialkot. His task was to eliminate one or more Indian tank commander(s). This would leave that Indian unit briefly without a commander and give Pakistan that brief window of opportunity
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listening intently.
As for reviews, we've been very pleased with the game's reception. I checked this morning and we're on 4.5 stars so far, and those are ratings direct from our consumers something I think we can all be proud of.
What are you looking to achieve within the mobile sector?
The videogame industry is changing at an unprecedented rate, and the most successful companies - both critically and financially - tend to be those that adapt to new market conditions, present interesting, new ideas and develop IP that have broad appeal, even outside of videogames.
Taking this into consideration, we fell that the mobile sector is an important, emerging segment for gaming, and with handheld technology becoming more and more powerful, this sector is only likely to increase in prominence.
We want to ensure that as that happens we are not only learning and growing with it, but helping to define how it grows.
What's next?
That's a great question, especially when you apply it to the industry as a whole.
I think we are all surprised from time to time by the innovation and progress made in both software and hardware. Ouya, Oculus Rift and SteamOS didn't exist twelve months ago. It's anyone's guess what will happen in the next year.
For us though, we have RuneScape which is as strong as it's ever been, Transformers Universe is on the horizon and is a huge title for us, and we are always looking at potential new projects and experiments to get involved in, so keep your eyes open and watch this space.
Thanks to Robert for his time.I recently started working on a project that will rely heavily on running commands on the terminal. It quickly got in my way of doing TDD, so I had to implement some sort of ProcessFake. This article is about how easy that was.
Background
The mental process that I used to write a Process::fake() was based on the same logic of Mail::fake(), Storage::fake() and Queue::fake(). It’s basically a bridge between your system and some external service.
1- The Process Facade
The Process Facade is extremely simple: it executes a process. It’s a simple wrapper around Symfony Process.
2- A TDD Example
Suppose we want to write a WebServerController that exposes the ability to restart the Web Server. Following the TDD approach, I would like to write a test like the following:
For the test to pass, we’ll need to write the ProcessFake class as well as the actual implementation of the Controller.
3- The WebServerController
Special attention to use Facades\App\Process. This is a Real-time Facade. It means that Laravel will generate a Facade on-the-fly for the class. You can read more about it here.
3- The ProcessFake class
To finish the details required on (2), an implement for ProcessFake capable of asserting that a command was executed.
Don’t forget to register the Route before running your tests:
Route::post('/webserver/restart', 'WebServerController@restart');
4- Conclusion
To recap, an extremely simple wrapper around Symfony Process as a Facade will allow us to execute commands that the application offers. Because we’re using a Real-time Facade, we can swap the implementation with a Fake for our Feature tests.
One may raise the question: What guarantee that the Process Facade actually works? A test coverage report can tell that there are no coverage for the actual Process implementation. A solution for that is to write one simple Integration test.
5- [Bonus] Integration Test
For an integration test, we can write a simple bash script that can be executed in any Continuous Integration platform (such as TravisCI). For that, we provide the bash file with the test and write a test that runs it.
And the simple bash script
#!/bin/bash
echo 'process output'
For Travis, add execution permission to the script:
script: chmod a+x./tests/Integration/process.sh && vendor/bin/phpunit --verbose
Done!
Feel free to follow me on Medium for more articles like this one.Under heavy criticism from media organizations and others, the Obama administration has pulled back on one important aspect of its crackdown on government leaks: the ability of prosecutors to secretly seize reporters' records while investigating leaks to the media.
In an announcement Friday, the Justice Department said it is toughening the guidelines for subpoenaing reporters' phone records while also raising the standard the government needs to meet before it can issue search warrants to gather reporters' email.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement that the department was "firmly committed to ensuring our nation's security, and protecting the American people, while at the same time safeguarding the freedom of the press."
Holder also endorsed the proposal for a shield law that would protect reporters.
"While these reforms will make a meaningful difference, there are additional protections that only Congress can provide," he said. "For that reason, we continue to support the passage of media shield legislation."
The new guidelines come after a firestorm of protest involving two episodes in the hunt for government leakers: a secret Justice Department subpoena of almost two months of telephone records for 21 phone lines used by reporters and editors for The Associated Press and the use of a secret warrant to obtain some emails of a Fox News journalist.
The Justice Department said it will now create a “News Media Review Committee” to advise its top officials when the department seeks media-related records in investigations.
Among other things, the government will have to give advance notice to the news media about subpoena requests for reporters' phone records unless the attorney general determines that "for compelling reasons" such notice would pose a clear and substantial threat to the integrity of the leak investigation.
"It is expected that only the rare case would present the attorney general with the requisite compelling reasons to justify a delayed notification," the Justice Department report issued Friday said.
Also under the new guidelines, the government will issue search warrants directed at a reporter's email only when that reporter is the focus of a criminal investigation for conduct not connected to ordinary newsgathering activities.
"Under this revised policy, the department would not seek search warrants … if the sole purpose is the investigation of a person other than the member of the news media," the report stated. The Attorney General himself would have to approve all such search warrants.
Reaction to the new guidelines was generally positive.
Erin Madigan White, the AP's senior media relations manager, said the news agency "is gratified that the Department of Justice took our concerns seriously.”
“The description of the new guidelines released today indicates they will result in meaningful, additional protection for journalists,” she said. “We'll obviously be reviewing them more closely when the actual language of the guidelines is released, but we are heartened by this step."
David Anderson, an expert in media law at the University of Texas at Austin, said the changes would make a "substantial difference" because US attorneys who want news media records would have to "jump through some hoops" to get them, according to a Reuters report.
"It appears that they are recognizing that the very broad subpoena of the AP's phone records was too aggressive," Lucy Dalglish, dean of the journalism school at the University of Maryland, told the Associated Press. "They also recognized that they are not going to prosecute a reporter for basic newsgathering activities unless they have reason to believe the reporter is involved in the alleged breaking of the law. That has not been all that clear in the past."
But, she added: "The devil will be in the details. They left themselves a little bit of wiggle room."
In May, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 51 news organizations wrote to the Department of Justice, vigorously protesting the subpoena of AP phone records.
"The scope of this action calls into question the very integrity of Department of Justice policies toward the press and its ability to balance, on its own, its police powers against the First Amendment rights of the news media and the public’s interest in reporting on all manner of government conduct, including matters touching on national security which lie at the heart of this case," the letter argued.
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In response to Friday’s Justice Department action, The Reporters Committee commended Holder “for taking seriously the concerns of the press.” (The organization was formed in 1970 to provide legal help to journalists seeking to protect their rights under the First Amendment and Freedom of Information Act.)
But in a statement Friday, The Reporters Committee also said, “We continue to believe that an impartial judge should be involved when there is a demand for a reporter’s records because so many important rights hinge on the ability to test the government’s need for records before they are seized.”Starting with the new Chromebook 11, it takes the place of last year's model, with a more durable design that includes a 180-degree hinge that can stay intact even if students decide to dangle the laptop by its screen. (They do that sometimes.) Dell also sealed both the keyboard and trackpad, making them immune to the occasional chemistry-class spill. As for the 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 display, school districts can configure it with either a touchscreen or an anti-glare panel but either way, it's covered in Gorilla Glass to ward off scratches. On the inside, the Chromebook runs a new Intel Celeron CPU, along with a 10-hour battery and a faster 802.11ac WiFi radio. Nothing revolutionary there; just a spec bump.
If anything, it's the lid that's most interesting. Dell installed a so-called Interactivity Light that glows red, blue or yellow depending on the context. For instance, a student could use an onscreen dashboard to have the light shine red when they have a question, or blue when they want to raise their hand. (Maybe yellow if they want to join in a conversation.) As it happens, Dell already has a kids' laptop with an LED indicator that shows if kids are online, but Dell imagines even more use cases here. Perhaps teachers could split the class into smaller discussion groups by automatically assigning each student a color, or maybe students could use their colors to silently cast votes -- "Which Presidential candidate would you vote for?" and what have you. Surely developers will have some ideas there too.
Lastly, Dell unveiled two 10-inch tablets for classrooms: the Venue 10, which runs Android Lollipop, and the Venue 10 Pro, which uses Windows 8. Both have a plastic shell, available in blue or black, with a reversible keyboard dock that allows you to put the screen in facing away from you. (Think: Something similar to "Stand" mode in Lenovo's Yoga line.) The screen can also be configured with up to full HD resolution, and comes standard with a pressure-sensitive Wacom pen digitizer. That said, you'll need to pay extra for the stylus, which means the tablets are more "pen-ready" than anything else. Finishing our tour, both models have a microSD reader, SIM tray for optional LTE, lock slot, full-sized and micro-USB ports and a network activity light to show teachers when kids are doing something online. Both pack a quad-core Intel Atom processor and are rated for 10 hours of runtime. The only difference: The Android version has NFC to support Google's "Bump" feature.Samsung Galaxy C5 Samsung Samsung's latest smartphones, which launched in China on Thursday, look a lot like Apple's iPhone 6 and 6S.
The Galaxy C5 and more expensive C7 model specs include a fingerprint sensor, colors similar to Apple's popular gold and rose gold finishes, and most importantly, a metal shell with antenna bands that clearly mimics the design found on the iPhone 6 and 6S lineup.
As far as pricing goes, the Galaxy C5 is retailing at $366 for 64 GB storage — compared to $649 for Apple's iPhone 6 with equivalent storage — while the Galaxy C7 is running $427 for 64 GB, compared to $849 for the same storage in the iPhone 6S.
Imitating Apple's high-ticketed devices but selling them at a lower price tag through this new line of smartphones could help Samsung regain market share in China, where companies like Xiaomi, Huawei and Apple have eaten into its profits.
For now, Samsung's C5 and C7 models are only available in China, but they have been certified by the FCC, indicating that the Korean company has ambitions for an American launch.
To take a look at the similarities yourself, see the images below:Episode 79, eh? What does that remind us of? Of course! The Vancouver Whitecaps 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl championship!
This week we're pleased to welcome a very special guest to the show. Joining us to talk about the Vancouver Whitecaps, music and much, much more is Matt Johnson - drummer for the legendary 54-40!
In Part 1 (1'-13') Jorge and Mark briefly discuss Cinco de Mayo & piñatas, the CONCACAF Champion's League final, and the 1979 Soccer Bowl.
Part 2 (14'-46') features our conversation with Matt Johnson from 54-40 in which we talk about the Whitecaps' old and new, the CCL, 54-40, and much more.
To close out the show in Part 3 (47'-65') Mark and Jorge delve into the mailbag and discuss some of the issues from last week's nil-all draw in Portland, the Voyageur's Cup and more.
Special Guest:
Matt Johnson: Twitter
54 40 : Website / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / iTunes
Music:
Himno de Club América / White is the Colour - The Proclaimers / Walking With Giants (Templeton remix) - Blondfire / The Waiting - 54-40 / One Day in Your Life - 5440
Feedback:
Email: [email protected] / Twitter / Facebook
You can also download or subscribe to the From the Backline podcast on iTunes and Stitcher or with show's RSS feed
Visit the website of the show for all the episodes and show notes.
If you have a question or comment for a future episode, then please send us an email at [email protected] or throw a tweet our way at @fromthebackline or by using the hashtag #FTBLPODAdrian Peterson’s standoff with the Vikings seemed as if it might stretch into training camp after his Twitter rant last week decrying the NFL’s lack of guaranteed contracts. But Peterson surprisingly decided Monday to rejoin his teammates after conversations over the weekend, specifically with second-year coach Mike Zimmer.
The standout running back returned to the Twin Cities on Monday night and participated in the team’s organized team activities on Tuesday morning at Winter Park. It was the first time he has practiced with his teammates since being exiled from the NFL last September.
Peterson joined Zimmer for a news conference, during which he carefully and thoughtfully expressed remorse for injuring his young son a year ago, insisted he was happy to still be a member of the Vikings and explained why he abruptly decided it was in his best interest to report to Winter Park on Tuesday.
“I had a long time to really think about things and ultimately what it came down to was getting back in the building,” Peterson said. “I’ve been working out hard, been keeping my body in shape. And it came down to getting back in the building, being around my teammates, being around the coaches.”
Peterson admitted that earlier this offseason, he was unsure if returning to Minnesota would be best for his family and him.
“At that time, I really didn’t know what I wanted,” Peterson said. “I really didn’t know if I wanted to play somewhere else, if I wanted to retire. I didn’t know if I wanted to get into track and do something different.”
Peterson was then asked if it were up to him would he prefer to be on another team.
“No. I’m happy with where I’m at here with the Minnesota Vikings,” Peterson said. “I love the coaching staff. … We have a young team, hungry team, excellent young quarterback who has a year under his belt now and we have a lot of talent. We can accomplish great things.”
Since January, the Vikings publicly maintained they had no plans to release or trade Peterson.
Peterson has three years left on the contract he signed in 2011 and is slated to earn roughly $45 million between now and the time it expires in 2017. He is due a $12.75 million salary in 2015. But there is no more guaranteed money in his contract, meaning he could be cut at any time.
In his Twitter comments Thursday, Peterson hinted that he wanted guaranteed money beyond this season. Agreeing to redo his deal could help the Vikings avoid another contentious offseason in 2016. But Peterson’s return comes with no assurances that the Vikings would rework the contract, a league source confirmed.
Coach’s influence
Peterson was the only Vikings player not in attendance last week for the start of OTAs. That prompted Zimmer to tell reporters, “He can play for us, or he can not play.”
Zimmer’s comments, sparked by several questions from reporters about Peterson’s absence from OTAs, restarted the conversations between Peterson and Zimmer, a coach who has earned deep respect from Peterson despite the player’s extended absence. Their talks continued until Peterson chose Monday to come back to Winter Park.
“This guy is a Hall of Fame player, he’s not just a guy to come in off the street, this guy is really, really special and I love his heart and his competitiveness, the way he wants to win,” Zimmer said.
How much did Zimmer’s influence factor into Peterson being in the building?
“A lot. Maybe more so than he knows,” Peterson said. “He’s just one of those guys, one of those coaches, that you really don’t want to disappoint, because you understand, you’re able to see that he has the same passion for the game as you. And he’s going to do the right thing.”
Apologized to his son
Peterson’s return likely ends a turbulent nine-month span for the running back.
Peterson played just one game, the season opener, during the 2014 season after a Texas grand jury indicted him last September on a felony charge for whipping his then-4-year-old son with a switch.
He was soon placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. Then, after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault on Nov. 4, he was moved to the suspended list. Peterson was eventually reinstated by the NFL on April 16.
Peterson on Tuesday admitted he made a mistake with his son and said he has apologized to the boy for excessively punishing him and causing him injury. And he added that he can feel comfortable knowing that his son still loves him and wants to be around him.
A few hours earlier, Peterson flashed a wide smile as he walked out the locker room doors for the start of practice, with defensive end Brian Robison waiting for him near the fields and pretending to snap photos of Peterson with an imaginary camera.
Soon, Peterson was out on the field taking handoffs from second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and playfully stiff-arming defenders as he finished off runs.
Happy to be back with his teammates, Peterson plans to continue attending voluntary workouts and to participate in the mandatory minicamp June 16-18.
“It’s good to get him here with the rest of the guys, with the rest of the players,” Zimmer said. “We welcome him with open arms. Unequivocally.”It’s probably not something you thought you’d hear less than 25 games into the season, or at all this year: Garret Sparks will make his NHL debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.
Whether this is the right decision or not by Mike Babcock is a point of contention, but with James Reimer currently injured, Jonathan Bernier seemingly unable to stop a puck right now and Antoine Bibeau struggling for form, Babcock obviously felt Sparks was the only viable option at this stage.
A road less traveled
Sparks’ route to his first NHL opportunity has not exactly been a well trodden path or without trials and tribulations throughout his young professional career.
High expectations have never really been placed on the shoulders of the Illinois native.
Drafted in 2009, 160th overall by the Guelph Storm, Sparks would not make his OHL debut until September 2010, after which he started just four games by January 2011.
Playing second fiddle behind Brandon Foote, Sparks would make more starts in the second half of the season and did enough to catch the attention of those in Toronto.
Despite what you may have read in mainstream media since his call-up, Sparks was not a mid-round pick; he was selected with the Leafs last selection, 190th overall, and was the penultimate goaltender to be chosen in the 2011 draft.
His stock would rise, but not exponentially, in the following two seasons of junior before joining the Marlies in 2013.
Three starts at the end of the Marlies regular season in 2012-13 had seen Sparks record two wins and a shootout loss, as he showed some early promise at the professional level.
When presented with the full rigours of the American Hockey League, Sparks struggled early, allowing twelve goals on 79 shots through three games. With he and Christopher Gibson vying for time behind Drew MacIntyre, a six-week spell with the Orlando Solar Bears seemed to do the trick for Sparks’ confidence.
Returning back to Toronto on Boxing Day, Sparks recorded a win on his very next start on New Years Eve, turning aside 31 of 32 shots in Grand Rapids against the reigning Calder Cup Champions.
Drew MacIntyre almost back-stopped the Marlies to the championship that season, but with the tide of change beginning to sweep through Toronto, he would not be re-signed. Sparks should have been a lock for at least the number two spot, if not the man to carry the load the following year.
ECHL excellence
Through ignorance, perhaps arrogance or maybe a little of both, Sparks turned up for camp unfit and would sustain a groin injury — a persistent issue for him in 2014-15.
Christopher Gibson and Antoine Bibeau, especially the latter, grabbed the opportunity and both ran with the ball in what was a particularly tough first half of the season for the young netminders, with the Marlies having little to no offense and often getting heavily out-shot.
To his credit, the 22-year-old bounced back quickly from his demotion to the Solar Bears for the second straight season, recording his second professional shutout in his second game.
He would be the main reason Orlando made the post season, recording a 21-7-2-1 record and finishing with the best save percentage in the league, top three in goals against average, and second in shutouts with five.
A tough series loss to rivals Florida in the first round of the playoffs followed, but Sparks had proven himself worthy of another shot in Toronto, having also impressed in a two game call-up for the Marlies — he recorded a shutout before making 33 of 35 saves in a pair of victories against Adirondack in late December.
Playing in the 2015 ECHL All-Star game, we also got to witness the character of Garret Sparks. Often out-spoken and flamboyant, the goaltender decided to play air-guitar to “Sweet Child O Mine” when the song was played during an intermission. He didn’t hold back, giving it the whole Slash treatment with his stick to the amusement of those at the Amway Centre.
Sparks begin to fly
Last summer was always going to be a crucial time in Spark’s career. Heading into the last year of his ELC, something finally clicked. Finally acknowledging the Leafs were right in that he needed to step up his fitness levels by training and eating like a professional, he dropped a tonne of weight and came into camp in the best shape of his life.
He has seized the opportunity afforded to him when the Maple Leafs traded for Michael Grabner. Going back the other way was Christopher Gibson, which left Antoine Bibeau and Garret Sparks to fight it out for the Marlies number one spot and third behind Bernier and Reimer on the organizational depth chart.
If nothing else, this showed the young goaltender that the organization still had faith in him and his ability.
Antoine Bibeau began the season slightly better and deserved his call up early in November.
However, Bibeau’s nine-day stay with the Leafs resulted in no action, leaving him stale and out of form since, while in his absence Sparks was making hay with the Marlies. With a record of 7-0-1 since dropping two straight games in October, Sparks has two shutouts and a save percentage over.950 this month.
Already a recipient of the CCM/AHL player-of-the-week, he’s the first Toronto goaltender to win that award since Drew MacIntyre in March, 2013.
There’s little doubt that Sparks is a far better goaltender than when we first saw him between the pipes at Ricoh, and a lot of that is to do with goaltending coach Piero Greco, who by Sparks’ own admission has improved his game beyond recognition — squareness to the puck being just one huge improvement.
His debut at just 22 years of age will make Sparks the youngest Toronto goaltender since a certain James Reimer appeared on our radar and went on that incredible run in the second half of the 2010-11 season.
While I’m not suggesting anything like that will happen (besides that being a totally different situation), Sparks — unlike Bibeau before him — has been given the perfect opportunity to make his mark with no expectations whatsoever.
While the Leafs are not playing their best hockey of late, he’ll face an Edmonton team in the midst of a long road trip where they’ve blown hot and cold, including a 4-1 loss to Carolina, getting shutout in Washington before taking a shootout victory in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
In the same way the Toronto Marlies played a fantastic game this past weekend in front of rookie Ryan Massa, there’s every chance the Leafs will do the same for the affable Garret Sparks.Untitled a guest Aug 19th, 2014 364 Never a guest364Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 19.83 KB EL SENADO Y CÁMARA DE DIPUTADOS DE LA NACIÓN ARGENTINA, REUNIDOS EN CONGRESO,... SANCIONAN CON FUERZA DE LEY: NUEVA REGULACIÓN DE LAS RELACIONES DE PRODUCCIÓN Y CONSUMO ARTÍCULO 1º.- Sustitúyese el artículo 1º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por el siguiente: “ARTÍCULO 1º.- La presente Ley regirá con respecto a la compraventa, permuta y locación de cosas muebles, obras y servicios -sus materias primas directas o indirectas y sus insumos- lo mismo que a las prestaciones -cualquiera fuere su naturaleza, contrato o relación jurídica que las hubiere originado, de carácter gratuito u oneroso, habitual u ocasional- que se destinen a la producción, construcción, procesamiento, comercialización, sanidad, alimentación, vestimenta, higiene, vivienda, deporte, cultura, transporte y logística, esparcimiento, así como cualquier otro bien mueble o servicio que satisfaga -directamente o indirectamente- necesidades básicas o esenciales orientadas al bienestar general de la población. El ámbito de aplicación de esta ley comprende todos los procesos económicos relativos a dichos bienes, prestaciones y servicios y toda otra etapa de la actividad económica vinculada directamente o indirectamente a los mismos.” ARTÍCULO 2º.- Sustitúyense los artículos 2º y 3º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por los siguientes: "ARTÍCULO 2º.- En relación a todo lo comprendido en el artículo 1º, en caso de ser estrictamente necesario, la Autoridad de Aplicación podrá: a) Establecer, para cualquier etapa del proceso económico, márgenes de utilidad, precios de referencia, niveles máximos y mínimos de precios, o todas o algunas de estas medidas; b) Dictar normas que rijan la comercialización, intermediación, distribución y/o producción, a excepción de las cuestiones relativas a infracciones a los deberes formales previstos en la Ley Nº 11.683, T.O. 1998, y sus modificaciones; c) Disponer la continuidad en la producción, industrialización, comercialización, transporte, distribución o prestación de servicios, como también en la fabricación de determinados productos, dentro de los niveles o cuotas mínimas que estableciere la Autoridad de Aplicación. A los efectos de la fijación de dichos niveles o cuotas mínimas, la Autoridad de Aplicación tendrá en cuenta, respecto de los obligados, los siguientes datos y elementos: I) Volumen habitual de producción, fabricación, ventas o prestación de servicios. II) Capacidad productiva, situación económica del sujeto obligado y ecuación económica del proceso o actividad. d) Acordar subsidios, cuando ello sea necesario para asegurar el abastecimiento y/o la prestación de servicios; e) Requerir toda documentación relativa al giro comercial de la empresa o agente económico y obligar a la publicación de los precios de venta de los bienes o servicios producidos y prestados, como así también su disponibilidad de venta; f) Exigir la presentación o exhibición de todo tipo de libros, documentos, correspondencia, papeles de comercio y todo otro elemento relativo a la administración de los negocios; realizar pericias técnicas; g) Proceder, de ser necesario, al secuestro de todos los elementos aludidos en los incisos f) y h), por un plazo máximo de TREINTA (30) días hábiles; h) Crear los registros y obligar a llevar los libros especiales que se establecieren; i) Establecer regímenes de licencias comerciales. ARTÍCULO 3º.- Los Gobernadores de Provincia y/o el Jefe de Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, por sí o por intermedio de los organismos y/o funcionarios que determinen, podrán fijar —dentro de sus respectivas jurisdicciones— precios máximos y las pertinentes medidas complementarias, mientras el Poder Ejecutivo o el organismo nacional de aplicación no los establecieren, dando cuenta de inmediato a este último. Dichos precios subsistirán en tanto el Poder Ejecutivo no haga uso de las facultades que a ese objeto le acuerda esta Ley. También podrán disponer las medidas autorizadas en los incisos e), f), g) y h) del artículo 2º. Asimismo las mencionadas autoridades, y únicamente en cuanto se refiere al abastecimiento dentro de sus respectivas jurisdicciones, podrán modificar los precios fijados por la autoridad nacional de aplicación, en tanto la localización de la fuente de producción, la menor incidencia de los fletes o cualquier otra circunstancia o factor permitan una reducción de los mismos. En caso de que a la inversa, dichos factores determinaran la necesidad de incrementar aquéllos, deberá requerirse previa autorización al organismo nacional de aplicación; quien deberá expedirse en el término de QUINCE (15) días hábiles; en caso contrario quedará aprobado el precio propuesto por la autoridad local.” ARTÍCULO 3º.- Sustitúyese el artículo 4º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por el siguiente: "ARTÍCULO 4º.- Serán pasibles de las sanciones que se establecen en el artículo 5º y, en su caso, en el artículo 6º, quienes: a) Elevaren artificial o injustificadamente los precios en forma que no responda proporcionalmente a los aumentos de los costos, u obtuvieren ganancias abusivas; b) Revaluaren existencias, salvo autorización expresa de la autoridad de aplicación; c) Acapararen materias primas o productos, o formaren existencias superiores a las necesarias, sean actos de naturaleza monopólica o no, para responder a los planes habituales de producción o demanda; d) Intermediaren o permitieren intermediar innecesariamente o crearen artificialmente etapas en la distribución y comercialización; e) Destruyeren mercaderías o bienes; o impidieren la prestación de servicios o realizaren cualquier otro acto, sea de naturaleza monopólica o no, que tienda a hacer escasear su producción, venta o transporte; f) Negaren o restringieren injustificadamente la venta de bienes o la prestación de servicios, o redujeren sin causa la producción habitual o no la incrementaren, habiendo sido intimados por la Autoridad de Aplicación a tal efecto con CINCO (5) días hábiles de anticipación, en caso de tener capacidad productiva, para responder a la demanda; g) Desviaren o discontinuaren el abastecimiento normal y habitual de una zona a otra sin causa justificada; h) No tuvieren para su venta o discontinuaren, según el ramo comercial respectivo, la producción de mercaderías y prestación de servicios con niveles de precios máximos y mínimos, o márgenes de utilidad fijados, salvo los eximentes justificados que se establezcan por vía reglamentaria, teniendo en cuenta ramo, habitualidad, modalidad, situación de mercado y demás circunstancias propias de cada caso; i) No entregaren factura o comprobante de venta, la información o documentación previstas en el artículo 2º, incisos e) y f) de la presente, o ejercieran su actividad fuera de los registros y licencias previstos en el artículo 2º, incisos h) e i) de esta ley, en caso de corresponder, todo ello en la forma y condiciones que establezcan las disposiciones reglamentarias; j) Vulneraren cualesquiera de las disposiciones que se adoptaren en ejercicio de las atribuciones que se confieren por los artículos 2º y 3º de esta ley." ARTÍCULO 4º.- Sustitúyese el artículo 5º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por el siguiente: "ARTÍCULO 5º.- Quienes incurrieren en los actos u omisiones previstos en el artículo 4º, serán pasibles de las siguientes sanciones: a) Multa de PESOS QUINIENTOS ($ 500) a PESOS DIEZ MILLONES ($ 10.000.000). Este último límite podrá aumentarse hasta alcanzar el triple de la ganancia obtenida en infracción; b) Clausura del establecimiento por un plazo de hasta NOVENTA (90) días. Durante la clausura, y por otro período igual, no podrá transferirse el fondo de comercio ni los bienes afectados; c) Inhabilitación de hasta DOS (2) años para el uso o renovación de créditos que otorguen las entidades públicas sujetas a la Ley Nº 21.526 de Entidades Financieras, y sus modificatorias; d) Comiso de las mercaderías y productos objeto de la infracción; e) Inhabilitación especial de hasta CINCO (5) años para ejercer el comercio y la función pública; f) Suspensión de hasta CINCO (5) años en los registros de proveedores del Estado; g) Pérdida de concesiones, privilegios, regímenes impositivos o crediticios especiales de que gozare. Las sanciones previstas en este artículo podrán imponerse en forma independiente o conjunta, según las circunstancias del caso." ARTÍCULO 5º.- Sustitúyese el artículo 6º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por el siguiente: "ARTÍCULO 6º.- En caso de reincidencia los límites máximos de los montos del inciso a) del artículo 5º y los términos de sus incisos b), c), e) y f) podrán elevarse hasta el doble de la sanción originaria. En caso de segunda reincidencia podrá llegarse a la clausura definitiva del establecimiento." ARTÍCULO 6º.- Sustitúyese el artículo 7º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por el siguiente: "ARTÍCULO 7º.- Para la fijación de las sanciones de toda índole, pecuniarias o personales, se tomará en cuenta, en cada caso: a) La dimensión económica de la empresa, negocio o explotación; b) La posición en el mercado del infractor; c) El efecto e importancia socio-económica de la infracción; d) El lucro generado con la conducta sancionada y su duración temporal; e) El perjuicio provocado al mercado o a los consumidores." ARTÍCULO 7º.- Sustitúyese el artículo 8º de la Ley Nº 20.680 y sus modificatorias, por el siguiente: "ARTÍCULO 8º.- Cuando las infracciones que se sancionan en esta ley hubieren sido cometidas en beneficio de una persona jurídica, asociación o sociedad, se le dará carácter de parte, sin perjuicio de la responsabilidad personal de los autores. En los casos de condena a una persona jurídica, asociación o sociedad se podrá imponer como sanción complementaria la pérdida de la personería y la caducidad
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have to," he said. "Unfortunately, we let somebody go yesterday. I've told people that if there's a civil war, and people are fighting internally, we have to dial that down. I don't think you can let people go per se, just for the sake of letting them go. I think you have to give people a chance, give them some level of amnesty to see if they'll stop and work together, but I will move very quickly if they cannot do that, because I have the president's authority to do so."
The full interview on Fox News will air at 10 p.m. ET.
On Tuesday, White House senior assistant press secretary Michael Short resigned from his position, after Scaramucci said he was planning to dismiss Short.
Speaking later with reporters outside the White House, Scaramucci said he was upset that his plans to fire White House staffers had been leaked to the press, starting with his intention to remove Short.
"The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic," Scaramucci said.With one of the most impressive defense corps in the NHL, the future is incredibly bright for the Hurricanes. But should they deal some of that 'D' depth for a first line center?
Welcome to 2020 Vision, our new feature taking a look at how the roster of each NHL team may look three seasons from now when the 2019-2020 season begins.
Over the next month we’ll profile one team, in alphabetical order, each day and project what their roster (12 forwards, six defensemen, two goalies) will look like.
There were some ground rules for this exercise. We didn’t allow any blockbuster trades or free agent signings, but we did make assumptions about teams re-signing their own UFAs and RFAs.
Therefore, this isn’t intended to be a fantasy-like look at the league in 2019-20. Instead, since this is part of the THN Future Watch family, it’s meant to be a realistic, best-case-scenario projection for each team based on players already under contract, and prospects in their system.
THN’s trio of prospects-related issues, Future Watch, Prospect Unlimited, and Draft Preview, can all be purchased here. All contract information via CapFriendly.com.
The Carolina Hurricanes are going to boast one of the most impressive bluelines in the NHL soon, if not the most impressive. The top-four is already set and those players will all be in their primes once 2019-20 comes around.
GM Ron Francis and his staff have done a great job of drafting and developing lately, with the blueline only part of the equation. The forwards will also be in a good spot soon, assuming players such as Sebastian Aho and Elias Lindholm continue to progress. Meanwhile, power forward Warren Foegele is coming off an OHL title with Erie and once he works his way up in the pro ranks, he’ll be a great depth threat (he also plays center). A future third scoring line with the similarly beastly Julien Gauthier and versatile Janne Kuokkanen would be dangerous.
In net, Carolina nabbed their man in Scott Darling from Chicago, while there will be a nice battle for the backup job between youngsters Callum Booth, Jeremy Helvig and Alex Nedeljkovic. Darling still must prove himself in Carolina, but his track record to date has been good and there’s no obvious reason to doubt him.
GOT IT: Mobile defensemen. Carolina is so stacked on the back end that we didn’t even have room for Haydn Fleury, the seventh overall pick in 2014. There’s also two-way threat Roland McKeown, who has been on the cusp of NHL action recently. While Jake Bean represents the most likely candidate to join the top-six, thanks to his mobility and power play prowess, there will certainly be battles for roster spots in the next couple years. That’s a great problem for coach Bill Peters to have on his hands.
NEED IT: A top-line center. This is the one position to either have to draft high on, or make a blockbuster trade to acquire. Victor Rask would ideally be on the second line, but Carolina doesn’t have another option right now. Perhaps the answer comes in a big trade, where the Hurricanes part with a young defense prospect or two in order to get that final piece of the puzzle that would make them true contenders.
CAP WATCH: The Canes have a decent amount of core players locked up long-term, but there are some situations to keep an eye on. Jeff Skinner will be the biggest, as the sniper and Carolina lifer is up for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019. Jaccob Slavin recently signed a long-term extension, but fellow D-men Noah Hanifin, Brett Pesce and Trevor van Riemsdyk all need new RFA deals next season, which will include significant raises. Now, the Canes are a budget team, but may be sold to a new owner soon – does that change the financial equation at all?
BOTTOM LINE: The future is incredibly bright in Raleigh, but the team does need a No. 1 center if they want to shoot for the franchise’s second Stanley Cup championship. GM Francis certainly has the assets to shift around and make something happen; it’s just a matter of opportunity and fit.
Previously: Anaheim Ducks | Arizona Coyotes | Boston Bruins | Buffalo Sabres | Calgary Flames
Up next: Chicago BlackhawksHey there everybody,
I wanted to let you know that the survey's for the Advanced Class Guide playtest are now live. I've got a couple of points I want to share with you about how this is going to work.
These surveys are designed to give us an overall feel and impression of the class. You should base your answers on the current builds (not the proposed changes). Even if the class is about to get some alterations, we want to gauge how your opinions change after the changes take place.
These surveys are linked to your paizo.com account and your answers are not final until the playtest closes on December 17th. That means you can answer now and change them later as the classes get adjustments and alterations.
There are 11 surveys total. One for each class and one general survey. While the class surveys work on a 1-5 scale, the general survey lets you fill in answers for a few key questions. I must stress this now...
Keep your answers brief and concise. The messageboards are where we want to see long thoughts and discussion. If your answers are too long in the survey it is going to make it very difficult for us to gather information from them.
You can find the survey HERE!
Thanks again for participating in the playtest. We look forward to seeing what you have to say.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead DesignerOAKLAND — To some, it’s a streamlined system that allows families to more easily navigate a daunting array of school applications to find the best fit for their child. To others, it’s another Silicon Valley-backed reform tool that would undermine a struggling public school system by promoting charter schools.
A novel proposal by school district leaders to overhaul the school enrollment process would make Oakland the testing ground in the state for a universal enrollment system that allows parents to fill out a single application for their top choices for schools, both district-run and charter.
Charter schools have been school options for Oakland families for decades, despite the fact that some residents in the city’s highly segregated neighborhoods with high poverty levels may not realize it, said Superintendent Antwan Wilson. And it’s been difficult for the city’s most disadvantaged families to learn what all their options are, he said.
“Having a system that is as easy as possible and that doesn’t require them to go through multiple steps to enroll is important,” he said. “And that’s not a pro-charter strategy; that is a pro-child strategy.”
The system has already been adopted, some say with mixed results, in Denver, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Newark, New Jersey.
But like in Oakland, proposals for Boston and Philadelphia are meeting resistance because charters compete with public school districts for the same limited education dollars. Opponents fear that an exodus of students to charter schools would decimate the public schools. They say that charter enrollment policies allow them to “cherry pick” students and deny entry to those who will not further their academic goals.
That could be a concern. Some districts that have adopted common enrollment did not require charter schools to align their recruitment and retention policies with their respective public schools, and others allowed charters to opt out of the new program.
In response to critics, Wilson is pushing for the signing of a district-charter school compact, called an “Oakland Public Schools Equity Pledge,” which would help ensure an equitable playing field for all Oakland public schools.
“It’s all grounded in the principles of equity and ensuring that our students get what they need to be successful,” said Wilson, who came from the Denver school district but did not spearhead the switch to common enrollment there.
Oakland’s current enrollment system, which district officials say is inefficient and outdated, allows families to fill out a common application to enroll at any of its public schools, ranking their top choices. But the charter schools have separate applications.
The district spends about $1.8 million annually on its enrollment system, and the new common enrollment system would cost an additional $1.4 million to start up. Philanthropic organizations would likely foot that startup bill, but only if charter schools were included, because that’s the best way to ensure an equitable system for students, said Gloria Lee, executive director of Educate 78, a pro-charter school group that is linked with Silicon Valley-backed NewSchools Venture Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Walton Family Foundation.
The group made a $300,000 investment to fund the initial outreach and development of the system, which sparked more angst among opponents.
“Why is the district allowing a private entity with their own agenda to market this?” asked Kiera Swan, who has two kids in Oakland public schools. The so-called common enrollment system would allow parents to use their smartphones or visit enrollment centers to do easy side-by-side online comparisons of both charter and district-run schools throughout the city and apply for them in a common application, regardless of school type.
A computer algorithm would generate a single match for students, streamlining the process for families, who currently have to navigate through a hodgepodge of different deadlines and requirements for charter schools. The exact mechanics and algorithm will likely be shaped based on additional community input and school board guidance, said OUSD spokesman Isaac Kos-Read.
Kim Davis, co-founder of OUSD Parents United, warned that results are mixed in districts that have adopted the system.
In Washington, D.C., the feedback from families and schools has been “overwhelmingly positive,” even though 5 percent of charters have not opted in, said Shayne Wells, a special assistant to D.C.’s deputy mayor for education. He said the percentage of students in charter and public schools has remained relatively unchanged at 44 percent at charters and 56 percent at public schools.
In Denver, which has had the system since 2012, many parents are satisfied with the system, with about three in four students matched to their first-choice schools, said Van Schoales, Chief Executive Officer of A+ Denver, a community-based education reform group that supports charters. But he admitted that parents from low-income areas remain frustrated by their access to the best schools because they often require traveling across the city and such spaces are limited.
And in Newark, universal enrollment didn’t cause a migration to charter schools from public schools; it was already happening, said author Dale Russakoff. Her book “The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools?” chronicled the impact of Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation to reform the Newark’s public school system.
The exodus, particularly from the highest-poverty ward of the city, where student performance is the lowest, led to hundreds of teacher layoffs and one-third of district schools being closed, consolidated, repurposed, relocated, restaffed or turned over to charters the first year of universal enrollment, she said.
“The bottom line is that if there had been more charter slots available, there would’ve been a larger exodus from the traditional public schools,” she said.
All the more reason that Oakland shouldn’t be encouraging an enrollment system that would pave the way for many students to apply to schools that aren’t district-run, critics say.
“We will absolutely lose students in the public schools to charter schools, which is a great concern,” Davis said. “And we don’t want to do anything to undermine the success of district-run public schools, so that our public schools lose more funding and support.”
Community unrest surrounding the proposal has delayed a board vote on the measure, which was planned for January, at least until June. Even still, the district on Monday is rolling out a test version of a school finder tool (ousd.org/schoolfinder) that could be used with common enrollment. It will allow users to find nearby schools, both district-run and charter, and review each one’s academic performance and enrollment information.
Board President James Harris said that he believed the charter compact would need to be to signed first, before common enrollment can be considered. School board member Shanthi Gonzales agreed, adding that too many questions on the proposal’s impact on district schools remain unanswered.
“And I don’t think private money and private agendas should be shaping policy,” she said. “If we don’t have the money ourselves, then we wait.”
Lee, of Educate 78, said it was unfortunate that the impression was that the pro-charter groups’ advocacy was somehow done secretly.
“There’s definitely been lots of outreach and parents from public schools, who were involved with these sessions,” she said. “But I guess in retrospect, I wish we’d done a lot more media about the opportunities for input.”
Contact Joyce Tsai at 925-945-4764. Follow her at Twitter.com/joycetsainews.Federal judge complicity The Supreme Court is asked to decide if government officials can be held accountable for torturing a US citizen
Two of the most under-discussed afflictions in American political life are inter-related: (1) the heinous, inhumane treatment of prisoners on American soil (often, though certainly not exclusively, Muslim political prisoners), and (2) the virtually complete abdication by subservient federal courts in the post-9/11 era of their duty to hold Executive Branch officials accountable for unconstitutional and otherwise illegal acts in the War on Terror context. Those two disgraceful American trends are vividly illustrated by juxtaposing two events, which I happened to be reminded of yesterday while looking for something else; first, from a January, 27, 2007, article in The Washington Post:
The prime minister of Canada apologized Friday to Maher Arar and agreed to give $9 million in compensation to the Canadian Arab, who was spirited by U.S. agents to Syria and tortured there after being falsely named as a terrorism suspect. Arar, 36, a former computer engineer who was detained while changing planes at a New York airport in 2002 and imprisoned in a Syrian dungeon for 10 months, said after the announcement that he "feels proud as a Canadian".... "We cannot go back and fix the injustice that occurred to Mr. Arar," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in issuing the formal apology in Ottawa. "However, we can make changes to lessen the likelihood that something like this will ever happen again." The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police resigned over the affair, and the government has pledged to increase oversight of its intelligence agencies.... The financial compensation settles a claim Arar made against the government for having provided exaggerated and false information to the United States that identified him as a terrorist suspect. Harper said the amount "is within this government's realistic assessment of what Mr. Arar would have won in a lawsuit." His attorneys also were awarded about $870,000 in legal fees. "The evidence is clear that Mr. Arar has been treated unjustly. He should not be on a watch list," Harper said.
And then this Christian Science Monitor article from June 14, 2010:
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A Canadian citizen has lost his bid to hold US officials accountable for their decision to label him an Al Qaeda suspect and deport him to Syria where he was held without charge for a year and allegedly tortured during US-directed interrogations. The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the case of Maher Arar, who was born in Syria but had lived in Canada since his teens.... Arar filed a lawsuit in the US seeking to hold American officials accountable for their actions.... To date, the US government position on Arar has been to insist that Arar has no legal right to seek to hold American officials accountable for his ordeal. In denying review of Arar’s case, the high court lets stand a 7 to 4 ruling by the full Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. That court found that because of "special factors" involving national security, Arar’s lawsuit should be dismissed.
The reason that's so striking even several years later is it shows just how corruptly deferential American federal courts are to the Executive Branch when it comes to Muslims. One of the most amazing statistics of the last decade: not a single War on Terror victim -- not one, whether foreign or American -- has been permitted to proceed in an American court in an effort to obtain compensation for illegal treatment by the U.S. Government; instead, American courts have unanimously dismissed those cases at the outset, without reaching their substance. Even when everyone knows and admits that the U.S. Government abducted a totally innocent person and shipped him off to Syria to be tortured, as is true for Arar, American federal judges shut the courthouse door in his face, accepting the claims of the Bush and Obama DOJs that to allow the victim to obtain justice for what was done to him would be to risk the disclosure of vital "state secrets." They accepted this Kafkaesque secrecy claim even after the Government of Canada published to the world a comprehensive report detailing what happened to Arar.
This was but one of the most extreme expressions of this post-9/11 trend of federal court abdication when it comes to Muslims. Time and again, federal judges have exhibited severe amounts of deference and bias when faced with Muslim defendants accused of some connection to Terrorism. For that reason, to be Muslim and accused of Terrorism-related crimes by the U.S. Government -- no matter how tenuous the connection is, how dubious the allegations are, how devoid the charges are of any violent acts, how entrapped the defendant was by the FBI -- has become a virtual guarantor of being convicted and sentenced to decades in prison: and not just any prison, but inhumane dungeons like the SuperMax at Florence, Colorado or the CMU unit at Terre Haute, Indiana (aka "GITMO North"): among the worst prison hell-holes ever designed.
Indeed, even Guantanamo military commissions -- once scorned as due-process-free zones that would reflexively churn out convictions -- have treated Muslim defendants accused of Terrorism links far better than U.S. federal courts have, as advocates of civilian trials, somewhat perversely, often point out. Just ponder that: if you're a Muslim, even an American Muslim, accused of some serious crime relating to Terrorism, you're more likely to receive a fair trial -- a chance for acquittal on some charges -- if you face a U.S. military tribunal than an American federal court. By stark contrast, look at what federal judges are willing to do when white non-Muslims face dubious, speech-based charges of Terrorism: the court will dismiss the entire indictment on the (correct) ground that the accused Terrorists have the First Amendment right even to advocate violence against the U.S. Government, an affirmation of core Constitutional principles which one almost never sees a federal judge brave enough to protect in the case of a Muslim facing similarly defective accusations.
Federal judges are given life tenure in large part to enable them to administer justice without regard to political considerations, but, with rare exception (ones promptly "fixed" on appeal), they have been driven by the same political anti-Muslim biases that have infected most other realms of American political life. Indeed, of all the American institutions that have shamefully contributed to the grotesque War on Terror excesses and the Islamaphobia which fuels them -- the Congress, the Executive Branch, the American media, both political parties, the U.S. citizenry -- none has been as obsequious or as craven as federal judges. Designed to be the Apolitical Check of Last Resort on executive overreach and vengeance-fueled lawlessness, they have instead become the eager engines of those syndromes.
In terms of gross travesties, it's difficult to top the federal court treatment of Maher Arar. But the judicial treatment of U.S. citizen Jose Padilla comes close. Padilla was detained in 2002 and publicly accused by Attorney General John Ashcroft of being a "Dirty Bomber." But rather than accuse him of any crimes in a court, the Bush administration declared him to be an "enemy combatant," put him in a military brig in South Carolina for the next two-and-a-half years without charges, prevented him from any contact with the outside world (including even a lawyer), and subjected him to severe torture. When they finally indicted him almost three years later -- only in order to prevent the U.S. Supreme Court from ruling on whether the President is permitted to imprison U.S. citizens on American soil without charges -- they did not charge him with anything having to do with a "dirty bomb," but instead filed glaringly trumped-up charges based almost entirely on a membership application he filled out to join Al Qaeda (he was not charged with any plots to engage in violence). He was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison on top of the 5 years he was already encaged, only to have the Obama DOJ successfully appeal and convince an appellate court that the sentence was too lenient.
For the last several years, Padilla, represented by the ACLU, has been attempting to hold accountable six Bush officials responsible for his torture by suing them for violations of his Constitutional rights. But, needless to say, the Obama DOJ -- led by the President who, when he announced his candidacy, proclaimed that "the era of Scooter Libby justice will be over" -- has insisted that, unless Congress explicitly decrees otherwise, these officials are immune from lawsuits even when they knowingly authorize the torture of an American citizen on U.S. soil. And federal courts -- also needless to say -- have thus far accepted that claim and barred Padilla from suing. Today, the ACLU filed a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review these dismissals, and it's worth highlight a couple parts of that brief. Here, for instance, is the question which the ACLU is asking the Supreme Court to answer:
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In what kind of country is that even a question? Even more so, in what kind of country do courts answer that question in the negative, as two separate American courts thus far have? As the ACLU explained, it is literally difficult to imagine a more extreme expression of full-scale immunity for government officials than shielding them even when they engage in conduct this patently illegal:
When it comes to shielding grave War on Terror crimes from all accountability, most critics have focused -- rightfully so -- on President Obama's decree that even Bush-era torturers should not be subjected to criminal investigation. But that's been only one of the many ways that the Obama administration has entrenched the consummately dangerous principle that even the most notorious crimes are beyond the reach of the law when committed by high-level government officials. But none of those ignominious efforts would succeed if the U.S. federal judiciary had even a fraction of the courage and integrity which the Founders envisioned life-tenured judges would exercise.
The central role played by federal judges in this full-on assault on legal equality and the Constitution when it comes to Muslim litigants and the War on Terror is often neglected. That's because lawyers are in the best position to tell the story, but are often prevented -- by their need to continue practicing before these judges and by formal disciplinary constraints -- from publicizing the bad behavior of judges. Those factors, by design, operate to shield federal judges from scrutiny and critique. But no history of anti-Muslim hysteria, bigotry and legal oppression in the War on Terror will be complete without including the key enabling role they have played.This piece originally ran on SCOTUSblog.
In Trinity Lutheran Church v. Pauley, the Supreme Court will consider whether the state of Missouri violated the U.S. Constitution when it denied the church’s application for a cash grant to subsidize the cost of resurfacing its playground with recycled scrap-tire material. While, at first blush, this may appear to be a simple dispute about payments for playground improvements, it implicates one of our most essential, enduring constitutional commitments: the ban on direct government funding of houses of worship.
The lower court in this case properly rejected what it described as the church’s “unprecedented” claims, which would force state taxpayers to underwrite improvements to church property. Indeed, the state acted well within its authority, pursuant to a longstanding provision in the Missouri Constitution, to exclude the church from its limited, discretionary grant program. Like more than three-fourths of the states across the country, Missouri includes in its constitution heightened protections against government-funded religion. These provisions promote important anti-establishment aims and provide critical church-state protections. As Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s majority opinion in Locke v. Davey made clear over a decade ago, states undoubtedly can enforce their no-aid provisions to withhold government dollars from religious institutions or activities, without running afoul of the federal Constitution.
Yet even without its no-aid provision, Missouri had no choice here, because the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment forbids the direct payment of taxpayer funds to churches and other houses of worship. The court of appeals seemed to think otherwise, suggesting in passing that the state could have opted to give the church a competitive grant for playground resurfacing without violating the federal Constitution. But a closer look at history and precedent leads to only one conclusion: Missouri’s decision to exclude Trinity Lutheran Church from the grant program was not only permissible, but required by the Establishment Clause.
Trinity Lutheran Church has every right to make capital improvements to its physical grounds and structure. But it can’t expect taxpayers to foot the bill.
The use of government money to aid churches gravely concerned the framers of the Constitution and, in large part, animated passage of the Establishment Clause. The Framers recognized that forcing taxpayers to provide direct financial assistance to houses of worship violates religious liberty and jeopardizes the freedom to decide which faith, if any, to practice and support. In his famous “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments,” James Madison, the principal architect of the First Amendment, warned that compelling taxpayers to pay even “three pence” to support clergy and churches would trample the rights of conscience by coercing religious devotion.
The nonestablishment principle helps fulfill the nation’s promise of religious liberty. It guards against compulsory support for religion. It also respects the increasing diversity of faith and belief in the U.S., allowing religious exercise to flourish without the corrupting influence of government and the power of the state’s sizable purse. The framers were keenly aware that taxpayer support for religious institutions can lead to religious divisiveness, pitting faith against faith, sect against sect, as they compete for shares of the government’s largesse. At the same time, state-funded religion invites government meddling and entanglement in matters of faith.
It is hardly surprising, then, that many devout religious adherents have ardently supported disestablishment for centuries. As the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty recently explained to the court, disestablishment in the United States “marked an essential step toward the protection of individual religious liberty” and “ensured that churches would not be funded through the coercive power of the state, but through the voluntary offerings of adherents, thus providing a constraint on government and a measure of religious liberty for individuals — to fund or refuse to fund religious institutions — that had long been denied.”
Against this historical backdrop, the Supreme Court has consistently recognized that providing direct government aid to religious institutions, even as part of a general funding program, raises profound Establishment Clause concerns. To be sure, the court has, in some cases, upheld state aid to certain non-church religiously affiliated institutions, such as private schools and universities. Those circumstances, however, have been strictly limited, and the court has always assured that the aid would not be used for religious activities or later diverted to religious purposes. As the court has explained, there are “special Establishment Clause dangers where the government makes direct money payments to sectarian institutions,” because this form of state aid “falls precariously close to the original object of the Establishment Clause’s prohibition.” With that in mind, the Supreme Court has never sanctioned direct cash support to a house of worship — and with good reason.
Churches and other houses of worship are the quintessential religious institutions. By design and tradition, they play a singular and central role in many faiths. As a spiritual, symbolic, and practical matter, they are often the lifeblood and focal point of religious communities. Houses of worship frequently stand at the heart of organized religion and are inextricably intertwined with the faiths they represent.
Consequently, our laws often distinguish between houses of worship and other religiously affiliated organizations. Churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples, for example, receive certain exemptions under the tax laws; enjoy specific carve-outs under statutes like the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); and benefit from express statutory protections for religious exercise, such as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). These legal distinctions provide houses of worship with breathing room to carry out their unique religious functions.
That special status, however, cuts both ways. As a result of the central, pivotal place that houses of worship occupy in many faith systems, the government’s direct provision of cash to churches raises Establishment Clause concerns of the highest order. The time-honored rule against direct taxpayer funding of houses of worship is a bright line that should never be crossed, no matter how well-meaning the state’s funding program may be. Strict enforcement of this constitutional boundary is essential to maintaining the delicate balance the framers sought to create when singling out religion for special protection.
Trinity Lutheran Church argues that the competitive grant it seeks would be “wholly secular.” Even if correct, that would not render the cash grant constitutionally permissible: “It is, of course, true,” the Supreme Court has emphasized, “that if the State pays a church’s bills it is subsidizing it, and we must guard against this abuse.” In any event, the limited record in this case shows a significant risk that the church would use its taxpayer-financed playground for religious activities. According to the church itself, Trinity Lutheran integrates religious teaching and “a Christian world view” into all aspects of its preschool and designs its programs “to teach the Gospel to children of its members, as well as to bring the Gospel message to non-members.” The church could use its playground, improved at government expense, for religious purposes in connection with the preschool, the church’s “Vacation Bible School,” Sunday school, or any other youth-oriented church event that involves religious instruction, prayer, or indoctrination. The government should neither oversee these religious activities nor pay for them.
Trinity Lutheran Church has every right to make capital improvements to its physical grounds and structure. But it can’t expect taxpayers to foot the bill.Fight to save Orwell’s Burma house
Agence France Presse
Cobwebs cover its furniture and its rooms are long deserted, but a crumbling house in northern Myanmar is at the center of a conservation battle by locals who say it was once home to George Orwell.
The remote trading post of Katha on the banks of the Irrawaddy — and the house lived in by Orwell in the 1920s — were immortalized in the acclaimed British author’s first novel, “Burmese Days.”
Decades later, as the country emerges from nearly half a century of harsh military rule, a group of artists has launched a campaign to protect the legacy of one of literature’s most scathing critics of dictatorship.
“I am trying to do what I can to restore all the buildings in the book and to attract attention to the country and to the town,” said artist and Orwell fan Nyo Ko Naing.
The two-story house stands abandoned in an overgrown tropical garden in the remote town which lies about 250 kilometers — or a 13-hour train ride — north of Mandalay.
The campaigners want the home and nearby European country club turned into a museum, in a country where many colonial-era buildings have already fallen victim to the wrecking ball as investors flock to what they hope will be the region’s next hottest economy. A young Orwell, then known as Eric Blair, arrived in Burma — now called Myanmar — in 1922 and stayed for five years, working as a policeman in the country, which was under British rule at the time.
In the novel, Katha is called Kyauktada, but everything else is the same.
“The Tennis Court, British Club, jail, the police station and the military cemetery are in the book and really exist in the town.” said Nyo Ko Naing.
The wooden and brick house has been empty for 16 years.
Some old pot plants have withered and died and the upstairs balconies are too unstable to stand on. The empty rooms echo with Nyo Ko Naing’s footsteps, which leave prints in the dust that has built up over the years.
“Orwell took many raw materials for his book ‘Burmese Days’ from here,” Nyo Ko Naing said. “I think this house and all the other places in Orwell’s book should be turned into a museum.”
“Burmese Days” is a scathing critique of British colonial rule, with the European characters’ constant drinking and poor treatment of the Burmese locals a running theme.
The Burmese characters also come in for harsh criticism, with the magistrate portrayed as scheming, obese and corrupt.
Myanmar is now opening up and over the past couple of years more and more tourists have come to Katha, on the trail of Orwell.
“The country is open now. It is no longer isolated,” said Oo Khinmaung Lwin, the headmaster of the local school. “I will teach my students so that they know more about George Orwell.”
Although long thought to be Orwell’s home, there is some doubt whether a policeman would have lived in such a grand house.
Across the road from the house lies the tennis court, and beyond that the European club.Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on 'Face the Nation,' Sunday, May 22, 2011. CBS News/Chris Usher
Newt Gingrich on Wednesday denied that he and his wife were granted special treatment by Tiffany & Co. in acquiring a line of credit with the company. The denial comes in the wake of the revelation that the congressional committee at which his wife worked when the loan was extended was being heavily lobbied by the prominent jewelry company.
Gingrich took heat last week when it was revealed that he and his wife had between 2005 and 2006 incurred from $250,001 and $500,000 of debt with Tiffany & Co.
In an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, Gingrich insisted that he and his wife had held a "standard, no-interest" account with the company and that "it's a normal way of doing business."
"We're private citizens," Gingrich told host Bob Schieffer when asked about the expenses. "I work very hard. We have a reasonably good income. I currently owe nothing, except I owe one mortgage on a house that's rental property in Wisconsin. Everything else is totally paid for. My home is paid for. My cars are paid for. We don't have a second house. We don't do elaborate things."
On Wednesday, the blog Spy Talk noted that the House Agriculture Committee, on which Gingrich's wife Callista was at the time serving as "chief clerk," was being lobbied by Tiffany & Co. during the time the Gingriches incurred the debt.
"Tiffany's annual lobbying expenditures rose from about $100,000 to $360,000 between 2005 and 2009, according to records assembled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization," wrote Spy Talk's Jeff Stein.
A Gingrich aide insisted on Wednesday that the former House Speaker's account with Tiffany was entirely legal and that the couple got no preferred treatment due to political status.
"They didn't get a special deal," the aide told CBS News. "They got [an] interest free loan for 12 months. Not a special deal. Tiffany's gives out 12-month interest free financing for purchases over $5,000 or any engagement ring over $1000. That's just their policy and the Gingrich's took advantage of that deal."
Tiffany & Co. said in a statement to CBS News Wednesday that in addition to the standard revolving credit card agreement, which charges state-specified interest rates, the company also offers a so-called Tiffany Time Account, which "offers interest-free borrowing for up to one year for credit-worthy Tiffany customers."
"To meet competitive conditions, Tiffany makes Time Accounts available to revolving credit card customers who wish to purchase engagement rings over $1,000 or other merchandise valued over $5,000," says the statement. "On a transactional basis, this program offers interest-free borrowing for up to one year for credit-worthy Tiffany customers."
Tiffany did not respond to a request for comment about the eligibility requirements of an appropriately "credit-worthy customer" or what it meant by "competitive conditions."
The company noted that, while all customer information was confidential, Gingrich had given it permission to "confirm that [Gingrich's] Tiffany Time Account has a zero balance and that all payments were made in a timely manner."
The Time Account specifies that debts incurred with the account be paid off within the year; Gingrich listed debts with Tiffany for two consecutive years. Gingrich's aide said that the debt did not carry over to a second year, but that debts listed in the second year represented separate purchases.
"They made all payment[s] in [a] timely way so paid no interest," the aide said in an email. "They paid off in 12 months. The reason it shows up in two subsequent years is because they were different purchases."
Regardless of the details, the damage to Gingrich's campaign may have already been done: For a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative who claims to live a "very frugal" life, the disclosure of a lavish jewelry habit doesn't play well. The revelation has already been compared to John Edwards' now-infamous $400 haircut and the $150,000 worth of clothing bought for Sarah Palin during the 2008 campaign.
Gingrich has been roundly mocked for the debt in the week since it was originally reported: Time recently published a playful slideshow speculating on the possible contents of Callista Gingrich's "Tiffany Trove."
And Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert tied the Tiffany report to Gingrich's history of infidelity.
"Five hundred thousand at Tiffany's?" Colbert said on his show. "There's a simple explanation. The guy clearly buys his engagement rings in bulk."As traitorous White elites go, university presidents are at the top of the list.
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onions.
One day prior, Border Patrol agents in Falfurrias arrested Francisco Armando Cerda, a commercial truck driver who had 26 illegal immigrants stuffed inside the cabin of his truck. Court documents obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed that in addition to the illegal immigrants, agents also found close to 120 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden.
On Sunday, agents had a similar encounter when they arrested commercial truck driver Sammy Garcia. Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed that Garcia appeared nervous at the time he pulled up to the inspection station in Falfurrias. The man’s nervousness and certain inconsistencies in Garcia’s story prompted agents to take a close look at his truck. An X-ray of the vehicle revealed that five illegal immigrants had been hiding inside. The illegal immigrants were from Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and and Guatemala.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project and you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.The United States has a trash problem. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces more than 4 pounds of garbage per day. That’s more than double the amount produced in 1960, and it’s 50 percent more than the amount produced by Western Europeans. In January, photographer Gregg Segal decided to put some imagery to those numbers. His ongoing series, “7 Days of Garbage,” shows Californian friends, neighbors, and relative strangers lying in the trash they created in one week.
Some of Segal’s subjects volunteered to be a part of the project because they believed in the idea behind it. Others were compensated for participating. Generally, Segal strove to include people from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. And while the amount of garbage varies by person, there were some people who produced more garbage than they were willing to bring to the shoot. “Of course, there were some people who edited their stuff. I said, ‘Is this really it?’ I think they didn’t want to include really foul stuff so it was just packaging stuff without the foul garbage. Other people didn’t edit and there were some nasty things that made for a stronger image,” Segal said.
Segal used natural materials to transform his yard into artificial environments, like a forest floor or a sandy beach or a body of water, where he photographed all his subjects. “I shot from above to make it very clinical and clean and graphic. It’s kind of a nest, a bed we’re lying in with all this stuff, forcing us to reconcile what we’re producing, which hopefully causes some people to think a little bit more about what they’re consuming,” he said.
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STORY: http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/07/08/gregg_segal_photographs_people_with_a_week_s_worth_of_their_trash_in_his.htmlCHICAGO (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a Michigan law that banned affirmative action in college admissions, creating the possibility of a U.S. Supreme Court battle.
The 6th U.S. Circuit of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, found that a 2006 amendment to the Michigan constitution, “unconstitutionally alters Michigan’s political structure by impermissibly burdening racial minorities.”
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he will appeal the ruling through a formal request for a rehearing by the entire 6th Circuit. The law, known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, will stay in effect pending a final decision.
“Entrance to our great universities must be based upon merit, and I will continue the fight for equality, fairness and rule of law,” said Schuette in a statement.
George Washington, a Detroit attorney who represented a civil rights group opposing the law, said Michigan universities already give special consideration in admissions to certain groups of students, including those from rural backgrounds, those with lower incomes, and veterans.
What the law does is prohibit racial and ethnic minorities from asking for the same consideration in admissions as other groups, Washington said.
“What Proposal 2 does is say that for one group and one group alone, you can’t follow that procedure,” Washington said. He expects the case will go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Appellate Court Judge R. Guy Cole wrote in the majority decision that the U.S. Supreme Court has twice held that the equal protection clause in the U.S. Constitution does not permit the kind of “political restructuring” caused by the Michigan law.
In her dissent, Appellate Judge Julia Smith Gibbons wrote that Proposal 2 does not draw distinctions on the basis of race but “in fact, it prohibits them.”
The fight over affirmative action policies at Michigan’s public colleges and universities began in the 1960s and 1970s, when African-American and other minority students first successfully lobbied for the policies’ adoption.
The U.S. Supreme Court held in 2003 that universities cannot establish quotas for members of certain racial groups, but may consider race or ethnicity as a “plus” factor along with other factors.Guys! You are being so mean to Jamie for realz!
Jamie Dimon, the head of JPMorgan Chase, would like to make it clear that he is not that kind of banker. "I've disagreed right from the beginning of this blanket blame of all banks," Dimon said in an interview with Charlie Gasparino of the Fox Business Network Tuesday. "I don't like that. I think that's just a form of discrimination that should be stopped." Dimon, who has been CEO of JPMorgan Chase since 2005, didn't get specific about whom he'd rather not be lumped in with. He seemed, though, to be trying to draw a distinction between his own company -- which accepted a bailout from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, but is generally seen as having weathered the financial crisis better than many other major firms -- and banks that needed a greater degree of government assistance during and after the meltdown.
Whoah. I mean wow this is so tragic it's one thing for millions of Americans to live in poverty and be thrown out of their homes, it's quite another to guilt trip a CEO Banker - have a heart!
The interview was taped shortly before Dimon left for the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, where Dimon said he will be speaking with other attendees about financial regulation. At last year's Davos summit, Dimon made similar remarks pushing back against the vilification of the banking industry, calling it "a really unproductive and unfair way of treating people."
This is getting out of hand guys, srsly.
I think it's time for Occupy Wall Street to start making It Gets Better videos for all the poor suffering Wall Street Banksters.
Hang in there Jamie I'm sure your $1.3 million salary and $64 million worth of stock options will help you get through the day - I guess that's how the taxpayers show they care.
Stay strong Jamie, stay strong.Apple's latest $29 update to OS X Snow Leopard ships this Friday—but will all of your essential applications run when you install it? This application compatibility list is a good place to find out.
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I've been running various builds of the Snow Leopard preview for months now, and every single one of my most important applications (with the exception of one*) is working just fine.
* I happen to use an abandoned beta of Synergy KM to share my mouse and keyboard between my PC and Mac, and its System Preferences pane requires a restart every once in awhile to get it to connect. Overall, a minor annoyance for other worthy updates.
Notable non-compatible apps to look out for from the list: Adobe CS2 Suite, Adobe Photoshop Elements, CoverSutra, Cyberduck, (maybe) Disk Inventory X, Disk Warrior, and (maybe) Google Gears. (Google Gears occasionally does this weird thing where it launches a virtual disk and then closes it again; otherwise it has worked for me. Disk Inventory X also works for me, albeit slowly, in build 10A421a of Snow Leopard.)
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Got a must-have application of your own that's not yet working with Snow Leopard? Let's hear it in the comments.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Compatibility List [Wikidot via Smarterware]
Smarterware is Lifehacker editor emeritus Gina Trapani's new home away from 'hacker. To get all of the latest from Smarterware, be sure to subscribe to the Smarterware RSS feed. For more, check out Gina's weekly Smarterware feature here on Lifehacker.A defiant Mexican official on Wednesday said the country “will not accept” a new immigration plan from the White House and will even take the issue to the UN, according to a report.
“I want to make it clear in the most emphatic way that the Mexican government and the people of Mexico do not have to accept provisions that one government unilaterally wants to impose on another,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray, according to his translated remarks reported by Reuters.
“We will not accept that because we do not have to do it. It is not in the interest of Mexico,” Videgaray said, as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Director John Kelly headed to Mexico City for high-level meetings.
The official said that, if necessary, he would go to the UN to protect the rights of immigrants.
Washington’s new immigration plans are expected to be a main point of the meetings.
“This is inevitably and by conviction the first point on the agenda,” he said.
The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled sweeping changes to its immigration policies that would allow the US to deport nearly every illegal immigrant in the country.
The new regulations would also do away with former President Barack Obama’s “catch and release” policy that allowed non-violent illegal immigrants to stay in the US after being caught.
Tillerson and Kelly are scheduled to meet with Videgaray, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and other officials and ministers Wednesday night and Thursday.Oregon was to have a set of twins on the roster this season, but those plans have changed. Freshman (soon to be sophomore) linebacker Tyrell Robinson is on his way out of the program, although his twin brother Tyree Robinson will stay in Eugene.
As originally reported by Duck Territory, Tyrell Robinson has been granted a release from his scholarship, allowing him to pursue other options to continue playing college football and perhaps competing for a better position on a roster.
Robinson appeared in nine games for Oregon in 2013, recording 12 tackles in the process. It is unknown where he will be looking to transfer, but if he transfers to another FBS program he will have to sit out the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He may play right away this fall if he transfers to a program at the FCS level or below.
Tyree Robinson is expected to contend for a starting job in the defensive secondary. Both Robinson brothers chose to attend Oregon over offers from Washington and USC.
Follow @KevinOnCFBWhat in the recent past seemed exotic and foreign is now almost routinely folded into “the fold.”
Buddhism is not only accepted as a mainstream American religion, it is a path increasingly trod by faithful Christians and Jews who infuse Eastern spiritual insights and practices such as meditation into their own religions.
When John Weber became a Buddhist at age 19, his devout Methodist parents were not particularly pleased.
In recent years, however, they’ve invited their son, a religious studies expert with Boulder’s Naropa University, to speak at their church about Buddhism.
“That never would have happened before,” Weber said. “They would have been embarrassed.”
The Pew Forum’s Religious Landscape Survey in 2007 found that seven in 10 Americans who have a religion believe there is more than one path to salvation. A growing number of people are contemplating more than one each.
And they are contemplating contemplation itself.
There are Jubus — Jews who bring Buddhism into their practice of Judaism — and Bujus, who are Buddhists with Jewish parents. Then there are UUbus, or Unitarian Universalist Buddhists, and Ebus, or Episcopalian Buddhists. There are Zen Catholics.
“There is a definite trend and movement that will not be reversed,” said Ruben Habito, a laicized Jesuit priest, Zen master and professor of world religions at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “We are in a new spiritual age, an inter-religious age.”
Search can lead back home
People are hungry for a deeper spiritual experience — meditation, mindfulness, personal transformation, deep insight, union with God or the universe.
Habito, who calls himself a Zen Catholic, is one of the experts who say the search is a little like Dorothy and her ruby slippers. The quest for meaning ultimately leads some, like Dorothy, to their own backyards.
Judaism, Catholicism and Islam have rich traditions in contemplative practices, yet these had all but disappeared from everyday congregational life.
For many Christians cut off from the past, or alienated from the faith of their upbringing, Buddhism has served as the bridge to ancient wisdom.
“The problem is the contemplative tradition in the Christian Church has had its ups and downs over the centuries,” said Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk and leader in the Centering Prayer movement, a modern revival of Christian contemplative practice.
“We sensed that the Eastern religions, with their highly developed spirituality, had something we didn’t have,” Keating said. “In the last generation, 10 to 20 years, some didn’t even think there was a Christian spirituality, just rules — do’s and don’ts and dogma they didn’t find spiritually nourishing. It’s important to recover the mystical aspects of the gospel.”
Christian contemplative practices were lost or weakened in the Protestant Reformation and later in the Great Awakening — religious revolutions in colonial America that advanced the themes of Protestantism.
“There is growing permission to turn back to some of the early church practices and pieces that helped us to be whole,” said the Rev. Stuart Lord, an ordained Baptist minister and new president of Naropa University, a Buddhist-founded institution. “I’ve been studying Buddhism and meditation for about seven years. I look at it as helping a person lead a fuller Christian life.”
Cultivating an inner life
Buddhist scholar Judith Simmer- Brown, a professor at Naropa, said Christian denominations are working hard to rediscover contemplative traditions as one way to combat people leaving their churches.
“They literally have rebuilt their Christian meditative forms,” Simmer- Brown said. “Some borrow heavily from Buddhism.”
Lord said the interdenominational yearning for meditation and deeper spiritual experience is not reflective of a desire for different doctrines or ethos — or a taste for Asian cultural trappings.
“It’s about cultivating an inner life, not the outer appearances,” he said. “You don’t have to shave your head.”
The Buddha was non-dogmatic and non-authoritarian — a compassionate guide, not a god, Buddhist texts say. The Buddha was silent on the subjects of a supreme being and the immortality of the soul.
“Buddhism is more about spiritual practice than believing in certain doctrines,” Habito said. “There are more definitive and particular requirements for saying ‘I am a Christian.’ ”
Yet the fusion of strong Buddhist elements with mainstream Christian religion has created a backlash, Simmer- Brown said.
The nomination early this year of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester to become an Episcopal bishop in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula created a stir when it was learned he also practiced Zen Buddhist meditation.
Forrester’s nomination failed.
Problems of religious rivalry
Blogger Greg Griffith, of StandFirminFaith.com, criticized the “progressivism” and the church’s willingness to fuse differing religious beliefs that paved the way for Forrester’s nomination in the first place.
“It starts with labyrinths, continues with Buddhist monks constructing mandalas in a cathedral, and over the background noise of pagan priests and books about love spells, proceeds to Muslim priestesses and now a Buddhist bishop,” Griffith wrote.
Methodist Rev. Toni Cook, a founder of St. Paul’s Buddhist Christian InterSpiritual Community in Denver, said religious rivalry creates more problems than reconciliation.
About 14 years ago, a gang member had laughed when Cook and a group of clergy asked how they could help get young people out of gangs.
“How are all the religions any different from street gangs?” he asked. “You mark off your own territory and defend it to the death.”
Cook decided: “There’s got to be a way to share sacred space without trying to convert one another.”
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or [email protected]
By the numbers
12,000 Approximate number of adult Buddhists in Colorado, according to Pew survey
2,600 years Age of the world religion Buddhism
170 percent Increase of adherents during a Buddhist “boom” between 1990 and 2000, according to the American Religious Identity Survey
1.5 million Estimated total number of Buddhists in the U.S. in 2004
5 million Estimated number of Buddhists in the U.S. currently, not counting the numbers of Christians, Jews and others heavily influenced by Buddhism"Secrets of Season One "
A Revealing Look at the First Season with David Slack
This interview was conducted in September 2004
DAVID SLACK has written for numerous animated shows including "Jackie Chan Adventures", "The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot", "Tarzan", "Totally Spies", and the upcoming "Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi". He is currently serving as a Story Editor and Producer on the hit series "Teen Titans." David took some time out of his busy schedule to talk in depth about all the secrets behind season one!
Story Editor and Producer,
DAVID SLACK
Bill Walko: Looking back on the first episode, DIVIDE AND CONQUER… how did you decide to approach the first episode?
David Slack: Honestly, it seems so long ago it's almost hard to remember. DIVIDE AND CONQUER was about introducing the characters and introducing Slade -- and also the style of the show. The story where Cyborg quits and the comes back in the end... that was a story that Glen had in mind. It's a classic anime plot. Early on in one of our first meetings, Glen had said, "Howcum nobody just does simple stories anymore?" So DIVIDE AND CONQUER became an exercise in me telling the simplest story possible. I originally had more in there; I was going to do something with Cinderblock using that cannon against Titans Tower. But Glen suggested pulling that out. In hindsight, I think we've all agreed that maybe that episode was a little TOO simple [laughs].
But it was really about constructing something to show the members of the team, give a sense for the show and give a taste of who Slade was.
BW: Well, also, the end of the episode is the coda for the show... that they are stronger as a group working together than as individuals.
David: I noticed that everyone picked up on that very clear theme. In the end, it's a show about family. About friendship... and not being isolated and alone. So in a way, that episode set that theme for the whole show. So right off the bat, we played the "What if the Titan break up?" card. We knew we didn't want to do an origin episode, because that felt very explanatory. We were trying to avoid explaining things. But we still needed to establish the importantance of the group and what they all meant to each other. So we focused on Robin and Cyborg... and the very relatable issue of what it's like to get in a fight with your friend.
BW: Any reason why they aired FINAL EXAM as the premiere rather than DIVIDE AND CONQUER?
David: That was Cartoon Network's choice and I think it was a good one. I think FINAL EXAM came out a little more polished. The team had gelled a little more. That was Rob Hoegee's episode and I think it's a real fun one.
"So we focused on Robin and Cyborg... and the very relatable issue of what it's like to get in a fight with your friend. "
I do like them to air in order, just for continuity. And for the cause and effect how they first encounter Slade. Now they air them in order, and it will be in order on the DVD.
BW: A lot of times, you see a first episode of a show, and there' things that work really well, and some that don't. Was there anything that you discovered writing the first show.. like what worked and what didn’t? And in those first few episodes, was there anything you discarded?
David: Well, the trick with animation is that you don't actually get a finished episode until six months after you finished writing. So for the first six months, you're really shooting in the dark. So for most of the first season, we hadn't seen the animation back on anything while we were writing the episodes. So it's hard to know what will work.
On the script side, we thought SISTERS really came together. I remember in the story break for that one. Glen and I were talking about plot points.. what Blackfire was up to and where the aliens were coming from... then Amy [Wolfram] said, "I think we just need a scene where they sit down and talk about how they feel." And Glen and I were like "Aha." So Amy wrote that scene in addition to doing a really great script. There's just a nice fun, heartfelt simplicity to SISTERS. And we also got really nice animation on that one, which always helps. There's a really nice feel to that episode... I think it's one of the best we've done. I think at that point, we knew something about this was really working.
BW: You had also mentioned that with SISTERS, you really saw it all coming together. That's one of my favorite episodes. It just fires on all cylinders: a good story with an emotional core, some great animation, some neat sight gags and some comic book references.
"There's just a nice fun, heartfelt simplicity to SISTERS."
David: One of the reasons the first season was so difficult was the way me and Glen had approached it. Rather than let the style of the show dictate what types of stories we would tell, we would instead let the stories we wanted to tell dictate the episode. So SISTERS is our "I Dream of Jeannie" episode, FORCES OF NATURE is an Asian fairy tale, DEEP SIX is our 1940s movie serial, MAD MOD is our crazy 60's mod thing. So we did a lot to change the style of the show with each episode. So that was a lot of fun. But it did make each new script a challenge in terms of finding the style of the episode. By the time we got around to CAR TROUBLE, we had more a handle on the series as a whole. That was our "American Graffiti" episode.
But early on, it was definitely a lot of guesswork. But SISTERS set a lot as far as tone. We were lucky to get that as a second episode. It gave us something to refer to. There was that scene where we got to the emotional issue of the episode. So we have those scenes in there now - those emotional moments.
BW: Let’s talk about some of the episodes you wrote. How did you approach the episode SUM OF HIS PARTS?
David: SUM OF HIS PARTS was a rare thing where the story broke in about 2 minutes. We were behind schedule and we had to come up with an episode quick. We had 4 in the pipeline, but nothing following. Glen and I plotted it out, he kicked me out of his office and then I got home and wrote.
"The stuff that happens with Cyborg in that episode is really scary and dark."
That was another episode that pushed the boundaries of the how far we could go in the show. The stuff that happens with Cyborg in that episode is really scary and dark. That's actually why Mumbo is that episode. That was Glen suggestion. Since we were doing something so dark, we came up with this crazy madcap magician character. I think if I did that episode now, I would just let it stay dark. But it was some pretty scary stuff in that episode.
But it was nice to touch on some of the stuff from the comic book. There's that relationship that Cyborg has with the kids that have prosthetics. The cool thing about SUM OF HIS PARTS was something we heard from a parent. Her son had a friend at school who was diabetic, and when he told his mother, he mentioned "He's just like Cyborg." So we had given this kid a way to understand his friend; Just because he had diabetes, it didn't mean there was anything 'wrong' with him. So that was really cool.
BW: Let's talk about some comic characters you brought in, like Aqualad. How did you come up with the animated version of Aqualad?
David: We went back to same formula: If this is high school, who is he? So we decided Aqualad is the swim team guy - the pro surfer guy. Not the pro surfer "dude", but the guy who's serious about it. So that gave us a clue how to write him and make him look. Glen gave him a more streamlined look, wearing something that was like a wetsuit. And he made him just a little bit taller than the guys. A lot of what influences character is also what we need them to do in an episode. We thought Aqualad would be a good rival for Beast Boy, since they both had powers that related to animals.
"We thought Aqualad would be a good rival for Beast Boy, since they both had powers that related to animals."
We thought of him as the guy who comes from his own world and has his own set of rules. He's a strong, athletic, intelligent, very good-looking confident guy who wasn't trying to impress anybody. That was part of the point of the story. Sometimes people aren't trying to compete with you - they're just good at doing certain things. There's no reason not to like them.
And recording DEEP SIX was a lot of fun. Meeting Wil Wheaton [the voice of Aqualad], I was completely star-struck. And I told him that. Wil Wheaton is a big fan of comics. He was star-struck to meet Marv Wolfman. So I saw like, "Wow, it's great to meet you and it's an honor to work with you." And he was like, "Mr. Wolfman! Can you sign my script?" [laughs] But he's a great guy. And he's written a few books - and they are really entertaining. You can get them on amazon.com.
BW: FORCES OF NATURE used two comic book character - Thunder & Lightning. How did you decide to adapt them for the show? I know they were favorites of [Producer] Sam Register.
David: That one was interesting because it set part of the style of the show - that we could change the style in every episode. Glen kept saying, "It's a fable." - because Thunder and Lightning were characters of mythic proportion - literally forces of nature. So when we started writing it, we wrote it like an Asian fable - which is where the music and style came from. As for adapting Thunder and Lightning, that was already in Glen's head. He knew what he wanted to do with them from the start. Most of that came from him.
BW: FORCES OF NATURE also was the first episode to hint at Slade's 'plan'. Did Slade always have a master plan in your eyes?
David: There was a great debate whether Slade was just evil incarnate, or whether he was planning something. That was a story where, in the eleventh hour, the decision was made collectively: It needed to lead somewhere otherwise the audience would be disappointed. There were some rewrites on that one. The evening before we recorded the episode, we added the fight scene between Robin and Slade. That wasn't originally in there. After we did that, we said. "OK, we're teasing this thing... so what exactly IS Slade's plan?" [laughs] I hate to admit it, but we flew by the seat of our pants a bit in the first season. Things are much more planned out now.
BW: In FORCES OF NATURE, Slade's disguise as the Old One resembles his comic book appearance as Slade Wilson. Is that the closest we will ever see of Slade being unmasked?
David: Yeah. But that is a mask. Slade doesn't want anyone to see him. If we ever get around to showing Slade's face, I doubt it will look like that. But there are layers there to be peeled back - mask after mask.
BW: Let’s talk about Slade. How did you develop him? How did you decide his motivation for the series?
David: Originally, we weren't envisioning to be as scary as he later became. For someone who writes kids cartoons, I have a surprisingly dark sensibility. I've told Sam and Glen a number of times: I'll go as dark as you let me; Just tell me when I'm getting too scary.
Originally, we didn't even know we would do an arc with Slade. We just decided Slade would be behind everything. He'd be our Dr. Claw [from "Inspector Gadget"]. But after looking a few episodes, we decided we were teasing something. And if we didn't pay it off, we were going to disappoint a lot of people. That's when we got into the psychology of Slade. We had a really hard time figuring out how MASKS and APPRENTICE were going to work. We went down a lot of blind alleys and dead ends - trying to find something that fit. It was actually Bruce Timm who helped us make the breakthrough on that one. We were actually discussing all the dead ends we had gone down, and Bruce was in Glen's office that day. And Bruce said "It sounds like what the story is really about, is that Slade is trying to take Robin away from his friends."
So we realized Slade was a father looking for a son... we knew we wanted that... we just didn't know how to crack it. So once Bruce said that, we realized we just needed a device that would literally take him away from his friends. So the show fell into place after that.
"I wrote of Slade described him as "the monster under the bed made flesh." I just wanted him to be really, really frightening. "
The voice for Slade was pretty easy to find. I was writing him as this very detached, aloof, reproachful guy. An early description I wrote of Slade described him as "the monster under the bed made flesh." I just wanted him to be really, really frightening. Of course, getting Ron Perlman to do the voice made a huge difference. When we first heard Ron doing the reads, that really set the voice for Slade. That was true of all the voices. It became easier to write Beast Boy after hearing the way Greg [Cipes] was going to read him. That's true of all of them. Good voices make all the difference. And we've got a great cast.
BW: MASKS and APPRENTICE touched on some darker story elements. MASKS was the first episode that stayed 'dark' throughout. Did you see that as a turning point for the show? How do you balance that with the lighter tone of the show?
David: MASKS was a turning point. I think I said early on, Cartoon Network asked us to do something you rarely get asked to do; We were asked to take risks. Sam said "I want you to do things you're not supposed to do." So there are things that don't normally happen in kids' cartoon shows - such as the way Starfire leaves Robin at the end. She's basically saying, "You disappointed me. You screwed up."
BW: It was also the first time in the series that an episode ended with something unresolved. Usually, there's some sort of closure or an uplifting element.
David: Yeah. I really like that episode. And we've since found a way to bring Red X back.
BW: NEVERMORE delved more into the character of Raven. How did that story develop?
David: NEVERMORE was an idea I had before coming on board the show. That was one of the original premises I wrote. I had conceived it completely differently. By the time it got to script, the only thing that remained was that it centered around Raven. That, and the title of the episode. When we were originally working on the story, we conceived it as a literal journey into another dimension. Something on the way to Azarath - a Dr. Strange-type world.
And when Glen and I were talking about it, he mentioned, "Well, if the story is about them getting to know Raven better... shouldn't they just go inside her head?" And that just cracked the whole thing wide open. That was my first undiluted taste of Glen's genius. He approaches things from this utterly unique standpoint - and creates from a sense of an internal emotional logic. From then on, the episode got really interesting to work on. And Tom Pugsley and Greg Klein did a great job on the script. It was something we were all really proud of. It had a nice balance of cool action and great character relationships.
BW: Was there any problem using Trigon, a demonic character? Or touching on Raven's parentage?
"Another interesting tidbit from that episode: We originally toyed with the idea of letting Hynden Walch do Raven's voice and Tara Strong do Starfire's voice when they switched bodies."
David: It is a tricky issue. We had a good template laid out by Marv and George in the comics. Obviously, they went a little farther than we are willing or able to. But there was an example there - how to tell the story you want to tell, but still be delicate about it. My main concern with using Trigon in NEVERMORE, was that we couldn't save him for a big reveal later on. [laughs]. So we showed Trigon without actually showing him [since NEVERMORE takes place in Raven's head]. I think if we ever bring him back, he'll be a lot scarier.
BW: Can you tell us how SWITCHED developed?
David: SWITCHED was fun to work on. Rick Copp wrote that one, and he's a tremendously funny writer. He wrote the "Brady Bunch" movie. That episode came up with a lot of great character moments for the girls. That's one of the things I'm really proud about our show; The female characters exist as individuals, not just as foils for the male characters or characters that define themselves in terms of men. Raven and Starfire are defined by the content of their own characters. So it was really cool to let them carry the show.
Another interesting tidbit from that episode: We originally toyed with the idea of letting Hynden Walch do Raven's voice and Tara Strong do Starfire's voice when they switched bodies. And we tried it out in the recording session. But both those women are so talented that we couldn't tell the difference. There was only something slightly off. Hynden does a really good Raven, and Tara does a really good Starfire - so we couldn't really tell the difference. In the end, we just decided to go with the original plan.
BW: That interesting. I remember Tara Strong mentioned something when she auditioned; She'd thought she'd be a lock for Starfire since she did the voice of Bubbles from THE POWERPUFF GIRLS.
David: She probably would have been a terrific Starfire. Two things happened. One was that Hynden recorded a really amazing audition for Starfire that just blew us all away. At the same time, we were having a really hard time finding the right voice for Raven. We listened to a lot of auditions, but nobody was quite getting there - so we knew we were going to need somebody incredible for that role. Andrea Romano, our amazing voice director, brought Tara in to read for the part - because Tara's just so gifted. Together with Glen, they worked to find the right voice. After trying a few things that didn't quite get it, they came up with the idea of throwing in a little Zelda Rubenstein - the little lady from POLTERGEIST. So Tara did another read with that little bit of Zelda in there - and it was perfect. It was Raven. To this day, when Raven's voice gets a little 'off', Tara will say, "There's not enough Zelda in there."
BW: Then there's MAD MOD, which was a complete 180 degree turn from MASKS.
David: And that was very intentional. In SUM OF HIS PARTS, we put the 'wacky' and the'serious' in one episode. After that, we realized we could just change it up week to week. That's something we're actually very conscious of when we plan the episode order for the season. We had this really dark scary MASKS episode, then we did MAD MOD and CAR TROUBLE before we got into the dark again with APPRENTICE. So MAD MOD was definitely an attempt to lighten it up a little bit.
BW: MAD MOD pushed things very far - almost over the edge - in terms of sheer insanity. Did you find things from MAD MOD
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us goes well beyond documents, spreadsheets and slides," Nadella explains. "We will reinvent productivity for people who are swimming in a growing sea of devices, apps, data and social networks. We will build the solutions that address the productivity needs of groups and entire organizations as well as individuals by putting them at the center of their computing experiences. We will shift the meaning of productivity beyond solely producing something to include empowering people with new insights. We will build tools to be more predictive, personal and helpful. We will enable organizations to move from automated business processes to intelligent business processes. Every experience Microsoft builds will understand the rich context of an individual at work and in life to help them organize and accomplish things with ease."
It's about reinventing productivity. I like this bit: "Across Microsoft, we will obsess over reinventing productivity and platforms. We will relentlessly focus on and build great digital work and life experiences with specific focus on dual use. Our cloud OS infrastructure, device OS and first-party hardware will all build around this core focus and enable broad ecosystems. Microsoft will light up digital work and life experiences in the most personal, intelligent, open and empowering ways."
Digital work and life experiences. Tied to the dual use bit above, Nadella straddles the work/play line but doesn't offer much in the way of play. "We'll push forward and evolve the world-class productivity, collaboration and business process tools people know and love today, including Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Bing and Dynamics."
Cloud OS. No one understands this term because it's not a product, but looking at it now a year later, I'm starting to see the genius of it: By commingling on-premise servers (private cloud) with hybrid and pure cloud (public cloud) services into a nebulous something called Cloud OS, Microsoft has a way to easily describe what used to be the server part of client/server infrastructure. Worried about the details? "The combination of Azure and Windows Server makes us the only company with a public, private and hybrid cloud platform that can power modern business," Nadella notes correctly.
Device OS and hardware. Here's the client side of what used to be the client/server infrastructure. He calls Windows the "Windows device OS" and refers to first party hardware (i.e. Surface/Lumia) as setting the bar... for productivity experiences. (Again, the focus is on productivity.) "Windows will deliver the most rich and consistent user experience for digital work and life scenarios on screens of all sizes – from phones, tablets and laptops to TVs and giant 82 inch PPI boards," he writes. "Windows is the most secure, manageable and capable OS for the needs of a modern workforce and IT. Windows will... enable Universal Windows Applications to run across all device targets. Windows will evolve to include new input/output methods like speech, pen and gesture and ultimately power more personal computing experiences." Nothing surprising, but it's a very big tent when you lay it out like that. But this bit I don't quite get: "We will responsibly make the market for Windows Phone, which is our goal with the Nokia devices and services acquisition." Make the market?
Xbox. Given all the productivity focus thus far, Nadella specifically calling out Xbox—rather than say, consumer products and services more vaguely—is interesting. And he implies that Xbox is not "core" to Microsoft but is still important. "Microsoft will continue to innovate and grow our fan base with Xbox while also creating additive business value for Microsoft."
Changes are coming. "Nothing is off the table in how we think about shifting our culture to deliver on this core strategy," Nadella writes. "Organizations will change. Mergers and acquisitions will occur. Job responsibilities will evolve. New partnerships will be formed. Tired traditions will be questioned. Our priorities will be adjusted. New skills will be built. New ideas will be heard. New hires will be made. Processes will be simplified. And if you want to thrive at Microsoft and make a world impact, you and your team must add numerous more changes to this list that you will be enthusiastic about driving." I love that bit about "tired traditions" since this is something I write and speak about all the time: All too often, we continue to do things—manage a music collection, say, or storage in general—in ways that are familiar but also archaic. It's odd to me that something "new" like technology could be so bound up in tradition, but it often is.
Customer-focused. Microsoft will "obsess over its customers," will deliver the experiences those customers need and want in this mobile first, cloud first world, and will be more effective in predicting and understanding what customers need. It's not clear how any of that will happen.
Faster. The rapid release model is now formal policy, apparently. "We will streamline the engineering process and reduce the amount of time and energy it takes to get things done," he said, in a move that can only be described as "anti-Sinofsky." "You can expect to have fewer processes but more focused and measurable outcomes. You will see fewer people get involved in decisions and more emphasis on accountability."
So.
I guess the key take-aways are something like the following. The world is changing and Microsoft is changing to adapt to that, though it will continue to evolve core products like Azure/Server, Windows, Phone and Office as well. As such, Microsoft will focus on productivity first and, aside from Xbox, pretty much just productivity. It will deliver the products that customers want, and do so more quickly.
From a specifics standpoint, there isn't really much there. Mr. Nadella came out emphatically for keeping Xbox and for continuing to invest in Windows Phone and Surface.
Anything else stick out in there for you? Anything new/different that I missed?A CNN anchor abruptly shut down a guest commentator Thursday after he brought up the topic of former President Bill Clinton’s alleged son Danney Williams.
CNN host Carol Costello feigned disgust when Utah Republican Party chairman James Evans brushed the topic of the former president’s illegitimate son.
“We are the party of family values,” Evans told Costello. “I’m looking forward to the interview you have with Bill Clinton’s illegitimate son.”
“Come on, please, that’s just rubbish,” Costello replied with a sour look on her face. “He does not have an illegitimate son. You have no proof of that.”
The host’s quick suppression of the topic is consistent with rumors that the network had ordered a blackout on news of Bill’s possible son.
On Wednesday, Matt Drudge reported sources inside the network confirmed CNN boss Jeff Zucker had ordered a blackout on all news related to Danney Williams.
“Jeff thinks it is a ridiculous hoax,” a CNN source told Drudge.
Danney Williams made his first television appearance on the Wednesday edition of the Alex Jones Show, in a special plea to reunite with the man he believes to be his father.
“I always felt bad about Bill Clinton not wanting to be in my life,” Danney says in a video released on Monday. “Was it because I was black? Was there something wrong with me? It made me think sometimes even of suicide. It’s not fair and it has been hurtful.”The kitchen is well equipped and stocked. There’s a stove, a refrigerator full of food, a table with a rolling pin and a bowl, and a sink with Ivory soap. The wall calendar, featuring with a sailing ship, says it’s April 1944. But there’s something else: Every item is miniature, hand-crafted, and a doll lies on the floor, apparently dead, cause unknown.
This is one of Frances Glessner Lee’s Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of 1/12-scale dioramas based on real-life criminal investigation cases. They were used—and continue to be studied even today—to train investigators in the art of evidence gathering, meticulous documentation, and keen observation. And they were created by one of the most unlikely and influential figures in crime scene forensics.
Glessner Lee’s early life followed a trajectory unsurprising for a girl from a wealthy family in late-19th-century America. She was born in Chicago in 1878, and home-schooled along with her brother, George. He attended Harvard, while she did not, as her parents did not think tertiary education was necessary for women. Instead, she married a lawyer and had three children. They divorced in 1914, and it was later in life that Glessner Lee radically departed from expectations.
Glessner Lee at work. Courtesy the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Through her brother, Glessner Lee became friends with George Burgess Magrath, a Harvard medical student who later became the Chief Medical Examiner of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. From him, she learned about crime scene forensics and how difficult it was to solve mysterious cases—in part because crime scene investigation lacked methodology and training. In writing about her dioramas in The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science in 1952, Glessner Lee emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind: “… far too often the investigator ‘has a hunch,’ and looks for and finds only the evidence to support it, disregarding any other evidence that may be present. This attitude would be calamitous in investigating an actual case.”
Once she came into her inheritance, Glessner Lee had the resources to formally support the development of forensics. She helped found the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard in 1931, to which she later made substantial financial contributions and donated the books that became the Magrath Library of Legal Medicine. She hosted dinners for investigators and listened to them talk about cases. And, just like a crime scene investigator, she absorbed the particulars and identified a culprit in many of the cases: a lack of training tools.
Detail from Living Room.
With some experience in making miniatures, Glessner Lee set to work on her first diorama. She wrote, without any overstatement, “No effort has been spared to make every detail perfect and complete.” A minuscule wedding photo is displayed on a dresser. Undergarments hang on tiny pegs above a sink. Very small newspapers have legible headlines in different sizes and fonts, just like a real newspaper.
It isn’t just that the dioramas are perfectly scaled and intensely detailed—they are also highly functional. The locks on the doors and windows and even a tiny mousetrap all actually work. A tiny rocking chair moves when pushed. And, because the purpose of each one was to recreate the scene of a crime that had actually happened, each corpse—from clothing to blood stains to level of decomposition—had to be made precisely.
Glessner Lee with one of her Nutshell Studies. Courtesy the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Lee completed around two dioramas a year, with the help of a carpenter, starting in the early 1940s. The dioramas were then used in seminars. Students were given about 90 minutes to study two models, and then present their findings, after which, the true details of each diorama were explained. Glessner Lee threw in some curve balls. Not every one represents a homicide, and one particularly knotty case involves a brain hemorrhage.
But Glessner Lee was adamant that the dioramas are not simply puzzles to be solved. “It must be understood, these models are not ‘whodunnits’—they cannot be solved merely by looking at them. They are intended to be an exercise in observing, interpreting, evaluating, and reporting—there is no ‘solution’ to be determined.”
According to Kimberlee Moran, Director of Forensics at Rutgers University, both the level of detail and the form are fundamental to teaching necessary skills. “With dioramas fortunately you can’t move things around and mess things up like you could an actual scene or a staged scene, so they’re teaching documentation skills, critical thinking, problem solving, and observation.”
Burned Cabin. ZOOM
Despite her scientific intentions and criminal justice motivation, there is no doubt that Glessner Lee also showed creative talent. “Frances didn’t think of herself as an artist, probably largely because her main concern was that the dioramas be taken seriously as scientific tools,” says Nora Atkinson, curator at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, “but that doesn’t negate the art in them, or that, in fact, the origin of her ingenious solution was her background in feminine crafts.”
Atkinson also points out that while the dioramas are based on real cases, Glessner Lee made all the other decisions, including where objects and other pieces of stage-setting appear, unrelated to specific evidence of the crime. “In her attention to these details and selection of cases, her work shines in a way that might be overlooked if these were looked at purely from a scientific perspective,” she says. “There’s a great deal of metaphor that can be intuited in these, and a great deal of biography.”
Glessner Lee chose to set the crime scenes in locations far from her own privileged upbringing: a boarding house, a saloon. For the most part, the victims’ houses suggest they are working-class. Of the 19 dioramas still in existence (it’s believed 20 were built), 11 of the victims are women. “An effort has been made,” wrote Lee, “to illustrate not only the death that occurred, by the social and financial status of those involved, as well as their frame of mind at the time the death took place.”
Glessner Lee (far right) at a Harvard Homicide Seminar, 1952. Courtesy the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Glessner Lee eschewed the conventions of women of her class—and her age. She first creating the dioramas in her early 60s (a 1940s magazine article about her was titled “Grandma: Sleuth at Sixty-Nine”). Yet, thanks to her inventiveness and creativity—and her financial support of the field—she altered the training methods for crime scene investigators to such an extent that she has been called the “Mother of Forensics.” In 1943, she became the first woman in the United States to be appointed a police captain.
Perhaps more clues lie in the dioramas than Lee intended. Atkinson’s two favorite models are Three Room Dwelling, the only multiple homicide, and Attic. The first, unlike the other Nutshell Studies, depicts “a young, seemingly happy family, in a neat, well-appointed middle-class home surrounded by a little white fence, with toys strewn about the porch,” says Atkinson. The Attic diorama shows an older woman who appears to have hanged herself. “From the mess around the room, evidence suggests she may have become despondent from loneliness,” she adds. “Old letters are strewn about the room and dusty, antiquated objects fill the space, sort of metaphorically suggesting she herself may [have felt] antiquated and no longer of any use to anybody.”
“When I look at this young, idealized family, I think about Frances’s experience of domestic ‘bliss’ that instead ended in divorce,”says Atkinson. “And when I look at this old woman, I remember that Frances was only finally free to pursue what she loved when she reached her mid-60s, so for her, old age meant freedom.”
Glessner Lee’s influence has endured long after her own death. Her dioramas are still used in training seminars today, for their original purpose: “to convict the guilty, to clear the innocent, and find the truth in a nutshell.” For the first time since 1966, all 19 existing Nutshell Studies will be presented to the public, at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. Atlas Obscura has a selection of images of the dioramas, which will be on display from October 20, 2017, through January 28, 2018.
Attic, 1943–48
Living Room, 1943–48
Striped Bedroom, 1943–48Hong Kong’s Growth Synchronization with China and the U.S. : A Trend and Cycle Analysis
Author/Editor:
Dong He ; Wei Liao ; Tommy Wu
Publication Date:
April 28, 2015
Electronic Access:
Free Full Text. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file
Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate
Summary:
This paper investigates the synchronization of Hong Kong SAR’s economic growth with mainland China and the United States. This paper identifies trends of economic growth based on the permanent income hypothesis. Specifically, the paper confirms whether real consumption in Hong Kong SAR and mainland China satisfy the permanent income hypothesis, at least in a weak form. It then identifies the permanent and transitory components of income of each economy using a simple state-space model. It uses structural vector autoregression models to analyze how permanent and transitory shocks originating from mainland China and the United States affect the Hong Kong economy, and how such influences evolve over time. The paper’s main findings suggest that transitory shocks from the United States remain a major driving force behind Hong Kong SAR’s business cycle fluctuations. On the other hand, permanent shocks from mainland China have a larger impact on Hong Kong SAR’s trend growth.Let me tell you about a job I worked back in the good old days. It was 2017. A simpler time. Phones had apps, Wikipedia was free, and Canada still existed. It was a cold November evening, and I was out looking for women. Not like that. This was for a job. I’d been hired by Thomas Talakip, billionaire CEO of popular taxi-replacement app DriveCo, because women were going missing. Smart, well-paid engineering women were disappearing from the DriveCo office. I met Thomas at his boardroom/gym/cereal bar (hey, space is tight in the Bay) and got to work.
“How many ladies are we talking about, Thomas?”
“Seventy four. “
“Bloody hell. When did it start? This week?”
“Worse than that. Over the last thirteen months.”
I crunched on cereal and crunched the numbers. Thomas hadn’t noticed 89% of DriveCo’s female engineering force disappearing over the year? How could that be? Surely a CEO who only hired the best would have noticed when all the best stopped showing up to work. Could he have been deliberately ignoring the decreasing numbers of women in engineering? Or was there perhaps some sort of complicated conspiracy where criminal masterminds had hacked DriveCo to cover their tracks? Hmm. Which was it? Sexism in DriveCo management, or a complicated conspiracy? I put out my cigarette and summoned a DriveCo to take me to San Francisco. There was a complicated conspiracy to investigate.
* * *
I pounded pavement till dark, keeping one eye on the shadows and one eye on Twitter. A shocking number of women had disappeared from DriveCo over the year. I reckoned it’d be weeks before I got any leads, but life just loves to surprise a guy. I found the first woman drinking at The Interval. Or should I say, she found me. I shouldn’t, because she didn’t. There she was, legs long enough to reach the ground, drinking espresso martinis with a couple of friends. I watched her from afar, like a Palantir drone watching weddings in Yemen. Eventually she stepped up to the bar and I sidled up alongside her, like a Palantir drone sidling up to a wedding in Yemen.
“Happy Friday,” I said, lifting my glass in her direction. “Glad the work week’s over?”
“I quit on Monday. It’s been Friday all week.”
“Lucky you. Unlucky company. Wanna vent?”
She glanced around the room. “Don’t work at DriveCo. Great app, terrible workplace. There’s only so many times you can be propositioned by your manager before you start redoing your LinkedIn. And when your manager’s manager won’t listen, and their manager won’t listen…”
Interesting. She had a whole story about sexism at DriveCo, but it left me with nagging doubts. Like how could DriveCo mistreat women if they hired women? And if DriveCo was sexist, then why did they have lots of money? It didn’t add up. And as we say in Silicon Valley: “if the numbers don’t add up, delay your IPO again.”
I summoned a DriveCo and headed home. Maybe a good night’s sleep in my $2300-a-month broom closet would help. I strapped myself into my velcro harness and fell asleep vertically in my cozy 4 square feet. I dreamed about DriveCo cars zooming across vast roads of crying faces while a giant Thomas Talakip vaped clouds of Soylent tobacco across the sky. I woke up sweating, pushed aside the brooms, undid the velcro and got to work.
I found one missing woman at the farmer’s markets, another at Starbucks, a third stuck having her own thesis explained to her at a Javascript meetup. I couldn’t believe it. The missing DriveCo engineers were popping up like food courier apps. And all of them told the same story: mistreatment at work consistent with structural misogyny woven into the company culture. But their eyes told a different story, a story about a woman who was scared, a woman on the run, but not in a gendered way.
I wasn’t the kind for self-doubt, but I decided a little hypothesis validation could never go astray.
“Thomas, are you sure they didn’t just quit?”
“Of course. Why would anyone want to quit DriveCo?” he asked, over Tuesday morning beers with the C-suite boys. He was right, damnit. I couldn’t think of a single reason. So I left their newly-expanded boardroom/gym/cereal bar/strip club/brewery, and walked out into the night. I vaped a cloud of kale oil into the cold November wind and sighed. This case was as hard as a stale tortilla, and twice as greasy.
* * *
I got my big break at the #DeleteDriveCo rally that week. Thomas Talakip had been caught hunting DriveCo drivers for sport — although, to be fair, he had issued a very genuine apology. My hunch paid off — there in the crowd were two more missing engineers. “DriveCo needs to change!” they chanted. Of course they did. Any company that lets 89% of female engineers get kidnapped was doing something wrong.
I spoke to them both after the rally, but I was left with more questions than answers. They were really sticking to this “sexism in tech” story. I was flummoxed. Who should I believe? One CEO, or seventy four women? It was a classic he-said, she-and-seventy-four-others-said.
Some stories have a neat ending, but not this one. See, life in Silicon Valley is like iTunes — It’s confusing, ever-changing and it terminates unexpectedly. The DriveCo case still haunts me. Sometimes I wake up, skin sweaty, fingers twitching out phantom #DeleteDriveCo tweets. In the end, the DriveCo board and I just have to accept that we might never know what happened to those women, no matter how many of them tell us exactly what it was.
If you liked this story, click the heart to let me know! If you didn’t like this story, please sit under a tree for ten minutes and think about something nice, like dogs or the smell of rain.Congressional committees, along with the FBI, are investigating what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded were attempts by Russia to influence the Nov. 8 presidential election in Trump's favor. They also are looking at any links between Russia and Trump.
Schiff said Trump himself tried to shift Congress' focus away from that core mission of foreign intervention.
"I think his tweets tell the story," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union." "And the story is look over there - at leaks, and look over there - at anything the Obama administration we can claim did wrong on incidental collection or anything else."
"But whatever you do, under no circumstances look here, at me or at Russia," he said.
Trump has repeatedly used Twitter to attack reports on Russian election meddling as "fake news" and "witch hunts" and denounce leakers of classified information on the issue.
"The real story turns out to be SURVEILLANCE and LEAKING! Find the leakers," Trump said in a Twitter post on Sunday.
Republican Senator John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was asked about Trump's Twitter commentary on the congressional investigations.
"Sometimes I think this is a distraction from what we should be doing," Cornyn said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
The Senate panel intends to begin interviewing as many as 20 people, including Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and one of his closest advisers, as early as Monday.Some tools have recently been released which made it very easy to root Lumia handsets. WindowsMania.pl has been one of the first to take advantage of this new access by releasing a Custom Rom for a Lumia handset, in this case the Lumia 625.
The ROM brings the handset to WP8.1 GDR2 and offers the following feature:
First custom ROM made for Lumia in this case for 625,
3rd party apps removed
Polish dictionary and speech included
Interop unlocked out of the box, and remained unlocked after factory reset and upgrading to Windows 10 Mobile
Accent color changed
Few minor cosmetic changes
The new access should mean no devices need be left behind even if Microsoft no longer supports them (such as the Lumia 530 for example).
The ROM can be found at WindowsMania.pl here.SALT LAKE CITY — The 109th American Toy Fair started Sunday with a futuristic surprise for fans of the Back to the Future film franchise: the replica hoverboard for which they have waited 23 years.
The board, made famous by its appearance in 1989's Back to the Future Part II, does not actually hover, Mattel noted — perhaps that feature will come along in 2015. It does, however, "glide over most surfaces," and includes "whooshing sounds."
The price of the hoverboard will not be released by the company until late February, but will be a high-cost item. Mattell said in a release the item will not be produced if the company does not receive a minimum amount of orders.
Pre-orders will be accepted March 1 through March 20 at Matty Collector, Mattel's adult collector branch, and will be shipped "around November/December 2012."
Click here to see Toy Ark's photo of Mattel's display.
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Related LinksDear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
The Boycott, Divest and Sanctions Movement (BDS) activists in Israel has become a dangerous and serious problem, Matan Peleg, CEO of rightwing grassroots organization Im Tirtzu, recently told The Jerusalem Post.
Speaking on the backdrop of the opening of the new academic year, Peleg spoke about the challenges facing Israeli democracy and academia, as well as the group’s agenda and planned activities for the coming year.
“The heart of Im Tirtzu’s activities is fighting against BDS from within,” Peleg said.He explained that for BDS organizations to be effective, they need to convince the world that Israel doesn’t have the right to exist, “and we will crumble from within. Inside Israel they have a simpler job: They just need to cause doubt, to cause a lack of security in Israeli society and the foundations on which it’s built – a Jewish democratic state.”Peleg said that at the beginning of the century there was an increase in the number of foreign-funded organizations operating in Israel.“These are organizations that are causing delegitimization from within – claiming that Israel commits war crimes in Gaza, that there is apartheid in Judea and Samaria, that the Golan is occupied,” he explained.“These are organizations that are foreign funded, that are promoting the notion that there is something not right in every part of the State of Israel,” he added.However, Peleg said this is not even the heart of the problem.“This isn’t just propaganda, it also penetrates. These same organizations petition the Supreme Court daily, against IDF soldiers, for example – this is an attempt to change the policy of Israel from within, funded by foreign governments,” he said. “This is anti-democratic.”He explained that foreign governments that don’t agree with Israel’s policies will fund Israeli NGOs to present their agenda in court and in Israeli academia. Peleg said his organization’s main goal is to “expose this connection.”“We are against foreign governments funding NGOs – even to right-wing NGOs – we are against the entire principle,” he said. “When you look at the big picture, Im Tirtzu connects the dots and exposes the connection between all the organizations and exposes who funds them.”Peleg added that this problem has also “infiltrated” Israeli academia.“Some of the activists of these NGOs are professors in our universities, these NGOs fund scholarships and provide internships for students, and this is how they educate students of their own political agenda,” he said.Im Tirtzu’s head said that when he speaks about “politicization in academia, it’s not a catchphrase – it is a real and tangible problem.”“The involvement and penetration of political organizations into Israeli academics, many of which are funded by foreign governments, has become a very serious problem.”He cited a number of programs at the leading universities, which he claimed are promoting political agendas in academia. This, Peleg explains, is “one of the main criticisms” of his organization.Im Tirtzu has in the past two years grown significantly, both in the number of its activists – who include some 6,000 students spread across 15 campuses – as well as in its influence and reach.“We have activists who are across a spectrum of political parties,” Peleg said. “They all have one thing in common: a love for a Jewish and democratic state and the understanding that the BDS within is a serious and dangerous problem.”In the new academic year, Peleg said his organization plans to make an even greater impact – expanding its activities on campus as well as helping to promote new legislation and mobilizing the Israeli public to its cause.“This coming year our first objective is to take out many political organizations from academic programs,” he said.Peleg called on the Education Ministry and the Council for Higher Education to establish a committee to examine all academic programs and “remove” the political organizations operating within.Im Tirtzu will also, for the first time, hold tours for students to visit Hebron in an effort to teach them about the historical and biblical ties to the land as well as to counter claims of IDF brutality.“Not enough Israelis have been to Hebron. Israelis should come and see for themselves.It is not going to be political, but rather historic tours and we want to show people the truth behind Breaking the Silence’s claims,” he said.The organization will also expand its program for Zionist thought, an extracurricular lecture series bringing prominent Zionists to lecture on university campuses.“Im Tirtzu has branches, activists, we go to the people and harness the Israeli public to address these issues, by protests, and writing reports – and also through the policy makers,” Peleg said.“We provide policy makers with information,” he explained. “We want MKs to know who is standing in front of them. When you hear of a human rights organization it may seem legitimate on the surface, but in reality it is being funded by foreign governments and is working against the state.”This year, the organization aims to work together with policy makers to counter National Service funding to foreign-funded organizations, Peleg added.“Im Tirtzu has received massive criticism over the years, more than any other organization dealing with these issues.Why? Because we are the most effective,” Peleg said. “We are not only satisfied with research, but we move the Israeli people to act as an authentic force, because they see the importance in the struggle for a Zionist Israel.”
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>In anticipation of the first Democratic Presidential debate, researchers at Unanimous AI created an Artificial Swarm Intelligence by pooling the wisdom of 90 voters in real time.
The results revealed a compelling contradiction between what people say they want from their president, and what their gut tells them is “presidential”.
First, the researchers asked the Swarm Intelligence – “Which Democratic candidate is the most trustworthy?” Care to guess who came out on top?
To see the swarm reach a decision in real-time, watch the quick video below:
As you can see, Bernie Sanders was deemed the most “trustworthy” candidate. But, how would he fare on another classic polling question, “Who would you rather have a beer with?”
Again, Sanders came out on top! Now, having beaten Hillary Clinton in both questions, the Unanimous AI researchers asked the voters which candidate seemed the most “presidential.”
Would the progressive Senator from Vermont go 3 for 3 against Hillary?
No, he would not. Hillary is clearly seen as the most presidential of the Democratic field.
For years, we were told that the American public elected its Presidents based on trustworthiness and likability. And yet, by tapping voter sentiment with an Artificial Swarm Intelligence, this study revealed when voters think “presidential”, they may have something else in mind.
Want to be part a Swarm Intelligence? You can sign up to be a beta tester: HERE.The agent of Romelu Lukaku has admitted he has already held talks with Tottenham over a summer move to White Hart Lane.
As first revealed by Telegraph Sport last week, Spurs have placed Chelsea striker Lukaku at the top of their summer hit list.
Lukaku has spent the season on loan at Everton, scoring 13 goals in 26 games, but is set to be part of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's clear-out of his forward players.
Chelsea value 20-year-old Lukaku at £25m, which will make it difficult for Everton to sign the Belgian permanently.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is prepared to fund a move for Lukaku and offer him a significant rise to his current £40,000-a-week wages.
Lukaku's agent Christophe Henrotay told Belgium newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: "I'm looking for a club for Romelu. And yes, I've talked to Daniel Levy once, but that doesn't mean Romelu will definitely join Spurs. That's not a talking point at this moment.
"There aren't 20 teams that can afford to buy Romelu. He won't go from Everton to, let's say, Swansea. There's also a difference between Everton that plays against relegation and an Everton that fights for European football.”Dems challenge TSA to justify enhanced pat-downs
A retired teacher from Lansing, Michigan, says he had to walk through an airport and board a plane covered in urine after TSA agents tore open his urostomy bag during a pat-down.
Thomas Sawyer, a 61-year-old survivor of bladder cancer, was flagged for an enhanced screening at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Nov. 7 after a metal detector picked up the urostomy bag in his pants. The medical device collects urine through an opening in the stomach. MSNBC reports:
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to be screened in private. “One officer looked at another, rolled his eyes and said that they really didn’t have any place to take me,” said Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy, they took me to an office.” “One agent watched as the other used his flat hand to go slowly down my chest. I tried to warn him that he would hit the bag and break the seal on my bag, but he ignored me. Sure enough, the seal was broken and urine started dribbling down my shirt and my leg and into my pants.” The security officer finished the pat-down, tested the gloves for any trace of explosives and then, Sawyer said, “He told me I could go. They never apologized. They never offered to help. They acted like they hadn’t seen what happened. But I know they saw it because I had a wet mark.”
Humiliated, upset and wet, Sawyer said he had to walk through the airport soaked in urine, board his plane and wait until after takeoff before he could clean up.
Sawyer says he plans to file a complaint against the TSA. A spokesman for the agency said they will “review the matter and take appropriate action if necessary.”
Sawyer’s story is the latest in a string of anecdotes that suggests some TSA agents are dismissive or unconcerned with air travelers’ medical conditions. In one incident reported earlier this week, a flight attendant who survived breast cancer was forced to expose her prosthetic breast to TSA employees.
DEMS CHALLENGE TSA TO JUSTIFY PAT-DOWNS
Two House Democrats, including the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, have sent a letter (PDF) to TSA Administrator John Pistole asking him to “reconsider” the new screening procedures.
“While we agree that security measures should be enhanced in the wake of recent attempted terrorist attacks on the aviation system, we are concerned about new enhanced pat down screening protocols and urge you to reconsider the utilization of these protocols. With Thanksgiving Day marking the beginning of the busiest travel season of the year, this request is timely,” the letter stated.
It was signed by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MI), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
The letter also challenges Pistole to justify the decision to offer “enhanced pat-downs” as the alternative for passengers who choose to opt out of the full body scanners. The letter requests that Pistole provide the committee with all documents “that support the TSA’s decision to implement the enhanced pat-down procedure.”
That may prove difficult. Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic reported last month that a TSA agent told him the pat-down procedure, which involves the touching of breasts and genitals, was simply a bullying technique meant to get passengers inside the full body scanner.
“Nobody’s going to do it [choose the pat-down],” the agent reportedly said, “once they find out what we’re going to do.”When it comes to Colorado travel, luxury destinations like Aspen, Telluride and Vail often eclipse Denver. But the capital city touts its own Rocky Mountain charm, with more than 300 days of sunshine and a picturesque location with 200 snowcapped peaks piercing the sky in the background.
Denver’s appeal
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Examples of Deception on the Language Issue 5.1 IIT Entrance Examinations Example Indian Institute of Technology entrance examinations used to be in English only. Then some Hindi students demonstrated demanding that examinations be held in "Hindi and regional languages" too. Indian government agreed but with a little twist: Candidates may write the examination in the mother tongue but question papers would be in English and Hindi only. IIT admissions were highly competitive and even just one mark could mean a higher ranking and admission and the candidate with just one mark less not getting admission. Then IIT entrance examinations became two parts: JEE (main) and JEE (advanced). Only those who pass through JEE (main) could write JEE (advanced), and the higher ranked JEE (advanced) candidates get IIT admission. Guess what? JEE (main) is held in English and Hindi only and all other languages were removed. A huge advantage to Hindi state candidates. This is exactly what would happen with mother tongue lectures too. May be a few IITs would offer a few courses in Tamil, Telugu, etc. but all IITs would offer all courses in Hindi and English. A bonanza for Hindi state students and a great blow to non-Hindi students. 5.2 IAS Preliminary Examinations Example IAS examinations used to be in English only. Then there was demand to hold them in Hindi also. To null opposition from non-Hindi states, Indian government said that it would hold in all languages listed in the Indian constitution. When the time came, question papers were in English and Hindi only although questions may be answered in any language listed in the Indian constitution. Then IAS examinations became two parts: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) and Civil Services (Main). You need to successfully pass CSAT to write Civil Service (Main). While you can still write Civil Service (Main) in your mother tongue but with question papers in English and Hindi only, you can write CSAT examination in English or Hindi only. Again a huge advantage to Hindi students. With such a past history, do you really think that lectures will be offered in all 22 languages? I will answer categorically that it is just a trick to make Hindi (and Hindi only) the medium of instruction along with English in Indian Institutes of Technology. Do not fall for this trick. 6. Do not Fall for the Trap "We will Offer Hindi this Year but will Add Your Language Next Year" If the Indian government says, "This year we will offer Hindi lectures. We cannot do that in your language this year but will do next year", never, never accept that. Ask them to hold off Hindi lectures also until next year when lectures in your language is also offered. We have precedence how the Indian government used this trick before. As we state in Section 5, IAS examinations consist of two parts: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) and Civil Services (Main). You need to successfully pass CSAT to write Civil Service (Main). CSAT examinations may be written in English or Hindi. CSAT Paper II had 80 questions of which 9 questions relate to English comprehension. All other questions may be answered in Hindi or English. In 2014, Hindi students demanded that those 9 questions on English comprehension be removed because it was difficult for Hindi students. Indian government removed those questions starting from that year (2014). This is totally unfair to non-Hindi candidates. They have to answer all 80 questions in English while Hindi students can pass CSAT without any knowledge of English. Some non-Hindi members of parliament (MPs) as well as some student organizations asked that questions be printed in all languages (not just Hindi and English) and non-Hindi students be allowed to write CSAT in their mother tongue (in the same way Hindi students are writing in their mother tongue). Indian government said that it was too late to make these changes in 2014 and only the Hindi students demand to remove English comprehension questions will be satisfied in 2014 but will consider questions and examinations in other languages later. That statement was made in August 2014. I am writing this, more than 2 years later, in September 2016; English comprehension questions have been removed as demanded by Hindi students but non-Hindi students' plea to give question papers in their mother tongue and they be allowed to answer CSAT questions in their mother tongue is not met. This is what would happen with Hindi lectures also. So it is important not to allow Hindi lectures until lectures are offered in all languages. We cannot and we shall not believe Indian government promises when it comes to Hindi imposition. 7. First Things First Before parliament takes up discussion of teaching IIT courses in mother tongues, non-Hindi members of parliament (MP) should insist that parliament pass legislation that question papers for IIT entrance examinations (JEE-Main and JEE-Advanced) be printed in all 22 languages, and candidates be allowed to answer questions in their mother tongue. While at it, parliament should also pass legislation that question papers for entrance examinations to ALL Indian government educational institutions (including NIT, IIM, central universities, IITs, ISM, NITs, IIEST, IIITs, etc.) and job examinations to jobs at Indian government offices and its undertakings (including defense department, banks, airlines, LIC, etc.) be printed all 22 languages, and candidates be allowed write answers in those languages. 8. What Should We Do to Protect Our Children's Future? General public, especially students, and politicians from non-Hindi regions should oppose this proposal tooth and nail. Hindi-centric Indian government would surely respond by saying that they are offering lectures in all languages. Ask the government to pass a law by parliament (not a government order that could be changed anytime) saying that: "All Indian languages listed in the constitutions should have equal status in Indian Institutes of Technology. (1) Lectures should be available in all languages or in English only. For example, if lectures in thermodynamics cannot be offered in Bengali at an IIT, then lectures in thermodynamics should not be offered in Hindi either in that ITT, irrespective of availability of Hindi professors and unavailability of Bengali professors. No Bengali means no Hindi, too. Hindi lectures have to wait until all languages are available. (2) This is another important clause of legislation. Amount of money spent for lectures in Indian languages should be the same for each of the 22 languages. For example, if 20 crore Rupees are spent to write/publish books and hire/train professors for Hindi, the same amount of 20 crore Rupees be spent each and every one of the 22 languages. (3) Even if there is only one student of a particular mother tongue, lectures should be offered in that language. If it cannot be offered, no Hindi lectures either irrespective of the number of Hindi students and whether Hindi lectures were offered the previous year. (4) Any student has the right to lectures in the mother tongue even if his/her medium of instruction at school was English. (5) Indian government should publish a report, approved by all IIT directors, on how they will be able to offer lectures in all 22 languages in all subjects in all Indian Institutes of Technology, before a single lecture is offered in any of the Indian languages including Hindi. Let us not be cheated on the language issue again. Let us protect the future of our children from Hindi hegemony at Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management and central universities. Foot Notes: 1. Gujrati, Marathi and Urdu questions are also offered for JEE in some examination centers because states like Gujarat gave up their right to hold their own examinations for admission to state-governed institutions and colleges but accept JEE for state institutions also (Most states do not want to do that because it infringes on state rights) (Thina Thanthi; December 12, 2012). Post your comments and/or Read other comments (Subject: October 2016) Thanjai Nalangkilli RELATED ARTICLES Hindi Imposition in India ARCHIVED ARTICLES Index to Archived Articles If you would like to translate this article to Tamil for us, please write us. Your help would be greatly appreciated. This is a "Category B" article. Free to publish as long as the entire article, author's name and Tamil Tribune name and URL (http://www.tamiltribune.com) are included (no permission needed). Click here for more details. FIS160929 - 2016-a1dDemocratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders listens to a speaker during the King Day at the Dome rally at the S.C. State House on Monday in Columbia, S.C. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) appears confused or misinformed about Iran and Middle East flash points, a group of foreign policy experts supporting Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton charged Tuesday.
The 10 former officials cite Sanders’s call during Sunday night’s Democratic presidential primary debate for normalizing relations with Iran, now that the nuclear accord is in place and some U.S. citizens have been released from Iranian detention. They also pointed to an earlier Sanders statement suggesting that Iran should send more troops to Syria and join in a military coalition with Saudi Arabia.
[Amir Hekmati speaks following release from Iranian prison]
“We need a commander in chief who knows how to protect America and our allies and advance our interests and values around the world. The stakes are high,” the group, including former top U.S. nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman, wrote in a letter released Tuesday. “We are concerned that Senator Sanders has not thought through these crucial national security issues that can have profound consequences for our security.”
President Obama opposes normalized relations, as does Clinton, although Obama had campaigned against Clinton in 2008 on a platform that included an offer of dialogue with Iran.
As Obama’s first-term secretary of state, Clinton agreed with the strategy to initiate secret diplomacy that ultimately led to the nuclear deal. She supports the broad international deal reached last year to rein in Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions in international sanctions relief. Clinton has not hidden her deep skepticism about Iran and her generally hawkish approach, however, and has raised public doubt about Iran's commitment to upholding the agreement.
During Sunday’s NBC-YouTube debate, Sanders was asked whether he would support the reopening of a U.S. embassy in Tehran and the establishment of normal diplomatic relations, which ruptured after Iranians stormed the American Embassy in 1979 and took diplomats and other personnel hostage.
[The Fix: Winners and losers from the fourth Democratic presidential debate]
“I think what we have got to do is move as aggressively as we can to normalize relations with Iran, understanding that Iran’s behavior in so many ways is something that we disagree with,” Sanders replied.
He cited Iran’s alleged support for terrorism and “the anti-American rhetoric that we’re hearing from some of their leadership.” He added that the nuclear agreement and the better U.S.-Iranian relations forged during its negotiation were accomplished “without going to war.”
Now it’s time to go further, he said.
“Can I tell you that we should open an embassy in Tehran tomorrow? No, I don’t think we should. But I think the goal has got to be as we have done with Cuba to move in warm relations with a very powerful and important country in this world.”
Obama, who as a candidate had also pledged to try to bridge the decades long rift with Cuba, has overseen a swift normalizing of relations there over the past 13 months. The U.S. flag was raised over the embassy in Havana last August.
The letter from Clinton supporters, some of whom worked in the Bill Clinton administration, does not mention Cuba. But it questions whether Sanders understands the complex international dynamics surrounding Iran, including the role of U.S. allies.
“We are all strong supporters of the nuclear diplomacy with Iran. Some of us were part of developing the policy that produced the diplomacy over the past several years. And we believe that there are areas for further cooperation under the right circumstances,” the group wrote.
But Sanders “is out of step with the sober and responsible diplomatic approach that has been working for the United States,” by supporting a much warmer relationship, it said.
And his call for a closer partnership between Iran and Saudi Arabia “is just puzzling,” given the two nations' intense rivalry and current estrangement, the group wrote.
The strategy “would fail while causing consternation among our allies and partners.”
Iran has also given no sign that it seeks or would accept a much warmer relationship with the United States, although pragmatist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has seemed to welcome Obama’s limited outreach.
The group also took issue with Sanders for his strategy against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
“His lack of a strategy for defeating ISIS -- one of the greatest challenges we face today -- is troubling,” the group wrote. “And the limited things he has said on ISIS are also troubling.”
Clinton is seeking a departure from current White House strategy against the Islamic State, including a no-fly zone and other extensions of U.S. might currently opposed by Obama, but the letter does not examine those differences.
“Given these concerns, it is important to ask what he would do on other issues -- on Russia, China, our allies, nuclear proliferation, and so much else,” the group said of Sanders.
“We need a commander in chief who sees how all of these dynamics fit together — someone who sees the whole chessboard, as Hillary Clinton does.”
A Sanders spokesman issued a response late Tuesday.
“Senator Sanders has a lot of respect for the senior U.S. diplomats who support Secretary Clinton and question his views on ISIS and Iran. We certainly concede that former secretary of state Clinton has more experience than Senator Sanders, but his judgment on major foreign policy issues is far superior," spokesman Michael Briggs said.
He noted that Sanders voted against the Iraq war in 2002 while Clinton voted for it, and he said he agrees with Obama that a no-fly zone in Syria opens the door to dangerous consequences.
"As president, Senator Sanders would do all that he could to destroy the barbaric Islamic State terrorist group, but he will do it by maintaining a strong coalition of major powers and our Muslim allies. He agrees with King Abdullah of Jordan that it must be Muslim troops on the ground that destroy ISIS with the support of the United States and other major powers providing air support, training and military equipment," Briggs said. "He will do everything he can to prevent U.S. troops from getting involved in perpetual war in the quagmire of the Middle East."
The pro-Clinton letter is signed by Sherman, the former undersecretary of state for political affairs; Jeremy B. Bash, former chief of staff at the CIA and Pentagon; former White House adviser Rand Beers; former counterterrorism adviser Daniel Benjamin; former undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns; former assistant secretary of defense Derek Chollet; former undersecretary of defense Kathleen Hicks, former undersecretary of defense James N. Miller; and former deputy national security advisers Julianne Smith and retired Lt. Gen. Donald Kerrick.SpritesMods.com Wifi E-ink display - Introduction
Introduction
A while ago, we switched to using the Scrum methodology at the place where I work. The way we implemented it was with a nice big whiteboard with the status of all tasks on it. For Scrum, it's also important to have a burndown graph, which is a graph giving a visual indication to see if everything is running as planned. The way this graph was updated was pretty old-school: every morning, someone would print it out and stick it to the whiteboard. That seemed a bit old-school to me, so I started thinking: what could I do to replace this?
At that time, I just saw someone had reverse engineered the ED060SC4, a 6" E-ink-display commonly used in older cheap e-books. Those display have the advantage that replacements screens are available for something like fifteen bucks on eBay and Aliexpress. E-ink screens like this also are bi-stable, meaning they will keep their state even if power is removed completely.
Knowing this, a solution immediately came to mind: Why not take an E-ink display, put it on the whiteboard and make a small controller PCB that can pull graphics from the network and display them? If the display only gets updated once in a while and goes into deep sleep the rest of the time, the battery should last for months. A device like that could be useful at home too: whack it onto the kitchen whiteboard or refrigerator and it can display the weather forecast, bus times, shared agenda points, you name it.
So I went on eBay, got me some displays and started hacking.
1 Next »WASHINGTON (CNN) -- -- Discount air carrier Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN.
Congressional documents show Southwest flew thousands of passengers on aircraft deemed "unsafe" by inspectors.
Documents submitted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors to congressional investigators allege the airline flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks.
In some cases, the documents say, the planes flew for 30 months after government inspection deadlines had passed and should have been grounded until the inspections could be completed.
The planes were "not airworthy," according to congressional air safety investigators.
On Thursday, the FAA initiated actions to seek a $10.2 million civil penalty against Southwest for allegedly operating 46 airplanes without conducting mandatory checks for fuselage cracking.
"The FAA is taking action against Southwest Airlines for a failing to follow rules that are designed to protect passengers and crew," Nicholas A. Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, said in a written statement.
Calling it "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline put its passengers in danger.
But Southwest Airlines -- which carried more passengers in the United States than any other airline last year -- said there was never a flight safety issue.
"The FAA penalty is related to one of many routine and redundant inspections on our aircraft fleet involving an extremely small area in one of the many overlapping inspections. These inspections were designed to detect early signs of skin cracking," the airline said in a statement Thursday evening.
"Southwest Airlines discovered the missed inspection area, disclosed it to the FAA, and promptly reinspected all potentially affected aircraft in March 2007. The FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007."
The airline said it understood the FAA's concerns and was anxious to work with the agency.
The documents obtained by CNN allege that some management officials at the FAA, the agency responsible for commercial air safety, knew the planes were flying "unsafely" and did nothing about it. CNN's Drew Griffin uncovers 'troubling information' »
"The result of inspection failures, and enforcement failure, has meant that aircraft have flown unsafe, unairworthy, and at risk of lives," Oberstar told CNN.
He said both FAA managers and the airline may also have broken the law as well as threatened the safety of Southwest passengers.
The documents were prepared by two FAA safety inspectors who have requested whistle-blower status from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is headed by Oberstar.
The two inspectors have been subpoenaed to testify before the committee. The nation's "Whistle-Blower Protection Program" protects federal employees from being fired or retaliated against by their employer.
The inspectors say FAA managers knew about the lapse in safety at Southwest, but decided to allow the airline to conduct the safety checks on a slower schedule because taking "aircraft out of service would have disrupted Southwest Airlines' flight schedule."
According to statements made by one of the FAA inspectors seeking whistle-blower status, a manager at the FAA "permitted the operation of these unsafe aircraft in a matter that would provide relief" to the airline, even though customers were on board.
Laura Brown, an FAA spokeswoman, told CNN that the administration has taken action and that a supervisor who was in charge of overseeing Southwest is "no longer in a supervisory position."
The FAA's announcement that it would seek civil penalties against Southwest came after news of the congressional reports became public. Watch passengers react to the violations »
The safety inspections ignored or delayed by the airline were mandated after two fatal crashes and one fatal incident, all involving Boeing's 737, the only type of airplane Southwest flies.
In 1994, a US Air Boeing 737 crashed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing 132 people. Three years earlier, a United Airlines Boeing 737 crashed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing 25 people. Investigators blamed both crashes on problems in the planes' rudder control system, leading the FAA to demand regular checks of the 737's rudder system.
Documents provided to CNN show 70 Southwest jets were allowed to fly past the deadline for the mandatory rudder inspections.
The documents also show 47 more Southwest jets kept flying after missing deadlines for inspections for cracks in the planes' fuselage, or "skin."
The long-term, mandatory checks for fuselage cracks were required after the cabin of an Aloha Airlines 737 tore apart in mid-air in 1988, killing a flight attendant. That incident, which opened much of the top of the plane during flight, was attributed to cracks in the plane's fuselage that grew wider as the plane underwent pressure changes during flight.
An FAA inspector at a Southwest Airlines maintenance facility spotted a fuselage crack on one of the airline's 737s last year, according to the congressional documents. He notified the airline and then began looking through safety records, discovering dozens of planes that had missed mandatory inspection deadlines.
According to the inspector's statement in congressional documents: "Southwest Airlines at the time of discovery did not take immediate, corrective action as required to address this unsafe condition and continued to fly the affected aircraft with paying passengers."
In a news release Thursday afternoon, the FAA said Southwest operated 46 Boeing 737s on nearly 60,000 flights between June 2006 and March 2007 while failing to comply with an FAA directive that requires repeated checks of fuselage areas to detect fatigue cracking.
The FAA alleges that after Southwest discovered it had failed to comply, it continued to operate the same planes on an additional 1,451 flights. The airline later found that six of the 46 planes had fatigue cracks, the FAA said.
"We expect the airline industry to fully comply with all FAA directives and take corrective action," the FAA's Sabatini said in the statement.
Southwest has 30 days to respond to the agency.
The documents show Southwest voluntarily disclosed some of the missed inspections last spring. Earlier, Southwest told The Wall Street Journal it did not expect any civil penalties to be imposed because of the self-disclosure.
But, even after the airline's disclosure, FAA inspectors assert that planes continued to fly, in some cases for more than a week, before inspections were complete. The airline "did not take immediate, corrective action," according to the congressional documents obtained by CNN.
"That is wrong," said Oberstar. "When an aircraft is flying out of compliance with airworthiness directives, it is to be shut down and brought in for maintenance inspection. That's the law."
Southwest Airlines has never had a catastrophic crash. Federal investigators determined a 2005 incident at Midway airport in Chicago that killed one person on the ground was the result of pilot error, as was a 2000 incident at Burbank airport in California that seriously injured two passengers. E-mail to a friend
All About Southwest Airlines Inc. • Federal Aviation AdministrationThe Senate will delay its vote on the health care bill, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Saturday night.
McConnell attributed the delay to Arizona Sen. John McCain’s expected absence, McCain underwent surgery to remove a blood clot at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona Friday.
GOP leadership hoped to vote on the bill this week, but Republicans need McCain to gain a majority as two GOP lawmakers have already come out against the revised draft. Moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and conservative Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky both oppose the bill and have said they would not vote to even begin debate on the legislation. Six other Senators remain undecided.
The bill has faced criticism from Republican and Democrat governors alike. The state executives, some of whom accepted expanded Obamacare Medicaid subsidies, have argued against the inclusion of deep cuts to the program.
The governors were joined in their opposition by two of the nation’s most powerful health care groups, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans sent a letter to GOP leadership Friday night criticizing the inclusion of a conservative amendment to the bill.
The provision, introduced by GOP Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah, allows providers to offer cheaper plans that don’t meet all Obamacare requirements as long as they also offer at least one Obamacare compliant option. (RELATED: Health Care Groups Blast GOP Bill In Letter To McConnell)
McCain, 80, will spend the week at home in Arizona recovering from the procedure. The Senate is expected to consider the Federal Drug Administration user fees extension and lower level nominees during McCain’s absence.
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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] -- With the game tied at 93 against the Boston Celtics, Bucks coach Jason Kidd surprised almost everyone by turning to rookie guard Malcolm Brogdon on six straight offensive possessions to end the game. Brogdon delivered with six clutch points and two assists in the closing three minutes of the game.
Malcolm Brogdon of House Bucks lays claim to The Throne!!#OwnTheFuture pic.twitter.com/y1aRtCxQUG — Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 30, 2017
The one person not surprised? Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It started last Friday, when the Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks 100-97. Down the stretch, the Bucks turned to Brogdon and Greg Monroe late in the game when they needed a bucket, despite Antetokounmpo already tallying 34 points on the night. After the game, Kidd explained that Antetokounmpo wasn’t at all upset about not getting the ball late.
“I think you’re seeing a 22-year-old grow up extremely fast and really understand the game,” Kidd said. “Knowing we play through him a lot and if you paid attention tonight, he was actually telling us to play through the other guys, which is kind of cool.”
“In this league, to be unselfish, good things can happen. I thought he was doing that tonight. We could have easily gone to him and put the ball in his hands, but he put trust in Malcolm (Brogdon) and Moose (Greg Monroe) coming down the stretch.”
Antetokounmpo has made great plays offensively in clutch moments this season, most notably his first career game-winner at Madison Square Garden, but it is still a time he has yet to completely master. Led by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have been the NBA’s worst offensive team in clutch time by a wide margin, so he could use those reps. And to be clear, as one of the NBA’s 10 to 15 best players, those moments are his and that is not lost on his teammates.
“It’s huge,” Brogdon said of Antetokounmpo insisting on Brogdon getting late game chances. “Giannis is selfless. That’s why this team has been able to come together and make the run that we’re making. We follow his lead every night and it just speaks to his character and his leadership.”
Antetokounmpo may not be the vocal leader of this Bucks team just yet, but by example, he gives every one of his teammates a path to follow. When asked about getting his teammates involved throughout games, Antetokounmpo explained those decisions are made with a clear purpose.
“They have that confidence; I just tried to warm them up” Antetokounmpo said. “For instance, in the fourth quarter, I don't remember what play we were running, I told Malcolm to run the play we were running at the end of the game with Moose. I knew [Dwight] Howard was going to be back, so Malcolm was going to have the floater or the pass.”
“So, just telling him that and believing and giving him that confidence to run that play, that's what would make him feel better. He's a great playmaker and that's not going to be the last time that he has the ball down the stretch.”
Just three games later, Antetokounmpo’s prediction now seems prophetic.
The Bucks once again turned to Brogdon in the clutch. In fact, they turned to the exact same set in Boston, a simple pick and roll in the middle of the floor with Monroe. And Brogdon delivered.
The individual results for Brogdon on the final six possessions to end the game were spectacular, but most importantly, the Bucks picked up a win over the Eastern Conference’s best team.
“I think it speaks a lot to Coach Kidd and my teammates to trust me as a rookie to make plays down the stretch,” Brogdon said. “When they put that confidence in you, it's hard not to try to make plays.”
Apparently, it’s also hard not to be successful.Contintuing our coverage of the ‘Road to…’ events for the New Japan Pro Wrestling PPV The New Beginning, here are today’s results from Chiba, Japan.
reDragon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) def. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu
Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu Mascara Dorada, Tiger Mask, Manabu Nakanishi def. Jushin Liger & TenKoji (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan)
Jushin Liger & TenKoji (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan) Captain New Japan, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata def. Bullet Club (Cody Hall, Kenny Omega, Doc Gallows & ‘The Macine Gun’ Karl Anderson)
Bullet Club (Cody Hall, Kenny Omega, Doc Gallows & ‘The Macine Gun’ Karl Anderson) Tomoaki Honma, Tetsuya Naito, Togi Makabe & Yuji Nagata def. Gedo, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Shinsuke Nakamura
Gedo, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Shinsuke Nakamura YOSHI-HASHI & Kazuchika Okada def. Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club)
Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club) Timesplitters (Alex Shelly & KUSHIDA) & Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi & The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)).
The next event in the build up towards The New Beginning takes place on Friday, from Wakayanagi General Gynasium, Miyagi, Japan.Goma, DR Congo - This has been a triumphant year, so far, for international justice. It began with Invisible Children's Kony2012 campaign, which, rightly or wrongly, popularised the scourge of central African war criminals with a viral video - and appeared to provoke a US military response. In March, the International Criminal Court issued its first verdict with the trial of DRC warlord Thomas Lubanga. This month, western-backed proceedings found Charles Taylor guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes in Sierra Leone.
These resolutions have been praised as milestones, but in the north-east of the DRC, where stability has been fragile - if not absent - since the ethnic and political ruptures of the Rwandan genocide, the quest to deliver justice to ICC-indicted Bosco "The Terminator" Ntaganda is toppling the hard-won former peace.
Exclusive: DR Congo troops shell rebel bases
Ntaganda was one of the most powerful generals in eastern Congo - but now is a man on the run, leaving an area the size of Greece destabilising in his wake. His original 2006 indictment accused him of recruiting children younger than 15 into active combat, and the ICC has now added new charges relating to alleged crimes, including murder, ethnic persecution, rape and sexual slavery, pillaging and deliberate civilian attacks.
An ethnic Tutsi warlord believed to be of Rwandan origin, Ntaganda began his career fighting against the 1994 genocide alongside Rwandan president Paul Kagame. In 2002, he became second-in-command of Thomas Lubanga's clan-based militia in Ituri district, north-east Congo. It was here that he earned his Hollywood sobriquet "The Terminator", which is referred to by the ICC. In 2002 and 2003, he allegedly commanded men to murder at least 800 civilians in and around Mongbwalu, a strategic mining town which holds some 2.5 million ounces of gold.
After that war ebbed, Ntaganda joined the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) under the leadership of another zealot, Laurent Nkunda, with whom he fought against the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide. In 2008, he is believed to have led CNDP troops in a frenzied 24-hour massacre of 150 people at Kiwanja village in North Kivu. More recently, he is understood by UN experts to be taking some $15,000 a week in taxes from smuggling operations between DRC and Rwanda.
Michael Deibert, author of Democratic Republic of Congo: Between Hope and Despair, describes Ntaganda as the "king-maker" in mineral-rich North Kivu, since his 2009 betrayal of Nkunda, which led to a secret peace deal and the integration of the CNDP into the state army. "[Ntaganda] is the lynchpin of what they have called peace in eastern Congo - peace linked with impunity because that's been the nature of the peace," he said.
Refugees flee DR Congo fighting
President Kabila has chosen, until this year, not to act on the 2006 warrant for Ntaganda's arrest. But the Lubanga verdict added more calls for his capture, and at the end of March, it seems that "The Terminator" had little choice but to defect.
A number of former CNDP officers and soldiers followed him, and, within weeks, around 600 men had joined him in Masisi, the traditional CNDP heartland. According to Human Rights Watch, he has since recruited at least 149 boys and young men aged between 12 and 20 years old - the very crime for which he was originally indicted.
At the beginning of May, a rift emerged, as a memo was emailed (on CNDP notepaper) by the defectors, citing unpaid salaries and poor living conditions as evidence of the government's failure to uphold the terms of the 2009 peace accord and as the reason for their defection. Commentators said the men were protecting Ntaganda, but the defectors denied this, calling themselves "M23" - a reference to March 23, the date of the peace deal signed three years ago.
The memo named Colonel Makenga - an ethnic Tutsi who, after fighting alongside Ntaganda in Rwanda,fell out with "The Terminator" over Nkunda's overthrow - as leader of the M23 movement. Colonel Innocent Kaina, leading a batallion of M23 rebels in Masisi, also claimed that the group did not know Ntaganda's location.
With "The Terminator" in hiding (rumoured to be in the "gorilla sector" of the region's national park), it is Makenga's M23 rebels - believed to number between 500-600 - who are fighting government troops close to the borders of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
And now the Kony effect has set in. Advocacy and human rights organisations have launched "Terminator" campaigns, fuelling another virtual manhunt and internet crusade.
"If justice cannot be achieved without indiscriminate blood loss, is impunity - or at least consideration of it - too great a price to pay?"
Yet, despite his brutal history, for some Congolese Tutsis, Ntaganda symbolises the prospect of peace in their homelands, where there is still widespread persecution by Hutus. Bucamwa Munyakabuga, a refugee who has lived on a hilltop farm in northern Rwanda for 13 years, is mourning a close friend, killed this month fighting for Ntaganda.
"They're fighting so that the refugees may return to their country," he said. "I was not born in Rwanda - I am a Congo man. But now I am a refugee."
In a region such as this, where ethnic and political lines dissect official borders, few conflicts are strictly domestic. On May 14, the Congolese defence minister was sent to Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi to investigate claims that foreign influence was fuelling the clashes - reasoning that M23 arms must come from somewhere.
Defending the rights of Rwandan Tutsis, stabilising the refugee situation, and maintaining control of an illicit trade in metals and minerals are among the reasons why it could be in Rwanda's interest to support the rebels.
Rwanda does not want Ntganda tried at the Hague, and some believe President Kagame will use Makenga and M23 as his proxy power, allowing him to find his own solution to Ntaganda's sub-poena - just as Nkunda now lives in Rwanda, despite his international arrest warrant.
Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch in Goma, says that the ICC arrest warrant issued this week against Sylvestre Mudacumura, the head of the FDLR, the pro-Hutu Rwandan militia operating in eastern Congo that has killed 50 civilians already this month, is also highly significant. "Until now, all the heat has been on Bosco," she said.
In presenting Ntaganda as the sole cause of the conflict, attaching the few personal descriptions of him that exist (how "he kills easily" and "enjoys playing tennis") to doltish images of him in a leather cowboy hat, we distill the complex clashes into a handy dichotomy: the rules of international justice versus the image of impunity for African warlords.
Since April, more than 40,000 people have fled their homes, trudging through mud and rains to a point of safety - either in Congo or across the border into Rwanda or Uganda, or indeed, anywhere. While the ICC has become the cornerstone for international justice, dignity is at the core of human rights - and one must question whether it is being upheld here.
Tutsi refugees arriving in Rwanda have reported widespread physical and verbal assault, often carried out by soldiers. One man said troops took everything from him, even his baby's milk, leaving him with nothing but his underwear. Another said he watched as they looted his farm.
As the CNDP army defectors left their positions in April, militia moved in. Across the region, armed groups have been exploiting the security vacuum to feather their nests, attacking civilians and
|
economic track record at a campaign event in Dieppe, N.B., Friday morning.
The Conservative leader used his first campaign stop in New Brunswick to remind voters about economic measures first outlined in the budget, which was introduced before the campaign started but never passed.
Harper reiterated his budget commitment to extend a work-sharing initiative to allow for an extra 16 weeks, which would allow employees to work part of a week while collecting Employment Insurance benefits on the other days.
"I have to tell you this program has been enormously successful in combating the effects of the recession in Canada," Harper said. "Almost 280,000 jobs have been protected by this program, some right here in Moncton."
The Tories are hoping to make inroads in New Brunswick, where they hold six of 10 seats. Harper's Friday appearance is in the riding of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, the riding many Tories had hoped former New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord would contest.
While Lord opted to take a pass on the campaign, the Tories are still hoping to wrest the riding away from the Liberals. The Conservatives also have former Brian Mulroney-era cabinet minister Bernard Valcourt running in the Liberal-held riding of Madawaska-Restigouche in northwestern New Brunswick.
Harper was to go next to a rally in Covehead, P.E.I., on Friday evening.
Liberals talk about family care
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is flanked by caregivers as he speaks to reporters Friday in London, Ont. Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press) Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff was in Ontario, re-announcing a family care program.
Ignatieff went to the Victorian Order of Nurses in London, Ont., to talk about the Liberals' $1 billion plan to help families care for sick and dying relatives. The money would allow for six months of compassionate care leave, paid through EI, and a $1,350 tax benefit to help with the costs of caring for a sick loved one.
He talked about watching his own mother succumb to Alzheimer's disease. He said it was devastating to see the centre of the family "go off into the fog."
The Liberals say 2.7 million Canadians care for aging relatives, and about 65 per cent of them have incomes under $45,000. Family caregivers are responsible for 80 per cent of Canada's home care services, providing more than $9 billion in unpaid care each year.
Ignatieff also joked about Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's press conferenceThursday, where reporters and cameras were kept 10 meters away and behind a barrier.
He said Harper's vision of politics is "take no prisoners" and that while Harper's patriotism and family are considered off limits, Harper has allowed his own party to attack Ignatieff on both fronts. He said that "cut deep," particularly Conservative attacks on his father. The Liberal leader was scheduled to head to Kitchener, Ont., for a campaign office opening, followed by a town hall on equal opportunities for families.
Meanwhile, Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe was scheduled to start the day with a photo shoot at a cafe in Quebec City, followed by a visit to local businesses in Beauport, Que.
Duceppe was set to finish off the day with a campaign launch for Quebec MP Christiane Gagnon.
Friday comes after a busy day on the campaign trail, with Ignatieff pitching an ambitious $500-million child-care plan and Layton promising to cut fossil fuel subsidies for Alberta’s oilsands.Now, as some of you may know, I’m not exactly brimming with Christmas spirit. I mean, it’s a fine time of year. I get to nap, which is alright. But I also work retail, and thus am rather cynical and jaded about the whole deal. However, there are a few things that send a nonironic holiday spark straight to my cold, shrivelled little heart. One of those things is the Christmas Carol. When I was a kid and also now that I’m an adult, the Muppet Christmas Carol was our family Christmas movie. It’s a surprisingly faithful adaptation given that most of the characters are made of felt, and it always makes me smile just a bit. So I pretty much had to get the Dark Christmas Dream collection.
I ordered minis of all the colours, since that’s an option now. I highly approve of this, as I want more colours but I’ve been less drawn towards sample baggies.
I also got two samples, called Well Hell 1 and 2. These are basically “oops” colours, and I think it’s a cute idea to send them out as free samples. I’ve gotten confirmation that they are possibly available for individual purchase if you drop them an e-mail, but since they are mistakes, they are very limited edition.
Alright, first off- there is actually no way to swatch these and show off the proper colours. This one used flash because it was the closest I could get. You will just have to trust me when I tell you that samples of these eyeshadows are what you need in your life.
Spirit Of All Three is a metallic gold with subtle red and green sparkles. It does lean a bit green, but it’s a nice goldy shimmery thing.
Look Upon Me is a grayish blue with a really amazing purple duochrome, or possibly the other way around. Notoriously Morbid, keep doing whatever you are doing with these duochromes because it is making me very happy.
No Warmth Could Warm is a light sky blue with a slight silver sheen to it.
Melancholy One is a metallic silver with a blue duochrome and a very slight hint of orange. It’s another one that is really hard to capture.
Shadow Of Things is a very dark charcoal gray with a true teal duochrome. You can see the base colour a bit better in this photo- it’s really nice and possibly my favourite in the collection.
Stake Of Holly is a spring green with a sort of bluish sheen to it.
Ebenezer, I Release You is a pale pink with a lilac duochrome to it. It isn’t quite as stunning as the other duochromes, but it is still nice.
Well Hell #1 is a reddish pink with a slight gold sparkle.
Well Hell #2 is a light sparkly taupe that looks like it might have been trying to be Kilgharrah at some point in its life.
So, what do I think? Frankly, these colour-changing shadows are among the best duochromes I have ever had the honour to put on my face. I am sort of tempted to buy more with my Sealed Judgement discount, although I know full well I might not use these up. I’d highly recommend them, at least as sample baggies, because there is seriously no way I could capture that in a photo.
Posting might slow down a bit over Christmas. My family wants me to spend time with them, and I’ve got naps to have. Plus I’m working on a huge special review that I should have never started, so that is taking up a bunch of my blogging time. I’ll get back in the game, though, I promise!
AdvertisementsThough it may seem strange in the US, where the question of selling the public on a war is more of an afterthought, in Israel it is serious business. That’s because Israeli civilians fear that an attack on Iran would spawn a retaliatory strike and a major regional war that would have them in the crosshairs.
To that end, Israeli officials continue to downplay the seriousness of that retaliatory strike, with military officials today claiming that if Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas launched a coordinated missile attack across Israel, they would cause “less than 300 Israeli casualties.”
This statement is nothing short of incredible, particularly since Israeli officials often visit the West with stories of Iran’s massive missile arsenal threatening the entire planet. It is the least casualties predicted yet, and a considerable drop-off from the “500 killed” predicted by Ehud Barak as a result of an Iran-only retaliatory strike.
The claims are designed, of course, to convince the average Israeli civilian that they won’t be too likely to be killed in the ensuing war that the government plans to start. Yet the statement must also raise questions about not just the case for war, but why the United States feels to need to hurl billions of dollars in additional weaponry at Israel annually, if the “worst case scenario” is truly so tame.
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On Tuesday, banking regulators finalized one of the most important provisions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law. It’s called the Volcker rule, and it’s supposed to prohibit the high-risk trading by commercial banks that helped cause the financial crisis. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What’s the reason for the new rule? In the run-up to the financial crisis, big banks invested in low-quality mortgage-backed securities. When those over-leveraged bets turned sour, the economy collapsed, and the government had to bail out big financial institutions. The Volcker rule ensures that banks don’t engage in what is called proprietary trading—that is, when a firm trades for its own benefit instead of trading on behalf of its customers. In May 2012, JPMorgan Chase lost $2 billion on a bad trade, which led to calls for a strong Volcker rule.
Why is it called the Volcker rule? The rule is named after Paul Volcker, the chairman of the Federal Reserve in the 1980s, and later an adviser to President Barack Obama. He advocated this change in financial regulation and persuaded the president to back the rule in 2010, when the Dodd-Frank bill was passed.
2010? What took so long? One reason it took three years to finish the rule is that after the legislation was passed, the actual regulation had to be crafted jointly by five banking regulators—the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). That’s a lot of coordination amongst people with different backgrounds and priorities. And during the 2012 campaign, Mitt Romney vowed to repeal Dodd-Frank. So for several months, wait-and-see regulators slowed down devising the details of the rule.
Wall Street lobbying also played a big part in delaying the unveiling of the final rule. The financial industry pushed like mad to get key loopholes into the regulation. “It’s relentless, nonstop, day and night lobbying,” Dennis Kelleher, the president of the financial reform advocacy group Better Markets, said a year ago. “It is absolute total nuclear war that Wall Street is engaged in here.” One loophole Wall Street tried to get written into the regulation would characterize certain forms of risky trading as hedging against risk. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
So who won? Kelleher says financial reformers won; these loopholes were not included. “Today’s finalization of the Volcker rule ban on proprietary trading is a major defeat for Wall Street and a direct attack on the high-risk ‘quick-buck’ culture of Wall Street,” he said in a statement. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the rule would have prevented JPMorgan’s $2 billion trading loss last year. CFTC commissioner Bart Chilton, a fierce Wall Street critic, is happy with the rule. Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of the authors of the Dodd-Frank law, told Mother Jones today, “I have been confident all along that it would be a tough rule. I’ll make one prediction: all of the cries of doom that you’re going to hear from the financial institutions, three years from now will come to about as much validity as the cries of doom we heard about same-sex marriage.”
Obama noted, “Our financial system will be safer and the American people are more secure because we fought to include this protection in the law….I encourage Congress to give these regulators adequate funding to effectively and efficiently implement the rule, which will help protect hardworking families and business owners from future crisis, and restore everyone’s certainty and confidence in America’s dynamic financial system.”
But the success of the rule depends on how it is implemented. Marcus Stanley, the policy director at Americans for Financial reform, says that he’s “lukewarm” on the rule, mostly because a lot hangs on how it is interpreted by banking regulators who supervise compliance. “Whoever is the primary supervisor has enormous discretion about how this [rule] will affect trading,” he says, adding that the final Volcker rule does not include transparency provisions that would allow the public to judge whether banks are complying.
So is financial reform all finished now? No. Proprietary trading contributed to the crisis, but it was not the main cause. Regulators still have other Dodd-Frank provisions to finalize. Wall Street watchdogs have to implement plans to wind down failing banks; finish writing rules governing derivatives trading (which was largely unregulated before the financial crisis); and enforce strong requirements regarding the level of reserves banks must maintain.
What’s next? Wall Street is already preparing to fight the Volcker rule in the courts. The regulation could slash the combined annual profits of the eight largest banks by between $2 billion to $10 billion, according to Standard and Poor’s. “Wall Street’s loophole lawyers and other hired guns will… continue to hit at the rule as if it were a piñata,” Kelleher says.
Additional reporting by Patrick Caldwell.Despite its box office success and multiple Oscar nominations, not everyone is a fan of American Sniper.
Documentary director Michael Moore shared his views Sunday of the Clint Eastwood movie, starring Bradley Cooper, which follows real-life Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's life on and off the battlefield. "My uncle killed by sniper in WW2," the Fahrenheit 9/11 star tweeted. "We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse."
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My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 18, 2015
Meanwhile, Seth Rogen -- who has faced his own controversy with his comedy The Interview -- jokingly made a dig at the biopic, comparing it to the Nazi propaganda film played in Quentin Tarantino's 2009 movie Inglourious Basterds. He tweeted: "American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds."
American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds. — Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 18, 2015
PHOTOS: Oscar Nominees In Photos
Chris Kyle is considered one of the deadliest snipers in U.S. military history and was killed in early 2013 at a Texas shooting range by a former soldier he was mentoring that had PTSD. Despite Moore and Rogen's views on the film, it landed six Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor (Cooper).
Not only that, American Sniper has already set box-office records for a January wide release, pulling in an estimated $105 million over the holiday weekend.
What do you think of Rogen and Moore's reviews of the movie?
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Pregnant Celebs Strip Down & Pose NudeSUNGAI NGIHIS, Indonesia—At dawn, Peter Ellis leads a group of environmentalists heading into the tropical forests near this remote village on the island of Borneo. They drive for hours. They climb mountains and cross rivers. And finally, their eyes lock on what they are looking for—loggers.
But this encounter does not turn into an environmentalists-versus-loggers fight, which happens more often than not. Instead, the environmentalists shake hands with the loggers, greet each other by first name, and walk into the forest together to learn how to cut down trees.
Ellis and his colleagues are doing something unusual—fighting against climate change by helping to improve logging operations. This idea remains controversial in the conservation community, but the Arlington, Va.-based Nature Conservancy, the environmental organization for which Ellis works, believes that it is a realistic strategy for reducing forest carbon emissions in a world where market demand for wood is unlikely to go away.
In theory, trees can lock climate-harmful carbon dioxide into centuries-long storage. But the reality has often been that the prevailing economics simply level forests to make way for mining, farming and other developments. The net result is a level of forest destruction that is causing higher emission levels than all the planes, cars, trucks, ships and trains on Earth combined.
Devastating the once-rich forests in Indonesia has turned it into the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the United States. Data from a 2013 study by the University of Maryland show that at least 700,000 hectares (about 1.8 million acres) of forests is disappearing each year in Indonesia, equivalent to nearly two soccer fields per minute.
Avoiding high-damage operations
Logging is a contributor to such forest losses. But scientists say about half of the damage from logging operations can be avoided. According to a recent study published in the journal Global Change Biology, a quarter of the trees that are cut down by loggers end up abandoned in the forest because they are hollow and therefore have low commercial value.
Some trees are dragged down because loggers don't bother to pre-cut vines that connect treetops. Others are gone due to a lack of thoughtful road planning for trucks operating in the forest.
To ensure that only commercially viable trees are cut down, in 2006, the Nature Conservancy and its partners persuaded the Indonesian government to launch a reduced-impact logging project in East Kalimantan's Berau district, where 40 percent of the remaining forests are planned as commercial logging concessions.
Scientists have spent four years tracking the cause of forest carbon emissions, and the fruit of all that effort now is beginning to reshape the logging operations.
The other day, in a meeting room of a local logging company called Karya Lestari, scientists and company executives discussed how wide the roads should be in timber harvesting areas. Loggers traditionally construct wide roads so that the sun can dry the road easily, preventing trucks from getting stuck in mud during the rainy season. However, the scientific study shows that narrowing the roads from their current width of 32 meters to less than 25 meters can lower the carbon emissions of the entire operation by 10 percent.
"If the road is from east to west, maybe we can use a narrow road. But if it is from south to north, then we will have to make the road wider," one executive said.
"Do you think a drainage system can compensate that effect?" one scientist suggested.
"Then we will need gravel," the executive replied. "The operation will become more expensive, and the working hours will become longer. It is also quite dangerous to have a narrow road, because traffic is frequent."
"We can reduce the width of roads and combine this with traffic controls," another Nature Conservancy specialist said, jumping into the conversation. "We can build passing locations along the roads and let truck drivers communicate with radio or walkie-talkie."
Will many small changes have a cumulative impact?
Similar discussions will happen again and again in the next few months, as the scientists and the company executives seek suitable techniques for a 100-hectare (247-acre) pilot project. The idea is to prove those techniques are climate-friendly while not affecting the volume of timber production. When it's perfected, the company plans to scale it up in other timber harvest areas.
A greener logging practice is badly needed. As Soeylino Soedirman, an adviser to the logging company, explained, "it is driven by market demand. The market wants more responsible forest products, so buyers require sellers to do so."
"Indonesia also has committed to reduce emissions for a certain level. Forestry is the most important sector that helps us achieve the emission reduction target," Soedirman said.
Indonesia has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent using its own funds or as much as 41 percent with the help of international aid. That compares with projected emissions of 2.95 gigatons by 2020 if the nation takes no action.
While the exact amounts of carbon dioxide the reduced-impact logging project will help mitigate remains to be seen, depending on which techniques the company chooses to use, it could lower carbon emissions from the logging operation by at least 30 percent, according to the Nature Conservancy's analysis.
The organization believes the large emissions-reduction potential will lure more logging companies in Indonesia to follow suit. It also hopes to spread the use of reduced-impact logging to other nations. Already, Mexico and Peru are taking steps to replicate the approach in their forestlands.
With nearly one-fifth of the world's tropical forests designated as commercial logging concessions, more than double the area under full protection, the Nature Conservancy says that sustainable logging is a viable complement to strict forest protection, as it retains the majority of biodiversity and carbon stocks.
A'smokescreen' for business as usual?
Not every forest protector agrees. London-based Global Witness, for one, has been lobbying donors since 2009 to prohibit funding for "green activities" related to industrial-scale logging, which threatened to end support for reduced-impact logging and the like. Other environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the Rights and Resources Initiative hold similar positions.
In one report, Greenpeace calls sustainable logging "often a smokescreen for business-as-usual destructive forestry." The organization also questions whether the logging sector, which is profit-driven and riddled with illegalities, can be trusted to deliver real emissions reductions.
Ellis and others who are involved in the reduced-impact logging project in Berau acknowledge that their work cannot eliminate all the forest damage caused by logging. They also agree that a monitoring system will need to be in place to ensure that logging operations will not devastate local communities and ecosystems.
Still, he believes that the benefits of cooperating with loggers overweigh its downsides.
"Forests have a certain degree of resilience," Ellis said. "Obviously, forests that are cleared and turned into palm oil plantations will not grow back. But with time, logged forests have the potential to regrow and maintain their conservation value, if you do logging correctly.
"It is funny that the Nature Conservancy as a conservation organization found itself partnering directly with loggers, but I enjoy that challenge, and I think it is one worth articulating as beneficial in the long run," he added.
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500In the latest reporting by journalist Glenn Greenwald on the U.S. National Security Agency's international surveillance programs, a news story on a Brazilian news show on Sunday night reported that the agency has used its powers to infiltrate the communication systems of presidents in both Mexio and Brazil.
Greenwald, listed as a co-contributor for the Journo O Globo's Sunday evening show Fantastico, said that documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden show that the NSA accessed the email accounts and telephones of both President Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
The original report and segment are available here in Portuguese.
According to Reuters:
"Fantastico" showed what it said was an NSA document dated June 2012 displaying passages of written messages sent by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who was still a candidate at that time. In the messages, Pena Nieto discussed who he was considering naming as his ministers once elected. A separate document displayed communication patterns between Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her top advisers, "Fantastico" said, although no specific written passages were included in the report. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Help Keep Common Dreams Alive Our progressive news model only survives if those informed and inspired by this work support our efforts
Both documents were part of an NSA case study showing how data could be "intelligently" filtered, Fantastico said.
And Agence France-Presse adds:
The NSA said in the document that it was trying to better understand [Rousseff's] methods of communication and interlocutors using a program to access all Internet content the president visited online. Rousseff, who is due to make a state visit to Washington in October, held a working meeting to study the revelations in the Globo report, the channel said. "If these facts prove to be true, it would be unacceptable and could be called an attack on our country's sovereignty," Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo said. The NSA program allows agents to access the entire communications network of the president and her staff, including telephone, Internet and social network exchanges.
_____________________________________________________IN A FIRST, the investigations into the alleged Kerala Islamic State (IS) module has revealed that their ring leader Abdul Rashid used invisible internet project or darknet to communicate with his handler. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) suspects that Kerala-based Rashid—who had allegedly fled to Afghanistan last year along with 20 others to fight alongside the globally banned outfit IS — used the masked internet service to talk to Shafi Armar alias Yusuf, who has been identified as his handler.
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The NIA has stumbled upon this information while investigating a complaint filed by one Abdul Majeed. The latter had approached the agency with a complaint that his son Ashfaque had fled India to join IS after being radicalised by four people, including Rashid. Three others namely Arshi Qureshi, Rizwan Khan, and Mohammad Haneef have already been arrested, and are currently in judicial custody.
While Qureshi was a guest manager of the now banned Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Khan was a volunteer with a Mazgaon-based NGO, Al Birr Foundation. Haneef, on the other hand, was an imam based out of Kerala.
“We interrogated Rashid’s brother in the case. It was then that he revealed Rashid had been using darknet for communication purposes. The brother, however, asserted that Rashid had refused to share any more details regarding the technology he had been using. Since it is difficult to track the digital footprint in the case of darknet, we haven’t been able to retrieve much from the articles seized from his home,” said an official.
A darknet is a computer network with restricted access. It is mainly used for illegal peer-to-peer communication.
In its chargesheet that the agency is likely to file in the said case next month, the NIA will state that Ashfaque was slowly drawn into the IS fold through sustained indoctrination. This included showing him videos of the execution carried out by IS, the articles in IS’s mouth piece Dabiq, and also videos of IS caliphate Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
Sources, however, said they hadnot found evidence to link controversial televangelist and IRF’s founder Zakir Naik. “While Ashfaque was a regular at the IRF office in Dongri we have not found any evidence to link Naik to the case,” said a source. “While the four accused radicalised Ashfaque, there is no common link connecting them,” he added further.
The agency has also recorded the statement of MM Akbar, renowned Islamic preacher and founder of Peace International School in Kochi in connection with the case.
Rashid used to teach at the school. In his statement, Akbar has told the agency that he expelled Rashid after learning that he was conducting ‘jihadi’ training. The probe has also ascertained that Ashfaque funded his travels to Sri Lanka in February and also to Afghanistan in June last year.
“While Majeed had claimed that Qureshi had funded Ashfaque’s travel to Sri Lanka to attend a course on ‘learning Quran’ however during the investigation we found that Ashfaque who managed their family’s motel at Central Mumbai saved Rs 10,000 every month for personal expenses. Through his savings he funded his Sri Lanka and Afghanistan trips,” added the official
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The NIA has also recovered over 500 applications from Khan’s Kalyan home. Most of these applications pertain to conversion. “Khan who worked as a volunteer with Al Birr Foundation helped in documentation work for seekers converting to Islam. While we have recovered a heap of documents from his home, a chunk of it is related to conversion. He operated out of the Esplanade Court in South Mumbai where he used to help seekers make affidavits necessary to convert their religion,” revealed an official.Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during his weekly broadcast "En contacto con Maduro" (In contact with Maduro) in La Victoria, Venezuela November 20, 2016. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday he hopes for an improvement in relations with nemesis the United States after Donald Trump’s White House win, despite last year calling the real estate tycoon a “bandit and thief.”
Since he came to power in 2013, Maduro has railed against the United States, blaming it for being behind an “economic war” which has left the OPEC nation in crisis with triple-digit inflation and major shortages.
Trump said in July that the United States would “end up being Venezuela” if his rival Hillary Clinton were to win the White House. “I hope that during the next presidency of the United States, with Donald Trump, Venezuela will have better relations...and overcome...grave errors committed by George W. Bush which were sadly deepened by (Barack) Obama,” Maduro said in a televised broadcast.
Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chavez infamously called former U.S. President George W. Bush the “devil” at the United Nations a decade ago, when relations were at their nadir.
The two countries have had rocky relations since Chavez became president in 1999 and Venezuela replaced Cuba as Washington’s primary irritant in the region.
Maduro met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Colombia in September. Kerry spoke with Maduro about Venezuela’s “economic and political challenges,” urging him to work with the country’s opposition, according to the U.S. government.Image caption The siblings have their first hospital appointment on 30 April
A woman who was initially denied entry into the UK has arrived in London to donate a kidney to her brother.
The Home Office originally refused Keisha Rushton a visa to help her Hackney-based brother Oliver Cameron, but later reversed its decision.
Arriving in the UK on Saturday, Ms Rushton said: "I am happy I've got the opportunity, after all the struggle, to save my brother's life."
Mr Cameron has kidney failure and undergoes dialysis three times a day.
The pair have their first hospital appointment on 30 April.
'It's a joy'
Described as a "perfect match", Ms Rushton said: "I love life and I love my brother and I'm giving him life."
But Ms Rushton said that when she was originally denied a visa she was "devastated".
"I went back home and I was angry for weeks. I didn't want to talk to my brother because I didn't want to displace my anger to him," she said.
Ms Rushton's application had been refused on the grounds that she may not return to Jamaica after the operation, but the mother of seven said she had no intention of staying in the UK.
Mr Cameron, who is a British citizen, said: "I'm happy because I never gave up.
"I couldn't wait to see my sister when she arrived yesterday. I can't explain how excited we are. It's a joy."Aside from triggering turmoil in Europe, Brexit has exposed the fault lines dividing the U.K.’s four constituent pieces: Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. Add London to the mix, and Brexit makes clear that there’s nothing inevitable about a “United Kingdom” going forward. These five facts explain why.
1. Wales
In Wales, the ‘Leave’ side won with 52.5 percent of the vote. In the grand scheme of things, Wales poses nowhere near the threat that Scotland or North Ireland do to the U.K.—less than 5 percent of Welsh people want to declare independence from Great Britain. For comparison, 18 percent of Texans say they’d like to declare independence from the U.S. as recently as 2009.
Read More: Nicola Sturgeon Wants Scotland to Remain in the E.U.—But the E.U. Isn’t Sure
As for its attitudes toward the E.U., the irony is that Wales receives more payout from Brussels than it puts in—a net benefit estimated at $325 million per year. E.U. funding has created 36,970 new jobs for Welsh workers, and has helped more than 556,000 Welsh into work training. And the E.U.’s funding—$5.8 billion to the United Kingdom—sustain many projects and communities throughout the U.K. Whoever inherits the government will inherit a lot of communities with E.U.-sized expectations; it will be difficult to deliver on them all, especially with the recession that Brexit may well trigger.
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(BBC (a), Financial Times, Huffington Post, ITV, BBC (b), The Guardian)
2. Northern Ireland
Like Wales, Northern Ireland depends on the E.U. for significant subsidies—nearly 90 percent of its farmers’ incomes come from E.U. coffers. Unlike Wales, North Ireland decided not to bite the hand that feeds, voting to Remain with 55.8 percent of the vote. But Northern Ireland has more at stake than financial concerns.
Read More: Why Brexit Means Scottish Independence Is Off The Table—For Now
A brief history: Predominantly-Catholic Ireland originally ‘exited’ the U.K. back in the 1920s, while predominantly Protestant Northern Ireland remained part of the U.K.. But Northern Ireland still has a sizeable Catholic community that continued to push hard for Irish reunification. After decades of violence, a peace was in place by the late 1990s. Crucially, because both the U.K. and Ireland were members of the E.U., there was no real need for borders between Ireland and Northern Ireland, once a flashpoint for violence. The Brexit vote has put that in jeopardy.
Sinn Fein, the pro-Irish reunification party, has already called for a referendum on reunification. Fortunately for the U.K., demographics are working against reunification at the moment, because polls suggest older voters are less supportive. But in another 10 or 15 years…
(Deutsche Welle, BBC, Al Jazeera)
Read More: The Brexit Vote Heralds a Return to the Grim 1930s for the Liberal World Order
3. Scotland
Scotland is a much more immediate flight risk. It not even two years since Scotland voted to ‘Remain’ part of the U.K. with a stronger-than-it-sounds 55 percent of the vote. It helped in 2014 that the Scots are staunchly pro-European—62 percent voted ‘Remain’ in the Brexit referendum—and voting to leave the U.K. would have meant leaving the E.U. The irony that the U.K. has now voted itself out—and the Scots along with them—has not been lost on Edinburgh (74 percent ‘Remain’). In a snap poll commissioned by The Sunday Times, 52 percent of Scots say they would vote to Leave the U.K. in a new referendum.
The number might be higher, but economic realities make another Scottish referendum unlikely at this point. An independent Scotland would rely heavily on oil sales to fund its economy, to the tune of nearly 20 percent. In June 2014, oil sold at $115 per barrel; today it sells at less than $50.
(BBC (a), BBC (b), Al Jazeera, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Bloomberg)
4. England
At the end of the day, the Brexit vote was decided in England, which makes up 84 percent of the U.K.’s overall population of 64.1 million (Northern Ireland = 2.9 percent; Scotland = 8.3 percent, Wales = 4.8 percent). Both migration and control of finances are legitimate concerns, and longstanding ones for the U.K.—outgoing PM David Cameron even renegotiated the U.K.’s membership in the E.U. a few months ago to better address them. It was not enough to placate the English, who voted to Leave at 53.4 percent.
But outside London, England has numerous communities that have been propped up by EU funding and subsidies. Cornwall is a county of 500,000 people that depends on $80 million a year from Brussels, but 56 percent of the county voted to Leave. Like Wales, it was only the day after the vote that the head of Cornwall’s Council scrambled to receive assurances—in writing this time—that Cornwall would continue to see this money. The U.K. could have survived Wales voting with its heart instead of its head; England in another matter.
(Office of National Statistics, BBC, The Washington Post)
5. London
Then there is London, an island of pro-European sentiment within an English sea of anti-E.U. anger. It’s no surprise that 60 percent of Londoners voted to Remain. London makes up just 12.5 percent of the U.K.’s overall population, but it’s responsible for 22 percent of the U.K.’s overall GDP thanks in no small part to its connections to the broader European economy. Also, London is home to 37 percent of those who live in the U.K. but were born abroad.
The real Brexit process, which will include negotiations with European leaders about the future U.K.-E.U. relationship, won’t begin until the fall. But it’s clear that Brexit has already given two constituencies with historical grievances more incentive to look beyond life in the U.K. Some decisions should be taken with the long game in mind. As we’ve just been reminded, that’s a perspective that voters don’t always bear in mind.
(BBC (a), BBC (b), House of Commons Library)
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1. Free. This free online political coordinates test is delivered to you free of charge and will allow you to obtain your coordinates on two major political dimensions, relegating you to one of the four major quadrants that are commonly seen in Western democracies.
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Conservatives in North Carolina want to know where Thom Tillis Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisGOP Sen. Tillis to vote for resolution blocking Trump's emergency declaration The Hill's Morning Report — Emergency declaration to test GOP loyalty to Trump Don’t look for House GOP to defy Trump on border wall MORE is.
The Republican front-runner to face Sen. Kay Hagan Kay Ruthven HaganNC state senator meets with DSCC as Dems eye challenge to Tillis GOP, Dems locked in fight over North Carolina fraud probe 2020 Dems compete for top campaign operatives MORE (D-N.C.) has been ducking the GOP base, subsequently angering some conservative activists whose support he’ll need to win a crowded primary election to even face the Democrat this fall.
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The current state Speaker of the House has skipped four candidate forums with his primary opponents, infuriating Tea Party activists as well as some more establishment Republicans, who simply want to get to know the candidate.
The Republican’s strategy of avoiding his lesser-known opponents is one front-runners often employ, with mixed results. By seemingly bypassing his primary challengers and focusing exclusively on Hagan — as his first TV ad did — Tillis is seeking to cement his image as the inevitable nominee and avoid risking any gaffes in front of Tea Party audiences with the cameras rolling.
But some in the Tar Heel State say that strategy, coupled with a growing field and increasingly splintered primary, could backfire on Tillis. He is trying to win over enough of the GOP base to lock down the primary without alienating the independents and centrist Republicans he’d need to defeat Hagan.
“He has high negatives with the primary voters, and they get higher every time we see an empty chair at these forums. It shows he’s not willing to take the time to talk to us and explain his views,” said Sharon Hudson, a co-founder of the Lake Norman Conservatives, whose candidate forum Tillis skipped on Thursday.
“The activists and primary voters in North Carolina are used to being able to see our candidates and talk to them,” the Tea Party leader continued. “He thinks it’s in his best interest not to go to forums. It’s clearly his strategy, but I think there’s a good chance it could backfire.”
Hudson said she’s supported and volunteered for Tillis in past campaigns but had a falling out with him over his push to create toll roads in the state. She hasn’t committed to any of the other candidates in the race but said all of Tillis’s opponents are more appealing than he is.
Tillis’s decision to skip these early candidate forums could prove to be a wise one, though. The anti-establishment primary field is splintered between a number of candidates, and by not attending, he takes away their ability to elevate themselves by drawing him into conflict.
His main rivals are Dr. Greg Brannon (R), a Tea Party favorite who is backed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and FreedomWorks; and the Rev. Mark Harris (R), a favorite of social conservatives who is supported by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and led the push to ban gay marriage in North Carolina.
Primary polls show a wide-open race, though Tillis had a slight lead in a recent survey by Public Policy Polling, a North Carolina-based Democratic firm. If no candidate gets 40 percent of the vote in the May 6 primary, the top two finishers will go to a July 15 runoff, something Tillis’s campaign is trying to avoid because of the cost of additional campaigning.
Hagan is a top Republican target, and most public polls show a tight race between her and her potential opponents. But some Republicans are worried a bruising primary could hurt Tillis, sapping him of resources and forcing him to run to the right to secure the nomination. Hagan has a big cash edge, with $6.8 million in the bank to Tillis’s $1.3 million. Tillis has much more in the bank than his primary foes, however.
It’s no shock that Tillis has avoided some of these forums. Three of the four events he’s skipped have been organized by Tea Party activists and attended mostly by movement conservatives who aren’t the natural sweet spot for the Republican businessman. The Lake Norman Conservatives event, for instance, was moderated by a conservative blogger who has repeatedly attacked Tillis in his writing and has protested outside his events.
Tillis’s pattern of avoiding activists’ events and focusing more on TV advertising and interviews with media outlets in the state could help him avoid any missteps that could haunt him in the general election. But it also leaves him open to charges that he’s refusing to talk to a critical bloc within the GOP — and his failure to attend a forum hosted by the Forsyth County Republican Party, an official part of the state party, even triggered anger from some more establishment Republicans.
Forsyth County Republican Party Chairman Scott Cumbie blasted Tillis for not showing up at the event, even rebuking him in his introductory remarks.
“You’ll notice that at the end of the row, there is an empty seat. We have a sixth candidate that chose not to join us tonight,” he said at the mid-January event, saying he’d reached out months in advance to plan a time that would work for everyone and hadn’t heard from Tillis’s campaign until just days beforehand that he wouldn’t attend.
Tillis’s campaign manager said he’s missed the events because of scheduling conflicts and promised he’ll attend some with the other candidates before the May primary.
“A lot of this is just making sure the schedule works, trying to determine what kind of scheduling process we can get into to make some events work. We’ll look at making sure the events we do commit to have an ability to reach a broad range of voters, whether that’s through traditional media or otherwise. We’re going to try to target certain events that are associated with sanctioned Republican Party groups,” Tillis campaign manager Jordan Shaw told The Hill.
“We’ve said from day one we believe Thom Tillis’s record of conservative results appeals to every conservative in North Carolina, and we’re executing a strategy based on that. We’re talking to conservatives across the state,” Shaw continued. “We’re trying to make decisions now based on scheduling and strategy. There will be some we go to. We have to put our campaign, from a strategic and scheduling position, in the best possible position.”
If Tillis ramps up his outreach to conservatives and attends more events, he could smooth over some of the simmering tensions. But until he does so, he’s letting his opponents attack him without a response — many of them, especially Brannon, have ripped him at the forums for not showing up.
“There’s some real risk to this,” said Michael Bitzer, a professor at Catawba College in North Carolina. “The people who will show up to vote in the primary are the partisans, the intensely motivated individuals. And if he’s not addressing that core base, who is he addressing? Because the other candidates are.”LEGO Dimensions – Knight Rider Fun Pack Gameplay Overview Share:
The Knight Rider Fun Pack for LEGO Dimensions launched in Australia last week, which unlocks a variety of new Knight Rider-themed content including, of course, a talking K.I.T.T. vehicle. Since this is only a Fun Pack, it doesn’t provide any new story content, but it does give you access to a Knight Rider Adventure World that you can roam around and a Knight Rider Battle Arena in which you can play against 4 AI or players in 4 different local multiplayer modes.
Michael Knight’s not an overly interesting character – he doesn’t possess any unique abilities, and those abilities he does possess are also in the ability pools of more useful characters. He does, however, have some pretty funny David Hasselhoff references in his dialogue. The real character of the pack is K.I.T.T., the talking car from the show. He talks just like a proper character, and has some great interactions with the game’s cast – he tells Batman that he and the Batmobile are old friends, and mentions to Doc Brown that while Doc might not need roads, K.I.T.T. would much prefer if they had them. K.I.T.T. can also be upgraded into the Goliath Armoured Semi and the K.I.T.T. Jet (no Knight Boat, unfortunately) and between his three forms he has a useful pool of abilities like lasers, electricity and flight. Michael has some humorous interactions when K.I.T.T. transforms, freaking out when K.I.T.T. suddenly becomes a semi-truck or a jet.
The Knight Rider world contains a number of puzzles and challenges for you to complete, with a bigger focus on vehicles and combat than other worlds. Each of the new worlds contains its own signature type of collectible scattered across the map – Knight Rider‘s is a set of billboards that you need to smash through with your vehicle. The world also contains a series of quests given to you by characters in the show, and they’re much more unique and engaging than those of most other worlds. Instead of the usual character escorts and item-gathering you get to do things like compete in a stunt show and drive K.I.T.T. into the back of the F.L.A.G. semi-truck that roams around the map. You can watch these quests below.
Aside from the Adventure World, there’s also the Knight Rider Battle Arena. This arena looks deceptively small, because while at first it appears to only be a small city block, it turns out you can break through the roadblocks at the ends of the streets to open up some roads in the nearby mountains where you can have some exciting car chases against other players. The main hazards of this arena are some speeding cars who drive recklessly around the main streets – get hit by them and you’ll be taken out. Each player’s base has a few entrances, but some of these open and shut at different intervals so you might need to change your route. Once you’ve broken in you can take the risky route across the bouncy pool toys or walk around the longer way – but watch out, your opponents might have activated the defensive turrets!
The Knight Rider arena is available in all four Battle Arena modes – Capture the Flag, Objective, Tic Tag Boom and Base Bash. You can watch it be played in each of these below.
Capture the Flag
Objective
Tic, Tag, Boom!
Base Bash
So while this pack doesn’t open any new story levels, it’s definitely one of the more satisfying packs in Year 2. The more engaging quests and the vehicle-focused design of the world and battle arena makes for some fresher gameplay. K.I.T.T. is a delight to play as because of his interactions with other characters, but Michael’s a bit of a dud and is only really there because each franchise needs a minifigure.
Like this: Like Loading...Most of the time, candidates in primary campaigns don’t disagree on major issues, so they have to find the points of difference and accentuate them. That’s what Hillary Clinton is doing now with Bernie Sanders on the issue of taxes, in a way that simultaneously runs to his left and to his right.
On one hand, she’s standing as the protector of the middle class. But on the other, she’s doing it in a way that accepts some conservative premises about taxes.
Here’s what the disagreement is about:
Three days after the fairly cordial second Democratic debate, Clinton’s campaign is mounting an attack against Sen. Bernie Sanders for proposals to raise taxes on the middle class that were part of the national single-payer health care bills he introduced in Congress. “Bernie Sanders has called for a roughly 9-percent tax hike on middle-class families just to cover his health-care plan,” said Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon, referring to legislation Sanders introduced in 2013, “and simple math dictates he’ll need to tax workers even more to pay for the rest of his at least $18-20 trillion agenda. If you are truly concerned about raising incomes for middle-class families, the last thing you should do is cut their take-home pay right off the bat by raising their taxes.”
Clinton is using that 2013 legislation because Sanders has yet to release updated details of either his health care plan or how he’d pay for it. Sanders is also putting off a speech he had planned to give explaining his vision of democratic socialism, which could be because now that the primary campaign is competitive, he’s wary of alienating moderate Dems by emphasizing his leftist bona fides (but who knows; there could be other reasons).
In any case, there is a genuine division here: Sanders is willing to broadly raise taxes to pay for the programs he supports, while Clinton has adopted the same pledge she and Barack Obama did in 2008: no tax increases for anyone making under $250,000 a year.
As a campaign strategem, the appeal of that kind of pledge is clear. It reassures the bulk of voters that their tax bills won’t go up. It mitigates the effect of the inevitable Republican attacks that the Democrat is a tax-raisin’ tax-raiser who wants to raise your taxes. It’s a popular soak-the-rich message. And it doesn’t take long to explain. But it also starts from a perspective on taxes that is fundamentally conservative.
There’s a simple reason Democrats, with the exception of Obama, have tended to avoid pledges like this one: they’re the party that favors activist government, which often involves spending money, and that money has to come from somewhere. The more ambitious your program, the more taxes you’ll need to pay for it, and there may not be enough money available only from increasing taxes on the wealthy. Pledging to never raise taxes on a majority of Americans will tie your hands.
Which is exactly what happened to Obama. While he violated his promise in some small ways (there are middle class people who will pay the Affordable Care Act’s tax on tanning facilities), he’s been constrained by that pledge from supporting things he otherwise would have. For instance, while he favors paid family leave, he hasn’t supported any specific legislation to accomplish it, because the plans that are out there require broad-based taxes to fund them. Clinton’s plans for new programs were always going to be less sweeping than Sanders’ were, but she may find herself similarly constrained later.
Furthermore, on a philosophical level, a pledge never to raise taxes on the middle class runs against the liberal view of taxation. Liberals believe we ought to have a progressive system where those with higher incomes pay more, but they also believe there isn’t anything fundamentally unfair about being forced to pay taxes. Taxes pay for things we value, both collectively and individually. They pay for parks and roads and food inspectors and the military and schools and the courts and the safety net and all kinds of other things that we each benefit from directly and indirectly. In the liberals’ perfect world, everyone would feel about paying their taxes the way we do about making a tuition payment for our kids’ college or paying for that new iPhone: we’d surely rather pay less, but we’re also willing to spend the money because it gives us something we value.
That’s where Sanders’ reply to Clinton comes from: Yes, he argues, people would have to pay more taxes to fund a single-payer health plan, but it isn’t like they’d get nothing in return. They’d get health coverage. And given that every single-payer system in the world is dramatically less expensive than the American health insurance system, they’d almost certainly save money in the end, paying less in new taxes than they’d save on the insurance premiums they would no longer be paying.
But it’s hard for him to make that case if he isn’t going to be specific about exactly what his health care plan would look like and which taxes would have to be raised, and on whom, to fund it. That enables Clinton to give middle-class voters a simple message: He’ll raise your taxes, I won’t. If history is any guide, that’s likely to be pretty persuasive. But she’ll have to live with the consequences if she becomes president.Is a low income or prolonged unemployment truly cause for financial stress? According to one study, not really. In some states, public assistance programs, or welfare, could pay more than full-time, minimum-wage jobs.
Cato Institute’s 2013 Work Versus Welfare Trade-Off study totaled the welfare benefits offered in each state and compared that value with the wages workers would need to earn in order to have an equivalent take-home income. Cato found for long-term dependents, welfare actually pays pretty well. The study examined the package for a single mother with two children, who could use programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps); Medicaid; housing assistance; utility assistance; and Women, Infants, and Children.
The results? Recipients of this assistance earned more than the average pre-tax, first-year wage for a teacher in 11 states and more than the starting wage for a secretary in 39 states. This means welfare beneficiaries could make a better living off public assistance programs than they would working full-time jobs at minimum wage in many states — prompting the study to infer that many are likely to choose welfare over work should this trend continue.
But we took the results of this report a bit further to see which states have the biggest gap between the hourly minimum wage equivalent welfare recipients get and the state-mandated amount. When broken down into an hourly wage equivalent, we found the welfare package exceeded minimum-wage jobs in 34 states, as of their 2017 minimum wages. On the other hand, in states, such as Maine, Texas, Florida, and Mississippi, working a minimum-wage job was more profitable than a welfare package. But they’re really just outliers.
Unfortunately, the pay gaps are larger than you could ever imagine. Here are the top 15 states where welfare recipients are paid more than minimum wage. (Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina were omitted from The Cheat Sheet’s analysis, as they do not currently have state-mandated minimum wages.)
15. Pennsylvania: $6.53 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $29,817
: $29,817 Pre-tax wage equivalent: $28,670
$28,670 Hourly wage equivalent : $13.78
$13.78 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $7.25
Imagine if your employer gave you a $6 per hour pay increase for your time and effort on the job. It’s safe to say that raise would be pretty significant. Pennsylvania residents see the same discrepancy between hourly welfare payout equivalents and the statewide minimum wage. In fact, those who receive public assistance are paid $6.53 more than those working full-time, minimum-wage jobs, according to Cato and the National Conference of State Legislatures wage data.
Next: One of the Dakotas pays a lot in welfare-assistance programs.
14. North Dakota: $6.61 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $30,681
: $30,681 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $28,830
: $28,830 Hourly wage equivalent: $13.86
$13.86 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $7.25
North Dakota has seen success as a state with one of the highest gross domestic products per capita and a low unemployment rate of 2.5%, as of May 2017. Even those on welfare seem to benefit financially from the state’s success, as the hourly welfare payout equivalent is $6.61 per hour higher than the statewide minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Next: A Western state where welfare recipients are paid over $7 more than minimum wage
13. Nevada: $7.09 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $31,409
: $31,409 Pre-tax wage equivalent: $29,820
$29,820 Hourly wage equivalent: $14.34
$14.34 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $7.25 ($8.25 with no health benefits)
We continue our westward journey to the next state with the biggest welfare and minimum wage pay gap. Nevada’s statewide minimum wage is no higher than the national wage of $7.25 for jobs with health benefits. But welfare recipients are receiving over $7 more in wage equivalencies than those earning minimum wage. Does this substantial assistance benefit deter recipients from ever entering the workforce? Only time will tell.
Next: This state has a high minimum wage that’ll just keep rising.
12. California: $7.37 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package: $35,287
$35,287 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $37,160
: $37,160 Hourly wage equivalent : $17.87
: $17.87 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $10.50
California was one of 19 states to raise the minimum wage in 2017. It currently resides at $10.50 and will increase until it reaches $15 in 2022. Much to the chagrin of other low-wage fully employed workers, residents who are on welfare in this Western state see a $7.37 hourly difference between welfare and minimum wage payouts.
Next: An East Coast state where welfare outweighs work
11. Maryland: $9.10 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $35,672
: $35,672 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $38,160
: $38,160 Hourly wage equivalent : $18.35
: $18.35 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $9.25
Maryland is another Northern state where welfare pays more than minimum wage. And even though its unemployment numbers are keeping close tabs on the national rate at 4.2%, Cato’s theory that collecting welfare is easier than working could be accurate in this instance. Here, there is a $9.10 discrepancy between money earned by working a minimum-wage job and receiving a welfare package.
Next: Even Vermont’s higher minimum wage doesn’t cut it.
10. Vermont: $10.36 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $37,705
: $37,705 Pre-tax wage equivalent: $42,350
$42,350 Hourly wage equivalent : $20.36
: $20.36 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $10
Vermont offers a minimum wage higher than most of its neighboring states, so why would some choose not to work? Americans on welfare in Vermont can earn over $20 per hour based on the pre-tax wage equivalent of their assistance benefits. That equates to a $10.36 per hour difference — more than double — the earnings for residents working minimum-wage jobs in the state.
Next: Wyoming is stingy with the welfare, but it still makes a difference.
9. Wyoming: $10.53 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package: $33,119
$33,119 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $32,620
: $32,620 Hourly wage equivalent : $15.68
: $15.68 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $5.15
Wyoming offers one of the lowest welfare benefits packages on this list. However, residents here can still earn more than the proposed $15 national minimum wage many Americans want. Wyoming’s minimum wage is a low $5.15 ($7.25 federal minimum wage applies), but welfare payouts still provide over $10.53 more than those who work full-time, minimum-wage jobs.
Next: A tiny state with a big welfare gap
8. Rhode Island: $11.23 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $38,632
: $38,632 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $43,330
: $43,330 Hourly wage equivalent : $20.83
: $20.83 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $9.60
The tiniest state in the country has one of the biggest differences between welfare and minimum wage payouts — an $11.23 per hour difference to be exact. To put the wage gap in perspective, those on welfare could earn more per hour than median hourly wages for auto mechanics and human resources assistants.
Next: Connecticut is in a similar situation.
7. Connecticut: $11.23 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package: $38,761
$38,761 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $44,370
: $44,370 Hourly wage equivalent : $21.33
: $21.33 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $10.10
In terms of pay gaps, Connecticut and Rhode Island are pretty similar. They both have an $11.23 per hour difference between welfare and minimum-wage payouts. However, Connecticut’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average at 4.9%. It also offers a slightly larger welfare package, making it the state with the seventh largest welfare and minimum wage discrepancy.
Next: The pay difference in the Big Apple is substantial.
6. New York: $11.31 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $38,004
: $38,004 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $43,700
: $43,700 Hourly wage equivalent: $21.01
$21.01 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $9.70
New York’s minimum wage varies across the state, depending on geographic location and employer size. Residents in New York City can earn a minimum wage as high as $13, where others only earn $9.70 per hour. Regardless, welfare recipients in the state could earn $11.31 more than minimum-wage workers.
Next: Yet another New England state
5. New Hampshire: $11.86 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $37,160
: $37,160 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $39,750
: $39,750 Hourly wage equivalent : $19.11
: $19.11 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $7.25
Although its neighbor to the north, Maine, is the only New England state where welfare recipients are actually paid less than minimum wage, New Hampshire residents are another story entirely. In fact, the Cato data shows this state has the fifth largest pay gap between minimum wage and welfare at $11.86 per hour.
Next: The nation’s capital
4. Washington, D.C.: $11.93 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package: $43,099
$43,099 Pre-tax wage equivalent: $50,820
$50,820 Hourly wage equivalent : $24.43
: $24.43 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $12.50
Washington, D.C., is no stranger to financial “best of” and “worst of” lists. With such a high cost of living, its welfare package for a single mom with two children is one of the top in the country. But when accounting for the difference between the welfare and minimum-wage payouts, those receiving public assistance can earn nearly $12 more than those working full-time, minimum-wage jobs.
Next: What’s with New Jersey?
3. New Jersey: $12.45 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $38,728
: $38,728 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $43,450
: $43,450 Hourly wage equivalent: $20.89
$20.89 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $8.44
New Jersey cracks the top three states with large welfare and minimum wage gaps. The state has dealt with its fair share of financial woes, yet its public assistance pay gap remains untouched. Minimum-wage workers earn $8.44 per hour, but those on welfare could receive $20.89 per hour. This equates to a whopping $12.45 per hour pay difference.
Next: A significant pay gap in Massachusetts
2. Massachusetts: $13.30 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $42,515
: $42,515 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $50,540
: $50,540 Hourly wage equivalent : $24.30
: $24.30 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $11
We round out our tour of the Northeast with Massachusetts. Its $11 minimum wage is one of the higher wages on this list, but both Cato and the national wage data make it pretty clear welfare pays more than minimum wage here. And while a $13.30 payout difference is quite substantial, it’s nowhere near the discrepancy in our No. 1 state.
Next: The state where welfare recipients earn the most money
1. Hawaii: $19.88 per hour difference
Total welfare benefits package : $49,175
: $49,175 Pre-tax wage equivalent : $60,590
: $60,590 Hourly wage equivalent: $29.13
$29.13 State hourly minimum wage for 2017: $9.25
The biggest discrepancy between welfare and minimum-wage payouts is seen in Hawaii with an astonishing gap of $19.88. Not only do residents receive nearly $50,000 in welfare aid, the hourly equivalent is comparable to the national median salary of an electrical engineering technician. But it’s best to note that the high cost of living in this state could distort the data. Regardless, such a high discrepancy between working and welfare is pretty hard to dismiss.
Follow Lauren on Twitter @la_hamer
More from The Cheat Sheet:North Korea has said it does not "wish for a war but shall not hide from it" as the country lambasted American officials for stepping up their threats and military assertions in the Korean peninsula.
The North Korean foreign ministry said recent developments, massive aerial drills and remarks made by high-ranking US authorities, indicate Washington is inching towards provoking a full-fledged conflict against Pyongyang.
A spokesman for the ministry said the "confrontational warmongering" by US officials cannot be interpreted in any way other than the US' preparations for a war against the North.
"We do not wish for a war but shall not hide from it, and should the US miscalculate our patience and light the fuse for a nuclear war, we will surely make the US dearly pay the consequences with our mighty nuclear force which we have consistently strengthened," said the spokesman, according to a report carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"The large-scale nuclear war exercises conducted by the US in succession are creating touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula and series of violent war remarks coming from the US high-level politicians amid such circumstances have made an outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula an established fact," said the spokesman, "The remaining question now is: when will the war break out."
The North was referring to the ongoing massive aerial drills jointly conducted by the US and South Korea during when more than 230 warplanes are being mobilised as a show of force against the reclusive Kim Jong-un regime.
Top US authorities have also issued strong warnings in recent days after the defiant North launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 29 November. While the US National Security Adviser HR McMaster said the possibility of an all-out war with North Korea is "increasing every day", CIA chief Mike Pompeo warned Kim is in a precarious position.
Responding to the US warnings, the North, known for its bellicose rhetoric, said: "If the US does not want to be burnt to death by the fire it ignites, it would better behave with prudence and caution."Yangel Herrera has been called up by Venezuela for the U20 World Cup which kicks off in South Korea on May 20.
The NYCFC midfielder, who made his first start and scored his first goal for the club on Saturday, has been selected in the 21-player squad for the tournament.
Venezuela will face off against Germany, Vanautu and Mexico in Group B of the competition after qualifying through the South American Championships in February after a third place finish.
Herrera had a full debut to remember on Saturday against Columbus Crew SC, assisting and scoring in a dramatic 3-2 comeback win.
He will join up with his international teammates following NYCFC’s game against Atlanta United on Sunday May 7 and return at the conclusion of Venezuela’s tournament.
That means Yangel will definitely miss NYCFC’s road games at Dallas, Real Salt Lake and Orlando.
READ: Spotlight on Yangel Herrera vs. Columbus Crew SC.
Qualifying at the expense of Brazil, this Venezuela age-group is considered one of the promising in decades and hopes are high that Yangel and his teammates can advance through the group stages.
We’ll let you know how Herrera fares in South Korea here on NYCFC.com.By Colt Rosensweig
Every week, it seems, a news channel will run a segment on so-called “fake service dogs”—otherwise known as, well, pets. These segments tend to turn into a tutorial on how to abuse the service dog system in the United States. And they provoke a knee-jerk reaction from many members of the public.
“There should be certification of these dogs!”
“We need tighter regulations on service dogs!”
“Why don’t handlers carry around ID cards that prove their dog is a service dog?”
“Real service dogs only come from programs; if we just eliminate owner-training, no one will be able to pass their pet off as a service dog!”
While these proposed solutions may sound good on their face, they are actually quite problematic. They are also directly opposed to the regulations and intentions put forward in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Law: What defines a service dog
The rights of people with disabilities are specially protected by both federal (the Americans with Disabilities Act) and state laws. For the purposes of this article, I will primarily focus on federal law, as it relates to service dogs.
The ADA states that “a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.” This law is intentionally designed to provide the broadest possible protection for disabled people. It is important to note that the ADA does not require:
A service dog to be trained by a program. Service dogs can be trained by anyone, including the disabled handler him or herself. A service dog to be a particular size or breed. Many service dog tasks don’t necessitate a large dog—small dogs can perform signal alert or seizure response tasks, for example, just as well or better than a large dog. Breed specific legislation does not apply to service dogs. A dog of any breed or mix who has the ability and aptitude for the work can be a service dog. Specific types of collars to be used on a service dog. Service dogs may work in whatever equipment a handler deems optimal, be that a flat buckle collar, check chain, prong collar, head collar, or any other piece of equipment. A service dog to wear any identifying vest, harness, or other markers. Some dogs wear harnesses as part of their job (such as a guide dog), and many wear vests as a courtesy to the general public and/or to signal the dog when it is work time. This is entirely up to the handler.
The ADA also specifically notes that emotional support and companionship are not considered tasks. These are happy bonuses of having a service dog, but if these are all that the dog provides, that means the dog is a pet. No person, disabled or otherwise, has the right under federal law to bring a pet into no-pet areas.
The Law: The rights of businesses
In addition to being trained to mitigate their handler’s disability, a service dog also must be trained to behave professionally in public. The dog must also be leashed or tethered in some way unless that interferes with the dog’s ability to do a task. There is no written code of conduct or etiquette for service dogs, largely because each service dog’s job can vary so much from another’s. However, there are several behaviors that no service dog should ever engage in while working in public.
A business has the legal right (and, many handlers would say, the obligation) to have a dog removed from the premises if:
The dog is out of control and the handler takes no steps to control it. The dog is not housebroken. The dog poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others.
It is important to note that all of these are behavioral requirements. These apply to all dogs. This means that regardless of who did the dog’s training, where it came from, whether the handler is obviously disabled, what kind of vest it is wearing, and so on, a dog who behaves in such a manner can and should be removed from the business.
Why is this so important? Because while training certifications, special patches, I.D. cards, and other such items of gear can be obtained by almost anyone, behavior cannot be faked. A pet will nearly always give itself away as such by behaving in ways no service dog would ever be permitted to do.
Businesses are also allowed to ask the handler two questions, if it’s not obvious what the service dog’s job is. Businesses can ask 1) if the dog is a service dog, and 2) what the dog is trained to do. This does not mean the business may pry into the details of the handler’s disability. Many handlers will be intentionally vague when asked the second question, especially if they have a psychiatric disability, since such disabilities often carry an unfortunate amount of social stigma. Once these questions have been answered appropriately, the business must allow the handler and dog access unless the dog misbehaves in one of the ways described above.
Unwritten Rules: Common service dog etiquette
Thanks to a new, more comprehensive FAQ published by the Department of Justice this summer, not all of these unwritten rules remain unwritten. Still, the “rules” I’m about to list are not a point of universal agreement among handlers. And there are always exceptions to these rules, especially when a dog is engaged in a task.
Generally, a service dog should be focused on his handler and his job. He shouldn’t be sniffing merchandise excessively, or soliciting attention from strangers. He should ignore food as well as people trying to attract his attention.
Service dogs should keep “four on the floor,” unless it is unsafe for them to do so, or they need to do a task. For example, while it may be safe most of the time for a very small service dog to walk at heel like a large dog, in a thick crowd it is safer for the handler to carry or sling the dog. A service dog should stay under the table while in a restaurant, but if her handler starts to have a panic attack, it is perfectly acceptable for her to get up and perform deep pressure therapy while across her handler’s lap. Service dogs should not be sitting on restaurant chairs or booths, or riding in shopping carts.
Service dogs should not pull their handlers willy-nilly while on leash; even while pulling in harness, the dog should be well-controlled. This doesn’t mean that all service dogs must walk in a perfect heel. But generally, a service dog should move easily with the handler without pulling. Much of the time, a dog yanking its owner around is a pet. However, some service dogs have been taught to take charge in situations where their handler is unable to do so. If a handler becomes overwhelmed, the dog may have been taught to take her to a safe place or a specific person. This can sometimes look like the dog is pulling. It’s usually not too hard to tell the difference between a focused service
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to time."
Contacted last week, it initially declined to say whether it planned to keep the house, but in response to further Reuters queries said its ownership of the property was being reviewed.
"AMR can confirm that it's a property it purchased in the 1990s when property values were lower," the airline said.
"However, as we work through our Chapter 11 reorganization, we are focused on achieving a competitive cost and debt structure and will, of course, review our use and ownership of this and all our real estate as part of that process."
A union representing 30,000 workers at American Airlines and American Eagle expressed outrage over the property.
"In the current economic downturn, many Americans have lost their houses. In this bankruptcy, AMR's executives should lose their house," said James C. Little, president of the 200,000-member Transport Workers Union of America, which is on the airline's creditors' committee.
"However, the typical pattern for this company is workers keep it afloat through concessions, bring in outside work and boost productivity while managers pocket hundreds of millions in bonuses and live posh lifestyles. This would have been Marie Antoinette's favorite airline."
Many large companies own or rent property for executives posted overseas, though AMR's filing lays considerable stress on efforts to cut costs before filing for bankruptcy.
In its request for Chapter 11 protection, AMR said it had already shed billions of dollars in cumulative annual costs over the past 8 years to cope with the "relentless pressures of ever intensifying competition and rising fuel prices."
The airline said it had pursued "every effort short of Chapter 11 to reform its cost structure."
DISCREET ENCLAVE
Lined by cars such as Porsches and Range Rovers, Cottesmore Gardens in west London is a quiet side street.
The airline's house would be worth between 12.5 million pounds and 16 million pounds if it came to the market today depending on the internal state of repair, said Kit Allen, a director of house sales at property consultancy Savills.
A source at international real estate group Knight Frank said the house could fetch as much as 20 million pounds.
"This is a very discreet enclave that is ideal for high-profile residents wanting to live in relative anonymity," said the source, who asked not to be named.
The street houses a private school and the most recent electoral records show the Cottesmore Gardens set includes an earl, the former chief executive of one of Europe's largest companies and a prominent former investment banker.
Disgraced Canadian media tycoon Conrad Black was a neighbor until 2005 when he reportedly sold for 13 million pounds.
A Reuters reporter who visited the property on December 1, found no one at home. A few steps lead up to imposing black double doors below a renovated facade in immaculate condition.
The property appears to be a normal family home, with a high-spec kitchen in the basement and a living room, complete with chandelier, on the first floor.
AMR Corp filed for creditor protection after failing to win a deal with pilots to pare labor costs.
Employees were notified on the day of the bankruptcy filing that future retirees can no longer get a lump sum distribution because the pension plan is underfunded.
The airline has started rejecting leases for aircraft and is trying to relieve itself of two real estate leases including one for a terminal at Chicago Midway airport.
Apart from the group's Texas headquarters, its credit union and a handful of reservation offices, nearly all the airline's offices and airport facilities are leased rather than owned.
(Additional reporting by Kyle Peterson in Chicago, Paul Hoskins and Tom Bill in London; Writing by Chris Wickham and Tim Hepher; Editing by Janet McBride)Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Fracking firm IGas say Greater Manchester could become part a fracking ‘centre of excellence’ - with 300 wells.
The firm says they believe 3,500 jobs could be created around the north west region if they opened 30 shale gas sites, each with ten wells, in the region.
A report commissioned by the firm also says drilling for gas could give the economies of Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool and Warrington a £10bn boost.
The report’s figures are based on 300 wells being drilled in the region between 2017 and 2031.
It says that an average of £466m would be generated for fracking for shale gas per year over 20 years with the first three wells would be sunk by 2017.
In total the firm believes five trillion cubic feet of shale gas sits under the north west - termed the ‘Ocean Gateway’ area by IGas.
The firm also believes Greater Manchester firms could benefit from fracking through the industry’s supply chain.
The report acknowledges there may currently be a shortage of people qualified to work in fracking in the north west - but suggests skills taught to enter the industry could be taught at the region’s colleges.
IGas chief operating officer John Blaymires said: “The findings of this report highlight the Ocean Gateway region is sitting on a potential £10bn investment opportunity.
“We’re looking to develop the capacity from within the region to meet the supply chain requirements so that as many local people and firms as possible benefit from our capital investment.
“The north west has a huge opportunity to become a centre of excellence for shale gas development and technologies.
“Over time local companies will be able to export those skills nationally and ultimately abroad as other nations follow Britain’s lead in developing a safe and sustainable industry.”
The report into possible benefits of fracking was commissioned by IGas, who have carried out test drilling at Barton Moss in Salford, and firm Peel Environmental Ltd, who own the land around the site.
Hundreds of protestors set up camp in the area over several months earlier this year in a bid to disrupt the test drilling over concerns fracking could pollute the area’s water table, damage wildlife habitats and cause earth tremors.
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Read the Manchester Evening News on your phone - download the Apple MEN App here, the Android MEN App here - and get the paper as an e-edition every morning by subscribing hereIn Idiotsitter, Charlotte Newhouse plays a woman tasked with making sure a house-arrested rich adult-child, played by Jillian Bell, doesn’t get into trouble; while as writing partners, Newhouse and Bell are prone to egg each other on. It’s a relationship that is on full display in the writing of their frequently ridiculous show wrapping up its first season on Comedy Central tonight. The dynamic was honed at the Groundlings, L.A.’s famed improv and sketch theater where they first started working together. This is why Vulture asked comedian/Oscar winner Jim Rash, who himself is in a Groundlings-born writing partnership (with Nat Faxon), to interview Newhouse and Bell. The three talk partnerships, writing processes, and karate companies.
Jim Rash: Are we all here?
Charlotte Newhouse: Is Jillian here?
J.R.: No, not yet. I think she’s doing “fashionably late” to the conference call.
C.N.: That’s guff right there. What are you doing, right now?
J.R.: I’m at our office in Santa Monica, our little shabby rinky-dink office.
C.N.: Oh, you guys have an office? That’s so cool.
J.R.: We’ve had it forever. It’s like literally at the Santa Monica Airport above this restaurant. You’ve wrapped, right? Or are you still shooting?
C.N.: No, we wrapped last May.
J.R.: Oh good lord.
C.N.: Originally, they were going to air it in July, so we were going to have this crazy turnaround and then they switched it so that Another Period had the summer airing and we had the winter airing. We had this huge waiting period when we were done. Like Michaela [Watkins] started shooting Casual and her first day was our last day of shooting and now she’s already in her second season and we’re just airing our first season. It’s so weird.
J.R.: That is weird! Where is this girl?
C.N.: I think if she doesn’t come on in the next five minutes, we hang up and we don’t talk to her for a month! And that’s going to be hard because she’s my writing partner.
J.R.: I’m so onboard. Nat [Faxon] and I haven’t spoken in years and we’re still quote-unquote “writing together.” We just do it by facial expressions. One of us says something out loud and the other one either nods or shakes their head.
Jillian Bells’s manager: One moment for Jillian.
J.R.: Oh my God, Charlotte.
C.N.: She’s got her manager connecting her.
J.R.: She’s using her people.
Jillian Bell: Hello!
J.R.: Oh, hi! Thank you, guys, for getting on this conference call. Jillian, clearly you waited until the last second to be the last on the line.
J.B.: Yeah.
C.N.: And had your manager connect you, which we appreciate as well.
J.R.: Mm-hmm. Hollywood! WeIl, I think everyone has the numbers for this quarter in front of them. Should we start going through them?
C.N.: Yup!
J.B.: Oh shit.
C.N.: Do you not have them, Jillian?
J.B.: Yeah, I have them. You guys just go ahead.
J.R.: Oh, I was going to have you read the first two numbers, but I’ll do them first. We’re all concerned about office supplies.
C.N.: Super-concerned.
J.B.: Yes, we should be buying more? Less?
C.N.: Oh, Jesus. Focus.
J.R.: What would be the company that we are discussing? What do we sell?
C.N.: I hope it’s office supplies.
J.B.: Honestly, I think it’s karate.
J.R.: Did you say karate? “Hi, welcome to our karate company. ‘I’m sorry, what do you sell there?’ We sell karate. ‘Wait, like lessons?’ No, no, no. Just the concepts behind karate. ‘It doesn’t seem tangible.’ It is tangible.”
Okay, I’m going to jump in. Do you remember the first time you guys met? Because I assume it was at the Groundlings?
J.B.: It was.
C.N.: Jillian was in Sunday Company. I was in Main Company. And I’d just seen her do a show and obviously was obsessed with her. We’d only had one conversation and Annie Lennox was playing. And we both talked about how we liked the song “Walking on Broken Glass.” So, we all had our first writing meeting for the holiday show and I pitched this weird idea where we’re women who hate the holidays and our families. Someone gets a karaoke machine and they’re all singing Christmas carols, but then by accident, “Walking on Broken Glass” comes on. We get really into it and start smashing all the glasses over our husbands’ heads. Jillian wasn’t like, “That’s weird.” She goes, “Yeah, and then we put all the glass shards in a line and we take off our shoes and we walk across it.” It was like, boom! Writing partners forever!
J.R.: I remember during workshop, leaning over to whoever was next to me and saying, “This sketch will never work.” I then remember rehearsing onstage and leaning to whoever was next to me, and going, “This’ll never work.” Cut to, we’re doing the scene that night, I take a moment to lean over to the person next to me to say, “This isn’t going to work.” And then it was a huge hit.
J.B.: I’m so excited about your perspective of our sketch and how you were so negative about it. Your nickname at the time was “The Asshole 3.” It was just that you were an asshole three times about a certain thing. And then, if you remember, the audience threw up because they were laughing so hard at our sketch.
J.R.: In my defense, it was because of the Rule of Three. I swear, in my head, it was always “Be an asshole three times.” Everything that happens in threes is funny.
Do you remember your biggest fight? And did it happen while you were shooting Idiotsitter? I hope.
J.B.: No, I don’t think we fought during shooting. Did we?
C.N.: No, it wasn’t really a fight. We usually envision things the same way. But there was one scene that we just saw differently. Do you remember this, Jillian? It was episode two with the flash cards and we couldn’t wrap our heads around the other person’s idea. And the crew was just standing there for a half-hour.
J.B.: Oh, right! You really see how much we see eye-to-eye because it’s literally talking about flash cards, which is the smallest thing. I thought that we should hold them a certain way and she saw them as being held a different way.
C.N.: And you saw yourself at your desk and I saw you on the other side of my desk. That is minutia that held up the shooting for a long time.
J.B.: We clearly have no problems.
J.R.: Where did we land with the issue?
J.B.: You won, didn’t you?
C.N.: I won. I won.
J.B.: What do you and Nat fight about?
J.R.: Oh, you know, typical things.
J.B.: Like who’s gonna keep the Oscar?
J.R.: Yeah, like who’s going to keep the Oscar, even though they gave us each one. Who gets to keep both? I don’t understand why we can’t just split them up.
C.N.: We’d just started writing together, when you guys won your Oscar. And we were like, “That’s going to be us someday. We are Nat and Jim. We’re Nat and Jim!”
J.B.: We definitely decided who is who, also.
C.N.: I’m Nat.
J.B.: And I’m definitely Nat. Both of us are Nat.
J.R.: What was the process where you were like, “Neither of us wants to be Jim?”
C.N.: It wasn’t like, “Neither one of us wants to be Jim.” We’re both were just like, “I’m totally Nat!”
J.B.: We did have that one moment when we were like, “Oh, God. Can you imagine if we had to be Jim?”
J.R.: It might be because I was doing that “be an asshole three times” thing. That really chipped away at my likability.
What was it like when you guys started working with a writers room on Idiotsitter?
C.N.: It was a big shock.
J.B.: That was definitely the toughest part of the whole process because we’re so used to sharing a brain. To open that up and have all these other opinions, you feel like an asshole sitting there going, “Oh, no, that’s not the show.” And you also want them to feel that they can create in the space, so you don’t want to shut everything down.
J.R.: There’s probably a growing pain to everyone understanding you guys’ voice.
J.B.: Obviously for a Comedy Central–type show, my character was being a sort of frat boy. So, there are so many ideas. With her character, we wanted to go just as weird, just a different kind of weird and they struggled with that a little bit.
C.N.: And we would be like, “Come on, guys. We can write this character, too.”
J.B.: We had days where we were like, “Come in with ten Billie ideas tomorrow.”
J.R.: Pitching out ideas, was there one where everyone got excited and it was like, “I’m not making it?”
C.N.: Jillian, tell them your murder-mystery one. Jillian loved this idea.
J.B.: I don’t remember how we landed on it happening but it was something where the next-door neighbors came over. And we end up playing a game with them and we think it’s a murder-mystery thing, but, really, the people that live next door are in a cult and they got a signal at the same time that this is the time to go. So, they start dying off slowly — killing themselves off. We think it’s part of the game. There are so many dead bodies.
J.R.: Oh my God. I’d be like, “We’re doing that!” After that sort of fell apart —
C.N.: It never died. It got to the point where everyone was so fervent about it, we were like, “You know what? Just pitch it to Comedy Central.” And Comedy Central said, “No, thank you.” And the pro-murder-mystery camp kept going with it. It wasn’t like they came back and they were sad, they were just like, “We’ll make it different.”
J.R.: “Oh, we have this idea called ‘murder party.’”
J.B.: There was one sad day where we realized it was gone. When we had picked our ten episodes, we needed to map stuff out on the whiteboards. The idea was always in this right corner on this one whiteboard, but we needed that space, so we had to erase it. So, all of us took pictures of it on our phones, so we could save the idea forever, but it was gone.
J.R.: It’s an interview law that I ask this question. I’m always like, “Why do they ask that?” So, I’m going to ask it: Who’s the practical joker on set?
C.N.: Was it Gareth [Reynolds]?
J.R.: Oh, you really have an answer!?
C.N.: Yeah, we have a writer.
J.B.: You think Gareth?
J.R.: Oh my God, this got serious. Now I know why they always ask this question.
C.N.: There was someone who would take gaffers tape and tape over the names on all the chairs — like, the director’s chair, writer’s, whatever — and they would give them different names, like Jillian Bell became Tinker Bell. And the joke was they would never do it to me. Like everyone got a fun name except me.
J.R.: Well, that makes sense.
J.B.: I was going to say my favorite bit with Charlotte was that I would always call her an extra in front of the whole crew.
C.N.: And they’d all speak to me like an extra. They’re like, “Ma’am, can you move over a little bit?” And I’m like, “But I’m in the TV show!” “Just little bit. You’re in the way of the light.”
We also had a bit that no one really liked, which was we’d go, “Best Patrick Swayze movie?” And they’d say their opinions. But it was wrong or right depending on what we thought. So, we’d be like, “Wrong! Wrong! You, best Patrick Swayze movie?” And someone goes, “Dirty Dancing.” “That is correct.”
J.B.: Our poor crew.
J.R.: Do you guys improvise through writing or do you separate stuff and take passes?
C.N.: We ideally do it all together, but we had to start doing it on our own. Right, Jilly?
J.B.: It’s funny. I always think of when we found out that Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham improvise everything and then they write it. We don’t have one specific thing that we do. Sometimes we’ll talk about an idea and then one of us will write for 15 minutes. And then I’ll take it for 15 minutes. And then we come back to it and we’ll improvise a little bit.
C.N.: How do you guys write? Jillian, they have an office!
J.R.: We have a super-fancy office. We do a little bit more of what you’re saying. We beat stuff together and I don’t mean writing. We beat off and then we get down to writing. It’s just one of those things guys do. That’s what Nat told me guys do and it seems normal to me.
J.B.: Your motto is “Rub one out, write one out,” right?
C.N.: That’s why they have their own office.
J.R.: Oh, if you walked into our office with a black light, you’d be like, “No, thank you.”
C.N.: Disgusting.
J.R.: You know what? I want that on the record, but off the record, I would say, it’s a very clean place. Off the record, it’s a nice, clean place. On the record, there’s jizz everywhere. But anyway, Nat’s got three kids so I sometimes get obsessed and will go and write for a bit and then bring it back to him either to have it judged or accepted or fixed. We should do just a fun little series, where it’s the four of us.
C.N.: I want to say that Jillian writes with Nat and I write with you.
J.R.: Yeah, we do a mix-and-match session and just see what comes up.
J.B.: I like that.
C.N.: Okay, wow. That was easy.
J.B.: What if we did that and then realized we were with the wrong partners all along? And we gave up our show over it.
C.N.: Jillian!
J.B.: And then you guys threw your Oscars in the trash.
C.N.: Jillian, you just took the Asshole Award away from Jim. You really did.
J.B.: Who should I thank with my new award?
C.N.: No one. This is not the time.
J.B.: Nat, first of all.
J.R.: Well, I feel like now that you’ve won the award, we’ve come to a good place. This has been highly enjoyable. Everyone name their favorite part of this interview. Jillian, you go first. What was your favorite part?
J.B.: Um, I liked the jizz part. That was my favorite.
J.R.: It’s easy going blue. But people love blue. Even in print, jizz is funny. Charlotte?
C.N.: Mine was when Jillian was really late and her manager connected her and we got to talk about her behind her back.
J.B.: Oh, that’s not nice. Now you’ve got the Asshole Award.
J.R.: For me, I think my favorite part — because I want this to come full circle — Jillian, by now you’ve probably found your printout for the meeting with the numbers. I have concerns with our karate company. We have a wonderful product, but money’s going out the door. Jillian, can you pinpoint what you think is the biggest problem with our karate company?
J.B.: Yeah, I think, not enough supplies, honestly.
J.R.: I need you to get specific.
J.B.: Not enough office supplies.
J.R.: Okay, so you’re still sticking with that because I do see that we bought 14 cases of pencils.
C.N.: We bought them in bulk.
J.R.: It’s a lot.
J.B.: And all of those are for breaking. All of those are to hold between your hands and have somebody chop.
J.R.: That stands to a bigger point, which is the problem with our karate philosophy because we’ve asked people to just break pencils and then we give them the highest belt for that. It seems pretty easy. Charlotte, what’s your biggest concern?
C.N.: Advertising.
J.R.: Yeah.
C.N.: I want more ads. I want us in the ads. We are the face of karate. We need people to know that this is what karate looks like.
J.R.: And Jillian, I remember you were really big on these catchphrases. You had it written down. Can you just rattle it off, if they’re in front of you?
J.B.: Yeah. “Karate, more like ‘karat-hey.’ Because we start with hello.”
J.R.: Yeah, love that one. That’s one.
J.B.: The other one was “Hi-Ya doing?”
J.R.: Taking those quickly apart. My concern about “Hi-Ya doing?” is if I’m a customer and I call Hi-Ya Doing Karate and our assistant goes, “Hi-Ya Doing?” it’s going to be a Who’s on First situation. Why don’t you guys call me and I think you’ll know where I’m going with this. Jillian, give me a call.
J.B.: Bring, bring, bring.
J.R.: Hi-Ya Doing?
J.B.: Fine, how are you?
J.R.: I’m fine. Hi-Ya Doing?
J.B.: I’m doing good.
J.R.: Yeah, I know. What I’m saying is how can we help you? You’ve reached Hi-Ya Doing.
J.B.: I’m good.
J.R.: See what I’m saying? These are my concerns, folks.
C.N.: When we get a season two, you’ll be in it?
J.R.: Thank you. This is so petty, but I’ve been just writing down whenever I see mutual friends on the show just so I have it. It’s just a list for me.
J.B.: We have a part where you’re the dean of a college. A community college.
J.R.: Okay, I’m in. I just want some lines I can crush. I just threw up in my mouth.
J.B.: We’re going to give you only crushers. We always say when we’re pitching ideas, “And then the crusher enters. Crushes that line.”
J.R.: At this point, people are like, “Hmm, I want to hear about jizz again.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.The Gadget: It's a snowboarding multitool with screwdriver and wrench, as well as a tape measure, bottle opener and tobacco pipe.
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Price: $30
The Lowdown: I'd never go riding without this multitool. The device is sturdy, and the screwdriver's been helpful countless times I'd want to adjust bindings quickly. The handle and spring loaded release for the tool are easily useful with gloves on, and lock at 90 and 180 degree positions for more screwing speed or power. The tape measure is a bit short at 22 inches, so not that great for measuring between the feet when setting wide stances. The entire thing is extremely durable, except the plastic lid for the bits, wrench and pipe. The pipe itself works really really well, as you can see from the photos above where it is being demonstrated, packed, with basis leaves and pencil shavings. The aforementioned plastic shield working as a built in wind shield during lift rides. (You'll still need a pipe lighter and not some cheap bic, though, on the mountain.) If I could redesign it, I'd lose the tape measure, and wrench and build in the lighter.
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Snowmodo is our snow sport winter meet up at Lake Tahoe, with prizes, discounts, tons of fun snow activities, a party and GADGETS. If you can make it (and people are coming from TEXAS) please RSVP. I'll let you wear my hat (below).Scientists want two commonly used pesticides banned around the world for helping cause the mass deaths of bees and harming the planet's ecosystem.
A panel of independent scientists, operating as the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides, found the pesticides neonicotinoids and fipronil are harming the environment, posing a similar threat as DDT did in the 1960s.
The scientists, who eventually want the use of these pesticides to be phased out globally, say regulatory bodies must at least mandate more precautionary measures and tighter regulations around their use.
Neonics are a popularly used preventative pesticide, being sprayed over crops or coated on plant seeds before there is a pest problem, according to the task force.
They represent 40 per cent of the insecticide market, and global sales tallied more than $2.79 billion in 2011.
'Life would be awful' without bees
After being treated with systemic pesticides, plants absorb and transport them to all their parts: leaves, flowers, roots, stems, pollen and nectar.
The pesticides are then picked up by insects, like bees and butterflies.
We’d be eating porridge, rice, bread — not much else. Life would be awful. - Dave Goulson, one of the report's authors
"Seventy-five per cent of the crops that we eat are pollinated by insects of one type or another — mostly by bees," said professor Dave Goulson, one of the report's authors.
Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, are heavily affected by pesticides.
In bees, exposure can can cause problems with navigation, learning, food collection, disease resistance and reproduction. Exposed bumblebee colonies have grown more slowly and produced fewer queens.
"So, if we didn’t have those bees — if we don’t look after them — then we won’t have most of the fruits that we like to eat, most of the vegetables that we like to eat," said Goulson. "We’d be eating porridge, rice, bread — not much else. Life would be awful."
But not everyone supports the idea of a ban on neonicotinoids. CropLife Canada, a trade association that also represents developers and distributors of pest control products and plant biotechnology, opposes a ban saying the varroa mite is the primary culprit behind declining bee health. It says there is no correlation between pesticide use and bee health.
Beekeeper loses 65 million bees
David Schuit, a former bee hive inspector, lives in Hanover, Ont., and owns Saugeen Country Honey, a family beekeeping business that started in 2007.
David Schuit, owner of Saugeen Country Honey near Hannover, Ont., says he has lost more than 65 million bees over two years. (Saugeen Country Honey/Facebook) Since 2012, the family has lost more than 65 million bees, said Schuit. He estimates he now owns about 2,000 and attributes the monumental decline to the liberal use of neonicotinoids on nearby farms.
Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency tested the soil on his property for traces of neonicotinoids, he said. In some soil outside the honey house, he said the agency found traces of the pesticide.
"This is no joke. This is reality," he told CBC News. "We need neonicotinoids banned now"
The pesticide exposure impacts a bee's memory, he said, and they struggle to do simple tasks, like find the hive entrance. Bees also have a harder time breeding, and Schuit can't manage to maintain enough queen bees for his business.
Frequently, he comes across Canada geese and other bird carcasses on the fields. He said the birds die after eating exposed seeds coated with the pesticide.
He posts photos and videos documenting the deaths of his bees and the frequency of exposed seeds on the company's Facebook page.
"It's an environmental disaster in the making," he said.
This year, he's moved most of his hives out of the immediate area and into what he calls bear country, "where you can't put a plow on the ground."
There, he said the bees look a lot healthier.
90% goes into environment, not crop
But not just pollinators are exposed. Any animal that munches on the plants or seeds is also at risk. There's also soil and water exposure to take into account.
More than 90 per cent of the pesticide goes into the environment rather than the crop, said Goulson.
Far from protecting food production, the use of neonics is threatening the very infrastructure which enables it. - Dr. Jean-Marc Bonmatin, one of the report's lead authors
In soil, what is known as the pesticide's half-life — or the amount of time it takes for half of the compound to disappear — can be years.
Farmers who use the product annually build up toxicity in the soil, so the pesticide gets into groundwater and then streams, he said.
Soil contamination also exposes terrestrial animals like earthworms. The study's authors claim pesticides have caused behaviour changes in exposed earthworms, like feeding inhibition, as well as death.
Freshwater snails and water fleas suffer the most from water contamination.
"Essentially, we're contaminating the global environment with highly toxic, highly persistent chemicals," said Goulson.
DDT-like threat
While the affected animals may seem insignificant, Goulson warns that biodiversity is essential for humans.
Seventy-five percent of crops humans consume are pollinated by insects, mostly bees, says professor Dave Goulson, one of the authors of a report calling on a worldwide ban of two pesticides linked to declining bee populations. (Stephen Ausmus/Reuters) "We are witnessing a threat to the productivity of our natural and farmed environment equivalent to that posed by organophosphates or DDT," Dr. Jean-Marc Bonmatin, one of the lead authors of the report, said in a written statement.
"Far from protecting food production, the use of neonics is threatening the very infrastructure which enables it, imperilling the pollinators, habitat engineers and natural pest controllers at the heart of a functioning ecosystem."
DDT, which stands for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, was a liberally used pesticide in the early 1960s. It was banned in 1972 to protect wildlife and people from its toxic effects.
The study points out that some neonics are 5,000 to 10,000 more toxic to bees than DDT.
Health Canada has recommended steps to minimize bee exposure to neonicotinoid during the 2014 spring planting season. The measures for planting treated corn and soybean seeds include:
Reducing dust from coated seeds.
Safer seed planting practices.
Labels with enhanced warnings.
Health Canada said it will closely monitor the 2014 growing season and may take further action after evaluating the outcomes of the new measures.
Health Minister Rona Ambrose called the research done by her department to date "inconclusive."
She also said that Canada is working with the U.S. government on the issue of neonicotinoids and their effects on bees and other pollinators.
"We are constantly absorbing new science and reassessing. If there is a danger to Canadians, then we will act further," she added on Tuesday at an event in Toronto.
The Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impact of Systemic Pesticides on Biodiversity and Ecosystems will be published in the peer reviewed Environment Science and Pollution Research journal in a few weeks. The date is still to be determined by the journal.Declan Kidney ran a lot of red lights on Thursday evening to get away from the Brian O'Driscoll question. When Declan is rattled, he has a tendency to finish his sentences with the word "okay?".
Declan Kidney ran a lot of red lights on Thursday evening to get away from the Brian O'Driscoll question. When Declan is rattled, he has a tendency to finish his sentences with the word "okay?".
It isn't so much a question as a warning. A kind of shorthand invitation to desist from whatever line of interrogation is being pursued.
Kidney would have known that stripping the captaincy from Ireland's greatest rugby player two weeks before the Six Nations commences would light a small firestorm of speculation, yet he seemed remarkably ill-prepared to face it.
If anything, he sounded like a man just pulling open the shower curtain to find TV cameras at the bathroom door.
Declan, it was clear, had no compelling reason to demote O'Driscoll. To be fair, he didn't peddle the line – as others did – of making a decision with the 2015 World Cup in mind. This was a relief. The notion that Ireland's captain for that tournament might need to be in place 32 months in advance is, to put it mildly, fatuous.
Sam Warburton was a revelation for Wales at the 2011 tournament, exactly three months after being first given the job of captaining his country.
In any event, who is to say how an Irish team sheet will even look three Six Nations tournaments from now? The only thing Ireland (or any country) can realistically plan at this remove from the next World Cup is what they hope to wear. Anything else is hypothetical.
imply
What Kidney did imply on Thursday was that the decision on O'Driscoll was franked by a desire to facilitate his return to full fitness. Or, as Declan specifically put it, to give him "the space" to focus on simply being a player.
This would be credible but for two reasons. Firstly, few sportsmen on this planet have displayed a greater natural facility for leadership than Brian O'Driscoll since first appointed Irish captain by Eddie O'Sullivan in 2003. Secondly, O'Driscoll – palpably – did not feel a need for any such "space".
His reaction to the demotion was, naturally, cushioned in gentle politesse and, even if Ireland bomb in the upcoming tournament, O'Driscoll won't be throwing Kidney under a bus any time soon. It isn't his style.
But if you doubt that this week's announcement was a personal slight on Ireland's Grand Slam captain, you weren't paying much attention to the words of old colleagues like Shane Horgan and Reggie Corrigan.
Both, remember, are former colleagues not just of O'Driscoll but Jamie Heaslip too. And both believe Kidney has been guilty of a shocking call.
Not from fear that Heaslip might come up short of doing a decent job. None exists. He handled the responsibility well in November and his status in Irish rugby is reflected in him holding the most lucrative of all the current IRFU player contracts. But, as Horgan observed, Kidney's decision now places Heaslip in an invidious position within the Irish dressing-room, essentially trying to fill the boots of a man who – presumably – will still be there.
Just this week, Wales' Jamie Roberts described O'Driscoll as the best on-field leader he'd "played with or against". And it certainly isn't beyond the bounds that, should the Clontarf man come unscathed through a full Six Nations programme, Warren Gatland might yet offer him a second term as Lions captain.
There can, then, be no denying he will feel wounded now, needlessly jettisoned from a role in which he has excelled for almost a decade.
Kidney's observation that there was "nothing to say that Brian won't be back as captain in the future" sounded disingenuous, a cheap bouquet tossed his way to cover the gaping cracks of the decision. O'Driscoll turns
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intent to sell.”
Tuition fees will go up by three percent for domestic students, five percent for international students.
“Government funding has been frozen for some time and I think the understanding is we’ll need that (tuition fee increase) to meet our inflationary costs,” Myers said.
In regards to job cuts, Myers said “we’ve tried to take a fairly balanced approach with this.”
“Administration is losing three positions compared to last year’s budget, senior positions, largely through attrition. We’re not replacing positions of people who have recently retired or moved on. “
“One of those is a position we put into the budget last year, but as we’re anticipating lower enrolment for the coming year, we didn’t act on it and this year we just took it out of the budget entirely,” Myers said.
“There will be some reductions in the number of courses offered…in most cases these are elective courses with relatively small enrolments.”
Transition courses for international students have been reduced as well.
Still, Myers said “we’re fairly confident the impact on students will be quite minimal.”
Myers said there would actually be a net increase of two faculty positions.
University officials were pleased with being able to save soccer as a part of Algoma’s varsity athletics program.
“The student union came forward with some excellent cooperation and some significant financial support and as a result the budget that was passed includes all of our varsity program, including soccer,” Dwyer said.
“I think we’re still in a relatively strong position, we are still balancing our budgets…we think any cuts we made were done in a balanced way and we’ve minimized the impact on students,” Myers said.
A news release from Algoma University follows.
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Algoma University Board of Governors Approves Balanced Budget
SAULT STE. MARIE - Tonight, the Algoma University Board of Governors approved a $30.6 million operating budget for the 2015-16 year.
Despite a slight decrease in revenues due to a projected drop in enrolment, the University was able to produce a balanced budget again this year.
“All universities in Ontario are entering a difficult enrolment environment and Algoma U is no different,” said University President Dr. Richard Myers. “The number of 18-20 year olds in the province is expected to decline by 10 percent over the next five years. The challenge for the University will be allocating resources appropriately to deliver an outstanding undergraduate education without putting ourselves in a risky fiscal position. We have accomplished that with this budget.”
The University was able to achieve a balanced budget by reducing costs across departments.
Of note were reductions in the size of the University’s administration, in the number of courses taught by sessional instructors, in the Library’s acquisitions budget, and in the varsity athletics budget.
Despite the reductions to the athletics budget, Algoma University will be able to fund all six varsity programs next year.
A decision was also made to close the Windsor Park residence.
The residence proved extremely costly to operate and was not a popular choice for students.
The University will still be able to guarantee single rooms to all first-year students with the closure of the Windsor Park residence.
The Board of Governors approved tuition increases of 3 percent for domestic students and 5 percent for international students.
Algoma University’s domestic and international tuition rates remain amongst the lowest in Ontario.
The decisions made in this year’s budget place Algoma University in an enviable position amongst its peers.
“Difficult decisions were required this year, but we feel that producing a balanced budget is the most responsible way to move forward,” said Vice-President Finance and Administration Sean Dwyer. “As part of the budgeting process, survey feedback was solicited from faculty, students, and staff. Their input was an important part of the process and assisted in producing a budget that puts us in a strong position to deal with the challenges facing the University next year.”
About Algoma University
Algoma University offers a wide variety of liberal arts and sciences degree options including programs in Psychology, Computer Science, Social Work, Business Administration, Fine Arts, Community Economic and Social Development, and Biology in Sault Ste. Marie, Brampton, and Timmins.
As a partner with Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, Algoma U is committed to respecting Anishinaabe knowledge and culture.
To learn more about Algoma University, visit www.algomau.ca.
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(PHOTO: Algoma University will close its Windsor Park residence to trim its budget. Michael Purvis/SooToday)DreamWorks Animation said today that Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh, a new animated series based on its 2015 film Home, will debut July 29 on Netflix. Picking up where the film left off, the show is a coming-of-age comedy that sees human girl Tip and the alien being Oh navigate their crazily combined cultures and having plenty of adventures along the way. The series also will feature original musical numbers.
The voice cast is led by Rachel Crow as Tip and Mark Whitten (Rolling High) as Oh, taking over the roles played by Rihanna and Jim Parsons in the film. Ana Ortiz (Devious Maids, Ugly Betty), Ron Funches (Get Hard, Undateable), and Matt Jones (Breaking Bad, Mom) round out the main voice cast. The series also will feature guest appearances by SNL vets Cheri Oteri and Abby Elliot, Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder, and Seinfeld alum Wayne Knight. It was developed by Ryan Crego (Sanjay and Craig, Shrek Forever After) and Thurop Van Orman (The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack), with Crego serving as executive producer.
Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh will be the first new series to come from the expanded deal between Netflix and DreamWorks Animation announced back in January. The deal includes a reimagining of Voltron and a new project from Guillermo del Toro called Trollhunters. It also extended the rights of current DreamWorks original kids programming on Netflix markets as well as expanding to include second window rights worldwide, outside of China.This article is over 5 years old
Two Norwegian politicians say NSA whistleblower's actions have led to a'more stable and peaceful world order'
Two Norwegian politicians say they have jointly nominated the former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden for the 2014 Nobel peace prize.
The Socialist Left party politicians Baard Vegar Solhjell, a former environment minister, and Snorre Valen said the public debate and policy changes in the wake of Snowden's whistleblowing had "contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order".
Being nominated means Snowden will be one of scores of names that the Nobel committee will consider for the prestigious award.
The five-member panel will not confirm who has been nominated but those who submit nominations sometimes make them public.
Nominators, including members of national parliaments and governments, university professors and previous laureates, must enter their submissions by 1 February.
The prize committee members can add their own candidates at their first meeting after that deadline.On a Tuesday afternoon in late March, Scott Jendrek was in the back corner of the two-story stone building at 7609 Main St. in Sykesville, shining a flashlight into a glass porthole on a tall column of gleaming chrome atop a wood-clad tank of burnished copper. This was a column still, used for separating spirits from mere water, and Jendrek was checking the temperature and watching for condensation.
"Water boils at 212 Fahrenheit and alcohol boils at 165. So you boil off the alcohol, run it through a condenser, re-condense the alcohol vapor and collect the fluid," he said. "And that's booze."
This was the first still run at Jendrek's newly launched Patapsco Distilling Company, and that booze was the very first batch of Blue Find Vodka, which he hopes to have on local store and bar room shelves by mid-April. Later, he hopes to make gin, rum, rye whiskey, bourbon, lemoncello and the bittersweet walnut liquor noccino, all made with Maryland products: The vodka began as 300 pounds of Maryland corn. The rum will be made with molasses and dark brown sugar from Baltimore's Domino Sugar.
"All the grains are from Maryland, which is why the logo is Maryland in a bottle," Jendrek says.
After many years of spirits market dominance by industrial-scale manufacturers, small-scale, craft distilling of the sort Jendrek is pursuing — he can produce only 150 to 200 bottles at a time — is enjoying something of a resurgence, according to Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Distillers Guild.
"I think it exactly parallels the growth of the wine industry in the '70s, '80s and early '90s, and the beer industry in the '80s into '90s," said Atticks, whose guild includes more than 15 member distilleries.
Two of those members represent the rebirth of distilling in Carroll County: Jendrek's Patapsco Distilling and the first distillery to operate in Carroll County since Prohibition: Mount Airy's MISCellaneous Distillery, which opened its doors in December.
"Being the first distillery in Carroll County since Prohibition has been... so exciting," said Meg MacWhirter, co-owner of MISCellaneous Distillery, along with Dan McNeill, who offered his own thoughts on the historic nature of their facility and tasting room at 114 S. Main St., in Suite B103.
"We're really proud to be on the cutting edge of this industry, especially bringing rye, and rum, back to Maryland."
MISCellaneous launched with its Risky Rum, an un-aged white spirit, and will soon begin production of its Restless Rye, which will also come — at least initially — un-aged and transparent, rather than in familiar whiskey brown. The molasses from the rum again comes from Domino and the rye will have a special Carroll provenance, according to McNeill.
"It is made with 100 percent Maryland grown grains at our friend's Gravel Springs Farm, just 20 minutes north of here near New Windsor. We then take it up to Union Mills Homestead north of Westminster, an old, 1700s, water-powered, stone-ground mill," he said. "We will have 100 percent rye whiskey made here in the county from very beginning to very end."
That commitment to local sourcing by McNeill and MacWhirter and Jendrek is music to the ears of Atticks.
"We have a lot of distilleries in the state that are in the process of beginning to use these local products, but to have that commitment from the start really is phenomenal," he said.
So too is the historic nature of the spirits they are distilling.
"The rum actually goes back to colonial times when the product came from the Caribbean," Atticks said. "It kind of became the first Maryland distilled spirit."
The legacy of rum in Maryland was later eclipsed by rye, however, which as the name suggests is a whiskey made largely from rye grain — as opposed to, say, bourbon, which has a much higher corn and barley content. Rye became associated with Maryland beginning in the 1800s, Atticks said, and even revived after Prohibition, but not with the same vigor as before.
"It was really in the 1960s and '70s that rye was at its peak, and soon thereafter the brands began to get purchased and moved to more central locations in the Midwest," he said. "The industry all but disappeared in Maryland. It's only in the last 10 years that we have had spirits being produced."
For MacWhirter and McNeill, who just bought a house in Mount Airy, Carroll County is the perfect place to add a new chapter to the history of Maryland distilling.
"Carroll County has been truly welcoming and engaging. We're just really proud to be able to partner with a local farm," MacWhirter said, "and get that support and really bring a hand-crafted product and manufacturing back to this area."
For Jendrek, who lives not far from his new distillery in Sykesville, becoming a part of that history is a dream come true.
"This has been a seven-year paper project. I kept looking for the reason why it didn't work and never found it. My wife finally said, 'Do it,'<TH>" he said. "I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning wondering if I was still dreaming. I'm pinching myself at this point."
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The Patapsco Distilling Co has a tasting room featuring a stylish cedar bar with copper cladding. But as of right now, you can't sidle up to that bar and order a gin and tonic.
"Current Maryland state law allows me to offer three, half-ounce samples, and sell three bottles per person per visit," owner Scott Jendrek said. "Currently if I make a gin and you come in, you can sample the gin straight, I can't put it into a mixer. I can't give it to you the way you would enjoy it at home."
That may change as soon as this summer. Maryland House Bill 42, which is currently working its way through the Maryland Senate, would allow distilleries like Patapsco and MISCellaneous to serve their samples with mixers to make two ounce beverages. Not exactly fully drinks as one would get in a bar, but sufficient to understand the full potential of the spirits in a mixed drink milieu.
At MISCellaneous, MacWhirter and McNeill are offering mixers made by Washington. D.C. manufacturer and in a pre-prohibition style, such that their cola is made with real kola nut — though not cocaine. Their grenadine from pomegranates rather than the intensely food colored fructose syrup that decorates super market shelves and junior prom Shirley Temples.
But they have to serve them in separate shot glasses.Progress says that Labour should stop blaming the media. I agree. People don’t vote Tory simply because newspapers tell them to do so - if they did, Labour would be even more unpopular than it is – although it’s possible that the media shapes voters’ perceptions in other ways (pdf), such as by promoting mediamacro and bubblethink*.
However, there’s something that Progress doesn’t say. It’s that voters can have mistaken ideas for reasons other than media influence. We know, thanks to the work inspired by Daniel Kahneman, that we are prone to many cognitive biases**. Isn’t it possible that these systematically distort voters’ thinking? For example:
1. “People are remarkably poor at combining causal links into a system” say David Leiser and Zeev Kril. This causes them to fail to see the connection between austerity and low wage growth and to fall for daft metaphors about the nation’s credit card***.
2. The fundamental attribution error causes people to over-estimate the role of character in causing personal success or failure, and under-rate the role of luck or environmental factors. This leads them to blame the poor for poverty.
3. The salience effect means causes people to over-estimate the number of benefit cheats: the dole fiddler who’s down the pub is more visible that the housebound disabled person. This leads to unfounded hostility to claimants.
4. Overconfidence and the optimism bias cause us to under-estimate our chances of falling on hard times, and thus reduce demand for a social safety net.
5. Adaptive preferences can cause people to resign themselves to poverty and inequality.
6. The illusion of control causes people to over-estimate the chances of them escaping the working class through their own efforts, and so under-estimate the importance of collective class action.
7. The anchoring effect means that perceptions of the desirable level of inequality are shaped (pdf) by actual inequality – which implies that as inequality increases so too does acceptance of inequality.
8. The status quo bias and just world illusion help to sustain support for otherwise dubious social structures. As John Jost writes (pdf):
Just as individuals are motivated to hold favourable attitudes about themselves and the social groups to which they belong, they are also motivated to hold favourable attitudes towards the social, economic and political systems in which they live and work.
9. Experiments by James Andreoni and Justin Rao have found that (pdf) communication “greatly influences feelings of empathy and pro-social behaviour.” To the extent that we hear much more from the well-off than we do from the very poor, this leads to disproportionate sympathy for the rich.
You might think all this is a Marxist talk of ideology. It is. But I’m also echoing Adam Smith:
We frequently see the respectful attentions of the world more strongly directed towards the rich and the great, than towards the wise and the virtuous. We see frequently the vices and follies of the powerful much less despised than the poverty and weakness of the innocent. (Theory of Moral Sentiments, I.III.29)
I fear, however, that both wings of the Labour party are loath to see all this. On the right, it’s because they regard politics as a marketing exercise which takes preferences as given. On the left, it’s because it’s easier to blame a few billionaires than to see that the public would be biased against them even without media influence. Until this changes, however, and Labour asks itself how to address the problem of cognitive biases, the party might remain in trouble.
* I suspect the BBC should be scrutinized more closely than it is in this regard.
** Since I began to read about these biases, I’ve seen them everywhere – which is of course an example of the confirmation bias.
*** Bone-headed libertarians please note that this also helps explain why free markets are unpopular with the public.This article is over 8 years old
Man amassed $259,000 in tickets on nine-year-old General Motors van, police in Brazil say
Police in Brazil say they have caught an Italian who managed to amass $259,000 in traffic fines and other penalties linked to his van.
Police say they arrested 62-year-old engineer Roberto Cintio at his office after a 10-day investigation.
Most of Cintio's fines were for speeding, which are levied in Brazilian cities by radar cameras without police stopping the vehicle. Other fines were for parking, not paying vehicle property taxes and other infractions.
A police statement said Cintio might have evaded police by using false IDs, several of which were found with him.
There was no indication how long it took Cintio to build up the fines on his nine-year-old General Motors van.Asin, who will be next seen in Umesh Shukla's All Is Well, was introduced to Rahul Sharma by her Khiladi 786 co-star Akshay Kumar who is also the brand ambassador of Micromax.
First reported by dna, All Is Well be Asin's last film for a while. A colleague of her said, “All Is Well is the first film she did in three years. Now after its release, she wants to marry and settle down. She’s madly in love with Rahul Sharma. During the shooting, she never hid it. I don’t know why she’s hiding it now from the media.”
Talking to an English daily, Asin said that she is completing all her professional commitments to be able to give more time to her personal life.
The wedding plans and the date will be announced soon.Former peer support group members attest to not-so-safe space that exposes recovering addicts to sexual harassment – and derails their journey to sobriety
At 23 years old, Asia Blackwood was the proud stay-at-home mother of three young children in a quaint Connecticut neighborhood. Day in and day out, she prepared snacks and watched with pride as her toddlers learned to share with each other while her husband worked. Life was picture perfect.
But just under the surface, Blackwood’s happy home was crumbling. She was often exhausted, and felt sad for no reason. This listlessness and unhappiness made her feel guilty, since she had nothing to complain about.
“I was given Percocet to deal with the pain after childbirth,” Blackwood recalls. “I realized immediately how good it made me feel. It lessened my depression and gave me more energy.”
Blackwood’s prescription ran out before she was ready so she started buying the pills online, using them in increasing amounts over the next year. During that time, she saw how unhappy her marriage was and divorced her husband.
She met John (not his real name), a recovering heroin addict, just weeks after her divorce and began dating him. Cut off from her husband’s credit cards, her stash of pills dwindled. John introduced her to a much cheaper alternative: heroin.
She soon lost custody of her children and became homeless for a while, still shocked that her life was now about finding her next fix instead of fixing her kids dinner.
After a very dark year, she decided to make a change, dropped John, and started going to Alcoholics Anonymous.
“What I did not expect was to be fresh meat when I walked into AA meetings,” she told me. “Men wanted my number and wanted to date me. I was newly sober, clueless and craving love.”
Blackwood said she began dating a man with nine months sobriety within her first weeks at AA, and later found out he was sleeping with dozens of other women in the same support group, many of whom she had considered friends.
That discovery was devastating.
“It never caused a relapse, but it did make me question the joy of sober life, and also consider suicide,” she said. “The world seems like a really mean place when you are surrounded by unhealthy people.”
Blackwood’s story of love in the time of drug abuse is not unique. Women trying to recover are falling into the trap of dating in which the goal is not love or mutual support, but a power play in which they are the losers.
The next AA? Welcome to Moderation Management, where abstinence from alcohol isn't the answer Read more
Joella Striebel, a behavioral health specialist at Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin, says that women have a different pathway to addiction than men. To recover, they must believe they have control over their own lives and can make decisions for themselves, rather than admitting powerlessness – which is one of the main tenets of AA.
“Recovery from addiction is most successful when it is addressing not just the problematic substance-using behaviors, but the underlying issues and past trauma,” she said. “Many women who have been victimized engage unconsciously in repetition compulsions, seeking out archetypes and familiar situations, and through that they can be victimized.”
No one knows that better than Alex Hankel.
At 15 years old, Hankel (not her real last name) was already addicted to drugs. By 18, she was running Narcotics Anonymous meetings in her community in New Orleans. “Like I knew any damn thing,” she recalls. “The groups are so unstructured, basically anything goes.”
Hankel ended up pregnant by a man 15 years her senior while in rehab.
She said she tried to observe the “one year” guideline in place – that users have one year of sobriety before they start dating – but that as one of the only young women in her groups, she was a main target for sexual advances.
“I was too young to be navigating my sobriety around so many disturbed people,” Hankel said. “I needed a mental health doctor.”
Hankel said it was an expensive four-week rehabilitation center that finally helped her; a luxury most people suffering addictions cannot afford. She said many of the cheaper options focus on AA as their major recovery tool, and don’t address the underlying problems that may be causing destructive behaviors.
At her facility, she was set up with a personal therapist who paid attention to the specific issues beneath her addiction. If people in rehab programs only focus on their dependencies, they are only scraping the surface of the problem, painting over a broken-down foundation without fixing the splintering wood beneath, Hankel explained. Without delving down to the root of the problem, it becomes more likely to grow again.
According to New York psychotherapist Scott W Stern, when the general population thinks about recovery programs, there’s not a lot of distinction between treatment and support.
Treatment, such as rehabilitation and therapy, is run by professionals who start with their clients from where they are and work with them through a variety of medical and psychological means to build their autonomy, he said. In contrast, support groups like AA or NA provide merely a peer-to-peer network of individuals supposedly working toward the same goal.
Such groups are not equipped to address many of the complex issues that come along with addiction, since they’re run by people who are not trained as professionals. “These groups are places anyone can walk into, where anything could happen,” he said.
In essence, an environment that is touted as a safe space can be anything but. From easier access to substances to sexual harassment, abuse or even outright murder, these programs can inflict further damage.
On the other hand, “evidence-based groups are run by trained facilitators who, in theory, should be able to recognize predatory behavior and intervene”, Striebel said. “Many are gender-based, as well, which further mitigates the risk.”
While there are certain AA meetings that are women-only, the availability of these meetings is scarce at best. Hankel said she was frequently the only woman in a group of 15 or more men, because there was simply no other option in her area.
Leona Colón, who has been in and out of AA programs for decades, said south-east Georgia has just started providing one women-only AA meeting a week, compared with three men-only meetings. Before a couple years ago, she said, there were no women-only meeting at all.
Of course, AA and NA have helped many; it is one of the most popular recovery groups in the US. AA boasts over 1.3 million members as of 2013, but according to Stern only 5-8% actually recover longterm without relapse. This number originates from a retired psychiatry professor from Harvard Medical School, Lance Dodes, who compared AA’s retention rates with studies on sobriety and rates of active involvement in the group meetings.
Meanwhile, members are expected to move through the organization’s 12 steps and accept the doctrine put forth by AA. Some of the women I talked to called the groups cult-like, saying that members cling to the written word in the Big Book and exclude anyone who might question it, leaving them alone when they stumble across what is commonly known as “the 13th step” – that is, when someone makes sexual advances on someone new to recovery.
Being hit on at AA was a daily thing for me. In hindsight, I realize I was never really able to focus on my sobriety Alexia Colon
Colón has been around 12-step programs since she was a child, and has experienced the 13th step dozen of times. At 14 she saw her mother go through “90 in 90”, which is when a person in recovery attends at least one meeting every day for three months.
“I didn’t lose my mother to alcohol, I lost her to AA,” Colón said. “Being a teenager with a cute mom in AA was not fun at all. No kid wants to see their parent dating, anyway, but the guys from AA bring it to a whole other level.”
Colón’s mother soon married a man she met through the group meetings, who had 15 years of sobriety to her mother’s one year, and the new couple forced Colón to go to meetings, too, even though she didn’t yet have a substance problem.
“They didn’t want me to be alone in the house all the time,” she said. “So I went to meetings and to sober dances. I was offered drugs there every single time.”
Eventually Colón did end up with a substance problem, and she has been to AA as an adult on and off throughout her life, taking what she needs from the program and leaving the rest. But the rest won’t leave her.
“I showed up to a meeting once in flip-flops and a black T-shirt,” she said. “Some guy yelled out, ‘You know what she’s looking for!’ I got in his face about it and shamed him. Then I was told I shouldn’t have said anything to him about it because he was new. But what about me? I should put up with that?”
Colón has been married for more than 25 years and knows how to handle herself around the group members, but she worries about her daughter, Alexia, who’s in her early 20s and trying to stay sober.
Alexia Colón suffers from depression, which she said she mitigated by self-medicating. When she turned 22, she decided to get help, and started going to AA and NA. Her first week there, she met a man who had four years sobriety and began dating him, only to find him isolating her from her friends and family, policing the way she dressed, and eventually hitting her.
“He was so jealous and kept me on a short leash,” she said, “always pretending it was about my sobriety and was what was best for me.”
Alexia broke it off and left AA, only to fall back into deep depression and substance dependency. When she tried again, months later, to recover, she found AA to be a dangerous place even without an abusive relationship tinging it.
“Being hit on at AA was a daily thing for me,” she said. “I relished in it, honestly. I loved that all eyes were on me all the time. In hindsight, I realize I was never really able to focus on my sobriety.”
She states that the type of attention paid to young women in the programs is detrimental in all ways. “Every single one of us is vulnerable going into those rooms. For the first time in your life, you think you’re learning to cope with your feelings. You’re not hiding behind substances anymore. And you’re speaking in front of people who hug you and tell you they love you. But they don’t. They’re in it for themselves.”
Leona Colón blames the current state of the legal system – in particular drug courts. She said the drug courts in south-east Georgia, where she and Alexia reside, mandate offenders to go to AA meetings. When she complained about this procedure, she was told they could go to any meeting and to find a different group.
“But there are no other meetings here that aren’t at least a half hour away,” Colón said. “Word got around about my complaint, and people started questioning Alexia about it, making the situation even worse for her.”
Stern said the problem is compounded when sex offenders go through the drug courts and are ordered to go to 12-step meetings, which he said is a fairly common occurrence.
“For people with criminal records, it’s not uncommon that they will argue they were under the influence of substances,” he said. “Ninety percent of treatment facilities in the US are 12-step-facilitated, too, which means no matter your crime, you’re most likely going to end up at AA or NA.”
Stern suggests the judicial system should be revamped. However, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) said the way they mandate recovery has already undergone vast changes in recent years.
While it’s still not perfect, Terrence Walton, the NADCP’s chief of standards, said the courts mandate professional treatment before recommending a peer support group to facilitate long-term recovery. He also said that drug courts no longer specify AA/NA as the support group that must be attended, as was the case a decade ago.
“We don’t recommend AA to unwilling participants anymore because if you force someone to go to AA or NA with people who are not being forced to go there, it can be a bad mix. You need to want to participate for those programs to work,” Walton said.
Rhonda Pence, who works in the NADCP’s public relations department, said it’s important to remember that their clientele are people too. “The goal is to help them put their lives back together and get them off drugs for good,” Pence said. “They deserve that chance to become a productive member of society again.”
But if drug courts mandate some form of peer-support group attendance for the betterment of their clients, and 90% of the peer-support groups out there are AA/NA 12-step programs, how can we avoid what Walton called a “bad mix” of people?
Walton, Stern and Striebel all highly recommend a new peer-support option called Smart Recovery. It is similar to AA and NA, but does not involve citing powerlessness as part of recovery, and does not insist on invoking a higher being to belong to the club.
More importantly, Smart Recovery has a 24-hour online option. This greatly helps women who don’t want to attend in-person meetings for fear of being the object of too much attention, as well as those who can’t drive, or live far away from meeting spaces.
The program encourages members to build their own motivation, find ways to cope with urges, manage behaviors and feelings, and start living a balanced life.
“Too many people equate the powerlessness in the AA program with helplessness,” Stern said. “Through that, they accidentally transfer their addiction to substances to an addiction to the support group or members within it. The only way to combat this that I have found is through empowerment.”
As for the four women who found their recovery marred and full of obstacles, they’re all faring well. Blackwood is about to go to court to win visitation privileges with her children again. She’s been sober for a year and a half. Hankel is raising a six-year-old girl by herself, while staying clear of drugs and alcohol. Leona Colón hasn’t personally needed the aid of a group in almost five years, and Alexia is leaning on her for support as she forages ahead in her own recovery.
It wasn’t through AA that Blackwood, Hankel and the Colóns were able to start their healthy paths to recovery. It was through truly learning to love themselves.“Access to broadband is increasingly critical for all Americans, no matter who they are or where they live," Pai wrote last week, in one of his first statements as FCC chair. But blocking nine companies from providing subsidized internet access to poor people casts real doubt on his sincerity.
Pai's own past suggests that he has been a longtime skeptic of efforts to expand broadband access to lower-income people. Pai also appears to have developed an unsubtle bitterness toward Wheeler and anyone who worked to make internet affordable for the working poor in this country.
First, some history: The program that Wheeler was using to expand internet access is called Lifeline and was started in 1985, when Ronald Reagan was president. Lifeline was initially intended for making telephone service available to low-income people. Throughout multiple presidential administrations, it was a little-known, inexpensive and uncontroversial program.
Then Matt Drudge, one-man disseminator of race-baiting urban legends, stepped in.
As Think Progress editor-in-chief Judd Legum chronicled in 2012, the Drudge Report ran a racist headline portraying black people as ignorant welfare cheats.
Rush Limbaugh soon joined in, claiming, "She may not know who George Washington is or Abraham Lincoln, but she knows how to get an Obama phone."
And with that, the right-wing legend of the "Obamaphone" — this supposed program of free government phones for supposed welfare leeches — was born.
As Legum pointed out, the whole "Obamaphone" thing was pure, uncut nonsense. Yes, lower-income people could apply for the Lifeline program that made it easier to obtain more affordable service — but the program was begun during a Republican presidency and continued through three subsequent administrations of both parties. Yes, the Lifeline program had been changed so that people could opt for cellphones instead of landlines — a commonsense innovation reflecting how modern people use phones — but that change was instituted in 2008, during the presidency of George W. Bush.
As we ought to understand by now, truth can never be allowed to stand in the way of a racist right-wing legend. Conservative outrage over the Lifeline program exploded. And in 2016, when the Obama administration actually did make a move to expand the Lifeline program to cover internet as well as phone service, conservatives like Pai — who was then an FCC commissioner — were ready to put up a fight.
Pai and his fellow Republican commissioner, Mike O’Rielly, immediately tried to kneecap Wheeler's efforts. Pai proposed setting a spending cap of $1.75 billion on the Lifeline program, which Phillip Berenbroick and Meredith Filak Rose at Public Knowledge, an organization that promotes expanding internet access, argued would have crippled its ability to provide adequate phone and internet access to low-income people.
"If one wanted to design a Lifeline plan that leaves tens-of-millions of the most vulnerable Americans without access to basic telephone service in the near term, without line of sight to Lifeline-supported broadband service in the long term," Berenbroick and Rose wrote, "Commissioner Pai’s plan is a blueprint for what to do."
They noted that providing the telephone service has in some years cost more than $1.75 billion on its own, so Pai's cap would have made it impossible to provide help to everyone who needs it. In addition, Pai attempted to set the pricing for Lifeline plans so high that they probably would not be affordable to most low-income families, even with the subsidy.
Pai and his fellow commissioner, Clyburn, worked out an initial compromise, but under pressure from Democrats, Clyburn dropped the compromise and voted for a more expansive program. Now millions of people who make $16,281 a year or less can get a subsidy of $9.25 a month to help pay for broadband or phone service but not for both.
Yep, this program gives low-income people less than 10 bucks a month. Pai threw a massive tantrum anyway, complaining that pressure from "the usual gaggle of left-wing, Beltway special interests" had led to "failure to clean up the waste, fraud and abuse" in a program that makes it slightly less expensive for poor people to receive internet access and phone service.
Now Pai is the FCC's chairman and already he's blocking companies from offering these subsidized plans. Pai has claimed that his move is about reducing — you guessed it! — "waste, fraud, and abuse." Considering his history, there's reason to believe this is the opening shot in a longer-term plan to make it more difficult for low-income people to go online.
Inequality in internet access can compound economic inequality in many ways.
"While many middle-class U.S. students go home to Internet access, allowing them to do research, write papers, and communicate digitally with their teachers and other students, too many lower-income children go unplugged every afternoon when school ends," as a statement released by the Obama White House in 2015 put it.
Internet access makes it easier for lower-income Americans to obtain jobs, keep up with the news, participate in politics, maintain social networks and even just pay bills and run other errands that
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in prison, how Rangers' Matt Bush is trying to reassemble his life
By this point, the Blue Jays had given up on Bush like the Padres before them. But then a third team decided to roll the dice, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays gave Bush a spot in their minor league system and for a while he played well and without incident. And then one day after practice, Bush borrowed a teammate's truck, got blackout drunk then, on the way home from a strip club, he drove over the head of a motorcyclist. MATT BUSH: "I remember him seeming like he shot under my vehicle." ANDREA KREMER: "Did you think you killed him?" MATT BUSH: "Yeah. And I just remember it hitting me, like, that was real. That really just happened. Like, that really just occurred and my life is over. Like, I just ran someone over. My instincts just kicked in and I just took off." ANDREA KREMER: "What did you have to escape?" MATT BUSH: "The fact that I was done. I was going to prison. You know, my baseball career, everything else was over with." Bush was caught and charged with a hit and run and driving under the influence... with his blood alcohol levels at more than twice the legal limit. The motorcyclist he struck lingered in a coma for days. He survived but would never be the same. His name is Anthony Tufano. ANTHONY TUFANO: "When he hit me, I came back this way, hit the ground. The bike went to the right. He continued on without slowing, hitting the brakes, or anything. And he ran me over." ANDREA KREMER: "I mean, literally ran your body over." ANTHONY TUFANO: "Yes. Right across here up this way and over my head with the tire." The collision damaged nearly every part of Tufano's body... much of it permanently. ANTHONY TUFANO: "I had brain hemorrhaging, fractured right cheekbone, vertebrae one through eight fractured, right clavicle fractured, both lungs bruised. I believe it was the right lung that was collapsed. Ten broken ribs on this side, two on this side. I was crushed. I can't put it any other way. I was crushed." The accident also appeared to be the end of Matt Bush. It was his third and final strike as he was released by the Rays and sentenced to four years in the state penitentiary. ANDREA KREMER: "What was life like there?" MATT BUSH: "I was reading the bible a lot. Praying. Praying a lot. Looking for strength and forgiveness. And just looking for a way to move forward and be at peace with my life." By the time Bush was finally released from prison to a halfway house in Jacksonville, Florida, he had kicked his drinking habit, at least for now. But it seemed he was out of chances in baseball and he took the only job he could get. ANDREA KREMER: "What's it like for a one-time multi-millionaire to work for $8.05 an hour as a baker at the Golden Corral?" MATT BUSH: "I knew it was funny for everyone else when they could find out. But to me, it was real. I mean, I got to eat at Golden Corral every day. And, you know, I was around all the citizens in Jacksonville. And it was great, I really enjoyed it." Rangers general manager Jon Daniels made the decision to give Bush another chance after Roy Silver worked out Bush in a parking lot.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels made the decision. ANDREA KREMER: "I understand he's the hardest thrower on your team. 97 miles an hour. Hit 100 at one point. But is it really worth it, the possibility that not only could he relapse but worst-case scenario he could kill someone?" JON DANIELS: "I think you could say that about almost anybody, right?" ANDREA KREMER: "But he's got the history." JON DANIELS: "He does have the history. But I feel like Matt has changed. And had he not made these changes in life, had he not wanted to help other people, had he not shown the humility -- we wouldn't have gone down this path." At the end of last spring, just months after his release from prison, Matt Bush completed his 12 year odyssey to the big leagues... capping off his first-ever appearance with a strikeout. Before long he was one of the best relievers in the American League... a key part of the Rangers' run to the playoffs. Tufano has declined to meet with Matt Bush since his release from prison... but Bush did send him this letter. ANTHONY TUFANO: "It was like he was sorry, and how he's a better person, and all that. It was more like about himself. I thought it was BS." ANDREA KREMER: "You didn't think it was genuine?" ANTHONY TUFANO: "No. Not at all." Still, Tufano says he's forgiven Bush. It's the only way, he says, he can avoid being consumed by resentment. ANDREA KREMER: "According to Matt Bush, your forgiveness gives him permission to do what he does." ANTHONY TUFANO: "Yes." ANDREA KREMER: "Is that okay?" ANTHONY TUFANO: "If it works for him, sure. It doesn't work for my children. And what bothered me is that one person made my son and my daughters feel this way. Hateful towards a person." Matt Bush was always supposed to make history on the baseball field. Next month, when he starts his first full season at age 31, he'll finally do it... as the first known convicted felon in half a century to play in the major leagues. ANDREA KREMER: "What do you think your story is really all about?" MATT BUSH: "I think it's about picking myself up, making a choice, staying sober and still being able to come back." ANDREA KREMER: "And where does Anthony Tufano still play a role in this?" MATT BUSH: "I could never forget him. I mean, it's a deep part of my life. It's a deep part of my memories and my sobriety. You know, Anthony Tufano is my reminder to never drink again." Original story (3/20) HBO's Real Sports will air a segment on Matt Bush and his return to the major leagues Tuesday night. It includes an interview with Tony Tufano, Sr., the motorcyclist Bush hit in 2012 while driving under the influence. Tufano suffered serious injuries, and Bush served more than three years in prison.
Tufano, who through his son Tony, declined to speak about the incident to The Dallas Morning News this past winter, has indicated in the past that he has forgiven Bush but has no interest in meeting him to discuss the incident. Bush has twice tried to reach Tufano, but did send a letter.
Will Rangers try to use Matt Bush, Keone Kela, other relievers for two innings? 'They've got to be efficient'
"It was like he was sorry, and how he's a better person, and all that," Tufano tells Andrea Kremer in the piece. "It was more like about himself. I thought it was BS." Tufano did say he watched Bush last year in the AL Division Series on TV. "He's a very good player. He lucked out," Tufano said. "Him hitting me and going to prison dried him out and gave him another chance. What happened to me, he put me to a point where physically I can never come back." Bush, who was interviewed extensively for the segment, said Monday he did not plan to watch the segment. "Hopefully, I can continue to do my job and people can be inspired to overcome some things," Bush said. "Outside of that, I can only control what I can control. And that's my goal."
This Topic is Missing Your Voice.Sneezing or tearing up a lot lately? Allergies could be to blame. With pollen counts increasing, doctors are also seeing a spike in patients. Our John Garcia explains a simple way to tell whether you're suffering from a common cold, flu, or allergies.
SAN ANTONIO -- Sometimes it's difficult to tell -- is it a cold, flu or allergies? Well, San Antonio doctors are seeing a spike in allergy patients because allergy season got started much earlier than usual this year.
With a mild winter and current warm temperatures, pollen counts are soaring. Right now, heavy amounts of Oak are in the air.
The season normally runs between March through May, but this season is already well underway.
So, how can you tell whether you have allergies or the flu?
"Normally, the allergies don't bring on a fever. So, that's one of the main things. Some people get the body aches, but the fever is usually the main difference between the two," said Texan Allergy Physician Assistant Alyssa Arredondo.
"We're seeing a lot more allergies. It's being an unusual year so far. We've seen very little influenza. There's a little bit of flu floating around. But, from what I've seen, we haven't really had a significant outbreak," said Dr. David Gude with Texas MedClinic.
Blame the heavy amounts of Oak in the air for keeping doctors busy.
"The difference between last year and this year is that the climate was a lot milder in the winter. We had some rainfalls last month and this month. So, the pollen is coming higher and harder," said Arredondo.
"There's always a bump up around this year with Oak pollen, but seems a little bit worse from the patients that I'm seeing this year than the past few years," said Gude.
"Once I step outside, constant sneezing, tickling of the back of the throat. I know it's a sign of allergies," said allergy sufferer Veronica Alonzo.
Doctors recommend over the counter allergy medicine in most cases.
But for more severe symptoms, long-term treatments like allergy shots are available.
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Suffering from Allergy Troubles Lately? Join the Discussion:
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Follow TWC News San Antonio on Facebook & TwitterIt is four years since World IPv6 Launch got started and the progress we’ve seen in IPv6 deployment at all kinds of service providers around the globe has been remarkable.
Countries like Finland, The Netherlands, Brazil, Malaysia, Canada, and the UK have all seen operators make substantial strides in IPv6 deployment showing the truly global nature of the effort.
Aggregate numbers are also impressive: The percentage of users accessing Google services over IPv6 exceeded 12% earlier this month (it was less than 1% four years ago). Similarly the percentage of the Alexa Top 1000 websites that are reachable using IPv6 is now close to 20%.
Some of the greatest IPv6 deployments are now in cellular networks and for a really valuable insight into some of the numbers and ways in which this specific piece of the deployment is happening you must read Erik Nygren’s recent post for Akamai.
Happy Launchiversary!July 1, 2016 [ttr-beta-v1.12.0]
Features:
• OMG!Con items have been added!
• New music has been added for DA Offices, Mints, and the final area of each Cog Golf Course.
• New music has also been added to shops in Daisy Gardens.
• New GUI options have been added so that clothing patterns and colors are separate in the Make-a-Toon and clothing shops.
• "Just for Fun!" ToonTasks can now be picked up no matter which tasks you are working on. For example, during Bossbot HQ suit part tasks.
• Every Toon now has a unique "Toon ID" listed on their detail panel. Even if Toons look similar or sport the same name, their Toon IDs will differ! You can use this to find friends, report Toons, and keep track of who's who on your friends list.
Tweaks:
• Clicking on the new delivery button will now prompt you before taking you to your estate.
• You can now scroll through Shtickerbook pages using your mouse wheel.
• Make-a-Toon clothing has brand new colors!
• All Make-a-Toon shirts are now available for both genders. Girls can wear stripes!
• When doing Lawbot or Bossbot disguise ToonTasks, you can now get your next task by talking to Professor Flake or Shep Ahoy directly rather than going to Toon HQ first.
Bugfixes:
• Flippy has returned to behind his desk in Toon Hall! He just wanted to greet everyone at the door.
• Fix crashes relating to the Toontorial.
• The victory dance no longer plays at a slowed rate after using the "Resistance Salute" animation.
• Fix an issue where players would get stuck during a DA Office. Please let us know if you continue to experience this bug!
Maintenance:
• MAJOR Update: We've completed some massive engine improvements to reduce crashing and increase security. We hope you find Toontown to be much more fun with the added stability!
• Various performance improvements.
On any other Thursday evening, I wouldn't be wanting to write a blog post this late -- let alone two in one day! (These posts are often written the day before, you know. I'm talking to you fromScary.) Let me tell you Toons, though, today is a day where it's worth it. This list of changes is, and I get to tell you all about it!I've told the other Toon Troopers that the Toontown Blog is like my very own baby. That is, in the sense that it is always the most demanding of me when I'd much rather be sleeping. But I certainly wasn't going to pass up on the opportunity to write about the many newthat have been created for Toontown!To start it off, Loony Labs has implemented a very sophisticated addition to their Toon T.A.G.S. (Totally Awesome Graphic Simulations) called. When you access the Toon Detail Panel, you'll be able to see a special phrase that is unique to every Toon.For example, there's plenty of Sir Max's around town, but how would you know which one is the real deal?If their Toon ID isn't "TTID-FPJB-THHD" -- chances are you're dealing with one of my many clones! Err, minions! Err... The point is Ididn't break into Loony Labs while I was bored and create a bunch of copies of myself.As for those of you who are more into the style around town, we've got something for you too: The items from OMG!Con have been officially released by our tailors, and you can get two exclusive backpacks (non-stuffed versions) by using the code "" in your Shtickerbook untilLikewise, if you attended OMG!Con, the exclusive code you picked up can be used to redeem two even more exclusive backpacks (stuffed versions). We hope you like them! You certainly deserve them for coming out to see us.There's much muchmore in store for you, but it's much muchtoo late for me to be writing so many paragraphs about it! Check out the full list of changes above, and let us know what you think of the latest set ofCompany discovers that an additive to improve its own silicon anode can be used to boost performance of all other types of silicon anodes Santa Clarita, CA – August 8, 2017 –BioSolar, Inc. (OTCQB:BSRC)(“BioSolar” or the “Company”), a developer of breakthrough energy storage technology and materials, today announced successful internal tests of a proprietary additive that can improve the performance of silicon anodes in general. Silicon (Si) is one of the most promising anode materials being considered for next generation, high energy and high power lithium ion batteries. However, Si anodes suffer from large capacity fading and tremendous volume change during lithium-ion charge discharge cycle, leading to short life-span. BioSolar has been developing a proprietary Si anode that addresses these inherent problems. Recently, the Company developed an additive material to boost the performance of its Si anode for high power/fast charging applications. Surprisingly, when added to competitive Si anodes, such as those from well-known international battery manufacturers, the additive was able to increase the capacity retention of them as well. The Company now believes that its proprietary additive has the potential to improve all types of silicon anode materials such as Si carbon composite, Si oxide type, and Si alloys, and further experiments are being performed. This surprising turn of events creates multiple paths to commercialization for the Company’s technology – standalone Si lithium nanocomposite anode as well as performance boosting additive for other Si anode manufacturers. “The versatility to apply the additive to our own energy storage technologies as well as a broader set of applications, opens up our commercialization opportunities,” said BioSolar CEO David Lee. “The initial work has already shown that our additive material, made out of highly ionic silicon-lithium nanocomposites, improves the battery’s first cycle efficiency, capacity retention for long-term cycling, and power capability at different current rates. We expect our inorganic lithium ion conducting additive can create substantial market opportunities that will result in revenue generation.” This expanded opportunity for commercialization is strongly supported by the growth of the lithium-ion battery market. A report by Navigant Research indicates that the global market for lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries or automotive applications is expected to grow from $7.8 billion in 2015 to $30.6 billion in 2024. Key industry driver such as the EV market are one of the reasons why the lithium ion battery market is expected to exceed $69 billion by 2022. About BioSolar, Inc. BioSolar is developing a breakthrough technology to increase the storage capacity, lower the cost and extend the life of lithium-ion batteries. A battery contains two major parts, a cathode and an anode, that function together as the positive and negative sides. BioSolar initially focused its development effort on high capacity cathode materials since most of today's Li-ion batteries are "cathode limited." With the goal of creating the company's next generation super battery technology, BioSolar is currently investigating high capacity anode materials recognizing the fact that the overall battery capacity is determined by combination of both cathode and anode. By integrating BioSolar's high capacity cathode or anode, battery manufacturers will be able to create a super lithium-ion battery that can double the range of a Tesla, power an iPhone for two days straight, or store daytime solar energy for nighttime use. Founded with the vision of developing breakthrough energy technologies, BioSolar's previous successes include the world's first UL approved bio-based back sheet for use in solar panels. To learn more about BioSolar, please visit our website at http://www.biosolar.com.If Apple didn't notice that 41 of its 50 top-rated e-books in the US were in Vietnamese and the work of the same, unknown publisher, then alarm bells should have sounded when customer reviews talked not of ripping yarns, but of online scams.
Nevertheless, Apple was struggling to explain last night how hundreds of its customers had apparently become victims of a scam in which a phantom developer, named Thuat Nguyen, hacked into their accounts and used them to artificially inflate the ratings and sales for his book applications, after technology news site The Next Web broke the story to the blogosphere.
Online forums and social networking sites were flooded with reports from Apple customers complaining about the scam after the alarm was raised by two rival publishers. Patrick Thompson and Alex Brie noticed a sudden upsurge in the popularity of the rogue developer's apps, before he vanished.
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The pair claimed that Nguyen's products did not belong in the books store and, unusually for Top 50 products, had few user ratings or reviews. One product, called Conan 3, had reviews from customers complaining that their iTunes accounts had been hacked and the apps had been purchased by the hacker.
"It would appear that this publisher is hacking accounts and buying his own apps in order to drive up his rankings in the books category," Mr Thompson wrote. Mr Brie, a developer and blogger, said Conan 3 "does have other extremely positive reviews written in poor English. None of the other 41 books has any reviews; had the positive ones been legit, other apps should have some kind of reviews as well."
Mr Brie suspected these positive reviews were written by their developer, or his associates, in a botched bid to divert attention from his real motivations. Apple customers posted comments on technology and social networking sites: "If the iTunes account hacking part is true, then Apple really needs to step in and fix this," wrote one.
On one forum, MacRumors, a post read: "On Friday there was $1,400 [£930] missing from my checking account. I checked with my bank and it was all from unauthorised iTunes purchases. I notified Apple on Friday when there were still over 1,200 pending downloads. They did nothing except tell me they don't do refunds. They didn't even stop the illegal downloads. As we speak, someone is downloading songs from my account (there are 300 left) and I can't do anything about it."
Speculation abounds about how such a large security breach could have been carried out; it is estimated that hundreds of Apple customers have become victims. It is thought that some may have been hit by a "phishing" scam, in which an apparently legitimate email convinces the recipient to part with sensitive information.
This is the latest in a series of recent Apple security breaches. Last month, The Independent reported that 114,000 of the first iPad owners were victims of a security breach in which personal email addresses were leaked.
That attack provoked fears that iPad users who subscribed via AT&T's 3G network could be at risk from phishing scams. Armed with a valid email address and the knowledge that their target may be expecting emails from Apple or AT&T, criminals could send emails that plant malicious software on their victims' computers. Just weeks earlier, a member of Apple staff lost a prototype of an iPhone in a bar. The phone was taken to pieces, photographed and published online by a technology blog.
Nguyen's apps are believed to have been published in quick succession between 16 and 22 April. His company website, "mycompany", had 41 books in its apps portfolio, all of which appeared in the Top 50 paid books in the US market. It also published one game.
A spokesman for Apple did not respond to requests to comment on the matter yesterday.Terms of Use
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Things” offers a glimpse of that future, the tech companies write. While smartphones constantly transmit specific details about a user’s location to third parties, there are other devices transmitting other kinds of metadata. Smartwatches can transmit a user’s fitness data; smart-home devices can send metadata on room temperature and grocery orders through third parties.
“We don’t know how [third-party metadata] is going to be used in future,” says Michael Overing, an expert in internet law and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism.
“Because we don’t know,” he adds, “I want us to err on side of caution.”
But some experts worry about another kind of slippery slope: that the justices decide to expand the Fourth Amendment in a way that delivers more questions than answers.
To rule that cell tower records are protected by the Fourth Amendment would be to depart from the content/non-content rule, a bright line that has been crucial as privacy law has evolved over the centuries, says Orin Kerr, a professor at George Washington University School of Law.
“The question is what should [the Fourth Amendment] protect and what should it not protect,” he adds. And the content/non-content rule “is an essential rule for maintaining balance as we shift from a physical world to a network world.”
Giving historical cell tower records Fourth Amendment protection “would drag state and federal courts into impossible line-drawing exercises that would cause endless confusion,” Professor Kerr writes in an amicus brief in support of the government.
If the Constitution protects historical cell-site records, he writes, does it also protect bank records? Automatic license plate readers? And is it limited to location information? How important is the length of time the surveillance covered? At what point in time does a search stop being constitutional? And does that point in time depend on the search method being used?
“That [would] create a quagmire for the lower courts,” says Christopher Slobogin, director of the Criminal Justice Program at Vanderbilt Law School. “It would be so hard to figure out when unconstitutional [searches] have occurred.”
'They need to be more aware'
The Supreme Court has avoided major Fourth Amendment questions in recent years, so predicting its decision here is even harder than usual, experts say.
Only one justice, Sonia Sotomayor, has expressed an opinion on the third-party doctrine. In a separate opinion to a unanimous 2012 decision regarding warrantless GPS tracking, she wrote that the doctrine “is ill suited to the digital age, in which people reveal a great deal of information about themselves to third parties in the course of carrying out mundane tasks.”
But while they may not know the views of the other eight justices, many experts predict the court will ultimately, as it often does with loaded constitutional questions, issue a narrow opinion and then refine that opinion over time through legal challenges stemming from the questions it leaves unanswered.
While they differ on how the Fourth Amendment should be updated, most experts agree that the SCA should be updated. They also hope that the public becomes more informed about how much information they’re giving to third parties every time they use their phones.
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“They need to be more aware of what’s being broadcasted, what the privacy settings are on their phones,” says Mark Kuhr, the chief technology officer at Synack, a cybersecurity company based in Redwood City, Calif.
“It would be great to see consumers … demanding better privacy protections from their lawmakers, but also from the people they’re buying products from,” he adds. “Privacy is a little bit of a myth.”attack in Pampore +
Terrorists attacked,security forces retaliated; Public was present so couldn't fire openly bt terrorists were forced to run away:IG(Ops)CRPF pic.twitter.com/F2SylDv95j
— ANI (@ANI_news) December 17, 2016
SRINAGAR: Three soldiers were killed after terrorists opened fire on an Army convoy in south Kashmir's Pulwana district, the Army said on Saturday.According to security officials, the terrorists fired incessantly at the vehicles carrying Armymen near the Kadlabal area of Pampore The terrorists then fled from the spot. A massive search operation is underway to track them.It is the secondthis year.Army convoys have been attacked several times along this stretch of the highway that connects Srinagar and Jammu and is used to carry supplies to the Srinagar-based 15 Corps that acts as nerve centre to battle militancy in the valley.The attack comes just days after two militants were killed on in separate encounters with security forces in Anantnag and Baramulla districts.Werewolf witch trials were witch trials combined with werewolf trials. Belief in werewolves developed parallel to the belief in European witches, in the course of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. Like the witchcraft trials as a whole, the trial of supposed werewolves emerged in what is now Switzerland (especially the Valais and Vaud) during the Valais witch trials in the early 15th century and spread throughout Europe in the 16th, peaking in the 17th and subsiding by the 18th century. The persecution of werewolves and the associated folklore is an integral part of the "witch-hunt" phenomenon, albeit a marginal one, accusations of werewolfery being involved in only a small fraction of witchcraft trials.[1]
During the early period, accusations of lycanthropy (transformation into a wolf) were mixed with accusations of wolf-riding or wolf-charming. The 1598 case of Peter Stumpp led to a significant peak in both interest in and persecution of supposed werewolves, primarily in French-speaking and German-speaking Europe. Werewolf trials reached Estonia in the 17th century, and would become the most common form of witch-trial in that country. The phenomenon persisted longest in Bavaria and Austria, with persecution of wolf-charmers persisting until well after 1650, the final cases being recorded in the early 18th century in Carinthia and Styria.[2]
Estonia and Livonia [ edit ]
In the Baltic Estonia and Livonia, the peasantry - in contrast to the Baltic-German burghers and nobility - often continued to conduct Pagan worshiping in defiance to both the Christian church, the authorities and nobility, the entire 17th-century.[3] Consequently, they did not believe in Satan and therefore not in witches or Satanic pacts. They did, however, believe in both malevolent magic as well as in the existence of werewolves, though they did not associate them with Satan, as the church and authorities did.[4]
The result of this was when the Baltic peasantry accused any one of practicing black magic or of causing damage to humans lives, property and animals while in the shape of a werewolf, the authorities interpreted this in to accusations of witchcraft and Satanic pacts, and pressed the accused to adjust their confessions in accordance with the European witchcraft model during torture.[5]
In at least 18 trials between 1527 and 1725, 18 women and 13 men were accused of having caused harm in the shape of werewolves.[6] The accused often confessed to have been given their "wolf skins" by another person or by a demon, sometimes after having eaten something particular, and hid them, usually under a rock, when they did not use them.[7] In 1636, for example, a woman from Kurna claimed to have been taken into the woods by an old woman and given berries to eat, and then begun to hunt with the woman in the woods as wolves.[8] People did not only turn into wolves, however, but also bears: the testimony of Gret of Pärnau claimed that while Kanti Hans and his spouse had turned into wolves, a female accomplice of them had taken the shape of a bear (1633).[9] The accused never voluntarily claimed to have had any association with Satan, but through leading questions and torture, the authorities adjusted confessions about werewolves into confessions about witchcraft, which resulted in convictions and executions of the claimed werewolves as witches.[10] As late as in 1696, Greta, the daughter of Titza Thomas, gave testimony that a whole pack of eleven werewolves were hunting in the woods around Vastemoisa under their leader Libbe Matz.[11]
Hans the Werewolf [ edit ]
The trial of "Hans the Werewolf" is a typical example of the combined werewolf and witch trials, which dominated witch hunts in Estonia.
In 1651, Hans was brought before the court in Idavare accused of being a werewolf at the age of eighteen. He had confessed that he had hunted as a werewolf for two years. He claimed he had gotten the body of a wolf by a man in black. "When asked by the judges if his body took part in the hunt, or if only his soul was transmuted, Hans confirmed that he had found a dog's teeth-marks on his own leg, which he had received while a werewolf. Further asked whether he felt himself to be a man or a beast while transmuted, he said that he felt himself to be beast".[12]
Thereby, the court considered it proof that he had not merely entered the body of a wolf, but really transformed into one, which meant he had undergone a magical transformation. Furthermore, as he was given this disguise by a "man in black," which the court thought was obviously Satan, he could be judged guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death. In the Baltic countries, this was a common method of turning a werewolf trial into a witch trial.[13]
Thiess [ edit ]
The werewolf was not always regarded as evil in the Baltic. A notable case in Jürgensburg in Livonia (in present-day Latvia) in 1692, follows a similar pattern, but did not end in a death sentence: the eighty-year-old Thiess confessed to being a werewolf who, with other werewolves, regularly went to hell three times a year to fight the witches and wizards of Satan to ensure a good harvest. This case was also noted by Carlo Ginzburg as similar to that of the Benandanti.[14] The court tried to make Thiess confess that he had made a pact with the devil and that the werewolf was in the service of Satan, but they did not succeed, and he was sentenced to whipping on 10 October 1692.
The Netherlands [ edit ]
In The Netherlands, the accusation of being a werewolf are described as principally synonymous with an accusation of being a witch,[15] and they are at least two known cases of a combined werewolf- and witch trial.
During the Amersfoort och Utrecht witch trials of 1591-1595, several people were charged with witchcraft, resulting in the execution of four people, the suicide in prison of a woman and the escape of a man. Folkert Dirks was accused of sorcery with his daughter Hendrikje (17) and his sons Hessel (14), Elbert (13), Gijsbert (11) and Dirk (8). Elbert claimed that he, his father and siblings could all sometimes turned into wolves or cats by command of Satan, and they had also seen other people who did, and gathered with them to dance with the Devil and kill other animals.[16] Upon his testimony, his father was tortured to confess that he had been made a werewolf by Satan and attacked cattle with his children in this shape: his daughter soon confessed to have attended witches' sabbath in the shape of a wolf. Folkert Dirks, Hendrika Dirks, and Anthonis Bulck and Maria Barten, who was pointed out to belong to their werewolf pack, were all executed for witchcraft, while the sons of Dirks were spared because of their age and whipped.[17]
In 1595, an explicit werewolf witch trial was conducted in Arnhem (Gelderland). Johan Martensen of Steenhuisen confessed to have been made a werewolf by the Devil three years previous, and to have been a part of eight to ten other wolves commanded by Satan to harm people and other animals.[18] He also claimed to have bewitched people and animals. During his periods as a wolf, he claimed to have been aware, but unable to speak. He was executed to be strangled and burned at the stake 7 August 1595.
Spanish Netherlands [ edit ]
Composite woodcut print by Lukas Mayer of the execution of Peter Stumpp in 1589 at Bedburg near Cologne.
The ancient belief that humans could turn into wolves were by the Catholic church associated with the Devil. In the Spanish Netherlands, men who were accused of witchcraft were sometimes accused of being werewolves as well, though this was by no means common. Between 1589 and 1661, six men were executed for sorcery, in which three are confirmed to have been executed explicitly for being werewolves.[19] The most famous of them were the case of Peter Stumpp. In 1598, Jan van Calster were accused of having bitten two children in the shape of a wolf, but he was acquitted from charges. In 1605, Henry Gardinn was executed after having been accused of being a werewolf and for witchcraft.
The authorities associated lycantrophy with magic and magic with Satan, and the legal courts integrated the cases of werewolves in the witchcraft category.[20] In Mechelen, Thomas Baetens (1642) and Augustijn de Moor (1649) were accused of being werewolves in connection to their wives standing trial for witchcraft: the wives were also them accused of being werewolves, but all were acquitted from charges. The farmer Jan "Ooike" Vindevogel south of Gent were accused of having been seen as a werewolf several times, and was accused of being a sorcerer because of it, and burned alive for witchcraft 29 July 1652: he had pointed out his neighbor Joos Verpraet as an accomplice werewolf, and he was also burned.[21] Finally, in 1657, Matthys Stoop were executed for sorcery after having been accused of tormenting the area as a werewolf, and forced to confess that he had been given his wolf skin by the Devil.[22]
See also [ edit ]
References and sources [ edit ]
References
SourcesNews that Chelsea Clinton is expecting a baby has spurred many questions about how becoming a grandmother might affect the presidential prospects of her mother, Hillary Clinton. A lot of those questions sound more like ageism or sexism (or both) than genuine curiosity about voter perceptions, but the news did make me wonder about the history of grandparents in the White House.
How many U.S. presidents had children when they took office? And how many presidents had grandchildren when they moved into the White House?
Given that more than 14,000 historians are members of the American Historical Association, and that genealogy has become an enormous hobby, you would think this would be an easy question to answer. But it’s not.
Some issues make collecting this information less straightforward than it at first appears. Illegitimate children, especially when their DNA ties were never proven, are unlikely to be listed beneath a president’s name. When offspring were stillborn or if they died young (as was sometimes the case for earlier chief executives’ children), their births were not always recorded.
If the numbers on the first generation of presidential offspring are shaky, the second generation is even harder to figure out. We can be pretty certain that at least 12 presidents had grandchildren when they were sworn in, but the exact number is trickier. Whether grandchildren were recorded in the history books is partly dependent on how famous (or how infamous) they were.
I couldn’t find a comprehensive list anywhere; the best I could do was extract all the information I could find from sites such as the Miller Center, IPL, Wikipedia and book extracts and pull it into one database. It’s not a perfectly reliable source, but it’s a starting point to building one. You can download the data here; tell us if you find anything that is missing or wrong, and we will update the numbers accordingly.
Only one president, James K. Polk, did not have any children at the time of taking office. In fact, six presidents didn’t have biological children at inauguration, although the other five (George Washington, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan and Warren G. Harding) adopted children.
Our rough estimate for the median number of children at the time of taking office is three, although there was a stark contrast between the five presidents who, like Hillary Clinton should she run and win in 2016, only had one child and the three presidents who had 10 or more children.
Grandchildren are rarer for presidents at the time of being sworn in — 32 didn’t have any by our count, although William Henry Harrison may have had all 25 of his grandchildren when he became president in 1841, given that the youngest of his 11 children was then 27.
Our three most recent presidents entered office without any grandchildren. Before them, however, George H.W. Bush, moved into the White House with 10, second in our data set only to Harrison.Here at Thoughts on Liberty, we realize that, while the government gets a lot of things wrong, it isn’t precisely the enemy. We realize that the government can and does get a lot of things right sometimes, particularly when it comes to providing for women. For today’s roundtable, the TOL authors give an idea of just what the government is good at doing for women and for the world—and what we’d like to see it do more of.
Rachel Burger
Nice guys are everywhere, but the problem is that they’re hidden! They could be your neighbor, coworker, roommate, or even your best friend, but for whatever reason we women keep falling for douche bags. Without help, women everywhere could be forgoing a nice guy that’s wracked up uncashed lady points by paying for dinner, telling you you’re pretty, and even offering sex. These men are working hard, and it’s time for their hard work to finally be rewarded!
The government needs to impose a Nice Guy Subsidy. These guys are so important to the future of the United States (and they know it) that it would be a mistake to not reward them. For every “nice” task a “Nice Guy” completes, he gets a punch in an 8-punch card. Once he’s gotten all eight punches, a woman of his choosing will have to have sex with him. She might be squeemish about it at first, but after a night of the best sex of her life, regrets will be no where to be found. America, this will lead to marriage, children, and happiness. This is what’s best for America, for both sexes. Support the Nice Guy Subsidy today.
Erin Whiting
In 21st century America, the typical nuclear family has two working adults. Though women are enjoying more and more equality in the work force—thanks to equal pay laws and affirmative action— one glaring disparity still stands out: the beauty commute. When I get up in the morning, it can take me over 40 minutes to shower and do my hair, make up and find just the right outfit and shoes to wear, whereas my husband takes less than 10 minutes getting ready. This injustice is prevalent in many households, but there is a solution. Just as employers are legally required to pay most employees for disability or maternity leave, they should also be required to pay us for the time we spend getting ready for work. I should be able to bill my company for the hours I spend getting ready, since I wouldn’t go through the process if I weren’t going to the office. As long as women continue to blow dry their hair and apply their mascara without compensation, how can we deny the existence of a gender wage gap?
Aunt Merryweather
Universal childcare. The Merryweather family consists of two college-educated professionals who make a comfortable combined income. We understand that having children involves many challenges, but we shouldn’t have to compromise between our individual career aspirations, our yuppie lifestyle, and a fulfilling “work-life balance.” Compromise is for the suckers in flyover country. That said, full-time childcare in DC is expensive. Why should moving to the ‘burbs be our only option? We want to raise our children in a walkable urban neighborhood. (Although we’d eventually move there anyway because – let’s be real – DC’s school system blows). If Mr. Merryweather “leaned back” in his career to be a primary caretaker, it would stoke all kinds of masculine insecurities that men are just incapable of dealing with, and I’d probably respond by having an affair with some “alpha-male” from the office. And I certainly can’t “mommy-track” myself because that goes against my personal feminist philosophy. Hence, universal childcare is the only way to save the upper-middle-class’s aspirational model of the family.
Gina O’Neill-Santiago
Quarter-life crises can be wearisome. You get all blasé about being blasé. The ennui is interspersed with daydreams of flitting from job to job or uprooting yourself from one zip-code to another, every few months, because you relish the novelty of a new job or part of town.
I am worried about my fellow Millennial sisters. The panacea is to drop everything and find yourself. Go right for the apex and self-actualize. And I have an ingenious idea that would make this possible for every disgruntled, disenchanted, overwhelmed or underwhelmed, 20-something woman out there: a government subsidy for self-discovery. We shall call this A Woman’s Search for Everything government subsidy. Inspired by Eat, Pray, Love.
It is about time that we have subsidy for that. I do not know about you, but I feel all warm and fuzzy envisaging the day when young women can make their Maslowian dreams come true. I cannot think of a better use of our tax dollars than to help us all become Elizabeth Gilbert and get rid of those quarter-life crises once and for all.
Gina Luttrell
Kill all the sluts.
Crissy Brown
What could I possibly ask for, that the government isn’t already doing for me? well – maybe longer maternity leave would be nice…those babies aren’t going to make and raise themselves you know. But in all seriousness, I am pretty happy with the government’s role in my life. But this is America, land of “we” can always do more,” so I think it is high time we see the government intervene a little more into our sex lives by helping us be the best us we can be. For this reason, I think its high time for a Department of Thigh Fat (DTF) that exists with the purpose of regulating our food intake, so that we may remain sexually desirable. After all, what good is federally mandated birth control if no one wants to help us use it?Dear followers,
i recently discovered a stored cross site scripting vulnerability on Paypal’s core site. The scenario is a bit weird, but i hope to explain everything as good as possible.
During my testings i often create accounts with malicious Javascript contet as the Name, Organization etc etc. While testing on Paypal i did the same, i tried to make an account with the username.
XSS Payload "><img src=x onerror javascript=alert(1337)">.jpg 1 "><img src=x onerror javascript=alert(1337)" >. jpg
But when i tried to fullfill the registration the security module of Paypal showed me an error that there is some kind problem with my request. When i looked at the URL i saw that there was some kind of progress bar
PayPalURL https://www.paypal.com/webapps/merchantboarding/webflow/unifiedflow?execution=e1s1 1 https : //www.paypal.com/webapps/merchantboarding/webflow/unifiedflow?execution=e1s1
What came first in my mind, it’s the same url you get once logged in into a legimitate accout, so i tried to erease everything after the /webapps/ url, and suddenly i was into my new Paypal account with the malicious Javascript content. I went to the profile settings page and saw that 3 of my javascript snippets were executed. So far so good. Some of you might know that you need a szenario in which users of Paypal could be exploited in order to recieve a bug bounty. So i thought about where i could inject this to other Paypal users. A few months ago i found also a stored cross site scripting issue within a invoice created by paypal. If you look at the landing page of paypal you will see that every invoice you recieve will include the name of the user that send it to you. So, my Username is malicious Javascript, and Paypal allows me to send invoices to every single Paypal user by just knowing their E-Mail. So i went further and created an invoice, and sent it to my second Paypal accout. I logged in to the second one, and the Javascript Prompt appears on my screen.
To summarize the progress :
1. Create an account with the malicious Payload
2. At the point where the Paypal systems stops you from continuing erease the URL till /webapps/ (bypassed the Security restriction)
3. Create an invoice, send it to the victim
4. Victim logs into the the Account and the Payload gets executed
I did a small POC Video which describes the impact :
I hope you enjoyed 🙂Next week, Google will host thousands of Android developers and enthusiasts at its annual Google I/O conference in San Francisco. In a series of messages to the Android team, Androinica.com hopes to give some constructive criticism about how they can improve the operating system we all love so much.
———————————————
Hello, Android team. My name is Andrew and I’m the Managing Editor of Androinica.com, a website dedicated to Google Android news.
As you can imagine, I spend a great deal of time looking for and writing about the leading apps available in the Android Market. Sadly, dancing through the parade of soundboards and lame sexy photos can be annoying when you’re constantly swiping on an Android phone. I’d much rather have the option to browse the Market on my computer.
Google, I ask – nay, I implore – that you buy AppBrain and/or DoubleTwist, put your Google spin on them, and fully-integrate both services into the Android experience.
Over the past few years, Google has acquired more companies than I can count. Why not spend some of your billions upon billions of cash and stock options to acquire these two companies that would greatly enhance using an Android phone? This is such an obvious move that I’m surprised you haven’t already done it.
AppBrain and doubleTwist are two companies that plug-in glaring holes in the Android experience. For one, there’s no simple solution for media management. I know it’s hard to imagine for a company full of Harvard, Stanford, and MIT grads, but the “average” person doesn’t know how or want to mount their SD card for dragging-and-dropping content every day. They want a dummy-proof solution as simple as iTunes, and doubleTwist is the closest we’ve come to seeing such a product. doubleTwist is far from a perfect solution, but it’s a solid option for syncing photos/music and converting videos into formats compatible with Android devices. You could sit back and let a third-party develop on its own, but Android would be much better if you acquired the company, threw some more weight behind it, and built it into a true “iTunes for Android” experience (minus the bloat and annoyances of iTunes, if possible).
It also wouldn’t hurt to be able to browse the Market online or on the desktop. I know this is counter to your mobile-centric approach, but we need a good desktop version of the Market. Even Android Developer Advocate Dan Morrill acknowledged the need for a desktop solution.
I’ve been browsing the market exclusively from AppBrain for a few weeks now, specifically because my phone could never be as fast as my desktop, and AppBrain filters out the spam apps. That’s something you might have a problem with, but I’d put up with those crappy apps once again clouding my vision if it meant you could make AppBrain widely available under a Google banner. You have no idea how much people would appreciate being able to more easily mass-install and sync applications that we download through the web.
Google, you’re under no obligation to buy AppBrain or doubleTwist, but you have to admit that these two services have done an admirable job of addressing the areas that you overlooked. Don’t be like Twitter and rely on developers to plug your holes for months on end; cut the check and build a better product in your name.
Android’s already a great mobile platform, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it easier to get content onto mobile devices.For a couple years now, The Secret Pro has been providing an entertaining and informative perspective of life inside the professional men’s peloton. This season, we go inside the women’s peloton with posts from The Female Secret Pro (or should that be The SHEcret Pro?)
As with The Secret Pro, our insider from the women’s ranks will be kept anonymous, to allow her to write freely about the experience of being a female professional. We’ll be ghostwriting these articles as well as dropping in the odd red herring, ensuring it’s not possible to guess the rider’s identity.
I’m back! And so much has happened since my last post! Let’s go in chronological order and start with the Giro Rosa, the only women’s “Grand Tour” of the year.
It’s funny how racing a tour can feel so long but also go by so quickly at the same time. Ten days of racing back-to-back-to-back and you don’t know what day it is anymore! You just wake up, eat something that resembles oatmeal, drink as much (generally shit) coffee as you can, and look at what the stage ahead of you might bring.
If you were going by the Giro Rosa handbook then you ‘thought’ you were racing a flat stage, but if you had done your homework and knew the course, then you knew that the provided flat profile actually included a switchback climb! Yep, whoever’s job it was to do the profiles of the stages was a good joker! We all quickly learnt the importance of having numbers on a vertical axis!
Just check the comparison Amalie Dideriksen did for stage 1.
The official road book’s profile vs. my Garmin’s profile of today’s stage in #GiroRosa pic.twitter.com/9iN3YT0o46 — Amalie Dideriksen (@AmalieDiderikse) July 2, 2016
Yeah I’m no artist, but come on! How can you get it so wrong?!
In a stage race, it’s not just the countless lies in the stage profiles that start annoying you. Certain riders do too. There’s always “that person” who’s been annoying you since day one. You try to get away from them in the peloton every day but always tend to find yourself next to them. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
For me, it was pretty much the whole of the BTC City Ljubljana team. I mean seriously ladies, when the break has six minutes, that’s not the time to think you can bridge across solo. You are not Fabian Cancellera or Tony Martin! It is also not the time to hammer it on the front because you “just want to finish” when you’re 20 minutes down. It’s a tour. No one cares or remembers who finished 50th or 51st in the GC but everyone will remember who made the groupetto annoying and who pissed them off for three hours..
Sometimes it’s good to have friends in the peloton, girls – just saying. Yep, gone are the good ol’ days of Ina Teutenberg calling the shots and when riders knew their place pretty quickly if they f***ed up.
Now, it’s pretty close to the Olympics, and people are really starting to fly. Some people I expected to, like the top Americans – e.g. Megan Guarnier, Evie Stevens and Mara Abbott. The three of them passed around the pink jersey in the Giro Rosa like they were the only ones in the game.
Man did Mara fly up the Mortirolo like Captain America! Unfortunately she then descended like Princess Peach in Mario Cart, losing 3.5 minutes on the descent. And I think if she hadn’t achieved this rare feat then she probably would have won the Giro for a third time.
I feel like the short-listed Americans were under a lot of pressure to prove themselves – there was more drama going on for their Olympic selection than in an episode of Days of our Lives! I mean seriously. WTF?!
In the end, I believe they all proved worthy of selection. Others, I feel cynical about, like the riders who haven’t flown all year who two weeks prior were not climbing that well, and then in the Giro Rosa smashed out strong results. Yeah, maybe I am cynical, but when some of these riders have been caught for doping before, I feel like a little cynicism is warranted. Yet somehow this gets hidden in the media or swept under the rug.
Let’s skip ahead to La Course, a race everyone wants to race. Because let’s face it — what cyclist doesn’t want to race down the Champs Elysees! Last year it was an ice-skating rink with heaps of crashes. So when I saw it was going to be sunny this year I was doing a little dance. Turns out though, the race was just as crazy! (I guess it wasn’t weather related after all.)
It just felt like there was no respect in the bunch. Being such a big race, girls were willing to do kamikaze moves to maybe get “that result.”
I still, sickly enough, find it an awesome race. But it has now been three years of it just being a one-day race. What happened to the petition we all signed asking for there to be a Women’s Tour de France? I don’t think we should have a three-week tour with the same distances as the men — I don’t think that would showcase women’s cycling. We don’t have any other three-week tours, and we won’t be used to that. However, I do think having a 10-14 day tour is possible.
It would give spectators more to watch while they are chilling roadside for the day, and all the roads are already closed and the media is present. Just start us 100km up the road to solve the problem of there not being enough hotels at the starting towns and you’re good to go. Boom. Problems solved, right? You can thank me later, ASO.
Now before I start the next topic I just want to say for the record: I do believe there are far fewer dopers in the women’s peloton compared to the men’s peloton. Firstly, because there aren’t as many of us female pros and not as many teams. And, because sponsorship is harder to come by, a lot of teams are reluctant to associate themselves with drug cheats. There’s also the fact that most of us wouldn’t be able to afford to dope even if we wanted to. We struggle just to pay rent and buy food!
It’s a sad truth: at least 50% of female cyclists in the peloton don’t get paid, and about 25% would be paid under €10,000 (AU$15,000; US$11,100) per year. It’s why so many of us rely more on personal sponsors, family, savings from previous jobs, or very wealthy partners (of which I have had none).
But this is something we don’t really talk about with each other. Sometimes I think it’s because we are embarrassed (to be getting paid less than someone on social welfare), we find it awkward, and we are scared that maybe we are asking too much. Because if you are asking too much then there is probably a girl who wants a contract who’s willing to ride for free. And given there’s no minimum wage in the women’s peloton, what’s in it for the team to pay a rider more when they can get a rider who does the same job for nothing?
Most of us do our own wage negotiations too, which means pretty much selling yourself as a package and how much you believe you are worth. And this is a lot harder than you might think!
There are however, some riders in the peloton who get paid quiet well in comparison. And yeah, Lizzie Armitstead is one of them. Of course, with all her results she deserves a good salary. But with everything that has happened these last few days, her performances and whether she is innocent have definitely been hot topics at the coffee shop between us cyclists.
It’s easy to believe that she must be on something. She never looks like she is trying, she has won so much, and everything about her suspension was kept so quiet. How could you miss three out-of-competition drug tests? If you missed one you would be lifting your game, if you missed two you would be bat-shit nervous and make sure you didn’t miss a third, but if you miss three, well…apparently you just appeal and get your first strike removed…
It seems strange that someone with such a high chance to medal at the Olympics would put her chances of going to the Olympics in jeopardy. Then there is the involvement and funding British Cycling had.
To be honest, I don’t really know what to think.
Yes, cycling is one of the most tested sports in the world, and when you’re as good as she is, you get tested a lot, but “with great power comes great responsibility.” Lizzie Armitstead is more than just the world champion, she is one of the most prominent faces of women’s cycling, she is a role model for the younger generations, and she has a responsibility to make sure she is where she says she will be for that one hour each day.
The fact that this was kept hidden until less than a week before the Olympic road race, and that she did not appeal her first strike immediately, does make things look suspicious. But I guess she hasn’t actually tested positive. And so what can you do?
Personally, I’m looking forward to the women’s Olympic road race. If London 2012 was anything to go by, it’s going to be awesome for spectators.
Until next time,
FSPEver wake up feeling in tune with your inner Teddy Roosevelt or Ernest Hemingway and think, "I really need to shoot something rare, something exotic, preferably endangered and it's gotta be huge"?
Lucky for you, the Dallas Safari Club has you covered. The group, which bills itself as a "gathering point for hunters, conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts," has secured the right to hunt one of Namibia's 1,800 remaining black
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hurtful and derogatory rhetoric." He added, "There is no one in a better situation to help with the water situation in the state than the governor, and I am just baffled why he is not interested in even participating in the conversation."
The governor was asked by a reporter if state government would provide state funding or work to obtain federal money to try to mitigate the impact of 10 percent increases in water rates faced by Des Moines Water Works customers. The rate hikes will cover general operations and maintenance costs, including electricity, chemicals and the nitrate removal process for treating water.
The water utility, which serves 500,000 customers in central Iowa, says it has spent more than $1.5 million since December to remove nitrates to keep water within safe drinking limits. The utility is suing three upstream counties, claiming farm drainage tiles contribute to high nitrate levels.
"I think we in the state of Iowa want clean water and we want to do everything we can," Branstad said. "We have a nutrient reduction strategy. We are working on a cooperative and collaborative basis.
"If they want to cooperate and work with us, they are much more likely to get assistance and support. If they are continuing to sue and attack other people, that is not doing to get them the kind of assistance and support they would like to have."
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The governor contended Des Moines Water Works has "alienated a lot of people in the Legislature and elsewhere," and he suggested that filing lawsuits and offering criticism is the wrong approach.
Gillette said Water Works officials have met with Iowa's farm community, including a recent meeting that included the Iowa Farm Bureau, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Iowa Soybean Association and Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. Branstad was invited, but he didn't show up, and he didn't send a staff person, either, Gillette said.
Gillette also noted that a new group created by the Iowa Farm Bureau — the Iowa Partnership for Clean Water — is critical of the Des Moines Water Works' federal lawsuit against the three rural counties.
The Des Moines Water Works draws some water from the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, both of which have had nitrate levels above the 10 milligrams per liter allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recent months.
Water Works Chief Executive Officer Bill Stowe says he's preparing plans that include spending up to $183 million for new nitrate removal equipment that can keep up with higher levels coming from farms.
Ag leaders have encouraged growers to adopt more conservation practices outlined under the voluntary Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy to keep nitrogen and other nutrients on farm fields, where crops need them. The state provided $9.6 million in the last legislative session for conservation and water quality initiatives.
The Des Moines utility is suing Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac counties in U.S. District Court, claiming drainage districts there act as conduits for nitrates to move from farm fields into the Raccoon River.
The utility seeks federal oversight of the drainage districts, and indirectly farmers, under the Clean Water Act. Attorneys for the counties have denied the field tiles are contributing to Des Moines' nitrate problems. They seek to have the lawsuit dismissed.
State Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, said Tuesday he wants to remind Branstad that he is governor of all of Iowa, including all 500,000 Water Works customers. He noted that Water Works is preparing plans that include spending up to $183 million for new nitrate removal equipment that can keep up with higher levels coming from farms.
"I would tell the governor, 'Put your money where your mouth is and step up with the funding to reimburse the consumers for these increased costs to remove these nitrates and you will probably get your lawsuit resolved and probably get more cooperation and satisfaction,'" McCoy said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/1ScXtQFGov. Christie took a victory lap over his Bayway cleanup deal with Exxon last week, strutting like a peacock drunk with hubris, and offering further proof that the governor's greatest political strength is rooted in his supporters' unrelenting passion for refusing to figure stuff out.
He won that negotiation, he insists, because $225 million extracted from Exxon over its tar-dumping party is an adequate settlement over and above the polluter's cleanup and restoration obligations.
But here's what he doesn't tell you: Exxon has been obligated to clean the area since a consent order in 1991, but the real goal of the $8.9 billion lawsuit was the full-scale restoration of the 1,500 acres of wetlands contaminated by 4,000 tons of tar - which cannot be restored for decades, if at all.
That means the actual cleanup - which he crows was the deal-clincher - can come down to an agreement between Exxon and Christie based on cost and practicality. And given that the time it takes to restore such a hellscape is mostly a theory, Exxon may be permitted to simply cap the site and contain the contaminants and simply move on - rather than pay the $2.6 billion that the lawsuit sought for the disposal of the toxic material, as required by DEP standards.
Sure, they may do the perfunctory hot-spot cleanups, such as removing toxins from areas that might contaminate groundwater, and Exxon claims such remediation has been ongoing for years. Beyond that, however, it's the governor's call. And after 24 years of foot-dragging, his pals at Exxon have probably convinced him to rethink the standards of a thorough cleanup, as they've already received the Jersey Discount.
You wouldn't know that from our governor's presentation: He accepted three cents on the dollar to plug another budget hole and keep a big donor happy, but what played best on YouTube was his swanky command of an oil company to stay in its room and not come out until all its dirty laundry is picked up.
Apparently, this is the kind of stuff that gets slack-jawed nods on the campaign trail.
But sorting through 700 pages of material from the litigation, you get a vivid understanding of what Exxon calls a "cleanup" and how the oil giant places more value on its ability to influence regulators than on its ability to restore a sludge lagoon.
The internal Exxon documents from its Bayway Site Remediation team - obtained by NY/NJ Baykeeper through an OPRA request - reveals a "business strategy" that emphasizes the "management of Exxon environmental liabilities arising from historic contamination in the most cost-effective manner possible."
And since 1997, its strategy is spelled out in a single phrase: "The key to lowering costs is to change the rules of the game," it reads.
The best way to achieve this is to have an ally in the state house. In this case, it was a governor who surrendered to the will of campaign contributors, sold out his people, and had the gall to call it victory.
But this is only partly about the costs of cleanup and restoration, which is far higher than Exxon would be willing to expend in both effort and real dollars without a judge's decree.
This is also about our expectations of living in New Jersey, even in that dismal shadow of the Turnpike where the human toll cannot be measured. It is about the need for a government that is devoted to our interests, and its response to a century of degradation.
Six years into one man's dalliance with transient and distracted stewardship, that sounds like a laugh line.
Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.The cartoonist known as Inkwell Looter first Berserked a Scryb Sprites back in 1993. More recent work includes comics for Gathering Magic, a steady churn of custom token art, and writing card names and flavor text for Wizards of the Coast.
A couple thoughts I had as I succumbed to the effects of the Eldritch Moon:
I'm delighted by the twist of our horror plane's denizens allying with Zombies to defeat the Eldrazi. Sure, Zombies smell bad and want to eat your brain, but still—they're vastly preferable to being transformed into a squidgy worm-lattice by derangement incarnate from beyond the void.
And Liliana coming in from the cold? What sort of Gatewatcher will she be? Does she have...people skills? I mean, alive people skills? I suspect we'll find out, and I further suspect that she doesn't care much about correctly pronouncing her subordinates' names.
These are my thoughts, probably my last sane ones, at least before I meld with lunch. Adieu!Not because he thinks his team cannot adapt their passing style to adverse weather conditions, but because even the bench at Brighton’s temporary Withdean home is so exposed to the elements.
“You get really wet but you can’t use an umbrella. Why? Unfortunately ever since the press got on to Mr McClaren with that umbrella, no manager can use one.”
He laughs at the absurdity of it all, but also stresses that it is true. Experience has taught Poyet that he is working in a precarious profession and, although Brighton are top of League One going into Saturday’s derby against third-placed Bournemouth, he knows that circumstances can change quickly.
Tottenham provided the best example of that. For two thirds of the 2007-08 season, Poyet’s double act with Juande Ramos inspired a surge up the Premier League table and the club’s only trophy this century. For a third of the 2008-09 season, the team flopped and they were suddenly both unemployed.
“Juande deserved more credit,” Poyet says. “I think the changes he made in the first few months were unbelievable. People forget they won a trophy against Chelsea. Let’s see when they win the next trophy.”
Behind the persistent grin, Poyet is clearly a deep thinker about football and, with his son, Sergio, now an England Under-16 international, he has strong opinions about the national game and another World Cup failure.
“The problem we have got — and I say we because I am part of the English game — is a social problem,” he says. “You are asking the players to do one thing: to stay in the national team, to win for the national team and 90 per cent of the fans prefer their clubs.”
Poyet, though, says he could not be happier in Brighton — “I need to see the sea” — and, with a 22,500-seat new stadium and Championship football within reach next year, the optimism is understandable. “That is the dream: not many dreams come true but perfection for this club would be to win the Championship in the new stadium.”
And the weather forecast in Brighton? Bright and sunny. Much like the disposition of the manager.Today, there is one major way in which federal law in America explicitly discriminates between women and men.
All men 18 to 25 must register for military service or lose access to a variety of government benefits, including student aid; women are exempt from the registration.
That would change under legislation introduced last week by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Rep. Ryan Zinke (R.-Mont.).
Their legislation would extend Selective Service to women. The bill might not be intended seriously. Duncan, at least, strongly opposes new policies opening all combat roles to women and is apparently trying to force debate on the issue.
But in fact, ending sex discrimination in this area — whether by including women in draft registration or by abolishing it — should be a no-brainer.
Objections to women in combat have been based on several rationales. One is practical: Critics argue that gender differences in physical abilities make women less efficient in ground fighting and that mixed-gender troops are likely to have worse cohesion. These issues need to be examined honestly, without regard to either traditional prejudices or newfangled “political correctness.”
Among other things, a recent study which concluded that gender-integrated Marine units performed worse than all-male ones, and which Hunter and others claim was rejected by the brass for political reasons, should be impartially reassessed. Special training to improve women’s performance is worth looking into. So is the controversial option of all-female units, which have done well in other nations — in Kurdistan, for example.
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What shouldn’t hold back change is the argument based on chivalry.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the Republican presidential candidate, has said that it’s “immoral” to “draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military” and “put them in a foxhole with a 220-pound psychopath trying to kill them.”
But why shouldn’t we be as horrified by the prospect of forcibly putting our sons (or brothers and husbands) in close combat? Whether the message is that young men are more expendable or that young women should be more sheltered, it’s ultimately unfair to both.
Draft registration is a separate issue. Conscription did not exist in the United States before the Civil War and was often seen as incompatible with liberty. At present, we have not had a draft in more than four decades; registration is viewed as a slightly bothersome formality that does not cause young men to feel aggrieved, but also does not inspire much patriotism.
Writing in The Washington Post, former U.S. Navy officer Christopher Preble, vice president for defense studies at the Cato Institute, argues that Selective Service is an anachronism that should be ended. (Disclosure: I am an unpaid media fellow with Cato, a libertarian research center.) Preble says our modern wars do not require mass conscription and that, if an emergency required a draft, it could be easily conducted without advance registration.
As a policy matter, Preble is almost certainly right.
But if only for symbolic value, I would favor at least a five-year period of draft registration for both sexes. It would send a powerful message that, if an actual draft were needed, it would include both men and women, and they could serve wherever their contributions would be most effective. Equal rights must come with equal responsibilities.
So two cheers for the Hunter-Zinke bill. Even if it was meant to subvert the equalization of military roles, there’s nothing to say it can’t have the opposite effect. The ban on sex discrimination was originally inserted into the 1964 Civil Rights Act by opponents of the law who sought to undermine it. Progress can happen in mysterious ways.
Cathy Young is a regular contributor to Reason magazine and Real Clear Politics.Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world
The Queen’s composer has attacked “gay-bashing fundamentalists” in the Church of England for refusing to allow civil partnerships.
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, 76, hit out at clerics for refusing to officiate gay couples’ ceremonies.
The composer, who lives with his boyfriend on Sanday in the Orkney Islands, said: “The Church of England has still got so many gay-bashing fundamentalists in it, clerical gay-bashing thugs, I really don’t understand why people want to have [anything] to do with it.
“I wouldn”t have anything to do with the church – they have such history of anti-gay nonsense.”
The Queen is the supreme governor of the Church of England but Mr Maxwell Davies said he was not concerned that his remarks would offend her.
He said his sexuality was “not an issue” for the royal family and that the Queen and Prince Philip were “always extremely welcoming” to him and his boyfriend.
“I think they are just interested in having a decent master of music,” he said.
Mr Maxwell Davies has been the Master of Music since 2004.
Ministers announced last week that civil partnerships will be permitted in church.
When legalised in 2005, they were explicitly banned from including any religious symbolism or being held in religious buildings.
While the Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Jews say they will hold ceremonies for gay couples, the Catholic Church and Church of England will not.Sex-Based Differences
Determined From Conception
Biology plays the primary role in determining how our voice and speech sound, and it starts at conception. Once the human embryo's sex is determined as either "male" or "female" based on chromosomes, a cascade of changes occur at around 8 weeks gestational age (in the womb), including development of genitalia as well as dormant developmental instructions stored within our DNA that will later direct the development of secondary sex characteristics (including sex-based differences of the upper airway and vocal tract).
The precise timing of an embryo's determination of which primary sex characteristics it will have is still not fully understood. Embryos are identical up until about 8 weeks of gestation. If the egg was fertilized with the X chromosome then the embryo continues to develop with female structures (the "default"); however, if it was fertilized with the Y chromosome a hormonal "switch" happens and male structures develop in place of female--at least if nothing goes awry.
Childhood Vocal Development
The vocal tract matures at about the same rate as the rest of the body until puberty. Interestingly, both sexes' vocal tracts develop at generally the same rate/size, although males may have slightly wider vocal tracts (Vorperian et al., 2009). Males, however, tend to have higher fundamental frequencies (F₀) than do females of the same age (until puberty)! An infant's fundamental frequency at birth is around 500 Hz. By age 8 it drops to about 275 Hz
Puberty is when things really start to diverge between the sexes. The female vocal tract continues to grow in proportion to the rest of the body, reaching an average maximum length of 144mm, with vocal folds about 12-21mm in length. Males, on the other hand, reach a vocal tract length of around 156 mm (about 15% longer than females) and vocal fold length about 17-29mm (about 60% longer than females) (Fitch & Giedd, 1999). That's a big difference when it comes to sound!
The growth of the vocal fold length decreases the F₀ of adult females to an average of 220 Hz, with males dropping all the way down to 130 Hz by age 18! (Titze, 1994).
The Adult Vocal Tract
By adulthood the larynx rests lower in the throat, and the size and shape of the cavities above it are altered, affecting the resonance of the voice. The vocal folds in males have become thicker and allow better closure when voicing, which results in less breathiness than females and also produces a richer sound.
A Little More About Resonance formants.
When the vocal folds vibrate, they set the air above them in the vocal tract into vibration as well. The resonances of the vocal tract become excited by this, enhancing and dampening the source energy (vibration of the vocal folds).
We can change the formants, or tuning of the resonating cavities, by changing the shape of the vocal tract--protruding the lips, opening the jaw, tensing the muscles of the throat, etc. As I said above, a longer vocal tract has lower resonant frequency, so to raise that frequency we would need to shorten the vocal tract, for instance by smiling. Once the vocal tract has matured, the differences in its length and shape alter the resonance accordingly. Kreiman & Sidtis (2013) provide a good summary of the science behind this. A longer vocal tract (e.g., of an adult male) has resonances of a lower frequency than does a shorter vocal tract (e.g., of an adult female). The resonances of the vocal tract are calledWhen the vocal folds vibrate, they set the air above them in the vocal tract into vibration as well. The resonances of the vocal tract become excited by this, enhancing and dampening the source energy (vibration of the vocal folds).We can change the formants, or tuning of the resonating cavities, by changing the shape of the vocal tract--protruding the lips, opening the jaw, tensing the muscles of the throat, etc. As I said above, a longer vocal tract has lower resonant frequency, so to raise that frequency we would need to shorten the vocal tract, for instance by smiling. "Male" versus "Female" Females have formants that are about 20% higher in frequency than males. Whiteside (1999) also found many characteristics in speech patterns that differentiated males and females. Women tend to have more exact pronunciation. They omit sounds less often (e.g., "noth-ing" versus "noth-in'"). A review by Smith (1979) discusses differences in use of grammar, vocabulary, and speech rate between males and females.
Although the above has been shown to distinguish the sexes, evidence suggests that only altering the above without addressing pitch (F₀) and formant frequencies does not change listener perception from one sex to the other. Similarly, only altering F₀ does not change perception of the sex of the speaker (Coleman, 1971). So, F₀ is important, but by itself is insufficient. There needs to be a combined change in: F₀ (fundamental frequency) Formants Articulation Prosody (the patterns of stress an intonation in speech) Avery & Liss (1996) asked women to rate the "masculinity" of males voices, and found that a higher F₀ by itself was not enough to make speech sound less masculine (or more feminine). Instead, a combination of higher F₀, larger and faster pitch variations (inflection), rising intonation contouring (posody), and more precise articulation were found to be more feminine sounding, adding weight to Coleman's (1971) findings. Perception in Sex of Transgendered Speakers As I mentioned in What is Pitch?, pitch (F₀) and resonance are the two biggest cues listeners use when labeling the sex of the speaker (Whiteside, 1998), so with the thickening of the vocal folds and enlargement of the resonating cavities above them, the speech signal is primed to be differentiated as a "male" versus "female" voice.
Transgender males benefit from the changes to the vocal folds brought on by horomones/androgen, which thicken the folds and result in lowering the F₀. As we've talked about, lowering the F₀ by itself won't necessarily affect perception of the voice as being from a "male", but it absolutely helps! As of right now we have seen no change in the length of the vocal tract from hormone/androgen use which would cause formant frequencies to naturally drop.
There is a bit more work involved for transgender women; female hormones have not been shown the alter the size or shape of the vocal tract. It has been reported that a F₀ of at least 155 Hz is necessary to achieve a feminine perception (Wolfe, Ratusnik, Smith, and Northrop, 1990), in conjunction with the other variables discussed above.
In Conclusion
So we can summarize our discussion by saying the the shape and size of the vocal tract is determined at conception, but the changes that distinguish a "male" versus "female" voice don't arise until puberty. At this time the male larynx and vocal folds grow out of proportion to the rest of the body, and become larger than in females. The structures of the vocal tract above the vocal folds also grow longer and larger in size, which affects resonance, or more precisely formant frequencies.
These changes in conjunction with variations in articulation and prosody are some of the most important cues listeners pick up on when determining the sex of the speaker.
I hope you enjoyed reading and learned a thing or four! Please post comments or questions below! In the future we'll discuss more specifics regarding altering speech and the voice to change the perception of the voice as "male" or "female". See you next time.
One of the more researched areas of voice and speech is the distinction between male versus female voices and speech patterns. Much work has gone into both analyzing the differences and attempting to apply these findings into practice to change the perceived "sex" of the listener. Let's talk a little about what has been discovered so far!By Victoria McGrane
Since 1790, the United States has suffered 16 banking crises. Canada has experienced zero — not even during the Great Depression.
It turns out Canada can thank the French for their stable system, according to a paper by Columbia University’s Charles Calomiris, presented at the Atlanta Fed’s 2013 Financial Markets Conference.
When it became a British colony, the majority of Canada’s population was of French origin — and the French inhabitants hated the British government.
So to keep the colony firmly within the Empire, British policymakers steered toward a government structure that would limit the power of the French-majority while also giving Canada more and more self-government. The eventual result was a highly-centralized federal government which controlled economic policy making and had built-in buffers for banker interests against populist forces, the paper argues.
That anti-populist political system — known in political science as liberal constitutionalism or liberal democracy — is a key ingredient in Canada’s stable banking track record, Mr. Calomiris contends in his paper, which is a summary of a much longer book he’s written with Stephen Haber due out in September. That’s because this kind of political system makes it difficult for political majorities to gain control of the banking system for their own purposes, the authors contend.
Populist democracies like the U.S., on the other hand, tend to create dysfunctional banking systems because a majority of citizens gain control over banking regulation that steers credit to themselves and to their friends at the expense of the citizens that are excluded from the banking system, he said.The tapeworm diet is already one of the most horrific weight loss methods imaginable, but a crazy mother found a way to make it much worse: she tricked her daughter into ingesting squirmy parasites.
According to The Mirror, the terrifying tale of this terrible mother was featured on a recent episode of Untold Stories of the E.R., a docudrama that airs on TLC and Discovery Fit & Health. The tapeworm diet was popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and vintage ads touted pills packed with the parasites’ eggs as easy ways to lose weight. With all the different diet products available now, it’s no surprise that swallowing tapeworms has fallen out of fashion.
However, some people are still willing to put their health at risk by infesting themselves with the parasites, and one crazy pageant mom was so desperate for her teen daughter to lose weight that she gave the girl a tapeworm pill without telling the poor girl what was in it. Nurse Maricar Cabral-Osorio told the Untold Stories of the E.R. cameras that the teen girl was suffering from severe stomach pain when she was admitted to an E.R. in Florida. At first doctors thought that she might be pregnant, but the thing wriggling around inside her belly wasn’t a fetus.
The unnamed girl had to use the toilet while she was at the hospital, and what she saw after emptying her bowels made her scream. Cabral-Osorio was also disturbed after peeking in the potty:
“It was a toilet bowl full of tapeworms. Blegh! It was so gross and she had pooped all these tapeworms. There were a couple that were very long and wiggling around trying to get out of the toilet bowl.”
The mother started profusely apologizing to the girl, saying that she just wanted to help her lose weight before an upcoming beauty pageant. It was revealed that she got the tapeworm diet pills from Mexico.
This isn’t the first time the tapeworm diet has made headlines. As The Inquisitr previously reported, an Iowa woman made headlines last August after trying to use tapeworms to lose weight. Her doctor contacted the public health department after learning that his patient had swallowed a parasite.
Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, released a statement about the dangers of the tapeworm diet:
“Ingesting tapeworms is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths. The worm would get into your gut – it’s got little hooks on the head – and it would grab onto your intestine and start growing.”
According to TODAY, the beef tapeworm (taenia saginata) is the species most commonly used by desperate dieters. The theory is that tapeworms will make you lose weight by eating all the food that you consume. However, journalist Michael Mosley reported that he actually gained weight after intentionally ingesting the parasites for a BBC documentary. According to The Telegraph, He hosted three tapeworms in his gut, and they were hungry little critters. Here’s what he said about his disgusting diet:
“Tapeworms have been traditionally associated with weight loss, but my weight went up and I think the worm was actually encouraging me to eat more, to keep itself alive. I think I ate a bit more and I definitely wanted chocolate and carbohydrates.”
Mosley didn’t seem to mind being on the tapeworm diet, but just imagine how terrified that clueless teen girl was after visiting the toilet. Do you think the pageant mom should have been prosecuted for putting her daughter’s health at risk?
[Image credit: NHS]This vegan Thai coconut soup is a light and tasty, totally vegetarian version of Tom Kha Gai – one of Thailand’s most famous soup exports. This soup perfectly balances the sour, sweet, salty and spicy flavours that Thai food is famous for. The best of all? This soup is super simple and ready is just 15 minutes!
Now that the chilly weather is creeping in, it’s time to start thinking about getting creative with soups. This vegan Thai coconut soup is definitely different that your run-of-the-mill tomato or minestrone soups – different in a good way, that is!
This soup is flavoured with the delicious fragrances of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal (related to ginger) in a coconut base. Tom Kha Gai is lighter and thinner than other coconut-based Thai dishes like vegan red curry and vegetable green curry as the coconut milk is mixed with stock in a 50-50 ratio, making it much easier to take as a soup.
Normally Tom Kha Gai is a chicken soup (I think gai means chicken, but I don’t speak Thai so I can’t tell you for sure!) with chunks of chicken and chicken stock. They’re easy enough to replace with vegetable stock and tofu, and lots of vegetarian versions dub this soup Tom Kha Tofu.
The other small issue is the ubiquitous fish sauce. But that can also easily be substituted for a vegetarian fish sauce (if you eat Thai food a lot, it’s worth it to keep a batch on hand) or soy sauce.
If you live in a big city, lemongrass and lime leaves should be fairly easy to find. A lot of regular supermarkets carry them now and, if not, an Asian supermarket is sure to have them. The galangal may be slightly more difficult to track down.
A lot of vegan Tom Kha Gai recipes suggest you can substitute ginger, but I personally think the flavour is too different for this recipe. I’d suggest doing your very best to find galangal and if not, just leave it out rather than substitute for ginger.
According to Eating Thai Food’s Tom Kha Gai recipe, the soup is not meant to be overly spicy so don’t go crazy with the chili peppers. Also, despite the coconut milk, the flavour profile should be predominantly sour, followed by salty then sweet. Be sure to taste your soup at the end of cooking and make any adjustments necessary.
In Thailand, Tom Kha Gai usually eaten alongside rice, with the soup being spooned over the rice to make something more similar to a curry than a soup. It does make more of a complete meal with rice, but this vegan Thai coconut soup is so delicious that you can certainly go at it with just a spoon alone!
If you liked this recipe and Thai soups in general, be sure to check out my vegan tom yum soup recipe!
Vegan Thai Coconut Soup Melissa Serves 4 This vegan Thai coconut soup is a light and tasty, totally vegetarian version of Tom Kha Gai – one of Thailand’s most famous soup exports. 5 minPrep Time 10 minCook Time 15 minTotal Time Save Recipe Save Recipe Print Recipe 3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups coconut milk
2 stalks of lemongrass, sliced into 3 cm (1 inch) pieces
A piece of galangal about 7 cm (3 inches) long, unpeeled and sliced thinly
6 kaffir lime leaves, make tears in them and scrunch them in your hand to release the flavour
A medium-sized onion, cut into 1 cm (1/4 inch) slices
200 grams (7 oz) of oyster mushrooms, larger ones chopped
3 – 5 spicy chili peppers (like bird’s-eye), adjust to taste
200 grams (7 oz) of tofu, drained, pressed and cut into bite-sized pieces
The juice of 2 – 3 limes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
A handful of chopped cilantro
Jasmine rice, to serve Begin by reducing the vegetable stock. Pour it into a wide saucepan and simmer until you’re left with 1.5 cups. Transfer to a medium-sized pot. Smash the lemongrass pieces with the side of your knife or in a mortar and pestle, then add it, the galangal, lime leaves and coconut milk to the pot with the vegetable stock. Heat to a gentle simmer. Add the onion and mushrooms. Simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Smash the chili peppers with your knife or mortar and pestle and add them along with the tofu to the pot. Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes more or until the tofu is warmed through. Remove the pot from the heat and add the lime juice, soy sauce, sugar and cilantro. Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty and sweet. The flavour profile should be predominantly sour, followed by salty then sweet. Serve with jasmine rice. Note: you can’t eat the galangal, lime leaves or lemongrass pieces; leave them in your bowl! 7.8.1.2 1 https://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/vegan-thai-coconut-soup/
This post contains affiliate links which help to offset the cost of running this blog without any additional cost to you.Owen Teague, Valorie Curry, Chandler Riggs and Dash Mihok round out the cast of the feature, exploring the prescription drug epidemic in West Virginia.
Bruce Dern has joined Josh Harnett and Margarita Levieva in Anthony Jerjen's crime thriller Inherit the Viper.
Owen Teague, Valorie Curry, Chandler Riggs and Dash Mihok have also been cast in the project, which features an original script by Andrew Crabtree. Michel Merkt and Benito Mueller are producing, with Barry Films' Wolfgang Mueller serving as executive producer. Principal photography commenced this week.
Inherit the Viper peers into the prescription drug epidemic ravaging West Virginia by following three siblings (Harnett, Levieva and Teague) as they try to escape the opioid business after their father’s passing.
Dern — an Oscar nominee for Nebraska and Coming Home — most recently appeared in the Netflix film Our Souls at Night alongside Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. He next portrays Joe Kennedy in Chappaquiddick, and co-stars in Sony Pictures' White Boy Rick opposite Matthew McConaughey. He is represented by Innovative Artists and Pure Arts.
Teague is represented by Brevard Talent Group and Management 360, Curry by ICM Partners and Thruline Entertainment, Riggs by The Burstein Company and ICM Partners, and Mihok by The Gersh Agency and Untitled Entertainment.MUMBAI: In a revolutionary change in India's space scenario, the operation of Isro's workhorse — the four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) — will be largely privatized in four years, Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar has told TOI.The Isro chief said that once the plan materializes, the integration and launch of the rocket will be handled by an industrial consortium through the commercial arm of Isro, Antrix Corporation."This will be discussed with industry leaders at the Make In India week. Tentatively, we plan to implement it in 2020," he said.He explained that the advantage of largely privatizing the PSLV operations is to boost capacity and consequently increase the rate of launches from 12 to 18 annually. If the plan takes off, it will be akin to US's United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing Company formed in 2006, to provide cost-efficient access to space for US missions.The PSLV, first launched in September 1993, has notched up 33 missions to date. Except for one failure during its maiden flight in 1993, the rest were successful, earning it global recognition as one of the most successful rockets.Emmanuel Macron's custom-made suit fits perfectly and the consummate smile as well. When the 39-year-old took the stage during his campaign appearances, he often came hand in hand with his wife Brigitte, 64. In the first rows, a few young women form a heart with their index fingers, hold their arms in the air, chant loudly: "Brigitte! Brigitte! Brigitte!"
His love for Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux, the French and Latin teacher from the provinces, seems to appeal to the French. At the same time, however, she provides his critics with an easy target. Who is this woman, who at the start of his career was frequently featured in the French tabloids because of her short skirts, her tanned complexion and peroxided hair?
Brigitte Macron and her daughters during the election campaign
Close-up and personal in 'Paris Match'
Brigitte is the youngest of the six children of Simone and Jean Trogneux from Amiens, a university city some 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Paris. She grew up in a wealthy middle-class family that owned a chocolate manufactory with several branches, founded in 1872 and famous for its specialty "Macarons d'Amiens."
There is not much more known about the past life of Macron's wife. With her first husband, the banker Andre-Louis Auziere, she
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." He said the Chevron decision could influence government thinking on the need for further statutory limits on interest deductibility, noting Labor's worldwide gearing ratio policy.
"But there are those who say Australia's resource based economy and substantial infrastructure needs mean we cannot be too proscriptive on interest deductions," he said. "One model is to impose restrictions but allow the Treasurer to authorise higher gearing for nation-building projects." Shadow assistant treasurer, Andrew Leigh, said the decision highlighted the importance of closing debt-shifting loopholes. "For all its hot air, the Turnbull Government has consistently opposed Labor's fair measures to tighten the rules that let multinationals use internal loans to shift profits offshore," Mr Leigh said. Australian Greens finance spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said Chevron had fought for almost 15 years against paying its fair share of tax to Australians. "The Chevrons and Adanis of this world do not need, or deserve, handouts from the Australian taxpayer when billions are being ripped out of our school system and our young people are struggling with record cost-of-living expenses". Senate inquiry The Senate inquiry into corporate tax avoidance, which has looked at profit-shifting techniques used by tech giants including Apple, Google and Microsoft will now shift its full focus to the oil and gas industry. New hearings are expected to take place in Perth on April 28.
As outlined by both Chevron and the ATO in the Senate hearing in 2015, the new $42 billion loan, like the smaller $2.5 billion loan in the court case, is a hybrid loan structure. It reduces profits in Australia and makes tax-free interest income in Delaware. The Delaware parent company, which has no office and employees, pays an annual filing fee to the state of Delaware of $US175 and no tax on interest income. Chevron admitted in the Senate hearings that this larger loan, under audit by the ATO, could reduce corporate income tax payments in Australia by $15 billion. But tax experts say the actual impact could be much larger. Loading The ATO will be releasing detailed guidance to help companies with related party loans comply with Australia's transfer pricing rules.While indies like Birdman and Whiplash were being feted this weekend, superhero movies were taking a verbal drubbing. On Saturday, Dan Gilroy blasted the “tsunami of superhero movies” while accepting an Independent Spirit Award for Nightcrawler. One day later, Jack Black ranted about “Superman, Spider-man, Batman, Jediman, Sequelman, Prequelman — formulaic scripts!” in the opening number at the Oscars.
Now one of the people behind those superhero movies is talking back. James Gunn has penned an eloquent defense of films like his own Guardians of the Galaxy, pointing out that superhero filmmakers put just as much “love, care, and thought” into their project as indie and elite filmmakers do. Read the James Gunn superhero movie defense after the jump.
Gunn responded to the awards-season superhero zingers on Facebook. While he insists he wasn’t offended by Black’s joke or angry about Gilroy’s speech, he nevertheless felt compelled to defend himself and his big-budget-movie-making colleagues:
Whatever the case, the truth is, popular fare in any medium has always been snubbed by the self-appointed elite. I’ve already won more awards than I ever expected for Guardians. What bothers me slightly is that many people assume because you make big films that you put less love, care, and thought into them then people do who make independent films or who make what are considered more serious Hollywood films. I’ve made B-movies, independent films, children’s movies, horror films, and gigantic spectacles. I find there are plenty of people everywhere making movies for a buck or to feed their own vanity. And then there are people who do what they do because they love story-telling, they love cinema, and they want to add back to the world some of the same magic they’ve taken from the works of others. In all honesty, I do no find a strikingly different percentage of those with integrity and those without working within any of these fields of film. If you think people who make superhero movies are dumb, come out and say we’re dumb. But if you, as an independent filmmaker or a “serious” filmmaker, think you put more love into your characters than the Russo Brothers do Captain America, or Joss Whedon does the Hulk, or I do a talking raccoon, you are simply mistaken.
In fairness, it doesn’t sound like Gilroy’s speech and Black’s Oscar skit were railing against the directors or stars of superhero films so much as the genre’s general ubiquity. And on that front, “tsunami” seems pretty accurate. There are something like 30 Marvel and DC adaptations coming in the next five years. Meanwhile, as so many have complained, studios can’t or won’t scrounge together $40 million for an adult-oriented original drama.
Still, there’s no arguing that the industry seems to look down on superhero movies. The Academy regularly overlooks them in favor of middling historical dramas. Superhero stars and filmmakers who crave awards or prestige have to slip low-budget indies in between big-budget sequels.
As many have pointed out, it’s especially odd that the Hollywood elite are bashing superhero movies when so many of them are making money off of superhero movies. About half of the acting nominees have also appeared in superhero films. Gilroy’s own wife Rene Russo co-starred in two Thor pictures. Even Birdman capitalized on the popularity of superhero movies in a twisted way — it rode the industry’s ambivalence about the genre all the way to a Best Picture win.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered the deployment of 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq’s Sunni heartland to advise and assist fragile Iraqi forces being built up to try to retake territory lost to Islamic State.
The plan to expand the 3,100-strong U.S. contingent in Iraq and open a new operations center closer to the fighting in Anbar province marks an adjustment in strategy for Obama, who has faced mounting pressure to do more to blunt the momentum of the insurgents.
But with Obama sticking to his refusal to send troops into combat or to the front lines, the White House announcement failed to silence critics who say the limited U.S. military role in the conflict is not enough to turn the tide of battle.
U.S. officials hope that a strengthened American presence on the ground in Anbar will help the Iraqi military devise and carry out a counter-attack to retake the provincial capital Ramadi, which insurgents seized last month in an onslaught that further exposed the shortcomings of the Iraqi army.
The U.S. advisers, who will be injected into the heart of one of the most hotly contested areas of the Islamic State campaign, will offer tactical advice to Iraqi officers on how to conduct their operations, the Pentagon said.
A complex challenge for the U.S. troops, who will establish a training hub at the Taqaddum military base only about 15 miles (25 km) from Ramadi, will be their outreach to Sunni tribal fighters, many of whom do not trust the Shi’ite-led government in Baghdad.
U.S. officials want to integrate them into the Iraqi army and reduce its reliance on Iran-backed Shi’ite militias who have also joined the fight against Islamic State.
Obama decided on the new troop deployment in response to a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, the White House said. The two leaders met while attending the G7 summit in Germany earlier this week.
“To improve the capabilities and effectiveness of partners on the ground, the president authorized the deployment of up to 450 additional U.S. military personnel to train, advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces,” the White House said in a statement.
Obama also ordered “the expedited delivery of essential equipment and materiel” to Iraqi forces, including Kurdish peshmerga troops and Sunni fighters operating under Iraqi command, the White House said.
Iraqi soldiers train with members of the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, at Camp Taji, Iraq, in this U.S. Army photo released June 2, 2015. REUTERS/U.S. Army/Sgt. Cody Quinn/Handout
It made the announcement two days after Obama said the United States did not yet have a complete strategy for training Iraqi security forces to regain land lost to Islamic State fighters, who have seized a third of Iraq over the past year in a campaign marked by mass killings and beheadings.
The fall of Ramadi last month drew harsh U.S. criticism of the Iraqi military’s retreat from the city. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that Iraqi forces showed “no will to fight”.
SEEKING TO SPEED UP FLOW OF TRAINEES
U.S. forces have already conducted training at the al-Asad military base in western Anbar, and the new site will focus more on advising Iraqi forces on operations in what one U.S. official described as an effort to “buck up the ranks”.The Pentagon said the first of the new troops will arrive at Taqaddum, in eastern Anbar, within a few days from forces already in the country. The base will also be used to help guide Iraqi efforts to reclaim Fallujah, a nearby city the militants have held for more than a year, U.S. officials said.
Still, Obama’s new plan stops short of some of the more assertive steps demanded by his conservative critics at home, such as putting U.S. spotters in forward positions to call in air strikes or embedding American advisers with Iraqi forces in combat.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said Obama’s plan to send additional U.S. military personnel to train Iraqi forces was a “step in the right direction,” but not a sufficient strategy to defeat Islamic State.
“It’s clear that our training mission alone has not been enough,” the Republican lawmaker said.
John McCain, Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “I remain deeply concerned that this new deployment is disconnected from any coherent strategy to defeat ISIL.”
With the latest adjustments, Obama is deviating only slightly from his policy of relying on a bombing campaign and local forces without committing large-scale U.S. troops. His options are hemmed in by a deep aversion to seeing America drawn back into Iraq after pulling out U.S. forces in 2011.
Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said the president recognized the “inherent risk” of attack that the new U.S. contingent could face in volatile Anbar and insisted that security precautions were being taken.
U.S. President Barack Obama waves to the audience after his remarks at the Catholic Health Association conference in Washington June 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
U.S. officials took pains to insist that Wednesday’s announcement did not amount to an overhaul of Obama’s anti-Islamic State strategy, but they left open the possibility of further unspecified steps.
“The president hasn’t ruled out any additional steps,” Rhodes told reporters on a conference call. “He’s always open to considering refinements.”Lucky Strike Social Coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall
Upscale bowling alley plans to open in mid-summer in former movie theater space
By Aaron Kraut
Lucky Strike Social banner at Westfield Montgomery Aaron Kraut
A California-based chain of upscale bowling alleys is coming to Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda.
Lucky Strike Social will offer “bowling suites” and a gastropub in the first-floor mall space that once was home to the facility’s movie theater. A mall official said the sign announcing Lucky Strike Social went up Wednesday morning and the bowling alley is expected to open in mid-summer.
Blogger Robert Dyer first reported the news.
Lucky Strike has long had a location in Washington, D.C., offering “upscale party spaces, sophisticated menus” and professional event planners, according to its website. It’s unclear if Lucky Strike Social marks a new concept for the chain.
Representatives for the company couldn’t be reached Thursday.
The former movie theater space is located down a set of escalators from the mall’s Dining Terrace.
The movie theater that was there, The Movies at Montgomery Mall, closed in May 2014. ArcLight Cinemas opened in October 2014 in a newly built space that is part of the mall’s $90 million expansion and renovation.Despite the fact that he loves bragging about his intelligence, Donald Trump speaks below a sixth-grade level, he admittedly doesn't read books, and he cites himself as his most trusted foreign policy consultant. Nevertheless, much like no actual smart person ever does, Trump routinely insists that he is smart. He has three main arguments on which he hangs the illusion of intellect, which he repeated ad nauseum on the campaign trail, and continues to repeat to anyone who will listen.
The first is that he attended the Wharton School, a private Ivy League business college—a completely meaningless accomplishment since any rich boy with a connected daddy can, and usually does, coast through an education and into a cushy job (Hi, George W. Bush!). The second is that his uncle was an M.I.T. professor. Trump often credits his uncle as his source of his "very good genes" including once in a legendary, 90-second run-on sentence that is such a massive nut-kick to the English language that it ironically would take several M.I.T. professors to dissect it. And lastly, Trump's third, most impregnable defense of his own superior intellect: "Trust me."
Trust him. Put your faith in the capable, not at all doll-like hands of Donald Trump. After all, he "has a very good brain," he "knows all the best words," and is "like, a really smart person." He ended so many sentences with "trust me" or "believe me" in debates and speeches that it became something of a catchphrase for him, eclipsing his previous one which took delight in stripping people of their jobs.
"Trust me" is how someone shows their work when they live a privileged life in which no one ever challenges them and they never have to put forth any effort to prove themselves. You never hear someone say, "I'm a neuroscientist… trust me." But Trump believes that because he has failed his way upwards through life, we should all take him at his word, which is a very good word by the way—the best word—trust him. Believe him.
This is how Donald Trump makes himself feel smart: by banking on everyone's collective gullibility.
While running for President throughout 2016, Trump told his increasingly large fanbase to trust him about anything and everything. The problem was of course that "...trust me" typically followed a blatant lie about any given subject: crime rates, the cost of healthcare premiums, terrorism statistics, unemployment numbers, his taxes… The list is so extensive it could almost fill one of those comically long, Chinese-made power ties he wears. And since he was always rattling off his made-up nonsense to a sea of fans in red hats who weren't interested in doing a quick Google search to challenge him, he continued to use applause as confirmation that he is in fact very smart. Clapping means he did a good thing! This is the mentality of Donald Trump and also every infant.
To get this approval he so desperately craved, he pulled numbers straight from the depths of his ass because he knew that data and statistics are sometimes nebulous or at the very least require some fact-checking. And if any news outlets did disprove him, he could simply dismiss them as FAKE NEWS! and continue living in his imaginary world where Barack Obama is the founder of ISIS, people instantly get shot for walking down the street in Chicago, Ted Cruz's father aided JFK's assassination, and Hillary Clinton lost the popular vote because millions voted illegally.
He even committed an unforgivable act of dishonesty about his pre-inauguration ceremony, making everyone believe that 3 Doors Down and Big & Rich were worthwhile bookings as performers.
But this weekend, immediately after he was sworn in as President, he flew too close to the sun on his wings made of horseshit, even by Trump standards. He began lying about the plain realities around him, things people didn't need Google or the media to debunk, just their own two eyes.
On Saturday, after delivering a few pandering sentences at the headquarters of the CIA, an institution he just ten days prior likened to Nazi Germany, he launched into a 15-minute rant about what was clearly weighing on him: the previous day's inauguration coverage. Standing in front of a wall of stars memorializing fallen officers, he went on long, rambling, personal tangents about how unfairly he was treated in the press, dropping a number of outright lies. He bragged that he has been on the cover TIME Magazine "14 or 15 times… I think we have the all-time record." (Actual number: 11, trailing Hillary Clinton and Richard Nixon, among others.)
He also whined about the media's underestimation of the ceremony's attendance, saying it "looked like there were a million, a million and a half people." He called journalists "among the most dishonest human beings on Earth" and said he caught the media in a "beauty" of a lie. In reality, an estimated 250,000 to 600,000 people were said to have attended, a number largely eclipsed by Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration which drew a record-setting 1.9 million as well as the following day's Women's March. But numbers aside, aerial crowd photos clearly show the disparity between the two crowds. And while crowd scientists have studied the photos, anyone with a grasp on the whole "bigger vs. smaller" concept can look at the side-by-side shots to see how short Trump comes up.
But then there was the most baffling thing he lied about: the weather. "God looked down and said 'We're not gonna let it rain on your speech,'" Trump said, noting that it didn't rain while he spoke. [Ron Howard as Arrested Development narrator voice:] It did.
It most definitely rained. For evidence, look at George Bush, who fumbled his way into the Meme Hall of Fame with his rain poncho. Or, even easier, LOOK AT THE FUCKING VISIBLE DROPS OF WATER THAT FELL FROM THE SKY AND ONTO EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE. To lie about something that millions of people saw for themselves requires a level of hubris so unparalleled that he might as well trademark it.
This bending of reality in one's favor is the type of Supreme Leader-worshipping propaganda disseminated in dictatorships. North Koreans, for example, were made to believe that Kim Jong Il rolled a 300 the first time he ever bowled, could control the weather with his mood, and did not need to defecate—literally shit you not.
So like the head of any good propaganda machine, President Trump spent the two days after his inauguration, which he officially declared "National Day of Patriotic Devotion," siccing his minions on the public to shamelessly defend his clearly evident shortcomings. Perhaps Trump wanted to corner the press into a fight, flexing his new powers over a media that refused to bend to the habitual lies of his campaign. Or maybe he is pathologically unable to accept defeat.
First, White House press secretary, Daft Punk naysayer, and McRib enthusiast, Sean "Spicy Boy" Spicer, in his first official press briefing, took no questions but instead blasted the media with the tenacity of a pomeranian doing an impression of a pit bull. While standing in front of two monitors displaying photos of the inauguration ceremony meant to prove his point, he stated that counts of attendance were unknown since "no one had numbers, because the National Park Service, which controls the National Mall, does not put any out." But then he went on to toss out a bunch of misleading numbers anyway. (The National Park Service's Twitter account, which retweeted the unflattering side-by-side comparison photos, was reportedly ordered to cease all Twitter operations until further notice on Saturday. It resumed Monday morning, tweeting: "We regret the mistaken RTs from our account yesterday and look forward to continuing to share the beauty and history of our parks with you.")
Spicer also straight-up lied about about the day's public transit numbers, claiming that "420,000 people used the DC Metro public transit yesterday, which actually compares to 317,000 that used it for President Obama's last inaugural." Not only was this a lie, he didn't even lie in the right direction. Ridership numbers for Trump's inauguration were actually 570,000, though that is still less than Obama '13's 782,000 and Obama '09's 1.1 million.
It seemed like Spicer was confounded as to why an independent media would not prop up the administration's line up of propaganda. Then, Spicer, channeling his inner Donald Trump, spoke in absolutes: "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period." This was his mic drop moment if he dropped the mic on his foot, tripped onto his face, and laid unconscious in a pool of his own blood for 20 minutes.
It's baffling why the press secretary would devote his first address to the media almost entirely to something as trivial as crowd size, given how many ethics violations and serious scandals Trump is currently embroiled in. Normally, people tend to chalk up distractions like this as a diversion tactic, but for Trump, it seems to be more that he saw all the chatter on TV and the internet about crowd size and threw a tantrum. After all, this is a President who used his time in a televised Republican debate to guarantee viewers that there was "no problem" with the size of his dick.
The day after Spicer forever cemented himself as a walking meme, Trump's campaign manager and person who perpetually looks like she just spent an entire day on a Tilt-a-Whirl, Kellyanne Conway, doubled down on Meet the Press. When asked by host Chuck Todd why Trump had America's spokesperson use his first press conference to "utter a falsehood" and undermine the credibility of the White House press office, Conway responded by telling him not to be so dramatic and then dropped such a motherfucker of a PR spin that even she had a hard time keeping a straight face through it—that Spicer offered "alternative facts." You may know alternative facts better by their street name: utter bullshit.
Inevitably, #alternativefacts quickly trended on Twitter as everyone joined in the snark pile-on, especially among those who had jokes about Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins. It even prompted Merriam-Webster Dictionary to tweet the definition of the word "fact." You know things are going badly when the fucking dictionary is subtweeting you.
Trump didn't even make it to his first business day as President before embarrassing himself through a weekend of glaringly obvious fabrications. It wasn't a matter of a dishonest media or a crooked establishment—he and his subordinates lied in the face of plain reality. All visible evidence is stacked against him, but Trump just can't take an L. Ever. And he's willing to drag anyone into his flaming pit of humiliation with him, including the American public.
Donald Trump will not stop pulling everyone into his post-fact world until we are all just as ignorant as he is. This weekend's "alternative facts" were fairly innocuous, but soon he will be meeting with foreign leaders, sitting in on intelligence briefings, and deciding the fate of the world, and the lies will grow graver and become more frequent. He will lie and lie and lie until he has worn everyone down and no one notices or cares that they're being lied to anymore. He will piss on our leg and tell us it's raining—or more accurately, that it's not.
Dan Ozzi is on Twitter - @danozziThe transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy “now appears irreversible” as the cost of green power plunges, according to a new report.
In The Transition Takes Hold, Clean Energy Canada said some 6.7 million people were working in the sector worldwide with one out of every 50 new jobs in the US being created by the solar industry alone.
And it highlighted prediction that generation costs for large-scale solar power plants were expected to drop by a massive 57 per cent by 2025, with onshore and offshore wind expected to become 26 and 35 per cent respectively.
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In the report’s executive summary, Merran Smith, executive director of Clean Energy Canada, wrote: “Tipping points: those elusive moments when a technology goes mainstream. Much has been written in the debate over whether renewable energy has passed, is fast-approaching, or is still a ways from crossing that threshold.
“The true tipping point will only become apparent in the rearview mirror, and it won’t be defined by a single moment or breakthrough. It will be crossed at different times, in different countries, driven by different forces.
“But the clean energy transition now appears irreversible.”
She said three major electricity markets – China, India and the US – had “aggressively pursued renewable power”.
“In both China and India, renewable energy offers a critical solution to the pollution choking fast-growing cities. Smog has become increasingly disruptive – socially, economically and politically –closing schools in Delhi, grounding airplanes in China and contributing to the premature deaths of millions of citizens,” Ms Smith said.
“In the US, the renewable energy sector has become a major job creator: since 2009, the solar industry created one out of every 80 new jobs, and the country’s fastest-growing occupation is wind turbine technician.
“While President Donald Trump may have promised to bring back coal jobs, he will no doubt find resistance – in both Congress and statehouses – should his efforts come at the expense of clean energy jobs.”
The report said total investment in renewables had fallen in 2016 from a “record-setting” level in 2015.
But it added that the actual amount of green electricity capacity added in 2016 had still come close to the 2015 level because it was cheaper to build.
Ms Smith said there was a business opportunity for Canada to sell renewables to the rest of the world.
“We have a clean energy technology sector that punches above its weight and companies hungry to sell their solutions beyond our borders. Helping other countries increase their use of renewable power may be where Canada finds its niche – and economic opportunity – in the global clean energy transition.
“As the US government retreats from international climate diplomacy, clean energy innovation and free trade, it leaves a gap that Canada is well-positioned to fill. And it’s clear that if we don’t step up, somebody else will.”Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas celebrated his 10,000th consecutive snap last week in a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Despite the poor start by the Browns, Thomas again remains the constant for that team on offense, anchoring an O-line that has had more quarterbacks than Taylor Swift has boyfriends.
But Thomas has been optimistic about the direction the team is headed, speaking about the maturation of rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer and how much he admires head coach Hue Jackson.
Still, much of the team’s success on offense will still fall on the shoulders of Thomas and the line, especially when it comes to the rushing game. Thomas, for his part, gave reporters a bit of a lesson when it comes to rushing stats, and spoke about how the only stat the matters when it comes to rushing is rushing efficiency.
Take a look at Thomas’s explanation below. It’s well worth it.
Exhibit 10,062 why @joethomas73 is the 🐐: class in session on effectiveness of a run game (he says shit so if you're offended don't play) pic.twitter.com/YdhRQ0psIZ — Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) September 21, 2017
Trying 2 educate the fans/media today on which stats aren't important in run game, and which one 2 pay attention 2 (Sorry for the language!) https://t.co/2XyB3t4ma1 — Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) September 21, 2017
The Browns take to the road again this week, this time to Indianapolis to face the Andrew Luck-less Colts. Cleveland currently sits at 0-2.
Related Expect Roger Goodell extension to be finalized soonMeet the worst starters in the NBA. (Getty Images [5]) Meet the worst starters in the NBA. (Getty Images [5])
"The Point Forward All-Stars" will have a new theme each week centered on a single shared trait that brings together the team members. The inaugural edition featured the Thanksgiving-inspired All-Grateful Team. Last week the Eastern Conference All-Letdown Team was selected with an eye toward which players have failed to deliver on preseason expectations.
This week, SI.com names the All-Atrocious Team, an attempt to construct the worst five-man starting lineup in the NBA assembled solely from players who are currently full-time starters.
The All-Atrocious Team
The goal here is simple: to build the worst five-man lineup from players who start around the league. "Worst" is clearly subjective to a degree, so I formed my guiding principles by first asking what I look for in great players and teams. At the top of that list: excellent shooting, versatility, athleticism and a demonstrated defensive impact. Unselfishness and competitiveness are nice, too.
Pinpointing "worst," then, meant identifying players who lacked these specific qualities. As I hunted through the bottom of the Player Efficiency Rating charts and the depths of the negative net ratings, I looked for players with serious limitations, major holes, a poor performance résumé this season and, in some cases, age-related shortcomings. In particular, I wanted my All-Atrocious Team to be terrible at shooting, lacking in physical tools and stocked with minus defenders, and I didn't want the individual pieces to somehow accidentally fit well together. A secondary goal was to amass a fair share of bad contracts to deepen the pain. Here are the results.
Note: Starters who have missed a significant number of games due to injury and their stand-in replacements were not considered. All stats and records are through Dec. 10.
PG: Raymond Felton, Knicks
Settling on the right point guard was clearly the toughest roster decision, which says a lot about the quality of depth at the position. Injuries complicated this one, too: Players such as John Lucas III, Jamaal Tinsley and Tyshawn Taylor were ruled out because they were/are stand-ins; Milwaukee's Brandon Knight, a very strong candidate thanks to his 10.3 PER, 34.8 percent shooting and 17.1 turnover percentage, was ruled out because he just hasn't played that many minutes. Ditto for the Lakers' Steve Nash.
Felton has dealt with injuries this year, but he's played in all but four of New York's games. His fundamental credentials are strong: He's shooting just 39.4 percent from the floor and a pitiful 27.9 percent from three-point range, his PER is well below average at 12.1 and he's a starter for one of the NBA's three worst defenses. More important, though, he's not going to accidentally win games with his offense or defense. Other poor early-season PER performers such as the Lakers' Steve Blake or the Celtics' Avery Bradley offer legitimate value with their three-point shooting and on-ball defense, respectively. That Felton is averaging a career-low 10.3 points and that he has never averaged at least 16 points for a season are both big: The last thing I want is a point guard capable of putting a team on his back.
GOLLIVER: Grading the Rudy Gay trade
While the 5-15 Knicks have been better with Felton on the court than without him (New York went 0-4 when he was out), the biggest key to this selection is turning him into a fish out of water. In New York, Felton plays a majority of his minutes alongside ball-dominant, high-usage players like Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. On this team, he will have no shooters to bail him out and the full responsibility of running an offense will be on his shoulders. That's where his shaky outside jumper, inconsistent decision-making and poor finishing at the rim will come in handy.
Much like the real Knicks, but taken to the extreme, the All-Atrocious Team will squander Felton's ability to work in transition by playing at a snail's pace and surrounding him with inferior athletes who won't be able to keep up when he pushes the pace. Get ready for a bunch of failed one-on-three fast breaks that end with Felton's sprawled out on the baseline beseeching the officials for a call.
The puffy-chested over-confidence, side-eye scowls, emphatic frustration dribbles and a total willingness to speak his mind -- no matter how bad things get -- are the icing on this cupcake. Unlike his teammates on this squad, Felton isn't dramatically overpaid at $3.6 million, but, all things considered, he's still the right guy for the job.
Is this Is this Richard Jefferson being outhustled by Boris Diaw on a loose ball? (Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SG: Richard Jefferson, Jazz
There are plenty of euphemisms for tanking -- "Developing young talent," "rebuilding for the future" and "transitioning to a new era" are three popular ones -- but my favorite, by far, is "starting Richard Jefferson." The 33-year-old Jefferson is an honorary co-captain of this team, and his selection requires little explanation. Yes, I'm fudging things slightly by shifting Jefferson from small forward to shooting guard, but doing so helps me get the absolute most out of this group and puts Jefferson into even more difficult spots defensively. (While we're on the subject of positions, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin's decision to start Jefferson has relegated 22-year-old shooting guard Alec Burks to a bench role, a move that makes little sense given Utah's outlook.)
GOLLIVER: Jazz to honor Sloan with jersey retirement ceremony
There's nothing particularly funny about age-related decline, but it is downright impressive that Jefferson has started every game for the 4-19 Jazz even though this is the sixth straight year that his PER has decreased. Jefferson boasts a 111.9 defensive rating, one of the very worst marks on the league's worst defense. His 9.4 PER ranks among the very worst starters at his position, and Utah has a minus-2.8 net rating when he's off the court compared to a minus-18.4 rating when he's on the court. That's the type of seepage the All-Atrocious Team is desperately seeking.
The 13-year veteran landed in Utah as part of the three-team deal that sent Andre Iguodala from Denver to Golden State. The Warriors had to give up multiple draft picks to unload his $11 million contract and the $9 million owed to Andris Biedrins, and many assumed he would play only sparingly and assume a full-time "veteran leader" role for the rebuilding Jazz. There's still plenty of time to fully commit to the youth movement, but Corbin, who is in a contract year, isn't exactly rushing into the future.
Jefferson is shooting a dangerously-close-to-competent 35 percent from three-point range this season, slightly below his career mark of 37 percent. I'll live with that because his mid-range game is nonexistent and he's only a mediocre finisher around the basket. Much of Jefferson's offense comes from spot-up shooting, anyway, and there aren't exactly a lot of players on the All-Atrocious Team who will command the double teams needed to free him up.
's PER (7.7) this season is almost half his career average (14.5). (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Tayshaun Prince's PER (7.7) this season is almost half his career average (14.5). (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
SF: Tayshaun Prince, Grizzlies
There are plenty of bigger-name options that come to mind at this position. Rudy Gay, who was traded from Toronto to Sacramento this week, and Detroit's Josh Smith are two popular ones. Again, I don't want anyone capable of accidentally winning a game by himself. Gay has the proven ability to occasionally stop missing in crucial situations, and there's always some sliver of hope that the light will magically turn on for Smith when it comes to his shot selection. And, anyway, both are far too athletic for what we have in mind here.
Prince is the straw that stirs the drink for the All-Atrocious offense. He's averaging 6.7 points and 1.6 assists (his worst numbers since his rookie season), he's shooting career lows of 40.6 percent overall and 21.4 percent from deep, and his 7.7 PER ranks No. 54 out of 58 qualified small forwards. The absolute lack of three-point shooting is key: Opponents can completely abandon Prince to load up on Felton, double-team the bigs and generally wreak havoc against this team's spacing. Our goal is to make life even more difficult for players who are already struggling, and the fact that Prince's shot chart looks like the Chinese flag should definitely help accomplish that goal. As is, the Grizzlies' offense ranks No. 23 in points per possession and No. 22 in three-point percentage; the All-Atrocious Team should have no problem finishing below that.
DOLLINGER: Grizzlies at No. 14 in latest Power Rankings
Yes, there is a bit of a risk in selecting the 33-year-old Prince because his defensive numbers aren't totally in the tank. Memphis is actually 6.5 points per 100 possessions better defensively when he's on the court compared to when he's off, and his length and instincts will always have some value until he retires. Here's betting that those numbers take a hit without the All-Defensive likes of Mike Conley, Tony Allen and pre-injury Marc Gasol surrounding him.
One other (somewhat surprising) name considered for this spot: Jared Dudley. I liked the Clippers' decision to cash in Eric Bledsoe for shooters over the summer, but Dudley has failed to deliver the career 39.9 percent three-point shooting that helped him earn a reputation as a valuable three-and-D guy. His per-minute production is down across the board, and L.A. has been way better on both sides of the ball when he's off the court compared to when he's on.
The Prince vs. Dudley decision ultimately came down to age (Prince is five years older) and Dudley's established track record as a shooter (five years in a row shooting at least 38 percent on threes). The last things
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see what he can do.
Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto? Forget it. Aim younger, or don't aim at all, especially now that contention is an illusion.
It's time to abandon the pretense of winning in 2015. Get a head start on 2016, and the sooner the better. And it doesn't just begin and end on the playing field. Henry, who prides himself on being ruled by logic, has to re-examine his commitment to the current management team. Everything should be on the table.• Sampaoli led Chile to Copa América victory last year • Manuel Pellegrini says he is not interested in the post
Jorge Sampaoli has quit as Chile coach after weeks of tension involving a dispute with the recently elected president of the Football Federation of Chile (ANFP).
Sampaoli, who has been linked with Chelsea after guiding Chile to their first Copa América trophy and earning a nomination for Fifa’s Coach of the Year in 2015, has been seeking a way out of his job saying he no longer felt respected, having also seen details of his contract disclosed in the press.
Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and Peru fined over homophobic chants Read more
That wish has now been granted, with a deal reached between the 55-year-old and the ANFP. According to a statement on the ANFP website, Sampaoli paid a price to go, forgoing bonus money he was due for the Copa América win while also agreeing to pay a sum of money to the national federation against his next contract in football.
“With this step the board of the ANFP has achieved the goal of resolving the current situation affecting the national team, avoiding uncertainty involving potential lengthy court actions,” the statement said.
The ANFP president, Arturo Salah, who was elected after Sergio Jadue quit amid a corruption investigation in November, said the board would immediately seek a replacement to focus on preparations for the next World Cup.
“Now we will dedicate ourselves to this priority, to do everything possible to qualify for the World Cup in Russia in 2018.”
Manchester City’s Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose long-term future is in doubt as speculation continues that Pep Guardiola will replace him in the summer, has reportedly ruled himself out of contention.
“I hope to remain with competitive teams in Europe. I am not thinking about returning to Chile at least for the next three or four years,” Pellegrini said in comments attributed to Radio Cooperativa.
“There is no chance I would coach over the next couple of years. Arturo has my full support for all that is needed. But being in charge of the national team is not something I would like to do at this time.”President Obama last week urged Democratic donors at a closed-door gathering to rally around 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, telling them Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersPush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback Sanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' MORE’s presidential campaign is nearing its endpoint, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Obama acknowledged to the donors that Clinton suffers from a perceived lack of authenticity, but called it an overrated political virtue, the report said.
Obama said that his predecessor, George W. Bush, was thought to be an authentic politician, but reminded donors he successfully ran against Bush's record in his first presidential campaign.
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The comments were made in Austin, Texas, during a private question-and-answer session with donors, some of whom described the president's remarks to the Times.
They represent a rare moment of candor from Obama, who has tried not to influence the outcome of the Democratic presidential primary.
But Clinton, who served as Obama’s secretary of State, has long been perceived to be his preferred candidate.
Donors said the president urged Democrats to come together around Clinton to prevent an opening for Republican front-runner 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 in the general election.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Thursday acknowledged the president's comments.
“President Obama made a case that would be familiar to all of you, which is that as Democrats move through this competitive primary process, we need to be mindful of the fact that our success in November in electing a Democratic president is dependent on the commitment and ability of the Democratic Party to come together behind our nominee,” he told reporters.
Trump solidified his standing as the GOP's standard-bearer by winning last Tuesday’s Florida primary, handily defeating his fellow candidates — including Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid Trump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 MORE, who promptly dropped out of the race after losing his home state.
Obama has not always done a good job of hiding his opinions, suggesting in a January podcast interview that he believes Clinton best understands what it takes to occupy the Oval Office.
The president’s comments to donors came days after Sanders pulled off an upset victory over Clinton in Michigan but before she defeated him Tuesday in four primary states, expanding her delegate lead.
Mindful about keeping the party united going into November, Obama was careful not to officially endorse a candidate in front of the donors.
Earnest said he “did not indicate or specify a preference in the race.”
The president voted absentee in Tuesday’s Illinois Democratic presidential primary, but the White House has not publicly revealed which candidate he cast a ballot for.
While Obama recognized both candidates have strengths, he once again praised Clinton as tough and qualified and said she would carry on the legacy of his administration.
This story was updated at 2:38 p.m.Crowdfunding
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Milla
Includes a standard Virus game copy + all unlocked stretch-goals.
48
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Epidemic Economy
Includes a deluxe Virus game copy WITHOUT any stretch-goals.
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This Pack was available to 69.95€
Epidemic Early
Includes a deluxe Virus game copy + all unlocked stretch-goals with a great discount!
508 sold out
This Pack was available to 74.95€
Epidemic
Includes a deluxe Virus game copy + all unlocked stretch-goals.
379
This Pack was available to 135.00€
Biohazard x2
Includes 2 copies of deluxe Virus game + x2 all unlocked stretch-goals.
17
This Pack was available to 185.00€
Biohazard x3
Includes 3 copies of deluxe Virus game + x3 all unlocked stretch-goals.
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Stretch-goals
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Stretch-goals are additions or improvements that will be included to the game if the campaign collects a specific minimal amount: more people will join the campaign and more beautiful and rich the game will be!
21000€ : In the Reboot Scenario, the players must reach the central computer that controls the laboratory to reboot it and prevent it from running his program of total extintion.
23000€ : SKILL: SNIPER! Skill Expansion is introduced in the game! Player can buy skill cards at the beginning of the game or during the game. The Sniper skill gives a special bonus on ranged combat.
25000€ : New Leader Card! A new creature Leader: The Thing! This monster is hidden and follows a character until he meets another player. Then it reveals itself and you have to fight it trying to kill him with fire!
27000€ : We will make a smartphone App which will be freely available to all. This talking little app will help you keep track of the real-time phase.
30000€ : A new player Skill is available! The character with the Sapper ability can deactivate traps or simply avoid their effects.
33000€ : New 4 room cards: Teleport Rooms! They allow characters to jump from one card to another card.
37000€ : New Skill card: HACKER! With this ability player is able to take more Room cards and choose the one he prefers.
41000€ : New Event Card! Suddenly several traps are activated around the subterranean laboratory! How to avoid them? In addition to that, 2 new Early Bird will be available.
44000€ : LEGEND EXPANSION! Monsters will never stop chasing you. This expansion brings the game to ahigher difficulty level! It includes new 4 special tiles. In addition to that, 2 new Early Bird will be available.
46000€ : Smoke Bombs! 4 new exclusive tokens which allow players to move through rooms full of creatures without being attacked. In addition to that, 2 new Early Bird will be available.
48000€ : New skill: TANK! Protect your friends! With this skill you can keep many creature busy, leaving your friends free to take their actions.
50000€ : New Scenario! There's a child in the Lab! He is moving around, trying to escape from the monsters! We need to find him and save him! Run!
52000€ : NEW LEADER: The strongest monster is here! “il Diavolo”, the Evil, is among us. You will able to fight him without fleeing in terror?
55000€ : A new infective wound type! A character infected by Morbo causes wounds to other characters in the same room.
58000€ : New Skill card: Indestructible! With this Skill you can play with 0 hit points and delay Adrenaline damage points by spending actions.
61000€ : New Scenario! In the Captive scenario a player represents a member of a lab crew. He is dying and doesn’t know how to get out. Save him!
65000€ : Two new Skill cards! Kung fu Master for the best hand to hand combat and Explosive Expert which allows you to throw bombs!
69999€ : New Miniature! The most dangerous creature is here for our backers! The Diavolo miniature will be added to any Deluxe reward.
75000€ : NEW 2 ROOMS: “Wasn’t this room different?”. Moving rooms change their position! Players will have to find a way to use this to their advantage.
79999€ : CAMPAIGN MODE: Do you want to use the same character in several games, gaining experience and improving his skills? With the campaign mode, now you can!
Recommended Products
A list of selected products that you can buy at a discounted price if you join this campaign! These products do not contribute to the total amount collected.
Virus: Walls System
3D system for Virus boardgame
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
24.95 euro
Virus: Special Resolution Tokens Exclusive 4 Resolution tokens!
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
2.95 euro
Gladiatori
Gladiatori is a card-driven game in which each player assumes the role of a gladiator in the Ancient Roman Empire.
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Roma & Essen & Lucca & Modena
31.96 euro
Romolo o Remo?
Who will build the strongest city? Who will be the founder of a new civilization, or maybe an Empire?
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
44.96 euro
Rio de la Plata
In 1536 Pedro de Mendoza founded the city of Buenos Aires along the Rio de la Plata river...
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
31.47 euro
Bustine Mayday mini 41x63mm
100 transparent sleeves 41x63mm (Mayday or equivalent).
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
2.2 euro
Virus: German Language Pack German Language pack: printed rulebook + 60 cards + player board.
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
11.96 euro
Virus: Language Pack Italiano Italian Language pack: printed rulebook + 60 cards + player board.
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
11.96 euro
Virus: French Language Pack French Language pack includes printed rulebook + 60 cards.
Disponible en shipment or with picku up at: Essen & Lucca & Modena & Roma
14.95 euro
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Comments (248) | Updates (39) | FAQ You can login there with the same access info you use on Giochistarter and then purchase it. This campain is ended, you can still buy it a copy of Virus on giochix.it
Try to survive against grotesque creatures, a possible traitor, and infected, re-animated players! Can you find the Antidote in time?
After over two years of design and playtesting we are pleased to introduce Virus!
A new and exciting board game from Michele Quondam and produced by Giochix! A 90 minute,1 to 6 players, innovative, and deeply strategic board game.
The game is primarily in English; however, it will be possible to unlock the Language Pack stretch-goal for your language, if there is a sufficient number of backers (for more information see the information towards the bottom of the page). Any translated components will be added to your box set (which will include English + localized content to your language).
The project is simultaneously available on two crowdfunding platforms: Giochistarter and Kickstarter. Here on giochistarter you can pay with Paypal or also with bank wire transfer.
Rewards and SGs are the same on both sites. In order to determine the total reached and the activated stretch-goals, you must take into account the sum of the totals from those sites.
This is the content of the DELUXE box:
The content of STANDARD box is identical to that of the DELUXE rewards, except for miniatures: it includes 2D miniatures instead of 3D miniatures. They will be made in plastic with 3D printing technology. There are:Materials: Miniatures and tokens are made in plastic. Cubes are made of wood. 40 monsters, 2D plastic miniatures in 4 types
8 Leader monsters, 2D plastic miniatures in 4 types
4 characters, 2D plastic miniatures in 4 types The standard version costs 55 euro. It includes the Heroes Expansion.
Important note: Our 2D plastic production is a slow process and we will only be able to cover a limited amount of Standard Virus edition orders up to the anticipated November 2016 release date. You may still order the Standard Virus box set; however, this may result in several weeks of delay which will not be covered by our guarantee. If you would like to avoid any potential delays; please considering choosing one of the Deluxe rewards which will not suffer from this issue.
This game has been made for gamers which are looking for something exciting and new!
You will help bring this idea to life!
You will receive the game at lower price than suggested retail price. In addition to that, here you will have included in your game copy ALL unlocked stretch-goals, which after the campaign will be sold separately in Hero Expansion (about 20 euro).
You have access to the Standard edition and a Deluxe edition version, which will not be made available at any other time.
You will receive the game earlier than through conventional distribution to retail stores.
You can contribute substantially to improve the game with exclusive content.
The game is covered by our Refund Guarantee Policy to insure that on what you are purchasing.
With the Fidelity Program each purchase made on Giochistarter will earn you a progressive, permanent discount linked to your account.
You can join to the "Fastest Click" contest and win a copy of the game Bomarzo, if you are the fastest participant to join the campaign.
Building off the feedback and suggestions from our backers (and Rahdo); Michele Quondam (game designer) created two additional game variations: Life variant. Life variant: This variation will allow players to continue playing even after death. Unless infected, in which case the player is to continue play as a Monster, the player will be able to start again with minor penalties. Real Time Switch variant. Real-Time Switch variant: With this variation you can play without the time-crunch of the Real Time phase. This can be useful for players that may be new to the game or would prefer a more relaxed flow of play with less pressure. This does result in a very different style of game and we encourage you to try both to see which one you prefer.
Competitive and 5-6 players variant. With this variation you can play in competive play up to 4 Heroes against 1-2 Boss Leader. Enjoy it!
Any and all ideas are welcome! :)
A frightening new virus is rapidly spreading throughout the main cities of the planet. They call it; Virus Q. People and animals infected with the virus begin to mutate rapidly; their forms twisted into horrible, bloodthirsty and nigh unstoppable nightmarish creatures. The last hope of the human survivors is to identify the Patient Zero and the initial point of the outbreak. Perhaps by returning to the source it may be possible to find an antidote and bring back humanity from the brink of destruction. However, not everyone has such lofty goals; there are those who wish to profit from this ensuing chaos and terror in order to seize power. They wish to establish a new world government by controlling the monsters created with the Virus. If an antidote were to be discovered it could foil their plans forever. The virus had been created in a near inaccessible military laboratory. Within its walls, the virus was unleashed for the first time. The creatures that now stalk the corridors are a terror beyond imagination... The players represent the team of survivors that will sneak into the laboratory looking for an antidote for Virus Q. They must gather what few clues lay scattered throughout the interior of the laboratory as to the location of the antidote; whilst avoiding or fighting the monsters that are residing inside. From the very beginning of play you will need to balance the energy spent searching between needing to move or defend yourself from the monsters stalking you. It will not be easy to avoid injury or becoming infected by the Virus yourself. You will need to scavenge throughout the rooms to enhance your equipment and specialize to your needs. In Virus, american-trash setting and game elements meet rules typical of “Euro” games, creating something entirely new! Real-Time Mode will change your normal game play by bringing a new degree of tension to a level never seen before! But if you prefer a more quiet play it's also possible to switch off Real-time mode and play in a more traditional way keeping all the strategic depth of the game alive. This game features a brand new combat resolving mechanic system called “Roll the Cube”; a fun and innovative system with an added layer of tactical depth. Finally, the room placement and monster movement mechanics, "AI by players", with its few rules that combine perfectly with the other elements of the game, gives it an incredible strategic depth. There are four different game modes: Solo, Cooperative, Semi-Cooperative or Competitive. Three different difficulty levels insure a level of re-playability for new comers and experienced players and provides a different atmosphere around the table each time.
The players will begin the game at the entrance to the laboratory and will have a fixed number of turns to escape the laboratory alive with the antidote. The main objectives are to unlock the exit of the lab and locate the antidote and escape the lab with it in hand. all while avoiding/fighting the monsters within.
Game phases Each turn is made up of two separate phases; the first being Real-Time and the second being Slow-Time. During the Real-Time phase: Players will have several different actions available; Move, Search, Place Traps, Activate Devices, Place Doors, Open Breaches, Build Barriers, etc. The main actions involve moving around and exploring new areas of the lab. During the Slow-Time phase: players will move monsters, add new monsters, collect resources and spend them to acquire new powers and abilities.
Exploration
When exploring new areas; you will place new Lab Room cards. The new Room cards are drawn from your own personal stack. They are not put randomly on the table but are instead you will choose which cards to place and where. Which rooms you place and where is very tactically important; it defines not only the shape of the game board but will also directly influence many other aspects of play. They determine the amount of resources the character will gain during their path, enhance the possibility of finding clues as to the location of the andidote and even the number of monsters that will appear in the lab.
The resources By placing new rooms and actively searching them players will be able to scavenge resources. You will need to place your cards to create areas of the same color: the more extensive the areas are the more resources you will likely find. Resources are obtained by multiplying the number of rooms in that area by the number of new rooms placed or explored. The resources earned in this way are spent during the Slow-Time phase; by buying elements to either place in the lab (barriers or breaches), use during combat (bullets), or as enhancements to your character (Resistance Adrenaline, Armor, Knowledge, or even Luck). Yes, you can buy luck. Any elements purchased will be used during the Real-Time phase.
Unlocking the exit As soon as the players enter the laboratory the exit is sealed to prevent further contamination. To unlock the exit and escape the players must reach two specific rooms and activate them at the same time. The players will need to work together to accomplish several objectives simultaneously. This includes players who will act as designated “runners” attempting to reach the rooms and unlock the exit so that the party may escape. If the players are unable to escape the laboratory in the set number of terms the facility will self destruct killing anything still inside.
The clues If the players are able to complete special rooms within the laboratory they will find clues. Clues are special cards that give details about where the antidote will be found; “In a room with three doors” or “In a room in a series of three blue cards” etc. Combining different clues will eventually lead you to the room where the antidote can be found and placed onto the game board. The players will need to retrieve the antidote from this discovered location and escape from the laboratory with it.
The monsters The monsters are placed depending on the movements of the players: the more actions they take, the more monsters will appear. Then they will move by following the players and trying to get in their way. Their movement is determined by a simple system of rules; with the monsters moved by the players themselves. As the game progresses more powerful monsters. “bosses”, will begin to appear. Throughout the game all monsters will slowly become stronger. Move carefully as the monsters will be able to see you, hear you and even smell you!
The combat Combat is handled in a strikingly innovative way and we have named this system; “Rol the Cube”. Players will throw their action cubes, bullets and any other tokens in their possession that they wish to commit on their player board. You will receive a positive result if the cubes fall onto the colored squares. A single exception being any squares in which more than one item occupies. Combining the different play elements between them you will be able to get more or less successful results and special effects. The positive results are then spent to destroy and/or flee from opposing monsters. An example of “roll the cube”: tokens that fell on the squares are positive results. In this playtest photo, the grey cubes represent actions, the white ones are bullets. The player decides which and how many items from their reserve to roll. In this case, as a result we have 2 positive white cubes and 3 positive grey cubes: 2 x 3 = 6 successes. The other tokens unlock special effects: a positive shield toss allows the player to recover all not-cube elements spent in the roll, while a positive adrenaline toss allows to recover all rolled cubes. The Lucky Clover token (Luck: check if you like the roll, if not re-roll it) and the Book (Knowledge: double the positive bullet results) were not successfully rolled. The successes will be spent to dodge enemies (which requires 1 success for each creature) and/or to attack (which takes 3 successes for each damage point done).
The Spy This variant throws the game off balance; one of the players could be an enemy lurking in the shadows, working to sabotage the other players. Who should you trust? The contagion Don't forget that players can become infected by the Virus themselves. Unfortunately they won't know until the very end of the game; all they will know is that they might have been infected. If an infected Player character dies they will become a Leader creature, through which the player will continue to actively play but for the opposing side!
Each SG shows a symbol, explaining how it works:
This SG is included in all pledges, but it is exclusive for this campaign, and will not be available later. This SG is included in all pledges and will be included in all retail game copies. This SG is included in all pledges, but will be included in a game expansion Heroes and sold separately after the campaign.
All stretch-goals are included with any pledge! A small symbol on each stretch-goal will also explains if after the campaign it will be included in retail game, in a special expansion (Heroes expansion), or will not be available anymore because it is campaign exclusive. So, it's important to say it again, by making a pledge on the Virus project you will receive ALL THE CONTENTS which will be included in the Heroes Expansion for FREE.
You can download rulebook beta version from here. Note: this is only a beta, it still need a deep proofreading. Some part are still missing as they are under test. Graphic design is not definitive.
If we reach 1500 followers on the Giochix Twitter account, all campaign backers will receive anew Fire! Event card. If we reach at least 500 fans on the boardgamegeek.com page for Virus by the campaign's end; all backers will receive a new Leader card: Pyramid!
Note: If those SGs will remain locked, they will be available on our Pledge Manager.
Addons will be made available through our pledge system and you will be able to continue to add them even after the campaign has ended.
SYSTEM WALLS
This expansion adds 40 3D printed plastic elements to the game, which can be used instead of normal game tiles. It contains: 4 lab 3D barrier elements + 12 bars
4 lab 3D door elements
8 lab 3D breach elements
12 lab 3D walls elements YOU ARE THE HERO! Your copy of the game will include a unique silver hero miniature. This one of a kind custom figure will be based on a picture of you! All pictures will need to be approved beforehand. The picture must be a personal picture and cannot be a famous or public figure. RESOLUTION TOKENS Includes 4 tokens for Virus, one for each player, called Resolution tokens. These tokens can be used in combat, and if they are positive, they allow the player to fix the result of any other token, making it positive too! This addon is exclusive and will not be available after the campaign.
GERMAN
ITALIAN
FRENCH LANGUAGE PACK
Each pack contains approximately 50 cards (as there are also stretch-goals included, so the number is still approximated) + the printed rulebook + x4 stickers that may be applied to the back of the character boards: by this way you can use it as English board (few text there) or flipping it on your own language. Note: These Language pack will be available only for a limited time (probably only up to Essen Fair). Virus is the provisional game name. We want all of you to collaborate with us choosing the game name. That is why we have launched a content in which we are asking all of our supporters to suggest a title. We received more than 250 proposals! Now we started name selections by polls. You may vote for your favorite name on the Poll box above (login required). We will pair the titles two by two so that the final selection will be made before the end of this campaign.
The inventor of the winning game name will win a Virus game copy (including the expansions).
The author of Virus is “our” Michele Quondam, founder of Giochix and creator of Giochistarter. Married, father of Adriano and Emma, molecular biologist, Michele is also a game author. In eight years of activity he has created many games: One More Barrel, Gladiatori, Bulp, Medievalia, Forgotten Planet, Rio de la Plata and the latest in chronological order, Romolo o Remo? For sure he has a predilection for “gamer” games, but he also likes to change something from game to game, with “reasoning” as a common trait. Here is a message he wrote for this campaign: Hello! Thank you for being here to read about my latest game. I hope what you have read, even though it is just a simple preview of a prototype, will have raised your interest. I’ve been working on Virus for more than 2 years and it hasn’t been an easy path. I changed and tried many different variations of the game, which has evolved in many directions before finding the right one. I must say that I am very satisfied with the results!
In this project I have tried to explore new ways of playing, including real time and a pinch of dexterity. It is still a game that requires thought and reflection, but this time, you’ll have to think quickly :-) Anyway there still is a “slow” phase to catch your breath and plan how spend resources.
The cooperative aspect of Virus reminds me of the RPG sessions I used to have for many years, but thanks to the real time, the result is more vivid, pacey and enticing. The variant with the infiltrator, or spy, is the cherry on top. Suspect is present, concrete, and if handled well, deception is great fun. So, I hope you like the result.
Shipping to Italy costs 3.73 euro. For other countries, the shipping cost will be shown after clicking the "Proceed to checkout” button on the cart. Some examples:
Australia 31.99€ Japan 8.90€ Austria 8.90€ Korea 8.90€ Belgium 8.90€ Latvia 8.90€ Brasil 32.00€ Lussemburg 8.90€ Canada 8.90€ Norway 13.71€ China 8.90€ Polonia 8.90€ Czech Republic 8.90€ Portugal 8.90€ Denmark 8.90€ Romania 8.90€ Finland 8.90€ Slovakia 8.90€ France 8.90€ Slovenia 8.90€ Germany 8.90€ Spain 8.90€ Greece 8.90€ Sweden 8.90€ Hungary 8.90€ Switzerland 11.55€ Iceland 30.28€ The Nederlands 8.90€ Ireland 8.90€ UK 8.90€ Israel 8.90€ USA 8.90€ Italy 3.73€ Retailer shipping cost depends on order size and it's shown on the Shipping cost page. You can also pick-up your copy free of charge at our pickup point in Rome, at our stand at the Essen fair (Germany) or at the Lucca Comics and Games (Italy). Games will be shipped from November 2016. Note: We strongly suggest that you specify a telephone number in your profile. This helps a lot with the game delivery. We will use the address specified in your GS account profile at the moment of shipping: this means you can change it as you wish until that date, as we will use the last address provided. Michele, Federico, Chiara and Marina: 2 mad girls and 2 crazy guys in love with games! This is Giochix.it: a small, but full of passion, Italian board game publishing company. We love how board games bring people around the same tangible table, letting each player find their own way to play and try to win. We love to create something new, to bring fun and passion to other people. Developing games is the most interesting part: exploring new ways to play and new ways to think while having fun is fantastic! In these years we have realized many board games, trying to do better in any new project! We made Bomarzo, The Foreign King, Historia, CO2, Romolo o Remo, De Vulgari Eloquentia and, for the Italian market, Race for the Galaxy, Fief, Mare Nostrum, Kanban, Tesla vs. Edison, Tiny Epic Kingdoms and many others. Check our web site for more info: www.giochix.it.
We worked with many international partners: Rio Grande Games (US), Stronghold Games (US), Zman Games (US), Eagle Games (US), Elfinwerks (US), Gamenyl Games (US), Arcana (US), MYBG Co. (CN), Heidelberger Spieleverlag (DE); Lookout Games (DE), Juegamos Games (ES), Black Book Editions (FR), Gigamic (FR), Matagot (FR), Artipia Games (GR), Arclight (JP), BardCentrum Gier (PL), Lacerta (PL), NSKN Games (RO) and Hobby World (RU). Still unsure? Check our guarantee: 1) You can return your copy (opened or unopened) within 30 days of receiving it for a pledge refund, no questions asked. 2) If any problems should happen in production, you will able to request a full pledge refund after 90 days of delay, no discussion. Production. A distinction must be made between games that are printed by Giochix directly and those that are printed “indirectly” by another publisher. In the first case, we have direct control over the entire printing process and we can intervene quickly to adjust for any potential issues where necessary. In the second case, we may only interact with the publisher that prints the game and without any ability to make immediate changes during the production process. This means that once the games are printed by us, the shipping date that we have indicated in the project will be a reasonably safe deadline. While we are confident in our abilities to meet the designated timing; unfortunately, delays are always a possibility and this must be taken into account. In the second case, for “indirect” games, the shipping date is purely indicative. Unfortunately it can happen that the deliveries suffer a delay and this should be considered before making a purchase. Of course we will inform you immediately if something were to happen. -> Virus is printed by Giochix. It is therefore a “direct” game. Components. Game specifications and components are to be considered indicative of the final product and may be changed during final production. Project pages. Sometime there can be small variances between the pages of this project in the different languages. In that case, refer to the project’s English page. Fairs. It is possible for the game's shipment to be scheduled to occur during a time frame close to a larger game fair, such as; Essen Fair in Germany or Lucca Comics and Games in Italy. It is important to note that we will be showing/selling the game at these fairs independently of campaign participant shipment status. Attending these fair events is vital to the game's chances for success. Guarantee. If you are not satisfied with this game you can return it. First you have to contact us and obtain a RMA number. Then you have to ship the game back to Rome, Italy at your cost. Returned games must arrive to the designated location within 60 days of the our shipping date and within 30 days from the delivery date.
Game must arrive still in its wrapping or, if opened, they must be in perfect condition (preferably not used) and without any missing pieces. A refund will be given only after our verification of the game and after our unquestionable approbation. If the game is not approved for a refund, it can be shipped back to you, but you will be responsible for this additional shipping cost.
The refunded amount will not include any shipping charges. The refund will be made only via PayPal or as credit on giochistarter platform. We strongly suggest that you package the game carefully to avoid any potential damage and to ship it insured with a tracking number. We will not be responsible lost packages or packages received damaged.
You may also ask for a full refund if there is a delay in shipment of more than 90 days past the announced shipping date. This does not apply to any packages which have already been shipped.
Shipments. We ship by postal service or by supported courier (UPS/GLS/SDA) We reserve the right to separate the contents of an order into different shipments or to merge the contents of different orders in the same shipment to improve the shipment's delivery speed and any required logistics management. If this happens, there will not be any additional cost for you as a customer (nor right to any refund). Shipments made by courier or by insured the postal service can be tracked and are considered insured. Shipments made by the postal service are not insured and cannot be traced. While rare it is also possible that a package may be lost (0.1-1%). Insurance option for potal services costs an additional 3-5 Euro depending on the selected destination. Courier shipments may take about 3-6 days for EU and US/Canada. Postal service requires about 3-7 weeks for the same locations. Please note that
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — He is reminiscing now, emotionally and deftly weaving through the unthinkable, the unwatchable, and finally, the beautiful inevitable of the last three years for which no player in his right mind would have signed on.
It’s late on this steamy August night, and these 13 players who have experienced it all, 13 seniors who will officially begin their final season at Arkansas the following morning, hear one final, fitting proclamation from Hogs coach Bret Bielema.
HAYES: Bielema talks Alvarez relationship | MORE: Best/worst case for SN Top 25 teams
He didn’t pull them from the abyss. He didn’t find a way out and change the culture of Arkansas football, resuscitating a program left for dead and quickly turning it into the most dangerous team in the best conference in college football.
They did.
“You’re a very special group in my heart for many reasons,” Bielema says, his voice cracking, then rising and growing stronger. “Your last home game here will be Senior Day. My goal is to make that the unhappiest day of your life — for all the right reasons.”
It could have easily been for all the wrong.
Three years ago, Arkansas was the most dysfunctional team in college football, the epicenter for all that can go wrong when egos go unchecked and selfish, reckless behavior supersedes all. Now it might just be the blueprint for all that can be — and should be — in the game.
Three years ago, the Arkansas coach was a self-absorbed dictator, a man who drove his Harley and his career into a ditch — and dragged what looked like a surging Hogs program down with him. They were a shell of a Top 5 program before Bobby Petrino was fired in April of 2012 to begin the downfall, a façade of winning that shrouded a slowly rotting mess.
Now after climbing out of the hole that Petrino dug, that John L. Smith subsequently cratered, Bielema has a team that won just two SEC games in the last two seasons believing they can win the whole damn thing.
“We absolutely can,” said Arkansas wideout Keon Hatcher, one of those 13 seniors who have dug deep over the last two years to truly find who and what they are. “After everything we’ve been through, that’s the most incredible and satisfying part about it.”
They didn’t win an SEC game in Bielema’s first season in 2013, and last year probably could have (and should have) won at least five. By the end of the season, no one in the SEC wanted any part of this suddenly physically intimidating and dominating program, and the Hogs trampled old Southwest Conference rival Texas by 24 points in the Texas Bowl.
As the final minutes ticked off, Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen mercifully kneeled three straight plays inside the Texas 5.
“Borderline erotic,” Bielema said last month during SEC Media Days, and social media blew up.
The arrogance that was a fixture during Bielema’s wildly successful years at Wisconsin; the bravado that fueled his program to three straight Rose Bowls, now was on full display — after just two measly wins in the SEC. Just Bret being Bret.
That is, until the veneer is pulled back and the story is told, and the reclamation of players and their program and a university and its pride is seen for what it really is: a remarkable journey that, through months of significant change on and off the field, has merely scratched the surface of what could be.
Or borderline erotic.
“Unless you’re in that foxhole,” says Arkansas tailback Jonathan Williams, “you can’t truly appreciate where we were.”
Bret Bielema stepped in after John L. Smith filled the void left by Bobby Petrino. (Getty Images)
Digging out of the hole
If it were just football; if it were Xs and Os and finding the right call or the right play, Arkansas would have been winning the day Bielema stepped on campus after the 2012 season.
But because it was so much more; because what others take for granted on a daily basis had been overlooked for so long and infected the very culture of the program, the heavy lifting began off the field at the source of the problem.
PREVIEW: SN All-Americans | Top 15 programs since 2000 | Bowl projections
The areas that destroy programs off the field — academic indifference, social and behavioral issues — were the very things translating to a lack of success on the field.
When Bielema arrived, players were flunking out, missing class and changing majors to find the easiest roads to staying eligible. There was a saying within the football team: “Ds get degrees.”
“I worked in the academic advisement office when I first got here, and what I saw, frankly, was shocking,” says Aaron Henry, a former All-Big Ten defensive back at Wisconsin under Bielema and current Arkansas graduate assistant coach. “Our academic report was horrendous. We had a bunch of guys with sub-par GPAs, guys who wouldn’t go to tutoring appointments, who wouldn’t even push a button to log in to the system. They couldn’t even do that.”
The response from Bielema was simple: you don’t go to class, you don’t play. You miss tutoring appointments, you don’t play — and you pay back the cost of the appointment.
When Bielema arrived at Arkansas, 18 players had sub-2.0 GPAs. At the end of the final session this summer, the team GPA for that semester was just under 3.0. Every single player — all 105 scholarship and walkon players — now has at least a 2.0 GPA.
In his seven seasons at Wisconsin, one of the nation’s elite academic schools and a football program known for its high academic standards (see: Gary Andersen recently leaving for Oregon State because of the strict standards for recruits), Bielema says he never had a season when every player was above 2.0.
“It’s cool to get good grades now,” he says.
If only it were that simple. This was hard work; it was getting players who placed no value on anything off the football field to embrace the reality that what happens off the field is a direct reflection of how you perform on it.
It was making players understand that less than 5 percent of them will play professionally for money — and if they do, the percentage is even less of those that last for more than the NFL average of four years.
In other words, what do you want from your life away from football? Or what do you expect from life if you’re among the 95 percent — or 99 of the 105 players on the roster — that won’t play professionally?
“When you’re young and naive and all you know is football, you don’t think of those things,” said Hatcher. “Guys were just doing whatever they wanted to do, no matter the circumstances.”
But it wasn’t just academics. When Bielema arrived, Arkansas was in the middle of a disturbing run of player behavior issues and had an average of one player arrested every 68 days.
Arkansas had two players arrested in the first three months after Bielema arrived, then went two years and five months without another incident. That’s an eternity in this age of athletes running afoul of the law.
Just this past offseason, defensive end Tevin Beanum was arrested for DWI and illegal possession of alcohol to break the 29-month string. So after talking to Beanum’s mother, Bielema did what any parent would do: he took away Beanum’s car.
Bielema didn’t run off Beanum like he did 20 other players in the first 18 months who didn’t get it or refused to buy in. He used it as another teaching moment, another chance to reinforce the most critical value of change to the roster: respect yourself.
There are no rules against earrings or tattoos. No rules for facial hair or social media. But for this thing to truly change, it had to begin and end with what each and every player expects from themselves.
The way they dress, the way they talk, the way they treat each other and those they associate with on a daily basis. The way they accept responsibility and move forward.
Beanum, a projected starter this fall, responded with a 4.0 GPA this semester.
“It was just so negative here, and that was ground zero,” Bielema said. “Early on, we would give rewards just for best attitudes. The biggest thing I kept telling them from Day 1, over and over, is you need to care about yourself first. If you live clean, you play clean.”
Not coincidentally, when Bielema arrived at Arkansas, the Hogs were the most penalized team in the SEC. By the end of his first season, they were the least.
Little things few recognize off the field eventually lead to big things few can deny on it.
What he walked into...
To understand what this means to Bielema and every single player at Arkansas, you must first understand where each was when it all began.
Bielema was at his dream job. He was working for a mentor and one of his closest friends in the business (Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez), and his parents were less than three hours away and could follow his every move. His best friend from college lived close by and they had dinner every Thursday night.
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He was winning like few had in the Big Ten, and had taken the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls — the first time in nearly four decades that a Big Ten team had done so.
“I could have stayed there forever,” Bielema said. “I’m sure there were more than a few people who thought I was crazy to leave.”
Especially considering what he was getting into. Despite winning 21 games in Petrino’s last two seasons, the foundation had cracks all over it. If academic and behavioral problems weren’t enough, the NFL atmosphere Petrino had created was feeding it on a daily basis.
Petrino’s office was on the second floor, and if a player was on the second floor, it usually was because he was in trouble.
“There was no such thing as an open door like there is now,” Allen said. “With (Petrino), I never wanted to go up there. No one did. It was kind of a scary deal.”
Now imagine this: Napoleon is banished and the leader of the minions is elevated to head coach — and he’s simply holding on until the next head coach arrives.
“So you’re playing for a tyrant, and you’re tight. He leaves, and now you get a little loose,” said Alfred Davis, a captain on the 2012 team and currently a graduate assistant. “I don’t think our starting free safety went to class the whole week when we played Ole Miss. He didn’t have to; the coaches weren’t going to do anything, they weren’t checking up on him. They were worried about their own futures.
“I had one coach who told me in the middle of the season, ‘Hey, Al, this thing is going bad. Do what you can and get yours. You need tape for the NFL.’ Players were doing whatever they wanted to do.”
Said Allen: “We kind of just threw in the towel.”
This is what Bielema walked into. This is what it had become for a group of players who, at the very least, signed on to play for Petrino — who, despite his flaws, was winning games and getting players to the NFL.
Or as one Arkansas staffer summed it up: “he was an asshole, but he was our asshole.”
It should come as no surprise then, that when Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long hired Bielema, he specifically told him he wasn’t expecting anything in Year 1. Or Year 2.
“It’s not easy for any coach to walk into a situation where he’s coaching players that he didn’t recruit,” Long said. “But Bret had a situation with many more complications than just players that weren’t his. ”
Now think about that Texas game to end last season. Think about how the Hogs arrived at that moment, losing four games by a combined 22 points because this team with a brand new identity is still figuring out how to win games in the fourth quarter.
Think about where this program has been and how the culture was changed and why what seemed like a meaningless bowl game, an appetizer to the College Football Playoff in the grand scheme, was “borderline erotic” when Allen was kneeling on the ball to end the game.
“The whole season, the last two years, kind of came to head in that game,” Williams said. “We finally realized what all this was for, and really, how good it can be.”
A few days later, Williams announced he would skip the NFL Draft and return to Arkansas for his senior season. Eight months later, he was sitting in that senior meeting, staring at a season of huge hope.
“There’s not a person on this team that thinks we can’t win the SEC,” Williams said.
The mere idea of it all, in such a short turnaround, is mind-boggling.
Smiling for the future
Hours after that emotional senior meeting, Bielema met with his freshman class alone in the team room.
This group of 24 players might be the best recruiting class assembled at Arkansas — and surely the best since the Hogs entered the SEC in 1992. There’s tailback Rawleigh Williams, who Bielema compares to Wisconsin All-American Montee Ball, and linebacker Derrick Graham, who already has grown out of his position (he has added 25 pounds) and likely will move to rush end.
About and hour before meeting the freshmen, Bielema is told by a staff member that a few of the freshmen stayed overnight in the football complex for fear of oversleeping. He smiled.
He has them right where he wants them.
“In 20 years as a coach and five as a player,” Bielema’s voice booms in the meeting room, “I have never, ever, ever been late to a meeting or anything. If it’s important enough for you, it can be done.”
If it’s important enough, if you want to change bad enough, it might just end with the unhappiest day of your life.
For all the right reasons.Even among fitness enthusiasts, I've consistently found that many people neglect the tendons that control their wrists and elbows - this is a big mistake, as these tissues are not well perfused with blood, so when they are injured, they can take many months to heal. All of us constantly use our wrists and elbows, but most of us only tune into this reality if we injure one of these areas.
To build and maintain strength in the tendons that attach to and move your wrists and elbows, please consider making the following exercises a part of your everyday life:
Tennis Ball Squeeze
Slowly squeeze and release a tennis ball for 20 repetitions, 3 times a day. Be deliberate in squeezing and relaxing at a slow pace, as both phases of contraction - concentric and eccentric - are important for building tendon strength. The orange and yellow tennis ball in the photos above is a low compression ball that is a good choice if you find it difficult to squeeze a regular tennis ball. You can also use a smaller squash ball or any other type of ball that compresses with pressure and reverts back to its ball shape when you relax your muscles.
Squeezing a ball in this fashion strengthens the tendons and muscles that line the side of your forearm that you see when your palm is facing you. These tissues include:
Flexor digitorum profundus
Flexor digitorum superficialis
Flexor carpi radialis
Flexor carpi ulnaris
Flexor pollicis longus
Elastic Expansion
To strengthen the tendons and muscles that line the opposite side of your forearm, bring your fingers together like you're closing the mouth of a puppet that is draped over your hand, surround the ends of your fingers and thumb with an elastic band, then slowly expand and relax your fingers and thumb like you're opening and closing your puppet's mouth. As with the tennis ball squeeze, be mindful of doing this exercise slowly, especially the eccentric (relaxation) phase.
Twenty repetitions, 3 sets a day will build and maintain highly functional strength in the following wrist extensor muscles, imparting tremendous protection to multiple tendons in your wrists and elbows:
Brachioradialis
Extensor digitorum
Extensor carpi radialis longus
Extensor carpi radialis brevis
Extensor carpi ulnaris
Abductor pollicis longus
Extensor pollicis longus
Extensor pollicis brevis
The best part of both of these wrist and elbow strengthening exercises is that you can do them anywhere and without too much expenditure of mental energy. I keep a tennis ball and elastic band in the cup-holder in my car, as well as with my foam roller for when I stretch, roll, and do core work in the evenings before bed. So whether I'm working during the day or taking some time to unplug in the evening, it's simple to take care of my wrists and elbows with these exercises. I'm obsessed with them, actually, and I think you and your loved ones will experience noticeable benefits if you get obsessed along with me.
Please note that as with all exercises, it's important not to engage in them if they are creating pain. You should have the feeling of your forearm muscles getting a workout, the kind of burn you feel when you do squats. But no pain. If you feel pain, try a softer ball or a thinner elastic band. If you still have pain, rest and gently massage for a few days or until you can try again without discomfort. Pain is your friend - it lets you know in real time if your tissues are capable of being used and strengthened. This is why numbing your pain with an analgesic like acetaminophen and then exercising through an injury is a recipe for worsening your condition.
For optimal results with these wrist and elbow strengthening exercises, you'll want to combine them with stretching and self massage, which you can read about here:
How to Keep Your Elbows, Forearms, and Wrists Healthy
Hope these tips come in handy in the days ahead.Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom; November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor, politician, and activist. He first gained fame when he came in second place on the second season of the reality singing competition American Idol in 2003. His debut album, Measure of a Man, released in October 2003, went multi-platinum. He released four more albums on the RCA label: Merry Christmas with Love (2004), A Thousand Different Ways (2006), the Christmas EP All is Well (2006),[2][3] and On My Way Here (2008).[4] Since then he has released two more albums, both with Decca Records: Tried and True (2010) and Steadfast (2012).[5][6] Aiken has also had eleven tours in support of his albums. In all, he has sold over 5 million albums, and is the fourth-highest-selling American Idol alumnus.[7]
Aiken co-wrote a bestselling memoir in 2004, Learning to Sing. In 2004 he also had a televised Christmas special, A Clay Aiken Christmas. During much of 2008 he appeared on Broadway in the musical comedy Spamalot, in the role of Sir Robin.[8][9] In 2010 he hosted the PBS special Tried & True Live!. He has also had numerous cameo and guest appearances on TV shows. In 2012 he competed in the fifth season of The Celebrity Apprentice, coming in second to Arsenio Hall.
With Diane Bubel, Aiken created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation in 2003, which was later renamed the National Inclusion Project. In 2004 he became a UNICEF ambassador, a position he held until 2013 when he gave it up in order to run for Congress. He traveled extensively in this role. In 2006, he was appointed for a two-year term to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.[10][11][12]
In 2014, Aiken ran for Congress in North Carolina's 2nd congressional district.[13] He won the Democratic primary, but lost to Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers in the general election.[14][15]
Early life [ edit ]
Clay Aiken was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a young boy, Aiken sang in the Raleigh Boychoir; and, as a teenager, he sang in school choirs, church choir, musicals and local theatre productions.[16] After high school, he sang lead with a local band, Just By Chance, co-hosting and performing with the band at "Just by Chance and Friends" shows in Dunn, North Carolina.[17] He was also MC and performer at the Johnston Community College Country Showcase in Smithfield and at the North Carolina Music Connection and Hometown Music Connection shows in Garner, and Benson. He performed the national anthem numerous times for the Raleigh IceCaps and the Carolina Hurricanes hockey teams,[16] and performed it at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Three demo albums of Aiken's vocals were created before American Idol with the aid of studio time given as a birthday gift by his mother: a cassette called Look What Love Has Done (by Clayton Grissom), a cassette and CD entitled Redefined (by Clayton Aiken), and a CD that combined some songs from each of the previous demos: "Look What Love Has Done, Vol 2" (by Clay Aiken).[18][19] Estranged from his abusive birth father Vernon Grissom and with his mother's and grandfather Alvis Aiken's permission, at the age of 19 he legally changed his surname from Grissom to his mother Faye's maiden name, Aiken.[1]
Aiken attended Raleigh's Leesville Road High School and took courses at Campbell University before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 1995, Clay started working at the YMCA. Still in high school, Clay learned quickly that he could make a difference in the lives of young people.[20] He found his interest in special education while directing YMCA children's camps as a teenager, and at age 19, he served as a substitute teacher for a classroom of students with autism at Brentwood Elementary School in Raleigh. It was during that experience that he decided to finish college and become a special education teacher.[21] While attending college in Charlotte, he took a part-time job as an assistant to a boy with autism, and it was this child's mother, Diane Bubel, who urged him to audition for American Idol. Although his American Idol activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken completed his course work while on tour and graduated with a bachelor's degree in special education in December 2003.[22]
Personal life [ edit ]
On August 8, 2008, Aiken announced, on his personal blog, the birth of his son in North Carolina: "My dear friend, Jaymes, and I are so excited to announce the birth of Parker Foster Aiken."[23] The child's mother, Jaymes Foster, is the sister of record producer David Foster, executive producer of Aiken's last three albums on the RCA label. "The little man is healthy, happy, and as loud as his daddy", Aiken wrote. "Mama Jaymes is doing quite well also."[24] In his book, Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, Aiken said, "It's a Southern tradition to be given your first name from your grandmama's maiden name."[25] Aiken's middle name came from his paternal grandmother's maiden name; he and Foster used the married surnames of their mothers to name their son.
After several years of public speculation, Aiken came out as gay in a September 2008 interview with People magazine.[26] In April 2009, Aiken was honored by the Family Equality Council advocacy group at its annual benefit dinner in New York City.[27]
On November 18, 2010, Aiken went to Washington, D.C., on behalf of Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) at a Capitol Hill briefing talking about anti-gay bullying.[28]
Faith and philosophy [ edit ]
Aiken was born into a Baptist family. As a toddler, in 1980, he attended Leesville Baptist Church every week. According to his book, Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life,[29] he was involved in Bible school, choir, and the youth group. The book made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2004, debuting at number two. It was written with Allison Glock and published by Random House. Barely mentioning American Idol, Aiken instead turned his focus to the people who had the most influence in his life – his mother, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and friends – and to the importance of religion in his life. He describes himself as a proud Southern Baptist who journeyed away from those roots in his late teens in search of a religion with more liberal social policies. He then returned to that church because of family and social ties although he remains at odds with the church on some issues.
When asked in a PBS Kids interview to name his idols, he responded, "When people ask me what three people I'd like to have dinner with, living or dead, I say Jesus Christ, Mr. Rogers, and Jimmy Carter."[30]
While not self-identified as a Christian music artist, Aiken was featured in Christian Music Planet as an "American Idol Christian" in 2004, and in a cover story, "Clay Aiken's Balancing Act", in the January/February 2005 issue.[31][32] His pre-Idol demo albums included several selections of Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) and gospel songs. A performance of the Commodores' "Jesus is Love" at the American Music Awards in 2003 earned Aiken and Ruben Studdard a standing ovation. Aiken has sung a few CCM songs at his pop concerts, and has made Christmas albums, Christmas television specials and performances, and Christmas tours essential elements of his career.
Aiken makes it clear that he is aware not everyone shares his religious beliefs and it is not his intention to press these beliefs on others. When he worked as a camp counselor at the YMCA, he challenged other camp faculty by insisting that singing "overtly Christian songs" was inappropriate, as some of the kids were Jewish. "I stood firm... no child is going to have a spiritual crisis on my watch."[33] His public philosophy, geared towards inclusion and service to others, reflects his stance that decisions about religion should be made at home.[34][35]
American Idol [ edit ]
Aiken had filled out an application to participate in the reality show Amazing Race when a friend of his insisted that he try out for American Idol instead.[36] Television viewers first glimpsed Aiken during the audition episodes at the beginning of American Idol's second season. The show's judges first saw Aiken as a nerdy type unlikely to be a typical pop idol, but after hearing him sing Heatwave's "Always and Forever" decided to advance him to the next round. The clip of the judges' surprise during this audition performance was replayed many times over the course of the competition.
Aiken made it to the round of 32 before being cut from the show, but he was invited to return for the "Wild Card" round; his performance of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" sent him on to the final 12 as the viewer's choice. While noted for his performance of ballads, such as Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire", his upbeat performances, including The Foundations' "Build Me Up Buttercup", were also appreciated. Aiken received enough votes every week to keep him out of the bottom three. Part of his appeal was his "geek to chic" transformation in appearance. "I looked like Opie", Aiken said to People magazine regarding his appearance at his American Idol audition in 2002.[37] He replaced his glasses with contact lenses and agreed to let the show's stylists change his hair style.[38] With longer, flat ironed, spiky hair and a penchant for wearing striped shirts, Aiken had established a trademark look by the final American Idol season 2 show.
On May 21, 2003, Aiken came in a close second to Ruben Studdard, who won the contest by 134,000 votes out of more than 24,000,000 votes cast. The result was controversial, as some hypothesized that Idol's voting system was incapable of handling the number of attempted calls.[39] In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season of American Idol, Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed for the first time that Aiken had led the fan voting every week from the Wild Card week to the finale, when the possibly-random voting result gave Studdard the win.[40]
Rolling Stone featured Aiken on the cover of its July 2003 issue. In the cover article Aiken said, "One thing I've found of people in the public eye, either you're a womanizer or you've got to be gay. Since I'm neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me."[41] In subsequent interviews he expressed frustration over continued questions about his sexual orientation, telling People magazine in 2006, "It doesn't matter what I say. People are going to believe what they want."[42]
Aiken made a surprise appearance on the final show of the fifth season of American Idol, when failed auditioner Michael Sandecki returned to the show to receive a "Golden Idol" award for Best Impersonator for his Clay Aiken-like appearance. Aiken appeared without introduction in a well-tailored designer suit and longer, darker hair with bangs, looking so different that many did not recognize him until he began to sing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."[43][44] The second season of the American Idol Rewind series (2007) was narrated by Aiken.[45]
Clay is reportedly one of the top 10 earners of Idol, earning an estimated $1.5 million in 2010.[46]
American Idol season 2 performances and results [ edit ]
^Note 1 Corey Clark's disqualification, the Top 9 performances became Top 8 when no one was eliminated.
Music [ edit ]
2003–04: Measure of a Man [ edit ]
On October 14, 2003, Aiken released his first solo album, Measure of a Man, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years.[47] The album received RIAA Double Platinum certification on November 17, 2003 (a Double Platinum plaque was presented to Aiken by Clive Davis on October 22, 2003, during Good Morning America). The album spawned both the hit single "Invisible" and his first hit song, "This Is the Night" (both co-written by British songwriter Chris Braide). Later that year, Aiken won the Fan's Choice Award at the American Music Awards ceremony, and his CD single "This Is The Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" won the Billboard award for the Best-Selling Single of 2003.
2004–06: Merry Christmas With Love [ edit ]
On November 16, 2004, Aiken released a holiday album titled Merry Christmas with Love, which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era (since 1991).[48] The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and tied Céline Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of Billboard magazine. Merry Christmas with Love sold over 1,000,000 copies retail in six weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004, receiving RIAA Platinum certification on January 6, 2005.
2006–08: A Thousand Different Ways And All Is Well [ edit ]
Aiken's second studio album, A Thousand Different Ways, was released September 19, 2006.[49] He worked on the album under the guidance of Canadian producer and A&R executive Jaymes Foster.[50] The album contains ten cover songs and four new songs, one of which Aiken co-wrote. Clive Davis is credited with the cover concept.[51] One additional song, "Lover All Alone", written by Aiken and David Foster, is included with the album on iTunes. Debuting at number two on the Billboard chart, A Thousand Different Ways made Aiken the fourth artist ever to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5 and scan over 200,000 in the first week.[52]
Aiken's second Christmas album, All Is Well (an EP of four Christmas songs), was released exclusively to Walmart on November 28, 2006, and was released to iTunes as a digital download in December 2007.[53]
2008–09: On My Way Here [ edit ]
Aiken stated in an April 2007 interview with People that he was planning a new album, and during his May 2007 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he mentioned that he was in Los Angeles interviewing producers for the new album.[54] Aiken found a song, "On My Way Here", written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, that struck a chord with him and became the inspiration for the album's theme in addition to the album title. For a cohesive sound, Aiken chose Mark 'Kipper' Eldridge to produce the entire album. On My Way Here was released May 6, 2008, on the RCA label.[55]
According to an article posted on Billboard, Aiken and RCA parted ways shortly after his On My Way Here album was released. Aiken's rep confirmed to People magazine that Aiken left RCA.[56][57] Stated in the cited People article, "The buzz about Aiken's exit was fueled earlier this week when his picture disappeared online and Billboard, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday that Aiken, 30, had been dropped by the label. According to Billboard, Aiken's 2008 album "On My Way Here" sold just 159,000 copies in the U.S., compared to his 2003 debut album, "Measure of a Man", which sold 2.78 million copies".
A fifth album, The Very Best of Clay Aiken, was released at the end of March 2009 on Sony's Legacy Recordings Playlist Series.[58] This album was a compilation of songs that had been included on the previous albums released by RCA. First week sales of 3000 copies placed Playlist: The Very Best of Clay Aiken at number 173 on the Billboard 200 chart and at number ten on the Top Internet Albums chart.[59]
2009–11: Tried and True [ edit ]
On August 10, 2009, it was announced on Aiken's official website that he had signed with Decca Records and he would have new music out by early 2010.[60] Performing the songs from his new album, Tried and True, Aiken held a one night only concert at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 12, 2010. The concert, filmed for PBS broadcast, included guest appearances by Ruben Studdard and Linda Eder.[6][61] Eder joined Aiken on stage for their duet of "Crying", which they recorded for his album. The album was released on June 1, 2010 and features songs popular in the 1950s and 1960s, including two Aiken covered during his run on American Idol, "Mack the Knife" and "Unchained Melody".[5] In conjunction with the PBS special a companion DVD, Tried & True Live!, was released on July 27, 2010. A tour to promote the album is planned for early 2014.
2011–present: Steadfast [ edit ]
On December 20, 2011, Aiken released a new single, "Bring Back My Love" under the Decca Label. The single is his first original song since the release of his album On My Way Here in 2008. On March 27, 2012 Aiken released Steadfast, a new album of previous recordings and songs only sung in concerts. The album debuted at #120 on the Billboard 200 chart with sales of 4,000 in the first week.[62]
Television [ edit ]
Aiken has made many television appearances.[63]
On Labor Day 2003, Aiken sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and received a standing ovation from the audience. Lewis compared Aiken with Frank Sinatra and marveled at the dedication of Aiken's fan base:
We have someone here today from the smash hit show American Idol. We're thrilled to have him joining us today, because when it was made known that he would appear on this Telethon, the emails and the fan clubs that this young man has have sent us $30,000.00 just at the fact that he was here. And I can honestly say I have never, in all of my life, seen a theatrical groundswell that this kid has motivated, that it makes us all come right back to the bobby sox and Frank. And isn't it nice to live through that magnificence again? Here is Clay Aiken.[64]
That same year, Aiken sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the opening night of the 2003 World Series and appeared in numerous television specials during the winter of 2003, including Disney's Christmas Day Parade and the Nick at Nite Holiday Special, where he sang the "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" with Bing Crosby via special effects.
Aiken starred in and executive produced his first TV special (December 2004), titled A Clay Aiken Christmas, with special guests Barry Manilow, Yolanda Adams, and Megan Mullally; the special was released on DVD later that month. On July 4, 2004, Aiken was one of the performers in the A Capitol Fourth concert in Washington, D.C. and performed in the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series in 2004 and 2005. He also sang "Isn't She Lovely" on the popular television show Scrubs.
Aiken was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 2004 and participated in several skits. He has appeared multiple times on The Tonight Show, interviewing with Jay Leno as a guest in addition to singing, and has become a regular guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The Kimmel appearances often feature sk
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1v1 Tank RB American 1v1 Tank RB 1v1 Tank SB Number of participants in the 1 vs 1 air and tank tournaments is unlimited! Each 1 vs 1 tournament additionally has the prize pool of 19,500 Golden Eagles and unique titles - “1v1 Master-Duelist” for the air tournaments and “Iron Warrior” for the tank tournaments! Players who prefer to play with their team in the 5 vs 5 tournaments can win both, the Panther T-V tank and the Bf.109E7/U2 aircraft, if their team reaches the first 8 places: 5v5 AB 5v5 RB 5v5 SB You can check and register to all tournaments on our portal!Change Log:
v1.2.5:
v1.2.4:
v1.2.3:
v1.2.2:
v1.2.1:
v1.1.2:
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v1.1.0:
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Frequently Asked Questions:
Quote: Originally Posted by aceytech Originally Posted by For everyone experiencing flakey HDMI cable behavior, crashing or no video:
Blow all the dust and pocket lint out of your HDMI connector! Use a can of compressed air, the kind for electronics.(no moisture)
You may not realize it, but there's ~20 connections at 0.5mm pitch, all DIGITAL**, and many of them are dependent on one another, all inside that little connector.
Hope this helps you. Cheers!
**The signals go thru or they don't, unlike analog, which looks fuzzy or diminished colors, etc..
-Fixed a bug with the resolution selection on sense.-Changed the auto-downloader to work much better.-Fixed a bug that prevented the app from working with sense.-MAJOR bug fix!-Misc bug fixes-Now includes support for controlling audio! (Even on CM7/AOSP!)-New Advanced Settings menu with new options!-New option enables you to keep the screen on all the time while mirroring-New option enables you to max your CPU clock speed while mirroring for best possible performance-Fixed a rare bug with the auto-downloader causing a force close-Fixed a bug with the enable button-Now includes auto-download support for required modules.-New screen tells you if you have an accelerated kernel or not-No longer requires custom kernel!-Overscan now has percentage indicator-Fixed a bug that prevented vSync from disabling after turning mirroring off and back on-Fixed a bug with vSync-Fixed a bug that prevented "auto save" from correctly saving-Enabled users to enable/disable vSync-Added notification while mirroring-Fixed the Display Options page to not force close-Now correctly saves your resolution and changes the resolution when selectedA: Check your cable!A: Overscan is for people's TV's that cut off the sides of the HDMI output. Increasing the overscan will slightly shrink the output so you can see everything with nothing being cut off." In plain English this means that the US and Daesh have lost the war." - the Saker
Mainstream media still keeping mum about this very important development!
A lot of people didn't believe us, or the Russian Defense Ministry. Turns out we were right.
This post first appeared on Russia Insider
On Wednesday evening, we broke the almost unbelievable story that the Russian Defense Ministry was claiming that:
A) ‘US Secret Services’ had directed a major offensive against Russian - Syrian forces,
A devastating blow to US proxies and their CIA handlers
B) a goal was the capture of 29 Russian peacekeepers,
C) the attack was foiled in dramatic, heavy fighting involving many Russian troops,
D) the US-backed and directed forces suffered a devastating defeat. Losses included:
850 TERRORISTS, 11 TANKS, 46 PICKUPS, 20 TRUCKS and 38 WEAPONS WAREHOUSES!
All this seemed almost surreal when we saw it on the ticker, and we just reported that this is what the Russians were claiming.
If true, it meant a massive setback for the US and Israel and their radical Islamist proxies.
The story was picked up everywhere and went viral.
A lot of people were skeptical that this could possibly be true. Even we had our doubts.
Well, since then, a lot of evidence has come out suggesting that it is largely correct:
Almasdar News, which is generally reliable, covered it:
Here are some pics from them:
Above, a destroyed BMP and below destroyed T-90 tanks.
There is more grisly stuff on Almasdar showing a bunch of corpses...
Check out this Russian site for more photos.
Here is battlefield footage from the Syrian site Muraselon:
Here is a report from the main Russian Evening TV News (captioned), broadcast across all of Russia, giving more details (full transcript at the end of this article):
No major news source has covered this save for RT. Mainstream media FAIL!!
We also called SyrianGirl, and asked her what she thinks. She told us her sources on the ground were confirming that it is largely true and that the losses are devastating. She thinks the Russians are probably inflating the number of casualties, but not by much.
SyrianGirl is almost prophetic on Syrian issues, check her out on Twitter.
The Saker, one of the best informed military and Syria analysts out there also has an excellent article out this morning about the battle. Check it out for a more detailed analysis of what happened. He’s saying it is a very big deal and a major defeat for the US.
A brief quote:
In plain English this means that the US and Daesh have lost the war and that the last region of Syrian from which the AngloZionists can hope to partition the country (their current “plan B”) and establish a permanent US military presence is now threatened by the Syrian advance.
Here is the transcript of the Russian News Report:US religious broadcaster Pat Robertson has told viewers of his 700 Club television show that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's disease is justifiable because the disease is "a kind of death".
During the portion of the show where the one-time Republican presidential candidate takes questions from viewers, Robertson was asked what advice a man should give to a friend who began seeing another woman after his wife started suffering from the incurable neurological disorder.
Pat Robertson.
"I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her," Robertson said.
The chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, which airs the 700 Club, said he wouldn't "put a guilt trip" on anyone who divorces a spouse who suffers from the illness, but added, "get some ethicist besides me to give you the answer".On a scale from unknown to known, the UmbrellaCoin ICO appears to be very known.
The new insurance startup, which launched the crowdsale of its UMC tokens on August 20, 2017, has already raised close to $436,000 worth of ETH. UmbrellaCoin intends to raise a total of 100,000 ETH (~$30 million) by the end of September 20, 2017. It would be too soon to comment whether they can achieve their goal. But the way this startup has kick-started its ICO campaign is promising, to say the least.
Ethereum-based Token for Insurance Benefits
UmbrellaCoin is building a token on the top of Ethereum blockchain to offset traditional costs associated with claims for traditional insurance companies. The startup also proposes to remove the centralized auditing process with a much efficient decentralized protocol.
“Our first and the foremost aim is to counterbalance high customer costs for uncovered care costs imposed by insurance companies,” stated Terry Tata, the President and the CEO of UmbrellaCoin. “These care costs include copays and deductibles, where it be in the automobile, healthcare, life, or property insurance.”
Tata believes their project has the means to complement traditional insurance models, mostly because it allows the customers to take benefits from hidden finances. So, in an ideal scenario, if a user does not claim, or his initially invested UMC is not used by the end of the period, he can receive the 100% refund.
However, in case the claim was made, then the user will be entitled to receive 5x the UMC spent within the policy period. Users can also choose to suspend their policy anytime before the date of maturity, but they would have to pay 40% of the invested UMC as the penalty.
In addition to this, there are also other measures proposed to guard the pool against fund depletion. They include a cap on individual investment, starter fees, cooling period, fraud claims, and minimum policies.
It is evident that UmbrellaCoin has intentions to deliver on its roadmap to build a decentralized, peer-to-peer insurance platform. A successful ICO will ensure that they have sufficient capital available to meet their roadmap goals.Microsoft has launched a new promotion offering Xbox One users a free 12-month subscription to EA Access for referring a friend to Xbox One.
The promotion only appears to be available to those selected via email, and offers both the user and their friend free access to EA's service after purchasing an Xbox One console using a unique code.
The console must be bought from the Microsoft Store, and only appears to be valid on a £314.99 bundle containing a black 500GB Xbox One, 3-month membership to Xbox Live and a copy of Forza Horizon 2.
To see if you qualify, check the email address associated with your Xbox Live account.
EA Access usually costs £3.99 per month or £19.99 per year and offers unrestricted access to a range of EA titles, including Battlefield 4, Need For Speed Rivals, FIFA 15 and Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. Subscribers will also be given the opportunity to try Star Wars Battlefront ahead of its release this November.
Source: MicrosoftVolunteer
The Sweetcorn Festival would not be possible without the time and dedication of countless volunteers. In 2017, we had the support of approximately 500 volunteers. Our volunteers are comprised of individuals, businesses, families, community groups, fraternities and sororities, high school clubs, and more.
Many of these volunteers return year after year and truly enjoy being a part of this family-oriented event. Our volunteers help to manage a variety of areas including corny the mascot, beer stands, ticket booths, the corn tent, recycling stations, vendor placement, check in tables, ice/water/food deliveries, cup & supply deliveries, and the sanitation team. Volunteers get some sweet(corn) perks as well! As a small way to say thanks, all volunteers receive a festival T-shirt, food and drinks, and a free ear of corn!
VOLUNTEER PRIZES
All volunteers will be entered into drawings to win great prizes from the Urbana Sweetcorn festival and our sponsors. Prizes include:
· Krannert Tickets– 15 Available – 2 Tickets to a Krannert Show (shows based on availability)
· $10 to Meatheads – 10 available
· $10 Festival Food Gift Certificate – 10 available
· Meet n Greet with Band of your Choice (1 Friday, 1 Saturday)
· Baldarotta’s Porketta and Sicilian Sausage Boxed Lunch for 5 (2 available)
· More to come!
Group Rewards
Any Business or Organization that volunteers 8 or more people will additionally recieve.
The festival will donate $50 to a charity of their choice
Stage Announcements recognizing their contribution to the festival and the charity
Wear T-shirt representing your organization or business
Logo on Sweetcorn Website
Facebook & Twitter Thank You Post
Signage or Marketing out on Table during shift
Donation Box during shift (if you are a non-profit)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24TH & SATURDAY, AUGUST 25TH
CORN TENT: the backbone of the Sweetcorn Festival, corn tent volunteers help cook the sweet corn using our antique steam engine, and help serve the corn to hungry attendees!
FRIDAY SHIFTS
Corn Tent:
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM || 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM ||8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
SATURDAY SHIFTS
Corn Tent:
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM || 11:45 AM – 2:45 PM || 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM || 5:15 PM – 8:15 PM || 8:00 PM – 11:15 PM
BEER STANDS: now this is an exciting volunteer opportunity. Beer stand volunteers serve as bartenders and provide attendees with adult beverages. (21 and over, please)
FRIDAY SHIFTS
4:30 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
SATURDAY SHIFTS
10:45 AM – 1:45 PM || 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM || 4:15 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
CORN CLASSIC CORN EATING CONTEST: volunteers will set up & tear down tables & chairs, recruit and check in registrants, flip the tables between contests, and aid in contestant observation to crown the 2018 Corn Classic winners.
SATURDAY SHIFTS
12:00 PM – 3:00
CUP & SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION: volunteers will check in with the bars and beer tents to see if any supplies are needed.
FRIDAY SHIFTS
4:30 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
SATURDAY SHIFTS
10:45 AM – 1:45 PM || 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM || 4:15 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
CLEAN-UP CREW: perhaps the most vital part of keeping our festival running smoothly from day to day.
FRIDAY SHIFTS
4:30 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight || 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM
SATURDAY SHIFTS
10:45 AM – 1:45 PM || 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM || 4:15 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight || 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM
VOLUNTEER CHECK-IN: these volunteers help all the other volunteers! This job is located in the Main Street Parking Garage, and you’ll be signing in all volunteers and directing them where to go.
FRIDAY SHIFTS
7:00AM – 10:00AM || 9:45AM – 12:45PM || 12:30 PM – 3:45 PM || 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM || 6:15 PM – 9:00 PM || 8:45 PM – 11:45 PM
SATURDAY SHIFTS
8:00AM – 11:00AM || 10:45 AM – 1:45 PM || 1:30 PM – 4:45 PM || 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM || 7:15 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
VENDOR CHECK-IN: early Friday morning, all of our vendors arrive in downtown and prepare themselves for the festival. Vendor Check-in volunteers provide the essential duty of greeting them at their arrival, checking them in and verifying all of the necessary documents are turned in.
FRIDAY SHIFTS
7:00AM – 10:00AM || 9:45AM – 12:45PM || 12:30 PM – 3:45 PM
VENDOR PLACEMENT: early Friday morning, all of our vendors arrive in downtown and prepare themselves for the festival. Vendor Placement volunteers provide the essential duty of helping these vendors to their booth location and getting them oriented.
FRIDAY SHIFTS
7:00AM – 10:00AM || 9:45AM – 12:45PM || 12:30 PM – 3:45 PM
ICE / WATER / FOOD DELIVERY: on hot August days, hydration, ice, and food for our volunteers and vendors is essential. Volunteers will roam the festival looking for vendors in need of ice, volunteer stations in need of food or water refills and deliver it! It’s a cool job, and someone’s gotta do it.
FRIDAY SHIFTS
4:30 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
SATURDAY SHIFTS
10:45 AM – 1:45 PM || 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM || 4:15 PM – 7:15 PM || 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM || 9:45 PM – Midnight
CORNY THE MASCOT/CORNY’S ESCORT: perhaps the most fun volunteer opportunity of all, Corny the Mascot and his escorts traverse the festival for photo ops, kids activities, and cheering on the Sweetcorn Festival! Honestly, who hasn’t dreamed of wearing a sweet corn mascot costume?
FRIDAY SHIFTS
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
SATURDAY SHIFTS
1:00 PM -3:00 PM || 5:00 PM -7:00 PM
If you are volunteering as a business, service organization, or club, we have special offers for you too! Send an email to [email protected]Many iPhone users with a 3D Touch display use the feature sporadically, if at all, often because it’s a bit of a guessing game as to what actions are available with the activation of the push and pop abilities. While 3D Touch may seem a bit gimmicky at times, there are some legitimately useful cases for 3D Touch where it has the potential to enhance workflow for iPhone users, and so with that in mind we’re going to run through some of the best uses of the feature.
Obviously this requires a 3D Touch equipped iPhone. The 3D Touch feature must be enabled, and for many users, accessing the ability can be improved upon by adjusting the sensitivity of their screen touch pressure.
Quickly Adjust Battery Settings
Since prolonging battery life remains of primary importance to many iPhone users, the ability to quickly turn on and off Low Power Mode is essential. From the unlocked iPhone screen, 3D Touch press on the “Settings” icon and select “Battery”, from here users can flip the switch for “Low Power Mode” to the ON (or OFF) position as usual, or access other battery settings and details.
Get an Instant Link Preview, Nearly Anywhere
You can 3D touch any link on iOS to get a preview pane of the URL in question, without having to load the entire thing. This is particularly useful for scanning blankly referenced links that are sent to you in messages or emails to see if they’re worth visiting or not, but the feature works nearly anywhere that links are visible and clickable.
Jump to New Private Window in Safari
Private browsing mode in Safari for iOS is a great feature, but rather than open the app and then toggle into the privacy mode, you can use 3D Touch for quicker access. All you need to do is 3D Touch on the Safari icon and choose “New Private Tab”, and away you go.
No cookies, history, caches, or other data is stored on the device when in privacy mode – perfect for when you’re shopping for someone, reading spoilers to Game of Thrones, or just reading embarrassing content that you’d rather not someone else discover.
Quick Access to Selfies, Video Capture, and Slo-Mo
Most iPhone users have their Camera app open directly to the default photo camera, and though the app remembers the last camera option you used, it’s pretty nice to be able to jump to the feature you want to access with 3D Touch. Just 3D Touch on the Camera icon and select what you want to do; take a selfie, record a regular video, capture slow motion video, or, just take a picture as usual.
Scan a Message Without Sending a Read Receipt
Since iOS Messages app has yet to provide us with contact specific Read Receipts, one option to scan a message without sending one is to 3d touch the message to preview it, which will not send a “Read” indicator to the sender. This is really useful if you use the Read Receipts feature but don’t necessarily want to engage in a conversation with someone.
Access iOS Multitasking
Using a sort-of-challenging-to-master 3D Touch press on the far left side of iPhone display will gain quick 3D touch access to the multitasking app switcher in iOS. Whether this is faster than simply double-tapping the Home button is a matter of how well you can access this feature, but it is handy and feels reasonably intuitive once you get the hang of it.
Update All Apps, Redeem Gift Cards
Using 3D Touch on the App Store icon allows you quick access to the “Redeem” feature, where users can quickly scan a gift card to add it to their iTunes account. This is particularly great because accessing Redeem otherwise requires a bit of digging around in the App Store app. Another great 3D Touch trick on the App Store icon? The ability to quickly update all apps in iOS that have changes available.
Use the iPhone Screen as a Scale
Thanks to a simple web app, you can turn the iPhone into a scale that is able to weigh things in grams. Seriously! This isn’t particularly useful for most people, unless you spend a lot of time in the kitchen or uh, elsewhere, but it’s a neat demonstration of what the 3D Touch display can do, and how sensitive the display truly is.
Know of any other particularly handy uses of 3D Touch for iPhone? Share them with us, or just let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.I warned you on Thursday that I had a thing for fall and to prepare for apple recipes after a weekend trip to the apple orchard. It’s starting!
Of course, it involves peanut butter. Apples and peanut butter just go so well together. One of my favorite snacks involves slicing up an apple and dipping the slices in peanut butter.
Now I can just combine the two of them together and stick them in a chewy bar. These soft, chewy peanut butter apple bars are a quick and easy recipe that are a great way to showcase fall apples.
One of the things about these bars that make them different from a lot of apple recipes I make is that instead of chopped apples, I used shredded apples.
I’ve done this before with apple cookies and love the results. I’ve found that shredded apple helps spread the flavor more evenly instead of having chunks of apple.
They also seem to give a bit more moisture to the baked goods. All you have to do is pull out your box grater and give a medium-sized apple a quick grate. Definitely worth dirtying an extra kitchen tool!
While they aren’t the prettiest fall dessert you’ll see this season, their bursting flavor makes you quickly forget the lack of looks!
Soft, chewy and loaded with 1 1/2 cups of shredded apple and lots of peanut butter, these apple bars will soon become your new go-to fall recipe for last minute gatherings, late night snacking, and after school munching!Remember the scene from Talladega Nights when Ricky Bobby returns to testing after a long layoff and is far slower than expected?
While that was exaggerated for a movie, there were legitimate questions about whether Dale Earnhardt Jr. could jump back into a car and be fast right away again after missing half of last season with a concussion.
Even Earnhardt had been anxious to find out.
“I’m just a little nervous about if there will be any kind of learning curve,” he said. “Sometimes you see guys, no matter the type of the sport, who are away for awhile and have to adjust since they’ve taken time off. And other guys come back like they haven’t missed a day. I hope there’s no rust to shake off.”
But after the Phoenix Raceway test this week, we now know there’s no rust.
Of the thousands of laps run by 16 drivers at the test, Earnhardt had the three fastest laps of the two-day event. And the drivers testing included eight-time Phoenix winner Kevin Harvick was there, as was November winner Joey Logano and the emerging Kyle Larson, who finished third in that most recent race.
Earnhardt is a driver fueled by confidence or hampered by a lack of it. That’s how he’s always been, and it’s not going to change now at age 42. So the fact he could come to Phoenix and show his speed is just fine? Well, you’d have to think that’s a big deal for him.
Now, that doesn’t mean he’s going to win the championship this season. You can’t look at test results — with no tech inspection and teams on different agendas — and project success.
But at least we know Earnhardt hasn’t lost anything. Had he gone out and posted uncomfortably slow lap times or been toward the bottom of the speed charts, that could have caused him to question himself. And it would have been awkward to watch.
Instead, the opposite happened. His No. 88 car still had speed — remember, it almost won the November race after Alex Bowman led 194 laps — and Earnhardt was fast right along with it.
Everyone in NASCAR should be able to breathe a sigh of relief about that, because the last thing anyone wanted was for Earnhardt to come back and pull a Ricky Bobby — especially the running around in the underwear part.Steve McQueen’s Jaguar XKSS Reading time: about 1 minute. American
British
Cars
Vintage
Steve McQueen’s love of fast cars and motorcycles is legendary, one of his favourite cars was the Jaguar XKSS of which he loved so much that after selling it in 1969 he re-bought it in 1977 and kept it until his untimely death a few years later.
One of the most popular tales of McQueen’s high-jinks in the car was a story from 1962, Steve was driving his wife Neile in the car who was 6 months pregnant with their first child. The highway patrol pulled them over for speeding but, as McQueen was already on the verge of losing his license, he thought quickly and told the officer that Neile was in labor. The policeman jumped back into his cruiser and provided McQueen with a high speed escort to the hospital. After the officer left they told the nurse it was a false alarm and set off on their way. McQueen would later say about the incident;
Neile was pissed. She didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day. But, by God, it worked. I didn’t get the ticket!
The Jaguar XKSS was essentially a modified, Le Mans winning Jaguar D-Type racing car, the XKSS had modifications made to it to ensure that it was road legal in the USA. Only 16 of the cars were ever made due to a fire at the Jaguar factory, leaving them today amongst the most collectible vintage British cars in the world.
With a 6-cylinder 3.4 litre engine producing 262 hp and 260 ft-lbs of torque the 2,015lb XKSS was a very quick car, it could sprint from 0-60mph in just 5.2 seconds on to a top speed of 150mph (although it has been said the car could break 160 without too much difficulty).
Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting. Steve McQueenSo, I found that far too often, I'd have a lot of redundant flicker options. I'd have 3 guys out that I could flicker for card draw, 3 I could flicker for land tutor, and my only reliable kills were Avenger of Zendikar and Craterhoof Behemoth.
So... I've changed things up. There is a much heavier focus on Voltron-ing Roon (Or any creature! But Roon is quite good at it). Primeval Titan is "unbanned" in my playgroup, in exchange for Deadeye Navigator. Without both pieces, the Titan isn't completely broken, and we play much closer to French EDH (though obviously not quite. Sol ring is still here).
The changes I've made cost about $80. So... I want some feedback on the cards in here first. Is there anything that looks completely out of place to you? I have a very clear picture in my head of what's going to happen with this deck, but another perspective would be very much appreciated.
Please don't suggest Sylvan Primordial or Duplicant or Terastodon or Woodfall Primus or Avenger of Zendikar or Craterhoof Behemoth. They've all been in this deck. They've been removed, because honestly, they're not fun, and they made the games go down one path every single time.
Considering Regal Force. Thoughts?Democrats are in danger of moving from complacency to panic. Neither is particularly helpful.
The complacency part is obvious: Until about 9 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 8, supporters of Hillary Clinton (myself included) were certain that Donald Trump’s weaknesses among women, nonwhite voters and younger Americans would prevent him from becoming president.
This analysis was half-right: Trump lost the popular vote by more than 2 million. But things went just wrong enough for Clinton in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania to give Trump his electoral-college victory. His combined margin in the three states stands at about 100,000. Roughly 134 million votes have been counted nationwide.
[Stick a sterling silver fork in Trump’s ‘populism’]
Is pointing to the limits of Trump’s victory simply a way of evading the depth of the Democrats’ plight? After all, they also failed to take over the U.S. Senate in a year many Republican incumbents looked vulnerable. They picked up a paltry six seats in the House. Add to this the large-scale losses of governorships and state legislatures since the Democrats’ recent high point in 2008 and you have the makings of a party-wide nervous breakdown.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Nov. 30 was reelected as House minority leader, winning 134 votes against 63 votes for her challenger, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Note, however, that the party in the White House often fares badly in midterm elections, Democrats especially so because they lean on votes from the young, who are less inclined to go to the polls in off-years.
But unless Trump’s first two years are wildly successful, 2018 offers Democrats opportunities to rebuild hollowed-out local parties. This is especially true in statehouses, as The Post’s Greg Sargent pointed out. Ten states with Republican governors could plausibly turn blue (as could New Jersey in 2017).
Clinton’s popular-vote advantage speaks to other opportunities. It reflected a shift toward the Democrats in Sun Belt states with large minority populations that is likely to continue. In Texas, Clinton got some 560,000 more votes than President Obama did in 2012, while Trump ran 4.6 percentage points behind Mitt Romney’s showing. Trump also fell short of Romney’s percentages in California, Arizona and Georgia.
[Bernie Sanders: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump]
The Democrats’ big Sun Belt problem on election night was Florida. Both major-party candidates received more votes there than the 2012 nominees, but Trump’s gains were significantly larger. If Democrats are looking for a state to fret about in their postmortems, Florida should be at the top of the list.
Trump’s narrow wins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania (unless they’re miraculously overturned in recounts), plus his larger victories in Ohio and Iowa, have the Democrats focused on the white working class — and on whether it’s time for “the end of identity liberalism,” the headline of a recent New York Times opinion piece by Mark Lilla, a Columbia University political philosopher.
Lilla’s New York Times essay provoked a polemical tempest. Many advocates for African Americans, gay men and lesbians, immigrants and women fear Lilla’s suggestion would lead liberals to abandon beleaguered constituencies at the very moment when they most need defending.
In fact, Lilla is right that liberalism needs to root its devotion to inclusion in larger principles and should not allow itself to be cast (or parodied) as simply about the summing up of group claims. He is also dead on when he writes: “If you are going to mention groups in America, you had better mention all of them. If you don’t, those left out will notice and feel excluded.” Democrats, who gave us the New Deal and empowered the labor movement, should be alarmed by the flight of the white working class.
[Mitt Romney is a sellout. So what?]
But Lilla’s critics are right about something, too: An effort to reach out to the white working class cannot be seen as a strategy for abandoning people of color, Muslims or immigrants, or for stepping back from commitments to gender equality, or for withdrawing support for long-excluded groups. Liberalism’s very inclusiveness offers Democrats long-term advantages both in the Sun Belt and among younger voters who will own the future.
A panicky abandonment of their core commitments is the last thing Democrats need. Far better advice comes from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who urges the party to re-engage with rural and small-town voters. Also promising: the formation of a Blue Collar Caucus in the House announced this week by Reps. Brendan Boyle, an Irish Catholic from Philadelphia, and Marc Veasey, an African American from Fort Worth.
I mention the backgrounds of this pair of Democrats because their cross-racial partnership sends exactly the right message. Progressivism’s embrace of social and economic justice is about lifting up the left-out across all of our dividing lines. Remembering this is the first step toward political recovery.
Read more from E.J. Dionne’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mr Bouteflika, who is recovering from a stroke, casts his vote from a wheelchair and is favourite to win, the BBC's Carine Torbey reports
Algerians have voted in elections in which incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seeking a fourth term.
The 77-year-old leader, who suffered a stroke last year and rarely appears in public, cast his vote in a wheelchair.
Despite not personally campaigning, Mr Bouteflika is expected to beat his five other opponents.
Turnout on Thursday was 51.7% of the country's 23 million registered voters, the interior ministry said in a statement.
A coalition of Islamist and secular opposition parties had called for a boycott, describing the presidential election as a sham.
They said Mr Bouteflika was unfit to run because of his health problems.
Three other presidential candidates pulled out of the race soon after Mr Bouteflika's candidacy was announced, saying the result was now a foregone conclusion.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Barakat has been holding demonstrations around the country
His re-election bid has spawned a protest movement called Barakat, meaning "Enough", which have been holding demonstrations around the country.
'Voting for peace'
Mr Bouteflika was wheeled into a polling station in the El Biar district of the capital, Algiers, to cast his vote.
He did not give any statement, but waved to journalists and supporters.
"We are voting for peace, it's all we want," said a widow, whose husband died in the civil war, at a polling station in the Sidi Moussa district south of Algiers, the AFP news agency reports.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Presidential candidate Ali Benflis ran Mr Bouteflika's campaign in 1999, but stood against him in 2004
Correspondents said many voters, especially younger ones, had not been expected to turn out.
"I can't say how many of my friends will vote; most were not very enthusiastic,'' retiree Rachid Bahriz told Reuters news agency after voting in Algiers.
Another woman voting in Algiers told the AP news agency that Algerians "need new blood".
"But I think we should prioritise stability and peace," she said.
Police violently broke up a protest organised by the Barakat group in Algiers on Wednesday and arrested some of its members, AFP reports.
More than 260,000 police were deployed to protect 50,000 polling booths, the agency reports.
Mr Bouteflika's main challenger, Ali Benflis, said he would not tolerate any attempt to rig the election in favour of the president.
"In case there is fraud I will not shut up. This does not mean we will push for chaos, because we have opted for stability," he said.
Mr Bouteflika took office in 1999 when Algeria was still caught up in a civil war between the military and Islamist militants and has been credited by supporters for curbing the conflict and restoring some economic stability.
He scrapped constitutional rules in 2008 limiting him to two terms in office.
Mr Bouteflika won elections the following year with 90% of the vote.Strike Against Deportations!
A Day Without an Immigrant and the Fight for Immigrants Rights
Panel Discussion with Class Struggle Workers – Portland
4pm Sunday May 21
at Cider Riot, 807 NE Couch St. Portland OR
For more information: [email protected] or 503-303-8278
Donald Trump has picked up the title of “deporter-in-chief” where Barack Obama left off and run with it, from his reprehensible “Muslim ban” to his disgusting plan to expand the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. An upsurge of nationalist rhetoric combined with an onslaught of deportations and anti-immigrant measures has been met with protests.
The way to fight the racist bans on refugees and shut down ICE raids is to mobilize the power of the working class. Workers have the power to shut down raids and prevent deportations by mobilizing mass demonstrations backed by strike action.
A “day without an immigrant” is the beginning of what it would take, but the attacks on immigrant workers are a threat to the rights of all of us
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ian society was ranged against Jyotiba Phule’s reconstructive radicalism, it was the unfailing and shared vision and dedication of his life partner that was emotionally sustaining. These letters are a tribute to the couple and their tradition of radical questioning.
Below are translations from the original Marathi, with an introduction by Sunil Sardar.
The first letter, written in 1856, speaks about the core issue: education and its transformative possibilities in a society where learning had for centuries been the monopoly of the Brahmins, who, in turn, used this exclusive privilege to enclave, demoralise and oppress. Away at her parental home to recuperate from an illness, Savitri describes in the letter a conversation with her brother, who is uncomfortable with the couple’s radicalism.
October 1856
The Embodiment of Truth, My Lord Jyotiba,
Savitri salutes you!
After so many vicissitudes, now it seems my health has been fully restored. My brother worked so hard and nursed me so well through my sickness. His service and devotion shows how loving he really is! I will come to Pune as soon as I get perfectly well. Please do not worry about me. I know my absence causes Fatima so much trouble but I am sure she will understand and won’t grumble.
As we were talking one day, my brother said, “You and your husband have rightly been excommunicated because both of you serve the untouchables (Mahars and Mangs). The untouchables are fallen people and by helping them you are bringing a bad name to our family. That is why, I tell you to behave according to the customs of our caste and obey the dictates of the Brahmans.” Mother was so disturbed by this brash talk of my brother.
Though my brother is a good soul he is extremely narrow-minded and so he did not hesitate to bitterly criticize and reproach us. My mother did not reprimand him but tried instead to bring him to his senses, “God has given you a beautiful tongue but it is no good to misuse it so!” I defended our social work and tried to dispel his misgivings. I told him, “Brother, your mind is narrow, and the Brahmans’ teaching has made it worse. Animals like goats and cows are not untouchable for you, you lovingly touch them. You catch poisonous snakes on the day of the snake-festival and feed them milk. But you consider Mahars and Mangs, who are as human as you and I, untouchables. Can you give me any reason for this? When the Brahmans perform their religious duties in their holy clothes, they consider you also impure and untouchable, they are afraid that your touch will pollute them. They don’t treat you differently than the Mahars.”
When my brother heard this, he turned red in the face, but then he asked me, “Why do you teach those Mahars and Mangs? People abuse you because you teach the untouchables. I cannot bear it when people abuse and create trouble for you for doing that. I cannot tolerate such insults.” I told him what the (teaching of) English had been doing for the people. I said, “The lack of learning is nothing but gross bestiality. It is through the acquisition of knowledge that (he) loses his lower status and achieves the higher one. My husband is a god-like man. He is beyond comparison in this world, nobody can equal him. He thinks the Untouchables must learn and attain freedom. He confronts the Brahmans and fights with them to ensure Teaching and Learning for the Untouchables because he believes that they are human beings like other and they should live as dignified humans. For this they must be educated. I also teach them for the same reason. What is wrong with that? Yes, we both teach girls, women, Mangs and Mahars. The Brahmans are upset because they believe this will create problems for them. That is why they oppose us and chant the mantra that it is against our religion. They revile and castigate us and poison the minds of even good people like you.”
“You surely remember that the British Government had organised a function to honour my husband for his great work. His felicitation caused these vile people much heartburn. Let me tell you that my husband does not merely invoke God’s name and participate in pilgrimages like you. He is actually doing God’s own work. And I assist him in that. I enjoy doing this work. I get immeasurable joy by doing such service. Moreover, it also shows the heights and horizons to which a human being can reach out.”
Mother and brother were listening to me intently. My brother finally came around, repented for what he had said and asked for forgiveness. Mother said, “Savitri, your tongue must be speaking God’s own words. We are blessed by your words of wisdom.” Such appreciation from my mother and brother gladdened my heart. From this you can imagine that there are many idiots here, as in Pune, who poison people’s minds and spread canards against us. But why should we fear them and leave this noble cause that we have undertaken? It would be better to engage with the work instead. We shall overcome and success will be ours in the future. The future belongs to us.
What more could I write?
With humble regards,
Yours,
Savitri
The Poetess in Savitribai The year 1854 was important as Savitribai published her collection of poems, called Kabya Phule (Poetry’s Blossoms). Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (The Ocean of Pure Gems), another collection of what has come to be highly regarded in the world of Marathi poetry, was published in 1891. (The Phules had developed a devastating critique of the Brahman interpretation of Marathi history in the ancient and medieval periods. He portrayed the Peshwa rulers, later overthrown by the British, as decadent and oppressive, and Savitribai reiterates those themes in her biography.) Apart from these two collections, four of Jyotiba’s speeches on Indian history were edited for publication by Savitribai. A few of her own speeches were also published in 1892. Savitribai’s correspondence is also remarkable because they give us an insight into her own life and into the life and lived experiences of women of the time.
1868
The second letter is about a great social taboo – a love affair between a Brahman boy and an Untouchable girl; the cruel behaviour of the “enraged” villagers and how Savitribai stepped in. This intervention saves the lives of the lovers and she sends them away to the safety and caring support of her husband, Jyotiba. With the malevolent reality of honour killings in the India of today and the hate-driven propaganda around “love jihad”, this letter is ever so relevant today.
29 August 1868
Naigaon, Peta Khandala
Satara
The Embodiment of Truth, My Lord Jotiba,
Savitri salutes you!
I received your letter. We are fine here. I will come by the fifth of next month. Do not worry on this count. Meanwhile, a strange thing happened here. The story goes like this. One Ganesh, a Brahman, would go around villages, performing religious rites and telling people their fortunes. This was his bread and butter. Ganesh and a teenage girl named Sharja who is from the Mahar (untouchable) community fell in love. She was six months pregnant when people came to know about this affair. The enraged people caught them, and paraded them through the village, threatening to bump them off.
I came to know about their murderous plan. I rushed to the spot and scared them away, pointing out the grave consequences of killing the lovers under the British law. They changed their mind after listening to me.
Sadubhau angrily said that the wily Brahman boy and the untouchable girl should leave the village. Both the victims agreed to this. My intervention saved the couple who gratefully fell at my feet and started crying. Somehow I consoled and pacified them. Now I am sending both of them to you. What else to write?
Yours
Savitri
1877
The last letter, written in 1877, is a heart-rending account of a famine that devastated western Maharashtra. People and animals were dying. Savitri and other Satyashodhak volunteers were doing their best to help. The letter brings out an intrepid Savitri leading a team of dedicated Satyashodhaks striving to overcome a further exacerbation of the tragedy as moneylenders’ trying to benefit. She meets the local district administration. The letter ends on a poignant note where Savitribai reiterates her total commitment to her humanitarian work pioneered by the Phules.
20 April, 1877
Otur, Junner
The Embodiment of Truth, My Lord Jyotiba,
Savitri salutes you!
The year 1876 has gone, but the famine has not – it stays in most horrendous forms here. The people are dying. The animals are dying, falling on the ground. There is severe scarcity of food. No fodder for animals. The people are forced to leave their villages. Some are selling their children, their young girls, and leaving the villages. Rivers, brooks and tanks have completely dried up – no water to drink. Trees are dying – no leaves on trees. Barren land is cracked everywhere. The sun is scorching – blistering. The people crying for food and water are falling on the ground to die. Some are eating poisonous fruits, and drinking their own urine to quench their thirst. They cry for food and drink, and then they die.
Our Satyashodhak volunteers have formed committees to provide food and other life-saving material to the people in need. They have formed relief squads.
Brother Kondaj and his wife Umabai are taking good care of me. Otur’s Shastri, Ganapati Sakharan, Dumbare Patil, and others are planning to visit you. It would be better if you come from Satara to Otur and then go to Ahmednagar.
You may remember RB Krishnaji Pant and Laxman Shastri. They travelled with me to the affected area and gave some monetary help to the victims.
The moneylenders are viciously exploiting the situation. Bad things are taking place as a result of this famine. Riots are breaking out. The Collector heard of this and came to ease the situation. He deployed the white police officers, and tried to bring the situation under control. Fifty Satyasholdhaks were rounded up. The Collector invited me for a talk. I asked the Collector why the good volunteers had been framed with false charges and arrested without any rhyme or reason. I asked him to release them immediately. The Collector was quite decent and unbiased. He shouted at the white soldiers, “Do the Patil farmers rob? Set them free.” The Collector was moved by the people’s plights. He immediately sent four bullock cartloads of (jowar) food.
You have started the benevolent and welfare work for the poor and the needy. I also want to carry my share of the responsibility. I assure you I will always help you. I wish the godly work will be helped by more people.
I do not want to write more.
Yours,
Savitri
(These letters have been excerpted with grateful thanks from A Forgotten Liberator, The Life and Struggle of Savitrabai Phule, edited by Braj Ranjan Mani and Pamela Sardar)
This article was first published by Sabrang India.CSU may pull cash grants to half its grad students CAL STATE
San Francisco State University grad students Hayley Leventhal (left), 25, and Arielle Smith, 25, have started an online petition to return financial aid money to graduate students. Leventhal, a graduate student of counseling at San Francisco State University, had her financial aid taken for next year taken away by the chancellor's office. less San Francisco State University grad students Hayley Leventhal (left), 25, and Arielle Smith, 25, have started an online petition to return financial aid money to graduate students. Leventhal, a graduate... more Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close CSU may pull cash grants to half its grad students 1 / 3 Back to Gallery
California State University is withholding financial aid for about 20,000 needy graduate students - money that pays their tuition - pending a decision that could permanently end the cash grants, The Chronicle has learned.
Graduate students across the 23-campus system began receiving financial aid notices this week and were astonished to see that the State University Grant that takes care of tuition for low-income students was missing. In its place was the offer of a federal loan at 6.8 percent interest.
"I thought it was a mistake, that someone messed up at the financial aid office," said Hayley Leventhal, who is in the first year of a two-year master's program in counseling at San Francisco State University.
It was no mistake.
CSU Chancellor Charles Reed recently told all campuses not to allocate about $90 million in financial aid that would have paid the 2012-13 tuition for qualified grad students - about half of the roughly 40,000 graduates enrolled.
On Wednesday, campus presidents will discuss the fate of the aid program at CSU's Long Beach headquarters during their bimonthly meeting with Reed.
Cash-strapped CSU faces the possible loss of $200 million in state funding next year - on top of $750 million slashed this year - and may want to raid the financial aid program.
Nowhere to turn
Grad students are also suffering financially: They are ineligible for Cal Grants or Pell Grants, which are reserved for undergraduates. And the federal government recently ended its "subsidized loans" for graduate students, which had helped with interest payments and let them delay repaying their loans until graduation. Rising loan debt now stands at an average of $25,000 for public university graduates and has been called a ticking time bomb that may rival the subprime mortgage crisis.
CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp was reluctant to explain the vanished aid as anything but a "review of current policy in regards to providing State University Grants" to grad students.
But Miles Nevin, executive director of the California State Student Association, which is located at CSU headquarters, said the permanent elimination of grants to graduate students "is being talked about openly here in the chancellor's office."
"As far as we know, it's a done deal," Nevin said. "The funds are being pulled and being placed somewhere else. We just don't know where."
He blamed lawmakers for "once again abandoning public higher education" and predicted that many graduate students will simply quit school.
A student's story
Leventhal, 25, may be one of them. Her yearly tuition is about $8,000.
"I was horrified. I started crying once I realized it was happening to everyone," said Leventhal, who received her notice Monday.
Leventhal, who hopes to become a college counselor, chose San Francisco State after talking with financial aid officers who helped estimate her cost based on grant money.
"It's a huge risk to take two years out of your working life to make this kind of commitment," she said. "I did it because I expected to receive financial assistance.
"Now I'm considering whether it's wise for me to come back next year."
She and classmate Arielle Smith, who also lost her grant, created an online petition to urge CSU not to yank the financial aid.
"Stand up to tell Chancellor Reed and the Board of Trustees that advanced degrees are not luxury goods, and that the CSU system cannot and should not sacrifice graduate students," the petition reads.
Leventhal and Smith posted the petition Wednesday night. By Friday it had more than 200 signatures.
Besides the likely loss of the grant money, what angered the students was that they received no notice or explanation.
"We felt powerless and frustrated," Leventhal said. She and Smith visited the financial aid office Tuesday to learn more, but were simply told that, yes, their grants had been cut.
"Arielle and I both took a lot of antacid after that," Leventhal said.
No other options
Diana Fuentes-Michel, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, called the lack of an explanation "unconscionable."
"I don't believe there are any other options for these graduate students," she said.
Uhlenkamp, the CSU spokesman, said it's up to campuses to decide how and when to inform students about financial aid.
Asked why San Francisco State had sprung the news on students without explanation, Jo Volkert, associate vice president for enrollment management, told The Chronicle that the campus would e-mail an apology.Moments after a bitterly divided Senate finally voted to move forward with the long-promised legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, Republicans brought their first plan up for a vote late Tuesday night only to watch it fail at the first hurdle, according to media reports.
The Senate blocked a wide-ranging proposal by Republicans to repeal much of Obamacare and replace it with a more restrictive plan as suggested by President Donald Trump, Time Magazine reported. Senators voted 57-43 to reject the plan in the first vote on an amendment to the bill known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). Those voting "no" included nine defecting Republicans, the report said.
Nine Senate Republicans voted no on BCRA. That makes it really hard to see any GOP-only replacement passing, ever. https://t.co/B1cDbDycfx — Caitlin Owens (@caitlinnowens) July 26, 2017
Republican senators Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Tom Cotton, Lindsey Graham, Dean Heller, Mike Lee, Jerry Moran, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul voted against the repeal and replace proposal on the procedural hurdle, according to The Hill. No Democrats voted for it.
The proposal was the first amendment to get a vote after senators took up the healthcare bill that cleared the House. But it was widely expected to fail because it needed 60 votes as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) didn't analyse the proposals that were packaged in with BCRA. Tuesday night's vote doesn't prevent the Republican leadership from offering another repeal and replace amendment, or another version of BCRA, The Hill reported.
Dubbed “Trumpcare 3.0” by Democrats, the bill was the Senate’s stab at crafting a replacement of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. It would have gutted more than $700 billion from Medicaid and sharply cut the tax credits available for low income people to buy health insurance, TPM reported.
The bill included a controversial provision drafted by Senator Ted Cruz that would allow insurers to offer plans that don’t cover basic care such as doctor visits and prescription drugs. The provision was never scored by the non-partisan CBO, and a glowing analysis of it by the Department of Health and Human Services was found to be seriously flawed, the report said.
According to The Hill, Cruz acknowledged ahead of the Tuesday's vote that the amendment wasn't likely to be approved, but appeared optimistic that Republicans would be able to get to an agreement before a final vote this week.
"I will say the bill before the Senate... is not likely to pass tonight but I believe at the end of the process the contours within it are likely to be what we enact, at least the general outlines," Cruz said ahead of the vote, according to the report.
Cruz said he expects his amendment to end up in the final version of the healthcare bill. "I believe we will see the consumer freedom amendment in the legislation that is ultimately enacted," he said.
Another vote on an amendment that would repeal much of Obamacare is expected on Wednesday.
For Republicans, the procedural vote ended the day on a sour note, hours after a more triumphant scene in the Well of the Senate.
Lawmakers from both parties gave Senator John McCain a standing ovation after he turned up for the vote despite his brain cancer diagnosis and recent surgery.
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.People on the internet seem to think Apple CEO Tim Cook is carrying around the next iPhone, as evidenced by a photo he tweeted today of a visit to a manufacturer. Could that bulge in his right-hand pocket be the next iPhone? Is this how low we're going to go for iPhone rumors? (Yes.)
Here's what this photo tells me, if that even is the next iPhone in his pocket: the upcoming iPhone will be rectangular in shape; it will look quite large in the pocket of a six-foot-something man; and it might draw some attention to your crotch. What do you see in Tim Cook's pocket?
Thanks to the team at CTS in Cincinnati, manufacturers of best-in-class testing equipment for Apple. Enjoyed my visit this morning! pic.twitter.com/lFLW5caYxw — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 24, 2017
I wouldn't have thought much of this photo, other than maybe, wow, Tim looks happy to be in Cincinnati and in a manufacturing plant, but the internet is forcing me to think about this phone-shaped object in Tim Cook's pants. Thanks, everyone.
Looks like Tim Cook is carrying an iPhone 8 in his pocket. It is too tall to be an iPhone 7 and too narrow to be a 7 Plus pic.twitter.com/Oxksy6zdXG — Asem H. (@UMAD) August 24, 2017
We already more or less know what to expect from this new phone, and no one ever thought it wouldn't be large and rectangular, but hey, I'm glad we can all gaze upon Tim Cook together as an internet family. Team building.Santorum Blames American Downfall on Gay Agenda in Colleges
Former senator and Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum blamed the decline of America on indoctrinating the gay agenda in colleges across the country and the media.
"If you look at popular culture and what comes out of Hollywood, if you go to our schools and particularly our colleges and universities, they are indoctrinating in a sea of relativism and a sea of antagonism toward Christianity -- religion in general, but Christianity in particular," Santorum said, according to Right Wing Watch. He was a guest on "Washington Watch," a radio show hosted by Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.
Perkins did, however, chime in to add that his Bible-owning third grade teacher regularly punished her students with a yardstick.
"But that was…Before Repressive Government, back when God was still welcome in our schools," Perkins said.1715, July
Mr James Anderson, so honourably known as editor of the Diplomata Scotiae was rewarded for his public services by the appointment of Deputy Postmaster-general, in place of George Mein. A mass of his correspondence, preserved in the Advocates’ Library, makes us acquainted with the condition in which he found postal matters, and the improvements which be effected during two or three subsequent years.
We learn that the horse-posts which existed many years back on some of the principal roads, had, ere this time, been given up, and foot-runners substituted, excepting perhaps upon what might be called the aorta of the system, from Edinburgh to Berwick. In this manner direct bags were conveyed as far north as Thurso, and westwards to Inverary. There were three mails a week from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and three in return; the runners set out from Edinburgh each Tuesday and Thursday, at twelve o’clock at night, and on Sundays in the morning, and the mails arrived at Glasgow on the evening of Wednesday and Friday, and on the forenoon of Monday. For this service the Post-office paid £40 sterling per annum, but from the fraudulent dealing of the postmaster of Falkirk, who made the payments, the runners seldom received more than from £20 to £25.
‘After his appointment, Mr Anderson directed his attention to the establishment of horse-posts on the western road from Edinburgh. The first regular horse-post in Scotland appears to have been from Edinburgh to Stirling; it started for the first time on the 29th November 1715. It left Stirling at two o’clock afternoon, each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and reached Edinburgh in time for the night-mail to England. In March 1717, the first horse-post between Edinburgh and Glasgow was established, and we have the details of the arrangement in a memorial addressed to Lord Cornwallis and James Craggs, who jointly filled the office of Postmaster-general of Great Britain.
The memorial states that the “horse-post will set out for Edinburgh each Tuesday and Thursday, at eight o’clock at night, and on Sunday about eight or nine in the morning, and be in Glasgow (a distance of thirty-six miles by the post-road of that time) by six in the morning on Wednesday and Friday in summer, and eight in winter, and both winter and summer will be on Sunday night.” There appears to have been a good deal of negotiation connected with the settlement of this post, in which the provost and bailies of Glasgow took part. After some delay, the matter appears to have been arranged to the satisfaction of all parties.
‘A proposition was made at this time to establish a horse-post between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, at a cost of £132, 12g. per annum, to supersede the foot-posts, which were maintained at a cost of £81, 12g. The scheme, however, appears not to have been entertained at that time by the Post-office authorities.
‘In the year 1715, Edinburgh had direct communication with sixty post-towns in Scotland, and in the month of August the total sum received for letters passing to and from these offices and Edinburgh, was £44, 3s 1d. The postage on letters to and from London in the same month amounted to £157, 3s. 2d., and the postage for letters per the London road, amounted to £9, 19s., making the total sum for letters to and from Edinburgh, during that month, amount to £211, 5s. 3d.—equal to £2535, 3s. per annum.
‘In 1716, the Duke of Argyle, who had then supreme control in Scotland, gave orders to Mr Anderson to place relays of horses from Edinburgh to Inverness, for the purpose of forwarding dispatches to, and receiving intelligence from, the army in the Highlands under General Cadogan. These posts worked upon two lines of roads—the one went through Fife, and round by the east coast, passing through Aberdeen; the other took the central road via Perth, Dunkeld, and Blair Athole. These horse-posts were, however, discontinued immediately after the army retired.’
In October 1723, the authorities of the Edinburgh Post-office announced a thrice-a-week correspondence with Lanark, by means of the horse-post to Glasgow, and a runner thence to Lanark. The official annonce candidly owns: ‘This at first sight appears far about’ (it was transforming a direct distance of thirty-one miles into sixty-six). But ‘the Glasgow horse-post running all night makes the dispatch so quick, that the letters come this way to Lanark in twenty, or at most twenty-two hours, and from Lanark to Edinburgh in twenty-four hours at most.’
July 18
Two Rcnfrewshire gentlemen, of whose previous dealings with each other in friendship or business we get but an obscure account, came to a hostile collision in Edinburgh. Mr James Houston, son of the deceased Sir Patrick Houston of that Ilk, was walking on a piece of pavement called the Plainstones, near the Cross, when Sir John Shaw of Greenock came up with a friend, and the two gentlemen, designedly or not, slightly jostled each other. Mr Houston put his hand to his sword, but had not time to draw it before Sir John fell a-beating him about the head and shoulders with his cane, which, however, flying out of his hand, he instantly took to his sword, and before the bystanders could interfere, passed it twice through Mr Houston’s body.
It was at first thought the man was slain outright; but he was surviving in a sickly state in the ensuing January, when he raised a criminal prosecution against the knight of Greenock, and succeeded in obtaining from him a solatium to the amount of five hundred pounds.
Sep
On the breaking out of the Rebellion this month, there was a run upon the Bank of Scotland rather encouraged by the directors than otherwise, from a desire to escape the responsibility and danger of keeping money during such a critical time. When the whole coin was drawn out, the Bank rendered up about thirty thousand pounds of public money which lay in its hands, that it might be lodged in the Castle, and then very calmly stopped payment, or rather discontinued business, intimating that their notes should bear interest till better times should return. In May 1716, the troubles being over, the Bank began to take in their notes and resume business as usual.
Sep 29
At this crisis, when a formidable insurrection was breaking out, the officers intrusted with the support of the government were not in the enjoyment of that concord which is said to give strength. The Justice-clerk (Cockburn of Ormiston) was on bad terms with both the Earl of Ilay and the Lord Advocate, Sir David Dalrymple. The animosity between two of these men came to a consummation which might be said to prefigure the celebrated wig-pulling of Sir Robert Walpole and Lord Townshend. The Earl of Ilay writes at this date from Edinburgh: ‘There has happened an accident which will suspend the Justice-clerk’s fury against me; for he and the King’s Advocate have had a corporal dispute; I mean literally, for I parted them.’’
Oct 18
In a letter of this date, written at Musselburgh by the Rev. J. Williamson, minister of that place, some recent domestic events are alluded to—as ‘the lamentable murder of Doctor Rule last week by Craigmilar’s second son, and the melancholy providence of a jeweller’s servant, who was under some dejection for some time, and did, on Monday last, immediately after sermon, at Leith, run into the sea deliberately, and drown himself.’ There had been a new election of Scots peers at Holyrood for the first parliament of the new reign, and they were all of one sound loyal type— ‘a plain evidence of our further slavery to the English court.’ In reference to this, a fruit-woman went about the Palace-yard, crying: ‘Who would buy good pears, old pears, new pears, fresh pears—rotten pears, sixteen of them for a plack!‘
Dec 28
Died, William Carstares, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, noted as having been the intimate friend of King William, and his adviser about all Scottish affairs; for which reason, and his influence over the fortunes of the church, he was popularly known by the name of Cardinal Carstares. It must ever be considered a great honour to the Church of Scotland to have had the affectionate support of such a man. A sufferer under the seventies of the pre-Revolution government, he inclined, when his day of power came, to use it with moderation. His temperate counsels and practice are believed to have had a great effect in smoothing the difficulties which at first surrounded the Presbyterian establishment. His probity and disinterestedness have been above all question. King William said ‘he had known him long and well, and he knew him to be an Honest Man.’ In the midst of the contentious proceedings of this period, to light upon the gentle prudence, the unostentatious worth, and the genial unselfishness of Carstares, has the effect of a fine, soothing melody amidst discord. There are a few anecdotes of this eminent man, which no one can read without feeling his heart improved.
A newly widowed sister coming from the country to see him, when he was engaged in consultations of importance with some of the officers of state, he instantly left these personages and came to her; insisted, against her remonstrances, on staying a short while with her, and giving her a prayer of consolation; then, having appointed a more leisurely interview, he returned with the tears scarcely effaced from his countenance, to his noble company.
His charities, which were truly diffusive, were often directed to the unfortunate Episcopal clergy. One, named Caddell, having called upon him, he observed that the poor man’s clothes were worn out, and discreditable to his sacred calling. Instantly ordering a suit to be prepared for a man of Caddell’s size, he took care to have them first tried upon his own person when his friend next waited upon him. ‘See,’ said he, ‘how this shy fellow has misfitted me! They are quite useless to me. They will be lost if they don’t fit some of my friends. And, by the by, I daresay they might answer you. Please try them on, for it is a pity they should be thrown away.’ Caddell, after some hesitation, complied, and found that the clothes fitted him exactly. With his hard-wrung permission, they were sent home to him, and he found a ten-pound note in one of the pockets.
It is said that many of the ‘outed’ clergy were in the custom of receiving supplies, the source of which they never knew till Mr Carstares’s death. At his funeral, two men were observed to turn aside together, quite overcome by their grief. Upon inquiry, it was found they were two non-jurant ministers, whose families, for a considerable time, had been supported by the benefactions of him they were laying in the grave.
If the partisans of particular doctrines and formu1ae were to try occasionally upon each other the effect of kindly good offices such as these, might they not sometimes make a little way with their opponents, instead of merely exasperating and hardening them, as, under existing circumstances, they almost invariably do?
1716, Apr 21
John Kellie, corporal in the Earl of Stair’s regiment, was put into the Edinburgh Tolbooth for killing John Norton, sergeant of the same regiment, in a duel near Stirling. He was liberated at the bar, on the 23d July ensuing.
The fighting of duels by private soldiers, now never heard of; seems then to have been not uncommon. The Edinburgh Courant of February 16, 1725, states: ‘This morning, two soldiers of the regiment that lies in the Canongate were whipped for fighting a duel.’
May 21
The Whig government of George I., having now got the lay Jacobites effectually put down, bethought itself of the clergy of the defeated party, the Episcopalians, who had made several active demonstrations during the late insurrection, and constantly stood in a sort of negative rebellion, in as far as they never prayed for the king de facto. Under a prompting from a high quarter, the Commissioners of Justiciary now ordered the advocate-depute, Duncan Forbes, to proceed against such of the Episcopal clergy in Scotland as had not prayed for King George, or otherwise obeyed the late Toleration Act by registering orders from a Protestant bishop. The consequent proceedings reveal to us a curious view of the condition of Episcopacy at that time in Edinburgh—at once comprehending a large number of clergy, and existing in the greatest obscurity.
There were Mr William Abercrombie and Mr David Freebairn, Mr Robert Marshall and Mr William Wylie, each described as ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house in Bailie Fyfe’s Close;’ Mr George Johnston, Mr Robert Keith, and Mr Andrew Lumsdam, severally described as ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house in Barrenger’s Close;’ Mr Jasper Kellie, ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house below the Fountain-well;’ Mr Thomas Rhind, ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house in Sandilands’ Close;’ Mr George Grahame, ‘preacher and user of the English Liturgy in his own house, to which many do resort as an Episcopal meeting-house, in Canongate-head;’ Mr Andrew Cant, Mr David Lambie, Mr David Rankine, and Mr Patrick Middleton, ‘preachers in the Episcopal meeting-house in Skinner’s Close;’ Mr Henry Walker and Mr Patrick Home, each described as ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house in Todrig’s Wynd;’ Mr Robert Calder, ‘preacher, sometimes in Edinburgh, sometimes in. Tranent’; Mr William Milne and Mr Willian Cockburn ‘preachers in the Episcopal meeting-house in Blackfriars’ Wynd’ (the latter probably he who had lately been chased by the mob out of Glasgow); Mr James Walker, ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house in Dickson’s Close;’ Mr Alexander Sutherland, senior, and Mr Robert Chein, ‘preachers in the Episcopal meeting-house at the back of Bell’s Wynd.’ Thus, we see there were ten places of worship in Edinburgh—all in retired situations, and, strange to say, all within two hundred yards or so of each other; having in all twenty-two ministers; being considerably more than the number of the Established clergy then in Edinburgh; but in what poverty they lived may he partly inferred from the fact, that Thomas Ruddiman, the grammarian, when attending an Episcopal meeting-house in Edinburgh in 1703, paid only ‘forty shillings’ (3s. 4d.) for his seat for two years.
Besides the twenty-two Edinburgh clergy, there were Mr Arthur Miller, ‘preacher in the Episcopal meeting-house in Leith,’ and Mr Robert Coult and Mr James Hunter, ‘Episcopal preachers in Mussleburgh,’ all involved in the same prosecution.
The result of their trial was a sentence, applicable to all except Mr William Cockburn, forbidding them to exercise their ministerial functions till they should have fulfilled the requirements of the law, and amerciating them in twenty pounds each for not praying for King George. The only visible difference between the old persecutions and this was, that there was a populace to howl in the one case, and not in the other. However, the authorities were humane. The magistrates of Edinburgh were content to see that letters of ordination were registered. When the Prince of Wales, acting as regent, some time after sent them a secretary of state’s letter
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recently were considered too dangerous for scientific work due to the presence of leftist rebels
The research team, including professors Thomas Defler and Marta Bueno and student Javier Garcia, visited Caqueta in 2008 - three decades after Martin Moynihan, an animal behaviour expert, first caught sight of the species in the area.
Insecurity in the area prevented research to confirm his sighting until the team arrived.
The researchers said the monkeys are monogamous - unlike most primates but common among titi monkeys - and often have one baby a year. They have complex calls and were spotted often moving around in groups of four.
Juan Mayer, a former Colombian environment minister, said that due to deforestation, 'huge efforts will have to be made to protect the creature's habitat'.Public health efforts to reduce dietary sodium intake have been hindered by an incomplete understanding of the complex process by which humans and other mammals detect salty taste.
Now, a multidisciplinary team from the Monell Center has further characterized the identity and functionality of salt-responding taste cells on the tongue. The knowledge may lead to novel approaches to develop salt replacers or enhancers that can help reduce the sodium content of food.
"Understanding more about the mechanisms involved in detecting salt taste moves us closer to developing strategies to reduce the amount of salt in our food while still retaining the salty taste that people enjoy," said the study's lead author Brian Lewandowski, PhD, a neurophysiologist at Monell.
'Salt' is a chemical term that describes a compound made of positively and negatively charged ions; the most well-known example is sodium chloride (NaCl). The primary process by which mammals detect NaCl, common table salt, is well understood, and occurs via a sodium receptor known as ENaC (epithelial sodium channel). The ENaC receptor responds almost exclusively to sodium (Na+) salts and is not influenced by the salt's negative ion (eg, Cl-).
However, scientists know that a second salt-sensing receptor also exists, but much about this receptor, including its identity, remains unknown. Like ENaC, the second receptor detects sodium salts, but it also is sensitive to non-sodium salts such as potassium chloride (KCl), which is frequently used to replace sodium in foods.
Unlike the ENaC receptor, this second receptor for salt taste is affected by the size of the salt's negative ion such that salts with smaller negative ions taste more salty. For this reason, sodium chloride, a salt with a small negative ion, tastes saltier than sodium gluconate (Na(C6H11O7)), which has a very large negative ion.
In the current study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Monell researchers identified the taste cells involved in this second salt taste mechanism and increased understanding of how they function.
To identify and study the cells involved in the second salt pathway, the Monell researchers first needed to address several challenges related to taste physiology. Taste cells, including those that contain the various types of taste receptors, are tightly grouped together in structures known as taste buds. This clustering enables the cells to communicate with one another, but also makes it difficult for scientists to distinguish between a given cell's direct response and one indirectly caused by a message from a neighboring cell.
In addition, the tight junctions that hold taste cells together form a nearly impenetrable barrier that restricts the movement of larger ions, making it difficult to directly compare how different sized ions affect taste cell function.
To eliminate cell-to-cell communication and the tight junctions, the Monell scientists used a rodent model and applied sophisticated neurophysiological techniques to isolate single living taste cells. They then measured the isolated taste cells' responses to different salts to classify the cells and identify those involved in the second salt pathway.
The isolated second pathway cells were found to be a subset of what are known as Type III taste cells, which are also thought be involved in detecting sour taste.
Subsequent experiments with the isolated second pathway cells revealed that negative ions still influenced the cells' response to a given salt, with the effect of the negative ion remaining dependent on the ion's size.
Since the scientists had eliminated the tight junctions between cells, they concluded that this result was not an indirect effect of the ion's size (as a previous theory had suggested), but instead indicated a direct interaction between the taste cell and the negative ion.
Thus, unlike the ENaC pathway, both positive and negative ions directly interact with cells involved in the second salt pathway to influence how these cells respond to salts.
By knowing which cells to study and more about how they interact with salts, the team can now focus on determining the identity of the second salt receptor.
"Now that we have isolated and better understand the cells involved in the second salt taste pathway, we can begin to study them in more detail," said study author Alexander Bachmanov, PhD, DVM, a behavioral geneticist at Monell. "We now will analyze these cells to determine which genes and proteins are expressed and which are important for sensing salty taste. This should help us pinpoint the specific receptor mechanism."
The new findings provide an important step toward a more complete understanding of salty taste and how it is detected. After more pieces of the system are decoded, scientists may be able to identify alternative approaches to activate salty taste and alleviate the negative health consequences of sodium overconsumption.ISTANBUL, Turkey – U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) won a bronze medal at 65 kg, at the 2nd World Olympic Games Qualifier on Sunday.This was the last opportunity for nations to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two place-winners in each weight classes in Istanbul qualify their nations to compete at the Olympic Games.In his bronze-medal bout, Molinaro defeated Azamat Nurykau of Belarus, 5-2. In a very chippy match, Molinaro scored the only takedown, received a point on a pushout, and got two points when Nurykau was penalized twice for illegally striking Molinaro. The only points Nurykau scored were in the final seconds when Molinaro was hit with caution-and-one penalties for fleeing the hold. Nurykau was fifth in both the 2014 and 2015 World Championships.Molinaro’s quest for an Olympic berth was halted in the quarterfinals by 2014 European bronze medalist Borislav Novachkov of Bulgaria, a three-time NCAA All-American for Cal PolyMolinaro got off to a slow start, giving up a step out and shot clock point to trail 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Molinaro gave up two points off his own shot attempt to fall behind 4-0. A late flurry was not enough and Molinaro fell, 5-2.Novachkov reached the finals, pulling Molinaro back into the repechage. He drew Dauren Zhumagazyyev of Kazakhstan and won 4-1. Molinaro scored a key takedown in the closing seconds of the first period to lead 2-1 and added a pushout and a point from a shot clock violation to finish off the win, moving him into the bronze-medal bout.Molinaro opened his tournament with razor-thin 3-2 win over 2013 World champion David Safaryan of Armenia. He found himself in another nail biter in round two against 2015 Junior World silver medalist Yuhi Fujinami of Japan, and again, Molinaro found a way to win, 7-6."I am proud of the way Frank competed today, five tough matches and he beat some good wrestlers. The match he lost came down to one mistake in the crackdown position but sometimes one mistake at this level can be the game changer. It has been a long tough day but Frank showed a lot of heart getting back up into the fight and finishing third after losing a heart breaker. I can’t thank Cody Sanderson and Mark McNight enough for their support in getting Frank ready. I would also like to thank Dr A.J. Monseau and Dr Fred Roberto for their support," said National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett.Novachkov won the gold medal at 65 kg and qualified for the Olympics. Also winning a gold medal and qualifying for Rio was another top U.S. collegian, Bekzod Abdurakhmanov of Uzbekistan, a two-time All-American for Clarion University, who won the gold medal at 74 kg.One month ago Molinaro earned the right to attempt qualifying 65 kg for Rio by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He won a gold medal the Pan American Championships in February and won both the Grand Prix of Spain and Guelph Open in 2015. Molinaro was a NCAA champion for Penn State in 2012.Five U.S. collegians were in medal matches on Sunday. Also winning a bronze medal at 65 kg was David Habat of Slovenia, an NCAA finalist from Edinboro. Placing fifth at 74 kg was Cornell student Dylan Palacio of Uruguay.The U.S. will have five men on its 2016 U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle wrestling: Daniel Dennis (57 kg), Jordan Burroughs (74 kg), J’den Cox (86 kg), Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Tervel Dlagnev (125 kg).The USA officially qualified 13 athletes for the Olympics Games, five in men’s freestyle, four in Greco-Roman and four in women’s freestyle. Jesse Thielke was the only U.S. athlete to qualify for Rio this weekend.65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), bronze medalWIN David Safaryan (Armenia), 3-2WIN Yuhi Fujinami (Japan), 7-6LOSS Borislav Novachkov (Bulgaria), 2-5WIN Dauren Zhumagazyyev (Kazakhstan), 4-1WIN Azamat Nurykau (Belarus), 5-257 kg/125.5 lbs.Gold - Suleyman Atli (Turkey)Silver - Abbos Rakhmonov (Uzbekistan)Bronze - Muhammad Bilak (Pakistan)Bronze - Krzysztof Bienkowski (Poland)Gold - Suleyman Atli (Turkey) dec. Abbos Rakhmonov (Uzbekistan), 18-12Bronze - Muhammad Bilak (Pakistan) forfeit over Samat Nadyrbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)Bronze - Krzysztof Bienkowski (Poland) dec. Hikmatullo Vohidov (Tajikistan), 4-265 kg/145.5 lbs.Gold - Borislav Novachkov (Bulgaria)Silver - Haislan Varanes Garcia (Canada)Bronze - Frank Molinaro (USA)Bronze - David Habat (Slovenia)Gold - Borislav Novachkov (Bulgaria) inj. dft. over Haislan Varanes Garcia (Canada)Bronze - Frank Molinaro (USA) dec. Azamat Nurykau (Belarus), 5-2Bronze - David Habat (Slovenia) dec. George BUCUR (Romania), 11-874 kg/163 lbs.Gold - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan)Silver - Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva (Spain)Bronze - Krystian Brzozowski (Poland)Bronze - Amirkhan Visalimov (Austria)Gold - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) forfeit over Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva (Spain)Bronze - Krystian Brzozowski (Poland) dec. Dylan Palacio Pintado (Uruguay), 2-2Bronze - Amirkhan Visalimov (Austria) inj. dft. Saiakbai Usupov (Kyrgyzstan)86 kg/189 lbs.Gold - Shengfeng Bi (China)Silver - Gwanuk Kim (Korea)Bronze - Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)Bronze - Piotr Ianulov (Moldova)Gold - Shengfeng Bi (China) pin Gwanuk Kim (Korea)Bronze - Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia) dec. Pool Edinson Ambrocio Greifo (Peru), 4-2Bronze - Piotr Ianulov (Moldova) inj. dft. over Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine)97 kg/213 lbs.Gold - Albert Saritov (Romania)Silver - Khuderbulga Dorjkhand (Mongolia)Bronze - Ivan YANKOUSKI (Belarus)Bronze - Rustam Iskandari (Tajikistan)Gold - Albert Saritov (Romania) dec. Khuderbulga Dorjkhand (Mongolia), 4-0Bronze - Ivan YANKOUSKI (Belarus) tech. fall Dragomir Stoychev (Bulgaria), 11-0Bronze - Rustam Iskandari (Tajikistan) dec. Mausam Khatri (India), 8-8125 kg/275 lbs.Gold - Oleksandr Khosianivskyi (Ukraine)Silver - Ibrahim Saidau (Belarus)Bronze - Hitender (India)Bronze - Rares Daniel Chintoan (Romania)Gold - Oleksandr Khosianivskyi (Ukraine) inj. dft. Ibrahim Saidau (Belarus)Bronze - Hitender (India) pin Jere Tapani Heino (Finland)Bronze - Rares Daniel Chintoan (Romania) pin Alexey Krupnyakov (Kyrgyzstan)Earlier this year Right To Ride put together a survey – The Rider’s Perspective – to gauge the views of riders about the potential dangers that they face on the roads, training, risk, collisions as well as their opinions about two motorcycle safety campaign videos which were put out by the Department of the Environment (DOE) in Northern Ireland.
The videos, which are still being show on local TV, social media (DOE – Share The Road To Zero) were also promoted in cinemas, with according to the DOE, two key messages:
The first video, “Bike Speed” urges bikers to think about the emotional wreckage they will leave behind if they feel the need to speed. The core message to motorcyclists in this video is “It’s not just you who crashes.”
The second video, “Biker Aware”, aims to encourage drivers to pay attention, to take another look, to show consideration, to look really closely with road collision scenarios showing what we assume are fatal collisions. The core message in this video to drivers is “Take another look”.
While the videos have been generally accepted by the riding and driving population of Northern Ireland and shared by others outside Northern Ireland, on Social Media, attitudes and belligerent statements appeared to have created a “them and us” situation of Riders versus Drivers.
These videos, along with other developments at the time and since, were part of the DOE Road Safety Unit of Northern Ireland’s attempt to “reduce casualties” and to change the behaviour and attitudes of motorcyclists.
The Rider’s Perspective Survey
The Rider’s Perspective survey was completed by 323 riders across the UK – England 43% – Northern Ireland 39.6% – Scotland 12.7% – Wales 2.5% – Channel Islands 0.3% – Other (not UK) 1.2% – 0.6% gave no answer.
The survey includes information in relation to riders’ attitudes and behaviour on the roads. It also includes information regarding collisions, injuries, training and riders’ reaction to the DOE videos. Videos and publicity that typically put out by the DOE demonstrate scenes of carnage and coffins and appear to aim to create a sense of guilt and blame for those who have either caused injuries or death.
You can download the survey results below in which we have highlighted the important data and you can read through riders’ responses:
• If they had a collision who they thought was responsible.
• What point they thought a scene in one of the DOE videos was is attempting to make? The ending of the video shows a coffin with a helmet on the lid and what appear to be grieving relatives standing next to it.
• If they had been given the opportunity to make this video, what would their ending have been.
• General comments to the videos and the survey.
The most relevant question asked in relation to the DOE’s road safety campaign targeting motorcyclists was whether the videos shown would influence riders to change their style of riding.
Overall, the respondents gave balanced and interesting answers: 56 motorcyclists or 17.3% answered that they would change their style of riding., while 62% or 200 of the respondents indicated that they would not change their style of riding – i.e. the videos made no difference.
Rider’s Perspective Survey – pdf – 462kb – Click Here
Although we realise that the DOE videos are only one step in an attempt to deliver a strategy for Motorcycle Safety in Northern Ireland, the videos were produced without any input (though not for the want of trying), from the Motorcycle Safety Forum stakeholders.
This forum is made up of different rider organisations, trainers, police, DOE and other government agency representatives and has over the past five years, looked at delivering a motorcycling safety strategy for Northern Ireland.
However a draft Proposal for Action Measures from the DOE Road Safety Unit combined with “research” findings from a market research company commissioned by the same Road Safety Unit, led to our withdrawal of support for this forum and as a consequence justified (we think) our response to the DOE about what we considered their insular “attitude” regarding riders of motorcycles.
What surprised us was that this marketing company has an excellent reputation for professional, quality research, so we were of the opinion, that the researchers of the company had been given a specific brief by the DOE department responsible for Road Safety.
The Market Research
The purpose of the market research, as far as we understood it, was to glean information from motorcyclists in Northern Ireland in order to reduce road casualties amongst Powered Two Wheeler (PTW) users. Or so it seemed.
Originally this “research” was an in depth study with focus groups and individual interviews, (in fact, Right To Ride took part in a one on one interview session with the market research company), to identify areas of concern in motorcycle accident causation.
However, having read the findings of the “research”, in our opinion, it seemed to have masked the real objectives which was to carry out psychological profiling of motorcyclists in Northern Ireland in order to identify “bikers” (the term used by the “researchers”) as irresponsible elements in Northern Ireland society.
The market research company’s stated objectives in this study were “To explore and understand attitudes and behaviours in respect of Motorcycling and to make recommendations in respect of interventions”.
Along with a motorcycle trainer from the UK we critiqued the research report and found that the only feasible explanation we could deduce from this “research” is what appears to be an attempt by the DOE Road Safety Unit, to separate a community of people who use motorcycles, scooters and mopeds as a mode of transport, from the rest of society by intimating that “biking” is an addiction, thus these PTW users are oblivious to responsible road usage and to the dangers of crashing and subsequent injury.
Psychological Profiling
What seems apparent to us is that the psychological profiling of the individuals interviewed appears to have been interpreted as representing all PTW users in Northern Ireland and as such infers that all PTW users in Northern Ireland are problematic.
The draft Motorcycle Strategy presented to the Motorcycle Safety Forum by the DOE Road Safety Unit, contained a heading “Motorcycling Problems”. This in combination with the findings from the “research” of PTW users in Northern Ireland, seemed to suggest that solutions for these “problems” were required.
However what is very similar in terms of focusing on a problematic section of society is what has been identified by sociologists and criminologists as “The Underclass”.
It would appear that this “sectioning” has been adapted by the DOE Road Safety Unit and consequently the researchers who carried out the interviews of “bikers”, to infer that a section of society in Northern Ireland (PTW users) need to be treated as a problem in order to enable the Road Safety Unit to propose draconian measures to restrict motorcycling and PTW users (Bikers) due to their so called “bad” behaviour.
DOE Road Safety Unit, Proposed Action Measures to reduce motorcyclist casualties
The selected proposed actions below seem to indicate that the Road Unit had not discussed these measures with the stakeholders who are competent in the areas of intervention mentioned.
Comments have been made by Right To Ride to each of the proposed Action Measures:
1. Consider aligning A1 and AM riders (with CBT certificates) with A2 and A riders by insisting they are also accompanied at all times as GDL will remove the 45 mph speed restriction from learner riders.
Comment: Apart from the impracticality and expense of accompanied riders for those that have passed their CBT, AM riders i.e. moped riders cannot ride faster than 28 mph – because that is the maximum speed that this vehicle can achieve – so with all the will in the world (unless the moped is tampered with) these AM licence riders are not able to achieve a speed of 45 mph!
2. Investigate the effectiveness of the mandatory wearing of CE approved armour in motorcycle clothing.
Comment: How does the DOE Road Safety Unit intend to enforce this? The armour is usually inside compartments inside lining and would require the owner to 1) take the jacket off, 2) remove the lining 3) pull the armour out of the compartments 4) require the police officer to have the knowledge of CE standards for Personal Protective Equipment or a reliance on an understanding of labelling in jackets?
3. Consult on mandating wearing of helmets on tricycles as well as quadricycles.
Comment: This has already been put out to public consultation and is being discussed through the Road Traffic Amendment Bill in the NI Assembly, why mention it again? Was the DOE Road Safety Unit not aware of this?
4. Promote the importance of wearing high visibility clothing by running pilot scheme providing high visibility vests to motorcyclists.
Comment: How is it possible to run a pilot scheme of this nature? Apart from the prohibitive cost, there does not appear to be a specific CEN standard for this type of garment for a motorcyclist, other than the same standard on quality/purpose that a cyclist, pedestrian or builder would wear, more to the point, what does the DOE Road Safety Unit aim to achieve with this scheme? – see below.
5. Introduce regulations for the mandatory wearing of high visibility upper body clothing.
Comment: The motorcycle industry commenced the introduction of AHO in 2003 which means that almost all motorcycles have headlights on permanently in order to improve the visibility of motorcycles in traffic and this will be mandatory as of 2016. In spite of this, other vehicle drivers still pull out in front of motorcyclists at junctions.
However, there are numerous studies to highlight the issue of conspicuity and inattentional blindness, the most recent study regarding High Visibility clothing from TRL NZ which the DOE Road Safety Unit mentioned in the Draft Motorcycle Strategy paper, BUT – for whatever reason, failed to include the comment from that study that “there are limitations to all interventions, not least because conspicuity typically depends on a high visual contrast with the background, and this can vary from situation to situation”.
6. Target enforcement on popular motorcycle routes to ensure safe motoring for all road users.
Comment: These routes are not necessarily where motorcyclists crash, does the DOE Road Safety Unit have information which indicates which routes are the most dangerous for motorcyclists? Which body would be responsible for this enforcement? Also note that BikeSafe already has a scheme where they talk to and provide information motorcyclists coming to Northern Ireland for the NW 200 about road safety – was the DOE Road Safety Unit aware of this?
7. Investigate safety impacts of measures addressing congestion and motorcycle interactions with other road users (e.g. lane filtering).
Comment: This comment suggests that there seems to be an issue with filtering in traffic, it’s not clear what this action measure aims to do. Filtering is recognised as a means of reducing congestion and actually increases the safety of the motorcyclist by allowing him/her the opportunity to “get out of harm’s way” and is included already in the Highway Code with advice for motorcyclists and other vehicle users. Is there an agenda to look at the continued use of bus lanes by powered two wheelers?
8. Work with PSNI in improving the detail, accuracy and reliability of motorcyclist and casualty data. This could include information on impairment (alcohol, drugs and fatigue) and the engine size of motorcycles involved in collisions.
Comment: Information regarding alcohol and drugs is available in cases where there are casualties and surely details regarding engine size is also available, if not specifically in recording engine size but through the make and model. How does the DOE Road Safety Unit intend to measure fatigue?
9. New riding syllabus to address how attitude and behaviour influence riding (GDL – Graduated Driving Licence)
Comment: This action needs to be clarified. Does the DOE Road Safety Unit mean hazard awareness, or – and this is a legitimate question – will the new rider or as this is through GDL – all learners – be subjected to videos of carnage and death in order to become a “safer” PTW user/driver?
10. Research best practice in order to identify viable survey methods to record and report motorcycle speeds and hence quantify and assess the level of non-compliance to enable more targeted enforcement strategies.
Comment: Done! – 323 motorcyclists of all ages, sex etc (the majority of the responses from Northern Ireland) have replied to the survey “Riders’ Perspective Survey) – questions include speed, accident information, attitude and behaviour and so forth. This survey will not cost the DOE Road Safety Unit a penny while providing valuable information in order to put together a worthwhile Motorcycle Strategy for Northern Ireland.
Conclusion
In seems that the DOE Road Safety Unit views the motorcycling community as problematic and has effectively highlighted elements which even normal PTW users would consider not representative of the wider sector of PTW users in Northern Ireland, or indeed anywhere.
Because equally representative of PTW users are two well-known Northern Ireland members of parliament, trainers, police, ambulance workers, road traffic collision investigators, solicitors and as mentioned, people who use their motorcycling “hobby” to raise huge sums of money for good causes.
On a more worrying note, is that there appears to be the notion that the DOE Road Safety Unit knows better.
A powered two wheeler – i.e. a motorcycle, scooter or moped is a means of personal transport, used by different people for different reasons by 30 million citizens throughout Europe.
It should not be the responsibility of any government department to pass judgement on the reason, whether this is emotional, financial or simply because it suits them, as to why people choose one form of transport over another, but simply to offer solutions to ensure the safety and security of society to benefit from their choices.
Riders’ Perspective Survey
Having thrown in the towel – i.e. withdrawing from the Motorcycle Safety Forum and our collaboration with the DOE’s Road Safety Unit, we discussed the outcome of their research, proposed actions etc with colleagues.
In particular Duncan MacKillop, a UK motorcycle trainer, made salient observations regarding the “research” findings.
He commented:
“The object of the research was “To explore and understand attitudes and behaviours in respect of Motorcycling and to make recommendations in respect of interventions”.
The presumption is that the research was done in order to find ways of reducing the motorcycle casualty rate although that is not mentioned anywhere in the document. If that assumption is correct then the first and most fundamental error in the document is the additional assumption that the attitudes and behaviours of riders have anything whatsoever to do with motorcycle accidents. This is quite literally a fatal assumption to make especially in the light of the latest knowledge and understanding about accident causation.”
Furthermore with regards advertising, MacKillop highlighted issues from the “research” recommendations:
“Advertising is without doubt universally accepted by this sample as the optimum medium through which the vast majority of the motorcycling population can be reached, and it is recommended therefore that the focus on advertising should be enhanced”.
He concluded that “Whatever advertising campaign is finally devised there can only be one measurement of its success, a reduction in the number of casualties. To date most advertising campaigns have been considered a success if they gather a number of Facebook ‘likes’ or some other nebulous metric. This however is just delusional and shows a cavalier disregard for the public purse.
It might pay to re-state the foundation truths of all successful advertising which are:
1) All good selling is serving.
2) People buy only to get benefits.
3) Benefits must be supported by features.
Traditional motorcycle road safety advertising has never been quite clear on its purpose and so the target market has also been confused as to what they are actually being asked to do or how to respond. Any future advertising must serve its target audience and not be done merely to serve the requirements of the organisation placing the advertisements. Any future advertising must give the target audience a clear indication of exactly what benefits will accrue to them should they respond to the advertisement.
Any future advertising must support those benefits by explaining how and why those benefits will be gained by the individuals concerned. Failure to do any of that would be a criminal waste of money, would have no effect on the target audience and most importantly of all would ensure that motorcyclists kept on crashing in exactly the same ways and for exactly the same reasons that they have crashed in the past.
A well researched and constructed advertising campaign has the capability of making a huge difference to the casualty rate and will ensure that it’s a win-win for everybody concerned.
There is much that needs to be done by the authorities before they can fully understand the accident causation process and without that understanding any advertising campaign is almost certain to be based on a false premise.
The knowledge and understanding needed to actually reduce the motorcycle casualty rate is relatively easy to obtain and all that it requires is that somebody starts asking what it is before making any decisions. To proceed with any campaign without full and easily obtained knowledge of the problem is not a good way of running any campaign let alone one where people’s lives are at stake”.
Good Health And A Long Life
We would like to think that our participation in the Motorcycle Safety Forum and generally in motorcycle safety issues in Northern Ireland has made a difference since our involvement which started in 2009, in order to improve conditions for and recognition of riders as responsible road users in this region.
However based on the actions and attitude of the Civil Servants (some but not all) in charge of Road Safety Education in Northern Ireland – that we have dealt with, we came to the conclusion that sadly, we failed.
This is our final document on motorcycle issues in Northern Ireland – we are closing down Right To Ride.
We wish our fellow riders good health and a long life.
Ride Free!WEST COVINA (CBSLA.com) — Police in West Covina on Sunday arrested a Rialto man for a probation violation before discovering he also allegedly had 28 grams of meth hidden in his buttocks.
Jimmy Ontiveros, 24, was taken into custody for the undisclosed probation violation when the drugs were uncovered.
Ontiveros was arrested after officers stopped a 2004 Dodge Intrepid in which he was a passenger about 9 a.m. at the intersection of Cameron and California Avenues, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
While being booked, Ontiveros was found to have a small amount of meth in his sock, West Covina police Lt. Dennis Patton told the newspaper.
After a more thorough search, nearly 30 grams of the drug was then found between Ontiveros’ buttocks, Patton said.
Ontiveros was booked on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale, possession of narcotics in a custodial environment (the police station) and for the probation violation, the lieutenant told The Tribune.
The driver of the vehicle was cited for an unspecified violation and released, the Tribune said.Cramer late last week:
What does a Brown election mean...? Well, first you're going to get a knee-jerk rally in all the so-called penalized stocks -- the HMOs, the drugs, the medical device-makers. I call it "knee-jerk," though, because these stocks have been on fire for months...It's been clear as a bell that the health care reform wasn't going to affect most health care stocks. That's versus what we thought last year.
More important, though, I think that investors who are nervous about the dictatorship of the Pelosi proletariatwill feel at ease, and we could have a gigantic rally off a Coakley loss and a Brown win. It will be a signal that a more pro-business, less pro-labor government could be in front of us...How about a little bit less like the old Soviet Union? Yeah, that would be a bit more like it. Pelosi politburo emasculation!I’m on vacation in Florida, and on our way down we stopped in Atlanta to stay with my friend Joe, to take a break during the 17-hour car drive down. Joe picked up a couple of local craft beers that I couldn’t get in Illinois or Florida, and made sure they were in the can, so I could drink them on the beach. Well, I’m not on the beach yet, but I cracked open one of these while sitting on the veranda looking down the beach.
Location: Poured into a glass from the can at our rental condo on Madeira Beach, Florida.
Numbers: 5% ABV, 147 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s dark golden in color, almost orange, and fairly hazy. It had a nice big white foamy head when I first poured it, but it quickly fell to almost nothing. It’s got a yeasty-bready and citrus-fruit aroma.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is crisp. There’s a bit of crispness upfront before the bready/yeasty flavors were apparent. In the finish, fruity flavors blossomed, bringing some almost mango and cantaloupe like flavors forward. The fruity flavors lasted for a little bit in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: This beer seem to have a mix of bready, yeast,y and tropical fruit flavors. Therefore, I had it with some freshly cut pineapple. The pineapple seem to bring out a lot of its brightness and crispness of this beer.
Overall Impression: I was a bit surprised by the mango and cantaloupe like flavors in this beer, as well as the large amount of yeastiness. Overall, this was a nice light fruity beer with some tropical flavors that were especially good for relaxing on, and near the beach during the week.
My Rating:
Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]A lunch lady says she is out of a job because she gave free lunches to students who didn't have any money.According to the Denver Post, Della Curry, 35, was the Cherry Creek School District's kitchen manager. She says she would often see students crying because of hunger and no lunch money. So instead of letting them go hungry, she would pay for lunches out of her own pocket or let them have it for free. When this was discovered, Curry was let go.After losing her job, Curry started a Facebook page dedicated to changing laws and policies about school lunches called " No Child Goes Hungry.""It's time to make school lunch an integral and included part of every child's school day," she wrote on the page.The district does have a free lunch program, but it is only for children who meet federal income guidelines. The district wouldn't comment on why it fired Curry, but it released a statement saying, "The law does not require the school district to provide a meal to children who have forgotten their lunch money.""It is policy to never give out free food... that is all fine and dandy until you have little kids not on the free and reduced program and their account goes negative," Curry told the Denver Post To qualify for free lunch, a family of four can't make more than $31,000. If a student can't pay for the food, the school will provide a cheese sandwich.Curry says that's not just not good enough. She says there are many students who don't qualify for the free lunch program and show up many days out of the year with no money to eat. Over the course of the year, she says she gave about 20 students a free hot lunch."I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn't have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch," Curry told KCNC-TV. "I'll own that I broke the law. The law needs to change."Curry has a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son of her own. She may be looking for a new job, but she wrote on Facebook she would do it all over again if she could."While I know that what I did was legally wrong, I do not feel bad about it," she wrote. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."When Colin Powell turns off his TV after the final presidential debate, he will have learned everything he is going to learn about the candidates vying to succeed his former boss, George W. Bush. Powell has made it clear that he has been thinking about an endorsement for a long time but wanted to hear more from the candidates before making his choice. It now seems beyond doubt that Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama and thereby hammer the final nail in the coffin of the Republican campaign to hold onto the White House.
The recent ugliness of the McCain-Palin rally audiences cannot be lost on Colin Powell. And Powell is not one to ignore a 14 point lead in a New York Times poll. But most important for Powell and the press will be his explicit rejection of the Bush-McCain approach to Iraq, Iran and the rest of the world.
Powell's endorsement will be perfectly timed to dominate a news cycle or two. It will give Obama the one thing he still needs more of--credibility as Commander-In-Chief. And Sarah Palin's speechwriters will be hard pressed to come up with a condescending quip about it.JOHANNESBURG - As bitcoin fever sweeps the world, a growing number of South African investors are jumping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon in the hope of enjoying what has so far been a wild ride.
“We are seeing a massive increase in interest in cryptocurrencies,” says Werner van Rooyen of Luno, one of two bitcoin trading platforms registered in South Africa as a financial services provider.
Reflecting this, bitcoins worth R300-million were traded on the Luno platform on 1 December.
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now protect rock abrasion tools on two Mars Rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity. These quiet tributes to the victims of 9/11 left Earth in 2003 and 2004.
The story of how aluminum from the demolished towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) wound up being incorporated into the Mars Rovers is an interesting one. The tale involves robotics engineer and Rover team member Stephen Gorevan. He was riding his bike in lower Manhattan when a plane hit the WTC on September 11, 2001. He told NASA:
Mostly, what comes back to me even today is the sound of the engines before the first plane struck the tower. Just before crashing into the tower, I could hear the engines being revved up as if those behind the controls wanted to ensure the maximum destruction. I stopped and stared for a few minutes and realized I felt totally helpless, and I left the scene and went to my office nearby, where my colleagues told me a second plane had struck. We watched the rest of the sad events of that day from the roof of our facility.
That morning, Gorevan and his team were set to work on the Rovers’ abrasion tools at the Honeybee Robotics studios on Elizabeth Street, located six blocks away from the site of the Towers. They had to suspend operations for a few days as New York City collected itself. But, very shortly afterwards, Gorevan’s team resumed activity. (As NASA poetically notes, the robotics engineers were working around launch dates that were “governed by the motions of the planets.”)
While the Honeybee engineers were happy to be back at work, they were frustrated by not being able to assist with 9/11 volunteer efforts. So, Steve Kondos, who was, at the time, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineer working with the Honeybee team, came up with the idea of embedding some kind of “interplanetary memorial” on the Rovers:
To carry out the idea, an early hurdle was acquiring an appropriate piece of material from the World Trade Center site. Through Gorevan’s contacts, a parcel was delivered to Honeybee Robotics from the mayor’s office on December 1, 2001, with a twisted plate of aluminum inside and a note: “Here is debris from Tower 1 and Tower 2.” Tom Myrick, an engineer at Honeybee, saw the possibility of machining the aluminum into cable shields for the rock abrasion tools. He hand-delivered the material to the machine shop in Texas that was working on other components of the tools. When the shields were back in New York, he affixed an image of the American flag on each.
The Mars Rover team waited until 2004 to reveal that they had used 9/11 scrap metal on the Rover. They wanted the inclusion to be what they called a “quiet tribute.”
The Rovers launched early last decade and, throughout their course of service, they helped scientists make discoveries about wet environments on ancient Mars that could have supported microbial life.
Spirit ended communications in March 2010. Opportunity is still going strong, and its rock abrasion tool is being used to explore a large crater that the rover reached in August of 2011. Gorevan noted:
It’s gratifying knowing that a piece of the World Trade Center is up there on Mars. That shield on Mars, to me, contrasts the destructive nature of the attackers with the ingenuity and hopeful attitude of Americans.
Sometime soon, both the Rovers will fall silent. But their aluminum tribute to 9/11’s victims will survive on the cold surface of the desert world Mars for millions of years to come.
Bottom line: Around a decade ago, engineers incorporated a scrap of aluminum recovered from the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks into two Mars Rovers. The Rovers – and their quiet tribute to the 9/11 victims – have been on the surface of Mars for much of this decade, exploring the Martian surface.
Where are the Rovers now?
September 2011 guide to the five visible planetsPhoenix Police Department Phoenix police were seeking Arthur Douglas Harmon, 70, in the deadly shooting at a Phoenix business comples Wednesday, Jan. 30.
A man shot three people, killing one of them, after a dispute at a Phoenix office complex Wednesday, authorities said.
Phoenix police said that the gunman fled the scene. The suspect was identified as Arthur Harmon, 70, of Phoenix. He was described as a white male, about 6 feet tall and about 220 pounds, and was considered armed and dangerous.
Steven Singer, 48, was pronounced dead at a Phoenix hospital, police said. Authorities wouldn't discuss the identities or conditions of the two other victims, a white man and a woman in her early 30s, because Harmon was still at large.
Three other people were also treated for "stress-related" conditions after the incident at a business complex near 16th Street and Glendale Avenue, authorities said.
A police SWAT unit that arrived at Harmon's home in a residential neighborhood about five miles away discovered that he wasn't there. Later Wednesday afternoon, more police swarmed outside a downtown Phoenix office tower where a vehicle may have been found that was similar to the one witnesses said the gunman drove off in. Yellow crime scene tape was put up in the tower's plaza.
Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said the incident was believed to have begun with an altercation in the lobby of the complex that escalated into gunfire.
"The initial indications are that this was not a random act," he said.
Police said shell casings at the scene indicated that at least two weapons were used.
Prominent lawyer wounded
Mark P. Hummels, president of the Phoenix chapter of the Federal Bar Association, was among the shooting victims, his law firm said in a statement. It said Hummels was representing a client in a mediation session when he was shot.
Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically wounded by gunfire in 2011, interrupts his testimony before a Senate hearing on gun control to share news of the workplace shooting in Phoenix.
Hummels was being treated at John C. Lincoln Hospital, the firm said, adding that it had no information on his condition.
Jim Fink, a neighbor of Harmon's for many years, told The Arizona Republic that Harmon had recently been involved in a business lawsuit and had been "confident that he was going to win this case."
"He was a great neighbor," Fink said. "Wouldn't trade him for the world."
Witnesses to the shooting said they heard nine or 10 shots. A woman who works in the building told NBC station KPNX of Phoenix that she immediately began running down the hallway.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
"We didn't know where to hide, because all of our offices are all windows," she said.
The shootings occurred during a Senate hearing on gun violence where former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., made a brief statement urging new gun control measures. Giffords was critically wounded in a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011.
Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, broke the news of Wednesday's shooting to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, interrupting his own answer to a question from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
"While we were having this hearing,... in Phoenix, Arizona, there is another what seems to be, possibly, a shooting with multiple victims," he said.
Related:Updated at 12:48 p.m. to clarify that the Mormons went to Illinois immediately after leaving Missouri. They later settled in Utah.
Two of the most memorable figures from the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge invoked their Mormon faith in explaining the armed takeover they termed civil disobedience.
Ammon Bundy said visions from God showed him that the occupation was necessary to bring attention to federal land management practices, which he believes infringe on ranchers' "God-given rights" enshrined by the "divinely inspired" U.S. Constitution.
A well-attended memorial for Robert "LaVoy" Finicum highlighted the occupation spokesman's intertwined beliefs about God and government. "He believed that the Constitution of the United States was inspired by God and he was willing to, and did, die while defending our freedoms stated within," Finicum's obituary said.
What exactly does this movement have to do with Mormonism, a religion that has some 6 million adherents in the United States, most of whom live in the arid and largely rural West?
The church, founded in 1830, does mention in its scriptures the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1789.
We asked Mormon scholars to help us put the occupiers' religious and political claims in context. Here's what we learned.
Does the mainstream LDS church endorse the occupation?
No. Just two days after the Jan. 2 takeover, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints released a statement on its website. It read, in full:
"While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. This armed occupation can in no way be justified on a scriptural basis. We are privileged to live in a nation where conflicts with government or private groups can -- and should -- be settled using peaceful means, according to the laws of the land."
The statement linked to an essay by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice and one of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a group high in the church's hierarchy. In the 1992 address given at Brigham Young University, titled "Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall," Oaks presents a long list of moral failings that include "all-consuming patriotism."
"I caution those patriots who are participating in or provisioning private armies and making private preparations for armed conflict," Oaks said. "Their excessive zeal for one aspect of patriotism is causing them to risk spiritual downfall as they withdraw from the society of the Church and from the governance of those civil authorities to whom our twelfth article of faith makes all of us subject."
The 12th article of faith reads, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."
So why did the church host Finicum's funeral, which was sure to be used by his political supporters as a platform to cast him as a martyr?
"The fact that it was held in the chapel means nothing other than the guy was Mormon," said Nathan B. Oman, a law professor at the College of William & Mary.
Although the church has a reputation for centralized governance, local church leaders have a great deal of autonomy, he said.
"It would be incredibly rare -- it would be weird -- for Salt Lake authorities to micromanage a local meeting house," Oman said.
And local leaders in southern Utah -- whom Oman described as lay people, "just local guys who were called to be the bishop" -- are likely to be sympathetic to the view that federal land agencies are acting unjustly.
In Finicum's case, that was true. "I pretty much believe the same way he did," said Bishop Ken Heaton, who leads the ward based in Moccasin, Arizona, where Finicum worshipped.
Heaton said that despite his sympathy for Finicum's political views and distress that Finicum, in Heaton's words, was "ambushed" by law enforcement prior to his death, he tried to keep the service focused on religion and not politics.
Church headquarters did send a public affairs representative to Kanab for the Feb. 5 memorial. She balked at on-camera interviews that showed the stake center in the background, requested that the news conference be held across the street and handed reporters a list of behavioral guidelines.
One item was listed in bold: "The hosting of the funeral at an LDS chapel should not be considered an endorsement of the views of this individual or the family."
More than 1,000 people attended the service. Many of them had never met Finicum, but said they admired his courage to stand up against the federal government.
The bishop concluded by exhorting the "next generation" to "carry out LaVoy's legacy." Heaton later explained, "I wasn't referring to his activities for how he fought for the Constitution, but it's kind of hard to separate them."
Finicum's daughters held a press conference immediately after the service that called for a private, independent investigation of their father's "ambush."
Daughter Tierra "Belle" Collier drew parallels between Cicero, Joan of Arc and America's founding fathers. "They all had one thing in common," she said. "They were mocked, ridiculed and called extremists. Today's defenders of the U.S. Constitution are now called domestic terrorists."
Is the view that the Constitution is "divinely inspired" a mainstream Mormon position?
Section 101 of the Doctrine & Covenants, a dictated revelation received by Joseph Smith in 1833, says that God "established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood."
The Constitution "should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles," it says.
The section goes on to lay out a parable about a widow and an "unjust judge," whose actions the Mormons appeal to the governor and then the president.
"And if the president heed them not, then the Lord arise and come forth out of his hiding place, and in his fury vex the nation," the text continues.
Oman, the William & Mary professor, said the mainstream takeaway from the parable is to appeal unjust actions through all available legal means, then to leave further justice in the hands of God.
Mormon historian Matthew Bowman said it is common to hear Mormons use the phrase "divinely inspired" Constitution to mean that the document "was written by people who were inspired in order to set up a government that God wanted."
Most Mormons consider the phrase to refer to some of the Constitution's core principles -- especially freedom of religion -- and do not consider the document a sacred text.
Oaks, the former Utah justice and current apostle, wrote an essay titled "The Divinely Inspired Constitution" in which he said he didn't see the Constitution as scriptural.
"For example, I find nothing scriptural in the compromise on slavery or the minimum age or years of citizenship for congressmen, senators, or the president," Oaks wrote.
"President J. Reuben Clark, who referred to the Constitution as 'part of my religion,' also said that it was not part of his belief or the doctrine of the Church that the Constitution was a 'fully grown document,'" Oaks wrote. "'On the contrary,' he said, 'We believe it must grow and develop to meet the changing needs of an advancing world.'"
Why did the occupiers' have such a different takeaway?
The revelation in Section 101 of the Doctrine & Covenants came in the context of extreme religious persecution, scholars said. It was a real-life example of Mormons petitioning for their grievances to be redressed and being unsuccessful in getting relief.
Mormons were driven out of Missouri during the 1830s due to suspicion about their religious beliefs and their tendency to vote as a block. A village was massacred, women were raped, families were driven onto the prairie in the winter and Joseph Smith and his associates were held without trial, Oman said.
They appealed to President Van Buren to defend their constitutional right to practice their religion, and he told them that he would not intervene. "They were told to go to a court in Missouri and file a lawsuit," Oman said. "At the time, the governor had issued an extermination order against Mormons."
They left Missouri, starting over again in Illinois, and later moving west to Utah, suspicious of the federal government they saw as having abandoned its responsibility to protect their fundamental rights.
"It's kind of the same story over and over again," said Bowman, a history professor at Henderson State University and author of "The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith."
"What happens when that system turns on Mormons, when they perceive they are being treated unjustly? That's kind of an unresolved tension."
The Bundys are tapping into a strain of Mormon thought whose origins are in the 1950s when Communism was considered a major threat, Bowman said.
They have seized on the ideas of Ezra Taft Benson, a former church president whose books and quotations were prominently featured at LaVoy Finicum's funeral.
Benson was church president from 1985 until his death in 1994 and before that was a longtime apostle and secretary of agriculture in the Eisenhower administration.
After World War II, the church sent Benson to Europe to oversee its recovery efforts, an experience that radicalized him, said Oman, the law professor.
Benson began to write prolifically about the evils of Communism and became affiliated with the ultra-conservative John Birch Society during his time in Washington, D.C., though never a member.
Benson also came to know W. Cleon Skousen, another Mormon who wrote prolifically about the Communist threat, though he had less ecclesiastical cachet and was therefore less influential than Benson, Oman said.
Skousen went on to form a group that came to be named the National Center for Constitutional Studies, which prints the pocket-sized Constitutions that Bundy and his supporters often carry in their shirt pockets.
Although Benson moderated his views during his time as church president, he gave a memorable talk about the "divine Constitution" in 1987 in which he said he viewed the Constitution as sacred.
Some of the lines may sound familiar to those paying close attention to the words of Ammon Bundy.
"To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed His stamp of approval upon it," Benson said of the Constitution.
A bit later, he said, "May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor."
The Independent American Party, to which Cliven Bundy, Ammon's father, has pledged membership, cites Benson's essay "The Proper Role of Government" as foundational.
Bundy and his supporters "sort of translate who the threat is from Communist agents to other parties," Oman said.
They see federal land management and a growing emphasis on conservation as "an existential threat to their livelihood and way of life," Oman said.
"I think the main causal force is federal land policy, not their faith," Oman said. "What's the language you use to talk about an existential threat to your life in the face of a corrupt and malevolent government? Ezra Taft Benson gave them that."
The language would be familiar to any Mormon, especially in less cosmopolitan parts of the West, he said. "But it would be embarrassing, like a crazy uncle."
-- Carli Brosseau
[email protected]
503-294-5121; @carlibrosseauJames Comey told Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) on May 3rd that he never leaked secret information.
Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee he leaked information after he was fired.
BizPac Review reported:
Former FBI Director James Comey might have put himself in big legal trouble with his own testimony.
As he was doing his best to damage President Donald Trump on Thursday, Comey admitted to the Senate Intel Committee that he gave information to a friend of his, Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman, to leak to the press.
Comey admitted that he did so in order to prompt a special counsel to be named.
“I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter,” he told the Senate Intelligence Committee. “I didn’t do it myself for a variety of reasons but I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel.”
Fox News’ Catherine Herridge explained why this could mean trouble for the former FBI Director.
“I can’t remember a time ever where a former FBI director has deliberately leaked the contents of a government document so it would get to a reporter in the hopes that it would prompt a special counsel investigation.”
Herridge said one of Comey’s problems “is that in his last public testimony here on Capitol Hill before the Senate Judiciary Committee, right out of the gate in that hearing, he took a series of questions from the Republican chairman, Chuck Grassley and Chuck Grassley asked him whether he had ever been an anonymous source for reporters about the Hillary Clinton email investigation or the Russia case and James Comey testified ‘no.’
“Then he asked him whether he had ever authorized someone else to be an anonymous source on his behalf, on the Clinton email case, and the Russia case, and James Comey said ‘no.’”
President Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, said, in a statement to reporters following Comey’s testimony, that the matter will be left to the “appropriate authorities” to investigate.
“Today, Mr. Comey admitted that he leaked to friends his purported memos of these privileged conversations, one of which he testified was classified. He also testified that immediately after he was terminated he authorized his friends to leak the contents of these memos to the press in order to ‘prompt the appointment of a special counsel,’” he said. “Although Mr. Comey testified he only leaked the memos in response to a tweet, the public record reveals that the New York Times was quoting from these memos the day before the referenced tweet, which belies Mr. Comey’s excuse for this unauthorized disclosure of privileged information and appears to entirely retaliatory. We will leave it the appropriate authorities to determine whether this leaks should be investigated along with all those others being investigated.”President Donald Trump’s tax lawyers issued a statement on Friday that the White House wants you to take seriously: The president has not received income or taken on any debt or equity from Russian sources over the past 10 years, “with a few exceptions.”
This is not how you construct a credible statement about someone’s finances, let alone a sitting president of the United States.
“With few exceptions” is such an obvious out that it can barely even be called a loophole ― it simply and openly invalidates the denial that precedes it.
Trump has a history of emphatically denying that he has any monetary connection to Russia. In January, he tweeted: “NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!” His lawyers’ new admission of the “few exceptions” indicates this blanket denial was false. The letter written by Sherri Dillon and Willie Nelson, Trump’s tax lawyers at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, is dated March 8.
According to Dillon and Nelson, those exceptions include Russian fertilizer kingpin Dmitry Rybolovlev purchasing a South Florida mansion for $95 million in 2008; the 2013 Miss Universe contest held in Moscow, which earned $12.2 million in income; and “ordinary course sales of goods or services to Russians.” No documentary evidence was provided to prove that these are Trump’s only sources of income from Russians.
“Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” Donald Trump Jr. said at a Russian real estate conference in 2008. “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.” And a sports writer recently reported that Eric Trump, another son of the president, said in 2014 that the family had access to $100 million from Russian banks. “Well, we don’t rely on American banks,” Eric Trump said at the time, according to the writer. “We have all the funding we need out of Russia.” (Eric Trump denied the quote.)
The incidental “sales of goods or services to Russians” was no small sum. Russians spent nearly $100 million to purchase condos in seven buildings licensing the Trump name in South Florida, according to Reuters. Trump received a commission on all sales in the buildings, likely somewhere between 1 percent and 4 percent. This would mean Trump received between $1 million and $4 million in income from Russian purchasers.
This is a bizarre attempt to substitute a prepared communication for public disclosure, which is insufficient for both urgent investigation and repairing the public trust. John Wonderlich, executive director of the Sunlight Foundation
Trump also had a long-standing financing and business relationship with a company called Bayrock. Bayrock provided the financing to build Trump Soho, which the company owned and Trump lent his name to through a licensing deal. Bayrock was founded by Tevfik Arif, a former Soviet official who was born in Kazakhstan, and Tamir Sapir, a Georgian fertilizer and oil magnate. Felix Sater ― a mob-linked double felon who stabbed a man in the face with a broken margarita glass and was convicted for his role in a $40 million pump-and-dump stock fraud ― was a Bayrock executive.
Bayrock attempted to build Trump-branded buildings in Arizona and Florida and had offices for a time in Trump Tower. Sater was given a Trump Organization business card, which called him a “senior advisor to Donald Trump.” Sater traveled to Russia with Trump’s children looking for investment properties. Despite these numerous connections, Trump said in 2013 that if Sater “were sitting in the room right now, I wouldn’t know what he looked like.”
It’s unclear where Bayrock got the money to finance Trump Soho, because the funding trail ends with an Icelandic company called FL Group. Iceland was a common destination for laundered Russian money prior to the financial crisis, when the FL Group financed Bayrock. Allen Garten, a Trump Organization lawyer, told the Financial Times last year that he “had no reason to question” where Bayrock got its money.
Additionally, HuffPost reported a previously unknown connection between Donald Trump Jr. and Sater through a company called Global Habitat Solutions. GHS, founded by Sater, acted as a marketing tool for a twice-defunct Trump Jr. venture called Titan Atlas, which sold building materials.
Of course, the president could provide evidence for his claims by releasing his personal tax returns and the returns for his family business, but he has refused to do so. Without producing his full tax returns, the only thing we have to reply on to substantiate Trump’s denials is Trump’s word.
And Trump has an almost unimaginable track record of telling falsehoods. The same goes for those speaking on his behalf. Without documentation for his and his lawyers’ claims, statements about where Trump’s income comes from and who his family does business with cannot be taken seriously.
Trump’s lawyers are simply doing their job: to do what their client demands, whether it is to protect him from negative publicity or from any potential legal liability. Dillon and Nelson have no duty to the American people and no obligation to the public trust to tell the truth about the president’s finances.
“This is a bizarre attempt to substitute a prepared communication for public disclosure, which is insufficient for both urgent investigation and repairing the public trust,” John Wonderlich, executive director of the pro-transparency Sunlight Foundation, told HuffPost.Writer Robert Kirkman is a titan of two industries, thanks to his co-creating of the Walking Dead comic books and his exec-producing of AMC’s hugely successful adaptation of the same. The Skybound co-founder’s other credits include writing the comics Invincible, Super Dinosaur, and Outcast, which itself was adapted into a TV show by Cinemax.
But will he ever write anything as good as Rick and Morty? Not if he lives for a thousand years! To be clear, this is not necessarily our opinion, but rather that of the Walking Dead scribe himself.
“If I live a thousand years I will never do anything as good as Rick and Morty,” Kirkman wrote on Twitter early Tuesday morning about the show, which was created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland.
If I live a thousand years I will never do anything as good as RICK AND MORTY. #picklerick — Robert Kirkman (@RobertKirkman) August 1, 2017
Kirkman was presumably moved to express this sentiment by the return of Adult Swim‘s animated science fiction-comedy, whose third season premiered on Sunday. Watch a trailer for Rick and Morty, above.Benedict Cumberbatch’s Marvel turn walks all over Ang Lee’s post-war film Billy Lynn.
Doctor Strange (奇异博士) continued to cast a spell on Chinese moviegoers, winning the box office for a second straight weekend amid weak competition.
The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which stars Chinese favorite Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, retained more than half of its opening weekend business, sliding just 48 percent for a Friday through Sunday total of RMB 154 million (US$22.5 million).
Doctor Strange has now earned RMB 569 million ($83.1 million) in 10 days of release. It currently sits as the seventh highest-grossing Marvel film for Disney and will most likely claw its way past Guardians of the Galaxy (RMB 595 million) and Ant-Man (RMB 672 million) to become the highest-grossing original IP film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Doctor Strange’s success in what’s been a tough market for Hollywood films of late can be attributed to Marvel’s powerful brand awareness as well as Cumberbatch’s popularity, an innovative story and jaw-dropping visuals.
Coming in well behind Doctor Strange, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (比利·林恩的中场战事) from director Ang Lee limped to a second-place finish, debuting with just RMB 80 million ($11.8 million), well under CFI’s initial predictions.
Billy Lynn had the highest percentage of showtimes on Friday owing to Ang Lee’s popularity in China, but demand dwindled throughout the weekend as general audiences and walk-by moviegoers shunned the film, unable to relate to its central character, an American soldier suffering from PTSD. Billy Lynn averaged just 13 moviegoers per screening, compared to Doctor Strange’s 29, the lowest average attendance of any film in the top five this weekend.
Film fans flooded special screenings of Billy Lynn in Shanghai and Beijing that were projected in Lee’s intended 120 fps/3D/4K resolution format, but the scarcity of such screenings barely put a dent in the film’s weekend box office total.
In addition to the inherent weakness of an American wartime story failing to attract Chinese moviegoers, Billy Lynn’s translated title may have misled consumers. Complaints from those in attendance targeted the film’s lack of war action as had been insinuated by the characters 战事 (pinyin – Zhànshì, def. fighting, war) used in Billy Lynn’s Chinese title.
Turning to next weekend’s outlook, it appears Doctor Strange’s dominant run at the top of the charts will be challenged by China’s most successful commercial film director Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary (我不是潘金莲), which opens on Friday, November 18. Lionsgate’s disaster film Deepwater Horizon also opens on Tuesday, November 15. Stay tuned to CFI for analysis and box office previews in Thursday’s On Screen China.Amy Cavenaile, The Washington Post, iStock
When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic in search of Pacific spices 500 years ago, it was a famous miscalculation. Columbus instead made landfall in the Caribbean among the Taíno, a peaceful people who lacked any peppercorn or nutmeg or mace — but who had mastered an equally important plant.
The Taíno mainly cultivated manioc, a starchy root vegetable much like the potato. Manioc, also known as cassava or yuca or tapioca, is a highly caloric staple that today feeds billions of people around the world. And the Taíno, also known as the Arawak, were experts at growing it.
"The Spaniards were much impressed with the productivity of manioc in Arawak agriculture in the Greater Antilles," historian Jonathan Sauer recounts in his history of crop plants. "[A Spanish historian] calculated that 20 persons working 6 hours a day for a month could plant enough yuca to provide cassava bread for a village of 300 persons for 2 years."
By all accounts, the Taíno were prosperous — "a well-nourished population of over a million people," according to Sauer. And yet the Spanish, who ultimately colonized and ravaged the people, considered them primitive. The Taíno lacked the monumental architecture of the Maya or the mathematical knowledge of the Aztec. And most importantly, they were not organized in the type of complex, far-reaching, hierarchical social structure that is considered one of the hallmarks of civilization and was far more widespread in Europe and Asia.
Scholars have long puzzled over the different fates of the world’s peoples. Why, on the eve of the modern world, were some societies so technologically and politically complex? For centuries, leading intellectuals from Adam Smith to Karl Marx believed that agricultural abundance had propelled the rise of advanced civilizations. The Assyrians and Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia, for instance, flourished thanks to their fertile farms, which fed an upper class that devoted itself to religion and empire.
In his 1997 bestseller “Guns, Germs and Steel,” historian Jared Diamond argued that the availability of nutritious and easily domesticated plants and animals gave some societies a head start. In the Middle East there was barley and wheat; in Asia there was millet and rice. “People around the world who had access to the most productive crops became the most productive farmers,” Diamond later said on his PBS show. And more productivity led to more advanced civilizations.
But the staple crops associated with less-advanced peoples — like manioc, the white potato, the sweet potato and taro — weren’t necessarily less productive. In fact, manioc and the potato are superstar crops, less demanding of the soil and less thirsty for water. These plants still feed billions of people today.
Now, a provocative new study suggests the fates of societies hinged on a subtler problem with these plants. And if it’s right, it could dramatically complicate the popular theory of the agriculture-driven dawn of civilization that has appeared in textbooks for generations.
The study, published last year by economists at the United Kingdom and Israel doing novel work on archaeological and anthropological evidence, attempts to explain a strange pattern in agricultural practices. The most advanced civilizations all tended to cultivate grain crops, like wheat and barley and corn. Less advanced societies tended to rely on root crops like potatoes, taro and manioc.
It's not that grains crops were much easier to grow than tubers, or that they provided more food, the economists say. Instead, the economists believe that grains crops transformed the politics of the societies that grew them, while tubers held them back.
Call it the curse of the potato.
How crops changed the world
The argument depends on the differences between how grains and tubers are grown. Crops like wheat are harvested once or twice a year, yielding piles of small, dry grains. These can be stored for long periods of time and are easily transported — or stolen.
Root crops, on the other hand, don't store well at all. They're heavy, full of water, and rot quickly once taken out of the ground. Yuca, for instance, grows year-round and in ancient times, people only dug it up right before it was eaten. This provided some protection against theft in ancient times. It's hard for bandits to make off with your harvest when most of it is in the ground, instead of stockpiled in a granary somewhere.
But the fact that grains posed a security risk may have been a blessing in disguise. The economists believe that societies cultivating crops like wheat and barley may have experienced extra pressure to protect their harvests, galvanizing the creation of warrior classes and the development of complex hierarchies and taxation schemes.
"Since the grain has to be harvested within a short period and then stored for use until the next harvest, a visiting tax collector could readily confiscate part of the stored produce," the authors write. In ancient China, for instance, the famously bureaucratic government depended on a seasonal tax on grain harvests.
Using an anthropological database, the economists gathered information about the political sophistication of societies before the 1500s. They knew whether regions were organized by tribes, by chiefdoms, or by large, elaborate states. They also knew what the major crop in each society was.
In ancient Africa, Asia and Europe, for instance, societies had access to a large catalog of different grains, including barley, sorghum, wheat and rice. They also had access to one root crop, the yam. And in the ancient Americas, societies had access to one kind of grain, corn and three different kinds of root crops — white potatoes, sweet potatoes and cassava.
These maps show a clear correlation between crop choice and political complexity. Societies that grew grain tended to have more hierarchical political systems — empires, even — like the rice- and wheat-cultivating kingdoms of ancient India. Tuber crops were associated with smaller, more local political units.
In many places, grains do not feed more people, acre for acre, than tubers. Potatoes, in particular, are an amazingly nutritious plant. The choice between cultivating cereals and tubers, where it existed, depended on local growing conditions. Societies tend to grow crops that yield the most calories. In some places, that meant potatoes. In other places, that meant wheat.
When the economists examined that agricultural data, they found that more fertile regions did not necessarily yield more complex societies. The crucial factor wasn't the amount of food that a society could produce; it was the type of food they chose as their main crop — grain or tuber.
"The results are just amazing," says the University of Warwick’s Omer Moav, who wrote the paper along with Luigi Pascali, also of the University of Warwick; Joram Mayshar of Hebrew University; and Zvika Neeman of Tel-Aviv University. "It's not the absolute productivity of land; it's the productivity of cereals (grains) relative to tubers.”
Does the theory make sense?
Consider, for a second, what that means. In Jared Diamond's version of events, certain regions were cursed because they were less efficient at growing food. Low productivity leads to low agricultural surpluses leads to less complex societies. According to the economists' data, the productivity of the land didn't matter. The curse was in the type of crop.
The theory is not ironclad, of course. One problem is that most tuber-growing societies lived in the tropics, where there was also endemic disease that slowed the growth of complex civilizations. Anthropologists also point out that to the best of our knowledge, tubers were domesticated thousands of years after cereals, so societies that grew grains had a head start.
And then there is the case of the Incas, who oversaw an empire that grew both grain and potatoes. The Incas developed a way of freeze-drying potatoes by leaving them out at high elevations. This technology allowed them to treat potatoes like a grain: non-perishable, transportable and taxable.
Still, the overall picture — the connection between grains and civilization — has intrigued top economists.
"It's an extremely original attempt to come to grips with a very old question: Why in some places we have the emergence of hierarchies — peasants and priests and
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Read next The skeleton watch screams luxury, but what is it? The skeleton watch screams luxury, but what is it? Watch glossary.
The short-lived career of George Lazenby as Bond may well have been enlivened for watch fans by the presence of a pre-Daytona Rolex Chronograph on his wrist, but it's for the Roger Moore years that true horophiles yearn. Over seven outings, the suavest 00 of them all wore a mix of Hamilton, Seiko and Rolex wristwatches, including including this gadget packed Seiko Alarm-Chrono dual-display in For Your Eyes Only.
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Timothy Dalton's brace of Bond outings saw TAG Heuer debut in the spy franchise (in The Living Daylights), as well as the by-now iconic Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual.
The arrival of Pierce Brosnan into the role in 1997's
Goldeneye heralded what is now known as the "Omega Era" - a hot streak that has seen the brand appear in all subsequent Bond movies - including this month's Spectre, celebrating Omega's 20th year in the horological hot seat.
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Both Brosnan and his successor, Daniel Craig, have stepped out in variously souped-up Seamasters, as well as the Aqua Terra worn by Craig in Spectre.
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Rex
For more information on James Bond's watches visit: jamesbondwatches.com
Want more Bond? See his best black tie moments.— The Columbia Journalism Review sent a reporter to the state of Alabama to find out how “something called ‘Yellowhammer News'” is covering the state that the majority of the media holds in disdain. Comically, Alabama Media Group’s John Hammontree just doesn’t get that the media’s disdain for Alabamians is why Yellowhammer exists. He told CJR, “I think the idea that Alabama votes Republican, and thus Alabama news should only reflect a conservative viewpoint, is a way of silencing dissent,” which sounds odd considering they employ zero conservative columnists. Graciously, Hammontree doesn’t want to “silence” us.
7. Journalists in Alabama can’t understand why no one trusts them; They blame Yellowhammer News, but that just proves that they don’t get it
— After spending the Obama years telling voters that calling someone a socialist was “racist,” the Democratic Party is almost ready to embrace their true identity, with 49 percent saying they prefer socialism. As Democrats move left, pollster Mark Penn concludes, “This puts socialism on the ballot unless the Democratic Party moves back to the center and socialism is a losing proposition with the American electorate.”
5. Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) takes to the floor of the House to blast “socialist Democrats” over border security
— While debating President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration, Brooks lashed out at his colleagues on the left for supporting policies “that help to kill 33,000 Americans each year.” Brooks cited the National Institutes of Health data that shows “31,000 Americans die each year from heroin and cocaine overdoses, 90% of which floods across our porous southern border. On average, at least 50 Americans die each day from illegal alien homicides or overdoses on poisonous drugs shipped through our porous southern border.”
4. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) sponsored a bill to rescind President Trump’s emergency declaration — The rest of Alabama’s delegation vote “no“
— Sewell and 229 of the bill’s co-sponsors obtained a victory in the long-shot chance to stop the president’s emergency declaration without legal action by getting the bill out of the House with a 245-182 vote. Unfortunately for Sewell, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the party of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, this isn’t close to the 2/3rd majority the body needs to override an obvious presidential veto.
3. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) wants a rematch with Roy Moore; Moore appears to want it, too
— Responding to teed-up month-old allegations from Moore that there was a conspiracy to deny him the U.S. Senate seat, Senator Jones said, “[I]f the Republican Party really believes that then they all ought to just step aside, have a press conference with him and let’s just do it again.” The “Republican Party” never said this — Moore did. Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Mobile) is already in the race to challenge Jones. It is not a surprise that Jones wants to face Moore because it is his best and possibly only path to victory in 2020.
2. Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen releases a statement and a check prior to his testimony — Still no evidence of collusion
— In a preview of Cohen’s opening statement, President Trump is called a liar, a conman and a racist. Evidence that will be produced includes a check, bank statements from 2011-2013, a news article, letters to schools about Trump’s grades and a check signed by Donald Trump, Jr. While the press says this all proves Trump told Cohen to lie, Cohen makes it clear that “Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie.”
1. Governor Kay Ivey is planning to announce her gas tax plan today and a special session to pass it later
— As Gov. Ivey prepares to launch her gas tax initiative from rural Alabama, the forces of opposition are gathering. To thwart this, it is expected that Ivey will eventually call a special session of the Alabama Legislature to make the bill easier to pass. The current plan expected to be unveiled will be for a 12 cents a gallon increase, with special interests, and both the AL House and AL Senate leadership behind them, it is still expected to pass in some form.Drink-drive ban for father who took toy Barbie car for a spin
As a means of transportation it left something to be desired in terms of comfort and street cred.
And when police asked the driver to pull over, the Barbie car, with its top speed of 4mph, was hopeless as a getaway vehicle.
Paul Hutton, 40, is regretting his impromptu roadtrip after he was arrested for drink-driving when he tried to take the battery- operated child's toy to a friend's house.
'Complete twit': Paul Hutton, pictured carrying the steering wheel and seat of the children's toy he drove while drunk, has been banned from driving for three years
Yesterday he admitted he had been a 'complete twit' after he was banned from driving and given a 12-month conditional discharge by magistrates.
The 6ft-tall father of four said that an adult needed to 'be quite a contortionist to get in' the 4ft by 2ft white and pink jeep, which is designed for fans of the popular girls' doll.
'I'm not unhappy with my punishment, just surprised,' he said. 'It needn't have gone to court. Possibly the police arrested me for something to tell the grandchildren.'
Mr Hutton, a divorcee from Jaywick, in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, is a former RAF aeronautical engineer who studies electric engineering at the Colchester Institute.
Toy vehicle: Mr Hutton was caught drunk at the wheel of this electric Barbie car
He took the Barbie car home after finding it abandoned ten years ago and has been tinkering with it ever since.
About eight months ago he started rebuilding it with his eldest son Simon, 17, who is doing a car mechanics course.
Modifications to the vehicle - which is aimed at three to five-year-olds and runs on a 12v battery - include adding larger wheels and changing its body colour from pink to white.
Mr Hutton had been drinking on March 28 when he decided to show the jeep off to a friend who lives just 500 yards away.
Police spotted him at 9pm with his knees tucked up under his chin ambling along Brooklands Road, which is named after the motor racing circuit.
He was arrested when he ignored warnings for him to stop and tried to make a very slow getaway. 'The police car came up alongside me and the officer said, "Are you all right there?"' he said. 'When I tried to talk I realised how drunk I was.
'A lot of burble came out. There was a dispute at first between the officers as to what the legalities of it were. Then they decided I was to be done for drink-driving.
'I was taken to Clacton police station and breathalysed. I was released at about 5.30am. I really didn't realise I should be doing it.
'I knew that it was daft but I didn't realise it was a criminal thing to do.'
Mr Hutton admitted drink-driving on Friday after magistrates in Colchester heard he had 89mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, more than twice the 35mg limit. He was given a three-year ban because he had received another drink-drive ban within the previous ten years. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs.
Chairman of the bench Neil Munson said: 'This is most unusual. I have never seen the like of it in 15 years on the bench.
'The vehicle is not even capable of doing the speed of a mobility scooter and could be outrun by a pedestrian.'Hillary Clinton on Martin Shkreli: ‘Like the worst bad date you can imagine’
Entrepreneur and pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli listens during a congressional hearing Feb. 4, 2016. (Photo11: Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images)
Hillary Clinton may have had the (strangest) line of the day Monday when she weighed in on embattled drug entrepreneur Martin Shkreli during campaign stops in Nevada:
Hillary Clinton says "that really obnoxious guy" Martin Shkreli is "like the worst bad date you can imagine." Didn't expect that. — Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) February 15, 2016
At next event, adds: "He is the personification of the worst blind date that anyone in this audience has ever had" https://t.co/ZlJURVuplQ — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) February 15, 2016
Trying to imagine Hillary Clinton and Martin Shkreli on a blind date.
Failing. — Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) February 15, 2016
Someone actually did go on a date with Shkreli last fall, and wrote about it for the Washington Post. The two didn't hit it off, but she considered him “a win, as far as Tinder dates go:”
"I am not trying to excuse his professional behavior or say he’s a good person. (I can’t really tell from one date and occasional text communication.) But he’s a lot more interesting and complex than I would have imagined."
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1XtYKlk3. Neil Diamond As Superman
Despite the grand history of musical stars taking on screen roles, nobody in their right mind would ever have consciously considered casting odd-haired, odd-voiced singer Neil Diamond as Superman. Or so you'd have thought. Somewhat unthinkably, the crooner was under consideration by the Salkinds when they took on the Herculean task of bringing Superman to the big screen. He supposedly lobbied hard for the role, despite how deeply unsuitable his hair was for either Supes or Clark Kent, and incredibly wasn't as immediately dismissed as you might have suspected. But then this is the same team who strongly considered Chris Walken for the same part. While baffling on its own, that casting (or any alternative casting for Richard Donner's Superman) would have robbed the world of the chance to see Christopher Reeve offer a definitive take on both sides of the character. On the other hand, the idea of seeing Superman the musical starring Superman would be too much like something from The Producers to possibly pass up.Welcome to our weekly ICYMI for Xbox news! We'll still be posting major Xbox announcements in the main feed. However, I'll be collecting some of the more nuanced news, rumors and talking points into one handy post every weekend! So without further ado, here's the latest edition of This Week in Xbox One News. Mass Effect Andromeda details trickle out - No returning characters, no competitive multiplayer, and more!
EA revealed Mass Effect Andromeda at E3 earlier this year to rapturous applause. The new game takes place in the Andromeda galaxy, which is over 2 million light years beyond our own Milky Way. In Mass Effect Andromeda, you play as a galactic explorer charting unknown worlds. This mission takes you to Andromeda, "years" after the events of Mass Effect 3. There's not a great deal of information about the game available at present, except that exploration will be key, complete with a Mako like space buggy. The team at Bioware have made comments on social media about the game's development. Replying to a fan inquiring about Mass Effect Andromeda's multiplayer, developer Chris Wynn implied that any multiplayer components would remain cooperative only. Balancing Mass Effect's classes for competitive play would probably be a nightmare, so this makes sense. File this under 'O' for obvious, but Wynn also confirmed that Andromeda would feature new alien species. Wynn also seemed to confirm that Andromeda would feature an entire new cast of characters, stating that it "wouldn't make sense" to feature characters from the previous trilogy. Indeed, they have a bit of a mess to clear up after the events of ME3. Wynn did say that the game will have rudimentary connections to the previous trilogy, promising that fans will "feel at home". Mass Effect Andromeda is targeting a Q4 2016 launch for Xbox One, PC and PS4. Phil Spencer discusses the challenges of new IP, third-party devs using the cloud, and more!
Xbox head Phil Spencer has been making the rounds, discussing Xbox One's future and news announced at Gamescom 2015. Speaking to Gamespot, Phil Spencer noted the challenges of developing new IP, stating that sometimes, failure is a good thing.
..."The thing with new franchises is that they're difficult. This is going to sound funny, but you want to fail, because when you fail, it means you're pushing the boundaries of what's expected. So, you kind of need to know what the boundaries are of what's possible."......"When you're starting new games, in terms of new ideas and mechanics, your fail rate is much higher. That's why the ratio of new IP [versus old] is not going to be much higher. But I'm so proud we opened the show with Quantum Break and Scalebound, and I know it's not a new IP, but I'm so glad we closed the show with Halo Wars 2."...
I think what Phil Spencer means here is that making mistakes is part of a game developer's learning curve. Microsoft has a pretty hefty backlog of failed experiments across their departments, but I'm not sure if I'd say the same of Microsoft's game development studios. I'd argue that Halo and Gears play it pretty safe in terms of experimentation, but Quantum Break, Crackdown 3 and Scalebound certainly look to be pushing the boundaries of their respective genres. Speaking of pushing the boundaries, Phil Spencer added on Twitter that he'd like to see third-party developers adopt Crackdown 3's ridiculous cloud-powered destruction.
..."I'd like to see 3rd parties pick up the tech as well. Innovation moves more quickly as more games push what's possible."...
Microsoft's capacity for innovation with Xbox is pretty unprecedented. They've managed to perfect Xbox 360 emulation on the Xbox One despite the wildly different hardware. The Azure-powered destruction of Crackdown is nothing short of jaw-dropping, and we now have Xbox One to PC game streaming. Phil Spencer isn't content, though. Speaking to Polygon, Phil Spencer talked up Xbox One's long-term plans, stating his intention to develop "great, unique ideas".
..."This is where you've got to come up with some real great, unique ideas. I love where we're going. I think of the next year as we start to tell more and more of the story, it'll be great."......"There'll be certain people who'll throw eggs at certain parts of it and people embrace other parts of it. But I'm really happy around the foundation that we've been able to put in place over the last whatever it's been, 15, 16 months."...
Phil Spencer also states in the interview that the team is glad to be looking ahead, hoping to "delight people in some ways that aren't just fixing some backwards looking things". Presumably Phil Spencer is referring to the unpopular DRM, always-online and bundled Kinect policies of yesteryear. The future is certainly looking bright for the Xbox One, as detailed by our Managing Editor Richard Devine here. I'm personally excited to see if Microsoft can top their backwards compatibility announcement. Check out this awesome multiple-choice Mad Max trailer
This trailer for the upcoming Xbox One game Mad Max has made me feel I haven't been giving the game the attention it deserves. Avalanche Studios is building Mad Max for Xbox One, and the game looks every bit as chaotic as you'd expect from the company that created Just Cause. Mad Max takes place in the same deserted wasteland as the popular movies, taking design inspiration primarily from the recent Mad Max: Fury Road. The game sports riotous vehicular combat, vast upgrade systems, lots of destructible environments and Batman-like melee combat. Unlike Batman, however, Max is quite happy to use guns, explosions, fire and all sorts of violent apparatus to vanquish his enemies. WB Games have shown a master class in developing games built on existing franchise properties, including Lord of the Ring's Shadow of Mordor and the popular Batman: Arkham series. Mad Max looks to be no different. Mad Max launches on Sept 1st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided developers discuss the game's new features
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is coming in early 2016 and promises to be every bit as open ended as its predecessor. In this new video, Eidos Montreal discusses some of DE: MD's new features. The UI will be more customizable, including the ability to change scaling and remove some 'augmented reality' aspects.
New Game+ mode is coming, which will allow players to start a new game from scratch, retaining the abilities they'd unlocked from a previous play through.
Gameplay styles will be balanced, stating that they're not favouring one playstyle over any other (be it stealth, or guns blazing). Eidos Montreal also clarified previous statements that suggested you could talk your way out of boss fights. In an interview with IGN, Patrick Fortier explained that what you've learned about a particular character may help you resolve a boss fight without conflict.
...What we said is that through your social interactions leading up to a boss fight you might have talked to people, or you might have explored, or you might have obtained certain elements or means to deal with the boss fight."...
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is shaping up to be a must-buy title for fans. If you're into action games, this is one to check out. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided launches in Q1/2 2016 for PC, Xbox One and PS4. Final Fantasy XV hopes to launch simultaneously across the globe
Final Fantasy XV could be hitting Japanese and Western markets simultaneously for the first time according to director Hajime Tabata. Speaking to Gamespot, Tabata implied that he felt embarrassed the publisher hadn't been able to achieve this previously:The Houston Dynamo have acquired defender Sheanon Williams and an international roster slot from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for general allocation money, the club announced today. Per League and club policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Williams, 25, appeared in 141 regular-season games in six seasons with the Union, averaging 29 appearances per season over the last four years. The defender tallied seven goals and 19 assists with Philadelphia, including eight, a career-high, in 2013. Williams made 17 regular-season appearances (15 starts) for the Union this season and is one of six players in the Eastern Conference to log four consecutive seasons with at least 2,000 minutes with the same club (2011-14). Williams is tied with Sebastien Le Toux as the franchise leader in games played and started, as well as minutes played.
"We are pleased to add a player with Sheanon Williams' quality and MLS experience to our group," Dynamo VP/general manager Matt Jordan said. "We felt it was important to add a player to our team who possesses Sheanon's unique ability to play every position along the back line. The timing of this addition is important, especially due to the unfortunate injury to Jermaine Taylor in the Gold Cup.
“As our team enters the second half of the season, we feel the addition of Sheanon, the recent arrival of Erick "Cubo" Torres and the upcoming return of our National Team players positions us well for an exciting push toward the MLS Cup playoffs."
A Boston native, Williams joined the U.S. U-17 national team residency program in Bradenton, Florida and played at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea. Two years later, Williams played at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Williams is eligible for selection on Saturday when the Dynamo host the LA Galaxy at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo will hold the acquired international roster slot through the end of the 2016 season.
TRANSACTION: Houston Dynamo acquire defender Sheanon Williams and an international roster slot valid through the 2016 season from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for general allocation money.
Full Name: Sheanon Williams
Pronunciation: Shane-en
Position: Defender
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Born: March 17, 1990
Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts
Citizenship: USA
Last Club: Philadelphia Union
Acquired: Via trade on July 23, 2015President Donald Trump is expected to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, CBS News White House Correspondent Major Garrett confirms.
Mr. Trump has already told close friends and confidants of his plans, and he has also discussed with senior White House staff attempting to renegotiate the Paris climate protocols on reducing greenhouse gas emissions – with an eye to making them less onerous to U.S. industry.
Asked about the Paris climate agreement during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the president said he would be making a decision soon, though he declined to say which way he is leaning.
"Heard from a lot of people. Both ways," he told reporters. He declined to answer a question about whether he believes climate change is a hoax.
Mr. Trump also tweeted Wednesday morning that he will have a formal announcement on the decision "over the next few days."
I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017
First reported by Axios, Mr. Trump made his decision to withdraw from the agreement, according to two sources that have direct knowledge of the decision.
Details on just how exactly the U.S. will be withdrawing are still being worked out by a team that includes EPA administrator Scott Pruitt.
A full, formal withdrawal could take up to three years to execute, unraveling one of former President Barack Obama's major achievements in office to reduce the impacts of climate change.
Mr. Trump had initially delayed his decision on whether or not to withdraw during his first foreign trip overseas, where he met with other G-7 leaders.
Following the summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested the meeting had served as something of a wakeup call. G-7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after Mr. Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.
"The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days," Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500 that gathered to hear her and Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer.
"And so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands," she said, according to the dpa news agency.
According to his top economic adviser Gary Cohn, Mr. Trump's views on climate change were "evolving," but Mr. Trump's delay in formally deciding whether or not to stay involved in the accord forced G-7 leaders to declare the U.S. is "not in a position to join the consensus" around the agreement.
More recently, Defense Secretary James Mattis told CBS News' John Dickerson that he was part of some of the discussions in Brussels when talks of climate change came up.
"The president was open, he was curious about why others were in the position they were in, his counterparts in other nations. And I'm quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord," said Mattis.
Only two other nations currently do not support the climate deal: Nicaragua and Syria.
A U.S. withdrawal puts the U.S. in an isolated position in the world on climate change, as 195 countries signed the Paris agreement, which went into effect last year, and 147 nations have ratified it, CBS News' Pamela Falk reports.
On Tuesday the U.N. Secretary-General sent a less-than-subtle warning to Mr. Trump, saying that if one country decides to leave a void in leadership, he can guarantee someone else will occupy it.
"Get on board or get left behind," Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech to business and academic leaders in New York, Falk reports. "Those who embrace green technologies will set the gold standard for economic leadership in the 21st century."Launching Y(our) Journal. Who will be in your anthology? While the journal was designed to be shared among strangers, you also could launch the book by sharing directly among friends, family members, colleagues, students, et. cetera. Specifically, you could build your anthology with... Who will be in your anthology? While the journal was designed to be shared among strangers, you also couldthe book by sharing directly among friends, family members, colleagues, students, et. cetera. Specifically, you could build your anthology with...
Strangers: Add your story and then balance the book somewhere new to find its next author.
Add your story and then balance the book somewhere new to find its next author. Friends: Pass a book among friends to reminisce on your many experiences together.
Pass a book among friends to reminisce on your many experiences together. Family: Mail a book among family to immortalize stories about a special someone as a birthday, graduation, or wedding gift.
Mail a book among family to immortalize stories about a special someone as a birthday, graduation, or wedding gift. Coworkers: Leave a book in the breakroom for coworkers to build office morale and camaraderie.
Leave a book in the breakroom for coworkers to build office morale and camaraderie. Customers: Stand the book at a welcome desk or serving table and connect the customers who love your cafe, book shop, or tavern.
Stand the book at a welcome desk or serving table and connect the customers who love your cafe, book shop, or tavern. Communities: Use the book to tell your town's story by capturing the voices of those who live there.
Whatever the approach, The Balancing Book makes an excellent gift for the giver, receiver, and subsequent community of authors.
Just like the stories inside, the journal is crafted with love.
While the the book photographs nicely, nothing compares to holding one of them in your hands and balancing it on its custom-cut corner. We've spared no expense in bringing you the most beautiful, highest quality, and longest lasting product possible. We love these books, and we know you will too.
Personal Touch: our own handwriting balanced with a classic font guides authors through the book
our own handwriting balanced with a classic font guides authors through the book Heavy-Duty 70lb Pages: beautiful and zero bleed-through
beautiful and zero bleed-through Layflat Binding: Smyth Sewn for storytelling ease
Smyth Sewn for storytelling ease Plastic-Reinforced Cloth Cover: built for travel
built for travel Gold-foil Stamped Hardback: a classic library look
a classic library look The Curious Corner: original, alluring balancing effect
Money well-spent.
These books are custom printed and bound by Americans in the country's heartland. To maintain those businesses' profitability, a batch of approximately 1,000 books is required. At that rate, the cost to produce is about $14 per book. Although we're asking for a shipping rate to get the book to you, we're incurring the cost to ship your book back home in the book's price. The average cost to ship these books home will be around $10, bringing our total cost per book to $24. Kickstarter processing fees add up to between 8-10%, bringing our cost to produce up to approximately $26.
As is the case with many of the fantastic projects on Kickstarter, The Balancing Book isn't about making money. At Our Anthology, we believe in the power of stories to connect people, and we're dedicated to bringing you the best product your money can buy to get it done.
What's our story?
We (Jake and Adam) met in college in the Midwestern USA. Our paths coincidentally led us both to Minneapolis where we work to solve problems and connect people through design thinking. As business partners, we’re different in all the best ways and are a dynamic duo in any environment.
Jake hatched an idea to connect a distant world with an old-school craft while in Iowa State University's startup incubator, CYstarters. Adam joined the initiative and together they created what you see today. Now it’s your turn to climb on board!
Please introduce yourself by finding us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Feel free to get to know us better personally by finding Jake and Adam on Instagram. We're excited to e-meet you!
You can check out these links to see our growing press coverage:
When will these books hit the streets?
November 10, 2017: Kickstarter Campaign Concludes, YAY!!
Kickstarter Campaign Concludes, YAY!! November 13, 2017: Print and Bind Books
Print and Bind Books December 11, 2017: Ship first 1,000 books
Ship first 1,000 books December 25: Open your book and write the first entry
Open your book and write the first entry January 1: The Global Debut: Launch your book!
Are you new to Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects of every type. From films to technology to books, these projects are brought to life through the direct support of people like you.
Thousands of creative projects are funded on Kickstarter every day. The artists, designers, and entrepreneurs you see on Kickstarter have complete responsibility for their projects. They spend countless hours developing their product, building their campaign, and brainstorming what rewards to offer backers. When they're ready, creators launch their project.
Once live, every project has a funding goal and deadline. If people like you appreciate the project, they can pledge money to make it happen. If the project succeeds in reaching its funding goal by the deadline, the backers' are charged and receive their respective rewards. If the project falls short, no one is charged. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing. Your support means more than just buying a product. This is your chance to help turn a dream into reality.They say “You can’t tell the players without a program”, and that is proving to be abundantly true for the Central Ohio brewery scene. I thought 2015 was a good year with a 30% increase in craft breweries, adding Pigskin (Gahanna), Restoration Brew Worx (Delaware), Knotty Pine (Grandview), Lineage (Clintonville), Ill Mannered (Powell) and Brew Brothers (south Columbus) to the local brewery community, but this year is simply off the charts. Only three months into 2016 and there are already almost a dozen new breweries that have opened or are in the works. In case you’re also having trouble keeping track, here’s a list of the breweries already open or slated to open this year.
NOW OPEN
Hoof Hearted Brewpub & Kitchen
The gastropub opened in Italian Village at 850 N. Fourth Street on February 11. This Marengo brewer moved into Columbus in a big way by collaborating with A&R Creative Group, the force behind The Crest and Ethyl & Tank.
Kindred Artisan Ales
(Opening next week) You might have already encountered some of their beers at local beer festivals this winter, but the grand opening for their taproom will be April 8 starting at 4 PM at 505 Morrison Road in Gahanna. Initial production includes a Wit and a Porter, but look for a wider range of beers to emerge quickly including a family of sours.
COMING SOON
2 Tones Brewing Company
br> br>
Homebrewers Anthony McKeivier and Tony Hill are taking the plunge and installing a 5 bbl. brewing system in Whitehall at 145 N. Hamilton Road. They will be self-distributing their beers and are lining up beer bars and growler shops now. Look for their flagship beers, an IPA and an Irish Red starting in June.
BrewDog
BrewDog is clearly going to be the Big Dog in town when they open their 100,000 sf brewery in Canal Winchester. Initial capacity will be 80,000 bbl. which will be bigger than all the other area craft brewers combined. In addition to the taproom at the brewery, look for a brewpub in Franklinton as well.
Combustion Brewery and Taproom
Gordon Biersch’s head brewer, Keith Jackson, is the man behind Pickerington’s first brewery. Combustion is expected to open by October at 80 W. Church Street in Pickerington.
Commonhouse Ales
Smokehouse Brewing’s Lenny Kolada is starting a new production-only B-corp brewery, Commonhouse Ales, in the Brewery District. Smokehouse brewer Sam Hickey will serve as brewer at Commonhouse as well. Their flagship beer will be Six One For Good Ale, an American Amber from which a portion of proceeds will benefit local nonprofits.
Grove City Brewing Company
A 3 bbl. brewing system is being added to the Plum Run Winery in Grove City at 3946 Broadway. Look for the brewery and gastropub to open in May with 12 taps pouring house beers under the direction of brewer Trevor Luther.
Hoster Brewing
This Columbus classic may be making a comeback. Brewer Victor Ecimovich and his partners are in the process of securing funding and the location. It is likely to end up in Franklinton, Gahanna, or Dublin, and may not start-up until next year.
Loose Rail Brewing
Coming this spring to Canal Winchester at 37 W. Waterloo Street, Loose Rail Brewing Company is the third project from husband-and-wife Nathan and Kelley Doerfler, who also own Harvest Moon Craft Kitchen and The Garden Herb Shop.
Platform Beer Company
This Cleveland brewer is expanding to Columbus with a distribution center, brewery and taproom. Expect to find their beers at retail locations around town in early May as their distribution system is inaugurated. The taproom should open by late summer at 408 N. Sixth Street with 12 – 20 house beers on tap.
Three Tigers Brewing Company
A Vietnamese inspired food truck, Mai Chau, which started in 2012, lead to a restaurant location in Granville in 2015, and now a 3.5 bbl, brewing system is being installed next door. Expect to find four house beers and eight guest beers on tap starting in about a month.Beacon Securities analyst Vahan Ajamian says the Canada cannabis scene has a new champ -that is, with regards to how cheap it can produce marijuana.
The analyst says The Hydropothecary Corp. (TSXV:THCX) is now leading the way, with a cost of inventory per gram of just $0.89, a number he notes is the lowest cost of production ever reported in Canada.
On December 21, Hydropothecary reported its Q1, 2018 results. The company lost $1.91-million on revenue of $1.10-million, a topline that was down 20 per cent from the same period last year.
“This past quarter was a bellwether for Hydropothecary — a sign of greater things to come,” CEO Sebastien St-Louis said. “Our new products are gaining acceptance in the market. We broke ground on our state-of-the-art 250,000-square-foot greenhouse and announced a new expansion to increase total annual production capacity to 1.3 million square ft. We also upped the calibre of our leadership. Our company is in a strong financial position and these results demonstrate that we are making the right decisions. “Our focus now is on the execution of our two expansion projects and our innovative product strategy in anticipation of the opening of the recreational adult-use cannabis market.”
Ajamian says the market reaction to the quarter caught him off guard.
“We were surprised to see the company’s shares trade down following the release of these industry leading metrics,” the analyst says. “We believe this is likely due to the conversion of debentures at significantly lower levels than the current share price – which may take a few more sessions to churn through. However, with industry leading revenue and costs per gram, plans underway to build 1.3MM sq. ft., a likely near-term catalyst with the SAQ and a valuation well below the company’s peers we see compelling value in Hydropothecary’s shares at current levels.”
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In a research update to clients today, Ajamian maintained his “Buy” rating and one-year price target of $8.50 on Hydropothecary, implying a return of 126 per cent at the time of publication.
Ajamian thinks Hydropothecary will generate EBITDA of negative $5.1-million on revenue of $12.0-million in fiscal 2018. He expects those numbers will improve to EBITDA of positive $5.9-million on a topline of $35.7-million the following year.Hervé Villechaize (1943-1993) was a French-born dwarf actor best known for his portrayal of Tattoo on the television series Fantasy Island. On Sesame Street, in the 1970s, Villechaize performed Oscar the Grouch as a pair of legs peeping out from a trash can, for scenes which required the Grouch to be mobile. These appearances began in the second season and included the 1978 Hawaii episodes.
Caroll Spinney recalled the Grouch's other half:
“ The first time he [Oscar] got to move around was
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overwhelming with the pain that people have and the illnesses that they are suffering," said Donna Benden, who is among 180 lay people known as "prayer partners" who help the 100 sisters. Benden prays from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. every Wednesday before going to work.
The order started asking for community help in 1997, when the number of nuns began dwindling. Nowadays, the sisters usually take night shifts and lay people cover the day, according to Sister Maria Friedman, who schedules two people for every hour. "Even the sisters go away frequently or take on other tasks, it's the complexity of modern life," she said.
She said she's constantly trying to find ways to make it easier, like getting a bed on campus where lay people can sleep. If necessary, the sisters will find more creative solutions. "We will make it work," she said.
Other U.S. orders also pray 24 hours, seven days a week, like the 16 nuns who take two-hour shifts at Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Cleveland, Ohio. Their order has done so in the U.S. since 1921, a carryover from an effort that began in 1856 in France, according to that order's Sister Mary Thomas. One or two nuns are there at all times, with no help from lay people. Some orders, though, have scaled back to part-time because of aging nuns or other reasons.
Since the La Crosse nuns began, they've prayed through a fire in an adjacent building in 1923, a flood in La Crosse in 1965, the flu and many storms. Sister Hennessey compiles the requests for each day from paper slips people leave in person, phone calls, emails and online forms.
On the list recently was Laura Huber, 52, a principal of two La Crosse-area schools, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months ago. A school board member requested the prayers for her, she said.
"The prayer sustained me in ways I haven't been able to articulate," she said, adding, "I felt warm and loved and cared about by strangers and that's an incredible feeling."
Sister Friedman says she never has problems finding people to help. She has a list of substitutes, but the prayer partners and nuns often take extra hours.
"If it's 11 o'clock at night and it's my hour and another sister doesn't show up, I can't just go to bed," said Sister Hennessey. "You're like, 'It's 137 years — I have to stay awake.'"TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s landslide victory in Sunday’s vote may be a double-edged sword for the Bank of Japan, which is looking to work with Abe to push for wage growth but may also face pressure to expand stimulus to bolster the fragile economy.
Japan's Prime Minister and the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Shinzo Abe, attends a news conference following a victory in the lower house elections by his ruling coalition, at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo December 15, 2014. REUTERS/Toru Hanai
At the two-day meeting ending on Friday, which is the last review for the year, the central bank is widely expected to keep monetary settings unchanged and offer a slightly brighter view of the economy on tentative signs of recovery from recession, sources say.
While recent market volatility and gloomy consumer mood keep BOJ officials on guard against risks, they feel a rebound in exports and solid capital spending justify standing pat for now.
With Abe’s huge election win solidifying his grip on power, the BOJ hopes to work with the premier to encourage companies to spend their huge pile of cash more on investment and wages.
Governor Haruhiko Kuroda may repeat his calls for companies to increase wages at his post-meeting news conference, as well as urge Abe to proceed with fiscal and structural reforms.
“The BOJ has taken action and will continue to do so. I hope you take action too, with an eye on what the economy looks like after it overcomes deflation,” Kuroda told business leaders in Nagoya, central Japan, last month.
Under pressure from Abe, business leaders have pledged to do their utmost to increase wages, a welcome move for the BOJ which sees wage growth as key to the success of its stimulus program aimed at accelerating inflation to 2 percent next year.
Some analysts, however, say Abe may also lean on the BOJ to do more next year if the economy falters, as he pledged to raise the sales tax in 2017 after having delayed it by 18 months.
The planned tax hike in seen as a test case of Abe’s commitment to lower the nation’s debt burden, the highest in the developed world, and fund welfare spending.
“If Abe shows his willingness to push through reforms and calls for help in supporting the economy, the BOJ may respond by easing again next year,” said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
Despite expanding stimulus in a move that caught markets off-guard in October, speculation of near-term easing continues to simmer, as core consumer inflation hit 0.9 percent and is seen slowing further on oil price falls.
The BOJ looks increasingly likely to cut its inflation forecasts next month, sources say, making its 2 percent target look ever more ambitious.
BOJ officials argue that they won’t act again just in response to short-term price moves, and hope a rebound in exports and output underpin a fragile recovery.The plan is simple: provide a diversity of plants to create healthy ecosystems that feed people's bodies and souls. That's why we offer you Bread & Roses.
Gardens of flowers and food (and so much more) that we hope to create more of!
Plants meet so many of our basic needs. In Permaculture we often refer to the 7 Fs: food, fertilizer, fodder, fuel, fiber, 'f'armaceuticals, and fun! We hope to bring all of these to the table in our expansion of Bread & Roses Nursery.
What is Permaculture? Why are we so passionate about plants?
The word's been buzzing around lately, and most people have a vague understanding that Permaculture is "something like organic gardening with recycled materials and stuff".
But Permaculture is much more than that. To us Permaculture is a guiding philosophy for how we make decisions that impact our relationship with the Earth and all of its inhabitants.
Earth Care. People Care. Fair Share. This means before taking new steps forward we try our best to look ahead and see what ultimate outcome it will make on the world. Our goal is to use our planet's resources (sun, water, soil) carefully and intelligently in ways that can generate more yields than previously existed. Ultimately we hope to turn the global one-way street of using and abusing fossil fuels (which always result in greater pollution = wasted energy), into an economy that invests in renewable resources (people, plants, and animals). Now that's not just sustainable, it's regenerative!
Click here to see a video profile we did for Bloomington's Local Grower's Guild on Permaculture Homesteading!
Wild cultivated Oyster mushrooms--an accidental bonus to woodland homesteading the Permaculture way! Edible mushrooms such as these are known to provide trace nutrients and proteins, boost the immune system, and even fight-off cancer cells!
Though our goals and aspirations may seem far-reaching, you can re-invision your landscape with useful plants in small and simple ways. Just imagine an apple tree out front. It's blossoms lift your heart every spring, shade keeps you cool in the hot summer, and fruit fills your belly in fall and through the winter. Best of all, once the apple tree is planted all of these are literally within your a few steps from your front door! With the simple act of planting a tree, you've cut down on your fossil fuel use (food transportation), increased the quality of air around your home (trees expire oxygen), cut down on home energy use (shade), and obtained the healthy, organic, seasonal food your body needs.
"All the world's problems can be solved in a garden." -Geoff Lawton, Permaculture Designer and Educator
While our primary focus is on edible plants (fruit trees, berries, culinary herbs etc), we also aim to supply Bloomington, IN with a wide array of supporting species. For example, some shrubs (e.g. bayberry) and wildflowers (e.g. false indigo) can "fix" nitrogen in the soil and increase soil fertility--this in turn feeds your raspberries and keeps them juicy and plump (Mmmmm!). Some herbs, such as chives or rosemary, repel pests that might otherwise munch on your apples--and you can eat the chives and rosemary too!. At the same time many of these plants can sooth an aching body (the aroma of feverfew eases headaches) or provide uncanny beauty (have you ever seen magenta lambsquarter?) We can create a multi-layered, interconnected planting where a diverse mix of plants provides beneficial relationships with one another to yield a wider range of food and beauty than most other landscape environments. So really, to say we work with landscapes falls short of the truth: we're managing biocompatible ecosystems for human needs.
Magenta Lambsquarter: Would you ever have guessed you can eat this masterpiece? -- that's what we're here for!
Can't afford dental insurance (like us)? -- Spilanthes, aka Toothache Plant, will ease your pain
Here are some examples of the plants we carry. To see a complete list please refer to our website:
Edibles: fruit trees (plums, apricots, apples), shrubs (blackberries, gogi berries, currants), herbs (sorrel, sunchokes, leeks), vines (kiwi, grapes, passionflower), groundcovers (mints, violets, strawberries)
Nitrogen-Fixers: bayberry, baptisa, amorpha, legumes (beans & peas), new jersey tea, alder, locust
Dynamic Accumulators: stinging nettle, comfrey, violets, yarrow, echinacea
Pest Confusors: aromatic herbs (lavender, rosemary, winter savory, thyme), alliums (chives, garlic, onions), horseradish, tansy, wintergreen
Medicinal Herbs: marshmallow, feverfew, comfrey, skullcap, borage, mugwort, lemon balm
Native Wildflowers: cardinal flower, milkweed, evening primrose, bee balm (monarda), joe-pye weed
Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate -- perennial wildflower that attracts beneficial bees and native hummingbirds
B&R Nursery Background:
Our Staff Salem Willard and Jonas Carpenter: We are the driving force behind Bread and Roses. Combined we have over a decade of growing experience during which we've been honing our plant-growing skills. While we work hard throughout the year to create quality plants, we never stop having fun learning about new species and how we can adapt them to our local climate--we're not afraid to reach outside our USDA Cold Hardiness Zone. We are both certified Permaculture designers, trained to create functional food systems derived from in nature. These systems not only create a more abundant world around us, but empower us to live a more fulfilling, interconnected life. Our strength lies within our commitment to create a broader understanding of Permaculture in the Bloomington community, and based on our experience, this collaboration has also empowered those around us. We push each other every day, doing what we like to call "The Good Work”!
What we have already accomplished:
Last year we went all-in to get the nursery started. We invested in loads of parent stock--those we could use to propagate new plants for years to come. We needed to buy pots to standardize our plant sizes and make sure every customer receives an equally robust and happy plant. We spent several weeks with our interns creating new nursery beds where we could grow-out smaller plants for the following season. And when the time came to show our little seedlings and shrubberies to the public, people immediately recognized the quality of our work. During spring and fall we co-hosted plant sales with Keith Johnson and Peter Bane of Renaissance Farm just outside of Bloomington. We sold out of quite a few offerings in the spring and really worked hard to keep up with the demand this fall. We had many repeat customers, building up a wealth of social capital (now that is our kind of banking!). These connections are what make all of the hard work worth it! We have also found happy homes for a lot of our plants through implementing designs we have done for a diverse range of clients. From broad scale silvopasture projects on W.E. Farm to household scale edible landscapes in Bloomington, it is clear that we are not your typical landscapers. Creating dynamic abundant systems is our goal and it is so rewarding to help others find a path to a more resilient future with plants!
Our spring plant sale display at Renaissance Farm, Bloomington, IN
What the future holds:
The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market: In 2013, Bread and Roses is planning to have a booth at our fantastic local market! Bloomington’s market is an essential resource for our community and has become quite the Saturday tradition. The market is known for its expansive offering of locally crafted and grown products. Getting to market is the main goal of our Kickstarter campaign. We hope to find our niche at market by offering a diverse range of useful plants, mushroom logs, seasonal produce and other farm goodies and a whole heck of a lot of useful information! Our aim is to join our fellow growers and friends at market in order to raise awareness about food security. We cannot imagine a better way to connect with folks than being at market with the thousands of visitors who stroll through each week!
Our Headquarters: Will Holler. Actually, since we eat (stuff our mouths), sleep (rest our heads), and work (busy our brains and bodies) here, I guess Headquarters is fairly appropriate. The Nursery is located about 10 miles south of Bloomington, IN, in the home of Hoosier National Forest. The land is on a 3-acre hollow (or holler as Hoosiers say) owned by Salem Willard, and named in honor of his grandfather, Harlow 'Will' Willard (i.e. Will Holler). This little slice of heaven still remains "off-grid" by choice now after two years--a modest solar array pulls-in electricity, rain catchment tanks and well supply water, wood keeps us warm, and we bring in some propane gas for cooking. Working with and on the land keeps the Earth's welfare foremost one our minds; every time we pick up a shovel, a fallen limb, or a handful of soil. Best of all, being surrounded by the forest is a daily source of exercise and inspiration!
Will Holler, October 2010, weeks before being purchased by Salem
Two years later: Rooftop view of Will Holler, July 2012
Kickstarter Funding: As with most projects there is hardly a limit to the amount of funding we could use. But because anything would help us we are setting our goal low. Here is an idea of what we would be using the funds for.
$5,000: Our Project Goal is to prepare for the 2013 Bloomington Community Farmer's Market. For this purpose we will need to invest more in all of the following: Pots, Plants, Soil Amendments, Plant Tags, Tools, Fruit Tree Root Stock, Catalogue Printing, Signage & Displays, Market Tent and Cart, and Market Fees. Once these basic needs are met to launch forward, we hope to complete many more projects in the upcoming years. We would sincerely appreciate any additional pledges beyond our baseline will help us meet these goals:
$5,000-10,000: Apprentice Stipend & Educational Outreach in order to increase the number of community members well-trained in the art of growing regenerative food, Additional Greenhouse Space to increase plant quantity and variety for future years at market, Increasing Water Catchment Capacity so we can keep up with expanding plant stock
$10,000 and beyond: Nursery Truck so we can have reliable transportation to market every week, Seasonal Employee Wage, Local Advertising via local media such as the WFHB (Bloomington's only local, independent radio station), Additional Deer Protection to keep our nursery plants out of the mouths of our forest neighborsAfter some debate and speculation about where he was going to sign, five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher ultimately landed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not a bad move by Fisher as it gives him a great chance to win a sixth ring before he calls it a career.
Ironically enough, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to do battle with Fisher and the Thunder exactly one week from now on March 29 at the Staples Center. This will no doubt be an emotional game for Fisher, former teammates and the Lakers organization. Despite being a guaranteed tearjerker for some Lakers fans, Kobe Bryant has other plans by saying the following via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com:
“Look, we don’t get five championships by being sympathetic towards each other and kissing each other’s a– during the game,” Bryant said Wednesday when asked about the Lakers’ upcoming game against the Thunder next week. “I’m going to demolish him. He understands that. If he switches off on me in the post, there’s going to be problems. I’m sure he’ll put an elbow right in my back, and that’s why we love each other.”
That is classic Kobe Bryant for you as he will show no mercy to Derek Fisher come next Thursday night at the Staples Center. This should be an absolute battle from start to finish between these two teams and it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a Fisher montage scheduled for halftime to commemorate all the years he spent with the Lakers and the five titles he helped this storied franchise win.
It will be interesting to see if things get a bit chippy in this game as it will no doubt be full of physical play between two teams fighting it out to be the best in the west!Taliban gunmen launched a suicide attack near the presidential palace and CIA offices in Kabul after using fake security passes to get into the fortified diplomatic zone and killing three checkpoint guards.
Attackers jumped out of a vehicle at a roundabout near the Salam Khana (Welcome Home) gate of the presidential palace and opened fire on guards and the former Ariana hotel nearby, which has been used as a CIA base for more than a decade.
A spokesman for the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said the fighting never approached the palace's inner area of homes and offices, which lies behind walls that are dozens of metres thick in places.
Journalists who had gathered for early security checks before a presidential press event witnessed the attackers pile out of a minivan. They fled behind a shrine for shelter, scooping up a young student who had been heading for classes at a nearby school, and took cover as fighting raged for about 90 minutes. All escaped unhurt.
The Taliban claimed responsibility. It was the first complex attack since the group said last week that they were open to peace talks. "This is very much a message that 'we can still do war as well as peace'," said Kate Clark, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network.
Ariana Square, the scene of the attack, is notorious in Afghanistan as the place where the Taliban hung the body of the former president Najibullah from a lamppost when they took control of the city in 1996. Nowadays it is so heavily secured that it is virtually empty of traffic and pedestrians.
The attackers arrived along a road leading up from the river with just one relatively lax checkpoint before the outer palace gate. The other access roads are more heavily guarded with outer checkpoints and then high security posts, where most vehicles and passengers need prior authorisation to continue.
Kabul's police chief, Ayoub Salangi, said the attackers had fake identification from a compound inside the unofficial green zone, which is dotted with embassies, military bases and ministries. "It was clever of the guards at the gate to recognise the fake identification card and when they understood that, they stopped them and two or three attackers jumped out from the vehicle and fighting started," Salangi said.
If the negotiations go ahead they will be the first in the 12-year-long war. Karzai withdrew his government from negotiation plans after the Taliban presented their Doha villa as a quasi-embassy for a government-in-exile with their white flag flying and a name plaque boasting that it housed representatives from the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
The flag and plaque have gone, and the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan is in Kabul to try to convince the president to rejoin talks on peace and a long-term US military presence in the country. Karzai withdrew from the security negotiations in anger at what he said was US duplicity over the peace talks.
Also on Tuesday morning a roadside bomb killed 10 women and children and an elderly man who were travelling in a minibus in southern Kandahar province, the local government said.
Mokhtar Amiri contributed reporting1 Could AC Milan's Nigel de Jong be Man United-bound?
With Manchester United reportedly interested in a move for a former Manchester City star, football statistics experts WhoScored.com analyse the merits of Nigel de Jong, For more Manchester United stats, make sure you check out WhoScored’s Man United page.
Manchester United’s 2-1 loss at Swansea City was only their second in their last 20 competitive fixtures. However, defeat at the Liberty Stadium, coupled with results elsewhere, blew the race for a top four finish wide open. Now only four points separate Arsenal in third and north London rivals Spurs in seventh. United’s ability to grind out results, though, means they remain one of the favourites to secure a Champions League berth next season.
With one eye on a possible return to Europe’s elite competition, Louis van Gaal’s side have supposedly begun to prepare for the upcoming campaign already. Reports in Italy suggest United have agreed personal terms with Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong. The former Manchester City ace, who worked under Van Gaal at the 2014 World Cup, has impressed for Milan this season. Only Jérémy Menez (7.27) has gained a better WhoScored.com rating than De Jong (7.22) of all Rossoneri players to register at least 300 minutes of Serie A action this term.
The tough tackling midfielder’s contract expires in the summer and he has shown no indication that he is willing to extend his stay at San Siro beyond the end of the season. Available on a free, United would be foolish not to take up the opportunity to sign the Premier League experienced Dutchman this summer if he is, as reported, keen to make the move. De Jong spent three-and-a-half seasons with City before signing for Milan in 2012 and his tenacity and energy in the middle of the park would improve this dour United side.
Perhaps De Jong’s best asset is his reading of the game having developed a WhoScored.com strength of ‘ball interception’. Only two players are averaging more interceptions per game in Serie A this season than De Jong (3.7), a return that is better than every United player. His ability to effectively shield the defence not only allows those ahead of him to press forward, but it means the 30-year-old is capable of instigating attacks once he wins the ball back for his side.
Averaging more passes per league game (60.4) than any other current Milan player with an impressive success rate (89.4 per cent) clearly highlights how effective a holding midfielder De Jong is. The player shielding the backline is required to not only win the ball for his side, but recycle possession efficiently, which De Jong does to a very high standard.
With the creative personnel on show at Old Trafford, these two strengths would allow the likes of Ander Herrera, Ángel Di María and Wayne Rooney, among others, to exert themselves further forward, safe in the knowledge that De Jong is covering for the more offensive performers.
An average of 2.3 tackles per Serie A match also indicates how he does not shirk from the physical battle on the pitch. Having previously worked under Van Gaal, the United boss knows exactly what he would be getting with De Jong. The battling Netherlands international has continuously excelled in an underwhelming Milan side and few would begrudge him a move to a team that harbours Champions League aspirations.
Considering he is available on a free in the summer, and with no confirmation over whether United are prepared to extend Michael Carrick’s stay at Old Trafford, the club would be wise to seal an agreement with De Jong ahead of the end of the season.
You can follow all the scores, statistics and live player and team ratings with the new free-to-download WhoScored iOS appTessel 2 and its relay module
What is Tessel 2?
Tessel 2 is a Wi-Fi-enabled development board programmable in JavaScript with Node.js. The first units shipped this month. There is a lot that I like about Tessel 2:
It is high-level. JavaScript and Node.js greatly lower the barrier of entry since there are so many developers familiar with these technologies.
JavaScript and Node.js greatly lower the barrier of entry since there are so many developers familiar with these technologies. It works out of the box. Take the device, plug it, push some JavaScript, and it does its magic! There is no need to install your own Linux distribution or additional software.
Take the device, plug it, push some JavaScript, and it does its magic! There is no need to install your own Linux distribution or additional software. It is autonomous. Thanks to its powerful hardware, built-in Wi-Fi and Node.js, it runs independently from other computers or even cables (except for power).
Thanks to its powerful hardware, built-in Wi-Fi and Node.js, it runs independently from other computers or even cables (except for power). It is open. The Tessel 2 software and hardware are open source. In fact, Tessel is not even a company but “just a collection of people who find it worthwhile to spend [their] time building towards the Tessel Project mission.”
It short Tessel 2 seems perfect for playing with IoT!
From JavaScript to Scala
As soon as I got my Tessel 2, I followed the tutorial to get a basic hang of it, and that went quite smoothly.
But my plan all along had been to use Scala on Tessel 2. You might know Scala primarily as a server-side language running on the Java VM. But Scala also compiles to JavaScript thanks to Scala.js, and it does it spectacularly well.
So I set to do something simple like toggling relays, but in Scala instead of JavaScript. Here are the rough steps:
setup a Scala.js sbt project
write an app calling the Tessel LED and relay module APIs
run sbt fullOptJs to compile the Scala code to optimized JavaScript
to compile the Scala code to optimized JavaScript run t2 run target/scala-2.11/tessel-scala-opt.js to deploy the resulting JavaScript to Tessel
After I figured out a couple of tweaks ( scalaJSOutputWrapper and.tesselinclude ), it just worked! Here is the code:
object Demo extends js.JSApp { def main(): Unit = { println(s"starting with node version ${g.process.version}") val tessel = g.require("tessel") val relayMono = g.require("relay-mono") val relay = relayMono.use(tessel.port.A) relay.on("ready", () ⇒ { println("Relay ready!") js.timers.setInterval(2.seconds) { relay.toggle(1) } js.timers.setInterval(1.seconds) { relay.toggle(2) } }) relay.on("latch", (channel: Int, value: Boolean) ⇒ { println(s"Latch on relay channel $channel switched to $value") if (value) tessel.led.selectDynamic((channel + 1).toString).on() else tessel.led.selectDynamic((channel + 1).toString).off() }) } }
Notice how I can call Tessel APIs from Scala without much ado. When used this way, Scala.js works like JavaScript: it’s all dynamic.
Types and facades
But a major reason to use Scala instead of JavaScript is to get help from types. So after that initial attempt I wrote some minimal facades for the Tessel and Node APIs I needed. Facades expose typed APIs to Scala, which allows the compiler to check that you are calling the APIs properly, and also gives your text editor a chance to provide autocompletion and suggestions. You can see this in action in IntelliJ:
Code completion in IntelliJ
Here are the minimal facades I have so far:
Along the way I realized that working on facades is also a great way to learn APIs in depth! This is the resulting code (which you can find on github):
object Demo extends js.JSApp { def main(): Unit = { println(s"starting with node version ${g.process.version}") val tessel = Tessel() val relayMono = RelayMono() val relay = relayMono.use(tessel.port.A) relay.onReady { println("Relay ready!") js.timers.setInterval(2.seconds) { relay.toggle(1) } js.timers.setInterval(1.seconds) { relay.toggle(2) } } relay.onLatch { (channel, value) ⇒ println(s"Latch on relay channel $channel switched to $value") if (value) tessel.led(channel + 1).on() else tessel.led(channel + 1).off() } } }
As you can see, it’s not very different from the dynamic example, except that I now get help from the editor and compiler.
Why do this, again?
Now you might argue that in both cases the code looks more or less like JavaScript, so why go through the trouble?
It’s true that, superficially, JavaScript and Scala look very similar in these examples. But underneath there is Scala’s type system at work, and this is for me the main reason to want to use that language.
This said, there is more, such as:
Immutability by default. I like this because it helps reduce errors and works great with functional programming idioms.
I like this because it helps reduce errors and works great with functional programming idioms. Collections. Scala has a very complete collection library, including immutable collections (but you can also use mutable collections).
Scala has a very complete collection library, including immutable collections (but you can also use mutable collections). Functional programming. Scala was designed for functional from the get go and has some pretty neat functional programming third-party libraries too.
And I could go on with features like case classes, pattern matching and destructuring, for-comprehensions, and more. But I should also mention a few drawbacks of using Scala instead of JavaScript:
Harder language. Scala is a super interesting language, but no matter how you look at it, it is a bigger beast than JavaScript.
Scala is a super interesting language, but no matter how you look at it, it is a bigger beast than JavaScript. Executable size. Scala.js has an amazing optimizer which also strips the resulting JavaScript from pretty much any unused bit of code. Still, you will likely have resulting files which are larger than what you would get by writing JavaScript by hand. So expect your app to yield uncompressed JavaScript files in the order of a few hundreds of KB (much smaller when compressed). Tessel doesn’t seem to have any issues with that so far, so it might not be a problem at all, but it’s worth keeping an eye on this as Tessel doesn’t have Gigabytes of RAM.
Scala.js has an amazing optimizer which also strips the resulting JavaScript from pretty much any unused bit of code. Still, you will likely have resulting files which are larger than what you would get by writing JavaScript by hand. So expect your app to yield uncompressed JavaScript files in the order of a few hundreds of KB (much smaller when compressed). Tessel doesn’t seem to have any issues with that so far, so it might not be a problem at all, but it’s worth keeping an eye on this as Tessel doesn’t have Gigabytes of RAM. Compilation step. There is a compilation and optimization step in addition to publishing the software to Tessel. For my very simple demo, this takes a couple of seconds only. For larger projects, the time will increase. Now this is very manageable thanks to sbt’s incremental compilation, and if you consider that pushing a project to Tessel can take several seconds anyway, I would say that right now it’s not an issue.
So who would want to program Tessel in Scala? Probably not everybody, but it’s a great option to have if you already know the language or are interested in learning it, especially if you are going to write large amounts of code.
What’s next?
I plan to continue playing with Tessel 2 and Scala. The next step is to try to do something fun (and maybe even useful) beyond blinking LEDs and relays!In the year that we are now parting with, 5774, it became dangerous once again to be a Jew. Israel, subject to sustained missile attack, discovered how hard it is to fight an asymmetric war against a terrorist group ruthless enough to place rocket launchers beside schools, hospitals and mosques. It found itself condemned by large sections of the world for performing the first duty of any state, namely to protect its citizens from danger and death.
Anti-Semitism returned to the streets of Europe. One hundred and twenty years after the Dreyfus trial, the cry “Death to the Jews” was heard again in Paris. Seventy years after the Holocaust, the call of “Jews to the gas” was heard on the streets of Germany. There were times when it felt as if the ghost of a past we thought long dead had risen to haunt us. More times than was comfortable, I heard Jews say, “For the first time in my life I feel afraid.”
Let us stay with those fears and confront them directly. We are not back in the 1930s. To the contrary, for the first time in the almost 4,000 years of Jewish history, we have, simultaneously, independence and sovereignty in the Land and State of Israel, and freedom and equality in the Diaspora. Israel is strong, extraordinarily so. The success of the Iron Dome missile defense was the latest in an astonishing line of technological advances — not just military, but also agricultural, medical and commercial — designed to protect, save and enhance life.
Israel has lived with the disdain of the world for a very long time. Even the most lukewarm among us knows that it is infinitely preferable to have a State of Israel and the condemnation of the world than to have no Israel, no Jewish home and the sympathy of the world.
The unity Israel showed during the Gaza conflict was deeply moving. It reminded us that in a profound existential sense we remain one people. Whether or not we share a covenant of faith, we share a covenant of fate. That is a good state to be in as we face the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, when we stand before God not just as individuals but also as a people.
As for anti-Semitism, rarely has it been more self-evident that the hate that starts with Jews never ends with Jews. The most significant enemies of the Jews today are the enemies of freedom everywhere. Worldwide we may feel uncomfortable, anxious, but there are parts of the world where Christians are being butchered, beheaded, driven from their homes and living in terror.
As for Muslims, one prominent academic recently estimated that of the hundreds dying daily, at least 90% were doing so at the hands of their fellow Muslims. Bahai are at risk. So are the Yazidis. So, in other parts of the world, are Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and, for that matter, atheists. No historian looking back on our time will be tempted to call it the age of tolerance.
Which brings us back to the Yamim Noraim. There is a note of universality to the prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that we do not find on other festivals. On other festivals, the key section of the Amidah prayer begins “Atah bechartanu mikol ha-amim,” “You chose us from among all the nations.” The emphasis is on Jewish singularity. On the Yamim Noraim the parallel prayer begins, “And so place the fear of the Lord our God, over all that You have made… so that all of creation will worship You.” The emphasis is on human solidarity. And human solidarity is what the world needs right now.
One message resonates through these days: life. “Remember us for life, King who delights in life, and write us in the book of life for your sake, God of life.” We sometimes forget how radical this was when Judaism first entered the world. Egypt of the Pharaohs was obsessed with death. Life is full of suffering and pain. Death is where we join the gods. The great pyramids and temples were homages to death.
Anthropologists and social psychologists still argue today that the reason religion exists is because of people’s fear of death. Which makes it all the more remarkable that — despite our total and profound belief in olam haba and techiyat ha-metim, life after death and the resurrection of the dead — there is almost nothing of this in most of the books of the Bible. It is an astonishing phenomenon. All of Kohelet’s cynicism and Job’s railing against injustice could have been answered in one sentence: “There is life after death.” Yet neither book explicitly says so.
To the contrary, King David said in a psalm that we say daily: “What gain would there be if I died and went down to the grave? Can dust thank you? Can it declare your truth?”
Almost at the end of his life, Moses turned to the next generation and said to them: “Choose life, so that you and your children may live.” We take this for granted, forgetting how relatively rare in the history of religion this is.
Why so? Why, if we believe the soul is immortal, that there is life after death and that this world is not all there is, do we not say so more often and more loudly? Because since civilization began, heaven has too often been used as an excuse for injustice and violence down here on earth. What evil can you not commit if you believe you will be rewarded for it in the world to come? That is the logic of the terrorist and the suicide bomber. It is the logic of those who burned “heretics” at the stake in order, so they said, to save their immortal souls.
Against this horrific mindset the whole of Judaism is a protest. Justice and compassion have to be fought for in this life, not the next. Judaism is not directed to fear of death; it is directed to a far more dangerous fear: fear of life with all its pain and disappointment and unpredictability. It is fear of life, not fear of death, that has led people to create totalitarian states and fundamentalist religions. Fear of life is ultimately fear of freedom. That is why fear of life takes the form
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can do the same. When it comes to learning Kotlin (or any new language really), this is absolutely crucial.
Alright, you made it! I know that’s quite a bit to chew on — maybe some obvious, maybe some not. But I hope it helps get you on the right path to joining us in Kotlinland!
If this article was helpful to you, please do hit the 💚 button below. Thanks!
We’re hard at work making the Basecamp 3 Android app better every day (in Kotlin, of course). Please check it out!It's a photo that measures all of three by three inches in our September issue, but the letters about it started to flood my inbox literally the day Glamour hit newsstands. (As editor-in-chief, I pay attention to this stuff!) "I am gasping with delight...I love the woman on p 194!" said one...then another, and another, andanotherandanotherandanother. So...who is she? And what on earth is so special about her?
UPDATE: *See the body image revolution started by your amazing comments below.*Here's the deal: The picture wasn't of a celebrity. It wasn't of a supermodel. It was of a woman sitting in her underwear with a smile on her face and a belly that looks...wait for it...normal.
I'd loved this photo at first sight myself--we'd commissioned it for a story on feeling comfortable in your skin, and wanted a model who looked like she was. But even so, the letters blew me away: "the most amazing photograph I've ever seen in any women's magazine," wrote one reader in Pavo, Georgia. From another in Somerset, Massachusetts: "This beautiful woman has a real stomach and did I even see a few stretch marks? This is how my belly looks after giving birth to my two amazing kids! This photo made me want to shout from the rooftops."
The emails were filled with such joy--joy at seeing a woman's body with all the curves and quirks and rolls found in nature. (Raising a question: With all the six-packs out there, do you even know what a normal belly looks like anymore--other than the one you see in the mirror?)
So what's the story behind the photo? "The woman on p. 194" is actually 20-year-old model Lizzi Miller, and this is her second appearance in Glamour, shot by fashion photographer Walter Chin. A size 12-14 and avid softball player/belly dancer ("I like exercising when it's fun"), Lizzi moved to New York City from San Jose three years ago to become a model (a "plus-size" one by modeling industry standards, though hello, at size 12 she's actually "normal size"...but I digress).
"When I was young I really struggled with my body and how it looked because I didn't understand why my friends were so effortlessly skinny," Lizzi told me. "As I got older I realized that everyone's body is different and not everyone is skinny naturally--me included! I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn't perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it's not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too."
As for the letters, Lizzi's loving them. "When I read them I got teary-eyed!" she says. "I've been that girl, flipping through magazines trying to find just one person who looked a little bit like me. And when I didn't find it I would start to think there's something wrong with the way that I looked. When J. Lo and Beyoncé came out and were making curves sexy, I started to accept myself more. It's funny, but just seeing them look and feel sexy enabled me to do the same." Lizzi, now you're doing the same for all of us--massive congrats on that.
We had some rollicking debates in this blog last week about "fattism" and the TV shows for plus-size women. So let's start off this week with something we can all get behind: a toast to the woman on p. 194, and to the spectacular sexiness of owning who you are. Trust me, Glamour's listening, and this only strengthens our commitment to celebrating all kinds of beauty.Last month my second book was released: 'Killer Games' Versus 'We Will Fund Violence' The Perception of Digital Games and Mass Media in Germany and Australia". Where my first book was my German Master's thesis (and was about gaming behind the Iron Curtain), this one is my Ph.D.
So what is it all about?
While the assessment of digital games in Germany was framed by a high-culture critique, which regarded them as an 'illegitimate' activity, in Australia they were enjoyed by a comparatively wide demographic as a 'legitimate' pastime.
In the thesis I analysed the social history of digital gaming in both countries and related it to their socio-cultural traditions and their effects on modes of distinction. Basically, you can tell why Germany has issues with this type of media by looking into why Australia does not.
Germany, as a European Kulturnation, had a different history and different 'foundational dynamics' than Australia, a New-World society built on premises which consciously distanced themselves from their Old-World heritage.
Foundational dynamics signify the socio-cultural and historical forces which shaped a distinct national conscience and dominant identity constructions during the countries' founding phase. These constructions did not stay without an impact on the perception of different kinds of aesthetics.
Closely related to the uptake of culture was the issue of distinction, the cultural demarcation between social groups: By a conspicuous refusal of other tastes, a class tries to depict its own lifestyle as something superior. A country like Germany, whose national self-conception was closely related to groups which perpetuated an idealistic notion of Kultur and later integrated it into a rigid class system, exhibited a different form of distinction than Australia.
To put it differently: A country which based its national archetype on the myth of the bushman developed a different national conscience than a country whose ruling class defines itself very much in terms of high-cultural achievements.
The thesis demonstrates how forms of distinction, shaped by different foundational dynamics, asserted themselves regarding the perception of mass culture to the point where digital games were the latest medium to be surrounded by established patterns of criticism and enthusiasm. To make this point clear it gives a detailed history of previous introductions of mass culture and with which reactions they were met on part of Germany and Australia and their modes of distinction.
Due to its history and cultural traditions, Germany strongly opposed mass media – as can be seen in the uptake of the cinema, radio and television – whereas Australians were always comparatively enthusiastic about the latest iteration of mass art, games included. It was something that confirmed Australian identity whereas it threatened Germany's.
The thesis is the first social history of gaming in both countries.
On the other hand it also offer unique insights into the national unconscious of the two countries by means of analysing the uptake of mass media.
So if you're interested in digital games, media history, the social history of Germany and Australia, demographics and target groups in these countries or their capacity to produce internationally appealing media content, this book is for you.
Get it here or here.
-JensAn east London team who once had crowds of fewer than 50 are now getting 10 times that number with a new following from all over the world, and there is a political message to go with the football
The scene is unspectacular from a distance, a dilapidated shell of a building overlooking a pitch that has seen greener days. Supported by scaffolding, this crumbling non-league shed in the heart of east London would cause few passersby to pause for thought. If they did, though, the daubing within might pique their interest. Scrawled on pipes and the back wall are defiant words, phrases including: “Football without fans is nothing,” and: “Your heart is a muscle the size of a fist. Keep loving. Keep fighting.”
There are eye-catching stickers too, depictions ranging from Che Guevara to a celebration of the 1958 Wales team. There is graffiti paying homage to Málaga, St Pauli and Wrexham, but the most striking sight by far is an adaptation of the Barclays Premier League logo, with a soldier sat on a ball pointing a rifle.
A glimpse, then, into life at the Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate and the world of Clapton FC, a club formed in 1878 who play in the Essex Senior League (ESL), part of the ninth tier of the English pyramid. What has happened here in recent years must go down as one of the more remarkable tales outside the professional game, a movement where politics and football have become entwined.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Clapton fan shows their support, with the T-shirt slogan: ‘Sometimes anti-social, always anti-fascist’. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris for the Guardian
The club have a rich history, having won the FA Amateur Cup five times in the early 20th century and being the place where Walter Tull – one of Britain’s first black players who served as an army officer – began his career.
Clapton has changed somewhat over the years. Now, every other Saturday the aptly named Scaffold Brigada (Brigade) descend on their Graceland. They are hundreds of English, Italian, Spanish and Polish fans, individuals who share a love for Clapton and vehemently support the antifascist movement. Those with racist, sexist or homophobic views are not welcome here, an admirable stance that has attracted some undesirable attention; during pre-season they were attacked by individuals associated with the English Defence League before a match at Thamesmead.
Last season Clapton recorded an official attendance of 519 for one game, although the unofficial number was said to be almost 600. The average gate was just short of 200, dwarfing all other teams in the ESL who are a mix of amateur and semi-professional sides.
To put the figure into context, on the same day that Clapton were watched by 225 people against Enfield 1893 at the end of August, elsewhere in the division Eton Manor and Barking played out a 1-1 draw in front of 20 spectators. Home attendances this season are almost double those at the equivalent point in 2014-15.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Supporters enter the Old Spotted Dog Ground, Clapton’s home since 1888. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris for the Guardian
“It started three or four years ago when a small group of friends wanted to support a local team who they could afford to watch every week,” says Dan James, a member of the self-styled Clapton Ultras. “A place without the corporate nature and restrictions of Premier League football, where you can’t stand up and it’s very expensive.
“The ultras tag is a tongue-in-cheek thing. We do have this political connection, a lot of people who come generally have not felt comfortable going to football elsewhere because of racism, sexism or homophobia.”
It may be a moniker born from jest, yet some Clapton fans certainly behave like ultras, albeit nonviolent ones. During their match against Enfield there was more than one “Capo” dressed in black at the front of the crowd, orchestrating chants behind them. There were also numerous flags on display, many reading: “Sometimes antisocial, always antifascist,” and one prominently placed that simply said: “Get in the sea Nazis.”
A few hours previously and this ground was a sedate corner in a bustling community. As the midday August sun beat down the only people present were volunteers, among them Gordon putting the nets up diligently before taking his place on the turnstile, with the manager, Mike Walther, laying out his team’s kit in the changing room.
The chief executive, Vincent McBean, was also an early arrival. McBean, dressed in a suit and easily distinguishable throughout the day, took one glance at the playing surface and hastily went in search of sprinklers. At first he struggled to get them functioning, the hose old and charred from when a nearby storage block was set on fire in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings, by unassociated individuals angry that Asians were allowed to play here.
Soon, however, McBean was content, water spurting erratically on to his parched turf in preparation for a second home league match of the campaign. “We need a win today,” says the chief executive of eight years, before discussing Clapton’s meteoric rise in support.
“Shortly after I first arrived this club was condemned by the Ryman League, we couldn’t play any football here,” says McBean. “The ground had work that needed doing before it could reopen. Now we’re looking for over 1,000 [fans]. What they like to do is come here and watch football at an affordable price in a safe environment. We have a lot of laughs, they ask me to spend more money. When we had our presentations last year the fans were singing songs about all the junior players, the under‑15s and others. It made them feel so good.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Vincent McBean, chief executive of Clapton FC. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris for the Guardian
In a pub nearby, those fans are beginning to gather. The ale is flowing and the noise rising, bubbling in anticipation ahead of their first Saturday home game of the season. One of the many Italian tifosi offers birthday cake to the throng, while a dark and potent-looking spirit is passed around freely.
“We are here because we love the atmosphere, having fun, chanting at the ground and drinking a bit,” says Matteo from Lecce. “It’s a bit like how it used to be in Italy in the 1990s. Having fun at the stadium in England is not possible, but here it’s pure fun. As well as this, there are all the social activities involved in the fight against racism, homophobia and sexism. All of us have a political background and we support these fights.”
Jesús, a young supporter of the La Liga side Rayo Vallecano who wanted to take up the left-wing cause in England after being involved in Spain, is similarly emphatic about Clapton’s work outside of football. “We were first attracted by the antifascist movement. We came down for a match, met all the people and saw the nice atmosphere,” he says. “We used to follow Vallecano and we miss that. They are doing similar things, so we thought we should follow this team.”
The incident at Thamesmead has not deterred these supporters, however unnerving it may have been. Clapton’s fans say they were warned of a potential far-right threat before that match – having previously been subjected to online hostility last season – but even they were not expecting to be jumped at the gates before a meaningless pre-season fixture.
The Metropolitan police have launched an investigation, describing the fracas thus: “100 people fighting and missiles being thrown. Many of those fighting were wearing face coverings and using weapons. One vehicle parked at the ground was damaged during the disorder.” McBean described the attack as grotesque.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Clapton Ultras sticker promoting donations to the local foodbank, specifically to help out refugees and migrants. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris for the Guardian
Kevin Blowe, a Clapton supporter involved in community projects, said: “Thamesmead was a very unusual incident and pretty alarming. We don’t go out of our way to seek that sort of thing, that’s not what we’re about. We don’t want confrontations with anybody.
“We do regular food bank collections, specifically for the refugee and migrant projects. It goes to people with no recourse to public funds, those who are shut out of state aid. We started doing it regularly last season and people have been amazing, bringing box-loads of stuff.”
Soon enough, Kevin, Matteo and Jesús are under the scaffolding, bellowing loudly along with 200 other comrades who have paid the £6 entry fee. Concerns of violence are a world away, replaced by ebullient songs as their side go ahead against Enfield.
The five opposition fans who have made the journey take the 3-0 defeat well, a comfortable victory set in motion thanks to an early, cool finish from Warren Mfula, a 25-year-old accountant. More noise follows as the score increases, from chants of “Forza Clapton” to songs about the Polish lager Tyskie. When the ball hits the back of the net for a second time, “2-0 and Maggie Thatcher’s dead” reverberates around the ground.
At the final whistle, Walther and his players – none of whom are paid by the club – congregate in front of the scaffold to show their appreciation. “It can be a bit of a surreal feeling when there’s so many here, normally at this level you are lucky to get 30-40,” said the manager. “Sometimes it can stop the players from being as focused as they should be, but at other times it can bring you back into a game if you are behind. Some players rise and others feel the pressure.”
Mfula is certainly one who excels in the limelight. The forward recently returned to Clapton following a spell at their ESL rivals Ilford and struggled to believe the swell in supporter numbers. He cartwheels in front of the supporters after the win, conducting their celebrations and embracing the post-match revelry.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Clapton players celebrate with their supporters after the 3-0 win over Enfield 1893. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris for the Guardian
“When I came back to Clapton I was completely shocked. Before you could count the number of fans on your hand but now there are hundreds. I couldn’t believe it and didn’t know what was going on. They have songs for the players, they come down even in the middle of winter,” says Mfula.
“At this level, to have such support is unbelievable. We are very blessed. You feel like you’re playing in the Premier League, when you score and everyone’s singing your name it’s a lovely feeling. You don’t want the moment to end.”
The fans, who dismiss the notion that they are merely a group of football-keen hipsters, begin to disperse. Many will reconvene to continue the festivities, others heading home to reflect on three satisfactory points.
“I had been supporting West Ham all my life but I became priced out of modern football,” reflects another fan, Steve, deciding which watering hole the ultras should head to next. “It’s now a corporate business. But over the last few years at Clapton I’ve met the most amazing group of people.”The Light & The Dark...
Visit my website tracielouise.com... all images used in my articles are taken by me, unless otherwise stated.
Sometimes its hard being a Pisces. Two little fishes swimming in opposite directions. There is the peace-loving, tree-hugging, positive, upbeat, contemporary hippie me, looking for a world of beauty and meaning. And then theres the in-your-face, punk rocking, rebellious, anarchist, who just wants to rage against the establishment all day long.At first glance it might seem like these two people are polar opposites, and in a way they are. But just as every coin has two sides, every person has different and sometimes polar opposite sides to themselves. And thats not a bad thing.I think that the danger can be to believe that we must always be positive, and happy and upbeat, and deny or suppress feelings of anger if and when they arise. I do agree that there is no point wallowing in anger or depression. Its an OK place to visit as long as you dont take up residence. And certainly there are times when an angry reaction is to be expected, even warranted. The important thing is how we choose to deal with those feelings and where we then channel that energy.Directing it at another person is rarely ever helpful, and can do far more damage. Some people prefer the physical exercise (or even punching a pillow) approach. Its a good way to expel the negative energy without doing any further harm. Me, I love punk music. Angry, rebellious, anti-establishment, political pop punk music. Not everyones cup of tea I know, but in my life there is definitely a place for it.Once upon awhile ago, it was all I listened to. I wore a lot of black clothing leather and rubber jewellery, lots of eyeliner, and walked around pretty damn angry at the world and all who were in it. I wasnt exactly Gothic, but I did have a pretty dark attitude back then. I rarely do that anymore. But life isnt all sunshine and roses, even if we want it to be. Negative things happen. I seriously believe they happen for a whole host of reasons, and some truly positive things can come out of very bad situations.But life on this planet is a duality. We have light and dark good and bad. And sometimes the difference is merely a matter of perspective. Changing the outcome can be as simple as changing your point of view. I have experienced first hand many occasions when the seemingly worst thing happened, only to have it be for my greatest good in the light of another day. I am currently experiencing a dark night of the soul with regard to my living situation, but rather than choose to see it as the horrible step backwards that outward appearances would have you believe I am making the choice to see this as my chrysalis period my day in the cocoon. For some as yet unrevealed reason, I need this time to grow and develop until one day I can emerge into the light of my new purpose. Its hard not to get impatience. Its difficult sometimes not to feel down. But just as every day must have its night, each of us experiences both the good and the apparently not so good. How we face those challenges is what will define us.And as for this little peace loving hippie chick I think a little pop-punk Greenday blaring from the stereo now and then isnt such a bad thing. After all, if it wasnt for the darkness, we wouldnt have sunrises.Me, Myself & I - the forbidden dark art of roped soloing, for climbers who either need to know in order to make the ultimate climb come true, or those who just like technique 'nerdiness'.
Andy Kirkpatrick is an award winning author and one of the UK’s leading big wall climbers, having made twenty four ascents of El Cap (including three solo ascents), as well as walls in the Alps, Patagonia, Norway and Antarctica - often by the hardest lines, and generally in winter. He has also specialised in solo climbing, with multiple ascents and ‘near ascents’ to his credit, on walls that many deemed too dangerous for hard solo ascents (Eiger North Face and Troll Wall for example).
Me, Myself & I draws on fifteen years of experience on these solo projects, as well as nearly thirty years of general climbing experience, to bring the most specialised big wall instruction book ever written for climbers. Rope soloing will be undertaken by less than 1% of climbers, yet these skills open up the potential for the equivalent of an 'Iron Man' for climbers, to scale the biggest walls - alone and safely.
How this book came about...
Climbers have been asking me for years to write more about the dark art of rope soloing, and I’ve tried to cover some aspects on my blog, plus coached others by email. But what is needed is a more in-depth manual, that covers every aspect of the big wall solo, as well as comprehensive and clear diagrams - something I’ve never been able to do for free content.
Why Kickstarter...
The number of people asking for advice has increased over the years, and spiked when I coached Steve Bates (who has only 5% vision left) to solo El Cap in 2013. More and more people wanted to know the tricks that allowed him to pull it off, the level of information needed way beyond the scope of an email. I started asking people what this info was worth, and the reply was “a lot”. I then asked if they’d put their money where their mouths was, and if they’d pay up front, and again the answer was “yes”.
Kickstarter offers the opportunity for people to do this, and if not enough people want to pay up front for the time needed to produce the book, then no sweat (after all I learned the hard way, and that’s part of the game of big wall soloing).
What does the e-book cover?
The book will be by far the most in-depth instructional big wall roped soloing book ever written.
Although aimed at roped soloing, the book will cover many, many subjects that cross over into rock climbing, alpinism and mountaineering - as well as the training and psychology involved, making it relevant to anyone who has an active interest in these areas.
The book will be highly interactive, including a large number of photographs, diagrams and videos.
Like many of my books this will not be a dry and dull book, but will try and bring the spirit of big walling into every page, covering what you need to know, as well as my own and others stories to inspire you.
The book structure will cover:
Why solo? (Picking an objective, Strategy and tactics)
Psychology
Pre-planning
Equipment (Specialised Solo belay devices, Adapted solo belay devices, Ropes, bags, Big wall checklist)
Pre-solo
Training and fitness
Solo training
Techniques and systems
Leading - Basic principles and dangers
Basic single rope solo
Classic rope big wall solo system
Continuous loop system
Death Loop
Hauling - Basic principles and dangers
Alpine style
Russian harness haul
Classic Yosemite haul
Advanced hauling
Cleaning
Survival (Descent, Retreat, First aid, Bivying, Storms)
Advanced techniques
Alpine walls
Capsule style
Encountering other teams
Speed climbing - short fixing
Speed climbing - solo speedPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The city of Philadelphia cannot evict a local Boy Scouts chapter from a city-owned building for refusing to admit gays, a federal jury ruled Wednesday.
The city had insisted that nonprofits given free use of its property must abide by local anti-discrimination laws, which include equal protection for gays. But the jury found the city's reason violated the local scout council's First Amendment rights.
"We do hope that eventually national (Boy Scouts of America) will change its minds. But at this point, the Cradle of Liberty (Council) is still obligated to follow its policy," said foreman Merrill Arbogast, 40, of Reinholds, a trucker and former Eagle Scout.
In their lawsuit, the scouts had sought an injunction barring the city from evicting them, or charging $200,000 a year in rent, on their stately Beaux Arts headquarters building.
While the verdict gives weight to their request, the judge did not immediately issue the ban. Instead, he told jurors the city's anti-discrimination policy is "principled" and said he hoped the two "honorable institutions" could work something out.
"The city defended this suit in a very principled way, in an area of the law that is highly nuanced — Constitutional Law — and highly unpredictable," U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter told jurors after the verdict.
In his view, he said, the city can still terminate the lease under the 1928 agreement, which was designed to give nonprofits free rent if they maintained the sites. However, the city must terminate the lease for a legally permissible reason, not because of an organization's views.
"From now on, the Boy Scouts will be negotiating from a position of strength," said lawyer Jason Gosselin, who represents the scouts. "The city can't come in and impose its views on what the scouts ought to do."
He hopes negotiations with the city will resume. The city was reviewing its legal options.
"While the good work of the Boy Scouts cannot be disputed, the city remains steadfast in its commitment to prevent its facilities from being used to disadvantage certain groups," the city said in a statement.
The eight-day trial followed a decade of sometimes heated discussions stemming from a 2000 Supreme Court decision that said the Boy Scouts, as a private group, can exclude gays from membership. Some public and private donors around the country withdrew support.
In Philadelphia, the Cradle of Liberty Council tried to walk a fine line between appeasing the city, the United Way and other supporters and the Irving, Texas-based Boy Scouts of America.
In 2003, it enacted its own nondiscrimination policy but was forced to retrench when the Boy Scouts of America ordered it to conform with national rules. The chapter later enacted a statement that says it doesn't tolerate illegal discrimination. "We felt that they were between a rock and a hard place," said Arbogast, the jury foreman.
There has been just one known case of a gay scout being ousted from the Philadelphia chapter, although the city argued that many more may be scared off by the national policy.
Greg Lattera, 25, testified that scouting meant the world to him as an inner-city child. He said he did not intend to become a flag bearer for gay rights when he spoke about being gay while wearing his scout uniform in a TV news interview. "We felt he was used, a pawn for certain groups' agenda," Arbogast said.Image caption Libyan rebels battled Col Gaddafi's forces in the port town of Ras Lanuf on Wednesday
The US national intelligence director has predicted embattled Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi will defeat the rebels challenging his grip on power.
James Clapper told the US Senate that Col Gaddafi's superior military force would prevail over the long term.
And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US would not act in Libya without international authorisation.
Meanwhile, Libyan rebels are fleeing the port of Ras Lanuf after sustained attacks by Col Gaddafi's forces.
In Washington, Mr Clapper, who is the top intelligence adviser to US President Barack Obama, told the Senate he saw no evidence Col Gaddafi would step down from power and warned his military was stronger than had previously been described.
'Hunkering down'
"Gaddafi is in this for the long haul," Mr Clapper said.
"I don't think he has any intention, despite some of the press speculation to the contrary, of leaving. From all evidence that we have... he appears to be hunkering down for the duration."
Analysis US President Barack Obama wants the US to have a new relationship with the world, and this is a critical test of his approach. To some, his reluctance to order military action looks like hesitation and weakness. It always has and always will irritate those who want an unapologetically aggressive America storming ahead, out front, leading those who have the guts to follow. That is not Mr Obama's way. In part, he was elected in reaction to the Iraq war and he's very serious about acting in concert with the international community. His style is very deliberative, very rigorous, rather academic. In the White House there's a curious mixture of an emotional attachment to the cause of democracy-loving rebels and a hard headed pragmatism: Libya is not seen as a vital national interest, in the way that Egypt Bahrain and Yemen are, and they don't want to get tied down in one country when more important challenges may be around the next corner. Read Mark's thoughts in full
In response to calls from some senior US Senate figures to establish a no-fly zone, Mr Clapper said Col Gaddafi's air defences were "quite substantial" and included Russian surface-to-air missile installations.
He said the Libyan military - which has an airforce of dozens of fighter jets, helicopters and transport craft - had attacked rebels but that the pilots "can't shoot straight" and had not inflicted many casualties.
Analysis contradicted
Also, Mr Clapper said one possible outcome could be the splitting of Libya into three autonomous states.
Later, Mr Obama's National Security Adviser Tom Donilon sought to temper Mr Clapper's remarks on Col Gaddafi's strength, suggesting his was a "static and one-dimensional analysis".
Mr Donilon told reporters the pressure of sanctions and the threat of the international community could overcome Col Gaddafi's military might.
Also on Thursday, the US revoked the diplomatic status of the Libyan envoys remaining in the embassy in Washington and suspended the embassy's operations.
Mrs Clinton said the US would meet representatives of the Libyan opposition, but emphasised the US would not undertake military action unilaterally.
"We're looking to see whether there is any willingness in the international community to provide any authorisation for further steps," she told a panel of the US House of Representatives.
"Absent international authorisation, the US acting alone would be stepping into a situation whose consequences are unforeseeable."There are moments when we can hear it loud and clear, in our inner world. Yet, we don’t dare to follow it, we think that, “Maybe I’m wrong.” Then we regret it. What does it take from us to actually listen to our intuition?
Reclaiming our gift
We were born with the gift of intuition, known also by the name of “gut feeling”. Both psychology and spirituality agree upon the effects that intuition has on our lives: it helps us, it improves our lives.
Carl Jung defined it as the perception of the unconscious. In his view, intuition is an irrational function that human beings possess and which, by an unconscious process, provides creative ideas and solutions to problems. In books of spirituality, like Angela Artemis’s book, “The Intuition Principle: How to Attract the Life You Dream of “, intuition is defined as the higher type of knowledge which connects the earthly knowledge with God’s knowledge (called also Greater Intelligence knowledge). In other words, intuition is the knowledge which connects us to the source of life from where we came.
In light of my personal experiences, intuition is the inner voice that tells us what people and experiences are suitable for the harmonic growth of our true self.
No matter how we define it or what kind of role we assign to it, we know when we feel it.
Intuition can manifest itself in the form of pure joy when we are fulfilling our true destiny. For example, if someone offers us a job and we are overwhelmed with joy, then we know that our most reliable consultant, the intuition, has spoken to us. We want to take up that offer.
On the other hand, if we are hesitant about someone or something, then it may be better to avoid getting too involved.
Connecting to intuition is one thing, acting upon it is a totally different kettle of fish
In our house, the remote control is lost on a daily basis – my toddler likes to hide it each day in a different place. I like to let the intuition take me to the place where the remote control can be.
Every time, after a few moments of panic, I empty my mind and let the body be in charge. One day I found it in the cupboard, among the piles of dishes and pots.
Sometimes we choose to go against the intuition, relying more on other rational thoughts.
Last July, I rented my studio apartment to a 20-years-old man, despite my intuition. The first time I laid my eyes on him, my entire being screamed, “No! Don’t rent it to him!” Two months after signing the renting agreement, he stopped paying rent.
Six months passed before he was evicted from the flat. Ignoring my intuition, I offered to him free accommodation for half of a year.
In the blink of an eye, intuition informs us if a situation would be beneficial or unfavourable to us in time. It doesn’t take too long to let us know that we’ve just met the right person.
Yet, the people in our lives (who may have the best intentions at heart) and our own thoughts provide the background noise which makes some of us ignore the inner voice of intuition.Image copyright EOS/NTU Image caption The cave retains the deposits washed ashore by huge waves over thousands of years
A cave on the northwestern coast of Sumatra holds a remarkable record of big tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.
The limestone opening, close to Banda Aceh, retains the sandy deposits washed ashore by huge, earthquake-induced waves over thousands of years.
Scientists are using the site to help determine the frequency of catastrophes like the event of 26 December 2004.
This is being done by dating the cave's tsunami-borne sediments, which are easy to see between layers of bat droppings.
Because people thought they had no history of such things, they thought it was impossible Prof Kerry Sieh, Director, Earth Observatory of Singapore
"The tsunami sands just jump right out at you because they're separated by guano layers. There's no confusing the stratigraphy (layering)," explains Dr Jessica Pilarczyk.
"It makes for interesting field work; I'm not going to lie to you. The bats get very excited when people are disrupting their space. But from a geologist's point of view, this cave has the most amazing stratigraphy," she told BBC News.
Dr Pilarczyk was speaking here in San Francisco at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists.
She is part of a team of researchers - led by Prof Charles Rubin - from the Earth Observatory of Singapore, an institute of Nanyang Technological University that is investigating the coastal history of Indonesia's largest island.
Image copyright EOS/NTU Image caption The tsunami record from about 7,500 to 3,000 years ago is impeccable, say the scientists
Sumatra's proximity to the Indo-Australia and Sunda tectonic plate boundary, and the giant earthquakes that occur there, means its shores are at risk of major inundations.
Understanding how often these occur is important for policy and planning in the region.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Dr Jessica Pilarczyk: "A complete sequence from about 7,500 years ago up to 3,000 years ago"
The Acehnese cave lies about 100m back from the swash zone at current high-tide. Its entrance is also raised somewhat, and this prevents all waters from getting into the opening - apart from tsunamis and severe storm surges.
Dr Pilarczyk and colleagues have dug trenches through the alternating bands of bat guano and sand to piece together the cave's history.
The scientists know they are looking at tsunami deposits because they can find debris in the sediments of seafloor organisms such as microscopic foraminifera. Only the most energetic waves could have lifted and carried this material into the cave.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prof Kerry Sieh: "Earthquakes, tsun
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company headquarters in Green Hills. But Friedmann was. Not long after the meeting, he set out an imposing array of printed materials at Fox's Donut Den to discuss what he describes as CCA's tentacles of influence.
While serving a 10-year sentence for attempted murder, armed robbery and attempted aggravated robbery, before his parole in 1999, Friedmann compiled a list of the corporation's government bedfellows. He recalls that Beasley and former Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist had been partners in Red, Hot & Blue, a barbecue restaurant chain they opened in the late 1980s. But the corporation's influence ran deep on both sides of the aisle. A decade later, the Democratic House speaker at the time, Jimmy Naifeh, was married to Betty Andrews, then CCA's chief lobbyist.
But there are easier ways to cozy up to powerful elected officials. According to its own 2012 political activity report, which it makes available to the public, CCA and its political action committee spent a combined $956,135.86 on contributions to candidates, parties, or PACs at the federal, state and local levels in 2012. The corporation spent more money in Tennessee than in any other state that year save California, dropping a total of $75,850 on state and local candidates, both parties, and affiliated committees.
CCA spent almost as much in 2013, racking up nearly $60,000 in contributions to a wide array of state legislators. Its contributions went largely to Republicans, but not entirely. In recent years, it has written checks to most of the state's most powerful officials or their affiliated PACs, if not both. Since 2010 it has given at least the following:
• $27,400 to Gov. Bill Haslam.
• $5,000 to the Republicans Achieving a Majority PAC, founded by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, but no contributions to Ramsey himself.
• $7,500 to House Speaker Beth Harwell and HarwellPAC.
• $3,500 to House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick.
• $1,500 to House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, and $500 to CAS PAC, which he founded.
• $2,000 to House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh.
• $1,000 to Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris.
"If you're spending a million dollars, are you getting nothing for it?" Friedmann asks. "I mean, if I spend money" — he glances over at the Donut Den display case — "if I go over to that counter and I give them $5, I want doughnuts."
On the other hand, what if an operative were to go over to that counter, give the staff $5, and simply educate them about how much his bosses would enjoy a doughnut? Minus the doughnuts, that somewhat resembles how CCA describes the way it exerts its influence. The corporation is up front about its ongoing efforts to secure more government contracts to run prisons — as in its controversial 2012 pitch to buy up prisons in 48 states, on conditions including a 20-year minimum contract and a guaranteed minimum occupancy of 90 percent.
"In general, corporations, nonprofits and individuals alike tend to support their local elected officials," CCA spokesman Jonathan Burns tells the Scene. "CCA's lobbying efforts are dedicated to educating decision makers on the benefits of public-private partnership in corrections and detention generally, and the relevant services that CCA provides, such as our quality rehabilitation and re-entry programming. Elected incumbents also rotate through offices, and the education process, even in jurisdictions where CCA has had a long established presence, is ongoing."
When asked specifically if Gov. Haslam had been lobbied or contacted by CCA about the bill regarding drug use during pregnancy, spokesman Dave Smith said the governor hadn't spoken to CCA. Furthermore, Smith said, he would "push back strongly" against any notion Haslam made his decision to sign the bill based on contributions. In a statement to the Scene, House Speaker Beth Harwell also dismissed the idea of direct influence from CCA.
"I did not meet with anyone from CCA this year or last regarding sentencing or any criminal law policies," Speaker Harwell says. "And although several members introduced legislation on that subject matter, as you know, in most cases fiscal restraints have prevented us from passing many sentencing and criminal bills."
Republican Sen. Steve Dickerson, who received $1,000 from CCA in 2012 (and whose district includes their Green Hills headquarters), tells the Scene he's never been lobbied by them "on any matter." Even Friedmann is careful not to claim with certainty that CCA explicitly lobbies for stricter criminal laws or harsher sentences, saying "there's a lot of smoke, but there's no smoking gun."
Yet there was plenty of smoke in 2010, when Arizona passed a strict new immigration law similar to model legislation drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, the conservative policy-pushing organization that at the time counted CCA among its members. That bill spawned copycat legislation in other states, including Tennessee. It also raised questions about what CCA hoped to get out of the regulations — i.e., was the corporation trying to shore up its immigration-detention contracts by creating more detainees? CCA vehemently denied that, and it cut ties with ALEC soon after.
In 2012, according to its records, CCA spent $2.6 million in "fees and other expenditures relating to lobbying" at the federal, state and local levels. In Tennessee alone, it has eight lobbyists registered to work on its behalf. Most of them work for Johnson Poss Government Relations, one of the elite firms working on the Hill. Burns says they spend their efforts "educating decision makers" on the benefits of CCA-operated prisons.
But does CCA sit idly by as a slew of bills related to criminal law, enforcement and sentencing — all of which they openly admit could have a direct effect on their profits — are being proposed and debated? And for a lawmaker, if thousands of dollars and hundreds of jobs are coming from CCA to your campaign coffers and your district, might that at least create friendlier conditions for a bill that's tough on crime — and as it happens, good for the private prison industry? The Scene put the questions to a state legislative staffer, who agreed to answer on condition of anonymity.
"In my time up here," the staffer said, "they have lobbied for every single criminal enhancement that has come before the general assembly."
If that sounds like a clear refutation of CCA's noble-sounding policy, it's not — not exactly. The reality is much murkier. Johnson Poss lobbyists were registered to represent nearly 40 different organizations this year. By hiring them, CCA doesn't just get experienced political operators: It gets the influence and connections to legislators that come with representing dozens of clients, whose interests may fortuitously overlap.
It also provides cover and plausible deniability for activity that you might not describe as "education." Other Johnson Poss clients may well support, say, a bill that creates harsher sentences for certain offenders. The firm is free to lobby away on behalf of those clients, not CCA.
"So CCA gets the benefit of having their lobbyist — whom legislators know represent CCA and control the PAC for CCA — lobby for these bills without technically violating the company policy," the staffer explains.
Would their boss be willing to go on the record, then, to talk about CCA's presence on Capitol Hill, and any experience interacting with them? Not a chance. It's hard enough for the lawmaker to raise money in the minority, the staffer says, "and I can't piss them off."
Nathan Poss, who heads up Johnson Poss' work for CCA, tells the Scene he'd love to talk "but my contract with CCA forbids me from talking to the press." Another experienced state lobbyist tells the Scene he rarely sees or hears of CCA working on the Hill, but he assumes it's because they hold things close to the vest. He says he understands they have good relationships with the legislative committees they work with, as well as the Haslam administration.
The governor has been under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union and 23,000 petition signers who want him to cut the state's ties with CCA. But while officials in Texas and Mississippi elected last year to not to renew their contracts with the company, CCA's reach in Tennessee is actually expanding. Earlier this month, officials in Trousdale County approved a new 2,500-bed state prison facility — run by CCA.
CCA insists it is not actively working to influence the type of laws and policies that would ensure a continuing need for its services. It has two crucial factors on its side that may suggest why. One is longevity. CCA has twice tried to buy Tennessee's prison system: once shortly after its founding in 1985, and again in 1997. The corporation is still here, even though the latter attempt eventually failed and the accompanying legislation was withdrawn. Alex Friedmann was there to cover it for the publication Prison Legal News, where he is a managing editor. His piece, from 1998, quotes then-CCA spokeswoman Susan Hart, whose words signal anything but defeat: "There are always future legislative sessions."
That brings up the other factor: necessity. As long as there are resource-strapped states, as long as there are conditions that foster crime and recidivism, as long as there are disproportionately harsh sentences for nonviolent offenders, there will be a need for more prisons — especially ones that can turn a profit in the bargain. Incarceration is CCA's business, and business isn't going away anytime soon.
Email [email protected] this quarter, Garmin is launching three attempts to cement its place in the smartwatch market. The Fenix 3 takes Garmin's GPS features and adds a host of activity tracking options, updating it with color display options and an app platform called Connect IQ. The Epix is focused squarely on navigation. It updates your location continuously on a map; includes an altimeter, compass, and barometer; and supports phone notifications and existing apps. And the less rugged Vivoactive includes fitness tracking and app support in a thinner package. They'll run between $249.99, for a Vivoactive with no heart monitor, and $599.99, for a sapphire-domed Fenix 3 or an Epix with a built-in topographic map.
We haven't been able to try out most of these features, but the watches were on the show floor at CES, so we got a few pictures of the chunky alternatives to Android Wear that people might be wearing later this year.A majority of the British public believe the media is deliberately biased against Jeremy Corbyn and seeking to portray him in a negative light.
Just 29 per cent of British adults disagreed that the “mainstream media as a whole has been deliberately biasing coverage to portray Jeremy Corbyn in a negative manner” when asked by pollsters YouGov.
51 per cent of people agreed that coverage had been deliberately biased and while 21 per cent said they were not sure.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
Labour voters were even more adamant with 69 per cent alleging bias, while a staggering 97 per cent of Labour members and supporters intending to vote for Jeremy Corbyn in the leadership election perceived bias.
Supporters of Owen Smith within the Labour party were actually significantly less likely to believe coverage against Mr Corbyn had been biased than the general population or regular Labour voters. 44 per cent said coverage had been biased but 53 per cent said it had not.
Women in the Labour selectorate were more likely to believe the coverage was biased than men and older people in the group were also more likely to believe it had been deliberately biased – despite Mr Corbyn’s higher support generally with younger people.
The poll findings chime with the conclusions of a study by academics at LSE researched earlier this year. The academics assessed the content of eight national newspapers between 1 September and 1 November 2015, when Mr Corbyn was first elected and found most articles failed to properly represent his actual views on issues.
YouGov polling also found that numbers Mr Corbyn’s supporters believe a number of theories about the Labour leadership election.
Shape Created with Sketch. Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Show all 8 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith 1/8 Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith clash at a leadership hustings in Gateshead, where Mr Smith was scarcely able to answer a question without being booed by Mr Corbyn’s supporters PA 2/8 “Jeremy himself admitted he was seven out of 10 in terms of his faith in the European Union. He said it,” said Mr Smith during his second live debate with Jeremy Corbyn Getty 3/8 Ballot papers are currently due to be sent out on 22 August and returned a month later, with the result being announced at a special Labour conference on 24 September Getty 4/8 Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheer and wave placards as the Labour Leader addresses thousands of supporters in in Liverpool, England Getty 5/8 Labour Party leadership candidate Owen Smith poses for a picture with supporters during a picnic for young members in London Fields, Hackney in London Getty 6/8 The Labour leader has a spring in his step at a leadership rally in Sunderland Screenshot 7/8 Labour leadership contender Owen Smith delivers a speech at the Open University in Milton Keynes, where he promised to reverse Conservative cuts set to leave millions of low paid workers thousands of pounds a year worse off PA 8/8 Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has urged Owen Smith to distance himself from those saying they want to split the Labour party Getty 1/8 Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith clash at a leadership hustings in Gateshead, where Mr Smith was scarcely able to answer a question without being booed by Mr Corbyn’s supporters PA 2/8 “Jeremy himself admitted he was seven out of 10 in terms of his faith in the European Union. He said it,” said Mr Smith during his second live debate with Jeremy Corbyn Getty 3/8 Ballot papers are currently due to be sent out on 22 August and returned a month later, with the result being announced at a special Labour conference on 24 September Getty 4/8 Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheer and wave placards as the Labour Leader addresses thousands of supporters in in Liverpool, England Getty 5/8 Labour Party leadership candidate Owen Smith poses for a picture with supporters during a picnic for young members in London Fields, Hackney in London Getty 6/8 The Labour leader has a spring in his step at a leadership rally in Sunderland Screenshot 7/8 Labour leadership contender Owen Smith delivers a speech at the Open University in Milton Keynes, where he promised to reverse Conservative cuts set to leave millions of low paid workers thousands of pounds a year worse off PA 8/8 Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has urged Owen Smith to distance himself from those saying they want to split the Labour party Getty
90 per cent of Mr Corbyn’s supporters believed PR agencies were in some way involved in orchestrating the coup of Labour MPs against him, while 55 per cent said it was likely that the intelligence services, including MI5, were working to undermine him.
These theories were less popular with the general public, with 45 per cent and 19 per cent of GB adults also subscribing to them respectively.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe now.The film marks the third time the review aggregator has held the score for 24 hours in order to debut it on its Facebook show.
The reviews are in, and now, so is the Rotten Tomatoes score.
Justice League has been given a 43 percent score from the online review aggregator, 24 hours after reviews hit. That puts it in the middle of pack of the five films in Warner Bros.' DC universe so far.
The delayed score came courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes' new Facebook show See It/Skip It, which hits online late Wednesday nights. Rotten Tomatoes has begun holding back scores for some films and television shows so they can be revealed at the end of each episode, and this is the third time a score has been held for the Facebook show.
The DC films have enjoyed both Rotten Tomatoes success (this summer's Wonder Woman earned 92 percent) and suffered low points (2016's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice's 27 percent and Suicide Squad's 26 percent). Man of Steel, the 2013 Superman film that kicked off the shared universe, earned a middling 55 percent.
This current Justice League score can be expected to fluctuate as more reviews come in and are tabulated.
Rotten Tomatoes has become increasingly important to helping audiences choose which films to see, and recent projects with glowing scores have overperformed at the box-office (see: Spider-Man: Homecoming and Wonder Woman). Conversely, blockbusters with rock bottom scores such as Baywatch (19 percent) and Transformers: The Last Knight (15 percent) faltered domestically over the summer.
Nevertheless, Batman v. Superman ($873 million worldwide) and Suicide Squad ($745.6 milllion) went on to be box-office hits, their Rotten Tomatoes scores notwithstanding. Warner's Justice League is tracking to debut to $110 million this weekend.Introduction
A cyber-attack against critical infrastructure could cause the paralysis of critical operations with serious consequences for a country and its population.
In a worst case scenario, a cyber-attack could affect processes that in case of fault could cause serious damages and consequent losses of human lives.
Let’s think for example to a refinery or a nuclear plant, in both cases; a cyber-attack represents a threat to the infrastructure, its processes, and people that work within.
Nuclear plants are critical components of any countries; critical functions depend on their operations, and an incident could have dramatic effects on the population.
Is a cyber-attack against a nuclear plant a possible event?
Unfortunately, the response is affirmative. Nuclear plants are composed of an impressive number of components such as SCADA/ICS, sensors and legacy systems that could be hit by a hacker.
The most popular case of a cyber-attack against a nuclear plant is Stuxnet, which was launched more than five years ago.
Stuxnet is the malware developed by experts from the US and Israel with the intent of destroying the Iranian nuclear program. Nation state hackers hit the plant of Natanz in Iran in 2010 interfering with the nuclear program of the Government of Teheran.
The Stuxnet targeted a grid of 984 converters, the same industrial equipment that international inspectors found out of order when visited the Natanz enrichment facility in late 2009.
“The cyber-attack against the Cascade Protection System infects Siemens S7-417 controllers with a matching configuration. The S7-417 is a top-of-the-line industrial controller for big automation tasks. In Natanz, it is used to control the valves and pressure sensors of up to six cascades (or 984 centrifuges) that share common feed, product, and tails stations” states “A Technical Analysis of What Stuxnet’s Creators Tried to Achieve” written by the expert Ralph Langner.
Stuxnet was designed with a number of features that allowed to evade detection; its source code was digitally signed, and the malware uses a man-in-the-middle attack to fool the operators into thinking everything is normal.
Stuxnet is the demonstration that it is possible to use a malicious code to destroy operations at a nuclear plant.
In the last years, security experts and authorities confirmed at least three cases of cyber-attacks against Nuclear plants.
Who are the threat actors that could hit a nuclear plant?
There are many actors, such as cyber criminals, hacktivists, nation-state actors, cyber terrorists and script kiddies, that are threatening critical infrastructure worldwide
Let’s see which are the principal incidents that affected nuclear plants in the last years.
The incidents
According to the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, a nuclear power plant in Germany suffered a “disruptive” cyber-attack two to three years ago.
Amano expressed his concerns about cyber-attacks on nuclear plants explaining that they are a serious threat. The EAEA Director did not provide further details of either incident.
“This issue of cyber-attacks on nuclear-related facilities or activities should be taken very seriously. We never know if we know everything or if it’s the tip of the iceberg.” Amano told Reuters Agency.
“This is not an imaginary risk,” added Amano, who also participated in a meeting with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Fortunately, the damages caused by the cyber-attack on the German nuclear plant did not force the operators to shut down its processes, but it urged the adoption of additional precautionary measures.
“This actually happened, and it caused some problems,” he said. “[the German plant] needed to take some precautionary measures.”
Amano added the news of the attack on the German plant was not discussed in public before, he also reported a case in which an individual tried to smuggle a small amount of highly enriched uranium with the intent to build a so-called “dirty bomb.”
As reported by the Reuters Agency, the cyber-attack was disruptive, not destructive. The two terms could appear similar to non-experts, but there is a substantial difference. The term disruptive refers a category cyber-attacks that can destroy internal computer systems without causing the complete destruction of the plant. Examples of disruptive attacks are the attacks against Sony Pictures Entertainment and Stuxnet.
This isn’t the first time that we receive the news of cyber-attacks on nuclear plants. There are three publicly known attacks against nuclear plants:
It is likely that Amano was referring the cyber-attack against the Gundremmingen nuclear plant that occurred earlier this year. Security experts, in that case, discovered the presence of the Conficker and Ramnit malware in the target systems.
2014 – Malware based attack hit Japanese Monju Nuclear Power Plant
On January, 2nd 2014 one of the eight computers in the control room at Monju Nuclear Power Plant in Tsuruga, Japan, was compromised by a cyber-attack. The local IT staff discovered that the system in the reactor control room had been accessed over 30 times in a few days. The experts observed the intrusion started after an employee updated a free video playback application running on one of the computers in the plant.
According to sources close to the internal staff, more than 42,000 e-mails and staff training reports were available on the compromised system at the nuclear power plant.
Security experts that investigated the incident discovered the presence of malware that was likely introduced through a software update on the compromised machine. The malware allowed the attacker to exfiltrate information; further investigation allowed the expert to discover that the information was sent a Command & Control server located in South Korea.
According to Japan Today, the Monju nuclear power plant was not the target of a surgical attack. Instead, it was accidentally infected by malware.
Monju Nuclear Plant is a sodium-cooled fast reactor; it started its operations in April 1994. It has not been operational for most of the past 20 years due to a severe fire caused by a sodium leak.
Figure 1 – Monju Nuclear Power Plant
In November 2014, the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority informed the Japan Atomic Energy Agency that anti-terrorism measures adopted at the Monju Nuclear Power Plant were not adequate. According to the Regulation Authority, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency violated the basic security guidelines and did not adopt best practices to ensure the protection of nuclear materials from terrorists and other attacks, including hacking attacks.
Cyber-attacks against the organizations operating in the Energy industry were already observed in the past, in 2012 the Japan Atomic Energy Agency was targeted by a cyber-attack that compromised a computer at the JAEA headquarters at Tokaimura by infecting it with malware.
2014 – Nuclear plant in South Korea hacked
In December 2014, the South Koran government revealed that a nuclear plant in the country was hacked. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd (KHNP) who operates the nuclear power plant confirmed the incident and reported that hackers did not steal critical data. Government officials immediately averted the danger for the population and explained that there was no risk to nuclear installations in across the country.
Different is the opinion of some security experts that speculated about a possible exposure to cyber-attacks of the systems in the nuclear plants of the South Korea.
“This demonstrated that, if anyone is intent with malice to infiltrate the system, it would be impossible to say with confidence that such an effort would be blocked completely,” said Suh Kune-yull of Seoul National University. “And a compromise of nuclear reactors’ safety pretty clearly means there is a gaping hole in national security,”
The Reuters Agency reported that the South Korea’s energy ministry was confident that nuclear plants in the country were properly protected “any infiltration by cyber attackers that could compromise the safety of the reactors.”
“It’s our judgment that the control system itself is designed in such a way and there is no risk whatsoever,” Chung Yang-ho, deputy energy minister, told Reuters by phone.
At the time of the attack, the Government of Seoul declined to provide any information on possible responsible, but security experts believe that the North Korea was behind the intrusion.
A man claimed responsibility for the attack via Twitter explaining to be a member of an anti-nuclear group based in the Hawaii.
The individual also announced the shutdown of three aging nuclear reactors confirming the theft of sensitive documents in the attack.
He asked for money in exchange of the leaked data. Fortunately nothing happened in the following days.
An official at the country’s nuclear plant operator KHNP, which is part of state-run Korea Electric Power Corp, told Reuters that the cyber-attack war run by “elements who want to cause social unrest.”
“It is 100 percent impossible that a hacker can stop nuclear power plants by attacking them because the control monitoring system is totally independent and closed,” the official said.
In March 2015, the South Korea’s government publicly accused Pyongyang of the attack. The Government described the attacks as a provocation that threatened people’s lives and safety.
“We condemn North Korea’s persistent cyber-terror targeting our country and the international community,” the unification ministry said after the conclusion of the investigation.
“It’s a clear provocation against our security,” the ministry said in a statement, accusing Pyongyang of “taking the life and safety of our people as a hostage.”
The experts who investigated the incident confirmed that hackers intended to cause a malfunction at atomic reactors, but were not able to compromise their control system.
The experts added that the malware used to infect the systems was very similar to those which are usually used by North Korean hackers.
“We’ve reached the conclusion that the crime was committed by a group of North Korean hackers seeking to stir up social unrest and agitation in our country,” the investigators said in a statement.
According to the investigators, the hackers launched a spear-phishing campaign against 3,570 former and current KHNP workers. They used multiple IP addresses based in China to send some 6,000 “phishing.”
2016 – A malware infected systems at the Gundremmingen nuclear plant in Germany
In April 2016, the German BR24 News Agency reported the news of a computer virus that was discovered at the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant in Germany.
Based on the initial investigation conducted by the experts, the virus didn’t affect any critical parts of the power plant. The experts that worked on the case revealed that the malware that infected the systems at the power plant was not specifically designed for sabotage purposes, unlike the notorious Stuxnet.
“After the discovery of malicious software on a computer in Gundremmingen emphasizes the operator, the control of sensitive areas was not affected. A computerized expert hand warns of belittling: viruses could jeopardize the data security of the NPP.” states a post published by BR24.
The German utility RWE that runs the facility has confirmed that the plant was cut off from the Internet and that the malware infection did not harm operations.
“All sensitive plant areas are decoupled and designed with redundancy and protected against manipulation,” reads a statement issued by the RWE.
The experts involved in the investigation discovered the presence of the Conficker and W32.Ramnit malware in unit B of the Gundremmingen. Conficker is worm with the ability of rapidly spreading through networks, while W32.Ramnit is a data stealer.
The RWE also added that malware had been found on 18 removable data drives, mainly USB sticks, in office computers maintained separately from the plant’s operating systems.
Mikko Hypponen, CRO at F-Secure, confirmed to the Reuters that it is very common malware infecting critical infrastructure, but in the vast majority of the case, the infection has no consequences because the thread was not specifically designed to hit the target.
Figure 2 – Gundremmingen nuclear power plant
Ethical Hacking Training – Resources (InfoSec)
It is not clear how the malware reached the systems in the plant; it is likely that it has been carried on the network at the Gundremmingen plant on a USB by an employee that used it on his office computer.
IT expert Thomas Wolf commented on the incident, saying that malware threats exist even in systems that are isolated from the Internet and that any process where data is exchanged can be an effective source of virus contagion. Wolf highlighted that such kind of threat is difficult to contain, the virus could easily spread even in environments that have a “comprehensive virus protection and sophisticated security management.”
The virus that was spotted at the Gundremmingen nuclear plant infected the system used for the transportation of used reactor fuel to the warehouse.
“Systems that control the nuclear process are analog thus isolated from cyber threats. These systems are designed with security features that protect them against manipulation.” Said Tobias Schmidt, spokesman for the Gundremmingen nuclear plant.
Conclusions
Cyber-attacks against nuclear power plants and industrial control systems are probably at the top of a long list of potential disasters that can be caused by hackers.
Stuxnet, which targeted nuclear power plants in Iran, is still the most widely publicized threat against such systems.
Security experts are aware of the possibility that hackers could cause serious problems to these critical infrastructures worldwide, for this reason, several governments already launched internal assessments of their infrastructure.
This summer, the European Parliament has passed the new network and information security (NIS) directive that establishes minimum requirements for cyber-security on critical infrastructure operators.
The NIS directive has a significant impact on all the businesses that supply essential services and operate critical infrastructures in different industries, including energy, transport, banking, health or digital services. Those companies are required to be compliant with minimum standards of cyber-security.
Unfortunately, the overall process of security critical infrastructures needs a significant effort of multiple players and a strong commitment of central authorities.
According to Amano, the UN IAEA Agency is supporting countries to improve the resilience of their infrastructure to cyber-attacks with a series of measures.
“Amano said the U.N. agency was helping countries increase cyber and overall nuclear security through training and a detailed database that included information from 131 countries, and by providing them with radiation detection devices.” reported the Reuters.
“Since 2010, the IAEA said it had trained over 10,000 people in nuclear security, including police and border guards, and has given countries more than 3,000 mobile phone-sized instruments for detecting nuclear and other radioactive material.”
Giving a close look at the current situation of Nuclear plants in the Europe, we cannot avoid mentioning a report released in March that states Germany is not adequately equipped to prevent terrorist attacks in its nuclear plants.
The report was presented by Oda Becker, an independent expert on nuclear plants.
This is extremely distressing, especially in the light of the tragic events in Belgium with substantial casualties.
The report was brought to public attention by the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) Congress, where concerns were expressed towards protecting citizens from catastrophic consequences of another terrorist attack.
Security of critical infrastructure is a shared goal that could be achieved with a joint effort of governments, private entities and the population itself. Security awareness, adoption of security best practices, implementation of proper security solutions and sharing of information on incidents are fundamental principles to reach a good compromise between security and cost to sustain to ensure the protection of infrastructures.
References
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/52116/hacking/nuclear-plant-attack.html
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/31416/cyber-warfare-2/nuclear-plant-south-korea-hacked.html
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/46708/security/virus-gundremmingen-nuclear-plant.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-cyber-idUSKCN12A1OC
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/43677/malware/new-revelations-stuxnet-attack.html
http://www.br.de/nachrichten/schwaben/inhalt/kkw-gundremmingen-schadsoftware-akw-100.html
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/46708/security/virus-gundremmingen-nuclear-plant.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclearpower-cyber-germany-idUSKCN0XN2OS
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/12616/malware/stuxnet-was-dated-2005-symantec-discovered-earlier-version-05.html
http://www.securityweek.com/south-korea-accuses-north-cyber-attacks-nuclear-plants
http://www.securityweek.com/german-nuke-plant-hit-disruptive-cyber-attack-report
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/21109/malware/malware-based-attack-hit-japanese-monju-nuclear-power-plant.html
https://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/monju-power-plant-facility-pc-infected-with-virus
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-nuclear-idUSKBN0K008E20141222Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton sparred over the "woman card" and Sen. Bernie Sanders, after Trump won presidential primaries in five states and Clinton won four on April 26. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)
Following a five-primary sweep Tuesday night, Donald Trump repeatedly insisted that he would beat Hillary Clinton “so easily,” because she is a crooked politician and a flawed candidate whom people do not like. It is undoubtedly true that Clinton is beatable. By her own admission, she is “not a natural politician.” But that does not mean that Trump can beat her, let alone easily.
Trump offered a few arguments for his electability in his Tuesday victory speech. He made the familiar case that he would attract votes from white, working-class men. He talked about traveling around New York and seeing hollowed-out industrial towns. He reminded his audience that Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he linked to the economic hardship among blue-collar workers. With his usual lack of detail, he insisted that he would force companies to stop outsourcing manufacturing jobs. Taking his populism in a slightly new direction, he made a play for Bernie Sanders voters, talking about how Clinton “is funded by Wall Street” and insisting that “The Democrats have treated Bernie very badly.” He also painted Clinton as incompetent. “She knows nothing about jobs, except jobs for herself,” he said. “She doesn’t have the strength, she doesn’t have the stamina…to deal with China or other things.” Trump predicted that he would put states such as New York in play in the general election.
This is a fantasy. It is highly unlikely that white working class Democrats who have not already defected to the Republican Party are likely to do so now. After reviewing survey data, political scientist Charlotte Cavaillé concluded that, rather than causing a defection of blue-collar Democrats into his camp, Trump is mostly benefiting from defections that have already happened. His only hope would be “dramatically increasing the turnout among the younger and politically unaffiliated white working class,” she concluded. Given that Trump is the least popular candidate among the general public, with poor favorability numbers even among white men, that probably would not be enough.
1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Cleveland. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Trump would have to use gains among blue-collar voters to offset losses among minorities and women, among others. He did little to offer minority voters, particularly Latinos, a reason to change their feelings toward him Tuesday night, repeating his familiar talking points on immigration. But he did discuss women. As usual, he insisted that he would be great for women. But then he said this about Clinton: “The only card she has is the women’s card.” He insisted that she would not get 5 percent of the vote if she were a man. It is not clear whether he was trying to appeal to women or men. It could be that he wants to stoke resentment among men who see talk of women’s issues as inappropriate identity politics. But he could also be attempting to stoke resentment among women who feel as though Clinton expects them to vote for her based on their shared gender, a sentiment that circulated among some Sanders voters during the New Hampshire primaries. His conclusion hinted at the latter intent: “The beautiful thing is, women don’t like her,” Trump said.
Except women really don’t like Trump. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 69 percent of women view the GOP frontrunner negatively. His campaign appears to believe that he can turn his negatives around. But his numbers are historically bad. Trump may think that he can fool most of the people, but he has only shown that he can fool some of the people.
Trump is right that Clinton is a vulnerable opponent. What he does not realize, or does not admit, is that he is even weaker.The sensationalism surrounding the LIBOR scandal has spurred the masses to raise their metaphorical pitchforks once again, calling for judicial action, stricter regulations, and more aggressive reforms. As everyday traders and investors fall victim to the unscrupulous acts of LIBOR’s manipulators, many are left wondering how this seemingly abstract issue will effect their very real-life, coveted investments. But now analysts are suspecting that the scandal runs even deeper, and falls onto two of the most popular commodities in the world, gold and silver [for more commodity news subscribe to our free newsletter].
The LIBOR Scandal
The manipulation of arguably one of the most important figures in finance actually started several years ago. Although no one knows exactly
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in the lot during large family parties over the years.
"Their problems are mostly outside," said Harold Heffner. "Other than that, they don't really bother us. They do seem to control what's inside. But how can you control the people in your parking lot?"
Road to nuisance bar label a difficult one, DA says
That's part of any nuisance bar issue, too, said Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. Declaring an establishment a nuisance bar is a complicated process involving the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, he said. A bar needs to have a long record of police visits and neighborhood complaints to qualify as such, Morganelli said.
"It's very difficult to do. We've shut down about a dozen in the time I've been the district attorney," said Morganelli, who was elected to the office in 1991. "You need a long history of incidents both inside and outside the place. Here we have a lot of stuff outside and it's difficult when it's only outside."
Neighbor James Yohn also slept through the commotion Saturday morning. Arriving home from his tractor trailer route by 8 p.m., he said he was well into "la la land" by 2 in the morning. Still, Yohn said, the bar isn't as bad a neighbor as one might expect.
"They stay over there. Their trouble stays over there," Yohn said, waving away a question about whether Spanky's East concerns him. "It doesn't spill over."
While the mayor said borough police patrol that area heavily, Parkansky noted the strip club isn't a frequent stop for law enforcement.
"Honestly, we just don't get a lot of calls there," the chief said. "When do have an incident, unfortunately, it does tend to be serious."
Before the 2013 gunfire, Jason Oliver was gunned down outside the establishment -- then called C.R. Fannys Gentlemen's Club -- and Jacob Holmes Jr. was injured. John Francis "Rue" Logan Jr. is serving time as the gunman in that crime while his co-defendant Miguel Aponte was shot to death inside the Easton Cafe in March 2009.
Parkansky said the owners of the establishment have been, over the years, cooperative with police when necessary. Multiple messages for the club's current owner were not returned by Saturday afternoon.
The state liquor control board, Parkansky said, will be notified about the shooting.
Perusso said the establishment, which has gone through several iterations as a bar and strip club, does concern some neighbors.
"Years ago they got in there and there's nothing we can do about it now," the mayor said. "We haven't had any complaints lately, but I'm sure they'll be coming in now. We'll see where it goes from there."CLOSE MSU's offense sees a tough Indiana defense while the Spartans' defense readies for the Hoosiers' fast-tempo offense. Video by Chris Solari/DFP
Michigan State running back LJ Scott after the Spartans' 30-27 win Saturday night. Scott rushed for a career-high 194 yards. (Photo: Jesse Johnson / USA TODAY Sports)
EAST LANSING - Michigan State University running back LJ Scott was arrested Wednesday for driving on a suspended license, the seventh time Scott has faced that or a similar charge.
Scott, 21, was arrested and later released on a personal recognizance bond, East Lansing Police spokesman Lt. Chad Connelly said Thursday. He declined to comment further because Scott has not yet been arraigned.
The charge carries up to a year in jail if Scott is convicted because he has at least one prior conviction on the same charge, which is typically a 93-day misdemeanor.
Scott could not be reached Thursday. A message left seeking comment from James Heos, Scott's attorney, was not immediately returned.
Scott has been charged for driving without a license or on a suspended license at least six other times in Ohio and Michigan since last year, according to court records.
The junior running back is from Hubbard, Ohio.
MORE: McKayla Maroney says she was sexually assaulted by former MSU doctor Larry Nassar in #MeToo post
MORE: Ex-MSU football players, prosecutors exploring plea deals in sex assault cases
Ben Phlegar, associate director for athletic communications at MSU, did not immediately wish to comment when reached Thursday.
In February 2016, Scott was pulled over by East Lansing police and charged with driving on a suspended license. The charge was later dropped in exchange for an equipment violation citation and fines totaling $500.
In March 2016, an Ohio State Patrol trooper pulled Scott over near Ashland, Ohio for driving 87 mph in a 70 mph speed zone. He was also charged with driving without a license, a misdemeanor. Court records show he was found guilty on both counts and paid $330 in fines.
In April 2016, Scott was involved in a vehicle crash near Cleveland, Ohio. He was initially charged with leaving the scene of a crash and driving without a valid license, but court records show those charges were dismissed after Scott pleaded guilty to one count of reckless driving, a minor misdemeanor in Ohio, and paid $531.
In July 2016, Scott was pulled over by Michigan State University Police in East Lansing for driving without his headlights turned on. According to a police report obtained by the Lansing State Journal, Scott told officers he and a friend were leaving a party. Scott admitted a red plastic cup in the center console that contained alcohol belonged to him.
MORE: 6 factors for MSU vs. Indiana - LJ Scott included - and a prediction
GRAHAM COUCH: LJ Scott can be Le'Veon Bell and carry Michigan State, if he doesn't drop the ball
Scott passed a sobriety test, according to the report, and was charged with driving on a suspended license and driving with an open alcohol container. Both charges were later dropped when Scott pleaded to two counts of impeding traffic, a civil infraction.
In March, Scott was pulled over by Michigan State University Police and charged with driving on a suspended license. The charge was dismissed in exchange for Scott's plea to one count of impeding traffic.
And in July, Scott was charged near his hometown of Hubbard, Ohio with driving on a suspended license. He ultimately pleaded no contest to the lesser charge of driving without a valid license, court records show.
It is not clear why Scott's license was suspended in the first place.
Scott ran for a career-high 194 yards in last week's win against Minnesota. The Spartans play Indiana Saturday in East Lansing.
State Journal reporter Sarah Lehr contributed to this report. Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.
Read or Share this story: http://on.lsj.com/2yBsK9mWhen fresh water rivers flow into the sea the concentration difference leads to a change in entropy. US researchers have developed a battery that generates power from that entropy difference.
Yi Cui’s team at Stanford University, California, extract energy with 74 per cent efficiency using manganese dioxide nanorods and silver electrodes1. ’What we have really demonstrated that this idea can work,’ says Cui.
Cui’s team estimate that if the technology was used on all world’s rivers this renewable energy technology would hypothetically generate 2 TW, or approximately 13 per cent of current global consumption.
Entropy based power generation has been done before but is most reliably done today by separating fresh and seawater with membranes and as ions travel through the membranes they generate currents. The Stanford method extracts energy from the difference in concentration between two solutions by storing it chemically in batteries.
’The big pro is that they need no membranes, but they need a lot of surface area of electrodes’ observes Bert Hamelers, head of the renewable energy group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Cui says that his nanorod electrode helps deliver that surface area.
The battery extracts energy through sodium and chlorine ions’ movements into and out of the crystal lattice of the electrodes. The battery discharges in seawater as chlorine is taken up by the silver electrode and sodium is taken up by the manganese dioxide electrode. The ions are released when the battery charges in freshwater.
Because of the higher ion concentration in seawater, the electrical energy discharged is greater than that needed for the battery to charge in freshwater. ’The reason we can gain this energy is we change the electrolyte,’ Cui says.
Hamelers, whose membrane based approach for turning marine mixing entropy into electricity is 76 per cent efficient, welcomes the latest approach. ’As we cannot foresee all problems that might arise in future when developing these technologies, it is important to have more techniques available to harness this energy,’ he says. Cui is excited by the battery’s efficiency and hopes to further optimise its electrode materials and design. ’If we put the two electrodes closer I think we can get up to about 85 per cent,’ he predicts.
Andy ExtanceLearning how to drive is an ongoing process for we humans as we adapt to new situations, new road rules and new technology, and learn the lessons from when things go wrong.
But how does a driverless car learn how to drive, especially when something goes wrong?
That’s the question being asked of Uber after last month’s crash in Arizona. Two of its engineers were inside when one of its autonomous vehicles spun 180 degrees and flipped onto its side.
Reuters/Fresco News/Mark Beach
Uber pulled its test fleet off the road pending police enquiries, and a few days later the vehicles were back on the road.
Smack, spin, flip
The Tempe Police Department’s report on the investigation into the crash, obtained by the EE Times, details what happened.
The report says that the Uber Volvo (red in the graphic below) was moving south at 38mph (61kmh) in a 40mph (64kmh) zone when it collided with the Honda (blue in the graphic) turning west into a side street (point 1).
Alex Hanlon / Sean Welsh based on Tempe Police report
Knocked off course, the Uber Volvo hit the traffic light at the corner (point 2) and then spun and flipped, damaging two other vehicles (points 3 and 4) before sliding to a stop on its side (point 5).
Alex Hanlon / Sean Welsh based on Tempe Police report
Thankfully, no one was hurt. The police determined that the Honda driver “failed to yield” (give way) and issued a ticket. The Uber car was not at fault.
Questions, questions
But Mike Demler, an analyst with the Linley Group technology consultancy, told the EE Times that the Uber car could have done better:
It is totally careless and stupid to proceed at 38mph through a blind intersection.
Demler said that Uber needs to explain why its vehicle proceeded through the intersection at just under the speed limit when it could “see” that traffic had come to a stop in the middle and leftmost lanes.
The EE Times report said that Uber had “fallen silent” on the incident. But as Uber uses “deep learning” to control its autonomous cars, it’s not clear that Uber could answer Demler’s query even if it wanted to.
In deep learning, the actual code that would make the decision not to slow down would be a complex state in a neural network, not a line of code prescribing a simple rule like “if vision is obstructed at intersection, slow down”.
Debugging deep learning
The case raises a deep technical issue. How do you debug an autonomous vehicle control system that is based on deep learning? How do you reduce the risk of autonomous cars getting smashed and flipped when humans driving alongside them make bad judgements?
Demler’s point is that the Uber car had not “learned” to slow down as a prudent precautionary measure at an intersection with obstructed lines of sight. Most human drivers would naturally beware and slow down when approaching an intersection with obstructed vision due to stationary cars.
When it comes to deep reinforcement learning, this relies on “value functions” to evaluate states that result from the application of policies.
A value function is a number that evaluates a state. In chess, a strong opening move by white such as pawn e7 to e5 attracts a high value. A weak opening such as pawn a2 to a3 attracts a low one.
The value function can be like “ouch” for computers. Reinforcement learning gets its name from positive and negative reinforcement in psychology.
Until the Uber vehicle hits something and the value function of the deep learning records the digital equivalent of “following that policy led to a bad state - on side, smashed up and facing wrong way - ouch!” the Uber control system might not quantify the risk appropriately.
Having now hit something it will, hopefully, have learned its lesson at the school of hard knocks. In future, Uber cars should do better at similar intersections with similar traffic conditions.
Debugging formal logic
An alternative to deep learning is autonomous vehicles using explicitly stated rules expressed in formal logic.
This is being developed by nuTonomy, which is running an autonomous taxi pilot in cooperation with authorities in Singapore.
Reuters/Edgar Su
NuTonomy’s approach to controlling autonomous vehicles is based on a rules hierarchy. Top priority goes to rules such as “don’t hit pedestrians”, followed by “don’t hit other vehicles” and “don’t hit objects”.
Rules such as “maintain speed when safe” and “don’t cross the centreline” get a lower priority, while rules such as “give a comfortable ride” are the first to be broken when an emergency arises.
While NuTonomy does use machine learning for many things, it does not use it for normative control: deciding what a car ought to do.
In October last year, a NuTonomy test vehicle accident was involved in an accident: a low-speed tap resulting in a dent, not a spin and flip.
The company’s chief operating officer Doug Parker told IEEE Spectrum:
What you want is to be able to go back and say, “Did our car do the right thing in that situation, and if it didn’t, why didn’t it make the right decision?” With formal logic, it’s very easy.
Key advantages of formal logic are provable correctness and relative ease of debugging. Debugging machine learning is trickier. On the other hand, with machine learning, you do not need to code complex hierarchies of rules.
Time will tell which is the better approach to driving lessons for driverless cars. For now, both systems still have much to learn.I've been following the recent arguments over faith and beliefs, and it reminded me of a question I've had for some time. Is it possible to argue a point using logical and evidentiary methods with someone who has accepted the existence of (a) God on faith?
I have had many arguments with folks like this in my time, usually because they've stopped me on the street, or turned to harangue me from the front of a cab, or stood up during speeches to heckle. There seem to be two types. One type I can argue with; usually they are the ones who pose a thoughtful question, or offer an argument that is enticingly difficult to break apart (sometimes I can't, natch). I have found that these folks, even though they have accepted certain large portions of their worldview on faith, are able and more importantly willing to keep their beliefs and their argument separate (unless, of course, we're arguing about beliefs, which I try to avoid).
The other type of person who I end up arguing with and trying to avoid are those who seem to feel that their beliefs constitute a part of reality that is not only firm and unshakable to them - that's fine - but also should be visible and obvious to me. They seem unable to make a distinction between a truth accepted on faith, and a fact that is supported by evidence and/or experiment.
I think many of the problems that arise between 'believers' and atheists* over communication (does that make them metaproblems?) spring from the presence of either the former type of person above, or their counterpart, the atheist who treats all truths based on faith as logical negatives. I find I can't argue with either, lending more credence in my mind to the hypothesis that it's not faith but zealotry that is the problem.
: I realize that atheist is a bad term here; it isn't the antonym I"m looking for (...it isn't the antonym I'm looking for...). However, my mind is blanking here, and I need to keep writing. (...I need to keep writing...) Move along. (Move along.)Note: Modified to remove a question at the end which was at odds with the statement in the node title. Thanks proj2501 for the constructive crit.655 Bracketeers voted in Batch 94, and 10.48m votes have now been cast.
Visual results are here and today’s results are:
Dark Confidant defeats Harvest Hand with 93.42% of the vote
Coiling Oracle defeats Morselhoarder with 92.14% of the vote
Orim’s Chant defeats Kraul Warrior with 90.60% of the vote
Sultai Ascendancy defeats Akki Drillmaster with 86.19% of the vote
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade defeats Supply-Line Cranes with 85.85% of the vote
Intimidation Bolt defeats Karplusan Strider with 84.94% of the vote
Metallurgic Summonings defeats Illuminate with 81.42% of the vote
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave defeats Child of Gaea with 81.13% of the vote
Sigil Tracer defeats Feral Thallid with 80.47% of the vote
Always Watching defeats Lead the Stampede with 78.25% of the vote
Kagemaro, First to Suffer defeats Mesa Pegasus with 76.37% of the vote
Lion’s Eye Diamond defeats Carrion Feeder with 75.43% of the vote
Guerrilla Tactics defeats Jump with 74.29% of the vote
Serra’s Embrace defeats Fetid Imp with 69.49% of the vote
Into the Wilds defeats Thoughtweft Gambit with 69.17% of the vote
Vault of the Archangel defeats Bringer of the Red Dawn with 68.07% of the vote
Sprouting Phytohydra defeats Angelic Benediction with 67.13% of the vote
Celestial Mantle defeats Sultai Soothsayer with 65.88% of the vote
Tower Defense defeats Melt Terrain with 65.65% of the vote
Necroskitter defeats Azorius Chancery with 65.52% of the vote
Grizzled Angler defeats Bloodbriar with 64.83% of the vote
Tajic, Blade of the Legion defeats Xathrid Demon with 60.15% of the vote
Redirect defeats Fathom Seer with 60.09% of the vote
Rith, the Awakener defeats Goatnapper with 57.25% of the vote
Nimbus Swimmer defeats Gift of the Deity with 57.03% of the vote
Crown of Convergence defeats Emperor Crocodile with 55.78% of the vote
Shape Anew defeats Megantic Sliver with 54.69% of the vote
Impact Resonance defeats Resounding Thunder with 54.62% of the vote
Curse of Stalked Prey defeats Ulamog’s Nullifier with 52.95% of the vote
Galvanic Key defeats Entrails Feaster with 52.88% of the vote
Pulmonic Sliver defeats Blood-Cursed Knight with 50.79% of the vote
Graceful Adept defeats Dawn to Dusk with 50.08% of the vote
Full results to date can be seen here.Democracy Needs Aristocracy
by Sir Peregrine Worsthorne
221 pages, Harper Collins, $15.
In the early pages of Democracy Needs Aristocracy the author mentions Alexis de Toqueville and his groundbreaking Democracy in America and not surprisingly, the newer work continues in the footsteps of that classic with a broad-reaching thesis on the nature of government that sides with the organic over the mechanistic.
Experienced writer Peregrine Worsthorne mixes his far-reaching thesis with personal narrative and precise examples in the form of contradictions that eliminate exceptions to his arguments. He writes in a hybrid style somewhere between relaxed academia and vivid popular non-fiction but with the logical thoroughness of a legal brief. Like the topic of the book itself, his style spans a vast breadth of knowledge and distills it into a single voice, like condensation turning mist to rain.
As a consequence, Democracy Needs Aristocracy is both one of those books that zooms by at light speed as massive ideas thrust the reader across time and space, and is also like a textbook an exacting read that requires the full attention of the reader. Each chapter drops important pieces into our understanding of history and how we arrived at the present time, not all of them controversial assertions so much as forgotten and decontextualized ones.
The style is not circular so much as it returns to core concepts after breaking them apart, bringing the forgotten but necessary counterpart to deconstruction, re-integration, to the reading process. As a result reading this book is like peeling an onion, with each layer revealing more of the big picture. It offers what few books can manage anymore: a vertiginous sense of discovery and concepts dropping into place that can explain the subtle mysteries of our present political climate.
Worsthorne’s thesis suggests that aristocracy, or an organic social order of the most qualified who enforce a balance that linear-thinking government cannot, not only arises naturally but if well-selected, provides an elite who are dedicated to public service more than themselves. It succeeds because it is decidedly non-mechanistic: he delights in the social aspects of an elite dedicated to stewardship, and illustrates how civility as a guiding principle ensures politics do not become abandoned to abstractions unrelated to life itself.
Finally, he contrasts society under rule by aristocracy, whose members are secure in their position and steeped in its tradition, with the “meritocratic” rise of the “classless society,” and points out in detail how the classless society fails to achieve its objectives and may achieve instead the inverse. As both an aristocrat and a journalist, Worsthorne describes the view from both sides of the bench on this issue.
A good part of the book addresses the necessary conditions of his thesis, including the most difficult to define parts such as “civility” and the notion of an organic, non-governmental caste who nonetheless provide the backbone to all governmental activities. For moderns, understanding caste is like trying to understand the use of a pressure cooker inside a black hole; Worsthorne elaborates slowly, but works up to his point:
“Aristocracy, however, is different because the bonds forged at birth and maintained at every subsequent stage in life, create a degree of loyalty between members as strong as, if not stronger than, those that bind together the members of a nation. The Old Etonian George Orwell tried to escape them but never wholly succeeded, concluding sadly, at the end of his life, that it was easier to change your party than change your class. Speaking personally, I cannot imagine life without class, which is not a passive condition but one that provides you with a general culture, a network to which you naturally belong, a stream of history in which you feel free and safe — almost a collective individuality.” (86)
In his retelling of history, the UK survived the time of the French Revolution because unlike the French, the English did not centralize their power into a single agency, but made government less efficient and instead cultivated a class of experts, united by a code of civility or “gentlemanly” conduct, such that they could conduct the appropriate circumventions of authority in smoke-stained lounges over glasses of cognac.
In this Worsthorne’s view is a hybridization of elitism and anarchy, in which the purpose of aristocracy is to avoid a powerful central government and its Boolean rules, and instead to cultivate a pool of talent that can organically and covertly address problems that are beyond the understanding of the electorate. His appeal to civility, the mode of aristocracy, is a call for a moral renovation to the modern state.
“For as a result of this method of selection, Britain’s political class had inherited enough in-built authority — honed over three centuries — and enough ancestral wisdom — acquired over the same period — to dare to defy both the arrogance of intellectuals from above and the emotions of the masses from below; to dare to resist the entrepreneurial imperative; to dare to try to raise the level of public conversation; to dare to put the public interest before private interests; to dare to try to shape the nation’s will and curb its appetites.” (50)
Bureaucracies, which he describes as the “natural enemies” of aristocrats, rely on rigid rules of a binary nature. When triggered, they must follow through blindly, causing periodic outrages so ludicrous they remind us of the rote actions of a machine out of control. In contrast, Worsthorne advocates the reliance on a class of people he describes as devoted to public duty, and their ability to intervene in place of blind rules.
As he reminds us, good leadership is unpopular because it does not pander to the arrogant intellectuals or emotional masses. In fact, it avoids special interests so that the nation as a whole can thrive. He describes it with a metaphor from his boarding school:
“I wanted the best of both worlds: authority figures who at one and the same time both protected me and left me alone; who came to my aid in emergencies but otherwise allowed me to mind my own business. Officious busybody prefects who kept an eye on one all the time were more a liability than an asset. But unofficious prefects who noticed what was going on from a corner of the eye were the opposite. Even more to be desired were the few older boys who turned down the office of prefect but were natural authority figures on the side of justice and order requiring, by virtue of strong individual character, no official badge of office.” (22)
This winding book, arcane like an ancient castle yet refreshing like finally finding the answer to your research in a footnote in the last book even tangential to your “official” topic, provides many such challenging ideas. Underlying every part of it is a distrust in the idea of a government that unites its public and private faces and thus is manipulable by special interests; Worsthorne argues for an older yet, if you look at it critically, more mature form of government, where rule by quality of people predominates under rule by book of rules.
Democracy Needs Aristocracy is a challenging and engrossing read, and even for those hostile to aristocracy, provides a thorough exploration of where our current systems of government fail. His thesis is flexible, and deliberately written from a liberal-friendly position, to show that democracy becomes anti-elitist mob rule without some mediating elite to keep anti-egalitarianism from becoming crowd revenge. As such, it is every bit as eternal as de Toqueville, and presents a vision of government that none can afford to fully ignore today.
You can find this book at Amazon for $15 or from Harper Collins UK for £9.With speculation mounting it appears as though Alex McLeish is ready to show his hand, probably this week, with his first signing(s). Rumours abound of possible bids for 3 players in particular so I examine the credentials of the Shay Given, Scott Parker and Charles N’Zogbia and give my opinion on what they offer us, should they sign.
Shay Given
Much talk is of interest in Shay Given and, if this is true, we land the Ireland stopper we would be signing a very good goalkeeper indeed. I’ve followed the career of Given very closely since he started out at Celtic – I live just 3 miles from him and we played sometimes on opposing sides at under-age level so I have local interest.
A great shotstopper, Given is experienced and as consistent as you like. He was outstanding in his time with Newcastle and has done little wrong at City. Truth be told he should probably be first choice ahead of Joe Hart at Eastlands, and City’s loss could very well be to our gain.
Given has many pluses, he would be a foundation rock of any spine that McLeish creates and would be a crowd favorite assumed against his popularity at his former clubs. The chance to play first-team football with Villa is a big lure, as he needs to be playing regularly to keep his international place. Given also is a model professional, accepting his role as City’s number two, but produced when called upon.
He is a strong, determined character who works hard at his trade and is quite differetnt the stereotype of the brash, garish modern-day Premier League footballer.
At 4m Given would represent great business. He already knows and has played with some of our existing defence in Dunne, Clark, and Ireland on duty with the national team so settling in would be no problem. His inclusion may cultivate improved performances from Dunne as he rarely has a bad international game when playing in front of Given. His detractors will point to a perceived lack of height – at 6’1” he’s not the tallest and can come under pressure when the ball is played on top of him.
There are also niggling injury doubts and, at 35, the recovery rate can be a bit longer. I personally think he’s youthful enough to play for at least another 3/4 years so I don’t share this concern. He may not offer the 10 plus years of Foster, but Given is the better keeper right now and I’d be delighted if we got him.
Charles N’Zgobia
Seen by many to be our managers pick to replace Young, it works well that McLeish is a long-term admirer having tried to sign him at Blues. Encouragingly the player was interested in talking to ‘that’ team in our shadow so surely a move to B6 would interest him. Money seemed to be the reason for breakdown in negotiations on that occasion and, even given expected prudence from Villa in this summer’s window, there should be enough in the pot to get N’Zogbia.
I actually think that if we could get N’Zogbia for anything up to £12m, then we would be getting a great deal given we just sold Ashley Young for a fair amount more. You see N’Zogbia for me would give our team more as not only is he a scintillating winger, he can also play in a host of other positions. N’Zogbia is a strong tackler and runner, has pace in abundance, great trickery, and is a marauding presence when on song.
Much like Young he can play on either flank, and is probably better than Young in the middle or in-the-hole behind the striker. At his previous clubs he has also filled in at left back with a willingness to get forward. Like Young, he has room for improvement given his age and playing with better players and at a higher profile at Villa.
The question mark hanging over N’Zogbia is one of attitude not ability. Seen, sometimes rather unfairly, as a trouble maker he had a very public spat with Joe Kinnear which led to his refusal to play and subsequent acrimonious departure. I would however imagine the argument between the two was less over any mispronunciation of his surname (as Insomnia) than the style of play and the general atmosphere at that club at that time.
At Wigan however, he has courted little to no trouble, yet still most fans of other clubs still see an impetuous individual. I personally don’t believe signing N’Zogbia would represent any gamble as such. The esteemed Bobby Robson said having signed him at Newcastle “N’Zogbia could go to the very top with the right coaching and motivation. I signed him as a teenager and he was one of the most naturally gifted players of that age I’d ever seen”.
Scott Parker
I don’t know if Alex McLeish reads blogs, but if he does and he happens to chance upon this then Alex, I implore you to sign Scott Parker and here’s why. Scott Parker is exactly the player we need to give us a dynamic midfield. Any midfield combination you can think of at the club whether it be a two, three, four, or five would be significantly stronger with the addition of Parker.
I know you could say that about Xavi or many others also but we aren’t exactly likely to sign Xavi. Parker offers experience and 100% commitment to the cause, is combative in the tackle, strong and likes to drive forward. This is exactly the type of midfield general we lack at present and in truth that we’ve lacked since Barry’s departure.
If Scott Parker joined the club tomorrow, the first thing I would do is hand him the captain’s armband. With Petrov all but finished as a regular starter, Dunne and Collins would be the most obvious choices to take over. Luke Young would be another candidate given his steady nature however I don’t think he has the personality for the job so we are left with no obvious favourite for the role.
Should Parker sign, he would be a great captain. The current Player of the Year, he has the respect of his fellow pros and is a true leader both on the pitch and in the dressing room. It is wise to note that it was Parker who famously rallied the troops from three down against West Brom so he displays leadership under pressure.
Those against Parker signing, of which I know few, shay that we should be looking at younger players. However I couldn’t disagree more – ask yourself would you rather Parker at 7m or Jordan Henderson for 20m?
Parker has at least three or four years at the top level ahead of him. We have plenty of young promising young players, they just need direction as much as anything. Playing alongside players of Parker’s and Given’s calibre would surely only bring out the best in them.
With these three, Given and Parker would add to the spine of the team, while N’Zogbia strengthens all round in terms of his flexibility in attacking positions. We would probably be looking at parting with around 20m for the three and, in todays inflated market, we would be getting great value.
The Need to Get It Right
The first market moves for McLeish are crucial and could help win over some still opposed to his appointment. It will be the manager’s first chance to show fans the way forward for Villa, and I have every confidence we are heading in the right direction.
We may not have or spend 40m this summer but I really don’t think we need to. After all, it is about the right players coming into the club, not the transfer fee associated with them. With that said, the three above players would represent a big step in the right direction.Students watched Thursday morning as a professor at Saddleback College tore down their posters memorializing the lives lost to terrorism on 9/11.
The posters had been put up around the college campus as part of the school’s chapter of the Young America’s Foundation’s (YAF) project titled, "9/11: Never Forget Project." The project’s mission on the YAF website reads:
Each year Young America’s Foundation helps students across the country properly remember the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks through our 9/11: Never Forget Project. Young America’s Foundation began this program in 2003 when we discovered that most college campuses were either completely ignoring the anniversary or holding a politically correct event instead.
As part of YAF’s memorial, students are encouraged to plant an American flag on campus as part of the 2,977 American flags representing the passed victims of the 9/11 attacks, schedule a moment of silence or prayer on the morning of September 11th, host a conservative speaker with YAF, or distribute materials on campus on the anniversary of the attacks. A total of 206 campus YAF chapters have participated in this memorializing event.
The following is a screenshot of one of the posters that were distributed by the YAF students:
It seems the poster memorializing the American victims of terrorism was too triggering for one sensitive professor to handle. The professor in the video was later identified by students as Margot Lovett, a history department chair and Gender Studies lecturer at Saddleback College. Lovett had redirected the students to one of Saddleback College’s “free speech areas” and they demanded they get a "stamp" of approval before hanging up their posters.
YAF spokeswoman Emily Jashinsky pointed out Lovett was in the news back in 2001 for endorsing the anti-American statement made by the Black Radical Congress (BRC) in response to the 9/11 attacks, blaming the United States for “genocidal levels of death and destruction.”
“Saddleback College is a public school,” Jashinsky wrote. “Under no circumstances should it be this difficult for students to exercise their First Amendment rights to memorialize the victims of the 9/11 attacks.”
Follow Pardes Seleh on Twitter.LSU bans alcohol from Greek life until 2018
BATON ROUGE – Alcohol will continue to be banned from Greek activities at LSU, the university revealed Thursday.
In a letter sent to fraternities and sororities, F. King Alexander said alcohol will not be a part of the Greek culture on campus for the foreseeable future. The decision comes as the university is working to regulate organizations following the hazing death of fraternity pledge Max Gruver.
Alexander said he has knowledge that sanctions are not being taken seriously.
“...There are those among us who have not yet absorbed the severity and seriousness of the current situation,” he wrote. “It also underscores that there are a few who seek to maintain the status quo despite continued warnings about the dangers inherent in such actions.”
Click HERE to read the entire letter.
While Greek organizations can hold events, LSU has banned alcohol from activities until at least January.
********************
Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltzContracts $1.1m / 1 Years (2012) (Edit)
(Edit) signed by Colorado Rockies on 1/18/2012 (Minor League)
2012: $1.1M
$1.1M
Originally Reported By: Mark Townsend
Source: sports.yahoo.com, Hat Tip: sportingnews.com
Submitted by Bailey Winston $13m / 2 Years (2009 - 2010) (Edit)
(Edit) signed by Philadelphia Phillies on 12/15/2008 (Free Agent)
2009: $6.5M, 2010: $6.5M
$6.5M, $6.5M
Incentives: 2010 salary increases by following amounts if totals are achieved in 2009: $250,000 for 150 innings $500,000 for 160 innings $500,000 for
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. You’re giving me every impression you’re needing a relief.”
“I am. I’ve had some people take over, but it’s during the quiet periods, and I’m not sleeping a lot. I’m constantly worried something’s going to happen when I’m not looking. Like this.”
“Then take my offer. Take a minute where you can put this whole thing in good hands.”
“I’m just-” he started.
“He’s not able to relax if it’s you,” Mary spoke in my ear.
“Alright,” I said, jumping in as she finished talking, so that I wouldn’t do the thing where I was pausing too long while listening to others. I barely had time to feel stung by Davis’ opinion of me. “Alright. How about this, instead? Let me take lead. You back me up, since you know people and you can be the level head to balance me out.”
He still looked reluctant.
I glanced at Mary. “You’re a perfectionist. I get it. It’s hard to give up control once you’ve invested yourself into this.”
“It’s not me, it’s you,” he said, again in a volume that was chosen so only I would hear.
Again, that stung a bit, even if I knew it was the case. “I was in the middle of dancing around that particular reality, as a matter of fact.”
“You’re talking to yourself an awful lot,” he said. “Your eyes track things that aren’t there. I knew it happened sometimes, but it seems like most of the time now.”
“And it doesn’t inspire confidence,” I said.
“I’m in charge here because of a whole succession of times when I was forced to take the role, and a whole succession of other times where I volunteered to take it. I’ve fallen into this role. I know an awful lot of faces there, people I’d be putting at risk. I feel a responsibility.”
“And that’s fine. That’s good. It’s a large part of why I respect you as much as I do,” I said. “And nothing I want to do is going to contradict that.”
“Alright,” Davis said. He sighed. The near-panic wasn’t the only thing he was clinging to, it seemed. He had to work to let go of his stance here. A deeper-seated insecurity was in play here.
I could address that later.
“I need a bit of explosive, a way to make smoke, some shackles, and I need you to get your people ready for me. If and when there’s an opening, you’ll be able to take advantage and get that fire under control. I’ll handle the rest. No risk to your own.”
“Easy enough,” he said.
I walked over to the stairs that led further down into the body of Hackthorn, while Davis went to go get everything else in order. From where I was at, I could see the bridge and the northern face of the dormitory. Lights were on throughout, and students within were watching proceedings.
This wasn’t a duel with a great mind like Fray’s. It wasn’t a contest where one side took the upper hand and felt secure. There was tension on both sides. A hundred boys and girls on both sides of things were close to crying, or to pissing or shitting themselves, they were so scared. Scared about what was happening, what the future held.
It was a fight with the Academy, after all. With the Crown, in a roundabout way.
“You’re keeping the army back. Is it because of what I said before, about the ways different leaders handle reckless plans?”
Mauer was back, it seemed.
“Maybe this isn’t so reckless,” I said. “In fact, this might be a nice way to stretch my legs, a casual way to keep my skills honed and stay active.”
“Maybe,” Mauer said. He used his voice to give the word the perfect sort of emphasis, mocking but not mocking, but also emphasizing it in a way that highlighted how maybe that maybe was.
Then he was gone.
I wanted to smoke, but I doubted I had time, and the actual cigarette would be dangerous when handling explosives and when trying to be covert. I didn’t like sitting still. Smoking kept my hands busy and made me feel like I was more in this world. It made me aware of the smoke in my lungs and the acrid smells, the sensations of touch. The smoke that obscured my vision helped my eyes slide off the things I was seeing.
And all the other excuses.
“There you are,” Davis said.
“Here I am.”
“How much explosive do you need?” he asked. He held a small wooden box so the edge of the box rested on his beltline.
“Not a ton. Lemme eyeball it,” I said. I peered over the edge of the box, and I claimed several sticks of dynamite. I stuck them down the front of my pants, so they stuck up and out, then pulled my shirt down over it.
He handed me a canister. I hooked it to my belt. He provided the shackles.
“I’ll whistle,” I said. “Keep an ear out.”
“I will,” Davis said.
“And if you want to make a commotion over at the other arm, move a lot of lanterns and lights over that way, even turn on lights in that direction, that might help,” I said.
I pulled off my shoes and socks, and popped the window open.
Going by the company, Helen, Mary and Evette were joining me on this excursion.
The wind was utterly merciless, and I was still indoors. The rain wasn’t great either, but I at least had the benefit of the armpit and other structures above. They’d avoided any outgrowth, garden or other things that might have given the illusion of armpit hair for the Lady of Hackthorn, but there were eaves and shelves that jutted out. The water wasn’t so bad. Not here.
It would be worse in other places.
I climbed outside, finding handholds and footholds as I went. It took almost a full minute for me to make the transition from windowsill to being fully outside and situated on the wall outside the window.
“Are you going to be alright?” Davis asked.
I would have spoken, but my body was pressed tight against the wall, and I really did believe that speaking might involve motion and an expansion of my chest that would cost me my perch. I gave him a smile instead.
It was slow going, and the clouds were heavy. I could taste the smoke in the air from the fire blazing at the top of the nearby dormitory, and the water that ran down over me was cold.
As I made my way further under the armpit, I found one of the places where the water ran in a near-continuous stream down the wall. A miniature waterfall. The downward pressure of the water was one thing, threatening to wash me off and down. But today was not the first or tenth time it had rained. It had rained hundreds of times since Hackthorn had been erected, the water had found its way down this same path in varying intensities, and cracks that might have served as normal handholds had been eroded down to smoothed out indents.
“Keep your hips against the wall,” Helen said. “It’s easy to overthink hands and feet and forget about the hips.”
In the gloom, barely visible, perched on another part of the wall, she swished her hips back and forth, water streaming off of her wet skirt. Had she been anyone but Helen, it might have been tantalizing.
I drew my knife, and I stabbed it into one of the handholds that had been washed out. I repeated the process, stabbing through the waterfall, and even with one arm in the downpour, the force of the water was enough that it almost tore me down and away.
After a few more stabs, I reached over, and dug my fingers into the gap I’d hacked into the dense, smooth wood-like material that formed so much of the Lady of Hackthorn. The water was washing away the loose splinters, but there were less loose splinters.
I decided that splinters were fine because they were grip, and I pushed the pain out of my mind.
I hung from that notch I’d hacked out, stomach pressed against the wall, and swung around so I was most of the way through the waterfall, my back against the wall. I made sure to follow Helen’s advice and keep my hips against the wall throughout.
Back against the wall, hanging by one hand, water pounding down on me, a good six hundred feet of empty air beneath me, I swayed for a minute, waiting for the wind to stop pulling at my feet and changing the direction of the water.
Once things seemed mostly settled, I very carefully transitioned the knife from my mouth to my free hand, and stabbed out blindly, aiming for the same general area.
It took a minute before I managed to land enough strikes in the same general area that I felt like I could get any fingertips into the notch.
It was a relief to get out from under the water. I climbed up into the armpit, happy to find handholds now and again.
Any passage over the bridge would be noticed. Under the bridge, I was entirely out of the light from the fire above.
The wood had cracks, knots, and seams. They were growing pains. On other parts of the Academy, they’d been places for scattered seeds to take root, and make the Lady of Hackthorn a little more green. They served as places for ivy to find a hold. Sometimes small birds nested in the spaces.
Now I moved along the underside of the bridge-arm, and the handholds I’d made use of earlier were still here, but the process of using them was different. I needed to exert more strength, periodically needed to wedge fingers in.
Mary and Helen climbed with me, and in an abstract way, they were likely serving as a way for my brain to remind me how to climb, a way for me to track the handholds and footholds. Where my head and hands went, I needed to note places for my toes to wedge in later, places for my feet and toes to press or hook in so my weight wasn’t hanging entirely by my hands and arms.
Mary climbed ahead of me, and from my vantage point, I could see more of her legs than I normally might. Her clothes were wet and clung to her. All practiced strength, grace and concise movement, she was perfect Mary in that moment, and it was an utterly fantastic image that hit me in a rush.
I had a thought, imagining a situation where too much appreciation of Mary’s form might push my hips a prince’s span away from the surface I was clinging to. The thought of me falling into the wind and darkness with a full fledged appreciation for Mary at the ready made me laugh out loud.
The moment gave me strength. I moved with more confidence.
What could have been two or ten minutes later, in a timespan punctuated only by a hammering heart that wouldn’t slow down and a course of adrenaline, my feet slipped.
I dangled from my fingertips, my arms trembling with strain. My midsection protested with what I was asking for it as I arched my body, bringing my feet back up to the surface above.
I was going to feel that tomorrow.
I continued my climb. As the angle of the arm changed, I had a slightly less horizontal surface, one that was still dark and fairly dry.
I reached the dormitory. A vertical surface. The next best thing to a horizontal surface that was actually under my feet instead of over my head.
“What now?” Helen asked.
“Now, you might want to look away,” I said. I shifted my hold on the wall, and I undid my fly.
“Sy!” Mary admonished me.
“Well, if you’re going to protest, you can look if you want,” I said. “It’s cold though, so there’s less to look at than usual.”
“What are you even doing?” she asked, turning her head away.
“Being very, very relieved,” I said. “Felt like I was going to piss myself a few times back there. Might as well celebrate my victory over that particular feeling, yeah?”
“Why?” Mary asked.
“Well, for one thing, I just haven’t had a chance to go in the past while, and now that the adrenaline isn’t suppressing normal urges to relieve myself, I really had to go,” I said. I cleared my throat. “For another thing, keeping in mind I’m halfway done-”
“Gross,” she said.
“-Or three quarters done. Here we go. One second.”
“I don’t need the moment by moment updates, Sy,” Mary said.
I zipped up. “Yep. That’s probably the most exhilarating leak I’ve ever taken. Highly recommended.”
She made a sound I couldn’t make out. I glanced at Helen, who hadn’t looked away or complained, who simply gave me a smile and one-shoulder shrug.
“I don’t understand how your mind works sometimes, Sy.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Well, few people can. It’s an advantage,” I said.
“Getting back on track…” Mary prompted me. “Why are we even here?”
“Well, for this, I wanted to thank Mauer for getting me to think about how the opposition here thinks. They’re insecure leaders.”
“He compared you to these leaders, for the record,” Mary said.
“Shush,” I said. “Come on now. Don’t be peevy with me now. They’re insecure leaders. They’re worried that if they don’t control the situation, take charge, and take the lead, then their people might lose momentum or surrender.”
“Right,” Mary said.
“So… natural conclusion of that. They’re managing the fire.”
“I can hear the chopping of wood,” Helen said.
I could, too. It was distant, but the ‘thok, thok, thok’ noise could be heard past the bluster of wind, patter of rain and the hiss of water pouring down the side of the dormitory.
“Taking furniture apart,” I said. “Or they’ll start taking parts of the dormitory building apart. Most likely, the wood of the floors and walls are fire resistant, not fireproof. But that’s not something that they need to control. Their focus is on us. They’re terrified of what unfolds if we attack, or if we deploy something. They saw us use the gas in other parts of the Academy before we shuffled them over to the dormitory buildings. So if they’re the type that has to lead from the front…”
I climbed.
I’d chosen the under-the-bridge route to keep out of sight, because they would have a hundred eyes watching the bridge to look out for potential attack, because it was sensible and because they were scared and emotion dictated the same.
Now my approach brought me up around the side of the bridge. Unless they were outside or actively leaning out the window, which they wouldn’t be in this gloom, they wouldn’t see me standing right at the door.
I pressed my hand against the wall, visualizing.
If they were the type to lead from the front, putting themselves between ally and enemy, so their allies wouldn’t flee or surrender, then they would be by the door. Standing guard not just against potential incursion, but against potential excursion.
I set a stick of dynamite into the wall above the door. Then I took a moment to judge the construction, and decided against using the second stick. Mauer’s urgings to kill were in the back of my mind, and I was happier with playing it safer. I hung my jacket over the stick to keep it mostly dry, and lit the wick, which was now sheltered from the downpour.
Swiftly, I ducked down under the side of the bridge. I clung to the exterior wall, with the idea of putting the thick and sturdy bridge and the fingers of the Lady of Hackthorn between myself and the imminent blast. I was glad that the nature of the growth of the arm and bridge and its interconnection with the dormitory building gave me sturdy handholds.
The blast was more intense than I’d anticipated. It wasn’t intense enough to send me flying, but it did knock me for a loop, my thoughts and senses rattled.
I gathered myself together as quickly as I could, and rose, climbing. The blast had affected the ones sitting in chairs a short distance from the door, damaging thick exterior walls with the shockwave knocking them out of their seats and sending them sprawling. They’d been hit worse than any of the others, and now some of those others had already rushed to the defense and aid of the two stunned individuals.
They didn’t even see me. They’d taken it for a cannon shot or mortar rather than anything else, as far as I could tell, and the idea that an enemy might be right outside the door, on a cracked bridge, it didn’t even occur to them.
I threw the smoke canister, throwing myself into the room a moment later.
I disabled, rather than hurt or maim. It was a fight in smoke and gloom, only a few moments after an unexpected explosion. Nobody was about to open fire on what might include friendlies, and I suspected that even the students that were hurrying into the dormitory lobby to see what was going on were still unaware that there was even a person present.
I pushed away the helpful bystanders, grabbed the ones who had been sitting by the door, and hauled the first and most active of them back.
He didn’t have a sense of balance, and getting him to move where I wanted required only a few timely pushes and shoves. He tumbled to the ground, and I used the shackles Davis had given me to connect him to the railing that ran along the bridge.
“There’s someone there! They’re attacking!” A girl called out.
“There weren’t any alerts!”
“There’s one hundred percent someone there! They got Eric and Neil!”
Feet tromped on floorboards.
I screamed, and I made it the scream of someone who was being hurt. A gargly tortured person scream, or the scream of a person who’d just been stabbed.
“Neil!” the girl who’d spoken before shouted.
Guess I knew who she was sweet on. Poor Eric.
The scream had given hesitation to people who had been relying on this pair for their forward momentum.
I grabbed the second of the pair and hauled them back. They weren’t as responsive and they weren’t trying to climb to their feet, so I couldn’t direct their movement. I had to drag, and I wasn’t strong enough to drag someone. I got him a few feet, and then I noticed the smoke was clearing up.
“Where’s Tommyboy?”
“Tommy’s upstairs.”
That was another problem. Small in the grand scheme of things. I tugged again on the heavy lad, dragging him closer to the door, then finally got him close enough to his buddy’s ankle.
I wasted no time in immediately heading to the wall. Every part of my fingers and feet protested, my stomach clenched into a knot as I made yet another climb.
Tommyboy or Tommy was the very first person they thought of when their leadership disappeared.
They were a trio, very likely. They might have thought along the same lines we were thinking, in choosing to take shifts, to conserve strength, and play the longer game. Tommy had rested so he’d be more alert later.
He’d have heard the explosion. What had I seen inside? I tried to think of the lobby and its layout, and to correlate that to what I knew was outside.
Damn my short memory.
I made my way to the first window. It was shuttered, and the latch for the shutters were inside, but that was easy enough to fix. A swipe of my knife through the gap lifted the latch. I had a chance to peek through.
I saw Tommy run by, flanked by a small crowd of students. The lobby was an open room with stairs running along one side, leading further up into the building. Tommy made his way down to the lobby, and stood well back from the door as he stared at the scene – a destroyed door and slightly damaged frame and exterior wall, the other two shackled to the bridge outside. It wasn’t no man’s land, but it wasn’t safe either. To help them they needed to step outside, expose themselves to gunfire or other dangers.
There was a girl in an Academy uniform talking to Tommy, telling him about me, no doubt. That something had been there in the wake of the explosion, pushing her away.
Their focus was on the outside.
I simply needed to be where they didn’t think I would be.
I drew my gun, mindful of what Mauer had said and taunted me of, shifted my position, and then broke the window with the gun handle.
Before they could react, I had my gun trained on Tommy, pointing at him through the window.
Slowly, he raised his hands in surrender.
“You’re going to put out the fire. Whatever you can’t put out, you let die.”
I could feel the tension, see the people exchange looks. So very many eyes were looking to Tommy for guidance. It said a lot that his hands were already up.
“Yeah,” he said, his voice carrying to me.
Taking out these individuals was the lynchpin here. Tommy raised his hands in surrender, and without the forward impetus of their leadership, everything in flux, the rest lost heart.
I signaled for Davis, with my best sharp whistle. We had ears that would catch it.
☙
“Some of the ships are staying out there,” Pierre said. “I thought about being more stern about coming back, but I don’t do well with confrontation. It feels unpleasant. I don’t like being the one that’s staying put while others are moving.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Not the part about you being uncomfortable, but if that’s what they want to do, it’s good.”
“It’s a lot of resources we have to put in, to ensuring they have food, that they’re not overtired out there,” he said. “It feels very spread thin.”
“It’s really fine,” I said. “It’s about control, isn’t it?”
“You usually use that word as if it’s an epithet,” he pointed out.
“Well, look who’s paying attention. But it’s really fine. They want to play their part, have a role in this. They’re keeping an eye turned outward, for external threat. If it reassures them, let them.”
Pierre nodded.
We sat at the dining area above Lab One, below the top floor where I’d had a view of the fire and Davis’ efforts to organize his rebel soldiers. This was the heart, a fantastic place to see just about all of the movement here and there through the center of the Academy.
Paul, formerly Poll Parrot, was sitting with other kids, eating. He’d had too many surgeries in the last few days, and he looked drawn out, not enough body fat, but he was smiling, laughing. He ate with one hand. Even with good students and doctors turned to the task, we’d only salvaged one arm. The other was a stump, and we would fix that soon.
He sat with Mauer, which was my own affectation, a younger parallel. He ate with soldiers, which was his own affectation, a good indicator of his mindset, that the anger was still there, and the possible direction he might take from here.
There were others gathered. Many of Ferres’ experiments had been glad to get their modifcations removed and undone. Some of the more extensive ones had been harder to fix, put off until later, or until we had the resources. We didn’t have a spare human face for Red Riding Hood. No arm for Paul.
“Do you think I should go under the knife?” Pierre asked.
“Not my decision to make,” I said.
“Might be that I’m thinking about it,” he said.
“Yeah,” I said.
It had been so long that I’d known him, that I hadn’t asked. I’d felt like I couldn’t. That it would be crossing a boundary.
“If you told me to, I probably would, and I’d probably be happier for it,” he said.
“Maybe I like you the way you are. Maybe you like you the way you are.”
“That’s true,” he said.
I saw some students come down the stairs. It wasn’t an outright defection, but some of the students from the dormitory had changed their minds about things. They were working for us in a limited capacity, with a strong guard. Fearing for their security more than they likely ever had in their lives, they’d taken the security we offered over the security they had as prisoners.
“An Academy can’t run like this, you know,” Lillian said, from further down the table. She’d seen me looking. “With only a few hundred, when it needs more. Even this small defection, it’s not enough.”
I agreed, but I didn’t want to go and talk to Lillian when I was sitting and eating with Pierre. That would look curious, give others more reason to worry.
There was so much more to do. Power and control. The students we’d herded elsewhere were elsewhere as a group. The were banding together, becoming factions unto themselves. The fire at the top of the one dormitory was one thing. There was another dormitory that was actively trying to fight back. We had access to the Academy’s guns and arsenal, we had barricades and the warbeasts, chemicals for gas and more. They had sheer numbers, and weapons of a medieval sort, improvised and fashioned using resources they’d had in the dorm. Curtain rod spears, pokers, knives and clubs made from bedposts.
The others had wanted to gas them, but I was hoping that we could get them to expend their strength and stamina. We needed to turn some of them. Everything was about appearances here.
On the topic of appearances… I watched Mabel hurry down the stairs, taking them two at a time, one hand on the railing so she wouldn’t take a spill. She gave me a glance and a smile.
“She’s going to avoid me,” I said.
“Did things sour?” Pierre asked.
“No, not sour, exactly,” I said. Mabel saw me and gave me a little salute.
I gestured. Come. Sit.
Brain work. Mabel signaled. Hands.
Research she couldn’t leave alone?
She didn’t glance back at me before hurrying on her way.
“Maybe I shouldn’t push it. Just bothers me sometimes,” I said. “People avoiding me.”
“I’ve experienced that too,” Pierre said. “Sometimes it’s the way things are.”
I nodded.
Someone settled onto the bench next to me.
Bo Peep. Twelve or so, dressed in borrowed clothes that were too large for her.
Reaching up and over, she took hold of my arm, hugging it.
“Hey critter,” I said.
Her head rested against my shoulder.
I shifted my position, and I hugged her closer.
“Still haven’t gone under the knife, huh?”
She shook her head.
“S’alright,” I said. “Another time maybe.”
She shook her head again.
“No?”
“No,” she said. Her voice had a bit of a croak to it. Newly fixed vocal chords. “No more surgeries.”
I looked over at Pierre. His expression was unreadable, but his ears had an angle that made me think of worry.
Well, she wasn’t the only one who had expressed the sentiment.
“Well, would it bother you if I said that at least you have the best head of hair in the world, so if you’re going to keep it, it’s a pretty neat thing to keep?”
She shook her head, then said, “But it’s a head of wool.”
“I stand corrected,” I said. She nodded in response, her head rubbing against my shoulder.
I wasn’t sure it counted for a lot, that she said she wasn’t bothered. I could have told her pretty much anything, and she would’ve bought it. I’d rescued them, and that counted for an awful lot.
I wasn’t sure that was a good thing, that I had their absolute trust.
“Did you just need a hug?” I asked her. “Always an option.”
She shook her head, then seemed to remember that she had a voice, and that she wasn’t largely limited to head movements and gestures. She stated a simple, “No.”
“No? Not always an option? Or you didn’t need a hug?”
“I wanted to say,” she said, and then she hesitated. She pulled back a bit and looked up at me anxious. “Can you stop talking?”
“Stop talking?” I asked. My head went through all of the paradigms, trying to figure out the angle I was supposed to interpret that. Did she want the hug, without words attached? She was five or so years my junior and that wasn’t really a thing. It was-
“Stop talking to them,” she interrupted my thoughts. “People who aren’t there?”
I opened my mouth to respond, then stopped. It hadn’t been an angle I’d considered.
No Lillian at the table. That much I’d known. But no Pierre either.
“It makes me uneasy. It makes others uneasy too, and I don’t like them being uneasy with you.”
“It’s okay, Peep,” I said, jumping in before she could say any more. “I get it. I get it. I’m sorry.”
She nodded, and then she hugged me tighter.
I gave her mop of wool a tentative, reassuring pat, and she nodded again, as if this was good.
Setting one elbow on the table, fingers pressed against my mouth, I used my other hand to stroke her hair while she sat next to me, clinging to me.
Sitting next to Paul, Mauer looked my way.
I thought of the conversation, about moving forward and about stopping.
I don’t think I can stop, I thought. Let’s at least hope the others are moving forward.
Previous NextDetroit Lions center Dominic Raiola (Photo: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
As disappointed as the Detroit Lions are in Dominic Raiola's untimely suspension, the 14-year veteran should get his starting job back when he returns for the playoffs next week.
Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said Wednesday that there's little chance rookie Travis Swanson will unseat Raiola and take over as the team's permanent starter.
"Oh boy, it would be hard," Lombardi said. "It'd be hard to imagine."
Swanson, a third-round pick out of Arkansas, will make his first career start at center Sunday against the Green Bay Packers after filling in at right guard for three games last month.
Raiola has started 99 straight games at center for the Lions and is the franchise's career leader in starts.
He was suspended one game on Monday for intentionally stepping on the ankle of Chicago Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Wednesday that he wasn't surprised by Raiola's suspension and that "the film supports" the NFL's decision. But he declined to say whether he felt Raiola let the team down.
The Lions can win their first division title in 21 years and earn a first-round playoff bye if they can beat the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
"We don't lament and talk about those kinds of things because all that does is create issues, which is obviously something that we try to stay away from," Caldwell said. "We want to focus on obviously the next task at hand and talking about it, giving it energy does us no good. And I'm not going to talk about it much longer."Some say sections of President Trump's speech sound a lot like Bane in the film "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises," so we decided to find out just how similar the two are. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
The speaker painted a bleak picture of a world run by elites, in which the little guy was being stomped on by the oppressive ruling class — a ruling class that could only be ousted by an unprecedented uprising by the masses themselves.
The solution to that oppression? Turning power back over to the people.
We're speaking, of course, about the bad guy in the last Batman movie — Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.”
And: yes, okay, President Trump's inaugural address hit some of the same notes.
Democrats pretty much across the board slammed Trump's speech as “dark” and “divisive.”
America needs our president to unite us. That was a dark campaign speech. No attempt to bring us together. Deeply troubling. #Inauguration — Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) January 20, 2017
President Trump's dark portrait of America, crime ridden & weak, makes me long for Obama. Miss his optimism & hope and its only been an hour — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 20, 2017
A dark, dystopian, defiant inaugural speech that begins a new presidency without aspiration or reconciliation. — Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) January 20, 2017
But beyond the thematic similarities, a short section of Trump's speech sounded like it could have been lifted word-for-word from Bane. Watch and decide for yourself.Chair Yellen presented identical remarks before the Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate on May 8, 2014
Chairman Brady, Vice Chair Klobuchar, and other members of the Committee, I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the current economic situation and outlook along with monetary policy before turning to some issues regarding financial stability.
Current Economic Situation and Outlook
The economy has continued to recover from the steep recession of 2008 and 2009. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth stepped up to an average annual rate of about 3-1/4 percent over the second half of last year, a faster pace than in the first half and during the preceding two years. Although real GDP growth is currently estimated to have paused in the first quarter of this year, I see that pause as mostly reflecting transitory factors, including the effects of the unusually cold and snowy winter weather. With the harsh winter behind us, many recent indicators suggest that a rebound in spending and production is already under way, putting the overall economy on track for solid growth in the current quarter. One cautionary note, though, is that readings on housing activity‑-a sector that has been recovering since 2011--have remained disappointing so far this year and will bear watching.
Conditions in the labor market have continued to improve. The unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in April, about 1-1/4 percentage points below where it was a year ago. Moreover, gains in payroll employment averaged nearly 200,000 jobs per month over the past year. During the economic recovery so far, payroll employment has increased by about 8-1/2 million jobs since its low point, and the unemployment rate has declined about 3-3/4 percentage points since its peak.
While conditions in the labor market have improved appreciably, they are still far from satisfactory. Even with recent declines in the unemployment rate, it continues to be elevated. Moreover, both the share of the labor force that has been unemployed for more than six months and the number of individuals who work part time but would prefer a full-time job are at historically high levels. In addition, most measures of labor compensation have been rising slowly--another signal that a substantial amount of slack remains in the labor market.
Inflation has been quite low even as the economy has continued to expand. Some of the factors contributing to the softness in inflation over the past year, such as the declines seen in non-oil import prices, will probably be transitory. Importantly, measures of longer-run inflation expectations have remained stable. That said, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) recognizes that inflation persistently below 2 percent--the rate that the Committee judges to be most consistent with its dual mandate--could pose risks to economic performance, and we are monitoring inflation developments closely.
Looking ahead, I expect that economic activity will expand at a somewhat faster pace this year than it did last year, that the unemployment rate will continue to decline gradually, and that inflation will begin to move up toward 2 percent. A faster rate of economic growth this year should be supported by reduced restraint from changes in fiscal policy, gains in household net worth from increases in home prices and equity values, a firming in foreign economic growth, and further improvements in household and business confidence as the economy continues to strengthen. Moreover, U.S. financial conditions remain supportive of growth in economic activity and employment.
As always, considerable uncertainty surrounds this baseline economic outlook. At present, one prominent risk is that adverse developments abroad, such as heightened geopolitical tensions or an intensification of financial stresses in emerging market economies, could undermine confidence in the global economic recovery. Another risk--domestic in origin--is that the recent flattening out in housing activity could prove more protracted than currently expected rather than resuming its earlier pace of recovery. Both of these elements of uncertainty will bear close observation.
Monetary Policy
Turning to monetary policy, the Federal Reserve remains committed to policies designed to restore labor market conditions and inflation to levels that the Committee judges to be consistent with its dual mandate. As always, our policy will continue to be guided by the evolving economic and financial situation, and we will adjust the stance of policy appropriately to take account of changes in the economic outlook. In light of the considerable degree of slack that remains in labor markets and the continuation of inflation below the Committee's 2 percent objective, a high degree of monetary accommodation remains warranted.
With the federal funds rate, our traditional policy tool, near zero since late 2008, we have relied on two less conventional tools to provide support for the economy: asset purchases and forward guidance. And, because these policy tools are less familiar, we have been especially attentive in recent years to the need to communicate to the public about how we intend to employ our policy tools in response to changing economic circumstances.
Our current program of asset purchases began in September 2012 when the economic recovery had weakened and progress in the labor market had slowed, and we said that our intention was to continue the program until we saw substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market. By December 2013, the Committee judged that the cumulative progress in the labor market warranted a modest reduction in the pace of asset purchases. At the first three meetings this year, our assessment was that there was sufficient underlying strength in the broader economy to support ongoing improvement in labor market conditions, so further measured reductions in asset purchases were appropriate. I should stress that even as the Committee reduces the pace of its purchases of longer-term securities, it is still adding to its holdings, and those sizable holdings continue to put significant downward pressure on longer-term interest rates, support mortgage markets, and contribute to favorable conditions in broader financial markets.
Our other important policy tool in recent years has been forward guidance about the likely path of the federal funds rate as the economic recovery proceeds. Beginning in December 2012, the Committee provided threshold-based guidance that turned importantly on the behavior of the unemployment
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you want to walk around barefoot in the dirty-ass DMV? How can human beings be so well mannered? The Russian system works best. You walk into the room and ask, “Who’s last?” That person acknowledges you and you sit down like a civilized person. Then when they go up, you know you’re after them. Everyone in the room is reasonably aware of the order, too, so if someone tries to go out of order, the group will shame them. Shame! In Israel no one will admit they’re last in line. If you ask, “Who’s last?” They will all answer, “YOU are!” They do this in Cuba too. I think communism forces you to find more efficient ways of waiting in line. In pubs in England there is no visible queue but everyone roughly knows their place in it. If you try jump the queue you will be shamed with a nasty glare and some vicious muttering. If they did this in my home country (Pakistan), some guy will not only cut in line, but also steal your shoes.
Reddit users are all entitled to their own opinions, but what about the RocketNews24 nation? What do you think about the Thai style of waiting in line? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: LabaqThe moment is finally near for newest Chicago Fire signing Michael de Leeuw.
On Saturday night when the Fire visit BMO Field for a road test against Toronto FC (CSN Chicago, 6:30 p.m. CT), de Leeuw will be eligible for selection to head coach Veljko Paunovic’s squad for the first time.
“I’m excited,” he said. “This is what over the last weeks I have trained for. I knew that after the Fourth of July that I was capable of playing. Now I’m available and I hope to get on Saturday some minutes and show my skills to MLS.”
More: Fire getting healthy entering TFC road trip
The 29-year-old forward – whose surname means “Lion” in Dutch -- arrived in Chicago in early June after signing with the team on May 17. His last month has been spent training alongside the team in anticipation for an early July debut, when the summer transfer window officially opened. While he’s been focused on his preparation for the Fire’s heavy July schedule, de Leeuw noted that it hasn’t been easy to sit out of the team while he’s waited to become eligible.
“Yeah it’s frustrating,” he said. “I knew (about the wait) before I signed, so I knew how it was. Still, it’s frustrating because you train for the whole week, you prepare for the game and if you can’t play, then you train different. Now this week was different. Now I know I can play, so I hope Saturday I can play and give everything for the team.”
Pauno: Michael de Leeuw is in the final stages of his personal preseason and will for sure be in the team Saturday. #cf97 — Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) July 5, 2016
According to Paunovic, de Leeuw has been put through a well-regimented and personalized “preseason” training regimen over the last five weeks to get him fit for MLS play. The Fire have played five matches since he arrived in the States, which has given him plenty of opportunities to get a feel for his new team ahead of joining them on the field.
“I noticed that the confidence is building,” he said. “The last two games we won. We played good, we created chances, and that’s the most important thing. (It’s also important) of course to score the chances, because then you can win. I feel a lot of confidence. We have a good group.”
The Dutchman’s last competitive appearance in a match came on Sunday, May 15 in a Europa League playoff tilt between former side FC Groningen and Heracles Almelo, also of the Dutch Eredivisie. That match marked the final of 117 appearances de Leeuw made for Groningen since joining up with them in 2012. Outside of his day-to-day preparation, the wait to become eligible has provided him time to get used to his newfound surroundings.
“The first week I was jet-lagged,” he said. “I wasn’t used to the time. Now I’m living the American life. I’ve got an apartment, so it’s quiet. No stress anymore, just play football. Nothing else. Just think about football – or soccer, sorry – and rest and prepare.”
With so much time to ponder his transition into the team, the question on everyone’s mind remains. How will his skill-set blend with those of the Fire’s current roster of attackers?
“We have to see on Saturday.”HAZEL CREST, IL — A Chicago Police Department officer shot and killed someone who was attempting to rob him during a sales transaction that initiated online Tuesday night in Hazel Crest, police in the south suburb said. Police arrived on Birchwood Drive to a report of an armed robbery and related shooting at 9:54 p.m., when they met a man in plain clothes who identified himself as a Chicago police officer. A preliminary investigation indicates the officer shot and killed one of the two offenders while the other one remains at large as of late Wednesday afternoon.
Hazel Crest police will continue to investigate the armed robbery aspect of the incident while Illinois State Police will begin a use of force investigation into the shooting, which involved the police officer acting while off-duty.
Police said in a news release Wednesday that when they arrived at the scene, the Chicago police officer had his arms in the air, identified himself as a police officer and notified police on the scene that he had a weapon and of its location. The deceased individual was found between two houses on the block with a police badge next to his body.
The off-duty cop was at the location to buy a computer from the two alleged offenders as a result of a sales transaction that initiated in an online sales network, according to the initial investigation. But when they met in person in Hazel Crest, one offender pulled out a handgun and ordered the off-duty officer to empty his pockets.
It was then when the offenders found the off-duty officer's badge and weapon. Police said they took the badge, but before they were able to disarm him the off-duty officer fired at both of them, striking and killing one.
Patch file photo / Tim Moran(CNN) White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Thursday that Americans should be concerned about North Korea's ability to reach the United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile, cryptically telling reporters that if the threat grows "beyond where it is today, well, let's hope that diplomacy works."
Significantly, Kelly noted that Pyongyang "is developing a pretty good nuclear re-entry vehicle."
For a missile to successfully strike a target it would have to re-enter the earth's atmosphere without breaking up.
Kelly's comments seem to indicate that the US believes that North Korea is close to achieving what would be a key breakthrough for their missile program.
North Korea has tested over a dozen missiles since February, including its first-ever test of an intercontinental ballistic missile on July 4.
Pyongyang has said the US mainland is now within range.
JUST WATCHED Why does North Korea keep launching ICBMs? Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Why does North Korea keep launching ICBMs? 01:14
Tensions rise
North Korea and the Trump administration have exchanged a barrage of verbal volleys for months, ratcheting up the tension on the Korean peninsula and around the world as the rogue regime in Pyongyang openly threatens the United States.
Trump has mocked North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, labeling him "little Rocket Man" and promising "fire and fury" if the country continues to threaten the United States.
Most recently, North Korea's foreign minister said the President has "lit the wick" of war with his rhetoric, according to a Russian state news agency.
Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, told reporters Thursday that North Korea is a pariah that cannot be allowed to threaten the United States.
"The American people should be concerned about a state that has developed a pretty good ICBM capability and is developing a pretty good nuclear re-entry vehicle," Kelly said in his first White House press briefing since joining the administration earlier this year.
"I would believe, I think I speak for the administration, that that state simply cannot have the ability to reach the homeland."
US officials have rarely offered a specific assessment as to North Korea's development of a reliable re-entry vehicle but in July, one official indicated that it remained a challenge.
North Korea can currently get a missile "off the ground," a lot of undetermined variables remain about guidance, reentry and the ability to hit a specific target, the official said at the time.
Kelly added: "Right now there is great concern about a lot of Americans that live in Guam. Right now we think the threat is manageable but over time, if it grows beyond where it is today, well, let's hope that diplomacy works."
JUST WATCHED How far can a North Korean missile reach? Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH How far can a North Korean missile reach? 01:09
Trump's threats
Trump has used bellicose rhetoric to describe North Korea.
During his remarks at the United Nations last month, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" the rogue nation.
White House aides -- and Trump himself -- have argued that the President's blunt style is a departure from years of failed negotiations with North Korea.
"Our country has been unsuccessfully dealing with North Korea for 25 years, giving billions of dollars & getting nothing," Trump tweeted earlier this month. "Policy didn't work!"
Since Trump took power in January, the administration has been accused of sending mixed messages over the US policy on North Korea.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US Defense Secretary James Mattis attempted to present a united front in August in a co-authored opinion piece that said the US was pursing a campaign of "peaceful pressure" on North Korea.
Trump has left the door open for potential military action, saying it's not the first option but one that would be "devastating " for North Korea.
Once again, this month Tillerson stressed that the US was interested in pursuing peace through talks, however Trump hit back on Twitter saying he was "wasting his time."
I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
"I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man..." Trump tweeted.
He continued, "...Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!"
The public display of disagreement within the White House contributed to suggestions that Trump and Tillerson's relationship was on the rocks.
Trump denied that but made it clear his opinion on North Korea is ultimately what counts.
"We actually have a very good relationship," he said, going on to concede that his views on North Korea do differ from those of his top diplomat.
"I think I have a little bit different attitude on North Korea than other people might have. And I listen to everybody," he said. "But ultimately my attitude is the one that matters, isn't it? That's the way it works."The city has changed its plan for the western expansion of the LRT following outcry from residents backing onto the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, where the rail line was originally planned to run above-ground.
Instead of an above-ground line along the 700-metre stretch of parkway, the city is now planning to put it underground.
"By electing to bury the additional 700 metres near homes backing onto the parkway, the plan now eliminates the noise and visual intrusion of the train while improving the landscape and access to the adjacent parkway lands," said a news release issued by the city Thursday morning.
"Other refinements to the project include better linkages to the pathway system, greenspace and waterfront, improved safety, and two new open-air stations that will be well integrated with the community and provide easy access to LRT for local residents."
The new open-air stations would be at New Orchard and Cleary near McKellar Park.
Kitchissippi Ward councillor Katherine Hobbs said the changes mean many of her community's concerns have been alleviated.
But the National Capital Commission, which must approve the design since the track crosses over NCC land, said while the city has made improvements there remains work to be done.
"We can see an effort certainly mitigate the sound impact on the population living close to that corridor but … any proposal that will impact negatively the parkway corridor won't be acceptable to the NCC," said spokesman Jean-Francois Trepanier.
A public open house will be held Monday at Jean Pigott Place in City Hall from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The city is also accepting email and fax responses until June 21 to be included in a report for the transportation committee and later, city council.[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/Cosmis/status/154000958169427968″]
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/sportsguy33/status/154001063526150144″]
I strongly feel that every professional team needs a ridiculous homer announcer. For those of you who don’t know what a “homer” is, it is a person that is completely irrational about their own team. Hawk Harrelson of the Chicago White Sox is a great example of a homer. Fans of other teams can’t stand the guy, but many Sox fans love Hawk to death.
Tommy Heinsohn is the Boston Celtics version of the Hawk. He’s not above saying irrational things. In Monday’s Celtics-Wizards game, Heinsohn actually compared young center Greg Stiemsma to Bill Russell. Stiemsma is a 26 year old center who went undrafted and bounced around leagues all over the world. Russell is one of the five best players of all time and he won 11 titles.
God bless homer announcers. Anytime you can compare a journeyman center making his first career NBA start to one of the greatest players of all time, you need some type of award.How Micron's Automata Promises to Improve Parallel Processing Andy Patrizio
The most common application for Micron’ new chip might be Big Data, but it can be used anywhere a complex or unstructured data stream needs analysis.
Micron Technology is not the first company that comes to mind when you think CPUs. Perhaps it’s not even the third or fourth to come to mind, because Micron is a memory company. Still, you should not think of the Micron Automata Processor (AP) announced at Supercomputing '13 last November as a CPU, either, because it's not. Nor is it a memory device. Think of the AP more as a powerful processing “engine” that leverages the massive parallelism found within memory technology in order to provide significant scalability to parallel processing.
The AP is geared for analysis of large, unstructured data sets or real-time data analysis challenges. As a result, it is targeted at high-performance computing applications such as graph processing, big data, and bioinformatics.
Forget quad-core or even octo-core processors. The Automata processor is a scalable, two-dimensional fabric comprised of thousands or even millions of application-specific compute machines, called Automata, which operate in parallel to perform a targeted task or operation. So instead of four or eight cores brought to bear on a processing task, you have thousands, and all of them can be programmed for a specific task.
The AP design, then, is not for a whole new CPU socket, although there is a prototype that is built on a PCI Express card. Micron put eight processors on a memory module that fits in a DIMM socket, so you have a module that can perform processing offload for the CPU. The Automata processor sits on the memory doing the processing; the CPU has very little involvement.
"Many people ask ‘Why Micron?’" said Paul Dlugosch, Director of Automata Processing development at Micron. "This is the first example of a processing device that at its core is based on memory technology or memory architecture. The way to explain that is not how cache memory can support a CPU, but how we are using memory in a fundamentally new way. With the Automata Processor, we don’t use memory as a traditional read/write storage device. Rather, memory is used as the basis of a processing engine that analyzes information as it streams across the chip."
“The sequential instruction processing nature of conventional CPU/GPU architectures is not well aligned to the class of problems addressed by the AP,” said Dlugosch. “The fundamental problem is that of fine-grain parallelism. You have to understand the application requirements across a variety of domains. Any scalar conventional processor based on sequential instruction architecture is really where we saw the problem."
A traditional CPU has an execution pipeline that decodes instructions, executes them, then unloads registers after execution is completed. The CPU performs operations based on the instruction as they are being processed. The AP doesn’t have a fixed execution pipeline. Instead, its 2D fabric of tiny processor elements answers thousands or even millions of different questions about data at the same time for massive parallelism.
In addition to handling parallelism, the traditional method of rule sets is limiting. Dlugosch said that if you are looking for one feature in a data set (say a specific protein sequence or maybe a cyber security threat) you have a relatively easy problem; conventional CPUs are quite adept at addressing that issue. A single pattern is not a highly parallel problem. But if you have to process a data stream and evaluate it for tens, hundreds, or thousands of different features, that becomes a highly parallel problem for which conventional processing architectures are not well suited
"The more features you look for, the more memory is consumed. You can quickly exceed practical memory limitations, or you get such a large data structure [that] you get memory access problems," said Dlugosch.
Examples include analyzing data coming across the wire for a multitude of malware attacks, or scanning tweets based for certain features that help develop predictions about social trends or social unrest. These scenarios require multiple rules and they can get away from you fast.
Reconfigurable, reprogrammable
The Automata chip is more like an FPGA than a CPU in that it is reconfigurable. And because of this, it can take on the exact configuration that is best suited to solve the problem at hand. "With the Automata Processor, you don’t write a program of instructions. You configure it by compiling a program; and from that point forward it is an autonomous machine," said Dlugosch.
Plus, because the chip becomes what the user defines, it doesn't need to be told what to do next. Automata is a self-operating machine that is driven only by the data it receives, not by instructions. The data flowing through the machine drives the operation. So the programmer configures it to examine all of the data coming in, and as soon as data comes into the machine, Automata sets about doing what it was instructed to do, such as pattern matching.
Micron has a full function SDK to accompany the AP. The SDK is designed to take a user-defined pattern rule set or analytic definitions, compile it, and configure the chip to implement the exact machine requirements to process or analyze the data.
The Automata processor can be configured with either a list of regular expressions in PCRE or a direct description of the automata in an XML-based high-level language the company created, called the Automata Network Markup Language (ANML). PCRE will be accepted natively and unmodified into the compiler and can configure the chip that way. But ANML exploits all the architecture’s features. It allows end users to perform graphical design such as schematic capture, or to design highly complex automatons that can perform highly-detailed data set analysis.
Implementation
The AP uses a DDR3-like memory interface chosen to simplify the physical design-in process for system integrators. The AP will be made available as single components or as DIMM modules. A PCIe board that is populated with up to 48 AP’s will also be available to early-access application developers.
It’s coming soon, but you can’t get your hands on the AP quite yet. Micron is making silicon now but a revision is planned; so don’t expect hardware samples until the second half of 2014.
See also:
[dfads params='groups=937&limit=1&orderby=random']Exclusive Facebook Live interview - Christian Benteke
Ahead of Crystal Palace v Chelsea, live on Sky Sports 1 on Saturday lunchtime, Christian Benteke answers your questions in an exclusive Q&A on Facebook Live.
Chelsea have a chance to pull nine points clear at the top against Benteke's side, who went down 2-1 at home to Manchester United on Wednesday to leave them sitting precariously above the relegation zone.
He took time out from preparing to face the title favourites to speak to us in a revealing Facebook Live Q&A session, where he said who the best player he's played with is and his view on the recent defeat against United....
Your thoughts on Chelsea?
Obviously they are in good shape. It will be another tough test for us. We will try our hardest to get a good result.
How important is Eden Hazard?
When Hazard is on top of his form he's one of the best players in the Premier League. But this year it's not only him at Chelsea, it's the whole squad. They look really strong.
Jeff Stelling and Paul Merson look ahead to the early kick-off on Saturday between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park. Watch the game live on Sky Jeff Stelling and Paul Merson look ahead to the early kick-off on Saturday between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park. Watch the game live on Sky
Were you unlucky against Manchester United?
We didn't deserve to lose. When you look at the first goal, you can clearly see it's handball - but that's behind us now.
Who are your best friends at Crystal Palace?
Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako.
How good is Zaha?
Zaha is one of the best wingers in the league. This year he is more consistent and he's showing everyone his big talent. He can score, he can assist. I'm really happy to play alongside him.
Wilfried Zaha is having a fine season for Palace
Who has the worst taste in music at Crystal Palace?
Damien Delaney. He likes rock and roll. I like hip-hop and R&B.
Best player you have played with?
I will say Hazard as he's my friend!
What is your celebration all about?
I'm a big, big, fan of LeBron James. I follow a lot of his games. That's his celebration so I'm inspired by him.
Benteke takes inspiration from LeBron James
Your favourite goal?
Every goal! But the one that sticks out is the one against Manchester United for Liverpool. It was a nice one. But I love all of my goals.
Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Messi. God gave him his talent. He shows it every weekend and we enjoy to watch it. It's not that I don't like Ronaldo, but football is in Messi's blood.
Who was your idol growing up?
Thierry Henry, but now I'm a grown man it's different. It's a professional thing. He knows I was one of his fans when I was young. I really like him as a person.
Watch a preview of Saturday's Premier League fixtures including Crystal Palace v Chelsea and West Brom v Man United Watch a preview of Saturday's Premier League fixtures including Crystal Palace v Chelsea and West Brom v Man United
Who did you support growing up?
Arsenal. At the time they had some great players. I was a huge fan due to their style of play. My Belgian team was Standard Liege - it is the city that I come from.
What one attribute would you like to add to your game?
I'd like to be as sharp as Philippe Coutinho or Eden Hazard.
Paul Merson selects his fantasy six-a-side team ahead of Crystal Palace v Chelsea Paul Merson selects his fantasy six-a-side team ahead of Crystal Palace v Chelsea
How do you feel about Aston Villa?
Aston Villa are still in my heart. They gave me the chance to be the player that I am today. It's never easy to be relegated and the Championship is a tough league. I've followed their results and they have some good players. Hopefully they'll get back to the Premier League.
Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get six months half priceSCevermore Profile Joined December 2011 United States 31 Posts Last Edited: 2012-03-16 23:02:45 #1
I'm just here to spread the wallpaper goodness.
I'll be updating this thread whenever I post a new wallpaper.
All wallpapers are 1920x1080.
Player Wallpapers
+ Show Spoiler +
League Icon Wallpapers
+ Show Spoiler +
Hi Team Liquid! Some of you guys may know me from r/starcraft.I'm just here to spread the wallpaper goodness.I'll be updating this thread whenever I post a new wallpaper.All wallpapers are 1920x1080.
bigwig123 Profile Blog Joined September 2010 162 Posts #2 nice thinking about using one of em for my labtop
MrMercuG Profile Joined March 2011 Netherlands 2021 Posts #3 Looks pretty nice!
Angelfish1 Profile Joined December 2010 United Kingdom 29 Posts #4 Thank you very much for throwing these up, I will be adding them to my desktop slideshow ^_^ I'm Hungry...
SCevermore Profile Joined December 2011 United States 31 Posts #5 Thanks everyone for the kind comments, don't be afraid to suggest wallpaper ideas you would like to see.
Gladiator6 Profile Joined June 2010 Sweden 7021 Posts #6 I want to see the rest of the league wallpapers if possible. Flying, sOs, free, Light, Soulkey & ZerO
neoghaleon55 Profile Blog Joined August 2010 United States 7425 Posts #7 Could you please make one of DRG?
I'll love you forever!
<33
moo...for DRG
simplynick10 Profile Joined April 2011 Brunei Darussalam 20 Posts #8 It is so sexy, I would like to see MMA though EG.IdrA. FXO_Leenock. <3
Tazerenix Profile Joined December 2010 Australia 340 Posts #9 Please make a master league wallpaper, it seems that every time people make wallpapers they never make a master league one ;O
ImmortalTofu Profile Blog Joined December 2010 United States 1124 Posts Last Edited: 2012-01-17 14:11:16 #10 )!!!
Love the papers bro, the player ones are all amazingly done SKMC (feels so wrong)!!!Love the papers bro, the player ones are all amazingly done "Friendship ain't a business deal"
SCevermore Profile Joined December 2011 United States 31 Posts #11
Poll: What should Evermore do next?
Finish the League wallpapers (107)
50%
Do more Player wallpapers (73)
34%
Do different wallpapers (34)
16%
214 total votes (107)50%(73)34%(34)16%214 total votes Your vote: What should Evermore do next? (Vote): Do more Player wallpapers
(Vote): Finish the League wallpapers
(Vote): Do different wallpapers
Let's make a poll :D.
Arnovic Profile Joined January 2011 Netherlands 45 Posts #12 Wow I really like them!
Maybe you could do something with units and/or the races? <3 "Probes and Pylons, man. That's the key to life... and occasionally, to Starcraft 2" | AT Gaming | BanjoManjo
Firesilver Profile Joined December 2010 United Kingdom 1173 Posts #13. Cool wallpapers, waiting for all the league ones to be done Caster at IMBA.tv -- www.twitter.com/IMBAFiresilver -- www.youtube.com/FiresilverTV
[17]Purple Profile Joined October 2011 United Kingdom 2235 Posts #14
I would love to see a NaNiwa wallpaper!!! Love and Rainbows if you do decide to do it They all look really awesome, MC one especially since the shirt still says oGs...I would love to see a NaNiwa wallpaper!!! Love and Rainbows if you do decide to do it "Turn Disadvantages into Disadvantages" and "Collect Telephones". The secrets of Chinese success.
EdSlyB Profile Blog Joined September 2010 Portugal 1620 Posts #15 Wow. Pretty good!
Love the 'Gold League' one!
Continue the league wallpapers please :D aka Wardo
baldgye Profile Joined April 2011 United Kingdom 1061 Posts #16 I hate that 1080p has become the standard :/ make the HuK one 1920x1200I hate that 1080p has become the standard :/
Cyber_Cheese Profile Blog Joined July 2010 Australia 3609 Posts #17 Race wall papers IMO :D The moment you lose confidence in yourself, is the moment the world loses it's confidence in you.
mbr2321 Profile Blog Joined November 2010 United States 924 Posts #18 This is really cool. You're very talented :D ~~Treating eSports as a social science since 2011~~ Credo: "The system is never wrong"-- Day9 Daily #400 Part 3
Troublesome Profile Joined February 2011 United Kingdom 522 Posts #19 Very good. Love them, will use Roll with the punches.
ToastieNL Profile Blog Joined July 2010 Netherlands 845 Posts #20 More players,
Also, MC left Ogs Zerg lategame is imbalanced as shit. Also: "Protoss is really strong recently. Perhaps, it's time for there to be some changes for Terran." -MMA. Even MMA asks for buffs. Srsly Blizzard. Srsly.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next AllA/N: Whew this chapter took forever to write… But it’s done! Thank you all for waiting so patiently, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
I leaned back against the stone wall, letting the sharp bite of cold air fill my lungs. I’m stupid. I’m so stupid.
We should have left when we had the chance. Instead, I let my goddamn emotions get to me and I became a stupid, betrayed coward. And Elubarin had followed me, faithful until the end.
Footsteps thumped outside the door as the vampires paced. There were hushed whispers and the occasional raised voice, but nothing I could make out. Dawn had to be near.
We were actually trapped.
The door slammed open soon after. Vox stormed in, his face set in a scowl. Jerking me to my feet, he hissed, “I told you to leave.”
“I-” I started to defend myself, then stopped. Vox isn’t on your side.
Elubarin watched silently from the plank as Vox dragged me out the door. We had learned not to complain. Generally that just made things worse.
Vox stopped me in the small living room where Treznor first beat me. Speaking of whom, the head vampire himself was leaning against a door frame in the background, watching me.
“Are you ready to talk?” he asked, casually glancing at his nails.
“You can hurt me all you want, but I’ll never tell you a thing about my father.”
“Charming loyalty, but it won’t be me doing the beating today. I’ve hired someone else to do my dirty work,” Treznor smirked. “Begin.”
I twisted my head around, searching for Russell or, god forbid, Duncan. But the room was empty except for Treznor and his son. A hand lightly slapped my face and I turned back around to face Vox.
“Son, you must hit harder than that…” Treznor sighed from the door.
My stomach did a flip-flop and sunk as Vox gritted his teeth and muttered, “I was warming up.”
I stumbled backwards and braced myself against the wall.
Vox stepped forward and caught my arm, pinning it to the wall as well. He leaned in. “Talk. I don’t want to hurt you, I really don’t.”
My legs shook. But I kept my lips sealed. Defiantly staring into his icy eyes, I willed him to take as long as possible on this beating. I needed time… for Elubarin to escape. He had the key. He knew the way. We’d planned it all out. It was the only way to guarantee Vox and Treznor wouldn’t catch him.
Vox glanced over his shoulder, presumably at his father, then sighed and brought his fist back.
My head slammed against the wall with a thunk! and blood began dripping from my nose.
“Ow, stop!” I screamed and fell to my knees, instinctively swinging a punch of my own at Vox. He caught that arm too. “Let – me – go!”
I struggled and thrashed my arms around, desperately trying to break his grip. But to his credit, he was strong.
“Quit resisting and this will go a lot better,” he whispered.
I quit struggling for a second and looked into Vox’s eyes. If I didn’t know better, I would have said they were pleading. But I knew now. It was all just an act.
“I thought you wanted to save me,” I choked out.
Now it was his turn to be silent. He glanced away for a second and I seized my chance. Yanking my right arm free, I slapped him hard across the face and shoved away.
Vox didn’t even flinch. He got up and slammed his fists on a table, muttering something to himself.
Meanwhile I put a hand to my face and tried to feel how bad my injury was. In the heat of the moment I hadn’t noticed it much, but now it was starting to throb. I quickly wiped away as much blood as I could.
“Is that all you can do? Such a disappointment.” Treznor frowned and tapped his foot.
Vox lowered his head for a second, still mumbling, then turned back around. “No. I’m not done with her.”
Re-energized, he stepped forward and socked me in the face again.
“Vox, I…” He paused and looked at me expectantly. And I don’t know why, but suddenly I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and I spat out, “I hate you.”
The salty sting of blood was filling my mouth. Vox shoved me away from him and I fell on my back, my head pounding. Everything hurt.
“Hit her! Harder!” Treznor was yelling from the door.
Vox held me down with one hand and raised the other. At the last second I twisted away, but his fist still collided with my ribcage.
A hot, sharp pain exploded in my chest. I heard myself screaming. Every breath felt like a knife stabbing into my lung.
“Again,” Treznor said.
“All he does is cling to his father’s every word, desperate to please…”
You start blocking out the memories after a while. The ground was the only thing I could feel. The ceiling the only thing I saw.
“Enough. Take her back… How dare you…” The slap of skin against skin snapped me out of my daze. Treznor had left and Vox was standing by the door, his hand cradling his cheek. He turned and saw me looking, then dropped it.
“I’m sorry, Treznor made me do it.” He knelt by me and reached out, but I jerked my arm away, biting my lip to hold back a whimper. “C’mon, get up. I have to take you back to the cell.”
“Don’t touch me!” I shrieked. My chest burned with pain.
Vox ran a hand over his forehead and closed his eyes. “Please don’t make this any harder than it already is. Just… here.”
He picked me up and I screamed as my entire midsection was jolted, sending sharp twinges up my right side.
Vox carried me down the hallway, then abruptly changed directions and climbed a staircase. Even half-unconscious I knew this wasn’t the way to my cell. We reached the top and I recognized the path to the turret.
He dumped me a bit roughly on the floor. “Go. Get out. I don’t care anymore. Treznor already knows I was helping you escape.”
I forced my eyes to focus on his. He instantly looked away.
“Leave. Now. This is the last thing I can do to help you. I wish-” He stopped and reconsidered. “I’m sorry for the beating.”
Vox backed down the stairs and vanished, still never meeting my eyes.
AdvertisementsPuerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló notified the island's Fiscal Control Board Wednesday that he would seek a form of bankruptcy protection after failed negotiations with creditors.
The announcement came as multiple creditors sued the island's government after a moratorium on lawsuits lapsed Monday.
Rosello activated Title III of the PROMESA bill, which provides a protection similar to bankruptcy that will allow the territory to restructure its debt under court supervision.
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Congress passed PROMESA last year to avert insolvency for Puerto Rico, creating the Fiscal Control Board, a panel of seven financial managers appointed by Congress to oversee the island's budget.
"The decision today by Puerto Rico’s governor to seek a judicial reorganization of the island’s debts and put its finances on solid footing is the responsible thing to do," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) in a statement.
Puerto Rico has over $70 billion in bond debt and $50 billion in pension obligations.
"We've maintained our position to negotiate in good faith, but under the current scenario we are going to protect the people," Rosselló said in a Facebook post.
Simon Johnson, a professor of entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, warned Tuesday that failure to activate Title III would result in "chaos," as creditors filed lawsuits in multiple courts.
The Title III process will allow the FCB to renegotiate debt, ultimately allowing Puerto Rico to pay only a percentage of what it owes.
The bankruptcy-like motion is the largest public debt restructuring process in American history, dwarfing Detroit's $18 billion to $20 billion 2013 bankruptcy.
The island has been mired in recession for over 10 years, causing many Puerto Ricans to migrate to the 50 states. Puerto Rico has lost more than 10 percent of its population in that period.You know, the Religious Right might not like Florida Gov. Charlie Crist very much, but God sure seems to, which is why he’s prevented his state from being hit by a hurricane during his time in office:
Could it be divine intervention that’s kept Florida safe from hurricanes since Gov. Charlie Crist took office?
Crist said he isn’t trying to take credit, but he told a group of real estate agents Friday that he’s had prayer notes placed in the Western Wall in Jerusalem each year
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brilliant.Are you as excited about the grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort as we are? Then I’ve got great news! Fans around the world will be able to experience the spectacular, one-of-a-kind event when the “Grand Opening Celebration of Shanghai Disney Resort” television special is presented Thursday, June 16, at 8 p.m., simultaneously on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and each channel’s App, and then again Friday, June 17, at 10 p.m., on Freeform.
The music-filled television special will be narrated by actress and recording artist Sofia Carson (Disney Channel’s “Descendants,” “Adventures in Babysitting“) and will be presented without breaks or commercials!
Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, will be joined by the one and only Mickey Mouse along with nearly 3,000 distinguished guests, celebrities and government officials for a showcase of choreography, acrobatics, costumes and technology in grand scale, with dazzling lights, Disney music, pageantry, special effects and fireworks.
World-renowned pianist Lang Lang will perform a custom arrangement of the musical sensation “Let It Go” (from Disney’s “Frozen“) and China’s television and movie superstar Sun Li will take center stage. The historic event includes the debut of an original song, “Ignite the Dreamer Within,” written especially for the grand opening of Shanghai Disneyland. Acclaimed composer and conductor Tan Dun, widely known for his stirring scores for the films “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Hero,” will lead the Shanghai Symphony with an original composition of the new song.
Join this once-in-a-lifetime event with “Grand Opening Celebration of Shanghai Disney Resort,” Thursday, June 16, at 8 p.m., on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Friday, June 17, at 10 p.m., on Freeform.The company recently introduced a receiver for charging battery-free wireless sensors, the P2110 Powerharvester Receiver, and demonstrated it in modules that sense temperature, light level and humidity data, he said. The modules include microcontrollers from Microchip Technology, in Chandler, Ariz.
Until recently, the use of radio waves to power wireless electronic devices was largely untapped because the waves dilute quickly as they spread, said Joshua R. Smith, a principal engineer at Intel’s research center in Seattle and an affiliate professor at the University of Washington.
Photo
“That’s changing,” said Dr. Smith, who explores the use of electromagnetic radiation. “Silicon technology has advanced to the point where even tiny amounts of energy can do useful work.”
Two types of research groups are extending the boundaries of low-power wireless devices, said Brian Otis, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington. Some researchers are working to reduce the power required by the devices; others are learning how to harvest power from the environment. “One day,” Professor Otis said, “those two camps will meet, and then we will have devices that can run indefinitely.”
Professor Otis, who designs and deploys integrated circuits for wireless sensing, is in the first group. Dr. Smith of Intel is one of the harvesters, gathering radio power that is now going to waste. And there are plenty of radio waves in the air to provide fodder for him as they spread from Wi-Fi transmitters, cellphone antennas, TV towers and radio stations.
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Some of the waves travel to living-room televisions, for example. But others, which would otherwise be wasted as they rise through the atmosphere into space or are absorbed in the ground, can be exploited, he said. “Ambient radio waves,” he said, “can already provide enough energy to substitute for AAA batteries in some calculators, temperature and humidity sensors, and clocks.”
At Intel, Dr. Smith, working with the researcher Alanson Sample of the University of Washington, created an electronic “harvester” of ambient radio waves. It collects enough energy from a TV station broadcasting about 2.5 miles from the lab to run a temperature and humidity sensor.
The device collects enough power to produce about 50 microwatts of DC power, Dr. Smith said. That is enough for many sensing and computing jobs, said Professor Otis. The power consumption of a typical solar-powered calculator, for example, is only about 5 microwatts, he said, and that of a typical digital thermometer with a liquid crystal display is one microwatt.
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DR. SMITH and his colleagues have built a second device, powered by radio waves, that collects signals from an outdoor weather station and transmits them to an indoor display. The unit can accumulate enough energy to send an updated temperature every five seconds.
Dr. Reynolds of Duke has long been interested in electronics and wireless equipment. One company he helped found, Zensi, developed a system to sense the amount of electricity used by home appliances; Zensi was bought by Belkin, an electronics concern.
Many electronic devices are limited by batteries that fade away or can’t survive temperature extremes, he said. But, he added, “we are on the cusp of an explosion in small wireless devices” than can run on alternatives to battery power. “Devices like this can live on and on,” he said.Town of Fishkill seal (Photo: -)
FISHKILL — The Jehovah's Witnesses organization plans to buy a third property in the Brockway area of the Town of Fishkill, town Supervisor Bob LaColla says.
The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York has a purchase contract with AVR Realty, the private developer active in that area, to acquire a project under construction, LaColla said.
The project is known as the Chelsea Senior Living facility and was being built by a unit of AVR to serve as a combination of assisted living facility, independent living for seniors and some townhouses, he said.
LaColla said a representative of the Watchtower group informed him Monday of the plans. A contract has been signed, he was told, but is subject to "due diligence" review, a process during which a potential buyer can inspect work and research all implications of the proposed deal.
AVR executive Tom Perna, who has been the usual manager for AVR's Fishkill developments, could not be reached for comment late Monday. A request for information made to the Watchtower group was not answered Monday.
Watchtower already owns the Rivercrest Luxury Apartments complex near the Chelsea Senior Living site, as well as the former industrial land off Industrial Way that is vacant except for one structure. LaColla said it still intends to develop office space for its staff on that land, but that previous plans for a video studio have apparently been taken off the books.
The 250-unit Rivercrest apartments are gradually being occupied by members of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion as the rental leases of previous occupants expire. Watchtower bought it in December 2014.
For those units that were taken over by members, the organization has filed for and obtained tax exemption on the grounds that the occupancy is for religious purposes. As of March, when tax rolls were set, part of the property was still on the tax rolls, about 56 percent, with 44 percent of the apartment units shifting to tax-exempt.
LaColla said the property to be acquired would likely go off the tax rolls for the same reason, but that the impact would be small, perhaps a few thousand dollars, because at the last tax assessment, the property was mostly vacant land. The Beacon School District is also impacted, but at a higher sum. Dutchess County and the Chelsea Fire District are also affected.
“If finalized, the property will likely comply with the New York state defined conditions for tax exemption," LaColla said.
The loss is greater if it is compared with what would have been, however. The assisted-living project, also referred to as Overlook-Chelsea, was valued at $24.9 million and was expected to create about 60 jobs, according to comments made a year ago by Cathy Maloney, who was then president of Dutchess County Economic Development Corp.
The Fishkill Town Board agreed then to a tax PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, that was arranged by the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency for the assisted-living complex. LaColla said the town renegotiated the proposed tax break downward, accepting a four-year graduated reduction that would have placed the entire value on the rolls in the fifth year. That parcel was a 7.7-acre lot overlooking the Hudson River, west of Hudson View Park apartments and north of the Mount Gulian Society historic site.
County property records show a valuation of $3 million for the parcel.
Craig Wolf: 845-437-4815; [email protected]; Twitter: @craigwolfPJ
Read or Share this story: http://pojonews.co/1N5c7mcHaven’t anyone watched Batman and Suicide Squad film? Surely you all have watched them both. The famous villain that everyone hated. Before up to present with its history of love with Harley Quinn which we all fell in love. Our next cosplayer to take part today is the Suicide Squad Joker Cosplayer from Netherlands.
Others would say from Batman, however, we’re in new modern life now, Suicide Squad has more and more inspire millions of cosplayer to cosplay Harley Quinn. But Batman is still credible in all season.
Our next cosplayer will explain you about his cosplay life, the discovery of cosplay and other details about him. His cosplay works are pretty much impressive. So let’s welcome him! Happy reading!
Suicide Squad Joker Arkham Ledger Cosplay
Hey there, my name is Michael Godani. I am 30 years old and live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I am the 4th of 5 children in a Dutch/Italian family. Started cosplaying in December 2016, during Dutch Comic Con X-mas edition. Since then I’ve slowly picked it up and try to go to as many conventions as my bank account lets me.
Cosplay Discovery
Une publication partagée par Arkham Ledger (@arkhamledgercosplay) le 26 Sept. 2017 à 4h21 PDT
Well, I have been aware of cosplay for a few years, to be honest. Now, the funny story is that I still remember a chat I had with a friend of mine around March 2016. He asked me if I was going to Dutch Comic Con and I simply replied that I wasn’t going to a place where all these idiots dress up.
I found it weird and I was NEVER EVER going to be attending an event like that…(Face palm!) Now I was helping him out on a con in Amsterdam in August last year and got to meet a few cosplayers, which was great! One of them actually convinced me to try it sometime….and so I did!
First Convention
As I said, my first convention was the X-mas con in December 2016. I was a bit anxious, since I didn’t know what to expect and looking back at it, I’m kinda ashamed of how my makeup was looking, haha! Though, I met a lot of new people and got a lot of feedback about my costume, Joker in a straitjacket. Also, the con itself was extremely cozy and it really had a warm feeling that I was enjoying a lot. Since then I’ve also been to Belgium a few times, which is a bit odd when you compare it to the Netherlands. You can definitely notice the difference in culture, not in a bad way, but you still notice it.
Funny Moment
Une publication partagée par Arkham Ledger (@arkhamledgercosplay) le 4 Sept. 2017 à 2h18 PDT
In Belgium, I’ve had one of my best times though. I went to Gent Comic-Con with a good friend of mine who was cosplaying Harley Quinn. We’ve fought and yelling at each other all day long. Now while we were walking around, a woman of a Belgium radio station stepped up to us and asked if she could interview us. To give you a bit of an idea, I was walking around, tied up while Harley was holding my chains that were tie around me. She was wearing the Suicide Squad jail outfit. The woman asked us some general questions first, our chars and where we were from etc. Then she asked us why we cosplay what we do…I took a quick look at Harley and I told the woman that we want to share with others what we do in the bedroom. My Harley looked away and died of laughter almost while the radio woman was quite shocked and didn’t know what to say. So I continued to say that we should not ashamed of what we love to do in the bedroom. The poor journalist told us she had no more questions and walked away. HAHAHA!!
Costume/Gear/Props/Armor
I haven’t created my own costumes from scratch. My straitjacket has adjust by using dyed tea to it and adding blood/paint. It started out white and now looks as if I have been lock up for ages in Arkham. I am trying to finish my punk joker jacket so that will be a lot of work and fun too.
Definition of Cosplayer
Une publication partagée par Arkham Ledger (@arkhamledgercosplay) le 24 Oct. 2017 à 21h49 PDT
Well, to me it is an escape from reality. Let’s be honest now, cosplaying isn’t the most straightforward thing to do with your spare time or money. I use it to relax and just to be another person when I am in costume. I believe that I have learned a lot about people since I cosplay, made a couple of very good friends and my current girlfriend.
Worst Experience
Worst experience….I walk around with my ankles chained together. Yeah..the first time I walked around like that, I tried to run…..I went down hard. My arms were tie up, I fell forward, almost facedown on the floor. Luckily I used my wrists to break the fall somehow but I had a couple of bruised ribs and a scar for life on my left wrist.
Admiration
Une publication partagée par Arkham Ledger (@arkhamledgercosplay) le 25 Mai 2017 à 23h01 PDT
I don’t particularly look up to other cosplayers but I respect cosplayers with such as a physical disability. Like Elena Of Asgard, she is in a wheelchair and yet keeps going. Also Sammyscosplay, who also is a friend of mine, she looks very cute and then recently she started to cosplay Penny wise (even though I cosplay the Joker, I just HATE clowns…) and scared the living hell out of me!
Achievements
I was shocked about a message I got on Instagram. I waved at a woman and evening she replied to a post saying “You waved at me so I can die in peace now”. I found that really adorable, funny and awkward at the same time, haha!
Piece of Advice
Une publication partagée par Arkham Ledger (@arkhamledgercosplay) le 10 Sept. 2017 à 0h33 PDT
For amateur cosplayers? I am still a newbie myself I think, haha. Well, try to do what you like to do. Don’t be afraid to give your cosplay a bit of your own twist. Also, when it comes to makeup, the YouTube tutorials are amazing, it is really helpful and other cosplayers are happy to help you with it (no matter how many followers they have). Make sure to always have a chat with photographers and exchange details to receive the pictures taken so you can credit where credit is due. In the end, they are also a very important asset to this community.
Future Projects/Plans
Une publication partagée par Arkham Ledger (@arkhamledgercosplay) le 21 Sept. 2017 à 22h52 PDT
In November I will be attending Dutch Comic Con Winter edition weekend and I will be at Dortmund Comic Con in December on the Saturday. You can find me at my local Comic Shop too, CIA on the Zeedijk in Amsterdam. I am there a few times a week. Those times still as Joker, but I am doing one of my favorite DC characters next year, LOBO!I will post my progress on Facebook and Instagram
Overview
Would love to thank again our Suicide Squad Cosplayer for making this interview. Thank you, Mr. Micheal, for sharing a part of your cosplay life. It’s absolutely fun and amazing to hear your stories especially that Interview in Belgium you had.
What a great way to spend and outlook passion of cosplaying. We’ll surely support you and your future works.
Thank you again “Dank u wel!”
Don’t forget to follow Arkham Ledger Cosplay on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM
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A Labour activist is using dating app Tinder to encourage people to register to vote in the general election ahead of the midnight deadline.
Eligible voters have until 23:59 BST to register online through the official website for the 8 June election.
After matching with potential dates on the app, she has been sending them links to the registration site.
"A couple of people have been disappointed, but more have found it fun," said Yara Rodrigues Fowler, 24.
Tinder users upload some pictures of themselves to the app and add a short biography.
They then browse through other people's profiles, and can either swipe left or right.
If both parties swipe right, indicating mutual approval, a chat window opens up and the two can start chatting.
London-based Rodrigues Fowler has been matching with both men and women on the app to encourage them to vote.
She said: "Some have asked me how they should vote, and one has even asked me to be his proxy.
"Another didn't know whether his constituency was a marginal, so he sent me his postcode and I found out for him."
Image copyright Yara Rodrigues Fowler
More than two million people have joined the register in the month since Prime Minister Theresa May revealed she was calling a snap election.
"I've been thinking a lot about how to reach young people and get them to register to vote. I was thinking, what notifications do people pay most attention to?," said Rodrigues Fowler.
"I get lots of matches with people (especially men) who I don't find attractive and are sometimes pretty gross, so I thought I'd put that energy to good use."
Rodrigues Fowler - a Labour voter - says not everyone on Tinder agrees with her politically, although it is hard to be sure of a stranger's tone on a dating app.
"I spoke to one man who said he was a Tory but I think he was just being provocative in a misguided attempt to flirt," she said.
The latest official figures published in March show that 45.7 million people were registered to vote in a general election as of 1 December 2016.
The Electoral Commission has warned that about seven million people across Britain who are eligible to vote are not registered.
Before the EU referendum last May, the Times reported that David Cameron was using Tinder to encourage people to back a Remain vote.
However, 10 Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC Mr Cameron "was holding meetings with various social media outlets to explore ways of encouraging more people to vote" - but was not on Tinder.Roku jumped up 67% on its first day of trading as a public company, closing at $23.50 after opening at $15.78.
The entertainment technology company listed its $252 million IPO on the Nasdaq under the trading symbol ROKU.
The company priced its 18 million share offering at $14 per share on Wednesday, the high end of the expected range of between $12 per share and $14 per share.
Roku, which which makes most of its money from selling streaming video players, had $398.6 million in revenue last year, up 25 percent from $319.9 million in 2015. But the Los Gatos, Calif.-based company still loses money: It posted a net loss of $42.8 million in 2016, steeper than the $40.6 million the year before.
In addition to sales of Roku players and TVs, the company has been expanding its advertising business. It's hoping to grow the number of hours streamed by each user, and monetize the hours through advertising, according to its prospectus.
The IPO comes as more and more companies look to take a slice of the video-streaming market. Advertising giant Facebook has deepened its ambitions in video streaming, and Apple and Amazon debuted new high-definition streaming devices this month.
Founder and CEO Anthony Wood told CNBC ahead of the IPO the company isn't worried about its heavyweight competitors.
"Roku's position in this ecosystem is being the platform that ties together the customers, the advertisers, the user, and we've been competing with big companies for a long time very successfully," Wood said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."
Wood — a former Netflix executive who played a role in the invention of the DVR — will own 27.3 percent of Roku's stock, and will control approximately 32.1percent of the voting power, the prospectus said.
Other major backers include Menlo Ventures, Twenty-First Century Fox and Fidelity. The IPO's underwriters include Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Allen & Company and RBC Capital Markets.Hadestown one HELL of a musical
The first thing you see when you enter the theatre is a vast empty space with a huge bleached tree reaching out with leafless arms. Winter’s coming. It’s a powerful invitation and a warning of the wonders and dangers that are to come in the new musical Hadestown.
It’s a simple enough start to a voluptuous journey through time, telling of a tale of love and loss that was old when the world was young. Anais Mitchell’s show is seeing its Canadian premiere at the Citadel Theatre until Dec. 3, on its way to a major show on Broadway next year.
The story of how Hadestown got here is something of an odyssey itself. Mitchell, a bluesy folk singer from Vermont, first set down Hadestown as a song-cycle turned folk-opera in 2006. The durable vehicle toured, developed into a concept album and caught the eye of director Rachael Chavkin – who is currently Broadway’s golden girl with a string of imaginative productions culminating in the mega-hit Natasha & Pierre and the Comet of 1812.
Chavkin saw great possibilities in Hadestown and spun it into a modest off-Broadway hit. The show’s fresh, imaginative staging caught the eye of critics – “Stunning … ravishing” burbled Variety – and the dollars of ticket buyers. A lot of them. So many that a major Broadway production was envisaged.
The Citadel’s Daryl Cloran saw the off-Broadway show and was enchanted. When he heard that a move to Broadway was planned, he immediately set out to promote the Citadel as the most logical place for the traditional out-of-town tryout (great theatre, ace technical crew, traditional proscenium arch, lots of experience mounting big shows for export). His sheer persistence and good ol’ western Canadian chutzpa led to Thursday’s glittery opening.
What do you get for your chance to be part of The Broadway experience? Something really special. Something that is utterly unlike anything ever seen before. Sure, the elements are familiar – lyrical accessible music that would be right at home in a Louisiana bayou or Cape Breton ceilidh. There are stellar performances from some Broadway regulars (and a number of Canadians), and inventive staging from a creative director who respects the purity and simplicity of the material.
Chavkin’s original off-Broadway success was largely due to her ability to use space while maintaining a welcoming intimacy. The opening number, Road to Hell, besides featuring a killer trombone solo from Audrey Ochoa, has the avuncular narrator Hermes (Kingsley Leggs) leading the house in a call and response telling of the “hard times” in “a world of gods and men.”
The Three Fates sing, “Flood’ll git ya if the fire don’t!”
The cast is surprisingly small – only 12. At the back, in full view of the audience, the modest but mighty seven piece live orchestra generates the cozy feeling of a living room hootenanny.
Hadestown is Mitchell’s retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. She plays a bit fast and loose with the original, but after centuries of retelling, what myth doesn’t have many variations?
Orpheus (Reeve Carney) is a slim and sensitive Woody Guthrie-type balladeer with a guitar on his back. He takes one look at Eurydice (T.V. Carpio) and is immediately entranced by her innocence and luminous beauty. He promises to protect her from their bleak world with his music. But, alas, a lackadaisical fellow, his passionate versifying is not enough to hold off starvation, and she succumbs to the blandishments of the suave and seductive God of the Underworld (and mega-tycoon) Hades (Patrick Page). He promises her relief from the privation she faces with the hapless Orpheus. Security at the expense of Freedom. Eurydice joins Hades in Hadestown, an expressionist infernal hell of factories and endless labour – surrounded by a wall.
In a prescient song (written long before the coming of Trump), Hades intones, “Why do we build the wall, my children?” And the blank-eyed masses reply, “We build the wall to keep us free. To keep out the enemy.” It is an anthem of surpassing power delivered with an ever-rising ferocity by Page. He has an amazing range, and his foghorn bass grinding out Why We Build the Wall qualifies as a show stopper.
In another branch of the narrative tree, Hades’ beautiful wife Persephone (Amber Gray) brings Spring each year to the upper world, and returns to Hades to await the return of her season.
Orpheus discovers where his love has gone and sets out on a dangerous journey to bring her back. And the ancient myth, with its New Orleans-influenced music and ‘30s depression setting, works its way through to its inevitable tragic conclusion.
Long after the lights go down, you will find yourself still held in the grip of the seductive world of vivid emotions created by these gifted people. It’s hard to find anything but praise for the experience. The majority of the cast, veterans burnished in the fires of Broadway, demonstrate their talent in every song they sing. Carney (who played Spiderman in the recent Broadway production) as the free-spirited Orpheus, is indeed a man to turn a maiden’s heart, trilling of love in a clear high tenor.
“He could make you see the world as it could be,” observes Hermes.
Carpio’s Eurydice is an incandescent beauty with a beguiling voice and manner. The two share a torrid love scene. Leggs brings a warm baritone, a natural storyteller’s incantation and a bit of cynical world-weariness to the proceedings. Gray is a sexy, alluring fire-cracker as Persephone – a lady this hot could certainly bring on an early spring. Page (who was Spiderman’s nemesis, Green Goblin, on Broadway) is a commanding force – surely one to follow through the gates of hell.
Mitchell’s lyrics are superb – carefully crafted and full of imagery. Rachel Hauck’s set also honours the simplicity of the original. It features a double turntable set in a circle in the middle of the stage. The inner and outer elements spin together or move in opposite directions – subtly placing the actors into an intensely dramatic visual dynamic. David Neumann’s choreography is inventive and adroitly performed by the cast.
Somehow, in sadness of the ending of the myth, Hermes finds a glimmer of hope in the very telling of the tale. “It’s a love song,” he sings, “and a tale of a love that never dies.”
This is a journey you’ll want to take here at the Citadel because when it leaves for New York, you may not be able to get a ticket for some time.
Photos by David CooperSen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), left, and Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said they would not proceed with a rewrite of the corporate tax code unless they can build support for overhauling tax laws that affect individuals as well. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The chairmen of the congressional tax-writing committees said Monday that a consensus is forming in Washington around a plan to lower rates and close loopholes for U.S. corporations.
But Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said they would not proceed with a rewrite of the corporate code unless they can build support for overhauling tax laws that affect individuals as well.
“There is more agreement on the corporate side,” said Baucus, who chairs the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee. “But I think we should use that as an engine for comprehensive reform, not just do corporate and stop.”
Baucus’s remarks put him at odds with President Obama, who this summer offered to resolve the partisan standoff over the budget by rewriting the corporate code and dedicating a one-time spurt of new revenue to long-delayed infrastructure projects. Republicans rejected the proposal, but some analysts argued that Obama had given Baucus the green light to push a corporate-only overhaul through the Democratic-controlled Senate.
On Monday, Baucus rejected that approach during an interview in Memphis, where he and Camp, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, made their fourth and final stop in a national tour aimed at building support for the first comprehensive rewrite of the tax code since the Reagan administration.
Camp has long insisted that changes to the corporate and individual codes move in tandem. On Monday, he agreed that “there are a lot of common elements to where the White House is, where I see Max going and where I want to go” on a new corporate code.
But more than half of business activity is taxed through the individual code, Camp said in an interview. “If we want to get the economy moving again, we need to do both,” he said.
Aides for both men have been working all summer on tax-overhaul proposals. Camp vowed to release a draft by the end of this year. Baucus was less certain how quickly his committee could proceed. And neither man seemed optimistic about the odds of advancing a tax overhaul during the coming showdown over the national debt.
“This has got to be striving toward consensus. This is coalition building. This is gathering votes,” Baucus said. “Now that we’re back in session, we’ll pursue those next steps.”
In Memphis, Camp and Baucus heard from business leaders who are frustrated with Washington’s glacial pace. The United States has the world’s highest corporate tax rate, at 35 percent. Though many firms pay nowhere near that amount — and some pay close to nothing in U.S. income taxes — economists and business leaders alike say the high statutory rate is hobbling American competitiveness abroad and deterring investment at home.
“There is a lot of agreement on the corporate side,” said Mike Fryt, a vice president of tax for FedEx, who joined chief executive Fred Smith on a tour arranged for Baucus and Camp of the company’s sprawling hub at Memphis International Airport.
Smith has long advocated lower corporate rates, including in a speech last year at the Economic Club of Washington. There is some frustration that Washington has been unable to move forward, Fryt said. But, he added, “it seems like just a little movement could cause something to happen.”
Over the past few years, the White House has voiced strong support for a corporate overhaul, releasing a Treasury Department white paper and including a mention in several of Obama’s State of the Union addresses. Meanwhile, Camp has issued “discussion drafts” outlining specific proposals that put the two sides “not that far apart,” said economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an adviser to the Alliance for Competitive Taxation, a consortium of some of the nation’s largest multinational corporations.
Obama has proposed a 28 percent rate; Camp has proposed 25 percent. Both sides agree the rate reduction could be financed in part by limiting depreciation, especially for publicly traded companies. And both sides agree that a corporate tax overhaul should not raise additional cash over the long term.
Even long-standing differences over how to handle the overseas profits of U.S. corporations have narrowed, with both sides agreeing to end the practice of “deferral” that lets earnings go untaxed as long as they remain overseas. While the two sides differ on the details, “there is general agreement that when money is put in tax havens, U.S. taxes should be paid on that,” Baucus said.
The larger problems: One, the insistence by Republicans and some Democrats to overhaul the complicated individual code at the same time as the corporate code. And, two, “getting Democrats on board,” Holtz-Eakin said, “particularly Harry Reid.”
In July, the Senate majority leader publicly warned Baucus not to move forward unless he can raise significant new taxes from corporations and the wealthy, and he demanded that a tax overhaul produce as much as $1 trillion in new revenue over the next decade. At a roundtable in Memphis featuring a half-dozen FedEx customers, one executive complained loudly about Reid.
“Tell him the villagers are calling him ‘Trillion-Dollar Harry,’ ” said David Dahler of Avionics Specialist, a supplier and manufacturer of aviation parts. “He looks like the stumbling block to me.”George R. R. Martin has so far remained mum about his new deal with HBO, but today he responded to a comment on a post at his Not A Blog which sheds just the tiniest bit of light on the deal. And for fans of the Dunk & Egg series, it is potentially very good news.
Tuf [Voyaging] would be fun. Dunk and Egg are being discussed. Robert’s Rebellion is part of Ice & Fire, won’t be a separate series. Sandkings was done by the OUTER LIMITS; I retain feature film rights, but television rights are gone.
According to theMountainGoat, HBO does not have the rights to the Tales of Dunk & Egg, so this discussion is likely over purchasing the adaptation rights. In other words, these discussions are very preliminary. Don’t expect to see Ser Duncan and Aegon rampaging about Westeros on your TV screens next year. Still, this is a very important first step!
Winter Is Coming: Dunk & Egg!! Yesssss! Each of these stories would make such awesome movies. And if they were actually adapted by Martin, that would be a dream come true. Make it happen, HBO!C-SPAN gets its fair share of wild calls, but this one has to be one of the best as of late.
‘Jack Strickland’ called into C-SPAN with a tale reminiscent of one from 90’s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, featuring Will Smith. ‘Strickland’ has a history of C-SPAN prank calls. See here, here, and here.
“Hi, good morning. I’m Jack Strickland. I just want to make it clear I’m calling from Bel Air, California, but I’m originally from Philadelphia, specifically West Philadelphia. But anyway, I was actually discussing this issue with a friend of mine while I was in Philly, uh, it occurred on a basketball court,” said Strickland.
“At some point during the conversation, a couple of guys who were essentially up to no good starting making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared and said, “you’re moving with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air.””
And that’s when C-SPAN cut the call.
And the original:
Follow Kemberlee Kaye on TwitterStory highlights Arizona fatal shooting raises questions of self-defense
It has drawn parallels to Zimmerman case
But varying circumstances can make comparisons difficult
To start with, Cordell Jude was hungry.
He was 22, the spring days were growing longer and the temperature in Phoenix had climbed to 80 degrees that Tuesday in April 2012.
It was not much cooler as the sun slipped behind the Sierra Estrella mountains, so shortly before 8 pm, Jude drove with his pregnant fianceé toward a suburban intersection crowded with fast-food restaurants, a Home Depot, a Starbucks, drug stores and gas stations.
Not far off, another man was headed the same way. Daniel Adkins was 29, older than Jude, but mentally disabled. His family described him as more like a 12- or 13-year-old. Adkins was walking his yellow Labrador retriever named Lady past a Taco Bell in the gathering evening, when he stepped around a blind corner and was nearly hit by Jude's vehicle.
Police say the two men exchanged angry words, the dispute rapidly escalated, and it ended when Jude pulled out a.40-caliber pistol and shot Adkins dead.
Jude, who was still in his car at the time of the shooting, told police it was self-defense, that Adkins had lunged at him with a bat of some kind. But investigators found no such weapon, and even if they had County Attorney Bill Montgomery says, "The threshold that people believe needs to be crossed when they brandish a weapon, never mind actually use it... is a lot higher than what it actually is."
Photos: Photos: Simple fight, deadly consequences Photos: Photos: Simple fight, deadly consequences Simple fight, deadly consequences – A picture of Daniel Adkins Jr. hangs above the wall in his family home. His sister, Marina Reyes; mother, Antonia Adkins; and father, Daniel Adkins Sr., want the man who shot their son to face charges. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Photos: Simple fight, deadly consequences Simple fight, deadly consequences – Daniel Adkins Jr. was shot outside the drive-through at this Taco Bell in Laveen, Arizona, after getting into a confrontation with a man in an SUV. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Photos: Simple fight, deadly consequences Simple fight, deadly consequences – The shooter pulled out a.40 caliber Smith and Wesson, like this one, and shot Daniel Adkins after he swung his hands in the air. The shooter said he feared for his life. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Photos: Simple fight, deadly consequences Simple fight, deadly consequences – Daniel Adkins Jr. was walking with his dog, Lady, when he was killed. He was clutching her leash when he was shot, and the dog remained faithfully beside him as he died. Hide Caption
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, the governor isn’t being realistic about the cumulative effect of the cuts to the state’s health infrastructure — a record that will come more into focus Tuesday as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visits a Wynwood health clinic that lost public money following the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.
“I think the record is clear that he has not supported public health funding,” said Karen Woodall, a longtime social services advocate and the executive director of the left-leaning Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy.
Woodall, who has long faulted the governor for prioritizing tax cuts and private-business incentives over social-services spending, said it was good that the Scott administration has taken Zika seriously in recent months. But she said that the administration is reacting to a public health crisis and is not in front of it due to all the tea-party budget cuts under Scott.
“It’s not unusual for them to react in a positive way to individual circumstances,” she said. “But he’s totally missing the boat on the underlying systemic issues. He’s not connecting the dots.”
There’s bipartisan agreement that the state’s loss of federal money through a program called the Low Income Pool, or LIP, played a major role in reducing the money and services provided by health clinics, especially Federally Qualified Health Centers.
But who’s exactly to blame has a more-partisan fault line.
In the Florida budget year ending July 30, 2015, the 49 centers across Florida received about $42 million. But the Obama Administration began warning the state that the money would start to phase out as states were expected to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, which was supported by legislative Democrats and a number of Senate Republicans. Florida House Republicans refused as did Scott, who had once tepidly supported the expansion of the health program for the poor.
The federal government then made good on its promise and reduced the LIP money, and changed the rules on how the state could use it, making clear that the money could no longer be spent on anything other than to help hospitals that provide charity care. Florida legislators could no longer direct LIP dollars at federally qualified health centers, leading to a reduction of 60 percent for the health centers, which received only $16 million the following budget year.
Still, the House and Scott wouldn’t budge. They refused again, and this budget year the centers only received $9 million.
Overall, almost all eligible healthcare providers felt the deep reduction in LIP money, which totals $608 million in this year’s Florida budget. Two years ago, the state $2.1 billion budgeted for the program.
In the Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, where the 15 cases of locally transmitted Zika cases were documented last week, the Borinquen Medical Centers of Miami-Dade — which Clinton visits today — has seen its LIP money decline from $1.9 million three years ago to $420,000 in the current budget year. Officials from the centers wouldn’t comment.
State Sen. Don Gaetz, a Republican who supported Medicaid expansion, said he believes the funding cuts have made it difficult for the health clinic to respond to Zika, but he said the federal government is ultimately to blame.
“If Mrs. Clinton wants to point fingers, she should point them to her friends in the Obama administration,” he said.
Andrew R. Behrman, president and CEO of the umbrella group representing Borinquen and similar health clinics, didn’t want to lay any political blame for the current situation. But he said the rapid spread of the Zika virus is a wake-up call.
“Funding cuts,” he said via email, “have direct consequences. This is because the funds used help offset costs of the uninsured we see, and reduces our ability to expand and increase access for the state’s most vulnerable. … Cuts can also directly affect their ability to hire the personnel needed, especially for pregnant women.”
Of the 429 confirmed Zika cases in Florida, 55 involve pregnant women — a major concern because Zika is the first mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to infant microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and incomplete brain development. Babies with the defect often have a range of problems including developmental delay, intellectual disability, problems with movement and balance, hearing loss and vision problems.
The potential for increasing the number of special-needs children and Floridians deeply troubles advocates like Deborah Linton, CEO of The Arc of Florida, who recalled how an outbreak of rubella in 1964-65 strained the state’s healthcare system. She said that if Zika abatement efforts aren’t successful there could be an influx of people with microcephaly. Many could wind up in costly Medicaid-supported programs that are perennially underfunded.
“They won’t take over the entire system,” she said. “But if there’s not a handle on this, you will will see a certain wave, a certain band in time.”
On average it costs upward of $30,000 annually to treat people at home through a Medicaid-supported program. But that’s only for those who are lucky enough to be enrolled in the program, she said; the Agency for Persons with Disabilities says the state’s waiting list has about 21,000 people on it.
And since and before Scott was governor, the state has not cleared the waiting list. Some people, she said, could “wait a decade, some people 15 years” for services.
But Melanie Etters, spokesperson for the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities, disagreed. She said that based on their needs some people don’t wait long for services and that the Legislature directed $36.4 million be directed to pare back the waiting list this year.
“The good news is this is the fourth year we have been able to take people off the list,” she said. “We are hopeful the Legislature will continue to fund the waiting list.”
Determined to stop the virus from spreading, Scott has requested 10,000 Zika-prevention kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and asked the Obama Administration to clarify how it wants the state to ask for a federal-emergency disaster declaration. Scott has also urged people who believe they’re exposed to get tested.
County health departments, among the main places to get tested for Zika, have seen an overall reduction of $14.2 million in funding under Scott since 2011, his first year in office. The number of full-time jobs during the same period has been reduced by 20.4 percent. However, the governor’s spokeswoman, Jackie Schutz, said services have “absolutely not” been affected by the reductions.
“The majority of these positions were vacancies and there has been no impact to services,” she said via email. “No one has been denied services for Zika at county health departments due to any reduction in FTEs — our county health departments are ready to respond.”
Under Scott, Florida also reduced spending for the Children’s Medical Services program, which treats special-needs children — 9,000 of whom were purged, the Miami Herald reported in December. As enrollment in the program climbed, spending skyrocketed by about $100 million between 2010 and 2014. So the state reduced payroll, cut specialized clinics that treat children with cleft palates, and it curtailed funding for expensive food items that help children with metabolic disorders to prevent them from suffering permanent brain damage.
The department also reduced the number of children eligible for the program through the use of a controversial screening tool, the newspaper reported.
The health budget aside, Scott also cut mosquito-control money early in his first term, leading to the closure of a mosquito-research lab in the Panhandle. Scott pointed out he didn’t completely cut all mosquito control money and said that, since the 2012 budget year, he has “dramatically” increased mosquito control money.
But averaged over his six years’ in office, Scott’s mosquito-control spending represents slightly less than a 2 percent annual increase — had he not cut money for fighting the bugs by 40 percent his first year in office.
Scott’s mosquito-control and other budget cuts have started to come under increasing scrutiny from Democrats like U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former national chair of her party, and U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, who’s running for U.S. Senate.
Moderate Republicans, like Miami state Sen. Miguel Díaz de la Portilla, who has clashed with Scott on a number of occasions, said the governor deserves credit for using the bully pulpit and state purse strings to fight Zika and raise awareness.
But Díaz de la Portilla, one of the first Republicans to actively push for Medicaid expansion, said he wished the governor would again be an advocate for expanding health coverage.
“This is a clarion call to expand Medicaid,” Diaz de la Portilla said. “It not a time for any of us to point fingers.”Wouldn't be Fallout without some quirks
If you've played Fallout 3 and/or New Vegas, Fallout 4 will feel very familiar. There's a bit more streamlining this time around, particularly around dialog options and character builds (both have been simplified). Otherwise, it's more of the same, except in Boston. There's also a new "race" in this game and although I've barely scratched the surface plot-wise, they're pretty intriguing. As a big fan of the franchise, I'm having a great time with the gam and am thoroughly addicted. Positives: + Boston wasteland is more visually interesting than Washington (Fallout 3) and New Vegas + Voice acting is generally good and dialog can be clever + Quest NPCs are diverse and compelling + Non-VATS combat feels improved + Improved lighting engine is capable of producing some very beautiful scenes + User created mods are bound to provide countless hours of fun once you're done with the vanilla game + Game runs surprisingly well on an older GPU (7950) with minor compromises, generally staying at 60 FPS with infrequent dips to the mid-40s Negatives: - Generally, graphics are a mixed bag and can range from mediocre to breathtaking depending on time of day and location - Companion AI can be frustrating - Recycled soundtrack, sound effects - Less dialog options (4 responses, 2 of which amount to 'Yes' and 'No' 90% of the time) - 20+ hours in, quests seem pretty straightforward and appear to offer binary quest choices with seemingly no larger consequences (I'm really not that far into the game, however) - Load times can be quite noticeable, even if installed to SSDDAVID Cameron appeared to challenge Alex Salmond to a televised head-to-head election debate to heap pressure on Labour leader Ed Miliband to rule out a deal with the SNP.
In ferocious exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Cameron accused Ed Miliband of wanting to “crawl into Downing Street on the coat-tails of the SNP”.
Alex Salmond stepped down as leader of the SNP after the referendum. Picture: Lisa Ferguson
With Labour veteran MP Frank Field reportedly warning that a deal with the SNP would lead to a breakaway “English Labour Party”, the Prime Minister attempted to capitalise on Mr Miliband’s discomfort and suggested that a Scottish Nationalist/Labour deal would end up with Mr Salmond “calling the tune”.
He said: “He [Mr Miliband] says we need the two leaders, but we need the two leaders who can call the tune — that is me and Alex Salmond. Let us have the debate.”
Mr Cameron’s attack came a few days after the Tories published a poster showing Mr Miliband as a tiny figure nestled in Mr Salmond’s pocket.
However, a Downing Street spokesman later insisted that Mr Cameron “does not want to debate with Alex Salmond” and was “just making a point” about Mr Miliband being in the SNP’s pocket.
Mr Salmond hit back by calling the Prime Minister a “posh boy” and accusing him of running away from a debate with his successor as First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
Reminding people that the Prime Minister refused to debate with him during the independence referendum, the former First Minister said: “Cameron ran scared during the referendum campaign and now he’s running scared again. He should have been called to account last year and should be called to account this year.
“Like most posh boys, given half a chance, he’ll run away from a fight. Nicola Sturgeon would eat him for breakfast in a debate.” In an attack on Labour and the SNP, the Prime Minister claimed there was “an alliance between those who want to bankrupt Britain and those who want to break up Britain”, adding that it would be a “despicable” deal.
And he claimed Mr Miliband had given up on a Labour majority, reading out a Labour leaflet from Scotland which said: “At the General Election we need to stop the Tories being the largest party.”
He added: “Labour is not trying to win; it is just trying to crawl through the gates of Downing street on the coat-tails of the SNP.
“The right honourable gentleman has to prove he is not a chicken and rule that out.”
The Labour leader had pressed Mr Cameron on the row over the Prime Minister trying to avoid taking part in a head-to-head TV debate during the election.
Mr Miliband claimed Mr Cameron was “running for cover” like a “bully” as he challenged Mr Cameron to meet him on three dates proposed by broadcasters during the general election campaign.
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SCOTSMAN TABLET AND MOBILE APPS
iPhone | iPad | Android | KindleThis weekend in San Diego, hundreds of thousands of geeks, nerds and pop culture maniacs descended on the Convention Center for the event that has become a consumer show mecca — Comic Con. Attendees were paying tribute to hit TV shows and movies, but it could just as easily have been a celebration for the comics industry as a whole: 2012 was one of its best years in a long time, and a lot of that has to do with digital strategy.
A New York Times report this weekend spotlighted Comixology, the digital comics distributor that was the third-highest grossing iPad app of 2012. It also had hit its 50-millionth and 100-millionth downloaded comic, last year, and is now closing in on 200 million downloads.
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But the broader industry has also grown sharply. Digital sales tripled last year, to $70 million. The print side, meanwhile, saw sales gains of 15%, to $750 million. That all made 2012 the best comics sales year of the millenium.
Here are a few reasons why the comics business had such a good year.
Subscriptions and bundling: Comics have embraced subscriptions and bundling. Users of Comixology can subscribe to a comics series (one of the app’s 300,000 available titles) for a flat rate, and new issues automatically download to the tablet. Bundling is also common — Dark Horse offers segmented bundles of their greatest hits like Angel & Faith and B.P.R.D for one single purchase. Comics have a fast and relatively simple buying process that emphasizes deals — which is very different from how ebooks have traditionally been sold (with the notable exception of Harlequin’s digital presence).
Certain publishers also offer monthly subscriptions — like Marvel Unlimited for the iPad. The $9.99 monthly price gives users access to new issues plus a 70-year back catalog of Marvel titles.
Distribution is more democratic: In the world of ebooks, there are only a few players in the game: Amazon, Apple, and (barely) Barnes & Noble. The diverse range of comics distributors — both third-party organizations and publishers themselves — mean that users can pick and choose where they shop without sacrificing title availability.
For example, a user can purchase a copy of DC’s Injustice: Gods Among Us series directly through DC’s proprietary app, Amazon, Comixology’s app, iBooks, or a host of other places — so she can choose the platform that suits her best. This fragmentation also allows for comics companies to pick and choose the way their comics are sold.
Image Comics, which is responsible for The Walking Dead and Spawn, recently opened a comics outlet that is 100% DRM-free — meaning users use and share books as they choose. In going DRM-free, they didn’t have to worry about compromising sales from Amazon or another big-name retailer.
Doing more with the medium: Promoting self-published titles, offering free introductory products to get readers reading, flash sales on issues and even motion-centric issues — comics writers, publishers and distributors aren’t afraid to try anything to get more sales. It’s a different approach than what you see with most big-name e-book sellers.
Comics in different genres and styles have carved out their own digital niches, from non-fiction narratives (Symbolia) to discounted indie publishers (ComicsPlus). As a result, exciting things are happening in digital comics that you only really see in traditional books with children’s apps and Pottermore. It also means that users get markedly different experiences between print and their devices — creating a separate realm for digital comics that doesn’t cannibalize print.“I didn’t know how horrific it was going to be.”
“The screams of my baby remain embedded in my bones and haunt my mind.”
The typical hospital circumcision is done out of view of the mother in a separate room. However, a few are observed by parents, and many Jewish ritual circumcisions are done in the homes of the parents and observed by family and friends. Although some parents may report that this is a positive experience, this is not always the case. According to research, women are more likely than men to report distress from hearing an infant crying. Regarding circumcision, the father is more likely to deny his son’s pain because it could remind him of his own circumcision feelings. Therefore, witnessing the circumcision and the infant’s response can have a particularly shocking effect on the mother. Only recently have some parents been willing to describe their agonizingly painful experiences at their son’s circumcision. Though further research is needed to tell us how common these responses are, the fact that they exist at all is reason for concern and reflection.
Some mothers have written about their experiences with circumcision during the previous year. “It was as close to hell as I ever want to get!” one wrote. Another related this memory:
My tiny son and I sobbed our hearts out.... After everything I’d worked for, carrying and nurturing Joseph in the womb, having him at home against no small odds, keeping him by my side constantly since birth, nursing him whenever he needed closeness and nourishment—the circumcision was a horrible violation of all I felt we shared. I cried for days afterward.
Melissa Morrison was having a difficult time seven months after she had watched the (nonritual) circumcision of her son:
I’m finding myself obsessing more and more about it. It’s absolutely horrible. I didn’t know how horrific it was going to be. It was the most gruesome thing I have ever seen in my life. I told the doctor as soon as he was done, if I had a gun I would have killed him. I swear I would be in jail today if I did have a gun.
Two other mothers have reported to the Circumcision Resource Center that watching their son’s circumcision was “the worst day of my life.” Another mother noted that she still felt pain recalling the experience about a year later. She wrote to her son:
I have never heard such screams.... Will I ever know what scars this brings to your soul?... What is that new look I see in your eyes? I can see pain, a certain sadness, and a loss of trust.
Other mothers clearly remember their son’s circumcision after many years. Miriam Pollack reported fifteen years after the event, “The screams of my baby remain embedded in my bones and haunt my mind.” She added later, “His cry sounded like he was being butchered. I lost my milk.”
Nancy Wainer Cohen recalled her feelings connected with the circumcision of her son, who is now twenty-two:
I heard him cry during the time they were circumcising him. The thing that is most disturbing to me is that I can still hear his cry.... It was an assault on him, and on some level it was an assault on me.... I will go to my grave hearing that horrible wail, and feeling somewhat responsible, feeling that it was my lack of awareness, my lack of consciousness. I did the best I could, and it wasn’t good enough.
Elizabeth Pickard-Ginsburg vividly remembered her son’s circumcision and its effect on her:
Jesse was shrieking and I had tears streaming down my face.... He was screaming and there was no doubt in his scream that he wanted mother, or a mothering figure to come and protect him from this pain!!... Jesse screamed so loud that all of a sudden there was no sound! I’ve never heard anything like it!! He was screaming and it went up and then there was no sound and his mouth was just open and his face was full of pain!! I remember something happened inside me... the intensity of it was like blowing a fuse! It was too much. We knew something was over. I don’t feel that it ever really healed.... I don’t think I can recover from it. It’s a scar. I’ve put a lot of energy into trying to recover. I did some crying and we did some therapy. There’s still a lot of feeling that’s blocked off. It was too intense.... We had this beautiful baby boy and seven beautiful days and this beautiful rhythm starting, and it was like something had been shattered!!... When he was first born there was a tie with my young one, my newborn. And when the circumcision happened, in order to allow it I had cut off the bond. I had to cut off my natural instincts, and in doing so I cut off a lot of feelings towards Jesse. I cut it off to repress the pain and to repress the natural instinct to stop the circumcision.
After several years, Pickard-Ginsburg says she can still feel “an element of detachment” toward her son. Her account is particularly revealing. That she “cut off” feelings toward her son by observing his circumcision suggests that her son may have responded similarly toward her by experiencing his circumcision. Furthermore, because she was willing to feel and communicate the intensity of her pain, we have a clue to why more mothers who observe their son’s circumcision do not report such pain. Denial and repression may keep this extreme pain out of their awareness.
Observing their son’s circumcision has left some parents with a deep feeling of regret. The following quotes are typical:
I am so sorry I was so ignorant about circumcision. Had I witnessed a circumcision first, I never would have consented to having my son circumcised.
Always in the back of my mind I’ve thought, “I wish he hadn’t been cut.” I have apologized to him numerous times.
If I had ever known, I wouldn’t have done this in a million years.
I felt as if I might pass out at the sight of my son lying there, unable to move or defend himself. His screams tore at my heart as his foreskin was heartlessly torn from his penis. Too late to turn back, I knew that this was a terrible mistake and that it was something that no one, especially newborn babies, should ever have to endure. A wave of shock coursed through me—my body feeling nauseatingly sick with guilt and shame. All I could think of was holding and consoling my child, but his pain felt inconsolable—his body rigid with fear and anger—his eyes filled with tears of betrayal.
Some mothers who did not witness the circumcision have since regretted allowing it:
The nurse came to take the baby for the circumcision. I have relived that moment over and over. If I could turn back the hands of time, that would be the one moment I would go back to and say, “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I need another day to think about it” and just hold on to him because I wasn’t sure. I think if I had held on to him it might have turned out differently. I just shouldn’t have let him go when I was so ambivalent. After they took him I went into the shower, and I cried.
When they brought him back to me, I could see that he had been crying and had a glassy, wild look in his eyes. I think it was terror. I didn’t know what had been done to him, but I could tell whatever it was, it hurt. I’ll never forget that look. They probably shattered every bit of trust he had. I’m very angry about it. I would never have done that to my own son. No mother would take a knife to her child. When I looked at his penis, I was again instantly sorry that I had allowed it to be done.
Tell Oprah about this!
Tweet Oprah @OprahThe Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, “To Hell with you!” — Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Dear Mr. President,
I am fully aware that these are days in which the federal government is — for all practical purposes — unlimited in its power. As it stands, you — sir — can detain any American citizen without due process simply because you suspect him of being a terrorist, you have magically managed to become the Chairman of the UN Security Council without the approval of Congress — despite that awkward Article 1.9 of the Constitution — and you — along with the FCC — seem to think the Internet is thine to regulate. Now I’m sure this sudden growth in power was seen as necessary, proper and really-cool by all of your staff, and thus I join in with their applause (but with those annoying, ironically-spaced claps that continue long after everyone else has finished.)
For there are those of us — yes, even a few of your happy-happy youth voters — who are curious as to whether the Constitution continues to mean anything at all. I distinctly recall holding it as a weapon against injustice, but I am now taught to regard it with a vague sort of embarrassment, as a pubescent boy might regard his grandmother on Facebook, who comments on his attempts to attract a girl with things like “just remember chastity!”
It makes the radical claim — this Constitution — that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” a claim which your administration has adhered to. But as it turns out, you cannot have the first part of this Establishment Clause without the second part, that is: “…or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” (Similarly, you cannot take your wife “in health” without that aggravating precursor “in sickness”.) You are not allowed to establish a state religion, and you are not allowed to prohibit the free exercise of religion. You. just. can’t.
Otherwise, you are a Tyrant. Now, I know: Tyrant? (Quick, label the man an ultra-super-neo-conservative Tea Partier and ban him to the ranks of old men holding Ayn Rand signs so we don’t have to engage in rational debate.)
I am 18.
I own a Macbook, a blog and a sweater-vest.
I don’t even like Capitalism.
So do me the courtesy of taking me seriously. Being a tyrant is not necessarily a negative or positive thing, though I know the word is loaded with a not-so-nice connotation. It is simply a matter of definition. A tyrant, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution”. If you prohibit the free exercise of religion, you are acting unrestrained by the Constitution, and thus as a tyrant. End of story.
In case there are any doubts as to my claim, I will give it to you straight: I hold that you are prohibiting the free practice of Catholicism in this country, and that you are thus, categorically speaking, a tyrant.
What would prohibiting the free exercise of religion consist of? Obviously, it might consist of banning a certain religious practice. A man might forbid the Jews their practice of circumcision. But it is equally true that the free exercise of religion would be prohibited by a man forcing the Jews to eat bacon. Both moves would be dick-moves: The free exercise of religion is violated both by what you take away from a religion, and by what you force a religion to do. If members of a religion are forced by the government to perform actions contrary to their beliefs, they are no more free than dogs.
Catholicism, an antiquated, dying religion without many members — oh, snap, wait, I meant the largest form of Christianity in America and the largest religion in the world — teaches that the use of artificial contraception and sterilization is wrong, and thus does not allow its institutions to provide it. Here’s where everyone flips out and loses sight of the argument, so let me be absolutely clear: I am not arguing that the use of artificial contraception is wrong I do believe this, and firmly, but this is neither the time nor place to argue the point.
In fact, it would be best for all of us — Catholics included — to think of this particular Catholic teaching as silly, overbearing, and unfit for the modern mind to contain. Think of this teaching as you might think of the Jewish prohibition on pork, or the Hindu’s holding of the cow as sacred. Why? Because prohibiting the free exercise of religion does not become allowed in cases in which you happen to disagree with the religion, no matter how vehemently, unless that religion is directly violating an individual’s rights.
For instance, I disagree with the belief of Quakers, who will under no circumstances fight in a war. My disagreement does not give me leave — were I in a position of power — to force them to fight. Appropriately, the government respects the Quakers’ belief, as the government respects all conscientious objectors.
So why is it that the government is allowed to force Catholic institutions — including my school — to provide coverage for artificial contraception in their health insurance plans, as the US Health and Human Services have mandated them do by the end of the year? How is this anything but the prohibition of the free exercise of religion? Short answer: It is the prohibition of the free exercise of religion, and a despicable, unconstitutional, entirely illegal, embarrassingly heavy-handed and very, very stupid prohibition at that. I will run briefly through the arguments in its favor:
There is no argument from necessity here: According to the 2010 Guttmacher Institute report on contraceptive use in the United States, “Nine in 10 employer-based insurance plans cover a full range of prescription contraceptives,” and Kathleen Sebelius herself pointed out that even when contraceptive is not covered, “contraceptive services are available at sites such as community health centers, public clinics, and hospitals with income-based support,” not to mention pharmacies and doctor’s offices. And besides, women do not need contraception. I understand an employer being obligated to cover drugs relating to health. I do not understand why employer’s are obligated to provide for drugs that grant people responsibility-free pleasure. Again, I am not arguing whether or not sex-without-consequences is good or bad, I am merely pointing out that it is not necessary.
Just don’t take them yourself.
One cannot make the argument that while Catholics have the right to choose not to take artificial contraception personally, they should not be allowed to withhold artificial contraception from others any more than one could make the argument that while Jews don’t have to eat pork personally, their restaurants must serve the meat. No man is obligated to give another man what he believes is morally repulsive, unless his not giving it interferes with the rights of the other.
Well then, not providing free contraception violates the rights of women!
No it doesn’t. Not only can women get contraception elsewhere, but there exists utterly no “right to contraception.” And why would there be? I know our world is idiotic and sexist to the point of the embarrassing belief that women cannot prevent pregnancy without pills, but as it turns out, they can. In fact, if you’re a woman reading this, chances are you’re preventing pregnancy right now. (If not, rethink your sex life.) Thus a health-care provider not providing free access to artificial contraception does not damn women to pregnancy — oh, the horror — any more than not providing diet-pills would damn them to obesity.
But everyone has to do it!
No they don’t. Ed Whelan, over at the National Review Online, notes that “employers who employed fewer than 50 full-time employees during the preceding calendar year are not obligated to make any health-care insurance coverage available to their employees under Obamacare. 26 U.S.C. § 4980H(c)(2). Like employers with grandfathered plans, they thus have no obligation to provide insurance that covers contraceptives and abortifacients, and they face no penalty for not doing so.” The government is acknowledging that there isn’t a striking necessity for contraceptive coverage, certainly not enough of a necessity to force smaller companies to cover contraceptives. Why the mad rush to force Catholic institutions to provide contraceptives then? Why is it okay for small companies with no opinion in the matter to continue not providing contraception, while institutions that absolutely and morally reject the use of contraception must? An excess of stupid? An agenda?
Now I’m sure more objections could be raised, but the Internet is short, and I must be brief. Therefore:
Mr. President, The Catholic Church will never obey this mandate, not if all the powers of Hell were to shove it down our throats. I know that moral doctrine may seem a strange and ancient thing to your administration, but understand that as Catholics, we are required to disobey unjust law. Commanded. It is our duty. Do you understand the gravity of the ultimatum you’ve made? You have placed the faithful Catholic in a position in which he must choose between obeying your mandate and obeying God. To comply with the HHS mandate will be considered a sin. Regardless of how you view your actions, do not so easily ignore how the Church views your actions — as attacking her flock. Force the mandate on faithful institutions, and faithful institutions will shut down their services. Force it on our hospitals, our universities, our schools, and our convents and we will bear the consequences of looking you, Sibelius and all the rest in the eyes and saying “No.” As it turns out, the Church doesn’t give a damn what you think — She never has cared for the powers of the world — and will resist you with all Her might. To be briefer still, and to say what those bound by politics cannot: Bring it.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan noted that ”The Amish do not carry health insurance. The government respects their principles. Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone, and the new health-care reform law respects that. Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the government respects that principle for conscientious objectors. By its decision, the Obama administration has failed to show the same respect for the consciences of Catholics and others who object to treating pregnancy as a disease.” This injustice is not something that need solely concern the Catholic Church — if the federal government can force Catholics to act against their consciences, they can force anyone to act against their conscience, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Atheist, and by the same pitiful reasoning.
Mr. President, take it back.
Yours Truly,
Marc Barnes, student and citizen.
Fight for Liberty. Oppose the Mandate. Sign the petition asking the White House to reconsider. Sign the USCCB’s petition as well. Share with your family and friends. Post on Facebook. Rally the troops. Resist Tyranny.If there was ever a reminder that Europe is losing its way, the appearance this week at the European Parliament by convicted Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled is surely it.
Khaled, a major operative in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was involved in a wave of hijackings of commercial airliners in 1969 and 1970, most notably a TWA flight from Rome to Athens and Tel Aviv, and an El Al flight from Amsterdam to New York City.
The PFLP, headed by George Habash, helped to invent modern terror. Its curriculum vitae is filled with enough hijackings, bombings (suicide and otherwise), drive-by shootings and kidnappings to fill a good-sized bookshelf. It has partnered with like-minded organizations, such as the Japanese Red Army and Colombia’s guerrilla army FARC, and though Marxist in orientation, the group has enjoyed a relationship with terrorism’s biggest backer today — theocratic Iran. The PFLP’s targets have invariably been civilians: in 2014, for example, its operatives attacked worshippers with axes and knives at a Jerusalem synagogue, killing four and wounding seven.
The PFLP has been on the European Union’s terrorism list since 2012 (decades after the organization came into existence). And yet, Khaled was a featured speaker this week on a program at the European Parliament, titled, “The Role of Women in the Palestinian Popular Resistance.” Khaled received a two-minute standing ovation, preceded by this introduction: “We…have a living legend here with us today, who we can call the Che Guevara of Palestine, Leila Khaled.” The Venezuelan ambassador, who was also present, was introduced as an “honored guest.”
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Khaled’s speech was not about empowerment and opportunity. Instead, it was a nonstop screed filled with time-tested Palestinian canards about Zionism — and about Jews.
“The Holocaust,” she said, “is only pain to the Jews. They have monopolized the pain and have played the role of the victims. … [D]on’t you think that what happened in Auschwitz is comparable to what happens in Gaza today?”
The Zionist movement, she stated, “aligns with all the capitalists in the world,” and she added that “in the next 100 years, they [the Zionists] will be able to dominate the world economy.”
Khaled even reprised the time-worn line about her being a “freedom fighter,” a term frequently used to excuse, explain or apologize for the violent acts of terrorists such as Khaled and her cohorts in the PFLP, and organizations like it.
At a time when European cities are under increasing assault by an assortment of suicide bombers, car and truck rammers, and knife-wielding attackers, why was Khaled — an inspiration to those who carry out such acts — given a European Union-affiliated megaphone to spout such hatred?
The meeting she addressed was organized by a far-left leaning coalition of parties inside the parliament. According to one report, Martina Anderson, who represents Ireland’s Sinn Fein, gushed in a tweet about the “fantastic turnout” at the event. “Long live international solidarity,” she wrote.
But “solidarity” for what? Khaled’s presentation, with its rants about control of the world’s economy by “racist” Zionists “who have appropriated the role of victims….entirely for themselves all around the world,”
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YK Chung
Best VR Experience
La Camera Insabbiata, dirs: Laurie Anderson, Hsin-Chien Huang
Best VR Story
Bloodless, dir: Gina KimWith a bit of help from the Mormons, PBS’ “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” discovered that Sen. Bernie Sanders and the man who parodied him on “Saturday Night Live,” Larry David, are related.
(Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Actor/creator/executive producer Larry David speaks in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" panel during the HBO Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File) In this June 24, 2016, file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks in Albany, N.Y.
The series doesn’t deal directly with the church. But Gates said his show owes a lot to the records kept by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“ They have a head start of almost 200 years,” Gates said. “They have low labor costs, and they have this passion about doing it because it’s part of their belief system. And they trace the ancestry of everybody.”
The show’s lead genealogist, Johni Cerny, is based in Draper. The show’s primary sponsor, Ancestry.com, is based in Lehi.
And Gates calls Salt Lake City “ground zero for genealogy because of the records” assembled by the LDS Church.
(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Henry Louis Gates Jr. participates in the "Finding Your Roots" panel during the PBS portion of the 2017 Summer TCA's at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday, July 31, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Some of those records helped in the investigations into their families. As viewers learn in Tuesday’s episode (7 p.m., KUED-Channel 7), both men knew little of their family histories — which are filled with similar tragedies. They’re both descended from Polish Jews, who suffered multiple tragedies in the first half of the 20th century. And there are other surprises that leave Sanders and David stunned.
Gates said he tried to talk his “good friend” David into participating in “Finding Your Roots” for years.
“ He would say, ‘Yeah, no.’ Then finally, one day out of the blue, he said he was in,” Gates said. “Then we asked Bernie Sanders, and he said yes. So it was obvious to put them together in an episode because of Larry’s fabulous imitation” on “Saturday Night Live.”
They weren’t expecting to discover that the two are related.
“ Then we get to the DNA,” Gates said. “They share identical DNA on chromosome 7, 9 and 11. That’s a lot.”
It indicates that Sanders and David are third or fourth cousins.
“ In retrospect, when you see all that DNA they share — my God, it’s a natural,” Gates said. “But I’m not saying that from a scientific point of view.”
After learning unsettling and downright distressing things about their family histories, the news that Sanders and David are related provides a bit of relief.
“ What the hell!” David exclaims in surprise. “That is so funny!”
“ You’re kidding!” a visibly startled Sanders blurts out. “This is unbelievable.”
Gates will be visiting what he calls “genealogy heaven” in March. He’s accepted an invitation to RootsTech 2018 at the Salt Palace.
“ It will be packed with people who are Mormon, I presume, and people who are genealogists. I can’t wait!” he said.
(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Henry Louis Gates Jr., from left, Ana Navarro, Ted Danson and Janet Mock participate in the "Finding Your Roots" panel during the PBS portion of the 2017 Summer TCA's at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday, July 31, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif.Ofcom says one million homes have broadband without a TV, indicating phones and tablets are being used to view content
The number of UK homes with a TV has fallen for the first time, as viewers turn to alternatives including tablets and smartphones to watch programmes.
Ofcom said that after years of consecutive growth, the number of households with a television set fell from 26.33m at the end of 2012 to 26.02m at the end of last year.
The media regulator said that nearly one million homes have a broadband connection, but no TV, indicating that other internet-connected devices are being used to view content.
Ofcom said catch-up TV content in particular is growing in importance and being watched on smartphones, tablets, computers and games consoles.
In its Infrastructure 2014 report, Ofcom cites BBC figures which show that in July 47% of requests for BBC iPlayer content came from tablets or mobiles, up from just 25% in October 2012.
“The way consumers interact with their TV, phone and broadband is changing as fast as technology is evolving,” said Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom.
Ofcom reckons that the typical UK household may need an internet connection of at least 10Mb to support all of the activities a family gets up to online.
Ofcom has found the average UK household or small business is downloading the equivalent of 35 feature films in data each month, and a 77% increase on 2013.
The average household uploads the equivalent amount of data as 3,500 digital photographs each month.
The report also found issues with the availability of broadband across the UK and mobile phone coverage. Some urban areas, including parts of central London, have poor superfast broadband coverage – known as city “not-spots”.
The issue of not-spots usually arises when there is no street cabinet to upgrade.
“Communications providers are looking at ways to take fibre closer to the customer where there is no cabinet,” said Ofcom.
The regulator said the government and telecommunications industry are also looking at options to get superfast broadband into rural areas to cover the “final 5%” of UK households.
“While this is technically complex and expensive, it is important that these remaining homes and businesses are not left behind,” said Ofcom.
The media regulator said that more work needs to be phone on mobile coverage and quality of service, and that more small and medium-sized businesses need access to superfast broadband.
“Ofcom has a major programme of work to assess how to support the needs of SMEs,” the regulator said.
“Digital infrastructure is crucial to the UK’s future,” said Richards. “As a country we are continuing to make real progress, particularly in the roll out and take-up of superfast broadband and 4G mobile services. But there is more to be done. We need to continue asking whether collectively we are doing enough to build the infrastructure of the future, and to maintain the competition that benefits consumers and businesses.”EUGENE -- Stat sheets? Jim Leavitt doesn't need 'em.
"I look at wins, losses," Oregon's defensive coordinator said. "You start looking at the other stuff, you got issues."
But here's one statistic that even Leavitt acknowledges will determine how many issues Oregon's defense has Saturday in Autzen Stadium, when Nebraska comes to town: The production of Huskers back Tre Bryant.
Bryant, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound sophomore from St. Louis, ran for a career-high 192 of Nebraska's 234 total rushing yards in the Huskers' season-opening 43-36 win against Arkansas State. His talent, combined with UO's three-headed backfield of Royce Freeman, Kani Benoit and Tony Brooks-James, will put a spotlight on running backs Saturday (1:30 p.m., FOX).
"They set everything up with the run game," Leavitt said. "If they can run on you you're not going to have much chance to win, everybody knows that. Then they go to play-action off that and they do it very, very well. They've got a quarterback who can throw the heck out of the ball."
The pro-style offense at Nebraska is similar to what Nebraska offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf and Riley ran at Oregon State, with linemen pulling downfield.
"Big bodies coming downhill," said defensive line coach Joe Salave'a said, who faced Riley while at Washington State. "You wouldn't want it any other way."
Bryant gained 80 yards in the first half against Arkansas State before adding 86 in the third quarter alone. He carried the ball on five consecutive plays to open the quarter, with the fourth turning into a 35-yard gain that later set up a 1-yard touchdown dive. Eleven of his 31 carries gained between five and nine yards; six went for 10 yards or more.
Slowing Bryant takes an entire defense, but Salave'a's line will be in the spotlight after working out "first-game jitters" against Southern Utah. A positive was the activity of senior end Henry Mondeaux, whose sack against the Thunderbirds equals his sack total from all of 2016.
Clemson graduate transfer nose guard Scott Pagano could make his UO debut, after missing last week while recovering from offseason foot surgery. During practice Wednesday, Pagano ran half-speed through cone drills with a strength coach during a 20-minute portion open to media, and looked more active than he has in all of fall camp. No one offered a definitive answer for his availability Saturday, however.
Whether he plays or not, freshmen nose guard Austin Faoliu and Jordon Scott will earn numerous reps again.
"Think about that, your true freshmen going out there in a college game," Leavitt said. "I thought they did well.... For the most part, there are some things they didn't do great but I wouldn't expect them to be perfect their first time out."
The defense as a whole was not perfect against Southern Utah, either, after allowing an easy nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on SUU's first possession. Oregon allowed scores on two of SUU's next 16 drives, however, and fewer than 20 yards on six of those possessions, while intercepting two passes.
"We had our hands on about three others," Leavitt said. "We could have had a few more.
"The first drive, none of us like that. But I thought they settled down.... We didn't do anything different. They settled down and started doing the right things. Few mental mistakes, you know, and we've got to tackle better but I'll probably say that every week."
Nebraska averaged 5.9 yards per carry against Arkansas State and 7.4 yards per pass attempt, not that Leavitt would look at such a stat.
When Leavitt reviews film, he grades players by how well they executed their assignment. Otherwise he doesn't dig into many metrics other than turnovers caused and points allowed, because both point to the most important number of them all: wins.
"People that look at anything else, they're nuts," he said.
Stop Bryant Saturday, and Oregon will be closer to getting its second victory of this young season.
-- Andrew Greif
[email protected] kind of chemistry occurs in conditions that approximate those of the primitive earth, and what can that tell us about the origin of life? Scientists have been avidly pursuing the origins of life since the early 1900's. While still a graduate student in Nobel laureate Harold Urey's lab, Stanley Miller truly began the modern era of prebiotic chemistry with a publication in the May 15th, 1953 issue of Science. His work rocked the science world and actually overshadowed Watson and Crick's work on the DNA double helix, which was published one month earlier in Nature. Now, scientists have rediscovered some of Miller's early samples and find that, even after his death, Miller still has more to tell us.
Miller's classic experiment involved putting atmospheric components thought to reflect those of the early Earth (ammonia, hydrogen, methane, and water) in a closed system and stimulating that mixture with an electric current to mimic the effects of lightning storms. He generated a small number of biochemically significant compounds, including amino acids, hydroxy acids, and urea, showing that conditions of primitive earth can create the building blocks of life.
When Miller died on May 20th, 2007, the science community lost a true pioneer. However, his former graduate students and colleagues never forgot him, and have continued his work. More than half a century after the initial experiments, a team of scientists (which includes some of Miller's first and last graduate students) discovered vials of samples that Miller saved from 1953. The samples were from three different experimental designs, and two of them were not included in the 1953 Science paper. His protégés reexamined the contents of those vials using modern techniques (high-performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry) and published the results today, once again in Science.
Specifically, they reanalyzed 11 vials from an apparatus that was slightly modified from the original; it had an additional aspirating nozzle that was attached to a flask containing water. This nozzle injected jets of steam and gas into the spark created by the electrodes, which would simulate lightning striking at the site of a steam-rich volcanic area. They found that the residues from this apparatus contained 22 amino acids and 5 amines, which is a slightly more complex mix than the results of the experiment that was published in 1953.
These results could address some of the criticism of Miller's earliest work. Many geoscientists have questioned the accuracy of the simulated primitive atmosphere—they proposed that Miller wrongly assumed that early earth had a highly reducing atmosphere, one with little to no free oxidizing compounds. Miller's colleagues now argue that the amino acids produced by the volcanic apparatus indicate that "even if the overall atmosphere was not reducing, localized prebiotic synthesis could have been effective. Reduced gases and lightning associated with volcanic eruptions in hot spots or island arc-type systems could have been prevalent in the early Earth."
The debate regarding the origins of life will continue on for some time. We have yet to reach Miller's dream of discovering and experimentally demonstrating a reasonable explanation for how prebiotic chemicals assembled into macromolecules (DNA, RNA, and proteins) and then into living cells. But however it works out, future discoveries will owe a lot to Miller's contributions, as he essentially started the experimental field of prebiotic chemistry.
Science, 2008. DOI: 10.1126/science.1161527Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Ben King for BuzzFeed News
A couple of years ago I found myself messaging guys on OkCupid, asking if anyone wanted to see a matinee of Twelfth Night with me at 2 that same afternoon. I had lined up earlier in the day to get rush tickets, but the friend I was supposed to go with ended up canceling, so I needed to find someone else. “I’ll go with you,” one of the guys immediately wrote back. “By the way, my name’s Gary.” I enjoy the randomness of dating online. I didn’t even look closely at Gary’s profile before I asked him out after his initial message, just gleaned from his use of “you” instead of “u” and his curiosity about literature that he was a decent enough guy. He was beardier than my usual, clean-cut nerdy type, but if anything else, I figured it would be fun to spend the afternoon with someone I would have never met otherwise. More than a decade after medical transition, I was a lot more relaxed about dating and being trans. It used to be at the forefront of my mind every time I went out with a guy — when to tell him and how so that he wouldn’t freak out. But over the years, I learned that most men have never dated a trans woman before, and disclosing to them also meant that I was teaching them how to react to me. If I acted like it was something to be ashamed of, then that was what I was teaching them. But if presented it as one of many parts that made me interesting, then they were a lot less likely to care. When I first saw Gary, I wondered if I should be a little embarrassed because of his outfit. He wore a puffy blue vest over red flannels, and his beard had flecks of gray I didn’t notice from his pictures, though his alert, deep-set eyes and ruddy cheeks communicated an open disposition. He stooped down to hug me and I felt his back muscles flex, though I didn’t feel the pull of attraction; I was too distracted by the thought of being in the theater with a guy dressed like a lumberjack. “I’m excited,” Gary told me. “I’ve never been to a Broadway show. Do you know the play?” “I studied it in college,” I said, trying to keep my Shakespeare fandom in check.
Having lived as both a man and a woman, I've learned that it’s all an act — everyone is performing their gender all the time.
Gary’s sweetness made me reprimand myself for being snobby about his clothes. As soon as we got to our standing-only places in the back of the orchestra section, I couldn’t help but tell him about how I saw several productions back when I lived in London. Rather than glazing over, his eyes widened as I kept talking about Shakespeare. Most guys in the city find my nerdy interests cute, yet boring. Gary found them impressive, a taste of the urbane New York culture he craved. (He had moved to Inwood to be closer to the city, and drove upstate four days a week to work as a ranger for one of the state parks.) “And even the women’s parts are played by men?” Gary asked at one point, his eyebrow arched. It hadn't even occurred to me until then that it might be awkward for someone like me to see a play on a date where half the cast was in female drag. I cooly told him how women were banned from the theater in Shakespeare’s time, so men normally played all the women’s roles back then. In Twelfth Night, the main character Viola spends a lot of the play pretending to be a man, so the actor who plays her has to be a man who plays a woman playing a man — and by the end, we learn she also has an identical boy twin, Sebastian. All this gender shifting was a big part of why it was my favorite Shakespeare play, since I have a history of gender shifting myself. I didn’t mention that part to Gary, as the house lights dimmed and the play started. “I can tell they’re men playing women but they’re really convincing,” Gary whispered to me after a few minutes. “How do they do that?” “They’re great actors,” I whispered back, amused by the irony, knowing by his tone that he had no inkling of my history. I wondered if he would think of my womanhood as an act. Yet having lived as both a man and a woman, I've learned that it’s all an act; everyone is performing their gender all the time, and some of us are just more talented or convincing than others in our respective roles — so convincing even to ourselves that we often forget we’re playing them. If I’m rare, it’s only that I’ve played both parts.
Gary and I walked out into the cold March air after the three-hour matinee. It was a cloudy day so the sky was already half dark. By then, I pretty much knew I wouldn’t be interested in a second date — he was nice but we didn’t have enough in common — so I didn’t feel any pressure to tell him I’m trans.
“Why don’t I take you out to a nice dinner?” he asked. And when he saw hesitation in my face, he added, “in exchange for taking me to the play. What do you feel like?” Dinner couldn't hurt. I pondered for a bit and told him I was in the mood for French. There was a bistro in Chelsea I liked. He seemed to enjoy the idea of strolling in the city with me, and put out his arm for me to hold on to as we walked. His biceps were definitely bigger than the boys I usually dated, who tended to be indoorsy artists or scientists. As we walked the 20 or so blocks down Seventh Avenue, I watched the neighborhood slowly evolve from the chaos of midtown to the more focused energy of Chelsea, its mixture of twee restaurants and the occasional gay bar or adult store. It was early so there were only a few people at the restaurant, a man reading alone and a couple of guys talking intimately. All of a sudden, I felt like a tourist with Gary and his flannels, even though I’d been at the restaurant several times. Though the restaurant billed itself as a casual bistro, it wasn’t nearly as cheap as I remembered. Gary insisted on wine with dinner, so I imagined the meal was probably still a lot pricier than he was used to. He didn’t seem to mind. He asked me if I’ve been to France and I told him I used to go reasonably often, back when I lived with a British guy for a few years. The detail I neglected to mention was that my ex-boyfriend is gay, I dated him while I was a guy, and I haven’t been to France as a woman. In a way, I wasn’t the one who traveled there, but my identical male twin. “I just want to let you know, even if we never see each other again,” Gary said near the end of our meal, “this was a special night for me. Meeting women like you is exactly why I moved closer to the city.” “That’s really sweet,” I said, as we clinked glasses, his smile already tinged with loneliness. I pitied him a little then. Counter to the stereotype about trans women that’s been drilled into people by movies and TV, it was just as likely for a guy to be more into me than the other way around, even after he knew about my history. After he paid the bill, he pulled out his chair to go to the restroom, not noticing the guy who had been seated behind him in the meantime. Gary’s chair bumped into the guy’s as he stood up.
“Oh, sorry,” Gary said. “I don’t mind,” the guy replied. “You can bump into me any time.” One of his companions added, “You can bump into me, too.” Gary turned to me with a furrowed brow, which seemed more like confusion than displeasure. He passed the waiter on his way to the bathroom, who smiled at him again. I looked around the restaurant and noticed a couple of other faces, who were clearly amused by the exchange. They looked at me approvingly, as did the guys that Gary bumped into. It was then when I realized: Gary was not just a gay man’s fantasy, but he was my gay man’s fantasy. Before transition, I used to watch those porn movies where gay men lured or paid straight men to have gay sex for the first time. And those straight guys had these manly jobs like fireman or marine or, actually, park ranger. They symbolized the kind of elusive masculinity that femme gay men like me both aspired to and desired, but couldn't have — yet somehow, there was always something about a guy being actually gay that ruined the image. For me (and a certain cross section of gay men), it was the ultimate thrill to have sex with a guy who isn’t really attracted to men, but somehow gets convinced to do so anyway.
Straight men symbolized the kind of elusive masculinity that femme gay men like me both aspired to and desired, but couldn't have.The Making Of Fez, The Breaking Of Phil Fish
By Simon Parkin
[The story of how the five-year development cycle behind the upcoming, IGF Award-winning Xbox Live Arcade title Fez took away the health and life of creator Phil Fish, and the lessons he learned from the protracted, difficult experience.]
Five years in the making, indie platformer game Fez from Polytron is finished and set for release in the New Year. While playing on gamers' sense of nostalgia with its pixel graphic style and numerous nods to Nintendo's 16-bit classics, it's a game that also blazes trails with a unique perspective-shifting control scheme.
As the game enters certification with Microsoft, developer Phil Fish's role is shifting from that of creative vision-holder to evangelist. Gamasutra's Simon Parkin caught up with Fish at the recent GameCity event in Nottingham, England, where the designer was manning a dimly lit Fez lounge in which attendees were invited to sit back on a comfy sofa and lose themselves in his creation.
In a candid interview, Fish opened up about the toll the game's development has taken on his life, offering advice to other indie devs who might find themselves in a similar situation.
The Fez lounge is lovely. How did this come about?
Phil Fish: Iain [Simons, director of GameCity] approached me and he said: "Do you want to do something a little bit different?" I told him I don't think Fez demos well in short bursts, in a standing up, noisy environment, which is what we've been doing at PAX and things like that.
I told him it'd be nice if we had a kind of living room type arrangement, put a good sound system where people can sit down and play the game for a longer period of time comfortably. Because the game is a bit of a slow burner, you know, it's all about the atmosphere and getting sucked in and lost into that world.
So that doesn't work at all in five minutes. And then he said: "We have this lounge!", and he sent me a picture and I saw the chair and I was like "Sold!" It's been the best demo we've ever done. It's also the first time we showed the entire game, so I'm getting a lot of good play-testing notes.
Yeah, you're sitting at the back like an arch-villain with a cat on your lap, watching. It's a great way to play a game. It feels a bit like sitting in your front room, and you get a proper 20 minutes to sit and digest the experience.
PF: One group of friends played for like two hours; they played a quarter of the game. I never personally sat down and watched somebody play for that long before. And it's working! People are not getting stuck, they're figuring out what to do.
I had this class of kids come in yesterday morning, 12 to 15 year olds. First thing in the morning I was scared shitless. I thought these kids are going to tear me apart; they are not going to like this game, they are not going to get this game. They are not going to get like the nostalgia aspect of it, because they're too young, and I was certain that they'd be saying things like, "There's no guns in this game?! What the fuck this is?" But no, they were like entranced by it, and they kept saying like, "This is amazing! I need an Xbox now."
That must be such a relief.
PF: Yes, because I was still stressed when I saw them walk in, and then they really got into it and I was like, [sigh of relief] "Man, fuck, it's working!" It's a huge relief, because the game only came together as a game in the last couple of months.
For years, all we had were just like these different parts that didn't connect, and we didn't even have that big, open world that you could play for an hour or two; like it's all these little segments that didn't communicate, and only recently did all the pieces fall into place.
And then we added music and the polish and it's like: "Woah, woah! Fuck, this is an actual game now that we can let people play for a while." Because, you know, we were operating for years on the assumption that it was going to work somehow.
And it was kind of really scary for years, because we didn't even have a way of testing it ourselves, if it would work. And just recently we started sending out these builds for our friends and colleagues and just getting like amazing feedback. You know [Independent Games Festivial Chairman] Brandon Boyer?
Of course!
PF: Brandon Boyer is in love with Fez. He started to send us like, every day, pages of feedback, like of his entire adventure through Fez. At first I thought he was just bullshitting us; it was so hyperbolic. I was all: "Come on, Brandon, you're just saying that because we're friends." He was like: "No, no, if I was just being nice, I would say, like, 'Keep it up!'"
But it was just a glowing review of Fez, basically, and if there's one guy who's opinion matters to me it's Brandon Boyer. I did something good! And [Braid developer] Jonathan Blow loves it. There's another guy that's hard to please. He's also been sending us tons of feedback.
It's funny, because Blow will only send you feedback about the things he doesn't like. It's only negative, and it always sounds a little bit insulting because, you know, he's kind of a hard-ass. He sent us like this page of feedback that was all nitpicking, except for this single line in the middle that just said: "Cool ending." I was like: "Wow! You beat it? You played it till the end, and you thought it was cool? Amazing!"
So just recently, it started to sink in that we made a game that works. We have achieved what we wanted to do and it was like [sigh of relief]. Eeverybody who knows me that has seen me recently, they all tell me: "Phil, you look so much more calmer than the last time I saw you a year ago; you're almost a different person." Yeah, I feel completely different; I am not in complete terror/panic mode 24/7. I'm starting to be like: "I did it." It feels really good.
So what happens now?
PF: I'm becoming more and more useless, and it's kind of scary actually. All my friends who have shipped their big indie game all warn me of the most severe depression of my life coming.
The post-natal depression?
PF: Yeah. The first day that I wake up and the game is locked, and I'm not allowed to do anything, is terrifying. Which is scary, because I've actually been pretty depressed the last couple of years. [laughs] It was kind of hard making this game. And I'm super looking forward to release. I want it to be out and I want to move on and do something else with my life.
But everybody tells me: "No, you're not going to be happy. It's not going to be like, [sigh of relief] Done! It's going to be like, What do I do now?" I have been in this intense routine for five years of Fez, all day, everyday. And then [snaps fingers] one day it's going to be: No more Fez! It's done! What do you do with yourself at that point? I don't know.
Are you going to take a holiday?
PF: Well, we're already working on another game. We had this game that we made a while ago called Super Hypercube. It's like a head-tracking puzzle game that was also stereoscopic. It used the Wiimote, head-tracking, which was kind of messy, so nobody ever played that game. But it was a proven concept that worked that we wanted to push further and we never did. That was like four years ago.
Then when Kinect came along we saw it would be a perfect fit, so we got that working. It was a finalist at IndieCade a couple weeks ago, and Microsoft seemed interested, and we might actually do something. So I already have something else that's starting to get interesting.
Fez has been in development for so long. How did funding the game for such a prolonged period of time work?
PF: The first thing we had when we got started was a big loan from a government fund. So there's an agency that funds you in three parts for: prototyping, production, and post-production.
So we applied for a prototyping loan. That's like weeks of paperwork, and it's really messy. And it's a lottery basically and months later you get a letter that says, "You've been approved! Here's a bunch of money!" It's a conditionally repayable loan. If the game's a failure and never comes out, we owe them nothing, but if it comes out and makes money we have to pay them back full; it's a great deal. Not as great as free money, but the next best thing.
It's like the record industry.
PF: Yeah. Back when I started, we got our first office finally, because working from home was driving all of us just insane. And for reasons we still don't quite understand, the agency dropped us for that second amount of funding. And when that happens, you're not working on a game at all at that point, because finding money becomes your only priority.
Because it's not a problem you can just put in the back of your mind and keep working. It's like, "Well, I need to pay the rent in two weeks; what the fuck do I do?" So there was like a horrible three-month period that I always had to borrow a lot of money from friends, and family, and things like that just to stay afloat. And then have you heard of the Indie Fund?
Yeah.
PF: We were the prototype to the Indie Fund. Those guys funded us for about a year and a half before the whole thing just kind of fell apart. They had a lot of tension internally on their side, because, like, there were 17 of them, and then the seven of them left and did the real Indie Fund. Our business guy at Polytron ended up leaving us, and they were just panicked about that. And the whole thing, yeah, it lost attention, just kind of exploded, lost our funding. And so the second time we lose our funding is like a month or two of just panic and nothing.
And then finally this company in Montreal, another studio called Trapdoor, with 15 employees or so -- a lot more serious than we are -- came to us. It's the guy who used to run Gameloft in Montreal. After eight years or so he got really sick of making just clones and terrible iPhone games, and started his own company.
So these guys came along and they said: "Hey, you need some help? You lost your business guy? You need some money? You need some support. You need people helping you out. Here's what we can offer you: We'll bankroll you; we'll pay you like a salary as if you were working for us. We'll give you access to our accountants, our lawyers, all of that; we'll take you to conventions, we'll pay for your flight, all these things. And in exchange we'll take a cut of the revenue, but Polytron owns the IP."
And that's been almost a year now, and it's been really, really nice. They're helping us out in a lot of ways. Like, they assigned one of their producers to us at one point to just help us keep on schedule, because I'm incapable of scheduling and I'm just really disorganized and messy.
Well, you've got a lot on your plate.
PF: Yeah, I'm just not good at being organized, and being focused, so the producer really helps. After the second time we lost our funding and there was the whole divorce with my business partner, and all sorts of horrible things going in my life, I was seriously considering just giving up. Actually it became like this weird like suicide fantasy that I was going to cancel Fez out of spite, like, "You're NEVER gonna get it! Fuck you all!"
And like I was just in such a horrible place for a while that like yeah, it really did seem like the game was actually not going to happen. It felt like every force in the world was conspiring to make sure that it was never coming out, and I was getting so burnt out and so depressed that when Trapdoor came along they saved the project. I don't think there would be a Fez if they didn't help us out.
So now a year on, and you're about to send it off to cert, what's the dream? What happens next? You want to sell a load of copies, obviously...
PF: Well, yeah, hopefully it does well. And beyond that, I seriously have no clue. So now I own Polytron 100 percent, I can do whatever I want with it, and I don't know what I want to do with it. Do I want to just stay really small, and keep collaborating on weird little small-scale things with my friends? Or do I want to hire a couple of people, do I want to become thatgamecompany?
A part of me wants to do that, because most of my game ideas are ambitious, and I need a bunch of people to help me out. At the same time I don't know if I'm ready for that, because it's a huge commitment.
If I just started a company and have a bunch of people that depend on you for salaries and all that, I would need a business plan. I would need a partner that I could trust that would run the company while I make the game. I really don't know; I really don't know what's going to happen.
You've been working on Fez for a number of years now, and that's been your sole focus. So your personal identity is really tied up in that one game.
PF: Yeah.
So when that game ceases to be your baby... I mean it's still your baby, but...
PF: But it's out in the world, so it's not mine anymore. It's everybody's game.
So at that point I can imagine you thinking "Who am I now?"
PF: Exactly. I'm starting to feel that already. I am going to have to completely redefine myself at that point, because I feel like most of the skills that I've acquired making Fez only apply to Fez. You know, the way the pixel art works in that game only works like that in that game. I'm not going to be able to take what I learned from that and put it in another game, unless I end up making something very similar to Fez, which is not the case.
It's kind of like Jonathan Blow with Braid, and then going on to The Witness. I remember talking to him at a similar point to the one you are at, actually. It was just a few days before Braid launched, and he was saying that it's important not to
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in the US, paying $1.1bn for the privilege. However it has made the decision to broadcast a lot of the events on delay - including the opening ceremony - attempting to capture the primetime audience and therefore drive up advertising revenues.
And it seemed to work, with a record numbers tuning to to see Danny Boyle's vision of Britain through the ages as well as the opening days of the sporting events.
However, it wasn't long before sports fans in the US, wanted more. As well as TV coverage, NBC is providing live streaming of some - though not all - events on its website. However to access this, you need to provide details of a valid subscription to a cable service - meaning those not paying for a cable service in the US don't have access to live coverage of the Olympics, having to make do with the delayed packages on NBC.
This has lead to a growing group of tech-savvy viewers to turn their attention to the BBC, which provides 24 live channels of sporting nirvana on its online Olympic portal. Access to this is free, with no need to provide proof that you have a TV licence or the need for a subscription to cable services from the likes of Sky, Virgin Media or BT.
However, like most similar online TV portals, only residents of the UK can access the service. This restriction is implemented by monitoring the IP address of the computer trying to access the site. Every PC connected to the internet is assigned an IP address, which allows websites to see where the computer is located, tailoring the experience depending on geographical location.
There is, however, a way around this restriction, known as proxy servers or virtual private networks (VPNs).
By signing up with companies like HideMyAss.com or Proxify.net, a user's IP address is spoofed and you are given a new one to make it look like the computer you are using is in a different country.
Therefore, a US resident seeking to get access to the BBC's Olympic coverage only needs to sign up to one of these services and begin enjoying one of the 24 live streams, as the events happen. And despite the somewhat technical nature of this solution, people are turning to proxy servers at a huge rate.
Huge spike
Danvers Bailieu, the chief operating officer with HideMyAss.com, said his company had seen a "huge spike" in people signing up to its service since last Friday when the Olympics began.
Offering a special summer sports deal for just $4.99 a month, the company's VPN offering gives users unlimited access to the BBC's Olympic coverage, as well as access to any other restricted UK sites, such as Channel 4's 4OD.
Bailieu said that most of his company's business was in the US anyway and this was reflected in the numbers signing up for in the last week. "We have seen a big increase in the US, a big increase across the board, but a small increase in [customers in] the UK."
He said that HideMyAss.com was seeing a ten-fold increase in new customers signing up along with a doubling of customers renewing their subscription.
While HideMyAss.com is not specifically promoting the Olympics aspect of the service, Bailieu said some affiliate sites, which earn commission if they send customers to HideMyAss.com were targeting this market.
The company has 26 servers in the UK at the moment, allowing it to provide 3,439 IP addresses to overseas customers, which limits the amount of people who can use the service.
However HideMyAss.com is just one of a huge number of these companies offering access to proxy services.
Breaking BBC's terms and conditions
While all these companies are not breaking any laws by providing such services, people who are logging onto the BBC website from abroad are breaking the state broadcaster's terms and conditions.
Section 3 of the BBC's Terms of Use of BBC Online Services clearly states:
"You may not access, view and/or listen to certain parts of BBC Content (such as video or live television services) using BBC Online Services if you are outside the UK, although you may, in accordance with the Terms, access and view bbc.co.uk or other websites and listen to some (but not all) BBC radio content."
The problem people in the US and elsewhere have however, is that even if they wanted to pay for online access, there is no option to do so. Although, as reader Colin Nederkoorn points out in his blog on the matter, people in the US can still purchase a TV licence, even if they don't live in the UK.
However, there remains legal and ethical grey areas surrounding the viewing of BBC content from outside the country, as the BBC is not only funded by the TV licence fee but also by tax payers in the UK.
Unless the BBC implements some form of authentication or proof that you are a TV licence fee player, and/or the ability to for online access only, it looks as if the use of proxy servers will continue.
There is another problem with using proxies however, and this has to do with security. When you are using a proxy server you are essentially routing all web traffic through someone else's computer.
This means that if the operators of these services are of a mind, they could monitor and capture all your usernames and/or passwords. While this is highly unlikely to happen with paid-for services, those opting to try 'free' proxies may have more to worry about.Michael Anti’s Ted Talk on the Great Firewall of China
From vicious online behavior—call it Digital Maoism or Gamergate—to populism as pointed out by Human Rights Watch, the wild, wild web is joined at the hip with leaders and movements who are effectively using humans and software to control thought.
Leaders have tried to do this before, but this was before the age of the cellphone and the internet.
When Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed martial law, he accompanied his proclamation with a battery of official issuances to ensure any and all opposition would lack a leg to stand on. Among them were Letter of Instruction No. 1, to shut down media companies; General Order No. 1, instructing the armed forces to arrest any individual he ordered arrested, and any person(s) he or the authorities decided had committed rebellion, sedition, graft and corruption, robbery, terrorism, tax evasion, use or distribution of drugs, or “crimes against public morals.”
In addition, General Order No. 3 put every government employee on notice they their jobs would continue to exist solely at the president’s discretion; and that the judiciary was prohibited from entertaining any legal challenges to martial law. Then he ordered a curfew (General Order No. 4), banned rallies or strikes (General Order No. 5), reorganized the entire executive branch (Presidential Decree No. 1), and later, made “rumor-mongering” a crime (Presidential Decree No. 90).
So, every possible avenue of resistance and challenge was firmly closed off; and here catch-alls are useful, such as Marcos’ use of “crimes against public morals” as a justification for arrest, because people are conditioned to accord some respect to holding independent views and being critical of the powers-that-be. Most people are not conditioned to question public morals however different their private behavior may be.
So, what bayonets and decrees could accomplish in the past requires something else entirely in the modern world. Some principles, however, endure: the best defense, of course, is a good offense.
China has been thinking about this for years. In 1996, Wei Jincheng published an article, “Information War: A New Form of People’s War” in the Liberation Army Daily of the People’s Republic of China. You’ve seen article after article on how this thinking has been implemented over the years: from internet espionage, to online brigades to push the party line, and most of all, in the Great Firewall of China which aims to keep China in splendid isolation from those aspects of the rest of the world the party considers dangerous.
I’ve been wondering when the growing warmth of official relations with China would bring with it the technology to implement a domestic version of the Great Firewall of China, the juiciest technology-transfer of all. It seems we might be poised to find out.
The rather weird blocking of access to adult websites makes me think something’s afoot. First of all, let me explain why it seems rather weird. As Cosmopolitan Philippines recently reported, the ban somehow doesn’t seem to exist. And yet, as initial reports asserted, some people said it had been put in place. Even weirder yet, officials have confirmed it exists and that it’s justified (the law being bandied about, Republic Act 9775 prohibits and penalizes child pornography: the real question is, if the sites allegedly banned featured child porn, do you think it would take the Philippines to block them? They would have been nuked long ago).
The clincher, it seems to me, is at the tail end of the Cosmo article: “There are people who say that some Internet service providers are cutting off access to porn sites especially on low bandwidth allocation prepaid long-term evolution (LTE) accounts.”
In other words, too many people spending too much time on the net viewing “adult entertainment” are draining the coffers of some telecoms companies and so they’ve banned access to the sites using the law as an excuse. On the other hand, after the story broke, the National Telecommunications Commission said it had ordered 21 sites to be taken down–but passed the buck to the Philippine National Police—which raises questions on whether sites ought to be banned on the say-so of the authorities without, say, some sort of hearing at least and upon orders of a court, preferably. After all, the law itself is specific.
THE INTERNET PROVIDERS
Which, to me, goes to the heart of the matter. Quite a few commentators online have pointed out that banning such sites today can easily lead to banning all sorts of other content in the future on the basis of “values” or “morals.” Check my example above of how Marcos did the same thing to lump together political dissent with smut and subject dissenters and porn rags to the same draconian institutions.
If any Great Firewall is to be installed, it will require first and foremost the cooperation and acceptance of internet providers. And as we will see, this is a situation the internet providers created and by so doing, they are now vulnerable to official pressure.
Just recently Manuel V. Pangilinan announced that Globe had overtaken Smart in terms of market share (though both telecoms firms have worked together to preserve their collective hold on the market, resulting in what is proving to be the litmus test for the country’s new Competition Commission). Smart’s lost 7.8 million customers over the past two years, nearly 5 million of them since 2015 alone, with Globe gaining a net total of 12.2 million customers.
Rahul Bhatia’s fascinating longform Guardian piece, The inside story of Facebook’s biggest setback, tackles Globe and Smart in terms of Facebook, which helps to explain two things. First, one reason Globe overtook Smart, and second, how Facebook used the telecoms companies here to put in place what would, in turn, become the first phase of national Thought Control on the part of political operatives.
Here’s what happened. When China banned Facebook, the company had to seek new markets to keep growing in the face of a saturated market in the West. In 2010, it launched a project codenamed Apollo to focus on the Philippines, Latin America, Africa and India, where telecoms companies would be convinced to provide free Facebook to cellphone users who lacked data plans.
Bhatia reported that “The initial financial sacrifice, Facebook told the phone companies, was an investment – giving customers a small taste of the internet would convince them to start paying to access everything the web had to offer.”
Facebook convinced Globe to try it out, and as the report continued, “The best proof of this proposition came in the Philippines, where Facebook partnered with Globe – the smaller of the country’s two dominant mobile companies – which trailed its rival’s market share by 20 percentage points. Globe’s user numbers surged, and within 15 months, it had overtaken its rival, thanks to the enormous lure of free access to Facebook. ‘It all started with the free Facebook promo,’ one Filipino stock analyst told a local business newspaper.” Initial Philippine results in 2014 then convinced Mark Zuckerberg to set his sights on India.
KEYBOARD WARRIORS
But as the numbers show, it was in 2015 that the big payoff came for Globe, and it’s no coincidence that in that same year, as campaigns geared up for battle in 2016, the keyboard warrior phenomenon –which had made its debut in 2010 but on a far smaller scale and mainly as an incubator for testing messages that had to cross over to mass media to have any real impact—was felt. And in a big way.
Media, foreign and domestic, has covered all this, in what has proven to be the first phase of Thought Control: the use of web brigades. See articles here in ABS-CBN Online, in The Philippine Daily Inquirer, in The Business Mirror and most extensively, Rappler; some journalists are writing about it on their lonesome, like Raissa Robles; abroad, see The New Republic (you can also listen to the author discuss his article on WNYC’s The Takeaway podcast), the BBC, and commentaries inevitable bring up keyboard warriors as part of the state apparat even the staid Straits Times (a good word, don’t you think, considering it’s the Russians who seem to have perfected the organization and methods of web brigades? See The Guardian).
So, to review, search for market share led Globe to partner with Facebook. This created the right combination of technological innovation and market-creation to carve out a much bigger field of battle that the enterprising could seize early on, and dominate (one day, hopefully someone will write how the #AlDub phenomenon at around the same time revealed the potential of online mobilization: showbiz and politics are two sides of the same coin, after all). It caused a political earthquake leaving Facebook and Globe laughing all the way to the bank.
But as both Globe and Facebook have found out, there can be consequences. Facebook stonewalled locally on whether its algorithms (see Rappler’s report) and human interventions have been thoroughly gamed (or, as The Verge looked into it, whether moderation simply brings up a whole set of messy problems on its own). In its home country, however, in the end, it has had to grudgingly make some concessions to public alarm over the proliferation of fake news.
Having arrived at a successful strategy does not mean being wedded to that strategy forever. You have to continue evolving. This brings us to the second phase of Thought Control: filters, to limit access to such sites as may be considered at first, morally objectionable. Then what is morally objectionable can be lumped together with what is politically objectionable. In the name of “values” and “the people.”
The highest value of a company, of course, is profit. Its people are its shareholders and to a lesser extent, its employees. Having helped create the situation where organized gangs patrol to push the party line in ways that have gamed the system for reporting abuse, and where usage equals income, it cannot limit use. Therefore it becomes a target for the organized gangs, especially if they claim to represent public opinion. Add to this the regulatory powers of the state, and the state can make or break the future of a company. So, if it is told that it must subject online traffic to filters, how can it say no?
But, in the meantime, you can condition everyone else to what’s to come by testing the waters. Block some sites! Alarm? Over what? What sites? No one was blocked. Or were they? Who knows. But the idea has been introduced, and can now germinate.
Disclaimer: The views in this blog are those of the blogger and do not necessarily reflect the views of ABS-CBN Corp.Analysis for Feast! exhibition suggests workers ate hog roasts and beef stew made from animals taken to Wiltshire by boat
Prehistoric people brought animals to Stonehenge from as far afield as north-east Scotland, more than 500 miles away, to feed the engineers who built the monument and to take part in lavish midwinter feasts, an exhibition has claimed.
What did neolithic man eat after a hard day at Stonehenge? Sweet pork and rich cheese Read more
Examination of animal teeth and bones found close to the great stone circle in Wiltshire suggests cows and pigs were herded hundreds of miles along ancient byways and may even have been brought by boat to southern England.
The findings could mean that in 2500BC Stonehenge was known across Britain – from west Wales to the uplands of north England and the Scottish coast – as a place of pilgrimage and celebration.
Teams from UCL and the universities of York, Cardiff and Sheffield have been working on a decade-long project being showcased in an exhibition called Feast! Food at Stonehenge, which opens on Friday at the site’s visitor centre.
Visual highlights include the skull of an aurochs, the now-extinct wild cattle with huge curved horns that used to roam Britain, and a bronze cauldron dating from 700BC found at the bottom of a lake in south Wales.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stonehenge may have been known across the British Isles in 2,500BC, research indicates. Photograph: Peter Richardson/English Heritage
But the most intriguing revelations stem from the examination of some of the 38,000 bones and teeth (90% of them pig; 10% cattle) discovered at the site of a neolithic village called Durrington Walls, which lies about a mile and a half north-east of the main stone ring.
Durrington Walls was only settled for between 50 and 100 years but it is believed to have housed the temple’s builders and the first visitors after the iconic sarsen stones were put in place.
Scientists have been examining elements including strontium in the pig teeth found at Durrington Walls. Because isotopes of strontium differ chemically according to the geology of the place where the young animal fed, it is possible to discover where individual creatures came from.
A map at the exhibition suggests that animals whose remains were found at Durrington Walls had almost certainly been herded or transported from across the British mainland.
An English Heritage historian, Susan Greaney, says the theory is that people were arriving with their animals to help build the monument and take part in feasts during the construction and afterwards.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A bronze cooking cauldron found at the bottom of a Welsh lake in 1911. It dates from about 700BC, the early iron age. Fragments of other bronze cauldrons have been found near Stonehenge. Photograph: Sam Frost for the Guardian
“This research shows people were raising cattle and pigs all around Britain and bringing them to Stonehenge. That means people were probably aware of Stonehenge all around the country,” she said.
“It’s incredible to think how big the catchment of Stonehenge was. The ones who came from north-east Scotland probably arrived by boat. Perhaps each community had to bring their own pig.”
The age of the pigs when they were killed can be deduced by looking at how worn down the teeth are. “They were mostly being killed when they were nine months old,” Greaney said.
“Normally they were born in spring so it makes sense to suggest they were being killed in midwinter. The midwinter solstice is enshrined in the layout of Stonehenge, so perhaps people were coming for solstice celebrations. That would also make sense because it is a time of year when they would have been less busy raising animals and so on.”
Some of the pig teeth were found to have decayed, suggesting the animals were fattened with honey or cereal mash. Their feet and lower legs had scorch marks, probably a sign they were roasted over open fires. Beef had been cut into chunks and may have been cooked in stews.
The fact that many bones were found “in articulation” – still connected to other bones in their anatomically correct positions – suggests these prehistoric consumers were not intent on squeezing every bit of nourishment from the meat but discarding the food carelessly.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A map showing strontium isotope results for samples taken from cattle and pigs found at Durrington Walls, near Stonehenge. By analysing the results it gives an indication how far animals were brought for feasts. Photograph: Sam Frost for the Guardian
“They weren’t living hand to mouth. This was gluttonous excess,” Greaney said. The findings suggest that as well as being brilliant architects, these ancient people also realised how important it was to keep the troops well-fed and content.
“Raising the ancient stones was an incredible feat but so too was feeding the army of builders,” she added.
Feast! Food at Stonehenge opens on 20 October until September 2018. Admission is included in the Stonehenge ticket price.After a disappointing election night for the party in Wales, Nye Davies explores calls for the strengthening of the Welsh Conservative brand
Disappointment in Wales
After the first Welsh General Election barometer poll, the Conservative Party was in buoyant mood. The party was projected to win Wales and end Labour Party dominance which had existed since 1922. Immediately after the initial poll, Prime Minister Theresa May was campaigning in Bridgend, a key target for the party, as it hoped to defeat Labour MP Madeleine Moon.
That breakthrough in Wales never materialised. In Bridgend, the result was completely different to what had been originally projected, with Madeleine Moon actually increasing her majority. It was a similar story across Wales, with the Tories losing Gower, the Vale of Clwyd and Cardiff North, and being run very close in seats like the Vale of Glamorgan and Preseli Pembrokeshire, seats held by the current and former Secretary of States for Wales.
The results in Wales have led to certain figures to call for a ‘Welsh’ Conservative strategy to be put in place for future campaigns.
Clear blue water?
As the election results were coming in, Clwyd West AM Darren Millar began arguing for a ‘Welsh’ Conservative strategy. On the BBC Wales election night coverage, he argued that the Tories had failed in Wales due to a lack of distinctiveness compared to the Labour Party campaign, also arguing that the party had been too negative in its campaigning, spending too much time focusing on Jeremy Corbyn. A ‘Welsh’ approach was needed in the future, to combat Labour on Welsh issues.
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has also called for greater focus on the Welsh Conservative brand. He argued that the party in Wales needed “a designated leader”, admitting that his power does not extend beyond the Conservative group in the Assembly.
The Welsh Conservatives went through a debacle last month concerning who was going to represent the party at the BBC Wales leaders’ debate. Davies had previously taken part in the ITV debate but there was confusion as to whether he or Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns would take part in this one. Amidst rumours that Davies was on his holidays, Darren Millar was thrown into the debate. With Davies and Cairns going back and forth over who didn’t want to turn up, it did not paint the picture of a ‘strong and stable’ united front in the Welsh Conservatives’ ranks. Davies may see a distinct approach, similar to the one Welsh Labour took, as being beneficial to the party’s chances in Wales and for the Welsh leader to have a greater role than the Secretary of State for Wales. For Welsh Labour, leader Carwyn Jones was much more prominent in campaign material than Jeremy Corbyn and other politicians. Davies will be hoping for a greater role for the Welsh leader in the future.
Will it make a difference?
Davies has argued that the Welsh Labour campaign, by keeping Corbyn out of its campaign material, was highly effective but the party was also able to benefit from the surge in Corbyn’s popularity that was witnessed throughout the election.
He also argued that there already exists a strong Welsh Conservative brand which has proven successful. He claimed that “the decision to allow the UK messaging to marginalize our own, successful brand of Welsh Conservatism meant that we were not in a position to capitalise on those shifting sands in Welsh politics”.
However, the lack of distinct Welsh media might have been an issue if the party attempted to push a distinctively ‘Welsh’ campaign. The message might not have been heard above messages of Theresa May being ‘strong and stable’. Her face was all over election material and the focus of the election was on her – this strategy ultimately backfired as the Theresa May election led to a fall in her popularity ratings and the loss of Tory seats.
Follow the leader
As Davies admitted, he does not have the scope he wants to be able to articulate the distinctive message and will point to the success Ruth Davidson has had in Scotland as the sole Conservative leader there. She has been able to run a distinct Scottish campaign, stressing a “fightback against the SNP”, while Davies has perhaps not due to his limited powers.
Apart from Davidson, there appears to be an issue with leadership within the Tory Party. Davies’ popularity in Wales has never been particularly strong which might limit the chances of promoting a successful Welsh Tory brand. If ‘clear blue water’ or something similar is going to be sought, the Welsh Conservatives will need to strengthen its own image as well as Theresa May and the UK Conservatives strengthening theirs.Leak Mead – on your left, when you drive from Las Vegas across the Hoover Dam – is the largest reservoir in the country when at capacity. It’s fed by the Colorado River which provides water for agriculture, industry, and 40 million people in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Now after 15 years of drought, the “lake” – a mud puddle surrounded by a huge chalky bathtub ring – is threatening to run dry.
It’s considered “operationally full” when the water level is at 1,229 feet elevation above sea level. On May 2, the water level was down to 1,078.9 feet above sea level, the lowest since it was being filled in May 1937. It’s down 15 feet from the same day a year ago. Over the last 36 months, the water level has dropped 44.8 feet. It’s down 150 feet from capacity.
If the water level is below 1,075 feet elevation – 4 feet below today’s level – by January 1, 2016, it will trigger a federal water emergency. And water rationing. Las Vegas Review Journal reported that forecasters expect the level to drop to 1073 feet by June, before Lake Powell would begin to release more water. Assuming “average or better snow accumulations in the mountains that feed the Colorado River – something that’s happened only three times in the past 15 years,” the water level on January 1 is expected to be barely above the federal shortage level.
Even with these somewhat rosy assumptions of “average or better than average snow accumulations,” the water level would begin set new lows next April. But if the next winter is anything like the last few, all bets are off.
If the level drops below 1050 feet, one of the two intake pipes for the Las Vegas Valley, which gets 90% of its water that way, will run dry. A new $817-million tunnel is being built by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to create a new drain to get the last drop out of the bathtub. It should be ready by September.
The LA Times explains what water rationing would mean for the states:
Las Vegas has long been at a disadvantage when it comes to Lake Mead water. A 1922 Colorado River water-sharing agreement among seven Western states — one still in effect nearly a century later — gives southern Nevada the smallest amount of all; 300,000 acre-feet a year, compared with California’s 4.4 million annual acre-feet. An acre-foot can supply two average homes for one year. This summer, officials will make their projection for Lake Mead water in January 2016. If the estimate is below 1,075 feet, rationing kicks in: Southern Nevada would lose 13,000 acre-feet per year and Arizona would lose 320,000 acre-feet. California’s portion would not be affected.
Note the last sentence – that California would not be affected. Keeping lawns green in LA is top priority.
“Between Lake Mead and Lake Powell, you have over 50 million acre feet in storage when they’re full,” explained Pat Mulroy, former general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority from 1991 until she retired in 2014. “To have them both go down to a quarter of their capacity is a pretty scary proposition,” she said.
Here she is, via Brookings, on the water crisis at Lake Mead, with ghostly images of the lake and of Hover Dam sitting high and dry:
To get through the drought, residents and growers in California’s Central Valley have been pumping water from aquifers to take a shower, fill a glass with water, irrigate almond orchards, or do a million other things. But now, it turns out, those aquifers, whose water levels are already dropping, are threatened by something else. NBC Bay Area video…. Fracking Wastewater Injected into Clean Aquifers in Parched California
Enjoy reading WOLF STREET and want to support it? Using ad blockers – I totally get why – but want to support the site? You can donate “beer money.” I appreciate it immensely. Click on the beer mug to find out how:
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And while we don't know if the emergence of the latest "financial criminal of a generation", America's most hated man Martin Shkreli, who earlier today was arrested and is facaing both civil and criminal charges and up to 20 yeasr in prison, is indicative of another Lehman-like even, what we do know is that a scene such as the one which unfolded in front of a Brooklyn courthouse, where dozens of reporters mugged the diminutive and scandalous figure after he posted a $5 million bond to be released back into society, is something that has not happened since Bernie Madoff's time.
MOMENTS AGO: Martin Shkreli leaves court in large media scrum, makes no comment about his case. https://t.co/V1quu2usTh — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) December 17, 2015
Also earlier the FBI took an opportunity to explain that since there was no seizure warrant at Shkreli's arrest, the infamous Wu-Tang clan album still remains in Shkreli's possession.
#Breaking no seizure warrant at the arrest of Martin Shkreli today, which means we didn't seize the Wu-Tang Clan album. — FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) December 17, 2015
Ironically, while it took just months for the full wrath of the US government to crack down on Shkreli, Madoff, whose $60 billion ponzi scheme, somehow operated for three decades and had to blow up on its own before the authorities got involved. Odd how that happens.
But who cares about Madoff: when talking about financial criminals of unmatched skill and the highest calibre, there really can be only one.
Jon Corzine on Martin Shkreli: "amateur" — zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 17, 2015
The one seen with Hillary Clinton in the photo below...
... The same Hillary Clinton who, incidentally, sealed Shkreli's fate:A Modern Musketeer Film poster Directed by Allan Dwan Produced by Douglas Fairbanks Written by Allan Dwan (scenario) Based on "D'Artagnan of Kansas"
by E. P. Lyle, Jr. Starring Douglas Fairbanks Cinematography Hugh McClung
Harry Thorpe
Victor Fleming Edited by Billy Shea
Allan Dwan
(supervising editor) Distributed by Artcraft Pictures Release date December 30, 1917 ( )
Running time 68 minutes (2006 alternate version) Country United States Language Silent (English intertitles)
A Modern Musketeer is a 1917 American silent adventure comedy film directed and written by Allan Dwan. Based on the short story, "D'Artagnan of Kansas" by E. P. Lyle, Jr., the film was produced by and stars Douglas Fairbanks. A now complete and restored print of the film still exists and is currently in the public domain.[1]
Plot [ edit ]
The film opens with a sequence in which D'Artagnan (Douglas Fairbanks) rides up to a tavern on horseback and ends up brawling with sword and fist with the patrons inside in his haste to approach a fair young stranger. After triumphing, he morphs into modern day Ned Thacker (also played by Fairbanks).
Ned is born and raised in Kansas by a mother who passes along to him her love of D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers, despite his father's concern that it is not good for him. In fact, Ned does get into trouble with his (sometimes unwanted) chivalrous attempts to help women. Finally, Ned can stand it no more; he decides to leave dull Kansas. In mirroring scenes, D'Artagnan is astride a somewhat less-than-noble steed, a present from his father for his departure from home, while Ned's father gives him the modern equivalent: a car.
While driving in the desert, he comes upon a chauffeur-driven automobile stopped because the road ahead has been washed away. Unimpressed with one passenger, the middle-aged Forrest Vandeteer (the "richest man in Yonkers"), Ned is quite taken with the lovely "Park Avenue flapper" Elsie Dodge. Her mother, the third passenger, sees her only daughter's marriage to Vandeteer as the solution to their dire financial straits. Vandeteer buys what he wants, and he wants Elsie. She, however, loathes her suitor; she much prefers young Ned.
Lobby card
Ned comes up with the idea to put his car on railroad tracks. He takes the party (with Elsie in the front seat beside him) to their Grand Canyon resort hotel. There, Vandeteer tells Ned to stay away from the ladies. John Blabb, who works for "Town Topics", informs Ned that Vandeteer already has three wives hidden away somewhere.
Meanwhile, Chin-de-dah, the Native American leader of an outlaw gang hiding in a tributary canyon, is bored. He decides to kidnap a white woman to be his wife (his last "wife" is shown to have committed suicide). He goes to the resort, pretending to be a guide, and selects Elsie as his target. Ned is suspicious, but Vandeteer hires him. Vandeteer and Elsie set out for a horse ride down the canyon with their guide. Ned uses the time to persuade Mrs. Dodge that her daughter's happiness should take priority over their financial security.
James Brown, a member of the gang who knows and hates Vandeteer, gleefully tells Ned about the man's impending demise and Chin-de-dah's intentions toward Elsie. Ned shames him into helping with a rescue. They reach the camp in time to free Elsie and Vandeteer, but remain in peril. Vandeteer offers Ned $100,000 to save his life; Ned makes him put it in writing. Then they are lifted up the sheer cliff by a rope pulled by a horse. Once they are safe, Brown wants to kill Vandeteer, who falsely incriminated him in Vandeteer's own scam and stole his wife and children. Vandeteer ends up clinging to the cliffside, kept from falling to his death only by Ned's grip. Under Ned's direction, he writes a note exonerating Brown. Ned persuades Brown to let Vandeteer live, and promises to split the reward with him. Once they are alone, Elsie kisses her rescuer.
Cast [ edit ]
Production notes [ edit ]
Newspaper advertisement
Filming began in the fall of 1917 at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Additional scenes were shot at Canyon de Chelly near Chinle, Arizona[2] and at the Jesse Lasky Studios in Los Angeles.
Reception [ edit ]
Like many American films of the time, A Modern Musketeer was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required a cut of the two intertitles "The boss has gone for another woman" and "Remember the last woman", three scenes of young woman in cave including and following her suicide, and the shooting scene where a man falls.[3]
Preservation and restoration [ edit ]
The majority of A Modern Musketeer was long presumed lost as only partial 35mm print of the film that Douglas Fairbanks donated to the Museum of Modern Art was known to exist. The missing footage was later discovered by the Danish Film Institute. The DFI and the Museum of Modern Art restored the film with the newly discovered footage and the preserved print.[4][5]
Home media [ edit ]
The restored version of A Modern Musketeer was released on Region 0 DVD as part of the Flicker Alley collection, Douglas Fairbanks: A Modern Musketeer, on December 2, 2008.[6][7]
The DVD version contains an audio commentary track by film historians Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta.Caleb Jones, like older brother Seth Jones, will play for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks next season. (Photo: Tom Sorensen)
Amy Jones remembers finding schoolwork written by her youngest son, Caleb, in which he detailed how much he admired older brother Seth, a soon-to-be first-round NHL draft pick.
That sort of brotherly adulation was and still is understandable. Caleb Jones recently wore No. 3 as a defenseman for the U.S. National Under-18 Team, the same number Seth Jones wears in the same position for the Predators. Caleb Jones will continue his playing career with Seth Jones' former junior club, the WHL's Portland Winterhawks, and will live with the same billet family in Oregon as his older brother.
"Seth's experiences definitely have guided the way," Caleb Jones said. "I made decisions based on my own career and what I thought was best for my development."
But where they differ is in their immediate expectations. Seth Jones was billed as a sure-thing prospect, ranked as the No. 1 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and chosen fourth overall by Nashville two years ago. To find Caleb Jones on that same list this year requires scrolling down to No. 115, with the draft starting June 26 in Sunrise, Fla.
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and pull up next to Spearmint, a broad-shouldered young cop who punctuates every other sentence with a stream of spit. The hooker and the pimp are standing in front of his car, caught in the glare of its headlights.
The whore is named Cookie Monster. She's 4-foot-11, 200 pounds, with a pretty face, that--come to think of it--reminds Officer Spearmint of his sister-in-law. He pulls out his cell phone to take a picture. "My brother won't believe this," he says, chuckling. Cookie Monster doesn't mind.
"You can tell by the number of teeth they have how long they've been out here," Peters says as we get out of the car. Cookie Monster smiles to reveal a full set. Her skin is dirty, with brown bruises here and there and scabs on her legs. She wears a tight but fading skirt and a pair of dirty white Keds. Big, sagging breasts. Peterson points at them with the butt of his flashlight. "That's what gets you in trouble," he says. She smiles as if he's embarrassed her. "Don't worry," he says. "We're not buying." He hands her a cigarette.
"How you doin,' Country?" he asks the pimp. Country's good. Country's high. Country's got a bit of drool coming out of his mouth. A filthy crack pipe lies in the dirt beside him. Spearmint took it from him. Man, Country would sure like that back.
"So how long you been doin' this?" Peters asks the girl for my benefit, not his. He knows the Cookie Monster story well enough to write it himself.
"Since I was 16. My baby daddy got me into it."
"What are those tattoos on your arms?" Spearmint asks.
"One is for my baby daddy. The other is for my three kids."
They're in CPS now, and no, she doesn't get to see them, and yes, she's tried to change that, but no lawyer will take her case, and how do you think it feels to never see them? But Spearmint doesn't let up, keeps asking her about her kids, when's the last time she saw them and how old are they and on and on until she can't take it anymore. Then the hard shell cracks, and she covers her face and starts crying. Once she regains her composure, I ask her the question I came here for.
"How many girls do you know that have been killed?"
She rolls her eyes. "Shoot, I lost count."
Country nods and mumbles something in agreement. Cookie Monster herself has been beat up, raped, thrown out of speeding cars, left for dead. It's a wonder she's still got all her teeth. She's 28 now.
"Strawberry got killed last year, got shot to death at the Southern Comfort Motel," she begins. Peters remembers that one. Then there's Stormy, Sweet Pea and Paper Chase. Stormy, that was a weird one. Her pimp, 24-7, stole a van. The police were chasing him and he ran into a pole. Stormy got her head torn right off. There's other girls that just disappeared.
What about Cookie Monster--does she ever think about getting killed? She takes another drag, looks back at the long line of truckers waiting for Peters and Spearmint to get the hell out of here. The animals, as Peters calls them. She rubs her arm, where the names of her three children are written in green ink. Country looks down at her, waiting. No, she finally says, stomping out her cigarette, she doesn't think about it.
They call Peters the whore cop. But even in his uniform, his skinny frame dwarfed by his bulletproof vest, he doesn't look like a cop. He is 55, with the ashen, sunken cheeks of a lifelong smoker, a pockmarked chin and what he describes as a big nose. His glasses seem to take up half his face. If it weren't for his uniform, he could pass for a math teacher. Perhaps philosophy would suit him better. He's full of one-liners. One of his favorites: "There's one thing you can be certain of. Men and women will copulate."
Peters is an expert on copulation, especially the illegal kind. He knows pretty much every hooker in town. And they know him. They call him on his cell phone. They call out to him when he drives by. For some reason, they think his name is Peterson. "Peterson!" they yell, smiling, gap-toothed, cheeks covered in garish pink rouge. "PETE-UH-SON!" He's got a leather-bound book in his shirt pocket, under the bulletproof vest, full of their names. Baby Doll. Strawberry. Angel. He knows them all. The dead and the still alive. And they love him back. Because he keeps them alive.
Peters has seen some sick stuff. Girls in dumpsters, hands and legs bound, duct tape over the mouth and nose. Death by suffocation. Girls thrown off overpasses. Girls shot, stabbed, strangled, raped. They all worked truck stops such as this one.
Out here, a lot of ugly things happen. If you're a trucker, you're aware of it--the crack dealing, the robbing, the prostitution and, sometimes, the murders. Maybe you keep your nose clean, like most truckers do, and only hear stories. And maybe you indulge. Maybe you're one of the 300 or so truckers in Peters' book of pimps, dealers and users--maybe he's arrested you. If you're not a trucker, the things that happen out here would surprise, even shock you. This is another world, as Peters likes to say.
Take the truckers parked here on Peterbilt Avenue, which runs north-south behind the field. Chances are they're up to no good. Maybe they're smoking crack or doing a girl or both. Sometimes, they'll sit here for days, getting high, having sex. Eventually they'll run out of money. So they sell their gas, usually to another trucker. They might sell 100 gallons at a buck a gallon, which will buy enough crack to keep the trucker and the girl high for a couple more days. If it comes to it, they'll sell their wheels and then their cargo, until finally the truck is sitting on the side of a road somewhere, stripped down and empty, reported stolen. This happens more than you would ever guess. A couple months ago, Peters recovered a half-million-dollar load of M&Ms. The other day, it was watermelons.
The dope dealers out here, they prey on truckers. But it works both ways. A driver might beat a girl instead of paying her. The girl and her pimp might turn around and rob the driver. Sooner or later somebody bigger and meaner will come along and pistol-whip the both of them, just for sport. That's how it works. Everybody preys on each other.
Take the case of Bucket, a classic example. A "little dirt-bag dope dealer" is how Peters remembers him. He more or less lived out here, sometimes under an overpass, sometimes in the woods near the truck stop. He was part dealer, part pimp, part crook. He'd use girls to get in trucks. Once the girl was inside and the trucker had his pants down, the girl would kick open the door and in comes Bucket. Together, he and the girl would beat up the trucker, if they had to, then rob the son of a bitch.
Well, Bucket had it coming. He beat up girls, robbed them; he even robbed other dealers. He used to rob a dealer named Youngster, who in turn did the same to Bucket. It was almost a game between the two. So Youngster started hiding his dope up his ass. Well, one night Bucket decided he wanted more than Youngster's money; he wanted his dope. So he reached up Youngster's ass and took it. There wasn't a much more demeaning thing he could do to Youngster, him being a young black male and all, so Youngster shot Bucket, and that was one less dope dealer Peters had to worry about.
Not that Peters doesn't worry about the dope dealers. It's his job to worry about everybody. But his main concern is the girls. They get beat up by the drivers, the dealers, the pimps, even by each other. They get raped and cut up and left for dead, and the security guards don't even call the cops to report it.
"I'm not out here to save them or nothin' like that. I don't care. They made a choice. I'll throw them in jail like anybody else. But they do not deserve to be beaten to death. They do not deserve to be slaughtered."
He runs through the names of dead hookers who once worked this stop. Rachel Garcia, aka Strawberry, killed two years ago at the Southern Comfort Motel. A pimp known as Little Leonard shot her a bunch of times in the face then pulled all the gold out of her mouth.
Janet Tina Hendrix, aka Stormy. She's the girl that got her head chopped off riding in a stolen car. "Hell of a way to give head," Peters cracks.
That book in the back, that three-ring binder that's thick with pictures of hookers, pimps, users and dealers? The hook book? She's in there. You should see all the mug shots Peters took over the years. In the first one she looks like the girl next door: chestnut-colored hair, a little button nose, bright red lipstick. Not bad-looking for a hooker. Not bad-looking period. Then drugs begin taking their toll. The last picture Peters took doesn't even look like the same person. Her face is bloated, her hair dyed blond, black roots showing. Her eyes are ringed with dark circles. Her stare is vacant, like nobody's home. She looks half-dead.
The list continues. Tracy Figures, aka Paper Chase, found in a dumpster in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, duct tape over her mouth and nose. Josie Lee Scott, aka Sweet Pea, found in a dumpster in Colorado Springs. Maybe the trucker's story--that they got high together and her death was an accident--is true.
"You know what the worst part of her death was? Nobody gave a shit," he says, looking into the black night. "No family, no friends, no nothing. That's the thing, these girls out here, nobody cares. It's like they're disposable."
Most every night, Peters comes out here. It's more or less his beat. He'll talk to the crackheads and the wheel polishers and the girls. He might ask about a stolen rig, he might write some tickets, he might haul someone to jail. Not much surprises him anymore.
He was born in Chicago, raised in Phoenix, and that's where he wanted to go when he decided to become a cop after 20 years in the Army. Instead, he got a call from Dallas. That was 16 years ago. He's still low man on the totem pole at DPD, but he doesn't mind. His job is interesting, to say the least.
We continue on Peterbilt, slowly cruising past a row of trucks parked illegally. For the most part, the rigs are exceptionally clean. Their hoods, their chrome grills and their spit-shined wheels all gleam under the streetlights. A few truckers are sitting in their cabs, filling out their logbooks. Others are outside, checking their load. Some of the rigs appear empty, the velvet curtains between the cab and the sleeper pulled shut.
"None of these trucks should be parked here," Peters says. He points to a row of smashed "No Parking" signs lying in the field. "Who do you think ran those over?" He points to a trucker sitting in the cab of his truck, acting busy.
Peters reaches back and turns up the CB radio he keeps in the backseat. He's on the same channel most of the truckers use. This is how he gathers intelligence. It's a mess of static and beeps and clicks and 10-4s and fuck yous and what you say nigger and one driver talking over another in a string of code words only truckers understand. Peters is hoping to hear a driver making a date. Instead, the first thing he hears is this: "Hide all the women--the po-lice are riding through."
Countersurveillance is what this is, and Peters considers it a huge pain in the rear. He reaches back and takes the CB receiver in his hand, holds it close to his mouth. "Yeah, I'm the po-lice," he says in his best trucker voice, a convincing Southern drawl. "I'm truck stop po-lice. See me over here in this white bobtail parked on the corner, I be truuuck stop po-lice."
Peters loves messing with truckers. He knows their lingo, and he thinks it's pretty funny, carrying on like this, hassling them about their logbooks or whatever. Often, he poses as a trucker on the radio, and it usually takes at least a few minutes for the trucker on the other end to realize he's been had. Peters once had everyone convinced that a big black officer was his illegitimate son. That one still cracks him up.
"I bet you ain't got your last seven days done," he's saying on the radio in his best Boss Hog voice.
"You want to see my logbook?" a trucker asks incredulously.
"Yeah, I want to see it, but who's going to write it for you? You're too dumb to write it. Maybe you can get a hooker to write it for you," he says with a grin. Then he turns the radio off.
"I'm not saying all truckers are bad. Most of them are just blue-collar guys, working hard. But these ones just sitting here? It's real simple. Professional drivers drive. They know the distances, they know the routes, they plan it all out. They don't hide out where crack whores are."
We pull onto another street, where not a single truck is parked. In the darkness, I make out the figure of a man at the edge of the field, sitting on a concrete block. We slow to a crawl for a better look. It's Hillbilly, Peters says. He washes wheels. He might charge between $3 and $5 a wheel, which takes him between half an hour and an hour per wheel.
"Peterson?" Hillbilly calls out, unsure. Peters waves. Hillbilly relaxes and ambles over to the cruiser. He's tall and lanky, dressed in a a grease-stained T-shirt and jeans. He's letting his graying Afro grow out, sort of Rasta-style, with one small braid down below his right ear. He has smiling, glassy eyes and an oddly serene look on his face. He may be high.
Peters introduces us, and Hillbilly shakes my hand. He's the guardian angel of the truck stop, he says. He used to be in the Navy, he tells me proudly, which is why he and "Peterson" respect each other, both of them being vets. Now most of the money he makes, washing wheels and whatnot, he spends on his mother, who is in a nursing home.
"What goes on out here?" I ask.
"Shoot, what don't go on?"
Being guardian angel of the place, Hillbilly has seen a lot. He's had to break windows to get girls out of dangerous situations. He points to a "No Parking" sign lying in the dirt. Once, he says, he had to pick one of those up and smash a driver's window to get his attention. Only then did he let the girl out.
A call comes over the radio. Spearmint's got a driver. "Gotta go," Peters says. As we pull away, Hillbilly is still talking, telling me that Peters is one of the good ones, a man to be trusted. "You take care of yourself, you hear?" Hillbilly calls out.
We find Spearmint down on the other end of Peterbilt, in the middle of a long row of trucks. He spits when he sees us. He's got the girl next to his car. The trucker is still in his rig.
"Now you asked me earlier what kind of guy would buy these girls?" Peters asks. "You're about to find out."
Spearmint tells the trucker to step out of the cab.
"See what I mean?" Peters asks. "He must weigh 400 pounds."
The man, I will soon learn, goes by Mojo, and he's on his way to Ohio. Originally from New York, he's been a trucker for 14 years. If he's like most of the truckers Peters arrests, he's got a wife at home. As he steps down from the chrome steps of his rig, he hitches up his sweatpants, up over his hairy crack. Besides loneliness, he suffers from a severe stuttering problem. Every other question, he gets stuck on a word. "She was wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-walking by, I called her over, she jumped in, we hid in the back."
Hearing this, the hooker in question, who Peters doesn't recognize, smiles as if this is a lie.
"How often do you get a hooker?" I ask.
"Whenever I get a chance."
"How much do you spend?"
"It de-de-de-de-de-de-depends on how hot they are. High dollar? I might spend 100 bucks. A cheap one's like $20."
The girl tells a different story. They were just talking. Men pay her for that. She's a great conversationalist.
Peters looks up at me. "Can you believe the shit I hear every day?"
Spend any time with Peters and there's one murder he's sure to bring up. Of all the truck stop hookers ever killed, none generated the attention Casey Jo Pipestem did.
She was found January 31, 2004, in a ditch in Grapevine. The crime scene photos are the sort that stick in your mind. The first one was taken from the highway bridge, 32 feet and 7 inches above her body, through the gray branches of a tree covered in frost. In the black of the night, the flash illuminated the naked body, the twisted legs, the dark silky hair fanned out around her head.
The way investigators figured it, she was thrown from the bridge, probably by a trucker who killed her. Eventually, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal police in Seminole, Oklahoma, Grapevine police located her family. They looked at the photos, saw the tattoos and told the police they had seen enough. Yes, that's her, they said, but please, take those pictures away.
They wanted to remember her differently. They wanted to remember the girl who taught Sunday School at the Methodist church, who danced in the traditional ceremonies. They used to call her "Bonez" because she was so skinny. They didn't want to remember her facedown on a creek bed, one foot in the black water.
When did things start going wrong? Maybe when her grandmother died. Maybe when her stepfather was killed in a knife fight. Maybe when she met Kelvin Scott at a party. That was probably it, more than anything else.
First he was her boyfriend, then her pimp. She started using cocaine with him. She started working truck stops. She started calling herself "thugarific" and writing bleak, foreboding lines of poetry. On one occasion, she told her uncle, a trucker picked her up and held her against her will for three days, sexually assaulting her along the way from Oklahoma to Los Angeles. She found her way home, and her family tried to help her, but it was too late.
Barry McLead was one of the last people to see her alive. He ran a truck stop ministry near Oklahoma City. A few days after her body was found, he discovered two notes stuffed in the door of his horse trailer, which he'd converted into a chapel. One read: "Hey Minister, you need to get busy for Jesus and clear the whores out of here." It was signed, "Warning."
From the beginning, investigators thought Pipestem's death could be the work of a serial killer. Other truck stop prostitutes had been found in other states, killed the same way--strangled, beaten, discarded. None of their murders had garnered much attention. Pipestem's death was different. Maybe because it happened so close to a big city, maybe because the media loves stories of serial killers--for whatever reason, the press latched on to the story.
Throughout that spring and summer, the killing continued. Buffie Rae Brawley, a 27-year-old out of Toledo, was found March 24 in the parking lot of a former truck stop about 35 miles out of Indianapolis. Her mouth and nose had been taped shut. "It appears the guy pulled up in a semi--you can tell by the tracks--and tossed her out," the local sheriff told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "She was dead before she hit the ground." She was wearing a shirt and bra when they found her, the sheriff said, and had injuries from bindings around her wrists and ankles. "This guy in my opinion tortured her," he said. "He beat her over the head. There were four distinct trauma injuries to the head that caused 3-inch gaps. This guy didn't care if she was found or not. He ran over her right foot with one of his rear tires. This may have been out of contempt."
In August, two more hookers were found dead; one in Mississippi, the other in Oklahoma. Cops throughout the South began working on the case, meeting once that summer in Oklahoma City and once in Grapevine to discuss the unsolved murders of 15 truck stop prostitutes. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, which ran lead in the investigation, estimated that at least 10 of the killings were linked.
The big break came in the summer of 2005 when America's Most Wanted aired a program on Pipestem's murder. Shortly after, Grapevine police got a tip that the murderer was already in jail in Mississippi. The caller on the other end was a relative of the man in question, 29-year-old John Robert Williams.
Grapevine police detectives traveled to Mississippi to interview Williams. For two days they questioned him. "He was pleasant to talk to," Grapevine Corporal Larry Hallmark remembers. "If you met him at the truck stop, you'd think, 'Oh, there's just a likable old truck driver.' But after you sit and start talking about some of these murders and talk about some of the specific things that occurred and you see the lack of emotion, then you realize that you're dealing with someone that's different than you and I.
"I'm absolutely convinced that he is the one that killed Casey. Even the first day he admitted some knowledge in the murder and gave us some information that only the killer would have known."
Hallmark thinks Williams has killed at least eight truck stop prostitutes. Williams has already agreed to plea bargains in the deaths of two of them. To avoid interfering with any open investigations, Grapevine police have held off on arresting him for Pipestem's murder, but it's only a matter of time.
If there is any good to come out of Pipestem's murder it is this: It created a network for cops pursuing truck stop killers. There are now regional meetings, such as the one held in Grapevine, every couple of months, and at least weekly, Hallmark talks to cops such as Peters, who are on the front lines, so to speak. Without a doubt, Hallmark says, there are other killers out there.
"I'm not saying that most truck drivers are serial killers or that if you're a truck driver there's a good likelihood that you're a serial killer. But if you're a serial killer, truck driving would be a good profession."
Terry Peters likes to say that he doesn't care about the girls. But ride with him for a while, and you'll see different. Girls will call him. Girls that are sober, girls that have cleaned up their lives. One is a drug counselor now; another works at the mall behind a cosmetics counter. Which cosmetics counter and which mall, Peters won't say. Well, he'll say, but you better not print it. The last thing these girls need is some newspaper reporter putting them on the front page as former crack whores. They're trying to move on, and they're fragile.
When they call, his voice softens. It's like he's talking to his grown children. "Oh, she's fine," he'll say, when they ask about his wife, to whom he's been married for 33 years. She has health problems and this worries the girls, because they care about Peters. When he hangs up he'll start worrying himself--how this one's been struggling, how this one's been sober for three years now, how this one's having dreams about smoking dope.
"But I don't ever smoke it in my dreams," says one of the former prostitutes, who calls me at Peters' request. "Either the lighter won't light, or there'll be a breeze, or the dope will fall off the pipe and when I pick it up it's a peanut or something." She can laugh at it all now.
She went by Baby Doll back when she worked the truck stops. She got started in Corpus Christi, and one night she fell asleep in a driver's truck, and that's how she ended up in Dallas. The money was so good she never left. For seven years she worked the truck stops near I-20 and Lancaster Road, which is where she met Peters.
Hers was a $300 a day habit, but she made more than $1,000 a day, easy. Most of it came from dealing, not prostitution. After she'd smoked her crack, she spent what was left on a hotel room and food. Tried to take care of herself, unlike some of the other girls, who didn't even bathe.
She got hurt like everybody else. Once, a guy who claimed to be a cop picked her up in a little red pickup. He had a badge on and a radio and everything. He raped her. Another time, another guy claiming to be a cop took her to a hotel room and made her strip. Told her if she did what he asked he wouldn't take her in, so she did what he asked. Maybe he was a cop, but she doesn't think so.
Worst thing that ever happened to her? Maybe the time two truckers robbed her and cut her up. She rubbed blood all over their cab so the police could catch them. Then she ran over to the Flying J truck stop and found a security guard. "He wouldn't even call the police for me, just because I was a prostitute. That's how we were looked upon."
In that kind of situation, it's easy to get frustrated, which is why the girls will rob the drivers or collude with pimps to rob them. Sometimes, truckers get killed too. She knows a girl that got put in jail for 10 years, another for 35 years on an armed robbery charge.
She was put in jail many times, often by Peters. Finally, she looked around at all the women getting old and dying in prison and decided she didn't want that for herself. "Then I started reading the Bible, and I realized, this is not me and the way I want to live my life."
When she got out of prison, she got a job at Golden Corral. One night, Peters came in with his wife. He didn't even recognize Baby Doll at first. For as many times as he arrested her, he should have.
Now she's a drug counselor and trying to get into Bible college. She goes to church in Balch Springs, and you could say that's her life.
She talks to Peters every month or so. He just calls to see how she's doing, which makes her laugh, because she's doing fine.
It's a hot Wednesday afternoon in August. This evening, when it gets dark, Peters and I are going back out to the truck stop. It will be my last visit. We meet at the Southeast Patrol Substation, a squat brick building off Jim Miller Road, hidden from view by some raggedy trees that look like they need water.
Peters buzzes me in and leads me into a messy conference room. There's some kind of diagram on the dry-erase board--stick figures and boxy cars and crisscrossing streets--the remains of a briefing on a robbery, or a murder, I can't tell. Peters pulls up a chair in front of a computer.
This is where he spends a good portion of his time. With every new hooker he meets, he has to enter all her information into the database. It's a tedious job--one hooker might take four hours, checking out all her aliases and stuff--but it's important. Say there's a robbery at one of the truck stops and all someone has is a nickname, such as Sweet Pea. With a database of more than 1,100 prostitutes, chances are Peters can identify her if she came from one of the truck stops he works.
When he finishes, we hit the highway. Tonight, Peters promises, we won't get a flat. On the way, he talks about different things that have happened since my last visit--stolen cargo recovered, different girls that have shown up, that kind of thing.
A big 18-wheeler rumbles by. I think of something the spokesman at the American Trucking Association told me: "Trucking keeps America running." And it's true. Eighty-seven percent of the stuff you and I buy is at one point hauled by truckers. Maybe some truckers are ex-cons and maybe some smoke crack, but they account for a very small percentage of the trucking industry. Think of it this way: Every day, 5,000 trucks pass through the five truck stops Peters works. Over the last three years, he's arrested maybe 300 truckers. A tiny fraction.
Still, the way Peters sees it, some of these stops could do a bit more in terms of safety. Like the Pilot, the stop that gives him the most trouble. They could start by patrolling their lot. (I will later learn that they do patrol it. A spokesman for Pilot says they have two security guards on the lot at all times. As far as what goes on in the field next to the truck stop or on the surrounding side streets, the spokesman said that is the responsibity of the police or whoever owns the property.)
We exit the highway and drive down Lancaster, past the fast-food restaurants, toward the field where I first met Cookie Monster. It's kind of dead. There are few trucks and not a girl in sight. Through the crackle of the radio, through all the talk about niggers and crack whores and screwing, we hear a small, quavering voice trying to make a date. "That's Twinkie," Peters says. "She's new." More than any other girl out here, she's in danger, Peters says. "She doesn't have her street smarts yet."
We see a man walking along the field. He's wearing a dirty backpack and a dirty Cowboys hat and has a white towel thrown over his shoulder. "Nationwide," Peters says with a grin.
Peters pulls up next to him. "Nationwide, how you doing?" Nationwide squints, suspicious, keeping his distance. Once he sees it's Peters behind the wheel, he smiles and approaches the car. He leans down to Peters' level, his hands on his knees. He's got two bottom teeth, that's it. His face is tanned and weather-beaten. He looks like a dirty elf.
"What are you hearing?" Peters asks.
"Gas prices are up."
"Violence increases," Peters says, as if he's finished the riddle.
Nationwide nods.
"How's business?" Peters asks, pointing with his chin at Nationwide's dirty white towel. Nationwide's a wheel polisher. "They're paying less," Nationwide says. "They want pussy. I say man, you're looking for pussy out here? You'd be better off with Henrietta and her five sisters." He grins and lifts his hand, makes the motion of jerking off. Peters chuckles. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Nationwide uses the towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. "They just spend their money on crack and whores."
Peters reaches into the back seat, where he keeps his semi-automatic rifle and his CB radio, and grabs a pack of cigarettes. He throws them to Nationwide, who catches them with both hands. "Thanks," Nationwide says.
When darkness falls, we drive around, looking for Twinkie. We see a fat hooker in a see-through black dress, hiding in the shadows behind one of the trucks. "Betty Boop," Peters says. "She comes from big money up in Plano." She scowls as we drive by and Peters laughs. "Peterson!" she calls out when she recognizes him. "Come back!" We're at a gas station, finishing up with a hooker who can barely keep her sagging boobs in her tank top when Peters' cell phone rings. It's Spearmint. He tells Peters to come to the field.
We cross the street and drive past a long row of trucks and pull into the field. The girl is squatted down in front of a chain-link fence, shielding her eyes from Spearmint's headlights. She's skinny, with knobby knees, dressed in a denim skirt and a lingerie-like top trimmed in black lace. She has fine features. Thin lips, thin eyebrows, big eyes. It's Twinkie, the girl we heard earlier on the radio. Peters calls her over to his car and gets her story.
She was a dancer in Austin. She met a guy, thought she could trust him. He dropped her off out here. Three weeks ago she met another trucker. They went to Chicago together. Thought she could trust him too. Found out he was married, so she hitchhiked to Shreveport.
I ask Peters if I can talk to her alone. He nods. We step back, next to the chain-link fence. There is trash all around us. An empty whiskey bottle, a black shoe, a smashed Burger King cup. This girl is different from the other hookers: There isn't a bruise on her. No visible scars. Talking to her is different too. She fidgets as she answers my questions, biting her nails. She'll look me in the eye only in passing, darting glances. She can't even bring herself to admit what she does out here. Tears are in her eyes.
"You know, I heard them talking on the radio, they were talking about killing us for 20 cents."
"Who?"
"The drivers. Talking about killing us and cutting our throats." She shakes her head and looks out toward the highway. "They were talking about us like we're just meat." She says it as if she's surprised. She's 32, but she looks like she could be in college.
"I've seen the good side of them too. But last night, I was with this guy and the look I saw in his eyes, I was scared. I had to think the worst for my own protection. I hear them talking on their radios, 'I'm going to slit that bitch's throat and stab her in her heart.'"
For the first time, she looks me dead in the eye and shakes her head slowly, as if to say, isn't that the worst thing you've ever heard?
"I used to do this sometimes when I was a dancer," she says. "But I never thought I'd stoop this low."
Peters calls her over to his car. He gives her two numbers. One is for a homeless shelter, another is for a rehab center. He urges her to call both. She takes his card, and as we drive off, she disappears into the night.
"Could you detect a smell?" Peters asks. "She's starting to use the perfume instead of washing. Because she can't find a tub, and she's got nowhere to go, and she didn't score enough money last night or the night before for a hotel room."
We drive behind the truck stop and turn left on Cedardale Road, which leads to a slum neighborhood. At the end of the road, Peters shines his spotlight on an abandoned house. The white paint is chipping, the windows have been busted out. Inside, broken furniture's scattered about, a stained mattress is leaned against one dirty wall. "This is where Twinkie hopes to stay tonight, but she's not sure if she can. It's up to the pimp who runs it. She's still going through the breaking-in process, so to speak. You know, the guys have to quote-unquote use her."
We sit there for a minute or two looking at the empty house. The CB radio in the back is crackling with trucker talk. A call is coming over the police radio. Peters ignores it all, staring hard at the house. Maybe Twinkie will call those numbers he gave her. Maybe she'll be calling him in a couple years, asking him how his wife is. But probably not.NASA Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A, the site from which numerous Apollo and space shuttle missions began, is beginning a new mission as a commercial launch site.
NASA signed a property agreement with Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., on Monday for use and occupancy of the seaside complex along Florida's central east coast. It will serve as a platform for SpaceX to support their commercial launch activities.
"It's exciting that this storied NASA launch pad is opening a new chapter for space exploration and the commercial aerospace industry," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "While SpaceX will use pad 39A at Kennedy, about a mile away on pad 39B, we're preparing for our deep space missions to an asteroid and eventually Mars. The parallel pads at Kennedy perfectly exemplify NASA's parallel path for human spaceflight exploration -- U.S. commercial companies providing access to low-Earth orbit and NASA deep space exploration missions at the same time."
Under a 20-year agreement, SpaceX will operate and maintain the facility at its own expense.
"SpaceX is the world’s fastest growing launch services provider," said Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. "With nearly 50 missions on manifest, SpaceX will maximize the use of pad 39A to the benefit of both the commercial launch industry as well as the American taxpayer."
The reuse of pad 39A is part of NASA’s work to transform
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47.36% 11.88% 59.24% 20.03% 79.27% 15.92% 95.19% 4.81% 1994 100% 28.86% 47.52% 11.93% 59.45% 20.10% 79.55% 15.68% 95.23% 4.77% 1995 100% 30.26% 48.91% 11.84% 60.75% 19.62% 80.36% 15.03% 95.39% 4.61% 1996 100% 32.31% 50.97% 11.54% 62.51% 18.80% 81.32% 14.36% 95.68% 4.32% 1997 100% 33.17% 51.87% 11.33% 63.20% 18.47% 81.67% 14.05% 95.72% 4.28% 1998 100% 34.75% 53.84% 11.20% 65.04% 17.65% 82.69% 13.10% 95.79% 4.21% 1999 100% 36.18% 55.45% 11.00% 66.45% 17.09% 83.54% 12.46% 96.00% 4.00% 2000 100% 37.42% 56.47% 10.86% 67.33% 16.68% 84.01% 12.08% 96.09% 3.91% 2001 100% 16.06% 33.89% 53.25% 11.64% 64.89% 18.01% 82.90% 13.13% 96.03% 3.97% 2002 100% 15.43% 33.71% 53.80% 11.94% 65.73% 18.16% 83.90% 12.60% 96.50% 3.50% 2003 100% 15.68% 34.27% 54.36% 11.48% 65.84% 18.04% 83.88% 12.65% 96.54% 3.46% 2004 100% 17.44% 36.89% 57.13% 11.07% 68.19% 16.67% 84.86% 11.85% 96.70% 3.30% 2005 100% 19.26% 39.38% 59.67% 10.63% 70.30% 15.69% 85.99% 10.94% 96.93% 3.07% 2006 100% 19.56% 39.89% 60.14% 10.65% 70.79% 15.47% 86.27% 10.75% 97.01% 2.99% 2007 100% 20.19% 40.41% 60.61% 10.59% 71.20% 15.37% 86.57% 10.54% 97.11% 2.89% 2008 100% 18.47% 38.02% 58.72% 11.22% 69.94% 16.40% 86.34% 10.96% 97.30% 2.70% 2009 100% 17.11% 36.73% 58.66% 11.81% 70.47% 16.83% 87.30% 10.45% 97.75% 2.25%
Source: Internal Revenue Service
Table 7
Dollar Cut-Off, 1980-2009 (Minimum AGI for tax return to fall into various percentiles; Thresholds not adjusted for inflation)
Year Total Top 0.1% Top 1% Top 5% Top 10% Top 25% Top 50% 1980 0 $80,580 $43,792 $35,070 $23,606 $12,936 1981 0 $85,428 $47,845 $38,283 $25,655 $14,000 1982 0 $89,388 $49,284 $39,676 $27,027 $14,539 1983 0 $93,512 $51,553 $41,222 $27,827 $15,044 1984 0 $100,889 $55,423 $43,956 $29,360 $15,998 1985 0 $108,134 $58,883 $46,322 $30,928 $16,688 1986 0 $118,818 $62,377 $48,656 $32,242 $17,302 Tax Reform Act of 1986 changed the definition of AGI, so data above and below this line not strictly comparable 1987 0 $139,289 $68,414 $52,921 $33,983 $17,768 1988 0 $157,136 $72,735 $55,437 $35,398 $18,367 1989 0 $163,869 $76,933 $58,263 $36,839 $18,993 1990 0 $167,421 $79,064 $60,287 $38,080 $19,767 1991 0 $170,139 $81,720 $61,944 $38,929 $20,097 1992 0 $181,904 $85,103 $64,457 $40,378 $20,803 1993 0 $185,715 $87,386 $66,077 $41,210 $21,179 1994 0 $195,726 $91,226 $68,753 $42,742 $21,802 1995 0 $209,406 $96,221 $72,094 $44,207 $22,344 1996 0 $227,546 $101,141 $74,986 $45,757 $23,174 1997 0 $250,736 $108,048 $79,212 $48,173 $24,393 1998 0 $269,496 $114,729 $83,220 $50,607 $25,491 1999 0 $293,415 $120,846 $87,682 $52,965 $26,415 2000 0 $313,469 $128,336 $92,144 $55,225 $27,682 2001 0 $1,324,487 $292,913 $127,904 $92,754 $56,085 $28,528 2002 0 $1,191,673 $285,424 $126,525 $92,663 $56,401 $28,654 2003 0 $1,262,760 $295,495 $130,080 $94,891 $57,343 $29,019 2004 0 $1,548,941 $328,049 $137,056 $99,112 $60,041 $30,122 2005 0 $1,848,791 $364,657 $145,283 $103,912 $62,068 $30,881 2006 0 $2,044,689 $388,806 $153,542 $108,904 $64,702 $31,987 2007 0 $2,155,365 $410,096 $160,041 $113,018 $66,532 $32,879 2008 0 $1,803,585 $380,354 $159,619 $113,799 $67,280 $33,048 2009 0 $1,432,890 $343,927 $154,643 $112,124 $66,193 $32,396
Source: Internal Revenue Service
Table 8
Average Tax Rate, 1980-2009 (Percent of AGI paid in income taxes)
Year Total Top 0.1% Top 1% Top 5% Between 5% & 10% Top 10% Between 10% & 25% Top 25% Between 25% & 50% Top 50% Bottom 50% 1980 15.31% 34.47% 26.85% 17.13% 23.49% 14.80% 19.72% 11.91% 17.29% 6.10% 1981 15.76% 33.37% 26.59% 18.16% 23.64% 15.53% 20.11% 12.48% 17.73% 6.62% 1982 14.72% 31.43% 25.05% 16.61% 22.17% 14.35% 18.79% 11.63% 16.57% 6.10% 1983 13.79% 30.18% 23.64% 15.54% 20.91% 13.20% 17.62% 10.76% 15.52% 5.66% 1984 13.68% 29.92% 23.42% 15.57% 20.81% 12.90% 17.47% 10.48% 15.35% 5.77% 1985 13.73% 29.86% 23.50% 15.69% 20.93% 12.83% 17.55% 10.41% 15.41% 5.70% 1986 14.54% 33.13% 25.68% 15.99% 22.64% 12.97% 18.72% 10.48% 16.32% 5.63% Tax Reform Act of 1986 changed the definition of AGI, so data above and below this line not strictly comparable 1987 13.12% 26.41% 22.10% 14.43% 19.77% 11.71% 16.61% 9.45% 14.60% 5.09% 1988 13.21% 24.04% 21.14% 14.07% 19.18% 11.82% 16.47% 9.60% 14.64% 5.06% 1989 13.12% 23.34% 20.71% 13.93% 18.77% 12.08% 16.27% 9.77% 14.53% 5.11% 1990 12.95% 23.25% 20.46% 13.63% 18.50% 12.01% 16.06% 9.73% 14.36% 5.01% 1991 12.75% 24.37% 20.62% 13.96% 18.63% 11.57% 15.93% 9.55% 14.20% 4.62% 1992 12.94% 25.05% 21.19% 13.99% 19.13% 11.39% 16.25% 9.42% 14.44% 4.39% 1993 13.32% 28.01% 22.71% 14.01% 20.20% 11.40% 16.90% 9.37% 14.90% 4.29% 1994 13.50% 28.23% 23.04% 14.20% 20.48% 11.57% 17.15% 9.42% 15.11% 4.32% 1995 13.86% 28.73% 23.53% 14.46% 20.97% 11.71% 17.58% 9.43% 15.47% 4.39% 1996 14.34% 28.87% 24.07% 14.74% 21.55% 11.86% 18.12% 9.53% 15.96% 4.40% 1997 14.48% 27.64% 23.62% 14.87% 21.36% 12.04% 18.18% 9.63% 16.09% 4.48% 1998 14.42% 27.12% 23.63% 14.79% 21.42% 11.63% 18.16% 9.12% 16.00% 4.44% 1999 14.85% 27.53% 24.18% 15.06% 21.98% 11.76% 18.66% 9.12% 16.43% 4.48% 2000 15.26% 27.45% 24.42% 15.48% 22.34% 12.04% 19.09% 9.28% 16.86% 4.60% 2001 14.23% 28.20% 27.50% 23.68% 14.89% 21.41% 11.58% 18.08% 8.91% 15.85% 4.09% 2002 13.03% 28.49% 27.25% 22.95% 13.87% 20.51% 10.47% 16.99% 7.67% 14.66% 3.21% 2003 11.90% 24.64% 24.31% 20.74% 12.22% 18.49% 9.54% 15.38% 7.12% 13.35% 2.95% 2004 12.10% 23.09% 23.49% 20.67% 12.28% 18.60% 9.26% 15.53% 7.01% 13.51% 2.97% 2005 12.45% 22.52% 23.13% 20.78% 12.37% 18.84% 9.27% 15.86% 6.93% 13.84% 2.98% 2006 12.60% 21.98% 22.79% 20.68% 12.60% 18.86% 9.36% 15.95% 7.01% 13.98% 3.01% 2007 12.68% 21.46% 22.45% 20.53% 12.66% 18.79% 9.43% 15.98% 7.01% 14.03% 2.99% 2008 12.24% 22.70% 23.27% 20.70% 12.44% 18.71% 9.29% 15.68% 6.75% 13.65% 2.59% 2009 11.06% 24.28% 24.01% 20.46% 11.36% 18.05% 8.25% 14.68% 5.56% 12.50% 1.85%
Source: Internal Revenue Service
Some important facts to keep in mind about the information provided on this page.
(1) All tax returns that have a positive AGI are included, even those that do not have a positive income tax liability.
(2) Income tax after credits (the tax measure above) does not account for the refundable portion of EITC. If it were included (as is often the case with other organizations), the tax share of the top income groups would be higher. The refundable portion is legally classified as a spending program by the Office of Management and Budget and therefore is not included by the IRS in these figures.
(3) The only tax analyzed here is the federal individual income tax, which is responsible for about 25 percent of the nation's taxes paid (at all levels of government). Federal income taxes are much more progressive than payroll taxes, which are responsible for about 20 percent of all taxes paid (at all levels of government), and are more progressive than most state and local taxes (depending upon the economic assumption made about property taxes and corporate income taxes).
(4) AGI is a fairly narrow income concept, and does not include income items like government transfers (except for the portion of Social Security benefits that is taxed), the value of employer-provided health insurance, underreported or unreported income (most notably that of sole proprietors), income derived from municipal bond interest, net imputed rental income, worker's compensation benefits and others.
(5) Tax return is the unit of analysis, which is broader than households, especially for those at the bottom end, many of which are dependent returns. Some dependent returns are included in the figures here, and under other units of analysis (like the Treasury Department's Family Economic Unit) would likely be paired with their parents' returns.
(6) The data source is the IRS Statistics of Income Division, which uses a national sample of tax returns to provide the figures used here. The figures above were taken from data that were labeled an "early release" by SOI in October 2011. The 2008 figures and those for previous years on this page were taken from the final percentile data released by the IRS. Figures for 2009 may be subsequently revised.
(7) These figures represent the legal incidence of the income tax, although most distributional tables (such as those from CBO, Tax Policy Center, Citizens for Tax Justice, Treasury, and JCT) assume that the entire economic incidence of personal income taxes falls on the income earner.
[1] See, for example, http://news.salon.com/2010/09/28/us_census_recession_s_impact_1/.
[2] Andrew Chamberlain and Gerald Prante, Tax Foundation Working Paper 1, "Who Pays Taxes and Who Receives Government Spending? An Analysis of Federal, State and Local Tax and Spending Distributions, 1991 – 2004," http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/wp1.pdf.Proposing to place a levy on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks, a health and wellness coalition is asking Albertans to help them earn up to $180 million annually to prevent chronic illness.
But the NDP government is already backing away from the idea, saying they have invested in health, increased regulations on tobacco and don’t agree with a tax on sweetened drinks.
The coalition, spearheaded by philanthropist and energy sector icon Jim Gray, is made up of 120 organizations, institutions and governing bodies as part of the Wellness Alberta campaign. As part of its launch Thursday, the group wants every Albertan to contact their MLA to support the campaign, and the creation of an annual fund.
“The government needs to take wellness off the waiting list in order to stem the tide of chronic disease and injury in this province,” said Gray.
“We simply can’t afford to wait any longer with our health-care costs now approaching 50 per cent of the total provincial budget.”
Gray could not say how much the proposed levy would increase the cost of alcohol, tobacco, or sugary drinks, but said it would be “miniscule” compared to the importance of creating a separate revenue base to make Alberta healthier.
“It’s about our economy too. If we are healthier, we are more productive, we are less stressed and we drain less money from the health-care system.”
Gray estimated that nearly 90 per cent of all health-care costs go towards dealing with chronic illness, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and preventable injuries.
Dr. Doreen Rabi, also part of the campaign as a clinician and health researcher at the University of Calgary’s faculty of medicine, says she sees her patients struggling with chronic disease everyday.
“It’s a tough go in this modern world, struggling to manage chronic illness while you try to go on with your day-to-day life. It’s a toll and it really impacts quality of life.”
Rabi added that we need to invest new resources to more effective preventative strategies, including ensuring Albertans exercise more, eat better, and take better precautions around preventable injuries.
According to a Leger Research public opinion poll conducted last summer, nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed want the province to invest in effective strategies to keep people healthy.
But Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said the government won’t introduce new levies as a source of wellness revenue.
“We appreciate the commitment of the Wellness Alberta team and the numerous other stakeholders who are working to improve health outcomes in the province, but we have no plans to introduce a sugar tax.
“Our government is committed to improving health outcomes in our province. That’s why we have initiated a mental health review to help us improve the lives of those living with addiction and mental health challenges.
“As well, we have increased tobacco and smoking regulations in the province to include a ban on menthol-flavoured products.”
[email protected] has started identifying existing utility infrastructure in the Highland Creek neighborhood northeast of Charlotte as the technology giant prepares to start construction on its new high-speed Internet network.
Contractors are using a technique called “potholing,” where they manually dig to find the existing utilities to prevent any damage, said Phil Reiger, assistant director of Charlotte’s Department of Transportation. Google has told the city it plans to start laying fiber for its network and to start construction on the huts that will serve as a key part of the network’s infrastructure this month, he said.
The fact that work has started in Highland Creek doesn’t necessarily mean that community will be the first served by Google Fiber, Reiger said. Google has told the city its process doesn’t work that way, he said.
As it’s building out a network, Google divides a city into “Fiberhoods,” neighborhoods based on its design and engineering requirements. The company then asks consumers to preregister, and it brings the network to those areas that meet a certain threshold.
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Google announced in January that Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta and Nashville, Tenn., were the next metro areas in line for its Google Fiber network, which promises Internet speeds that are up to 100 times faster than normal broadband. Competitors Time Warner Cable and AT&T are also rushing to bring faster speeds to Charlotte.
Google has said it’s likely 18 months away from serving its first customers. But the service won’t be widely available right away, Reiger said.
On Monday, a Google spokeswoman said the company is still working with the city to design its fiber network and hopes to have an “update to share about construction in Charlotte soon.”
Google is slated to build network hubs at 19 locations throughout Charlotte, Reiger said. Fifteen are owned by the city, one property has been sold to Google and three more locations are being worked out, he said. The city is ironing out the final details on leasing the locations.
Here are 16 of the network hut locations:
▪ Fire Station #31, Ridge Road.
▪ Water Tank, Legranger Road.
▪ Water Tank, The Plaza.
▪ Remnant Property, Old Statesville Road.
▪ Vacant property sold to Google, West Sugar Creek Road.
▪ Eastland Mall site, Central Avenue.
▪ Franklin water treatment plant, Auten Road.
▪ Statesville Road Landfill, Northerly Road.
▪ Transportation Operations, Craig Avenue.
▪ Fire Station #9, McKee Road.
▪ Landscape Management, Tuckaseegee Road.
▪ CATS Maintenance Facility, North Alexander Street.
▪ Sugar Creek Wastewater treatment plant, Closeburn Road.
▪ Fire Station #32, Bryant Farms Road.
▪ Police/Fire Training Academy, Beam Road.
▪ Vacant parcel, South Boulevard.There actually are a few candidates who comes to mind. Here are the most likely candidates for the honor and why.
Carson Palmer
Through the first part of the season, he was without question the MVP of this offense. He was on a record pace and was the saving grace in an otherwise flawed and clunky offense. Through the first seven games, the Raiders had just come off two straight wins which followed a hard fought close loss to a very good Falcons team. This put them just one game away from.500 at 3-4. Palmer had 9 touchdowns to 5 interceptions and had thrown a touchdown pass in all but one game on the season. His passer rating went over 100 twice and never dipped below 73. It wasn't phenomenal but it was the saving grace of the squad. But it would get no better than that. In fact, it would get far worse.
The Raiders then reeled off six straight losses and Palmer put up a streak of nine straight games with an interception - most of which were of the game-killing variety. All the while most of Palmer's touchdown passes happened in garbage time. The Raider finally won a game but they did it without putting the ball in the endzone once. He played just over 14 games with the first half being pretty good and the last half being quite brutal.
Marcel Reece
Reece stepped up when Darren McFadden went out with an ankle sprain and he played quite well. He was given three starts in McFadden's absence and played better than McFadden had in most of his starts on the season. He is currently second on the team in several categories: rushing, catches, yards from scrimmage, and yards per carry among running backs. He also has more receiving yards than any other running back on the team. All this, and he is supposed to be a fullback. Most fullbacks just block and get none of the glory for the holes they open for the man behind them. He blocked as well which means he did a lot of work for this Raiders team.
Brandon Myers
I don't care what anyone says, no one outside of Brandon Myers' mom thought he was capable of the numbers he put up this season. He leads the team in catches (75) and receiving yards (753). No Raider tight end has put up those kind of numbers since Todd Christensen had 95 catches for 1247 yards in 1986. Zach Miller led the Raiders in receiving for three straight seasons from 2008-10. He topped out at 805 yards receiving which Myers needs 53 yards to surpass. He seemed well on his way to blowing that number out of the water but since he tied a Raider record with 14 catches in week 13 against the Browns, he has had just six catches for 32 yards.
Rod Streater
In a season in which the Raiders receiving corps has been known for running the wrong routes and dropping the ball, Streater has been a bright spot. He doesn't have as many yards as Denarius Moore or Darrius Heyward-Bey but he has come on strong of late and has been the best wide receiver on this team the last four weeks. He has 507 yards receiving on the season but more than half of those yards came from weeks 13 thru 15. And in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately game, that means a lot. Need I remind anyone, he was an undrafted free agent? Not that it should matter whether he was drafted but it kind of does. It means the Raiders were able to use their draft picks elsewhere and essentially got a freebie in Streater. That's value.
Jared Veldheer
Per Pro Football Focus "Jared Veldheer should be considerd [for Raiders MVP]. Solid every down work." I can't argue with that. And I wouldn't argue with PFF when it comes to offensive line performance. The offensive line as a whole has not played well and Veldheer has made a few mistakes but overall he has played quite well. It goes relatively unsung with the poor run blocking and constant pressure Carson Palmer is under.
Who has been this year's offensive MVP and why?Venmo has grown as one of the most popular ways to send friends money, and soon it might be one of the most popular ways to pay stores too. Venmo and its parent, PayPal, have announced that they’re adding in-store payments to both of their mobile apps as soon as early 2017.
The in-store payment services will use similar methods to Apple Pay and Android Pay, making use of a smartphone’s NFC chip to communicate with pay terminals.
Related: PayPal inks agreement with MasterCard allowing users to make mobile payments
In-store payments will first be available to Android users, but not because of anything to do with the teams behind the apps. The reason is that Apple currently keeps the NFC chip inside of the iPhone closed off to third-party developers.
Still, Jim Magats, head of global core payments at PayPal, told Quartz that the company is in talks with Apple to see how they can work together in the future, so while there’s no specific date on iPhone compatibility with the new future, it is being pursued.
Of course, Venmo and PayPal aren’t along in the mobile wallet space, and they really have an uphill battle ahead of them. Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay have all taken off, and while Apple Pay most certainly leads the pack, the others also each have a substantial user base. It will be difficult for PayPal to convince people to make the switch.
Venmo has also been trying to gain steam in the in-app payments world. That feature has been rolling out to customers since earlier this year, allowing users to pay for things within apps on their phone — for example within the eBay app.
The news comes shortly after PayPal inked a new deal with MasterCard to use its tokenization technology for mobile payments. To do that, however, PayPal had to agree to make MasterCard-branded credit cards available as default payment methods for purchases.Pin +1 Share 162 Shares
Counting down towards the FIFA U-17 World Cup that is scheduled to kick off on 6th October, we bring you all the information regarding the Indian squad and the global carnival of football next month in India.
The largest country in the subcontinent is about to throw open its arms to the footballing fraternity at large as 24 countries from six confederations will be competing for one of the biggest honors in youth football, with matches being hosted in six cities across the country. Delhi will get to host India’s group matches while Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata and Navi Mumbai will be the other five venues for the World Cup.
24 teams are divided into six groups with hosts India being in Group A alongside USA, Ghana and Colombia.
Luís Norton de Matos was appointed in February 2017 to lead the nation to its maiden entry into the world stage. It will be the first time ever that a team representing India will participate in the finals of a FIFA-organised world tournament, let alone the Under-17 World Cup. Here is the complete list of 25 member Indian squad that will participate in the World Cup.
*Aman Chetri has been ruled out of the World Cup now due to an injury.
The Indian squad, though is filled with some exciting talent to watch out for:
Aniket Jadhav broke into the footballing scene as a 14-year-old and went to represent India in the FC Bayern Munich Youth Cup in 2014. Being a part of the AIFF setup ever since, the striker has won caps for the nation at all levels and has established himself as Matos’ trusted man up front leading the Indian attack, hoping to be the next Indian goal machine. Suresh Singh Wangjam, the skipper has been a calming influence, anchoring his team from the midfield. Leadership comes easily to the Manipuri-born, who was adjudged the best player of the 2014 Nike Manchester United Premier Cup’s India leg.
Anwar Ali joined the squad in April 2017 after he caught Matos’ eye when his Minerva Academy beat the national team 1-0 in March. An assured presence at the back, Anwar was first called up during Adam’s tenure but failed to make the cut initially.
Abhijit Sarkar is most comfortable when he is ruling the attacking third with his dazzling display. Besides ball control and dribbling skills, what sets him apart is his ability to take quick decisions – a rare quality among Indian players. Abhijit is versatile and can play as a winger, a supporting striker or even a defensive midfielder.
Komal Thatal, the No. 10 midfield player, a product of Namchi Football Academy, has proven his abilities with his smooth handling of the ball and menacing pace which is very difficult to deal with for opposition defenders.
India play against the US on 6th October, followed by matches against Colombia on 9th October and Ghana on 12th October whereas the World Cup final will be played in Kolkata on 28th October.
Book your tickets for the World Cup at : https://india2017wc.kyazoonga.com/VenueMatches/Jawaharlal-Nehru-Stadium-New-Delhi/1531
Everything you need to know about the Indian squad and the FIFA U-17 World Cup!This “honey” is in on the sting.
Amy Wade uncovers unfaithful men by flirting with them on Facebook and other social media sites.
“I never feel bad about breaking up relationships,” the 28-year-old “honey trapper” told Caters News Agency. “If you don’t trust your man, then it’s my job to put your mind at ease.”
The full-time pharmacist in Surrey, England, digs up dirt for jealous girlfriends who think their significant other may have a wandering eye, contacting clueless men with an innocent message claiming she’s new to the area and is looking for friends. She said she’s already exposed about 100 cheats.
“Rats always fall for it,” she said. “And then my client will tell me whether they want me to be suggestive or whether they want the rat to take the lead.”
Some of the men try to meet her, while other send her explicit photos — which she later forwards to her clients.
She said she got into the business about four months ago, working part-time for about $31 a week for Cheatingrat.com after experiencing the pain of a cheating boyfriend.
She’s says she’s better for it — and now knows the right tools to figure out if the next Mr. Right is really committed.
“I would definitely hire a honey if I thought they were up to no good,” she told Caters. “But I hope to find love again in the future. At least I know no one will ever get away with it again.”The Supreme Court on Monday decided that Oklahoma may continue the use of the controversial sedative midazolam for lethal injections — even after the drug was linked to several botched executions in 2014.
The Supreme Court case dealt with the botched execution of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma. The Lockett execution, which took 43 minutes after experimental lethal injection drugs were administered, led four inmates — one of whom was executed before the Supreme Court decided the issue — to file a lawsuit challenging Oklahoma's lethal injection protocol. The Supreme Court ultimately decided the botched execution, along with other evidence, wasn't adequate proof that midazolam was cruel and unusual punishment.
But Oklahoma didn't always use midazolam for executions. The use of the controversial sedative is actually a response to an ongoing lethal injection drug shortage, which has left the future of the death penalty unclear in Utah, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and the 29 other states where executions are legal, and added a new angle to the perennial debate about the morality and effectiveness of capital punishment.
European pharmaceutical companies are making it really hard to get lethal injection drugs
Over the past few years, a shortage of sodium thiopental, a key drug in lethal injections, has left states scrambling for alternative ways to execute prisoners and has inspired some to shroud the process in secrecy.
The shortage began around 2010, when drug suppliers around the world, including in the US, began refusing to supply drugs for the injections — out of either opposition to the death penalty or concerns about having their products associated with executions.
"The drugs were being cut off right and left," Deborah Denno, a death penalty expert at Fordham University, said.
"The drugs were being cut off right and left"
Hospira Inc. was the sole US supplier of sodium thiopental, according to Denno. But Hospira stopped producing the drug in 2011, after struggling to procure active ingredients for its production and fielding legal threats from authorities in Italy, where the death penalty is vehemently opposed.
Some states still managed to import sodium thiopental from shadier overseas sources. But beginning in 2012, the US District Court of the District of Columbia issued several rulings banning imports of the drugs, deciding that the imported supplies didn't meet FDA regulations.
As the shortage continued, states turned to other European companies for alternative drugs, such as phenobarbital and propofol, that are typically used as sedatives for surgeries. But these companies — under pressure from a European Union export ban, activists like Reprieve, and foreign governments that prohibit the death penalty — over time refused to supply the drugs.
As these companies either stopped supplying drugs or were unable to export to the US, states began to look for new — and sometimes untested — ways to execute prisoners.
Loosely regulated compounding pharmacies made up for the shortage
With pharmaceutical companies out of the picture, states resorted to compounding pharmacies to
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table below. For devices with USB 3.0 connections (such as the Extreme 500 that we are considering today), we utilize the USB 3.0 port directly hanging off the PCH. However, SanDisk suggested reviewing with a USB 3.1 port, and hence, we also tested with an ASRock USB 3.1/A+C PCIe card attached to the primary PCIe x16 slot of the testbed below.
AnandTech DAS Testbed Configuration Motherboard Asus Z97-PRO Wi-Fi ac ATX CPU Intel Core i7-4790 Memory Corsair Vengeance Pro CMY32GX3M4A2133C11
32 GB (4x 8GB)
DDR3-2133 @ 11-11-11-27 OS Drive Seagate 600 Pro 400 GB Optical Drive Asus BW-16D1HT 16x Blu-ray Write (w/ M-Disc Support) Add-on Card Asus Thunderbolt EX II Chassis Corsair Air 540 PSU Corsair AX760i 760 W OS Windows 8.1 Pro Thanks to Asus and Corsair for the build components
The full details of the reasoning behind choosing the above build components can be found here. The list of DAS units used for comparison purposes is provided below.
SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.1
SanDisk Extreme 500 240 GB - USB 3.0
Corsair Voyager GTX 256GB
Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB
Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB
SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0
VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB
Synthetic Benchmarks - ATTO and Crystal DiskMark
SanDisk claims read and write speeds of 415 MBps and 340 MBps respectively, and these are backed up by the ATTO benchmarks provided below. Unfortunately, these access traces are not very common in real-life scenarios. Interestingly, we don't get these numbers with the USB 3.0 port.
SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.1 SanDisk Extreme 500 240 GB - USB 3.0 Corsair Voyager GTX 256GB Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0 VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB
CrystalDiskMark, despite being a canned benchmark, provides a better estimate of the performance range with a selected set of numbers. As evident from the screenshot below, the performance can dip to as low as 20 MBps for 4K accesses. Fortunately, those are not typical access traces for external drives.
SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.1 SanDisk Extreme 500 240 GB - USB 3.0 Corsair Voyager GTX 256GB Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0 VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB
Benchmarks - robocopy and PCMark 8 Storage Bench
Our testing methodology for DAS units also takes into consideration the usual use-case for such devices. The most common usage scenario is transfer of large amounts of photos and videos to and from the unit. The minor usage scenario is importing files directly off the DAS into a multimedia editing program such as Adobe Photoshop.
In order to tackle the first use-case, we created three test folders with the following characteristics:
Photos: 15.6 GB collection of 4320 photos (RAW as well as JPEGs) in 61 sub-folders
Videos: 16.1 GB collection of 244 videos (MP4 as well as MOVs) in 6 sub-folders
BR: 10.7 GB Blu-ray folder structure of the IDT Benchmark Blu-ray (the same that we use in our robocopy tests for NAS systems)
For the second use-case, we take advantage of PC Mark 8's storage bench. The storage workload involves games as well as multimedia editing applications. The command line version allows us to cherry-pick storage traces to run on a target drive. We chose the following traces.
Adobe Photoshop (Light)
Adobe Photoshop (Heavy)
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Illustrator
Usually, PC Mark 8 reports time to complete the trace, but the detailed log report has the read and write bandwidth figures which we present in our performance graphs. Note that the bandwidth number reported in the results don't involve idle time compression. Results might appear low, but that is part of the workload characteristic. Note that the same testbed is being used for all DAS units. Therefore, comparing the numbers for each trace should be possible across different DAS units.
Performance Consistency
Yet another interesting aspect of these types of units is performance consistency. Aspects that may influence this include thermal throttling and firmware caps on access rates to avoid overheating or other similar scenarios. This aspect is an important one, as the last thing that users want to see when copying over, say, 100 GB of data to the flash drive, is the transfer rate going to USB 2.0 speeds. In order to identify whether the drive under test suffers from this problem, we instrumented our robocopy DAS benchmark suite to record the flash drive's read and write transfer rates while the robocopy process took place in the background. For supported drives, we also recorded the internal temperature of the drive during the process. The graphs below show the speeds observed during our real-world DAS suite processing. The first three sets of writes and reads correspond to the photos suite. A small gap (for the transfer of the videos suite from the primary drive to the RAM drive) is followed by three sets for the next data set. Another small RAM-drive transfer gap is followed by three sets for the Blu-ray folder.
An important point to note here is that each of the first three blue and green areas correspond to 15.6 GB of writes and reads respectively. Throttling, if any, is apparent within the processing of the photos suite itself.
SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.1 SanDisk Extreme 500 240 GB - USB 3.0 Corsair Voyager GTX 256GB Corsair Voyager GTX v2 256GB Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB SanDisk Extreme 500 240GB - USB 3.0 VisionTek Pocket SSD 240GB
It can be seen that the Extreme 500 manages to remain under 55 C even under heavy workload conditions. There is no throttling to be seen anywhere. This is not really surprising given the form factor of the unit.
Concluding Remarks
Coming to the business end of the review, the Extreme 500 continues SanDisk's tradition of improving the performance of their external USB 3.0 flash storage every year. As icing on the cake, we have them officially using a real SSD controller in the form of the Silicon Motion SMI2246XT inside. The performance of the drive leaves us with no doubt that it would be a decent portable OS drive (even though SanDisk doesn't advertise it for that purpose).
Our major concern with the unit is that it refuses to perform up to expectations with the native USB 3.0 port on the Z97 PCH (at least in our testbed configuration). The dismal write performance with the USB 3.0 port is indeed quite strange. Since the Extreme 500 is a USB 3.0/5G device, it shouldn’t really get a bump out of the higher USB 3.1 Gen 2/10G bandwidth. We believe the issue could be just due to how the Z97 PCH USB 3.0 port negotiates speed with the USB bridge chip. Obviously, the ASM1153E on the Extreme 500 is able to perform well with the ASM1143 USB 3.1 controller on the add-on card.
Minor points of concern include SanDisk indicating that the controllers and flash could change in future production runs and the inability of standard tools to recognize and take actions on the drive based on S.M.A.R.T data.
The 240GB SSD PLUS is available on Amazon for $70 while a UASP USB 3.0 2.5" drive enclosure can be purchased for less than $15. At the $120 price point, the Extreme 500 does carry a significant premium (even when the bundled encryption software is considered). That said, the portability and industrial design of the Extreme 500 is much better than that of an off-the-shelf enclosure. In terms of performance, the Extreme 500 240GB manages to come out at the top of the pack for most common external drive usage scenarios and exhibits excellent performance consustency. We would like to see SanDisk exploring such high-performance platforms in a flash drive form factor.An open letter to Senator Chris Coons from students, faculty and alumni of the Ya le Law and Divinity Schools. Senator Coons is an alumnu s of both schools (class of 1992).
Dear Senator Coons, We write today to e xpress our profound disappointment over your vote against Debo Adegbile for
Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. We hope that should Mr. Adegbile’s nomination
come before the Senate again, you will support him. In your own words
, there is “no question that Mr. Adegbile has had a significant and broad career as a leading civil rights advocate, and would be an asset to the Justice Department.”
Yet you voted agains t Mr. Adegbile. You did so ci ting the concerns of the law enforcement co mmunity
about Mr. Adegbile’s
work on a legal appeal for Mumia Abu-Jamal, a man convicted and sentenced to death 30 ye ars ago for killing police officer Daniel Faulkner. As students, professors and practitioners, your vote alarmed us. It signaled a lack of respect for the fundamental American legal principle that all parties have a right to zealous representation, and sent a message that young people considering public service car eers should avoid work on behalf of unpopular or marginalized communities and clients. Lawyers who advocate for unpopular clients, even guilty ones, perform an honorable public service. This advocacy is especially important when defendants are indigent and facing c apital punishment, a peculiar institution that has not shed its ugly history of racial dis crimination. Leading American lawyers have long recognized this bedrock tenet of our adversarial justice system, from
John Adams’
defense of British soldiers charged with massacring American civilians, to
Thurgood Marshall’
s iconic advocacy for Black defendants sentenced to death in the South, to Jo
hn Roberts’
appellate work on behalf of a man accused of killing eight p eople. Your statement on Mr.
Adegbile’s nomination admirably articulates
this principle
: “As a lawyer, I understand the importance of having legal advocates willing to fight for even
the most despicable clients, and I embrace the proposition that an attorney is not re sponsible for the
actions of their client.”
We have trouble understanding your vote in light of t hese words. Moreover, your vote sends a disturbing message t o young people considering careers in public service. Mr. Adegbile has been a tireless advocate for civil rights for the most vulnerable Americans. It is tragic irony to reject Mr. Adegbile for the head of the Civil Rights Division because he has a history of leading civil rights. Like Mr. Adegbile, many of us will have opportuni ties in our lives to help unpopular clients and communities
. Should we shy away from Yale’s Capital Assistance Project because we might assist
an indigent client accused of murder? Should we think twice before helping with appellate briefs arguing against the use of torture because the client is an alleged t errorist?
You have made public service your life’s work.An app being released later this year promises to help you'speak' to your loved ones after they have passed away.
The app uses a single selfie and voice recordings to create realistic avatars of people that you can interact with in the virtual world.
The software could also be used to allow parents to remotely read to their children via an avatar or reanimate dead celebrities for use in interactive virtual games.
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Oben co-founder Nikhil Jain (left) and his business partner Adam Zheng set up the company so that they could remain connected to their families by 'leaving behind' a virtual copy of themselves (Nikhil's avatar pictured right) during long travels.
OBEN AVATARS Hyper realistic 3D renderings modelled on your appearance and voice could soon become the norm when it comes to interacting with other people on the internet. The avatars are the creation of Oben, a Pasadena startup firm that has been working since 2014 to create virtual identities for use online. By using artificial intelligence, Oben can use selfies and voice recordings to create a 3D model that looks and talks just like you. The software uses machine learning to improve with use, so that it can more convincingly portray your personality. Oben is hoping to release an app later this year that will allow you to create your own avatar to share with friends and family.
The avatars are the creation of Oben, a Pasadena startup firm that has been working since 2014 to create virtual identities for use online.
The software uses machine learning to improve with use, so that it can more convincingly portray your personality.
'You can just take a quick selfie and a small sample of your voice and we combine it for you,' obEN CEO and co-founder Nikhil R. Jain told Pasedena Star News.
'It makes a very personalised avatar which is speaking in your voice and moving like you.
'Once we have your voiceprint we can actually create new content in your voice, which would be attached to your avatar.
'And it can be employed into different kinds of scenarios. So you could actually tell this avatar, "Read a book to put my kids to sleep".'
The California company, set up by Jain and Adam Zheng, is hoping to release an app later this year that will allow you to create your own avatar to share with friends and family.
It could even allow for the creation of avatar performances by dead singers or even allow you to join in with them in virtual reality karaoke programmes.
And images and audio recordings of lost loved ones could even be used to create avatars based on them, or to keep the memory alive of people who pass on after creating a digital avatar.
Writing in a statement on the firm's website, its founders said: 'Oben was created out of a personal desire for the founders to remain connected to their families by 'leaving behind' a virtual copy of themselves during long travels.
'With the rapid development of social media connectivity, augmented reality, virtual reality and the internet of things, Oben's suite of artificial intelligence products humanizes and personalizes your digital experiences.'
Creating an avatar is still a time consuming process, according to reports in MIT Technology Review.
It takes around eight hours to generate a head and shoulders replication from a photo and between two and twenty minutes of audio recordings.
The avatars that will feature in the upcoming app are likely to be less accurate than the ones built by Oben up to this point, but they will be created much quicker.
But as technology progresses, it seems likely that home users will be able to create increasingly realistic portrayals of themselves.
And Oben is looking at the possibility of creating whole body avatars at some point in the future.
Hyper realistic 3D renderings (pictured) modelled on your appearance and voice could soon become the norm for interacting with other people on the internet. California firm Oben is hoping to release an app later this year that will allow you to create your own avatarImage copyright AFP Image caption Shimon Peres has held virtually every senior political office in Israel
Former Israeli President Shimon Peres is in intensive care after suffering a serious stroke, medical officials say.
Doctors at the Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, where he is being treated, said Mr Peres, 93, was "in a critical condition but stable".
Mr Peres' son-in-law and personal physician said there was "no imminent threat to his life", adding that he had a "pretty good chance of survival".
Dr Rafi Valden said Mr Peres was responsive - he had squeezed his hand.
There was "certain optimism" after doctors "lessened the dose of sedation", he said, adding the former president was being sedated and ventilated again to let his brain recover.
"We were happy to see that he was reactive, he was responsive," Dr Valden told journalists.
"We are definitely convinced that he is awake and listening and reacting," he said, adding that it was difficult to establish his neurological condition while sedated.
Doctors had earlier said the stroke had caused "lots of bleeding".
Earlier reports indicated Mr Peres had been put into a medically induced coma. Doctors later said he had been sedated and intubated.
'Difficult hours'
Mr Peres' son, Chemi, said the family was going through some "difficult hours".
"I'm optimistic. I'm a great believer in my father. He's a unique person. And I pray with all my heart, together with my family, that things will improve from this point on," he said.
Dr Valden said the former president had been taken to hospital for examination after feeling a "vague head ache" and "some weakness".
While there, he had a stroke in the right side of the brain, he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: "Shimon, we love you and the entire nation is wishing for your recovery,"
Nobel prize
In January, he underwent successful minor surgery at the same hospital after suffering a small heart attack.
The veteran politician has held almost every major political office since Israel was founded in 1948, and was the architect of Israel's secret nuclear programme.
He twice served as prime minister and was president from 2007 to 2014.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Peres shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his part in negotiating a peace deal with the Palestinians
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his role negotiating the Oslo peace accords with the Palestinians a year earlier, a prize he shared with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was later assassinated, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Despite his age, Mr Peres has maintained an active public schedule, mostly through his non-governmental Peres Centre for Peace, which promotes closer ties between Israel and the Palestinians.
Hours before his hospitalisation, Peres uploaded a video to his Facebook page urging people to buy local products.
When leaving hospital after his heart treatment in January, Mr Peres told reporters he was "so happy to return to work, that was the whole purpose of this operation".Image copyright Global NCAP Image caption India's best-selling car Suzuki-Maruti Alto received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection
Five of India's most popular small cars have failed crash tests conducted by a UK-based car safety watchdog.
The tests by Global NCAP showed that if involved in a crash, fatalities or serious injuries could result.
Among the cars tested was India's talismanic Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car, as well as models made in India by Ford, Volkswagen and Hyundai.
The cars were apparently stripped of safety features to make them cheaper for Indian buyers, correspondents say.
The five models accounted for 20% of all sales in the country last year. Estimates say that about 80% of the cars sold in India have price tags of under $8,000 (£4,800).
"It's worrying to see levels of safety that are 20 years behind the five-star standards now common in Europe and North America," said the head of NCAP Global, Max Mosley, the former chief of international motorsport.
Those car manufacturers who have spoken out since the safety tests have insisted that safety is of paramount importance and that they will be reviewing the NCAP's test results.
Airbags left out
The car safety watchdog put five models through crash tests, including the Suzuki-Maruti Alto 800, the Tata Nano, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo.
None of these entry-level cars sold in India is fitted with airbags. They also lack the safety standards that the same models have when sold in North America and Europe, according to the watchdog.
"Poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are putting the lives of Indian consumers at risk. They have a right to know how safe their vehicles are and to expect the same basic levels of safety as standard as customers in other part of the world," Mr Mosley added.
Image copyright Global NCAP Image caption During the tests on Hyundai i10, the vehicle structures proved inadequate and collapsed to varying degrees
Image copyright Global NCAP Image caption Coinciding with the Global NCAP tests, Volkswagen has decided to withdraw the non-airbag version of the Polo from sale in India and replaced it with a version which has two airbags
Image copyright Global NCAP Image caption The Ford Figo's structures remained stable during the tests and Global NCAP says that with airbags, this car would provide much better protection for the driver and the front passenger
As a result of the tests, Volkswagen has withdrawn its Polo model without airbags.
Volkswagen also said the airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes, would become standard from 1 February along with a 2.7% price increase to offset the costs, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reports.
"We are proud to be leading the cause of driver safety," Arvind Saxena told AP.
A Ford spokesperson told the BBC: "Safety is one of the highest priorities in the design of our vehicles. Our vehicles consistently meet or exceed applicable industry safety standards.
"We are monitoring the progress of this review and will work with Indian authorities, GNCAP and the other relevant stake holders as appropriate."
Tata has said it is looking at the Nano's structure for ways to improve its strength, having already added power steering and other features, AP adds.
India's growing middle class has helped fuel a massive boom in car sales but they are also always looking for a good bargain, the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi reports.
But India also has more road accident deaths than any other country - put down to bad roads, poor driving but also, it appears, unsafe cars.
Every year, tens of thousands of people are killed on the country's roads and the numbers have been rising steadily - nearly 140,000 people were killed in 2012, according to the government's National Crime Records Bureau.
According to NCAP, it is estimated that 17% of these deaths are of car passengers.No matter what article or recipe we've just pushed live on the site or promoted through email or on Instagram and Facebook, there is one page on Food52 that is almost constantly in the list of ten URLs with the most real-time viewers.
It's from four years ago and it's entirely unedited.
The Hotline thread "How much minced garlic equals one clove?" has 1,123,671 views since it was posted sometime in 2012. It's the first page that comes up when you type the question into Google, which means a lot of people really do want to know just how much minced garlic equals one clove.
So what's the answer?
© Provided by Food52 One head of garlic, minced. One head of garlic, minced. Photo by James Ransom
Well, it's not cut and dry: It depends on how finely minced the garlic is, and even if the chop is standardized, clove size may vary. For ChefOno,
"clove" [is] a useless measurement. Look at the variation on this page—anywhere from 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon—that's a variation of 1200%. I use the conversion of 1 clove equals 1 teaspoon. I believe Cook's Illustrated does the same.
What's more interesting than the non-answer answer (1 clove is equal to 1 teaspoon... kind of, sometimes, maybe... but in the end all depends on your taste, anyway: vampires versus garlic fiends) is the judgment that is scattered throughout the thread.
Take the answer that's been "voted the best" as an example: "Answer" would be a generous term, actually. It's more like a withholding of information:
Sorry, I would toss the "packaged" garlic that has chemical preservatives in it in favor of spending the 20 seconds it takes to chop or mince fresh real garlic cloves.
But riding alongside this judgment is a rebuttal:
It's quite a bit longer than 20 seconds and if it's ORGANIC garlic then there aren't any preservatives.
© Provided by Food52 Freshly chopped. Freshly chopped. Photo by James Ransom
And that's just the most visible squabble. One commenter wrote, "You will never get the flavor of fresh garlic from a jar, so, there is no equivalent." But then we have another Food52er in New Zealand who explained that she uses pre-minced garlic because fresh garlic is so expensive where she lives (and because she likes to add a lot).
These strong convictions about garlic reminded me of Anthony Bourdain's (in)famous Kitchen Confidential garlic credo:
Misuse of garlic is a crime. Old garlic, burnt garlic, garlic cut too long ago, garlic that has been smashed through one of those abominations, the garlic press, are all disgusting. [...] Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screw-top jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.
Do we care so much about garlic, in particular, because it's the flavor basis of many dishes, so that taking a shortcut at the foundation means unstable architecture later on? Or is it because chopping garlic is one of the most menial, least pleasurable, smelliest of tasks, and a refusal to do so indicates a resistance to work for our food? Or is it because a failure to appreciate the difference between freshly-chopped and factory-chopped garlic is emblematic of a greater failure to discern between "good" food and "bad" food in general?
© Provided by Food52 Four (leaf) clove(r)s. Four (leaf) clove(r)s. Photo by Mark Weinberg
The pre-minced garlic shortcut seems more offensive than canned beans (perhaps because dried beans take so long to cook). But what about store-bought pie dough: Is that more or less egregious than a jar of garlic? Considering that pie dough is hard to get right whereas chopping garlic is hard to get wrong, the premade crust would probably be less snubbed. For me, personally, I'd rather cut butter into flour than chop 3 cloves. So, where do we draw the shortcut line?
I also couldn't help but wonder about the millions of people who did have the same question as Sean,Murray, the Food52 user who originally asked. Isn't it possible that many were, let's say, following recipes that called for 3 or 4 teaspoons minced garlic and questioning if they'd have to run out to the store to buy another head or if the 1 clove would do? Maybe most of the curious minds weren't reaching into jars at all.
Or maybe they were. Is it a sin? (We're not asking you, Bourdain.) I'd certainly go for the jar or the press if I wanted to make a double-batch of Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomato and Garlic (12 cloves) or Chilled English Pea Soup with Garlic Cream (two heads).
As rldougherty put it, "Yes, fresh garlic is best. Applause to anyone that is trying to be a better home chef, no matter what kind of garlic you are using."
I'd have to agree.
© Provided by Food52 But how many teaspoons of minced garlic from 3 whole heads? But how many teaspoons of minced garlic from 3 whole heads? Photo by Mark Weinberg
What do you think? Is using pre-minced garlic a cardinal cooking sin? What's a cooking shortcut you'd never use?
This article was originally published in 2016.
Gallery: 22 Recipes Meant For Anyone Obsessed With Garlic [Provided by Delish]
22 Recipes Meant For Anyone Obsessed With GarlicIt was 100 years ago this month that Einstein delivered four lectures to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, which culminated in his discovery of the general theory of relativity. (If that theory rings a bell but you’re not entirely sure what it means, watch this.)
Einstein’s determined pursuit of mathematical equations that describe how the force of gravity works remains one of the most influential scientific discoveries of all time.
If you’re planning a party — a general relativity rave, maybe — November 25th is the day it all came together. That’s a Wednesday. But a Thanksgiving toast at dinner the next day works well, too.
To celebrate, physicist Brian Greene looks back on the intellectual and emotional journey Einstein took to arrive at the general theory of relativity in an article in Smithsonian Magazine. In March, Greene joined neurologist Frederick Lepore and filmmaker Thomas Levenson during the 92Y’s 7 Days of Genius Festival for a conversation about what made Einstein such a talented scientist. The conversation is moderated by Cynthia McFadden of NBC News.
This interactive timeline traces Einstein’s progress from his early days as a rebellious schoolboy to his first job as a patent clerk and finally to Berlin, where Einstein presented his groundbreaking theory in late November.
If you still have room for more Einstein, the 2015 World Science Festival brought together Gabriela González, Samir Mathur, Andrew Strominger, Cumrun Vafa, Steven Weinberg and Brian Greene to discuss Reality Since Einstein.The 2014-15 NFL Playoffs continued this week with the Divisional round and eight former Florida Gators spread out over five of the eight teams remaining in the postseason.
Five Gators were eliminated from the postseason this week with the Conference Championship round set to include three Florida players (one injured) on two of the remaining four teams (both in the AFC).
Below are full game statistics for all five players (three starters) that saw action during the Divisional round.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Dallas Cowboys: Started | five tackles (three solo, one for loss), forced fumble, fumble recovery
Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL performed…after the break!
BALTIMORE RAVENS
S Matt Elam: Started | solo tackle
» Elam missed an open-field tackle that resulted in a touchdown.
S Will Hill: Started | four tackles (three solo), pass defense
» Hill also gave up a touchdown on Saturday.
DALLAS COWBOYS
DE Jeremy Mincey: Started | five tackles (three solo, one for loss), forced fumble, fumble recovery
» Mincey had two sacks taken away due to penalty and on-field rule.
DENVER BRONCOS
WR Andre Caldwell: Target
» Caldwell recovered a fumble on a punt, but it was eventually overturned with the player ruled down by contact.
LB Lerentee McCray: Two tackles (one solo)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
C Jonotthan Harrison*: Inactive
OT Xavier Nixon: Inactive
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
DT Dominique Easley: Bye (Injured reserve – season)
PRACTICE SQUAD
OG Jon Halapio (Denver)
* RookieImage copyright Reuters Image caption A state of emergency was imposed in Crimea on Sunday, and Monday was declared a non-working day
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev has accused Ukraine of "sabotage" after damage to key electricity pylons deprived Crimea of power.
He said Ukraine was "seeking objectives that are practically terrorist".
Crimea's two million people have been severely affected since the pylons were damaged on 22 November. Anti-Russian activists have been blamed.
Ukraine said Tatar activists would need to allow repairs before the power supplies could be resumed.
The loss of power to Crimea has sparked a reduction of coal supplies to Ukraine from Russia and from the pro-Russian rebel-held eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.
Crimea in the dark
'Endangering lives'
Mr Medvedev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying: "The region (Crimea) has been left without electricity as a result of, in fact, energy manipulation, actions by the Ukrainian authorities.
"And legally speaking, what was done is an act of sabotage, that is to say, the destruction of industrial facilities, seeking objectives that are practically terrorist."
Speaking at a meeting with deputy prime ministers in Gorky, he said Ukraine's actions had "endangered the lives and health of many people".
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Ukraine's state energy firm said the damage was caused by "shelling or explosive devices"
Mr Medvedev said the construction of an "energy bridge" from Krasnodar to Crimea was being speeded up.
Ukraine's Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said Ukraine would meet 20% of Crimea's power supplies once the Kakhova-Tital electricity line was repaired.
But that could only happen at a time agreed with the activists, he said, stressing that Ukraine had asked them to permit repairs.
Mr Demchyshyn said that as soon as the line was repaired, "supplies of coal will also be resumed" to Ukraine.
Only 30% of Crimea's electricity is generated locally - the rest comes from Ukraine, Russia's government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported.
A state of emergency was imposed in Crimea on Sunday, and Monday was declared a non-working day.
It is still not clear how exactly the pylons were damaged in Kherson, a Ukrainian region adjacent to Crimea.
Crimean Tatar activists suggested that the pylons were blown down by the wind. But Ukraine's state energy company, Ukrenergo, said the damage was caused by "shelling or the use of explosive devices".
The activists accuse Russia of abusing Tatar rights and denying them a voice since a pro-Moscow government was installed in Crimea.
Images on social media show Ukrainian flags on some damaged pylons - and Crimean Tatar flags on others.Sorry if this seems slightly off-topic but, could it be possible that this bug is also affecting containers somehow?
More than once, I have been sorting the stuff in my containers (I usually have one for wood and one for metal), then I move from one to the other only to find out its contents are gone.
This ain’t some other player sneaking into my ship and lifting my stuff (that has happened to me too, but this is not the case), I’ve had this happen to me while I was right in the middle of nowhere, with no ships or islands within sight, let alone hooking distance, with me not losing sight of the containers.
So, either this bug (or some other one) is reseting my containers or someone has hacked into the game and enabled some kind of dev-only invisibility and infinite hook cheats and is using them to rob ppl…BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF/FILE 2016 Noel Acciari has been what the Bruins have needed since making his debut March 1.
The right-shot forward made his Bruins debut on March 1, a day after the trade deadline. The Bruins have reeled off a 5-0-2 run since he’s entered the lineup. He has made his line better.
Noel Acciari is making his bosses happy.
As much as Lee Stempniak has clicked with first-line mates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron since his arrival, Acciari has been just as thorough with fellow fourth-liners Landon Ferraro and Brett Connolly. Acciari, the No. 4 center for the last seven games, has played with pace, bite, and dependability. Such qualities have promptly earned the native of Johnston, R.I., regular shifts in coach Claude Julien’s rotation.
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“I think Noel is doing a great job in our D-zone as far as really being reliable, closing quickly,” Julien said after the Bruins’ 3-1 win over the Islanders on Saturday. “On the offensive side, those other two guys are skating and creating some opportunities there, so I think we’ve got a good combination so far.”
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The additions of Acciari and Stempniak, who both pulled on Black and Gold for the first time against the Flames, have made a big impact on the roster. Stempniak has been an excellent fit on the first line because of his skating, experience, and hockey sense. The ex-Dartmouth winger has one goal and five assists in seven games. He has yet to snap in pucks at the rate he’d like. The goals will come.
Stempniak’s arrival also created a trickledown effect that has manifested on the fourth line. Connolly, formerly the No. 1 right wing, has been grinding on the fourth line since the Bruins acquired Stempniak. He’s playing against lesser competition than he did while skating with Marchand and Bergeron. With his ice time down, Connolly can squeeze more energy into each shift than he did when assuming a heavier workload on the first line.
The Bruins also made a good decision in promoting Acciari at the same time as acquiring Stempniak.
The fourth line has produced spurts of production. It was at its best in mid-January when Ferraro, Zac Rinaldo, and Max Talbot found some chemistry. The three forwards skated well, created energy, and disrupted opponents’ rhythm with their pace of play.
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But for most of the season, the fourth line had been chasing the game. Such is the group’s nature. Its priority was to not get scored upon. This mandate showed in its play, especially when Joonas Kemppainen served as its pivot.
The Bruins were satisfied with Kemppainen’s play above the puck, in defensive coverage, and on the draw. The coaching staff had a good idea what Kemppainen would do on most shifts. But Kemppainen’s tendency was to let the play come to him. The result was that the fourth line didn’t play with the puck enough.
So as the trade deadline approached, general manager Don Sweeney took the uncomfortable but bold action of transforming his fourth line. On Feb. 29, after Rinaldo and Talbot cleared waivers, Sweeney sent them both to Providence. Kemppainen joined them on 95 South.
It wasn’t easy for Sweeney. Kemppainen and Rinaldo were his guys. On May 21, 2015, one day after becoming GM, Sweeney signed Kemppainen to a one-year contract. On June 29, Sweeney ceded a third-rounder to the Flyers to acquire Rinaldo. It’s possible Rinaldo and Kemppainen have played their final games as Bruins.
Acciari, signed by Sweeney
|
despite a number of German reinforcements arriving through the British artillery barrages. The final objective was reached at 11:00 a.m. and on the right a defensive flank was thrown back from Memling Farm at the final objective, to meet troops of the 4th Division. By noon the advance was complete, 218 German prisoners had been taken and no German counter-attack followed, resistance being limited to a small amount of rifle fire.
In cold, wet weather, the 3rd Guards Brigade made a short advance behind a ragged barrage, took the higher ground on the edge of Houthoulst Forest and cut off the rest of the spur running north-east from Veldhoek. Contact with the 17th Division on the right flank was lost, after the left flank formation of the 17th Division veered south and the crew of a contact patrol aircraft observing the advance, failed to see the loss of direction. Two platoons detailed to meet the attacking brigade of the 17th Division, had to dig in near the Angle Point pillbox under machine-gun fire. After dark, the Guards and the 17th Division closed the gap, by capturing the blockhouses at Angle Point and Aden House. Next day, conditions were so bad that the attacking brigade was relieved by the 1st Guards Brigade. The fresh troops patrolled vigorously to the southern edge of Houthoulst Forest, against little organised German resistance, except for extensive sniping around the Colbert cross-roads and Colombo House.
Air operations [ edit ]
During the battle, forty-one British pilots made low-altitude strafing and bomb attacks. The British flew an additional 27 contact and counter-attack patrols and 124 zone-calls were made to the artillery, to engage German machine-gun nests, troops, artillery and transport. British aircraft observers made 26 calls to destroy German artillery batteries and an additional 37 calls for artillery battery neutralisation. The British flew four bombing raids on German encampments and railway stations, eight reconnaissance flights beyond the battlefront and engaged in twelve dogfights with German aircraft. The British squadrons lost fourteen aircraft; five crew members returned wounded.[f]
Aftermath [ edit ]
Analysis [ edit ]
Map showing wet areas near Passchendaele village, blue shading marks wet and waterlogged areas near Passchendaele
The defence of the 4th Army on 12 October was more effective than expected by the British. The German 18th Division held the line opposite Poelcappelle and retained most of its area after committing all of its reserves. The German command considered the Allied advance in the north to be less dangerous than that towards the Flandern II Stellung defensive line, between Passchendaele and Drogenbroodhoek. One division was moved to Morslede and another to the area between Westrozebeke and Stadenberg, either side of Passchendaele. The 195th Division at Passchendaele had so many casualties (3,325) from 9–12 October, that it had to be relieved by the 238th Division. Ludendorff changed his mind about the prospect of retaining Passchendaele Ridge, believing that the British had only fourteen days before the weather made attacks impossible and ordered Rupprecht to stand fast. At a conference on 18 October, Hermann von Kuhl advocated a retreat as far to the east as possible; Sixt von Armin the 4th Army commander and his chief of staff, Colonel Fritz von Lossberg preferred to fight to hold their remaining defences in the Flandern I and Flandern II Stellungen, because the ground beyond the Passchendaele watershed was untenable, even in winter.
The British attack was costly for both sides but captured more ground opposite Passchendaele than on 9 October; the British took more than 1,000 prisoners. British artillery support was inadequate, due the amount of field artillery out of action and the vast increase in mud, which smothered high-explosive shell-detonations. The weather from 4–12 October also prevented counter-battery fire and little was achieved by the heavier guns. On 13 October, the British decided to stop the offensive until better weather returned and roads and tracks had been repaired, to ensure that deliberate attacks with a greater quantity of artillery support could be resumed. Operations were to continue to reach a suitable line for the winter and to keep German attention on Flanders, to help the French attack due on 23 October and the Third Army operation south of Arras due in mid-November (the Battle of Cambrai). The Canadian Corps relieved the II Anzac Corps on 18 October, in the depression between Gravenstafel Ridge and the heights at Passchendaele. The captured ground made a slightly better starting line for the Second Battle of Passchendaele, which began on 26 October.
Casualties and commemoration [ edit ]
The funeral of Lieutenant-Colonel George Augustus King, who was killed in action on 12 October 1917
Ludendorff divided the Third Battle of Ypres into five periods. In the Fourth Battle of Flanders, from 2–21 October, he described German casualties as "extraordinarily high". Hindenburg wrote later that he waited with great anxiety for the wet season. In Der Weltkrieg (1942), the German official historians recorded 12,000 casualties, including 2,000 missing for the accounting period 11–20 October but did not give a separate figure for 12 October. The 4th Australian Division suffered c. 1,000 casualties and the 3rd Australian Division c. 3,199 casualties. From 9–12 October, the German 195th Division lost 3,395 casualties. Calculations of German losses by J. E. Edmonds, the British official historian, have been severely criticised, for adding 30 percent to German casualty figures, to account for different methods of calculation.
There were 2,735 New Zealand casualties, of whom 845 men were killed or mortally wounded and stranded in no man's land. In 2007, Harper wrote that 846 New Zealanders were killed, 2,000 were wounded and 138 men died of their wounds in the following week. The 4th Division lost 3,569 casualties from 4–12 October. In 2014, Perry recorded more than 6,250 casualties in the II Anzac Corps, 1,000 losses in the I Anzac Corps and 9,950 casualties in the Fifth Army. The New Zealand memorial at Tyne Cot, commemorates New Zealanders killed during the Battle of Broodseinde and the First Battle of Passchendaele, who have no known grave and the Buttes New Zealand Memorial contains the remains of New Zealand troops killed from September 1917 until February 1918. In 1997, Christopher Pugsley wrote that the casualties made 12 October 1917 New Zealand's blackest day and in 2007, Glyn Harper wrote that ".... more New Zealanders were killed or maimed in these few short hours than on any other day in the nation's history".
Victoria Cross [ edit ]
Subsequent operations [ edit ]
On 22 October the 18th (Eastern) Division of XVIII Corps attacked the east end of Polecappelle as XIV Corps to the north attacked with the 34th Division between the Watervlietbeek and Broenbeek streams and the 35th Division attacked northwards into Houthulst Forest. (The 35th Division was supported by a regiment of the French 1st Division on the left flank.) The attack was intended to push forward the left flank of the Fifth Army, to guard against a German counter-attack on the flank of the Canadian Corps, when it attacked Passchendaele. The artillery of the Second and Fifth armies conducted a bombardment to simulate a general attack as a deception. Poelcappelle was captured but the attack at the junction between the 34th and 35th divisions was repulsed. German counter-attacks pushed back the 35th Division in the centre but the French captured all their objectives. Attacking on ground cut up by bombardments and soaked by rain, the British had struggled to advance in places and lost the ability to move quickly to outflank pillboxes. The 35th Division infantry reached the fringes of Houthulst Forest but were pushed back in places after being outflanked in turn. German counter-attacks after 22 October, had an equal disadvantage and were costly failures. The German 4th Army was prevented from transferring troops away from the Fifth Army and from concentrating its artillery-fire on the Canadians as they prepared for the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November 1917).
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
^ In the worst weather conditions of the campaign, which occurred in the five weeks after the Battle of Broodseinde, the number of troops engaged by the British amounted to no more than those involved in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge on 31 July. On 26 October, 34 battalions took part in the attack, on 30 October, 12 1⁄ 4 battalions, on 6 November 10 battalions, on 10 November 11 battalions, on 2 December 10 battalions and the New Zealand attack on Polderhoek Château during 3 December, was made by two battalions. British losses in October 1917 were the third highest of the war, after July 1916 and April 1917. ^ According to J. E. Edmonds, the British official historian, on 7 October, Gough and Plumer told Haig that they favoured ending the campaign, because of the return of poor weather and general state of the battlefield. Prior and Wilson wrote that this meeting did not appear in contemporary records and doubted that it took place. ^ C. E. W. Bean, the Australian official historian, held that Godley, the II Anzac Corps commander and his staff responsible for failing to find out the true state of events, despite there being time to do this before the coming attack. ^ In 1941 the Australian official historian Charles Bean, attributed the delay to inefficiency by Lieutenant-General Alexander Godley, the II Anzac Corps commander and his staff, as did Christopher Pugsley in 1997. ^ 6.25 a.m. 3:10 a.m., Pilckem Ridge, 31 July 3:50 a.m., Gheluvelt Plateau, 10 August 4:35 a.m., Langemarck, 16 August 4:45 a.m., Menin Road, 20 September 5:40 a.m., Polygon Wood, 26 September 5:50 a.m., Broodseinde, 4 October 6:00 a.m., Poelcappelle, 9 October 6:20 a.m. and First Passchendaele, 12 October 6:25 a.m. British Expeditionary Force time went back one hour to Greenwich Mean Time on 8 October, the attack beginning at British Summer Time. The progression of the season can be seen in the changes of zero hour relative to British Summer Time. Messines, 7 June, Pilckem Ridge, 31 July, Gheluvelt Plateau, 10 August, Langemarck, 16 August, Menin Road, 20 September, Polygon Wood, 26 September, Broodseinde, 4 October, Poelcappelle, 9 Octoberand First Passchendaele, 12 October ^ Zones were based on lettered squares of the army 1:40,000 map; each map square was divided into four sections 3,000 sq yd (2,500 m2). The observer used a call-sign of the map square letter then the zone letter to signal to the artillery. All guns and howitzers up to 6 in (150 mm) able to bear on the target, opened rapid fire using corrections of aim from the air observer.
References [ edit ]IN THE television series “Mad Men”, a 1960s adman makes a pitch to a television-maker whose sales are flat. “Among Negroes sales are actually growing,” he chirps. He proposes making “integrated” ads that appeal to both black and white consumers. His idea bombs. This being the era of segregation, one of his listeners wonders if mixed-race ads are even legal.
Such days are long gone. America's minorities will eventually be a majority of the population: by 2045, according to the most recent census. Advertisers have noticed. Many now favour cross-cultural ads that emphasise what black, Hispanic and Asian-American consumers have in common. This approach is thought to work well with the young, who often listen to the same music, eat the same food and wear similar clothes regardless of their ethnic background.
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Ogilvy & Mather, a big ad agency, formed OgilvyCulture in 2010 as a unit specialising in cross-cultural marketing. “The ethnic ad model has not changed since the 1960s,” says Jeffrey Bowman, head of OgilvyCulture. It was the census data that made Ogilvy change its model. In 2010 Burger King stopped employing ethnic agencies such as LatinWorks, which specialised in the Hispanic market, to address its consumers as a whole rather than taking a segmented approach.
Yet some admen feel ethnicity remains relevant. “Every ten years we go through a rethink of targeted versus one voice,” says McGhee Williams Osse, co-chief executive of Burrell, a Chicago-based agency specialising in the African-American market. She argues that ethnic origin is the key to people's identity, much more than education, income, religion, sex and sexual orientation. She would say that, of course.
Maurice Lévy, the boss of Publicis Groupe, the French ad giant that owns 49% of Burrell, says that ethnic advertising makes sense for advertisers that are very big (and so can afford multiple ad campaigns), or very specialised. A maker of cream for black skin, for example, will probably not bother marketing it to Asians.
Nestlé, a huge food firm, aims some ads at Hispanics, America's largest minority. It recruited four Hispanic mothers to blog on a new bilingual website, El Mejor Nido (The Best Nest), offering tips about parenting and healthy eating. Hispanics are younger than other Americans, have more children and spend more on food, says Juan Motta, who heads the California-based unit running Nestlé's Hispanic campaign in the United States, which promotes both the firm's Latin American brands, such as La Lechera and Abuelita, and the rest of its larder.
McDonald's has been a pioneer of ethnic advertising since the 1960s. Minorities represent about 40% of its customers in America. Neil Golden, the firm's American chief marketing officer, argues that other Americans often follow trends set by ethnic minorities. So he watches minorities for insights he can use in ads aimed at the general market. In 2010 McDonald's learned that African-Americans liked sweeter, weaker caramel mocha, so it started offering such blends everywhere, with great success. A similar thing happened with its mango and pineapple smoothies, a big hit with Hispanics. McDonald's featured the drinks in restaurants nationwide and they quickly overtook strawberry banana, the traditional favourite.
David Burgos, co-author of a book on marketing to the “new majority”, says that in spite of the increasing importance of minority consumers, advertisers still put ethnic ads into a separate budget—which tends to be cut first when the economy goes sour. Only 7% of marketing dollars are spent on targeted ethnic campaigns, although nearly half of Americans belong to ethnic minorities. He thinks ad-agency staff need to be more diverse.
Getting the right ethnic perspective is tricky. Hispanics are a varied lot. An ad that delights Cuban-Americans may irritate migrants from Venezuela. Asians are hardly monolithic, either. Even the wittiest Korean catchphrases will provoke only bafflement in Chinatown.
Saul Gitlin of Kang & Lee, an agency specialising in selling to Asian-Americans, argues that recent Chinese and Korean immigrants are best reached with communications in their mother tongue. They are generally ignored by advertisers, however, with the exception of financial firms. This is a mistake, he reckons: the median household income of Asian-Americans is some $10,000 higher than that of non-Hispanic whites.
Many modern Mad Men think digital media will allow them to know their audiences better, and feed them more precisely-tailored messages. This can be costly (see Schumpeter). But many consumers seem to like it. When Latinas disagree with something the four mommybloggers at El Mejor Nido have written, they can go to the El Mejor Nido Facebook page, and let loose.Shige Honjo, a veteran hardware chief at Nest, and Scott Mullins, a senior engineering manager, are leaving the company, according to multiple sources.
Honjo, the director of hardware design and engineering, will depart at the end of May. Mullins is shifting over to Google to work on the next iteration of its Glass wearable, dubbed Project Aura internally. (He’ll continue to work for Nest CEO Tony Fadell, who runs Aura independently of Nest.)
Both Honjo and Mullins reported to Nest’s number two exec, VP Matt Rogers. While they are key leaders at the company, the pair are not on the senior team that reports into Fadell.
Still their exit comes amid a steady stream of departures from the connected-device unit under Google parent Alphabet, as pressure mounts on Nest to improve its sales targets and right its increasingly rancorous culture.
A Nest representative declined to comment.
Honjo, in particular, is a big loss for Nest. He was the second employee ever, coming over from Apple in 2010 along with the company’s founders, Fadell and Rogers.
In 2013, the year before Nest was acquired by Google, Honjo was promoted to Nest’s executive team. Former Nest employees describe Honjo as a critical troubleshooter internally; one called him the “firefighter” for Fadell and Rogers. Honjo’s wife and brother both work for Nest.
Mullins, who joined Nest in 2012 as director of hardware engineering, also came from Apple, where he worked on the iPhone hardware design.
As we reported earlier this week, Nest’s overall sales — around $340 million in 2015 — have lagged behind the initial expectations that Google set with the purchase two years ago. Nest’s operating budget from Google as well as the vesting schedule for its top executives are likely to sunset this year.
The imminent departure of Honjo and Mullins places more pressure on Rogers, who manages most of the day-to-day affairs at the company.
Update: A previous version of this story listed Honjo as VP for Nest. A Nest spokesperson confirmed that he held that title and was on the executive team prior to the Google acquisition, but that changed following it.Jose Mourinho revealed his injury list and says he will continue to try and shake hands with opposition managers before the full-time whistle Jose Mourinho revealed his injury list and says he will continue to try and shake hands with opposition managers before the full-time whistle
Jose Mourinho has refused to apologise for offering a handshake to Paul Lambert and Roy Keane in the closing stages of Chelsea's 3-0 win over Aston Villa last month.
Villa boss Lambert and assistant Keane declined the Blues manager's offer of a handshake at Stamford Bridge, with Keane labelling Mourinho's behaviour "disgraceful", saying: "The game is still going on. You wouldn't do that on a Sunday morning, you would get knocked out."
Lambert agreed when asked this week if he felt Mourinho was "disrespectful" by not waiting until the end of the match for the handshake.
But speaking ahead of Chelsea's Saturday match at Crystal Palace, Mourinho was sarcastic in his response, saying: "First of all, I want to say that I appreciate the comments.
Paul Lambert accused Jose Mourinho of being disrespectful Paul Lambert accused Jose Mourinho of being disrespectful
"I think they are both two great examples of polite and very well educated people and because I am a humble guy who tries to learn every day and with every experience, I appreciate the comments."
Asked if he would do it again, Mourinho responded "yes", before replying "no" when asked if he could understand why someone would be upset by his actions.
He refused to comment when asked to respond over suggestions the action was arrogant.
Mourinho also refused to go over old ground following Arsene Wenger's apology for the Arsenal manager's push on the Portuguese during Chelsea's 2-0 defeat of Arsenal on October 5.
"I have no reaction," Mourinho added.
"You had my reaction after the match, where I told you nothing happened, and you still had the reaction from the FA (Football Association), disciplinary committees, all of them, that that nothing happened."In the All New 52 Amalgam Now Spider-Boy and the Insect Queen Mary Jane are still together and still working for Cadmus labs..
Pete Ross was created by Cadmus while trying to recreate Super Soldier
During a short period of his life Pete was taken over by the mind of a Cadmus scientist named Otto Octavious. He became the Superior Spider-Boy.
And to MJ's right is Miles-Zod, Ultimate Earth A2's new Spider-Boy after his Spider-Boy/Pete seemingly died in battle.
Behind Miles is Kaine Conner AKA the Scarlet Match, an ill-fated clone of Spider-Boy (an already clone) and never turned out completely... until later.
Behind Scarlet Match is Silk Seraph, a clone created by Cadmus using the DNA of Spider-Boy and Cadmus scientist Amanda Spencer.
Behind Silk Seraph and to her left is Spider-Orchid. Jessica Garcia is a British/Mexican Spy (having duel citizenship) who has worked for ARGUS, SHIELD, Checkmate, and even Hydra. Her Orchid powers allow her to alter her body and give her disguises as well as super strength, and flight.
Right behind Pete and MJ is Secondus Spider AKA Thaddeus Reilly. He was the successful clone of Spider-Boy who sacrificed his own life fighting the Toy Tinkerer who was calling himself Gaunt at the time.
To the right of Secondus, Orchid, and Silk, is Cassie Fairchild also known as Stature. She was a Cadmus scientist working on the Super Soldier clone experiment when the accident that took Parker's life also created Spider-Boy. She gained her powers from Cadmus too. She can alter her size and strength at will thanks to Pym Particles. She and Pete were on the Young Titans together along with Sparrow, Mariner Lass, Super Patriot, Skulk Boy, Cyborg Lad, and Shatterstarfire.
And to her right is her father special agent and former Argus and Team 7 soldier, Scott Fairchild. Currently he works for his former Team 7 boss and now Director of SHIELD Amanda Fury. Assigned being the host for the symbiot alien armor that Spider-Boy was briefly possessed by. He goes by the code name Agent Blue Venom. (he is a combination of Alex Fairchild, Scott Lang, and the alien Blue Beetle).
Behind him is the Guardian Angel, a Cadmus scientist and soldier the Guardian Angel has been fighting at the side of Cadmus for a long time now, but as it is discovered that Dr. Tom Harper is actually the latest in a long line of clones of the original Guardian Angel Tom Harper.
Above him is the one and the only Super Soldier, shortly before or possibly after he lost his powers (and they returned). He has a strong connection to Pete seeing as how Pete was created because they were trying to recreate Clark/Super Soldier.
Moving to the left of Super Soldier there are two alternate future versions of Spider-Boy, one is Mig-El Gand AKA Spider-Boy 2099 of the Legion of Galactic Guardians of 2099.
The next is Ultimate Earth AC2's adult Peter Ross. He faked his death because in actuality he had lost his leg and couldn't be Spider-Boy. He and MJ retired from the spotlight and had a daughter named Karen "Mayday" Ross. She had powers like her father and found his original Spider-Boy costume and became Spider-Girl. But during a cataclysmic event Pete had to come out of retirement. He used an old costume and the shield of the late Tom Harper to save his daughter.
Between future Karen Ross, Cassie Fairchild, and future Spider-Boys, is alternate reality's Spider-Moon. Tana Moon in that reality was given the spider powers by Cadmus. While Tina may be dead in the Amalgam 616 Prime, killed by Amanda Spencer who had become the Goblin at the time, in her reality Pete Ross died when a Cadmus scientist used Pete to test his limb generation chemicals and turned Pete into the King Lizard.
To her left and on the opposite side of the web is Black Spider-Zero, an alternate evil version of Pete Ross where Super Soldier didn't just lose his powers and age, but died and never came back. So, feeling the weight of responsibility, Pete and Cadmus created a way to boost Pete's powers. Flash forward to a few years later and Pete/Black Spider-Zero is now ruling Cadmus, with an army of Guardian Angels and uses that same technology to not boost his powers but steal the powers from others.
Next to him, passed the unfinished Two-faced Goblin is Ultra-Goblin. Aka Peter Parker. During the events of Pete Ross' birth, Peter Parker was left for dead. But he too gained spider-like Kryptonian powers. Angry he became the mirror or Spider-Boy but also the opposite. In his alternate reality called Earth 3 other heroes are actually villains and the villains are heroes by default.
Under Ultra-Goblin is King Lizard. Just like in the previous Amalgam comics he is a Cadmus scientist who turned himself into the giant Lizard creature who believes he is the son of the Lizard God and a human.
In front of him and to his left is Rose Sablinova, AKA Silver Rose. She is the lost daughter of Slade Murdock, also known as the assassin Dare. During the creation of Spider-Boy she worked with Cadmus as hired protection. She also knew Cassie Fairchild. She is often enemies to Cadmus, Spider-Boy, MJ, and Cassie. Who can forget that epic fight between a swords wielding Silver Rose and a giant sized super strong Cassie? But occasionally friends. She was once featured member of the Young Titans with Skulk Boy and Wiccan Devil.
Next to her is Striker. She started life as Angelina Fury, an intern to her crush Dr. Otto Octavious. When Cadmus accessed a Boom Tube Angelina became trapped on Apocalypse. To Earth it seemed like an hour but when they got her back, thanks to Octavious, she had been there for over 12 years. She had been turned into a Female Fury and thus made bigger, stronger, faster, and more cruel. When Octavious had taken over Spider-Boy MJ had left him because of his changes and he started dating Striker. She knew he was actually Otto. When Pete took back control he was able to get MJ back and his life became normal. She joined the Thunderbolt Squad after that.
Behind her is Silicon Man.
Behind him is Lethal the assassin Sergei Minerva also known as Lethal and his daughter Anna Minerva, like her father she turned herself into a cheetah creature.
To their left is Kristoff Doomsday, the heir of Dr. Doomsday. Also used as a future body Dr. Doomsday can swipe is mind into, and as such is constantly being mutated and altered to try and create the perfect and most powerful body for Doomsday.
And above him is the clone of Karen Ross from Ultimate Earth AC2 who named herself April Drew. In that future she possesses the alien symbiot suit that once was used by Scott Fairchild. She calls herself Devine Mayhem.A rare snapshot of a planetary construction site
The unusual disk around the star HD 21997 contains both gas and dust
Planets are formed in disks of gas and dust around nascent stars. Now, combined observations with the compound telescope ALMA and the Herschel Space Observatory have produced a rare view of a planetary construction site in an intermediate state of evolution: Contrary to expectations, the disk around the star HD 21997 appears to contain both primordial gas left over from the formation of the star itself and dust that appears to have been produced in collisions between planetesimals - small rocks that are the building blocks for the much larger planets. This is the first direct observation of such a “hybrid disk”, and likely to require a revision of current models of planet formation.
Cosmic delivery room: ALMA images of the disk around HD 21997. The top image shows the emission of cold dust grains, situated in a ring around the central star. The lower image displays the emission from carbon monoxide, and shows that gas can also be found closer to the star than dust. © Á. Kóspál (ESA) / A. Moór (Konkoly-Observatory) Cosmic delivery room: ALMA images of the disk around HD 21997. The top image shows the emission of cold dust grains, situated in a ring around the central star. The lower image displays the emission from carbon monoxide, and shows that gas can also be found closer to the star than dust. © Á. Kóspál (ESA) / A. Moór (Konkoly-Observatory)
When a star similar to our Sun is born, it is surrounded by a disk of dust and gas. Within that disk, the star’s planetary system begins to form: The dust grains stick together to build larger, solid, kilometer-sized bodies known as planetesimals. Those either survive in the form of asteroids and comets, or clump together further to form solid planets like our Earth, or the cores of giant gas planets.
Current models of planet formation predict that, as a star reaches the planetesimal stage, the original gas should quickly be depleted. Some of the gas falls into the star, some is caught up by what will later become giant gas planets like Jupiter, and the rest is dispersed into space, driven by the young star’s intense radiation. After 10 million years or so, all the original gas should be gone.
But now a team of astronomers from the Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, and the US has found what appears to be a rare hybrid disk, which contains plenty of original gas, but also dust produced much later in the collision of planetesimals. As such, it qualifies as a link between an early and a late phase of disk evolution: the primordial disk and a later debris phase.
The astronomers used both ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory and the compound telescope ALMA in Chile to study the disk around the star HD 21997, which lies in the Southern constellation Fornax, at a distance of 235 light-years from Earth. HD 21997 has 1.8 times the mass of our Sun and is around 30 million years old.
The Herschel and ALMA observations show a broad dust ring surrounding the star at distances between about 55 and 150 astronomical units (one astronomical unit is the average Earth-Sun distance). But the ALMA observations also show a gas ring. Surprisingly, the two do not coincide: “The gas ring starts closer to the central star than the dust," explains Ágnes Kóspál from ESA, principal investigator of the ALMA proposal. "If the dust and the gas had been produced by the same physical mechanism, namely by the erosion of planetesimals, we would have expected them to be at the same location. This is clearly not the case in the inner disk."
Turbulent disk: this image depicts the velocity of the gas around HD 21997. The red-coloured parts of the disk move away from us, while the blue-coloured parts move towards us, indicating that the gas is rotating/orbiting around the central star. © Á. Kóspál (ESA) / A. Moór (Konkoly-Observatory) Turbulent disk: this image depicts the velocity of the gas around HD 21997. The red-coloured parts of the disk move away from us, while the blue-coloured parts move towards us, indicating that the gas is rotating/orbiting around the central star. © Á. Kóspál (ESA) / A. Moór (Konkoly-Observatory)
Attila Moór from Konkoly Observatory adds: “Our observations also showed that previous studies had grossly underestimated the amount of gas present in the disk. Using carbon monoxide as a tracer molecule, we find that the total gas mass is likely to amount to between 30 and 60 times the mass of the Earth.” That value is another indication that the disk is made of primordial material – gas set free in collisions between planetesimals could never explain this substantial quantity.
Thomas Henning from the Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy says: “The presence of primordial gas around the 30 million-year-old HD 21997 is puzzling. Both model predictions and previous observations show that the gas in this kind of disk around a young star should be depleted within about 10 million years."
The team is currently working on finding more systems like HD 21997 for further studies of hybrid disks, and to find out how they fit within the current paradigm of planet formation – or the ways in which the models need to be changed.
MP/HORUPDATE 1.26pm: THE owners of dangerous dogs that attack people could face jail terms similar to culpable driving, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said legislation to jail the owners of dangerous dogs who attack people were being finalised by the Attorney General and would be presented to Parliament in a fortnight
"We will come back to Parliament in two weeks with amendments to the crimes act, where owners of restricted type breed dogs and dangerous dogs will be held accountable for the actions of their dog," he said.
"So if that dog commits an offence where it injures, or in the worst case actually kills someone, they'll have a charge against them similar to charges of dangerous driving or culpable driving."
Mr Walsh said pit bull owners would not be given a second chance after September 30 to register their restricted breed dog and must either notify authorities now, or risk having the dog destroyed.
"After the 30th of September when the amnesty finishes if they have a pit bull-type dog that fits the description of the standard councils will seize that dog and actually destroy it," he said.
"It is not an issue of fining them if they have an illegal restricted breed-type dog - it is a matter that councils will have the power to seize it and destroy it."
The proposed new legislation, which will arm council officers with the powers they need to seize and destroy unregistered restricted-breed dogs, comes a fortnight after a pit bull cross ran into a Brimbank home and mauled four-year-old Ayen Chol to death.
The legislation will also make pit bull crosses a restricted breed. Under the new rules, any pit bulls not registered after August 29 can be destroyed.
A standard for identifying pit bull terriers will also be released to prevent dogs escaping because of uncertainty over their breed.
RSPCA Victoria chief executive Maria Mercurio said that while she welcomed the government's move to protect the community from dangerous dogs, it was extremely difficult to identify dog breeds by sight and mistakes could be made.
"It's a very dangerous way to be going about this," she said.
"Even so-called experts have difficulty determining exact breeds, particularly with cross breeds.
"Unless you do DNA testing, even then it's very difficult if you have a number of breeds that have been crossed."
She said the organisation had received dozens of calls from worried pet owners.
"People are frightened that their dogs will be mistaken for a pit bull or for a dangerous breed when in fact they're not," she said.
Ms Mercurio said there should be incentives such as registration discounts for people who train and socialise their dogs.
"While legislation is important and we support the government in that, we would like to see an equal emphasis on educating our community so that we have good, responsible pet owners," she said.
Municipal Association of Victoria president Bill McArthur this morning welcomed the new laws, saying local government had been a strong advocate for tougher restrictions.
"The cross breeds have always been a problem,’’ Cr McArthur said.
"You can’t always rely on the look and you haven’t been able to rely on people being honest when they register their animal.
"The definition that has been proposed I think will make it far easier for councils."
Ayen's father, Mawien Chol Monjang, yesterday welcomed the crackdown.
"I don't want any other child to be attacked by a dog again... it gives me some peace of mind. I have another two boys and I need them to be safe," he said.
From today members of the public can "dob in a dangerous dog" through a $100,000 hotline to help council officers identify potential dangers hidden in their neighbourhoods.
The Baillieu Government is in talks with the Municipal Association of Victoria about hiring extra animal officers to track down potential killers.
The changes will close a legal loophole and ensure pit bull crosses are included on the dangerous dogs register for the first time.
With the Opposition already indicating it will support a strengthening of the restricted breeds legislation, Parliament should pass the Coalition's Domestic Animals Amendment Bill by tomorrow.
All Victorian pit bulls and crosses must be identified on the restricted breed register.
Dogs on the register must be microchipped, desexed, kept in a secure yard and muzzled and on a lead when in public. Owners who fail to notify authorities could have their pets destroyed from September 30.
The Government is considering the introduction of a new crime similar to culpable driving that could see the owners of killer dogs jailed, rather than facing a maximum $4500 fine as is the case for the owner of the pit bull that killed Ayen.
American Pit Bull Terrier Association of Australia president Colin Muir said the legislation was misguided.
He said it unfairly focused on the look of a dog, not those that actually presented a danger to the community.
"This is canine genocide, that is all it is," he said.
"Since restrictions were imposed on pit bulls in 2005 there has been no reduction in overall dog attacks."
Victorian state manager of child accident group Kidsafe, Melanie Water, said Kidsafe welcomed the changes which would make dog owners more responsible for their pets.
"This places the onus back on owners to ensure their dogs are appropriately registered and provides councils with the power
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and 'organiser' of Black Lives Matter UK and also runs an organisation called Matters of the Earth, in which she tries to bridge 'the gap between the academic and creative worlds'.
According to The Sunday Times, her work with Matters of the Earth has been funded in part by a £50,000 grant from the Department for International Development.
When a small group of activists caused London City airport to grind to a halt, Ms Jeffers was flying to the Costa do Sauipe resort in Brazil to speak at a feminist conference.
From an account for Matters of the Earth, which is run by Ms Jeffers, she retweeted a message about the London City airport protest. She was flying to Brazil when the protest happened
From her Matters of the Earth account, she retweeted Black Lives Matter's message: 'At London City Airport a small elite is able to fly, in 2016 alone 3,176 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean.'
According to the Times, a source close to the international development secretary, Priti Patel MP, said the minister was angry about the spending and would be demanding to know why the courses were commissioned in the first place.
Nice work if you can get it: The £200-a-night Costa do Sauipe resort in Brazil
A spokesman for the Dfid said: 'In 2015, one of our subcontractors commissioned Matters of the Earth to produce small-scale and specific pieces of work. The money was not used for wider agendas.'
Ms Jeffers was attending the Association for Women's Rights in Development congress which had been moved from May to September over fears about the Zika virus.
Ms Jeffers has received £50,000 in funding from a contractor of the Department for International Development and missed a Black Lives Matter protest at London City Airport because she was flying to Brazil
Ms Jeffers has stated she did not use the money for Black Lives Matter or its work.
The group caused outrage when nine activists disrupted flights from London City Airport by lying on the runway for hours before they were removed by police.
Several critics noticed from the photos posted by the group that all the activists involved were white, but the group defended itself, saying they were allies.
Campaigner and journalist Wail Qasim, an activist with Black Lives Matter, said white people protesting had given black people a voice.
Ms Jeffers has stated she did not use the money for Black Lives Matter or its work.
He told MailOnline: ‘This shows the sort of responsibility that white people should be taking. They should be willing to put bodies on the line for black rights.
‘You’ll notice that white activists have not been giving comment to the media. Really what’s happened is that black voices have been able to speak off the back of the actions of the white activists.
‘It should absolutely always be black leadership, not white leadership.’
As part of a piece about her background for a conference last Autumn, Ms Jeffers described herself as 'a Black feminist who draws positive energy from travelling the world, building community, cooking and sharing tasty food with empowered souls, loving friends and family'.As I was scrolling through my favorite website (yes OK, I'm talking about Tumblr), I came across a post that said, "Stop checking up on them -- they're not checking up on you." Of course the moment I saw this, I did the exact opposite and went to go check up on someone who is not in my life anymore on social media who probably hasn't checked up on me. Granted, this is the first time in a few months I've checked up on them, but it got me to thinking.
I can think of, off the top of my head, four people who have impacted my life, some more then others, who I am no longer in contact with for whatever reason. All four of these people, I have, against my better judgment, "checked up on" on social media. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, I've taken time out of my day at some point and devoted it to, basically, stalking these people.
The emotions I got while snooping around with these particular people? Anger, fear, frustration, and regret -- not really the greatest emotions to be having. So why did I do it? Why was I obsessed with these people and their social media accounts? I really couldn't give you a real answer. It never caused positive emotions and it never made me feel better about myself. If anything, it made me relive the reasons I was not in contact with that person anymore and some of those reasons aren't pretty.
I know I can't be the only person who does this, there was a post on Tumblr about it with a significant amount of notes, so I know I'm not alone. Why do we do this? This isn't addressing the friend you had at the church you grew up at's Facebook account even though you haven't actually had a conversation with her years, but you're still interested and curious in what she's up to in life. This is addressing that person who you would probably avoid on the street if you passed them, the person who maybe broke your heart or you maybe broke theirs, the person who was just dragging you down and you finally decided to cut them loose. Why do we still check their Facebooks? There was a reason the relationship ended, so what are we doing still following their accounts? Especially when it never seems to create positive emotions.
While I haven't taken the advice I'm about to give you because my curiosity is bigger then Alice's while she traveled through Wonderland, if you have someone like that in your life, someone who you use to have a close relationship with and it ended poorly, delete them. Why are you still following them? Why are you still Facebook friends? Why risk seeing their posts on your feed?
I can say that I did this with one of these people, and it was so liberating, I stopped thinking about them, I stopped having to see them on my feeds, and it felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It was amazing. The only way I would ever seen them was if I actively searched them out, but not seeing them on my feeds, I wasn't even thinking to search them.
Stop following the people in your life who were toxic, stop following the people who maybe you did have a healthy relationship with, but it ended negatively. Stop focusing on those people and start focusing on the people in your life who you actually care about and who actually care about you. In hindsight, stop looking up people on social media and actually go out of your way to ask them what they are up to, instead of just looking at their photos and posts, although that's a whole post for another time.Brendan Shanahan has managed to keep a pretty low profile so far during his tenure as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs — a pretty impressive feat, seeing as he’s one of the most well-known figures in hockey world.
This off-season, Shanahan shared a bit of his world to Leafs fans, posting some great throwback photos from his childhood and teenage years, as well as photos from time spent with family this summer — all via Twitter.
On Thursday, he also took over the Maple Leafs’ Twitter account to answer some fan questions during an #AskShanny Q&A session in which he gave insight into everything from his favourite Leaf to how he takes his coffee.
We thought we’d gather some of the highlights from his summer of Twitter. So, here are 20 things we learned about Brendan Shanahan this off-season — all shared by the man himself.
1. He’s got a great collection of old photos.
2. He’s always been comfortable in the spotlight.
3. He knows how to #rollwithit.
4. He may or may not be Adam Sandler’s long lost twin.
5. He loves his hometown team.
6. He values hard work.
7. He likes a hotdog with all the fixins’.
8. He’s a family man.
9. When it comes to the roster, it’s all up to the players.
10. Playoffs?!
11. He takes his coffee the Canadian way, thank you very much.
12. He believes in Lou.
13. He doesn’t play favourites…
14. …But he did, as a kid.
15. He knows how to boost the atmosphere at the Air Canada Centre.
16. His vision for Toronto is simple — in concept, at least.
17. He’s… generous.
18. He knows how to end the summer in style.
19. #IsItOctoberYet
20. He’s ready for hockey.Venus (black spot top right) crosses the sun's face during the transit of Venus on June 6, 2012, at sunrise in the village of Klake, some 30 kilometers from capital Zagreb. Astronomers and novice star-gazers worldwide trained their eyes and telescopes on the skies today for the last chance this lifetime to observe Venus track a near seven-hour path across the Sun. The event, only to be seen again in 105 years, began shortly after 2200 GMT yesterday, visible first from the Pacific and north and central Americas as a small black dot trailing across the solar surface. AFP PHOTO/Hrvoje POLAN (Photo credit should read HRVOJE POLAN/AFP/GettyImages)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Advocates of renewable energy are hailing the rejection of Rocky Mountain Power’s request for a new fee for residential rooftop solar panels in Utah.
They’re calling the Utah Public Service Commission’s decision on Friday a victory for clean air and energy as well as consumer choice.
Rocky Mountain wanted to charge residential customers with solar panels a $4.65 monthly fee to cover its distribution costs of energy for times when solar is not putting power in the grid.
But the commission ruled the utility failed to prove the fee was justified.
“What a bright day for Utah’s future,” said Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy. “This order protects energy choice in Utah, and recognizes the potential solar has to benefit all Utahns.”
The utility hopes the commission revisits the issue, Rocky Mountain spokesman Dave Eskelsen said. The company argues such residential customers are not paying their fair share of its fixed costs to maintain the power system.
“It is a little disappointing that the commission did not take at least an interim step,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune. “We understand that emotions are running high. We look forward to participating in the accumulation of more information.”
Only Arizona and Georgia currently charge residential rooftop solar customers a monthly fee to help cover a utility’s fixed costs, the Deseret News reported.
At the same time Friday, the commission approved a 1.9 percent rate increase for all residential customers that will boost monthly bills by an average of $1.76. The increase, which takes effect Monday, is expected to net the utility $35 million in the next year.
The commission also approved another general rate increase that will add another 73 cents per month to the average bill after it goes into effect in September 2015.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
Related articlesIllustration by Greg Ruth
In her journal in the mid-1960s, Susan Sontag vowed “to give no interviews until I can sound as clear + authoritative + direct as Lillian Hellman in Paris Review.” Sontag’s ongoing investment in the development and definition of herself always seemed less like self-obsession than a kind of existential industriousness. Reading through the odds and ends that have been published since her death almost 10 years ago—the two volumes of her journals, in particular—you get the sense of a person who was always working toward an ideal version of herself. The ideal changed in its particulars over time, but the ideal of change remained constant. She’s often a reassuringly pretentious figure in the early diaries, which are themselves a useful reminder that being a pseudo-intellectual is a necessary stage on the way to being a nonpseudo-intellectual, and that the two classifications aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Being an intellectual is often, after all, a matter of getting away with trying to be seen as one.
In his introduction to Susan Sontag: The Complete Rolling Stone Interview, Jonathan Cott—whose 1978 interview with Sontag got chopped down by the magazine to one-third of its length—remembers that journal entry, and writes that “as I listened to her clear, authoritative, and direct responses to my questions, it was obvious that she had attained the conversational goal that she had set for herself many years before.” The idea of this persuasive fluency of speech as something constructed, something striven for and achieved, reveals the extent to which Sontag’s position as one of the most public of 20th-century public intellectuals was one she had always wanted to arrive at. As brilliant an essayist as she was, talking brilliantly was almost as significant a part of her job.
And so the Sontag colloquy shares certain key qualities with the Sontag essay—in particular the magnetic mixture of intellectual self-assurance and relaxed inclusivity. She was a virtuoso of the literary sit-down, working the form into an occasion for informal self-portrait. There’s no one topic that particularly dominates in this 138-page interview, but there are certain themes and preoccupations that assert themselves throughout: the ideal of personal autonomy, the complexities of love and friendship and sexuality, the historical constitution of ideas and behaviors we tend to think of as natural. The interview is from around the time of the publication of Illness as Metaphor, and so there’s a fair amount of talk about mortality, and the personal experience of being a cancer patient which informed that book. “We’re all,” she says at one point, “going to die—that’s a very difficult thing to take in—and we all experience this process. It feels as if there’s this person—in your head, mainly—trapped in this physiological stock that can only survive seventy- or eighty-plus years normally, in any kind of decent condition. It starts deteriorating at a certain point, and then for half of your life, if not more, you watch this material begin to fray. And there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re trapped inside it, and when it goes, you go.”
But it’s Sontag the reader who gets most airtime here—which is to say the critic rather than the novelist (although she would probably have argued the distinction could never hold up). There’s always the sense, with Sontag, of reading as a process of acquisition and assimilation, as a kind of territorial expansionism of the self. All those itemized resolutions in the journals, all those lists of things to be read and absorbed; her project was, as she put it, “taking all of knowledge as my province.” And this is one of the most striking things about her, this conquistadorial spirit brought to bear on a basically democratic sensibility—the famous imperative to be interested in everything. She seems to have read all of Western literature, and to have learned from it everything that might be worth knowing.
This, of course, is exactly the impression you’d be well advised to start giving off if you wanted to make any kind of impact as a public intellectual. But with Sontag, you suspect that she really has read everything—and not in the Harold Bloom way, either, where encyclopedic erudition starts to look like a kind of petrification, where the critic manifests himself as the canon made flesh. Change is, for her, the end of reading; what she prizes in literature is its capacity to bring otherness into the self—the paradoxical way in which books take us outside the limits of ourselves while pushing those limits outward. “It’s exciting to me to subscribe to something that’s foreign to my earlier taste,” she says. “Not in an unfriendly spirit with respect to the earlier work—but just because I need new blood and new nourishment and new inspiration. And because I like what I’m not, I like to try to learn what isn’t me or what I don’t know. I’m curious.”
And that’s one of the more inspiring things about Sontag: the way in which she positions curiosity as not just a primary critical value, but a primary human value. To be curious is, in the most vital sense, to be serious. There’s another wonderful moment, later on, when Cott mentions phoning her to ask about completing the interview, to which she replied that “We should do it soon because I may change too much.” Sontag sees nothing very unusual about this; it’s simply good practice to move on from being the person you’ve already established yourself as being:
I feel I’m changing all the time, and that’s something that’s hard to explain to people, because a writer is generally thought to be someone who’s either engaging in self-expression or else doing work to convince or change people along the lines of his or her views. And I don’t feel that either of those models makes much sense for me. I mean, I write partly in order to change myself so that once I write about something I don’t have to think about it anymore. And when I write, it actually is to get rid of those ideas. That may sound contemptuous of the public, because obviously when I’ve gotten rid of those ideas, I’ve passed them on as things that I believe— and I do believe them when I write them— but I don’t believe them after I’ve written them because I’ve moved on to some other view of things, and it’s become still more complicated … or perhaps more simple.
Intense seriousness, of course, always has a tendency to verge on the comic. Sontag was the Platonic ideal of the intellectual, and so she could also come across as a not-too-subtle parody of the very idea of such a person. At one point, she tells Cott that the first book that really thrilled her was a biography of Marie Curie by Curie’s daughter Eve, which she recalls reading at age 6. The interviewer is impressed that a child of that age would go in for material of such relative heft. “I started reading when I was 3,” she expands, “and the first novel that affected me was Les Misérables—I cried and sobbed and wailed. When you’re a reading child, you just read the books that are around the house. When I was about 13, it was Mann and Joyce and Eliot and Kafka and Gide—mostly Europeans. I didn’t discover American literature until much later.” What to do with such a claim but both laugh at it and marvel at it? I thought of how my mother likes to remind me of my own alleged precocity by mentioning how she once came across me, age about 5, peering into a Jeffrey Archer blockbuster as though it contained the secret of life. By that age, Sontag would have been rolling up her sleeves and getting into Cervantes.
But this long and largely genial portrait of the (not always quite so genial) intellectual in middle age also amounts to a strong and deeply personal argument about what it means to be cultured—an argument for why a middle-aged intellectual might be something worth being in the first place. Part of what is so appealing about Sontag’s thinking is the absence of any heavy intellectual machinery being brought to bear on whatever topic she happens to be considering; there is rarely very much in the way of dogma to be contended with. But there is a kind of personal dialectic at work in her attitude toward herself, toward her writing and reading and thinking and speaking. “The most awful thing,” as she puts it in the book’s final lines, “would be to feel that I’d agree with the things I’ve already said and written—that is what would make me most uncomfortable because that would mean that I had stopped thinking.”
—
Susan Sontag: The Complete Rolling Stone Interview by Jonathan Cott. Yale University Press.
See all the pieces in this month’s Slate Book Review.
Sign up for the Slate Book Review monthly newsletter.The FCC yesterday announced a December 14 vote on “Restoring Internet Freedom,” an order that, far from restoring freedom to the internet, which is already free, would allow it to be restricted in new and harmful ways. Actually, when you think of it as restoring internet freedom to ISPs and cable companies, it makes a lot more sense. At any rate the Commission has released the text of the order ahead of the vote, as promised.
It was just put out half an hour ago and it’s about 200 pages long, so it’ll take some time for me and others to sift through it and find out what kind of changes have been made since the draft circulated in late summer.
Although an FCC representative yesterday said that “we addressed all the serious comments,” that can’t quite be true, since the core of the order is still intact: remove broadband’s telecommunications designation, removing the statutory authority for the 2015 rules (Title II of the Communications Act), and returning to a “light touch” regulatory framework under which ISPs will be permitted within reason to throttle and prioritize traffic. Lots of other little presents for the telecoms in there, too.
There will be some new information in this revised draft, however: the wording of its highly questionable definition of broadband as an information service could figure into its legal future, for instance, as would any indication of plans to preempt state regulations, which those states may not agree with.
Any substantive changes will be documented in a future article after we’ve had a change to look over the full text and confer with experts.Put more thought into your leisure time.
Anup S Blocked Unblock Follow Following Apr 30, 2016
We spend insane hours mindlessly browsing.
The great and profound mistake that man makes in regard to his day, he persists in looking upon the work hours from ten to six as ‘the day’, to which the ten hours preceding them and the six hours following them are nothing but a prologue and an epilogue. An attitude that’s utterly illogical and unhealthy.
See the rest of the sixteen hours as a day within a day. During these sixteen hours he is free; he is not a wage earner; he is not preoccupied with monetary cares; he is just as good as a man with a private income. Use this time for rigorous self improvement.
Put more thought into your leisure time. Don’t default to what catches your attention at the moment, but instead dedicate some advance thinking to the question of how you want to spend your “day within a day”.
You might worry that adding such structure to your relaxation will defeat the purpose of relaxing, which many believe requires complete freedom form plans and obligations.
The mental faculties are capable of a continuous hard activity; they do not tire like an arm or a leg. All they want is change — not rest, except in sleep.
If you give your mind something meaningful to do throughout all your waking hours, you’ll end the day more fulfilled and begin the next one more relaxed, than if you instead allowed your mind to bathe for hours in semiconscious and unstructured web surfing.Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world
An out gay, HIV-positive asylum seeker has been detained in a US detention centre for more than a month.
Denis Davydov arrived in the US from Russia back in 2014, and despite overstaying on a tourist visa, had applied for political asylum within a 1-year deadline.
But the 30-year-old has now been detained in an ICE detention centre for more than a month.
He was arrested when trying to return to Miami from a trip to the US Virgin Islands, and taken to Krome Detention Center.
It is believed that the fact that he is HIV-positive is the reason for his detention under new policies introduced by the Trump administration.
He had claimed political asylum because of the peril faced by some members of the LGBT+ community in Russia.
According to Sergey Piskunov, Davydov has been given access to his HIV medications in the detention centre but has been denied access to a doctor.
“He was awaiting his asylum interview, had a valid employment authorization and A-number, and had no criminal record,” says Piskunov, who works with RUSA LGBT.
“He’s a gay man and HIV-positive,” Piskunov adds. “Russia is not the best place for either of those and he’s a combination of both.”
He goes on: “This is one of the reasons we really want to get him out of there,” saying Davydov has “developed a fungal infection [possibly thrush] and has not been able to receive medication for it.”
Davydov has also been on the receiving end of anti-gay slurs from others in the detention centre, says Piskunov.
“They have money for war in Ukraine, Crimea, Syria,” Piskunov adds.
“They have money for all these military expenses. But they don’t have money for the medical system. And they don’t care.”
Immigration Equality has also called for Davydov to be given access to specialist medication for the fungal infection.
Aaron Morris, Davydov’s attorney said he has no criminal record and poses no danger to the public.
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Jaime Ruiz, has said that the agency does not comment on individual cases.
A Facebook page has been set up to give updates on Davydov’s condition.Mark my words. When on November 7, pollsters are looking at each other wondering what went wrong with their "likely voter" models, it will have one predominant answer: the underestimation of the Latino vote. The latest Rocky Mountain poll shows the presidential race tied in Arizona, with Obama having a slight edge. Hmm, what could possibly turn Arizona, the state with a Papers Please law so unconstitutional that even this Supreme Court threw out most of it, into a purple state? This:The number of undecided voters in this poll is a bit staggering, but if true, it could spell real trouble for Romney. Whether or not this poll is an outlier, that Latino voters number, at least, is not a fluke. Just days before the release of the Rocky Mountain Poll, a Latino Decision/America's Voice poll gave the President an 80-14 lead among Latino voters in Arizona.But let's concentrate on the Rocky Mountain Poll for a second. There are a few things I want to talk about in this poll. The sampling demographic breakdowns were not released, but what was released in terms of the internal numbers is remarkable, and this is where Democrats need to concentrate: if you look at who is most likely to vote, the Republican groups are heavy. While Latinos favor the President by a 67 point margin, they are also the most likely to skip the polls. Here's how that plays out at the current moment:These internals may be rather questionable given the overall sample size of the sample, 523, which means the subsections are much smaller, and thus prone to much more error. But here's the basic translation:ButThe bad news is obvious. The good news - thegood news is that the president is edging Romney even when this is factored in, that is, he's edging Romney in Arizona among likely voters, which in this poll are voters who say they will definitely vote.So, what now? How do you turn people who aren't likely to vote, but if they vote, they vote for your guy 8 out of 10 times? Two words:I have talked before about the importance of ground game. Arizona is voting right now (if you are in Arizona, go vote early ). The Obama campaign has definitely been looking at competing in Arizona, including on air, but neither presidential campaign really has, and in that context, a strong ground game to get out all of our voters - young people, Latinos, women - can rock the political world on election night.The President's campaign hasn't been dormant in the state. I typed in a random Phoeniz zip code at OFA's and Romney's volunteer event finders, and well, here's what I came up with.This might just be anecdotal and maybe the Romney campaign just doesn't want to advertise their campaign events on their own website. But if this is any indication, ground game can definitely produce an election day surprise. This is what the Obama campaign is good at. Just like the president himself, his campaign is ready and willing to outwork any adversary. On election day, that is how we will win, maybe along with the Grand Canyon State.The battleground just expanded.The following is an introduction to a newly formed university society; all newly formed societies are required by their host campuses to provide a basic run down of their reasons for being and current and or future activities.
The men’s liberation front for truth and justice is a Society centred around the need for combating the ever increasing spread of misinformation on so-called gendered and social issues. What this means is our members are engaging those that would try and use inflated or misrepresented statistics and data in a bid to further their own ends. This may seem like a conspiracy theory to some! But bear with me here, have you ever heard of this myth?
Women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns—for doing the same work.
And no, I’m not calling the gender pay gap a myth, just the statement above in its context. “The gender wage gap, the observed difference between wages paid to women and wages paid to men, has been a source of both political controversy and economic research throughout the past several decades. The gap is commonly measured as the ratio of the median earnings of women and the
median earnings of men, which indicates the proportion of the median male earnings that the median female earnings represent. When the ratio is calculated for all men and women who are paid wages or salaries, or for all wage and salary earners who work full-time and year-round, the measure is often called the raw gender wage gap.”Source: http://www.consad.com/content/reports/Gender%20Wage%20Gap%20Final%20Report.pdf
Many would have you believe that the wage gap is merely the result of sexist attitudes plaguing our society. While I don’t doubt there are still those attitudes looming! It is far from the only explanation to such gendered myths as the one above.Our group is also dedicated to activism as well; we have begun investigating an organisation that has taken it upon themselves, to represent a considerably large group of men fighting against domestic violence towards women by male perpetrators. As much as we find the fight against domestic violence admirable, it’s their methods we find illegal and unethical! We have ample evidence to show
that this organisation is working outside of the legal boundaries of a non-profit, laid down by the federal government. We also believe that their focus on the issue of domestic violence is one of selective outrage of a gendered nature, which only seems to be alienating those also very much affected by family violence, men, boys and the LBGT community included.If you are reading this! You may have some disconcerting questions and assumptions with our society.
Are we a male only group? No! Feel free to join whichever gender/sex you wish to identify with?Are we a men’s rights activists group? No! We don’t fight for the rights of any gender/sex; instead we try and correct or expose those that would misrepresent issues pertaining to men, women and the LBGT community.
I’m sure many of you will have a million more questions to ask, as we don’t engage in censorship! We believe you have the right to challenge any of our investigations, and we look forward to those questions and or criticisms. We also understand that our activities will draw negative attention from those not wishing to be criticized, to which I would say! You! And what you say! Are not above criticism!
Contacts:
Site: https://orgsync.com/114442/chapter
About the author:
“Leonard Anderson is a student at UWS Bankstown University currently studying psychology. Founder of the campus society, The Men’s Liberation Front for Truth and Justice! Which was formed in a response to not only a personal need, but of a much greater need to challenge those wishing to spread misinformation on gendered and social issues in society. Leonard could no longer stand by and watch those that would unnecessary distort or fabricate the truth to their own personal and political agendas, and wishes to do as much as he can to clear away the bullshit! To better help those in dire need.”Gas and electricity provider GB Energy ceased trading at the weekend and the regulator Ofgem has appointed Co-operative Energy as the new supplier for the firm's 160,000 customers. Ofgem's also announced that Co-op Energy will be honouring customers' existing fixed tariffs.
Here are the key need-to-knows:
Your energy supply will continue as normal.
Co-op Energy has taken over as supplier to all of GB Energy's 160,000 customers as of 00.01am on Wednesday 30 November.
Ofgem says you'll continue to pay the same price you did with GB Energy, whether you were on a fixed or standard tariff, and if you're on a fix you can keep it.
All outstanding credit balances for current and past GB Energy customers will be honoured. This cost, which is thought to be around £25 million, will be picked up partly by Co-op Energy and partly by Ofgem's new'safety net', with a levy across all energy suppliers.
I'm a GB Energy customer – what should I do?
You don't need to do anything at the moment. You'll be automatically moved over and supplied by Co-op Energy from 30 November. Ofgem says you should wait until Co-op Energy contacts you before doing anything, though if you have any urgent questions you can call the Co-op Energy helpline on 0800 6444 451.
Will I keep my tariff?
Yes. Despite initial fears that replacement tariffs with a new supplier would be much more expensive, Ofgem has confirmed the GB Energy tariff you're currently on will remain the same under Co-op Energy, in terms of the rate you pay and the length of your fix, if you're on one.
Co-op Energy chief executive Ben Reid has told MoneySavingExpert.com that when former GB Energy customers reach the end of their fixed deals, he hopes to offer a tariff with "competitive rates" – this won't be an existing Co-op Energy tariff but a separate one created just for former GB Energy customers.
What if I've already cancelled my direct debit – will I still move to Co-op Energy?
Ofgem's advice after GB Energy went bust on Saturday was that customers shouldn't cancel direct debits. But some customers have told us they've taken the decision to cancel their direct debits anyway.
If you've cancelled your direct debit but not switched away from GB Energy, Co-op Energy will become your new energy supplier. Assuming you want to continue on your existing tariff, contact Co-op Energy on 0800 644 4451 to reinstate your direct debit.
My account's in credit – will I get my money back?
You're not alone – we've heard from lots of customers in this situation – and the good news is you won't lose your money. Co-op Energy says it will honour all outstanding credit balances, both for current customers and for past customers still owed money.
If you're a current customer, any credit on your account will be used to offset future energy use. You'll be contacted by Co-op Energy over the coming days with more information about your tariff and current credit balance.
Early calculations by Ofgem put the cost of protecting customers' balances at around £25 million. That will be partly met by Co-op Energy, but Co-op Energy boss Ben Reid told us "the majority" will be covered by the'safety net' put in place by Ofgem, which involves a levy on all energy suppliers (see more on this below).
I've switched away from GB Energy – will I get my credit balance back?
If you've switched away from GB Energy and are in credit to it, you'll have what's called a 'closed account balance' – Co-op Energy has confirmed it will refund these.
However, to ensure you're paid back what you're owed following your switch you should contact the Co-op Energy customer contact team on 0800 644 4451.
I decided to quit GB Energy when I heard about it going bust – will my switch still go through?
We've heard of some people switching away from GB Energy over the weekend when they learned it had ceased to trade.
Ofgem told us it's advised other energy suppliers to carry on as normal and allow GB Energy customers to switch to them. It says any switches currently in progress should still go ahead as normal.
What if I'm in the middle of a switch to GB Energy?
This should also go ahead as normal and you will end up being supplied by Co-op Energy on the tariff you initially signed up for.
What if my GB Energy account is in debt – do I still need to pay?
While Ofgem says you won't be required to pay off the debt to Co-op Energy, you may still need to pay GB Energy. Ofgem says further details will be provided by GB Energy's appointed administrator in due course – so bear that in mind in terms of future budgeting.
So should I stay with Co-op Energy?
It's up to you to work out whether or not you can get a better deal elsewhere – our Cheap Energy Club can help on that front.
If you're on a fix you may struggle to find better value at another supplier, but those on a standard variable tariff should be able to sniff out a better deal quite easily – especially since GB Energy cranked up its rates by 30% in August.
It's also important to bear in mind that Co-op Energy has previously struggled in terms of customer service – it was the most complained-about energy supplier in the third quarter of last year (a result it blamed on ongoing problems with its new IT system) and it also fared poorly in MSE's recent poll.
Meanwhile, in October it was announced that hundreds of thousands of Co-op Energy customers would get a share of £1.8 million compensation after Ofgem identified problems with the firm's complaints resolution, call handling and billing processes.
Ofgem has appointed Co-op Energy as new supplier to affected customers
Martin's message: 'Seems to be a good result'
MSE founder Martin Lewis says: "It's not something I've often said before, but plaudits to Ofgem for sorting this so swiftly and what so far seems to be a good result for consumers.
"The things we previously knew that weren't protected were people's existing tariffs and whether they would be maintained, and they have been, and whether people that had left recently would get their credit back, and they will.
"We now have to hope that the transition goes smoothly. I do have some minor concerns that over the past few years Co-op Energy has not had the best customer service reputation – indeed in our November poll, 56% rated it 'poor'.
"It has to be said, some of this is legacy issues from when it changed its billing system so hopefully things will not be too bad – if it is, then the best advice is to ditch and switch. That said, you may as well give it a chance if its price is cheap.
"What I would suggest is that those who are on cheap fixes with GB Energy will probably be unable to save by switching elsewhere, because it was so price-competitive. If you're on its variable tariff, then that isn't as cheap and you
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Klinsmann. The USMNT’s head man has called up over 60 players to represent their country in just over 24 months in his position. And Klinsmann has not even required senior squad play for a callup — Borussia Dortmund reservist Terrence Boyd earned caps for the American side before the Bremen-born forward had ever seen the pitch for Jürgen Klopp.
But whether Green decides to play for Germany or represent the United States, as other German-Americans such as Boyd, Thomas Dooley, Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson and Daniel Williams have done, his future appears entirely promising and one hopes that his continued growth lifts him to the international stage as well as success at the club level.
Many of the quotes used in this article are from Brian Sciaretta’s excellent ASN article on Green from July.Board and card games are some of the simplest ways to witness the efficiency and attention to detail being put to work in virtual spaces. Being able to replicate these personal gaming experiences is a testament to the platform’s future even outside of games, having users manipulate cards, figures, and boards as if they were on a table in front of them — similar to Tabletop Simulator. You can also welcome friends into a lot of these experiences, bringing friendly game nights to a virtual space. Ascension VR is one of the earliest examples of this, along with Dragon Front, and is receiving an update that takes the game’s content and interaction to the next level.
Ascension VR is a virtual deck building game that has animated avatars that lip sync with your table speak and mimic your movements. In the game, players operate with a hand of apprentices and militia that both provide unique resources: Runes and Power. Honor is the game-winning resource that is accrued as you hire heroes, build constructs, and defeat monsters. The new expansion, dubbed War of Shadows, introduces a night/day mechanic and powerful new heroes and constructs that require spending of both types of resources. The new update includes 10 new monster, 24 new heroes, and 9 new construct cards. On top of all this, the game is including Oculus Touch compatibility in this expansion as well.
While games do operate fine with just headsets and gamepads, the Touch implementation takes the immersion to the next level. The update should also speed up gameplay since players can quickly and naturally progress through matches with hand motions. The base game is available on Steam for $9.99 and can be purchased with the War of Shadows expansion for $15.28. If you already own the game, War of Shadows can be purchased separately for $7.99.
If you want to learn a bit more about the game, check out our previous article that discusses the game’s curious origins.
Tagged with: ascension vr, board game, card game, gaming, oculus touchBeing House speaker occasionally means you have to cut off a speech or rule someone out of order. But before Tuesday, that involved other lawmakers or someone in the audience, not the clergy giving the opening prayer.
Being House speaker occasionally means you have to cut off a speech or rule someone out of order. But before Tuesday, that involved other lawmakers or someone in the audience, not the clergy giving the opening prayer.
When the prayer delivered by Pastor B.J. Van Aman of the Pickerington Baptist Temple ventured past five minutes in length, House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, took what could be an unprecedented step of politely cutting him off. You can see the interaction here just before the 7-minute mark.
�I didn�t mean to be rude and I feel terrible,� Rosenberger said. �It�s just that I felt that I gave it its due diligence. When I thought it was enough I didn�t know really how best to do it, so I just said �amen� and here we go.�
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Lawmakers are welcome to invite religious leaders from their district to deliver an opening prayer to the House, as Rep. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, did on Tuesday. Most prayers don�t go longer than 60 or 90 seconds, often delivering messages of inspiration and asking for wisdom and guidance.
House guidelines are largely based on a 1983 U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring opening prayers to be nondenominational, nonsectarian and nonproselytizing.
The prayer on Tuesday mentioned �Though the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,� and went on to describe Jesus, whose �name is above every name,� and at his name �every knee shall bow.� It also described Jesus as the �author and finisher of our faith.�
Rosenberger first peeked an eye open about three minutes in. At nearly four minutes, he opened his eyes and began looking around, clearly growing anxious about the length and trying to decide the right way to end it.
After just over five minutes, with no clear conclusion on the horizon, Rosenberger blurted out an �amen,� thanked Van Aman for being here and then motioned toward the flag to start the Pledge of Allegiance.
�I am speaker, so whether it�s floor action or the pastor giving the prayer, I feel I make the determination when we need to move it on,� Rosenberger said.
He was not the only one who felt that way. After the Pledge of Allegiance, a hot mic picked up a female voice on the floor: �That was a sermon.�
Rosenberger�s action earned praise from Rep. Mike Curtin, D-Marble Cliff, who called it "entirely appropriate." Curtin covered the legislature for The Dispatch in the 1980s and did a story on the then-House chaplain, the Rev. Kenneth Grimes, a Catholic who was admired for his counsel and prayers that mixed inspiration and humor.
�He was very careful to acknowledge that the General Assembly is a diverse body,� Curtin said. "The opening prayer should reflect that diversity. It should reflect the Constitutional acknowledgement of there not being a state religion."
That, Curtin said, means not infusing the name of Jesus Christ into many lines of the prayer.
�I don�t think any members take objection to a Christian clergyman or woman making reference to Jesus Christ. But what we�ve had lately in this chamber for a period of years now is a heavy, almost Christian proselytizing as the opening prayer, which in my view is inappropriate,� Curtin said.
The House has not had a designated chaplain for more than 20 years.
Members, Curtin said, need to school visiting clergy on the protocol. Rosenberger agreed that members may need to do a better job briefing their guests on expectations prior to the prayer.
Over-the-top sermonizing, Curtin said, �doesn�t have a place in the public body.�
This is not the first time opening prayer has become an issue in the House. In 2007 under then-Speaker Jon Husted, the issue reached a tipping point when two Democrats walked off the floor during a prayer that made multiple references to Jesus and mentioned a controversial bill up for a vote that day.
That sparked a memo from the House clerk to members about the disregard for minister guidelines, �specifically the increasing tendency of our guest invocators to use language referring to a particular deity.�
For a brief time, the House began enforcing a requirement that all prayers from guest ministers be delivered to the clerk's office 72 hours in advance. The requirement was dropped after a few weeks.
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@phrontpageKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City's efforts to obtain $40 million in federal funding to replace an important bridge are unsettling officials for neighboring cities, who think the request would stop them from trying to get funds for their transportation projects.
The city wants the funds from the Surface Transportation Program to help pay the estimated $200 million cost of repairing the Buck O'Neil Bridge, which carries 44,000 drivers a day across the Missouri River. Mayor Sly James and City Manager Troy Schulte made the request in a letter to the Mid-America Regional Council, which allocates the funds to various projects in the Kansas City metro area.
Normally, MARC would allocate the funds — between $30 and $37 million — to multiple projects in the region, The Kansas City Star reported. Officials from nearby Grandview say Kansas City's request would take most, if not all, of the funds that the Missouri side of the metro region would get for two years.
"Not even having the chance (for the funds) is not fair or appropriate," said Dennis Randolph, public works director for Grandview, which planned to request $5 million of the funds for transportation projects.
Kansas City leaders, however, say a long closure of the Buck O'Neil Bridge "would have irreversible and devastating life-safety and economic impacts to the Kansas City region," the letter from James and Schulte warns.
The state has determined the bridge is deteriorating, and there were talks of starting repairs in 2019 but the proposed method would have required closing the bridge for two years.
James said this week "having that bridge closed for two years is the worst thing that could happen."
Replacing the Buck O'Neil Bridge without extensive closures would cost $200 million but the funding is uncertain. The Missouri Department of Transportation has offered up to $100 million in matching funds if Kansas City can get the rest.
But the transportation department has not identified where the $100 million match would come from, said Susan Barry, assistant district manager.
And Kansas City officials aren't sure where they would get $100 million, even if its $40 million request was approved.
Dena Mezger, public works director for Lee's Summit, said Kansas City officials at a meeting this week conceded the possibility of splitting its request over more than one funding cycle — each funding cycle lasts two years.
"It's a big ask," said Ron Achelpohl, director of transportation and environment at MARC. "It would compete with other needs in the region. There would be a number of jurisdictions that will have legitimate concerns."
Barry said the committee could decide to give Kansas City's a large part of its request but leave some money for other municipalities.
___
Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.comGood gravy! When we stealth-launched last night so we could get the Kickstarter ready for today's official launch, we figured we'd pick up a few early adopters, the alpha fans, the lovers, the dreamers, etc—but nooooo you had to go and outdo our expectations by a long shot.
We hit our $10k funding goal in just about 8 hours! Check you out! Funding like it ain't no thing. I bet you're all, "I backed Fate More when it wasn't even funded, but you probably haven't heard of it." Back away from the hipsterism, before it's too late!
(Thank you guys, so much. This was a great way to wake up!)
Anyway. You're a pro backer. You know what's what. And that means it's no surprise to you that it's time to reveal our first stretch goal. So let's get to it!
Total Science Bastards
In the Atomic Robo Roleplaying game, one of the best expressions of the Fate Core system we've published in the past few years, you have a chance to play the strange and specialized action scientists of Tesladyne, delving into the world's perilous, often Tesla-tech-powered mysteries as employees of Tesla's greatest creation, an immortal wisecracking atomic-powered robot. It's a great life, albeit a dangerous one, and you're doing good work for the betterment of mankind.
But not everyone sees it that way. Least of all the government. Enter Majestic 12, a secret government organization that has only recently stepped out into the light in the latest volume of the Atomic Robo webcomic. We've strapped Atomic Robo author Brian Clevinger to a chair, given him the eyedrops and injections, flipped on Beethoven's Ninth, and demanded he tell us everything he knows about Majestic 12. We'd say he cracked under the strain, but anybody who knows him knows he's already a bit cracked. But he talked anyway, just as we had planned, and not at all because we paid him to write about it stop looking at us like that!
Atomic Robo RPG author Mike Olson then got to work turning Brian's brain squeezings into cold, hard, science-bastardy mechanics for anybody looking to get into the exciting world of full-contact government work. And we got Atomic Robo artist to give us a few new pieces illustrating the various types of M12 operatives too. It's a team effort, soldier!
The result is an 80-page, graphic-novel-sized (6.625" x 10.25") supplement for the Atomic Robo RPG! This is the only softcover title we'll be offering as part of this campaign—we're keeping it softcover to match the core Robo RPG's size and format. Around the end of the campaign, as soon as the interior is in final shape, we'll provide the PDF to all backers at $10 or higher, and you can add this $20 title to your pledge as described in the reward tiers. We'll also debut a Triple Bibliophile reward tier after the stretch goal funds, for those who want to skip the troublesome math part and just grab one of each of the three titles revealed so far.
Still want more? (It's like you guys backed a Kickstarter that has the word more in the title or som—oh. Oh, I see. Yes, that makes sense now.) How about a look at the cover and copy?
Majestic 12. Secretly protecting the American public from dangerous technologies since 1947.
Join the government in their mission to save humanity with the Majestic 12 supplement for the Atomic Robo Roleplaying Game. Although they’re portrayed as antagonists in the popular comic book series, they don’t see it that way. They’re dedicated to protecting the American people by hunting down Tesla’s most advanced technology and keeping it out of enemy hands, and it doesn’t get much nobler than that.
Majestic isn’t just Total Science Bastards with Unlimited Gun Budgets, either. Behind every strike team is a score of intelligence agents, R&D specialists, and bureaucrats working around the clock. Step into their shoes with this supplement full of secret behind-the-scenes information on the workings of Majestic, its mission briefing process, and key players in this secret organization.
So that's the news! Hopefully Fred's mad scramble to get this put together and posted before you guys actually hit the $20,000 stretch goal is a success. Who knew Action Kickstarting was a thing?
Assuming y'all hit $20k before tomorrow, we'll be back then with a new stretch goal reveal—or sooner, depending on how this day goes. (Tomorrow's Fred's birthday. He might want a break. Don't give it to him! Stretch, people, stretch!)
Thank you as always for your support, and strap on in, this is looking to be a heck of a ride!At 13, Kanae Bunch knows her ticket out of the South Bronx. "Even if they call you nerd or whatever, it doesn't matter because you know what you're doing is right," she said. "There's no 'not' even in my mind not to go. It's like, 'What? You're not going to college?' I have to go. Priority." But before Kanae gets into college, she has to get into high school. She's aiming for one of New York City's elite specialized schools, which have long been considered a path to success for the city's poor and working-class students. Eight of these high schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Technical, are feeders to the country's best colleges and have produced 14 Nobel laureates. Every fall, nearly 30,000 eighth and ninth graders vie for one of these coveted seats by taking the Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT. It's been the basis for admission for more than 70 years. But recently it's been under attack. Many students find their neighborhood schools don't prepare them for the exam. At Kanae's school, more than 90 percent of students fail to even pass the state's standardized tests. And as a result, black and Hispanic enrollment at New York City's top high schools has plummeted to record lows. For the 2012-2013 school year, Stuyvesant High School, the city's most sought-after school, accepted only 19 black students out of 967 available spots in the freshman class.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the single-test entry requirement created a "rich-get-richer" system that benefits those who can afford pricey test prep. This summer, state legislators introduced a bill to change a 1971 law so that admission would include other factors. In 2012, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that the single-test system disproportionately hurt black and Latino students. "Really what the test is testing is how well you do on that test," explained Rachel Kleinman of the NAACP's LDF. "And therefore, students who have access to test prep or prioritized test prep are the ones who are getting in." But it's not affluent or white students who are acing the test and edging out less-privileged, minority applicants. In a twist that has raised uncomfortable cultural questions,it's Asian-American students, many of them low-income, who are beating out everyone.
'A test isn't racist'
Tahseen Chowdhury's family emigrated from Bangladesh to Queens in the early 1990s, where his father found a job in a Manhattan deli. Motivated by hopes of eventually running a tech startup, the 14-year-old travels almost three hours every day to and from Stuyvesant High School. "I feel that Stuyvesant is not a rich kids’ school, because most of the people I go to school with are not rich," Tahseen said. "They're in financial situations like me. They just try really hard. Their families try really hard and they find ways just to get prepped and to study and to get into here."
Tahseen commutes three hours a day to attend Stuyvesant High School, one of the jewels of New York City public education. Asian-Americans, New York City's fastest-growing racial minority group, make up around 13 percent of the city's population. And they account for more than 60 percent of the students at the city's specialized high schools. According to the city's most recent poverty measure, Asian-Americans also have the highest poverty rate of any racial group in New York City – 29 percent, compared to Latinos at 25 percent and blacks at 22 percent. Tahseen doesn't think the test is biased in favor of wealthy students who got fancy tutoring; he thinks it's biased toward people who studied really hard for the test. "I'm against changing the SHSAT because the SHSAT and Stuyvesant in general is based just on merit and how well you do in school and how well you succeed in the test," he said. "I feel like a test isn't racist." Tahseen did get extra help on the test; he spent two years prepping at Khan's Tutorial, one of many test prep centers in areas serving large populations of Asian-Americans. Ivan Khan, the president and CEO of Khan's Tutorial, believes it isn't higher income that gives these students an advantage. His company offers discounts to students who are especially in need, and he said the cost for most ends up being between $11 and $13. It's the tunnel focus of many of their families on ensuring their child's academic success that makes the real difference, he explained.
"No matter whether you're a physician back home in Korea or an engineer back in Bangladesh… for whatever reason you moved to the United States, most families have to start all over again," said Khan, himself a graduate of Bronx Science. "…It means working blue-collar jobs in the taxi industry, restaurant industry or shop owners, and all immigrants would love for their children to have better opportunities. And that's the main reason they migrated here in the first place." Many black and Hispanic families say their children aren't shuttled to tutoring places like Khan's because of money, as well as a lack of awareness that the SHSAT is something extra to prepare for outside of regular school. In its federal complaint and a subsequent report, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund urged New York City to adopt a more "holistic" approach to admissions, including interviews, recommendations, leadership skills, community service and other "quantitative and qualitative" factors to judge each candidate.
I feel that Stuyvesant is not a rich kids’ school, because most of the people I go to school with are not rich. They're in financial situations like me. They just try really hard. Tahseen Stuyvesant student
But some argue that such broadened admissions criteria would actually favor more affluent white students. Elaborate eighth-grade resumes, they say, often have a higher price tag than excellent test scores. The world of competitive college admissions offers some evidence. According to the award-winning research of University of California, Berkeley sociologist Jerome Karabel, Ivy League officials became alarmed at the skyrocketing number of Jewish students at their schools in the 1920s. So, they shelved their more objective, academic standard for admissions in favor of a more "holistic" and subjective approach that would allow them to better shape the ethnic makeup of their classes. Jewish enrollment dropped as a result. While anti-Jewish discrimination has faded away from the admissions offices of America's premier universities, Karabel refers to Asian-Americans as "the new Jews." It's a hard phenomenon to quantify, because numbers are scant. But a Princeton researcher and his collaborator analyzed admissions data at eight elite universities from 1997, the last year the schools released these numbers. They found that being Asian, compared to white, was the equivalent of a 140-point penalty on your SATs.
Breaking through
Before she's off to school, Kanae Bunch says a prayer over her breakfast. By pure demographics, Kanae's chance of admissions to one of the city's elite high schools is slim. But she may be one of the lucky ones. Kanae was chosen for a free, six-year college prep program called Breakthrough New York that offers tutoring and mentoring to high-potential, low-income students. She's given up her summers, weeknights and Saturdays. In exchange, she says, she's learned how, when and what to study to get a winning score on the SHSAT. And more than that, she says she's been exposed to a diverse array of people she never before imagined. "Coming from the South Bronx, it's really basically two cultures you can learn from: African-American and Hispanic. So, it's really the same kind of people," she said. "…And I'm like wow, I get to meet different people, different cultures, religions, different everything that you can think of… It's a whole world." The Breakthrough program has also opened Kanae up to a host of other college-prep high school options. She's already applied to several boarding schools and dreams of attending Brown University. She's hopes to one day become a writer. Kanae was the only student chosen for Breakthrough from her middle school, according to her mother Chrystal Bunch, who also teaches there. While Kanae feels fortunate, Bunch can't help thinking of the kids in this neighborhood who are left behind. "She had an opportunity but that was out of 350 students. What’s going to happen to the rest? Or what about the children who didn’t score so high but they’re still brilliant?" Kanae’s mother said. "…I have six kids at home, and again she’s the only one. What happens to the other five?”So, I've been waiting a long time for this exchange. I happen to be a nail polish addict. If there was a Nail Polish Anonymous I'm sure some friend of family member would encourage me to go to meetings. With over 200 bottles in my collection already, I knew this exchange was made just for me.
As soon as matching was done, my match messaged me saying how excited she was to shop for me. She had recognized me by my posts in r/RedditLaqueristas! I was SUPER excited myself to be matched up with a fan of mine since I'm such a huge superstar.
TODAY WAS THE DAY! Christmas in October. I was following my tracking and waiting by the door for the mail man. I ran out to get it as soon as I saw it! MY BOX! Bigger than I expected! I opened it up and it was filled with individual wrapped goodies & a note! The lovely Amanda also included 2 gifts for my little kitty. So sweet.
My polish goodies included 6 bottles & 1 nail art pen, toe separators, pumi bar, foam block file, nail file bar, nail art brush & dotting tool in one, and a cute little purse that had the cat toys in it. I gave my kitty the toys and she went nuts! She must've smelled other cats on them, or they were laced with cat nip, either way she had fun! I had to try out my new colors right away so I could post the results on here.
Big thanks to my match who made my day =] I couldn't have thought of better nail gifts to support my habit!RayOfTheVoid Profile Joined May 2011 Norway 95 Posts #1
So what you will have to do is: go to this link:
Then you will get redirected to diskjusjon.no's mainpage, so just go back to the link i posted above and there you will see the poll.
Thank you to those who voted for Starcraft II, you have really helped the Norwegian SC2 community and be sure to follow it once it gets rolling! :D
Source:
Translation:
Togheter with SteelSeries Gamer.No will arrange a nationwade esports league with one of the most popular games on the market. The league will have a price pool of 40 000 Norwegian kroners(Approx. 6500$.) which will be distributed over two seasons(Spring and Fall).
The tournament will kick off in about a month, and youre the ones that chose what game that will be played. The games you can chose from are Starcraft II, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and a series of other games. The choice is all yours!
The poll is in the forumpost that is linked down below and will end Monday the 17th of February. Shortly after the poll has ended we will announce the game that won and how the tournament will be organized. Sign-Ups will also open around the 17th, which gives the competitors about 3 weeks to practice before it all starts.
The norwegian gaming website Gamer.No is starting an esports league with a prize pool of 40 000 Norwegian kroners(Approx. 6500$.). There is a poll up right now where the game that will be played is elected. So what i ask of you dear Team Liquid users, is to create a account on the forum where the poll is being held and vote for SC2. This is one of the greatest oppurtunities for norwegian starcraft in a long time and it would be a shame if the money went to a Dota or LoL tournament.So what you will have to do is: go to this link: http://www.diskusjon.no/index.php?showtopic=1567078. Create an account(The green button in the upper right corner). Then you fill in your email and password. After that fill in the last field which is visningsnavn(Trans: Screen name) then accept the terms and conditions(Trans: Jeg godtar retningslinjene). You will also have to pass a test to prove that youre human. You have 5 different icons to the right and a text to the left. The second line in the text tells you what icon you need to choose in order to pass. The options are: Hjertet(Heart), Smilefjeset(The smiley), Apen(The monkey), Saks(The scissor) or Sola(The sun).Then you will get redirected to diskjusjon.no's mainpage, so just go back to the link i posted above and there you will see the poll.Thank you to those who voted for Starcraft II, you have really helped the Norwegian SC2 community and be sure to follow it once it gets rolling! :DSource: http://www.gamer.no/artikler/vi-starter-liga-med-40-000-kroner-i-premiepotten/156858 Translation:Togheter with SteelSeries Gamer.No will arrange a nationwade esports league with one of the most popular games on the market. The league will have a price pool of 40 000 Norwegian kroners(Approx. 6500$.) which will be distributed over two seasons(Spring and Fall).The tournament will kick off in about a month, and youre the ones that chose what game that will be played. The games you can chose from are Starcraft II, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and a series of other games. The choice is all yours!The poll is in the forumpost that is linked down below and will end Monday the 17th of February. Shortly after the poll has ended we will announce the game that won and how the tournament will be organized. Sign-Ups will also open around the 17th, which gives the competitors about 3 weeks to practice before it all starts. En Taro Adun, Executor.In 2014, Creationist Ken Ham said this about estimated attendance at Ark Encounter, his Noah’s Ark theme park which had not yet opened:
… the full-size Noah’s Ark, when it opens in 2016, is estimated to attract up to 2 million visitors a year.
Even after the attraction opened this past summer, NBC News reported Answers in Genesis giving the same estimate:
Ham hopes to attract close to 2 million guests in the attraction’s first year.
For a while now, we’ve been wondering what the attendance numbers actually are. We never received specific numbers, but drones in the parking lot have showed a lot of empty spaces relative to the capacity, even in the middle of the day.
Now we have some specifics. WLWT TV in Cincinnati ran a puff piece on Ark Encounter and quoted some actual attendance numbers, along with Ham’s estimate for the first year… and wouldn’t you know it? Ham’s projections are much lower today.
Just since July 7 [when the Ark opened], the number of people who have visited the Ark is about the same as the population of Cincinnati — around 300,000. And [they] are projecting about 1.4 million for the year…
The reporter added that attendance hovers between 4,000 – 7,000 a day.
“1.4 million for the year.” That would be a 30% drop in projected attendance since July.
Let’s do some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations here: If the park has been open for 71 days and has had 300,000 people show up, that’s an average of 4,225 people each day. At that pace, they would get just over 1.5 million people visiting in the first year, which is roughly what Ham is estimating.
But that’s assuming the pace remains the same during the winter, when the weather is bad, and during the school year, when kids have other obligations. That’s not going to happen. The attendance figures will only go down for at least the next several months.
You also have to remember that this attraction will draw in a lot of gawkers who come once and never again — and most of them will likely come in the first year. It’s not a theme park that most people will visit repeatedly. This isn’t a real museum; the exhibits aren’t going to change with new information.
So the 2 million visitor estimate was overstated. Just as we predicted.
There’s another bit of good news here, too. The tourism incentive that Ark Encounter is receiving from Kentucky taxpayers — worth up to $18 million — is based entirely on attendance numbers. If fewer people are visiting the Ark, that means less money will go from the state’s bank account to Creationists.
None of this is very surprising, though. The one thing we know about Ken Ham and his Creationist crew is that they’re awful when it comes to dealing with large numbers.The Real Reason Women Quit Tech (and How to Address It)
Rachel Thomas Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 3, 2016
This article has been translated into Portuguese by the Maria Lab and translated into Spanish by Anastassia Ivaškiva of Tallín University.
Women are more than twice as likely to quit the tech industry as men (41% vs 17%). Why is this happening? A study of 4,000 women who had recently changed jobs found that the #1 reason women leave companies is because of “a concern for the lack of advancement opportunity.” An extensive survey of hundreds of books, articles, and white papers concludes that women leave the tech industry because “they’re treated unfairly; underpaid, less likely to be fast-tracked than their male colleagues, and unable to advance.” A study by the Center for Talent Innovation found that 27% of women in tech feel stalled in their careers and 32% are likely to quit within one year; 48% of Black women in tech feel stalled.
Photo from #WOCinTech Chat
It’s harder for women to get promoted for a number of reasons. Women frequently experience being excluded from more creative and innovative roles and instead channeled into less fulfilling execution roles, not receiving high visibility “stretch” assignments, having to prove themselves again and again, and having their ideas ignored until a man makes the same suggestion later (a study from Harvard, Wharton, and MIT found that men’s voices are perceived as more persuasive, fact-based, and logical than women’s voices, even when they are reading identical pitches). Researchers have found that women receive more vague feedback and personality criticism in performance evaluations, whereas men receive actionable advice tied to business outcomes. Women in tech are less likely to get their ideas green-lighted for development than men (30% vs 37%). A study of 1,800 professionals found that without diverse leadership, women are 20% less likely than straight white men to win endorsement for their ideas.
The Secret Key to Diversity
The first step, and the most important step, to improving diversity is to make sure that you are treating the women and people of color who already work at your company very well. This includes: appreciate their contributions, assign them to high impact projects, bring up their accomplishments in high level meetings, pay them equitably, provide chances to grow their skillset, listen to them, help them prepare for promotions, give them good managers, believe them about their experiences, and generally support them. Because of unconscious bias, these are actions that we are more likely to do for white men.
Without completing this first step of treating current employees well, even if you are able to hire more women and people of color, you won’t be able to retain them, and a bad reputation would make it harder for your company to attract talent in the future. Engineer Alice Goldfuss tweeted:
People talk and find out which companies are known for being toxic or biased environments, and which companies are giving people from underrepresented backgrounds opportunities to grow and thrive. Engineer Jessie Frazelle tweeted:
Warning: Mentorship is NOT the solution
On the surface, mentorship seems like it could be a good way to help people advance their careers, but the data shows this is only true for men, because mentors provide different things for men than for women. A study of 4,000 women and men who graduated from top MBA programs (surveyed in 2008 and again in 2010) found that when women receive mentorship, it’s advice on how they should change and gain more self-knowledge. When men receive mentorship, it’s public endorsement of their authority and concrete steps to take charge and make career moves. Guess which one is more helpful? Men who received mentorship were statistically more likely to be promoted, but that was not true for women who were mentored.
The study found that women were more likely than men to have mentors; however the women were also in lower-level positions, paid less, less satisfied, and less likely to be promoted than the men. Sponsorship is when a mentor goes beyond giving advice to using their influence with senior executives to advocate for the mentee. With a sponsor, women in tech are 70% more likely to have their ideas endorsed, 119% more likely to see their ideas developed, and 200% more likely to see their ideas implemented, compared to women without a sponsor.
Pipeline to Senior Roles
A few years ago, women comprised only 10% of the leadership and staff engineer roles at Intuit despite making up 24% of the engineering team, and women were 3x less likely to be ready for promotion than their male counterparts. In response, Intuit created a talent pipeline for senior roles: director, manager of managers, architects, and principal engineer.
Vinay Pai, VP of Engineering at Intuit, asked directors, architects, and principal engineers to identify promising women managers and women staff engineers, and to provide mentorship with the explicit goal of helping prepare them for promotions to more senior roles. After 1 year, the promotion readiness gap between men and women had been eliminated, several women were promoted, retention increased, and employee engagement (of both men and women) was higher. Although Intuit’s program was only about promoting women, it should be expanded to other underrepresented groups to avoid “colorless diversity” that primarily benefits White women.
Photo from #WOCinTech Chat
Researchers at Deutsche Bank hypothesized that women managing directors were leaving the firm to work for competitors because they were seeking greater work/life balance. However, they discovered instead that women were leaving because they were being offered higher ranking jobs by competitors that they weren’t being considered for internally. Deutsche bank responded by creating a sponsorship program to pair executive committee members with women, and one third of participants moved to larger roles at the bank within a year.
The Wage Gap is Real
There are gender and racial pay gaps in tech, and things are worst for women of color, who experience the compound effects of both. A study by the American Institute for Economic Research found that on average Latina women software developers earn 20% less annually than White men. Latina, Asian, and Black women software developers all earn less than White, Black, and Asian men, and less than White women (Latino men are an exception, earning less than any other group except for Latina women). Another study found that just 1 year out of college, women make 88% of what men do in engineering and 77% of what men do in computer and information science (this gap will increase over time with the power of compounding).
Some people dismiss the gender pay gap by arguing that women choose lower-paying fields; however, the causality is opposite: pay
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the ads in Australia and Thailand. It said it's now commencing their expansion to users around the world. The details of the platforms and locations they're being enabled on remain vague. The ads are still being presented as a "beta" product but it's pretty clear that they're really here to stay. More about Facebook, facebook messenger, Messenger, Advertising, Online advertising Facebook facebook messenger Messenger Advertising Online advertising online ads Adverts AppsA Utah school bus driver was arrested Monday on suspicion of DUI after driving erratically and nearly hitting a car on a busy stretch of highway while taking 67 elementary-school students on a field trip, authorities said.Lycia Martinez, 39, is suspected of having taken prescription anti-anxiety/muscle-relaxer pills, which were found in her purse, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Blaine Robbins said.A motorist and a parent on the bus made 911 calls about the swerving, Robbins said. They said several drivers were honking their horns as Martinez failed to stay in the carpool lane.Patrolmen pulled over the bus on an Interstate 15 off-ramp in the northern Utah city of Draper - about 40 miles south of where the trip started.The fifth- and sixth-graders on the bus were oblivious to the situation, said the sergeant, who handed out pencils to the students as they were waiting for another bus driver to arrive. That driver shuttled the children the rest of the way to a student council conference at Brigham Young University.The students came from four different schools in the northern Utah cities of Layton and South Weber, said Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams.Martinez, who has worked for the district for six years without any known previous incident, is on paid administrative leave during the investigation, Williams said.There will be three videos below (1) Dash Cam (2) Parent's 911 Call (3) 911 Call, as well as two images (1) Arrest Log (2) Mugshot. If for any reason, any of the items are not displayed below, you can play them directly from the Media section to the rightDash Cam Video911 Call From Motorist Who Was Concerned About The Kids911 Call From A Parent Aboard The Busfile not foundArrest Document From Salt Lake County Sheriff's OfficeLycia Martinez's Mug ShotICO Thoughts (episode 1) Setting a CAP
Flixxo Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 26, 2017
48hs after D-Day, and having raised more than 8200 ETH (65% over our Low Cap), I wake up again in an hotel room somewhere in the world, about to attend another conference in which everybody will speak ICO language. It is like an endless dream in which you are trapped in a Star-Trek convention where a bunch of grown-ups in disguise only speak Klingon.
I really love the concept behind ICO but, maybe because I´m exhausted, I´ve started to be very critical of many models.
“Our hard cap is 30M. Our soft Cap is 1M”… Wow! If you´re looking to raise 30M what would you be able to do with only one million? Maybe that million is closer to the fundraising expectations of the company and being afraid of losing everything, they set a cap that at least cover their ICO costs.
Soft cap is set on top of fear. Hard cap on top of greed.
So… you want to build up a product. And you can bring up and MVP and a smart communication plan with, let´s say, one million dollars. That should be your soft cap, a number in which you can really are able to come up with something and build value on top of it. You think you can raise more, that the market is sweet and money is all around falling from the trees? But, what would you use that money for? How would this extra money be able to make you build more value on top of your project? Let´s be honest, if you can make it with 1M, then 2M is extraordinary. 3M is starting to dilute the value of the contributors.
ICO contributors are expecting you to raise the value of their participation, and it is way easier to bring value out of a realistic cap.
I´m starting to think that the difference between the soft cap and the hard cap of an ICO project is inversely proportional with the chances of the team on delivering a successful product. A huge difference has to be a red flag for anyone participating on this ecosystem.Overlook Mountain and Echo Lake
Hike to Overlook Mountain & Echo Lake The picture on the left is the parking lot for this hike. It is a very large parking lot, but it does fill up on a summer weekend. This is a very popular hike. This parking lot can probably hold 30 cars.
The image on the RIGHT shows the road you will be walking up. It is a well graded road with gravel dust laid on it all the way to the top.
At mile post 1.25 you will encounter a branch in the road. This is a loop road. Stay to the LEFT.
At mile post 1.83, you will encounter the Picture on the LEFT is the ruins of the old Overlook Mountain House. It has a very sad history. The original owner planned on building a high quality hotel. But, it never opened. His grandson planned on finishing the hotel when he returned from WWII. But, upon returning local people had stripped the hotel of it's fixtures and the only thing left was a shell of the building.
Note: It should be noted that at this point you will there are Timber Rattlesnakes in the area. You can sometimes find them around the hotel. They are from the hotel up to the Fire Tower. Be very careful where you walk. If you walk up the middle of the road, you will be able to avoid them. Sometimes they will be stretched across the road, or you will find the coiled up on the side of the road, or just off the road.
The picture on the LEFT is the guest house, which is behind the Overlook Mountain House.
Just beyond the Overlook Mountain House and the guest house is the water supply for the hotel.
At mile post 1.99, you will encounter the trail junction in the picture. Left will take you to Echo Lake and Platte Clove. Right will take you to the peak of Overlook Mountain House and the Fire Tower. Go RIGHT up the road.
At mile post 2.37, you will come to the old Ranger Station. There are now exhibits inside. There is often a volunteer on-site. If you would like to see a Rattlesnake, just ask. They usually know where one is hanging out.
At mile post 2.41 you will come to the Fire Tower. You can climb the tower and see the great views from the top. You can see the Hudson River, Ashokan Reservoir, Westkill Mountains, Indian Head Mountain Range, and Overlook Mountain.
The picture on the RIGHT is a Timber Rattlesnake that was coiled up behind a rock 15 feet away from our picnic table.
Reverse your course back to the old Ranger Station. Take the trail on the right side of the Ranger Station to get out to the ledges. At mile post 2.55, you will arrive at the ledges. After enjoying the view from the ledges, reverse your course back to the Ranger Station, and go back down the road to the Trail Junction to Echo Lake.
At mile post 3.01 you will come back to the Trail Junction to Echo Lake and Platte Clove. Take a RIGHT and take the path to Echo Lake.
The picture on the RIGHT will show you what the trail is like. The trail will descend in elevation for about 1 mile before it comes to the Eastern Escarpment.
Remember to watch for Rattlesnakes on the side of the trail for the first 1/2 mile. Rattlesnakes can be seen anywhere from the Overlook Hotel ruins to Echo Lake, so don't assume that they are no longer where you are hiking.
At mile post 4.51, you will come to the Trail Junction to Echo Lake. The picture on the left shows the sign on the left side of the trail. The picture on the right shows the sign on the right side of the path
The picture on the left shows what the trail looks like as you descend down to Echo Lake. This trail is usually very wet, and can be slippery.
At mile post 5.25, you will come to the Echo Lake Lean-To and the Echo Lake. On a nice summer weekend, this Lean-To is usually full. It is a very common camping location. We have seen up to 25 campers at this location. Most have to camp outside the Lean-To.
There is a trail that goes around the lake. We didn't track the mileage on this trail.
NOTE: There are Timber Rattlesnakes at Echo Lake. Black bears also like to visit the camping area.
The picture on the left is approximately 1/2 the view of the lake. You can see the telephone tower by the ruins from the camping area.
When you are done, reverse the course back to the parking lot. Some people like to put a second car at Platte Clove and they hike to Platte Clove instead of returning back to the Overlook Parking Lot.Apple’s close relationship with U2 has been long-standing and, from an outsider’s point of view, pretty harmless. Indeed, the fact that the Irish band’s latest album Songs of Innocence was to be released for free as an iTunes exclusive was clearly a win for the consumer. The move, which was announced after Apple’s iPhone 6 event last week, presumably meant that U2 fans could get their fill for free – excellent – while non-U2 fans could just skip the release. Much to the surprise of just about everyone outside Apple, though, the album was pushed out to just about everyone with an iOS device, much to the bemusement of those who don’t happen to like U2.
There’s a saying that one should never look a gift horse in the mouth, so from one aspect, one could argue that Apple have something away for free, so what’s the big deal? Unfortunately in this modern Digital Age, consumers are adverse to such thing as bloatware, which is usually takes the form of an app, or game, or in this case, album that they did not ask for or want.
Often, when purchasing a new device, we’re forced to remove boatloads of content placed by the carrier, manufacturer or even a third-party reseller. But while iOS users tend to get off lightly in this regard compared to their Android-using counterparts, the same cannot be said for U2’s latest collection of noise.
If you deem Songs of Innocence to be guilty of unlawful intrusion into your iTunes account, Apple has thankfully made it painless to remove it. It’s an impromptu move seemingly triggered by the negative reactions, and below, we’ve prepared a short guide.
Step 1: First and foremost, point your browser to itunes.com/soi-remove
Step 2: Next, be sure to read the information that Apple provides on the landing page. When you’ve done this, click on the ‘Remove Album’ button.
Step 3: Finally, key in your Apple ID credentials, and voilà, no more Songs of Innocence on your playlist.
For all of the seemingly good decisions that Apple has made with its products, we’re not really sure what Apple was playing at here, but if nothing else, hopefully the company has realised that not everybody gives as much of a damn about U2 as it does.
On a side-note, it’d be nice to have the option to remove purchases from iTunes / App Store accounts as standard, right?
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
Related StoriesSCP-2579
A male instance of SCP-2579 performing the Nae Nae, a popular hip-hop dance, in an attempt to court a female instance.
Item #: SCP-2579
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: All known instances of SCP-2579 are contained at Zoological Containment Site-282. They are to be housed in a large containment enclosure that adequately emulates a Pacific Northwestern forest. Food is to be placed in the enclosure twice daily.
Description: SCP-2579 is a species of bear that is nearly identical to the Ussuri brown bear (Ursus arctos lasiotus), primarily found in Japan. Instances were originally discovered living near the Canadian/Washington state border, and seem to have adapted to living in a Pacific Northwestern environment. SCP-2579 instances are generally non-anomalous, with diets and behavioral patterns being identical to normal bears. They are noted to have two anomalous properties. The first property is in regards to mating behaviors during the breeding season. The second anomalous property is the formation and presence of a cybernetic device (labelled SCP-2579-1) in the brains of SCP-2579 instances.
Male SCP-2579 instances are able to anomalously produce music. This is believed to originate from the cybernetic device within their brains. During breeding season, male instances will attempt to court females by playing music and harmonizing with it using guttural vocalizations in cadence with the current song. The music is noted to generally be songs popular in the United States, such as "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift, "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" by Silentó, or "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO. All of the songs played during mating rituals are from the current Billboard Top 100. Males will often attempt to perform dances associated with the songs being played.
Occasionally two male instances will compete for the right to breed with a female instance. Instead of engaging in physical combat, instances will perform elaborate dance routines, with music accompanying the style of dance. SCP-2579 instances have been observed breakdancing, pop and locking, and krumping. Several instances have also been observed to perform fad dances, depending on the music playing. These dances have included the Nae Nae and Gangnam Style.
SCP-2579-1 is a small device embedded in the brains of all adult instances of SCP-2579. The device naturally forms over time as instances grow. An instance of SCP-2579-1 has three primary components: a small solid-state storage drive, a wireless signal receiver, and the external cover. The cover is primarily made of a keratin-like substance. The storage drive and the wireless signal receiver appear to be made from bone, iron deposits, silicon, and [REDACTED]. SCP-2579-1 do not seem to impede SCP-2579 instances in any way. Due to SCP-2579-1's similar material composition to SCP-003, it is theorized that the two anomalies are related.
The cover for SCP-2579-1 instances have "Grant's Zoo for Cybernetic Enhanced Bears" in raised lettering. There are several files present on the storage drive of the devices. These include a readme text file, several configuration files, and 100-150 songs in mp3 format. The songs are updated on a weekly basis, based on the current list of "Billboard Hot 100" songs.Can Donald Trump win the Republican nomination? Probably, but not certainly! Can Trump win in November against Hillary? Possibly, but not likely. Can Trump win without closing the gender gap? Absolutely not.
Trump and his advisers need to learn to count beyond delegates.
One of Donald Trump’s favorite putdowns against his opponents is: "He's a loser!" If he continues on his present path and rhetoric, even if he squeaks by and ekes out the Republican nomination, he will be defeated in the general election by a landslide and that phrase will be tattooed across his forehead for life.
Even his creative hair styling won’t be able to cover it up. LOSER will be there in bold print. It will be stamped right there on his forehead for the world to see. And the person who put it there will be Hillary Clinton along with a major assist from his own party.
Trump is a great counter puncher but likes to kick and insult his opponents after he's knocked them down. You don't gain points or supporters by being an ungracious winner.
Trump can't continue to divide the Republican Party, which is already a minority party, by attacking his fellow primary opponents even after they've dropped out.
If Trump wants to be president, and I assume he does, he needs to make a major adjustment to his strategy or as I suspect, develop a strategy.
Successful politics is a game of addition. You must first unify your party and build on it.
Trump is literally a former builder. He must understand the importance of building a strong foundation.
Right now, his foundation is full of cracks and the Republican Party is as divided as I have seen in the 50 years I've been around the game.
Trump is presently getting 37 percent of Republican voters. His biggest deficiency is among Republican women where the latest Wall Street Journal poll shows that 47 percent of Republican women say they will not vote for Trump if he is the nominee.
That is a sure formula for a landslide defeat, even to a vulnerable Hillary Clinton.
Two things must be the focus for Trump and must be his team's agenda every day. First, bring Republicans home. And, second, add women voters!
Trump can't win a general election by repeatedly attacking and insulting the majority of voters (women). The gender gap is real and growing. Women decided the election in 2012. The margin of victory was cast by women voters and the gap between President Obama and Mitt Romney among woman voters was 12 percent. Women voters will be the deciding vote again in 2016 and that gap has the potential to grow even larger.
In his 2012 loss, Romney got 93 percent of the Republican vote and McCain, in 2008 got 90 percent.
George W. Bush in his two wins got 93 percent in 2004 and 91 percent in 2000.
Looking at the numbers game, Trump must get over 90 percent – minimum -- of Republicans to support his nomination to be a viable candidate in a general election.
In order to do that he has to do a lot of repair work among the base and with the other candidates and their supporters.
Trump starts this election with extremely high negatives, 65 percent in the latest Fox News poll, and even higher in other polls (the highest of any presidential candidate running in the history of polling!)
Trump has insulted and trashed all his fellow candidates in the race, along with the recent nominees of the party: Dole, McCain, Romney. Trump also called former President George W. Bush a liar.
Of course the only Republican nominee he supported for president was Romney in 2012.
In previous elections he was a Democrat/independent/businessman and he cast his vote for their opponents.
Fast forward to 2016: Trump has made up for his Romney endorsement by calling him the biggest loser of all.
Even if Trump manages to repair his relations with his own party he must also end his perceived war on women. The attacks on Mrs. Cruz (whether he started it or not he certainly threw gas on the flames) have to stop.
His ongoing feud with Michelle Fields, Megyn Kelly and other female journalists also has to stop.
When 68 percent of voters don’t think you have the right temperament to be president (including 48 percent of Republicans, 64 percent of independents,64 percent of white voters, and 76 percent of women) it gets awfully hard to get the 65 million plus votes you will need to get elected.
Mr. Trump is a hell of a salesman. He's already convinced a lot of voters in the primaries he can do the job. But to get across the finish line as the winner -- not the loser -- is going to take a coordinated, and disciplined plan of action.
First and foremost, Mr. Trump needs some substantive policy advisers in both foreign and economic areas. Sound bites alone won't work in the fall campaign.
The world is a mess and good intentions and a "can do attitude" is not enough.
Trump needs to map out how he is going to win both the necessary constituencies and the swing states that can get him to 270 electoral votes or more.
If he doesn’t begin to pivot now, he's going to lose and so will the party he has now joined and wants to lead.
But the first steps are to quit insulting women, his fellow Republicans and minorities (and leave Mrs. Cruz and the female reporters alone). Mr. Trump, if you don't, I guarantee you, the last thing voters will say to you is: "You're fired!"The source of a Fox News commentator's claim that then-President Barack Obama enlisted British intelligence to spy on Donald Trump during the recent election campaign is reportedly the same man who propagated the baseless claim that Michelle Obama used a racial slur against white people.
Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA intelligence officer, told Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano that Obama used the GCHQ, Britain's high-tech global listening post that monitors communications around the world, to spy on Trump, according to The New York Times.
Johnson called the Times at Napolitano's behest. He confirmed to the newspaper that he was one of the sources for the judge's claims - which were then repeated by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday.
The White House had latched onto the disputed Fox News report on Thursday in its latest battle with the press to produce evidence of Trump's claim that Obama wiretapped him.
Larry C. Johnson (seen in the middle testifying before Congress in 2005), a former CIA intelligence officer, is a source of a Fox News commentator's claim that then-President Barack Obama enlisted British intelligence to spy on Donald Trump during the recent election
Johnson (left) is the same man who propagated the baseless claim that Michelle Obama (right) used a racial slur against white people that was caught on camera
He started it: The row with Britain - first over claims of spying, then over who did or did not apologize - was prompted by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer quoting Fox News' Judge Andrew Napolitano. Johnson was one of Napolitano's sources
It quoted Napolitano as saying that 'three intelligence sources' had told the network about President Obama using GCHQ to access transcripts of Trump phonecalls without leaving any official record.
Johnson said that he had gotten the information from his own sources inside the US intelligence community.
No regrets: Sean Spicer told reporters on Friday that the White House did not apologize to Britain for saying its spies helped surveil Trump - contradicting UK intelligence sources who were already denying that they would spy on their closest ally
Spicer's remarks prompted a rare and furious response from GCHQ, which denied the claim.
The incident sparked a diplomatic row, since it infuriated the British government and intelligence officials who felt that Trump's top spokesperson was essentially accusing the UK of violating the Five Eyes Agreement.
Spicer on Friday denied he apologized to Britain for repeating the claim.
'I don't think we regret anything,' Spicer told reporters who asked him directly if the White House had apologized to Britain's government, CNN reported.
He replied: 'No, we were just passing on news reports.'
Intelligence sources said both Spicer and General H.R. McMaster, the US National Security Adviser, had apologized over the claims - meaning Spicer is now at odds not once, but twice with the British spies.
No evidence: Fox News anchor Shep Smith described the claims initially made by Judge Andrew Napolitano as 'commentary' for which there was no evidence
WHAT FOX NEWS JUDGE SAID TO START UK-US STANDOFF Andrew Napolitano, a former judge who is the Fox News senior judicial analyst, appeared on Fox and Friends on Monday and was interviewed by Brian Kilmeade. Here is what he said. Judge Napolitano: OK so the statues authorize the president of the United States to order the surveillance of any person in the United States of America without suspicion, without probable cause, and without a warrant, meaning he doesn't have to go to a court to do it. So he can order the NSA, which already has the digital version of our phonecalls to transcribe the digital version into a transcript and give it to him. But if he does that there's a record of the order. So three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command. He didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI and he didn't use the Department of Justice. He used GCHQ. What the heck is GCHQ? That's the initials for the British spying agency. They have 24/7 access to the NSA database. So by simply having two people go to them saying 'President Obama needs transcripts of conversations involving candidate Trump, conversations involving President-elect Trump', he's able to get it and there's no American fingerprints on this. Brian Kilmeade: So you're saying that the British used their version of the CIA to wiretap Donald Trump's phone? Judge Napolitano: Well it's not a wiretap. The concept of plugging a wire into a phonebox in the basement of a building is what the law was when the statues were written in 1978. Everything is done electronically now, via computer. The NSA has 24/7, 365 access to every mainframe computer of every telecom and every computer service provider that does business in the United States and they share that with various intelligence agencies including the Brits. So the British intelligence agency had this. What happened to the guy who ordered this? Resigned. And three days after Donald Trump was inaugurated.
Britain's ambassador to the United States Sir Kim Darroch spoke directly to Spicer about the incident in the White House.
Sources told CNN that the meeting was'serious' in tone - and not cordial.
McMaster also spoke to his British counterpart, Sir Mark Lyall.
The White House said in a Friday morning statement that Darroch and Lyall 'expressed their concerns' to the Trump administration officials.
'Mr. Spicer and General McMaster explained that Mr. Spicer was simply pointing to public reports, not endorsing any specific story.'
No 10 today said it had received assurances the claims would not be repeated.
'The apology came direct from them,' an intelligence source told the Telegraph.
Another source told the Sun: 'Under the Five Eyes convention, we never spy on our main allies, and that includes the United States.
'This allegation is so off the scale crazy, it's very hard to understand.'
At his Friday press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump directly referred to the judge's claim when he was asked about wiretapping - despite the promise apparently made to the British government not to repeat it.
'All we did was quote a certain, very talented legal mind who was the one responsible for saying that on television,' Trump said.
'I didn't make an opinion on it. That was a statement made by a very talented lawyer on Fox. And so you shouldn't be talking to me, you should be talking to Fox.'
But the credibility of the claim was falling apart on Friday afternoon as Fox News anchor Shepard Smith distanced the network from the judge's report - calling it 'commentary'.
'Fox News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano's commentary,' Smith on his afternoon news show.
'Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind, that the now president of the United States was surveilled at any time, in any way, full stop.'
Judge Napolitano made his claim on air since Monday - and the description of it as 'commentary' is at odds with how he originally said it.
On Fox & Friends, he said that 'three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command'.
Later the same day he diluted slightly his position. He told Outnumbered: 'Fox News has spoken to intelligence community members who believe that surveillance did occur, that it was done by British intelligence.'
And he further diluted the claim in feature on the Fox News website called Judge Napolitano's Chambers, using the word 'probable' to describe that version of events.
Spicer had made use of it on Thursday after a stinging rebuke from the Senate.
Just before press secretary he was due to take questions from reporters on camera, the Republican head of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the panel's top Democrat released a joint statement affirming a lack of evidence to support the president's claim.
Meanwhile, a British tabloid is reporting that UK intelligence officials believe the claim of GCHQ spying on Trump at the behest of Obama originated with Russia.
'We have identified the site where the claim was first made,' an intelligence official was quoted as telling The Sun.
This undated photograph shows the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in west central England
British officials have denied Napolitano's report. 'No part of this story is true,' a British government official told Fox News. British PM Theresa May is seen above
Napolitano had said: 'They have 24/7 access to the NSA database, so by simply having two people go to them and saying, 'President needs transcripts of conversations involving candidate President-elect Trump,' he's able to get it and there's no American fingerprints on it'
Trump said Wednesday in a Fox News interview that he was referring to surveillance of all kinds, not just the form he specified in his tweets - wiretapping. So far, the FBI has not produced evidence that he was spied on in any way
'The whole incident bears all the hallmarks of the Russians. It's a shame people who should know better fell for it.'
The Sun says that GCHQ investigated the matter and found that the allegation was first disseminated throughout fake news sites created by the Russians.
The newspaper reported that spreading false claims is a tactic used often by Russia as a means of sowing dissension among allies.
While the US has formally apologized, it may not pacify everyone in Britain.
The former foreign minister, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, is calling on Washington to make clear that there is no evidence that GCHQ ever took part in espionage against Trump.
'That's just foolish and very, very dangerous stuff, and President Trump better get a grip - not only on his own press officer, but on the kind of encouragement being given from the White House that makes a press officer make these stupid remarks in the first place,' Rifkind told BBC Radio 4.
'It's dangerous because we're not talking about a candidate for the presidency, that would be bad enough. We're talking about the president of the US. You cannot have his official spokesman making allegations against a fellow NATO government.'I’m a 21 year old white male living in the United States preparing to leave my birthplace of Dayton OH to travel across the country to Montana, and then California with little more than 200 dollars to my name with a car full of friends to discover if its possible to escape from a modern consumerist culture like the one in which I was raised in favor of a low impact nomadic inspired lifestyle in which I plan to use the power of modern technology to become a permanent volunteer through services such as WWOOF and other work exchange opportunities. I plan on utilizing various forms of media to document this expedition start to finish including a video camera for youtube vlogs and the android smart phone I’m currently typing on, both of which will be powered indefinitely with renewable solar energy.
While ideally I plan on living without a car we will be planning on using my 2000 Ford Focus with 140,000 miles on it for the trip to San Francisco, upon arrival I plan on immediately scrapping, auctioning, selling it for what little I can get for food and other expenses.
We plan on leaving June 20th which is when this blog will officially be started but I plan on posting a few updates between now and then.
AdvertisementsNorth American manga publisher Kodansha Comics announced on Wednesday that it has licensed Adachitoka's action fantasy manga series Noragami as Noragami: Stray God. The company plans to release the first volume of the series this fall.
Kodansha Comics describes the story:
Yato is a stray god. He doesn't even have a shrine, not to mention worshipers! Hoping he'll eventually raise enough money to build himself the lavish temple of his dreams, Yato accepts all kinds of jobs. Of course, he can't afford to be picky; from finding lost kittens to helping a student overcome bullies, no job is too small for Yato, the god-for-hire! An eccentric story with a charming cast of characters!
Adachitoka launched the manga in the Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine in 2011, and it has since inspired an anime adaptation that is currently streaming on Funimation as it airs in Japan.'Oklahoma City' Explores Anti-Government Sentiments That Contributed to Bombing
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
If we were to ask what is the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, what would you say? Certainly 9/11. But before that, it was the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. That's when a former soldier named Timothy McVeigh set off explosives packed into a rental truck in front of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building and killed 168 people, including children at the day care center and civil servants who worked on Social Security claims, housing vouchers and payments to veterans. Timothy McVeigh, who was convicted and executed for the crime in 2001, was understood to have embraced white supremacy and strong anti-government beliefs.
But just how he came to have those beliefs and what role those ideas have played in American life is the subject of a new documentary. It's called "Oklahoma City," and it was written and directed by Barak Goodman. We reached him in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival last week, where the film was being screened. Mr. Goodman, thank you so much for joining us.
BARAK GOODMAN: Thank you so much for inviting me on.
MARTIN: The film spends a lot of time talking about two previous incidents of government confrontation with separatist groups, Ruby Ridge and Waco. Can you just briefly try to remind us of what those events were and why they are relevant to this film about Oklahoma City?
GOODMAN: Ruby Ridge was a confrontation between the FBI and a family of white separatists called the Weavers in northern Idaho. The relevance for our film is that it inflamed a nascent far-right movement - really a very old movement, but a new flowering of that movement. And then six months later, at Waco, people will probably remember the standoff with the Branch Davidians. The Branch Davidians were not white supremacists at all.
But again, it was the symbolism of the surrounding of this compound by federal agents and then the ultimate tragic death of, you know, upwards of 80 people inside. And for McVeigh personally, these two events confirmed his worst fears about the government, his worst grievances and anger. They were key moments in his radicalization, which is why we go back and tell those stories.
MARTIN: Tell us a little bit more about Timothy McVeigh for people who may not remember him. What's his story?
GOODMAN: So McVeigh was a ordinary suburban kid, grew up outside Buffalo, N.Y., was in love with guns from a very early age. He was a bit isolated. Ended up in the Army because of his love of guns, went to Iraq and began to develop this deep antipathy for the federal government. He felt that he was a tool for an unjust war. And then when he came back, his life began to fall apart. He couldn't get a job. He was lonely. He fell into this sort of subculture of far-right ideology mostly at gun shows, where he would trade old army surplus to make a living.
And it was there that the radicalization really happened, especially with this book called "The Turner Diaries," which is almost the Bible of the far-right movement. And gradually, he became bent on committing some kind of - what he regarded as a kind of active insurgency against the government in an ongoing war. And he developed his plan to bomb the Murrah Building.
MARTIN: You include some tape from a jailhouse interview with McVeigh where he talks about his motives.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "OKLAHOMA CITY")
TIMOTHY MCVEIGH: From a military perspective, to get a message across you need to hurt them where they hurt the most. The only way they're going to feel something and the only way they're going to get the message is with a body count.
MARTIN: Did he have any remorse about the fact that children were killed?
GOODMAN: I don't know whether McVeigh was classically or clinically a sociopath, but the tapes are absolutely chilling. He believed he was a soldier in an ongoing war with the government. And in war there is collateral damage, and these innocent children in the day care center were part of that. They were simply collateral damage.
MARTIN: The journalists and the police that you interviewed called this movement the far right. It appears at a very interesting moment in our history where we are understanding what many people are calling the resurgence of something called the alt-right. Do you see parallels between these movements? Are there connections to your knowledge and according to your reporting?
GOODMAN: I am not an expert on the alt-right and don't pretend to be, what we're calling the alt-right today. Certainly those connections have been made by people like the Southern Poverty Law Center, which does track these things. My hope is that our film will open people's eyes to this very deeply-held grievance against the federal government that unites a lot of people and keeps reappearing periodically through American history. And it has these moments where it bursts into our consciousness, and I think Oklahoma City was such a movement.
Whether that's happening now I think we'll only know in hindsight. I do think that people looking out today will benefit from understanding the dynamics of what happened in the mid-'90s. And they can apply that knowledge and that deeper understanding to what's happening now and make their own judgments.
MARTIN: I want to dig into - a little bit into the range of beliefs. You're saying that they're not motivated by just one perspective. Tell me a little bit about that.
GOODMAN: Yes, I think the movement is - it's a continuum, I would say. And on one side are people motivated chiefly by Second Amendment passions, that they are worried that the federal government is coming to take their guns away. And I would say that McVeigh was further in that direction. On the other side of the continuum are pure white supremacists often motivated by a perversion of Christianity called Christian Identity where - in which they believe this country is meant for them, they are the ones who are supposed to be running this country, everybody else is inferior.
But I think what really unites all of these people is this vesting
|
, has killed at least 11 people, according to officials cited by AP. More than 50 others, including foreigners, have reportedly been injured.
The fire began in the hotel kitchen in the early hours of Monday, according to police officer Tauqeer Naeem. The exact cause of the fire is not yet known.
Some of the deaths were caused by suffocation, according to Dr. Semi Jamali of Jinnah's Hospital in Karachi.
At least 65 people were brought to the emergency department, Jamali told local outlet Dawn. Among the patients were people who had fractured bones after jumping from windows, those who had been hurt by shattered glass and many who had suffered from smoke inhalation.
Jamali said that foreigners are among those being treated for burns.
Hotel fire kills 11, injures 70 including foreigners in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi https://t.co/uBAOUOz7fmpic.twitter.com/3MnSHhhNxx — China Xinhua News (@XHNews) December 5, 2016
Thirty of those injured are in critical condition, Jamali said, noting that the death toll is expected to rise, Xinhua reported.
Senior police official Saqib Memon said the fire has been extinguished, and a search-and-rescue operation is under way inside the hotel.
The hotel had “no fire exits or fire alarms,” according to Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, as quoted by Dawn newspaper.Kenichiro Takaki Talks Switch, Shinobi Refle, And Playing Naughty Games On The Train
By Sato. May 9, 2017. 2:30am
Senran Kagura producer Kenichiro Takaki launched his new studio Honey ∞ Parade and to commemorate the occasion, Gamer shared an interview featuring the booby producer and a famous game-collector who goes by Sakekan, known for having a sweet collection of over 15,000 titles.
Sakekan: It feels like it’s been a while since you’ve worked on a Nintendo platform.
Takaki: The Switch is great. I like it.
Sakekan: Again, it’s a little tough to evaluate something that’s been out for only a month [at the time of the interview], but I can certainly feel the immense sense of expectations.
Takaki: You know, after playing it on the TV and then taking it outside, as in actually having it out there your everyday life, I feel that it is a lot more convenient than I expected.
Sakekan: Do you? Outside?
Takaki: Yes, I do. I’m always playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the train, although I didn’t bring it today. I occasionally see other people playing, but it moves me when I look back at the GameBoy days and think “I can play these kinds of games outdoors.”
Sakekan: It’s kind of like the PS Vita and PS4’s cross-platform play but on one device, and it’s easy on the resources with the need of just one soft.
Takaki: That’s right. It’s nice not having to buy two copies, and also not having to cross the data makes it easy. I also thought about taking out drinking so we can all play 1-2-Switch! With the milking and stuff [laughs]. Although I’ve yet to do so…
Gamer then moves onto the next topic of Shinobi Refle: Senran Kagura, and ask Takaki what he has in mind for it.
Takaki: Well, I want to make what everyone has in mind about it become a reality. That’s actually the mindset I’ve had about creating things for the longest time.
Sakekan: So that must mean Shinobi Refle will be playable in trains [laughs]. But on a more serious note, I recall playing the first PS Vita Senran Kagura while on a train, and there I was playing thinking “What do I do? What do I do?” when it entered a stripping scene. I also played it on the train for 3DS, but still played with the conflict of whether I should just skip the scenes or just continue watching it.
Takaki: I really think that’s just part of it all. Like what kind of situation should I play and stuff.
Sakekan: But this time it won’t be about single scenes, but you’ll be looking [at a girl] the whole time, right? How is it going to work out?
Takaki: We’re also excited to find out [laughs].
Shinobi Refle: Senran Kagura is expected to release in Japan sometime in 2017 for Nintendo Switch. You can catch up on more from Takaki about the game in our previous report.Solvay, N.Y. -- The Solvay Police Department's patrol vehicles are sporting a skull-shaped decal that's a symbol of a popular comic book character who is a vigilante who fights crime.
"It's the Punisher symbol of the Marvel comic book character," explained
Chief Allen Wood, Tuesday afternoon. "But it's got the thin blue flag symbol colored over the skull."
The thin blue line shows the unity of the police, he said. The decals were added to the cars several months ago.
The Punisher is a vigilante who first appeared in Marvel comics in 1974 and is soon to appear in a Netflix's series. The character's name is Frank Castle, a war veteran and a United States Marine Corps sniper. Castle becomes The Punisher after his wife and two children are killed by the mob when they witnessed a killing in New York's Central Park.
The Punisher wages a one-man war on crime using murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture.
Putting The Punisher decal on the cars is "not a big thing. The colors are to represent the police and the unity of the thin blue line," Wood said. "The Punisher, he dealt with bad guys, and that's how we are."
But, the chief added later, "we do our jobs. We're not vigilantes."
The Punisher's creator Gerry Conway in February said his character isn't a good model for police departments after another department used the skull decals.
"He's a complex morally compromised anti-hero, not to be emulated by cops," Conway, wrote on Twitter in February.
The members of Solvay police department were offered several different decals to choose from to put on their vehicles, and they chose this one, the chief said. Other police departments and the military have also put The Punisher's symbol on their equipment, Wood said.
The chief, however, didn't run the decal past Solvay Mayor Ron Benedetti.
The mayor told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard he hasn't seen the decal, and only found out about it in an email from someone who questioned it.
"I'm looking into this and if I feel it's inappropriate it will be coming off," Benedetti said.
The mayor said he should have been notified first about any plans to put decals on the village's police cars. Benedetti said he plans to meet with the chief and the department to discuss the logo.
Lee Turner said he emailed the mayor after seeing the logo on a Solvay police car Monday when he went to his bank.
"I saw a Solvay police car, an SUV. I noticed it was stealth like, a black car with dark gray lettering," said the retired music teacher. On the back of the vehicle was a small image of a "black, white and blue kind of skull thing. I had no idea what it was, but I thought it was odd on a police car."
When he called the Solvay department to ask, the person who answered told him it was the logo for The Punisher, Turner said. He googled the character.
"It's kind of like the judge and jury. It's not something that would make me warm up to a police department," said Turner who lives in Marcellus. "I think it's definitely sending the wrong message. I have no idea why they would think that would be good public relations for the (village). I can't think that there's that many bad things in Solvay that you have to have Punisher on police cars."
The 16-person Solvay department, including the chief, which patrols the 1.56 square mile village of 6,500 people just west of Syracuse isn't the first department to put Punisher decals on its cars.
Putting The Punisher decal on police cars set off a controversy in February in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, where the logo decorated the hoods of patrol cars. The logos were pulled after the public complained.
Punisher creator Gerry Conway, who also writes The Amazing Spiderman and is a prolific Twitter writer, commented on the controversy in Kentucky.
He's a complex morally compromised anti-hero, not to be emulated by cops https://t.co/VYFQsGZ4B9 -- Gerry Conway (@gerryconway) February 24, 2017
As Castle himself said in my recent Punisher Annual story, "I'm not a good man." https://t.co/VYFQsGZ4B9 -- Gerry Conway (@gerryconway) February 24, 2017
If a cop killed an innocent man and tried to cover it up, Frank might not hesitate to kill him. Not someone police should root for. https://t.co/VYFQsGZ4B9 -- Gerry Conway (@gerryconway) February 24, 2017
Contact Charley Hannagan anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2161.VIERA, Fla. -- "Wow" was the the first word that popped into Tampa Yankees manager Patrick Osburn's head Wednesday afternoon when he was asked how good prized pitching prospect James Kaprielian was in April.
That good?
Sitting in his dugout on a 100-degree afternoon in Central Florida, Osborn wiped some sweat from his forehead and nodded.
"He was the best pitcher I've seen in this (Class A Florida State) league all year, and it's not even really close," Osborn told NJ Advance Media.
It's a shame for Kaprielian and the Yankees that three starts has been it this season, and that'll probably be it for the 22-year-old right-hander until 2017 due to mid-April elbow soreness that led into some down time and then a setback in late June when the issue was diagnosed as a flexor strain.
Mateo, manager address suspension, slump
Thursday is exactly a month since the Yankees announced the flexor strain for Kaprielian, who is back throwing again at the most primitive stage.
"He's playing catch," Osborn said. "He's not off a mound. I talked to him the other day. He said he's doing all right. He's in his throwing program. As far as his time table and when he's gonna be back on the mound, I don't know."
Osborn is fairly sure that Kaprielian's next game will be next season.
"I would think that this year is probably going to be a wash, but you never now," he said.
Expect the Yankees to play it extra safe with Kaprielian, who was drafted 16th overall in 2015 out of UCLA.
Based on how good he looked in April, Kaprielian could have been a very fast riser through the Yankees' farm system this season, perhaps even pitching his way to the big leagues.
Instead, the Californian now gets in his work with other injured farmhands in Tampa.
"He's with the rehabs, who are separate from our team, so he does all of his work in the morning before we even get on the field," Osborn said.
Before the injury, Kaprielian was dominate in his three starts. In his season debut, he allowed one run over five innings, struck out nine and didn't walk a batter. Five days later, he allowed one hit and three unearned runs over seven innings. His last start was a two-run, six-inning outing in which he again fanned nine without walking anyone.
"Really in those three starts, Kaprielian was on a different level," Osborn said. "I would say the guys that were the closest to him was a kid in Dunedin, Sean Reid-Foley, and our starter (who's now in Double-A Trenton) Chance Adams.
"Kaprielian's raw stuff is premium. You're talking about a fastball that goes up to 96-97 with quality command. He's got two out pitches, his slider and his changeup, and his curveball at times even shows promises of a plus pitch.
"This kid is gonna be something once he gets right."
Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Juventus Football Club is greatly perplexed by the decision reached by the FIGC’s Court of Appeal today. When the perpetrator of the crime was identified and arrested, we were able to demonstrate that the perpetrator:
- was inside the Stadio Olimpico in Turin for an event organised by another club, was not in possession of a ticket and did not appear on the list of Juventus fans present in the visiting supporters section
- was already subject to a ban on attending sporting events (D.A.SPO.)
- is not a Juventus season ticket holder.
It is thus unclear how the club can be held responsible, even objectively, for the perpetrator’s actions. Juventus and its fans must not be made to pay for the failings and inefficiencies of others.
Juventus Football Club will make recourse to the Italian National Olympic Committee’s Collegio di Garanzia dello Sport (Board of Arbitration for Sport) to contest today’s decision.Description
We have recently started investigating how to scale deep learning techniques to much larger models in an effort to improve the accuracy of such models in the domains of computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing. Our largest models to date have more than 1 billion parameters, and we utilize both supervised and unsupervised training in our work. In order to train models of this scale, we utilize clusters of thousands of machines, and exploit both model parallelism (by distributing computation within a single replica of the model across multiple cores and multiple machines) and data parallelism (by distributing computation across many replicas of these distributed models). In this talk I'll describe the progress we've made on building training systems for models of this scale, and also highlight a few results for using these models for tasks that are important to improving Google's products. This talk describes joint work with Kai Chen, Greg Corrado, Matthieu Devin, Quoc Le, Rajat Monga, Andrew Ng, MarcAurelio Ranzato, Paul Tucker, and Ke Yang.
Questions and AnswersWASHINGTON – The Empire strikes back?
First, the Republican Party made Donald Trump sign an oath of loyalty by pledging to support its eventual presidential nominee and not run as a third-party candidate.
Now, the establishment GOP may be planning to do the very thing it made Trump promise not to do: bolt from the Republican party and run a third-party campaign.
Mark McKinnon, former President George W. Bush’s chief media strategist, suggested a scenario to NPR the GOP elite might follow if it looks like Trump will win the party’s presidential nomination.
“The Republican establishment completely freaks out. They get together and say, this is unacceptable, but it looks like it’s going to happen. So we go off, and we create a new Republican Party as an Independent candidacy and draft somebody who’s tanned, rested and ready to go and with a lot of money, somebody like Mitt Romney,” speculated McKinnon.
Former Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, was floored by that.
“I think it’s absolutely hypocritical and crazy for the moderates to sit there and lecture conservatives about a third party and then turn around and practically advocate that for one of their own,” he told WND.
Stockman pointed out that Republicans don’t come any more moderate than McKinnon himself, considering he was an adviser to Democrats before he was tapped to help elect Bush in 2000.
McKinnon is a former Democratic consultant who had helped the late Texas Gov. Ann Richards and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis before joining the Bush team.
Stockman said that made him a favorite interview of such left-leaning media outlets as NPR, because they could portray his views as representing Republicans.
“Think about it,” said the former lawmaker. “This is a Bush consultant. The establishment trashed Trump for refusing to rule out a third party run. Now this guy turns around and suggests a prominent Republican may want to do the very same thing.”
“It’s like when rich kids don’t win the game, they turn the table over, pout and run off,” he added.
McKinnon did make sure to call a GOP establishment candidate third-party run “wild and improbable,” but Stockman questioned why he brought it up at all.
“Sounds like a trial balloon,” to see how it plays, mused Stockman.
It was one of three campaign scenarios McKinnon envisioned, but they all seemed to designed to dump Trump.
The consultant said it was unlikely establishment Super PAC money could stop the front-runner now.
McKinnon thought it was most likely Trump would not capture enough delegates to win the nomination, but enough of them to make him “a real nuisance at the convention where he can leverage some agreement or get something out of it so that he can walk away with a win.”
That’s when McKinnon offered the third-party scenario, just in case it eventually looks like Trump may win.
Trump signed the pledge to support the Republican nominee on Sept. 3.
Some critics called that a savvy move because it meant the party, in turn, would have to support Trump if he became the nominee.
At least one former Bush adviser seems to have other ideas.
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Public Policy Polling is out with a new survey of Iowa Republicans that’s good news for Texas Governor Rick Perry, bad news for Rep. Michele Bachmann, and just really depressing news for the rest of us. The main takeaway is that PPP sees Bachmann’s support in the critical first-in-the-nation caucus state slipping precipitously since she won the Ames Straw Poll earlier this month. Bachmann’s Ames victory came on the same day Perry entered the race, and since then, Perry seems to have picked up much of her support. The two are widely seen as competing for the same pot of socially conservative voters, but in a head-to-head contest between the two of them, Perry crushes Bachmann, 51 percent to 27 percent, with 22 percent undecided. From PPP’s Tom Jensen:
It’s clear that Bachmann has gotten virtually no momentum out of her victory in the Ames Straw Poll. She was in 3rd place when we polled Iowa in June and she’s in third place now. Beyond that her favorability numbers in the state have taken a significant hit. In June she had a 53/16 breakdown. Since then her positive number has dropped 6 points from 53% to 47%, and her negative number has climbed 19 points from 16% to 35%.
The news is just bad for supporters of fact-based reality. Although the number of admitted birthers plunged nationally following the death of Osama bin Laden and the production of President Barack Obama’s long-form birth certificate, a majority of Iowa Republicans still aren’t convinced that the Commander in Chief was born in the United States. Just 48 percent say he was, with 32 percent firmly in the other camp, and 20 percent still holding out for the long-long form birth certificate (or something).
The full diclaimer, as usual, is that it’s still early. Very, very early. Perry is currently riding the wave that comes with a high-profile announcement tour, but as we’ve reported, there are cracks in his armor that are likely to be exploited. And unlike standard primary states, Iowa’s caucuses aren’t straight-up popularity contests; they’re time-consuming affairs that rely heavily on organization. In other words: Don’t count Bachmann out just yet.In Q Are Cordially Uninvited, written by Rudy Josephs, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his wife, Beverly Crusher, show two of their fellow officers and friends the holorecording of their wedding in La Barre, France. But Worf and Geordi La Forge soon pick up that what was shown can’t be the whole story. When the true story of the night before Crusher and Picard’s wedding is revealed, it takes them on a journey leading them to a faraway planet and eventually into the distant past – so basically the usual business when you have to deal with Q…
Rudy Josephs captures the character of Q well enough
Q Are Cordially Uninvited is another entry in Simon and Schuster’s line of original Star Trek eBook novellas, and like its immediate predecessor it is basically a decent time-killer, just one level lower on the quality scale. This novella is nothing you will bring up when you talk about first class Trek literature, but you won’t bring it up when you talk about the absolute lows, either. To be honest, I expect to not be able to remember many specifics about it a couple of weeks from now.
The story moves along nicely, but in the end it’s a pretty straightforward adventure story with little thought about past and future events. In that regard it is very similar to Q’s TV appearances, which often were stories with little connection to one another. I know a Q story probably isn’t the best place to search for believable storytelling, but while I can easily accept Q’s powers as a given, I found it hard to believe that Crusher would be able to summon Lady Q as easily as it seems in this story.
The characterisations of the main protagonists vary from good to decent. While Picard and Crusher fit rather well throughout in my opinion, Q’s characterisation is more of a mixed bag. While Josephs captures the core character well enough, I’m not sure it really meshes well with his more recent Treklit appearances. Regarding the other characters, Vash is little more than a plot catalyst and with the exception of maybe one or two scenes doesn’t really get anything meaningful to do. The other characters are basically just obstacles and little more than cardboard cut-outs.
Overall Q Are Cordially Uninvited is the epitome of what I would call a throwaway story. It’s fun enough while you read it to spend half an hour or an hour without thinking you have wasted your money, but ultimately you probably will soon forget that it even exists.
Rating: 60%
Q Are Cordially Uninvited (by Rudy Josephs) was released by Pocket Books in October 2014.Everyone knows a story about a drunk driver who mows someone down. Scott E. McKenzie was just mowing.
Kenzie, 26, of Oakfield, N.Y., was pulled over late Tuesday night while operating his 2011 Troy-Bilt mower just after 11 p.m.
After a brief interrogation, an officer charged McKenzie with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, driving while intoxicated, unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to display a slow-moving vehicle embleme, the Rochester Chronicle and Democrat reports.
McKenzie admitted to WHAM-TV that the hardest part about the arrest have been the jokes.
"It was on the AM radio, man. It was on 1490 AM this morning. I'm like, 'Oh my goodness, really?'” McKenzie said. “Everybody at the store is laughing at me, and let me tell you what I told one of my friends for real, that, look, I got a DWI for riding my lawn mower at 11:30 at night, and she laughed at me and laughed at me and, let me tell you what, it's not right, it's not right.”
The arrest was unusual for the area, according to Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha said.
“We’ve had them on golf carts and tractors but not on lawn mowers, at least recently. We might have had one a long time ago," Maha told TheDailyNewsOnline.com. He added that many people incorrectly assume that it's legal to operate a lawnmower even while drunk.
“It doesn’t have to be a car. It can be any type of powered device,” Maha said. “Some people think that when they’ve had their license revoked they can still drive a tractor or golf cart down the road. That’s not the case.”
Case (of beer) in point: Florida resident James David Gray, 68, who was popped with his fifth DUI in August, 2012, after a deputy for the Marion County Sheriffs Dept. noticed him driving a red lawn mower south in a northbound lane.
The deputy alleged that Gray had a cold beer already opened in the cup holder and claimed he saw that the suspect had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol.
WATCH:No matter how big of an anime fan you are, chances are you’ve heard of Cowboy Bebop, or you’ve watched it because it’s a classic. Widely considered one of the best out there, the 1998 Japanese series has been inspiring newcomers to the genre for years. And now it’s getting a live action television adaptation by Tomorrow Studios, a new partnership between ITV Studios and Marty Adelstein.
That name might not mean that much to you, but he’s a producer and actor known for his work on Prison Break, which he served as executive producer on. He’s worked on several series, to that end, so he’s got plenty of experience under his belt. The live action series will, in fact, be executive produced by Sunset Inc., the same studio that handled the original animated series, as well as by a group called Midnight Radio: Josh Appelbaum, Andre Named, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg.
Chris Yost is being tasked with writing the adaptation. Yost has worked on several properties for Marvel and other comic book-related series. This all sounds like a lot of capable people, especially with a comic book writer on board with experience writing several different characters and stories.
Unfortunately, those are the only real facts we have at the moment regarding what might happen with the series. There’s no casting info right now, but let’s hope there’s at the very least some sort of attempt at finding the best people for the roles. And there’s also the hope that it retains its humor and snarkiness and doesn’t attempt to turn into some sort of dark look at bounty hunting in 2071. Spike Spiegel has a certain cool that could be ruined very quickly if too heavy of a hand is taken with the adaptation. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.Image caption The Newcastle United striker is helping police with their inquiries
Premier League footballer Nile Ranger has been arrested after a man was left unconscious with a suspected broken jaw in an attack.
The 33-year-old victim was found outside Cosy Joes Pub, in the Groat Market in Newcastle, after police were called in the early hours.
Mr Ranger, 20, was later arrested on suspicion of assault.
Newcastle United refused to comment, but a source confirmed the striker had been arrested.
A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "The injured man was unconscious and was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary suffering from a suspected broken jaw.
"The offender made off and police carried out a search of the area.
"A 20-year-old man was arrested a short time later, nearby, on suspicion of assault and is currently helping police with their enquiries.
"Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time who may have seen or heard anything suspicious to contact them."
Mr Ranger, from London, moved to Newcastle in July 2008 following his release by Southampton.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Debt collectors using text messages and social media to pursue delinquent borrowers could come under new scrutiny as the U.S. consumer financial watchdog considers new rules as part of a crackdown on the collection industry.
Vehicles travel near new houses which are under construction and for sale in San Marcos, California October 25, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said on Wednesday that before it formally proposes any rules, it wants to hear how collectors verify borrowers’ information and contact consumers.
Among questions it is asking consumers, banks and the collection industry is whether there could be privacy concerns or other harm from communicating with debt collectors via text message, social media or other Internet-based tools.
In recent months, regulators have warned debt collectors against misleading borrowers. “Now it is time to look closely at how we can improve and modernize existing measures that were written before the Internet, before social media, and before many other new communication technologies,” said Richard Cordray, the bureau’s director.
“We are seeking to hear from the public...about what works and what does not in the current debt collection market,” he said.
The 2010 Dodd-Frank law created consumer bureau and charged it with overseeing credit cards, mortgages and other consumer credit products.
Consumer groups have pressed the bureau to crack down on collectors to ensure they do not harass people and to require more documentation so collectors call the right borrowers.
Mark Schiffman, a spokesman for ACA International, a trade group for third-party collectors, said his members want clarity on whether and how they should use new communication methods.
For instance, debt collectors cannot disclose debts except, in some cases, to a borrower’s spouse or attorney. But it might be difficult to confirm that only the intended borrower hears a cell phone voicemail or sees an email or Facebook message.
“The world communicates a whole lot differently today,” Schiffman said. He said his group tells members that using public sources such as LinkedIn or Facebook to find information is fair game.
“You’re going at your own risk if you go any further,” he said.
About one in 10 Americans came out of the 2007-2009 financial crisis with some debt in collection, the bureau said.
Besides banks seeking repayment, debt collectors include third-party collectors. Some of these charge lenders a fee to recover money from delinquent borrowers, while others buy the debt and keep whatever they can recover.
The consumer bureau began supervising larger debt collectors this year. It has warned that it will crack down on collectors who mislead consumers, which is illegal under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Regulators levied a record fine in July on Expert Global Solutions, the world’s largest debt collection agency, for harassing people who owed money.
Other big collectors include Encore Capital Group Inc and Asset Acceptance Capital Corp.
PROPOSING RULES
Consumer bureau staff members did not give a timeline for when they might propose rules. They said they would probably convene a small business panel to discuss potential rules first.
They said parts of the debt collection law have only been applied to third-party collectors so far. New rules could expand borrower protections to cover banks that try to collect debts themselves, the officials said.
The bureau began this summer accepting complaints from borrowers about their treatment by debt collectors and will add those comments to a database on its website, Cordray said.
The database also includes complaints about mortgages, credit cards and student loans. On Wednesday, the bureau announced that it would begin taking complaints about payday lenders as well.
Cordray said regulators also want to make sure borrowers get clear information about debts that are being collected and to hear how outside collectors ensure they pursue the right consumer for the correct amount of money.
Jack Tracey, executive director of the National Automotive Finance Association, said that while it is too soon to tell what the rules will say, consumers could see higher borrowing costs if the changes mean higher administrative costs for debt collection.
“The industry is in a holding pattern” until the rules come out, Tracey said.
Consumers, creditors, debt collectors and others will have 90 days to submit information about the industry.Wondering if your newly launched website is up to code? The folks who built Microsoft Edge have just launched Sonar, an open-source linting tool to help test your project for performance and security issues.
Sonar was first announced as a donation from Microsoft to the JS Foundation back in June, as part of its ongoing commitment to befriending the open source community. It’s now ready for anyone to use on many kinds of sites including intranets and online stores, and developers are invited to join in and help make the tool better.
Enter your project’s URL, and Sonar will comb through it for accessibility, interoperability, performance, security and progressive web app-related issues. Once it’s done scanning, it’ll list the errors it’s found and do its best to explain what’s going wrong, highlighting the errant code snippets and offering possible solutions. You can see the scan results for Sonar’s own site on this page.
Antón Molleda, a senior program manager for Microsoft Edge, explained that Sonar improves on the capabilities of other linting tools by executing your website code in a container instead of simply performing a static analysis for more accurate results, as well as allowing for integration with other services. And if you don’t care to use Sonar in your browser, you can also invoke its command-line interface.
Sonar is ready to use right now over on this page, and is getting more features soon, including a Visual Studio Code plug-in, options to customize rules in the web app, and support for additional rules to test for performance, accessibility and security.
Read next: Before investing in that ICO, look for these four key thingsImage caption Some people believe Lee Bo was kidnapped
The wife of a Hong Kong bookseller who disappeared last week, and is believed to be in mainland China, has withdrawn her request for police to help find him saying he has been in contact.
A letter reportedly handwritten by her husband, Lee Bo, was published by Taiwan's Central News Agency.
It says he had gone to the mainland to work with "concerned parties".
Mr Lee is the fifth man linked to a shop selling works critical of China's government to go missing since October.
One of the men is a British citizen, the UK foreign office confirmed on Tuesday saying it was "deeply concerned".
It did not name him - but reports have said Mr Lee holds a British passport.
The disappearance of the men has raised concerns that China is undermining the territory's legal independence.
Local legislator Albert Ho has said Mr Lee - also known as Paul Lee - was kidnapped and taken to the mainland.
Is the letter genuine? The BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong explains
Image copyright CNA
It's another twist in the mystery of the missing bookseller.
Human rights activists who have been advocating for the Lee family say they believe the letter is genuine.
In it, Paul Lee appears to be taking responsibility for leaving Hong Kong. And he implies he will be staying in mainland China for some time.
The activists believe the letter was indeed written by Mr Lee, but under instruction from whoever is holding him.
The intent, they say, is to tame the public outcry that has been sparked by his disappearance.
Mr Lee's wife, Sophie Choi, had said last week that he had called her from Shenzhen, just over the border in mainland China, and told her he was helping with an investigation.
She had said his return permit, which people from Hong Kong must show to enter China, was still at home - seen by some as evidence he may have been abducted.
But in the letter dated Sunday, which was said to have been faxed to his colleague, Mr Lee says he had "returned to the mainland using my own methods".
He also said: "I am very well. Everything is fine. And please do look after the bookstore."
Book links
Mr Lee raised the alarm when four of his colleagues at the tiny Causeway Bay Bookstore and related publishing house, Mighty Current, went missing in October.
One of them, publisher Gui Minhai, was last seen in Thailand. The other three were last seen in mainland China.
The BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong says some suspect the men's disappearance is connected to a book the publisher may have been planning about an alleged former mistress of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
There has been no official comment from the Chinese government on Mr Lee's case.
However, an editorial in the Global Times newspaper, a mouthpiece for the Chinese government, on Tuesday, said some were trying to "hype" the incident "to create estrangement between Hong Kong and the mainland".A sketch of a Fukuryu suit by a United States Navy personnel (1946)
Fukuryu (Japanese: 伏龍, Hepburn: Fukuryū) were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units prepared to resist the invasion of the Home islands by Allied forces. The name literally means "crouching dragon," and has also been called "suicide divers" or "kamikaze frogmen"[1] in English texts.
Personnel [ edit ]
Six thousand men were to be trained and equipped with self-contained diving gear including a diving jacket and trousers, diving shoes, and a diving helmet fixed by four bolts. They would be weighed down with 9 kg (20 lb) of lead and be sustained by liquid food and an air purification system with two 3.5-liter bottles of oxygen at 150 bar (2,200 psi). They were expected to be able to walk at a depth of 5–7 m (16–23 ft), for a period of up to ten hours. Personnel were organized into six-man squads with five squads to a platoon, five platoons plus a maintenance platoon to a company, and three companies to a battalion of approximately 650 men. The 71st Arashi was headquartered at Yokosuka with two trained battalions and four battalions in training. The 81st Arashi at Kure was planned for 1000 men to be trained by 250 men from Yokosuka. A similar 1000-man Kawatana unit was planned for Sasebo.[2]
Weapon [ edit ]
Men were to be armed with a Type-5 attack mine containing 15 kg (33 lb) of explosive, fitted to a 5 m (16 ft) bamboo pole. While concealed underwater, men, expecting to be killed by the resulting explosion, would use the pole to push the contact-fuzed explosive against the hull of a landing craft passing overhead. Off each potential invasion beach, an inventory of mines was anchored to the bottom for use by the submerged men. Three strings of mines were fifty meters apart, and men would be stationed sixty meters apart, staggered so there would be a man for each 20-meter length of beach.[2]
Concept [ edit ]
Surprise was essential to avoid comparatively simple anti-personnel explosive countermeasures previously used to discourage Italian frogmen in the Mediterranean. Experiments were conducted with underwater foxholes of concrete pipe with steel doors. Preliminary tests with dogs indicated these foxholes would reduce the effects of nearby explosions. Plans were made for larger reinforced concrete stations capable of sheltering six to eighteen men. These larger stations would have been manufactured ashore in a variety of shapes to avoid detection, and then sunk at depths of less than fifteen meters. The Fukuryu were part of a three-stage system of mines including an offshore
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until December. However, this jailbreak comes from the same team that brought us the amazing iOS 7.1 jailbreak earlier this year.
Ever since the initial announcement of iOS 8 last month, the jailbreak community was rather curious as to when an iOS 8 jailbreak would hit the public. Of course, we could’ve relied on past history as far as when to expect it, but even that’s a little shaky.
The Jailbreak community on Reddit is usually buzzing with jailbreak hype on a new version of iOS, but it has been extremely quiet until last week, which is a little odd, but maybe not too surprising considering that nobody was getting their hopes up just yet.
Many of the big names in the jailbreak community have been skeptical about an iOS 8 jailbreak, but that’s mostly because many of these big names were not actively working on one in the first place. Even the Evad3rs dev team that was responsible for the initial iOS 7 jailbreak said that jailbreaking was getting “boring” for them. This isn’t too surprising to hear, as jailbreaking certainly isn’t as exciting as it was when the iPhone first came out in 2007, and coming out with a new jailbreak tool every year can be a bit exhausting to say the least.
Overall, it seems that many of the popular jailbreak developers that have been in the scene for a while are getting a bit tired. While many of them are still working on various tweaks for jailbroken devices, the actual jailbreak is something that not many developers are working on at the moment, leaving more room for unknown developers like the Pangu team to break into the jailbreak scene.Rental site ApartmentList released a study Thursday breaking down eviction data in major metros across the U.S. and came up with some good, albeit startling, news for the Bay Area: San Jose and San Francisco had the lowest and second-lowest eviction rates nationwide, respectively.
ApartmentList economist Chris Salviati acknowledges that this seems unexpected, saying:
Although displacement of long-time renters is a sensitive and high-profile topic in fast-gentrifying markets such as the Bay Area, these metros actually tend to have lower overall eviction rates. The list of metros with the lowest eviction rates contains locations well-known for their lack affordability, such as San Jose, San Francisco, Boston and New York. While this result may seem counterintuitive, it seems to be driven by the fact that the most expensive areas also tend to have the best job opportunities.
To reach this conclusion, Salviati referenced ApartmentLists’s annual renter survey (which drew roughly 41,000 responses) as well as the self-reported rental history of ApartmentList users.
The results found that 1.2 percent of renters in San Jose had experienced an eviction, along with 1.6 percent of San Francisco renters, the lowest rates of any city studied.
Technically, this is good news, at least relative to being number one in the same report. For the curious, the highest nationwide was Memphis, TN, with 6.1 percent. The national average came in at 3.3 percent.
Trying to boil eviction down to numbers always runs the risk of seeming glib or ignoring the ramifications of the issue, though.
For example, according to a Stanford student’s analysis, between 2011 and 2016 landlords served 8,859 eviction notices in San Francisco.
That doesn’t sound like so much out of more than 220,000 renter-occupied units.
But the point of that study was to show that the number of evictions rose every year during that period—and indeed, every year since 2009 all the way up until the San Francisco rent board’s most recent Annual Eviction Report last March, which recorded the first year over year drop in evictions nearly a decade.
(Note that technically these statistics measure attempts to evict—the actual outcome of those disputes is a separate matter.)
Not surprisingly, the eviction rate always seems to trend up around the same time the housing market does—and go back down whenever the market cools off.
Which means that the most pertinent information might be not how many people get evicted, but when and why landlords decide to serve the papers, which isn’t always reflected in the numbers.The controversial minister says he is standing down after pressure from Greece’s ‘assorted partners’
The Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has quit, despite the country’s decisive rejection of the eurozone’s terms for the country remaining in the single currency.
Varoufakis, who infuriated eurozone leaders and recently compared Greece’s creditors to terrorists, said the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, thought it would be better if he stood down, after pressure from European leaders.
Greek referendum: finance minister Yanis Varoufakis resigns – live Read more
Announcing his resignation in a blog post entitled “Minister No More!” on Monday, he wrote: “Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants [eurozone finance ministers], and assorted ‘partners’, for my … ‘absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the prime minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today.
“I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday’s referendum.
“And I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride.”
His departure is likely to help talks, as a flurry of meetings get under way. Angela Merkel meets François Hollande later on Monday, as the two leaders scramble to respond to Greece’s decisive rejection of an EU bailout plan.
Greek media immediately settled on Euclid Tsakalotos, the Oxford-educated chief spokesman of the economics ministry, who has led talks with Greece’s creditors, as the most likely replacement for Varoufakis.
“He is one of the most sensible/moderate figures in Syriza and his appointment, if confirmed, would increase the chances for a sensible negotiation and a positive outcome,” Demetrios Efstathiou of Standard bank said.
Greece delivered a landslide no vote to the eurozone’s terms for the country remaining in the single currency on Sunday night, confronting the EU’s leadership with one of its most severe crises of confidence and leaving Greece facing potential financial collapse and exit from the euro.
Greek referendum result: what happens next? Read more
The German chancellor and French president spoke by telephone late on Sunday and said the referendum decision must “be respected”. The pair will meet in Paris from 6.30pm (1630 GMT) in an effort to forge a common Franco-German response, setting the stage for an emergency summit of all 19 eurozone leaders on Tuesday.
Time is fast running out for Greece, with banks almost out of money. The Greek government promised banks will reopen on Tuesday, but this looks increasingly unlikely, as the European Central Bank is expected to withhold further emergency funding when it meets later on Monday.
Alexis Tsipras’s government has been counting on the ECB to restart emergency aid to Greek banks, after the programme was frozen at €89bn. But anonymous sources told Reuters the bank will maintain financial aid at current levels when its governing council holds a conference call on Monday morning.
The ECB is expected to continue buying bonds of other vulnerable eurozone countries to prevent Portugal, Italy and Spain being dragged down by Greece.
European markets are expected to fall sharply on Monday, following a drop in Asian stocks. But the market fallout was smaller than had been feared, as investors cling to hopes of an agreement as a flurry of meetings gets under way. Hopes of ECB action to defend southern Europe also helped take the edge off losses for the euro: the currency was down 0.5% at $1.1055, a recovery on a deeper fall below $1.10.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Greek no vote: ‘The fightback for a Europe of dignity starts here’
Mario Draghi, the ECB president, who once promised to “do whatever it takes to preserve the euro”, will hold talks with Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the chair of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, on Monday morning. In Athens, the Greek prime minister will be meeting Greece’s top political leaders from 10am. “We must move forward immediately with negotiations … a strong national front must be created to seek an immediate solution,” Tspiras told the Greek president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, after the vote.
Meanwhile, German and French finance ministers were set for talks beginning in Warsaw, while the euro working group of senior officials is meeting in Brussels.
As the eurozone enters a crucial 48 hours, it is far from obvious European leaders will be able to smooth over their differences. Germany’s vice-chancellor and social democratic leader, Sigmar Gabriel, said Tsipras had burned his bridges with the rest of the eurozone. But Italy’s foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni, said it was the right time to start trying for an agreement again. “There is no escape from the Greek labyrinth with a Europe that is weak and without growth.”
The gulf of opinion was reflected at the very top of Europe last week: Merkel refused to reopen negotiations with Athens ahead of the referendum, while Hollande wanted a quick agreement.
Few had expected such a crushing defeat for the yes side after polls suggested the race was much closer. The final tally showed that Greeks voted by 61.3% to 38.7% in support of the prime minister, spurning the extra austerity demanded – led by Germany – in return for an extension of bailout funds.
Five years of failed austerity policies in Greece and a total breakdown in trust between the leftwing Syriza alliance and the political leaders of its creditors climaxed in a national vote in which Greeks said no to the spending cuts and tax increases demanded by its lenders.
Tsipras campaigned for a no vote, arguing that this was the best way to secure a better deal, keeping Greece in the euro while obtaining debt relief from its creditors. The leaders of Germany, France and others stated the opposite: that a no vote meant the Greeks were deciding to become the first country to quit the currency, membership of which is supposed to be irreversible.
It is not clear which view will prevail. The EU mainstream hoped for a yes vote, not only because it would have represented democratic assent to the euro and acceptance of austerity, but also because the Tsipras government would have come under strong pressure to stand down. Negotiations between the two sides have gone nowhere for five months and have become particularly rancorous in the past month as bailout and debt repayment deadlines came and went, with Athens missing a €1.5bn repayment to the IMF. The country now faces a €3.5bn payment to redeem bonds at the European Central Bank in two weeks.
Dijsselbloem said the result was “very regrettable” for the future of Greece. “For recovery of the Greek economy, difficult measures and reforms are inevitable. We will now wait for the initiatives of the Greek authorities,” he said.
Eurozone confidence in Tsipras is at rock bottom and there is virtually zero faith that he will implement the reforms needed to secure cash even if he agrees to them. For his part, the Greek leader as recently as Friday accused his eurozone creditors of blackmail, extortion, and seeking to humiliate his country.
Predicting what happens next in the five-year saga that has shaken the eurozone to its foundations is sheer guesswork.Recently, our research at the Center for Sexual Promotion at Indiana University completed the largest nationally representative survey of the US population in nearly 20 years. Specifically, we surveyed women and men ages 14 to 94 about their sexual lives as part of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.
There were many interesting findings that came from the study and that you may have seen highlighted in the over the past week, anywhere from the New York Times to The Today Show to the Colbert Report. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing my thoughts about some of the most striking findings to come from our research.
We found, for example, that about 30% of all women ages 18 to 59 reported some difficulty with pain the last time that they had. This compares to about 5% of men who reported difficulty with pain. Why does sex hurt for so many women?
We know that about 10% of women experience chronic genital pain, some of whom may be diagnosed with vulvodynia. Other women, however, experience more mild or fleeting pain that comes and goes with sex. For example, some women find it painful if their partner hits up against their cervix during vaginal intercourse or sex toy play. Others find it painful if they start sex too quickly, without adequate vaginal lubrication or the use of a store-bought lubricant. And sometimes women engage in types of sex that they don't enjoy, or that they know from experience to be painful, if they don't feel like they can say no or if they feel as though they must or "should" please their partner at all costs.
I wonder, too, how many women think that sex is "supposed" to hurt. After all, young women often get the message that "sex hurts" and so they go into sex expecting some discomfort or pain and not necessarily telling their partner or healthcare provider or even their best that it hurts. There's some level of "sucking up the pain" that women go through. Men may take physical hits on the field more often than women, but our data suggest that women take more hits in the bedroom than men.
What I hope comes from this finding is that more scientists pay to the issue of women's pain during sex. I also hope that more couples pay attention to this issue in their own lives. Here are some things that may help:
- Connect with the National Vulvodynia Association if you or your partner or friend experience ongoing pain during sex (www.NVA.org). You can also ask the NVA for a healthcare provider recommendation.
- Spend more time in foreplay before having sex so as to allow a woman's body sufficient time to build vaginal lubrication. Some people find it helpful to wait until a woman feels very "wet", and interested in sex, to proceed with vaginal penetration or intercourse. Lubrication - whether natural or store-bought - can help to enhance sexual comfort and pleasure.
- Never force or coerce or "trick" a woman into having sex with you. The best sex is sex that is wanted, not manipulated.
- Don't feel pressured to engage in sex that you don't want to. Anal sex is particularly painful for many women, but it doesn't have to be. Vaginal sex can feel painful or uncomfortable, too. Seek out quality information about how to have more comfortable, pleasurable sex through better communication, the use of lubricants or lubricated condoms, medical help (www.issvd.org) or sex.
- Consider positions that provide more control for women, such as woman-on-top, so that she can readjust her body if discomfort or pain appear.
- If you or your partner experiences pain during sex, you may find it helpful to meet with a sex therapist who can help you better figure out how to have more pleasurable sex, and who may be able to refer you to a medical specialist to make sure that your physical health is in good order. Find a sex therapist through www.sstarnet.org.
- An emerging area of research suggests that vibration may help some women who experience vulvar pain. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions or consider exploring on your own with a vibrator.
Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH is a sexual health researcher at Indiana University, a sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute, and author of the book Because It Feels Good: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction. Follow her on Twitter @mysexprofessor and make friends with her on Facebook.* Far-right takes nearly fifth of votes in first-round vote
* Socialist Hollande beats Sarkozy by 28 pct to 27 pct
* Hollande pledges to redirect Europe from austerity to growth
By Paul Taylor and Vicky Buffery
PARIS, April 22 (Reuters) - Far-rightist Marine Le Pen threw France’s presidential race wide open on Sunday by polling nearly 19 percent in the first round - votes that may tip a runoff between Socialist favourite Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Hollande led Sarkozy by 28.2 percent to 27.0 percent with more than four fifths of votes counted, the Interior Ministry said, meaning the two will meet head-to-head in a decider on May 6 that may be closer than pundits had been expected.
Le Pen’s record score of 18.6 percent was the sensation of the night, beating her father’s 2002 result and outpolling hard leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon in fourth place on 10.9 percent. Centrist Francois Bayrou finished fifth on 9.2 percent.
Hollande, 57, told cheering supporters he was best placed to lead France towards change and declared: “My final duty, and I know I’m being watched from beyond our borders, is to put Europe back on the path of growth and employment.”
Sarkozy, who has led the world’s fifth largest economy for five years, responded defiantly to his setback - the first time in the 54-year history of the present electoral system that a sitting president seeking re-election had been beaten into second place in the first round.
In a rousing speech, he challenged the Socialist to three television debates over the next two weeks instead of the customary one, and vowed in response to Le Pen’s surge to tighten border controls, stop factories leaving France, make work pay and defend law and order.
Two opinion polls taken during Sunday’s voting by the IPSOS and Ifop institutes suggested the Socialist would beat the incumbent by 54 to 46 percent in the second round. But much yet depends on how each appeals to supporters of Le Pen and others.
“Sarkozy is going to be torn between campaigning in the middle ground and campaigning on the right. He’ll have to reach out to the right between the rounds and so he’ll lose the centre,” said Stephane Rozes of the CAP think-tank.
Le Pen, who took over the anti-immigration National Front in 2011, wants jobs reserved for French nationals at a time when jobless claims are at a 12-year high. She also wants France to abandon the euro currency and restore monetary policy to Paris.
“This first round is the start of a vast gathering of right-wing patriots,” she told cheering supporters at her campaign headquarters, without endorsing either finalist and slamming Sarkozy. “Nothing will ever be the same again.”
Le Pen’s unexpectedly high score reflected a surge in anti-establishment populist parties in many euro zone countries from the Netherlands to Greece as austerity and the debt crisis bite.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, 83, visibly elated at his daughter’s result, said the National Front would now focus on winning seats in June parliamentary elections.
The IPSOS survey suggested 60 percent of Le Pen’s voters would back Sarkozy in the second round, while Ifop put the proportion at 48 percent, with one in five voting for Hollande. Le Pen said she would give her view on the second round in a speech at a May Day rally in Paris a week on Tuesday.
NOTHING IN BAG
Sarkozy’s closest supporters insisted he still had a fighting chance now that the president is facing a single challenger instead of nine in the first round.
“Nothing is in the bag yet,” said Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.
The elder Le Pen’s 16.9 percent score in the 2002 first round caused a political earthquake, knocking then Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin out of the runoff and forcing left-wing voters to rally behind conservative Jacques Chirac.
Sarkozy, also 57, has painted himself as the safest pair of hands to lead France and the euro zone in turbulent times, but Sunday’s vote appeared to be a strong rejection of his flashy style as well as his economic record.
If Hollande wins, joining a small minority of left-wing governments in Europe, he has promised to renegotiate a European budget discipline treaty signed by Sarkozy. That could presage tension with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who made the pact a condition for further assistance to troubled euro zone states.
The prospect of friction is causing some concern in financial markets, as is Hollande’s focus on tax rises over austerity at a time when sluggish growth is threatening France’s ability to meet deficit-cutting goals.
STYLE HATED
France’s sickly growth, along with its stubbornly high unemployment, are major factors hampering Sarkozy’s battle to win a second term, despite an energetic campaign against the blander but more popular Hollande.
Melenchon, whose clench-fisted call for an anti-capitalist revolution made him the most colourful figure on the campaign trail, appealed to left-wing voters to make sure Sarkozy is ousted in two weeks’ time by voting for Hollande.
“I call on you to come out on May 6 and beat Sarkozy without asking for anything in exchange. I urge you: don’t drag your heels, mobilise as though it were me you were sending to victory in the presidential election,” he said.
Pressed on television to come out and endorse Hollande by name, Melenchon said: “We must use the only space on the ballot available. Is there anyone else? I want to beat Sarkozy.”
The Socialist also won the endorsement of Greens candidate Eva Joly, who scored 2.2 percent.
If Sarkozy loses, he would be the eleventh euro zone leader to be swept out since the start of the bloc’s debt crisis in late 2009 and the first French president to lose a re-election bid in more than 30 years. A deep dislike of his personal style, seen as arrogant and vulgar, drove many to vote against him.
“France needs a radical change of direction, mainly on the economy,” said Jean-Noel Harvet, a public sector worker voting earlier on Sunday in the northern town of Cambrai.
Hollande promises less drastic spending cuts and wants higher taxes on the wealthy to fund state-aided job creation, in particular a 75-percent tax rate on income above 1 million euros ($1.32 million).
If he wins, he would be the first left-wing leader since Francois Mitterrand, who beat incumbent Valery Giscard-d’Estaing in 1981 and ruled until 1995.
Turnout ended up at a strong 81 percent.
A swing to a Socialist government in France could alter the direction of Europe at a time when worries are resurfacing over the euro zone debt crisis and in particular over France’s strained public finances, which already triggered a downgrade of Paris’s triple-A credit rating by Standard & Poors in January.
Sarkozy has played up his credibility as an economic steward after he helped steer the euro zone through the worst of its crisis last year. Hollande has blamed him for the parlous state of France’s public finances and for the rating downgrade.
Some investors see a risk that Hollande’s focus on tax rises over spending cuts, his slower timetable for balancing the budget and his plan to raise taxation on the financial sector, could drive up French bond yields.
However, many economists see both Hollande and Sarkozy being obliged to pursue fairly similar, fiscally tight, economic policies. Differences between the two on France’s wider European and foreign policies are also seen as relatively limited.Ukraine’s president said he will seek a meeting with Vladimir Putin as the conflict in the east of his country draws to a close following a “transformation” in Kremlin strategy.
Petro Poroshenko said the Russian leadership had backed off from ambitions to dismember Ukraine, and said the country’s bitter war with Moscow-backed separatists is already coming to an end.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that my peace plan will work and that the main and most dangerous part of the war is behind,” Mr Poroshenko said.
“The relationship with Russia and the plans of Russia have changed,” he added. No date has been yet been set for the meeting with Mr Putin.
Ukraine has been fighting an insurgency since armed separatists seized police stations and local government buildings in several eastern towns in April, sparking a bitter conflict that has claimed more than 3,500 lives.
Ukraine and Western countries have accused Russia of supplying the rebels with equipment and troops, charges that has Russia denied.
Hostilities slowed significantly following a ceasefire deal signed on September 5, although intermittent fighting and exchanges of artillery fire have continued in key areas, including the town of Debaltsova and Donetsk airport.
Both sides pledged to withdraw their heavy artillery from the front lines under a follow up deal signed earlier this week.
If the peace deal solidifies, it will leave the separatists in control of large swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where they have said they want to set up a breakaway state called Novorossia.
European integration was among the key demands of the revolutionaries who toppled his predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, in February.
Meanwhile, Russian officials have accused the Ukrainian government of war crimes after separatist fighters claimed to have found mass graves in an area recently occupied by Ukrainian forces.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it would open an investigation into illegal killings after rebel fighters announced the find on Tuesday.
Officials from the Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two self-proclaimed states established by the separatists, said yesterday that they had recovered 40 civilian bodies from the site 35 miles north east of Donetsk.
The claims could not be independently verified and Ukraine has denied its troops were involved in any mass killings.Darron Thomas 03.17.14
Portland Thunder quarterback Darron Thomas threw six TD passes in his first start of the season Saturday night.
(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)
Release courtesy of Rob Boelke, Portland Thunder
PORTLAND - Darron Thomas' first start of the season couldn't have gone any better, as the former Oregon quarterback finished with 229 yards passing, 6 passing touchdowns, and added another one rushing, driving the Portland Thunder (3-4, 1-1) to a 63-47 victory over the winless LA KISS (0-8, 0-3) in front of 10,023 fans at the Moda Center Saturday night.
On an evening honoring our men and women in uniform, as well as "Thunder Tackles Cancer" night, Thomas was able to spread the ball around to five different receivers, with Jared Perry and V'Keon Lacey leading the way. Lacey would finish with a team leading four touchdowns and Perry would lead the team in yards with 109.
Thomas helped engineer the Thunder to their second highest points total in franchise history. "It's real important to go out every series and make every series count," said Thomas after the game. "I've been waiting for the opportunity."
Coach Hohensee added, "I think they [the team] accepted Darron Thomas being moved to the forefront for the opportunity and the team really responded."
In the first quarter, the Thunder set the tone with an early sack of LA KISS quarterback Danny Southwick by KC Obi, forcing a KISS field goal attempt. LA KISS kicker Kenny Spencer subsequently missed the field goal setting up the Thunder with their first possession of the game. Thomas found Perry for a 32 yard completion to set up the Thunder nicely in the red zone. Thomas was able to open the scoring for the game with a 2-yard rushing touchdown at the 8:50 mark of the first quarter. The KISS responded in their second drive of the first half, where Southwick was able to find a wide open Donovan Morgan for a 17 yard touchdown pass. However, in the Thunder's next possession, on a 4th down and 8, Thomas again found a wide open Jared Perry, up the seam, for a 16 yard touchdown pass giving the Thunder a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started off the same way as first. A collective sack by Frank Trotter, KC Obi, and Dexter Davis forced a fourth and 4 for the LA KISS where Thunder defensive back De'Mon Glanton made a huge stop on former Thunder and current LA KISS wide receiver Jeffrey Solomon to force a turnover on downs. That stop led to Thomas finding V'Keon Lacey for a jump ball in the back of the end zone resulting in a 7-yard touchdown pass with 10:52 to go in the second. The KISS immediately responded to the Lacey score with a 55-yard kick return for a touchdown by Laron Scott bringing the LA KISS within one score. The Thunder's next drive featured Lacey snagging a 22 yard reception which set up Thomas to drop a dime over KISS defensive back Anthony Goodwin for a spectacular 9-yard touchdown pass in corner of the end zone, again to Lacey. The touchdown put the Thunder up by 2 scores with 7:28 to go in the first half. A margin they held through to halftime.
The Thunder would receive the ball to the second half, with KR Duane Brooks returning the kickoff 54-yards for a touchdown, giving Brooks his second game in a row with a kickoff return for a touchdown. The KISS would attempt to respond with a long drive of their own but at the end of the drive, Southwick would fumble the exchange from center at the 3-yard line where Thunder defensive back Okechekwu Okoroha would recover the ball to kill another LA KISS drive. After the turnover the Thunder drove down the field with the catch of the game by Perry, snagging the ball by his fingertips, from Thomas for 35 yards where the drive would conclude with a 1-yard touchdown by John Martinez 5:46 left in third giving the Thunder a 49 to 21 lead.
The KISS would respond with a score of their own with Southwick finally finding Morgan for a touchdown giving Portland a 49 to 27. The KISS would try a 2-point conversion due to the situation that KISS kicker Kenny Spencer left the game with an injury. Laron Scott took over kick duties and attempted an onside kicks for the rest of the game to help get the KISS back into the game. However, the Thunder would recover all the onside kicks, with the first recovery setting up a Thomas to Lacey 10-yard touchdown pass.
In the final frame, the KISS would score two more times and add a two point conversion cutting the Portland lead to 15. After another onside kick recovery by the Thunder, Thomas would hit Lacey for Lacey's fourth touchdown grab of the game. With the addition of the extra point and Lacey's touchdown catch, the Thunder would break the franchise record for points scored in a game. On the final drive of the game, Thunder defenders Marquis Jackson and Frank Trotter would wrap up Southwick for the team's third sack of the quarterback adding to Los Angeles' woes of protecting their quarterback.
The Thunder will go back on the road to Orlando where they will face the 2014 South Division Champion Predators at the Amway Center. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 PM PDT.Copyright by WOODTV - All rights reserved A still image taken from surveillance video of the man accused of stealing an inflatable Oberon bottle. (Courtesy Kalamazoo Dept. of Public Safety/March 30, 2017)
Copyright by WOODTV - All rights reserved A still image taken from surveillance video of the man accused of stealing an inflatable Oberon bottle. (Courtesy Kalamazoo Dept. of Public Safety/March 30, 2017)
24 Hour News 8 web staff - KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) -- Police are asking for the public's help to identify the man caught on camera stealing an inflatable Oberon bottle in Kalamazoo.
The more than 12-foot tall Oberon advertisement was stolen around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday on W. Michigan Avenue near Rose Street. It happened just one day after people celebrated Oberon day in Michigan.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says the man was caught on surveillance camera stealing the inflatable which is worth more than $2,000.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has any information about the theft is asked to call the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 269.337.8139 or Silent Observer at 269.343.2100.Awful Announcing has learned through multiple sources that Fox Sports 1 is making cuts to its news operation. The news updates that regularly air on Fox Sports 1 during commercial breaks will be folded into the At the Buzzer online brand and most significantly, some personnel at the newsdesk and producers will be let go.
Fox Sports released this statement to Awful Announcing:
“The consumption of news and information is constantly evolving and we are shifting to a digital/mobile-first strategy under our successful @TheBuzzer brand to reflect changing consumer habits. As a result, in an effort to reduce expenses and increase efficiency, we are aligning our staffing to better meet our new programming needs and viewer’s consumption habits.”
We’ve also learned that Fox Sports 1 is planning on cutting back on live reporting for events it doesn’t have the rights to air and pundits and reporters will be doing much less traveling as a part of these moves. One source inside Fox Sports described the atmosphere on Friday once the news began to spread of the restructuring as chaotic.
While the initial reaction of outsiders may be to lay these cuts at the feet of former ESPN exec Jamie Horowitz, we’ve been told that the wheels were in motion for the cuts to be made before Horowitz even began at Fox. Regardless, these developments will significantly change Fox Sports 1 as the company streamlines its television and digital operations.CLOSE Coyotes goalie Thomas Greiss answers three questions about himself. azcentral sports
Oilers forward Sam Gagner (89) scores against Coyotes goalie Thomas Greiss in a shootout during the Coyotes and Oilers game at Jobing.com Arena. (Photo: Stacie Scott/azcentral sports)
His profession requires him to wear a mask, one he chose to decorate with blood-stained teeth and the bulging eyeballs of a yeti, but even without it on, Coyotes goalie Thomas Greiss still seems to be hidden.
The mellow, easy-going facade is genuine but plenty more lurks behind it — like a passion for mountain biking the Alps, a trip to Chile on his to-do list and an affinity for "Forrest Gump."
Pull back the same exterior on the hockey player, and there's more to discover there, too.
Greiss' job description reads backup goaltender in the NHL and the Coyotes signed him to a one-year contract last summer to do just that for them, but a desire to be a starter has been percolating.
"For sure my goal is to be a starting goaltender," the 28-year-old German said.
And that's what likely kept the Coyotes in playoff contention when Mike Smith was sidelined with an apparent right knee injury almost two weeks ago.
Greiss wants to be a No. 1, and the Coyotes needed one to stay afloat in the standings. Four consecutive losses have dimmed the team's playoff outlook to grim, but that isn't Greiss' doing.
Instead, this late-season promotion might finally be the springboard he's been waiting for to land more responsibility.
"We'll see what happens," Greiss said. "I still have lots of time in the off-season. Just worry about that then. Right now just worry about what's going on here."
His recent credentials certainly haven't hurt his cause. Since taking over for Smith in a starting capacity, Greiss has posted a 2.09 goals-against average and.920 save percentage despite going 11 games in-between starts.
His lack of playing time this season was a sticking point in the discussions the Coyotes tried to ignite for a contract extension over the Olympic break. Greiss had played in only 15 games before Smith was injured.
But, in keeping with his personality, Greiss never hinted at any discontent. He continued to slog through lengthy practices, and that attention to his craft didn't go unnoticed.
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It's actually what won him the confidence of his teammates once he took over as starter.
"He's out every day when he's not playing with the extra guys," goaltending coach Sean Burke said. "He does extra shootout stuff at the end. When he goes in to play, I don't feel like there's a guy in that dressing room that doesn't feel like he's going to go out and have a good game."
The San Jose Sharks, who drafted Greiss in 2004 in the third round, felt just as encouraged. For the 2010-11 season, they had planned to let Greiss compete with Antero Niittymaki for the starting job.
But once Antti Niemi was released by the Chicago Blackhawks after the netminder won an arbitration case that was too rich for the Blackhawks, the Sharks scooped Niemi out of free agency.
"Niemi kind of fell into our lap and had just won a Stanley Cup," Sharks Assistant General Manager and goalie coach Wayne Thomas said. "For me, it was a hard conversation to tell Thomas that we just signed Antti Niemi and had just signed Niittymaki a month earlier."
Greiss ended up playing that season in Sweden and when he returned, the Sharks wanted to sign him to a new contract. So did the Coyotes.
Ultimately, Greiss remained with the Sharks for two more seasons before jumping ship with the hopes of working toward shedding his backup tag.
"In some ways I'm surprised he's not there already, and I guess opportunity is a big word," Thomas said. "Everybody needs it."
Still, absorbing this newfound role late in the season couldn't have been easy. Although Greiss had been steady in previous games, the pressure to replace Smith could have buried him.
"I don't think it's bad pressure," he said. "You just have to be confident in yourself and go out and play."
So Greiss didn't change his mentality. He didn't alter his preparation, aside from leaving the practice ice earlier. It's as if he's covered in Teflon, and nothing can infiltrate him.
"Just me," he said. "Don't get too high. Don't get too low. Pretty relaxed."
As he's revealed, though, in snippets assembled into a conversation like coins dropped into a jukebox to continue the music, he wants to play. And the more, the better.
"He's a little quieter than most guys and reserved," Thomas said. "But I think he doesn't like to get scored on and he doesn't like to lose and some of that quiet demeanor, I think there's a fire in there."
Up next
Coyotes at Blue
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skipper of Nautilus, studied all available material on the arctic regions. The descriptions he studied were accurate, but he retained certain reservations until he participated in an aerial reconnaissance of the polar ice pack just before the Nautilus departed from home base. His comments on this reconnaissance flight are significant:
“No book or movie had given us an adequate idea of what the ice looked like. The flight gave us a great deal of confidence as to our ability to operate beneath the pack and to surface in openings.”
Potential of Under-Ice Operations
At any time of the year, a submarine maneuvering under the polar ice pack could expect to find either open water or ice thin enough for the submarine to break through to the surface, provided the submarine is designed with sufficient topside strength to permit contact with the ice. The Russians can do this as well as we. Nuclear power is not a requirement for basic under-ice submarine operations, but nuclear power does provide mobility and freedom from the delays caused by finding a place to surface and stopping to charge the batteries of a diesel-electric powered submarine. The theory of under-ice submarining is simple. In practice, it requires experience and skill, thoroughly dependable equipment and machinery, and a submarine with a superstructure tough enough to withstand damage from contact with the ice.
The ability to operate submarines under the north polar ice pack offers peaceful advantage to all nations. The extent of these advantages will become fully apparent only as the capabilities of nuclear-powered submarines are fully exploited in the north. Under-ice submarining also has certain military implications. Thus the Nautilus polar cruise is analogous to the launching of the Russian Sputniks, as the space satellite also has tremendous potential for peaceful advantage to all nations plus its military implications.
Peacetime Advantages
The prime peacetime task of the nuclear-powered submarine in the Arctic is survey-work. The U.S.S.R. has been very active the past ten years in the arctic basin gathering bathymetric data by aircraft landings on the ice and by drifting stations on the ice pack. The United States has also recently engaged in this type activity beginning with the occupation of ice island[1] T-3 in 1951 by Colonel J. O. Fletcher, USAF, and his party. The U. S. Navy has also made several series of ice landings by aircraft to obtain soundings and oceanographic data. These methods are not only hazardous due to the problems of arctic weather and the instability of the ice pack itself, but the data obtained is sporadic. The United States is now in a position to gather bathymetric data on the Arctic Ocean in a shorter time and in the much more precise and meaningful form of continuous contours by submarine. A thorough knowledge of the region is a prerequisite to using it to fullest advantage and to understanding its relationship and effect on the rest of the world.
It is immediately apparent that nuclear-powered submarines can use the arctic basin as a transit area. The Russians already so use it for a few short weeks during the summer when they send surface ship and icebreaker convoys along their Northern Sea Route across the top of Siberia. The distance from northern European ports to the Orient via the Arctic Ocean is approximately half the length of the next shortest water route via the Suez Canal. This tends to make nuclear-powered submarine cargo ships and tankers look attractive.
Commercial aircraft are now overflying the Arctic on daily schedules. In the Atlantic and Pacific, we have weather ships stationed along the trans-ocean air routes. These ships also provide navigational check points for aircraft and rescue facilities when need be. The nuclear-powered submarine can perform this same function in ice covered seas, a consideration that will become increasingly important as arctic air routes are further developed.
It may be possible to maintain extensive surface activities, such as air bases on the arctic ice pack, by manufacturing artificial ice islands and supplying them by nuclear-powered submarine. It is also feasible to resupply some arctic land bases by submarine in case of emergency during the winter or to augment supplies brought in by surface ships during the short, ice free summer months.
Military Implications
With the large and growing Soviet submarine force and the threat of submarine-launched missiles, we now must consider the coastlines of the United States as the most vulnerable and hard to defend part of our borders. The United States has expended a great deal of money, time, and effort on means for protecting the country from the Soviet submarine threat; and we have achieved a considerable measure of success in improving our anti-submarine capability. The Russians have not had cause to worry greatly about the submarine threat to their coastlines.
Actually the U.S.S.R. has a longer coastline that the United States. The northern coastline of the U.S.S.R. extends from 170° west longitude, where it faces Alaska across Bering Strait, to 30° east longitude where it meets Norway. This is nearly half way around the world at the Arctic Circle. But Russia’s long-stretching northern coastline has heretofore been protected by the arctic ice pack. With the demonstrated ability of the nuclear-powered submarine to move freely under the ice pack, the former protection will be reduced, for the ice will now protect the submarine itself rather than the Siberian coast.
Employing characteristic stealth, a missile-launching submarine can reach and maintain position in the ice pack without its presence being known. The submarine can remain undetected indefinitely, drifting on the surface in an open lead, camouflage painted white to blend with the ice, cruising under the ice, or lying quietly topped against an adequately thick ice floe just as submarines have previously lain immobile on the bottom of the sea. From its position in the ice, the submarine can emerge to fire missiles within a few minutes of receiving a signal to do so. From the ice pack east of Spitzbergen, it measures about 400 miles to Murmansk, 880 miles to Archangel, 1,180 to Leningrad, 1,420 to Moscow and 1,780 to Kiev in the Ukraine. With our lesser interest in the far north and the greater distance of centers of population and industry from the Arctic, any threat to the free world from Soviet under-ice submarines is negligible.
Air bases and fixed missile-launching sites in the future will be vulnerable to destruction as they can be “zeroed in.” The aircraft carrier striking force is more difficult to counter with its mobility. The missile-launching submarine in the open sea is also mobile and, being out of sight, is infinitely more difficult to detect than a surface force. But a submarine protected by pack ice is virtually immune to detection. The missile-launching submarine constitutes an attractive deterrent force, relatively economical and most difficult to counter. When it comes to deterring the Soviet Union by threat of missile-launching submarines, the arctic ice pack is a valuable ally.
Unwanted though it may be by the United States and the rest of the free world, this is an era of competition in military strength. The successful Russian satellite launchings produced somewhat frenzied activity in the satellite and rocket field by the United States. On the other hand, the U. S. Navy pioneered the missile-launching submarine and the nuclear-powered submarine. Now the Nautilus has demonstrated that this combination can range the entire length of the Red coastline. The Soviets have been given an anti-submarine problem of their own, a purely defensive problem similar to the one we have found so difficult.
A graduate of the Naval Academy in the Class of 1942, Commander McWethy served for eleven years with submarines, including six war patrols in the Pacific. In 1948 he made a flight over the North Pole and from 1949 to 1951 he was Executive Officer of the icebreaker USS Burton Island and participated in four expeditions to the western Arctic. He is presently on the Staff on COMSUBRON TEN.
*
BEYOND HIS CAPACITY
Contributed by Lieutenant Colonel W. F. Frank, USMC
The task force had finally returned to port after several months at sea, and the crews had been granted the customary liberty. As was to be expected, the admiral had to hold mast the following morning. One of the offenders was the admiral’s yeoman who had indulged himself beyond his capacity and as a result had been over leave. After listening to the charge and the yeoman’s honest and straightforward explanation, the admiral bellowed:
“Son, why don’t you learn to drink like an officer and a gentleman?”
“Oh, no sir!” came the horrified reply. “I could never do that.”
(The Naval Institute will pay $5.00 for each anecdote accepted for publication in the Proceedings.)Sandra Michael survived an aircraft bomb explosion in Colombo in 1986. Matthew Bannister brings her together with airport manager Tony Packeer, who saved her life.
Outlook brings together Sandira Michael and Tony Packeer. She was a passenger on an airliner bombed by the Tamil Tigers in 1986. He was a manager at Colombo airport, whose decision to delay the plane saved more than a hundred lives.
Swedish baker Malin Elmlid explains how she's been travelling the world using her sourdough bread to trade for goods and services. Her recipe book is called The Bread Exchange.
A group of Indian widows, rejected by their families, have been able to make an emotional visit to their home city, Kolkata. They are among thousands of widows who have struggled to make new lives in the temple town of Vrindavan.
Twenty-three-year-old singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is one of Britain's hottest young stars. He describes the humble beginnings of his career, and the hard work which eventually brought success.
(Photo: Sandira Michael)NEW DELHI: The Postal Department's strategy to focus on fast growing e-commerce segment has borne fruits as it saw a significant 37 per cent jump in parcel revenues in the past year.The increase in parcel revenues is in stark contrast to 2 per cent decline in 2013-14, an official of the Communications and IT Ministry said.With dwindling letter or document traffic, the department is focusing on the fast-growing parcel segment, the official said, adding that various measures have been taken to modernise the department under the Digital India initiative.As part of initiatives to leverage the e-commerce sector, the department has forged tie ups with leading online marketplaces like Snapdeal Amazon, Paytm and Yepme for parcel delivery and has also set up modernised 48 centres to handle the packages."Investments are being made for augmenting e-commerce parcel booking, transmission and secure handling capabilities and for mechanising delivery starting with the bigger cities. 48 new state-of-the-art parcel centres have been established as part of this initiative," the official said.As a result of these efforts, "the parcel revenues have jumped by 37 per cent in the last one year, which is in contrast to 2 per cent decline in 2013-14," the official added.Also, an Android-based mobile app has also been launched with features like real-time tracking, post office search and postage calculator.The e-commerce sector in India is growing at 47 per cent CAGR and India Post is the only delivery agency with a pan-India reach, the official said.The official said in its endeavour to help bridge the digital divide, the Department has taken an initiative to bring the rural artisans into e-commerce mainstream through a public private partnership.According to an official in Communications and IT Ministry, as part of the Digital India initiative, various measures have been taken to modernise the Postal Department.Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had earlier said that India Post with the world's largest postal network was best suited to offer delivery services to e-commerce firms.The Minister had suggested that India Post should strive to become the largest player in the e-commerce segment.The Postal Department has 1,54,882 post offices, of which 1,39,182 are in rural areas. The department employs around 4,60,000 personnel and handles close to six billion mail pieces in a year.Appearing on the Christian Broadcasting Network this week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said something that is likely to continue the distancing of himself from the staunch neoconservative types like Bill Kristol and Charles Krauthammer who have actively blasted the senator for civil libertarian views. Speaking with CBN’s David Brody, Paul said that Republicans and evangelical Christians too often seem eager to go to war.
“Part of Republicans’ problems and, frankly, to tell you the truth, some in the evangelical Christian movement, I think have appeared too eager for war,” Paul said.
“When people come to me and they’re lobbying for ratcheting up some bellicose policy –- even if it’s a bad country — I tell them: When I read the New Testament, and when I read about Jesus, he wasn’t really involved in the war of his days,” the senator continued. “In fact, people rebuked him for not being the king they wanted; they wanted somebody to stand up to the Romans.”
Comments like these are likely to further irritate the war-hawkish elements of the Republican Party, such as Weekly Standard founder Kristol who called the senator a “dangerous” “neo-isolationist,” and Fox commentator Krauthammer who dismissed Paul’s civil liberties concerns as “absurd” and ridiculous.”
In what seems like a direct criticism of some of the practices contained within American foreign policy, the senator then said that “[Jesus] didn’t organize coalitions and guerrilla bands and arm them.”
He concluded: “Blessed are the peacemakers, not blessed are the warmakers.”
Hear, hear.
Watch below, via CBN:
[h/t MofoPolitics]
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>> Follow Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) on Twitter
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]’s not. But what is it? Quickmeme
Just when you think Tabby’s Star can’t get any weirder, it goes and does.
You know this star: It undergoes very odd dips in brightness that have defied explanation. The star, formally called KIC 8462852 (but nicknamed Tabby’s Star after Tabetha Boyajian, the astronomer who led the team investigating it), has been observed by the Kepler spacecraft for some time now. Kepler looks for dips in brightness in stars indicating the presence of a planet orbiting it; the planet blocks a tiny bit of star light, and that drop in brightness can be detected.
But Tabby’s Star isn’t behaving itself. Instead of a smooth dip and subsequent rise in brightness indicating a planet, it suffers nonperiodic, asymmetric, and very deep dips in brightness. This is not at all what you expect from a planet. Ideas including shattered asteroids and swarms of comets explain some but not all of the dips.
After a while people began to wonder: What if advanced aliens were building huge megastructures around the star, in order to capture its light to power their civilization? I know, that’s a bit far-fetched, but it actually fits the data pretty well. No scientist really thinks that’s the case—it’s a reach, and no signals from aliens have been found—but nothing else works, either. It’s baffling.
Then an announcement was made that over the past century or more the star has been fading at an unprecedented rate. This finding was immediately called into question, though, and the issue of fading remained unresolved.
But now a new study, using data from Kepler itself, shows that Tabby’s Star really is fading, and at quite a clip: Over three years of observation it faded by nearly 1 percent, then took a sudden nosedive, fading by two percent in the next 200 days.
Data from Kepler show Tabby’s Star faded by 3 percent over about four years. The symbols represent various Kepler observations, and the gray line is a fit to other observations of the star. Montet and Simon
I know, that doesn’t sound like much, but remember this is an entire star, a mighty source of energy. Stars like this one just don’t do that! What’s causing it?
The astronomers first looked at the data to make sure the fading was real, and after careful investigation concluded it is. It’s not some instrumental effect from Kepler itself, but instead is something happening on, at, or near the star.
They looked for other factors, like stars around it changing brightness, but don’t see anything amiss that might throw off the data. They looked at quite a few stars around Tabby’s, and only saw a handful that exhibit similar fading, but none with that sudden 2 percent drop.
Whatever that star is doing, it’s actually doing it.
So what could it be? It’s not a planet; it would have to be far larger (0.15 times the size of the star itself!) than any planet could be to make such a large dip, and the slow change would mean it was implausibly far from the star. A cloud of material might do the trick, slowly passing in front of the star and blocking its light, but that doesn’t explain the sharp dips, either.
The researchers find that a recent collision of asteroids or comets might account for almost everything seen; the big dips would be from clouds of material, and the smaller rapid dips from more solid bodies. But that doesn’t explain the centurylong dip, or the fading seen by Kepler (I’ll note the recent fading is consistent broadly with the much longer fading, but doesn’t necessarily prove it’s real).
Nothing explains everything we see. It’s a mystery.
Clearly, more observations are needed. A cloud of dust could redden the star, in much the same way that atmospheric haze on Earth makes the setting Sun look redder, so a change in the star’s color would be interesting. The astronomers also suggest looking for planets farther out from the star, perhaps a few hundred million kilometers from it. The gravity from a planet like that could, in theory, gravitationally align a disk of material around the star (think of it as a thick, dusty asteroid belt) that could explain some of the features.
A belt of debris might explain some of the observations. But not all. Artist drawing by NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)
Could that be what’s doing all this? Maaaaaaybe. There are still a few ideas tossed around that can explain Tabby’s Star’s behavior, but all are maddeningly, tantalizingly difficult to ascertain.
Mind you, I’m still not saying aliens. I really and quite seriously don’t think that’s it. It’s more likely we’re seeing a combination of effects doing this; a cloud of material sliding in front of the star, dimming it slowly, with thicker clumps causing the sharper fading. But even that doesn’t explain all the data.
The only thing we know for sure is that we haven’t ever seen anything like this before, and that we are seeing is really, really weird.
And weird is good! Scientists love mysteries, especially the distinctly odd ones. This is tremendously fun science, with more questions than answers. But with more observations and more clever analyses, I hope that will reverse. Even if it’s not a technologically advanced civilization, I want to know what is going on!Despite the growing influx of foreign workers and residents in Japan, their perspectives have been largely ignored ahead of Sunday’s Lower House election, according to the director of a nonprofit organization that supports immigrant children and youths in the country.
Iki Tanaka, whose youth support center has helped some 600 children and adults from 26 regions learn Japanese, says more must be done to help new arrivals integrate.
“I am afraid about the situation that while the number of foreign residents keeps rising, Japanese society remains unprepared to accept them. Confusion will occur if unique issues and challenges faced by foreigners are left unaddressed,” Tanaka said.
Faced with a declining population and the rapid graying of the labor force, Japan is certain to rely more on foreign laborers, whose numbers topped 1 million for the first time last year, propelled by increases in “technical trainees” who often perform unskilled work for low wages.
A record 1,083,769 foreigners were working in the country at the end of October last year, up 19.4 percent from a year earlier, labor ministry data showed.
The number of registered foreigner residents in Japan is also increasing in tandem with the rise in foreign laborers, hitting a record 2,382,822 as of the end of last year, up 6.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Justice Ministry.
Their presence in the workplace and various areas of Japanese society, including schools and hospitals, is expected to grow.
But without sufficient support from the central government, municipalities are left to deal with foreign residents on their own, through the use of volunteers and by teachers and other public officials who may not be up to the task, Tanaka suggests.
An education ministry survey showed that students at public elementary, junior high and high schools in need of Japanese language training totaled 37,000 in 2014. Of them, 18 percent, or 6,700 have not received Japanese instruction.
“We need to face the reality that Japan cannot go on without foreigners’ labor force,” Tanaka said. “Foreigners are not just sources of labor. They and their families need to make a living in Japan and are also recipients of social services, including education and health care. Their perspectives need to be taken into account.”
In the context of the House of Representatives election, the issue has been raised by the new Kibo no To (Party of Hope) led by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike but in a very controversial manner.
Shortly before the official election campaign started on Oct. 10, Koike told fleeing members of the moribund opposition Democratic Party to sign a policy agreement that included a provision that they stand opposed to giving foreign residents the right to vote in local elections as a condition for joining her party.
That stance seemingly went against Koike’s pledge that her “tolerant” party promotes diversity in society.
The Korean Youth Association immediately released a statement critical of Kibo no To’s stance, saying, it is a “narrow-minded nationalism and hampers human rights.” The group has called for giving suffrage to permanent foreign residents in local elections from the 1990s, arguing that it is a matter of fact that they join in political process as members of Japanese society.
In an official list of campaign pledges unveiled later, the party did not mention the issue. But Koike still left open the possibility of formally denying suffrage to foreign residents.
Many political observers say that she included the clause about foreign suffrage merely to make a clear distinction between her party and liberal-minded members of the Democratic Party and was not pushing to really stir national debate over it.
Aside from the issue of whether to let non-Japanese vote, no party is pushing to the fore any particular policy regarding foreign residents.
In their election pledges, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and like-minded Kibo no To explicitly said they will expand the intake of foreigners to make up for the national labor shortage, although they seem to be restrictive on the extent of the reception.
The LDP’s ruling coalition partner Komeito, as well as the Japanese Communist Party, have urged strengthening measures to help foreign children whose Japanese skills are insufficient adapt to the Japanese education system and school life.
Kiyoto Tanno, professor at the Tokyo Metropolitan University, says foreigners’ perspectives are not an election issue as the government only sees them as temporary sources of labor, rather than potential immigrants.
“The Japanese government wants a labor force but in a way that does not bring ‘extra social costs,’ such as their families. That’s why it promotes the intake of foreign labor in the form of trainees,” Tanno said.
Critics have long said the government’s skills-acquisition internship program, under which trainees are brought to Japan, is a cover for hiring cheap labor. These workers, who are not allowed to bring their families, often return home when their contracts expire.
“For the government, the major premise in accepting foreign laborers is not to do so as immigrants that would entail social costs,” Tanno said.
But looking ahead, Tanno questions whether Japan will remain an attractive destination to trainees, who are currently arriving mainly from Vietnam and China.
“For now, the trainees will come to Japan because of the economic gap but under the current wages and labor environment, their numbers are likely to decrease. A long-term perspective is really what is needed, but the country’s dealings with the issue have been postponed,” Tanno said.
The JCP, in stark contrast with the other parties, favors improving labor conditions, especially the elimination of unpaid wages, so foreign residents can lead humane lives and have their rights protected.The Amazing Catacombs in Paris France
source: here
Prior to 1810 the Paris catacombs were known as Paris’ Montrouge stone quarries. As with any large city graveyards began to quickly run out of burial space thus an alternative means of disposing of bodies was necessary. Here you can now walk within a maze of the Paris underground tunnels complete with storage alcoves which go up at least 20 feet and contain millions of bones. The various sides of these bone piles possess designs which have been arranged with the skulls in a sort of pattern.
Existing twenty meters underground one can find over 6 million former residents of Paris on exhibit. Among these bones of the deceased are many illustrated texts which create a macabre atmosphere while describe countless chilling events in the chronicles of Paris. It is here that several Hollywood movies have taken their cue and novels abound concerning the essence of the catacombs.
During the 2nd World War this series of underground caves were exploited as hideaways for members of the French Resistance movement. With its large area of coverage and its secretive entrances these catacombs proved to be an immense benefit.
The catacombs are unlike anything you may have seen previously. In a single word they are simply “Amazing”. Although ones first impression is to be astounded after a while it all appears to be the same. With 6 million bones in plan sight the complete outlook tends to give a spooky type of sight and since they have only a single way to escape you are left with no other alternative other then to keep walking. The entrance is easily reached via the Paris metro.
When you first arrive at the entrance to the catacombs you just may miss it since it is nothing more then a green color metal hut. You will transcend many flights of stairs to reach the visitor layer. These very steps may pose a problem for the elderly people should they be out of shape. The total number of steps is approximately 80 layers when descending into the tunnel and about 200 when coming back up. The exit steps are arranged in a small spiral. You will walk in a long expanse of dark musty tunnel prior to arriving at the bone collections. Most of the passageways are rather narrow and it will seem like they never end.
If you are a photographer you will be quickly cautioned that no sort of flash photography will be allowed in the catacombs.
Given an opportunity to visit this section of Paris, I would highly recommend this fascinating experience as one you should see. It represents an awesome chance to witness the thousands of year old caves while strolling past rows upon rows of human bones. Don’t miss this tour by any means.The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a species of bird in the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. One of the smaller members of the dabbling duck group, it occurs in North America, where it breeds from southern Alaska to Nova Scotia, and south to northern Texas. It winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and south into the Caribbean islands and Central America.
Taxonomy [ edit ]
The first formal description of the blue-winged teal was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. He coined the binomial name Anas discors.[2] A molecular phylogentic study comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences published in 2009 found that the genus Anas, as then defined, was non-monophyletic.[3] The genus was subsequently split into four monophyletic genera with ten species including the blue-winged teal moved into the resurrected genus Spatula.[4] This genus had been originally proposed by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822.[5][6] The name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula". The specific epithet discors is the Latin for "different" or "at variance".[7]
Description [ edit ]
The blue-winged teal is 40 cm (16 in) long, with a wingspan of 58 cm (23 in), and a weight of 370 g (13 oz).[8] The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult female is mottled brown, and has a whitish area at base of bill. Both sexes have sky-blue wing coverts, a green speculum, and yellow legs.[8][9] They have two molts per year and a third molt in their first year.[8] The call of the male is a short whistle; the female's call is a soft quack.[8]
Distribution [ edit ]
The range is all of North America except western and northern Alaska, northern Yukon Territory, northern Northwest Territories and the northeastern area of Canada. Blue-winged teal are rare in the desert southwest, and the west coast. The breeding habitat of the blue-winged teal is marshes and ponds.[8][9]
The breeding range extends from east-central Alaska and southern Mackenzie District east to southern Quebec and southwestern Newfoundland. In the contiguous United States it breeds from northeast California east to central Louisiana, central Tennessee, and the Atlantic Coast.[10][11] The western blue-winged teal inhabits that part of the breeding range west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Atlantic blue-winged teal nests along the Atlantic Coast from New Brunswick to Pea Island, North Carolina.[12][clarification needed]
They migrate in flocks to winter in to the south of its breeding range. During migration, some birds may fly long distances over open ocean. They are occasional vagrants to Europe, where their yellow legs are a distinction from other small ducks like the common teal and garganey,[8][9] and in recent years have been annual vagrants in Britain and Ireland.[13][14][15] The blue-winged teal winters from southern California to western and southern Texas, the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast and south to Central and South America. It is often seen wintering as far south as Brazil and central Chile.[8][9][10]
Habitat [ edit ]
Blue-winged teal inhabit shoreline more often than open water and prefer calm water or sluggish currents to fast water. They inhabit inland marshes, lakes, ponds, pools, and shallow streams with dense emergent vegetation.[10] In coastal areas, breeding occurs in salt-marsh meadows with adjoining ponds or creeks.[11] Blue-winged teal use rocks protruding above water, muskrat houses, trunks or limbs of fallen trees, bare stretches of shoreline, or mud flats for resting sites.[10]
Blue-winged teal winter on shallow inland freshwater marshes and brackish and saltwater marshes.[10] They build their nests on dry ground in grassy sites such as bluegrass meadows, hayfields, and sedge meadows. They will also nest in areas with very short, sparse vegetation.[16] Blue-winged teal generally nest within several hundred yards of open water; however, nests have been found as far as 1.61 km (1 mi) away from water.[12] Where the habitat is good, they nest communally.[10]
Blue-winged teal often use heavy growth of bulrushes and cattails as escape cover.[17] Grasses, sedges, and hayfields provide nesting cover for these ducks.[16] Erik Fritzell reported that blue-winged teal nests located in light to sparse cover were more successful than those in heavy cover. Nesting success was 47% on grazed areas and 14% on ungrazed areas.[16]
The blue-winged teal is primarily found in the northern prairies and parklands. It is the most abundant duck in the mixed-grass prairies of the Dakotas and the prairie provinces of Canada. The blue-winged teal is also found in wetlands of boreal forest associations, shortgrass prairies, tallgrass prairies, and deciduous woodlands.[12]
This duck commonly inhabits wetland communities dominated by bulrush (Scirpus spp.), cattail (Typha spp.), pondweed (Potamogeton spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima), and other emergent and aquatic vegetation.[12][17] During molting, it often remains among extensive beds of bulrushes and cattails. The blue-winged teal favors areas dominated by bluegrass (Poa spp.) for nesting. Hayfields and plant communities of buckbrush (Ceonothus cuneatus) and sedges are also important as nest sites.[12]
Behavior [ edit ]
These birds feed by dabbling in shallow water at the edge of marshes or open water.[8] They mainly eat plants; their diet may include molluscs and aquatic insects.
Blue-winged teal are generally the first ducks south in the fall and the last ones north in the spring. Adult drakes depart the breeding grounds well before adult hens and immatures. Most blue-winged teal flocks seen after mid-September are composed largely of adult hens and immatures.[12] The northern regions experience a steady decline in blue-winged teal populations from early September until early November. Blue-winged teal in central migration areas tend to remain through September, then diminish rapidly during October, with small numbers remaining until December. Large numbers of blue-winged teal appear on wintering grounds in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas in September.[12]
Reproduction [ edit ]
The onset of courtship among immature blue-winged teal often starts in late January or early February. In areas south of the breeding grounds, blue-winged teal are more active in courtship during the spring migration than are most other ducks.[12]
Blue-winged teal are among the last dabbling ducks to nest,[12] generally nesting between April 15 and May 15.[12][17] Few nests are started after mid-July.[12] Chronology of nesting can vary from year to year as a result of weather conditions. At Delta Marshes, Manitoba, blue-winged teal nesting was delayed a week in 1950 due to abnormally cold weather.[12] The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with grass and down, usually surrounded by vegetation.[citation needed]
Blue-winged teal generally lay 10 to 12 eggs. Delayed nesting and renesting efforts have substantially smaller clutches, averaging five to six eggs. Clutch size can also vary with the age of the hen. Yearlings tend to lay smaller clutches.[12] Incubation takes 21 to 27 days.[11][12][17] Blue-winged teal are sexually mature after their first winter. During incubation, the drake leaves its mate and moves to suitable molting cover where it becomes flightless for a period of 3 to 4 weeks.[citation needed]
Blue-winged teal ducklings can walk to water within 12 hours after hatching but do not fledge until 6 to 7 weeks.[11][17]
Food habits [ edit ]
Blue-winged teal are surface feeders and prefer to feed on mud flats, in fields, or in shallow water where there is floating and shallowly submerged vegetation plus abundant small aquatic animal life. They mostly eat vegetative matter consisting of seeds or stems and leaves of sedge, grass, pondweed, smartweed (Polygonum spp.), duckweed (Lemna spp.), Widgeongrass, and muskgrass (Chara spp.).[10][11][12] The seeds of plants that grow on mud flats, such as nutgrass (Cyperus spp.), smartweed, millet (Panicum spp.), and Rice Cut-grass (Leersia oryzoides), are avidly consumed by this duck.[12] One-fourth of the food consumed by blue-winged teal is animal matter such as mollusks, crustaceans, and insects.[10][11][12]
Predators [ edit ]
Common predators of blue-winged teal include humans, snakes, snapping turtles (Chlycha serpentina), dogs, cats, muskellunge, American crows (Corvus brachyrhnchos), magpies (Pica spp.), ground squirrels, coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes fulva), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), American minks (Mustela vison), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius), and American badgers (Taxidea taxus).[12][17]
During one study, about half of the nest failures of blue-winged teal were caused by mammals. Striped and Spotted Skunks were responsible for two-thirds of these losses. All nest losses caused by birds were attributed to either crows or magpies.[12]
See also [ edit ]
Male traumatic insemination behavior.
References [ edit ]
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Agriculture document "Anas discors".The organization is in the process of changing its policies after Jenna Talackova was disqualified from competing for the title of Miss Universe Canada.
After more than two weeks of discussions, GLAAD and the Miss Universe Organization announced on Tuesday that transgender woman will now be allowed to compete for the crown in its beauty competitions.
PHOTOS: GLAAD Media Awards Red Carpet Arrivals
The Donald Trump-owned organization is close to finalizing a new policy after news broke on March 24 that Miss Universe Canada contestant Jenna Talackova, a transgender woman, had been disqualified. Trump and his organization announced last week that Jenna would be welcome to return and compete, after GLAAD reached out to review her case. Now, the competition will be open to all transgender women beginning at the start of this fall’s 2013 pageant season.
“For more than two weeks, the Miss Universe Organization and Mr. Trump made it clear to GLAAD that they were open to making a policy change to include women who are transgender,” said GLAAD spokesperson Herndon Graddick. “We appreciate that he and his team responded swiftly and appropriately. The Miss Universe Organization today follows institutions that have taken a stand against discrimination of transgender women including the Olympics, NCAA, the Girl Scouts of America and The CW’s America’s Next Top Model. Jenna and all of the LGBT advocates who have called for this change and spoken out in support of transgender women are to be commended. At a time when transgender people are still routinely denied equal opportunities in housing, employment and medical care, today’s decision is in line with the growing levels of
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and help you but at the end of the day it is down to you.
Marcus Rashford has become a key part of the Manchester United team this season.
"You see it more often now with young players after they first get into the first team there are a lot of distractions all over but, especially at United, we have a lot of examples of people ignoring all that and keeping to their football.
"My group is quite closed. I don't bring new people in, maybe that is a bad thing, but I don't leave myself open to giving anyone an opportunity to tarnish me.
"I have kept it quite closed. The same lads I have been with since I was 7, 8, 9, 10 are the same friends now.
"We used to play everywhere when I was a kid. Parking lots over the road, the number of times we got told to come off the school field when school wasn't open is amazing.
"All of my friends have always loved football and still do now. If we could we'd still do all those same things now but it's a bit more difficult now."
Rob is ESPN FC's Manchester United correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @RobDawsonESPN.Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) battles baddies and sexism in the aftermath of World War II in the new television series "Marvel's Agent Carter." Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy must balance her humdrum job with her secret missions for Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), in the wake of losing her boyfriend Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. "Marvel's Agent Carter" debuts with a two-part premiere starting at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6 on WEWS Channel 5.
2. 'Frozen' takes to the ice
Your little "Frozen" fans will turn into icicles unless you take them to "Disney on Ice Presents Frozen," coming to Quicken Loans Arena on Friday, Jan. 9 through Sunday, Jan. 18. This touring skating spectacular features sisters Anna and Elsa for the first time in a live Disney production. Rugged mountain man Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, comical snowman Olaf and the mystical trolls are part of this story about love's power to conquer fear. Sing along to "Frozen's" popular songs including "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?", "Fixer Upper" and of course, "Let it Go." $12 ticket available for opening night only, then $25-$75; see the website for show times.
3. Maine's landscapes in spotlight
The art exhibit "Maine Sublime: Frederic Church's 'Twilight in the Wilderness'" is in its final weeks at the Cleveland Museum of Art. A famed landscape painter, Church (1826-1900) loved the natural beauty of Maine. This exhibition showcases the painting "Twilight in the Wilderness" with nearly 25 sketches recording Maine's rugged interior, rocky coast, and windswept islands. Free; on view through Sunday, Jan. 25. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, closed Monday. 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland.
4. Get outside at Akron Zoo
Got cabin fever? Take the cure at the Akron Zoo's Cabin Fever Reliever. It's a scavenger hunt around the zoo, with free hot chocolate waiting for anyone who completes the hunt. Enjoy a craft station inside the Komodo Kingdom Education Center and a coloring corner in the zoo's gift shop. Free with zoo admission, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., $7 per person. Dates are Saturday, Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31.
5. Journey to love begins
"The Bachelor" will open with a three-hour episode with many elements broadcast live. Former "Bachelorette" contestant Chris Soules, who is originally from small-town Iowa, will try to find love as the show kicks off 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5 on WEWS Channel 5.
6. Singing knights in 'Galavant'
Composers Alan Menkin and Glenn Slater ("The Little Mermaid") and creator-writer Dan Fogelman have concocted a wild musical comedy in "Galavant," a spoofy show aimed at the folks who can quote lines from "Spamalot" and "Shrek." "Galavant" is filled with heroic knights, cameo appearances, production numbers and strong women instead of damsels in distress. It airs four Sunday nights in January, premiering at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4 on WEWS Channel 5.
7. Foreign film at Cinematheque
An elderly Chinese-Cambodian woman and a young man share their grief over the death of the woman's son – who was the young man's lover -- despite their language and cultural barriers, in the British drama "Lilting." The film, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, screens at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque at 8:40 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan 9. $7-$9, 11141 East Blvd., Cleveland.
8. Pirates who aren't Johnny Depp
In the Starz pirate series "Black Sails," Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), a brilliant and feared pirate captain, fights for the survival of New Providence Island, a place populated by pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers. Catch the action and intrigue when "Black Sails: The Complete First Season" comes to DVD ($49.98) and Blu-ray ($59.99) on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
9. Last holiday blast
Sunday, Jan. 4 is the final day for "Celebrations: Holiday Traditions in CLE," an exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society. Don't miss a chance to ride the society's new Beach Park Grand Carousel, and enjoy vintage Higbee's department store holiday window displays and mechanical characters. Free with general admission: $5-$10, free for WRHS members. Each admission receives two tokens for a carousel ride. Noon to 5 p.m., 10825 East Blvd., Cleveland.
10. 'The Gambler' rolls high
The 1974 movie "The Gambler" gets a remake with Mark Wahlberg handling James Caan's role. Wahlberg plays the scion of a wealthy family whose gambling gets out of hand when he owes money to major gangsters, and his loved ones are targeted as collateral for Jim's debts. In theaters now.Cast Signed for 'Oz: The Great & Powerful' Sequel But Not Sam Raimi
Just last week, right before Oz: The Great and Powerful hit theaters and took the top spot at the box office with just over $80 million, there was already word that Disney had commissioned writer Mitchell Kapner (co-writer of the first film) to script a sequel. At the time, we weren't sure if Sam Raimi would return as director or if cast members James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams would all return. Now we have a better idea thanks to interviews conducting on the press tour for the film as it opened all around the world. So who from Oz: The Great and Powerful will be coming back?
Unfortunately (or thankfully depending on your opinion of the film), Raimi doesn't seem himself directing the sequel. It doesn't necessarily count him out definitively, but Raimi told Bleeding Cool:
"I haven’t planned on directing the sequel. I did leave some loose ends for another director if they want to make the picture. I tried to make it a complete ending, so that the audience would be fulfilled, but I also let Evanora and Theodora get away. I was attracted to this story but I don’t think the second one would have the thing I would need to get me interested."
As for what that thing is that Raimi would need, we're not sure. The director does say he doesn't necessarily know what direction the sequel would go, but it sounds like there was something about the first film that attracted him. But just because Raimi isn't coming back doesn't mean Disney doesn't already have a leg to stand on for the sequel. E! Online spoke with Mila Kunis, and she simply said, "We're all signed for sequels." The actress isn't specific on who "we" includes, but the principal live-action cast is probably a lock, and Zach Braff (the voice of Finley) and Joey King (China Girl) are probably included. Hopefully the sequel will venture a little further into Oz and not still feel tied to The Wizard of Oz. Thoughts?
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Sorry, no commenting is allowed at this time.The charges against a former Georgia math teacher are adding up to trouble.
Former McIntosh County Academy teacher Lori Quigley has been charged with having sex with two students both on and off campus. The alleged encounters took place in Quigley’s classroom and at a Waffle House. She is facing three felony counts for the alleged sexual encounters.
Quigley was arrested at her home last week, about a week after she resigned from her job at the school. On Friday, the married woman posted her $50,000 cash bail.
Under the terms of her release, Quigley isn’t allowed to have contact with any students or former students of the county school system other than family members. Judge David Cavender also ruled that she must be supervised while interacting with anyone under the age of 18.
The 41-year-old is not allowed to leave the state of Georgia until the matter is resolved.
[Atlanta Journal-Constitution] [WSB]A fellow motorcyclist's helmet camera caught a crash unfold when a car swerved over and hit a motorcycle carrying driver Eric Sanders and his girlfriend on a Texas highway on Oct. 19. (Brian Fisher/ViralHog.com)
Footage of the crash on a two-lane Texas road has been viewed millions of times on Facebook. In it, Eric Sanders and his girlfriend are riding a motorcycle and attempted to pass William Crum’s car. As they cross the double-yellow line, Crum’s car veers right into the pair, knocking them off the bike.
A motorcyclist riding from behind, Brian Fisher, caught the entire crash on camera. Crum stops his car. “What were you doing? You hit them!” Fisher says to Crum, adding that he filmed the crash.
“I don’t care,” Crum says. “I got stung by a wasp or something.”
Authorities on Monday night arrested Crum, 68, and charged him with two counts of aggravated assault, according to the Hood County Sheriff’s Office. His bail was set Tuesday morning at $150,000, Sheriff Roger Deeds told the Star-Telegram.
[How a spider caused a car to T-bone a school bus]
Sanders suffered abrasions and his girlfriend was left with a broken wrist and other injuries, the motorcyclist told NBC affiliate KXAS-TV. “He hit me on purpose. I don’t care what he said, I don’t care what his explanation is,” Sanders told the station. “I almost died.”
The passenger, identified as Debra Simpson, was flown to a hospital and remained in intensive care as of Monday, Trooper Dub Gillum of the Texas Department of Public Safety told the Star-Telegram.
Before his arrest, Crum told a number of local news stations that he had been reacting to an insect bite during the incident.
“All of the sudden, I felt this stinging in my left leg,” Crum told KXAS. “I didn’t try to hurt anybody. It was a reflex from the pain.”
“On that particular road, I’ve seen them do wheelies at 60 miles an hour, and I thought he was one of those,” Crum told CBS affiliate KTVT-TV. “I didn’t know there was a passenger.”Enlarge By Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images CNN's Lou Dobbs reported that Hawaiian officials had destroyed President Obama's original 1961 birth certificate without citing a source. In an attempt to quash persistent rumors that President Obama was not born in Honolulu on Aug. 4, 1961, Hawaii's health director reiterated Monday afternoon that she has personally seen Obama's birth certificate in the Health Department's archives: "I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen. I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago...." On Oct. 31, Fukino originally tried to put an end to the belief among "birthers" that Obama was born in Kenya and thus was ineligible to run for the office of president. Despite Fukino's statements, the issue has continued to resonate from Capitol Hill to the national airwaves. Last week, CNN's Lou Dobbs demanded Obama's original birth certificate. CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein told staffers of Lou Dobbs Tonight that the issue is a "dead" story, Kline told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday. In an e-mail, the Times reported, Klein wrote that CNN researchers determined that Obama's 1961 birth certificate no longer exists because Hawaiian officials had discarded paper documents in 2001 — a claim denied Monday by Hawaiian health officials. In 2001, Hawaii's paper documents were reproduced in electronic format, but "any paper data prior to that still exists," Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said. Okubo would not say where Obama's original birth certificate is but said, "We have backups for all of our backups." A congressional resolution introduced by Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of island statehood was delayed Monday. The resolution includes a clause noting Obama's Hawaiian birthplace. The line "Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961" appeared to be construed by birthers as a thinly veiled attempt to get Congress to affirm Obama's U.S. citizenship, said Dave Helfert, an Abercrombie spokesman. As the issue came to a vote Monday, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., rose to object, saying there was not a quorum present. The House later voted 378-0 to approve the resolution. Bachmann voted in favor of the resolution. Birthers denounce the notion that Obama was born in Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu on Aug. 4, 1961, despite court rulings and statements by Fukino and Hawaii's Republican governor, Linda Lingle. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read moreLittle doubt out there right now that the new contract Leon Draisaitl signed at midweek was at least something of an overpayment.
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While he’s a very good, very young player, the fact that he’s pulling top-10-among-skaters money all of a sudden tells you that everyone involved should know that’s a bit generous. Even if you think his playoff performance was a coming-out party — and hey, why wouldn’t you be convinced he can shoot 27 percent forever? — he’s plainly not a top-10 skater, and he’s plainly not particularly close to that mark.
With that having been said, Peter Chiarelli was faced with that old familiar problem: He couldn’t not-pay for Draisaitl. He couldn’t get cute with an offer sheet. The idea that Draisaitl is worth $8.5 million AAV right now is laughable. Four years into this contract, when he’s still at his peak expected performance level and the cap has probably gone up another 10 percent or so, the odds are much better that he will be worth something approximating that number.
The problem, then, is figuring out what Draisaitl actually “is” in today’s NHL. Is he a fabulous wing man for Connor McDavid? Absolutely he is. But as with any star player’s running buddy, you have to consider the impact that playing with a guy like that has on a player. Put another way, the important thing for Chiarelli to figure out was how much of Draisaitl’s breakout year — 29 goals and 77 points in 82 games — was a product of spending the majority of his time on ice playing alongside the league’s 20-year-old MVP.
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Of Draisaitl’s 77 points, more than half (39) came either on McDavid assists or were McDavid goals assisted by Draisaitl. That, obviously, only makes sense. McDavid was on the ice but didn’t have a point on another 14, bumping the total to Draisaitl getting points with McDavid on the ice to 68.8 percent of all his production.
This despite the fact that they only played about 57 percent of Draisaitl’s minutes at 5-on-5 together.
Perhaps more worrying here is that 22 of Draisaitl’s 27 power play points came with McDavid on the ice as well. And that’s at a time when his production on the man advantaged tripled from 5-4-9 to 10-17-27. And again, it’s better to score with McDavid than not-score with him, or at all.
As a quick aside, though, it’s easy to get wrapped up in Draisaitl’s brutal hit his underlying stats take away from McDavid, but his scoring rates are actually more impressive, which is surprising. He also becomes much less of a finisher without McDavid, and way more of a playmaker.
But this is run-your-own-line money.
They’re now counting on Draisaitl to score away from McDavid, because if Patrick Maroon can do it, anyone on a $3 million contract probably can. You don’t need to pay $8.5 million to a sidekick, and Draisaitl’s pedigree suggests that he’s overqualified for that sort of role anyway.
But if you’re asking, “Where do the Oilers get the idea Draisaitl is capable of being a No. 2 center after a year of being a No. 1 wing?” well, one need only look at the postseason.
Draisaitl had 16 points in 13 games in Edmonton’s mid-range playoff run. McDavid only had points on 3 of Draisaitl’s 8 at 5-on-5, and another three of five on the power play. And in the playoffs, his time with McDavid at full strength dropped from 57-plus percent to only about 48 percent.
That was his audition, so to speak, to be his own man, and production-wise you have to say he got the part in the room. Yeah it was buoyed by an on-ice shooting percentage of almost 16 percent, absolutely. But even if he’s in the neighborhood of a point a game as a second-line guy, you’re getting some big value out of that contract, at least in theory.
McDavid is the guy who will draw the heavy competition, every team is going to put its absolute best players over the boards in their feeble hopes of keeping him off the scoresheet. But McDavid’s going to get his goals if you put out an All-Star lineup every night against him. Draisaitl acting as more of a second option, working around the tough stuff and still finding ways to score, is probably just as likely.
So while it’s an overpayment, and a big gamble that McDavid wasn’t the only thing driving Draisaitl’s production to such incredible heights in his third season, it was a gamble they had to make. And if you’re going to bet big, you might as well bet big on the guys most likely to deliver the full value of a big-money deal.
You don’t have to look far in the Oilers lineup to see all the times Chiarelli did the opposite: Look at what he gave Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. These are guys who, at the time of their deals being signed, were already out of their mid-20s and clearly in some sort of decline. He extended both long-term — in Russell’s case, it was at least after a one-year show-me contract where the Oilers liked what they saw), ensuring they’d be well-paid into their mid-30s. These were probably bad bets not only because of the sort of heavy, demanding games they play (Lucic’s job is to get rough in the corners, Russell’s to block shots) but because their ceilings weren’t all that high to begin with.
Chiarelli seems to have (mostly) learned his lesson about contracts like that in Boston, where he delighted in extending guys like Chris Kelly and Shawn Thornton for reasons that went beyond their on-ice contributions, and that’s what eventually got him fired. With the Lucic contract, he was clearly trying to make a big splash and get the “best available forward” in that draft to run enforcement for McDavid and chip in 20-plus goals. That didn’t work out because Lucic couldn’t keep up with a player who can skate like McDavid; this season he played well under half his 5-on-5 minutes with the best player in the league.
Here Chiarelli learned you don’t try to square-peg the round hole; you find guys who can approximate what McDavid does and who understand the game, and you let them play together at a relatively low price point. And because of McDavid’s price tag after this season, you still have an expensive line.
You’d certainly rather have a couple lines that cost you in the range of $15-17 million than one that costs you $23 million or something like that, because it spreads the talent throughout your lineup and makes you harder to play against overall. The idea that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins might soon be a team’s No. 3 center when he’s a perfectly credible high-end No. 2 should fill opponents with dread.
With that said, Draisaitl is on a wait-and-see kind of deal. It’s aspirational, and it won’t be easy for him to live up to it.
Every team in the league has bad contracts on the book, to be sure, and that’s an issue that won’t go away. Higher-end players are almost always overpaid at some point in their contracts. In Draisaitl’s case, he’s overpaid now, when he has room to grow, and anyway the term on the deal ensures that even if things don’t work out, he’ll still only be 28 or 29 when the contract wraps.
At least the Oilers aren’t throwing $5 million at a third liner hoping he’s going to roughly deliver on that promise. Even if Draisaitl doesn’t hit the full value of this deal — and man, it won’t be easy — he at least has the talent level to do so, and the opportunity to pound on weaker competition to facilitate that.
Anyone expecting him to improve upon 77 points next season, away from McDavid except perhaps on the power play, are thinking wishfully. It’s possible but not probable. But as long as he’s pushing play and getting power play time, he’ll be a very useful, productive player.
Maybe not worth $8.5 million, not now. But there’s room to grow, and now plenty of time.
—
Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.Friday's MLS rules release clarified an important developmental question that's cropped up in the last year for a number of teams: Yes, teams can sign USL players to short-term agreements ('four-day contracts', they say).
Of course, those players can only play in limited types of matches under those agreements, generally speaking. They can play in CONCACAF Champions League matches, U.S. Open Cup matches, and friendlies. They can also play in MLS regular season games, but only if there are cases of extreme hardship. We'll get to that in a minute.
If the first type of match they can play in seems a little surprising, it's because it should be. This is yet another example of MLS institutionally not always taking CONCACAF Champions League as seriously as they should. When we made the final in 2011 and when Montreal made the final in 2015, the tournament was heralded as vital to the development of our league. Rules like this one make us think that's less the case than it needs to be. After all, if you won't let USL loanees play in MLS games, why should they be playing in more important games? There's probably a good reason, but it's hard to see on first glance. It paints MLS's regard for CCL on an institutional level as them seeing it as a novelty of our region.
Additionally, we now know the rules regarding loaning MLS players to USL teams, and it's frankly a little remarkable that these didn't exist in 2015. They're pretty cut-and-dry rules:
Loans must be free
Players loaned can't be paid more than their MLS budget charge (this would close a loophole in which teams could move players to USL teams to solve some short-term salary budget issues)
A team can receive roster and budget relief for loaning one player to their USL affiliate. They have to be under 25 years old, making the senior minimum salary or less, and their loan has to be for a full season.
Finally, what's the extreme hardship call-up rule? We'll just give you the text here, then the text of the new 2016 rules.
Clubs may add players to their roster in cases of "Extreme Hardship." Extreme Hardship exists when an MLS club has fewer than 15 total players available or when an MLS club with three goalkeepers on its roster, has fewer than two goalkeepers available.
2016 rules: Signing USL players to short-term agreements
In addition to Homegrown Players and College Protected Players – clubs may have priority for up to three players from their USL affiliate. In order to retain priority on any additional USL affiliate players, such players must be added to an MLS club’s Discovery List. MLS clubs may sign players from their USL affiliate to Short Term Agreements (up to four-day contracts) for CONCACAF Champions League, U.S. Open Cup, and exhibition matches. An MLS club may sign a player to a maximum of four short term agreements each season (maximum of 16 days). Players may also be signed to Short Term Agreements for MLS league season games but only in cases of Extreme Hardship.
Loan of a Player by MLS to USL AffiliateKuwait’s appeals court ruled on Sunday that a government decision to raise petrol prices was in line with the constitution, overturning a decision by a lower court.
It said the decision to raise prices was within the cabinet’s powers.
Ali al-Ali, one of several lawyers who filed the suit against the government, said on Twitter the group intends to challenge the latest ruling in Kuwait’s supreme court, whose decisions are final.
Kuwait has been hit hard by a sharp drop in crude prices since June 2014.
The Opec member recorded a budget shortfall of $15 billion in the fiscal year to March 2016. It was the first deficit since the fiscal year to March 1999.
In response, the government adopted austerity measures including hikes in the prices of electricity, water and fuel. In September, it raised the cost of fuel by up to 80 percent depending on its grade, the first such increase since 1998.
The action was met with stiff opposition by lawmakers, who this month filed motions to question the prime minister in parliament over the price hike and other issues.
Last Update: Sunday, 23 April 2017 KSA 19:01 - GMT 16:01A Yemeni official and tribal sources said that fighters of al-Qaeda fighters have taken control again in three towns in the Abyan province south of the country.
The security official said that the withdrawal of the security forces from these areas was a protest following the delayed payment of salaries, which facilitated the entry of fighters into Lauder, Shukrah and Aked areas in Abyan.
The official added that the security forces are suffering from a shortage of resources, especially weapons, to confront the enemies. Sources said that al-Qaeda fighters set up checkpoints on the streets in Lauder and blew up two security buildings using explosives.
This comes as warships, believed to be American, bombed strongholds of al-Qaeda in the mountainous area south of the country.
The source confirmed that the ships fired several missiles towards al-Marakichah mountain where al-Qaeda elements are stationed.
The strikes come less than a week after a secret raid carried out by the US Navy special operations in southern Yemen in the framework of a fierce campaign against one of the most active branches of al-Qaeda.
Last Update: Friday, 3 February 2017 KSA 19:44 - GMT 16:44Hundreds of documents kept by the former owner of a high-profile prostitution ring in Denver were reportedly stolen Monday in a home break-in.
Scottie J. Ewing, who once owned Denver Players and Denver Sugar escort services — identified by federal agents as a prostitution ring — told Denver police that thieves broke into his home Monday between 6 and 8 p.m., entered an upstairs office and took off with his computer and a large container of files.
“Both computer and files contained sensitive material,” the police report says.
The files included a client list and appointment sheets.
The thieves reportedly gained entry by cutting a hole in the back screen door, knocking out a Plexiglass panel and unlocking it.
Ewing is presently serving a six-month home detention after a plea bargain with the IRS over unpaid taxes associated with the businesses. He was ordered to pay a fine of nearly $80,000 earlier this year.
Reached by telephone this afternoon, Ewing said: “I don’t have any comment.”
The detention allows him to work at his business, Sugar House, a restaurant and bar that caters to the swinger community.
Between early 2004 and mid-2005, Ewing’s escort businesses charged customers $300 an hour, and escorts who worked for the service told 9News in 2008 that the business’ client list included the city’s elite.
Then-Chief U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham resigned from the bench that year after a 9News report alleged that Nottingham’s name appeared on the escort service’s client list.
Police investigated the scene of the crime Monday, tested for fingerprints and surveyed the neighborhood, according to the police report.
Chuck Plunkett: 303-954-1333 or [email protected] may have heard that changes are afoot in the world of Minecraft. You may also have heard that nothing much is changing at all. The story of monetisation, community and servers has led to plenty of discussion and rhetoric from various sides, and the issues at the heart of the situation haven’t always been clear. I spent some time last week looking into the rise of for-profit Minecraft servers, a development I hadn’t followed over the months. Armed with fresh knowledge and thoughts, I spoke to Markus ‘Notch’ Persson, the game’s creator and Mojang’s majority owner.
Before reading on, please note that Notch answered these questions to give his personal view and is not speaking from a legal perspective. He is not driving these decisions, having moved ‘into a cozy corner…to work on new smaller games in relative secrecy’, but I hoped that speaking with him would shed some light on the company’s stance toward creators, community and cashing-in.
RPS: The terms around server access and subscriptions have caused a lot of confusion and noise in the last couple of weeks. Is there a simple message in your mind as to the business or ethical policy behind the rules that will be enforced from August 1st?
Notch: The first thing I want people to understand is that the rules haven’t changed for the worse. Before you couldn’t charge for anything in the game (you could charge for access), but we’ve changed that to allow for charging for things purely cosmetic things. What constitutes cosmetic is difficult to nail down as it depends on what kind of server you’re running. In a creative server with no combat or mobs, swords are cosmetic, but in a server with pvp or enemies, they are not.
RPS: I use the word ‘ethical’ because I read this situation as being a defence of a certain way of playing together – on equal footing with no paid-for advantages. The rules seem designed to foster an inclusive environment – is that the case?
Notch: People at Mojang have different reasons behind these rules. For me personally is that Minecraft kind of became a strong symbol that “free to play” isn’t the only viable option these days. The top grossing list on ios, for example, is basically only free to play and Minecraft. It feels crummy to see other people change this aspect of the game, and we’re getting quite a lot of support mails from parents of children who bought virtual goods for hundreds of dollars.
RPS: When did you first notice, or become uncomfortable with, the types of monetization that you’re addressing?
Notch: It’s been growing steadily over the last year. I feel like the was more and more discomfort growing until it finally exploded when an employee got asked if the rules really said you couldn’t charge for these things. In retrospect, we should’ve dealt with it earlier.
RPS: It’s hard for me to look at this without taking in the wider industry picture because I spend far too much time looking at the wider industry picture. What do you think of the growth of free-to-play? Do you think it suits certain kinds of game, such as Scrolls potentially, while having no place in a game like Minecraft?
Notch: There’s a lot of aspects to this. The thing I mind, the thing I dislike, is when you sucker people into games and then progressively make them more and more annoying to play unless you pay. It’s kind of a bait-and-switch, which is perfectly illustrated by the term “free to play” and the fact that these games can make a LOT of money. Trials: Frontier is probably the most horrific example of this I’ve seen in recent times.
In game purchases doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Probably the most expensive example of this for me would probably be when I played a lot of Magic: The Gathering drafts. I’ve also spent quite a lot of money opening crates in Team Fortress 2, but I still use the stock weapons. A couple of them has kill counters, though… a purely cosmetic thing that I love having, but doesn’t give me any advantage in the game.
Another example of where mixing real money into a game can go wrong might be Diablo 3. Overall, a great game, and Blizzard tried to combat the insecure out-of-game trading by adding their own auction house. I don’t know if they were also tempted by the idea of making more money or not, but regardless it ended up killing the late and end game of Diablo 3. One of their most praised changes was to get rid of the auction house.
So yes, I think there’s room for all sorts of monetisation for different games. Some of them, I consider shady.
RPS: Did you ever consider that Minecraft would become a space for competitive play and are there any competitive modes that you’ve enjoyed?
Notch: I think for a game to excel at competitive play, it has to have extremely solid game balance. Great examples of this would be Quake 3 and Starcraft. Minecraft is not designed to be balanced, it’s designed to be fun, but there are mods that add new game modes within Minecraft that can be more competitive.
The survival games (or “hunger games” as they are sometimes called, but for some reason Lionsgate didn’t like that) are a great example, and I’ve always been a big fan of Spleefing. Some people even do fixed seed speed runs of either the vanilla game, or of custom made levels.
RPS: Do you think there’s any way in which the enforcement of these rules risks harming the diversity of Minecraft and are you happy to do so in order to protect the community from certain aspects of monetization?
Notch: Diversity is not a goal in and of itself. These rules definitely remove the option to sell powerups for your character, which is a limitation of diversity, but I consider that a very good thing. I feel bad for the people who have built businesses around this, though.
RPS: There’s a sense to me that a line was crossed between community ownership and certain people abusing the power of that ownership. How difficult is it to balance community involvement and creativity, while making sure that content or means of monetization are curated?
Notch: This is so complicated and confusing that I try to stay as far away from it as I can. Back in the old days when people just made things because it was fun to make mods or play with your friends and people didn’t try to start businesses around it, things were so much easier. Now what do we do? Do we hire people to work full time trying to work these things out? I have no good answer to this question at this time.
RPS: Following from that previous question, why are the
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Mitch McConnell -- would work much more readily with Democrats to head off things like the looming fiscal cliff and to come up with mutually agreeable deficit-cutting plans.
"Maybe whoever is the Republican leader will want to legislate for the good of the country, not try to defeat Obama again," Reid said.What has changed with Iran? How have EU relations with the country already improved?
Three years ago there was no engagement between Iran and Europe. Many believe they were developing a nuclear weapons programme, something Iran has denied. There were hostile statements about Israel and other countries and the situation of human rights and democracy was dire.
It’s not that everything has improved; it hasn’t. There is a path towards improvement though. More reformist-minded people are being elected. There was the nuclear agreement, a superb victory for European diplomacy as well as personally for EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and an opportunity to bring Iran back into the international community, while working towards ensuring full respect for international law.
The deal was a huge prize for peace and stability in a troubled region, particularly as we weep at the humanitarian catastrophes in Syria and Yemen. Getting Iran back to the diplomatic table to solve those conflicts is a crucial part of what this new strategy can achieve.
What further efforts are required now to help advance EU-Iran relations?
We need practical proposals for cooperation on anti-terrorism. It also involves us opening up an EU delegation in Tehran and the reopening of dialogue on human rights. Fifteen member states have already sent trade delegations to Tehran. There are big economic opportunities there to the benefit of both sides and I specifically support the deal for Airbus. Yet respect for trade unions and other human rights must be part of any new deals on investment.
Real gains are possible on human rights. Forces within Iran are pressing for them and we hope our report will push that over the line. We are very clearly against all use of the death penalty, but by ending executions for drug-related offences alone, it would reduce the number of executions by up to 80%.
What would you say to those who have condemned the nuclear deal with Iran?
There are people who want to keep Iran weak and isolated. The consequence of the agreement breaking down would be Iran returning towards nuclear proliferation, an immediate security threat for the Gulf region and Israel. There would be no dialogue on improving human rights and ultimately the Iranian people would lose out more than anyone.
As a major player in the Middle East, could a normalisation of relations with Iran help resolve the region’s security crises?
We know there is deep and abiding rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh. This has spilled over into what many call proxy wars, with both Iran and Saudi Arabia sponsoring armed groups and causing death and bloodshed. Our report is very careful not to take sides, but notes it is Europe’s role to bring both parties together and use our diplomatic influence to de-escalate the tension.
Europe has influence over Iran now that the Americans do not. We want to leverage that influence to end the wars in Syria and Yemen and move towards a new regional security structure for the whole Middle East that ensures peace and security for every country.
Richard Howitt is a UK member of the S&D. The draft resolution will be debated on Monday evening and will be voted upon on Tuesday.The Difference Between DAO and The DAO. DAO.Casino Example
DAO.Casino Team Blocked Unblock Follow Following Mar 14, 2017
What does Jack Torrence and Jack Dawson have in common? Truly, both are the famous movie characters; both are played by great actors; and they are well remembered for their portrayal in The Shining and Titanic, respectively. But yes, they do share a common first name, that is Jack. So what if the first Jack tried to kill his family under the influence (of a spirit?), and the other one heroically died protecting his muse’s life during a ship-sinking tragedy, they both are still the same, right?
DAO.Casino has lately been treated like Jack Torrence, when it is actually the Dawson, Jack Dawson.
Many people wonder why do we have DAO in our name, when the term has previously been associated with a “hacked” investor-directed venture capital fund. They think — and we don’t blame them for it — that DAO.Casino is somewhat an extension of an organization whose security loop could’d cost them millions worth of Ether.
Only a couple of days back from the time of this writing, a journalist reached out to us with a very concerned question. He asked:
How did the Ethereum DAO catastrophe influence your business model? Did you create this before or after Ethereum’s?”
And this article responds to him, and similarly many others, including individuals from decentralised enthusiasts communities and media houses who want to know the kind of relationship we share with the infamous ‘The DAO’ catastrophe.
To them we reply: None. And we have a few points to make our case. But before that, let us understand what DAO exactly stands for.
DAO stands for Decentralised Autonomous Organization, which includes any organization, group, company that is run through rules encoded as computer programs called smart contracts (Source: Wiki). Ethereum, and even Bitcoin, are among many examples of the DAO. Their financial record and program rules are maintained on a public ledger, aka blockchain. That being said, DAO only represents a specific type of organization. While the business models that are based on DAO may vary.
So, with this said, please observe the following points that clearly explain how The DAO and DAO.Casino differs from one another:
DAO.Casino and The DAO business models are entirely different; they serve different purposes. There is a word DAO in the name The DAO was the part of one Slockit Project. DAO.Casino has no relation/association with them. The DAO was a software designed in a form of investor-directed venture capital fund (thanks Wiki for this). DAO.Casino, on the other hand, is a socio-technical system for gaming and gambling industry, and is not an investment fund. Everything of DAO.Casino — design, architecture, purpose and goal of the software that we are working on — is just radically different from The DAO.
Keep Calm and Love DAOs
How far can we let a terminology typecast things that are actually meant for greater good. Why is there even a question that using DAO is somewhat giving us bad publicity? We will try to explain by using this homebrewed example:
Think of Decentralised Organisation (DOs) and Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAOs) as a category of software which can express a business logic. DOs and DAOs can represent any governance model and any business logic, with the only difference from a “normal organisation” that execution of this business logic is not done by a “trusted” third party. Instead it is hardcoded — done by the protocol which executes automatically. Participants can decide whether they want to be a part of the system or not, but once they are, no single party can change the rules.
In a simplified, non technical way, one might think of it as a constitution, codified in Solidity. Traditional constitutions use separation of powers, so that tasks are assigned to different institutions in such a way that each of them can check the others. As a result, no one institution can become so powerful in a democracy as to destroy this system.
It is sensible to apply the similar principles to organisations. In DOs and DAOs on Ethereum separation of powers is greater, if by the logic expressed as such in Solidity code and is enabled and partly by cryptography partly by incentive mechanisms for the participants in the system.
Ethereum is a place where such software can run — because instead of a server that someone can have a control over, Ethereum is a giant decentralised multi-user computer and no single party will be able to change this protocol.
So we can say that there can be million of projects that can be implemented in both DO and DAO form — investment funds, consumer’s associations, it can be a steering fleet of sailing hackerspaces, or a republic. Just two years back, an artist David Bovill came up with a DAO art project inspired by Plantoid — a bionic sculpture that raises money, in cryptocurrency, to build itself. This idea has been taken forward and developed further by Primavera de Filippi.
Would it make any sense to compare Plantoid with The DAO project?
We can never run short on examples. Here’s this one: If you develop an application which is, lets say, an egg timer. And someone else developed an application which is, lets say, a shopping list. And that someone messed something up and the app got exploited and all the private shopping lists were stolen. Would you stop calling your egg timer app an app? Just because of of the gazillion of possible apps got hacked?
We do understand the prevailing concerns with our project. Right now not even Wikipedia knows that DAOs can come in an infinite shapes, forms and architectures, and states ‘The DAO’ as the only example. We hope that will change soon. But that doesn’t change the fact that DAOs can represent anything from a hedge fund to a workers union, to a fleet of transatlantic catamarans.
The DAO Failure was Sad
One of our team members had penned a critical piece on The DAO fiasco. Even then, our take on the entire matter was the same: that The DAO issue had nothing to do with its operating system, i.e. Ethereum. That project’s architecture just centralised a lot of ether, the vulnerability of which became unavoidably tangible. It is likely that no one would have exploited this contract, even in the presence of an exploit, unless the contract held so much Ethers.
But once again, The DAO was an experiment, not a service. It could very well have been a service that hadn’t raised enormous sums, but still would have got exploited without making a fuss. The problem was in the architecture and implementation.
We have a lot of respect towards experiments such as The DAO, because any kind of drawback is an opportunity to learn. The monetary loss will always be a sad thing, but let us not brand the term DAO as an intrinsically flawed concept; it has relevance.
What our team are working on now is, to enable a high degree of autonomy in our software, and its ability to cater for a social & economic system in a particular context. So the concept of DAOs is kind of dear to us. It just doesn’t feel right to start inventing new terms for something that has been already described. Specially if you were following the theoretical developments in this field since a while back, and finally designing and building one.
Long story short, we just decided to keep the name that we like. And it will probably be slammed in the mainstream media by some. For more details you will be able to check the the architecture that we will publish on this blog this month and see for yourself. We are sure you will be able to differ one Jack from another.
Though, The DAO didn’t murder anybody. Just saying!
Dao.casino
Slack
@dao.casino(Click on the images to see full-size versions.)
Kepler-186f is one of the most Earth-like planets that NASA's space-venturing telescope has ever identified. First uncovered last April, it sits roughly 500 light years from Earth and is thought to be a rocky planet slightly larger than our own. Here, the artist is playing with the idea that photosynthesis on the surface could be affected by a nearby red dwarf star.
As the poster's design implies, HD 40307g (see, not very memorable) has a strong gravitational pull that far outstrips the one found on Earth. Uncovered by a team of astronomers using the HARPS spectograph at the European Southern Observatory, it's considered a super-Earth and sits 55.8 million miles from its parent star.
Two suns, you say? That's right, just like Luke Skywalker's home world of Tatooine, Kepler-16b orbits a pair of giant stars. NASA suspects the planet is a gas giant, so were you to make the trip we wouldn't recommend walking outside and taking in a huge gulp of fresh air.PBS Announces Broadcast Premiere of Ron Howard’s Acclaimed Film
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS
Saturday, November 25, 2017 at 8:00 PM
– Followed by Encore Presentation of
SGT. PEPPER’S MUSICAL REVOLUTION –
ARLINGTON, VA, September 25, 2017 - PBS today announced the U.S. broadcast premiere of Academy Award®-winner Ron Howard’s authorized and highly acclaimed Emmy® Award and GRAMMY Award®-winning documentary film about The Beatles’ phenomenal early career. THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS premieres Saturday, November 25, 8:00-10:30 pm ET (check local listings) on PBS. The film will be followed by an encore broadcast of SGT. PEPPER’S MUSICAL REVOLUTION, 10:30-Midnight ET on PBS, which continues the story beyond The Beatles’ touring years, during the months the band spent creating Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a groundbreaking masterwork that became popular music’s most universally acclaimed album.
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS is based on the first part of The Beatles’ career (1962-1966) – the period in which they toured and captured the world’s acclaim. The film explores how John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr came together to become this extraordinary phenomenon, “The Beatles.” It reveals their inner workings – how they made decisions, created their music and built their collective career together – all the while, exploring The Beatles’ extraordinary and unique musical gifts and their remarkable, complementary personalities. The film focuses on the time period from the early Beatles’ journey in the days of The Cavern Club in Liverpool to their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.
The Beatles began touring Europe in late 1963, after an extraordinary arrival on the British scene in 1961 and ‘62. However, it was their much-heralded “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance on February 9, 1964, that caused The Beatles’ popularity to explode. By June, the band had commenced their first world tour, and continued on a relentless schedule for two subsequent years. By the time the band stopped touring in August of 1966, they had performed 166 concerts in 15 countries and 90 cities around the world. The cultural phenomenon their touring helped create, known as “Beatlemania,” was something the world had never seen before and laid the foundation for the globalization of culture.
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS features rare and never-before-seen archival footage of shows and interviews, plus new interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and numerous prominent observers. The film captures the exhilaration of The Beatles’ phenomenal rise to fame as well as the toll it eventually took on the band’s members, prompting them to stop touring and devote their prodigious musical talents to their groundbreaking studio recordings.
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS was produced with the full cooperation of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison. White Horse Pictures’ GRAMMY Award®-winning Nigel Sinclair, Scott Pascucci and Academy Award®-winner and Emmy® Award-winner Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment are producers with Ron Howard. Apple Corps Ltd.’s Jeff Jones and Jonathan Clyde are executive producers, along with Imagine’s Michael Rosenberg and White Horse’s Guy East and Nicholas Ferrall.
Immediately following EIGHT DAYS A WEEK is an encore broadcast of SGT. PEPPER’S MUSICAL REVOLUTION, 10:30-midnight ET (check local listings) on PBS. Hosted by award-winning British composer, author, music historian and broadcaster Howard Goodall, the film looks back at the creation and ongoing influence of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, released on June 1, 1967. Hailed as a landmark achievement by critics worldwide, the album won four GRAMMY Awards, including Album of the Year, and ranks #1 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time as “the most important rock & roll album ever made.” The documentary conjures up the psychedelic, phantasmagorical world of Sgt. Pepper and provides context for the culture of the day, showing how the album and its classic songs, including “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” “She’s Leaving Home” and “A Day in the Life,” became a driving force within that culture.
An Apple Corps Ltd. production, SGT. PEPPER’S MUSICAL REVOLUTION is directed by Francis Hanly and produced by Jonathan Clyde and Martin Smith.
PBS special programming invites viewers to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. Viewer contributions are an important source of funding, making PBS programs possible. PBS and public television stations offer all Americans from every walk of life the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content.WWE’s Stephanie McMahon shocked the women’s roster Monday on Raw when she interrupted a brawl to announce that, for the first time ever, the annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view will feature a women’s Royal Rumble.
With just over five weeks remaining until the 2018 women’s Royal Rumble on January 28th, four-time Women’s Champion Sasha Banks spoke to FTW about potential surprise entrants, her historic match in Abu Dhabi, and what she does to pass the time on long flights.
Did you have any idea that Stephanie McMahon was going to announce a women’s Royal Rumble on Raw?
Sasha Banks: Yeah they didn’t tell us, they just said that Stephanie would be coming out… but I kind of figured. I don’t know, I just had that assumption that it was going to be something big, just because we were in the main event. I’m pretty smart, I like to think, so I assumed that it was going to be this huge announcement, and it was really cool because in the front row was my mom and my brother.
It just made it all worth it. It made everything come full circle, how incredible this women’s division is taking off and that we just keep on breaking these barriers.
The Royal Rumble has such a long history and is one of WWE’s most important events. How does it feel to have the women represented in such a major show?
It’s huge, and incredible to see. Just in the past two years, like Stephanie said, this women’s evolution has just been taking off. I feel like every pay-per-view, the women just keep on getting opportunities and breaking down those doors and showing the world that we can do it just like the guys, you know?
It’s so cool to see, and what makes me really excited is we could potentially see a singles match at WrestleMania for the women’s championship, which is my dream. I just want to have that one-on-one match at WrestleMania.
So I’m praying to God that I win the Royal Rumble, but I know that the competition is going to be so hard. Hopefully we get to bring women from the past and women from NXT, because with just Raw and SmackDown we don’t have enough.
The surprise entrants are part of what makes the Royal Rumble so exciting – are there any legends you’re hoping to see enter this year?
Gosh, of course Trish and Lita. Beth Phoenix, Molly Holly, Jacqueline, Jazz… I mean, bring ’em all. Just to even think of the potential legends that could be in that ring with me, that’s what I’m really excited about. It’s crazy to even think. I’ve gotten to meet Trish and Lita already, and Beth Phoenix, but to be in the ring with them would be such a huge honor. I would just be like a little kid again.
I feel like the guys get the opportunity to wrestle legends so much more than we do, so to have that potential is so cool.
Has anyone in NXT caught your eye with what they’re doing?
I really love Peyton Royce. I think she’s incredible, I love watching her matches on NXT, and I really want her to be up on the main roster, because I think me and her can tear the house down.
When you’re preparing for a match type you’ve never done before, how do you prepare? Is there anyone you go to for advice?
No…. You can’t really try to practice anything because you can’t, it’s the first time ever. Especially with the Hell in a Cell, I just watched a lot of matches. For this Royal Rumble, that’s what I’m going to do is go back on the WWE network and prepare myself and get my strategies, and hopefully maybe pull out a Kofi Kingston spot. If I do get thrown over the top, my feet will not touch.
The return of Paige and the rise of Absolution has been a big focus of Raw lately, what’s it been like having Paige back on the show?
It’s been awesome just because, you know, having three women added to our division, it adds so much more. And as you see on Raw, we’ve been getting that spot not just one time on the show, it’s twice on the show. And that’s so awesome to see, that there’s a storyline that’s not just driven for the championship, which I love. I want to see that more often, where yes, you have someone chasing the title, but I want a second storyline on the side too. Having three new girls has given us that opportunity.
Now that you’ve had a couple weeks to reflect on it, what pops in your mind when you think about your historic match in Abu Dhabi with Alexa Bliss?
I knew how special it was going to be going over there, and having the opportunity to be the first-ever woman to wrestle in the Middle East for WWE, I was incredibly honored. That feeling I had was the same feeling I had right before NXT matches. I was so nervous, I was scared, and just wanted to make a difference.
I wanted to leave my footprint in the Middle East, hoping to change history to show women that we can do it just like the guys. And hopefully opening the doors for more women to do sports, and to show young women that if you have a dream, anything is possible. I was so scared going over there because I didn’t know what the perception was going to be for us…. Right before I went out, I cried, and when I came back I cried. It’s definitely one of my top three moments that I’ve ever had in this company because of how special it was.
You wrestled in a special bodysuit for the match, and I saw your husband tweet that he made it on short notice. What was the story behind your gear?
.@SashaBanksWWE Sometimes you're given a task on short notice, but you would never dream of not coming through, so you spend countless hours and sleepless nights trying to make it happen. This is the result pic.twitter.com/tW4OSyOm5X — Mikaze (@IamMikaze) December 7, 2017
I think they told us two weeks before that we would have the potential to wrestle in Abu Dhabi, but they weren’t sure. We knew for a fact that we would be wrestling in India, but he’s like just get full-covered ring gear just in case. My husband had a week’s notice and he pulled it together. I just wanted to look like a bad-ass. I wanted to look like a purple Power Ranger, just [to] stand out, and I’m sure I did. It was really different to wrestle in a full bodysuit, but with the story behind it, I’m going to keep that gear forever and remember that.
Aside from yourself, who would you say has the best ring gear?
Ooh, nobody. Nobody can top me, honestly. Every single week I want to change up my ring gear, I come out with my flashy jacket, my jewelry, my glasses, my necklace. Honestly, nobody can top me. I’m the best of the best, inside and outside of the ring. Clothing, wrestling skills, everything.
You’ll also be taking part in the Mixed Match Challenge next year. Who would make the best partner for Sasha Banks?
That’s so hard because before I’ve had a lot of mixed challenges. I’ve had Enzo as a partner, I’ve had Roman Reigns as a partner, in NXT I had Bo Dallas as a partner. I don’t know… I love Samoa Joe, I think he’s incredible. Braun Strowman’s unstoppable. To be in the ring with a legend like Goldust… the potential is endless. I’m not sure how they’re going to pick out who’s going to be paired with who, so I’m really interested to see who I’m actually going to team up with, or even if I have a say.
I might have to pick Samoa Joe, just because I like that theme song and I want to come out to that.
Do you have any resolutions for 2018?
Keep on breaking down the doors. I just want to wrestle and just be happy, that’s the No. 1. I want to wrestle and have fun. I want to steal the show. I want to be the face of the company. I want to main-event WrestleMania, if not this year then next year. I want to keep on striving to be the best I possibly can. I want to go down in the history books as the greatest women’s wrestler ever, but not just women’s wrestler, I just want to be the greatest superstar this company has ever seen.
You’re traveling constantly, what do you do to pass the time. Is there anything you’re watching or playing?
I have my Switch with me, which is amazing, so whether it’s playing my Switch or… I download so many shows on Netflix, I can’t even name them all, because I just binge-watch them. Just going to India, that was a 16-hour flight and I barely slept on it because I wanted to catch up on all my shows. I just finished The Punisher, which was so good. I can’t even name you my shows, because I go through them weekly. We’re on flights all the time, in cars, buses. It’s non-stop. Or I’m just playing my Switch, which I’ve already beaten Mario Odyssey. I’m like ‘how did I beat that so fast?’Philip N. Cohen is a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland.
There is a lot to be said for the common critique of economists: They see society as the product of freely acting, rationally calculating individuals for whom monetary reward is the primary source of motivation. Free markets, to them, are the pure expression of social function and economic growth through their realization is the only outcome that matters.
Exploitation, dishonesty, violence, ignorance and demagoguery set vast areas of social life apart outside of economic models.
But people do not simply act rationally to maximize their economic rewards, because they can have incomplete or inaccurate information, ideological biases, conflicting desires or collective interests. Exploitation, dishonesty, violence, ignorance and demagoguery set vast areas of social life apart outside the model. The multiplying exceptions overwhelm the rule bringing the model's utility into question.
Group behavior and social structure are central to understanding society. Collective identity yields networks of solidarity that drive social interaction in ways individual self-interest alone cannot determine. Economic growth is one of many legitimate goals.
In reality, many economists don't hew so firmly to these mainstream dogmas. But economists’ influence is largely proportional to the degree with which their analysis comports with the interests of those who make the most influential decisions. The free market orientation, individualist logic and materialist values of some economists serve well the captains of industry (or, nowadays, of finance), who in turn reward their compliant consultants with privileged perches around the seats of power.
Jeb Bush reflected this alliance in his speech to the Detroit Economic Club on Wednesday, when he asked, "If a law or a rule doesn't contribute to growth, why do it?" Going out on a limb, other justifications for government action might include reducing inequality, improving social cohesion, reducing conflict, enhancing health or protecting the environment.
If their influence is dependent on their contribution to already-powerful agendas, maybe economists don't have as much real influence as it seems. On the other hand, people with training in the other social sciences have more impact than we often think, partly because they work not as "sociologists," say, but under job titles such as analyst, demographer, statistician, consultant, teacher, organizer or survey director.
Of course, the common belief that economists have outsized influence is not wholly false, and they have worked hard to build it, but the uncritical acceptance of that image is part of what makes it a reality.
Join Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on twitter.com/roomfordebate.A German court ruled in December that seriously ill patients can grow their own medicine, but the ruling won't apply to all medical marijuana patients. The Federal Administrative Court in Munster held that people for whom no other effective remedies are available or affordable can apply to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) for a license to grow their medicine if done under a doctor's supervision.
Previously, all requests for personal cultivation had been rejected under a directive from the Federal Ministry of Health, but that is unlawful, the court held."If an affordable treatment option is missing, a license for personal cultivation of cannabis has to be taken into consideration -- at the discretion of the BfArM," the court ruled, according to an account in Deutsche Welt The decision was welcomed by medical marijuana advocates."This ruling is a milestone on the path to a better supply of German citizens with cannabis-based medicines," said Franjo Grotenhermen, chairman of the German Association for Cannabis as Medicine in remarks published in Deutscher Hanfverband, which covers German marijuana issues. "Cannabis products from the pharmacy are unaffordable for most patients. Legalized growing of the plant at home opens up for them for the first time an affordable alternative."The decision does not apply to patients whose insurance covers the cost of marijuana-based medications, the court clarified. But many health insurance companies refuse to reimburse the cost of those treatments. Other insurance companies will pay for Marinol, but some patients find it less effective than herbal marijuana. Those patients are also out of luck.Currently, patients can be prescribed Marinol or the tincture Sativex, or they can apply to the BrAfM for permission to import prescription marijuana from the Netherlands."It is unbearable that many patients have to rely on illegal sources or illegal self-cultivation of their medical need," Grotenhermen said.Now, the federal government will have to respond to the court's decision, said Dr. Oliver Tolmein, who represented the plaintiff, a multiple sclerosis sufferer identified only by his first name and last initial."If the Ministry of Health does not want patients to grow cannabis for self-therapy, is has to be made absolutely clear in the law on health insurances that they have to reimburse the cost of cannabinoid-containing medicines or medicinal cannabis for otherwise untreatable patients," he told Deutscher Hanfverband.The Jordan Valley Farmers Union (JVFU) said it will file lawsuits against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Ambassador in Amman Daniel Nevo at local and international courts for the recurring fires that erupt on the Israeli-Jordanian border and damage agricultural land.
Union President Adnan Khaddam told Quds Press that the losses inflicted by the Israeli fire on Jordanian farms during the past decade are estimated at tens of millions of dollars, stressing that Israel deliberately begins the fires each summer.
He said the association will communicate with Arab lawyers from Israel to coordinate efforts and file the lawsuit in Israeli courts.
“A majority of the fires that occurred in the past years was due to light bombs fired by the Israeli army under security pretexts to control the borders,” Khaddam explained.Trump’s longtime attack dog attorney Michael Cohen has been a registered Democrat for years. He was called out during the election for not being able to vote for his boss, and now he’s having a little fun of his own.
Now that I have officially become a #republican, happy to report @JoeNBC has left the @GOP. Thank you! https://t.co/fkyh4Pnq0H — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) July 12, 2017
He was apparently applauding Joe Scarborough’s decision to leave the Republican party– just as he’s changed his registration.
During an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Joe Scarborough declared that “I am a Republican, but I’m not going to be a Republican anymore.. I’ve got to become an independent.” He said his decision was based largely on President Donald Trump. Scarborough took aim at the current GOP saying that it was “not a party that Ronald Reagan.”
Earlier this month, President Trump went on a tweet tirade taking aim at the MSNBC hosts, saying that “low I.Q. Crazy Mika” had been “bleeding badly from a face-lift” during an event at Trump’s resort in Florida. In the same twitter rant, he called Scarborough “Pyscho Joe.” The duo drew the president’s anger for their often very critical statements about him and his administration.
This isn’t the first time that Trump’s attorney has turned his attention to the morning hosts. He took aim at Scarborough over his coverage of the Russia probe just a few days ago..
Let’s see whether cry baby Joe apologizes publicly when the House confirms that there was no collusion and the dossier is a complete sham! — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) July 4, 2017
And even before Trump was elected:
@Morning_Joe Why don’t you post the clip showing @realDonaldTrump beating @HillaryClinton on the 6 most important issues to American people? — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) June 28, 2016Chris learned a very entertaining lesson this weekend. He tells Consumerist that he went out yesterday in search of a Mini SD card at his local Best Buy. A Mini SD card that the Geek Squad staffer who picked up the phone at Best Buy assured him the store carried. Guess where this is going?
I received a device for Christmas that required the use of a mini-sd card (it is a bit smaller than regular Secure Digital cards, but larger than micro-sd cards). I called many local stores, and none of them carried that type of card.
When calling the Best Buy in [redacted], PA, nobody picked up for the “speak to a sales associate” menu option. I eventually pressed the option for Geek Squad, and got connected right away. I asked the Geek Squad “technician” if they sold mini-sd cards, and I made sure to specify that I did not want micro-sd. He seemed to pick up on what I was asking for, and he put me on hold to go check. A few minutes later, he came back and told me they had those cards in stock. I again made sure specifically ask for mini-sd, and not micro-sd, and described the physical size difference. He said that they definitely had them in stock.
So I got in the car and drove to the store. I don’t think I have ever seen the parking lot
so crowded (going to the store on the day after Christmas is something I should have avoided). I walked into the store and asked where they had the cards. The gentleman at the door said to try the Cell Phone section and Camera section. I tried the Cell Phone section first, however they only had micro-sd on display. I went to the Camera section and asked an employee if they had them in stock. He said that they did not carry those cards anymore in the store. Needless to say, I got pretty angry and snapped back saying that I called 20 minutes ago and a Geek Squad employee said they were in stock. The employee in the Camera section took me back up to the Cell Phone section and talked to the 3 employees up there. They all said that mini-sd cards are no longer sold there, and then proceeded to say that “Geek Squad does not know what they are talking about.”
So I left the store, pretty angry that I drove around in all the traffic for nothing, but humored that even Best Buy employees know Geek Squad does not know anything. And I do have to give credit to the employee in the Camera section, since he did take the time to investigate further if they sold the cards.
I ended up just purchasing a 4 gig mini-sd card on Amazon.com for $17.99, probably much cheaper than Best Buy was selling them for anyway.It’s official: Roy Jones Jr is a Russian citizen.
The four-division champion widely regarded as one of the finest prizefighters of his generation was presented his Russian passport in a ceremony on Tuesday at the Federal Migration Service’s offices in Moscow.
“I am Russian,” Jones, 46, said in Russian.
Vladimir Putin had signed a decree to grant citizenship to Jones in September after the boxer announced his intent to apply during an August meeting with the Russian president in Crimea, the territory annexed by Russia last year. Putin granted the request on the grounds that Jones “intends to spend a significant part of his life working in Russia” according to the Kremlin’s official website.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jones met with Putin in August to request Russian citizenship
Three of Jones’ past nine fights have taken place on Russian soil. Though nearly a decade removed from competitive relevance, Jones’ career has taken on something of a ‘world tour’ feel in recent years: showcase bouts against hopelessly overmatched opponents in such far-flung locales as Poland, Latvia and North Carolina, often punctuated with in-ring musical performances by the fighter himself.
“Thank you, Vladimir Putin. I’m really glad to have become a Russian citizen. Russia’s such a welcoming country, and many people in the world want to become her citizens,” Jones said according to the agency’s website. “This is one of the happiest days of my life.”
Following Jones’ meeting with Putin in Crimea, Ukraine placed the fighter on a blacklist of “traitors”, “separatists” and “terrorists”.
Jones, a native of Pensacola, Florida, represented the United States at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, where he won a silver medal after a highly disputed loss to Park Si-Hun in a light middleweight final that saw him land nearly three times as many punches as his opponent. The ensuing controversy prompted a complete overhaul of the scoring system for Olympic boxing.
As a professional, he captured world championships at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. After a 49-1 start with the lone defeat coming on a disqualification, he lost seven of 12 fights between 2004 and 2011.
Jones (62-8, 45 KOs), who also works as a boxing analyst for HBO, pulled out of a scheduled fight against Tony Moran
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increase globally by 3.9%, the study predicted. The paper defines heavy rain as months that get an average of 1/3 of an inch or more of rain daily.
Climate change could lead to heavier rainfall because warmer air holds more moisture.
On the flip side, for every degree Fahrenheit of warming, the length of time a region goes without rain could increase globally by 2.6%.
Scientists have said that the world needs to keep global average temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius, or about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above pre-industrial global temperatures to avert catastrophic changes to nearly all aspects of life. In the last 150 years or so, the Earth's average temperature has already risen about 1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
To prevent the 2 degree Celsius rise and its effects, including extremes in rainfall, the world has to keep emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide below a ratio of 400 parts per million. According to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, there have been isolated measurements of 400 parts per million in the Arctic, and scientists expect readings in Hawaii to exceed 400 parts per million this month.
[For the record, 7:20 p.m. May 5: An earlier version of this story said a rise of 1 degree Celsius equals a rise of 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit. It would be 1.8 degrees.]
[email protected] World to lock hotel swimming pools overnight
Disney says its largest and most popular "feature" pools will begin opening at either 7 a.m. or 9 a.m. and closing at 11 p.m. Lifeguards will be on duty at all times while the pools are open.
Walt Disney World says it will begin stationing lifeguards at its largest hotel pools during all operating hours and then locking them down overnight, six months after a young boy drowned while a pool was unguarded.
But guests will no longer be permitted to swim in the feature pools after hours. Disney plans to install fences around any of those pools that are not already gated, a process that will begin in the coming months as hotels roll through their regular renovation cycles.
Only smaller and unguarded "quiet" pools at some hotels will remain accessible at all hours.
Disney has about two dozen hotels and time-share resorts across its sprawling property.
"These changes make it easier for guests to understand when our pools are open and when a lifeguard is present," Disney World spokeswoman Bernadette Davis.
Disney would not say whether a specific event triggered the move. But it follows the death of 13-year-old Anthony Johnson, who was pulled from a pool at Disney's Pop Century Resort at about 9:30 p.m. on March 10. Johnson, who was on vacation with his family from Missouri, died two days later at Florida Hospital Celebration.
Though that pool was open from 7 a.m. until 11 pm., lifeguards were only on duty from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Disney said it had posted signs warning that guests who chose to swim while the pool was unguarded did so at their own risk.
[email protected] or 407-420-5414
ne.com">[email protected] or 407-420-5414Image caption The latest generation of stretchable electronics was key to achieving the curved shape
A digital camera that functions like an insect's compound eye is reported in the journal Nature this week.
It comprises an array of 180 small lenses, which, along with their associated electronics, are stretched across a curved mounting.
The prototype currently has few pixels, so its images are low-resolution.
But the device displays an immense depth of field, and a very wide-angle view that avoids the distortion seen in standard camera lenses.
The development team, led from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US, believes its new imaging system could eventually find uses in surveillance and for endoscopic investigations of the human body.
In their report, the researchers also suggest such cameras could be fitted to tiny aerial vehicles one day that behaved like robotic insects.
At the moment, the "bug-eye" system's vision is comparable to that enjoyed by some ants and beetles.
The expectation, however, is that the array can be greatly enlarged.
Image caption Imaging should improve as the number of microlenses is increased
"The compound design of the fly's eye incorporates perhaps 28,000 small eyes, or ommatidia," explained team-member Dr Jianliang Xiao from the University of Colorado at Boulder, US. "That's the direction we want to move in," he told BBC News.
In an insect, each ommatidium in the compound eye has a corneal lens, a crystalline cone and a light-sensitive organ at its base. The ommatidia work in unison to build a picture of the world.
In the artificial version, microlenses sit above photodetectors and other electronics, and software stitches together the individual signals.
This whole arrangement is fabricated flat and then moulded to a hemispherical shape to give a 160-degree view. The latest generation of stretchable electronics was key to achieving the desired geometry.
Scientists are keen to exploit the advantages of compound eyes.
For one, they show remarkable depth of field - they can focus on objects at different distances at the same time. They also do not suffer from the aberrations seen in single lens systems when viewing off-axis objects. A good example is the huge distortion observed in wide-angle camera lenses such as the fish-eye.
For an insect, their compound system capabilities make them very sensitive to movement.
"Our system could eventually be used in surveillance cameras. One device of this kind could see 180 degrees. If you had two, you could then conceivably see the whole field of view," said Dr Xiao.
Alexander Borst and Johannes Plett are from the Max-Planck-Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried, Germany. They are not connected with the research but speculated for Nature on other possible future applications.
"Picture the following: a palm-sized micro aerial vehicle uses an artificial faceted eye to navigate autonomously through a collapsed building while other sensors onboard scan the environment for smoke, radioactivity or even people trapped beneath rubble and debris," they wrote in the journal.Steam for Mac will be available for download in a week’s time. Steam, for the uninitiated, is the world’s largest gaming platform, serving in essence as an ‘iTunes for games’. Steam lets you buy, try, and play games, stay connected with other gamers and friends, and much more. I’ve enjoyed testing the beta release of it for the last few weeks.
However, the part I disliked about Steam on the Mac is the (understandably) less-than-native looking and feeling UI. While the entire application was recently redesigned (and re-engineered to utilize Webkit as its rendering engine), it still feels less than at home between the system apps.
As a fun exercise, I’ve redesigned Steam in a way that maintains consistency with its own UI conventions and values, while changing look and feel to make it more native to the Mac platform.
You can see a comparison between Steam for Mac’s UI and my redesign on flickr here.
I won’t tease you with only vapid mockups, though. While you’re here, grab my Steam replacement icon for OS X.
Of course, if you have input on the mockups, sound off in the comments. Meanwhile, I am currently considering sending my thoughts to Gabe for further consideration.
Related:It was the one opponent Wales fans will love to hate, drawn against England in Group B of the Euro 2016 finals in France. The ‘old enemy’ as they are affectionately known amongst the Welsh faithful, there is as much intensity to this fixture as there is to the historic Scotland vs England fixture.
Euro 2016 Group B: Wales to take on England
Wales will be reasonably happy with their opponents in Group B despite the selection of England; fixtures against Russia and Slovakia will be far more appealing prospects for Chris Coleman and his band of Welsh Dragons. The Russians are currently 24th in the FIFA World Rankings after a successful qualification campaign which saw them finish second in Group G behind Austria and above Sweden in third place.
Slovakia will be the underdogs, reaching their highest ever FIFA World Ranking of 25 in June 2015, now sitting in 28th, the lowest ranked side in Group B with England (ninth), Wales (17th), Russia (24th) followed by Slovakia.
Roy Hodgson and Chris Coleman both spoke to the BBC regarding the draw, Hodgson told BBC Sport: “I feel good about it. We know all the Wales players, but what we know most of all is their team is very organised.”
Coleman said: “It will be a great game, it is two good teams.
“England are one of the best teams. We looked at it and would have wanted to avoid it, but we look forward to it.”
odgson added: “We are very pleased. Wales have done so well, and whichever of the teams we got in that pot it would be tough. Why not have a tough one close to home?
“In Aaron Ramsey, Ashley Williams and Gareth Bale, they have three really top-class players. We have a lot of respect for Wales.
“Slovakia and Russia are interesting. I’ve not come across either of those two teams in my international career – which is unusual given how many matches we play.
“They are two newcomers on my CV but we respect them and it will be a question of doing plenty of research now.”
Coleman was buoyant about his sides’s hopes of reaching the last 16, explaining: “When you get to a tournament it’s about the 90 minutes on the day and you have to get it right. It does not matter who you play.
“Slovakia had some great results, and Russia are Russia. You just have to prepare yourselves in the same way.
“We’re in a group with some hot competition. But that is why we are here, we deserve to be here and the tournament will be a fantastic one.”
With Wales buoyant for their first qualification in a major tournament in one 50 years, overcoming the likes of Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Cyprus and minnows Andorra to finish second in Group D, Coleman and his backroom staff will no doubt be relishing the opportunity to at least take second place in Group B to advance from the group stages to the finals, whilst also savouring the opportunity to take on neighbours England in France. Here are Wales’ fixtures for the tournament Group stages:
Saturday 11th June: Wales v Slovakia
Thursday 16th June: England v Wales
Monday 20th June: Russia v Wales
Read thoughts on Wales’ World Cup qualification chances against their group opponents.Scantily-clad'slutwalk' women march on New York after police tell them to 'cover up' to avoid rape
Protesters dressed in their underwear have taken to the streets of New York today after it emerged the NYPD were warning women in Brooklyn to cover up in the face of sex attacks.
The latest'slutwalk' protest comes a day after women in Park Slope were warned short skirts should not be worn and shorts that show too much leg have been deemed inappropriate.
On today's march the protesters chanted 'No means no - however we dress, wherever we go.'
Naked ambition: Hundreds today participated in SlutWalk NYC, rallying in Union Square and marching through the East Village as part of a worldwide grassroots movement challenging the blaming of rape victims
Flesh on show: Female marchers walked without any tops and one even went bra-less in order to make the statement that women should be able to wear what they want without risk of sexual attack
Outraged: The march was organised after a NYPD officer 'advised' women not to wear short skirts after at least 10 unsolved sexual attacks have occured
Speaking to the New York Post, organiser Sammy Lifson, 21, said: 'The cops in Park Slope have really stepped up their presence and they're trying to be helpful.
'But to focus on women isn't going to help catch the perpetrator.'
The international series of protests known as SlutWalks, sparked by a Toronto police officer's flippant comment that women should avoid dressing like'sluts' to avoid being raped or victimised, is taking root in the United States.
Some women and men who protest dress in nothing more remarkable than jeans and T-shirts, while others wear provocative or revealing outfits to bring attention to'slut-shaming,' or shaming women for being sexual, and the treatment of sexual assault victims.
The police officer made his comments in January to a group of York University students at a safety forum.
He later apologised, but his comments were publicised widely on Facebook and Twitter.
Worldwide: The SlutWalk movement began in January after a Toronto policeman said women should not dress like'sluts' if they wanted to avoid rape
Variety of costumes: Some protesters wore jeans and t-shirts, others dressed more provocatively
They inspired a march in Toronto that drew more than 3,000 people, as well as SlutWalks since then in Dallas, Asheville, North Carolina, and Ottawa, Ontario.
The movement has since spread around the world, with slut walks organised in several countries.
Yesterday's ‘advice’ was given out in response to at least 10 unsolved sexual attacks that have taken place in the area since March.
But in Park Slope, which is famous for being liberal and feminist, the campaign has provoked fury.
Jessica Silk, founder of neighbourhood watch group Safe Slope, told the Wall St Journal that such a measure was 'completely inappropriate'.
Inflammatory: One of the women spoken to by the NYPD officer said he the cop told her a short skirt would make the rapist think he could get 'easy access'
Global: There have been SlutWalks in London, Brussels and across Europe
One of the women who had been spoken to, who identified herself only as Lauren, told how she was three block from her home when she was stopped for wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
The 25-year-old claimed a cop asked to speak to her then did the same to two other women wearing dresses.
Lauren claimed he asked if she knew about the sex attacks and when they all replied yes he 'pointed at my outfit and said, "Don't you think your shorts are a little short?"
'He pointed at their dresses and said they were showing a lot of skin,' she said.
Lauren claimed the cop said such clothes could make the rapist think he could get 'easy access'.
The officer then said that they were 'exactly the kind of girl this guy is targeting'.Nintendo Switch Pre-Order
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The sequel to LOVE is now available, check out kuso!
LOVE is a short and addictively challenging platformer with a minimalist design. It has a custom respawn system, 16 levels, 12 track original soundtrack, competitive scoring, and multiple ways to play.
The difficult levels are balanced with the inclusion of a simple yet unique respawn system wherein the player can leave a checkpoint at any location at any point, as long as they are on solid ground.
Beyond the visual aesthetic, the challenging level design, and the abundance of features, there is the fantastic soundtrack composed by James Bennett, which brings rich life to the seemingly simple three-color atmosphere.
LOVE was originally released in 2014 on PC through STEAM and will be available on the Nintendo Switch starting February 14th 2019 for $2.99 USD or local equivalent currency.
Fred Wood is an independent game developer from San Antonio, TX. When he's not shouting about games he loves or making new ones, he's often tinkering with all sorts of things under the banner of Mokuzai Studio.
You can get in touch with Fred Wood via e-mail or Twitter. Press requests and review requests should be sent to this e-mail.Share on Twitter Tweet Share on Facebook Share
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He took hotdogging to new heights!
A daredevil eating Nathan’s atop the Wonder Wheel almost lost his head when one of the ride’s moving cars nearly rolled into him on June 24. Competitive eater and adrenaline junky Crazy Legs Conti raised the bar for downing sausages atop the ride, but he almost did not live to see his name in the record books, an organizer said.
“One of these cars just came sweeping in — imagine the momentum, it’s several thousand pounds,” said George Shea, head of Major League Eating. “That’s when I thought he must have been struck and killed. It was an emotionally harrowing event.”
Conti ducked just in time, and the basket passed within a foot or two of his head, photos show.
The death-defier set a record by eating a dozen dogs during one 3-minute revolution — an effort to psych himself up for Monday’s annual July Fourth hot-dog–eating contest, Shea said. The emcee of munch tried to talk Conti out of it, but said he respects his guts.
“It was heroic, but I thought he was taking unnecessary risks with his life,” Shea said. “I begged him not to do it, but he did it anyway. If we would have lost him, it would have been horrible and tragic, but not horrible and tragic enough for him to not do the stunt — a daredevil like that, you cant talk him out of it.”
And Conti better hope the competitive-eating gods smile on his near self-snackrifice, because he’ll have his work cut out for him on Monday.
He ate just 22 dogs in 10 minutes during a qualifier on June 25 — well behind a record-setting 73.5 put away by longtime contestant Joey “Jaws” Chesnut, who is looking to reclaim the crown underdog Matt “Megatoad” Stonie snatched last year, Shea said.
The so-called “Evel Knievel of the alimentary canal” admitted he may not be able to get his numbers as high as the big dogs, but he can get higher in other respects.
“When Joey eats that many and my personal best is around 26, I have to do something that Joey can’t do, and I thought there was something to going skyward,” said Conti, who once ate his way out of a “popcorn sarcophagus”.
And in the spirit of those who looked to the heavens before him, he took the great astronaut drink Tang with him to wet his wieners — but he almost needed astronaut diapers too, he said.
“I figured if it was good enough to go into space,” he said of the powdered orange drink. “When I got back down, I thought I involuntarily wet myself but it turned out it was just Tang.”
July Fourth Nathan’s Hot Dog-Eating Contest at Nathan’s Famous (1310 Surf Ave. between Stillwell Avenue and W. 15th Street in Coney Island). July 4 at noon. Free.
Here's Conti's brush with death
Music by bensound.com
Reach reporter Max Jaeger at mjaeg er@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260–8303. Follow him on Twitter @JustTheMax.
Updated 10:17 pm, July 9, 2018: Added comments from Crazy Legs Conti
©2016Georgia Rep. Earl Ehrhart has challenged the Obama administration’s orders on how to handle allegations of sexual assault on college campuses for the same reason he threatened to stop Georgia Tech’s state funding over the school’s policy on investigating allegations of student wrongdoing.
“Even third graders know you’re innocent until proven guilty” is how the longest-serving Republican in the Georgia State House explained his legal theory to the College Fix.
Ehrhart and his wife have filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights on behalf of Virginia Ehrhart’s son, who is a student at Georgia Tech.
Ehrhart said he and his wife are afraid her son, and other male students, could be hurt by what he described as an unconstitutional policy on the investigation of alleged campus sex crimes.
The Ehrharts’ suit calls out the DOE’s “Dear Colleague” letters that Ehrhart said could result in male college students being “wrongly accused and found responsible” of sexual misconduct.
It claims the Dear Colleague letters have “aggressively dictated how colleges and universities handle sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus…causing schools to brand more students ‘rapists’ based on the excessively low ‘preponderance of the evidence’ standard” rather than what is usually required in college disciplinary hearings.
The suit states that low level of evidence equates to a 50.1 percent probability of guilt, rather than the “clear and convincing evidence” that is usually demanding in a hearing.
The suit says the Dear Colleague letters also mandate accusers in sexual assault cases are able to appeal not-guilty findings and prevent the accused student from challenging his accuser during the hearing.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported schools that fail to comply with the DOE guidance could face investigation and lose federal funding.
The Office for Civil Rights has more than 200 sexual-violence cases at 178 colleges and universities under review.
In their lawsuit, Ehrhart and his wife claim to have “heard countless stories of young men being accused, investigated, and subsequently expelled from Georgia colleges and universities without being provided appropriate due process protections.”
Ehrhart said he is worried that his wife’s son and other men on campus could be charged with sexual crimes or harassment and not have a chance to defend themselves. The result, he said, could be lost tuition money at best, and ruined careers and lives at worst.Scaled-down homeless rights law advances
Homeless people would gain rights, including access to bathrooms and showers, if the bill passes. Homeless people would gain rights, including access to bathrooms and showers, if the bill passes. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Scaled-down homeless rights law advances 1 / 9 Back to Gallery
Sacramento --
Homeless people in California would have the right to rest in public spaces, including sidewalks, without the threat of arrest, and local governments would have to provide access to bathrooms and showers, under a bill that passed its first major test Tuesday.
The bill, called the Homeless Person's Bill of Rights and Fairness Act, could supersede local laws - including in San Francisco - that bar people from sitting or lying on sidewalks unless those localities meet certain requirements.
It was introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, and passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on a 7-2 party-line vote, with Democrats in favor and with the opposition of many local governments and business groups.
Ammiano significantly scaled back the scope of the bill from when it was first introduced last year, removing provisions that would have applied to private property and businesses. He called it a narrow bill to provide "a few basic protections" that would ensure California does not criminalize homelessness.
"The solution to homelessness is not citations or jail time," Ammiano said. Proponents compare current laws targeting the behavior of homeless people to past Jim Crow and "Anti-Okie" laws that were designed to segregate or remove people deemed undesirable.
New category
Under the measure, a person's housing status would be added to the list of categories included in the state's antidiscrimination law, which applies to government entities and entities that receive money from the government.
The other categories include race, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, genetic information or disability.
Additionally, the proposed bill lists 15 specific rights for people who are homeless, according to an analysis of the measure.
Those include the right "to move freely, rest, solicit donations, pray, meditate, or practice religion, and to eat, share, accept, or give food and water in public spaces without being subject to criminal or civil sanctions, harassment or arrest."
This would extend to parks for the entire 24-hour day, regardless of whether the park has hours that it is closed.
Exemptions
Local governments that provide year-round non-medical assistance for adults, that are not in areas of high unemployment and that don't have a public housing waiting list longer than 50 people would be exempted from the provision on sitting, sleeping, eating and soliciting in public places.
Other declared rights would include the ability to set down personal belongings and the right to restitution if that property is "confiscated, removed or damaged" by law enforcement or security guards.
Homeless people also would be guaranteed an attorney if they were given a citation for an activity related to their housing status and could sue for discrimination violations based on their housing status.
Law enforcement would be required to track and report citations related to homelessness, and local governments would have to provide "health and hygiene centers" that would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and would be required to include bathrooms and showers.
Police officers could still enforce laws against illegal activity, such as defecating or urinating in public, or public drunkenness.
Opponents of the bill who testified included representatives of the League of California Cities, the California Chamber of Commerce and other business and municipal groups, though the bill was amended late Monday to narrow some requirements.
Several representatives of the groups said they had not been able to analyze the changes to see if they would alter their position.
'Burdensome' rules
Kirstin Kolpitcke, speaking for the League of California Cities, said that requiring law enforcement to collect and report citations was burdensome for those agencies.
She also noted that while local cities pass ordinances about sitting or lying in public, the bill puts the burden on counties to provide services that would create exemptions to allow for the continued enforcement of those laws.
"As a city, we have no control over what services a county does or does not provide," she said, adding that the league was in favor of other bills that would provide funding for affordable housing and housing for veterans.
Other opponents raised concerns about new civil liabilities if housing status is included in California's non-discrimination law.
State would pay
The bill would increase costs for local governments that would have to be paid by the state, though a price tag has yet to be determined. It heads next to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
The measure attracted dozens of people - some homeless, some formerly homeless - who spoke in support.
One of those was Sean Gregory, 24, of Los Angeles, who said he was living on Skid Row before recently moving into transitional housing. He said he was under a tarp one morning putting on his shoes after sleeping when a police officer directed him to put his hands behind his back, telling him he was not awake by 6 a.m. and taking him to jail.
Not having an attorney, he pleaded no contest and was fined $145.
"I spent three days in jail waiting for that," Gregory said.Tuesday, June 6, 2017, in Atlanta, GA, in a speech at the National Law Enforcement Conference on Human Exploitation before about 1,500 law enforcement officials and victim support counselors who specialize in child sex abuse cases, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a clear message that the Trump administration is going after pedophiles.
Calling pedophiles “evil,” “twisted,” “wicked,” “horrific” and “vile,” Sessions declares child abuse and child exploitation to be his top priority as Attorney General. Expressing empathy with and thanking the conference attendees for their very difficult and “dark” work, Sessions pledges to them the full support of the Justice Department.
Though delivered in his measured southern drawl, Sessions’ speech was impassioned and deserves your attention.
Below is a video of his speech (h/t FOTM‘s Will Shanley and stlonginus), followed by my transcription.
Beginning at the 0:20 mark, Attorney General Sessions said:
“I know from my experience working these cases in Alabama that you are stopping people [who], if not stopped, will continue to abuse more and more people. A lot of people don’t like incarceration. But the reality is, and I wish it weren’t so, that incarceration seems to be in many cases the only thing that would protect children…. Child abuse and child exploitation cases are a high priority for me as United States Attorney and they will be a high priority now for me as Attorney General. And I want you to know that we can, we are now, and we will continue. You will make a difference in this fight and protect children that need to be protected and deserve our protection in every single way….”
Note: Before he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, Jeff Sessions, 70, was Attorney General of Alabama (1994-1996) and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1981-1993).
“What we are charged [by President Trump] with doing is reducing crime in America, and crimes against children are some of the worst in our country…. So our efforts to improve public safety will make the fight against child exploitation and human trafficking a top priority of ours.“
Then, Sessions confided that he’s “worried about the trends we’re seeing today” which he does not believe “is a blip”. He cites the following statistics for 2016 — an 11% increase in murder and 59,000 deaths from drug overdose — and attributes the child abuse and child exploitation to the breakdown of the family.
Sessions continues:
“It’s hard for any of us to believe that child exploitation even happens but it does. And it takes dedicated people to investigate and prosecute these despicable crimes. It demands courage and compassion, resilience and resourcefulness and determination…. But if you confront evil as terrible as you confront everyday, you stand up to predators who think nothing of destroying children just to make a buck or to fulfill their own twisted fantasies. You see wickedness that no one should ever have to see, and suffering and cruelty that few can imagine. Your work takes you to dark places, both virtual places and real ones, places no one ever should have to visit. You do the gut-wrenching work of collecting and reviewing evidence to these crimes. You interview victims, prepare them to tell their stories as witnesses, and support them as they recover, hoping, praying that the abuse they’ve suffered does not destroy their future. It’s tempting to become discouraged in the midst of all of this, but you persevere, and for good reason. Few others can say that their work matters so much. You are rescuing and protecting innocent children, and bringing to justice people who commit horrific acts. For this, you have my admiration and my gratitude and the appreciation of all American people. You also have my commitment, as long as I’m Attorney General, the Department of Justice will continue to strongly support your work. We will be behind you.“
Sessions then enumerates the achievements of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose investigations have led to the arrest of more than 73,000 people suspected of sexually exploiting children, including 8,800 just last year. But he notes that:
“Even amid these heroic efforts, we also know the challenge we face today is perhaps greater than ever before…. The landscape has changed profoundly…. By all accounts, the scourge of child exploitation is getting worse. We know that just here in the United States, many thousands of criminals are involved in exploitation, millions of vile images and videos now circulate the globe, just a few clicks away from anyone who wants to call them up. Investigations and prosecutions of child exploitation are increasing, while the victims are getting even younger. We also know that while the tech revolution has brought us many benefits, it’s also made your work even more challenging. It’s given pedophiles new ways to find and exploit children. Because of technology, no place is safe for our kids, not even our homes or our schools.“
By new technology, Sessions means smart phones and tablets that make children vulnerable to predators; cheap cameras and iPhones to make child porn; darknet, chat sites, social networking sites, and mobile apps on encrypted devices — all of which enable predators to target and groom our children for abuse, to find and encourage other predators, and to evade law enforcement.
That is why it is important for law enforcement to acquire new training and new technology, and to coordinate in federal-state-local teamwork to better combat today’s predators. Sessions then reminds us that we, the American public, also have an important role to play in combating child sex abuse and trafficking — which I take as his encouragement and approval of the investigations that countless Internet citizen journalists have undertaken concerning Pizzagate:
“The importance of teamwork also extends to the broader public. We need to help our fellow citizens know what to watch for, and to encourage them to tell us when they see something. We saw the value of public involvement last month in Kansas. A man in Wichita was sentenced to 16 years in prison for distributing child pornography. This man came to the attention of the investigators when they received four separate cyber tipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In this case as so many others, the vigilance of our fellow citizens made the crucial difference…. It takes all of us — investigators, prosecutors, and victims support specialists, teachers, parents, concerned citizens. Standing together, we will send a message to the predators and the pimps, the child abusers and extortionists and traffickers: ‘You will not harm our kids, and we will never rest until we find you and bring you to justice for your appalling acts.’“
Gracious as ever, Attorney General Sessions ends his speech by thanking those in the audience:
“Let me close by thanking all of you, once again, for choosing this difficult work. You see the darkest side of humanity almost every day, but doesn’t stop you. Each of you is a bright light of hope and justice for our children. Your light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it. Keep up the great work, have a productive week here together, and thank you for having me here today. God bless you all.”
Contrast Attorney General Jeff Sessions to his two predecessors:
In her pro forma speech at the National Law Enforcement Conference on Child Exploitation in April 2016, Obama’s attorney general Loretta Lynch did not use words like “evil,” “twisted,” “wicked,” “horrific” and “vile” to refer to pedophiles. Lynch’s predecessor, Obama’s first attorney general Eric Holder, was worse. In 2014 and 2015, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation had Holder on its “Dirty Dozen” list of contributors to sexual exploitation in the United States — for not enforcing federal obscenity laws, which had been enforced in previous administrations and upheld by U.S courts, prohibiting the distribution of obscene pornography in hotels, retail stores, by cable, and on the Internet. (Washington Free Beacon)
While searching for news on Attorney General Sessions’ speech at Atlanta, I found a skimpy report by Fox5 Atlanta which, curiously, has next to nothing on what Sessions said, but saw it fitting to archly insert these two sentences in its 6-sentences report:
“Sessions’ visit comes as some democrats in Washington are raising questions about his contacts with a Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign.”
If I lived in Atlanta, I would make sure not to rely on Fox5 as a source of news.
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~Eowyn
Dr. Eowyn’s post first appeared at Fellowship of the MindsDoctors should no longer offer the PSA prostate cancer screening test to healthy men because they're more likely to be harmed by the blood draw — and the chain of medical interventions that often follows — than be helped, according to government advisory panel's final report.
Even after studying more than 250,000 men for more than a decade, researchers have never found the PSA to save lives, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of doctors that advises the government on cancer screenings and other ways to avoid disease.
Yet the PSA can cause harm.
That's because the PSA, which measures a protein called prostate-specific antigen, often leads to unnecessary needle biopsies for men who don't actually have cancer. Even worse, those biopsies lead many men to be treated for slow-growing cancers that never needed to be found and that are basically harmless, says task force chairwoman Virginia Moyer, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Because doctors today often can't tell a harmless tumor from an aggressive one, they end up treating most men with prostate cancer the same, says Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, which takes a neutral stand on the PSA.
Treating harmless prostate tumors can't possibly help men, however. It only increases the odds of making them impotent or incontinent, Moyer says. Treatment can even be deadly: One in 200 men who have prostate surgery die shortly after the procedure, she says.
The recommendation, first released as a draft in October, applies to healthy men of any age, although not for those who already have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The panel didn't consider cost in its deliberations, Moyer says. Federal legislation requires that Medicare must continue to pay for the PSA, Brawley says. Private insurers usually follow Medicare's example.
In the future, Moyer hopes doctors will simply stop mentioning the PSA when men come for office visits. If men ask for the test, or if doctors still want to offer the PSA, Moyer says she hopes physicians will discuss both the risks and benefits of screening. Although the task force aims to help doctors by issuing recommendations, physicians aren't obligated to follow its recommendations, Moyer says.
Yet Moyer agrees that men desperately need a better test. More than 28,000 men die of prostate cancer a year.
Unfortunately, there are no other better tests with which to replace the PSA, such as rectal exams, ultrasounds or variations on the PSA, says Ian Thompson, chairman of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a spokesman for the American Urological Association, which recommends the PSA for men over 40. Thompson supports some of the task force's recommendations, such as its call to do away with mass prostate cancer screenings in shopping malls and parking lots.
But Thompson says the task force went too far in rejecting the PSA completely. He notes that death rates from prostate cancer nationwide have dropped 30% to 50% since PSA testing became widespread in the early 1990s. In its recommendations, published in Monday's Annals of Internal Medicine, the task force said it's unlikely that screening alone could have reduced death rates so quickly. Some experts note that treatments also have improved.
Thompson also says he doesn't want to go back to the "bad old days" before screening, when doctors found prostate cancer only after it had become incurable. And
|
A little unusual
Single battery
Can use button or flat-top IMR batteries
Cons:
Not as pocketable as the original
Plastic construction
Button occasionally sticks
Limited to 3A despite being advertised at 4A
Voltage drops as battery drains
Details:
Product name: Variable Volt Gripper
Available from: MadVapes
Price: $59 (device only) $99 (full kit)
Threading: 510
Voltage: 3.0 to 6.0 in.1v increments
Amperage: 4A (advertised, 3A in practice)
Disclosure: I feature affiliate links for MadVapesThe repercussions of the 1998 World Cup final were perhaps best summarised by Alex Bellos, who in Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life noted that, for Brazil, coming second leaves more of an emotional impact than coming first. All things being normal, the 3-0 defeat to France should not have been possible. The Brazilians had won the World Cup four times—the latest in 1994—and had the best player on the planet; Ronaldo, who, at twenty-one, had won successive FIFA World Player of the Year awards. But a mystery had overshadowed the occasion. “The match soon transcended its sporting importance to become one of the resonant events in the country’s contemporary history,” Bellos would write in The Guardian four years later. Within weeks of the game, a lawyer had taken civil action demanding explanations. The Rio de Janeiro regional medical council questioned the team doctors. Topping it all was an official government investigation into why Ronaldo had fallen ill on the day of the game, why he had been removed from the line-up then reinstated just before kick-off, and why Brazil had played so poorly. “The pressure had got to him and he couldn’t stop crying…” Roberto Carlos would recall, according to ESPN. “Here was a twenty-one-year-old player, the best player in the world, surrounded by contracts and pressure. Something had to give. And when it did, it happened to be the day of the World Cup final.”
Brazil were always favourites for the tournament, even if the other title candidates—Argentina, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain—had qualified. The only disadvantage seemed to be the location. France were hosting their second World Cup, and had built the Stade de France, located in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. The number of participants had gone from twenty-four to thirty-two. Golden goals were introduced, tackles from behind could now trigger direct red cards, and the fourth officials would use electronic boards. The designated ball was the adidas Tricolore. The mascot was Footix, a rooster, whose name combined ‘football’ and ‘Asterix’, the popular French cartoon, in which Asterix and Obelix resist Roman occupation in the village of Gauls.
The Brazilians were favoured for a reason. They were the only nation to have won the tournament on a foreign continent; a teenage Pelé inspired the triumph in Sweden in 1958. Besides, the 1994 World Cup had not been a solitary victory. In 1997, the Seleção had won the Copa América, in Peru, and the first FIFA-led edition of the Confederations Cup, staged in Saudi Arabia, in which Ronaldo and Romário had netted hat-tricks in a 6-0 final demolition of Australia. (Romário was the tournament’s top scorer, with seven goals. The runner-up was Vladimír Šmicer, with five.) They had also taken bronze at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, in which Ronaldo had played with ‘Ronaldinho’ on his shirt because of the presence of Ronaldo Guiaro, an older central defender. The coach was also accustomed to success. Mário Zagallo had been involved in each of Brazil’s four World Cup wins: he had played as a winger at Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962, was manager at Mexico 1970, and assisted Carlos Alberto Parreira at USA 1994.
In France, Zagallo had the squad to make it five. The goalkeeper would be Taffarel, the full-backs Cafu and Roberto Carlos, while the less convincing defensive partnership was Júnior Baiano and the ageing Aldair. In central midfield played César Sampaio and Dunga, who were both based in Japan. The aces were further forward: Rivaldo, Leonardo, Denilson, Ronaldo, Bebeto. Romário had been dropped, but there was space for Edmundo, who was selected on the back of a season in which he had broken the goalscoring record in the Brazilian championship, with twenty-nine goals, and received seven red cards.
Except the home advantage, France were not spoilt with clues about what was about to happen. Unlike Brazil, they had never won it. Since Michel Platini inspired Les Bleus to the semi-finals in 1982 and 1986—and to the Euro title in 1984—they had twice failed to qualify. Neither had they reached Euro 1988. When they made the 1992 edition, they were dumped out in the group stage. Only at Euro 1996 had results improved, but they lost their semi-final on penalties to the Czech Republic. This World Cup was another chance, though coach Aimé Jacquet was already being criticised for being too defensive. Looking at the squad, his stance seemed understandable. Fabien Barthez was protected by Bixente Lizarazu, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc and Marcel Desailly. Ahead laboured Didier Deschamps, Emmanuel Petit and Christian Karembeu. The playmakers were Zinédine Zidane and Youri Djorkaeff, while up front, Jacquet rotated between Thierry Henry, Christophe Dugarry and Stéphane Guivarc’h. The bench had space for players such as Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Frank Leboeuf, David Trezeguet, Bernard Diomède and Bernard Lama, who had recovered from a two-month ban issued in February 1997 for smoking cannabis.
The squad was a celebration of multiculturalism. Examples included Djorkaeff, of Armenian descent; Thuram, born in Pointe-à-Pitre, a town on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe; Lizarazu, who is Basque; Vieira, born in Dakar; Zidane, of Algerian origin; Desailly, born in Accra; Trezeguet, fathered by an Argentine footballer; Henry, born to a mother from Martinique. Days before the first match, Jacquet addressed the players at Clairefontaine. “I want us to be together in this,” he said, according to FourFourTwo. “We need to focus. What is going to happen is so important… and I don’t think that you have fully realised yet.” The group draw had been kind, throwing up Denmark, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, but, for the first game, uncertainty reigned. “The pressure was intense,” said Petit. “I could see some players sweating on the bus before we arrived.” According to Zidane, the last training session had been dreadful. “If truth be told,” Zidane said, “before we started, we never thought we’d win the World Cup.”
One of the factors that made the 1998 World Cup so memorable was that most of the favourites survived the group stage. The only stumbling big hitter was Spain. Javier Clemente had a talented squad—Fernando Hierro, Raúl, Luis Enrique—but a 3-2 defeat to Nigeria and a 0-0 draw against Paraguay made their 6-1 win over Bulgaria a valedictory one. The Netherlands scraped through ahead of comeback kings Mexico. Argentina finished ahead of Croatia, with three wins and no goals conceded. Germany topped their section, as did Italy, despite failing to contain Iván Zamorano and Marcelo Salas. (That group also featured Austria, who scored all their three goals after the ninety-minute mark.) Only England proceeded in second place, having lost to Romania thanks to a late winner by Dan Petrescu.
Brazil were never going to slip up early on, though they did labour at times. The 2-1 win over Scotland was not convincing. César Sampaio flicked in an early corner to net the tournament’s first goal, but Scotland, who had arrived at the opening ceremony in kilts, equalised through a John Collins penalty. They succumbed only to an own goal by Tom Boyd. During that game, it became clear how Brazil played. Zagallo went with a 4-2-2-2 formation. Cafu and Roberto Carlos were adventurous, while the wingers, usually Rivaldo and either Leonardo or Denilson, took up central positions. Dunga, at thirty-four, dropped deep to spread passes. One notable element was the role of Ronaldo. Rather than playing as a typical poacher, he moved freely, taking runs out wide and sometimes coming down to the half-way line to link up and run at players. He never did make the Scots pay, but in the next game, against Morocco, a slick move culminated in a ball over the top that he hammered into the bottom corner. In that match, another sumptuous attack saw Rivaldo tap in the second, before Ronaldo stole the ball, left a defender for dead, and played in Bebeto for 3-0. The Brazilians had won their group. Their 2-1 shock loss to Norway did not matter.
Back in the France camp, Jacquet had an assured demeanour. “It built our confidence up to see that he was himself so confident,” said Desailly, according to FourFourTwo. “It made us more positive, and also helped us realise our abilities. I think he was mostly confident in the group itself, in our capacity to overcome any challenge that the competition might present, but the doubts did persist.” Few of those doubts abated with the first game, against South Africa. Dugarry calmed the nerves with an early header, but France did not strike again until the seventy-seventh minute, when Pierre Issa scored a clumsy own goal. Henry made it 3-0 in stoppage time. Neither the second game silenced the skeptics. On nineteen minutes, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi was dismissed for a tackle on Lizarazu, which effectively robbed France of any eventual credit. Lizarazu assisted Henry for 1-0, but once more, the second goal came late, Trezeguet scoring in the sixty-eighth, before Henry and Lizarazu added two more. Earlier, Zidane got sent off for stamping on Fuad Anwar Amin. He was suspended for two games. That somehow led to France’s best group-stage display, against Denmark, in which Djorkaeff’s penalty and Petit’s strike yielded a 2-1 win. The hosts were through.
In the round of sixteen, the title candidates continued to progress. The Netherlands beat Yugoslavia 2-1, Italy saw off Norway thanks to a Christian Vieri strike, Denmark hammered Nigeria 4-1, Germany sank Mexico 2-1, Croatia sent home Romania with a Davor Šuker penalty. Facing Chile, Brazil were comfortable. César Sampaio hit two more goals from set pieces, before Ronaldo scored a penalty and finished off another lovely move. Separate Ronaldo efforts hit the post, and the crossbar from six yards. At the same stage, France’s passage was nervier. The showdown against Paraguay went to extra time, the host country holding its breath until Blanc laced home an unlikely winner; the first golden goal in the World Cup’s history.
And yet the highlight of the round was Argentina versus England. Diego Maradona may have been gone, but the Argentine talent pool was still deep: Roberto Ayala, Diego Simeone, Javier Zanetti, Claudio López, Gabriel Batistuta, Ariel Ortega, Juan Sebastián Verón and Hernán Crespo. Several players had won silver at the Olympics under Daniel Passarella, who was now accused of favouring his disciples of 1996. Not that Passarella minded controversy. The disciplinarian had already banned earrings from the squad. He had also threatened Fernando Redondo with expulsion if he did not cut his hair. Redondo had refused, which meant Argentina travelled to France without one of their finest midfielders. At the team camp, Passarella ran a tight ship, restricting press access and closing training sessions. According to the Washington Post, parts of the Argentine media would encamp on a nearby hill to catch a glimpse. One television channel paid more than $3,000 to a gas station in order to rent its roof.
England also commanded respect, despite their defeat to Romania. Coached by Glenn Hoddle, they had David Seaman, Tony Adams, Paul Ince, Alan Shearer and David Beckham. The match was one of the tournament classics. Within ten minutes, Batistuta and Shearer had rammed home a penalty each, before Michael Owen ran solo. Just before half-time, Zanetti equalised from a clever free-kick routine. Later, Beckham became the villain for his red card after kicking Simeone, while Carlos Roa became the hero in the penalty shoot-out. In the aftermath, the FIFA technical report offered some consolation for the English, saying there were “no serious weaknesses” in their team. “Overall, Hoddle is to be congratulated for his courage in using all these young players in the World Cup,” it noted. “This is a team with a future; they will be a force to reckon with in the next major international competitions.”
In the quarter-finals, neither Brazil nor France survived without tension. Denmark had already tested France in the group stage; now it was the Brazilians who would sweat. In the second minute, Martin Jørgensen scored. But then Ronaldo produced a moment of brilliance. Dropping deep to receive the ball, he spun away from three Danish players who had rushed out to press him. That left a gap in behind, into which Bebeto moved; seeing the space, Ronaldo found him with a reverse pass, and Bebeto scored alone with Peter Schmeichel. Following that up was an elegant Rivaldo chip. Brian Laudrup later punished a catastrophic Roberto Carlos bicycle-kick clearance, but then Rivaldo sniped home a twenty-five-yard shot. Brazil won 3-2.
The French faced Italy. It was a classic azzurri side that had returned to the traditional defensive school. The coach was Cesare Maldini; father of Paolo, and a defender for AC Milan in the 1960s under Nereo Rocco, the first manager to use catenaccio at a top club. In the qualifying group stage, the Italians had conceded one goal in eight games. A look at their defensive options explained why: Gianluca Pagliuca, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Costacurta, Guiseppe Bergomi, Alessandro Nesta; Demetrio Albertini, Luigi Di Biagio, Dino Baggio, Angelo Di Livio, Roberto Di Matteo. Up front, Vieri had been unstoppable. Cesare Maldini also had Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Baggio, Filippo Inzaghi and Enrico Chiesa.
Though the defensive approach had worked so far, the Italian press wanted more adventurousness against France. Yet Cesare Maldini was never going to change. He started with four solid defenders—Bergomi, Paolo Maldini, Costacurta, Cannavaro—plus Francesco Moriero, Pessotto, Di Biagio and Dino Baggio. The only pure attackers were Del Piero and Vieri. That was always unlikely to produce many goals, especially against such a formidable French back line. Decent chances did fall to Vieri and Di Biagio, and Roberto Baggio, having replaced Del Piero in the second half, squandered an enormous opportunity in extra time. France had their moments as well, but the finishing was dreadful. Cue penalties, through which Italy had been eliminated in 1990 and 1994. Eventually, Di Biagio hit the decisive kick against the crossbar, before falling backwards, stretched out on the turf, with his hands covering his despairing face.
“Italy had maybe the best strikers in the tournament, but didn’t know how to use them,” Zidane said later, according to Football Italia. “You can’t have Del Piero and Vieri on the field and not play for them. You cannot keep Inzaghi and Enrico Chiesa on the bench when you need to score.” Cesare Maldini rejected the argument. “We could have played for days and France would never have scored,” he said. Not that France cared. Once more, they had qualified after playing more than ninety minutes. The semi-finals beckoned. “After the quarter-final, we really felt that the country was behind us,” Desailly said, according to FourFourTwo. “We couldn’t avoid seeing what was going on when we went through towns and estates on the team bus. Africans, Algerians, Arabs and Moroccans were all at their windows with French flags. They were mixing with French people and everyone was singing together and everybody had their faces painted in blue, white and red.”
In the semi-finals, Brazil met the Netherlands. Recovering from internal fallouts at Euro 1996, the Dutch had reunited under Guus Hiddink and had Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Phillip Cocu, Marc Overmars, Edgar Davids and Dennis Bergkamp. (The squad also featured Winston Bogarde.) Late goals had become a theme. In the round of sixteen, Davids had hit the winner in the second minute of stoppage time; in the quarter-finals, against Argentina, they had scored a beauty on the ninety-minute mark. It was performed by Dennis Bergkamp, who should have been suspended at the time for a stamp on Siniša Mihajlović against Yugoslavia. Taking down a long ball from Frank de Boer, he controlled it deftly, prodded it past Ayala, and used his third touch to place it past a frozen Roa. “You never play the perfect game,” Bergkamp would say, according to The Guardian, “but the moment itself was, I think, perfect.”
(Incidentally, that moment was also the last one for Roa at a World Cup. A year later, he would retreat to the countryside to work for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, believing that the world would end at the millennium. He meditated, prayed and stopped eating meat. The dietary preferences would earn him the nickname Lechuga. When the world did not end after all, he returned to Mallorca, but struggled to recover form and lost his place. By the time the 2002 World Cup commenced, Roa was playing for Albacete in the Spanish second division.)
Against Brazil, it looked as if another late goal would save the Dutch. The score stood at 1-0 after Ronaldo had shaken off Cocu to produce a low finish. Ronaldo also missed a separate one-on-one, and a great chance fell to Rivaldo, who shot straight at Van der Sar while sitting down. Three minutes from full time, Kluivert rose to steer home Ronald de Boer’s cross. In extra time, the tension seemed unbearable. Ronaldo had a bicycle kick cleared off the line, leaving Zagallo grasping his grey head on the touchline. To penalties it went. Taffarel saved from Cocu and Ronald de Boer, while calm Brazilian heads ensured no kicks were missed. The Brazilians celebrated wildly, and Zagallo shed a few tears.
Meanwhile, the French remained incapable of playing a game without drama. They met the tournament’s great underdog, Croatia, who were making their World Cup debut, having joined FIFA in 1992. Miroslav Blažević’s side had succeeded through the hard-nosed defending of Igor Štimac, Slaven Bilić and Dario Simić; the silky skills of Zvonimir Boban; and the predatory instincts of Šuker, whose six goals would win him the Golden Boot. The highlight so far had been a 3-0 quarter-final win over Germany. But the French would prove more solid. Besides, Zidane had returned, and he introduced himself early on with a series of long shots. Shortly after half-time, though, Šuker placed a measured finish beyond Barthez, and another surprise looked likely. Then Thuram awoke. Receiving a neat ball from Djorkaeff, he equalised, before adding another after a foray down the right. They were the first two goals of his hundred-and-forty-two-cap international career. They would also be the last.
In the build-up to the final, the debated centred on Ronaldo. He had struck four goals, but his contribution had also included assists and a bit of playmaking. “He didn’t come to France to compete with the players of his generation, but to seek a place amongst the best of the two millennia—this one and the coming,” Jorge Valdano wrote the day before the match, according to The Guardian. “If Romário, his predecessor, was subtlety, Ronaldo is exuberance. If Romário’s habitat was the penalty area, Ronaldo’s home would need to measure half the size of the pitch.”
In the France camp, the players were shaking. There is a video online that shows Jacquet carefully demonstrating how Ronaldo always feigns left and goes right; never the other way around. The players can then be seen discussing how to stop him.
“He did it to me at Milan,” says Desailly. “I didn’t see the ball. Whether he goes right or left, you don’t see the ball.”
Desailly imitates Ronaldo stepping over the ball, before miming that something disappears.
“Where’s the ball?” he says. “It’s magic.”
Then disaster struck. On the afternoon before the game, the Brazil players retreated to the Château de Grande Romaine hotel, where Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos were rooming. Suddenly, Ronaldo suffered a convulsion. His body shook and he frothed at the mouth. Roberto Carlos started screaming for help. Edmundo came in and reacted by running through the corridors slamming the doors. César Sampaio arrived and put his hand in Ronaldo’s mouth to unravel the tongue, to stop him from swallowing it. “I don’t remember properly, but I went to sleep, and then, like the doctor said, it seems I had a seizure for thirty or forty seconds,” Ronaldo would say, according to The Guardian. “I woke up, and then my whole body was in pain. But with time the pain got less, and I relaxed a bit.” The fit had passed, but he did not look himself. “It was as if a malaise had come over him,” said Roberto Carlos. “Not even he knew what was going on.”
The Brazil doctors decided to get him examined. When the team bus rolled towards the Stade de France, Ronaldo was sent to the Lilas clinic in Paris for further checks. Zagallo must have been resigned to losing him, for when he held the team talk, he tried to motivate the players by telling the tale of how Brazil had won the 1962 World Cup without the injured Pelé. When the team sheet was submitted, Edmundo had taken Ronaldo’s place. Unaware of what had happened, the press were caught off guard. Some journalist were told that Ronaldo had an ankle injury, while others talked about a stomach problem. According to a BBC article, other rumours ranged from his love life to poisoning. Less than an hour before kick-off, Ronaldo arrived at the stadium. The doctors had run neurological and cardiac tests without finding clues as to why the convulsion had happened. That made the episode even more perplexing. “I don’t know why,” Ronaldo would tell the BBC. “Nobody knows. Was it pressure or nerves? It could be. When you are there, and you breathe the competition, everything is about the competition. You cannot disconnect from it. It’s a lot of pressure. But I pleaded with Zagallo to let me play.”
And play he did. With the doctors giving Ronaldo the all clear, Zagallo put him back into the line-up. Brazil arrived late for the warm-up, Ronaldo emerging last. As if the press were not already confused enough, a second team sheet was submitted in which Ronaldo was now included. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my career,” said the BBC’s John Motson. “The scenes in the commentary box have been absolute mayhem and chaos.”
Beyond Ronaldo, the team strategies for the final were predictable. Jacquet relied on defensive solidity, fielding a 4-3-2-1 in which Deschamps, Petit and Karembeu formed a disciplined midfield trio. Blanc had been suspended for a red card earned against Croatia, so Leboeuf stepped in next to Desailly. Up front, Zidane and Djorkaeff played off Guivarc’h. The Brazilian system was the same as earlier, with Leonardo playing on the right and Rivaldo on the left.
The game was not as one-sided as the scoreline suggested. On the balance of play, the teams had a similar number of shots, and Brazil dominated possession. Particularly Cafu and Roberto Carlos were busy, with Cafu constantly running at Lizarazu. However, there were some lapses in concentration that denoted unfocused heads. Leonardo had some strange touches, and was taken off at half time. Rivaldo trod on the ball and fell over, triggering a French break. Ronaldo had two horrendous involvements in which he seemed unaware of who was around him. Roberto Carlos sent a cross behind goal, and later gave away a corner by the touchline.
That corner would prove costly. Earlier in the tournament, warning signs had blinked over Brazil’s central defenders. Júnior Baiano and Aldair did seem like the weak link, and Brazil had shipped seven goals prior to the final. When Kluivert had equalised in the semi-final, no defender had even challenged him in the air. Earlier, Jacquet had apparently focused on Brazil’s slack marking. Even in the game itself, Djorkaeff had already flicked a free-kick off target. And so while Zidane would never be known for his aerial strength, Jacquet might have afforded himself a knowing smile when he saw his talisman nod in Petit’s corner on twenty-seven minutes.
As the half continued, Brazil kept making errors. Much would be made of the role of Guivarc’h, who did not score in the World Cup, and the final was certainly not his finest display. Apologists would argue that his contribution was about hard work and hold-up play, though he seemed to offer little of either. Early on, a back-heel went straight to a Brazil player. One cross had no address. Zidane found him with a brilliant piece of play, but he lost his balance when trying to shoot. Shortly before half-time, Júnior Baiano mistimed a long ball that gifted him a one-on-one. He shot low; Taffarel saved. At least that led to a corner, from which Guivarc’h forced another one. From there, Zidane headed home Djorkaeff’s delivery. It was the most indirect of contributions, and, true to form, Guivarc’h would squander another fat chance after the interval. But at the very least, he did do something.
Coming out for the second half, Jacquet was never going to risk a two-goal lead. France reverted to a deeper defensive block. Brazil kept hitting the wall. With France keeping three central midfielders in a compact shape, the Brazilians played more around the defence than through it. Roberto Carlos and Cafu kept probing, but the attackers seemed static and predictable. This particularly went for Ronaldo. History tells us that he played badly, but the more notable aspect was his passiveness and how rarely he got involved. He appeared sapped, unfocused, shut off. In the first half, he did little but clash into Barthez. In the second, a free-kick fell to him from a sharp angle; he struck it straight at France’s hairless custodian.
In the final twenty minutes, the pressure on the French increased as Desailly got a second booking. But Brazil had no answers. A few seconds after stoppage time had passed, Petit rolled home the third after a counter. France had won the World Cup. The players hugged each other, Barthez broke down in tears. That night, France’s adoration for its players knew no bounds. At some point, president Jacques Chirac came up to Petit and said: “You are the one my wife prefers.”
While France hailed the triumph, Brazil struggled to get to grips with the trauma. Ronaldo had become the symbol of the underwhelming final, and conspiracy theories soon surfaced. The two team doctors were accused on the grounds of professional ethics, but both were unanimously absolved. One theory claimed Brazil had been offered £15m to throw the final in exchange for an easy ride in the 2002 edition, plus the right to host the tournament in 2006. It also said that Ronaldo had refused and withdrawn from the line-up, only to backtrack when Nike had threatened to withdraw the sponsorship money. It was all ludicrous. Another conspiracy—and the one that stuck—was that Nike, who had signed a £105m contract with the Brazilian national team in 1996, and who also sponsored Ronaldo individually, had put pressure on their most bankable performer to play. Nike vehemently denied the allegations. According to Bellos, a congressman named Aldo Rebelo nonetheless managed to launch a government investigation into the relationship between Nike and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on the grounds that their contract violated “sovereignty, autonomy and national identity”, which are guaranteed by the Brazilian constitution.
Once it got going, the national congress summoned witnesses to Brasília to explain the Ronaldo episode. On 21 November 2000, Zagallo was called in. Defending his decision to play Ronaldo, and to keep him on for ninety minutes, he reminded the congress that the French doctors had passed him fit. “If you invert the situation and I didn’t put Ronaldo on, and then Brazil lost 3-0, people would say: ‘Zagallo is stubborn, he had to put him on, Ronaldo was the best player in the world’,” Zagallo said. “So I think I would do the same again.” He then added a line that might have explained some of the Brazilian errors. “Now, was it him being chosen that caused Brazil to lose? Absolutely not. I think it was the collective trauma, created by the atmosphere of what had happened.”
The team doctors were also scrutinised. Neither accepted blame. “Imagine if I stopped him playing and Brazil lost,” Lídio Toledo said. “At that moment, I’d have to go and live on the North Pole.”
Even later, Ronaldo emerged in front of a packed room. In his book, Bellos, who was present, writes that the player started out with the following line: “Do I, as a witness, have the right to a glass of water?” People were charmed, but the mood soon turned serious. Ronaldo defended his relationship with Nike and denied the conspiracies. Farcically, one person wanted to know whether it was he who should have been marking Zidane at corners—as if this was relevant to the Nike contract. Another asked straight out why Brazil had not won the World Cup, to which Ronaldo delivered a reply that effectively amounted to his famous line: ‘We lost because we didn’t win.’
The congress would never find any satisfying answers. Nike came out of it well, while nobody in the Brazil camp were culpable. According to Bellos, the most plausible explanation turned out to be that Ronaldo had been given an injection of xylocaine ten minutes before the convulsion, during which the drug had entered a vein accidentally. Either way, Ronaldo retained a philosophical view. “We lost the World Cup, but I won another cup—my life,” he said. That was a healthy sense of perspective, and, at the very least, he had played good World Cup. Besides, it wouldn’t be his last.I’m not a fan of keeping close tabs on co-workers’ comings and goings. But when their work habits harm your performance or the employer’s bottom line, sometimes you have to pipe up.
Reader: I’m a part-time broadcast designer for a local TV station, helping create evening news graphics. My full-time co-worker’s shift starts a half-hour after mine, but he’s usually late — up to half an hour — and he frequently spends up to 45 minutes browsing Facebook or chatting before he starts working.
This is a high-pressure job with tight deadlines. My co-worker’s poor work habits mean I have to work twice as hard so we can keep up. I’ve brought this up with my boss, and he has supposedly given my co-worker warnings, but the behavior continues.
This job is my only source of income. I am punctual and work hard, so seeing this guy goofing off while I pick up the slack is infuriating. What should I do?
Karla: I realize you have more to prove and less time to do it in, but your heroic efforts seem to be enabling his goofing off. What if you eased off a bit? Presumably he has to pick up the pace when you’ve left for the day, but that doesn’t mean you should carry it all till then.
You’ve said all you should to the boss for now. How about talking to your co-worker? When he saunters in: “Morning, Tripp. I’ve already started on the triple homicide titles and water-skiing squirrel graphics — can you handle the local budget debate and zoning meeting?” Seeing a go-getter snagging the high-profile assignments might encourage him to be a little faster off the starting block. If not, keep running your own race. If you end up getting hired full time, you may find you need to pace yourself for the daily marathon.
Reader: One of my co-workers likes to gossip with customers. One customer has begun calling her to see how things are going. Whenever she gets on the phone, I leave the counter area to try to force her to wait on customers — but she pays no attention to the line forming in front of her. Should I go to the supervisor?
Karla: First, stop treating your customers as if they’re chips in some passive-aggressive poker game. While the absentee associate tries to outbluff the gabby gossip, neglected patrons will just take their business elsewhere.
If your employer has a policy restricting personal calls, suggest — without naming names — that your supervisor reiterate it at the next staff meeting. You could also call for backup on the public intercom whenever you see a line forming; if
that doesn’t get your co-worker’s attention, it might get management’s. Or just take the direct approach: “Gabby, could you please help that
lady while I handle this gentleman’s return?”
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E-mail us at [email protected] Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD chief Lalu Yadav and Bihar Congress President Ashok Chaudhary after the Grand Alliance's win in Bihar polls (Press Trust of India photo)
After the giant win in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar now has to define the contours of his new council of ministers, no easy task given that this time's mandate is for a three-party coalition in which a partner, Lalu Yadav, has won the most seats. The new government is likely to take oath on November 20 in Patna.Sources say Mr Kumar is likely to apply the tested formula of one minister for every five lawmakers. The new government is expected to be sworn in after the important festivals of Diwali tomorrow and Chhat on November 17.For his party the Janata Dal (United), Mr Kumar is expected to negotiate with his coalition partners for departments like roads, health, electricity and education - areas which he promised to boost in his seven-point development agenda during the campaign.It is not known yet if his partners will agree to this, but sources say that Lalu Yadav is not expected to push beyond a point on portfolios. He could, they said, ask for a ministerial post for one of his two sons, both first-time lawmakers, but the Yadav family, filled with politicians, is said to be divided on this given their inexperience. Tej Pratap, 27, and Tejaswi, 26, have said they are ready to be ministers in the Nitish Kumar government.There is wide interest in how the two regional powerhouses, Nitish and Lalu, will bridge many gaps to govern the state. For years they were bitter political rivals who attacked each other's governments. For this year's election they came together along with the Congress in what is called the Grand Alliance, to stall the BJP in the state.Bihar has awarded them 178 seats, which is an absolute majority.Lalu's superior numbers, nine more than the JDU at 80 seats, gives him much muscle to flex. The Congress too has won 27 of the 41 seats it contested and is now expected to ask for some important ministries. "The government here is going to run smoothly," said Lalu Yadav on Monday, as he announced plans to take the battle against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi national after handing them the emphatic defeat in Bihar.MUMBAI: Cyrus Mistry, chairman of Tata group, has credited the “sustained startup environment” with playing an important role in bringing international and domestic investment, opening up new opportunities beyond tier I cities and enabling India to emerge as one of the fastest growing economies.In a communication to Tata Motors shareholders appearing in the annual report 2015-16, Mistry described the startup scene as a “positive sign” of a more mature and responsible economy.“There is a greater thoughtfulness towards investing in new or emerging companies, with a greater attention to the right business model.” Mistry spoke of continued global volatility across markets during fiscal 2016, saying the fall in oil prices and commodities had varied impact on different companies and countries.While the China slowdown continues to be an important global factor, news was more positive on India’s robust GDP.However, he had some words of caution too. Mistry said continued delay in some tax reforms continues to pose an “operational bottleneck” to streamlined movement of goods and services. Calling it one of the “key challenges,” he said, “The shadow of NPAs continues to haunt the Indian financial sector even as it is all set to grow, with new financial institutions.”Reflecting on Tata Motors
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costly booster rockets necessary to place its components into Earth orbit for assembly.
Conversely, adequate knowledge of Mars would enable engineers to cut costs by taking advantage of the conditions there. Of particular importance, they wrote, would be probes that would test propellant-saving aerodynamic braking maneuvers in the martian atmosphere and prospect for "usable indigenous materials...such as water" on Mars's surface. They estimated that, lacking adequate prior knowledge of Mars, the first manned landing mission "would probably transport 2 or 3 men to the surface of Mars for a few days...[at a cost of] a billion dollars per man-day on Mars." If on the other hand, "the physical properties of Mars were well known, we could think...of the first landing as a long-duration base, reducing cost to less than 10 million dollars per man-day."
Stacked atop its two-stage Saturn V rocket, the 1965 MSFC Mars/Venus manned flyby spacecraft would have resembled Skylab, shown here on its way to the launch pad in 1973. Image: NASA.
The MSFC team consulted Ruppe's published launch opportunity tables to determine that several Mars and Venus flyby launch windows would open in the mid-to-late 1970s. Because Venus has a nearly circular orbit around the Sun, opportunities to reach it would vary little in terms of amount of energy required, mission duration, and Earth-return velocity (all critical factors in interplanetary mission design). Mars, on the other hand, has a noticeably eccentric (elliptical) orbit, which means that these factors vary considerably from one launch opportunity to the next. For their detailed analysis, the MSFC engineers opted for a "typical" Mars flyby that would leave Earth orbit in September 1975, and a corresponding "typical" Venus flyby that would depart Earth orbit in August 1978.
An "improved" two-stage variant of the Apollo Saturn V would serve as the manned flyby program's workhorse Earth-to-orbit booster. The first payload it would place into orbit for any flyby mission would be the 125-ton flyby spacecraft with a multipurpose "aft skirt assembly." Stacked atop the two-stage Saturn V and covered with a streamlined launch shroud, the flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly would outwardly resemble the Skylab Orbital Workshop, which was launched on a two-stage Saturn V in May 1973, eight years after Ruppe's team completed its study.
The three-stage Saturn V configured for Apollo moon flights stood 363 feet tall, while the two-stage Saturn V with Skylab on top measured 333.6 feet tall. The two-stage Saturn V with the flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly combination on top would stand 332 feet tall. Skylab measured 84.5 feet long at launch, while the flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly would measure 89 feet long with its launch shroud (A in the drawing below) and 81.6 feet long in orbit, after its shroud had been discarded.
Simplified cutaway drawing of MSFC FPO's 1965 Mars/Venus manned flyby spacecraft design. The letters are identified in the text. Image: NASA MSFC.
The MSFC engineers tapped as their rocket engine for course corrections the Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine (B). It would draw hypergolic propellants (that is, fuel and oxidizer that ignite on contact with each other) from four spherical tanks (I). The tanks were designed to hold enough propellants to change the flyby spacecraft's speed by 500 meters per second (mps). The 0.5-kilometer-per-second course change would need 26,272 pounds of propellants for the 1975 Mars flyby and 20,583 pounds for the 1978 Venus flyby.
A pair of 5000-pound "radioisotope power supply systems" would be mounted to the flyby spacecraft near the course-correction engine, well away from the spherical, 20-foot-diameter Lab/Crew Living area (M). During ascent to Earth orbit, these would remain folded inside the launch shroud (C). Some time after shroud separation, they would pivot outward to their flight positions (D) and begin to make electricity.
Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM) in lunar orbit. Image: NASA.
The flyby spacecraft's pressurized Hangar (E) would fill the space between the course-correction engine and the course-correction propellant tanks. The three-man flyby crew would reach the Hangar from their main living area via an airlock tube (J). The Hangar would contain at its center a modified Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM). The Ruppe team felt it necessary to cocoon the CSM within the Hangar to protect it from "micrometeoroids, outgassing, and other detrimental effects" of long space exposure.
The CSM warranted special protection for two reasons. First and foremost, it was the flyby crew's end-of-mission Earth-atmosphere reentry vehicle. The astronauts would ride in its conical Command Module (CM) (F) and would use the Service Propulsion System (SPS) main engine (H) on its drum-shaped Service Module (SM) (G) to slow to Apollo lunar-return speed of 11 kilometers per second (kps) before they reached Earth's atmosphere. Cocooning the CSM in the Hangar would also limit the amount of costly redesign and retesting the CSM would need before it could be used for manned Mars/Venus flyby missions. The CM for flyby missions would lack a docking unit, but otherwise would closely resemble the Apollo lunar CM. It would, therefore, need no new testing.
For Venus flybys, the SM also could remain unchanged. The Mars flyby SM, on the other hand, would approach Earth moving fast enough that its SPS engine would need to fire for up to 536 seconds longer than the Apollo lunar SPS and burn up to 2790 pounds more propellants than the Apollo lunar SM could hold. The Mars flyby SM would thus need longer propellant tanks and either a redesigned SPS or a pair of conventional SPSs operating in tandem or in series. A new engine rated for a longer burn time was also a possibility, though that option would not be in keeping with the MSFC team's goal of reliance on Apollo hardware.
In addition to the Earth-atmosphere reentry CSM, the flyby spacecraft Hangar would house five tons of automated probes destined for release near the mission's target planet. As noted above, the astronauts' main job would be to ensure that the probes remained functional until they reached Mars or Venus. The crew would thus have available within the Hangar 1000 pounds of tools and supplies for servicing the probes. The MSFC engineers also placed an airlock for spacewalks in the Hangar, though they doubted that it would see much use, as well as a stock of emergency life support provisions.
When not attending to their cargo of probes, the three flyby astronauts would live and work in the Lab/Crew Living Area, where they would breathe a half-oxygen, half-nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of 10 pounds per square inch. The Lab/Crew Living Area and the Hangar could each be repressurized 12 times during a Mars flyby mission and eight times during a Venus flyby mission. Repressurization would occur in the event that a meteoroid punctured the spacecraft hull or after scheduled periodic air dumps that would purge the atmosphere of toxic trace gases outgassed from furnishings and equipment and generated by experiments and cooking. Each repressurization would need 1885 pounds of gases, bringing the total breathing gas carried to 22,650 pounds for the typical Mars flyby spacecraft and 15,050 pounds for the Venus flyby spacecraft. A system for recycling air between purges would have a mass of 1800 pounds on both the Mars and Venus flyby spacecraft.
The Ruppe team's engineers cited a study by the MSFC Research Projects Laboratory (RPL) when they rejected specialized radiation shielding for the flyby spacecraft's bottle-shaped emergency shelter (K). The RPL had found that solar flares powerful enough to harm flyby crews were unlikely to occur in the mid-to-late 1970s. In place of 1000 pounds of shielding, the MSFC team proposed a double-walled shelter with the crew's water supply stored between its walls. Two 500-pound water reclamation systems (main and spare) would recycle cabin air moisture, wash water, and urine. Equipment and food would be arranged around the shelter's exterior to provide additional radiation protection. The crew would sleep inside the shelter to minimize their exposure to cosmic rays. In the event of fire, catastrophic pressure loss, or other emergency, the shelter, which would contain a duplicate set of spacecraft controls, could be sealed off from the rest of the flyby spacecraft.
The MSFC engineers calculated that building the flyby spacecraft so that it could spin to create artificial gravity would add 69,000 pounds to its mass. The engineers rejected this in favor of providing a small centrifuge (L) capable of holding two astronauts at a time. Support arms would attach the twin centrifuge gondolas to a motorized ring around the hatch leading into the emergency shelter.
The Lab/Crew Living Area would nestle in a bowl-shaped recess in the aft skirt assembly (O). At its front end, the aft skirt assembly would match the 22-foot diameter of the flyby spacecraft; at its aft end, it would match the 33-foot diameter of the S-II second stage of the Saturn V that would boost it and the flyby spacecraft into 185-kilometer-high Earth orbit. S-II separation would reveal twin RL-10 rendezvous and docking rocket motors (P) and a large socket-like docking structure (N) on the aft skirt assembly's aft end. At its front end, the aft skirt assembly would contain a ring-shaped, 22-foot-diameter Saturn V Instrument Unit (IU). In addition to guiding the Saturn V carrying the flyby spacecraft during its ascent to Earth orbit, the IU would provide guidance control for Earth-orbital assembly maneuvers and for Earth-orbit departure.
The number of two-stage Saturn V rockets required to place into Earth orbit the flyby spacecraft, its S-IIB Orbital Launch Vehicle (OLV), and liquid oxygen (LOX) for the S-IIB OLV would depend on the amount of energy required to place the flyby spacecraft on course for its target planet. Even in the least demanding opportunities, Mars flybys would require more energy than Venus flybys, so would need more Saturn V rockets.
The MSFC engineers described in detail the assembly campaign for the Mars flyby mission that would leave Earth orbit in September 1975, during a launch opportunity lasting 28 days. The first two-stage Saturn V in the assembly campaign would lift off from one of the two Complex 39 Saturn V launch pads at Cape Kennedy, Florida, on 28 April 1975. If the Saturn V rocket failed and the flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly it carried was destroyed, then a backup would lift off on 24 June 1975.
The next Saturn V in the series would launch on 28 June 1975, bearing the first of four LOX tankers to 185-kilometer orbit. The Ruppe team's tanker could transport about 95 tons of LOX. Three more successful tanker launches would be needed; these would occur on 6 July and 7 July and 3 September 1975. A single backup tanker would be available in the event of a launch failure; if it became necessary, then it would launch on 6 September 1975.
With a Mars flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly and four LOX tankers safely orbiting the Earth, the sixth and last Saturn V would launch the S-IIB OLV into a 485-kilometer-high orbit on 13 September 1975. As its name implies, the S-IIB OLV would be a derivative of the Saturn V S-II second stage. Modifications would include deletion of two of its five J-2 engines and improved insulation to retard boil-off and escape of the roughly 80 tons of liquid hydrogen it would carry into orbit. The MSFC engineers expected that an S-IIB OLV could be developed that would retain enough liquid hydrogen for flyby spacecraft Earth-orbit departure 72 hours after its launch from Complex 39, but aimed for an Earth-orbit departure 50 hours after Earth launch.
Using the twin RL-10 engines in its aft skirt assembly, the unmanned flyby spacecraft would climb to a 485-kilometer circular orbit and rendezvous with the S-IIB OLV as soon as the latter was confirmed to be safely in orbit. It would then back up and dock with the S-IIB OLV. Next, the four LOX tankers would climb to 485-kilometer orbit and dock one at a time with the S-IIB OLV. Each would pump its cargo into the S-IIB OLV's LOX tank, then would undock and move away, clearing the way for the next in the series.
The astronauts would board the Mars flyby spacecraft 20 hours before planned launch from Earth orbit. If NASA had a space station in Earth orbit in 1975, they might board from that. An alternate plan would see the flyby astronauts reach their spacecraft on board an Apollo CSM launched from Earth on a Saturn IB rocket. After entering the flyby spacecraft and checking out its systems, they would cast off the CSM.
The S-IIB OLV's three J-2 engines would burn for about eight minutes on September 26, 1975 to push the flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly combination out of 485-kilometer Earth orbit and place it on course for Mars. The burn would add about five kps to its speed. After the flyby spacecraft/aft skirt assembly combination separated from the S-IIB, the RL-10 engines in the aft skirt assembly would be used to fine-tune the flyby spacecraft's course. The aft skirt assembly, its work done, could then be cast off or retained for at least part of the mission to provide additional radiation/meteoroid shielding for the Lab/Crew Living Area.
Image: NASA MSFC.
Ruppe's team provided an example heliocentric orbital plot for a manned Mars flyby mission leaving Earth on September 26, 1975. The dashed line on the plot represents the flyby spacecraft's path around the Sun. Flight to Mars would require 130 days. Halfway to Mars, on November 30, 1975, the crew would adjust their spacecraft's course using the course-correction engine. The MSFC engineers budgeted enough propellants for the first midcourse burn to change the flyby spacecraft's speed by 150 mps. The crew would eject "consumed life support" (that is, body and food waste, saturated absorbent charcoal, used filters, and other trash) shortly before the course-correction burn so that it would continue on the flyby spacecraft's original course and not intersect Mars.
Mars flyby would occur on 3 February 1976, when Mars and the flyby spacecraft were 0.86 Astronomical Units (AU) - that is, 0.86 times the Earth-Sun distance - from Earth. The flyby spacecraft would approach Mars's day side, reaching a distance of 200,000 kilometers from the planet's center 6.5 hours before closest approach. It would pass 792 kilometers from Mars's surface moving at about 11 kps relative to the planet, then would retreat from Mars's night side. During approach to the planet, the astronauts would release 2.5 tons of robot probes and carry out continuous observations. Near closest approach, they would ignite the course-correction engine a second time.
During retreat from Mars, the astronauts would release an additional 2.5 tons of probes. While the flyby spacecraft remained close to Mars, it would relay data from the probes to Earth at a high data rate. The flyby spacecraft would, however, spend only one hour within 18,250 kilometers of Mars's center. Five and a half hours after closest approach, it would pass beyond 164,000 kilometers from the planet's center, and shortly after that the Mars probes would switch to direct transmission to Earth at a low data rate. The crew would then begin a grueling 539-day journey home.
A few weeks later, the crew would become the first humans to enter the Asteroid Belt. Maximum distance from Earth (3.21 AU) would be attained on September 13, 1976, about one year into their mission. At about the same time, Earth would move behind the Sun as viewed from the flyby spacecraft. The crew would then perform the mission's final course-correction burn, changing their spacecraft's speed by up to 200 mps.
The flyby spacecraft would pass inside of Mars's orbit on 31 May 1977 at a distance of 0.353 AU from Earth. Over the following two months, it would gradually catch up with the homeworld. On 19 July 1977, six days before planned Earth atmosphere reentry, the crew would transfer to the modified Apollo CSM in the Hangar and check out its systems. Two days before reentry, the CSM would emerge from its cocoon and abandon the flyby spacecraft. On 25 July, with Earth looming outside its small windows, the crew would turn the CSM so that its engine or engines pointed in its direction of flight. A burn lasting up to 19.4 minutes would reduce the CSM's speed from up to 15.8 kps to Apollo lunar-return speed of 11 kps, then the conical CM would detach and, using small rocket motors, orient its bowl-shaped heat shield for reentry. Minutes later, the CM would deploy three parachutes and lower gently into the ocean.
Image: NASA MSFC.
The Ruppe team also prepared an orbital plot for the Venus flyby mission departing Earth in August 1978. A shortened S-IIB OLV would add about 3.8 kps to the Venus flyby spacecraft's speed. The mission would be of shorter duration than the Mars mission - only one year - with Venus flyby occurring low over the planet's day side on 11 December 1978. The spacecraft would attain its greatest distance from Earth - 0.674 AU - on 15 April 1979. After leaving the Hangar, the CSM's main engine would trim about 2.6 kps from its Earth-approach speed. Reentry and splashdown would occur on 16 August 1979.
The MSFC engineers outlined a hardware development schedule based (inexplicably) on a Venus flyby in late 1975 and a Mars flyby in 1978 (that is, the reverse of the program detailed above). They also estimated the probable cost of the flyby program. They assumed that no new-start funding for the program would become available in NASA's budget before Fiscal Year (FY) 1969, after the first successful Apollo lunar landing, which in 1965 was scheduled to take place during 1968. Detailed flyby program planning would begin in mid-1968 and last a year.
LOX tanker, flyby spacecraft, and interplanetary avionics development would commence in the last quarter of 1968. LOX tanker development, at a cost of $380 million, would be completed in late 1974. A pair of LOX tanker flight tests would launch on two-stage Saturn V rockets in 1973 and mid-1974. A flyby spacecraft development test unit would reach Earth orbit on a two-stage Saturn V in 1974; among other things, it would be used for crew training. The flyby spacecraft would cost more to develop than any other hardware element ($1.563 billion). Avionics development (total cost: $325 million) would include a Saturn IB-launched flight test.
S-IIB OLV development (total cost: $425 million) would start in late 1969 and conclude in 1974. S-IIB OLV flight tests would take place in 1973-1974. Apollo SM modifications (total cost: $115 milion) would begin in mid-1970 and end in 1974, and aft skirt assembly development (total cost: $165 million) would span late 1970 through early 1975. An aft skirt assembly flight test using a Saturn IB launch vehicle would take place in 1974.
Science probe development for the 1975 Venus flyby would begin in mid-1970 and continue through the last quarter of 1975. Mars probe development would start in the last quarter of 1973 and run through 1977. Probe development would cost $220 million for each mission.
The MSFC engineers based their operational cost estimates on learning curves developed through the many Saturn V and Saturn IB launches that they expected would occur by the mid-1970s. They estimated that 62 three-stage and two-stage Saturn Vs would be launched prior to the first Venus flyby Saturn V launch, so that each Saturn V for the Venus flyby would cost $70 million. Fifty-two Saturn IB launches would take place before the first Venus flyby Saturn IB launch, leading to a cost per Venus flyby Saturn IB of $22 million. They assumed that 70 Apollo CSMs would have flown before the first Venus flyby CSM, leading to a Venus flyby CSM cost of $72 million.
For the 1978 Mars flyby, the MSFC engineers assumed that NASA would have already launched 98 three-stage and two-stage Saturn V rockets by the time the first Mars flyby Saturn V lifted off, lowering the cost per Mars flyby Saturn V to only $65 million. Seventy Saturn IB launches would have taken place, reducing the cost for each Mars flyby Saturn IB to $20 million. One hundred CSMs would have flown ahead of the first Mars flyby CSM, reducing the flyby CSM cost to $69 million.
Design and development cost would peak in FY 1972 at $895 million. Operational cost would peak at $497 million in FY 1974. The peak funding year for the program would be FY 1973, when operational and development costs would total $1.222 billion. Development costs would total $3.75 billion between FY 1969 and FY 1978. Operational costs would total $2.671 billion between FY 1971 and FY 1978. The entire manned flyby program would cost $6.421 billion. They estimated that by providing data to engineers, the manned flyby program would reduce by about $4 billion the cost of a follow-on Mars landing mission.
The MSFC engineers also conducted what they called a "mission worth analysis." They first assumed an undefined "basic space program" for the 1970s and 1980s. Manned Venus flyby missions could, they calculated, be deleted from the program with only a 2% impact on total space program worth and only a 10% reduction in planetary program worth because "it is not possible to land on Venus." Leaving the Venus flybys in place but deleting the Mars flyby and landing missions would reduce total space program worth by 9% and planetary program worth by half. Deleting all manned planetary missions and relying only on robotic probes would reduce total space program worth by 12% and planetary program worth by 63%.
Mariner IV spacecraft. Image: NASA.
Mariner IV triumphantly flew past Mars on 14-15 July 1965, five months after the MSFC team's study report saw print. It returned 21 black-and-white images of the planet's cratered surface and conducted a radio-diffraction experiment that indicated a martian atmospheric pressure ten times less than expected. Mariner IV revealed a Mars apparently inhospitable to life. The mission also showed that robots could cross the gulf between Earth and Mars and return useful data without help from astronaut caretakers.
Oddly enough, neither Mariner IV's success nor its discouraging Mars findings undermined the manned flyby concept. The flyby program goal of putting Saturn-Apollo hardware to new uses remained attractive to many in NASA. In April 1966, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight George Mueller launched a new manned flyby study under the auspices of the Planetary Joint Action Group (JAG), which drew members from MSFC, the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Headquarters, and NASA planning contractor Bellcomm. The new study, which emphasized the 1975 manned Mars flyby opportunity, sought to flesh out automated probe and on-board instrument designs and to further explore the interplanetary potential of Apollo technology and techniques.
References:
Manned Planetary Reconnaissance Mission Study: Venus/Mars Flyby, NASA TM X-53205, Harry O. Ruppe, Future Projects Office, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, 5 February 1965.Gov. Gary Johnson - This morning, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued a historic ruling upholding marriage equality for ALL New Mexicans. That is great news!
Our America is proud to stand alongside loving families, community leaders, and our allies from across the state to launch New Mexico Unites for Marriage – the campaign dedicated to securing and defending marriage for loving gay and lesbian couples. We know that New Mexicans support the freedom to marry and today’s favorable court ruling affirming marriage equality.
If you believe that now is the time for marriage equality in New Mexico, click here to sign our pledge now.
In New Mexico, we don’t turn our backs on families. No member of anyone’s family – gay or straight – should be denied their basic American freedoms just because of who they love.
That’s why in the coming months, this campaign will run a grassroots effort unlike anything New Mexico has seen before. We’ll knock on doors, organize community meetings, and talk with thousands of our family members, friends, and neighbors about why marriage matters – and why today’s ruling must be defended.
Together, we’ll ensure that marriage equality is a basic freedom all New Mexicans enjoy and that no one takes that away.
Sign our pledge now and join thousands of supporters across the state who are committing right now to securing and protecting the freedom to marry.
Thanks for standing with us.
Let’s make history,
P.S. Be sure to “like” New Mexico Unites for Marriage on Facebook and follow @NMUnites on Twitter for the latest in our groundbreaking campaign to protect marriage for all New Mexico families.MP sticks to his guns at Labour conference immigration event
Chuka Umunna has said the Brexit vote was a rejection of free movement of people from the EU in its current form, and suggested its ties to single market membership could change ahead of elections in EU countries.
The MP and candidate to replace Keith Vaz as chair of the home affairs select committee was speaking at a Fabian Society fringe event at Labour Party Conference today on immigration and integration.
His remarks follow an interview he gave to the Huffington Post in which he suggested giving up single market membership would be worth escaping EU free movement rules, for which he received some criticism online.
Umunna, speaking at the conference event in Liverpool today, attacked those who say all Leave voters are ‘bigots and racists’ or were duped, calling this ‘unbelievably patronising’.
He said this also applies to people who voted Conservative at last year’s general election:
‘Treating them like the devil incarnate is hardly the way to get them to vote for a Labour government in the future.’
Umunna said repeating the arguments of the referendum or calling for another vote would not heal the divisions Brexit flagged up in society.
He said you can show people as much data as you like, but they believe immigration has affected them economically and brought cultural changes to local communities, and that these concerns are valid. Umunna said:
‘We have been far too complacent and far too laissez faire about integrating people when they come here […] That’s left a vacuum which the populist right and the far right have gone into. We have got to be in that space. […] ‘When people say, ‘You’re waving the white flag, you’re giving in to UKIP’ – No I’m not. Are we saying we want people to live parallel lives? No we don’t. We like to think in London we’re this great melting pot, [but] we’re less integrated than other parts of the country.’
On freedom of movement, one of the four freedoms linked to membership of the single market, Umunna argued there could be space for a compromise:
‘In Germany, Angela Merkel has got a general election in 2017, as has Francois Hollande in France, and they’re both going to be against populists of the far right making free movement an issue. They have got to move and change the way the movement of people operates in the European Union.’
He added:
‘We have a verdict in the referendum on how free movement works in the European Union that they [UK voters] don’t want it in the current way. We have got to find the alternative that works for us and them.’
He said Theresa May’s government should be pressed on working for this compromise with EU leaders so Britain can remain in the single market but reform free movement rules, for example by requiring that people show they have a job before they arrive in the UK.
Umunna also said ‘the UK government must guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are here’ to remain in Britain if they choose.
Free movement was also a contentious issue at Liberal Democrat conference last week, with former deputy leader and Business Secretary Vince Cable differing with the party, by saying single market membership and free movement can and should be separated.
See: Tim Farron: Progressives must work together to hold this Brexit government to account
URGENT APPEAL: We need to raise £10,000 in the next few weeks to keep holding the right to account. Help us build a better media and back the crowdfunder to keep Left Foot Forward's progressive journalism alive.ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account
The ex-wife of a man who transformed his flat into the bridge of Star Trek's Voyager spaceship is selling the property years after she won it in a divorce battle.
Tony Alleyne spent a fortune converting the flat over a decade into a facsimile copy of the well-known sci-fi spaceship - a move which prompted his wife to leave him in 1995.
Mr Alleyne, a former interior designer, was jailed in 2013 for downloading and sharing child sex abuse pictures and the flat has been unoccupied ever since.
But the studio flat in Hinkley, Leicestershire, has now popped up on a property website - where it is being offered for sale for £70,000.
Mrs Alleyne said through her estate agent today that selling the flat would help her to make a "fresh start" after her ex-husband's conviction.
In a statement, she said: "I have decided to put the property on the market in order to start fresh. I am now divorced and I estimate that it is time for me to put this flat and my ex-husband's project behind me. I do not want to be reminded about my past and I am looking forward to turning to the next page in my life."
The flat in Granville Gardens, Hinckley, for which she is considering minimum offers of £70,000, has featured on MTV's Extreme Cribs and ITV's May The Best House Win.
Comparable studio flats in the area are being sold for about £60,000 but the estate agent has said it hopes the unique decor will attract the extra funds.
In 2004 Mr Alleyne tried to sell the flat for £700,000 but it failed to attract a buyer.
The flat does not come with a fridge, oven or a conventional bed - instead having just a microwave and sofa.
Due to its outlandish design, the flat is also not mortgageable, so the buyer will need to pay the full amount up front.
An advert for the property on Rightmove reads: "Calling all Star Trek Fans! Have you always dreamt of having your own Voyager? The opportunity of buying this unique and extraordinary Star Trek Voyager Flat replica has arisen!
"Step in to the Voyager and let your imagination do the rest. This unique property has been custom made by a real Star Trek fanatic. You won't find any other property like this one, this is truly unique, don't miss it!
"You will find all of the smallest details from the movie franchise. You will have your own Transporter with the main commands control at the heart of this wonderful living space."
Marine Barraud, spokeswoman for Hope Estates in Hinckley, said the flat was the "most unusual" property she had ever been asked to sell.
She said: "I expect we will only sell it to a Star Trek fanatic - a geek. We do not want it turned in to a tourist attraction. It's been unoccupied for one or two years; the owner just wants to start afresh, she is not a Star Trek fan."Stitcher Radio
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Travis Tidwell has been developing advanced enterprise software solutions for over 15 years ranging from Embedded GPS navigation products to Open Source web solutions. In 2008, he developed and founded the popular Open Source multimedia solution MediaFront (http://mediafront.org), but has since then created Form.io, a groundbreaking technology that provides a Form and Data Management system for Serverless Applications. Travis now serves as the CTO.
What You Will Learn In This Episode
The evolution of early web to content management systems to web 2.0 apps to serverless apps.
The change that has affected the development community because of mobile-first design.
What serverless forms are and how they work.
How to simplify the connections between your forms and APIs.
A slick way to generate the API and bind to the data by designing the form UI.
Where to find the code repos to deploy a serverless form in minutes.
Resources Mentioned
Sponsors
Contact GuestNEW YORK—A new 400-page report released Monday by the Pew Research Center confirmed that everyone—absolutely everyone—other than you is starting new, exciting phases of their lives and careers. “Our results indicate that those around you are all turning a new leaf, moving forward to face a fresh challenge, and embarking on periods of immense personal and professional growth, while you on the other hand are in a phase of total stagnation, if not regression,” said head researcher Dr. James Messemer, adding that the data also suggests that everyone sees the clear contrast between those who are really blossoming by moving on to meet a new opportunity and you, an individual perceived as being stuck in a rut, left behind, or simply someone who has already reached their potential. “Our study proves that, unlike yourself, all of your peers are enriching themselves by experiencing the triumphs and failures associated with any new personal journey, a journey that will ultimately be looked back upon as the most fulfilling part of these individuals’ lives. Meanwhile, you remain trapped in a state of perpetual—well, our researchers would have to call it ennui, as there is really no other word for it.” The study determined that the odds of any of this changing were less than 7 percent.
AdvertisementBanks’ Instagram video showed her cleaning up feathers and blood from “three years’ worth of brujeria.”
Azealia Banks has told “pompous” Sia to “have some fucking respect” after the This Is Acting singer hit out her for allegedly sacrificing chickens in a witchcraft ritual.
The spat came after Banks posted a video to Instagram showing her taking a power sander to a cupboard caked in feathers and dried blood, claiming to be cleaning up “three years’ worth of brujeria,” the Spanish word for witchcraft. “Real witches doing real things,” she adds before going in with her “sand blaster.”
LOOOOL AZEALIA BANKS BEEN SACRIFICING CHICKENS N USING THEIR BLOOD FOR MAGIC FOR 3 YRS WTF LOOOL N SHE USIN POWER TOOLS TO CLEAN UP THE MESS pic.twitter.com/N7i2F2QzbE — SHTONEGHOST (@datgrit) December 30, 2016
Sia, a long-standing and vocal supporter of animal rights, later took to Twitter to call Banks’ apparent chicken sacrifices for personal gain “the wackest shit I’ve ever heard… Get ahead by being awesome, kind and working hard.”
Sacrificing animals for your gain is the wackest shit I've ever heard. Get ahead by being awesome, kind and working hard. — sia (@Sia) December 30, 2016
Banks responded on Instagram, firing back in now-deleted posts that demanded respect for “my fucking traditional African religion.”
Azealia Banks fires back at Sia: "Your ugly pasty dry white lady winter skin face is the ugliest face I've ever seen" pic.twitter.com/y21KgGbZpf — Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 30, 2016
Banks later offered to make a concoction that would help Sia’s “chapped face.”
https://twitter.com/elklien/status/814942889784594432
The episode marks Banks’ latest social media storm of 2016 after another turbulent year. After accusing actor Russell Crowe of assaulting her only to have her case dismissed, she recently reignited her long-standing beef with Nicki Minaj.At the Experience Music Project on a recent Thursday night, many of North America’s smartest culture critics gathered to debate a word largely ever used, much less understood, by the 10 people on stage and a handful of their colleagues. It was the opening talk of the annual Pop Convention, a four-day convening of writers, academics and old-fashioned music geeks, and we were about to hear two passionate, colorful hours of debate and discussion on poptimism — a conceptual framework that arose in response to what Kelefa Sanneh once dubbed, or diagnosed, as rockism, a masculine, artisanal, guitar-centric view of music. It’s the view that says “disco sucks” and “rap is crap,” that dismisses rather than seeks out. There’s probably no one alive who would call him or herself a rockist, in, say, the way that rednecks are proud of themselves, but anyone who shared a Beck vs. Beyonce meme in February exemplifies the nature and problem of its influence.
Poptimism didn’t receive a definition on that Thursday, which made the discussion tricky, but across the country, the Washington Post’s Chris Richards provided one in a piece the next morning. Richards approached poptimism on idealogical terms, seeing its initial promise — “that all pop music deserves a thoughtful listen and a fair shake” — warped into a consensus of hero-worship, a climate in which Beyonce can go from “profoundly unconvincing” in 200
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leave a lasting legacy. I mentioned that I'm working on a project collecting dreams from around the world, and asked about his.
"I rarely sleep," he insisted. "I'm thinking always about what we can do next. More, more. More that the people will like. I dream to make a big theme park. There will be all the Indian culture with automatization. Everything will be there. The God's battles. The battles of Muslim and Hindu. The English will be there. Everything, everything I will make. I dream only of this."
-Roc MorinThe legend of agave, according to the Aztecs.
The Aztecs believed that since the beginning of time there was a goddess in the sky. Tzintzimitl, an evil goddess that devoured light. She had the earth in darkness and forced the natives to do human sacrifices in order to give them sunlight.
Quetzalcoatl had enough and decided to do something about it. He believed in honor so he ascended to the sky to fight Tzintzimitl. But instead, what he found was that Mayahuel, his granddaughter was kidnapped by the evil goddess. Mayahuel is the goddess of fertility, she was portrayed as the goddess with four hundred breasts. Quetzalcoatl found her and fell in love with her so instead of killing the evil goddess he and Mayahuel descended to earth to live together.
When Tzintzimitl realised, she got pissed off and went for them. They were forced to run from one place to another to hide from her. One day they decided, because there was nowhere to hide, they would disquise themselves as branches of a tree. The two stood very close together, so that when the wind blew their branches would touch and they would comfort each other.
Tzintzimitl however did not give up that easy so she used her light and created stars. Finally Mayahuel got recognised and Tzintzimitl descended and tore Mayahuel in to pieces. Quetzalcoatl, was heartbroken and furious so he buried the pieces and flew up in the sky and killed Tzintzimitl. He was staring at the sun rising, crying, thinking of his loved one. Every night he would go to her grave and cry. The other gods saw how miserable Quetzalcoatl was, At her grave a plant started growing up, and they decided to make him a gift. They gave the plant hallucinogenic properties that would comfort Quetzalcoatls soul, so that from that day on he could always find comfort.
A rainy and stormy night many years later when Quetzalcoatl was at her grave, Mayahuel sent a lightning strike from the sky straight down into the agave plant. The agave opened up and was steaming hot inside. The sweet smell and the honey golden color of the agave made Quetzalcoatl taste it, he never tried anything like it. So every night when he came back, he would eat of the plant. The plant quickly fermented in the open air and Quetzalcoatl found comfort.
Salud Amigos!
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A long time ago, in a Wizarding School far, far in…the norths of Scotland(?), the heroes of our podcast joined together to bravely take on an entire world of magic – the Grim, the evil Dark Lord…and also some kind of gross jellybeans?
This week, we consider removing all T’s from our vocabulary, try to gauge Pettigrew’s level of intelligence, discuss freelance Grimin’, and trudge through another round of the Quizzich Cup (which, like Harry’s future, is looking more and more bleak).
Finally, beloved segment Assorted Personalities returns with a galactic twist (contentious choices that Star Wars fans will surely argue).
Grab a shirt or a print at the GeeklyInc shop.
Find us on Twitter at @potterpod, Tumblr at potterpod.tumblr.com, or shoot us an email at [email protected] school attack: police investigate racist motive for double murder Read more
Sweden has reacted with shock and horror after a teacher and pupil were stabbed to death in a school with a high number of immigrants by a masked man who was reported to have far-right sympathies. The man, who posed with students before starting his killing spree, was shot dead by police.
He was named in Swedish media as 21-year-old Anton Lundin Pettersson.
There were scenes of panic in Trollhättan, an industrial city near Gothenburg, on Thursday as parents and pupils crowded outside Kronan school in the aftermath of the killings among large numbers of police and ambulances.
“It is a black day for Sweden,” said the prime minister, Stefan Löfven, before rushing to the city. King Carl Gustaf said Sweden was “in shock” following the attack and that the royal family received the news “with great dismay and sadness”.
A teacher died at the scene, while a 17-year-old died later in hospital from stab wounds. Two more people, aged 15 and 41, were in a critical condition on Thursday night. Police said they had identified the attacker as a 21-year-old male but gave no further information.
The killings took place in a school with a high proportion of immigrants, raising fears the killer’s motives may have been racist. The anti-racist organisation Expo, citing reliable sources, said it knew the identity of the attacker, who “during the past month showed clear sympathies with the extreme right and anti-immigration movements”.
Daniel Poohl, from the organisation, said: “It is too early to say anything concrete about the killer’s motives, but perhaps he was a lone wolf with far-right sympathies. This is traumatic for Sweden, something we haven’t seen before.”
Soon after the attacks, which happened at about 10am (0900 BST) on Thursday morning, a picture emerged of an ordinary school day that turned suddenly into a scene of terror.
“When we first saw him we thought it was a joke. He had a mask and black clothes and a long sword. There were students who wanted to go with him and hold the sword,” a student at the school told Swedish broadcaster SVT.
Mobile phone images of the suspect show a man in a helmet resembling that used by the Nazis, holding a sword and wearing what was described as a Star Wars mask. According to several witnesses, he allowed himself to be photographed with students, who took it to be a Halloween prank. Police said the man carried more than one weapon, including “at least one knife-like object”.
The tragic school attack in Sweden fits an American pattern | Andrew Brown Read more
“One of my classmates’ sisters called her to warn her there was a murderer at the school,” a pupil told TheLocal.se. “So we locked the door to the classroom, but our teacher was still outside in the corridor. We wanted to warn him, so a few of us went outside and then I saw the murderer, he was wearing a mask and had a sword. Our teacher got stabbed. The murderer started chasing me, I ran into another classroom. If I had not run, I would have been murdered.”
In a week when Sweden has basked in international attention after Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders said the US needed to move closer to Scandinavia, Swedes now fear that, on the contrary, the country is emulating the violence familiar to US schools. Since 1961, when one young person died and six were injured in a shooting at a school near Gothenburg, only one person has died in Sweden in school violence. Police say they foiled a planned school shooting in Malmö in 2004, and threats of violence have occurred elsewhere.
But the tragedy in Trollhättan has forced Swedes to ask if the traditional openness of their society may be putting pupils and teachers at risk. The school’s cafeteria and library were both open to the public.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Onlookers stand outside a cordoned area after the attack. Photograph: Tt News Agency/Reuters
“Of course schools should be open to society, but not like this, not so anyone can walk in,” said Bo Jansson, head of the teachers’ union.
“I am not sure we want a situation like in the US with detectors and security guards, but in workplaces, offices and apartments you have security – why should schools have a worse situation?”
In June, the Swedish Schools Inspectorate fined the city council 600,000 kronor (£46,000) for “substantial shortcomings in the areas of security and the study environment” at Kronan school. The inspectorate found a high turnover of staff, who lived in fear of some students and struggled to keep order.
This week, the cross-party education group on Trollhattän city council visited the school to look at the security situation. After Thursday’s attack, councillor Peter Eriksson, of the opposition Conservatives, said the cafeteria should be closed to the public “because it creates a precarious situation for the students”.
But other councillors defended the school, which was only six years old and had seen substantial investment. “This kind of thing could happen in any school,” said Sofia Andersson, for the ruling Social Democrats in the city.
It is difficult to speak about security measures in a Swedish context because people want an open society, said Magnus Lindgren, of the Safer Sweden foundation. “In recent years cities that were already safe have become even more safe, but neighbourhoods that already had problems with crime have got worse – we can see a polarisation.”
With more than 400 pupils, Kronan school is at the heart of Kronogården, a disadvantaged area where more than half the population was born abroad. Trollhättan has been named by researchers as the most highly segregated city in Sweden, with immigrants concentrated in Kronogården. The neighbourhood was among 38 named this month as Sweden’s most vulnerable in a report on “forgotten suburbs”.
There has been a tense debate over immigration and asylum in Sweden, with the far-right seeking to exploit incidents of violence involving immigrants. In August, a refused asylum seeker stabbed two people to death in an Ikea store near Stockholm, causing a storm of outrage.
There has been a spate of apparent arson attacks on refugee accommodation in the past week. Two hours before the attack in Trollhättan, officials announced Sweden was expecting to receive as many as 190,000 refugees this year – twice previous estimates.> All-Star Celebrity Game
Final: Canada 74, USA 64
TORONTO -- He was back. And it didn't matter.
Last year, after winning his fourth Celebrity Game MVP Award, Kevin Hart announced his retirement. He returned to the game this year to coach, reminding the crowd that he had returned "not for myself, but my country," adding that today his goal was "to crush Canada."
No such luck, even after Hart made a surprise return to active duty. Team Canada, coached by Drake and led by Win Butler and Tracy McGrady, jumped out to an early lead and led all night, winning 74-64.
All-Star Celebrity Game Recap Win Butler scores 15 points with 14 rebounds to lead Team Canada to victory in the 2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity game.
Hart, who has averaged 8.7 ppg on 35% shooting in four MVP appearances, set a confrontational tone for the evening by having Team USA take the court while chanting "USA! USA!" Team USA guard Jason Sudeikis, who was introduced as having once played against LeBron James in a Saturday Night Live skit, and actually did play against Tyronn Lue in high school, was hot in the first half, racking up 11 first half points with three three-pointers. But Sudeikis wasn't able to continue the momentum in the second half, finishing with 14 points.
For Canada, HGTV's Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, teamed with Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler to form a powerful frontline. Butler, who was named the game's MVP, finished with 15 points. Canada also got banner performances from professional tennis player Milos Raonic, who threw down an impressive two-handed dunk just before halftime, as well as Tracy McGrady, who while technically an American, qualified as a member of Team Canada as a former member of the Toronto Raptors. McGrady finished with 18.
Canada Wins Celebrity All-Star Game Team Canada wins the celebrity All-Star game and Win Butler gets awarded the MVP finishing the night with 15 points.
The most dramatic moment of the night came in the third quarter, when Hart abandoned the sideline, leaving Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond to assume coaching duties. Hart activated himself and took the court, but the USA wasn't able to make up much ground, as Hart airballed a jumper and Canada immediately went on a 7-2 run to open up a 46-35 lead.
- Lang Whitaker
Recent Event History
2015 - Diggins leads West over East; Hart gets 4th MVP award
2014 - Arne Duncan's big night leads East to victory
2013 - MVP Hart leads West over East in Sprint Celebrity Game
2012 - Secretary of Education shows he's got game too
2011 - MVP Bieber shows off his pro-style game in defeat
2010 - Actor Rapaport shines in Celebrity Game
2009 - T.O. does it again
2008 - Owens, Master P lead team to victory
• More All-Star History >>This article is about a type of supernatural being in the Bible. For the winged infant figure in art, see putto. For other uses, see Cherub (disambiguation)
A cherub (;[1] plural cherubim; Hebrew: כְּרוּב kərūv, pl. כְּרוּבִים kərūvîm) is one of the unearthly beings who directly attend to God according to Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles; their original duty having been the protection of the Garden of Eden.[2]
In Jewish angelic hierarchy, cherubim have the ninth (second-lowest) rank in Maimonides' Mishneh Torah (12th century), and the third rank in Kabbalistic works such as Berit Menuchah (14th century). De Coelesti Hierarchia places them in the highest rank alongside Seraphim and Thrones.[3]
In the Book of Ezekiel and (at least some) Christian icons, the cherub is depicted as having two pairs of wings, and four faces: that of a lion (representative of all wild animals), an ox (domestic animals), a human (humanity), and an eagle (birds).[4] Their legs were straight, the soles of their feet like the hooves of a bull, gleaming like polished brass. Later tradition ascribes to them a variety of physical appearances.[4] Some early midrashic literature conceives of them as non-corporeal. In Western Christian tradition, cherubim have become associated with the putto (derived from classical Cupid/Eros), resulting in depictions of cherubim as small, plump, winged boys.[5]
Origins and etymology [ edit ]
A pair of shedu protecting a doorway (the bodies of the creatures extend into the distance)
Mythological hybrids are common in the art of the Ancient Near East. One example is the Babylonian lamassu or shedu, a protective spirit with a sphinx-like form, possessing the wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the head of a king. This was adopted largely in Phoenicia. The wings, because of their artistic beauty, soon became the most prominent part, and animals of various kinds were adorned with wings; consequently, wings were bestowed also upon man,[2] thus forming the stereotypical image of an angel.[6] Albright (1938) argued that "the winged lion with human head" found in Phoenicia and Canaan from the Late Bronze Age is "much more common than any other winged creature, so much so that its identification with the cherub is certain".[4]
A possibly related source is the human-bodied Hittite griffin, which, unlike other griffins, appear almost always not as a fierce bird of prey, but seated in calm dignity, like an irresistible guardian of holy things;[2][6] some have proposed that the word griffin (γρύψ) may be cognate with cherubim.[7][8] The traditional Hebrew conception of cherubim as guardians of the Garden of Eden is backed by the Semitic belief of beings of superhuman power and devoid of human feelings, whose duty it was to represent the gods, and as guardians of their sanctuaries to repel intruders; these conceptions in turn are similar to an account found on Tablet 9 of the inscriptions found at Nimrud.[2] It has been suggested that the image of cherubim as storm winds explains why they are described as being the chariot of Yahweh in Ezekiel's visions, the Books of Samuel,[9] the parallel passages in the later Books of Chronicles,[10] and passages in the early[2] Psalms: for example "and he rode upon a cherub and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind."[11][12] In particular, in a scene reminiscent of Ezekiel's dream, the Megiddo Ivories depict an unknown king being carried on his throne by hybrid winged-creatures.[6]
Delitzch (Assyrisches Handwörterbuch) connects the name it with Assyrian kirubu (a name of the shedu) and karabu ("great, mighty"). Karppe (1897) glosses Babylonian karâbu as "propitious" rather than "mighty".[2][13] Dhorme (1926) connected the Hebrew name to Assyrian kāribu (diminutive kurību), a term used to refer to intercessory beings (and statues of such beings) that plead with the gods on behalf of humanity.[14][14] The folk etymological connection to a Hebrew word for "youthful" is due to Abbahu (3rd century).[5]
Hebrew Bible [ edit ]
Moses and Joshua bowing before the Ark by by James Tissot (c. 1900)
The cherubim are the most frequently occurring heavenly creature in the Hebrew Bible, with the Hebrew word appearing 91 times.[4] Despite these many references, the role of the cherubim is never explicitly elucidated.[5] While Hebrew tradition must have conceived of the cherubim as guardians of the Garden of Eden[2] (in which they guard the way to the Tree of life),[15] they are often depicted as performing other roles; for example in the Book of Ezekiel, they transport Yahweh's throne. The cherub who appears in the "Song of David", a poem which occurs twice in the Hebrew Bible, in 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, participates in Yahweh's theophany and is imagined as a vehicle upon which the deity descends to earth from heaven in order to rescue the speaker (see 2 Samuel 22:11, Psalm 18:10).[16]
In Exodus 25:18-22, Yahweh tells Moses to make multiple images of cherubim at specific points around the Ark of the Covenant.[4] Many appearances of the words cherub and cherubim in the Bible refer to the gold cherubim images on the mercy seat of the Ark, as well as images on the curtains of the Tabernacle and in Solomon's Temple, including two measuring ten cubits high.[17]
In Isaiah 37:16, Hezekiah prays, addressing Yahweh as "enthroned above the cherubim" (referring to the mercy seat).
Cherubim feature at some length in the Book of Ezekiel. While they first appear in chapter one, in which they are transporting the throne of Yahweh by the river Chebar, they are not called cherubim until chapter 10.[18] In Ezekiel 1:5-11 they are described as having the likeness of a man, and having four faces: that of a man, a lion (on the right side), and ox (on the left side), and an eagle. The four faces represent the four domains of God's rule: the man represents humanity; the lion, wild animals; the ox, domestic animals; and the eagle, birds.[19] These faces peer out from the center of an array of four wings; these wings are joined to each other, two of these are stretched upward, and the other two cover their bodies. Under their wings are human hands; their legs are described as straight, and their feet like those of a calf, shining like polished brass. Between the creatures glowing coals that moved between them could be seen, their fire "went up and down", and lightning burst forth from it. The cherubs also moved like flashes of lightning.
In Ezekiel chapter ten, another full description of the cherubim appears with slight differences in details. Three of the four faces are the same – man, lion and eagle – but where chapter one has the face of an ox, Ezekiel 10:14 says "face of a cherub." Ezekiel equates the cherubim of chapter ten with the living creatures of chapter one: "They were the same creatures (חיה) I had seen by the river Chebar" (Ezekiel 10:15) and "These were the living creatures I had seen under the God of Israel on the banks of the river Chebar" (Ezekiel 10:20). In Ezekiel 41:18-20, they are portrayed as having two faces, although this is probably because they are depicted in profile.[4]
In Judaism [ edit ]
χερουβιμ δόξης κατασκιάζοντα τὸ ἱλαστήριον ) of Hebrews 9:5 ( Depiction of the "cherubim of glory shadowing the mercyseat " () of9:5 ( Julius Bate, 1773)
The figures painted on the walls of the Herodian reconstruction of the Temple are called "cherubim" in the Babylonian Talmud.[20]
Many forms of Judaism include a belief in the existence of angels, including cherubim within the Jewish angelic hierarchy. The existence of angels is generally accepted within traditional rabbinic Judaism. There is, however, a wide range of beliefs within Judaism about what angels actually are and how literally one should interpret biblical passages associated with them.
In Kabbalah there has long been a strong belief in cherubim, with the cherubim and other angels regarded as having mystical roles. The Zohar, a highly significant collection of books in Jewish mysticism, states that the cherubim were led by one of their number named Kerubiel.[2]
On the other end of the philosophical spectrum is Maimonides, who had a neo-Aristotelian interpretation of the Bible. Maimonides writes that to the wise man, one sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually allusions to the various laws of nature; they are the principles by which the physical universe operates.
For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the naive?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the Deity, despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God. But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and demarcating these organs, and that this is the angel, or that all forms are produced by the Active Intellect; that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of the world" constantly mentioned by the sages, then he will recoil.– The Guide for the Perplexed II:4
For he [the naive person] does not understand that the true majesty and power are in the bringing into being of forces which are active in a thing although they cannot be perceived by the senses... Thus the Sages reveal to the aware that the imaginative faculty is also called an angel; and the mind is called a cherub. How beautiful this will appear to the sophisticated mind, and how disturbing to the primitive." – The Guide for the Perplexed II:6.
Maimonides says that the figures of the cherubim were placed in the sanctuary only to preserve among the people the belief in angels, there being two in order that the people might not be led to believe that they were the image of God.[21]
Cherubim are discussed within the midrash literature. The two cherubim placed by God at the entrance of paradise (Gen. iii. 24) were angels created on the third day, and therefore they had no definite shape; appearing either as men or women, or as spirits or angelic beings (Genesis Rabbah xxi., end). The cherubim were the first objects created in the universe (Tanna debe Eliyahu R., i. beginning). The following sentence of the Midrash is characteristic: "When a man sleeps, the body tells to the neshamah (soul) what it has done during the day; the neshamah then reports it to the nefesh (spirit), the nefesh to the angel, the angel to the cherub, and the cherub to the seraph, who then brings it before God" (Leviticus Rabbah xxii.; Eccl. Rabbah x. 20).
In early Jewish tradition there existed the notion that cherubim had youthful, human features, due to the etymologization of the name by Abbahu (3rd century). Before this, some early midrashic literature conceived of the cherubim as non-corporeal. In the first century AD, Josephus claimed: "No one can tell, or even conjecture, what was the shape of these Cherubim."(Antiquities:8:73).[5]
A midrash states that when Pharaoh pursued Israel at the Red Sea, God took a cherub from the wheels of His throne and flew to the spot, for God inspects the heavenly worlds while sitting on a cherub. The cherub, however, is "something not material," and is carried by God, not vice versa (Midr. Teh. xviii. 15; Canticles Rabbah i. 9).
In the passages of the Talmud that describe the heavens and their inhabitants, the seraphim, ofannim, and living creatures are mentioned, but not the cherubim (Ḥag. 12b); and the ancient liturgy also mentions only these three classes.
In the Talmud, Jose the Galilean holds[22] that when the Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) is recited by at least ten thousand seated at one meal, a special blessing, "Blessed is Ha-Shem our God, the God of Israel, who dwells between the Cherubim," is added to the regular liturgy.
In Christianity [ edit ]
In Medieval theology, following the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius, the cherubim are the second highest rank in the angelic hierarchy, following the seraphim.[23]
Cherubim are regarded in traditional Christian angelology as angels of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.[24] De Coelesti Hierarchia (ca. 5th century) lists them alongside Seraphim and Thrones.[3]
In Western art, cherubim became associated with the putto and the Greco-Roman god Cupid/Eros, with depictions as small, plump, winged boys.[5]
Artistic representations of cherubim in Early Christian and Byzantine art sometimes diverged from scriptural descriptions. The earliest known depiction of the tetramorph cherubim is the 5th-6th century apse mosaic found in the Thessalonian Church of Hosios David. This mosaic is an amalgamation of Ezekiel's visions in Ezekiel 1:4–28, Ezekiel 10:12, Isaiah's seraphim in Isaiah 6:13 and the six-winged creatures of Revelation from Revelation 4:2–10.[25]
In Islam [ edit ]
Cherubim (al-Karubiyyin)[26] are not named in the Quran, but appear in Islamic traditions within the Miraj literature[27] and Qisas Al-Anbiya.[28] The Cherubim are commonly either in the sixth heaven or identified with the Bearers of the Throne. The cherubim continouesly praise God with the tasbih: "Glory to Allah!".[29]
In other traditions,[which?] the cherubim are described as being so bright that the light of one of them could suffice the whole world. When Moses asked God to show him his face, he made one of his cherubim shine upon the mountain, shattering it to pieces. According to this tradition, attributed to Jafar al Sadiq,[30][self-published source?] God was showing Moses that since he could not bear to look at a cherub, he would not be able to bear looking at God.[31]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Crop circles are among the few human artworks visible from space. And it seems like every year, they become more beautiful, mysterious and strange. Here are some of our favorite crop circle artworks of the past year.
Pebworth, Worcestershire, UK, May 2014
(via Crop Circle Connector)
Hanford, Dorset, UK, June 2014
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Boskovic, Czech Republic, June 2014
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(via Crop Circle Connector)
Woodborough Hill, Alton Barnes, Wiltshire, UK, June 2014
Besford, Worcestershire, UK, June 2014
(via Temporary Temples)
Badbury Rings, Dorset, UK, June 2014
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(via Crop Circles Database)
LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions) Clock, by Francesco Grassi, June 2014
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Ackling Dyke, Dorset, UK, June 2014
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(via Youtube)
Near Rodmarton, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, July 2014
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(via MrGyro)
Hackpen Hill, near Winterbourne Bassett, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, July 2014
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(via MrGyro)
Ampney Crucis, Gloucestershire, UK, July 2014
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(via Crop Circles Database)
Near Lake Ammer (Ammersee), Bavaria, Germany, July 2014
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135 concentric circles forming a spiral, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, July 2014
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Gussage St. Andrews, Near Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, United Kingdom, August 2014
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(via Crop Circles Database)
Wimborne St. Giles, Dorset, United Kingdom, August 2014
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(via Crop Circles Database)
Cow Down, near East Kennett, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, August 2014YouTube Developer Blog Gives Flash the Nod Over HTML5
Google's YouTube division voiced strong support for Flash this week in a blog post aimed at Web developers, arguing that the emerging HTML5 standard isn't yet ready to fully replace Adobe's Flash platform.
"We've been excited about the HTML5 effort and <video> tag for quite a while now, and most YouTube videos can now be played via our HTML5 player," Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) software engineer John Harding said in a post at the company's YouTube blog for developers. "This work has shown us that, while the <video> tag is a big step forward for open standards, the Adobe Flash Platform will continue to play a critical role in video distribution."
While HTML5's <video> tag points the browser to a video file, Harding said Flash offers the precision YouTube requires for displaying video effectively.
Harding gave several other examples of why YouTube still favors Flash over HTML5 for now.
He said Flash Player's ability to combine application code and resources into a secure, efficient package has been key to getting YouTube videos embedded in other Web sites.
"While HTML5 adds sandboxing and message-passing functionality, Flash is the only mechanism most Web sites allow for embedded content from other sites," he said.
Another area Harding said favors Flash is full-screen HD video. "Flash Player provides robust, secure controls for enabling hardware-accelerated, full-screen displays," he said. "While most browsers have a full-screen mode, they do not allow JavaScript to initiate it, nor do they allow a small part of the page (such as a video player) to fill the screen... While WebKit has recently taken some steps forward on full-screen support, it's not yet sufficient for video usage (particularly the ability to continue displaying content on top of the video)."
There is also the issue of video content creation. The simplest and most common YouTube videos are recorded directly from within a user's browser using a Webcam, a process Harding said wouldn't be possible with Flash.
"Camera access is also needed for features like video chat and live broadcasting -- extremely important on mobile phones, which practically all have a built-in camera," he said. "Flash Player has provided rich camera and microphone access for several years now, while HTML5 is just getting started."
Harding's post continues Google's public stance to distance itself from Apple's hard-line dismissal of Adobe's Flash. While Flash is widely used across the Web to play video and multimedia content, Apple has banned it from the iPhone and iPad because of what the company said is subpar performance and security concerns. Instead, Apple is backing HTML5, which others -- like Google -- argue isn't ready to fully replace Flash.
Google does concur with Apple's view that HTML5 has a bright future, however, and has released its own HTML5 player for YouTube earlier this year.
The Next Wave of Mobile Devices
Creative Strategies analyst Ben Bajarin said content publishers care less about the Flash-versus-HTML5 debate and more about how to get their content distributed as widely and efficiently as possible. He noted that Flash has been dominant on the PC because it provided a better distribution mechanism than earlier alternatives that required plugins and were generally more complicated to use.
"Now we're moving from the PC to mobile platforms, and for Flash to be successful, it has to be on these new platforms or publishers will go elsewhere," Bajarin told InternetNews.com. "There is a chance Adobe won't be quick enough to address all these key platforms that are emerging because it's an expensive and time-consuming process that requires a lot of engineering work."
In addition to the device manufacturers and system software providers, Bajarin said Adobe has to be sure it has the support, at a deep technical level, of silicon providers like ARM, Qualcomm and Nvidia, who are powering a new generation of devices.
With the exception of Apple, Adobe's new Flash Player 10.1 for mobile devices garnered statements of support from major hardware companies and media Web sites earlier this month.
David Needle is the West Coast bureau chief at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.
IT Solutions Builder TOP IT RESOURCES TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD Which topic are you interested in? Mobile Security Networks/IoT Cloud Data Storage Applications Development IT Management Other What is your company size? Select company size 1-9 10-24 25-49 50-99 100-249 250-499 500-999 1000+ What is your job title? Select job title C-Level/President Manager VP Staff (Associate/Analyst/etc.) Director What is your job function? Select job function IT - General IT - Project Management IT - Systems/Network Administration IT - Developer IT - Tester/QA Accounting/Finance/Legal Academic/Research Administrative General Management Human Resources Marketing Operations Sales Consultant Other Searching our resource database to find your matches...CLEVELAND -- Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown has cancelled a speaking engagement with NFL rookies because of an illness.
Brown had been scheduled to conduct a history lesson for AFC rookies on Wednesday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. However, the 77-year-old Brown said in a statement that he is extremely tired from extensive traveling and needs rest. Brown said he was sorry he will miss the event, part of the NFL's Rookie Symposium. Fellow Hall of Famer Mike Haynes will replace Brown.
The NFC's rookies will visit the hall on Saturday and will get a lesson from Bears great Richard Dent.
Brown recently was hired as a special adviser by the Browns, reconnecting with the team after several years.
One of the reasons the league is holding the symposium in northeast Ohio is its proximity to football's birthplace. It's a chance for the players to connect with the game's immortals who all began as wide-eyed rookies.
During the annual symposim, first-year players are getting a crash course into everything that goes into being a professional athlete -- the good, and the bad. The NFL wants its newest members to be prepared not only for what awaits them this season, but for the years ahead, especially those days when they're no longer making big paychecks or big plays.
Through various educational seminars, candid, sometimes heartbreaking speeches and panel discussions, players are learning the X's and O's of life.
The AFC's rookie class arrived in Aurora, Ohio, on Sunday to begin the four-day session, which the league has constructed as a teaching and bonding experience. The NFC rookies arrive Wednesday and stay through Sunday.
"It's a great opportunity for us to be out here learning from players who've been here, been in our shoes and who are where we want to be," said San Diego Chargers linebacker Manti Te'o, the former Notre Dame star who this year was the target of a hoax involving a fake girlfriend. "As we get into the next phase of our lives, it's a new phase, something we're not used to, so to keep our circle small and remember the people who have always been there for you."
On Monday, players attended a seminar titled: "Are You Bigger Than The Game?" that featured Cincinnati cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones and former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett as speakers.
Jones recently pleaded not
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aids in a UN speech, Netanyahu displayed a picture taken by a France 24 crew of Palestinian children congregating around Hamas rocket launchers, citing this as proof that Hamas was attacking Israel from civilian areas.
“Hamas embedded its missile batteries in residential areas and told Palestinians to ignore Israel’s warnings to leave,” Netanyahu said. “And no less reprehensible, Hamas deliberately placed its rockets where Palestinian children live and play.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a war crime. And I say to President Abbas, these are the crimes, the war crimes, committed by your Hamas partners in the national unity government which you head and you are responsible for. And these are the real war crimes you should have investigated or spoken out against from this podium last week,” Netanyahu said, drawing applause.
The prime minister addressed the broadening of the international battle against Islamic State and militant Islam in general, saying Islamic State and Hamas “are branches of the same poisonous tree.”
Radical Islam’s ultimate goal, he said, is to dominate the world. “Now, that threat might seem exaggerated to some since it starts out small, like a cancer that attacks a particular part of the body,” he said. “But left unchecked, the cancer grows, metastasizing over wider and wider areas. To protect the peace and security of the world, we must remove this cancer before it’s too late.”
Netanyahu holds up a photograph as he addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly, September 29, 2014. Reuters
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skip -Sam and Rob Fatzinger, second and third from right, of Bowie, Md., have 13 children, including, from left, Barbara, Robert, Kolbe, Alex, Mary, Cecelia and Dominic. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)
Sam Fatzinger prowls the aisles of an Aldi grocery store with an engineer’s precision. Workers greet her, mostly by name.
She puts several trays of chicken into a huge cart. Then it’s on to fresh blueberries for $1.79 a pint, in February. And she recalls the time the no-frills store had a sale on potatoes: 10 pounds for 99 cents. She bought 60 pounds. Her husband loves them.
To get these best buys, “it’s just watching and waiting and knowing,” Sam says.“Every cent counts.”
At the cashier, her groceries fill every inch of the conveyor belt. My silent guess: $250 in all. The bill: $127, half of my estimate.
Very impressive. But not as impressive as this:
Rob and Sam Fatzinger, lifelong residents of Bowie, Md., lead a single-income family in one of the country’s most expensive regions. Rob’s income never topped $50,000 until he was 40; he’s now 51 and earns just north of $100,000 as a software tester.
They have 13 children. Which means they require things like a seven-bedroom house and a 15-passenger van. Four children have graduated from college, three are undergrads and six are on the runway.
Yet they paid off their mortgage early four years ago. They have no debt — never have, besides mortgages. And Rob is on track to retire by 62.
This family gets the gold medal for being frugal. This family is the Einstein of economical.
These days, frugality is not about clipping coupons. It’s about rethinking your finances, and maybe your life.
Rob’s philosophy: “Spend money on what makes you truly happy and on what you enjoy.... The thing that people need to understand is that we don’t feel deprived or poor.... We pick and choose carefully.”
The Fatzingers are getting it done.
Could you?
A Fatzinger family portrait with, from left, Caleb, Kolbe, Alex, Mary, Joey, Cecilia, Barbara, Dominic, Lizzie, Robert, Rob, Eric, Sam and Ray. Not pictured: Joshua. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)
Frugality is hardly new. In 1789, George Washington wrote to Marquis de Lafayette, the French military officer who fought for the American Revolution: “Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy people.” And we were a frugal people well into the 20th century. Then came the era of instant credit, rampant consumerism and record personal bankruptcies.
Recently, frugality has gotten a boost thanks to hundreds of personal-finance bloggers, and no thanks at all to the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Many focus on FIRE, an acronym for financial independence/retire early.
Aspirants often strive to save at least 25 percent of their take-home pay over the years, or even twice that — or more — to feel financially secure or to pursue a new career. Others yearn to quit their jobs for the long haul, even in their 30s.
One leading blogger grew up on food stamps. Others learned about money from their parents, for good or ill. The best are innovative, funny and surprisingly philosophical as they chart a course for change and places unknown.
They’re about ideas and possibilities, not suffering. And millions are listening. Until a couple of years ago, Rob Fatzinger had a blog called Sardonic Catholic Dad, focusing on family, faith and frugality. Two of his hits: “College on the Cheap — How the Sardonic Family Does It” and “How to Retire Early With 13 Kids,” which he wrote as a guest post on the FIRE site Mad Fientist.
Frugalism is often about math, determinationand thinking a bit differently. A few key principles: How much you save, as a percentage of your paycheck, will foretell when you’ll be able to build your own business or retire. Small financial changes can make a big impact. And it’s not really about your income; it’s about your savings, says Pete Adeney, a lapsed engineer from outside Boulder, Colo., who created the popular Mr. Money Mustache blog.
And then there’s the “miracle” of compounding interest, the gift that keeps giving as your investment’s interest spawns its own interest, time and again.
Dinnertime can be hectic for the Fatzingers, although they've learned shortcuts to speed the process through sharing and passing silverware. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)
The Fatzingers would never claim to be financial magicians. But to outsiders, it might look that way.
After marrying 27 years ago, Sam and Rob started a small Christian bookstore in Crofton, Md., and soon had a daughter. Rob said the couple never earned more than $36,000 a year in the business. Still, they saved 10 to 15 percent of their earnings. By the time they shuttered the store in 2000, they had seven kids.
About 10 years ago, Rob got the job testing software. Earnings of $40,000 gave way to $60,000 and are now about $110,000, counting a few thousand from mowing neighbors’ lawns and other tasks.
Back in 2000, they bought a five-bedroom house out of foreclosure and later added three bedrooms. Nine children, including the youngest, who is 4, live there now.
The good news: The home cost $150,000. The Fatzingers paid down $50,000, saving interest on the 15-year mortgage.
The bad news: Sam said their priest, visiting to bless the new home, “walked in and said: ‘Should I do an exorcism on this house?’ ” The place was in serious disrepair.
“Relatives gutted it and made it livable,” Sam said. “Youth groups were over here, ripping up carpet, taking down walls.” Someone gave them a wood stove. A relative gifted them a used couch. Later, another couch was left on a curb for anyone to take. Score.
Years later, they enlarged the kitchen, using two zero-percent finance offers good for 12 months. Eleven months later, they paid off the loan, without paying any interest. The project cost $28,000, with family members doing much of the demolition, painting and decorating.
Now they have two refrigerators, two stoves, two dishwashers and a welcoming, comfortable home. (Even the clothes washer is a champ. Sam estimates that the family cleans 42 loads a week, but never on Sundays. The only children who don’t do the wash are the 4- and 6-year-olds.)
Since the mortgage was paid off in 2012, Rob and Sam have turbo-charged their savings rate, now investing about $3,000 a month. Even so, they don’t go without. Sam has a $10 monthly gym membership, and Rob and Sam go out for lunch on the 20th of each month, maybe at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews in Bowie, marking the day of the month they got married.
Occasionally, Sam and Rob are annoyed by strangers at the grocery store. “People still say, “Oh my God, you have so many kids!” said Sam, a devout Catholic, as is Rob. “I have this ‘Don’t mess with me’ reaction. I’m not your typical, quiet, passive woman.”
Rob, 51, is soft-spoken, a work-from-home dad and a former “American Idol” fan. A few years back, he finished a 50-mile trail run — and kept going to 54.
Sam, who is 48, home-schools the children through high school and is certified to do so. The kids also get outside tutoring. Her nonacademic lessons extend to the rules and responsibility of money.
“My kids all get jobs as soon as they’re old enough,” she says, and they “learn to discern between needs and wants. They pay for their cellphones, they pay for college, they pay for their own gas.” Allowances? Nope.
Daughter Barbara, 20, a rising senior at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, started babysitting at 11. She got her first “real job” at Rita’s Italian Ice. Babysitting, she noted, “paid way more than Rita’s.”
When she was 15, Barbara bought a 1994 Ford Escort with 30,000 miles for $2,600 from her savings. “It sat in the driveway until I got my driver’s permit,” she said. Five years later, “I still drive it.”
The family shops at sales or secondhand stores and checks out the Freecycle Network, a site for giving away belongings.
Friends and strangers also chip in. “We always have someone dropping off a bike,” Sam said. “We would get things and not even know where they came from.”
Someone stuck an anonymous $500 gift card on the Fatzingers’ front door. And a pair of size 3 white shoes for church wound up on the doorstep for a young daughter who could use them.
“Bowie just does that,” Sam said. A friend from church gave them a used car, and Sam’s sister gave her a used red Chevrolet Suburban. And later, an older white Suburban.
Fine. Except this is America. Surely the kids are seething cauldrons of Nike-deprived resentment.
Or maybe not. “I always had a ton of clothes,” Barbara said. “I would go with Grandma and buy any cute clothes I wanted.”
Older brother Caleb: “I can see how some people would think... we might have been deprived. It was never like that.” He played soccer at a small Christian school, was a counselor at a summer camp and swam at a community pool. The kids had cable TV and high-speed Internet. In community college, Caleb said, he “knew I didn’t have what some other kids had, but it was never out of control.”
As for the givers: Sam’s sister, Joan Salvagno, who is 11 years older than Sam in a family of nine, said her sister’s family “needed the car more than we did.... You don’t really think of them as gifts.... We’ve gotten more than we’ve given.”
The children head down the driveway for a family bike ride. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)
These days, even the childless can be terrified of college costs, so just imagine having 13 kids. But the Fatzingers have a strategy, and it’s working. The plan: Start in community college, don’t expect a handout from Mom and Dad, and graduate debt-free.
So far, Alexandria, the oldest at 26, graduated at 21 with a master’s degree in social work. Joshua, 25, graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in kinesiology and became a missionary.
Caleb, 23, is in the last year of a doctoral program in physical therapy at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. And Lizzie, 21, graduated in May from the University of Maryland with a math major, while also cleaning houses and tutoring. All four graduated from college debt-free.
All five oldest Fatzingers have gone first to Anne Arundel Community College.
In Barbara’s first semester, her tuition, textbooks and gas money were covered by scholarships and other aid. In her second semester, she spent “probably $500” in tuition. The next year, she paid $700 to $1,000 per semester. After two years, she had paid about $2,500 at most. It came from savings and her job in a child-care center at a gym.
In September, Barbara started at UMBC, a public university with higher expenses. Her first year there cost about $15,000, after receiving a $5,800 scholarship based on grades and financial need. Money was tight. Again, she paid with her savings, which included money from a grandparent, who gives each child a one-time gift of $5,000 for college. Barbara used some of the gift money to stay in school, but she’s saving most of it.
She will soon begin her senior year at UMBC. She has a $7,500 stipend for tuition and five small scholarships “that will fill the holes.” In return for the stipend, she’ll work for a state child-welfare program.
Barbara has decided to live at home this year, which means she’ll be commuting and “won’t be spending at all,” she said in a text message. “And I WILL graduate debt-free.”
Next year, she’ll follow in oldest sister Alex’s footsteps, pursuing her master’s degree in social work at another school, which could take one or two years. A Maryland program will pay most of her tuition, and in exchange, she’ll work for a child-welfare agency for two or three years after she graduates.
In total, roughly speaking, Barbara has paid about $17,500 out of pocket for tuition, books, supplies and fees for four years of college.
The Washington Post's Jonnelle Marte gives helpful tips to avoid frequent mistakes made by people while preparing for retirement. (Ashleigh Joplin,Jonnelle Marte/The Washington Post)
I asked if she had paid for all her expenses in her first year at UMBC. The $15,000, she said, “was all of my money that I’ve been saving since I was 8 years old!”
But even the Fatzingers can’t outrun the college-cost steamroller.
Caleb was fine in community college, where he paid “essentially nothing,” in part because of his good grades and aid. And he graduated debt-free at Towson University, a public state school, where he worked in the admissions office.
But when he began the doctoral program in physical therapy two years ago, he had to take out a loan. With aid more scarce in grad school, he said he’ll end up owing almost $90,000.
“I think about it a good amount,” said Caleb, who started working as a physical therapy technician at 18. “I try not to worry too much.” He hopes to pay off the loan in 10 years.
He has one more year to go. He works at the school gym some days at 5:30 a.m. and slips into class at 9:30. “I think I’ve done the best I can,” he says.
Barbara goofs off with Cecilia and Mary. The Fatzingers have a seven-bedroom house. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)
The Fatzingers’ recent challenge: Joshua, the oldest son, is getting married in November — in Arizona. Could they all get there?
There was considerable concern. With 13 kids, the need to be frugal never takes a vacation.
At the end, they got three plane tickets for free, using air miles. Then they bit the bullet and bought 10. They’ll all be at the wedding.
My advice: Never bet against the Fatzingers.
Erica Johnston, an editor at The Post, never knew she came from a “small” family of nine until she met the Fatzingers.
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Like us on Facebook.I gotta tell ya, no one feels like a number one team right now. Cleveland and Philly have the best records in baseball, but both are flawed teams who played some unexciting baseball last week. Then you have Florida, but Philly beat them two out of three last week, so how can I put them above Philly? Screw it: we ignore overall records at the top of the list this week and go with the hot hands. Oh, and one more thing: there is so much damn compression right now, that you shouldn’t get too hung up on the rankings at the moment. Five slots between teams could represent almost no difference in my perception of their mojo at the moment. I could have done a bunch of three and four-way ties at some of these rankings and it wouldn’t have made a big difference.
1. Reds (10): Are they the absolute best team in baseball? Eh, maybe not, but that’s not what the Power Rankings measure. I’m not sure exactly what they measure, but I know it when I see it, and the way I see it is that if you sweep your division rival and take over first place despite your ace relief pitcher doing a Steve Blass impression, you gotta be number one, at least for a week, OK? In other news, this is the first time that we’ve had two straight weeks of Ohio dominance at the top of the Rankings.
2. Rays (4): Kind of the same here in terms of what I feel about the Rays. Losing two of three to the O’s doesn’t feel like a number two team, but they’ve had a good run of late otherwise and are on top of their division and, dammit, no one else below them really excites me at the moment. Really, aside from these top four teams, everyone is playing kind of blah baseball right now.
3. Tigers (16): The hottest team in baseball. Seven in a row and ten of eleven.
4. Giants (12): If you told me that the Giants would have the second to worst offense in baseball, that Pablo Sandoval would be hurt and Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey would be struggling and that, despite this, they’d be in first place in the West, I wouldn’t have really believed you. But I wouldn’t have called you crazy either. Because you can win with pitching.
5. Indians (1): Don’t read too much into the four-spot drop. Two rainouts on the weekend series and a few scorching-hot teams ahead of them will do that. That said, it just seems like a matter of time before Detroit overtakes them in the real standings too, doesn’t it? Isn’t it time, now that all of the national outlets have gotten on board with their “hey, these Indians are exciting and special!” stories, for a decline? I admit that in this that I’m thinking of them as less of a baseball team and more of a stock, but it just seems to work like that a lot.
6-8. Phillies, Marlins, Braves (2, 5, 7): I guess in that order, because that reflects the standings, but you can make reasonable arguments in any order. They all went 3-3 last week. Braves won two straight series against the Phillies but are kind of getting away with murder as far their offensive holes go and of course they looked bad against the Nats. Phillies beat the Marlins in their mid-week series but in some ways the Marlins have been more consistent than the other two. They’re just all really even at the moment. I continue to believe that the Phillies will be the first to separate themselves, but they haven’t done it yet.
9. Cardinals (6): Remember last year how the Cards and Reds had that brawl, the Cards won the series and everyone said that, boy, this was the spark that was going to allow St. Louis to bury Cincy for good? Well, life doesn’t work like that. As such, you should just ignore any grand pronouncements made about the impact of this past weekends’ series as well, because it kind of doesn’t matter. Same goes for Boston and New York too, by the way.
10. Angels (8): Lost two of three to Texas and two of three to the White Sox last week. The bullpen is a pretty big problem at the moment.
11. Yankees (3): I don’t hate the Yankees or anything, but I really do enjoy reading the tabloids after a weekend like New York just had. There’s no one who pumps success up to the stratosphere or beats struggles into the ground like the New York press.
12. Rangers (14): Josh Hamilton may start a rehab assignment soon. They’re treading water well enough without him, but boy could they use him back in the lineup.
13. Rockies (9): Another bad week for Colorado. If you want to be a playoff team you don’t drop consecutive series to the Mets and Padres.
14. Blue Jays (21): Jose Bautista. Like I need to say more? What’s the earliest anyone has anyone locked up an MVP? Because this smells like one of those kinds of years.
15. Red Sox (17): It’s always nice to sweep the Yankees, but how big a feat is that at the moment? Ah, who cares: the Sox are at.500.
16. Royals (11): Two of three from New York was nice, but the wins stopped and the bats went cold as soon as they got to Detroit. Their next seven games come against Cleveland, Texas and St. Louis, so they had better find that mojo quickly.
17. Athletics (13): Scott Ostler, talking about the A’s offensive troubles and their close-but-no-cigar comeback yesterday, had a pretty good line this morning: “If this had happened 5 miles away, it would be called torture. The A’s don’t do torture. It’s something lighter they offer, more of a sustained frustration.”
18. Mets (23): A 4-2 week on the road with a couple of those wins coming against a pretty good team and the offense clicking nicely. Such a contrast to that dysfunctional team that plays on the other side of town.
19. Brewers (25): Quietly, as the Reds and Cardinals took front stage, Milwaukee had a very good week. Don’t count them out.
20. Nationals (19): Series ahead against Baltimore, Pittsburgh and the Mets. A chance for them to show that they’re more than the ~.500 team they’ve appeared to be?
21. Orioles (27): A 5-1 week for the O’s, who at the very least have shown that no one who expects to win the AL East can expect to do so by feasting on the Orioles anymore.
22. Diamondbacks (20): The Dodgers series salvages what was an otherwise bad road trip.
23. Dodgers (24): The offense is sleeping. Is there a team more dependent on a couple of guys (Kemp and Ethier) than Los Angeles?
24. Cubs (22): Cubs’ offensive output in their last four games: 11, 1, 11, 0. If they score 11 tonight, be sure to tune in Tuesday, because we may see something we’ve never seen before.
25. Padres (26): What’s got 50 thumbs and has scored 46 runs in its last six games? These guys, right here!
26. Pirates (15): The Pirates must have gotten tired of that patronizing “oh look! They’re over.500!” chatter from last week. Dropping five in a row sure showed everyone!
27. White Sox (30): Signs of life: two of three from the Angels and two of three from the A’s.
28. Mariners (18): Sub-headline of Steve Kelley’s story in the Seattle Times about the struggles of the Mariners’ closer: “Should Brandon League remain the Mariners’ closer? Should he be demoted? Does it really matter?” Yep. Pretty much nails it.
29. Astros (28): At least they’ll soon have a new owner and all of the related hubbub that goes along with it to distract everyone from the miserable product on the field.
30. Twins (29): Let’s put it this way: Gleeman’s mom and I have been taking turns calling him every hour to make sure he isn’t harming himself or others.By Jeff Jenkins in News | August 15, 2013 at 6:06PM
Jeff Jenkins/MetroNews U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin explains the charges against the two Mingo County elected officials.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury and Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden were released on $10,000 bond each Thursday afternoon after being indicted on separate charges by a federal grand jury.
Federal prosecutors allege Thornsbury was persistent in his attempt to frame the husband of the judge’s ex-lover, who was also at one time the judge’s secretary.
(Read indictment of Judge Michael Thornsbury here)
(Read indictment of Commissioner Michael Baisden here)
The charge against Baisden focuses on attempted extortion. After he allegedly made sure the county no longer purchased tires from Appalachian Tire because the company wouldn’t give Baisden the same deal on tires for his personal vehicle that the company gave to governmental bodies under the state purchasing contract.
Both Thornsbury and Baisden made initial appearances before U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge Dwane Tinsley who ordered them to return next Wednesday to be arraigned on the charges.
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said Thornsbury had an extra-marital affair for a few months in 2008 but when his secretary broke off the relationship the judge took action.
“Judge Thornsbury set off on a campaign to persecute his secretary’s husband,” Goodwin said.
Thornsbury allegedly first tried to have drugs planted under the truck of the husband. He asked his friend Jeff Cline to do it and even gave Cline a small container with illegal drugs inside. Thornsbury then arranged to have the truck searched but Cline eventually backed out of the scheme.
It’s then alleged the judge pressured State Trooper Brandon Moore to file a false criminal complaint against the husband over scrap metal he was allowed to take from his workplace. And even though Thornsbury, the indictment alleges, rigged a grand jury to get an indictment with an elaborate scheme that plan also failed.
Federal prosecutors said Judge Thornsbury struck again just last year when he learned the husband of the former secretary was a victim in a fight. The husband was eventually charged and the judge allegedly pressured the prosecutor to make sure the man received six months home confinement. The case was dismissed on the eve of the trial.
Goodwin said the federal government has a strong case against Thornsbury.
“We have numerous witnesses. We also have documentary evidence as with any case. We also have evidence that tends to corroborate both of those,” he said.
Goodwin would not elaborate on the possibility of other indictments coming from Mingo County corruption but he said the investigation isn’t over.
“Our efforts have culminated in these two indictments and our investigation is ongoing,” he said. “Should anyone have any evidence of further criminal activity that they wish to share with us they should not hesitate to do so,” Goodwin said.
Federal Magistrate Judge Tinsley told Thornsbury and Baisden they would be free on bond on several conditions including removing the guns they own from their homes. They were also told not to speak with a number of people who may be witnesses in their cases.The Cheetah People were a race of predatory, cheetah-like humanoids.
Contents show]
Biology Edit
The Cheetah People had the heads of cheetahs and thick, spotted fur, distinctive golden eyes, retractable claws and sharp fangs. They also had an excellent sense of smell which they could use to track their prey. (TV: Survival) They were distantly related to the Cat-People. (PROSE: Invasion of the Cat-People)
Some of the Cheetah People, like Karra, began as humanoids, gradually acquiring the characteristics of a cheetah. Their eye colour changed to gold, the pupils gained the feline slit shape and they developed fangs. Of the Cheetah People seen, only Karra spoke, but she did so without any difficulty. At the moment of her death, Karra lost all her cheetah characteristics. (TV: Survival)
Powers Edit
The Cheetah People had a symbiotic relationship with their world, as well as with the native kitlings. The planet was almost alive and was mentally connected with the Cheetah People. Its sources of water could heal them, and if they fought the planet would slowly start to destroy itself. The Cheetah People could also use the kitlings to find new sources of food since they could mentally control them and see through their eyes. They had the ability to teleport from planet to planet, but they could only bring back prey to their homeworld. It seemed, even worlds away, that they knew if one of their kind had died. (TV: Survival) Even after returning to their original species, individuals could sense those who were once Cheetah People. (PROSE: First Frontier)
They also had the indirect ability to change people in their own kind. Persons influenced enough that they had started to turn into Cheetah People included: the Master, Ace, Midge and the Seventh Doctor. Karra had been deeply affected by the planet's influence, which led to a full transformation. (TV: Survival) After being cured, Ace could still draw on the Cheetah People abilities, granting her increased speed. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark)
Culture Edit
Cheetah People were a dangerous, but playful, race, with many traits associated with terrestrial felines. They were intrigued by shiny objects such as Captain Sorin's cap insignia which Ace wore on her jacket. They would only go after food which was moving and would attempt to make hunts more interesting. By human standards, they would have had a vicious way of life and would fight each other over spoils or kill helpless humans without provocation. They did seem to have some sort of respect for their own dead and would return to a world to come back for their fallen. The Cheetah People generally wore leather open-toed shoes and trophies from their hunts, using horses as mounts. (TV: Survival)
History Edit
The history of the Cheetah People was relatively unknown to the Doctor. A more advanced civilisation that carved and built in stone originally existed. The people of this more advanced civilisation then began to domesticate the Kitlings in order to access their powers of remote viewing and teleportation but were themselves changed into the more primitive and animalistic society in return. Some were known to originally been from other species.
Around 1989, the Master found himself on the Cheetah World. He used the Cheetah People in an attempt to escape, sending them to Earth to capture humans, planning to allow them to partially convert, then use their teleportation to escape to Earth. (TV: Survival)
At some point, the Master and the Cheetah People kidnapped a group of the Seventh Doctor's friends, as a lure for the Doctor, only for the Doctor to deceive them with his parlour tricks, and trap them in a net. (PROSE: Dr. Seventh)
The Master eventually escaped but returned to the Cheetah World to fight the Doctor. Though the planet was destroyed, at least some of the Cheetah People appeared to survive on a new world, the Doctor remarking that the hunt went on. (TV: Survival)In a recent post, I alluded to a Facebook post by a recent Oberlin alumna, clearly a political progressive herself, recounting what she described as various anti-Semitic incidents she experienced at the school at the hands of the SJW left. I noted that I found most remarkable her assertion that multiple students had dismissively referred to the Holocaust as “white on white crime,” as if the “progressive” students there found it impossible to conceive of horrific racist violence outside the parameters of paradigmatic examples of racist violence in the United States. What’s remarkable about the incidents recounted, which range from gross insensitivity to blatant anti-Semitism, is not that such attitudes exist, nor that they are necessarily serious compared with what other minority students may face at college, but that, if the Facebook post in question is true, some of the most purportedly progressive students, those who are the most acutely sensitive to and active against other forms of racism, ignore anti-Semitism, belittle it and, in some cases participate in it.
I found the entire Facebook post of great interest, not just as a troubling sign of emerging hostility to Jews and Jewish concerns among self-proclaimed social justice advocates on left-wing campuses, but as an equally troubling sign of the degradation of intellectual discourse at such campuses more generally, as reason, compassion and just plain old decent manners are replaced with shrill sloganeering based on which group can most successfully proclaim itself to be a victim. Nor is there any indication, despite the purported focus on multiculturalism, that the students who engage in these antics have received anything resembling a sound education in world history and cultures, or much of anything else, as everything is shoehorned into simplistic ideological categories that bear no apparent relation to context and reality. (I also find it interesting that the Jewish students who find themselves the targets of anti-Semitic discourse by SJWs remain committed to the broader “social justice agenda,” as if it’s a mere coincidence that its advocates are also so often tolerant or even indulgent of anti-Semitism, but perhaps that’s a topic for a future post.)
The author of the Oberlin post, Isabel Storch Sherrell, has given me permission to reprint her post in full, and I do so, unedited, below:
WARNING: RANT ALERT
I don’t want to make it seem like i hated my time at oberlin. it was a mixed bag and i got a great education and was blessed to learn from amazing professors. But i think being out of that environment has given me a chance to breathe and process everything that i learned/ encountered/ unlearned at oberlin. i learned about the historical context of anti black racism and its current manifestations and through that learning process was able to better frame and identify my own community’s struggle. However i quickly learned that process was to be kept personal and did not blend into the campus atmosphere or the collective fight for justice at oberlin. Because at oberlin, and indeed in the US overall, Jews are viewed as white and privileged (sometimes even above the avg white privilege, since yaknow, were all superrich and stuff) therefore our struggle does not intersect with other forms of racism and bigotry and ignorance that are so tenaciously fought against on campus. As a part of my processing and letting go of the pain I experienced, I will list a few memorable antisemitic moments/incidents here-
Obies feel free to read. But this is actually intended for all my friends and family outside of that circle…
1. The multiple times the Holocaust was referred to as “white on white crime” by my POC peers and hip white Jewish peers, (erasing the fact that ashkenazi jews were NOT seen as white and were being killed in the name of eugenics and white purity and also erasing the fact that blacks, Roma, and north african Jews were also killed in the camps.)
2. That time a Jewish person made a comment on fb saying “the only reason people care about the Holocaust is because it happened to white people” and got tons of likes from white and POC friends alike (Erasing the fact that the western world only decided to care a few decades after the fact, when it wasnt as fresh, and theyd had the time to really work out the details of how they were going to frame it and make it look like the US were the heroes liberating the camps after the US government knew what was being planned by Hitler, knew waht happening while it was happening, and did nothing. Not to mention sending Jewish immigrants trying to escape before the war broke out back to Europe to die in the gas chambers.) This is just one example of Jewish obies stepping all over their ancestors memory in order to climb the white-ally-social-ladder-of-justice-and-excellence i cannot understand it as anything other than self hatred masked by love of “the other”..
3. That time Kosher Halal Co Op was told it couldnt serve “ethnic” food because Jews are white not “ethnic” (erasing identities of Mexican Jews, Asian Jews, etc)
4. That time SFP brought in a Jewish lady to talk about her work with electronicintifada and tell all the Obies that Zionism/Zionists “should burn at the stake” — (After that spectacle who could argue that antizionism has any crossover with antisemitism — “but that lady is jewish and she said xyz so i can say xyz and its not antisemitic or even violent or problematic at all hooooorayyyyy!”
5. That time I was told I should be ashamed for what my people are doing to the Palestinians, by someone I didn’t even know, upon learning I was Jewish. (Imagine a Alawite student at Oberlin being told “you should be ashamed for what your people are doing over there in syria” — yeah, it wouldnt fly. Or a Nigerian Muslim student being shamed for whats going on in their country… never literally would never happen. But Jewish kids? Jewish country? Fair game.)
6. That time my African Studies professor had an antizionist jewish south african man come in to talk to the class about jazz and resistance. During Q&A she praised a Jewish student for their anti Israel comments relating Israel to South African apartheid. The prof then made funny faces and funny eyes when I spoke up and tried to make the point that we should try to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within its OWN historical context and that its unfair to both Israelis and Palestinians to rely only on shaky comparisons
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hip.
At the Range
On my first visit to the range, I loaded my regular “Wal-Mart” assortment of WWB 180-gr and 165-gr FMJ, Federal 180-gr FMJ, and Winchester PDX1 JHP 165-gr. I also found some Federal Premium Protection 135-gr JHP and Hornady Custom XTP 155-gr JHP. Fresh out of the box and without an initial “clean” or drop of oil, the Springfield XD(m) Compact-40 was 100 percent reliable.
The 155-gr Hornady was by far the “snappiest” of the rounds. Hornady claims 1180 fps out of a 4” barrel; those figures put this round at well over 400 ft-lbs of energy. The WWB 180-gr FMJ was cheap, easy to shoot, and extremely accurate.
Since I don’t have a rest designed for pistols, I stay away from “accuracy testing,” other than making general observations. While I can sometimes pick out rounds that group better than others, none of the rounds visually grouped better or worse than others at 15-yards. The Federal 135-gr did shoot high (about 1” higher @ 15-yards) but grouped well nonetheless.
Both the “mini-mag” and the standard 16-round magazine performed flawlessly. The pressure needed to seat a full magazine into the gun with the slide forward is much greater than on my full-size XDm’s. Then again, I’ve put over 3000 rounds through each of my full-size XD(m)’s...
Conclusion
Back at the homestead, the Compact cleaned-up just as quickly and easily as any other modern polymer pistols. Lock the slide back, rotate the disassembly lever, and work the slide forward. A quick spray down with M7 Pro and a wipe with a microfiber cloth gets the frame and internals clean. The barrel cleaned easily with a bronze brush, some more M7 Pro, and a couple of clean and oiled patches.
To date, I’ve sent 550 rounds through the XD(m) Compact-40 without any malfunctions. The factory sights proved adequate; I won a local Steel Match with the Compact (Production – Class A) using the standard-issue three-dots.
Since I’m a regular shooter at the matches, I have some “match specific” gear: a dedicated gun belt, dropped and offset holsters, lots of magazines, and easy-to-get-to mag holders. I thought it would be appropriate to test my skills by using the equipment I normally carry so I left my “match gear” home. Instead, I used my SuperTuck Deluxe holster, and the factory supplied magazine holder.
If nothing else, I can now say that I’ve used the XDm gear. I was shooting 165-gr WWB FMJ’s (I carry the Compact with 165-gr JHP’s) and started every match with the 11-round magazine. I limited myself to two spare magazines in the mag holders and one magazine in my back pocket (just in case!). Here’s what I learned…
Small guns can be handled well. At speed, I didn’t even notice the “floating pinky” when shooting with the 11-round magazine. The bullets went downrange to their 1/4” steel destinations with relative ease. I had some trouble during one of the stages that had 6” plates at 15+ yards. Perhaps it was because of the shorter sight radius, or because I was just getting tired, but those two plates took six shots.
I still was able to finish the 20-round stage with a total time of 25.36 seconds. Not my best showing, but taking into account the draw and two reloads, it was still good enough for a “W”. As Vin Diesel put it, “it doesn’t matter whether you win by an inch or a mile… winning is winning!” Perhaps Charlie Sheen should take note.
Will the Compact replace my J-Frames? Yes and no. For in-the-pocket carry, the Smith & Wesson J-Frame is still the business. But let’s be honest: how convenient is “pocket carry” anyway? Keys, wallet, phone, extra magazine/speed clips, flashlight, pepper-spray, chapstick, lint... killing an entire front pocket with a J-Frame was always a bit of a logistics nightmare, forcing me to wear cargo-shorts in summer months.
I love the J-Frame and I personally believe they (and other compact pistols) are responsible for the recent CCW and women CCW movement. They are relatively cheap, easy to maintain, and damn near bullet proof. The XD(m) Compact offers the same benefits, but provides more round, superior accuracy, and easier handling. I’m certainly not going to go out and sell my J’s, but for summer carry, the Springfield XD(m) Compact is the new king.
Ratings (out of five)
Style * * *
No wood grips but still good looking as far as modern polymer pistols go. The 3.8 Compact is much better proportioned than the standard XDm 3.8, but each to his own.
Ergonomics * * * *
Not as comfortable as the full-size XD(m), but at speed I didn’t even noticed it was a “compact.”
Reliability * * * * *
100% reliable with the “Wal-mart” supply – I would bet money that she’ll eat anything you feed her as well!
Customizable * *
A combat pistol, so what is there to customize? If you are like me, swap in a set of tritium lamped sights and buy a SuperTuck Deluxe.
Overall Rating * * * * *
Dollar-for-dollar the XD(m) is the best gun on the market. The Compact is obviously targeted for CCW rather than nightstand duty. However, with the full-size magazine for the nightstand, and the 11-round magazine for CCW, it’s “2 for 1.” Case closed.The Importance of Learning the Classics
With the overwhelming amount of texts that are available in the modern world, from the local library to massive online vendors, it can often be daunting for people with an interest in writing or literature to know what is and isn’t worth reading. As a result, a debate has loomed as to whether or not it is important to read the “classics” of literature, or if a reader’s focus should be geared towards more contemporary works.
First of all, it is important that we have a solid understanding of what is meant by the term “classics.” The problem is that it is loosely defined, and there are almost as many definitions as there opinionated individuals. Historically, classics have referred to the works of classical civilization, namely the Greeks and the Romans, although the term is now widely used in a different sense.
It is important to distinguish the concept of the classic from the related concept of the literary canon. One way of understanding the difference is that the canon is a category of works currently considered worthy of reading, while the classics are the works that have remained significant to, and affected, subsequent generations. The canon is more strictly defined by a given generation, while the idea of the classics is more open, and allows for a more flexible definition, so long as the works have had an arguably large influence. These definitions are tricks, and they become even more so when we further divide the definition of classics into categories such as “classics of America literature,” “classics of European literature,” and so on.
While many people have argued that the classics are representative of a Eurocentric hegemony that conceals the oppressive nature of certain groups within society, the fact remains that the classic works of literature represent achievements of human thought in their scope, intelligence, and universality. We should also acknowledge that any work widely regarded as a classic has played a foundational role in the cultural and artistic climate of the present. While we should be aware of the exclusionary nature of any artistic tradition, we should also be able to recognize the value of the classics as they relate to all of humanity, and not just the groups that such works are ostensibly a product of. That said, generalizations are always risky, and what each of these books bring to the table, and the specific reasons for why they are considered classics is largely specific to the individual texts themselves.
Take, for example, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. While the work is fiction, it is largely used as a means of exploring the philosophical tensions that were present in Russia, and indeed the world, in that time period. These examinations largely focus on problems of faith as confronted with the existence of evil, as well as the rising conflicts between faith and science. This, coupled with Dostoevsky’s deep sense of the psychological workings of his characters, and of the time period in which they are operating, makes The Brothers Karamazov a work that is simultaneously a well-written and entertaining story, a philosophical exploration into the major intellectual, philosophical, and religious dilemmas of the time (dilemmas that are largely universal to the human experience), as well as an accurate portrayal of Russian society in the 19th century.
All of these aspects of the book remain relevant to us today, for these debates are still ongoing, and the history implicit in the work shows us the development of the philosophical, intellectual, and historical climate we are currently inhabiting. The themes of The Brothers Karamazov, and those of other classic works, deal with human universals, such as how to structure value, how history develops, and how we interact with one another. The quality of such works are such that their contents still speak to us, despite the progression of time that leaves the majority of art seeming anachronistic and irrelevant.
This is merely one example of a book that is widely considered a classic, but it shows the underlying value of works that make it into this category. What constitutes a classic, then, is not a specific set of characteristics, but rather a text’s ability to be continuously relevant, and to provide seemingly unending levels of interpretation, meaning, and an examination of apparent truths that continue to speak to us through time. Classics are books that contain a scope unseen in other works of literature; they are books that remain universally relevant through time. Once we understand this about classics, the question then becomes what is to be gained from examining such works?
In the world today the idea that things progress as they move forward has become highly prevalent. This may be due to the trend of technology to improve as time goes on, but this does not mean that everything evolves in this manner. Such is the case with literature; it’s not always that newer works are better, and there are a massive amount of older texts that are widely thought of as masterpieces, and which have never been bested in their particular niche. These books are considered extremely significant, and often fall into the realm of genius. These are the books that become classics. While there are some who would argue that these labels are merely opinion, there are always specific reasons why they get applied to these books, and anyone who takes the time to really understand what makes such works significant would be hard pressed to say that their quality is merely subjective.
While the classics are monuments of achievement in literature, they also provide grounding in the historical development of writing, thought, and culture that permeate every text as a reflection of the period in which it was written. To read Dostoevsky is not merely to study the writer’s incredible style, storytelling ability, and character development, but also to witness the philosophy, sociology, and culture of an entire civilization as filtered through narrative. These things are some of the most worthwhile subjects to study, as they give us insight into our own cultural lineage, the entire intellectual debate of humanity, and the progression of history.
Therefore anyone who wishes to have a solid grasp on the intellectual history of civilization must read the classics, and this is doubly so for those with an interest in writing. In order to be able to create something even marginally original, it is imperative that one has a solid foundation of what has already been done. This is something like the cant of “learning the rules before you break them,” and although it may be impossible to read everything, any and all exploration into the great works of the past will provide massive amounts of insight into the landscape of style and content that already exists. Not only that, but any writer will benefit massively from encounters with what is possible within literature, and by stretching the mind to be able to understand such feats their own writing will begin to improve as a result.
In the classics we see the intermingling of all these forces, in addition to the revolutions of the technical style and form that such works also bring to the table, and every classic book has in some way changed not only what is being said, but how its being expressed. These two elements come together in classic works in a way that changes the way people think, and not just people in the past, but people living currently, as well. This is the meaning of an education, and literature, especially the classics, is an invaluable aspect of any thorough education.
The classics, then, are not valuable merely for the passive enjoyment of storytelling, but are in fact a doorway into the largest conversations that human beings have ever had; they are unique forms of expression, as well as a means of seeing into alternate realities that, although they are fictional, have something to teach us about ourselves and the nature of the world in which we live. Therefore it is not merely those interested in writing who have much to gain from the classics, but rather anyone who wants to widen their gaze and better understand civilization and what it means to be a human being.
What do you think?.To the majority of people, eggshells are simply trash.
But to homesteader, eggshells are a surprisingly useful resource. You know what they say… “Waste not, want not.”
I personally get a big kick out of finding uses for things people normally throw away. So, I’ve put together a list of 9 Things You Can Do with Eggshells around your own homestead.
(Holy Moly! My list started out with a measly 9 ideas, but after all of my thrifty readers left their ideas in the comment section, it has grown to 30+! I’ve edited the list with these new additions- keep them coming folks!)
**It is very important to only use eggshells from healthy, natural chickens if you or your animals are going to ingest the shells. Eggs from factory farms are not only less nutritious, but can also carry harmful pathogens. I personally have no problem eating raw eggs from my own free-range hens, but I wouldn’t do so with eggs from the store.**
1. Feed them to your chickens.
Boost your flock’s calcium intake by crushing the shells and feeding them back to your hens. My girls much prefer crushed egg shells over the oyster shell supplement from the feed store. I wrote a post a while back that has all the details of collecting, crushing, and feeding the shells.
2. Use the shell’s membrane as an all-natural bandage.
I just discovered this idea, so I have yet to try it, but what a cool concept! The membrane of the shell is reported to help promote healing in cuts and scratches. This post should be able to answer most of your questions about using membranes as a first-aid tool.
3. Boil the eggshells in your coffee.
My first thought when I read this idea was “Why on earth would you do that?” But apparently, people have been boiling eggshells in their coffee for centuries to help clarify the grounds and reduce bitterness. I have yet to give this a try myself, but it might be worth a try. Here is a Eggshell Coffee tutorial.
4. Sprinkle the eggshells around your garden to deter pests.
Soft-bodied critters like slugs or snails don’t like crawling over sharp pieces of eggshell.
5. Give your tomatoes a calcium boost.
Blossom-end rot is a common tomato problem, but I recently learned that it is actually caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant. Experienced gardeners often place eggshells in the bottom of the hole when transplanting their tomato plants to help combat this problem. I’m definitely trying this next year! For more natural gardening tips, grab a copy of my latest eBook, Natural Homestead. It has dozens of recipes to keep your garden chemical-free.
6. Eat them.
Yeah, I know. First I told you to eat your weeds, and now I’m saying to eat eggshells… Hey, I never claimed to be normal. 😉
But yes, many folks actually do eat eggshells for their awesome amounts of calcium. I’ve never actually tried it, but I know that several of my readers have. This post will give you all the info you need to make your own calcium-rich eggshell powder.
7. Use eggshells to start seedlings.
If homemade paper pots aren’t your style, give some of your smaller seedlings a start in rinsed-out shells. This post from Apartment Therapy will give you all the info and photos you need to get you started.
8. Toss them in the compost pile.
Add calcium to your compost by adding eggshells to your pile or tumbler.
9. Sow directly into the soil.
If none of the previous idea sound appealing and you don’t have a compost pile, then you can simply turn crushed eggshells directly into your garden patch. It’s still better than sending them to the garbage.
All of the following ideas were submitted by readers of The Prairie Homestead:
10. Potting Soil Addition: Used coffee grounds and egg shells are wonderful in potted plants. I use a 1:4 ratio. (From Tala)
11. Blade Sharpening: Keep them in the freezer and use to clean and sharpen blender blades by adding water. Then pour the mixture into your compost bin. (From Greenie and Ceridwyn)
12. Canine Remedy: I save my eggshells and let them dry out, when I have a good size amount I crush them, then use a coffee grinder and make them into a powder. If one of my dogs get diarrhea, I just sprinkle a couple teaspoons of the eggshell powder on their food for a day and the diarrhea goes away. (From Terri)
13. Calcium Pills: I save my eggshells in a large bowl, then I steam them to sanitize them and let them dry. Then I grind them down (I use a Vitamix but I think any blender would do if you crush them a little first, or just do it in a coffee grinder) into a fine powder and spoon them into 00-size gelatin capsules for homemade calcium pills. (From Mari)
14. Mineral supplement: I sometimes soak eggshells in lemon water for a few weeks in the fridge. Then I add a tiny bit to my shakes to get extra minerals. (From Jill)
15. Tooth Remineralizing: Natural News.com has an article about using comfrey root & fresh egg shell (organic & pasture raised) for re-mineralizing your teeth. Not sure about this particular method, but it would make sense due to the healing properties of the comfrey AND the minerals in the egg shell. (From Jennifer)
16. Sidewalk chalk: 5-8 eggshells (finely ground), 1 tsp hot water, 1 tsp flour, food coloring optional…mix and pack into toilet tissue rolls and let dry. (From Linda)
17. First Aid Treatment: Fresh egg membranes applied, then allowed to dry, will draw minor infections: splinters, pimples, boils, etc. (From Anne)
18. Making Water Kefir: You can also use eggshell to nourish your water kefir grains. You just add 1/4 of a clean eggshell to your water kefir while it’s brewing. We’ve done this instead of buying mineral drops and it seems to work great. (From Jenna, Sherry, and Tiffani)
19. Christmas Ornaments: When I found a large cache of slightly-flawed plastic suncatcher ornaments to paint cheap at the local flea market a few years ago, I snatched a big bunch of them up. I mixed regular acrylic colors with Elmer’s glue and various “texturizing” elements to pack those suncatchers with. I tried everything from small seeds and spices, to sifted sand, and my favorite turned out to be crushed eggshells. They were no longer transparent, but the flaws were covered, and they make very nice Christmas tree ornaments, wall hangings, mobiles, etc. (From Sweetp)
20. Make Calcium Citrate: Make your own calcium citrate using only fresh farm raised, preferably organic, egg shells. Rinse residual egg out of the shells and air dry. Crush the shell and add 1t. lemon juice per egg shell and cover. The lemon juice will dissolve the shell and there you have it… calcium citrate. (From Mary Anne)
21. Calcium-Rich Vinegar: I was taught by my herbalist teacher to make a calcium rich vinegar by adding calcium rich herbs (nettles, dock, etc) and one clean high quality eggshell to apple cider vinegar. It needs to infuse for at least six weeks, then be decanted. But the calcium from the shell and the plants goes into the vinegar and can be used as regular vinegar would be in salad dressing, over cooked greens, etc. (From Sara)
22. Pan Scrubber: Crushed egg shells work great to scrub pans that have food stuck in them. Yes they will break up, but they still do the job! (From Rose)
23. Ice Cream Addition (?): I was told companies put egg shell powder in cheap ice cream to add extra calcium. I imagine you could do this when making homemade ice cream as well. (From Brenda)
24. Cosmetic Booster: Make it into a powder and add a little bit to your nail polish to strengthen nails. Take that same powder and put it into ice cube trays with water and rub it on your face– it helps reduce the look of wrinkles. Put the powder in your lotion– it softens your hands. (From Amy)
25. Add to Broth/Stocks: For extra calcium and minerals. (From Becky and Tiffani) (See my homemade stock/broth tutorial here.)
26. Arts and Crafts: Use eggshells to make mosaics or mixed-media art projects. (From Carol and Janet)
27. House Plant Booster: “My Grandmother kept eggshells covered with water in a mason jar which she used to water her African violets. She had the most magnificent plants imaginable!” (From Cynthia)
28. Wild Bird Treat: You can also feed them to the birds. They’re high in calcium and are great for birds in the spring when they are laying eggs– just make sure to sterilize them. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 F and crush them. (From Susanne)
29. Laundry Whitener: To help your whites not to turn grey, put a handful of clean, broken eggshells and 2 slices of lemon in a little cheesecloth bag with your clothes in the washer. It will prevent the soap deposit that turns the white clothes grey. (From Emilie)
30. Garbage Disposal Cleaner: Toss a few shells down your disposal to help freshen things up. (From Carol) (Okay– since originally posting this, I’ve had several folks say this is a bad idea and that it will clog your drain– so proceed with caution…)
What do you do with eggshells?
Homemade fly sprays, DIY chicken feed, natural bug sprays, herbal salve tutorials? Yes please! Grab over 40 natural barnyard recipes in my latest digital book, Natural Homestead!When the Youth and Family Services YMCA needed a new home for its Isla Vista Teen Center, developer and philanthropist Ed St. George came forward with an offer almost too good to be true — he offered to build a new Teen Center as a gift to the families and young people of Isla Vista!
“Ed and his crew had helped us out with repairs over the years — donating a new entrance ramp, a new roof — but we never thought he would consider building us a whole new building for free,” Teen Center Director Leonor Reyes said. “This is such an incredible gift!”
But for property developer St. George, the gift was a pretty easy decision.
“As a builder and developer, I cut my teeth in Isla Vista, so it’s natural to want to give back to the community that’s been so good to me,” he said. “I have supported the Teen Center for years, and when we began construction on our new 56-unit project across the street, I was able to see with my own eyes how many kids attend the Teen Center on a daily basis — it really touched my heart.
“Isla Vista is hands-down the best place on the planet if you’re college-age, but if you’re a kid growing up in the community the YMCA Teen Center is the only place to go, and the old modular they have now has long outlived its use-by date. The new Teen Center will be a fantastic space for kids.”
However, St. George’s offer was just step one along the path to a new Teen Center for Isla Vista. The next step was for the Youth and Family Services YMCA to secure a long-term lease from the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District for the building site in Estero Park. The IVRDP board and staff embraced the opportunity to support community teens and drew up a 25-year lease — step two complete!
Step three was to get county approval for the project, and in March ON Design Architects announced that the land use permit had been approved.
“Everyone has been so helpful from the very beginning,” Executive Director Lynn Karlson said. “Ed’s generosity and his commitment to the kids of IV seem to have really inspired everyone to help make this project happen as quickly and smoothly as possible. We’ve had great working relationships with the Park District, Doreen Farr and her staff, and the County Planning Department. This is a wonderful example of public-private cooperation to build community.”
St. George expects to break ground on the new building in October, and he believes it will open its doors to teens in January. The Youth and Family Services YMCA has committed funding to the project to cover permitting fees and furnishing, and several student groups are helping to raise those funds.
“There are many students in Isla Vista who have a real heart for the community, especially for the kids, and they have been very supportive over the years,” Reyes said. “The Isla Vista Tenant’s Union, the Alpha Phi Sorority and Associated Students are just some who have pitched in to make our new home possible.”
Some of St. George’s suppliers also have a heart for teens, and they are making in-kind donations to the new center.
The Isla Vista Teen Center serves sixth- through 12th-grade students from Isla Vista and northern Goleta, providing youth with a safe, alternative space to engage in a variety of educational, recreational, cultural and leadership opportunities. IVTC holds quarterly parent/community information nights and reaches out to engage families through various community events throughout the year.
— Susan Sawyer is the communications and marketing director for the Channel Islands YMCA.UFC welterweight Thiago Alves (21-10 MMA, 13-7 UFC) has sustained a broken rib and is unable to fight Benson Henderson (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 79, according to a source close to Alves and a UFC official.
The sources confirmed the news to MMAjunkie after Twitter user @TalkMMA first reported it. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
The UFC official told MMAjunkie a replacement search is underway for Henderson, who was due to headline the Nov. 28 event opposite the onetime UFC title challenger.
Henderson may have tipped his hand about the withdrawal. The UFC announced the fight in late August, but in early November, he wrote a cryptic tweet.
Someone hurt at 155lbs or 170lbs??? Gimme a call, call my bluff…I'm your #huckleberry @ufc — TheOnceAndFutureKing (@BensonHenderson) November 3, 2015
UFC Fight Night 79 takes place at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass.
Alves’ injury pauses his career amid a comeback effort. A serious knee injury in 2012 benched him for two years. Since then, he’s gone 2-1, though a TKO setback to Carlos Condit in May sapped his momentum.
Henderson, meanwhile, is looking to build momentum in the 170-pound class, where he debuted in February with a short-notice win over Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60.
With the change, UFC Fight Night 79 now includes:
MAIN CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 8 a.m. ET)
Benson Henderson vs. opponent TBA
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jorge Masvidal
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina
Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Dominique Steele
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 4:45 a.m. ET)
Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
Jake Collier vs. Dongi Yang
Yui Chul Nam vs. Mike De La Torre
Tae Hyun Bang vs. Leo Kuntz
Cortney Casey vs. Seo Hee Ham
Fredy Serrano vs. Yao Zhikui
Marco Beltran vs. Ning Guangyou
For more on UFC Fight Night 79, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.March 30, 2017 Comments Off on The Lotus Temple: Mother Temple of India Views: 724 Urban Trekker
Located nearby the India capital city of Delhi, and resembling a Bahai House of Worship, the Lotus Temple was completed in 1986. Also called a mother temple of India, it is visited by more than 10,000 people each day.
The Lotus Temple is open to all, expressing a belief that it’s a social venue for all individuals regardless their religions. “It is in line with the teachings of the Bahai faith believing in the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religions, and the Oneness of Mankind. As such, people of all religions and races are welcome in the temple as it is a place to worship the creator of the universe and not one particular deity. There is no idol to be worshiped and people of any faith, case, creed are welcome,” other accounts also report.
The fantastic building is comprised of 27 free-standing marble-blad “petals” arranged in clusters of three and forming nine sides in total. There are also nine doors opening into a central hall with a height of slightly over 40 meters. The authentic look has brought numerous architecture awards to the temple. A 2001 CNN report has also called the Lotus Temple as the world’s most visited building.
The surface of the Lotus Temple is made of white marble from Penteli mountain in Greece, the exact same marble from which many ancient monuments, the Parthenon of Athens included, are built. The marvelous construction is an output of the Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba who was approached for the temple’s design in 1976.
Part of the electricity for the temple is supplied by solar means generated by the building itself, which makes the Lotus Temple the first in Delhi to use solar power resource. The major funds for purchasing the land where the temple is built was donated by Ardishír Rustampúr, a man who reportedly gave his entire savings for this purpose in 1953. A portion of the construction budget was also saved and used to build a greenhouse for the purposes of studying indigenous plants and flowers.
The Bahai House of Worship is one of seven such houses around the globe. Other worship sites are situated in Sydney (Australia), Panama City (Panama), Frankfurt (Germany), Kampala (Uganda), Apia (Western Samoa) and Wilmette (USA).
Tags: Delhi, India, Lotus TempleIn 2007 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified night work as a "probable human carcinogen," since then researchers have been searching for the biological mechanisms involved. The investigators believe that a prime suspect is the disruption of human circadian rhythms (24 hour 'body clock'). Circadian rhythms occur in hormone levels, hunger, sleep, body temperature as well as in a variety of other physiological aspects of health. The investigation appears in the October issue of Chronobiology International.
Investigators at Yale University and the Danish Cancer Society have revealed epigenetic alterations - biological changes that affect the expression of DNA genes - in two of the most important circadian genes found in body's 24-hour biological timekeeping system, CLOCK and CRY2. They discovered that women in Denmark who work at night have the same changes previously observed in women with breast cancer. Furthermore, hundreds of other genes that are epigeneticaly affected by long-term night work were identified in a larger examination of genetic make-up of the human biology.
Lead author Yong Zhu at the Yale School of Public Health said:
"We previously found epigenetic changes in two circadian clock genes in women with breast cancer, and we published those findings last year. We then wondered if night work could cause the same epigenetic changes in these same circadian genes as well as other cancer-related genes, which could be a molecular mechanism accounting for the previously observed link between night work and breast cancer risk."
"The implications of this new study are vast. As we begin to identify environmental exposures - such as light at night exposure - that change risk and the biological mechanisms at work, we can then figure out effective interventions and mitigation that would lower risk. Changing our lighted environment to be more friendly to our circadian health might provide a very fruitful option."
Unlike genetic polymorphisms (i.e., different inherited forms of a given gene, that are inherited from birth, such as BRCA1 mutations that are associated to breast cancer risk in women), epigenetic changes, like DNA methylation, can be affected by environmental conditions and change over time. These epigenetic alterations can change the way in which genes function in ways that may increase or decrease risk of disease.In 2010, nearly 1.5 million people were diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most prevalent cancer in women. It is also the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, although the reasons are not clear. Although the most major causes for the most prevalent cancers, such as liver, lung, stomach and cervix are known, researchers are still unsure which exposures or lifestyles are major causes of breast cancer, why the risk is so high in the developed world and why the risk increases so significantly as developing societies industrialize. The theory that electrical lighting at night might be part of the reason was stated over two decades ago. This idea led to investigations of breast cancer in individuals who work at night in addition to investigations on breast cancer risk in blind women or those who sleep longer than recommended.Richard Stevens at the University of Connecticut Health Center, a coauthor on the report, explains:Written by Grace RattueLast week Vince and I saw Devin Townsend open for Children of Bodom. And at the end of the show, Devy was like “We’ll be back in a few months!” And we could have done some investigating and tried to find out all about his new tour, but we were all, “Nah, MetalSucks readers won’t care. They HATE Devin Townsend.”
And now the tour has actually been announced, and I don’t even know why I’m telling you guys. ‘Cause every time we write about Devin Townsend, the comments section sounds like this. I mean, I don’t think there is a single artist MetalSucks readers are LESS interested in than Devin Townsend. We’d get more traffic writing about Ian & Sylvia.
But whatevs. Here are the dates for the two of you who care. Support acts should be announced shortly.
Oct. 12 – Sound Stage – Baltimore, MD
Oct. 13 – The Note – Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 14 – Rock And Shock – Worcester, MA
Oct. 15 – The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY
Oct. 16 – The Altar – Pittsburgh, PA
Oct. 17 – Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
Oct. 18 – Harpo’s – Detroit, MI
Oct. 19 – Reggie’s – Chicago, IL
Oct. 21 – Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
Oct. 22 – Marquis – Denver, CO
Oct. 24 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 25 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
Oct. 27 – Hawthorne – Portland, OR
Oct. 28 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
-AROver the weekend, Rev. Dr. Phil Snider—a Missouri pastor and alumnus of my institution, Phillips Theological Seminary—discovered that a speech he’d given to the City Council in August had been picked up by Gawker and gone viral. Like, over-a-million-views, posted-by-George-(Sulu)-Takei viral.
So he had quite a weekend, in other words. Here’s what he had to say about the experience.
SMB: So did anything interesting happen to you over the weekend? 🙂
Phil Snider: Can’t think of anything. 😉
More seriously, why don’t you give us a little bit of the background on your August speech to the City Council? What was the resolution, and how did you decide to take the approach you did?
As you can imagine in a city such as Springfield (located in the heart of the Bible Belt with several religiously-affiliated schools and universities), any ordinance that seeks to affirm gays and lesbians and secure equal protections for their rights is going to come under all kinds of resistance, often in the name of religion.
I wanted to make a strong rhetorical impression that might have some staying power, so I decided to quote sermons on segregation that sounded strikingly similar to conversations that were currently taking place in our city about the ordinance. I saw an article from the Miami Herald that helped jump start the process, and soon thereafter I came across a sermon preached by Bob Jones on Easter Sunday in 1960, in which he (as I understand it) was partly responding to Billy Graham’s move toward advocating for social reforms in the South. I did a bunch of Google searches related to strings like “sermons on segregation” or “sermons supporting racism” and started compiling phrases similar to what I had been hearing in Springfield.
It was actually one of the easier speeches I’ve ever written, mostly because so much of it was quoted material. After all of this started going viral, I was especially taken aback when a friend of mine informed me that one of the more popular quotes I used was actually related to slavery, not segregation, which of course drives the point home all the more.
Walk me through how you came to
|
pack, Curse of Osiris is landing on December 5 but aside from a rather exciting trailer, Bungie has been a bit secretive with the details. Thankfully we got a sneak peek at some of the upcoming content, which includes upped level caps, some brand new characters and a whole lot of gameplay. Here's what we learned behind the scenes at Paris Games Week about what's coming in Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris.
Some brand new characters...
Obviously the clue is in the name here, but Destiny 2's first expansion is focused on a brand new character called Osiris. He's been mentioned plenty in the original game and its sequel, and he's steeped in lore, but this is the first time we'll be seeing him in the flesh. He's classed as the most powerful Warlock ever to live and was actually mentor to our very own Ikora Rey. He happens to be a Dawnblade too, which - as we all know - is the best Warlock subclass. But he's also rather notorious and has gone missing in exile, with Ikora now doing everything she can to find him.
And that's where another new character comes in - Sagira. She's actually Osiris' Ghost and trusted companion. It'll be her that guides you through space and time to find Osiris himself - marking the first time a Guardian has ever spoken to another Ghost. She's got a similar sort of personality to Failsafe - our favourite sassy AI - and, just to make her even more cool, she's voiced by none other than Morena Baccarin, of Firefly fame.
Read more: The best Exotic and Legendary weapons in Destiny 2
...and some familiar faces
Joining the cast for Curse of Osiris is of course Ikora Rey as your Warlock Vanguard. But there's another familiar face joining the storyline too - Brother Vance. He is the Trials of Osiris vendor in the Vestian Outpost in the original Destiny and a member of the Osiris cult. He's a crucial piece of the puzzle of finding Osiris, as he's the one who shows you the way into the Infinite Forest on Mercury.
A whole new planet to explore
There's a brand new location joining the planets we know and love in Destiny 2, and in Curse of Osiris we're going to Mercury. It has quite a different feel to any of the other planets, with a kind of golden hue. But it's also home to a place known as the Infinite Forest. This strange place is a simulated reality in the middle of time controlled by the Vex.
Read more: Full Destiny 2 walkthrough and guide
A story set after Destiny 2
The whole story of Curse of the Osiris is focused on him. It starts out with Ikora sending you to Mercury on a mission to find Osiris, who just happens to have the answers humanity needs to stop the onslaught of the Vex. It's on Mercury that a mysterious ancient portal has sparked to life. Vex from across the timelines are streaming out of it, and have battling on their mind. They're hellbent on taking out humanity once and for all, and you'll need Osiris' knowledge to stop them.
This is the first time that the Destiny series has really delved into the Vex and their backstory, and Curse of Osiris is going to tell you a lot about them, it seems. Osiris though disappeared into another ancient gate on Mercury, one which leads to the Infinite Forest.
New level caps for every Guardian
For anyone feeling like they've gotten everything they can out of Destiny 2, news of heightened level caps will come as a lovely treat. Curse of Osiris will rise the Character Level Cap to 25, and will set the maximum Power Level at 330. That's up from the current level caps of Level 20 and Power Level 305.
Read more: Every piece of Exotic armour in Destiny 2 (and should you buy them)
A brand new social space... kind of
If you're bored of the Tower, there's some good news for you because Curse of Osiris is bringing you a brand new social space. Well, for some of us anyway. It's called the Lighthouse and if you successfully fought your way to be crowned champions in Trials of Osiris you'll have already gained access to this candlelit place. But for anyone who hasn't been successful, this is going to be a fresh area where you can catch up with your fellow Guardians. Bungie is opening it up for everyone so they can discover its various mysteries for themselves.
And a whole load of other stuff
Bungie is keeping tight lipped on the specific details, but what we do know is that Curse of Osiris adds "a new mission, Strikes, Adventures" as well as a "new Raid activity". More details are coming via Bungie live streams, but expect a whole spaceship full of new content when the expansion drops on December 5.0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
Rep. Adam Schiff has an amendment that would not fund any Trump effort to deport Dreamers.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tweeted his amendment:
Congress can't stand idly by and watch families torn apart. We can vote, this week. I have amendment to defund any effort to deport DREAMers pic.twitter.com/dv82UUaIua — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 4, 2017
There are no less than seven different amendments, bills, and pieces of legislation that may end up being voted on by committees in the House this week. Some of this legislation might be attached to debt ceiling legislation. Schiff’s amendment will make perfect sense if Congress wants to make sure that Trump doesn’t start deporting Dreamers before the six-month delay ends.
Trump is playing to his shrinking base by rescinding DACA, but he is also opening up a giant fault line within the Republican Party. The GOP has been at war with itself over immigration and immigrants since the George W. Bush administration. Trump is about to bring that battle back to the front of the party, while Congressional leadership is also wrestling with Harvey disaster relief, the debt ceiling, and tax reform.
Schiff’s amendment is proof that this Congress has zero trust in Trump. If the President is going to take this senselessly bigoted action, Democrats are stepping up and preparing to protect Dreamers from deportation.
If you’re ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account
The start of the Night Tube service could still be “weeks” away despite two 24-hour strikes scheduled to take place next week being called off.
The RMT “suspended” the walkouts it had ordered to take place next Tuesday and Thursday (8th and 10th September) to allow further negotiations to take place over the 24-hour Tube operation and annual pay.
London Underground (LU) confirmed last week the scheduled opening of Night Tube on 12 September would be delayed because of the continuing dispute with all four of the powerful LU unions.
Insiders close to the dispute say it could be “many weeks” before Night Tube is up and running.
A senior source connected with the dispute told the Evening Standard: “There is no new date for Night Tube. There is still a vast amount of negotiation to get through and nobody, as yet, has any idea when it will start. We could be many weeks away.”
London Underground today declined to say when Night Tube will begin. Steve Griffiths, LU chief operating officer, merely stated: “Talks continue this week as we seek the long-term resolution of the dispute.”
Mayor Boris Johnson has said he wants to see Night Tube “introduced this Autumn” and has backed away from naming a date.
An RMT spokesman warned although the strikes planned for next week have been suspended other industrial action – including a work to rule by engineering staff which has led to the cancellation of some services – remains in place.
He said the union “remains in dispute” with LU and if the talks fail then further strikes will be ordered.
Night Tube, when it does begin, will see services run throughout Friday and Saturday nights on the Jubilee and Victoria lines and most of the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines.TNA will be returning to Orlando in one month for Slammiversary and TV tapings with an upset and frustrated TV production crew if they do not catch up on payments.
PWTorch has learned from multiple sources that TNA is behind paying some production workers going back to January and March TV tapings.
After struggling to make payments on-time throughout 2015, TNA handed over the system to the Harris Twins through their production company Aroluxe, payable by TNA. Since then, payments have continued to be late. The situation has especially been exacerbated by TNA leaving their long-time office in Nashville and relocating to the merchandise warehouse.
Also, production workers have been met with resistance when inquiring about payments. PWTorch has also learned that some production workers have been told they will or might be replaced at the next tapings in June, likely in favor of independent production workers who do not have a history of late payments.
All of this comes while TNA is seeking an outside investor to pump money into the company. (Full Report from April) In the absence of a monthly live PPV, TNA’s main revenue streams right now are an Impact ad-share with Pop TV, international TV deals, and the “One Night Only” PPVs distributed in the U.S. and internationally.
TNA is also trying to reduce costs, such as moving out their Nashville office, and moving their TV post-production to the local Skyway Studios. The cost-cutting to make the company more attractive to investors is continuing to affect production workers who are vital to creating the content.
The next month will be significant for the company, both in terms of whether they get investment funds and whether they make right on paying production workers with the next PPV and TV tapings on the horizon.The Chicago White Sox are one of the most surprising stories of 2016, surging to a 24-15 record - second-best in the American League - after a spring training full of controversy surrounding Adam LaRoche's retirement. They've done it on the backs of great pitching from Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Mat Latos, an excellent bullpen, and contributions from newcomers Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie, among others.
Nobody in baseball was really expecting this from the South Siders, but everyone around the team is happy - so much so, general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday he's "prepared to make a big move today if it presents itself" in order to return the playoffs to U.S. Cellular Field for the first time since 2008.
There are a lot of obstacles in Hahn's way, particularly a weak farm system that lacks trade pieces beyond its two top prospects. Still, if the White Sox believe in this team, why not dream big and empty the tank to go for October baseball? If Hahn really wants to make a splash, here are five big names he should target right now:
Freddie Freeman
Contract remaining: 4 years, $86 million
Could the rebuilding Braves be convinced to give up Freeman for a lesser return - one of the two top White Sox prospects, Carson Fulmer or Tim Anderson - in exchange for Hahn eating the rest of his contract? Hahn should hope so, because slotting the 26-year-old into a lineup with Frazier and Jose Abreu would improve the lineup both now and for years to come.
Andrew Miller
Contract remaining: 2 years, $18 million
If the struggling Yankees decide to wave the white flag, Miller's the likely piece of their bullpen to be on the block. A package centered around Fulmer could prove to be an intriguing package for New York, and would help make an already excellent Chicago bullpen even more deadly.
Jonathan Lucroy
Contract remaining: $5.25-million team option for 2017
The asking price will be high, and the Sox might not have enough to meet it. But it would behoove them to try. Lucroy would be an instant upgrade over Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila behind the plate.
Matt Kemp
Contract remaining: 3 years, $65 million
The Padres desperately want to unload the disappointing Kemp's deal - $21.75 million each of the next three years - and a salary dump could work here. Kemp could DH in Chicago, but can the White Sox trust in a Matt Kemp rebound?
Joey Votto
Contract remaining: 7 years, $172 million - $7-million team option for 2024
If you're going big, you might as well try for the best. Like Freeman, Votto would transform the White Sox lineup for the foreseeable future, but they'd have to give up a lot to appease Cincinnati. He's struggling with the mediocre Reds this year, though, so perhaps a change of scenery is needed.San Jose Earthquakes club partner Tottenham Hotspur has sent another promising prospect across the pond, the Mercury News confirmed Tuesday.
John Bostock, the youngest player in Spurs' club history and a former English U-17 captain, arrived in camp with the Earthquakes over the weekend. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder began his Spurs career at 16 years, 295 days, entering as a substitute in a UEFA Cup group match against Dinamo Zagreb at White Hart Lane on Nov. 6, 2008. He has since spent time with Brentford, Hull City and Swindon Town on loans.
In case you haven't heard of the once-lauded starlet, the Daily Mail summed it up in this feature article. San Jose might be the perfect spot for Bostock after seeing Simon Dawkins ressurect his career during a two-year loan spell in 2011 and 2012.
Dawkins tallied 14 goals and three assists in 53 appearances during his time in San Jose. After helping the Earthquakes to the club's second Supporters' Shield trophy, he joined Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the 2012-13 English Premier League season, making his first appearance on Sunday in a 2-1 Villa win.
Reclamation projects have become a specialty for the Earthquakes in recent years.
Reigning Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable player Chris Wondolowski has flourished under head coach Frank Yallop, leading the league in goals for three-consecutive years after finding the net just seven times in his first five professional seasons. Thirty-one-year-old forward Alan Gordon posted career highs with 13 goals and seven assists in 2012 and earned his first cap with the U.S. Men's National Team. The list of success stories goes on.
While no formal agreement has been reached, Bostock's arrival in San Jose could be the next chapter in an ongoing relationship with Tottenham Hotspur. Friends with benefits, indeed.Photo
Wired Well A special report on personal technology for health, family and fitness.
If you are watching computer-generated mayhem in the latest action film or scrolling rapidly on your smartphone, you may start to feel a little off. Maybe it is a dull headache or dizziness or creeping nausea.
And no, it is not something you ate.
A peculiar side effect of the 21st century is something called digital motion sickness or cybersickness. Increasingly common, according to medical and media experts, it causes a person to feel woozy, as if on a boat in a churning sea, from viewing moving digital content.
“It’s a fundamental problem that’s kind of been swept under the carpet in the tech industry,” said Cyriel Diels, a cognitive psychologist and human factors researcher at Coventry University’s Center for Mobility and Transport in England. “It’s a natural response to an unnatural environment.”
Digital motion sickness, known among medical professionals as visually induced motion sickness, stems from a basic mismatch between sensory inputs, said Steven Rauch, medical director of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Balance and Vestibular Center and professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School.
“Your sense of balance is different than other senses in that it has lots of inputs,” he said. “When those inputs don’t agree, that’s when you feel dizziness and nausea.”
In traditional motion sickness, the mismatch occurs because you feel movement in your muscles and joints as well as in the intricate coils of your inner ear, but you do not see it. That is why getting up on the deck of a ship and looking at the horizon helps you feel better.
But with digital motion sickness, it is the opposite. You see movement — like the turns and twists shown in a movie or video game car chase — that you do not feel. The result is the same: You may have sensory conflict that can make you feel queasy.
It can happen to anyone, even if you are someone who is not prone to motion sickness in cars, boats or airplanes. Various studies indicate it can affect 50 percent to 80 percent of people, depending on the fidelity of the digital content and how it is presented.
Studies show that women are more susceptible than men, as are those with a history of migraines or concussion. Anecdotally, researchers say that people with traits associated with the “Type A” personality — such as perfectionism or ambition — also seem to be more vulnerable. Nobody knows exactly why this might be, but one theory is that people with these traits may also have a tendency to be more alert and reactive to sensory inputs, similar to people who get migraines.
Often symptoms are subtle. As a result, many people with digital motion sickness do not quite know what is causing their discomfort, typically chalking it up to stress, stomach upset, eyestrain or vertigo.
None of this is news to the military, which has long known about the sickness that even seasoned pilots can feel in flight simulators. And the problem has only gotten worse as simulators have gotten better with virtual reality and 3D imagery.
It is the same sort of mind-bending artistry that is now pervading television and film and that even underlies the way the icons seem to float on your smartphone’s home screen. Quick cuts, rapid panning and first-person-view camera angles intensify the effect.
“The idea is to get audiences to feel like participants in the action rather than outside observers of the action,” said Jonathan Weinstein, a former film producer and now a professor at the Kanbar Institute for Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “It makes viewers more connected to the story — or it makes them hurl because in a film there’s really no horizon to look at.”
Indeed, there is a website called MovieHurl.com that rates movies on how likely they are to make you feel sick. And mobile device and gamer forums are full of postings looking for advice on how to engage with the latest operating systems and interfaces without throwing up.
Apple had to add extra accessibility settings to its mobile operating system to allow users to tone down the visual stimuli. And executives at Oculus V.R., makers of the much-anticipated virtual reality headset Oculus Rift (the company was purchased by Facebook last year for $2 billion), have said digital motion sickness is one of their biggest hurdles.
“The more realistic something is, the more likely you are going to get sick,” said Thomas Stoffregen, professor of kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, who has done extant research on digital motion sickness. “No one got sick playing Pac-Man.”
Balance specialists said the problem can often be improved with habituation — watching, say, a chaotically cut film or playing a virtual reality game in short spurts just until the onset of mild symptoms, then recovering and repeating at specified intervals.
“People usually respond well if we have them do it in a very controlled, conservative way,” said Lisa Heusel-Gillig, a physical therapist and neurological clinical specialist at the Emory Dizziness and Balance Center in Atlanta.
But some experts wonder whether it is a good idea to train your brain to ignore conflicting sensory stimuli because it might inhibit your ability to react appropriately in the real world.
“There are certainly concerns, particularly when it comes to long term exposure,” said Kay Stanney, a human factors researcher in Orlando, Fla., who consults with the military and businesses on the design and use of virtual reality and other immersive technologies.
Dr. Stanney said her team has tested more than a thousand subjects in virtual reality sessions and has seen that the magnitude of aftereffects can be strong and long lasting. When study subjects returned to the real world,they had trouble with visual focusing, tracking images and hand-eye coordination.
Dr. Stanney said her team also measured a fundamental shift in people’s postural stability.
The worry is that a teenager, after several hours of playing a virtual reality game, might get behind the wheel of a car and have balance and vision impairments similar to being drunk. Lengthy viewing of high-definition televisions or scrolling wildly on a phone might also somehow alter people’s sense of equilibrium, making them more likely to trip and fall.
“Long-term studies need to be done to understand the full impact,” Dr. Stanney said. “In the military you can be grounded for up to 12 hours after a simulator session because they understand the aftereffects are real.”
Related:December 16, 1944-January 28, 1945
In December 1944, in an all-out gamble to compel the Allies to sue for peace, Adolf Hitler ordered the only major German counteroffensive of the war in northwest Europe. Its objective was to split the Allied armies by means of a surprise blitzkrieg thrust through the Ardennes to Antwerp, marking a repeat of what the Germans had done three times previously–in September 1870, August 1914, and May 1940. Despite Germany’s historical penchant for mounting counteroffensives when things looked darkest, the Allies’ leadership miscalculated and left the Ardennes lightly defended by only two inexperienced and two battered American divisions.
On December 16, three German armies (more than a quarter-million troops) launched the deadliest and most desperate battle of the war in the west in the poorly roaded, rugged, heavily forested Ardennes. The once-quiet region became bedlam as American units were caught flat-footed and fought desperate battles to stem the German advance at St.-Vith, Elsenborn Ridge, Houffalize and, later, Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division. The inexperienced U.S. 106th Division was nearly annihilated, but even in defeat helped buy time for Brigadier General Bruce C. Clarke’s brilliant defense of St.-Vith. As the German armies drove deeper into the Ardennes in an attempt to secure vital bridgeheads west of the River Meuse quickly, the line defining the Allied front took on the appearance of a large protrusion or bulge, the name by which the battle would forever be known.
A crucial German shortage of fuel and the gallantry of American troops fighting in the frozen forests of the Ardennes proved fatal to Hitler’s ambition to snatch, if not victory, at least a draw with the Allies in the west. Lieutenant General George S. Patton’s remarkable feat of turning the Third Army ninety degrees from Lorraine to relieve the besieged town of Bastogne was the key to thwarting the German counteroffensive. The Battle of the Bulge was the costliest action ever fought by the U.S. Army, which suffered over 100,000 casualties.Trade unions offer no way forward in fight against British government assault on pensions
By Socialist Equality Party (Britain)
30 June 2011
The condemnation heaped on today’s strikes by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, leading members of the Labour Party and the media must not detract from one basic fact: Faced with the largest package of austerity measures since the 1930s, such a limited action is a calculated betrayal by the trade unions—both of their own members and of every worker and youth.
The government is unilaterally tearing up the pension rights of 5.5 million public sector workers, who will be forced to pay higher contributions over a longer period in return for a lower pay-out. This is a blatant robbery which, like the spending cuts as a whole, follows the biggest heist of all—the theft of billions from taxpayers to bail out Britain’s banks and super-rich following the 2008 economic crisis. Moreover, it is intended to legitimise the elimination of decent pension provision to any worker, especially the younger generation.
Yet today’s strike will involve just four unions—the National Union of Teachers, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, University and College Union, and the Public and Commercial Services union—with a book membership of just 750,000. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) did everything it could to prevent even this token protest taking place, leading the talks with the government. The three largest unions in the public sector, Unison, Unite and the GMB—with a combined membership of 3.5 million members—have refused to participate.
That this is the first such strike to be held in the last 13 months confirms where the TUC really stands in relation to the government’s austerity measures. In fact, the number of days lost through strike action fell to the lowest since World War Two in 2010—the year the coalition took office.
Since then, 143,000 public sector jobs have been cut. In March the contracts of over 100,000 public sector workers were torn up and replaced by inferior pay and conditions. In addition, the government has been able to impose a two-year pay freeze on nurses, teachers and council workers with the unions’ compliance.
The unions cannot be entrusted to wage a struggle against the attack on pension rights any more than they can to oppose the elimination of jobs, the destruction of pay and conditions or the dismantling of social services. They plead for talks with the government even while the coalition insists its position is non-negotiable.
In April the government downgraded the value of public sector pensions at the stroke of an administrative pen by indexing them to a lower level calculation of the rate of inflation. The unions did not raise a finger in opposition. Now the government is threatening to tighten up the anti-union laws in the face of today’s strikes. But that will not spur the unions into action any more than did the passing of the original anti-union laws in 1983, or their retention by the previous Labour government. On the contrary, they will use such threats to argue that no opposition is possible.
The truth is that the unions are just as anxious as the government to make sure the austerity measures demanded by the major financial institutions are implemented. There are no essential differences between the trade union leaders and their counterparts in government and corporate management. They come from the same highly-paid, upper stratum of the population who are determined to protect their privileges at the expense of the broad mass beneath them.
The same applies to the Labour Party. Throughout its 13 years in office, Labour faithfully implemented the policies required by the City of London. It is directly responsible for fuelling the criminal and reckless speculation that ended in economic catastrophe, and for the bank bailout for which workers are now paying with their livelihoods.
Not only was Labour the first to draw up austerity measures, but it is now playing the key role in helping push through the coalition’s own programme of cuts. The attack on public sector pensions is based upon recommendations from Lord Hutton, the former Work and Pensions Minister in the Labour government. Labour MP Frank Field is leading the attack on welfare benefits on behalf of the coalition, while former Health Secretary Alan Milburn now demands the government go further and faster in its efforts to privatise the National Health Service.
No wonder that Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has attacked the strikes as “falling into a government trap,” while insisting that public sector pensions must be overhauled.
This record is not changed one iota by the fact that a handful of unions have decided to call a 24-hour protest. None of those involved have a credible record in opposing the attacks on pension rights. Indeed, their justification for calling any action is that the coalition plans are unnecessary because they do not recognise the role the unions have already played in undermining the pension rights of public sector workers: Specifically, their agreement with Labour in 2007 to cap employer contributions, raise employee contributions and hike up the retirement age for new entrants to 65.
The UCU has already acceded to the government’s demands in relation to the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which covers staff in pre-1992 universities. It has made counter-proposals which agree to the scrapping of the final salary scheme as well as the downgrading of pensions to the CPI measure of inflation. The UCU action will only involve staff covered by the Teachers Pension Scheme, and takes place on a day when colleges and universities are closed!
For its part, the supposedly “left” PCS has already offered the prospect of a climb-down in the event of “significant concessions by the government”.
As for the largest public sector union, Unison, no action is taking place at all. General Secretary Dave Prentis—who makes demagogic speeches threatening a “hot autumn”—has refused to ballot his members for strike action so this does not cut across talks with the government. There can be no doubt some filthy, divisive deal is being stitched up behind closed doors to the detriment of working people.
The bitter reality is that workers in Britain face exactly the same situation as those in Spain, Greece, Portugal and Ireland whose living standards are being decimated. It is not, as is routinely claimed, that workers should accept sacrifices in the short term to bring about a “recovery”. Rather, the economic crisis is being used to carry out an even greater transfer of wealth from working people to the super-rich and to restructure social relations based on ever greater levels of exploitation.
Working people confront a fundamental crisis of the capitalist profit system. Just as in the 1930s, this threatens mass unemployment, poverty and war. Neither the trade unions, nor Labour can be made to act in workers’ interests. On the contrary, here, as in Europe, they play the lead role on behalf of the financial oligarchy in sabotaging and suppressing the class struggle.
The Socialist Equality Party calls for the building of rank-and-file committees, independent of the trade unions, in every workplace and community. These popular bodies must be at the centre of a mass movement to bring down the coalition and replace it with a workers’ government committed to socialist policies.
Only the reorganisation of economic life to meet social needs, not private profit, can put an end to militarism and war and guarantee secure jobs, decent living standards, education, health care and a future for young and old alike.0 15-year-old boy shot, killed in East Point
EAST POINT, Ga. - Family members are in shock after a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed at a home in East Point.
Investigators say the shooting happened at home along 2900 block of Pearl Street around 1:10 p.m. Sunday.
The boy, identified by family as Alan Molina, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The family told Channel 2's Audrey Washington that they are trying to focus on good memories.
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Molina’s aunt said Alan was at his friend's house when the shooting happened.
East Point detectives did not say what led up to the shooting, but did confirm that one person was in custody. They believe the person who shot Molina lived at the house.
Family members wouldn't talk much about the suspected shooter in the case, but said that the bullet took away a wonderful young man.
"He was a good kid, he was doing what 15-year-olds do," said Molinas' aunt, Alicia Wood. "He's got a lot of people who love him, his family, his nieces and nephews, sisters and parents. They're all going to miss him."
Neighbor Robert Mosley said it sounded like a loud bang when the gun went off. "It's sad to me another young life has been taken," Mosley said.
Detectives told Washington that several charges are still pending in the case and that it remains an active investigation.
“He was a good kid. He was doing what 15 year olds do.” Hear from the family of teen shot & killed, while at friend's house. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/babxcKt4PP — Audrey Washington (@AudreyWSBTV) May 22, 2017
© 2019 Cox Media Group.(Original Title: Plein Soleil)
René Clément‘s slick suspense thriller Plein Soleil, translated as Purple Noon, is bubbling over with attitude and terror. We first meet Tom Ripley on the streets of Italy, laughing and chatting with friend Philippe Greenleaf. We soon learn that Ripley is being paid by Greenleaf’s father to try and persuade Philippe to return home to the United States to learn and takeover his father’s business. It is apparent that Philippe himself does not intend to return to the States but what becomes more concerning is that Tom seems to have no intention to convince Philippe to travel home. In fact, Tom’s own plans are still blurry and uncertain.
Soon enough we find the two men on a yacht with Philippe’s fiancé Marge. Marge makes it clear that she is uncomfortable with Tom’s constant presence and he becomes more and more unwelcome as the trip continues. Tom has a creepy fascination with both Marge and Philippe and we witness him causing havoc between th e two. Philippe taunts Tom harshly and finally it’s just two men on a boat and whilst the scorching sun beams down over both men, Tom makes his move and begins a cycle of deceit and crime that he himself is not entirely prepared for. As the sun consumes our characters, Tom’s mind becomes consumed with a plan that will take over his life and define his future. You can almost hear the cogs turning in his head as he prepares to commit to the ultimate con.
A film about trickery, secrecy and disguise, Purple Noon is undeniably cool. It is evocative and seductive and as the plot develops into an exciting tale of cat and mouse the suspense continues to build. René Clément refuses to release this tension until the final moments of the film; keeping his audience tangled up in Tom’s own lies and sin. Seeing everything from Tom’s perspective is a delightful treat for us as the audience who can’t help but indulge in Mr Ripley’s manoeuvres and craft.
Alain Delon is a master of the cinematic villain. Here we see his thought processes, as Tom Ripley, and watch him portray a character whose head is always barely above the water; close to drowning. Marie Laforêt is a superb supporting actress who drives the film emotionally and causes constant battles and obstacles for Tom. Purple Noon demonstrates the beauty of simplistic storytelling which falls perfectly against a romantic Italian backdrop. The final moments of the film are deliciously exciting as our mouse journeys closer to the mouse trap. The resolution, if it can be called such a thing, is satisfying and smug. The cinematography, direction and performances are precise and sleek and combine to make Purple Noon a cinematic thriller that is clean-cut, timeless and enticing.
External links
Purple Noon at IMDb
Purple Noon at WikipediaThroughout the history, there have been many awful, horrendous methods of killing criminals, enemies, or undesirables. This particular article discusses the most brutal execution methods that were used by the earliest of civilizations. Thankfully, most of them are now banned.
10. Crucifixion
Crucifixion was among the most gruesome and painful of ancient execution methods and was practiced from about the 6th century BC until the 4th century AD, mainly among the Seleucids, Carthaginians, Persians and Romans. The condemned person was tied (or nailed) to a large wooden cross and left to hang till dead. The prisoner would usually just bleed to death, if not that he would die by hunger or thirst. Most of the times if the prisoner was lucky, he would just die by severe cold or heat. This practise is principally known from antiquity, but remains in occasional use in some countries.
9. Flaying
Flaying is one of the most brutal and uncivilized method of torture and punishment practiced during the Middle Ages. Brutal to the bone, it involved removing the skin from the body of a still living prisoner. After the skin was removed, the condemned would be thrown to bleed to death. Added ingredients like salt was also used to increase the pain exponentially. This was a public method of execution, inflicted on criminals, captured soldiers and ‘witches’ around a thousand years ago in places such as the Middle East and Africa.
8. Breaking Wheel
The breaking wheel, also known as the ‘Catherine wheel’, was a torture device used for capital punishment. It was used during the Middle Ages and was still in use in the 19th century. It originated in Ancient Greece and from there spread through other countries such as France, Russia, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Sweden. A wooden wheel was used to stretch the victim out, with their limbs extended along its many spokes. Then a hammer or a large iron bar was applied to the limb through the gap to break all its bones. This process usually took a very long time. Usually a person would be left alive with every limb in his or her body, broken.
7. Disembowelment
Disembowelment may result from an accident but has also been used as a method of torture and execution. It was among the most severe forms of punishments ever heard. This method was used to punish thieves and those accused of adultery. Some or all the vital organs were removed one by one from the body, mainly from the abdomen. Sources say it was practiced in England, the Netherlands, Belgium and in Japan.
6. Impalement
If you was the Dracula of 15th century Romania, you simply impaled your victims by forcing them to sit on a sharp and thick pole. The pole was then raised upright and the victim was left to slide further down the pole by his or her own weight. This was among the most revolting of punishments ever imagined and practiced by humans. It was a favorite of the Romans, Chinese, Greeks and the Turks. It was also practiced in Asia and in Europe during the Middle Ages.
One of the most horrifying methods of execution. The victim was pierced through the rectum, through the vagina, through the side or even through the mouth, causing deep bleeding and painful wounds. They were then dropped into their own grave. The victim endured a long period of continued suffering before their death. Though it was rarely practiced, but was truly horrifying.
5. Crushing
Death by crushing or pressing is a forceful execution method that has an extensive history, with several varying methods used through time. One of them was ‘Crushing by Elephants’, which was used throughout south and south-east Asia for over 4,000 years. Sources say it was also used by Romans as well as by the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam.
The condemned would be tied up with his head on a stone or a slightly extruded surface. The head
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therefore we'll put less effort into the UK."
Mr Rooke, who hails from the English county of Wiltshire, spent many years building up e-commerce companies back in Britain, and is worried about the sector's future.
"There are many of the people I know in the investment community, who are not considering UK e-commerce businesses now, because they would prefer to invest in European ones that can reach a much larger audience in a much easier way. That hurts."
Image copyright Spreadshirt Image caption Spreadshirt says having open borders across Europe is key for its business
Can he see himself ever returning to the UK?
"Possibly not," he says, after a thoughtful pause.
'People haven't given up'
Jesse Wragg, a fellow Brit working in Leipzig, is slightly more optimistic. UK nationals working in Germany have been hit by the vote, he says, but he's hopeful that the two countries will find a way to maintain freedom of movement.
His clients, 60% of whom are based in Britain, "didn't want to talk" on the morning after the Brexit decision, but on Tuesday, it was back to "business as usual", says Mr Wragg.
"People haven't given up on Europe as a whole," he says.
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Foreign investment has been vital in transforming Leipzig
The impact of Brexit is not confined to businesses in the area with British staff and clients.
Birgit Stodtko, the international director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the southern region of the neighbouring state of Saxony-Anhalt - which represents more than 57,000 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) - says local firms "are all worried" by the result.
Some €1.2bn (£986m) worth of goods were sold by SMEs in the region to the UK last year, including chemical and pharmaceutical products, food stuff and metals.
"Great Britain is number two in our export ranking," she says, "and in the last five years we've doubled our exports to the UK."
Now, Mrs Stodtko adds: "Everything will be very difficult, especially the bureaucracy, red tape and administrative burden."
Businesses also need Britons to come and work in the area, she says, as Saxony-Anhalt "needs specialists in every area of the economy".
'Disbelief and shock'
Yet there are strong indications that skilled UK workers might well continue to work in the country's commercial centres.
Carrie King, who works for job search company Jobspotting in Berlin, says there has been a clamour for information on how Brits can ensure their future in Germany.
Image copyright Carrie King Image caption "People are in limbo," says Jobspotting's Carrie King
Blog posts she wrote explaining British expats' options were read so widely on Friday, she says, that the volume of traffic almost crashed the firm's servers.
"The mood is one of disbelief and shock, people are in limbo - they are disappointed and are wondering what is going to happen in the coming months."
Back in Leipzig, Dr Weingarten is hoping Britons in this part of the world find a solution, if only for the sake of her English goods store.
"I hope that it will exist," she says.
"Otherwise, we'll change it into a Scottish or Irish shop."We also code SemanticMerge, and the gmaster Git client.
If you want to give it a try, download it from here.
We are the developers of Plastic SCM, a full version control stack (not a Git variant). We work on the strongest branching and merging you can find, and a core that doesn't cringe with huge binaries and repos. We also develop the GUIs, mergetools and everything needed to give you the full version control stack.
SemanticMerge now ready for VB.net Thursday, May 02, 2013 Pablo Santos news, semanticmerge 1 Comments
We’re glad to announce a new release of SemanticMerge today: 0.9.21.
This new build is very special because we’re adding a new language: Visual Basic.net!!
So now SemanticMerge is able to deal with two languages C# and VB.net and more are coming.
New examples available
All the possible merge cases supported for C# are now ready for VB.net and in fact if you go to the “samples” subdirectory you’ll find a new collection of test cases ready to be tested just by “double clicking”:
And we added a couple of script files inside each example folder so you can directly double click and run. “samplesemanticmergetool” runs the semantic merge and “samplemergetool” runs the text based one so you can compare and see why “semantic” rocks :-)
A Visual Basic merge scenario
Look at the following scenario with concurrent changes made on a method that is also moved “divergently”:
This scenario will be hell for conventional text based merge tools but check how it looks like inside SemanticMerge.
Once the conflicts are solved, you can jump and rearrange the file too.
Webinar
Download
More new features on 0.9.21
Redesigned (and improved) “merge info” panel. It now displays all the available information (if specified by the invoker of the tool) such us the contributor paths, the symbolic names (aliases you can use from the scm), owner, branch information, changeset and comment (if sent by the scm).
The unmatch button was not able to deal with “moves out of scope” which means “methods (or any other element) move from one class to a different one (one container to another)”. It is now able to deal with it. It means that if the tool wrongly detected a move, you can unmatch and match again with the right one.
Added a “diff button” for the “added-added” conflicts so that you can now compare the two contributors directly which is very useful (especially if you’re not using an external 2-way merge text-based tool).
SemanticDiff now accepts symbolic names, which means you can send meaningful info from the scm (instead of the temporary files the scm will use for diffing and so on).
The update window has been improved so starting on the next upgrade whenever an update is detected it will show the current version number, the one to be updated to, release notes (finally!) and even a link to the new installer (just in case you want to run a full installation).
Remember we run a webinar this week and you can access the video here:SemanticMerge beta is free so go to www.semanticmerge.com and grab a copy!Together with the support of Visual Basic.net this new release include the following improvements:A head constable from Mumbai Police has filed a criminal writ petition in the Bombay High Court in which he has alleged that there is a shocking system for corruption and bribery in place in the city's Traffic Police Department.
Sunil Bhagwantrao Toke, the petitioner, has worked with the Mumbai Police for 32 years. From 2014 to 2016, Toke was working with the Traffic Police Department.
In his petition, Toke has alleged that in each region or division of the Traffic Police Department, there are two constables called "cashiers" who are unofficially in charge of collecting daily or monthly 'hafta' (extortion money) from two and four wheeler showrooms. This bribe ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
Toke has also alleged that the Traffic Police collects daily 'hafta' of Rs 100 or Rs 200 per day. He added that the department also collects Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per month from construction sites in Mumbai for "running ready-mix cement vehicles, sand, bricks and other construction material vehicles".
This petition will be heard in the high court on 23 January. Toke also told Firstpost that he had earlier complained to the Director General of Police and Commissioner of Police but no action was taken.
In his petition, he also alleged that the illegal transportation of sand was rampant in Mumbai because the Traffic Police Department charged Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for every overloaded sand truck. Illegal school vans and buses were also allegedly allowed to run for Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month.
The department also allegedly took around Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month from malls, hotels, beer bars and marriage halls for allowing illegal parking of vehicles on the road.
Toke also alleged in the petition that even though only a police sub-inspector or an officer with a higher rank could check documents of vehicles on the roads, traffic police constables and the assistant police sub-inspector also harassed commuters on the road by asking them for documents and "extracting huge amounts without passing any receipts".
The department also collected Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per month from three-star, four-star and five-star hotels for allowing illegal parking on roads, according to the petition. The department allegedly charged Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for the shooting of serials, movies or advertisements on the roads.
In cases of drunk driving, the petitioner alleged that even though the concerned team from the department caught 40 to 50 people during a drive against drunken driving (which takes place twice a week), only 5 to 10 cases are officially shown. This is because the others are let off are extracting Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 from them.
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.The Family of Direct Radiators
Ahem. I must reluctantly draw the curtain on this depraved scene of electro-motive-force before it proceeds any further, and gently but firmly steer our attention back to the topic at hand.
As we descend from the ethereal realm of charged plasmas, we must once again contend with solid materials... the same materials that Rice and Kellogg used to build their first direct-radiator cone loudspeaker in 1928. Back then, they made the cone from paper, and paper is still used today. We also have new materials that spring from high technology, such as Kevlar, carbon-fiber, ceramic, and impact-forged aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. In the years to come, we can expect new composites, synthetic diamond, ultralow density aerogel-silica glasses, and new types of monocrystalline materials.
The direct-radiator cone has only one task to perform: transform the accelerations of the voice coil into acoustic power over the desired frequency range. To accomplish this deceptively simple task, the driver designer must balance uniformity of motion (rigidity) with freedom from resonance at mid and high frequencies (self-damping). This is the number one sonic tradeoff in all drivers (except the plasmas). There are other problems introduced by cavity resonances and magnetic non-linearities, which are discussed later.
Uniform Motion
Rigidity means accelerations from the voice coil are accurately translated into cone or dome acceleration over the entire driver surface; this translates to ruler-flat frequency response, fast pulse risetime, low IM distortion and a transparent, "see-through" quality to the sound.
Audiophiles usually describe this type of sound as "fast," much to the dismay of measurement-oriented engineers. "How can a woofer possibly be fast, since the crossover limits the pulse risetime to a tenth of what any tweeter can do?" This leads to what diplomats discreetly call a "full and frank exchange of views," in other words, a shouting match.
As usual, both sides are right, and both sides are wrong. Theyre just speaking about different things. The audiophile is unwittingly describing uniform cone motion, and it can be indirectly measured by the absence of IM distortion, a flat frequency response in the working range, and good pulse response with a smooth and quick decay signature.
Well, thats great, you might think, just make the cone, or dome, or whatever as rigid as possible. How about a metal, like aluminum, perhaps? Thats nice and strong, and it can be formed into nearly any shape.
You can see the direction this is taking. Remember, bells are made of metal! Another problem raises its head... resonance! After all, why does a bell, or any other rigid material, ring so long, for many thousands of cycles?
We need to take a close look at how the mechanical energy gets released (if it didn't get released the bell would ring forever). Well, obviously there are some resistive losses in the bell itself; even in a vacuum the bell will quit ringing after a while. The major loss path is through the air; in effect, the air discharges the stored mechanical energy of the ringing bell. But since there is a very large mismatch between the density of the air and the metal, the coupling is very inefficient, and the bell rings for a long time before all of the energy gets discharged.
Well, guess what? All of these things happen in a speaker cone, too! The cone is much denser than air, resulting in the typically low efficiency of most direct-radiators. (89dB at one metre with 1 watt input corresponds to an absolute efficiency of a mere 0.5%) In addition, the air is so weakly coupled that it doesn't help much with damping the cone (unlike a large-area electrostat or magnetic-planar). We can only look for help from two sources; amplifier damping, which controls the voice-coil, and the intrinsic self-damping properties of the cone and the surround.
Self-Damping
Wed like the amplifier, acting through the voice coil, to stop the cone or dome, not have the cone keep playing a tune all by itself. Unfortunately, the voice coil represents only a small portion of the cone area, and the rest of the cone may have almost no self-damping, particularly if it is made of metal, carbon-fiber, or Kevlar. One way to control the problem is to extend a rubber surround partway down the cone, and pay a lot of attention to the damping behavior of the spider and surround materials. (I have heard from several sources that Kurt Mueller of Germany makes rubber surrounds with superior damping qualities.)
At present, though, even the best Kevlar, carbon-fiber, or aluminum cones show at least one high-Q peak at the top of the working range, requiring a sharp crossover, a notch filter, or both to control the peak. Unfortunately, this peak usually falls in a region between 3 and 5 kHz, right where the ear is most sensitive to resonant coloration.
Most audiophiles and magazine reviewers are unaware of the sonic signature of Kevlar or carbon-fiber resonance, misidentifying it as "amplifier sensitivity," "room sensitivity," or other problems that point away from the real culprit. Since few reviewers have auditioned the raw, unmodified sound of commonly-used drivers, they cant evaluate how much "Kevlar sound," or "aluminum sound," remains as a residue in the finished design. It is the task of the designer to skillfully manage the crossover and cabinet profile to minimize the driver coloration. Despite advertising claims or the opinions of nationally famous reviewers, the characteristic signature of a driver can never be removed completely.
When working with rigid-cone drivers, there are some hard choices to make: if you lower the crossover frequency to minimize driver coloration, tweeter IM distortion skyrockets, resulting in raspy, distorted high frequencies at mid-to-high listening levels; if you raise the crossover frequency to improve the sound of the tweeter, the rigid-driver breakup creeps in, resulting in a forward, aggressive sound at moderate listening levels, and complete breakup at high levels. (Unlike paper cones, Kevlar, metal, and carbon fibers do not go into gradual breakup.) With the drivers we have today, the best all-around compromise is a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-order (12-24dB/Oct.) crossover with an additional notch filter tuned to remove the most significant HF resonance of the midbass driver.
I should add, by the way, that I like Kevlar and aluminum drivers very much... but no question about it, they are very difficult drivers to work with, with strong resonant signatures that must be controlled acoustically and electrically.
As mentioned above, rigid cones have advantages, but they are difficult to damp completely. An alternative approach is to use a cone material that is made from a highly lossy material (traditionally, this was plastic-doped paper, but this has been supplanted by polypropylene in most modern loudspeakers). The cone then damps itself, progressively losing energy as the impulse from the voice coil spreads outwards across the cone surface. The choice of spider and surround are then much less critical.
This type of material typically measures quite flat and also allows a simple 6dB/Octave crossover; personally, though, I don't care for the sound of many polypropylene drivers, finding them rather vague and blurry-sounding at low-to-medium listening levels. Without access to a B&K swept IM distortion analyzer, I have to resort to guesswork, but I strongly suspect that this type of driver has fairly high IM distortion since it is a soft cone material.
It is quite difficult to make a material that has perfectly linear mechanical attenuation. In the electrical world, we expect resistors to have almost zero distortion. In the mechanical world, though, lossy (soft) materials tend to have weird hysteresis modes, and linear behavior cannot be taken for granted. This is the source of the IM distortion in the midband of a driver's frequency range, where the displacement is low, and it is operating in a constant-acceleration regime. In short, it has moderate cone (or dome) flex, but it isn't the all-or-nothing gross breakup that people see in the acoustic holography pictures.
I suspect (without proof) this is the problem for many soft-dome tweeters and midrange domes; the driver is actually flexing throughout the entire frequency range, but the lossy damping material hides this from the instrumentation (but not the ear). To overcome this, the best cone drivers (Scan-Speak, Vifa, and Seas) are actually composites, adding silica, talc, or metal dust to the plastic cone, which significantly improve rigidity without losing the characteristic polypropylene smoothness.
Cavity Resonances
Even though the dust cap in a mid/woofer (or the dome in a tweeter) looks pretty harmless, the space between dustcap and the polepiece of the magnet creates a small high-Q resonant cavity. One example of this was the KEF B110 Bextrene midbass driver dating from the early Seventies (as used in the BBC LS 3/5a).
Although this driver was probably the one of the first high-quality midranges available, it also had a host of problems, such as low efficiency, limited power-handling, a broad one-octave peak centered at 1.5 kHz (corrected by the BBC crossover), and group of 3 very high-Q peaks centered around 4.5 kHz (only slightly attenuated by the BBC third-order crossover). These upper peaks, which reviewers mistakenly ascribed to the tweeter, were also very directional, which is typical of dustcap resonances.
The popular tweeters of the 1970s, including the Audax and Peerless 1" soft-domes, had similar resonances between 9 and 16 kHz, which were partially damped by a small felt pad almost filling the space between the dome and the magnet polepiece. Since the soft-domes were much more lossy than the stiff B110 dustcap, the resonances were much broader and only 1 to 2 dB in magnitude... but they were still there, and they were responsible for some of the fatiguing quality noticed by attentive listeners.
Not surprisingly, the problems were much worse in the phenolic, fiberglass, and hard paper domes used in the nastier speakers of the day. (Ah yes... who can remember such paragons of excellence as the BIC Venturis? Cerwin-Vegas? JBL L100's? Once upon a time I actually sold these things!)
Returning to the present, the best midbass and tweeter drivers now sidestep the dustcap/dome problem in two ways: a vented polepiece assembly, used by the Scandinavian manufacturers Scan-Speak, Vifa, and Seas; or a bullet-like extension of the polepiece, which replaces the midbass dustcap entirely, used by the French manufacturers Audax and Focal.
The Scan-Speak D2905 series of tweeters are the most notable examples of tweeters with vented polepieces that load into a tiny transmission-line behind the magnet assembly. (The line progressively absorbs the backwave from the tweeter dome, improving the impulse response and power-handling of the tweeter.)
Magnetic Non-linearities
Most audiophiles are aware that loudspeaker drivers are inductive; after all, the voice coil is wound around a ferrous polepiece, and thats how you make an iron-core inductor. Not as many audiophiles know about the myriad of problems this creates.
If the inductance were constant, like an air-core inductor, there would be no problem; just adjust the crossover design to allow for it (using a simple R-C network) and off you go. Unfortunately, this is an iron-core inductor, and much worse, the inductance varies with the position of the voice coil.
The varying inductance has profound consequences, since the inductance is actually a important factor in determining the upper rolloff frequency of the driver, as well as its acoustic delay (relative to the tweeter). Vary this inductance, and the rolloff frequency and acoustic delay vary too. When does this happen? Whenever the driver moves a significant proportion of the linear region of voice-coil travel, which is a shorter distance than you'd think. In the excellent 8" Vifa P21W0-12-08, this linear region is only 8 mm (plus/minus 4 mm either way). A more typical figure for linear travel would be 6 mm for most 8" drivers, and 1 to 3 mm for most midranges.
Play some deep bass, and the effects of inductance modulation begin to show, creating IM and FM sidebands over the entire frequency spectrum. This is a genuine problem for 2-way systems and 3-way systems using a low midrange crossover; it means that any time you can actually see the drivers move, there are quite significant amounts of IM and FM distortion. What does this sound like? You can expect a "grayish" coloration and a blurriness that will change depending on the type of music you play.
Are there solutions? Yes. The drivers from Scan-Speak (SD System), Dynaudio (DTL-System), and the new Seas Excel series plate the polepiece with copper to short out eddy currents induced within the magnet structure by the voice coil. The specification that gives this away is the lower-than-usual voice coil inductance.
The 8" Scan-Speak 21W/8554, probably one of the best 8" drivers in the world, has an inductance of 0.1mH, which is far lower than the 8" Vifa P21W0-20-08, which has in inductance of 0.9mH. Both are excellent drivers; the Scan-Speak, though, is almost certainly going to have more transparent sound when asked to play bass and midrange at the same time.
The inductance figure has another hidden consequence; remember, the upper rolloff frequency of the driver is the combined function of the mechanical rolloff and self-inductance of the voice coil. If you calculate the electrical rolloff frequency by using the VC inductance and the DC resistance, a few drivers have an electrical rolloff well above the measured acoustical rolloff. This is good; it means that the interaction between the two rolloff mechanisms is going to be small.
Most drivers, though, have an electrical rolloff well below the measured acoustical rolloff. How is this possible? The mechanical system actually has a broad peak which is masked by the self-inductance of the voice coil. This is not good; any change in either the mechanical system or the electrical system is going to strongly modulate the frequency and transient response.
This, by the way, is the same kind of problem found in the old moving-magnet phono cartridges. Most moving-magnets (typically Shure and Stanton) were mechanically peaked, then rolled-off electrically by the combination of cable capacitance and cartridge inductance. By contrast, moving-coils have less than one-tenth the inductance, a much flatter and wideband mechanical system, and are much less susceptible to cable coloration.
The same applies to loudspeakers; it is always preferable to have a flat mechanical system and avoid compensating with electrical equalization; the trick is to know when this has been done within the driver itself by generous amounts of self-inductance.
Selecting A Driver
I use a method thats so crude it might sound dumb; I put the driver on large, IEC-sized baffle (135 cm by 85 cm) and listen to it! No crossover, no enclosure, and if its a tweeter, not loud at all. I listen to pink noise (to assess the severity of the peaks that may appear in the sine-wave and FFT waterfall measurements) and music (to get a sense of the driver's musicality and resolution).
This does take an educated ear, though, since you have to listen around the peaks that the crossover might notch out, and not hold the restricted bandwidth against it. However, this listening process tells you a lot about how complex the crossover has to be, particularly if you remember that the crossover can never totally remove a resonance... it can just make it a lot more tolerable.
I also carefully assess the results of the MLSSA PC-based measurement system (using the same IEC baffle), looking at the:
1) Impulse Response. How fast does the driver settle to zero? Is there chaotic hash in the decay region or is it a single, smooth resonance? Are there two or more resonances? 2) Group Delay vs. Frequency Response. How ragged is the frequency range above the first breakup? Can it be corrected in the crossover? 3) Waterfall Cumulative Decay Spectrum. Can you accept the resonances that can't be fixed in the crossover? If crossover correction is required, how complex is it going to be? 4) Flatness of Frequency Response. Take a good look at the Fletcher-Munson curves; these show where the ear is most sensitive to small deviations in response. The most critical region is between 1 and 5kHz; any peaking in this region, even as small as 1/2dB, is audible as an unpleasant "canned" quality. By contrast, small valleys are much less audible, so long as they are not caused by reflections or resonances.
Paying attention to these small details is the difference between the cheerful DIY builder with a table saw and the serious, dedicated craftsman(or craftswoman) who loves the art. As in traditional crafts, a deep knowledge of technical means is combined with a sense of beauty and purpose.
Direct-Radiator Drivers
It helps when you start listening and comparing to have a good grasp on the basic characteristics of the driver, so you can determine if it is a good example of its type. By listening carefully to the driver in an open baffle with no crossover, and examining all of the important specifications, you can find out just how well the designers solved the problems of making that particular type of driver.
Soft-Dome Tweeters
These tweeters, using silk domes with damping compounds, came into common use in the early Seventies with the introduction of the Peerless 1" soft-dome (remember the tweeters of the original Polk speakers?), followed by the superior Audax 1" tweeter, which found its way into many British and American designs during the 1970s and early 1980s.
These designs fell into disfavor with the introduction of modern titanium and aluminum domes, which swept the Audax-class soft-dome drivers off the audiophile market.
Over the last ten years, the soft-domes have made a surprising comeback with the gradual improvement to the Scan-Speak D2905 series of 1" tweeters, which compete on even terms with any metal-dome around. These tweeters combine vented pole-pieces with sophisticated transmission-line back-loading, new dome profiles, and new coating materials. As a result, they have the sonic resolution and detail of the best metal domes without the characteristic 22 to 27 kHz metal resonance.
Strengths are: Intrinsic self-damping and potential for extremely flat response and first-class impulse response. Potential for natural, open sound without intrusive and fatiguing resonances, a valuable quality when listening to many digital recordings.
Weaknesses are: The first-generation of soft-dome tweeters had a dull sound with a hard-to-pin-down fatiguing quality, as well as quite limited power-handling which required a high-slope 18 dB/Octave crossover. Modern soft-domes have solved these problems, with the best examples comparing to the best of all other technologies, including electrostatic and ribbon tweeters.
Best Examples are: The Scan-Speak D2905 family of 1" dome tweeters. Ive used the Scan-Speak D2905 in the Ariel loudspeaker and am very pleased with the sound.
Soft-Dome Midranges
These are enlarged (2 to 3 inch) versions of soft-dome tweeters, using similar construction techniques with a half-roll surround acting as the combined surround and spider. Unfortunately, what works for a tweeter doesnt work so well when scaled up for midrange use. In a tweeter, excursion requirements are modest (0.5 mm is plenty), but the requirements for the 3rd derivative of excursion (jerk) are severe, since the tweeter handles the very top of the spectrum, and is occasionally exposed to ultrasonic clicks from amplifier clipping, phono cartridge mistracking, or high-frequency noise and distortion from digital converters.
By contrast, the midrange (or midbass) driver experiences much greater demands for excursion and acceleration for two reasons: if you halve the frequency, you need four times as much excursion, and the musical spectrum carries most of its power in the lower midband. Both factors combine to make the midrange driver a device that must handle much more power than a tweeter. This imposes harsh demands on the rigidity of the diaphragm, and it exposes the simple suspension to rocking modes.
The reason conventional cones have a separate surround and an inner spider is to constrain the cone travel to a back-and-forth piston motion. Only very expensive mid domes intended for professional studio monitors (like the ATC) use a separate spider; as a result, most consumer-grade domes have serious problems with side-to-side rocking and other spurious motions. In addition, the doped-silk diaphragm is easily deformed by the high acceleration loads in the power band of the midrange. You dont see bass drivers made out of doped silk, after all.
As a result of these problems, soft-dome midranges measure well, but sound a lot worse than conventional steady-state measurements would indicate. Even if you stick to measurements and discount all of the foregoing, they are limited bandwidth drivers, requiring a 12dB/octave crossover no lower than 500Hz (800Hz is better) thanks to a linear excursion of no more than 2mm. Youd expect a big tweeter to do well at high frequencies, but all of the soft-domes Ive seen start to roll off at 4 to 5kHz, which is no better than good modern midbass drivers.
Of course, there are exceptions to what Ive mentioned above. For example, there are cone-dome hybrids, such as the 5" Scan-Speak 13M/8636 and 13M/8640, and the 5" Dynaudio 15W-75. These new drivers are actually designed as high-quality miniature cone drivers, not as midrange domes. The only thing they have in common with the traditional soft dome is a large dustcap, which does indeed act as a dome radiator at the higher frequencies.
These new cone-domes have much more excursion, much lower distortion, and a much wider frequency response than the older soft-dome midranges. The cone-dome drivers are capable of realistic and transparent sound. They are described in more detail in the other sections, since they use Kevlar, paper, and polypropylene cone materials.
Another "special case" is the English professional-grade ATC 3" dome with an integral short horn. This driver uses a dual spider to eliminate the rocking problem that plagues most soft-domes, reducing the IM distortion very significantly. Ron Nelson (of Nelson-Reed) recommended this driver as one of the very best midranges around, and I take his recommendation seriously. This is a very expensive driver (around US$300/each). They also need to be hand-selected so the resonant frequencies of the left and right channels match.
Strengths are: None. Metal-dome midranges have some potential, but they require sharp crossovers on both ends with an additional sharp notch filter at high frequencies to remove the first (and worst) HF breakup mode. Note: This does not apply to the cone-dome hybrids or the prosound ATC driver.
Weaknesses are: High distortion, fatiguing sound, high crossover frequency, limited bandwidth, limited power-handling, and misleading frequency response measurements. It takes a detailed swept IM distortion measurement and laser holography to get the full story on these drivers. Note: As before, this does not apply to the cone-dome hybrids or the prosound ATC driver.
Best Examples are: ATC 3" professional-series - a totally different animal than the usual soft-domes. About 4 times as expensive, though (so what did you expect?). The Scan-Speak 8640 and 8636 are also excellent wideband midrange drivers.
Metal-Dome Tweeters
Advances in German metallurgy (at Elac and MB) resulted in thin profile titanium and aluminum domes in the mid-Eighties, with drivers from several vendors in Germany, Norway, and France now available. This type of driver can offer very transparent sound, rivaling the best electrostatics if correctly designed.
The downside is the lack of self-damping, with aluminum coming a little ahead of titanium in being better behaved in the ultrasonic region. At the present, all metal-dome drivers have significant ultrasonic peaks, ranging in magnitude from 3 dB (excellent) to 12 dB (not so good).
Theres controversy about the significance of this ultrasonic peak, since the engineers of Philips and Sony have gone to great lengths to ensure that none of our wonderful new "Perfect Sound Forever" recordings ever have any musical information above 20kHz. Not withstanding limitations of the signal source, power amplifiers (and CD players) can generate spurious ultrasonic signals, especially at or beyond clipping. These ultrasonic signals can excite the metal-dome resonance, causing IM distortion to fold down into the audible region.
Strengths are: Uniform piston action right up to the HF resonance, providing sound of very high resolution, transparency, and immediacy if correctly designed. Dispersion is typically excellent, since the metal domes have flatter profiles than soft-domes.
Weaknesses are: Potential for (dare I say it) "metallic" coloration caused by the HF peak intermodulating with the inband sound. Some early designs have restricted power-handling. If overloaded, breakup distortion can be extremely harsh.
Best Examples are: Vifa D25AG-35-06 1" aluminum dome, which is even better with the plastic phase disk removed. This dome has a vented pole piece, so power handling is quite good, and the ultrasonic peak is only about 3 dB even with the phase disk clipped off (recommended). The Focal tweeters are reputed to be even better.
Ribbon Tweeters
The best-known true ribbon tweeter is the rare Kelly Ribbon of the Fifties, but other types appear every now and then. These are the only dynamic tweeters with the low mass, uniform drive, and low distortion of electrostatics. True ribbon tweeters are in a category of their own, since the of the design compromises of conventional drivers dont apply. Of course, that means they have a whole new set of problems! No free lunches in audio!
The biggest drawback of true ribbons is the one-turn "voice coil," freely suspended in the side-by-side magnetic gap. This means the impedance and efficiency approach zero, unless a transformer is used. Even with a matching transformer, the efficiency of the ribbon was still pretty low, which is why Kelly added a short horn to their tweeter. Unfortunately, the short horn compromised some of the best traits of the ribbon, which are accurate pulse response and freedom from resonance.
By combining rare-earth magnets with an integral transformer, Raven has raised the efficiency of their ribbons to an astonishing 95dB/metre. This is ten times higher than traditional ribbons, and without horn loading! The MLSSA waterfalls look impressive too, but thats to be expected with ribbons, along with low distortion. (Raven claims less than 1% distortion at 105dB continuous output, a very good figure.)
The only drawback I can see for the Ravens is the requirement for a high-slope crossover. This is a potentially serious issue, since a 4th-order (acoustic) slope is already on the threshold of audibility, with a 360-degree phase rotation at the crossover frequency. The most direct way around this is raising the crossover frequency, and selecting a very wideband midbass driver.
Paper Cone Midbass & Full-Range
This class of drivers go right back to the original Rice & Kellogg moving-coil patent of 1925. Paper-cone drivers range in quality from terrible to wonderful; from a ten-cent speaker glued to a computer motherboard to the superb Scan-Speak 5" cone/dome midrange, the classic horn-loaded Lowthers, and the 12 and 15-inch Tannoy Dual Concentrics.
This oldest of cone materials is actually a composite structure, and changes properties significantly when treated with an appropriate material (the makeup of the additive is invariably a trade secret of the manufacturer). The cone treatment is quite important, since paper undergoes significant alterations with changes in humidity if left untreated; the additive stabilizes the material, improves the self-damping, and extends the HF response of the cone.
Strengths are: Good-to-excellent self-damping, potentially excellent resolution and detail, very
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Dank music - Hear the impossible, feel the impossible, be the impossible dankmusic.org dankcoin.org 13oZY8zzWEp48XZpEEi8zSkYJF5AWR2vXc DMhYmNzMnU2Avgu7sF3GSDybHumj8XH8V8Currently seeking plot of land to host 1,000,000+ person music festival
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NewbieActivity: 26Merit: 0 Re: The Cryptoglobalist Coalition September 06, 2014, 08:11:12 PM #8 Quote from: dank on September 06, 2014, 06:31:51 AM Walk around your block. Tell me if a greater majority of your neighbors are flaunting war with each other.
Now, since your neighbors are typically in their house, or in their garden, walking their dog, or otherwise minding their own business, it's safe to say that the average human being is a not vicious barbaric warlord. The average human is someone who wants to be happy. Who wants to have friends or a lover to spend time with.
Now, let's look at how society is now. We currently have vicious barbaric warlords lifted unto a pedestal avast a trance induced population that acts as stormtroopers for their higher agenda. We have mass genocide being committed at a constant rate. We have famine caused by our supreme warlord overlords and the restrictions they place against neighboring economies. Controlled indefinite chaos.
Now, let's imagine everyone was an anarchist, they all held the knowledge here-within: 1) Anarchy is complete freedom. Freedom makes humans happy. 2) Anarchy is living without your supreme overlords commanding you what to do or how to think. The only possible way a governing entity could exist is through oppressing it's 'power' (illusory power) through violence. 3) Anarchy is natural. Cows do not form governments and slaughter other cows, flies do not form governments to rule other flies, birds do not train armies to attack other flocks.
Now, everyone is an anarchist, as it's the logical state of existence to choose, as it is natural. Joe decides he wants to dominate the world. He wants to be the supreme overlord of earth. Joe and 100 buddies decide to attack everyone around them. Earth has a population of almost eight billion people. If Joe and his buddies wanted to take control of earth, they would have to control or kill 80,000,000 times the amount of people they had to begin with.
Through nature's (anarchy's) perfectly balancing equilibrium forces, I would approximate that a 8,000,000,000 men battle against 100 men would end with 7,999,999,999 men and 0 of Joe's team remaining.
Therefor, it is safe to conclude that anarchy provides a perfect medium and balance between energies, as nature is a constantly perfected balance.
We can also conclude that for a natural population of homo sapiens to be ushered into a trance of hierarchical overlords vastly outnumbered by the population, the overlords at work may possibly be of a different species. Millions, if not, billions of species have existed on earth. It is highly probable a more evolved race is responsible for the societal structures over the last thousands of years.
Now, regardless if our supreme overlords are human or not, taking this knowledge we have learned through logic, why continue feeding them your energy? They only have power over you if you believe they do, hence, humanity is awakening from a great trance from beyond the realms of humanity.
As you observed when you took a walk around your neighborhood, we are able to conclude that human beings are not supreme overlords by nature. We are humans that want to live, prosper, and live some more. We are beings that seek love, acceptance, understanding, unity.
It is safe to say that our society is not the work of your average human, but a creation by beings with a superior intellect and awareness, assisted by mind control through exciting stimulus in humans such as pain, fear, greed, lust.
It just so happens that the CIA has spent millions on mind control programs. There are no coincidences in a world entangled by matter.
So, with this knowledge, can we agree that further robotic integrated control over our human lives may not be in the best interest of homo sapiens, but rather the beings 'above' them?
Nature is perfect.
Well, how would a transition to an anarchist society take place? What's to stop someone seizing nuclear weapons as a state is dissolved, or to stop someone requesting voluntary services which would eventually lead to the cultivation of weapons of mass destruction?
There are certain sources of power which we must ensure are equally inaccessible to all people, so no one person or a group of people exert undue power over any other group of people. They are:
military power; the core source of power, upon which all other sources of power are realised. This includes weapons, personnel, and the infrastructure through which the exertion of military power is realised (logistics, intelligence, etc.) Examples of people whose power is primarily military include Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, and Xi Jinping
sovereign power; secondary power, exercised by states according to law. Sovereign power gives the state power to punish someone; should they resist this, military power is deployed. Examples of people whose power is primarily sovereign include Angela Merkel, Janet Yellen, and Mario Draghi
financial power; tertiary power, exercised by those with wealth, and protected by legal power (namely contract law, property law, etc.). Examples of people whose power is primarily financial include Bill Gates, King Abdullah Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, and Michael Duke, CEO of Walmart
cultural power; quaternary power, exercised primarily by religious leaders, but also by media giants (like Rupert Murdoch). Examples of people whose power is primarily cultural include Pope Francis, Mark Zuckerberg, and Robert Li of Baidu
People usually acquire quaternary cultural power first (for example, a politician seeking to increase their image) then tertiary financial power (donations) then secondary sovereign power (election) then primary military power (responsibility for the military, usually as a head of state). An anarchist society would required everyone to have equal power; nobody should have more power than anyone else, otherwise they would be able to oppress others. But to ensure this, one must exert power, and to exert power on others amounts to oppression, surely?
This is why I advocate cryptoanarchism; anarchism cannot be accomplished by humans, as it requires all humans to have equal power to prevent oppression. But to achieve this, someone has to exert power over others. But with a cryptographic system doing this instead, no humans are exerting power over each other, and instead having their demands met by the system. Well, how would a transition to an anarchist society take place? What's to stop someone seizing nuclear weapons as a state is dissolved, or to stop someone requesting voluntary services which would eventually lead to the cultivation of weapons of mass destruction?There are certain sources of power which we must ensure are equally inaccessible to all people, so no one person or a group of people exert undue power over any other group of people. They are:People usually acquire quaternary cultural power first (for example, a politician seeking to increase their image) then tertiary financial power (donations) then secondary sovereign power (election) then primary military power (responsibility for the military, usually as a head of state). An anarchist society would required everyone to have equal power; nobody should have more power than anyone else, otherwise they would be able to oppress others. But to ensure this, one must exert power, and to exert power on others amounts to oppression, surely?This is why I advocate cryptoanarchism; anarchism cannot be accomplished by humans, as it requires all humans to have equal power to prevent oppression. But to achieve this, someone has to exert power over others. But with a cryptographic system doing this instead, no humans are exerting power over each other, and instead having their demands met by the system.
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Sr. MemberActivity: 417Merit: 250 Re: The Cryptoglobalist Coalition September 28, 2014, 05:57:26 PM #13
Quote The Cryptoglobalist Coalition is an internet movement which supports the redistribution of centralised power held by nation states to a global decentralised cryptographic resource distribution system (or 'cryptostate').
Calling it a Globalist Coalition seems to me like a bad idea for various reasons:
Globalization is commonly thought of as a tendency or agenda of governments to expand towards global centralization -- in other words, to consolidate jurisdiction of central authority.
'Coalition' is similarly associated with political parties, i.e. groups of people who believe they have rights that other people don't have. On the other hand, that has its positive aspect, in that it sounds formal thus resonates with statists.
Strictly speaking, centralized power isn't "held" by nation states, but rather exists as a collective belief in the legitimacy of the fear-based control system commonly known as government.
Quote The first phase of the plan will be to engineer a cryptocurrency (I suggest calling it Gaiacoin) and the tools needed to take key functions of the internet (like search and publishing) away from centralised organisations like Google, Youtube, and Facebook, and make them available on a decentralised, cryptographic platform. This will mean creating a cryptographic search engine (or 'cryptosearch'), a cryptographic hosting service (or 'cryptopublisher'), a cryptographic content aggregator (or 'cryptoaggregator') and a cryptographic marketplace (or 'cryptomarket')
The latter already exists in the deep web. Could you elaborate on how technically feasible the others are at the current stage of decentralization development?
Quote Until the cryptostate takes humanity to a post-scarcity state, it will be necessary for the system to deduct a percentage of income, mostly from richer users, from their wallets. This will be so the system can freely provide services like health, education,
Please define "health" and "education" in a cryptostate, and how it would differ from the current, to put it mildly, "highly dysfunctional" systems.
Quote a police service; backed by universal surveillance only accessible by the system for use in preventing crime, the cryptopolice would enforce laws through a network of peacekeeping robots designed to non-lethally detain and arrest criminals, and take them to a station, whereby an AI would examine surveillance and collect evidence using forensic scavenging robots, and determine whether someone is guilty of a crime or not. While the ideas of surveillance everywhere is daunting today as governments cannot be trusted, having such a system run by an algorithm and only processed by an effectively dumb machine means there is no breach of our right to privacy.
The big question here is: what constitutes a crime? If there is no victim, there is no crime, but even with that understanding the threshold (crime/not-crime) is not well-defined. The surveillance idea seems a little scary indeed... many ways to abuse it, and most people would object to it in principle (few people like being observed).
Quote Eventually, this would be superseded by a microchip deterrance system, whereby a microchip in the brain can stimulate areas associated with punishment to prevent a crime from even happening.
That idea makes a large number of assumptions that don't jive with reality.
Quote Of course, this will be superseded by downloading information directly to the brain. Probably.
This already happens, in a sense.
Quote The final phase, in the distant future, will involve the cryptostate being programmed into fully automating all aspects of human industry, including art, science and entertainment.
That makes no sense. Art is by definition a human thing, an aspect of being human. You're assuming AI can "master the processes of biology" as Kurzweil would have it, but even if that were so, art would lose its meaning.
Quote The last thing to be programmed into the cryptostate will be the facility to programme and improve itself, which will lead to a technological singularity. This should not be went ahead with until we find some means of making sure the AI will not cause the extinction of humanity.
If the AI can make intelligent decisions to the degree of programming and improving itself, how would you make sure it won't become self-aware in some sense, if you believe that consciousness is an emergent phenomena arising from electrochemical neuronal interactions? Such kind of self-awareness would probably make the AI decide that humans are to be used to its liking, just as humans use livestock.
This is a very interesting idea. VERY impressive! Perhaps you should post this in General Discussion to get more attention?Calling it a Globalist Coalition seems to me like a bad idea for various reasons:Globalization is commonly thought of as a tendency or agenda of governments to expand towards global centralization -- in other words, to consolidate jurisdiction of central authority.'Coalition' is similarly associated with political parties, i.e. groups of people who believe they have rights that other people don't have. On the other hand, that has its positive aspect, in that it sounds formal thus resonates with statists.Strictly speaking, centralized power isn't "held" by nation states, but rather exists as a collective belief in the legitimacy of the fear-based control system commonly known as government.The latter already exists in the deep web. Could you elaborate on how technically feasible the others are at the current stage of decentralization development?Please define "health" and "education" in a cryptostate, and how it would differ from the current, to put it mildly, "highly dysfunctional" systems.The big question here is: what constitutes a crime? If there is no victim, there is no crime, but even with that understanding the threshold (crime/not-crime) is not well-defined. The surveillance idea seems a little scary indeed... many ways to abuse it, and most people would object to it in principle (few people like being observed).That idea makes a large number of assumptions that don't jive with reality.This already happens, in a sense.That makes no sense. Art is by definition a human thing, an aspect of being human. You're assuming AI can "master the processes of biology" as Kurzweil would have it, but even if that were so, art would lose its meaning.If the AI can make intelligent decisions to the degree of programming and improving itself, how would you make sure it won't become self-aware in some sense, if you believe that consciousness is an emergent phenomena arising from electrochemical neuronal interactions? Such kind of self-awareness would probably make the AI decide that humans are to be used to its liking, just as humans use livestock. Deprogram your mind from the belief in "authority".... so that you're not serving unhealthy ETs who use your soul as a battery
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NewbieActivity: 26Merit: 0 Re: The Cryptoglobalist Coalition September 30, 2014, 09:19:57 PM #14 Quote from: btcusury on September 28, 2014, 05:57:26 PM
Quote The Cryptoglobalist Coalition is an internet movement which supports the redistribution of centralised power held by nation states to a global decentralised cryptographic resource distribution system (or 'cryptostate').
Calling it a Globalist Coalition seems to me like a bad idea for various reasons:
Globalization is commonly thought of as a tendency or agenda of governments to expand towards global centralization -- in other words, to consolidate jurisdiction of central authority.
'Coalition' is similarly associated with political parties, i.e. groups of people who believe they have rights that other people don't have. On the other hand, that has its positive aspect, in that it sounds formal thus resonates with statists.
Strictly speaking, centralized power isn't "held" by nation states, but rather exists as a collective belief in the legitimacy of the fear-based control system commonly known as government.
Quote The first phase of the plan will be to engineer a cryptocurrency (I suggest calling it Gaiacoin) and the tools needed to take key functions of the internet (like search and publishing) away from centralised organisations like Google, Youtube, and Facebook, and make them available on a decentralised, cryptographic platform. This will mean creating a cryptographic search engine (or 'cryptosearch'), a cryptographic hosting service (or 'cryptopublisher'), a cryptographic content aggregator (or 'cryptoaggregator') and a cryptographic marketplace (or 'cryptomarket')
The latter already exists in the deep web. Could you elaborate on how technically feasible the others are at the current stage of decentralization development?
Quote Until the cryptostate takes humanity to a post-scarcity state, it will be necessary for the system to deduct a percentage of income, mostly from richer users, from their wallets. This will be so the system can freely provide services like health, education,
Please define "health" and "education" in a cryptostate, and how it would differ from the current, to put it mildly, "highly dysfunctional" systems.
Quote a police service; backed by universal surveillance only accessible by the system for use in preventing crime, the cryptopolice would enforce laws through a network of peacekeeping robots designed to non-lethally detain and arrest criminals, and take them to a station, whereby an AI would examine surveillance and collect evidence using forensic scavenging robots, and determine whether someone is guilty of a crime or not. While the ideas of surveillance everywhere is daunting today as governments cannot be trusted, having such a system run by an algorithm and only processed by an effectively dumb machine means there is no breach of our right to privacy.
The big question here is: what constitutes a crime? If there is no victim, there is no crime, but even with that understanding the threshold (crime/not-crime) is not well-defined. The surveillance idea seems a little scary indeed... many ways to abuse it, and most people would object to it in principle (few people like being observed).
Quote Eventually, this would be superseded by a microchip deterrance system, whereby a microchip in the brain can stimulate areas associated with punishment to prevent a crime from even happening.
That idea makes a large number of assumptions that don't jive with reality.
Quote Of course, this will be superseded by downloading information directly to the brain. Probably.
This already happens, in a sense.
Quote The final phase, in the distant future, will involve the cryptostate being programmed into fully automating all aspects of human industry, including art, science and entertainment.
That makes no sense. Art is by definition a human thing, an aspect of being human. You're assuming AI can "master the processes of biology" as Kurzweil would have it, but even if that were so, art would lose its meaning.
Quote The last thing to be programmed into the cryptostate will be the facility to programme and improve itself, which will lead to a technological singularity. This should not be went ahead with until we find some means of making sure the AI will not cause the extinction of humanity.
If the AI can make intelligent decisions to the degree of programming and improving itself, how would you make sure it won't become self-aware in some sense, if you believe that consciousness is an emergent phenomena arising from electrochemical neuronal interactions? Such kind of self-awareness would probably make the AI decide that humans are to be used to its liking, just as humans use livestock.
This is a very interesting idea. VERY impressive! Perhaps you should post this in General Discussion to get more attention?Calling it a Globalist Coalition seems to me like a bad idea for various reasons:Globalization is commonly thought of as a tendency or agenda of governments to expand towards global centralization -- in other words, to consolidate jurisdiction of central authority.'Coalition' is similarly associated with political parties, i.e. groups of people who believe they have rights that other people don't have. On the other hand, that has its positive aspect, in that it sounds formal thus resonates with statists.Strictly speaking, centralized power isn't "held" by nation states, but rather exists as a collective belief in the legitimacy of the fear-based control system commonly known as government.The latter already exists in the deep web. Could you elaborate on how technically feasible the others are at the current stage of decentralization development?Please define "health" and "education" in a cryptostate, and how it would differ from the current, to put it mildly, "highly dysfunctional" systems.The big question here is: what constitutes a crime? If there is no victim, there is no crime, but even with that understanding the threshold (crime/not-crime) is not well-defined. The surveillance idea seems a little scary indeed... many ways to abuse it, and most people would object to it in principle (few people like being observed).That idea makes a large number of assumptions that don't jive with reality.This already happens, in a sense.That makes no sense. Art is by definition a human thing, an aspect of being human. You're assuming AI can "master the processes of biology" as Kurzweil would have it, but even if that were so, art would lose its meaning.If the AI can make intelligent decisions to the degree of programming and improving itself, how would you make sure it won't become self-aware in some sense, if you believe that consciousness is an emergent phenomena arising from electrochemical neuronal interactions? Such kind of self-awareness would probably make the AI decide that humans are to be used to its liking, just as humans use livestock.
Thank you for your positive reception of the idea, if I may address the criticisms:
1. I deliberately want it to be focused on globalism. I believe in a globalist view based not upon endless growth, plutocracy and corporate terror, but one based upon a single human identity, where all people unite to ensure the safety and happiness of all humans. A cryptostate will be the most comprehensive and effective means of achieving this. It is a coalition because I want to unite those who have traditionally been humanists and globalists, like me, with enthusiasts of cryptography and its applications in society, to construct the cryptostate.
2. I understand that a decentralised internet has been created in the deep web, but I want to build upon what has already been accomplished. So far, there is no decentralised, cryptographic search with a cryptocurrency token reward system, but I am aware of Namecoin, a cryptographic DNS. There is also market functions built into things like Nxt and Ripple (correct me if I'm wrong) but I want to make something more thorough than that which stands as its own function, separate from the cryptocurrency module of the cryptostate. I'm not currently aware of any cryptopublishers or cryptoaggregators which exist.
3. A cryptostate would, at first, provide basic, easily automated health services, then provide more advanced, complex services. Its functions would eventually include diagnosis through a scanner system and (later) possibly an implant, administering medicines (perhaps through the laser injection system developed a couple of years ago in South Korea), and (at much later stages) performing surgery. A cryptohealth system would be provided to everyone for free at the point of use, and would be initially funded through a charge to all the wallets associated with the cryptostate, before being reduced and eliminated once post-scarcity is reached. It would initially act in a supporting capacity to private and national health services, assisting them, before becoming standalone and offering care independent of a human-operated service. The goal of the cryptohealth service will be to ensure everyone enjoys a minimum standard of health, as defined by measures such as mobility, general level of pain or discomfort, and the condition of organs.
4. Education would be provided in the form of highly interactive cryptopublished content. Children would spend up to 6 hours a day receiving education, which may also include interactions with a set group of children also using the service. My vision of it is something modelled on the likes of Khan Academy, Code Academy, Duolingo, Brilliant, etc., but with improvements. Children would be given mandatory education up until the age of 16, and can continue non-compulsory education indefinitely.
I will answer the rest of the points later; right now, I unfortunately lack time. Thank you for your positive reception of the idea, if I may address the criticisms:1. I deliberately want it to be focused on globalism. I believe in a globalist view based not upon endless growth, plutocracy and corporate terror, but one based upon a single human identity, where all people unite to ensure the safety and happiness of all humans. A cryptostate will be the most comprehensive and effective means of achieving this. It is a coalition because I want to unite those who have traditionally been humanists and globalists, like me, with enthusiasts of cryptography and its applications in society, to construct the cryptostate.2. I understand that a decentralised internet has been created in the deep web, but I want to build upon what has already been accomplished. So far, there is no decentralised, cryptographic search with a cryptocurrency token reward system, but I am aware of Namecoin, a cryptographic DNS. There is also market functions built into things like Nxt and Ripple (correct me if I'm wrong) but I want to make something more thorough than that which stands as its own function, separate from the cryptocurrency module of the cryptostate. I'm not currently aware of any cryptopublishers or cryptoaggregators which exist.3. A cryptostate would, at first, provide basic, easily automated health services, then provide more advanced, complex services. Its functions would eventually include diagnosis through a scanner system and (later) possibly an implant, administering medicines (perhaps through the laser injection system developed a couple of years ago in South Korea), and (at much later stages) performing surgery. A cryptohealth system would be provided to everyone for free at the point of use, and would be initially funded through a charge to all the wallets associated with the cryptostate, before being reduced and eliminated once post-scarcity is reached. It would initially act in a supporting capacity to private and national health services, assisting them, before becoming standalone and offering care independent of a human-operated service. The goal of the cryptohealth service will be to ensure everyone enjoys a minimum standard of health, as defined by measures such as mobility, general level of pain or discomfort, and the condition of organs.4. Education would be provided in the form of highly interactive cryptopublished content. Children would spend up to 6 hours a day receiving education, which may also include interactions with a set group of children also using the service. My vision of it is something modelled on the likes of Khan Academy, Code Academy, Duolingo, Brilliant, etc., but with improvements. Children would be given mandatory education up until the age of 16, and can continue non-compulsory education indefinitely.I will answer the rest of the points later; right now, I unfortunately lack time.I've been seeing Rundfunk around a lot recently and with no surprise as he is a fantastic producer. A Dream reminds of some of Deadmau5's work with a slightly funky twist.
Disclosure gives a bit of a...you know... I can't actually describe this song accurately. It's just such a mashup of so many genres. Suffice to say, it's good.
Ok for the next song, hear me out. Please don't instinctively turn off the mix. I swear Justin Bieber doesn't actually sing in this Dada Life remix of Boyfriend. It actually just proves that Dada Life can make anything into gold. Welcome the new alchemists of today, making shit songs into something amazing.
Next up is another remix of Alive. This time by Stafford Brother, All of these Krewella remixes are making me want to listen to the original.
Continued at Reddit Post [With D/L]: http://goo.gl/Pg8WAA very Hitchcockian device, mistaken identity. It sets the entire plot in motion. But Hitch couldn’t have made that movie today. Not set in 2011, at least, because what successful businessman leaves the office without his 4G smartphone?
Consider the opening scene of Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” (1959). Roger (a never-better Cary Grant) realizes during a business lunch at the Plaza Hotel that he must relay a message to his mother, and therefore must send her a telegram. (For readers born after the Clinton impeachment, Google “Western Union.”) With unfortunate timing, he flags down a bellboy who is paging someone else, leading to an identity mix-up and his kidnapping by foreign spies.
Some of the greatest films of all time probably wouldn’t be greenlighted today without some serious script doctoring because the advent of modern technology has removed the feasibility of the plot points that so many of them turn on.
Take Capra's multiple Oscar winner “It Happened One Night” (1934). In it, Peter (Clark Gable) is a recently fired newspaper reporter (OK, change that to “recently laid off” and that does still ring true in 2011) who meets heiress Ellie (Claudette Colbert), who is on the lam after a fight with her father. Set and filmed during the Depression, the road comedy features Ellie bribing Peter to keep her whereabouts secret.
How quaint. In 2011, Ellie Andrews would be a cottage industry for TMZ, National Enquirer photographers and Nancy Grace. Her photo would be all over CNN and the national news. But come to think of it, nowadays, rich girls who have fights with Dad don’t try to hide, they merely post it on Facebook or blog about it, then let the court of public opinion render a verdict.
“Double Indemnity” (1944): With cellphone records and embedded GPS, it would take Edward G. Robinson’s claims adjuster all of 10 minutes to figure out that Walter (Fred MacMurray) and Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck) were having an affair in Wilder’s film noir about a life insurance scam. And the plot to make it look like hubby fell from the train? I’m betting that once Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner builds up enough speed to break your neck in a fall between San Diego and Los Angeles, its doors can’t be opened for that fatal shove.
“Body Heat” (1981): This steamy thriller from Lawrence Kasdan is another take on the faked-death scheme. But with all the forensic science advances, it wouldn’t take long for Abby from “NCIS” and Dr. Warner from “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” to deduce that Matty (Kathleen Turner) had assumed another woman’s identity and that body isn’t hers. Probably a Facebook search of her high school site and a simple DNA test would clear her poor besotted lover Ned (William Hurt) in less than a week.
“Sorry, Wrong Number” (1948): Bedridden Mrs. Stevenson (Stanwyck) is somehow connected to an ongoing phone call between two men planning a murder. Turns out, they’re talking about her murder. So, quick, call 911, right? No, she spends much of the movie on the line to an operator. She has no call waiting. And, of course, she’s in an upstairs bedroom, so when the killer knocks the phone downstairs off the hook, she’s out of luck. Give her a cellphone plan with anytime minutes and unlimited texting, and there’s no movie.
“The Terminator” (1984): One of the first things the futuristic machine (Arnold Schwarzenegger) does after warping back in time (after stealing clothes and those iconic shades off some bikers) is go to a phone booth and tear the Sarah Connor listings out of the white pages. Good luck finding a phone booth in L.A. today ¬— especially one with a current phone book.
Classic period films, obviously, aren’t affected by technology advances — a western is set in the Old West regardless of what year it is made, same with 19th century English dramas and the like. And fantasies are set in an alternate reality so don’t have to adhere to modern rules. And science fiction? Well, yes, many older sci-fi films can be comical in retrospect (you don’t shoot a rocket into space by putting it on tracks that run up a hillside, boys), but they get credit at least for thinking outside the box.
Contemporary movies, though, are a trickier lot. It’s totally possible that future technology would date — perhaps hilariously — some more recent technology-dependent films, such as “Eagle Eye” (2008), “Enemy of the State” (1998), “Disclosure” (1994), “The Matrix” trilogy (1999-2003), etc. Actually, it’s already happened — the AOL modem dial-up in 1998’s romantic comedy “You’ve Got Mail,” anyone?
When you consider all the changes in medical technology, computer technology, social technology in the past couple decades, there are probably plenty of other films out there that would be tripped up by today’s online, linked-in capabilities. Let us know if you can think of others and how you’d write around the outdated plot points.
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--Linda Whitmore
Photo: Cary Grant, left, James Mason and Eva Marie Saint in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest." Credit: MGMPlease turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Legislation to tackle internet piracy, including bans for illegal file-sharers, has been passed by the Lords. The Digital Economy Bill is now expected to be rushed through the Commons before the general election. Peers had earlier rejected a bid by ministers to include wide-ranging powers over future online piracy law. But despite criticism, the government said it was still committed to giving courts the power to block websites which are infringing copyright. The bill, put forward by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, has been welcomed by the music industry because it includes plans to suspend the internet accounts of people who persistently download material illegally. But firms such as British Telecom, Google and Facebook say that would be unfair and illegal file-sharers should be fined instead of cut off. Earlier this month, peers defeated the government when they rejected a clause giving ministers the power to change laws on online copyright in future without the need for further legislation. 'Unintended consequences' But their chosen replacement - a measure allowing courts to use injunctions to force internet service providers (ISPs) to block certain websites - also prompted criticism from companies, consumer rights campaigners and academics. They argued it would lead to "blocking based on accusation rather than a court injunction" and could shut down sites like Google and YouTube. Liberal Democrat media spokesman Lord Clement-Jones, who led the moves for the replacement clause, offered "clarifications and improvements" during the bill's third reading on Monday evening. We are calling for massive campaign of citizens to demand that their MPs debate this dangerous bill
Jim Killock
Open Rights Group He did not, however, put them to the vote. Instead, junior business minister Lord Young of Norwood Green said the Lib Dem amendment was incompatible with the EU Technical Standards Directive. He said it would "not be capable of being enforced" and could lead to "unforeseen and unintended consequences". But Lord Young told peers: "It is our intention to try to bring forward, as the bill moves to the Commons, a clause that would seek to ultimately achieve the same effect." This would include a power for the secretary of state "to bring forward regulations to achieve the desired effect of site blocking", he added. And it would allow for "proper consultation and consideration of the evidence for the need and the proportionality of the measure". Lord Young said his offer was a "sincere and constructive commitment" and he had "tried to address the genuine concerns that have been expressed". Lord Clement-Jones, while warning of "many a slip between cup and lip", agreed to wait for the government's amendment. Amendment wording Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said Lord Mandelson was "preparing to rush through this draconian legislation without democratic debate". "We are calling for massive campaign of citizens to demand that their MPs debate this dangerous bill." Last week, it emerged that the wording of the Lib Dem amendment was almost identical to a draft written by the BPI, which lobbies on behalf of the British music industry. The BPI said opposition parties "saw it as a good framework for what they wanted to put down". Chief executive Geoff Taylor welcomed the bill's passing, adding: "It is vital for the future of the UK's creative sector that the Digital Economy Bill is adopted." But Andrew Robinson, from Pirate Party UK, which campaigns on the issue, said: "The public will not respect a law that was quite literally written by the record industry, for the record industry. "As it stands, the bill is fatally flawed, and fundamentally unjust."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionSo my 8th edition Thousand Sons marched to war for the first time. They were to face down the vile unwashed (unpainted) Orks. Not a great match up for a a pretty elite focused army like the Thousand Sons. But then both of the armies were index based so it was a level battlefield. Not being used to doing battle reports I didn’t take enough pictures so this will be a rough account.
My 8th edition Thousand Sons army
So I brought a fairly simple army, a patrol detachment and a spearhead. Plenty of other ways to form a better army but I wanted to take stuff I liked the look. Also that I had painted. If possible I always run painted armies, just a personal thing.
The Ork Horde!
In response the Orks had roughly:
Warboss in mega armour
Big mek with kustom force field
Weirdboy
10 lootas
10 lootas
30 shoota boys, 3 big shootas
30 shoota boys, 3 big shootas
30 shoota boys, 3 big shootas
10 grots
10 grots
10 grots
10 stormboyz
10 stormboyz
10 stormboyz
5 kommandos
5 kommandos
5 kommandos
Battlewagon with FW kill cannon
The Sons of Magnus may be out numbered here.
So my Orky opponent, Skarnir, not only brought the mat we played on but all the terrain as well. We tried to make it look somewhat interesting but it lacked real line of sight blocking terrain.
This picture is just after my first turn. We rolled up a weird split board deployment and had the Orks
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And while the Solar Impulse 2 didn't use any fuel, the pilot who wasn't at the helm -- as well as a portion of the 90-strong support staff -- had to fly commercially to each successive destination.
Piccard admitted the team's biggest accomplishment doesn't involve world records -- or even the flight itself. Real success in their drive to implement renewable energy around the world, he said, will come only if others carry on their torch.
"Solar Impulse has made a great achievement," Piccard announced to a crowd in Abu Dhabi just moments after exiting the cockpit.
"Now it's your turn to take it further."President Obama weighed in on Friday’s Planned Parenthood shooting in a statement released Saturday morning. He condemned the gunman “for terrorizing an entire community” and praised the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Police Officer Garrett Swasey, who was among the three people killed in the attack.
“This is not normal. We can’t let it become normal,” the statement said. “If we truly care about this — if we’re going to offer up our thoughts and prayers again, for God knows how many times, with a truly clean conscience — then we have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period. Enough is enough.”
Read the full statement below:
The last thing Americans should have to do, over the holidays or any day, is comfort the families of people killed by gun violence — people who woke up in the morning and bid their loved ones goodbye with no idea it would be for the last time.
And yet, two days after Thanksgiving, that’s what we are forced to do again.
We don’t yet know what this particular gunman’s so-called motive was for shooting twelve people, or for terrorizing an entire community, when he opened fire with an assault weapon and took hostages at a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado. What we do know is that he killed a cop in the line of duty, along with two of the citizens that police officer was trying to protect. We know that law enforcement saved lives, as so many of them do every day, all across America. And we know that more Americans and their families had fear forced upon them.
This is not normal. We can’t let it become normal. If we truly care about this — if we’re going to offer up our thoughts and prayers again, for God knows how many times, with a truly clean conscience — then we have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period. Enough is enough.In 1979, two employees of British label Beggars Banquet launched an offshoot store and label they called Axis. In a pretty short amount of time, however, the two would find that the name “Axis” would have to be shelved due to another label using the same name; that’s probably for the best. In the search for a new name, Peter Kent and Ivo Watts-Russell printed up a poster that used a bit of typographical wordplay that ultimately slimmed down “1980 FORWARD” to “4AD” — the name stuck, and 35 years later, it’s become one of the most iconic independent labels in the UK.
You can probably count on one hand the number of labels that have had as much impact on underground music as 4AD — Sub Pop, Matador, Warp… it gets a bit trickier after that. From its earliest post-punk and goth releases on up to experimental artists of the present like Gang Gang Dance, and fascinating curiosities in between — see: Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares and Rema-Rema, the latter of which was the first album on the label to display the logo we recognize today — 4AD has been a reliable house of progressive and interesting music. So to celebrate its 35th anniversary, we’ve assembled a 35-track playlist of some of its best singles and deep cuts. Queue up these 35 essential 4AD tracks and take a journey from goth to dream-pop, and from trip-hop to art-pop.
Bauhaus – “Dark Entries”
(1980)
When discussing 4AD Records, it’s easy to be drawn to either their best selling acts (Pixies, The Breeders, Dead Can Dance) or the most prominent aesthetics in the label’s history (dream-pop, darkwave). So, it’s notable that the first release on the label was, in fact, a much more intense, hard-charging goth-punk single by the reigning British kings of darkness in the early ’80s: Bauhaus. “Dark Entries” is almost the opposite of the band’s debut single, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” — it’s short, it’s fast, it’s manic and doesn’t even really have a chorus. It’s a hell of an exciting start to a label that would, over the next 35 years, continue to innovate at a steady clip. – Jeff Terich
The Birthday Party – “Release the Bats”
(1982)
Australia’s The Birthday Party actually toured with Bauhaus in the early days of 4AD, which sort of makes sense — both bands embodied the darker side of post-punk. But where Bauhaus were almost gentleman punks, The Birthday Party raged like feral beasts, driven to manic heights of danger by howling frontman Nick Cave. But there’s one song in the band’s catalog where all of the various not-quite-right labels thrown their way — goth-rock, psychobilly, no wave — more or less stuck. That song — the rollicking “Release the Bats” — is one of the band’s best songs for how seamlessly it blends their unhinged intensity with melody, and even a bit of hip-shaking rockabilly rhythm. It’s The Birthday Party compressed neatly into a perfect two minutes and 30 seconds. – Jeff Terich
Modern English – “I Melt With You”
from After the Snow (1982)
One of the earliest artists on the 4AD roster, Modern English signed in 1979 — 4AD’s founding year. They wouldn’t see commercial success, however, until the release of “I Melt With You” in May 1982. The single holds another place of note, as most of its popularity is owed to the then newly-formed MTV, with Modern English riding the wave of popularity enjoyed by many new wave bands in the early 1980s like The Cure and Duran Duran. The poppy synth and the catchy hooks that made “I Melt With You” so popular seemed to foreshadow their prevalence in the pop music of the late 80s with bands like Soft Cell and Devo. Modern English would never see sustained success however, “I Melt With You” stands as their one major taste of commercial success. – Joshua Berry
Cocteau Twins – “The Spangle Maker”
(1984)
With new bassist Simon Raymonde on board, the Scotland-rooted Cocteau Twins released The Spangle Maker EP in 1984, rounding it out with fluffier fare, “Pepper-Tree” and “Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops.” Amid these tracks “The Spangle Maker” throbs with gravity, a piece of haunting music with droning guitars and brooding bass locked together with pulsing drums. Over this sparse instrumentation Elizabeth Fraser’s swooping, emotive vocals soar. As usual, Fraser has her own syntax, murmuring lyrics that sound serious but which boil down to nonsense. We only know what we feel. And listening to “The Spangle Maker,” we feel amazing. But we also feel slightly pensive, especially as the song ascends to its spangly climax, awash with affected guitars, echoing walls of sound, and crashing drums. Though “The Spangle Maker” isn’t as recognizable as “Heaven or Las Vegas” or “Cherry-coloured Funk,” it stands as one of the Twins’ best tracks. – Nicole Grotepas
This Mortal Coil – “Song to the Siren”
from It’ll End In Tears (1984)
Label founder Ivo Watts-Russell’s own band, This Mortal Coil, wasn’t so much a band as a continually shifting entity, with new collaborators and vocalists arriving and exiting with each of the project’s releases. It’ll End In Tears, perhaps the best known This Mortal Coil recording, is built around a large number of stunningly performed covers, including this breathtaking Tim Buckley ballad, with vocals by Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser. It’s easily one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful releases in the entire 4AD catalog, it’s barely-there arrangement true to Buckley’s own ethereal original, but updated to reflect a surreal, eerie dream-pop aesthetic. It’s like being visited by ghost. – Jeff TerichYou may have heard of campaigns to obtain constitutional amendments by persuading state legislatures to apply for what the Constitution calls a “Convention for proposing Amendments.” The movement for a balanced budget amendment is one such campaign, and it is well on the way toward enlisting enough state legislatures to trigger a convention. Several other campaigns are active as well, including the “Convention of States” movement, which seeks to limit the size and scope of the federal government, and the Wolf PAC drive to further regulate campaign funding. These and other groups seek constitutional amendment as a method of reforming the federal government. All have concluded that since Congress is unlikely to propose any amendment to reform itself, the alternative convention method of proposal must be revived.
My own assessment is that there is a significant chance that an amendments convention will meet within the next few years. I am not alone in so concluding: Many political leaders agree. In fact, several organizations of state lawmakers are actively planning for a convention.
Because such a “Convention for proposing Amendments” has never been held, many writers have posed questions about its composition, how its members would be selected, what its procedures would be and how much power it would have. This series of postings answers those questions and several others as well.
There are six installments in the series. This Part I thumbnails the historical background against which the framers drafted Article V. Part II examines the drafting and ratification of Article V’s convention language. Part III surveys its history from the time of the founding to the middle of the 19th and 20th centuries. Part IV summarizes the main holdings of Article V case law. Part V addresses misconceptions about the convention process that have entered popular mythology. Part VI predicts how the process will unfold when the first set of state applications passes the critical threshold.
Article V of the Constitution delineates the amendment process. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by legislatures or by conventions in three-fourths of the states — that is, by 38 of 50. Congress chooses whether ratification will be by state conventions, as in the case of the 21st Amendment (repealing Prohibition), or by state legislatures (as in the case of all other amendments).
Before being considered for ratification, the amendment first must be proposed. There are only two vehicles for proposing: (1) Congress and (2) a “Convention for proposing Amendments.” To date, all proposed amendments have come from Congress. As noted above, that may change within the next few years.
In traditional Anglo-American political usage, a “convention” is an assembly, other than a legislature, convened to address short-term political problems. The assembly that restored the English monarchy after a failed experiment in republicanism was styled a “convention parliament” (1660). So also was the assembly that invited William of Orange and his wife, Mary Stuart, to assume the throne after the ouster of James II (1688-89).
In America, conventions traditionally fall into one of two categories. The first category consists of those that address issues within particular polities — that is, within individual colonies or states. Their membership generally is elected directly by the people or by subdivisions within the polity, such as towns or counties. Immediately preceding the Revolutionary War, such conventions assumed the governance of the colonies and some of them wrote new state constitutions. Other specimens within this category are the state conventions that ratified the Constitution and the 21st Amendment as well as modern state constitutional conventions.
The second category of American conventions consists of multi-government gatherings charged with addressing interstate issues. Before the creation of the Second Continental Congress, this kind of meeting was referred to by the word “congress” as well as “convention.” After “congress” became associated with the national legislature, interstate gatherings usually were called committees of states or conventions of states. The founders envisioned the “Convention for proposing Amendments” as one kind of convention of states.
A convention of states is a diplomatic meeting among equal semi-sovereigns. If the states invited are all in one region of the country, the gathering is a partial or regional convention. If states are invited from all regions, it is a general convention. Regional and general conventions traditionally have followed the same protocols, originally based on international practice.
The first American convention met in 1689 to oversee dissolution of James II’s hated “Dominion of New England.” Multi-government conventions soon became popular for addressing inter-colonial problems: Between 1689 and 1776, there were at least 20 of them. Benjamin Franklin represented Pennsylvania at one, and in his capacity as a printer he reproduced the minutes of several.
Before independence, the usual reasons for a multi-colony convention were to coordinate continental defense or to negotiate treaties with Indian tribes. Perhaps the most famous example before the Revolutionary Era was the Albany Congress of 1754, a general convention attended by seven or eight colonies (depending on how one counts) and by the Iroquois nations.
In 1765, the nine-colony convention known as the Stamp Act Congress convened, and in 1774 the 12-colony First Continental Congress met, both to coordinate common responses to British policy.
After independence, resort to the convention device accelerated. At least 11 met between 1776 and 1787. Their agendas included military supply and strategy, price inflation, trade and constitutional reform.
These conclaves included regional gatherings in Providence, R.I. (twice); Hartford, Conn. (twice); New Haven, Conn.; Yorktown, Pa.; and Springfield and Boston, Mass. They also included a general convention in Annapolis and two in Philadelphia. In addition, there were several unsuccessful calls: The Continental Congress called for conventions in Fredericksburg, Va., and Charleston, S.C. Massachusetts called for a meeting of New York and the New England states in Hartford. In 1786, the Chesapeake Bay states agreed to meet, but events outstripped their agenda.
In all, the century before adoption of the Constitution witnessed at least 30 multi-government conventions — an average of better than one every four years. Today some people assume the Constitutional Convention was a unique event. But it had at least 30 predecessors. Many of the Constitution’s framers were veterans of prior interstate gatherings. For Roger Sherman of Connecticut, the Constitutional Convention was his fifth time around.
By 1787, the protocols for interstate conventions had become standardized and generally accepted and understood. The procedure began when Congress, a prior convention, or (most commonly) a state drafted a document referred to as a “call” or “application.” This document specified the time and place of initial meeting and the subject matter. The sponsor directed the call or application to the states it wished to invite. The scope of the call might be, although usually was not, the subject of preliminary negotiation among the states concerned.
The legislature of each invited state determined whether to participate. If it decided to do so, the legislature determined how its representatives (“commissioners”) were to be appointed. Usually, the legislature elected them itself, and they were commissioned according to local state norms. The legislature or its designee also instructed them.
Upon convening, the group elected officers and adopted rules. Although participants occasionally flirted with other suffrage schemes, ultimately every convention seems to have retained the rule of “one state/one vote.” This formula reflected the participating governments’ status as co-equal semi-sovereignties.
Today we might call a multi-state convention a “task force” — a group assigned one or more problems and commissioned to find solutions. In convention practice, the problems are identified in the call. During the Founding Era, the call could invite the states to proceed by “pledging their faith,” by which all states agreed to be bound by the convention’s resolutions. More often, the call asked only for recommendations subject to state approval.
The authority of a convention of states (or colonies) always has been limited to the scope of the call. State instructions to commissioners might effectively circumscribe it further. When the 1754 Albany Congress arguably exceeded its call by proposing a continental “Plan of Union,” most colonies rejected the plan without considering its merits. For reasons I have explained elsewhere, the common claim that the 1787 Constitutional Convention exceeded its call is substantially erroneous.Paul Bhatti gave up a comfortable life as a surgeon in Italy to join the government earlier this year following the assassination of his brother, Shahbaz, who campaigned for reform of the controversial law.
Today he heads the Ministry of National Harmony, one of the most dangerous jobs in the country as he navigates Pakistan's religious and ethnic divides.
Choosing his words carefully, for fear they could be twisted to present him as an opponent of Islam, he said the case of Rimsha Masih, an 11-year-old girl who has spent two weeks on remand, showed the law was being abused.
"I don't think we have to reform the law itself," he told The Daily Telegraph in his heavily guarded office. "But we have to stop its misuse.
"This situation shows there are occasions where it is misused, which defames Islam, the country and frames innocent people." He is proposing to set up an interfaith commission that would vet blasphemy allegations before they reach the courts. It would have the power to reject spurious accusation before they have whipped up a media frenzy, putting pressure on courts to produce guilty verdicts despite flimsy evidence.
The measure, he added, had emerged from talks with leaders of the Red Mosque, notorious for its hard-line stance.
He said he hoped it could prevent cases such as Rimsha, whom he believes was accused as part of a long-running vendetta against Christians.
Three witnesses came forward at the weekend to say they had seen a Muslim cleric adding pages from an old Koran to ashes in Rimsha's bag.
Dr Bhatti said he hoped she would now be freed at a bail hearing due on Friday "Her general condition is OK but as you can imagine she is a young girl locked away from her family, in a strange situation, having some learning difficulties so she is very disturbed and is often asking for her mother and to go home," he said.
Blasphemy is a difficult issue to discuss freely in Pakistan. Six Frontier Constabulary bodyguards, armed with AK-47s, sit at Dr Bhatti's door – a reminder of the fate of his brother.
Shahbaz Bhatti was gunned down in his car last year, after taking up the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy. He was the second politician to be assassinated within weeks.
Dr Bhatti said his wife and daughter pleaded with him not to give up his practice in Padua and return to Pakistan.
But he said he had no intention of becoming a martyr and was trying to keep a low profile.
"If you don't come to take some bold steps then things will never change, the minorities will never be protected," he said. "I am taking safety measures but I know the risk is there." He said he was considering bolstering his bodyguard but that he was haunted by the case of Salman Taseer, a blasphemy campaigner shot dead by one of his own security guards.
"You just never know," he said with a nervous chuckle.Previous Next
Just beyond the periphery of the city, the landscape rippled and bulged from the mass graves. All was now buried under a carpet of wolf clover. The plague had hit New Amsterdam, and war had hit it some time after. Word was that the putrescence made walking out among those mounds and that clover dangerous.
It was still so nice to see green again. It had been a bleak time of it.
Drake puffed on his cigarette, then moved his hand, putting the cigarette just in front of Emily’s mouth. She drew on it. Then, smoke still suppressed, she kissed the back of Drake’s hand before he pulled away. Her exhalation of smoke chased after his hand.
He moved the cigarette to his right hand, before reaching beneath her hair to rest his hand on the back of her neck. She half closed her eyes and let her head rock left and right as he used the one hand to massage her. The scales that decorated his hands were smooth on the surface, rough at the edges. His fingertips were clawed, and she shivered every time the points grazed her.
“I always planned to come here. I was so young, the last time I came,” Drake said.
“New Amsterdam?”
“Yeah. It’s our city, isn’t it?”
“It’s everyone’s. Or it was,” she said. “It’s supposed to be big and messy enough that anyone can find their place here.”
His hands were strong. She loved his hands. They were long-fingered and capable of massaging her neck, from hairline to shoulder. It would be so easy to pinch or squeeze in the wrong way, and he avoided it. She loved that they were studded with scales and marked with tattoo and as a consequence there were probably no hands like his in the world.
She loved that just about every last part of him was like that.
A distant train whistle screamed, and people that had been in the station or sitting on benches under the eaves began to migrate out toward the platform.
That same group of people represented a cross section of the city’s residents. The rich, the poor, the young, the old. The free, the slaves, the living, and the dead that were animated with voltaic riggings. There were families there, Emily noted. She felt a twinge at seeing that.
Drake’s thumb ran down the side of her neck, tracing beneath the collar of her shirt, the nail touching skin of her shoulder that clothing covered.
“You’re bored, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Never, when I’m with you.”
“Clearly,” she said, with exaggerated amusement. “You turn your full attention my way when you have to wait around for even a few minutes.”
“It’s been an hour.”
“Not even half of one.”
The relatively chaste contact of his hand on the back of her neck was drawing some stares from some of the people who’d gathered closer to them on the platform. Well-to-do families. Not as well-to-do, perhaps, as the family Emily had been born into, Emily figured, but well-to-do enough to have clothes of the latest fashion and stitched to carry their bags. They would be paying the fares for those stitched servants, too. Those same servants would have a separate car. The smell of death and ozone tended to come up when they gathered in an enclosed space.
She was aware of the pressure. There was an unspoken expectation that Emily and Drake would get out of the way. They were supposed to move to a place on the train platform that would be out of sight. They were altered. Tattooed, physically changed. She was horned and her teeth were fangs. Her clothes were a men’s work shirt, because ordinary woman’s clothing didn’t fit well with her altered musculature, and she wore overalls with the straps and front piece of the upper half tied around her waist, knotted in front. Drake wore a sleeveless shirt and canvas pants with suspenders. The suspenders were a necessity, with him having next to nothing in body fat. Lean muscle, more lean muscle, the requisite pieces and organs to keep him alive, the skeleton to keep him upright, and everything else was decoration.
She wouldn’t have it any other way.
There was a girl, Emily noticed. Thirteen or fourteen, in nice clothes with nice hair, a pretty stitched servant carrying her bag. Where the girl’s family and greater group were turning up their noses or stopping just shy of outright sneering at Emily and Drake, the girl kept sneaking glances, and her expression was unreadable.
Please, little lady, Emily thought. Please see this for what it is.
She reached up for Drake’s hand, and she pulled it down, so his arm was against her neck and shoulder, his arm against her front, his front against her back.
She held that arm with both hands, holding it against herself, holding herself against it.
Look, she willed.
“What’s our agenda for later?” Drake asked.
“Our agenda? We have guests to entertain.”
“Mmm,” he made the sound, and she felt that sound through where his chest and stomach. pressed against her back.
“We’re fairly flexible, though.”
“That we are,” he murmured in her ear.
She laughed, loud. That got her more annoyed glances than the affectionate touching had. The little lady looked away, rather than at her, as if ashamed, embarrassed on her behalf.
Look, Emily willed, prayed.
“Good thing too,” Drake continued. “The very next moment we’re alone together, I’m going to pounce on you, beautiful creature, and I won’t be letting you go.”
Where his hand draped down in front of her, his fingertip tapped twice against the knot of the overall’s straps, that knot just a bit lower than a belt buckle ought to be.
She hugged his arm to her, tighter, and she smiled to herself.
In many things, she worried. In many other things, she was far from alright. In most things, even, there was anger or pain. Old, present, and looming.
In this, however, she was content. She had fought for this. She had claimed her scale-decorated man and left him behind, and she had fought her way back to him again. She wanted to embody her contentment in a way that could be seen.
That little lady with the fine well-to-do family and the stitched carrying her bag looked her way, curious despite herself.
Drake placed the cigarette in her mouth again. Emily drew back, then exhaled the smoke through her nostrils, twin plumes.
The train screamed again. It was coming out of the trees now. One scream after another, as it drew close to the platform. The sound of the whistles and horns were joined by the sounds of the brakes.
Soon the passengers would flood out and flood in.
I’m everything you’re not, little lady. I don’t have the fine clothes, I don’t have the money or the future waiting for me. Not properly. I could hang tomorrow, if things unfolded wrong, if the wrong words found the wrong ear or if the wrong people happened to arrive in this city.
But I’m free.
The train came to a stop.
Stairs stretched down from the side of the train, part machinery, part musculature. The passengers followed a moment later.
The car closest to Emily and Drake was filled with people like the little lady.
“Shall we go find them?”
Emily nodded.
They took their time traveling around the back of the crowd. They got several more dirty looks.
Chance and Lainie were getting off the rear car. They had a crowd around them. Lainie wore a sleeveless dress in a dusty rose shade that wouldn’t have looked out of place on someone in the well-to-do crowd, but she wore it to show off her arms. Plague scars marked one arm, and tattoos marked the other. Thorny branches reached up from her hands, and Kraken tentacles reached down from her shoulder, making only the slightest contact, just past the elbow. It was part of a broader tattoo that claimed her back.
Her eyes were modified, in what was supposed to be a minor change, but there had been a complication. A red ring marked the division between pupil and iris, stark and bright, but her actual eyelids were reddened, the spaces beneath each eye darkened, as if she’d just finished a marathon session of crying and gone a night without sleep.
Emily always noticed the eyes. Eyes held meaning to her. She’d offered to find someone good who could fix it, and Lainie had declined.
Chance was relatively unchanged, for his part. He was fit, with the work he did in the downtime, he had one or two tattoos, he had some plague scars that were worse than Lainie’s, mostly beneath his clothes, and he had a mod-girl at his side, but he was still recognizable as Chance.
The rest of their small crowd was of similar caliber. They were dockworkers, youth of questionable reputation, thieves, charlatans, with tattoos, modifications, and delightfully poor fashion choices.
Emily’s hand moved. Together.
Of the group, Chance’s hand, Lainie’s hand, and three others all moved in the answering sign. Agreement.
She broke away from Drake to reach out. Her hand caught Lainie at the side of the head, fingers in Lainie’s red hair.
“How are you?” she asked Lainie.
“Tired from the trip. Hungry. We made friends on the train.”
“Good,” Emily said.
Chance said, “Job finished early, but trains took forever. They were pulling trains off of one line to put them on this one. Five more trains are going to pass through this station before the afternoon and evening are over.”
“Why?” Emily asked.
“We should find out and report back to our Lords and Ladies,” Chance said. “After.”
“After food and sleep, please,” Lainie said.
Chance put an arm around the girl he’d been close to since stepping off the train. The girl had lace growing out of her, to the point it wasn’t clear where clothing ended and skin began. “After.”
Emily laughed. “I know just the place.”
“You know a place?” Drake asked.
Emily nodded. “Come on. All of you.”
She gave them a hand with one of the heavier bags, slinging it over one shoulder. She led them toward the city, the rest of the group chattering and smiling.
She cast a look over her shoulder, searching the crowd for the little lady. She found her target in the window, meeting the girl’s eyes.
Emily smiled, revealing her fangs. The girl turned away from the window, a flicker of annoyance on her face.
That was fine.
It had been the theaters of Tynewear, not a train station, she’d been two or three years younger, but years ago she had been that girl. She had cast the same inquisitive glances, her expression flat because she’d been unable to come to a judgment. Rather than a couple, it had been a heavily tattooed man and his friends, drunk off their asses, singing.
She hoped and she prayed that the girl, should she need it, would find it the same opportunity that she had. The first seed of a realization, if not the catalyst itself.
“Where are we going?” Drake asked her. She knew what he really wanted to ask. With this crowd in their company, would there be any pouncing?
“Home,” she said. “In a fashion.”
❧
The music played throughout the apartment home. She moved her hand and it caught in torn sheets with beads of blood on them.
The room was nice. The walls were painted evenly, decorated with portraits and landscapes in fine frames. One wall had a bookshelf sitting against it, and the books were all leather, including some exotic kinds that had been Academy created. The bed had four posts and a canopy, the floor had a fine rug from halfway around the planet.
Everything in the apartment home would be of similar caliber.
She wanted to destroy the rest of it, as friction, scales, claws, and other decorations had destroyed the sheets. She wanted to tell the others to help her destroy it, but she didn’t want to spoil their rest.
Before they left, perhaps.
She sat up.
“Cigarette?” Drake asked.
She reached to the bedside table, retrieved the sole remaining cigarette from the little metal case, and handed it to Drake. She found a matchbook and pressed it against his bare chest, before standing from the bed.
“Not partaking?”
“Getting water and checking on our guests,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
“Get dressed first,” he told her. “I’ll save it until you’re back.”
She threw a small pillow at him, then stretched.
She found the clothes she’d had on, and put them back, the overall’s straps going over her shoulders this time. She walked barefoot into the next room.
Lainie was curled up in a young man’s lap, head on his shoulder. The lad had a guitar resting across the armsrest of the chair and her lap, laid with strings up. As the music box played, he plucked the strings.
One of the young men stood and approached her as she found a wine glass and filled it with water from the tap.
“Keep your distance,” she warned. “I imagine I smell atrocious.”
“Can’t smell a thing,” he said. “Too many years of exposure to noxious chemicals, even before the Lambs found me and snatched me up.”
“Chemicals, hm?”
“And after they found me, it was more poisons, gases, and other things that singe the nose hairs, even if you’re being careful,” he said.
She drank her water, making a bit of a nodding motion to make it clear she’d heard.
“Junior,” he introduced himself. “Posie is over there, with one of our guests from the train. The other two, are boys I’m training up in hopes they’ll be able to follow in my footsteps. Marv and Vic.”
“Emily,” she said. She offered a hand to shake. He shook it. “I’m the princess in the tower that Lillian and Sylvester rescued, and now they don’t know what to do with me.”
“I think-” Junior started.
There was a hard knock at the door.
“-He knew exactly what to do with everyone.”
Past tense?
She went to the door.
No peephole. In a building like this, there wasn’t really a need. Each resident had an apartment that spanned one or two floors.
She opened the door. The people on the other side forced it the rest of the way open. Soldiers. They flooded into the apartment. Anyone who could have gone for a gun wasn’t given a chance.
Candy stared down the officer who pointed a pistol at her.
If they shot Drake-
“On your knees!” the officer shouted into her face.
“No,” Emily said.
The others were kneeling. Junior had dropped to his knees of his own volition, even without a gun pointed his way. It freed officers to turn their attention to her.
Two approached her from behind, grabbing her arm and shoulder. A boot kicked the back of her knee, sharp.
Her leg didn’t bend or even move in reaction.
“I will not ask you again! Down on the ground or I will put a bullet in you!”
“My answer will remain the same. If you shoot me-”
“Candida.”
Emily closed her eyes for a moment.
“Officers, it’s alright.”
“Are you sure?”
The pair stepped through the door. More officers followed behind them. He was an older man, his features chiseled to the point they looked artificial. She looked thirty years younger than she was, her figure ridiculous.
“Everard. Adelaide,” Emily greeted them.
“Candida. Don’t use our first names like that. It’s petulant. We’re your father and your mother,” Everard said.
“I’d hoped never to see you again.”
“Then our family apartment in New Amsterdam was a bad place to visit. You’ve brought squatters?”
“Friends and acquaintances.”
Drake had emerged from the other room, dressed.
“They’ve broken into our liquor cabinet, it seems,” Everard observed.
“My lords! You’ve destroyed yourself,” Adelaide said.
“I feel better than ever, Adelaide.”
“Your eyes,” Adelaide said. “Whatever possessed you?”
Emily raised her hand to her face, touching near her eye. The orbs were there, but they had been made utterly clear and translucent, visible only if the light caught them at the right angles. Otherwise, it left her eye sockets looking empty, raw.
“The husband you picked for me had it done.”
“Nothing so grotesque, I’m sure,” Adelaide said.
“What even brought you to New Amsterdam?” Everard asked.
“I could ask you the same thing. You could have left.”
“We tried,” he said. “Our timing was wrong. There was supposed to be a boat this spring. We made the trip and were turned away. Imagine our surprise when we return here, only to hear the doorman is alarmed at the rabble that forced their way through, and that authorities are already contacted and en-route.”
Emily glanced at her friends. “The trains. It’s why so many were coming back. They weren’t allowed to leave.”
“Quarantine concerns,” Everard said.
“What a shame,” Emily said, with no emotion in her voice. She wondered if it was one of the other groups, isolating and rooting out key players in aristocracy and business.
Her father certainly didn’t look happy. She’d seen that unhappy expression on his face many a time, but it had typically been reserved for her misadventures and delinquency.
“We’re hoping the ports will open soon,” Adelaide said. “We’re expecting ships next fall.”
They won’t.
“What shall we do with them?” the officer asked.
“Will you behave?” Everard asked. “We can have all of that stripped away, the tattoos removed, the eyes replaced.”
“I would sooner kill you than let that happen,” she answered.
“Please,” Adelaide said. She drew closer, hesitated, then closed the distance. “Candida.”
“That’s not my name.”
“It’s the name we gave you,” Adelaide said. She sniffed. “You reek.”
“That might well be the cigarettes,” Emily said.
“Not ladylike, those. Phallic, stinking things. Unhealthy, the Academies say.”
“Oh yes. Unhealthy. If only I were immortal, and didn’t have to worry about such things.”
Her parents exchanged glances. Her mother said, “It’s not the cigarettes. You smell like sex and sweat.”
“I should hope so, after six goes at it.”
Everard made a face. Emily only glared at him, staring him down.
“Why do you have to make it all so hard?” he asked.
You tried to sell me. I was the currency you used to bet your chips on a particular horse, and that horse was put down.
“Why couldn’t you have ever made it easy for me?” she asked.
“We gave you everything,” Adelaide said. “You seem
|
asing it, what shapes can you make? You can’t make a sphere, or even a section of a sphere, because a sphere is curved, while the paper is flat.
But you can make a cylinder. And even a cone, as you’ll know if you’ve ever seen a dunce’s hat. (This fact is also useful for making waffle cones, as shown below.)
Gotham3/ingur
As it turns out, even though a cylinder or a cone looks curved, it is intrinsically flat. In an undergraduate course on differential geometry (such as the one I teach at Monash), one studies this intrinsic curvature, and it turns out that there are lots of flat surfaces.
Richard Morris/Wikipedia
These ideas were around for hundreds of years before Nash, but Nash took them much further.
The embedding problem
Nash took up the idea of “embedding” a surface: placing it into space without tearing, creasing or crossing itself. An embedding which does not distort the surface’s intrinsic geometry is “isometric”. In other words, the surfaces above are “isometric embeddings” of the plane into 3-dimensional space.
The isometric embedding question can be asked not just for the plane, but for any possible surface: spheres, donuts (which mathematicians call tori to try to sound respectable) and many others.
As it turns out, there are surfaces that are so strongly curved or tangled up that they cannot be embedded into 3-dimensional space at all. In fact, they can’t even be embedded into 4-dimensional space.
But Nash showed that any surface can be embedded into 17-dimensional space. Extra dimensions, far from making the problem even more difficult, actually make it easier – giving you more room to embed your surface! Later on, Nash’s work was improved by others, and we now know that any surface can be embedded into 5-dimensional space.
However, surfaces are only 2-dimensional. And Nash was interested in surfaces of any possible dimension. These higher dimensional analogues of surfaces are known as “manifolds”.
Nash proved that you can always embed a manifold into space of some dimension, without distorting its geometry. With this momentous result, he solved the isometric embedding problem.
Nash’s proof of the isometric embedding problem came as a complete surprise to much of the mathematical community. His methods were revolutionary. The great mathematician Mikhail Gromov said that Nash’s work on the embedding problem struck him to be “as convincing as lifting oneself by the hair”. But after great effort, Gromov finally understood Nash’s proof: at the end of Nash’s lengthy argument, Gromov said, Nash “miraculously, did lift you in the air by the hair”!
Isometric embedding in action
Gromov went on to develop his own ideas, inspired by Nash’s work. He wrote a book – similarly renowned among mathematicians for its incomprehensibility, just like Nash’s work – in which he developed a method called “convex integration”.
Gromov’s method had several advantages. One is that it is easier to draw pictures of an embedding made with his convex integration method. Prior to Gromov, we knew isometric embeddings existed, and had wonderful properties, but had a very tough time trying to visualise them, not least because they were often in higher dimensions.
In 2012, a team of French mathematicians produced computer graphics of isometric embeddings using Gromov’s convex integration methods. They are extremely intricate, almost fractal-like, yet smooth. Some are shown below.
The world in a grain of sand
Nash’s work on the isometric embedding problem has many facets and has led to huge amounts of subsequent research.
One particularly amazing aspect is how isometric embeddings are constructed. Nash’s work, combined with subsequent work by Nicolaas Kuiper, showed that if you wanted to isometrically embed a surface in 3-dimensional space, it’s enough to be able to shrink it.
If you have a “shrunken” embedding of your surface – that is, with all lengths decreased – then Nash and Kuiper show how you can obtain an isometric embedding of your surface just by adjusting your shrunken version a bit.
This sounds ridiculous. For instance, take a sphere – say the surface of a tennis ball – and imagine shrinking it down to have a nanometre radius. Nash and Kuiper show that by “ruffling” the surface sufficiently (but always smoothly; no creasing or folding or ripping or tearing allowed!) you can have an isometric copy of your original tennis ball, all contained within this nanometre radius. This type of “ruffling” of the surface was reproduced in the French team’s computer graphics.
The French team considered taking a flat square piece of paper. Glue the top side to the bottom side, to get a cylinder. Now glue the left side to the right side. If you think about it, you might be able to see that you get a donut. But you’ll find the paper is now creased or distorted.
Can you embed it into 3-dimensional space without distortion? Nash and Kuiper say “yes”. Gromov says “use convex integration”. And the French mathematicians say “this is what it looks like”!
More pictures are available at the Project’s website.
But the mathematical theorem doesn’t just apply to tennis balls or donuts: the theorem holds for any manifold of any dimension. Any world can be contained in a grain of sand.
How did he do it?
Nash had a rare combination of genius and hard work. In her biography of Nash, Sylvia Nasar details his formidable intensity and effort spent working on the problem.
As is well known from the movie, Nash came to believe in outlandish conspiracy theories involving aliens and supernatural beings, as a result of his schizophrenia. When later asked why he, an extremely intelligent scientist, could believe in such things, he said those ideas “came to me the same way that my mathematical ideas did. So I took them seriously”.
And frankly, if my head told me ideas as accurate and as insightful as those needed to prove the isometric embedding theorem, I’d likely trust it on aliens and the supernatural too.Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A woman who hacked off her drunk husband's penis when he tried to rape her in front of their children is facing attempted murder charges.
The enraged wife - who is not being named in local media who have published her photograph - told police her husband came home after a lunchtime drinking session and began to grope her.
According to investigators, the woman admitted to grabbing a kitchen knife and slicing off his genitals.
The 40-year-old man - named by police as R.Ravinder - is reported to be recovering in hospital.
Local media did not report whether surgeons were able to reattach his severed manhood.
(Image: CEN/Mirror Now)
Inspector Naresh, from Sirisedu, Telangana State, told Indian media: "The incident took place when R. Ravinder was harassing the woman after getting drunk.
"Neighbours told us that the couple often fought whenever Ravinder came home drunk.
"Unable to bear the harassment, she took a knife and chopped off his penis. We have filed a case under section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder) against the woman.
"Ravinder is now being treated at a government hospital in Jammikunta."
The wife is reported to have claimed she acted in self-defence.
She told local media that her husband harassed her sexually every time he got drunk.
It was not clear whether rape charges against the injured husband were being pursued.
Three months ago in a similar incident in Tamil Nadu, a wife now facing assault charges chopped off her husband's penis when she discovered he was cheating on her.Chennai: India's first indigenously designed 500 MW fast breeder reactor is expected to generate power from September and the focus is on not missing the deadline, a top official of the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI) said on Tuesday.
"This September, the unit will be connected to the southern power grid, generating around 30 percent of the total capacity. Full power generation is expected to begin around April 2016," P Chellapandi, chairman and managing director told IANS.
BHAVINI is setting up the country's first indigenously designed 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, around 80 km from Chennai.
A breeder reactor is one that breeds more material for a nuclear fission reaction than it consumes. The PFBR will be fuelled by a blend of plutonium and uranium oxide, called MOX fuel.
While the reactor will break up (fission) plutonium for power production, it will also breed more plutonium than it consumes. The original plutonium comes from natural uranium.
The 30 percent power generation that Chellapandi says is sizeable 150 MW.
The initial power generation would be gradually increased based on various test results.
According to Chellapandi, all the construction related works will be over in a month's time.
"The physical progress achieved by the PFBR is 98 percent. The balance is mainly intellectual or knowledge inputs," Chellapandi said.
He reiterated that there are no external items that are needed for the project's completion.
He said various stages of the project are being tested and officials from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) are regularly visiting the project.
"We are trying to make sure that the deadline is not slipped," Chellapandi said.
The dummy fuel (fuel pins similar to the real fuel pins but without the fission material) pins numbering 1,757 were loaded in 2013.
Meanwhile, the operators are being trained to run the plant.
The successful commissioning of the reactor will be a big feather in the cap of Indian nuclear scientists.
The PFBR is designed by Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).
If PFBR gets commissioned this calendar year then it will be the second mega atomic power plant that would go on stream in Tamil Nadu giving the much needed relief to the power starved state.
The second 1,000 MW atomic power plant being set up at Kudankulam by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) is also slated to attain criticality (beginning of nuclear fission process for the first time) in June.
NPCIL is hoping to load the real fuel in the reactor in June after removing the dummy fuel bundles from the reactor.
Dummy fuel assemblies, made of lead instead of uranium, are the exact replica of the actual nuclear fuel assemblies, both in dimension and weight.
The NPCIL is setting up two 1,000 MW Russian reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district, 650 km from Chennai.
The first unit attained criticality, which is the beginning of the fission process, July 2013.
Subsequently it was connected to the southern power grid in October 2013 but the commercial power generation began only December 31, 2014.These pages show 8 different sorting algorithms on 4 different initial conditions. These visualizations are intended to:
Show how each algorithm operates.
Show that there is no best sorting algorithm.
Show the advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm.
Show that worse-case asymptotic behavior is not always the deciding factor in choosing an algorithm.
Show that the initial condition (input order and key distribution) affects performance as much as the algorithm choice.
The ideal sorting algorithm would have the following properties:
Stable: Equal keys aren’t reordered.
Operates in place, requiring O(1) extra space.
Worst-case O(n·lg(n)) key comparisons.
Worst-case O(n) swaps.
Adaptive: Speeds up to O(n) when data is nearly sorted or when there are few unique keys.
There is no algorithm that has all of these properties, and so the choice of sorting algorithm depends on the application.TODAY Sydney medical scientist Brian Morris can celebrate the climax of his 40-year hunt to uncover a secret central to the cause of high blood pressure.
In a scientific advance of importance to the quarter of adults in the Western world who suffer potentially lethal high blood pressure, Professor Morris and his Sydney University team will publish research today revealing the hitherto mysterious role of the enzyme renin in triggering the condition.
The renin man... Professor Brian Morris and his team have carried out research that shows the role an enzyme plays in triggering high blood pressure. Credit:Brendan Esposito
The research is the first of its kind to use human kidneys. It opens the way for more targeted drugs which could transform treatment of high blood pressure, a very strong risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
Professor Morris, one of Australia's leading genetic scientists, first began studying renin as a young student in the early 1970s. Now another young scientist, his PhD student, Brazilian Francine Marques, has performed the laboratory work, under his supervision, which helped clinch these new findings that may have international significance.By Karam al-Masri
Cigarettes stuffed with grape leaves instead of tobacco, gardens on bombed-out rooftops, and batteries powered by rusted bicycles: in Syria's besieged eastern Aleppo, necessity is the mother of invention.
More than 250,000 people have been under a government siege in the rebel-held side of the northern city since July, without access to aid, food, fuel, medicine or even cigarettes.
The blockade has sparked severe shortages and exorbitant prices for the few basic goods available, forcing residents to find innovative ways to cope.
"We've been forced back into the Stone Age," said Khaled Kurdiyah, who lives in Aleppo's eastern district of Karam al-Jabal.
Kurdiyah is the mastermind behind "the can" - a metal container outfitted with a fan to create a highly controlled wood fire that acts as a substitute for a gas stove.
"I punched a hole in a used ghee can that we were going to throw away and fixed a fan on it," he explains to AFP.
The 25-year-old breaks up a few pieces of wood and tosses them into the dented container, lighting a fire and crowning it with a teapot.
"This way, we can direct the flames from the wood in a certain direction to create an even bigger fire while rationing our firewood," he said.
Pedalling power
Like many basic goods, gasoline and diesel are increasingly valuable in Aleppo's east, where state-run electricity is mostly cut off.
Some residents have developed a system to melt scraps of plastic into fuel, which is then used to run electricity generators.
But the process can produce unexpected explosions and be deadly.
So Abu Rahmo has developed a cleaner form of energy, using the pedalling power of residents.
In his workshop in the Ansari neighbourhood, the 48-year-old mechanic welds a dynamo - the small generator used to charge car batteries - onto the back of an old bicycle.
"We have neither electricity nor generators... So I take the dynamos out of cars and fix them onto bicycles to charge car batteries," he said.
The batteries can then be used to turn on lights, charge phones, and "even power washing machines," Abu Rahmo said.
The balding Aleppan sells one bicycle every few days at a price of about 10,000 Syrian pounds ($20).
Once the sale has been confirmed, he carries the contraption to the buyer's house for a demonstration of how it works and any final adjustments.
A lanky teenager slips his sandaled feet into the pedals of a recently sold bicycle, pumping until the attached light bulb flickers on.
'Worth more than gold'
Just a few streets away in the Kalasseh district, 28-year-old Amir Sendeh unlocks a metal door, disappearing into a small outdoor courtyard.
He checks on a handful of scrawny chickens - invaluable in a place like Aleppo - before shuffling up a flight of stairs to his roof.
There, white foam boxes are organised in neat rows, some of them lush with bright green sprouts.
"I bought some seeds and planted them on the roof of my house," says Sendeh, caressing the plants.
Since government forces surrounded Aleppo in July, food items have become hard to find or prohibitively expensive, or both.
The price of sugar has gone up nearly tenfold to 3,500 ($7) pounds per kg, and salad ingredients like parsley or tomatoes are at least five times more costly than before the siege.
So some residents of Aleppo have planted small rooftop gardens to harvest their own food.
"Right now, I've got parsley, radishes, and soon I'll have some spinach and chard," Sendeh said proudly.
In moments of calm, residents of east Aleppo sit along bombed-out streets and deftly roll cigarettes, but instead of tobacco, they stuff them with dried, shredded grape leaves.
"A pack of cigarettes is worth more than gold these days, and the price goes up every day," said Ahmad Oweija, 43.
Residents now refer to real cigarettes, stuffed with tobacco, as "foreign". They sell for about 2,000 Syrian pounds ($4) each, he said.
Before the siege, that was the price for a whole pack of 20.
Oweija sells hand-rolled cigarettes filled with vine leaves that he picks, dries out, then grinds up in the Bustan al-Qasr district.
If he has real tobacco to spare, he sprinkles a small amount in each cigarette - just for taste.
With real cigarettes so rare and costly, they even serve as their own form of currency, Oweija claims.
"I know people who have bought houses and cars for a few packs of foreign cigarettes."In linguistics, the Gunning fog index is a readability test for English writing. The index estimates the years of formal education a person needs to understand the text on the first reading. For instance, a fog index of 12 requires the reading level of a United States high school senior (around 18 years old). The test was developed in 1952 by Robert Gunning, an American businessman who had been involved in newspaper and textbook publishing.[1]
The fog index is commonly used to confirm that text can be read easily by the intended audience. Texts for a wide audience generally need a fog index less than 12. Texts requiring near-universal understanding generally need an index less than 8.
Fog Index Reading level by grade 17 College graduate 16 College senior 15 College junior 14 College sophomore 13 College freshman 12 High school senior 11 High school junior 10 High school sophomore 9 High school freshman 8 Eighth grade 7 Seventh grade 6 Sixth grade
Calculation [ edit ]
The Gunning fog index is calculated with the following algorithm:[2]
Select a passage (such as one or more full paragraphs) of around 100 words. Do not omit any sentences; Determine the average sentence length. (Divide the number of words by the number of sentences.); Count the "complex" words consisting of three or more syllables. Do not include proper nouns, familiar jargon, or compound words. Do not include common suffixes (such as -es, -ed, or -ing) as a syllable; Add the average sentence length and the percentage of complex words; and Multiply the result by 0.4.
The complete formula is:
0.4 [ ( words sentences ) + 100 ( complex words words ) ] {\displaystyle 0.4\left[\left({\frac {\mbox{words}}{\mbox{sentences}}}\right)+100\left({\frac {\mbox{complex words}}{\mbox{words}}}\right)\right]}
Limitations [ edit ]
While the fog index is a good sign of hard-to-read text, it has limits. Not all complex words are difficult. For example, "interesting" is not generally thought to be a difficult word, although it has four syllables. A short word can be difficult if it is not used very often by most people. The frequency with which words are in normal use affects the readability of text.[3]
Until the 1980s, the fog index was calculated differently.[4] The original formula counted each clause as a sentence. Because the index was meant to measure clarity of expression within sentences, it assumed people saw each clause as a complete thought.
In the 1980s, this step was left out in counting the fog index for literature. This might have been because it had to be done manually. Judith Bogert of Pennsylvania State University defended the original algorithm in 1985.[5] A review of subsequent literature shows that the newer method is generally recommended.[6]
Nevertheless, some continue to point out that a series of simple, short sentences does not mean that the reading is easier.[7] In some works, such as Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, the fog scores using the old and revised algorithms differ greatly. A sample test took a random footnote from the text: (#51: Dion, vol. I. lxxix. p. 1363. Herodian, l. v. p. 189.) and used an automated Gunning Fog calculator,[8] first using the sentence count, and then the count of sentences plus clauses. The calculator gave an index of 19.2 using only sentences, and an index of 12.5 when including independent clauses. This brought down the fog index from post-graduate to high school level.[9]
See also [ edit ]2 /10
Warning: Spoilers
The professional critics keep saying this is a "Star Trek for our time". If our time is about hopelessness, extreme belligerence, logic defying turns of events, hamfisted social agendas, and over- engineered glamour shots, then yes this show completely reflects our time. What follows is a rant about quality of the writing on this show, but if you want a quicker summary without spoilers, just scroll down to the last paragraph.
---SPOILERS---
One of the reasons why I loved the earliest Star Trek shows was that it wanted to inspire you to be a better person, and it did this through exploration of the characters' struggle to make choices that would ultimately be objectively good. In this show the first episode treats us to a drone operator's dilemma: short term morals and short term thinking as opposed to considering the wider implications of your actions, which is something that was a total staple of the show. We get a Vulcan character advocating conflict seemingly to avoid conflict, but nobody seems to question at all the logic or implications of pre-emptive strikes, instead it's an almost entirely emotional endeavour. Why? Why did the writers miss this opportunity? So we could get more lens flared CGI shots of the exterior? Or that pointless space suit drift that lasted 20 minutes just so it could be made into a pretext for the Klingon war? This review would be an essay if I was to pick apart the plot holes in the 1st and 2nd episode, so lets just sum it up by saying those episodes made the main character look stupidly impulsive, which already seems inconsistent with her backstory.
And don't get me started about the other characters: the redhead crewman is an obvious comic relief/nervous newbie trope with no nuance whatsoever, every single one of her lines is annoying so far. Even Ensign Crusher was miles better than this despite the flaws of that character. The main character is supposed to be Spock-lite under the idea that there will be a conflict between Vulcan logic and human morality. And yet the conflict is so forced and the writing of the character conversations so linear, that it breaks suspension of disbelief. The new captain looks set to be killed off by the end of the season judging from what happened so far, can't say I'll shed tears about that. Interaction with different races on the starship Discovery is limited to the "I just want to survive, please" first officer, as it seems like every other Federation member race has been replaced with human cyborgs and actual robots (I wish I was kidding). If Star Trek races correspond to certain sides of the human personality, then this guy corresponds to the fight or flight reflex. Except that's not a personality trait, and any kind of nuance that was had in having a coward as one of the main characters ended after the first two episodes really. All in all, the character writing on this show so far is terrible and getting worse with every episode.
And then you have the Klingons. Never mind the change in their appearance, the Trump supporter monologue was ridiculous. I'm sure there was a better way to include the nuances of our time than to change the Klingons from an honour based society into fundamentalist conservatives. Also, as a more minor quip: the other Star Trek shows went with a Universal Translator plot setup for a reason: it's annoying to have to read subtitles.
Or take this little gem: The main character has to introduce herself on the Discovery by getting into a fight with three inmates. A fight that was completely unnecessary and forced, did nothing for the plot other than showcase some people getting hurt. What? The closest we get to an actual exploration of morality is the tardigrade arc, which truly is the Trolley Problem re-hashed: do I want to kill one creature to save hundreds or not? Would've been on the right track, had there been an actual exploration of it instead of outright rejection of the main character's complaints followed by a clichéd exchange about chains of command. Not that we were able to empathise with any of the characters involved anyway, even if the writing wasn't so trope ridden. The end of Ep.5 where the mirror universe literally looks back at you through a mirror just sums it all up.
---END SPOILERS---
The writers had a chance to make something truly outstanding here: a show that would break out of the doom and gloom and indiscriminate killing of modern TV shows and bring the viewers something that would inspire them and make them think for a change. This show is available via streaming to unshackle it from its commitments to mainstream TV, but it instead becomes exactly that: mainstream TV - a combination of the winning traits of a bunch of modern TV shows, so that a sweet spot can be hit with the ratings I guess? What happened to boldness in creativity? What we get is a cynical Game of Thrones treatment of the Star Trek universe, the exact opposite of what Gene Roddenberry wanted it to be, and paradoxically completely unimaginative and uncreative since it's just a rehash of what has been done much better in other sci-fi/fantasy TV shows already out there. There are plenty of reviews that say this show would be fine if it wasn't a Star Trek show. I don't think it would be. I think there's a serious problem with the character writing, the constant clichés, the generic trope overload, and the forced direction the plot is taking. The fact that it is a Trek show only makes it worse, because I expected so much better. I hope this gets canceled in disgrace, so that the next Star Trek show learns from its mistakes, then maybe we can have some actually bold and interesting writing.For the last year we have been collaborating with Discovery/Animal Planet on a major eight-part series about our work here at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica.
'Meet the Sloths' is our very own sloth-series starring Buttercup, Randy and a host of orphaned juniors personalities like Tigger, the hyperactive baby sloth, and gorgeous abandoned baby Bradypus named Pi.
Filmed over the better part of the year, the series features some of our ground-breaking scientific research - discover how sloths swim and watch us bust some myths when it comes to sloth speed and digestion.
There's also plenty of drama with new orphan arrivals, sloth love triangles and some emotional releases of healthy sloths back into the wild.
Watch the trailer for the series:
New Animal Planet "Meet the Sloths" series trailer airs in the USA November 9, 2013!
Please share the trailer (and your excitement!) on FaceBook, Twitter and Tumblr. Be sure to follow meettheslothstv on Twitter and FB for new viral videos and photos of the stars of the show. Plus updates on transmission times globally.
The series with be premiering in the USA at 8pm on Saturday November 9th on Animal Planet, on Animal Planet UK at 8pm on Thursday November 14th and Animal Planet Canada on Saturday November 23rd.
And please don't forget to watch out for exclusive interviews and Q&A sessions with both our founder, Judy, and our amazing Sloth Scientist, Becky Cliffe, both online and in all of major newspapers.Landowners have begun joining forces and challenging the company’s assumption that it can legally seize land.
“With so many unanswered questions about the safety of this project, perhaps it’s time for the U.S. to hit the brake pedal,” Mr. Thompson wrote in testimony for a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in May. “And perhaps it’s time that our government starts placing the concerns of American citizens over and above those of a foreign corporation.”
Mr. Thompson said he intends to fight to keep the pipeline, 36 inches in diameter, off his land. Eminent domain laws generally allow for the confiscation of private property if taking it is judged to serve a larger public good. These kinds of laws differ slightly from state to state as do the processes by which pipelines are approved and licensed. As a result, there is both debate and confusion over whether TransCanada has the right to use the courts to demand easements from property owners in advance of final approval for the project.
A TransCanada spokesman, Shawn Howard, says the company does not have to wait for a license from the State Department to begin securing land. He said the company has tried to obtain voluntary agreements, but when that fails the company has the right to force lease agreements upon landowners in all six states the pipeline would pass through. All of TransCanada’s permit applications, he said, have been made through its subsidiary in Omaha, Keystone Pipeline.
“We have been given the legal advice that we can do this in parallel to the process going on in Washington,” Mr. Howard said. “If we didn’t think we had the authority or ability to do this, we wouldn’t be doing it.”
A senior State Department official, who asked not to be identified because the permit process is continuing, said TransCanada had not sought federal approval to invoke eminent domain. He said the department had no authority on the issue and that it was up to state law and the courts to determine appropriate use of eminent domain laws.
Landowners and their lawyers are pushing local courts to do just that. While it is impossible to say how many cases are working their way through the legal system, in addition to the 56 Texas and South Dakota cases, TransCanada acknowledges it has sent “Dear Owner” letters to dozens of families in Nebraska.
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Timothy Sandefur, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foundation, a nonprofit advocate for property rights issues, said that if the project is approved, the company will be on firmer ground. As unfair as the laws might seem, he said, the right of way of pipelines and railroads as public goods has been well established, regardless of whether they are foreign-owned. “Property owners almost never win these suits,” he said.
But lawyers for the landowners, particularly in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, argue that TransCanada has not met the requirements to invoke eminent domain under those states’ laws. In South Dakota, however, a judge has already ruled that TransCanada could use eminent domain to secure land for a previous pipeline project.
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David A. Domina, a Nebraska lawyer whose firm represents 45 landowners, said there was “no way” that TransCanada has eminent domain powers under Nebraska law, and that the company was “acting in bad faith.”
In East Texas, where residents are used to having cordial dealings with oil companies, landowners said they had never seen a company behave as aggressively as has TransCanada.
Norman Ladd, a lawyer in Tyler, Tex., whose firm represents more than a dozen landowners, said the company has low-balled on prices and threatened to use eminent domain “instead of coming down here and saying we can work with you.”
TransCanada has taken reticent landowners before special county boards in Texas, one of the first steps in that state’s condemnation process. The boards determine only how much landowners should be compensated, not whether eminent domain laws apply.
With drilling and pipeline building expected to expand into more shale fields and the news over the weekend that Kinder Morgan was buying the El Paso Corporation to expand its pipeline network, these types of land use challenges may well increase in coming years.
Supporters of Keystone XL argue it will help bolster domestic energy security and spur job growth. But many politicians, particularly in Nebraska, oppose much of the pipeline’s route because they say it poses a danger to the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides more than a quarter of the water for the country’s agricultural crops.
Environmental groups argue that extracting and burning the heavy crude drawn from Alberta’s oil sands will increase greenhouse gas emissions. They also warn that if there is a spill or a leak, it would cause severe environmental damage and be extremely hard to clean up.
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In what has been interpreted as a virtual green light for the project, a State Department report in August concluded that the pipeline would have minimum environmental impact if operated under federal regulations.
Mr. Howard said the company has already secured legal agreements with 90 percent of the landowners it needs in Nebraska, and that he does not expect a few unhappy landowners to slow the process or force changes to the intended route. But TransCanada backed off and dropped its lawsuit against Sue Kelso’s family, when it was clear that the family was not going to acquiesce. Mr. Howard said the company decided it would be better to reroute the pipeline around the Kelso property for “various reasons” based on convenience.
An East Texas landowner, Eleanor Fairchild, said that a TransCanada representative arrived at her house a few days before her husband died of Alzheimer’s in 2009. At first, she considered the $42,000 offer — later raised by $18,000 — for a 50-foot easement on her 425 acres. But she said that the more she learned about the pipeline, the less she wanted it on her land.
“It was a hard decision whether I wanted to fight and spend all this money even though I could lose the thing,” Ms. Fairchild said in a weary drawl. “But somebody needs to fight them. I decided it would be me.”
TransCanada’s condemnation suit against her is pending.When it comes to flight information, or to be more accurate, flight statuses, push notification can be a godsend. Case-in-point, Worldmate Gold (iTunes link), one of the first iPhone travel apps to utilize the new OS 3.0’s push notification capabilities. The downside? It’s $20 (well, $19.99).
If you do much traveling this is one iPhone app you may actually be delighted to pay that $20. Also, there’s also a free version (iTunes link), although that version does not have push, the compelling feature of the app. If you’re quick though, you can grab one of the 40 free copies of the Gold version WorldMate is giving away to TechCrunch readers. Simply email [email protected] and they’ll contact you if you’ve won.
WorldMate begins winning you over in the itinerary building stage. It offers a couple of ways to automatically build it for you. One way is to enter the info directly on WorldMate.com. The second is by email—manually, or using an Outlook toolbar. WorldMate is able to parse confirmation emails from over a hundred travel agencies, airlines, hotel chains, and car rental agencies. Once it has automatically pieced together all of your trip details and stored key data such as confirmation numbers, phone numbers and seat numbers, the itinerary is synced over-the-air to the iPhone app.
This is the point where the app’s killer-feature begins to shine. Having integrated with various data sources such as GDS, airline systems (including low-cost airlines that are not on GDS), the FAA and airports, WorldMate is able to monitor flight statuses for over 350 airlines worldwide. This allows them to send out immediate push notifications when flights are delayed, canceled, diverted, and even when there’s a gate change.
Now it’s certainly of value to know that changes to your flight have occurred, but it’s even better to be able to react to them, and the WorldMate app lets you do just that. For example, say your flight has been canceled, the app will help you find alternate flights to the destination. It will also assist you to book a hotel room. Here’s something pretty cool: WorldMate uses heuristics to sort the results so if it’s after 10pm, they’ll recommend a hotel near the airport, otherwise they’ll recommend a hotel near a choice of city landmarks.
The rest of the hotel hotel booking features available in both the free and premium versions are pretty useful as well. There are three ways to search for a hotel: Itinerary Location, for example, ‘Find hotel near my meeting with TechCrunch HQ’, Current Location, which utilizes the iPhones embedded GPS, and finally Standard Search, by specifying city, times, etc. Hotels are ranked according to the user’s preferences which are saved for future re-use. These include budget, brand, and amenities, which are all rated by importance to the user.
There are also some basic features that round off WorldMate as the Swiss army knife of apps for the business traveler. These include a self-updating exchange rate calculator for over a hundred currencies, worldwide weather info, home and travel destination clocks and a tip calculator.About DOTLAN EveMaps
This page uses vector based maps (SVG for for Firefox/Safari/Chrome and VML for Internet Explorer) to display the maps. All maps are available as PDF Download (Print!) and as GIF Image. Sovereignty and occupancy data gets updated approx. every hour. The maps are focused to be clean and easily readable with the most important information for fleet roaming and planning. They contain daily sovereignty and outpost information for your favourite 0.0 regions. Occupancy information for factional warfare is also included.
Additional to the regional maps, DOTLAN EveMaps is packed with all kind of informations around Eve Online's universe called New Eden. Informations about regions and their systems, current and past alliances including their corporations aswell as the current and historical situation of occupied factionwarfare or sovereignty in the harsh nullsec territory.
With over 1.2
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elson said.
CNN's Amanda O'Donnell contributed to this report.
All About UtahThe Golden State Warriors are not the Cleveland Cavaliers’ rivals according to LeBron James. But his past actions seem to paint a different picture.
When LeBron James went back to Cleveland in the summer of 2014, there’s no way he could’ve foreseen how the next few years would go.
The top four seeds in the West were the Spurs — who had beaten LeBron’s Heat in the Finals — followed by the Thunder, Clippers and Rockets. Meanwhile, the East was fairly weak, save for the Pacers and the Heat, who were now vastly diminished with LeBron’s departure.
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So, by returning home and teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, LeBron was probably envisioning domination of the Eastern Conference for years to come and challenge for more championships with a new Big Three.
But then, like a blitzkrieg attack, the Warriors — who had lost in the first round to the Clippers the year before — came bursting in out of nowhere, grabbing the spotlight with their fast pace and three-point shooting and ball movement and spectacular offense and “Oh my God what did Steph Curry just do” highlights on the regular. And in the Finals, they reminded LeBron that switching super teams did not guarantee a championship.
LeBron never saw the Warriors coming. In the blink of an eye, this team that had been awful for decades came in, stole the crown and the attention from The King and were suddenly the darlings of the NBA. From the Splash Brothers to 73 wins, everything suddenly became “Warriors this, Warriors that.”
Part of me thinks people hold a special grudge against the Warriors for that reason. They weren’t supposed to get this good, this fast. Teams aren’t supposed to go from losing in the first round one season to winning the championship the next under a new coach, then break the NBA record for regular season wins the next year and follow that up by signing Kevin frickin’ Durant in free agency. That just ain’t fair.
Part of me also thinks that there is perhaps no opponent LeBron has wanted to beat more badly in his lengthy career than the Warriors. This is the team that snatched the attention away from him, produced a two-time MVP who does things with the basketball that even LeBron can’t and appears to stand in the way between LeBron and a championship every year for the foreseeable future.
This is why LeBron has been extremely obsessed with the Warriors. Why he questioned Curry’s second MVP award. Why he thought Portland’s Terry Stotts should’ve been Coach of the Year over Steve Kerr last season. Why he felt offended that Curry was rising to become the league’s alpha dog and why he proclaimed himself “the best player in the world” following a loss in Game 5 of the 2015 Finals. Why LeBron threw a Halloween party with a “3-1 lead” declaration, cookies shaped like tombstones with Curry and Klay Thompson’s names on them and a dummy of Curry that guests had to walk over. I mean, who does that?
This was one of the decorations at LeBron's Halloween party tonight. Legendary pic.twitter.com/DwnkLGSr0h — Jordan Zirm (@clevezirm) October 31, 2016
Apparently, beating the Warriors in the Finals last season didn’t satisfy him. Before Monday’s 35-point loss to the Warriors, James decided to point out that the Cavaliers and Warriors weren’t rivals:
“I don’t think we have a rival in our game today. We’ve had two great Finals appearances the last two years, but I had the same with San Antonio when I was in Miami. We weren’t rivals. And I think I played those guys more, so I wouldn’t look at it as rivals.”
This is pure arrogance. For all intents and purposes, the Warriors and Cavaliers are rivals. They’ve played each other for the championship the last two years. Every matchup between them has been hyped like no other game, and the skill level and intensity on display in those games is unparalleled by any other two teams in the league today.
LeBron can make excuses, but it’s a euphemism for proclaiming himself peerless and too good to even have a rival. It’s him still finding a way to talk down the Warriors, even when they’re up on the mountaintop with him and standing as the lone obstacle to more championships.
Because while the Cavaliers are the defending champions, it feels like nobody is really paying attention to them — at least not as much as the Warriors, who were demoralized for all of a few weeks after blowing a 3-1 Finals lead because they signed Durant and their fans started celebrating like they had won the damn championship.
This has to irk LeBron, hence the uncommitted “rivals” statement, and well … the reason why he did this on Monday:
Warriors' Draymond Green hard fouls Cavaliers' LeBron James & then mocks his flailing (all angles) pic.twitter.com/rzOTYiXhFt — Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 17, 2017
This is a 6-foot-8, 249-pound grown man built like a machine who went down like he got shot after a little shove to the shoulder by Draymond Green. I wonder what mystical force made his head snap back? The Golden Globes were last week, LeBron.
Notably, this comes days after LeBron complained that he wasn’t getting enough foul calls. Correlation is not causation, but I’ll just point out that LeBron also complained that he had a family after the now-infamous altercation with Draymond in Game 4 over the summer, and Draymond was suspended for Game 5. Oh, and there’s precedent for the league giving LeBron what he wants at a moment’s notice:
@KingJames Yup, we're on it. Dev team is working on an update today. — NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2016
Kidding aside, LeBron cares way too much about the Warriors to not consider them rivals. He’s willing to flop like a fish, throw a Halloween party with a “Warriors suck” theme and resort to Machiavellian strategies to grab any advantage possible. It’s only January, and it seems like he’s already testing out methods that might pay off come June.
Of course he had to know that was Draymond coming at him to steal the ball, that they would make contact and that he would try to sell it because he knows Draymond’s history.
Afterwards, he said this:
Lebron said Draymond hit him in the face with his shoulder but he's okay cause he's a football player #assclown #DubNation pic.twitter.com/uhyWtQGnTL — Treymond Green (@TreymondGreen) January 17, 2017
1) Draymond never touched LeBron’s face and 2) That was nowhere near a football hit. Without overreacting to one moment, this is representative of LeBron’s attitude towards the Warriors, one of falsified ignorance but — in reality — one of jealously and (yes) rivalry.
It’s undeniable that the third iteration of the Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers will be so epic. But in the meantime, it would be nice for the “best player in the world” to call a team that already beat him in the Finals once and just annihilated them by 35 points what they rightfully are: rivals.
This article originally appeared onNo more baited hooks in Western Australia. But great whites might still get iced if there's more killins…
Western Australia has a shark problem. That ain’t news. Eight deaths since 2008 (on surfers, bodyboarders, snorkellers and swiimmers), and attacks spiking off the charts since 2000, isn’t good for tourism or the beach lifestyle Australia’s biggest state is famous for.
But it ain’t news.
What is news is that the Environmental Protection Authority has scuttled plans by the WA government to re-deploy baited hooks off Perth and south-west beaches.
Yeah, the stats aren’t pretty. Instead of cleaning up great whites, the hooks killed 64 tiger sharks and various other fish. And, visually, the sight of ensnarled sharks being hauled up the starboard side to receive a bullet to the head or knife to the guts belly was always going to be a tough sell.
Yeah, but still.
WA’s premier Barnett had planned to roll out 72 freshly baited hooks come November. He also was pushing for a wider exclusion zone around the contractors (hello Sea Shepherd!) and the freedom to bring the hooks closer to shore if deemed necessary.
No way, said EPA Chairman Dr Paul Vogel, pointing instead to a “high degree of scientific uncertainty” and inability by the Barnett Government to provide a “high level of confidence” to the EPA that his multi million dollar program was indeed an efficient way of dealing with the shark menace. “The EPA has adopted a cautious approach by recommending against the (Government’s) proposal,” Dr Vogel said.
Barnett bit his lip and promised any rogue shark would still be dealt with, “destroyed and removed”, to be precise.
Either way, sure is great news for the white pointer, better still perhaps for the scores who joined the masses on the foreshore, banging drums, blowing whistles and and pleading for the sharks to be left alone to go about their business.
“More chance of being run over by a car!” they shrieked. “You’re in their environment!”
Don’t you dare suggest the removal of a few apex predators is going to help you sleep better at night. Who cares about you and your pre-dawn surfs, your late arvo glass-offs, your kiddies and their comps.
#Save the Great White Shark!
#I Know I Eat Sushi But Sharks Are Special! To hell with tuna!
Surfing WA Chairman, Bob Welch, was one of few who held firm when he learnt of the surprise ruling by the EPA. “We are very disappointed,” said Welch. “Our members will expect us to continue a pro-active stance in considering their safety while in the ocean. We will continue to work with the government on investigating all possible strategies to maintain safety.”
And for now, that means helicopter patrols over Perth’s metro beaches and a paranoia-inducing Twitter feed which provides up-to-the-minute updates on any shark sighting. Feel like a surf? Head to Twitter and discover there’s two great whites offshore. But, yes! It’s their ocean!
For surfers in the state’s south-west, particularly in and around Margaret River, the proposed helicopter patrols will prove little comfort given the clumsy system in place should a shark be sighted.
Guidelines set out by Fisheries WA in 2012 state it will only act on a sighting if verified by “experienced commercial fishers, Surf Life Saving WA representatives or Fisheries officers.”
The guidelines say that sightings from that select group, “have tended to be more reliable than reports from the general public.”
“I can’t really say having a helicopter buzz over every couple hours made me feel any safer,” says surfer Dino Adrian of last year’s rush to ease a scared populous. “I can’t really say that the hooks made me feel any safer either, but something had to be done.”
And therein lies the real issue. Something had to be done. But what?
Chris Boyd was killed while surfing at Umbis in November 2013, a beautiful wave known for throwing up throaty barrels located a stone’s throw off the beach along the Ellensbrook side of Gracetown.
His death, like every other, sent a chill down the spine of every surfer in Margaret River, given it’s ferocity and the fact it occurred on an absolutely stunning spring morning, throwing every preconceived idea of when and where attacks occur out the window.
The area surrounding Umbis came under immediate suspicion. Two other surfers had been killed a short walk away and every surfer has a story about being chased out of the water by sharks with eyes “as big as oranges”.
“It was a pretty hectic period,” says Adrian of the aftermath left by Boyd’s death. “I was glad when Barnett did something but it freaked me the fuck out that Chris was killed where he was. There’s so many good waves over that side of town, but I don’t surf there anymore – except North Point but even that’s a bit of a gamble.”
Similarly, another well-regarded surfer Chris Ross, himself no stranger to deep water and all of its ghastly inhabitants, recalls a growing sense of dread at the spike in sightings.
“I grew up in Margs and I can’t recall it (shark menace) even being a problem when I was a kid,” he says. “But I think that white pointers have been a protected species for long enough that there population just grew and grew and it’s just gotten to the point that there’s so many of them. You’d have to say it’s out of control.”
The stats back Ross up. Before 2004, in the hundred or so years of records being kept? No fatal attacks. The great white shark has been a protected species since 1999.
Ross, like Adrian and like a lot of others down this way who would rather remain nameless, want action.
Ross suggests taking the white pointer off the protected species list for a while, Adrian favouring a scientific approach.
“The drum lines were a bit of a knee-jerk reaction,” says Adrian. “But good on Barnett I reckon, he had to do something quickly and he did. I’d just like to see more research into why there’s so many big sharks all of a sudden.”
And so, as the whales start to appear off the coast on their annual path down south, the surfer in the south-west can only look out to sea and imagine what follows those beautiful big blubbery mammals and hope that dark shape below is just a dolphin.
Just a dolphin.A scene from the award-winning "Bar Bahar - In Between," which will have its Israeli premier in Haifa in October 2016.
Two female Palestinian directors won top prizes at the Haifa Film Festival on Sunday, getting both prestige and lump sums for their feature-length movies in Arabic.
"Personal Affairs," directed by Maha Haj, won best feature, while "Bar Bahar - In Between" by Maysaloun Hamoud won best first feature.
"Personal Affairs" focuses on an elderly Arab couple in Nazareth, their pregnant daughter, libertine son, and a grandmother who is rapidly losing her mind. "A creation entirely made of love for humankind, fluid and funny, captivating and kind-hearted, a human tapestry, local, universal and contemporary," the judges wrote in their decision to grant the film the festival's highest honor, as well as 100,000 shekels.
"Bar Bahar - In Between" tells the tale of three young Palestinian Israelis living together in Tel Aviv, from the prying eyes of Arab society, which follows their every step, and in the heart of liberal Israeli society that always treats them as second-class citizens. The film won 50,000 shekels. "A powerful creation about women fighting to mold their own fate, through competition, friendship, courage, victory and breaking free, and the prices these carry," the judges wrote.
skip - The trailer for "In Between."
Hamoud's film also won the Audience Award, and its three actresses won the Fedeora award for artistic achievement in an Israeli feature, handed out by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and Mediterranean.
Both Haj and Hamoud, who live in Nazareth and Tel Aviv respectively, have Israeli citizenships. However, they identify as Palestinian.
The best actor award was shared by the two leads of Eyal Halfon's "The 90 Minute War", Norman Issa and Moshe Ivgy.
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Noa Koller won best actress for her role in Rama Burshtein's Through the Wall.Friendship is chemistry This shirt from our friends at Mighty Fine is our exclusive! So if you dig it, pony up the cash, 'cause you won't find it elsewhere.
Do you love elements? Do you also love ponies? Perfect! We have the shirt for you. This awesomely ingenious tee lays out a listing of popular (and maybe some less popular, but don't tell them) ponies from MLP:FIM matched up with the symbols of the elements listed in the periodic table. "C" stands for the old familiar Carbon? Not in this universe! It stands for Princess Celestia! And the actinide and lanthanide series are all Ponyvillians. Why? Because they're radioactive? Well, you're almost right. Perhaps it's because they're unstable? *wink*
A periodic table of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic ponies and friends (or not) on the front of this black, 100% cotton shirt. Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low or lay flat to dry. Imported.
Want help identifying them all? (Drag your mouse across the below to highlight the text.)
Period 1: Princess Celestia, Princess Luna
Period 2: Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Screwball, Muffins, Lyra
Period 3: Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Bulk Biceps, Lightning Dust, Spitfire, Soaring, Surprise, Daring Do, Rose, Dr. Whooves, Bon Bon
Period 4: Rarity, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Snips & Snails, Colgate (Minuette), Octavia, DJ-Pon3 (Vinyl Scratch)
Period 5: Spike, Trenderhoof, Coco Pommel, Maud Pie, Photo Finish, Cherrilee, Cheese Sandwich, Zecora, Berryshine, Shining Armor, Princess Cadence
Lanthanides (er... Moonides?): Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, The Great and Powerful Trixie, King Sombra, Mane-iac, Lord Tirek
Actinides (Flaminides?): Flam, Flim, Gilda, Ahuizotl, Suri Polomare, Diamond Tiara, Shadow BoltManchester United 0-3 Liverpool | The biggest rivalry in English football took place at Old Trafford; two of England’s most successful football clubs locked horns. But while the 80s showed both the sides at the height of their powers, the past decade or two has seen United leapfrog their rivals and take control of English football. This season however, and this game in particular, was a rather rare setting with Liverpool well ahead of the defending champions in the league table and two contrasting objectives for the remainder of the campaign.
It was one of those rare derbies where Manchester United weren’t the outright favourites to take all three points, but what transpired wasn’t expected by many – even with United’s poor campaign.
In a game where Manchester United didn’t threaten whatsoever, Liverpool took the lead after Rafael handled in the area (for which he was lucky to escape from a second yellow), Gerrard dispatched the resulting penalty. 24 seconds into the second half, Allen was fouled by Phil Jones in the box and Gerrard scored from the spot again. United struggled to get anything meaningful into the game as Liverpool were awarded another penalty following a Sturridge dive which saw Nemanja Vidic sent off for the 4th time against Liverpool. Captain Steven Gerrard missed the penalty, and his chance for a hat-trick.
More Reading | Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United: Tactical Analysis
Moments after David De Gea pulled off an incredible save from Suarez, the Uruguayan capitalised as Untied switched off and scored his 25th of the season. The final score of Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool might be a bit deceiving as the away side wasn’t overly impressive themselves, but they were easily miles ahead of the opposition.
Line Ups
Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Jones, Vidic, Evra, Fellaini (Cleverley 76′), Carrick, Januzaj (Welbeck 76′), Mata, Rooney, Van Persie
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Flanagan, Skrtel, Agger, Gerrard (Leiva 87′), Allen, Henderson, Sterling (Coutinho 72′), Suarez, Sturridge (Aspas 90′)
Goals: Gerrard 34′ (pen), 46′ (pen), Suarez 84′
Rodgers’ excellent use of his midfield men to counter United’s solitary attacking outlet
Brendan Rodgers has received a lot of praise for his tactical intelligence, especially in big games, where mostly in an attacking sense he has made smart decisions. One must credit him once again for his smart tactical moves which earned his side a famous Old Trafford victory.
Joe Allen hasn’t been first choice by any stretch of the imagination but Rodgers opted for the midfield in this crucial game ahead of attack minded Coutinho. The Welshman formed a pairing with Jordan Henderson in midfield, in what was expected to be a 4-3-3 variant. In stead, the Reds went in with a diamond formation, with Henderson & Allen given important roles both defensively and in an attacking sense.
The two were positioned in central midfield but were required to drift into wide positions when in a defensive phase. Brendan Rodgers clearly identified David Moyes’ preference to play along the wings in his 4-4-2 formation, with the crosses from either side their main attacking outlet. Once this was nullified, it made Liverpool’s case much easier to complete.
Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson were thus regularly seen covering the wide areas in deeper positions, providing cover to their full-backs and reducing the burden on them while also filling in for them when they made forward bursts (especially Glen Johnson at right-back and not Jon Flanagan as much). Although this opened up space which Fellaini benefited from, seeing a lot of the ball, the United midfielders were there to defend rather than create. Thus the only real outlet was the wide areas, and countering that position while leaving holes in the centre had no effect on Liverpool defensively. Their runs forward, as depicted in the illustration above, are explained later.
United’s solitary attacking outlet
Moyes and United came under a lot of criticism following their 2-2 draw at home to Fulham, as the Red Devils had enumerable amount of crosses with no result. This piece has better analysed the one-dimensional play of Manchester United, which was pretty evident against Liverpool as well.
David Moyes continued with his 4-4-2 approach for the game, with the entire focus of United’s attacking options coming from these wide areas. The idea was simple, get the ball, distribute it out wide, run at Liverpool’s full-backs and cross. Do that once, twice and throughout the game. While Adnan Januzaj did have some good runs and take ons as Flanagan struggled occasionally to keep up, this attacking approach was rather redundant and clearly unsuccessful.
But what most infuriated United fans is that this didn’t change throughout the game. Even while chasing, even with 10-15 minutes left as the atmosphere rose from the home fans despite the scoreline, the idea remained the same – wide, cross, repeat. The fans watching Manchester United live, both at the stadium and in pubs/houses across the World knew that it just wasn’t working for them, with a change clearly evident, yet David Moyes persisted with the same.
With Henderson and Allen checking the runs of the United full-backs and providing cover to their own full-backs, Moyes’ men were unsuccessful in their only attacking approach. Things didn’t change, nothing was played through the centre despite Wayne Rooney’s ability to do so and Liverpool comfortably settled into the defensive phase within the first-half to a point where United didn’t look threatening at all. None of United’s attack sent fear through Liverpool fans; the full-backs and central midfielders were more than capable of dealing with the attacking approach. Although Jon Flanagan was looking shaky at the start, and seemed like he was riding his luck with some unnecessary challenges, he was quite superb at Old Trafford against United’s right side of attack. He made an incredible 9 tackles and 3 interceptions in a solid display, settling into his position as the game wore on. United can be threatening from the wings, but once you do that regularly, you allow the opposition to settle in to defend against it.
Towards the end of the first-half Manchester United found some positives in this attacking approach with Rafael’s bursts down the right, but into the second and Liverpool capably dealt with it. Man United produced only 1 shot on target the entire game, that coming from Rooney’s effort which was well saved by Mignolet.
Liverpool’s use of the diamond to narrow play & exploit the space between the lines
We will discuss Steven Gerrard’s exact role a little later, but to explain this point we must understand that the Liverpool captain was positioned as the deep point of the diamond.
Many expected Rodgers’ to go with that 4-3-3 variant we mentioned earlier, but as he did against Southampton, Rodgers preferred a diamond formation in midfield. With Coutinho on the bench, it was Raheem Sterling who played the attacking point of the diamond, to the surprise of many. Raheem Sterling made it into our list of 100 Best Young Talents in World football; he was at #6 in our list of attackers. Read the entire list here.
While the teenager, Sterling, didn’t offer much in as a central attacking midfielder, his positioning helped narrow the midfield area when Liverpool attacked, thus Suarez and Sturridge were able to drift a little wide to receive the ball with the entire United side narrowing their defensive play to reciprocate Liverpool’s tactics.
What Liverpool did superbly again was pull the United midfield out from their deeper positions. Sterling was often seen dropping deep, that compiled with Suarez’ movement forced Carrick & Fellaini to advance and move out of position, this allowed Henderson and Allen to play in between the lines of defence and midfield. They exploited this area constantly, helping themselves with regular interceptions and tackles in the midfield area and making runs into the box to support the front two. The second penalty too was earned through a run made by Allen as Henderson played a ball through to him.
Steven Gerrard’s role as quarter-back, shielding the defence and keeping Rooney out of it
I was made aware by a friend of the fact that Gerrard’s role is being dubbed as a ‘quarter-back’ while watching the Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool game; it’s hard to keep up with these tactical names.
While Steven Gerrard will be remembered for the two penalties he scored and the hat-trick one that he missed, from a tactical viewpoint, Liverpool’s captain played an intriguing role in the heart of the midfield (or slightly deeper from it). He has developed well into that deep playing role over the last couple of games and it seems like this is his new adopted position, as opposed to the advanced roles he played earlier.
As the illustration above shows, Gerrard is sitting deep in Liverpool’s midfield, covering the area in between the lines (which United failed to do). Henderson, Allen and Sterling ahead of their captain provide another cover to prevent the opposition from leaking balls through.
Gerrard was solid at shielding his central defenders, going strongly into challenges, winning possession and quickly spreading play without being overly spectacular. A tidy role, but a vital one to keep the balance of the team together. His positioning helped prevent Rooney from offering much from his favoured central position as Gerrard was on him constantly. Juan Mata was naturally seen moving into central areas as well but Gerrard ensured United weren’t able to get much joy from the area.
It further helped Gerrard’s case when Man United seemed disinterested in creating anything meaningful from the central position, keeping with their policy of getting crosses in from wide areas.
It was the perfect sort of game to play Gerrard in a role which required constant tackles, strong challenges with his experience preventing him from lunging into defensive plays.
Moyes’ reluctance to change things
Now its quite evident in this piece that United offered nothing in attack, besides their attempts at wide play. From central positions there was nothing coming through, allowing Liverpool to dominate in this area. A tactical masterclass from Rodgers to play that narrow diamond formation.
But what managers do (or are required to), when their initial plan clearly doesn’t work is change things around a bit. Offer another attacking outlet, add something more into attack, make changes to atleast gain control of the central midfield position and allow the attack to benefit from it, something. But it took Moyes the 76th minute to make his first substitution. Even Rodgers, despite leading 2-0, made a substitution earlier realising that Sterling wasn’t offerring enough from his position, bringing Coutinho on.
The change that Moyes made too didn’t make any real difference. A like for like substitution was made with Tom Cleverley coming on for Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj taken off for Danny Welbeck. It was a bit strange because Fellaini was arguably United’s best player and did something in preventing Liverpool, making 9 successful tackles. Neither Cleverley nor Welbeck did anything to help United’s cause, although that’s probably down to the game changing with Vidic sent off, which happened a minute after the substitutions.
Either way, it’s hard to see why Moyes wouldn’t make changes earlier, when things were clearly not working out even in the first half. It’s hard to even see what the likes of Cleverley would offer in a situation where the side are trailing 2-0. With the likes of Kagawa on the bench, wouldn’t it make more sense to have brought him on in place of a defensive player, stick him in the centre and offer another attacking option, thus preventing the hold Liverpool had on the wide areas? Ofcourse it would.
Where does this leave them?
Manchester United are 20 points off first place and 14 away from their rivals Liverpool. They risk claiming the tag of worst defending champions, one held by Blackburn as they finished outside the top seven, the place currently occupied by United. Their biggest game of the season is against Olympiakos next, get knocked out of that and one has to question Moyes’ future.
For Liverpool, it was case of establishing themselves as a top four side and qualifying for the Champions League. This victory, and Spurs’ derby defeat helps their case with a gap developing between 4th spot and 5th. Pundits have spoken about Liverpool’s title challenge, which may be a bit far-fetched, but 4pts behind 1st place with a game in hand and 9 to go, you’d have to consider them as contenders.
For more Tactical Analysis of the biggest games across Europe, head this way.This past weekend thousands of men, women, and children took to City Hall to protest the death of Freddie Gray and the police brutality that has plagued Baltimore City and the nation. The majority of the protesters were overwhelmingly peaceful, but most media coverage focused on a small group who took to violence and destruction. It is extremely important to be mindful of the images and stories all media is displaying. Skewing coverage to only include the small pockets of violence that occurred in these protests is neglectful and detrimental to the cause at hand. Social Media feeds have been muddled with click-bait and protest-shaming, instead of photos like these of the peaceful contributions that have been driving the protests. These are voices and images that need to be heard.
All photos by TLC Baltimore: Larry Cohen & Theresa Keil
All photos by TLC Baltimore: Larry Cohen & Theresa KeilBy JACK GILLUM,
DINA CAPPIELLO
and RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
Associated Press
Until the local fertilizer company in West, Texas, blew up last month and demolished scores of homes, many in that town of 2,800 didn’t know what chemicals were stored alongside the railroad tracks or how dangerous they were. Even rescue workers didn’t know what they were up against.
“We never thought of an explosive potential,” said Dr. George Smith, the EMS director who responded to the factory fire by running to a nearby nursing home to prepare for a possible chemical spill.
Firefighters feared that tanks of liquid ammonia would rupture. But while they hosed down those tanks to keep them cool, a different chemical – a few tons of ammonium nitrate – exploded with the force of a small earthquake.
Smith and his colleagues should have known that ammonium nitrate was also a significant hazard. Neighbors should have known, too.
Around the country, hundreds of buildings like the one in West store some type of ammonium nitrate. They sit in quiet fields and by riverside docks, in business districts and around the corner from schools, hospitals and day care centers.
By law, this shouldn’t be a mystery. Yet fears of terrorism have made it harder than ever for homeowners to find out what dangerous chemicals are hidden nearby. Poor communication can also keep rescue workers in the dark about the risks they face.
And some records are so shoddy that rescuers could not rely on them to help save lives.
That reality is reflected in a monthlong effort by The Associated Press to compile public records on hazardous chemicals stored across America. Drawing upon data from 28 states, the AP found more than 120 facilities within a potentially devastating blast zone of schoolchildren, the elderly and the infirm.
At least 60 facilities reported to state regulators as having about as much or more ammonium nitrate than the 540,000 pounds West Fertilizer Co. said it had at some point last year. The AP contacted 20 of the facilities individually to confirm the information, and three companies disputed the records. Some of the facilities stored the chemical in solid form, which is among the most dangerous.
Exactly how many other facilities exist nationwide is a mystery.
Ammonium nitrate is an important industrial fertilizer and mining explosive that, stored correctly, is stable and safe. But industrial history is dotted with dozens of deadly accidents involving the chemical.
Before Texas, the most recent incident occurred at a fertilizer factory in Toulouse, France, in 2001. An explosion killed 31, prompting France to pass a law requiring tougher regulations on the chemical.
Texas investigators still don’t know what caused the fire that triggered the West explosion, but the devastation was a reminder of the chemical’s power. Anti-government terrorist Timothy McVeigh used a truckload of ammonium nitrate to destroy the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.
Because of that explosive potential, if a fire were to break out at an ammonium nitrate company, everyone within a quarter- to a half-mile radius could be at risk, according to scientific papers. Debris from the Texas explosion landed more than two miles away.
In the states that provided verifiable data, the AP’s analysis found more than 600,000 people who live within a quarter-mile of a facility, a potential blast zone if as little as 190 tons of ammonium nitrate is detonated. More send their children to school or have family in hospitals in those blast zones.
More often than not, census data show, the danger zones are middle-class or poor neighborhoods.
In the western Michigan farming town of Shelby, the Rev. Ruth D. Fitzgerald said she walks by the local branch of the Helena Chemical Co. every day. Her church is just around the corner.
The building doesn’t look like a factory, she said, so she never thought about what was there. State records show that the company, which sells fertilizer to large farms, orchards and golf courses, reported storing as much as 1 million pounds of ammonium nitrate on any given day last year.
“I don’t have any understanding of this at all,” Fitzgerald said.
Recently, an abandoned house caught fire a half a block away from the chemical company, said Tim Horton, a real estate agent who sits on the local hospital board and the Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce.
Horton also didn’t know how much ammonium nitrate was there: “I would say people don’t know and don’t care.”
“Ignorance is bliss,” he said.
And that’s in a state where officials make the information available.
More than a half-dozen others, including Ohio, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho and South Carolina, refused to provide such information to the AP, citing the risk of terrorist attacks and their interpretations of federal law. Others, such as West Virginia, said the AP had to review paper records in person or request records one by one.
The result is a peculiarity of the post-9/11 age: Statistically, Americans are more likely to be hurt from chemical or industrial accidents like the one in Texas than from terrorist attacks like the one in Boston. Yet information intended to keep people safe is concealed in the name of keeping people safe.
Since the 1980s, states have been required under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act to tell people where dangerous chemicals are stored and how much is nearby.
That law followed a chemical leak in Bhopal, India, that killed more than 1,700 people and another in West Virginia that led to an evacuation. Ammonium nitrate has been responsible for some of the largest industrial disasters in history. In fact, what remains the worst industrial accident in the nation’s history was an ammonium nitrate-triggered explosion in 1947 that killed more than 570 people in Texas City, Texas, and injured about 5,000.
But times have changed. Fears of chemical spills have given way to fears of terrorism.
In Hawaii, for example, officials said people must prove a “need to know” before they can obtain information. Though the state did not respond to a request for an explanation, the policy echoed others that cited a 2007 federal law intended to protect chemical plants from terrorist attacks. But the need-to-know requirement does not apply to the data submitted for Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know, said Bob Stephan, a former Homeland Security Department assistant secretary who was in charge of the U.S. government’s chemical facility anti-terrorism program from 2007-09.
“They are giving you incorrect information or incorrect rationale for not providing the data,” Stephan said.
Under Hawaii’s interpretation of the law, people who want information about specific chemical facilities near their homes are qualified to see it. But that presupposes they already know enough to ask. Clarence Martin of the state’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office said people deserve to know what’s in their neighborhoods.
But, he added, “I’m not going to let you tell them.”
Even when the information is available, though, it’s not always accurate. Years of lax oversight and scant enforcement have resulted in shoddy records. Hundreds of companies listed approximate or inaccurate amounts of dangerous chemicals, not just ammonium nitrate.
For instance, data from Louisiana said a Jimmy Sanders Inc. facility stored nearly 50 million pounds of ammonium nitrate. But the company said
|
and The Impossible Kid
Aesop Rock toured the United States to promote Skelethon.[34] Also, he has been touring with Kimya Dawson and performing material as The Uncluded.[6] Along with playing a number of individual events, The Uncluded performed as part of a Rhymesayers lineup at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin[35] On the Skelethon tour, a majority of his touring equipment was stolen, prompting Aesop to raise funds by releasing limited edition artwork. It was announced he will be performing on the first day of Coachella 2013.[36]
In February 2016, Aesop Rock released a music video for the song "Rings" and announced his seventh studio album The Impossible Kid, which was released on April 29, 2016.[37]
In 2017, Aesop Rock scored his first film soundtrack for Bushwick.[38] A collaborative album with electronic musician Tobacco entitled Malibu Ken was released in January 2019.
Lyrics
Bavitz's lyrics are generally seen as being both complex and abstract while others dismiss them as verbose. His frequent use of homonyms exacerbates this. Critics state that the use of words can be so detailed that it becomes difficult to determine any meaning.[39] The lyrics are sometimes inspired by events which have occurred in Bavitz's personal life and are thus naturally prone to subjective interpretation by outsiders.[40][41]
Questioned about his lyrical style in an interview, Bavitz responded:
It's probably because it's not the most accessible music in the world. It may pose a slight challenge to the listener beyond your average pop song. I'm no genius by a long shot, but these songs are not nonsensical, that's pretty preposterous. I'd have to be a genius to pull this many nonsensical records over people's eyes. It's not exactly fast food but when people pretend I'm just spewing non-sequiturs and gibberish I can't help but think they simply haven't listened and are regurgitating some rumor they've heard about me. Even if it's not laid out in perfect sentences—is any rap?—you'd have to be an idiot to not at least grasp a few things from these songs. Or have had no interest in pulling anything from them in the first place.[42]
In 2002 on the song "One of Four" (a hidden track on the Daylight EP) Aesop Rock explains:
But I can tell you that I only write shit down when I believe it / so take this how you want but know I mean it.
— Aesop Rock, "One of Four" Daylight EP (2002)
In May 2014, a study by Matt Daniels found that Aesop Rock's vocabulary in his music surpassed 85 other major hip-hop and rap artists, as well as Shakespeare's works and Herman Melville's Moby Dick, being named the largest vocabulary in Hip Hop.[43] An updated, to-scale view of this study was subsequently done by Mike Pultz.[44] To build up his vocabulary, he reads a lot of news and science articles and writes down all the words he finds interesting.[45]
Discography
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 2003 Sad Clown Bad Dub IV Himself – Credited as "Ian Bavitz" Video documentary with Atmosphere 2005 Letter to the President Himself – Recording Artist Video documentary 2005 The Warriors Rouges Video game, voice only 2006 Hip Hop Street Credentials Himself Video documentary 2007 My Shot With... Himself Appears in "Bonnaroo" episode. 2008 Engine Room Judge Miscellaneous Crew 2010 Blacking Up: Hip-Hop's Remix of Race and Identity Himself Television documentary 2010 Independent Lens Himself Episode 1111 Copyright CriminalsThe MLS SuperDraft is only two days away. Hold that excitement people.
The old cynics in us want to go on about it being more and more obsolete when you have a great academy program and a scouting network that produces cheap and impactful talent. But then the other part of our brain just keeps flashing up pictures of Tim Parker.
It’s still something of a lottery. There’s not a lot of Parkers out there down low in the draft and the Whitecaps will be picking at 16th spot in the first round this year unless they choose to trade up.
It’s their lowest first pick yet, the result of their best MLS season yet. Parker went 13th last year and once the draft day was done, ‘Caps coach Carl Robinson couldn’t hide his joy at him still being available at that stage. We now know why.
It may not be a perfect tool for player acquisition when it comes to immediate different makers, but Robinson has always been a manager with an eye firmly on the future and he firmly believes in the part the draft process has to play in building his squad. Just one part of many.
“You’ve got to use it how you want to use it,” Robinson told reporters on a conference call last week. “We’ll look at it. We got Timmy. Obviously we had Darren, we had Kekuta, we had Eric Hurtado. We’ve had a number of good players. We’ve had some players that worked out and we’ve had some players that haven’t worked out. But it’s important for us.
“But also important are our homegrown players and our Residency program because we spend a lot of money on our program and we want to develop our own players, which is why having eight homegrown players last year was great for us. One or two of them moved on this year but that allows us to maybe pick out one or two players out of the draft until one or two more homegrown players are ready for us, which won’t be too far away.”
Caleb Clarke and Ethen Sampson are the two homegrowns to have moved on this offseason, and with the likes of Chris Serban, Kadin Chung, Davie Norman and others waiting in the wings to take their place down the road, and with competition within WFC2 high as a result, whoever gets taken by the ‘Caps in the draft will have to be more of a Parker than a Mackenzie Pridham to have a good shot at making it with the Whitecaps first team.
“We have some exciting 16, 17-year-old kids,” Robinson added. “And there’s also a possibility of one of our USL players stepping up because they’re going to be given a chance in preseason as well. There’s three or four that I quite fancy in that team as well that will be given the chance.
“It’s down to them to stake their claim to get into the squad of the MLS. The draft is a very important component but it is not the only component, which I think is important to say.”
So with all that said, is the MLS SuperDraft still relevant to a team like Vancouver, that have invested heavily in their youth program? Where does Robinson feel the MLS draft is right now and what its effectiveness is these days?
“Each year you tend to hear the same things,” Robinson states. “You tend to hear that the draft isn’t as strong as it was last year and it isn’t this and it isn’t that. It’s a very good mechanism for building your squad.
“If you’ve got three first round draft picks, Toronto had that last year I believe and I’m not sure how successful that was for them. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work out. Kansas City are one of the best teams at drafting players within the league. Peter [Vermes] does a great job of doing that and building a team. As are DC United.
The other age old argument is do you pick to fill a need or do you pick the best player available and try to make them fit in to your plans or move them on for something in return?
Robinson admits there’s no right answer, but positionally is where he finds himself leaning right now.
“I think every manager will tell you one thing and if it’s right that year he’ll tell you that’s the way they do it and if it’s wrong he’ll tell you the opposite one the second year,” Robinson said. “It certainly depends. If you have a high pick, if you’re picking one, two, or three, then you’ve got to make the right decision. It’s key that you do that. If you’ve got a lower pick, then it might be taken out of your hands. And if you’ve got a pick, 15, 16, like we have, then who knows what’s available and at that split second, you’ve got to decide what you do.
“I feel the positional one is the important one for me to start with. Having said that, if there’s still a player that I’ve rated in my top five players that is available at 15, 16, and my player isn’t available, then certainly I’ll take the best player available.”
Heading into this offseason, and after some early movement, Vancouver’s positional needs were fairly clearly set out. They needed more goals, they needed a right winger and they needed a right back or at least right back cover, for the recently departed Steven Beitashour.
The signing of Masato Kudo hopefully ticked box one, the imminent arrival of Christian Bolanos ticks box two, so that leaves the final box, which has naturally led to a multitude of rumours suggesting that the ‘Caps will be taking care of that in the draft.
Although not if you listen to Robinson.
“If you look at the last two years, we’ve been pretty solid defensively,” Robinson added. “We’ve been pretty sound that way. We need to make sure that we’re like that again this year. We lost Steven, as we all know. That could work out one of two ways. We’ve freed a lot of cap space, which will allow us to strengthen at the top end of the pitch.
“I want players that are good players first of all, but are good characters like we got in Timmy last year. It was a great draft for us last year being to get Tim Parker at 13. So I will be looking at the front end of the pitch. To start with.”
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. Despite all the talk suggesting the Whitecaps may be prepared to offload an asset like Darren Mattocks to trade up for Chicago’s number one pick and nab Georgetown defender Joshua Yaro, Robinson is looking to strengthen his attack first and foremost in the draft.
The truth or a smokescreen? We’ll soon find out.
Yaro, it should be noted, is actually a center back, and for all his talents, putting a player like that in to a solid defence in a newish position to him, doesn’t make that much sense to me.
But if the ‘Caps were to snap up Yaro, or even grab Georgetown’s actual right back, Keegan Rosenberry, Robinson is likely seeing them behind Jordan Smith in the pecking order for the position anyway.
“Obviously we lost Beita, but we were able to get a deal with Jordan coming in at right back,” Robinson said. “So we’ll have full faith in Jordan taking over that position there. We’ll maybe look to add someone there within the draft.
“Will it be the first priority? No. There’s one or two other priorities in the draft that I think will come ahead of that position. But we’re always looking. We’re looking still to add three or four more players. There’s another forward or two that I’d like to bring in as well from the draft. So, we’re still looking.”
Robinson and his team flew down to the combine in Florida last Thursday and have been weighing up their options for long before that, with WFC2 coach Alan Koch taking in a number of College Cup games in November.
Last year, Vancouver were the only Canadian club not to show interest in moving up the picks to grab Cyle Larin away from Orlando. A big mistake considering how their goalscoring was? Perhaps. But would Orlando have given him up for anything? Probably not.
But this time around. whether it’s Yaro, Rosenberry or whoever else that Robinson is particularly wanting to pick up, the willingness to trade up to get them is very much on Vancouver’s agenda.
“There is a possibility that you can move up or you can move down,” Robinson said. “With that, you have to give up something if you’re low and if you’re high, you’re going to end up getting something.
“We’ll just assess the situation when we’re down there, based upon we’ve got a good value on players that we know that we like. Because of where we are in the draft, it’s going to be taken out of our hands at the start of it slightly. If we feel it’s right to move up, then we certainly will. Without a doubt.”If you shaved today, either in the U.S. or in India, you probably used a Gillette razor. Gillette (now a brand of P&G), reportedly has had a U.S. market share of more than 80%, with Schick a distant second. Even more remarkably, they achieved this without resorting to price competition. The blade cartridges for its latest-and-greatest razor, the top-selling Fusion ProGlide, retail for around $4 each, leaving Gillette with what must be incredibly lucrative gross margins.
But that is not the story in developing markets, where these top-of-the-line products don’t fare nearly as well. So how is it that Gillette has over 50% market share in India — the world’s largest shaving blade market by volume? And with a product that costs less than 3% of the Fusion ProGlide? This is an excellent story of reverse innovation in action…but the story has only just begun.
It starts as most such stories do — with a Western-based company trying to sell their cheapest products in emerging markets. In India, Gillette historically focused on selling their lower- and mid-tier American razors such as the Mach 3 in new packaging. But the vast majority of men below the pinnacle of the social pyramid, an estimated 400 million, still shaved with double-edge razors, a century-old technology that tends to cause far more cuts and bleeding. The fact that Gillette’s global products failed to address billions of emerging markets’ low-income consumers wasn’t seen as a major problem at Gillette, so long as growth in its core markets was robust. But dominant market share creates its own growth challenges.
Recently, P&G has completely reversed the innovation approach at Gillette. First, it sent a team (PDF) to India to do ethnographic research — to observe customers, and do shop-alongs and home visits. This clean-slate needs assessment yielded keen insights about how the Indian male shaver differed from his American counterpart. He was typically far more price-sensitive, to be sure, but also shaved himself in a completely different way — likely seated on the floor, with perhaps a small amount of still water, balancing a hand-held mirror in low light, and experiencing frequent nicks and cuts from his double-edged razor.
Second, P&G leveraged these insights — and its world-class design capabilities — to develop, from a blank sheet, a new shaving tool to meet the specific needs of this consumer. The result was the Gillette Guard, perhaps the most significant departure from its traditional product development in Gillette’s history. The Guard uses 80% fewer parts, a plastic housing, and a single blade to minimize cost while preserving “good-enough” shaving performance. It also has a large safety comb to reduce nicks and cuts, easy-rinse cartridges for better cleaning without running water, and several other key features designed specifically for the Indian shaver.
Third, P&G didn’t stop at an India-tailored product, but built an India-tailored business model. All manufacturing is done locally to further control production and supply chain costs, resulting in razors and blade cartridges selling for 15 and 5 rupees, respectively (or about $0.30 and $0.10) — less than 3% of the Fusion ProGlide’s prices. To distribute the product, rather than forming strong relationships with a handful of powerful retailers as in the U.S. or Europe, P&G had to strengthen its network of millions of Indian kiranas, or local shops. Finally, unlike developed markets where the focus is increasingly on digital marketing, P&G invested instead in traditional ads featuring Bollywood actors.
The result has been transformative for P&G’s Gillette business in India. Only about six months after launching in October 2010, the Guard crossed 50% of razor market share by volume. Clearly, P&G has successfully transitioned its razor business to the third phase of global strategy: from U.S.-centric “glocalization” to India-centric local innovation.
However, it has not yet completed the reverse innovation cycle. To do that, P&G must first use the clean-slate Guard as a platform from which to adapt low-cost razors for other emerging markets, such as China and Africa. The potential market opportunity is dwarfed only by the social benefits of providing affordable, useful consumer goods for billions of the world’s consumers. Following this, it could even eventually be introduced to developed markets like the United States, disrupting the existing razor business and completing the reverse innovation process.
This may sound unlikely — why would P&G cannibalize Gillette’s core business? The stomach to do so requires accepting a hard truth: that Gillette will someday be disrupted — and there’s a good chance that the disruptor will be an off-the-radar competitor from an emerging market, playing by completely different rules. Only by pre-empting those eventual rivals and reversing its own innovation process can P&G’s Gillette hope to secure another century of market leadership.
This blog is co-authored with John R. Moran. He is a consultant at L.E.K. Consulting and can be followed on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/johnrmoran“>@JohnRMoran.New York Herald story Headline forstory
The 1874 Central Park Zoo Escape was a hoax perpetrated in the New York Herald on November 9, 1874.[1][2]
The Herald's cover story claimed that there had been a mass escape of animals from the Central Park Zoo, and several people had been killed by the free-roaming beasts. A rhinoceros was said to be the first to escape, goring his keeper to death and setting into motion the escape of other animals, including a polar bear, a panther, a Numidian lion, several hyenas, and a Bengal tiger.[3] At the end of the lengthy article, the following notice was the only indication that the story horrifying readers across the city was a hoax: “Of course, the entire story given above is a pure fabrication. Not one word of it is true.” That was not enough to assuage critics, however, who accused James Gordon Bennett, Jr., the owner of the paper, of inciting panic when the extent of the hoax became widely known.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Joseph Ignatius Constantine Clarke was the primary writer of the hoax, under the direction and inspiration of the Herald's managing editor Thomas B. Connery, who often walked through the zoo and had witnessed a near-escape of a leopard.[2]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Trump's choice to be attorney general, said he would enforce the Supreme Court's decision to recognize and uphold gay marriage throughout the country.
"The Supreme Court has ruled on that and the dissent dissented vigorously," Sessions testified Tuesday. "... I will follow that decision."
Sessions was responding to questions from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
She then asked whether Sessions also would enforce the decades-old Supreme Court ruling upholding women's rights to have abortion, even though he ardently disagrees with it. Feinstein asked why he believed that same-sex marriage law is settled but a woman's "right to choose" is not.
Sessions said he has never said that Roe v. Wade is the "law of the land."
Instead, he said, he believes it's "settled law…so I would follow that law."It’s not often you get to see what the troops on the ground in Afghanistan have to deal with on a daily basis, and why progress through the terrain can be so slow. The soldier’s headcam video above gives us the perfect example of how tough it is, and why we hear of soldiers being injured on a regular basis.
The unit we are seeing is Bravo Company 2-30 Infantry 4-10 MTN, and the location is COP Charkh in the Logar Province. It looks as though a dozen or so soldiers are pinned down in a village area with the enemy hidden in the vegetation on nearby hills. There is regular fire from both sides, although Bravo Company is effectively shooting blind while trying to locate the exact position of where the shots are coming from.
The situation would be made easier if there was a chance to flank the enemy, but this is Afghanistan, and even if the terrain is well mapped out there’s always a chance of stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED). The enemy also has the higher ground and an unknown number of men so extreme caution is required.
With few choices open to them, the soldiers just keep firing bullets in the hope of neutralizing the enemy. The video ends before the firefight is over, but poster Funker530 is promising a second part and another 10 minutes of footage soon.
Whatever your feelings towards our presence in Afghanistan, you can’t overlook the fact these soldiers are putting their lives on the line every day to remove the threat for the Afghan people and bring peace back to the region.
I’m hopeful that more of these headcam recordings can be made. Not for us to view, but for the military to review and feedback to the soldiers. It should highlight who manages to keep their heads in these hostile situations, and therefore ensure those most able get the recognition and responsibilities they deserve.With more peak hour trains – coming every six minutes – a handful of Metro peak bus routes have relocated from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and are now serving surface street stops in Seattle. The change affects routes 76, 77, 216, 218, 219 and 316, effective Sept. 28, 2015.
Having more frequent train service in the tunnel is part of Sound Transit’s efforts to extend Link light rail service to Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium in 2016. To make room for more trains during peak commute times meant removing about 100 daily bus trips from the tunnel out of a total of about 1,200.
We are hoping for help from riders to keep the tunnel moving smoothly for trains and buses – easy things like having your fare ready and keeping pathways clear. Also, bus divers that are third in line at a platform will direct customers to board when the bus reaches either the first or second position, a move intended to help maintain or speed up the flow of tunnel service.
We appreciate riders’ patience as these changes take place and as Metro and Sound Transit undertake expansion and improvements to our transit network!
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PocketThis series of free public talks reviews the current state of research on the general topic of marijuana for medical purposes, provides space for an informed discussion on the legal aspects of marijuana use and provides perspectives from the licensed production, genetics, pharmaceutical utility, medical profession, and human behavioural aspects of marijuana.
Dr. Jonathan Page is the co-founder of Anandia Labs, a cannabis biotechnology startup based in Vancouver, and an Adjunct Professor in the Botany Department at the University of British Columbia. He has spent his scientific career deciphering the genetic and biochemical secrets of medicinal plants, including the production of THC and other cannabinoids in cannabis. He received his BSc (1991) and PhD (1998) both from the University of British Columbia, undertook training as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Munich (1998-99) and was a Group Leader at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle, Germany (1999-2003). In 2003, he returned to Canada to work as a Senior Research Officer at the National Research Council’s Plant Biotechnology Institute (2003-2013). Jonathan co-led the Canadian team that reported the first sequence of the cannabis genome and his work has helped elucidate the biochemical pathway leading to the major cannabinoids. His papers have appeared in PNAS, The Plant Cell and Genome Biology. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Consortium for Investigation of Cannabinoids, and takes an active role in discussions of cannabis policy and regulations. Jonathan continues to work both on building a strong basic research foundation for cannabis and turning Anandia Labs into a world leader in cannabis genetics and biotech.
For more information on the Understanding Medical Marijuana lecture series: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/events/dreamcolloquium/DreamColloquium-Marijuana/DrJonathanPage.htmlProcter & Gamble wants to buy most of its digital ads through auction-based systems in real time. Credit: P&G
Procter & Gamble wants to buy 70% to 75% of its U.S. digital media programmatically by the end of this year, according to people briefed on the company's plans. That's an ambitious goal for the world's biggest media spender and sure to cause brand marketers that have resisted automated trading to reconsider. Until now P&G's use of programmatic buying has been mainly limited to relatively small tests.
These people said P&G next year plans a similar shift of mobile-ad buying to programmatic buying -- auction-based systems where ads are bought and served across the web to a specific audience in real time.
The move follows a goal recently announced by American Express in an advertising-technology request for proposals to shift 100% of digital buys to programmatic (later called a "theoretical strategic thought" by AmEx VP-U.S. Media Jill Toscano).
A move by P&G would be more groundbreaking. First, AmEx is largely a direct-response advertiser that can more easily monitor the immediate impact of its ads based on customer acquisition, and it has no firm stated timetable like P&G's. Second, it's a leap for a brand advertiser like P&G, which sells most of its products via retailers and needs more time and advanced analytics to know whether its digital ads are producing sales. That's a major reason why the category has generally been more cautious about plunging into programmatic.
P&G, which declined to comment, spent $235 million of its $3.2 billion in measured media last year on internet display advertising, according to WPP's Kantar Media, whose data don't include mobile and some social-media advertising. The company's huge portfolio of consumer brands includes Tide, Charmin, Gillette, Pantene, Cascade, Crest, NyQuil and Olay.
The company traditionally has been a buyer of premium online inventory, and hitting its goal means getting publishers to make more premium inventory available for programmatic buying.
How hard that will be is debatable. Rex Briggs, CEO of marketing analytics firm Marketing Evolution, said his research has found that more premium digital inventory is available than many people think -- but placed by ad networks into bundles of similar quality without the option of buying specific properties. Generally, however, advertisers get better ability through such networks to target consumers than with traditional buying, he said.
"It's a little counter-intuitive for a brand marketer," he said. "But it actually gives them greater control."
While more premium inventory from "ComScore 100" online properties is ostensibly becoming available for programmatic trading, it's often not as "programmatic" as billed, said Bill Lederer, CEO of MediaCrossing, a programmatic trader that operates independently of agencies. "Some of this inventory being showcased as programmatic is being bought with a whole lot of phone calls and emails," he said. "There's a certain amount of phoniness in the discussion."
Growing use of viewability, brand safety and fraud-prevention technology to weed out undesirable inventory will inevitably drive up prices of programmatic buys, Mr. Lederer added.
In 2008, P&G started to develop and test an in-house programmatic trading system called Hawkeye, according to several people familiar with the matter. P&G has repeatedly declined to confirm Hawkeye's existence.
Global Brand Building Officer Marc Pritchard has pushed for a faster shift toward programmatic digital buying in recent months, said people familiar with the matter, which comes as P&G has been under investor pressure to get more from its ad budget amid slower growth.
P&G Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said following the company's quarterly earnings release in April that, thanks largely to more cost-efficient digital media, the company has moved from growing ad spending slower than sales to cutting it in absolute terms this year, without sacrificing impact.
It is unclear how this will affect Starcom MediaVest Group, which handles P&G's digital buying. The agency declined to comment.
Most brand advertisers remain wary of programmatic trading. A survey released last month by the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research of ANA members, a group dominated by brand advertisers like P&G, found only 28% felt they understood programmatic well enough to use it, while another 10% understood it but still wouldn't use it.
One of the biggest concerns, the survey found, was about transparency of the complex deals that wind though agency trading desks and other third parties, with ANA citing estimates that publishers get as little as 25%-to-50% of the dollars.
With its own trading desk, P&G essentially eliminates middle players, though not ad networks. But it has an ally, or at least a familiar face, at Google, owner of one of the biggest networks. Late last year Google recruited well-regarded P&G executive Kirk Perry as president-brand solutions. Mr. Perry was at least tangentially involved in developing Hawkeye as VP-North American marketing from 2008 to 2011, leading the group that approved digital media buys tested in the system, according to multiple executives.The precursor to the war on drugs: on December 5th, 1933, prohibition in the United States of America came to an end.
Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded. ~ Abraham Lincoln (speech, 18 December 1840 to the U.S. House of Representatives)
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What could go wrong? Spider drinks graphene, spins web that can hold the weight of a human.
Grapefruit, Animal Economics, and Big Drunk Guys. Some peculiar sociology research.
T’was the Overnight Before Christmas: The Merry Tale of How Air Cargo Deregulation Led To Amazon.
The Science Behind Why Dark Winter Days Bum People Out.
Pop-Tarts alerts police about Illinois man who spreads mustard on his breakfast pastry.
ICYMI, Thursday’s links are here, and include carbon paper history, people who still use iron lungs to breathe, a slingshot that launches swords, Congressmen behaving badly in 1856, and, for Winston Churchill’s birthday (and related to the first link, above), the doctor’s note allowing him to drink “unlimited” alcohol in prohibition-era America.She. Is. Feeling. It.
There are few things that can pump you up or allow you to lose yourself more than the power of music. Take it from this incredibly enthusiastic keyboard player from the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps.
In the spirit of putting on a good show, the keyboard player majestically transforms into a full-blown witch musician ready to cast a spell with her dagger eyes of enthusiasm.
SEE ALSO: Raccoon family bands together to help baby climb up a wall
While some pointed out her uncanny resemblance to Joffrey from Game of Thrones in the Reddit thread where a GIF of the video was originally posted, others noted that this level of enthusiasm is completely normal for the drum corps.
Another Redditor claimed that the girl in the video was actually his sister, and that performing in the band is her dream come true.
Regardless, she rules in our book.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.Body language says a lot about people, and perhaps even more so when it's dissected by the masses while it's captured live and broadcast to hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. The body language and gestures of world leaders are especially documented because it's generally a reflection of how the two countries interact with one another. Donald Trump's handshakes have been pretty aggressive from the get go and have been referenced and broken down by doctors, psychologists, and worst of all, media pundits across the globe. They assign layers to the move, perhaps more common in business negotiations than it is when it comes to meeting world leaders, and other world leaders have had to prepare to not be one upped by the new American President, with very few being able to successfully not be pulled off their feet during their first physical encounter with the man and his office.
Now, Donald Trump has been on an international tour to meet other world leaders and has pulled the power move several times over already on foreign soil with a one hundred percent success rate thus far. Until now.
On Thursday morning, Donald Trump continued his tour out of the country in Brussels, where he met France's newly elected president, Emmanuel Macron. Donald Trump is notorious for seemingly trying to dominate people with aggressive handshakes. In a video of their interaction, it looks like Macron came prepared to crush Trump into submission:A snowboarder in Whistler has his airbag backpack to thank for saving his life.
Tom Oye, who hails from Adelaide Australia, posted a video of himself getting swallowed by an avalanche in Whistler less than 24 hours ago.
In the video, Oye can be seen snowboarding on a sunny day when the snowpack suddenly gives away from under his feet.
Fortunately, Oye managed to activate his airbag pack just seconds before he got swept up by the avalanche.
The pack helped Oye stay on the surface and potentially saved his life.
The video has now been viewed more than 2.7 million times and has nearly 24,000 shares.
READ MORE: What causes avalanches?
Mark Grist with Avalanche Canada says while airbag packs can be an important tool for skiers and skateboarders to have, they are not a silver bullet.
“It is not the be-all and end-all,” Grist said. “It’s another recommended tool to have in your personal safety arsenal.”
Grist says the primary avalanche safety tools are still a transceiver, shovel and probe.
“If you would like to add an airbag to that arsenal, so much the better,” he said. “But it’s not a substitute for good planning and informed decision making.”
READ MORE: Snowmobiler buried in avalanche near Valemount, BC spurs warning about when to help
Mike Danks with North Shore Rescue says Oye was incredibly lucky to walk out alive.
“It shows things like that can happen,” Danks said. “He was not expecting it to happen, but he did the right thing. He stayed calm, he inflated his pack and he stayed on the top of the avalanche.”
Danks says it also shows the importance of having the right equipment with you, and that even though inflatable backpacks can save lives, they are not always the answer.
“Depending on where the slide happens, you can be knocked down into trees or over cliffs,” he said. “It is another tool that will add to your safety. But you don’t go skiing in high-avalanche conditions just because you have that equipment.”
Above all, Danks is encouraging people to take avalanche safety courses, “so they understand the terrain they are getting into and the snowpack that they are going to be on.”
READ MORE: Avalanche Canada hopes others can learn from remarkable rescue
A snowboarder caught in a slide near Whistler is alive and telling his terrifying tale tonight – thanks to an avalanche airbag. Paul Johnson is in Whistler with more on this story.
The current avalanche risk on the South Coast is “moderate” in the alpine and tree line.
Avalanche Canada says South Coast mountains received 15 to 20 centimeters of snow on Sunday and Monday. The southwest flow of the storm, followed by strong northeast winds over Tuesday, resulted in pockets of wind slabs being formed.
Grist says the wind slabs are the chunks of snow that can be seen cracking under Oye’s feet in the video. They are formed when the wind picks up loose snow and deposits it on the slopes, packing it together.
He says the slabs on steep southerly slopes are especially touchy. “Where this avalanche happened was a steep southerly slope, so it’s exactly what we would expect right now under these conditions,” Grist said.
Grist says the Arctic outflows we have been seeing this winter have resulted in strong winds at higher elevations, which contributes to the creation of wind slabs seen in Oye’s video.
“That’s a pattern we are not terribly used to seeing here on the South Coast,” he said.
To check out current avalanche conditions, go to avalanche.ca.Imola boss Pietro Benvenuti admits his fears for the future of F1 in its European heartland.
Of this year's twenty scheduled Grands Prix, only eight will take place in Europe, traditionally the heartland of the sport. Of course, that's assuming the German Grand Prix still goes ahead.
To add insult to injury, next year sees Azerbaijan added to the calendar, and despite the fact that many perceive it as being in south western Asia, over a thousand miles east of Istanbul - which marks the historical point where Asia meets Europe - will host the Grand Prix of Europe, a race previously held by circuits such as Brands Hatch, Donington, the Nurburgring and Jerez. You know, tracks actually in Europe.
The fact that Bernie Ecclestone connives to have new additions to the calendar scheduled in order to maximise the TV audience in Europe is clear proof that - despite the sport's seeming best efforts - the fan-base remains strong. Which poses the obvious question, 'why is F1 forsaking its traditional heartland?'
The answer is just as obvious. Money.
Fact is, being in private hands and with no government backing, or any other kind of benefactor, the European circuits are struggling. Ever rising fees mean that ticket prices are high which means that, certainly in these difficult times, less fans are able to afford them.
No such problems for many of those new additions to the calendar, where wealthy governments are falling over themselves in order to have the 'prestige' that F1 will afford them.
Clearly not having learned the lessons of India or Korea, to name but two, governments continue to fall for Bernie's
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’s case, they traded out of the first and eventually took former Washington corner Kevin King. Detroit stood pat and stopped the freefall of former Gator Teez Tabor.
Tabor projects as an outside corner in the NFL, but that’s not where the Lions need to improve most in the defensive secondary. Darius Slay has proven he’s a number one corner, and Nevin Lawson quietly had a good season. But, the Lions lacked a reliable slot corner all year long. Second-year man Quandre Diggs played unspectacularly in the slot corner role until he went down injured. The Lions eventually relied on an undrafted free agent, signed off the Ravens’ practice squad, to guard one of the best slot receivers in the game, Odell Beckham Jr.
http://gty.im/616293138
The Lions Need a Slot Corner
To beat the Packers, the Lions must find a solution at the slot corner spot. The Packers ran three or more receivers 83% of the time in 2016, per Sharp Football Stats. It’d be easy to deem this a statistical aberration due to the rash of injuries that plagued their running back corps. But, according to Football Outsiders, they used three or more receivers on 87% of their plays in 2015.
In the past, Bob Quinn has noted that the team will be in its nickel defense approximately 70% of the time, but that number evidently will skyrocket in their games against Green Bay. More than anything, the Lions need to be able to cover the spread looks the Packers so often deploy. Slay and Lawson aren’t enough to cut it against the trio of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and an emerging Davante Adams.
At the top of many fans’ offseason wish lists was a linebacker that could cover tight ends. The Lions hopefully addressed that issue with the selection of Jarrad Davis, but it wasn’t their biggest problem in the passing game – at least not according to Football Outsiders. The Lions ranked a dismal 29th in defending tight ends but were dead last when it came to slowing receivers that weren’t the number one or two option on their teams. (By comparison, they placed 26th against number one receivers and 22nd versus number two receivers.) The only team that gave up more yards per game to tertiary and auxiliary options was the New Orleans Saints.
That’s a problem.
http://gty.im/460876196
Furthermore, according to Pro Football Focus, Jordy Nelson outperformed 54 eligible wide receivers who ran 130-plus routes from the slot, logging 2.75 yards per route run. While I was unable to find any related stats for him, it should also be noted that Randall Cobb is a prolific slot receiver, widely regarded as one of the best in the NFL. The Packers have some of the best weapons to deploy at the slot receiver position, and the Lions must address defending them accordingly.
Stafford proved his ability to throw on the Packers’ defense last season. Not counting the interception that Ebron had wrestled away from him by Quinton Rollins, Stafford threw for 54-81, 732 yards, 5 TDs, and 1 INTs against Green Bay in the 2016 season. If the defense can get out of his way, and get in Rodgers’ way instead, the Lions have a chance to take the division in 2017. To do that, they’ll have to find someone who can really shine in the slot corner role. Like almost everything else, that’s easier said than done.
Thanks for reading! Follow @btrossler on Twitter and check out our Lions community on Reddit!The relations with the new democratic Myanmar are of strategic importance, as they are the gateway to China and ASEAN economies, besides spelling a potential supply of natural gas.
In its latest move, the Bangladesh embassy on Saturday showcased the cultural linkages between the two countries, flying in Bangladesh’s tribal cultural troupes, mostly from the Marma, Chakma, and Tripura tribes.
They rendered their traditional performances, featuring the cultural similarities, to celebrate Bangla New Year at the chancery in Yangon in front of high-profile ruling party politicians, among others.
Chief Patron of the ruling National League of Democracy (NLD) U Tin Oo and Chief Minister of Yangon U Phyo Min Thein were among the guests. They were welcomed with a splash of water, a tradition in New Year celebrations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and in Bangladesh’s tribal communities.
This was organised just a month after Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD took office on Mar 30, ending over five decades of military rules.
“This is the first such performance of Bangladesh’s cultural troupes in Myanmar,” Ambassador Mohammad Sufiur Rahman told bdnews24.com, as guests were greeting him saying: “we had no idea we were so similar”.
“Yes we are so close, yet we are so far,” the ambassador told bdnews24.com, “now we want to mend the gap in understanding”.
The Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh has given priority to its neighbourhood policies. Its relations with the biggest neighbour India is now said to be the best ever.
But the same cannot be said of Myanmar, mainly due to the Muslim minority Rohingya issue.
Myanmar saw Bangladesh through the prism of Rohingya while Bangladesh saw them through the prism of Rakhine state from where this minority group fled sectarian violence and took shelter in Bangladesh.
“We have to change these two prisms,” the ambassador said.
The uneasy relations sometimes come to the fore with skirmishes between the two border guards.
Bangladesh, however, showed its keenness to carry the relations forward keeping the refugee issue aside, giving importance to the similarities.
In recent years, Bangladesh has allowed Myanmar’s frigate to use the Naaf River to go into their part of the lake. The frigate has stayed in Myanmar waters bordering Cox’s Bazar for a month before going back.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the first to send congratulatory message to Suu Kyi soon after her election. Hasina also called her over the phone to greet her.
Talks are underway to ink formal mechanisms of holding security dialogues between the countries and also to establish border liaison offices.
Bangladesh is also planning railway links from Chittagong to Kunming through Myanmar, apart from a BCIM economic corridor that will link the two countries with the two biggest economies India and China.
Dhaka is also eager to import gas from the Shwe gas field in Rakhine state.
Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Mizzima Media Group, Soe Myint, in an interaction, said that media could play a big role in building the trust.
“We do not know each other. People in Myanmar do not have much information about Bangladesh,” he said to a group of Bangladeshi journalists visiting Yangon as part of the embassy’s effort to build people-to-people contact.
“What we can do is share contents among the media, so that people in Myanmar know Bangladesh and people in Bangladesh know Myanmar,” Myint said.
He recently sent his chief photographer Hong Sar to Bangladesh.
“I am surprised to see Bangladesh. I had no idea before. I had an impression that people in Bangladesh are unfriendly, they are not happy, they are poor.
“But it’s quite different. I was misinformed earlier,” Sar said.Autopsy reveals St. Louis police shot teenager Mansur Ball-Bey in the back
By Evan Blake
22 August 2015
A preliminary autopsy conducted by the St. Louis, Missouri medical examiner has found that 18-year-old Mansur Ball-Bey was killed by one shot to the back by police on Wednesday. The bullet entered his back, struck his heart and ruptured a major artery, killing him almost instantly.
The autopsy results, along with witness testimony, strongly indicate that police have lied to cover up a brutal murder committed by two of their officers.
St. Louis Chief Medical Examiner Michael Graham told Reuters, “He certainly wasn’t facing, his chest wasn’t facing the officers” at the time of the shooting.
The initial police story is that two officers arrived with a search warrant at 1243 Walton Avenue in north St. Louis, and then chased two armed men who they allege fled out the back door to an alley behind the house. “Officers in the rear alley ordered them to stop and to drop the gun,” St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson claimed Wednesday shortly after the shooting. “As they ran, one of the individuals turned and pointed the gun at the officers. There were two officers in the alley, both officers fired.” Dotson further claimed that Ball-Bey continued running after being shot, and threw his weapon to the ground.
Mansur Ball-Bey
The autopsy report alone overturns this story, as the officers undoubtedly fired at Ball-Bey when his back was turned to them. Further, one of the medical examiners that wrote the report told the Ball-Bey family’s attorney, Jermaine Wooten, that since Ball-Bey was hit in an artery, he would have collapsed almost immediately and not been able to continue running as police claim he did.
Ball-Bey’s family and attorney, along with other witnesses, contest every aspect of the official narrative given by police. Above all, they assert that Ball-Bey was unarmed at the time police cut him down. His family highlights the fact that Ball-Bey had just graduated from high school, maintained a steady job at FedEx, was active in the local Moorish Temple and was going to begin college this fall.
Wooten has told the press that Ball-Bey was not even at the home where the officers arrived, but rather in back of a relative’s home two doors down in a shared alleyway. He had visited his family after work and was still wearing his uniform when he was shot.
Another family attorney, Jerryl Christmas, told the Los Angeles Times that Ball-Bey fled because the officers were in plainclothes and did not identify themselves as police. “He saw men with guns and he took off running,” at which point police fired their weapons, Christmas said.
Christmas and Wooten have interviewed multiple witnesses in the area, with each one contradicting the police account. “He was not armed, he did not have a gun; our interviews show that,” Christmas said.
St. Louis has refused to mandate that officers wear body cameras, more than a year after the police murder of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. This has been a conscious decision carried out by the city, along with most other major American cities, to ensure that killer cops continue to go unpunished. Without video evidence to the contrary, prosecuting attorneys—often closely connected to the police—are under no pressure to mount any investigation into police killings.
In the case of Brown, local prosecuting attorney Robert P. McCulloch rigged the grand jury proceedings to ensure a non-indictment of Officer Wilson, admitting testimony he knew to be perjured. Police murders routinely go unpunished without even the pretense of a grand jury, with officer accounts given full credence in the absence of video footage.
Since the death of Michael Brown, numerous police murders have only been exposed due to bystander or body camera evidence. Most notable was the April 4 murder of unarmed Walter Scott by Officer Michael Slager in North Charleston, South Carolina. Only the presence of bystander cell phone footage secured the possibility of a trial, as Slager sought to cover up the murder by planting his Taser stun gun next to Scott’s lifeless body.
While St. Louis Police wring their hands over requiring officers to wear body cameras while on duty, they themselves have begun to actively record the actions of protesters, selectively used to tarnish largely peaceful demonstrations. In the video released after protests held on Wednesday over Ball-Bey’s killing, officers are heard yelling “Rock! Brick!” but neither objects are ever filmed being thrown in the air.
Commenting on this video footage, Dotson declared Thursday, “It is important that we document the things that are happening.”
Authorities have utilized this footage to justify their militarized response to spontaneous protests. As roughly 100 people gathered in the residential neighborhood where Ball-Bey was murdered, officials sent in a SWAT team armed with assault rifles in a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) tank, along with dozens of backup officers. Police then proceeded to arrest nine people over the course of the day. In the evening, they assaulted the few remaining protesters, as well as child bystanders, with a hail of smoke and tear gas.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.There are a lot of MMOs out there that claim to be sandboxes but none of them are even slightly comparable to what Dual Universe is attempting. Generally, most sandbox games allow players to choose their role within a set of parameters. In EVE Online, you can pick from dozens of different playstyles but you’re still confined to the cold dark of space whether you’re a miner, mercenary, or crafter. Dual Universe, however, is giving players the tools to create anything they want.
The first time I had a look at Dual Universe was E3 2016, and it was more or less still in the concept phase. I got the see the developer fly around a massive planet while discussing their Continuous Single-Shard Cluster technology and limitless potential for player-created content. This year, things are starting to look a little more realistic for Dual Universe, and necessarily so with the pre-alpha becoming available to Gold Backers and above.
The Building Blocks of Civilization
Novaquark has been approaching the development of Dual Universe in a similar manner that the first players in the game will be. In order to build a great civilization, first there needs to be a solid foundation. The same can definitely be said about building a game because if the technology isn’t working correctly then there will be nothing but problems in the future.
The two most unique design choices for Dual Universe are the fully editable world designs and the Continuous Single-Shard Cluster. These will allow an assumedly infinite number of players to interact with each other in a single server where they can harvest, mine, and build upon anything that they can touch. This is being achieved through custom-built technology that focuses on cloud-based scalability and a voxel design system.
However, Dual Universe doesn’t look anything like your typical voxel-based game. It’s visually much closer to something like Landmark, without the limitation of being confined to the planet, than Minecraft. Players will be able to claim their own territories where they can build, gather and set access rights for other players. There also won’t be an issue of running out of player-controlled territories as the planets are massive and should be able to support newcomers for years (depending on how quickly the population grows). Furthermore, there’s no limit on gathering in your zone; technically you could mine all the way to a planet’s core, which would take an incredibly long time.
After all those materials are harvested, there’s basically no limit on what players can create with them. Dual Universe uses 25cm precision voxel technology that allows players to create objects with minute details or massive space stations. Of course, it will be difficult to gather all of the minerals required to created complex machines and players will need to work together to be efficient.
The available demo had a few examples including a player-created room and small spaceship. In order to work correctly, the ship needed a frame, cockpit, landing gear, and engines. Additionally, it used a pre-made physics program that players can even modify with Lua programming. The room was fairly basic, but it had examples of triggers that players could build into their designs, such as pressure plates or laser sensors.
A Place for Everyone
This might sound amazing for players who love crafting and creating grand designs. It’s obvious from other voxel and building style games that given enough time, and resources, players will stretch the limits of a game. However, not everyone is interested in that sort of gameplay. There are explorers, gatherers, fighters, politicians, etc.
While discussing Dual Universe with founder Jean-Christophe Baillie, it became clear that only a small percentage of the population would really be successful at designing and constructing unique creations in the game. However, there will definitely be a role for all types of players and those roles will change and expand as the game goes on.
For example, resources are needed in order to create buildings or vehicles. It won’t be efficient for a single person to run around gathering all the necessary resources for a motorcycle. Instead, crafters will hire people to go out and gather specific minerals or simply buy them from a local market. In order to construct a city, there will need to be people laying blocks and building walls. Furthermore, once something is designed, its blueprints can be sold for mass production.
Due to the true sandbox nature of Dual Universe, the environment on launch will be completely different than what new players experience months or years down the line. The first players will arrive on a barren planet filled with resources and could eventually turn it into a thriving metropolis. Wars will break out, factions will shift power, and new technologies will be introduced. So even if it doesn’t sound like your type of game right now, that could completely change in the future based on how the players have taken it.
To Infinity and Beyond
Initially, players will be confined to the starting planet, but they will be able to leave and explore others once space travel has been developed. Baillie said that the development team will be starting out small because each planet will be custom designed with a certain set of biomes. As of right now, a single planet and moon are in a playable state but he plans to at least have a complete solar system and possibly other systems in the future.
There won’t be an unlimited amount of planets like other games have attempted, because leaving things up to procedural generation can lead to a generic feeling experience. Instead, the team wants each planet to have a feeling of uniqueness.
From what I’ve seen of Dual Universe, it’s definitely an ambitious project but the tools appear to be in place. It’ll be interesting to see what the pre-alpha testers do with it and how the single server holds up. If you want to be one of the first to get your hands on Dual Universe, Novaquark is still accepting pledges with gold-tier receiving access on September 30, 2017.
Related: Dual UniverseCoffee, said the Napoleon-era French diplomat Talleyrand, should be hot as hell, black as the devil, pure as an angel, sweet as love.
Bach wrote a cantata in its honor, writers rely on it, and, according to legend, a pope blessed it. Lady Astor once reportedly remarked that if she were Winston Churchill’s wife, she’d poison his coffee, to which Churchill acerbically replied: “If I were married to you, I’d drink it.”
Coffee is everywhere, through history and across the world. And increasingly, science is demonstrating that its popularity is a good thing.
Harvard scientists have for years put coffee under the microscope. Last year, researchers announced they had discovered six new human genes related to coffee and reconfirmed the existence of two others. The long-running Nurses’ Health Study has found that coffee protects against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Researchers are continuing to follow up on 2001 findings that it protects against Parkinson’s disease.
The work at Harvard is just part of an emerging picture of coffee as a potentially powerful elixir against a range of ailments, from cancer to cavities.
Sanjiv Chopra, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has been so impressed he’s become something of a coffee evangelist. The author of several books, Chopra included a chapter on coffee in his 2010 book, “Live Better, Live Longer.”
Chopra first became aware of the potentially powerful protective effects of coffee when a study revealed that consumption lowers levels of liver enzymes and protects the liver against cancer and cirrhosis. He began asking students, residents, and fellows on the liver unit to quiz patients about their coffee habits, finding repeatedly that none of the patients with liver ailments drank coffee.
Chopra himself makes sure to have several cups a day, and encourages others to do the same. Though other researchers are less bold in their dietary recommendations, they’re convinced enough to continue investigations into the benefits.
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Alberto Ascherio, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at HMS, has been studying the potential anti-Parkinson’s effects first suggested in the 2001 findings. That study showed that four or five cups of coffee daily cut disease risk nearly in half compared with little or no caffeine.
Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and Professor of Medicine Frank Hu, who leads the diabetes section of the long-running Nurses’ Health Study, has become interested in whether coffee drinking affects total mortality.
“I’m not a huge coffee drinker, two to three cups a day,” Hu said. “[But] I like it and, thinking about the extra benefits, that’s comforting.”
Last year, a Harvard team led by then-research associate Marilyn Cornelis — today an assistant professor at Northwestern University — traced coffee’s fingerprints to the human genome, discovering six new genes related to coffee consumption and reconfirming two others found earlier. The six genes included two related to metabolism, two related to coffee’s psychoactive effects, and two whose exact purpose in coffee consumption is unclear, but which are related to lipid and glucose metabolism.
Daniel Chasman, an associate professor of medicine at HMS and associate geneticist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who worked with Cornelis on the study, said caffeine consumption habits are highly heritable and that the genes they found appear to explain about 7 percent of the heritability. That’s a significant amount, he said, considering how strong an influence culture also plays on coffee consumption.
Though the links between coffee and better health have become considerably clearer, what exactly confers the benefit remains murky. Caffeine alone does not explain the effects. For starters, some of the benefits are seen even with decaf, which has prompted researchers to turn their attention to the many other active compounds — including antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid — in your morning cup.
“Coffee is a complex beverage. It’s very difficult to pinpoint which component of coffee is responsible for the benefit,” Hu said. “There are numerous bioactive compounds.”
Other highlights from Harvard research include:
A 2005 study exploring concerns that too much coffee was bad for blood pressure found no link between higher blood pressure and coffee and found some suggestion that it improved blood pressure.
Regular coffee drinking was linked in a 2011 Harvard study to lower risk of a deadly form of prostate cancer.
Also in 2011, a study showed that drinking four or more cups a day lowered the rate of depression among women.
A 2012 study tied three cups a day to a 20 percent lower risk of basal cell carcinoma.
A 2013 Harvard study linked coffee consumption to a reduced risk of suicide.
Also in 2013, a Harvard analysis of 36 studies covering more than a million people found that even heavy coffee consumption did not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and that three to five cups of coffee daily provided the most protection against cardiovascular disease.
Also in 2014, Harvard Chan School researchers found that increasing coffee consumption by more than a cup a day over a four-year period reduced type 2 diabetes risk by 11 percent.
The same study showed that those who decreased their coffee consumption by more than a cup a day increased their type 2 diabetes risk by 17 percent.
“That first cup of coffee in the morning is happiness.” Chopra said. “It’s a real joy.”Valentina Tereshkova is a Soviet cosmonaut, and the first woman to orbit our earth in outer space. Born in Yaroslavi, Russia, Tereshkova survived two wars growing up as a child. She was able to attend school and excelled in all of her studies. As she moved up to 7th grade, she began to think ahead to her future. In 8th grade, Valentina switched to evening classes so that she could work during the day. One day, a friend of her recommended that they take a trip to go skydiving. Although her mother did not approve, Tereshkova became hooked and went skydiving every chance she could get. It was consuming her free time.
Through the skydiving club, Valentina became aware that Cosmonaut Corps was looking for female test pilots for a spacecraft, the first one to orbit earth with a female passenger. The contest being held searched for women around the country, accepting applications and essays about why the women would like to on the trip. Valentina was selected among 30 women to participate in the contest. With careful studying and impressive advancement, Valentina became one of the final five chosen for the flight mission. At this point, the five women were trained just as a man would be, yet unlike a normal space trip, this mission only had room for one woman.
A few weeks later, Valentina Tereshkova was selected to pilot the Vostok-6. It was 1963.
You cannot possibly imagine how beautiful it is. Anyone who sees the Earth from outer space, even only once, cannot fail to be assailed by a sense of reverence and love for this planet that is our home.
Valentina never told her mother she had been selected, ironically enough; she told her mother she was participating in skydiving competitions. Her mother was shocked, yet proud, to see her daughter in space for the first time on the television with the rest of the world.
Even after her famous flight to the outer orbit of our earth, Valentina continued to do great things. For 19 years, she served her neighbors by assisting them with the advancement of civil rights for women, and a women’s rights movement. Currently, she resides in her home and enjoys relaxing with her grandchildren, one of whom wishes to be a pilot himself. Yet this is not the end for Valentina, she eagerly expresses her desire to participate in one way manned mission to Mars on a trip named the “Mars One”. These colonists would attempt to set up a base on Mars, and then ferry important building materials and items between planets via controlled unmanned space robots created for freight.
In all honesty, Valentina is very lucky to be here after her mission, a mistake on the flight initially could have kept her from returning to orbit, killing her, but she was smart enough to catch the mistake in time, and reverse the problem. An intelligent cosmonaut, an amazing student and a loving mother, Valentina Tereshkova is a very talented, lucky woman.
A short documentary on Tereshkova:Are we serious? Damn right! The Tricolours may have cut off their heads with a woeful display of discipline against the Sea Eagles, resulting in an inglorious 11-2 penalty count against them, but there was plenty to like about the way they shut down one of the best attacks in the league who dominated with a 56 per cent share of possession. The Chooks were basted most of the night, spending little more than a quarter of the game in opposition territory, but despite an intense grilling from Manly they refused to be burned and displayed the same defensive resolve that took them all the way last year.Just pipped to the top rung by the team they beat on the weekend. It was a typically grinding display from the seasiders, who erased painful memories of losing four straight to the Roosters last season - including the grand final. The Sea Eagles have come out the other side of the toughest start in the competition with three wins and the knowledge they can take on all comers. Tougher than a $2 steak and a far more appetising prospect, despite the low-scoring grand final rematch.
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Just what to make of their 28-point thumping? Given talismanic skipper Cameron Smith’s last-minute withdrawal, plus the week of emotion surrounding Alex McKinnon and the judiciary-referred Jordan McLean, perhaps not as much as the deficit would suggest. We’re prepared to give them another viewing before sawing through their lofty ladder rungs. They tallied an out-of-character 39 missed tackles. They won’t miss that many in their next two games combined – and are unlikely to miss even 15 this week against the Titans at home.When Dragons centre Gerard Beale touched down out wide with 15 minutes left last Friday, Anthony Griffin must have thought he’d been cast in an NRL remake of Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day. It’s hard to imagine a Broncos side featuring Darren Lockyer letting a game like that get away, so it was fitting that Ben Hunt, the most improved player at the club and the man charged with taking the long-term reins from the game’s likely next Immortal, stepped up and put the result beyond doubt.
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What to make of the Dogs this year? They lead the competition for most points scored and fewest conceded - yet are sitting on a 2-2-win-loss record and have bookended two thrashings of sides that featured in last year’s finals with insipid losses against a couple of 2013 also-rans. Even Tony Williams looked good in running over the top of the Storm last week but the real test will be for their big guns Graham, Reynolds, Hodkinson and Morris to string together two performances in a row this week against the premiers.Brett Finch made one hell of an arrival when he parachuted into WIN Stadium last Friday, but unfortunately for the Dragons their landing was not as smooth as Finchy’s when the Broncos brought them back to earth with an almighty thud after three straight wins. The Dragons still sit atop the ladder but that will change if they cannot aim up against a Souths side with a point to prove this Saturday at the SCG.
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Monday night’s win over the Cowboys was that unpleasant to watch it probably should have come with a paper bag, but you’d imagine the Titans couldn’t care less provided they keep waking up to two competition points every week. Attractive they ain't but impressive scramble defence and three tough wins have the Titans sitting pretty after a month of football.For all the hype out Penrith way the Mountain Men find themselves only a middle of the road eighth on the premiership ladder after coming up with an embarrassing 34 missed tackles against the Eels. The talent and personnel are certainly there but Ivan Cleary will be desperate for halves Soward and Wallace to be fully fit and building on the 70 minutes of game time they’ve had together this year.Not all is well in Rabbitoh Land, if reports in some sections of the media (not us) are to believed, but Sam Burgess did at least kill two birds with one stone when he fronted the fourth estate after the Bunnies worst performance in years against the Raiders. Big Sam used his time in front of the press to both deny rumours of a rift at the club and hit the nail on the head: You just won’t win football games if you complete only 60 per cent of your sets.Newcastle has proven time and time again it’s a town that rallies around its own like no other, and for a bloke like Wayne Bennett to be moved to tears is an indication of the emotion running through the place following Alex McKinnon’s tragic injury. The only thing that will be harder than last week for the players is this coming round, when the Knights will have to pick themselves up after such a draining week to focus on the day-to-day grind of a season in the toughest competition in the world.Forget Sandow’s return, Peats out of dummy-half or the Semi-trailer out on the left flank. The real reason behind Parra’s impressive win against Penrith stems from none other than turning over the match-day Twitter account to funny man Darcy Lussick. With classics such as "William Hopoate with some great defence. He’s a great man Will, if I had a daughter she’s marrying him"; and "Free beer at Parramatta Leagues Club tonight come one come all", the Eels are onto a good thing and should be loathe to change up a winning, not to mention hilarious, formula.Jeez that looked like the Warriors of old, didn’t it? Eight tries in 44 minutes certainly sounds like the Warriors of old and Sam Tomkins looks to be finding some rather elusive feet at NRL level based on that display against the Tigers. But while running roughshod over a depleted team at home is one thing, Kiwi fans will be all too aware the Warriors are more than capable of ending up back at square one within a week, with a tricky away game against the last-placed Sharkies the type of fixture that could be their undoing.Should probably find themselves higher in the rankings after putting away an abysmal Souths side at the weekend but even with a completion rate of 92 per cent, it can’t really be overstated as to how little fight the Rabbitohs put up against the Green Machine. In a round where plenty of teams picked themselves up off the canvas, Ricky Stuart’s men have to fall into line somewhere. If they can back up against the Panthers for back-to-back away wins for the first time since 2010, then the Raiders will have the NRL’s heavyweights on notice.Tigers insiders did tell us to expect up and down performances from their young side and turning a 12-0 lead after 30 minutes into a 18-42 drubbing is a fair old yo-yo impression. Were always going to do it tough with just one fit reserve by the end of it but could be in for more of the same this Sunday against the high-flying Sea Eagles.It’s safe to say Johnathan Thurston would’ve spoken for every Cowboys fan and punter when he gave his side an absolute gobful after their dismal loss to the Titans. JT wouldn’t reveal what was said in his post-match presser, which we imagine the lawyers down at Fox Sports are thankful for, but the spray was certainly warranted and worse could come if his star-studded side turns in a similar performance at home against the Knights.The last side to win after a 0-4 start to the season was the mighty Newtown Jets back in 1933, so the Sharks have their work cut out for them in reversing 81 years of history. A more recent effort to model themselves on may be the 2009 Sea Eagles outfit, who put aside a different kind of off-field controversy to that which has faced Cronulla this year to push through four first-up losses to qualify for the finals.First meaningful paint (ms) - lower is better
Metric #2: Size Transfer size is from the Chrome network tab. GZIPed response headers plus the response body, as delivered by the server. Smaller file = faster download and less to parse. This depends on the size of your framework, any extra dependencies you added, and how well your build tool can make a small bundle.
Transfer size (KB) - lower is better
Metric #3: Lines of Code Using cloc we count lines of code in each repo’s src folder. Blank and comment lines are not part of this calculation.Why is this meaningful? If debugging is the process of removing software bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in - Edsger Dijkstra The fewer lines of code you have the smaller probability of an error and smaller code base to maintain.
# Lines of code - fewer is better
Conclusion Performance This is a RealWorld Comparison and not a benchmark in a vacuum. Tests were performed out of Europe (Switzerland). All Apps were hosted on Github. Values may differ for you, which is fine. Tests were performed couple of times for each app, then averaged, and rounded. Results were pretty linear when comparing throughout the day. Most of the libraries/frameworks are in the range of excellent and good. You won’t see a lot of difference when it comes to performance. Size The bundle size for each App is always the same. We are comparing similar implementations and look at how bundle sizes differ. AppRun is insane! I looked a couple of times because I couldn’t believe it. Elm is doing an amazing job when it comes to bundle size and especially when you look at lines of code.
AppRun bundle size 18.7KBKatie Ledecky Won't Be Able To Compete In Her Best Event Due To A Sexist Rule
Certified badass Katie Ledecky has won five medals in the Rio Olympics and has broken multiple world records. But there is one event in particular that she didn’t have a chance to compete in. The men’s 1500 meter freestyle race was held on Saturday, but there will be no women’s 1500 meter freestyle race in the Rio Olympics. Meaning that Katie Ledecky will not be able to compete in her own best event.
We all know that Ledecky is more than just a good swimmer. She may be better at swimming than anyone is at anything. She recently broke her own world record in the 800 meter freestyle. She also holds the world record for the 1500 meter freestyle by a lead of 25 seconds. 25 SECONDS! The craziest thing about it is that Ledecky is not just a distance swimmer. She also won the gold in the 200 meter freestyle, an event that takes a completely different skillset than the 1500 meter freestyle. Have you ever heard of an Olympic runner who competes in both sprints and long distances in wins every time? Yeah... didn’t think so.
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If only we could witness Ledecky killin it in both the 200 meter and 1500 meter freestyle in the same Olympics. But it has long been a rule that men race the 1500 and that women race the 800, a rule that is based on the belief that women are the weaker sex. This is just one of many sexist traditions faced by Olympic athletes. Seriously? It’s 2016, time for the Olympics to catch up.
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Simone Manuel Made History Overcoming Racism In A Stunning, Tearful PerformanceDr. Jay Parkinson launched his medical practice in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn in late September with no waiting room, no fluorescent-lit exam rooms, and best of all, no overhead. Parkinson's practice is online. Want to reach him? Try instant messenger or e-mail.
Parkinson's medical practice combines quaint house calls of yore with decidedly 21st-century technology. For a yearly fee of $500, Parkinson makes an initial visit to his patients in their apartments and offers two additional visits as needed. But he is available to them any time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays for unlimited consultation on IM or e-mail.
An amateur photographer on the side – his Flickr page has a following – Parkinson launched the practice to focus on Brooklyn's young, uninsured working creative types. "A lot of artists in New York City don't have insurance because they're freelancers," says Parkinson, who earned his
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Most of the time, thinking in terms of coordinate transforms will make your life a lot easier. The exceptions come when you need to relate shapes drawn in one coordinate system with shapes or points specified in another. This is especially true when you need make transformed elements interactive. I’ll talk more about this problem and some solutions in the next post.Elitist international schools biased against local hires
How woefully ironic that in a city that prides itself on its international schools, the most of any city in China, among those elite institutions of higher learning that cater expressly to expatriate families in Shanghai, many struggle to hire or retain quality teachers for their privileged student body.
This past September, right before the fall semester started, some of Shanghai's most eminent international schools (who I will extend the courtesy of not naming and shaming here) were seen bottom-feeding on Craigslist, the skid-row of job ads, for last-minute hires. This is bizarre given the high tuition that expense-account expat parents, who are often compensated by their companies, pay to send their children to these private schools.
According to figures one can freely browse on Shanghai educational listings site Chalksmart, the per annum cost for international primary-aged students in Shanghai averages between 80,000 ($12,596) to 150,000 yuan, with the highest at 220,000. Secondary international schools in Shanghai average between 160,000 to 200,000 yuan, with the top three pricing at 260,000. These numbers are higher than Hong Kong, one of the most competitive educational markets in all of Asia.
With all this cash pouring into the coffers of international schools, and a growing expat populous, why do they have such a shortage of teachers? Even more perplexing, why is there such a high turnaround among their teachers?
A large part of the problem, I have deduced after speaking with some foreign teachers and expat parents here, is that in spite of their exorbitant tuitions, most international schools fail to redistribute their wealth back to their teaching staff. Many international schools use a stingy pay grade scale that goes by years of experience and accreditation, with fresh hires earning only 300,000 yuan (on average) for their first year, and taking up to a decade to reach 400,000.
In an outrageously expensive megalopolis like Shanghai - ranked among the world's highest cost of living cities - 25,000 yuan per month is barely enough for a foreigner to survive on after factoring in rent and other costs. This is reason enough to send most certified teachers scurrying back to their home countries, where at least they can collect insurance, unionized protection and a pension.
But after deeper digging, I uncovered an even more peculiar discrepancy. Among the top 20 international schools in Shanghai, several have a two-tier payment system for overseas hires and local expatriate hires. On the recruiting page of one elite school in Jinqiao, it is stated very clearly that "the benefit packages for teachers depend on whether a teacher is hired from abroad or locally."
"School fees (are included) for teachers' children for up to three children if both parents are teaching and up to two children for a single teacher or a teacher with a non-teaching spouse," their website states for Overseas Expatriate Faculty. And yet for the local hires: "Teachers may apply for tuition remission for one child within guidelines set by the school."
This haughty incongruity is based on the very low opinion that expat teachers here are held in, with the assumption generally being that most are "unqualified failures" who couldn't hack it in their home countries. Because of this bias, international schools prefer to avoid hiring from the local talent pool and instead recruit from abroad, which many teachers contend reflects a lack of long-term thinking.
"They (overseas hires) tend to experience severe culture shock, which impacts their performance in the classroom. They stay only a year or so then vanish," one international school teacher I know told me. "I've been teaching in Shanghai for 10 years and know how to get international kids adjusted and motivated. Yet I make several thousand yuan less than my new-hire colleagues."
For foreign teachers in Shanghai who are feeling unappreciated by their international schools, a solution may be in the most unexpected of places: Chinese schools. Based on my own cursory research, at least three private Chinese high schools in Shanghai are paying advanced placement (AP) foreign teachers a starting salary of 400,000 yuan per year, along with additional benefits.
And with the growing trend of Chinese students opting to study in overseas universities (more than 15,000 graduating high school students from Shanghai were granted visas to study abroad in 2014), more local high schools are opening international "college prep" divisions. In order to attract talented foreign teachers, the tempting pay and benefits being offered by Chinese schools will soon eclipse Shanghai's international schools - eventually restoring the balance of power back to locals, and local hires.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Global Times.UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Wednesday that Congo Republic will withdraw its troops from a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic after a review sparked by sexual abuse accusations found “systemic problems in command and control.”
The country has some 630 troops on the ground in Central African Republic, according to the latest U.N. figures. A U.N. database of sexual abuse and exploitation accusations showed three reported incidents involving Congo Republic troops in Central African Republic this year. Nine were reported in 2016.
“The review of the deployment of uniformed military personnel from the Republic of Congo found that the nature and extent of existing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, in their totality, point to systemic problems in command and control,” the United Nations said in a statement.
“These problems have also been compounded by issues related to the preparedness, overall discipline, maintenance of contingent owned equipment, and logistical capacity of these troops,” it said.
The world body said the review was shared with the Congo Republic authorities who then “decided to withdraw their military personnel.”
The 13,000-strong peacekeeping mission is seeking to contain violence in a multi-year conflict driven by ethnic and religious grievances and vying over vast diamond resources.
The United Nations said some 140 Congo Republic police would remain part of the peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic because “failures identified with the military contingent are not reflected by the performance of the police.”Share Pinterest
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When Autoweek last spoke to the president and CEO of the Sports Car Club of America ("Jeff Dahnert drives the SCCA forward," Oct. 24, 2012), Dahnert told us that since the five-year deal with Road America in Wisconsin ends this year, he'd like to begin moving the SCCA National Championship Runoffs to different locations, possibly a year here, a year there, rather than locking into multi-year contracts with one facility.
He said he'd even like to take the Runoffs west of the Rocky Mountains, for the first time since 1968, when they ran at the long-shuttered Riverside. But, he said, it would likely be a few years before that could happen, given the typically glacier-like pace the SCCA moves at, thanks in part to a conservative board of directors.
So it came as a surprise when Dahnert announced at a press conference today that not only will the Runoffs visit the West Coast, it would happen in 2014, when the event will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Then, just as surprising: The next year the Runoffs moves to the East Coast -- Daytona International Speedway, which hosted the Runoffs decades ago. And then in 2016, it's back to the old Runoffs home of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Three years, three different tracks: Ambitious, Dahnert told Autoweek, but worth it. "I give a lot of the credit to the board we have now," Dahnert said. They are obviously far more willing to take chances than boards in the past.
It will also be quite a challenge logistically: Having the race at one track for five straight years offered a certain comfort level for SCCA and the workers. But with each passing year, attendance typically drops, with racers figuring they have been there, done that, at the same track year after year.
Dahnert also credits SCCA vice president of club racing Terry Ozment for actually cutting the deals with the tracks, and beginning the process of making sure the logistics work. After all, the SCCA is a volunteer club, and the races must be staffed with officials and corner workers, typically coordinated by the local host SCCA chapters. Getting them on board was a challenge, too.
And then there were the tracks themselves -- as busy as facilities like Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca and Daytona International Speedway are, getting them to commit a full week or more to one event isn't easy, especially since a total competitor car count of more than 1,000 is not out of the question.
In the case of Laguna, it likely would not have even been possible a few years ago, said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of MRLS. Because of its location, its race dates and noise levels are limited by the local government. Only recently, Campbell said, has more control over the dates been given to the track to make an event like the Runoffs possible.
Campbell said that hosting the Runoffs will be great for both the racers and the track. Laguna "sas soul," she said. "It's such an iconic facility. I know the racers will love coming here, and we look forward to having them."
Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway, said that he tried to get the Runoffs to come to Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he was in charge of that track, but the SCCA management then was "unrealistic" about what it would take. "I'm so happy they are coming back to Daytona," Chitwood said. "It's part of the SCCA's history, and part of Daytona's history, and it will be great to reconnect."
"It's great to have the SCCA Runoffs back at Mid-Ohio as amateur racing helped build the history of this track," Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course president Craig Rust said. "Over the past few years many of our fans have asked about the Runoffs returning so we know they will be excited to welcome them back in 2016."
The move is expected to increase manufacturer support, too. Since there is no prize money, many racers depend on contingency money to help cover expenses. "Club racing is the heart and soul of Mazda Motorsports," Mazda Motorsports director John Doonan said. "We are proud to help bring the biggest club racing event in the country to our home track for 2014."
Dates have yet to be confirmed for the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs or beyond. This year, the Runoffs will be held Sept. 16-22 at Road America. But don't expect that to be a lame-duck effort: It is the 50th anniversary of the Runoffs, and both the SCCA and long-participating manufacturers such as Mazda and Nissan will be there in force bringing drivers and cars from the past for what should be a huge event.REGINA – The Conservatives remain staunch in their stance against marijuana, the NDP are talking about decriminalizing it, while the Liberals are all for legalizing pot and taxing it.
Stephen Harper has been trying to use the issue to drive a wedge between voters, but according to local experts, that might not be the best idea.
“It’s not that pressing an issue for Canadians. It’s not the top of their political agenda,” said Tom McIntosh. “They’re more concerned about the economy, jobs, healthcare, about a whole host of other issues.”
As the head of the University of Regina’s Politics and International Studies departments, McIntosh does not believe Canadians would change their vote based on marijuana policies.
According to a new poll by Ipsos, 65 per cent of Canadians would support a move to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
A local head shop employee wants to see it go a step further.
“I think we should legalize it for sure. I think the times have changed and people understand it isn’t this evil thing,” said Scott Neuman.
He says his vote will go towards the Liberals or the NDP for their support of changes to current marijuana laws.
“I think this should totally be a voting issue,” said Neuman. “My parents were opposed to it when I was younger. Then I explained that it helped me and there were benefits. Their stigma around it has changed.”
Associate economics professor Jason Childs said the system we have is not working.
“We’ve gone through a period of time where marijuana has been a prohibitive substance, and had these extreme bans and it has not been effective,” said Childs.
He can envision a day when marijuana and alcohol sit on the same shelves.
“There’s no reason why the same infrastructure couldn’t be used for marijuana if it were legalized. So you’d be going to your liquor store and instead of buying just alcohol, now you’d be buying marijuana too, if you chose.”
There could also be a financial benefit to legalizing marijuana. Taxation could take money out of the black market, and into things that could benefit Canadians.
“We’re putting billions of dollars into provincial coffers through the sale of alcohol and the tax and markup of alcohol. There’s no reason to believe we wouldn’t be reaping the same, if not bigger, benefits from the sale of marijuana,” said Childs.
McIntosh said legalization could also help keep the drug out of the hands of children.
“Regulate who has access to it in the same way you do with alcohol and tobacco and the like,” he said. “We’d be more effective in making it harder for them to have access to it than buying it on a street corner in downtown Regina, downtown Saskatoon, or any street in small-town Saskatchewan.”
But the professors warn changes won’t come easy.
“There are some real problems around marijuana that will have to be dealt with and recognized if we’re going to go with legalization,” said Childs.NEW DELHI: Attorney general G E Vahanvati informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the Centre has fully accepted the Delhi high court verdict, which decriminalized consensual gay sex between adults in private. The Centre clarified its stand on homosexuality, saying there is no error in decriminalization of gay sex.
The Supreme Court had sought assistance from the attorney general in view of contradictory stand taken before the Supreme Court and high court.
Vahanvati said though the government had opposed dilution of Section 377 as far as consensual gay sex in private was concerned, it later realised that the high court verdict was correct. The HC verdict decriminalizing homosexuality is acceptable to us, he stressed. We learnt and got subsequently enlightened after the verdict, he added.
Criminalizing gay sex among consenting adults in private is violation of fundamental rights, the attorney general added on the Centre's behalf.
He also said that the recent goof up in the apex court where Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra opposed gay sex was a result of lack of communication between the law officers and the Home Ministry.
The bench had yesterday pulled up the Centre for its "casual" approach on decriminalisation of homosexuality and also expressed concern over Parliament not discussing such important issues and blaming judiciary for "over-reach".
After going through various affidavits of the government filed in the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court, the apex court had said the Centre has taken this case very casually which needs to be "condemned" and had directed the AG to be present before it to clarify the Centre's stand.
"They have taken this case very casually. This practice needs to be condemned and we are going to say it in our judgment," the bench had observed.
The bench had said it is a peculiar case in which the government is taking a neutral stand before the apex court on such an important issue after contesting the matter in the high court.
The apex court was hearing petitions by anti-gay rights activists and also by political, social and religious organisations, opposing the high court verdict.
The Delhi high court had in 2009 decriminalised gay sex as provided in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and had ruled that sex between two consenting adults in private would not be an offence.
Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the IPC makes gay sex a criminal offence entailing punishment up to life term.I do not live in a bubble, and one of the ways I work things out is to write. So I have put this piece together as a means of expiating my own grief over the results of the recent presidential election.
At first, I wanted to keep my mourning private, especially as my current role as a college president requires me to tread carefully and not give an institutional patina to my personal thoughts. I have also not wanted to invite the various trolls who consider my views like catnip. But I have come to the view that silence will probably cause greater harm to our country's immigrant students, particularly those "DREAMers" -- the hundreds of thousands of students in the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, who were brought to this country as children and have been allowed to attend college. The 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe allowed them to stay in school, while DACA gave them employment authorization, lawful presence and Social Security numbers. It is by no means legalization, but it has been a transformative program while Congress has fiddled over immigration reform.
Indeed, I have dedicated my entire life to many ideals, but the ones that matter the most were repudiated on election night. Since then, I have arranged over a dozen conference calls with DREAMers, immigration lawyers, college presidents and reporters. Many know I helped write the Texas statutes that give many of the DREAMers resident Texas tuition and financial aid. Inasmuch as I have taught higher education law and also immigration law for 35 years, these are my fields. I have won many more contests in this terrain than I have lost, but this one hurts, and I feel as if we all let down my students, a dereliction of duty that I feel deeply. I fear for the DACA students, many of them in my own institution, who placed their lives and hopes in higher education and the polity. I urged them to trust we would do the right thing if they took responsibility for their own lives by studying and coming forward. They have done so, but now we have not held up our part of the bargain.
In the wake of the election, a number of colleges and universities are declaring themselves "sanctuary campuses," saying they will limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. However, the various proposals for carving out sanctuary campuses have occasioned even more vexation for me, and this viral-fed option is what finally moved me to write this article.
These well-intentioned efforts to establish a sanctuary use the term in its root ecclesiastic meanings, such as providing safe harbor. But from whom?
"Sanctuary" is also a contronym -- an example of a single word that has opposite meanings. ("Sanction" is another.) To many folks, the term depicts a defiance of law and serves as a trope for unauthorized immigration and liberal pieties. That it has become tinged with racist and anti-Mexican sentiment renders the term even more poisonous. One person's safe harbor is another person's harboring, in the dueling metaphors, if not the actual immigration law.
My view on these proposals is that they provide a chimerical outlet for people who are frustrated and have no other pathways to ameliorate the situation. But the term "sanctuary" is a term that is too fraught with restrictionist meanings or misunderstandings about the difference between "defying the law" or choosing not to implement discretionary practices, for policy, efficacy or other reasons. Worse, it has no legal meaning and the admonitions are vague and impossible to implement, which will only frustrate people more.
I have urged all those people who have called me to be very cautious in suggesting that a legal cocoon is possible or even needed for students -- who, after all, are not lawbreakers. Of course, institutions should provide support and services, as they would for all their students, especially vulnerable ones. But exacting pledges that cannot be kept will do no one any good.
And there are longstanding rules of engagement, or, in this context, nonengagement in higher education, such as the current Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy on such enforcement. As it notes, schools and colleges are exceedingly low priorities, and forms of this policy have been in place for many years. Virtually no campus has ever been raided for students in unauthorized status or undocumented campus workers, and they are unlikely to be.
But just as I cannot tell you how to react to any rollbacks of the Affordable Care Act, I cannot tell people what could happen and what the alternatives are. I know it will not be good, if for no other reason than it has already exposed vulnerable populations -- who are not "criminal," and who actually may be lawfully present (such as DACA holders) or in legal status (such as F-1 students from Muslim countries).
And I cannot promise these students that positive results will come of all this. I have urged them to be careful in expressing themselves in ways that might give rise to thermodynamic reactions, as have begun to surface. Getting arrested and convicted of any transgressions would give real rise to possibilities of deportation. And they should be careful about using social media in a way that might expose their parents to possible harm. I will not urge them to march into the valley of death or to put themselves at risk, although I will agree that the peaceful marchas galvanized public attention in 2006. American citizens who urge this option for DREAMers should examine their consciences and not encourage these students to put themselves in harm's way. At the very least, we should do no harm.
Feel-good actions and solidarity are fine and have an important place in the civil-rights narrative. But I do not hold out hope that the sanctuary proposals will make any genuine change or provide actual sanctuary -- whatever that empty vessel means to anyone on either side of the issue. And so I prefer more meaningful actions, such as working with student groups and their supporters: advocacy groups, bar associations, social service agencies, philanthropies and the usual support infrastructures for colleges and communities. The University of Houston Law Center, where I have spent most of my professional life, has stepped up, and my colleagues and law students are providing technical assistance and advice, as have many of my immigration law professor colleagues.
We will know more closer to the change of administrations, and all of us should keep perspective so as not to frighten or to give false hope to these students, who have kept their part of the bargain. And we should work to support those who do this over the long haul, such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Immigration Law Center, which have posted useful FAQs.
I ride with my students in the university's elevators every day, and it always is a life-affirming experience, as so many are first-generation students, immigrants and students of color. When they recognize me, they relate their experiences and their triumphs and concerns. In the last two weeks, they have actually cheered me up -- not for the first time. I have dedicated my entire life to them, and they have reciprocated. One of them sensed my own dread and said to me, "Llegamos tan cerca (We came very close)."
What can we do? We still have more than 20 states in this country that provide resident tuition for the undocumented. But the students' trajectory would clearly be altered if DACA were abolished or allowed to expire. It would be a foolish and tragic policy to demonize and deport these DREAMers, even as their parents have been criminalized in the narrative. We need these students, and they surely need us now. Can't we all agree that comprehensive immigration reform is overdue 30 years since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986? If we want to do something constructive, such advocacy has never been more necessary.
That will be a tremendous fight, under the circumstances. But these students in whom we have invested should be at the front of that line, when Congress recognizes its responsibilities. That is where we should all focus our efforts.Well, February’s well past half over, so as usual it’s beyond past time to get this month’s Whispersync deal roundup put together. So here we go! [UPDATE: Since this series has drawn some new readers/listeners who may be unfamiliar with Whispersync for Voice, in brief: after (or at the same time as) buying the Kindle edition you can add on the narration if an enabled Audible edition exists, often for a steep discount on even the member/credit price.]
First, from the Monthly Deals for $3.99 or less listings:
The Man in the High Castle and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick, read by Tom Weiner, and A Scanner Darkly read by actor Paul Giamatti for $2.99+$3.99 each — three fantastic PKD audiobooks on the cheap!
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, read by Kate Reading for $1.99+$3.99 — “All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.”
The Summer Isles by Ian MacLeod, read by Steve Hodson for $1.99+$3.49 — “Winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History: A pastel-hued yet chilling alternate vision of England, The Summer Isles views the nightmare that the country has become since Germany’s victory in the Great War, through the eyes of a man whose life lies close to the heart of history.”
Futureland: Nine Stories of an Imminent World by Walter Mosley, read by Richard Allen for $1.99+$3.99 — “Life in America a generation from now isn’t much different from today: The drugs are better, the daily grind is worse. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened to a chasm. You can store the world’s legal knowledge on a chip in your little finger, while the Supreme Court has decreed that constitutional rights don’t apply to any individual who challenges the system. Justice is swiftly delivered by automated courts, so the prison industry is booming. And while the media declare racism is dead, word on the street is that even in a colorless society, it’s a crime to be black.”
Scholar: The Fourth Book of the Imager Portfolio by L.E. Modesitt Jr., read by William Dufris for $2.99+$3.49 — “Hundreds of years before the time of Imager, the continent of Lydar is fragmented. Years of war have consolidated five nations into three-Bovaria, Telaryn, and Antiago. Quaeryt is a scholar and friend of Bhayar, the young ruler of Telaryn. Worried about his future and the escalating intrigues in Solis, the capital city, Quaeryt persuades Bhayar to send him to Tilbor, conquered ten years earlier by Bhayar’s father, in order to see if the number and extent of occupying troops can be reduced so that they can be re-deployed to the border with warlike Bovaria.”
The Gift by Dave Donovan, read by Jeff Cummings for $1.99+$1.99 — “When an elite team of specialists receives a long-awaited first contact from an alien race, it’s nothing like what they’d imagined. The “gifts,” from a long-dead but seemingly benevolent alien race, have been sent to help humanity defend itself against an imminent threat. It’s clear that the gifts are intended to help, but at what price?”
Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran, read by Carol Monda for $2.99+$3.99 — “Claire DeWitt believes she is the world’s greatest PI, even if few agree with her. A one-time teen detective in Brooklyn, she is a follower of the esoteric French detective Jacques Silette, whose mysterious handbook Détection inspired Claire’s unusual practices.”
Inamorata by Megan Chance, read by David deVries for $1.99+$1.99 — “American artist Joseph Hannigan and his alluring sister, Sophie, have arrived in enchanting nineteenth-century Venice with a single-minded goal. The twins, who have fled scandal in New York, are determined to break into Venice’s expatriate set and find a wealthy patron to support Joseph’s work. But the enigmatic Hannigans are not the only ones with a secret agenda. Joseph’s talent soon attracts the attention of the magnificent Odilé Leon, a celebrated courtesan and muse who has inspired many artists to greatness. But her inspiration is otherworldly and comes with a devastatingly steep price.”
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Next, from 50 Kindle Books for $2 Each here’s what caught my eye:
Tears in Rain by Rosa Montera, read by Mary Robinette Kowal for $2+1.99 — “As a replicant, or “technohuman”, Detective Bruna Husky knows two things: humans bioengineered her to perform dangerous, undesirable tasks, and she has just 10 years on the United States of Earth before her body automatically self-destructs. But with “antitechno” rage on the rise and a rash of premature deaths striking her fellow replicants, she may have even less time than she thought.”
Against the Light by Dave Duncan, read by Ralph Lister for $2+$1.99 — “The Hierarchy, high priests of the religious order the Light, has installed King Ethan as the monarchical figurehead, ruling both the magical kingdom of Albi and its predominant religion. Scattered throughout the land, worshippers in the old ways of the Earth Mother are persecuted as heretics. And when young missionary student Rollo Woodbridge returns home to Albi, he is immediately arrested for heresy and treason, setting off a chain of events that plunges the land into utter chaos. ”
MetaGame by Sam Landstrom, read by Paul Michael Garcia for $2+$1.99 — “In sci-fi author Sam Landstrom’s MetaGame, he creates a believable but disturbing world with fewer than six degrees of separation. In fact, every single person, product, pastime, and proclivity humans take part in is interconnected. Life is the Game – and winners never die. In the Game, points amount to currency and top scorers are eligible for immortality. A mysterious, unifying force, the OverSoul, calls the shots, and an individual player’s health contract can be indefinitely extended – and with the offer of a permanent 20-year-old’s body and health, it’s with fanaticism that gamers play the Game.”
The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn, read by Peter Berkrot for $2+1.99 — “Twenty years ago, the mysterious death of his aunt left Aaron Holbrook orphaned and alone. He abandoned his rural Arkansas hometown vowing never to return, until his seven-year-old son died in an accident, plunging Aaron into a nightmare of addiction and grief. Desperate to reclaim a piece of himself, he returns to the hills of his childhood, to Holbrook House, where he hopes to find peace among the memories of his youth. But solace doesn’t come easy. Someone – or something – has other plans.”
Heirs of Grace by Tim Pratt, read by Leslie Hull for $2+1.99 — “Recent art school graduate Bekah thought she’d hit the jackpot: an unknown relative died, and she inherited a small fortune and a huge house in the mountains of North Carolina. Trey Howard, the lawyer who handled the estate, is a handsome man in his 20s and they hit it off right away – and soon become more than friends. Bekah expected a pleasant year to get her head together and have a romantic fling. Problem is, the house is full of junk…and siblings she didn’t know she had are willing to kill her for it.”
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Third, some selections from Open Road Media‘s ebook+audiobook catalog:
More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon, read by Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison for Blackstone Audio for $4.61+$3.99 — As with any Rudnicki audiobook you’re getting a fantastic performance; adding in Ellison’s more-than-cameo for one of the all-time iconic sf audiobooks: “In this genre-bending novel, among the first to have launched sci fi into literature, a group of remarkable social outcasts band together for survival and discover that their combined powers render them superhuman. There’s Lone, the simpleton who can hear other people’s thoughts; Janie, who moves things without touching them; and the teleporting twins, who can travel ten feet or ten miles. There’s Baby, who invented an antigravity engine while still in the cradle, and Gerry, who has everything it takes to run the world except for a conscience. Separately, they are talented freaks. Together, they may represent the next step in evolution – or the final chapter in the history of the human race. As they struggle to find whether they are meant to help humanity or destroy it, Sturgeon explores questions of power and morality, individuality and belonging.”
King of Morning, Queen of Day by Ian McDonald, read by Deidre Mullins for $3.52+$3.99 — “Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award and the Prix Imaginales. Three generations of women share a mysterious power – one that threatens to destroy them. In early-twentieth-century Ireland, life for Emily Desmond is that of the average teenage girl: she reads, she’s bored with school, and she has a powerful imagination. Then things begin to change. Her imagination is so powerful, in fact, that she wills a faerie into existence – an ability called mythoconsciousness.”
Dawn (The Xenogenesis Trilogy Book 1) by Octavia E. Butler, read by Aldrich Barrett for $1.99+$3.49 — “In a world devastated by nuclear war with humanity on the edge of extinction, aliens finally make contact. They rescue those humans they can, keeping most survivors in suspended animation while the aliens begin the slow process of rehabilitating the planet. When Lilith Iyapo is “awakened”, she finds that she has been chosen to revive her fellow humans in small groups by first preparing them to meet the utterly terrifying aliens, then training them to survive on the wilderness that the planet has become. But the aliens cannot help humanity without altering it forever. Bonded to the aliens in ways no human has ever known, Lilith tries to fight them even as her own species comes to fear and loathe her. A stunning story of invasion and alien contact by one of science fiction’s finest writers.”
Wild Seed (The Patternist Series Book 1) by Octavia E. Butler, read by Dion Graham for $3.03+$3.99 — A fantastic book and audiobook: “For a thousand years, Doro has cultivated a small African village, carefully breeding its people in search of seemingly unattainable perfection. He survives through the centuries by stealing the bodies of others, a technique he has so thoroughly mastered that nothing on Earth can kill him. But when a gang of New World slavers destroys his village, ruining his grand experiment, Doro is forced to go west and begin anew. He meets Anyanwu, a centuries-old woman whose means of immortality are as kind as his are cruel. She is a shapeshifter, capable of healing with a kiss, and she recognizes Doro as a tyrant. Though many humans have tried to kill them, these two demi-gods have never before met a rival. Now they begin a struggle that will last centuries and permanently alter the nature of humanity.”
Dragonsbane (Winterlands Book 1) by Barbara Hambly, read by Derek Perkins for $3.19+$3.49 — “When the Black Dragon seized the Deep of Ylferdun, young Gareth braved the far Winterlands to find John Aversin, Dragonsbane – the only living man ever to slay a dragon. In return for the promise of the King to send help to the Winterlands, Aversin agreed to attempt the nearly impossible feat again.”
Sinai Tapestry (The Jerusalem Quartet Book 1) by Edward Whittemore, read by Brian Troxell for $1.99+$3.99 — “Sinai Tapestry, the brilliant first novel of the Jerusalem Quartet, is an epic alternate history of the Middle East in which the discovery of the original Bible links a disparate group of remarkable people across time and space.”
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Next, a few deals via My Bookish Ways:
House Immortal (A House Immortal Novel Book 1) by Devon Monk, read by Leslie Carroll for $1.99+$3.49 — “Matilda Case isn’t like most folks. In fact, she’s unique in the world, the crowning achievement of her father’s experiments – a girl pieced together from bits. Or so she believes. That is, until Abraham Seventh shows up at her door, stitched with life thread just like her and insisting that enemies are coming to kill them all.”
Metrophage by Richard Kadrey, read by Peter Ganim for $3.99+$3.99 — “Welcome to the near future: Los Angeles in the late 21st century—a segregated city of haves and have nots, where morality is dead and technology rules. Here, a small group of wealthy seclude themselves in gilded cages. Beyond their high security compounds, far from their pretty comforts, lies a lawless wasteland where the angry masses battle hunger, rampant disease, and their own despair to survive. Jonny was born into this Hobbesian paradise. A street-wise hustler who deals drugs on the black market—narcotics that heal the body and cool the mind—he looks out for nobody but himself. Until a terrifying plague sweeps through L.A., wreaking death and panic. And no one, not even a clever operator like Jonny, is safe.”
Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) by Robin Hobb, read by Paul Boehmer for $1.99+$4.95 — “With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. Filled with adventure and bloodshed,
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Therefore, supporting sentence invoking source that exists only in the bibliographies of other cited material (pp. arbitrary to arbitrary + 5). Contemplative question? Definitive refutation paraphrased from a blog found at 2 AM:
“Massive block text to lend legitimacy to this sorry endeavor.”
— Legitimate-sounding Anglo Saxon name (year between 1859 and 1967)
Obviously, non-sequitur segue. Utter misinterpretation of the only other author researched for this paper. Blind search for evidence reflecting increasing desperation (authors 4, 5, and 6). Moreover, loose observation to try to force coherence. Indeed, an attempt at humor!
Hence, statement violating every principle of syllogism followed by unnecessary semi-colon; forgettable punch line. Open-ended question undoing what little intellectual progress has been made? Filler sentence, which breaks entire flow of argument, specifically designed with maximum complexity in mind so as to solve lingering word minimum concerns.
Unconvincing conclusion statement. Empty belief that prompt has been answered sufficiently and requires no further investigation by anyone, ever. Last sentence, which consumed approximately 95% of the total mental effort dedicated—still reads clunky.According to Ford, the 2018 Mustang not only gets a more potent powerplant but also delivers a more efficient drivetrain too. Having said that, the refreshed model is 5.6 percent more efficient than the older version when it comes to fuel economy. Another new feature is that the pony has improved handling, thanks to the aerodynamic tweaks.
For the sake of comparison, the 2017 Ford Mustang EcoBoost (in automatic and manual) was rated 21 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined, whereas the 2018 models were rated 21 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. On the other hand, the 2017 Ford Mustang GT in automatic and manual have ratings of 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined. Though the 2018 GT in manual have the same ratings, the automatic version has improved ratings at 16 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined.
Mike Del Zio, dynamics engineer of Ford, together with Jonathan Gesek, aerodynamics engineer, discovered a way to make the 2018 Mustang easier to handle. Del Zio found that high-speed cornering was not as good as the wind tunnel number indicated, which he noticed during on-track development. What he did to solve this problem was to apply a strip of duct tape over the lower gap of the grille.
After doing so, he took the vehicle back on track, where he realised that the vehicle responded better in high-speed turns. He then concluded that the little piece of tape made all the difference.
Also check: Ford Mustang (Mk6) - official details, specs, news, videos
It has been years since the duo started working on the Mustang refresh team. In fact, when the latest generation 2015 model year arrived, they already had plans to set targets for these updates.
To help reduce the drag of the 2018 Mustang, the men had to do a number of aerodynamic changes, which included arching the nose downwards, according to Gesek. Also, its new shape provides better visibility for the driver. In addition, he said that he thought about bringing the Mustang even lower, but doing so will affect the car’s usability. If it goes even lower, drivers might always have to worry about scraping the vehicle’s front end in every driveway.
Currently, the Mustang is available worldwide, which also has an impact on the car’s tuning. For instance, Del Zio and Gesek need to speak with their European partners when considering changes, to ensure that they tune it to the correct specs so it would be legal in Europe. Despite all that, Mustang still ensures to retain the Mustang’s unique experience.
For those who are interested, the 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost starts at $25,585, while the Mustang GT is priced at $35,095.THE GWEN STEFANI
AMBIGRAM TYPOGRAPHY CHALLENGE
Tue. 5-22-07 USA
Having seen this Gwen Stafani video Sweet Escape ft. Akon, in which literally almost every physical object in the video revolves around what seems to be a typographical ambigram where one letter shape, when rotated actually makes another letter.
In this case one letter shape rotated or flipped in 4 different ways actually spells the name GWEN, it was quite a sophisticated design.
It made me wonder if it were possible to do this with other four letter words, my name for example. Not one to balk at a challenge, I tried it out.
There you have it, one letter form, and one full name. Not so tricky afterall.
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Loading Art Sucks ArchivesWe need shoes. We buy shoes. What about vegan shoes?
If you’ve been following the fashion section of NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION you already know a lot about sustainability and vegan/ethical fashion paths. Our guest for today is Will from Wills.
Will is way more than an idealist. He wants to make things happen. With new designs popping out every month and a kids line coming soon, this man and his team seem to work really hard. The target is clear. Will wants to convince that his shoes are equally better as leather ones when it breaks to quality. When it breaks to ethics and animal love, Wills shoes win.
A vegan lifestyle is a choice. Our societies haven’t embraced that yet. At least not fully. Same with fashion. Wills are here to prove that being vegan doesn’t mean that you’ve chosen a hippie-70s lifestyle and you live in the woods. And in general, if you love your pets or you spend your time relaxing by watching cute animals on the web, think twice before bying leather boots and jackets.
I might have been a little harsh, so I’d better let Will talk. Also -post the reading session – on the bottom of the interview you can find a free shipping voucher. Thank you Wills!
Take us on a short trip through the past. How did you start with Wills? How come and you decided for vegan shoes?
I started Wills with a passion to provide animal and human friendly shoes with high-street styles and prices. My dream is to bridge the gap between everyday people and ethically produced vegan shoes. I am lucky. I was brought up in a vegetarian household. I grew up on fresh wholefoods – I did not really appreciate my life when I was younger (I just wanted chips!) but I certainly do now. I am healthy and understand we should live with animals – not against them. It is thanks to the information and support from the Vegan Society UK and Animal Aid that I was introduced to and appreciated veganism. I decided to be vegan in October 2012. I think it is something everyone should try. As soon as you try it you develop a new perspective on life that is so humane, so positive.
For me making vegan shoes is like a natural combination of my life. Everything came together whilst working for another vegan shoe company. People kept telling me how hard it was to buy fashionable and affordable ethical shoes. I knew what the steps were to make my own vegan shoes so took the leap and started Wills in Spring 2013.
How would you describe Wills shoe lines in three words?
Vegan. Ethical. Fashion.
Do you design everything on your own or do you have a team?
When Wills started it was just me – but as the ranges have grown larger and we are now doing accessories and soon kids it is very much a team effort.
What are the materials that you’re working with?
I use microfibre and PU from Italy and Spain for the uppers and linings. For glues I use synthetic. For soles I use rubber or TR which is grippy and long lasting.
What’s the working process?
Wills as a shoe brand is a little different from others. With other shoe brands people want the shoes. With Wills people need them – because they cannot buy them anywhere else.
For this reason I make sure I provide a service to my customers – and have all the key styles for the season that people need in their wardrobe.
When we want to introduce a new style we select the best factory to work with on the style – and develop a sample with them. From here we fine tune for fit, comfort and durability. Once we are satisfied we make the final ‘gold seal’ sample that we then use as a template for production.
‘With new styles launching almost every week we are kept very busy’
What would you say to the people who claim that what’s not made from leather ain’t gonna last?
A standard pair of shoes uses leather or suede for the upper. A good vegan shoe swaps this with microfiber. Microfiber is a man-made material that is comprised from a very fine mesh of individual fibres. High quality microfiber can be made to have the same look and feel of leather or suede – you will not tell the difference. You will also not tell the difference in wear – microfiber is water resistant, breathable and because it is a weave of fibres – and has some “give” so will fit to your foot shape and gait. I have customers who have been wearing my shoes every day since Wills launched and they look great. A good vegan shoe will last just the same as a leather shoe.
Have you ever thought of partnering up with a major brand or an organization? Would you be open for something like that?
If it meant less people wearing leather shoes, for sure.
Where do you see your enterprise in the next five years?
My main ambition is to be on high-streets across the world – so it is easy for people to make a positive choice.
What are your personal favorites of all your designs and why?
For women my new collection of heels, loafers and wedges. This is a high quality range of beautiful shoes that fit well and are comfortable. Launching this range is one of the Wills milestones for me – never before have people been able to buy shoes like this – at the prices they sell for.
For men my Work Boots in chestnut for how good they look – and how good they wear. They are made with burnished chestnut Italian microfiber that has such a nice texture and lustre. I love the way love the way my pair have aged. The upper has become so soft and has moulded to my foot and ankle. They are like a part of me – they are so comfortable. I am very attached to them!
Last but not least, our magazine is called “Nothing But Hope And Passion”. What do Hope & Passion mean to you?
Wills was founded on hope and passion. Starting the business needed a focused hope that it could make a difference to people. This was fuelled by the passion to make it easier for people to buy vegan shoes and make a positive choice.
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All photos courtesy of Wills. You can use the code IHEARTSHOES for a free delivery if you are anywhere in Europe, USA and Canada.Praise be to Allaah.
Having intercourse with one wife in the presence of the other and where she can see is something concerning which there should be no dispute that it is haraam.
1 – al-Hasan al-Basri said: They – meaning the Sahaabah and senior Taabi’een – used to regard wajs as makrooh, which means having intercourse with one when the other can hear the sounds. The word “makrooh” according to the earlier scholars means that it is haraam.
Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 4/388
2 – Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If two wives agree to live together in one house, that is permissible, because they each have the right to their own house, but they may give up that right. Similarly they may agree to let him sleep between them in one bed. But if they agree to let him have intercourse with one of them when the other one is looking, that is not permissible, because it is vile and despicable and is not appropriate, and it does not become permissible even if they agree to it.
al-Mughni, 8/137
3 – al-Hajaawi the author of Zaad al-Mustanqi’ said: It is makrooh to have intercourse where anyone can see.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen commented on these words by saying:
It is very strange that he limited himself to describing it as makrooh. This covers two issues. The first is having intercourse where the awrahs of both partners can be seen. Undoubtedly limiting oneself to saying that this is makrooh is a mistake, because it is obligatory to cover the ‘awrah. If it is in a place where anyone can see their ‘awrahs, this is undoubtedly haraam, and what this author says is not correct at all.
The second is having intercourse in a place where the ‘awrah cannot be seen. Limiting oneself to saying that this is makrooh is also subject to further discussion. For example, if they are covered with a blanket and he starts to have intercourse with her, and the movements can be seen. This is undoubtedly more likely to be haraam, because it is not appropriate for a Muslim to lower himself to such a level.
This may also provoke desire in the person who sees this, and that may lead to evil consequences.
The correct view concerning this matter is that it is haraam to have intercourse with a woman in view of anyone, unless the onlooker is a child who does not understand what is happening; in this case it does not matter. But if the child understands what is happening then intercourse should not take place where he can see, even if he is a child, because a child may speak about what he has seen unintentionally.
Sharh Kitaab al-Nikaah min Zaad al-Mustanqi’, tape 17.
And Allaah knows best.New Page 1
‘The Mountain Has Fallen’ starts with “Systematic,” DJ Shadow and Nas’ first-ever collaboration together. The song debuted during the season premiere of HBO’s Silicon Valley in April. “Horror Show” finds Shadow and Danny Brown collaborating for the first time over a jagged, haunting soundscape. “Good News” is a brand new composition, reminiscent of some of Shadow’s more free-form, fractured work found on 2016’s ‘The Mountain Will Fall’ full-length.
The EP closes with “Corridors,” a piece featuring Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price (who scored the ‘Gravity’ film). Shadow is a massive fan of his work, and Price wrote and programmed the string parts on the song.
"From the start of my last album, I envisioned collaborating with other instrumentalists who operate outside of the bass and hip-hop realms, ultimately working with the amazing Nils Frahm and Matthew Halsall. Like many, I had always been enthralled by the soundtrack for the film 'Gravity,' and went about connecting with Steven purely as a fan. I was overjoyed when the opportunity to combine on a song came to pass. His ability to harness orchestral elements and join them with a sound design aesthetic made my contributions seem almost effortless, which is the mark of a fruitful partnership." – DJ Shadow, on “Corridors”
“Turns out sometimes you should meet your heroes. Working with Josh to create ‘Corridors,’ hearing musical ideas and phrases come back to me twisted and skewed through the filter of his unique sensibilities, was an amazing experience. The mark of a good collaboration is when the track heads off in a direction you could never have imagined when working on your own, and no one puts a track together like DJ Shadow. It was an honour to work with him.” – Steven Price, on “Corridors”3. It rained the entire practice, which could be one explanation for why Carson Wentz and the first team offense seemed to struggle. Here's another: It's super early and it's going to take some time before the quarterback and some of the new faces get acclimated. Another: Key players – Matthews, Blount – were missing. Another: The defense deserved credit. And one last one: They didn't play well, which probably rates as a 1.5 on the 1-10 cause-for-concern scale. Even before team drills, Wentz and his receivers seemed to be having miscommunications during end zone throws. He threw to the corner while undrafted rookie Greg Ward ran something like a post. On the next pass, Nelson Agholor's route was to the corner and Wentz hit him, but the ball seemed to sneak up on the receiver, who dropped it. Agholor popped up and motioned as if he thought the drill called for a different route.Jeffrey K Berns is a bitcoin user, Coinbase customer and a managing partner at multi-specialty law firm Berns Weiss LLP.
In this CoinDesk opinion piece, Berns explains why he chose to seek to intervene in the IRS’s attempt to obtain from Coinbase the identities of, and information concerning, millions of US cryptocurrency users.
On 30th November, 2016, a federal court issued an order allowing the IRS to serve an unprecedented summons on Coinbase, Inc, a cryptocurrency exchange, seeking the identities of each of the company’s millions of US customers and essentially every piece of information in the company’s possession concerning those customers.
As a consumer protection and class action attorney (as well as a cryptocurrency and blockchain entrepreneur), I am deeply concerned about the potential impact that Coinbase’s disclosure of this information could have on the burgeoning industry.
I am also troubled by the IRS’s motives in issuing this summons.
While I don’t want to bore you with the legal procedure that led to the issuance of the summons, the bottom line is that courts grant the IRS substantial leeway to issue a “John Doe” summons to a third-party to require it to identify its customers whom the IRS suspects of tax evasion.
Typically, this has occurred when the IRS identifies a practice that has no legitimate purpose, such as improper tax shelters or offshore bank accounts.
In those cases, the IRS has the power to issue summonses to tax shelter promoters and financial institutions to identify likely tax evaders, as there is no other way for the IRS to obtain that information.
In contrast to those circumstances, cryptocurrencies (such as bitcoin and ether) have clearly legitimate uses, such that there is no reason to suspect that an individual is engaging in tax avoidance behavior merely because they have chosen to buy or use cryptocurrency.
Indeed, many major online retailers already accept bitcoin, such as Overstock.com, Dell and others.
Speaking up
So, how did I get here?
The IRS’s characterization of all cryptocurrency users as potential tax evaders concerned me immediately when I first learned of the summons.
As I have been involved in the cryptocurrency and blockchain community since 2012, I knew that there was no reason to suspect that any meaningful portion of Coinbase’s customers were transacting in cryptocurrency to avoid tax obligations.
As I investigated the matter further, I learned that not only was I correct, but that the IRS’s actions were even more outrageous than I had originally thought.
Incredibly, the IRS’s petition to serve the summons seeking information for millions of Coinbase customers was based primarily on three instances of supposed tax evasion involving bitcoin.
I was so appalled by the flimsy justification for the summons that I determined to investigate the matter further and, as a Coinbase customer, fight the IRS if and when the court granted its petition to serve the summons on Coinbase.
Why me?
My interests in pursuing this action are twofold.
First, I am concerned about the privacy rights of all Coinbase customers, as the IRS is seeking an extraordinary amount of information. This unprecedented demand raises massive security issues concerning the cryptocurrency owned by the customers in view of the government’s difficulty in protecting itself from hackers.
Second, I am very worried about the effect this summons could have on the continued expansion and development of blockchain technology in the US.
Google co-founder Larry Page has said, “Lots of companies don’t succeed over time. What do they fundamentally do wrong? They usually miss the future.”
To the extent that it is taking steps to actively discourage the use of cryptocurrency by US citizens, I strongly believe that the US government is jeopardizing the country’s role in the global economy going forward.
What’s next
Cryptocurrency, and the blockchain technology that underlie it, have virtually unlimited potential to change the way that individuals and businesses transact with each other. I believe that this will happen in a way that will greatly benefit consumers through better privacy, reduced transaction costs, enhanced security and faster processing times.
In this way, my stance is about how the government should be fostering this technology, rather than fighting it.
While the IRS is mounting a procedural challenge to prevent the court from considering the issues that I have raised, I pledge to do whatever is necessary to insure that the IRS must explain how it could possibly be entitled to the information that it seeks.
The federal government must not be allowed to trample on the rights of individuals and to stifle innovation due to an undisclosed political agenda.
Boxing fist via ShutterstockTwo of the affected shops and the closure notice handed out during Operation Lanhydrock
This post originally appeared on VICE UK.
On Thursday, October 20, around midnight, police stormed six massage parlors in London's Soho and Chinatown, making arrests, padlocking doors, and nailing up closure notices as part of "Operation Lanhydrock." From their shopfronts, the venues were advertised as purveyors of Chinese medicine—acupuncture, herbal remedies, cupping, massage—but all, apparently, offered sex alongside other services.
In its initial press release—regurgitated in the Evening Standard the following morning—the Metropolitan Police branded the mission a rescue effort to "find victims and take them to safety," claiming 18 arrests had been made, 12 for "immigration offenses," but making no mention of trafficking victims.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the Met told me that, in fact, ten women were referred to a special reception center as potential victims of trafficking and that 24 arrests were made. Seven of those were for "controlling prostitution for gain,"
meaning they were "managers or other staff." The other 17 were arrested on immigration grounds and have been detained by the UK Border Agency, which was present during the raids.
Sources told me that at least two senior police officers are dismayed after they were not briefed on the operation. It appears that Operation Lanhydrock wasn't the "joined-up, multi-agency" effort being touted in press releases.
The raids have also come in for criticism from sex worker NGOs. Alex Feis-Bryce, CEO of National Ugly Mugs—which provides alerts about dangerous clients to 15,000 sex workers across the UK—is a member of the National Police Working Group on Prostitution. He said: "The raids are clearly in breach of the National Police Guidance. This is neanderthal policing based on hysteria and headline-chasing, not on evidence or intelligence. Whoever sanctioned these raids should seriously consider their position. A racist, anti-immigration narrative is leading to the attempted ethnic cleansing of marginalized people, hiding behind the language of'rescuing vulnerable people.'"
A spokesperson for the Met dismissed this, saying that the operation was "launched specifically in response to concerns raised by sex workers themselves, both directly to the local safer neighborhood team and via charities which specialize in work in this sector."
"Concerns raised by the specific charity included the attitude of management at the premises targeted to individual women working within them," the spokesperson said. "As well as the perceived vulnerability of the women and/or girls themselves. Other sex workers in the local area had told police they were concerned that the women working out of some of the massage parlors in Soho/West End might be trafficked, as their behavior and work patterns appeared inconsistent with their experience of voluntary sex workers who had not been coerced into the industry."
The Met declined to tell me from which charities this information came.
Whether or not exploitation was taking place isn't known at this point. When sex workers' walk-up apartments were raided in Soho in 2013, women—mainly Eastern European—were likewise removed as potential trafficking victims. The following year, I sat in an apartment with a Romanian sex worker who described what it feels like when 200 officers in riot gear want to rescue you.
"I came to work like normal, and after I see police running up the stairs," she told me. "They had dogs. They were shouting at me, 'Don't move, don't move.' They started yelling at me, asking me if I was trafficked because I'm from Romania. It was scary. I still shake when I see the police."
In 2013, the justification for the raids was, again, trafficking. But no evidence of trafficking was found. After a series of court cases and public outcry, 18 of the 20 closed apartments were reopened, though many have now disappeared.
Under the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, definitions of trafficking conflict with common sense understandings of the term. It's deemed "irrelevant whether the victim consents to the travel." No coercion is necessary, meaning any undocumented migrant worker in the UK is fair game to be "rescued" as a trafficking victim. In some cases, descriptions of economic migrancy and trafficking collide.
None of this is to say that women in the raided Chinatown and Soho parlors weren't being trafficked or exploited, but, if they were, this is no place for murky definitions and symbolic victories.
The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) says it fears for both the undocumented women now in detention and for those who've been "rescued."
"Once you've been put into detention and queued up for deportation, you have to fight your case—apply for asylum, show you have a right to be here," says Laura Watson of the ECP. "Even if you're a victim of trafficking, the whole thing is a nightmare. Women Against Rape are working with genuine victims of trafficking, and it doesn't matter how traumatized you are, the system is against you."
Questions also hang over the roles of those arrested for "controlling prostitution for gain," all but one of whom are women. Between April and September of this year, at least 50 sex work premises have been closed down by the police, leading almost invariably to the criminalization of the women working there. "Controlling prostitution for gain" invokes ideas of sinister crime lords, but often the charge is used against maids and other staff.
The day after the raids is sunny and cold. In Chinatown, red lanterns sway in the wind, and the sky is blue above the boarded-up parlors. On one street, a woman stands in the doorway of a shop offering massages. She says she hasn't heard about the raids yet and looks worried when I tell her.
Outside one of the parlors, an elderly Chinese couple peer at the closure notice, baffled. The woman says she had a massage booked for today and can't understand why the place has closed. Like many other people, the couple are unaware the venue was selling sex.
I was unable to contact any of the women who were detained in last week's raids. However, on the other side of Shaftesbury Avenue, in Soho, sex workers from the walk-ups expressed fear that their premises are next in line.
"As soon as we saw it on the news, we shut down and went home," said one woman, who asked not to be named. "We're worried it'll be us next. We've been robbed recently, and the police did nothing. If anything happens to us again, we're not going to them."
Another woman, who works as an escort and is based in Soho, said she feels guilt at being on the right side of the two-tier system with which sex work is policed. "Because I'm white and documented, I could tell the police I'm selling sex from the middle of Soho, and they wouldn't give a shit," she said.
Back in Chinatown, local business owners tell me they're in the dark, some pointing to a report of the raids in a Mandarin paper that echoes the Met line on trafficking, others saying they know some of the women who've been detained but have no idea what's happened to them.
"I think they [the women] just want to earn money and go home," said one man, who's run a shop in Chinatown for 20 years. "The police can't close the place unless they say it's a public nuisance, but I never saw any troubles."
A look on Companies House shows the six parlors existed under ever-changing company names, which are regularly dissolved and re-registered again under a new director. There's cross-over between directors' names and, very likely, the same people collect money from all the locations. It's dodgy business practice. Not illegal, but it makes investigation harder.
Some of the cash confiscated in Operation Lanhydrock. Photo courtesy of MPS Westminster
The latest profiteer is, of course, the Met, which confiscated about $42,000, bagged it up and, in the style of the best teenage Instagram gangsters, released trophy pictures to the press. Some of this will have been women's wages and, given the record of police confiscations from sex workers under the Proceeds of Crime Act, it's unlikely workers will see this money again.
A couple of weeks ago, with back pain, I went for a massage in one of the Soho parlors closed down under Lanhydrock. Thanks to the herbal medicines, acupuncture charts, and massage chair in the window, I wasn't expecting the pink-lit room and bottle of baby oil that awaited me inside—I hadn't thought it was a brothel.
A woman in a red dress, who spoke patchy English, gave me a massage. It wasn't very good, but she was smiley and we both giggled as we tried to chat. I have no idea if she was selling sex alongside bad massages. I wonder if she's one of the women who's now in detention or with specialist services, if she'll be deported and if anyone will ask her what she wants. I hope she's safe.
The day after the raids, I look through the window of her parlor, already a shabby cousin to the swanky restaurant next door, and it's now clearly a thing of the past. This is prime real estate. Extra copies of the closure order lie on the counter next to a maneki-neko—a Japanese lucky cat—whose arm is still waving back-and-forth.
Follow Frankie Mullin on Twitter.Acer is trying to adapt to the slowdown in the PC market by shutting down its eMachines unit and refocusing Gateway and Packard Bell to offer new products that are “beyond the PC.”
Earlier this week, Acer took charges to the tune of $120.1 million related to the lost value of assets including the Gateway, eMachines and Packard Bell product brands. The company announced it would discontinue the eMachines brand, which is U.S.-focused, but will continue to offer Gateway and Packard Bell products.
“As computing devices are used in new ways, both on the go and throughout the home, Gateway and Packard Bell will adapt their product portfolios to meet these needs,” said Lisa Emard, an Acer spokeswoman, in an email on Thursday.
Emard did not comment on what types of products would be offered under the Gateway and Packard Bell brands. But the new computing environment involves new and different usage models and form factors, and Acer will continue to invest in Gateway and Packard Bell to sell “a variety of devices that would have been thought of as beyond the PC in the past,” Emard said.
The products could include tablets, which are increasingly being used as an alternative computing device to PCs. Other devices like smart TVs, media-streaming boxes and smartphones are also being used to browse the Web, write email and stream movies from sites like Netflix.
Acer in 2007 paid $710 million for Gateway, and in the process acquired Packard Bell’s assets. Gateway acquired eMachines in 2004, and Packard Bell in 2007. Gateway’s laptops, desktops and displays are now being sold in the Americas and Asia-Pacific, while Packard Bell products are sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Acer already offers a range of PCs, tablets, smartphones, servers, networking and storage products worldwide. But the company’s main business still revolves around PCs, which is a slumping market with overall worldwide unit shipments dropping by 6.4 percent in fourth quarter compared to the same quarter in 2011, according to IDC. Acer was the fourth largest PC vendor behind Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Dell, with shipments of around 7 million units, a drop of 28.2 percent compared year over year.
No eMachine-branded products will be sold in the future, but its website will remain live for customer support, Emard said. Gateway stopped selling PCs through its website in 2008, and is now selling fixed configuration products through third-party online stores and retailers.
Acer became a bloated company with all those acquisitions, and the latest moves are an effort to shed excess fat and be more agile, said David Daoud, research director at IDC.
Acer has had trouble making operational adjustments since the 2011 departure of former CEO Gianfranco Lanci, who orchestrated the acquisitions and promoted a multi-branded strategy. Lanci now works with Lenovo.
“They spent a lot of time and resources in the netbook market, and that hasn’t paid off,” Daoud said, adding that eMachines did well in the entry-level PC market many years ago, but customers have moved away from those products.
The company now has to step back and see what existing customers want, Daoud said. Gateway could ultimately offer tablets, but it is hard to see smartphones in their mix, Daoud said.
Acer’s moves are also part of a larger trend for PC companies to offer simpler products. There is more focus on cloud, software, graphics and other features that are critical to boost hardware sales.
While Acer’s market share is dwindling, its Taiwanese counterpart Asustek has done well, with PC shipments growing 5.6 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter. Both companies were top netbook vendors, but after a few quarters of struggling Asus is now growing, while Acer is flagging.
Acer and Asus are have different management styles, with Asus’ team being more proactive and flexible, and Acer’s team being slow to react, Daoud said.
Asus is also well-respected by channel partners, while Acer can’t say the same, Daoud said. Asus has also been praised for innovative products like Taichi, while Acer is more cautionary. Asus has been much more keen on embracing Windows 8 and RT with products like the VivoTab RT tablet, while Acer is still waiting to see how the OS does before releasing a product.
“For Acer it’s a bit of work in progress,” Daoud said.GREAT NEWS for Nintendo Switch, but should Sony PS4 fans be worried?
Nintendo has today surpassed Sony on the stock market.
This is according to industry analyst Serkan Toto, who notes that Sony's valuation on current market capitalisation stands at US$46.3 billion.Nintendo: US$54.6 billion.
But Nintendo's valuation has surpassed the company and is now sitting at an incredible US $54.6 billion.
The long and short of this data boils down to one very simple fact: Nintendo is now worth more than Sony (that's every arm of the company - including the videogame arm, the home entertainment arm, the movie production portion and so on).
Nintendo already hit a 9-year high with its share price earlier this year, and this information just goes to show that the company's gamble with mobile games and the hybrid Switch console is paying off.
Nintendo's share price has been rising steadily since the release of its newest console, and investors are showing renewed confidence in the company after a few years of speculation damaged the company's value.Ukraine's ultra-nationalist party, Svoboda, was a shock winner in October's parliamentary election, capturing 10% of the vote and entering the legislature for the first time. How radical is it?
Svoboda's presence has been felt immediately in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, where its 37 deputies belong to a broad coalition opposing President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions.
Meeting for its first two sessions in mid-December, the Rada - as it has a number of times in the past - degenerated into scenes that resembled not so much a legislative process as an ice hockey brawl, involving dozens of shoving, punching and kicking parliamentarians.
Svoboda's newly installed deputies, clad in traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts, were in the thick of the melee, when not actually leading the charge.
They helped attack and drive from the opposition's ranks two deputies - a father and son - who were accused of preparing to defect to the ruling party. Then they joined a massive free-for-all around the speaker's rostrum, in protest at alleged illegal absentee-voting by deputies from the governing party.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Boxer Vitaly Klitschko watched as fighting broke out in parliament
One of Svoboda's leading members, sports journalist Ihor Miroshnychenko, his ponytail flying behind him, then charged the podium to prevent a deputy speaking in Russian. (Svoboda believes that only Ukrainian should be used in all official bodies.)
Outside, Svoboda deputies used a chainsaw to cut down an iron fence erected last year to prevent crowds from storming the parliament building. This they justified in the name of popular democracy.
We want Ukrainians to run the country - 70% of the parliament are Jews Bohdan, Svoboda party supporter
"No other democratic country has fenced-off the national parliament," said Svoboda's Ruslan Koshulinskiy, the deputy speaker of parliament. "People have chosen these lawmakers and should have a right to have access to them."
Chaotic and confrontational as this may seem to Western eyes, Svoboda's over-the-top behaviour is partly what drove many Ukrainians to vote for them.
The party has tapped a vast reservoir of protest votes. In a political landscape where all other parties are seen as corrupt, weak or anti-democratic - or all three - Svoboda seems to have attracted voters who would otherwise have stayed away from the polls altogether. Its strong anti-corruption stance - promising to "clean up" Ukraine - has resonated deeply.
"I'm for Svoboda," said Vadim Makarevych, a supporter, said at a recent rally in Kiev. "We have to stop what is happening in our country. It's banditry and mafia."
At the same time, they have staked out a position as fervent - some say rabid - defenders of traditional Ukrainian culture and language.
Svoboda
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income. However, the disclosure reports do not contain the same detail of information found in tax returns, omitting financial data such as spousal income.
Romney has repeatedly insisted that he would not release more than his 2010 and 2011 tax returns, even though his own father set a standard of releasing 12 years of returns.
“In the political environment that exists today, the opposition research of the Obama campaign is looking for anything they can use to distract from the failure of the president to reignite our economy,” Romney told the conservative National Review Online.
“I’m simply not enthusiastic about giving them hundreds or thousands of more pages to pick through, distort and lie about,” he added.
[Congress via Shutterstock]United States Supreme Court Building at night in Washington, DC (Shutterstock)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear appeals by Christian-affiliated hospital systems of lower court rulings that gave the green light to employee lawsuits accusing them of wrongly claiming a religious exemption from federal pension law.
New Jersey-based St. Peter’s Healthcare System, Illinois-based Advocate Health System and California-based Dignity Health each appealed separate federal appeals courts rulings that refused to throw out the employee lawsuits. The justices agreed to hear all three cases.
The employees in effect accuse the hospital systems of being big businesses posing as church organizations in order to avoid minimum funding and reporting requirements on employee pension plans mandated by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA.
The suits state that by claiming the exemption, the hospital systems are putting employee pension plans at risk. The hospital systems said allowing the lawsuits to go forward could jeopardize nonprofit hospitals’ ability to provide care.
The three hospital systems maintain that their religious affiliation makes them exempt from ERISA. St. Peters is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, Dignity is formerly Catholic-affiliated but still operates many Catholic hospitals, and Advocate is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and United Church of Christ.
Hundreds of hospitals and hospital systems have claimed the exemption since 1980, when Congress amended ERISA to extend what is known as the “church plan” exemption, originally only for churches, more broadly to certain religiously affiliated organizations.
In recent years, employees, many represented by the same law firms, have filed lawsuits challenging hospitals’ use of the exemption.
Trial court rulings have been mixed. But the 3rd, 7th and 9th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals ruled against St. Peter’s, Advocate and Dignity, respectively, refusing to dismiss employees’ lawsuits against them. No other federal appeals courts have decided cases on the issue.
All three courts found that the plain language of ERISA allows the exemption only for organizations set up by churches to manage their employee pension plans, not for wholly separate entities like hospitals. They rejected hospitals’ arguments that they relied on opinions from the Internal Revenue Service, which has allowed them to claim the church plan exemption since the early 1980s.
The extent of hospitals’ potential liability is not clear, since church plans are not subject to the reporting requirements of ERISA. The employees suing St. Peter’s and Dignity claim that their plans are underfunded by about $70 million and $1.2 billion, respectively. Advocate is also accused of underfunding its plan, though the complaint in that case does not say by how much.
The hospitals have denied their plans are underfunded.
The plaintiffs are also seeking retroactive penalties for past violations of ERISA, which the hospitals said could add up to hundreds of millions or billions of dollars.
The Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 in a major religious rights case in May, telling lower courts to reconsider whether nonprofit Christian employers should be exempt from a federal requirement that they provide female workers with medical insurance paying for birth control.
(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley in Washington; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Will Dunham)PvP Creator Scott Kurtz Blasts Wizard World 2010 Cons
A Wizard Entertainment sales manager managed to royally tee off PvP creator Scott Kurtz just two words into a letter inquiring about the Toronto and Anaheim 2010 Wizard World* Cons.
What exactly were those first two words? “Dear Kurt,” (Mind you, not “Dear Kurtz” or “Dear Scott” but “Kurt”). It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that screwing up a person’s name in a formal address to them is liable to not only make you look stupid, but immediately try the patience of whoever you’ve just sent the letter to. It also gives the appearance that you’ve sent the same letter multiple times to multiple people.
Kurtz posted the embarrassing letter from Wizard on the PvPonline Blog along with a colorful response that blasted the organization and its recent scheduling practices…
Your conventions are total horseshit, so it’s wise to stop branding them with the name Wizard. But no amount of polishing is going to make me want to attended any of the 5 turds your company is going to crap out in 2010, especially when you schedule them against other shows in some bullshit dick measuring contests that serves no other purpose but to fracture an already dying industry that I have nostalgic ties to. […]Maybe if you cared enough to actually get my name right, or maybe if you cared about creators like the late, great Mike Wieringo beyond what they can do for you THIS FIVE MINUTES, the entire industry wouldn’t all be anticipating your inevitable bankruptcy.
Wizard Entertainment’s head honcho Gareb Shamus has a well documented history of playing hardball when it comes to convention dates, which in the face of economic competition — comes off as heartless.
* Officially these conventions are dropping the “Wizard World” branding from their name.– Japan Professor: Pregnant women get free new houses if they move back to Fukushima — Physician/Mayor: Children being severely harmed, must be evacuated; World has never come across situation like this (VIDEO) (ENENews, Oct 30, 2013)
Physician Akira Sugenoya, mayor of the city of Matsumoto interviewed by VoR, Oct. 30, 2013: “Immediately following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, I started saying that children should not be allowed to live on the contaminated territory [it] weakens children’s immune system and severely harms their health […] Children are a lot more vulnerable to radiation than adults. […] I want to repeat once again that children should be relocated to clean, radiation-free areas at least temporarily. […] is it feasible to quickly and effectively do away with radioactive pollution? I am absolutely certain that it is unfeasible. […] Compared to Chernobyl, the situation in Japan is further aggravated by radioactive water leakages. The world has never ever come across this kind of situation. […] We should admit that radioactive water is a grave problem. The threat that children may have been contaminated with radioactive materials still looms large. We shouldn’t remain indifferent to the challenges we are facing.”
Hiroko Goto, Professor at Chiba University School of Law & Vice President of Human Rights Now, Published June 29, 2013 (At 10:00 in): The second one is very problematic — New residential support plan for evacuees from outside Fukushima — this mainly focuses on the pregnant women and the children. If the pregnant women or children decide to go back to Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture will offer a new, very good house without payment. And this kind of policy they introduce means that the local government wants the people back to their area. So this is a very not good situation for the women’s and children’s health.
Watch Professor Goto’s presentation hereBuy Photo Attorney general candidate Catherine Damavandi addresses the audience during NAACP’s candidate forum Oct. 16 at the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington. (Photo: SAQUAN STIMPSON/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL )Buy Photo
Lt. Gov. Matt Denn tells voters as attorney general he would coordinate efforts to place more police officers from outside Wilmington on foot patrols in high-crime areas of Delaware's largest city.
It's a pillar of the Democrat's campaign plan to combat escalating violence in Wilmington, a focal point of the campaign for attorney general.
Republican Ted Kittila, who is backed by the National Rifle Association and opposes most gun control efforts, wants to see stricter prosecution of gun crimes.
Former state prosecutor Catherine Damavandi, the Green Party candidate, says, if elected, she would target career criminals through the establishment of a unit stocked with the state's most experienced prosecutors.
Dave Graham, a tax auditor and the independent candidate, says he will "work with community leaders" to find ways to tackle the violence.
During a Dover debate on Wednesday, Denn said he wants "more visibility in communities that are having problems with high levels of violent crime," with police getting "out of their cars, interacting with law abiding citizens and also people in the community who are not law abiding."
Recent history suggests that could be easier said than done.
State taxpayers spent more than $2 million between March 2011 and April 2013 to fund Delaware State Police patrol units in high crime areas along Market Street and West Center City neighborhoods.
The effort, dubbed Operation Pressure Point, relied on a dozen troopers volunteering for overtime two-man shifts patrolling overnight on weekends.
Gov. Jack Markell's office, which led the effort, says the patrols were successful, pointing to 173 felony charges, nearly 4,500 traffic violations and the apprehension of 188 fugitives
But state and city officials and the Delaware State Troopers Association, the troopers' union, admit the effort was strained by a lack of proper coordination with Wilmington Police, a reliance on volunteer overtime and limited state financial resources.
"As it stretched on toward the end, it was beginning to be a little bit difficult to get enough guys to volunteer for the overtime to be able to do it," said Lt. Tom Brackin, president of the troopers' association, which has backed Denn's campaign. "It had just gotten to a point where enough was enough."
Denn doubts the patrol operation had the ideal effect – a sustained reduction of violence in neighborhoods where troopers were deployed.
"Part of that can be attributed to the fact that it stopped somewhat abruptly," Denn said in an interview. "It didn't stop because law enforcement felt the problem had been resolved but for other reasons. It ended primarily because the city indicated that it was interested in having the Operation Pressure Point activity stopped."
Wilmington spokeswoman Alexandra Coppadge said the "city did not terminate Operation Pressure Point. Operation Pressure Point concluded in the spring of 2013, as the program was contingent upon state allocated funds, and the funding was no longer available."
Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams and Police Chief Bobby Cummings declined to be interviewed.
Attorney General Beau Biden, who pressed for the State Police patrols in 2011 but has been absent from the public spotlight since surgery to remove a small brain lesion in August 2013, also declined an interview request.
Biden spokesman Joe Rogalsky said the attorney general was busy meeting with people interested in expanding the Port of Wilmington, adding "he's not going to comment on politics right now, he's focused on finishing his term as Attorney General."
Biden, in April, said he would not pursue a third term as attorney general to focus on a race for governor in 2016. That opened the door for Denn, who worked as a lawyer to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner before winning his first statewide race to become Delaware's insurance commissioner in 2004.
He has easily won two elections for lieutenant governor.
It's not surprising that violence in Wilmington has become a focal point of the campaign. Delaware's largest city has recorded 24 homicides this year, perilously close to a record-setting 27 in 2010.
Just three arrests have been made in this year's homicide cases.
Williams and Cummings recently announced the creation of a homicide unit within the Wilmington Police Department to target the low clearance rate.
Damavandi, the former state prosecutor, has been critical of Denn's community policing plan, saying he is promising voters action he's not authorized to deliver as attorney general. The governor controls the Delaware State Police and Wilmington officials ultimately are in control of law enforcement activity inside the city's boundaries.
"The police officer situation, that's not the attorney general's call," Damavandi said in an interview.
Damavandi, a first-time political candidate, and the only one in the race with experience prosecuting cases, has offered a more narrow view of the office. In candidate forums and interviews, Damavandi said she would create a career criminal unit to target the most hardened offender
In September, Damavandi left her job as a deputy attorney general in the state Department of Justice. State law does not allow employees of the Department of Justice to simultaneously campaign for attorney general.
Before leaving, Damavandi worked as an assigned lawyer for the Delaware Human Relations Commission and the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. She previously defended the Department of Correction and prosecuted financial crimes in the office's securities division. Damavandi spent some time prosecuting misdemeanor trials in the Court of Common Pleas but does not have a wealth of criminal experience.
Damavandi said the office should reduce administrative positions – pointing to chief of staff and public information positions she sees as duplicative as examples – and direct additional positions back to the courtroom.
A new unit should target career criminals, those responsible for a bulk of drug-related crime in Wilmington, Damavandi says. She wants to use office resources to promote manufacturing job growth, new jobs she believes would deter crime in Delaware's most violent neighborhoods.
"People who live in those communities, they don't contribute to political campaigns," Damavandi said. "And most of them don't vote. They are the underserved population. Who looks out for them?"
Graham, the independent, is running as a check on the major parties. It's not Graham's first attempt at gaining political office.
In 2008, Graham filed to run as a Republican for governor, but withdrew his candidacy that July. Four years earlier, he came in third in a Republican gubernatorial primary.
Graham said the next attorney general should engage community groups for ideas to reduce violence and help former inmates reenter society.
"While it may take years to undo the damage caused by the destruction of Wilmington's communities, as attorney general, I will work with community leaders, both elected and designated, to come up with a plan to restore the City's Communities," Graham said in response to written questions from The News Journal.
Graham has also criticized Denn for accepting campaign contributions from lawyers in Delaware, saying it presents a potential conflict of interest.
Ted Kittila came to the race late, after top Republicans, including former Congressman and Gov. Mike Castle, failed in attempts to recruit former U.S. Attorney Colm Connolly to run against Denn. Kittila owns and operates his own Wilmington firm – the Greenhill Law Group.
But he says his experience as a practicing lawyer, in contrast to Denn's most recent experience holding political office, would bring a benefit.
"I wanted us to have a real practicing attorney running that office so we can return this office back to being the top law firm in the state of Delaware," Kittila said. "It's got to be run better than what it's being run like now."
Kittila has been critical of Denn for launching the campaign for attorney general, which, if the Democrat wins, would require him to vacate the lieutenant governor's office with two years left in his second term. Delaware's Constitution does not allow voters to elect a replacement, or for the governor to appoint one.
If elected, Kittila said he would continue work to track down child predators, a focus of Biden's two terms. And he also favors getting police officers out of their cars and on the street in high-crime areas.
Contact Jonathan Starkey at 983-6756, on Twitter @jwstarkey or at [email protected].
Candidate Bios
Catherine Damavandi
Party: Green Age : 40
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Master of Laws (Trial Advocacy), Temple University Beasley School of Law; Juris Doctor, Widener University School of Law; Bachelor of Arts, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Family: Close knit family
Matt Denn
Party: Democrat Age: 48
Occupation: Lieutenant Governor, State of Delaware, 2009 - present; Attorney in private practice 1993-2000, 2003-2004 and on a part-time basis 2009 - present; Legal counsel to the Governor
Education: University of California-Berkeley, B.A. in Political Science and Economics; Yale Law School, J.D.
Family: wife Michele, sons Adam and Zach
Dave Graham
Party: Independent Age: 60
Occupation: Tax Enforcement; Tax Auditor; Trains and Supervises Business Auditors
Education: Graduate of Smyrna High School-College Academic Preparation; Graduate of 1st Armored Division-Europe-NCO Academy; Goldey Beacom College, Associates Degree in Accounting; Goldey Beacom College, Bachelors Degree in Business Management; Dale Carnegie Leadership Certificate; Certified Public Accountant Delaware Certificate No. 602
Family: Daughter, Patricia C. Graham and Nephew-Derek M. Graham-lives with me
Ted Kittila
Party: Republican Age: 40
Occupation: Courtroom Attorney
Education: Seaford Senior High School; University of Delaware – Honors B.A. in International Relations (summa cum laude); Fulbright Scholarship – Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; University of Minnesota Law School – J.D. (cum laude)
Family: Wife, Anne-Laure P. Kittila; two children – Alex (9) and CC (6)
Read more about the candidate's in our 2014 Voters Guide at http://data.delawareonline.com/webapps/Voters_Guide/
Read or Share this story: http://delonline.us/1wqKAnSSorry for the long wait. My last week was pretty busy with helping my mom with Avon and Grocery Shopping and stuff.So, I've gone back and completely redone the piece. I really tried to push the style, I didn't want it to be too show accurate and also have fun with the angle. I originally wanted something that was done from a more dramatic perspective but all the ones I liked would have pushed one of the characters to far out from the focus. So after filling up my sketchbook, resorting to crappier paper quality, and destroying several concept sketches I finally came to this.This is a commission for DitzyDerp: [link] but its also dedicated to PeachieKeenie: [link] and TaraJenkins: [link] to further extend my apology.But in the end it was a great (although painful) learning experience and a better result surfaced. Thanks to all my followers who were so kind and polite as well as the Commissioner. And Thanks to Peachie for being just awesome and giving me the right push to create something much bigger and betterThere are many important decisions to make when you decide to grow a bonsai tree. First you must know which specie you would like to plant. Remember, any tree can be grown as a bonsai but you must know which kind would adapt better to the weather and environment that surrounds your home. That’s why many experts recommend choosing seeds or trees that grow near your house.
There are also many bonsai styles. These do not rely entirely on the specie of the miniature tree although you may have some considerations. You do not want to fight constantly against his original shape and change it drastically, especially if you’re a beginner. However, as you gain experience you’ll be able to focus more and more on the silhouette of your tree.
A single miniature tree can show many styles, some are practical, others just aesthetic. The most important are:
Formal Upright Bonsai
Also known as Chokkan, these trees are the ones that have an upright and straight trunk. Its branches are thicker and long as they get close to the ground and shorter and small on the top. Formal Upright trees have strong and noticeable roots, which sometimes are seen above the soil.
Informal Upright Bonsai
Also known as Moyogi, these trees have an upright trunk but have noticeable curbs, sometimes with the shape of a letter “s”. In every twirl branches appear, usually smaller at the top and bigger near de soil. The trunk is also thicker in the soil.
Slanting Bonsai
Also known as Shakan, is mostly a Formal Upright tree but with a small lean. Its trunk usually grows in one direction with an angle between 60 to 80 degrees to the ground.
Broom Bonsai
Called Hokidachi in japanese, Broom trees have a straight trunk that doesn’t finish at the top of the tree but around the middle. After that, branches, all about the same size, form a ball-shaped crown. Broom trees can also be formal and informal, like the Upright tree, depending on the curves of the trunk.
Cascade Bonsai
Also known as Kengai, Cascade trees are the ones that grow downward, below the base of the pot containing it. The trunk can be upright for a small part and then downward. There’s also a Semi Cascade style, called Han-kengai, in which the peak of the tree reach at the level, or just beneath, the containing pot.
Windswept Bonsai
Windswept miniature trees, or Fukinagashi, are the ones that look like have been affected by strong and constant winds. In this style the branches grow in one direction only.
Literati Bonsai
Literati trees, or Bunjingi, are the ones that have a long trunk, usually with curves, with a few small branches at the apex. The idea behind this tree is to show his struggle to survive in hard conditions.
Multi-Trunk Bonsai
There are miniature trees that have multiple trunks: From the Sokan tree, with two, to the Kyukan, that has nine. All trunks are supposed to grow from the same root system. Usually the strongest trunk is the highest.
Forest
Also known as Yose-ue, this style consists on planting many trees in the same pot. It’s like the Multi-Trunk style but they don’t rely on the same root system; they are all different trees. Most miniature forests are formed by the same specie. The trees are usually of many sizes and are not planted in a straight line but in a spread out pattern.
Driftwood
In Japanese known as Sharamiki, is a miniature tree with an important part of its trunk barkless and filled with deadwood. A small strip of live trunk has to connect the leaves and living branches to the roots to carry nutrients. Driftwood trees look old and aged.
Clinging-to-a-Rock Bonsai
This style, also known as Ishitsuki, consists of a miniature tree that grows in the cracks and holes of a rock placed in the containing pot. There’s also Root-Over-Rock trees, or Sekijoju, which consist of the same principle, only that in this case the root surrounds the rock in which the tree grows ending in the soil.
Raft Bonsai
In nature, when a tree falls but its branches still pointing upwards there’s a big chance they’ll survive. After some time roots will grow and they’ll start feeding these new trees that will born out of the branches. Sometimes these roots will bury parts of the old trunk. However, all trees that were born in the process will be in the line of the original trunk. This style emulates that procedure in a miniature scale.Virtually all Somalis who live in the US came here (we are told) as poor refugees (there are going on 200,000 of them). So how persecuted and fearful of returning home are they that much travel back and forth to Africa and the taxpayers of Minneapolis cover most of their rent while they are gone!
Public housing residents in Minneapolis will no longer need to pay their normal monthly rent when travel abroad erases their income, a change particularly sought by East African immigrants… Abdi Warsame, a City Council member, told the board that the policy in place for the past five years works a particular hardship on elderly East Africans who must save for long periods if they want to visit their homelands. He said that many receive federal Supplemental Security Income, which is halted when the recipient is outside the United States… The change will mean that residents will pay only the $75 minimum per month,
H/T Refugee Resettlement Watch for This is insane! Taxpayers pay rent for Somalis who feel the need to visit Somalia (for months!) This links to Housing board grants rent relief to tenants on extended absences By Steve Brandt Star Tribune September 29, 2016RRW acidly enquires what kind of hardship is consistent with paying the airline fares for this trip.
In recent years Somalia’s primary contribution to the international economy has been piracy. This tradition has clearly been transmitted to Minnesota. Looting the taxpayer and otherwise gaming the system appear to major occupations.
But this story (no doubt inadvertently reveals) a key fact: the Somali situation no longer warrants Somalis being granted refugee status.
Obviously Somalis in Minneapolis Public Housing are not afraid to return home. And as I noted in Kenya Wants To Deport Its 425,000 Somali “Refugees”. Are They Coming Here? this expulsion by their long-suffering neighbor has the acquiescence of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees.
This week, The New Observer reports Yemen Deports 720 African Invaders September 28 2016
In more evidence that the “Somali refugee” invasion of Europe and North America is a hoax, the Arab state of Yemen has just deported 720 Africans back to their homeland… The move by the Yemeni government—which is fighting its own war against a U.S. and U.K.-backed uprising—forms part of a United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) “Somali voluntary repatriation program” which was started in 2014… In other words, Somalia is regarded as safe even by the UNHCR—and there is no justification for that nation’s citizens to claim “asylum” in Europe or anywhere else.
See More than 100 Somali refugees arrive home in Mogadishu from Kenya from UNHCR’s own website.
So why not shut down the ongoing Somali influx and start repatriating these useless pests?
Because, as Peter Brimelow observed yesterday, the real purpose of the American refugee program is to elect a new people.
As is American Immigration policy generally, a fact I reported Refugee Resettlement Watch concluding last year in Following Refugee Industry Conference, REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT WATCH Reaches Ghastly Realization
[Congratulate Councilman Abdi Warsame on his piratical skills.]On his radio show on Friday, Fox News host Sean Hannity said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), along with the rest of the Republican leadership in the House, had to be replaced.
“I do think leadership in the House needs to change,” Hannity said. “I don’t think John Boehner is equipped for the job. I don’t think he has the stomach to negotiate. I don’t think he has the ability to communicate the positive, solution-oriented vision for the country.”
For instance, Hannity said Republican leaders have not done a good job of explaining how America’s plentiful domestic energy sources can lead to prosperity. He also cited issues like health savings accounts and ways to reduce the country’s debt to preserve the nation’s solvency as missed opportunities. He said the GOP has a “communications problem” that has been reflected in the party’s bad poll numbers.
Hannity also ripped Republican leaders in Washington for “alienating” the Tea Party. Hannity named Senators like John McCain (R-AZ) and Bob Corker (R-TN) for being the top offenders and said their “unwillingness to stand strong” and constant bashing of the Tea Party is “irritating every conservative I know.”This is the first of a series of articles to address real-world photo pricing scenarios.
The Brief:
A graphic designer who maintains a Instagram account was contacted by a design agency to use some of her Instagram photos on a coffee bag.
“We’ve been working on branding for a new hotel in [redacted] and I’m now putting together some designs for coffee bags that will be sold in the restaurant. One of the thoughts we had was to use lifestyle photos of [location] on the bags…there’d be only one coffee blend that they’d sell, but there would be four different photos on the front for guests to choose from. The coffee would only be available to purchase at the restaurant in the hotel.
“I threw in a few of your shots that felt right for this. We’re still working on presenting this concept to the client but our thought would be that you’d get a credit on the sticker and there could be a small write up near where the coffee is displayed. As well, the hotel would post the collaboration on social media, etc.”
The client would print 1,000 bags of each Instagram photo. This is a small market (<400k population).
How would you price it?
We asked three photographer how they would approach the project.
1. Sol Neelman, Portland, OR
Whenever I’m in such a situation, I reach out to a photo agent friend in LA, who does consultations on the side. And when photo friends ask me for advice on pricing, I always suggest they do the same. Best to work with someone with proper experience providing estimates, rather than me blindly throwing darts. Plus, photo agents often know the art buyers and agencies well enough to smoothly find a proper rate, not to mention iron out any issues that arise during the project.
The commission I pay, which can be a large chunk of cash, is such a small price in the big scheme. And it allows me to focus on the project and making clients happy without getting bogged down with the business side. Can’t tell you how much better I sleep knowing I have an experienced agent working on my behalf, especially when things go sideways.
2. Chip Litherland, Sarasota, FL
At first glance, this is a pretty simple request for stock, which could be done simply through a sale on my Photoshelter archive site. In fact, you can go onto my site, price out retail packaging for a food product with the extra breakdown of region (1 state), distribution (1,000 units each), and placement (front) and it spits out a price of $825 per image – which was generated from the Fotoquote embedded tool. At four images you’re looking at $3,300 total for an initial run of 4,000 bags of coffee. I’d be happy not having to do much of anything and sending a link for the designer to download and pay. After fees and taxes, that’s not bad for 30 seconds of an email. It’s the beauty of retaining copyright and making quality marketable work.
All that being said, I would ask some questions first to get a good sense of what this firm actually needs and to limit that usage to that. I would ask if they have a budget and if the answer is no, then I would move on and end the conversation. I LOVE coffee, but I would never get enough in barter to make “free” work. If the answer is, “what would you charge?” then it’s off to find that sweet spot. I would do some research as to how much they are charging. Based on an average price of a bag of coffee of $10 (to make the math easy), they’re bringing in $40,000 from this initial run if they sell out. I have no idea what their profit margin is there, but looking at $3300 ($825 each) for just licensing the four photos may or may not be too much, but it seems like a number I’d be happy with starting with. I would only discount if they get up to 6 or more images, in which case I would do a percentage discount for 6-10, 10-25, 25 + but in this case it’s just the four. I always offer a discount, though, after the initial license to help spur more resales. In this case, I’d offer 25% off each additional group of 1,000 units they do, which saves them money long term if it takes off but keeps money coming in.
I never want to go into a relationship starting low just “to get my foot in the door.” It’s already in. I want to kick the door open and really price my work fairly, not over charging, in order to keep a positive customer relationship going. I never worry about coming in too high, because once you throw a number out, they’ll either balk and say “whoa” and run away, which means you are way too far off in prices any way to make it work. If you start low, you stay low.
3. Jenna Isaacson, Portland, ME
In this situation I’d definitely try to feel out if there is more potential to work with the design firm for the hotel/restaurant to be had beyond the bags themselves before creating an estimate. If the photographer is already in the same city as this new hotel/restaurant, are there other image branding needs the design firm has for the hotel? Would they be interested in looking at other images beyond the ones on Instagram? Perhaps they need imagery for the walls of their conference rooms, lobby, website?
If they don’t want to commit to any other potential work, use that as a sign that you should be firm in pricing what they initially asked for. People are notorious for choosing food products based on the prettiness of the label, so they’re obviously saying they think your images will help sell their product.
Four images, 1000 bags of each image– I’d say at least $4000, as there will likely be additional use (marketing materials, etc) to go along with the product. If there is a desire, once they sell out of those 4000 bags, to use the image again, retain the right to re-negotiate the rate. Possibly a percentage of the sales.
What did she charge in real life?
The designer requested $100/image and the offer was accepted without further negotiation. As photography is not her primary income stream, she thought this would be a good introduction to the firm for future design/illustration work.
Analysis
The design firm took advantage of the “anchoring effect” by effectively making the first offer of $0 and exposure. Countering with $100 therefore seemed extravagant, but the lack of negotiation over price suggests there was more money available. Would the client have paid 10x what they did? We asked!
The Client Says
We wouldn’t consider this a typical scenario, but our query to the design agency for more information in the spirit of helping to educate other creatives was answered. The designer responsible for the project responded:
“The coffee bags were a small part of a much larger project of rebranding a new hotel in [redacted]. In our contract we had a number of projects that were built into the scope but as we are nearing the opening date there are a number of small tasks that are trickling in with small budgets that need to get done to help broaden the brand’s reach within the space.
“Since the hotel is being completely gutted and refurnished we’ve had to resort to using stock photography for the project conveying more of a lifestyle experience than a literal one as rooms and details aren’t done yet. Since the entire renovation of the hotel has so many moving parts things like photography budgets get nipped and constrained as construction costs balloon forcing us to be creative in how we treat stock photos and find photographers.
“Part of the brand positioning of this particular hotel is to connect with a local creative community of makers and doers in [redacted]…The concept with the coffee bags is that we feature a local Instagram photographer every six months or so with a series of shots on the bags so customers can grab whatever photo they like best and take home or give as a gift…
“So ultimately, there wasn’t really a ‘budget’ for photography on this particular project. This was a small piece of a very large puzzle, but we felt that using local talent was a good way to support the community and get a great end product. Our hope was that since we couldn’t offer much money the exposure would be a viable trade. [redacted] needed to get some money and we originally agreed on a low fee of $50 per image but as our agency learned more about the number of bags being produced it was agreed upon that we’d do $100/shot.
“Now, the trick for us is to show the value to the client. $100/image was about the max we could have gotten for this particular project. We could have just used the stock we had purchased for other parts of the project for free and that’s hard for a client to understand. Ultimately, it seemed like a good fit and our client agreed once we talked them through how they could use this collaboration in their social media channels as well.”
You might argue that if photography is so important, they should have found the $800-1000/image that our three photographers quoted. But the designer provided this guidance:
“Nearly every agency wants fantastic original photography for each and every project they work on. It makes the work better. Period. But, ultimately, when client’s choose and agency and agree to pay them a fee, they don’t often realize that things like photography aren’t included. So they’re paying the agency $X and when we suggest photography there’s always a grumble. Most of the time we’re stuck trying to make stock look original as budgets have already been set. We try to be up front about these things but it doesn’t always get through.”
Conclusion
Most designers that we’ve spoken to in the past are strong advocates for photographers and great photography, and aren’t looking to nickel and dime their fellow creative. We often suggest the photographers directly ask what the budget is for a particular job. Understanding the context of the project (e.g. the designers are trying to promote local artists instead of using stock) arms with photographer with better data to either accept or walk away from the job.
Like this: Like Loading...I've been reading a lot about software testing, lately. Coming from a hardware background (CPUs and hardware accelerators), it's interesting how different software testing is. Bugs in software are much easier to fix, so it makes sense to spend a lot less effort spent on testing. Because less effort is spent on testing, methodologies differ; software testing is biased away from methods with high fixed costs, towards methods with high variable costs. But that doesn't explain all of the differences, or even most of the differences. Most of the differences come from a cultural path dependence, which shows how non-optimally test effort is allocated in both hardware and software.
I don't really know anything about software testing, but here are some notes from what I've seen at Google, on a few open source projects, and in a handful of papers and demos. Since I'm looking at software, I'm going to avoid talking about how hardware testing isn't optimal, but I find that interesting, too.
Manual Test Generation
From what I've seen, most test effort on
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new season. With David Bradley present, we can guess that Arya will continue to use her Faceless talents in season seven.Caritas Internationalis will launch a global 12 month campaign for peace in Syria in early 2016. The campaign aims to mobilise millions of supporters around the world to call for an end to the 5 year war that has destroyed Syria, destabilised the region and caused one of the greatest refugee crises in modern times.
Caritas has witnessed years of senseless destruction in Syria: in the words of Pope Francis, “How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake in that martyred country, especially among civilians and the unarmed.”
On 1 January 2016, Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo said, “We don’t want bread, we want peace! Yes to peace as a condition of life.” This message of the President of Caritas Syria coincides with the Catholic Church’s annual observance of the World Day of Peace.
In this year’s message, Pope Francis wrote, “Indifference and lack of commitment constitute a grave dereliction of the duty whereby each of us must work in accordance with our abilities and our role in society for the promotion of the common good, and in particular for peace, which is one of mankind’s most precious goods.”
With specific regard to the situation in Syria, Bishop Audo said:
“World leaders must recognise that there is no military solution in Syria, only a political one. The international community must support peace talks towards building a national unity government that comes from within Syria. “The international community must cease supplying weapons to armed groups in Syria under the guise of arming the moderate opposition. “War and peace in Syria is certainly in the hands of the great powers. Nevertheless, we all can contribute to achieving peace here. First, we must sincerely desire peace and deeply believe that peace is possible. To do that, we must listen to the Syrian people who just want to live in peace. “In five years, Syria has gone from being a beautiful and self-sufficient country, rich in human resources to Syrians becoming slaves to the major global powers and regional ones like Iran and Saudi Arabia. Syria has been destroyed, made dirty, robbed of its beauty. “We’re now a poor country. We have lost our doctors, engineers, industrial leaders, our business community, graduates and skilled work force. Everyone has become poor, both materially and morally because of violence and religious extremism. “Syria is not just defined by 5 years of war, but rather 3000 years of civilisation, of living together and of cooperation between peoples of different backgrounds. Syria was in the past so strong and beautiful, and with that history we aspire to this beauty and force of life in the future.”
The international community must restart negotiations involving all regional parties without setting preconditions. The first step should be a significant cease-fire, with concrete pledges made by all parties. Peace must come from within the region and not be imposed from outside.
The international community must put the finances in place to ensure the reconstruction and development, while living up to their immediate responsibilities to provide humanitarian aid that is keeping millions of people alive today. While welcoming refugees with dignity and respect, we must work towards a Syria in which they can return one day.....................................................................................................................................................................................
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police arrested a man after they say a dispute ended with him shooting at his son outside a southwest Albuquerque home on Tuesday evening.
Elias Marez, 60, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.
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Officers responded to the area of 82nd and Sage SW, around 5 p.m., after Michael Marez reported his father was shooting at his home, according to police.
Michael Marez told police his father showed up to his house intoxicated and “trying to start a fight,” claiming his son owed him $25,000 for “getting his mother pregnant” and “being his dad.”
His father pulled out a knife and threatened him with it before Marez was able to knock the knife out of his hand, according to the complaint.
Police say that’s when Elias Marez left, telling his son he would “return with his gun.”
A neighbor told police he was putting up Christmas lights with family when heard gunfire and came outside to see Marez shooting at the home while yelling “come on mother(expletive) let’s do this.”
Police say Michael Marez armed himself with a pistol, shot one round into the air “out of fear,” and his father left.
Police found Elias Marez leaving the scene, with a rifle and at least one shell casing in his truck.
During questioning, Elias Marez denied shooting at his son and told police he didn’t remember the altercation at all.The Bourne Legacy is a 2012 American action thriller film directed by Tony Gilroy, and is the fourth installment in the series of films adapted from the Jason Bourne novels originated by Robert Ludlum and continued by Eric Van Lustbader, being preceded by The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Although this film has the same title as Van Lustbader's first Bourne novel, The Bourne Legacy, the actual screenplay bears little resemblance to the novel. Unlike the novel, which features Jason Bourne as the principal character, the film centers on black ops agent Aaron Cross (played by Jeremy Renner), an original character. In addition to Renner, the film stars Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton.
The titular character Jason Bourne does not appear in The Bourne Legacy, as actor Matt Damon chose not to return for the fourth film, due to Paul Greengrass not directing. Bourne is shown in pictures and mentioned by name several times throughout the film. Tony Gilroy, co-screenwriter of the first three films, sought to continue the story of the film series without changing its key events, and parts of The Bourne Legacy take place at the same time as the previous film, The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Aaron Cross is a member of a black ops program called Operation Outcome whose subjects are genetically enhanced. He must run for his life once former CIA Treadstone agent Jason Bourne's actions lead to the public exposure of Operation Treadstone and its successor Operation Blackbriar.
Filming was primarily in New York City, with some scenes shot in the Philippines, South Korea, Pakistan, and Canada. Released on August 10, 2012, the film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the story, James Newton Howard's score, and Renner's performance, but expressing disappointment in Matt Damon's absence, as well as the lack of shaky camera work (a key element of Greengrass' directorial style) that the second and third films had used. The film was followed in 2016 by Jason Bourne, in which Damon and Greengrass reprised their earlier roles.
Plot [ edit ]
Six weeks after Jason Bourne's escape from Moscow in The Bourne Supremacy, Aaron Cross, an operative belonging to a Department of Defense black ops program called Operation Outcome, is assigned to Alaska for a training exercise. He is forced to survive weather extremes and traverse rugged terrain to arrive at a remote cabin as punishment for missing training and going off the grid for four days. The cabin is operated by an exiled Outcome operative, Number Three, who informs Cross that he has broken the mission record by two days. As an Outcome operative, Cross uses experimental pills known as "chems" which enhance the physical and mental abilities of their users.
After the Treadstone and Blackbriar programs are exposed, retired Air Force colonel Eric Byer is tasked with containing the fallout. He discovers a potentially scandalous video on the Internet showing a meeting between Treadstone and Outcome medical directors. To prevent the Senate investigation from learning about Outcome, Byer orders everyone associated with the program killed. He sees the sacrifice as acceptable to protect next-generation "beta programs", including the supersoldier program LARX.
Legacy Predator, an unmanned aerial vehicle like the one featured in
Byer deploys a drone to eliminate Outcome agents Number Three and Five (Cross) in Alaska. Cross evades the drone and force-feeds his radio-frequency identification to a wolf which is then blown up by a missile, tricking Byer into believing Cross is dead. At Sterisyn-Morlanta, a biogenetics company supporting Outcome, researcher Dr. Donald Foite shoots and kills all but one of his colleagues in the research laboratory. After being cornered by guards, Foite turns his gun on himself, leaving biochemist Dr. Marta Shearing as the sole survivor. Other Outcome agents are eliminated when their handlers give them poisoned yellow pills disguised as new chems.
Four "D-Trac" assassins disguised as federal agents visit Shearing at her country house. When she states her belief of Foite having been chemically brainwashed into an emotionless killer, the assassins attempt to fake her suicide, but are killed by Cross. Shearing reveals that Cross has been genetically modified by a tailored virus to retain the physical benefits permanently without needing the green chems anymore. He still requires regular doses of blue chems to maintain his intelligence, but he is running out. Cross confides to her that he is Private First Class Kenneth J. Kitsom (reportedly killed by an improvised explosive device in the Iraq War) and that his recruiter added twelve points to his IQ, enabling Cross to meet the United States Army's requirements. Without his enhanced intelligence, Cross believes they stand no chance of survival. Cross and Shearing travel to Manila, where the chems are manufactured, to try to infect him with another virus that will make his intelligence permanent.
Cross and Shearing bluff their way into the Morlanta Pacific pharmaceutical factory and Shearing injects Cross with the live virus stems. Byer alerts factory security, but they evade capture. Byer orders LARX-03, a chemically-brainwashed supersoldier, to track and kill them. As Cross is struck by flu-like symptoms induced by the virus, he hallucinates about his Outcome training. When police surround their shelter while Shearing is buying medicine, Cross rescues her and steals a motorbike. After a lengthy chase through the streets and marketplaces of Manila to Marikina, they lose the police and kill the assassin. Shearing persuades a Filipino boatman to help them escape by sea.
Back in New York, Blackbriar supervisor Noah Vosen lies to the Senate, stating that Blackbriar was created solely to track down Jason Bourne, and that Deputy Director Pamela Landy committed treason by assisting Bourne and trying to sell Treadstone secrets to the press.
Cast [ edit ]
Production [ edit ]
Universal Pictures originally intended The Bourne Ultimatum to be the final film in the series, but development of another film was under way by October 2008.[3] George Nolfi, who co-wrote The Bourne Ultimatum, was to write the script of a fourth film, not to be based on any of the novels by Robert Ludlum.[3] Joshua Zetumer had been hired to write a parallel script—a draft which could be combined with another (Nolfi's, in this instance)—by August 2009 since Nolfi would be directing The Adjustment Bureau that September.[4] Matt Damon stated in November 2009 that no script had been approved and that he hoped that a film would begin shooting in mid-2011.[5] The next month, he said that he would not do another Bourne film without Paul Greengrass, who announced in late November that he had decided not to return as director.[6] In January 2010, Damon said that there would "probably be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one just because I think we're probably another five years away from doing it."[7]
However, it was reported in June 2010 that Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote each of the three previous Bourne films, would be writing a script with his brother, screenwriter Dan Gilroy, for a fourth Bourne film to be released sometime in 2012.[8] That October, Universal set the release date for The Bourne Legacy for August 10, 2012,[9] Tony Gilroy was confirmed as the director of the film, and it was also announced that Jason Bourne will not be appearing in The Bourne Legacy.[10]
Gilroy said he did not get involved with the project "until the rules were that Matt [Damon] was gone, Matt and Paul [Greengrass] were gone, there was no Jason Bourne. That was the given when I had the first conversation about this. So it was very important to me, extremely important to me, that everything that had happened before be well preserved and be enhanced if possible by what we're doing now."[11] He also said, "you could never replace Matt [Damon] as Jason Bourne. This isn't James Bond. You can't do a prequel. You can't do any of those kinds of things, because there was never any cynicism attached to the franchise, and that was the one thing they had to hang on to."[12]
Gilroy "never had any intention of ever coming back to this realm at all—much less write it, much less direct it. Then I started a really casual conversation about what we could do in a post-Jason Bourne setting. I was only supposed to come in for two weeks, but the character we came up with, Aaron Cross, was so compelling."[13] After watching The Bourne Ultimatum again, Gilroy called his brother, screenwriter Dan Gilroy, and said, "'The only thing you could do is sort of pull back the curtain and say there's a much bigger conspiracy.' So we had to deal with what happened in Ultimatum as the starting point of this film. Ultimatum plays in the shadows of Legacy for the first 15 minutes—they overlap."[13]
In speaking about the film's storyline, Gilroy drew a distinction between the fictional programs in the Bourne film series:
On a practical level, the Treadstone program was about assassination. They're basically assassins. They live in the world—you can see Clive Owen [in The Bourne Identity] as a piano teacher, they have covers—but they're essentially assassins. There was nothing that would be described as espionage, [they're] basically a kill squad. The Outcome program that Aaron [played by Jeremy Renner] is part of, [Oscar Isaac's character] is one of them too... The conceit is that [Edward Norton's character] is the mastermind of this entire franchise. We're stepping back a little bit in time here, he's been a developer, he's been at the nexus of the corporate military and intelligence communities. There's a very large corporate element, pharmaceutical corporate element...[14]
Although a large part of the film was set in and around Washington, DC, the real DC appears only in aerial establishing shots. Most of the film was shot over 12 weeks at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York, including all interior DC scenes.[15] The old house in Hudson, New York, used as Shearing's house was unable to accommodate the weight of equipment and crew, so it was used only for exterior shots, and all interior scenes were filmed on a Kaufman Astoria soundstage.[15] The scenes set in the "SteriPacific" factory in Manila were actually filmed in the New York Times printing plant in Queens.[16]
El Nido, Palawan in the Philippines served as a filming location, and in the film, was used as escape route from Manila.
Several scenes were shot overseas, mostly in Manila[17] and in the Paradise bay of El Nido, Palawan, in the Philippines.[18] Several train scenes at Garak Market Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 and nearby areas in Seocho-daero 77-Gil (1308 Seocho 4-dong), Seocho-gu, and Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, were used in some scenes.[19] The Kananaskis Country region of Alberta, Canada, was used for the scenes set in Alaska.[15]
Gilroy said, "there are three deleted scenes—we just mixed them and color corrected them [...] but what I like about it is all three scenes happen in the movie. One of them's referred to and they're completely legitimate parts of our story, they absolutely happen in our film, we just didn't have time to show them to you so there's nothing off to the side. I think they'll be on the straight-up DVD."[11]
The film portrays Cross and Shearing as traveling nonstop from New York JFK Airport to Manila on board an American Airlines Boeing 747-400. That particular 747 model was introduced in 1989; American Airlines has never flown one;[20][21] American Airlines has never served Manila as a destination; no commercial airline has ever flown from JFK to Manila nonstop with passenger service; the distance between the two cities exceeds the maximum range of any model 747.[22] In spite of these continuity lapses, American Airlines was actively involved in the production of the film in cooperation with NBCUniversal, and contributed its own airline employees and a Boeing 777-200 for the interior terminal and cabin shots at Terminal 8 of JFK International Airport.[23] The airline also heavily co-marketed the film throughout post-production.
Release [ edit ]
The Bourne Legacy premiered in New York City on July 30, 2012. It had its Asian premiere at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, Metro Manila, on August 5, 2012, before its release in North America on August 10.[24]
Box office [ edit ]
In its opening weekend, The Bourne Legacy grossed about $38.7 million in the United States and Canada and debuted at #1 of the box office charts, surpassing Universal's expectation of $35 million. It grossed $46.6 million worldwide in its first weekend.[2] The film sold roughly 400,000 more tickets on its opening weekend than the first film in the series, The Bourne Identity. Studio research reported that audiences were evenly mixed among the sexes.[25] The film grossed $113,203,870 in North America and $162,940,880 in foreign countries, bringing the film's worldwide total to $276,144,750.[2]
Critical response [ edit ]
The Bourne Legacy received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 60% based on 219 reviews with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It isn't quite as compelling as the earlier trilogy, but The Bourne Legacy proves the franchise has stories left to tell—and benefits from Jeremy Renner's magnetic work in the starring role."[26] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 61 out of 100 based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[28]
Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A-, commenting that "Gilroy, who as a screenwriter has shaped the movie saga from the beginning, trades the wired rhythms established in the past two episodes by Paul Greengrass for something more realistic and closer to the ground. The change is refreshing. Jason Bourne's legacy is in good hands."[29] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, writing: "The Bourne Legacy is always gripping in the moment. The problem is in getting the moments to add up. I freely confess that for at least the first 30 minutes I had no clear idea of why anything was happening. The dialogue is concise, the cinematography is arresting and the plot is a murky muddle."[30]
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that "the combination of Robert Elswit's elegant widescreen lensing and the measured editing by Tony Gilroy's brother John may be easier to absorb than Greengrass' hyperkinetic docu-based style, but the pic's convoluted script ensures that auds will emerge no less overwhelmed."[31] Michael Atkinson of The Village Voice also wrote a scathing review of the film, saying: "The Bourne films have more than just overstayed their welcome and outlasted the Ludlum books—they've been Van Halenized, with an abrupt change of frontman and a resulting dip in personality."[32]
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, called the film "an exemplary espionage thriller that has a strong sense of what it wants to accomplish and how best to get there." He especially commended Gilroy's work on the film: "Gilroy knows the underpinnings of this world inside out and appreciates how essential it is to maintain and extend the house style of cool and credible intelligence that marked the previous films."[33] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter commented on his review that "the series' legacy is lessened by this capable but uninspired fourth episode."[34]
Home media [ edit ]
The Bourne Legacy was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 11, 2012, in the United States and Canada.[35]
Soundtrack [ edit ]
The soundtrack to The Bourne Legacy as composed by James Newton Howard, unlike the previous films, which were composed by John Powell, was released digitally on August 7, 2012, by Varèse Sarabande Records.[36][37] A new version of Moby's "Extreme Ways", entitled "Extreme Ways (Bourne's Legacy)", was recorded for the film's end credits.[38]
Sequel [ edit ]
Universal Pictures stated at a media conference in Los Angeles, California, that they are likely to release more Bourne films, despite The Bourne Legacy being given mixed reviews by critics.[39] In a December 2012 interview, Matt Damon revealed that he and Paul Greengrass were interested in returning for the next film as Jason Bourne and the director, respectively.[40]
Damon is reported saying that although he had not seen Legacy, he intends to do so because not only is he curious to see it, but also because he has enjoyed Jeremy Renner in everything he has seen him in. However, as of June 2014, executive producer Frank Marshall said that Matt Damon will not be returning to the big screen for the next Bourne film, contrary to earlier statements made by Damon and rumors surrounding his return to the franchise.[41] On February 21, 2013, it was confirmed that a Bourne 5 was being planned.[42][43]
On August 2, 2013, Universal hired Tony Gilroy and Anthony Peckham to write the film's script with Renner returning as Cross.[44] On November 8, 2013, The Fast and the Furious film series director Justin Lin was announced to direct the film.[45]
On December 2, 2013, it was announced that Renner will return as Cross, Lin will both direct and produce from his production company Perfect Storm Entertainment, and the studio announced an August 14, 2015 release date.[46] On May 9, 2014, Andrew Baldwin was brought in to re-write the film.[47]
On June 18, 2014, the studio pushed back the film from August 14, 2015, to July 15, 2016.[48] In November 2014, the Bourne Legacy sequel was put on hold in favor of Jason Bourne, which Damon confirmed that he and Greengrass would return to.[49]
On January 6, 2015, the studio pushed back the release date to July 29, 2016.[50] The first trailer for the film was aired on February 7, 2016 during Super Bowl 50, which also revealed its title as Jason Bourne.[51] The film premiered in the United States on July 29, 2016 to mixed reviews.
Producer Frank Marshall said Universal Pictures is hoping to plan a sequel to Jason Bourne, making it the sixth Bourne film. He also stated that a sequel to The Bourne Legacy featuring Renner's Cross is unlikely, although he did not explicitly rule it out.[52] However, in March 2017, Matt Damon cast doubt upon a sequel, hinting that people "might be done" with the character.[53]
See also [ edit ]Now that the reassurance machine has kicked into high gear, with statements from everyone from President Obama to Janet "The System Worked" Napolitano, we're being asked to believe that what has become the usual syndrome in post 9/11 response -- overreaction in compensation for failure -- is good enough. So we will sit immobile for that last hour of incoming international flights, unentertained, unblanketed, and untoileted, and that will do the trick. Another array of measures the experts deride as silly and nothing more than show business will pacify us, for a while.
But forget about the watch lists and the father's warning, and the sniffer dogs and the puffer machines. There's a simpler question to be asked about this event. If, as reported, the would-be Detroit bomber paid cash for a one-way ticket, why didn't that automatically flag him for secondary screening? Even lacking cash payment, the one-way ticket has generally done exactly that. I know. On a tour a couple of years ago, my itinerary failed to list the final flight home as part of the tour, rendering each of the intermediate stops as a one-way in the eyes of the TSA, and I was pulled aside for secondary screening every time, even though the only thing I had hidden in my underpants was me.
Yes, investigations, and new regulations, and everything's okay. But if this were Japan, Janet "The System Worked" Napolitano wouldn't have gone on morning TV today to walk back her nonsensical reassurance. She would have bowed deeply, apologized with profound emotion, and resigned. This isn't about finger-pointing. If employees at the TSA (or the Corps of Engineers) see that there are no career consequences for dramatic and/or catastrophic screwups (for the latter, see New Orleans, 2005), they will have learned a regrettable lesson: there is no price to be paid for failure. In that direction lies more failure.
UPDATE: 4:38 PM PST MONDAY: The DHS Operation Second Thought is rolling along nicely. After having Sec. Napolitano decide publicly that the system wasn't working, now the TSA is walking back some of the new regs. And CBS, among others, is quoting a Nigerian official saying the bombing suspect actually bought a round-trip ticket. Of course, he also said he's coming into a large inheritance very soon....The Monsters University soundtrack was composed by Randy Newman. It is his seventh collaboration with Pixar as composer. The soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on June 18, 2013.[1][2]
The songs "Main Title", "Rise and Shine", and "The Scare Games" feature the drum line from the Blue Devils group "BD Entertainment". The recordings for the percussion tracks were done at Skywalker Ranch,[3] and were written by Blue Devils Percussion Caption Head Scott Johnson.[4]
The songs "Island", by Mastodon, and "Gospel", by MarchFourth Marching Band, are featured during the film but do not appear on the soundtrack. The song "Party Hard" by Andrew W.K. is featured prominently in the teaser trailers but did not appear on the soundtrack or in the film.
Additionally, much of the drum line percussion music was performed by BD Entertainment,[5] a division of BD Performing Arts, which also manages the World Champion Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps.
Track listing
All music are composed by Randy Newman, except where noted.
Main Title (score) Young Michael (score) First Day at MU (score) Dean Hardscrabble (score) Sulley (score) Scare Pig (score) Wasted Potential (score) Oozma Kappa (score) Stinging Glow Urchin (score) Field Trip (score) Rise and Shine (score) The Library (score) Roar - Axwell & Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia The Scare Games (score) Did You Do This? (score) Human World (score) The Big Scare (score) Goodbyes (score) Mike and Sulley (score) Monsters University (score)Welcome to the October 2015 Literary Meeting!
The theme for this month’s Literary Meeting was Early and Pre-Gothic Literary Conventions & Examples. This fall we’ve been doing something a little different in that our theme lasts all semester instead of one month. We’ll be looking at different eras of Gothic Literature each month through the remainder of the year. This month, we focused on early and pre-Gothic literary conventions. I chose to spend an entire season on this subject because it is so important to the history of our genre. Indeed, I dare anyone to show me an artifact of modern Western horror that doesn’t owe some influence to the Gothic tradition.
As always, I’ve made informal references in text, with full references listed at the end (I wasn’t very consistent this time with what I cited as a reference; sometimes I cited the publication we actually read from, while for others I did not).
Aromatic Accompaniment: Black Birch by Chesapeake Bay Candle.
Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination
In January of this year, I went to Britain to study for a few weeks. While I was there, I saw dozens of sets of ruins, but the most important place I went was the British Library, which at the time was holding an exhibit called “Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination.”
The exhibit was amazing. It laid out the complete history of the Gothic genre, from its origins to its modern influences. I had never seen the history of the literary movement laid out so comprehensively before, and I spent six hours in the exhibit before they informed me, regretfully, that the library was closing and that I would have to leave. On my way out, I bought the exhibit book. The book is lavishly illustrated, with full color reproductions of most of the artwork that was on display.
When we held our meeting, I invited those in attendance to imagine the illustrations not as full-color pages in a book, but as pieces of artwork as large as my coffee table. Standing in front of the paintings of Netley Abbey and Tintern Abbey, I finally understood for the first time what was meant by the sublime; the sheer and total awe I felt was terrific. There are entire subreddits devoted to ruination and abandonment. Similar to what I said in the post about the Baltic Sea Object, there is something extremely Spooky about things that are made by man which have since fallen into ruin; it is that tie to a forgotten history that makes antiquity so enticing. Ruined buildings are the tangible representation of unwilling purposelessness; that is, they had a purpose once, but it has been taken from them. From the recognition that the same will happen not only to us, but to our works also springs terror.
At the exhibit I also saw original manuscripts of things like Frankenstein and The Castle of Otranto, which was wonderful. Knowing that there are other people out there that care about this sort of thing was the best feeling in the world. Horror is a genre that doesn’t receive its fair share of academic attention, and that is a large part of the reason why the Spooky Society exists; it creates a space for those who want to explore the genre in a serious way.
Gothic Conventions
When we think of the Gothic, we typically think of drafty castles, frightened (but virtuous) heroines, forbidding forests, ghouls, ghosts, family curses, and vampires. A great body of work has accumulated regarding the symbolism of these things, mostly of the cultural criticism variety that seeks to tell us what these things represented in society. Unfortunately, such an approach often ignores much discussion of the Spooky bits themselves. I want to know about the Spooky bits! What are those Spooky bits that comprise the Gothic, and how do they combine to make a work uniquely Gothic, rather than just grotesque, morbid, or mysterious? In essence, why is the Gothic more than just the sum of a bunch of Spooky tropes? It is in that vein which we shall proceed.
Clive Bloom gives this excellent description of what the Gothic is:
The gothic sensibility takes pleasure in the bizarre and the wild, the magical and the arabesque: in architecture, it was expressed in revived taste for the medieval, while in literature and painting it was expressed by dealing in the supernatural, with the inexplicable monsters of the forest and castle — spooks, witches, damned souls and corpses that rise at midnight; it is interested in science and invention, but turned on their heads as the weird productions of necromancers — doctors in strange laboratories dealing in forbidden knowledge; it is fascinated with the abnormal and the hallucinatory — drug abuse, torture, terrorization, the fear of the victim — the pleasure of being insane! (Bloom 3).
The Gothic (especially the early Gothic) is usually divided into two main schools: the Radcliffe school of Terror, and the Lewis school of Horror. Kim Ian Michasiw paints this distinction best:
Gothic … ha[s] conventionally been divided into the schools of terror and horror, schools which have been grouped under the names of Ann Radcliffe and Matthew ‘Monk’ Lewis. Terror seeks to evoke by suggestion, by suspense; horror displays in the hopes of producing disgust. Terror veils a potentially ghastly unknown and temps the reader to peer through, to pull up a corner; horror marches readers through catacombs filled with violated nuns, with the rotting corpses of infants, with entombed lovers turned cannibal. Terror remains discrete and seeks a unity of tone; horror has an appetite for sudden varation, for the blackly comic, for the grotesque (Michasiw, quoted in Bloom 3).
These divisions are still evident today. I won’t go too deeply into this now, as this will be the subject of another essay, but a short digression is valuable here in order to demonstrate the conventions of the two schools of Gothic. By example, consider the two film versions of The Haunting. The original 1963 version terrifies (see my earlier writeup): the tension is built primarily by suggestion, created by things just out of sight but within hearing–in the end a reading in which nothing supernatural has occurred is a valid reading. Contrast this with the 1999 version, whose only merits are bad ’90s CGI and Owen Wilson losing his head.
The 1999 version seeks to overwhelm with its sheer gratuitousness, and is a good modern example of what is meant by the Lewis school of horror. To put it into even more generalized and contrasting terms, juxtapose Lake Mungo with The Evil Dead (2013).
Lake Mungo:
The Evil Dead (2013):
This particular scene in Lake Mungo is the full extent of the gore in the entire movie, and is only present because it accentuates the suspense of seeing something as-yet unidentified walk slowly out of the darkness and the terror inherent in finally recognizing it as your own doppelgänger; the Evil Dead scene’s gore is there because that’s the horror of the movie–it goes so beyond the gratuitous and loops back like integer overflow and becomes the constitutive.
Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto is generally accepted as the first Gothic work, but there was much that preceded it that seems quite similar in nature. Why then does the timeline begin in such a specific place? In order to understand how the components add up to more than a whole, which we must do in order to answer that question, it is necessary first to take an inventory of sorts to see what Spooky bits existed before Walpole brought them together in his famous literary hoax.
To answer this question, rather than beginning in 1764 with the publication of the first edition of Otranto we went back further, to the pre-Gothic.
The Conventions of the Pre-Gothic
There were several literary movements and conventions that had to converge before the Gothic could come to the fore. Notable among these are what I will call “the mysterious imagination,” medievalism, the macabre and the morbid, and finally an aesthetic to tie everything together. In this section I will borrow heavily from Gothic Histories by Clive Bloom. Those who are seriously interested in this topic would be well served to skim over much of this next section and read the first chapter of Gothic Histories instead. For the rest of you, I will excerpt the most important sections.
The Mysterious Imagination
The first requirement of Gothic is the mysterious imagination. Quite simply, this is the curiosity that is piqued by the knowledge that there is something out there beyond that which is immediately in front of us. It is this curiosity that fuels all quests for understanding, and thus for any appreciation of knowledge itself, and is especially necessary for any appreciation of fiction. This is where the “wonder” in “terror and wonder” comes from. Without it, there is no suspension of disbelief (intended or otherwise) in the audience.
Bloom gives a mid-16th century example of the mysterious imagination at work:
In 1555, a strange island was added to the coast of the New World. A Franciscan monk by the name of André Thevet claimed that he had made a journey to a mysterious place near ‘Antarctic France’ (Newfoundland) called Isola des Demonias — the Isle of Demons. There he had been assailed by ‘a great clamour of men’s voices’, while on the island itself he was attacked by demons whom he kept at bay by repetition of the Gospel of St. John. In 1558, Thevet wrote up his adventures, be even in a credulous age his tale was discounted. Nevertheless, Thevet had heard the tale from someone who had actually been there (1).
Bloom also gives the background of the tale that he had heard. It was a sordid affair involving a voyage, an affair, a marooning, and “‘beasts or other shapes abominably and unutterably hideous, the brood of hell, howling in baffled fury'” that were held at bay with “readings of the New Testament and invocations of the Virgin” (1). We can already see two related concepts that should be familiar to us: the insistence that the unbelievable tale is true, and the fact that the tale is true because he heard it
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t comes with a 5.7 inch QHD screen, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of built-in storage, a thirteen megapixel stabilised camera, LTE cat 9, and dual-SIM support.
It also uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 system on chip. Qualcomm's 64-bit chipset has not had the easiest of introductions during 2015 thanks to Apple forcing its hand to rush the chipset into production to keep pace in the spec war that Android manufacturers love to market with.
(Read how Apple bounced Qualcomm into rushing out the Snapdragon 810 design).
Otherwise the Mi Note Pro follows the same pattern as other Xiaomi devices. It will be sold direct from the website, and there will likely be limited availability to increase demand and boost social media discussions around the phablet; it will run Xiaomi's Android interface (MIUI version 6); and will work alongside Xiaomi's own app store in China.
Xiaomi hardware on sale outside of China come with Google Play support, but the Note Pro is slated to be 'China only' when it is launched on May 12th, so every activation and user registration belongs to Xiaomi, with Google not getting an official look in.
(Read more about Xiaomi as I review the Xiaomi's iPhone 6 challenger, the Mi-4 smartphone).
While Google is the obvious competitor, it is more likely that Xiaomi is focused on Apple. The Mi Note Pro is a direct challenge to the iPhone 6 Plus both in specifications and form factor. Xiaomi's advantage is in price, with a SIM-Free Note Pro the cheaper investment. That comes down to Xiaomi's business model, which keeps the profits razor-thin on the hardware with the promise of profits coming through ancillary sales of accessories and branded Xiaomi 'lifestyle products'.
That model only works if Xiaomi can remain the fashionable choice in the marketplace, and Apple's new-found sales prowess in China threatens that position. With Xiaomi looking to become the world's largest smartphone manufacturer during 2015, the pressure is on to make the Note Pro a success.
(Now read why Xiaomi will ignore America in 2015).This is Steve Groenink’s amazing 1973 Toyota Celica called Zongo. He started the project in 2010 and through a lot of hard work has created a very powerful and unique classic Toyota.
Power comes from a Toyota 1UZ-FE V8 sourced from a 1992 Celsior. These engines are very strong and take boost very well with little modification. Steve’s completely stock engine produced 573 horsepower to the wheels from a single Precision 6262 turbocharger running 12 psi of boost. The transmission choice started with a stock Crown A340e automatic transmission which was setup to run in full manual shift mode but very quickly gave way to a Toyota R154 five-speed transmission. Rounding out the drivetrain was a 8″ rear end sourced from a 1989 2WD truck which was narrowed five inches.
Fitting a V8 motor, a turbocharger, and all the required components and piping into a space that was built to hold at most a 2.2 L inline-four, is going to be a very tough task. There is going to be a lot of modifications and going through the build thread shows how much work was required. The firewall was cut and sunk three inches while the transmission tunnel was also cut and expanded. The steering box was swapped for a AW11 manual rack. The brake master cylinder had to be relocated and the engine intake was flipped to provide more room for the wastegate dump. This helped the transplanted engine work but with so much crammed into such a small area it restricted airflow which caused overheating issues.
To open the engine bay up for more room and thus better cooling Steve completely rebuild the entire front end. The subframe and suspension would be converted to a Mustang II front and would be supported by a custom tube chassis. While the engine was out for the front end modification, Steve decided to upgrade it for more boost. The 1UZ was upgraded with Ross 9.5:1 pistons, TTC chromoly I-beam rods, Crower 264/272 cams, and a second Precision 6262 turbocharger. With the twin-turbo setup the engine produces 650 horsepower to the wheels on 17 psi of boost.
Steve has done a great job detailing this project’s progress in the build thread. If you are a fan of reading good build threads then I suggest you view each page.
Source: Dorikaze.net (build thread) and Steve Groenink Youtube channelElisa Hategan is exploring the dark and universal road that transforms the tormented into the tormentor, a path she travelled as a young girl engulfed by hatred. On a recent afternoon in Sibiu, a Romanian city in the heart of Transylvania, the North York resident visited the school where she believes her course was set.
Elisa Hategan at age 17, speaking at a rally for the now-defunct white supremacist group Heritage Front. She was then known as Elisse. Elisa Hategan in Romania in April. She is doing research in her native country for a new book, Remember Your Name: A Memoir of Loss, Love & Hate. Heritage Front leader Wolfgang Droege in 1993 with the white supremacist group's flag. Droege was shot dead in 2005. ( Toronto Star file photo ) Elisa Hategan, then known as Elisse, at age 11, in the first school portrait taken after she moved from Romania to Toronto. Elisa Hategan was raised by abusive parents in Bucharest, Romania. They first met as students at a boarding school for the deaf. Anna Hategan, Elisa Hategan's paternal grandmother, with her second husband. Elisa Hategan discovered that both her father's parents were Jewish after visiting relatives in Romania in 2001. Heritage Front leader Wolfgang Droege, centre, and his white supremacist supporters leaving a Toronto courthouse in 1993. Droege was shot dead in 2005. ( Ken Faught / Toronot Star file photo ) Heritage Front leader Wolfgang Droege, left, and undercover CSIS informant Grant Bristow in an undated photo during a visit to Libya. Bristow's identity was exposed in 1994. One of the founders of the Heritage Front, Grant Bristow, was exposed in 1994 as a CSIS informant. Former Front member Elisa Hategan, who turned on the racist group, voluntarily answered questions about the Bristow affair on Parliament Hill in 1995. Elisa Hategan and her father. She discovered his Jewish roots while visiting her uncle in Romania in 2001. ( Elisa Hategan )
She ran her fingers over the heavy wooden doors and thought of her abusive parents, who met as students at the boarding school for the deaf. “I don’t think either of them had a chance to begin with,” she said. As a teenager, Hategan, 40, was a standout in Toronto’s now-defunct Heritage Front, an ultra right-wing group with ties to Holocaust deniers and former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
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But in 1993, when the Front’s harassment of LGBTQ activists raised questions about her own sexuality, Hategan turned on the white supremacist organization. Then known as Elisse, she secretly provided information to anti-racist activists, testified against Front leaders in Federal Court and appeared voluntarily as a witness in Parliament after a founder of the racist group, Grant Bristow, was exposed as a CSIS informant. In 2013, in a stunning about-face, Hategan converted to Judaism after discovering her family’s Jewish roots. Her transformation is still underway. For more than a decade, she’s been trying to understand what led her into the arms of the most prominent white supremacist group in recent Canadian history — and what drives the innocent to hate.
She is chronicling the journey in a new book, Remember Your Name: A Memoir of Loss, Love & Hate, which she is financing through a crowd-funding campaign. Once again, her research has led her back to her family’s troubled history in her native Romania, where she is now. “I am hoping to show that there is both good and bad in each of us, and all of us have the potential within — given extreme circumstances — to be abused and abuser,” she said. “I can’t see any other way of overcoming my legacy of hatred than to look that terrible past in the eye.”
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Hategan was drawn to the Heritage Front by many of the same factors that have always propelled disconnected youth to extremism. Raised in Bucharest by deaf parents who she says abused her, Hategan’s circumstances worsened at age 9, when her mother took off to Italy for several years, leaving her alone with her father.
Elisa Hategan was raised by abusive parents in Bucharest, Romania. They first met as students at a boarding school for the deaf.
“He hated everybody,” she said. “He could rant about Jews one day and the government another day.” At age 11, Hategan and her father followed her mother to Toronto, settling in Regent Park. Her father didn’t last long. He returned to Romania, and died when Hategan was 13. After running away from her violent mother, Hategan landed in a group home. “I was the only white girl there. I was teased because I didn’t fit in,” said Hategan, who dropped out of school in Grade 9. “I was very angry. I started to have racist feelings toward blacks.” After returning home at age 16, she saw a TV program on white supremacy, and contacted the group through a P.O. Box number that flashed during the broadcast. “They wrote me with the address of the Heritage Front,” she recalls. When she first met the group’s leaders, including notorious white supremacist Wolfgang Droege, who was shot dead in Toronto in 2005, she believed their message was more one of pride than hate.
Heritage Front leader Wolfgang Droege, centre, and his white supremacist supporters leaving a Toronto courthouse in 1993. Droege was shot dead in 2005. ( Ken Faught )
“It felt more familiar to me to be around Europeans... who didn’t make me feel bad because I didn’t fit into Canadian society,” she said. In 1991, the Heritage Front invited journalists to a cultural hall in Toronto for what reporter Bill Dunphy considered the group’s “coming out party.” Hategan was front-and-centre. “She was presented as the future of the movement,” said Dunphy, who covered the Front for the Toronto Sun and now works for the Hamilton Spectator. “She was an angry speaker... She projected power.” Hategan said she began to question the Front’s ideology when she felt pressured to sleep with men in the movement. Meanwhile, she says the group began harassing members of the LGBTQ community. “One of the activists they targeted was someone that I had a crush on. And it was a woman,” said Hategan, who realized at 17 that she was gay. “That’s really what hit me on a deeper level.” With nowhere else to go, Hategan secretly sought refuge with anti-racist activists. “They basically deprogrammed me,” she said. For several months, she spied on the Front, and collected information for the activists and police. She was charged with a hate-related crime in 1993 for distributing a document called “Animal Life Series No. 1,” which compared black people to gorillas. But the charges were dropped after it was revealed she gave the document to two members of an anti-racist group to warn them about the Front. Toronto human rights lawyer Paul Copeland defended Hategan, and was there when she testified against Droege. “I thought she was a very gutsy young woman that had seen the light of day,” he said. Hategan’s testimony helped put Droege and several other members away for several months. By the time Bristow was exposed in the summer of 1994, the organization had all but crumbled. Hategan got her high school diploma, graduated from university, and began delving into her past. While visiting an uncle in Romania in 2001, she found a lacquered box that had belonged to her grandmother. It was inscribed with a surname she had never seen before: Kohan, the Hungarian version of the common Jewish surname, Cohen. Hategan, who changed her first name to Elisa in 2006, soon discovered that her father’s mother, as well as his father — who had abandoned his illegitimate son — were both Jewish. “He had a lot of anger toward Jews,” she said of her father. “I’m assuming it was because he was rejected.” These days, Hategan lives quietly with her partner in North York, working as a writer.
Elisa Hategan in Romania in April. She is doing research in her native country for a new book, Remember Your Name: A Memoir of Loss, Love & Hate.
Her memoir, Race Traitor, which she self-published in 2014, is deeply personal. But her current project is more visceral. If she can raise the funds, she plans to spend a few more months in Romania, tracing the roots of the hatred that consumed her parents. Hategan still sees her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s and is in a Toronto hospital.
Elisa Hategan and her father. She discovered his Jewish roots while visiting her uncle in Romania in 2001.
But it is in Romania where she continues to uncover the truth about her father, who was teased and tormented as a child because of his deafness. She describes the process as “healing.” “The act of dissecting their hate has actually led me to love them, because I understand how the abuses and oppression of their lives contributed to their brutality,” she said. “It’s awful and painful and ugly at times, but it’s enabled me to forgive them — something I never thought I could do before.”BRITAIN’S hard left consists of a 67 year-old former teacher who likes to collect different types of tea.
After claims the hard left was infiltrating the Labour Party, it now appears that the main threat to the capitalist system is ageing Marxist and keen gardener Martin Bishop.
Bishop said: “I strongly believe in the overthrow of the parasitic capitalist class, but ideally not on a Wednesday because that’s when I go to my over-60s Zumba class.
“The proletariat will inevitably rise up and take control of the means of production using force if necessary, but I won’t be manning the barricades myself due to prostate issues.
“Also I’m not in favour of shooting policemen because although they are agents of class oppression they did help me find my missing cat, Trotsky.”
Bishop has now been placed under surveillance in case he returns to earlier revolutionary activities such as carrying an ‘If the Tories get up your nose, picket!’ placard during an NUT strike in 1981.
An MI5 source said: “Hobbs may appear harmless but he could easily join the Labour party and vote for Jeremy Corbyn, who has hardline Stalinist policies like cheaper train fares.”A newly released report has shown the true extent of the impact of mass migration on Germany as 18.6 million residents, over one-in-five of the total population, now come from foreign backgrounds.
The statistics come from the German Federal Statistical Office’s new yearbook for 2017 which finally shows the extent of demographic change that many Germans have assumed for years. The figures also show a huge divergence between the west of the country and the east with some areas in the west having up to 30 per cent foreign background residents, Die Welt reports.
The region with the most foreign background residents is Bremen with 30.5 per cent of the population coming from a non-German background. The regions in the east are diametrically different, averaging only 6.4 per cent with Thuringia the lowest at just six per cent.
An estimated 4.3 million non-German residents come from European Union countries and live and work under the open borders Schengen agreement. Poles are the largest single EU citizen group with a total of 783,000 Polish citizens living in the country.
Read moreGiven the sheer volume of court rulings that have gone against Uber lately, it would be no surprise to find that the world’s judiciaries have been infiltrated by a cadre of disgruntled black cab drivers.
The California-based taxi app has now fallen foul of courts in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium – and that’s just in Europe. Judges in Brazil and India have also thrown brass tacks under the wheels of the Uber juggernaut, which has been rapidly gathering speed since the company was founded in 2009.
One of the chief complaints is that its lower-cost UberPop service – now banned in a handful of countries – relies on drivers who do not have a licence to operate private hire vehicles. This angered traditional taxi drivers, whose lobby groups have found allies among the political classes.
In France, Uber was found guilty of running an illegal taxi service, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of two years for executives held responsible. They avoided jail but, in a measure of the strength of anti-Uber sentiment in France, two executives had to pay combined fines of €50,000.
But there may be hope for Uber in Europe. The European commission recently issued guidelines stating that “sharing economy” businesses such as Uber and Airbnb should be banned only as a last resort. It hinted that it could call upon these guidelines when determining whether national legislation violates EU treaties.
So far, Uber has tended to drop its UberPop service rather than fight its corner: it relies for income instead on its more upmarket chauffeur-style services, which use fully licensed drivers.
But the company has many friends in high places and the thinly veiled message of support from the European commission may well embolden chief executive Travis Kalanick. If the commission continues to lean towards backing Uber, he will at some stage feel ready to test those bans in the highest European courts. And that could lead to a head-on collision.T-Mobile's reinvention has been underway for a few years now, driven by the larger-than-life CEO John Legere and his Uncarrier program. While the company had succeeded in stealing customers from its rivals, namely Sprint, it seemed that strategy was also driving it to heavy losses. That changed this morning, when the company reported its second quarter earnings, and a profit of $391 million that surprised Wall Street analysts.
"We have completely reversed T-Mobile’s trajectory."
"We have completely reversed T-Mobile’s trajectory and started a revolution that is changing the rules in wireless," said Legere. "Now — with more than 50 million customers, 1.5 million customers added this quarter and five quarters in a row of over 1 million net new customers — we are proud to be the fastest-growing wireless company in America."
Legere is prone to boasts, but this time the numbers back it up. T-Mobile led the industry in terms of both revenue growth and subscriber growth. It still trails well behind Verizon and AT&T, which both have over 100 million wireless subscribers, but is quickly catching up with Sprint, which has around 55 million.
Spectrum deals, more than subscribers, drove T-Mobile's profits
It's worth noting this quarter's strong financial performance was driven largely by licensing deals with Verizon, which paid T-Mobile $731 million to acquire spectrum. Subscriber growth added to revenue, but not profit. In part that may be because the Uncarrier program, which offers to pay customers early termination fees, incurs a heavy expense up front, with the hopes of holding onto those customers for the long haul.
All four major US wireless carriers had strong second quarters. Sprint also reported a small profit and said that it had trimmed its losses, with only 181,000 customers leaving over the last quarter. Verizon and AT&T both reported subscriber gains and healthy profits, par for the course among the market leaders.Seven seconds after Philando Castile informed a Minnesota police officer he had a firearm, the officer shot him seven times.
The Minnesota Departement of Public Safety released dash cam video on Tuesday from the fatal 2016 police shooting of Castile, which sparked protests and national coverage. The video shows the brief interaction between Castile and police officer Jeronimo Yanez after Castile was pulled over.
Castile, a licensed firearm owner, informs Yanez he has a gun. "Okay," Yanez says. "Don't reach for it then. Don't pull it out."
"I'm not pulling it out," Castile responds. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, also says, "He's not pulling it out."
"Don't pull it out!" Yanez yells again, drawing his gun, reaching through the driver-side window and opening fire.
Watch the video:
As the video shows, it takes a full six minutes after Castile is shot before he is removed from the car and receives medical attention. By then, it is far too late.
Until Tuesday, the only public video of the incident was a Facebook livestream taken by Reynolds shortly after the shooting, as Castile, a cafeteria worker at a St. Paul elementary school, bled out in the car.
Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter charges from Castile's death last week. He has been fired from the St. Anthony Police Department. As Reason's Robby Soave wrote last year, Castile's death for the lawful exercise of his Second Amendment rights should be shocking and outrageous to all Americans:
In Minnesota, citizens are allowed to carry firearms if they have a permit to do so. Castile was merely exercising his Second Amendment rights. His decision to inform the officer about his weapon was courteous, but not legally required. Permit holders in Minnesota do not need to tell cops that they are carrying firearms unless specifically asked. It seems fairly clearly, then, that Castile is in some sense a Second Amendment martyr: He was killed by a police officer because he was exercising his rights. We know, of course, that these kinds of things are more likely to happen to black Americans, regardless of whether they were doing anything wrong.
Also watch ReasonTV on the impact of live video on the Castile case and the debate over police reform:Panel approves judicial nominee with no trial experience
Brett Talley poses for a portrait at Holy Rood Cemetery on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014 in Washington, DC. Tally is a speechwriter and author. Brett Talley poses for a portrait at Holy Rood Cemetery on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014 in Washington, DC. Tally is a speechwriter and author. Photo: Washington Post Photo By Matt McClain Photo: Washington Post Photo By Matt McClain Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Panel approves judicial nominee with no trial experience 1 / 4 Back to Gallery
WASHINGTON — Brett Talley, President Trump’s nominee to be a federal judge in Alabama, has never tried a case, was unanimously rated “not qualified” by the American Bar Association’s judicial rating committee, has practiced law for only three years and, as a blogger last year, displayed a degree of partisanship unusual for a judicial nominee, denouncing “Hillary Rotten Clinton” and pledging support for the National Rifle Association.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a party-line vote, approved him for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench.
Talley, 36, is part of what Trump has called the “untold story” of his success in filling the courts with young conservatives.
“The judge story is an untold story. Nobody wants to talk about it,” Trump said last month, standing alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “But when you think of it, Mitch and I were saying, that has consequences 40 years out, depending on the age of the judge — but 40 years out.”
Civil rights groups and liberal advocates see the matter differently. They denounced Thursday’s vote, calling it “laughable” that none of the committee Republicans objected to confirming a lawyer with as little experience as Talley to preside over federal trials.
“He’s practiced law for less than three years and never argued a motion, let alone brought a case. This is the least amount of experience I’ve seen in a judicial nominee,” said Kristine Lucius, executive vice president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
When Trump took office in January, there were more than 100 vacant seats on the federal courts, thanks to an unprecedented slowdown engineered by McConnell during the final two years of President Barack Obama’s term. The Senate under GOP control approved only 22 judges in that two-year period, the lowest total since 1951-52 in the last year of President Truman’s term. By contrast, the Senate under Democratic control approved 68 judges in the last two years of George W. Bush’s presidency.
Talley’s nomination now moves to the Senate floor where a similar party-line result is expected.
David G. Savage is a Tribune Co. writer.SPOKANE, Wash. --- A former University of Missouri professor who was fired after video surfaced of her yelling at a student during a protest has a new job at Gonzaga University.
Gonzaga hired former MU professor Melissa Click for a one-year, non-tenure track position as a lecturer in Gonzaga's undergraduate Communication Studies Department.
The University of Missouri fired Click in February after a video surfaced of her calling for “some muscle” to remove a student videographer from protests on the school’s campus last fall. The student, a freelancer on assignment for ESPN, argued his First Amendment rights allowed him to be in a public area.
Students and staff on the school’s campus had been protesting the treatment of African Americans by administrators.
Screenshot of the Gonzaga University website listing Dr. Melissa Click.
Click had been an assistant professor in the MU Department of Communication and held a courtesy appointment at the Missouri School of Journalism. She later faced more scrutiny after a video from a different protest on campus showed her cursing at an officer trying to clear the road during the university’s homecoming parade.
"We are confident she has learned much from her experiences at the University of Missouri and believe she will uphold the rigorous standards of academic excellence demanded of Gonzaga faculty and students," said Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Mermann-Jozwiak said in a release that Click was hired through an "extensive national search process" and she was the most qualified and experienced candidate for the position.
Enrollment at the University of Missouri plummeted after the protests and Melissa Click debate in national media. Numerous outlets reported applications from African American students dropped by 78 percent for the fall semester. The university’s newspaper reported overall freshman enrollment was down by almost 25 percent.Home Prices Drop Most in Areas with Long Commute
Economists say home prices are nowhere near hitting bottom. But even in regions that have taken a beating, some neighborhoods remain practically unscathed. And a pattern is emerging as to which neighborhoods those are.
The ones with short commutes are faring better than places with long drives into the city. Some analysts see a pause in what has long been inexorable — urban sprawl.
The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area has been hit hard. Prices tumbled an average of 11 percent in the past year. That's the big picture. But a look at Ashburn, Va., about 40 miles from the center of town, finds a steeper fall.
In parts of the county, housing prices have dropped 18 percent over that same period. New construction has ground to a halt.
Realtor Danilo Bogdanovic surveyed two rows of neat, new, brick townhouses on Falkner's Lane. "These were selling for about $550,000 at the peak, which was about August '05, and they're selling right now for about $350,000," Bogdanovic said. "Fifty percent of this community has been ether foreclosed on or is facing foreclosure."
For residents who work in the city, their commute is around an hour on trouble-free days. But that can extend upward toward two hours.
At a recent auction of foreclosed homes north of Washington, in the Maryland suburbs, there weren't many takers. All of the addresses are far from downtown, and average commute times are among the highest in the nation.
It's a different story for properties that are closer to the city's center — in areas of Montgomery County that are on the edge of Washington.
"When I have a listing in this neighborhood, there are often 40 to 60 people coming through the open houses," said Pam Ryan-Brye, an agent with Long and Foster Real Estate.
Inside the city, median home prices are actually up 3.5 percent from a year ago.
Jonathan Hill, vice president of Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, which tracks home sales, sat in his office recently, clicking through page after page of price data sorted by ZIP code. There were a lot of negative numbers, but not in places that are close in or near public transit.
The 20912 ZIP code, for example, showed almost a 10 percent increase in average sales price, Hill said.
David Stiff, chief economist for the company that produces the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, saw the trend in other cities, as well — including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, San Diego, Miami and Boston.
Stiff recently matched home resale values against commute times and found that in most of these major metropolitan areas, the trend is the same. The longer the commute, the steeper the drop in prices.
Stiff says home buyers' attitudes have changed. The old rule was, "Drive 'til you qualify" — meaning they should go out from the city until they could get what they wanted at a price they could afford.
Stiff says buyers are now asking different questions: "What is the cost of gasoline? What is the cost of my time?"
Recent studies suggest that buyers underestimated the costs of their long commutes. Those expenses can add up to more than the buyers saved on the home. Developers also miscalculated, lured by cheap land and rising home prices. They overreached, "partly because the bubble collapsed, but partly because these developments were just bad ideas to begin with," Stiff said.
Many of the projects were simply too far away from places that people need to go.
Builders have already shifted gears. David Goldberg of Smart Growth America, a national coalition of planners and environmentalists, points to what his hometown, Atlanta, was like in the 1990s.
"Atlanta was recognized as the fastest-spreading human settlement, probably in the history of the world," Goldberg said.
But while the suburbs spread, the city was losing population. Now the tables have turned. In the past two years, new construction in what had been forests and farmland has slowed by more than 70 percent, but construction in town has held steady.
Goldberg sees other cities rebounding, too, including Baltimore and Philadelphia.
"Philadelphia was losing downtown housing and in-town housing until very recently," Goldberg said. "And now that's the hottest part of their market."
Goldberg expects the trend to continue, even after the current housing crisis ends. Throughout the country, the percentage of families with children is shrinking. The share of empty-nesters, seniors and young people living alone keeps heading up. Those groups don't typically seek big green lawns.
"We don't live in the Ozzie and Harriet era anymore," Goldberg said. "We live more in the Seinfeld, Sex in the City era, in which young people find cities to be compelling."
So for now, at least, it seems that sprawl may have stalled — but not everywhere, and probably not forever. Experts are waiting to see what the next housing broom brings.OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- The year in beer looked unlike any other.
On the domestic front, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors continued to scoop up regionally known craft brewers—Saint Archer for Chicago-based MillerCoors, and Breckenridge, Four Peaks and 10 Barrel (among others) for A-B—while Pabst Brewing launched both craft and import divisions. Even importer Constellation Brands got into the game, acquiring San Diego-based Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits and partnering with celebrity chef Rick Bayless to create a line of craft beers inspired by traditional Mexican ingredients.
Meanwhile, Heineken USA trimmed back its portfolio by discontinuing tequila-flavored beer Desperados to focus on its core brands: imports Heineken, Dos Equis, Strongbow and Tecate. It also joined Constellation in basking in the glow from south of the border as Mexican imports Dos Equis (+16%), Corona Extra (+14%) and Modelo Especial (+24%) all grew volume sales in convenience stores by double digits, according to IRI data.
Overall, import beers grew volume sales in c-store by 14%, joining craft (+26%) and cider (+30%) as the big winners for the category as younger legal-aged drinkers entered the category with a more complex palate and a desire to set their own trends.
One other unexpected trend, almost single-handedly driven by the remarkable growth of the craft beer Not Your Father’s Root Beer, had U.S. brewers learning the ropes of hard soda. The result: A-B launched Best Damn Root Beer in December, MillerCoors developed the Henry’s Hard Soda brand, which launched in January, and Pabst partnered with the prodigal, Not Your Father’s-maker Small Town Brewery to take the brand national.
On top of all of the above, one of the largest consumer-product acquisition deals ever looms as the biggest brewer in the world, A-B parent Anheuser-Busch InBev, wades through the regulatory swamp in its effort to purchase No. 2 brewer SABMiller, majority partner in MillerCoors.
Admittedly not a U.S. play, the approximately $107-billion deal will create the fifth-largest consumer-products company in the world, but of course the real news domestically is what it won’t include. Molson Coors, the other half of MillerCoors, is in line to take over all of the partnership’s brands in the United States to the tune of $12 billion. Milwaukee may never be the same againWhat is absinthe? Scientifically, it’s defined as a distilled alcohol made from herbs, spices, and water. In historical literature, it was described as the “green fairy” due to its color and hallucinogenic properties. This obscurity and legend fits perfect for the snowboard filming company Absinthe Films. Each year, they come out with a new film that is distinctive, elusive, and most importantly cutting edge. Their films have that mind-bending element, transporting you into the mountains where these professionals continue to push (and twist) the envelope. From introducing Travis Rice to the masses and producing videos such as…
Resonance
Dopamine
Neverland
Absinthe’s camera angles, music selections, and roster of riders really set the landscape, making their film’s works of art that last way past their release dates and can be watched for years to come. This year’s film is called – /fterforever.
In Absinthe’s words
Change is the only constant.
Resistance leads to stagnation and suffering while embracing it brings growth.
What comes AfterForever? Everything.
If you are anywhere near a movie-tour stop, we highly suggest dropping everything and go check it out! To see the full list of tour stops, click here to look at our calendar. Be sure to check back often as we continue to update it.
What to expect
Cinematic artistry, big backcountry lines, deep powder, creative urban tricks,
and most of all a helluva good time
Until then, check out the trailer
Roster
Brandon Cocard
Mark Sollors
Cale Zima
Kimmy Fasani
Manuel Diaz
Garrett Warnick
Severin Van Der Meer
Brendan Gerard
Mat Schar
Jaegar Bailey
Austen Sweetin
Ethan Deiss
Max Buri
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King Snow Snowboard Magazine
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Anon
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Coal
BurtonA former dispatcher with the Memorial Villages Police Department paints a discriminatory and dysfunctional portrait of the law enforcement division for the wealthy Houston suburb, according to an affidavit filed in Harris County civil court.
Among the claims from L. Kelly, an African-American woman who worked as a dispatcher for Memorial Villages from 2010 to 2016, is the frequent use of derogatory language toward minorities by officers, that she was shown an online video of a white woman calling then-President Barrack Obama the “n-word” and that she was asked to alter arrest data to conceal racial profiling.
There are also less serious allegations such as officers spending time in the dispatch room to watch television and play video poker and midnight parties where officers ate cake and watched the “Cops” parody show, “Reno 911.”
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All these assertions appear in a 2017 affidavit Kelly submitted as part of a termination lawsuit filed by former Memorial Villages officer Greg DeFrancesco. Kelly also logged the allegations in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces and administers civil rights lawsuits against workplace discrimination.
Ray Viada, who represented Memorial Villages in the civil lawsuit by DeFrancesco that was dismissed by a Harris County judge in early July, said Kelly is a former employee who left the department in good standing, but that she does not have any strong evidence to support her claims.
“What we’re left with is a ‘he-said-she-said’ situation,” he said. “It’s very easy after the fact to throw around allegations that people are using racially hostile language, but it’s difficult to disprove it.”
Viada said that Memorial Villages has not been contacted by the EEOC about any complaints and said Kelly never filed any official complaints to her supervisors while at the department. Kelly learned recently, though, that the EEOC mistakenly dismissed her original petition because of a computer error and that her case is being reviewed. If the commission deems the complaint worthy, it might then reach out to Memorial Villages as part of an inquiry.
For Kelly, remaining silent about unseemly behavior matches her personality. She says she often chose to “pick her battles” at Memorial Villages for fear of losing job credibility in the future.
“Every time I heard wetback or [the n-word] or whatever, [if] every time I wrote a statement, that would be in my file,” Kelly said in an interview with the Houston Press. She worried a future employer might see those complaints and think of her negatively. “I would’ve been stuck at Memorial Villages.”
Kelly finally submitted a written statement to her supervisor in November 2012 after an officer asked her to watch a video on YouTube of a white woman calling
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America. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN 0-472-06806-7. ^ Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitaire.
Bibliography [ edit ]But supporters have donated $440,000 to the eatery via fundraising page
More than $440,000 has been raised for an Indiana pizzeria that said it would refuse to serve gay marriage ceremonies under new religious freedom laws after it was reportedly forced to close its doors.
Kevin O’Connor, who owns Memories Pizza in the small town of Walkerton, told reporters he has temporarily shut the restaurant's doors after he received abusive phone calls and was trolled online.
A contributor from Glenn Beck's The Blaze set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe for the pizzeria, with a goal of helping 'the family stave off the burdensome cost of having the media parked out front, activists tearing them down, and no customers coming in'.
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Shuttered: Memories Pizza in Indiana, whose owners Crystal and Kevin O'Connor (pictured) said they would refuse to cater a gay wedding, has closed its doors after being abused over the phone and online
Family business: The pizza joint had been in operation for nine years before closing today, according to TMZ, although the O'Connors say the move is only temporary while the dust settles
Controversy: The O'Connors made their comments a week after the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed, forbidding state or local government from'substantially 'burdening' a person's right to their beliefs
The news comes a week after Indiana passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics say will allow businesses to openly discriminate against gays, and just two days after his daughter told a local news station they would refuse to serve a gay marriage ceremony.
Speaking to ABC57 on Tuesday, Crystal O'Connor said: 'If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no.’
The comments sparked fierce debate after they were published, and now TMZ is reporting that the pizzeria has closed its doors until the dust settles.
According to the gossip site, O'Connor also tried to clarify his views, saying he would never refuse to serve gay customers, but as a Christian he disagrees with gay marriage, and so would refuse to serve a same-sex wedding.
However, it is not all bad news for Memories, as supporters have hit back, raising more than $440,000 for the embattled owners via a fundraising page in just one day.
Lawrence Jones, a contributor for the show Dana, hosted by Dana Loesch, organized the page to coincide with a Wednesday phone interview with Crystal O'Connor.
The pizza joint has been in operation for nine years. The interior of the old-fashioned eatery is adorned with crosses and bible quotes.
Just outside the pizzeria, a signs states that the staff begin each morning with a prayer.
'We are a Christian establishment,' Crystal O’Connor confirmed, but pointed out that their business practices are not biased.
‘We're not discriminating against anyone, that's just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything,’ insisted O'Connor.
Two thumbs down: The pizzeria's Yelp page was targeted by those who disagreed with the O'Connors' statements, attracting hundreds of one star reviews
Several reviewers invoked Adolf Hitler and the KKK in their eviscerating assessments of the pizzeria
When Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last week, the O’Connor family in Walkerton applauded his decision.
The measure prohibits state and local government from ‘substantially burdening’ the ability of people — including businesses — to follow their religious beliefs.
Pence said in a statement last Thursday that the bill ensures ‘religious liberty is fully protected under Indiana law.’
Critics of the legislation said it could allow discrimination against gay people, but its supporters claimed the bill merely seeks to prevent the government from compelling people to provide such things as catering or photography for same-sex weddings or other activities they find objectionable on religious grounds.
Crystal O’Connor, of Memories Pizza, dismissed discrimination concerns, saying the law is not targeting gays - it merely helps people that have strong religious beliefs.
She added that as a devout Christian, she does not support same-sex marriage – a conviction shared by her father.
He said: ‘That lifestyle is something they choose. I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head to go along with something they choose?’
Divisive bill: Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last week
The pizzeria owners made it clear that if a gay couple came to the restaurant, they would not deny them service - they simply would not cater a same-sex reception.
The story of a small-town pizza joint backing a divisive piece of legislation has sparked backlash online, with people from across the country leaving strongly worded comments on the restaurant’s Facebook account.
Before the comments were broadcast, the eatery had just two reviews on Yelp, but as of today it has nearly 700, with an average of just two stars.
The picture section of the review page has also been swamped with images, some of which contain explicit content, supporting homosexuality and gay rights.
Public outcry: Critics of the legislation said it could allow discrimination against gay people
Demonstrators gather outside the City County Building on March 30 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The group called on the state house to roll back the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act
One five-star review, written from the point of view of 'Adolf. H,' stated: ‘Memories Pizza had been recommended to me by my buddy Herman years ago - and his praise was well deserved.
‘The largely Aryan ownership manages their subhuman staff quite well. No y*** or q****s to speak of and the tomato sauce was pretty decent for canned.’
User Marco V. wrote in his review in part: 'You don't want sinners coming into your business? guess what? We are all sinners.'
The review was accompanied by a meme of Crystal O'Connor with a speech bubble that read: 'Jesus said bigotry is great for sales!'
Many Yelpers mocked Ms O’Connor’s suggestion that anyone would want to order pizza for their wedding reception.
'As a pizza loving lesbian - I would NEVER serve pizza at my wedding. Morons,' fumed Laura D from Long Beach, New York.
Another critic of the Walkerton establishment joked that their discriminatory practices did not go far enough.
A sign reading 'This business serves everyone' is placed in the window of Bernadette's Barbershop in downtown Lafayette, Indiana March 31, 2015. The store is one of several who display such stickers
‘I’m ANGRY and will never order pizza from these people again because they're simply not discriminatory enough! I mean, just "gays"? What about anyone who works on Sundays (Leviticus 23:3)? People who wear makeup (Jeremiah 4:30)? Hungry people (Proverbs 23:2)? Men without beards (Leviticus 19:27)? Tattooed people (Leviticus 19:28)? People who eat shellfish (Leviticus 11:10)? People with messy hair (Leviticus 10:6)? New mothers (Leviticus 12:4-5)? Psychics or mediums (Leviticus 20:27)?’
A small number of people have come to the O’Connors' defense amid an avalanche of negative comments.
Lori Childers wrote on the eatery’s Facebook page: ‘God Bless you for standing up for your rights, its YOUR business and you should run it however you see fit. Sick of LBGT denying me of my God given rights. Go find another store to shop at or hey open your own store.......’
Governor Pence addressed the backlash against the bill in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece published Monday, writing that he abhors discrimination.
'If I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn’t eat there anymore,' he said.
However, the GOP official noted that the new law reflects not only federal law, but also legislations passed by 30 states.Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world
Ellen Page has spoken about how she felt compelled to come out, after securing a role as a lesbian character.
The Juno actress came out in an emotional speech to the Human Rights Campaign in February 2014 – within weeks of casting for the drama Freeheld being announced.
The film is based on the true story of New Jersey police officer Laurel Hester – and Hester’s battle while terminally ill to make sure her partner Stacie Andree receives survivor pension benefits, as their relationship wasn’t recognised.
Speaking to Out Magazine, Ellen Page revealed that early in the process, she had to confront her own closeted state.
She said: “I remember thinking, Ellen, how in God’s name could you make this film and not be out?”
“What’s interesting to me is how long it took to make the movie — for it to finally come together — and how my internal progression toward coming out was naturally in line with it.
“Stacie and Laurel’s story is incredibly inspiring and did take a lot of courage, particularly in a time of such unimaginable difficulty.
“It really did make me go, Dude, just tell people you’re gay. Just get over yourself, honestly, and support those who are not as privileged.
“It’s like, You have fucking privilege, so do something with it.”
The actress has since become an ardent campaigner for LGBT rights.
She recently attended a Pride parade in Jamaica – where gay people face prison and risk violence from vigilante mobs.
Page later confronted another bigot – notoriously anti-gay Republican Presidential wannabe Ted Cruz.
Read the full interview in Out Magazine. Freeheld is released on October 2. Watch the full trailer below:President Trump said on Thursday that he did not know hurricanes could be rated as high as a Category 5 after his visit to Florida, which is reeling from Hurrican Irma's devastation.
"I never even knew a category five existed," the president told reporters at the White House.
Trump was commenting on his visit to South Florida on Thursday, during which he met with victims of Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in the state on Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane.
Hurricane Irma was a Category 5 hurricane for three days and three hours, the second-longest for any storm on record.
The storm wreaked havoc on the Caribbean before continuing to Florida.
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"It's been a rough time for Florida," Trump said, adding that his administration did an "A plus job" responding to the storm and its aftermath.
The president earlier on Thursday said that there have been bigger storms than Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, dismissing the notion that climate change played any part in the powerful storms.
Climatologists have said that while climate change didn’t cause the two monster storms, it likely exacerbated them and made them stronger.For the past few months me and a friend have been severely bitten by the RepRap bug, 5 months later,and after having built 4 different printers (1 kit, 3 self-sourced) and having done quite a lot of research and testing we thought we'd share on the forums with a bit of a review of the build process for a Mendel90 and hopefully incite some discussion about the design in general.Firstly, a big thank-you to Nophead, we LOVE this design, when building one the amount of thought that has gone into this design really shows. The only real way to experience this is to put one together - everything just makes excellent design sense. I especially recommend his blog post entitled Mendel90 axes [ hydraraptor.blogspot.co.uk First thing we noticed was how much more easily built this machine is than a threaded rod design. The 4 sheets fix together in a jiffy and the axes simply screw onto those. No aligning needed, no spinning nuts hundreds of mm along stud, no putting the frame together then realising you forgot a washer somewhere so have to take it all down to get it on. Things fix to and come off the sheets in seconds, all you have to get precisely right is a few simply right angled cuts. This also makes modding/maintaining/making changes really fast and easy.Faults are quite easily found, you can get your head right in the machine with the open frame and see what's really going on.The sheet also makes routing cabling really trivial, just screw it down to the sheets with printed clips as you like. It also means adding bits, mounting PCBs etc is similarly trivial. We intend to add a click-encoder and LCD screen controller in time, placing parts like this is dead simple.The use of ribbon cable is fantastic! Do go for the proper multi-core rainbow coloured stuff, it takes a shocking amount of current (2A/strand) and makes organising what wires go where almost pleasurable! It loops really nicely to the moving axes and seems to enforce its own minimum bend radius quite nicely.What to make the sheets of is an interesting question. We started with 12mm MDF, this works well mechanically, very strong!We seal our MDF sheets with MDF sealant, and add a coat of paint to make it pretty. All fine, but all those coats of paint and dry time adds a non-trivial amount of effort. We looked at acrylic/plexiglass sheet, its certainly pretty, but it scratches, cracks and splits from experience. It is also very expensive compared to MDF. We've been looking at various sheet materials and been to some sheet plastic warehouses, what we have identified and are switching to is rigid pressed PVC sheeting (9mm), this is incredibly durable feeling stuff, super rigid and strong. It should take woodscrews with a pilot hole for a very strong hold, or can be tapped for machine screws. It's also heavy, which is a double edged sword with regards to portability vs stability. Price is quite good, we can get 4-5 machines out of an £80 sheet, so £16-20 a machine.With regards to the printed parts, some could be quite challenging if you struggle with bridges - the X-motor-mount has some pretty big bridges going on. We printed our machines in PLA and this works just fine, even though I think nophead had ABS in mind. We sliced all our parts with slic3r, there were some issues, but I don't regret going slic3r over skeinforge.Caveats! - The tiny parts that clamp the belt to the Y-Belt-Anchors are non-manifold according to slic3r, at least in the STL supplied in the 'printed' folder of the mendel branch from github. - They slice wrongly, and somehow seem to 'infect' other parts in the plate. This is solved by printing them separately from their individual STLs and not the supplied plates. No big deal, but odd? Is this a slic3r bug or a bad SCAD export?Secondly, slic3r 0.8.4 handles holes and insides of arcs etc differently it seems, making holes smaller. This manifests itself quite insidiously and subtly - causing the inside of the C-clamp that holds the Z axis LM8UU's to be printed slightly too tight. - This in turn causes the LM8UU to sit slightly too spaced away from the nut-trap, which makes the Z-Threaded-rods and the Z silver steel sit out of parallel, slightly. This problem took a long time to track down!We have switched from M8 Stud for the Z axis to M5 stud, this lets us couple the 5mm motor shaft to the M5 stud with just some vinyl tubing pushed over each and tightened with a jubilee clip. This gives great flexible coupling and eliminates Z wobble. It also gives you more E-steps/mm on Z at the expense of feedrate.Due to nophead using slightly different homing setup on his custom electronics we have rearranged the endstops a little, to get the home position to be bottom-left-front as most reprap software expects. We do this by arranging the Y bar clamps so the switch is at the back. and we have taken then homing switch off the X-motor-housing, and added a place for it on the X-Idler. We'll get the STLs for this little mod on thingiverse soon.Out of cheapness/convenience we have consolidated fixing hardware to pozi-drive pan head machine screws and strayed from the prescribed BOM a little. Some things are a little awkward to do up, but its quite manageable really. One change we did have to make due to this stems from the fact that it is impossible to do up the bar-clamp of the X-ends nearest the frame. To get around this we just drilled an 8mm hole through the gantry through which you can poke a screwdriver to reach the screw that tightens that bar-clamp.Right, it's getting late, and that's all I can think of!Next post will be on our hot-end - All metal, no PTFE/PEEK, just brass, A2 stainless and aluminium, very strong, simple and should hit obscene temperatures for polycarbonate etc. It's a beauty!Welcome!!
Welcome to Audax Australia! Australia’s long distance cycling club.
Whether you like a long open bitumen road through the countryside, a hilly gravel road through forest, or a bit of each, we’ve got the ride for you. Check out our online calendar of events for what’s on near you.
And to understand the different kinds of rides we offer, check out our Ride Types.
There’s always a challenge in Audax Australia. Dare yourself to become a Super Randonneur – go for a Super Series comprising each of a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km Brevets Randonneur Mondiaux in the riding year 1 November to 31 October. That will earn you a special French Audax Club Parisien medallion (or an Audax Australia one) and qualify you to purchase the exclusive Audax Australia Super Randonneur’s jersey.
And, if you’ve got in mind the world-famous Paris‑Brest‑Paris 1200 km event held by Audax Club Parisien every four years, Audax Australia will help you get ready...
For further info, you can also use the contacts page to find someone relevant like National Committee members or the Regional President or Rides Co‑ordinator in your Region, or check out our Facebook page.Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks.
VERY, very slowly an old lady with a walking stick creeps along the street. Sitting in the shade four more tell me that they have just been to the funeral of the youngest of their friends. She loved to sing at parties, they say. Three of the four have children and most of them have left Montana, this north-western Bulgarian town. They have gone to work in Bulgaria's capital Sofia, 130kms to the south, or abroad. Life is “misery” says one of the ladies and, all talking at once, they compete to tell me just how awful it is.
Their pensions range from €110 to €140 a month. One has a daughter who works in Germany, looking after Russian speaking pensioners. “She sings to them.” Another has a daughter who works for a family in Greece but her pay has just been cut. “But she still has a job.” The daughter of another worked for 20 years in Moscow but is now back and unemployed. “Life is getting harder every day,” says Margarita Rangelova, aged 82.
And for many in Montana, there is not much prospect of life getting better any time soon. As in much of Bulgaria the population is shrinking, ageing and changing. According to Bulgaria's censuses, in 1985 its population was 8.94m. By 1992 Bulgaria's population was 8.48m, in 2001 it was 7.92m and by last year it had shrunk again to 7.36m. Bulgarians have few children. As many as one million of them are working abroad.
Bulgaria's north-western region is one of the poorest in the European Union. In the last decade the town of Montana has lost 11% of its population but the wider municipality lost 18.7%. Across Bulgaria only populations of Sofia and coastal Varna have grown significantly.
According to Zlatko Zhivkov, the mayor of Montana, most of those who have gone abroad for work have left for Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany. Some do seasonal work so they come and go, but they are all an important source of money here. The crisis is hurting. Mr Zhivkov guesses that as many as one third of the region's migrants have come home because they have lost their jobs abroad.
Unemployment in Montana today is about 10%, which is close to the national average says Mr Zhivkov. In the few good years before the downturn in 2008, it dropped to 7-8%. He points out phlegmatically that, when he became mayor in 1999, unemployment was 24%. “During the 1990s things were much more difficult than now.”
Montana is neat and tidy, if a little crumbly and run-down. Life is tough, but the last decade coupled with membership of the EU has brought investment and some jobs. Montana is home to several factories including three that work for Swedish giant IKEA, one that makes car batteries and one that makes bikes. Yet with average monthly wages in the range of €250-€300 it is hardly surprising that those who have the opportunity go abroad or opt for better paid work in Sofia.
It takes fifteen minutes to drive to the nearby village of Studeno Buche. A young teenage girl stands forlornly by the side of the road. She is not waiting for a bus. Another girl who seems to be Roma spots my car and turns to wiggle her bottom furiously wearing only a top and underpants.
In the village a few bored teenagers sit on the steps of the village hall. Nearby a large school building is locked and its grassy playing field overgrown. It opened in 1884 but closed in 2008. Since then the dwindling number of children have been bussed to school in Montana every day. The high school lasted longer than the junior school, which closed its doors already in 2002.
According to Petar Petrov, the mayor, the village had 1,756 people in 1956. Thanks to Communist era industrialisation there were only 530 people left by 1989 as people had moved to work in Montana and other towns. Now the village has 456 souls and their average age is 55. “I suffer because there are only old people here,” says Mr Petrov.
In Communist times as many as 60 people worked in the village pig farm. Now, says Mr Petrov, “it looks like Nagasaki and Hiroshima.” Only the foundations are left. In the 1990s the pig farm was privatised. The man who bought it sold the equipment, closed it down and then sold the land. A few weeks ago a solar energy farm opened here. Lines of brand new solar panels gleam behind a high fence. But no one here is celebrating the arrival of this new enterprise which will help the country reach renewable energy targets mandated by the EU. As the mayor notes, the new farm only employs one local.
An old man with no teeth cycles past. His wife, aged 56, left for Germany last month to look for a job. Vanesa, a Roma girl aged 19, is not studying and has no job. Krassen, who is aged 17, is still at school but says, “I have no doubt I will leave Bulgaria because in other countries there is work and life is different from here.” Vanesa chips in that “everyone wants to leave.”
Studeno Buche is not only ageing it is changing. All of the 13 children who are taken every day to junior school in Montana are Roma. With no ethnic Bulgarians being born here the village will continue to shrink. Its make up will be different. In Montana too there is a similar trend, according to the mayor. Every year about 700 die and 700 are born but Roma, who now make up 12.7% of its people, account for 20% of births.
Roma account for 4.9% of the Bulgarian population. According to the 2011 census 23.2% of Roma between the ages of 7 and 15 don't go to school compared to 5.6% of ethnic Bulgarians.
A Bulgarian pun means “north-western region” can also mean, “northern falling down region”. It is not all grim up north though. A huge new rail and road bridge across the Danube from Vidin, which is 50 kilometres north of here, to Calafat in Romania, could be completed at the end of the year. It will open up a major new European transport artery in what has long been a relatively isolated corner of the country and the region.OTTAWA—The Conservative government should show its commitment to “victims” of prostitution and help them exit the sex trade by erasing the criminal records of all prostitutes convicted in the past 30 years, a Commons committee heard Thursday. The novel recommendation to amend Bill C-36 by wiping past records emerged on the fourth and last day of hearings into the anti-prostitution bill.
York Chief of Police Eric Jolliffe said the York police haven’t laid any charges in the past five years against sex workers for communicating for the purposes of soliciting. ( Toronto Star file photo )
It came, surprisingly, not as a challenge from one of many opponents to the bill but from a staunch supporter of the Conservative government’s abolitionist approach. Kate Quinn of the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation said the move would be a “great breath of hope” and help those whose travels, education, job applications or volunteer efforts are hindered by carrying a criminal record under the anti-soliciting law passed 30 years ago by Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservative government. Quinn told Commons justice committee MPs they should provide an amnesty mechanism for past convictions under Section 213 of the Criminal Code.
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“Remove this burden from their shoulders and welcome them into Canadian society,” Quinn said. “We’d like to see a whole different approach, with the intent of this bill, to recognize vulnerabilities and exploitation” said Quinn, testifying via videoconference from Glasgow. “We would like to see us go one step further and just expunge those records.” Her suggestion was immediately welcomed by Liberal MP Sean Casey as “frankly very refreshing.” He pointed out the Conservative government has made record suspensions — formerly known as pardons — more expensive to obtain, with longer waiting times and more restrictions on who qualifies. All other witnesses on the same panel backed the recommendation. Communicating for the purposes of prostitution was one of three prostitution laws the Supreme Court of Canada declared unconstitutional last December.
It has, however, been rewritten by the Conservatives in Bill C36 — a bill that overhauls the entire legal regime governing adult consensual prostitution-related activity. The same bill also toughens measures against human trafficking and child sexual exploitation — offences the government views as linked to prostitution but were not affected by December’s Bedford ruling, as it’s known. The bill targets the buyers of sex — the “johns” and pimps — but it still criminalizes prostitutes who impede traffic and prohibits prostitutes from communicating to sell sexual services in a public place “where children may reasonably expected to be present.”
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Only two other near-unanimous recommendations emerged out of four days of intense and often impassioned testimony: that the $20 million over five years in federal money for exit programs is “woefully inadequate,” as Calgary’s police chief said. And nearly every one of the more than 70 witnesses who appeared advised the Conservative government to drop the bill’s criminalization of prostitutes who communicate in a public place “where children may reasonably expected to be present.” It is seen as overly broad likely to drive prostitutes into remote or isolated locations where their safety will be endangered — the very working condition that the Supreme Court of Canada denounced in its Bedford ruling. The committee will consider possible amendments to the bill when it begins clause-by-clause study next Tuesday.Trump said that he would drain the swamp and much to the surprise of his detractors, he appears committed to his campaign pledges. Comey’s unceremonious but well-deserved firing was a warning shot across the bow, and it appears that former National Security Advisor to Obama, Susan Rice, has heard the shot loud and clear.
For the record, let's be very clear here. Regardless what nonsense the Democrats or the mainstream media will be spouting in the coming days ahead (and there will be plenty of it), make no mistake, it will all be pure B.S., and it will all be in an attempt to distract Americans from what is easily going to be the largest scandal in our nation's history…
In the following video, Right Wing News looks at reports which claim that Rice is now seeking immunity in exchange for spilling the beans on higher ups. The stakes are high for Rice; she stands accused of ordering illegal wiretaps on Trump and disseminating the information to journalists, a very serious offence. If someone as high up as Rice testifies, who will she implicate?
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Will the media learn anything from their biased reporting of the Jussie Smollett story? * Yes, they've gotten so much wrong recently that they're bound to be on their best behavior. No, they suffer from a bad case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Jussie who?
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Tea Party.org reports:
The recent firing of former FBI Director James Comey has put many Democrats on notice. Now, the lawyers for another former top official in the Obama administration are seeking immunity for their client.
Susan Rice, the former National Security Advisor to Obama, is now seeking a way to testify without facing the music herself. Rice’s lawyers have approached the FBI with the idea that Rice, who stands accused of ordering illegal wiretaps on journalists and President Donald Trump, with spill the beans so long as she’s free from a major criminal investigation, via Infowars.
Ever since the scandal has come to light, Rice has tried to avoid the glare of the interrogator’s light.For instance, she refused to testify before the Senate during their investigation into the Russian hacking conspiracy, via CNN.
On other counts, Rice has attempted to clear her own name by giving supposedly candid interviews to “serious” journalists.
In each interview, the fact that Rice is a compulsive liar comes through time and time again, via FOX News.
Rice has a reason to be evasive. The House is currently looking into whether or not Rice ordered the NSA to spy on Donald Trump and his team before the inauguration. According to some evidence, all of this was done with foreign intelligence services as cover, via Washington Times.
If convicted, Rice could face serious jail time. With immunity, she may name bigger names than herself.
Now, with Comey gone, the investigation into Rice and her cronies looks likely to continue. One of the major reasons why Rice is seeking immunity now is because, without Comey, the FBI no longer serves the interests of the Democratic Party.
Rice’s testimony could implicate people like Hillary Clinton, Loretta Lynch, or even Obama himself. From the emails that have been leaked by WikiLeaks, it is clear that former AG Lynch tried everything in her power to stop the investigation into Clinton from proceeding too far.
Similarly, the defeated Clinton campaign launched the Russian hacking theory a mere 24 hours after the final election results. This means that they may have been involved in espionage to find evidence for their claims, via Breitbart.
In a perfect world, Rice would be forced to testify without immunity. However, if her testimony can finally bring down Clinton, Lynch, and Obama, then that is good enough for us.
Keep draining that swamp.
The following video is included for anyone who did not have a chance to see the actual showdown between Trey Gowdy and what began as a very smug FBI Director, James Comey. You can click HERE for a link to PART 2 of the same showdown.
Since some of what the two men discuss in PART 2 is repetitive, It's not necessary to watch the whole exchange, however might I recommend you pay close attention to how quickly Director Comey’s demeanor changes between the 2:20 mark and the 6:00 mark. He looks as if he belongs in a commercial for Depends Diapers, rather than on Capital Hill.
Article posted with permission from The Last Great StandA Michigan appeals court ruled Tuesday that Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein should never have been allowed to demand a recount in the state, setting the stage for continuing legal battles as the recount gets underway.
The Michigan Court of Appeals released a 3-0 opinion declaring the state Board of Canvassers should never have permitted Stein’s recount to proceed, The Associated Press reported.
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Stein is not an “aggrieved candidate” under state law, it said, having received just over 1 percent of the vote on Election Day.
The recount will proceed for the time being, but the court ordered the state election board to deny Stein's recount petition. The board meets on Wednesday.
And the Michigan Republican Party will file a motion late Tuesday with the judge who ordered the recount to begin Monday to dissolve his recount order, a spokeswoman told the Detroit Free Press.
“We’ll be making that motion and expect that recount will be stopped,” Sarah Anderson said of the recount order.
However, an almost simultaneous ruling from a federal court found in a 2-1 opinion that U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith “did not abuse [his] discretion” in ruling the recount should begin Monday instead of Wednesday. However, it did not weigh in on the merits of Stein's case.
“If subsequently, the Michigan courts determine the... recount is improper under Michigan state law for any reason, we expect the district court to entertain any properly filed motions to dissolve or modify this order in the case,” the 6th Circuit Court said.
“[We] did not decide that there is a freestanding constitutional right to a recount or that plaintiffs validly invoked a recount under Michigan law, or that plaintiffs should necessarily prevail on the merits of this suit.”
The 6th Circuit added it only found Stein and a Michigan voter would have suffered “irreparable harm” if the recount were not started in time to conclude before a Dec. 13 deadline.
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Schuette told the Free Press that there was "no conflict" between the two decisions, but that Schuette would be filing a motion to dissolve the federal court's order.
Stein has filed for recounts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin following President-elect 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 surprising victories there last month.
Trump narrowly defeated Democratic presidential nominee 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 in all three states, which have typically gone blue in past election cycles.Kurt Cehak is one of four people who live in Port Neville, B.C. He’s spent the past four years making his own electricity and living “off the grid” alone in his wood cabin. But he wants to point out he’s not a “hermit who hates people.”
Instead, he uses his lifestyle as an example: “I think more people could benefit from the idea of making do with what you need, rather than what you want.”
Cehak, 64, lives off the Johnstone Strait, nearly 22 kilometres from the nearest town (and 200 kilometres from the bright lights of Vancouver).
Using recycled materials, he built his cabin himself on 10 acres of land, about a kilometre away from his nearest neighbour. He relies on a collection of solar panels for energy.
With about eight hours of sunlight, the panels will fully charge the battery Cehak uses to power his home. A full battery could keep his lights on for about a week or two. But other devices, like his laptop and fridge, could drain it in just a few hours.
To keep things running smoothly — especially during the darker winter months — Cehak has learned to budget his light between things he needs and things he wants.
“To me, solar power isn’t a moral issue — it’s a creative issue,” he told The Huffington Post B.C. in a phone interview. “It’s living within your light means. What would you do with the sunlight you’ve got?
“I have to make those decisions all the time.”
Story continues below slideshow:
Photo gallery Canadians Live Off The Grid See Gallery More Canadians Are Living 'Off The Grid' Than You Think 1 / 10
Canadians Live Off The Grid 1 / 10
All across the country, Canadians like Cehak are voluntarily disconnecting from their local power grids, and happily making their own electricity by harnessing natural resources instead.
Ethnographer Phillip Vannini says learning how to live within our natural-energy means is an idea we should all get comfortable with.
Vannini, a professor at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C., partnered with award-winning photojournalist Jonathan Taggart to create the “Life Off Grid” documentary, which profiles Canadians living "off the grid."
“I was wondering what it’s like today to live in the way that we may all need to live tomorrow, relying on renewables,” Vannini said. “I wanted to see if it was actually that scary.”
The pair met 200 people who adapted to life off the grid in their own distinctive ways.
“If you have a lot of money, I could walk into your house and not know you were off the grid. There were people who live very, very comfortably,” Vannini said. “On the other end of the spectrum, there was the inventiveness of the people who didn’t have that cash.”
'Life Off Grid' trailer from Jonathan Taggart on Vimeo.
For many of those people, it was often just
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address, the Ayatollah tried to bring together the global Islamic community by identifying common enemies — in this case Saudi Arabia and the Sunni Arabs as well as India. Khamenei also tried to revive the old Muslim versus Jew divide by bringing up the Palestine issue as the reason for a full fledged Islamic jihad against Israel. "Palestine is the first important issue of the Muslim world. According to the Islamic Fiqh (jurisprudence), when an enemy dominates Muslim lands, Jihad is the duty of all, in any form possible. Today, the fight against the Zionist regime is obligatory for the Muslim world. Why do some abandon this job?"His question is interesting, because in the Middle East political cauldron, the old Arab versus Israel battle no longer holds. For that matter, the Palestine cause has flagged in recent times, as the Islamic world has found itself convulsed in revolutions and extremist Islamist groups wreaking havoc from Iraq and Libya to Afghanistan and beyond.Iran is part of the big sectarian war currently under way in the Middle East, which explains Khamenei’s reference to Yemen and Bahrain — these are territories Iran would like to bring within its sphere of influence and where they are engaged in a bitter battle with Saudi Arabia-led alliance.In his speech he said, “The enemy uses ethnic, religious and geographical excuses to sow discord. Conflict and division are detrimental to Islam and the Muslim Nation; on the other hand, togetherness of Islamic countries and avoiding the use of force against each other is in accordance with divine wisdom and in the interest of all Islamic countries."Bringing Kashmir into this could mean a number of things.First, it could be an attempt to draw Islamic attention on Kashmir and India. That would be surprising. In 1994, Iran braved opposition from other Muslim countries to take India’s side on Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Commission.Second, it could be an indirect reference to a growing convergence between New Delhi and Riyadh, that would be a source of concern to Tehran, which has traditionally enjoyed very close ties. But in the present international context, Iran and India are currently fighting over a gas field, while India’s signature projects are going slow in Iran.Thirdly, while the India-Israel relationship has been growing for a while, the forthcoming Modi visit to Israel is not unnoticed in Tehran.Khamenei’s statement, unfortunately, comes on the day Modi and Trump are scheduled to meet in Washington. Trump has openly come out against Iran, taking sides in the Middle East battle between Tehran and Riyadh.Transcript
GEN. TAGON: Here he is. How are you feeling, boy?
TAGON: I'll be fine. Just need a little nap.
GEN. TAGON: He needs a medic. He took a knife to the eye, deep. I think he's bleeding into his brain.
EBBY: There's an enemy platoon between us and our medic right now. We're cut off.
GEN. TAGON: If you've got a nanny-bag, "cut off" is probably the way to go.
TAGON: No.
TAGON: We're on desperate ground. We can't afford to carry wounded. Fix me, or leave me.
EBBY: Captain, if you're bleeding in your brain you need more than some tape and a slap on the butt. You need micro-surgery, tiny sutures, precisely applied...
Tiny sutures...
TAILOR: Oh, no.
EBBY: Tiny, precise stitching...
TAILOR: I'm a clothier, not a doctor.
EBBY: Yeah, but you can sew. I think I know enough xenoanatomy to point you at the right blood vessels.
EBBY: We can do this. It's not... ummm...
TAILOR: "It's not rocket science?"
EBBY: Exactly. It's not rocket science.The author Lady Colin Campbell claims cook Marguerite Rodiere gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth in an arrangement described as “an early version of surrogacy”.
She alleges that the practice was not unusual among the upper classes at that time and came about because her own mother Cecilia, who already had eight children, was unable to have any more.
This explains the nickname “Cookie” given to the Queen Mother by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Lady Colin says.
It also suggests why the Queen Mother, born the Honourable Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes Lyon, was given a French middle name, it is claimed.
The theory is set out in Lady Colin's latest book - The Queen Mother, The untold story of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, Who became Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother – which hits shelves next month.
She writes: “Royal and aristocratic circles had been alight for decades with the story that Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, while undoubtedly the daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, was not the child of his wife Cecilia, nor was her younger brother David, born nearly two years after her on 2nd May, 1902.
“The two Benjamins, as they were known in the Bowes Lyon family (in a Biblical allusion to the brother of Joseph, who was himself the product of a coupling between his father and his mother’s maid) were supposedly the children of Marguerite Rodiere, an attractive and pleasant Frenchwoman who had been the cook at St Paul’s Waldenbury and is meant to have provided Lord and Lady Glamis with the two children they so yearned for after Cecilia was forbidden by her doctors from producing any more progeny.
“Hence the nickname of Cookie, which the Duke and Duchess of Windsor took care to promulgate throughout international society once Elizabeth proved herself to be their most formidable enemy.”
The timing of its publication was yesterday condemned by royal experts as the Queen held a service of remembrance on Friday for her mother to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.
Hugo Vickers, an historian who has written a biography of the Queen Mother, told the Daily Mail: “I do not think it very nice at all to be promulgating these kind of theories at this time.
“Lady Colin Campbell has been pushing this bizarre theory for some time in conversations etc. and I have to say I think it is complete nonsense.”
Royal author Michael Thornton added: “I utterly disbelieve this claim on her part. It is bound to distress the Queen.”Lord of Apocalypse Will Launch With The Same Price on PSP and PS Vita
Giuseppe Nelva October 3, 2011 12:30:03 AM EST
Despite clear signsals of the opposite many still wonder if PS Vita games will cost more than PSP ones. Lord of Apocalypse from Square Enix confirms once more that the price point of games for the PS Vita is exactly the same as that of games for the PSP.
The game will cost 5980 yen on physical format (UMD for the PSP and card for the Vita) and 4980 yen of downloaded from the PSN on both platforms. Early buyers will also receive a card that can be used in the arcade card game Lord of Vermillion 2.
If you want to import the Japanese version, the equivalent in green bills with George Washington’s face is $78.04 dollars and $64.99. As usual remember that Japanese prices are much higher because of the beefier local wages and cost of living, and that’s the standard price for new PSP games in Japan. If it’ll be ever localized in the West those prices will be almost sliced in half.
There you have it, worrywarts. So far all the PS Vita games the prices of which have been made public cost the same as their PSP counterparts. Software Publishers are always out for the cold hard content of your wallets, but in this case not too much.The trial in the case of three Occupy activists known as the “NATO 3,” who face terrorism and other felony conspiracy charges, began in Chicago today.
Brian Church, 22, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jared Chase, 29, of Keene, New Hampshire, and Brent Betterly, 25, who lived in Massachusetts, were arrested days before a NATO summit in Chicago on May 16, 2012. The state alleged they were plotting to “destroy police cars and attack four Chicago Police district stations with destructive devices, in an effort to undermine the police response to the conspirators’ other planned actions for the NATO Summit.” It suggested they were considering targeting President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign headquarters. They had allegedly made Molotov cocktails.
But defense attorneys strongly insisted the three had no intent to commit a criminally violent act and, in fact, it was two undercover police officers who had encouraged the three to consider launching attacks against targets in Chicago during the NATO summit.
During opening arguments, defense attorneys for each of the defendants highlighted a spying operation by the Chicago Police’s intelligence unit. They sent police to community group meetings, marches, bars, punk rock shows, and other public events in search of targets—”anarchists” or “black bloc.”
Nadia Chikko, one of the undercover police who infiltrated Occupy Chicago and helped the Chicago police target the NATO 3 as “Gloves,” listened to conversations for any indication of “planned criminal activity.” She listened for talk of violence and terrorism.
According to defense attorneys, Chikko and another undercover cop, Mohmet Nguyen (“Mo”), took photographs of license plates at gatherings or events with activists. They spent two months conducting surveillance prior to May 2012, when they decided to target the NATO 3.
Thomas Durkin, defense attorney for Chase, said as early as June 2011 the police were infiltrating the activist community.
The justification, Durkin read in court, was the following: “Based on an incident in Toronto attributed to black bloc and violent anarchist infiltrators” around the G20, they would monitor the activist community and uncover any “anarchists” or “black bloc” that may pose a threat to Chicago. [Note: At this point, Chicago was to host both the NATO meeting and the G8. Chicago lost the G8 in March 2012.]
A police surveillance operation spent 15 hours casing a house in April. Police traveled to Milwaukee when Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave a speech. To Durkin, this was all about finding “black bloc people.”
Sarah Gelsomino, defense attorney for Church, spoke about recordings of the defendants. Both “Mo” and “Gloves” wore wires when targets had been selected. They recorded their conversations, which Gelsomino alleged show they were on a “mission.”
Not only did they persistently ask defendants about what they planned to do, as if they had developed plans for attacks already, but the undercover cops apparently offered Church, who was twenty years-old at the time, beer. For many of the conversations the defendants had with the cops on their plans, they were terribly drunk.
It was “Mo” and “Gloves,” Gelsomino said, that encouraged the “NATO 3” to be “more militant” and engage in “much more direct action.” The NATO 3 could not even find Obama’s campaign headquarters. They were too drunk to go out and do reconnaissance, she claimed.
Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Thrun, in contrast, said “Mo” and “Gloves” had been “two good young officers.” They were asked to “help keep the city safe” during the NATO meeting. They found three men from out of town who “wanted to set fire to the ultimate image of law and order”—a police officer. They later allegedly filled four glass bottles with gasoline, which the state believes would have been used against police.
“Are you ready to see a police officer on fire?” Thrun claimed one of the defendants had said. [Note: Police wear flame retardant clothing.]
The three men had brought weapons to the city, including tactical vests and gas masks. They went to meetings so they could get information on the local area and decide what to target. They “disguised themselves as protesters.”
But, who really “disguised themselves as protesters”? It seems like the undercover police that were spying on the entire activist community in Chicago were the ones who put on a disguise. And, through this infiltration, they were targeting the First Amendment activities of citizens in the city.
It was not just the police who were searching for potential troublemakers. The FBI and Secret Service worked with the Chicago police “hand-in-glove,” according to Chicago Police Department Chief Garry McCarthy.
Yet, the federal government is not prosecuting this case. They are not going after individuals who Durkin referred to as “people who never really had a chance.” They aren’t prosecuting people who had been struggling and found that the Occupy movement gave them a purpose in life.
Defense attorneys seem to concede the defendants were drunk and behaved irresponsibly. They said some really foul and obscene things to the undercover police, who were recording them. They were definitely things people probably should never say. However, they ask the state what evidence it has that the three men were ever going to take any violent action.
Plus, why is this a terrorism case? As Gelsomino stated, “This is not a case of terrorism at all. It does not even come close.”
The answer, Durkin believes, has to do with the police department’s budget. Nearly $200 million was to be cut as the city tried to figure out how it was going to pay for the security expenses incurred from hosting the NATO meeting.
The pressure to find some domestic terrorism suspects ahead of the NATO meeting in order to justify the immense amount of resources going into securing Chicago was huge. And, at the direction of superiors, “Mo” and “Gloves” ensured that Chicago would get the boogeymen they wanted days before the NATO meeting so they could show all security expenses were justified.
*Editor’s Note: Officer Nadia Chikko took the stand as a prosecution witness today. She was only part way through her testimony and will return to the stand tomorrow. Look for a report on her testimony after Day 2 of the proceedings.
Photo by Michael Kappel under Creative Commons licenseDEBATT | RADIO
Sveriges Radios (SR) marknadsandel av det totala radiolyssnandet är idag cirka 75 procent. Följaktligen står den kommersiella radion för bara 25 procent av lyssnandet. Den fristående radion i Sverige har haft svårt att nå samma framgång som våra motsvarigheter i andra europeiska länder. Detta beror till stor del på att vi kommersiella aktörer har för lite utrymme på FM-bandet. På många orter runt om i Sverige finns det bara två kommersiella kanaler. På platser utanför tätbebyggda områden saknas ofta helt alternativ till Sveriges Radio.
Debatt Det här är en argumenterande text med syfte att påverka. Åsikterna som uttrycks är skribentens egna.
Skulle digitalradio ha införts, vilket fram tills i höstas var huvudalternativet, så hade detta problem lösts. Då hade utrymmet i etern blivit betydligt större och kommersiell radio såväl som SR hade kunna öka sitt utbud i stort sett obegränsat. I och med att den dörren tillsvidare är stängd aktualiseras frågan om fördelningen av det begränsade utrymmet på FM-bandet.
**Det råder bred politisk enighet **om att mångfald i utbudet av medierna är ett centralt värde. Konkurrens mellan starka, och av varandra oberoende, medieaktörer anses med rätta vara eftersträvansvärt. Givet detta är det inte alls tillfredsställande att en och samma aktör har tre fjärdedelar av lyssnandet, grundat på fundamentalt bättre tekniska förutsättningar att nå lyssnarna.
Annons X
Den statliga medieutredningen skriver i sin färska PM om de offentligt finansierade medieföretagen att ”Uppdelningen i flera olika radio- och tv-kanaler kom till stånd när medielandskapet och medieanvändningen snarare präglades av utbudsbrist än, som idag, av utbudsöverflöd. (---) Inför en ny tillståndsperiod bör den nuvarande kanalorganisationen ses över, utifrån ett användarperspektiv.”
Vi instämmer i detta och vill här föreslå en enkel och radikal lösning för en bättre och mer jämlik fördelning av lyssnandet – knoppa av och sälj P3 och låt den bli en kommersiell kanal.
Härom veckan presenterade också den privata Public Service-kommissionen, som vi varit med och finansierat, ett intressant resonemang om vad som bör vara i fokus för det innehåll som de offentligt finansierade programbolagen producerar. I sin slutrapport skriver kommissionen att ”programbolagen bör avhålla sig från att producera program, tjänster och format som fristående medier redan tillhandahåller eller producerar, om inte programbolagen kan tillföra ett mervärde genom sin produktion”.
Det framstår som en mycket rimlig utgångspunkt. Vi är väl medvetna om att det finns många åsikter om på vilket sätt Public Service ska definieras och avgränsas. Men de flesta bör kunna instämma i att det är mer rimligt att offentlig finansiering går till att producera innehåll som har ett allmänintresse men som inte är kommersiellt gångbart, än att producera material som är kommersiellt gångbart och som redan produceras av andra aktörer.
Tittar vi på det som Sveriges Radio erbjuder idag så är det ganska tydligt att innehållet i P1, P2, P4 och P5 uppfyller detta. Dessa kanaler erbjuder program och musik som i stort sett inte erbjuds i den kommersiella radion och som inte heller har den karaktären att de är kommersiellt bärkraftiga.
När det gäller P3 är läget dock ett annat. Kanalens utbud är högintressant utifrån ett kommersiellt perspektiv. P3:s musikprofil, men också stora delar av kanalens redaktionella utbud, är i stor utsträckning identisk med kanaler så som Mix Megapol, NRJ och Rix FM.
Vi anser därför att det bör prövas om P3 skulle kunna knoppas av och säljas, för att sedan lyda under samma regelverk som andra kommersiella radiokanaler. P3 skulle bli radions motsvarighet till TV4. Det är i sammanhanget värt att notera att konkurrenssituationen på TV-området är en helt annan än på radioområdet. TV4 har knappt en tredjedel av tittandet medan SVT har drygt en tredjedel. Detta framstår som en sund och eftersträvansvärd balans även för radioområdet.
En avknoppning och försäljning av P3 medför flera fördelar. Bland annat skulle den generera en ordentlig försäljningsintäkt till Sveriges Radio. Vidare frigörs resurser som idag går till produktionen av P3, vilken årligen kostar hundratals miljoner, och kan nyttjas i SR:s övriga verksamhet. Detta möjliggör i sin tur en kraftfull förstärkning av det viktiga utbud som Sveriges Radio är ensamma om att producera. Mer pengar kan därmed läggas på till exempel undersökande journalistik, utrikesbevakning, fördjupande program inom politik, ekonomi och vetenskap, lokaljournalistik, kultur, drama, konstmusik, barnprogram och program på minoritetsspråk.
En försäljning av P3 skulle också skapa en bättre balans mellan de kommersiella aktörerna och Sveriges Radio vilket skulle ge hela radiobranschen ett lyft. En försäljning av P3, inklusive dess sändarnät med överlägsen täckning, skulle vidare leda till att den kommersiella radion kan erbjuda något som saknas idag – en fullt ut nationell fristående radiokanal.
Frågan har varit aktuell tidigare. Redan 2008 undersökte statens särskilda utredare Martin Holmgren idén att skapa en nationell kommersiell radiokanal, men landade till slut i att det vore för dyrt. Genom att sälja den kommersiellt gångbara kanalen P3 uppstår inga av de kostnader som Holmgrens utredning ryggade för. Istället skapas intäkter för det offentliga och licensmedel frigörs till en förstärkning av det centrala Public Serviceuppdraget.
Vi föreslår därför att regeringen tillsätter en statlig utredning med uppgift att utreda formerna för en avknoppning och försäljning av P3.
Staffan Rosell
vd, Bauer Media Group Sverige
Staffan Rosell Foto: PrivatWell, that was quick! Less than 24 hours after the first teaser images of Lexus’ Vision GT concept car were released, the full car has now been revealed.
The “LF-LC GT Vision Gran Turismo” has been crafted by CALTY, Toyota’s American-based design studio, and was inspired by the Lexus LF-LC “luxury coupe concept” and the RC F GT3 car which is to be raced in Super GT’s GT3 class this year. Although performance specifications have not yet been finalized, the car is designed to be competitive with other GT3-spec racers.
The car is set to be released in Gran Turismo 6 via free update slated for “Spring 2015”. That’s a slightly more ambiguous release window than the Alpine Vision GT, which is slated for a March, though it certainly wouldn’t be a big surprise to see both cars released at the same time.
Check out the full gallery below for all the new images:
More Posts On...Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman
Economist Paul Krugman is not one to shy away from a good fight, but he may have vexed his most passionate opponents yet last week with a blog post titled “Bitcoin is Evil.”
Krugman’s title is tounge-in-cheek. He doesn’t actually believe the cryptocurrency, which has captured the imagination of so many, is immoral or depraved. But he doesn’t see it supplanting the dollar anytime soon for the simple reason that it fails the test of what economists call a “store of value.”
According to standard economic theory, a successful currency has to be both a medium of exchange, meaning a something that is easily transferrable, divisible, and universally valued, and a a good which maintains its value reasonably well. And while Bitcoin has proven to be a pretty great medium of exchange, it’s value has swung wildly over the course of its history.
In a recent blog post at The Verge, Adrianne Jefferies questions whether this really is a problem. She writes:
“If Bitcoin is successful, it could prove that money doesn’t need to function as a stable store of value — the price of Bitcoin could jump around constantly, and in the age of the internet it’s trivial to program prices of goods and services to fluctuate with it.”
In other words, since computers programs can easily adjust the price of goods along with the value of bitcoins, the currency doesn’t have to maintain a stable store of value. But this ignores the risk businesses will take by accepting and storing their wealth in bitcoins. Businesses invested in commodities or which deal in international trade know what a pain it is to deal with the risk imposed by the rising and falling values of commodities like oil or wheat, or even small swings in the value of foreign currencies. And the price of oil or the dollar-yen exchange rate have nowhere near the volatility of bitcoins.
On December 6th and 7th of last year, the value of one bitcoin fell from $1200 to $600 in the course of 48 hours. If your business had been storing its revenue in bitcoins at that time, such a decline could have a potentially destabalizing effect on your business. Of course, businesses could decide to accept bitcoins and then quickly change them to dollars to avoid the currency’s volatility. But then this raises the question, why accept bitcoins at all?
Jefferies goes on to posit that bitcoin’s success as a means of exchange could eventually lead to its being a good store of value:
“If people believe that they will be able to buy things with Bitcoin and exchange it for other currencies indefinitely, that could convince them to use it as a store of value. Many early adopters have already put their savings into Bitcoin. And if the technology is sound and the user base is (eventually) global, that doesn’t seem that insane.”
Indeed, some theorist argue that a currency’s stability follows from being a widely used means of exchange. But this gets us back to the question: what will motivate the vast majority of users to abandon dollars and adopt bitcoins? Sure dollars slowly lose value over time through inflation, but this isn’t a problem for most of us, as it happens slowly enough that any wealth we hold on to for very long time horizons can be stored in other investments like real estate or government debt. Secondly–and most important–national governments demand we pay taxes in local currencies and back up those demands with the threat of force. As a decentralized payment system, bitcoin will never hold this same advantage.
Bitcoin is an elegant technological innovation that may find a future in niche applications, like as a means for transferring money cheaply across borders. But economists are right to be skeptical of those who hope it will supplant government-controlled fiat money. Bitcoin enthusiasts simply have not posited a believable scenario where the vast majority of us will abandon fiat money for their virtual coins.
(MORE: How Does Bitcoin Work?)Though the first PowerVR Series 6XT-equipped products have only recently launched – including the unexpectedly powerful iPad Air 2 – the development cycle for SoCs and the realities of IP licensing mean that Imagination is already focusing on GPU designs for late 2015 and beyond. Just as one design reaches consumer hands the next generation gets completed, and the SoC integration work begins.
Taking place this week are Imagination Technologies’ Chinese idc14 and Imagination Summits developer events. While Imagination holds these events in multiple countries over the year, the Chinese event is in many respects the most important from a hardware standpoint. With the bulk of SoC GPU licensees headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region – firms such as Allwinner, Rockchip, and Samsung – Imagination’s Chinese event is perhaps their biggest customer event and consequently an important venue for product announcements. Again this backdrop Imagination will be using this week’s events to announce the next generation of PowerVR GPUs, PowerVR Series7.
PowerVR Series7 is the the successor to Imagination’s current PowerVR Series 6XT lineup of GPUs. Like Series 6XT, Series7 is composed of two variants, Series7XT for the high end and Series7XE for the low-end, and in turn each contains a number of individual configurations. Ranging from half a shader cluster (USC) to 16 clusters, Imagination is seeking to cover virtually the entire range of SoC-equipped devices, from high-end IoT/wearables to tablets, set top boxes, and even HPC severs.
From an architectural standpoint Series7 will be a further iteration on Imagination’s Rogue architecture, which was first used in 2012’s Series6. With each generation Imagination has further tweaked and expanded their designs to improve performance/efficiency and to cover new use cases, and for Series7 the story is much the same. This year Imagination has sat down with us to give us an overview of what’s new and changed in their architecture for Series7, so let’s dive right in.
PowerVR GPU Comparison Series7XT Series7XE Series6XT Series6XE Clusters 2 - 16 0.5 - 1 2 - 8 0.5 - 1 FP32 FLOPs/Clock 128 - 1024 32 - 64 128 - 512 32 - 64 FP16 FLOPs/Clock 256 - 2048 64 - 128 256 - 1024 64 - 128 Pixels/Clock (ROPs) 4 - 32? 2 - 4? 4 - 16 2 - 4 Texels/Clock 4 - 32 1 - 2 4 - 16 1 - 2 OpenGL ES 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 Android Extension Pack / Tessellation Yes Optional Optional No Direct3D Base: FL 10_0
Optional: FL 11_1 FL 9_3 FL 10_0 FL 9_3 OpenCL Base: 1.2 EB
Optional: 1.2 FP 1.2 EB 1.2 EB 1.2 EB Architecture Rogue Rogue Rogue Rogue
PowerVR Series7 Architecture
From an architectural standpoint Imagination is already starting in a strong position for Series7 with the Rogue architecture. With the Rogue USCs implementing a modern shader pipeline, there’s no innate weakness to the design that requires correction. However as is the case for all SoC GPUs, there is a constant need to deliver better power efficiency and space efficiency, as these are the primary factors limiting overall performance and fabrication improvements alone can’t deliver all of the necessary gains. For this reason Imagination has continued to iterate on the Rogue architecture for Series7 to further improve its efficiency and resulting performance.
Outside of the underlying architecture however, there is also the need to deliver new features to keep up with modern APIs, developer demands, and of course the competitive landscape. In that respect Series6XT is a bit more dated; while it supports OpenGL ES 3.1 its base configuration (by far the most common) does not have the hardware features to support the more extensive Android Extension Pack, and for that matter it also lacks the features necessary to support Direct3D feature level 11. For these reasons Series7 will also be responsible for delivering feature improvements to Imagination’s GPU lineup to keep it up to date with the latest standards.
Looking at the overall architecture then (with an emphasis on 7XT), what we find is still very much Rogue in nature and is called as much by Imagination. While various blocks have been upgraded or overhauled in some manner, there is only a single new block. Available on the base configuration of the 7XT and as an option for the 7XE it is the Tessellation Co-Processor. Exactly as the name describes it, the Tessellation Co-Processor is hardware block responsible for and working in conjunction with the Vertex Data Master to implement full tessellation support. The tessellator itself is fixed function for power efficiency reasons, with hull and domain shading handled through shading hardware. The addition of tessellation hardware along with the standard inclusion of ASTC support are the major functional changes that enable Android Extension Pack support on the base Series7XT over the base Series6XT.
For the other blocks, Imagination has implemented improvements all throughout the architecture. The geometry performance of the Vertex Data Master (geometry frontend) has been doubled to alleviate bottlenecking there. Meanwhile the Compute Data Master has been upgraded as well to allow it to setup wavefronts more quickly (up to 300% faster), which is especially helpful for quickly processing large numbers of small kernels, something Imagination tells us was more common than expected.
Finally the Coarse Grain Scheduler has also been upgraded in conjunction with the USCs. Primarily focusing on reducing inter-tile dependencies, Series7 can now more frequently issue work to idle USCs that in Series6/XT/XE were waiting on other USCs to finish their work before the whole block moved on. With fewer dependencies, idle USCs can now be issued work from other sources or move on to their next tile in a larger number of circumstances.
Diving into the Series7 USC, what we find is again largely similar to Series6XT. The number of FP16 and FP32 ALUs and resulting floating point operation throughput is unchanged, however the Special Function Unit (SFU) has received a pair of changes. First and foremost, the SFU can now natively handle FP16 operations along with FP32 operations, whereas the 6XT SFU would promote everything to FP32. By offering native FP16 execution, Imagination is able to avoid wasting power by not doing unnecessary higher precision work on FP16 data sets. Keep in mind that SFU operations are already relatively expensive, so native FP16 special functions should have a tangible impact on power consumption. Meanwhile though it’s drawn as a single SFU in Imagination’s logical diagrams, I suspect that part of this change is that Imagination has implemented separate FP16 and FP32 SFUs as part of the existing FP16 and FP32 ALU blocks, in which case there are actually 2 SFUs (though just like the ALUs you can only use one at a time).
Speaking of utilizing, the second SFU enhancement has to deal with when it can be used. Starting with Series7, SFU operations can now be co-issued with ALU operations, allowing for both blocks to be used at once as opposed to one or the other on 6XT. Now to be clear here only SFUs can be co-issued, and wavefronts can only use either the FP16 or FP32 ALUs (and not both at once), but there is now a degree of co-issue capability within a USC that was not available before. Imagination tells us that SFUs were coming up in code more than expected, and as a result adding co-issue capabilities would improve performance.
To accomplish this, Imagination has expanded their instruction set to enable co-issue functionality along with further improving performance. New bundled/fused instructions have been added, which are what trigger the co-issued SFU. These fused instructions also allow for certain common sequences that are issued over multiple instructions to instead be issued as a single fused instruction, which in turn reduces code size slightly and potentially allows for these operations to be performed in fewer cycles.
Meanwhile, exclusive to Series7XT is optional support for FP64 operations. If the FP64 is included in the exact 7XT core licensed, each pipeline gets a single FP64 ALU, which allows them to process up to 2 FLOPs/USC/clock.
Finally, while not a graphics feature pre-se, Series7 will be introducing one more feature to the family. A base feature in 7XT and optional to 7XE will be GPU support for hardware security zones, which uses virtualization technology to create up to 8 zones that are fully isolated from each other.
Within the mobile space application sandboxing is already common, and indeed this functionality is already present on a number of CPUs. However in the case of security zones that are only supported on the CPU, the zone separation essentially has to be emulated on the GPU, requiring a full task flush and reload of the entire GPU in order to switch between tasks. Besides not being performant, software enforced security is functionally less robust than hardware enforced security and in turn means the GPU can in theory be used to attack other zones.
Consequently for Series7 Imagination is adding security zone support to their hardware to go along with the security zones already supported with CPUs. From a practical standpoint what we’re looking at is the capability to do better application sandboxing to keep applications from getting out and touching other parts of the system. This is something of a mixed bag for users since sandboxing can be used for both good and evil. Hardware zones can be used to secure certain high-profile applications (banking, health, Apple Pay, etc), but said zones are also responsible for enabling stronger DRM on video content and hardening the system against jailbreaks in cases where direct root access is not allowed by the manufacturer.We haven’t seen enough of Darci Lynne on America’s Got Talent, because after her very first performance, Mel B pushed the Golden Buzzer, and sent her straight through to the Live Shows.
Darci had impressed all four judges with her ventriloquist act in which her bunny puppet Petunia sang “Summertime.” She got a standing ovation from all four judges and the audience.
“You know what’s sweet, your puppet is like you, very charming and adorable,” Mel B told her. “You made my heart melt. You were brilliant. I am trying to describe how amazing it was.”
And Mel B wasn’t alone in her praise. Judge Howie Mandel said, “I love you. I believe you’re gonna go far. You just changed your life tonight, young lady.”
The 12-year-old from Oklahoma City returned to the AGT competition for the Live Shows on Tuesday, August 15, and closed out the night’s performances with a new puppet — Oscar, the Mouse — who sang, The Jackson 5′s “Who’s Lovin’ You,” which he dedicated to Mel B.
Judge Heidi Klum told Darci, “Most people can’t even sing with their mouth open. You sang so beautifully with your mouth shut. I love you, you were fantastic.” Mel B said, “You are out of this world.” And Simon Cowell said, “Get ready for the big time.”
Darci is an odds-on favorite to win the competition, according to Goldderby.com, which took a poll and found that 78 percent of its readers predicted that she would win.
Parade.com caught up with the talented young miss on the red carpet and talked to her about her new puppet, how she became
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can sort the RAM chart by Memory to see what apps are demanding RAM; consider quitting RAM-hogs if you’re not actively using them. (And don’t ever bother with “RAM cleaning” or flushing apps; OS X takes care of that for you.)
A little housekeeping
In the early days of OS X, we regularly repaired permissions and ran apps such as Cocktail or OnyX to clear caches and more to keep the system trim and tidy. These days there’s less need for that, but there’s usually no harm.
Cocktail
One good idea is to run Verify Disk in Disk Utilities (/Applications/Utilities) on your main startup disk every now and then to identify problems, and watch the SMART status for your boot drive in Disk Utility too; it’s monitoring for signs of imminent failure. Oh, and never be tempted to install MacKeeper.
Do a clean install
Usually, a Mac that has slowed further and further down has just accreted apps, files and more, and one of the surest ways of restoring the pep and vigor it had out of the box is to wipe the hard disk, install a fresh OS, and then, crucially, don’t clone everything across using Time Machine or the like. Instead, manually copy all your documents across and reinstall your apps from the App Store or CD—omitting those you don’t need.
Christopher Phin
Yes, it’s usually a colossal pain, but it’s often the most effective way to reinvigorate your Mac if you can set aside the time and accept the temporary disruption.
Swap your hard disk for an SSD
Be sure you get the right form factor. For laptops and the Mac mini, this typically means a 2.5-inch drive—though the MacBook Air has always used more exotic and different options throughout its life—while for desktops 3.5-inch drives are more usual; this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, though, so do check your specs carefully. 3.5-inch SSDs are rare, though they do exist, but you can convert 2.5-inch drives to 3.5-inch ones with a bracket; one might even be included with your 2.5-inch SSD, but if not, buy one separately. Other World Computing even makes one specially for the 2009–2012 Mac Pro.
Check you get one with the correct connector, too. Most often these days that will mean a SATA connector, but you can buy SSDs with the older IDE/PATA/ATA connector from, say, OWC; MacBook Airs use different connectors again. Note that with older Macs (definitely true for those with IDE, but also true for those with SATA I and SATA II connections), the connection to the motherboard itself will be a bottleneck, so don’t waste your money by buying anything other than a basic SSD; you don’t get the benefit of a high-performance model. Check your specs!
Christopher Phin
Any SSD, however, will have a completely revolutionary effect on a Mac that’s only ever known a hard disk; it will feel much more responsive, and even if you have a small amount of RAM—because of how low-RAM machines swap information out to the storage drive when there’s too much for the RAM to hold, and since SSDs are much faster especially at this kind of data transfer than a hard disk—swapping to an SSD will also help even if you don’t touch the RAM.
You can just clone your old hard disk to the SSD and things will still improve, but if you can bear the hassle of combining it with a clean install, you’ll get such a fast machine you won’t recognize it.
SSDs will also likely extend the battery life of a laptop.
Add more storage—and offload files
Computers perform badly when their main storage drive is full—an oft-cited rule is to leave at least 10 percent of your drive free—so consider adding more storage and offloading files you don’t need all the time to it. This might be external storage—just plug in a USB or FireWire hard disk—but don’t forget about internal options. You can replace the optical drive in some laptops and Mac minis with a second internal drive, or use something like a Nifty MiniDrive to add more flash storage to a laptop.
Christopher Phin
Many tower Macs will support at least one additional internal drive, and in this case (or also if you install a second internal drive in a laptop at the expense of your optical drive), consider using a fast SSD as your boot drive and pairing it with a high capacity, cheap hard disk. You can even link them exactly like a Fusion Drive if you’re prepared to get your hands a little dirty in Terminal.
It might not be clear what files are taking up space on your hard disk, but apps such as DaisyDisk can help you identify them, and you can then either trash them or move them to an external drive. On very tight systems, running Monolingual can save you a decent chunk.
If you want to uninstall apps, check (including with a web search) to see if it has a proper uninstaller first. Don’t fall for “to uninstall an app on a Mac, you just have to drag it to the Trash”; search for the app’s name to find support files and caches lurking in ~/Library/Application Support and elsewhere, or—with caution!—use an app such as AppCleaner.
Upgrade your RAM
It’s hard to give absolute guidance—it depends on what you do with your Mac; check Activity Monitor as described above—but a decent rule of thumb is that 8GB RAM is pretty comfortable for most people (especially if you have an SSD), 4GB should be seen as a bare minimum, and anything under 4GB should definitely be upgraded if possible.
Christopher Phin
About This Mac will tell you how much RAM you have, and then it’s easiest to check a memory configurator at, say, crucial.com to ensure you get the right thing. Fitting RAM is one of the easiest jobs you can do so unless you’re really nervous, avoid paying someone to do it for you.
Add as much RAM as you can afford, basically; with the kind of older systems we’re talking about, in any case adding the maximum possible is unlikely to hit your wallet hard.
Replace the battery in a laptop
If your MacBook, PowerBook, or iBook is only lasting minutes away from the mains, you can replace the battery. Apple no longer makes them for older machines, but there are plenty of third-party options available. It’s your call but we’d be uncomfortable trusting a no-brand bargain from eBay; buy with a guarantee from a reputable dealer.
Christopher Phin
You might think you can’t replace the battery if it’s sealed in your MacBook, but not so. Some third-party options exist, but we’d recommend having Apple do it; follow the links on Apple’s site for costs and next steps; prices range from $129 to $199, plus taxes.
Boost the I/O
Use the fastest ports your old Mac has to connect peripherals—from slowest to fastest, it goes USB 1.1, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, FireWire 800, USB 3, Thunderbolt—but if the ports your Mac has are too slow for you, you might be able to add faster ones. You can add PCI cards for faster USB and FireWire (or even eSATA or fibre) to most tower desktop Macs, and this is also true for MacBook Pros with ExpressCard/34 slots; Sonnet makes a wide range. Check compatibility carefully, though.
Christopher Phin
You can also add faster Wi-Fi to many Macs, either with a USB or PCI adapter or by connecting an external box to an ethernet port. (Just make sure the ethernet port isn’t so old and slow it will be a bottleneck.) And remember that, say, adding 802.11ac to your Mac is pointless if you’re still running an 802.11g router; replace that too.
Add a second—or third!—display
Christopher Phin
Lots of us find ourselves more productive when we have more screen space. If your Mac can’t extend its desktop to a second screen for whatever reason, or if you’ve already added one external display but want to add more, remember that (somewhat expensive) adaptors exist to let you connect displays to USB ports. Make sure the one you pick is Mac-compatible.
Upgrade the built-in webcam—or add one
Even Apple’s latest webcams are pretty awful, which is especially irritating when adding a superb external one from the likes of Logitech is a pretty cheap investment.
Christopher Phin
Tip: If a webcam lists compatibility with Windows Vista (yes, Vista) it will work with a Mac even for as far back as the old iChat AV app, since support for Vista presupposes support for UVC; in this case, you don’t explicitly need to see Mac compatibility listed.
Install the latest OS
As soon as we suggest upgrading to the latest OS your Mac will support, we’re inviting horror stories of old Macs completely grinding to a halt under the strain, and there’s definitely a danger with older Macs that newer OSs will demand too much. But as well as the security and features benefits of the latest OS, in recent iterations not only have Apple’s system requirements stayed broadly the same, but technologies such as App Nap and compressed memory in OS X 10.10 Yosemite can actually improve performance on weaker hardware.
If you’re worried, back up your system and verify the backup, then try the latest OS your hardware supports to see if there are any problems—especially compatibility problems with software you rely on—before committing; you can always restore back from your backup.
Add newer OS features to older OSs
If you don’t want to go the whole hog and update your entire OS, you can get some of the features of modern versions of OS X by adding third-party software, such as AirParrot, Continuity Activation Tool, TotalFinder, Alfred, Growl and Filedrop. It’s even possible—if sometimes a bit hairy—to install OSs on Macs Apple doesn’t officially support.
Install a modern browser
Much of our lives these days are lived online, and if you’re stuck with an old version of Safari or even Internet Explorer then you’ll run into frequent compatibility problems. Happily, TenFourFox is a modern fork of Firefox created for G3, G4 and G5 Macs. And if you’re rocking an even older system, check out Classilla for Mac OS 9 (and even 8.6).
Use an old Mac as a server
If after all that you still think your old Mac is just too slow for day to day use, it can still lead a useful life as a server. Simply checking a box in System Preferences lets it share files—consider attaching a huge external hard disk—and if you store your iTunes Library on it you can stream that to any Mac, iOS device or Apple TV just by enabling sharing.
You could go one better and install OS X Server—a separate version of the OS prior to 10.7, but a downloadable app from the App Store in 10.7 onwards—which gives you useful options such as the ability to cache software updates locally so you’re not hammering your bandwidth, and acting as a networked Time Machine target, like a Time Capsule.
Control a Mac remotely
No room? Tuck the old Mac server away in a closet and just control it remotely; no monitor, keyboard or mouse required. Enable Screen Sharing in its System Preferences, and connect to it from the sidebar of another Mac on your local network. Or if it’s recent enough, enable Back to My Mac so you can access it even when you’re not on the same network.
Christopher Phin
You can go one better and buy Apple Remote Desktop, which gives you extra administrative and management tools.
Alternatively, connect it to the keyboard, mouse and monitor you use with your regular Mac using a KVM so you can easily toggle between them.This is the moment a computer science student cried and prayed for mercy after being snared by a paedophile hunting group.
Saiel Bashar, 23, travelled more than 100 miles from London to Birmingham believing he was going to meet a 13-year-old girl and sexually abuse her 'in her mother's bed' while she was at work.
But instead, the university student was confronted by members of the vigilante group 'Paedo Hunters Not Glory Hunters' outside Sutton Coldfield railway station.
Saiel Bashar, 23, travelled more than 100 miles from London to Birmingham believing he was going to meet a 13-year-old girl
Footage shows the members revealing to him that they were exchanging messages with him through a decoy account, rather than him speaking to a teenager.
They accused Bashar of bombarding the fictional teen with explicit messages and pornography for over a week before arranging to go to her house and 'take her virginity'.
When challenged he prayed for forgiveness and wept hysterically as vigilantes read passages from '300 pages' of sickening chat logs, while police made their way to the scene.
He allegedly offered to buy his would-be victim a mobile phone and give her lifts from school in return for sexual favours.
After meeting up it was said his plan was to buy condoms and baby wipes then take the girl home and molest her while her'mother' was working a night shift.
Bashar - who claimed to be an international student from Afghanistan - said he had made a'mistake' and denied having any sexual interest in children.
But after his arrest he pleaded guilty to attempting to meet an underage girl for sex following online grooming.
Footage of the confrontation was streamed live to Facebook on Friday, August 11 night and has been viewed more than 440,000 times.
But instead he was confronted by vigilante group Paedo Hunters Not Glory Hunters in Sutton Coldfield
It shows the bearded suspect pressing his palms together in prayer, begging the vigilantes: 'Don't call the police.'
He bows and scrapes to one of the men, who says: 'Don't pray to me.'
Bashar insists he is not a child molester and says: 'Sir, please. In my entire life, I would never do that kind of thing.'
But one of the men replies: 'You're here now. It's against the law, mate. It's called child grooming.'
The desperate pervert covers his face with his leather jacket and hangs his head in his hands.
A vigilantes says: 'Only one place you're going and that's HMP, courtesy of our Queen and our country and our laws. And in our country we do not stand for what you are doing.'
Footages shows him insisting he is not a child molester and saying: 'Sir, please. In my entire life, I would never do that kind of thing'
Bashar begs them to stop filming and pleads: 'I did a mistake. I wouldn't do it. Show some mercy, please.'
They reply: 'No mercy.'
He says: 'Sir, I'm studying computer science, please.'
One of the hunters laughs and says: 'Computer science? Well trust me, mate, you'll not be allowed on no internet. You'll be banned from it. Simple, done, finito.'
The pitiful suspect bursts into tears and promises on his'mother's life' that if they let him go he will not do it again.
But they tell him: 'Don't work like that mate.'
The group later called the police, and he is seen being led away and put into the back of a car
He bashes his head against a billboard then turns his back to the camera, sobbing quietly to himself until officers arrive and make the arrest.
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police confirmed Bashar is being held on remand awaiting sentence next month.
She said: 'Saiel Bashar, 23, from Stanmore, London, was arrested on August 11 in Sutton Coldfield.
'He was charged with arranging to meet with a child under 16 with the intent of sexually abusing the child.
'Bashar pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday and was remanded in custody. He is due to be sentenced on September 11.'Hammock
Fans hang out on the hammocks on Day 3 of the Pickathon music festival in Happy Valley, Ore., Sun, Aug 4, 2013.
(Thomas Boyd)
Update: This story has been updated with specific details about the project's funding.
An artist in Woodstock wants her neighbors to curl up in hammocks and pillow forts set up in the alleyways next month and daydream about land use -- all as part of a participatory art project.
What could be more Portland?
Community nap day
What:
Nap, daydream or talk quietly with neighbors.
When:
Sept. 6, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where:
The alleyway between Southeast Reedway and Ramona streets from 57th to 60th avenues
Who:
The event is mainly for Woodstock residents, but other Portlanders are welcome to participate
Krista Connerly is one of six artists in the Resident Residency coalition, which is funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The money comes via the Precipice Fund administered by the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art.
The project calls artists to get involved in their respective neighborhood associations and develop participatory public artworks.
Connerly has become fascinated with land use and the rapid change in her Southeast Portland neighborhood since joining the Woodstock association in January. Now, she said, is the perfect time to encourage her neighbors to think about how they want the neighborhood to look.
The 39-year-old is particularly interested in alleys. She sees the unpaved lanes through the eyes of her childhood self, as pockets of wilderness where magic and danger light up the imagination.
"They're like the forest in German fairy tales," Connerly said. The alleyways seem like the last unplanned strips of wilderness, she said. "It's nice to know there is something that's a little more wild."
She wants to encourage her neighbors to think and talk about the future of Woodstock while keeping the alleys in mind. So, she said, she's inviting them to experience respite in the "wild" lanes from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 6.
"People don't necessarily have to fall asleep," Connerly said. "It's a time to daydream. You need to know yourself in order to know what you want for your community."
The artist plans to provide about 20 hammocks and other sleeping spaces, such as forts built with pillows and blankets. Neighbors are encouraged to bring their own supplies, but leave their cell phones at home or at least set to silent mode.
The Saturday afternoon is meant to be an escape from daily bustle, she said.
"This is a low-stakes way to get them out, get them talking to each other, but also to relax and think," she said.
Connerly's project is part of an emerging trend in the art world, said Roya Amirsoleymani, the community engagement manager at PICA. The movement has many names: Participatory art, public practice, art in the public space. Amirsoleymani calls it "social practice."
"What all of these terms point to is a trend in art making and art thinking by artists to pull away from strict disciplines that are object-based," she said.
It's the experience -- not a tangible, visual or audible product -- that matters.
Resident Residency has produced a number of other participatory projects, including a walking tour, storytelling event and (coming soon) a tug-of-war competition. Organizer Katy Asher said she thinks of social practice as an extension of performance art.
"Art changes people's perception of the place where they live or how they experience the world," she said. "You might have that experience looking at a painting or drawing or sculpture, or you might have it through a more visceral experience."
-- Melissa BinderAs of two weeks ago, that is no longer legal in Florida. In a 2-1 vote, a U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a law called the Florida Privacy of Firearm Owners Act, ruling that doctors asking patients about firearms violates patients' right to privacy.
“The act simply codifies that good medical care does not require inquiry or record-keeping regarding firearms when unnecessary to a patient’s care,” Judge Gerald Tjoflat wrote in the court's majority opinion.
The American Medical Association calls gun violence a horrific epidemic. In 2011, the group issued a call for doctors to counsel patients on gun safety. In response, Florida Governor Rick Scott, backed by the National Rifle Association, signed the Privacy of Firearm Owners Act that June. Florida physicians objected immediately. A federal judge in Miami issued an injunction on grounds that the law violated First Amendment rights of physicians, and for three years it sat neutralized. As Robert McNamara and Paul Sherman, attorneys at the Institute of Justice, put it in a New York Times editorial just after the July 25 injunction overturning by the appeals court, “Everything a doctor says to a patient is 'treatment,' not speech, and the government has broad authority to prohibit doctors from asking questions on particular topics without any First Amendment scrutiny at all.”
Dr. Bart Kummer, a gastroenterologist at New York University Medical Center, says he always asks his patients about guns.
“It's part of reducing risks, and taking a view of the patient as not just a GI tract that ambles in on two feet," Kummer told me. "So I ask about seat belts, helmets, safe sex, the standard questions about alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, hours slept, hobbies—some people work with molten metal—and what the American College of Physicians has asked us to ask our patients: whether there's a gun in their house.”
If the answer is yes, he asks what kind of gun. "Is it a hand gun, a long gun, a rifle, a shotgun? You can lock them up differently, but all of them can have trigger locks, and all of them can have ammunition stored separately." Independent of the gun question, Kummer asks, "Who's in your home?"
"People think they can hide things from their children," Kummer said. "Those of us who are parents know that children will find anything in your house. You cannot hide a gun from a child. It has to be in a locked safe."
People are also more likely to kill themselves in a moment of despondency if they have a gun handy, Kummer noted. "When we're screening for depression, gun ownership is worth knowing."
Sometimes the questions come on waiting-room paperwork, and sometimes a nurse or physician assistant might do the asking. In any case, lifestyle questions do make many patients nervous, Kummer said, "often because they’re not used to doctors taking an interest in their social setting." Some patients get downright angry by screening questions. “But the gun question is the one that upsets people the most. And the people who get upset are usually the people who own guns—they get really, really offended by my asking that question."Photographers across the globe are taking to the sky, using drones to capture eye-catching images not so easily documented once before.
To distinguish this work, the fourth annual international Dronestagram contest is recognizing outstanding drone photos in this emerging field.
“We were stunned by the great quality of the pictures submitted this year,” said Guillaume Jarret, Dronestagram’s managing director. “The level [of talent] has considerably increased, and the technology has, too.”
The most frustrating part, Jarret added, was that judges wanted to reward more than three photos in each category. As an unplanned result, contest coordinators decided to award three extra pictures in a new category titled “creativity.”
“I was blown away by the creativity of the photos in this contest," said Jeff Heimsath, one of the contest judges (and also National Geographic’s associate photo editor for Travel and Adventure). "The selection process was far from easy, this contest has certainly surfaced the best drone images from around the world.”
The photos in this gallery showcase the top three winners and additional finalists in each category: Nature, People, Urban and Creativity.By Sillicur at Wednesday, November 18, 2015 10:53:00 AM
Junk. Junk never changes. Unless Bethesda has hidden brilliant little Easter Eggs on junk pieces players can collect. Fallout 4’s massive world is littered with thousands of pieces of junk that most players will just throw away or scrap down for materials without a second thought.
The game’s developers have hidden an exceptionally cool little Easter Egg on one of the pieces of junk and there is a chance that the secret discovered can be part of a greater, connected Easter Egg. Here is a look at the latest find by an avid fan.
(Please note that this article contains a small spoiler pertaining to the alien Easter Egg only)
An “Alien” secret uncovered
If you’ve ever watched the 1979 classic sci-fi horror film Alien by Ridley Scott, you might remember this line: “This is commercial towing vehicle Nostromo out of the Solomons, registration number one-eight-oh-niner-two-four-six-oh-niner." The line was spoken by Ellen Ripley on the CM-88B Bison Starfreighter spaceship from the film.
Imgur user 1Times found a Flux Sensor in a hut somewhere in the wasteland, which can be scrapped for one piece of steel. However, 1Times noticed that when you turn it around, there is a number written on the back of the Flux Sensor.
1Times notes on Imgur:
“I turned it around and I found some random numbers (CM-88B 180924609) so I decided to do some research.”
“I found this. It's a screen capture from the movie Alien Apparently the number is the registration number of a modified CM-88B (the other part on the flux sensor) Bison Starfreighter”
"It feels really rewarding. Encourages me to explore more."
Interestingly enough, Fallout 4 is set in a post-apocalyptic Boston in the year 2287 and the events of the film Alien plays off in the year 2122.
1Times' discovery isn’t the only number related Easter Egg in Fallout 4. Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski recently Tweeted “Hah, good friend of mine who worked on Fallout 4 posted this and said ‘...there are more numbers hidden in the game’” and linked up the Alien Easter Egg find.
Maybe the hidden numbers are all related to the Alien movie and some huge Easter Egg is hidden somewhere deep inside the game. At the time of writing it is still unclear if the other numbers (yet to be found) are connected in some way. If not, I would put all my Bottle Caps on the notion that the “Lost Numbers” are somewhere on a hatch in the world of Fallout 4.
What do you think about the Alien themed Easter Egg and do you think there is some big secret waiting to be found when someone discovers all the numbers? Let us know in the comment section below.
Source: Imgur
Related Articles:
Sillicur Twitter / MWEB GameZone Twitter | FacebookLast year with the Nexus 5, Google introduced the Google Now launcher with an “Ok, Google” voice recognition functionality on the homescreen. This feature could not be imitated by third party launchers because it is seemingly closed source.
Now, one of the developers of OmniROM — Guillaume Lesinak — has managed to bring a similar feature to their ROM with their own set of tweaks and enhancements.
Unlike the Nexus 5, the hotword to initiate a voice command is fully customisable here. Users can also have specific voice commands to launch or trigger specific apps or events. Check out the video below to see the feature in action:
It is not yet known if this feature would makes it way to all the devices supported by OmniROM or only the ones powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor or just the Nexus 5. The developer has also not yet confirmed whether enabling this feature will \ adversely affect battery life or not. Then, there is also the question of whether custom hotwords will only work with the stock launcher on the OmniROM or third-party launchers from the Play Store as well.
The feature has not yet made its way to the OmniROM nightly builds but is expected to land sometime soon. Once it does, expect the above questions to be answered.
[Via XplodWild]
Like this post? Share it!Do I hear 40 inches anyone? Blizzard warnings were picking up speed on Thursday, as the latest predictions pointed to three feet of snow possibly being dumped on the nation’s capitol by Winter Storm Jonas.
By Friday afternoon, a “dangerous” winter storm is expected to bear down on the East Coast, bringing heavy snow and strong winds, and travel headaches for anyone trying to get anywhere to or from that block of the U.S. The hashtag #BlizzardWatch was making the rounds on Twitter.
In a blog on Weather Underground, Bob Hensen said forecasters are looking for the biggest snowfall to hit D.C. in nearly a century—that is, anything over 20 inches at Washington National Airport. CNN meteorologist Tom Slater said one computer model shows the capital will be in for 30 inches by Sunday.
Locals grumbled on Twitter after an inch of snow caused crippling traffic jams on Wednesday evening, and some schools in the area were reportedly closed for Thursday:
Took people 8 hours to get home last night in DCs 1 inch of snow. What new mayhem will #StormJonas bring? Oh DC. — ilyse hogue (@ilyseh) January 21, 2016
In its latest update, The Weather Channel has predicted up to 12 inches of snow for New York City:
Winter Storm #Jonas will become a dangerous snowstorm over the East by Friday and Saturday: https://t.co/Hh8hxMcu0T pic.twitter.com/HETOAHffA1 — The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) January 21, 2016
Coastal flooding is also mixed into the wintry mess due to start Friday:
Coastal #Flooding is going to be huge with #Jonas. Full moon & high tides + peak winds = BAD. H = High tide time pic.twitter.com/asOmhIAKUL — Dina Knightly (@ladypilot70) January 21, 2016
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm early Thursday.
Clearly taking no chances, airlines were pushing out travel advisories. Southwest Airlines Co. LUV, -0.24% said on its website that scheduled services from Thursday through Sunday could be disrupted—delayed, diverted or even canceled. Those include flights in and out of airports in Washington, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charlotte and other cities in the path of the storm.
Delta Air Lines Co. DAL, -2.10% said on its website that customers would be entitled to a refund if their flights were canceled or delayed and they could make a one-time change without a fee if they were scheduled to fly between Jan. 22 and 24 from a cluster of airlines on the East Cost, plus other affected areas.
American Airlines Group Inc. AAL, -2.54% was also waiving a one-time ticketing fee for travelers who wanted to avoid traveling over the weekend via the most affected areas.
Football fans waiting for the American Football Championships game on Sunday in Denver, Colo. between the Broncos and the Patriots may want to bundle up, that is if they can get there.
AFC Championship Game temp keeps getting colder. Now 37 degrees at kickoff and light snow possible #9news #9sports — Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) January 20, 2016
But that’s nothing compared with some of the coldest games ever, such as the recent meet-up between the Seahawks and the Vikings in Minnesota a few days ago. Temperature minus 6 and wind chill minus 25, according to this roundup. Back in 1967, the Cowboys and the Packers played on a frozen field in minus 13 temps and a wind chill of minus 48.
And while last year’s Winter Storm Juno didn’t deliver an expected big blizzard to New York City roughly a year ago, Jensen had this to say about Jonas: “Although it’s too soon to get too precise about exact amounts and locations, confidence is uncommonly high for a high-impact event in the mid-Atlantic,” he wrote.
Some were holding out for a dud:What’s Behind The Man Behind The Curtain
Caitlin Johnstone Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 14, 2017
Conspiracy rabbit holing can be tricky. It only takes a slight glitch in your interface with the establishment propaganda matrix to make you acutely aware that the talking heads on TV and the politicians in Washington are lying to everybody, and that’s often all it takes to get you asking questions. But once you move toward trying to get those questions answered, it can be so easy to get lost along the way.
It can be hard to even begin. The moment you start dipping your toe into the water to find out what’s really going on here you run into a wall of anti-semitic idiocy, self-contradicting paranoid ramblings, and claims about aliens and super-secret societies that are so unprovable that believing them would be tantamount to joining a religion. This alone is often enough to send people scurrying back to the comforts of the mainstream narrative, shaking their heads and chuckling about Alex Jones and gay frogs.
If you manage to keep your head through all that and get some solid footing underneath you, you find that one reliable way to figure out who’s really in charge is to follow the money. Look at who funds your politicians, who owns and funds the media, how those two factors dance with the actual behavior of your government and the stories they tell you about that behavior, and you start getting some answers to your questions about why the pundits and politicians are always lying.
It turns out that government and capitalism can be manipulated into a very unhealthy relationship with one another known as corporatism, which naturally tilts things toward a system wherein the people with the most money are able to buy up political power, that they can then use to further manipulate the system to get themselves even more money. In such a system where money equals political power, the people with the money naturally become rulers, as sure as a king or a queen is a ruler, and in order to maintain that rule they must ensure that they keep as much money for themselves while keeping it out of the hands of the public. In a system where money is political power, there can be no rulers if everyone has money.
For this reason a powerful plutocracy has emerged full of people who are naturally incentivized to manipulate things in a way that enables them to retain their kingdom, and who are therefore naturally incentivized to make alliances in order to facilitate that manipulation. Since limiting their sphere of influence to the United States would be limiting their money and power, the plutocrats make alliances within the US military and intelligence community in addition to politicians who influence foreign policy. This complex, multifaceted network of alliances between the plutocrats, the military-industrial complex, the intelligence community, the corporate media and the national security departments is what has become known as the deep state, and its existence is a well-documented fact.
From there, though, things start to get murky. The fact that so much of this network is shrouded in secrecy for “national security” purposes (actually political purposes) means it’s hard to say who is connected to whom and to what extent, and who specifically is ultimately pulling the strings on any given agenda. Mainstream Democrats these days will tell you it’s Vladimir Putin approximately 100 percent of the time, whereas conservative wingnuts will be more inclined to tell you it’s a cabal of Jewish elites holding the puppet strings. People often make up stories about what’s happening on the other side of all the opacity to suit their particular bias, in very much the same way religious people use the god of the gaps fallacy to attribute all scientific mysteries to their deity of preference.
What’s really going on behind that curtain of secrecy is subject to endless debate between conspiracy analysts of all factions, all confidently asserting that their particular take is true because they can confirm it with their bias. People have risen to fame and fortune by claiming to have the full picture of what goes on behind the curtain, but they don’t. The only people who have a clear picture of what’s happening are those who are strongly incentivized to keep it secret from the public, and even they probably don’t have a full picture of the exact dynamics of the entire deep state and all its interconnections.
All the conspiracy rabbit holes kind of dead-end at this point for anyone who’s intellectually honest with themselves. At best we’re drawing imaginary lines to connect dots in an unverifiable way between the few glimpses of transparency we’ve been given, and telling stories about those connections that are essentially faith-based proclamations no different than a papal decree.
My approach to this obstacle is to look at what I’ve learned about humanity in general and view what I know about the deep state through that lens. And to be frank, when I look behind the curtain from that perspective, what I see is far more frightening than any sociopathic plutocrat or reptilian secret society. What I see is the possibility that there is ultimately no one behind the curtain at all.
There’s a popular classroom scientific experiment wherein students observe the way bacteria in a petri dish will reliably consume the food available to them at a rapidly growing rate, then choke to death in a pool of their own waste. The lesson is about what happens when you have uncontrolled growth in a closed system with limited resources. Humanity is undeniably experiencing uncontrolled growth, and our planet is undeniably a closed system with limited resources.
Are humans just bigger, more complex bacteria in a bigger, more complex petri dish? We have not answered this question yet. There’s nothing that I can see in the behavior of the deep state manipulators that can’t be explained by basic stimulus, response and conditioning patterns. Just as with chimpanzees, some dominant humans have fought their way to the top of the tribe to ensure their safety and security, obtained as many resources for themselves as possible, and done everything they can to stop other humans from rising to challenge their dominance. The most powerful plutocrat on earth is just another organism following its evolutionary programming to out-survive and out-thrive other competing organisms.
This is the problem I keep running up against when I look at the fate that our species seems to be headed toward: we keep repeating the same patterns over and over again, as predictably as bacteria in a petri dish. The few dominant humans at the top of the heap are steering us toward extinction via nuclear armageddon or climate chaos, and the rest of us are easily manipulated into allowing them to. They use our primal instincts of fear and greed to dupe us into supporting the status quo, over and over and over again. Watching the way Democrats were so easily herded into siding with the establishment to shake their fists at Russia after party elites were so plainly caught with their pants down in 2016 is a perfect example of this. Things could have turned around then, but they
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GB was rated for a read throughput of up to 80MB/s, while writes were limited to just 20MB/s. This makes the new 256GB card a substantial step forward, with reads that are good for 95MB/s and writes have taken a huge boost to 90MB/s.
The 256GB card is the only model in the EVO+ series to boast such impressive read and write speeds. It also makes Samsung the first company to deliver a MicroSD at the 256GB capacity, that is also U3 certified.
The EVO+ 256GB microSD card provides advanced protection coupled with long-term reliability: it's waterproof, temperature-proof, X-ray-proof, and magnetic-proof. Samsung are obviously confident in what they are offering here with a 10-year warranty to back it up. The little card's impressive warranty helps justify the tall asking price of $250.
Performance
For benchmarking we have used a USB 3.0 card reader capable of reading at over 100MB/s, should the SD card be capable of sustaining that kind of throughput. The benchmark program of choice is CrystalDiskMark as it gives us a good idea of the sequential and 4K read/write performance.
As advertised the Samsung EVO+ 256GB is capable of achieving a sequential read speed of 95MB/s, while the 88MB/s is very close to the suggested 90MB/s throughput. Unfortunately, we don’t have an EVO+ 128GB model to compare the 256GB card with. Still we can see that the performance is comparable with Samsung’s high-speed Pro+ 32GB MicroSD card and other smaller U3 rated cards.
The random 512K performance is very good, though the EVO+ 256GB was slightly slower than the SanDisk Extreme Plus 64GB in this test.
When it comes to small random 4K performance the Samsung EVO+ 256GB is the best performing MicroSD card we have seen yet. Very few MicroSD cards are capable of reaching a read throughput of 8MB/s, let alone exceeding it, so a great result for Samsung here.
Summary
The new Samsung EVO+ 256GB MicroSD isn’t just big on storage, it is also very fast. Typically, smartphone and tablet users will want a MicroSD card capable of delivering strong random 4K read/write performance. This then makes the EVO+ 256GB the perfect choice for such applications. On the flip side, content creators using high quality 4K cameras want big sequential write speeds and again this is what the EVO+ 256GB delivers.
In terms of competition, Samsung is the first to arrive to the mark on this tiny footprint which gives them an edge. There are a few other 256GB MicroSD cards around, but to my knowledge none are U3 certified.
With that said, make sure you need the performance, because you're paying a serious price premium for this tiny high-speed storage device at $250. Professionals and enthusiasts may be able to justify the price, however casual and light users that are simply after a large MicroSD card, there are more cost effective options.
Furthermore, if you don’t actually require a MicroSD card and can make do with a standard SD card then there are faster 256GB options that cost half as much, so keep that in mind.
For the ultimate MicroSD performance and capacity then the EVO+ is as good as it gets. Those who do invest in the EVO+ 256GB will be well looked after by Samsung’s 10-year warranty, which could see some go a very long time before their next upgrade.November 18th, 2013
So, here’s what didn’t work.
My effort to prevent devaluing my fabulous collectible Chris Deam DWR Airstream with the WBCCI Big Red Numbers resulted in a frightful defacement.
“Take THAT,” snickered the ghost of Wally Byam.
My own displaced vanity and lack of ability to think a process through is really to blame, of course. Three years ago I went to great pains to devise removable numbers that I could slap on before a rally and peel off afterwards. Why? To avoid number ghosting, and preserve our anonymity, somehow. I guess. The reason is vague, and, in retrospect, clearly stupid.
I ordered an expensive, fancy clear vinyl product (the kind used to prevent sponsor logos on stock cars from flying off at high speeds), affixed the red numbers, and carefully pressed the finished panel onto the Airstream. Then I never peeled it off. After several years, (two of them spent outdoors in the penetrating sun of Central Oregon), the temporary vinyl fused permanently to the Airstream’s clear coat, and left not only the ghosted numbers I was attempting to avoid, but a crusty brown rectangle of residue on the edge of the vinyl as well.
I tried soaking it out, I tried scrubbing it out…nothing could be done short of replacing the whole aluminum panel, which is what will happen next, when I win the Powerball.
In the meantime, I had to cover up the damage. A local sign maker said he could fabricate a strip of flexible aluminum to permanently tape over the damaged area which would nicely cover the crud and bear a new set of numbers (and, now, our five-year star).
More bother ensued: the cretin cut the aluminum to the wrong size, and the piece wasn’t as flexible as advertised either, as you can see.
What’s the moral of this cautionary tale? Peel and stick those Big Red Numbers directly to your Airstream as soon as that package arrives in the mail, and wear them with pride for the life of your trailer. Fly your freak flag. Be proud of your affiliation with the historic—and changing, you’ll see—Wally Byam Caravan Club International.Production: Entering Prototyping
Tameem Antoniades
We are currently entering the prototyping phase of Hellblade and I thought this would be a good time to do a production blog for you. Broadly speaking we are breaking up our development into the following phases:
Concept Phase – The idea behind the game with supporting art.
Prototype Phase – Experimenting with game mechanics, art styles, processes, anything that is unknown and risky.
Vertical Slice – A small section or two of the game that looks, feels and plays like the finished article, built under production constraints. It is here we discover the heart of the experience, and how we go about building it.
Consolidation – Assuming we know what the experience is and how long it takes to build a small section, we take a month out to simply plan the approach, scope and detail for the rest of the game. It is also a phase where we ready our production pipelines to make the next phase as smooth as possible.
Production Phase– This is where we put our heads down and make the bulk of the game. By the end of this, the whole game is playable from start to finish.
Polish – This is where we nail down the story, VO, cutscenes, as well as playtesting the hell out of the game to give the best possible experience.
Mastering – Bug-fixing, optimization, platform compliance.
Concept Phase
The concept phase is where we develop an idea into a game concept with a small design and art team. This generally concludes with a few materials:
Design Treatment – A 10-20 page document which describes the main thrust of the game designed to be read by anyone.
– A 10-20 page document which describes the main thrust of the game designed to be read by anyone. A Trailer – This can be in the form of a ripomatic, i.e. an edited video using other movies as reference, to give a feel for the style of the game before committing assets. In Hellblade’s case we went straight into doing an in-engine trailer which is the one that was used to announce the game at gamescom.
– This can be in the form of a ripomatic, i.e. an edited video using other movies as reference, to give a feel for the style of the game before committing assets. In Hellblade’s case we went straight into doing an in-engine trailer which is the one that was used to announce the game at gamescom. Concept Art – Designed to give a feel for the art direction of the game.
– Designed to give a feel for the art direction of the game. A Character Brief – An idea for the hero, who she is and what her story is.
We are currently leaving behind the concept phase. That’s not to say there will no longer be concept art, story development or such going on, but the free-form brainstorming of wild concepts that defines the concept phase, will be more directed from here on end. We have some goals to hit, we know the direction but perhaps not the destination or how we get there.
Prototype Phase
We have just entered our prototype phase. So much of what we want to build in a game like Hellblade is unknown and risky. It is in the prototype phase where we encourage risk-taking and try out ideas that may or may not work. We do this phase for every game as there is always risky new stuff in design, art or production to try out before betting the farm on it. We always want to push for new experiences, you have to when you are making games, otherwise, you are simply making clones.
In Hellblade more than most projects we do, there is a lot of unknowns and risk. Just to illustrate the scale of the problem: if we were to make Hellblade in the same way we did DmC or Enslaved, but with the tiny team we have, we would end up with a one hour game (if that). So not only do we have to offer a new gameplay experience, but also an entirely new way of making the game. There are hundreds if not thousands of questions, doubts, unknowns that we are facing in every area of production so where do you start?
Stating your Objectives
I divided the game into several key areas:
The World
Senua Character
Enemy Characters
Movement & Interaction
Combat
Storytelling & Performance Capture
Soundscape
The game experience, structure & progression
I set up an area of confluence for each of these and created a statements to describe the objectives. So this is what it looks like for the “The World”:
So in the case of the world, the statements and objectives are made for us internally to help shape our thinking and approach rather than marketing statements designed to excite players. To be clear, we have no intention to make a game where all you do is wander around for hours without combat. However, when you are faced with a statement that says that it should In Theory be possible, then it gives those responsible for building the world freedom and power to create something that isn’t dependent on gameplay designers.
Killing Dependencies
The issue of dependencies is such an important point that I wanted to call this out with its own heading. Game development is a massive tangle of dependencies: most things cannot be done without something else by someone else being done first. In an ideal world everything would be done in the right order with minimal wastage. This seems so logical and sensible and much of the science of production is about minimizing any potential for rework. Unfortunately, it is utterly unrealistic. Lay all the dependencies out in a line and it will balloon your project timeline by an order of magnitude and, what’s worse, it disallows for iteration and experimentation. Unless you are making a direct clone of something else, it is a doomed strategy.
A big part, probably the biggest part, of my job as Creative Director is to break dependencies as much as I can and direct a kind of messy flow of experimentation followed by intense focus to get to our destination. In this instance so much of world building is dependent on player metrics and combat gameplay, that we would just not be able to build much of anything until those two facets where locked down. However that would takes us months into development and we wouldn’t have time to build much of a world at all. So I chose to break those two dependencies.
There will be rework later, but let’s face it, there always will be rework. Rework is required to achieve anything worthwhile so we’ll start work right away and embrace change and iteration when it inevitably comes. Iteration is not waste, it’s the pursuit of excellence, and dependencies kill iteration.
Setting an Approach
Further on from the objectives, I like to talk to the team about a general approach to the problem. Sort of like the Camera blog post, it’s good to consider various options, even if some feel wrong from the outset, then pick one to pursue. So here is an example of that for The World:
Ask the Questions
So far we’ve narrowed the question “How do we make Hellblade?” to “How do we make the world in Hellblade?” to “How do we make the Hellblade world interesting to run around in without worrying about gameplay, story, and code?”
One way to find answers is to ask the right questions. So the whole team was asked to come up with as many questions as possible for every area of the game. Here is an example page:
Answer the Low-Hanging Fruit
So then we get into a room with a few key people go through the questions. We try and answer as many as possible then and there. Probably 80% can be answered definitively or near-enough, based on previous experience. We do this for every area of the game.
Set your Proof of Concepts (POCs)
For the ones we cannot answer, we set proof of concepts (POCs) like so:
These POC’s are printed and put up on the wall, alongside the objectives and become the basis of the prototype phase of the project. A team member or POD of team members is assigned to tackle the POC and it is their responsibility to tackle it in whichever way they feel fit. They create and track their tasks with post-it notes. Here is one of our walls:
We’ve set ourselves 3 months to answer the remaining questions. At the end of that period, we will move onto building a section of the game with what we’ve learnt. If questions are not answered by then, then we proceed on the basis that we will not ever get an answer and design the game assuming so. So it’s up to the team to get to the heart of the answers any which way they can in any manner they think will work.
The Prototyping Trap: “Killing Two Birds with One Stone”
Prototyping is a time for risk-taking, experimentation and creative problem-solving. It’s about answering fundamental unknowns. Once answered, building the game becomes a lot more straightforward. Many teams and team-members try and create work that is usable in the final game during this phase as it will “kill two birds with one stone”. This is a trap. It shifts the focus away from being mercenary about testing and prototyping solutions, and focuses them instead on creating shippable content. This slows down prototyping, creates assets that will most likely be redone anyway, and will ultimately leave many more questions unanswered, making the rest of game development harder. That’s not to say that there isn’t potential for re-use, but don’t go into prototyping with this as a goal. If you hear that phrase being used, be afraid. In my experience, when you try and kill two birds with one stone, the stone will miss its mark and the two birds will come back to peck your eyes out in bloody revenge.
Summary
Hopefully, you’ll see that the process is straightforward in its approach, very visible to all team members, and puts the responsibility into team members’ hands. The execution and problem-solving is the hard part that requires extraordinary talent, motivation and experience. That is what I try and do as creative director: set objectives, make things clear and simple and give people room to do what they are good at. I don’t pretend to know all the answers, I don’t know where we’ll end up in a few months time. It is scary, exciting and more so as we are sharing this with you, my friends. But, in my team I trust!
In the near future, we will take you through the actual prototyping process and the results we achieve. Until next time!Donald Trump has accused president, Xi Jinping’s nation of failing to stop Kim Jong-Un’s hermit state from threatening the rest of the world after it fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Friday.
However, China showed off its military might today as staggering pictures emerged of fierce fighters who may be sent into action.
Commander in chief of the People’s Liberation Army, Mr. Xi stood over 12,000 troops, tanks, long-range missile launchers, jet fighters and other impressive weaponry at the Zhurihe military training base.
Officially - China was celebrating the 90th birthday of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) - unofficially - a shot was being fired at neighbours in the North.
Mr Xi is also facing internal battles as he campaigns to keep power in a coming leadership shake-up at a key Communist Party meeting.
Mr Xi said at the parade: “Troops across the entire military, you must be unwavering in upholding the bedrock principle of absolute party leadership of the military.
“Always obey and follow the party.
"Go and fight wherever the party points.”Twitter got alllllll pissy Friday night during the Truck Series race at Daytona, acting mad over NASCAR’s new rule that requires crash repairs to be completed in five minutes.
People were legitimately angry over this. For real!
My God, people! If you want to see damaged cars on a track that badly, go check out your local demolition derby.
I care about who battles for the win, not whether the freaking 26th-place driver who wrecked before halfway can ride around long enough to finish 25th. Catch the excitement!
If a vehicle is so damaged it can’t be repaired in five minutes, just go home. Why does it need to be on the track? Just because that’s how it’s always been?
I’m not anti-repairs. Look at Christopher Bell’s example: Contact sent him into a spin at the end of Stage 1, he literally went airborne, landed, fixed the damage and was leading the race by the halfway point. Neat!
But it was neat because his vehicle could continue and didn’t have a bunch of debris-caution-causing crap hanging off it. In the examples people cited on Twitter (“But Tommy Underdog came back from two laps down after hitting the wall at Talladega in ’02!”), did the repairs really take longer than five minutes? Or do you just remember a damaged car having a comeback?
Because in most cases, a repair that takes longer than five minutes is often going to take a car out of contention for a good finish anyway. So it doesn’t matter, right?
Now, some of you are probably thinking: But Jeff, what if a team misses the playoff because of two or three points it could have picked up during a race when repairs took too long?
My answer is: TOO BAD!! Holy crap, are we really worried about this? Maybe try harder at other races next time!
I just can’t get fired up about telling a team to pack up for a night because stuff is so broken that it can’t be fixed quickly.
Look, I hate it just as much as everyone else when NASCAR takes away some long-held traditions — but is this really one to get upset about?
It’s like someone pulling the weeds out of your lawn to make it look better, and you get mad because you preferred it to look how nature intended.
They’re freaking WEEDS! Just look at how nice your lawn looks now and focus on that, OK?Majority of full bench throws out challenge to government’s powers, raising prospect of deportation for 267 people, including 72 children, from Australia to Nauru
High court throws out challenge to immigration detention on Nauru – politics live Read more
The high court has upheld Australia’s role in detaining of asylum seekers in foreign countries, rejecting a challenge to the constitutionality of the offshore processing system.
Lawyers for a Bangladeshi woman argued that the Australian government had “funded, authorised, procured and effectively controlled” her detention on Nauru, but this was not authorised by a valid Australian law and infringed constitutional limits on the government’s power.
In a decision announced in Canberra on Wednesday, the court found the commonwealth’s conduct was authorised by law and by section 61 of the constitution.
Australia's offshore detention damages asylum seekers because it's supposed to Read more
A majority of the full bench found that section 198AHA of the Migration Act - which was passed by the parliament in June last year - allowed for the commonwealth’s participation in the plaintiff’s detention in a foreign country.
“The plaintiff is not entitled to the declarations sought,” the court said in its majority decision.
Most directly, the court’s decision will have implications for the government’s power to remove 267 asylum seekers, including 39 children and 33 babies who were born in Australia, to Nauru.
Of those 267, the majority were moved to Australia from Nauru because of serious medical conditions that could not be treated in Nauru. Out of this group 33 are babies who were born in Australia to asylum seeker mothers. They have never been to Nauru.
The government has given undertakings that it will give at least 72 hours’ notice before removing any of the asylum seekers involved in the case from Australia.
The Bangladeshi woman – known as M68 in court document and the lead plaintiff in the case for the 267 asylum seekers – was on a boat intercepted by Australian officers in October 2013 and was detained on Nauru from January 2014 until August 2014, when she was brought to Australia for medical treatment and subsequently gave birth to a child.
The Human Rights Law Centre’s director of legal advocacy, Daniel Webb, said he had spoken to his client to inform her of the loss.
“She is now terrified that one night soon, her and her child are going to be woken up, bundled onto a plane, and left to languish in limbo on Nauru,” he said.
“We will study the details before we make any decisions about what next legal steps we can take on behalf of these very vulnerable people.”
Webb accused the government of shifting the goalposts midway through the case, saying the majority of judges “found that our government’s involvement in offshore detention was authorised by a retrospective law that they passed after we commenced this case”.
But he said the decision did not compel the government to return the group to Nauru, and he urged the immigration mister, Peter Dutton, to reconsider that course of action.
A group of protesters gathered outside the high court, chanting: “Let them stay; no more children to Nauru; we are better than this.”
Two significant changes were made after the case was initiated. The government pushed retrospective legislation through the parliament to shore up its offshore processing powers.
The detention facilities on Nauru also moved to an “open centre” arrangement, allowing Australia to argue the woman bringing the case would not be being returned to detention if she was sent back to the island.
Sri Lankan asylum seeker tells of terror on Nauru: 'If I am sent back, I will kill myself' Read more
During the two-day hearing in October, Australia’s solicitor general, Justin Gleeson SC, disputed assertions that Canberra was effectively responsible for the detention of people it transferred to Nauru because it paid for their temporary visas and funded the processing centre.
But Gleeson argued that even if the high court made such a finding, the actions were authorised by the retrospective changes to the Migration Act in June.
The court was not unanimous in its decision. Justice Michelle Gordon stated that section 198AHA of the Migration Act was “beyond power and therefore invalid”, and justice Stephen Gageler although agreeing with the substantive ruling noted “the plaintiff’s central claim (that the commonwealth and the minister acted beyond the executive power of the commonwealth by procuring and enforcing her detention at the regional processing centre between 24 March 2014 and 2 August 2014) to have been well-founded until 30 June 2015, when s 198AHA was inserted with retrospective effect”.
The main orders were written by the chief justice, Robert French, and justices Susan Kiefel and Geoffrey Nettle. They found that it was the government of Nauru that detained the woman on the island, not the Australian government.
The majority believed the Migration Act authorised Australia’s memorandum of understanding with Nauru to transfer people to the island, and Australia’s role in securing, funding and participating in the woman’s detention on Nauru.
Australia could participate in an offshore detention regime for as long as it served the purpose of processing people’s refugee claims, the main orders said.As the Rangers support hailed the unfurling of a flag to mark the claiming of their 54th championship, they had not banked on such a troubled start to the pursuit of a 55th.
Hearts arrived in Glasgow with the aim of giving Ally McCoist a bloody nose in his first competitive match in charge of Rangers. Amid an opening half in which Hearts passed up opportunities to extend the lead handed to them by David Obua, that looked a viable prospect.
Rangers recovered after the interval, Steven Naismith cancelling out Obua's header, but not sufficiently to prevent a full-time chorus of boos from the Ibrox stands. Levels of scrutiny surrounding Rangers' Champions League qualifying meeting with Malmo on Tuesday night have now intensified.
"We could have nicked the game but that would maybe have been an injustice because of the way we were in the first half," McCoist acknowledged. "But we have had a 1-1 draw against a very good side, a side who are a lot of people's tip to finish third, at least, this season." That said, McCoist knows all too well that time is not a commodity afforded to Old Firm managers; audible discontent from supporters merely served as a reminder.
The Rangers support had offered ironic cheers after only eight minutes. The Hearts defender Andy Webster, who became something of a joke figure during an injury-plagued time at Ibrox, limped off with a recurrence of a groin problem. Even Kenny McDowall, the Rangers coach, shook his head as Webster sauntered past.
Home unrest was soon prevalent. Obua met Danny Grainger's corner, completely unchallenged, and headed home before Allan McGregor saved smartly from Hearts' David Templeton. As Obua lashed wide when sent through by Templeton, Rangers' only saving grace was that a lethargic start had not cost them more heavily.
"I once took a Hearts team here and won 3-0," said the Edinburgh club's manager, Jim Jefferies, later. "I said to the players at half-time that they had produced as good a performance as that day."
Hints of a Rangers rousing from their slumber arrived moments before the interval, only a superb tackle from Ian Black preventing Naismith from claiming an almost certain goal.
A tactical move by McCoist during the break, moving the hitherto peripheral Steven Davis into a more central position, triggered a more creative Rangers approach. Naismith passed up two fine chances to equalise before doing exactly that.
Ryan McGowan, who had done an outstanding job in marshalling the Rangers debutant Juan Ortiz until that point, was caught in possession when seeking to launch a Hearts attack. Still, McGowan would have expected his team-mates to defend better as Sasa Papac was permitted time and space to cross for Naismith, who in turn rose without opposition.
Naismith used this match to prove once again that he retains an unedifying capacity to whine like a child under the most basic of challenges. When he sets his mind towards playing, though, the former Kilmarnock man has obvious talent.
Surprisingly, Rangers failed to gain much momentum from Naismith's intervention. Papac wasted their best chance of the closing stages by shooting tamely at Marian Kello while Ortiz summed up a maiden 75 minutes to forget in light blue by miscontrolling when played in by Steven Whittaker.
At the other end, Obua stung the palms of McGregor with a fierce half-volley. Few could deny the fairness of shared points, with Hearts unquestionably the happier.Not since the first three matches of the 1988-89 home series against the West Indies have Australia lost three in a row, but they have now managed to do so again by failing to crack the Indian batting on a wearing pitch.
The result had a further Ashes implication, dropping Australia down to fifth in the ICC world rankings, behind England.
"I knew it was a long time ago. I wasn’t playing in 1988, although it feels like it," said Australian captain Ricky Ponting when told of the record.
"We have to get off that train, for sure. We have to start winning Test matches.
"It’s going to be interesting to see how the group bounces back now.
"There are some issues there we need to deal with.
"There’s no doubt we’ve got some work to do on, one, how to bat against reverse swing bowling and two, how to deliver when we’ve got the ball in our hand."
India maintained their comfortable hold on the No.1 ranking, a deserved accolade on the strength of a commanding fourth innings chase.
Despite the early loss of Virender Sehwag to the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus (1-27), the Indian pursuit was both nerveless and rapid, with the young duo of Cheteshwar Pujara (72) and Murali Vijay (37) wresting control.
Sachin Tendulkar (53no to follow his first innings 214) then shepherded India to a 2-0 series win alongside Rahul Dravid (21no), who had been demoted to No. 5 in the order for Pujara.
Aside from the unstinting Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson (0-42) and debutant Peter George (0-29) could not find their best, while Nathan Hauritz (1-76) was attacked mercilessly.
India’s target was kept below the 216 chased so narrowly in Mohali last week by the reverse swing of Zaheer Khan (3-41) and Sreesanth (2-48), who accounted for the final three wickets for just six runs.
Resuming at 7-202 with a lead of 185, the Australians added only a further 21 to their overnight tally as the ball swerved about treacherously.
India’s chase began with a boundary to Vijay from Hilfenhaus, and in the second over Australian hands went to heads when Mike Hussey grassed a difficult chance from Sehwag.
However the tourists have done very well to plan for Sehwag in this series, and once again he was out to a lifting delivery, this time snicking Hilfenhaus behind where Tim Paine took a sharp catch.
Surprisingly the new batsman was not longtime No.3 Dravid but Pujara, dismissed cheaply in the first innings.
Given a chance here, he was quickly into stride, punching Johnson through the covers and then launching a murderous assault on Hauritz.
His first over went for 12 runs and second for 10, as the hosts galloped to 1-73 in a mere 12 overs at the interval.
Ponting resorted to George and allrounder Shane Watson (1-20) after lunch, and had success when Vijay was lbw to the latter.
That brought Tendulkar to the crease, and he was to continue batting in the same regal manner of the first innings.
At the other end Pujara was barely troubled and it was a shock when he played down the wrong line at Hauritz and was bowled.
Dravid appeared in good touch when he walked out, and he and Tendulkar collected the final runs without any of the tension that had wracked the final moments of the epic first Test at Mohali.
www.australiantimes.co.uk/cricket
Also read: Marcus North bats himself into the AshesIt cost about 300 bucks to book The Replacements the first time they played at The Chukker. Five hundred the second time. This was around 1983 and 1984. Although this boozy Minneapolis group would become a major influence on iconic '90s rockers like Kurt Cobain, Billie Joe Armstrong and Jeff Tweedy, The Replacements were still a bar-band back then. And happy to pick up a gig in Tuscaloosa, on the way to whatever larger Southeastern city they were performing at next.
George Hadjidakis, owner of Tuscaloosa record store Vinyl Solution, booked The Replacements at The Chukker. He says getting the band to play there "wasn't difficult at all. If they were playing in New Orleans or Nashville or Atlanta they were playing the bigger clubs but they had no problem playing at a place like The Chukker. And those were some killer shows."
During the '80s and '90s there were plenty of killer shows at The Chukker. Reggae-rockers Sublime. Free-jazz legend Sun Ra. Moody alternative band Morphine. Surf-guitar guru Dick Dale. California punks Decendents. Bluesman R.L. Burnside. Indie heroes Guided By Voices. Folk guitar ace Richard Thompson. Southern rockers Drive-By Truckers. And many more.
By the 1980s, The Chukker had already lived many lives. It had been a workingman's bar. A restaurant serving steaks. A biker bar. Gay bar. Hippie bar.
The outside of Tuscaloosa bar The Chukker. (Courtesy photo)
The Chukker had hosted live music infrequently, mostly Tuscaloosa cover bands, Hadjidakis says, before Ronnie Myers, one of the many people to own or co-own the bar since it first opened in 1956, brought in improvisational musician Eugene Chadbourne. "It was packed," Hadjidakis recalls now. He's in the music room of his Northport home when reached for this phone interview. "It was a great night. Weird music that was very interesting and it just kind of grew from there." After Myers sold-out to partner Bruce Hooper, Hadjidakis recalls a return to more local-centric bookings. Still the record store owner thought since Tuscaloosa was right in the crosshairs of Southeastern touring routes, The Chukker could easily book rising regional acts too.
"I remember the first time I approached Bruce about it, it was a chance to book R.E.M.," Hadjidakis says. "I think they'd had a single out but that was just about it. I knew they were popular because I sold a lot of their records, so I approached him about it and that's when he told me, 'They're out of state and I don't want to mess with that.' I just kind of kept talking to him about it and then I finally just said, 'Look, I'll pay for the band if you just provide the Chukker as a place for them to play.'" Jangly, Boston band Salem 66 was the first band Hadjidakis can remember booking at The Chukker. Garage-rock combos like The Del Fuegos and The Lyres would follow.
While the frat houses, other Tuscaloosa bars like Lee's Tomb and even University of Alabama events on the quad were hosting bands playing Boston and Bruce Springsteen covers, The Chukker became the local place in Tuscaloosa to see compelling (and often edgy) original music. "I really didn't know what I was doing," Hadjidakis says. "If I liked the band and it was selling pretty well then I'd try to book them. I was also trying to promote the store, so if I could get a reputation for the place that was bringing in good bands, that helped out. But I've always been a lover of rock and roll and that was my main impetus. I wanted to see the band."
A flyer for rock shows at The Chukker. (Courtesy photo)
Hopper had first heard about The Chukker in 1967, when during UA freshman orientation a counselor told him the spot was "one of the few places you might be able to get a drink without an ID." Later on, living about six blocks away, Hopper was a Chukker patron throughout the '70s. He was also a musician, playing bass in local bands like The Rubber Band. The gig money helped augment his meager income as a Bryce Hospital social worker. He got involved with buying The Chukker as a safety net in case the gigs dried up, to help support his young family.
"By the time Ronnie and I had bought it out," Hopper says, "they had changed the ruling about how close to campus you could sell alcoholic beverages and the Strip opened up. So, it went from having to compete with two or three bars to having to compete with 10 bars for the student crowd. The Strip, everybody could just walk to the bars. I had to have something to attract them downtown and that was live music."
Hadjidakis opened Vinyl Solution in 1980, starting with his personal record collection of about 400 albums as stock, in a walk-in-closet-sized space on 13th Avenue. The store moved a couple doors down on 13th to a bigger location. Then to 1207 University Blvd. in 1986 and expanding their stock to thousands of records. Vinyl Solution was one of those wonderful record stores where young music fans got turned-on to awesome, less-obvious artists like Velvet Underground and Gram Parsons. After Vinyl closed in May 2004, Hadjidakis sold records online. He's now retired and enjoys chasing down obscure garage-rock singles by groups like The Wig. Growing up in Huntsville, Hadjidakis' first record was The Beatles' "She Loves You," but it was the 1972 compilation "Nuggets" that steered his listening tastes toward the obscure.
The exterior of Tuscaloosa record store Vinyl Solution's University Boulevard location.
Hopper was a Vinyl Solution customer and Hadjidakis was a Chukker customer, so teaming up for live music came about naturally, Hopper says. One night, to coincide with a 1985 R.E.M. concert at Foster Auditorium, the Chukker booked another Athens, Ga. band, Dreams So Real, whose debut album was produced by R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. After R.E.M. announced from the Foster stage they were headed to see Dreams So Real at The Chucker afterward, 300 or so fans crammed into the 125-person capacity club. "So we had R.E.M.'s tour bus outside," Hopper says, "10,000 Maniacs, their opening act's tour bus outside and half of Tuscaloosa trying to get in the place. [Laughs] It was probably the biggest night The Chuk
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Cruz and Mike Lee.
Levin said that while Young would be "a hell of a member of Congress," Byrne would be a "hell of a member of the Chamber of Commerce."
The Chamber's endorsement, made on Tuesday, prompted Young to criticize the organization by claiming it was supporters of BP and President Barack Obama's immigration policy.
But Tweets posted Friday by the U.S. Chamber's National Political Director Rob Engstrom suggest that Young "actively sought" the organizations support. The Tweets were posted in an article earlier Friday on The Daily Caller.
Young admitted on Tuesday to filling out a chamber questionnaire, but that he did not seek the Chamber's endorsement.
Gray echoed those comments Friday.
"We filled it out just as we have filled out more than 100 questionnaires for various organizations," Gray said.
Levin, who declined to make a prediction in the highly contentious race, labeled Young as a Reagan and life-long conservative. Levin, himself, served as an adviser for several members of Ronald Reagan's cabinet.
Levin, before the Sept. 24 primary, endorsed Quin Hillyer for the congressional seat. Hillyer finished fourth in the election.
Hillyer, a Byrne supporter, called Levin a friend but someone who "needs to do his homework."
"Mark has known me personally and has been an ally for years and said so when he endorsed me," Hillyer said. "Now he says he is endorsing Dean based only on what he has read. An endorsement based on long-range impressions rather than direct knowledge isn't worth a second thought by voters."THERE ARE FISHTHAT RATCHET THE IDEA OF TOUGHNESS up to a rarefied level--a toughness that leaves amateurs and expert fishermen alike in physical and mental shock. These fish, once you are joined to them, and despite even the best of muscle tackle, will pummel you with a ferocity that will rubberize your legs, brutalize yourbelly, reduce your arms to trembling twigs. Your synapses will malfunction and every muscle you own will screech "enough," but you'll be too stubbornto give up. And just when you think you have them licked, they'll remind you that the fight has only just begun.
Ask a group of anglers to name the one toughest fish of all, and you'll get a batch of conflicting answers. My picks are predicated on size, aggression, likelihood of a spectacular fight, the environment in which you'll find them and a generous helping of subjectivity. Some fish of each species will be meaner than others, but as long as they've got size, none of them will give you an inch.
Giant Trevally
TOUGH SCALE 8.9
THERE ARE AT LEAST 25 TREVALLY SPECIES and all of them are tough fighters, but the giant is the tribe's true bad boy, and not just because of its size. Divers report watching huge GTs heedlessly crash their blunt heads into a reef while pursuing small fish. Nothing fazes them. They'll repeatedly blow up on asurface lure, never quitting until they've devoured it. You can also jig them or use natural baits, but 20-pound-test casting tackle is necessary when fishing for them near rocky outcroppings, atolls and reefs, and you'll still get broken off. You'll find them year-round in Hawaii, where they're known as ulua; near the atolls and islands of the South Pacific; in Australia; and throughout the Philippines. You'll be happy with 50-pounders, believe me, but the things grow to more than 100.
Amberjack
TOUGH SCALE 9.3
NEXT TO BLUEFIN TUNA, greater amberjacks are, pound for pound, as hard fighting a fish as you'll meet. Like tuna, they don't jump, but when one slams your bait there is no question as to what's happening.
Immediately, it will bore for the wreck, reef or rocky outcropping where it lives, and you must stop it right then, or all will be lost. You need a tight drag that only begrudgingly gives out line. You need to use continual short pumps with a stout stand-up rod. You need to forget the pulled muscles in your forearms and concentrate on lifting with your legs. Even when turned, an amberjack will continue to dig and run as you lift it. Amberjacks are ideal for illustrating to newcomers just how tough a fish can be. The hope is to hook a fish of 20 or 30 pounds. Woe to the newbie who connects with a 60-pounder.
PIRARUCU
TOUGH SCALE 9.0
The scales of the pirarucu are so abrasive, they're sold as nail files in the curio shops of Manaus, Brazil. That gives you some idea about this prehistoricfish, known as arapaima in Guyana. Without the head or tail, its body resembles a tarpon's. Reattach those missing parts and you've got something that looks more like an attack sub.
The fish favors deep lagoons and sluggish backwaters, where it has the disconcerting habit of rising ghostlike near your boat to gulp air through its primitive lung. Normally the pirarucu is quite wary, but when it's guarding a spawning site, it might leap clear of the water and too close to your boat for comfort. It will do the same once it attacks a big jerkbait, crankbait or slab spoon, though more typically it rolls wildly on top and then heads for flooded jungle trees. If you're trophy hunting, a live or dead baitfish beneath a float is often most productive.
The key to finding this fish is to search for air bubbles. Air breathing has been the fish's undoing. Specimens to 600 pounds reportedly have been taken in the past, but spearing has reduced their numbers. Today 200-pounders are trophies; a 100-pound fish is a good-size catch and will put up a good fight to boot. Their awesome ferocity and the sheer adventure of a deep jungle hunt for the critters make them that much more worthwhile.
PIRAIBA
TOUGH SCALE 9.0
Okay, the piraiba may be "just" a catfish, but it's the largest South American catfish and, at nearly 300 pounds, among the largest in the world.
Natives of the Amazon and its tributaries routinely fish for the beast using a baited hook and rope tied to the bows of their dugout canoes. When they hook up, they're dragged for miles. Some fishermen have lost fingers in their ropes; others have been slammed overboard and drowned. The piraiba's streamlined shape and huge tail enable it to swim up rapids during seasonal migrations of many hundreds of miles. And once it has inhaled the dead baitfish you've dangled, that sames hape and tail enable it to yank you clear across a boat, before hanging up in the densest nearby cover. There's an old story about one of these brutes being gutted at a market to reveal the skeletal remains of an adult male human.
Tarpon
TOUGH SCALE 9.5
MY UNDYING LOVE FOR THESE THINGS is no secret. They remind me of the finale in a Fourth of July fireworks display. There are times when they feel your hookup and come straight at you, gills audibly rattling, mouth as big around as a Dutch oven, saucer-size eyes glaring with a wild-stallion craziness. Those are the good ones. The bad ones sulk and run.
You can toss plugs to tarpon on glorified bass tackle (with reels that have sufficient line capacity and splendid drags), soak live mullet, tempt them with chunks of dead bait, troll for them or throw flies on their noses. The finest sport is sight-fishing in shallow water, leading them like a wingshooter, firing home a cast and watching a mouth open.
Record seekers go to places like Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau in western Africa for goodn umbers of tarpon topping 200 pounds. You needn't travel that far, though. Slip down to Central America or target them along the Gulf Coast. There the firecrackers range from 65 to 100 pounds; some will push 200.
The silver pigs have been known to fall from the sky into your boat, thrashing about and causing serious damage and injuries. But most of the time, the only medicine you'll need is a rum runner to ease the rod-butt aches across your belly.
Marlin
TOUGH SCALE 9.7
BLACK, WHITE AND STRIPED MARLIN are all worthy adversaries for sure, but my vote for toughest of the marlin is the mighty blue. It is often coaxed by natural sewn baits or lures dragged via outriggers on 16- and 20-pound tackle, but to me, that's definitely on the light side. Blues in the 800-pound class and 1,000-pound blacks have been caught that way, but only because these fish are of open water, and the boat handlers and anglers were supremely skilled and aggressive. It's the 50-, 80- and 130-pound-class tackle that seems right to meet the challenge of the true monsters.
Their rapier billis no nose ornament, either--many of my guide friends sport puncture scars. Just last July a blue marlin estimated at 800 pounds flew across the width of aboat, impaling Bermudan mate Ian Card below his collarbone and taking him 15 feet below the surface as his father watched in horror. The 260-pound Card wrestled free, with a fist-size hole in his chest, and somehow managed to survive the ordeal.
If a marlin in the air doesn't bring a shout of primal joy from you, there's something wrong withyour wiring. Or perhaps it's just that your throat's dried up from fighting thebeast.
STURGEON
TOUGH SCALE 9.5
A native of North America, the white sturgeon is hardly as monstrous as the 3,000-pound beluga found in the Caspian Sea. But I'll tell you what: When a 9-or 10-foot-long white sucks your cut-herring bait off the bottom of a river, turns and takes off, you're going to know it. You won't believe that what looks like the prehistoric, armor-plated, sucky-mouthed result of a catfish-carp liaison can leap, but leap it does. During a typical fight, a white sturgeon will repeatedly jump high into the air, slamming back down to the water's surface without grace.
Its huge tail and pectoral fins ensure drag-melting runs, followed by bottom-hugging tactics that'll force you to grunt him up. You'll need a quick-release snap and float to leave your anchor and begin the chase. At boatside the fish will continue to thrash violently, so stay ready. Today the Columbia and Idaho's Snake River produce fish in the 200- to 500-pound range, while fish up to 600 pounds have come from British Columbia's Fraser River. Eighty-pound-test line, heavy-dutyr evolving-spool reels, boat rods and three-way swivel bait rigs get the job done.
Niugini Bass
TOUGH SCALE 9.2
AT FIRST GLANCE THEY LOOK LIKE LARGEMOUTH BASS ON STEROIDS, but they sport the teeth of a junkyard dog and maintain the disposition of a wounded Cape buffalo.These days Niugini bass (a kind of snapper, actually) max out near 40 pounds, though there are reports of 70-pounders that have been dynamited from the drowned trees in the brackish jungle rivers of New Guinea, where they live. What you cast to them isn't important; they'll eat anything that swims--other fish, little crocodiles, small mammals. It's just that your muskie or saltwaterbait ought to have its hooks replaced with 5X stouts. You need an 80-pound-test wire leader, 40- or 50-pound-test line and a drag that has been tightened down with pliers.
Cast tight to the logjams, and when the greenish-grayish creature streaks out and chomps your plug, yell "hit it" to the guy running the outboard. Maybe you'll drag the fish out. More likely it will pull you to the gunwale, crack your knees against the side of the boat, maybe pop some guides off the rod and snap the line.
TUNA
TOUGH SCALE 10
Bigeye, dogtooth, longtail, even the blackfin and little tunny are no-quit fighters, but it's the top-tier yellowfin and king-of-them-all bluefin tuna that can, quite literally, break your heart. One look at the torpedo-headed, quick-tapering body or the lunate, always-beating tail, and you understand why they're among the planet's fastest-swimming creatures.
Hooking up with a tuna is like being connected to a runaway semi--one that makes depth-bomb plummets. All you can do is ready your whole body for the job of cranking and lifting without a second's rest. I've seen NFL linemen quit midfight. Anglers who battle giant bluefin often end up with back problems. Fish in the 300- to 1,000-pound range (the record is 1,496) call for 80- to 130-pound tackle. Truly, these warm-blooded creatures are the raging bulls of the sea.
THE SCALE: WHEREOTHER GAME FISH WOULD RANK
1 1.6 Smallmouth Bass
3.7 Muskie
5.9 Striped Bass
7.4 King Salmon
10 Tuna
THE WORLD'S MOST DEADLY FISH
STONEFISH
The worst of the scorpion fishes, the stonefish bears a toxin comparable to that of a cobra. This small but horribly ugly creature lives in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans and is camouflaged to resemble a coral lump. If you are "spined," the pain is instantaneous. In 10 minutes you'll likely collapse, thrashing and raving maniacally. If you survive six hours you'll probably live, though flesh near the wound will have sloughed away, your joints will ache and it will take a year to regain good health.
GREAT WHITE SHARK
Based on its size, strength, fearlessness and preference for feeding on marine mammals--as well as divers, swimmers and even kayak hulls--the great white is the deadliest shark. These prehistoric survivors grow to thousands of pounds.
BULL SHARK
Many shark species can do you in, but the bull makes this list because of its abundance, vile disposition and common occurrence near shore in turbid water, where the fish is rarely seen until it attacks. Bulls also adapt to fresh water and roam far up major rivers.
SEA WASP
Otherwise known as the box jellyfish, this member of the Cubozoa clan (not a true jellyfish) is about as big as a basketball, with 60 nearly invisible tentacles trailing up to 15 feet behind it. It calls the Indio-Pacific region home. Not everyone who comes into contact with those tentacles dies, but the excruciating venomous sting causes vomiting and breathing and heart problems.
CANDIRU
This translucent, yellow-eyed, eel-like parasitic catfish grows to a maximum length of one inch. It cannot kill you outright, but if you experience the wrath of one, you might wish it had. A native of the Amazon, the fish has a penchant for swimming into urethral openings of unprotected bathers--men and women alike. Once inside it pops open its spinygill covers, which prevent it from being pulled out. The ensuing shock and infection have caused death, as has hemorrhaging resulting from attempts to remove it. Delicate surgery might be required. Also, the juice of two native fruits high in citric acid, both drunk and used externally where possible, can dissolve the gill spines and kill the fish.Harley-Davidson styling has always been deliberately behind the times. Even in the 70s, the shovelheads had more of an early 60s vibe.
But what if a little early superbike magic had rubbed off on the Big Twins? You’d get something like this stunning machine—a 1979 FL from master builder Scott ‘T-Bone’ Jones of Noise Cycles.
It’s called ‘Shovelhead KZ,’ and yes, there’s a hint of Kawasaki KZ1000 in there.
But sitting above those 74 cubes of Milwaukee grunt is a Yamaha RD350 tank. It shouldn’t work, but it fits just perfectly.
Right behind is a long and plush stepped seat, with ample room for two-up riding. Check out the stitching and trim—it’s incredible detailing.
The tank is not the only Japanese part. Scott has slotted a Kawasaki headlight into the one-off aluminum nacelle, and fitted a discreet Honda stoplight to the chunky custom tail unit.
The fabrication is top-notch, as you’d expect from a man who worked with Jesse James and Ian Barry before setting out on his own just four years ago. Not surprisingly, he’s now a regular at the invite-only Born Free shows.
The 18-inch front wheel began life on a Honda Gold Wing, but the solid 16-inch rear disc is from the Harley-Davidson catalog.
Both rims are shod with Dunlop Qualifier high performance radials—no Firestones here.
The torquey motor was in good condition, so Scott has just tickled it a little. He’s grafted on a Harley FXS header, hooked it up to a custom Noise Cycles muffler, and coated both in a deep black. A Biltwell throttle controls the gas, installed on custom-made bars.
The ride has been brought up to date with the help of the fine folks at Progressive Suspension. “I didn’t realize while building it how comfortable it would be,” says Scott. “It’s super comfortable.”
And that deep, impossibly glossy paint? Full credit to Matt Ross Custom Paint and Jen Hallett for a sublime job.
Black and gold never gets old.
Noise Cycles Instagram | Thanks to Jose Gallina for the imagesNew Zealand's sheep flock dropped 3 per cent to the lowest level since the 1930s Depression as farmers sold stock to cope with drought conditions and facial eczema.
Lamb numbers are likely to fall 2.9 per cent this spring.
Sheep numbers reduced to 28.3 million as at June 30 from 29.1 million a year earlier, marking the lowest level since 1934, according to the latest survey from the Economic Service of farmer-owned industry organisation Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Lamb numbers this spring are forecast to drop 2.9 per cent to 23.3 million.
New Zealand now has about seven sheep for every person, down from 22 per person in 1982 when there were more than 70 million sheep.
All regions reduced sheep numbers in the latest year as farmers chased higher returns for cattle, facial eczema impacted flocks, farmers reduced stock due to dry conditions, and as a result of fewer lambs the previous spring.
The number of breeding ewes fell 3.1 per cent, the 10th consecutive annual decline.
"North Island ewe numbers decreased 2.9 per cent to 9 million with drought conditions and facial eczema a significant cause," said Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief operating officer Cros Spooner.
"South Island numbers dropped 3.3 per cent to 9.5 million, also affected significantly by drought."
The largest drop in breeding ewes was in Marlborough and Canterbury, where numbers dropped 6.5 per cent due to ongoing drought conditions.
The lamb crop estimate will be updated in November.
Beef + Lamb noted that land use change towards dairy farming had slowed considerably over the past year, underpinned by a low farmgate milk price and increasing concerns over future environmental regulations for the sector. However, strong returns for beef cattle increased the lure of cattle production.
The country's beef cattle herd increased 2.8 per cent to 3.7 million, following a 3.3 per cent decline the previous season.
The Economic Service noted that farming practices were more efficient than in the 1930s, with lamb production 1.7 times greater, mutton production 60 per cent greater, and the average lamb slaughter weight up 23 per cent.YouTube TV finally has a full app, but the rollout to various TV devices is taking longer than originally planned.
The apps for Roku and Apple TV, originally slated to launch before the end of 2017, are now scheduled for the first quarter of 2018. Also planned for the Q1 timeframe, a YouTube representative told me, are apps for older smart TVs, namely Samsung sets from 2014 and 2015, and Sony TVs that use the older Linux-based operating system, as opposed to Android TV.
Now playing: Watch this: YouTube TV's big-screen app lets you kick Chromecast...
YouTube TV is a $35-per-month live TV service aimed at cable cord-cutters. Unlike the free YouTube you know so well, populated by cat videos, how-tos and myriad independent channels and shows, YouTube TV is a direct competitor to cable TV.
Available in more than 80 cities nationwide, it offers local TV channels such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC as well as cable stalwarts like AMC, ESPN, the Disney Channel, Fox News and Bravo. (Disclosure: CBS is the parent company of CNET and Showtime.)
YouTube
In addition to iOS and Android phones and tablets, and PC browsers, YouTube TV is currently available via the following TV-connected devices. All of them, except Chromecast, use the new big-screen app that debuted in October.
Chromecast
Xbox One
Android TV (including Nvidia Shield and newer Sony TVs)
Samsung 2016 and 2017 smart TVs
LG 2016 and 2017 smart TVs
Meanwhile, YouTube TV's competitors, including Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now, are all currently available on most of the same devices, as well as Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. The YouTube TV representative told me there are currently no plans for Fire TV or PlayStation apps.
Separately, YouTube has said it will pull its main, free YouTube app (the one with the cat videos and stuff) from Fire TV devices by the end of 2018.
Update, 11:20 a.m. ET: The headline previously read "YouTube TV delays its Roku and Apple TV apps to 2018" and was updated following a clarification by YouTube TV's representative of its original statement on timing.Whoops! Sorry there seems to be a technical issue loading our website PulseTV.com on your browser.
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************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************YPSILANTI, MI - As she left Towne Centre Place apartments in Ypsilanti on a recent morning, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell counted her blessings. "Every time I'm in this building, it reminds me how lucky I am," said Dingell, who just finished volunteering with Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels to deliver free hot and cold meals to several poor, elderly and disabled tenants at the subsidized housing high-rise on Michigan Avenue. "There are a lot of people who have worked their whole lives and are struggling, and we've got a crisis in this country," Dingell said, making a case that programs such as Meals on Wheels are critically important in society. "I mean, this for me today not only is the importance of Meals on Wheels -- and as you heard many people say, it's the only way they eat -- but also 10,000 people are turning 65 every single day and they don't have anybody to count on. They don't have anybody to check on them. They're by themselves." Dingell volunteered to help deliver meals on Tuesday, April 18, to raise awareness about what the program means for people. When Congress returns from recess next week, it will have to act quickly to approve legislation to prevent a government shutdown and fund the federal budget past April 28, the expiration date for the current funding. President Donald Trump's budget proposals call for cuts to various federal programs, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant program, which provides funding to Meals on Wheels programs nationwide. Last month, Mick Mulvaney, Trump's budget chief, defended cuts that could impact Meals on Wheels by saying the program "sounds great" but the federal government is in debt and it can't spend money anymore on programs that are "just not showing any results." "We're going to do everything we can to fight this," Dingell said. "Hopefully we're going to win this and Republicans in the Congress realize as much as we do that it's unacceptable to cut programs like this." For those who take comfort in remaining in their own homes but are unable to shop or cook for themselves, the meals and the personal contact is not only appreciated, but in many cases vital, according to Meals on Wheels. One of the residents Dingell and the other volunteers visited was Dwight Spears, a 62-year-old disabled veteran. Spears said he's been getting meals delivered through Meals on Wheels for about a year and a half now. "Before that, I struggled to make ends meet, you know, because I'm a diabetic and I had to have a special diet, so it's expensive," he said, calling Meals on Wheels a life saver and saying he'd be in bad shape without it. "It was hard to pay rent and be able to afford food. You know, healthy food is expensive. So, I'd be struggling." Ken Jensen, another Towne Centre Place resident, said Meals on Wheels has made a big difference in his life. The 71-year-old retiree lives with his Russian Blue cat named Munchkin. He has memory problems and isn't allowed to cook for himself anymore because of the risk of starting a fire, so his stove is unhooked and he relies on the delivered meals, which he rations out to get through the weekend. "When they told me I couldn't cook anymore, I was down to not much at all to eat," he said, adding Meals on Wheels changed that. "I never knew things like this existed before. I'm just so thankful. It's a blessing. It just amazes me." Edward Windom, another Towne Centre Place resident who is in a wheelchair, also speaks highly of the program, saying the food is good and it's delivered on time practically every day. Without Meals on Wheels, he said, his sister would probably have to do more to help provide for him.
Trump's budget cuts would hurt Washtenaw County, local officials say Local officials are speaking out against cuts to housing and human services.
In Michigan, Meals on Wheels delivers nearly 10 million meals each year to homebound persons 60 years or older, or adults with disabilities, who are unable to shop or prepare meals for themselves. Meals on Wheels estimates providing a year of meals to one senior costs the same as a one-day stay in the hospital. With seniors living longer, healthier lives, Dingell says one of her top priorities is improving the country's long-term care system to ensure seniors can live independently with the highest quality of life for the longest time possible. Programs such as Meals on Wheels that allow seniors to age with dignity in their own homes are critical to that effort, Dingell argues. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit agency, is one of five Meals on Wheels programs in Washtenaw County. It serves homebound elderly, disabled and ill residents in the city of Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, Augusta Township, Superior Township, eastern Pittsfield Township and York Township. Most of its clients receive meals five days a week, though some receive meals less frequently. On Tuesday morning, the clients visited by Dingell and volunteers from the Liberty Club of Saline received both a hot meal and a cold meal, including macaroni and cheese, meatloaf on a kaiser roll, fruits, veggies and more. "Macaroni and cheese is a crowd favorite," said Alison Foreman, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels executive director. The agency has four paid drivers, but it also relies on the help of four to 10 volunteers each day, and about 700 to 800 throughout any given year. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels has an annual budget of about $650,000. Foreman said the agency receives about $40,000 from the threatened CDBG funds, which are used for overhead expenses such as its fleet of four vehicles. "Those are pretty important," she said. "We have four vehicles, so we're trying to maintain a nice fleet so we can end up getting out to people reliably." She said the bigger hit to the program would be if Trump's proposed 18 percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services goes through. "That could mean a loss of $100,000 to us," she said. "That would mean having a wait list again or reducing our meal service from two meals back down to one meal. We already feel like we have a wait list, or what we call food rationing, because we're not able to deliver nutrition seven days a week." Foreman added, "We would love to bring back Saturday meal delivery. In fact, we need to raise an extra $100,000 to do that. So, it would be a challenge to fundraise an extra $100,000, considering we only raise about $150,000, so to increase that to $250,000 would be pretty hard for us." Foreman notes the senior population is growing, and forecasts suggest that trend will continue for many years to come. "By 2020, like 30 percent of our population in Washtenaw County are going to be seniors," she said. "By 2040, more than 50 percent is going to be people over the age of 60. So not only would a funding cut be bad, we actually need funding increases, so we're actually calling our politicians and trying to ask them to not only not cut our funding, but to increase funding for seniors." For those who question whether programs such as Meals on Wheels are necessary or are delivering results, Foreman has one thing to say. "Go out and deliver meals with us," she said. "I am happy to share any information people want, but I feel once you get out and you deliver a meal, you have a much different vision. I mean, I have heard stories of clients saying they're rationing out the food that they get. And when you see the portion sizes, they aren't meant to be rationed for another day." Foreman said some people will save half of their macaroni and cheese just so they have something to eat on Saturday. "They're saving the fruit and rationing the fruit so they have a little something," she said. "I have some clients who say, 'When you leave on Friday, I don't eat until you come back on Monday.' "So, we want good, balanced nutrition," Foreman said. "And that's going to help somebody who's recovering from a stroke or from a fall, who needs to have good nutrition while they're going through physical therapy to get better." Dingell said she knows of a man in Taylor who acknowledged he was eating banana peels to get through weekends. In addition to the delivery of hot and cold meals, which are prepared by a food service based in Detroit, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels also does grocery delivery to clients on Mondays using rescued produce from Food Gatherers. "Most of our clients receive about a five-pound bag of produce, so it's apples, oranges, baby carrots, salad mixes, things like that," Foreman said, adding they also receive dairy, yogurt and bread. "So clients who want that, we are able to do that, and then we have some partnerships with some local farms. "I have a local farmer who brings us farm-fresh eggs for our clients, so some of them get like a nice little six-pack of eggs to cook up as well, and we also have a grocery delivery program through Jewish Family Services." Foreman said many students from Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan volunteer with Meals on Wheels. With college students going away for the summer, she said, this is the time of year the agency can see a shortage of volunteers, which means the paid staff has a heavier load and doesn't get to spend as much time with each client. "The value is when we can break off volunteer routes," Foreman said. "Then when our staff go to the single-site homes, they have a little bit more time with each client to converse with them -- you know, kind of brighten their day." Sometimes the agency's staff will help with chores or minor repairs around the house, take the garbage out, change a light bulb, or bring food for pets. People who want to volunteer to deliver meals can go to
and sign up. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels needs volunteers on weekdays. Those who want to volunteer on a Saturday are sent to Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels, which delivers on Saturdays. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels board member Cathy Day said the agency is lean and any cuts to its budget would have direct impacts on clients. "It would be very difficult for our clients, the people we serve, if we got cut," said the retired EMU faculty member. "We've worked very hard to make sure we're a sustainable organization and can meet the needs of our clients, but we're still working on some things that would help them. To lose funding would be disastrous for many of them and it makes no sense." Back at the Meals on Wheels office inside the First Baptist Church of Ypsilanti on Tuesday, Foreman gave Dingell a stack of paper plates with hand-written messages on them from Meals on Wheels clients and volunteers. "Meals on Wheels feeds people who society forgets about. It is needed and appreciated," read one message written in marker. "I enjoy my Meals on Wheels so much," another person penned. "They help me to eat healthy with the vegetable and fruit. They also help me to eat because my food stamps has been cut so low. Please don't cut my Meals on Wheels too." Another woman wrote that Meals on Wheels has kept her alive and she would have starved by now without it. One plate had a typed note from a man named Joe, who said he is relatively young and has terminal cancer. "I have been hanging on, but realistically I have maybe a year or two on this earth," he wrote. "I have had 7 surgeries and countless treatments in the past two years. Before Meals on Wheels, my family members would bring me casseroles and things, simply I didn't and don't have the energy to cook. "It was unsaid but this was a strain on them, regardless of their strong love for me. I contacted Meals on Wheels and, after an interview process, they started to bring me meals. 2 completely thought-out and balanced, nutritious meals. The people that work and volunteer at this program are always kind, talkative and smiling. I actually look forward to the short daily visits." He went on to write his nutrition has improved greatly and he believes that has helped prolong his time to make a positive impact in today's negative climate. "I can't speak for others, only me," he wrote. "This program is a necessity for me. Considering cutting funding to this well-founded community program that's assisting the elderly and terminally ill seems to be counterproductive."To understand why teen pregnancy rates are so high in Texas, meet Jessica Chester. When Chester was in high school in Garland, she decided to attend the University of Texas at Dallas. She wanted to become a doctor.
"I was top of the class," she says. "I had a GPA of 4.5, a full-tuition scholarship to UTD. I was not the stereotypical girl someone would look at and say, 'Oh, she's going to get pregnant and drop out of school.' "
But right before her senior year of high school, Chester, then 17, missed her period. She bought a pregnancy test and told her mom to wait outside the bathroom door.
"I saw both lines came up," Chester says. "I had tears and I remember just opening the door and she was standing there with her arms out and she just wrapped me up and hugged me. I just cried and she told me it's going to be OK."
Chester's mother had also been a teen mom, and so had her grandmother.
In Texas every year, about 35,000 teens and young women get pregnant before they turn 20. And while rates of teen pregnancy are on the decline nationwide, in Texas the rate of decline is slower.
Traditionally, the two variables most commonly associated with high teen birth rates are education and poverty, but a new study co-authored by Dr. Julie DeCesare, of the University of Florida's OB-GYN residency program in Pensacola, shows that there's more at play.
"We controlled for poverty as a variable, and we found these 10 centers where their teen birth rates were much higher than would be predicted," she says.
DeCesare, whose research appears in the June issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, says several of those clusters were in Texas. The Dallas and San Antonio areas, for example, had teen pregnancy rates 50 percent and 40 percent above the national average.
Research shows teens everywhere are having sex, with about half of high school students saying they've had sexual intercourse. Gwen Daverth, CEO of the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy,
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let him spread the wealth around. I want Joe the plumber to spread the wealth around," McCain said.
He added, "Why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now? Why would you want to do that to anyone, anyone in America, when we have such a tough time?"
Obama countered that both he and McCain want to cut taxes, but that his plan would cut taxes for "95 percent of American families," more than McCain's plan.
On spending, Obama promised as president he would "go through the federal budget page by page, line by line, and cut programs that don't work," echoing a vow his rival has made repeatedly.
McCain in turn promised an "across the board spending freeze." He said he would balance the federal budget in four years, and went on to name specific programs including subsidies for ethanol when Schieffer pressed both candidates to identify specific budget cuts they would make.
The candidates also talked about abortion rights, a topic not addressed in the previous presidential debate. Watch the candidates debate abortion »
McCain refused to commit to nominating only judges who opposed abortion, saying he would "never impose a litmus test" on court nominees.
But he qualified the statement a moment later, saying he would base his nominations on "qualifications" -- and that he did not believe a judge who supported Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion, "would be part of those qualifications."
McCain hammered Obama on abortion, accusing him of "aligning himself with the extreme aspect of the pro-abortion movement in America."
Obama rejected the charge out of hand, saying: "Nobody is pro-abortion."
He advocated sex education as a way of reducing the number of unintended pregnancies that result in abortions.
"We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and they should not be engaged in cavalier activity," he said.
At the conclusion of the debate, Schieffer signed off with a line borrowed from his mother:
"Go vote now. It will make you feel big and strong."
All About John McCain • Barack ObamaTyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
— William Blake
By September 2014, some forty-eight high-level Communist Party cadres, military officials and party-state bureaucrats (that is, those ranked at deputy provincial level/ ministry level and higher 副省、副部、副军级以上干部) had been swept up in the vaunted Xi Jinping-Wang Qishan post-Eighteenth Party Congress anti-corruption campaign. By that time, the highest-level targets of the purge were the Hu-Wen-era Party Politburo member Zhou Yongkang and the PLA general Xu Caihou.[1]
It is noteworthy that all forty-eight ‘Tigers’ 老虎, that is high-level corrupt officials, are reportedly from ‘commoner’ 平民 families. Indeed most are from peasant or similarly humble origins; none are easily identified as being members of what is known as the ‘Red Second Generation’ 红二代, that is, the children of the founding Communist Party fathers and mothers of the Yan’an era and early People’s Republic or, indeed, ‘Bureaucrat Second Generation’ 官二代, that is, the children of members of the first generation of representatives/ bureaucrats selected to join the inaugural convocations of the National People’s Congress or the National People’s Political Consultative Committee, both founded in 1954 (in the Mao era a high-level cadre was above Rank Thirteen in the Twenty-four Rank Cadre System 二十四级干部制).
It goes with saying that, in the murky corridors of Communist power, an impressive number of party gentry progeny, or the offspring of the Mao-era nomenclatura, have been implicated in corrupt practices, but word has it that, like the well-connected elites of other climes, they’ve enjoyed a ‘soft landing’: being discretely relocated, shunted into delicate retirement or quietly ‘redeployed’. It’s all very comfy; and it’s all very much business as usual.
What has been extraordinary about the Xi-Wang anti-corruption purge is not so much its style or extent, but the fact that after nearly two years, members of the privileged families of the party-state have gone on the record to observe why they are above the grimy business of corruption. Members of this group have been of interest to The China Story Project for some years. I first wrote about them in an article for the June 2011 issue of China Heritage Quarterly titled ‘The Children of Yan’an: New Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age 盛世新危言‘, and again in ‘Red Eclipse’, the conclusion to our 2012 China Story Yearbook: Red Rising, Red Eclipse.
They feature once more in our upcoming China Story Yearbook 2014: Shared Destiny 共同命运.
Over the years many observers have blithely dismissed these Maoist remnants and treated them, at best, as marginal figures, often deriding them as has-beens. But in the closed system of China, these seemingly defunct members of the ageing party gentry, their fellows and their families should not be underestimated. The fury that their hauteur and unthinking air of superiority generates within the unconnected party-state bureaucracy and aspirational classes should also not be overlooked.
I would point out that, having known the first commentator quoted below, Ye Xiangzhen/Ling Zi, for over thirty years, I feel compelled to observe that she was an active member of the notorious Red Guard group known as the Capital Middle-school Red Guard Joint Action Committee 首都中学红卫兵联合行动委员会, the membership of which was strictly limited to the children of party cadres and leaders. It was a group that aimed to protect several older cadres while mercilessly sacrificing others and pursuing an agenda that would see them, the true Red Successors of Chairman Mao’s enterprise take power without delay. Later described as the ‘Emperor’s Faction’ 保皇派 (a term dating from the late-Qing period, previously used to describe those who would protect the royal house in the face of radical constitutional reform), they did not hesitate to employ class struggle in their favour (the most famous slogan that encapsulated their worldview was: ‘Dad a hero, son a stalwart; dad a reactionary, son a bastard, it’s basically the pattern’ 老子英雄儿好汉；父亲反动儿混蛋,基本如此). In this context it is worth revisiting the prescient writings of the tragic high-school student Yu Luoke 遇罗克,[2] in particular his 1966 essay ‘On Family Background’ 出身论.[3]
In the factional mêlée that followed, the Joint Action Committee was sidelined and other revolutionary successors (later denounced as those who were ‘helicoptered’ into power) found a place in Mao’s jerry-built party-state structures known as Revolutionary Committees. Nonetheless, members of this group continue to see reality through the prism of class/caste struggle and the long-delayed rightful inheritance of their revolutionary legacy. They began to inherit in the 1980s (Bo Xilai was a prominent and very public winner in this regard in the years up to the Eighteenth Party Congress). Now they occasionally step into the spotlight, providing us with a rare glimpse into the worldview of this secretive cabal.
Of course, Xiangzhen can speak of the simple-living older cadres. Having visited Ye Jianying’s Houhai city-block size mansion in the 1980s (see the illustration below), I understand just the kind of unthinking ‘frugality’ from which her class habitus springs. It should also be noted that she enjoyed two careers: that of a film-maker who somehow got to make the first independent film of the 1980s, ‘In the Wild’ 原野; and, that of a doctor. Her 1985 film, ‘Three Darlings Cause an Uproar in Shenzhen’ 三宝闹深圳, was a crude commercial affirmation of the Special Economic Zone championed by Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping’s father, a zone next to Guangdong province, the homeland of the Ye family. Shortly thereafter, Ye Xiangzhen took up residence in Hong Kong long before Mainlanders flooded the former British colony and, following a dalliance with Qigong Masters, she became enamoured of Buddhist and Confucian mummery, again, before such things infected her caste as a whole. No wonder there is no political tax on hereditary Communist cultural capital.
For a further insight into the Ye family’s humble circumstances, readers might enjoy the opening episodes of the forty-eight-part commemorative/hagiographic TV series ‘Deng Xiaoping in the Era of Transition’ 历史转折中的邓小平 (directed by the celebrated Fifth Generation film-maker, Wu Ziniu 吴子牛) released in August 2014. For a time, the yet-to-be-rehabilitated Deng takes refuge in Ye Jianying’s communist-palatial retreat at Yuquan Shan 玉泉山, the Central Committee redoubt in the northwest of Beijing located between the Summer Palace and the Fragrant Hills. The series offers us a rare glimpse of the Ye country residence. I should emphasise that such lofty accommodation has nothing to do with corruption. Its allocation is well within the party norms of ‘the requirements of revolutionary work’ 革命工作需要. Few could quibble about that; here my contrastive Tigers are caught in the dialectical symmetry of their economic base and their ideological superstructure.
The following is a small sample of some recent observations on the anti-tiger corruption purge by some of the more outspoken members of China’s Red Gentry. I have added an historical note by a Shanghai-based academic specialising in ‘management psychology’, and conclude with the Ming-dynasty philosopher Li Zhi, a favourite of the late-Mao era.
______________
Ye Xiangzhen (叶向真, also known by her artistic name Lingzi 凌子, Deputy Head of the All-China Confucius Academy 中华孔子学会副会长, member of the fourth-generation film makers and eldest daughter of Marshall Ye Jianying 叶剑英, one of the founders of the People’s Liberation Army):
The Red Second Generation witnessed the frugality and struggles of their parent’s generation, the fact that they were willing to shed blood and martyr themselves for the nation. They were profoundly influenced by their fathers and relatively speaking are not easily corruptible.
Zhou Bingde 周秉德, former Deputy Chief of the China News Agency and niece of Zhou Enlai, remarked:
The reason that bureaucrats from a Red Second Generation background are only very rarely involved in corruption is that they have inherited the tradition from their parents of placing the People and the Nation above all.
Xu Xiaoyan 徐小岩, a lieutenant general in the PLA and daughter of Xu Xiangqian 徐向前, remarks:
The Red Second Generation grew up immersed in family admonishments 幼承庭训, how could they give in to corruption like those others?[4]
Tao Siliang 陶斯亮, the pre-1966 party elder Tao Zhu’s 陶铸 daughter, Deputy Director of the China Mayors’ Association, has said:
Through revolution and the heritage of blood our parents bequeathed to us the Red Gene 红色基因. I don’t believe that this gene will ever lose its lustre, because we will carry it forward. I’m willing to admit that I’m a Red Second Generation because that’s just what I am, the second generation of revolutionaries. It is time for us to play the natural positive role that we have and support General Secretary Xi Jinping in carrying on the anti-corruption campaign to the very end and to pursue reform to the end.[5]
Hu Muying 胡木英, party propagandist and writer extraordinaire Hu Qiaomu’s 胡乔木 daughter, organiser of the Children of Yan’an 北京延安儿女联谊会, has remarked:
The Centre under General Secretary Xi Jinping has raised high the banners of ‘Opposing the Four Winds’,[6] Anti-Corruption Pro-Frugality and Mass Line Education. These Three Banners are backed up by real action against the ill-winds and the pernicious miasma that has suffused our world for many years, and he’s taken the knife to both Tigers and Flies. This is a Life and Death Struggle! I sincerely hope that our Red Second Generation will clearly recognise the [gravity of the] situation, and during this struggle firmly support and closely coordinate with our Central Committee led by General Secretary Xi Jinping so that we can contribute our meagre energies, carry on the revolutionary legacy of our fathers’ generation of party members, pass on and enhance the positive energy of the past, discover and support all the healthy energies in the society, not create interference through distracting broadsides, not create more problems than we help resolve, not believe in rumours or spread rumours, not interfere with the strategy of the Centre, and, like our fathers before us, and for the sake of the enterprise of the Party, for the greater good of the People, to cast aside our individual needs, to overcome our present or historical resentments and grudges, unite as one and work to make China wealthy and strong and to realise the great dream of the renaissance of the Chinese nation.[7]
Ju Qiang 鞠强, a professor of ‘management psychology’ at Fudan University in Shanghai, wrote an essay not long ago titled ‘Bad People Generally Come from Extreme Poverty; the Great Corrupt Cadres are Mostly From Dire Poverty’ 《极贫出身的坏人多，大贪官出身多极穷》, in which he observed:
Bureaucrats who come from extreme poverty in youth easily fall prey to vile excesses of corruption, whoring and gambling. Observe the progeny of high-level bureaucrats 宦官子弟: of course, they too will go after making money but most of them do not indulge in it with unseemly haste. The majority take advantage of a positive business environment to make their money gradually, rarely do they achieve wealth through egregious corruption or outright theft. They are aware that they could easily become wealthy via the short-cut of corruption but that requires little talent or real application, and it is extremely risky. However, people from a background of extreme poverty are by and large willing to forget all decency and morality and in their rush to amass wealth they are perverse enough to risk jail to achieve their ends; the majority lack all loyalty and the sight of a pretty woman makes them salivate disgustingly; and the majority will not give a thought to killing whoever gets in their way. Why did [the emperors and ministers] Qin Shihuang, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Wen and Zhang Xianzhong kill so many loyal ministers? And why, by contrast, were Li Xiu, Li Shimin and Zhao Kuangyin relatively relaxed? The answer is: Qin Shihuang, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Wen and Zhang Xianzhong passed their early years in uncertainty and in their subconscious they had no deep-seated sense of security. Therefore, they were all much given to being suspicious, while Liu Xiu, Li Shimin and Zhao Kuangyin grew up in more well off and balanced circumstances, with a sense of personal security and they were less suspicious of others.[8] ______________
In conclusion, I would observe that as statist Confucianism enjoys ever-new levels of official support (see, for example, our recent posting ‘The Confucian Return in an Age of Extremes‘) any serious student of high-Maoism would be reminded of the Ming-dynasty anti-Confucian firebrand, the philosopher Li Zhi 李贄 (1527-1602), whose key works were reprinted during the mid-1970s’ anti-Confucius campaign. Among his many bons mots, Li remarked of the morality-sprouting bureaucrats of his day (in particular in his Book to be Burnt 焚书) that:
They speak of the Way and Morality yet in their hearts they crave lofty position; they are fixated on accumulating prodigious wealth.
口谈道德而心存高官，志在巨富。（《焚书·又与焦弱候》）
On the surface they are Moralists, deep down they crave riches; they cloak themselves in the refined garb of the Confucian, but their behaviour is no better than that of dogs and pigs.
阳为道学，阴为富贵，被服儒雅，行若狗彘。（《续焚书·三教归儒说》）
______________
Sources and Notes:
* Translations are my own.
[1] Voice of America, ‘Corrupt Bureaucrats and Bloodlines: Commoner-officials Fall to Earth, the Red Second Generation is Untainted?’ 贪官与血统：平民官落马红二代不贪？, 9 October 2014, http://www.voachinese.com/content/few-red-princeings-targeted-in-anti-corruption-campagin-20140910/2444657.html
See, in particular:
自中国刮起反腐之风后，中纪委网站以及中国官方媒体已经公示了48名省部级落马官员，其中官阶最高者如前中共政法委书记兼政治局常委周永康、前中央军委副主席徐才厚等。这些落马官员官阶大小，大多数都是平民出身的官员.
香港有媒体最近采访了叶剑英的女儿叶向真、周恩来的侄女周秉德、徐向前之子徐小岩中将。香港明报称这三名红二代不约而同地表示，‘红二代幼承庭训，亲历父执辈不为利益所动的信仰和原则，不受贪腐侵蚀.’
Or, in the more colourful language of the Hong Kong tabloids, see ‘A Political Reading of the Fall of Zhou Yongkang’ 周永康倒台的政治解读, Dongxiang 動向, 17 August 2014, http://www.botanwang.com/articles/201408/周永康倒台的政治解读.html:
那些在电力、金融、保险、证券、房产、电信、军需、传媒等行业大显身手的“红色后代”们，不乏有“已经退休的老领导”做后盾的，可是，来势汹汹的习、王反腐运动为什么刻意绕开“红二代”，只打杂牌、不打正统，“老虎窝”边走、就是不出手呢?
[2] See Geremie R. Barmé, ‘A Historical Distortion‘, Australian Financial Times, 31 March 2006, reprinted under its original title ‘A Year of Some Significance’, with footnotes, by China Digital Times:
At the time, Yu Luoke was a recent high-school graduate. Refused entry to university despite his academic brilliance-he was penalized because his parents were classified as petty capitalists-he had to take a job in a factory. But in his spare time he wrote, lambasting Mao and all of his works. In the pages of his 1966 diary Yu Luoke called Mao’s purge of top leaders a “palace coup”, and he satirized claims that Mao Zedong Thought was some omnipotent ideological cure-all. He condemned the hypocrisy of the nation’s media and derided clumsy distortions of historical fact used to stir up mass dudgeon. He declared the Red Guards to be dangerous extremists, and predicted that the movement would never survive the test of time. Yu Luoke was one of the first people to quip that Mao’s enterprise was neither ‘cultural’ nor ‘revolutionary’. In the short period of anarchic freedom that resulted from the collapse of party rule in 1966-1967, Yu Luoke published a weekly paper expressing ideas that were truly radical for their time. However, as order was restored the paper was closed down, its editors investigated and, finally, Yu Luoke himself was arrested. His diary was found and confiscated. After years of obfuscation, the authorities told his family that he had been executed in early 1970. Although today he is a prescient hero for China’s independent intellectuals and informed readers, Yu Luoke remains a fragmentary spectre. Only a few scant pages from his extraordinary diary have ever been returned to his family.
[3] Yu Luoke, ‘On Family Background’ 出身论. For more on the fate of Yu, see the 2003 documentary film ‘Morning Sun’ 八九点钟的太阳.
[4] ‘Zhou Enlai’s Niece: Red Second Generation Rarely Corrupt, they inherit the beliefs and principles of their parents’ 《周恩来侄女：红二代极少涉贪继承父辈信仰原则》http://news.takungpao.com/mainland/focus/2014-09/2727403.html
[5] China Red Song Association Net, ‘Extracts of Speeches Made at the Centenary Commemoration of the Births of Li Zuopeng and Qiu Huizuo’ 中国红歌会网，《在李作鹏、邱会作百年诞辰纪念会讲话摘录》http://www.szhgh.com/Article/red-china/redman/2014-05-27/52967.html
[6] Namely, the ‘winds’ or habits 风 of formalism 形式主义、bureaucratism 官僚主义、hedonism 享乐主义 and extravagance 奢靡之风.
[7] New Historical Records on Sina, ‘Hu Qiaomu’s Daughter: the Second-generation of Red Successors shouldn’t create problems’ 新浪网新史记，《胡乔木之女：红二代不要帮倒忙》http://history.sina.com.cn/his/zl/2014-05-09/181690435.shtml
[8] News Forum on Wangyi, ‘Bad People Generally Come from Extreme Poverty; the Great Corrupt Cadres are Mostly From Dire Poverty’ 网易新闻论坛，《极贫出身的坏人多，大贪官出身多极穷》http://bbs.news.163.com/bbs/zhongmei/379666006.htmlThis Feb. 11, 2009 photo shows the former school and Quonset hut near Atalissa, Iowa that housed mentally disabled men while they worked at West Liberty Foods until the state of Iowa closed down the facility in 2009. A jury on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 awarded $240 million to 32 mentally disabled men for what government lawyers say was years of abuse by a now-defunct Texas company that arranged for them to work at an Iowa turkey processing plant and oversaw their care, work and lodging. (AP Photo/The Quad City Times, John Schultz) MANDATORY CREDIT: THE QUAD CITY TIMES, JOHN SCHULTZ
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — For decades, the lives of 32 mentally disabled Iowa turkey processing plant workers were controlled by their Texas-based employer, which profited handsomely by hiring them out.
Regardless of sickness or injury, they were driven from the dilapidated, bug-infested bunkhouse where they were housed to their 41-cents-an-hour jobs removing the slaughtered birds' innards. Day and night, at work and at home, their overseers subjected them to verbal and physical abuse that left them with "broken hearts, broken spirits, shattered dreams, and ultimately broken lives," a government attorney said.
On Wednesday, they made history when a federal jury in Davenport awarded them $240 million — the largest verdict in the 48-year history of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which sued on their behalf.
It's unlikely the men's former employer, the now-defunct Henry's Turkey Service, of Goldthwaite, Texas, has anywhere near enough remaining assets to cover the $7.5 million in damages each man was awarded. But federal officials vowed to recover every last cent they could for the men, who had been "virtually enslaved" for many years, according to developmental psychologist Sue Gant, who interviewed them at length for the EEOC.
"That discrimination caused them such irreparable harm, and the jury got that. They understood," said Gant, an expert on the care of people with intellectual disabilities. "The amount of the award just appears to be overwhelming. I think it goes to the degree of injustice here."
An attorney for Henry's didn't respond to a message seeking comment. But the company's president, Kenneth Henry, told the Quad-City Times after the trial that he planned to appeal, calling some of the evidence "terribly exaggerated."
"Do you think I can write a check for that?" Henry, 72, told the newspaper.
The jury determined that Henry's violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by creating a hostile environment and imposing discriminatory conditions of employment, and acted with "malice or reckless indifference" to their civil rights.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, who was an architect of that law, said the ruling sends a powerful message to employers throughout the U.S. that all workers deserve to be treated with respect.
During an interview following the verdict, Gant ticked off some of her findings from her review of the men's treatment. Rain entered their bedrooms through failing windows and made their beds wet. Supervisors forced them to walk in circles carrying heavy weights as punishment and picked on a man who had a brace on his leg, often pushing him down. Another man had been kicked in the groin and was found with "testicles that were quite swollen." Others were often locked in their bedrooms at night, she said.
"If these men had not been virtually enslaved, they could have enjoyed productive lives with the support of community," she said.
State officials told the court that the abuse was uncovered in 2009, when they received a tip about neglectful conditions at the bunkhouse from a sister of one of the men. They inspected the building, which is several miles from the West Liberty Foods turkey processing plant where they worked, and found it was falling apart, infested with rodents and full of fire hazards.
They found many of the men in need of immediate medical care, including one man who couldn't chew a waffle because of severe dental problems and another whose hands were infected from constant contact with turkey blood.
Social workers said the men described how the Henry's supervisors who oversaw their care forced them to work long hours to keep the processing line moving, denied them bathroom breaks, locked them in their rooms, and in one case, handcuffed one of them to a bed.
Henry's began employing men in the 1960s who had been released from Texas mental institutions. Hundreds were eventually sent to labor camps in Iowa and elsewhere, where they were supplied on contract as workers to employers including West Liberty Foods, which signed its deal with Henry's in the 1970s and was not accused of wrongdoing in the case.
The EEOC says that by 2008, Henry's was being paid more than $500,000 per year by West Liberty Foods, but was still paying the men the same $65 per month that it always had. The company docked the men's wages and Social Security disability benefits, claiming it was to pay for the cost of their care and lodging, and it never applied for medical care or other services for which they were qualified. Last year, a judge ordered Henry's to pay the men a total of $1.3 million in back pay.An open letter to the Golden State Warriors,
You let our students down and I want to bring it to your attention so it does not happen to any other children. On Friday, October 21st, our award winning Bristow Choir, under the direction of former state music teacher of the year Mark Morello, performed the National Anthem for the fifth time on your arena floor. They have been invited back repeatedly because they sound better than most high school choirs, let alone middle school choirs.
What should have been the highlight of these 11, 12 and 13 year-olds week, month and year turned out to be anything but. Two days prior to the game, you informed Mr. Morello that only 30 students would be allowed on the floor because of a “NBA Rule Change.” This was after months of rehearsal and practice, parents and family members buying tickets for the game and many opportunities for you to communicate this new rule to us. We were not new to the process, as again this was our fifth performance. The rule change was even more puzzling since the choir is scheduled to have 58 students sing the National Anthem at the new Sacramento Kings arena this season.
Despite repeated pleas, you refused to allow 13 of the choir members who had rehearsed and purchased tickets to perform during a preseason game. Then you refused to consider providing refunds for families who had purchased tickets and whose children were prevented from performing. You did allow 13 children to stand and watch the performance on the court and you can see them in white shirts in the photo above. It makes zero sense to me why it was better to have them stand there as opposed to sing with their choir. Finally, you didn’t turn on the microphone during their performance, so even the parents who had spent hundreds of dollars to come to the game could only see their children sing, not hear them. The way you handled this situation brought deep disappointment and heartbreak to many of my students and families.
You may have beaten Portland that evening in your final preseason game, but you lost in so many other ways. Lifelong Bay Area residents and Warriors fans, like myself, have embraced this team because of the selflessness and class consistently on display in your organization. I realize that the National Anthem performance during a preseason game is likely item #1,625 in the list of things you concern yourself with, but for these kids it was an experience they will remember the rest of their lives. You let them down.
As superintendent of the Brentwood Union School District, I could not be prouder of the professionalism shown by Mr. Morello and by the courage and perseverance shown by the Bristow Choir during this unfortunate incident. They gave their best and deserved yours. Please look at your communication and organization to ensure this does not happen to any other school children. Thank you.
Dana Eaton
Superintendent, Brentwood Union School DistrictYour first name
During a Thursday evening interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Kellyanne Conway gave “people who just can’t admit” that Donald Trump won the election an excellent reason to shut up.
Conway first noted that the “incendiary rhetoric” propagated by the staunchest Clinton holdouts — a la former campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri — are leading to death threats.
WATCH:
“Anytime I defend myself against these specious allegations that are now leading to death threats — so I really resent it,” she told Matthews. “Anytime I try to respond, I’m seen as ungracious.”
“‘Why are we sore winners?'” she continued. “I’m not a sore winner, I’m a winner. My guy’s a winner. He’s the next president of the United States.”
Conway added, that “this has to stop, this incendiary rhetoric of people who just can’t admit that they lost.”
“They have to stop, because it’s causing a lot of angst.”
Follow Datoc on Twitter and FacebookStory of Wildgoose Lodge
Wildgoose Lodge, while not the actual Big House was situated on the estate of the Local landlords The Filgates and was occupied by Edward Lynch a successful flaxgrower
"This obscure unpretending house, which furnishes so sad a chapter in this narrative is situated about nine miles west of Dundalk in the Parish of Arthurstown The land surrounding the house is swampy and marshy in the winter season, especially after heavy rains, the waters riseto a considerable height, and sometimes completely encircle the house.
It thus became the favourite resort of winterbirds, particularly wild geese from which it derived its name.
At the time of which we write WildGoose lodge otherwise Carthill House was situated on the property of the late William Filgate esq.Of Lisrenny and was occupied by a man named Lynch and his wife;Rooney the son in law, and his wife and family, in all there were eight……"John Matthews
The remote situation of the lodge made it an ideal location for the clandestine meetings of the Local Ribbon Men( The Ribbon men were a secret society made up mainly of Catholics which had its origins in the sectarian strife in Ulster in the turn of the 19th century. Land Reform became their prime concern)
To quote James Anton, A captain of the Royal Highlanders stationed locally at the time " Lynch for some time gave it(The organisation) his cordial support. in a short time however, its numbers increased so as not only to subject his family to much inconvenience but also to place Lynch under just apprehension that he would be considered as a leading promoter of this illegal band, and so bring upon himself a heavy responsibility.he therefore refused them the privelige of longer assembling under his roof.This led the ringleaders to stimulate their sworn accomplices to inflict every annoyance on him which they could think of, with aview to accomplish his ruin and eject him from the place".
April 10 1816
"Night being the time chosen for these associates to act agreeably to the mandates of their directors, a disguised or masked party entered the house of Lynch stripped him in the presence of his family and after flogging him destroyed his furniture, insulted his wife and cut the yarn in the loom from the one selvage thread to the other, down to the beam on to which the warp was rolled."
"At the County Louth assizes Michael Tiernan, Patrick Stanley and Phillip Conlan were indicted (Under the White Boy Act) of breaking into the house of Edward Lynch Of Reaghstown on April 10. It appeared by evidence of Lynch that a number of persons came to his house that night with guns, broke in the door, and asked for arms.Upon being told there were none in the house, they destroyed the web in the loom and broke the furniture"Belfast Newsletter 1
August 1 1816
The three men were hanged in Dundalk and buried the gaol yard.
The Ribbon men take their Revenge October 30th 1816
James Anton's Account;
"Not far from WildGoose lodge stands Stonetown chapel, where the association met after its ejection from the house of Lynch.The leader was Pat Devane;This man had the charge of the chapel and was the priests clerk.Within this supposed consecrated building, the midnight band assembled ;oaths had been previously been imposed, such oaths as were and are a disgrace to society,
but well adapted to influence powerfully the grossly ignorant and superstitious minds of those to whom they were administered; but to impress them more forcibly on this occasion, the leader assembled the fraternity before the altar, and after mentioning the falling off of Lynch, and the necessity for their united efforts in suppressing all defections among themselves declares the object for which they were assembled and which he trusted would serve as an example to them all in future,…….
Having a piece of burning turf secreted in a potsherd before the altar, he lifted it up and desired them to follow.
The band now issued forth after Devane; some scores on horseback from distant places, and many more on foot; many inquiring in whispers what was to be done; for very few of the body that had heard Devane's address believed that the threat was to be enforced. Silence reigned around, and nothing disturbed the general quiet of the country, save the distant house-dog's bark and the unequal thread of the advancing band. They approached the house, and there all was as silent as death.
An extensive circle was now formed around the devoted dwelling, and a selected few advanced to the spot. They crept along the ground, the pike in one hand and the faggot in the other; there was no chance of escape, and no doubt of the fire communicating to the house, for much flax was in it, and when once in flame there would be no extinguishing it. In an instant the house was on fire, thirteen souls beneath it's blazing roof. The flames rose up to heaven, and illuminated the fields of him who was destined never again to look upon them.
The supplicating cries of the frantic victims burst from the midst of the consuming element.'Mercy! For God's sake, mercy, mercy!' No, there was no mercy. The monsters stood ready with their pikes to thrust back those who would dare to escape, either from door or window; and when the burning mother held out her scorched child for protection, it was thrust back on her bosom as she fell amidst the blazing fire.
The winds of autumn and the storms of winter swept the ashes of Wildgoose Lodge to the fields which the industrious Lynch had cultivated, and the nettle reared it's head undisturbed within the scorched walls of the desolate place, before one of the criminals was brought to justice
Procolamation/Reward
The Trial
Informers and Executions
Patrick Devane; Executed at WildGoose Lodge on July 24 1817, Gibbeted and hung in chains for 21 months until 1819.
Hugh Mc Cabe
John keeran
James Campbell
Michael Floody
Patrick Meighan
Hugh Mc Elarney
Patrick Craven
Terence Marron
Patrick Malone
…… Lennon
Floods prevented the executions taking place at the WildGoose Lodge so the men were hanged from a scaffold in Reaghstown and their bodies gibbeted in groups of 3 and 4 at Corcreaghy, Hackballscross and Louth.
Thomas Mc Cullagh
Patrick mc Cullen
James Smith
Thomas Sheenan
John keighan
All executed at Reaghstown, McCullagh was gibbeted and hung in chains but the bodies of the rest were taken to Dundalk for dissection.
Owen gaynor
Hugh Kieran
Convicted at Summer assizes on 3 July 1818, Executed Dundalk, bodies dissected.
Gibbeting A means of suspending the body of the hanged person within a steel frame regarded as a deterrent for others
Henry McClintock, local gentleman of the time and member of the yeomanry who also attended the trials out of curiosity records in his journal entry of,
Wednesday 23rd July 1817 - Very fine day – I attended a yeomanry parade at eight O Clock in the morning and at ten
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characteristics. On the other hand, there are those, like Nietzsche, who would argue that this doesn’t just apply to these movies, but rather that there’s something problematic about truth and definition generally, even beyond the issues Naremore points out about Socratic definition. Before I can go on to say something about what noir is, I want to examine briefly Nietzsche’s position on these issues.
Nietzsche and the Problem of Truth and Definition
Nietzsche holds a version of what we might call a “flux metaphysics,” the idea that the world, everything, is continually changing, and nothing is stable and enduring. Consequently, he argues, any concept of “being”—something which remains the same throughout change, like Plato’s forms, God, or even the self or ego—is a fiction. Interestingly, he argues that language is one of the primary sources of this fiction. That is, it’s impossible to grasp and articulate a world that’s continually in motion, in which nothing ever stays the same. Thus, “understanding” the world and articulating that understanding becomes a matter of “seeing” parts of the flux as somehow enduring and stable, i.e., it means falsifying what our senses tell us.
One of these falsifications is the subject/predicate distinction that’s built into language. For example, we say “lightning flashes,” as if there were some thing or subject “lightning,” which somehow performs the action of flashing. Similarly, we say “I walk,” “I talk,” “I read,” as if there were some stable ego, self, or subject which was somehow separate from those actions. Nietzsche says: “But there is no such substratum; there is no ‘being’ behind doing, effecting, becoming; ‘the doer’ is merely a fiction added to the deed—the deed is everything.”[32] In other words, in a world in flux, you are what you do. Further, the “doer” or subject created by language, Nietzsche argues, is the source of the concept of being—a stable, unchanging, permanent reality, behind the ever-flowing flux of the world:
We enter a realm of crude fetishism when we summon before consciousness the basic presuppositions of the metaphysics of language, in plain talk, the presuppositions of reason. Everywhere it sees a doer and doing; it believes in will as the cause; it believes the ego, in the ego as being, in the ego as substance, and it projects this faith in the ego-substance upon all things—only thereby does it first create the concept of ‘thing.’ Everywhere ‘being’ is projected by thought, pushed underneath, as the cause; the concept of being follows and is a derivative of, the concept of ego.[33]
The fiction begins as merely a stable self, the idea that the ego is something enduring and unchanging and separate from its actions (as opposed to being constituted by those actions), but soon is translated into being; that is, for example, into Plato’s forms and a divinity. Nietzsche says: “I am afraid we are not rid of God because we still have faith in grammar.”[34]
This falsification introduced by reason and language certainly makes truth, objectivity, and indeed definition problematic, to say the least. In an early and influential essay, Nietzsche says: “Truths are illusions which we have forgotten are illusions...”[35] Elsewhere, he says: “[A]ll concepts in which an entire process is semiotically concentrated elude definition; only that which has no history is definable.”[36] Nietzsche here seems to be agreeing with Socrates: a definition must capture the essence of the thing, that which doesn’t change and thus has no history. The catch here is that, as we’ve seen, Nietzsche denies that there is any such thing, and so he’s denying that anything at all can really be defined. This is a radical position and seems not to bode well for the project of defining film noir. However, and perhaps ironically, I think it’s Nietzsche who will help us better understand what noir is.
What is Noir?
To discover what makes a film a film noir, i.e., what the noir element in the film is, it might be instructive to look briefly at noir literature, and especially so if it’s through the hard-boiled literature that noir films get their existential, pessimistic outlook, as Porfirio says. I’ll take as an example of this literature a work by David Goodis,[37] who was the author of Dark Passage, which was later made into a film starring Bogart and Bacall. The first paragraph of Goodis’ Night Squad reads:
At 11:20 a fairly well-dressed boozehound came staggering out of a bootleg-whiskey joint on Fourth Street. It was a Friday night in mid-July and the humid heat was like a wave of steaming black syrup confronting the boozehound. He walked into it and bounced off and braced himself to make another try. A moment later something hit him on the head and he sagged slowly and arrived on the pavement flat on his face.[38]
We instantly recognize here the clipped, gritty phrasing of the hard-boiled school; the dirty gutter setting; and the down-on-his-luck character. The boozehound is being mugged by three men, while a fourth man, Corey Bradford—who turns out to be the protagonist—watches from the other side of the street. Bradford is a former dirty cop and forces the muggers to give him the boozehound’s money. He keeps most of it for himself, but returns a dollar to the boozehound for cab fare home. Instead of going home, however, the boozehound takes the dollar—his only money—and goes back into the bootleg-whiskey joint for another drink. Before he does, he mutters, “The trouble is, we just can’t get together, that’s all.” Bradford interprets this to mean, “we just can’t get together on what’s right and what’s wrong.”[39]
The story largely takes place in a Philadelphia neighborhood called “The Swamp,” where Bradford grew up. The area is just as run-down, dirty, and crime-infested as its name implies. In an interior monologue about the neighborhood, Bradford reflects on how tough the place is, and he has nothing but good things to say about the prostitutes. They’re “performing a necessary function,” like the sewer workers and the trash collectors. He says:
If it wasn’t for the professionals, there’d be more suicides, more homicides. And more of them certain cases you read about, like some four-year-old girl getting dragged into an alley, some sixty-year-old landlady getting hacked to pieces with an axe.[40]
If the denizens of the swamp couldn’t vent their violent and sexual impulses with the prostitutes, they’d take them out on little girls and old ladies. So it’s a good thing we have the pros.
Last, I’ll mention in passing that the femme fatale of this story, Lita, is married to the gangster who runs The Swamp. When Bradford first meets her, Goodis describes her thus: “She was of medium height, very slender. Her hair was platinum blonde. Contrasting with her deep, dark green eyes.” And she’s holding a book: “Corey could see the title on the cover. He didn’t know much about philosophy but he sensed that the book was strictly for deep thinkers. It was Nietzsche, it was Thus Spake Zarathustra.”[41]
What we see here, and what makes this story noir, is the tone and mood, and the sensibility, the outlook on life, that the critics and writers mentioned above discuss. We see bleak cynicism (Durgnat), for example, in the protagonist saving the boozehound from getting mugged, only to keep the latter’s money for himself. We witness the loss and lack of clear priorities (Schrader) in the same scene, and in the Bradford’s appraisal of the prostitutes. Alienation is clearly present (Borde and Chaumeton); the whole story is one of a man adrift, a man who has lost balance and the meaning and value of his life. And we see existential pessimism (Porfirio). This is clearly evident in the image of the boozhound going back into the bar to spend his last dollar on another drink; and in the dark picture of human nature that Goodis paints when he discusses the need for prostitutes to vent our violent urges.
One other thing, which is related to all these other elements, and which some writers discuss, but which I want to emphasize, is what we might call the inversion of traditional values, and the loss of the meaning of things. That is, at the heart of the noir mood or tone of alienation, pessimism, and cynicism is, on the one hand, the rejection or loss of clearly defined ethical values (we can’t “get together on what’s right and what’s wrong”)[42]; and, on the other hand, the rejection or loss of the meaning or sense of human existence. In essence, I think Porfirio is on the right track in talking about the noir sensibility as a kind of “existential outlook” on life.
Further, I’m agreeing with those who say that what makes a film a film noir is a particular mood, tone, and sensibility, an outlook on life. This is clear because it’s that tone and sensibility which, as I said, links the literature and the films. Thus, I think that the narrative elements (story-telling conventions), and the filmmaking techniques (oblique camera angles, deep focus, low-key lighting, etc.), are secondary to the mood and sensibility. They are used to communicate that mood and sensibility,[43] but it’s the latter which makes the film a noir.
The Death of God and the Meaning of Noir
As I mentioned, Nietzsche can help throw light on what film noir is, despite his skepticism about truth, essences, and definition. One of Nietzsche’s most infamous and provocative statements is that “God is dead.”[44] What he means by this is that not only Western religions, but metaphysical systems such as Plato’s, have become untenable. Both Platonism and Christianity, for example, claim that there is some permanent and unchanging other-worldly realm or substance, Plato’s forms or God and heaven, respectively. This unchanging other-worldly something is set in opposition to the here and now, the changing world around us (forms vs. particulars; heaven vs. earth, etc.); and it’s the source of, or foundation for, our understanding of human existence, our morality, our hope for the future, amongst other things.
Again, Nietzsche says that the fiction of being is generated originally through the falsifications involved in reason and language. This concept of being is exposed as a fiction beginning in the modern period, Nietzsche argues, when natural empirical science begins to replace traditional metaphysical explanations of the world. We cease to believe in the myth of creation, for example, and modern philosophers tend to reject Plato’s idea of other-worldly forms. Thus, throughout the modern and into the contemporary period, religion and philosophy—as metaphysical explanations of the world—are supplanted by natural science. At the same time, we try to hold onto our old understanding of human existence, our ethics, an ever-more-feeble belief in an afterlife, etc. What finally, and gradually, dawns on us, says Nietzsche, is that there’s no longer any foundation or justification for these adjuncts of metaphysics, once the latter is lost. We realize more and more the hollowness and untenability of our old outlook, our old values.
The result of this is devastating. We no longer have any sense of who and what we are as human beings; there’s seemingly no foundation any longer for the meaning and value of things, including ethical values, good and evil; there’s no longer any hope for an afterlife—this life has to be taken and endured on its own terms. Before the death of God, as good Platonists or Christians (or Jews or Moslems), we knew who and what we were, the value and meaning our lives had, what we had to do to live a righteous life; and now we’re set adrift. We’re alienated, disoriented, off-balance; the world is senseless and chaotic; and there’s no transcendent meaning or value to human existence.
This death of God, then—the loss of permanence, a transcendent source of value and meaning, and the resulting disorientation and nihilism—leads to existentialism and its worldview. Porfirio characterizes existentialism as:
an outlook which begins with a disoriented individual facing a confused world that he cannot accept. It places its emphasis on man’s contingency in a world where there are no transcendental values or moral absolutes, a world devoid of any meaning but the one man himself creates.[45]
As a literary/philosophical phenomenon, set in its particular place in history, existentialism is continental Europe’s reaction to the death of God.
My proposal, then, is that noir can also be seen as a sensibility or worldview which results from the death of God, and thus that film noir is a type of American artistic response to, or recognition of, this seismic shift in our understanding of the world. This is why Porfirio is right in pointing out the similarities between the noir sensibility and the existentialist view of life and human existence. Though they are not exactly the same thing, they are both reactions, however explicit and conscious, to the same realization of the loss of value and meaning in our lives.
A (Slightly) Different Approach
Seeing noir as a response or reaction to the death of God helps explain the commonality of the elements that thinkers have noted in noir films. For example, it explains the inherent pessimism, alienation and disorientation in noir. It affirms that noir is a sensibility or an outlook, as some say. It explains the moral ambiguity in film noir, as well as the threat of nihilism and meaninglessness that some note.
As I said, the death of God doesn’t just (or even necessarily) mean the rejection of religion. For Americans, our belief in what Nietzsche is calling “God,” the sense, order and meaning of our lives and the world, is encapsulated in American idealism: the faith in God, progress, and the indomitable American spirit. Consequently, as Palmer notes, “Film noir... offers the obverse of the American dream.”[46] Most argue that the sources of this obversion or reversal are (or include): anxiety over the war and the postwar period; the Communist scare; the atomic age; the influx of German immigrants to Hollywood; and the hard-boiled school of pulp fiction. Indeed, it’s via these influences that an awareness or a feeling came upon us, seeped into the American consciousness, that our old ways of understanding ourselves and the world, and the values that went along with these, were gone or untenable. We lost our orientation in the world, the meaning and sense that our lives had, and clear-cut moral values and boundaries.
The similarities between European existentialism and film noir are apparent, as Porfirio points out in his essay. In the classic existentialist work, The Stranger, for example, Camus depicts the alienation and disorientation of a post-Nietzschean world, one without transcendent meaning or value. In the book, the main character reacts little to his mother’s death; shoots and kills a man for no good reason; and seems indifferent to his own trial and impending execution.
Touch of Evil Touch of Evil
Similarly, when Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) shrugs off his partner’s murder, or turns his lover, Bridgid (Mary Astor), over to the police in The Maltese Falcon; or in The Killers when Ole Andersen passively awaits his assassins, even after being warned that they’re coming, we get a sense of the same alienation, and lack of sense and meaning. And, since film noir is a visual medium, these noirish elements are also conveyed through the lighting and camera techniques. So, for example, extreme close-ups of Hank Quinlan’s (Orson Welles) bloated face in Touch of Evil (1958), or the tilted camera shot of Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) in a hospital bed in Kiss Me Deadly (1955), further serve to express alienation and disorientation.
Finally, considering noir to be a response to the death of God also verifies J. P. Telotte’s claim that noir films are “fundamentally about the problems of seeing and speaking truth,”[47] since it’s in a post-Nietzschean world, in the wake of the death of God, that seeing and speaking the truth become problematic. Consequently, and ironically, what makes truth problematic, and what makes definition impossible, according to Nietzsche—the abandonment of essences, the resulting flux metaphysics, rejection of anything permanent and unchanging in the universe, i.e., the death of God—is the same thing that makes noir what it is. That is, the death of God is both the meaning of noir, and—if we’re to believe Nietzsche—also what makes noir impossible to define.[48] :::
This essay is an excerpt from The Philosophy of Film Noir edited by Mark T. Conard (University Press of Kentucky), copyright © 2005 University Press of Kentucky. Reprinted by permission of the publisher and author.
Notes 1. The relationship between Plato and Socrates is somewhat complex. Socrates never wrote anything. He much preferred to engage people in conversation. Plato was one of Socrates’ friends and pupils. Most of Plato’s writings are in the form of dialogues, they’re narratives, and Socrates is very often the main character. Consequently, when we talk about Socrates saying something, we’re most of the time referring to one of Plato’s dialogues. 2. See Plato’s cave allegory in Republic, Book VII (514a – 517d). 3. For a discussion of Plato’s theory of forms see his Phaedo, 65d, or Republic, 475e – 476a. 4. There are many other ways of thinking about definition, both ancient and contemporary. I mention Socrates because his is a classic approach to the issue, and because he makes a nice foil for Nietzsche. 5. I’m not pretending that the history I’m giving is complete or that it mentions every important work or statement on the topic. I merely want to provide the reader with a flavor of the discussion and point out some of the definitions provided in some of the canonical works on noir. 6. Wes D. Gehring, in the Introduction to Handbook of American Film Genres, says a genre in film studies “represents the division of movies into groups which have similar subjects and/or themes.” Wes D. Gehring, “Introduction,” Handbook of American Film Genres,” ed. by Wes D. Gehring (New York: Greenwood Press, 1988), p. 1. 7. Foster Hirsch, The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir (New York: Da Capo Press, 1981), p. 72. 8. See James Damico, “Film Noir: A Modest Proposal,” in Film Noir Reader, ed. by Alain Sliver and James Ursini (New York: Limelight Editions, 1996), p. 103. 9. Ibid., p. 105. This is in contrast to those like Janey Place and Lowell Peterson, who explicitly identify noir as a visual style (see their essay, “Some Visual Motifs of Film Noir,” in the same volume). In Somewhere in the Night (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997), Nicholas Christopher also argues (though less explicitly than Damico) that film noir is a genre because of a certain narrative pattern. See p. 7 – 8. 10. Raymond Borde and Étienne Chaumeton, “Towards a Definition of Film Noir,” trans. by Alain Silver, in Film Noir Reader, p. 25. 11. Andrew Spicer, Film Noir (Harlow: Longman, 2002), p. 4. 12. Ibid., p. 24. 13. The term “film noir” was coined by French film critics, unbeknownst to American filmmakers during the period of classic film noir (i.e., while they were making these movies), and wasn’t part of the American film vocabulary until after that classic period had ended. 14. To be fair, Damico calls his plot description simply the “truest” or “purest” example of film noir, and admits that there are other noir plots. However, the sheer number and variety of the other plots would seem to undermine his argument. 15. Ibid., p. 25. 16. Raymond Durgnat, “Paint it Black: the Family Tree of the Film Noir,” in Film Noir Reader, p. 38. 17. Paul Schrader, “Notes on Film Noir,” in Film Noir Reader, p. 53. 18. Ibid., p. 58. 19. Robert Porfirio, “No Way Out: Existential Motifs in the Film Noir,” in Film Noir Reader, p. 78. 20. Ibid., p. 80 21. Ibid. 22. Ibid., p. 82 – 83. 23. R. Barton Palmer, Hollywood’s Dark Cinema: The American Film Noir (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994), p. 30. 24. Ibid., p. x. 25. “This overview of film noir’s main narrative techniques should come with a warning: like the films themselves, this taxonomy provides but a partial, although valuable, view of their workings, while it points toward, if it never quite satisfactorily resolves, the question of noir’s generic status.” J. P. Telotte, Voices in theDark: The Narrative Patterns of Film Noir (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989), p. 31. 26. Ibid., p. 12. 27. Ibid., p. 31. 28. James Naremore, More Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998), p. 5. 29. Ibid., p. 6. 30. Ibid., p. 5. 31. Ibid., p. 6. Amongst others, Naremore has Ludwig Wittgenstein in mind here. In his Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein argues that there isn’t a set of essential properties or necessary and sufficient conditions that link games together (how are football and tic tac toe related?); rather there is only a loose network in which each game is connected to at least one other by a "family resemblance.” This would seem to be the case, too, with noir. 32. Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, trans. by Walter Kaufmann and R. J. Hollingdale (New York: Vintage Press, 1989), p. 45. 33. Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, “Reason in Philosophy,” from The Portable Nietzsche, ed. by Walter Kaufmann (New York: Penguin, 1976), p. 483. 34. Ibid. 35. Friedrich Nietzsche, “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense,” in Philosophy and Truth: Selections from Nietzsche’s Notebooks of the Early 1870’s, trans. by Daniel Breazeale (Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Paperback Library, 1979), p. 84. 36. Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, p. 80. 37. I choose Goodis because not only is he one of my favorite hard-boiled authors, but also because he’s much less well-known than Chandler or Thompson, e.g., and undeservedly so, I think. 38. David Goodis, Night Squad (New York: First Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1992), p. 3. Admittedly, Night Squad is a later work of Goodis (1961), and so comes after the classic film noir period. However, it is still representative of Goodis’ work and of hard-boiled pulp literature generally. 39. Ibid., p. 8. 40. Ibid., p. 11. 41. Ibid., p. 44 – 45. 42. In film noir “Good and evil go hand in hand to the point of being indistinguishable,” say Borde and Chaumeton, “Towards a Definition of Film Noir,” p. 25. 43. As Porfirio says: “This sense of meaninglessness is... not the result of any sort of discursive reasoning. Rather it is an attitude which is worked out through the mise en scène and plotting.” “No Way Out,” p. 89. 44. This is first expressed in a passage called “The Madman,” in Nietzsche’s The Gay Science. (See Walter Kaufmann’s translation: Vintage Books, 1974, p. 181.) 45. “No Way Out,” p. 81. 46. Hollywood’s Dark Cinema, p. 6. 47. Voices in the Dark, p. 31. 48. Many thanks to Jason Holt, Bill Irwin, Steven Sanders, and Aeon Skoble, who gave me assistance and excellent comments on earlier draft(s) of this essay.
is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Marymount Manhattan College. He is also the author of the novel, Dark as Night (UglyTown, 2004) and co-editor of Woody Allen and Philosophy and others.
posted by editor ::: January 21, 2006 ::: pheatures ::: (3) CommentsMy wife and I have been very diligent over the years in ensuring a stable life in the Episcopal Church for our daughters. Since their births, they have been raised with weekly attendance at the Eucharist, involvement in Sunday School, taking part in special events, and going each year on our wonderful parish retreats. With rare exception, both were present at and, whether they wanted to admit it or not, learning from these experiences as they grew in their faith. There was nothing to upset the stability we had worked so carefully to ensure.
And then I entered seminary, and the stability was turned on its ear. It wasn’t so much the educational aspects of the M.Div. program that brought about a bit of chaos. The seminary campus is close to home, and as such the children did not have to switch school districts or go through the rigors of moving to a new neighborhood or even a new city. No, the biggest adjustment came with the start of my Field Education assignment (essentially, an internship) in a rural parish one hour from home.
Admittedly, at our home parish the girls were usually in the pews sighing or reading books or asking us how much time was left in the service. But we were there as a family.
Once I began traveling out to the country every week, my wife and I encountered more difficulty in even getting them motivated to go with her to church. Expecting them to make the journey with me each week was an even more unreasonable expectation. With this changing dynamic, we were at a loss in the next steps we should take in their formation.
On a weekend when my wife was traveling on business, the kids had no choice but to come with me for the morning service. Since they were going to be on their own, I had to leave it up to them to sit in their pew and – at the very least – behave like young ladies. But something truly remarkable happened. As I was serving at the altar with the rector, I looked out and saw that they weren’t just behaving; they were participating. My oldest daughter was helping her sister find her place in the prayers, they were singing the hymns (as much as possible), and they were actually watching everything going on around them. At the Eucharist, they knelt at the altar rail and watched intently as they received the bread and smiled broadly at me as I served the chalice.
In the months since that day, as I progressed through my Middler Year at seminary and continued my Field Ed. placement, my wife and children came a bit more regularly to join me in the country. There were some moments of grumbling – they are still kids, after all – but the maturity and curiosity I saw in them that day continued. They took the bold leap one Sunday of sitting in on the children’s Sunday School class. They are more willing to make the trip out to watch what I do during the Sunday services, and they ask more questions – about my role and the life of my Field Ed. parish.
In reflecting on these moments, I’ve come to realize that seminary has not been simply about my own formation and preparation for ordained ministry. Just as it was in the first steps of my discernment, when I talked to my family about what was ahead and getting their support for this new journey, this process has been about all of us. And I think that it’s beginning to take root in my daughters.
As they see my expanding role and the work I’m doing at the altar and with the congregation, they are becoming more serious about their own roles as valued members of the Church. They are asking questions about what they see. They ask about my internship at other times during the week, apart from Sundays. They are even showing excitement about the next steps – for them just as much as me – after graduation and ordination.
It may seem sometimes that our children don’t listen to us. But as I’ve learned in this journey, they are paying attention and soaking in experiences in ways that continue to surprise me. They are becoming great, excited, curious churchgoers. And they continue to make me one proud father.
How has your faith journey had an impact on your children?
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PrintCOLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka on Wednesday banned foreigners from a former battle zone, the government said, weeks after the United Nations began an investigation into alleged war crimes in the final phase of a 26-year conflict between the army and separatist rebels.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 24, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in August rejected entry visas for U.N. officials for the war crime investigation. His administration has said an external investigation is unnecessary and Sri Lanka can conduct its own.
“Prior permission for the foreigners to visit the north will be implemented,” the government’s Information Department said in a text message. “Foreigners or relevant organizations have to write to the defense ministry for approval.”
It did not give any reason for the decision.
The United Nations launched its inquiry into accusations of war crimes committed by both state forces and ethnic Tamil rebels during the conflict that ended in 2009, saying the government had failed to investigate properly.
The United Nations estimated in a 2011 report that about 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of the war, mostly by the army.
Rajapaksa, who is expected to run for a third six-year term in an early election next year, and his government have rejected all the accusations.
The military last week stopped foreigners from visiting the north as a “temporary measure” because of security concerns as Rajapaksa visited the region to open a railway link that had been closed for 24 years due to the conflict.
The north of Sri Lanka is predominantly Tamil and the site of much of the fighting during the war.
The government had relaxed curbs on foreigners visiting the north after the end of the war, but many foreign visitors, including diplomats and journalists, complained of scrutiny by government security agents.
Domestic media groups and non-governmental bodies dealing with issues such as human rights say their activities have been increasingly targeted since the U.N. resolution on the investigation in March.
Media rights groups say pro-government protesters and police have disrupted at least four workshops in the last five months. Political analysts say the government might be concerned that the media could help the U.N. investigation.
A Defense Ministry body that regulates non-government organizations in July banned activist groups from holding news conferences, issuing press releases and holding workshops for journalists.A bit overdue, the first release of Braindump is available. It has been a while since I announced the project of making a tool that gather allow to dump your thoughts into an electronic form. For those who have forget (which is probably most of you), Braindump is a collection of whiteboards on which you can put your notes, whether text notes, or drawing. It is entirely based on KOffice technologies. Which made Braindump quick and easy to develop, and it makes it very small, around 8000 lines of code.
I have been delaying that release because I wanted to make a video of Braindump in action, and have been too lazy to make one until now. On that video I first create new whiteboards, then I demonstrate how to add shapes, manipulate them, and finally the different layout:
I you look at Braindump development history, you will notice that over the past six months the development has been really slow, there are a few reasons to that, the first one is that most of the development is done by other people than me in the KOffice repository, the second one is that I feel that Braindump is already doing exactly what I want, with a few glitches, but as a geek I tend to live happily with those…
That said there is a couple of features I want:
Search (and replace)
Tagging, but then someone else (yeah again) is doing the work for me in KOffice
Auto-growing text shape
A solution to this problem: (almost) each time I create a new whiteboard, the first thing I do is to add a text shape. So I wonder about either having always a permanent text shape in the background, or always add a text shape when creating a white board.
I am also starting to be curious about ownCloud, since personally I find it to be the right direction of cloud computing, so I would probably be interested in the possibility of storing whiteboards on an ownCloud server. Lets see how it evolves.
If you have other ideas, do not hesitate to mention them, who knows, if I find them interesting, I might go on and implement them!
Download Braindump 0.8.0, this release will work only with KOffice 2.1.x, from now on I will work on porting Braindump to the upcoming KOffice 2.2.On the occasion of the Duesseldorf Photo Weekend 2017, in an exhibition entitled Women on Street, from 3 February to 30 April 2017, the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf will be presenting two world stars of photography - Peter Lindbergh and Garry Winogrand - and a world premiere: Garry Winogrand’s rare colour photographs from the 50s and 60s will be on show.
Women on Street refers to the original title of a series called Women are Beautiful, which was published for the first time in 1975 by the “Prince of the street” Garry Winogrand, and is probably the most famous work by this American photographer. The exhibition juxtaposes these photographs with the On Street series created by Peter Lindbergh, one of the stars of fashion photography.
Garry Winogrand, who died in 1984, ranks among the most important exponents of street photography and, from the mid-1970s, he played a decisive role in establishing photography in the context of contemporary art. His frequently falling lines, a direct and intuitive approach to his subject and an insightful view of the cosmos of the street are the features of his distinctive style. In addition to the 85 black-and-white images of the Women are Beautiful series, which will be on show in its entirety in Germany for the first time, the exhibition will also showcase, as a world premiere, the rare colour photographs from the period 1958 to 1964.
Peter Lindbergh is regarded as one of the best living photographers and a star of fashion photography. In the 1990s, with his photographs of Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz and Cindy Crawford he coined the term supermodel. And yet, over and over again, he has demonstrated something untypical for the fashion world, as the focus of his attention is the individual behind the model. In his photographs he turns against the ideal of beauty prescribed by the fashion world and he often shows a beauty that has been attained “through experiences, through heartbreaks, through having children”, as Cindy Crawford told ICON, a German lifestyle magazine, in 2015. The exhibition includes 44 photographs that were taken at fashion shoots on the street and, for the most part, are being shown for the first time at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf.
The exhibition has been curated by Ralph Goertz (IKS – Institut für Kunstdokumentation) [the Institute for Art Documentation], who was most recently seen at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf with the exhibitions “Joel Meyerowitz Retrospective” and “Ralf Brueck”.Former master of the Coombe Hospital Professor Chris Fitzpatrick has stood down from the project board of the National Maternity Hospital in support of Dr Peter Boylan.
He said he shared reservations expressed by Dr Boylan, who resigned from the National Maternity Hospital board yesterday, in relation to the proposed ownership and governance of the new hospital.
Dr Boylan had been critical of the fact that the Religious Sisters of Charity is to be given ownership of the new €300m taxpayer-funded National Maternity Hospital because it owns the land on which it is to be built on the St Vincent's Hospital campus in Dublin.
Prof Fitzpatrick said it is absolutely critical that there is absolute separation between church and medicine, especially when it comes to female reproductive healthcare.
Professor Chris Fitzpatrick said he shared reservations expressed by Dr Peter Boylan
In a letter accompanying his resignation note, Prof Fitzpatrick said it was "wholly inappropriate in 21st century pluralist, secular Ireland that the ownership" of this publicly-funded women and infants' hospital "should be entrusted in any shape, way or form to a religious organisation - of an denomination".
Excerpt from Prof Fitzpatrick's letter
He said a religious link would be "deeply insensitive" and would also "have the potential to erode public confidence" in clinical services.
Prof Fitzpatrick said "owners have a certain responsibility for what happens on their property".
He said that, despite assurances of the contrary, to believe that the arrangement "could never lead to a conflict of interest between the ethos of the owners and their nominees/representatives on the Board and clinical practice is wishful thinking".
Excerpt from Prof Fitz
|
s fly as Iraq oil firm fends off media – The Independent, March 20, 1993
The relationship between Crescent and Iraq’s superweapons program, including Saddam’s nuclear weapons program, was a focus of investigation.
Crescent appears to have been doing business directly with the head of Iraq’s unconventional weapons program.- Staff report prepared by Kenneth R. Timmerman for the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights, June 29, 1993
The stealth Project Pelican deal, “in the works for a year” according to Florida Today, ignored CFIUS laws that were enacted to protect the nation from foreign national security threats.
Under CFIUS, the Treasury Department is required to order a comprehensive National Security Threat Analysis from the Director of National Intelligence of any covered transaction involving U.S. assets and interests.
This mandatory threat analysis is to be conducted with input from a veritable alphabet-soup of U.S. government agencies (including Treasury’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis, CIA, FBI, DIA, NSA, DoD, military intelligence, DHS, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Energy’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency).
Additionally, in cases in which America’s space program could be affected, the NASA Counterintelligence/Counterterrorism Program can be tasked by the Director of National Intelligence to provide additional input for the CFIUS threat analysis.
Secretary Lew declined to conduct a National Security Threat Analysis of the Project Pelican deal, despite the fact that the Treasury Department and three committees in the U.S. House of Representatives had investigated Crescent in 1993 to determine if it was a front group for Saddam Hussein.
A World Bank International Finance Corporation (IFC) document regarding Gulftainer Company Limited reveals that “The Company is owned by two shareholders: HH Sheikh Sultan Al Qassimi, the Ruler of Sharjah and Mr. Hamid Dhia Jafar.”
This IFC document therefore establishes Gulftainer as partially owned by a foreign government, the UAE. Crescent Petroleum was revealed to be a front company for the Iraqi government and Saddam Hussein in 1993.
The Orlando Sentinel reported in 2015 that officials said the a national security review was not required because the GT USA Port Canaveral was a lease and not a purchase.
Port officials said this week that the U.S. Homeland Security department and Federal Maritime Commission had reviewed information about the cargo operations. But an additional request for more review by the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) did not occur. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-San Diego, had asked for a formal Treasury Department review of security issues due to a foreign-owned company operating port facilities. Port spokeswoman Rosalind Harvey said that never happened. “After extensive filing of all required paperwork to U.S. Treasury Department officials, the panel found that no review was required because the agreement was a lease and not a purchase of Port assets,” Harvey said. She added, “Gulftainer also did a full filing to the Federal Maritime Commission and the project was approved to proceed. In addition, information was submitted to U.S. Homeland Security through the U.S. Coast Guard with no objections or concerns raised.” – Port opening cargo terminal – no further review required – Orlando Sentinel, June 12, 2015
The argument that the Gulftainer/GT USA deal did not require a CFIUS review because it “was a lease and not a purchase of Port assets” simply does not hold water.
Had the Obama administration adhered to the law by conducting a CFIUS National Security Threat Analysis, Gulftainer would have been flagged as a national security risk and denied access to Port Canaveral.
The Canaveral Port Authority’s deal with Gulftainer also violates Florida’s ‘Sunshine Law,’ which was enacted “to prevent at non-public meetings the crystallization of secret decisions to a point just short of ceremonial acceptance.” The Sunshine Law established open-bidding and public notice requirements for Florida government agencies and municipalities.
Florida Governor Rick Scott, contacted on May 19, 2016 via email and phone calls to his press secretary Jeri Bustamante, never responded to a request for comment about Project Pelican’s violations of the Florida Sunshine Law and reports that Gulftainer had trafficked weapons in the Middle East.
The Department of Homeland Security scans only four percent of shipping containers entering the United States and repeatedly exploits a loophole to evade the Congressional mandate to implement 100 percent scanning.
“A league of U.S. lawmakers are not content with the roughly four percent of import containers screened under the current system. They believe that U.S. ports could be the next gateway for — or, indeed, a target of — terrorist threats” the Journal of Commerce reported on July 7, 2016.
DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson’s grandfather was investigated for Communism by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Secretary Johnson completely eliminated federal anti-terrorism grants for Central Florida after 2014 “because the threat of terror here was judged to be too low” reported the Orlando Sentinel. Johnson’s decision baffled and angered U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-FL) and Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL).
The Project Pelican deal followed furious objections by both the public and Congress to the previous UAE Dubai Ports World deal in 2006 that was stopped dead in its tracks.
In 2006 former President Bill Clinton coached United Arab Emirates officials on how to develop a public relations strategy to salvage the Dubai Ports World deal reported the Los Angeles Times.
Sheikh Al Qassimi’s wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children.
Accused of hypocrisy, the UAE has accepted zero refugees while demanding that other nations open their borders, according to Amnesty International and a CNN report.
Duncan Hunter, California congressman and Iraq war veteran, tried to stop Gulftainer deal
Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA), an Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Marine Corp veteran, chairman of the House Transportation Committee Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was the lone voice in Washington raising national security concerns about the Gulftainer deal.
Rep. Hunter wrote a formal letter to Treasury Secretary Lew, noting that the Port Canaveral deal marked the first time a “Middle Eastern company will fully operate a U.S. cargo terminal.” Congressman Hunter asked Secretary Lew to conduct a CFIUS national security review of the transaction, to no avail.
“THERE WERE NO ASSURANCES WHATSOEVER THAT THIS … ARRANGEMENT WAS THOROUGHLY REVIEWED AND CONSIDERED FOR NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS. THE REQUEST WAS MADE BUT I DON’T THINK THE ADMINISTRATION GAVE IT ANY REAL ATTENTION” – JOE KASPER, CHIEF OF STAFF TO REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA)
Hunter’s father, former Congressman Duncan L. Hunter (R-CA), battled against the Dubai Ports World deal.
“Regarding Dubai Ports World, CFIUS approved the deal initially but once members of Congress got wind of it, all hell broke loose” reported Forbes.
Iraqi Baathists connected to Saddam created Islamic State, seek WMDs
A nuclear device is the ultimate force multiplier for radical terror groups. – Farhad Rezaei – Middle East Policy Council
Saddam’s former Baathist network of military and intelligence officers has splintered. Many former top Iraqi commanders have assumed leadership positions within Islamic State. Others sided with Baghdad’s struggling Shiite government, according to a Reuters report.
An AP report published in Israel paints a more dire picture. The report credits a wave of stunning Islamic State military victories in Iraq and Syria to Saddam’s former secular Baathist military commanders. Those officers are professionally trained and capable of organizing brigades of jihadists and operating sophisticated military hardware left behind by U.S. forces.
“They have been put in charge of intelligence-gathering, spying on the Iraqi forces as well as maintaining and upgrading weapons and trying to develop a chemical weapons program” reports the AP.
The Soufan Group published a 66 page intelligence report in 2014, authored by former officers from the CIA, MI6 and NCIS. The Soufan report reveals that ISIS and ex-Baathists “continue to see sufficient coincidence of interest to overcome any ideological disagreement.”
Former Saddam-regime Baathist Haji Bakr (Samir Abd Mouhammad al-Khleifawi) is the architect of Islamic State’s intelligence network organizational framework, according to Der Spiegel.
Bakr was a Baathist and Saddam Regime Loyalist (SRL) who served as an colonel in the Iraqi army and as an operative in Saddam’s intelligence service. Like many of his Baathist colleagues, Bakr transferred his professional military skill set from Saddam’s Army to Islamic State. Bakr is an example of one of Saddam’s former loyalists and military officers who became a top Islamic State commander.
Like many of Saddam’s former top commanders, Bakr served time as a prisoner in Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca. He was eventually released by U.S. forces.
Bakr allegedly designed the Islamic State spy network modeled on Saddam’s feared Baathist intelligence apparatus. The Islamic State intelligence network is designed to instill terror among targeted populations by merging a Stasi-style neighbor-spying-on-neighbor techniques with Sharia-law enforcement. This model originated with the Soviet “Red Terror” technique of the Bolshevik Revolution. Islamic State, like the Soviets and Saddam Baathists, applies blackmail, mass killing, and torture to subjugate entire towns and regions.
Bakr, who was reportedly killed in 2014, “set up a special unit for procuring and fabricating WMD…and had some WMD expertise” according to the Middle East Policy Council.
Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden used some of the same money-laundering bankers, according to UPI.
A detailed analysis of Saddam Hussein’s secret money-laundering techniques shows here for the first time how he used the same offshore money launderers as Osama bin Laden. That covert money network, based in the tax havens of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Panama and Nassau, helped bankroll the war machines of both Iraq and al-Qaida. – Saddam’s secret money-laundering trail – Lucy Komisar – UPI – June 2, 2004
The Existential Threat
All warfare is based on deception. – Sun Tzu
Port Canaveral officials, “Jack” Lew and the Treasury Department, and the U.S. government at large, have invited the doomsday scenario of a smuggled Iraqi nuclear weapon or other WMD, such as a chemical bomb or biological agents, detonating inside one of the America’s most sensitive national security zone. A similar scenario was discussed by Dr. Jafar and Saddam Hussein.
Crescent/Gulftainer/GT USA is “intimately connected” to Saddam Hussein’s brutal Baathist regime. They are in control of thousands of ocean shipping containers, presenting a clear and present danger to Port Canaveral, adjacent military and space installations, the cruise ship industry, and the country as a whole.
President Obama has transferred national security-sensitive Port Canaveral to Iraqis connected to Saddam’s nuclear weapons program.
It is beyond stunning that Dr. Jafar went from being Iraq’s top WMD scientist targeted for capture by U.S. forces to seeing Obama/Clinton officials hand Dr. Jafar and his family the keys to Port Canaveral, the heart of America’s space program and the nexus of her national defenses.
America’s ports are the keystone to her critical infrastructure.
When Badr Jafar arrogantly bragged to CNBC about “owning and operating” an American port, six months before the deal was announced, he displayed his deep contempt for the American people and his pursuit of an ancient tactic, conquest through deception.
When Obama/Clinton “public servants” who fashion themselves as globalist rulers form secret alliances with foreign powers in a treacherous conspiracy to give away what is not their’s to give, they too display their contempt for America, her people, and the rule of law.
What kind of nation sells its soul to the highest foreign bidder? At a time when other maritime nations, such as China and the United Arab Emirates, are jealously guarding their own trading hubs and snapping up ports across the world — from Sri Lanka to Africa — Britain has effectively sold off the nation’s family silver. – Daily Mail
Whatever President Obama claims he is doing, assume he is covertly pursuing a polar opposite objective. Obamacare, Islamic State, employment, and the economy have all been presented to be what they are not. President Obama publicly proclaims that he is deeply concerned with nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism.
Senator Obama, like his Iraqi and Syrian Chicago associates, was deeply interested in infrastructure reconstruction in Iraq, with a particular focus on power stations.
In contrast, President Obama has been noticeably disinterested in American recovery following the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster and the 2016 Louisiana floods, which coincided with an Obama golf trip.
Behind closed doors, President Obama, with help from Hillary Clinton and her staff, recklessly accelerates nuclear proliferation, enables nuclear terrorists, and pursues a terrifying scorched earth program.
While dismantling America’s nuclear capabilities and Eastern European NATO missile defenses, and while purging Air Force and Navy nuclear command flag officers and NCOs for petty infractions, President Obama is enabling and funding Iran’s nuclear program and allowing the UAE to develop nuclear capability. The end result is that President Obama has unleashed a dangerous nuclear arms race in the Middle East among dangerous political actors with little to lose and even less respect for human life.
Project Pelican is a dangerous backroom deal that was foisted on the American people in a despicable act of deception.
Deconstructing the Dangerous Deal
Those entrusted with protecting U.S. critical infrastructure made an end-run around laws and regulations in order to redistribute America. Project Pelican, a secretly-negotiated and illegal deal, allowed an Iraqi company, with deep connections to Saddam Hussein and nuclear weapons, to get their hands on a 35-year port lease with access to sensitive national security maritime property.
America’s air, sea, and space superiority have been jeopardized while the Clintons got richer. Laws were broken, regulations ignored, duty forsaken, and trust shattered for thirty pieces of silver, in today’s parlance better known as “Clinton Cash.”
Gulftainer Group’s Managing Director Peter Richards says the federal government signed off on the investment. – “Port Canaveral Opening New Cargo Terminal” – National Public Radio affiliate WMFE 90.7 FM – June 12, 2015
Master of deception: Saddam’s nuclear weapons scientist
Saddam recruited thousands of nuclear scientists, but Dr. Jafar was the best weapon Iraq had.
Dr. Jafar Dhia Jafar (sometimes spelled Jaafar, Jaffar, al-Jafar or Ja’far), widely regarded as the mastermind of Saddam’s nuclear bomb program, directed efforts to steal atomic secrets from the West, to perfect Iraq’s uranium enrichment techniques, to build clandestine enrichment facilities, and to fully weaponize Iraq’s nuclear capabilities.
David Kay, the former UN Chief Weapons Inspector who led the Iraq Survey Group, calls Dr. Jafar a “formidable adversary.”
U.S. intelligence approached Dr. Jafar before the March 20, 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. American officials gave Dr. Jafar an opportunity to defect. Jafar declined.
Dr. Jafar chose instead to remain inside Iraq during the invasion. Realizing the U.S. military would inevitably capture him, Jafar finally fled Iraq two days before the April 9, 2003 fall of Baghdad.
On the run, Dr. Jafar moved through Syria, and then on to the UAE, where his brother Hamid had set up Middle East conglomerate Crescent decades earlier.
Dr. Jafar eventually surrendered.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, commenting on the high-value surrender of Dr. Jafar, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “we’re not going to find anything until we find people who tell us where the things are…and we have that very high on our priority list, to find the people who know.”
Dr. Jafar underwent extensive interrogation by the CIA and MI6. U.S. officials regarded Dr. Jafar’s surrender as a major coup in the race to take down Saddam’s highest-ranking WMD scientists.
Intelligence experts who interviewed him found Dr. Jafar to be the duplicitous and calculating genius others had reported him to be. His interrogators commented that Dr. Jafar seemed to be trying to elicit information from interrogators rather than to reveal it.
You can bomb our buildings. You can destroy our technology, but you cannot take it out of our heads. We now have the capability. – Iraqi nuclear scientist Dr. Jafar Dhia Jafar *
Dr. Jafar was born in Baghdad in 1943 and received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Manchester in 1965.
Dr. Jafar’s grandfather founded the Iraqi Army and battled alongside T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia).
Iraq’s first nuclear reactor was built by the Soviet Union.
Before Iraq’s new Soviet reactor was commissioned, Dr. Jafar, fresh out of university, took a team to the Soviet Union to study nuclear fission technology, recalled Khidhir Hamza in his book Saddam’s Bombmaker: The Terrifiying Inside Story of the Iraqi Nuclear and Biological Weapons.
Years later, Dr. Jafar would work with Russian operatives to camouflage Iraq’s nuclear weapons program as a non-military nuclear program.
After spending time in the Soviet Union, Dr. Jafar subsequently spent four years during the 1970s at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the particle accelerator laboratories in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1979, Dr. Jafar dispatched Iraqi engineers to CERN to gather intelligence about magnets needed for Electromagnetic Isotope Separation (EMIS). EMIS, a process developed during the Manhattan Project, produced the highly enriched uranium used in the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.
Scientists at CERN became alarmed when they realized that Dr. Jafar was surreptitiously gathering intelligence to militarize Iraq’s nuclear research program. Deducing that Iraq already possessed a secret nuclear bomb development program, CERN scientists tried in vain to alert disarmament authorities about Dr. Jafar, but were warned that doing so was “dangerous.”
“The Iraqis did not come to Geneva by accident” concluded Geneva-based science journalist Dr. Suren Erkman.
“It is now abundantly confirmed that Dr. Jafar was actively involved in Iraq’s clandestine nuclear weapon program since its very beginning, which includes all the time he had spent at CERN” according to a report by Swiss physicist Dr. André A. Gsponer, Director of the Independent Scientific Research Institute (ISRI) in Oxford, England.
In 1981 Israel, threatened by Iraq’s rapidly developing nuclear weapons program, flew F-16As into Iraq to bomb Saddam’s Osirak reactors near Baghdad during “Operation Opera.”
After Israel bombed the reactors, Dr. Jafar rebuilt Iraq’s nuclear program at the personal behest of Saddam Hussein
Dr. Jafar reportedly said later “Let the Israelis believe they destroyed our nuclear capacity. Accept the sympathy offered for this aggression and then proceed in secret with an atom bomb program — which is what we did.”
I studied Iraqi weapons plants during the 1980s. I was there many, many times when Saddam was in power. I was the first Western reporter who ever interviewed his weapons designers and the heads of the weapons programs who were later exposed to the United Nations. I was able to help the first UN arms inspectors in 1991, 1992, by identifying the location of many of these weapons plants. I have the map of these plants right here in my office. I’m sitting here looking at it now. The entire country, when we went in, in 2003, was a vast weapons manufacturing facility. There are hundreds of these plants all over the country. Everybody knew about it. The United Nations knew about it, we knew about it, the French knew about it, the Germans knew about it, the Russians knew about it, the Chinese knew about it, and even the formerly mainstream media knew about it. And yet they all chose to ignore that evidence. – Kenneth R. Timmerman
Spymaster: Dr. Jafar dispatched Iraqi scientist and Iraqi intelligence officer to California and Florida to obtain sensitive information and equipment for Saddam’s nuclear weapons program
In 1982 Dr. Jafar commanded one of his subordinates, Iraqi nuclear scientists Imad Khadduri, to deploy on an espionage and procurement mission to California and Florida.
Dr. Jafar tasked Khadduri, who was escorted by an intelligence officer and a security detail, to collect a “shopping list” of sensitive documents and specialized lasers that Jafar needed for Iraq’s uranium enrichment program.
Settling slowly into my new responsibilities in the nascent program, Jafar requested an urgent mission. He had gathered a list of important scientific articles and reports that were desperately needed.We also needed to purchase a couple of lasers to investigate the feasibility of enriching uranium using a novel technique. Accompanied by a polished young Intelligence officer, we attended a scientific conference in San Diego, California in 1982 on the use of Solid State Track Detectors, the materials that I had been using for research during the seventies. I immediately set out to search for assistance to obtain the required articles and reports. Left on one of the tables at the conference was a business card of a retired librarian who had access to the budding Internet and could search for such documents. I rented a car and drove to her home. Several days later, I revisited her and collected most of the desired articles for about $200 in cash, shook her hand and parted. I do not recall that she asked
where I was from; neither did she question the nature of the gathered information. – Imad Khadduri, Iraq’s Nuclear Mirage
Acting at Dr. Jafar’s behest, Khadduri secured the lasers during a Miami airport swap with Indian agents, in exchange for a briefcase filled with $30,000 in cash.
Saudi Arabia funneled at least $5 billion into Dr. Jafar’s nuclear weapons program via Gulf and Swiss banks according to classifed CIA, NSA, and DIA reports discussed in a PBS Frontline Documentary. In 1995 another source claimed that figure was closer to $25 billion.
During the 1990s, Dr. Jafar was living “under high level protection in Baghdad” as the preeminent scientist of Saddam’s WMD program.
Saddam’s WMDs were moved to Syria under command of Dr. Jafar and ‘Chemical Ali’ while Tariq Aziz stalled inspectors
Syria is where most of Saddam’s WMDs were moved. The operation to move these WMDs to was concocted by Ali Hussein al-Majid (Chemical Ali) and a cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Tariq Aziz, meanwhile, stalled the return of UN inspectors to Iraq, thus buying Jafar and Chemical Ali time to move the WMDs.
Former Iraqi General Georges Sada wrote in his book Saddam’s Secrets that Saddam’s WMDs were flown to Damascus, Syria via fifty-six sorties of Boeing 747 and Boeing 727 passenger jets that were converted to cargo planes by stripping the seats from the cabins. Convoys of 18-wheelers moved additional WMD material into Syria, under the control of fellow Baathist Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Qaeda-connected terrorists plotted a chemical attack against Amman, Jordan which could have killed 80,000 residents. King Abdullah II announced on April 17, 2004 that the terror operation had been thwarted. “The Jordanians intercepted twenty tons of sarin gas coming into the country from Syria” Sada said. “These were Iraqi weapons.”
Dr. Jill Bellamy, Founding Director of Warfare Technology Analytics, based in the Netherlands, and Counter Terrorism Task Force Adviser at the United Nations, recently revealed that one of Dr. Jafar’s colleagues has likely set up WMD operations inside Syria.
Dr. Rehab Taha, widely known as “Dr. Germ,” is a “devoted Baathist nationalist” and was one of Saddam’s top bioweapon scientists. Dr. Taha spent several years in custody in Iraq following the U.S. invasion.
Dr. Bellamy was asked about Dr. Taha’s whereabouts during a March 2016 episode of the Lisa Benson Show.
“I think she’s working for the Syrians” Dr. Bellamy told Benson. Bellamy and Benson “speculated it might be at the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center in a highly secure facility near Damascus.”
After Dr. Jafar was released from interrogation in 2003, he sought visas to enter Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Both requests were denied.
Dr. Jafar’s life throughout much of 2003 was chaotic and marked by setbacks, including the U.S. invasion, becoming a Saddam regime fugitive on the run, surrender and interrogations, and denied entry to multiple countries. Despite these challenges, within months Dr. Jafar managed to position himself for a return to Iraq under the guise of “infrastructure reconstruction.”
Under the wing of his brother Hamid, Dr. Jafar launched “Iraqi owned” URUK Engineering and Construction in 2003. Set up as an affiliate of the Crescent Group, URUK almost immediately began winning contracts to build power stations, fertilizer plants, and water treatment facilities inside Iraq.
Power stations, water treatment facilities, as well as certain types of fertilizer plants, can be re-purposed as components of a clandestine uranium enrichment program. Iraq is also known to have run buried power lines to underground enrichment facilities, simultaneously erecting decoy above-ground power lines to residential areas in a show for NRO/CIA “eye in the sky” satellites.
Although Dr. Jafar’s engineering and construction company is headquartered in Dubai, he was reportedly living in Syria around 2005. David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, told Newsweek in June 2005 that “Jafar now lives in Syria, where he has been writing books about his truncated career as Saddam’s nuclear wizard.”
The Saddam Tapes
“The Saddam Tapes” recovered in Iraq consist of 2,500 to 3,000 hours of audio recordings. Access to much of this material was repeatedly blocked by John Negroponte. Foreign-born Negroponte was Director of National Intelligence at the time. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld referred to Negroponte as a “bantamweight.”
The tapes were presented at the 2006 Intelligence Summit along with analysis from former Army intelligence officer John Loftus, former US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense John A. Shaw and intelligence experts with experience operating in Iraq.
The Intelligence Summit was held in Crystal City, Virginia, near the Pentagon, and was broadcast on CSPAN.
Playback of audio recordings featuring Dr. Jafar’s conversations with Saddam Hussein and other members of Saddam’s “inner circle” was presented by Bill Tierney. Tierney was a UN Weapons Inspector in Iraq between 1996 and 1998. He is also an Arabic language interpreter (Iraqi dialect) and former US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters intelligence analyst. Tierney’s presentation of these audio recordings of Dr. Jafar included translation, intelligence analysis, and PowerPoint slides.
Tierney was interviewed by the Tampa Tribune in a December 4, 2002 article titled “Experts Predict Iraqi Nuclear Arsenal; Amount Uncertain.” The article is no longer available from the Tribune’s website but was preserved by an online forum.
The Tribune stated that Tierney estimated Saddam likely had a “small atomic bomb” and quoted Tierney saying “I think he has nukes that can go.”
The Tampa Tribune also interviewed Wilfred “Squeak” Charette, who helped set up the CIA Counterterrorism Center in 1987. Charette, who died in 2010, held a Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies, graduated from Naval War College, was commissioned as a foreign service officer, and was awarded a Career Intelligence Medal for Exceptional Achievement, two Director of Central Intelligence awards for exceptional service under conditions of hazard and hardship and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
According the the “Tampa Tribune,” Charette “retired as Director of Central Intelligence representative at U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, attaining the equivalent rank of a Maj. General.”
Charette’s analysis indicated that Saddam might hide and reserve his nukes or dirty bombs, holding back from using them against US forces in Iraq, instead saving them to detonate inside the United States and terrorize Americans.
Even if Iraq has nothing more sophisticated than dirty bombs, one question is whether Saddam would use them against invading allied troops. Charette doesn’t think so. He said the terror value of the weapon is so great, Iraq probably would try to plant one inside the United States or Europe instead. “Its real value is the psychological effect,” Charette says. “Whether there’s a lot of damage or not, it creates fear.” – “Experts Predict Iraqi Nuclear Arsenal; Amount Uncertain” – Tampa Tribune, December 4, 2002
Tierney has reportedly stated that Saddam likely possessed an underground uranium enrichment facility. Tierney believes that Saddam may have concealed that facility underground, beneath a power station and adjacent to a water treatment plant.
Today, Dr. Jafar’s Crescent company URUK Engineering and Construction is building electric power stations in Iraq, in addition to fertilizer and water treatment plants.
So if the Iraqis do have nukes, where did they enrich the uranium? I believe the answer lies beneath what appears to the World as a power generation station for a water treatment plant in the vicinity of 3337North04420East. A number of indicators point to this facility as a uranium enrichment processing plant. I do not have authority to discuss these indicators. – Bill Tierney – “Former UNSCOM inspector believes Iraq already has nuclear weapons” – Prevent Truth Decay
Tierney also believes that Iraq was pursuing a rudimentary yet highly effective method of uranium enrichment called electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS). This enrichment method was used by the U.S. during the Manhattan Project to build America’s first nuclear weapon. The EMIS process requires massive amounts of electricity.
The electromagnetic isotope separation method of uranium enrichment was used by the United States to come up with its first atomic weapon. It was thrown aside for more effective methods because it used a massive amount of electricity. We have the head of the nuclear weapons program (Dr. Jafar Dhia Jafar) putting an incredible amount of attention on a power station in Basra… …The intent was to get that station back online so its power could be diverted. It was intended for the civilians of Basra, but we all know they’re Shiites, so who cares about that, maybe cut them a little bit so you know, people can say there is something coming out of there. But the reason they had to get that up was so that they could power their uranium enrichment program. – Bill Tierney, former UN Weapons Inspector in Iraq – speaking during the 2006 Intelligence Summit
The conclusion that Dr. Jafar was using the electromagnetic isotope separation method to enrich uranium dovetails with a 2005 report published in “Science” magazine. A lengthy profile of Dr. Jafar reveals that he first pursued gas diffusion and laser isotope separation techniques, but failed. Lasers were difficult to obtain.
In 1985, however, Dr. Jafar successfully separated fissile U-235 from U-238 using the electromagnetic isotope separation method. Suddenly, Dr. Jafar and Saddam were in the nuclear bomb business. They just needed electric power plants and massive facilities to house EMIS enrichment devices called calutrons.
Dr. Jafar’s “industrial size” calutron EMIS enrichment facilities were “comparable in size to to the electromagnetic isotope separation (facilities) of the Manhattan Project, which developed the US atomic weapons in the 1940s, representing a four-to eight billion dollar investment on the Iraqi’s part” claims the book War on Iraq.
Jafar set out to enrich uranium without a reactor as a clandestine bomb effort got under way. An attempt to separate isotopes using gas diffusion sputtered, and experiments on isotope separation using lasers “came to nothing,” he says, as Iraq could not build or buy sufficiently high-powered, tuned lasers. Jafar was told that equipment purchases could not raise a red flag. “We had to play with these conditions. It was difficult to develop a new technology completely on our own.” But his lab-scale R&D on electromagnetic isotope separation succeeded in 1985. – “Profile: Jafar Dhia Jafar” – Science – September 30, 2005
Tierney’s PowerPoint presentation included the following slides:
Based on conversations heard on the Saddam tapes, Dr. Jafar is very focused on using Iraqi power stations and fertilizer plants for uranium enrichment and nuclear weapons production.
Former UN WMD inspectors focused on conversations between Dr. Jafar and Saddam regarding Iraq’s electric power plants. These power plants generated massive amounts of electricity Dr. Jafar needed to power the uranium enrichment facilities.
The National, a UAE government-owned daily newspaper headquartered in Abu Dhabi, reported in the September 5, 2010 business section that URUK, under the management of Dr. Jafar, was “building power stations and fertilizer plants in the rest of Iraq.”
Two other Crescent affiliates, Uruk Engineering and Contracting and Uruk Project Development, are providing oilfield services and building power stations and fertiliser plants in the rest of Iraq.The general manager of the Dubai-based Uruk Group is Jafar Jafar, a nuclear physicist and Hamid Jafar’s younger brother, who headed Iraq’s nuclear programme under Saddam Hussein.
Recently, Dr. Jafar’s company URUK Engineering and Construction has worked on two power plants which are both located near major Saddam-era military industrial complexes: the brand new Taji Power Station and the rehabilitated of Baiji Power Station.
Taji (also known as al-Taji), where URUK began built a new power plant in 2010, was a major Iraqi military-industrial center during the Saddam regime era.
Under Saddam’s command, Taji was the location of Al-Taji airfield, a Republican Guard base, the largest tank maintenance facility in Iraq, chemical weapons production, nuclear weapons and missile production facilities, an oxide aluminum factory (missile casings production), R&D for missile launchers, an engineering center for the nuclear weapons program, epoxy and fiberglass for missile casings.
Hussein Kamel, chief of Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialization, operated a torture center at Taji, accordin to Dhir Hamza’s book Saddam’s Bombmaker.
Coalition forces took over Taji in 2003 and it was once one of the largest U.S. bases in-country during OIF. Much of Camp Taji was turned over to the Iraqi government in 2010, the year Dr. Jafar started constructing the Taji power plant. Today, a small U.S. force trains Iraqi soldiers at Camp Taji. Many of the 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks given by the U.S. and delivered in 2012 to Iraqi Army tank units based at Camp Taji have already been captured or destroyed by ISIS.
Baiji Power Station is located much farther north, along the Tigris River in the area of Jabal Makhoul, which means “under the mountain.” This location is 40 km north of Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit. Baiji is near underground complexes beneath a mountain that were suspected of housing Saddam’s uranium enrichment facilities. Baiji Power Plant has fallen in and out of Islamic State control.
Dr. Jafar’s new electric power stations, fertilizer factories and water treatment plants in Iraq should give rise to concern.
Recent gunrunning allegations
Gulftainer has other troubling associations.
Gulftainer reportedly shipped weapons through the Port of Umm Qasr, Iraq to two Iranian-backed terrorist militia groups operating in Iraq, the Badr Brigades and Asaeib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), according to a leak from Iraq General Port Company officials in Basra to Iraqi media.
A former senior official with a coalition embassy in Iraq confirmed that the report, which was published in Arabic by electronic newspaper Al-aalem Al-jadeed on February 10, 2015, charges that Gulftainer moved weapons to terrorist groups the Badr Brigades and AAH.
“The Badr Brigade, for one, targeted hundreds of American troops in Iraq with Iranian-provided explosively formed projectile bombs, one of that war’s deadliest weapons” according to the Daily Beast.
AAH, also known as the “League of the Righteous,” “operates under the supervision of Qassem Suleimani, a Revolutionary Guard general in charge of most of Iran’s expeditionary missions in Syria and across the Middle East” reports the Telegraph. AAH “has claimed responsibility for over 6,000 attacks on US forces.”
General Suleimani commands Iran’s elite Quds force and was “the shadowy figure behind the killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, Libya” according to Kenneth R. Timmerman.
Of further concern, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship KLOS-C in the Red Sea on March 5, 2014 during “Operation Full Disclosure.” The freighter was smuggling heavy rockets, Kalashnikovs, and other weapons.
The shipment originated in Damascus, Syria. The weapons were concealed inside shipping containers of cement and loaded aboard the KLOS-C at an Iranian port. The ship sailed on to Port Umm Qasr where Gultainer operates several container terminals. At Umm Qasr more cement was added to further conceal the weapons before the ship departed for Sudan. IDF commandos captured the freighter before the weapons reached their final destination of Gaza.
Gulftainer received a half billion dollar investment from the World Bank’s International Financial Corporation (IFC) to fund their Umm Qasr, Iraq terminal operation.
The expansion of Gulftainer’s port operations into Iraq’s and other countries gained momentum after President Obama came into office.
Crescent’s international business in the petroleum and container industries includes deals with Saudi Arabia’s Binladen Group, Vladamir Putin and Igor Sechin, who is banned from entering the United States and is known as “Russia’s Darth Vader” and the “scariest person on earth.”
The Players To understand Project Pelican and why it is an existential threat requires examining the dark history of Crescent and Iraq’s Jafar family as well as the American political players who came to the deal with their own tainted personal histories. The Clintons are connected to Dr. Jafar’s nephew, who is a Crescent executive, and to Port Canaveral
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the right-hand side, emphasizing natural variability. However, the IPCC and the so-called consensus aligns with the left hand side. About 10 years ago, I also aligned with left hand side, because I thought supporting the IPCC consensus was the responsible thing to do.
Here is how and why I changed my mind.
6 Policy cart before scientific horse
In 2010, I started digging deeper, both into the science itself and the politics that were shaping the science. I came to realize that the policy cart was way out in front of the scientific horse.
The 1992 UN Climate Change treaty was signed by 190 countries before the balance of scientific evidence suggested even a discernible human influence on global climate. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol was implemented before we had any confidence that most of the warming was caused by humans. There was tremendous political pressure on the IPCC scientists to present findings that would support these treaties, which resulted in a manufactured consensus.
7 You find what you shine a light on
Here is how the so-called consensus and increasing confidence in human-caused global warming became a self-fulfilling prophesy.
You find what you shine a light on. In other words, we have only been looking at one part of the elephant.
Motivated by the UN Climate treaty and the IPCC and government funding, climate scientists have focused primarily on human-caused climate change. Other factors important for understanding climate variability and change have been relatively neglected. I have highlighted long-term ocean oscillations and solar indirect effects, since I think that these are potentially very important on decadal to century timescales.
8 The sea level rise alarm
One of the most consequential impacts of a warming climate is sea level rise. These two statements by climate scientists typify the alarm over sea level rise:
Is this alarm justified by the scientific evidence?
9 Is CO2 the control knob for global sea level rise?
This figure illustrates the challenge of attributing long-term sea level rise to CO 2 emissions. The blue curve shows sea level change since 1800, measured from tide gauges.
The red curve shows global emissions of carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels. You can see that global sea levels were rising steadily long before fossil fuels emissions became substantial. You can also see that the steep increase in emissions following 1950 is associated with very little sea level rise between 1950 and 1990.
An uptick in sea level rise occurred in the 1990’s, which is circled. Lets take a closer look to see what is causing this.
10 What is causing recent sea level rise?
Since 1993, global satellite data have provided valuable information about sea level variations and glacier mass balance. This figure shows a recent analysis of the budget of sea level rise since 1993. You can see that overall the rate of sea level rise has increased since 1993.
What is causing this increase? The turquoise region on the bottom of the diagram relates directly to expansion from warming. You actually see a decrease until about 2009, which has been attributed to the cooling impact following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1992.
What stands out as causing the increase in the rate of sea level rise is the growing contribution from Greenland, which is the dark blue area on top. Hence the recent increase in the rate of sea level rise is caused by Greenland melting.
11 Variations in Greenland glacier mass balance
So, is the Greenland melting caused by increasing CO2 emissions?
This figure shows the Greenland mass balance for the 20th century. Ice sheet mass balance is defined as increase from snowfall, minus the decrease from melting. You can see the negative mass balance values after 1995, reflecting mass loss that raises sea level. If you look earlier in the record, you see even larger negative values particularly in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Clearly, the high surface mass loss rates of recent years are not unprecedented, even in the 20 th century.
Greenland was anomalously warm in the 1930’s and 1940’s. What caused this?
The bottom figure shows variations in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which is an important mode of natural internal climate variability. The AMO is a powerful control on the climate of Greenland.
Ingeneral, years with positive AMO index are associated with a mass loss for Greenland, whereas negative AMO index is associated with a mass gain.
12 IPCC AR5 quotes on sea level rise
From this analysis, I can only conclude that CO2 emissions are not the main cause of sea level rise since the mid 19 th century.
The scientific evidence that I’ve shown you on the preceding slides is well known to the IPCC. Here are some statements that the most recent IPCC report made on sea level change and Greenland:
13 To what extent are man-made CO2 emissions contributing to climate change?
I’ve been asked to respond to the question “To what extent are man-made CO2 emissions contributing to climate change?”
The short answer is: ‘we don’t know.’ The reason is that we don’t know how to disentangle natural internal variability from the effects of CO 2 –driven warming
Even the IPCC doesn’t claim to know exactly. The most recent IPCC assessment report says it is ‘ extremely likely ’ to be ‘ more than half. ’ ‘More than half’ is not very precise.
Given the IPCC’s neglect of multi-decadal and longer time scales of natural internal variability, I regard the extreme confidence of their conclusion to be unjustified
So here is my personal assessment, using the jargon of the IPCC: Man-made CO 2 emissions are as likely as not to contribute less than 50% of the recent warming
14 Should we reduce emissions to prevent warming?
Even if you believe the climate model projections, there is still genuine disagreement regarding whether a rapid acceleration away from fossil fuels is the appropriate policy response.
One side argues that reducing CO 2 emissions are critical for preventing future dangerous warming of the climate. The other side argues that any reduction in warming would be minimal and at high cost, and that the ‘cure’ could be worse than the ‘disease’.
15 Climate pragmatism
What makes most sense to me is Climate Pragmatism, which has been formulated by the Hartwell group. Climate pragmatism has 3 pillars:
Accelerate energy innovation
Build resilience to extreme weather
No regrets pollution reduction
These policies provide near-term socioeconomic & environmental benefits and have justifications independent of climate mitigation & adaptation
These are no regrets policies that do not require agreement about climate science or the risks of uncontrolled greenhouse gases
16 Madhouse effect
I would like to make a few comments on the state of the scientific and public debate on climate change.
Here is my take on the Madhouse effect. The madhouse that concerns me is one that has been created by climate scientists. The madhouse is characterized by
Rampant overconfidence in an overly simplistic theory of climate change
Enforcement of a politically-motivated, manufactured ‘consensus’
Attempts to stifle scientific and policy debates
Activism and advocacy for their preferred politics and policy
Self-promotion and ‘cashing in’
Public attacks on other scientists that do not support the ‘consensus’
Hmmm... maybe I should write a book.The DictationBridge team is proud to announce the immediate release of DictationBridge 1.0 Release Candidate 1 for the NVDA version. You can download the software and start using it with NVDA right now. If you’re interested, you can read the documentation here to learn everything it has to offer. We expect the JAWS version to be coming soon so please stay tuned for updates on that part of this project.
DictationBridge For NVDA At A Glance
DictationBridge For NVDA is a fully featured add-on for the world’s most rapidly growing screen reader. Serving as a gateway between you, the NVDA screen reader and either Dragon Naturally Speaking or Windows Speech Recognition, DictationBridge will change how you work with computers using voice recognition.
The following is a list of the features that our team thinks are most important, but please remember this is a very partial list of the entire package. The complete list of features can be found our documentation and we’re certain you will find many of the other features and details compelling too.
Our Favorite Things About DictationBridge for NVDA
The following are key highlights of DictationBridge for NVDA that the team who created it feel are most important:
Dictationbridge for NVDA (obviously) works with NVDA, the screen reader commonly used by more than 40%of Windows screen reader users worldwide. Prior to DictationBridge, NVDA users had no accessible way to control either Windows Speech Recognition or the Dragon line of products from Nuance and now they have access to both.
DictationBridge for NVDA and its soon to be public JAWS sibling do not change your screen reader setup in any way unrelated to dictation. If you install an NVDA or JAWS update, it will not effect the version of DictationBridge designed for your screen reader and DictationBridge will in turn not change any plug-ins or scripts, including the defaults when you install it. With DictationBridge, there’s no more waiting for your dictation support to catch up with the latest version of your screen reader and there’s no potential for DictationBridge to accidentally insert bugs into the default behavior of your Screen Reader of choice.
DictationBridge for both NVDA and JAWS provide all of the features a user would expect in a fully featured dictation plug-in or set of scripts and configurations. DictationBridge echoes back the text you’ve dictated, it provides access to the user interface for both Windows Speech Recognition and the entire line of Dragon products and includes a full sweet of other cool features you can read about [in the DictationBridge documentation.
DictationBridge for NVDA is the first ever dictation solution for screen readers to include an extensive collection of verbal commands that users can employ to control their screen reader and do various other tasks with the Dragon line of products from Nuance, as well as with Windows Speech Recognition. The DictationBridge team designed this part of the package to make it very easy to add new commands and to modify those that we provide. It even supports navigating the entire web with only speech!
DictationBridge, NVDA and Windows Speech Recognition are all available at no cost to end-users, their educators, their employers, governments or anyone else.
Care has been taken while developing DictationBridge to ensure that it can be easily translated into languages other than English. This affords DictationBridge the possibility to be translated into any of the 35 languages supported by Windows Speech Recognition, and any of the more than 43 languages supported by NVDA which correspond with those supported by Windows Speech Recognition. Whether you’re dictating in a language other than English, or whether your entire Windows interface is in a language other than English, you’ll be able to use DictationBridge in your preferred language once there is a translation available for it, without maintaining separate software licenses for your screen reader to cover non-English interfaces. We believe all blind people, no matter where they live or what language they speak natively should have access to the software they need and DictationBridge is a part of that overall goal.
Because DictationBridge is free, libre open source software (FLOSS), it is not only available gratis to all who care to use it, DictationBridge affords the community the freedom to add to, modify, learn from, repurpose or do anything else they care to do with the software moving forward. People with programming skills can look at the source code as it currently stands at this GitHub repository. DictationBridge provides true freedom with a lower case “f.”
Documentation is just as important as the software itself. You will find DictationBridge’s documentation to be among the highest quality available you’ve ever read.
Some Kudos To Our Team
The DictationBridge team had more than a dozen official members and a lot of help from individuals throughout the community to get the software to where it is today. We would like to recognize some of the people who did a lot of the heavy lifting over the more than two years that have transpired as this project went from idea to plan to funding to a release candidate.
We ask that readers congratulate the three people who started this project as without them, it would have never happened. Pranav Lal has handled almost all of the day to day management of this project and has been helping carry it on his back since day one. Lucy Greco has been the project spokesperson from the beginning and has fought harder for the DB users than anyone else on the team; simply put, DictationBridge is a profoundly better software package because of Lucy’s determination. Last but not at all least is Amanda Rush, she’s a WordPress consultant who has had to put up with demands about our site from literally every other member of the team for more than a year and a half at this point. These three people are why and to a large extent how we were able to bring DictationBridge to the public.
Matt Campbell has led the engineering team from the beginning and brought his tremendous low level Windows hacking skills to the project., Mallory Van Achterberg handled most of the day to day management of the crowdfunding effort and without her diligence, we would have never made our goal. Derek Riemer joined the team late in the game, took over the NVDA scripting tasks and the software grew better by leaps and bounds with his contributions both in writing code and providing advice to the rest of the team. Sean Pharaoh joined the team when the JAWS version was floundering and has contributed to the common core code shared by both NVDA and JAWS as well as writing the scripts for the latter. Erin Lauridsen (now of San Francisco Lighthouse) was our original documentation leader and got the ball rolling and Joseph Lee joined the documentation team and took over its leadership making the DictationBridge documentation as good as any we’ve ever read in the blindness space. Patrick Kelly, Sue Martin, Austin Hicks, Tyler Spivey and Bryan Smart all made contributions that helped bring this software to our community. Finally, we would like to recognize The Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco, or what the rest of us call San Francisco Lighthouse. SFL gave us our largest single contribution funding 25% of our goal, Lucy Greco announced the launch of the project at a Lighthouse Labs meeting in 2016, Erin Lauridsen, now Director of Access Technology at SFL, led our documentation team before leaving us to take on this terrific new job and everyone around SFL has been tremendously supportive of our efforts throughout this long journey.
How You Can Help
This is the release candidate for DictationBridge for NVDA version 1.0. A number of our team members plan on continuing to work on future versions of DictationBridge, to add even more new features and to ensure its compatibility with the Windows operating system and updates to the dictation utilities from Nuance and Microsoft. The $20,000 we raised to do DB 1.0 has been exhausted so we will be trying to raise money to do DictationBridge 1.1 and 2.0 versions and would certainly appreciate a contribution of any sum.
More than money, though, we need people who are interested in joining the team to help out in any number of ways. The first and most obvious thing you can do is to download the RC1, give it a try and please report any bugs you find so we can turn this from an RC into a full release.
Known Problems
At this time, the DictationBridge spoken commands for Dragon Pro will only work with Dragon versions 15 and higher. The team is exploring whether we can get them working with Dragon 13 and 14 but are uncertain if we will be able to get this done before final release. We recommend users upgrade to the latest version of Dragon Pro for use with DictationBridge in the future.
Over the two years that have passed since DictationBridge was an idea to it becoming actual software, we’ve had a number of personnel changes and a few of the key team members have moved onto new full time jobs so won’t be available to work on the next versions of DictationBridge. Thus, if you’re interested in helping writing/debugging C++ code, Python NVDA plug-in code, helping with documentation, helping with translations, testing the software, writing up new feature ideas, helping out as an informal tech support person on DictationBridge’s mailing list, learning tips and tricks of low level Windows hacking or nearly anything else that contributes to a software development project, please write to us and we’ll find you something to do. With your help, we can widen the dictation gateway that is DictationBridge, your screen reader, and dictation software.
We urge you to join the ever growing family of NVDA activists, help DictationBridge move into the future and help the community of blind people take control of our own technology destinies. By helping DictationBridge or any other NVDA related project, you are helping yourself, you are helping the tens of thousands of other NVDA users and you are helping the community take control of what is now only in the hands of a few primarily sighted gatekeepers. Please, join this movement and enjoy the true freedom it will afford you and the entire community of blind people worldwide. And last but not least, please download and test DictationBridge, and tell your friends.The Supreme Court of Canada hears an appeal this week delving into an issue that’s increasingly resonating with Canadians as the country’s population ages — the right to assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
On Wednesday, the country’s highest court will begin hearing an appeal by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association that could ultimately result in dying but mentally competent Canadians being granted the right to receive medical assistance to hasten death.
[np_storybar title=”Read the National Post’s Death by Doctor series on euthanasia” link=”http://news.nationalpost.com/tag/death-by-doctor/”%5D
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It’s the latest challenge to the Criminal Code of Canada’s provisions outlawing assisted suicide. Its roots stretch back to the 1993 Supreme Court decision that denied Sue Rodriguez the right to die.
The B.C. woman, suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sought to end her own life, famously asking: “Whose body is this? Who owns my life?”
In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court rejected her efforts to strike down the Criminal Code provisions, saying they weren’t in step with Canadian values.
But times have apparently changed in the 20 years since Ms. Rodriguez’s suicide in 1994 with the help of an anonymous doctor.
A recent poll from Dying With Dignity Canada suggests more than 90% of respondents support the rights of the terminally ill to end their own lives, and believe they should be able to turn to their doctors to help them do so.
“We are cautiously optimistic that the Supreme Court will support assisted suicide this time out,” Wanda Morris, head of Dying With Dignity, said in an interview. “Clearly this is an idea that has vast support across the country.”
Lawyer Grace Patine, who will argue the case for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, agrees.
“I think there’s been a profound shift,” she said.
“Virtually every Canadian has some experience, whether it’s a family member or a friend or a loved one, of grappling with these very difficult end-of-life decisions. This is about how people want to be remembered, how they want to say good-bye, how they want to spend their final days. These are decisions that cannot and must not be made by government.”
The latest appeal was launched in 2011 by the BCCLA and two women, Kay Carter and Gloria Taylor, both suffering terminal illnesses. Both women have since died. The 89-year-old Ms. Carter, however, had to travel to Switzerland to end her life.
In 2012, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that the Criminal Code provisions against assisted suicide violate the rights of the terminally ill, and gave Parliament a year to rewrite the laws.
It is our government’s position that the Criminal Code provisions prohibiting assisted suicide and euthanasia are in place to protect all persons, including those who are most vulnerable in our society
The federal government, however, appealed that ruling. The B.C. Court of Appeal upheld the ban on assisted suicide a year ago, saying it was bound by the Supreme Court of Canada’s 20-year-old Rodriguez ruling.
The Supreme Court agreed earlier this year to hear the new challenge.
Justice Minister Peter MacKay, however, defended the status quo earlier this year.
“It is our government’s position that the Criminal Code provisions prohibiting assisted suicide and euthanasia are in place to protect all persons, including those who are most vulnerable in our society,” he said in a statement issued when the Supreme Court announced it would hear the appeal.Jailers in Oklahoma crushed an inmate’s throat so hard that paramedics couldn’t insert a life-saving tube after five attempts, according to medical records obtained by The Daily Beast.
A state medical examiner found the bone supporting Darius Robinson’s tongue was broken and the surrounding muscles were hemorrhaging from “manual compression of the neck,” as a result of the chokehold used on him inside the Caddo County Jail on April 4. Robinson, a 41-year-old father of seven, died of asphyxiation in what the medical examiner ruled was a homicide.
Robinson’s final minutes alive were so torturous that the medical examiner found a blood vessel had exploded in his left eye.
The neck injury was so severe that Caddo County paramedics LaRoyce Fanning and Ryan Warren could not insert a tube less than a half-inch wide down Robinson’s throat to help him breathe. Fanning and Warren tried five times to use the endotracheal tube with no success.
It was only then that they realized Robinson’s airway had been crushed, because the jailers did not tell them about the chokehold, according to the paramedics’ report.
The silence “suggests consciousness of wrongdoing,” Robinson family attorney Spencer Bryan told The Daily Beast.
“If you believed you were justified in using the chokehold, you would have told the paramedics about it,” he said. “The fact that you wouldn’t disclose what you did to a first responder… it’s beyond conscionable.”
Jailers Bryan David Porter, Michael Allen Smith, and Vicki Lyn Richardson told paramedics that Robinson was suffering from “DTs,” or delirium tremens, the symptoms of alcohol and drug withdrawal. (A toxicology report found no drugs or alcohol in his system.) These symptoms were supposedly so severe that they required the jailers to pepper spray and choke Robinson into submission after he allegedly charged them.
Robinson then began to convulse and foam at the mouth, according to the autopsy report. Despite clear evidence Robinson was undergoing a medical emergency, jailers placed him in handcuffs and took turns “holding [Robinson] down” as they waited for EMS to arrive, according to paramedics.
After a sternal rub to evaluate his consciousness, the jailers laid Robinson face down on a towel, according to medical reports.
“A sternal rub is something you do if you get your bell rung,” Bryan said. “If you’re having an airway problem, it’s not going to do anything.”
Even if the paramedics had known about the chokehold, they reported Robinson had no pulse when they arrived.
“He’s dead,” Bryan said. “He’s got nothing.”
Fanning and Warren didn’t give up though, switching to a balloon-like device that opens up crushed airways.
“It may not have made a difference,” if the jailers had told Fanning and Warren about the chokehold, “but [the officers] don’t know that while they’re standing there,” Bryan said.
The jailers have said nothing publicly. A “security consultant” representing one of the officers asked The Daily Beast last week to cease contacting them.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is looking into Robinson’s death, and Caddo County District Attorney Jason Hicks told Bryan he will not take the case to a grand jury until the OSBI probe is complete.
Hicks also told Bryan he will not release video of the incident, even to Robinson’s family. None of the jailers have been charged, at least one has hired a lawyer, and it is not know whether they remain employed at the jail because the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office did not return calls for comment. Hicks’s office did not respond to questions either.
The family plans to sue in the coming weeks, Bryan said.
Robinson was arrested on April 1 on a warrant for failing to pay child support. After being booked into the jail, Caddo County Undersheriff Spencer Davis claimed Robinson began acting erratically.
Not only had Robinson been threatening a cellmate, prompting his removal to a cell of his own, Davis said, he was eating ants off the floor and pages from a Bible. When jailers entered the cell in an attempt to calm Robinson, he charged them, Davis said.
Then came the pepper spray and the fatal chokehold.
The entire violent episode was caught on tape, but Hicks refuses to release the video.
“The only way we’ll know more than we do now is with the tape,” Bryan said.
It was likely an investigator with the medical examiner’s office that discovered the use of the chokehold, Bryan said, and the medical reports provided to The Daily Beast by Robinson’s family clearly show that that crucial information was not relayed to the two men trying to save his life.
The violent manner of Robinson’s death is only known because of the autopsy report: Caddo County has refused to release any information about the case, citing its interpretation of the state’s open records laws. But it was the tenacity of Robinson’s brother, Ancio, that forced open a case that may have been shielded from the public eye, a death that grabbed the attention of Black Lawyers for Justice and, eventually, Bryan.
The day after his brother died, Ancio took a red eye from his home in California to tiny Anadarko, Oklahoma, where the jail is located. Once inside the facility, Ancio found himself face to face with Undersheriff Davis.
“He leaned back in his chair, pushed his cowboy hat back on his head and just told me ‘Sometimes these things happen here,’” Ancio told The Daily Beast last week.
For now, all of the information about Robinson’s death has come from parties that had nothing to do with it. The medical examiner broke open the case when its investigators discovered the chokehold; Ancio obtained more information when, as is his right as a family member, he secured the medical reports that give a timeline of the futile life-saving efforts undertaken by paramedics that day.
From the authorities, Darius Robinson’s death is enveloped by the same silence the jailers chose when they watched him die as a result of their own actions.
“In my head, I picture (the officers) standing around as the paramedics are struggling to get an airway into him, knowing that they choked him out,” Bryan said. “Again, it’s beyond conscionable.”Generally about gaming. Mostly very silly. Interrupted by a fire-alarm before I get to ask any more questions, because that’s just how I roll. Please note: at certain points the audience were tortured by being fed Australian food and I physically attack Derek for not turning his phone off.
This episode is brought to you with tremendous admiration and genuine, sincere thanks to Derek Colanduno of Skepticality.com and Mark Ditzler at Abrupt Media. Recorded at Dragon*Con 2011.
Dr Steve Novella apparently has a site and some kind of semblance of a podcast, but I guess you know that. Barbara Drescher is the bomb. Derek really should learn not to have an operating phone anywhere near me. Thank you all for being a part of the journey – and more thanks than ever to the Dragon*Con SkepTrack, which for the past four years has been best experience in terms of a convention that I’ve ever had.
Token Skeptic site is at www.tokenskeptic.org. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com.TORONTO – Isaiah Thomas has seen first-hand what playing for the Boston Celtics can do for an NBA player’s career.
He’s made no secret about wanting more star-studded, All-Star caliber talent to join him.
The first-time All-Star is used to being the one making the pitch.
But this weekend, Thomas said he was approached by a player inquiring about Boston.
Thomas declined to identify the player, but it’s believed to have been Atlanta’s Al Horford who was a last-minute replacement for the All-Star game.
Horford is among the players on the Celtics’ radar as a player of interest leading up to next week’s NBA trade deadline.
When asked if Horford was interested in Boston, Thomas smiled, “I didn’t say that.”
Horford, who cut short a trip in Mexico to join the East All-Stars here in Toronto, isn’t paying much attention to the trade speculation that’s surrounding him currently.
“I’m going to continue doing what I do,” he said. “I can’t control the speculation that’s going on. My focus is on this [All-Star Game] and once I finish this, get back to practice and getting back to work.”
The 30-year-old veteran has spent his entire NBA career with the Hawks who selected him with the third overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft.
A four-time All-Star (2010-2011, 2015-2016), Horford understands that Atlanta’s potential interest in trading him has little to do with his production.
He is in the final year of a five-year, $60 million deal which will pay him $12 million this season. Horford will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and there’s no guarantee he will want to re-sign with Atlanta or that the Hawks will want to pay him what will likely be a near-max contract.
By trading him now, Atlanta will get something in return for him as opposed to him walking this summer and winding up with nothing.
“For me, I ask for guidance but at the end of the day I understand the business of everything,” Horford said. “I know how everything works. For me, I need to stay diligent, keep doing what I do and whatever happens, happens.”
Still, if the rumors persist and take on a more serious tone in the coming days of the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Horford and his representatives to speak with the Hawks (if they haven’t already) to get a clearer idea of where he stands with the organization now and going forward.
“They haven’t given me a sense of anything,” Horford said. “I haven’t spoken to anybody[about possibly being traded].”Image copyright Thinkstock
Millions of people will head to polling stations across the country on Thursday to mark their chosen box with that all-important cross. But who are the people who will not vote?
Can't vote
Image copyright PA Image caption MPs voted in favour of lowering the voting age to 16 in 2013 but the law was never changed
Under 18s
The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1969 and in recent years efforts have been made to allow the UK's two million 16 to 18 year olds to participate.
In 2013 a backbench motion calling for the change was passed by the Commons by 119 to 46, a majority of 73, but the result was not binding and the law was never changed.
Liberal Democrat politician Stephen Williams, who has championed the cause, said lowering the voting age would drive up turnout among young people and lead to greater political prominence for issues affecting them.
He said: "Over the last 15 years that I've been an MP and prospective parliamentary candidate I've spoken to schools, sixth forms and further education colleges on many occasions and I've always been impressed by the questions and range of interests that 16 and 17 year olds show in politics.
"You can do so many other things at 16 including the most fundamental thing anyone can to have a relationship with somebody and to bring a child into the world.
"To not allow them to vote is pretty well indefensible.
"When people say they are not sure 16 and 17 year olds know enough about voting I dispute that. We do not apply that test to anyone who is older. I've met people in their 50s and 60s who do not know much about politics.
"If the voting age was reduced they would become even better prepared for voting."
The Labour Party has pledged to lower the voting age to 16 by May 2016 while the Liberal Democrats said they would make the 2020 general election open to 16 to 17 year olds.
The Green Party also wants to introduce the right to vote at 16.
Members of the House of Lords
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Lord Scriven said the bar on peers voting in general elections should be scrapped
Members of the House of Lords have for hundreds of years been barred from casting their vote in general elections, though they are able to vote in local and European elections.
A spokesman for the House of Lords said: "This has been the practice for many centuries. The reason for this, it is thought, is that as members of Parliament they can represent their own views in Parliament so they should not have a second opportunity to have those views represented in Parliament by electing someone to do so in the House of Commons."
For Lord Scriven, the former leader of Sheffield City Council who stood in the 2010 general election, 7 May will be the first time he has not voted at a general election having been appointed as a Liberal Democrat life peer in 2014.
"It's rather surreal really," he said.
"Nothing else changes, you are still fighting for your party, you still hold the same values and beliefs yet, at the critical moment, you won't be able to cast a vote to elect your MP.
"You kind of have your hands tied behind your back and your mouth taped and you are not able to have your say.
"I've been living and breathing politics since my teenage years and it's the first time ever I'll be choosing who I wish to represent me in my constituency or having a say on who I would like to see in government."
Lord Scriven believes that the ban on voting should be removed, describing it as "quite quaint and archaic".
He said: "I went in knowing the rules meant I would not have my vote but it seems much more real now.
"I think the law on Lords not having a vote was set a long time ago. Many ordinary people now sit in the Lords and I think ultimately we should be given a voice."
Since the Parliament Act was passed in 1911, MPs have been able to override any decision made in the Lords, effectively giving it a subordinate role in the legislative process.
Prisoners (apart from remand prisoners)
Image caption More than 70,000 prisoners will be unable to vote in the general election
According to the Representation of the People Act 1983: "A convicted person during the time that he is detained in a penal institution in pursuance of his sentence …is legally incapable of voting at any parliamentary or local election."
The Howard League for Penal Reform says there are more than 85,000 people currently in jail in the UK, of which about 12,000 are on remand.
In 2005 the European Court of Human rights ruled that the UK's blanket ban on prisoners voting must be amended.
However to date no change has been made to the law despite a draft bill, proposing options to allow them a vote or retain the status quo, having been drawn up in 2012.
Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, which has campaigned for prisoners to be allowed to vote, said: "People are sent to prison to lose their liberty; not their identity.
"The 19th Century punishment of civic death makes no sense in a 21st Century prison system focussed on effective rehabilitation.
"The UK is out of step with most European countries, as well as many states around the world.
"Even the modest proposals made by the cross-party committee set up to consider the draft prisoners voting bill have fallen on deaf ears."
UKIP has set out in its manifesto that prisoners will not be allowed the vote while the Conservatives say they will scrap the Human Rights Act, and introduce a British Bill of Rights in order to break the link between British courts and the European Court of Human Rights and "make our own Supreme Court the ultimate arbiter of human rights matters in the UK".
Don't vote
Image caption Jehovah's Witnesses are among those who do not vote based on their religious beliefs
Jehovah's Witnesses
There are about 140,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in the UK who will choose not to vote on 7 May.
Mark O'Malley, a spokesman for the Christian-based religious movement, said: "As you go through the bible we see that God's kingdom is already established in heaven with God as the king of that kingdom.
"We are politically neutral as, in a sense, we have already chosen to support that kingdom's government. We see it as a real government.
"There are limitations to what governments can do, maybe they can improve the health system, but they can't prevent death, maybe they can help children, but they can't provide a secure future for them necessarily. Only God's government is going to be able to resolve completely the real, deeper issues."
Despite their choice to opt out of voting, Mr O'Malley said Jehovah's Witnesses were "model citizens", living their lives by principles set out in the bible which states "authorities that exist have been established by God" and to rebel against them is to rebel "against what God has instituted".
He said: "We take the Bible principle at Romans chapter 13 which tells us to support the superior authority.
"The bible highlights respect for government, respect of authority, respect for civil laws so you will see Jehovah's Witnesses are model citizens when it comes to paying taxes and working within the laws created by government because that's something that is engendered in the pages of the bible."
Similarly, Christadelphians choose not to vote, saying: "[Leaders] will come and go. But there will be no lasting peace or happiness for the world until the reign of Jesus, the ideal leader, chosen and prepared by God."
Image copyright WPA Pool Image caption Royals are not banned from voting but it is considered "unconstitutional" for them to do so
The Royal family
According to the official website of the British Monarchy the Queen and her family "never vote or stand for election to any position, political or otherwise".
It says that although the law does not ban royalty from voting it is "considered unconstitutional for the Sovereign and his or her heir to do so".
"As Head of State, The Queen must remain politically neutral, since her government will be formed from whichever party can command a majority in the House of Commons.
"The Queen herself is part of the legislature and technically she cannot therefore vote for members of another part of the legislature."What does a political battle waged over a bank in 1791 mean for Americans living in 2016? Quite a lot,
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year’s total. If they continue at the current pace, we could see over 50 retailers bankrupt by the end of the year.
Number of Store Closings: So far we’ve seen roughly 3,000 store closings announced in 2017, and Credit Suisse estimates that could hit 8,600 by the end of the year. That would easily surpass 2008’s total, which was 6,200 closings, to be the worst year in recent memory.
Here’s some of the companies that have already filed for bankruptcy:
Gordmans Stores
Gander Mountain
Radioshack (again)
HHGregg
BCBG Max Azria
Eastern Outfitters
Wet Seal
The Limited
Vanity Shop of Grand Forks
Payless Inc.
MC Sports
And here are the store closings occurring as a result of the retail apocalypse:In this tutorial, we'll have a look at what ngrx is and how it can help you manage application state in your Ionic 2 app, or any other Angular 2 app for that matter.
This tutorial is part of a multi-part series:
Part 1 - Setting up Store, Actions and Reducers (this post)
Part 2 - Persisting to a PouchDB database
Update: The code in this tutorial is now up to date with Ionic 2.0.0-rc.4 (December 2016)
You can find the source code for this tutorial on my Github.
In my previous post I made a birthday tracker app that lets you add, update and delete birthdays, which were persisted with the PouchDB library. We'll be creating the exact same application, but this time, we'll use ngrx to manage the application state.
Why ngrx?
ngrx is based on Redux, a very popular library (and design pattern) that was created to manage application state in React applications.
The redux design pattern defines the use of an in-memory object, called a store, that keeps track of the state of the application. You can think of it as an in-memory database for your app.
To manage the state of the application there are actions and reducers. Whenever state needs to change, an action is invoked, this action will be dispatched to the store, which then uses a reducer function to update the state. The store then allows other components to subscribe to it to receive these updates.
Let's have a look at an example in the context of the app that we are going to build.
We have an array of Birthday objects on the store which represents the current state. When the user adds a new Birthday, we dispatch the action ADD_BIRTHDAY along with the new Birthday object to the store, which then uses the BirthdayReducer function to change the state to include the new Birthday object.
The important thing to note here is that actions go up to the store and data flows down from the store.
The ngrx libary uses RxJS to implement this design pattern for Angular 2 applications. The library is split up is several building blocks, the one that is relevant for this part of the tutorial is @ngrx/store.
I've placed links to good resources on learning more about ngrx at the end of this post.
Using ngrx in your app will make it easier to debug issues because the only place where state can change is in the reducer. The reducer functions are also very easy to test in isolation because given the same input they will always return the same output (they are pure functions).
Components subscribe to the store through an Observable to receive state changes. Having a unidirectional data flow means that you can configure the Angular 2 change detector for these components to OnPush, which can radically improve the performance of your app.
For a better understanding of change detection read this.
If you find it hard to wrap your head around all of this, don't worry, it will hopefully make more sense when we go through the code, so let's get started!
Let's build our app
We'll start by creating our Ionic 2 app.
$ ionic start ionic2-tutorial-ngrx blank --v2 $ cd ionic2-tutorial-ngrx
Ionic 2 apps are now created as TypeScript apps by default, no need to include the --ts anymore!
Install @ngrx/store
Next, we need to install the @ngrx/store library. This will also install the @ngrx/core dependency.
$ npm install @ngrx/core @ngrx/store --save
Define Birthday
Before we build anything, let's first define what a Birthday object is, so we can use it in our actions and reducer.
// location: src/models/birthday.ts export interface Birthday { Name: string; Date: Date; }
Define AppState
Next, we'll define the application state which will be managed by the store.
In our case this will only contain an array of Birthday objects, but it can contain anything you define as state for your application. For instance, keeping track of the selected Birthday could also be managed by the store.
// location: src/services/app-state.ts import {Birthday} from '../models/birthday'; export interface AppState { birthdays: Birthday[]; }
Define Actions
An action is anything that can happen that has an effect on the application state. In this part of the tutorial, we can have the following actions:
Add a birthday
Update a birthday
Delete a birthday
These actions will be dispatched to the store which will then call the reducer to update the birthdays array with the action.
An action has a type, which is just a string that identifies the action and a payload, which, in this case, will be a Birthday object.
// location: src/actions/birthday.actions.ts import {Injectable} from '@angular/core'; import {Action} from '@ngrx/store'; import {Birthday} from '../models/birthday'; @Injectable() export class BirthdayActions { static ADD_BIRTHDAY = 'ADD_BIRTHDAY'; addBirthday(birthday: Birthday): Action { return { type: BirthdayActions.ADD_BIRTHDAY, payload: birthday } } static UPDATE_BIRTHDAY = 'UPDATE_BIRTHDAY'; updateBirthday(birthday: Birthday): Action { return { type: BirthdayActions.UPDATE_BIRTHDAY, payload: birthday } } static DELETE_BIRTHDAY = 'DELETE_BIRTHDAY'; deleteBirthday(birthday: Birthday): Action { return { type: BirthdayActions.DELETE_BIRTHDAY, payload: birthday } } }
Create the Reducer
A reducer function takes the current state of the data it's responsible for, makes a modification depending on the action and returns the new state.
So in our case, this specific reducer is responsible for keeping the birthdays state up-to-date.
In the code below you can see that initially, the state will be an empty array. Depending on the action, we then create a new array that will contain the updated state. The store will keep track of this state, which is the birthdays array as defined in AppState, and pass it into the reducer when an action is received.
// location: app/reducers/birthdays.reducer.ts import {ActionReducer, Action} from '@ngrx/store'; import {BirthdayActions} from '../actions/birthday.actions'; let nextId = 0; export function BirthdaysReducer(state = [], action) { switch(action.type) { case BirthdayActions.ADD_BIRTHDAY: return [...state, Object.assign({}, action.payload, { id: nextId++ })]; case BirthdayActions.UPDATE_BIRTHDAY: return state.map(birthday => { return birthday.id === action.payload.id? Object.assign({}, birthday, action.payload) : birthday; }); case BirthdayActions.DELETE_BIRTHDAY: return state.filter(birthday => birthday.id!== action.payload.id); default: return state; }; }
It's important to remember that a reducer does not modify the current state, but always returns a new array with the updated state.
Let's build the UI
OK, so we have the store, actions and reducers set up which are responsible for managing the state, let's have a look at the UI.
We'll create 2 pages for our app, one to display the list of birthdays (HomePage) and one to add or edit a birthday (DetailsPage).
HomePage
We'll implement the template home.html first, which uses an <ion-list> to display all the birthdays. Note that we are using the async pipe here, because birthdays will be an Observable.
<!-- location: src/pages/home/home.html --> <ion-header> <ion-navbar> <ion-title> 🎂 Birthdays 🎉 </ion-title> <ion-buttons end> <button ion-button (click)="showDetail()"> <ion-icon name="add"></ion-icon> </button> </ion-buttons> </ion-navbar> </ion-header> <ion-content class="home"> <ion-list inset> <ion-item *ngFor="let birthday of birthdays | async" (click)="showDetail(birthday)"> <div item-left>{{ birthday.Name }}</div> <div item-right>{{ birthday.Date | date:'yMMMMd' }}</div> </ion-item> </ion-list> </ion-content>
Update: The following is not necessary anymore, because Safari 10 supports the Internationalization API.
Angular 2 uses the Internationalization API to do date formatting, which is pretty cool, but doesn't work in Safari. So you have 2 options, you can either use this polyfill or write your own date formatting pipes. For this tutorial, we'll use the polyfill, which means that you need to add this line to your index.html.
<!-- location: src/index.html --> <script src="https://cdn.polyfill.io/v2/polyfill.min.js?features=Intl.~locale.en"></script>
Now it's time to open up home.ts and write the code to get the data from the store.
We are injecting the store here and all we need to do is select the birthdays state. And as mentioned before, we can now set the change detection strategy to OnPush.
// location: src/pages/home/home.ts import { Component, ChangeDetectionStrategy } from "@angular/core"; import { ModalController, NavController } from 'ionic-angular'; import { Store } from '@ngrx/store'; import { Observable } from 'rxjs/rx'; import { AppState } from '../../services/app-state'; import { Birthday } from '../../models/birthday'; import { DetailsPage } from '../details/details'; @Component({ selector: 'page-home', templateUrl: 'home.html', changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush }) export class HomePage { public birthdays: Observable<Birthday[]>; constructor( private nav: NavController, private store: Store<AppState>, private modalCtrl: ModalController) { this.birthdays = this.store.select(state => state.birthdays); } showDetail(birthday) { let modal = this.modalCtrl.create(DetailsPage, { birthday: birthday }); modal.present(); } }
DetailsPage
Add a new page with this command:
$ ionic g page details
Add the following code in details.html, all it does is display the Name and the Date of the birthday.
<!-- location: src/pages/details/details.html --> <ion-header> <ion-navbar> <ion-title>{{ action }} Birthday</ion-title> <ion-buttons end *ngIf="!isNew"> <button ion-button (click)="delete()"> <ion-icon name="trash"></ion-icon> </button> </ion-buttons> </ion-navbar> </ion-header> <ion-content padding class="details"> <ion-list> <ion-item> <ion-label>Name</ion-label> <ion-input text-right type="text" [(ngModel)]="birthday.Name"></ion-input> </ion-item> <ion-item> <ion-label>Birthday</ion-label> <ion-datetime displayFormat="MMMM D, YYYY" pickerFormat="MMMM D YYYY" [(ngModel)]="isoDate"></ion-datetime> </ion-item> </ion-list> <button ion-button block (click)="save()">Save</button> </ion-content>
Add the following code in details.ts.
As you can see, all we do here is let the store know when an action happened. The store will then call the reducer which will, in turn, return the new state to the store.
// location: src/pages/details/details.ts import { Component } from '@angular/core'; import { NavParams, ViewController } from 'ionic-angular'; import { Store } from '@ngrx/store'; import { AppState } from '../../services/app-state'; import { BirthdayActions } from '../../actions/birthday.actions'; @Component({ selector: 'page-details', templateUrl: 'details.html' }) export class DetailsPage { public birthday: any = {}; public isNew = true; public action = 'Add'; public isoDate = ''; constructor( private viewCtrl: ViewController, private navParams: NavParams, private store: Store<AppState>, private birthdayActions: BirthdayActions) { } ionViewWillEnter() { let editBirthday = this.navParams.get('birthday'); if (editBirthday) { this.birthday = editBirthday; this.isNew = false; this.action = 'Edit'; this.isoDate = this.birthday.Date.toISOString().slice(0, 10); } } save() { this.birthday.Date = new Date(this.isoDate); if (this.isNew) { this.store.dispatch(this.birthdayActions.addBirthday(this.birthday)); } else { this.store.dispatch(this.birthdayActions.updateBirthday(this.birthday)); } this.dismiss(); } delete() { this.store.dispatch(this.birthdayActions.deleteBirthday(this.birthday)); this.dismiss(); } dismiss() { this.viewCtrl.dismiss(this.birthday); } }
Configure all dependencies
Modify app.module.ts.
// location: src/app/app.module.ts import { NgModule, ErrorHandler } from '@angular/core'; import { IonicApp, IonicModule, IonicErrorHandler } from 'ionic-angular'; import { MyApp } from './app.component'; import { HomePage } from '../pages/home/home'; import { DetailsPage } from '../pages/details/details'; import { StoreModule } from '@ngrx/store'; import { BirthdaysReducer } from '../reducers/birthdays.reducer'; import { BirthdayActions } from '../actions/birthday.actions'; @NgModule({ declarations: [ MyApp, HomePage, DetailsPage ], imports: [ IonicModule.forRoot(MyApp), StoreModule.provideStore({ birthdays: BirthdaysReducer }) ], bootstrap: [IonicApp], entryComponents: [ MyApp, HomePage, DetailsPage ], providers: [{provide: ErrorHandler, useClass: IonicErrorHandler}, BirthdayActions] }) export class AppModule {}
We're Done!
You can now test the app in the browser.
$ ionic serve
And on your iOS and Android devices.
$ ionic run ios $ ionic run android
You can find the source code for this tutorial on my Github.
What's Next?
Now we have an app that can perform add/update/delete operations on our data, but the next time we start the app, all the data is gone. That kind of defeats the purpose of having a birthday tracker, so in the next part we'll have a look at using @ngrx/effects and PouchDB to persist the data.
References
Reactive Angular 2 with ngRx: YouTube Video
@ngrx/store in 10 minutes: Egghead.io Free Video
Comprehensive Introduction to @ngrx/store
Example app showcasing the ngrx platform
Build a Better Angular 2 Application with Redux and ngrx
Everything is a stream: YouTube VideoProfessor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University Dr. Cornel West argued that there’s a “black political class that confuses the gravy train with the freedom train” that is afraid of Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “because in part they’re afraid of Wall Street. Hillary Clinton’s a Wall Street Democrat” on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360.”
West said, “[B]lack people historically have been the most progressive group when it comes to social justice. No doubt Bernie Sanders is the most progressive when it comes to social justice. He’s not tied to Wall Street in any way. We’re talking about free colleges and free universities. And he doesn’t use the language of our dear sister Hillary Clinton, when she talks about young black youth as superpredators that justified expansion of mass incarceration, and of course, the pulling of [the] rug from under welfare. So, that’s a matter black America getting to know him. But I think part of the problem is, we’ve got a neo-political, black political class that confuses the gravy train with the freedom train, that they’re not providing the kind of leadership they should, and they’re afraid of Bernie Sanders because in part they’re afraid of Wall Street. Hillary Clinton’s a Wall Street Democrat who is too tied to the mass incarceration order. Bernie Sanders, anti-Wall Street. one promise he says he’s going to shrink mass incarceration. We need black working people, poor people, middle class people who care, to understand that. We can understand the black elite sometimes pulling back because Bernie is hard in terms of accountability of elites no matter what color. That’s why I’m with him, my brother.”
He further accused Hillary of providing “lip service” with “no substance.” He later added, “Why did Hillary Clinton accept $133,000 from GEO, and CCA, who are private prison lobbyists to justify expanding mass incarceration, and she says she wants to end it. She’s just talking brother, there’s no substance.”
West did later concede that Sanders needs to be held to the same standard as Clinton regarding his vote on the crime bill.
(h/t Mediaite)
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchettNo one can ever accuse Vincent Kartheiser of not being dedicated enough to ensure the authenticity of his "Mad Men" character Pete Campbell.
The actor arrived at the Season 7 premiere party at ArcLight Cinemas in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 2, with a very unfortunate 5 o'clock shadow all along his hairline. The 34-year-old first shaved the top of his head and gained 25 pounds to play Campbell as he unraveled in 2012. He had since started to grow his hairline out, and was last seen at PaleyFest in February with a very uneven hairstyle.
Now that the cast is wrapping up filming the AMC series' final episodes, Karthesier says he'll miss the world that show runner Matt Weiner has created, but said that shaving his hairline isn't something that particularly concerns him. "It doesn't bother me, one way or the other," he told E! News.EU member states’ failure to deliver solutions to the migration crisis will have “enormous economic consequences” for the bloc, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has warned, as Austria became the latest country to impose border controls.
Austria’s new restrictions, 10 days after Sweden and Denmark, increases the migration squeeze in Germany, where allies of Chancellor Angela Merkel are demanding a migration “Plan B”.
As hundreds of migrants and refugees continued to arrive in Greece yesterday, Mr Juncker warned that a domino effect of border closures across Europe risked the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone, the euro currency area and the European economy.
“Schengen is one of the biggest achievements of the European integration process... whoever kills Schengen carries the internal market to its grave,” said Mr Juncker in Brussels.
“The damage for the European growth perspectives will be enormous... the euro [will] make no sense.”
Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble shared that grave assessment, warning that Schengen was “close to failing”.
Cap on numbers
Interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner declined to specify an upper limit but said “everyone knows it’s not possible” for Austria to accept another 120,000 as in 2015.
“Those above this limit will be brought to transit zones... they will not be let into the country.”
From Monday, Austria will no longer admit at its southern border people seeking asylum in Sweden; it will admit those en route to Germany.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice confirmed that a Syrian family is to arrive in the State from Greece before the end of the month as part of a relocation scheme agreed by the Government last year.
The family will be the first of some 2,600 asylum seekers who are due to come to Ireland under the scheme over the next two years.
Some 176 refugees – 149 Syrians and 27 Iraqis – arrived in Ireland last year under a separate, long-running resettlement scheme in conjunction with the UN refugee agency.
In all, the Government has committed to receiving 4,000 people between now and the end of 2017.
‘Successful integration’
“This would be a number we would be able to look after properly, provide language and training skills as required and help people to integrate and get employment,” she said.
She said language learned was “the basis of successful integration” and would be the Government’s priority.
Days after Germany began returning asylum seekers to Austria, Vienna’s new policy risks chaos at their common border and problems at the Austrian-Slovenian border.
A majority of Germans favour full border controls, piling pressure on Dr Merkel and her liberal migration policy.
Two weeks after Cologne’s New Year’s Eve attacks on women, for which many north African asylum seekers are suspects, her predecessor Gerhard Schröder said Dr Merkel had given the “dangerous” impression that “national borders no longer have meaning”.
“The capacities for admission, care and integration of refugees in Germany are limited; anything else is an illusion,” Mr Schröder told the Handelsblatt business daily”.WE KNEW THE All Blacks would look to play a high-tempo game against the Lions, but we didn’t know it would come in this form.
Steve Hansen’s side are brilliant at the basics of rugby and we saw some of their handling and finishing prowess in Auckland on Saturday, but this first Test victory was as much about their ability to bring a brutal physical edge.
Kieran Read was part of an excellent Kiwi performance. Source: Photosport/Andrew Cornaga/INPHO
The Lions couldn’t match it over the course of the 80 minutes and once the Kiwis’ intelligence and rapid decision-making skills were present on top of that foundation of ferocity, Warren Gatland’s side were clearly second best.
Faced with a Lions team they knew would bring aggressive linespeed, the All Blacks came up with a brilliantly simple game plan to attack the tourists at the fringes, with their ruthless ball-carrying and breakdown work allowing them to recycle at a pace that made the Lions uncomfortable.
One of the primary goals for Gatland’s side in the second Test will be to take that pace out of the game, but in the series opener the All Blacks were able to generate lightning-quick ruck speed over the course of long passages of attack.
Their ball-carrying was superb, but on the flip side the Lions were passive in their tackling and there was a glaring absence of big hits, a few thumping efforts from Ben Te’o and a couple of shots from replacement Maro Itoje aside.
It’s easy to complicate rugby games, but this Test match was largely about New Zealand’s ability to beat the Lions in contact repeatedly. If Gatland’s men are to drag themselves back into this series, they must address that issue convincingly in Test two.
Narrow focus
The Lions had expected and prepared for lots of attacking kicking from the All Blacks to counter their linespeed, but aside from an early Beauden Barrett diagonal chip that Anthony Watson dealt with superbly, the Kiwis didn’t really go there.
Instead, their attack was built on relentlessly picking at the seams around the fringes of rucks.
We get an example of that early in the game below.
Beauden Barrett takes the ball from Aaron Smith, and we can see that Taulupe Faletau [circled in white below] has rushed up hard to shut off the outside passing option for the Kiwi out-half.
Instead of attempting to force the ball outside, Barrett turns back the other way for an inside pass – which we saw the All Blacks use frequently. So rather than attempt to play out around the Lions’ linespeed, the Kiwis looked back inside it.
Kieran Read is the player to take the ball from Barrett and here we get a fine example of how the All Blacks won all the inches in this game.
George Kruis has an excellent opportunity to make an early statement with a big hit beyond the gainline, but he misses his tackle on Read.
The All Blacks number eight is clearly determined to breach the gainline and that attitude was key for the hosts at Eden Park, but we must note the technical quality of his carry too, as Read uses his footwork to pirouette back to Kruis’ inside, before powering forward.
We see nice footwork from another Kiwi forward on the next phase, as the All Blacks again stay narrow.
This time, Jamie George leads the Lions’ linespeed as the second defender out from the ruck, but again there is a good decision from an All Black player.
Brodie Retallick sells a dummy, steps back inside before straightening and then reaches out to fend Tadhg Furlong, allowing the New Zealand lock to offload to the supporting Smith.
This is essentially a ‘one-out’ carry for the All Blacks off nine, but Retallick’s rapid decision-making, footwork and skill levels turn it into a linebreak against a slow-reacting Lions defence.
Variety
Already we’ve seen how the All Blacks had more than one tool within their narrow attack and even though there was structure, this attacking game plan was still about the players bringing their vision and decision-making to the fore.
The two phases above provide a further illustration of that, as Barrett opts to carry himself having feinted towards the inside pass option provided by Ben Smith.
The out-half’s carry takes him over the gainline and that means that the Lions have to retreat before setting their defensive line.
Again, the All Blacks’ thinking is too fast for the Lions, as Ben Smith and Aaron Smith play a clever one-two at the right fringe for a half-bust inside Alun Wyn Jones.
The Lions spent so much of this game in this kind of gradual retreat, and that naturally sapped their usual levels of linespeed, which they only truly discovered after the game was already lost.
Brutal breakdown
On top of their ability to get over the gainline with their technically-strong carrying and rapid decision-making, the All Blacks’ had a vicious streak when it came to the rucks.
While they managed to slow and steal the Lions’ possession regularly – playing to Jaco Peyper’s interpretation perfectly – there was an equally effective breakdown focus from New Zealand in attack.
The passage above provides us with a good example of the venomous edge the Kiwis brought to the breakdown.
Ben Smith carries the ball initially and Sean O’Brien looks to be in a good position to jackal after Faletau makes the tackle.
Retallick is on the case, however, and he arrives as first attacking player to the breakdown, dipping to drive into O’Brien before he can properly regain his feet over the tackle.
The truly aggressive edge comes from Whitelock, who arrives in as second man with the ball already being moved away by Aaron Smith.
Whitelock is not really required in this ruck, in truth, but he identifies an opportunity to leave a mark on O’Brien and he takes it aggressively, hammering into the Lions openside.
To be fair to O’Brien, he is back on his feet within two seconds, but this edge from Whitelock is what we saw all night in Auckland and it helped the All Blacks to maintain a tempo that stretched the Lions.
And as we see once again above, the All Blacks continued to pounce close to the rucks – this time through Sam Cane’s inside pass to Ryan Crotty, who offloads to Joe Moody for more big gains.
Finishing touches
Just in case anyone had forgotten, the All Blacks were happy to remind us of their clincial edge in this game too.
None of their tries actually came from the kind of phase play we’ve seen above, but they were all partly or directly a result of the sheer pressure the Kiwis had built with their intelligent narrow attack.
The tap penalty try in the first half finished by hooker Codie Taylor is a prime example of that, as the All Blacks went through 13 phases – including the one above featuring Cane’s inside pass and Crotty’s offload.
The All Blacks exhausted the Lions defence and then pounced when they lapsed in concentration.
We can see the levels of communication from the All Blacks here, as Barrett appeals for Aaron Smith to hit him with the tapped penalty, while Ben Smith further out the line is also calling for the ball.
While the All Blacks are reacting to the picture in front of them, the Lions are deeply fatigued from the effort of defending against the kind of phase play we have discussed.
As we can see above, a number of the Lions players have their hands on their legs or hips sucking in air as scrum-half Smith taps the ball.
To be fair, there are a number of Kiwi players in similar poses, but the Lions are exploited on this occasion as the home side brilliantly shift the ball to space.
Barrett’s skip pass to Isreal Dagg is excellent, allowing the right wing to get to the outside of Ben Te’o and therefore attract Elliot Daly inwards.
While the Lions left wing put his hand up and accepted some culpability in this instance, he’s in a horrible situation with so much space on that side of the pitch, the Lions having failed to spread out evenly after the penalty was awarded – even with a full 10 seconds between Peyper whistling and Smith tapping.
Daly initially bites in towards Dagg, worried that he will break outside Te’o and that leaves him with too much ground to cover when Dagg flings his pass to Taylor wide on the right.
The pick up is obviously sensational, but almost as impressive is the discipline from Taylor to hold his role on that side of the pitch.
If we rewind play to 1 minute and 43 seconds before he dots down, we see Taylor on the ground after the Lions are free-kicked at a scrum for not taking the weight.
The hooker immediately slips into shape and holds the width on the right throughout the entire 14-phase passage.
And even when the penalty is awarded, Taylor doesn’t head back infield to think about a possible lineout or scrum. He maintains his width and gets the reward.
Lions must muscle up
There are technical tweaks for the Lions to make in all areas of their game, but the main issue is the need for Gatland’s side to be more combative and confrontational.
Too often on Saturday they gave up easy yards, as in the instance below.
Kruis and Faletau have a fine chance to make a telling impact beyond the gainline here, but they are passive and again Retallick’s desire to make inches for his team shines through as he fights to get upfield.
The Lions didn’t consistently own the contact in Auckland and that proved key in their defeat. Their work at the defensive breakdown was also an issue and we will look at that element in greater depth elsewhere.
But for Gatland’s side, delivering a more imposing physical impact is a priority for the second Test in Wellington.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!Inexpensive, compact netbooks were all the rage during the recent economic downturn, and the product segment enjoyed explosive growth over that period. However, that growth rate started falling heavily at the end of 2009; in April 2010, netbook sales only grew a mere 5 percent. Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty says the iPad is to blame for the stalled growth, but it seems more likely that netbooks have merely saturated their niche in the market.
Huberty noted in a recent report to clients that netbook sales growth plummeted after Apple announced the iPad in late January. She also looked at a March survey suggesting that 44 percent of US customers were planning to buy an iPad. Huberty concluded that they were now planning on getting an iPad instead of a new notebook or netbook, though we think the timing is more coincidental than anything else.
Looking at the historical data on netbook sales, year-over-year growth plummeted from 568 percent in September 2009 to 180 percent in October. It was back up to 337 percent in November, but fell again in December. The growth numbers continued to fall rapidly throughout the beginning of 2010. Netbook penetration rate never exceeded 20 percent of notebook sales over the time period that Huberty included in her report.
The iPad has certainly been successful by Apple's standards—supplies in the US are still constrained in many areas, and the company pushed back the planned international launch one month. But the tapering of sales growth in the netbook category is more likely due to market saturation. Some vendors, such as Dell and HP, effectively exited the market while others strived to differentiate from competitors. No vendor could expect triple-digit growth to continue indefinitely.
With just one month of availability, it's far too early to tell what effect the iPad might have on netbook sales. If the promised wave of iPad-like tablets running Windows, Android, or even webOS takes too long to materialize, if iPads continue to sell like gangbusters, and if netbook sales start exhibiting negative growth, then we might have more proof that Apple's disdainful view of netbooks is shared by consumers. Those are a lot of "ifs," though. We suspect that the iPad and netbooks will continue serving different market needs for the time being.___________
These insights are based on data compiled from over 100,000 artworks—approximately 94% of all works at these fairs. Artsy has the most comprehensive art fair coverage available anywhere, having covered over 100 fairs to date. As more exhibiting galleries continue to participate in Artsy’s online coverage of art fairs, the data we share will become even more representative of the global fair landscape. We are excited to continue to share our insights with you.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series, where we will take a closer look at geography of fairs, galleries and collectors. If you’d like to receive upcoming editions of Gallery Insights via email, you can join here. We have also enriched Part 1 of Artsy’s Fair Insights series with more comprehensive data, and recommend taking a look. Meanwhile, you can learn more about Artsy’s gallery partnerships and our fair coverage.
Please see a note on our methodology below.Frankie Edgar has an idea of who will win the upcoming UFC title-unification bout between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor, but he said he’s not waiting for the winner.
The former lightweight champion and featherweight contender, who’s been anxious to get his shot at the 145-pound title, said regardless of what happens with champ Aldo vs. interim titleholder McGregor – and regardless of when it finally takes place – he wants to take another bout before he’d meet the winner.
“I’ve got three kids, man,” Edgar, 33, told MMAjunkie this past weekend while at WSOF 22 in Las Vegas. “I’m trying to make some money. I’m not getting any younger. I want to challenge myself and keep improving. The best way to improve is to test yourself in the cage.”
Edgar (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) is ranked No. 3 in the NOS Energy Drink MMA featherweight rankings. Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who’s ranked No. 1, and No. 2-ranked McGregor (18-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) are a possibility for UFC 194 on Dec. 5, which could take place at the massive AT&T Stadium near Dallas, though the final date will depend on Aldo’s recovery from a rib injury.
That injury forced Aldo out of UFC 189 this past month, and fellow contender Chad Mendes eventually stepped in as a replacement to fight McGregor for an interim belt. The late-notice replacement suffered a second-round TKO loss, and McGregor is again scheduled to fight longtime champ Aldo.
So that leaves which 145-pounder, exactly, to fight Edgar in the mean time?
“I don’t know,” said Edgar, who’s 4-0 since moving down to 145 pounds and suffering a title loss to Aldo in 2013. “I’m going to leave that up to the UFC. I know a lot of guys aren’t really available, but I definitely do want to fight before the year’s out.”
Check out the above video as Edgar discusses his dilemma, predicts the outcome of Aldo vs. McGregor, talks about the possibility of moving down to 135 pounds, and even recounts that cageside confrontation with McGregor at UFC 189.
And for more on UFC 194, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.A 2013 picture of a Toys R Us store in Virginia. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)
There exists, somewhere within the general vicinity of Bellingham, Mass., a layaway hero.
This was proven earlier this week, when customers at a Toys R Us learned that a woman — whose identity is not yet known — walked in and paid off the entire layaway balance for the store in full.
Yep. The. Whole. Balance.
That means the woman paid for about $20,000 worth of merchandise on more than 150 accounts, according to the Milford Daily News.
“This incredible act of kindness is a true illustration of holiday giving at its best,” Toys R Us said in a statement to ABC News.
Here’s what happened, according to the Milford paper:
Described by employees as a bubbly older woman and a local, she offered the store manager a hug and reportedly said, “If you have it, give it.” One employee said the woman told her that knowing the layaway purchases were taken care of would help her “sleep better at night.”
This kind of thing has happened before.
For example, last year, a Florida man spent about $20,000 at Walmart, paying off the accounts of strangers.
“I know it affected people immediately. I mean they were getting text messages that payments were being made on their accounts while we were there and people were calling saying ‘I think there’s a mistake,'” Greg Parady said, according to ABC. “It was so special. It was really special.”
The Daily News spoke to a customer whose tab was paid this week. The woman — who only gave her first name, Linda — said she only had $9 when she went holiday shopping for her two boys.
“I thought, ‘You have to be kidding me,'” the woman said, when discussing the call she received from Toys R Us, letting her know about the paid account. “I almost wanted to cry. It was only $50, but to me that’s a lot of money, and that someone would go and do that gave me chills.”
She added: “What she did was so caring and thoughtful. I feel like I was part of something special – touched by an angel.”
RELATED: Watch this Michigan cop hand out presents instead of ticketsArte Suave. The gentle art. For those who study this so-called gentle art, one is all too familiar with the challenges it sets before you each and every day one steps on the mats. But can this
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This personal blog site of mine uses django-fancy-cache and mincss.
What that means is that I can cache the whole output of every blog post for weeks and when I do that I can first preprocess the HTML and convert every external CSS into one inline STYLE block which will only reference selectors that are actually used.
To see it in action, right-click and select "View Page Source". You'll see something like this:
/* Stats about using github.com/peterbe/mincss ------------------------------------------- Requests: 1 (now: 0) Before: 81Kb After: 11Kb After (minified): 11Kb Saving: 70Kb */ section{display:block}html{font-size:100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust:100%;-ms-tex...
The reason the saving is so huge, in my case, is because I'm using Twitter Bootstrap CSS framework which is awesome but as any framework, it will inevitably contain a bunch of stuff that I don't use. Some stuff I don't use on any page at all. Some stuff is used only on some pages and some other stuff is used only on some other pages.
What I gain by this, is faster page loads. What the browser does is that it, gets a URL, downloads all HTML, opens the HTML to look for referenced CSS (using the link tag) and downloads that too. Once all of that is downloaded, it starts to render the page. Approximately after that it starts to download all referenced Javascript and starts evaluating and executing that.
By not having to download the CSS the browser has one less thing to do. Only one request? Well, that request might be on a CDN (not a great idea actually) so even though it's just 1 request it will involve another DNS look-up.
Here's what the loading of the homepage looks like in Firefox from a US east coast IP.
Granted, a downloaded CSS file can be cached by the browser and used for other pages under the same domain. But, on my blog the bounce rate is about 90%. That doesn't necessarily mean that visitors leave as soon as they arrived, but it does mean that they generally just read one page and then leave. For those 10% of visitors who visit more than one page will have to download the same chunk of CSS more than once. But mind you, it's not always the same chunk of CSS because it's different for different pages. And the amount of CSS that is now in-line only adds about 2-3Kb on the HTML load when sent gzipped.
Getting to this point wasn't easy because I first had to develop mincss and django-fancy-cache and integrate it all. However, what this means is that you can have it done on your site too! All the code is Open Source and it's all Python and Django which are very popular tools.
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Related postsPumas, long known as solitary carnivores, are more social than previously thought, according to a study led by conservation organization Panthera and co-authored by UC Davis and the American Museum of Natural History.
The study, published today in the journal Science Advances, is the first to quantify complex, enduring, and “friendly” interactions of these secretive animals, revealing a rich puma society far more tolerant and social than previously understood.
"Our research shows that food sharing among this group of mountain lions is a social activity, which cannot be explained by ecological and biological factors alone," said co-author Mark Lubell, director of the UC Davis Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior.
The findings may have implications for multiple species, including other wild cats around the world.
“It’s the complete opposite of what we’ve been saying about pumas and solitary species for over 60 years,” said lead author Mark Elbroch, lead scientist with the Panthera Puma Program. “We were shocked. This research allows us to break down mythologies and question what we thought we knew.”
Not so solitary
Pumas have been assumed to avoid each other, except during mating, territorial encounters, or when raising young. The population studied interacted every 11-12 days during winter. That is much less frequent than more gregarious species like meerkats, African lions, or wolves, which interact as often as every few minutes. To document social behavior, the scientists had to follow pumas over longer time spans.
Mother and daughter pumas play. (Mark Elbroch/Panthera)
The team collected thousands of locations in northwest Wyoming from GPS-equipped collars and documented the social interactions of pumas over 1,000 prey carcasses. Of those studied, 242 were equipped with motion-triggered cameras that filmed interactions and served as evidence of social behavior.
“Suddenly, I was able to see what was happening when these animals were coming together,” Elbroch said. “By stepping back, we captured the patterns of behavior that have no doubt been occurring among pumas all along.”
The research team analyzed puma networks to reveal that the species exhibits social strategies like more social animals, just over longer timescales.
Study highlights
Each puma shared food with another puma at least once during the study, and many of them ate with other pumas many times.
Choosing individuals to share meals with was not random or reserved for family members. The pumas seemed to recall who shared food with them in the past—and were 7.7 times more likely to share with those individuals. This is usually only documented with social animals.
Males and females likely benefit differently from social interactions. Males received more free meat than females, while females likely received social investments facilitating mating opportunities.
Territorial males acted like governors of fiefdoms, structuring how all pumas across the landscape interacted with each other. All pumas living inside each male territory typically formed a single network and were more likely to share their food with each other. Social interactions occurred across these borders, but much less frequently than among cats within the same male territory.
Loss of males disruptive to social network
The study emphasizes that puma populations are composed of numerous smaller communities ruled by territorial males. The loss of males, whether by natural or human causes, potentially disrupts the entire social network.
Except for lions and cheetahs, whose males form long-term social groups, all wild cats are typically described as solitary — a strategy characteristic of species living in complex habitats where predators compete for dispersed prey. This study could encourage researchers to study the social behavior of other solitary carnivores.
“This opens the door to enormous possibilities,” Elbroch said. “Are pumas everywhere behaving the same, or only in areas with large prey? Are other species like leopards and wolverines and so many others acting the same way? There is so much more to discover about the rich, secret social lives of wild creatures.”Despite missing the Maroons' first training session, Brisbane Broncos and Queensland lock Josh McGuire will be ready to go for Game Three of the Holden State of Origin Series.
That is according to teammate Matt Gillett who believes the 27-year-old will be out to make up for his seven-minute stint in Brisbane's 42-12 thrashing at the hands of the Melbourne Storm in Round 17.
McGuire was knocked unconscious during that match, copping the hip of Storm prop Jesse Bromwich in a sickening clash that ended his night prematurely.
So dazed and confused was McGuire, he tried to wrestle Broncos trainer Alfie Langer in a bid to stay on the field, with Langer forced to call in other Brisbane trainers to restrain McGuire and eventually get him down the tunnel.
It was clear to all watching that McGuire was concussed and he is still feeling the after effects of the knock that many feared could rule him out of the Origin decider.
But if he follows protocol then he should be right to take the field, with Game Three taking place 12 days after he suffered the head knock.
And he will be hungry to excel, with the man they call 'Moose' blaming himself for missing majority of the Broncos' one-sided loss.
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Gillett, who was near McGuire when the incident occurred, said that is just the type of player the 27-year-old is, describing him as'selfless' and a player who always puts the team first.
"He's alright. He already had a few brain cells missing," Gillett said with a laugh.
"He's been pretty good since it happened. It was a pretty bad knock.
"He was stumbling a bit there and then Alfie had to wrestle him and give him a few stern words on the sideline to stop him from running back on.
"That's just Josh's nature. He never wants to let the team down. I remember him saying after the game'sorry boys', he felt like it was his fault.
"He felt like it was his fault but there is not too much you can do about a knock to the head.
"He's a competitor and he always wants to be out there doing the best for the boys.
"He'd rather be playing than sitting and watching but he should be fine [for Game Three].
"He's up and about. He still has a bit of the protocol to go through to get back on the field but I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a tough boy."
And Queensland will need him, with McGuire producing arguably his strongest performance in a Maroon jumper during Game Two, running for 117 metres, making 49 tackles and producing a pivotal line break that led to a game-changing try to Dane Gagai.
It changed the momentum of the match, helping inspire the Maroons to a two-point win, and for Gillett this ability of McGuire's to produce a big run when no one else can is the reason he is so important to Queensland's chances of winning an 11th Origin title in 12 years.
"When troops are down and out and struggling with tiredness, it is Josh who always puts his hand up to make that run," he said.
"He puts the side on the front foot and his experience will be massive to have on Wednesday night."Weather Update: Wednesday, February 26, 2019 at 5:52 a.m.
Afternoon temperatures will be very near or above seasonal norms Wednesday. Morning low clouds will dissipate by noon, leaving mostly clear skies throughout the County. Chance for rain Thursday morning ahead of a larger rain system this weekend.
A Detailed Look at February 26th:
Low rip current risk. Water temperature 56-58. West-northwest swell at 1'-3' is slightly up, will be slightly higher again Thursday. UV index for San Diego is very high (8).
Wednesday afternoon high temperatures will be near or above seasonal norms. Coastal highs 61-66, normal around 65. Inland highs 63-68, normal around 70. Mountain highs 55-65, normal around 54. Desert highs 72-79, normal around 74.
Moisture levels around the County will be slightly humid. Dew points will hover near 50 degrees at the coast and near the mid-40s inland and deserts. Mountains will see a slight increase to the upper 30s by the end of the day.
The EPA has issued a UV Alert for San Diego County due to an unusually high UV Index. UV radiation is highest from 10 AM to 4 PM. The EPA strongly recommends that precautions be taken to reduce the risk of overexposure. Wear broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Cover up with long-sleeves, a hat, and UV-protective sunglasses. Use caution near water, snow, and sand as they will reflect UV rays.
Skies will be mostly clear today as high clouds move out of the region. Low clouds will form again by Wednesday evening, lasting overnight.
The Week Ahead:I finally got a chance this week to meet and hang out with one of the fantastic Arabic teachers from italki here in Cairo.
I gave her a t-shirt (courtesy of italki) and she gave me some fresh dates from her farm near Assuit in Upper Egypt. This is why I love learning languages and travel – making new and interesting friends all around the world. 🙂
***
Most of us eventually hit learning plateaus.
These are times where we feel like we’re not learning much anymore. Learning stops feeling like a rapid ascent and no matter how much study we do it seems like we’re getting nowhere.
When you’ve finished a book or a course and hit a learning plateau it can leave you wondering, “Well, what do I do now?”
There’s a pretty straightforward enough explanation for why this happens too: we become proficient enough in the language and able to use it enough to achieve what we want or need that all the gaps in our proficiency level start to become less clear and definable (this is where fossilization becomes a risk).
Put simply, when I can’t talk about what I did yesterday, I know that I need to learn the past tense.
If I can’t talk about what I’m doing tomorrow then I need to learn the future tense.
It’s more obvious when you’re at a low level what needs to be learned and what doesn’t.
But when you’re at a higher level you know most of this stuff already. This doesn’t mean you know it perfectly by any means but you know enough language to handle most situations.
This is where we reach higher level plateaus.
So firstly let’s clear up one misconception:
Fluent DOES NOT mean you can talk about advanced topics
I think the word advanced is almost as poorly defined and confusing for people as the word fluency.
You can be very fluent in a language and still not be able to discuss loads of advanced topics.
How so?
My dad is totally computer illiterate. He’s the kind of guy who needs help finding the power button on a computer.
I on the other hand am a bit of a nerd. I like programming, I use an open source operating system, I do things like vector and web design, and so on.
If I talked to my dad about any of those things or on the same level that I would talk to another person with the same interests as mine, do you think he’d have a clue what I’m talking about?
It would basically be a foreign language to him.
So would it then be correct to say that I’m more fluent in English because I can talk about something that he can’t?
No way!
We’re both perfectly fluent English speakers.
So fluency has nothing to do with content and even if there are a bunch of topics that you can’t talk about in a foreign language, it’s not an indicator of your proficiency level.
You can be at near-native level fluency and still be unable to discuss a range a topics that you’re unfamiliar with or not knowledgeable in.
The key is in how you would respond to someone who was talking with you about an advanced topic that you don’t understand.
Are you any less fluent if you choose easier words over others? For example, using look at instead of examine, talk to instead of discuss, fight instead of dispute or argument, and so on.
Could you explain your political, religious or social views in a simpler way even if you didn’t know all the terms?
How about describing your feelings or emotions?
Think about people who live in lower socio-economic areas of your country who aren’t highly educated – how do they communicate with each other? Actually the term lower socio-economic is a good example – I know plenty of people back home who wouldn’t even know what that means.
They’d use a simple word like poor instead and they’re just as fluent as I am!
As a language learning exercise pick any advanced level conversation and see if you can re-word it using layman’s terms (first in your native language and then in your foreign language).
Knowledge of advanced content has nothing to do with your fluency level.
We become settled on comfortable ways of expressing things
Language learners develop habits over time.
These aren’t necessarily bad or wrong habits either.
We pick up certain ways of saying things that work well for us if they get whatever it is we want done. They achieve the goal we want so we no longer see a need to improve on them.
For example, in Arabic there are so many ways to go about haggling prices in street markets (you could write a book on haggle slang I’m sure :)).
Since there is a verb that literally means ‘to make something cheaper’ (rakhas (رخص)) should a person just use that every time?
If it makes sense and it works why not?
But what about the plethora of other ways you could get the same point across – (for example using the verb ‘to make something go down’ (nazzal(نزل)) for the price)?
It’s quite easy for a learner to develop a habit of using the same word or expression every time in the same situation.
When I first arrived here in Cairo 12 years ago one of the first phrases I learned was ‘can you take me to…’ for taking taxis. I used it every single time I got in a taxi as a new learner.
The problem is – native speakers rarely if ever do this. Even though it’s not incorrect and gets the job done, there are better ways to handle the situation. Cab drivers don’t have time to sit there and listen to you speak that long-winded shite on a busy street when they want to keep moving.
It requires a real conscience effort on our part as learners to stop and think about what we’re saying and whether or not there are other better ways to say it.
Be attentive to the way native speakers do it.
When we talk about improving at high levels what we actually want to do is to find better or more appropriate ways to say the things we already know.
So as a high level learner of Arabic how am I doing this?
In addition to taking private lessons a few times a week, there are two things I’m mainly doing now to improve at my level (one is a self-learning exercise and the other is social).
Dissecting video and audio content
Now this can be quite tedious if I spend too much time on it but it helps me immensely in small portions.
I’ve been using talk shows on CBC (a popular station here in Egypt).
Talk/interview shows are the best source to use because they’re natural and mostly unscripted. I don’t like to use films for this reason.
Listening to real people interact on a talk show or in an interview allows you to hear how language is naturally used between two or more people and it generally stays on topic.
I save the YouTube file to my computer (so I can easily rewind, pause and cut the file if I need to) using any one of the many browser add-ons to do this and I choose an interesting but brief one minute segment of the interview.
I listen to that segment dozens or even hundreds of times over.
I then take whatever new words and expressions I can get out of it and store them on Anki which is one of several great flashcard programs (once I’m done with Anki I can export the Anki file to Dropbox and then import it to my Android).
There are two difficulties I face doing this however:
1. It’s not always possible to find colloquial expressions or vocab definitions online (this is an even bigger problem for languages like Arabic where dialect material is scarce).
2. A lot of the new expressions I hear are unable to be translated literally and make no sense to outsiders. This is one of the biggest challenges for higher level learners in that there are lots of idiomatic expressions which can’t be literally translated or understood without an explanation.
So because of this it’s essential that I take notes on the segment and then show them to my private tutor the next time I see him (who often says things to me like, “Oh man, this is a very slang expression. Where did you hear it?”) 🙂
In the screenshot above is an interview I watched recently where the woman uses an array of descriptive language taken from a classic novel and a lot of it just stumped the hell out of me. I couldn’t find an answer for much of it anywhere online so having a teacher was vital to get explanations.
This is something you can find a tool like italki very useful for if you don’t have access to local teachers or practice partners.
The most important thing is that whatever I learn on my own by watching or listening to something, I put it into practice as soon as possible.
Memorizing flashcards is an utterly pointless exercise if you don’t use what you’re learning.
I like to think of my goal as being 10% study time – the other 90% of the time should be using/practicing what I covered in that 10% of the time.
Prepare for real situations and take advantage of them
I have a huge tear on a pair of my good shorts right now.
I was going to throw them out but I see it as a great opportunity for me to improve my Arabic and learn a few new things because there happens to be a tailor on my street here.
So I’ve actually been learning new words and expressions to do with mending clothes and will go down to one of the local places here to get my shorts mended next week.
Of course I could easily get this done without any problems already.
I could speak fluently with the guy and get the job done without having to learn anything new but that would be a wasted opportunity to improve. Wouldn’t it be better to use moments like these as opportunities to pick up a few new profession-specific terms and find out exactly how native speakers deal with clothing repair/alterations?
Sometimes you don’t even need to learn new vocab or expressions – you might just have to discover exactly how a native speaker would ask for it (with words you already know).
The lessons I have with my private tutor are all highly practical, situational lessons like this. We pick a real situation, he teaches me a bunch of local expressions and terms I can use (a lot of which aren’t covered by any textbook because they’re very colloquial/slang) and then we role-play them.
After the lesson I head off and use it all as soon as possible.
This doesn’t just have to be situations that are unfamiliar.
Think about all the things you can already talk about in a foreign language and consider how you can improve on them.
I spent a 2 hour lesson last Thursday on how to improve my conversation with the butcher and all the different meat cuts, how to request lean meat, minced meat, breast, chops, portions and so on. It was a super specific lesson and it amazed me just how many local expressions there are for that one situation alone.
If you’re stuck on a learning plateau just open your mind to the almost infinite amount of different situational expressions you could work on improving.
Should I use higher level textbooks?
Just one final note on textbooks for higher level learners.
I’m reviewing a few incredibly outstanding books for colloquial Arabic from AUC at the moment (see here, here and here) and one thing they have in common is that they teach by addressing real world issues through the target language.
This means that they focus on getting you to think about serious topics that will require you to use new terms and expressions.
They equip you with the expressions and terms you need and then through both reading and video content you’re able to see/hear and apply them through interaction.
Language learning in a sense then becomes incidental to serious, interesting discussion (rather than the other way round).
The thing I like about these kinds of books is that you can use them on your own or use them as points of discussion with language exchange partners or in a classroom.
The point is they’re not just teaching you language in isolation (a lot of textbooks will run through chapter-by-chapter analysis of advanced grammar, isolated word lists and so on). These kinds of books might interest some people but there’s little value in them for improving your conversational skills overall.
It’s of course not possible for me to address individual languages and what books are available here but it’s something for you to keep in mind when looking for a text to work with (be sure to make recommendations of your own in the comment section below to help others if you use any!).
Are there any issues you’ve faced as a high level learner trying to improve (comment below)?
What have you found helpful?
This was written by Donovan Nagel.
Did you find this interesting, useful or encouraging? A quick share on Facebook or Twitter will make my day! Thanks.
Comments: If you’ve got something you’d like to add to this or some constructive criticism you can do that at the bottom of this page. Just please be respectful. Any abusive or nonsensical comments will be deleted.Bangladesh’s government has also recently refused to repeal the laws, inherited from our colonial past, that criminalize homosexuality. (Similar laws still stand in India, too.) Apart from the fact that gay men and women who are not transgender are subject to these archaic laws, this means that while hijras are allowed to be members of a third gender, it is illegal for them, too, to have relationships with other members of their sex.
In a progressive parallel universe, hijras could be seen as an authentic South Asian expression of the fluidity of sexuality and gender identity. In this ideal world, they would challenge not only our binary notions of sexuality but also many assumptions about our otherwise rigid-seeming society.
But the Bangladeshi hijra refuses to comfortably fit into this framework, because she is not just defined by her hijra status but by all the cultural, social, political and economic frameworks in which she has to live.
Most likely born a boy (though a small number of hijras may be biologically intersex), she will have chosen, along the way, to identify as a woman. She will almost certainly have been abandoned by, or be estranged from, her family. And she is very likely to be a prostitute or beggar. As a result, she is also very likely to be involved with criminal gangs who control where and how she lives, whom she sleeps with, and whether or not she will ever be able to have children.
In a broader sense, an acceptance of the hijra identity doesn’t preclude rigid notions of masculinity and femininity from dominating in Bangladesh. Men and women are still expected to fit into tightly defined gender categories that determine their access to a host of opportunities, from education to health care. And there is still a deeply embedded and rarely challenged culture of homophobia across the social spectrum.
It is important to bear all of this in mind when we think about Labannya and other members of the hijra community. We may celebrate her new status as a full-fledged citizen of Bangladesh, and we must hope that her visibility as the defender of Mr. Rhaman — and perhaps soon as an official member of the traffic police — will alter her status. But it would be premature, to say the least, to pronounce the troubles of the hijras over.
Labannya might remind us again, here, of America’s Ms. Jenner. As we celebrate one exceptional individual, we must also press harder for the social and legal transformations that would grant broader rights for the whole panoply of sexual and gender identities: gay, hetero, trans, cis, “third” or otherwise.Definition Edit
A set S is countable if there exists an injective function f from S to the natural numbers N = {0, 1, 2, 3,...}.[5] If such an f can be found that is also surjective (and therefore bijective), then S is called countably infinite. In other words, a set is countably infinite if it has one-to-one correspondence with the natural number set, N. As noted above, this terminology is not universal. Some authors use countable to mean what is here called countably infinite, and do not include finite sets. Alternative (equivalent) formulations of the definition in terms of a bijective function or a surjective function can also be given. See below.
History Edit
In 1874, in his first set theory article, Cantor proved that the set of real numbers is uncountable, thus showing that not all infinite sets are countable.[6] In 1878, he used one-to-one correspondences to define and compare cardinalities.[7] In 1883, he extended the natural numbers with his infinite ordinals, and used sets of ordinals to produce an infinity of sets having different infinite cardinalities.[8]
Introduction Edit
A set is a collection of elements, and may be described in many ways. One way is simply to list all of its elements; for example, the set consisting of the integers 3, 4, and 5 may be denoted {3, 4, 5}. This is only effective for small sets, however; for larger sets, this would be time-consuming and error-prone. Instead of listing every single element, sometimes an ellipsis ("...") is used, if the writer believes that the reader can easily guess what is missing; for example, {1, 2, 3,..., 100} presumably denotes the set of integers from 1 to 100. Even in this case, however, it is still possible to list all the elements, because the set is finite. Some sets are infinite; these sets have more than n elements for any integer n. For example, the set of natural numbers, denotable by {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,...}, has infinitely many elements, and we cannot use any normal number to give its size. Nonetheless, it turns out that infinite sets do have a well-defined notion of size (or more properly, of cardinality, which is the technical term for the number of elements in a set), and not all infinite sets have the same cardinality. Bijective mapping from integer to even numbers To understand what this means, we first examine what it does not mean. For example, there are infinitely many odd integers, infinitely many even integers, and (hence) infinitely many integers overall. However, it turns out that the number of even integers, which is the same as the number of odd integers, is also the same as the number of integers overall. This is because we arrange things such that for every integer, there is a distinct even integer:... −2→−4, −1→−2, 0→0, 1→2, 2→4,...; or, more generally, n→2n, see picture. What we have done here is arranged the integers and the even integers into a one-to-one correspondence (or bijection), which is a function that maps between two sets such that each element of each set corresponds to a single element in the other set. However, not all infinite sets have the same cardinality. For example, Georg Cantor (who introduced this concept) demonstrated that the real numbers cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers (non-negative integers), and therefore that the set of real numbers has a greater cardinality than the set of natural numbers. A set is countable if: (1) it is finite, or (2) it has the same cardinality (size) as the set of natural numbers. Equivalently, a set is countable if it has the same cardinality as some subset of the set of natural numbers. Otherwise, it is uncountable.
Formal overview without details Edit
Some technical details Edit
The proofs of the statements in the above section rely upon the existence of functions with certain properties. This section presents functions commonly used in this role, but not the verifications that these functions have the required properties. The Basic Theorem and its Corollary are often used to simplify proofs. Observe that N in that theorem can be replaced with any countably infinite set. Proposition: Any finite set is countable. Proof: Let S be such a set. Two cases are to be considered: Either S is empty or it isn't. 1.) The empty set is even itself a subset of the natural numbers, so it is countable. 2.) If S is nonempty and finite, then by definition of finiteness there is a bijection between S and the set {1, 2,..., n} for some positive natural number n. This function is an injection from S into N. Proposition: Any subset of a countable set is countable.[10] Proof: The restriction of an injective function to a subset of its domain is still injective. Proposition: If S is a countable set then S ∪ {x} is countable.[11] Proof: If x ∈ S there is nothing to be shown. Otherwise let f: S → N be an injection. Define g: S ∪ {x} → N by g(x) = 0 and g(y) = f(y) + 1 for all y in S. This function g is an injection. Proposition: If A and B are countable sets then A ∪ B is countable.[12] Proof: Let f: A → N and g: B → N be injections. Define a new injection h: A ∪ B → N by h(x) = 2f(x) if x is in A and h(x) = 2g(x) + 1 if x is in B but not in A. Proposition: The Cartesian product of two countable sets A and B is countable.[13] Proof: Observe that N × N is countable as a consequence of the definition because the function f : N × N → N given by f(m, n) = 2m3n is injective.[14] It then follows from the Basic Theorem and the Corollary that the Cartesian product of any two countable sets is countable. This follows because if A and B are countable there are surjections f : N → A and g : N → B. So f × g : N × N → A × B is a surjection from the countable set N × N to the set A × B and the Corollary implies A × B is countable. This result generalizes to the Cartesian product of any finite collection of countable sets and the proof follows by induction on the number of sets in the collection. Proposition: The integers Z are countable and the rational numbers Q are countable. Proof: The integers Z are countable because the function f : Z → N given by f(n) = 2n if n is non-negative and f(n) = 3− n if n is negative, is an injective function. The rational numbers Q are countable because the function g : Z × N → Q given by g(m, n) = m/(n + 1) is a surjection from the countable set Z × N to the rationals Q. Proposition: The algebraic numbers A are countable. Proof: Per definition, every algebraic number (including complex numbers) is a root of a polynomial with integer coefficients. Given an algebraic number α {\displaystyle \alpha }, let a 0 x 0 + a 1 x 1 + a 2 x 2 + ⋯ + a n x n {\displaystyle a_{0}x^{0}+a_{1}x^{1}+a_{2}x^{2}+\cdots +a_{n}x^{n}} be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that α {\displaystyle \alpha } is the kth root of the polynomial, where the roots are sorted by absolute value from small to big, then sorted by argument from small to big. We can define an injection (i. e. one-to-one) function f : A → Q given by f ( α ) = 2 k − 1 ⋅ 3 a 0 ⋅ 5 a 1 ⋅ 7 a 2 ⋯ p n + 2 a n {\displaystyle f(\alpha )=2^{k-1}\cdot 3^{a_{0}}\cdot 5^{a_{1}}\cdot 7^{a_{2}}\cdots {p_{n+2}}^{a_{n}}}, while p n {\displaystyle p_{n}} is the n-th prime. Proposition: If A n is a countable set for each n in N then the union of all A n is also countable.[15] Proof: This is a consequence of the fact that for each n there is a surjective function g n : N → A n and hence the function G : N × N → ⋃ n ∈ N A n, {\displaystyle G:\mathbf {N} \times \mathbf {N} \to \bigcup _{n\in \mathbf {N} }A_{n},} given by G(n, m) = g n (m) is a surjection. Since N × N is countable, the Corollary implies that the union is countable. We use the axiom of countable choice in this proof to pick for each n in N a surjection g n from the non-empty collection of surjections from N to A n. A topological proof for the uncountability of the real numbers is described at finite intersection property.
Minimal model of set theory is countable Edit
If there is a set that is a standard model (see inner model) of ZFC set theory, then there is a minimal standard model (see Constructible universe). The Löwenheim–Skolem theorem can be used to show that this minimal model is countable. The fact that the notion of "uncountability" makes sense even in this model, and in particular that this model M contains elements that are: subsets of M, hence countable,
, hence countable, but uncountable from the point of view of M, was seen as paradoxical in the early days of set theory, see Skolem's paradox. The minimal standard model includes all the algebraic numbers and all effectively computable transcendental numbers, as well as many other kinds of numbers.
Total orders Edit
Countable sets can be totally ordered in various ways, e.g.: Well-orders (see also ordinal number): The usual order of natural numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,...) The integers in the order (0, 1, 2, 3,...; −1, −2, −3,...)
Other ( not well orders): The usual order of integers (..., −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3,...) The usual order of rational numbers (Cannot be explicitly written as an ordered list!)
well orders): Note that in both examples of well orders here, any subset has a least element; and in both examples of non-well orders, some subsets do not have a least element. This is the key definition that determines whether a total order is also a well order.
See also Edit
Notes EditThe National Security Economics of the Middle East: Comparative Spending, Burden Sharing, and Modernization
By Anthony H. Cordesman and Abdullah Toukan
March 23, 2017
The economics of national security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have changed dramatically since 2001
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, NASA was forced to deny it.
On Thursday, Jones interviewed Robert David Steele, a man whose Wikipedia page lists him as “an American activist and former Central Intelligence Agency clandestine services case officer.”
Steele laid out a strange theory that suggested NASA not only has secretly sent humans to Mars without anyone knowing about it but that it has done incredibly evil things in the process.
“This may strike your listeners as way out, but we actually believe that there is a colony on Mars that is populated by children who were kidnapped and sent into space on a 20-year ride,” Steele said. “So that once they get to Mars, they have no alternative but to be slaves on the Mars colony.”
Steele also claimed these alleged Mars abductees were also being killed for their blood and bone marrow.
“Pedophilia does not stop with sodomizing children,” Steele said. “It goes straight into terrorizing them to adrenalize their blood and then murdering them. It also includes murdering them so that they can have their bone marrow harvested as well as body parts.”
“This is the original growth hormone,” Jones responded.
Jones suggested he supported Steele’s crazy claims by saying that “90 percent of the NASA missions are secret” and that most people have no idea what’s really happening.
“But I know this: We see a bunch of mechanical wreckage on Mars, and people say, “Oh, look. It looks like mechanics.” They go, “Oh, you’re a conspiracy theorist,’” Jones barked. “Clearly they don’t want us looking into what is happening. Every time probes go over they turn them off.”
The complete segment is below:
The Daily Beast contacted NASA to get its response to this outrageous claim. NASA spokesman Guy Webster drew the short straw and had to comment on the Jones segment.
“There are no humans on Mars,” Webster said. “There are active rovers on Mars. There was a rumor going around last week that there weren’t. There are. But there are no humans.”
Webster did have a great response when the Daily Beast asked him about the veracity of the rumor.Jose Mourinho is lining up Rio Ferdinand for a coaching role within his Manchester United revolution.
The Portuguese was finally announced as Louis van Gaal’s successor on Friday and is taking his trusted lieutenants Rui Faria and Silvino Louro with him to Old Trafford.
Mourinho wants Ferdinand to be part of his inner circle as he revamps United’s structure.
Jose Mourinho is lining up Rio Ferdinand for a coaching role within his Manchester United revolution
Mourinho wants Ferdinand to be part of his inner circle as he revamps United’s structure for next season
RIO FERDINAND'S UNITED CAREER Total Appearances: 444 Total Goals: 8 Honours: Premier League (6): 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 League Cup (3): 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10 FA Community Shield (6): 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08 FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
There are doubts over the future of Ryan Giggs, who is due for talks with the new boss this week on his return from a break in Dubai.
Mourinho is keen on keeping close those who have intimate knowledge of United and hopes Giggs will continue his long association in a job which bridges the gap between the first and Under 21s teams.
That also extends to Ferdinand, who spent 12 years at the club, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Ferdinand, who is taking his coaching badges, would have decisions to make should he be offered a role, chiefly whether he wants to uproot his young family from their South East home. He has three children with wife Rebecca, who lost her battle with cancer last year.
There are doubts over the future of Ryan Giggs, who is due for talks with the new boss this week on his return
United are ready to announce Marcus Rashford has signed a fresh four-year contract worth £25,000 a week
The appeal of working for Mourinho and United would be massive for an individual who enjoys such an affinity with the club, while the new boss will hit the ground running on Monday in shaping next season.
Mourinho already has a raft of potential summer signings in mind, not least Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez, who Woodward watched on Saturday night in Milan.IE 6 actually had the best CSS support of any browser when it first came out... SEVEN YEARS AGO. The little bugs in it's CSS support still haunt us to this day. I still get comments from people who roundly reject any technique that doesn't work in IE 6. While I generally refuse to pander to IE 6's limitations, I still feel it is important to make things look right in it whenever possible. Here are that major bugs in IE that'll get you every time:
The Box Model
This is perhaps the most common and frustrating bug of all in IE 6 and below. Let's say you declare a box like this:
div#box { width: 100px; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px; }
IE 6 will calculate the width of the box to be 100px.
Modern browsers will calculate the width of the box to be 124px.
This kind of discrepancy can cause HUGE layout problems. I even think the IE version makes a little bit more sense logically, but that is not how the spec was written. IE 6 can actually get it right if you are in standards-compliant mode, which is rare these days as just using an HTML 4.0 transitional doctype will trigger quirks mode and the box model problem.
I generally work around this issue by just not using padding on boxes I am using for layout. If that box has some text inside it in a <p> element, I'll apply the padding it needs directly to that p element. Just side-steps the issue, but it works.
The Double Margin Bug
Using our box example from above, let's say we need that floated to the right:
div#box { float: right; margin-right: 20px; }
IE 6 will double the 20px to 40px. Again, causing potentially huge layout borks. The commonly thrown-around "fix" for this is to add "display: inline;" to the div. I'm not sure how this "fix" got so much traction, but its a bit impractical. We can't set static widths on inline elements, now can we?
I also like to side-step this bug whenever possible. If you really need to push that box away from the right side of it's parent element, you can likely do so by adding padding to the parent element, which is more likely to keep your grid consistent anyway. Also don't forget about padding. This bug does not affect padding, so you can often get away with adding padding to the side you need an achieve the same result.
No Min Widths / Min Height
Setting min-width and min-height on elements is such a natural and logical thing that it makes me tear up sometimes thinking I can't count on them. IE 6 doesn't just get it wrong, it just completely ignores them. Min-height is incredibly useful for something like a footer. Say your footer needs to be at least 100px tall because you are using a background image down there, but you don't want to set a static height because you want it to grow nicely if, say, the text size is bumped up significantly. Min-height is perfect for this, but using it alone will get you no height whatsoever from IE 6. In a bizarre twist of luck, IE 6 treats the regular height property like modern browsers treat min-height, so you can use a "hack" to fix it. I call it a "hack", because I don't really consider it a hack since it validates just fine.
Stepdown
Normally when floating objects you can count on them lining up vertically until they break. That is, you could if you weren't using IE 6. IE 6 appends a line break effect after each floated block element which will cause "stepdown". The fix here is to make sure the line-height in the parent element is set to zero (0), or that the elements being floated are inline elements. More on preventing stepdown here.
No Hover States
Most modern browsers support hover states on just about any element, but not IE 6. IE 6 only support the hover pseudo-class on anchor (<a>) elements, and even then you don't get them if your anchor doesn't have a href attribute. The solution here is to use a proprietary fix, or just deal with not having hover states on everything you want.
No Alpha Transparent PNG Support
Kind of funny that Microsoft themselves developed the PNG format, but their own browser doesn't natively support it (until IE 7)*. I have a whole roundup of different fixes for this. Do remember that regular non-alpha transparent PNG files work fine without any fix in IE 6, and are often better than their GIF sisters.
*Update: I was totally wrong about the Microsoft thing, no idea how that got in my head. Tom Boutell actually developed the PNG format. Thanks all!
So...
All these bugs are either fixable or side-steppable, but they will get ya if you don't do your testing. My general philosophy is: design with the most modern techniques possible, but then just make sure it ain't busted in older ones.Muslim men who groomed and violently abused young girls in a quiet English town have been left to carry on raping girls, despite being named to the police, one of their victims has told Breitbart London.
Kaitlyn (not her real name) suffered years of abuse at the hands of hundreds of men in her home town, and in locations across the UK. Yet despite handing a list of more than 80 names to the police for investigation, her attackers are still working as taxi drivers, businessmen, and even on the local council. And she says they are still abusing young vulnerable girls in her town.
Kaitlyn’s ordeal began when she was thirteen when an “olive skinned” man came to her house telling her he was going to take photos for a modelling portfolio.
“I was going to do photos – didn’t know what sort until he got there. They ended up being full nudes.
“He attacked me in my parent’s house, then used the photos to make me see his friends, telling me ‘if you don’t go, I’ll show your mum these photos’.
“It spiralled out from there. One person would introduce you to another.”
Over the next decade Kaitlyn was systematically abused by hundreds of men who would line up to await their turn with her. On average, she says, she would be raped by eight at a time, one after the other.
“My mum called the police when I was 15. I didn’t tell her, she found out another way. This big tall black officer [came to the house]; he was pacing the room. He was really impatient.”
Rather than take the complaint seriously, the officer told Kaitlyn’s mother that she was a known prostitute. “He told my mum to leave me to it, that I would stop when I’m ready. And he told me that they couldn’t offer protection if I gave a statement.” She doesn’t recall whether he gave a reason why.
At 16 years old Kaitlyn was evicted from the family house by her mother, who feared for her own safety and that of Kaitlyn’s younger brother. Kaitlyn moved into a youth hostel where the abuse continued.
Kaitlyn has been raped with a knife held to her throat more than once. One of her abusers told her that he was planning to hide her body under his floorboards and that she’d never be found as he was returning to Pakistan. She had been threatened with a drill, and her abusers have told her, in recent years, that they will pour acid down her throat if she reports the abuse.
As none of her abusers ever used protection she has contracted numerous STDs and has been pregnant eleven times. Many of the pregnancies ended in abortion, but she has two young daughters, both fathered by her abusers.
Kaitlyn has attempted suicide more than once and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet not one of her attackers has been brought to justice.
In fact, she often sees them in the streets. “They wave at me, try and talk to me. I’ve had some ask me to find them young girls, but that’s not going to happen. That’s what they’re like.”
Last year Kaitlyn found the ID card of a taxi driver she recognised as one of her abusers on the floor near her daughter’s school. The ID included his real name, and, searching through his Facebook profile, she was able to track down the names of dozens of other men.
“I’ve gave [the police] about eighty names of guys I remember in my town alone – and I don’t remember half of them. I’ve been approached by them and they’ve said ‘you don’t remember me, do you?’ and I’ve said ‘no’.
“But the names that I did give, they are guys that I saw quite a lot.
“At first I tried to give the names anonymously but was told that I’d have to give an official statement, that’s why I did it – I didn’t want to. But they [the police] just haven’t done anything with [the information]. They didn’t even take some of the names.”
Yet after a year of working with the police, she was told that the case would be dropped.
“None of the men were ever arrested. I don’t think they even knew there was a case.”
She was told that the case wasn’t viable because she has gaps in her memory thanks to PTSD. But she remains unconvinced. “Personally I don’t think it’s that,” she said. “I do think they’re still worried about being called racist.”
And she thinks there’s another reason too: “I was passed onto another guy… a Muslim guy… he’s in high power in another country. He was in charge of myself and four other girls.
“I think there’s people in high places…. It’s a bit too much for them [the police] to deal with. It’s too hard – that’s what I think.”Amazon on Wednesday launched its Kindle Single store and my experiment in self-book publishing went along for the ride.
When Amazon announced its Kindle Single effort in October I saw a good opportunity for the e-tailer to spur a market for content. Amazon wrangles with publishers over pricing and the few books are exclusive to the Kindle platform. With the Kindle Single store, Amazon is calling on authors, domain experts and other folks to contribute. Meanwhile, Kindle singles are priced from 99 cents to $4.99, a range that encourages purchases.
With that in mind, I decided to cook up a Kindle Single on a rant about The Business of Media that I frequently deliver at the office. The gist: Journalist types haven't focused much on their business models. As a result, journalists don't know their return on investment to their employers and leave themselves vulnerable. Just like technology managers, content folks have business alignment issues. At the very least, a little business model knowledge can prepare you for the day when you're on your own. In the end, we're all freelancers. We all publish or perish in the end.
In addition, the Kindle Single pitch---pieces that are 10,000 to 30,000 words---fit in with my sweet spot. Frankly, I don't have the patience or attention span for a book (at least for now) and dealing with publishers and agents. I took a class on writing children's books and was struck how much focus was on finding an agent and landing a publisher. To me, it would make a lot more sense to find an illustrator and do an iPad app.
That's what the Kindle Single effort represents. It's going to be a bit wild west at first, but Amazon could foster a nice idea marketplace that can put you on multiple platforms. I could see IT experts using the Kindle Single platform as a way to outline everything from project management tips to best practices and market research. Here's my experience with writing a Kindle Single.
The prep
Before the launch, Amazon was still formulating the Kindle Single approach as well as the launch date. The publishing platform was built on the same system that published standard e-books so Amazon didn't have to do a lot of heavy lifting from the IT perspective.
For me, it began with your standard story or book pitch. It's an introduction excerpt and a chapter outline.
Once accepted, it was just a case of writing the book and submitting. The actual file you submit is basically an HTML document that is converted to Amazon's proprietary format.
Why do an Amazon Kindle book? What appealed to me most about Amazon as a platform is that the process was simple and your work would wind up on multiple devices. The Kindle secret sauce isn't the e-reading device---it's the ability to take your content to the iPad, iPhone, Android device, PC, Mac or anywhere else. I'm not a developer and need to hit the broadest point possible.
The publishing process
If you have an Amazon account, you can publish a book.
Until a few days ago, the Kindle publishing system was dubbed the Digital Text Platform. Today, it's known as the Kindle Direct Publishing Platform.
Among the key items to know about the Kindle Direct Publishing Platform:
Royalty rates. Amazon used to give the 70 percent royalty option for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. Amazon changed that royalty option so the 70 percent of revenue is available for books priced between 99 cents and $4.99.
Book basics are simple. Things like book title, description and publishing rights are straightforward.
Keywords, categories and descriptions need more work. The hardest part of the process for me was finding categories for the e-book and writing the description, which is basically your pitch to sell your work.
Acquiring cover art. You need permission to use just about any image. I went with a tag cloud that I generated under a Creative Commons license. Since I generated that tag cloud for commercial use, I paid $19.99 for the license.
You have a choice on using Digital Rights Management. I enabled it, so sue me. Note once you choose to use DRM for a title you can't go back. Frankly, I didn't give it much thought. I will note that your attitude toward DRM changes a bit when you're the one doing the publishing.
The pricing
One of the more complicating items with the Kindle Single experiment was pricing. Amazon gave me a range of a 99 cent to $4.99 for a Kindle Single.
Given that range and about 30 seconds of price sensitivity analysis, I went with the middle of Amazon's range. I'd love to tell you there was some science, but I see a case of trial and error. Publishers can also change the list price so I'll experiment with it for giggles.
The other item to ponder is Amazon’s royalty rate and figuring out distribution charges. I went for the 70 percent royalty rate, but there are situations where the 35 percent rate may make sense. Here's a screen on the royalty option.
As you can see, there are delivery costs. These costs are based on the size of file and assessed by unit. Delivery costs could theoretically eat into your royalty rate if you sell enough units.
From the FAQ:
iii. The Delivery Costs for a Digital Book will be equal to the number of megabytes we determine your Digital Book file contains, once uploaded by you and converted by us into our then-current Digital Book format, multiplied by the Delivery Cost rate listed in the table below. One megabyte, equals 1024 kilobytes. One kilobyte equals 1024 bytes. We will round file sizes up to the nearest kilobyte. The minimum Delivery Cost for a Digital Book will be US$0.01 for sales in US Dollars and £0.01 for sales in GB Pounds, regardless of file size. iv. Example: For a US Dollar sale, if your Digital Book has a file size of 0.400 megabytes and a List Price of $8.99, and we sell your Digital Book at the List Price, the Delivery Cost for a sale in US Dollars will be $0.06 (0.400 MB x $0.15 = $0.06), and your Royalty will be $6.25 (($8.99 – $0.06) x 70% = $6.25).
If you sell to various markets---my book is in the U.S. and U.K. Kindle stores---the dynamics can change a bit. Amazon spends a good bit of time talking about the Value Added Tax in Luxembourg---something that isn't exactly dinner conversation.
My return on investment
Publish something that could be adapted to be a syllabus someday.
Make a few folks in the field think a bit.
Surface a key issue that isn't being taught much at journalism schools.
Will this book fund my retirement? Probably not. My personal ROI went like this:
If there's some revenue that goes along with the e-book that's fine, but the broader picture is that The Business of Media provided a nice introduction to micropublishing and micropayments. I think there's a future---and potentially a living---here. I'll experiment with the pricing, update the book as needed and plot my next one. With any luck Amazon's platform will improve to the point where children's books complete with illustrations reach multiple devices. Today, the only viable option for a kids book would be the iPad---a process I'm going to explore.THE tagline of the film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2”, which was released in March, is “People change. Greeks don’t.” Whether any euro-zone finance ministers have seen the film, let alone detected any resemblance to their ongoing talks with the Greek government, is unknown. But the renewed bickering over the terms of Greece’s latest bail-out, complete with threats of a snap election if its creditors don’t give more ground, has the air of a duff sequel.
Greece badly needs the next dollop of the €86 billion ($99 billion) bail-out creditors promised it last summer, in exchange for promises of austerity and reform. But it will not get the money until the creditors complete a review of its progress, which has been dragging on since October. The government has scraped together enough cash (by raiding independent public agencies) to pay salaries and pensions in May, perhaps even in June. But by July 20th, when a bond worth over €2 billion matures, the country once again faces default and perhaps a forced exit from the euro zone. The threat of Grexit is not exactly back; it never really went away.
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With a referendum on Britain’s EU membership in June and a possible flare-up of the refugee crisis as summer approaches, the last thing Europe needs is another Greek drama. The European Commission is thus in a mood for compromise. It emphasises that negotiations are “99%’’ complete. But the other creditor, the IMF, is less forgiving. With tax arrears in Greece rising and reforms constantly delayed, the fund has little faith that the programme’s target of a 3.5% primary budget surplus by 2018 can be achieved. It wants Greece to make a contingency plan to raise more money or cut spending further before it approves the next instalment of the bail-out.
In April a meeting of euro-zone finance ministers, intended to approve Greece’s fiscal plans along with the pending disbursement, was cancelled at the last minute. Although negotiators had more or less agreed on a package of €5.4 billion (3% of Greek GDP) in austerity measures, they hit a deadlock over an extra €3.6 billion in contingency measures to be adopted if the primary surplus does not reach 3.5%. The Europeans seem content to have a woolly plan B, but Christine Lagarde, head of the fund, says it will “have to be legislated upfront, have to be credible, and have to be triggered with a degree of automaticity”. Greece’s finance minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, says this is constitutionally impossible.
In fact the biggest constraints are political, not legal. The contingency package would probably involve further cuts to pensions, a direct assault on the base of the ruling Syriza party. Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister, faces a revolt by 53 of his own MPs, led by Mr Tsakalotos. Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy, now leads in the polls and has called for snap elections. It says it will vote neither for the €5.4 billion austerity package (because it is too tax-heavy and reform-light) nor for additional contingency measures.
The meeting of euro-zone finance ministers has been rescheduled for May 9th. Before that, negotiators on both sides will need to agree on the contingency plan. If they do so, the deal will have to be approved by the Greek parliament by May 24th, when the next finance ministers’ meeting takes place. If Mr Tsipras strikes a deal but cannot get it through parliament, a new election is likely. And several euro-zone governments must get parliamentary approval to sign off on any disbursement of bail-out funds. The potential pitfalls, in other words, are legion.
The irony is that the IMF, for all its current intransigence, is the more forgiving of Greece’s creditors. It wants to reduce the primary-surplus target to 1.5% and to write off some of Greece’s debt. Such concessions are politically indigestible for euro-zone governments, especially Germany’s. The most likely solution, as always, is a fudge: an agreement that gives creditors just enough confidence to release the next slug of cash, without putting Greece’s finances on a sustainable footing or resolving the most heated disputes.
Deal or no deal, election or not, the economy is struggling. Banks are still zombies; many structural reforms (such as to the judiciary, labour and product markets) have been put off; and private investors continue to give Greece a wide berth. Yet other euro members do not want to talk about debt relief. Greeks are not the only ones, it seems, who do not change.We’ve gotten majority of our contract audit reports back in the past two weeks, and wrapped up the changes we had to make to our reporting contracts after the internal audit.
Next week (post-Christmas) will be spent implementing the necessary changes and fixes found in security audits. Our initial feeling is that the fixes shouldn’t take much longer than a week to implement and review.
All changes (reporting contracts and overall fixes) need to be reviewed by our auditors. We expect this process to begin by the end of the week, and tentatively wrap up just after the new year.
Augur Node and the UI are coming right along — and dev.augur.net was wired up so you can see some active (test-net) markets now! The new white-paper is being polished / reviewed, and should be released prior to launch.How can I increase my number of Twitter followers? Am I making too much of a duck face in this profile pic? I could totally be a reality star, right? These are the questions of our times, and the last of them is at the heart of MTV’s Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous. The half-hour scripted comedy stars comedian Bo Burnham as Zach Stone, a self-absorbed dude with no discernible talents who has just graduated from high school. Instead of expanding his mind in college, he decides to expand his ego by trying to become a reality star and hires a camera crew to record his daily life for TV. This show is the result.
Check out the trailer below, and get your first glimpse of “the pre-celebrity” who is either going to wind up as a “famous writer, producer, actor, director, dancer, crab fisherman, slut,” or just plain broke. (Plus, Biff from Back to the Future as his dad!)
Zach Stone premieres May 2 at 10:30 p.m ET.
Read more:
Vinny Guadagnino talk show to bow after ‘MTV Movie Awards’ — EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
MTV Movie Awards: ‘Pitch Perfect’ cast to reunite on stage
‘Teen Wolf’ Tyler Posey heads to ‘Workaholics’ — EXCLUSIVE CLIPCampaign expenditures often defining factor in winning
Being a member of Congress has its perks.
The pay isn’t bad, there are plenty of breaks, and allowances for staff and expenses can reach as high as seven figures — not to mention the various tax benefits, pensions and health insurance.
But when it comes to winning a prestigious seat on Capitol Hill, candidates and incumbents are largely on their own. Regardless of rank, all are forced to sweat it out raising campaign funds at private meetings and public events, in order to pump cash into election efforts.
Of course, there’s no arguing the landscape for politicians and fundraising changed dramatically in 2010 with the U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United ruling, which opened the door for tens of millions of dollars to be funneled to the benefit of candidates by corporations, unions and independent groups. But political hopefuls are still responsible for generating funds of their own, in an effort to align with key constituents and to show strength to potential challengers. More changes are likely coming, too, with last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the overall $123,200 cap on hard money from individual donors in the 2013-2014 federal elections.
For members representing districts in Western North Carolina, the spending game is just getting started.
Records show U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry, Mark Meadows and Virginia Foxx spent a combined $607,000 on their campaigns during 2013. It’s a far cry from the $2.1 million spent by the trio during the entirety of the 2012 election cycle, but there’s plenty more to come.
Right now, campaign dollars are flowing to restaurants, printing and media companies, airlines and office rents.
“This time of year, there’s not too much sexy going on,” said Chris Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University. “Right now, it’s all about investment in the future, the next election and scaring off any potential competitors. If you can win by a larger margin this time, the less likely you are to have a strong opponent next time. Guys like these can be very calculating.”
What candidates decide to do with their money is largely up to them, as long as it meets rules laid out by the Federal Election Commission. But expenditures over $200 must be reported and published online, making it possible for citizens to see areas where representatives opt to spend, along with who they give business to.
Big-ticket purchases for 2014 are still coming. So in order to gauge areas where McHenry, Meadows and Foxx might throw their campaign cash this year, it’s worth looking at their expenditures for 2012.
Meadows, who won election to his first term as a representative for North Carolina’s 11th District nearly two years ago, spent more $1 million in his efforts to win the seat.
Nearly a third of it went to production for television ads and media buys, with thousands more dollars being sent to Washington, D.C., political consulting firms.
For the congressman’s smaller expenditures, thousands of dollars were marked for campaign workers — a group that included Henderson County Republican state Sen. Tom Apodaca and his son.
Hundreds more went towards buying lapel stickers, mini-footballs, badges and t-shirts, presumably to boost Meadows’ name identification with voters across the district.
McHenry, a four-term congressman for the 10th District, spent more than $900,000 on keeping his seat in 2012. Like Meadows, McHenry threw tens of thousands at TV ads, along with thousands more spent at restaurants and gift shops. For one notable purchase, the congressman forked over $5,000 for tickets to a Washington Nationals game.
Russ Choma, a money in politics reporter at the Center for Responsive Politics, said expenses like dining out and special events — including sports games — were par for the course when it comes to fundraising.
“It’s the way many fundraisers usually work,” Choma said. “Some do Nationals games, others do concerts or fancy dinners — you’re basically having a party with a donation required to get in. It’s not terribly uncommon for campaigns to have these events to entice donors.”
Foxx, who has represented the 5th District since 2005, spent the least among WNC candidates in the most recent cycle. In 2012, Foxx reported only $195,248 in disbursements — a total already eclipsed by her spending in the current cycle’s.
Her numbers could stay low. Like Meadows and McHenry, Foxx serves a constituency in a district rated by The Cook Political Report as “Solid Republican.”
In the event of an easy re-election, candidates are free to keep their funds in a war chest for use in future races. They can also divvy it out to fellow lawmakers or committees who have backed them in the past.
For many lawmakers, campaign disclosures can serve as a check for donors who are interested in seeing if their contributions are being leveraged in a way that is satisfactory to their intentions.
“It shines light on what members are doing, because anyone can see what the campaign has done,” Choma said. “Even though they don’t have to check with donors, donors can look and find out what the candidate is using their money for, and see if it’s being spent in a way they would have intended for the money to be spent.”
Despite providing a general idea of where money goes, expenditure reports offer few specifics regarding the details of purchases.
In both cycles for 2012 and this year, all three members show expenditures marked as “credit card fees,” with little to no explanation of what items the purchases might have gone toward.
In order to find actual details on credit card purchases, Choma said one would have to dig up actual receipts for items, which aren’t easily available from the Federal Election Commission.
“It’s definitely one of the more opaque areas of campaign finance,” he said. “It’s an area that gets less attention. Even when you have an appropriate expense, it’s not broken down in a way you would expect it to be. It’s not necessarily nefarious, it’s just the way it is.”
Another loophole enjoyed by candidates is that campaign committees are not required to disclose any subcontractors who are hired using funds disbursed by campaigns to recipients. And because of weak enforcement by the FEC, few violations are ever penalized, no matter if they were unintentional mistakes or egregious breaches of law.
Regardless of the tangled web of details, expenditures by candidates are often the defining factor in winning or losing an election. In 2012, the candidate spending the most money in 429 House races won 95 percent of the time — a figure which doesn’t include any of the tens of millions spent by outside groups in securing their seats.By Piper Blackmun
Evangelical Christian Kirk Cameron has dismissed fears of super storms created by climate change. According to Cameron, a former actor, storms are punishment for disobeying God. His solutions: more prayer, and banning gay marriage and other liberal policies.
“These storms are God’s punishment for disobeying his laws,” said Cameron in a Facebook post. “We need to pray more and stop legalizing blasphemies like gay marriage and men dressing as women.”
Cameron recently posted a video where he seemed to admire God’s destructive power.
Cameron isn’t the only Evangelical who thinks prayer can stop natural disasters. According to Right Wing Watch, preacher Lance Wallnau claimed his prayers diverted the course of Hurricane Irma.
“I’m happy for what we were able to see happen with the hurricane in Florida,” he said. “I’m telling you, this hurricane went where the Everglades is instead of where Miami is. It’s like, boom, prayer moved it.”
Even though Wallnau claimed his prayers caused the hurricane to avoid parts of Florida, the state received extensive damage. AccuWeather puts the cost in the billions.
“We believe the damage estimate from Irma to be about $100 billion, among the costliest hurricanes of all time. This amounts to 0.5 of a percentage point of the GDP of $19 trillion,” said AccuWeather founder Dr. Joel N. Myers.For previous developments on this story, see here and here.
Since our Facebook hacking story earlier, we’ve had some pretty significant updates.
First, the story so far:
An unknown Christian dating site was recently hacked and whoever responsible managed to gain access to a list of email addresses and passwords. It’s likely the file was posted to anonymous message board 4Chan.org and in doing so, some of its frequenters have begun a rampant attack on Facebook, e-store profiles, email accounts and other social networks.
We initially managed to get hold of one the original txt files complete with email addresses and passwords, but we’ve since received a folder full of more login details and screenshots (presumably taken by the hackers themselves) of various email accounts, emails sent, documents, goods purchased and yes, social network profiles.
The social network screenshots (such as this one) are embarrassing, but in the long run, relatively harmless. In regard to the email accounts however, we have seen screenshots of various more sensitive accounts including Paypal and Amazon.com accounts that have clearly been gained access to via peoples email accounts. On top of that, a number of private photographs have been made shared, all of which I can guarantee the people involved would not want made public.
The hackers have also sent a number of emails to friends and family pretending they have either converted religion, changed sexuality, are dying of AIDS or have been affected by some other unchristian like situation.
We’ll post a few of the screenshots below over the next hour, (once we’ve established which ones don’t contain sensitive information).
Read next: Google at risk from 'Zombie Computers'The El Paso-Santa Teresa-Las Cruces area isn’t on electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors’ list of areas where it’s looking to locate a $5-billion battery factory with about 6,500 jobs, a top El Paso area economic development official said.
“For yet unknown reasons, they did not select any communities in southern New Mexico and West Texas,” Rolando Pablos, chief executive officer of the Borderplex Alliance, a regional economic development organization based in El Paso, said in an email. “This is one of those ‘Super Bowl’ trophy projects all communities would love to land; but for which only a few will qualify.”
Pablos said he still wants area leaders to pursue the Tesla factory. The best way to do that is to make a “binational, regional play” for the plant, he said.
It’s hard to imagine a situation in which any one community in
|
makes the
case. Far Beyond Reasonable Doubt.
This report will be of service to the 911 Research Community, the Public, the People of New
York and those who are working to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.
To those who believe that this information should not be made widely known - I say that
this information must no longer be swept under the carpet. The data is in the Public
Domain. Its implications must be brought to wider attention, so that it can be further
investigated and appropriate measures taken to ensure the health and safety of New York.
In 1986, the US Congressional Sub Committee on Energy Conservation and Power released
a report: "American Nuclear Guinea Pigs: Three Decades of Radiation Experiments on US
Citizens". Surreptitious administration of radioactive substances to New York prison
inmates was still going on in 1994.
The Sierra Club have described in their report "Pollution and Deception at Ground Zero"
how people were told to clean up the dust themselves. No special precautions were
necessary, the EPA continuously assured them. Specialist cleanup contractors were rarely
used. Thousands of people have been needlessly and with 66 figures, graphs and photographs presents the detailedevidence for the Nuclear Demolition of the World Trade Centre. It is written in asnon-technical a way as possible for a wide audience, including explaining the chemistry ofnuclear fission.While many people have shown that the towers were subjected to a controlled demolition,this is the first public document to present the evidence and proof that they were in factsubjected to a Nuclear Controlled Demolition. No data on the fallout from a nuclearexplosion has ever been available to the public before. This document presents the USGSdata along with comprehensive analysis.While others have suspected that the towers may have been subjected to nuclearexplosions - because of the seismographic data, the hot spots and the vast amount ofenergy expended in the explosions, the incontrovertible proof comes from the USGS data.Radioactive Fallout. Nuclear Fission Products. The evidence from the USGS data makes thecase. Far Beyond Reasonable Doubt.This report will be of service to the 911 Research Community, the Public, the People of NewYork and those who are working to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.To those who believe that this information should not be made widely known - I say thatthis information must no longer be swept under the carpet. The data is in the PublicDomain. Its implications must be brought to wider attention, so that it can be furtherinvestigated and appropriate measures taken to ensure the health and safety of New York.In 1986, the US Congressional Sub Committee on Energy Conservation and Power releaseda report: "American Nuclear Guinea Pigs: Three Decades of Radiation Experiments on USCitizens". Surreptitious administration of radioactive substances to New York prisoninmates was still going on in 1994.The Sierra Club have described in their report "Pollution and Deception at Ground Zero"how people were told to clean up the dust themselves. No special precautions werenecessary, the EPA continuously assured them. Specialist cleanup contractors were rarelyused. Thousands of people have been needlessly and callously exposed.
In an interview with MSNBC, Marianne Harinko, Acting EPA Administrator at the time said
before she resigned:
"I pray to God that in the event of another terrorist attack, God Forbid, we as an agency
would be equipped to get the data analysed and posted to the public. God forbid there is a
dirty bomb".
You can now In an interview with MSNBC, Marianne Harinko, Acting EPA Administrator at the time saidbefore she resigned:"I pray to God that in the event of another terrorist attack, God Forbid, we as an agencywould be equipped to get the data analysed and posted to the public. God forbid there is adirty bomb".You can now Download the Full Report Free of Charge by clicking on the button below.CALHOUN COUNTY, Texas -- Three men who went missing during a hunting trip were found dead Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, CBS affiliate KHOU reports.
The three men went duck hunting near Carancahua Bay between Port Lavaca and Palacios Friday morning.
According to the Coast Guard, the men are Spencer Hall, 19, from Mont Belvieu, Starett Burk, 25, from Wallisville, and Christian Ruckman, 18, from Dayton.
The men launched their 17-foot green, flat-bottom boat around 4 a.m. off of County Road 312.
They were supposed to return Friday morning but one of their girlfriend’s contacted authorities when they hadn’t returned by Friday evening.
The Coast Guard launched an airplane and helicopter in the search and worked with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office to coordinate water and land search efforts.
Details are limited at this time. We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.Story highlights The inmates will eat bread and water for seven days
They are all male and part of the Maricopa County jail system
It's managed by controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio
"Sheriff Arpaio is a Korean War veteran and a big patriot," spokesman says
A diet of bread and water is the punishment for dozens of Arizona inmates who allegedly defaced American flags placed in their jail cells.
The 38 male inmates are part of the Maricopa County jail system, which is under the control of controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio.
For their alleged unpatriotic acts, the sheriff said Thursday, they'll survive on bread and water for seven days.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," Arpaio said. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
The flags are part of a push for patriotism in county jail cells that includes listening to the "Star-Spangled Banner" every morning and "God Bless America" every night over the intercom system.
JUST WATCHED Judge says Sheriff Arpaio was profiling Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Judge says Sheriff Arpaio was profiling 01:32
JUST WATCHED Joe Arpaio: I will not be intimidated Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Joe Arpaio: I will not be intimidated 01:51
Arpaio implemented the American flag jailhouse initiative in November.
At the time, he announced a push to hire more veterans, saying his office employs more than 600 men and women who have served in the military. He manages about 8,000 inmates.
"Sheriff Arpaio is a Korean War veteran and a big patriot," said Chrisopher Hegstrom, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.
Arpaio's tough, headline-grabbing punishments have earned him diehard supporters and fiery opponents along the way.
He's issued pink underwear to the men detained in the county's jails and said he is saving taxpayers money by removing salt and pepper from prison meals.
This month, the county announced that his racial and ethnic profiling will cost it at least $22 million. A court ruled in May that his office routinely profiled Latinos during traffic and immigration patrols.
His office has a history of targeting vehicles with occupants of Latino heritage, scrutinizing them more strictly and detaining them more often, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow ruled.
Arpaio has denied any discrimination or civil rights violations, and is appealing the decision.
He was elected to his sixth term as sheriff for the Phoenix area in November 2012.Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Jan. 9 that SSN 795, a Virginia-class attack submarine, will bear the name USS Hyman G. Rickover.
Mabus named the submarine to honor U.S. Navy Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the man credited for developing USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine.
Virginia-class submarines provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. They have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities, and special warfare enhancements that enable them to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements.
Virginia-class submarines have the capability to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces. Other missions include anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare; mine delivery and minefield mapping. They are also designed for special-forces delivery and support.
Each Virginia-class submarine is 7,800 tons and 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. It is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.Hopefully the title doesn’t jinx Brooklyn’s overall health but last night was extremely enjoyable to watch for any Nets fan. After weeks of battling nagging injuries and various ailments, the Brooklyn Nets finally boast a clean bill of health. Most importantly, from their four highest paid players (Garnett, Lopez, Williams & Johnson). Although these four are featured primarily in the starting together the past year and a half, recent struggles have forced coach Lionel Hollins’ hand, altering the starting rotation.
Lopez and Williams, two of the highest annually paid players in the NBA have been anchored to the bench for the past two weeks and in turn, the Nets have won four of the last five. Their most recent being yesterday’s win against an upstart Sacramento Kings squad. For the fifth straight night, Hollins remained steadfast with his starting lineup, trotting out Mason Plumlee and Sergey Karasev together for the 10th time in 2014.
Although Karasev struggled from the field after a career high in scoring last game, his teammates picked him up tallying 107 points as Plumlee led the way with 22 points. Squaring off against Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins, Plumlee battled all night long in the paint, racking up 16 free throws in the process. He was 6-7 from the field in yet another efficient performance but his success at the line and his ability to get there was the real surprise.
Normally a poor free throw shooter, Plumlee hit 10 of 16 and kept attacking the rim effortlessly. The massive contributions from Plumlee of late make it impossible to keep him out of the lineup as he develops into the low post scoring threat the Nets were hoping for when they drafted him. The starting five is tailored to space the floor effectively, allowing Plumlee ample room to operate down low.
This lineup combination has spelled success for Brooklyn in December, as the Plumlee/Karasev starting tandem has resulted in a 6-4 record with the additional athleticism of each lengthy forward. Although this lineup may lack rim protection with the absence of Brook Lopez, this unit has logged the third most minutes together out of any Brooklyn lineup combination. They’ve been able to limit turnovers and get the charity stripe more frequently, while creating higher percentage shots than their opponents.
Kevin Garnett still remains the anchor in the center for Brooklyn and at 37 years old, he’s showed his critics all season that he is still able to produce in a starting role. KG played well yet again, limiting production in the paint while forcing turnovers and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. The Nets are much more efficient on both sides of the ball when he’s on the court and Hollins intends on riding the veteran Center essentially until the wheels fall off.
Karasev connected with Garnett on an alley-oop midway through the game after KG poked away the ball for one of his four steals. After the game, he had news for his critics, stating “I ain’t dead yet.” and that people shouldn’t be amazed that he could still dunk. His ferocious style of play remains a constant each night and without Lopez as his counterpart in the frontcourt, he’s anchoring a defense that’s becoming tougher in the final stages of the game.
It is unclear how long the relegation of Lopez and Williams to reserve roles shall last but the ‘max players’ are buying into the concept as long as it produces results. In addition, who knows what the future holds for Lopez, Williams and even Johnson. As Deron and Brook’s roles have diminished, trade rumors have begun to swirl yet again, especially with the Kings in town as potential suitors for Deron Williams.
Unwavered, the Nets (Lopez and Williams included) played superb throughout the entire 48 minutes, building another early lead while slowly building and maintaining it in the second half. Last night was one of the most complete performances we’ve seen from the Nets this season and with a tough stretch approaching once 2015 hits, consistency will be their toughest task.
“If they’re playing great and my role is smaller than what I’m accustomed to, that’s fine with me.” – Deron Williams
Speaking of consistency, the point guard position has been nothing of the sort so far this season. Deron Williams got off to a strong start to the 2014 campaign but started to regress as the weeks went by, in addition to nagging injuries. That’s where Jarrett Jack comes in. It’s been two weeks since his ill-fated botched layup in the Heat game and since that point, Jack has relished the opportunity when presented with extended minutes. Like Plumlee and Karasev, Jack also started his fifth straight game last night and continued his hot streak, scoring 16 points while getting to the free throw line and keeping the Nets tempo on pace with Sacramento.
In his 5 starts, Jarrett Jack has averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 36 minutes on 53% shooting (96% FT). — Anthony Puccio (@APooch) December 30, 2014
As noted in the tweet above, Jack has made the most of his string of starts in the past two weeks and Lionel Hollins can’t argue with the results. He’s been the additional scoring option that the Nets desperately lacked coming into the season when Marcus Thornton and Andray Blatche didn’t return.
For now, Lionel Hollins is deadset on keeping things the same until his hand is forced or the injury bug silently creeps into the Nets locker room. Coach Hollins, when asked about the rotating lineup combos stated “I don’t need numbers to show me they’re not playing well together,”…“I can see it by the scoreboard. The other night, we tried (Lopez and Plumlee together) a little bit early, and it was a bad move. We lost our lead (and) lost our momentum.” If you couldn’t tell already, Hollins is an old-school coach that doesn’t rely on advanced statistics to make his lineup decisions. In addition, he could care less about “star players” sitting the bench and playing reserve minutes. He wants to win.
Hollins’ experiences around the game have sharpened his instincts and it is showing within this recent stretch. The lineups seem unconventional from an outside standpoint but can you question positive results? He now has the luxury of a full roster that is – for the time being – relatively healthy and plans on continuing to throw opposing teams curveballs with his array of lineup combinations. The team certainly has his full support and if they believe it is beneficial for the team’s success, so be it.
Tonight, the Nets have a quick turnaround as they travel to the midwest to take on Chicago. Brooklyn will be fortunate to play them for the final time this season as the Bulls have punished the Nets in each of their first three meetings. Kevin Garnett is expected to rest after another strong performance last night, which could mean a return to the starting lineup for Brook Lopez.
Go Nets.Mangalore police forced women dancing at a discothèque of a three-Star hotel to leave on Saturday night, allegedly at the behest of the Bajrang Dal, a right-wing organisation accused of pushing radical Hinduism and moral policing.
Police refuted the allegation, saying the organisers of the party at the hotel did not have necessary clearances.
Still, the Bajrang Dal’s Mangalore-based state president Sharan Pumpwell praised police for their prompt action and said activists of his outfit were waiting outside
during the raid. “Police went inside and asked the girls to leave. We thank Mangalore police for their action. Earlier, they were not cooperating with us but that has changed in the past few months.”
Referring to the January 2009 pub attack, where women were molested and beaten by Sri Rama Sene activists for partying, he said: “We are criticised when we take law into our own hands to save our women. This time, we followed the law and complained to police about the immoral activities.”
“Dance parties are organised by the drug and sex mafia. Women dancing in front of hundreds of unknown men is against Indian culture.”
Mangalore police commissioner S Murugan contested Pumpwell’s comments, saying the event organisers did not have liquor permit as well as the permission for DJ music.
Police sources said the crackdown was necessary because underage revellers were dancing but denied that only women were asked to leave.
Photos given to Hindustan Times by one of the organisers clearly show only men having a good time on the dance floor. The photos were taken between 8.26pm and 9.07pm, much after the police raid.
According to a reveller who had gone with his wife and children, police entered the venue at 6.45pm and told the organisers to stop the music.
“They are now asking the organisers to make all the women leave. There are five or six European women. They are also being forced to leave,” he narrated over the phone the scene when the raid was on.
The foreigners argued with the organisers and demanded a refund of the entry fee, he said before passing the phone to one of the women. “Bad, bad…” the woman shouted on the phone.
The party continued without the women and the music finally stopped at 10.20pm, said a man who was part of the light and sound production crew. “Police stopped the music around 7pm and allowed us to restart it 45 minutes after all the women had left. They ordered us to turn down the volume.”
There were at least 20 women on the dance floor and another 40-50 waiting to enter when police arrived.
Police chief Murugan said an inquiry would be conducted into allegations of men dancing at the event till 9pm when the party organisers did not have necessary permits.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah, who had promised to check coastal Karnataka’s moral police, has yet to react.
The hotel management refused to be drawn into the controversy, neither confirming nor denying the incident.
First Published: Sep 27, 2015 18:30 ISTBy Dr. David Duke. The Illustrated Protocols of Zion will probably make more impact than any previous book that I have ever written. The original Protocols of Zion have been read by countless millions of people over the last 117 years. It is still the most common Internet search item when it comes to the Jewish Question.
This book takes the basic assertions of the protocols and proves them in the present time. It is a brand new edition of the classic work which takes the “old” Protocols of Zion and shows, using present-day practical examples, its prescience and astonishing accuracy—despite being more than century old!
Almost everybody knows of the “original” Protocols of Zion—and their historical background. They were probably complied by Czarist agents towards the end of the nineteenth century as a weapon in their war against the large-scale Jewish Communist uprising which they faced. The Protocols have been derided as a forgery, slander, and lies—yet remain one of the most widely read books in the world on the Jewish Question.
In my new book, I show that it is actually irrelevant if the original Protocols were written by Czarist agents or not. In fact, as I point out, they are in reality a highly predictive work of “fiction”—much like George Orwell’s 1984, or Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
Although the characters and storyline in both those works are “fiction”, the idea which underlay both those books was most certainly fact. Thus, they were works of “fiction”—just like the Protocols of Zion.
I show that in the case of the protocols, truth is stranger than fiction! For in this illustrated book, I show documents, quotes, photographs and facsimiles of Jewish Supremacist extremism that far exceeds even the assertions contained in the Protocols.
The original Protocols claim Jewish control over international banking. The Illustrated Protocols proves this in both text and illustrations.
The original Protocols claims that the Jewish extremists control the press. The Illustrated Protocols proves this with Jewish headlines and illustrations.
The original Protocols claims that Jewish extremists control major governments. The Illustrated Protocols proves this with illustrations, examples and quotes from leading Jewish Supremacists themselves.
The original Protocols talked about Jewish dictatorship through a tyrannical world government. The Illustrated Protocols quotes the most famous Jew of the 2oth Century, David Ben-Gurion, where he states his vision that the Jews will be worshiped in their world headquarters in Jerusalem, and that Israel will possess the Supreme Court of mankind. Truth is stranger than fiction!
Whereas the original Protocols could certainly make one think, the Illustrated Protocols of Zion will leave no doubts.
Whoever wrote the original Protocols possessed a remarkable insight into how Jewish Supremacists operated—and because it contains that remarkable predictive power, it remains a resource study for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of the psychology of Jewish Supremacism.
My new book is not, however, “just” the “old” Protocols. In it, I show that the reality of present-day Jewish Supremacism—in terms of media control, financial manipulation, control of governments and outright Jewish racism—were all accurately predicted and mapped out in the Protocols.
Using real, current-day examples of Jewish Supremacist domination, I show that in fact the reality of today is actually much worse than even what the Protocols dared predict!
This is without question one of the most important books ever written on Jewish Supremacism, and is guaranteed to be another work which will go down in the annals of history as an earth-shaking opinion changer.
Why I Need Your Help to Publish this Incredible Book
I need your help to get this book out to as many people as possible.
In order to get the price of the book affordable, it is vital to have a large print run. Most major books published today have runs of at least 20,000 copies, which greatly lowers the cost of the individual books.
We will not print that many in the first run, but it will take an adequate number of books printed to allow the book to be published at an affordable cost.
We will also send the book to key people around the world, who in turn can share this book’s truth with millions more people. To do all this will require your generous support.
The book will be published as a substantial, beautifully printed hardback complete with a full-color glossy jacket. It will be of worthy quality to refer to for years and to pass on to your children.
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Please be patient: books will be sent out as soon as they arrive from the printer!In an effort to showcase the beauty of Puerto Rico and the unwavering love that many young Boricuas have for their troubled island, a group of influential instagrammers has launched a grassroots hashtag campaign called #CrisisIsland featuring irresistibly comely photos and videos from the “Island of Enchantment.”
The non-governmental campaign is intended to “change the conversation about the island” by flooding social networks with user-generated content that reminds people that underneath Puerto Rico’s current economic and social crisis, it’s still land of beauty, adventure and romanticism, says Carmen Portela, of media consulting firm Synapse Social.
Colours of Freedom #WWIM12 #WWIM12PR. #communityfirst #sukaloncat #ModernVoyage #olympusinspired #CrisisIsland A photo posted by Mils (@mymils) on Oct 8, 2015 at 8:20am PDT
The campaign started by enlisting 10 of the island’s top young Instagrammers—with a total followership of 200,000—to do their thing. Their posts inspired a bevy of other Puerto Rican instagrammers and foreign tourists alike to join the movement. In one month, the hashtag campaign has resulted in more than 6,000 user-generated photos uploaded to Instagram, and nearly 14 million impressions on Instagram and Twitter, according to Portela.
En caso de crisis, flota. #crisisisland In case of crisis, float. #crisisisland A photo posted by Laura Alemán (@lauraalemanofficial) on Sep 17, 2015 at 2:38pm PDT
The basis of the hashtag campaign, similar to Guatemala’s recent IG tourism-promotion campaign, is to harness the power of social media to influence public opinion about a country whose name is often uttered in the same sentence as the word crisis. But unlike the #VisitGuatemala campaign, which was funded by that country’s tourism board, #CrisisIsland is completely independent and pro-bono.
infinity pool. #CrisisIsland A photo posted by REY FONTÁN (@reyluis) on Sep 14, 2015 at 2:52pm PDT
The hashtag #CrisisIsland was picked in an effort to appropriate the language people are using to talk about the country and disrupt the conversation, Portela explains.
“Everything you read about Puerto Rico in the media is crisis, crisis, crisis. But there’s another reality to our island,” she told me. “The first phase of this campaign is intended to change the way we look at our own country internally, because many people here feel sad about the situation. I think the first stage of promoting love for country has been a success, because we’ve seen people starting to have a new appreciation for our island.”
Phase two, she said, is to spread the love internationally, Kumbaya style.
Participating instagrammer Harold Camilo says the campaign is successful because the photos are genuine, not the staged stuff you see in typical tourism brochures. He says many of the instagrammers are friends in real life who were already exploring and photographing their country on weekends. Now they’re uniting those efforts under a common hashtag.
"Where’s the light I used to know? Slip, slip, slip through your hands" #WHPmakebelieve A photo posted by Harold Camilo (@haroldcamilo) on Oct 18, 2015 at 6:39am PDT
“We are just normal people enjoying the island,” the 23-year-old says. “We are truly in love with the island.”
Fellow instagrammer Rey Luis, 24, says the hashtag campaign is something he and his group take very seriously.
I live where you vacation. Puerto Rico… #CrisisIsland A video posted by REY FONTÁN (@reyluis) on Oct 14, 2015 at 2:10pm PDT
“It makes us proud to be part of the solution and not part of the problem,” he told me. “I was upset that so many people were talking badly about my island without knowing it. So we’re using the tools at our disposal, namely Instagram, to to show that not all is wrong with the island.”
I could sit here all day and not be bored. #crisisisland A photo posted by Pablo D. Quiñones (@snpshots) on Oct 19, 2015 at 8:58am PDT
“My ability to impact the way people look at Puerto Rico makes me really proud,” he said.You want to offer gallant gifts for your buddy’s pet and child. What could be the finest goodies? Is it savvy to provide their kitty with a cat grooming Canberra has now?
Here are a few charming gift ideas we highly propose:
For the pets
Dog coats
Your friend’s tail-wagger will definitely enjoy several selected dog coats. Keep in mind: dog coats these days typically aren’t common kinds. These products have improved over time.
For instance, dog coats in Australia today can dry out as fast as under 18 minutes. They also fit snugly into a pooch’s body.
Luxury cat grooming
Meanwhile, if your buddy lives with a pet cat, why not take it to a luxurious cat grooming Canberra has now?
One engaging and worthy Canberra cat grooming service in Australia is Purr Cat Hotel’s. They’re a fine but cheap cattery feline owners really love.
The felines can enjoy and roam around their sophisticated facilities and chambers. They even have photography and boarding services.
Give the felines the magnificent cat grooming Canberra has now they deserve!
GPS Pet Tracker
For maximum pet security, get your pal’s pet a pet tracker. This allows them to monitor the site of their furry babies.
You can order a water-resistant, real-time tracker just like Findster. Findster comes along with a built-in radar. This shows the proximity between the owner and the fur babies. Other authorised people can also have access to it without extra charges.
Catit Wave Circuit Toy
Here’s a fun, engaging game a kitty will definitely go crazy about.
The Senses 2.0 Wave Circuit provides a ball that zips around a track. It is also BPA-free as well as uncomplicated to construct.
On top of those, its roller-coaster-like style can also be adjusted in a hundred+ designs!
For the kids
Mega Bloks
Toddlers can get their small hands getting the job done using Mega Bloks’ 60 multi-coloured blocks in numerous shapes.
These exciting, vibrant blocks are ideal for activating early childhood development. They even come with a free bag for uncomplicated storage.
Ant Farm
This game certainly never goes out of style! The Ant Farm Educational Kit (Free Ants with Queen) by Ant House is one engaging educational tool for children.
Users can gather colourful sands into the ants’ habitats, stimulating their spatial intellect. Of course, the little ones can use their personal styles.
Horse toys
It would be unlikely if your buddy’s children aren’t pet enthusiasts. So, a number of attractive, life-like horse toys are going to make them scream with joy!
You can try Schleich horse toys, say. These horse toys come in various breeds, like Lipizzaner Mare, Clydesdale Mare, and Morgan Horse Mare. It’s ideal for little ones 3 and above.
Roblox toys
Power up the imagination with Roblox toys! Roblox is a multiplayer online platform where children can craft their own online game.
The Roblox toys are valuables kids and parents really love. They are action figures anyone can make use of for imaginative narration and even film or digital photography.
Roblox toys can be found in celebrity mystery figures or legends series.
Final thoughts
These are the best gifts for any pet or kid. Don’t sacrifice quality for the price. If you’re especially excited to try out the cat grooming in Canberra, you don’t have to search far.
You can get the best cat grooming Canberra wide from Purr Cat Hotel. They even have limousines, if you’re feeling extravagant.
Visit them today at https://www.purrcathotel.com.au.Athens, Greece (CNN) They are images that will forever haunt Muhidin Hussein Muhamed: The boat he was about to board flipping over in seconds, trapping hundreds of its passengers inside.
Those who made it to the surface didn't know how to swim, he recalls. Many drowned, while others wearing life vests simply drifted away with the currents.
Muhamed, 32, was traveling with his six brothers. They were all lost.
"I survived. But I'm not going to forget my brothers," he tells CNN. "The survivors will not forget their families. It's not possible."
He was one of only 41 survivors -- 37 men, three women and a 3-year-old child -- from a boat believed to be carrying as many as 500 people, many of them asylum seekers from Somalia, before it capsized in the Mediterranean
Muhamed says his journey started on a boat that left the Libyan port of Tobruk on April 12 just before sunrise. He remembers the captain making a headcount: 200 people on board a 15-meter boat.
They were headed for Italy, but some 15 hours into the journey, the captain announced that the boat wasn't going to make it. He says their boat pulled up alongside a larger vessel overloaded with hundreds of people.
Panic
They threw ropes over to the larger boat, he says, and started to transfer passengers one by one. At first, it was an orderly process. But as night fell, people began to rush forward, fearful of losing a space on board.
The seas became rougher and the waves higher. They waited on the smaller boat with a group of women, afraid to move in the chaos.
"I told them 'Wait here. Let us wait. They are all shouting and in a hurry. It's dangerous.'"
He remembers the captain shouting at the crowds to stop rushing and balance the bigger boat. Then it flipped over.
"I saw it with my eyes," he says, using his hands to illustrate the capsized hull of the boat. "I'm watching the people. They can't swim. Watching them go up and down in the water."
The bigger boat was already overcrowded with about 500 people, including some from Muhamed's smaller vessel.
JUST WATCHED Lesbos: A Greek cemetery for the migrant dead. Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Lesbos: A Greek cemetery for the migrant dead. 02:24
'Muhidin, help me!'
Muhamed recalls seeing one of his brothers in the water.
"He shouted 'Muhidin, help me!' But I did not have the power to help him. I am only looking."
Muhamed says about 10 people managed to swim back to his boat. He believes there could have been more survivors, including his own brothers, but the boat captain restarted the engine and left them behind.
"I asked the captain 'Why you leave my brother there?' He said'shut up' and he hit me. I want to kill him. But I can't kill him because who will drive us to Italy then?"
A short while later, Muhamed says, another empty boat arrived. The captain and the crew jumped aboard. They punched in a number on a satellite phone and then threw it to the remaining survivors.
"Call for help," was the last thing Muhamed remembers the captain saying before he sped away.
Adrift at sea
They drifted for three days at sea before they were rescued. Several ships passed them by, Muhamed says, before a commercial vessel from the Philippines responded to their distress call.
JUST WATCHED A year in the life of migrants Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH A year in the life of migrants 01:47
"Without food and water we become so dry -- our skins, eyes - all of us. We were just hoping we were going to die. We waited for the minute the boat goes down."
The survivors were taken to Kalamata, Greece, and are now under the care of the UNHCR in a hotel in Athens.
The first thing Muhamed did was borrow five euros to call his wife and five children in Somalia. They cried when they heard his voice.
He then sent a text message to his mother informing her that his brothers had died.
Muhamed says he will apply for asylum in Greece and try to build a new life here. For now, he lives with the other survivors.
"We are like brothers now because we survived together. 41 out of 500," he says.
What about the Libyan captain who left him at sea?
"If I saw this man now, I would not wait to kill him," he says. "He killed us. He knew this boat could not carry all these people. I wish I could see him again with my own eyes."Intro from Jay Allison: It's not everyone who manages to design new modes of storytelling. Jad, with his pal Robert Krulwich, have invented ways of blending sound and voice into something musical--both familiar and strange, primal and sophisticated. In his Transom Manifesto, Jad reflects on the birth of Radiolab, the ways we discover things without realizing it, the difficulty of changing, and the burdens of geniushood. You can hear early mock-ups, seminal conversations, inspirational moments, and thoughts about what to do next. Jad recently won a MacArthur Fellowship and it's brave of him to speak publicly, since all expectations from now on will be unreasonable, but this is very good stuff. Come check it.
Download “Jad Abumrad” Manifesto (PDF)
The Terrors & Occasional Virtues of Not Knowing What You’re Doing
Anyone who knows me knows that much of the time, I have very little idea what the hell I’m doing. Sometimes by design, sometimes not. Choosing that character flaw as my topic was the only way I could get comfortable with the
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. There are, indeed, other so called `churches’ with which you can have no communion. …These `churches’ cease to be holy, because they were deceived by the doctrines of the devil to believe and behave differently from what Christ commanded and from the tradition of the Apostles." (The Fathers of the Church)
Saint Jerome (died A.D. 420): "As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your blessedness, that is, with the Chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the rock on which the Church is built. …This is the ark of Noah, and he who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails. …And as for heretics, I have never spared them; on the contrary, I have seen to it in every possible way that the Church's enemies are also my enemies." (Manual of Patrology and History of Theology)
Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430): "No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church." (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
Saint Fulgentius (died A.D. 533): "Most firmly hold and never doubt that not only pagans, but also all Jews, all heretics, and all schismatics who finish this life outside of the Catholic Church, will go into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Enchiridion Patristicum)
Saint Bede the Venerable (died A.D. 735): "Just as all within the ark were saved and all outside of it were carried away when the flood came, so when all who are pre-ordained to eternal life have entered the Church, the end of the world will come and all will perish who are found outside." (Hexaemeron)
Saint Thomas Aquinas (died A.D. 1274): "There is no entering into salvation outside the Church, just as in the time of the deluge there was none outside the ark, which denotes the Church." (Summa Theologiae)
Saint Peter Canisius (died A.D. 1597): "Outside of this communion – as outside of the ark of Noah – there is absolutely no salvation for mortals: not for Jews or pagans who never received the faith of the Church, nor for heretics who, having received it, corrupted it; neither for the excommunicated or those who for any other serious cause deserve to be put away and separated from the body of the Church like pernicious members…for the rule of Cyprian and Augustine is certain: he will not have God for his Father who would not have the Church for his mother." (Catechismi Latini et Germanici)
Saint Robert Bellarmine (died A.D. 1621): "Outside the Church there is no salvation…therefore in the symbol [Apostles Creed] we join together the Church with the remission of sins: `I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins’…For this reason the Church is compared with the ark of Noah, because just as during the deluge, everyone perished who was not in the ark, so now those perish who are not in the Church." (De Sacramento Baptismi)
As well as Councils and various Popes:
Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved."
Pope Boniface VIII, Bull Unam sanctam (1302): "We are compelled in virtue of our faith to believe and maintain that there is only one holy Catholic Church, and that one is apostolic. This we firmly believe and profess without qualification. Outside this Church there is no salvation and no remission of sins, the Spouse in the Canticle proclaiming: 'One is my dove, my perfect one. One is she of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her' (Canticle of Canticles 6:8); which represents the one mystical body whose head is Christ, of Christ indeed, as God. And in this, 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5). Certainly Noah had one ark at the time of the flood, prefiguring one Church which perfect to one cubit having one ruler and guide, namely Noah, outside of which we read all living things were destroyed… We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."
(1302): "We are compelled in virtue of our faith to believe and maintain that there is only one holy Catholic Church, and that one is apostolic. This we firmly believe and profess without qualification. Outside this Church there is no salvation and no remission of sins, the Spouse in the Canticle proclaiming: 'One is my dove, my perfect one. One is she of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her' (Canticle of Canticles 6:8); which represents the one mystical body whose head is Christ, of Christ indeed, as God. And in this, 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5). Certainly Noah had one ark at the time of the flood, prefiguring one Church which perfect to one cubit having one ruler and guide, namely Noah, outside of which we read all living things were destroyed… We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff." Council of Florence, Cantate Domino (1441): "The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the "eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41), unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church." The same council also ruled that those who die in original sin, but without mortal sin, will also find punishment in hell, but unequally: "But the souls of those who depart this life in actual mortal sin, or in original sin alone, go down straightaway to hell to be punished, but with unequal pains."
(1441): "The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the "eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41), unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church." The same council also ruled that those who die in original sin, but without mortal sin, will also find punishment in hell, but unequally: "But the souls of those who depart this life in actual mortal sin, or in original sin alone, go down straightaway to hell to be punished, but with unequal pains." Pope Boniface I, Epistle 14.1: "It is clear that this Roman Church is to all churches throughout the world as the head is to the members, and that whoever separates himself from it becomes an exile from the Christian religion, since he ceases to belong to its fellowship."
Pope Pelagius II (578-590): "Consider the fact that whoever has not been in the peace and unity of the Church cannot have the Lord… Although given over to flames and fires, they burn, or, thrown to wild beasts, they lay down their lives, there will not be (for them) that crown of faith but the punishment of faithlessness… Such a one can be slain, he cannot be crowned… [If] slain outside the Church, he cannot attain the rewards of the Church" (Denzinger, 469).
Pope Saint Gregory the Great (590-604), Moralia : "Now the holy Church universal proclaims that God cannot be truly worshipped saving within herself, asserting that all they that are without her shall never be saved."
: "Now the holy Church universal proclaims that God cannot be truly worshipped saving within herself, asserting that all they that are without her shall never be saved." Pope Sylvester II, Profession of Faith, June AD 991: "I believe that in Baptism all sins are forgiven, that one which was committed originally as much as those which are voluntarily committed, and I profess that outside the Catholic Church no one is saved."
Pope Innocent III (1198–1216), Profession of Faith prescribed for the Waldensians: "With our hearts we believe and with our lips we confess but one Church, not that of the heretics, but the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside which we believe that no one is saved" (Denzinger 792).
Pope Clement VI, Letter Super quibusdam (to Consolator the Catholicos of Armenia), September 20, 1351: "In the second place, we ask whether you and the Armenians obedient to you believe that no man of the wayfarers outside of the faith of this Church, and outside the obedience of the Pope of Rome, can finally be saved… In the ninth place, if you have believed and do believe that all who have raised themselves against the faith of the Roman Church and have died in final impenitence have been damned and have descended to the eternal punishments of hell."
(to Consolator the Catholicos of Armenia), September 20, 1351: "In the second place, we ask whether you and the Armenians obedient to you believe that no man of the wayfarers outside of the faith of this Church, and outside the obedience of the Pope of Rome, can finally be saved… In the ninth place, if you have believed and do believe that all who have raised themselves against the faith of the Roman Church and have died in final impenitence have been damned and have descended to the eternal punishments of hell." Pope Leo XII (1823–1829), Encyclical Ubi primum : "It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery. By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church… For the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. With reference to those words Augustine says: 'If any man be outside the Church he will be excluded from the number of sons, and will not have God for Father since he has not the Church for mother.'"
: "It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery. By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church… For the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. With reference to those words Augustine says: 'If any man be outside the Church he will be excluded from the number of sons, and will not have God for Father since he has not the Church for mother.'" Pope Gregory XVI (1831–1846), Encyclical Summo jugiter studio (on mixed marriages), 5-6, May 27, 1832: "You know how zealously Our predecessors taught that very article of faith which these dare to deny, namely the necessity of the Catholic faith and of unity for salvation. The words of that celebrated disciple of the Apostles, martyred Saint Ignatius, in his letter to the Philadelphians are relevant to this matter: 'Be not deceived, my brother; if anyone follows a schismatic, he will not attain the inheritance of the kingdom of God.' Moreover, Saint Augustine and the other African bishops who met in the Council of Cirta in the year 412 explained the same thing at greater length: 'Whoever has separated himself from the Catholic Church, no matter how laudably he lives, will not have eternal life, but has earned the anger of God because of this one crime: that he abandoned his union with Christ' (Epsitle 141). Omitting other appropriate passages which are almost numberless in the writings of the Fathers, We shall praise Saint Gregory the Great, who expressly testifies that this is indeed the teaching of the Catholic Church. He says: 'The holy universal Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except in her and asserts that all who are outside of her will not be saved' (Moral. in Job, 16.5). Official acts of the Church proclaim the same dogma. Thus, in the decree on faith which Innocent III published with the synod of the Lateran IV, these things are written: 'There is one universal Church of the faithful outside of which no one at all is saved.' Finally, the same dogma is expressly mentioned in the profession of faith proposed by the Apostolic See, not only that which all Latin churches use (Creed of the Council of Trent), but also that which the Greek Orthodox Church uses (cf. Gregory XIII, Profession 'Sanctissimus') and that which other Eastern Catholics use (cf. Benedict XIV, Profession 'Nuper ad Nos')… We are so concerned about this serious and well known dogma, which has been attacked with such remarkable audacity, that We could not restrain Our pen from reinforcing this truth with many testimonies."
(on mixed marriages), 5-6, May 27, 1832: "You know how zealously Our predecessors taught that very article of faith which these dare to deny, namely the necessity of the Catholic faith and of unity for salvation. The words of that celebrated disciple of the Apostles, martyred Saint Ignatius, in his letter to the Philadelphians are relevant to this matter: 'Be not deceived, my brother; if anyone follows a schismatic, he will not attain the inheritance of the kingdom of God.' Moreover, Saint Augustine and the other African bishops who met in the Council of Cirta in the year 412 explained the same thing at greater length: 'Whoever has separated himself from the Catholic Church, no matter how laudably he lives, will not have eternal life, but has earned the anger of God because of this one crime: that he abandoned his union with Christ' (Epsitle 141). Omitting other appropriate passages which are almost numberless in the writings of the Fathers, We shall praise Saint Gregory the Great, who expressly testifies that this is indeed the teaching of the Catholic Church. He says: 'The holy universal Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except in her and asserts that all who are outside of her will not be saved' (Moral. in Job, 16.5). Official acts of the Church proclaim the same dogma. Thus, in the decree on faith which Innocent III published with the synod of the Lateran IV, these things are written: 'There is one universal Church of the faithful outside of which no one at all is saved.' Finally, the same dogma is expressly mentioned in the profession of faith proposed by the Apostolic See, not only that which all Latin churches use (Creed of the Council of Trent), but also that which the Greek Orthodox Church uses (cf. Gregory XIII, Profession 'Sanctissimus') and that which other Eastern Catholics use (cf. Benedict XIV, Profession 'Nuper ad Nos')… We are so concerned about this serious and well known dogma, which has been attacked with such remarkable audacity, that We could not restrain Our pen from reinforcing this truth with many testimonies." Pope Pius IX (1846–1878), Allocution Singulari quadam, December 9, 1854: "Not without sorrow we have learned that another error, no less destructive, has taken possession of some parts of the Catholic world, and has taken up its abode in the souls of many Catholics who think that one should have good hope of the eternal salvation of all those who have never lived in the true Church of Christ. Therefore, they are wont to ask very often what will be the lot and condition of those who have not submitted in any way to the Catholic faith, and, by bringing forward most vain reasons, they make a response favorable to their false opinion. Far be it from Us, Venerable Brethren, to presume on the limits of the divine mercy which is infinite; far from Us, to wish to scrutinize the hidden counsel and "judgements of God" which are "a great abyss" (Ps. 35.7) and cannot be penetrated by human thought. But, as is Our Apostolic Duty, we wish your episcopal solicitude and vigilance to be aroused, so that you will strive as much as you can to drive form the mind of men that impious and equally fatal opinion, namely, that the way of eternal salvation can be found in any religion whatsoever. May you demonstrate with skill and learning in which you excel, to the people entrusted to your care that the dogmas of the Catholic faith are in no wise opposed to divine mercy and justice.
"For, it must be held by faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church, no one can be saved; that this is the only ark of salvation; that he who shall not have entered therein will perish in the flood; but, on the other hand, it is necessary to hold for certain that they who labor in ignorance of the true religion, if this ignorance is invincible, will not be held guilty of this in the eyes of God. Now, in truth, who would arrogate so much to himself as to mark the limits of such an ignorance, because of the nature and variety of peoples, regions, innate dispositions, and of so many other things? For, in truth, when released from these corporeal chains 'we shall see God as He is' (1 John 3.2), we shall understand perfectly by how close and beautiful a bond divine mercy and justice are united; but as long as we are on earth, weighed down by this mortal mass which blunts the soul, let us hold most firmly that, in accordance with Catholic teaching, there is "one God, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4.5); it is unlawful to proceed further in inquiry.
"But, just as the way of charity demands, let us pour forth continual prayers that all nations everywhere may be converted to Christ; and let us be devoted to the common salvation of men in proportion to our strength, 'for the hand of the Lord is not shortened' (Isa. 9.1) and the gifts of heavenly grace will not be wanting to those who sincerely wish and ask to be refreshed by this light." [13]
, December 9, 1854: "Not without sorrow we have learned that another error, no less destructive, has taken possession of some parts of the Catholic world, and has taken up its abode in the souls of many Catholics who think that one should have good hope of the eternal salvation of all those who have never lived in the true Church of Christ. Therefore, they are wont to ask very often what will be the lot and condition of those who have not submitted in any way to the Catholic faith, and, by bringing forward most vain reasons, they make a response favorable to their false opinion. Far be it from Us, Venerable Brethren, to presume on the limits of the divine mercy which is infinite; far from Us, to wish to scrutinize the hidden counsel and "judgements of God" which are "a great abyss" (Ps. 35.7) and cannot be penetrated by human thought. But, as is Our Apostolic Duty, we wish your episcopal solicitude and vigilance to be aroused, so that you will strive as much as you can to drive form the mind of men that impious and equally fatal opinion, namely, that the way of eternal salvation can be found in any religion whatsoever. May you demonstrate with skill and learning in which you excel, to the people entrusted to your care that the dogmas of the Catholic faith are in no wise opposed to divine mercy and justice. "For, it must be held by faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church, no one can be saved; that this is the only ark of salvation; that he who shall not have entered therein will perish in the flood; but, on the other hand, it is necessary to hold for certain that they who labor in ignorance of the true religion, if this ignorance is invincible, will not be held guilty of this in the eyes of God. Now, in truth, who would arrogate so much to himself as to mark the limits of such an ignorance, because of the nature and variety of peoples, regions, innate dispositions, and of so many other things? For, in truth, when released from these corporeal chains 'we shall see God as He is' (1 John 3.2), we shall understand perfectly by how close and beautiful a bond divine mercy and justice are united; but as long as we are on earth, weighed down by this mortal mass which blunts the soul, let us hold most firmly that, in accordance with Catholic teaching, there is "one God, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4.5); it is unlawful to proceed further in inquiry. "But, just as the way of charity demands, let us pour forth continual prayers that all nations everywhere may be converted to Christ; and let us be devoted to the common salvation of men in proportion to our strength, 'for the hand of the Lord is not shortened' (Isa. 9.1) and the gifts of heavenly grace will not be wanting to those who sincerely wish and ask to be refreshed by this light." Pope Pius IX (1846–1878), Encyclical Singulari quidem March 17, 1856): "Teach that just as there is only one God, one Christ, one Holy Spirit, so there is also only one truth which is divinely revealed. There is only one divine faith which is the beginning of salvation for mankind and the basis of all justification, the faith by which the just person lives and without which it is impossible to please God and come to the community of His children (Romans 1; Hebrews 11; Council of Trent, Session 6, Chapter 8). There is only one true, holy, Catholic Church, which is the Apostolic Roman Church. There is only one See founded on Peter by the word of the Lord (St. Cyprian, Epistle 43), outside of which we cannot find either true faith or eternal salvation. He who does not have the Church for a mother cannot have God for a father, and whoever abandons the See of Peter on which the Church is established trusts falsely that he is in the Church (ibid, On the Unity of the Catholic Church).... Outside of the Church, nobody can hope for life or salvation unless he is excused through ignorance beyond his control." [14]
March 17, 1856): "Teach that just as there is only one God, one Christ, one Holy Spirit, so there is also only one truth which is divinely revealed. There is only one divine faith which is the beginning of salvation for mankind and the basis of all justification, the faith by which the just person lives and without which it is impossible to please God and come to the community of His children (Romans 1; Hebrews 11; Council of Trent, Session 6, Chapter 8). There is only one true, holy, Catholic Church, which is the Apostolic Roman Church. There is only one See founded on Peter by the word of the Lord (St. Cyprian, Epistle 43), outside of which we cannot find either true faith or eternal salvation. He who does not have the Church for a mother cannot have God for a father, and whoever abandons the See of Peter on which the Church is established trusts falsely that he is in the Church (ibid, On the Unity of the Catholic Church).... Outside of the Church, nobody can hope for life or salvation unless he is excused through ignorance beyond his control." Pope Pius IX (1846–1878), Encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore, August 10, 1863: "And here, beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, We should mention again and censure a very grave error in which some Catholics are unhappily engaged, who believe that men living in error, and separated from the true faith and from Catholic unity, can attain eternal life. Indeed, this is certainly quite contrary to Catholic teaching. It is known to Us and to you that they who labor in invincible ignorance of our most holy religion and who, zealously keeping the natural law and its precepts engraved in the hearts of all by God, and being ready to obey God, live an honest and upright life, can, by the operating power of divine light and grace, attain eternal life, since God who clearly beholds, searches, and knows the minds, souls, thoughts, and habits of all men, because of His great goodness and mercy, will by no means suffer anyone to be punished with eternal torment who has not the guilt of deliberate sin. But, the Catholic dogma that no one can be saved outside the Catholic Church is well-known; and also that those who are obstinate toward the authority and definitions of the same Church, and who persistently separate themselves from the unity of the Church, and from the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter, to whom 'the guardianship of the vine has been entrusted by the Savior,' (Council of Chalcedon, Letter to Pope Leo I) cannot obtain eternal salvation. The words of Christ are clear enough: 'And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican' (Matthew 18:17); 'He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that dispeth you, despiseth Me; and he that dispiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me' (Luke 10:16); 'He that believeth not shall be condemned' (Mark 16:16); 'He that doth not believe, is already judged' (John 3:18); 'He that is not with Me, is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth' (Luke 11:23). The Apostle Paul says that such persons are 'perverted and self-condemned' (Titus 3:11); the Prince of the Apostles calls the 'false prophets… who shall bring in sects of perdition, and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction' (2 Peter 2:1)." [15]
, August 10, 1863: "And here, beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, We should mention again and censure a very grave error in which some Catholics are unhappily engaged, who believe that men living in error, and separated from the true faith and from Catholic unity, can attain eternal life. Indeed, this is certainly quite contrary to Catholic teaching. It is known to Us and to you that they who labor in invincible ignorance of our most holy religion and who, zealously keeping the natural law and its precepts engraved in the hearts of all by God, and being ready to obey God, live an honest and upright life, can, by the operating power of divine light and grace, attain eternal life, since God who clearly beholds, searches, and knows the minds, souls, thoughts, and habits of all men, because of His great goodness and mercy, will by no means suffer anyone to be punished with eternal torment who has not the guilt of deliberate sin. But, the Catholic dogma that no one can be saved outside the Catholic Church is well-known; and also that those who are obstinate toward the authority and definitions of the same Church, and who persistently separate themselves from the unity of the Church, and from the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter, to whom 'the guardianship of the vine has been entrusted by the Savior,' (Council of Chalcedon, Letter to Pope Leo I) cannot obtain eternal salvation. The words of Christ are clear enough: 'And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican' (Matthew 18:17); 'He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that dispeth you, despiseth Me; and he that dispiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me' (Luke 10:16); 'He that believeth not shall be condemned' (Mark 16:16); 'He that doth not believe, is already judged' (John 3:18); 'He that is not with Me, is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth' (Luke 11:23). The Apostle Paul says that such persons are 'perverted and self-condemned' (Titus 3:11); the Prince of the Apostles calls the 'false prophets… who shall bring in sects of perdition, and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction' (2 Peter 2:1)." Pope Pius IX The Syllabus of Errors, attached to Encyclical Quanta cura, 1864: [The following are prescribed errors:] "16. Men can, in the cult of any religion, find the way of eternal salvation and attain eternal salvation. - Encyclical Qui pluribus, November 9, 1846. "17. One ought to at least have good hope for the eternal salvation of all those who in no way dwell in the true Church of Christ. - Encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore, August 10, 1863, etc."
, attached to Encyclical, 1864: [The following are prescribed errors:] "16. Men can, in the cult of any religion, find the way of eternal salvation and attain eternal salvation. - Encyclical Qui pluribus, November 9, 1846. "17. One ought to at least have good hope for the eternal salvation of all those who in no way dwell in the true Church of Christ. - Encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore, August 10, 1863, etc." Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903), Encyclical Annum ingressi sumus : "This is our last lesson to you; receive it, engrave it in your minds, all of you: by God's commandment salvation is to be found nowhere but in the Church." idem, Encyclical Sapientiae christianae : "He scatters and gathers not who gathers not with the Church and with Jesus Christ, and all who fight not jointly with Him and with the Church are in very truth contending against God."
: "This is our last lesson to you; receive it, engrave it in your minds, all of you: by God's commandment salvation is to be found nowhere but in the Church." idem, Encyclical : "He scatters and gathers not who gathers not with the Church and with Jesus Christ, and all who fight not jointly with Him and with the Church are in very truth contending against God." Pope St. Pius X (1903–1914), Encyclical Jucunda sane : "It is our duty to recall to everyone great and small, as the Holy Pontiff Gregory did in ages past, the absolute necessity which is ours, to have recourse to this Church to effect our eternal salvation."
: "It is our duty to recall to everyone great and small, as the Holy Pontiff Gregory did in ages past, the absolute necessity which is ours, to have recourse to this Church to effect our eternal salvation." Pope Benedict XV (1914–1922), Encyclical Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum : "Such is the nature of the Catholic faith that it does not admit of more or less, but must be held as a whole, or as a whole rejected: This is the Catholic faith, which unless a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved."
: "Such is the nature of the Catholic faith that it does not admit of more or less, but must be held as a whole, or as a whole rejected: This is the Catholic faith, which unless a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved." Pope Pius XI (1922–1939), Encyclical Mortalium Animos : "The Catholic Church alone is keeping the true worship. This is the font of truth, this is the house of faith, this is the temple of God; if any man enter not here, or if any man go forth from it, he is a stranger to the hope of life and salvation… Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ, no man can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors."
: "The Catholic Church alone is keeping the true worship. This is the font of truth, this is the house of faith, this is the temple of God; if any man enter not here, or if any man go forth from it, he is a stranger to the hope of life and salvation… Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ, no man can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors." Pope Pius XII (1939–1958), Encyclical Humani Generis, August 12, 1950: "Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation."
, August 12, 1950: "Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation." Pope Pius XII (1939–1958), Allocution to the Gregorian University (17 October 1953): "By divine mandate the interpreter and guardian of the Scriptures, and the depository of Sacred Tradition living within her, the Church alone is the entrance to salvation: She alone, by herself, and under the protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit, is the source of truth."
Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 14: "They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it."
, 14: "They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it." Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 16: "...Nor is God far distant from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God, for it is He who gives to all men life and breath and all things, and as Saviour wills that all men be saved. Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life...But often men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator. Or some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are exposed to final despair..."
Catholic Church elucidations [ edit ]
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church states that the phrase, "Outside the Church there is no salvation", means, if put in positive terms, that "all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body", and "is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church".[16]
At the same time, it adds: "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."[17]
The Church has also declared that "she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety
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kills children by: Devils AdvocateJanuary 14, 2011, 05:15Imagine, putting ointment on a 3 month old’s vagina. Every man is a suspect for pedophilia. Soon no father will dare to change his daughter’s diapers. Avid consumers of child abuse books on Amazon have a dirty mind. 30 years ago, before the pedophilia hysteria, the idea of abusing a 1 year old would not even have…
“Watching child porn victimizes the child”. The Voodoo science of child pornography laws by: Devils Advocate (20)December 26, 2010, 05:00″However, what he didn’t turn his mind to at the time is that merely having possession and viewing images such as this does victimize and hurt the individual portrayed in the image. He appreciates that now.” Senior gets jail time, probation for having single image of child pornography We at Human-Stupidity…
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Cruel child porn laws kill, “destroying lives unnecessarily” (Judge Jack B. Weinstein) by: Devils Advocate (7)November 1, 2010, 20:22Airline safety is compromised because “nude airport scanner” violates child porn laws. 32 men committed suicide in one CP case alone. Toddlers die because men are afraid to help them. Jack B. Weinstein: A reasonable judge opposing cruel mandatory child porn jail terms for mere possession
Hollywood movies glorify criminal heroes: how romantic! by: admin (1)September 28, 2010, 05:18Romantic Hollywood movies are full of illegal (criminal) actions, perpetrated by movie heroes, our role models! Interestingly, most of these illegalities are considered highly romantic (when perpetrated by a heartthrob movie star) “When done in real life, many of the tricks used by onscreen singletons to successfull…
Brooke Shields nude: exploited pedophile magnet? by: adminSeptember 26, 2010, 17:33Brooke Shields, now 44, posed for a nude photo when she was 10 years old. Now Richard Prince’s photograph of the picture, called “Spiritual America,” has been yanked from a major exhibition at the Tate Modern. If pedophiles didn’t already know about “Spiritual America,” the Richard Prince photo taken of a nude,…
Movie of 15 year old girl repeatedly brutally stomped on head: prime time news. Depicting the same girl posing nude would be child porn, a heinous crime.. by: admin (5)August 31, 2010, 06:04The beating last month of a 15-year-old girl in the transit tunnel at Westlake Center as security personnel watched without intervening is prompting a review of King County Metro’s policies for its unarmed guards. The incident — which was partially captured on surveillance video — happened about 7:15 p.m.…
Sexting: Courts victimize Teens with child porn charges for exchanging their own nude photosKinderpornografie: by: Devils Advocate (6)August 1, 2010, 02:18More child porn insanity! Children nowadays need legal counsel to know if and how they can photograph themselves or have relations with other teenagers, or else they can spend years in jail and remain the rest of their lives on sex offender lists. US court on ‘sexting’: Child porn or child’s play? 01/15/2010…
“Child Food-Porn” (Junk food advertising) makes our children obese & unhealthy by: Devils Advocate (7)July 3, 2010, 06:21Junk food makes our children fat, obese and unhealthy which leads to disease and premature death. It does not kill instantly, only in the long run. “Child Food-Porn” (Junk food advertising) makes our children obese & unhealthy. A 17 year-old cannot consent to sex (hence consensual sex with a minor is rape). A…
Related“What kind of solar panels does NASA actually use?” was the question we had after watching Matt Damon haul clunky panels with tragically inefficient design around Mars in the space thriller “The Martian.”
For an answer, we turned to researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The campus houses a center for photovoltaic research used in space energy production, among a multitude of other research projects. Altogether, more than 100 buildings occupy 350 acres beyond the NASA-emblazoned hanger visible from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Facilities include wind tunnels, drop towers and vacuum chambers.
“Glenn is the spacecraft power lead for the agency,” said Jeremiah McNatt, an electrical engineer who works with solar cell and array technology in the Power Division at Glenn. “We’re also more of a research facility, versus Kennedy, which is a flight center. We’re not launching rockets, we’re building experiments.”
On a tour, McNatt showed me a pair of giant vacuum chambers, each big enough to fit a car, where researchers test all matter of technology destined for space. From top-secret projects to solar panels, the two-story-tall chambers simulate the empty environment of space.
In another facility, McNatt demonstrated a machine used to make solar cell semiconductor materials from a variety of chemical combinations, just by turning a few dials in a sophisticated computer program. Different chemical combinations—say gallium arsenide or indium phosphide—can react to sunlight differently, making cells more or less efficient.
McNatt uses the semiconductor cell-making machine, more formally called a metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy reactor, by placing a substrate with a given crystal structure onto a platform. That platform would turn up to 1,000 times a minute, and reactant gases would flow into the system through a series of tiny tubes. Soon, the machine would produce the active components of a solar cell.
If Glenn researchers wanted to find out how a particular cell might work in space, they could attach the cell to one of the high-altitude planes housed in Glenn’s hanger by Cleveland’s Hopkins airport, fly it high above the clouds where the atmosphere is thin, measure production and extrapolate for its effectiveness in space. Follow-up experiments would then be completed using a solar simulator. The lab’s solar simulators are used to recreate the light seen in space and consist of a dark box attached to a set of powerful light bulbs.
“Getting experiment space in orbit can be a long process,” McNatt said, so NASA often uses high-altitude planes.
So what kind of solar panels does NASA use?
Turns out, you won’t find a standard 72-cell silicon solar panel on any NASA spacecraft. The missions are too long and the environment is too harsh—alternating between extreme heat and extreme cold, flush with radioactivity—for terrestrial solar. As a result, NASA Glenn, in conjunction with the larger tech and university communities, has developed solar cells that can survive long-term use in space.
Commercial companies like SpaceX use terrestrial technology, but that’s because they only need it to work for a couple weeks, said Michael Piszczor Jr., chief of the Photovoltaic and Electrochemical Systems Branch at NASA.
Two types of solar cells are common outside our hospitable atmosphere. Silicon cells covered by thin glass to avoid degradation from radiation make up the 16 arrays flanking the International Space Station. Taken together, they are the largest representation of solar in space, occupying enough area to cover most of a football field.
As a runner up, multi-junction cells made of gallium arsenide and similar materials resist degradation better than silicon and are the most efficient cells currently made, with energy conversion efficiencies up to 34%. “Junction” refers to the number of light-absorbing layers in the cell. Common in space today are three-junction cells, but four and six are on the way, McNatt said.
Solar technology for space can be very expensive. A state-of-the-art solar cell can cost NASA hundreds of dollars, compared to a couple bucks for a terrestrial cell.
“If you look at a terrestrial market, you find technology has an impact on the cost, but, from my limited experience, the biggest driver of reduced cost is volume,” said Piszczor. “NASA uses low volumes of high-efficiency cells, very periodically and very specifically, so costs are higher.”
NASA has taken an interest in solar for a long time. While the very first satellites were battery powered, solar arrays became common in orbit by the ’60s. Regular silicon cells were used first, until gallium arsenide made it out of R&D in the ’90s. Now, almost everything arriving in the ionosphere is multi-junction.
Why does NASA use solar technology in space?
While solar technology can be a political football on the ground—tossed around and tackled often—in space, it encounters little opposition. For starters, power alternatives in space include batteries and politically difficult radioisotope power systems, or RPS. RPS converts heat generated by the natural decay of the radioactive isotope plutonium-238 into electricity.
Batteries have the unfortunate habit of running low on power, eventually turning a multi-million dollar spacecraft into space junk. And when it comes to chemical power, few countries on Earth want a spacecraft powered with plutonium-238 orbiting above. While this is not the same material used in bombs, most governments are not keen on the return of radioactive elements to earth. RPS systems have been used in many deep-space missions, however. A radioisotope system helps power the Curiosity rover on Mars.
“Solar paired with batteries, then, is the preferred way to power satellites,” Piszczor said. The space station uses nickel-hydrogen batteries to support its solar panels. Spirit, another Mars rover, also uses batteries paired with solar. Researchers get excited when Martian wind blows away dust that sometimes accumulates on the panels, providing an energy boost to the rover.
But NASA hopes to do more than just power satellites with the sun.
What is NASA’s goal for solar in space?
The ultimate goal is to use solar energy to propel spacecraft. NASA has its eyes on solar electric propulsion as a way to transport materials to Mars in support of a manned mission on the red planet. A key driver of this plan is cost.
The amount of chemical fuel needed to propel a spacecraft to Mars along with all the necessities of a human visit—vehicles, power-making supplies, a human habitat module—would be expensive and bulky. Solar power eliminates the need for liquid fuel, once all of that equipment is in space. A rocket would still be needed to get it above Earth.
Solar researchers are also considering how to power unmanned flights to the Sun and the outer reaches of the solar system.
“There are a lot of people interested in the Sun—predicting sun spots, solar flares and more about it in general. If we understand our Sun, maybe we can understand other stars,” McNatt said.
But high temperatures, high radiation and high solar intensity make solar-powered travel to the Sun difficult. Mercury, for example, receives 10 times the amount of sunlight that satellites in Earth-orbit get, and the first planet from the Sun is still nearly 36 million miles away from it.
The problems don’t abate traveling the other direction. Scientists wants to investigate Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon—which is probably the only other major water supply in the solar system. An ocean could reside under the moon’s icy surface, and it could be hiding clues to the original formation of life—a potential gold mine of information for scientists.
But Europa, about 485 million miles from the Sun, receives only a twentieth of the amount of light as Earth orbiting spacecraft. That means, according to McNatt, that the solar array would need to be 20 times as big or 20 times as powerful, or a combination thereof.
“The other problem with Jupiter, too, is since it has such a big body, it’s a high-radiation environment,” Piszczor said. “It’s almost like a very weak sun. In some ways, going to the Sun is easier.”
NASA, however, remains undaunted by the challenges. The space agency has accomplished many other once-unthinkable feats, after all.Originally published at Medium, and Gender Creative Life
Before anyone asks, no, I’m not some sort of new age, millennial, hipster-chic parent living in a commune, attempting to raise genderless, nameless offspring who will one day grow up and decide these things independent of their father and me. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s just not us. My husband and I learned all three of our kids’ biological sexes via ultrasound and we planned accordingly. I dressed my boys in blue, my girl in pink.
I’d always hoped to have a child of each gender. And God, in only God’s divine way, was brilliant enough to give me one of each: a cisgender male, Jack, born in 2000, a cisgender female. Kate, born in 2002, and a few years later, when my third and last child was born, well, God threw all caution to the wind and decided to confuse everyone and make the ride just a little more fun.
Charlie arrived in 2006 and was assigned male at birth, but began expressing stereotypical female from the age of 2.5 years old. Charlie always preferred playing with Kate’s old ballet costumes and Barbies over anything Jack had in his room — from Legos to trucks, tools to action figures. Charlie had no interest in toddler, gender neutral, or typical boy toys. But Charlie would spend hours in Kate’s room, sitting at her tiny plastic pink vanity table, applying fake makeup and doing hair.
Once while we were playing, at the very young age of almost 3, Charlie casually revealed to me, “Mommy, you know I’m only a boy ‘cause of my parts, right?” At the time I knew nothing of transgender people, let alone trans kids. But I knew that was a really profound statement for my toddler to make. So I started watching and listening harder and more closely.
A year later, Charlie was obsessed with Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz, Rapunzel, and still, princess dress up. Still, showing absolutely no interest in any type of typical boy toys. Yes, we thought it was a phase. But by age 4, I started thinking, “Oh I know what this is. I have a gay kid. Charlie’s going to grow up and eventually tell me: Mom, I’m gay. And I’ll know exactly what to do because I grew up with so many gay friends in the theatre community!” Not that I thought my child was aware of sexual orientation yet, but I believe people are born the way they are, and part of that pre-programmed makeup includes their sexual orientation. However, I didn’t know about the complexities of gender, gender identity, and gender expression yet.
After years of reading & research, listening, paying attention (and struggling to find resources to support this type of child) Charlie watched something with me about a gender creative boy in California, and Charlie said, “that’s me!” And so it stuck. In 4th grade, Charlie began letting people know, “I’m gender creative,” and attempting to explain what that meant when they questioned, “are you a boy or a girl?” The search for a label and identity seemed so important to my child, who was struggling to make friends that year, and dealing with other boys saying “you’re gay,” and much worse.
By 5th grade, Charlie had begun rejecting everything remotely masculine, including clothing, shoes, and accessories that appeared masculine. Charlie went from just wearing a sparkly “girls” backpack and pink & purple Twinkle Toe Sketchers, to growing a longer head of hair, wearing floral headbands, and dressing in legit girls clothing, from girls clothing stores, head to toe. Labels and identity began being less important, though we were still using “he/him” pronouns and referring to Charlie as “our son.” The moment 5th grade ended, though, that was the last time Charlie wanted to be referred to as “he/him/our son.”
Martie Sirois Charlie wearing their 5th grade “signature” pink floral headband, a bold statement at the time.
At the LGBT Center, where my husband & I founded and run a group for TGNC (trans and gender non-conforming) children on Charlie’s behalf, Charlie learned about pronouns. That’s when Charlie’s fierce adoption of “they/them” began. Now, as an 11-year-old, Charlie goes by “they/them;” however, Charlie won’t correct people who use “she/her.” In fact, Charlie is referred to as “she/her” by almost everyone in public, and by many of their teachers. Charlie likes that because Charlie still strongly rejects “he/him.”
Earlier in the summer, we went back-to-school shoe shopping and the sales clerk kept referring to Charlie as “your daughter,” “she,” and “her.” It was really the first time it happened so overtly. It happened a couple of times before in restaurants, but for some reason it seemed more ambiguous in those places - maybe because the whole family was there, and as talkative as we are, we couldn’t always be sure which one of us the server was addressing.
But in that shoe store it was just Charlie and me, and everyone thought we were mother and daughter. When it first happened in a restaurant, I had asked Charlie, “what do you want us to say or do next time when someone assumes you’re a girl and refers to you as a girl?” Charlie said, “Mom. Just roll with it.” So that’s what I did in the shoe store. Didn’t correct anyone, didn’t bat an eyelash, went along and used “she/her” in public myself for the first time, for Charlie. The cashier rang us up and I asked Charlie to please take one of the three bags. They had chosen a pair of tall black boots, short gold boots, pink & purple sneakers, and a pair of red high heels (an impulse buy, but on the clearance rack for $3.00, how do you say no to that?!) Charlie instinctively reached for the large bag with the boots and the heels. The cashier said, “She knows which bag has the good stuff!” I replied, “Yes, she sure does.” On the way out to the parking lot, Charlie said, “Mom, that’s exactly what I meant by ‘just roll with it.’ Good job! Thank you!”
For me, this originally felt so odd and foreign. I wanted to have control in these situations. I wanted to have a plan A and a plan B, and I wanted to know specifically what I would say or do if both Plan A and B backfired. But this is why we have a gender therapist. And she has told us, with 20+ years experience counseling trans and gender non-conforming clients, we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to do: follow the child’s lead. Don’t needle with too many questions. Let go of that need for control. And I just have to trust that she’s handling all the role-playing, what-if scenarios, and coping mechanisms in response to the insults and slander that is unique to this community of people.
Martie Sirois Charlie, TGNC, refuses to boxed in to a gender binary
Having known my child for 11+ years now, it all makes perfect sense to me, but I understand why others hearing our story — which is just a small window into our complex lives — think we are not being parents. Those who think that simply don’t know. They don’t know how much time and money we’ve spent on therapy for the whole family, how much blood, sweat, and tears we’ve put into our own research and workshop attending, how many nights we’ve stayed up too late comforting a child screaming in anxiety over things we now know were caused by gender dysphoria.
I understand that people think children are confused over gender. But gender dysphoria is not the same thing as “confusion.” TGNC kids aren’t confused. They know exactly who they are, they just lack the vocabulary and the cognitive ability to explain it so that us adults can understand it. And that’s rightfully frustrating for them.
There’s also a perception that gender is an “adult” topic, that children are too young to know or understand these things. Part of the flaw in that thinking is the assumption that gender identity and sexual orientation are the same. They aren’t. But also, if every cis person thinks about their own gender story, they’ll likely respond they didn’t know when or how they knew they were male or female, they just knew, and had that internal sense of identity from a very young age. The same is true for transgender people (which includes gender non-conforming, and non-binary people). They’ve always known. And though it may seem like it, there aren’t more and more of them popping up everywhere all of a sudden; this isn’t a new phenomenon. Native Americans have always had “two spirit” people, whose gender identity exists beyond binary male or female. Two spirits were some of the most respected and revered people in their tribes. Many other cultures and religions recognize more than two genders as well, including early versions of the Bible and Christianity, and classical Judaism, to name a few.
The reason we seem to be hearing more TGNC people’s stories now is because we have the internet, we have experience gathering and organizing groups on social media, and we have a whole generation of parents who watched their LGBTQ friends get kicked out of their homes for being LGBTQ in the 1980s, and we now realize the amount of harm that did. We want to do better. And for all the grief both the internet and social media get, they are capable of connecting people like never before. The internet is ultimately helping the TGNC community because it’s the one bridge that has the potential to be able to finally connect this entire community.
Though TGNC people have existed forever, most of them in America have felt isolated and alone; they’ve hidden their authentic selves in a closet of shame, and they’ve been forced to live a lie. Today, if not for social media, this huge community of amazingly gifted people otherwise might not have ever connected. Also, the internet is driving awareness of TGNC-related issues with lightning speed, in an unprecedented manner. This is wonderful because knowledge is power.
For all the progress we’ve made, however, our work isn’t done yet. As a parent raising this type of child, I can bear witness that we get all kinds of ill-informed accusations and harmful motives ascribed to us by complete strangers. But when people have their knee-jerk reactions, this is where they need to step back, make conscious efforts not to judge, listen, and just trust that us parents raising TGNC kids have done our research and our homework — enough to have earned an honorary Master’s degree on the topic — and we do actually know what we’re doing. By advocating for and supporting our TGNC kids exactly as they are, we are doing everything within our power to allow them to live their truth and have confidence in it.
Conversely, we know that a loving, accepting family is often the line between life or death for trans kids. But even when a trans person has an all-accepting family around them, it’s still not enough, because hatred towards this population is so ingrained in society, which is inherently misogynistic. We need look no further than the stories of trans youth like Jay Griffin to know we’re not doing enough for these kids. And because we love our children so unconditionally and want them to live, we fight for the rights to educate others, and to support our TGNC kids. We are in tune with the politics of the day — because we have to be — and we’re aware of things like how the LGBTQ Suicide Hotline calls from transgender youth have spiked — more than doubled — under Trump’s presidency.
This is in direct correlation with today’s political climate, one where the President of the United States has surrounded himself with advisers and cabinet members who are notoriously racist, homophobic, and transphobic. We have a political climate in which it’s perfectly acceptable for a rich white man who brags of sexual assault to get elected President, and not only not have to give up his personal Twitter account, but is also allowed to use it for issuing ridiculous, non-enforceable, but still harmful mandates such as the transgender military ban.
The death of Leelah Alcorn, one of the most infamous trans youth suicides, sheds light on so many issues still plaguing transgender youth, and the micro (and macro) aggressions they endure. She took her life because she felt no sense of hope. It’s almost as if in 2014, she could foresee what this country would go through politically, how the pendulum would swing too far the other way, reversing social progress, by the time she would be graduating from college. Indeed there are many days now where things seem hopeless, but we have to find a sliver of hope, and hold on to that.
It’s ironic that some people accuse parents like me, who are advocates for our TGNC children, of being “child abusers” simply for allowing our children to explore gender, and advocating publicly for the world to shift its collective mindset a bit. Unconditionally loving a TGNC child exactly as they are, embracing that psychology, and advocating for them is quite the opposite of child abuse. A parent has to have a very mature sensibility and understanding of unconditional love in order to let go of their wants and needs for their child’s life, to let go of their hopes, dreams and perceptions of what the child’s gender should look like. This type of parenting is not for the weak.
Leelah’s parents said in interviews they “loved (him) unconditionally,” but during those same interviews disrespected Leelah by using the birth name they gave her based off of her sex assigned at birth, a.k.a., her “dead name,” and they refused to use female pronouns when talking about their child. This is not showing unconditional love. Their child took her own life because her parents refused to acknowledge her gender dysphoria, and even in death they continued to disrespect her in that way. Also, Leelah had to mask as gay, because that was easier for her parents to accept than trans. This is still happening in families everywhere today. In my advocacy, I’ve talked to numerous adults who tell me that coming out as gay was just easier than having to admit they were transgender, or that if their parents had been as accepting back then, they wouldn’t have had to hide their authentic selves and lead a forced, fake life.
In her suicide note, Leelah pleaded for her death to be counted in the number of transgender people who committed suicide that year (2014). “The only way I will rest in peace,” Leelah wrote, “is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights. Gender needs to be taught about in schools, the earlier the better.” She then begged us to “Fix society. Please.”The cereal's logo and leprechaun mascot, Lucky. Product type Cereal with marshmallows Owner General Mills Country United States Introduced March 20, 1964 ; 54 years ago ( ) Markets United States, United Kingdom, Canada Tagline "They're magically delicious." Website luckycharms.com
Lucky Charms is a brand of cereal produced by the General Mills food company since 1964.[1] The cereal consists of toasted oat pieces and multi-colored marshmallow shapes ("marbits" or marshmallow bits). The label features a leprechaun mascot, Lucky, animated in commercials.
History [ edit ]
Lucky Charms was created in 1964 by product developer John Holahan. General Mills management challenged a team of product developers to use the available manufacturing capacity from either of General Mills' two principal cereal products—Wheaties or Cheerios—and do something unique. Holahan came up with the idea after a visit to the grocery store in which he decided to mix Cheerios with bits of Brach's Circus Peanuts.[2]
An advertising company employed by General Mills and Company suggested marketing the new cereal around the idea of charm bracelets.[3] Thus, the charms of Lucky Charms were born. Lucky Charms is the first cereal to include marshmallows in the recipe. The mascot of Lucky Charms, created in 1963, is Lucky the Leprechaun, also known as Sir Charms, and originally called L.C. Leprechaun.[4] The cartoon character's voice was supplied by the late voice actor Arthur Anderson until 1992. Lucky has also been voiced by Eric Bauza, Tex Brashear, Jason Graae, Doug Preis, and Daniel Ross.[5] In 1975, Lucky the Leprechaun was briefly replaced by Waldo the Wizard in New England, while Lucky remained the mascot in the rest of the United States.[6] The oat cereal was not originally sugar coated. After initial sales failed to meet expectations, the oats were sugar coated, and the cereal's success grew. Piggy banks and plastic watches were introduced as cereal box send-away prizes as a marketing tactic to increase sales. The recipe for the cereal remained unchanged until the introduction of a new flavor: Chocolate Lucky Charms, in 2005. Later in 2012, General Mills introduced "Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats."
Following the product launch, the General Mills marketing department found that sales performed dramatically better if the composition of the marbits changed periodically.[3] Various features of the marbits were modified to maximize their appeal to young consumers. Over the years, over 40 limited edition features such as Winter Lucky Charms, Olympic-themed Lucky Charms, and Lucky Charms featuring marshmallow landmarks from around the world, were created to drive consumer demands. In focus groups and market research, more brightly colored charms resulted in better sales than did dull or pastel colors.[3] Currently, General Mills conducts "concept-ideation" studies on Lucky Charms.[3]
Marshmallows [ edit ]
Lucky Charms
The first boxes of Lucky Charms cereal contained marshmallows in the shapes of pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers. The lineup has changed occasionally, beginning with the introduction of blue diamonds in 1975, followed by purple horseshoes in 1983,[7] red balloons in 1989, green trees 1991, rainbows in 1992, blue moons 1995, leprechaun hats in 1997 (temporarily replaced the green clovers), orange shooting stars and around the world charms in 1998 (added blue, green, yellow, purple, and red in 2011), a crystal ball in 2001, and an hourglass in 2008.[3] In 2013, 6 new rainbow swirl moons and 2 new rainbow charms were introduced. From the original four marshmallows, the permanent roster as of 2013 includes eight marshmallows.
Older marshmallows were phased out periodically. The first shapes to disappear were the yellow moons and blue diamonds, replaced by yellow/orange pots of gold and blue moons respectively in 1994. In 2006, the assortment included purple horseshoes; red balloons; blue crescent-moons; orange and white shooting stars; yellow and orange pots of gold; pink, yellow, and blue rainbows; two-tone green leprechaun hats; pink hearts (the one shape to survive since the beginning); with the most recent addition being the return of the clovers in 2004. The hourglass shape was retired in spring 2018 and was replaced by a unicorn, which was chosen on social media by way of emojis[8][9]. The size and brightness of the marshmallows changed in 2004.[10]
Recent changes to the marshmallows include the star shape taking on a "star" design, the orange five-pointed star being complemented by a white "trail." In late 2005, another marshmallow shape was added, the "Hidden Key". It is a solid yellow marshmallow that resembles an arched door (similar to the shape of a tombstone; flat at the bottom, flat sides with a round top). When liquid is added to the cereal, the sugar in the marshmallow dissolves and the shape of a skeleton key appears "as if by magic." The tagline was, "Unlock the door with milk!" This "new" marshmallow type has been used in other hot and cold cereals, but with mixed success (from characters "hidden" inside a bigger marshmallow to letters appearing). In early June 2006, General Mills introduced Magic Mirror marshmallows. In 2008, yellow and orange hourglass marshmallows were introduced with the marketing tagline of, "The Hourglass Charm has the power to Stop Time * Speed Up Time * Reverse Time". As of 2011, swirled marshmallows and rainbow-colored stars have been introduced.[citation needed] In 2018, for the first time in ten years Lucky Charms retired a marshmallow, which was the hourglass, and added a new permanent marshmallow, the Magical Unicorn. Its powers are unknown.
The marshmallows are meant to represent Lucky's magical charms, each with their own special meaning or "power." The following are explanations of the permanent marshmallows:[11]
Hearts - power to bring things to life Shooting Stars - power to fly Horseshoes - power to speed things up Green Clovers - luck, but you will never know what kind of luck you will get Blue Moons - power of invisibility Rainbows - instantaneous travel from place to place Red Balloons - power to make things float Unicorn - according to the inaugural cereal box, unicorns can "cleanse water with a touch of their horn," "heal whatever troubles you," and "always know when you are telling the truth"
Limited Edition Marshmallows [ edit ]
There have been more than 30 featured limited edition marshmallow shapes over the years, with the introduction of themed Lucky Charms, such as Winter Lucky Charms. Some of these include:
In 1986, a whale-shaped marshmallow was temporarily added to the lineup. [12]
In 1990, a green pine tree-shaped marshmallow was temporarily added to the lineup. [12] During that time, the cereal promoted Earth Day with a free Colorado Blue Spruce seedling with proofs-of-purchase. [13]
During that time, the cereal promoted Earth Day with a free Colorado Blue Spruce seedling with proofs-of-purchase. In 1991, the star and balloon shape marshmallows were combined for a short time. The red balloon featured a gold six-pointed star. The star was removed at a later date to make the Red Balloon and Star marshmallows separate. [12]
In 1994, sprinkles were temporarily added to the marshmallows.
In 1999, the moon shape marshmallows were modified with the addition of the yellow curve line for a limited time.
In 2000, a "New Sparkling Rainbow" was added to the mix for a limited time. It was described by General Mills as "a sprinkling of multicolored sugar on a white rainbow marbit." This marshmallow replaced the original rainbow at this time. [14]
In 2010, the swirled marshmallows were in Lucky Charms for a limited time.
In June 2013, two new rainbow marshmallows were added for LGBT Pride Month. [15]
In 2015, new diamond shaped marshmallows were added in. [ citation needed ]
Introduced in 2017, limited edition cinnamon vanilla Lucky Charms include only snowman, snowball, and snowflake shaped marshmallows.
In 2018 a unicorn shaped marshmallow was added and is here to stay unofficially.
In 2018, the unicorn marshmallow was officially staying for good, replacing the hourglass charm.
In 2018 winter-themed marshmallows, including snowmen and snowflakes, were added as part of a limited addition chocolatey winter mix[16].
Marshmallow-only promotion [ edit ]
In May 2017, General Mills announced they would be promoting 10,000 boxes of cereal that contain only marshmallow pieces.[17] In order to win one of the coveted boxes, consumers would need to purchase a specially marked box of regular Lucky Charms with a code on the inside panel. The code would be entered into an official website to see if the consumer is the winner of one of the 10,000 novelty boxes produced. The sweepstakes ran through December 2017.[18][19]
Theme song [ edit ]
In the earliest commercials, Lucky Charms cereal had no theme jingle; action was accompanied by a light instrumental "Irish" tune. Soon, however, a simple two-line tag was added:
Frosted Lucky Charms, They're magically delicious!
This simple closer, with the kids usually singing the first line and Lucky singing the second, survived into the 1980s.
Then, with the addition of the purple horseshoe marbit, it was extended into a jingle describing the contents of the box.[20] This was later revised with the addition of red balloons to the now-familiar "Hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers, and blue moons, pots of gold, and rainbows, and big red balloons!” In 2008, the pot of gold was replaced with the hourglass in the theme song. In 2018 hourglass was replaced by unicorn. The jingle is usually accompanied by mentioning that Lucky Charms contains whole grain ingredients, and is part of a balanced meal. General Mills' market position is centered on cereals that contain "more whole grain than any other single ingredient, which is significant, because 95 percent of Americans aren't eating minimally 48 grams of whole grain per day as recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines."[21]
Taglines [ edit ]
They're Magically Delicious! [22]
Frosted Lucky Charms, They're Magically Delicious!
They're Always After Me Lucky Charms!
You'll Never Get Me Lucky Charms!
Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, and Green Clovers!
Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, Green Clovers, and Blue Diamonds!
Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, Green Clovers, Blue Diamonds, and Purple Horseshoes!
Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, Green Clovers, Blue Diamonds, Purple Horseshoes, and Red Balloons!
Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes, Clovers and Blue Moons, Pots of Gold and Rainbows, and Tasty Red Balloons!
Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes, Clovers and Blue Moons, Hourglasses, Rain
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granted our very own combi contest, which turned out to be a great event last Fall, Vans and Protec seems to have made it clear that it is not worthy of being associated with the prestige of the Protec Pool Party as they unveiled the 2010 winners banner. Each preceeding banner lists the winners from the Men’s, Masters’ and Women’s divisions. However, this year’s banner has a blank space where the Women’s winner used to be listed. Ironically enough, the 2010 women’s combi contest has been the strongest showing in terms of numbers of competitors and the level of skating. And yet, it remains unacknowledged. Seeing as Vans has recently eliminated their girls’ skate team, this adds insult to injury.
Last week, ESPN made it clear that women’s vert and superpark will no longer be divisions in the X-Games. Seeing as Dew Tour has omitted women’s vert this year and Maloof has done little more than hint at the possibility of inclusion, there are virtually no women’s vert contests. We too want to feel the sense of accomplishment, joy and even purpose that comes with successfully finishing a polished run despite unnerving contest jitters.
I’m not blind to the difference in levels between the divisions, but what I have experienced firsthand is the recent spike in the level and numbers of women and girls who skate. And somehow this too remains unacknowledged.
Although I have constantly felt more than welcome into many fun, high-energy sessions with great guys and pros who I’ve looked up to for the past decade, this series of news connotes the concept that women skateboarders are not truly a part of the world of coping and concrete that we have come to love.
We, too, are immersed and committed to the skateboarding community. But the media continues to convey the idea that our place in skateboarding is limited to cheering the boys on as they have all of the fun or scantily clad and posing suggestively in advertisements for wheels.
It’s time to look outside of the current skateboarding industry and start composing our own events.
AdvertisementsHaving predicted that the sandier stages would shake up the Week 1 form guide, the X-raid Mini driver ended Peugeot’s winning streak with a 12-second victory over Carlos Sainz.
Al-Attiyah also made up a spot thanks to early leader Sebastien Loeb’s crash, which means the Qatari driver is now third, 14 minutes behind new leader Stephane Peterhansel – a gap he is says is easily surmountable.
“Fourteen minutes is nothing,” he told Motorsport.com. “If you see what has happened with Loeb today, you know that everything can change. Here, the experience of running off the beaten track is also needed.
"I'm happy to win the first special stage for the team. It has been a very difficult one - especially because there were sand dunes, camel grass and other challenges. This is a real stage of Dakar because there was navigation.”
“We are behind the Peugeots because they are fast, but it’s all working well in my car. The road has now changed; The first week was fast roads and our rivals were fast, but now, with the off road, is when our car is working very well.”
Al-Attiyah added that Tuesday and Wednesday’s running could prove crucial to the outcome of the event.
"[The next two stages] will be very important. If tomorrow I lose a little time, it will be good because someone will have to lead the way and I can fight. There is a long way to go to Rosario. Our goal is to win the Dakar.”
Interview by Luis RamirezWestern Bulldogs vice-captain Easton Wood has agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep him at VU Whitten Oval until at least the end of the 2020 season.
The 27-year-old Wood was set to be a free agent at the end of 2018, but instead recommitted to the Club for a further two years on top of his current deal.
Western Bulldogs List Manager Jason McCartney told westernbulldogs.com.au that people like Wood are what football clubs are all about.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Easton as a player and as an individual,” McCartney said.
“On the field he’s athleticism and intercept marking abilities are elite and he rarely gets beaten in a one-on-one contest.
“And off the field, he’s obviously a key member of our group. He had big shoes to fill last season, stepping in as captain for Rob Murphy, and he couldn’t have handled it better.
”He loves the Club, and we’re really pleased he’s chosen to extend his contract this early.”
Wood arrived at the Bulldogs via a third round selection (43rd overall) in the 2007 AFL National Draft, and has since played 122 games after debuting in Round 19, 2009 against the West Coast Eagles.
The Camperdown product is the tenth player to have signed new deals this season, with Wood joining Jason Johannisen, Kieran Collins, Lewis Young, Patrick Lipinski, Clay Smith, Marcus Adams, Tim English, Bailey Williams and Fletcher Roberts to have re-signed in 2017Undercover D.C. police officers are recruiting people they think are likely to commit armed robberies. The robbery scenarios are fake and designed to put violent offenders in jail. (Video obtained by The Washington Post)
The man with the diamond earrings passed out black-and-white photos showing the crew’s targets: a liquor store in Southeast Washington and its owner, a Mexican drug dealer. In the trunk of the getaway car were two machetes, three guns and enough wire to tie up the owner before taking off with a pile of cash and cocaine.
“We’ve done this... too many times, too many times,” one of the men bragged, insisting that his crew, suspected members of the Street Thug Criminals gang, was ready.
But the robbery was not real — not the target or the victim. The man with the earrings was an undercover police officer who had spent weeks gaining the trust of a crew leader. Waiting outside the room where the men had gathered was a SWAT team armed with semiautomatic weapons.
A SWAT team waited for a signal from the undercover officer before moving in to arrest the men. A scene from the September 2013 arrest is shown here. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
The D.C. police department is quietly turning to high-risk sting operations in which undercover officers recruit people they think are likely to commit armed robberies. The scenarios dreamed up by law enforcement officials, some involving the lure of liquor and strip clubs, are designed to put violent offenders in jail and to address one of the District’s most persistent and dangerous crimes.
The little-known local law enforcement tactic mimics controversial FBI operations that targeted would-be terrorists in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Similar sting operations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have drawn rebukes in recent months from federal judges in California for “outrageous” government conduct.
In the past two years, the D.C. police stings have resulted in convictions of more than a dozen men in federal court. The tactic has overcome the few legal challenges it has faced in the District but has prompted harsh criticism. Defense attorneys and some legal experts have asked whether the police should be encouraging people to commit crimes they might not have otherwise committed by providing invented opportunities and, in some cases, guns and getaway cars.
Critics ask how law enforcement officials can distinguish between someone who is just “puffing” and someone who intends to carry out a crime. Law enforcement officials say they typically identify their targets through police sources and review their history before going after them.
“We have to feel comfortable and confident that these are bad guys, the guys we want,” said Cmdr. Melvin Scott of the narcotics and special investigations division, who oversees the undercover operations. “We’re not pressing these guys. They are boldly stating their job experience.”
On the evening of the planned robbery in September, five members of the crew met the undercover officer in a room made to look like a place where cocaine was stashed. They ordered Pizza Hut, sipped Corona and waited for the signal from the officer’s contact, a supposed drug courier who was actually an undercover federal agent.
The officer gave them an out. “If this is not your thing... that’s cool,” he said, according to a recording of the takedown. “I don’t care. I’m good either way.”
No one flinched. We’re ready, two of the men said.
Moments later, there was a bright flash and a deafening bang. The SWAT team dragged the men out by their feet.
On the night of a robbery sting in September 2013, an undercover D.C. police officer met with five suspected members of a gang. The men were arrested after they agreed to carry out the crime. (Video obtained by The Washington Post)
Fake robbery opportunities
In recent years, D.C. police have deployed extra patrol officers and teams of undercover decoys to respond to robberies. Officers have posed as subway commuters to catch would-be thieves of electronic devices, who Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said in 2012 had “clobbered” her department.
The liquor store sting operations, outlined in court filings and trial testimony, are intended to infiltrate small teams of armed robbers whom police consider more violent than the typical street criminal. Assistant Chief Peter Newsham said the strategy has helped, contributing to a decline in robberies of more than 25 percent since the start of the year.
Still, the unpredictable, risky operations keep Lanier up at night. She asked The Washington Post not to print an article about the investigations for fear of revealing tactics to criminals. The Post is publishing the story because several of these cases have been heard in open court and many of the tactical details have been discussed there. Operational details that could put officers at risk have been withheld at the department’s request.
Instead of waiting for suspects to act, police are essentially bringing robbery opportunities, albeit fake ones, to them. Police officials and prosecutors say they work to ensure that the people they are dealing with are not all bluster.
“We don’t arrest people who don’t want to do this,” said Dale Sutherland, a recently retired D.C. police sergeant and an architect of the tactic who participated in undercover operations.
“The whole ticket to these is words.... Just get him talking. Let him talk,” Sutherland said.
In the four recent cases, undercover officers held several meetings with their targets. They exchanged text messages and discussed in detail the planned liquor store robberies, including the weapons they would use.
In April 2013, Sutherland, posing as “Papi,” and a second undercover officer met with three suspects. On the night of the planned robbery, an undercover officer brought the men a 9mm pistol and an AK-47 assault rifle.
In the meeting room in Northeast Washington, an officer handed a curling iron to one of the men who had said he would use it to “burn the inner thigh of the victim” if he refused to provide the combination to the safe, according to a court filing. The deal was sealed with a celebratory toast of Rémy Martin and Coke just before uniformed officers moved in.
A similar scene played out in June 2012, when three men were recruited to lift cash and jewelry from a liquor store in Adams Morgan. The officers agreed to provide semiautomatic pistols and an assault rifle. Police also bought two of the men — ages 18 and 19 — alcohol and tried unsuccessfully to get at least one of them into a strip club, according to court papers.
“Everything that was done to plan this alleged event was done by the police officers,” said Michelle Peterson, the attorney for one of the men. In arguing for a lighter sentence, Peterson said the police had “continued to ply this young, impressionable man with alcohol, scantily clad women and offers of obscene amounts of money if he did what they wanted him to do.”
The government argued that the men were eager to participate and to recruit others.
“The planning was done together with the undercover officers, and they had every intention to harm who they thought would be a victim in the liquor store,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela George said in court.
A judge agreed, finding a “disturbing eagerness to participate.” All three men pleaded guilty last year and are serving between three and four years in prison.
Entrapment concerns
Some legal experts and defense attorneys are concerned that law enforcement may be ensnaring people who would not have tried to commit a robbery without the government’s involvement.
“When you have the government offering guns or the getaway car and making it really attractive, you have to ask: Is this an opportunity that would have really come around in real life? Would this person have been able to put together this type of crime without government assistance?” said Katharine Tinto, a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York who has studied undercover policing tactics.
Tinto and others also take issue with the government’s ability to essentially engineer tough penalties by controlling the details of the made-up crime. Part of the reason the District cases have been so successful, according to defense lawyers, is that the potential jail time for the federal conspiracy charge is steep enough that many defendants are more inclined to make a deal with prosecutors than risk losing at trial.
The government is on solid legal ground, experts say, when it comes to fending off allegations that suspects were set up — or entrapped — by the police. Even if the government entices the defendant, the target has to show that he was not predisposed to commit the crime.
There is some disagreement, however, among federal judges about the tactics used in similar operations run by ATF. Two California judges in recent months have thrown out indictments in ATF investigations for “outrageous” government conduct involving robberies of fake drug stash houses.
U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II said the government’s “extensive involvement in dreaming up this fanciful scheme — including the arbitrary amount of drugs and illusory need for weapons and extra associates — transcends the bounds of due process and renders the government’s actions outrageous.”
A federal appeals court in 2013 also found elements of the ATF's approach troubling, noting that a government informant randomly recruited would-be robbers from poor neighborhoods. Even so, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the convictions in part because of recordings that showed the defendant bragging about his past criminal activity.
Prosecutors in the District said that local investigators thoroughly research their initial targets. The phony robbery is not presented as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with huge quantities of drugs but as a modest money-making endeavor.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Geise, who leads the narcotics and violent crimes division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, acknowledged that the police do not know the identities of some of those who show up for a planned robbery. Those individuals are charged based on the role they play, Geise said, and their limited participation is taken into consideration during plea deal negotiations.
“We give them every opportunity to walk away, to change their mind, until the last minute,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla-Dee Clark, who helped prosecute the most recent case.
Making preparations
The robberies are fake, but the risks are real.
The undercover officer with the earrings met his initial target, Pablo Lovo, through a police source. At one of their early meetings, in August at a Mexican restaurant in Northwest Washington, the undercover officer told Lovo that he was looking for a crew to rob a local businessman who smuggled large amounts of cocaine from Mexico to sell in the Washington area.
Lovo, a 26-year-old who worked in countertop installation, bragged about his crew’s experience robbing immigrant-run brothels, the officer testified.
D.C. police discovered three guns and two machetes in the trunk of the getaway car shown here with two of the defendants, Pablo Lovo and Joel Sorto. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
The next week at a diner in Northwest, Lovo brought a friend, Joel Sorto. Over egg sandwiches and lemonade, Sorto told the officer that he would bring his machete because “people were more afraid of being chopped up than shot,” according to court papers.
Police recovered weapons, including two machetes, from the trunk of the rental car that Pablo Lovo and his crew drove on the night of the robbery sting. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
Police recovered weapons, including three guns, from the trunk of the rental car that Pablo Lovo and his crew drove on the night of the robbery sting. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
Law enforcement officials could not confirm the brothel robberies, but the undercover officer testified that he knew Lovo from two previous undercover drug buys. Sorto was on probation at the time for an attempted robbery conviction, according to court testimony.
A few days before the planned robbery, the officer arranged to meet with Lovo to show him the getaway car.
“Okay, we’re ready,” Lovo texted in Spanish.
The text message exchange in Spanish between an undercover officer (set in green) and Pablo Lovo, his target. Officer: Call me. I am already in Maryland. Lovo: Okay, we're ready. Officer: Okay, we'll see each other tomorrow. I have the car. Lovo: Okay, you say it, I’ll do it. Officer: Okay, talk to you tomorrow. (Obtained by The Washington Post)
“They were going to rob a fellow citizen,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory Cole told jurors during Lovo’s trial in May. “Someone could have gotten hurt. Somebody could have gotten killed.”
Lovo’s attorney, Eduardo Balarezo, responded, “Who is this fellow citizen?”
“You’re not going to hear from him. You’re not going to see him. He doesn’t exist.”
“The government created this crime. It’s a fiction,” Balarezo said.
On the night of the takedown last September, the undercover officer thought that two, maybe three other people would show up with Lovo. There were four.
One of the men was on edge from the start. “This is not a game. I want to make sure that you are not wearing anything under you,” he said, prompting the officer and the others to pull up their shirts and strip down to their boxer shorts.
As he dropped his pants, the undercover officer testified, he felt his police-issued Glock pistol, in the small of his back, slipping from the waistband.
“If my weapon falls, I have to be the first to get it,” the officer, a retired Marine, told jurors, adding that he was “afraid for his life.”
At his trial, Lovo told jurors that he never agreed to participate in a robbery. He planned only to sell the guns. The machetes, he testified, were for occasional landscaping jobs.
The jury sided with the government, finding all three men guilty of conspiracy. One of the men was acquitted of a second weapons charge. The men face prison time ranging from four to 19 years when they are sentenced in September.
The two others in the conspiracy pleaded guilty and were sentenced in June to more than 30 months in prison.
Peter Hermann and Clarence Williams contributed to this report.
Get updates on your area delivered via e-mailWomen’s participation in slut shaming is often viewed as internalized oppression: they apply disadvantageous sexual double standards established by men. This perspective grants women little agency and neglects their simultaneous location in other social structures. In this article we synthesize insights from social psychology, gender, and culture to argue that undergraduate women use slut stigma to draw boundaries around status groups linked to social class—while also regulating sexual behavior and gender performance. High-status women employ slut discourse to assert class advantage, defining themselves as classy rather than trashy, while low-status women express class resentment—deriding rich, bitchy sluts for their exclusivity. Slut discourse enables, rather than constrains, sexual experimentation for the high-status women whose definitions prevail in the dominant social scene. This is a form of sexual privilege. In contrast, low-status women risk public shaming when they attempt to enter dominant social worlds.
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Three weeks ago, Vulture’s TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz wrote about his frustrations with the current season of Community: “It’s still a good show, but it doesn’t give me that anticipatory buzz that defines a really great series, that joyous anxiety born from being continually, often delightfully surprised.” And after the first five episodes, the prevailing sense is that Seitz is very much correct — the show is not as good as it once was. However, what if this season’s fundamental flaws have actually been part of the show’s DNA the entire time but we were too distracted to notice? Are we finally seeing problems that had been there all along?
Each of this season’s five episodes has had a big conceptual hook. In order: Hunger Games/multi-cam sitcom/Muppet Babies parody; haunted house movie parody; fan convention parody; war movie parody; Shawshank Redemption parody. Yet none of them really felt as authentic or was as funny as anything from the first three seasons. It all felt like the writers going, “I guess we’re supposed to parody something — it’s Community, the show that spoofs stuff.” You can blame the new showrunners for oversimplifying, but they needed to hook the show onto something, and it turns out that the characters just weren’t a viable option. The fact is, as is the nature of the medium, a TV character should be so well defined that multiple writers can write for them effectively each week, and as we’ve seen this season, Community has failed that test.
“I’m not digging the Britta-Troy relationship,” Seitz wrote. “I get the feeling the writers and actors don’t have any particular opinion on it, either.” It’s an accurate assessment, but it’s important to remember that the seeds of this relationship were sown during the Harmon era. A romantic spark between the two would appear periodically, but it was pushed really hard in season three and likely would’ve existed in season four regardless. And we probably wouldn’t have dug it, even if Harmon had remained showrunner. Britta and Troy’s relationship feels out of character for both of them. It might’ve made sense in early season one, when both were partly defined by the front they put on (this peaked at the dance recital episode), but that part of each of their characters basically vanished. Britta is someone who’s trying to finally be an adult member of society, while also staying true to her rebelliousness — dating a younger and, let’s say, simple guy like Troy doesn’t fit into that. (Also, Britta is hypothetically about ten years older than Troy. It’s not as creepy as Jeff and Annie, but still.) Maybe it was borne out of that TV trope of putting people together because of proximity and physical attractiveness, but that rings as particularly unambitious for
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4,949. The officials have also announced that they will temporarily let lose genetically modified mosquitoes developed by a British firm to battle the infected mosquito population.
Oxford-based Oxitec welcomed the a special temporary registration (RET, Registro Especial Temporário) and will soon let lose their GM creations into the wild. Its genetically engineered male mosquito, OX513A, known as Friendly Aedes aegypti is designed to pass on faulty genes to Zika-infected females, so that their offspring won’t be able to reproduce, halting the spread of the disease.People visit the booth of Alibaba Group during an exhibition in Beijing, China, September 22, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
BEIJING (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's internet finance arm Ant Financial Services Group [ANTFIN.UL] is in talks to invest in Chinese news outlet Caixin Media, said two people familiar with the matter.
Ant Financial, Caixin and Alibaba declined to comment.
Caixin, with its eponymous flagship magazine, is an influential business, politics and finance news media group founded by outspoken editor Hu Shuli. Caixin also possesses data and indices which could complement Ant's financial and wealth management services, should the companies agree to a deal.
In a statement on its website on Wednesday, Caixin said it was nearing completion of a funding round, introducing a number of unnamed high-quality investors, but that new and original shareholders alike will recognize the group's editorial independence.
Caixin's statement did not say how much it was seeking to raise. The sources did not say how much Ant Financial plans to invest in Caixin.
E-commerce titan Alibaba and its affiliates have been expanding their media empire, investing in everything from film, television and music to video games and news.
In December, Alibaba agreed to a $266 million acquisition of Hong Kong's flagship English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, a controversial deal that has raised questions over the publication's editorial independence.
The talks with Caixin also come as China's ruling Communist Party tries to maintain a chokehold over domestic media and public opinion.
Last month, President Xi Jinping told Chinese state media they must speak for the party and protect its authority and unity, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
(Reporting by Shu Zhang and Paul Carsten; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)One of the most extreme things Rick Santorum said in his campaign to be elected Moralist-in-Chief is also something largely ignored by the media. In yet another anti-gay rant, Santorum promised that as president he would get involved in a national campaign to strip gay couples of their marriage licenses. He said:
Gay marriage is wrong. As Abraham Lincoln said, states do not have the right to do wrong. And so there are folks here who said states can do this and I won't get involved in that. I will get involved in that because the states, as a president I will get involved because the states don't have a right to undermine the basic fundamental values that hold this country together.
In New Hampshire, Santorum said, "I don't believe that we can have 50 definitions of marriage... I think there are certain things that are essential elements of society, upon which society rest, that we have to have a consensus."
However, Santorum doesn't seek consensus; he seeks federal, centralized control. His idea of "consensus" is to ban anything that disagrees with his morality. When anything deemed a moral issue is being decided he thinks the federal government should decide for the nation. This is precisely the opposite of what the authors of the Constitution thought.
As far as the Founders were concerned, federal powers were clearly delineated in the Constitution. Nowhere did they suggest that control over the moral climate of the nation was a federal matter. The Founders were not particularly enamored with a federal government with its fingers in the affairs of the home, business, education, health care, or morality. They said central government had a few, precise, enumerated functions and the powers necessary to carry them out -- nothing more.
Santorum's desire is to strip states of their power to set marriage laws, merely because he believes such issues are about "right and wrong" and thus claims the states have no power to do wrong. For more than two centuries, states have been writing their own marriage laws and there have always been different definitions of marriage.
This doesn't mean the states are free to do as they wish, as Ron Paul seems to believe. One of the great virtues of the 14th Amendment is that it limits the powers of states according to the Bill of Rights. Conservatives should remember that recent Supreme Court decisions upholding the 2nd Amendment were based on this very thing.
Jefferson argued that government derives powers from the people and that the function of government is to protect pre-existing rights of the people. That was all he thought government should do -- protect rights. It wasn't in the business of enforcing God's law, Rick Santorum's theology, or Vatican edicts.
While many conservatives lament that the federal government is usurping powers to try to centrally plan the unplannable -- the economy -- they are far too sanguine when it comes to government interference into the most intimate part of an individual's life. Taxes reduce individual choice by stripping people of the economic means of achieving their goals, but the regulations that conservatives love, strip people of their very individuality. Theocrats want to regulate who people love, how they live their private lives, what they read, their entertainment choices and the myriad of "moral" decisions people make about their lives. It seeks to replace individuality with a herd all holding the same beliefs and living the same lives.
Taxes restrict choices. Individuals who lose income to the state have fewer choices and must decide which trade-offs are acceptable. They have to take less of something they value in order to feed the bureaucracy. That isn't good, but the Rick Santorums of the world want to strip people of those choices entirely. They claim they are willing to leave more income in people's pockets, but then want the law to forbid certain choices because this freedom offends the moralistic sensibilities of theology-addled busybodies. Individual choice, they say, is fine for such mundane, relatively unimportant tasks, such as whether to have soup or salad with your meal. But those really important decisions, such as whom to marry, must be controlled by some politburo of morality.
It is as if Santorum is channeling the spirit of the meddlesome Frances Willard, a fundamentalist Christian socialist who was president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Willard thought government should control most aspects of human life and went so far as to advocate a "department of amusements," saying, "It is no more reasonable for people to let the devil have all the amusements than it is to let the devil have all the good tunes." Like Santorum, Willard wanted federal control over what she saw to be a moral issue: alcohol consumption. She succeeded in her endeavor and the nation soon regretted its decision repealing Prohibition just 14 years later.The Baltimore Bomb is dead, but the Ravens' growing reputation for robbery lived on yesterday, in the form of two more interceptions.
Safety Rod Woodson and cornerback Duane Starks continued a striking trend for the Ravens by picking off a pair of passes by Cincinnati quarterback Jeff Blake in yesterday's 22-0 shutout of the Bengals. That gave the Ravens six interceptions in their past two games and a team-record 20 interceptions on the season, including 17 in their past nine games.
Yesterday also marked the end of the short-lived celebration by the Ravens' defense, which graced the home crowd last week with "The Baltimore Bomb."
The NFL notified the Ravens before yesterday's game and told them to knock off the celebratory dance, in which the entire defense surrounds the player responsible for the interception, watches the player toss the ball in the air, then falls backward in unison as the ball descends.
The league told the Ravens it would fine the offending players instead of penalizing the team.
"C'mon, we're having fun, and we're not doing it in anybody's face. It shows our team unity, it's part of the game, it hypes up our fans," said defensive end Michael McCrary.
"I don't understand what the league is trying to do. This is no ballet. This is football. I think [the league] needs to review themselves."
Starks and Woodson each enjoyed their moments in the second quarter. Starks ended a promising Bengals drive by stepping in front of Carl Pickens on the right sideline, picking off Blake at the Ravens' 4 and returning it 9 yards with 3: 40 left.
Woodson's interception came on Cincinnati's next series, and he returned it 44 yards to the Bengals' 15, setting up a 19-yard field goal by Matt Stover to give the Ravens a 16-0 halftime lead.
Starks said the team put on a "changed up" version of the celebration after the first interception, in which the defense formed a circle, took a knee as Starks tossed the ball in the air, then watched Starks dance briefly in the middle of the circle.
"Then, Coach said [the league] is not going to throw a flag, they're going to give us a fine," Starks said. "We didn't do anything else after Rod's because we got the ruling.
"[The league) is trying to make too many regulations against having fun out there. It's not taunting. It's just having fun. That's what this game is all about. A little fun won't hurt anybody. But I guess it will hurt us."
Starks took over second place on the team with his fifth interception of the season. Woodson recorded his team-high seventh interception.
Woodson, who has 54 career interceptions and is tied with Willie Brown for 16th place on the all-time list, is one shy of his single-season high, set with Pittsburgh in 1993.
Woodson, just elected to his eighth Pro Bowl, is the only player to receive the honor as a safety, cornerback and kick returner.
Since the 1970 league merger, he is the third player to make the squad at three different positions -- the Chicago Bears' Dan Hampton and the New York Jets' Joe Klecko made the Pro Bowl at defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle.
Sack attack
The Ravens produced a season-high seven sacks, two shy of the team record set Nov. 16, 1997.
Leading the way was McCrary, who had his second three-sack game of the year and passed linebacker Peter Boulware for the team lead. McCrary now has 12 sacks and Boulware has 10.
Four other players also got a piece of Blake. They included linebacker Cornell Brown, tackles Larry Webster and Lional Dalton and backup end Keith Washington.
Webster got his second sack of the season, while Brown and Dalton collected their first each. Dalton's was the first of his two-year career.
Washington got his first sack of the year by forcing a fumble by Blake that resulted in a 12-yard loss with about six minutes left in the game. Washington also partially blocked a 20-yard field-goal attempt by Doug Pelfrey 1: 40 into the fourth quarter.
"[Billick] challenged us and asked us to raise our level of play to playoff caliber," said Washington, who had two tackles. "That's what I wanted to do. As a backup, I don't want McCrary to be missed when he's not in the game."
Backfield in motion
Errict Rhett and Priest Holmes continued to share duty in the offensive backfield, with good results.
They combined for 109 yards on 25 carries, with Holmes gaining a slight edge by rushing for 59 yards on 13 attempts.
Rhett got to score the game's only touchdown. He looped out of the backfield before catching a swing pass from Tony Banks and scoring on a 2-yard play with 3: 14 left in the first quarter to open the game's scoring.
Rhett also took a good shot from linebacker Steve Foley, 6 feet 3 and 260 pounds, who nailed Rhett in the thigh and sent the 215-pound back flying out of bounds after he had crossed the goal line.
"[Foley] is a big guy. I thought he was going to hit me up high," Rhett said. "I never thought a big guy like that would hit me low. That's kind of embarrassing on his part. I just let him hit me. I knew I was going to score anyway.
"I'm rolling, splitting time with my boy [Holmes]. We're having a lot of fun."
Bad break for Collins
The day started on a fun note for tight end Ryan Collins, who had taken over the job in recent weeks.
Collins caught three passes for 41 yards, easily his best game as a pro. And he did that all in the first quarter, with the highlight coming on a 28-yard reception for a first down with about five minutes left.
But Collins suffered a fractured ankle later in the game and did not return. He will miss the season finale in New England.
Concussion for Thompson
Bennie Thompson had an eventful day. He led the Ravens in special teams tackles (two) and concussions (one).
Thompson suffered the concussion while covering a punt with 6: 47 left in the first half. Thompson lay on the field for several minutes after tackling Craig Yeast, following a 6-yard return.
When asked to rate the severity of the concussion, Thompson said, "I got knocked out. I saw tweety birds."
Rough cornersIt seems like everyone celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day, whether they are Irish or not. With all the drinking, dinners, and green tinted sweets floating around it can seem nearly impossible to stick to your plan. Don’t worry, you won’t need any luck to keep the holiday keto friendly. We’ve rounded up 25 great low-carb recipe ideas for Saint Patrick’s Day. Some of them are more traditional like a roast, Irish soda bread, or colcannon. Others were picked we thought their vibrant green hues could add some fun.
1. Easy Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Look, I know potatoes are not keto and this is probably a day when you are more likely to miss them. I also know that you’ve probably tried mashed cauliflower before. But here’s the thing – mashed cauliflower is delicious! Who needs those dumb potatoes anyway!? This recipe creams cauliflower with sour cream, butter, heavy whipping cream, and cheese. All of the things! So if you’ll excuse me I’ll be over here piling this delicious cauli mash right next to my corned beef.
2. St. Patrick’s Day Fried Eggs in Green Pepper Rings
Here’s a cute way to start your day. Sliced green bell pepper rings resemble a three leafed clover. Drop an egg inside and sprinkle with some cheese for a fun breakfast. This recipe is a simple way to create some fun holiday memories.
3. Cucumber Spinach Smoothie
This drink is a lovely blend of cucumber, spinach, coconut milk, and lots of keto friendly fat. The shake overall is delightfully refreshing and crisp. This drink is perfect for anyone who misses green juice.
4. Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Skillet
Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for those mornings after St. Patrick’s Day. You can use up any leftover corned beef that you have to make it. The inclusion of riced cauliflower, and a drizzle of Russian dressing, makes for a very filling and unique breakfast dish. I can just picture popping my fork into those over-easy eggs!
5. Easy Keto Creamed Spinach
Want some greens, but need something besides cabbage? Try this classic creamed spinach recipe. The spinach is cooked with two cheeses and sour cream. This recipe would make a lovely green side dish for any Patrick’s Day spread.
6. Healthy Avocado Deviled Eggs
I love this idea for making deviled eggs green without any food coloring! The eggs are mixed with avocado and spiced up with jalapeno. You can substitute the yogurt that the recipe calls for with a full-fat mayonnaise.
7. Corned Beef and Cabbage Meatballs
Don’t have the time or cash for a full corned beef roast? Check out this recipe for corned beef meatballs! It uses canned corned beef and looks very simple to make up. I love this new twist on the classic pairing.
8. Low Carb Corned Beef Cabbage Rolls
In that vein, here is one of our recipes that shows you how to make corned beef in your slow cooker. It then walks you through turning it into these peppery looking cabbage rolls! The cabbage looks so green and lively.
9. Low-Carb/Keto Slow-Cooker Reuben Soup
This lovely looking soup can also be made in the slow cooker. It incorporates sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and heavy cream with the corned beef. You can see it topped with some Swiss cheese crisps. (Recipe also included!)
10. Spicy Sausage & Cabbage Skillet Melt
If you are not in the mood for beef then perhaps you’d enjoy this spicy sausage & cabbage skillet. It uses spicy chicken sausages, and cooks it up with cabbage and melted Colby cheese. The mix of purple and green cabbage is a nice touch that makes this dish really colorful.
11. Low-Carb Twice-Cooked Cabbage with Sour Cream and Bacon
For anyone else who’s desperate for something besides boiled cabbage – give this dish a try. The cabbage is twice cooked with sour cream and bacon. The finished dish is topped with bubbly brown cheese and will have your family asking for more.
12. Low Carb Irish Colcannon
Here’s the Ruled Me keto spin on this classic dish. We’ve creamed cauliflower, spinach, and even avocado to get that classic green hue. You can use frozen cauliflower to help save some time if you’d like.
13. Grain Free Irish Soda Bread
This bread looks so close to the real thing that I had to do a double-take with the recipe. It’s about 5 net carbs for a serving, but you can remove the raisins to shave off more carbs. (Just run it through MyFitnessPal or a similar app when you make it to double check the nutrition.) I think this would be really great with a cup of coffee in the morning.
14. Keto Friendly Bacon Jam
Don’t judge me for including this recipe because it has a shot of Scotch in it. It’s really, very good. You could serve some of this with those bell pepper eggs I showed you earlier. Although, to be honest, it’s mostly made of bacon and thus goes well with everything.
15. Homemade sugar-free Irish cream liqueur
This recipe provides a great substitute for recipes or drinks that call for a sweet liqueur. Carolyn shares the secret of using star anise pods to make it taste just like the popular branded liqueur. It’s got chocolate, coffee, almond, and coconut flavors blending together with the whiskey and cream. There really is a keto substitute for everything!
16. Spinach Shamrock Latte
This spinach shamrock latte combines spinach and alcohol. That sounds terrible, but it tastes great and you really can have fun while you drink your veggies. It kind of tastes like a herbal chai latte, with alcohol and creaminess.
17. Guinness Chocolate Pudding
The author of this amazing looking dessert warns that it’s rich. That sounds like a good thing to me! Guinness and unsweetened chocolate are whipped up into this rich pudding. I’m over here drooling.
18. Iced Ketoproof Green Tea
If you’d like a lovely green drink but aren’t super into the spinach or other veggie drink concoctions, then I recommend this nice fat infused green tea. We wrote an extremely detailed recipe post that tells you everything you need to know to make the perfect cup. It will leave you both filled and refreshed!
19. Low Carb Irish Cream Ice Cream
This delicately flavored Irish cream flavored ice cream is low carb – with only 4g net carbs! The recipe writer also links to recipes for chocolate cake, and a Guinness chocolate sauce to pour on top.
20. Sugar-Free Irish Coffee Frosting
This Irish coffee frosting would be great piped on top of all sorts of keto treats. It has a shot of whisky, cause why not, and comes together like a dream. The writer includes some tips for making it green with spirulina powder. Clever!
21. Cilantro Infused Avocado Lime Sorbet
And now for something completely different: cilantro infused avocado lime sorbet. The avocado base makes this iced treat creamy, but the lime infused coconut milk reduction makes it a sweet treat. This is tart and refreshing! I know that a lot of you will appreciate that it is dairy free too.
22. Secret-Ingredient Mint Fudge
What’s the secret ingredient in this easy mint fudge recipe? Parsley! This recipe is truly easy with only three steps. This one is also dairy free for those of you who are struggling to find more keto recipes that do not use it.
23. No Bake Irish Cream Cheesecake
Here’s a great place to use a low-carb Irish cream recipe. These personal sized chocolate cheesecakes will hit the spot without all the fuss of a full sized pie. The recipe includes tips for stabilizing whipped cream with gelatin.
24. Vanilla Whisky Keto Mug Cake
Here’s another small dessert! This vanilla whisky keto mug cake is easy to make. This cake goes well with…more whisky!
25. Slow Cooked Corned Beef and Roasted Cabbage
Of course, I can’t leave you without sharing at least one recipe for corned beef. This version is prepared in a slow cooker, and includes a side of roasted cabbage. (Wow!) There is one carrot included in this recipe, but you can easily skip it.Carlo Allegri/Reuters Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's campaign chairman, told The Huffington Post in May that “This is not a hard race,” but things have changed since then.
WASHINGTON ― This spring, as he was becoming chairman of Donald Trump’s campaign, Paul Manafort told friends that the candidate knew all about his work for foreign leaders and thought the criticism he received for it was a “badge of honor.”
That was May. Now, in the heat of August ― after a series of investigative reports on Manafort’s activities in Ukraine ― he is on the losing end of a power struggle in the Trump camp.
The Republican presidential nominee has not stepped forward publicly to defend Manafort, and it’s not clear whether Trump knew that Manafort’s work might have had an unregistered (and therefore, potentially illegal) U.S. lobbying component.
Manafort may stay on as campaign chairman, but the operational power has shifted elsewhere.
The Ukraine implosion comes at the end of a particularly chaotic month, even by Trump standards, in which the campaign Manafort was ostensibly running committed mistake after mistake and plummeted in the polls.
Many of those mistakes were of the candidate’s own doing ― but they begged the question of whether Trump was being managed at all. Meanwhile, the campaign’s lack of a ground game, trips to non-competitive states and steady streams of Republican defections begged the question of whether Manafort was up to his job.
His enemies within the Trump circle, let by ousted campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, never thought so. Consistently, and often publicly, they worked to undermine whatever real authority Manafort had.
In an interview with The Huffington Post in late May, a confident-seeming Manafort bragged prematurely about his success. “This is not a hard race,” he said, citing Trump’s blue-collar appeal and Hillary Clinton’s unpopularity. Trump would not need to put a woman or minority on the ticket and would not need to significantly change his message or methods, just cut down on unforced errors and do a good job in the fall debates.
But on Manafort’s watch, the race has turned into a difficult, if not impossible, one.
Why?
For one, Trump remains unmanageable, especially when advised to rein in his pugilistic, if not deliberately offensive, campaign style.
Manafort had reason to know this from the start ― and reason to know that his advice would be ignored.
The taco bowl incident, trivial though it was, is one example. On Cinco de Mayo, Trump happened to be eating a taco bowl for lunch at his desk in Trump Tower. Manafort was in the office with other aides when a member of the family suggested they tweet a picture of Trump enjoying his “Mexican” lunch.
Manafort politely suggested that this might be seen as condescending and cautioned against it. The tweet went out. Trump himself was delighted by the resulting controversy. “The people who were offended were people we wanted to offend,” he later said.
Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016
A super-confident bearing is essential in Manafort’s main trade, which involves advising foreign authoritarian leaders on how to win elections using old-style American tactics.
But the fact is that Manafort, as shrewd and capable as he is, never managed a presidential campaign, or any high-level American campaign effort. He is a master of conventions and delegate counting, which is an insiders’ game. He is not an outward-facing message, media and U.S. voting expert.
And the leading authority on social media and politics in the Trump campaign is Trump himself.
“Paul’s knowledge, such as it is, is about 20 years old,” said a longtime adviser to Trump, who declined to be identified and is not in the Lewandowski camp. “He doesn’t know the new demographics or the new media.”
Manafort is not known as a debate prep expert, either, which is why Roger Ailes has and will continue to informally advise Trump on debate strategy and other messaging matters.
Manafort has not dismantled ― has not been able to dismantle ― the early staff that Trump assembled with Lewandowski, and Trump refused to help him do so.
Rather, the GOP presidential nominee maintains a floating array of power centers around him. His office can be crowded with sub-groups vying for attention, undercutting each other. He plays them off against each other, which allows him to keep his options open and deny chain-of-command responsibility that a hierarchy would impose.
The almost casual circumstances of Manafort’s hiring added to the uncertainty of who ran what. Trump had known him for years (Manafort has a condo in Trump Tower), and Manafort was recommended to Trump most forcefully and effectively by their longtime mutual friend, international businessman Tom Barrack.
Manafort is donating his services as chairman. It’s not clear why, except that it gives both him and Trump a reason to part ways if that ever becomes necessary.
Now, it may be.Linda Lovelace is a pornographic actress who had instant success with the 1972 film Deep Throat.
Synopsis As the star of the first full-length pornographic film, Deep Throat, Linda Lovelace became a household name in the 1970s. But there was reportedly a dark story behind her fame. She was often abused by her mother growing up, and her first husband forced her into porn. Once the industry’s biggest star, Lovelace later stood up against porn, testifying about its dangers before Congress. She died on April 22, 2002, in Denver, Colorado.
Early Life Linda Lovelace was born Linda Susan Boreman in New York City on January 10, 1949. As the star of the first full-length pornographic film, Deep Throat, Lovelace became a household name in the United States in the 1970s. But there was reportedly a dark story behind her fame; she was often abused by her mother growing up, according to an article in the Boston Globe. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website In her early twenties, Lovelace began dating Chuck Traynor. She married him in part to escape her family, but ended up in an even more harrowing situation. Traynor reportedly forced her into doing pornography. She later claimed that he controlled every aspect of her life and threatened her with bodily harm if she did not perform or tried to leave him. Traynor denied her charges. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
'Deep Throat' Her most well-known film, Deep Throat, was released in 1972 and took the nation by storm. Lovelace starred with Harry Reems, a seasoned porn actor. The thin plot revolved around a woman who goes to see a doctor to sort out her sexual frustration. Unlike other porn films of the time, it tried to incorporate humor alongside the sexual aspects of the film. Despite its triple X rating, it became popular with mainstream audiences and eventually earned around $600 million. Not bad for a film that cost $25,000 to make. But Lovelace reportedly saw no money from Deep Throat and said that her husband received around $1,250 for the project.
Controversy With its numerous graphic sex scenes, Deep Throat stirred up a national debate on obscenity. Several diverse groups, including the Nixon administration, Christian leaders, and feminist activists, protested against the film and the porn industry itself. There were police raids of movie theaters across the country often with the film’s print being seized by the authorities. Fines were also levied against some projectionists. While Lovelace faced no legal challenges, she was subpoenaed to testify in one of many court cases against its “obscene” content in 1973. A Supreme Court ruling that same year led to a crackdown on hardcore pornography, but all of the outcry about Deep Throat only generated more interest in the film and spurred ticket sales. Not long after Deep Throat, Lovelace left Traynor and tried to launch a career as an actress. But her notoriety did not translate into any substantial legitimate roles. She did an R-rated sequel, Deep Throat Part II (1974), and starred in Linda Lovelace for President (1975), which was rated X, but both were box office duds.
Personal Life While Lovelace was frustrated professionally, she found some personal happiness around this time. She married Larry Marchiano, and he was by her side as she told her story in Ordeal (1980), which provided details about her abusive relationship with Traynor. In the book, Lovelace said that Traynor kept as a prisoner and that he forced to perform obscene sex acts often by pointing a gun at her as a form of intimidation. He also made her have sex with other men for money, according to her book. Once the porn industry’s biggest star, Lovelace stood up against pornography, testifying about its dangers before Congress and in other venues. She also shared her hellish experiences in numerous forums, including the book Out of Bondage (1986). But financially she and her young family struggled. Marchiano had been unemployed for a time and had a number of low-paying jobs. Her health also suffered. Lovelace needed a new liver after hers was damaged by hepatitis that she may have contracted from a 1970 blood transfusion, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. She received a transplant in 1987. In 1990, Lovelace and her family moved to Denver, Colorado. The couple split in 1996, but she stayed in the area and worked locally. She also began appearing at memorabilia shows and received a warm welcome from fans, according to The New York Times. Lovelace died in Denver, Colorado, on April 22, 2002, of injuries sustained in a car accident on April 3 of that year. Her ex-husband and their two children were by her side when she was taken off life support.The MLS Disciplinary Committee has suspended Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Cristian Techera for one match, and fined him an undisclosed amount after an incident against the Portland Timbers over the weekend.
The committee says Techera was punished for stepping on Timbers midfielder Diego Chara in the 93rd minute of the match. You can check out the video below and decide for yourself whether or not it warranted discipline.
In addition, both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers have been found in violation of the mass confrontation policy. Again, you can check out some video on that.
Techera will miss this weekends' match against the San Jose Earthquake.
The Vancouver Whitecaps will be even more short-handed on Sunday afternoon, when they play the San Jose Earthquake, as it appears Jordan Harvey's red card issued tackle on Diego Valerie will remain. Although the Whitecaps should have their stalwart Kendall Waston back in the center of defense, with Costa Rica's elimination from the Gold Cup. With Jamaica advancing to the semi-finals, Darren Mattocks' return is more up-in-the-air.
Several lineup questions remain for the Whitecaps for this weekend's matchup. Who starts in the back, in place of Harvey (and Kah?). Who takes over for Techera in the midfield? Will Morales be back?
Let us know your thoughts on the suspension and the lineup adjustments that will be needed in the comments below.Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s)
By Patty Hagen, executive director of T-REX.
The way we work is changing, due in large part to a momentous generational change. The millennial generation is now the largest sector of the U.S. workforce—one in three workers in the U.S. is a member of the millennial generation, according to the Pew Research Center. Millennials now also outnumber Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living population. This generation’s beliefs and challenges are shaping the nation’s approach to work now and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
Who Are They?
Millennials are more likely to live in metropolitan areas, more likely to have high student debt from their college experience, more likely to be from a minority population (43% of millennials are from growing minority populations), and less likely to be married than previous generations’ at their age.
The millennial generation is more highly educated than previous generations, but at the same time, more likely to be underemployed or unemployed than previous generations at their age. They are more liberal-leaning in their political views, and more likely to say that they want their work to make a difference in the world. They are also more inclined to question institutions, but are more likely to believe that government should do more to help people. They believe in gender equity, living a life that includes diversity, putting family first, and feel that being a good parent is the most important priority one should have in life. They want flexibility in their work schedule, and eschew irrelevant institutions while valuing “authenticity.”
These social/cultural shifts are impacting how we structure our work lives and how we encourage entrepreneurship in our nation, which is one of the most important ways to ensure communities’ economic health over the long run.
At the same time as the millennial generation has impacted the way we work. We are experiencing a dearth of entrepreneurship in our country. Surprisingly, although the startup world lately has commanded significant media attention, startup activity has actually declined nationally since the 1970’s; new firms as a share of total firms have decreased from 15% in 1977 to 8% today, according to Jim Bullard, President of the St. Louis Federal Reserve. The share of employment in small firms has also declined since 1977, across all industry sectors. This is especially meaningful as small businesses are seen as the creators of new jobs and the drivers of employment for our region and our country.
Their Economic Impact
What do these trends and social/cultural shifts mean for the way we design our work and our strategies for economic growth?
Some of these changes are easy to see: We are experiencing the proliferation of creative office design, short term office leases and co-working spaces across industries and regions, as well as increases in flexibility in work schedules, work attire and human resource policies at both large and small companies. Interesting ideas about where we work are being explored and modeled. Working from home, working from co-working space, leasing short term space for specific projects, and dissolving office walls and bureaucracy are all examples of trends we see daily in the innovation ecosystem. Many of these ideas and trends are refreshing and useful. Just because you have a ping pong table in your building doesn’t mean that people aren’t working hard.
But at the same time, the national decline in startup activity is a critical problem for economic growth in our country and in our region. We now look to the millennial generation to be the source of most startup activity—most entrepreneurs start their businesses in their thirties and forties—the age at which the millennial generation is now arriving. So it behooves us to pay careful attention to the desires and challenges of this generation if we want to ensure economic growth for our region and our country.
What’s Holding Them Back?
For example, is high student debt driving millennials toward more traditional employment in large corporations as opposed to exploring entrepreneurship as their loans come due? Do we have enough support mechanisms in place and capital funding available to help support entrepreneurs in their journeys? Do we have enough affordable and flexibly leasable urban housing available for young entrepreneurs saddled with student debt? Are our universities exploring short term study programs to plug into entrepreneurs’ needs to learn a skill or area quickly in their entrepreneurial journeys? Are wealthy individuals in our community exploring investments in venture capital funds that largely support regionally-based companies?
Last June, St. Louis Federal Reserve President Jim Bullard said that it was “critical” to help fight the trend toward less business startups in the U.S. He said that every U.S. city needs to develop and foster an entrepreneurial culture to drive innovation and growth across the nation. He said that one can “never be sure where the next great idea will take root.”
For the sake of our region’s economic health, it is important to keep building momentum and forward movement in the entrepreneurial ecosystem here in St. Louis. Our city was built on the efforts of great entrepreneurs. We can grow and thrive as a community by uplifting innovative ideas and hardworking entrepreneurs to help build the next future of St. Louis, and we can leverage the millennial desire to do work that matters for the community at the same time. It is a time of opportunity for St. Louis, and it is critical we make the most of it if we care about the future of our city.
Patty Hagen is a native St. Louisan who holds her PhD in Public Policy with an economic development focus. Hagen spent some 20 years at Saint Louis University in a variety of roles, including Associate Provost for Research, and was the founding Executive Director for the Audubon Center at Riverlands, serving as Vice President of the National Audubon Society and State Director for Audubon Missouri. She currently serves as Executive Director of T-REX.A Northern Texas rancher says property that’s been in his family for over half a century is now suddenly being targeted for confiscation
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mistake was not rectified until the La La Land cast and producers were on stage giving their acceptance speeches. It was left to the musical's producer, Jordan Horowitz, to put things right.
Oscars 2017 Best Picture goof-up: Things to do when you 'win' an Academy Award
"Guys, guys, I'm sorry. No. There's a mistake," Horowitz said. "Moonlight, you guys won best picture. This is not a joke."
It took three hours for PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has been overseeing Academy Awards balloting for 83 years, initially to confirm that Beatty and Dunaway received the wrong category envelope.
PwC said it took full responsibility and apologised to the casts and crews of La La Land and Moonlight.
"We sincerely apologise to Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, (host) Jimmy Kimmel, (broadcaster) ABC, and the Academy, none of whom was at fault for last night's errors," it said in its statement.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, also apologised for the mishap and said it was committed to upholding the integrity of the Oscars.
"We have spent last night and today investigating the circumstances, and will determine what actions are appropriate going forward," it said in a statement.
An embarrassed Beatty carried the envelope to the glitzy Governor's Ball after the show, with the writing clearly saying "actress in a leading role." La La Land star Stone had been awarded that Oscar moments before.
"Except for the end, it was fun," Kimmel said on Monday, referring to the Oscar show he hosted.
"You know it’s a strange night when the word ‘envelope’ is trending on Twitter," he said on his ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live.
"NOT ADVANCED MATH"
Brand management experts said it could take years for PricewaterhouseCoopers to recover.
"This is not advanced math. PwC had to get the right name in the right envelope and get it to the right person," said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University, calling the blunder a "bit of a branding tragedy."
Under a PwC procedure, just two accountants know the names of the 24 winners after their names are placed in two sets of sealed envelopes. The two accountants also memorise the winning names.
Oscars 2017 winners complete list: Emma Stone, Casey Affleck, Damien Chazelle, Moonlight
Tradition has it that the envelopes are taken separately in two briefcases to the Academy Awards venue. The two accountants — in this case Cullinan and Martha Ruiz — are driven there separately, in case of an accident or traffic delays.
The pair then stand off stage at opposite sides and hand envelopes to the respective presenters as each category is announced.
Last week, Cullinan told the Huffington Post the procedure for dealing with the hand-off of an incorrect envelope, other than signaling to a stage manager, was unclear.
"It's so unlikely," Cullinan added.
The error was corrected quickly, although precious minutes passed, said Anthony Sabino, a law professor at St John's University in New York.
"It's not as if we woke up this morning, or if it had been uncovered after the telecast was over. That would have really have been a black eye," he added.
Compared to accounting fraud at other companies in the past, "this incident diminished vastly to a vanishing point," Sabino said.
The Moonlight filmmakers were gracious about the error.
Director Barry Jenkins told reporters backstage that he received no immediate explanation for the mix-up, though "it made a very special feeling even more special, but not in the way I expected."
Jenkins added, "Please write this down: The folks from 'La La Land' were so gracious."
Updated Date: Feb 28, 2017 11:57:14 ISTIllustration: Mark Montgomery
Our always-on world of PCs, tablets, and smartphones has come about because of one remarkable trend: the relentless miniaturization of the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, or MOSFET. This device, which is the building block of most integrated circuits, has shrunk a thousandfold over the past half century, from the tens-of-micrometers scale in the 1960s to tens of nanometers today. And as the MOSFET has become tinier, generation after generation, the chips based on it have become much faster and less power hungry than their predecessors.
This trend has given rise to one of the longest and greatest winning streaks in industrial history, bringing us gadgets, capabilities, and conveniences that previous generations could scarcely have imagined. But now this steady progress is under threat. And at the heart of the problem lies quantum mechanics.
The electron has a pesky ability to penetrate barriers—a phenomenon known as quantum tunneling. As chipmakers have squeezed ever more transistors onto a chip, transistors have gotten smaller, and the distances between different transistor regions have decreased. So today, electronic barriers that were once thick enough to block current are now so thin that electrons can barrel right through them.
Chipmakers have already stopped thinning one key transistor component—the gate oxide. This layer electrically separates the gate, which turns a transistor on and off, from the current-carrying channel. Make this oxide thinner and you can induce more charge in the channel, boost the current, and make the transistor faster. But you can’t reduce the oxide thickness to much less than roughly a nanometer, which is about where it is today. Beyond that, too much current will flow across the channel when the transistor is “off,” when ideally no current should flow at all. And that’s just one of several leakage points.
It has long been hard to pin down the precise year when size reductions will end. Industry road maps now project the miniaturization of the MOSFET out to 2026, when gates will be just 5.9 nanometers long—about a quarter the length they are today. This timeline assumes that we’ll be able to find better materials to stanch leaks. But even if we do, we’ll need to find a replacement for the MOSFET soon if we want to continue getting the performance enhancements we’re used to.
We can’t stop electrons from tunneling through thin barriers. But we can turn this phenomenon to our advantage. In the last few years, a new transistor design—the tunnel FET, or TFET—has been gaining momentum. Unlike the MOSFET, which works by raising or lowering an energy barrier to control the flow of current, the TFET keeps this energy barrier high. The device switches on and off by altering the likelihood that electrons on one side of that barrier will materialize on the other side.
Back or Through: In classical electrodynamics, an electron [blue] would bounce back from an energy barrier [orange] if its energy did not exceed the barrier height. In fact, electrons have a finite probability of passing through the energy barrier. The thinner the barrier, the higher the probability that such a tunneling event might occur.
That’s a huge departure from the way traditional transistors work. But it might be just the thing to pick up where the MOSFET leaves off, paving the way for faster, denser, and more energy-efficient circuits that will extend Moore’s Law well into the next decade.
It wouldn’t be the first time the transistor has changed form. Initially, semiconductor-based computers used circuits made from bipolar transistors. But only a few years after the silicon MOSFET was demonstrated in 1960, engineers realized they could make two complementary switches. These could be combined to make complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits that, unlike bipolar transistor logic, consumed energy only while switching. Ever since the first integrated circuits based on CMOS emerged in the early 1970s, the MOSFET has dominated the marketplace.
In many ways, the MOSFET wasn’t a big departure from the bipolar transistor. Both control the current flow by raising and lowering energy barriers—a bit like raising and lowering a floodgate in a river. The “water” in this case consists of two kinds of current carriers: the electron and the hole, a positively charged entity that’s essentially the absence of an electron in the outer energy shell of an atom in the material.
There are two allowable energy ranges, or bands, for these charge carriers. Electrons with enough energy to flow freely through the material are in the conduction band. Holes flow in a lower-energy band, called the valence band, and they move from atom to atom, much as an empty parking space might migrate around a nearly full parking lot as neighboring cars pull in and out.
These bands are fixed, but we can shift the energies associated with them up or down by adding impurities, or dopant atoms, to alter the conductivity of the semiconductor. N-type semiconductors, which are doped to contain an excess of electrons, conduct negatively charged electrons; p-type semiconductors, which are doped to produce a deficit of electrons, conduct positively charged holes.
If we put these two semiconductor types together, we get a junction with bands that are misaligned, thus creating an energy barrier between them. To make a MOSFET, we insert one type of material between two of the complementary type, in either an n-p-n or a p-n-p configuration. This creates three regions in the transistor: the source, where charges enter the device; the channel; and the drain, where they exit.
The two p-n junctions in each transistor provide electronic barriers to the flow of charges, and the transistor can be switched on by applying a voltage to the gate on top of the channel. A positive voltage applied to an n-channel MOSFET gate makes the channel more attractive to electrons, because it decreases the amount of energy an electron needs to have in order to move into the channel. A negative voltage applied to a p-channel MOSFET gate will perform the same task for holes.
This simple barrier-lowering strategy is the most widely used current-control mechanism in semiconductor electronics. Diodes, lasers, bipolar transistors, thyristors, and most field-effect transistors all take advantage of it. But it has a physical limit: Transistors need a certain amount of voltage to be switched on or off. This arises from the fact that electrons and holes are in constant motion due to their thermal energy, and the most energetic among them spill over the barrier. At room temperature, the current flowing over the barrier increases by a factor of 10 when the energy barrier is lowered by 60 millivolts; every “decade” of current change requires a change of 60 mV.
All this current leakage occurs below the device’s threshold voltage, which is the voltage needed for the transistor to turn on. Device physicists call this barrier-lowering region the subthreshold region, and 60 mV per decade is known as the minimum subthreshold swing. To keep power consumption down, subthreshold swing should be as low as possible. The device will then need less voltage to be switched on, and it will leak less current when it’s off.
Off and On: In an n-channel MOSFET, electrons move in the conduction band (E c ) from source to drain. The device’s state can be switched from off [top left] to on [top right] if enough voltage is applied to draw down the energy barrier between the two regions. In an n-channel TFET, electrons originate in the source’s valence band (E v ). A small voltage applied to the gate lowers the conduction band of the channel so it overlaps in energy with the source valence band, allowing electrons to tunnel into the channel.
Subthreshold swing wasn’t much of an issue in the past, in the days when chips ran with higher voltages. But now it’s starting to interfere with our ability to drive down power. That’s partly due to the fact that circuit designers want to make sure their logic components have a big difference between the current that is used to define a “0” and the current that defines a “1.” Transistors are typically designed so that when they’re on they carry about 10 000 times as much current as they leak when they’re off. That means at least 240 mV must be applied to the transistor to turn it on: four decades of current, each decade requiring at least 60 mV.
In practice, the operating voltages used in CMOS circuits are typically much higher, closer to 1 volt. That’s because the fundamental logic circuit in CMOS, the inverter, uses two transistors in series. The NAND gate takes three transistors in series, which means it requires even more voltage than the inverter. If you adjust for process variability—which means you need to set wider voltage margins to account for variations from device to device—you arrive at the voltages needed today to guarantee operation.
These voltage requirements, coupled with the leakage problems, mean we’re in the waning days of MOSFET miniaturization. There’s no way around it. If we want to lower voltage further to cut down on power consumption, we have two equally unattractive options. We can lower the current we drive through the device, which lowers the switching speed and thus sacrifices performance, or we can keep the current high and allow more current to leak through the device when it’s supposed to be off.
That’s where the tunnel FET comes in. Instead of raising or lowering the physical barrier between the source and drain as you would in a MOSFET, we use the gate to control the effective, electrical thickness of the barrier and thus the probability that electrons can slip through it.
Image: R. Li/ University of Notre Dame Bridge and Tunnel: Pairing semiconductors made of different compounds can dramatically boost current. This TFET uses aluminum gallium antimonide to make the source and drain regions of the device. A comblike air bridge, made of indium arsenide, is used to connect the channel to the drain for better electrical isolation. Metal air bridges are also used to wire the source, gate, and drain.
The trick to doing this is again the p-n junction—with a bit of a twist. In a TFET, we arrange semiconducting material in p-i-n and n-i-p configurations. The i stands for “intrinsic,” and it means that the channel has as many electrons as there are holes. The intrinsic state corresponds to the maximum resistivity that a semiconductor can have. It also pushes up the energies associated with the bands in the channel, introducing a thick energy barrier that charge carriers in the source are unlikely to traverse.
Electrons and holes obey the laws of quantum mechanics, which means they have a fuzzy, uncertain size. When an energy barrier has a thickness below about 10 nanometers, there is a small but nonzero probability that an electron that starts on one side of the barrier will appear on the other.
In the TFET, we boost this probability by applying a voltage to the transistor gate. This causes the conduction band in the source and the valence band in the channel to overlap, opening up a tunneling window. Note that in a TFET, the electrons tunnel between conduction and valence bands as they move into the channel. This is in contrast to what happens in a MOSFET, in which electrons or holes travel primarily in either one band or the other all the way from source to channel to drain.
Because the tunneling mechanism isn’t controlled by the flow of carriers over a barrier, TFETs should be able to switch with a much smaller voltage swing than that required in a MOSFET. You have to apply only enough voltage to create or remove an overlap, crossing and uncrossing the bands [see bottom half of illustration “Off and On”, above].
As a device mechanism, tunneling is not a new idea. The flash memory inside our USB sticks, cellphones, and other gadgets uses tunneling to inject electrons across oxide barriers into charge-trapping regions. Tunnel junctions like the one used in the TFET are also widely used to connect multijunction solar cells and to trigger semiconductor-based quantum cascade lasers. And tunneling governs the way current flows across metal-semiconductor contacts, an essential part of every semiconductor device.
The p-n tunnel junction has also been around a while. It was first demonstrated and explained by Nobel Prize winner Leo Esaki in 1957. But it took a fundamental impediment to get the industry to think seriously about how tunneling might be applied to logic.
Image: T. Mayer/Penn State All-Around Device: Today’s cutting-edge transistors are three-dimensional, with gates that drape around three sides of a finlike channel. The TFET above employs a gate that wraps entirely around the channel. In this device, charge carriers move from left to right through source, channel, and drain regions made of indium gallium arsenide.
The first TFET papers were written only about nine years ago, when chipmakers started to see computer clock speeds stall and struggled with the problem of removing heat from denser, leakier chips.
Joerg Appenzeller and his colleagues at IBM were the first to demonstrate that current swings below the MOSFET’s 60-mV-per-decade limit were possible. In 2004, they reported they had created a tunnel transistor with a carbon nanotube channel and a subthreshold swing of just 40 mV per decade. Within a few years, groups at UC Berkeley, CEA-Leti, Imec, and Stanford had followed suit. They showed that switches that consume less than 60 mV per decade could be made using semiconducting materials that are staples of the chip industry: silicon and germanium.
That got the community excited, because although the current-control mechanism in the TFET is new to the semiconductor industry, the device bears a strong resemblance to the MOSFET. It has the same basic configuration of source, drain, and gate and similar electrical behavior when wired into circuits. The semiconductor design infrastructure does not need to change.
But some changes are required. It turns out that silicon and germanium aren’t great for tunneling. It’s for the same reason that these materials don’t make good light emitters and lasers. Silicon and germanium have indirect bandgaps, which means that in order to transition from one band to another, electrons must also absorb some extra energy from vibrations in the crystal lattice that makes up the material. This extra hurdle significantly lowers the probability that charge carriers will make the leap. As a result, the current-carrying capacity of silicon and germanium TFETs is only a trickle compared with that of today’s transistors.
That might be a stumbling block for adoption by the industry. However, there are a range of direct-bandgap materials, based on a mix of elements picked from columns III and V of the periodic table, that have considerably higher tunneling probabilities. These materials have yet to make it into mass production in logic chips, but work on incorporating them into traditional MOSFETs is already gearing up [see “Changing the Channel,” IEEE Spectrum, July 2013]. The notion that they might emerge in logic chips in the foreseeable future is not nearly as far-fetched as it would have seemed just a few years ago.
Research into TFETs made from III-V materials has also been advancing rapidly in recent years. Suman Datta and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University were the first to demonstrate III-V TFETs, in 2009. They used channels made of a mix of indium, gallium, and arsenic and immediately set a record, with an “on” current that was 50 times as high as with the best germanium TFET.
Since then, the Penn State team and my group at the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Ind., have both shown even higher currents in TFETs made from a mix of two compounds: aluminum gallium antimonide and indium arsenide. The former material has bands that can be shifted up or down by tuning the ratio of aluminum to gallium. This lets us create tunnel junctions that have a natural overlap between bands, which means less voltage is needed to turn them on. And because the barrier can be quite thin—just a single atom or so wide—they permit more current. The devices we have built perform well at just 0.5 V and can carry nearly 200 microamperes across a 1-micrometer-wide channel, comparable to what can be accomplished with a state-of-the-art MOSFET.
The one caveat is the subthreshold swing of these “heterojunction” TFETs, which so far hasn’t been able to beat the 60-mV-per-decade limit for the MOSFET. Many research groups are now struggling with this challenge. The main culprit is defects—many of which arise from dangling chemical bonds—at the interface between the semiconductor and gate oxide. These defects trap and immobilize charges, leaving fewer charges available for conduction. This means we have to apply a greater voltage to the gate to induce charge carriers in the channel.
That said, there is reason for optimism. Groups based at Intel, in Hillsboro, Ore., and Hokkaido University, in Sapporo, Japan, have demonstrated III-V TFETs with subthreshold swings of less than 60 mV per decade. And simulations from Intel suggest that it’s possible to drive down subthreshold swing even further without monumental changes in materials, simply by scaling down the transistors they have already built. In principle, devices with subthreshold swings of around 20 mV per decade appear possible; the ultimate limit will be set by thermal vibrations in the crystal, which make the edges of the conduction and valence bands less sharp.
Image: N. Goel/C. Park/SEMATECH/University of Notre Dame Layer on Layer: The same etch-and-deposition processes used to make metal oxide gate stacks in today’s silicon chips can be used to make TFET transistor regions. This close-up view shows the region containing the source and channel of a TFET (the drain is at the right, out of view). The source and channel are made of oppositely doped indium gallium arsenide. The device is controlled by a gate made of titanium nitride, which is isolated from the channel by a layer of aluminum oxide.
Much as it would have been hard to predict the MOSFET’s ultimate capabilities 50 years ago, it’s difficult to say exactly what may ultimately be achieved with the TFET.
One uncertainty is the maximum current a TFET can carry when it’s on. On-current is what ultimately determines the maximum speed of circuits, and for a long time, researchers thought it might be fairly low. But in 2010, Siyu Koswatta at IBM showed in simulation that gallium antimonide and indium arsenide could potentially carry 1900 µA per micrometer of channel width when supplied with just 0.4 V. If such a device could be built, it would compete directly with the MOSFET in high-performance applications. The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors targets a current of 1685 µA per micrometer of channel width, at a voltage of 0.73 V.
We will also have to tackle the issue of current leakage when the TFET is in its off state. As the channel gets shorter and shorter, it will be easier for electrons to tunnel directly from the source into the drain.
Figuring out the ultimate limits of the device will depend on such factors as electronic structure, defects, and performance requirements. Fortunately, computational tools developed over the past five years at Purdue University and at ETH Zurich now allow researchers to simulate entire devices, atom by atom and bond by bond, to predict device behavior. This activity is helping to guide experiments.
While the TFET’s electrical characteristics look promising, there are also quite a few practical things we must tackle before we can start building chips with these transistors. Researchers have been focusing most of their energy on developing n-channel TFETs. P-channel TFETs—and a complementary process technology that could pair the two transistor types to make circuits—are still on the drawing board.
And chipmakers still have to find ways to address the problem of variability. As MOSFETs shrink, the placement and concentration of dopants and the roughness of interfaces can lead to significant variability in electronic properties. TFETs—which will likely be even smaller than MOSFETs when they’re introduced—won’t be immune to this problem. As with the MOSFET, we will have to develop other approaches in parallel, such as redundancy and error correction, to address this issue.
Still, I am optimistic that there are more promising results to come. It took just 10 years to get from the first silicon MOSFET to the first CMOS microprocessor. The jump to the TFET is arguably a much bigger challenge. But with more than half a century of experience with semiconductors under our belts, it might come about quicker than we think.
About the Author An IEEE Fellow and a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, Alan Seabaugh entered the field in the late 1980s, when he worked at Texas Instruments. “The aim was to leapfrog Moore’s Law, but we kept getting run over by silicon technology,” he says. “Today, the rules are changing.”Fatherhood is one of the greatest joys men can have. To see a life you have taken care of come to adulthood is momentous. It is wonderful.
It’s also a bit of a chore. Kid’s talk back to you by saying the most hurtful words you could ever hear. Doing so with out a single thought of how damaging those words are. They disobey you as if your requests were inherently wrong. They loathe you while you try to help them along the right path.
Yet, a good father will always love his children regardless. For that, I nominate Bass Armstrong for recognition as a true Dad this Father’s Day.
Look, Bass has a rough exterior. He’s a big, buff biker dude who wrestles professionally for a living. He’s not exactly the dad you would see picking his daughter up at ballet practice.
Don’t be mistaken though. Bass Armstrong is the type of dad that would take his daughter to ballet practice. She would be strapped in to the side car of his Harley Davidson with a flame painted helmet to match her custom flame printed wrestling singlet (no tutu’s for his baby girl), but he’d drop her off with a big smile on his face.
That’s the type of dad this man is and you can see the shock in his face every time his daughter spurns him for her newest hobby.
Unfortunately, that’s what Tina does. She’s a girl with ambition. Ambition and talents that fuel her to try many new things, even if they aren’t particularly good for her. He offers her his advice, tries to bring her in to the family business and yet she runs off and flirts with Zack. She then decides to be a model only to quit that and work in cinema.
Her fleets of fancy are numerous, but they never seem to hold for long. That’s why it kills him to see her flaunt her abilities in the Dead or Alive tournament only to run off and waste her talents in her half-hearted modeling career.
For that, he’ll enter any ring to help win her back.
He fights, he argues, he even annoys his daughter, and yet at the end of the day, he still loves her. This is none more evident than when he was compelled to rip down her poster in anger during the second tournament only to put it back up. He could have taken this swimsuit pinup of his daughter out of public vision, but ultimately he left it up. He was still proud of her. It would be easy to call him unsupportive of Tina with the way he tries to bring her back, but he does have his pride for her.
It is a bizarre relationship, but she riles him up to the point of great anger and he still is more than supportive. At one point she even leaves him stranded on the side of a desert road, yet he is still there for her next time we see them.
It is this love for her that allows him to accept her relationship with Christie. He throws his fights for her so she could advance in the tournament. So she can fulfill her dream and hopefully one day help him realize his.
Bass Armstrong is a stubborn fool, but that doesn’t make him any less of a father. His daughter is a handful and his wife is nowhere to be seen, but he will support her through every crazy new venture she decides for herself. Despite the rough exterior, Bass is a father to be proud of.
He’s a loving parent and there really aren’t a whole lot of those around the gaming universe. He’s a good dad and he’ll always be looking out for his little girl no matter what age she is.DOHA, Qatar, November 29, 2012 (ENS) – “Climate change is taking place before our eyes and will continue to do so as a result of the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which have risen constantly and again reached new records,” said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.
This year is set to be the ninth warmest on record, according to the latest data from the World Meteorological Organization. The WMO released its provisional annual report on the state of the global climate Wednesday to inform negotiators at the United Nations climate change conference now underway in Doha.
The years 2001–2011 were all among the warmest on record, and the WMO reports the first 10 months indicate that 2012 will be similar despite the cooling influence of La Niña early in the year.
La Niña is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, compared to El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in that region.
“Naturally occurring climate variability due to phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña impact on temperatures and precipitation on a seasonal to annual scale. But they do not alter the underlying long-term trend of rising temperatures due to climate change as a result of human activities,” said the WMO Secretary-General.
The WMO statement highlighted the unprecedented melt of the Arctic sea ice and multiple weather and climate extremes which affected many parts of the world.
“The extent of Arctic sea ice reached a new record low. The alarming rate of its melt this year highlighted the far-reaching changes taking place on Earth’s oceans and biosphere,” warned Jarraud.
January-October 2012 has been the ninth warmest such period since records began in 1850.
The global land and ocean surface temperature for the period was about 0.45°C (0.81°F) above the corresponding 1961–1990 average of 14.2°C, according to the WMO.
Notable extreme events were observed worldwide, but some parts of the Northern Hemisphere were affected by multiple extremes during January–October 2012, says the WMO.
The year began with a weak-to-moderate strength La Niña, which had developed in October 2011.
After the end of the La Niña in April, the global land and ocean temperatures rose increasingly above the long-term average with each consecutive month. The six-month average of May–October 2012 was among the four warmest such periods on record.
The Arctic reached its lowest annual sea ice extent since the start of satellite records on September 16, measuring 3.41 million square kilometers. This was 18 percent less than the previous record low of September 18, 2007.
Highlights of WMO’s 2012 provisional statement
Temperatures and Drought:
Major heat waves impacted the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in March–May across Europe and the continental United States, which had the warmest 10 month period on record. Some 15,000 new daily heat records were set and drought was felt across nearly two-thirds of the continental United States.
Russia had its second warmest summer on record after 2010 with drought across western Russia. Numerous temperature records were broken in Morocco in summer.
Southern Europe, western and central Russia, Asia, South America, Africa and the Pacific experienced above-average temperatures.
In China, the Yunnan and southwestern Sichuan province experienced severe drought during winter and spring.
Northern Brazil witnessed the worst drought in 50 years.
There were cooler-than-average conditions across parts of northern China and Australia, but the April–October precipitation total in Australia was 31 percent below normal.
Floods:
Many parts of western Africa and the Sahel, including Niger and Chad, suffered serious flooding between July and September because of a very active monsoon.
Heavy rainfall from the end of July through early October brought exceptional floods to Nigeria.
Parts of southern China experienced their heaviest rainfall in the last 32 years in April and May.
Devastating monsoonal floods impacted Pakistan during September.
Central and parts of northern Argentina suffered from record rainfall and flooding in August, and parts of Colombia were affected by heavy precipitation for most of the year.
Snow and Extreme Cold:
A cold spell on the Eurasian continent from late January to mid-February was notable for its intensity, duration, and impact. Across eastern Russia, temperatures ranged between -45°C to -50°C during the end of January. Some areas across northern Europe and central Russia experienced temperatures below -40°C.
Tropical Cyclones:
Global tropical cyclone activity for the first 10 months was near the 1981–2010 average of 85 storms, with a total of 81 storms.
The Atlantic basin experienced an above-average hurricane season for a third consecutive year with a total of 19 storms, with 10 reaching hurricane status, the most notably being Sandy, which wreaked havoc across the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast, claiming more than 100 lives and causing billions of dollars in damage.
Throughout the year, East Asia was hit by powerful typhoons.
Typhoon Sanba was the strongest cyclone, globally, to have formed in 2012. Sanba impacted the Philippines, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, dumping torrents of rain and triggering floods and landslides that affected thousands of people and caused millions of dollars worth of damage.
Dr. Peter Stott, head of Climate Monitoring and Attribution at the UK’s Met Office, said, “Although the first decade of the 21st century was the warmest on record, warming has not been as rapid since 2000 as over the longer period since the 1970s.”
“This variability in global temperatures is not unusual, with several periods lasting a decade or more with little or no warming since the instrumental record began,” said Stott.
“We are investigating why the temperature rise at the surface has slowed in recent years, including how ocean heat content changes and the effects of aerosols from atmospheric pollution may have influenced global climate,” he said.
Professor Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research Unit at University of East Anglia, said, “The warmth of individual years is quite dependent on whether an El Niño or a La Niña event is occurring. As happened in 2010, a relatively small El Niño event led to a record breaking year. A similar occurrence could be expected when the next El Niño event occurs.”
WMO will release a 10-year report on the state of the climate, “2001-2010, A Decade of Extremes” on December 4.
It was produced in partnership with other United Nations and international agencies and highlights the warming trend for the entire planet, its continents and oceans during the past decade, with an indication of its impacts on health, food security and socio-economic development.
The WMO will publish final updates and figures for 2012 in March 2013.
The WMO’s reports are based on climate data from networks of land-based weather and climate stations, ships and buoys, as well as satellites maintained by the organization’s 184 member governments.
The WMO global temperature analysis is based on three complementary datasets.
One is the combined dataset maintained by both the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom.
Another dataset is maintained by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the third one is from the Goddard Institute of Space Studies operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Additional information is drawn from the ERA-Interim reanalysis-based data set maintained by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2012. All rights reserved.Posted 7 years ago on Nov. 15, 2011, 8:23 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
#OccupyWallStreet Convening 9 a.m. Sixth Avenue and Canal Street.
New York, NY — We are a global movement that is reclaiming our humanity and our future. We have stepped into a revitalizing civic process, realizing that we cannot fix our crises isolated from one another. We need collective action, and we need civic space. We are creating that civic space.
To occupy is to embody the spirit of liberation that we wish to manifest in our society. It is to exercise our freedom to assemble. We are creating space for community, values, ideas, and a level of meaningful dialogue that is absent in the present discourse.
Liberated space is breaking free of isolation, breaking down the walls that literally and figuratively separate us from one another. It is a new focus on community, trust, love and hope. We occupy to create a vision of equality, liberty and social justice onto the blank paving stones of public parks, in the silent hallways of abandoned schools, banks, and beyond. Public space plays a crucial role in this civic process and encourages open, transparent organizing in our movement. As we have seen in Liberty Square, outdoor space invites people to listen, speak, share, learn, and act.
Last night, billionaire Michael Bloomberg sent a massive police force to evict members of the public from Liberty Square—home of Occupy Wall Street for the past two months. People who were part of a dynamic civic process were beaten and pepper-sprayed, their personal property destroyed.
Supporters of this rapidly growing movement were mobilized in the middle of the night, making phone calls, taking the streets en masse, and planning next steps. Americans and people around the world are appalled at Bloomberg's treatment of people who peacefully assemble. We are appalled, but not deterred. Liberty Square was dispersed, but its spirit not defeated. Today we are stronger than we were yesterday. Tomorrow we will be stronger still. We are breaking free of the fear that constricts and confines us. We occupy to liberate.
We move forward in the grand tradition of the transformative social movements that have defined American history. We stand on the shoulders of those who have struggled before us, and we pick up where others have left off. We are creating a better society for us all.
Occupy Wall Street has renewed a sense of hope. It has revived a belief in community and awakened a revolutionary spirit too long silenced. Join us as we liberate space and build a movement. 9 a.m. Tuesday morning at Sixth Avenue and Canal we continue.
Global actions will be posted on this page.When emotionally well-adjusted people with a good handle on reality get in a disagreements, they talk their way through them with respect and empathy.
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(FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-memstick.img) = e23de521c7cbf2cbf0a6b8ea8db949536e1c11cc25845d513b9e43d6175f3cff SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-memstick.img.xz) = ade06cac39ab2173ba136f91713d7d55ad5e0e3f04cf41e98c79ab1e78e52f1a SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-mini-memstick.img) = 29066e238e73bd058e74e6e753853ab4f4f3ee4b794a45d1c61fc50112d55252 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-mini-memstick.img.xz) = 4e80adf42946b90a4bcdb48b81ccb642c9488c1ce2ef8add1b7923d13b550d3e MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-bootonly.iso) = b4549946a066e2ec915b3883aa77d01f MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-bootonly.iso.xz) = 549d55ab0324f25a0b2f1ec360d70ca7 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-disc1.iso) = c86ac4a955a211877500232b39240574 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-disc1.iso.xz) = 878fcdc240acad68a3e03e813bea4fbb MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-dvd1.iso) = dbd0e9c93f54930e08ca1794e665b510 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-dvd1.iso.xz) = ff13f0b96c2d7408db6fd476d034a05f MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-memstick.img) = 2a644a8176422caa075ce38f9309b8a1 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-memstick.img.xz) = 5d6759f8905599ebcee685eee659ce5e MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-mini-memstick.img) = 0498b5348d97f7b138216f5c031fb1f9 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-mini-memstick.img.xz) = 2d40545bd0dd7ae78ce965469d4932a8 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-bootonly.iso) = 19315ddcd0baa9d5f8894d6f508f57b9 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-bootonly.iso.xz) = 1bcc81a0b3b7e0112accdb04f89e494e MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-disc1.iso) = 687891b06fc866330d9c56f0e41ee03e MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-disc1.iso.xz) = 34dc5e965580fcddf45ad33f02decea5 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-dvd1.iso) = 0e6bbfa94f0c67d04a12e45b6f2ec1b9 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-dvd1.iso.xz) = 485acf7d1da530bf5095d18728e36831 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-memstick.img) = 7d103a381914a3fa8f1bdb5f5fd48968 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-memstick.img.xz) = 47cc6ecf9bb83dcb04d71cf1a4fe336a MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-mini-memstick.img) = 23688ce6b307f127dfa329678d804f08 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64-uefi-mini-memstick.img.xz) = 1d50d622bdd1b252c29f6fda0ee41082 o 10.2-RC1 i386 GENERIC: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-bootonly.iso) = 84a6b08f76cec4966c4b29476868b3e34d7df834c14f3ca9a32cc2281e570c4a SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-bootonly.iso.xz) = 2cc871a63319bd95f5a81db56f8d3834f61e0728c5ddcdd6aad2e660fb89d4fe SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-disc1.iso) = 5a11f985306b9ebfef3daca9de26ca2e97b946f1d25d72caa2d733860de58b6c SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-disc1.iso.xz) = 1829b0a433f4fb49ddc77e3562794f10fa63c895066d826f3efa5e11dff58ba1 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-dvd1.iso) = 344b20cf24fd65c9c77d5aa136cd7333176ba43c30f26b76b7c638d601730340 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-dvd1.iso.xz) = 15781e342d40203d672e1071527bf353304abce20960e1e7b2de36ebd0ca49d3 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-memstick.img) = a78948a32d87cc626848e286345a8e575d975a3bc788e830dc0f730ab4bd3bdf SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-memstick.img.xz) = ddda2c91a8ca0a869e2c521c6518b16348b27fb5bfbb587847f7f9d23f9ec3d0 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-mini-memstick.img) = f2c16f9fcb9370462eb0160a2cce948c92d6fbfa91c5e905ef55757f73beb1a4 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-mini-memstick.img.xz) = d230f59a2a1716f4caf852c09dc94d3c25ff89f8dd5be5da26163c811209a7bc MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-bootonly.iso) = 6a7e2536496b0a6c4aa6c3dc0ee585c0 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-bootonly.iso.xz) = 4bf3a2e8328327986de2b8a8d1818ab9 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-disc1.iso) = da5b61e84a8be77abeea5aff189851da MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-disc1.iso.xz) = dc950142ce4e3fa9f5e4967aae190ca2 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-dvd1.iso) = 5c40d38441f3b2498a0f52824f27d11d MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-dvd1.iso.xz) = ad37dd99a40a8f054c717723c540f6cf MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-memstick.img) = 4b05c996aaf3d93a2718d6383ab59daa MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-memstick.img.xz) = be16c0e7f772ed8b760f6a66ae5fc881 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-mini-memstick.img) = 38702ed0bb8b08a1e5fb150d41119705 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386-mini-memstick.img.xz) = 39f19a2119d238170afdc6fa1f530cb2 o 10.2-RC1 ia64 GENERIC: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-bootonly.iso) = 96d2a7fd59dc2ebab155ca378b02fad070ba433d6c3b11c384ff9a752e775d0d SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-bootonly.iso.xz) = b556f80718cf99a0aa991d2673b405218626ee96533aba494906eb37adb1fb58 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-disc1.iso) = 3a76ed9700f579b7061bb616e3c10efc3a639ab56a48b90c7687f00093e15eb4 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-disc1.iso.xz) = 361c46623a448c355e7360484e743d24b725673f48e9c7d2468d3f33039a5c35 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-dvd1.iso) = 4e8bc91a58f8cc6411266bdbca31af165021592821c6d9caf1758105d2bf8b3c SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-dvd1.iso.xz) = c94f2ef610eb6b5175d313398e809452af68e370748cee7c3ece8cc45afd075a SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-memstick.img) = 91ba72841ab21c26756d4a7b189858339fcb8ce270465da6065341a03bb86ef2 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-memstick.img.xz) = e7c546a90b235a36b2468f524c8e2cade5e66093c25674500ddbc6e19a3e9ad1 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-mini-memstick.img) = d9831ef141eac769c8b1ed283436529fc3dac1e605b723c856a7b163dd5b2405 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-mini-memstick.img.xz) = fac5a92a93e089e3fe5130c2d3d2e3e0ed88de13ec850235101b2f1a52ef0081 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-bootonly.iso) = d99eab54c23698856de148987a65fbc3 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-bootonly.iso.xz) = f722b8d73dc0aeb5c7717b71de21dcfa MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-disc1.iso) = a252dffe64258157ce2e24a6b49568d4 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-disc1.iso.xz) = a6beeb3651f62907b66001446652aa76 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-dvd1.iso) = 8f00b5dc64a12acb95370701183a230d MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-dvd1.iso.xz) = cb0a258bb8e57c037add010a76078419 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-memstick.img) = a795279e24d18725efe60febfad18760 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-memstick.img.xz) = 407805cda1f52375b9c574221eea0ae3 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-mini-memstick.img) = 0e4019cef4c4709d9b5fe7b6e32e9471 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-ia64-mini-memstick.img.xz) = ee86e1d2fe8cb336cec361501d85e3ce o 10.2-RC1 powerpc GENERIC: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-bootonly.iso) = 0adfe236f92a2bd8cfa8b9865669bb5e4408eb5ffd12c5a42ef3bb405fb1a04d SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-bootonly.iso.xz) = 3c3bddd0a61f20f31b8e03f66b5735ccf7b800f8d4e4a8269358c5ede453762f SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-disc1.iso) = fb04a13443e853f7d22492f7c300a190e6c867b3676464e05263db4bc05b3927 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-disc1.iso.xz) = ee4d50c7e705b163975f00ad2bd851b59fdcf1b1b04e14d08b6c9c2dd6cd3dc1 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-dvd1.iso) = 68a7240e60dfe94527c6da7e5b8c3bb68beadb2c65df296a0b0763edd6bf34bd SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-dvd1.iso.xz) = e2761cd6a118ce0d17a61f3435715ee9305bec2682d2103bffe0028949bc7062 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-memstick.img) = 731c5c4fd087fef9e01b069ca919e72a385b41c5b15fc4d4604d079396130145 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-memstick.img.xz) = 39740ddd24ead35442dc2eb95c1fd4f3a98ad7956f4783ae6acbfcfe30a8a293 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-mini-memstick.img) = e76f15a0991388066105bd04478fbf6989ba3559b5f71b07b310f5818408b7a1 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-mini-memstick.img.xz) = e496a0639c746116ab1b27522eca14eb5bb58c3e9b83136a9ae29a57cfe3542b MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-bootonly.iso) = 17f3c907b62f9ffcc5fae42e87bf27fc MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-bootonly.iso.xz) = a1b260dac17c5bfd78bb0de02b690446 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-disc1.iso) = f2dcd4094803dea09d6f4f994b4f7ced MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-disc1.iso.xz) = fdc8c0ae6f8d70c2b2478c61e2512e6c MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-dvd1.iso) = efa42360dc71601b984d6715c41b4bb2 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-dvd1.iso.xz) = 4af4b1d6af9c5cefa22a5e8e1c1cc7f7 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-memstick.img) = 2a6d42abc24a555c931eb1e1968bddb8 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-memstick.img.xz) = f3f65e3ffc9da3124224dae65e4b61b0 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-mini-memstick.img) = 153aed772e505108125ba3896fe530ba MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-mini-memstick.img.xz) = 444bb67f71dee387e36ed656069fbf99 o 10.2-RC1 powerpc64 GENERIC64: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-bootonly.iso) = 7d0c1d09252caa4935a355ee05b60e763f39a26a8307e008f9ff3774d261683c SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-bootonly.iso.xz) = 928dced6ad39d63ffedc69a4c641c69cc4e751a55146846c672a066eda1a19b8 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-disc1.iso) = 24cdbd44be2bf1c7aa67909b121e4acdc2db83e5373f1971a5b647cd16d91281 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-disc1.iso.xz) = 155bff039f36fab5548c9441c6747eb297f300a5e25a9e7803225195f735e523 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-dvd1.iso) = fee83010b822eda81a890bf12e032fb7dade2419265734ddb47ae8a7df3f3151 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-dvd1.iso.xz) = 10c21b9a259df430ac507b9d16c693b3f9934546bbf395461dae6e5b50a24155 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-memstick.img) = 244692415c563ea72fa8b3cc3af60da304e8b17e1b606e7656444ea77f8eebc0 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-memstick.img.xz) = dbac42e6370fe15292766b81c21fe3cefcf9e63c9e5bec08dc053be94580df54 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-mini-memstick.img) = 68cf6ffa0c7b37a263d73f3129fdf91d8df22da29f585479647970f1041f73c2 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-mini-memstick.img.xz) = c21e7fb7b7ce63d1fc712f030b4121fae43d3860f39d68896034a890a340a93f MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-bootonly.iso) = a195b429fbffddb25b94f5121e8eb306 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-bootonly.iso.xz) = 6ebc71a0873bbd77055103e2b4c74b50 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-disc1.iso) = 45484d14c2be404fd707d79ad19654df MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-disc1.iso.xz) = 337b67ff744a7ec57b762745a560fef8 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-dvd1.iso) = d0e03d6c5fc7735218bb3f76b5d6a850 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-dvd1.iso.xz) = 1ae648974c5e9406a8832d1eac24f500 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-memstick.img) = 93e9b7f89dbf169441e47a9e9134ba01 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-memstick.img.xz) = ea3b5ad2aed9fb3e2cdb2dea52c9fc0a MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-mini-memstick.img) = 27784315df5035c8334b8371730d9628 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-powerpc-powerpc64-mini-memstick.img.xz) = ddbdd06d199a11d749428430445f73fe o 10.2-RC1 sparc64 GENERIC: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-bootonly.iso) = b452c3041fbe2e52abd905c89e5c0507011710fb5f53e0055ae053cfe62c0c05 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-bootonly.iso.xz) = 62f040805ad3d4e85e24f091789fa6f4a85e585ee1e8c88d3f32198fc4420e3c SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-disc1.iso) = 212a4d8661be95645d7221c4836f9aa6c3ef5e764a0c6f0ac331b25e0b76ad19 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-disc1.iso.xz) = 05089f036d0505a7914a85336b48c33a94eeaefb338cfab1346e324d242f0072 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-dvd1.iso) = f8f2278d7f0fd24689ee547cb3fe03c6ea79dca88617b55316ca891cefb4b724 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-dvd1.iso.xz) = 706043a783990e7c1218292d9f3b0ff4726e0152cc4e4ae64a7aafa88253edd1 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-bootonly.iso) = 1e6dbfc8ebbaa2be480c5feedd9183b1 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-bootonly.iso.xz) = ab43d74591869e7779a81c794e09620f MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-disc1.iso) = 29a6dd38f44f9dcb7c2dffd1860a2b2f MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-disc1.iso.xz) = 534deaf084ec62d3991f56113addd9f8 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-dvd1.iso) = 7150e686233ae02731c8c479fbb263e1 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-sparc64-dvd1.iso.xz) = 0795d0f1cc89e97928d6a53939729d0a o 10.2-RC1 armv6 BEAGLEBONE: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-BEAGLEBONE.img.xz) = 03c00434cf3b5b3f578bc883c642145ffdfa8c611e29ad83482fb9e2aa85d899 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-BEAGLEBONE.img.xz) = 1e38693776f254d3cd645aee157bb4ec o 10.2-RC1 armv6 CUBOX-HUMMINGBOARD: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-CUBOX-HUMMINGBOARD.img.xz) = cd58be1a3deb97f0f88b63cc8b9bc11969a2b1be4439115188000106024ded85 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-CUBOX-HUMMINGBOARD.img.xz) = 64eb3c51a41195eda16174e5ee9d3e81 o 10.2-RC1 armv6 GUMSTIX: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-GUMSTIX.img.xz) = aeaf2b941719352c086f97663dc0ff76225aaa3d1059aa817a97a7136d844a11 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-GUMSTIX.img.xz) = e600d0a33d03a292c366b77be6573445 o 10.2-RC1 armv6 RPI-B: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-RPI-B.img.xz) = fb5752fc4636bf346dee8946abb15c4bfcc128cb5fd015f0a1818c1ea3533c59 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-RPI-B.img.xz) = 88c7d652ac7b478270313c89144f9ffe o 10.2-RC1 armv6 PANDABOARD: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-PANDABOARD.img.xz) = 63fa6b8a14dfa37a5309dee2ad84bf3e90ecb49f67c2ede1f3b8a154fb1b50a8 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-PANDABOARD.img.xz) = 19437d20fed81520b9c4204b3d240033 o 10.2-RC1 armv6 WANDBOARD: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-WANDBOARD.img.xz) = 10b87b102cad7ad3a8ae828c4792cd267db70d6c6106c979a2a3b65c14f0cf7b MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-arm-armv6-WANDBOARD.img.xz) = 16f899500baaf098e232ff8e992c9101 == VM IMAGE CHECKSUMS == o 10.2-RC1 amd64: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.qcow2.xz) = aa6273eb1a6d498bb4bf533c6f48b9cd87ed6890091a82f8daa39fd450a7d6e5 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.raw.xz) = 74cd623bdc862a636f07b932632986da0b0ef949528371d059efdfd1a489875d SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.vhd.xz) = 3f407e5a358094a0e001e2b3b9e8ce16fdc411756f2a3888950a98a250c921d8 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.vmdk.xz) = 7fc02b050a43bff66b947a7fb47e97502afb5e1dd1073da7167dae8dddd1c5b3 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.qcow2.xz) = 2ead1db242a736642464041cec667f53 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.raw.xz) = b52b07f89d1193625fb4843fdad4a545 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.vhd.xz) = ce38488866b41b4d0ac03b4c5f1c5354 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-amd64.vmdk.xz) = 37be40becd245aeb5318631395e6a16a o 10.2-RC1 i386: SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.qcow2.xz) = 815fc3b2ddae7c69e9f231531490d7711da282d13c2cbc16fc4e9e1ce5d6f2ea SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.raw.xz) = dc62f8d71c1533e5705778bd90e494e30a262c6a615ff49ebf468deefae7c41f SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.vhd.xz) = 8ec9327fff0b3c01fc97c735bf785130db6b67e5a1147c447860fea35901f9e6 SHA256 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.vmdk.xz) = 0e3c95799359e7077951ef341ed0b051d097017a9aa02cbab9e7301c3572b048 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.qcow2.xz) = 3471ac076411bd0005411e032d3c3f14 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.raw.xz) = acdf3213262bac82b56ec2035a61aa6c MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.vhd.xz) = 0cee9bd8e26ad30ac0e420dc0d974a22 MD5 (FreeBSD-10.2-RC1-i386.vmdk.xz) = 55a01cab45ad55f8dceedf07bb1e0344 Regards, Glen Love FreeBSD? Support this and future releases with a donation to the FreeBSD Foundation! https://www.freebsdfoundation.org/donate/ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2 iQIcBAEBCAAGBQJVsrzIAAoJEAMUWKVHj+KT5kIP/j14YcUPmDDID/vdsbgYwHC0 hOh6t70ReaFUtLerAJwcf6kLoEucdiGjv7uJmnQHxgBgGevEktNrKYtr7IhJYfC6 lbqsF+qph6ieEzUgVDqog8d6MkKUaME4R3lz4tG6YrVGK5Al9wugC8264VKXJ+Pw fQNVd6yASc6vnZes91jBapblSHOWuYJMCRF2obZif7IPebu0Qxfm/MTk4ZYH4LKG +o09kBLU8o8HtDiU37LQaY++d+QF17gANROdeFXVaa/7MQmavazgOWq0tfV73Fsf gelu5puFQeXE9PPdOEhMdEMEn99HFljBzUVnQOn4RI9nbLJGXm3DJumr72xdkvUO l96JugOUuJG5P2vM4CZFWFWfCI4SJ86pJNM6A9hdCUyVCgg0mrQTrIw3grbQwwKZ TXpBqDcusDbGgpZHUvQriSwDW2AVGiOcte9jDi7gkkMnidAFUuaFz4pzmProjcX8 H8gUjusvP/fdRpGa1G2iGORplFadhlIhK8RRr3ONT24mijHXQE/zjhuQ+fM/5rvF elBPrhZvcajLaigd
|
athering without sacrificing questing time, snatch up a few
extra dragons for your lair. Dragons in your lair can be sent on
resource-gathering missions from the Dragon Process tab. These processes
take an hour apiece, but they bring back a good haul of materials, you can
do them while you're off adventuring or before you log off for the night,
and the materials are stored in the lair rather than taking up precious
inventory space. It's actually a fairly elegant system - you can focus on
gathering just the materials you want, and then you have a storehouse from
which you can make withdrawals. You can withdraw everything at once, or
you can take a few pieces at a time for a specific project. Lair storage
is withdraw-only; you can't add items to it (except through
resource-gathering processes), only take them out. For regular inventory
management, use the bank.
You can queue your lair-bound dragons for 5 processes at a time, and the
processes cost a bit of money. It's possible to expand their mission
capability, but that starts to cost Station Cash after the 5th process.
You can also spend Station Cash to increase production on a given run;
clicking the little star icon on the Processes tab and spending 30 SC will
gain you 3x the amount of materials you would normally get from a process.
It doesn't reduce the amount of time the process takes (it still takes an
hour per process), but it's like running several processes at once.
Hidden Prep Work
Your dragons will usually bring back weird unidentified items from their
gathering missions, and the tooltip tells you that these items need to be
broken down to figure out what they are and what they can be used for. To
extract them, use the little Extraction button on the bottom of the
inventory window. There's also a Bulk Extraction button, which opens up a
second window that grinds up whatever you place inside it. Extraction can
also be used on crafted gear to learn improved recipes, and obtain
Invocation Orbs which are used for enhancing your gear. Extraction also
has a chance of refunding some of the materials used, so if you're doing
some bulk crafting strictly for XP gain, Extraction is the disposal method
of choice.
Another unexplained gem: independent of any crafting station or inventory
button, and completely ignored by any kind of introductory quest or
tooltip hint, is the Synthesis tab, mapped to the U key by default. You'll
be picking up a crapload of mystery items that mention "synthesis" in
bright blue letters, and this is how you use them: to make catalysts,
which can add additional properties to crafted items. You'll need some
Refinement Essence, and then a bunch of different synthesis materials to
combine. Different combinations will yield different catalysts, indicated
by the varying levels of the four colored test tubes in the middle.
Stacking more synthesis materials creates a purer catalyst, which results
in a greater chance of a crafted item having an additional property.
Don't get tied up on the word "catalyst," though. That word can
apparently have two meanings when you're crafting. More on that later.
Making Stuff
It takes quite a bit of raw material to make advancements in crafting.
Some of the low-level recipes eat up a lot of resources, so take your time
and gather a lot of stuff together. The actual crafting doesn't take much
time at all.
There are "tutorial" missions for each type of crafting, but these
tutorials teach you little more than how to stand next to a workbench and
click F. Do them if you must for the mitt-full of free 0-level mats and
the half-level crafting XP. You won't learn much about the system from
them.
You'll start off by creating a bunch of nearly-worthless level 1
white-quality items, cranking them out in bulk for the XP. Stand next to
your chosen crafting station and click F to open that menu. This is
identical to the menu that is opened by the U key, but will be specific to
the crafting station you are standing near. Clicking on the drop-down menu
that says "Click here for more recipes" will show a list of item types
that you can potentially craft here, but setting it to the default (so it
reads "Click here...") will show you all the recipes you actually have the
materials for. If there are no recipes showing up in that list, you'll
need to go gather some more materials before you can do anything.
Hopefully, you have enough to get started with at least one white-quality
item. The right side of the window shows you what all is required to make
your item.
Technically, you don't need to make a whole lot of these items - just
enough to get a green recipe when you Extract them later. You could get an
improved recipe from the very first item you craft, or it may take a dozen
or more extractions. Make a few, but don't use up all your resources just
yet.
Advanced Crafting
That right-hand window bears some closer inspection. Immediately below
the materials panel is the big circular progress window. To the left of
that is a small widget that has a little picture of rocks or something,
and +/- buttons on either side of a 0. This is a "catalyst" window, but
the tooltip description seems rather inaccurate at present. Clicking the +
button here adds the mystery item to the boiler, which increases your
chances of a critical success when crafting that item. With normal
white-quality items, you have a very slim chance of getting a
green-quality item (3.3% or so) without adding anything to this window.
Cranking in the maximum of 20 "catalysts" through this widget increases
the odds to 36.4% for a crit. These "catalysts" cost Station Cash.
Additionally, there is a second "catalyst" wiget, attached to the
three-paned results widget at the bottom, for the enhancement potions you
create with the Synthesis system. These second "catalysts" add additional
properties to the item being crafted. They cost nothing to use, but they
can be somewhat resource-intensive to make. Don't waste either type of
catalyst on a white-quality junker item. Save it for green or blue
recipes.
Once you have a passel of white junk, start the Extraction process. Grind
them all up for a small material refund, enhancement orbs and, most
importantly, those juicy improved recipes. Again, be aware that there is
currently a somewhat restrictive cap on the number of recipes you can
know, and that the auto-generated recipes you learn when gaining a new
crafting level count towards this cap, and cannot be unlearned to make
room for new ones later. You can unlearn green and blue recipes, but not
the crappy level 1 white ones that you will likely never use again.
Anyway, you should end up with a green-quality recipe of whatever you
just extracted. Green recipes have a chance of critting to blue or even
purple quality. Green recipes require refined ingredients from the
Processed Products category. Processed Products are rather
resource-intensive, so crafting a green-quality item can cost several
times the amount of ingredients of a white-quality item.
This should be enough to get you on the right side of the learning curve.
There's plenty more to learn on your way to level 60 mastery, but it all
branches off of these basic ideas. So send your pack-dragon out
prospectin'! Dragon's Prophet goes live on September 18.Promise to reverse to health transfer cuts won’t come immediately: Mulcair
TORONTO — NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is backing away from his pledge to restore up to $36 billion in provincial health care transfers as he vows to pay for other pricey campaign commitments within a balanced budget.
Mulcair insisted Thursday that an NDP government would make it a “top priority” to honour his health funding commitment, but acknowledged it’s not likely to happen right away.
The NDP leader first made the promise last summer in what his party called a “historic” speech to the Canadian Medical Association. He castigated Stephen Harper’s government for its plan to reduce the rate of increase in health transfers to the provinces starting in 2017, a move he said would rob the provinces of up to $36 billion over 10 years.
“An NDP government would use any budget surplus to cancel the proposed cuts to health care,” he said at the time.
However, since then Mulcair has said little about that promise while he’s added a number of others — including a $5-billion national child care program — that would apparently take priority.
Pressed on the health transfer issue Thursday during a campaign stop in Toronto, Mulcair said it now appears the budget surpluses on which he based his promise won’t materialize.
Still, he said there are two years before the scheduled reduction in transfers start so there’s still time.
“We had said that any surplus, because Mr. Harper had been promising surpluses, would be dedicated in our case first and foremost to avoiding that (transfer reduction),” Mulcair said at the campaign office of his star candidate Andrew Thomson, a former Saskatchewan finance minister.
“Now it looks pretty obvious that there won’t be any, but during that two-year period our health minister will have as a top priority to get new health accords.”
He added that the NDP’s health care priorities will include home care and pharmacare.
Conservative spokesman Stephen Lecce said their government “significantly increased” health spending.
“Under prime minister Harper, our government is delivering the highest health transfers in Canadian history — reaching $40B annually by the end of the decade,” he said in a statement.
Based on Bank of Canada projections, the parliamentary budget office has said the federal government is likely headed for a $1-billion shortfall in 2015-16, despite a projected surplus in the 2015 budget.
Nevertheless, Mulcair has been adamant this week that his first budget next year would be balanced and he’s said he believes subsequent budgets would be balanced too. He has not addressed how or if he would find a surplus to funnel into health transfers while honouring all his other campaign commitments.
The Liberals have said they’re skeptical Mulcair could balance his budget without spending cuts, but Mulcair has said he is “not entertaining any thought” of a deficit. He has not talked about spending cuts.
Mulcair’s big-ticket promise to create one million $15-a-day child-care spaces would cost $5 billion annually once fully implemented in eight years. He has proposed several new tax credits and lowering the small business tax rate.
He said Thursday he’ll pay for NDP promises by eliminating Harper’s $2-billion income-splitting plan, wasteful government advertising, the Senate, subsidies to oil companies and court battles with First Nations.
The Liberals were quick to point out that several provinces oppose Senate abolition, calling the idea he could achieve savings by budget time “laughable.”
Mulcair has also said he would raise the 15-per-cent corporate tax rate, but has not yet specified by how much.
He has not yet released the full costing details of his platform.
Asked Thursday if he would use carbon pricing to help balance the budget, Mulcair was noncommittal.
“We’ve always talked about cap-and-trade as the best way of ensuring that there is a guaranteed reduction (in greenhouse gas emissions),” he said.
“There’s more and more information from other possibilities. We’re not going to take a one-size-fits-all approach. I will work with the provinces and territories, but the federal government is going to have to start showing leadership on this.”
Mulcair said in 2013 that the NDP would create a cap-and-trade system, putting a “clear market price” on carbon. He’s previously said that any revenue generated would not go into general federal coffers but would be poured back into environmental programs in the provinces that pay the carbon tab.
Allison Jones, The Canadian PressWhat Hardware Powers Etsy.com?
Posted by Laurie Denness on August 31, 2012
Traditionally, discussing hardware configurations when running a large website is something done inside private circles; and normally to discuss how vendor X did something very poorly, and vendor Y’s support sucks.
With the advent of the “cloud”, this has changed slightly. Suddenly people are talking about how big their instances are, and how many of them. And I think this is a great practice to get in to with physical servers in datacenters too. After all, none of this is intended to be some sort of competition; it’s about helping out people in similar situations as us, and broadcasting solutions that others may not know about… pretty much like everything else we post on this blog.
The great folk at 37signals started this trend recently by posting about their hardware configurations after attending Velocity conference… one of the aforementioned places where hardware gossiping will have taken place.
So, in the interest of continuing this trend here’s the classes of machine we use to power over $69.5 million of sales for our sellers in July
Database Class
As you may already know, we have quite a few pairs of MySQL machines to store our data, and as such we’re relying on them heavily for performance and (a certain amount of) reliability.
For any job that requires an all round performant box, with good storage, good processing power, and a good level of redundancy we utilise HP DL380 servers. These clock in at 2U of rack space, 2x 8 core Intel E5630 CPUs (@ 2.53ghz), 96GB of RAM (for that all important MySQL buffer cache) and 16x 15,000 RPM 146GB hard disks. This gives us the right balance of disk space to store user data, and spindles/RAM to retrieve it quickly enough. The machines have 4x 1gbit ethernet ports, but we only use one.
Why not SSDs?
We’re just starting to test our first round of database class machines with SSDs. Traditionally we’ve had other issues to solve first, such as getting the right balance of amount of user data (e.g. the amount of disk space used on a machine) vs the CPU and memory. However, as you’ll see in our other configs, we have plenty of SSDs throughout the infrastructure, so we certainly are going to give them a good testing for databases too.
Web/Gearman Worker/Memcache/Utility/Job Class
This is a pretty wide catch all, but in general we try and favour as few machine classes as possible, so a lot of our tasks from handling web traffic (Apache/PHP) to any box that performs a task where there are many of them/redundancy is solved at the app level we generally use one type of machine. This way hardware re-use is promoted and machines can change roles quickly and easily. Having said that, there are some slightly different configurations in this category for components that are easy to change, e.g. amount of memory and disks.
We’re pretty much in love with this 2U Supermicro chassis which allows for 4x nodes that share two power supplies and 12 3.5″ disks on the front of the chassis
A general configuration for these would be 2x 8 core Intel E5620 CPUs (@ 2.40ghz), 12GB-96GB of RAM, and either a 600GB 7200pm hard disk or an Intel 160GB SSD.
Note the lack of RAID on these configurations; We’re pretty heavily reliant on Cobbler and Chef, which means rebuilding a system from scratch takes just 10 minutes. In our view, why power two drives when our datacenter staff can replace the drive and rebuild the machine and have it back in production in under 20 minutes? Obviously this only works where it is appropriate; clusters of machines where the data on each individual machine is not important. Web servers, for example, have no important data since logs are sent constantly to our centralised logging host, and the web code is easily deployed back on to the machine.
We have Nagios checks to let us know when the filesystem becomes un-writeable (and SMART checks also), so we know when a machine needs a new disk.
Each machine has 2x 1gbit ethernet ports, in this case we’re only using one.
Hadoop
In the last 12 months we’ve been working on building up our Hadoop cluster, and after evaluating a few hardware configurations ended up with a very similar chassis design to the one used above. However, we’re using a chassis with 24x 2.5″ disk slots on the front, instead of the 12x 3.5″ design used above.
Each node (with 4 in a 2U chassis) has 2x 12 core Intel E5646 CPUs (@ 2.40ghz), 96GB of RAM, and 6x 1Tb 2.5″ 7200rpm disks. That’s 96 cores, 384GB of RAM and 24TB per 2U of rack space.
Our Hadoop jobs are very CPU heavy, and storage and disk throughput is less of an issue hence the small amount of disk space per node. If we had more I/O and storage requirements, we had also considered 2U Supermicro servers with 12x 3.5″ disks per node instead.
As with the above chassis, each node as 2x 1gbit ethernet ports, but we’re only utilising one at the minute.
Search/Solr
Just a month ago, this would’ve been grouped into the general utility boxes above, but we’ve got something new and exciting for our search stack. Using the same chassis as in our general example, but this time using the awesome new Sandy Bridge line of Intel CPUs. We’ve got 2x 16 core Intel E5-2690 CPUs in these nodes, clocked at 2.90ghz, which gives us machines that can handle over 4 times the workload of the generic nodes above, whilst using the same density configuration and not that much more power. That’s 128x 2.9ghz CPU cores per 2U (granted, that includes HyperThreading).
This works so well because search is really CPU bound; we’ve been using SSDs to get around I/O issues in these machines for a few years now. The nodes have 96GB of RAM and a single 800GB SSD for the indexes. This follows the same pattern of not bothering with RAID; The SSD is perfectly fast enough on it’s own, and we have BitTorrent index distribution which means getting the indexes to the machine is super fast.
Less machines = less to manage, less power, and less space.
Backups
Supermicro wins this game too. We’re using the catchily named 6047R-E1R36N. The 36 in this model number is the important part… this is a 4u chassis, with 36x 3.5″ disks. We load up these chassis with 2TB 7200rpm drives, which when coupled with an LSI RAID controller with 1gb of battery backed write back cache gives a blistering 1.2 gigabytes/second sequential write throughput and a total of 60TB of usable disk space across two RAID6 volumes.
Why two RAID6 volumes? Well, it means a little more waste (4 drives for parity instead of 2) but as a result of that you do get a bit more resiliency against losing a number of drives, and rebuild times are halved if you just lose a single drive. Obviously RAID monitoring is pretty important, and we have checks for either SMART (single disk machines) or the various RAID utilities on all our other machines in Nagios.
In this case we’re taking advantage of the 2x 1gbit ethernet connections, bonded together to the switch to give us redundancy and the extra bandwidth we need. In the future we may even run fiber to these machines, to get the full potential out of the disks, but right now we don’t get above a gigabit/second for all our backups.
Special cases
Of course there are always exception to the rules. The only other hardware profile we have is HP DL360 servers (1u, 4x 2.5″ 15,000rpm 146GB SAS disks) which is for roles that don’t need much horsepower, but we deem important enough to have RAID. For example, DNS servers, LDAP servers, and our Hadoop Namenodes are all machines that don’t require much disk space, but need RAID for extra data safety than our regular single disk configurations.
Networking
I didn’t go into too much detail on the networking side of things in this post. Consider this part 1, and watch this space for our networking gurus to take you through our packet shuffling infrastructure at a later date.
Continue the trend
If you’re anything like us, we love a good spot of hardware porn. What cool stuff do you have?
This post was Laurie Denness (@lozzd), who would love it if you came and helped us make Etsy.com even better using this hardware. Why not come and help us?The Unicorns''Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone' is the stuff of legend. In 2003, the young band locked down their inscrutable mythology with an unhinged concept album -- a rough-hewn debut that attained a level of depth and energy most bands don't achieve in an entire career. Then, at the tail-end of 2004, after a long tour with still-blossoming Arcade Fire, their rising star went supernova. Founding member Nick Thorburn went on to form Islands, his more toned-down and still-evolving project; the other two members, Alden Penner and Jaime Thompson, have flitted between several projects, including movie scores, label management and bands like Clues and the Hidden Words.
The original legend, however, added another chapter when the Unicorns reunited this year for the reissue of their final studio album as well as a string of shows in L.A. and New York with Arcade Fire. (The reissue of 'Who Will Cut Our Hair' was released digitally on July 29 and comes out on CD Aug. 26, with a limited-edition vinyl release set for Oct. 7.)
In an exclusive interview, Thorburn says he's pleased with how well the band's initial shows in L.A. went -- and that because of their success, he's actually contemplating a follow-up record. "Before these shows, I don't think I had any interest in resurrecting the band to make a new album," Thorburn tells us. "But I think it was enjoyable enough that it's a possibility."
The L.A. shows with Arcade Fire took place Aug. 1 and 2; the Brooklyn shows are coming up on Aug. 22-24. Thorburn says the L.A. dates reminded him of the fun and energy behind the first Unicorns record. Now, Thorburn says, "My intention is to make more records that are just expressly or explicitly fun."
Read on for more from our exclusive chat with Thorburn, as well as the story behind the the Unicorns' dark final days, growing up with Arcade Fire in Montreal and how the Unicorns' shows with Arcade Fire are shaping the band's possible future.
How were the Unicorns shows in LA?
They were ultimately very good. The first show was a little tricky -- I think we were still finding our footing. It was our first time playing the songs in front of an audience in ten years. There were only four days of rehearsals, and so only four days to even be in the same room together.
It was a quick turnaround, though -- we all felt happy by night two. We kind of got our groove back, and locked in. The trick is to feel like you aren't just playing your part alongside another person playing their part, but you're playing the same song together. By night two, that started to happen.
What was it like playing for a big arena audience like that and opening for Arcade Fire? I'd imagine that crowd was probably different than what you've played to in several years.
It was a larger crowd, but it was actually surprisingly a commanding crowd. We had their full attention -- it was kind of unreal. I had not played an arena show I guess since we played with Beck when Islands first started playing. But this felt like we had people's attention. And it was very easy -- it felt like we could just get any reaction from them that we desired. It felt like we were in complete control, at least by night two.
You always hear that at big arenas it's hard to make a connection with the audience, that there's this disconnect or something, but people seemed extremely engaged. It was strange -- it was almost better than a small rock club because people weren't there to party, though I'm sure some people were there to do drugs and be in a giant crowd of people. But people paid a lot of money to be there, and they were there to listen to music and be entertained.
Do you feel any differently about the reunion now that those shows are over?
The tension and the fear, I guess, of doing the reunion -- the uncertainty and the apprehension -- has washed away. The fact that it's under the wing, and we look back and we did it -- I feel good about it. I was pretty hesitant. It's a dangerous territory to be in, the whole reunion thing. It can reek really bad if you don't do it right, and with taste. I'm trying to be as respectful and tasteful as we can. But now that we've gotten that out of the way, it feels like the right thing.
I'd imagine it's cool to go out there and play for an audience that hasn't heard of you and gain some new fans, too.
Yeah, yeah. That's the bonus of this. Obviously we ultimately want to do our own shows and play for people expressly there to see us. But it is nice to go out there and have that cosign from someone as mighty as the Arcade Fire.
Well, and there's the kind of reunion where you play a few shows, and the kind of reunion where you try to release new music, to make another artistic statement. And that risk is arguably bigger. Does this change your perspective on whether you'd want to make an album?
It doesn't hurt. Before these shows, I don't think I had any interest in resurrecting the band to make a new album. But I think it was enjoyable enough that it's a possibility. I think it could be really fun. You have to be careful with these things, but if you're too careful, it can backfire, too. There's a lot of noise I'd have to shut out to make a record.
The Unicorns were always so much about that one album -- that was really the statement of the band. One would naturally be curious as to what a follow up would even sound like.
Man, I'm right there with you on the curiosity, I don't know -- there would be many ways to approach it, I guess. You can keep the thread going -- but we already made that record, we don't want to repeat ourselves. I think it would be a natural thing. By virtue of Alden and I writing together, it would probably be an honest reflection. I wouldn't want to overthink it. I'd want to be delicate, but I wouldn't want to be too precious about it.
Caterpillar Records
You've spoken before about your changing feelings on 'Who Will Cut Our Hair.' How did your perspective on that album change as time went on, and you worked on your Islands project?
When we first made it, I was in the middle of it -- I didn't have a good perspective because I was an active participant. When the band broke up, I didn't want it to break up, I wasn't ready for it. So I was a little resentful, and I also wanted to keep moving forward, and not just coast on what I'd created but use that momentum and keep going. So I kept it out of my mind -- I didn't want to repeat myself or rely on it too heavily.
And then, once the dust settled, I thought about the record, and I wanted as a musician to be taken more seriously. I thought that people misunderstood the Unicorns and treated it like a joke band or a novelty band. Words like 'quirky' and 'whimsical' were thrown around, which irked me greatly. So, I sort of pushed it far away and was embarrassed by some if its... sincerity? I don't know. I wanted to be taken seriously as a musician and felt like I wasn't. But I was also young and naive and brash -- there was a lot of ego going on. Now that time has passed, I feel grateful that I was part of the Unicorns thing. I don't know what people's opinions are of it now, but it's far enough away from me that I don't feel embarrassed -- it just feels like an earlier part of me.
And now with this re-release, there a chance you'll gain a certain amount of new fans.
Yeah, that's true. I think it holds up. It kind of belongs in its own place -- hopefully that won't change.
Well, and there are obvious reasons people think it's whimsical. But when you listen to it, you realize it's a really earnest record -- the songs are about a band learning how to be a band, and finding a way to do it that's different.
Yeah, it feels a little reductive to just paint it in one light. I think it was complex -- I don't know that all of those complexities were intentional, but the songs came from an honest place. We were trying to express things that we felt were real and important, and in a way universal, but in a way deeply personal. And I think we couched a lot of that stuff in lightness, in levity or whatever, but there's darkness there.
How close were you to Arcade Fire back in the day? Did you guys influence each other much?
Yeah, I think they looked up to us when we first started, and we obviously looked up to them and brought them out on tour. The first shows we played were some loft parties. I mean, the very first show, we opened up for them, and that was early days. It was Win [Butler] and Regine [Chassagne] and an entirely different band. And it was very obvious that they were going to be a big band, I could tell right then and there.
They were an inspiration to us as much as we were to them. We were both just trying to make good music.
Part of your legend is that you embarked on this never-ending tour with Arcade Fire and then there was a show in December '04 where you broke up on-stage. Is that how it actually went down?
I don't actually remember. I was self-medicating at the time, with alcohol, because I was distraught by the animosity [within] the band. It was pretty clear that that was going to be the last show. It was pretty much unspoken. We all knew that after this show, the Houston show, that was it. And it was hard -- it was an emotional thing. And I definitely didn't want to be present for it. So, I think that's why I decided to check out. I don't really remember that show, but I know there are recordings of it, and it's a pretty dark listen.
Are you finding elements of this Unicorns reunion that could make it into Islands records or your upcoming solo record?
Oh yeah, definitely. It's informing very much how I work with my own process and songwriting, and it's been nice to get back into Unicorns mode, which is a little more playful and impish. Just relearning the record and seeing how I used to write songs, there's an innocence to it that I'd like to channel and get back to.
Yeah, you know, the last two Islands records, you could really pair them off together, they were both a bit subdued. I have to wonder as a listener what that will all sound like after this experience for you.
Yeah, I think they're gonna go to a good place. My intention is to make more records that are just expressly or explicitly fun.
Do you have any plans for what you're going to do after the Unicorns shows? I know you were planning on a solo record.
I'm thinking about that. I have a bunch of songs written and I have plans to make a solo record. I also want to make an Islands record, hopefully before the year is out. That's the basic plan -- just make more records. That's all I really want to do.
Get details on the digital re-release of the Unicorns' 'Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone' here, and the physical copies (both CD and vinyl) here.How did 60 Minutes get its cameras into a spy agency?
"The line on the N.S.A. is it stands for Never Say Anything," said correspondent John Miller. "So, the mechanics of saying to them, 'I've got an idea: Let's just have 60 Minutes go through the place and talk to people we find interesting and film everybody at work'-- took a lot of socializing for them."
Miller and producers Ira Rosen and Gabrielle Schonder were behind this week's 60 Minutes segment on the NSA. The story took viewers into top-secret areas of the NSA operations and revealed new information about how 29-year-old contractor Edward Snowden managed to steal an enormous cache of U.S. intelligence documents.
"This is an agency that really is under the gun," said 60 Minutes producer Ira Rosen. "They have basically allowed this kid, who is now in Moscow with 1.7 million classified documents, to become the hero and they to become the villain."
Rosen, Miller, and Schonder discuss the unusual circumstances under which the story was shot and reported in this week's Overtime feature. Watch in the video player above.Yasmin Ammirato, president of the Midland Beach Civic Association, which organized the meeting in an effort to dispel tensions, bellowed into her portable microphone in the first of many efforts to keep control during the subsequent three hours: “Excuse me! This is a civic association meeting! Everybody have a little respect!”
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Opposition to new mosques has become almost commonplace. A similar uproar erupted during a Lower Manhattan community board meeting on May 25 over plans to build a mosque near ground zero. Protests also have broken out in Brentwood, Tenn.; Sheboygan County, Wis.; and Dayton, Ohio.
Recent cases of so-called homegrown terrorism, like the Times Square car bomb episode, have increased anxieties, experts say.
But organizations like the Muslim American Society, a Washington-based nonprofit group that helps plant new mosques in communities throughout the country, have adopted a strategy of engagement that they say they hope will eventually build mutual understanding.
“We are newcomers, and newcomers in America have always had to prove their loyalty,” said Mahdi Bray, the society’s executive director. “It’s an old story. You have to have thick skin.”
That admonition was tested on Wednesday, as irate residents took turns at the microphone, demanding answers from the three Muslim men who had accepted the get-acquainted invitation of the civic association.
“I was on the phone this morning with the F.B.I., and all I want to know from you is why MAS is on the terrorist watch list,” said Joan Moriello, using the acronym for the Muslim American Society. Her question produced a loud, angry noise from the audience.
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Mr. Hammous, a physical therapist who lives on Staten Island, exchanged a puzzled look with two other Muslim men who had joined him on the podium, both officers of the society’s Brooklyn branch, which operates a mosque in Bensonhurst and faces opposition to opening another in Sheepshead Bay.
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“Your information is incorrect, madam,” he replied. “We are not on any watch list.” The other men, Mohamed Sadeia and Abdel Hafid Djamil, shook their heads in agreement.
The State Department maintains a terrorist watch list for foreign organizations, and the Justice Department has identified domestic groups it considers unindicted co-conspirators in various terror-related prosecutions. The Muslim American Society is on neither of those lists.
Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.
But more than a dozen speakers, including Robert Spencer, a writer whose blog, Jihad Watch, is widely read in conservative foreign policy circles, said that the society and its national director, Mr. Bray, had ties to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood. The first two are on the State Department’s list.
“Will you denounce Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations?” Mr. Spencer demanded. “Yes or no?”
Mr. Hammous said he denounced “any form of terrorism, any act of terror — by individuals, by groups, by governments.”
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The plan to make a mosque out of the convent building on the grounds of St. Margaret Mary church — which would be used only for Friday prayers — is still in its initial stage. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Keith Fennessy, signed an agreement last month to sell the property to the society. The deal must still be approved by the parish board of trustees, which is made up of the pastor, two lay trustees and two officials of the Archdiocese of New York, including Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. It is also under review by a State Supreme Court justice, as required under New York’s Religious Corporations statute, said Joseph Zwilling, spokesman for the archdiocese.
The timetable for completing all that, he added, was “not known at this time.”
But for the near term, Wednesday night’s meeting indicated that the questions of neighborhood residents may take some time to answer.
Among them: “Is Sharia law better than democracy in your view?” “How do you feel about the role of women in society?” “What are your views on Israel?” “Can you point to any single statement in the Koran that you would consider to be incorrect?”
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The tenor of the inquiry became so fraught that the meeting eventually collapsed in shouting around 11 p.m., prompting the police and security guards to ask everyone to leave.
But just 20 minutes earlier,
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are probably dwarf planets, and
661 objects which are possibly dwarf planets.Time To End Talk Of Boycotts
There's a wonderful saying about opinions that I won't repeat in full for fear of upsetting our more, ahem...sheltered readers. Needless to say, it involves comparing opinions with a certain body part, the clinching line being that everyone has one. That's something I've always been at pains to promote. People should have their own opinions and they should debate them freely. That was before social media, aided by the growth of the internet, arrived on our doorstep. Now an ‘I'm right and you're wrong and that's it’ mentality prevails. We have become increasingly polarised and debate often degenerates into personal abuse.
Within the Rangers support this current trend manifests itself most openly in the debate about boycotts, and it is one that has reared its head again following quotes from Andy Kerr of the RSA who said fans could choose to stay at home if league reconstruction is voted through next month. I agree with Andy Kerr in this case, but others go a step further. The message from them is clear: if you don't support a boycott, you're not a real fan.
Well, I disagree with them.
First let me say I fully supported the boycott of Tannadice. Dundee United and their support were one of the worst in trying to kick us while we were down and I think it is right the Rangers support highlighted this by not attending their ground (which is, quite frankly, a health and safety hazard). Secondly, I believe the plans for reconstruction are abysmal while the desire to rush them through in time for next season simply reeks of a carve-up. However, I'm not convinced boycotting the likes of Elgin or East Stirling will be either desirable or effective as we try and drag ourselves to our feet. Yet for expressing such a view, I'm apparently part of the problem. In fact I'm in the ‘never-miss-a-game brigade’.
If this season has taught us anything it is that Rangers are undisputedly Scotland's biggest football club and, with such a massive travelling support at our disposal, a boycott can be a powerful weapon. But for this weapon to retain its power, it must be used sparingly. For a start, a blanket boycott of all away games simply will not work because too many fans will ignore it. Asking people to stay away from one game is easy, but to keep that up for years on end? Sorry, but it's simply unrealistic. Instead we would end up with a half-filled stands and more division in a support that struggles so badly to put on a unified front. This isn't conducive to helping the club.
I'm also not quite sure why SFL clubs should suffer because they want a different league set-up from us. If a Third Division club believes it is the best route for them to take then why shouldn't they vote for it? Are we expecting clubs to ignore their own situation just because we think it is wrong? Bear in mind we are partly responsible for the creation of the SPL, possibly the most destructive body in the history of Scottish football, but we were doing it because we thought it would maximise our opportunities. While a threat of a boycott from other clubs wouldn't affect Rangers in the slightest, I'm sure we'd all have been wondering what the fuss was about if a support from a lower division decided it wasn't going to turn up at Ibrox for a cup tie because we were part of the cabal who formed the SPL. It would be grossly hypocritical of us to start moaning about clubs looking out for themselves when we've been guilty of exactly the same thing many times in the past.
There is also the simple fact that football in the lower leagues will continue without our away support regardless. None of these teams will have budgeted for a game against Rangers and even without our large support there will still be a financial boost from playing us, perhaps not as large as if we were there but for clubs operating on shoe-string budgets it would still be tangible. I'm also not convinced our non attendance at SPL grounds would have the effect many think it would. Clubs would adapt, even if they did need to cut costs. That, however, is an argument for another day.
If my reasons so far haven't quite gotten the message across, consider this - large travelling supports are a very part of the Rangers fabric. Much like red and black socks and toasting the Monarch from the Loving Cup, our away support has become embedded in the very culture of the club. It has helped us spread our story beyond the boundaries of Glasgow. It is part of the reason we have supporters clubs in small towns in the Highlands. We would be robbing fans in these towns of the opportunity to see their heroes on their doorstep. The Rangers support embraced making the long journey to support our team like no other in Scotland, perhaps the UK. There are records of Rangers fans flocking in their thousands to away games even when journeys to the likes of Aberdeen were edging towards ten hours rather than four. Through these journeys, many fabulous Rangers Supporters Clubs have been born. How many would survive with no away games? Is that a price worth paying to make a point?
One reason for playing the boycott card is the threat of starving clubs of money, but where does this end? If we draw these teams in the cup at Ibrox, do we boycott our own ground? Of course we don't and the mere suggestion is ludicrous. The Dundee United boycott had nothing to do with money, despite what sections of the press wanted people to think. It was about making a point and, despite a minuscule number showing up, it held up well. Dundee United have shown an open hatred of our club and have used our situation to deliberately kick us while we’re down. SPL clubs wanted us out of their league. If SFL clubs vote for reconstruction it's because they want us in theirs, not to keep us down but to help themselves. I may find it questionable, but I don't believe it is worth boycotting over. This has nothing to do with hatred but self-preservation (something our own club has been guilty of). It's frustrating that the ‘blue pound’ is used to prop some clubs up, but that is the price we pay for being the biggest club in the country.
I realise that I can offer no alternatives to a boycott in terms of opposing league reconstruction, which is a disgrace. But a boycott will simply not change anything; it won't even start until after the vote. It reeks of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. And where do we stop? Will we simply shout ‘boycott’ at every perceived injustice? Perhaps next time we are denied a penalty or have a goal chopped off for a non-existent foul? One argument I've heard is that ‘if someone openly hates you, you wouldn't go to their house.’ Well, Rangers have been hated for years, but we still went in our thousands and rightly so.
The 12-12-18 proposal put forward is a disgrace. It does nothing to solve the deeper problems in Scottish football and is merely window dressing. The one suggestion that does show someone thinking outside the box (Rangers and Celtic 'colt' teams) has been derided, with the man responsible told he is pro-Rangers (despite his plan involving Celtic). The attempts to get reconstruction in place for next season would mean ten sets of supporters in SFL3 have been conned. There are penalties for false advertising and that may be something supporters could look into. If the changes are brought in next term, we have been falsely sold the carrot of promotion. Forget Rangers for a second and consider Peterhead, for example. They have spent money chasing promotion and now they are being told they could have kept their cash and played 11 guys from the stand as it wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference to what league they are playing in next year. It makes a mockery of ‘sporting integrity’. But it's time we stopped looked for conspiracies everywhere. The proposal was an SPL one for a start and it's arrogant to assume there are SFL chairman rubbing their hands and cackling about ‘getting one over those orange b%$!&*!s; I'm simply not buying that.
This is just my opinion on why a boycott is not the answer. I wouldn't question any individual's right to decide it isn't worth travelling because of league reconstruction, but spare those who do decide to go the potentially divisive indignation. I have a feeling the majority will continue to follow their club with pride, and that is well within their rights.
Douglas Dickie has worked with a regional newspaper for eight years. He is a season ticket holder at Ibrox and travels to away games on the Toryglen True Blues supporters’ busAll staff at a hospital serving the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo have been given a month's notice after a British medical charity blamed red tape for its closure.
Half a million people in the war-torn country will lose access to desperately needed healthcare when Atareb hospital, operated by the British-based aid agency Hand in Hand for Syria (HIHS), closes within the next few days.
It would be a disaster for local people as well as for the medical staff, who included some of the last remaining doctors in Syria, and their families, said the charity's head of logistics, Fadi al-Dairi, speaking from the Syrian-Turkish border.
He said the charity has enough money from donors to keep the hospital running, but cannot get it into the country, because it needs a partner to channel the funding, and established charities are pulling out of Syria.
"It's because of bureaucracy, red tape," he added. "We have the expertise, but not the experience."
Al-Dairi said the charity was unable to apply for help from the UK's Department for International Development or a UN agency because it had not been running for three years. "We only set up to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, so of course we are not yet three years old. We have been begging for help, but have had no firm commitment from any of the bigger aid agencies, whom we need to get the money we have to where it needs to be.
"Already all the aid agencies are only meeting 20% of the need within Syria. The loss of this hospital is a tragedy, especially when hospitals inside Syria are being bombed every day."
The EU reported in May that since the crisis began, 200,000 people have died in Syria because of the lack of healthcare, far more than the 164,000 thought to have been killed in fighting.
The hospital is just 20 miles from Aleppo, one of the hardest-hit areas of Syria. It provides free care to anyone, regardless of political or faith affiliation. The hospital became well-known to British audiences after a BBC Panorama programme, Saving Syria's Children, was screened last September, and showed the hospital treating casualties from an incendiary bomb attack on a school.
Omar Gabbar, an NHS consultant from Leicester who leads the British medical team for HIHS and has worked at Atareb, said the consequences of the hospital's closure would be dire: "About half of all Syrian hospitals have already been damaged or destroyed, and Aleppo only has 143 doctors remaining out of a pre-conflict 2,500. Around half a million people, over a huge area, will have no access to treatment for conflict injuries or ongoing normal medical conditions. Approximately 200,000 of these are internally displaced persons already facing a wide range of difficulties.
"One of the very few remaining kidney dialysis units left in northern Syria will shut. Essential reproductive health services will no longer be available. Three excellent operating theatres will remain empty, instantly ending the 265 lifesaving operations carried out there each month. 34,500 injured people a year will have no access to emergency care, and 26,000 outpatient clinic appointments will be lost. The laboratory will close, as will all the specialist departments including orthopaedics, ophthalmology, gynaecology, neurology, and many more. This leaves the hospital's 98 staff with no income, no longer able to support their family members. This is a massive blow."
Faddy Sahloul, co-founder and chairman of HIHS, said: "We set up Atareb hospital early in 2013 in an area we identified in great need. "The hospital's funding comes from a European donor fund which supports global emergency response, and reaches us via an NGO partner. This arrangement has been incredibly successful as it has enabled us to provide treatment to more than 92,000 Syrian people at Atareb over the last year. However although that funding is still in place, our one-year agreement with our NGO partner has come to an end.
"Despite our very best efforts, we have not yet been able to secure a replacement partner for Atareb hospital because of the complexities faced by NGOs trying to operate inside Syria, so we have now launched an appeal to secure emergency funds to keep the hospital open while we continue our search for a new partner. We welcome all enquiries from any individual or NGO interested in beginning discussions with us."
HIHS operates five other hospitals and supports more than 140 makeshift field hospitals, taking in a fleet of 32 ambulances and has opened a blood bank. It trains large numbers of medical staff in the treatment of conflict-related injuries.
Dr Rola Hallam, a British-Syrian NHS doctor and member of the HIHS medical team in the UK, said it was heartbreaking: "It took blood, sweat and tears, for a year, to get it up and running, and it was amazing to see it do such great work in such hard conditions. At a time when Syrian healthcare is in tatters, it feels like a crime not to keep its doors open."
A dedicated appeal page has been set up at www.justgiving.com/HIHS-Atareb-Hospital with the campaign hashtag #SaveAtarebHospital.Season 5 of Game of Thrones may not be over but preparations for season 6 are well under way, and casting season has begun! And the first casting breakdowns have found their way to our inbox, thanks to some great sources.
There’s a bit of a twist this year though. Since past role descriptions have leaked, the show has wised up and left the names off the write-ups this year.
But that’s not a problem for Game of Thrones fans, is it? We love a good casting puzzle. And some of these parts are obvious, even without the names.
Let the casting speculation begin!
The first role on the table is…
Pirate, man in his 40’s to late 50’s. He’s “an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world. Cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness.”
He’s a dangerous-looking man. A very good part this season.
We’d heard unconfirmed rumors that Theon’s uncle Euron Greyjoy would be appearing in season 6, and this sounds like him, more than his brother Victarion.
Next up is the one I’m personally most excited about:
Father. Aged 50’s to 60’s, he’s one of the greatest soldiers in Westeros- a humorless martinet, severe and intimidating. He demands martial discipline in the field and in his home. It’s described as “a very good part” for next year and that he’s “centrally involved” in a protagonist’s storyline.
This is a clear description of Randyll Tarly, Sam’s abusive father and the famous soldier mentioned by Stannis Baratheon a couple episodes ago. Some had guessed the discussion might mean we’re seeing him next year, and they were right.
The next three characters appear to be linked to this storyline- most likely Sam’s mother, brother Dickon and one of his sisters. All have the same comment about being centrally involved in a protagonist’s storyline.
Mother, in her 50’s. She’s a sweet, plump, and adoring mother, and has a soft spot for one of her children who benefits from her decency.
Sister, in her early 20s. She’s a kind, friendly and unpretentious woman.
Brother, in his early to mid-20’s. Athletic, a good hunter, an excellent swordsman, manly, not particularly bright but the favourite child of the father.
Next up:
Priest, in his 40’s or 50’s. A gruff ex-soldier who found religion. Now a no-nonsense rural priest who ministers to the poor of the countryside. He’s salt-of-the-earth man who has weathered many battles.
Sounds like Septon Meribald, although it’s a little surprising we’d see him next year instead of this year. If it is him, that hints at someone surviving the season.
A few more roles:
Leading Actress, in her early 40’s, she’s an elegant actress with a traveling theatre company. Fun, charismatic, rum-drinking actress in the troupe.
Priestess. Mid-20’s to early 30’s. Any ethnicity- she’s beautiful, intense, and magnetic.
Fierce Warrior, a tall man in 30’s or 40’s with a powerful physique. They’re looking for someone with “mixed ethnicity” for the role.
They’re also searching for a trio of young boys with very specific descriptions. My instinct says another flashback- perhaps this time via the weirwood network?
A large boy, with an actor who is 10-12 but playing 7 or 8. He’s described as “a clever boy” who seems too large for his age. He’s big and tall but not fat. “Characterful squat features” are a plus for this part. it’s specified that this is a one-time appearance.
12 year old boy, with brown hair and blue eyes. He needs to use a Northern accent. He has scenes where he has to spar with a wooden sword.
The length of the role isn’t specified.
7 year old boy with dark brown hair, a narrow face and green eyes. He also has a Northern accent. He also spars with the wooden sword, so it’s safe to assume it’s the same scene. This role is similarly open-ended, the description only stating that the character is being ‘introduced.’
It’s worth noting that Sean Bean has green eyes, so if this is for a flashback role, the write-up would be a good fit for a child Ned.
Alright, readers, what do you make of these?For almost a decade, Las Vegans have been calling for someone to save the historic Huntridge Theatre. It appears they’re about to get the chance to help save it themselves.
A partnership group calling itself Huntridge Revival, LLC—headed up by Life Is Beautiful Festival founder Rehan Choudhry, Downtown Las Vegas mainstay Michael Cornthwaite and First Friday managing partner Joey Vanas—has signed a contract that will allow it to renovate and relaunch the landmark at the southeast corner of Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway, Choudhry and Cornthwaite confirmed in an exclusive interview with the Weekly Wednesday night.
To do so, however, Huntridge Revival will require financial support from the people of Las Vegas, the two men explained.
“We have a purchase contract that’s signed,” Cornthwaite said, referring to a deal the group has inked with the local family that has owned the property since January 2002. “We’ve put down a deposit, and we have to raise additional funds to eventually close on the property and then renovate the entire property. We’re looking at this as a two-to-three-year project.”
Choudhry, former entertainment director for the Cosmopolitan, and Cornthwaite, who owns Downtown Cocktail Room and co-owns the Beat Coffeehouse and the Emergency Arts gallery complex, said details about the specific ways the public will be able contribute to the project and the dollar amount required to fund it will be unveiled in the coming months.
“The notion is not that dissimilar from the way the Smith Center was funded, but with a different sense of purpose,” Choudhry said. “We want all levels of people, from über-wealthy business investors down to a 14-year-old kid who can only contribute $1. We want everybody in the process to feel like they’re an invested owner of the venue.”
“It’s a call to action,” Cornthwaite said. “We won’t be able to accomplish this without the community buying in. If you want to make it happen, you should participate.”
In terms of specific plans for the building that once housed concerts by the Beastie Boys, Beck, The Smashing Pumpkins and hundreds more, Choudhry said, “We have no intention of deviating from what the Huntridge was in the past. At the end of the day, that big room is still a 1,600-capacity music venue,” he added, promising “a few surprises” for the remainder of the sizeable corner property.
Designed by renowned movie theater designer S. Charles Lee, the Huntridge opened on October 10, 1944, and served a vital role in the community for more than three decades before closing for the first time in 1977. Among its many claims to fame, the Huntridge was the first Las Vegas theater to feature air conditioning and one of the country’s first fully integrated movie theaters.
The Huntridge managed to survive down periods that became more frequent during the 1980s and early ’90s, along with a 1995 roof collapse and frequent scares that the building might be torn down, initially morphing into a discount movie house and later reinventing itself as a music venue. The final show, on July 30, 2004, featured metal acts Dimmu Borgir, Bleeding Through and God Forbid.
Since then, the structure—most recognizable by its art-deco design and 75-foot-high tower—has sat vacant and, apparently, fallen into massive disrepair. “It’s a complete mess in there,” Choudhry says. “The good news is, we’ve got a good infrastructure to work with, so there’s no need to tear any big piece of it down. But it’s going to be a massive amount of work.”
The Huntridge has been listed among both the National Register of Historic Places and the Nevada State Register of Historic Places since the early 1990s, and while those designations alone do not serve as legal protection for any structure regarding demolition, covenants attached to the property—conditions of a series of grants totaling close to $1.5 million, from the state of Nevada and the City of Las Vegas to the Friends of the Huntridge, the nonprofit group that managed the theater from 1992 to 2002—do. Those covenants are set to expire in 2017, however, putting Huntridge Revival’s plan in a possible last-chance-at-preservation position.
“We need to find dedicated partners who are emotionally invested in the project,” Choudhry says, “but we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t believe it was going to happen.”Data Science Fundamentals for Marketing and Business Professionals (video course demo)
This is kind of a special blogpost, because here I share 3 videos from my brand new O’Reilly Video course – called Data Science Fundamentals for Marketing and Business Professionals. It has been published on Safari Books Online. There is a free 10-day trial period, so if this is your first time there, you can watch my 60-min course practically for free. (Then you can still decide if you stay with them or not. 😉 )
Regardless:
I’ve decided to share 3 vids on my blog as well to help you decide, if you are interested or not. The course has been created to clarify the basics of Data Science and Analytics – mainly for marketing and business professionals or just in general – for aspiring Data Scientists and Analysts! Enjoy!
VID#1 – Data Scientist or Data Analyst?
TRANSCRIPTION:
Statistics and mathematics are indispensable for Data Science and Analytics.
However it’s also true, that different data projects need different levels of statistical knowledge.
One of the most common questions I get from aspiring data professionals is:
“What’s the difference between a Data Analyst and a Data Scientist?”
First of all – you have to know that the term Data Science recently became a buzzword. Thus you can find a wide variety of data topics under the umbrella of Data Science – especially in online articles. Because of that, unfortunately there is no clear definition on how data science and analytics are different.
However you can see a clear pattern in job descriptions, that at least illustrates the small differences between Data Scientists and Data Analysts.
For instance when companies are hiring a Data Analyst, they are usually looking for a person who will be working on research projects, on optimization and on reporting. This person will help the company to understand their customer base and flag possible issues and future opportunities.
When a company is looking for a Data Scientist, it usually wants someone on board who’s good at predictive analytics and who has experience with machine learning and similar advanced methodologies. This knowledge can be useful for managing risk, for building recommendation systems, for optimising resources, for face recognition and many-many more things – depending on the profile of the given company.
As I see it, Data Analytics is usually mentioned as the conservative part of the data projects and it has a big effect on the business side – while Data Science is more progressive and it can even have an effect on the product itself.
Note that – in my opinion at least – both of these roles are equally important.
I’ll give you a concrete example. Let’s say, we have a video sharing portal. Our Data Analytics team will create reports on how many video uploads we received, and who are our best users; they might also do A/B tests to find the best placement of the UPLOAD button.
On the other hand the Data Science Team will build the algorithms behind the recommendation system that autostarts the next video – and they might do churn predictions too.
As you can see the line is blurry, but this is the high-level concept.
In terms of required coding skills, business skills and domain knowledge, the difference between a Data Analyst and a Data Scientist is not substantial. It’s good to know though, that a Data Analyst – as it’s closer to the business part – might need better business skills, while a Data Scientist, who has to implement complex methods, might need better coding skills.
However the biggest contrast between the two is mostly in the statistical and mathematical methods that they apply during their data projects.
Let’s check out that what statistical tools Data Analysts and Data Scientists need!
VID#2 – SQL demo
TRANSCRIPTION:
If you want to be a data analyst or a data scientist: SQL is a must.
Almost every company is using it.
Let’s take a look at a simple SQL query:
SELECT * FROM zoo WHERE animal = ‘zebra’;
This query is almost fully understandable if you simply follow common sense.
We want to SELECT – everything – FROM – the data table that is called zoo – and we want to see every row WHERE the animal that we are talking about is a ZEBRA.
Alright. Let’s see, what working with SQL looks like.
I’m using a free SQL query tool called SQL Workbench.
The first thing I’ll do is query my whole data table:
SELECT * FROM zoo;
Again: the asterisk refers to “everything”. You can see all the rows and columns of my data table. There are different animals like zebras, elephants or tigers in it. Each of the animals has a unique identifier and one additional piece of information: water need.
If we want to filter for zebras only, on the top of our base query we have to type:
SELECT * FROM zoo WHERE animal = ‘zebra’;
With that we made sure that only those rows are showing up, where the field in the animal column is ‘zebra’.
But let’s say, that we don’t want to select all the columns anymore! We need only the water needs. For that, I am going to change the asterisk to the name of the column: water_need
SELECT water_need FROM zoo WHERE animal = ‘zebra’;
Note that as the WHERE clause is still there, I got back the water_need information only for my zebras. Perfect!
At last let’s summarize the water needs for all the zebras.
SELECT SUM(water_need) FROM zoo WHERE animal = ‘zebra’;
There you go! 1720 is the water need of all the zebras in my zoo.
And this is how SQL works: you simply select a piece of information from a table. It can be raw data like unique id or water need. And it can be an aggregate, like SUM or AVERAGE – in these cases SQL does the calculation for you. You can also filter for specific subsets of your data.
You might have noticed that SQL has some very specific syntax rules too! Did you see the semicolon at the end of my queries? That’s a must in SQL. If you miss it, your query won’t run properly!
This semicolon gives you freedom as well. For instance: you can break your query into more lines without any trouble. You can also add as many spaces as you want to. These will help you make your code more readable and easier to change.
For instance my previous query can look something like this too:
SELECT SUM(water_need) FROM zoo WHERE animal = ‘zebra’;
If I re-run it: the results won’t change.
Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg – and there is much more in SQL, but at least now you got a taste of how the syntax looks. Not scary at all, right?
(Note: learn SQL for Data Analysis through my tutorial articles!)
VID#3 – Intro
TRANSCRIPTION:
…
I’ll cover four topics in this course. The first three – coding, statistics and business thinking – are the 3 pillars of data science and analytics. Then I’ll have an extra chapter focusing on how to go further on the road you have just started on by taking this course.
I’ll show you demos, examples based on real life scenarios and will share some of my best practices that I’ve collected during my years working as a data analyst. Additionally – for each chapter I’ll give you a comprehensive list of specific resources for further learning.
By the end of this course you will understand:
what data scientists and analysts do, how they work, and how they think
what tools and data languages are essential for data science and analytics
what soft skills are essential
how to communicate better with data professionals
and how to determine the first steps toward becoming a data professional
I hope you will enjoy it!
Watch the full course here: Data Science Fundamentals for Marketing and Business Professionals
Read more here: the 4 untold truths of learning data science.
Cheers,
Tomi MesterThe NBA season officially began last night, and while many of us were watching the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers destroy the Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder center, Steven Adams, decided to forego the whole damn thing and watch some anime.
In an interview, Steven Adams stated he was watching two of his favorite anime, One Piece and One-Punch Man. Given that he’s a 23-year-old man, it shouldn’t be a surprise Adams likes anime. Because of the globalized nature of the entertainment industry, people in his generation grew up watching anime, whether it was Dragonball Z or Digimon, making the medium an integral part of a lot of their lives.
Steven Adams spent NBA opening night watching Japanese anime instead of basketball. pic.twitter.com/QK03ae3Lml — Fred Katz (@FredKatz) October 26, 2016
And why shouldn’t he be watching anime? Regardless of the amazing fight sequences, battles, and superpowers, shonen anime has inspired thousands of young people. Specifically, the aforementioned anime are about fighting battles against extremely powerful foes to become the greatest and finally achieve their dream. In a way, Adams has more in common with an anime protagonist than most of us.
This could rightfully serve as inspiration for the Oklahoma City Thunder who, after losing their star small forward, Kevin Durant, now face a tougher battle to make it out of the West. Adams, who is known for his nonchalant and laid-back personality, is one of the most elite centers in the game, and the Thunder will surely need his tall, 7-foot frame to defeat the Western powerhouse teams.
It’s sad that Adams didn’t watch the games, though. Had he watched, he would have seen his former teammate, Kevin Durant and the Warriors, get smacked by the San Antonio Spurs in a 29-point loss. Now that we know the “superteam” or the “supervillains” can be defeated, the slighted Thunder and evil warriors are sure to make for great basketball in a battle of the ages.Rangers backup goalie Antti Raanta nearly recorded a shutout Sunday night in his first career appearance against the Lightning — Steven Stamkos deflected a shot past him at 16:36 of the third period in the Blueshirts’ 6-1 win — but Raanta was pleased with the result.
“Our guys were lighting it up today,” said Raanta, who made 31 saves. “[Tampa Bay’s] d-men like to shoot the puck, but I always had sight of it. If there was a rebound or something, our guys were helping me. They were blocking shots and making sacrifices. That’s what we need if we’re going to win.”
Coach Alain Vigneault said he “wasn’t worried at all about Antti [against the potent Lightning]. The way he’s played for us in the past, how hard he’s working during practices and the extra work he’s doing with [goaltending coach Benoit Allaire].”
Said Ryan McDonagh: “He was big, no question about it. He made some key saves, especially in the second. Hats off to him... He’s been great ever since he joined the team.”
With five games in eight days beginning Tuesday night and eight games in 15 days, Raanta is sure to get more chances in November.
Center of attention
As Tampa Bay’s defense pinched along the boards, the Rangers used the center of the ice and succeeded. “We found the middle a little bit more and just kind of chipped it over their heads, got into footraces and that allowed us to find some odd-man looks,” said McDonagh, whose assist on Michael Grabner’s second goal was his eighth of the season. “We were able to finish, and that’s a good sign.”... Before Grabner, the last Ranger to score a hat trick was Mats Zuccarello against Toronto on Oct. 30, 2015.
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Kreider likely to play Tuesday night
It appears that Chris Kreider, who missed his fourth straight game Sunday night after developing neck spasms, will be ready to return Tuesday night when the Rangers face the St. Louis Blues.
Kreider, who was off to a hot start with three goals and four assists in the first five games before his injury, skated with the team at Madison Square Garden on Sunday morning.
“He looked fine out there,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “I’m confident he’ll be good to go on Tuesday.” The plan is for Kreider to participate in a full practice Monday.
Kreider agreed to a four-year contract worth $4.625 million annually in July.
Clendening sits again
Defenseman Adam Clendening was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game as Vigneault stuck with the same six defensemen, although he dropped Kevin Klein to the third pair, on the right side of Brady Skjei. Klein missed the first three games of the season because of a back sprain.
Klein blocked four shots and had three hits and three shots on goal against Carolina on Friday night but is a minus-2 and has no points in six games.
“Any time you have an injury,” Vigneault said, “you’ve got to do a little more to find your rhythm. For the most part, he’s been all right. I’d like him to move the puck a little bit quicker, have a little more jump to that first step and that first pass. But he’s doing what we expect from him.”
Busy week
With five games in eight nights — four against Western Conference teams and a back-to-back (in Boston on Saturday before hosting Winnipeg) — both Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Raanta “are going to play this week,” Vigneault said.False news that erroneously named a suspect in the deadly Las Vegas mass shooting on Sunday spread on Google and Facebook before the services removed the posts in question, the two companies acknowledged Monday.
Erroneous posts on both services — one highlighted by Google's "Top Stories" search results, the other circulated by Facebook users — falsely identified the shooter as an apparently uninvolved person.
Las Vegas police say Stephen Craig Paddock, of Mesquite, Nevada, fired down on concertgoers from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino hotel, killing at least 59 people and wounding more than 500 in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Paddock killed himself as authorities closed in.
But a story by the pro-Trump political website "The Gateway Pundit" named a different person as the shooter, citing a Facebook page to claim the individual was "a far left loon" and "a Democrat who liked (MSNBC host) Rachel Maddow." Posters on the anonymous, anarchic 4chan.org forum likewise trumpeted supposed findings that the same individual was both the shooter and a "social democrat." BuzzFeed saved screenshots of the stories, which no longer turn up on either Gateway Pundit or 4chan.
Google said in a statement that it highlighted 4chan's "Politically Incorrect" message board, where the incorrect posts appeared, for several hours before its search algorithm replaced it with more relevant results. The 4chan result only appeared if users entered the erroneous name as a query, Google said. The listing did not appear in Google News.
"This should not have appeared for any queries," a Google spokesperson said, adding that the company would aim to prevent it from happening again.
Facebook said its security team removed Gateway Pundit results and other similar posts from its social network, some within minutes. But because that removal was "delayed," the company said, images of the incorrect story were captured and circulated online.
"We are working to fix the issue that allowed this to happen in the first place and deeply regret the confusion this caused," a Facebook spokesman said in a statement.
Both companies are under fire from lawmakers for promoting false stories in the lead-up to last year's election, and have been invited to testify at a congressional investigation into Russian meddling in the race.If there’s any good news to be gained from the toxic spill of mine wastes into the Animas River upstream of Durango, it’s that public attention has suddenly shifted to the health of rivers in the West.
The 3-million-gallon accident riveted the media, even rating a story in England
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David or Solomon.
The stepped stone structure (in the bible: Millo) in the City of David, Jerusalem, atop of which King David supposedly built his palace. City of David Foundation
Take the stone palace found in Jerusalem. Maximalists say it dates to the appropriate time and obviously belonged to David. Minimalists say its period hasn't been proven, let alone its provenance (more on this below).
3,000-year old textiles found at Timna Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
The biblical narrative may have gone overboard on extolling the virtues of the two kings, but a preponderance of evidence indicates that some kind of powerful polity did rule from Jerusalem. One of the best arguments is the massive copper production during the 10th century B.C.E., at Timna, three hundred kilometers south of Jerusalem.
Rope made of date palm fiber from the 10th century B.C.E., found at the Timna copper mines Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
Mountains of slag
There, in the dry desert, Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv University has spent 14 years excavating copper mining and smelting sites of Jordan and Israel, dating to the 10th century B.C.E. The mines in the Aravah valley are in the very territory the Bible says David won from the Edomites, who then became subject to Israel (2 Samuel 8:13-14).
The copper industry in the region – at Timna and Khirbat en-Nahdas in southern Israel, and at Faynan in Jordan – was clearly vast. More than 100,000 tons of slag from the Iron Age have been discovered in the area.
5-meter high fortification walls discovered at Timna Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
Until the collapse of Mediterranean civilizations in 1200 B.C.E., Cyprus had been the main regional source of copper. After the collapse, the mines in the Aravah valley came to the fore, Ben-Yosef and Prof. Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University told Haaretz.
If David and Solomon were historical figures, they would have wanted to control the Aravah mines. They would have needed copper to make agricultural tools and weapons, says Ben Yosef: "Copper was the oil of the time and to control this region would have been a major asset."
The sheer scale of copper production at Timna and Faynan would have required the support of a major polity, scholars studying the Aravah agree.
For one thing, the mines needed external assistance. Separating copper from ore required maintaining charcoal fires at about 1,200°C for eight to 10 hours (using blowpipes and foot bellows). No food was available in the barren reaches of the desert where the mines were: there had to be a procurement and import system, also for wood to make the charcoal. Supplies would have traveled as much as hundreds of kilometers.
Seeds found at Timna: Crops couldn't have been grown in the barren desert, food had to be imported. Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
Water was a bit closer, but: "There is no water near the mines. It had to been brought in from the Yotvata oasis 15 kilometers away," Ben-Yosef says.
Asses fed on grapes
Copper ore found at Timna Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
Supporting Timna's massive mining operations, therefore, required long-distance trade, or in other words, complex economic activity involving a bureaucratic apparatus.
Archaeologists have indeed found evidence of imports from afar (and cloth) dating to the time of David and Solomon. Next to 5-meter high fortification walls, the archaeologists found slingstones, a variety of seeds, fish bones, and donkey bones and dung preserved well enough to be analyzed: it shows the draught animals at Timna ate hay and pomace, the pulp from pressing grapes, olives and suchlike, imported from the Mediterranean coast, more than 200 km afar.
The fruits, cereals, fish and textiles were probably imported from Philistia and Judah.
Donkey dung preserved by the arid desert climate revealed the draught animals at Timna ate hay and grape pomace 3,000 years ago Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
More than 200 samples found at Faynan, Timna and Khirbat en-Nahas have been dated by radiocarbon analysis, to the 10th and 9th century B.C.E.
United-Monarchy skeptics such as Finkelstein do stress that the existence of the vast mining operation does not necessarily mean there was a powerful United Monarchy. There could be other explanations, including the original assumption, which is that the Aravah mines had been controlled by Egypt.
Five-meter high fortifications found at Timna, dating to around 3,000 years ago Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
Egypt collapses
No question, the Egyptians had indeed been at Timna in some fashion or other before the postulated United Kingdom era, around the 12th-13th century B.C.E. We know this from Egyptian artifacts, hieroglyphics, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor found at the site.
Irrespective of who controlled them, Prof. Philip R. Davies of the University of Sheffield speculates that the copper mines were particularly active in the 10th century B.C.E. because of heavy demand for copper in Egypt, especially when the supply from Cyprus collapsed.
Another view of the stepped stone complex: Who built it remains unclear. City of David Foundation Clay bulla inscribed "Belonging to Gedaliah ben Paschhur", found in the City of David (see Jeremiah 38:1-6) City of David Foundation
"Any major power in the region would want to control the mines," Davies told Haaretz, adding, "I don't see that any of the small emerging kingdoms of the Levant could have secured control of this operation."
Indeed, everyone agrees that the actual 10th-century B.C.E. miners were the Edomites. The question is who was in control.
"My preferred candidate is Egypt. Edom does not seem to have been politically developed to the extent of organizing all this," Davies elaborates.
However, this period is marked by the fall of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece and, further down the line, Egypt, Babylonia and Assyria also sank into a down-spiral.
Not one single shard of Egyptian pottery has been found associated with the 10th century B.C.E. copper operations. Moreover, in the early 10th century, the great Egyptian civilization was in decline, together with most of the rest of the Levantine empires, creating a power vacuum and enabling the advent of the new polity – the Philistines.
"After the decline of the Egyptian empire in the Levant, around 1130 B.C.E., Egyptian interventions in Syro-Palestine diminished significantly," Egyptologist Shirley Ben Dor Evian, curator of Egyptian Archaeology at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and researcher at Tel Aviv University told Haaretz.
Nomad power: The Edomite theory
Finkelstein doesn't necessarily agree with Davies that the Edomites were inadequate to controlling the mines, though the Edomites were desert nomads, like the Bedouins today. Finkelstein feels the mines may have empowered the Edomites, and that outside control, whether from Jerusalem or Egypt, was not necessary.
The entrance complex with a two-room gatehouse flanked by animal pens and piles of dung, dating to the 10th century B.C.E. Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
"The mines were operated mainly by locals and the prosperity there brought about the rise of a desert [Edomite] polity," Finkelstein suggests.
The notion that local pastoral nomads procured resources via a complex system of trade networks and then decided to live in stone fortress (buildings), instead of tents, is supported by Finkelstein's colleague Nadav Naaman, Jewish History professor at Tel Aviv University.
"It is reasonable to assume that there was an Edomite polity in the south in the 10th century B.C.E. that operated the mines in Timna and in Faynan," Na'aman says, adding, "I doubt whether David or Solomon were involved with the copper production in the Aravah." Or maybe they were.
Molten sea of copper
The bible doesn't mention mines and Solomon in the same breath, but Solomon is said to have used a vast quantity of copper in furnishing the temple in Jerusalem. That lends credence to the theory that he would have sought control over the Aravah copper mines.
At the entrance to the temple stood two colossal, hollow copper pillars eight meters tall, 1.7 meters in diameter and topped with 2.2-meter capitals (1 Kings 7:15-16.) The copper "molten sea," a huge basin used by the priests for washing, had a capacity of 66,000 liters (1 Kings 7:23-26, 44-46). That's 66 tons in displacement volume.
"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." (1 Kings 7:23)
Some experts feel the sheer elaboration lends verisimilitude to the biblical description.
Prof. Gabi Barkay, wearing glasses, with silver hair, mustache and beard, holding tiling believed to be from the Second Temple courtyard itself. Moshe Menagen
"These descriptions do not make any sense on theological grounds," points out Dr. Gabriel Barkay, director of the Temple Mount Sifting Project. "There is no reason to specify these technical details that basically are instructions to the contractor. This information has to come from some archive that is now lost." (The contractors would have been the Phoenicians.)
Nadav Naaman assumes that the grand descriptions of the 10th century B.C.E. temple were written centuries later, but he does think that Solomon did build the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Once upon a time, city folk knew who erected major buildings, Naaman points out. "Local traditions may persist for centuries. I assume there was a local memory that it was Solomon who built the Jerusalem Temple on the Temple Mount," he says.
Trading with the Phoenicians
According to the bible, David conquered Edom but it was Solomon who consolidated the Judahic empire, including through trade. Put otherwise, if there was a United Monarchy, it would have traded, as big states do.
The bible has ample descriptions of trade at the time, not least in metals; it also describes the Phoenicians coming to Jerusalem to build, and Solomon's joint business venture with King Hiram of Tyre. Hiram sent cedar timber from of Lebanon, as well as wood and stone craftsmen (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 14:1) to build the "House of Cedars" and the First Temple. In return Solomon sent wheat, barley, olive oil and wine (1 Kings 5:2-6; 2 Chronicles 2:3-10).
There is also a richness of evidence that the peoples around the Mediterranean were briskly trading for centuries and possibly millennia before. It isn't impossible that the vaunted "United Kingdom" might have been just a sort of trading hub, as Mycenaean Greece served as a focus for trade reaching much of the Levant. Never mind that archaeologists often disagree on who traded with whom, let alone who built what.
David's Palace and the Zionists
"David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now the City of David" (2 Samuel 5:7)
This biblical passage describing how David wrested the stronghold of Mount Zion from the Jebusites and made it his capital, and then built a new palace with the help of the Phoenician king, Hiram of Tyre (2 Samuel 5:17) gained new life in 2005, when Prof. Eilat Mazar from the Hebrew University, announced that she had found the ruins of David's Palace.
Not all agree that the structures she found was a palace, let alone one built by David. At the very least, its dating is controversial.
Stone palace found in the City of David: Who built it? Some say David, some say its dating is uncertain. City of David Foundation
The structure Mazar uncovered lies on a hill in Jerusalem's City of David, just south of the Temple Mount, at the entrance to the contemporary Palestinian village of Silwan. At the foot of the structure are previously discovered massive terraces towering to a height of 16.5 meters, known as the "Stepped Stone Structure".
"We have proved that the Large Stone Structure [the palace] was built together with the Stepped Stone Structure. They form a single architectural unit that can be dated to the 10th century B.C.E.," Mazar told Haaretz.
She believes the Stepped Stone Structure terraces were actually supporting walls for David's palace, erected by Phoenician builders in the 10th century B.C.E. But her dating of the palace and stepped stone structure is controversial, since it is based on pottery shards found above and below the stratum she excavated - but not in the stratum itself.
Finkelstein for one doesn't share Mazar's interpretation of either structure. He thinks both the Stepped Stone Structure and the "palace" show more than one phase of construction, the earliest probably dating to the 9th century B.C.E. "My dating of the structure comes from my understanding of the pottery found within," he says.
Na'aman takes Mazar's side, on other grounds entirely.
The bible mentions an area in Jerusalem known as the "Millo" (meaning "mound", 1 Kings 9:15, 1 Kings 9:24, 11:27) atop the Stepped Stone Structure, where King David is supposed to have built his palace. Na'aman however thinks the Millo actually encompassed both the Stepped Stone Structure and the space between that and the palace.
King David's palace? Prof. Eilat Mazar believes these are the ruins of King David's palace, found in the City of David, south of Temple Mount. Avi Balaban
He also thinks that both the Stepped Stone Structure and that space should be dated to the United Monarchy, and that it should be attributed to the King Solomon, who – the bible says – was building within this Millo. What was he building? The Stepped Stone Structure, says Na'aman.
"It fits very well with the account in 1 Kings 11:27 of the rebellion of Solomon's taskmaster Jeroboam, who was supervising the stoneworkers from Mount Ephraim," says Na'aman. "If you look at the Stepped Stone Structure and realize how much stones and earth you need to construct it and how many workers were required, you can understand why they rebelled," he quips.
The Saulide theory
Or maybe it was Saul, after all. Philip Davies, professor emeritus of biblical studies at Sheffield, suspects that it was actually Saul's Israelite kingdom that built the Stepped Stone Structure.
"Since a few biblical texts assign Jerusalem to Benjamin, and since Jerusalem is quite near to Saul's reported base, I would have to deduce that any Iron IIa remains in Jerusalem [1000-925 B.C.E.] can much more probably to be assigned to him than to a hypothetical 'David'," says Davies.
"If we did not have bible stories about a 'United Monarchy', would any archaeologist ever suggest such a thing existed? Why are possible Iron Age structures in Jerusalem assigned to David and not Saul?" Davies presses. "It's because the history of Judah is not solely in the hands of academic archaeologists but religious believers and Zionists, who have their own history - one that the rest of us do not believe in."
There are even more theories. Some archaeologists think the monuments might be the remains of an immense substructure of terrace walls on which the Jebusites built a fortress, for instance.
Prof. Eilat Mazar: She believes the palace uncovered in Jerusalem had been built by King David Eilat Mazar
Actually, the Stepped Stone Structure is just part of a larger problem facing archaeologists excavating in Jerusalem. Lying above tombs from the 9th century B.C.E. sit Byzantine houses that are still in use.
Jerusalem has been occupied continuously for millennia, severely constraining the excavation options. Also, the city was destroyed several times. New cities were built atop the ruins, often using material repurposed from those ruins. Piled-up debris, in some places 30 meters deep, obscures the early contours of the site and makes interpreting the excavated evidence a precarious task.
However much the archaeologists dance on the head of a pin, each will have his own perspective on the Stepped Stone Structure. None are likely to ever find evidence beyond the contextual to support their theories.
Seal impression with name of Jehucal, a royal minister, who sought Jeremiah's death. Found in the City of David. City of David Foundation
Divided kingdom of united critics
Israel Finkelstein is famously careful when dealing with biblical material. He sees the description of a great United Monarchy – a sort of a Golden Age – as the product of authors who lived around 250 years after the time of David and Solomon, who were advancing a royal ideology of their own time.
"I see David and Solomon as historical figures – the founders of the Jerusalem dynasty. But at the same time I see the text as layered," Finkelstein told Haaretz. "For Solomon, there is very little information about his actual reign. For David, there is more, especially the material that describes him as a leader of a Habiru band on the southern fringe."
Therefore, the "Golden Age" should be understood as a Golden Age to come rather than an account of the past, according to Finkelstein, who suspects that if anything, David and Solomon ruled over little more than a village located on the Temple Mount.
"In order to understand Jerusalem of the 11th and 10th centuries B.C.E., one needs to take a broader look. First, I think that the original mound of Jerusalem was located on the Temple Mount. Second, Jerusalem started expanding from this original mound only in the 9th century B.C.E. This means that in the 11-10th centuries, the city was inhabited, but was still modest in size and material culture," Finkelstein says.
It is a convenient theory, but there is not one shred of evidence to support it.
Qeiyafa: A Davidic city in Judah
Meanwhile, about 32 km southwest of Jerusalem, in the vicinity of the low plain of Elah, Hebrew University professor Yosef Garfinkel unearthed what he believes was a mighty Judahic city dating to the time of David. The site is called Khirbet Qeiyafa and has archaeologists wrangling mightily over what the city had been.
"Khirbet Qeiyafa indicates that urbanism started in Judah at 1000 B.C.E., the time of King David," Garfinkel says.
If David ruled over a small kingdom, with a total population of around 5,000 people in a few cities and villages as Finkelstein claims, that does not fit with mighty Qeiyafa, Garfinkel objects.
Beneath later Hellenistic layers, Garfinkel found buildings, walls and two gates that date to the 11th century B.C.E. He is confident that the Khirbet Qeiyafa is the remains of the biblical town of Shaarayim.
As usual, not all agree. Na'aman insists that the bible identifies Shaarayim elsewhere (1 Samuel 15:35, Joshua 15:35). He feels speculation on the affiliation of the city is premature and new evidence will be needed.
Garfinkel however says that in material culture, Khirbet Qeiyafa is clearly Judahic. For example, it features private houses abutting the city wall, an arrangement unknown in Philistia but found at Judahic sites (including Be'er Sheva).
Female deity found in the Shishak destruction of Gezer, dating to around the 10th century B.C.E. Tel Gezer Excavation Project, Steven M. Ortiz
The main point, in Garfinkel's eyes, is the sheer magnitude of the Qeiyafa fortifications: there had to be a central administration that could enable such immense works, he argues. That in turn supports the theory of the United Monarchy.
Moreover, no figurines of female fertility goddesses were found, though they would likely have been if the site had been Philistine, Garfinkel says. And he has another card up his sleeve: two pottery sherds featuring proto-Canaanite writing, with verbs characteristic of Hebrew.
Finkelstein agrees with Garfinkel that Qeiyafa is not Philistine, but points out that it doesn't have to belong to the kingdom of Judah: it could have been early north Israelite. For one thing, much of Qeiyafa's material culture, including the shrine models, have parallels in the Israelite north rather than in Judah, he points out, and suggests, "It should probably be affiliated with the highlands."
Was 'David' a person?
Beyond whether or not there was a kingdom, there's a question of whether or not there was a man.
In 1952, after resigning from the military, Yigal Yadin devoted himself to research and began his life work in archaeology. In 1955 he found the city gates of the biblical city of Hazor (aka Hatzor). A few years later, with Bible in one hand and spade in the other, he excavated at Megiddo (Armageddon, in Christian tradition), where he found a monumental palace.
Guided by the book of 1 Kings and the stratigraphy, Yadin dated pottery inside the palace to the 10th century B.C.E., the golden era of King Solomon.
Clay nozzle (tuyère) of a bellow pipe from a copper smelting installation, found in the Timna mines, 10th century BCE Erez Ben-Yosef / TV Project
It is perhaps a strange irony of fate that shortly after Yadin had made these discoveries, the reaction against the biblical school began to assert itself, resulting in the "minimalist" school of Israeli archaeology, headed by scholars from the University of Copenhagen. To them, David and Solomon were fabled characters no more historical then legendary Viking kings such as Ragnar Lodbrok.
The skeptics suffered a severe setback in 1993, when archaeologists working in the northern Israel site of Tel Dan uncovered a victory stele with a word on it, bytdwd, that many, if not all, translate as "beit david" - the "House of David".
"I am inclined to deduce from the stele that Judah was ruled, though always as a regional tributary to either Israel or Aram, by the 'house of David'," Davies told Haaretz. But: "'David' is hardly a personal name, perhaps a title. It's uncertain whether the dwd in bytdwd denotes a person," Davies told Haaretz.
He suspects the Judahite tribes came to think of a 'David' as the founder of 'Judah', but until it became a kingdom much later, in the mid-8th century B.C.E., probably, thanks to Assyrian recognition – "Judah" denoted a territory, not a political entity.
The Dark Age of the Middle East
Uncertainty continues to prevail because there is simply no contemporaneous extra-biblical information regarding Solomon, explains Gabriel Barkay. In fact, there are no historical sources from Egypt, Asia Minor and Mesopotamia for the years from 1200 to 900 B.C.E., which won this period the soubriquet of the "Dark Age", says Egyptologist Dr. Mario Martin from Tel Aviv University.
Take the "Solomonic" ruins at Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer. All three are named in the Bible as major provincial capitals (1 Kings 9:15). But Finkelstein for one thinks, based on radiocarbon results, that Megiddo was built in the early 9th century B.C.E., well after David or Solomon would have reigned.
Hebrew University Prof. Amnon Ben-Tor, who has directed excavations at Hazor since 1990, thinks based on pottery that the monumental construction there dates to the 10th century B.C.E.
"Hazor is well-planned, with fortifications, gates and well-built domestic buildings that could not have been built by semi-nomads," Ben-Tor says.
The Gezer palace, uncovered in 2016, also dates to the 10th century, based on pottery. Its fortification wall and six-chambered gate are typical of the 10th-century northern cities.
Thomas Levy surveying in Faynan, above the Iron Age copper production site of Khirbat al-Jariya Courtesy T.E. Levy, Levantine and Cyber-Archaeology Lab, UC San
"We have a radical change in city planning between the Iron Age I (1150 B.C.E.) and II (10th century B.C.E.). This is attributed to a new polity taking over and building new fortifications and administrative buildings," Dr. Steven Ortiz, co-director of the excavations, told Haaretz.
But all good things come to an end, and if there was a United Kingdom, it did too.
Egypt invades
In 2016, the Gezer excavators discovered an Egyptian jar stopper inside the 10th century stratum, with a 'design' typical of 22nd Dynasty pharaohs. The only 22nd Dynasty pharaoh known to have invaded Israel and Judah is the Egyptian pharaoh Shishak (aka Sheshonk I), who did so about five years after Solomon is said to have died, and was succeeded by Rehoboam.
Rehoboam – unlike his fabled father – is generally accepted to be a historic figure.
"Shishak's ascension to the throne reunified the Egyptian kingdom and led to reinvolvement in the Levant," Egyptologist Shirley Ben Dor Evian told Haaretz. The Egyptian forces also swarmed over the Aravah copper mines.
Scarab found in Timna, saying: "Bright is the manifestation of Re, chosen of Amun/Re" - meaning Pharaoh Shishak, who reunified Egypt and conquered Jerusalem. Courtesy T.E. Levy, Levantine and Cyber-Archaeology Lab, UC San
Shishak's raid of Israel and Judah is described in the bible (1 Kings 14:25, 26; 2 Chronicles 12:1-12).
In contrast to Exodus, for example, there is archaeological evidence for Shishak's invasion of Israel and Judah, and of the copper mines in the Aravah.
A scarab found at Khirbet Hamra Ifdan, at the gateway to the copper district in Faynan – explored by Prof. Thomas Levy with Dr. Mohammad Najjar of the University of California – reads, "Bright is the manifestation of Re, chosen of Amun/Re" which corresponds with the throne name of Shishak. The pharaoh's name also appears on a fragment of stele left in a dump at Megiddo by the excavators in 1925. The stele may have been erected to commemorate his victory.
Regarding Jerusalem, the situation is less clear. A relief on a temple wall at Karnak describes Shishak's campaign and lists cities in Israel and Judah that his forces captured. Jerusalem isn't on the list.
The Karnak stone is broken and that part may have gone missing. Another theory is that Shishak never destroyed Jerusalem because King Rehoboam, cringed and paid him tribute. The bible for its part describes how Shishak enters the Temple and strips it of its treasures (1 Kings 14:25), which may have induced the pharaoh to spare the city.
In other words, this evidence is painfully indirect, but if the biblical description of Shishak's conquest of Jerusalem is true, it could lend credence to the narrative of the United Kingdom.
Barkay believes it. "Psychologically, why would the writers invent it if not true, especially since they admired the house of David and the house of God?" he asks. "In addition, Shishak captured cities around Jerusalem. Being so close, it is unthinkable he would not strip Jerusalem of its treasures."
While many scholars accept Shishak's invasion of Israel and Judah in 925 B.C.E. as a historical event, they don't necessarily think that supports the biblical narrative prior to the Egyptian invasion - in effect, the United Monarchy.
"Shishak was interested in places where there might be threats. A campaign against a Saulide 'Israel' is entirely plausible. But there is no evidence that Jerusalem was the seat of political power," says Davies. "It was probably still a rather small village."
Furthering that point, Finkelstein notes that as Shishak set out to reestablish Egyptian domination over Canaan, he could have targeted the nascent Israelite polity centered in the Gibeon Plateau. "Sites in this region are mentioned by Shishak," Finkelstein told Haaretz, adding, "Jerusalem is not either Jerusalem cooperated with the Pharaoh, or it was unimportant."
Agamemnon, but not David?
In 1870, Henrich Schliemann put his shovel in the Asiatic mound Hissarlik and found Troy. A few years later, following instructions in the Iliad, he went to the area where the city's destroyers were said to have come from, and dug up "Golden Mycenae", Agamemnon's city (Homer 11.45).
Today, Homeric kings such as Agamemnon, Nestor, Diomedes and Odysseus are widely accepted as historical figures.
"Linear B and Hittite documents confirm the existence of many Homeric personal and place names, e.g., Alexandros and possibly Eteocles; Ilion and Troy," says Barry Strauss, professor of History and Classics at Cornell University. "Archaeology demonstrates the existence of citadels and palaces from the Mycenaean era. In fact, the evidence shows that the Homeric tradition in myriad ways large and small is based on a (vastly exaggerated) kernel of historical truth. I find the Homeric kings existence plausible, if not proven."
Davies qualifies that while he thinks Agamemnon might be historical, he doubts that Paris, Odysseus, Achilles and Hector were. "There is an important difference between the historicity of a name, and the historicity of the details of a narrative. I don't know any classicist who would advocate looking for a wooden horse," he says.
The descriptions of King Solomon and David in the bible were probably embellished, to paint a picture of a vast, prosperous kingdom. But the bible's writers typically lived centuries after the period they were writing about. Nor were they beholden to today's principles of veracity, and, as they say, the story is written by the winners.
When we read and try to interpret biblical narratives it is vital that we understand how historical narrative and cultural memory works. The bible mythologies the grandeur of David and Solomon and the memory of their kingdom have changed over time, all the individual stories have been forgotten. All cultures smooth the individual stories into one useful narrative.
Apparently sometimes the Bible is right, other bits have been distorted, and often we simply cannot know.
The Old Testament describes Assyrian kings and Egyptian pharaohs whose existence has been proven beyond doubt. But we may never know the truth of what really happened in the 10th century B.C.E., the time of David and Solomon. And even if no grandeur from a Davidic kingdom has survived, unlike the ruins still evident of the grand empires of Assyria and Egypt, the biblical stories of David and Solomon live on.Jess Hill: It's a frosty winter's morning here in the tiny town of Wee Waa, in north-western New South Wales.
Dave Alexander: Hi, I'm Dave Alexander. I'm an owner with my wife of the Wee Waa Motel. We're a family-run business and we've been here for just over four and a half years.
Jess Hill: The Wee Waa Motel is just north of the Pilliga Forest, home to the state's biggest undeveloped coal seam gasfield. But Dave Alexander doesn't want to talk about gas mining, he wants to talk about gas prices.
Dave Alexander: When we first came in, the kitchen was predominantly electric. But what we've done, we've brought in new gas grillers and everything and converted almost to gas, which was the economic way for us to go then. We did a deal with one of the main suppliers at L Gas. And, we were getting it at about 73 cents a litre.
Jess Hill: The gas was cheap, and Dave Alexander was happy. Then late last year, something unexpected happened.
Dave Alexander: It went from 73c to $1.03, or $1.04 a litre. Now, we've been told on the grapevine that this month it's going to go up again. And if it goes up more than 3 or 4 cents a litre, we'll just re-go to electric again.
Jess Hill: Dave Alexander and his wife run the motel on a tight budget, which is why they went with gas in the first place. Going back to expensive electricity isn't a good solution, so they've come up with a different idea.
Dave Alexander: I've already had it quoted for a major system on the roof for solar. Because the only way we can recoup the money is by continuing to increase tariffs, which doesn't work.
Jess Hill: Did they say why they were raising the prices?
Dave Alexander: No. No, nothing at all.
Jess Hill: And they didn't actually announced the first…
Dave Alexander: No, we knew when the chap would come out in the tanker, fill the tanks we've got round the side, and we got the bill.
Jess Hill: The rude shock Dave Alexander got from his gas bill is about to be shared by people all over eastern Australia. Wholesale gas prices are set to triple, because on the east coast we're about to start exporting gas for the first time. For big domestic gas users, this is very bad news.
Ben Eade: We're seeing prices leap from historical averages of sort of $3 to $4 a gigajoule to $9 to $12 a gigajoule or more.
Jess Hill: Ben Eade is the executive director of Manufacturing Australia. He says domestic gas prices are now rising to meet what the North Asian market is prepared to pay, and they're prepared to pay the highest gas price in the world.
Ben Eade: The fact is, high energy costs are killing industry in Australia, and high gas costs in particular.
Jess Hill: A new report commissioned by industry groups and prepared by Deloitte Access Economics says that these skyrocketing gas prices will damage the Australian manufacturing sector to the tune of $118 billion over the next seven years, and lead to a loss of more than 14,000 jobs.
Ben Eade: The impact of this issue on domestic manufacturing and domestic heavy industry is significant and couldn't be more urgent. We've already seen manufacturers close plants because of the impact of either supply shortages, market uncertainty or skyrocketing prices for gas.
Jess Hill: Even in Queensland, where the supply of coal seam gas has increased by more than 400% in the last decade, at least one multinational mining companies is struggling to find gas. In February, Rio Tinto* announced that it was getting barely any offers for gas to supply its Yarwun alumina refinery, which sits within sight of the LNG hubs that are being built in Gladstone Harbour. Rio Tinto says it still doesn't know where its gas will come from next year.
Ben Eade: When you have world-class businesses operating large-scale plants in Australia that are all of a sudden going to be potentially wiped out because of a train wreck coming down the line, not of their making, you have to start to wonder whether there's something not quite right with the dynamics of the east coast gas market.
Jess Hill: As industry screams blue murder over rising gas prices, the Prime Minister has been overseas, selling a different story. At the Texas branch of the Asia Society, Tony Abbott was the guest speaker at an event sponsored by Chevron, BHP Billiton and Conoco Philips. Our prime minister had some exciting news to share.
Tony Abbott: Australia will soon be the world's number one exporter of liquefied natural gas. We are already the world's largest exporter of black coal.
Jess Hill: Thanks to Queensland's coal seam gas boom, Australia is set to overtake the Gulf state of Qatar as the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.
Tony Abbott: Affordable, reliable energy fuels enterprise, and drives employment. It is the engine of economic development and wealth creation, and Australia should, we really should, be an affordable energy superpower, using nature's gifts to the benefit of our own people, and the benefit of the wider world.
Jess Hill: But energy in Australia is anything but cheap. We pay some of the world's highest electricity prices, they're double what they were a decade ago. Now we're paying record prices for gas.
Martin Jones: Gas price rises have been overshadowed by electricity price rises in the last few years. We all know electricity price rises have gone up by about 80% since 2009. But gas prices have gone up too. They've gone up by 50% over the same period and we're expecting them to go up by another 20% to 30% over the next few years.
Jess Hill: Martin Jones is a consumer advocate with the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre. He says until now, the gas price rises have been largely due to the billions that have been spent on gas pipelines in the last few years, which we have to pay for through our gas bills.
Now gas prices are increasing even more, rising to meet the new export price. Martin Jones says these price hikes are likely to hit hardest in Victoria, because Victorians are the biggest users of gas in the country.
Martin Jones: Because Victorian households use so much, an increase in gas prices as expected will lead to increases of gas bills of several hundred dollars.
Jess Hill: Australians are already struggling to pay their energy bills. According to the social services agency ACOSS, a growing
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once again changed hands, and the movement of the painting and recent renovations seem to have stirred up more activity. It would seem that one of the most active haunted houses in St. Augustine is active again. If you take photos on Carrera Street examine them closely. You may be as surprised as Dr. Stafford by the evidence you discover in your own photographs.AMSTERDAM – Aron Johannsson played the hero for AZ Alkmaar on Sunday afternoon, netting a wonder-goal winner from nearly 40 yards with two minutes to play against Eredivisie guests NAC Breda.
After being robbed from close range near the hour mark, the US forward loaded the cannon and picked out the top corner from a central position at extreme long range to hand AZ a 3-2 win. The goal was his seventh of the season, and gave him tallies in consecutive matches for the first time since early February.
For the day, Johannsson completed 20 of 24 passes, with eight positive passes in the attacking half. The win at least temporarily lifted AZ level with Monday combatants Feyenoord, who currently have control of the final Europa League slot on offer in the Netherlands.
Elsewhere, Rubio Rubin went the distance up top as FC Utrecht settled for a 2-2 home share with Excelsior.
Working in a two-forward set, the rookie was cruelly denied from eight yards midway through the opening frame. Rubin also completed 16 of 20 passes while earning five free kicks in the attacking half. The result kept Utrecht unbeaten in three, but dipped them a rung to 12th.
Next door in the 2. Bundesliga, Alfredo Morales worked 73 minutes as Ingolstadt backed into clinching promotion despite a 3-1 loss at VfL Bochum.
The US midfielder got his knee in the way to block Mikael Forssell's 56th minute shot on the goal line, but would eventually depart seconds after the Finnish veteran put the hosts ahead to stay. While Ingolstadt secured their first promotion to the Bundesliga in club history, their first loss in seven kept them just shy of clinching the league crown.
On Saturday evening in Norway, A.J. Soares and Viking fought back for a 1-1 home share with Odds BK.
The former New England Revolution defender had a golden chance to win the game in the waning moments, only to nudge his restart header from six yards wide of the frame. Now unbeaten in three, Viking stayed put in seventh place.
Around the Tippeligaen, Danny Cruz put in a solid 62-minute shift and Zarek Valentin came on for the final seven minutes as Bodo/Glimt fell 5-3 to visiting Stromsgodset.
Despite his efforts, Cruz – on loan from the Philadelphia Union – had an early shot deflected just wide and an early second half set-up nodded inches to the wrong side of the post. Valentin, meanwhile, made the final error on Stromsgodset's capping goal play by muffing a clearance. Winless Glimt remain stuck in the basement through seven rounds.
Alex DeJohn had a rough 88 minutes at the back in IK Start's 4-0 defeat away to defending champs Molde FK. Ethan Horvath served as backup netminder for the third place victors, while 11th place Start lost for the third time in four league games.Officers in the far eastern Khabarovsk region pulled over the vehicle only to find half a tonne of caviar inside, including in the casket, but no body
Police in Russia’s far east stopped a hearse speeding on a highway only to find half a tonne of caviar stashed inside.
The interior ministry’s department in the Khabarovsk region said on Tuesday the hearse was caught speeding on the road connecting Khabarovsk, not far from the Chinese border, to a city further north. When police officers asked the driver to open the car they saw plastic containers with caviar hidden under the wreaths lying next to a casket. More caviar was found inside the casket, which did not contain a body.
The driver and his partner, who both work for a funeral director, told the police they had been hired by a man in a village outside Khabarovsk who asked them to take the casket with the body of a female relative to a city morgue. The men insisted that they had no idea what was inside the casket.
Police are looking into the source of the caviar and considering charges for illegal production and distribution.
The caviar industry in Russia is strictly regulated and contained to about 50 sturgeon farms. Wild caviar production and sturgeon fishing is almost entirely banned, except for indigenous peoples of Russia’s north, who have to obtain permits.
Sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea have shrunk dramatically since the fall of the Soviet Union because of illegal fishing.Maybe you’ve had a recurring sore throat or frequent headaches. Perhaps the pain in your leg won’t go away. In the past, you might have gone to a doctor’s office to diagnose symptoms.
Today, people are more likely to go online to punch in their symptoms. Download Full Image
Details of a new study examining how symptoms presented online influence people’s reactions to possible medical conditions will be presented in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Researchers found that identifying symptoms in “streaks” – sequences of consecutive items on a list that are either general or specific – prompted people to perceive higher disease risk than symptoms that were not identified in an uninterrupted series.
The research was conducted by Virginia Kwan, associate psychology professor at Arizona State University, Sean Wojcik of the University of California, Irvine, Talya Miron-shatz of Ono Academic College, Ashley Votruba of ASU, and Christopher Olivola of the University of Warwick.
“A recent report by the Health Information National Trends Survey examined the use of Internet in seeking cancer-related information," Kwan said. "More than 60 percent of individuals who are feeling ill go to the Internet to search for health information. Many decide to go to the doctor or not, based on what they learn online. This is really an era of self-diagnosis. To our knowledge, our study is the first to examine the impact of online presentation formats on medical decision-making.”
The research team reviewed the symptom presentations of the 12 deadliest forms of cancer for either males or females on five reputable cancer websites. All of the sites varied in how symptoms were given with some in bullet points, others in paragraphs, severe and common symptoms listed in varied ways and the number of symptoms.
Two studies were conducted, one where a fictional type of thyroid cancer was presented to study participants with six symptoms listed. Researchers varied the way the symptoms were presented from three common and frequently experienced symptoms (i.e. feeling easily fatigued) followed by three specific symptoms (i.e. lump in neck); another group was presented symptoms with three specific followed by three common; and the third group received a symptoms list with common and specific interspersed. Researchers used the fictional cancer to ensure no one had prior knowledge of symptoms.
Study participants in the first two groups reported similar results, but the perceived medical risk was significantly lower for the last group that received specific and common symptoms that were interspersed.
A second study for a real type of brain cancer reported the same results as the first study, but when the symptom list was expanded to 12, effects of a list of consecutive series of symptoms was diluted.
“The length of the list matters,” Kwan said. “This is analogous to a dilution effect. If you don’t have that many symptoms, you may not experience concern about getting that disease if you’re looking at a long list.”
Medical implications of the study include insight into how symptoms may be presented online, depending on goals. For instance, if someone wants to increase awareness of an emerging medical issue that requires treatment, symptoms that are more likely to be checked off in sequence can be grouped together, Kwan said.
According to Votruba, “If there are concerns that the perceptions of disease risk are too high, possibly resulting in over utilization of health services, then symptom lists should alternate common and specific symptoms or create longer symptom lists.”
“Previous research shows that perception of risk of disease is a powerful predictor of health preventative behavior (such as going to the doctor),” Kwan said. “How information is presented online will make a substantive difference in behavior.”Experience the powerful free antivirus apps designed by Bitdefender. Get extra protection for your PC, Mac and browser with these free desktop and virus scanning tools.
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Platforms: LEARN MOREJulian Assange says claims in leaked documents yet to be investigated, as US faces UN grilling over human rights record
The founder of whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has called on the US to investigate alleged abuses by its troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, saying it has a "proud tradition" of self-scrutiny.
Julian Assange says the US has not started any investigations into the alleged incidents detailed in thousands of documents published by WikiLeaks and has instead concentrated on tracking down those responsible for the leaks and on hounding his group.
Last month, WikiLeaks published 400,000 US field reports containing evidence that US soldiers handed over detainees to a notorious Iraqi torture squad. This followed a the publication of 75,000 documents in the summer revealing how coalition forces killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents in Afghanistan.
Assange made his comments ahead of a big diplomatic set piece in Geneva tomorrow, when America's human rights record comes under scrutiny before the UN human rights council for the first time. Every UN member is subject to what is called a universal periodic review every four years. The US is taking its moment under the spotlight seriously, sending a high-level delegation of some 30 officials to fend off expected attacks in a forum dominated by developing countries, many of them Muslim.
Iran has already begun sniping at the US. Earlier this week an Iranian foreign ministry official said Tehran was concerned about violations of human rights in western countries, particularly in the US.
"We are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in western countries and will bring up our points during the UN human rights council universal periodic review conference," said Ramin Mehmanparast, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman.
In anticipation of criticism from countries such as Iran, the US said it was open to fair criticism of its record, while former senior American officials warned of political fireworks.
"There should be no illusions: the council is a highly political environment, and there is bound to be strong criticism of the United States on specific matters," said a comment piece in the New York Times co-written by Thomas Pickering, the former US ambassador to the UN.
While the US may brush aside attacks from the likes of Iran and Bolivia as highly partial, it cannot so lightly dismiss concerns from allies and friends. Britain, Japan, Norway have all raised concerns about the death penalty in the US.
"The UK remains concerned about the continuing use of the death penalty in the US, and particularly by evidence that the death penalty is administered in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner with an inevitable risk of miscarriages of justice," Britain said in a question submitted to the US. "Could you tell us what steps the administration is taking to address these concerns?"
Another pithy British question likely to make the Obama administration uncomfortable said: "Could you please outline the next steps needed to ensure the final closure of the detention facility in Guantánamo?"
Human rights groups have also piled in with their submissions. More than 300 activist groups, including Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union, have issued a separate 400-page report claiming that protection of fundamental freedoms has eroded since 9/11.
"Human rights advocates across America have not only documented substandard human rights practices which have persisted in the US for years, but also those that reflect the precipitous erosion of human rights protections in the US since 9/11," said Sarah Paoletti of the US human rights network.
"Whether it is migrant labourers who are excluded from workplace protections, children denied education because of the school-to-prison pipeline, or women denied equal pay in the workplace, advocates feel compelled to bring their experiences before international human rights mechanisms because the US legal system has fallen short."
A state department submission in August, written after extensive public consultation, said American was a democracy guided by "simple but powerful principles", but admits to discrimination against black people and Hispanics and a "broken" immigration system.
The US said it was at "currently at war with al-Qaida and its associated forces" but that it would comply with all applicable domestic and international law in armed conflicts and had ordered foreign detainees be treated humanely.
It pointed to a "free, thriving and diverse independent press", said it upheld freedom from religious persecution and had worked to ensure fair treatment of Muslims, Arab-Americans and South Asian communities affected by discrimination and intolerance since 9/11. It acknowledged concerns about the US justice system including capital punishment, juvenile justice, racial profiling and racial disparities in sentencing.
The UN general assembly created the 47-member human rights council in 2006 after its predecessor, the UN human rights commission, was discredited as a politicised forum which gave a platform to regimes with dismal human rights records.Two bullets to the heart have terminated the life of Iran's chief of cyberwarfare, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Mojtaba Ahmadi, commander of Iran's Cyber War Headquarters, was found dead in a wooded area near the town of Karaj, northwest of Tehran. "'I could see two bullet wounds on his body and the extent of his injuries indicated that he had been assassinated from a close range with a pistol,'" reported the Telegraph, citing an eyewitness report posted on Alborz, a Web site that the newspaper said is linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
In a macabre twist, Alborz users have also posted warnings not to leave condolences on the Web site, for fear of disclosing more information to potential assassins. Iran will likely point a finger at Israel, as it does for every other mishap from sabotaged nuclear centrifuges to a tree falling down in Tehran. But if the eyewitness report on Alborz is correct, and two men on a motorbike did carry out the killing, then this fits a pattern. Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated, and many observers outside Iran point the finger at Israel's Mossad spy agency. by whom many observers believe was the Mossad. The favored technique of the killers? Using a motorcycle to either shoot the victim, or attach a magnetic bomb to the victim's car.
What is interesting is that instead of nuclear scientists, now Iran's cyberwarfare experts are the target. Given that Western and Israeli operations against Iran's nuclear program have increasingly turned to cyber weapons such as the Stuxnet virus, it is logical to target Iran's capability to either defend against cyberattacks or to mount cyberwarfare operations against Western and Israeli targets. Perhaps it's not coincidental that the Revolutionary Guards are believed to be helping the Syrian Electronic Army, a pro-Syrian government hacker group that has mounted high-visibility attacks against targets such as the New York Times and the U.S. Marine Corps.
If the assassination of Iran's cyberwar head was conducted by the Israelis (and if not Israel, then it's almost certain that some other government ordered this killing), then it is likely that more killings will follow. The next chapter in cyberwarfare may be written with bullets, not bytes.
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Signs of the Times – LA Times Kills Sunday Real Estate Section
When people wake up tomorrow morning and open their LA Times, there will be no Real Estate section for the first time in 107 years. (See article)
Citing staff reductions and cost cutting the Times kill the section after last week’s edition. Some of the regular features will be shown in other sections on other days, but an icon is gone.
It was only a few years ago that my husband and I would sit on Sunday morning and read the paper. Today, we hardly open it. Newspapers and print magazines are suffering losses in readers and subscriptions. The internet is a part of the daily life of many people, especially young people. Indeed, many of us spend hours everyday on line. Survey of home buyers show that over 74% start their home search on the internet. That’s why we publish this blog and why full, no registration Daytona Beach real estate search is available at www.lynnbyrne.com.
We are comitted to providing buyers and sellers with the best online services available. We will soon be publishing full video of all our listings. The planning will be complete tomorrow and shooting will begin next week. We will announce our video listing presentations very soon.This news was surprising to many psychiatrists — and obviously very disappointing to the drug companies.
It was also soon discovered that the second-generation antipsychotic drugs had serious side effects of their own, namely a risk of increased blood sugar, elevated lipids and cholesterol, and weight gain. They can also cause a potentially irreversible movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia, though the risk is thought to be significantly lower than with the older antipsychotic drugs.
Nonetheless, there has been a vast expansion in the use of these second-generation antipsychotic drugs in patients of all ages, particularly young people. Until recently, these drugs were used to treat a few serious psychiatric disorders. But now, unbelievably, these powerful medications are prescribed for conditions as varied as very mild mood disorders, everyday anxiety, insomnia and even mild emotional discomfort.
The number of annual prescriptions for atypical antipsychotics rose to 54 million in 2011 from 28 million in 2001, an 93 percent increase, according to IMS Health. One study found that the use of these drugs for indications without federal approval more than doubled from 1995 to 2008.
The original target population for these drugs, patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is actually quite small: The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia is 1 percent, and that of bipolar disorder is around 1.5 percent. Drug companies have had a powerful economic incentive to explore other psychiatric uses and target populations for the newer antipsychotic drugs.
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The companies initiated dozens of clinical trials to test these drugs against depression and, more recently, anxiety disorders. Starting in 2003, the makers of several second-generation antipsychotics (also known as atypical neuroleptics) have received F.D.A. approval for the use of these drugs in combination with antidepressants to treat severe depression, which they trumpeted in aggressive direct-to-consumer advertising campaigns.
The combined spending on print and digital media advertising for these new antipsychotic drugs increased to $2.4 billion in 2010, up from $1.3 billion in 2007, according to Kantar Media. Between 2007 and 2011, more than 98 percent of all advertising on atypical antipsychotics was spent on just two drugs: Abilify and Seroquel, the current best sellers.
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There is little in these alluring advertisements to indicate that these are not simple antidepressants but powerful antipsychotics. A depressed female cartoon character says that before she starting taking Abilify, she was taking an antidepressant but still feeling down. Then, she says, her doctor suggested adding Abilify to her antidepressant, and, voilà, the gloom lifted.
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The ad omits critical facts about depression that consumers would surely want to know. If a patient has not gotten better on an antidepressant, for instance, just taking it for a longer time or taking a higher dose could be very effective. There is also very strong evidence that adding a second antidepressant from a different chemical class is an effective and cheaper strategy — without having to resort to antipsychotic medication.
A more recent and worrisome trend is the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs — many of which are acutely sedating and calming — to treat various forms of anxiety, like generalized anxiety disorder and even situational anxiety. A study last year found that 21.3 percent of visits to a psychiatrist for treatment of an anxiety disorder in 2007 resulted in a prescription for an antipsychotic, up from 10.6 percent in 1996. This is a disturbing finding in light of the fact that the data for the safety and efficacy of antipsychotic drugs in treating anxiety disorders is weak, to say nothing of the mountain of evidence that generalized anxiety disorder can be effectively treated with safer — and cheaper — drugs like S.S.R.I. antidepressants.
There are a small number of controlled clinical trials of antipsychotic drugs in generalized anxiety or social anxiety that have shown either no effect or inconsistent results. As a consequence, there is no F.D.A.-approved use of an atypical antipsychotic for any anxiety disorder.
Yet I and many of my colleagues have seen dozens of patients with nothing more than everyday anxiety or insomnia who were given prescriptions for antipsychotic medications. Few of these patients were aware of the potential long-term risks of these drugs.
The increasing use of atypical antipsychotics by physicians to treat anxiety suggests that doctors view these medications as safer alternatives to the potentially habit-forming anti-anxiety benzodiazepines like Valium and Klonopin. And since antipsychotics have rapid effects, clinicians may prefer them to first-line treatments like S.S.R.I. antidepressants, which can take several weeks to work.
Of course, physicians frequently use medications off label, and there is sometimes solid empirical evidence to support this practice. But presently there is little evidence that atypical antipsychotic drugs are effective outside of a small number of serious psychiatric disorders, namely schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
Let’s be clear: The new atypical antipsychotic drugs are effective and safe. But even if these drugs prove effective for a variety of new psychiatric illnesses, there is still good reason for caution. Because they have potentially serious adverse effects, atypical antipsychotic drugs should be used when currently available treatments — with typically fewer side effects and lower costs — have failed.
Atypical antipsychotics can be lifesaving for people who have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression. But patients should think twice — and then some — before using these drugs to deal with the low-grade unhappiness, anxiety and insomnia that comes with modern life.Lily, a waterproof drone that will follow you on your craziest adventures
There are a number of drones capable of keeping up with a movable subject automatically. However, none are quite as simple -- or adorable -- as Lily, a waterproof drone designed to follow a moving subject with ease.
Inside, Lily packs an impressive 1080p HD camera capable of 12-megapixel stills and slow motion footage at up to 120fps. As Lily’s tagline ‘Ready. Throw. Go!’ alludes to, the process is as simple as turning on the tracking device, tossing Lily up into the air and getting on your way.
Lily has a runtime of approximately 20 minutes on a single charge. As the video below points out, there are a number of shooting modes Lily is capable of, which determine where the drone will fly in comparison to where you’re located.Jaune leaped back as the creature went down on one knee, the rumbling growl it gave off still ticking in his ears in all the wrong ways...it sounded far too familiar.
Yanking his scroll out of his pocket, he keyed in Ruby's number as he kept his eyes on the fallen creature, which kept its head bowed...like it was trying not to look at him.
"Ruby!" he called into his scroll as he raised Crocea Mors "I've got one cornered! how are you guys-"
"JAUNE!" Ruby's voice came back in a scream, causing him to flinch "It's YANG!"
"What? Yang?!" Jaune replied, still keeping his sword pointed at the creature, "What? you found her? Is she okay?"
Ever since Qrow had informed the team that the Xiao Long home had apparently been attacked by Grimm, Ruby had been beside herself: her worries for her father, lying injured at Signal Academy's hospital, paled in comparison to her worries for Yang, who had been lying depressed in bed when they had set out...and was now missing.
and that was before they'd returned and learned of the disappearances....
Ruby's voice didn't reply, but he heard a series of screams, followed by brushing sound, like the scroll had been dropped.
"Ruby? Ruby!" he called, but received no reply...all he heard was....
"Was...Was that Ember Cilica?" he said to himself as a familiar series of bangs came over the line, before the link went dead.
The Monster still wasn't moving, so he tried Sun and Neptune.
"Sun, it's Jaune, can you hear me?" he called, hoping someone could make sense of the weird situation. They'd come across Coco and Yatsu, who were carrying a pale, almost dead-looking Velvet back towards the safe zone. they'd told them that the faunus had been attacked by some kind of monster, and had given chase as the CFVY members had gone to tend to their friend.
Discovering three of the creatures attacking another civilian, the group had split up to pursue: Ruby, Ren and Nora had gone after the first, who, to Ruby's rage, appeared to be wearing Yang's clothes. the second, who had been acting like some kind of Panther, had been followed by Sun and Neptune.
the Third, the one Jaune now held at swordpoint, had been staggering and seemingly ill, so he had gone after it himself.
a Voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Dude it's Neptune, we found Blake!"
"You found her? that's great-"
"no, Jaune listen! WHOAH!" Neptune interrupted him, before he broke off with a yelp. Jaune heard the familiar pulse of his weapon firing in the background "Blake, it's US! what's gotten into you?!"
"Neptune, what's going on?!" Jaune shouted, adjusting his stance as the slumped creature moved slightly.
He heard a few strained grunts before Neptune replied.
"Dude, listen, the Monster, it's Blake! that cat thing we were chasing is Blake!"
Jaune stared at his scroll in incomprehension, and was about to reply, when-
"JAUNE!"
The scroll fell from Jaune's hands, and he whirled to face the creature...which had raised it's head at last.
a snarling mouth full of fangs and a pair of hate-filled red eyes glared at him, and the Grimm-like markings in its armor glowed a feral red. The fading light glinted off the spikes protruding from it's shoulders, and it's claws twitched and clenched, ready to strike as it rose onto one knee.
But Jaune didn't see any of that.
He saw instead, a familiar pair of green eyes, tears running from them like a waterfall, it's mouth open in an anguished scream...
JAUNE, HELP ME!!
Crocea Mors fell into the snow, sword followed by shield, as Jaune's face fell in horror.
"P-P-P.....Pyrrha?"
[[=]]
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND finally more Nosferatu Pyrrha. it's been a while.Kotaku East East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.
If you are strolling through Terminal 3, you might notice something. A giant rebel fighter.
You can do more than just look at this replica. Toggle and The Strait Times report that regular folks can even climb into the cockpit for photo ops. A limited number of tickets are given out daily.
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Of course, this is all part of a promotion for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
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Besides an X-Wing, there is a TIE fighter also on display. (While not to scale, it sure does look cool.)
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The Star Wars fighters will be exhibited until January 5.
Top image: KashMann27
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft.
AdvertisementImagine yourself, bored in a toll booth in the Northwest of Italy. 1966. Not much traffic, just a few dawdling Fiats off for a weekend trip. Dreaming, maybe, about your date that Friday evening, a dark-haired beauty with flashing eyes and a mother fiercer than a three-headed bear. But then, off in the distance, a howl and a wail, unlike anything you'd ever heard before. Ferrari? No. Different. You snap your magazine closed, crane out of the window to see better. The screaming intensifies. A low, orange swell approaches. Here comes Bob. Fifty years ago today, Bob Wallace threw his dufflebag into the trunk of the prototype Lamborghini Miura, filled the car with fuel from the pump in front of the factory, pointed that gorgeous nose at Monaco and went right foot down. He'd been responsible for getting the driving dynamics right on the first mid-engined supercar the world had ever seen. And, up to this point, the world had only seen the car, sitting on stage at the Geneva motorshow. Even standing still, the Miura was enough to make Enzo grind his teeth in frustration. They were about to see it run.
Lamborghini
The names of the few men who created the Miura sound like Renaissance craftsmen. Gian Paolo Dallara and his team made the chassis. Marcello Gandini clothed it. And then there was Bob. Bob Wallace was a New Zealand born racer and mechanic hired on to help out with the first Lamborghini, the softer 350GT. His talents behind the wheel and ability to communicate with the engineers soon led to him becoming chief test driver, and he was one of the team that worked on the Miura in the after hours. Ferruccio Lamborghini had arranged for every toll booth and border crossing to be opened so the Miura didn't even need to slow its pace. The prototype car didn't have any rearview mirrors, but Wallace knew its dynamic limits - he'd honed them himself - and he simply drove flat out, all the way to a reserved parking spot in Monaco.
LamborghiniA Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton, was then dispatched to monitor two further Russian vessels.
Commander Chris Ansell, the Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans, said: “My ship’s company take great pride in serving Great Britain and the role they play dealing with both the routine and unexpected. Missing parts of Christmas and New Year with our families is never easy, but it is absolutely required as part of our duty to keep Britain safe all year round.
“There is a pressing need to protect UK interests close to home, in the air, above and below the waves. Our trade, economy and information networks depend on the sea, and this operation demonstrates the Royal Navy’s commitment to protecting our home waters and readiness to undertake short notice operations.
“Christmas Eve saw some particularly exciting and bumpy weather, with some of my newer sailors getting used to their sea legs, but we have made sure the job was done and I will get my team back home as soon as possible. Our families have been incredibly supportive and even sneaked a few presents into our bags so we had things to open, resulting in a great Christmas Day at sea.”
The 190-strong ship’s company of HMS St Albans join more than 4,000 sailors and Royal Marines who are deployed across the globe or on heightened readiness to respond to anything that may come their way.
A total of 1,540 men and women are deployed from the sands of the Gulf to the depths of the Atlantic, helping to safeguard the UK’s economic interests and maintain security at sea. A further 2,485 are being held at immediate readiness for any defence or civil task that may emerge over the festive period.
As a high-readiness unit, HMS St Albans may be called upon at any time to help prevent arms trafficking, people smuggling, conduct counter-terrorism operations, maritime search and rescue, or escort duties like those she is undertaking today. She is equipped with a Merlin helicopter of Culdrose-based 829 Naval Air Squadron, and state-of-the-art radar.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Texas man arrested on Friday for charging at the White House was armed with a knife when he climbed a fence and made it into the executive mansion after President Barack Obama had departed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Saturday.
A U.S. Secret Service agent with an automatic rifle hurries people to evacuate the White House complex over a security alert moments after President Barack Obama and his family left for the presidential retreat, Camp David, in Maryland, September 19, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing
Previously, the U.S. Secret Service had said Omar Gonzalez, 42, had been unarmed.
Gonzalez was charged with unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a “deadly or dangerous weapon,” according to an affidavit released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Saturday.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
The affidavit, signed by Daniel Hochman, a Secret Service officer on duty at the White House when the incident occurred, said Gonzalez was carrying a folding knife with a 3-1/2-inch long serrated blade.
It said Gonzalez went through the north doors and got inside the mansion.
“After he was apprehended, Omar Gonzalez told United States Secret Service Agent Lee Smart that he was concerned that the atmosphere was collapsing and (he) needed to get the information to the President of the United States so that he could get the word out to the people,” the affidavit said.
The incident, one of the most significant breaches since Obama became president, raised questions about security procedures at the White House, a heavily guarded complex filled with Secret Service officers and snipers.
The Secret Service increased security around the White House on Friday and started a review of its response, including a physical assessment of the area and interviews with involved personnel, the agency said.
Shortly before the intrusion, Obama and his daughters had departed for Camp David. First Lady Michelle Obama had traveled separately to the presidential retreat in nearby Maryland.
“Every day the Secret Service is challenged to ensure security at the White House complex while still allowing public accessibility to a national historical site,” the agency said in a statement.
“Although last night the officers showed tremendous restraint and discipline in dealing with this subject, the location of Gonzalez’s arrest is not acceptable.”
The results of the review will be delivered to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
FULL CONFIDENCE
While waiting for the results of the review, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson ordered increased security around the area where the intruder got onto the White House grounds.
Tourists and others can get a close-up view of the front of the mansion from Pennsylvania Avenue, which is closed to traffic but open to pedestrians and runs directly in front of the complex.
“Director Pierson has ordered the immediate enhancement of officer patrols and surveillance capabilities along the Pennsylvania Avenue fence line around the White House complex,” the statement said.
“These measures went into effect last night,” it added.
An Obama spokesman said the president had full faith in the agency charged with protecting him and was certain the review would be conducted thoroughly and professionally.
“The president has full confidence in the Secret Service and is grateful to the men and women who day in and day out protect himself, his family and the White House,” spokesman Frank Benenati said.
A second man was arrested on Saturday for trespassing at the White House. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said the man approached the White House gates on foot, was sent away, then returned in his vehicle.
“He refused to leave and was arrested for trespassing,” Donovan said. No further details were available.
The Secret Service has faced a series of scandals and other security breaches in recent years. In 2009 an uninvited couple penetrated layers of security to get into a White House state dinner. The agency’s reputation was tarnished further in 2012 over a prostitution scandal involving its agents in Colombia.The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will replace the outdated VistA electronic health record with Cerner, the same EHR vendor that is overhauling the U.S. Department of Defense’s system, Secretary David Shulkin, MD, announced Monday.
Shulkin’s decision fulfills his promise to decide VistA’s fate before July 1.
Congress has railed on both agencies for decades to alleviate issues with its EHR systems and other healthcare organizations have been pushing for VA to make the shift to Cerner.
[Also: VA Secretary condemns current state of VA, targets out-of-date IT]
“To date, VA and DoD have not adopted the same EHR system,” Shulkin said in a statement. “Instead, VA and DoD have worked together for many years to advance EHR interoperability between their many separate applications -- at the cost of several hundred millions of dollars -- in an attempt to create a consistent and accurate view of individual medical record information.”
While Shulkin said the agencies are semi-interoperable, “seamless care is fundamentally constrained by ever-changing information sharing standards, separate chains of command, complex governance, separate implementation schedules that must be coordinated to accommodate those changes from separate program offices that have separate funding appropriations, and a host of related complexities requiring constant lifecycle maintenance.”
[Also: Not so fast, Congress: VistA is more interoperable than you think]
Under a ‘Determination and Findings’ -- a written approval to solicit directly to a vendor -- Shulkin will hand the EHR acquisition
|
by Greencore, a publicly traded company headquartered in Santry, have been taken off the shelves by Asda after positive tests on a beef bolognaise sauce product.
Asda has withdrawn that product and three others manufactured at the same Greencore plant in Bristol.
Greencore is run by Patrick Coveney, the brother of the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney – who yesterday convened a special meeting of his EU counterparts in Brussels to discuss an EU-wide approach to the problem.
Greencore produces 150 million prepared meals a year at its five British plants, including the facility in Bristol.
This evening Greencore confirmed it had supplied the products concerned and that it was awaiting further tests to determine the exact quantity of equine DNA in the beef produce.
It said the beef in the products had been supplied by ABP Food Group and had been produced at its plant in Nenagh.
Describing ABP as “an approved and regularly audited supplier’, Greencore said it was “working closely with them to determine the full facts as we await the results of the further tests.”
ABP is the parent company of Silvercrest Foods, whose facility in Monaghan was among the first to be found as having provided beef products including equine DNA.
The discovery of horse DNA in the bolognaise sauce marks the first time that horse DNA has been found in a fresh product in Britain or Ireland.
Until now, the equine DNA had only been found in frozen products.
A spokesperson for Greencore could not be contacted by the time of publication.
Simon Coveney’s annual disclosures in the Dáil’s annual register of members interests certify that he does not own any shares, or have any other immediate financial interest, in the company run by his brother.
Patrick Coveney joined the board of Greencore in 2005, and was promoted from Chief Financial Officer to CEO in March 2008. He had previously been a partner with McKinsey and Company.Guest post by Jesse Thomas.
When I first started training for triathlons back in 2007, my buddies and I determined our fitness, self worth, pecking order and who bought beers by our times up the many local climbs in the Santa Cruz mountains of California.
“I went two times in 15:45 up Old La Honda today.”
“Yeah, well I went 34:30 up Page Mill.”
“Well, I rode up Kings Mountain in 25 minutes with no hands.”
Legends were born by times up climbs. We talked about how fast the local Pros went, and when one of us set a PR or one-upped the other, it was either a celebration or time to go out and try to earn the title back.
Of course, it was all on the honor system. You never really knew if Tbone rode 15:45 up Old La Honda, or if I really rode up Kings Mountain in 25 minutes with no hands. But we trusted each other and there was no glory in cheating a time. And just to be clear, Tbone did ride 15:45 (he’s now ridden 15:33 Strava Official) and I did ride up Kings in 25 minutes with no hands – maybe my greatest athletic accomplishment of all time.
So anyway, when Strava debuted, I instantly got it. We could now compete with anyone and everyone on any segment we wanted to. We could track our own improvement in a standardized way. It was golden.
I’ve been using Strava regularly now for over 2 years as a professional triathlete, and my uses of it have adapted as my career has developed and the functionality of the system has grown. It’s my favorite tool for recording, quantifying, competing, tracking my progress, and sharing times, routes, and experiences with friends and followers. Better yet, as the community has grown and the company has added resources to support that growth, it’s become an even better tool with more functionality specifically valuable to triathletes.
So instead of writing an instruction manual, I grouped some of my most common uses and non-uses for Strava into the following Do’s and Dont’s for Triathletes. Some of them are aimed at those new to Strava and some are for the veterans. Hopefully they’ll help you get the most out of your experience.
DO – Log all your workouts. This one is pretty obvious, and basically a requirement to get anything out of Strava, so I included it first. Run and bike workouts are easy to log with your GPS device – I use a Garmin 910XT for run, and a PowerTap Joule GPS for bike. I’ve found the easiest way to upload pool swim workouts is through the Strava app – Just press the “+” icon and enter the time and distance and whatever other details you want and you’re good to go. When I open water swim, I upload a 910XT file as well, which gives you the cool map graphic, so definitely do that as well. And yes, you can technically upload a 910XT file for pool swims, but it looks no different than a manual entry and swimming in the pool with a watch is a little too triathlete for me.
DON’T – Leave your GPS on when you drive home after your run/ride. Don’t be that guy that gives everyone an alert that their KOM has been destroyed because you drove 60 mph through a 7 mile segment.
DON’T – Leave the workout name as the default title, which is the date or something like that. This leads me to my next Do:
DO – Make up names for your workouts. Some of my recent examples are – “Getting dropped by Betsy,” or “New Road + Smith Rock = Bueno” Sometimes I put the workout in there, but I also try to describe something interesting, funny, or random about the workout, route, like, “10×6 and my legs hurt a lot. So did Ricks.” A couple of my favorite workout-namers that I follow are Jené Shaw, my editor at Triathlete Magazine – “I got called a Clydesdale today,” & “Not a group run until Jessie’s shoelace comes untied.” Adam Bucklin, a local (Bend, OR) pro cyclist – “Unicorns and Radiologists!” “Hell-A-Dong Snow!” and “Corrupt File! Blow me!” Every one of his titles ends in an exclamation point.
DO – Follow other triathletes. The real fun in Strava is following people and interacting with them. I’ve found it keeps me motivated and gives me someone to talk about my training to who won’t be bored out of their mind or go cross-eyed when I start to mention watts. I follow a mix of friends, people in the industry, local guys that I train with and other Pros. It’s up to you whose training you’d like to see and who you want to interact with. Clearly, you should follow me. Also you should follow Matt Lieto, if anything, because of the next point.
DO – Comment, encourage people, interact with the community, and trash talk every once in a while. This is my favorite part of Strava, and why you should follow Matt & me. Kudos and comments enhance the experience immensely. Of course, it also opens the door for a bit of public trash talking.
DO – Upload Instagram pics of your workout. If you connect your Instagram account and post a pic during or soon after your workout, it gets attached and shows up in your profile. It makes the workout look more interesting on the feed and gives people a feel for what it was like out there on the road or trail. Plus, it gives them something else to make fun of most of the time.
DON’T– Forget that if you upload a non-workout picture to Instagram right after your workout, it will get attached to the workout. I have a couple of buddies who uploaded pictures of their baby, car, dog, and sandwich, which got linked to their activity. Of course, this can also be very funny. If you feel like calling your workout “Pancakes” and then uploading a picture of pancakes right after, go for it. You can always “un-link” from activity if this does happen.
DO – Use the Training Log. Recently launched on the web, the training log is a huge value add for triathletes. On the “Multisport” setting you can see your total hours for each activity and total for all activities combined. I love the way that Strava has constructed this visually with area and color differences for different workout volumes and types. It’s a cool, more visual way to track your overall training load, and go back to and reference which what workouts you did when.
DO – Test yourself on segments. Of course, segments are the real bread and butter of Strava. They are an awesome way to track your progress on real courses and compare yourself to your friends, pros, or your local nemesis. I have a couple of segments that I’ve used over the last few years as barometers for my fitness – one of which is the Koholas climb in Kona that I do as part of a training camp with my coach every January.
DON’T – Let Strava dictate your workout. Segments are a great way to track your progress, but believe me, if you start chasing segments every ride instead of sticking to your plan, your training will suffer and you’ll get slower in a hurry. This is one of the reasons I think some pros have been more cautious to join Strava. It’s really important to go easy or stick to your plan, but it’s hard to do so when you’re always on a competitive course. If I need to go easy, I go easy. If I have a 10 minute interval in my workout, I might look for a roughly 10 minute segment to do it on and stick within my prescribed effort. What I don’t do is go out and crush myself on a 20 minute climb because I really want the KOM. Lead with your training plan first, and save those efforts for your race, which leads me to:
DO – Log your races. For triathletes specifically, this is one of the most valuable aspects of Strava. Because we all race on the same course which can be divided into segments, you can compare yourself to pros and other age groupers across more than just the entire swim/bike and/or run. You can compare the flat section, the climbs, the downhills, etc. I’ve done this on my races to see where I made up time, and where I completely bonked. It’s a super valuable way to analyze your race in more detail.
DO – Upload trainer session files – Many trainers nowadays have an Ant+ connection to connect with your Garmin, computer, or PowerTap, most of which can be uploaded. I just use my PowerTap wheel and upload my file from there. The workout doesn’t look as pretty in the feed because there isn’t a map, but it still adds it nicely to your Training Log and you can use the power analysis features to review the workout.
DO – Use the Power Analysis tools. For premium members who use a power meter, there are some really great power analysis tools. I upload all my PowerTap files to see my:
Best Efforts Curve – which shows exactly what it says it shows. Again, the interface is super visual and user friendly. I love that it shows a continuous power curve as opposed to discreet 5 min, 10 min points, etc. You can also quickly compare between the last 6 weeks, year, or previous years. It also estimates your FTP based on your workouts, which I think is a more real and useful value than set up tests inside.
Zone Distribution – Just simply shows you how much time you spent in each discrete power zone. Another useful tool to see the overall load of a ride.
DO – Use Route Builder while traveling or even at home. This is a new feature that, as a traveling triathlete, I absolutely love. You simply input where you are, then turn on the Popularity Heatmap and you can see the local roads that other athletes ride most frequently. Then you can trace out a loop and “Use Popularity” to create the best route. It’s made a huge difference in my ability to ride or run without ending up on a no shoulder freeway or unrideable road somewhere. I’ve even used it to find routes that I didn’t know existed in Bend. Awesome!
That’s it for now! Let me know what you guys think. Add comments below, on Twitter, Facebook, or of course on my Strava profile if there are any other Do’s and Don’ts that I missed. Also – I’ll be adding my own race files from the Wildflower Triathlon on Saturday afternoon, so feel free to check in and see how it went. Happy training and racing!WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) bristled at a suggestion on Thursday that Congress has been "historically unproductive."
"That's just total nonsense," he told reporters at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "Now listen, we made clear when we took over, that we weren't going to be doing commemorative legislation on the floor. A lot of changes. In addition to that, most Americans think we have too many laws. And what they want us to do is repeal more of those. So I reject the premise to the question."
If the measurement of productivity is passing as few bills as possible, then yes, the last Congress was indeed the most productive ever.
But under the more traditional measurement of how many bills Congress passed and how many were signed into law by the president, it actually was the least productive since at least the 1940s.
And even repealing laws, which is what Boehner says the American public wants, would require Congress to pass new bills.
In the 112th session, Boehner's chamber passed 561 bills, which was the lowest number since record-keeping began in the 1940s. The Senate passed 364, which was the second-lowest number on record. Taken together, however, they amounted to the least productive record in modern history.
The number of bills that then became law was also the lowest. The 112th Congress even did less than the 80th Congress (1947-1948), which President Harry Truman infamously dubbed the "Do-Nothing Congress."
At least 40 bills concerned the renaming of post offices or other public buildings. Another six dealt with commemorative coins.Submitted by Matthew Continetti via FreeBeacon.com,
How bureaucrats are fighting the voters for control of our country
Donald Trump was elected president last November by winning 306 electoral votes. He pledged to "drain the swamp" in Washington, D.C., to overturn the system of politics that had left the nation's capital and major financial and tech centers flourishing but large swaths of the country mired in stagnation and decay. "What truly matters," he said in his Inaugural Address, "is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people."
Is it? By any historical and constitutional standard, "the people" elected Donald Trump and endorsed his program of nation-state populist reform. Yet over the last few weeks America has been in the throes of an unprecedented revolt. Not of the people against the government—that happened last year—but of the government against the people. What this says about the state of American democracy, and what it portends for the future, is incredibly disturbing.
There is, of course, the case of Michael Flynn. He made a lot of enemies inside the government during his career, suffice it to say. And when he exposed himself as vulnerable those enemies pounced. But consider the means: anonymous and possibly illegal leaks of private conversations. Yes, the conversation in question was with a foreign national. And no one doubts we spy on ambassadors. But we aren't supposed to spy on Americans without probable cause. And we most certainly are not supposed to disclose the results of our spying in the pages of the Washington Post because it suits a partisan or personal agenda.
Here was a case of current and former national security officials using their position, their sources, and their methods to crush a political enemy. And no one but supporters of the president seems to be disturbed. Why? Because we are meant to believe that the mysterious, elusive, nefarious, and to date unproven connection between Donald Trump and the Kremlin is more important than the norms of intelligence and the decisions of the voters.
But why should we believe that? And who elected these officials to make this judgment for us?
Nor is Flynn the only example of nameless bureaucrats working to undermine and ultimately overturn the results of last year's election. According to the New York Times, civil servants at the EPA are lobbying Congress to reject Donald Trump's nominee to run the agency. Is it because Scott Pruitt lacks qualifications? No. Is it because he is ethically compromised? Sorry. The reason for the opposition is that Pruitt is a critic of the way the EPA was run during the presidency of Barack Obama. He has a policy difference with the men and women who are soon to be his employees. Up until, oh, this month, the normal course of action was for civil servants to follow the direction of the political appointees who serve as proxies for the elected president.
How quaint. These days an architect of the overreaching and antidemocratic Waters of the U.S. regulation worries that her work will be overturned so she undertakes extraordinary means to defeat her potential boss. But a change in policy is a risk of democratic politics. Nowhere does it say in the Constitution that the decisions of government employees are to be unquestioned and preserved forever. Yet that is precisely the implication of this unprecedented protest. "I can't think of any other time when people in the bureaucracy have done this," a professor of government tells the paper. That sentence does not leave me feeling reassured.
Opposition to this president takes many forms. Senate Democrats have slowed confirmations to the most sluggish pace since George Washington. Much of the New York and Beltway media does really function as a sort of opposition party, to the degree that reporters celebrated the sacking of Flynn as a partisan victory for journalism. Discontent manifests itself in direct actions such as the Women's March.
But here's the difference. Legislative roadblocks, adversarial journalists, and public marches are typical of a constitutional democracy. They are spelled out in our founding documents: the Senate and its rules, and the rights to speech, a free press, and assembly. Where in those documents is it written that regulators have the right not to be questioned, opposed, overturned, or indeed fired, that intelligence analysts can just call up David Ignatius and spill the beans whenever they feel like it?
The last few weeks have confirmed that there are two systems of government in the United States.
The first is the system of government outlined in the U.S. Constitution—its checks, its balances, its dispersion of power, its protection of individual rights. Donald Trump was elected to serve four years as the chief executive of this system. Whether you like it or not. The second system is comprised of those elements not expressly addressed by the Founders. This is the permanent government, the so-called administrative state of bureaucracies, agencies, quasi-public organizations, and regulatory bodies and commissions, of rule-writers and the byzantine network of administrative law courts. This is the government of unelected judges with lifetime appointments who, far from comprising the "least dangerous branch," now presume to think they know more about America's national security interests than the man elected as commander in chief.
For some time, especially during Democratic presidencies, the second system of government was able to live with the first one. But that time has ended. The two systems are now in competition. And the contest is all the more vicious and frightening because more than offices are at stake. This fight is not about policy. It is about wealth, status, the privileges of an exclusive class.
"In our time, as in [Andrew] Jackson's, the ruling classes claim a monopoly not just on the economy and society but also on the legitimate authority to regulate and restrain it, and even on the language in which such matters are discussed," writes Christopher Caldwell in a brilliant essay in the Winter 2016/17 Claremont Review of Books.
Elites have full-spectrum dominance of a whole semiotic system. What has just happened in American politics is outside the system of meanings elites usually rely upon. Mike Pence's neighbors on Tennyson street not only cannot accept their election loss; they cannot fathom it. They are reaching for their old prerogatives in much the way that recent amputees are said to feel an urge to scratch itches on limbs that are no longer there. Their instincts tell them to disbelieve what they rationally know. Their arguments have focused not on the new administration's policies or its competence but on its very legitimacy.
Donald Trump did not cause the divergence between government of, by, and for the people and government, of, by, and for the residents of Cleveland Park and Arlington and Montgomery and Fairfax counties. But he did exacerbate it. He forced the winners of the global economy and the members of the D.C. establishment to reckon with the fact that they are resented, envied, opposed, and despised by about half the country. But this recognition did not humble the entrenched incumbents of the administrative state. It radicalized them to the point where they are readily accepting, even cheering on, the existence of a "deep state" beyond the control of the people and elected officials.Advertisement
An 'Islamist' suspect has been arrested in connection with the pipe bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund's team bus as authorities say they are treating it as a 'terrorist attack'.
German police searched properties belonging to 'two suspects from the Islamist spectrum' on Wednesday and arrested a 25-year-old Iraqi man from Wuppertal - not far from Dortmund - meaning another man is still on the loose.
The explosive devices used in the attack contained metal pins, one of which was found buried in a headrest on the vehicle, according to Frauke Koehler, a spokeswoman for federal prosecutors.
Ms Koehler said it was lucky 'that nothing worse happened', adding that investigators are still working to determine how the devices were detonated and what substance was used.
The second suspect is a German, aged 28, from Froenderburg, near Unna, also in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
They have both reportedly been on the police and intelligence services radar for affiliation to ISIS while it has been claimed that one of them was seen in the vicinity of the crime scene shortly before the pipe shrapnel bombs were detonated.
Elsewhere police said three letters claiming responsibility for the attack have been found, all of them saying that it was carried out in the name of Islam. Another letter claiming to be from the far-left group Antifa had been discounted as a fraud.
At least one of the notes made reference to the Berlin Christmas market attack, in which an ISIS fanatic drove a stolen truck into shoppers, killing 12.
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Police in Germany have arrested an 'Islamist' suspect over last night's pipe bomb attack on the Bourissa Dortmund team bus, and say they are investigating another suspect 'from the Islamist spectrum'
The Borussia Dortmund team bus was last night hit by three explosions while carrying the squad to their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco, with defender Marc Bartra taken to hospital with a broken bone in his wrist
Prosecutors say the bombs were filled with metal pins, one of which was found embedded in a headrest on the bus, saying it was lucky 'that nothing worse happened'
Police are still investigating how the devices, believed to have been hidden in this hedge, were detonated and what kind of explosives were used
Police also announced that three notes claiming responsibility for the attack have now been found, all of which say it was carried out in the name of Islam
The Borussia Dortmund players make their way on to the field of play wearing T-shirts paying tribute to their squadmate Marc Bartra
The dressing room at the Signal Iduna Park stadium bears the players shirts ahead of the postponed Champions League game
Borussia Dortmund's Roman Burki wears the shirt of Marc Bartra before the match, where they will face off against Monaco
German police searched properties belonging to 'two suspects from the Islamist spectrum' on Wednesday and arrested a 25-year-old Iraqi man from Wuppertal - not far from Dortmund - meaning another man is still on the loose. A broken window is seen at a residential house close to the team hotel
An armoured police truck was called in to help secure the stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarter final tonight
According to Der Spiegel, that letter was written in German starts with the phrase 'In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful' and ends with two demands.
First, 'tornadoes', a reference to German reconnaissance planes, must be withdrawn from Syria, and second the US base in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, should be closed.
Controversial drone operations against terror targets in the Middle East are controlled from the base.
The letter also claims that German combat aircraft are involved in killing Muslims in the 'Islamic State', adding that athletes and other celebrities 'in Germany and other Kreuzfahrer (crusader) nations' are now on a 'death list'.
Terrified stars dived for cover as three blasts sent shards of glass flying through their coach while defender Marc Bartra broke a bone in his right wrist and later needed surgery to remove 'foreign objects' from his body.
The coach had just left the club hotel ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Monaco when the bombs were detonated in what is believed to have been a targeted attack.
A sniffing dog and its handler search the stadium in Dortmund, western Germany, prior to the postponed Champions League quarterfinal
Police remained on the scene today as an investigation gathered pace. The explosive devices used in the attack contained metal pins, one of which was found buried in a headrest on the vehicle, according to Frauke Koehler, a spokeswoman for federal prosecutors
Both suspects have reportedly been on the police and intelligence services radar for affiliation to ISIS while it has been claimed that one of them was seen in the vicinity of the crime scene shortly before the pipe shrapnel bombs were detonated
Police investigators search for evidence near the team hotel of Bundesliga soccer club Borussia Dortmund this afternoon
A policeman escorting the coach to the match on a motorcycle was also injured when the bombs went off in bushes nearby, having apparently been detonated with a mobile phone or garage door opener. The officer suffered hearing damage and shock and was unable to report for duty today.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said this morning she was 'horrified' by the'repugnant' attack.
Dortmund has been a hotbed of radical Islam in recent years - Berlin Christmas market truck bomber Anis Amri attended a mosque there.
The club said today that Spanish defender Bartra will be out of action for'several weeks' after being wounded in the attack.
Bartra had to have an operation on his arm and wrist but says it went well. The club said the 26-year-old will watch the Champions League quarterfinal match between his team and Monaco on television Wednesday evening and is keeping his fingers crossed for his colleagues.'
He wrote on Twitter: 'Hello! As you can see I am doing much better. Thanks for all your messages! All my strength to my team mates, fans and to @BVB for tonight!'
Police said last night they are hunting a car with foreign registered plates, which was seen near the crime scene shortly before the explosions occurred. UEFA said it would review the security arrangements for all of Wednesday night's Champions League matches.
The blast shattered the bus windows and the vehicle was burned on the right hand side.
'The bus turned onto the main road, when there was a huge noise - a big explosion,' Dortmund's Swiss goalkeeper Roman Burki told Swiss media.
Marc Bartra was injured in the explosion and was taken to hospital. He is pictured today with his arm strapped after surgery
Shocked Dortmund stars, including star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reported for training this morning. He is pictured arriving at the club's training ground today
Borussia Dortmund soccer player Erik Durm arrives at the training ground this morning just hours after the club's bus was targeted in a bomb attack
Players Marcel Schmelzer (left) and Nuri Sahin (right) arrive for training as an investigation into the blast continues this morning
Police said last night they are hunting a car with foreign registered plates, which was seen near the crime scene shortly before the explosions occurred
The game between Borussia Dortmund and Monaco at Signal Iduna Park was called off after last night's attack
A letter found outside the hotel 'takes responsibility for the act' and mentions the Christmas market atrocity in Berlin in which a truck driven by an ISIS fanatic ploughed through crowds of revellers killing 12. Police are pictured at the scene this morning
'After the bang, we all crouched down in the bus. Anyone who could, threw himself on the floor. We did not know if more would come.'
Burki said Bartra was 'hit by splinters of broken glass'. Dortmund's press spokesman said the 26-year-old had broken the radius bone in his right wrist.
The club said other players were safe and there was no danger inside the Signal Iduna Park stadium.
'The whole team is in a state of shock, you can't get pictures like that out of your head,' Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said.
'I hope the team will be in a position to be able to compete tomorrow on the pitch. In a crisis situation like this, Borussia pulls together.'
The team's Twitter confirmed the incident took place as the bus was leaving the team's hotel, L'Arrivee, a 12-minute drive from the stadium - Signal Iduna Park
While investigators do not yet know the source of the explosions, police have confirmed that additional'suspicious objects' were found at the Dortmund team hotel in the wake of the bus bombing
Watzke, said police informed him that the explosives that went off near the team bus were hidden by the exit of a hotel and detonated as the bus passed.
The'special' construction of the explosives should afford investigators some clues in determining who might be responsible, according to the German newspaper Bild.
While investigators do not yet know the source of the explosions, police have confirmed that additional'suspicious objects' were found at the Dortmund team hotel in the wake of the bus bombing.
A German prosecutor said on Tuesday night that a letter found outside the hotel the team bus was departing from when the explosions happened 'takes responsibility for the act'.
Prosecutor Sandra Luecke said authorities won't give details of the letter at this stage, citing the ongoing investigation. The authenticity of the letter has not been verified.
Officers did not reveal the nature of the find but confirmed that a drone was deployed to assist in the search around the hotel.
Forensic experts searched the area where the explosion occurred in the hours after the incident
TIMELINE: DORTMUND BUS EXPLOSIONS 6.15pm (BST) Three explosions are heard outside the L'Arrivee Hotel and Spa as the Borussia Dortmund team make their way to their home stadium for their Champions League match against Monaco. The explosions smashed the windows of the bus and burst tyres. Dortmund defender Marc Bartra is injured with cuts to his arms from the shards of broken glass. 6.30pm Local police confirm a Borussia Dortmund player is injured following explosions near the team bus. Dortmund tweeted that a 'bomb explosion' had hit their team bus. They added that the injured player was 'in safety' and that 'there is no danger in and around the stadium.' 7.50pm Borussia Dortmund confirm defender Marc Bartra was injured and is being treated at a hospital and that the match was to be postponed for 24 hours. A spokesman at the already crowded stadium informed fans of the cancellation, saying that 'there is no reason for panic here at the stadium'. Dortmund recommended that fans stay in the stadium and remain calm to facilitate an 'orderly departure.' 8.05pm The chief executive of Borussia Dortmund Hans-Joachim Watzke confirms Marc Bartra's injuries are 'nothing life-threatening'. Dortmund police spokeswoman Nina Vogt says investigators do not yet know the source of the explosions that went off. 8.20pm Mr Watzke said the team 'is totally shocked' by the explosions that damaged the bus and injured defender Marc Bartra. He added: 'It's our task now to digest this somehow because it's only 24 hours before we have to play. That's our job.' 8.45pm Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki said 'there was a huge bang, literally an explosion' that sent glass flying about on the bus. He added: 'We're all shocked. Nobody thought about a football match in the minutes after that.' 8.55pm Police in Dortmund say investigators 'are working on the assumption' that the explosions were caused by'serious explosive devices.' 10.20pm The police chief in Dortmund Gregor Lande says it's not clear yet who was behind the explosions, but they believe it was a targeted attack against the Borussia Dortmund squad. He added that officers are doing everything 'to provide security and that will be the case tomorrow, too.' 10.30pm A prosecutor says a letter found outside the hotel the team bus was departing from when the explosions happened 'takes responsibility for the act.' Prosecutor Sandra Luecke says authorities won't give details of the letter at this stage, citing the ongoing investigation.
Lange said officers are doing everything 'to provide security and that will be the case tomorrow, too'.
Gunnar Wortmann, a police spokesman, said: 'We will be working throughout the night to discover who was behind this attack. All police and vehicles in Dortmund have been mobilized.'
Dortmund Police Chief Gregor Lange told reporters late Tuesday that police decided at an early stage that the soccer team was the target of the explosions and are not excluding any possible angles in their investigation.
He said: 'We are assuming that they were a targeted attack against the Dortmund team.'
Three explosions detonating at the exact moment the bus passed by suggest a sophisticated expertise in both bomb building and detonation - perhaps using a mobile phone or a garage door-opening device.
But nearly three hours after the attack there were no real clues as to who may have been behind it.
Neither club has a radical fan following, leading to speculation it may yet be claimed by radical Islamist groups.
When asked about rumours of a blackmail plot against Dortmund during a press conference, police said: 'That's the first time we've heard about that.'
Shortly after the explosions, police confirmed that there was no immediate danger to anyone in and around the football stadium.
Police said in a statement they were working on the assumption that the blasts were caused by'serious explosive devices', which may have been hidden in a hedge near a car park.
They didn't elaborate on the possible nature of the devices or say who might have planted them ahead of first-leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Monaco.
Explosive devices were believed to have been placed in a bush by the road along which the bus was travelling, according to German newspaper Bild.
'The explosive devices were placed outside the bus. Several windows were broken,' police spokesman Gunnar Wortmann was quoted as saying.
In a statement, Dortmund police said earlier that they could not say 'exactly what the explosion was or exactly where something exploded'.
'According to what is currently known, the windows of the bus were (entirely or partly) smashed and one person was injured,' Dortmund police said, adding that the incident happened in Hoechsten, located outside the city.
Several windows were smashed in the explosion, and Bartra, a Spanish national, was the only player to be taken to hospital.
Dortmund team spokesman Sascha Fligge says defender Marc Bartra was operated on late Tuesday for a broken bone and to remove 'foreign objects' from his body.
Bartra, the only player injured in the explosion, joined the club from Barcelona last year, and his former club were quick to wish him well.
'All of our support to @MarcBartra, @BVB and their fans,' Barcelona tweeted in support of their former player.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also wished Bartra 'a speedy recovery' on his Twitter account.
Bartra, 26, joined Dortmund for eight million euros ($8.48million, £6.79million) last year from Barcelona, after coming through the Catalan club's youth system.
He has made 12 appearances for the Spanish national team.
Borussia Dortmund's managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke was quoted telling Sky TV: 'The whole team is in a state of shock.'
Monaco striker Radamel Falcao also sent his best wishes to the player and his club, tweeting: 'I'm sorry for everything that has happened. We are all well. I wish a speedy recovery to Marc Bartra.'
Dortmund also released a statement explaining what happened.
'Shortly after the departure of the Borussia Dortmund team bus from the hotel to the stadium there was an incident,' Dortmund said in a statement.
'The bus has been damaged in two places. One person has been injured and is in the hospital. At this point we will inform as soon as we know more.'
In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, Dortmund said there was 'no cause for concern' for those at the stadium, and added the club were in close contact with the emergency services and UEFA.
The stadium slowly emptied before Monaco players came on the pitch for a short training session.
Dortmund players stand outside the team bus after it was damaged in an explosion on Tuesday night in western Germany
Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is seen by the team bus after an explosion near their hotel before the game
Head coach Thomas Tuchel, centre, is surrounded by players after evacuating the bus following Tuesday night's explosion
Dortmund players check their smartphones as they stand outside their team bus following the explosion
Police officers stand in front of Dortmund's damaged team bus after the explosion on Tuesday
According to reports, explosions were heard as the coach went over a bridge six miles from the stadium
Monaco released a statement, saying: 'Faced with this difficult situation, AS Monaco wishes to express its full support for the whole Borussia Dortmund team and club.'
AS Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic told Croatian daily newspaper 24sata: 'We are currently in the stadium, in a safe place, but the feeling's horrible.'
An announcement was made inside the stadium with a message put on the big screen informing supporters of the incident.
Tuesday night's match was cancelled following the explosion and has been rescheduled for Wednesday.
Following the announcement that the match had been postponed, Police Dortmund tweeted: 'To reassure stadium visitors and relatives: There are currently no indications of a threat to visitors in the stadium.'
Dortmund recommended that fans stay in the stadium and remain calm to facilitate an 'orderly departure'.
The club thanked supporters of opponent Monaco for their 'patience and understanding' and for chanting 'Dortmund! Dortmund!' when the reason for the postponement was announced.
President of Borussia Dortmund Reinhard Rauball (cenre) reacts on the reports at the stadium in Dortmund, Germany
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started its investigation into the killing of 17 Iraqis in November. That month, the New York Times reported the bureau had found that 14 of the deaths were unjustified. When asked if the company's contract could be cancelled if Blackwater was found at fault, Mr Starr was quoted by Reuters as saying: "We can terminate contracts at the convenience of the government if we have to." "I am not going to prejudge what the FBI is going to find in their investigation. I think really, it is complex. I think that the US government needs protective services," he said. "Essentially I think they do a very good job. The 16 September incident was a tragedy. It has to be investigated carefully," he added. In October the Iraqi government approved a draft law revoking the immunity from prosecution that private security contractors enjoyed under Iraqi law. The US has since put in place new guidelines for private security contractors.
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StumbleUpon What are these?Unhinged Libs Put Trump Building Under Water in New Stunt Cuz Global Warming (VIDEO)
The Sierra Club shined images of rising seas on President-Elect Donald Trump’s Iconic 40 Wall St. property, “The Trump Building” to show the destruction of Trump’s environmental policies.
The Sierra Club shined water images on the Trump Wall Street property to represent the rising seas under a Trump administration.
It’s freezing in New York City tonight.
I think we’ll be fine.
Here’s the video…
Via The Sierra Club:
The nation’s largest environmental organization drew attention to the stark contrast between the parade of climate science deniers among Trump’s transition staff, White House appointees and cabinet nominees, and the action which the world needs in order to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis. Sierra Club also specifically singled out Scott Pruitt, Trump’s nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency and a climate science denier. “President-elect Donald Trump will be the only head of state in the world to deny the science and dangers of the climate crisis, and he has followed through on that extremism by putting fossil fuel industry hacks and other climate deniers in the most prominent positions in his new administration” said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. “It’s not just the American people who won’t accept inaction on the climate crisis, it’s a world united as one which came together through the Paris climate agreement.” The light projection of rising seas sweeping over Trump’s iconic building was accompanied by advocacy messages lining the pillars of the structure, including “Don’t Trump the Planet”. Other buildings on Wall Street were illuminated with messages opposing Trump’s nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt. They read: “Don’t let Pruitt Trump the Planet” and “Polluter Pruitt will make EPA ‘Every Polluters’ Ally’ ”. “Having Scott Pruitt in charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is like putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires” said Brune.METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Sponsored transit station names are already a reality in Philadelphia where the Broad Street line’s AT&T station netted the city $3 million.
Would it work in Metro Vancouver?
The transit authority isn’t actively looking for bids, but they’re not against the idea either says TransLink‘s Ian Jarvis.
“That’s something we would look at but again we got to reflect our community values before we went ahead and did something like that. We would not do that on our own,” says Jarvis.
Transportation Minister Mary Polak said she’d be supportive of whichever direction TransLink decided to take.
Jarvis said any sponsorship deals would have to be approved by city council in the jurisdiction the station falls under.
They’re not out canvassing door to door looking for sponsorship nor have they been approached by any businesses about the idea, but if it were to come up, it would at least be considered says Jarvis.
US cities like Philadelphia and Chicago have adopted the practice to some extent. Philly even netted a cool $3 million in a one-station deal with AT&T.
Confusing commuters is the biggest worry. Jarvis said any potential naming rights would have to be okay with the surrounding community as well.Set 2
Dancing In The Street ->
Brown Eyed Women
Beer Barrel Polka
Playing In The Band ->
Drums ->
The Other One ->
Comes A Time ->
Playing In The Band
Encore
Brokedown Palace
Notes:
-- This source has the complete encore
-- Thanks to Paul Scotton for the disc
plus-circle Add Review
comment Reviews
Reviewer: lescaret - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 26, 2014
Subject: With the Deepness mellowmymind5453 nailed it. Indeed, this is beautiful, touching stuff. "Comes A Time" is a paean of sadness and self-realization, a haunting meander of loss and presence. These are the precious moments that emerge from the enthusiastic & euphoric chaos of a Dead Show. - January 26, 2014With the Deepness
Reviewer: snow_and_rain - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 30, 2012
Subject: Finishes very strong This is just so darn pretty.
Other One> Comes a Time> Playin reprise. Brokedown is the icing on the cake. - September 30, 2012Finishes very strong
Reviewer: gratefuldiver - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 10, 2010
Subject: One of the best recordings of the month Quite a boast considering the SBDs that folks had to work with. The sound on this one is absolutely superb though! Bass, treble, vocals, separation of every instrument, a tiny bit of crowd--it's all dialed in. If anyone isn't convinced, just listen to the transition from no-hiss, almost inaudible instrumental into the bordering-red-line-but-never-crossing-it Playin' Reprise at about 5:00. And while you're recovering from that perfection, just wait for Brokedown. I can't imagine listening on headphones at the soundboard that night even sounded so good. Thank you, CM!
...__[8]o - February 10, 2010One of the best recordings of the month
Reviewer: mellowmymind5453 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 21, 2010
Subject: Comes a Time A stand-out 'Comes a Time', out of Other One. Song is sung with real emotion and the last two or three minutes were almost pure, instrumental beauty. Absolutely joyful and serene...! Kudos to the remix. - January 21, 2010Comes a Time
Reviewer: Dooly - favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 14, 2010
Subject: CHARLIE! If Charlie touched any of these boards, you know they're gold. It might as well have been posted by Gans or Latvala (God rest his soul). We love you Charlie! You keep the goosebumps on my arms thriving as I listen to the thump thump thump of the greatest band ever.
Dooly - January 14, 2010CHARLIE!Long-time Honda man Aurin, 52, has worked with Jack Miller at the Marc VDS squad this season after being replaced by Giacomo Guidotti as Pedrosa’s crew chief at the works Honda outfit.
But with Miller switching to Pramac Ducati next season, Aurin - who has also worked for Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden in the past - will be reassigned to the LCR team to work with newcomer Nakagami.
Two-time Moto2 race winner Nakagami was confirmed as LCR’s second rider alongside Cal Crutchlow in August, and will be the first Japanese full-timer in the premier class since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2014.
He is likely to be riding a 2017-spec Honda, although this has yet to be confirmed by the Japanese manufacturer.
“HRC will decide which bike [2017 or 2018]," said Nakagami. "But I don’t care which bike, because I don’t have experience of a MotoGP bike.
“Maybe I don’t understand [the difference between] a ’17 bike or an ’18 bike.”
Nakagami had his first taste of the RC213V last December in a private three-day test at Jerez, and said the experience made him believe a MotoGP bike will suit him better than Moto2 machinery.
“It was incredible,” he recalled of the test. “It was the best three days for me. Always I want to ride a MotoGP bike, and on those three days I did it.
“It was a fantastic feeling – incredible power, incredible grip on the tyre, the electronics were incredible. The speed was impressive.”
The 25-year-old, who will join LCR for the post-Valencia test this month, added that adapting to MotoGP electronics would be the most challenging aspect of his move up to the top class.
“I never feel the electronics on the bike, only in the Suzuka 8 Hours [which he won in 2010] I felt what the electronics [do],” he said.
“The Suzuka 8 Hour bike was quite competitive and I was feeling good. But the 8 Hour bike and the MotoGP bike are completely different.
“I can’t say much at the moment. Maybe I test at Valencia and then I feel completely different.”Astronomers have picked up a mystery “noise” which they believe could be coming from an Earth-like planet in the outer space. After analyzing the strange signals emitting from the object, scientists are certain that a habitable planet exists some 20.5 light years away, a report said.
The planet, dubbed GJ 581d, is believed to be in the ‘Goldilocks zone‘ in its solar system where it is neither too hot or cold for liquid water to exist, meaning life could be supported on the surface.
It is likely to be a rocky world, twice the size of Earth and an estimated 20.5 light years away (meaning it would take 20.5 years to get there at the speed of light).
Astronomers used a spectrometer to spot the planet, which measures “wobbles” in the wavelength of light emitted by a star caused as a planet orbits it. GJ 581d is a super-Earth with a mass seven times that of our own planet orbiting a red dwarf star that could also support up to four other planets. The Habitable Exoplanets Catalogue currently records 23 objects of interest.
If GJ 581d does exist, it could be one of the most Earth-like planets yet discovered as ranked by the Earth Similarity Index but that does not mean its surface is the same.
Some studies have suggested Gliese 581d’s denser air and dim red light from its host star would make for a murky environment that would be toxic to humans.
The Index incorporates a number of factors including surface temperature and planet density to rank extrasolar planets in a scale from 0 to 1. The most Earth-like planet yet confirmed was Gliese 581g, orbiting the same star, which ranks at 0.89. “The existence (or not) of GJ 581d is significant because it was the first Earth-like planet discovered in the ‘Goldilocks’-zone around another star and it is a benchmark case for the Doppler technique,” Dr. Guillem Anglada-Escudé, who led the study, said.
“There are always discussions among scientists about the ways we interpret data but I’m confident that GJ 581d has been in orbit around Gliese 581 all along.”
“In any case, the strength of their statement was way too strong,” Dr. Anglada-Escudé added. “If their way to treat the data had been right, then some planet search projects at several ground-based observatories would need to be significantly revised as they are all aiming to detect even smaller planets. One needs to be more careful with these kind of claims.”
For astronomers, the most exciting aspect is its relative proximity – 20 light years away in a galaxy that is 100,000 light years wide.
Robin Wordsworth, who researched Gliese 581d with the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace in Paris, said: “The Gliese system is particularly exciting to us as it’s very close to Earth, relatively speaking. So with future generations of telescopes, we’ll be able to search for life on Gliese 581d directly.”Find An Event Create Your Event Help Modern Times Grand Opening! The Lomaland Fermentorium
San Diego, CA Share this event:
We're throwing an epic soiree to celebrate the grand opening of the Lomaland Fermentorium tasting room. Your $25 ticket gets you a commemorative taster glass and 10 four ounce pours, including a slew of special variations and one-offs.
We will have two sessions, both on Saturday, September 7th: 12pm-4pm and 5pm-9pm.
Anticipated tap list:
Lomaland saison
Fortunate Islands hoppy wheat
Black House oatmeal coffee stout
Blazing World amber IPA
Oneida dry-hopped pale ale
Neverwhere 100% Brett Trois IPA
Roraima 100% Brett Trois amber
Fortunate Islands w/ grapefruit zest
Black House w/ toasted coconut & cocoa nibs
Lomaland w/ hibiscus
Neverwhere double-dry hopped w/ Citra
Mike's Sour Experiment #1
Andy Wadon's Homebrew Contest Winner #1
Pilot batch #2
Blazing World Randallized w/ Mosaic
Potentially a cask of our new IPA, City of the Sun!
A $5 ticket is available for designated drivers/non-drinkers. Designated driver ticket holders will not be allowed to drink during the event.
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[email protected] you’re from Pittsburgh and you’re on Facebook, you probably saw the much-shared “fantasy map” of the city patterned after those of Middle Earth included in J.R.R. Tolkien books. Last year, I talked to Stentor Danielson, the cartographer and professor of geography who created it. He said that one could determine much about a place simply by looking at a map. I asked: What could an alien, with no knowledge of Pittsburgh but a deep understanding of maps, determine about this city of steel and pierogies just by glancing at the street layout?
“We talk about Pittsburgh as a city of neighborhoods, and that’s really obvious as we see how each neighborhood flows—how the streets all connect to each other and [how] they are aligned,” he said. “That says a lot about how Pittsburgh was built, over rivers and gorges. And you could also infer how Pittsburghers are attached to their neighborhoods.”
If the neighborhoods are distinct, it might be because most existed as homesteads and independent boroughs long before they were parts of Pittsburgh. From the 1860s to the 1930s, the city went on an annexation binge, assimilating nearby communities and old estates like some kind of ruthless Pitts-borg. The Rust Belt metropolis expanded, from the triangle-shaped city limits extending a few miles from the point at which the three rivers meet to a great splotch that encompasses a span of hills and valleys.
This is how 65 of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods got their names. The designations of some small neighborhoods seem lost to history (probably concocted by a real estate developer or inherited from a forgotten early landowner). Particularly helpful were Pittsburgh: A New Portrait by Franklin Toker, The Names of Pittsburgh by Bob Regan, and Pittsburgh and You, a 1982 guide to neighborhoods and local amenities and attractions created by the city and still available in its original format—typewritten pages in a three-ring binder—at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
1. Allegheny (East, West and Central)
via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
Much of what is now the North Side cluster of Pittsburgh neighborhoods was once Allegheny City, an independent municipality named so for its place on the banks of the Allegheny River and gobbled up through a controversial annexation in 1907 that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Three neighborhoods—East Allegheny, West Allegheny, and Allegheny Central—retain the Allegheny name.
2. Allentown
Joseph Allen, an English butcher, purchased 124 acres of land here in 1827.
3. Banksville
In its earliest days (the 1770s), the settlement was known as "The Experiment"—the experiment being allowing a bunch of Scots-Irish immigrants, who were viewed as industrious but not valuable to the society, to farm and mine an area that was often attacked by natives. In the late 1700s, then-owner David Carnahan split the land between his three sons. One of the sons, Alexander Carnahan (who laid out the area after the Civil War), named the town Banksville after his wife, Eliza Banks.
4. Beechview
Beechview, home of the steepest street in the U.S., is named so for its beech trees.
5. Beltzhoover
The land was once farmed by one Melchior Beltzhoover, a German immigrant.
6. Bloomfield
via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
This East End locale was once covered with fields of blooming flowers. George Washington, who visited the Pittsburgh area seven times, wrote of walking through “the high ground through a field of many blooms.”
7. Bluff
The home of Duquesne University and a bunch of law offices, this area has gone through a few names, including Uptown (for its proximity to downtown), Soho (named after a suburb of Birmingham, England) and Boyd’s Hill (for a guy who hanged himself here—seriously). Its current designation on city maps, Bluff, likely refers to the geological formation of the same name, a ridge that runs parallel to a shoreline. The neighborhood has a bluff-like area parallel to the Monongahela River.
8. Bon Air
In 1898, two businessmen bought a tract of land to resell and dubbed their enterprise the Bon Air Land Company, bonair being an old term meaning gentle and courteous. They picked well; today, Bon Air is one of Pittsburgh’s quietest and most suburban-seeming neighborhoods.
9. Brighton Heights
One of the main streets here is Brighton Road, named so because it leads to the borough of New Brighton (named for Brighton, England).
10. Brookline
Two corporations that bought and sold land here, the Freehold Real Estate Company and West Liberty Improvement Company, named it after the Boston suburb for an unknown reason.
11. Carrick
via Wikimedia Commons // CC0
A physician, Dr. John H. O'Brien, badgered the Postal Service to install a post office here. When the agency did in 1853, it let him name it along with the area it served. He chose Carrick, after his hometown of Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland.
12. Central Northside
This area was once known as the Buena Vista Tract because it was dotted by streets named after Mexican-American War generals (Taylor, Sherman, Pilson) and battles (Monterey, Palo Alto, Buena Vista). James Robinson, Jr., the mayor of Allegheny City who christened the streets, had been a general in the war. Though the Mexican War streets remain a defining part of the neighborhood, the moniker Central Northside took hold when the area was marketed to new homebuyers in the mid-20th century.
13. Chartiers
A few decades before the founding of Pittsburgh, Pierre Chartiers, a French-Indian trapper, ran a trading post here.
14. Chateau
After Route 65 cut the North Side neighborhood of Manchester in half in the 1960s, the two parts were distinct enough that the city declared the half bordering the Ohio River its own neighborhood, dubbed Chateau for Chateau Street, which was presumably named for all of the grand houses along it.
15. Crafton Heights
This is another place named after an early landowner, though sources differ on who. Most cite attorney James Craft, though one says it was Charles J. Craft, a real estate developer.
16. Duquesne Heights
From across the Monongahela, this hillside neighborhood faces what was once Fort Duquesne, the French settlement built at the convergence of the rivers in 1754 and named in honor of Michel-Ange Du Quesne de Menneville, Marquis Du Quesne, governor of the French colonies in North America.
17. East Carnegie
The area outside this neighborhood was incorporated as the borough of Carnegie in 1894. The residents named it after Andrew Carnegie. (The steel baron donated a library, music hall, and high school in return.) Though still part of Pittsburgh, the small residential community east of it soon took on the name East Carnegie.
18. East Hills
This hilly neighborhood is on Pittsburgh’s easternmost edge.
19. East Liberty
via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
Jacob Negley, son of an early settler of East Liberty Valley, laid out and named the town of East Liberty after his wife’s farm, East Liberty Valley. It was east of the other settlements in Pittsburgh, and “liberty” was farming lexicon for an area open for grazing. Old-school Pittsburghers refer to the town as "Sliberty."
20. Elliott
In 1785, mill owner and ferryboat operator Daniel Elliot was granted two tracts of land here and named them Elliot’s Design and Elliot’s Delight. No one but him, apparently, was willing to call them that, so they eventually became simply Elliott.
21. Esplen
This tiny neighborhood, a sliver on the banks of the Ohio River, has the wicked cool distinction of being built on dirt that landed there after a railroad crew used explosives to blast apart a hill that was in their way. The railroad workers who later lived here named it after Henry Esplen, an admired administrator of the nearby Thaddeus Stevens School.
22. Fairywood
This one was coined by the Pennsylvania Railroad, who built this community as a residence for workers sometime around 1900.
23. Fineview
In 1828, Flemish nuns built a school for girls here, called Mt. Alverino, and Pittsburghers began calling it Nunnery Hill, even after the school closed and the nuns vacated. Later, James Andrews, a bridge designer and associate of Andrew Carnegie, built a home here. At his urging, the City Council renamed the neighborhood Fineview for its view of downtown.
24. Friendship
This neighborhood was once home to Friendship Farm, owned by a member of the Society of Friends, a.k.a. the Quakers.
25. Garfield
The granddaughter of John Winebiddle, who owned much land in what is now the East End, sold the area that is now this neighborhood to the city in 1867. Pittsburgh divided it into lots for sale, the first of which was purchased on the day James Garfield was buried. The first lot-buyer named it in honor of the recently assassinated president.
26. Glen Hazel
It was named for the wooded glens of hazelnut trees.
27. Greenfield
Upon the installation of streets in this area in 1878, City Councilman William Barker, Jr., dubbed it Greenfield for its lush greenery.
28. Hays
Industrialist James H. Hays opened the Hays and Haberman Mines here in 1828.
29. Hazelwood
Hazelwood, east of Glen Hazel, was named after John Wood’s estate Hazel Hill. Over time the name, taken from the hazelnut trees in the area, became Hazelwood.
30. Highland Park
via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
You might assume this one was named for its elevation. However, the neighborhood—as well as its eponymous public park and Highland Avenue—were named after Robert Hiland, a county surveyor who subdivided the land into plots for purchase after the Negley family sold it to the city. Perhaps someone in the Department of Public Works also thought it was named for its place atop the East End and “corrected” the spelling.
31. Homewood
William Wilkins, a judge and U.S. senator (amongst other positions), built his estate here and named it Homewood.
32. Knoxville
Rev. Jeremiah Knox was one of the first farmers here.
33. Larimer
William Larimer was one of the most prominent land speculators of the westward expansion (and the founder of Denver, Colorado). Before that, he was a general in the colonial-era Pennsylvania Militia and owner of a homestead here.
34. Lawrenceville
A popular misconception holds that this newly hip neighborhood—dubbed the Williamsburg of Pittsburgh by Gawker —was named after David L. Lawrence, city mayor and governor of Pennsylvania. Actually, Army Col. William Foster (father of Americana songwriter Stephen Foster) named it in honor of Captain James Lawrence, commander of the U.S.S. Chesapeake, whose dying command of “Don’t give up the ship!” was one of the rallying cries of the War of 1812. It was appropriate for a neighborhood that housed a munitions factory that helped arm the military until it was destroyed in an explosion in 1862.
35. Lincoln–Lemington–Belmar
Several Pittsburgh neighborhoods have had more than one name. Usually, when City Hall orders a new map, one moniker is preserved and another one or two are sent to the death row of the local lexicon, sustained for only another few years by older residents. But the city generously allowed this East End area three names. Lincoln and Lemington are streets that run through it, and Belmar comes from the long-gone Belmar Racetrack.
36. Lincoln Place
This area was named by Edward Haslett, a real estate developer who bought and sold land here.
37. Manchester
via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
English immigrants settled here and in 1832 named it after the British city of the same name.
38. Marshall-Shadeland
There have been quite a few names for this neighborhood, or parts of it, but the most recent city map has narrowed it down to two. I couldn’t find the origin of Shadeland, though it likely refers to the once forest-like character of this spot. Marshall comes from Archibald M. Marshall, grocer, dry goods merchant, and landscaper who practiced several of those trades in the area.
39. Morningside
There seems to be no record of its origin, but the name Morningside Valley, for this area’s defining geological feature, predates the neighborhood.
40. Mount Oliver
This hilltop neighborhood was named for Dr. Oliver Ormsby, son of John Ormsby, an English soldier granted almost everything that is now Pittsburgh south of the Monongahela for his role in the French and Indian War. Oliver Ormsby established a residency here that included a private racetrack.
41. Mount Washington
If you’ve ever seen a photo of Pittsburgh’s skyline, it was probably taken from the overlook on the 600-foot, tree-covered Mount Washington. The area was originally known as Coal Hill, which was not nearly majestic enough. Sometime in the 1880s, it was redubbed Mount Washington in honor of the first president who, during the French and Indian War, stood atop it and surmised that whoever controlled the area where the rivers met controlled the whole valley.
42. New Homestead
This one was named for the neighboring borough of Homestead.
43. North Shore
Home of PNC Park and Heinz Field, the North Shore sits on the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, north of the point at which the rivers merge.
44. Northview Heights
Northview Heights took after a low-income public housing complex of the same name, completed in 1962.
45. Oakland
The home to Carlow University, the University of Pittsburgh, and a student population incapable of getting their trash into a trash bin on trash day, Oakland was named for its abundance of oak trees. It was little more than a forest until the Great Fire of 1845 caused several prominent families to look eastward for a place to rebuild their estates.
46. Oakwood
This area is also named for its oak trees.
47. Overbrook
This neighborhood was once part of Baldwin Township. Citing crummy streets and few streetlights, citizens petitioned for independence in 1919. After they broke away, they chose Overbrook as the name of the new borough, probably after the stream that runs through it. In 1930, they voted to join the city.
48. Perry North/Perry South
The Venango Path, a Native American trail leading up to Lake Erie, ran through this area. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry made use of the passageway as a supply line during the War of 1812. As a result, parts of this area went through several Perry-related names, including Perrysville and Perry Hill Top, before the city settled on Perry North and Perry South.
49. Point Breeze
A tavern/hotel called Point Breeze, built around 1800, sat where Penn and Fifth Avenues now cross.
50. Polish Hill
In late 1800s, an influx of Polish immigrants settled here, and it was an easy walk to jobs at steel mills on the Allegheny. The neighborhood’s welcome sign still reads “Witamy Do Polish Hill.”
51. Regent Square
A tiny, idyllic neighborhood on the easternmost edge of the East End, Regent Square is the prefab creation of William E. Harmon of Harmon Realty, who coined the name. In 1919, he acquired the land here, hoping to sell to Westinghouse Electric managers and executives.
52. Saint Clair
Once, a pair of villages named after Revolutionary War General Arthur St. Clair sat side by side in Allegheny County. While Upper Saint Clair remains, Lower Saint Clair was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1920 and became the neighborhood of Saint Clair.
53. Shadyside
David Aiken (the namesake of Aiken Avenue) donated the land for the first Pennsylvania Railroad station in Pittsburgh’s East End. As a thanks, the railroad allowed him to name the station. His wife, Caroline, suggested Shadyside, apparently after a book title. The name extended to the surrounding area.
54. Sheraden
William Sheraden owned a 122-acre farm here.
55. Southshore
This ghost of neighborhood—with 19 residents, a junkyard, a dock, and a few warehouses—is a thin strip on the banks of the Monongahela, directly south of the merging of the three rivers.
56. South Side Flats/South Side Slopes
Once a slew of communities stood across the Monongahela from Pittsburgh. The largest were East and West Birmingham, named for founding landowner John Ormsby’s birthplace of Birmingham, England. When the city annexed the area in 1872, it brushed them aside and stamped the label South Side Flats on the region along the river (which now has more diners and dive bars than a Jim Jarmusch movie) and the South Side Slopes on the hillside above.
57. Spring Garden
There were once many natural springs here.
58. Spring Hill–City View
This North Side neighborhood has two official names, Spring Hill and City View, and they are both pretty literal: It’s a hill that has springs, and you can get an eyeful of the city skyline from it.
59. Squirrel Hill
Long before the founding of Pittsburgh, Native Americans hunted grey squirrels here. Now, the only hunters are Jerry’s Records customers pursuing the stacks for some old Sam Cooke.
60. Stanton Heights
The name was concocted by the Steelwood Corporation, which in 1947 purchased the land here (once a country club) and built 400 units of housing for workers.
61. Strip District
There were once several communities along the Allegheny River here, including Bayardstown and Croghansville, but their identities faded away once it became a hub for industry, then shipping and receiving and later electric retail. (Think a discount shoe store, a popcorn shop and an outlet for dried flowers in close proximity, because why not?) No one seems to know how the exact origin of the Strip District name, but it’s likely due to long strip of business that exists along the concurrent Penn and Liberty avenues.
62. Swisshelm Park
Swisshelm Park was named for John Swisshelm, who owned a home and gristmill here.
63. Troy Hill
One of the first inhabitants of this settlement atop a plateau overlooking the Allegheny was Elizabeth Seymore, who dubbed it The Village of New Troy, after her hometown of Troy, New York. It was shortened to Troy Hill in subsequent decades.
64. West End
This area was once called Temperanceville because founding landowner Isaac Warden didn’t allow the sale or consumption of booze. When the city annexed it in 1873, it was redubbed the West End (although that term colloquially refers to all of the hilly neighborhoods on the western fringes).
65. Westwood
Its developers, the Wood-Harmon Company, gave the neighborhood this preplanned subdivision-sounding name in the early 1900s.US President Donald Trump has ordered a review of the H-1B visa program.
Highlights Donald Trump has ordered review of visas for skilled workers Critics say H1-B visas benefit Indians, take jobs from Americans No timeline in place for changing current policy, say US officials
For now, the US is making no changes to the H-1B visa policy that affects thousands of Indians, said American diplomats today who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media.This reassurance will be made when Indian and US officials meet on September 27th in Washington DC for an annual consular dialogue that discusses issues like promoting tourism, travel and business between the two countries."The programme is going on as it was, infact we have issued more H-1B visas to Indians this year than we did last year", said a US official, confirming that there are no restrictions being applied that would reduce the number of Indians who can get H-1B visas.India's giant software industry, worth about $150 billion a year, depends heavily on the visas for highly-skilled workers to send techies and others to the US to serve clients there at salaries that are lower than hiring from within America.Donald Trump has ordered a review of the H-1B visa program, suggesting it should be skewed towards the highest-paying, highest-skilled jobs rather than deciding recipients on the basis of a random lottery, though a committee that is examining the program and is tasked with recommending reforms has not been given a timeline, stressed US officials in Delhi today.H1-B visas are aimed at foreign nationals in occupations that generally require specialized knowledge, such as science, engineering or computer programming. The US government uses a lottery to award 65,000 such visas yearly. Indians are the largest group of H-1B recipients annually. Restrictions on how many Indians are eligible for the visas would make a huge dent in the profitability of Indian software and outsourcing majors.Critics say the lottery benefits outsourcing firms like TCS and Infosys that flood the system with mass applications for visas for lower-paid information technology workers largely from India. That takes work away from Americans, lowers wages and keeps Americans from being trained in tech-related fields, they say.Interestingly, the US says there has been a 25 per cent jump this year in the number of Indian students who have enrolled in US colleges. There are 1 lakh 66 thousand Indian students currently studying in the US, second only to China.Friday, November 13, 2015
In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration has been struggling with how to adapt the regulatory paradigm for in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs) – any test that detects a disease, condition, or infection – to the rapidly developing world of genetic and genomic testing services. As the health care system continues to move towards the White House’s vision of precision medicine, FDA appears to be doing its part by exercising its medical device authorities over emerging genetic and genomic IVDs in a risk-based and scientifically driven manner. This blog post will highlight some recent actions taken by the Agency that relate to genetic and genomic testing, as well as some ongoing activities in this area that we will continue to monitor for our readers.
Regulatory Actions on Autosomal Carrier Screening Gene Mutation Tests
Early this year, FDA authorized the marketing of an autosomal carrier screening gene mutation test for Bloom Syndrome, submitted by 23andMe as a de novo classification request. The company filed this de novo request because there was no legally marketed device upon which it could rely for a showing of substantial equivalence; such a request triggers FDA’s review of available science and other data provided by the applicant so that it can determine whether to classify the novel device as low-risk (Class I) or moderate-risk (Class II). In the case of 23andMe’s carrier screening test, FDA concluded that the device should be regulated as Class II subject to special controls. 23andMe launched its new Personalized Genome Service direct-to-consumer product last month, touting itself as the “first and only company to receive FDA authorization to market a direct-to-consumer genetic test.”
As a direct consequence of its review of 23andMe’s data and the Agency’s de novo classification decision, in late October FDA published two orders that apply to all “autosomal recessive carrier screening gene mutation detection systems” going forward. Specifically, as noted above, this generic type of device has been classified into Class II (subject to special controls for medical devices) and also exempted from premarket notification requirements (also known as a 510(k) notification). As a consequence, companies that may want to market similar products can do so without filing any sort of documentation with the Agency before launch, as long as all of the general controls for medical devices (registration and listing with FDA, labeling, quality systems compliance, etc.) and all of the relevant special controls for this particular device type have been met.
The genetic test device is defined as: “Autosomal recessive carrier screening gene mutation detection system is a qualitative in vitro molecular diagnostic system used for genotyping of clinically relevant variants in genomic DNA isolated from human
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backgrounds. © Tamara Abdul Hadi, Picture an Arab Man
Shams (left), who won the Student Union elections at her university, sits with her colleagues at her favorite spot, which is graffitied with an image of Lebanese thinker Mahdi Amel. © Laura Boushnak, I Read I Write
Wadi As-Salam ("Valley of Peace), is a cemetery located in Najaf, a province in the Western part of Central Iraq. This vast cemetery (over 5 million people are buried here) is considered to be the second largest and oldest cemetery in the world. © Tamara Abdul Hadi, Valley of PeaceBOISE, Idaho (KBOI) — When deputies stumbled upon a naked man in socks, standing outside in nearly 30-degree weather, they didn't know it was going to lead to an arrest for robbery, battery charges and second-degree kidnapping.
Deputies found an unidentified man in the middle of Pleasant Valley Road near the Hollilyn Drive intersection around 3:30 a.m. Friday, bleeding from the head.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office says it was snowing at the time, and he was only wearing socks. They picked him up, and he was later taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Deputies learned that the man was driven out to the desert and forced to take off his clothes by 46-year-old Clifford M. Cole, who was reportedly angry about an unpaid debt.
The man told the sheriff's office that Cole had stolen his backpack, that had his phone and laptop inside it, and then was hit in the head by the bottom of a handgun. He said Cole threatened further injuries if he didn't pay and then left him on the side of the road.
Cole was charged with aggravated battery, robbery and second-degree kidnapping. Deputies arrested him Monday morning and holding him on a $500,000 bond.Earlier this week, Baroness Ruth Deech told The Telegraph that some universities have become no-go areas for Jewish students because anti-Semitism is so rife.
She said that many institutions may be failing to combat hatred against Jews because they were “afraid of offending” potential benefactors from Gulf states.
Sir Eric praised Lady Deech for showing “enormous courage” in speaking out on the topic, which he said he has long been concerned about.
“I was certainly worried when I was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and I have felt worried ever since,” he said.
“I have felt for some time that universities have at best been inactive about anti-Semitism and have turned a blind eye to it. They have shown grave cowardice.
“The classic definition of dealing with racism and anti-Semitism is those who stand by and do nothing.”
He said that the inertia of universities on the issue has led him to consider that new legislation may be necessary to protect Jewish students on campus. “I am looking at it [new legislation] with a favourable eye,” he said.Ask people which is the most important structure that keeps the US capital markets humming day after day, and most will likely erroneously say the New York Stock Exchange, which however over the past decade has transformed from its historic role into nothing more than a TV studio for financial cable networks. Some might be closer to the truth and say that the most important building is the true New York Stock Exchange located in Mahwah, New Jersey however that also is not true as the NYSE now accounts for just a small fraction of total traded volume.
No, the real answer of what the most important building if for US capital markets, and not just stocks, but all assets classes, as under its roof on a daily basis electronic trades representing many trillions of dollars’ worth of equities, derivatives, currencies, and fixed-income take place, is the Equinix NY4 data center, located at 755 Secaucus Road, in Secaucus, NJ 07094.
This, as Bloomberg puts it in its fascinating profile of this particular structure, "is where Wall Street actually transacts."
Behold what the new trading floor looks like: This view from a catwalk shows some of the miles of fiber-optic cable that connect to machines below.
Photo: Bloomberg
The first thing that any entrant in this giant, semi-refrigerated warehouse containing millions of servers will notice is that there are virtually no humans to be seen anywhere. Yes: the Equinix's NY4 data center hosts 49 exchanges (among the customers that pay to use this Secaucus location) and it is all just servers and fiberoptic interconnections either between them, or to the outside world.
This is how Bloomberg introduces this new nerve centre of virtually every capital markets in the US: "six miles northwest of the New York Stock Exchange as the microwave flies, across the Hudson River and within earshot of Interstate 95, is a building with no name. Only three numbers mark its address, and, like much of its surroundings, it’s nondescript, encircled by windblown trash and lonely semitrailers waiting to be hauled away somewhere. It’s a part of New Jersey that’s, well, ugly."
That's not a coincidence: the building wants to attract as little attention to itself as possible because it happens to be the most critical node in the U.S. financial system. "The 49 different exchanges that lease space at this data center sent a record 9.6 million messages per second through its fiber-optic cables in February. Every day, electronic trades representing trillions of dollars’ worth of equities, derivatives, currencies, and fixed-income assets pass under this roof. This is NY4."
NY4 is just one of the core assets, or "crown jewels" of Equinix, the $22.7 billion company that’s quietly grown into the world’s largest owner of interconnected data centers, which really is a fancy name for warehouses.
The full public technical specs of this vast building are below:
However, Equinix pitches its centers as more than just storage space for servers.
As Bloomberg reports, its clients pay in part because of who else is there. NY4 Clients includes the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Direct Edge, ICAP, Nasdaq, the NYSE, and Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.
Servers in cages at NY4. Photo: Bloomberg
It's not just legacy Wall Street firms, or their more recent collocated High Frequency Trading spawn that call Secaucus their home. IEX Group, the firm that starred in Michael Lewis’s 2014 book Flash Boys, stashes a key piece of its hardware in one of Equinix’s New Jersey data centers: a coil of fiber-optic cable that slows orders down by a fraction of a second. And those firms are just from the handful of financial industry customers Equinix discloses. It connects more than 6,300 businesses to their customers, and most of those firms don’t want it known that they lease one of NY4’s metal cages, which are identified only by numbers, not names.
It's not just Wall Street. Equinix’s nonfinancial clients, meanwhile, include some of the Internet’s biggest names: Amazon.com, AT&T, China Mobile, Comcast, Facebook, Hulu, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Netflix, Pandora, and Verizon.
It is the immediate proximity of these non-financial that makes the building all the more desirable for financial companies which are located at the very place where the servers of companies whose assets they trade billions of times per day, are actually located.
As Bloomberg adds, much of the Internet is literally run through the nondescript buildings Equinix has scattered around the world. “They’re a crucial component of how the cloud works,” says Colby Synesael, an analyst at Cowen & Co. who covers Equinix. “It’s where the Internet lives.”
As it turns out, the internet is very heavily protected. The security at NY4 is unprecedented: to get from the parking lot to a spot where you could touch one of the servers you’d have to go through five checkpoints. One of them is a so-called man trap with two automatic steel doors that never open at the same time. Your palm print is required twice in addition to your PIN code. A wall of video monitors captures every nook and cranny of the 338,000-square-foot building.
Those lucky enough to enter will notice that once in, the space is enveloped by a rush of white noise from the thousands of computer fans whirring away to keep the servers cool. To help maintain the temperature, the ceiling is 45 feet high, roughly four stories up. It’s barely visible—not just because of its height, but also thanks to all of the suspended trays of cables and cooling ducts running overhead. All this goes toward one statistic: Equinix says in its annual filing that it kept its facilities up and running 99.9999 percent of the time in 2015.
The 12 air-handling units in NY4 move cold air via overhead ducts.
However, in the off chance that primary power is somehow interrupted, NY4 is protected: the company prides itself on its backups. According to Bloomberg, the structure's uninterrupted power supply room has 5,600 batteries on standby to provide eight minutes of electricity while the generators rev to life. Should the air conditioning fail and risk the servers overheating, there are three 150,000-gallon tanks filled with water chilled to 45F. Running that cold water through pipes would give NY4 staff 20 minutes to get the AC fixed.
Finally, there are the generators: 18 of them, "each the size of a locomotive engine and able to crank out 2.5 megawatts of power" Equinix keeps 180,000 gallons of diesel fuel on-site to run them. In terms of footprint, NY4 is roughly the same size as a Manhattan block. If you want to look out the window, too bad. There isn’t one.
Standby power comes from 18 generators that can crank out 2.5?megawatts each. Photo: Bloomberg
Then there is the matter of the Feng Shui.
As Bloomberg, whose reporters recently visited the facility, reports "there’s a slick appearance to it all, from the red-lit foyer to the metal all around and the blue lights that shine from above. This last feature comes in handy at night for security purposes, but it’s also got an aesthetic touch to it. “When everything is dark and you only have these blue lights, it looks really cool,” says Michael Poleshuk, senior director of operations for Equinix in the northeast region, as he leads a tour."
And this is the brilliance of Equinix: while exchanges, dark pools, ATS bicker and compete who gets what traffic, and cloud providers scramble to reach clients, one company has managed to roll up the most mission-critical providers of life in the US as we know it - it would not be an exageration to say that a double digit percentage of US GDP is made possible thanks to this one warehouse.
But there are many more.
Another reason the location is important to Wall Street is because NY4 is only one part of Equinix’s Secaucus, N.J., campus. This is how the company pitches its services on its website:
Connections to 125+ network service providers
Facilities compliant with SSAE16 SOC-1 Type II, an auditing standard for service provider locations (NY1, NY2, NY4, and NY7 only)
Ability to interconnect directly to 750+ companies colocated with Equinix in New York
Customer population comprised of many financial services firms, media companies and large enterprises
7 buildings with 484,000+ square feet of colocation space
The company has spent the last 20 years growing and consolidating the industry into its own spider web of interconnected data centers from Frankfurt to Tokyo to London to Rio de Janeiro to Sydney. This is the company that controls a significant part of modern finance: the sites where you plug in the actual computers that fuel today’s hyperfast and hyperconnected electronic trading.
“I call them the 800-pound gorilla of the data services market,” says Inder Singh, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. “I see these guys as a key bridge between customers and suppliers.”
More importantly, Equinix is effectively a monopoly. As such it does not need to compete with customers. Singh says. “It is the Switzerland of data center players,” he says. That has a downside, though. “Equinix definitely leaves some money on the table. But they would probably be losing some of their coveted customers.”
Then there are the subservice providers, because Equinix provides only “dark fiber”; it doesn’t move data itself.
That’s created opportunities for other companies. A startup called Lucera is one of them. The company operates something like a telecom within the data center by using software to interconnect the banks, exchanges, and investment firms that have servers at NY4.
"If Goldman Sachs wants to connect to 100 people, they just run one cable to us,” says Jacob Loveless, Lucera’s co-founder and chief executive officer. In turn, that one cable from a firm can then connect the client to any of the other 52 data centers around the world where Lucera operates.
Loveless' idea was to provide a seamless interconnection between traders by moving Wall Street into the cloud. He realized there were too many trades out in the world that were great ideas but impractical: Implementing them would take six months and $500,000 because of the connections that needed to be made to another bank or investor or exchange that might be halfway around the world. Additionally, it would take a bank about three months to create a new connection to another bank if it did it on its own, Loveless says. Lucera’s fastest time to connect two of its users is eight seconds. That’s because the company is software-based and relies on hard-wired connections already created by Equinix. Lucera’s mean connection time is only two hours, Loveless says. In short, everything is digital, everything is hotswappable, and everything is modular.
How did Loveless get his idea? He spent 10 years at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he was the firm’s head of high-frequency trading.
* * *
What happens at NY4 today is vastly different from Wall Street 30 years ago, or 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.
At the dawn of electronic trading in the 1980s, major banks such as Goldman Sachs or Bank of America had to lay wire and cable to create their own networks to connect to customers. If you laid one bank network atop the other, they would have all been basically the same, Loveless explains, which is another way of saying it was hugely inefficient. Then in 2000, a company called Radianz set out to create a global network that promised access to the major financial institutions through a single connection and it worked. British Telecom bought Radianz in 2005 for about $130 million. Lucera, which got its start in 2013, is now a sort of second-generation Radianz as it offers to handle the complicated interconnections within a data center like NY4 for its clients.
In effect, even the act of collocation has been outsourced to "cloud" vendors: "If I’m a customer and I want to connect to 270 companies, I can either run 540 connections out of my own cage or they can run a pair to us and we’ll run the rest,” says Michael Badrov, global head of operations for Lucera.
* * *
When one re-emerges from this massive "cloudy" server farm, and stands on the roof of NY4, the skyscrapers of Manhattan could just be seen to the east. To the west, planes lined up to land at Newark airport.
And everywhere there are microwave antennas that are pointed toward Chicago, Newark, and north of the city to either Mahwah and the NYSE, or to a transducer station where the signal can get hooked into the fiber-optic cable that ends in London. That’s where Equinix’s LD4 center is located.
This global network of densely packed data centers is now the reason you can trade a stock on your smartphone in a way that was unimaginable 10 years ago. The six or seven intermediaries needed—AT&T, your brokerage, the NYSE, and so forth—are all housed under Equinix’s enormous roof.
And this is what the nerve center of the real US capital markets looks like.Dems who flipped on FISA immunity see more telecom cash
House Democrats who flipped their votes to support retroactive immunity for telecom companies in last week’s FISA bill took thousands of dollars more from phone companies than Democrats who consistently voted against legislation with an immunity provision, according to an analysis by MAPLight.org.
In March, the House passed an amendment that rejected retroactive immunity. But last week, 94 Democrats who supported the March amendment voted to support the compromise FISA legislation, which includes a provision that could let telecom companies that cooperated with the government’s warrantless electronic surveillance off the hook.
The 94 Democrats who changed their positions received on average $8,359 in contributions from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint from Jan. 2005 to March 2008, according to the analysis by MAPLight, a nonpartisan organization that tracks the connection between campaign contributions and legislative outcomes.
Retroactive immunity could squash about 40 lawsuits pending against telecommunication companies that helped the government monitor the telecommunications traffic of Americans without warrants. The telecom industry has lobbied hard to insure that the provision is included in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act update Congress is currently considering.
Nick Papas, spokesman for the House Democratic Caucus, said, “Many members of the caucus opposed the earlier version of this legislation and ultimately supported better legislation that was the product of bipartisan negotiations. Months of hard work, not campaign contributions, earned the support of many members.”
MAPLight executive director Daniel Newman agreed that there are many factors that affect a lawmaker’s vote but, unlike pressure from constituents, campaign cash is not a “democratic influence.”
The 116 Democrats who remained opposed to telecom immunity received an average of $4,987 from the telecoms during the three-year period, the analysis showed.
“Regardless which way the legislators’ vote, the fact is most of them get money from the telecom industry and that buys access even if it doesn’t buy a favorable result for telecom,” Newman said.
The members who voted yes on June 20 received, on average, $9,659 from the big three phone companies while those who opposed the bill received an average of $4,810, MAPLight found.
The money provides special interests with a bigger megaphone, Newman said.
“Who’s more likely to get a meeting, you or AT&T, which donates million of dollars and has the legislator’s ear?”It’s been just over a month since the FBI, state police, and Keene police raided the Free Talk Live and LRN.FM studio in a search for alleged child pornography. They confiscated dozens of storage devices and computers and though we don’t expect them to find any child porn, we also didn’t expect to get anything back anytime soon. Apparently these investigations can take months or as much as a year or more. (It took the DEA nine months to arrest the owners of Phat Stuff after their raid.)
However, in a pleasantly unexpected development, the FBI has returned the video camera I use to record court hearings and other various activism, the Canon HF-G30, when my attorney requested it!
When they were searching the house and found the camera, I asked them to google it to make sure it didn’t have any internal storage (it doesn’t), but they refused and confiscated it anyway. So, given how little they cared at the time, I didn’t expect to see it again for a year.
They were certainly not required to accede to the request, but they did. Thank you to the US attorney and FBI lead agent Scott Bailey. Hopefully this is the beginning of our vindication and a good sign for the return of our church’s equipment sooner rather than later.
Stay tuned here to Free Keene for the latest on the raid.Q: In the 5/29 Tech+ Mailbag there was a letter inquiring about a TV “consultant/installer.” Is there such a person/forum/website for TV options/questions? ~ Rodney Tomkins
Tech+ You weren’t the only person to re-ask the question included in last week’s “How people pick and pay for TV service in the age of online TV” roundup.
By not directly answering reader Gerald Vargo’s query about who he could pay to set up internet TV at his home, I had hoped the answer would be evident in the numerous stories other readers shared about their own TV setup. Too subtle, I guess.
Recommendations are too difficult to give since each case is personal. So let me be more direct: I don’t know anyone who does this for a living. Judging from the questions I receive from Tech+ readers, I’m guessing this would be a fabulous business for anyone out there who is paying attention.
BUT I can do what I do best: share tips and resources.
How to buy/install a TV antenna
Read the long version of advice at “Sales of TV antennas on the rise, here’s how to buy one.” The short version:
Go to AntennaWeb.com to see what over-the-air channels you should be able to receive at your home. You will more than likely receive more channels if you put the antenna outside or on the roof.
Talk to local employees at Best Buy or other electronics stores. They sell a variety of antennas and usually have advice about what antenna works best based on where you live. Talk to your friends and neighbors to find out what they use.
Hire a highly rated TV antenna installer by researching online and asking friends and neighbors. Or use a site like HomeAdvisor, which is like a modern yellow-pages for home services. The Golden-based company has dozens of installers in the Denver area happy to do the job. And antenna requests in Denver are up 39 percent year over year, compared to 27 percent nationwide. As for price? HomeAdvisor shared the average cost nationwide is $287, but in Denver, it’s $231.
How to buy/install new TV devices
If you’re watching at home, there are two main types of devices to consider: a box that records TV shows and a box that “broadcasts” internet-based TV shows. In other words, a streaming player and DVR.
Streaming players: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, NVIDIA Shield TV, etc. There are numerous devices but keep in mind, not all offer access to every online TV service available. But things always change. DirecTV Now, for example, only became available as a channel to Roku owners last month.
DVRs: You don’t necessarily need a DVR, but if you’re used to pausing live video or recording it, several antenna-based DVRs do exist. The most popular ones are Tablo DVRs, TiVo Roamio, Channel Master DVR and increasingly, Plex. Or search for “OTA DVRs,” short for over-the-air, to read roundups and guides suggested by sites that cover this topic better than I. Keep in mind that these OTA DVRs only record TV coming in through a home’s antenna. Streaming TV services, like Sling TV, are completely different and can’t be recorded by these DVRs but such services often provide their own way to record shows for viewing later.
As for installation? Most of the devices offer online guides for installation. Here’s Roku’s. But I get it — who wants to read instructions? If you don’t have a knowledgeable neighbor or family member who can help, search for video instructions on YouTube.
How to install streaming TV services
The beauty of this new TV format is there is very little installation involved. You sign up online on the company’s website, hand over a credit card and you’re in! In most cases, you can download mobile app to watch on your phone, and download an app on Roku or other device to watch the video service on TV. As long as you have decent internet speeds and the streaming player is connected, that’s essentially all there is to installation.
The tough part is knowing which service fits you best. I suggest you go back and read last week’s story on how other readers put their plans together. There’s also a cottage industry. Several sites are dedicated to this topic and offer obsessive amounts of information on the topic that is better known in the industry as OTT, short for over-the-top TV. A handful of sites:
And here are a few stories I’ve written that could be helpful:
If you’re reading this in the newspaper, see the online version for links to key topics. View current and past Tech+ answers or ask your own tech question at dpo.st/mailbag. If you’re e-mailing your question, please add “Mailbag” to the subject line.The Buffalo Bills offense continues to live up to its reputation as a ground-and-pound unit that struggles to produce results through the air. Through three preseason games, Buffalo Bills passers rank 31st in yards per attempt, 28th in sacks, and dead last in passer rating.
In spite of these stats, Buffalo’s rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman has been earning accolades at the end of each preseason game. Some of that can be chalked up to the competition; T.J. Yates played badly enough against the Vikings to earn a demotion behind Peterman, while Tyrod Taylor has arguably had the worst passing stats in the NFL this preseason.
Still, the work that Peterman has done, to rise from the third string and hold his own when forced into first string action against the Baltimore Ravens, should be commended. While his numbers on paper might not impress, Peterman is passing the eye test. Here’s a deep dive.
A more accurate statline
Peterman finished with a mediocre passing line on the night: 11-for-23 (47.8 percent), 93 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions, and a fumble that he recovered. It was mostly in line with the rest of his preseason stats, so why is he getting talked up?
When evaluating a player, the results of a play aren’t as important as the process leading to those results. Peterman’s stats don’t look good. But consider:
Four of Peterman’s passes were blocked at the line. His throwing motion didn’t particularly telegraph any of them - the defenders just had luck getting their hands on the ball.
Two of his throws were negated by illegal formation penalties. Those throws added up to 28 yards of completions.
Four of his passes were dropped; two were clear drops, and two were contested passes. Those passes made up another 43 lost yards.
One of his passes, a throwaway under heavy pressure, was nearly intercepted - and it arguably should’ve been.
Take that into consideration, and a more accurate read on Peterman’s night (remove half the blocked pass attempts, include the negated throws and the interception) looks more like this:
17/23 (73.9 percent), 164 yards (7.13 YPA), 1 INT
With 1 interceptable pass out of 23 attempts, Peterman’s game would’ve ranked 18th among NFL quarterbacks in terms of the best rates measured last year in Cian Fahey’s Pre-Snap Reads QB Catalogue. His accuracy percentage of 73.9 would’ve ranked 17th.
This is the perspective to take with Peterman: He hasn’t been a standout player in the preseason, but he’s been solid, and looked passable playing increasingly tougher competition.
Easing into the offense
When Peterman came in at the start of the third drive, the Bills gave him a quarterback-friendly set of plays to make his job easier. The team was already facing a first-and-20 following a holding penalty. On his first pass, the team used a mirrored high-low concept; the outside receivers ran post patterns, and the tight end and slot receiver ran five yard hitches.
This makes the read simple for Peterman - he can narrow his choice to two or even one receiver based on the presnap coverage. Peterman targets Zay Jones, and does a great job threading the needle for a 15 yard completion.
On the next play, the Bills scheme up another mirrored concept - the boundary receivers run go routes, the slot receivers run five yard outs, and Charles Clay (also in the slot) is running up the seam. Peterman can target the deep yardage if he sees a favorable matchup, and if not, he has two receivers running at the sticks.
He does see single coverage, and tosses the ball to Jones again. The throw has great timing and targets Jones on the back shoulder, but Jones isn’t quite able to haul it in while being harassed by the cornerback.
One more way the Bills made things easier for Peterman was through the use of trips formations. Buffalo’s scheme has some formations that bunch receivers together on one side of the field. Clustering receivers like this forces the defense to tip its intentions.
On the next play of this drive, Peterman faced a third down. Three receivers lined up in a bunch on the left side. Three defenders are positioned near them, with a deep safety on that side. When the player covering Charles Clay blitzes, Peterman knows the nearest defender is that deep safety.
These playcalls are where Peterman does a great job. He can read man and zone coverage and make smart decisions with his throwing targets from the pocket. Even coming in cold from the bench, he was able to immediately start moving the football in tough situations because of the combination of player and coach.
Protection problems
It’s been a constant refrain in the preseason: Bills quarterbacks have not had enough time to throw the ball. Sometimes, the onus can be put on the quarterback’s pocket presence. Other times, it gets chalked up to one of the pass protectors losing a one-on-one battle. Take this near-interception of Peterman, for instance. The Ravens blitzed six defenders against six blockers. LeSean McCoy is an elite runner, but he’ll never be confused for an elite pass protector. Here, he got steamrolled.
More often, and more concerning, the pressure on Saturday was a result of a fundamental breakdown in setting the protection. Blitzers and linemen were simply not being picked up, leading to easy pressure on Peterman. Here’s one example - Richie Incognito lets #96 past, likely expecting help up the middle. But Jonathan Williams is working between the center and the right guard.
Here’s another example. The Ravens come out with an aggressive look - seven men on the line of scrimmage, and the Bills are in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE). With so many players sugaring the gaps, it’s difficult to diagnose, but the QB needs to find the “middle” of the group of defenders and use that to set the pivot point for his protection scheme. He also needs to consider the possibility of an overload blitz (with more defenders coming than he allocated on one side of the ball), and find a hot route.
Peterman’s choice to throw to Nick O’Leary was aggressive, but it paid off with a first down. He had to wait a tick for the window to open, leading to a hard hit from a free blitzer. Had he targeted Brandon Tate, he could’ve thrown earlier and avoided the rush.
One more play with undue pressure. The Ravens show another aggressive presnap look: five on the line of scrimmage, nine in the box (the safety is eight yards off the ball), two cornerbacks on the outside. On a second and eight play, they’re responding to Buffalo coming out in 21 personnel (2 RB, 1 TE).
Seven of those players blitz, and the Bills only have six in to block. Mike Tolbert comes across the formation to meet two of the blitzers, at the same time that Incognito passes #94 off to help Eric Wood block #69. Peterman appears to panic at this outcome, throwing the ball off his back foot and close to a defender. With a half second of extra blocking, Peterman could’ve set up Jones for a deep post that might just have gone to the end zone.
Highlights
I’ll leave you with a few more clips of throws Peterman made during the game. Look at his ball placement, the speed and rhythm of his throwing process, and the way he uses his eyes to move defenders.
I don’t think the Bills have an exceptional talent in Peterman (although if his arm strength were to improve, I might be inclined to re-evaluate). But he’s smart, poised, and can pick apart a defense. Think of Trent Edwards, pre-concussion. He should stay with the team through his rookie contract, especially as long as he’s playing in this offense. But outside of leading this team to the playoffs as a rookie, nothing he does this year should preclude the team using a first round pick on the position in 2018.YPG Statement on Turkish Shelling of Rojava. #TwitterKurds
Rough translation of YPG General Command's statement tonight
To the media and public opinion!
Turkish army tanks shelled our positions in the village ofZormîxarê west of Kobani, opposite the city Jarabulus at 4:30 on July 24, 2015, injuring four FSA fighters and some civilians in that village.
Today at 22:00 the Turkish army shelled our units' positions with 7 tank shells.
At 23:00 today the Turkish army fired shots at a vehicle west of Gire Spi (Tal Abyad) in the village of Til Findirê.
Turkish army: Instead of bombarding the whereabouts of mercenaries "Daash" they bombard the whereabouts of our units and this is not the right attitude, we warn the Turkish state and tell it to operate within international laws, and warn the Turkish army not to repeat its attacks on the positions of our units.
Leadership of the People's Protection Units in the Kobanî canton
July 26, 2015
Reply · Report PostLOWVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities have charged a northern New York woman and her boyfriend because the woman's 2-year-old daughter used their cellphones to dial 911 a total of 15 times last month.
Village of Lowville (LOW'-vihl) Police Officer Matthew Martin says the 23-year-old mother and her 33-year-old boyfriend told him they tried to keep their phones away from the persistent toddler, but the girl kept getting them and dialing 911.
Martin spoke to the couple Wednesday after Lewis County 911 dispatchers reported that a child had called 14 times in January. Martin says the child called 911 a 15th time later that night.
He charged the couple the next day with obstructing governmental administration.
Martin says the girl called 911 three more times Friday but hasn't made an emergency call since then.Between 2013 and 2014, U.S. companies spent a whopping $70 billion on training programs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top-performing companies spent more on average than others did.
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It’s not that L&D (“learning and development”) is a bad investment. It’s that it just isn’t equally effective across the board. Some companies might find that building cultures of learning, rather than sinking resources into training programs, pays off much better. Imagine all employees in your office voluntarily went home tonight and read about a topic related to their career. Maybe a book about interacting with coworkers or research on some of the latest marketing trends. Don’t you think they’d approach their jobs tomorrow in more inspired and informed ways of thinking? Now imagine if they did that every single night. Getting Everyone Motivated Teams that are committed to learning can give their companies a real competitive edge. That’s why top corporations spend so much on L&D in the first place. But even the most naturally curious employees are sometimes put off by formalized programs that require them to meet certain learning benchmarks. Even the most naturally curious employees are sometimes put off by formalized programs. Instead of taking a rigidly structured, quantifiable approach, build learning into your organizations’ culture. Inspire employees to make it a part of their daily lives. Simply put, people are more likely to learn when they want to.
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So the challenge for leaders is first and foremost to give their teams that motivation. Research suggests that tapping into your individual employees’ emotions is one of the best ways to do that. Celebrate minor learning successes. Make your team feel good about figuring out how to do something new. It’s important to focus on the small wins. Waiting to commend an employee for clearing only the biggest hurdles won’t have the same payoff because those don’t come frequently enough to make a real difference in the culture. With that in mind, here are three ways to build learning cultures in your organization. 1. Offer Rewards Rewards for completing learning initiatives should equal the effort it takes employees to achieve them. And rewards shouldn’t always be monetary. In fact, it’s usually better if they aren’t. Remember, you’re trying to inspire motivation, not competition. My tech company WebpageFX offers hundreds of industry-relevant books, online courses, and certification resources for our employees. Those who earn certain increments of points by tapping into them can choose between three reward options that gradually get bigger as they move up. Whether it’s a free magazine subscription (15 points) or an African safari for two (300 points), the aim is to get our employees excited about reaching new goals–which they set for themselves. There’s no “Thursday’s mandatory training program will be held in Conference Room B.” 2. Lead By Example If you want your teams to put in the time and effort to keep developing their skills, you should be doing the same. As a leader (or the leader) in your company, your behaviors and actions will affect how your employees behave. And while what’s relevant to your professional development might be different than, say, your dev team’s, showing that you’re willing to continue to learn can go a long way in creating a meaningful learning culture from the top down. Celebrate minor learning successes.
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It’s no secret that people are influenced by the the behaviors of those around them. So it doesn’t take making a grand show of your efforts to pick up some new knowledge–in fact, don’t do that. Again, the key is to model small, self-directed efforts that others will pick up on and then embark toward on their own. 3. Look Beyond Skills Training Finally, you’ll see the best results motivating your employees to learn if you encourage them to pick up skills that have no direct bearing on their day-to-day jobs. It’s just as important to let employees take up wellness initiatives, creative endeavors, and community-based projects. The point is to show your organization that intellectual development and honing work-specific skills is just one piece of the learning culture they’re a part of. Not only do you want employees to improve their careers, they should feel motivated to be proactive about improving their lives, too. You should be interested in each employee as an individual, not just a sales rep or software engineer. William Craig is the founder and president of WebpageFX and a columnist for Forbes and Fortune. He writes about the role of culture in entrepreneurial success.
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in at less than 5 minutes, so those wanting to get a healthy dose of the Muscles from Brussels may want to adjust their expectations accordingly. He appears for the finale, so it’s a satisfyingly action packed few minutes, but he’s far from the main attraction.
So, with only a few minutes of Van Damme goodness, what exactly does that leave us with? The whole production is essentially one big meta-comedy, starring, directed, written, and produced by Da Peng. Peng is a name that won’t be familiar to many, and understandably so. A comedian by trade, despite featuring in a handful of other movies, his claim to fame is hosting a variation of the US style Late Shows online, and his show has a significant cult following. In 2012 Peng famously got into a spat with US celebrity Conan O’Brien, when the American chat show host pointed out that the animated intro sequence to Peng’s show, was identical to that of his own. Brandishing Peng’s show a rip-off, the two exchanged banter over the course of several episodes, with Peng apologising for the faux pas, and O’Brien going so far as to create a new intro for Peng’s show and offering it to him as a gift (which was actually used!).
For his directorial debut, Peng plays an exaggerated version of himself, a popular actor who’s tired of constantly being cast in loser roles. An opportunity presents itself when a gangster, played by Liang Chao, offers him a significant amount of cash to make a movie himself. The only catch is it needs to star an actress who the gangster has a crush on, played by Yuan Shanshan. In the movie (this meta stuff is going to get complicated) Shanshan isn’t the best actress in the world, and has been stuck with supporting roles and bit parts, so she plans to go to Hollywood where she’ll audition for a production starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. So Chao’s offer is a win-win situation – Peng can finally make the movie he’s wanted to make, and Shanshan gets the leading role she’s been looking for so won’t need to go to Hollywood.
While celebrating at a nightclub though, Peng gets ridiculously drunk, and ends up on the street throwing up in the gutter. When a female fan recognizes him and attempts to kiss the worse of wear star, Peng throws her off, and everyone ends up on the floor in an ungraceful heap of drunkenness. Unfortunately, the whole incident has been caught on various revellers phone cameras, and thanks to the power of social media the video soon goes viral, described as Peng assaulting one of his female fans. Peng’s grand plans to call his many popular actor friends to feature in his movie suddenly turn sour, as thanks to the video nobody wants anything to do with him, so instead, he assembles a ragtag cast and crew and attempts to make a movie using the new technique of ‘secret filming’.
If the above description sounds familiar, it’s because it’s kind of been done before. I never expected to write this sentence in my lifetime, but Jiang Bing Man is basically the Korean movie Rough Cut, meets the Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy comedy Bowfinger. Surprisingly, the premise works, and earns a number of genuine laugh out loud moments. As can be guessed from the title, the movie that Peng decides to make is Jian Bing Man, which roughly translates to Pancake Man, a Chinese snack food that many street vendors sell. Peng announces the movie as “A Chinese super realistic action, romance, science fiction comedy”, and he’s not far off. Like many of the kung fu movies of old, he ends up making the script up as he goes along, often amusingly changing the story based on circumstances and wherever they happen to be.
Further blurring the lines between reality and fiction is a whole host of Chinese and Hong Kong stars who turn up at various points with hilarious results. The cameraman Peng hires is actually a paparazzi photographer, and reveals that he and his network always keep track of where stars are going to be and at what time. After revealing that Sandra Ng is in Beijing to film a new movie, soon Peng and his crew are huddled behind some bushes in a park where Ng goes for a nightly jog, with the plan to capture a scene that will have a group of thugs threaten her, only for Jian Bing Man to come to the rescue. It’s scenes like this which are reminiscent of the similar scenarios that play out in Bowfinger, and Jian Bing Man also pulls off the same concept with aplomb, managing not to feel derivative at any point.
The character of Jian Bing Man himself is a source of particular amusement, as his weapons consist of the ingredients to make the pancakes. His habit of bursting into each scene by throwing a pair of eggs is a refreshing addition to the overcrowded superhero genre, and he’s not too shabby with a sauce bottle either. Of course things don’t go smoothly for the whole duration, and when Peng accidentally foils a convenience store robbery thanks to thinking that it was part of his movie, he quickly finds his popularity back on track, and the movie deals start pouring in again. This leads to him pulling the plug on the Jian Bing Man production, but with his ragtag cast and crew putting so much of their hearts into it, the question boils down to will he turn his back on them when they’ve done so much already, or will he finish the job?
Of course the answer is pretty obvious, but still the story hits the right notes. It’s the age old tale of someone who values nothing more than money and fame, having to lose everything to realise the value of friendship and having people in your life that you can count on. While some of the comedy does get a little broad, the vast majority of it is on point, transferring surprisingly well to a western audience. There’s no doubt that being familiar with many of the Chinese actors and actresses that have brief roles in the movie will definitely add to the audiences enjoyment, but even not knowing who everyone is shouldn’t cause too much of a detriment to the viewing.
The filming of the finale for Jian Bing Man also doubles as the finale for the movie itself, as Van Damme appears playing himself playing the villain of the piece. He gets a decent fight scene in against Peng, throwing a few kicks, but is clearly doubled for a dramatic fall. However he makes the most of his few short minutes, making an impact and even delivering the final line of the movie, which rivals his final line as Xander from Enemies Closer (which was the only good thing about that movie). For Hong Kong cinema fans though it won’t be Van Damme that brings the biggest smile to their face, but rather a cameo appearance from four members of the original Young and Dangerous crew – Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, and Jerry Lamb. The final minutes make for a nostalgic nod to Hong Kong’s golden years, which also feature Eric Tsang directing the scene, and it’s satisfyingly choreographed from an action perspective, with a nice motorbike stunt and some entertaining double handed gunplay.
Jian Bing Man succeeds in showing that commercial Mainland Chinese productions do have the potential to have a wider appeal beyond just local audiences. As a tale of a director trying to make a movie and hoping that no one notices him doing it, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air. Now, who do we need to speak to at Marvel to get Jian Bing Man incorporated into the Marvel Universe?
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10WASHINGTON - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced legislation Thursday that they said would protect more than 2 million acres of the world-renowned high desert in southeastern Oregon from outside mineral exploitation, including oil and gas drilling, and build on long-time local economic strengths by helping farmers and ranchers.
Wyden and Merkley said the Southeastern Oregon Mineral Withdrawal and Economic Preservation and Development Act recognizes that public lands in Southeastern Oregon have hosted agriculture and cattle ranching for generations but face threats including the possibility of foreign companies who want to parachute into the state to explore for minerals such as uranium.
"This is deeply troubling because these mining operations are dangerous – to the existing local economies as well as to the overall environment," Wyden said. "Blocking mining in these areas protects the local potential for continued creation of jobs in agriculture and recreation, and the growth of small businesses."
"The Owyhee Canyonlands are a special place that merit protection from outside mining operations," Merkley said. "This bill does that while also protecting and enhancing ranching and other aspects of the local economy."
In addition to their bill permanently withdrawing 2 million-plus acres in Malheur County from mineral operations, the legislation also creates and expands programs to support Southeastern Oregon communities so they can grow their traditional economies and build on their strengths.
These programs include grants to develop modern and efficient water storage systems to keep livestock out of rivers and streams and reduce the need to transport water. They also include infrastructure grants to improve roads for farmers and agriculture-related businesses, as well as job training for veterans and young people who want to get started in agriculture.
The bill would establish an Agriculture Center for Excellence to expand local agriculture research. And it would provide additional assistance to local and rural firefighters while funding other infrastructure needs like wastewater treatment, drinking water systems, and broadband and cell phone tower deployment.
"The equation is simple: Healthy public lands mean healthy economies in this part of Oregon, and outside threats to those lands place local economies in peril." Wyden said. "With these investments in Southeastern Oregon, communities can create jobs, train a new generation of workers, and modernize their economies."
The bill comes amid strenuous debate over discussions about a potential national monument in the area.
Asked about that, Wyden aide Hank Stern said that "Wyden is well aware there are important long-term conversations about Southeastern Oregon's future. He is co-sponsoring this bill with Senator Merkley because he is concerned about short-term mining threats to the area that threaten both the economy and environment."Outspoken Warriors power forward Draymond Green got into a minor spat with ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter of all people via Twitter on Sunday evening, with the conversation continuing into Monday morning. It all started with a rather innocuous tweet by Schefter regarding the Sunday night football game, where the veteran reporter argued that had Denver Broncos wide receiver Bennie Fowler not scored a late touchdown and rather taken a knee, the Broncos could have run out the clock, sealing a victory.
Green disagreed that an athlete would ever think like that, despite history saying otherwise, and a back and forth ensued.
If Broncos WR Bennie Fowler had just taken a knee near the end zone instead of going into the end zone, there's no OT and this game is over. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 28, 2016
In today’s doing too much News… no way any athlete would have ever said this…. wow https://t.co/xw1QFmbTgh — Draymond Green (@Money23Green) November 28, 2016
Remember this play, @Money23Green? Great play by a great athlete. Different ways to win – some with the mind.https://t.co/z5g9HhF3Wd — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 28, 2016by. Feb 21, 2019. Latest News
Minnesota Report
The unveiling of Governor Tim Walz (DFL-MN) first proposed budget was met with shock and awe by Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-09 Nisswa), which is significant because he is truly the most important person for Walz to convince. With Minnesota being the only state in the nation with a divided government, how legislative negotiations play at every stage of the game is a useful political science study happening in our midst. While supporters laud Walz proposal for its boldness and forward thinking, critics see it as nothing more than a tax and spend liberal dreamscape. While the budget has laudable goals focused on embraceable themes: Education, health care and community prosperity, how it is paid for is in dispute by Republicans.
The entire speech and the Republican rebuttal can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DWcH1EeOrI&t=3109s
The sharpest disagreement Republicans raised was over the transportation funding, beginning with the $.20 proposed gas tax. As they clicked off their criticisms, they included the gas tax increase coupled with the indexing for inflation, the increase in license tabs fees and an increase in the excise tax for vehicle sales. The triumvirate of tax increases seeks to provide a stable funding source for transportation and transit rather than be reliant on the legislature to pass funding on an incremental basis. In their condemnation, Republicans acknowledge the gas tax as a “regressive tax” and also the fact it is not a long-term reliable funding mechanism as we move forward in time due to a reduction in motor vehicles using liquid fuels. They highlighted their work taking ½ of the sales tax on auto parts as a dedicated source to fund roads and bridge construction. He furthered stated his prior support for a Constitutional Amendment to dedicate the entire sales tax for auto parts to this end.
In his presentation, Walz called his budget a “moral document” that is honest with Minnesotans by not just calling for aspirational goals but actually applying data-driven results on programs that work. He acknowledged areas where the federal government has failed our state, an example being by not meeting it’s 40% funding level for special education and continued his campaign slogan, “If Washington won’t lead, Minnesota will.”
He also emphasized the fact he was elected by the largest amount for governor in the state’s history. Gazelka tried to refute this contention, referring to the Special Election in Senate District 11 as a pushback against that assertion. We would take issue with the idea that a special election in a single state senate district stands in parity with a statewide general election.
In setting out his budget, Walz seeks to look forward not just for the FY 20-21 Budget, but also takes into account FY 21-22 and beyond. He called for an off-year $1.27 Bonding Bill to tackle a realm of issues from housing to transportation and transit and corrections. We asked Walz if he had spoken to Gazelka prior to his budget address and he said he had left a message, but said he did speak with House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R-30A, Crown) directly. You can see the question at minute 50:57 of the YouTube above. Later when we inquired his thoughts, Gazelka said flatly, “Its not going to happen. I can tell you we’re open to the system that we have had in place, which is a smaller, significantly smaller bonding bill in the budget year, and open to a bigger bonding bill in the nonbudget year that is typically where it’s been, so that’s where I am at.” Gazelka’s response to our question occurs at 1:13:54 of YouTube.
One other sharp criticism was the opportunity to buy-in to the ONECare Minnesota health care plan, again Gazelka took issue with a government-run health care program. He said, “Government run health care for all is a recipe for disaster in rural Minnesota for rural health care and frankly, I think for across the state…” He continued, saying “Continuing the “sick tax,” continuing the 2% sick tax is a dead issue. We agreed in 2011 that was going to go away.”
Sounds like a firm position.WA Police Commissioner's son Russell O'Callaghan sentenced to three years in prison for drug-fuelled bashing of ex-partner
Updated
The son of the West Australian Police Commissioner has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for bashing his former partner 18 months ago.
Russell O'Callaghan was high on a combination of drugs when he repeatedly bashed and threatened to kill his former partner in front of their five-year-old son.
O'Callaghan, the son of Karl O'Callaghan, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting and threatening the then 29-year-old woman at her home in August 2014.
Perth District Court heard O'Callaghan had gone to the woman's home to try to reconcile with her, but an argument started when she saw him sending text messages about drug-related matters.
Over the course of the next two days he assaulted her, including putting her in a headlock, choking her, sitting on top of her, holding scissors at her throat and striking her to the face, arms and back.
He made threats including that he was "going to bash the shit out of [her]", "gonna slit [her] throat", and said "if I can't be with you then I'm gonna kill you".
Unless you get on top of your drug habit this isn't the last time you'll come before the courts. Judge Linda Petrusa
O'Callaghan's lawyer Sandra De Maio said her client's behaviour was the result of him taking a "staggering" amount of drugs including methylamphetamine, heroin and ecstasy.
"He was so drug affected the argument led to violence on his part," she said.
Ms De Maio said her client now accepted the relationship was over and he was committed to addressing his drug addiction.
She said he had the support of his father who "has assisted him, to see what options are available to him".
Karl O'Callaghan did not attend the sentencing hearing but provided the court with a reference for his son.
Russell O'Callaghan has been in custody on remand for 14 months, and his lawyer urged the judge to impose a suspended term.
But Judge Linda Petrusa ignored the plea, and sentenced O'Callaghan to 38 months in prison.
Judge Petrusa described the offences as "serious" saying they involved "protracted violence in a domestic setting".
She warned O'Callaghan he was at risk of reoffending if he did not address his drug addiction.
"Unless you get on top of your drug habit this isn't the last time you'll come before the courts," she said.
With time already served he will be eligible for release on parole in five months.
It is not the first time O'Callaghan has been in jail.
In September 2011, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison for his involvement in a clandestine drug laboratory that exploded.
Commissioner to stand by his son
Outside court, Ms De Maio said O'Callaghan had the support of his father.
"Absolutely most definitely 100 per cent support from any loving and caring father [and] that's never waivered," she said.
"Drugs affect kids wherever they come from however good your background is.
"If your child is on drugs it's an awfully difficult thing then to overcome and he's still trying to do that."
Commissioner O'Callaghan held a press conference hours after the sentencing to discuss his son's crimes, saying he was disappointed and distressed by the actions of the younger O'Callaghan.
"From my perspective I guess Russell's got this widely publicised methamphetamine addiction but methamphetamine use is not an excuse for family violence," he said.
"He didn't offer it as an excuse, I don't accept it as an excuse.
"I think we have to be very clear that the two things are distinct and other people in Western Australia can't expect to use usage of drugs as an excuse for crimes of violence against women."
The commissioner said he agreed with the sentence handed down by Judge Petrusa.
"This is a very serious offence, and the details are quite serious so there needs to be a response from the justice system which is appropriate," Mr O'Callaghan said.
"They have to send a strong message to people out there that family violence is unacceptable.
"So I think the outcome is appropriate."
Topics: police, assault, domestic-violence, courts-and-trials, perth-6000
First postedWaterfront development could be 'Hobart's Opera House moment'
Updated
The creative team at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) will help shape public spaces in a waterfront redevelopment it has dubbed "Hobart's Sydney Opera House moment".
MONA has been hired by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation to provide a concept for the site's large public space.
The area makes up 40 per cent of the nine-hectare Macquarie Point redevelopment site on the River Derwent waterfront in Hobart, which includes the old railway yards.
MONA's creative director Leigh Carmichael said it was an exciting collaboration that came about after the success of Dark Mofo in the same space, which has included the festival's giant fire organ.
He said the city needed a unique area that could be enjoyed by locals and tourists.
"This is a big statement but it's potentially Hobart's Sydney Opera House moment, so I think that's the opportunity that lies ahead, so let's see what we can make of it," he said.
"The most important thing for us now is to get down there and have a look at the site and try and understand it, and then we'll go away and do some whiteboard sessions to see what we can come up with."
This is a big statement but it's potentially Hobart's Sydney Opera House moment. MONA's creative director Leigh Carmichael
Mr Carmichael said it was an exciting opportunity and the plan was to deliver something unique.
"I think the relationship started during Dark Mofo when we activated the site and had 76,000 people go through over 10 days," he said.
"Obviously that was a successful event with a wide demographic of people.
"So I think from that was born a good working relationship and we are both keen to see what else can come of it.
"Our starting point is what we believe Hobart needs as a city trying not to duplicate anything we already have. I do think Hobart needs a space where a large number of people can gather for community-style events.
"It's a simple brief at this point but I think the words unconventional and boundary-pushing were part of that."
Topics: community-and-society, urban-development-and-planning, hobart-7000
First postedHi,
Today I’m presenting another review from Mason Baxter, who kindly reviewed and shared with me his writeup of the updated Intel Compute Stick, the older model I had personally reviewed in 2015. Mason’s started his own blog too, where he’s also posted this review. Intel have updated the stick for 2016, and here’s what Mason found out about it:
Intel Compute Stick Review
What is an Intel Compute Stick?
An Intel Compute Stick is a small portable computer that can fit into your pocket. It can change any regular television into a smart TV, giving it the abilities of any regular computer but in your lounge room.
Overhead comparison of the Intel Compute Stick and a banana
Ports
With Intel’s small and sleek design, they still managed to give you options for storage and more USB ports compared to their previous design. The left hand side contains a micro SD card slot used mainly to add extra storage (up to 128GB) whilst the right side holds a micro USB port which is predominantly for charging, and two USB ports. One is USB 2.0 and the other is USB 3.0, unlike their previous version with only one USB 2.0 port.
Right hand side – USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Micro USB and power button
Left Hand side – Micro SD slot and Lanyon hole
Design
In terms of design, the main portion is matte black. With two fan grills and a nice vibrant glossy finish around the logo and LED light. The design is very appealing to look at with the rounded off edges and clean plain finish. On the right hand side there is a small fan grill which has been placed next to a small glossy power button. Whilst the right side carries another small fan grill and a Lanyon hole so that this computer is easy to carry. I found this design very appealing due to the mainly matte finish with a small amount gloss. This gave it a bold look, compared to the previous design being covered in fingerprints within seconds.
Specs
CPU – 1.44GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8300
Graphics – 128MB dedicated Intel HD Graphics
Storage – 32GB eMMC SSD
Memory – 2048MB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz
Networking – 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating System – Windows 10 Home (32-bit)
Setup & Performance
Installing the compute stick was easy. I just plugged power adapter into the wall port and then joined the other end (Micro USB) to the Compute stick, connected the PC to my TV by the small HDMI cord and plugged in my own wireless keyboard and mouse dongles. It then booted up immediately and ran me through the initial Windows 10 setup process. Five minutes later I was finished setting it up and all I needed was a quick reboot and it was ready to use.
Below is a table showing the performance of the Intel Compute stick using PC benchmarking software.
Intel Compute Stick PCMark7 2,379 3DMark06 2,667
As soon as I signed in I wanted to see the quality when streaming videos. I opened Microsoft Edge and started streaming YouTube videos at 1080p. The results were impressive, there was no lag when watching YouTube. I did notice a bit of a slow rendering as I switched between windowed and full screen. I decided to put the Compute Stick to the test by streaming some 4K content from YouTube. It looked crisp but was the tiniest bit sluggish. What can you expect from a tiny computer using an Atom processor.
Use Cases
Home theatre
Media Centre PC
Portable productivity
Thin Client
Conclusion
Intel has brought together a stunning pc that is portable because of its small size yet still able to play 4K videos with ease for a home theatre. This PC Performs smoothly, has Windows 10 pre-installed and 32GB on-board storage whilst up to128GB storage using a Micro SD card. However, I wish that the pc did not lag when opening up a number of programs. Overall this PC has been put to the test and has come out with some great results, so if you are looking for an ultra-small, affordable device that can turn a monitor or TV into a basic PC then this product is worth considering.
Everything in the box – Small HDMI to HDMI cord, Power adaptor, Intel Compute Stick and 2 manuals
Thanks Mason for your review! The Intel Compute Stick was provided by Intel.
I took a few photos myself of the unit, so here they are:
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SkypeAfghan Goes on Stabbing Spree in Jew District of Vienna
It looks like the attacker was targeting Jews since the attack happened in an area of the city where many Jews live.
(Reuters)
Four people were seriously wounded in two knife attacks in a district of the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Wednesday evening, but a "motive or any connection between the assaults was unclear", a police spokesman said.
The stabbings - the first of which took place at 7:45 p.m. (1845 GMT), occurred in Vienna’s Second District, which includes the famous Prater park as well as the Praterstern transport hub. It also houses much of Vienna’s small Jewish community.
“A man attacked a family - a father, a mother and their 17-year-old daughter - with a knife. The three people were seriously injured and their lives are in danger,” the spokesman said, adding later that they were Austrian citizens.
“And half an hour later, there was another attack... at Praterstern and here a person was also seriously injured and their life is in danger. We do not know to what extent there is a connection here and any motive remains unclear,” he said.
Asked what was known about an assailant, he added: “Absolutely nothing. We know we are looking for a man.”
A male citizen of Afghanistan was later arrested in connection with the second assault, but no further details were immediately available and any connection between the stabbings remained unclear, the spokesman said shortly afterward.
Vienna has not experienced deadly attacks by Islamist militants like the ones that have struck Paris, Berlin and Brussels since 2015.It’s time to take technology one step further with a battery that can charge your phone in 30 seconds.
Charging and re-charging every day is one of the most irritating parts of owning a smartphone. Due to excessive social networks and application usage, phones’ batteries don’t last up to even a few hours.
But all hassle is going to vanish in the coming years. An Israeli company, StoreDot has posted a YouTube video introducing a unique technology that can charge a cell phone battery in just 30 seconds.
According to the video, the technology was born out of Alzheimer’s research at Tel Aviv University.
“During that research, specific amino acids were isolated and we managed to use those amino acids and peptides to create nanocrystals,” said Doron Myersdorf, founder and CEO of StoreDot. “These have special properties that enable us to use them in various devices, such as a battery.”
Besides charging battery within 30 seconds, the new technology continues to charge your battery once you’ve unplugged it from the outlet, according to Myersdorf.
As they say, greater the invention, greater its cost; the firm says the new technology will cost about double that of a standard battery pack, and the company is on track to make the device small enough to pack into a standard smartphone by 2016.
However, the real challenge is to make it available and adaptable on all smartphone devices because the battery featured in the video is about the size of a cigarette pack.
Watch the video here:Allison Janney admits she hasn’t seen every episode of The West Wing, but she’s planning to change that.
"I would love to get some of my cast mates together and sit in my living room and binge-watch a bunch of episodes," she tells The Hollywood Reporter.
STORY: 'West Wing' Uncensored: Aaron Sorkin, Rob Lowe, More Look Back on Early Fears, Long Hours, Contract Battles and the Real Reason for Those Departures
But which of the episodes would they watch first? THR recently caught up with the cast for an uncensored oral history -- in that process, the show's stars shared their favorite story arcs from the series' acclaimed seven-season run on NBC.
Here are their picks:
Allison Janney (C.J. Cregg): For Janney, it’s three-way tie between the season three episode "Hartsfield's Landing," where a prank war erupts between her character and Charlie (Dule Hill); another season three episode, "The Women of Qumar," for which Janney took home an Emmy; and the season six episode "Liftoff," where C.J. becomes chief of staff – a "tricky transition" for her, she says. "Anytime where Aaron let me do comedic scenes, the ones with the working with the turkeys, those were all fun for me," she adds, referring to the season two episode "Shibboleth," where C.J. has to choose between two turkeys for the Presidential pardon ceremony. ("Shibboleth" was also one of Hill's favorite episodes, thanks to the Bartlet-Young bonding over carving knives.)
Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn): Like many, Lowe especially enjoyed the pilot -- particularly his audition scene in which he doesn't realize he's talking to Leo's daughter Mallory -- but he's also fond of season two's "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail," which scored him an Emmy nomination. What do the two episodes have in common? "Those are my personal favorites because they’re very Sam-centric and that character really got a really nice moment in the sun," says the actor.
PHOTOS: A Look Back at 'The West Wing'
Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman): Whitford is partial to “Noel,” he says of an episode which he adds for “obvious reasons it was a great challenge and joy.” The second season episode, which won him an Emmy, follows his character as he discovers that he has post-traumatic stress disorder -- in the wake of being shot during the attempt on President Bartlet's life -- that is triggered by music. (Whitford acknowledged that he was nervous when he found out that it was his character who would be shot at the conclusion of season one, but creator Aaron Sorkin jokes "his fear didn't last long. At the table read, I said, 'Do you know why it's Josh?' And he said, 'Cause you wanted your friend to win an Emmy?')
Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler): It was Yo-Yo Ma’s visit during "Noel" that remains memorable for Schiff. While filming on location at a church, he recalls Ma playing the cello in between takes, and at one point, Hill asked Ma to play a classical Bach piece so that he could tap-dance. "It was a beautiful moment. Yo-Yo Ma was ecstatic, and Dule is one of our country's premiere tap dancers. I will never forget that," says Schiff.
As for personal favorites for Toby, Schiff calls attention to two episodes that he feels defined his character. The first is the pilot, specifically the scene where he reacts to the Christian lady that makes an anti-Semitic remark. "That was a defining moment for us because Toby wasn't someone that was just emotionally erratic. He was someone that had very passionate feelings, but it's when people stepped over the line that he laid into them," he explains. The other was another first season episode, "In Excelsis Deo," where Toby learns about a forgotten Korean War hero. "It hit me very, very deep," he says of the impact the episode had on him. "I remember showing this Korean memorial site to my daughter and getting all emotional all over again, just from the memory of doing that scene with the guy in the kiosk, this lovely, lovely local actor from Baltimore who was an actual veteran."
PHOTOS: 'The West Wing': Where Are They Now?
Elisabeth Moss (Zoey Barlet): It’s the earlier part of the series Moss treasures the most, and, more specifically, anything with Martin Sheen: “Any time I got to work with him, I was so honored," she says of her co-star. "He was so much fun and so sweet… and a lot of my stuff was with him, so that was the highlight every single time." Interestingly, Moss also points to the penultimate episode of season four, "Commencement," where her character gets kidnapped in a club in D.C. (Sorkin departed before the storyline concluded, adding an extra layer of suspense for the cast as well as its viewers.) Forever jarred into her memory is the eerie song "Angel," by Massive Attack, that played during filming to set the tone for the scene. (It was also used in the episode's on-air soundtrack.)
Janel Moloney (Donna Moss): Moloney, who wasn't initially cast as a series regular, cherishes the beginning of the second season, with the most memorable episode being "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen." The two-part episode chronicled how the Bartlet Administration got together, including Josh and Donna's first meeting at the campaign headquarters. "There were so many wonderful episodes, so many wonderful moments, but that one really stands out just because it's so defining for them," she says.
Jimmy Smits (Matt Santos): Smits resonated the most with the seventh season's live episode, "The Debate," where the Congressman and Senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) dueled it out for the presidency. Fortunately for Smits, the cast had the chance to film it twice -- once for the East Coast and once for the West Coast. "They structured it in such a way that we got to rehearse it like we were rehearsing a play. To me, that was a real stretch as an actor, and very satisfying in the way it turned out," he tells THR.When the above picture began to circulate throughout “Black Twitter” – a space where being naturally “thick” isn’t necessarily “the thing,” nor is it the normative presentation of a Black woman – the pushback by young, Black males astounded me. Featured here, is a curvy, Black woman with a breathtaking face, weighing in at 135 lbs – the kind of girl that guys pause to take a second look at on the sidewalk, but also the kind of girl they ridicule in the social web sphere. This discrepancy intrigues me, especially when tying it back to my cultural bubble. The entire idea of a naturally curvy, Black woman being some sort of loss, some sort of compromise, some sort of source of shame, a burden, is strange to me.
During the same week, an image of Nicki Minaj in a two-piece, coral bikini was released, and the twitter sphere went ballistic. I ponder the polarized reactions. I ponder the tolerance for the very handiwork of nature. I ponder just when the imitation became more desirable, more acceptable, and more valuable than that which it imitates.
The sometime acceptability of Black women’s bodies is a historical continuum, haunting our trails and bends in the road since the institutionalization of slavery. In this context birthed a paradoxical fascination with the policing of Black women’s bodies. Deemed inherently erotic and sexual in nature, inexplicably desirable yet rarely respectable or acceptable, Black women’s bodies have been and remain on display and up for debate.
Perhaps in response to or as a form of rather submissive adaptation, Black women recurrently engage respectability politics – the notion of subscribing behavior, speech, dress, and overall navigation of life to Eurocentric standards of respectability. Pushing against the tides of our “otherness,” we’ve enlisted hot combs, whitening creams, diet pills, and the likes in desperate attempts to right the wrongness of our being.
The debate surrounding Black women’s bodies contemporarily manifests in incidents such as these, though not necessarily initiated from outside but within the borders of our communities. Today’s body shaming is no different than the historical and public ostracizing of Sarah Baartman, placed on stage as spectators strolled by in amusement. However, now spectators contemplate our humanity from the very comfort of their homes, scrolling through newsfeeds and timelines, and have faces and hues quite similar to our own.
Contemporary body shaming pits Black women not only against our white counterparts but additionally against each other, and always against generally unattainable and unrealistic expectations. We see this in the critical conversation regarding the body of the young woman above and the succeeding praise of Nicki Minaj.
Though it can be argued that both women are attractive in their own respective rights, the differing reactions pit them against each other, clearly defining what is acceptable and that which is not. The idolization of bodies such as that of Nicki Minaj and the denigration of very realistic portrayals of feminine Black bodies by the male gaze further perpetuates notions regarding the wrongness and circumstantial rightness of Black women’s bodies.
As previously mentioned, the policing of Black women’s bodies exists as a
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my decisions are efficacious.
–
, I can talk about in what ways my decisions are efficacious. Yes, a man’s steps are not his own. But still, I can talk about my own steps in a subordinate sense (just as I can talk about my own house versus my neighbor’s, though God transcendently owns both).
–
, I can talk about my own steps in a subordinate sense (just as I can talk about my own house versus my neighbor’s, though God transcendently owns both). Yes, God is benevolent. But still, we can talk about the local “birthing pains” of his creation — sins, disasters, etc. — and put our hope in their being instrumental for an ultimate happy ending. We hold a sacred hope that God will be proved holy and righteous (Isaiah 5:16).
–
, we can talk about the local “birthing pains” of his creation — sins, disasters, etc. — and put our in their being instrumental for an ultimate happy ending. that God proved holy and righteous (Isaiah 5:16). Yes, God knows what’s going to happen. But still, he can use hypothetical language to convince us to do the right thing, proclaim true (but ungrounded) counterfactuals, and make anthropomorphic statements about having regrets and changing his mind.
What follows are two great examples of heterophroneo from the Bible.
Timen and Atimian
In Romans 9, Paul talked about how Israel was being used for instrumental purposes despite itself.
In service of his thesis that God decides the destinies of the nations, Paul referred to the fact that God ordains the destinies of individuals, even intervening to change them, even to harden their wills.
When his imaginary antagonist asked, “Who, then, can resist his will?,” Paul did not say, “Oh, don’t misunderstand. Of course you can resist his will!”
Rather, Paul launched into a staunch defense of God’s sovereign orchestration of destinies:
Romans 9:20b-21:
“Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”
You see that “special” and “common”? Those are actually the Greek words timen and atimian; honorable and dishonorable.
It’s important that we recognize this. It’s not about being a hero versus lukewarm. It’s about being a tool of honorable use versus a tool of dishonorable use. Both have purposes. Both have a role to play.
That’s the sovereign perspective.
And then comes the heterophroneo.
Paul repeated the very same language in 2 Timothy — but from the human perspective, wherein we can “cleanse ourselves” and choose which role we’ll adopt.
2 Timothy 2:20-22
“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special [Gr. timen; honorable] purposes and some for common [Gr. atimian; dishonorable] use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special [Gr. timen; honorable] purposes, made holy, useful [Gr. hegiasmenon euchreston; set apart and very profitable] to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
He was able to do this without contradiction because our decisionmaking is compatible with God’s sovereignty.
The Sins of Joseph’s Brothers
Joseph’s brothers were sick and tired of Joseph and his visionary dreams, wherein those brothers bowed down to him. They were also envious of his coat, a symbol of their father’s favor.
So they attacked him and sold him into bondage.
Genesis 37:23-24a,28
“So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe — the ornate robe he was wearing — and they took him and threw him into the [empty] cistern. … [And] when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.”
Needless to say, that’s a pretty serious sin. It’s one thing to throw your family members into a cistern, but to then sell them into slavery? Pretty reprehensible. Undoubtedly a sin of malice and unchecked envy.
And then comes the heterophroneo.
Joseph became a ruler and managed a plan to store up food in preparation for a big famine. His brothers came to Egypt seeking a portion, but didn’t recognize Joseph. After messing with his brothers for a while, Joseph finally revealed himself.
Genesis 45:4-7
“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.'”
Did you catch that? God sent Joseph. Did God sin? No, the brothers sinned.
But their sin was the dishonorable instrument — the tool of atimian use — by which God saved his people.
And it’s not as if God just kinda rejiggered his plan to work with what he had. Joseph referenced God’s sovereignty — and counterintuitive tactics — as a way to comfort and relieve his brothers of a measure of guilt, now that they had come to repentance.
And this segues into our final stop.
Why the Heterophroneo?
Heterophroneo can be confusing. At first glance, it looks like a contradiction. As such, it was held as a paradoxical mystery alongside belief in libertarian free will for centuries.
So why would Scripture use it? Because we’re supposed to use it.
Heterophroneo is useful.
The human perspective is good for:
Recognizing our own wills and dispositions and how they can be turned in various directions.
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Deliberation among multiple imagined prospects.
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Recognizing when we are being subverted, coerced, or exceptionally manipulated by things we consider meaningfully oppressive.
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Assigning responsibility without feeling like we have to do a radical backward reduction. “Talking about your house and my house, even though God owns the universe.”
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Reframing our uncertainty into prospective hopes and fears, and using those vivid images to aid in our decisionmaking. This helps us make choices in better service of our higher-order interests.
The sovereign perspective is good for:
Humbling ourselves.
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Praising God, and recognizing his attributes (his power, wisdom, dominion, and will).
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Helping us fight through suffering, Elihu-style.
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. Taking comfort in God’s grand plan of reconciliation.
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Recognizing over what things we do not have control, and sacrificing that anxiety and uncertainty, converting it to faith in God and his promises.Putting the question of marijuana legalization on state ballots in 2012 may be one of the most effective ways for a dispirited Democratic Party to get reluctant voters out to the polls. The wild card in the coming midterms and in 2012 will be the "surge" voters -- people who were driven to the polls in 2008 through a once-in-a-generation mix of shame at the outgoing administration and hope in a new, barrier-breaking candidate. Democrats are investing millions in figuring out how to get those voters out, and the marijuana issue is getting increasing attention from political operatives.
A survey making the rounds among strategists, which has yet to be made public, indicates that pot could be just the enticement many of these voters need: Surge voters, single women under 40 and Hispanics all told America Votes pollsters that if a legalization measure were on the Colorado ballot, they'd be more likely to come out to vote. Forty-five percent of surge voters and 47 percent of single women said they'd be more interested in voting if the question was on the ballot. Most of these were energetic, with 36 and 30 percent, respectively, saying they'd be "much more interested" in coming out to vote. Roughly half said it would make no difference. For Latinos, 32 percent said they'd be "much more interested" in voting and another 12 percent said they'd be somewhat more attracted to the idea of trudging to the polls.
Surge voters said they would support the measure by a margin of 63-35. Young single women would back it 68-31. Latinos, meanwhile, oppose it 52-46, according to the survey. "Whether it can pass or not is another question, but I think it's clear that a marijuana legalization measure has the potential to increase turnout among voting groups that are critical to Democratic success in November," said a Colorado Democratic operative, who, like most strategists employed by campaigns, prefers not to talk about marijuana on the record -- highlighting the difficulty Democrats will have threading the political needle.
Turning out an extra few percent can be the difference between winning and losing in swing states, a reality Karl Rove exploited in 2004 by papering the nation with anti-gay marriage initiatives.
Support for marijuana legalization has been ticking up over the past decade as residents of states with legal medical marijuana realize that the sky hasn't fallen. And backing has surged more recently amid deficit hysteria and a declining economy, as voters are less inclined to spend tax dollars on a drug war when instead marijuana could itself be taxed and used to create jobs.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who's been working to liberalize marijuana laws for decades, thinks that the goal may finally be in sight, saying recently that his bill to remove federal criminal penalties would pass in the next five years. "I want to be clear; that's not my major motivation," said Frank of the revenue argument. "My major motivation is personal freedom. When we outlaw marijuana or online gambling, all you do is create more criminals and deprive us of revenue."
The Service Employees International Union explored putting a pot initiative on the 2010 ballot in Washington state and engaged Project New West to poll whether it could turn liberals out. The union concluded that the move had merit in general, but in particular it wasn't impressed with how the petition drive and campaign was being organized, so didn't pursue it. (As if to confirm the SEIU's conclusion, the would-be pot organizers issued an angry statement aimed at the union when it decided not to get involved.)
In California, Democrats hope the state's legalization initiative will drive turnout and help send Barbara Boxer back to the Senate and Jerry Brown to the governor's mansion, even though both have taken positions against the measure. Because Democrats have yet to coalesce around reform of marijuana laws, the effort to link pot to the party's electoral hopes is going on quietly, the opposite of Rove's coordinated campaign with religious groups opposed to marriage rights for all Americans. A recent survey has California's marijuana initiative up 56-42, though proponents worry about the threat of major spending in opposition from the prison guards union, alcohol interests and pharmaceutical companies.
Nevada, a swing state, has twice rejected pot legalization initiatives in the past, though support increased to 44 percent in 2004, the last time it was on the ballot. Supporters plan to put it on again in 2012. Whether it can pass isn't some Democrats' top concern: As long as it can get unlikely voters to a polling station they'd otherwise avoid, it's a success.
Activists are also looking at several other states, including Oregon, Illinois, Maine and Massachusetts, the last of which greatly liberalized its pot laws through a 2008 ballot measure. Illinois and Massachusetts are unlikely to be competitive at the presidential level, but having pot on the ballot could help with House races or assist in unseating Scott Brown in 2012.
The very thought of relying on marijuana to increase motivation, however, is a difficult one to absorb. "I'd be shocked if this was our version of the right's anti-gay initiatives," said Markos Moulitsas, founder of DailyKos. "I certainly wouldn't bank on these initiatives as part of a Democratic turnout initiative."
UPDATE: The Atlantic's Josh Green explored this question earlier.DES MOINES, Iowa -- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Saturday called the CNBC moderators of Wednesday's Republican debate “left-wing operatives” who are trying to sabotage the party’s chances of taking the White House next year.
“What you have is a bunch of left-wing operatives whose object is that whoever the Republican nominee is, they want him as battered and bruised as possible so the Democrat wins in November,” Cruz said at the Iowa GOP’s Growth and Opportunity Forum on Saturday.
The Texas senator and presidential candidate suggested that moderators who have voted Republican should host future debates.
“If you’re not making the decisions yourself, if you’re not a conservative, if you haven’t known many conservatives, the questions you ask are not the questions that actually conservative voters care about,” he explained.
“How about instead of a bunch of attack journalists, we actually have real conservatives,” he added as the crowd cheered. “Could you imagine a debate moderated by Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin?”
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) criticized moderators during Wednesday night's GOP debate for asking what he said were unfair questions.
Following his speech, he told reporters he was disappointed that CNBC did not pose questions on crucial economic issues, adding that the moderators never even mentioned the Affordable Care Act. He put the blame partly on media ratings.
“I recognize media companies like to sell commercials and making a big food fight and getting everyone to insult each other is a lot of fun and will sell commercials,” he said. “I think primary voters want help making decisions and comparing the records, comparing the visions, comparing the policies of different candidates.”
Cruz’s comments come after the Republican National Committee pulled out of a future debate with CNBC's parent network NBC amid criticism of this week’s debate.
According to a new Bloomberg/Des Moines Register poll, Cruz is picking up steam in Iowa, placing third behind Ben Carson and Donald Trump. After a widely praised debate performance in Colorado, voters gave the senator a lot of attention, many pledging to caucus for him.
“I feel like he could win the Iowa caucus,” said Benjamin Dorin, a 25-year-old supporter from Pleasant Hill. “It’s not necessarily because he is well known but he is the brightest and the smartest of all of them politically. I’m confident that the rest of America will catch on.”
Less than 24 hours after the CNBC debate, the Cruz campaign announced it raised $1.1 million. Cruz' website actually crashed during the debate because the web traffic was so high, he said.
“That is a very real manifestation of the energy, of the excitement and enthusiasm,” he said.
Republican strategist and former party chair Matt Strawn said Cruz’s campaign is in a good spot at this point in the cycle.
"The sky’s the limit for Cruz in Iowa if he can successfully consolidate Iowa’s evangelical tea party and liberty-oriented voting block," he explained. "Is he there yet? No. Is he well-positioned three months out? Yes."
Describing his strategy in Iowa, Cruz spoke to the value of time and patience.
"In every election cycle there are candidates that shoot to the top and fall down just as quickly,” he said. “Our strategy has always been to build on a foundation of rock and not on sand. To play the long game built on fundamentals and deep support from the grassroots.”
Also on HuffPost:(TNS) — SARASOTA, Fla. — A cyber attack that crippled Sarasota City Hall computer systems early last year was far more severe than previously reported publicly, a newly released administrative review reveals.
The "ransomware" virus was the worst cyber attack in the city's history, encrypting 160,000 city files and demanding up to $33 million in the virtual currency Bitcoin to unlock them.
Only swift action from the city's information technology staff to literally "pull the plug" on the government's network saved the city from catastrophic data loss and financial cost, according to the investigation.
"In 25 years, that's the worst disaster I've ever encountered.... It was an end-of-life event from the IT perspective," City IT Director Herminio Rodriguez told city investigators.
The February 2016 attack was contained in a matter of hours and IT staff's all-nighter restored the system by the next morning. It was only first publicly disclosed six months later, in late August, when city officials acknowledged the breach and emphasized no city employees' or residents' data were taken during the attack and all of the affected files were retrieved from the city's extensive backup archive.
But the incident itself was only the beginning of a bizarre series of events that included an Islamic State propaganda video, Russian hacking, the FBI and, ultimately, a Sarasota Police Department criminal investigation into city staff's handling of the virus after the attack.
An ensuing city administrative review of those events details several apparent miscommunications between SPD and city staff and a tense standoff about the investigation, ending with a State Attorney's Office decision not to prosecute city IT employees over alleged evidence tampering.
Although that review was completed last November, it was acknowledged and released publicly for the first time this week at the request of the Herald-Tribune amid an ongoing public records inquiry about the incident by the Florida Police Benevolent Association, city records indicate.
The report is the first time the city has disclosed the specifics of the attack and addressed in detail its own security responses to the breach.
The attack
The most severe cyber attack ever on the city of Sarasota started with an "innocuous looking email" with the subject line "scanned invoice" received about mid-morning on Feb. 25, 2016, a Thursday.
A civilian SPD employee attempted to open the attached document, activating the malicious software that locks files and demands a ransom payment in return, according to the report. When the document didn't open, the employee forwarded it to the police and city IT service desks.
It would take less than four hours from the receipt of that email on the city email server for the virus, aptly referred to as "Locky," to spread throughout the system. Texts and phone calls from worried city staff members poured into Rodriguez and Information Security System Analyst Jackie Hemmerich, according to the report.
"In short order, Rodriguez and Hemmerich were forced to, literally, pull the plug on the entire City network in order to halt the encryption," the report states. "By then, Locky had corrupted 10-12 terabytes of data — some 160,000 files."
Although the software demanded ransom payments in Bitcoin, an untraceable digital currency, the city did not pay. Instead, the IT security team was able to work all night to purge the viral emails, restart system applications and restore all of the city's data from its backup system, limiting the outage for city servers to only one day.
The incident exposed critical vulnerabilities to the city's IT system.
Just two weeks before the attack, Rodriguez requested to upgrade the city's anti-virus software from the basic Microsoft product included for free, but was turned down because the new service was too expensive, according to the report. The city immediately upgraded to that software, called Sophos, in the aftermath of the attack.
The city also has since limited so-called "super admin" rights, in which some IT staff can access all servers and local computers, which helped spread the virus from the help desk to the rest of City Hall, the internal review concluded.
In March and April, SPD and city IT staff further investigated the attack together and compiled a report, which included a copy of the original email and virus on a thumb drive.
Crucially, they did not notify any other law enforcement of the attack at the time, a decision that would be scrutinized when the investigation escalated later in the summer.
"As our president of the United States says, this could be some guy sitting on a bed somewhere; we certainly didn't know for certain what came from where at the time," City Manager Tom Barwin recalled this week. "What we did learn, and this is now our standard response, is if and when we get hit with any attempt like this, we immediately go to the authorities.
"At the time it wasn't even a conscious sort of reaction, it was, 'Oh, boy another spam hit, we need to toughen our firewall.' We've now become a model of what to do."
ISIS and Russia
The ransomware attack would be the first of several alarming apparent cyber threats in the same summer that hacking and other similar attacks would headline international news and the presidential election.
The first came during a "surprising visit" to City Hall from an FBI agent, who told Rodriguez that federal intelligence officials had noticed a photo of the city's email system in an Islamic State propaganda video, according to the internal investigation. That email system is made publicly available online for citizens or journalists to easily view many city officials' emails, which are public records under Florida's open-government laws.
The second came on June 14, when an unusual records request was submitted for Rodriguez's entire email inbox. The request came from an account using "Yandex.com," a Russian-based server, and would have included thousands of emails with proprietary security information that could be used to infiltrate the city's system, according to the investigation.
"'I built everything the City has' in terms of system security, 'and that's all in my mailbox,'" Rodriguez told city investigators.
The city did not fulfill the request. Instead, officials advised the massive request would require a $16,000 deposit and another $16,000 upon receipt — which is allowed based on how long the records would take to review and potentially redact — and the requester then abandoned the matter, according to the report.
Both curious instances came amid increasing ransomware attacks worldwide and, it is now publicly known, while national intelligence officials were investigating Russian attempts to hack local government and elections offices during the presidential campaign. Fear of both has only grown more intense this year and the massive international ransomware attack known as WannaCry rocked the world this summer.
Criminal investigation
SPD escalated the investigation into the ransomware attack on the city at the end of July, inviting FBI investigators to examine the virus and attempt to trace its origin.
But that investigation quickly turned back onto city employees themselves after an unusual and ill-timed sequence of events that pitted city and police officials against one another.
The sequence began after SPD officials learned, apparently for the first time, that the initial attack began with a police employee's email, according to the city review.
On Aug. 2, SPD detectives and IT employees were in communication with a slew of city administrators and IT leaders about working together on the investigation and sharing information, emails showed.
As part of that, one SPD employee submitted a formal public records request to the City Auditor and Clerk's Office in an attempt to obtain the original email that would have transmitted the virus from SPD to City Hall. But the final request was broad, spanning months and about 5,000 emails.
The city's public records liaison, Karen McGowan, relayed the request to the city's IT department but did not disclose the requester was part of the SPD investigation. Per state law, a requester cannot be required to give his or her name to file a public records request, but neither does it prohibit the city from disclosing the requester's name, the report noted.
Rodriguez and Hemmerich were suspicious of the large request related to the virus following the Russian-based request and asked McGowan to identify who was seeking the records, but she refused, according to the report. They began to review the request and responded it would require a deposit, still not knowing it was a SPD request.
The following day, SPD's Capt. Corrine Stannish told Rodriguez to disregard the previous day's records request and asked personally for a much more specific set of emails around the time of the attack. SPD IT staff also found the original email on its own in a "deleted emails" folder and planned to show it to the FBI, according to the report.
In fulfilling Stannish's request, city IT staff realized there were still instances of the virus on city servers that could inadvertently be reactivated or accidentally released as part of fulfilling a public records request, Rodriguez and Hemmerich recalled during the administrative review. They immediately directed the purge of the viral emails, knowing that a copy of the original virus and email was still stored on the thumb drive made after the attack, they said.
But SPD leaders either did not know of or understand the copy and were shocked by the deletions.
"Captain Stannish found it incredible that emails related to the Locky virus, which SPD had planned to turn over to the FBI, could have been destroyed the day after she requested the Locky emails in her email to Rodriguez," the report said. "At this point, the joint SPD/FBI effort to gather evidence related to a cyber-crime morphed into an internal investigation of two City employees for the crime of evidence tampering."
No charges
The adversarial turn in the investigation pitted the two arms of the same local government against one another.
The timing of the requests and the purge raised "red flags" for SPD investigators, Stannish said.
"'What it boils down to,' she said, is that 'when we started pressing, there seemed to be a motivation to hide mistakes,'" the report says.
But federal investigators ultimately were able to use the copy of the virus on the thumb drive in their review of the incident, which was not technically a formal investigation but only part of broader information gathering on such attacks, according to a final review and city officials.
While the unfolding events led SPD officials to believe "they were being accused of causing the Locky virus," city employees felt threatened by the sudden criminal investigation into their conduct, both sides relayed during the review.
"Everybody knows that mere deletion of an email doesn't delete it from the system," Hemmerich said. "When we gave them (SPD and FBI) the file, it should've stopped right there."
SPD ultimately asked the State Attorney's Office to review whether the deletions constituted evidence tampering, but Assistant State Attorney Art Jackman determined there was not sufficient evidence of intent to tamper, according to the report.
"In the end, the FBI appears to have been satisfied, the state attorney reviewed the matter and found nobody was tampering with any evidence and then we did our own review internally," Barwin said this week. "I think the report sort of shows that was the case. The finding was that IT acted responsibly and timely. SPD, once they learned of this, went after it aggressively.
"In the end, everybody acted appropriately, even if it got a little tense, which happens sometimes."
Security changes
The final internal investigation report issued harsh words for both city and SPD staff in the aftermath of the attack.
The report found both sides at fault for not communicating "in any substantive way" after the virus was contained and ordered the city review its protocols for responding to such incidents, handling digital evidence and sharing records without a formal request that a citizen would be expected to submit.
The city also has upgraded its firewalls in addition to the improved security software and now has cyber-liability insurance coverage, which became effective Oct. 1.
The internal investigation concludes with an emphasis that it was not designed to assign any fault for the series of events that took place and that it recommended no employees be disciplined.
"The writers of this report have avoided second-guessing and casting blame, and have focused instead on positive recommendations for improving the safety of the City's IT system and for improving relations between departments," the report concludes. "We have endeavored to present this material in an unfiltered way... None of the employees we interviewed appeared to have acted in bad faith or with improper motives, but were instead doing their best to act in the City's interest."
Public disclosure
But the new revelations about the attack raise questions about the city's public response to what its own leaders describe as a historic and potentially catastrophic intrusion.
That an attack ever occurred only became public during the same week as the SPD investigation into the city's conduct in late August.
It was first suggested by a brief report by a local television station and later confirmed by the Herald-Tribune with City Manager Tom Barwin on Aug. 24 — a day before the State Attorney's Office chose not to pursue charges against Rodriguez and Hemmerich.
Barwin and spokeswomen for SPD and the FBI confirmed at the time the ransomware attack was under investigation but did not say that city staff members were being investigated.
Virtually no details about the scope of the attack and the ensuing investigations were made available at the time and no officials referred to the suspicious incidents regarding the Islamic State or Russian-based request. Barwin said it had not been disclosed earlier to avoid alerting would-be threats that the city had ever been vulnerable.
Barwin asked the city conduct an administrative review of the entire situation on Aug. 26 and assigned it to Human Resources Director Stacie Mason. The city did not publicly acknowledge this review, nor did it release the final report when it was completed on Nov. 15.
The final report was only acknowledged Thursday after a reporter raised questions about a detailed request for documents related to the incident by the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the union representing members of the Police Department.
That request for many of the emails detailed in the investigative report has not been completed yet.
The reason the administrative review was not disclosed last fall is itself an anomaly, city spokeswoman Jan Thornburg said. She was out of town when the incident was first reported by local media and did not receive follow-up inquiries from reporters, so the story simply "died down," she said Friday morning.
When the review was complete, Barwin was satisfied with its conclusion and briefed city commissioners in their private, one-on-one sessions with the city manager each week. None of the commissioners asked the report be discussed publicly, Thornburg said.
"After all of it, let's have an administrative review to see what was done right, what could be better in the future and how we could guide ourselves in this new era in which hacking and ransomware is a new reality we've got to deal with," Barwin said. "If you digest the whole report from my perspective, trying to administer and manage the city, there is a lot of good guidance that came out of that and a lot of lessons that were learned. It was internal operations, administration and figuring out how we're going to deal moving forward with ransomware and hacking based on the experience we had."
©2017 Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Global warming could cause an 18 percent drop in world food production by 2050, but investments in irrigation and infrastructure, and moving food output to different regions, could reduce the loss, a study published on Thursday said.
A vendor (C) weighs vegetable at a market in Fuyang, Anhui province December 10, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer
Globally, irrigation systems should be expanded by more than 25 percent to cope with changing rainfall patterns, the study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters said.
Where they should be expanded is difficult to model because of competing scenarios on how rainfall will change, so the majority of irrigation investments should be made after 2030, the study said.
“If you don’t carefully plan (where to spend resources), you will get adaptation wrong,” David Leclere, one of the study’s authors, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Infrastructure and processing chains will need to be built in areas where there was little agriculture before in order to expand production, he said.
International food markets will require closer integration to respond to global warming, as production will become more difficult in some southern regions, but new land further north will become available for growing crops.
Based on the study’s models, Leclere expects production to increase in Europe, while much of Africa will remain dependent on imports.
If climate change is managed correctly, food production could even rise 3 percent by 2050, the study said, as a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has a fertilizing effect on plants.
Managing water resources is expected to be the biggest challenge for farmers steming from climate change.
Water “may become dramatically scarcer much earlier than previously thought”, Michael Obersteiner, another study co-author, said in a statement.Around 8 million people are expected to visit Barcelona in 2015.
As the summer sun starts to come out in force and the high-season crowds descend on Barcelona, the city famous for a remarkable tourism-led rejuvenation is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis over how to manage the millions of people visiting it each year. Nowhere better illustrates this than the Barceloneta, a former fisherman’s quarter now at the center of a lucrative tourist trade that continues to boom amid an otherwise sluggish economy.
The Barceloneta flags that seem to hang off every other flat, and the somewhat less-ambiguous “Cap pis touristic (no more tourist flats”) signs, may go unnoticed by the casual visitor, but it’s hard to spend long in the neighborhood, or any other central part of Barcelona for that matter, without realizing that something is afoot in Spain’s most-visited city.
Last year Barceloneta erupted in spontaneous protests as thousands of furious residents organized protests against the “drunken tourism” they claimed was making life in the once-peaceful neighborhood impossible. Crowds berated tourists for bad behavior and demanded an end to Airbnb-style short-stay rental flats that they said were turning residential buildings into “youth hostels.”
Since then the city council has responded with a string of measures – community police patrols, a direct line to report disturbances in tourist flats, greater regulation of tourist flats – but the discontent continues, and the anti-tourist flat signs are only increasing.
According to Sergio Arnás, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood and spokesman for La Barceloneta Diu Prou (Barceloneta Says Enough!) campaign group that organized last summer’s protests, little has changed and further protests are almost inevitable.
He said short-stay tourist flats remain widespread and many people are forced to share buildings with noisy temporary neighbors. The result, he said, is plenty of sleepless nights and a simmering frustration in a once-tranquil neighborhood.
“But we’re not campaigning simply against anti-social behavior. Tourist flats bring insecurity and property speculation to the neighborhood,” he told me.
"No more tourist flats," reads a sign in the popular beachside Barceloneta neighborhood.
Arnás echoed what many other resident have told me in recent weeks: tourist flats and drunken behavior are only symptoms of a deeper problem – the unsustainable numbers of tourists visiting the city each year.
Across Barcelona there is unease at the influence of so many visitors. In each neighborhood the specific complaints vary, but the cause, everyone seems to agree, is the mass-tourism model adopted by local authorities more than two decades previously.
In the Gràcia neighborhood residents have occupied a building that was set to become the latest in a string of hotels to open in the area, claiming that the recent surge in tourists was pushing up prices and forcing locals out. In its place they have opened a housing office to assist people facing eviction — Catalonia suffered more than 22 percent of the 68,000 evictions carried out across Spain in 2014. Outside the office a large banner reads: “One more tourist equals one fewer neighbor.”
Similar protests have taken place throughout Ciutat Vella which holds the most hotels, while the areas surrounding top attractions Park Güell and Sagrada Familia have also witnessed protests by neighbors who feel inconvenienced by the city’s runaway tourism success. The famous La Boqueria market is another point of conflict. Following complaints from stallholders, authorities have banned large tour groups at peak times in an effort to lure local shoppers back to the market.
But while tourism is being blamed for an increasing laundry list of problems, the sector remains essential to the city’s economy – representing between 12 and 14 percent of the municipality’s GDP.
The challenge facing Barcelona’s leaders is to find a way to harness the industry without alienating residents and allowing the city to become a jaded tourist trap, or, the “new Venice.”
Barcelona’s tourism sector has been one of the principal topics in the run-up to municipal elections on May 24.
Recent surveys suggest no candidate will win enough votes for an outright majority, but the two leading candidates – incumbent Xavier Trias (CiU) and Ada Colau of the Barcelona en Comu coalition – could hardly be more opposed in their plans for the future of the city’s tourism industry.
Trias has presided over years of sustained growth for the industry and record-breaking numbers of visitors – 7.5 million in 2013 – and shown support for the hotel lobby’s aim of reaching 10 million. Aside from a few minor issues, Trias insists, the city’s tourism model is a success.
Colau, in contrast, has warned of a “tourism bubble” and described the current tourism model as “out of control.” She has also waded into the heated debate over so-called tourist flats, suggesting owners should be encouraged to convert the properties into social housing, a move likely to find stiff resistance from the vocal supporters of the model who claim Airbnb rentals offer an important means to pay the bills.
A conference organized by the Asociación Catalana de Profesionales de Turísticos (Catalan Association of Tourism Professionals) last week highlighted the complexity of the problem as politicians from all the major parties attacked varying aspects of the current tourism model.
“The protests in Barceloneta last year are a symptom that something is not working,” Sara Jaurrieta of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) told the conference.
Many others shared her analysis, but there was no consensus on a solution.
Whatever the result of the upcoming elections, it is clear the new administration has a challenge on its hands if it’s to preserve the city’s golden goose of tourism while avoiding a repeat of last year’s protests.This month sees Boiler Room celebrate their fifth birthday. In that half decade, they have grown from a small outfit with a simple idea to one of the the foremost content creators in electronic music – and one with an increasingly innovative and daring output. From live streams in locations as diverse as New York’s Museum Of Modern Art to Croatian amphitheatres and Ibizan villas, through to the sweatiest clubs and makeshift spaces the underground has to offer, their largely invite-only affairs have the world’s hippest brands queuing up to be part of what they do.
Now with an increasingly busy editorial department creating reams of engrossing content, their authority and influence has grown to unprecedented levels. We spoke to their editor-in-chief, seasoned music journalist Joe Muggs, to find out more about what they do – and how they do it.
How
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.net? Have no fear, your login information is universal across platforms, so you'll be able to pick up right where you left off with your favorite deck. You'll even be able to switch between platforms in the middle of your matches.
The update also adds two new game modes: Spectator and Gauntlet. Spectator mode currently only allows you to observe games being played by friends live, but there are plans to expand this feature in the near future and Bethesda is looking for fan feedback.
Gauntlet mode is a take on organized global tournaments. You'll compete in a series of matches for spots on worldwide leaderboards, and prizes include in-game gold, card packs, and other items. These tournaments will vary in size, entry costs, and prizing, so be sure to bring your best decks into the fray.
Elder Scrolls Legends isn't available on mobile devices quite yet, but more details on that integration are expected at Bethesda's E3 conference this year. For more on Elder Scrolls Legends, check out our hub for news, features, reviews, and more.Stop sign mock-up in English (top) and ASL (bottom)
ASLwrite ( ASL: ) is a somacheirographic writing system that developed from si5s. It was created to be an open-source, continuously-developing orthography for American Sign Language (ASL), trying to capture the nuances of ASL's features. ASLwrite is currently used by no more than a handful of people, primarily revolving around discussions happening on Facebook[1] and, previously, Google Groups.[2] However, it is currently spreading, with comic strips,[3][4] posters[5] and more becoming available.[6][7]
Its core components are digits, locatives, marks and movements which are written in a fairly rigid order (though in a fairly flexible configuration) from left to right. Its digits are representations of handshapes – or the configuration of the hand and fingers – where the locatives represent locations on the body (or, in theory, in space), the marks represent anything from location (e.g., edge mark) to small movements (e.g., flutter) to facial expressions (e.g., raised eyebrow mark ) and the movements indicate the movement of the hands in space by modifying the digits (and for shoulder shift /head nod modifying the body).
The order of the writing is from left to right, top to bottom, with locatives or certain marks often beginning words. Sentences are ended by the full stop mark ( ). Questions in written ASL are denoted by eyebrow marks bounding the question not unlike Spanish's "¿?." Question words or wh-questions in ASL can also form the interrogative.
There are in total 105 characters in ASLwrite with 67 digits, five diacritic marks, twelve locatives, sixteen extramanual marks and five movement marks.
Since its creation, it has evolved to include more digits, locatives, movements and marks as well as modify those already present.
History [ edit ]
si5s, a system built from SignWriting, was first proposed by Robert Arnold in his 2007 Gallaudet thesis A Proposal of the Written System for ASL. The ASLwrite community split from Arnold upon his decision to maintain si5s as a private venture with ASLized after the publication of his and Adrean Clark's book How to Write American Sign Language. Today, ASLwrite's website notes:
The ASLwrite community is committed to keeping written ASL freely available in the public domain by providing resources for writers of all ages. We believe that written ASL will be changed through regular usage by ASL speakers, and support individual adaptation of the language by the signing community. This website serves as a continuing record of written ASL’s development. ASLwrite, About[8]
Type of system [ edit ]
ASLwrite is a somacheirographic system meaning that it represents the body (Greek: σῶμα sôma 'body') and hands (Greek: χείρ kheír 'hand') and relays cheremic information. However, it also incorporates logographs (questioning marks) and is featural.
Description [ edit ]
Writing guide for ASLwrite showing how features line up via the dashed lines. From left to right: "HEALTH?."; "F-handshape/9-handshape"; "5-handshape"; (top and bottom) raised eyebrow marker, 5-handshape digit, F-/9-handshape digit, full stop marker; "FINE."; raised eyebrow marker.
The general principle is to capture a single ASL word per segment, from left to right, registering non-manual feature(s), location(s), handshape(s), movement(s) and general orientation. It imagines the writer/speaker is looking down at their hands or viewing words from the profile such that words can be made either as if seen from straight-on or from one's profile.
The digibet captures handshape information as well as orientation, movement and some locations. Locatives are characters that capture location, though handshape diacritics like edge do capture some locations such as edge of palm. Diacritics, such as movements, modify handshapes and can indicate small movements or small orientations. Movements themselves are fairly flexible in their shapes and orientations, which makes digitising this script difficult.
From left to write, up to down, this is the order in which to write characters:
1) Non-manual marks – Often, this is seen as raised or lowered eyebrows, but it can include body or mouth marks such as shoulder-shift and teeth-clench.
2) Frontal or profile locatives – Captures the same location information, just from two perspectives. An example (seen on the right) is the shoulder locative is either a shoulder frontal locative that is written above or below the handshape(s).
2) Handshapes – Can be written before or after the locative. A handshape can be oriented in 360º depending its location and is written at the end of its movement path if there is one. Each handshape present is written, and when more than one handshape (of one hand) is written, a movement must be present.
2a) Diacritics / movements – Written as a part of the handshape, though larger movements or movements that affect multiple handshapes is written after (see below).
3) Movements – Larger movements or movements that affect multiple handshapes. When a handshape changes without overt movement, the handshapes are written left-to-right with a single movement below similar to an underline.
4) Non-manual & punctuation marks – These are questioning marks such as why, who, how and how. The stop mark is denoted by a "o" mark.
Digibet [ edit ]
The digibet is composed of handshapes called digits that are modified by diacritics and movements. It shares 23 handshapes with ASL's manual alphabet. Digits are grouped together by features such as +thumb/-thumb or +closed/-closed. In practise, there are 67 digits in ASLwrite's digitbet, though that number is growing as new digits are added representing diverse handshapes. Moreover, other languages may adopt this system which would add increasingly more digits.[9]
Diacritics [ edit ]
There are five diacritics, of which one is a movement diacritic. They are: Hinge (, ), Rotational (, ), Rattle (, ), Flutter (, ) and Edge.[10]
Movement [ edit ]
Movements are flexible and thus hard to capture in a digital or non-handwritten fashion. The movements are diverse and aim to capture the movements of the hands, arms and body. There are three points – an endpoint, a firmpoint and a contactpoint –, an orbit mark, a steering and a crank mark as well as the movement mark or line. The movement line follows the path of the hand(s) and can be as clean (e.g., – or | ) or as erratic as possible. The points denote the end of a handshape's path and the degree to which the motion is made. A contact point denotes an imaginary or in-the-air point with the contactpoint ending at a location and noted as being a firm ending with the firmpoint. The orbit mark indicates a central "point" around which the handshapes orbit; for orbital paths cut short, one would use a steering mark, and for parallel cranking motions, the crank mark would be used.[11]
Locatives [ edit ]
The locatives are characters that denote a specific location on or near the signer's body. They are presented from a face-on and side-view. The two sub-classifications are frontal and profile locatives.[12]
Non-manual marks [ edit ]
Non-manual marks vary quite significantly and can only be placed at the beginning or end of words or phrases. Eyebrow marks are denoted before and after the word(s) in question thus bounding the words that are modified by eyebrow marks. They are called: Raised ( ), Knit, Wan, Slanted and Squint. Questioning marks exist in ASL as logographs that denote ASL's wh-questions such as WHO or FOR-FOR. They are placed after a closed word's or phrase's second eyebrow mark and can exist as an entire sentence alone. Mouth marks are characters that relay what action the mouth is doing. It is placed inside the first eyebrow mark.[13]
Body movements [ edit ]
Body movements are non-manual, non-facial features such as shoulder shift ( ) or head nod. They, as well as nose crinkle ( ), stand alone and can be inserted anywhere, inside and outside of eyebrow marked phrases.[14]
Writing samples [ edit ]
means Yes? in ASL composed of,, and where the raised eyebrow marks at the beginning and the end indicate it is a yes/no question, and the hinge mark ( ) denotes that the S handshape digit ( ) makes a nodding motion. The circular point at the end is a full stop mark indicating the end of the sentence. Unlike in English writing, the full stop mark ( ) is employed for all sentences, even questions (as seen here). Breaks in the sentence, as seen below, are denoted by the shoulder shift mark ( ).
The text on the right is from Chapters 1:2-4 of the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. The first quoted text is the verse in English and Hebrew with the second in ASL gloss.
2. And the man's name was Elimelech, and his wife's name was Naomi, and his two sons' names were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites, from Bethlehem of Judah, and they came to the fields of Moab and remained there.
בוְשֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ נָעֳמִי וְשֵׁם שְׁנֵי בָנָיו – מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן אֶפְרָתִים מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׂדֵי מוֹאָב וַיִּהְיוּ שָׁם:
3. Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
גוַיָּמָת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ אִישׁ נָעֳמִי וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הִיא וּשְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ:
4. And they married Moabite women, one named Orpah, and the other named Ruth, and they dwelt there for about ten years.
דוַיִּשְׂאוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מֹאֲבִיּוֹת שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָרְפָּה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית רוּת וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם כְּעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים: Hebrew Bible, Book of Ruth 1:2-4
2) SAME FAMILY WHO LIST-OF-FOUR NUMBER-ONE FATHER E-L-I-M-E-L-E-C-H "E" (ASL name) NUMBER-TWO MOTHER N-A-O-M-I "FLUTTER-FIVE" (ASL name) NUMBERS-THREE-AND-FOUR SON M-A-H-L-O-N "M" (ASL name) SHOULDER-SHIFT C-H-I-L-I-O-N "C" (ASL name).
3) TOP-TIME ADVANCE MAN "E" IX-THEY-SG DIE. "FLUTTER-FIVE" SHOULDER-SHIFT SON CONTINUE.
4) SON THEM-TWO MARRY WOMAN IX-THAT-ONE-THAT-ONE THEIR M-O-A-B AROUND-THERE. WOMEN THEIR NAME O-R-P-A-H "B-TO-NECK" (ASL name) SHOULDER SHIFT R-U-T-H "X-CLASP" (ASL name). IX-THEY-INDEF LIVE IX-THAT COUNTRY TEN YEAR.
Encoding [ edit ]
Due to the complexity of the writing system and its need for flexibility for movements, it means producing anything on a digital format is difficult. However, there are efforts to create fonts headed by members of its Facebook group, notably looking at proper font creation and using current keyboard characters such as'}'or'_.'to achieve minor forms of communication in ASL over text. An example phrase is " }_.U- " which means 'thank you' in ASL.[15]
See also [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]
ASL Writing - Blog. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://www.aslian.com/>.
"Si5s Writing LLC | Facebook." Facebook. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <https://www.facebook.com/si5swriting>.
"Sign Language & Interpreting - Mt. San Antonio College." Mt. San Antonio College. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.
<https://web.archive.org/web/20120426051755/http://www.mtsac.edu/instruction/humanities/signlang/profiles/arnold.html>.
Twitter. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <https://twitter.com/si5s>.
Write in American Sign Language! Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://www.aslwrite.com/>.
ASLwrite History/FAQ. Web. 17 Feb. 2014 <http://www.aslwrite.com/about_aslwrite/>.A new report paints a bleak picture of the well-being of African-American children in Michigan.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has studied the economic and societal challenges facing children for a long time.
The foundation’s latest study finds Michigan’s children face more challenges than most American children.
But when the study breaks its findings down by race, Michigan's African-American children face substantially greater problems.
The latest Kids Count report ranks the well-being of Michigan’s African-American children at the bottom of the national survey, only slightly better than Mississippi and Wisconsin. One in six Michigan children is African-American.
Michigan’s white children fare much better in the survey, but still rank below the study’s average national rating of well-being.
An official with the Michigan League for Public Policy says the new report shows Michigan’s elected leaders should do more to improve opportunities for families and children. Citing the survey, the League says the state’s elected leaders should increase the minimum wage and improve access to child care.Final words
One thing is clear from this review - Samsung has got the alphabet wrong. A has never been as close to S as it is with the A (2017) series. The Galaxy A5 (2017) carries more than a passing resemblance to the reigning Galaxy S7 flagship - let's just say that if the S7 were to stumble into the A5, they'd take a selfie together.
It's hard to split the two for looks and build quality, and that includes the IP68 certification. Only now making it outside of a select group of flagship or rugged Samsungs, the dust and water proofing is shared across the entire 'A' lineup this year. Same for the Home button with a fingerprint reader, complete with Samsung Pay capabilities, but that's old news - it was already available on last year's As.
Another thing to trickle down into the upper midrange is the cutting-edge internals. The 14nm chipset at the heart of the A5 (2017) may not outperform the top-end silicon of the day, but its efficiency is immediately evident - the battery life of the A5 is just marvelous.
The 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display is equally great - gone are the days of dim AMOLEDs with colors all over the place. This one is bright, it can be accurate if you want it to be, and it is well visible in the sun. Flagships retain the QHD resolution as a trump card, but the A5 is perfectly okay with its FullHD.
16MP cameras front and back - we can see smiles lighting up the faces of Samsung's marketing team. The front cam can be super-detailed, only you need to keep the phone a foot away from your face, and that barely fits our grown-up mugs. We don't know about you, but that's not how we like our selfies. The rear camera is a lot more balanced and a capable overall performer. Its images are detailed and exhibit mature detail rendering, pleasing colors, and dynamic range is quite wide.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) key test findings
Build quality and materials are flagship-grade (IP68 rating, too), but the glass back is inevitably prone to fingerprints.
The high-quality Super AMOLED display has excellent maximum brightness and infinite contrast and can put out punchy or spot-on colors depending on your preference. Sunlight legibility is not quite up there with the best, but it's still better than any LCD.
Battery life is superb - the phone's endurance rating is 95h, and it posted excellent numbers in all our individual tests.
Grace UX or TouchWiz, Samsung's interface is functional and feature-rich, now also sleeker. It's still based on Android Marshmallow, which is less than ideal in 2017.
The Exynos 7880 performs great if you take into account its efficiency. In absolute terms, it's an average midrange SoC that's not greatly suited to the most demanding tasks. Then again, Game launcher could help you alleviate that by lowering the resolution at which games are rendered so you get all the special effects.
The loudspeaker posts a Good rating for loudness, it's nice and clear at maximum volume too.
Image quality from the main camera is good - there's sufficient detail, colors are nicely saturated, and dynamic range is pretty wide.
1080p video quality is very good, so is the audio that accompanies it.
The 16MP selfie camera produces spectacular results, but its focus is fixed way too close, so you're forced to choose between narrow coverage or images that are simply not in focus.
The Galaxy A5 (2017) may look like the (still) current flagship S7, but it is the S6 that it will give it the hardest time. The previous-gen top model boasts a higher-grade camera with 4K video recording and OIS, a higher-res display and a superior chipset. We'd even cautiously suggest that the much more versatile 5MP selfie shooter of the S6 wins over the 16MP one of the A5. The A5 (2017) fights back with its IP68 rating (the S6 carries none), a microSD slot, a FM radio and longer battery life, plus a Type-C port if that's a decider for you.
Oh, we almost forgot - the S6 is one of the best choices if you want to take advantage of Samsung's Gear VR platform. The A5 (2017) stays quietly in the corner when the big boys talk VR.
Samsung Galaxy S6
Then there are the other As from this year. Maybe you're eyeing the A3 (2017) for its pocketability, just beware that it's got a lower-res (and lower pixel density) display, a slower chipset, less RAM and storage and lower-res cameras. It does keep a lot of the important stuff like the microSD slot (though hybrid on the dual-SIM version), IP68 rating, and superb display and battery life. It's also cheaper, duh.
Or, you could go one up and pick the 5.7-inch Galaxy A7 (2017) if that's available near you. Much fewer trade-offs here - the hardware is almost identical, only you'd be paying a little more for a larger diagonal and more battery (so possibly better battery life). The one caveat - Samsung won't be selling the A7 in Europe - a decision which is beyond us.
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
There's yet another option that needs to be mentioned, and it's none other than the Galaxy S7. Of course, it's considerably more expensive right now, but it's due for replacement in three months, so if you could wait, the S7 will certainly be a much better deal then. The A5 (2017) has nothing on the flagship - all the advantages over the S6 vanish (alright, there's the FM radio), and the S7 is hands-down the better phone altogether.
Samsung Galaxy S7
The Xperia X Performance goes for Galaxy A5 (2017) money in most markets. It's a model that's close to being a year old if you count from the announcement or half that if you consider the actual launch.
The X Performance is among a select few devices to offer an IP68 rating for dust and water protection, so the A5 has found its match on this front. Not regarding battery life, though - the Sony is nowhere near. It does boast a Snapdragon 820 chipset, which it chooses not to use for UHD video, but its advantages for mobile gaming remain - it's much better suited to the task than the A5's Exynos 7880.
Sony Xperia X Performance
Huawei has a couple of phones to compete with the A5 (2017) for your affection. Another flagship due for replacement, the P9 is a bit pricier but has a lovely dual 12MP camera (color+monochrome) on its back and a more powerful chipset (that still doesn't support 4K video recording, mind you). The A5 is dust and water resistant, though, and makes much better use of its 3,000mAh battery than the P9.
Going for the Huawei nova instead, you'd save a few notes, but still get a premium midranger - this one made of metal. Unlike the P9, the nova has a single rear camera (but then so does the A5), only it can record 4K video. Battery life isn't half bad, but it's no match for the marathon runner that the A5 is and the Samsung handset's display is superior in all respects. Did we mention the A5's IP68 rating? Well, now we have.
Huawei P9 Huawei nova
Priced identically to the Galaxy A5 (2017), the OnePlus 3T deserves a spot here. Sure, you can't find it in a store, and claiming a warranty might be a minor pain in the...hassle, but it's hard to beat it in bang-for-buck ratio. Packing one of the most powerful chipsets available, the 3T also comes with more RAM and storage. The latest from OnePlus packs 2x16MP cameras too, and both are arguably slightly better than the A5's, plus the main one can capture 2160p video.
The A5 has its strengths - the 32GB of memory may look modest next to OnePlus' 64GB or 128GB (has anyone actually gotten one of those), but a 256GB microSD card can easily dwarf that, as the 3T offers no option for expansion. Perhaps you're tired of reading about the A5's water-resistance and excellent battery life, but that's only because no other phone manages to match it on both of those counts, most not even on one. The OnePlus 3T certainly can't.
OnePlus 3T
Going through the numbers that define the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) it's all too easy to focus on the negative stuff. No 2160p video recording. £400/430. Android 6.0.1. Even that name is a bit too much - A5 (2017).
Those numbers can easily be countered with a few others that ring much more nicely, but let's not get so hung up on the digits. The facts are that the Galaxy A5 (2017) is beautifully-built; it will live through a downpour; it packs a screen that's only bested by flagships, and has battery life to spare. Of course, it's not ideal, and it's not cheap, but you're also unlikely to find a better match for the description in the previous sentence. Well, not unless you dig even deeper into your pocket.Only four years after Dan Savage proposed vaccinating boys as well as girls against HPV, the Canadian province of Alberta announced plans to do just that. (The much smaller province of Prince Edward Island pioneered the practice earlier this year.) Omar Mouallem applauds the move:
Males in any HPV-immunized community already benefit from shots administered to females. Two years after Australia introduced a national vaccination program for girls in 2007, cases of genital warts in young women and men dropped 59 and 39 percent, respectively. There, in the only country to federally fund coverage of both genders since February 2013, the conversation no longer focuses solely on cervical cancer. It’s about all of the symptoms, including warts, regardless of who is more likely to be affected.
New evidence suggests that a universal program could save more lives than anticipated. Oral HPV infections are now almost three-to-one male. Some researchers believe this is because men on average have more sexual partners, but Nigel Brockton, a Calgary oncologist who studies the relationship between HPV type 16 and oral pharyngeal cancers, links this ratio to the desquamation (shedding) of infectious cells, which occurs more readily on female genitalia. With fewer Canadians smoking than a generation ago, tonsil tumors should technically be declining, but they aren’t, perhaps because cunnilingus has become standard sexual practice. Since the lag time between infection and symptoms can be decades, HPV could become as much a men’s health issue as a women’s concern before all of the evidence is in.Between the core game, the expansions, and the mods this is a toy box of adventure. I wish for some kind of more solid single player specific campaign, but some mods take care of that too at least. A good mix of complex controls for specific actions and easily accessible controls for mundane actions, you really do get a simulated experience of riding a horse, firing a bow, using a spear, swinging a sword...etc. For an older game the graphics are quite decent and atmospheric with a pleasant soundtrack. No voice acting (beyond grunts and shouts) but this makes the game easier to play in other languages.
If you don't mind some repetition of tasks and basically having to choose your own journey (do you want to take over a castle? be a merchant? fight bandits? join the army? Become king? Woo fair maidens? Get lots of gold or the best armor and weapons?) this game will keep you mighty busy even without the still strong community adding bizzarities like a Star Wars mod, a Lord of the Rings mod, a mod for every time in history...etc. Check it out! On sale or not it's worth it.Vote for affordable housing, yes on B-17
July 26, 2017
“YES” on Measure B-17 = Repeal of the rental inspection ordinance. “YES” on Measure B-17 = More affordable housing.
OPINION by STEW JENKINS
This week, San Luis Obispo city residents are getting mail-in ballots. A “Yes” vote will permanently repeal the invasive and discriminatory “Rental Housing Inspection” ordinance adopted by an out-of-touch city council. A “Yes” vote will, for the first time in city history, forbid discrimination in city housing policies, practices and ordinances based on “age, income, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, or inability or ability to own a home.”
Does anyone remember a time when more than three times the number of voters needed signed up to put an initiative on a city ballot? Do you remember a time when the city committed such a blatant overreach that liberals and conservatives rose up together to gather so many signatures?
I’m Stew Jenkins, one of the three proponents and authors of Measure B-17. I am one of the 9,200 citizens who signed the petition. I am a home owner, not a landlord.
Proponent Dan Knight is a tenant and proponent Dan Carpenter is a homeowner who owns no residential rentals. Tenants donated the great majority of funds needed to qualify the initiative so citizens can take control over housing policy.
The reason the city is fighting this initiative so hard is that THE RENTAL INSPECTION ORDINANCE IS ONLY MOSTLY DEAD. Institutional city management is already working on bringing back “Rental Inspection Program 2.0” as soon as they can after your votes are counted. More about that in tomorrow’s commentary.
City council members, folks working in non-profits dependent on city council members voting them grants, and institutional city management have generated a slick whisper campaign urging a “No” vote against the initiative. Their “talking points” are (1) the “Rental Housing Inspection” ordinance is dead and gone, (2) the initiative’s simple NON-DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING ordinance will destroy affordable housing and mobile home rent control, and (3) adopting the NON-DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING ordinance will get the city sued.
Each city “talking point” is false.
Today’s column debunks the smoke and mirrors in the city’s false claim number two, that ending discrimination in housing could end affordable housing or mobile home rent control.
Reading the initiative’s non-discrimination in housing ordinance reveals that adopting measure B-17 makes housing more affordable, not less, and protects mobile home residents’ rent control.
Discrimination against people “based on age, income, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, or inability or ability to own a home” is outlawed by your “YES” vote.
Think about that simple provision.
Assisting or requiring the creation of affordable housing is not outlawed. In fact, the wording was carefully drafted to protect folks in mobile home parks. Existing limits on park owners’ ability to raise “space rent” is not outlawed by your “YES” vote.
By omitting “developers” from the initiative’s description of protected groups, existing ordinances requiring “developers” to build affordable units for rent or for purchase are all preserved by your “YES” vote.
The initiative nowhere prohibits a homeowner from adding a secondary (granny) unit, or renting out part of their home.
One snark the city management has tried to fool folks with is their claim that ending discrimination against renters would prevent the city from forbidding renters building a secondary unit behind the home the rent. What renter would want to pay the $50,000 in permit fees to improve their landlord’s property? And what rental landlord would ever allow a tenant to add on a secondary unit?
Don’t be fooled by city management’s false fears.
Truth is, that by voting “Yes” on B-17 you will prevent skyrocketing rents on existing houses, which will lower the prices landlords can charge in new developments.
It was the rental inspection ordinance’s yearly registration fees, repetitive inspection fees and nonsense fines being passed on to tenants that fueled increasing rents.
Mail in your “Yes” vote today on Measure B-17 to put a permanent spike in the heart of the invasive rental inspection ordinance that drives up the price of rents. This guarantees that voters will have a say in what the city proposes in future.
Mail in your “Yes” Vote today to adopt the city’s first, ever, anti-discrimination law.
Two easily understood sentences that read: “The City of San Luis Obispo shall not discriminate against any person based upon age, income, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, or inability or ability to own a home, by imposing any compulsory program, policy, intrusion or inspection applicable to any residential dwelling unit. No determination to conduct an inspection of any dwelling shall be based substantially on any occupant’s age, income, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity or status as an owner or renter of such dwelling.”
Restore equal dignity in San Luis Obispo with your “Yes” vote.
Stew Jenkins is a San Luis Obispo County Liberal Democrat who supports the rights of working people to organize unions, growing the local economy through project labor agreements, the right of all people to health care and equal dignity.
He is an attorney practicing in San Luis Obispo since 1978. Jenkins’ handles tax payer suits, municipal law, estate planning and family law.
Loading...US special forces personnel working with Kurdish allies who played a key role in battles against the Islamic State group in Syria (AFP Photo/DELIL SOULEIMAN)
Washington (AFP) - Dozens of US Special Operations commandos have been deployed to northern Syria to help Turkey and "vetted" Syrian rebels fight the Islamic State group, the Pentagon confirmed Friday.
But as footage emerged of the rebels hurling insults and threats at the American special operators, US officials were forced to play down reports that the troops did not receive a warm welcome to the frontline.
Last month, Ankara launched an offensive into northern Syria dubbed "Euphrates Shield," ostensibly designed to cut a major IS group supply line but also to counter the advance of US-backed a Kurdish militia.
US forces are working alongside the Syrian Kurds of the YPG in the fight against the Islamic State, but Turkey regards the group as terrorists and allies of the PKK separatist group fighting within its own borders.
In Syria, Turkey prefers to work with Arab and Turkmen fighters such as those of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is opposed to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's regime but has also clashed with the Kurds in the past.
Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis told reporters that US commandos, at Turkey's request, had joined the Turkish military and "vetted Syrian opposition forces" fighting the Islamic State group near Jarabulus and Al Rai.
But footage widely shared online by Syrian groups and experts appears to show US commandos in Al Rai insulted by FSA fighters, who call them "pigs" and "infidels" in Arabic, demanding they leave Syria.
A US defense official admitted there had been a "misunderstanding," but insisted the troops were still deployed and that the matter had been cleared up.
"There's been no violence, no one is hurt and we are still there," the official said. "I have no report of a hostile or violent action."
The special forces contingent includes several dozen troops, he added.
America's top general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, met with his Turkish counterpart General Hulusi Akar on the sidelines of a NATO chiefs of staff meeting in Croatia on Friday to discuss the anti-IS group fight.
His assistant, Captain Gregory Hicks, said the generals met "to advance discussions on the way forward in the fight against ISIL, and recommitted to the close military-to-military and strategic relationship the US has with Turkey."
Meanwhile, in another incident underlining the four-way tensions between Kurds, Turks, Americans and Syrian Arabs on the battlefield, Kurdish YPG fighters again flew US flags near Syria's border with Turkey.
An AFP photographer saw the stars and stripes flying over a YPG base in Tal Abyad. The use of US flags is seen as a provocation by some in Turkey and the Pentagon repeated its request for them to be taken down.
"We would call on our partner forces not to fly the American flag on their own," Cook said. "I would imagine that that would be communicated if indeed that's taken place in this instance."
There was some good news for the coalition, however.
Cook said that senior Islamic State propagandist Wa'il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, known as "Dr. Wa'il," was killed in a precision strike on September 7 near Raqa, the Syrian city that is the group's de facto capital.Rick Westhead TSN Senior Correspondent Follow|Archive
A group of former players suing the Canadian Hockey League are asking a Calgary judge to order 42 major junior teams to turn over their tax returns and financial statements dating back to 2011 to establish whether those franchises are profitable or lose money.
The players are also asking a Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench judge to order Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison and Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch to produce all of their leagues’ revenue-sharing agreements.
Robison and Branch have testified that one third of the teams in the WHL and one third of the teams in the OHL lose money each season. Neither Branch nor a WHL spokesman responded to an email requesting comment.
Ted Charney, a lawyer for the former players, wrote in court papers filed Sept. 26 and obtained by TSN that the leagues should be required to disclose documents relating to broadcast revenue, merchandising, funding from the National Hockey League, and any other revenue streams.
Charney represents former junior players who say CHL franchises are raking in millions of dollars from ticket revenue, corporate sponsorships and TV rights fees, and are worth tens
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0001 <0.0001 <0.001 n.s. n.s. <0.01 n.s. <0.05 <0.05 Grating response: open n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. Grating response: ODI <0.00001 <0.001 <0.0001 <0.05 <0.01 n.s. <0.001 n.s. n.s. <0.05 OSI: closed <0.001 <0.0001 n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. <0.01 <0.01 n.s. OSI: open <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. Noise response (F1): closed <0.001 <0.001 <0.01 <0.01 <0.05 <0.01 <0.05 <0.01 n.s. n.s. Noise response (F1): open n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. Noise response: ODI <0.00001 <0.00001 <0.001 <0.01 <0.001 <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.05
In response to the contrast-modulated noise stimuli, the peak firing of a cell occurs at the frequency of contrast modulation (F1, at 0.1 Hz). We assessed contrast sensitivity by calculating average value of contrast that elicits half-maximal response (C 1/2 ). Contrast sensitivity was significantly impaired after LTMD and was restored almost completely in noise+run mice but not in gratings+run mice (Figure 6).
Figure 6 Download asset Open asset Change in contrast sensitivity in broad-spiking cells. Average values of contrast that gives half-maximal response are shown. Horizontal lines above bars; black: p<0.01, grey: p<0.05. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02798.019
Narrow-spiking cells are thought to correspond to inhibitory, predominantly fast-spiking, interneurons (McCormick et al., 1985; Bartho et al., 2004). Although a minority population, inhibitory cells play an important role in plasticity (Espinosa and Stryker, 2012). We observed several notable differences between broad- and narrow-spiking cells in the changes following LTMD and 7d-BV. First, spontaneous activity of narrow-spiking cells was greatly reduced after LTMD and did not change significantly after 7d-BV regardless of the treatment (Figure 7C,D), whereas those of broad-spiking cells were elevated after LTMD and significantly decreased toward normal level in mice after 7d-BV (Figure 7A,B). These opposite changes in spontaneous firing between broad- and narrow-spiking cells may reflect a homeostatic mechanism that alters excitatory–inhibitory balance to maintain cortical activity during prolonged deprivation. Second, recovery of closed-eye responses and ocular dominance to the gratings in narrow-spiking cells was only modest even in grating+run mice (Figure 8A, Figure 8—figure supplement 1A), whereas it was nearly complete in broad-spiking cells (Figure 4B). Third, responses of narrow-spiking cells to contrast-modulated noise through the deprived eye and ocular dominance were incompletely restored both in noise+run and grating+run mice to similar extents, showing no preference for the experienced stimulus (Figure 8B, Figure 8—figure supplement 1B). Fourth, responses of narrow-spiking cells through the open-eye were not elevated after LTMD either to the noise or grating stimulus, and did not change significantly in any of 7d-BV mice (Figure 8—figure supplement 1A,B). This lack of potentiation of open-eye responses during LTMD in narrow-spiking cells may contribute to potentiation of those in broad-spiking cells. The responses of narrow-spiking cells after LTMD suggest that deprivation reduces intracortical inhibition. Such a reduction may provide a starting point that allows meager deprived-eye excitatory pathways of the cortical circuit to drive activity upon re-opening. The incomplete recovery of orientation tuning of broad-spiking cells in spite of nearly full restoration of the magnitudes of responses may result from the very limited recovery in narrow-spiking cells, as inhibition is critical for generation of sharp orientation tuning in upper layer neurons in the primary visual cortex (Liu et al., 2011).It would appear that over this (and last) week the manosphere topic du jour has been defining the Feminine Imperative. Sunshinemary started off the hit parade with her post The feminine imperative, fact or crap? and then followed up How doth the feminine imperative grow and then this week’s seminal effort in redefining the Feminine Imperative into more fem-friendly terms with The Feminine Imperative vs. the Feminist Imperative. All of this is amounting to what’s really the feminine equivalent of a circle jerk debate over semantics.
The recurring theme in all of these posts isn’t a want for a concrete definition of what the feminine imperative is, but rather an effort to dissociate the uglier aspects of the imperative away from blaming women for the negative consequences that result from the feminine imperative. Both for Aunt Giggles and Sunshinemary the overarching concern is the default scapegoating of the feminine imperative for any inter-gender woe a man might complain of.
If this feminine ‘concern’ sounds familiar it should; it’s just a new derivation of the “ Devil biology made me do it” Red Queen / Selfish Gene biological determinism reasoning they feared would end up being men’s go-to explanation for excusing their bad (i.e. non feminine compliant) behaviors. Only now the narrative isn’t about the worry of men saying “my selfish genes made me cheat on my wife” the message they hope to control is men complaining “the feminine imperative is what makes me a sexless loser.” That control comes in an interesting form of blaming the victim for his lack of performance in the face of the feminine imperative. The Feminine Imperative can’t be held responsible for men’s social ineptitudes so the Male Catch 22 is effected – as a man you’re a whiney beta if you complain, but you’re less than a ‘man’ if you don’t stick up for yourself by saying something.
While I will admit that Sunshinemary’s point of origin probably started as an honest inquiry into the nature of the feminine imperative, her want of a feminine friendly definition stems from the same desire Aunt Sue or any other female writer in the manosphere seeks when confronted with the harsh truths of Game, Hypergamy, the Feminine Imperative and contemporary understanding of intergender dynamics – feminine absolution of acknowledgement of them.
The solution to acknowledging the Feminine Imperative follows the same formula as with other aspects of men becoming aware of intergender dynamics; dissociate (or dilute) feminine accountability, redefine terms and sanitize those redefinitions to fall back into accordance with the Feminine Imperative. I predicted exactly this process of Game sanitization when I wrote Could a Man have written this? Only women are allowed to be self-critical, which of course is yet one more social extension of the feminine imperative.
Suck It Up Guys
The primary fear Sunshinemary has is that men will see the inherent amorality of the Feminine Imperative (hypergamic warts and all) from both an evolutionary and social perspective, and that this would become some self-defeating source of anger for them.
The feminine imperative isn’t something to be angry about, it’s something to be aware of and planned for accordingly. Up until recently the issue has been about the awareness part of that equation, now it’s the contingency part that men are having to deal with, and by extension so are women. The real fear isn’t about anger issues, it’s about the contingencies men will develop with their new awareness to circumvent the more egregious aspects of the Feminine Imperative, and its effect on women. Some men, understandably, get mad for having invested themselves for so long in a set of social rules they believed everyone was (or should be) playing by, only to become aware that the game’s been rigged all along. No one’s actually been playing by the “rules” that the imperative sold them and they’ve lost a lot of personal investment as a result.
Hypergamy and many other evolved aspects of the feminine imperative are (or were) certainly instinctual, largely unlearned, survival factors that contributed to our species’ success. However, the uglier, intrinsically unfair, dynamics like concurrent cuckolding, violent mate guarding, the War Brides dynamic and even women’s inborn sexual pluralism (rooted in her menstrual cycle) are aspects most men wouldn’t voluntarily sign on for if they knew the machinations behind them, or they had an inclination of how their SMV will progressively mature.
Solution? Develop feminine operative social conventions to ensure those unpleasant realities become more palatable duties for men.
For Feminine Imperative redefiners, the basic confusion stems from separating the feminine imperative from the social conventions that evolved to better effect it. They don’t see the fundamental separation of the two. Simply put, the feminine imperative is the totality of the framework – social, biological, personal, etc. – that implicitly benefits the feminine. And while they are correct that the social conventions of the feminine imperative are (for the greater part) learned and acculturated, they are the social tools used by the imperative, not the motivating imperative itself.
To Serve and Protect
Sunshinemary, in her effort to dissociate feminine accountability to the overall Feminine Imperative, attempts to separate the social implements of the Feminine Imperative from the naturalistic (evolutionary) side of the imperative. Thus she attempts to split the definition into two camps; one the good, natural, sometimes ugly, but species beneficial Feminine Imperative, the other, a monstrous social reengineering push responsible for the evils men endure under the Feminist Imperative:
The feminine imperative: protection and resources are preferentially and willingly provided to females by related males (related by family or by marriage), which benefits both sexes due to the increased survivorship of offspring; this is primarily an evolved biological construct. Resistance is useless due to differential survivorship of offspring. The feminist imperative: protection and resources are preferentially but unwillingly provided to females by all males regardless of relationship, with no concomitant benefit to males; this is primarily an artificially imposed social construct. Resistance is useful.
Beyond the fem-positive spin of Mary’s redefinition here, the problem is that feminism is itself a social extension of the Feminine Imperative. Feminism is essentially a social reengineering project with the express purpose of benefiting the Feminine Imperative. On a base level hypergamy IS the feminine imperative. Hypergamy and women’s sexual pluralism is literally written into women’s genetic code. In her proliferative phase, women’s hormonal predisposition is for Alpha seed, after ovulation and menses the hormonal predisposition is for Beta need. Feminism, and all of the operative social, political and psychological conventions that are derived from it serve a solitary purpose – the advancement and consolidation of the Feminine Imperative as the dominant socio-sexual frame for our species.
All one need do is consider the socio-sexual effects of feminism over the past 40+ years. Remove the necessity for male provisioning, remove the pre-sexual revolution resource dependency, enable women with unilateral control of their birthing schedule through hormonal birth control and what do women default to? Their innate Hypergamy, the prime directive of the Feminine Imperative.
Hypergamy, while inherently cruel, is in fact a proven species survival schema. However, because of women’s place in our biological order, they must be the filters of that hypergamy. Ergo, the necessity of a dominant socio-sexual framework defaults to the feminine.
By sheer force men can and have taken control of that dominant framework, by rape or religion or any other moralistic social constructs, but women’s fluid, social reengineering of those constructs circumvents and repurposes them. If you need an example just study the history of western civilization; we’ve ‘progressed’ from a society that owned women as property to women’s default ownership of men’s progeny, property, their future property and even the means for them to acquire it all through the same social convention (marriage) that was intended to prevent women from engaging in their evolved propensity for sexual pluralism and proactively or retroactively cuckolding men.
Sunshinemary’s hope is that men will refocus their (perceived) anger on the evils of the Feminist Imperative as a distinct and separate force, and accept (preferably embrace) the Feminine Imperative for being “it is what it is”. Her impression is that the Feminine Imperative is amoral while the Feminist Imperative is immoral – an impression, I might add, that trad-con feminized-church women would like to perpetuate – focus on those deplorable feminists while we functionally serve the same purpose they do. The main disconnect here is that there is no Feminism without a Feminine Imperative. Feminism doesn’t exist without a Feminine Imperative to serve.
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Post-apocalyptic story about two travelers who set out on a long journey in the wasteland, left by people after the global epidemic. The disaster destroyed much of the world's population, the infrastructure went wrong and the common life remained only in memories. The times when a human has adapted the environment for himself have end and now, in order to survive, he will have to adapt to changes. You will have to play the character whose path runs through the deserted towns and cities in Russia, fields and forests of a vast country and even a secret underground facility. Who are we, where are we from and where do we go – we will be lucky to know it only at the end!This adventure story will let you explore in more detail a number of interesting locations of post apocalyptic Russia, filled with a variety of items and secrets. During the journey you will collect supplies, food, batteries and weapons, solve quests and move forward on the plot, which has several variation in the final, depending on your actions.Vandals kill Tyler Park tree
Tree violence in Tyler Park. (Photo: Olmsted Parks Conservancy)
File this in the category of "What goes on in some people's brains?"
A vandal or vandals destroyed a tree in Tyler Park last week, stripping its bark away to prevent the movement of sap and nutrients to its canopy.
Metro Parks spokeswoman Julie Kredens said that Metro Parks' security director was planning to check security cameras at the park to see whether they shed light on the vandalism. Metro Parks will also file a report to Louisville Metro Police.
"What happens to it beyond that then becomes an LMPD decision," she said.
CLOSE The video quality isn't high, so Metro Parks officials say they have doubts about being able to identify the vandals who stripped the bark off the ash tree in Tyler Park. Metro Parks
But I'm guessing tree girdling is not high on the Metro Police' crime prevention agenda.
It will be replaced, but not until the fall planting season.
Mimi Zinniel, president and CEO of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, said the conservancy has in the past offered rewards to catch park vandals. She said it may consider a reward in this case depending on the review of the security cameras and what the police say in their report.
Metro Parks identified it as an ash tree, which means it could have potentially been attacked and killed by the emerald ash borer, which is now in Louisville. Still, that's no excuse.
Read or Share this story: http://cjky.it/1lcsyO8An FCC survey released on June 1, 2010 found that four out of five broadband users don't know the speed of their Internet connection.
The survey, based on phone interviews with more than 3,000 adults from April 19 to May 2, also found that only 33% of cell phone users are very satisfied with the speed of their mobile Internet connections.
"Speed matters," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's aptly reported. The more broadband subscribers know about what speeds they need and what speeds they get, the more they can make the market work and push faster speeds over broadband networks."
The FCC has recently increased its focus on consumer protection issues including the speed and reliability of broadband connections. The agency is looking for 10,000 volunteers to participate in a scientific study measuring home broadband speeds across America. People interested in volunteering can apply at http://www.testmyisp.com.
Test and compare the speed of your own broadband Internet connection with our Speed Test.
FCC Survey Finds 4 out of 5 Americans Don't Know Their Broadband Speeds (FCC)
Test Your Speed (Speed Matters)The International Monetary Fund has admitted that some of the decisions it made in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis were wrong, and that the €130bn first bailout of Greece was "bungled". Well, yes. If it hadn't been a mistake, then it would have been the only bailout and everyone in Greece would have lived happily ever after.
Actually, the IMF hasn't quite admitted that it messed things up. It has said instead that it went along with its partners in "the Troika" – the European Commission and the European Central Bank – when it shouldn't have. The EC and the ECB, says the IMF, put the interests of the eurozone before the interests of Greece. The EC and the ECB, in turn, clutch their pearls and splutter with horror that they could be accused of something so petty as self-preservation.
The IMF also admits that it "underestimated" the effect austerity would have on Greece. Obviously, the rest of the Troika takes no issue with that. Even those who substitute "kick up the arse to all the lazy scroungers" whenever they encounter the word "austerity", have cottoned on to the fact that the word can only be intoned with facial features locked into a suitably tragic mask.
Yet, mealy-mouthed and hotly contested as this minor mea culpa is, it's still a sign that financial institutions may slowly be coming round to the idea that they are the problem. They know the crash was a debt-bubble that burst. What they don't seem to acknowledge is that the merry days of reckless lending are never going to return; even if they do, the same thing will happen again, but more quickly and more savagely. The thing is this: the crash was a write-off, not a repair job. The response from the start should have been a wholesale reevaluation of the way in which wealth is created and distributed around the globe, a "structural adjustment", as the philosopher John Gray has said all along.
The IMF exists to lend money to governments, so it's comic that it wags its finger at governments that run up debt. And, of course, its loans famously come with strings attached: adopt a free-market economy, or strengthen the one you have, kissing goodbye to the Big State. Yet, the irony is painful. Neoliberal ideology insists that states are too big and cumbersome, too centralised and faceless, to be efficient and responsive. I agree. The problem is that the ruthless sentimentalists of neoliberalism like to tell themselves – and anyone else who will listen – that removing the dead hand of state control frees the individual citizen to be entrepreneurial and productive. Instead, it places the financially powerful beyond any state, in an international elite that makes its own rules, and holds governments to ransom. That's what the financial crisis was all about. The ransom was paid, and as a result, governments have been obliged to limit their activities yet further – some setting about the task with greater relish than others. Now the task, supposedly, is to get the free market up and running again.
But the basic problem is this: it costs a lot of money to cultivate a market – a group of consumers – and the more sophisticated the market is, the more expensive it is to cultivate them. A developed market needs to be populated with educated, healthy, cultured, law-abiding and financially secure people – people who expect to be well paid themselves, having been brought up believing in material aspiration, as consumers need to be.
So why, exactly, given the huge amount of investment needed to create such a market, should access to it then be "free"? The neoliberal idea is that the cultivation itself should be conducted privately as well. They see "austerity" as a way of forcing that agenda. But how can the privatisation of societal welfare possibly happen when unemployment is already high, working people are turning to food banks to survive and the debt industry, far from being sorry that it brought the global economy to its knees, is snapping up bargains in the form of busted high-street businesses to establish shops with nothing to sell but high-interest debt? Why, you have to ask yourself, is this vast implausibility, this sheer unsustainability, not blindingly obvious to all?
Markets cannot be free. Markets have to be nurtured. They have to be invested in. Markets have to be grown. Google, Amazon and Apple haven't taught anyone in this country to read. But even though an illiterate market wouldn't be so great for them, they avoid their taxes, because they can, because they are more powerful than governments.
And further, those who invest in these companies, and insist that taxes should be low to encourage private profit and shareholder value, then lend governments the money they need to create these populations of sophisticated producers and consumers, berating them for their profligacy as they do so. It's all utterly, completely, crazy.
The other day a health minister, Anna Soubry, suggested that female GPs who worked part-time so that they could bring up families were putting the NHS under strain. The compartmentalised thinking is quite breathtaking. What on earth does she imagine? That it would be better for the economy if they all left school at 16? On the contrary, the more people who are earning good money while working part-time – thus having the leisure to consume – the better. No doubt these female GPs are sustaining both the pharmaceutical industry and the arts and media, both sectors that Britain does well in.
As for their prioritising of family life over career – that's just another of the myriad ways in which Conservative neoliberalism is entirely without logic. Its prophets and its disciples will happily – ecstatically – tell you that there's nothing more important than family, unless you're a family doctor spending some of your time caring for your own. You couldn't make these characters up. It is certainly true that women with children find it more easy to find part-time employment in the public sector. But that's a prima facie example of how unresponsive the private sector is to human and societal need, not – as it is so often presented – evidence that the public sector is congenitally disabled.
Much of the healthy economic growth – as opposed to the smoke and mirrors of many aspects of financial services – that Britain enjoyed during the second half of the 20th century was due to women swelling the educated workforce. Soubry and her ilk, above all else, forget that people have multiple roles, as consumers, as producers, as citizens and as family members. All of those things have to be nurtured and invested in to make a market.
The neoliberalism that the IMF still preaches pays no account to any of this. It insists that the provision of work alone is enough of an invisible hand to sustain a market. Yet even Adam Smith, the economist who came up with that theory, did not agree that economic activity alone was enough to keep humans decent and civilised.
Governments are left with the bill when neoliberals demand access to markets that they refuse to invest in making. Their refusal allows them to rail against the Big State while producing the conditions that make it necessary. And even as the results of their folly become ever more plain to see, they are grudging in their admittance of the slightest blame, bickering with their allies instead of waking up, smelling the coffee and realising that far too much of it is sold through Starbucks.The spirit of The 90/Ten Project is to “pay it forward”… We are so thankful to have come across some amazing bloggers, world changers, authors, foster parents, organizations, and even some struggling students (Leroy) who advocate for the best interest of foster youth. These incredible people deserve some special mention, please check out their websites (in no particular order).
Aging Out Institute agingoutinstitute.com
This website serves those youth approaching emancipation and those who have already aged out with online resources to help them be successful in their transition.
From Foster To Fabulous fromfostertofabulous.com
Helen Ramaglia is a national speaker, foster care trainer, congressional award winner and author of “From Foster to Fabulous.”
Fostercaredad & Fostercaremum fostercaredad.com.au fostercaremum.com.au
These blogs are both really inspirational and grounded in the realities of foster parenting. Head on over to a bit of Australia to see how the blokes down under foster…
Imafoster imafoster.com
Life before, during and after foster care from the perspective of a foster care alumni and current foster parent.
Project Meet Me Halfway projectmmh.org
A national campaign started by foster alumni and country music singer Jimmy Wayne. Project Meet Me Halfway brings awareness to the needs of foster youth to be prepared for emancipation out of foster care.
The Comfort Project comfortproject.org
This project is designed to provide comfort for foster youth by providing them with their own bedding to create a personalized space.
CASA For Children casaforchildren.org
CASA volunteers advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in their community and the courts.
Dave Thomas Foundation davethomasfoundation.org
The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids campaign is making a difference by using child-focused recruitment to match the children who have been waiting the longest for a family.
Author Nikki J. facebook.com/ThePainInThePromise
Nikki’s mission is to help others heal from life’s tragedies. Her book, “The Pain in the Promise; Child Neglected, God Protected, Beauty Reflected” is available on Amazon, Kindle, and Google Play.
I Was A Foster Kid Blog looneytunes09.wordpress.com
Tips and perspectives for caring for foster kids, from a foster alumni. This blog has a lot of really great information, shooting straight from the hip.
Finicky Philly menaanne.wordpress.com
Philly is a journalist, foodie, and an advocate for reforming the broken pieces of the child welfare system.Today Congressman Bobby Rush from Chicago got kicked off the House Floor for wearing a Hoodie. He like many others had dawned the attire to bring attention to the case surrounding Trayvon Martin. It was a noble gesture. It helps keep the case in the spotlight, but this has got to go beyond Hoodies. Too many of us are focusing on that and not some of the larger issues at hand.
For example, all of us should be asking; ‘whats the story behind Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee?’ Most of us protesting around Trayvon don’t know his name. All we know is the police chief stepped down and very few of us are bringing him up in conversation and demanding he be brought to task? He’s just as guilty as George Zimmerman.
Why was Chief Sanders and his department so sloppy with the initial investigation? Why didn’t they follow standard police procedure of collecting evidence like; keeping Zimmerman’s gun and running ballistic tests or checking to make sure Zimmerman wasn’t high or drunk? We need to know why Standford police didn’t notify Trayvon’s family for after he was killed and his body was in the morgue.. Martin’s father found out after he filed a missing person’s report. We are just finding out that one of the early investigators wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter. Why wasn’t that allowed to happen?
We need to know what’s the deal with State Attorney Norman R. Wolfinger, why didn’t he press charges? We need to know if there’s a connection with George Zimmerman’s dad Robert Zimmerman a former magistrate and the lawmakers here in Florida?
All of us should be asking those questions and when we see a Congressman like Bobby Rush wearing a hoodie on the house floor, he is not only asking those questions but ideally if he’s being escorted off the floor it’s because he’s attempting to hold hearings where many of those questions can get answered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ougHdwR8PhI
We need to see Rush and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus hold more briefings and hearings like they did with yesterday’s Protecting a “Suspect” Community: Racial Profiling & Hate Crimes. We need to see hearings on police misconduct. We can start with the frequent leaks coming from the police departments designed to smear Trayvon’s name. In many states, including Florida, they have in place a Policeman’s Bill of Rights. In many places those Policeman’s Bill of Rights make it difficult to get a hold of personnel files to review complaints against an officer (I’m not sure if Florida has the same provisions as California where officers are shielded).
In any case all of us need to continuously connect the dots.. Trayvon’s killing can’t be seen in isolation to last week’s brutal vigilante killing of Shaima Alawadi in Lakeside California or the ‘drive by’ shooting death of Rekia Boyd by an off duty Chicago cop who claims he saw a man standing next to Boyd draw gun. Boyd was an innocent bystander yet her shooting was deemed justified even though the police found no weapons on the scene.
These incidents and scores of others need to be investigated. We need to make sure that these incidents are not connected to a larger more sinister plan of action. Are we experiencing co-ordinated and deleibarte terrorist attacks or are people just angry and acting out? Hopefully Rush and the CBC can lead the charge on Capitol Hill and start to really dig into those questions while we start looking into this amongst ourselves in our communities.
Lastly, lets not get caught up in the hoodie thing as if Black people are only suspicious when wearing them.. Try driving a nice car and your suspicious… Try walking around a nice department store and your suspicious.. Try cashing a large check and your suspicious..
This suspiciousness is rooted in racist people holding on to the notion that Black people not being in ‘their place‘ when they do something that defies stereotypes. This is why we see the racial attacks on President Barack Obama who is constantly under suspicion..We already seen the disrespect directed to him by business mogul Donald Trump, who demanded to see the President’s birth certificate. Even after it was shown, we now have Arizona sheriff Joe Arpiao conducting an investigation to make sure it’s not fake..
Sadly we are suspicious of each other..Long after this Trayvon/ Zimmerman thing dies down, even if he’s arrested and convicted, many of us are still gonna be running around not trusting the Black repairman, the Black lawyer, the Black accountant.. Black men will claim they can’t trust ‘skeezing, gold digging sistas and sistas will say they can’t trust these ‘trifling scheming azz’ men..and nobody trusts the kids..How do we intend to change that?.
Not to digress too much… Again we must be clear and push forward with justice and the dismantling of institutionalized racism and oppression as a goal. Our hoodies have got to be connected larger political agenda or understanding. Are we wearing a hoodie to show solidarity? If so, who or what are we in solidarity with? Are we wearing the hoodies as an act of defiance? If so what exactly are we defying? All of us should learned the lesson of what happened after Obama got elected. His historic victory was quickly erased by this onslaught of racist killings all over the country. From Oscar Grant to Trayvon and beyond. If we’re not mindful of this, we will quickly find ourselves back at square one even if Zimmerman is carted off to jail for life or given a death sentence. Bottom line: What good is a symbol if its not connected to a larger politic and plan of action?
written by Davey D
AdvertisementsIf an extraterrestrial beamed down to Earth at 8:59 p.m. Eastern time last night and watched the second presidential debate, I'm sure he would have thought John McCain had some good ideas. Sure, he would have thought that McCain was cranky. Definitely condescending (referring to Barack Obama as "that one" and assuming a questioner had never heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). And I'm sure he would have wondered why the organizers filled the audience with McCain associates, since he kept referring to everyone in the crowd as "my friends." But even the most ardent Obama supporter would have to admit that our ET acquaintance would think McCain had some good ideas to addresses the problems the country is now fighting, such as the need for energy independence, global warming, and reforming government and Wall Street. And our visitor from another solar system would have to be impressed with McCain's adamant assertions of the great judgement he has shown on foreign policy issues and his ability to work with Democrats.
But without the benefit of knowing the records of the two candidates, the ET wouldn't know that the John McCain he saw at the debate bore no resemblance to how John McCain, the senator from Arizona, has behaved. And based on the polls over the last two-plus weeks, it seems like the American people know the difference, at least enough of them to put McCain's hopes for the presidency in real trouble.
McCain said repeatedly during the debate that voters should check his record. One can only believe that he made that challenge hoping that nobody would actually do it.
McCain talked over and over again last night about how he had regularly opposed his party, but as Joe Biden pointed out in the vice presidential debate, McCain rarely went against George W. Bush on any issue of importance to Americans. In fact, McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 89 percent of the time since Bush took office (according to a Congressional Quarterly voting study). As for making his fellow Republicans mad, McCain's words were pure fiction. He voted 98 percent of the time with his fellow Republicans (43 of 44) in 2007.
McCain's claims of working for energy independence were especially silly in light of his record. McCain took millions of dollars from oil companies, all while advocating for massive tax breaks for them and offshore drilling, their two pet issues. McCain also supported the actions of his key economic advisor, former senator Phil Gramm, when he forced through language in the Commodity Futures Modernization Act that allowed for the deregulation of oil speculating, which was directly responsible for much of the recent rise in gas prices. And, as Obama has pointed out throughout the campaign, as a senator, McCain voted against bills supporting renewable energy sources multiple times. McCain has been a senator and a candidate in the hip pocket of the oil companies. How would he ever go against them to advocate for green energies that would de-emphasize the oil companies' central product?
McCain's obsession with offshore drilling also demonstrates that he has no real interest in supporting alternative energy policies. There simply isn't enough oil in the U.S. to feed our oil addiction. Even if we did drill offshore, the Bush administration's Energy Information Administration has found that it would have little effect on the price of oil and would at best result in production in 2017. Offshore drilling is a boondoggle meant to divert people's attention from the larger energy issue that has to be addressed, all while giving oil companies what they want.
In light of McCain's love affair with big oil, it should come as no surprise that his claims of being a champion of global warming measures don't match up with his history in the senate. The League of Conservation Voters gave McCain a score of zero for 2007, and in his senate career, he voted against environmental measures three-quarters of the time. McCain cited his support of a global warming bill with Joe Lieberman, but that legislation lacked the teeth to really address the problem. When Lieberman and other Democrats proposed a tougher bill earlier this year, McCain opposed it. Yet again, McCain's debate rhetoric was not supported by his record.
What about McCain's strong claims that he was a reformer who would clean up the excesses on Wall Street? McCain condemned Obama for taking money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but McCain's hands are hardly clean. Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, accepted $2 million in fees from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with payments reportedly made to his company as recently as August. As Obama said in the debate, he never lobbied for the lenders, but Davis did. McCain talks about adding oversight to the financial industry, but he has a long record supporting the very deregulation that allowed the current subprime mortgage debacle to occur in the first place. Even as the crisis was in full swing, McCain professed recently, "I'm always for less regulation... I'm fundamentally a deregulator." Aside from the one bill McCain talked about in the debate, he has no record as a senator of trying to clean up the financial industry. Quite the opposite.
As for foreign policy, McCain accused Obama of being wrong on key decisions, but a check of the record shows that it was McCain who has gotten every important judgment of the last decade wrong. McCain, in supporting the war in Iraq, told us that victory would be easy and we would be greeted as liberators. (You can watch him say it here and here.) He also claimed that money from Iraqi oil would pay for the war. Well, five-and-a-half years, more than 4,000 lives, $700 billion, and a broken military later, we know how fatally wrong McCain was. Once the quagmire in Iraq had set in, McCain accused Obama of trying to "legislate" defeat by advocating that funding for the war in Iraq had to come with timetables for American troop withdrawals. Again, Obama turned out to be right, and McCain turned out to be wrong. Everyone seems to have come around to Obama's position, except McCain. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that timetables are necessary, and even the Bush administration has agreed to make them part of a security agreement with Iraq.
Even on McCain's pet issue, the surge, McCain got it wrong and continues to get it wrong. He can't go 30 seconds in a debate on foreign policy without insisting that the surge has worked and Obama was wrong to oppose it. But if the surge was successful, why are we still there? In Bush's January 10, 2007 address to the American people announcing the surge, he made it clear that
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is much easier not to be concerned. Ignorance is bliss at times, but when it comes to your health it is crucial to know the facts.
Before using another product with unknown ingredients, gather every cosmetic that you own, including your makeup bag, and pile them up on the table. Print out this list of ingredients to avoid and see what products have what. Don’t be surprised if the ingredients aren’t listed on some products. If you can’t find the ingredients because it was on the box you threw away, look up the cosmetic online and gather the ingredient list that way. Also don’t be blind to products that are labeled “organic” and “natural.” They may have a few organic or natural ingredients yet some still have other serious chemicals.
If you are like me, I had a hard time tossing all of the gratis cosmetics from my job, and the really cute makeup palettes. I had tons of cream blush, liner pots, eye shadows, lipsticks, etc. One day I just tossed all of it. I was going to have to find another way to represent myself beautifully at my auditions, and at work. My health was more important than even my favorite eye shadow.
This story does have a happy ending don’t worry! I found some amazing products that have even better results than what I was using before, because they don’t irritate or clog my pores, and the quality of the product is actually better because the ingredients are better. I also learned how to make some awesome DIY skin care and makeup products, even creating some of my own recipes. But first read the ingredients that should not be used on our beautiful bodies.
Ingredients To Avoid
Aluminum
Avobenzone
Benzphenone
Butylene Glycol–Petroleum Derived
Citral
Citronellol
Coal Tar
Cyclomethicone–Silicon Derived
DEA (Diethanolamine)
Diazolidinyl Urea–Formaldehyde Creating Chemical
Dimethicone–Silicone Derived
Dimethicone Copolyol–Silicone Derived
Dioxin
Ethoxycinnamate–Chemical Sunscreen
Fragrance
Formaldehyde
Geraniol
Hydantoin–Formaldehyde Creating Chemical
Hydroquinone–Fade Creams
Imidazolidinyl Urea–Formaldehyde Creating Chemical
Lead–In Lipsticks
Lead Acetate
Limonene
Linalool
MEA (Monoethanolamine)
Mercury–“Liquid Silver”
PABA-Chemical Sunscreen
Parabens
PEG (Polyethylene Glycol)
Petroleum
Phenoxyethanol
Phthalates
Propylene Glycol
PVP/VA Copolymer
Retinyl Acetate
Retinyl Palminate
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Synthetic Colors-FD&C and D&C
Talc (possible abestiform fibers contaminants)
TEA (Tricthanolamine)
Triclosan
Don’t stress about revamping everything at once if that doesn’t financially work for you. Instead as one product is finished, replace it with a “green” healthy product that I’m sure you will love. You can also create many of your own cosmetics fairly easily. My absolute favorite source for my natural cosmetic supplies is Mountain Rose Herbs which offers organic ingredients and has high quality products. You can also find a ton of DIY beauty recipes by category in the footer and right sidebar.
Natural Makeup
100% Pure
Vapour Organic Beauty
Natural Skin Care
AZUHA
Nayelle Probiotic Skin Care
Mountain Rose Herbs
Live Live & Organic
Just Natural Organic Care
100% Pure
Natural Hair Care
Just Natural Organic Care
100% Pure
Mountain Rose Herbs
Natural Hair Color
Mountain Rose Herbs Henna
Natural Deodorant
Primal Pit Paste
All Good
Natural Dental Care
Ora Wellness
Research your cosmetic products and ingredients for even more information. Creating an eco-friendly beauty routine is healthy for you and the environment. Everything that we use becomes part of our water supply. Even such a simple thing as changing your shampoo can make a big difference for you and the earth.
(Updated January 2018–Image by D Sharon Pruitt)When it comes to promoting religious freedom, the government could do with a little more fairness right here at home. Less than a month after the Conservative government officially established the Office for Religious Freedom, a multi-faith flock of Canadians is taking the government to court for violating the very freedoms the government pledges the new office will promote abroad.
Christian prisoners have regular access to Bible study, group meetings and a chaplain who can minister fully to their needs. ( Paul Lachine / NewsArt )
In a united front that highlights strong interfaith opposition, Muslim, Wiccan, Buddhist, Sikh and Jewish prisoners and ex-prisoners are now suing the federal government for cutting part-time chaplains, many of whom ministered to prisoners just like them. The government cut the part-time chaplains to save an estimated $1.3 million. But $5 million was budgeted to promote religious freedom around the world. Where are the government’s priorities? “Having a chaplain of one’s own faith visit regularly and make a lasting connection helps prisoners feel that they have not been abandoned by society,” reads part of the lawsuit, filed in the B.C. Supreme Court. The claim goes on to argue that the government’s decision to cut all but one non-Christian chaplain contravenes several Charter rights, including the right to practise one’s religion freely, the right to life, liberty and the security of person, and the right to be free from discrimination.
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Considering that many Christian prisoners have regular and dependable access to Christian Bible studies, group meetings and a chaplain who can fully minister to their needs, the disadvantage to prisoners of other faith groups is clear. The lawsuit chronicles complaints that promised volunteer chaplaincy visits are too few and unreliable. The federal government ostensibly wants to serve as a beacon for religious tolerance and diversity abroad but its own record gives rise to some misgivings. Take Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s insistence that the small group of Muslim women wearing face veils remove them in order to take the citizenship oath. The minister has not budged on this 2011 directive despite protests that this violates the Charter’s protection of religious freedom and equity before the law. Even the Supreme Court of Canada ruled as much in the recent R v. N.S. case, which involved a Muslim woman’s request that she wear her niqab while testifying. A majority of the court ruled that the Charter protects a woman’s right to wear a face veil in Canadian courtrooms. The ruling laid down specific circumstances when a woman might be required to remove it, essentially only when her right can be shown to impinge someone else’s Charter rights. Whose constitutional right is a woman violating in a citizenship oath ceremony? Shouldn’t becoming a Canadian mean that one starts to enjoy the rights guaranteed by the Charter? It’s almost certain that another costly constitutional challenge is also on the way with many experts suggesting there’s not much ground for the government to stand on. Even the government’s own Members of Parliament seem fixated on speaking to a very select segment of Canadians. Just take a look at a recent flyer circulated by Saskatchewan Conservative MP Kelly Block which claims that of the 200 million persecuted minorities in the world, most are Christian. To reinforce this, the flyer includes a quote from MP Pierre Poilievre pledging his support to the persecuted Christian Copts in Egypt during a statement to the House of Commons.
One can be forgiven for wondering whether the multitudes of other faith adherents suffering around the world will get the same kind of attention. Religious persecution of any group or sect is a violation of human rights which global citizens and governments must fight against and condemn. But our government’s commitment to fairly advocate on behalf of all faith groups is in doubt.
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We look to the federal government to protect the constitutional rights of all Canadians, equally and without bias. Only then will there be enough credibility to ask other governments to do the same for their citizens. Amira Elghawaby is the human rights co-ordinator at the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR.CAN).Andrew Luck is a man of the people.
When he's not busy crashing weddings or garnering fan support in the Madden 15 NFL Cover Vote, the Colts quarterback spends his free time taking local kids to the Indianapolis 500.
In a helicopter. And a pace car.
On Sunday, Luck accompanied two young fans from the Riley Hospital for Children -- where the QB tutors patients -- on a chopper that landed on Turn One of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The trio then got into a pace car, took a lap around the track and delivered the green flag to the start/finish line in time for the race, which was won by Ryan Hunter-Reay.
"It was a lot of fun," Luck told The Indianapolis Star.
Fun, indeed, especially for MaKenzi Rooksberry, 11, and Johliel Austin, 14. MaKenzi, selected for her courage, had been a passenger in the chopper before, being transported to Riley in the winter of 2013 after a moving vehicle collided with her sled head-on.
Meanwhile, Johliel, an eighth-grader at KIPP Indianapolis College Preparatory School, was chosen for the ride as a representative of Change the Play, a health and wellness program Luck started with the hospital.
The kids undoubtedly will remember Sunday's event. As for Luck, with one full day remaining before organized team activities, it's anyone's guess where he pops up next.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" predicts 2014 starting lineups and talks insider goodness with Bucky Brooks.UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education Cathy Koshland issued this statement today:
UC Berkeley has long been committed to ensuring equal access to students, faculty and staff with disabilities. Despite the absence of clear regulatory guidance, we have attempted to maximize the accessibility of free, online content that we have made available to the public. Nevertheless, the Department of Justice has recently asserted that the University is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because, in its view, not all of the free course and lecture content UC Berkeley makes available on certain online platforms is fully accessible to individuals with hearing, visual or manual disabilities.
The department’s findings do not implicate the accessibility of educational opportunities provided to our enrolled students.
In response, the university has moved swiftly to engage our campus experts to evaluate the best course of action. We look forward to continued dialog with the Department of Justice regarding the requirements of the ADA and options for compliance. Yet we do so with the realization that, due to our current financial constraints, we might not be able to continue to provide free public content under the conditions laid out by the Department of Justice to the extent we have in the past.
In many cases the requirements proposed by the department would require the university to implement extremely expensive measures to continue to make these resources available to the public for free. We believe that in a time of substantial budget deficits and shrinking state financial support, our first obligation is to use our limited resources to support our enrolled students. Therefore, we must strongly consider the unenviable option of whether to remove content from public access.
Please know that we fully intend to exhaust every available option to retain or restore free public availability of online content. It is our hope that we will find an appropriate resolution with the Department of Justice that allows us to serve the extended seeing- and hearing-impaired community and continue to provide free online content.
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View the Department of Justice letter.VEGARD GROTT / AFP / Getty Images Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway attends a wreath laying to mark the second anniversary of the twin Oslo-Utoya massacre in Oslo on July 22, 2013
Prableen Kaur has arrived at Grorud Naersenter, a drab shopping mall on the outskirts of Oslo, armed with hundreds of red roses and an unshakable faith in Norway’s democracy. The roses are an easy sell. “It’s an icebreaker — people usually don’t say no,” the 20-year-old Labor Party candidate says as she thrusts flowers and campaign leaflets into shoppers’ hands.
Harder to understand is her tolerance toward those sharing the views of Anders Behring Breivik, the white supremacist who left her cowering under the bodies of her friends as he calmly shot dead 69 people at a Labor Party youth camp on Utoya Island two years ago. He claimed to be on a crusade against multiculturalism and immigration, intent on wiping out the future generation of a party he blamed for the “Islamic invasion” of Norway.
“People can share their thoughts and their opinions — it is their democratic right,” says Kaur, who survived the July 22 massacre by leaping into the cold fjord. “I think democracy works better if every different opinion can be a part of the debate.”
The problem for Kaur is that the democratic system she cherishes is forecast to oust the Labor Party after eight years in power. Elections next month could even see an anti-immigration party that once counted Breivik as a member join a coalition government for the first time.
(MORE: Norway Killer Declared Sane, Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison)
Outside the political process, far-right extremists whose voices fell silent after the attacks are back on blogs peddling their hate. Kaur points to a proliferation of anti-immigrant views on the comments sections of newspaper websites. Ronny Alte, the former head of the extreme-right Norwegian Defence League who quit after Breivik’s massacre, now runs a new website that includes rants against Islamic culture. Antiracism campaigners say society failed to mount any real challenge to their views after Utoya, preferring to blame a lone fanatic rather than examining some of the more mainstream prejudices that shaped his worldview. The extremists, says Shoaib Mohammad Sultan, an adviser to the Norwegian Centre Against Racism, “have sort of got away with it.”
In theory, Norway should be immune to some of the more inflammatory rhetoric aimed at migrants elsewhere in Europe, where high unemployment leaves locals looking for easy scapegoats. The vast oil reserves discovered in the 1960s have transformed Norway into one of the richest nations in the world, with generous state benefits and enough jobs to go around.
But there remain pronounced existential fears that far-right parties across the sparsely populated north of Europe exploit: a perception that traditional Scandinavian values of liberalism and Christianity are under threat, in particular by radical Islam, despite just a tiny minority of people airing such views. Norway is not alone. An anti-immigration party frequently polls as the third most popular in Sweden. The Danish Prime Minister this week felt compelled to stress that pork meatballs should be served at day-care centers, after a noisy tabloid debate about Islamic customs being adopted by state institutions.
That Norway failed to turn a corner after Breivik’s massacre is disappointment to many of his intended victims. In the months that followed the attack, it looked like the impact on the political debate could be profound. Although the anti-immigration Progress Party immediately condemned the actions of Breivik, who left their ranks in 2006, it lost a third of its support at municipal elections in 2011. The Labor Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was praised for his dignity and sensitivity, and the party fared better than expected at the local polls.
(MORE: Why Norway Is Satisfied With Breivik’s Sentence)
But the wave of sympathy was tarnished a year later when a report revealed a catalog of security failings leading up to Breivik’s rampage. The Progress Party, meanwhile, has tweaked some of its rhetoric and now bills itself as a mainstream movement in the mold of U.S. Republicans or the British Conservative Party. “Our heroes,” Progress Party candidate Kristian Norheim says as he walks past photos of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan adorning the corridors of their offices.
Norheim is at pains to portray the Progress Party as a “folkish” movement guided by Ayn Rand’s philosophy of the power of the individual over the state. Questions about previous pledges to cap immigration and their views on Muslims are met with tracts on protecting freedom of speech and women’s rights. Breivik is referred to as “that bastard.”
But comments by Progress Party leader Siv Jensen last year that Norway should “arrange a bus” and deport people from the Roma minority raised concerns that their values remained the same.
“I had hoped that the debate had changed and that it would be a more tolerant debate, at least from the politicians,” says Asmund Aukrust, 28, one of 33 Labor Party members running for Parliament next month who survived the Utoya massacre.
How many people share such views will become clearer after the elections. Current opinion polls suggest a Conservative-led coalition that would likely include the Progress Party, with voters looking for a change after two terms of Labor. But whichever party emerges victorious, Labor candidates are adamant that there is one person who will never win. That is Breivik, who is currently serving a 21-year sentence for the island shooting and a bomb in Oslo that killed eight.
“His goal was to crush the Labor Party,” says Stine Renate Haheim, another Utoya survivor running for office. “He didn’t succeed. The AUF [Labor Party youth wing] is stronger than ever.”
PHOTOS: Explosion and Shooting Rock NorwayToday at a meet the media session at the Orange HQ in Wangsa Maju, Orange eSports have announced that the star and darling of the international and local Dota 2 community, Mushi will be leaving for greener pastures in China. The announcement follows their incredible third place finish in the international 3. Mushi has said that he wants to go to China to further his abilities and skills in hopes that he can improve even more. There has been no exact team confirmed but the MD of Orange eSports has said that they are in talks with several Chinese teams. We believe that DK may be the most likely choice. What do you think?
We wish Mushi all the best as he joins Chuan as the 2nd Malaysian in China playing Dota 2.Mariah Carey once said, “I don’t want a lot for Christmas, There is just one thing I need“. Unfortunately these lyrics do not apply to the Anaheim Ducks this holiday season; and yes I just quoted Mariah Carey in a hockey article!
With Anaheim sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings and the end to their downward spiral nowhere in sight, GM Bob Murray’s holiday wish list could possibly be one of the never-ending variety. Although the Ducks sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division, they are in no way out of contention (that is how bad this division is). If Murray can just obtain a few items from his list, we could be looking at a new and improved team in 2016.
Without any further ado, here is the holiday wish list for the Anaheim Ducks!
1. More Goals!
It should not surprise anyone that more scoring is on the top of the list. When I say more scoring, I mean more goals from absolutely anybody on the roster. The Ducks are by far the worst goal scoring team in the entire National Hockey League with a measly 59 through 32 games. The Philadelphia Flyers, who are 29th in the league in scoring, have 73 goals so far this season. Fourteen goals separate the Ducks from the second worst team and that is just pathetic. If Anaheim could find a way to start putting the puck in the back of the net more than once or twice a game, they would find themselves right back in the playoff race.
2. The Real Ryan Getzlaf
In 28 games this season, the Ducks’ captain has only managed to record nineteen points. eighteen of those points are assists, and the only goal he has to his name this season is an empty-netter. This is coming from a guy who has not scored below 50 points in a season since his rookie year (not including lockout season). The fact that the second best player on the Ducks has fallen off this much is just baffling. Anaheim needs Getzlaf to shake off this funk and get back to normal immediately!
3. A New Home For Kesler
In terms of holiday wishes, this one might fall under the “new car” variety. It is something everybody wants but the likelihood of it occurring is quite small. After Getzlaf, Kesler’s performance so far this season is the second most disappointing. In his 32 games, Kesler has only managed to score four goals and has been demoted to centering the third line. This is not what you want to be seeing from a guy you are going to be paying a large sum of money to until 2022.
I always expected the Kesler contract to come back and bite the Ducks but not this soon. It would be a complete long-shot; but if the Anaheim could find a team willing to take Kesler off their hands, Murray would be forever grateful.
http://gty.im/501022886
4. Bench Bieksa
This one is for the fans! The former Canuck has played like absolute garbage since joining Anaheim this season and Ducks fans have had no problem demonstrating how displeased they are with him. It is hard to believe that any team would participate in a deal for the defenseman so Bruce Boudreau should just make him a healthy scratch every night. At least this would give the Ducks faithful one thing to be happy about.
5. The Will to Win
The Ducks have been the biggest surprise and disappoint this season. Once favored to win the Stanley Cup, they are now becoming favorites to score Auston Matthews. This team just might not be as good as everybody expected but it is difficult to sense any sort of urgency or determination when they hit the ice. Once the opposition gets ahead, the game might as well be over. The Ducks hang their head in frustration and play the rest of the contest wounded and defeated. This mindset is not going to help them climb up the standings and make a push towards postseason contention. The Ducks need to have a fire lit from underneath them and develop the will to win. If not, their will be a new face of the franchise this summer.
http://gty.im/502208380
The Anaheim Ducks’ holiday wish list could honestly take up about ten pieces of paper. Unfortunately Santa Clause is a very busy man and cannot direct all of his attention to one hockey team. When the holiday freeze is over, you can bet that Murray is going to go shopping with the hopes of making some improvements. The rest of the things on the wish list are going to have to be taken care of by the men who pull the Ducks sweater over their heads before every game.
Happy Holidays everyone!Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 The candidates for President are Republican
John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. If
the election was today, who would you vote
for? If John McCain, press 1. If Barack
Obama, press 2. If you’re undecided, press 3.
McCain……………….. 42%
Obama……………….. 53%
Undecided…………… 5%
Q2 Are you firmly committed to your choice for
President, or could you change your mind
between now and the election? If you are firmly
committed, press 1. If you could change your
mind, press 2.
Firmly Committed…………………………………….. 93%
Could Change Mind …………………………………. 7%
Q3 The candidates for US Senate are Republican
Steve Pearce and Democrat Tom Udall. If the
election was today, who would you vote for? If
for Steve Pearce, press 1. If Tom Udall, press
2. If you’re undecided, press 3.
Pearce …………………………………………………… 37%
Udall ……………………………………………………… 57%
Undecided………………………………………………. 6%
Q4 Did Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as
his running mate make you more or less likely
to vote for him? If it makes you more likely to
vote for him, press 1. If it makes you less likely
to vote for him, press 2. If it makes no
difference, press 3.
More Likely………… 35%
Less Likely ………… 32%
No Difference …….. 33%
Q5 Did John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as
his running mate make you more or less likely
to vote for him? If it makes you more likely to
vote for him, press 1. If it makes you less likely
to vote for him, press 2. If it makes no
difference, press 3.
More Likely …………. 38%
Less Likely ………….. 46%
No Difference………. 16%
Q6 Would you describe the community you live in
as urban, suburban, rural, or a small town? If
urban, press 1. If suburban, press 2. If rural,
press 3. If a small town, press 4.
Urban…………………………………………………….. 23%
Suburban ……………………………………………….. 7%
Rural ……………………………………………………… 64%
Small Town…………………………………………….. 6%
Q7 If you are a woman, press 1, if a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 54%
Man……………………………………………………….. 46%
Q8 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a
Republican, press 2. If other, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 52%
Republican……………………………………………… 32%
Other……………………………………………………… 15%
Q9 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If you are white,
press 2. If you are African-American, press 3.
If other, press 4.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 39%
White …………………………………………………….. 52%
African American …………………………………….. 2%
Other……………………………………………………… 6%
Q10 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1 now. If
you are 30 to 45, press 2. If you are 46 to 65,
press 3. If older, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 16%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 28%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 37%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 19%Google on Tuesday unveiled a redesigned YouTube app for the Apple TV with a number of new features, while Apple simultaneously added four additional channels to its lineup, including one from popular mixed martial arts league UFC.
In addition to a refreshed user interface, the new YouTube app also adds functionality long missing from its Apple TV incarnation. Users can now subscribe to a channel directly from the set-top box, for instance, and the app's search function now uses a find-as-you-type configuration for faster searching.YouTube also brought their personalized recommendations to the latest version, allowing users to browse new content based on their viewing history.Alongside the YouTube update, Apple has added new content from UFC, The Scene, Fusion, and DailyMotion.UFC— rumored to be headed to the set-top streamer for months— will allow viewers to access a wealth of content, including Pay-Per-Views and video from UFC Fight Pass. The Scene, meanwhile, brings curated short-form video content from brand including ABC News, Forbes, Epicurious, and GQ.Fusion, a joint venture between ABC and Univision, is a digital news networked aimed at the millennial audience. DailyMotion brings much of the content from its web properties to the Apple TV, including content from gaming network IGN.A public housing highrise in the Ghim Moh section of Singapore. Courtesy NFB
Most residents of the city-state live in tidy, subsidized highrises. Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the foreign workers who helped build them.
A typical drive through Singapore offers an almost continuous view of orderly and largely uniform highrise apartment buildings. Residents’ clothes dry in the hot, damp air on retractable hangers protruding from windows. These public housing estates, called HDBs, are generally offered at lower prices than private property and are home to more than 80 percent of Singaporeans. While some are fancier than others—one near the Central Business District, the 50-story Pinnacle@Duxton, boasts the “world’s longest sky gardens”— most, if not all, like Singapore itself, are extremely well-kept. The people responsible for constructing these very Singaporean dwellings are overwhelmingly male migrant workers. These low-wage manual laborers, along with female migrant workers who tend to work in domestic capacities, today make up nearly one-fifth of the total population of Singapore, according to Jolovan Wham, the executive director of the Humanitarian Organization for Migrant Economics, or HOME. Most hail from Malaysia, China, Bangladesh, India, and other Asian countries. Series Vertical living's past, present and future Go You might think that such workers would live in HDBs, given their ubiquity (more than one million such units existed in 2014). While some employers do house their workers in these spaces—in Singapore, employers are legally responsible for low-wage, temporary workers’ accommodations—generally this has not been the case. In fact, the government’s housing website currently shows strict quotas for subletting HDB flats to “non-citizens.” (These quotas exclude Malaysians “in view of their close cultural and historical similarities with Singaporeans.”) A main reason for this policy appears to be HDB residents’ distaste for living near the workers. “Singaporeans are generally appreciative of the role that foreign workers play, but they don’t want them too close,” says Wham. Charan Bal, who has conducted research among Bangladeshi construction workers in Singapore and now teaches at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, Indonesia, echoes Wham. “If you house workers too close to where people live,” he says, “they’re going to complain about it,” adding that “the only place to shelter workers without neighbors complaining is in the red light districts.”
So where do these workers live, aside from red light districts? Their housing—and its isolation and often substandard condition—is an emotional topic of debate in the city-state. Many migrant laborers live in dormitories built in partnership with the government, which may be in old factories or other converted industrial spaces, or in walkup apartments, shophouses, or construction sites. At construction sites, housing is either a temporary, standalone structure, or the workers may actually inhabit the building they are constructing. From the government’s point of view, this is fine if the site is “structurally safe,” says Wham, whose organization has been advocating against this type of housing. It’s not just about structural safety, he says. “How can you rest properly? How can you cook? The workers have to use portable toilets, and they don’t have proper sanitation. The government justifies it by saying it’s more convenient.” It’s cheaper, too, so employers often prefer such accommodation. Bal reports that while housing four or five workers in an HDB may cost around $500 per month per worker, construction site accommodation fetches only around $200 per month per worker. And if employers house their workers (illegally) in unregistered spaces, the cost may be as low as $80 per month per worker. Even official, registered dorms in converted factories, walkup apartments, and shophouses are often cramped and overcrowded—and “slum-like,” according to Wham. “There’s poor ventilation,” he says. “It’s a perfect breeding ground for bedbugs and cockroaches. After visiting these places, I often find myself scratching because I’ve caught some of the bedbugs.”
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower oversees housing for foreign workers and has instituted rules regarding their living conditions, such as fire safety, minimum living space, and hygiene. Dormitory inspectors check worker accommodations regularly, and can fine or jail employers who break the rules. Despite such inspections, poor conditions continue in many cases. HOME has also called attention to the “excessive” powers given to inspectors, who can break down doors and windows or arrest and detain suspected unlicensed operators or proprietors for up to 48 hours. Cities are changing fast. Keep up with the CityLab Daily newsletter. The best way to follow issues you care about. Subscribe Loading... The government's desire to control not only housing but the workers themselves has increased since a riot took place in the Little India neighborhood on a Sunday night in December 2013. Sundays are the workers' day off, and many venture to Little India to eat, drink, and socialize. When a South Asian worker was struck and killed by one of the buses that ferry workers to and from their dormitories, a mob of 400 threw rocks and beer bottles and overturned police cars. Police subdued the crowd, and 25 were arrested—with more than half eventually charged. While large “purpose-built dormitories” (PBDs) for workers had been planned and even constructed before the riot, since 2013 the aim of moving workers into these more spacious and hygienic—and more controlled—spaces has been more evident. One such PBD, called Tuas View and located on Singapore's west coast in an industrial area, has been featured in the city-state's (state-friendly) media. Tuas View opened in August 2014 and has been called a “breath of fresh air” compared with other worker housing options. It has 20 four-story blocks, and can house almost 7,000. Tuas View has a gym and a basketball court, a field for open-air Bollywood movie watching, a beer garden, and a food court, as well as a supermarket, clinic, and retail stores from which to buy clothing and mobile phones. It's clean and spacious. There's almost a Pullman town-like quality to it, with the modern twist that workers are required to give their fingerprints when they arrive back at the complex, and almost 250 CCTV cameras monitor their movements. “Security concerns have superseded concerns about the well being of the workers.” Tuas View is the first of nine similar dorms to be built over the next several years that will add 100,000 beds to an existing 200,000 in other PBDs. According to the Ministry of Manpower, the government's long-term view is that “it would be better to house [migrant workers] in PBDs, where there are self-contained facilities to meet their social and recreational needs outside work. More PBDs will be launched and completed... with a view to move more [workers] into such self-contained housing over time.” But because employers can find cheaper housing than the PBDs, which cost around $300 per month per worker, they have continued to seek accommodation on construction sites and in other less expensive venues. In response, the government recently froze the construction of temporary dorms in 12 industrial areas.
While conditions in the PBDs are obviously better than most laborer housing options, Wham says that “there simply aren't enough of them.” Bal takes a different tack. “It's pretty clear that they are less about the welfare of the workers,” he says. “It's more about stemming potential riots. Security concerns have superseded concerns about the well being of the workers.” The future of housing for migrant workers in Singapore thus seems clear: if the government’s plan pans out, they will be housed in ultra-clean and highly controlled low-rise buildings—structures that are Singaporean in some ways, but that are largely set apart from Singaporean society and Singaporeans themselves. There is one way for workers to more easily inhabit HDBs, though not by living among Singaporeans per se. Wham tells me he recently spoke with a group of Bangladeshi men who work as cleaners for the housing estates and who live in the buildings' bin centers, where trash is collected and disposed of. “Some of them are there because the apartments they live in are so crowded that they prefer them,” he says. “In the bin center, they also have more freedom to cook and do as they please.” According to Bal, such a case is actually an improvement from workers' living conditions in Singapore in the 1980s and 1990s. “Workers lived in garbage dumps or in the jungle,” he says. “But there's of course huge room for improvement today all the same.” This story is part of the Highrise Report, in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada. CityLab is proud to host the U.S. premiere of “Universe Within: Digital Lives in the Global Highrise,” the final interactive documentary to come out of the HIGHRISE project, produced by the NFB.A night tour of one of Scotland’s most famous modern ruins, St. Peter’s Seminary, above, will open the country’s first Festival of Architecture. For the ticketed event, called Hinterland, held March 18 to 27, audiences will walk through woodlands to explore the derelict buildings, backed by moving light installations and a specially commissioned recorded choral work performed by St. Salvator’s Chapel Choir of the University of St. Andrews. Built 50 years ago, the structure was heralded as a modernist masterpiece of glass and concrete, but fell into disrepair after being deconsecrated in 1980. A planned restoration will transform it into an arts facility.
The architectural festival will also feature more than 400 events and exhibitions around the country. Flagship attractions include the Ideal Hut Show, a touring show from May to September featuring 20 model garden sheds customized by leading architects, designers and celebrities.Accomplishing all this requires some novel approaches, such as social-media mining, customer “learning tours,” and inventive diagnostic tools. It also calls for a new level of collaboration between sales and marketing. But given today’s pressure to drive consensus, suppliers that don’t align the two functions as a single team will be trounced by those who do.
But innovative suppliers are finding ways to drive consensus in diverse buying groups, say three authors from CEB, which has been researching the impact of this buying shift. Those suppliers prime group members to find common ground by creating shared language and perspectives around problems and solutions. They identify internal champions for their offerings at the customers’ companies; motivate those individuals to become active advocates; and arm them with the skills and materials needed to win over fellow decision makers.
Sales reps have long been taught to seek out a senior executive who can single-handedly approve a deal, but unilateral decision makers are now rare. Today most purchases are made by groups of individuals, all with different roles and priorities, and all with veto power. As a result, getting deals done has become an increasingly painful and protracted process.
Idea in Brief The Problem Increasingly, decisions about large company purchases are made not by individual executives but by a group of managers. Because group members often have different priorities, getting them to reach agreement poses a big challenge for suppliers. The Solution Salespeople must learn to build consensus. They can do so by helping buying-group members discover shared language and goals; motivating individual members of the group to become advocates for their firms’ solutions; and equipping those advocates to teach and persuade.
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correspondence to them with the relish of a man getting away with a great joke – that they were going to fall for his mawkish sincerity,” she said.
He would boast about his sexual prowess and make comments about other women. Colgan took a particular liking to one actor and constantly wondered if she was a virgin as well as wondering out loud what it would be like to engage in oral sex with her, Sarah recalls.
“He would comment on our clothes, our hair, our make-up. One of his favourite questions was: ‘Are you wearing perfume today?’,” said Mary.
As part of their work, the women had to join Colgan for lunch and attend opening-night events.
“There was a lot of sexual undertones. There was no such thing as lunch without sex being mentioned; who was back in his house; who he’d had contact with,” Joanna said.
Celebrity friends Many of the comments were made in front of others, including Colgan’s circle of celebrity friends. Joanna remembers the late actor John Hurt was present the first time she introduced her boyfriend to Colgan.
Almost every woman who spoke to The Irish Times said Colgan would regularly touch them on the small of the back, their leg and sometimes their buttocks. Katie Holmes, who had to work in particularly close proximity to him, said it occurred on a daily basis.
“I was sitting beside him and his hand would touch the small of back, down on the top of my ass, basically.
Holmes said she would “freeze” when this happened. “It’s literally terrifying when someone does it who is your boss and someone who is paying your rent.”
Sarah said the touching was a part of working in Number Eight. “If anyone complained they were ‘PC gone mad’ and so he would make a point of doing it. He would make you sit beside him while he dictated emails, slumped over you to ‘better see the screen’ on which you were typing. If you made a mistake you’d be patted forcefully on the extreme lower back – something easily facilitated by the fact that you’d be sitting totally erect due to the extreme discomfort of the situation.
“Usually the wallop would be accompanied by an insult – you were a ‘bitch’ or a ‘c***’ for missing the comma or not spelling something correctly. You’d be patted on the thigh and called ‘baby’ or ‘darling’ if you were doing well. He’d lean on you with all of his weight to hoist himself up out of his chair – it was all contrived to unsettle you. If you moved away from him he’d pull your chair in closer.”
Ciara Smyth said this week she was at auditions with Colgan and several other men “in their 40s and 50s” when Colgan went to slap her buttocks.
“I put my hand out to stop him and said quietly: ‘Michael, don’t.’ At this stage I imagined everyone was looking at us, but I didn’t take my eyes off him to check. Michael then said: ‘Would you ever f*** off; I wasn’t going to hit you.’”
She said that after she turned away from him he then hit her anyway with such force that she stumbled forward. “I turned to look at him and the only word I could manage to say was his name.”
Vindictive When angry, Colgan showed a different side, one which the women said could be petty, vindictive and sometimes threatening. Joanna recalls that he would often carry around a book in which he said he was writing down the mistakes “his girls” were making.
“If you did something, he would write in the back of this book he had all the time,” she said.
Colgan would call the women into the office, usually with another member of senior management present. The door would be left open so the whole office could hear what happened next.
“He always liked to have an audience, even when he was bullying someone,” Mary said.
“All hell would break loose. He would eviscerate us. It could last an hour,” she said, adding that the outburst could be over “the slightest thing”.
She describes Colgan as “incredibly manipulative” and said he would use information he had gathered to criticise the women, even if it was of a personal nature.
Some of the bullying related to the women’s appearance but Colgan could home in on other characteristics too.
“For different people he used different things... with some people it would be physical comments and that would really affect them. With me it was comments about my intelligence,” Holmes said.
Sarah said much of his bullying was related to age and class. “He was obsessed with everyone’s age and how that dictated their worth. The younger you were, the less valuable your opinion was. It was the same with class. There were many conversations about who was working class, who was middle class, and it would influence his opinion of you.
“There was one conversation where he asked our opinions and it was structured so that he would rate the answers based on how significant we were as humans. I was the youngest so I went last. I joked that I was a girl so lower still. And his response was: ‘Oh well, of course I can talk down to anything that has a womb.’
“He played everyone in the same way; it was daily degradation to keep you in line.”
Elaine said that she was called into Colgan’s office once about a problem with the Gate website.
“He refused to listen to my explanation and shouted at me, called me unintelligent and threatened that if I knew what was good for me I would leave his office. I tried to stand up for myself calmly by trying to explain how the site works, but he shouted at me until I had no choice but to leave.”
She followed this up by sending an email to a senior manager asking him to alert the board of Colgan’s behaviour. Colgan became aware of the email. He again called Smyth into his office and told her she was liar, she said.
‘All about shame’ “It was all about shame. It was all about keeping us line. And belittling us,” Sarah said.
Colgan could “turn on a coin” said one woman. He could be gregarious and charming at times. One former employee, Aisling Kennedy, described it as “Stockholm syndrome”.
She said at first she found it hard to detail what she went through. “Mainly because I still quite like Michael – or at least thought I still did. After all is said and done, I don’t think I do anymore or really ever did.”
Mary said Colgan “could be your best friend and your arch-nemesis the next moment”.
Holmes agreed. “He was highly manipulative, emotionally abusive. You never knew what you were walking into. Some days he would be in amazing form. Other days he would be horrific.”
After incidents with employees, Colgan would often offer a consolation, they said – a foreign trip with him on Gate business or simply asking their opinion about an auditioning actor. Joanna remembers Colgan asking her to accompany him to Scotland after he had grabbed her by the arm and physically hurt her.
For several of them, one particular incident stands out. Colgan had organised a major event, the World Actors Forum. It was a huge undertaking. The women in Number Eight were told they had to work evenings and weekends, with no extra pay. At one stage they were working seven-day weeks.
The staff wrote an email asking if they could get some time off in lieu after the event.
“Michael hit the roof. He called us in one by one. He roared and shouted at us for well over an hour,” Mary said.
“He said to me, how dare I write that. He said I was off the project. I was in there for an hour and a half. All we did was ask a question.
“I said we just wanted some transparency. He said: ‘If you ever use the word transparency again around me, you can start looking for a new job.’ ”
Colgan called two of the women in and demanded they announce to their colleagues that were “retracting” the email. They agreed to do so.
Colgan’s actions had the unintended effect of building up a bond between the woman. Because they worked in such close proximity in Number Eight and because they all had to deal with Colgan on a daily basis, they grew to rely on each other. Several recall that most days one of them would be crying in the kitchen over something Colgan had said or done while the others would offer support.
“We would go upstairs and have coffee and kind of huddle together. There was great camaraderie between us because we had to deal with it. And people across the road in the theatre didn’t get as much.”
At least two of the women who spoke to The Irish Times made internal complaints to management which Colgan found out about. He would confront the women and accuse them of disloyalty while insisting he could run his theatre as he wished. Others sought assistance from outside.
Law firm On February 18th, 2016, Elaine sent an email, which has been seen by The Irish Times, to a law firm asking what her options were.
“I am seeking advice regarding a work relation bullying and harassment issue that I have been subjected to in the workplace,” she wrote
“I have been subject to bullying and sexual inappropriateness by my employer who is my direct manager, which had left me feeling uncomfortable, anxious and stressed. I have now taken doctor-approved stress leave from work.
“[During] my employment there have been numerous occasions where said manager persistently and relentlessly asks me about my sex life, told me in detail about his, told me that he fancies me and tells me that he could date me. Initially I tried to ignore this, it made me feel humiliated and uncomfortable. I tried to laugh it off to defuse the situation or change the subject.”
She continued: “I am in a state of extreme anxiety as a result of the continuous inappropriate behaviours and unprofessional atmosphere.”
When asked this week, the board of the Gate Theatre said it had not received any complaints about Colgan’s behaviour. In an unusual set-up, Colgan was on the board of the theatre.
In response to requests from this newspaper, Selina Cartmell, the current director of the Gate Theatre and Colgan’s successor, said: “I am deeply concerned and upset by the experiences people have been commenting on over the last week. On Thursday the Gate released a statement setting out a confidential process for current and ex-employees or contractors of the Gate to address any issues they may have and I would encourage people to use this if they have any concerns.
“As the new director of the Gate Theatre, key areas of my focus have been creative endeavour and collaboration, openness and accessibility, diversity and equality. These values are important not just for the Gate Theatre but any artistic organisation. I am only a few months into this new journey and my sense is that it will take time to build trust and understanding from our colleagues and the community. The Gate is committed to delivering on this process whilst dealing professionally and compassionately with any issues arising from the past.”
On Thursday, the Gate set up a confidential email address for anyone who wished to communicate concerns about experiences they had. It said it would also appoint an independent professional to look into the issues raised. None of the women who have spoken to The Irish Times have so far made use of this.
On Thursday night, at an event in the US, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it was “right and appropriate” that people who had been sexually harassed should come forward.
“That requires a degree of bravery, of course, but also it empowers other people to do the same, maybe people who were afraid to do so in the past, when they see others coming forward well then they’ll be encouraged to do so as well.”
He added: “We also need to counterbalance that with the understanding that an allegation is an allegation and people have the right to due process and the right to have their good name protected.”A Lake Tahoe housing shortage is leaving more residents in dire straits, some of them doubling up with roommates, and others couch surfing or staying in dilapidated, low-rent motels. Still others have given up on basin living, and instead commute daily from distant communities.
Ironically, though, Tahoe has plenty of houses. They just sit vacant most of the year.
More than half of Tahoe homes are vacation residences owned by people who live elsewhere and who come to the alpine resort only for short visits on winter weekends and summer holidays. Some local leaders now say Tahoe needs to find ways to pull those homes back into the mix.
“We don’t need to build more, we just need to re-purpose the ones we have better,” said Heidi Hill-Drum of the Tahoe Prosperity Center, a coalition working on the housing issue.
Placer County leaders recently began exploring the possibility of offering absentee owners cash incentives or reduced fees to rent their residences on a long-term basis to local workers. The idea needs fleshing out, said Placer County official Jennifer Merchant, and will run up against the popular Airbnb trend of second-home owners renting housing to tourists for weekend or weeklong stays.
Placer County covers the Tahoe’s north and west shore, the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows areas, and the Truckee region.
“We think the idea has legs,” Placer’s Merchant said. “We have the housing. We want to reach out to homeowners, and ask them what would make you rent. Are people interested in incentives?”
Merchant said officials will bring their findings and possibly a program proposal to the Placer County Board of Supervisors later this year. She said it’s uncertain where funds would come from if the county were to offer cash incentives. The county does have hotel and home rental taxes and various fee revenues it can look at.
The Tahoe basin has 50,000-plus residents, many of them everyday workers, such as teachers, construction workers, waiters, bartenders, ski resort employees and hotel workers whose incomes are not keeping up with rising housing costs, basin planners say. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials say the median household income for the basin’s workforce is in the mid-$20,000 annual range.
In Tahoe City, a mid-market area, median rents for two-bedroom rentals have risen from $1,250 five years ago to $1,900 this year, according to Zillow. At the same time, median home prices in Tahoe City increased from $248,000 to $349,000.
Nearby, in more upscale Incline Village, median rents have hit $3,200 and the median home sales price is $746,000.
Nicole Martin, who runs the Kindred Art and Folk Institute in downtown Truckee, suddenly found herself caught in the housing crunch this summer. She’s been living for seven years in a Truckee house, paying below-market $1,550 monthly rent. The house was recently sold, forcing her to move. The few similar houses available in town are renting for $2,400 to $3,200, she said.
“It’s kind of a shell shock,” she said. “We will be homeless at the end of September.” She’s thinking about looking for a roommate, but says it is disappointing at her age to have to do that. “That’s something you do in college or your twenties, not when you are an adult and mother to a child in middle school.”
In nearby El Dorado County, which includes the city of South Lake Tahoe, officials are talking about tweaking the basin’s restrictive rules on new housing. TRPA, which is the basin’s joint planning authority, has doled out only 120 new house approvals in 2017 for the basin. The limitations are based on a longstanding regional agreement to manage growth in ways that improve lake clarity and the natural environment.
South shore planners are also talking about ways to encourage developers to replace several thousand old and dilapidated motel rooms with modern and affordable workforce housing, El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel said.
Christine Grissom, who moved from the Bay Area recently to take a bus dispatcher job in South Lake Tahoe, is living with her husband and daughter in one of those cheap motels – at $39 a night – while they look for an affordable long-term rental. Grissom said she feels pressure to get a place before winter arrives, when owners of second homes will look to rent at higher rates for weekends or entire weeks to tourists.
“Tahoe needs tourists, but workers like me make Tahoe work,” Grissom said. “We need to be here, too.”
Grissom’s fears about losing out to short-term rentals are well-founded, county officials say. Thousands of owners of second homes in Tahoe and Truckee rent those houses out to tourists for weekend and week-long stays on various internet platforms, including VRBO and Airbnb.
In Placer County alone, 6,000 homes have been used as short-term rentals at some point by their owners, according to county estimates. Some of those houses may have been rented in the past on a longer-term basis to seasonal workers and permanent employees, county officials said.
The reason is economic. Homeowner Cynthia Dalton pointed out that her family has rented out their Zephyr Cove house in the past for three-night minimums at $750 and up a night, which brought in more income than if they had tied it up with a longer-term renter who might have paid $2,500 to $3,500 per month.
She is among those who say it may be hard for counties to offer sufficient cash inducements.
“I highly doubt the county incentives/subsidies would make up that loss,” said Dalton, whose family has since moved to Tahoe and turned their vacation home into their main residence. She points out that homeowners who rent their vacation homes on a long-term basis won’t be able to use the homes themselves anymore as a vacation or weekend retreat.
Critics in the environmental community blame government growth policies for some of the problem. Placer County recently approved a major expansion at Squaw Valley that will bring more visitors to Tahoe and more jobs, but the county is requiring the Squaw developers to provide less than half the workforce housing likely needed.
Tom Mooers of Sierra Watch environmental group has challenged the Squaw expansion in court, arguing the public deserves more information about the implication of the development, including on the housing impacts.
“If you are in a hole, stop digging,” Mooers said. “The obvious outcome is this high-end resort development would make the affordable housing crisis much worse.”
Placer County officials, meanwhile, say they are making efforts on other fronts to improve housing. That includes working with TRPA earlier this year to allow Tahoe homeowners to build secondary residences, also known as granny flats, on properties of 1 acre or smaller.
The hope is that some vacation homeowners who are unwilling to rent out their homes may be interested in building a smaller living unit on site to rent out. Tahoe planners report a handful of owners have inquired so far about building units on their properties.
Placer officials say they are cracking down as well on another weekend rental-related issue. The county charges a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on homeowners on any rental of 30 days or less, but a county review showed that most homeowners who rent out their houses short-term have not been paying that tax. The county has begun contacting those homeowners to inform them the tax is due.
That should give the county more money to invest in housing programs, Placer Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery said. It also could encourage some homeowners to consider longer-term rentals, which do not require the 10 percent tax payment.Greater demons are commonly fought monsters that can be assigned by Slayer masters. They are well known for their rune full helm drop, as well as hard clue scrolls. They can be safe-spotted with Ranged or Magic in the Chasm of Fire as there are many pillars there. Another safe-spot is in Entrana Dungeon behind the burnt corpses (use second square south of the stalagmite and two squares away from the sitting burnt corpse). Finally, they can be safe-spotted by standing at the easternmost piece of land in their spawn area in the Brimhaven Dungeon or by using the mushrooms next to the stairs. The Catacombs of Kourend has an easy safespot; stand under an arch which divides the area where the Greater Demons can be found. Another easy safespot in the Catacombs can be found in the extreme northeast corner of the dungeon, behind the rope to the surface.
K'ril Tsutsaroth, the Zamorakian general in the God Wars Dungeon, his bodyguard Tstanon Karlak, as well as Skotizo, the demi-boss in the Catacombs of Kourend, are considered greater demons for the purpose of a slayer assignment.
Contents show]
Locations
Free-to-play strategy
The only place free-to-play players can kill greater demons is in the Demonic Ruins. Since this is a multicombat area in high-level Wilderness, there is a high risk of getting killed by other players. Because of that, the best strategy to kill these is to bring as few items as possible.
To do that, first train your Prayer level to 43 to use Protect from Melee. Since the Ruins slowly restore your prayer, you can use this prayer permanently without draining your prayer points. Simply bring a weapon (for example Silverlight) and an amulet of strength or amulet of power, and bring nothing else. That way, your damage per second is still maximised, but you don't risk losing your items.
Alternatively, bring a weapon and monk's robe top, monk's robe bottom and a holy symbol, which allows you to use either Superhuman Strength or Improved Reflexes in combination with Protect from Melee without draining any prayer points (while staying at the ruins) for a 10% Strength or accuracy boost.
Drops
100%
Item Quantity Rarity GE market price Ashes 1 Always 37
Weapons/Armour
Runes
Other
Rare drop table
In addition to the drops above, this monster also has access to the rare drop table.Last week, my interview with Eric Froehlich contained a rather succinct nugget of deck-building wisdom for Pauper. When I asked the Hall of Famer about deck construction this is what he had to say:
“The decks in Pauper follow the same principles as decks in Pro Tour formats. Looking for high synergy at the expense of power can work, and just jamming raw power can also work. If you choose to not play powerful cards like Brainstorm or Lightning Bolt, you need to have good reasons to do so, and getting too cute with combos are likely going to fall apart to streamlined dedicated decks”
So, of course, I spent the last week or so ruminating on these sentences. Looking at the top Pauper decks puts this in perspective as they almost all focus on doing incredibly powerful things. Izzet Delver leans hard on a suite of above-the-curve card filtering spells to add consistency and run a higher threat density, while Stompy uses the free mana from Burning-Tree Emissary to create an army and then punch through with Rancor. The various Tron decks use the strength of the eponymous mana engine to do things appropriate for the cost of the card, just several turns ahead of schedule. Affinity also cheats on mana cost, but does so in a way that takes advantage of synergy. If I had to pick another powerful strategy that sees heavy play, I would settle on Palace Sentinels decks, since drawing an extra card every turn is a sure fire way to pull ahead.
That’s a lot of power for a format made up entirely of commons. And yet, this sample only scratches the surface of the list of potent Pauper playables. There is one card which is sits at the top of the heap when it comes to untapped potential.
Tortured Existence is unique amongst Pauper playables. It is a relic of a bygone era of card design and represents a challenging puzzle for brewers. Decks based around the card have found some success over the years, but it has yet to break through in the Challenges. Today, I want to explore exactly what this card does and how we can try to get to break through the ranks.
While I make a big ruckus over Pauper’s lack of a solid sweeper, the format also is missing persistent forms of card advantage. While other formats have been the recipient of Planeswalkers over the past ten years and have long had cards like Howling Mine and Phyrexian Arena, Pauper has only recently benefitted from Palace Sentinels and Thorn of the Black Rose. The Monarch, while a powerful ability, is hardly the same as being able to use Liliana, the Last Hope on a regular basis.
Instead, Pauper has had to make do with enchantments for a permanent with a repeatable effect. Recently, Curse of the Bloody Tome and Curse of the Pierced Heart have seen play but they pale in comparison to Tortured Existence. Unlike The Monarch and the Curses, Tortured Existence is a true engine that is capable of turning one resource into another. In this instance, it is trading one creature for a different creature but that does not make it any less powerful. In many ways, it is a Pauper version of Survival of the Fittest.
Like most exaggerations, this one is for effect. But there is some truth behind the hyperbole. It has to do with the nature of tutors in Pauper, specifically those that are capable of finding threats. The best cards that search for something specific are rather limited: Mystical Teachings can get any instant or creature with Flash, Goblin Matron can get any Goblin, and Trinket Mage can get any artifact with a converted mana cost of one or less. These cards are not ideal for finding spells that end the game in short order. Of course, these are just the cards that search the library. In Pauper, it makes more sense to use the graveyard as the target of tutoring spells.
Cards that retrieve spent resources show up often at common. Gravedigger, Auramancer, and Archaeomancer style cards are workhorses in Limited and as such can often be found at a low rarity in order to facilitate themes in small deck formats. On top of this, there are plenty of cards that can easily stock the graveyard, from Cathartic Reunion to Forbidden Alchemy to Stinkweed Imp (to name a few).
Once we start to think of the graveyard as a second library, comparing Tortured Existence to Survival of the Fittest starts to make sense. There is one massive exception: Tortured Existence can get back a creature previously discarded. In essence, a spent resources is never actually gone forever (barring graveyard removal).
The best way to fuel Tortured Existence is to have access to Stinkweed Imp. The ability to open up to five options per turn is nothing to laugh at and Stinkweed Imp is a formidable defensive card on its own. Golgari Brownscale also sees play in these decks (even if they are not running Forests) as a way to gain enough life to stay alive. Brownscale will gain two life every time it returns from a graveyard to a hand, regardless of the cause. Bringing it back with Tortured Existence works just fine and having access to two Brownscales turns each Black mana into two life.
In preparing for this article, I spoke with EightSixEightSix (also known as Jon). Jon has spent a lot of time tuning various Tortured Existence decks and is something of an authority on the deck. He described the core as four copies of the namesake enchantment, at least two (and usually three) copies of Stinkweed Imp, and three copies of Grave Scrabbler. According to Jon, Grave Scrabbler makes the deck work. The ability to pitch it to Tortured Existence and then go up two cards (the card from Tortured Existence and the card from Scrabbler’s Madness ability) while having a 2/2 on the board, all at instant speed, makes it a key element of the engine.
Beyond this core however, the deck is highly malleable. While many pilots choose to run a wide variety of threats, Jon likes to keep his under 4 mana. The reasoning behind this is that, in the late game, Tortured Existence decks want to be casting multiple creatures per turn and having too many expensive cards makes it hard to get ahead on the board. Jon also prefers to add White to his builds, allowing him greater redundancy with Auramancer or Monk Idealist, as well as getting extra uses out of cards like Seal of Fire and Dead Weight. Check out Jon’s build here:
However, the most common color pairing is. Not only does Green provide cards like Commune with the Gods and Vessel of Nascency to help find Tortured Existence, but these same cards help to fill the graveyard. Golgari versions of the deck will feature a wide variety of threats, ranging from Arrogant Wurm (to turn Tortured Existence into an offensive weapon) to Wild Mongrel to Putrid Leech. More often than not, these builds take a toolbox approach and run a wide array of utility creatures and will attempt to stay alive by looping Spore Frog. Much like this deck:
The biggest thing holding Tortured Existence decks back, in my opinion, is not their power but rather their ability to close out the game. Often these decks take a long time to set up the victory formation. They also require a lot of clicks on Magic Online, which add up over time.
The end result is a deck that cannot start winning until low on time and high on turns. Playing it at a high level over the six or seven rounds of a Challenge can be a daunting task. Yet I think this is poised to change if Tortured Existence decks adopt Falkenrath Noble.
Pairing the Noble with Carrion Feeder makes it so that Tortured Existence decks can attempt to start winning as early as turn five. Compared to the twelfth turn (to pick a double digit number at random), this makes winning on time a less arduous task. Once I am fully unpacked (news flash: I recently moved), I am eager to see exactly what Falkenrath Noble can do when paired with the best common enchantment from Stronghold.By Geoff Brumfiel of Nature magazine
Without fanfare, astronomers have redefined one of the most important distances in the Solar System. The astronomical unit (au) — the rough distance from the Earth to the Sun — has been transformed from a confusing calculation into a single number. The new standard, adopted in August by unanimous vote at the International Astronomical Union's meeting in Beijing, China, is now 149,597,870,700 meters — no more, no less.
The effect on our planet’s inhabitants will be limited. The Earth will continue to twirl around the Sun, and in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn will soon arrive. But for astronomers, the change means more precise measurements and fewer headaches from explaining the au to their students.
The distance between the Earth and the Sun is one of the most long-standing values in astronomy. The first precise measurement was made in 1672 by the famed astronomer Giovanni Cassini, who observed Mars from Paris, France, while his colleague Jean Richer observed the planet from French Guiana in South America. Taking the parallax, or angular difference, between the two observations, the astronomers calculated the distance from Earth to Mars and used that to find the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Their answer was 140 million kilometers — not far off from today’s value.
Until the last half of the twentieth century, such parallax measurements were the only reliable way to derive distances in the Solar System, and so the au continued to be expressed as a combination of fundamental constants that could transform angular measurements into distance. Most recently, the au was defined as (take a deep breath): “the radius of an unperturbed circular Newtonian orbit about the Sun of a particle having infinitesimal mass, moving with a mean motion of 0.01720209895 radians per day (known as the Gaussian constant)”.
The definition cheered fans of German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, whose constant sits at the heart of the whole affair, but it caused trouble for astronomers. For one thing, it left introductory astronomy students completely baffled, says Sergei Klioner, an astronomer at the Technical University of Dresden in Germany. But, more importantly, the old definition clashed with Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
As its name implies, general relativity makes space-time relative, depending on where an observer is located. The au, as formerly defined, changed as well. It shifted by a thousand meters or more between Earth’s reference frame and that of Jupiter’s, according to Klioner. That shift did not affect spacecraft, which measure distance directly, but it has been a pain for planetary scientists working on Solar System models.
The Sun posed another problem. The Gaussian constant is based on Solar mass, so the au was inextricably tied to the mass of the Sun. But the Sun is losing mass as it radiates energy, and this was causing the au to change slowly as well.
The revised definition wipes away the problems of the old au. A fixed distance has nothing to do with the Sun’s mass, and the meter is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1 / 299,792,458 of a second. Because the speed of light is constant in all reference frames, the au will no longer change depending on an observer’s location in the Solar System.
Redefining the au has been possible for decades — modern astronomers can use spacecraft, radars and lasers to make direct measurements of distance. But “some of them thought it was a little bit dangerous to change something,” says Nicole Capitaine, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory in France. Some feared the change might disrupt their computer programs, others held a sentimental attachment to the old standard. But after years of lobbying by Capitaine, Klioner and others, the revised unit has finally been adopted.
Capitaine and Klioner say that the streamlined au is already having a positive impact on their lives. Lobbying for the change has been time-consuming, Capitaine says: “I will have more time to devote to my research.”
“I'm happy that I don't have to explain it to my students any longer,” adds Klioner. The new definition “is much easier to understand now for everybody.”
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on September 14, 2012.HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The first patient was rushed into the emergency room of Memorial Regional Hospital around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, escaping a nursing home that had lost air-conditioning in the muggy days after Hurricane Irma splintered power lines across the state.
Another arrived at 4 a.m. After a third rescue call, around 5 a.m., the hospital’s staff was concerned enough to walk down the street to check the building themselves.
What they found was an oven.
The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills needed to be evacuated immediately. Rescue units were hurrying its more than 100 residents out. Dozens of hospital workers established a command center outside, giving red wristbands to patients with critical, life-threatening conditions and yellow and green ones to those in better shape.
Checking the nursing home room by room, the hospital staff found three people who were already dead and nearly 40 others who needed red wristbands, many of whom had trouble breathing. The workers rushed them to Memorial’s emergency room, where they were given oxygen. The rest went to other hospitals nearby.
Four were so ill that they died soon after arriving. In the afternoon, the authorities learned that another had died early in the morning, and was initially uncounted because the person had been taken directly to a funeral home.
In all, eight were dead.
“We had no idea the extent of what was going on until we literally sent people room to room to check on people,” said Dr. Randy Katz, the hospital’s chairman of emergency medicine.
Three days after the hurricane had howled through South Florida, some of the most vulnerable people in the state were dying, not of wind, not of floods, but of what seemed to be an electrical failure.
Florida was still staggering to its feet on Wednesday, and millions of people across the Southeast were facing days or weeks without power in temperatures that, in the Fort Lauderdale area, climbed to as high as 92 degrees in recent days. The nursing home appeared to have electricity, but the hurricane had knocked out power in a critical spot: A tree had apparently hit the transformer that powered the cooling system, intensifying the subtropical heat from oppressive to fatal.
State officials, utility executives and the Rehabilitation Center spent Wednesday trading blame over why and how its patients were left to endure such conditions, even though state and federal regulations require nursing home residents to be evacuated if it gets too hot inside.
The Hollywood Police Department opened a criminal investigation into the deaths of the eight residents, who ranged in age from 71 to 99, and investigators from the state attorney general’s office were also involved. Gov. Rick Scott ordered a moratorium on admissions at the nursing home.
By day’s end, the unanswered questions were still outstanding, even as the deaths magnified scrutiny on other facilities for the old and disabled.
More than three million customers in Florida still lacked power Wednesday, including roughly 160 nursing homes, according to the state’s tracking system. After generators fizzled at the Krystal Bay Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, in North Miami Beach, 79 people were evacuated as a precaution.
“I am going to aggressively demand answers on how this tragic event took place,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “Although the details of these reported deaths are still under investigation, this situation is unfathomable. Every facility that is charged with caring for patients must take every action and precaution to keep their patients safe — especially patients that are in poor health.”
Dr. Katz said Memorial’s emergency room had been busy for days treating chronically ill patients who were not coping well with the loss of electricity; some were having trouble breathing in the heat, while others needed access to dialysis. At least one came in from the Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday.In addition to being longtime contributing photographers for Traveler magazine, my wife Sisse and I are frequently invited to join National Geographic Expeditions trips as photography experts, interacting with guests aboard the National Geographic Explorer.
On a recent trip to the Macaronesia Islands—composed of the Azores and Madeira (both belonging to Portugal), the Canaries (which is under Spanish rule), and the independent country of Cape Verde—we had 25 passengers sign up for a photo workshop with us. We gave them assignments, or themes, to explore throughout our journey—including how to recognize and use light, how to interact with strangers and convey personalities through portraiture, how to tell a story and capture a sense of place through photography, and more.
Each day, we met to discuss the results of their efforts, with Sisse and I providing feedback and suggestions on how to improve. And each day there was a standout photograph that seemed to illustrate the lesson we had intended to teach—so much so that we thought it was worth sharing with the rest of the Nat Geo Travel community. Here’s lesson number one.
> Assignment: Conveying Motion
One of the stops on our journey throughout Macaronesia was to Made
|
It means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
• “Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”
• “Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last stage, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.”
• “Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace, and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war.”
• “If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.”
• “Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.”
• “We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”
• “We shall not fail or falter. We shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
• “What is adequacy? Adequacy is no standard at all.”
• “There is always much to be said for not attempting more than you can do and for making a certainty of what you try. But this principle, like others in life and war, has it exceptions.”
• “There is only one duty, only one safe course, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.”
• “In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.”
• “Every man should ask himself each day whether he is not too readily accepting negative solutions.”
• “It is wonderful what great strides can be made when there is a resolute purpose behind them.”
• “The first duty of the university is to teach wisdom, not a trade; character, not technicalities. We want a lot of engineers in the modern world, but we do not want a world of engineers.”
• “In finance, everything that is agreeable is unsound and everything that is sound is disagreeable.”
• “All I can say is that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.”
• “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
• “The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.”
• “All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope.”
• “The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that when nations are strong they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are often no longer strong.”
• “I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
• “If we open a quarrel between the past and the present we shall find that we have lost the future.”
• “It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.”
• “It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.”
• “The problems of victory are more agreeable than those of defeat, but they are no less difficult.”
• “When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.”
• “Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.”
• “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, it’s also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
• “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”
And finally…
• “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time-a tremendous whack.”
Sources:
National Churchill Museum
Townhall
Positivity Blog
See more:
10 Things You May Not Know About Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill as Politician and Journalist: ‘He Made the News by Writing It’
Sir Winston Churchill Goes Digital From Beyond the Grave
British Education: Where the Poshest Kids Attend SchoolQueen Chrysalis and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro Studios and Lauren Faust
It's about time I made a Queen Chrysalis wallpaperMy little 9 year old sister's favorite antagonist is Queen Chrysalis and she wanted me to make a good wallpaper of her, since my last wallpaper that had queen chrysalis in it ( Protecting Equestria ) really sucked. I mean REALLY sucked. Look how sad that wallpaper looks. So very sad. But I made that 2 months ago, and I guess I had a little bit of improvement since then. Maybe I'll redo that wallpaper someday.I know it's not my best but oh well right?I actually took more time on this one. I added the shading and lighting to the vector and that took a good hour or so. I want to put more effort into my wallpapers.So yeah please let me know what you think of it. I'm going to make a rarity wallpaper next just for the heck of it, and since she's got an episode tomorrow I think, right?NO TRIANGLES THIS TIME Those are not triangles coming out behind Queen Chrysalis, those are spikes. Queen Chrysalis vector by"The deputy ministers … have obviously been told by the higher-ups that, 'This money has to come back to us in order for us to have our books balanced, and that way we can use that money for other purposes, like income-splitting.'"
Over the last two fiscal years, all federal departments allowed more than $18 billion in budgeted funding to lapse, according public accounts figures released at the end of October.
Frank Valeriote, the Liberal veterans' critic, said ex-soldiers who've been denied benefits will look at the unspent funds and feel "hoodwinked, completely abandoned" and wonder why they've made sacrifices for their country.
"It is reprehensible and unconscionable what they're doing so that the government can create an image of fiscal responsibility," he said.
The Quebec City meeting came on Wednesday at a time when multiple Conservative sources say there is concern that the party's reliable support in the veterans community is bleeding away because of the loud and prolonged battle.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, say there is growing frustration within the party over Fantino's apparent inability to forge positive relationships with veterans, unlike his predecessor, Steven Blaney.
Beyond veterans, long considered a natural constituency for Conservatives, there are signs the Tories are in trouble with ordinary Canadians on the issue. A newly released internal poll on public perceptions of the Canadian Forces suggests the treatment of veterans was registering strongly with respondents.
"Problems that veterans face (42 per cent) and soldiers returning home (29 per cent) were top of mind for many Canadians when asked what they recalled about the (Canadian Armed Forces)," said the Phoenix Strategic Perspectives survey, conducted last May, but released by National Defence online this week.
The survey of 2,025 people found more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of those asked recalled recently seeing, reading or hearing about issues faced by returning soldiers or their families.
That's a significant increase over 48 per cent of respondents to a similar poll conducted in 2012.The Japan Cartoonists Association revealed on Thursday that manga creator Enaga Takabatake passed away due to a stroke on August 21. Takabatake was 29.
The family held a funeral on August 24 and a Buddhist memorial service on October 7.
Takabatake began publishing manga online under the pen name "President Takabatake" in high school. Takabatake's Wagaya ga Ichiban! (Our House is Best!) was the runner-up in the comic division of Takarajima Wondernet's Digital Comic Prize awards in 2008. Takabatake made a professional debut with the college graduation work ZELBESTY in 2011.
The Latin: Takabatake Enaga Tanpenshū manga collection shipped in 2012, and it ranked in the list of top 20 manga for male readers in Takarajimasha Inc.'s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook that same year. Takabatake's other manga include 100 Handred: Takabatake Enaga Tanpenshū and Godspeed.
Source: Comic NatalieUkip has sacked one of its newly-elected councillors days after sweeping to big gains in the local elections amid claims that he posted racist and homophobic remarks on social media.
Dave Small was elected to Redditch borough council, Worcestershire in last week's poll. A Ukip spokesman said: "He has now been expelled for clearly bringing the party into disrepute."
It was reported at the weekend that, in February 2013, Small referred to gay people as "perverts" and expressed opposition to "poofs and dykes" being allowed to marry. And he predicted that "thousands more scroungers" would soon arrive in the UK from Mali as a result of a range of government policies.
Small, who won his seat in the Church Hill ward topping the poll with 665 votes, also complained in a November 2012 post that he was not allowed to use the term "Paki".
In June that year, he wrote: "I visiting the city of Birmingham recently and felt like a foreigner in the city of my birth, all around me I could hear the sound of jabbering in an alien voice... we also have the Pakistani's and the Somali's. Tell me Mr Cameron Why? the men wear their Pyjamas."
Small won his seat in the Church Hill ward, topping the poll with 665 votes.OTTAWA — Upstart Conservative and New Democrat candidates gave their heavily favoured Liberal rivals a bit of a scare Monday in a pair of byelections in Ontario where some of Justin Trudeau’s policies and promises played a central role.
In the Toronto-area riding of Markham-Thornhill, Liberal candidate and former PMO staffer Mary Ng defeated Ragavan Paranchothy by a margin of nearly 2,500 votes after her Conservative rival made a strong early showing.
A strong performance in the riding — long a Liberal stronghold held by ex-cabinet minister John McCallum — was critical for the Liberals, given the importance of holding Toronto if they want to form government in 2019.
It was also important for Ng, who is currently on a leave of absence from her job in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office and seen by some as a strong candidate for cabinet.
“The Liberal future is in Ontario,” said political analyst Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies. “If the Liberal vote goes down in Markham-Thornhill, then they will want to spend a lot of time diagnosing what went wrong.”
That did indeed appear to be the case: with all polls reporting, Ng had claimed just 51.3 per cent of the vote, compared with 55.72 per cent in 2015. The Tory share of the vote was more than five per cent higher.
And in Ottawa-Vanier, where the New Democrats campaigned aggressively against the Liberals for breaking a promise to abandon the oft-maligned first-past-the-post electoral system, the NDP’s Emilie Taman gathered nearly 30 per cent of the vote.
It was nowhere near enough to challenge Liberal candidate Mona Fortier, however, who had about 50 per cent of the vote and nearly 4,000 votes on Taman with about three-quarters of polls reporting.
“I’m feeling really good. We had a great showing. I’m proud of what we achieved,” Taman said in an interview afterward.
“The government is going to take notice that the people of Ottawa-Vanier have their concerns…. I think it was an overall disappointment that I was hearing from people, that they didn’t really get the government they thought they were getting.”
Liberal party spokesman Braeden Caley was having none of it, calling the outcome a “phenomenal result,” also noting that the government would be getting three new female MPs.
“They’re going to be tireless champions for their communities in Parliament,” he said.
Add in Conservative Stephanie Kusie, who cruised to victory in Calgary Midnapore, and the byelections are sending four women to Parliament Hill, noted the advocacy group Equal Voice, which is committed to electing more female MPs.
That brings to 92 the total number of women in the House of Commons, representing 27 per cent of the available seats, up from 26 per cent, said spokesperson Catherine Fortin LeFaivre.
“It shows that Canadians will vote for women when their names are on the ballot, which is another reason why parties must play a key role in attracting and securing a greater number of female candidates moving forward,” she said in a statement.
“We are hopeful that tonight’s results will inspire even more women to seriously consider running for political office – Canada needs them.”
Greg MacEachern, a former Liberal strategist now at lobby firm Environics Communications, said significant inroads in Ottawa-Vanier for the NDP suggest a surprising degree of anger over the abandonment of electoral reform.
“Electoral reform came up a lot in the course of the campaign — a lot,” Taman said. “Even people for whom it was not their No. 1 priority were really, really disappointed in the way the prime minister went about breaking the promise.”
Three other byelections took place Monday, and their results were hardly a surprise.
In the Montreal riding of Saint-Laurent, with 70 per cent of polls reporting, Liberal candidate Emmanuella Lambropoulos had 57.3 per cent of the vote, compared with Conservative rival Jimmy Yu, a distant second at just 20.4 per cent.
Lambropoulos, a 26-year-old high school teacher, stunned many when she won the Liberal nomination contest in Saint-Laurent, defeating former Quebec cabinet minister Yolande James.
“I’m sure it will hit me a little later,” she said after her victory speech late Monday.
James had been considered the Liberal party favourite to replace Stephane Dion, the former Liberal leader who resigned his seat to become ambassador to Germany and the European Union.
“I looked up to him,” said Lambropoulos, who worked in Dion’s office in the riding, which has been held by the Liberals since it was created in the late 1980s.
“I didn’t let anything stop me. I worked really, really hard; I didn’t stop.”
The Alberta ridings of Calgary Heritage and Calgary Midnapore, formerly held by Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney, respectively, were no contest.
In Calgary Heritage, Bob Benzen claimed about 71.3 per cent of the vote with 87 per cent of polls reporting, well clear of the Liberals’ Scott Forsyth at 21.8 per cent.
In Calgary Midnapore, Kusie cruised to an easy win, posting 76.6 per cent of the vote with just over 90 per cent of polls reporting, leaving her closest rival Liberal candidate Haley Brown at 17.4 per cent.The Fed has thrown a lot at the credit crunch since then, from aggressive rate cuts to creative new lending facilities, during which time it has also learned to adapt and improvise.
“The Fed has been separating credit facilities and interest rate reductions for sometime now,” says Robert Brusca, chief economist at Fact & Opinion Economics. “If interest rates were higher there might be some sense in lowering them, but they're not. I think the Fed wants to keep that powder dry."
But the market seems to be going with a different scenario. On Monday the market was pricing in a 67% chance of a quarter-point cut, based on closing prices for fed funds futures contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade. Overnight that jumped to 88%.
The Fed was clearly taking other steps. On Tuesday, it added some $50 billion in reserves to the US banking system in a move to improve liquidity, following $70 billion in is open market operations Monday.
As the FOMC meeting Tuesday, economists and investment strategists, however, do expect the Fed to change its balance of risk assessment in the FOMC statement, saying it is more concerned about economic growth and financial system stress than the threat of inflation, its most recent focus.
“Risk to downside has increased,” says James Awad, managing director at Zephyr Management. "They tilt risk to the downside, a tilt toward ease.”
Those downside risk may warrant future action, which is why market analysts say the Fed wants to keep some of its monetary ammunition, having slashed its federal funds target rate three and a quarter percentage points to 2 percent in the last 13 months. (There's also the possibility that the Fed Tuesday will trim its discount rate, now at 2.25 percent.)
What the FOMC does and says Tuesday will also likely reinforce both a change in the Fed’s role as well as a more broader policy change with the credit crunch.
“From a traditional standpoint it has added to liquidity … and taken steps to alleviate the crisis of confidence,” says Standard & Poor’s Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall. “It’s come to a point, where the Fed has said we're not going to bail out everybody.”
As a result, Lehman Brothers has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Merrill Lynch has agreed to be acquired by Bank of America for a song and AIG is trying to survive on its own to survive a credit downgrade, whereas Bear Stearns was saved from extinction by a Fed-Treasury engineered buyout by JPMorgan Chase.
In a statement, the Fed said it was expanding the lending facilities it created or altered at other stages of the credit crunch, which it hoped would “mitigate the potential risks and disruptions to markets.”
The central bank added that the changes “should enhance the effectiveness of these facilities in supporting the liquidity of primary dealers and financial markets more generally.”
The Fed “feels reasonably confident the various credit facilities it has put in place are up to the task of meeting the liquidity needs of the system.”
Others say that's still not enough.
"The facilities are fine, but the idea that 2 percent is a magic anchor that you throw into the ground and then hope all other rates go to is folly," says Kevin Ferry, CNBC contributor and co-founder of Cronus Futures Management, who adds that a fed rate cut is already built into the market and a failure to cut will be problematic.
The system, of course, is one thing; investor psychology is another. As the Fed witnessed during this credit crunch, a dramatic global selloff can be a systemic threat of its own, which might require its own timely medicine.
If the stock market selloff snowballs Monday, then all bets are off. "You almost have to throw in the kitchen sink,” says Awad. “You do a rate cut with a statement you take it away as soon as you can. It provides psychological support to consumers and the financial system."“Teenagers have sex. Deal with it.” That was a dismissive statement by a blogger in 2012 who taught at Yale University’s School of Public Health.
Fortunately, teens did deal with it—by not having sex. They seemed to have missed this flippant blog and ignored this careless advice from adults who should know better.
On June 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new 2015 data from the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which updates what we know about youth and their engagement in health risk behaviors.
The results show that fewer teens are drinking than before, less are involved in physical fighting, and teen smoking hit its lowest level since the government began tracking it in 1991.
But the big news is the dramatic increase in the percentage of teens who have never had sex. Since 1991 (the first year the CDC began tracking youth risk behaviors), the percent of high school students who have never had sex has increased 28 percent. In real numbers, that means that nearly 6 in 10 teens are making the healthiest choice by waiting for sex—the highest percent to date.
When the CDC released the news a few months ago that teen birth rates are now at an all-time low, few suggested that waiting for sex might be a significant reason. Instead, many proposed the decline was due to teens using more contraception, or teens’ concern with the economy, and even the effects of the MTV reality show, “16 and Pregnant.”
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They weren’t getting pregnant, but many thought it almost inconceivable that teen birth rates might be dropping because teens weren’t having sex.
Now that we know that the percent of high school students who have never had sex has increased by more than 10 percent in only 2 years, we at Ascend anticipate a public acknowledgement of the relevancy and efficacy of the Sexual Risk Avoidance message in both press and policy.
Sexual Risk Avoidance is a sex education approach based on a recognized and often used public health model known as “risk avoidance” or “primary prevention.” It is the standard approach used to address risk behaviors such as underage drinking and smoking and is entirely appropriate and beneficial in addressing the risk of teen sex.
These programs focus on the whole person by sharing the importance of healthy decision-making to future life outcomes. They teach the skills of the success sequence—which dramatically reduces the chance that youth will live in poverty as adults—if they implement the following in order: finish school, get a job, and then have children after marriage.
In addition, these programs discuss the components of healthy relationships, future family formation, and the impact that waiting for sex can have on academic success. Science shows those teens that choose to wait to have sex until marriage increase their chances for a happier marriage, healthier future family, a life of self-discipline and productive citizenship.
Since being evidence-based is a high commodity in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention arena, there should be a rush to accept and affirm the role that education has played to bring about this positive trend.
But astonishingly, some are proposing that teens don’t have time for sex. Why? Because they are so busy interacting on social media. However, this explanation doesn’t wash because the decline began before social media was popular.
There is more to the story. The 28 percent increase in students who have never had sex is unprecedented and has been two decades in the making. This fact should calm the concerns of those who have suggested this good news could be merely a statistical blip.
We are seeing an encouraging trend that has been sustained for more than two decades. More teens in every high school grade are waiting for sex in greater numbers than ever before. Overall, almost 60 percent of all teens have not had sex. The majority of high schoolers are waiting until their senior year to experiment sexually—a time when most schools don’t have any education to reinforce the healthiest choice to wait. Even so, many more high school seniors are waiting than they were two decades ago.
The data is clear. It confirms that Sexual Risk Avoidance is realistic and that it resonates with teens. It also tells us that we need to be more intentional with the messages we send to teens—and the importance of giving teens the skills to graduate high school without any of the negative consequences that can surround teen sex. Today, those messages normalize sex, especially for older students. This must change.
I encourage Congress and local communities to use this new data to give more emphasis on the Sexual Risk Avoidance approach to sex education. Teens themselves are proving waiting is doable.
The recent CDC data makes a strong case for Sexual Risk Avoidance education. Policymakers must respond in-kind, rather than capitulating to the troubling sound bite like, “Teens have sex. Deal with it.” Fewer teens are having sex, so we can deal with that by reinforcing their good choices.
LifeNews Note: Valerie Huber is president of Ascend (formerly the National Abstinence Education Association). Reprinted with permission from Daily Signal."A Torpignattara Santarelli (il brigadiere capo, ndr) lo chiamano "er Puffo" ed è quello più cattivo della squadra di via In Selci". Così il fratello di uno spacciatore. "Quello che hanno fatto mio fratello l'hanno fatto a un sacco di gente, tanto che le chiamano le rapine col distintivo. Fanno finta de fa perquisizioni e invece te rapinano, piegandoti alle loro regole, tanto la parola di un carabiniere vale più di quella di un pregiudicato. Sono sempre loro", prosegue il fratello dello spacciatore. I 4 carabinieri gli hanno sottratto 43mila in contanti, due chili di hashish, sostituite con piccole dosi che i militari hanno tirato fuori da uno zaino loro, e verbalizzato. Non la spacciavano solamente la droga che requisivano, la assumevano anche i carabinieri di via In Selci.
"Dove annamo a pippà stasera? C'ho tempo fino a mercoledì che poi devo smette tre giorni prima che me devo operà per le analisi ". Il maresciallo Marrone, classe '65, è nell'auto di servizio con l'appuntato De Cristofari. E' l'8 giugno, sono le 18.34. Si avviano verso casa di Benedetti, che custodisce per loro la droga. Marrone è un fiume in piena, non resiste, ferma l'auto in via Portuense e sniffa tre strisce di cocaina. "Aaaahhh start e stop", esclama. La cimice che è installata sull'auto di servizio che i 4 usano per muoversi capta ogni respiro.Kim Nguyen is accusing the LAPD of sexually assaulting her while in the back of a moving squad car. (credit: CBS)
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A woman who was shown on camera tumbling out of a moving LAPD squad car last year said she fell out of the vehicle to avoid being sexually assaulted by her arresting officer.
KCAL9’s Stacey Butler spoke to the woman’s attorney, Arnoldo Cassillas.
The alleged victim, Kim Nguyen, a 27-year-old pharmacist, says she was handcuffed in the back of a squad car when an officer began to sexually assault her in the early morning hours of March 17, 2013. Nguyen said the officer’s negligence also caused her to tumble out of the vehicle.
Video of the incident appears to show Nguyen sprawled on the ground with her dress removed from the waist down.
Nguyen says it all started around 2 a.m. when she was standing in front of a downtown restaurant with two male friends. She said they were waiting for a cab, as they had all been drinking.
She said officers pulled up and placed her in the back of a patrol car — for allegedly being intoxicated — and left the men behind.
In a deposition taped this past December, she claimed the officer who was in the back seat with her started grabbing her left inner thigh and began opening her legs. Nguyen says the officer touched her chest and pulled her ears to get her closer to him.
Cassillas told Butler his client spent two weeks in the hospital and her jaw had to be wired shut. She lost all of her teeth.
The LAPD told Butler they would not comment on pending litigation.DOWN ON HIGHS: Jesse Murray was among protestors outside R18 shop on Christchurch's Lincoln Road to protest the sale of legal highs and synthetic cannabis. Murray, 17, who is addicted to synthetic cannabis, coughs up blood all day as he says it has ripped his stomach linings and claims to have lost 30kg.
Each morning, 17-year-old Jesse Murray wakes on his cardboard mattress in Christchurch's hidden haunts and walks the streets, spitting into a white, bloodstained tissue before arriving at his destination.
His days are dictated by the opening and closing hours of the nearest legal high shop.
If he has the money, he will hand over anything between $25 and $80 a day - money he has begged for.
Despite it being illegal for him to purchase the drug because of his age, sometimes, out of sympathy, the storekeepers give it to him for free.
Jesse has been smoking synthetic cannabis for three years. He started because he thought it was "cool". But, by the time he realised how it badly it was affecting him, it was too late.
He left home in Auckland last year and moved to Christchurch to study plumbing and drainlaying, but he was kicked out of the course because of his habit. Now, Jesse is sleeping rough.
"It is killing me," he says. "I don't want to live like this."
Yesterday, Jesse's day was dictated by something else. He made sure that he turned out in Addington as part of a nationwide protest against legal highs.
Dozens brought placards imploring the Government to legislate against all such substances.
The side-effects of synthetic cannabis and other similar products include agitation, confusion, paranoia, seizures and violent behaviour that could last from days to months, experts say.
The Psychoactive Substances Act came into effect last July after concern over the safety of legal-highs. The new legislation makes it illegal for dairies, convenience stores, liquor outlets and supermarkets to sell synthetic highs.
Retailers wanting to sell the drugs must fit certain criteria to qualify for an interim licence to research, manufacture or sell the products.
Forty-two legal-high brands have interim approval.
Jesse says he has tried to quit. "You have no no idea how hard I tried." He has lost up to 30kg - a third of his former 90kg frame - in the space of two weeks after going into withdrawals.
When he tries to stop he says he can't eat or sleep. He vomits constantly. Doctors have told him that the drugs have eaten away at his stomach lining. He cannot stop spitting up blood.
He recently visited an old friend in Auckland who broke down and cried when he saw the state of him. "He couldn't believe I was just this sack of bones."
Anyone thinking about smoking the drug should look at what his life has become.
"It's destroying our generation," Jesse says.
"They could have warned us it was addictive."
He is worried that if he tries to quit again without any support he might die on the streets. When he turns 18 in June he will try to go to Odyssey House in Auckland to get clean. "I've survived this long. What's another few months?"Oregon shore crabs exhibit risky behavior when they’re exposed to the antidepressant Prozac, making it easier for predators to catch them, according to a new study from Portland State University (PSU).
The study, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, illustrates how concentrations of pharmaceuticals found in the environment could pose a risk to animal survival.
For years, tests of seawater near areas of human habitation have shown trace levels of everything from caffeine to prescription medicines. The chemicals are flushed from homes or medical facilities, go into the sewage system, and eventually make their way to the ocean.
In a laboratory, the PSU team exposed Oregon shore crabs to traces of fluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac. They found that the crabs increased their foraging behavior, showing less concern for predators than they normally would. They even did so during the day, when they would normally be in hiding.
They also fought more with members of their own species, often either killing their foe or getting killed in the process.
“The changes we observed in their behaviors may mean that crabs living in harbors and estuaries contaminated with fluoxetine are at greater risk of predation and mortality,” said researcher Elise Granek, a professor in PSU’s department of Environmental Science and Management.
The team received funding from Oregon Sea Grant.
Contact John Kirkland at [email protected] the U.S. escalates military action in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, there is yet to be any articulation of policy from the Trump administration. The White House simply says that the president is “aware” of the deployment in Syria.
At the White House briefing Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked about exactly how involved the president was in the decision to deploy a couple hundred Marines into Syria with heavy artillery guns, and whether this was part of his wider anti-ISIS strategy.
“Obviously, the President was made aware of that,” Spicer responded. “This is something that was done in consultation. He understands the regional issues that need to be addressed there, and, again, I would refer you back to the Department of Defense on that.”
It isn’t clear what -- if any -- role the president played in overseeing the decision, but it likely indicates that the Pentagon has more freedom to make this sort of decision. Spicer said the president had taken advice from his generals and admirals but downplayed the importance of asking Congress to authorize military action in Syria as this was just “sending a few hundred advisers.”
In a significant and important call Friday, the president will speak for the first time with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. While the president has held multiple phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and welcomed him and his wife to the White House, this is his first outreach to the President of the Palestinian National Authority. It precedes the visit of Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt to the region. Greenblatt has also served as the chief legal officer of the Trump Organization.
As reported earlier by CBS, Rex Tillerson’s State Department is being shut out of key meetings. That seems to be continuing -- Mexican diplomats tell CBS News that they’re in town meeting with White House officials, including Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. While the State Department insists that the Secretary of State was aware of the meeting, the professional diplomats at the State Department were not. Acting Spokesman Mark Toner was asked about the visit during a briefing Thursday, he said “I was unaware that he was -- the foreign minister was in town.”
Another note on Tillerson -- the former Exxon Mobil CEO recused himself in February from all decisions on TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline authorization, but the State Department has not said whether he will be standing down on issues related to Russia, where he worked in the 1990s as the president of Exxon Neftegas Limited. In 2011, Tillerson negotiated Exxon’s access to drilling rights in the Arctic, which also involved Russia’s state-owned oil company, Rosneft.
Trump administration challenged by turmoil in Korea, Iraq
At a time of spiraling tension in Asia, Tillerson launches his trip to the region early next week without any reporters accompanying him. Diplomacy isseemingly being de-emphasized as the White House reviews its options on North Korea. Indeed, Tillerson’s trip to South Korea is taking place just as President Park Geun-hye has been removed from office. He’ll meet with the acting president, but Hwang Kyo Anh has been an ally of Park, and liberals, who have a different view of relations with Washington, may soon be in power. Tillerson’s top Asia adviser Danny Russell has also just left the State Department this week.
Tillerson meets Friday with the president, and later, the White House will brief on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit next week to Washington.A majority of voters support parts of an immigration plan that President Trump publicly endorsed last week, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
The Trump-backed plan would cut legal immigration in half and establish a “merit-based” approach to allowing immigrants into the country.
The poll, which was done by Politico and Morning Consult, found that 60 percent of voters support the “points system” that would allow people that speak English and have a college degree to be more likely to be able to enter the country.
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Sixty-two percent of voters said that whether a person speaks English should be a factor in deciding if they should be allowed to legally immigrate to the U.S., according to the poll.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents said that they generally support limiting the number of refugees who can gain permanent residency in the U.S.
A plurality of voters supports cutting immigration in half over the next decade, with the poll finding 48 percent of respondents supporting the cuts, compared to 39 percent who oppose it.
Forty-five percent of voters support ending the ability for U.S. citizens to allow family members to enter the country in what was described as “unlimited family chain migration,” compared to 39 percent who support keeping it in place.
The poll also found that 66 percent say legal immigrants “strengthen our country because of their hard work and talents," compared to 20 percent who think they are "a burden on our country because they take our housing, health care and jobs.”
The bill that Trump announced he would support was formally introduced in the Senate by Sens. Tom Cotton Thomas (Tom) Bryant CottonHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington MORE (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.).
White House aide Stephen Miller spoke at a press briefing about the new immigration plan, claiming that voters support limiting immigration.
“Public support is so immense on this — if you just look at the polling data in many key battleground states across the country — that over time you're going to see massive public push for this kind of legislation,” Miller said last week.
The poll surveyed 1,992 registered voters and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.A producer acquaintance of mine who asked not to be named tells me the entire South Indian movie industry has been rocked by the news that 48-year-old actor Dileep has been arrested and jailed for conspiracy in the abduction and sexual assault of an unnamed actress with whom he had co-starred in
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being Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1, 10/18 and 13/7 and General Assembly resolutions 63/96, 63/97, 63/201, 64/93 and 65/103. In its advisory opinion, the Court recalled that while Israel was not a party to the Hague Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land of 18 October 1907 (Convention IV), to which the Hague Regulations are annexed, the provisions of the Hague Regulations had become part of customary international law.
2
See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1, paras. 102-113.
3
An examination of the concluding observations of different United Nations treaty bodies confirms this view. See CCPR/C/ISR/CO/3, para. 5; CERD/C/ISR/CO/13, para. 32; CRC/C/15/Add.195; CAT/C/ISR/CO/4, para. 11.
4
See International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, arts. 2 (1) and 26; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, arts. 2 (2) and 3; International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, arts. 1 (1), 2 (1), 3 and 5; Convention on the Rights of the Child, arts. 2 and 30.
5
CCPR/C/ISR/CO/3.
6
The term “outpost” refers to Israeli settlements that have not been authorized by Israeli authorities. Notwithstanding their status under Israeli law, it should be noted that all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are contrary to international law.
7
Peace Now,
West Bank and Jerusalem Map
, “The Settlements: the Biggest Threat to a Two-State Solution”, January 2011, available from http://peacenow.org.il/eng/content/west-bank-and-jerusalemmap 2011.
8
Ibid.
9
The moratorium did not apply to those settlements for which permits had already been issued and whose foundations had been laid as well as certain public buildings. Settlements in East Jerusalem, 2,500 apartments already under construction, and 455 housing units whose construction was authorized in September 2009 remained unaffected by the moratorium (see A/65/365).
10
On 30 June 2011, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the Israeli forces handed over an order for declaring 189 dunums as State land in the village of Qaryut (Nablus). The order gives the opportunity for objection during 45 days of distributing the order. According to the village council, about 30 farmers own the land (see Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, “Protection of Civilians Weekly Report”, 29 June-5 July 2011, available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_ protection_of_civilians_weekly_report_2011_07_08_english.pdf). For a detailed description of the process through which land is confiscated, see report by B’Tselem,
Land Grab: Israel’s Settlement Policy in the West Bank
(May 2002), available from www.btselem.org/ download/200205_land_grab_eng.pdf (chapter III). See also B’Tselem, “Yovel Outpost: Israel retroactively approves theft of private land” (14 July 2011), available from www.btselem.org/ topic-page/14-july-11-yovel-outpost-israel-retroactively-approves-theft-private-land.
11
Peace Now, “Interim Report: Settlement Activity since the End of the Moratorium” (20 May 2011), available from http://peacenow.org.il/eng/content/interim-report-settlement-activity-end-moratorium-0.
12
Ibid.
13
The Palestine Telegraph
, “Israel to construct 900 housing units in Jerusalem” (5 July 2011), available from www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/9559-israel-to-construct-900-housing-units-in-jerusalem.html.
14
See e.g., “Lieberman rules out settlement freeze, ‘even for three hours’”,
Haaretz
, 10 May 2011, available at http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense; France 24, “Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak Talks to FRANCE 24”, 17 June 2011, available from www.france24.com/en/20110617-ehud-barak-talks-france-24-annette-young-israel-palestinians-settlements-peace-process; see also Peace Now, “Interim Report: Settlement Activity Since the End of the Moratorium” (see footnote 11);
Ynet news
, “PM to victims’ family: They murder, we build”, 13 March 2011, available at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4041757,00.html.
15
CCPR/C/ISR/CO/3, para. 17.
16
B’Tselem, “Planning and building: Israel demolishes dozens of Palestinian homes in Jordan Valley and southern Hebron Hills”, 21 June 2011, available at http://www.btselem.org/topic-page/21611-israel-demolishes-dozens-palestinian-homes-jordan-valley-and-southern-hebron-hills.
17
International Peace and Cooperation Centre, 2007, Jerusalem Strategic Planning Series —
Jerusalem on the Map III
.
18
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory,
The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor
, June 2011, available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/
ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2011_07_20_english.pdf.
B’Tselem reports that by the end of 2010, the Israeli Government had approved funding for the construction of dozens of housing units in two settlements in the northern Jordan Valley close to the sites of three demolitions in 2011 (Ein al-Hilwa, Hammamat al-Maleh al-Maiteh and al-Farisiya). B’Tselem
Dispossession and Exploitation: Israel’s Policy in the Jordan Valley and Northern Dead Sea
(May 2011).
19
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory,
East Jerusalem: Key Humanitarian Concerns
(Special Focus: March 2011).
20
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel,
Facts and Figures about East Jerusalem
available from www.acri.org.il/en/?p=500.
21
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, see footnote
17. It is important to note that the application fee is the same for Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem. However, Palestinian construction is generally small-scale, carried out by an individual or a small group of families, with limited resources, rather than the larger-scale housing projects typical of West Jerusalem or of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem. As a result, there are fewer people to share the permit costs. Furthermore, because of the manner in which fees are structured, applications for permits for smaller buildings (typical of East Jerusalem) have higher per square-metre fees than larger buildings.
22
Ir Amim,
A Layman’s Guide to Home Demolitions in East Jerusalem
, March 2009, p. 4, available from www.ir-amim.org.il/Eng/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/HomeDemolition GuideEng(1).doc.
23
See footnote 19 (explaining in detail the phenomenon of illegal construction). See also
A Layman’s Guide
.
24
See
East Jerusalem: Key Humanitarian Concerns
, p. 36 (explaining that the figure is conservative and the percentage could be as high as 48 per cent, with 130,000 potentially at risk of displacement).
25
Americans for Peace Now,
Settlements in Focus
, March 2006, available from http://peacenow.org/entries/archive2292.
26
The Jerusalem Municipality master plan known as “Local Outline Plan 2000” — although not formally adopted, is in force de facto in Jerusalem — further allows limited housing opportunities for Palestinian residents yet adding 5,000 dunums (or 5 km
2
) for the expansion of Israeli settlements (see
Settlements in Focus
).
27
Ir Amim, “Israeli settlement slated to replace the Shepherd Hotel can still be thwarted”, available at: http://www.ir-amim.org.il/Eng/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/news.htm.
28
East Jerusalem: Key Humanitarian Concerns
.
29
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, “Restricting Space: The Planning Regime Applied by Israel in Area C of the West Bank” (Special Focus: December 2009) available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/special_focus_area_c_demolitions.december_2009.pdf. See also Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, “‘Lack of Permit’ Demolitions and Resultant Displacement in Area C” (Special Focus: May 2008) available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/
Demolitions_in_Area_C_May_2008_English.pdf.
30
Information released by the Israeli State Attorney’s Office in December 2009 and reported by Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory in
Restricting Space
.
31
Human Rights Watch, “Separate and Unequal”, www.hrw.org/reports/2010/12/19/separate-and-unequal.
32
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, Humanitarian Factsheet on Area C of the West Bank, July 2011, see http://ochaopt.org/
documents/ocha_opt_Area_C_Fact_Sheet_July_2011.pdf.
33
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Khirbet Tana: Large-scale demolitions for the third time in just over a year” (February 2011); available at www.ochaopt.org/documents/
ocha_opt_Khirbet_tana-fact_sheet_20110210.english.pdf.
34
Humanitarian Factsheet on Area C of the West Bank.
35
See B’Tselem,
By Hook and by Crook: Israeli Settlement Policy in the West Bank
, July 2010, available at http://btselem.org/publications/summaries/201007_by_hook_and_by_crook.
36
Planning and construction in Area C is governed by the 1966 Jordanian Planning Law, as modified by an Israeli military order signed in 1971, Order Concerning Towns, Villages and Buildings Planning Law (Judea and Samaria) (No. 418). The military order nullified a number of provisions that allowed for community participation in the planning and zoning process. For example, under the 1966 Jordanian Law, Local Planning Committees had authority for planning over specific areas, prepared outline and detailed plans, and issued building permits in accordance with approved plans. Israeli military orders, however, annulled these committees for Palestinian villages. These functions are now performed by the Israeli Civil Administration’s Local Planning and Licensing Sub-Committee, with no Palestinian representation.
37
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, “Restricting Space”.
38
For example in December 2009 the Israeli Knesset approved adding settlements in the Jordan Valley to a list of “national priority” communities that would receive, on average, $260 per person in subsidies for education, employment and culture. It is noted that the Jordan Valley comprises almost half of Area C. See also Human Rights Watch, “Separate and unequal”, December 2010.
39
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, “Unprotected: Israeli settler violence against Palestinian civilians and their property” (Special Focus: December 2008), p. 2. Available at: www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_settler_ violence_special_focus_2008_12_18.pdf.
40
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, “Protection of Civilians: Casualties Database”. Available from www.ochaopt.org/poc.aspx?id=1010002.
41
Yesh Din,
A Semblance of Law: Law Enforcement upon Israeli Civilians in the West Bank
, June 2006, p. 31. Available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/opt_prot_yeshdin_semblance_law_june_ 2006.pdf.
42
Report of the Shamgar Commission, established in 1994 following the massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron by an Israeli settler.
43
“Unprotected: Israeli settler violence against Palestinian Civilians”.
44
Yesh Din,
A Semblance of Law
.
45
Al-Haq
, Press Release, 1 February 2011, available at http://www.alhaq.org/etemplate.php?id=568.
46
Haaretz
, “Police: Israeli responsible for shooting death of Palestinian teen”, 27 January 2011, available at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/police-israeli-responsible-for-shooting-death-of-palestinian-teen-1.339621. (The footage is available at: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=48PhfH2zFhI.).
47
Yesh Din,
A Semblance of Law
... (June 2006), p. 76.
48
Ibid., pp. 97-101.
49
Yesh Din, Monitoring Update:
Law Enforcement upon Israeli Civilians in the West Bank
(February 2011) available at http://www.yeshdin.org/userfiles/file/datasheets/
YESH%20DIN_Law%20Enforcement%20Monitoring%20Eng_2011.pdf.
50
It is noteworthy that while the Israeli authorities seem to be unable or unwilling to enforce the law in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, as per the Oslo Agreements, has no authority for law enforcement but in Area A, which is limited to the Palestinian cities. The majority of incidents of settler violence take place in the vicinity of settlements, in Area C, where authority in the security sphere is left with Israel. In cases of settler violence, the role of the Palestinian Authority is often limited to informing the Israeli Civil Administration of the incidents and documents the damages or injuries when possible.
51
Response to the report by Yesh Din by Office of the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson dated 12 June 2006 in Yesh Din,
A Semblance of Law
..., p. 132.
52
See also English translation of Talia Sasson report in Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Unprotected: Israeli Settler Violence against Palestinian Civilians
.
53
Ibid., p. 14. According to Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in 2008 for example, 29,000 Palestinians in five different locations in the West Bank spent a total of 600 hours under curfew imposed by the Israel Defense Forces after Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehicles.
54
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Monthly Humanitarian Monitor
, April 2011, available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/
ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2011_05_19_english.pdf.
55
B’Tselem, Violence by Settlers, available from www.btselem.org/settler_violence/dual_legal_system. See also Opening remarks by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at a press conference in Jerusalem, 11 February 2011, available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10721&LangID=e.
56
A number of United Nations agencies, including Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, documented the cases.
57
See footnote 54. See also al-Haq, Collective Punishment in Awarta: Israel’s Response to the Killing in Itamar Settlement, April 2011, available from www.alhaq.org/pdfs/
Collective+Punishment+in+Awarta_22_April.pdf.
58
Peace Now, “Settlements in Palestinian Neighborhoods in East Jerusalem”, available at http://peacenow.org.il/eng/content/settlements-palestinian-neighborhoods-east-jerusalem.
59
For example, General Assembly resolution 65/106.
60
See International Committee of the Red Cross, “Occupied Golan: nurturing ties with the rest of Syria”, 15 February 2011, Operational Update available at: http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/
documents/update/2011/golan-update-2011-02-15.htm.
61
Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, 24 February 2011. See also Palestinian Information Center, “New Jewish neighborhood to be erected in occupied Golan Heights”, January 2011, available from www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI 46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7cYjteqRVchZUp1eTb9IHyN5LWz6oLVla66G2%2fdei0j4kn8z9GD49nGEmTlRoUYXW3owUefav1ka8RliVkLNeuZvYpG7iyc2znAqlfKx5xhQ%3d#Page_Top.
62
Al-Marsad, the Arab Center for Human Rights in the occupied Syrian Golan, “Breaking Down the Fence: Addressing the Illegality of Family Separation in the Occupied Syrian Golan”, April 2010, available from www.golan-marsad.org/Images/022011/Family_Separation.pdf.
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RSSNew York Times vents recriminations over Syria debacle
By Bill Van Auken
9 February 2016
The offensive of Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, has cut off the main supply route for Western-backed “rebels” and is apparently poised to deal them a decisive blow in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. This situation is provoking increasingly bitter recriminations within Washington and its vast military and intelligence apparatus over the debacle of the US regime-change operation.
The anger and mutual finger-pointing going on within the Pentagon and the CIA, as well as on Capitol Hill and in the White House, have found a particularly hysterical expression in a February 8 New York Times column by the newspaper’s international affairs columnist Roger Cohen, entitled “America’s Syrian Shame.”
Cohen denounces the Obama administration for pursuing a policy in Syria that amounts to “fecklessness and purposelessness,” together with “feeble evasions masquerading as strategy” and “awkward acquiescence to Moscow’s end game.”
The Times columnist continues: “Syria is now the Obama administration’s shame, a debacle of such dimensions that it may overshadow the president’s domestic achievements.”
The “shame,” according to Cohen, is not that Washington’s instigation of a sectarian civil war, in which it and its regional allies—Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar—financed and armed Al Qaeda-linked Salafist jihadi militias, has plunged Syria into a bloodbath. Rather, his criticism is that US imperialism failed to pursue a sufficiently aggressive policy.
He writes: “The president and his aides have hidden at various times behind the notions that Syria is marginal to core American national interests; that they have thought through the downsides of intervention better than others; that the diverse actors on the ground are incomprehensible or untrustworthy; that there is no domestic or congressional support for taking action to stop the war or shape its outcome; that there is no legal basis for establishing ‘safe areas’ or taking out Assad’s air power; that Afghanistan and Iraq are lessons in the futility of projecting American power in the 21st century...”
All of this is anathema to Cohen, who, for at least the last quarter-century, has never met a US war of aggression or imperialist intervention that he did not like, from the dismemberment of Yugoslavia onward. He was a prominent advocate for the US war against Iraq, promoting, along with other Times reporters and columnists such as Judith Miller and Thomas Friedman, the lies that the government of Saddam Hussein had “weapons of mass destruction” and ties to Al Qaeda. As late as 2009, with the number of Iraqi lives lost estimated at 1 million and the country devastated, he wrote, “I still believe Iraq’s freedom outweighs its terrible price.”
He likewise promoted the 2011 US-NATO war against Libya as a humanitarian necessity. After the fall of Tripoli, he penned a triumphalist column entitled “Score One for Interventionism.” Nearly five years later, Libya is wracked by war between rival militias, its social infrastructure destroyed and millions of its people forced into exile.
It is worth considering Cohen’s indictment of Obama for his alleged failings. The US president is charged with believing that the “diverse actors on the ground” in Syria are “incomprehensible or untrustworthy.” In point of fact, the composition of the so-called rebels backed by Washington and its Middle Eastern allies is quite comprehensible. They are dominated by outfits like ISIS and the al-Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate. That this presents certain tactical challenges is hardly a surprise.
He accuses the Obama administration of concern over the lack of any “domestic or congressional support for taking action.” This exaggerates the administration’s “concern,” given its launching of the US-NATO war in Libya, the return of US troops to Iraq and the initiation of the regime-change operation in Syria, followed by the dispatch there of Special Forces troops, all in the face of popular hostility and in the absence of any congressional vote. However, widespread opposition to war combined with the UK parliament’s vote against British action in Syria did play a role in the 2013 decision to back away from a bombing campaign.
He goes on to chide the Obama White House for worrying about irrelevancies like the absence of any legal basis for “establishing ‘safe areas’ or taking out Assad’s air power.” Why should the United States be concerned with international law now? It did not stop it from illegally invading Iraq.
That creating “safe areas” or “taking out” Syrian government aircraft would inevitably lead to a clash between the US and Russia, two nuclear-armed powers, is not a concern for Cohen. Indeed, one suspects he would welcome such a development.
Cohen traces the downfall of US policy in Syria to Obama’s 2013 failure to carry through on his threat to treat the use of chemical weapons as a “red line” that would be answered with a US bombing campaign. That the case against the Assad regime fell apart rapidly amid evidence that the chemical attack on suburbs of Damascus had been the work of a “rebel” faction seeking to provoke just such an American intervention is of no consequence to Cohen. His charge is that Obama let a perfectly serviceable, albeit false, pretext for direct US intervention go unused.
Cohen’s denunciations of Obama’s policies reach their frenzied high point with the charge that “Obama’s Syrian agonizing, his constant what-ifs and recurrent ‘what then?’ have also lead [sic] to the slaughter in Paris and San Bernardino.”
Really? Bombing Damascus, the imposition of a no-fly zone or the successful toppling of the Assad regime would have dissuaded the attackers in France and California?
The reality is that both of these attacks—like the horrors in Syria itself—are the product not of Washington’s supposed inaction, but of the succession of crimes carried out by US imperialism in the Middle East over the course of decades.
Assad did not send the killers into the streets of Paris or San Bernardino. In France, it was manifestly a case of “blowback” from Western support for the Islamist “rebels” in Syria. The facilitation of thousands of youth going there to fight in the Western-backed war for regime-change, some of whom joined ISIS—Washington’s Frankenstein’s monster—and similar organizations, inevitably led to the return of a section of Islamist fighters, bringing the mayhem back with them.
As for the couple who carried out the killings in San Bernardino, by all accounts their supposed radicalization began as a result of traveling to Saudi Arabia, Washington’s closest ally in the Syrian intervention, and developed through contact with al-Nusra, one of the principal fighting forces in the war against the Assad government.
While adopting the tone of an outraged liberal interventionist, concerned for the fate of the Syrians and devastated by Syria having become “the bloody graveyard of American conviction,” Cohen really speaks for an entirely different constituency. There are few, if any, journalists working in the US media today who function so directly and openly as a mouthpiece for CIA conspiracies, Black Op interventions and US wars of aggression.
In the case of Syria, the operation has gone sour. The CIA was heavily invested in its outcome, literally. According to the Washington Post, it allocated fully 10 percent of its budget to support for the Islamist “rebels.”
There are powerful factions within the American state who are angry over the lack of any apparent return on this investment. Cohen’s column serves as a warning that the repercussions will be enduring and will undoubtedly find expression in new and far bloodier explosions of US military aggression.
The author also recommends:
New York Times hails “humanitarian” war in Libya
[5 September 2011]
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.A boy looks out at the rising water in the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds on Sunday. (Julie Marceau/Radio-Canada)
Heavy rains for the past several days, combined with melted snow, have caused disruption for families and businesses in Canadian locations including eastern Ontario and western Quebec, the West Island in Montreal and parts of New Brunswick.
Forced from homes.
Members of a family are helped with some belongings in a canoe as part of an evacuation in the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds. As of Monday, more than 1,500 people have been forced out of their homes in almost 150 municipalities across Quebec.
(Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
City life at a standstill.
A man places sandbags outside a home in a flooded residential area in Gatineau, Que. Both English- and French-language school boards announced schools in Gatineau would be closed Monday, as were most provincial and municipal buildings in the city.
(Chris Wattie/Reuters)
Perilous waters.
Waters rise along a row of cottages on the weekend in Rockland, Ont., 40 kilometres east of Ottawa. The Clarence-Rockland area was one of the first areas in Central and Eastern Canada ro require assistance due to heavy flooding.
(Submitted by Pierre-Yves Leroux)
Surveying the damage.
Marcel Theriault stands inside his flooded home in Gatineau, Que. Residents, volunteers and officials say they are feeling exhausted after days of battling the ever-rising water in Ottawa and Gatineau in what has become a "historic flood."
(Chris Wattie/Reuters)
Help arrives.
Canadian soldiers inspect a flooded residential area in Gatineau, Que., on May 7. More than 1,500 soldiers were on the ground across the province on Monday, but some community members believe the response was not timely.
(Chris Wattie/Reuters)
The view from the sky.
CBC News took a helicopter ride over Ottawa and Gatineau Monday to capture video of how high the water has risen.
Pump it up, and out.
People in neighbourhoods including Ahuntsic-Cartierville in the Montreal metropolitan area are working around the clock to try and protect their homes. The flooding forced a hospital in Ahuntsic to move dozens of patients to a facility in a nearby town.
(Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)
In their element.
Water birds found new routes to traverse in parts of the Montreal area, including Rue Cousineau in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
(Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)
Water far and wide
An aerial view of the extensive flooding in Vaudreuil, Que.
Welcoming a recession.
The flooded home of Mina Tayarani, who was part of an evacuation after water levels passed the basement and reached over a foot on the main floor, is shown Monday in Île Bizard, Que. Authorities in Quebec were optimistic rising water levels would start to recede by mid-week.
Christinne Muschi/Reuters (REUTERS)
Making the best of the bad.
Across the flood-affected areas in Canada, community members and volunteers were banding together to provide assistance. Here, volunteers were ladling out food at Vaudreuil's city hall for those filling sandbags.
(Kristy Rich/CBC)
Messy in the Maritimes.
The slow-moving weather system hit Ontario and Quebec first, but by May 6 it had reached parts of the Maritimes. Flooding on Route 105 in Sheffield, N.B., near the Saint John River is shown.
(Submitted by Jason McCoy)
Diving goals.
Scuba divers Ed Monat, left, and Joe George surface at soccer goalposts in a field flooded by the waters from the St. John River in Fredericton. The men said they were diving on the soccer field just for fun, but people in the area living near the river and its tributaries to remain on alert in the coming days as water levels are near or above flood stage in many regions.Abstract The reasons for using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are poorly understood and are primarily documented by expensive cross-sectional surveys that use preconceived close-ended response options rather than allowing respondents to use their own words. We passively identify the reasons for using ENDS longitudinally from a content analysis of public postings on Twitter. All English language public tweets including several ENDS terms (e.g., “e-cigarette” or “vape”) were captured from the Twitter data stream during 2012 and 2015. After excluding spam, advertisements, and retweets, posts indicating a rationale for vaping were retained. The specific reasons for vaping were then inferred based on a supervised content analysis using annotators from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. During 2012 quitting combustibles was the most cited reason for using ENDS with 43% (95%CI 39–48) of all reason-related tweets cited quitting combustibles, e.g., “I couldn’t quit till I tried ecigs,” eclipsing the second most cited reason by more than double. Other frequently cited reasons in 2012 included ENDS’s social image (21%; 95%CI 18–25), use indoors (14%; 95%CI 11–17), flavors (14%; 95%CI 11–17), safety relative to combustibles (9%; 95%CI 7–11), cost (3%; 95%CI 2–5) and favorable odor (2%; 95%CI 1–3). By 2015 the reasons for using ENDS cited on Twitter had shifted. Both quitting combustibles and use indoors significantly declined in mentions to 29% (95%CI 24–33) and 12% (95%CI 9–16), respectively. At the same time, social image increased to 37% (95%CI 32–43) and lack of odor increased to 5% (95%CI 2–5), the former leading all cited reasons in 2015. Our data suggest the reasons people vape are shifting away from cessation and toward social image. The data also show how the ENDS market is responsive to a changing policy landscape. For instance, smoking indoors was less frequently cited in 2015 as indoor smoking restrictions became more common. Because the data and analytic approach are scalable, adoption of our strategies in the field can inform follow-up survey-based surveillance (so the right questions are asked), interventions, and policies for ENDS.
Citation: Ayers JW, Leas EC, Allem J-P, Benton A, Dredze M, Althouse BM, et al. (2017) Why do people use electronic nicotine delivery systems (electronic cigarettes)? A content analysis of Twitter, 2012-2015. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0170702. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170702 Editor: Donald R. Olson, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, UNITED STATES Received: July 18, 2016; Accepted: January 9, 2017; Published: March 1, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Ayers et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability: All data are publicly available. Twitter postings can accessed using the public API (dev.twitter.com/streaming/overview). Please contact the corresponding author if further assistance is required. Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products P50CA180905. The funders had no role in the design, conduct, or interpretation of the study; nor the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or FDA. Bloomberg LP provided support in the form of salaries for authors MD, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: MD is commercially employed by Bloomberg LP. There are no other relevant competing interests. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
Introduction Despite the popularity of electronic cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) [1,2], there is surprisingly little actionable intelligence on why people vape [3]. The most cited reasons include curiosity, enjoyment, and other idiopathic reasons [4–6] that do not inform any particular intervention or policy response. Fewer studies point to actionable reasons that may guide specific control measures to curtail use, such as use indoors [7] which can be mitigated by banning vaping indoors. This knowledge gap, in part, represents the limitations of tobacco control surveillance. All of the known reasons for vaping were derived from cross-sectional surveys. For example, the International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey asked vapers about why they use ENDS with four yes/no response items [8] Surveys require substantial time and resources to implement, meaning many reasons are never asked. Moreover, where studies rely on closed-ended response options (rather than allowing participants to use their own words) some reasons are potentially still unknown. Supplemental approaches are needed to inexpensively and rapidly discover the reasons for using ENDS to inform the science around ENDS (such as follow-up survey-based surveillance), inform the development of policy-based control measures, or aid the design of health interventions. Herein we demonstrate the feasibility of a data-driven protocol that allows the public to describe why they vape in their own words by passively monitoring public tweets—a promising [9] but underutilized approach in public health [10–16]. Doing so lays the groundwork for a new perspective that in practice can help capture the reasons people vape quickly, informing follow-up surveillance and public health practice.
Materials and methods The data consisted of 3.3 million public tweets from 2012 and 2015 that was collected from the Twitter API by searching for the following ENDS-related keywords: electronic cigarette(s), electronic cig(s), e cig(s), e-cig(s), eking(s), e cigarette(s), e-cigarette(s), ecigarette(s), vape(s), vaper(s), and vaping. This data collection therefore includes all tweets about ENDS as long as they included the aforementioned terms. We then used a two-stage strategy to identify a subsample for analysis by (a) selecting organic English-language tweets that referenced ENDS use and then (b) using supervised content analysis to discover the reasons for using ENDS from these tweets. In the first stage, irrelevant tweets were excluded by purging non-English language tweets (using the Lui method [17]) tweets with URLS (which were almost exclusively advertisements), spam, and retweets (so each tweet counted once). We identified spam tweets using a statistical machine learning classifier developed using a set of 10,157 e-cigarette tweets (60% train, 20% dev, 20% test) that were identified by Amazon Mechanical Turk annotators (mturk.com/mturk/welcome) as either spam or not spam. We used a logistic regression model to predict labels, with a set of n-gram features augmented by 300-dimensional word2vec embeddings using the Mikolov strategy [18]. Drawing from this refined database we selected tweets that indicated use ENDS by the tweeter or another person using human coders from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk [19]. Coders searched for retained tweets about ENDS use until a target sample of 2,900 for each year was achieved (thereby yielding a margin of error less than 0.02 in subsequent analysis) [20]. In practice this collective strategy retained tweets such as “I have an electronic cig and it’s helping me quit,” and excluded tweets such as “Closing sale! #vapeporn #eking #vaping” “just read this eking article [link],” or “I just saw someone vaping” because they are advertising, included a URL, or do not indicate use, respectively. The inter-rater agreement between the Mturk coders identifying tweets as being about ENDS use was Cohen’s Kappa = 0.56, percentage agreement = 0.83. Tweets with conflicting labels were assumed to not be about ENDS use and discarded from further analysis. In the second stage, we identified any “reasons” for use [21]. The investigators (JWA, ECL, AB, and MD) reviewed tweets and discussed reasons for vaping that emerged in the data simultaneously developing a framework and codebook for annotating the tweets. An open-ended framework was selected that allowed each tweet to have zero or multiple associated reasons; e.g., “I like ecigs because they’re cheap and taste great” would indicate lower price and flavor as reasons (Table 1). Implied reasons were also considered, e.g., “vaping in the club” would indicate vaping indoors. We then developed a protocol for the most commonly cited reasons, avoiding rare reasons because they are not high priorities
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ates to roughly 870bhp at the wheels, but he has the ability to wind the boost up to 35psi and more.
The engine was put together by a very gifted builder named Dave Stevens, whose work has been used to great effect by a number of the fastest space-framed import drag cars in Australasia. In its current guise it can generate 1,650bhp… Yup, the surface hasn’t even been scratched yet. If Phil fancied, with another rail of six injectors fitted the engine has been built to generate and handle 2,000bhp. No messing around: Phil figured he’d do things right the first time. Although he grins and tells me somebody else can try it with that much power.
Another reason Phil loves the S600 is that it comes with a separate chassis and body, lending itself to such wild modification, and with the motor mounted as far back as possible in the tiny 79-inch wheelbase it’s almost mid-engined. His self-proclaimed fascination with boost means drag racing gives him the purest platform to explore the potential it gives him.
Obviously he’s put a lot more strength into the frame now, with the cage…
…and driver safety cell. Just like the gorgeous standard external chrome, Phil has kept the full interior trim too, although that Kirkey alloy seat is anything but standard.
Because when this thing spools up, things get serious pretty quickly and you’d want to know you’re strapped in safe, right?
The fury that emanates from the tiny racer is crazy. The noise and sight of it make me smile and retreat at the same time, all the while taking pictures like a grinning loon.
I turn to a nearby photographer as Phil reverses back to the start-line after another smoky burnout. Smiling manically I nod and he just looks back at me with a deadpan face. Man, I hope I never get that jaded. I don’t care if this is your ‘thing’ or not – he should probably check his pulse.
Along with minimal lag, the other surprising skill the Honda has is its ability to leave the line straight and true. After the drama of first seeing it and the explosion of power in the burnout, I kind of expected it to point both front wheels somewhere in the sky and fire off the line sideways, spitting fire whilst playing this through speakers that could equal a sonic boom.
But just as you’d want it if you were in the driver’s seat, there’s no drama: it just squats on the single rear wheelie bar and goes.
Proper goes… This run was a personal best for Phil, but he insists it’s still early days with somewhere around six to seven passes under the wheels so far. He has some interesting data from this run thanks to the Racepack iQ3 dash unit: in first and second gear he’s pulling 3.5G until roughly half-track, with a time to the 60-foot mark of 1.3 seconds and 5.6 seconds and 130mph at half-track.
When Brad put up a picture of the Honda in his Jamboree 22 coverage, (which is kind of odd, as today I’ve been stood where Brad was last year) there were a lot of comments about the turbo position and how Phil could physically see around it, so asking permission I climbed into the hot seat to see for myself. This is that view: so yeah, pretty distracting… But what a place to be sat. It feels as if you’re connected to the turbo itself, Phil saying of the position that he figured instead of having it poke through the bonnet, this way he didn’t have to lift it to show people.
Everything has been so well packaged inside, Phil saying that the original S600 transmission had two chain drives for the rear wheels, so although there are now dedicated tubs in place to deal with what the C4 auto hands out, the original 14-inch wide items were actually ideal for his early wheel and tyre upgrade plans. It’s almost as if this thing wanted to go fast right from the outset.
Now, an 8.65-second run is quick – quicker than quick in fact, and it’s all too often that we take things for granted. The work Phil has put in to get here is immense. The Honda was his daily driver for nine years – it then ran a blown Fiat twin-cam motor.
But he’s nowhere near stopping yet.We’ve hinted at the potential of the coupé, and as Phil says: “My goal is to run in the low seven seconds at 185-plus mph. It’s a reality; the power is there… It’s still very early days”. Splitting his time between drag racing, building a twin-turbo Porsche 930 and surfing, Phil has got plenty of plans and we’ll be seeing him again for sure.
Here’s a video which gives you a small taster of just how amazing the Honda is…
No matter which way you sway, you can believe in Phil Penny and his ability to entertain, enthrall and make things happen. The man’s a legend in my book. This is not the end, this is just the beginning.
Bryn Musselwhite
Engine
3.2 stroker 2J inline six, resin-filled to core plugs, GRP aluminium rods, Arias ceramic/thermal coated pistons, piston pins 22mm and 8mm thick, factory 3ltr crank offset ground, hardened steel main caps, ARP stud kit, line bored, ATi balancer, 3mm Chromoly flex plate, Dave Stevens modified standard oil pump, 2JZ turbo head, flowed, Ferrara valves, titanium retainers, collets and springs, Sure Cams (NSW) with Dave Stevens grind, head machined for lobe clearance, L19 head studs, Titan front pulley wheels, Hypertune manifold (Sydney), twin fuel rails, 12x1500cc methanol injectors, 102mm throttle body, Engle 110 mechanical fuel pump, custom high rise inlet manifold, 60mm Turbosmart wastegate off the manifold plus another from the turbine housing, Billet Turbo (Gold Coast) 88mm front, 94mm rear, rear housing.96 Air ratio, 5in/120mm dump pipe, turbo to intercooler is four inches, turbine, manifold, exhaust is coated by competition coatings in Brisbane ceramic chrome, PWR water to air intercooler, runs 18 litre water and ice tank inside the car which is pumped through with -16 lines, PWR radiator, Haltech Sport 2000 ECU, PRO 16 M&W CDi box, Racepack data iQ3 dash including GPS! measures G-force, Haltech exhaust gas temp sensors, factory coil packs, factory timing belt and factory turbo multi-layered head gasket, Eboost 2 race control
Transmission
Ford C4 automatic box, Als Raceglide (NSW), custom-built 1350 series shaft, Ford nine-inch, Strange 33 spline shafts and spool, Mark Williams nine-inch alloy carrier
Suspension
Torsion bar front, Koni adjustable shocks, rear four link, panhard rod, Strange coilovers, adjustable rebound and compression, single wheelie bar with single shock
Brakes
Wilwood four-pot callipers, 260mm vented disc, AP two pot rear callipers, 1999 BTCC Mondeo (Paul Radisich) discs and bells, Wilwood twin circuit master cylinder, bias to rear wheels
Wheels & Tyres
E45 polished Simmons, 10x15in, 4x15in, 22inx15, 28×11.5×15 Mickey Thompson ET.
Bodywork
1965 Honda S600, stainless flutes in front guards, five-inch fuel cap on passenger side wing, rear wing, parachute, aero on rear window, stretched rear arch aperture, bumpers and grille original, voodoo metallic blue
Interior
Kirkey aluminium seats, ERG five-point harness, OMP steering wheel
Standard door trims, factory dash, carbon fibre fascia housing Racepack dash, firewall and tunnel 3mm steel, 1in 5/8 Chromoly cage, strengthened standard box chassis
Thanks
Dave Stevens for the most awesomest engine, Turbosmart for their support with their excellent products, Phil Laird (he’s the tuner, an excellent guy), Christian my son… All the guys that help.AURANGABAD: The bitter breakup of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and the stiff challenge the former allies posed to each other during the assembly polls had an embarrassing fallout on Saturday morning in Osmanabad, around 250 km from here, when supporters of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad and BJP leader Sanjay Nimbalkar came to blows in the presence of state revenue minister Eknath Khadse.Khadse, who also holds the agriculture portfolio in the state cabinet, is touring Marathwada region to analyse the intensity of drought after the meagre 52% rainfall in the monsoon season. The state is likely to seek a special package from the Centre to deal with the severe drought.As a part of the tour, Khadse was in Osmanabad on Saturday morning. After attending a programme at Saknewadi in the district, he reached the residence of BJP district president Nitin Patil, where some BJP and Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) leaders were waiting for him.Within minutes of Khadse’s arrival, Gaikwad reached there. His presence was questioned by some BJP workers, who are at loggerheads with Sena leaders, especially after Nimbalkar’s loss in the elections from Tuljapur assembly constituency.Soon, a heated argument broke out between Nimbalkar and Gaikwad regarding the MP’s presence during the BJP meeting. A minor scuffle between the leaders was quickly controlled.No case has been registered so far, but the Osmanabad police have increased the bandobast across the district to keep a check on possible clashes between the supporters of the two leaders.Speaking to TOI, Nimbalkar said, “Gaikwad arrived when BJP office bearers were in a meeting with Khadse. Gaikwad is responsible for BJP’s rout in Osmanabad district and he supported NCP and Congress candidates in the district. Sena and BJP workers dislike him.”Nimbalkar said he lost his cool because of the language used by Gaikwad. “I caught hold of him but the supporters separated us,” he said.Osmanabad Shiv Sena district president Sudhir Patil said, “Today’s incident is nothing but the BJP’s frustration as they could not bag even one seat in the district despite Modi’s election rally. Sanjay Nimbalkar claims that as he had campaigned for Gaikwad during general elections and in return, the Sena leader should have helped him.”Khadse played down the incident, saying it was just a heated argument between the leaders, but admitted that the relations between the former allies have soured. “The relations between BJP and Sena workers have soured as both the parties contested against each other in the assembly elections,” he said.Gaikwad could not be reached for his comment.Search course descriptions with Google Custom Search:
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HSTAA 101 Survey of the History of the United States (5) I&S
Supplies the knowledge of American history that any intelligent and educated American citizen should have. Objective is to make the student aware of his or her heritage of the past and more intelligently conscious of the present.
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HSTAA 105 The Peoples of the United States (5) I&S, DIV
History of diverse peoples who have come together through conquest and immigration since 1500, including Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans. Explores contributions of may peoples with special attention to changing constructions of race and ethnicity and evolving understandings of what it means to be American.
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HSTAA 110 History of American Citizenship (5) I&S, DIV
Examines how, when, and why different groups of people (e.g., white men, white men without property, peoples of color including one-time slaves, women, immigrants) became eligible for citizenship throughout American history. Explores how and why for many peoples, at many times, citizenship did not confer equal rights to all.
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HSTAA 150 Introduction to African American History (5) I&S
Introductory survey of topics and problems in African American history with some attention to Africa as well as to America. Basic introductory course for sequence of lecture courses and seminars in African American history. Offered: jointly with AFRAM 150.
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HSTAA 202 American Foreign Policy, 1776 -Present (5) I&S
Surveys the history of American foreign relations.
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HSTAA 203 American Presidents in the Twentieth Century (3/5) I&S
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HSTAA 205 Asian American History (5) I&S, DIV
Introductory history of Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese and Koreans in the United States from the 1840s to the 1960s. Major themes include imperialism, labor migration, racism, community formation, and resistance.
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HSTAA 208 The City: People, Place, and Environments (5) I&S
Surveys the history of cities in North America and around the globe from 1800 to the present. Considers economic and technological change; politics and government; city planning and landscaping design; migration and immigration, race, gender, and class; suburbanization; popular culture; and natural environments and natural disasters.
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HSTAA 209 The Unsettling of the Red Continent: American Indian History to 1815 (5) I&S, DIV J. REID
Course examines the histories of indigenous peoples of North America through the War of 1812. Topics include the peopling of the Americas; early encounters and exchanges; and strategies American Indians used to confront expanding European, American, and indigenous powers. Offered: jointly with AIS 209.
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HSTAA 210 Inconvenient Indians and the "American Problem": American Indian History since 1815 (5) I&S, DIV
As part of a two-quarter survey of American Indian history, this course examines the histories of indigenous peoples of North American from the nineteenth century to today. Students will explore a range of topics, including settler colonialism, indigenous power, American Indian - US relations, and Native governance and activism. Offered: jointly with AIS 210.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 210
HSTAA 212 The Military History of the United States From Colonial Times to the Present (5) I&S
Development of American military policies, organizational patterns, tactics, and weaponry, from beginnings as a seventeenth-century frontier defense force to the global conflicts and military commitments of the twentieth century. Interaction and tension between need for an effective military force and concept of civilian control of that force.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 212
HSTAA 213 History of the American Presidency (5) I&S M. O'Mara
Examines the American presidency and those who have occupied it, from George Washington to the current president.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 213
HSTAA 221 Environmental History of the U.S. (5) I&S L. NASH
Surveys the relationship between nature and human history, including the impact of the non-human environment on American history and the environmental effects of colonization, urbanization, and consumerism; the cultural construction of nature in different eras and its social implications; the sources and limits of modern environmental politics. Offered: jointly with ENVIR 221; A.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 221
HSTAA 225 American Slavery (5) I&S, DIV
Explores the making of American slavery from beginnings on the African coast to the plantations of the southern United States. Includes slave life, pro-slavery thought, slave management, representations of slavery then and now, abolitionism, and debates about slavery.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 225
HSTAA 230 Race and Power in America, 1861-1940 (5) I&S, DIV
Explores race and the shaping of American society between the Civil War and World War II. Topics include reconstruction, segregation and lynching, immigration and naturalization, imperialism, and movements for social justice.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 230
HSTAA 231 Race and American History (5) I&S, DIV
Surveys United States history, by exploring how race has enabled conceptions of the American nation and shaped everyday practices and interactions among different peoples. How have racial concepts, representations, and practices fundamentally defined power dynamics in American culture? From slave revolts to the Black Lives Matter movement, how have organizations and individuals struggled to pursue racial justice?
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 231
HSTAA 235 The American People and Their Culture in the Modern Era: A History of the United States Since 1940 (5) I&S
Through study of documents, personal testimony, and other source materials, through written reports on historical problems, and through discussions, lectures, films, and audiovisual presentations, students are encouraged to examine evidence and to think "historically" about persons, events, and movements within the memory of their own generation and that immediately preceding theirs. Primarily for first-year students.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 235
HSTAA 270 The Jazz Age (5) I&S, DIV Walter
Interdisciplinary study of period after World War I to Great Crash. African American and Anglo American currents and impulses that flowed together in the Roaring Twenties. Covers politics of normalcy, economics of margin, literature of indulgence and confusion, transformation of race relations, and cultural influence of jazz. Offered: jointly with AFRAM 270.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 270
HSTAA 273 Women of the American West (5) I&S
Women of the Trans-Mississippi West, from the time of European contact to World War II, studied in all their multifarious roles. Explores ethnicity, class, work, family, suffrage, politics, reform, women's groups, arts and entertainment, religion, civilizing and resistance, and gender ideology.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 273
HSTAA 290 Topics in American History (5, max. 10) I&S
Examines special topics in American history.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 290
HSTAA 301 Colonial North America (5) I&S
Early America from the sixteenth century to the end of the American Revolution: the founding years, social and religious development, race relations, development of the Atlantic world, origins and legacy of American independence.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 301
HSTAA 302 Everyday Life in Nineteenth-Century America (5) I&S, DIV
Explores the history of everyday Americans (women, slaves, working people, farmers) of a variety of races, ethnicities, and citizenships in the context of the major cultural, social, and political changes that dramatically transformed their lives over the course of the nineteenth century.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 302
HSTAA 303 Modern American Civilization From 1877 (5) I&S
Emergence of modern America, after the Civil War; interrelationships of economic, social, political, and intellectual developments.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 303
HSTAA 308 American Indians and the Environment (5) I&S, DIV J. Reid
Examines the historical relationships American Indians have possessed with local environments, with special attention to the ways these peoples have adapted to altered environments and new conditions, including migrations, involvement with markets of exchange, overhunting, dispossession, conservation, and mainstream environmentalism. Offered: jointly with AIS 308/ENVIR 308.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 308
HSTAA 311 The Indigenous History and Environment of the Salish Sea (5) I&S, DIV J. Reid
Uncovers the indigenous history and environment of the Salish Sea. Examines the "Salish Sea" concept and uncovers the history of the Salish Sea, from an indigenous perspective. Topics include pre-encounter indigenous settlement; early encounters; and contestations over resources, waters, and lands; contemporary issues. Taught at the Friday Harbor Labs. Offered: jointly with AIS 311; Sp.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 311
HSTAA 312 Early History of the North American West (5) I&S J. Reid
Includes the peopling and settling of North America, arrival and expansion of Europeans; comparative colonial encounters; and initial encroachments of United States people, industry, government, and ideology into the region.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 312
HSTAA 313 African Americans in the American West (5) I&S, DIV
Explores pre-1848 Spanish-speaking black settlers, slavery, post-civil war migration, buffalo soldiers. 19th and 20th century black urban settlers, World War II migration, the civil rights movement in the West, the interaction of African Americans with other people of color. Particular focus on Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 313
HSTAA 315 Researching Indians' History (5) I&S A. HARMON
Finding and interpreting sources of information about American Indians' history. Offered: jointly with AIS 370.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 315
HSTAA 316 History of American Science (5) I&S
History of science in the United States, including migration of European science, development in colonial America, growth of an American scientific community, and expansion of American science in the twentieth century. Issues of scientific attitudes to the natural world, race, ethnicity, and gender are included.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 316
HSTAA 321 Becoming Black Americans (5) I&S, DIV
History of Africans in America from slave trade through the Civil War, with emphasis on how gender informed African-American experience. Topics include slave trade, middle passage, life in plantation south, culture, family structure and resistance, and the experience of free blacks, North and South.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 321
HSTAA 322 African-American History, 1865 To The Present (5) I&S, DIV
African-American experience from Reconstruction to the present, emphasizing the variety of African-American political expression. Gender and class differences closely examined, as well as such constructs as "community," "race," and "blackness."
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 322
HSTAA 331 American Indian History I to 1840 (5) I&S, DIV A. HARMON
History of indigenous peoples and their descendants in the area that now constitutes the United States, from the eve of European discovery of the Americas to 1840. Emphasis on relations between indigenous peoples and immigrants. Offered: jointly with AIS 331.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 331
HSTAA 332 American Indian History II Since 1840 (5) I&S, DIV A. HARMON
History of American Indians in the United States from 1840 to the present. Emphasis on relations between Indians and non-Indians, government policies, and Indian strategies of survival. Offered: jointly with AIS 332.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 332
HSTAA 334 Civil Rights and Black Power in the United States (5) VLPA/I&S, DIV Steptoe
Examines the politics and culture of the modern African American freedom struggle, which began after WWII and continued into the 1970s. Interrogates political strategies associated with nonviolent direct action, armed self-reliance, and black nationalism, as well as the cultural expression that reflect these political currents. Offered: jointly with AFRAM 334.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 334
HSTAA 336 American Jewish History Since 1885 (5) I&S
Political, social, economic, religious history of American Jewish community from great eastern European migration to present. Integration of immigrant community into general American community; rise of nativism; development of American socialism; World War I and II; and reactions of American Jews to these events. Offered: jointly with JEW ST 336.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 336
HSTAA 337 The Holocaust and American Life (5) I&S, DIV
In most accounts, "the Holocaust" is told as a European story, but it was also transatlantic. Incorporates film, literature, journalism, social scientific writing, diaries, court cases, and other primary sources to examine how events in Europe affected and were affected by developments in United States history. Offered: jointly with JEW ST 337.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 337
HSTAA 338 The United States and Vietnam (5) I&S
American involvement in Vietnam, including: the complex of negotiations; strategies and objectives of both sides; military, political, and economic operations of the United States; efforts at pacification; impact of Vietnam on American affairs.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 338
HSTAA 345 US Political and Economic History, 1920 - present (5) I&S M. O'Mara
Places modern America in historical perspective, using primary and secondary historical sources to examine key people and events who made this history from the 1920s to the present. Themes include: changing role of government; electoral and partisan change; populism and grassroots activism; markets and corporations; labor force trends; and the social and political impact of technology. Cannot be taken for credit if credit received for HSTAA 235.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 345
HSTAA 351 American Constitutional History: From Colonial Times to the Present (5) I&S
European origins; the constitution-making of the American Revolution; the growth of government; Civil War and Reconstruction as constitutional crises; reform and the new federalism; the Supreme Court and civil rights; Congress, the presidency, and modern American constitutionalism.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 351
HSTAA 353 Class, Labor, and American Capitalism (5) I&S, DIV
The history of workers and class formation form early industrialization to the present. Emphasizes the interaction of class with race, ethnicity, gender, and political culture within the context of American economic development. Explores the role of unions, labor politics, and radical movements.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 353
HSTAA 365 Culture, Politics, and Film in Twentieth Century America (5) VLPA/I&S, DIV
Explores relationship between film and twentieth century U.S. cultural, social, and political history. Examines the ways that films responded to, participated in, and helped shape understandings of modernity, national identity, political power, race and ethnic relations, gender, and crises such as economic depression and war.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 365
HSTAA 371 Consumption and Consumerism in the Modern U.S. (5) I&S
Surveys the rise of consumer society in the late-nineteenth-and twentieth-century United States including theories of consumption, the experience of consumer culture by different social groups, the role of the state in fostering consumption, the material impacts of consumer society in the U.S. and beyond, and critiques of consumerism.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 371
HSTAA 373 Social History of American Women to 1890 (5) I&S, DIV Yee
A multi-racial, multicultural study of women in the United States from the seventeenth century to 1890 emphasizing women's unpaid work, participation in the paid labor force, charitable and reform activities, and nineteenth century social movements. Uses primary materials such as diaries, letters, speeches, and artifacts. Offered: jointly with GWSS 383; W.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 373
HSTAA 374 Social History of American Women in the Twentieth Century (5) I&S
Analyzes major themes in the history of women in North America from 1890 through the 1990s. Themes include family and community formation, social activism, education, paid and unpaid labor patterns, war, migration, and changing conceptions of womanhood and femininity in the twentieth century. Offered: jointly with GWSS 384.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 374
HSTAA 377 History of Canada (5) I&S
General survey and analysis of political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of Canadian history from the foundation of New France to present; Canadian-American relations, the rise of Quebec nationalism, and the development of the Canadian West. Offered: jointly with JSIS A 375.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 377
HSTAA 401 American Revolution and Confederation (5) I&S
Causes of separation of the United States from the British empire; political theory of the Revolution; its military history; diplomacy of the Revolution; the Revolution as a social movement; intellectual aspects; readjustment after independence; the formation of the American union; the Constitution.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 401
HSTAA 402 Witchcraft in Colonial New England (5) I&S
Provides an in-depth look at the Salem witchcraft crisis of 1692 as part of a larger examination of seventeenth century New England history. Themes include: settlement, the intellectual and religious foundations of New England society, the role of politics, economics, and Indian wars, witchcraft trials, and why most of the accused were women.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 402
HSTAA 404 New England: From the Foundings to the Civil War (5) I&S
New England from colonial beginnings to the region's emergence to national leadership in the mid-nineteenth century. Emphasis on Puritanism, the New England town, adjustment to empire, revolution and constitution making, the growth of party, abolitionism, the flowering of a regional culture, and the personalities who embodied these key themes and periods.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 404
HSTAA 406 Asian American Activism (5) I&S, DIV
Explores the multiple political traditions forged by Asian Americans, from the earliest challenges to racist laws and unequal wages to the latest debates over affirmative action and racial profiling. Examines Asian American communities organized to oppose and to perpetuate social inequalities. Offered: jointly with AAS 406.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 406
HSTAA 407 Andrew Jackson's United States (5) I&S
In-depth examination of the U.S. from 1820 to 1850, including changes which affected American politics, society, and culture.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 407
HSTAA 409 American Social History: The Early Years (5) I&S
Survey of American society and institutions from the colonial era through the Civil War, with special attention to reform, labor, immigration, education, law enforcement and the city.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 409
HSTAA 410 American Social History: The Modern Era (5) I&S, DIV
Survey of American society and institutions from Reconstruction to the present with special attention to reform, poverty, social mobility, immigrant and ethnic groups, the city and law enforcement.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 410
HSTAA 411 The United States During the Era of Civil War and Reconstruction (5) I&S
Conflicting interests, ideologies, and ways of life in the United States from the 1840s to the 1870s.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 411
HSTAA 412 The Westward Movement, 1700-1850 (5) I&S
Anglo-American advance into interior continental United States culminating in Far West occupation. Rivalry with New France and Spain in colonial period; role of federal government in westward expansion; land policy and distribution; migration, settlement, and pioneering; federal Indian policies and implementation; political evolution, urbanization, and economic development of trans-Appalachian West; shaping national character and institutions.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 412
HSTAA 413 The American West in History and Film (5) I&S, DIV J. Findlay
Examines emergence of American West since 1840 by looking at colonization processes; Native-white relations; economic and demographic changes; environmental issues; urbanization; western politics and the role of the state. Historians' evolving interpretations of the western past are considered alongside those in film in order to appreciate why the West has loomed so large in 20th-century American culture and identity.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 413
HSTAA 414 The Canadian West, 1670-1990 (5) I&S
Examines the history of colonization and settlement of Canada's four westernmost provinces with emphasis on their economic, social, and Native history.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 414
HSTAA 415 History of Indian-White Relations in Anglo-America (5) I&S
Explores the wide variety of interactions in North America, ranging from close alliances to outright warfare, between Native Americans and Europeans and their descendants from contact through the removal of most of the remaining eastern Indians to land west of the Mississippi River during the 1830s.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 415
HSTAA 417 Indians in Western Washington History (5) I&S, DIV A. HARMON
Relations of Indians and non-Indians in the Puget Sound region, from the 1790s to the present, with emphasis on evolving ideas about Indian identity. Offered: jointly with AIS 425.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 417
HSTAA 426 American Urban History Since 1870 (3/5) I&S
Development of American cities for the past century. Topics include physical development, immigration, politics, and changes in society and culture.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 426
HSTAA 431 American Politics and Society Since 1920 (5) I&S
Political, social, economic, and intellectual developments in the United States from 1920 to the present.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 431
HSTAA 432 History of Washington and the Pacific Northwest (5) I&S
Exploration and settlement; economic development; growth of government and social institutions; statehood.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 432
HSTAA 433 A Documentary History of Pacific Northwest Identity (5) I&S Findlay
Considers cultural construction of Pacific Northwest region through more than two centuries of narratives, including Native American stories; travel literature from early explorers to modern tourists; accounts by newcomers from pioneer to modern era; aggressive regionalism of 1890-1945; Northwest literature of the post-war period. Offered: S.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 433
HSTAA 446 American Indian Economic History (5) I&S Harmon
Surveys and analyzes the history of American Indians' economic challenges and strategies. Topics include the economic cultures of indigenous North American societies, the impacts of European colonization and U.S. government policies, and tribal strategies aimed at improving Indians' economic circumstances. Offered: jointly with AIS 446.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 446
HSTAA 454 The Intellectual History of the United States (5) VLPA/I&S
Lectures and discussions devoted to the development of the American mind, from historical beginnings to the present.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 454
HSTAA 458 Education in the Forming of American Society (5) I&S Beadie
Covers the development of American education in cultural context; history of schools and non-school learning from colonial period to the twentieth-century; apprenticeship and learning societies; community and market-based schooling; liberal learning and the rise of the university; and schools as agencies of economic and political integration and mediators of culture and social status. Offered: jointly with EDLPS 458.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 458
HSTAA 459 History of American Education Since 1865 (3) I&S
Development of American education in cultural context: progressive education, recent criticism, continuing issues and trends. Offered: jointly with EDLPS 459.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 459
HSTAA 461 Diplomatic History of the United States, 1776-1901 (5) I&S
Foreign policy of the United States government prior to the twentieth century. Emphasis on international wars, territorial expansion, and the peculiarities of the American position in world politics.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 461
HSTAA 462 Diplomatic History of the United States, 1901-Present (5) I&S
Foreign policy of the United States government during the twentieth century. International wars and the other major episodes in diplomacy are emphasized.
View course details in MyPlan: HSTAA 462
HSTAA 465 The Sixties in America: Kennedy to the Counterculture (5) I&S
Examines American politics, society, and culture during the 1960s. Also touches on 1945-1959 and 1970-1975. Topics include the Cold War; Vietnam; JFK, LBJ, and their critics; MLK, Malcolm X, race, gender, and social movements; mass
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purposes, you should specify a list of accepted content-types in the settings.py file. In this case, we will set json as our content type:
CELERY_ACCEPT_CONTENT = ['json'] 1 CELERY_ACCEPT_CONTENT = [ 'json' ]
Then, we need to specify the task serializer accordingly:
CELERY_TASK_SERIALIZER = 'json' CELERY_RESULT_SERIALIZER = 'json' 1 2 CELERY_TASK_SERIALIZER = 'json' CELERY_RESULT_SERIALIZER = 'json'
Finally, we can specify the time zone we are in:
CELERY_TIMEZONE = 'Europe/Madrid' 1 CELERY_TIMEZONE = 'Europe/Madrid'
Note: In Celery 3.0+ the setting CELERY_ENABLE_UTC is enabled by default (it is set to True). This setting, if enabled, makes the dates and times in messages to be converted to use the UTC timezone.
Django-celery
If you want to store task results in the Django database, you’ll have to install the django-celery package. This package defines a result backend to keep track of the state of the tasks. To install it use:
$ pip install django-celery 1 $ pip install django - celery
remember to include it in your requirements file. Then, add it to your installed apps in your settings file:
INSTALLED_APPS(... 'djcelery',... ) 1 2 3 4 5 INSTALLED_APPS (... 'djcelery',... )
Next, we need to create the corresponding database tables of this app, which can be done with:
$ python manage.py migrate djcelery 1 $ python manage. py migrate djcelery
As we have indicated Celery to use our settings.py file, we can configure Celery to use the django-celery backend by adding this line into the settings.py file:
CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND = 'djcelery.backends.database:DatabaseBackend' CELERYBEAT_SCHEDULER = 'djcelery.schedulers.DatabaseScheduler' 1 2 CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND = 'djcelery.backends.database:DatabaseBackend' CELERYBEAT_SCHEDULER = 'djcelery.schedulers.DatabaseScheduler'
Create a Periodic Task
One thing you might want to use in your project is a Scraper, which is, for example, an aplication that runs periodicaly at night to update some data for your web site.
Choose or create an application in your Django project to include the Scraper. Then, create and edit the file myapp/utils/scrapers.py (note: you must have an empty __init__.py file inside the utils folder). The scrapers.py file must contain a function that performs your desired operations, like accessing an API and modifying your database.
In this example, we just write:
def scraper_example(a, b): return a + b 1 2 def scraper_example ( a, b ) : return a + b
Then, create the file myapp/tasks.py and edit it:
from celery.task.schedules import crontab from celery.decorators import periodic_task from myapp.utils import scrapers from celery.utils.log import get_task_logger from datetime import datetime logger = get_task_logger(__name__) # A periodic task that will run every minute (the symbol "*" means every) @periodic_task(run_every=(crontab(hour="*", minute="*", day_of_week="*"))) def scraper_example(): logger.info("Start task") now = datetime.now() result = scrapers.scraper_example(now.day, now.minute) logger.info("Task finished: result = %i" % result) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 from celery. task. schedules import crontab from celery. decorators import periodic_task from myapp. utils import scrapers from celery. utils. log import get_task_logger from datetime import datetime logger = get_task_logger ( __name__ ) # A periodic task that will run every minute (the symbol "*" means every) @ periodic_task ( run_every = ( crontab ( hour = "*", minute = "*", day_of_week = "*" ) ) ) def scraper_example ( ) : logger. info ( "Start task" ) now = datetime. now ( ) result = scrapers. scraper_example ( now. day, now. minute ) logger. info ( "Task finished: result = %i" % result )
Here, we have created a periodic task that will run every minute, and that writes into the logger two messages indicating the beginning and the end of the task, and also calls our scraper function.
Run it!
Ok, so we have our Periodic Task created, but how can we run it?? First start your RabbitMQ server:
$ sudo rabbitmq-server -detached 1 $ sudo rabbitmq - server - detached
$ python manage.py celeryd --verbosity=2 --loglevel=DEBUG 1 $ python manage. py celeryd -- verbosity = 2 -- loglevel = DEBUG
transport: amqp://myuser@localhost:5672/myvhost results: djcelery.backends.database:DatabaseBackend 1 2 transport : amqp : //myuser@localhost:5672/myvhost results : djcelery. backends. database : DatabaseBackend
[tasks]. celery.backend_cleanup.......etc. myapp.tasks.scraper_example 1 2 3 4 [ tasks ]. celery. backend _ cleanup....... etc. myapp. tasks. scraper_example
Next, start a Celery workerIf the installation is correct, you should see at the top of the text displayed something likeAnd a list of the application tasks:
Next, open a new tab and start celerybeat, which will send the registered tasks periodically to RabbitMQ:
$ python manage.py celerybeat --verbosity=2 --loglevel=DEBUG 1 $ python manage. py celerybeat -- verbosity = 2 -- loglevel = DEBUG
If you go back to the Celery worker tab, you will see the results of your tasks 🙂
And finally, open another tab and start your Django developement server:
$ python manage.py runserver 1 $ python manage. py runserver
Note: Beat needs to store the last run times of the tasks in a local database file, which by default is celerybeat-schedule.db and it’s placed at the same level of your manage.py file. If you are using Git as version control, you should include this file into your gitignore file.
Please, give a +1 if you liked it! Thanks!This article is from the archive of our partner.
In the wake of Todd Akin's comments about pregnancy rarely resulting from "legitimate rape," lawyer Shauna Prewitt highlights a reality for women in that situation in a column on CNN: In a majority of states, attackers are afforded the same rights as other fathers.
Prewitt, herself a rape survivor who gave birth to a daughter as a result of her attack, explains that 31 states have no laws that bar rapists from seeking custody or visitation rights. For Prewitt that astounding fact is personal. Her rapist attempted to get custody of her daughter, "but thankfully I got lucky and his visitation rights were terminated," she said, according to a profile of her by The Am Law Daily's Brain Baxter. She added: "I'm not sure I would have made the decision I did had I known I might be tethered to my rapist for the rest of my life."
In a paper published in the The Georgetown Law Journal in 2010 — when the number of states without such laws were even greater — Prewitt argued that the absence "stems from the images and other societal rhetoric that depict the prototypical raped woman as hating her unborn child and as viewing her rape pregnancy as continuing her rape trauma." In her CNN piece, she blames it on "ignorance": Some believe that women don't raise children conceived from rape, others can't fathom a rapist wanting parental rights.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type:'mix' });
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Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 1 of / 34 Caption Close Image 2 of 34 Quarterback Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers hangs his head in the third quarter. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers hangs his head in the third quarter. Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 3 of 34 Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas catches a touchdown pass from Peyton Manning under coverage by cornerback Tramaine Brock. The touchdown was Manning's 509th career touchdown pass. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas catches a touchdown pass from Peyton Manning under coverage by cornerback Tramaine Brock. The touchdown was Manning's 509th career touchdown pass. Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 4 of 34 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning celebrates his 509th career touchdown pass with teammates during the first half. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning celebrates his 509th career touchdown pass with teammates during the first half. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 5 of 34 Image 6 of 34 Linebacker Aaron Lynch congratulates quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos on his NFL-record 509th career touchdown pass. Linebacker Aaron Lynch congratulates quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos on his NFL-record 509th career touchdown pass. Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 7 of 34 Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers has a word with Colin Kaepernick #7 during a game against the Denver Broncos. Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers has a word with Colin Kaepernick #7 during a game against the Denver Broncos. Photo: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images Image 8 of 34 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick scrambles against the Denver Broncos. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick scrambles against the Denver Broncos. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 9 of 34 San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Stevie Johnson (13) scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the first half. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Stevie Johnson (13) scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the first half. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 10 of 34 Image 11 of 34 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick scrambles against the Denver Broncos. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick scrambles against the Denver Broncos. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 12 of 34 San Francisco 49ers center Daniel Kilgore (67) is carted off the field after being injured. San Francisco 49ers center Daniel Kilgore (67) is carted off the field after being injured. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 13 of 34 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is hurried against the Denver Broncos during the first half. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is hurried against the Denver Broncos during the first half. Photo: Joe Mahoney / Associated Press Image 14 of 34 Wide receiver Wes Welker is forced out of bounds at the goal line by strong safety Antoine Bethea. Wide receiver Wes Welker is forced out of bounds at the goal line by strong safety Antoine Bethea. Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 15 of 34 Image 16 of 34 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half. Photo: David Zalubowski / Associated Press Image 17 of 34 San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin (81) bobbles a pass before catching it as Denver Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby (29) defends during the first half. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin (81) bobbles a pass before catching it as Denver Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby (29) defends during the first half. Photo: Brennan Linsley / Associated Press Image 18 of 34 San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, right, argues with referee John Parry. San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, right, argues with referee John Parry. Photo: Joe Mahoney / Associated Press Image 19 of 34 San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, right, is hit by Denver Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith (93) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) less San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, right, is hit by Denver Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith (93) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack... more Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 20 of 34 Image 21 of 34 Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) pulls in a pass as San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Chris Borland (50) and Tramaine Brock (26) defend during the first half. Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) pulls in a pass as San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Chris Borland (50) and Tramaine Brock (26) defend during the first half. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 22 of 34 Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) is hit by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) during the first half. Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) is hit by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) during the first half. Photo: Joe Mahoney / Associated Press Image 23 of 34 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) looks to pass against the Denver Broncos during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Denver. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) looks to pass against the Denver Broncos during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, in Denver. Photo: Joe Mahoney / Associated Press Image 24 of 34 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws his 509th career touchdown pass to set the all time record during the first half. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws his 509th career touchdown pass to set the all time record during the first half. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 25 of 34 Image 26 of 34 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws his first touchdown of the game. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws his first touchdown of the game. Photo: Jack Dempsey / Associated Press Image 27 of 34 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is congratulated by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) after Manning threw his 507th career touchdown pass,. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is congratulated by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) after Manning threw his 507th career touchdown pass,. Photo: David Zalubowski / Associated Press Image 28 of 34 Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders celebrates a touchdown with Peyton Manning #18 and Julius Thomas #80 in the first quarter. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders celebrates a touchdown with Peyton Manning #18 and Julius Thomas #80 in the first quarter. Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 29 of 34 Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders scores on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders scores on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 30 of 34 Image 31 of 34 Fans hold a 509 sign in hopes of seeing Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning set the all time touchdown passes record against the San Francisco 49ers. Fans hold a 509 sign in hopes of seeing Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning set the all time touchdown passes record against the San Francisco 49ers. Photo: Joe Mahoney / Associated Press Image 32 of 34 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws the games' first touchdown pass during the first half. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws the games' first touchdown pass during the first half. Photo: David Zalubowski / Associated Press Image 33 of 34 Quarterback Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers walks in the tunnel with teammates as he prepares to face the Denver Broncos in a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 19, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. less Quarterback Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers walks in the tunnel with teammates as he prepares to face the Denver Broncos in a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 19, 2014 in... more Photo: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Image 34 of 34 No match for Manning: 49ers blasted 42-17 on QB's record-breaking night 1 / 34 Back to Gallery
DENVER — The 49ers had several factors working against them Sunday night: a slew of injuries, a short work week and a game against the defending AFC champions in mile-high altitude.
Oh, yeah, they also had to deal with this rather significant obstacle: Peyton Williams Manning.
Even if well-rested, at full strength and at home, the 49ers might not have been a match for the Broncos quarterback, who broke Brett Favre’s record for career passing touchdowns en route to leading Denver to a 42-17 win at Sports Authority Field.
“You can blame whatever you want to blame it on,” safety Eric Reid said. “At the end of day, we’re all professional athletes. We play for the San Francisco 49ers. We’re expected to do a job and we didn’t execute. Especially on the defensive side of the ball.”
And the opposing quarterback had plenty do with that.
In yet another virtuoso performance, Manning, 38, feasted on a banged-up defense missing All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, starting cornerback Chris Culliver and nickel corner Jimmie Ward. The 49ers began the game with four healthy corners, although Tramaine Brock was at less than full strength in his first game back from a turf toe injury he sustained in Week 1. They were down to three cornerbacks early in the third quarter when Chris Cook exited with a hamstring injury.
The results were predictable: Manning completed of 22 of 26 passes for 318 yards with four touchdowns before he exited with the Broncos leading by 32 after three quarters.
After making his 23rd career start, Reid laughed when asked if Manning was the best quarterback he’d faced.
“Yeah, that’s pretty easy to say,” Reid said. “I’m not sure what their coaches do, but they probably don’t have to do much. He’s out on there on the field, he recognizes the defense, he makes audibles. He does it all. You’re playing against a coordinator when you’re out there.”
On Sunday, Manning’s passer rating (157.2) was just short of perfection (158.3) and he required less than 27 minutes to collect the three touchdowns he needed to eclipse Favre’s record of 508. With the flashes of cell-phone cameras filling the stands, Manning surpassed Favre with an eight-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas with 3:09 left in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 21-3 lead.
After the score, 49ers rookie linebacker Aaron Lynch, who was 5 when Manning entered the NFL, was the first to congratulate him. Manning then tried to retrieve the record-breaking ball, but a trio of his pass-catchers – Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas – played keep-away from the quarterback.
It was, indeed, a laugher. In fact, in a sign the famously intense and exacting Manning was in complete command, he smiled in the huddle after he tripped over left guard Orland Franklin and was sacked on the play before his record-breaking pass.
Manning acknowledged the Broncos took advantage of defense operating at less than full-strength. Denver had 405 yards in the first three quarters and had six plays of 32-plus yards.
“They had some injuries that, I think, put some pressure on their defense,” manning said. “And we were able to take advantage of that.”
It was a grim evening for the 49ers, who allowed six sacks, had four dropped passes, allowed their longest run (37 yards) since 2010 and endured more attrition.
Already playing without All-Pro left guard Mike Iupati (concussion), center Daniel Kilgore was carted off the field in the third quarter with his left leg in an air cast. Kilgore immediately beckoned for medical assistance after linebacker Brandon Marshall crashed into the side of his leg at the end of a run by Frank Gore.
The ugliness began early.
Manning tossed touchdown passes of three yards to Emmanuel Sanders and 39 yards to Wes Welker to give the Broncos a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
Trailing 21-3, the 49ers had a must-have touchdown 11 seconds before halftime when Colin Kaepernick tossed a four-yard pass to Stevie Johnson in the back of the end zone.
On the 49ers’ first drive of the third quarter, though, Kaepernick tossed and interception, which set the stage for the other quarterback. One play after Kaepernick’s pick, Manning tossed a perfectly placed 40-yard pass to Thomas to give the Broncos a 28-10 lead.
Linebacker Ahmad Brooks said the man with the most passing touchdowns in NFL history doubles as the best quarterback he’s ever faced.
“Yeah,” Brooks said. “By far. By far. By far.”One reason Americans have moved so rapidly toward support of same-sex marriage is their stubborn bias toward liberty. When interest groups demand something material, or when they seek to take something from other groups, the public is apt to resist. But when a group asks to live and let live, it can usually count on getting its way.
Legal scholars have long thought that if the Supreme Court upheld same-sex marriage, it would base that decision on the 14th Amendment's guarantee of "the equal protection of the laws." When Justice Anthony Kennedy made the case for overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, though, he relied on a different provision. DOMA, he wrote, "is a deprivation of an essential part of the liberty protected by the Fifth Amendment."
The right to marry a person of the same sex fits perfectly within Thomas Jefferson's conception of freedom. "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God," he wrote. "It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
The beauty of gay marriage is that it grants something to one group that doesn't come at the expense of anyone else. Heterosexual rights are undisturbed. Straight people could marry before any state legalized same-sex matrimony, and likewise after.
That fact explains why so many non-gays have come to embrace the idea. But it presents a high hurdle for opponents of same-sex marriage. Even Americans who have moral qualms about it may not think the law should try to dictate morality.
After all, the Supreme Court said in 2003 the Constitution protects the freedom of adults to engage in sodomy -- a decision that conservatives spent five minutes denouncing and never mentioned again. (Well, except for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia, who wants to reinstate its ban.) It's a small step from saying people should be free to have sex with whomever they want to saying they should be free to marry whomever they choose.
So how did staunch opponents of gay rights react to the decisions striking down DOMA while upholding marriage equality in California? By claiming that it would trample on their rights.
Thomas Peters, the communications director for the National Organization for Marriage, told me, "Same-sex marriage and religious freedom don't coexist very well. In fact, they probably are mutually exclusive."
Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association called the DOMA verdict "the greatest threat to the First Amendment in history." The Liberty Institute said the rulings will mean "attempts to use government to punish those who disagree" and "create a climate of fear and oppression."
It's a bit rich for these groups to complain that the court is infringing on their freedom to infringe on the freedom of gays. Advocates of same-sex marriage are not trying to exclude heterosexuals from matrimony. They are only asking to be free to practice it, as well.
But opponents charge that churches will be forced to host same-sex weddings and their clergy will be required to perform them. Churches that refuse, they say, may be stripped of their tax-exempt status.
The likelihood that any of these fears will come to pass ranges from minimal to zero. State laws allow divorce, but Catholic priests haven't been forced to preside at the weddings of divorced Catholics. Employment discrimination laws haven't been applied to end bans on female clergy. Nor have such internal church polices led to the loss of standard tax exemptions.
The only real friction comes in areas where religious institutions provide public accommodations or act as agents of government. A Methodist organization in New Jersey lost a special tax break for an open-air pavilion after it refused to let a lesbian couple use it for a civil union ceremony. Catholic Charities abandoned the adoption business in Illinois rather than work with same-sex couples in civil unions.
Those cases may represent good or bad policy, but they're not a new thing. A hotel owner who objects to integration on religious grounds can't bar access to blacks. An organization taking state money for state contracts has to comply with state policies. Lawmakers will have plenty of these peripheral issues to argue about, but the idea that believers will suffer rank oppression is a fantasy.
The only liberty they will lose is the liberty to deprive others of their liberty. Sorry, but that's one freedom a free society doesn't offer.The Trump administration has denied a coal company’s request to invoke a little-used authority to stop coal-fired power plants from closing.
Murray Energy Corp. CEO Bob Murray, an outspoken advocate for coal and a close ally to President Trump, had asked for a federal order to stop a major utility from closing any plants, even if it goes bankrupt.
Such an order from the Energy Department would have, among other effects, exempted FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.’s plants from numerous environmental standards.
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The Associated Press first reported the Murray request and Trump administration denial Tuesday, citing a series of letters Murray sent to administration officials.
The decision shows there are limits to Trump’s promises on the campaign trail and while in office to save the endangered coal industry, which has suffered for years due to competition from natural gas, environmental rules and other factors.
“This administration is unified in our mission to undo the economic damage inflicted on millions of hard-working citizens during the 8-year-long war on coal,” Energy Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes said in a statement.
“We look at the facts of each issue and consider the authorities we have to address them but with respect to this particular case at this particular time, the White House and the Department of Energy are in agreement that the evidence does not warrant the use of this emergency authority.”
Murray said in his letters that Trump told him multiple times in July and August that he wanted Energy Secretary Rick Perry James (Rick) Richard PerryHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid Nevada governor to boycott Trump meeting MORE to invoke the emergency authority. The department did not comment on that assertion.
He wrote that without it, 6,500 Murray coal mining jobs would be terminated “promptly,” and each one of those jobs supports 11 outside the industry.
“This would be a disaster for President Trump and for our coal mining communities,” Murray wrote.
The Energy Department’s authority comes from section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, designed for major problems like war, natural disasters or increased energy demand that require federal government intervention.The 2016 AMS Block Party, after months-long battles between the AMS, UBC and the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA), lost $207,295, according to the AMS's 2016/17 budget presentation to Council — about $154,000 more than the $53,000 deficit the AMS was planning for.
Outlining the budget for last year's Block Party was “quite the guessing game,” according to AMS VP Finance Louis Retief, partially because of the uncertainty about where it would be held.
Major contributing factors to the deficit include a lack of tickets being sold — 6,800 out of a potential 10,000 — and lower beverage sales than in previous years.
Also contributing to low ticket sales, said AMS President Ava Nasiri, was the lengthy negotiation that took place between the AMS, UNA and UBC over whether Block Party could be hosted at Thunderbird Arena. The budget was finally approved in January 2016 — this year, it was finalized before September.
As for the beer sales, that “probably had to do with the amount of 'celebration' that students did prior to coming to the event. Particularly given the location of the venue and the walk,” said Nasiri.
The abnormally large deficit was also partially caused by the cost of the flooring that was laid down to protect Thunderbird Stadium's turf, which had to be driven in from out-of-province. All told, including gas, labour and the flooring itself, that cost was somewhere around $100,000.
The stadium plan
This year, in order to keep Block Party at the stadium, the AMS is looking into partnering with a community member to secure flooring for free or at a much cheaper cost.
“Obviously, we would like to be able to accommodate more students [at Block Party]. So steps moving forward will include two major factors,” said Nasiri. “First one being our ability to secure reasonable flooring for the stadium. If we get the flooring, then we are able to have this larger-scale Block Party at the stadium.”
Ticket prices at Thunderbird Stadium, which have gone up an average of 41 per cent for this year, would be as follows:
Early bird: $33
General tier: $42
Final tier: $57
Last year, the prices were:
Early bird: $20
Late bird: $25
General tier: $30
Final tier: $48
In 2015, when Block Party was held in a parking lot, ticket prices ranged from $15-30.
If the AMS is unable to buy, rent or borrow flooring for a reasonable price, the wheels are already in motion to host the party in University Commons — the open space in front of the Nest.
The Commons plan
The budget passed in Council to hold Block Party in the Commons includes a planned deficit of $62,000 — $9,000 more than last year's planned amount.
The AMS were able to begin the budgeting process much earlier this year, allowing them to put together what they believe is a more accurate idea of what it'll cost.
“We'd rather budget for a higher deficit than go over budget,” said Retief.
Without free flooring for Thunderbird Stadium, the Commons is definitely the cheaper option. The space has a capacity of 6,500, or just under the amount of tickets sold last year.
“The spirit is always to continue expanding Block Party. However, we have to be financially responsible with the fees that students are paying us, obviously,” said Nasiri.
Early bird ticket prices here would go for $17, general tier for $25 and final tier for $30.
Though the ticket prices would be cheaper in the Commons than if Block Party were held in the stadium, Nasiri noted that the bigger venue would be able to attract better talent.
“Even if you're paying $57, you're paying [that amount] for a concert that you probably would've paid $80 or $90 for if it was at Rogers Arena,” she said.
Moving forward
Nasiri said that her campaign promise to turn Block Party into a charitable event still has no specific time frame for becoming a reality, noting that she is "still putting together a longer-term plan on how to get this from where it is and where it was last year to a financially sustainable and eventually philanthropic event."
“The first step is to have it be a break-even event, because there's no artist you could convince to come play a charity concert if there's no money at the end of the day being given to charity,” she said.
Though the AMS's long-term vision for Block Party is to keep expanding, Retief isn't opposed to dialing it back for a year.
“Just to be fiscally responsible this year, we'd rather take a step back and plan what we want Block Party to look like three, five years from now. It's not like we're forever moving away from the stadium. It's like we're taking a step back now that we know what the stadium requires and we're going to work towards getting Block Party back there,” he said.Handcuffed in prison jumpsuit (Shutterstock)
Our political and media elites should be ashamed of themselves. It’s taken nearly 20 years for them to realize that we are the largest police state in the world — that we have more prisoners than China or Russia both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the population.
This Rip Van Winkle awakening is now leading to handwringing calls for the release of minor “offenders” and rethinking the arrest of people for selling cigarettes on street corners or “driving while black.”
Incredibly, the head of the FBI frets that a new crime wave may result from being too mindful about preventing overt, racist police brutality. But of course, he has no explanation for how the “home of the free” became a gulag.
That explanation will be hard to come by until elites admit that they destroyed any and all efforts to create public jobs and expand social programs for those struggling to survive. They incarcerated the War on Poverty.
If we listen carefully to today’s crop of politicians, we will find precious few (Bernie) who have the nerve to call for the creation of public jobs to bring down the 50% unemployment rate for black youths. Instead, they still sing from the old conservative hymnal about how “stimulating” the private sector will provide good jobs for all.
Sadly, that song is playing taps for America’s youth, especially those of color.
This excerpt from Runaway Inequality: An Activist’s Guide to Economic Justice provides further context and background.
We’re number one in prisoners
By every measure the U.S. leads the world in prisoners, with 2.2 million people in jail and more than 4.8 million on parole. No nation tops that – not China with 1.7 million, not Russia with 670,000. The chart below shows the dramatic rise of the state and federal prisoner population as well as local jail inmates since the Better Business Climate model [the neo-liberal philosophy of cutting taxes, government programs and regulations] took hold.
Adult Persons in Jail or Prison
We not only have the highest number of prisoners, we have the highest percentage of people in prison or jail. In the U.S., 702 of every 100,000 people were in prison or jail in 2013. Cuba has 510 per 100,000 people in prison, Russia has 467, and Iran has 290.
Black and Latino Americans have been especially hard hit: they form over 39 percent of the prison population. One in every three black men is expected to serve time during their lives (at least under our current criminal justice system). Approximately half of all inmates are there for violating drug prohibition laws.
How is it that America, supposedly the beacon of freedom and democracy for the rest of the world, has more prisoners than any police state?
Did we suddenly become a crime-ridden country in 1980?
Those who study the question say that four factors explain the dramatic rise in U.S. incarceration: 1) overt racism; 2) Nixon’s ill-fated War on Drugs; 3) punitive laws like New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s “three strikes” legislation; and 4) the 1984 Sentencing Reform Act, which forced judges to issue harsh minimum sentences.
But these explanations don’t tell the whole story. After all, racism was much more virulent earlier in American history. Until the civil rights movement, blacks were routinely denied their most basic civil rights. And yet the prison population was stable (and low, compared to now) through the 1940s, 1950s, and the turbulent 1960s.
Why are these Draconian laws so rigorously enforced? Why have we seen such a dramatic rise in criminal justice expenditures for police, courts and prisons? And why are so many people engaging in underground job activities that put them at risk of imprisonment? The four explanations above don’t answer these questions.
Deja vu all over again?
In this book, we have cast our eyes on many charts that suggest that something major happened around 1980. In fact, many of these charts have a similar shape: they all have a steeply rising hump on the right side, after 1980. We’ve already seen that all these things changed dramatically beginning around 1980:
• Wage increases no longer rise along with productivity.
• The CEO-worker wage gap takes off.
• Wall Street incomes shoot up while non-financial incomes stall.
• Wall Street profits skyrocket.
• The income gap between the super-rich and the rest of us widens rapidly.
• Taxes on the super-rich plunge.
• Corporate debt, consumer debt, student debt,
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