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Welcome to my two-part article series on compartmentalization as it relates to narcissism in relationships. This article, Part 1, will describe the psychological mechanism of compartmentalization and how narcissists use it to juggle multiple relationships and situations without having his/her worlds collide. I believe that an understanding of this narcissistic tactic is vital to our recovery because, as you’ll see, it explains everything – and I mean everything – that we experience. Once we “get it” about compartmentalization, then – and only then – can we truly begin to connect all of the suspicious dots within our relationship in a meaningful way.
Invariably, online definitions describe compartmentalization as a defense mechanism that a person uses to keep certain beliefs and relationships separated from one another so that they don’t conflict. For those who are particularly good at it, like narcissists and sociopaths, it means being able to get away with just about anything including keeping one lover from ever finding out about another or from lies ever becoming truly tangled. Compartmentalization is what narcissists do before, during, and after a Discard. Compartmentalizing is how the narcissist keeps partners (or only certain partners) from ever meeting his friends and family members. Compartmentalization is the perfect explanation for how the narcissist can just leave you without giving a fuck…why your history with a narcissist means absolutely nothing…why he appears to simply vanish during a silent treatment and why he’s so adept using the Cell Phone Game to keep you at arms length even when you think you are “together”.
Imagine the narcissist’s twisted head as being like a building that contains a whole bunch of empty rooms – or compartments – to which he is the only key holder. Over time, the narcissist fills these compartments, each with a single scenario from his life and each scenario having little or no knowledge about the existence of the other compartments. By carefully keeping tabs on the contents of each compartment and by controlling all levels of communications and interaction, the narcissist keeps the potential for conflict and confrontation to a bare minimum as he moves from one to the other. The biggest benefit, of course, to compartmentalization is that the narcissist can behave one way while visiting one compartment and behave completely differently when visiting another. And since the narcissist is a pretender extraordinaire and master chameleon, the fact that he’s has to basically lie through his teeth during each visit isn’t even an issue. In fact, that’s the easiest part of the strategy!
In another article series on this site called A Sociopath Exposes the Narcissist, I use actual pieces of blog posts written by a very popular online sociopath to prove my point about how a narcissist thinks. To prove my point about compartmentalizing, I’ll use yet another blurb from that same blog:
For me, my Game Theory is not only one fashion of handling life, it’s also the concept of compartmentalization. As many people have commented, trying to keep everything in order (in regards to the lies, half-truths, manipulations, “games,” etc.) would be exceedingly difficult (for a sociopath/narcissist). And it would be, if the sociopath’s mind operated as a normal person’s. Everything in my mind is organized sort of like folders (compartments) and folder groups that you might find in, say, Windows Explorer; everything has its place. When a situation presents itself or I am with a certain friend or friend(s), I simply “open” up that folder and behave accordingly. When one’s mind is organized in such a way that no thought co-mingles with others, you don’t have the problem of “remembering all of the lies,” because you have everything you need neatly stored away, waiting to be accessed at the right time. This same concept of compartmentalization applies in all walks of (my) life, whether it be love, friendships, work, etc. Another benefit to compartmentalizing is that it enables oneself to keep track of “friend circles”, thus ensuring that none of these circles cross in any way; this can allow for you to more easily adapt to any number of given situations per friend circle. For example, for each different personality, I just find another lover (in addition to or instead of one you may already have). I find myself involved in many different circles, but almost as a ghost; I can walk in and out of these circles almost unnoticed and never be missed.
To imagine life as a narcissist, we must imagine ourselves moving in and out of these compartments whenever it served a beneficial purpose. A narcissist might have separate compartments for you, his other girlfriend(s), his work relationships, his family life, his guy friends, his time at the gym or in the band or at the bar or home alone at his apartment. Then, when it’s convenient, he just moves in and out of the little rooms like a snake, carefully closing the door behind him when he arrives and also locking it tight when he leaves. He might be giving you the silent treatment while hanging out in the compartment next door and you won’t even know it. Or he can be having a regular sex life with three different women who all think that they’re his only girlfriend. When a person is a pathological liar and has no empathy, sympathy, guilt, or remorse, compartmentalization is the way to go!
The fact that a narcissist is capable of having a long-term relationship with one person while carrying on a similar affair with one (or more) other persons is a constant source of angst for all of us. And I believe it’s not the cheating itself that is the biggest issue but rather the narcissist’s lack of conscience/emotion that appears to go with it. How does he do it without feeling a single thing? When confronted with an affair, my ex was able to fake remorse for only a day or two before he threw up his hands in exasperation and screamed “Get over it! I just didn’t think it was any big deal!” Excuse me? No big deal? This way of thinking, of course, isn’t normal because even an asshole knows that cheating is hurtful. But the narcissist, in his non-emphatic way of thinking, doesn’t see it that way. So, as hurtful as my ex’s response was to me, he was actually telling the truth but at the time, I sure didn’t see it that way either and it caused me great distress.
In Part 2 of this article series I’ll go into depth about the lack of emotion and empathy in the narcissistic personality and how it works in perfect synch with the art of compartmentalizing.
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Could we see a Cardinals-Panthers rematch early next season?
Cardinals president Michael Bidwill hopes so, especially after the Panthers interrupted arguably the best regular season in franchise history and trounced Arizona, 49-15, in the NFC Championship game.
"Well, I think the league has a history of re-matching championship games early in the season, so I would expect that we'll see a rematch early," Bidwill said on KMVP-FM in Phoenix when asked what he has heard regarding rumors the Cardinals and Panthers would kick off the season on Thursday Night Football. "Hopefully it's going to be on national television. I don't care when it is, but I'd love to see that and we'll have to go back there -- hopefully with a pass rush -- and have a much different result."
The pass rush comment, in the context of the entire interview, was tongue-in-cheek for those wondering.
A Cardinals-Panthers rematch would be an excellent gift early in the regular season, as would a rematch between the Patriots and Broncos, depending on who is under center in Denver. By then, the Panthers could be a completely different team, and so could Arizona. Will the Cardinals get another good year out of Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald? How will Tyrann Mathieu play post-surgery?
Bidwill said that he tried not to think about the loss, but instead focus on the positives from a 2015 season that really put the Cardinals on the map despite a 10 and 11-win season for Arians coming before it. Beating Carolina early next season would be a strong signal that the good times will keep rolling.
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Overview (3)
Mini Bio (1)
Spouse (2)
Trade Mark (3)
Chiseled good looks
Strong jawline and bold blue eyes
Frequently works with David Fincher
Trivia (127)
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#23) (1995).
Turned down a role as an astronaut in Apollo 13 (1995) to accept his role in Se7en (1995).
Posed for a campus calendar in college.
A girl went to Pitt's Hollywood-area home shortly after midnight January 7, 1999 and crawled in through an open window, dressed herself in his clothes and stayed for 10 hours before the alarm went off. Athena Rolando, 19, was ordered not to contact the actor and to stay 100 yards away from him for three years (1999).
Ranked #32 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Banned from entering China because of his role in Seven Years in Tibet (1997) (1997).
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (1997).
(December 20, 1996) Engaged to actress Gwyneth Paltrow
Donated $100,000 to the Discovery Center - a children's learning museum in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. [June 1996]
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (1996).
His first starring role in a feature film was in The Dark Side of the Sun (1988), shot in pre-war Yugoslavia during the summer of 1988. As editing neared completion, civil war broke out in the region and much of the footage was lost. In 1996, after a five-year search, all of the lost footage was found and returned to producer Andjelo Arandjelovic , who is working on getting a distribution deal. Pitt was paid $1,523 per week for seven weeks. He played a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic Sea to search for a cure for a rare skin disease.
Purchased a mansion in Southern California from the actress who portrays Elvira, Mistress of the Dark ( Cassandra Peterson ). He reportedly paid $1.7 million for the house. This mansion is filled with antiques and has a "vampirish" look to it (1996).
Had to learn to fly-cast for his role in A River Runs Through It (1992). He practiced on top of buildings in Hollywood. During these practices, he frequently hooked himself in the back of his head.
Voted "Best Actor" by viewers of MTV's The Big Picture (1988) in 1995.
Was a journalism major in college with an advertising focus.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43 (1991).
Attended and graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri in 1982.
Dropped out of the University of Missouri School of Journalism (Columbia, Missouri).
In high school, he was a member of the golf, swim and tennis teams.
Belonged to the Key Club and the Forensics Club in High School.
Listed in "People Weekly"s "Most Intriguing People" list. (December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue)
Has a brother, Doug Pitt, born in 1966 and a sister, Julie Pitt , born in 1969.
Was considered for the lead role in The Matrix (1999), which went to Keanu Reeves
Has his teeth capped.
(July 18, 2001) Sued Damiani International, the company which created the wedding ring he gave Jennifer Aniston . According to Pitt, the ring was his design and was to be exclusive. The company has since been selling replicas and indicating Pitt/Aniston's endorsement of the ring.
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston spent $1 million on their wedding (2000).
For the last couple of years, he has been the spokesman for Edwin Jeans ads in Japan. In 2001, he was also the face of the ads for a current Japanese canned coffee which is named Roots. Was replaced in these TV ads (2002) by Kevin Costner
Studied acting with the late Roy London
Did TV commercial for Toyota (Altis model) that aired only in Asia. The car became very popular and its sales resulted in Toyota getting an almost 32% share of the passenger car market.
Has a home at Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey.
Auditioned for the role of J.D. in the cult classic film Heathers (1988) and, though he showed talent, casting directors thought him to be "too sweet" for the role, which later went to Christian Slater . He would later go on to a very similar role in the horror film Cutting Class (1989).
Is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Xi Xi chapter at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
With Brad Grey 's departure for Paramount and after the divorce settlement with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston , he now solely owns Plan B Entertainment.
Tore his Achilles tendon during the production of Troy (2004), in which he plays, coincidentally, Achilles. His injury caused the production of Ocean's Twelve (2004) to be pushed back to April 2004 (2003).
Is the first man ever to be named "Sexiest Man Alive" twice by People magazine (1994 and 2000).
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston campaigned in the United States to save EastEnders (1985) from being axed there (2003).
Showed his parents the "Chemical Burn" scene to convince them not to watch Fight Club (1999).
Got into better shape and eventually gained over 20 pounds of muscle for Troy (2004).
He was ranked #6 on VH1's "100 Hottest Hotties".
His high school nickname was Brad the "Pitt-bull".
He took Greek language lessons in secret to surprise his then-wife Jennifer Aniston who is of Greek ancestry.
Voted #1 in Company magazine's annual "100 Sexiest Men" poll (2004).
Announced on January 7, 2005 that he and Jennifer Aniston are separating after 4 1/2 years of marriage.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Troy (2004). However, he did not receive a nomination.
Premiere magazine ranked him as #50 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
A short while after completing A River Runs Through It (1992), he fled to Amsterdam where he briefly lived for three months by himself in a small basement apartment before returning to the United States to film Kalifornia (1993).
He and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston met on a blind date, which was arranged by their agent.
Owns and plays Taylor Guitars.
In 2001, renowned architect Frank Gehry renovated the wine cellar in the home in which Pitt and wife Jennifer Aniston lived. Pitt subsequently did an informal apprenticeship in Gehry's Los Angeles office.
Owns the rights to the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002). He wanted it to be remade with he and Tom Cruise in the leading roles. The movie was eventually remade as The Departed (2006). Pitt served as a producer on the movie.
On the invitation of Virgin CEO Richard Branson , he visited over 100 orphans affected by HIV at a facility run by The Salvation Army in South Africa as well as personally meeting Nelson Mandela and discussing Mandela's 46664 campaign (named for his prison ID number) to call attention to South Africa's devastating AIDS epidemic. After South Africa, he then flew to Ethiopia on behalf of DATA, a third-world lobby group co-founded by U2 's Bono . [November 2004]
As of 2014, has appeared in 10 movies with a number in the title - though only two of them use an actual number rather than spelling the word out: Se7en (1995), which is a combination of the two, and 12 Years a Slave (2013). He has appeared in one movie with zero in the title, one with the number two in the title, three with the number seven in the title, one with the number eleven and three with number twelve.
Is a huge fan of MTV's reality show Jackass (2000). He even asked the cast if he could join them during one of their stunt jokes. He eventually made an appearance dressed in an ape outfit, in order not to be recognized, which would have ruined the joke.
Raised in Springfield, Missouri, and is an alumni of Kickapoo High School. Other alumni include Adrienne Wilkinson and Jay Kenneth Johnson
Broke his arm during the filming of Se7en (1995). The injury was written into the movie.
Wanted to play Darcy in Bride & Prejudice (2004), but was not able to work out the filming dates.
Ranked #15 on Premiere magazine's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #31 in 2005.
The first commercial that Brad Pitt ever booked was through Matrix Talent Agency, Los Angeles. His agent was Linda Olhava, sister of film director Jody Lee Olhava
Has Single Engine Land pilot license.
Occasionally flies a Cessna 208B Caravan belonging to Chivan Productions.
Initially did not want to appear in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), although he was the one who gave the script to director Doug Liman
Originally cast as Colin Sullivan in The Departed (2006), but later dropped out. He continued to produce the film under his (and his then wife Jennifer Aniston 's) production company, Plan B.
His first job was dancing in a chicken suit to draw in customers at an El Pollo Loco restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
He and girlfriend Angelina Jolie adopted a 3-year-old boy named Pax Thien from Vietnam (born November 29, 2003). [March 2007]
Was considered for the lead role in Crimson Tide (1995), which eventually went to Denzel Washington
Voted #6 in Elle (France) magazine's "15 Sexiest Men" poll. [June 2007]
Mentioned in the song "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup , as "the quarterback".
Used to act at the Vandevort Theater in Springfield, Missouri. He still visits and donates to the theater.
Donated 5 million dollars of his own money to rebuild homes in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
In 2005, he earned $4,500,000 for a Heineken commercial that aired during the 2005 Super Bowl.
In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $35 million.
Ranked #10 in the 2008 Forbes The Celebrity 100 list. His girlfriend, Angelina Jolie , ranked #3.
In November 2005, he visited Pakistan with Angelina Jolie to see the impact of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. In 2006, Jolie and Pitt also went to Haiti where they visited a school supported by Yéle Haïti, a charity founded by Haitian-born hip hop musician Wyclef Jean
Was officially in the BAFTA long-list for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Babel (2006). However, he did not get the nomination.
Along with Angelina Jolie , he traveled to Syria and Jordan on a United Nations Goodwill visit to displaced Iraqi civilians. [October 2009]
Lives in Los Angeles, Malibu, Goleta, California, Benerville, France and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Has appeared in two films that took place in the Northwest during the first decades of the 20th Century, and in which he defends a Native American's right to be served alcohol in a bar: A River Runs Through It (1992) and Legends of the Fall (1994).
When he and Juliette Lewis began their relationship in 1989, she was 16 years old while Pitt was 26. They met on the set of the TV movie Too Young to Die? (1990), in which they played a couple, and worked together again in Kalifornia (1993). They lived together and the relationship ended after four years, in 1993.
He has English, some Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and small amounts (to varying degrees) of German, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Swedish, Dutch, and French, ancestry. Brad stated on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) in 2012 that he might have Seminole and Cherokee roots. These lineages are unverified.
Girlfriend Angelina Jolie gave birth to the couple's second daughter, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, on May 27, 2006 in Namibia, Africa.
Girlfriend Angelina Jolie gave birth to the couple's fifth and sixth children, son Knox Leon and daughter Vivienne Marcheline, on July 12, 2008 in Nice, France.
Mentioned in the song "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain
He appeared on the last episode of Jackass (2000), where the crew "kidnapped" him.
(May 29, 2014) Was attacked by Vitalii Sediuk and a restraining order was issued, ordering him to stay away from Brad.
Despite an announcement that they would only marry when gay marriage was legal in all American States, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie married in August 2014.
Once visited Simba River Camp in Kenya, a safari lodge.
He and Angelina Jolie married in California 14 August 2014 and in southern France 23 August 2014.
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad on September 20, 2016.
As of 2016, he is the only actor to work on two films each with Ridley Scott , and his brother Tony Scott
Was scheduled to star in Urban Townies in 2000/1 for director Mike Figgis but pulled out to star in Spy Game, causing Mike to then walk away.
He was scheduled to make Waking Up In Reno with Jennifer Anniston but the date kept being moved which meant he was available when director Guy Ritchie asked him to do Diamonds which was retitled Snatch on release. By the time Waking Up was ready he and Jennifer were unavailable so their roles went to Billy Bob Thornton and Natasha Richardson.
Paid $29 million in a divorce settlement to Jennifer Aniston
His favorite football team is the New Orleans Saints.
He is a vegan.
Says his children are home schooled so they can have more freedom with their education.
Can speak French.
Brad Pitt met with the director to discuss the part of Cable in Deadpool 2 (2018), but couldn't commit due to scheduling conflicts, so the role was given to Josh Brolin . Although he was cast as Vanisher instead.
He auditioned for Phantasm II (1988) but was turned down.
According to an E! News story published on Jan. 3, 2018, the actor humorously went by his first name, William, when flirting with a young lady in line at a coffee shop.
He was engaged to actress Jill Schoelen for three months, before she broke off the engagement in Budapest. [1989].
Personal Quotes (40)
I'd like to design something like a city or a museum. I want to do something hands on rather than just play golf which is the sport of the religious right.
[Viasat magazine, May 2001] Fame is a bitch, man.
[on what keeps him humble] You know, I telephoned my grandparents the other day, and my grandfather said to me, "We saw your movie." "Which one?". I said, and he shouted, "Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn't like?". I thought that was just classic. I mean, if that doesn't keep your feet on the ground, what would?
I'm one of those people you hate because of genetics. It's the truth.
Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.
[Time magazine, October 13, 1997] You shouldn't speak until you know what you're talking about. That's why I get uncomfortable with interviews. Reporters ask me what I feel China should do about Tibet. Who cares what I think China should do? I'm a f---ing actor! They hand me a script. I act. I'm here for entertainment. Basically, when you whittle everything away, I'm a grown man who puts on makeup.
When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It's just a first impression. Then there's someone who doesn't catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them and they become the most beautiful thing in the world. The greatest actors aren't what you would call beautiful sex symbols. I'll tell you who my favorite actress is, Dianne Wiest , and you wouldn't call her a sex symbol. Dianne Wiest is, to me, the most beautiful woman on the screen.
[when asked by Conan O'Brien how he got into character as stoner Floyd in True Romance (1993)] I'm a method actor.
[May 2005, on his impending divorce to Jennifer Aniston ] The thing I don't understand is looking at this as a failure. It's talked about like it failed, I guess because it wasn't flawless. Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually.
[2003] It's amazing what an impending midlife crisis will do for you, really. It got me motivated, having turned 40 in December.
[on having children] It really changes your perspective on the world. You know, I've had my day. I made some films, and I've really had a very fortunate life, and it's time for me to share that a little bit. Having children takes the focus off yourself, which I'm really grateful for. I'm so tired of thinking about myself. I'm sick of myself. You feel you want to be there and not miss out on anything. It's a true joy and a very profound love. You can write a book, you can make a movie, you can paint a painting, but having kids is the most extraordinary thing I've ever taken on.
[on how his children will influence his future roles] My thoughts these days are, "Oh, my God, what did I do? What are they going to see from the past?". It definitely colors what I'll approach in the future. I'll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions.
[on how his earlier, lesser film roles ultimately improved him as an actor]: I believe I'm quite capable and we, as people, can learn to do anything, and that's proof of it! And my education is on film, on record! Now I can take on anything that comes my way and find truth in it an do a pretty good job.
[on Quentin Tarantino ] The set is heaven and he is God. Heretics are not allowed.
[2010 - on New Orleans] Truthfully, my favorite sound in the entire world is opening up the balcony doors in the French Quarter and hearing four different sounds playing at once from the apartments across the way or down the street. It's a balmy night, twilight, and I'm drinking a beer, and this feeling just falls over me, of contentment. It gives me goosebumps to talk about it.
[on being dumped by ex-fiancée Jill Schoelen in 1989] She called me up in Los Angeles and was crying on the phone. She was lonely and there was a huge drama. At this point, I had $800 to my name and I spent $600 of it getting a ticket from Los Angeles to Hungary to see her. I got there, went straight to the set where she was filming and that night we went out to dinner. She told me that she had fallen in love with the director of the film. I was so shocked I said, "I'm outta here." I spent my night in Budapest, sitting on a bench, smoking, with just a local bum to talk to who couldn't speak English. These are the days and nights you remember when you have success. I returned to America absolutely broke. This is why recognition does not bother me too much.
Fame makes you feel permanently like a girl walking past construction workers.
[2009] What's valuable to me has become clearer as I've got older. To me, it's about the value of your time and your day and the value of the people you spend it with. It's about me being a strong father and guide and a good match for my significant other. Then, if I'm going to go to work, it must be something of value to me. I'm much more experienced now, so I can find films that are interesting quicker and cut out the films that don't really matter. It means more to me now because my kids are going to see them, and I want them to be proud.
[1998, on why he moved to Los Angeles] A lot of the attraction before I came out was the fame, the lifestyle... now my motivation is more, "I want to be good!".
We make breakfast like everyone else and it's chaos and pancake batter splashed all over the place and bath time at night. Ultimately, I'm dad. I have the concerns a dad has. Is everyone safe? Am I spending enough time with them? These are the things that keep me awake.
[on comparing his own parenting style with that of his character in The Tree of Life (2011)]: They say actions speak louder than words. It's even more true with my kids. And so it's quite important to me not to put my frustrations on them or bring them in the door. I want to keep them to be free and not encumbered with my junk. In the film it's the exact opposite. I find it very sad, a very sad man who was embittered by his situation, doesn't feel he can get ahead, always feels like he's on the losing end, feels quite oppressed by his surroundings and predicament, doesn't know why it isn't working out for him and why is it working out for other people. That poisoned view of things.
There are no secrets in our house. We tell the kids, "Mom and Dad are going off to kiss.".
[2011] I spent the '90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.
[2011, on Angelina Jolie ] One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I'm so happy to have her.
[2011, on learning to be a parent] I was surprised at how automatic it is, how much of it is instinctual. And now I have a great confidence and trust in those instincts. I mean, one sound at night and you're awake and up because they may need you. Or when they start to have a tantrum, you know to divert them from spinning out by helping them focus on something. It just goes on and on. I tell them, "You can make a mess, but you've got to clean it up.".
[2011, on his religious upbringing] I had my problems with it. It doesn't work for me. I had a lot of questions. But to get to that point where I actually questioned something that I'd based my life on - it wasn't until I was 20 that I really started separating from it, knowing that the ideas didn't make sense. I remember this scary moment where I didn't have anything to pin my existence on, to be comforted by. At the same time, it didn't work for me, man. I had to go up against this thing. I've since... My family accepts me for who I am and they worry for me because I'm gonna burn in an eternal pit of fire. But...
[on the stress of filming Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)] One day, it broke me... I called David Geffen, who was a producer... I said, "David, I can't do this anymore. I can't do it. How much will it take to get me out?". And he goes, very calmly, "Forty million dollars.".
[on playing the leading character in The Tree of Life (2011)] That's certainly not my father. But I do understand the father-knows-best mentality, the oppression the father figure can have on his kids, the pressure he is under to be the leader and provide, and feeling like he's falling short and having wants and desires himself. The tragedy is coming home and bringing that on the kids, and then feeling bad about it. It's just this vicious cycle.
[on the Academy Awards nomination process] I've been around long enough to know it's very fickle and it's a cyclical wheel. But I will say this: it's surprisingly fun when your number comes up.
[2012: while accepting the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for Moneyball (2011) and The Tree of Life (2011)] This is a really big honor for me, considering I'm a guy who had never ridden in an airplane until I was 25. That first trip was here in 1989 to New York. I had an audition for a soap opera. But I had to put myself up, and I stayed at a friend's apartment. That apartment was in the Village on Christopher Street. My first impression of the city was: my god, there's a lot of guys around here. But they're so nice. This is a real pleasure for me to see some of the faces behind the formidable names that instill such fear and reverence in the film industry, although I thought you'd be taller. We are complex, we are mysteries to ourselves, we are difficult to each other, we live in continual flux and instability and conflict. Christians and Muslims, Democrats and Republicans, Denby and Rudin.
I grew up very religious, and I don't have a great relationship with religion. I oscillate between agnosticism and atheism.
[2012: on whether he would consider becoming a director] No, not a chance. It makes sense on some level, but I really enjoy being a creative producer and I enjoy my day job as an actor. It's enough for me. I want to also be a dad, first and foremost. After two days it gets itchy. I miss them. I just know how I'd be. I see how much time it takes to mount the thing and put it together. It wouldn't be a good match.
I think I'm at a point now where I feel like I can jump into anything and lay something down that's quality. Someone may be better at it - or maybe not - but I know that if I have a feeling for it, then I can make it interesting. But even more as I get older, it's about the company that I keep. That's the most important thing to me - that if I'm gonna spend however long it takes to make a movie, give up 14 hours a day for however many weeks or months, then it's very important for me to know that I'm working with people who I respect and enjoy and that we're going for something together.
[on World War Z (2013)] We liked this idea of taking a genre and using that as, I guess, a metaphor for pandemics, and if one of those pandemics jumped the tracks. Would we be ready? What countries would be in better shape, what countries would take the biggest hit? A movie is only good if it speaks about our time, if it's personal in some way, and it plugs into the zeitgeist to irritate a little bit. I think we got that here.
[on The Devil's Own (1997)] We had no script. Well, we had a great script but it got tossed for various reasons. To have to make something up as you go along - Jesus, what pressure! It was ridiculous. It was the most irresponsible bit of filmmaking - if you can even call it that - that I've ever seen. The movie was the complete victim of this drowning studio head ( Mark Canton ) who said, "I don't care. We're making it. I don't care what you have. Shoot something."
Terrence's Voyage of Time is an incredibly beautiful and unique experiential IMAX film for children and families chronicling the birth of time, I'm very grateful to be part of such a fascinating and educational project, but I'm currently focused on my family situation and don't want to distract attention away from this extraordinary film, which I encourage everyone to see.
Real Time with Bill Maher (2003), August 14, 2009] Because for a democracy to work, we have to know the facts to make an informed decision. Then yes, I see it. But when you see it devolving into talks of socialism and the dismantling of the country, no one is helped by this. And let me tell you, I guarantee you these people have never been to a socialist country. I've been to a socialist country. We're fine. We're great.
[on A River Runs Through It (1992)] That was a big deal. I grew up on Redford films and Newman films and Clint Eastwood and a lot of the Westerns. It was a beautiful story and one I understood because of how I grew up. Robert Redford made a quality movie. But I don't think I was skilled enough. I think I could have done better. Maybe it was the pressure of the part, and playing someone who was a real person - and the family was around occasionally - and not wanting to let Redford down. But again, it's been a long time since I've seen it. I was much more critical then. I was more self-conscious.
Salary (18)
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UEFA has said Real Madrid must play their first home game of next season's Champions League at a partially-closed Bernabeu after ruling that fans had been guilty of racism during the semifinal first leg against Bayern Munich.
Two areas of the Bernabeu will be empty as Real begin their defence of the trophy, won against city neighbours Atletico last weekend.
The areas identified by UEFA -- sectors 120 and 122 -- are usually filled by members of Madrid's hardcore Ultras Sur. Club president Florentino Perez tried, with limited success, to move them out of the stadium last season.
In a statement, European football's governing body said: "The UEFA control and disciplinary body has handed down sanctions to Real Madrid following incidents during their UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg against FC Bayern Munich in the Spanish capital.
"Following the charge of racist behaviour by Real Madrid supporters during the match, the control and disciplinary body has ordered the partial closure of the Bernabeu for one match. More specifically, sectors 120 and 122 of the stadium will be closed for the club's next UEFA competition home game."
The statement said Real would be "obliged to display a banner with the wording 'No to Racism' in those sectors" and added that the fight against racism "is a high priority for UEFA."
UEFA adopted a similar stance when it found a homophobic banner had been shown by Bayern fans during last season's last 16 second leg against Arsenal, with the Allianz Arena partially closed for the quarterfinal second leg against Manchester United.
It also punished Atletico Madrid with a partial closure of their youth stadium after racist abuse was aimed at Manchester City players during a UEFA Youth League game.
Spain's football authorities have been slower to act in many such cases. Villarreal were fined 12,000 euros after a banana was thrown at Barcelona's Dani Alves during a La Liga game in April, but after that punishment was widely criticised for its leniency, Villarreal said they would close part of their El Madrigal ground for their first Europa League game of next season.
However, other incidents in which abuse was aimed at players including Madrid's Marcelo, Levante's Papakouli Diop, Granada's Allan Nyom and Paulao of Real Betis, were not dealt with in similar ways.
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The popular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, is facing a potential ban in Russia over its publishing of an article on smoking cannabis. If the page is not taken offline, the entire website may be closed on Russian territory.
Russian communications watchdog, Roscomnadzor confirmed to RT that the page has been added to the so-called ‘internet blacklist’, a unified register of websites with banned content, which was launched in November of last year, following the signing of the law on protection of children from harmful content, which includes child pornography, suicide instructions and the promoting of drugs.
“And finally, it happened: we’ve been added to the blacklist…for the article on 'Cannabis smoking'", Russian Wikipedia announced on their official Twitter blog on Friday.
Roscomnadzor spokesman Vladimir Pikov, discussed the matter with RT, expressing his hope for swifter action from Wikipedia - 10 of their pages have been on the Russian blacklist since last year. Their continued refusal to comply could mean the entire website is blocked from use in Russia. However, Pikov said it is in everyone’s best interest that the online encyclopedia stays open.
“We shall do everything in our power to prevent [closure]… one of the objectives we set for ourselves is to protect, as much as we can, the law-abiding users of the Internet, as well those resources that happen to be under the same IP address as the banned page”, Pikov said.
But when asked if closure of the online resource is imminent, Pikov replied that “there are no such plans” in the foreseeable future.
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Jessica Browning, her husband, Don, and their superstar volunteer, Christopher, at Grinning Goblin Comics and Games have nearly doubled their average event attendance over the last year. In fact for Oath of the Gatewatch, they put on the biggest Prerelease they’ve ever had!
Here's how they did it:
Player Participation
Rather than providing their own array of standard snacks, Grinning Goblin created a fun potluck competition and asked players to bring their favorite food pairings to the event.
They separated the competition into two pools—one for kids and one for adults—then the community voted on their favorite dish for each pool and the winners got a handmade Goblin Potluck Pitch-In Champ apron!
“I was a little nervous in the beginning of the weekend, but we had a great turnout and some delicious food pairings, ” including homemade french fries and salt, chicken teriyaki, Butterfinger cheesecake, chocolate covered bacon and powdered sugar, and peanut butter and jelly stuffed biscuits (to name a few).
Not only did this idea encourage players to show off their creative skills outside of their abilities as Magic players, but it also gave players ownership of the success of the event and strengthened the store's sense of community.
Custom Trophies
In addition to the handmade potluck apron, Grinning Goblin created custom trophies, t-shirts, playmats, and sleeves to give out as special prizes.
The grand prize for each Prerelease event was a Nissa Funko POP! trophy.
“The players LOVED these!” said Jessica. The customized rewards helped create a unique spin on the event that made players feel special and commemorated their experience at the store.
Two-Headed Giant Events
Grinning Goblin hosted multiple Two-Headed Giant events that were so popular among their players that they ended up selling out.
Oath of the Gatewatch was designed with Two-Headed Giant in mind, so it was a natural fit for this Prerelease. But no matter the set, Two-Headed Giant events fits in well at Prerelease as it allows newer players to play alongside a friend or an experienced player who can mentor them.
Store Stats Grinning Goblins Comics and Games
Location : Batesville, Indiana (Population 6,520)
: Batesville, Indiana (Population 6,520) WPN Level : Advanced
: Advanced Age : 3.5 years
: 3.5 years Size : 3,200 sq. ft.
: 3,200 sq. ft. Website: https://www.facebook.com/GrinningGoblinComics/?fref=photo
For Shadows over Innistrad, Grinning Goblins is planning another memorable experience. We can't wait to see what they come up with next!
By Jordan Comar
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SOME time in the not-too-distant future, three ships will circle the Sun.
Inside their holds, they will each carry a cube of gold platinum, floating in zero gravity.
At some point, the ships will arm their lasers and fire upon each other - across five million kilometres of space.
Result?
If the world's most famous scientist is right, the cubes will wobble a bit and the last piece of Einstein's theory of relativity will be proven correct.
And if it all sounds a bit fantastical, it isn't.
The mission - dubbed the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, or LISA - is a frighteningly expensive collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency aimed at discovering gravitational waves.
According to the theory, gravitational waves form when black holes are pulled ever faster through space by larger black holes.
If scientists can find a way to detect these waves - which are too weak to detect from anywhere near the Earth with regular instruments - then they might have found a way to study them.
Because the problem with studying black holes, if you're a scientist who looks for such things, is that they are so dense they can't be seen.
"No light or radiation escapes from inside them," Glasgow University professor Sheila Rown told The Telegraph.
"Gravitational waves from the warped spacetime around black holes could give us new ways of looking at them.
"We could also learn about the state of matter inside collapsed stars."
Just how important the state of matter inside collapsed stars is to everyday life on Earth is anyone's guess - as it hasn't been discovered yet - but NASA and ESA believe it's a worthwhile project.
They're particularly interested in the "galactic song" emitted from dying stars that resounds through the universe for millions of years, and even "the faint whispers of waves generated shortly after the Big Bang".
When LISA's finished, it will be the biggest scientific machine ever built.
It won't be launched until around 2020, but doubters will get their first confirmation of the project sometime next year, when the two agencies launch LISA Pathfinder, an experimental mission purely to test whether the technology is on track.
If that works, it's all systems go for the full lasers, gold cubes and sun-orbiting spaceship treatment.
And more than 100 years after publishing his theories, Einstein may finally get his perfect marks.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says his site is "thinking about" how to implement a way to dislike posts (Video credit: Facebook).
Facebook is thinking about adding a way to "dislike" posts on its site, founder Mark Zuckerberg has said.
Speaking at a Q&A session in California, he said it was one of the most requested features the social network receives from its users.
He said the site would need to find a way to make sure it did not become a way to demean people's posts.
According to Facebook's own figures, 4.5 billion "likes" are generated every day.
"One of things we've thought about for quite a while is what's the right way to make it so that people can easily express a broader range of emotions," Mark Zuckerberg told an audience at Facebook's headquarters.
"A lot of times people share things on Facebook that are sad moments in their lives. Often people tell us that they don't feel comfortable pressing 'like' because 'like' isn't the appropriate sentiment.
Image copyright Facebook Image caption Stamping out fake likes and users is a priority for the social network
"Some people have asked for a dislike button because they want to say, 'That thing isn't good.' That's not something that we think is good for the world.
"The thing that I think is very valuable is that there are more sentiments that people want to express."
Fake likes
Facebook's Like button has been criticised as being a method by which the social network collects data on its users' browsing habits.
The system has also come under fire due to a high volume of "fake likes" - when the popularity of a brand or piece of content is inflated artificially.
Facebook has moved to combat the trade of so-called "like farming" - businesses that, for a price, will provide a huge number of likes quickly. This will be via automated robots, or by a network of humans paid a tiny sum for each click.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Fake likes could stop businesses using Facebook, the social network believes
An investigation by the BBC in July 2012 showed that a fake company, set up by the BBC, could gain thousands of "likes" - despite the fact that the company, which promised bagels via the internet, was quite clearly bogus.
On closer inspection, many of the "likes" appeared to come from accounts that were not real people. Hardly any of the "likes" originated from places like the UK or US - instead the majority originated in places such as the Philippines.
Facebook has initiated legal action against firms offering "fake likes" or other bogus business practices on the social network.
Nervous advertisers
Any enhanced method for expressing sentiment - particularly negatively - would be likely to make advertisers nervous, said Paul Coggins, chief executive of ad firm Adludio.
"Facebook's big concern is revenue," he told the BBC.
"They need to keep their advertisers happy. I would think it highly unlikely that they would come up with a button that says you can 'dislike'.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rory Cellan-Jones explores the merits of Facebook advertising, by setting up a bogus bagel company online
"I think they will extend the success of the like button, which has been huge. Rather than have a quick yes-no, which is a bit black and white, my guess is that they'll probably look to do something with a bit more sentiment around it."
Mr Coggins suggested buttons which would indicate how a user feels, rather than a direct "dislike".
Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the Internet Advertising Bureau UK, said brands are now used to being openly criticised online.
"If brands do put something out which people don't like, they find out pretty quickly. It's been a force for good - advertisers know more about tone, or when they've gone too far."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC
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Thursday through Sunday: Peanuts! Get your Peanuts here! Here at the Suffolk Peanut Fest!
Thursday through Sunday: Don’t miss the last weekend to see Peter and the Starcatcher with the Virginia Stage Company at the Wells Theatre.
Friday through Saturday: If you don’t mind a little drive, head to Corolla for the Mustang Music Festival.
Friday through Saturday: Check out the Haunted Barn and Hay Ride at Merry Oaks Stable in Windsor. Nice knowin’ ya.
Friday through Sunday: Catch the opening of The (Former) Prostitutes Potluck Supper presented by the Generic Theater at Chrysler Hall. At a potluck like that, be sure to skip the cocktail weenies.
Saturday through Sunday: Head out to Chesapeake for the American Heroes Air Show.
Saturday through Sunday: Check out this cool festival in Newport News, the Eleventh Annual Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival.
Saturday through Sunday: Fall it up at the Fall Festival at White’s Nursery & Garden Center in Chesapeake.
Saturday through Sunday: For a little drive, you can join in the fun at the Currituck Fall Fest.
Saturday through Sunday: Enjoy your weekend in Oceanview at the Chesapeake Bay Art Association’s 53rd Annual Ocean View Art Show.
Thursday
4-6pm: Catch this cool panel at The A.R.T. at the Children’s Museum of Virginia focusing on integrating the arts and cultures within a community to build a “Cultural Community.”
4:30-7:30pm: Enjoy your night and support local charities at the 2015 Norfolk Kiwanis Harbor Party.
4:30-7:30pm: Don’t miss Sails ‘n Ales at O’Connor Brewing Company, where the interest of sailing into the sun with Sail Nauticus and delicious beer come together.
6-9pm: I don’t know who Priscilla Lynch is, but apparently, she’ll go “Into the Water” at Work Release and her friend Chad Hugo & Friends will join her. You might wanna check it out.
8pm: Steel Panther and their hair will be at The Norva with Seven Ten Oil. If nothing else, go to see that awesome locks.
8:30pm: Be careful if you go to The Parlor on Granby. Ballroom Thieves will be there looking to steal your fancy dresses. Oh, and some dude named Will Overman may be there to help in the caper.
Friday
5-9pm: I love a party, especially a party at O’Connor’s. This Friday, there is a party for Edition 3 of Southern Grit magazine.
5:30-9pm: It is that time of year! Head to the beautiful Hermitage Museum and Gardens for YNOT Friday Night Frights for Frankenweenie. If you haven’t seen this film, it is pretty cute and completely awesome for the kids.
6pm: Head to Cure Coffeehouse and brasserie for Aaron Randolph with Hand Tinted Photography from Don Davis.
6-9pm: Zeke’s Beans & Bowls in Virginia Beach is kickin’ it Halloween style with “SoLow,” an art exhibition by T. Owens.
6-9pm: Hang out with the animals at Roarchestra at the Virginia Zoo!
6-10pm: Love cars? Head out to Night Moves October Meet & 2015 Finale at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex and Regional Training Center.
7pm: Check out the fabulous Hurrah Players as they present The Wizard of Oz at the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center.
8pm: Enjoy Capitol Steps at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. They put the “Mock” in Democracy.
8pm: Brett Dennen (I’m gonna go ahead and call him freckles) and Andrew Belle will be at the Norva.
8pm: Comedy! Murder! Mystery! And we’re not even talking about my sex life! Join the Push Comedy Theater as they offer “Who Dunnit? … The Improvised Murder Mystery.”
8pm: Jeff Lorber Fusion Featuring J. Staton Band will be at the Attucks Theatre.
9pm: Enjoy FREE FRIDAY at Work Release with THE MIRRORS, ARMS BIZARRE, KARACELL, and #WEGOLD.
9pm: And tonight, for your alphabet soup – DJP and MrT with BUHU will be at The Parlor On Granby.
9:30pm: The Push offers a Double Feature: The Improvised Movie – The Halloween Edition! They may actually find a way to make you sh*t your pants in fear while laughing your troubles away.
Saturday
7am: Head out to the Oceanfront for the Susan G. Komen Tidewater 15th Annual Race for the Cure.
8am: For all of you Chess lovers out there, you’ll want to head to the Virginia Beach Town Center for the Virginia Beach National Chess Day Festival.
8am-1pm: Join the Portsmouth Policed Department for National Night out at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion.
11am: Moved to this weekend thanks to Joaquin, the Half Moon Music Beads and rocks Fall Festival will take place in Virginia Beach.
12-5pm: Bacon-lovers rejoice! Pork avoiders, uh … avoid. It is time for the Virginia Bacon Festival in Portsmouth.
12-6pm: Now that we’ve whined about the weather, let us wine at the 2015 Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival.
12-6pm: You will certainly find me at this one. I love the Crafted Indie Arts and Craft Market, and it will be at the lovely O’Connor Brewing Company. Don’t miss this one.
1-6pm: The brews battle it out at Battle of the Beers in Virginia Beach.
2pm: The Chrysler Museum of Art will offer a lecture: My Life as an Art Soldier in Mao’s China.
4-6pm: There will be a BenchTop Brewing Tasting at The Barrel Room.
6-10pm: Wild Time for Wildlife with Zen Monkeys at 37th and Zen.
7pm: Drag Yourself to Dinner! For CARN-EVIL at Croc’s 19th Street Bistro in the Beach.
7pm: Head to EagleFest 2015 at the Scope Arena to hear Jake Owen, Parmalee & Jana Kramer, Ashley Clark, Lucy Angel & Locash Cowboys.
6pm: Daniel Bachman with opener Sam Haga will be at Cure Coffeehouse. If you would like your event included in the Reasons, e-mail the information with the date of the event in the subject line to mermaidcitygal@gmail.com.
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The University of Ottawa’s Student Federation canceled a free yoga class it has sponsored for the past seven years because of concerns over cultural appropriation and exclusivity.
Instructor Jennifer Scharf was told in September by a representative from the Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSD), the division of the Student Federation responsible for the class, that the CSD would not renew her class for the 2015 fall semester because “a couple students and volunteers” felt “uncomfortable with how [CSD is] doing yoga while [CSD] claims to be inclusive at the same time.”
Scharf, who teaches yoga with Rama Lotus Centre in downtown Ottawa, however, was surprised anyone would accuse her class of exclusivity, arguing the complaint that killed the program came instead from a “social justice warrior” with “fainting heart ideologies,” reports the Ottawa Sun.
“People are just looking for a reason to be offended by anything they can find,” Scharf told the Sun. “There’s a real divide between reasonable people and those people just looking to jump on a bandwagon. And unfortunately, it ends up with good people getting punished for doing good things.”
Alternatively, acting Student Federation president Romeo Ahimakin told the Sun the decision resulted from a consultation with students to make the class more inclusive to “certain groups of people that feel left out in yoga-like spaces” and “done in a way in which students are aware of where the spiritual and cultural aspects come from, so that these sessions are done in a respectful manner.”
In a French-language interview with Radio Canada, he said the Student Federation ended the class as part of a review of all programs “to make them more interesting, accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of students.”
Scharf, however, said she never intended to insult or exclude anyone with her class.
“This particular class was intro to beginners’ yoga because I’m very sensitive to this issue,” she told The Washington Post. “I would never want anyone to think I was making some sort of spiritual claim other than the pure joy of being human that belongs to everyone free of religion.”
Cultural appropriation is a social phenomena in which one culture adopts practices or traditions from another, usually oppressed, culture. Yoga has been appropriated by westerners from Hinduism, which, as the main religion of India, suffered oppression by British colonists. Advocates of cultural inclusivity detest the novelty with which modern yoga has become associated, that is, more with expensive loungewear and hobby than spiritualism through meditation.
“As the multi-billion dollar yoga industry continues to grow with studios becoming as prevalent as Starbucks and $120 yoga pants, the mass commercialization of this ancient practice, rooted in Hindu thought, has become concerning,” according to the Take Back Yoga initiative, a division of the Washington D.C.-based Hindu American Foundation. “With proliferation of new forms of ‘yoga,’ the underlying meaning, philosophy, and purpose of yoga are being lost.”
While advocacy groups and social justice warriors claim to understand the damage Westernization does to yoga, Dilip Waghray, a Hindu who has practiced yoga for 50 years, chooses to focus on the benefits of yoga’s emergence in the West.
“When I saw what was happening [with big crowds for free yoga] on Parliament Hill I was thrilled and probably a little bit ashamed that my body wasn’t as flexible as theirs. I said, ‘Wow,’ and the first thing I did was share with my classmates back home,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “If you look at what the Western world has adapted it is just phenomenal. Imagine how much good they’re doing for themselves. They’ll live a long and very happy life.”
Ann Althouse, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, on her blog, Althouse, struck back at Ahimakin and others who suggest yoga’s ban will help respect the culture of origin.
“That strikes me as a moderate approach, not a ban, but a call for deeper reflection about something that is, in its origin, deep and that has been made shallow for the purposes of consumption by health-minded young people in stretch pants,” she said. “A university should be a place of learning and a search for greater understanding.”
Back in Ottawa, Scharf’s fight over her class was far from over. After being told she could not continue to teach the class in an email correspondence, obtained by The Washington Post, Scharf attempted to reason with the Student Federation representative, whose name Scharf requested be removed, and reclaim her class, even if the title were slightly different.
“Yoga in its truest form is not a religion and is practiced by many religions,” Scharf wrote back. “What do you think about having a class that is just stretching for mental health? We don’t have to call it yoga (because that’s not really what we are doing, we are just stretching). I think that will work because it would literally change nothing about the class. … I know some people are offended but I am sure we can change it so that everyone feels included. If there is anything else I can do to help out, please let me know.”
At first, the representative agreed:
“I believe this is super important and I apologize for what I said before and being so abrupt about it,” the representative said. “I think that keeping some kind of weekly fitness programming for people with disabilities to access on campus is very essential. … Maybe if we could work out doing some kind of fitness classes if you were still willing we could talk a bit about moving away from what is considered yoga and make it exercise and stretching for people with disabilities.”
Scharf responded:
“I’m totally up for making it a simple stretching class for people with disabilities,” she wrote. “There wouldn’t need to be any change to the content of the courses because I don’t use the posture names and don’t refer to yogic mysticism. Now that I am aware that this is a sensitivity, I can just leave all yoga-ness out.”
Yet, Scharf said, it never happened. Student leaders debated changing the name, but ultimately decided a French translation for “mindful stretching” would not appear well, aesthetically, on a poster advertising the class.
“The higher-ups at the student federation got involved, finally we got an e-mail routed through the student federation basically saying they couldn’t get a French name and nobody wants to do it, so we’re going to cancel it for now,” Scharf told the CBC.
Although the Student Federation largely dismissed Scharf’s class as insensitive and offensive, one official, Julie Seguin, spoke up in her defense.
“I am also still of the opinion that a single complaint does not outweigh all of the good that these classes have done,” Seguin said. “Labeling the CSD’s yoga lessons as cultural appropriation is questionable [and] debatable.”
Scharf was told her class, which teaches beginner yoga to over 60 people, might return in January, but she still harbors some frustration with the situation regarding her class.
“I’m not pretending to be some enlightened yogi master, and the point (of the program) isn’t to educate people on the finer points of the ancient yogi scripture,” she told the Sun. “The point is to get people to have higher physical awareness for their own physical health and enjoyment.”
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Here on earth, Paul Feig is responsible for blockbuster comedies like “Bridesmaids” and the cult TV show “Freaks and Geeks.” For his new Yahoo Screen series, however, he’s taking matters out of orbit.
“Other Space,” Feig’s streaming comedy set aboard a spaceship in the year 2105, held its premiere screening Tuesday night at West Hollywood’s London Hotel, where TheWrap spoke exclusively with the director about his love of sci-fi, the state of streaming content and his decision to return to the small screen.
“I actually should sue Yahoo for stealing my color,” Feig joked when we asked if the purple accents in his suit (also Yahoo’s signature color) were more than coincidental. It was only a year ago the tech giant commissioned the comedy from Feig, about a group of misfits piloting a spaceship that gets sucked into a parallel universe and must find its way home.
Also Read: 21 Buzziest Streaming Shows: From ‘Marco Polo’ to ‘Transparent’ (Photos)
“I love genres. I’m a huge sci-fi fan and I love anything where a bunch of people who shouldn’t be together get stuck somewhere. Honestly, ‘Freaks and Geeks’ was that. In high school, you’re there because you’re the same age and live in the same area,” Feig said. “Otherwise you’re trapped with people you have no reason to be with. Space is the alternate version of that.”
Indeed 1999’s “Freaks and Geeks” put a lens on a quirky, angst-ridden American high school. While it only lasted one season the series found talent like James Franco, Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini and Martin Starr before their big breaks.
“Other Space” was a concept of Feig’s for nearly ten years before landing at Yahoo, and the “Spy” helmer says streaming is the perfect platform for this kind of work.
Also Read: Paul Feig’s Yahoo Screen Original Series ‘Other Space’ to Launch in April (Photo)
“I wanted to do something not on a network. I like new media, and I really wanted to do something where we could do what we wanted and not have the constraints and the pressures of the big networks… I’ve always said I’d rather do the first scripted show on QVC than to be fighting on a network to find your way.”
Also Read: Paul Feig’s All-Female ‘Ghostbusters’ Reboot Will Be ‘Really Scary’
In terms of the evolution of streaming, Feig says “it’s the best thing to ever happen to entertainment hands down. It makes it a total meritocracy. It means the good shows get seen, and the ones that aren’t as good get scrubbed away, and it should be that way.”
The entire first season of “Other Space,” starring Trace Beaulieu, Karan Soni, Milana Vayntrub, Conor Leslie and Neil Casey, is available for viewing here.
The aforementioned “Spy,” starring Melissa McCarthy and Jude Law, opens June 5. Feig’s hotly anticipated all-female “Ghostbusters,” starring McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, is due July 2016.
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Does there remain a single potential act of idiocy that, by this point, would surprise any of us were it committed by Donald Trump? Trump’s latest attempts to smear the London mayor, Sadiq Khan – while the latter leads our city through the aftermath of a painful terrorist attack – are simultaneously beyond the pale and tediously par for the course.
As ever, Trump cakes his bigotry in the camp maquillage of false concern for the city and its inhabitants, when it’s clear that this man is incapable of human empathy, and has, furthermore, seemingly chosen to attack Khan so vehemently because he is a Muslim.
Trump's Twitter attacks on Sadiq Khan reveal how pitiful the president is | Moustafa Bayoumi Read more
That London had the clear-sightedness to elect this clever, humble, compassionate man as our leader, despite craven Tory attempts to link him with Islamist terrorism, is surely a source of frustration for Trump, whose sheer lack of likability means that he has always been forced to rely on divisive scaremongering as a campaign tactic. That Khan then had the temerity to call Donald’s Muslim ban “ignorant” must be almost too much for the pugnacious president’s dark but brittle ego. Remember, this is the man who allegedly withdrew from the Paris climate agreement because he felt undermined by another man’s handshake.
I agree with Khan that Theresa May should withdraw her invitation to the president for a state visit. The time after a tragedy is for reflection, empathy, and shows of camaraderie and defiance. It is not a time for a megalomaniac manbaby to insult our democratically elected politicians on social media. But May, who is failing to take heed of a lesson illustrated by Zac Goldsmith’s loss in the mayoral election, has displayed a shocking lack of solidarity with Khan by refusing to criticise the president’s actions, despite repeated questioning. Like Goldsmith, whose calculated wet-blanketry actually lost him the mayoral race, May is beginning to look weak-willed.
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his "no reason to be alarmed" statement. MSM is working hard to sell it!
While Khan talks calmly about the enormous budget cuts faced by the police since 2010, more of which are to come if a Tory government is elected on Thursday, May insults our intelligence by insisting there is no link between damaging cuts to the services that are there to protect us and our response to terrorist threats. Jeremy Corbyn is insisting that the role of Saudi Arabia in terrorist funding be examined. Meanwhile, the man whose tiny hand May held in hers (something even his wife won’t do) as she helped him down a ramp – one of the several things Trump is reputedly terrified of – has been curtsying to the Saudi king. It would be laughable were it not so sickening.
Much is made of British values, and during this horrific and heartbreaking period in the country’s history what has shone through is our resilience, our humour, and our inclusivity. Both Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, the Manchester mayor, have shown exceptional compassion and leadership in the aftermath of the callous attacks on innocent people. They deserve praise and solidarity across the political spectrum. If the Tories refuse to offer this, than at least we can.
John Shafthauer (@hourlyterrier) Both of these men are left-wing British Mayors who had their cities attacked by terror. Trump attacked one but not the other. Guess which. pic.twitter.com/QRKfxwLSLU
So, if the Trump state visit goes ahead, I recommend that we view it as an opportunity to show Trump what we are made of, as my colleague Gaby Hinsliff suggested. We are not cowed, we are not reeling, and we are supremely unimpressed by anyone who seeks to divide us at times of tragedy.
What better way to demonstrate this than through a festival of piss-taking, a jubilee of mockery that follows the president wherever he goes? One of the things that shone through on the women’s march was the hilarity of the signs and slogans. Consider that a benchmark to be beaten – I want Trump followed everywhere he goes with an array of cheeky placards and taunts; a chorus of kazoos, a crowd of raised middle fingers and inflatable chodes, and, of course, costumes. (I shall be dressing as a ramp, but if you are looking for other ideas apparently he also dislikes germs.) I want us to take inspiration from the Scousers who at the weekend laughed the EDL out of Liverpool to the strains of the Benny Hill soundtrack.
Heroic humour or Katie Hopkins? This was a week to choose British values | Marina Hyde Read more
It’s the perfect strategy; there is nothing that Trump hates more than not being taken seriously, and there is nothing more British than not only resolutely refusing to tug our forelocks before any bully who insults us, but resorting to satire, wit and sarcasm as a mark of our lack of respect.
In the few months since he was elected, Trump has failed to show any of the dignity or gravitas that has been so notable in the responses of Khan and Burnham. Our refusal in turn to grant him any when he visits makes a statement when our current prime minister lacks the courage and strength to anything of the kind. As my colleague Marina Hyde wrote brilliantly in the aftermath of the Manchester bombing, there are cultural moments where it seems right to pick a direction. Bending over backwards for Trump should not be ours. But relentless lampooning? I can get on board with that.
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The U.S. has busted up a plot to smuggle tons of carbon fiber to China, where the material would ostensibly be used in the construction of new fighter planes. That might seem worrying, but if the allegations are true, it's probably a comforting sign. That's because if Beijing needs to illegally import the ultra-tough polymers from America, that means we don't have to worry too much about China's upgraded air force.
The case involves a 40-year-old Chinese man named Ming Suan Zhang. On Wednesday, Zhang was charged in federal court in the Eastern District of New York with "attempting to illegally export aerospace-grade carbon fiber" from the U.S. to China, according to the criminal complaint and affidavit (.pdf) unsealed in court this week. Zhang pleaded not guilty, according a report by The New York Times, and his lawyer said Zhang was a sports equipment manufacturer who believed he was "caught in something he didn't fully understand but he believed to be legal."
But federal prosecutors allege Zhang was the mastermind behind the plot to illegally export $4 million worth of the military-grade material. Prosecutors also allege Zhang told undercover agents the material would be used for an upcoming Oct. 5 test flight of a "new Chinese fighter jet." If convicted, Zhang faces up to 20 years in prison.
Aerospace-grade carbon fiber isn't just simple plastic. It's a specialized – and expensive – polymer used in nuclear plants and to build the fuselages of military aircraft like the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. $4 million would buy about two tons' worth of M60JB carbon fiber, the type prosecutors allege Zhang sought to acquire. And as Zhang is likely now well aware, the U.S. government is not pleased when people attempt to export the material without a license.
But the case doesn't just involve Zhang. According to the complaint, the plot began on April 25 when two of Zhang's unnamed accomplices – who have not been charged with a crime and are listed in the criminal complaint as only "John Doe" and "Jane Doe" – contacted from Taiwan a representative of a company they believed dealt with "commodities with aerospace and military applications." In reality, the company was a front business controlled by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigatory arm of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The company representative wasn't a commodities trader, either, but an undercover agent.
During an April teleconference, the buyers told the agent they wanted to ship "multiple tons of carbon fiber" from the U.S. to China through a third country in order to skip having to acquire an export license, and that acquiring the carbon fiber was "problematic" because it was related to a "military matter." When the offer to use a middleman was rebuffed, the buyers asked if the carbon fiber could be mislabeled as something else, thereby sneaking past federal authorities. The agent told the buyers that what they were doing was quite illegal.
But shortly thereafter, the undercover agent decided to play along. On May 8, John and Jane Doe wired $1,000 to a bank account provided by the agent, and traveled to the U.S. in July to meet with the agent at a hotel room, where they were provided with a sample of M60JB.
Later that month, on July 17, the two buyers received an email from a Chinese email account about the carbon fiber. The email's author "stated that he found an end user for the carbon fiber, and that it was needed for a test flight of a new Chinese fighter jet."
The complaint doesn't state whether the author was Zhang. But the next day, Zhang and John Doe spoke over the phone and talked about difficulties getting carbon fiber from Japan, and Doe mentioned he found a new seller in America. A second undercover agent then contacted Zhang, who told the agent the carbon fiber was for a "fighter plane," and arranged to travel to the U.S. earlier in September, where he was arrested.
Now let's assume all of this is true – that Zhang did attempt to buy polymers headed into China's defense and aerospace industry. If so, it doesn't reflect well on Beijing's air force.
U.S. defense officials worry about China's stealth fighters like the J-20 or the recently unveiled J-21. But if China has trouble even acquiring the polymers to build fighter jet fuselages – let alone the sophisticated electronic gear needed for a fully modern fighter – then they probably don't need to worry that much. It's pretty difficult to manufacture the jets without the basic, necessary plastics.
If China is resorting to smuggling the stuff, then it's going to be a long, long time before its airpower can challenge America's.
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I’ve come to the end of Book 4 of the Harry Potter series. Despite too many shady new characters and a rather painful middle section, the introduction and conclusion were absolute highlights of the entire series for me and made it all worth it! AND I LOVE CEDRIC DIGGORY!
Turning the first page and seeing ‘Chapter One: The Riddle House’ made me internally exclaim YAAASSSS! I loved that we immediately got to see the consequences of Peter Pettigrew escaping, and was so happy to not be reading another Dursley-Household story right away. It was the best opening yet, even if Voldermort was basically a wet piece of scrambled egg sitting in a chair and barking orders. Truly intimidating. (Also, totally expected Nagini to be a cow when Voldy mentioned milking him. In hindsight, a snake is maybe a more appropriate pet for the Dark Lord).
I’ve realised Quidditch itself doesn’t interest me at all and is something I could happily go without, but I have to admit the dynamic between the Weasleys kept things interesting throughout the Quidditch World Cup. It’s taken 4 books for that family to grow on me, but I confess, they have. The whole business with the Dark Mark and the Death Eaters (great name) was brilliant and exciting, and as soon as another school was mentioned I knew it would be explored further.
That’s something I love about these books, nothing seems to be pointless – another school is mentioned, and then properly introduced. Port Keys are introduced, and then become a plot twist at the end of the book. Even the Quidditch World Cup was excellent foreshadowing for the Triwizard Tournament. Harry saw the World Cup and thought about how much he wanted to be on the pitch, wanted to be a star, and then a while later he’s living out his fantasy as a contestant in the Tournament. Nice one!
Speaking of which, the Triwizard Tournament was an amazing concept and I loved the way Harry found himself entered into it. It sure makes us Muggles look boring with our Eurovision, eh? Ron falling out with Harry over getting a place in the Tournament was such unnecessary melodrama – GET OVER IT RON; YOU’RE A SIDEKICK, KNOW YOUR PLACE!!! Ron is the only character to have me liking him one chapter and then detesting him the next. I may not have liked him then, but him and Harry faking their Divination homework was actually really funny. Harry’s definitely getting sassier the older he gets and is less afraid to fight back against adults and speak his mind – probably picking that up from Hermione.
Hermione was, as usual, on point in this book. I don’t quite understand the importance of her crusade for House-Elf rights despite a bit of character development, and I was very suspicious of her when she was eating fast and running off to the library – I thought, if this bitch is messing with a time turner again I swear to God… But she wasn’t, she was a great friend to Harry when the school turned against him after he was entered into the Tournament, and she was the one who pushed Harry to write to Sirius and tell him what was going on. She’s sensible, switched on, and Harry’s lucky to have a friend like her. Particularly when you think of how she was treated in the Prisoner of Azkaban, it’s a wonder she’s not gone off to party with Parvati Patil and said so long to Harry and Ron – how could they not ask her to the Yule Ball? Speaking of the Ball, I’m impressed we basically made it to Book 4 without much talk of romance at all. Here’s hoping Book 5 doesn’t revolve around sex education classes led by Professor McGonagall… <Shudder>
The Goblet of Fire more than any other book felt like I was introduced to a bucket load of new characters, all of whom seemed shady as Hell. I felt particularly suspicious of Mad-Eye Moody – did he remind anyone else of Dr N. Gin from the Crash Bandicoot games? Just me? OK then.
I liked Fleur Delacour, and Rita Skeeter was interesting yet infuriating. I thought Lockhart was annoying; he’s got nothing on her! Her story didn’t seem to go anywhere though, and while it was comical that she was a bug animagus, it all just felt a bit… Anti climactic. Meanwhile, my favourite Regular-Sized Rudy returned – I was so happy to see more of Neville Longbottom! Reading about his parent’s backstory made me love him even more, I just want to give him a hug!
I was also really happy to see Dumbledore taking a more active role in this book. He’s effortlessly powerful, like the Countess in American Horror Story: Hotel but without the sexy outfits, and if anyone’s going to sort everything out and tie it all together in a neat little bow it’s blatantly going to be him, all while sipping a cup of tea and not breaking a sweat. You keep doing you, Dumbledore.
The middle of this book did drag for me, though. After a really exciting first task in the Triwizard Tournament, task two felt like a let down and was a bit boring. I started to lose patience with too many mysteries, and just didn’t care at all about the storyline between Bagman and Crouch. I was second-guessing every character – seems like if you don’t have something to hide at Hogwarts you’re not allowed in. I found it hard to keep track of who was being shady about what, and by the end just didn’t care at all that Professor Moody turned out to be Crouch’s son in disguise. Yawn.
As far as I’m concerned the star of this book was Cedric Diggory. He grew on me so quickly, and annoyingly I was catching up on Season 3 of Orange is the New Black at the same time. Out of nowhere, the characters in it had a conversation about not wanting to end up ‘like Cedric Diggory who died in the Triwizard Tournament’… NOOO ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This is the trouble with finally reading a famous book series; you never know where spoilers are going to pop up.
Knowing something bad was going to happen just made me even sadder when I realised how much I liked Cedric. The end of the third task was incredible, Rowling did a fantastic job of making him seem noble and heroic. But I knew it was the end of the cup, and I knew he had to die soon, and I genuinely didn’t want to keep reading, as though if I stopped reading he would stay alive. And then two pages later it happened. Click here to see a screenshot of messages showcasing my live-reaction to Cedric’s death – safe to say I was very sad! And really don’t like Peter Pettigrew.
After that though, the entire Graveyard scene was the best section of the series so far. Voldemort was AMAZING! I love him! In the best way you can love an evil tyrant, of course. He’s back, he’s menacing and intimidating, his build up was so worth it and I already want more. That long-awaited duel between him and Harry was brilliant, although how awkward that Voldemort failed to kill Harry in front of all of the Death Eaters. I bet Harry escaped with the port key and Voldemort just turned around to them all, shrugged, and said, “…Whoops.”
The Prisoner of Azkaban overall felt like a better story, but the conclusion to Goblet of Fire was amazing. I’m finding myself really wanting to watch the films now and see how scenes like the Graveyard were handled, but want to hold off until I’ve finished the books if possible. I feel like this book has ended with me on the tip of a roller coaster and I’m about to plummet – I cannot wait for book 5! Sirius is getting in touch with Lupin, Dumbledore’s hatching a plan, Snape is still annoying but might become a spy which is interesting, Voldemort’s back… Everything is about to kick off! Please can we drop the whole ‘new shady Dark Arts teacher every book’ thing, though?
For my end of book four checkpoint, I’m liking Dumbledore, Voldemort, and an honourable mention to Cedric Diggory. I didn’t like Mr Crouch, Ludo Bagman, or Karkaroff – here’s hoping they’re done with for the series.
My burning questions (though please don’t answer these and spoil anything for me in the comments below!) are:
– What is Voldemort going to do now he’s back?!
– What is Snape going to do?
– WHAT IS DUMBLEDORE GOING TO DO, WHAT’S THE PLAN? AHH!
As for questions I’d be curious for you to answer:
– Did you enjoy the Crouch/Bagman stuff?
– This book feels like the tipping point for a shift of tone for the series, am I right? Do you prefer the first or second half?
– Who do you wish you’d seen more of in this book? I kind of missed McGonagall.
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The families of more than 230 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Islamist insurgents more than 10 days ago say they are fast losing hope of seeing their daughters again despite government assurances they will be found.
The mass abduction of the girls watched over by government soldiers is the most devastating in a series of recent attacks on state schools – and comes as the government debates extending a year-long state of emergency across three north-eastern states from which the militants have operated for five years. On the same day as the kidnappings, a massive bombing by Boko Haram insurgents killed more than 75 commuters hundreds of miles south on the outskirts of the capital.
The girls, who were mostly between 16 and 18 years old, were rounded up at gunpoint after militants overpowered a military guard assigned to a boarding school in Chibok, in north-eastern Borno state. They had just finished their final school exams. The school was the only one still open in the area following threats and attacks by Boko Haram, whose ideology opposes both so-called western education, and particularly women's education.
The home of a teacher which was attacked during the kidnapping, at the school in Chibok. Photograph: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters
Danuma Mpur, the chairman of the local parent-teacher association, whose two nieces are among the missing, said: "Even this morning we've had no update. We pinned our hopes on the government, but all that hope is turning to frustration. The town is under a veil of sorrow."
After several attempts by unarmed parents to comb the vast forests where militant camps are located – and where near-daily air raids by the Nigerian army have been halted since the kidnappings – many said they had little faith in the government.
Hamma Balumai, a farmer whose 16-year-old daughter Hauwa was snatched, pooled his savings with other parents and ventured on a two-day trek into the forest this week. "Even my wife was begging to come as she is so disturbed she hasn't been able to eat anything. Our daughter Hauwa is only 16 years old and she has been missing for 11 days now," he told the Guardian.
The parents turned around only after being warned by communities in the forest that their rag-tag group, armed with machetes and knives, would be gunned down by the militants, who wield sophisticated weapons.
Parents expressed their despair after President Goodluck Jonathan convened an emergency security council on Thursday with state governors, security chiefs and spiritual leaders from across Africa's most populous, religiously mixed country. The government said its priority was to rescue the girls, kidnapped almost two weeks ago on 14 April, amid a deteriorating security situation.
"We must do everything to ensure that the abducted children are retrieved and rehabilitated and returned to their parents, and the military assured us that they are working on it," said Kayode Fayemi, of the southern, Christian-majority Ekiti state, following a seven-hour meeting at the presidential villa in the capital, Abuja, in which attendees also addressed fears that Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve a northern Islamic enclave, is extending its geographical reach southwards and deeper into a linchpin country in a region already plagued by Islamist militancy.
Even for around two dozen girls who escaped, there has been little respite. Godiya Usman, an 18-year-old finalist who jumped off the back of the truck, said she feels trapped by survivor's guilt. She and her cousin huddled together as the insurgents stormed into their dorm room. "When my cousin Lami started crying, one of them pointed a gun to my head and said if she didn't stop, he would shoot both of us. I held her and told her we had to just follow their instructions, but I was so scared I could barely even whisper the words."
She began to panic as her cousin could not stop crying as they drove into the night. "They drove us into the forest and each time we got to a village, they stopped and started shooting and killing people and burning their houses. I told the girls in my truck that when we got to another village and they were busy attacking, we should all jump down and run into the forest."
But the other girls, terrified by the dozens of armed men, were unable to keep to the plan. "When we got to another village, they started shooting. I jumped down and I was expecting my friends to jump too, but they didn't. I just started crying and running into the bush," Usman said, her voice breaking as she recounted the nightmare.
Hours later, she stumbled upon a group of other parents and local youths who were searching for the girls in the forest.
The mass abduction underlines how even the vast military might of a country that has long been a regional peacekeeping giant is failing to contain the insurgency raging in the north-east of Africa's most populous country. Tens of thousands of civilians fleeing the vast, arid north say they are caught between the militants and brutal army reprisals.
The government said recently that nomadic herdsmen who frequently clash in cattle raids further south, in a tinderbox of ethnic tensions known as the Middle Belt, were now being infiltrated by fighters with sophisticated weapons rather than the homemade shotguns traditionally used by Fulani herders. More than 300 have been killed in such clashes in the past month.
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We need to talk about "slut-shaming." As a term, it's enjoyed a rapid proliferation —likely because it's useful and very pertinent to the experience of being a woman. The phrase "slut-shaming" takes an insidious, malignant cultural tendency to police, judge and condemn women for being comfortable with their own sexuality and neatly and concisely sums it up in two words. "Slut-shaming" should be a great rhetoric tool for us to all have handy! Recently, though, I've begun to feel exasperated whenever I come across it in feminist writing.
As an accessible concept, "slut-shaming" has made it easy and convenient to point out insidious sex-negative sexism. It's even graced the pages of the New York Times — a testament to its institutional legitimacy as a concept (we made it!) and to its pervasiveness (we're everywhere!). So why don't I feel relieved or as though we've made some kind of important rhetorical shift? Shouldn't I be happy that more and more people are gaining the language and context necessary to parse outdated, sexist ideas about sexuality — ideas that all too often present themselves as common sense?
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Well, no. Because "slut-shaming" doesn't mean anything anymore. When we call everything slut-shaming, we seriously erode its power as a concept. It's like the Boy Who Cried Wolf: automatically say that anything that expresses a not-entirely-positive view of something sexual is "shaming," and everyone will become so desensitized to the idea that the term ceases to elicit anger or outrage or any feeling at all. "Slut-shaming" has become a nebulous blob of a buzzword, flopping around the blogosphere ineffectively and hollowly.
Back in the old days, before everything on the Internet had been coated with a thick layer of slut-shaming accusations, it was useful and insightful to say that Rush Limbaugh slut-shamed Sandra Fluke when he publicly called her a whore for taking birth control. It opened up a conversation about sexism and regressive attitudes about sexuality in broadcast media and the world at large. Now, however, the term is deployed basically every time someone does or says something not completely celebratory about sex. In the past month, we've heard that the sleeping video of Justin Bieber is slut-shaming. Dress codes are slut-shaming. Telling your neighbors to stop screaming with delight during sex because it disrupts your sleep is slut-shaming. Obamacare ads saying that insured women will be sexually carefree are slut-shaming. The aforementioned New York Times article examines a study that claims that to give another woman a disdainful look for wearing sexy clothing in a professional setting is slut-shaming, and that slut-shaming is hardwired into women because of evolution. An email that recently landed in the Jezebel inbox lamented the fact that the general public was slut-shaming an x-rated 5K run by saying it was degrading to women. Another email links to a Return of Kings article called "24 Signs She's a Slut" (I mean, duh, of course it's slut-shaming; it's in the Return of Kings mission statement that sexually active women should be shamed). The body of the email reads, "Sick of this SLUT SHAMING!!!"
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Some of these things do demonize and attempt to shame women for sexual behavior that deviates from traditional gender expectations, it's true. But a term that can ostensibly cover 1) conservative ads meant to depict wanton female sexuality as a threat, 2) public outcry over an athletic event that seems to mostly center around crotch shots of women in bikinis, and 3) an article posted on a self-identified misogynistic website with the gleeful intent of depicting "sluts" as sub-human is clearly far too broad to be useful.
Furthermore, the proliferation of "slut-shaming" has resulted in an inaccurate conflation of "being critical" and "prudishly or maliciously taking issue with female sexuality." Not all criticisms of public displays of sexiness are meant to shame, which is something many people seem to have lost sight of. In the past few months alone, several high profile and self-proclaimed feminist pop culture figures have been accused of "slut-shaming" by hoards of dissenting sex-positive women and men. Sinead O'Connor was accused of it; Annie Lennox was as well, and so was Rashida Jones (more on her hot mess of an essay later). If these accusations of slut-shaming led to a nuanced discussion of the ways in which we interpret, discuss, view, construct and consume public displays of female sexuality, I would have absolutely no problem with that. But all too often, "slut-shaming" is used to police women... for policing other women, which is just hypocritical.
In the a feminist sphere, telling someone she's slut-shaming has mutated into a method of dismissing her argument without engaging with it on any level, of taking issue with her tone and refusing to hear the content. Of course, the tone of these allegedly "slut-shaming"open letters and essays was often scolding or problematic in some other way, but still. It's unproductive for feminists to tell other feminists that their thoughts/anxieties about a certain kind of representation of women in pop culture have no validity whatsoever. And so not only has "slut-shaming" lost its meaning, it's also become censorious. Rather than helping to facilitate debates about how we view sexuality — as it originally did — it now shuts them down before they can even start.
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The series of fitful debates about whether someone is "slut-shaming" a public figure can be seen as the feminist equivalent of smarm. As defined by Tom Scocca, smarm is "an assumption of the forms of seriousness, of virtue, of constructiveness, without the substance. Smarm is concerned with appropriateness and with tone." Both sides of the slut-shaming debates are smarmy. In condemning a public figure for objectifying herself and profiting off of her own sexuality, you ignore the larger context in which her actions take place, and you attack a woman personally as a some kind of brainwashed dupe of the patriarchy, as someone who thoughtlessly harms women by complying with destructive sexual norms. Conversely, in accusing someone of slut-shaming a public figure, you dismiss their tone as judgmental and not sex-positive. You characterize them as prudish and a bad or backwards feminist and, as such, you don't deign to engage with the content of what they're saying. All this talk of "slut-shaming" causes us to plow blindly through nuance and to get worked up over distracting trifles. When we tell women that it's ignorant or old-fashioned to feel uncomfortable with over-sexualized depictions of women in the media, we lose sight of the context in which those depictions take place. Because of this, the way we tend to talk about "slut-shaming" can be harmfully reductive.
On Smarm Last month, Isaac Fitzgerald, the newly hired editor of BuzzFeed's newly created books… Read more Read
Saying that feminist discomfort with commoditized sexiness is automatically "shaming" encourages a "you're either with us or against us" logic. It facilitates sweeping value judgments: i..e, Lady Gaga's thong is either good for women or it's bad for women; Miley Cyrus' naked music video is either empowering or objectifying. But there's power in recognizing that a specific performance of sexuality can be at once subversive and pandering: yes, a pop star's decision to wear a thong and twerk and flaunt her sexuality can be a celebration of the female body and of female sexual agency; yes, it can be an inspiring rejection of the misogynistic notion that women should behave chastely and "appropriately" in the public sphere. However, such decisions occur in a very specific context. The entertainment industry has a history of commoditizing female sexuality and objectifying women in order to market the idea of sexual availability. When Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, et. al. make overtly sexual music videos and put on blatantly erotic performances, it's both a reaction against prohibitive, oppressive attitudes about female sexuality and a canny response to the established fact that (young, heterosexual, female) sex sells. We don't have to choose between Team Empowerment and Team Oppression in reacting to that.
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A good example of just how reductive talk about "slut-shaming" can be comes in Rashida Jones' recent Glamour essay. She wrote it in response to the furious Internet reaction to a series of poorly-composed Tweets she'd written about how women in pop music are over-sexualizing themselves. ("This week's celeb news takeaway: She who comes closest to showing the actual inside of her vagina is most popular. #stopactinglikewhores" was the first of the series). As HermioneStranger pointed out on GroupThink, "[H]er tweets did not contain criticism of patriarchal institutions; they contained criticism of the women who don't overthrow those institutions. Once again, women are to blame for their own oppression." That's the problem with accusing another feminist of slut-shaming: to do so is to take a culture of systemic sexism and reduce it to two women arguing over the behavior of a third women. The issue isn't whether it's good or bad that such-and-such pop star has gyrated sensually for profit and for attention. The issue lies with a system that turns female sexuality into a product and then markets it to us — not to mention profits immensely from our frenzied "IS WHAT SHE DID FEMINIST OR IS IT GROSS?" debate. I mean, it was our collective outrage that made Miley Cyrus' twerking at the VMAs the top story on CNN, after all.
Tellingly, Jones' essay — which was firmly in the "media representations of unabashed sexiness are total capitulation to patriarchy!" camp — lauded Lily Allen's recent "Hard Out Here" music video as "a controversial send-up of tits-and-ass culture" and criticized Rihanna's "Pour It Up" video. This overlooks the fact that Rihanna exerted a huge amount of creative control over that video: she fired her male director halfway through over creative differences. Dismissing the finished product as part of "tits-and-ass culture" refuses to take into account and fails to perceive that the video is — at least partially — Rihanna representing and taking charge of her own sexuality. Putting Rihanna on par with the sexualized woman-props in the background of the "Blurred Lines" video is an immense over-simplification of what she's doing in the video. Ayesha Siddiqi argues at the Hairpin that, though the "Pour It Up" video featured very sexualized strippers, it's clear that they're "very clearly displaying their athleticism and dance skill for their own sake, not to titillate an audience (and there wasn't one in the world of the video)." As Sarah Nicole Prickett put it in the same Hairpin discussion, "Rihanna is both Stripper and Customer." She's using a traditionally sexist vehicle to celebrate and reclaim ostentatious female sexiness as women-centric — which is a doubly powerful statement considering the ways in which white "sexually empowered" female pop stars tend to exploit nonwhite bodies and cultures as props and/or accessories. It's discrediting to Rihanna to act as though she's a nothing but a sexualized object in a video of her own making, a video that that clearly celebrates her as a woman — especially since "Pour It Up" also serves as a reaction against Miley Cyrus' twerk-filled year of blatant cultural appropriation, which was marked by a deeply offensive tendency to turn her black backup dancers into overly-sexualized, dehumanized spectacles. Again: we need to employ nuance in examining this, which is why simply yelling "slut-shaming!" isn't a sufficient response. Misreading "Pour It Up" as typical patriarchal objectification isn't objectionable because it's shaming; it's objectionable because it fails to consider the bigger picture.
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Conversely, as a "send-up of tits-and-ass-culture," Lily Allen's "Hard Out Here" and the accompanying music video epitomize what can go wrong in "slut-shaming" talk. "Hard Out Here" is what happens when you make totalizing statements about OBJECTIFICATION VS. SHAMING and confine your understanding of sexuality in pop culture to that. Like a lot of well intentioned "slut-shaming" outrage, Lily Allen's video erases the experiences of nonwhite women. Throughout the video, she's is fully clothed. She sings, "Don't need to shake my ass, 'cause I have a brain," but her black backup dancers twerk and gyrate — brainless by her own definition. The lack of nuance in the "SEXY IS GOOD" vs. "SEXY IS HARMFUL" debate can lead feminists to overlook issues of race and intersectionality; to disregard the specific, racialized ways that we as a culture sexualize black and brown female bodies; to forget to take into account the way in which mainstream American culture tends to mean "white female sexuality" when it talks about "female sexuality." As Laura K. Warrell pointed out at the Racialicious, "reclaiming sluttiness" is a fraught process for Black women: whereas "the default setting for white female sexuality continues to be purity and sexual propriety," she argues, "animalistic exoticism continues to be both the fantasy and the default of Black female sexuality... when their sexuality is talked about at all." That's something that doesn't get addressed enough when we talk about "sexual empowerment." Not thinking carefully about the meeting place of race and sexuality, it would seem, is a side-effect of having to pick a side in the Sexualization of Women Wars.
In addition, the statement of "don't need to shake my ass, 'cause I have a brain" reveals a major problem with the way we talk about sexualiziation. It establishes marketable sexiness and substance as diametrically opposed and mutually exclusive, and it creates a limiting model of what it is to be a "good" feminist. But dismissing that model thoughtlessly does nothing to further feminist debate or understanding. If "don't need to shake my ass, 'cause I have a brain" is wrong, it doesn't necessarily follow that "I can shake my ass and have a brain" is right. The media's vitriolic response to Lady Gaga's, Kelly Clarkson's, Jessica Simpson's, Christina Aguilera's, etc., weight gain shows that conventionally sexy pop stars aren't really permitted to stop being conventionally sexy in our culture. There's real social, economic and corporate pressure to shake one's ass and to conform to some desired, sexy ideal — the decision to do so doesn't float out of the mystical ether of female empowerment, unattached to any social norms or stereotypes.
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Being both critical of and thoughtful about the idea that exaggerated and intentional sexual objectification somehow precludes being a relatable, human (i.e., brain-possessing) public figure can be useful. Doing so can help illuminate the deep complexity involved in reclaiming female sexuality in pop culture. Women have long been used as sexy props in music videos, photo shoots and movies. An optimistic feminist could compellingly argue that the old adage "men act and women appear" isn't true of the media landscape any more, but it's far from an established fact. So some some feminists don't think that the reclamation of the barely-clothed female body is working, because it resembles a long-standing sexist tradition of objectification too closely. What benefit is there in refusing to hear that viewpoint? If someone believes that the assumed audience of a piece of sexy media is still heterosexual and male, that's not "shaming": that's articulating a dissenting opinion. Is there any real point in shutting that thought down automatically, even if you think it's wrong? Why do we feel the need to cry "shaming" when it's as easy to say "I see where you're coming from, but I disagree. Here's why..."?
It's unproductive to expend our energy criticizing female pop stars for profiting off of their sexuality: they're just navigating an existing system, and if they don't do it someone else will. And it's equally unproductive to police fellow women for expending that energy. It smacks of censorship to shut down feminists with differing opinions just because they're not as optimistic about the prospect of women working adeptly within a traditionally male-dominated system. Disagreement (even poorly-articulated disagreement) is not necessarily meant to shame. And just why do we need to come up with a coherent conclusion about the State of Sexuality anyway? What do we gain from summing up something so complicated and nuanced up in broad, easily digestible terms?
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We can all stand to benefit a lot from recognizing that navigating public representations of sexuality is a complex and often contradictory process. With that complexity in mind we should instead attack, debate and pick apart the systemic, societal, sometimes racialized prejudices against female sexuality and those systems that profit off of them — not the women who are caught up in those systems or the feminists frustrated by them.
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1
“I’ll tell you what you want. Anything…anything you want…”
He’d dismissed what surrendering might mean. He didn’t care anymore. Norris had walked down those stairs, wearing penny loafers today, their heels tapping each riser with the clocked intonation of a hammer nailing shut a coffin. And that’s what this basement had become. He could smell the sewage in the pail, and he could smell the infection on his arm, could somehow taste it, like thousands of bugs crunching between his teeth or drowning in his spit. Norris had come down carrying a silver platter of food, his usual accoutrement, a dichotomy against Ned’s soiled pants, his sweaty face and knotted hair, the dingy musk and gloom of a basement whose windows had been mostly covered now by canvas after Norris had mentioned somebody was caught lurking in his yard. His neighbor had brought it up, and Ned was convinced it was Cole. Which made it harder to proceed in finally seeking his own freedom at Cole’s expense. It doesn’t matter, he thought, his legs numb, his wrist chafing and itchy, his stomach gargling at the thought of what Norris might be bringing, at the smell above what was in the pail, beyond everything, like some sort of grasp at a chance outside this horrible place. You have to live. Despite what this prick has already done to you, has already made you in the world above: a murderer. You have to live because you have to prove you aren’t guilty of any of it. That you’ve been made a puppet in some sick game, that Norris Serkis is insane, that he’s the monster in this town. And you have that proof. You do. You have that proof, if only you could find a way out of this fucking mess. He looked at the pail for a moment and quashed the urge to retch. He’d gotten on the lid tight enough, but his hands were wet and sticky, were filthy after grabbing what he needed to. Norris had brought down a wet towel during his last visit: We’re civilized, Ned. You mustn’t resort to your primitive urges, he’d said, watching Ned wash off the remainders of what still clung to his free hand, between his fingers.
“I’ll tell you who Cole is…what he’s paid me to do…” His words were so weak now. His throat was dry. He saw a glass of orange juice on the tray and knew Norris was bringing him breakfast. Without the natural light coming into the basement, without access to those natural beams offered to him by the windows, he no longer had a concept of time. And that was more crushing than what he thought were the bedsores, worse even than the tingling through his toes that was starting to wane, to prove his own limbs were a part of this grand mutiny that was keeping him a prisoner as his reputation was being forever tarnished. Norris had brought him the Post showing him the Greenbelt Murder. He longed to feel the humid tang of that grove, to feel the slick grass underfoot, to feel the swipe of branch against his sides as he splayed his fingers through the overgrowth; to consider these were the thoughts married to the assumption made by the article, that he’d murdered another Creeker, was to assume his idea of freedom, that very idea he’d so taken for granted, was now the very spring of his machinations. Cole Moore wrote that exposé as well. He’s a sensationalist like the lot of them, and maybe that’s what his whole point’s been: to frame you for a long line of crimes to embolden and bolster his career. That he’s working with Norris and those horrible people in the council. So you have every fucking right to give him up. To give in. You do.
Or was that just cognitive dissonance? He didn’t know anymore. He didn’t know what was up and what was down, what was morning and what was night. He was lost and abandoned. Or forsaken. He figured he liked that term better. Because it carried a merit of truth, and because it merged his identity with something important. Something sacred. What was happening in Reedy Creek at the hands of the council, it was evil. He was an agent against that conspiracy. Wasn’t he?
Norris set down the tray and kneeled in front of Ned. He touched Ned’s hair, pushing aside strands to reveal his face. The plate sizzled with peppers and goat cheese, with bacon and mushrooms, all glazed under a honey drizzle. There was another long-stemmed rose, maybe? He wasn’t sure. It propped out of a crystal vase, magnificently white and in full bloom, set upon a napkin, its pleats perfectly folded and aligned. As if Norris had the sort of compulsion or will to repeat patterns until they were meticulous. A skill that would take both incredible patience and madness.
“Please…” Ned whispered. “You win. I can’t…I can’t do this anymore. My hand…my wrist…it hurts so much…” He wasn’t crying. But he was certain he would start. The tears were there. Waiting. He’d already imagined trying to gnaw off his hand above the wrist, to chew and chew, to ignore the pain and just watch the cuff finally free fall with the weight of his dismembered paw, his flesh and blood like gristle between his teeth. He imagined the sound his hand would make, disconnected from him, as it struck the furnace: the wet thud of something like fruit, and he nearly vomited.
“You poor, poor thing,” Norris said, looking the officer up and down. There was contempt in his eyes, and concern. Ned thought the concern was worse. It was teasing.
“Please…”
“You don’t understand, do you?” Norris stroked Ned’s face again, his fingers so gentle, so smooth.
“Please…” Ned reiterated.
“Ned. Don’t be silly. I haven’t let you live because you have information I want. I need. No.” His smile was devious and playful. “I like our conversations. Your honesty. You are my little Petiot.” He chuckled. “And I like cooking for you. I don’t often get the chance to cook for others. It is such an expression of one’s artistic soul. Do you believe that? That a chef is on par with a sculptor for what he can do with a tuber?”
Ned looked at that plate, looked at the arrangement of the foods, and how the honey drizzle didn’t tarnish the peppers as they sat secluded like red and green ornaments beneath the mottled sprinkle of cheese; he didn’t believe it was art but a sign of madness, yes, because this man could conduct himself to act within civil strictures as he spoke to a prisoner who’d recently pissed himself.
Norris licked his lips. “You are as much a part of this experiment as any of us, Ned. I know you think you are holding onto something that is keeping you alive. Your allegiance to Cole is rather remarkable, and that you’ve persisted this long is an act of conviction they will write elegiacs about in the future. But you’ve never had any control here. I hope you understand that. And I apologize that I’ve strung you along to believe you were sitting on something I wanted to know. I already know everything, poor boy.” Norris pushed the platter toward Ned, between his numb legs, and sat on the floor across from him, nudging toward the meal with his head. “I’m thankful for you, if anything. I know I haven’t said it enough, but I am. Thank you. You have been my muse. My blank canvas. Reedy Creek is reeling at what it’s learned and seen of my most recent work. But to be honest, my dear friend, Cole Moore is here because this isn’t the first time I’ve expressed myself. No. You would not expect a man like Cole to be in a place like this, but here he is. And he’s been watching us. Watching me. Because he is not very happy with me. No, he is not. He hasn’t been happy with me since his name was Scott Cole. A worldly man, this one, with many names. But Scott believes I’ve done something to slight him. My reasons would not presume to include him in the big picture, but he sees things differently. As he should, I suppose. You see, Ned, you’re part of a rivalry that has deep roots. I do not think Cole has been honest with you, and that is unfair. Because here you are. He used you to punish me. Maybe he believes himself smarter than I am. But he is not.”
Ned listened to all of this with confusion. Norris called his bluff. He did not know much about Cole beyond what his own role implied in his, albeit brief, servitude. You have been played, you idiot. You have. He probably knew you were a faggot too, and he used his charm to trick you. And look at you now. Your goddamn pecker got you into this mess as well.
“It is upsetting, regardless. It is sad to know that I have to murder poor Cole just as I murdered his father.”
2
“What have you gotten me into?”
Cole had made a pot of coffee and Allen sat down at the table and took his mug. He was blunt and direct. He was looking at Cole’s research on the bulletin board, newspaper articles tacked into the cork and connected by strings of yarn. Names like Perkins, Wilson, Miller, and others even like Handelman and Phillips, attached to stories showcasing bizarre accidents that had led to death. Poor Coriander had fallen getting out of the shower and broken her neck on the tub; and a guy named Stu Phillips, with something called cerebrovascular disease, was found at the bottom of his stairs with shattered legs and had been impaled on cutlery he was carrying when he lost his footing. A fork was in his stomach, deep enough so that the entirety of its tines had ruptured his bowels, and a butter knife had been lodged between his ribs and had likely punctured a lung. Cole had described all of these incidents, including for the car accidents Allen was involved in cleaning up over the summer, as strategic illusions, and that somebody had orchestrated each of them as a result of outlying medical issues. Cancer, heart disease. Terminal. “The council,” Cole had said, crossing his legs and gesturing to the board of evidence. “All of this. It’s the council’s doing.”
“I followed Norris to Deer Park. Same address you followed the fat kid to. I mean, that’s one coincidence, right? I tried to talk to Mrs Golding, but she wouldn’t let me in. Was adamant I needed a warrant. I saw Norris go in through the backyard. I tried to warn her, and then I heard her husband scream and I found the guy dying. Bleeding from a stab wound…but that’s not even right, because it was a trench. Like something a fuckin’ pathologist would do to a cadaver. The big ‘Y’. It felt like I was holding in the guy’s heart with his robe. I could feel each new hot burst of blood.”
“Jesus.”
“And Norris saw me. He knew I’d followed him. And he did this for me. Do you get that? This guy nearly died because I tailed the doc, and he looked at me as I kneeled down next to the vic, as he’s bleeding out, stuck like a pig, and Norris just stopped in the yard to look at me. To let me know he knew I was there, and to…I think, to blame me for what happened. Like I got in the way of something.” He took another sip of his coffee and decided it was the last thing he needed right now. “What have you gotten me into, Moore? What is this? I mean, you’ve been researching this shit for how long? You’ve been in the Creek for how long? You obviously know more than you’re letting on.”
Cole had already told him his suspicions. About the council. About the cameras. About the private financing by the man he called the Saudi, who lived next door in the bungalow with the handicapable ramp to the front door; he did not know for what reasons, but he knew the head of the council, Paul Holdren, held several meetings with the man who rarely left the place, and when he did it was to be pushed in his chair into the Creek’s many littered groves and greenbelts to witness a little greenery sorely missing in Arabia’s dry butthole. Always listening to his headphones. But what he knew about the project under the surface here was just conjecture. For a long time the council arranged accidents for terminally ill patients; but the new murders, the murders being pinned on Ned Stevenson, those were just an extension of what the council had already been doing. How and why, he did not know. He could not know. But he knew it wasn’t Ned. He knew following Norris would have proven that one truth.
“How?” Allen asked. He watched Cole with a patient curiosity, like a young boy watching a magic act as each subsequent trick was revealed. And maybe Cole was a little like a magician. He had a ton of tricks and secrets under his sleeve.
“Because this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this, Allen. The bodies, their sins written in blood.”
Allen leaned forward.
“I followed Norris to Reedy Creek. Him and Paul Holdren. Because I want to see the bastards burn for what they did.”
Allen shifted in his seat. He was in plainclothes. A civilian right now. And maybe that was partly because Norris had seen him in uniform; that strolling around with his cop mask proved far more threatening and he was protected in his seeming anonymity. But that was a pipedream. He knew that now.
“I…” He stopped, not sure how to start. There was so much to say. Allen could see that. “Seven years ago I found my father tied to a tree. Like a lynching. But he was…” Cole closed his eyes and looked away. “He was tied to the trunk of this old sycamore by his own entrails. Forensic report would say it was mostly his small intestine. Strung tight around the throat. His head was tipped to the side…his eyes open. He was gutted. Like a fucking fish. His arms were tied to a branch above him with rope. It looked like he was praying, and maybe that was the symbol. He was shirtless. Bleeding everywhere. The ground beneath him…it was…” Cole stifled a grunt. He’d balled his fists. “Somebody had written on him. Across his bare chest, above…above what happened to him here,” he gestured to his stomach and Allen understood. “They used his own blood as ink. TREE FUCKER, it said. TREE across his collarbone, and FUCKER, just a little smaller…smaller letters, and dripping into the…into the wound below. Like candle wax.”
“My God,” Allen whispered.
“You always have your suspicions, you know. My father was the chairman of a group called Project Gaia. It’s mostly disbanded now. After what happened in Washington. It was an Environmental Caucus, my father always called it. A step in the right direction in focusing efforts on sustainability. But there was a splintered faction that had radicalized. It was led by Paul Holdren. My father was terrified of Paul. Paul was a people person. He was what most would understandably call a leader because he could sell an idea, no matter its lunacy. And he was convinced putting out a strategic hit on Norman Borlaug would help to re-settle focus on the Overpopulation catastrophe versus putting donor money into research programs on the reusability of resources to reduce wastes. Even if it was just a stunt.”
“Who is Norman Borlaug?”
“A biologist who facilitated something called the Green Revolution through his research and cultivation of…high-yield and disease-resistant wheat. He’s credited, I guess theoretically, with saving over a billion people from starvation.”
“Sounds like a hero.”
“Not if your intent in the movement is to prove man is the problem, not the solution. Paul Holdren’s a thinker who puts moral certainty into the action of a forced Reductivist Movement, something he coined, I think, and something he brought with him into Gaia to move focus and resources away from academic research to radical action.”
“So you believe Norris killed your father…”
“And staged it as an anti-environmental terrorist act, done maybe by corporate hires, anti-greeners. I don’t know. But it spurred the movement to elect Paul as acting chairman in the interim. Because he was a leader. My father was lynched as leverage for Holdren to cede control.”
“You don’t have proof,” Allen said, thinking for a moment. “That’s why you’re here. That’s why you have this…all of this. Because you don’t have proof. But you’re…you’re compiling it.”
“It isn’t substantive. It’s a theory. It makes sense. Everything I’ve told you, it makes sense, but without a smoking gun, it just amounts to a conspiracy.”
“Why Norris?”
“What happened to my father. The ME…the Medical Examiner, he told me the staging, and that’s what he called it—the staging—of my father’s body, the incision, the dexterity with which the assailant removed what he needed to tie the body to that tree, it was intentional, procedural. Done by somebody who knew where to look for what he needed. An amateur would have left everything, every goddamn organ in the dirt, probably collect a horde of, I don’t know, wolves or dogs to make off with the evidence. Serkis was in medical school. Had done his residency. He wasn’t a surgeon, but he’d practiced anatomical incisions on cadavers, so he’d know. He would. He was radical from the get-go. He’d staged a storming of the ROTC as an undergrad with some Black Panthers. Beat the shit out of some campus security. He was heavily invested with actionable members of the SDS. His records are all a red flag. That’s why Paul used him. Uses him. He’s muscle. But he’s intelligent muscle. I…I sent Ned Stevenson on his tail. But Norris was onto us. Already onto him. Everything happening right now, from the General to the greenbelt, and to whatever you stopped from happening at Deer Park—that’s all Norris. He’s the council’s foot soldier.”
“And he’s aware of me now. Jesus.” Allen only trembled.
“You have the shield, Allen. The badge.”
“So did Ned.”
Cole was silent for a moment. “That’s the shit in a nutshell. When I saw those bodies in the General, when I broke through the barrier, it fucking hit me, Allen. Norris is thirsty again; he just doesn’t go back to the same watering hole. You know the last thing I ever said to my father?” Cole tapped the table and looked at the bulletin board, looked at the strings and connections of a town being buried without its even knowing. “I told him he was being paranoid. About the vocal opposition in the movement. I told him he was being paranoid and that he should just concentrate on what he believed would change the world. And I’ve followed those motherfuckers ever since. When Holdren was ousted as chairman after a publicity stunt, I followed him here. While he was building his dream team.”
“Publicity stunt?”
“He planned a group suicide. Fashioned after the Jim Jones spectacle at Jamestown. Poisoned the drinks at a function that would have left a thousand people dead. Most have called it a hoax because not one person took a sip. Rumors say they were forewarned. Evidence was flushed down the drain, so to speak, so the press blurted hoax and moved on, but it didn’t sit well. If this place is any proof, these deaths, I don’t think it was fake at all. I think he failed, or somebody got in the way. Like we are. Like we have to. Holdren argued on his way out that examples have to be made by those enacting the regulatory policies; if you’re combatting overpopulation, you take your own life as evidence of the issue’s severity. He said true believers have principles.”
“He’s turned my fucking home into a secret ballot, and he’s choosing who lives or dies,” Allen said. “He isn’t principled. He’s a coward.”
“That’s what my father always said.”
Allen wished he’d worn his pistol. He wished he’d been in uniform; the authoritative act of taking control, of wresting it away from miscreants, required the symbolism of the badge. He stood anyway, his jeans just a little tight at the thighs and his stomach bulging just a little over his belt. “Alright, Moore. I don’t like this. Any of it. But alright.” He nodded his head. “Let’s shut these fuckers down.”
3
“Cole knows about everything. About what you’re doing. He’s…he’s pieced it all together.”
“Is that right?” Norris said. It wasn’t really a question. “It would be silly of him to have come all of this way and not do his due diligence. And do you, Ned, do you know what we’re doing here?”
Cole had told him enough. Maybe not the whole story, and a part of him believed that was just Cole protecting him from things he didn’t need to know. He was given the surface, the sort of details he required to likely keep sane and do his job while he shadowed certain people. Like Trevor Kramer. The taste of the bacon, of the honey and salt, filled his mouth and for now a lingering part of him just cared about indulging; the thought of what the council might have really been doing didn’t matter to him, because the moment he learned what happened beneath the surface, the moment he found out what Cole knew, his life could be gambled against the information. And things weren’t looking good to start with.
“Paul Holdren and I have a seasoned career together. I respect the man. I don’t respect many men, Ned. I don’t. It is odd indeed to find a human I care about. I am an idea man. I respect ideas. Because ideas can be perfect. They are art. They inform art.” He looked down at the half-eaten plate of bacon and peppers, at the glass of orange juice, and he dipped his finger into what was left of the glaze on the rim of the plate. He drew a circle on the concrete next to his leg. “This is our world. At peace when you glance at it from the outside; its distance, a speck in unwavering darkness, separates you from the problems inherent to what evolution decrees. Evolution spurs combat, as the stronger, the fitter, they climb over the weak, they scramble to survive. The weak die. It is only natural. In the past Nature decreed when one’s epoch was up; chance threw a stone at the planet, and those curious creatures only glanced up at the sky to watch the air compress against a meteor, something they didn’t understand, but something they feared. And the world was rid of them in that instant. Dominion is temporary. Except for us, Ned. Except for man. Our control has ceded the very yolk of power from Nature, to the point where what was once abundant to us is now considered a privilege: food, shelter. Those essentials are commodified because scarcity has deemed a very powerful and dangerous idea to take precedence; we look at the earth for her capital gains, and we screw and breed, and our progress and our medicines have ensured those babies will live to see eighty, maybe ninety or a hundred, all consuming from day one, because humanity is defined by its consumption. There are so many of us, Ned, so many people. Nature is going extinct now because in our hubris, in our history of progress, we thought it was our right to take and take and take until the world grew thin in sickness. Our factories spew smoke. Look here, in Reedy Creek, those stacks to the north are continuous beacons of sulfuric darkness, cloaking our horizon with the silt of disease, blurring it, the world around us now indefinite and mottled. That is our legacy, Ned. Our artistic legacy as we progress isn’t the oil paintings hanging in the Louvre, but the industrialized pistons of mechanization, the exhaust, the clogged arterial roadways that are like Gaia’s high cholesterol finally choking her, finally killing her, and the only thing she can do to fight back is to skew her climate. To boil us all alive. To flood us.”
“What are you talking about?” Ned whispered.
Norris smiled. “You’re a parasite, Ned. You are. Your mom is. Your father. All parasites. Because you all share the blame. What we are doing here in Reedy Creek is to define an idea. To prove we are aware and to prove we are willing to negotiate.”
“With who?”
“With her. With Nature. I know how that sounds. But you feel a right to life, do you not? Selfishness is inherent. Hell, I am the same. If you gave one the choice to live, he would surely take it. What your friend Cole has likely discovered is that we are not giving the choice. We are making it. We know about everything in Reedy Creek. About everyone. We know who deserves to live and who deserves to die.”
“Did Robert Wilson deserve to die? Clayton Miller? How about Sarah Darling, you fucking piece of shit?”
“That’s right. That’s right, Ned. You have to be emotional if you believe in something strongly. You do. Passion is required of those who make hard choices.”
“You’re a murderer,” Ned said. He stared at Norris, wanting so badly to kick out, to flick up that platter at his feet and hope to God its sharp edge slit the man’s throat or blinded him. But he was weak and tired now. And maybe for that reason alone he didn’t deserve to survive.
“No, I am a meteor. I am striking at those who have not earned the right to live, to consume, because they are taking from those who deserve. Robert Wilson indulged at the expense of others, and he became so fat, so corpulent that beyond the jokes uttered behind his back, there were health issues starting to show that would have drained resources needed for others. Clayton Miller was sick and getting worse; he lived on narcotics, the shit that killed Marilyn Monroe, and it would have surely gotten to him sooner or later. Sarah Darling was a whore, Ned. She fucked a man with a family just to get ahead in life, and look what her choice has meant for Thomas Halliburton’s wife and two children. Two bastards. They will grow up with photographs of the man and nothing else. Because he and Sarah broke a vow, and neither of them stopped once to think about it. Their selfishness prompted payback.”
“Payback? Fucking payback?” Ned nearly screamed. “You shot them both and pinned the murders on me. On me!”
“Reedy Creek’s experiment has to work with a villain, Ned. I am sorry to say you fit the bill. That doesn’t excite me, I hope you know. It really doesn’t. But it is nice to have company.” He patted Ned’s leg and smiled. It was a consoling smile and Ned thought again of using that platter to cut the doctor’s throat. To leave him drowning in his own blood. And then you can cut off your hand with the platter. If Serkis doesn’t have the key on him. You can, and you can get out of here. For good. You have the proof. You have everything you need to exonerate yourself.
Another part of him wanted Norris to keep talking. That each extra word was even more incriminating. This is the mother lode, Ned, the grand-spankin’ prize!
“But think of the excitement we’re giving these bored townies. Think of the entertainment. The thrill of wondering if they’re next, if psychotic Ned Stevenson will mutilate them if they’re found alone. It’s an element of escapism in a town bored to tears of farming, of the routine, of folks who look up at the planes they see overhead flying to greener pastures. Think about what you’re giving here.”
Ned thought Norris truly believed that. He did. He thought Norris actually believed he was performing a service in Reedy Creek, that the murders themselves worked toward whatever goal he and the council were attaining, but that the news itself of a serial killer was like a sort of reality TV that kept people on the edges of their seats.
“It won’t work. What you’re doing here. I don’t know what you plan on doing, how you plan on expanding this…this idea, because there has to be an end game. You wouldn’t just be testing out your project here if you didn’t have an idea where it might go. You’re planners…if this much thought went into this council of yours, went into the research to weed out who deserved to die and who didn’t. This isn’t spontaneous, you must have aspirations, and I’m saying it won’t ever fucking work because people can sniff out madness. And you, sir, smell like shit.”
Norris laughed. It was genuine. “It’s never been about the action, about the conduct, Ned, but the idea. You find a strong enough idea and you can convince just about anybody to do what you want. Context acts the pivot. If we’re talking about the environment, you stack your council with agreeable Greens, and the dominoes will fall where they may. Ideology is a game, Ned. And I know how to play it. We know how to play it. The council is in Reedy Creek to make difficult decisions about life and death that would otherwise not be made by a democratic governing body. We are here to challenge the mentality of complacency that will leave us a footnote in a history that can never be written because Nature will have robbed us of a future. Our idea is Global Warming. It is a new idea. It is powerful in its implications. But look at how the idea has convinced rational academics like Trevor Kramer to reduce people to a mere vote of yay or nay. That is what Clayton Miller’s and Robert Wilson’s lives were resorted to: a vote. One dissenting opinion and Wilson might just be choking down a burger right now, or Miller jerking off to Deep Throat on his La-Z-Boy. Have you heard of the Great Sparrow Campaign, Ned?”
Ned didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure what he was hearing. He wasn’t intelligent enough to argue with Norris. He knew that. Because Norris would have an answer, a rebuttal to everything. Everything.
“The Great Leap Forward was another idea. The collectivization of farms under the Maoist government in 50’s China. In 1958, Mao Zedong created an enemy in the large sparrow population; he convinced his people that these birds were pests, and that their consumption of grains and seeds cut into our consumption of the same, and that our primacy made this agricultural staple our right. The Great Sparrow Campaign sounds ridiculous in retrospect, but when you consider its implications and results, you begin to understand just how powerful an idea really can be: the Chinese chased these birds, scared them, terrified them, kept them in flight, banged pots and pans so that the entire countryside must have sounded like Hell’s Kitchen. They wanted to exhaust these poor sparrows, these thieving cretins that had taken from them, that had despoiled and plundered their consumptive right as humans, as consumers; and tire them they did, because as one fell from the sky, so did a million others. Tens of millions, Ned, until the earth suffocated beneath the feathery pelts of a flightless horizon. Would you do the same? Would you chase the sparrows from your land if it meant keeping your food, keeping your family from starving?”
“They’re birds,” Ned whispered. “Just birds.”
“Yes, but consider the tens of millions of Chinese killed by the Maoist Communists; the same idea, the same ideology, fathered far more bloodshed. People march in lockstep if their beliefs find an idea under which they find shelter. The Chinese killed the sparrows because they thought it would solve a long-term issue, but their perspective was rather short-sighted. Acting in accordance to one’s beliefs oftentimes blinds one to the ramifications. And wouldn’t you know, Ned, with the sparrows dead, the locusts came a-calling, and they were worse than the sparrows could ever hope to be; they swarmed over every crop, and the resulting famine starved many of those short-sighted enough to believe killing the sparrows would end their misery. Because they were convinced it would. Because an idea is powerful enough to frame a perspective.”
“Maybe you’re being short-sighted. Maybe you’ve…invited an enemy even more powerful than your fucking sick idea. And it will stop you.”
“Maybe,” Norris laughed. “But Reedy Creek isn’t about the idea, Ned. No, what we’re proving here is what people, informed people, will do if pushed to it; there’s a hive mind in the campaign for righteousness. The idea is only the seed. An idea doesn’t act. It does not have the will to do. Reedy Creek is an experiment to prove one goal, Ned, and that is to see how far people will go to promote an idea. That if a belief is so fundamentally strong, one will proceed in removing all moral blockades to an action if there is a reason to do so shared among the likeminded. Look at what we’ve convinced a sheriff and best-selling writer to do.”
“This never ends well for people like you,” Ned said.
“Mao Zedong died of time, not of vengeance,” Norris retorted, though it carried an air of thoughtfulness. Maybe he believed there was a level of immunity or invincibility in his cloak and dagger tactics. And maybe he was right. “But you know I don’t care what happens to any of them. The council, or those we’re watching. I never have. They are like sparrows to me. Objects of nuisance, so distant to me they might as well be in flight. Do you know what I discovered when I murdered your friend Cole’s father? I enjoy this. I enjoy this game. It thrills me. Much like what you anticipated might happen when you came home with me, Friend of Dorothy. When the world was still your oyster. None of us are alone in our fascinations, Ned.”
4
Only his mother knew he had come here. She had remained on the Gaia board when Paul Holdren was elected chairman after his father’s murder. She understood, even then, just how flawed the stories had become, and how framed her husband’s murder had been in an effort to implicate corporate hired assassins. They will claim it was Big Oil. They always do. There are loons in petroleum, but the profit-minded are too busy with their bottom lines and what OPEC might have planned next to worry what a think tank might be planning or deploying to advertise sustainability. This was a hit job, plain and simple, to tar and feather a villain. She saw the act for what it was: the means to stoke the flames of radicalism and shuffle the leadership. It was an easier proposal if the acting chairman was the body found lynched to a tree by his own intestines.
Mariam Cole, who buried her husband in a closed casket, had been at the D.C. fundraiser that was bought and paid for by a Saudi Ambassador, a wealthy patron of American politics who was intrigued by the arguments of a group who would have once spited his country’s oil. “He was a man in a wheelchair,” she told him. “He and Paul were very friendly. You know something, Scott. If that man hadn’t spoken to me, that man with the disfigured face—Christ, I will always remember him, that face—our problems would have been taken care of. Because I have it on good authority that Holdren and Norris Serkis actually intended on poisoning the people in that room. The money spent on the affair, and the dignitaries invited, they were perfect opportunities to prove a point about federal bloat and overpopulation at the same time. But that man with the, well, the scarred face had spoken to a few people and the word spread. It wasn’t blamed on Holdren, no, most were convinced it was a planned hit similar to what happened to your father. The moment the hoax story hit the press, tied to Holdren as an actionable item around his philosophies, the Foundation knew it was time he stepped down. But we both know that’s all bunk. It wasn’t a hoax. He would have poisoned everybody in that goddamn room, and the smug prick wouldn’t have taken a sip. He would have watched. Because he is an agent of death. You always remember that. Death is his crutch. Without it, he cannot function. If that man with the scars hadn’t said anything that night, a thousand people would have died and Paul would have been stopped. I would have drunk to that. But evil men find windows. If there is a God, Scott, He doesn’t blind evil men to opportunity.”
Scott Cole, who was Cole Moore in Reedy Creek, the local journo, stood at his window watching through the blinds the man named Paul Holdren walk up to the front ramp of the bungalow next door. The Saudi’s assistant, Salim, opened the door and Paul entered. He watched this for some time, wondering if the men in that house knew they lived next to somebody so curious. Reedy Creek was a strange place. He was beginning to see more and more of that now. The boy went into the shed. And then he wasn’t there. Wherever death goes, he thought, ghosts follow. It seemed like an odd maxim, but he figured there was some truth to the sentiment.
Paul left nearly thirty minutes later. Cole watched him drive away. He did not snap any pictures. He didn’t think it mattered anymore. He thought about his father.
He heard his doorbell and was snapped out of his thoughts. His memories.
He opened the door and found somebody he never expected to see. Not at his home.
“Mr Moore. My name is Trevor Kramer. This is my son, Adam.” The boy nodded his head. “If you have some time, I’ve got a story to tell.”
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A Labor MP wants prosecutors to assess whether James Ashby has committed perjury.
Michael Danby says Mr Ashby has told contradictory stories to the Federal Court and to TV about whether he was offered a Liberal Party job if he took action against then Speaker Peter Slipper over sexual harassment.
"Accordingly, I will be writing to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, inviting him to immediately investigate whether perjury has occurred," Mr Danby said in a statement on Monday.
Mr Danby will also raise the matter in parliament.
Mr Ashby told the Nine Network on Sunday that federal Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne had assured him of a job and a lawyer if he chose to return to the political scene after taking on his employer Mr Slipper.
Mr Ashby wrote in his diary that Mr Pyne: "Said a lawyer would be paid for as promised and I would have a job - state LNP politics or federal - if I chose to come back."
But the former adviser said in a Federal Court affidavit in his case against Mr Slipper: "I have not been paid or promised any financial or other benefit or consideration ... if I make any complaint or commence such action."
Mr Pyne said on Monday he had indicated to Mr Ashby in 2012 that if the Liberal National party won the Queensland state election "that would be a chance, potentially, for him to get out of Mr Slipper's office".
But Mr Pyne said the facts showed that no job or lawyer was provided.
Liberal MP Wyatt Roy, who met Mr Ashby before he launched his legal case, said that in 2012 he had given him the name of a lawyer and told Mr Pyne, without naming Mr Ashby, that a Liberal staffer had made a harassment complaint.
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Rebecca Siegel / Flickr Only eat mozzarella if it's fresh
According to the U.S.D.A., Americans eat over 30 pounds of cheese a year. 11.5 pounds of that is mozzarella, which has beat out cheddar (9.6 pounds) for the second year in a row. The means mozzarella is the most popular form of cheese in the United States, which it shouldn’t be, because it’s terrible.
Plain-old mozzarella comes in vaccuum-tight plastic bags stacked on grocery store shelves like white bricks, which the cheese pretty much is. Most of the mozzarella in the U.S. is desiccated, dried out until it has a better shelf life, less moisture, and less taste. The brick shape and hard texture makes mozzarella popular for grating, but much of the country’s favorite cheese comes in an even more heinous form.
Modern Farmer relates our obsession with mozzarella to the popularity of pizza and notes that “resealable bags of shredded cheddar and mozzarella” have made cheese easier to add to meals. These bags of pre-grated, fibrous strings of dairy-like substance that come dusted with preservatives are literally the devil. They make foodies cry. No one should ever be forgiven for buying them, and don’t even ask about Kraft’s green cylinders of atomized parmesan dust.
You should only be putting regular mozzarella on pizza. Eating fresh mozzarella in non-melted form is okay. That’s it. And if you feel tempted by the allure of convenient bagged cheese, get off your couch, buy a cheese grater, and use it. Your tastebuds will thank you.
The good news is that there are many other types of cheese for culinarily backward Americans to enjoy besides mozzarella and its lesser-evil cousin cheddar.
Burrata is an amazing form of mozzarella that also contains cream. Cut open the outside of the cheese, and out comes oozing a spreadable, soft substance that is ten times as delicious as any normal mozzarella. Grana Padano is a cross between parmesan and romano cheese that’s great grated or on its own. Robusto is like cheddar but better.
For those who can handle stinkier cheeses, triple cream brie is accessibly pungent. Epoisses is said to have been Napoleon’s favorite cheese. Rogue Creamery makes a line of blue cheeses that are good for beginners who don’t want too much mold.
I’m not telling all you dairy philistines to start eating Casu marzu, a maggot-filled cheese that’s illegal in the U.S., but at least try something different.
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AXT Pty Ltd announced today the installation of a TESCAN TIMA automated mineralogy system at Northparkes Mines. The copper and gold mine is located near the town of Parkes in central west New South Wales and is owned by CMOC. This installation is particularly significant as it is the first mine site installation of an automated SEM-based minerals analysis system in Australia.
Northparkes Copper and Gold Mine to Install First Onsite SEM-Based Mineral Analysis System
The addition of the TESCAN TIMA to Northparkes’ analytical capabilities adds high resolution automated mineralogy capabilities for advanced characterisation of process plant and geological samples to their onsite assay and metallurgical laboratory offerings. The automated data from the TIMA will be utilised in both a process plant and ore characterisation sense.
In terms of production control and optimisation, the information from the TIMA will be integrated with plant control variables to allow troubleshooting and optimisation of concentrator performance, resulting in improved production efficiency. TIMA data will be used to support metallurgical optimisation projects, to identify opportunities for improvement and justify plant changes. The instrument will also be used to support mining operations including resource model validation and optimisation.
TESCAN TIMA’s Business Development Manager Paul Gottlieb said:
“This installation is a major advance as it takes the technology from the laboratory to the mine site. The TIMA data can be analysed much more rapidly resulting in faster fine-tuning of plant performance and increased productivity.”
Roslyn Dalton, Manager Ore Processing Department, Northparkes Mines commented:
“Our principal goal is to increase our processing production efficiency and we have a clear vision of how the TIMA will help us achieve that. The benefits expected from the TIMA will apply to all areas of our business including exploration, underground development and production; ore process control and marketing - all linking together to achieve our goal of greater efficiency. In particular, the TIMA will be a good fit for our existing metallurgical applications. The TIMA offering is developing and expanding and we are excited to be a part of that, including having user input into future software development.”
AXT’s Managing Director Richard Trett said of the installation:
“I have every confidence that the vision shown by Northparkes Mines will establish the economic benefit of onsite mineralogy and prove a pivotal step in the modernisation of the Australian mining industry.”
Automated Process Mineralogy was developed in Australia and TIMA is a completely new generation of the technology. It uses a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with highly integrated Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) system to perform full spectrum analyses at very fast speeds. This enables fully automated data collection, resulting in fast accurate and reliable results. TIMA is able to characterise mineral abundance, size by size liberation, mineral association and grain size automatically on multiple samples.
This will be the third TESCAN TIMA installation in Australia since last November. The other TIMA systems are installed at CSIRO Minerals in Perth and at Curtin University in Perth. AXT provides service and support for all these installations as well as other TESCAN installations around the country.
For more information about TESCAN products, or AXT’s range of scientific solutions, please visit www.axt.com.au or email [email protected].
About TESCAN
TESCAN is a Czech company based in Brno focused on development, production and sales of modern Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), Focused Ion Beams (FIB) and related accessories. They are responsible for significant developments including the world’s first fully integrated Xe plasma source FIB and the Raman Integrated Scanning Electron (RISE) microscope in conjunction with WITec GmbH which has been received an SPIE Prism Award.
About AXT Pty Ltd
AXT Pty Ltd is a leading Australian supplier of high technology equipment for the mining, materials, life science and non-destructive testing markets. They represent several internationally-renowned manufacturers of scientific equipment. AXT are TESCAN’s agent in Australia and New Zealand and supply on-going product and software support for their systems.
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A number of details regarding Samsung‘s efforts in the virtual reality space have appeared over the past couple of months, including a look at Samsung’s VR software and even a picture of the headset. Now another batch of pictures have appeared, this time of the headset’s front panel.
Based on the highly reflective nature of the images, it appears that the Gear VR has a mirror-like material on the front of the device. Quite the departure from what we have seen of the Oculus Rift or Sony’s Project Morpheus. Some of Samsung’s units have a reflective blue coat, whilst others appear unpainted. It is not yet clear if Samsung plans to release the Gear VR in multiple colours or not.
Considering that screenshots from Samsung’s VR companion app suggest that the device’s display will have a “see-through” mode, to allow users to look through the headset into the real world, perhaps Samsung is hoping that customers will find the Gear VR’s mirror finish fashionable enough to wear outside too.
Along with the new images comes a small screenshot of the devices RRA certification, which contains a few of the product’s details – reaffirming the Gear VR nametag and also spilling the beans on the headset’s SM-R230 model number.
Samsung will hopefully lift the lid of its Gear VR headset at this year’s IFA conference in Berlin, where the company is also expected to launch the Galaxy Note 4 and possibly a new smartwatch as well.
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Activists say they are weighing up their next moves, as hundreds of people take to the streets again following election of Donald Trump
More anti-Trump action planned after second night of protests across US
Protesters across the US were on Friday gearing up for weekend demonstrations over the election of Donald Trump, as other activists began work on plans to disrupt the Republican’s inauguration in Washington early next year.
Rowdy protests against Trump and his divisive campaign have spread to cities all over the country following his victory on Tuesday, leading to dozens of arrests and a complaint from Trump in one of his first public remarks as president-elect.
More than 10,000 people have signed up to attend a noon march on Saturday from New York’s Union Square to Trump Tower, the future president’s home and corporate headquarters, while several other actions are planned for other cities.
“Join us in the streets! Stop Trump and his bigoted agenda,” the organizers of the New York event said in a Facebook post.
Trump complained in a tweet late on Thursday that “professional protesters, incited by the media” were tarnishing his electoral success, which he said was “very unfair”. Amid intense criticism, Trump said hours later in a second post that he appreciated the “passion for our great country” shown by demonstrators.
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!
Activists expressed determination to build momentum for major activity on 20 January, when Trump will officially enter the White House.
A “million women” march on the capital is being planned for the day of Trump’s inauguration, amid intense anger that the next US president allegedly sexually assaulted multiple women and boasted of doing so in a leaked recording.
Leftwing and anarchist groups were also making plans for protests in Washington on inauguration day, according to flyers circulating online, raising the prospect of chaotic scenes as Trump takes the oath of office.
Other activists were biding their time before mounting a response to Trump’s election. Patrisse Cullors, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter, said their movement was “grieving and mourning” following the result.
“We are bringing folks together to imagine what kinds of organizing we will need to do under a Trump presidency,” said Cullors. “I do think we can organize as we have been, and build something bigger and stronger than the hate Trump and his team have exhibited towards marginalized communities.”
Thousands of people took to the streets from Thursday night into Friday in Denver, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Portland, Oakland and several other US cities, as well as Vancouver, Canada. The protests were for the most part peaceful and orderly, though there were scattered acts of civil disobedience and damage to property.
The rowdiest scenes were in Portland, Oregon, where about 4,000 people marched into the city centre late on Thursday. At least 29 people were arrested after a minority of protesters threw objects at officers, smashed shop windows and damaged a car dealership, the Portland police department said, declaring the demonstration a riot. Officers used pepper spray and rubber projectiles to disperse the crowd, the department added.
In Minneapolis, dozens of people marched on to Interstate 94, blocking traffic in both directions for at least an hour as police stood by. A smaller band of demonstrators briefly halted traffic on a busy Los Angeles highway before police cleared them off.
Baltimore police reported that about 600 people marched through the Inner Harbor area, with some blocking roadways by sitting in the street. Two people were arrested, police said. One of the largest demonstrations was in Denver, where a crowd estimated to number about 3,000 gathered on the grounds of the Colorado state capitol and marched through the city centre.
Gabriel Christus (@gchristus) I would guess there are about 2000 people marching past DPAC pic.twitter.com/bCw9VJ1jRU
Sam Levin (@SamTLevin) San Francisco #notmypresident high school walk out pic.twitter.com/Kja2TRz1xR
Earlier in the day, high school students staged walkouts across the country. Authorities told the LA Times that at least 4,000 students from the LA County school system had walked out in protest by Thursday afternoon.
Hundreds of high school students in San Francisco walked out of class too, and took to the streets of downtown, shouting “Not my president”, “My body, my choice” and “Love trumps hate” as they marched in the middle of traffic.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brittany Robinson (right) and her friends protest in San Francisco. Photograph: Sam Levin for the Guardian
Malkia Williams, 15, who carried a sign that said “Pussy grabs back” – a reference to a leaked recording where Trump bragged he could sexually assault women because of his fame – said it was important for students to speak out since they could not vote.
“A lot of adults voted for Donald Trump and they think we don’t care, but we do,” she said as she marched down a busy downtown street where student activists were temporarily halting vehicles, with many honking in support. “My loved ones and friends could be taken out of this country.”
Williams said she was still processing Trump’s victory. “I still don’t feel it’s real. This is not the future we want,” she said.
In Oakland, where 30 people were arrested on Wednesday night, a crowd gathered on Thursday but the protests were more subdued than the previous evening, when a series of small fires were set, some windows were smashed and a few people threw rocks at police.
Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) A pretty big crowd has gathered at Broadway & 14th to protest the election of Donald Trump. But they are relatively quiet so far. pic.twitter.com/myz7k2U2B3
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to a local ABC affiliate station, WISN 12, a number which later swelled to over 2,000 as the group marched downtown, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Lewis & Clark College student Gregory McKelvey, who organised a protest in Portland on Thursday, told local NBC affiliate KGW: “We think that because Trump is president, it becomes even more urgent for our city to become what people want it to be. It’s an anti-Trump protest but also a call for change in our city because we need to push for progress here.”
Elsewhere on Thursday, hundreds protested in Salt Lake City, Utah; San Francisco; Houston, Texas; and in Washington DC, where about 100 protesters marched from the White House to Donald Trump’s newly opened hotel several blocks away.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest People outside the White House protest against Trump in Washington on Wednesday. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA
At least 200 people rallied there after dark, many of them chanting “No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” and carrying signs with such slogans as “Impeach Trump” and “Not my president.”
“I can’t support someone who supports so much bigotry and hatred. It’s heart-breaking,” said 25-year-old Joe Daniels from Virginia.
I didn't protest during the presidential race. I will now | Yuko Kodama Read more
While protesters marched against Trump, at least one group was preparing to take to the streets in celebration. The Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan said on their website they would be holding a “victory parade” in North Carolina next month. Men in KKK-style white hoods were seen walking in the state on the morning after Trump was elected.
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Cary Blanchard, the New York Jets' placekicker in 1992-93, died Tuesday. He was 47.
Blanchard entered the NFL as a free agent from Oklahoma State with Dallas, then went on to the World League of American Football, where he helped the Sacramento Surge win a title. From there he signed with New Orleans.
The Jets acquired him on waivers from the Saints after the 1992 season had begun to replace Jason Staurovsky, who replaced Raul Allegre, who replaced Pat Leahy, who retired after the '91 season.
The team was coincidentally honoring Leahy before the Sunday night game against the Patriots on Oct. 4, 1992, which was Blanchard's first game as the new kicker.
"I met Pat before the game," Blanchard said then. "He told me, 'You have a good game and maybe you can try and catch me,' meaning his 18-year category."
He paid immediate dividends in that game, hitting all three of his field goals, including fourth-quarter 40- and 47-yarders, to help the Jets hold off the Pats, 30-21.
"I'm excited about being here," Blanchard said. "I just wanted to come in, make myself known, and just do the best I can."
The next week he hit a game-tying 35-yard kick with 30 seconds left in regulation but the Jets fell to the Colts in Indianapolis, 6-3 in overtime. Blanchard went on to hit his first nine field goal tries and finished his first season in green and white 16-for-22. Then he followed that with a 17-for-26 second season for the Jets.
Blanchard departed after that 1993 season and continued his pro career with the Colts (1995-97) and one season each with the Redskins (1998), Giants (1999) and Cardinals (2000). For his career, he converted 165 of 214 field goal tries (77.1%) and 188 of 190 extra points.
Blanchard grew up in Forth Worth, TX, and was one of a group of upper-echelon kickers from that area who went on to the NFL, including Tony Franklin, Uwe von Schamann, Ali Haji-Sheikh, Kris Brown and Garrett Hartley.
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Well, I know that at least one Disney fan out there will be really happy with the “Exceptional Eight” we created yesterday. Who? The WDW Main Street Podcast’s host – Doug Davis.
Poor, Doug. The last two runnings of our Epcot tournament have caused him great anguish. In fact, the lack of support (in his eyes) that we have given to The American Adventure prompted quite a few spirited monologues.
Last year, for instance, Adventure finished at #13. A travesty, in Doug’s mind, he should feel quite happy now. In 2016, his beloved tribute to American history is assured of a spot in our Top 8!
Below, I present TWO groups. Like yesterday, you can vote for ONE attraction in each group. The Top 2 finishers in each group will move on to our BIG finale!
Which of these will become the 2016 All in WDW Readers’ Favorite Epcot Attraction? You decide! Just VOTE!
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Sonny Corleone
“On one side we have Sonny, the hotheaded, impulsive, shoot-now-take-names-later son of Don Corleone. On Capitol Hill, he personifies the tea party followers who would rather die on principle than live to win a later day.” –Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post
Osama Bin Laden
"That would be Ted Cruz, the Texas senator who grabbed headlines by speaking for 21 hours against Obamacare. Cruz is neither Michael nor Sonny but the star of his own movie. He’s Ted bin Laden — the guy who hands out suicide vests and then goes to lunch." –Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post
The Jacobins
"No doubt, Boehner would prefer not to have to contend with such a mess. But he's already dealing with a historic muddle caused by his own Jacobins." –David Corn, Mother Jones
The John Birch Society
“When Robert Welch and his John Birch Society continued to allege that establishment conservatives were in cahoots with the Soviet Union, Buckley essentially ejected them from the conservative movement….The question is whether the conservative movement of today will remember that lesson.” –Christopher Parker, The Monkey Cage
Joe McCarthy
“I think it’s important because it’s the only comparable time since Joe McCarthy we’ve had this in the Republican Party.” –Carl Bernstein, “Morning Joe.”
Occupy Wall Street
“Achievable results, even reasonable demands, are irrelevant. What the revolution needs is fearless consistency. Movement conservatism, meet Occupy Wall Street.” –Michael Gerson, The Washington Post
Poujadists
“With the rise of the Tea Party, America’s version of Poujadism, the party’s populist wing has sought to exercise more control, and in opposing the Affordable Care Act it has found its latest rallying cry.” –John Cassidy, The New Yorker
Conservative American Republicans
“So we don’t have to look any further than our own past to find exact cognates for today’s movement to the right. The fever won’t break, because it’s always this high.” –Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker
Major T.J. "King" Kong
“End game is Ted Cruz riding nuclear bomb while waving confederate flag” –Jason Cherkis, Huffington Post (on Twitter)
with reporting help from Mimi Dwyer, Alec MacGillis, and Marc Tracy
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ACLU presses Denver to investigate events surrounding DNC arrests Nick Cargo
Published: Sunday November 9, 2008
Print This Email This The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado is renewing a call to the City and County of Denver's Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal to investigate events surrounding the actions of metro Denver police and possible agents provocateurs at a demonstration on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
On October 30, ACLU staff attorney Taylor Pendergrass wrote a letter to Rosenthal calling for an internal affairs investigation into a mass detention of demonstrators, bystanders, members of the press and legal observers, 106 of whom were arrested at the corner of 15th Street and Court Place on the evening of August 25. According to internal reports from the Denver Police Department and video footage obtained by the ACLU, hundreds were corralled and not given an order to disperse, and therefore a chance to comply with such an order, before police surrounded the crowd and began making arrests.
In criminal trials arising from the events of August 25th, it was revealed that the crowd was blockaded by police on 15th Street without warning at approximately 7:11pm, and by 7:14pm, hundreds were trapped between police lines. A sworn statement by Sergeant Anthony Foster, in contradiction to the video evidence, said that an order to disperse, without compliance from the crowd, was given at 7:30pm. Other statements by DPD officers say that orders were given over loudspeakers and verbally.
"Contrary to these sworn statements, legal observers, arrestees, detainees and media trapped inside of the police lines on 15th Street, and others like myself outside of the cordon, reported that they never heard any dispersal order given at 7:30 p.m. or any other time, nor were people given any opportunity to disperse," Pendergrass wrote. Commander Dilley and Sergeant Foster, in addition, testified in court that an order to disperse was never given.
The Denver Police Department Operations and Procedure Manual, § 108.08(6)(a)(3), reads: "When possible, clear instructions shall be communicated to the crowd. Unless there is an immediate risk to public safety, or significant property damage is occurring, sufficient time will be allowed for a crowd to comply with police commands before action is taken."
"Persons on the sidewalks surrounding 15th Street had a clear First Amendment right to be present on the sidewalk," Pendergrass added, "whether they were engaged in free speech activity, recording police and citizen interaction, or just watching."
On Thursday, Pendergrass followed up with Rosenthal after it was discovered that undercover DPD detectives trapped within the crowd on 15th Street staged struggles with uniformed officers in order to be "arrested" and removed. Pendergrass cited the Operations and Procedure Manual, §108.08 (2)(c), which states that "unprofessional police behavior can inflame a tense situation and make control efforts more difficult and dangerous." § 108.08(6)(a)(4) further states that an undercover officer is to "assess the overall behavior and disposition of a crowd" but, Pendergrass said, the text "does not appear to authorize undercover officers to affirmatively engage in what would appear to members of the public and other officers to be illegal acts." Pendergrass wrote that such acts by the detectives may have inflamed the situation, especially given the fact that an officer from neighboring Jefferson County, unaware that the plants were such, pepper sprayed them during the performance.
PDF copies of the two letters can be read at the following links: October 30, November 6.
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Map of the Roman empire under Hadrian (ruled 117-38 AD), showing the location of the Chersonnesos Taurike ( Crimean peninsula ), the home of the Tauri
The Tauri (; Ταῦροι in Ancient Greek), also Scythotauri, Tauri Scythae, Tauroscythae (Pliny, H. N. 4.85) were a people settled on the southern coast of the Crimea peninsula, inhabiting the Crimean Mountains in the 1st millennium BC and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the Black Sea.[1] According to the sources, Taurians lived in Crimean peninsula for the first time and never abandoned its borders.[2] They gave their name to the peninsula, which was known in ancient times as Taurica, Taurida and Tauris.
Assimilation [ edit ]
Taurians intermixed with the Scythians starting from the end of 3rd century BC were mentioned as Tauroscythians and Scythotaurians in the works of ancient Greek writers. The Taurians underwent the rule of the Pontic Kingdom in the 2nd century BC. As a result of Roman occupations, Taurians were romanized in the first century AD. Later the Taurians subsumed by the Alans and Goth, and existed till the 4th century. [1]
History [ edit ]
In his Histories, Herodotus describes the Tauri as living "by plundering and war". They became famous for their worship of a virgin goddess, to whom they sacrificed shipwrecked travellers and waylaid Greeks.[3] He makes a point of them living in Scythia geographically without themselves being Scythians.[4] In Geographica, Strabo refers to the Tauri as a Scythian tribe.[5]
The Greeks identified the Tauric goddess with Artemis Tauropolos or with Iphigeneia, daughter of Agamemnon. The Tauric custom of human sacrifice inspired the Greek legends of Iphigeneia and Orestes, recounted in Iphigeneia in Tauris by the playwright Euripides. The original greek title given by Euripides literally means Iphigeneia among the taurians. Such place as "Tauris" does not exist.
According to Herodotus, the manner of their sacrifice was to beat the head with a club and remove the head; then they either buried the body or threw it off a cliff, and lastly nailed the head to a cross. Prisoners of war likewise had their heads removed, and the head was then put onto a tall pole and placed at their house "in order that the whole house may be under their protection".
Although the Crimean coast eventually came to be dominated by Greek (and subsequently Roman) colonies, notably the one at Chersonesos, the Tauri remained a major threat to Greek power in the region. They engaged in piracy against ships on the Black Sea, mounting raids from their base at Symbolon (today's Balaklava). By the 2nd century BC they had become subject-allies of the Scythian king Scilurus.
In the 4th century AD, the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, mentioned the names of the 3 tribes (Arichi, Sinchi, and Napaei) of the Taurians known as their “extraordinary severity”. [2]
Taurians also played a major role in the development and settlement of the Kizil-Koban Culture (KKC) in the 8th-4th century BC. Osmolovsky, who conducted a research in the Krasnaya (Red) Cave in 1921, pointed out that the arrowheads, ceramics and necklaces found in the Cave were owned by the Taurians. There are several evidence that this culture belongs to the Tauris, such as:
Firstly, in the written sources of the earlier times than the 2nd century BC, there is no mention of any other society living in the Crimean foothills and mountains apart from the Taurians.
Secondly, many artifacts found in Taurians territory and cemeteries were also found in the Kizil- Koba sites. [6][7][8][2][9][10]
See also [ edit ]
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France 's new economy minister, 36-year-old Emmanuel Macron, who has been tasked with tackling long-delayed reforms to reverse the country's decline, is having a hard time. Every statement of his, it seems, provokes a storm of abuse from the politicians to the public.
Mr Macron, a former investment banker who was given his cabinet job less than two months ago, almost immediately suggested that the 35-hour working week – introduced by the Socialist government in 2000 with the aim of reducing unemployment by "sharing" the available work – could be done away with. He was roundly insulted.
Shortly afterwards, he mentioned that 20 per cent of a Breton pork abattoir workforce, laid off because of a plant closure, would find it difficult to get new jobs because they were illiterate and couldn't, for instance, pass a driver's licence exam, barring them from a number of available jobs. The reactions were so venomous that he was nearly punched in the face on the floor of the House by an MP from his own party, Olivier Dussopt. "You've grievously insulted my mother! She's a labourer, she's got no degree, she's been laid off twice already!" Mr Macron had to issue a lengthy public apology.
Mr Macron favours workfare over the current long-term benefits handed out to France's 3.5 million unemployed and suggested in a recent interview that recipients had "duties" as well as "rights". Cue more outrage, with L'Humanité , the Communist daily, howling that he was hand in hand with the employers' federation to "guilt" the jobless.
Mr Macron seems to specialise in straight-talking: in identifying core problems of the French economy and naming them. This is making him one of the most unpopular people in France, because saying blunt truths is seen here as an unforgivable act of aggression.
"The banker Macron? We don't know him, he's never said or done anything that was remotely of the Left," the maverick Socialist defector, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said in a radio interview. "He's not one of us," a columnist in the left-leaning Le Nouvel Observateur thundered. "He's not just from any bank: he's from Rothschild's."
Forty-plus years ago, when almost a third of the French used to cast their vote for a Soviet-backed, avowedly Marxist Communist Party, few reproached President Georges Pompidou's early career at the same Rothschild's Bank. Strangely enough, the level of class invective in France has risen today in inverse proportion, it would seem, to the shrinking of the actual working class.
From 40 per cent of the population then, blue-collar workers have dwindled to half of that and are looking in petrified anguish at the possibility of yet more jobs being outsourced abroad. Apart from the employees of former state monopolies such as SNCF, the railway network, or EDF, the electricity giant, who remain under the iron protection of specific statutes ensuring job security, French workers are aware that if they lose their jobs, they won't find anything half as good again.
The vast majority of the French not directly employed by the state (about one quarter of the workforce) live in a state of pervasive fear of unemployment that is probably impossible to overstate.
One quarter of the under-25s are unemployed; while employers also actively discriminate against over-50s. France is depressed and gloomy. More and more, my native country reminds me of the Britain I knew from my days at school during the Winter of Discontent, those grey and pessimistic times when the joke was that the last person leaving England should remember to turn out the lights. We don't have power cuts yet, but we have more and more power outages. The French, especially in the public sector, go on strike on the flimsiest of pretexts.
Moreover, the country is riven by class envy and doubts most of its public figures. The recent revelation that the leader of the largest union, the Communist-linked CGT, has a flat renovated for his use at the union's expense, complete with home cinema and a terrace offering views of the Bois de Vincennes park in Paris, adds to the general feeling that none of the hitherto trusted figures holding power is deserving of their position.
Like Mr Macron, François Hollande is a graduate of the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA), the incestuous, elite civil service school that shapes most French political and economic leaders. Mr Hollande consciously decided to forget economic realism and pandered to the national psychosis to get elected in 2012. "My enemy is finance!" he thundered. He promised more civil service jobs, that he would reverse most of Nicolas Sarkozy's timid reforms and cuts, and insisted that he "didn't like the rich". Embracing their inner sans-culotte (the Left-wing partisans of the French Revolution), French voters seized his cue enthusiastically.
But, soon enough, it became obvious that Mr Hollande was part and parcel of the same comfortable insider crowd that has been entrusted with power in France for decades. Not only was he an énarque – the name given to a graduate of the ENA – who only hired other énarques; he even narrowed it down to giving three dozen top jobs to the friends he had made in his very own ENA class, between 1978 and 1980.
The Brezhnevian intricacies of the tight circles of power in France are imperfectly understood by the population at large, but there's a certain tone, a way of telling the public that you know what they want better than they do, to which the French have increasingly grown allergic.
Marine Le Pen has tapped into this seething discontent: she now draws as many votes from the disenfranchised Left as from the discontented Right.
This national dismay has been analysed for almost a decade by the young sociologist Christophe Guilluy, now 40, in a series of essays that it has been fashionable to decry in academic and political circles. Mirroring the popular refusal to acknowledge economic reality and accept reform, the elites have dismissed Guilluy's findings because they don't tally with their idealised view of how society should behave.
In, among others, La France Périphérique, Guilluy argues that the true losers in French society are the 60 per cent of the population who can't afford the rents in gentrified city centres where the elite live; who don't want to live in the banlieues (inner-city suburbs) among recent immigrants; and are pushed by property prices further away – to mid-sized towns with few jobs and little opportunity, and old brownfield developments between the true countryside and the large cities where most companies elect to move. Unlike the difficult banlieues, where in addition to a genuine economic pull, the state pours money, builds infrastructure, subsidises schools and develops an entire benefits structure to try to assimilate the newcomers, the peripheral areas, where no rioting takes place, receive little attention and not much help.
"The Socialists think Le Pen voters are stupid. When they say 'these are people with not a single diploma', what they mean is that if they were better educated, they'd vote for them," Guilluy told the French version of online magazine, Slate. Le Pen's avowedly statist solutions reassure those voters who feel that France's declining economic situation mirrors their own. French schools have slipped in the global ratings, and fail some 150,000 children annually; the country's vaunted infrastructure – trains, even the electrical grid – has started falling apart, because maintenance is neglected in favour of paying a workforce with golden contracts.
When Jean Tirole, the founder of the Toulouse School of Economics, was awarded a Nobel Prize, the second this year for France after Patrick Modiano's Prize for Literature, Manuel Valls, the prime minister, tweeted that this would "put an end to French-bashing". Yet Tirole, a graduate of the elite Ecole Polytechnique whose career was largely spent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, shunned the Parisian grandes écoles when he finally returned to France, electing instead to create his own institution in a provincial university. His Nobel Prize is no proof that the French system works; it's a gong awarded to someone who bucked the system.
Mr Macron probably knows that a single tweet from his boss isn't going to resolve the French malaise. When we elected Mr Hollande two and a half years ago, little did we know how fast things could deteriorate. Even hard-won economic success – in our case, Nicolas Sarkozy managing at least to keep things together and running during the financial crisis – can be reversed in moments. All of this feeds even more into the kind of malaise that may eventually get Miss Le Pen elected.
Britain might want to think carefully before voting for Ed Miliband's Labour next year: already there are rumbles of raising taxes that David Cameron lowered, and reversing cuts. This sounds distressingly familiar: if we're any indication, it's a recipe for gloom, doom and disaster.
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Voting is underway in Austria’s parliamentary election.
Embattled Chancellor Christian Kern looks set to lose to the Conservative Peoples Party led by 31 year-old Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who has boosted his party’s popularity with a hard line on refugees.
But Kern’s supporters are optimistic he will win. They say he stands for solidarity and unlike the other candidates he doesn’t just care about rich people and multinational companies.
Opinion polls predict the fight for second place will be a tight race between Kern’s Social Democrats and the Eurosceptic Freedom Party’s candidate Heinz-Christian Strache.
Immigration has dominated campaigning with indications Austria wants a more hardline government. Some people say although they are in favour of immigration, Kurz is right in wanting to regulate the flow of migrants without letting more refugees into the country. Kurz aims to do this by closing the main migration routes through the Balkans and across the Mediterranean.
The last polling stations close at 5pm local time with the first projections due minutes later. A final count is expected later in the evening.
Any tight margins might not be settled on the night, however, since a record number of postal ballots have been issued.
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As former US president Ronald Reagan would say, “Here we go again.” Another mass shooting, this time at the Navy Yard in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. and another virtually unproductive debate over gun control.
Two considerations are likely to ensure that the debate, if it ever gets under way in Congress, will be marked by sterility and lack of political courage. First, if the horrific tragedy last December of the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut, which killed 20 children and six teachers, failed to convince American legislators of the necessity for tougher gun control laws, the shooting at the Navy Yard, tragic as it may be, is less likely to move American legislators to action.
The second consideration relates to the fact that a week before the Washington shooting, the voters recalled two Colorado legislators for daring to support tougher gun control laws. This illustrates both the attachment some Americans have for the Second Amendment that grants them the right to bear arms and the swift punishment they, and their powerful political organisation — the American Rifle Association — are able to mete out to politicians, who do not protect their interests.
This raises some questions about the nature of American democracy. If democracy is broadly defined as government by the people, for the people, then what about the salient feature of the American political system: The unusual power enjoyed by lobbies in setting the legislative agenda?
It seems that American legislators, and politicians in general, are much more sensitive to the pressure of interest groups and lobbies than to public opinion. Consider how a majority of Americans support Palestinian rights, including an independent state; yet Congress consistently votes along the political line prescribed by the powerful Israeli lobby.
Or consider how a majority of Americans are in favour of tougher gun control laws, yet neither Congress nor the president can change that reality. All Barack Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney says is, “the president supports, as do an overwhelming majority of Americans, common-sense measures to reduce gun violence”.
It follows from the above that the democratic principle of government — by the people, for the people — is missing. What we have here, as is evident from the power of the Israeli lobby or the gun lobby, is government by the representatives of the people, not for the people, but for interest groups.
Of course, this does not mean that America is not a democracy; it is a democracy, but like all democracies, it is an imperfect democracy. Nonetheless, the door is open to the people to organise and use their right to petition their government and influence the legislative and political agenda.
This also suggests that in its march towards a more perfect union, and a more just society, American democracy should be realistic in perspective, humble in its preaching, and critical in its self-examination. If we place all these considerations within the present debate of gun control, it will become apparent that the larger debate is inescapably that of a culture rooted in violence and its glorification.
From the early days of colonising of the Americas, the first settlers imposed their authority by force of arms and eliminated the competing indigenous culture. Similarly, the end of Spanish colonialism saw the emergence of American imperial ambitions marked by blood and fire in the Philippines. After the Second World War, only the nuclear deterrence of the Soviet Union deterred John Foster Dulles and the Eisenhower administration from liberating eastern Europe from communism, but American military interventions in central America continued. The Korean War was followed by gradual support for French war in Indochina, and full-fledged war in Vietnam.
Strategic interests in the Middle East led to military ventures in Lebanon, the first Gulf War in 1991, the war in Afghanistan, and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The militarisation of American foreign policy is supported by a huge military industrial complex whose power and interests span the globe. Suffice to say that the US is the largest exporter of weapons in the world and, alone, accounts for three-quarters of the world’s arms trade.
Violence pervades the popular culture. Hollywood continues to be the world centre of violent entertainment. There are hardly any practical examples of the alternative to violence as a conflict resolution model — outside academic accounts in curricular materials. Even the television productions of cartoons offer no alternative to violence to settle disputes. My three-year-old nephew finds it hilarious to pull his father’s nose with one hand and hit him on the forehead with the clenched fist of his other hand, courtesy Tom And Jerry.
There are reportedly 300 million firearms privately owned in the US; and 84 people are killed every single day with guns.
According to the Children’s Defence Fund, since 1979, gun violence has been responsible for the deaths of 119,079 children in America. This is more than the American lives lost in the First World War (53,402), Vietnam (47,434) and the Iraq war (3,517) combined.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a leading democrat and advocate of gun control legislation, in lamenting the Navy Yard shooting, mourned “the litany of massacres” the country has suffered, and asked “when will enough be enough?”
Adel Safty is distinguished visiting professor and special adviser to the rector at the Siberian Academy of Public Administration, Russia. His book, Might Over Right, is endorsed by Noam Chomsky and published in England by Garnet, 2009.
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Kim Jong Nam died Monday soon after becoming ill at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before an outbound flight to Macau.
Lee Cheol Woo, chairman of South Korea's National Assembly Intelligence Committee, told a press briefing Wednesday that Kim had been poisoned, and the suspects were "presumed to be two Asian females."
It's not clear how he obtained that information or how Kim was poisoned.
South Korea's Unification Ministry told CNN they were working with Malaysian authorities to get additional information.
Many questions still remain around Kim's killing.
Police have described the incident as a "sudden death," pending the results of a postmortem investigation. South Korean media is reporting that Kim was in his 40s.
"So far there are no suspects, but we have started investigations and are looking at a few possibilities to get leads," Selangor State Criminal Investigations Department Chief Fadzil Ahmat told Reuters.
"The deceased ... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind," Fadzil said. "He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the ... counter of KLIA."
South Korea's acting President and Prime Minister held a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss the death, according to a statement released by the Blue House.
Fall from grace
Kim Jong Nam was the most public of all of Kim Jong Il's sons before Kim Jong Un took power, though most remember him for the scandalous headlines he made.
Reports surfaced that Kim Jong Nam fell from favor from the ruling family after he was caught trying to sneak a visit to Tokyo Disneyland using a forged document in 2001 -- an assertion that one journalist who spoke to Kim countered in a 2012 book.
In a picture taken in 2010, Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, waves after an interview with South Korean media representatives in Macau.
It is not clear when he left North Korea, but Kim Jong Nam spent time living in Macau and China and was absent from his father's funeral in 2011, fueling earlier rumors that he had been banished from the country.
Kim was an overweight and careless playboy, but also a smart and open-minded man who was willing to speak out against the family, according to Yoji Gomi, the author of the 2012 book "My Father, Kim Jong Il, and Me."
"He spoke out against his father's 'military first' policy," Gomi told CNN in 2012. "He wants North Korea to embrace economic reform and open its doors."
Kim Jong Nam believed his youngest brother, Kim Jong Un would fail as North Korea's leader, according to Gomi -- though the two brothers never met because of the ancient practice of raising potential successors separately.
A third sibling, Kim Jong Chul, was rumored to have been ruled out as his father's successor for being too "effeminate," Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations wrote in 2012.
Kim Jong Nam seen arriving at the Beijing International Airport in 2007
Leadership purges
The eldest Kim brother's death comes as Kim Jong Un has purged senior leadership around him, including firing the minister of state security -- one of his top lieutenants -- earlier this month.
A report published by a South Korean think tank at the end of December claimed that Kim had ordered the execution of 340 people since coming to power.
The news of Kim Jong Nam's death broke two days after Pyongyang conducted its first ballistic missile test of 2017.
North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of its new, nuclear capable Pukguksong-2 missile, which it described as successful.
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NBC just won another premiere week in TV ratings, finishing No. 1 among adults 18-49 for the sixth year in a row. That’s the longest such streak in Nielsen’s People Meter History.
CBS was again first in total viewers for the start to the official Fall TV season, marking nine straight years as “America’s Most-Watched Network.” (Yeah, the claim is legit). That’s practically a formality to even report at this point, but still obviously a praiseworthy achievement.
For NBC (and all of television), “Sunday Night Football” again led the way — though its host network still topped the competition when one excludes sports and news programming ratings. Yeah, that’s how strong “This Is Us” and “The Voice” are in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic, and the “Will & Grace” return certainly didn’t hurt.
Also Read: Ratings: Fox's 'The Gifted' Premiere Solid, But Still Falls to 'The Voice' and 'DWTS'
See all the Week 1 averages below for the Big 4 broadcast networks. All numbers in this story come from Nielsen’s Live + Same Day ratings metric, and encompass September 25 through October 1.
Adults 18-49
1) NBC: 2.1
2) CBS: 1.9
3) Fox: 1.3
4) ABC: 1.0
Total Viewers
1) CBS: 9.5 million
2) NBC: 7.8 million
3) ABC: 5.8 million
4) Fox: 3.2 million
Also Read: Ratings: Weak 'Toy Box,' 'Ten Days in the Valley' Premieres Banish ABC to Last Place Among Big 4
Entertainment Programming (no sports or news)
1) NBC: 1.5
2) (tie) ABC: 1.3
2) (tie) CBS: 1.3
4) Fox: 1.1
Last year, NBC tied the prior record of five premiere week wins in a row, which was set by ABC from 2005 through 2009. Those Nielsen People Meters date back to 1987, by the way.
CBS can point to “The Big Bang Theory,” its spinoff “Young Sheldon,” and top drama “NCIS” for hogging all of those overall eyeballs.
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KAMLOOPS — A Vancouver man is dead after an accident at a Kamloops shooting competition.
Kamloops RCMP say the man was participating in a pistol competition at the Kamloops Target Sports Shooting Complex on West Trans Canada Highway yesterday.
Investigators say the man lost control of his firearm and it fired a shot into his torso.
Bystanders administered first aid until BC Ambulance attendants arrived and rushed the victim to Royal Inland Hospital.
He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says this type of accident is almost unheard of.
"A gun range is one of the safest places to be," said Shelkie.
"There are a lot of rules and restrictions and monitoring done. I've never heard of anyone being injured on a firing range before. This was a very tragic accident."
Police have identified the victim as a 50 year old man from Vancouver.
A social media post has identified the victim as Dr. Richard Cho.
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Correction to this article
SUMMER begins on May 7th, at least according to Hollywood's calendar. On that day “Iron Man 2” is due to be released in American and Asian cinemas (it appeared a week earlier in Europe, to take advantage of the May Day holiday). Like many modern blockbusters, the film trades on nostalgia. It is based on a comic-book series that began in the 1960s and even features a Russian baddie. This is appropriate, given the state of the film business. Technological progress and changes in tastes mean that Hollywood depends more and more on the old-fashioned practice of showing films in cinemas.
Film exhibition was until recently a humdrum business. The formula for success was simple: sell lots of tickets at the same price, then funnel punters past salty popcorn and fizzy drinks. Cinemas keep about half the price of a ticket and up to 90% of the money spent at concession stands. For film-makers, showing movies in cinemas was important not so much in its own right but as a means of drawing attention to a product, the most profitable incarnations of which would appear later. The real money was in home entertainment, especially sales of DVDs.
But now the pendulum is swinging back towards the box office. In 2009 global box-office revenues increased by 7.6%, but total revenue for the biggest Hollywood studios fell by 4.3%, “due to the collapse of consumer spending on DVDs”, according to Bernstein, a research firm.
Since 2005 North American box-office receipts have risen by 20% (see chart). Ticket sales grew strongly during the recession, as people sought a cheapish night out, and have not slowed. Box Office Mojo, which tracks films, estimates that box-office receipts this year are running at 6% above last year's level. Elsewhere cinema is healthier still. Ticket sales outside America and Canada have risen by 35% since 2005 and are now worth about two-thirds of the global total. A boom in multiplexes—that is, cinemas with at least eight screens—is unlocking latent demand. In 2006 Russians made a total of 89.5m visits to the cinema. Last year they made 132.3m. This is especially surprising in a country where the number of young people is falling.
Meanwhile revenues from DVDs, Blu-ray discs and digital copies of films together have fallen by 8% in America since 2005, according to the Digital Entertainment Group. That figure, which includes rentals and sales of such things as exercise videos, flatters Hollywood. Stephen Prough of Salem Partners, an investment bank, says DVD sales of new films fell by 17% between 2008 and 2009 alone. The main culprit, he says, is the emergence of cheap, convenient rental services such as Netflix and Redbox. Although the drop has been less steep elsewhere, people in other countries never bought many DVDs.
What is driving the cinema boom? The most obvious answer, for consumers, is the rise of three-dimensional films. Audiences have flocked to films like “Avatar”, a vaguely ecological fantasy, and “Alice in Wonderland”. In North America 3-D films drove almost all the growth in box-office receipts last year. Although the premium that cinemas charge for 3-D films has risen steeply from as little as $1 per ticket to $3 or more, consumers have not balked. “We still don't know how much they are willing to pay,” says David Passman, chief executive of Carmike, a cinema chain.
More important, though less visible, is the digitisation of cinema. The number of screens served by digital projectors worldwide rose from about 3,000 to 16,400 between 2006 and 2009, according to Screen Digest, a research firm. That primed the explosion in 3-D films: it is hard, though not impossible, to project a 3-D image using old-fashioned film. Digitisation has made it easier for multiplex owners to shuffle films around screens to cope with surges in demand. And satellite distribution is making it easier and cheaper for films to open simultaneously around the world.
Digitisation is a particular boon to IMAX, a Canadian firm that makes bigger, taller screens. Once associated with films of fish in natural-history museums, IMAX now offers its products to multiplexes (the first few rows of seats are sometimes removed to accommodate the bigger screens). For the past 18 months it has been converting two to three screens a week. This would have been almost impossible without digitisation. Its larger film size means it costs about $25,000 to make a single print of an IMAX film. The need to recoup such costs necessitated long film runs. Now that IMAX films can be delivered digitally for a few hundred dollars, they can be programmed more like ordinary films. Cinemas tend to charge 30-40% above the ordinary ticket price.
Cinema-owners have long suspected that, by charging the same amount to see a $2m independent film and a $200m blockbuster, they were leaving money on the table. The response to 3-D films and IMAX proves that they were. Cinema is evolving from a commodity into a business that sells differentiated products at varied prices. The example of India suggests that there is room for further differentiation.
Multiplexes are rising in many Indian cities: Mumbai alone has added more than 75 screens in the past five years, says Anil Arjun, chief executive of Reliance MediaWorks. They appeal to, and are priced for, India's aspirant middle class. Fame, a cinema chain, charges an average of 141 rupees ($3.15) per ticket, in a country where daily income per person is just 120 rupees. Some cinemas have replaced rows of seats with widely spaced reclining chairs, with tray tables and waiter service. This model appears to be spreading to the West. Carmike has opened a cinema in Tennessee that serves alcohol and food, to great success. The draw seems to be not just comfortable seats, but the absence of teenagers.
Film-makers are adapting to these changes. India's new cinemas have given rise to “multiplex films”, focused on the concerns of affluent youngsters and with somewhat less singing and dancing than in standard Bollywood fare. Elsewhere the rise of 3-D and the super-sizing of screens are leading studios to focus on visual spectaculars. “French table dramas do not look much better on IMAX,” notes Julian Stanford, who manages that company's business in Europe and Africa. The growth of screens outside America also favours big action films: an explosion is an explosion, regardless of language.
The loser, as so often, is grown-up drama. In the past two years the big studios have shut or run down “specialty” divisions like Focus Features and Miramax (the latter may yet return, in a much depleted state, to Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who founded it). Fans of such films are out of luck. They should certainly steer clear of cinemas this summer.
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So now we know where Sergey Aleynikov, the former Goldman Sachs computer programmer arrested last week for stealing the enigmatic code that Goldman says could be used to manipulate markets, sent the code: a URL called xp-dev.com.
Serge told an FBI agent that he uploaded proprietary code on "multiple occasions." The place he sent the code looks like it is a site that allows programmers to track code as it gets duplicated and changed through subsequent versions.
From Bloomberg:
Xp-dev.com is registered to London resident Roopinder Singh, who describes himself on a blog linked to the site as a trading systems developer working in London's financial services industry. The site offers "subversion hosting," letting users track current and previous versions of programming code and other documents.
Singh told his customers in the blog yesterday that he'd been contacted by "local UK authorities," who had seized his hard drives to examine them and shut his service down for 45 hours, beginning on July 6, two days after Aleynikov's arrest.
"It turns out that some idiotic moron a user had uploaded data on to the service that he/she was not authorized to have," he said, crossing out the words "some idiotic moron." "This is your basic intellectual property theft case here."
And here's Bloomberg columnist Jonathan Weil on the Goldman "doomsday machine" (via ZeroHedge).
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Deep Sea Squid With Teeth
True or False?
Squid with human-looking teeth? Add to that eight legs and two tentacles, and we’ve got one very odd-looking Promachoteuthis sulcus. This deep sea squid is the only specimen ever seen. It was found in 2007 by a German research vessel, R/V Walther Herwig, in the southern Atlantic ocean, at a depth of 5,740–6,560 ft (1,750–2,000 m).
Squid With Teeth?
As for the “teeth”, they’re not actually teeth at all, but circular, folded lips with only the upper and lower portions visible. Deep inside the mouth, it had a small razor-sharp beak, used to chop and chew prey.
It is distinguished from related taxa on the basis of several morphological features: nuchal fusion between the head and mantle, much larger size of arm suckers compared to club suckers, greater width of tentacle base than arm base, a recessed club base, and the presence of an aboral tentacle groove.
This squid was an immature female and only 1 inch (25 mm) long.
Location South Atlantic: 37°S, 12°W Comments The squid seems to have a set of dentures. The “dentures” are the circular, folded lips, of which only the upper and lower portions can be seen. The lips surround the beaks which are not visible in this photograph. Specimen Condition Preserved Sex Female Life Cycle Stage Immature Body Part brachial crown View Oral Size 25 mm ML Collection NMNH 730702 Type Holotype Image Use This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License – Version 3.0. Copyright © 2003 Richard E. Young Attached to Group Promachoteuthis sulcus: view page image collection Title PromachSpCOral.jpg Image Type Photograph Image Content Specimen(s) ID 4738
SOURCE: tolweb.org
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This is the funniest thing I have read all day.
On last night’s Late Night with Conan O'Brien, when asked if he regrets any of the 150 films he has acted in over the years, acclaimed actor Dennis Hopper had this to say:
I made a picture called Super Mario Bros., and my six-year-old son at the time -- he's now 18 -- he said, 'Dad, I think you're probably a pretty good actor, but why did you play that terrible guy King Koopa in Super Mario Bros.?' and I said, 'Well Henry, I did that so you could have shoes,' and he said, 'Dad, I don't need shoes that badly.'
Best story ever!
So, I guess Dennis Hopper made official what we all pretty much knew all along: he took the role of King Koopa for money. Man, where the heck did I put that surprise face?!
What do you think? Do you love Dennis Hopper even more now? How much do you love/hate Super Mario Bros. (the movie, of course)? And, can someone please explain to me ... WHY THE HECK IS KING KOOPA A HUMAN IN THAT MOVIE?!
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For years I've heard that year X is the year of the Linux desktop and I've always scoffed at it. I scoffed because it's ridiculous to think that Linux or Mac OS X or anything could supplant Windows on the desktop. That is until now. And don't get me wrong, it won't happen for at least another year in businesses but for personal computing and BYOD, it's already happening. The Linux that's taking over the desktop is called the Chrome OS and it will happen on the Chromebook device.
Read this Acer unveils first Chromebook with Haswell for $249 The fight between ARM and Intel just got more interesting as Acer unveils a new Chromebook for $249 with Haswell. Read More
Yes, I know I write a lot about Chromebooks but they fascinate me. I'm kind of obsessed by them. I wish that I had been more receptive to them two years ago when I first saw one. But I guess there's a time and a place for everything. And it just wasn't my time yet.
But the business Chromebook revolution is about to happen and either you'll be part of it or you'll be left behind.
Fortunately, the learning curve isn't very steep. You can easily catch up. Chromebooks are easy to use.
For business, Chromebooks make sense because they're inexpensive, secure, and reliable. No moving parts is a very good thing.
But let's get back to the whole idea of subverting Windows with the ChromeOS. It's Linux and it's the desktop.
The primary drivers behind this idea of desktop Windows displacement are:
Interface - People don't like Windows 8.x. Price - People are tired of the constant hardware, software, and OS upgrade cycle. Security - People are tired of viruses, malware, and hacks. Loss - People are tired of losing data when a disk crashes or a device is stolen. Battery Life - Mobile users need longer battery life. Usability - More versatile than a tablet. Less cumbersome than a laptop. Browser-based - The future of software is SaaS.
Interface
I think that, for businesses, Windows 7 is the new XP because users don't want to make the switch to Windows 8.x. The transition from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 was easier than the transition from Windows XP, Vista, 7 to Windows 8.x and there are some people who will never make that transition. I even gave up on Windows 8.x and went back to Windows 7 on the "floating" laptop that my wife and kids use as a community computer. It was frustrating for them and it's frustrating for me to use. Sorry Microsoft, I really tried. I hated it, I liked it, I even had a brief moment of Windows 8.x love, but now I'm back to "It's just too much trouble". I predict that businesses will go Chromebook before they go Windows 8.x. This might spell the end for Windows on the desktop. Unless Microsoft makes a big change in Windows 9.x or whatever they call it.
Price
Do you ever feel like there's a conspiracy between hardware manufacturers and Microsoft? Each new OS has new features that require new hardware and new hardware requires a new OS. It's like changing from 8-track tapes and vinyl records to cassettes to CDs to MP3s. The only people who win are the ones who sell the stuff.
On that note about music (You have to admit it's been a while since I've gone off on a good tangential digression), the RIAA is so ready to sue people for swapping songs and downloading music but each time the format changed over the years, we never got any rebates, trade-ins, or discounts to upgrade our music to the next big thing. Or at least I didn't. Nope. Each time, it cost me hundreds or thousands of dollars to replace my collection in the next format. Now, I have hundreds of CDs lying around and no one even wants them anymore. The same goes for my hardware and software. The old stuff is just a loss.
I, personally, am tired of feeling pressured or forced to upgrade every two to three years because of the latest OS or the latest hardware. It's too expensive. It's time for the hardware revolution to benefit the consumer. The Chromebook will do that for us.
Security
I write a lot about security too. I hate having to install antivirus software on everything, keep it updated, and hope it doesn't corrupt something in my OS that it thinks is a virus. I hate having to worry about keeping my systems patched because someone in a bookstore might scan and hack my system. I hate having to waste my time scanning for malware and updating the malware software. And I hate having to wonder what email beastie some friend of mine will innocently send me that will take hours or days to fix.
With a Chromebook, I can reboot or reset the whole thing and not have to worry about evil gremlins that lurk about. I'm tired of the irritation of having to remove Conduit Search because I chose to download a freeware utility. I think you get the point. I'm tired of fighting every security windmill that I encounter. I want an operating system and a device that's secure to use. It makes me happy to use ChromeOS for that reason alone.
Loss
Yes, I know I'm supposed to backup my files and I do. But there are a lot of people and businesses that don't—or they do, but then find that their backups are no good. It's happened to me more times than I can count. If you've kept up with my blog/column here, you know the stories of failed backups or having no backups.
It's a very common problem.
But with ChromeOS and a Chromebook, you have to store your files in the cloud. I know, the horrible cloud—the evil cloud that everyone hates. Well, I don't hate it. I like it because it gives me a backup that I didn't have before. I'm forced to use it. I'm OK with being forced to use it.
Battery Life
Sure some laptops manufacturers have created laptops with longer battery lives but the tradeoff is weight and heat. The term laptop is really a misnomer. You probably can't keep one on your lap for very long.
My Acer C720 has a very long battery life. Eight hours long to be precise. Eight hours of untethered bliss. I can carry my C720 to any WiFi-enabled location and enjoy the feeling of only carrying that three pound wonder with me. It's funny that we have a local pizza joint here that sells a "3-pounder". I never thought of it as having the same weight as a Chromebook. But I ask you, what's better than using a three pound Chromebook while eating a pizza called the 3-pounder? I got nothing.
The point is that battery life is important to those of us who like to change locations with our computers. The longer the better. I love the idea of being able to work an entire day untethered, especially if I forget my power cord, which actually happened to me when I went to Austin last year for Spiceworld. I forgot my laptop power cord. I had to really just not use it at all because the power on it lasts for two hours if I'm lucky. Fortunately, I had my iPad in an iHome case that included a keyboard. Without that, I would have been wandering around with just an iPhone trying to write notes, check email, and play Angry Birds. I know, I know...First World Problem, there Ken.
Usability
The Chromebook is an extremely portable device. At only three pounds, a full keyboard, and a screen that rivals any laptop computer, there's just no competition for it on the usability scale. You can hook it up to external devices such as monitors, keyboards, mice, wired network connections, and more. You can't do that with a tablet.
And unless you like lugging around a standard laptop with a power cable, the Chromebook lightens your load. That's great for me because I'm usually also burdened with a DSLR camera, an extra lens or two, and maybe an extra camera or two in my camera bag. I don't need another eight or ten pounds of added weight hanging on me.
Plus, when I'm busy, I don't want to wait for my laptop to come on and I can't afford to just put it in sleep mode because that takes some power too. I also don't want to wait on a bunch of stuff to close or the OS to ask me to force applications to close. Just close already. Chromebooks are instant on, instant off.
Browser-based Everything
If you haven't heard, software as a service (SaaS) is kind of a big deal. Even Microsoft sees that writing on the wall with it's Office Online, Office 365, and Outlook.com webified Office applications. In fact, I'm using Word Online right now on my Chromebook. Awesome? Yes.
Between webified applications and virtual application solutions such as those from 2x Software and Citrix, there's no reason to use localized applications anymore.
Even Intuit has created an online version of Quickbooks, which was one of the last reasons why some people needed to stay on Windows or Mac systems. Well now's your chance to make the leap to web-based everything.
Frankly, I'm ready to see the ChromeOS and the Chromebook revolution. It's way overdue. When I spoke to folks from Acer a few days ago, I made the prediction to them that the Chromebooks for business revolution is about one year away—setting my sights on Fall 2015. Acer currently owns 51% of the retail Chromebook market. If I were to give someone business advice, I'd say "Gear up for the coming onslaught of business adoption of the Chromebook".
Read this Chromebook Pixel revisited: One of the best laptops I've used Google's expensive laptop generates a lot of knee-jerk reactions in discussions, and rightly so. It's worth pointing out that for this writer, it is one of the best laptops I've ever used. Read More
Although I made some clever suggestions and some wild guesses, Acer is playing its cards close and not letting anyone know what's to come but if I were a betting man, and I'm not, I'd say that they're going to manufacture tiered Chromebook offerings: A personal Chromebook, an education Chromebook, and a business Chromebook. And the differences will be in number of ports, screen size, and possibly a docking accessory for business use. They wouldn't throw me a crumb on anything upcoming and I'm just guessing here, but I think I'm pretty smart for an old country boy. Keep your eye on Acer in the next year*.
What do you think of my outline of Linux usurping Microsoft's hold on the desktop? Do you think the ChromeOS and Chromebooks can do it finally or is this another lame prediction from another myopic techno-journalist writer type? Talk back and let me know.
*Disclaimer: I don't own any Acer stock or hold any stake in Acer except for the many Acer products that I've bought over the years—all of them still operational, by the way.
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Last year, officials with the city of Virginia Beach more or less told Millennials looking for better public transportation to hit the road. Now the city is posting prominent signs forbidding bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, and “motorized skateboards” in Town Center, the privately owned, open-air plaza that amounts to the city’s central downtown shopping district.* The ban extends to public sidewalks adjoining the mall.
Beach towns skewed toward older, wealthier residents are famous for cantankerous restrictions on movement, speech, and noise that often seem to target younger people—no boomboxes after 9 p.m., hooligans! Scrub your filthy mouths!
On this theme, Virginia Beach is a curious variation: Though it relies heavily on tourism, it’s not exactly a sleepy getaway for retirees. It’s a spread-out city of 450,000 people—the largest in the state—with numerous military bases and a fairly diversified economy. Its Millennial population is growing faster than in most places in the country.
Yet local officials seem to yearn to be as unfriendly as possible to young people and their mobility preferences. Last year, the Virginia Beach City Treasurer John Atkinson quipped that the town could do without younger citizens supporting a light rail expansion proposal (which died in the November ballots): “The city of Virginia Beach offers something to those willing to pay for it,” he said. “Those that want a freebie [of subsidized transit] can move to Norfolk.”
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AOC E2252SWDN 21.5" Full-HD 1080p LED-backlit Monitor, 20M:1, 5ms, DVI-D with HDCP
The widescreen e2252Swdn comes with a piano-black glossy bezel, back cover, and base. The LED monitor has 21.5” viewable image and 20 million to 1 contrast ratio for that bright, crisp colors. The e2252Swdn is eco-friendly, both EPEAT Silver and Energy-Star certified. Being ultra-slim and lightweight, you won’t have to worry about lack of space at all.
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AOC E2470SWHE 23.6" Full-HD LED-backlit Monitor with Narrow Bezel
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AOC’s E2470SWHE has a slim design and extra narrow bezel that is perfect for saving desktop space, while giving you the optimum 23.6” viewable image screen with 16:9 aspect ratio. The LED backlit monitor runs a maximum 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution. The E2470SWHE comes with VGA and HDMI ports for your needs for high-quality digital video and audio.
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NEW DELHI: The QS World University Rankings has ranked Delhi University among the 100 best places to study English. Even as Indian institutions of higher education have drawn flak for failing to make the top 200 in overall university rankings, DU’s English department features in the 51-100 group in QS’ annual survey.English (or language) departments of three other Indian universities have made QS’ list by subject (in this case, English language and literature) — Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Calcutta and University of Hyderabad. But unlike DU’s department, they are in the 151-200 ranks group.In English teaching , DU is in the same league as Pennsylvania State University , St Andrew’s University and University of Sussex — all in the 51-100 category. DU’s English is better than that of Purdue University Nottingham University and University of Liverpool . Only the first 50 in the list (topped by Cambridge University ) have been ranked individually.Teachers cite a number of reasons for the success of DU’s English department. "First, it’s the profile of the department in terms of research and publications. We are on top in subaltern studies, in post-colonial studies. Then, the numbers — we have 600 MA students, of whom 10-15 are as good as anybody," says a professor. He adds that India is not considered modern for technology but for the ideas of democracy and freedom, and those belong to the domain of humanities. The department is a part of the University Grants Commission’s Special Assistance Programme."It is a matter of great happiness," says another member of the department, "but we should be aiming even higher." They can allow themselves only a bit of smugness as, ironically, they have been skeptical of such lists. "Such rankings are quite arbitrary," says a professor right after sharing the "very nice" piece of news.(The QS World University Rankings is known to be one of the three most influential and widely observed international university rankings, along with the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.)
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I have done few pictures during the event and next Saturday we will try to push more and fixing the actual issue about thermal compound. At the moment we have some issue about cracking! The EVGA Frostbite starts cracking very easly and we have to find another solution
Few pics!
More pics
Two weeks ago at AK Informatica we have done a little overclock show with high-end rig based on Intel X99. The italian clocker Pixy, from NBCL Team Clockers, reached 5.7GHz on his -unlucky- i7-5960X CPU paired with MSI X99A Xpower and Kingston DDR4 Predaor 4x4GB 2666.I have done few pictures during the event and next Saturday we will try to push more and fixing the actual issue about thermal compound. At the moment we have some issue about cracking! The EVGA Frostbite starts cracking very easly and we have to find another solutionFew pics!
Posted on: 2015/5/21 11:45
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Share. Planned for a May 2015 release. Planned for a May 2015 release.
Developer Renegade Kid, creators of Dementium, Moon Chronicles and Mutant Mudds, announced survival-horror game Cult County earlier this week.
Bringing together aspects of The Walking Dead, Silent Hill and Resident Evil, Cult County is the "rebirth of the survival horror FPS genre, crafted with fan input," according to Renegade Kid. The developer is using Kickstarter to fund the title's development, looking for $580,000 USD to bring Cult County to PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One and Wii U.
Cult County was originally planned as a 3DS eShop title, but Renegade Kid says the game has "grown beyond the scope" of Nintendo's handheld system. "We do not want to compromise our vision for the game," writes Renegade Kid. "We are excited by the opportunity home consoles and computers offer the game and hope you share our enthusiasm."
There is still some hope for a 3DS version of Cult County, though. "If there is enough interest in seeing Cult County on the 3DS, a Nintendo 3DS stretch goal could be added," writes Renegade Kid. "However, it would need to cover the cost of developing a separate game entirely, as we would need to rebuild the game from scratch with our proprietary 3DS engine."
Planned for a May 2015 release, Cult County is an episodic series, with a special $15 USD early adopter season pass available and then the price increasing to $20 USD after the initial allotment is sold out. Renegade Kid also is releasing Moon Chronicles later this year for the 3DS eShop, another episodic series.
Exit Theatre Mode
Evan Campbell is a freelance news writer who chats about Nintendo games weekly on the NF Show. You can also check out what he's saying on Twitter.
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While I was on vacation, shutting it down as best I could, Amani Toomer said Tony Romo was better than Eli Manning. Statistically. Or something to that effect.
A few folks reached out to me asking for my take on the situation, to which I pretty much said, "Do you really need me to put down this (remote control/7-iron/ice-cold beer) to add to the legions saying how dumb that statement is?"
Frankly, I couldn't have said it any better than Michael Strahan, anyway.
Today, during an appearance on WFAN's Boomer and Carton show, Manning gave what I believe was his first take on the situation.
"You’ve got to laugh about it," Manning said of offseason commentary and criticism in general before turning toward Toomer's comments specifically. "I saw Toomer not too long ago. I just walked up to him and said, 'You know what, I thought Ike Hilliard (was) a better Giants receiver than you were. Willie Ponder was probably a better receiver than you were.' … You’ve got to laugh about it instead of getting upset. There’s no point.
"Amani’s been a good pal of mine and still is, so you’ve got to laugh about it."
So there. Manning's feelings aren't hurt, just like they weren't last year with all of the backlash to the "elite" stuff.
"Working to try to become one," he said, his tongue seemingly planted in his cheek when Carton opened with a just-as-facetious question about whether he thinks he's elite yet.
Oh, and Manning also was asked if he heard Michael Vick's saying the Philadelphia Eagles could be a dynasty.
"Of course, of course. You always have to have some breaking news in the offseason," Manning said. "Obviously, we’ve got to play football. I know they’re a talented team and they’ve got great players. We’ve got some good players on our team as well, so we’ll see Philadelphia down the road. Right now, we’re just getting ready for training camp and seeing how we can get better."
* * * *
Manning on rookies David Wilson and Rueben Randle: "They both had a good spring. The thing about David Wilson is he’s the fastest running back we’ve ever had. I mean, this guy’s; quick, he’s explosive, so that’s kind of exciting. Our running backs over the years have been the powerful, big guy. With those young guys at running back, it’s all about learning protections. If I start changing plays, they have to know exactly what they’re doing, the routes off that and blocking guys. You slowly work them in, you have a small amount of plays in a special package for them that they can get comfortable with and then you get them in the mix.
"So training camp will be a big help for (Wilson), getting him in some live games in the preseason will help and the same thing for Rueben. I thought he had a good spring. He has a good feel for things, very smooth, catches the ball well, I think he picked up our offense pretty well for the first time hearing it. So the same thing - training camp just more repetitions, some live action and making decisions, making adjustments on the routes based on the coverage and just learning all those things."
* * * *
Manning was asked if he's heard from WR Hakeem Nicks on his recovery from a broken foot.
"Yeah, (I've) been around Hakeem, talked to him throughout the summer. He said he's feeling good and getting better," Manning said. "Obviously, just gotta wait until Thursday and see him at training camp and see kind of what his progress and what his training camp schedule practice-wise will be."
I'll have more from Manning later this week as a conclusion to our Giants summer questionnaire series.
* * * *
One other note: free-agent S Deon Grant told the Augusta Chronicle he expects to return to the Giants at some point during training camp. While that may well wind up being the case, my sense is that's anything but a foregone conclusion on the Giants' side, as they first want to take a look at what they have on the roster. We'll keep an eye on this situation as camp develops.
(Minutes after I posted this entry, Justin Tuck tweeted the Giants should re-sign Grant.)
Mike Garafolo: mgarafolo@starledger.com
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Seoul Namdaemun police have arrested a woman for allegedly stealing money from a foreign tourist on Aug. 20. She had served 16 years in prison after stealing money from foreign tourists 14 times. / Courtesy of Twitter
By Lee Jin-a
A pickpocket who has been convicted 14 times for stealing money from foreign tourists has been caught again.
Namdaemun Police Station said Thursday a woman, surnamed Lee, is under arrest for allegedly taking a wallet from a Thai woman, 34, at a sports shop in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, in central Seoul. The victim had 7 million won ($6,400) in her wallet.
According to police, Lee, 51, served 16 years in prison for stealing from tourists and was released in May. She robbed the Thai woman on Aug. 20, police said.
After analyzing security camera footage, police found that Lee searched for foreign female tourists in the busy shopping district in Myeongdong, followed the one she targeted and committed the crime.
Police suspect Lee is responsible for other thefts and will continue their investigation.
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Jared Allen has done a lot of things in his career, but he’s never played in a Super Bowl.
So he’s not going to let a broken bone in his foot stop him from trying to get there.
According to Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review, the Panthers veteran defensive end is practicing today, as he tries to see if he’s able to play Sunday night against the Cardinals.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera has said all week Allen is doubtful, after breaking a small bone in his foot late in last week’s win over the Seahawks. And beyond that, he wants to make sure Allen can be effective, beyond just getting on the field, as pass-rushers are going to be at a premium against the Cardinals.
So how much Allen does today will be a good indication of whether he’s able to play.
The 33-year-old Allen has 136.0 career sacks, but just 2.0 of them came with the Panthers this year after coming over in trade with the Bears.
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Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults and children since the 1970’s. While some recent estimates suggest that the overall rates of obesity have plateaued or even declined among certain groups, obesity is widespread and continues to be a leading public health problem in the U.S. In addition, severe obesity is a serious and increasing problem among children, adolescents, and adults. Substantial disparities also exist based on race-ethnicity, gender, age, geographic region, and socioeconomic status.
Adult Obesity in the U.S.
The latest data indicate that 39.6 percent of U.S. adults are obese. (Another 31.6 percent are overweight and 7.7 percent are severely obese.) In general, rates of obesity are higher for Black and Hispanic women, for Hispanic men, in the South and Midwest, in nonmetropolitan counties, and tend to increase with age.
Racial-Ethnic Disparities
Recent national data show that 54.8 percent of Black women and 50.6 percent of Hispanic women are obese compared to 38.0 percent of White women. Rates of obesity are higher for Hispanic men (43.1 percent) compared to White men (37.9 percent) and Black men (36.9 percent). Obesity rates for Asian women (14.8 percent) and men (10.1 percent) are much lower than the rates for the other racial-ethnic groups. The table below highlights these and other selected data on adult obesity from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Additional analyses show that severe obesity rates are higher among women (9.9 percent) than men (5.5 percent), especially among Black women who have approximately double the rates of severe obesity as White and Hispanic women (16.8 percent versus 9.7 percent and 8.7 percent).
U.S. Age-Adjusted Prevalence of Adult Obesity (NHANES 2015-2016)
Obesity BMI >/=
30 kg/m2 All Adults
39.6% All Females 41.1% White (non-Hispanic) 38.0% Black (non-Hispanic) 54.8% Asian (non-Hispanic) 14.8% Hispanic 50.6% All Males 37.9% White (non-Hispanic) 37.9% Black (non-Hispanic) 36.9% Asian (non-Hispanic) 10.1% Hispanic 43.1%
Source: Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M.D., & Ogden, C. L. (2018). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults aged 20 and over: United States, 1960-1962 through 2015-2016. Health E-Stats, September 2018.
Child Obesity in the U.S.
According to the latest national figures, 18.5 of U.S. children are obese. (Another 16.6 percent are overweight and 5.6 percent are severely obese.) Obesity rates tend to be higher and have increased more rapidly over time among Black and Hispanic children than White children. The prevalence also is higher among children living in rural areas.
Racial-Ethnic Disparities
Based on national data, 13.5 percent of White girls are obese compared to 25.1 percent of Black and 23.6 percent of Hispanic girls. About 28 percent of Hispanic boys are obese, compared to 19.0 percent and 14.6 percent of Black and White boys, respectively. Rates are substantially lower for Asian boys and girls.
While little national data are available on Native American children, several studies have found much higher obesity rates compared to the national average and other racial-ethnic groups. For example, one study estimates that 29.7 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native children are obese.
The following table provides some of the most recent data on child and adolescent obesity from NHANES.
U.S. Prevalence of Child Obesity (NHANES 2015-2016)
Obesity BMI >/= 95th percentile All Children 18.5% 2-5 year olds 13.9% 6-11 year olds 18.4% 12-19 year olds 20.6% All Females
2-19 years old 17.1% White (non-Hispanic) 13.5% Black (non-Hispanic) 25.1% Asian (non-Hispanic) 10.1% Hispanic 23.6% All Males
2-19 years old 19.1% White (non-Hispanic) 14.6% Black (non-Hispanic) 19.0% Asian (non-Hispanic) 11.7% Hispanic 28.0%
Source: Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M.D., & Ogden, C. L. (2018). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2-19 years: United States, 1963-1965 through 2015-2016. Health E-Stats, September 2018.
Sources: Bullock et al., 2017; Flegal et al., 2016; Fryar et al.., 2018; Hales et al., 2018; Johnson et al., 2015; Lundeen et al., 2018; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2016; and Skinner et al., 2018.
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Fruit juice for children younger than 1 year old is now a no-no, according to new guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The academy is also recommending sharply limiting juice consumption by toddlers and older children in its new guidelines, as ABC News Chief Women's Health Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained today on "Good Morning America."
"While some 100-percent fruit juice can be OK, in general it doesn't pack the nutritional punch that a lot of parents think it does," Dr. Ashton explained.
New study links emotional feeding in young children to emotional eating later in life
A Pediatrician's Tips on the Best Foods for Your Baby
"The big difference is in the fiber," she said. "That is really important for [gastrointestinal] issues, so you always want to reach for the whole fruit versus the juice."
Eight ounces of unsweetened apple juice, for example, has 114 calories, 24 grams of sugar and zero dietary fiber while a medium whole apple contains four grams of fiber, Dr. Ashton said.
The pediatrics academy has in recent years advised against giving fruit juice to children younger than 6 months old, but the new guidelines expand that to children younger than 1.
The recommendations also call for limiting juice consumption to four ounces per day by toddlers who are 1 to 3 years old and to six ounces per day for children aged 4 to 6 years old. For children 7 to 18 years old, juice intake should be limited to eight ounces.
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download ZIP contains all the flairs shown here as there own seprite PNG files, will be updated as neededfor www.reddit.com/r/TTPloreplayce… this may be moved to my main DA gallery later (maybe)update log:Apr 8: Added newApr 9: added new, fixed prv. error, replaced glitched file, added newApr, 13: added new, added all the WIP files to the zip (cos it's not worth keeping em seprite and then releaceing em later), reavmed the zip stuchere into 2 subfolders (main flairs [what you see above], WIP files [self explanatory]), will start chageing the V number at the end of the zip file name with each update from now onApr, 16: added a few new flairs, made a fixed version of the desater tony flair, EDIT: added a slight edit to 1 of the flairs to the prv. (just cos), it's not in the zip yet but will be added during the next updateApr, 21: added new flairs (including the 1 that was in the prv. but not the ZIP), updated the WIP stuff content, and moved an alt. version of Z-Gear to the WIP version folder from the Main flairs folderApr, 24: Added new flairs, added the flairs from the Mega Bird Jesus imige edits (that were origanoly drawn by) thing to the prv. immige, but there not in the download as there already included in the download for that set (found at fav.me/d8qkw17 ) and out of repict for the original artist's workApr, 29 Pretty much Final update, all avatars are made, pretty much all WIP stuff has been added, and I even added some extra joke stuff for for kicks / as Easter eggs, try to find all the Easter eggs hidden in these iconsEDIT: changed the file type of a bonis joke text file from txt (notepad) to odt (Open Office format) cos DA seemed to think it was an executable thing and dus wouldn't let me update the ZIPEDIT 2 had to remove the WIP stuff folder to get it to let me update the file, I'll try to add it back in later, sorry for the inconvenience but, yeaEDIT 3, tryed to edit the zip to add the WIP stuff back inEDIT 4, found the problem, and fixed it
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That’s not just a cultural challenge, but a logistical one. A new word can be coined by anyone; for an emoji to be added to the lexicon, though, it must be approved by the Unicode Consortium, the Mountain View–based nonprofit that is generally charged with standardizing characters across platforms—making sure, basically, that when you send a character from your iPhone, your Samsung-using friend will receive the same character on the other end. The Unicode Consortium, though, is more popularly known as the body that approves the emojis that go on to shape human communication, one glistening pictogram at a time. This is the story of how one such emoji—a simple flat shoe, for women—has attempted to join the ranks.
* * *
The problem became clear, as so many will, in the middle of the night. Florie Hutchinson was up in the in-between hours nursing her third daughter—Beatrice had been born in November of 2016, on the evening of the presidential election—and was texting a friend. Hutchinson happened, in the course of a message, to type the word shoe. In her phone’s suggestions field, a stiletto, fire-engine red, popped up. Hutchinson balked. “I just stared deliriously at the auto-populated emoji on my phone,” she told me. She began asking friends: What came up for them when they typed “shoe” into their smartphone keyboards? The answer, for women and men alike, came back: a stiletto, red in color and teetering in height, bold in aesthetic but stealthy in its implications and assumptions. Again and again, it was 👠 and 👠 and 👠 .
Hutchinson, as a public-relations specialist focused on the arts—and as someone based in Palo Alto, and thus immersed in Silicon Valley’s tech-saturated culture—and also, for that matter, as a mother of three young girls—was struck by the messages the emoji keyboard was sending, to her and to people around the world. She began researching: about emojis, about heels, about the series of events that had led the simple word shoe to map to one of that concept’s least simple manifestations. “Yes, I’m a feminist,” Hutchinson says, “but it’s not that I think that the emoji gods have decided to unilaterally make this a patriarchal structure that blah blah blah blah blah. I just think it’s one of those things that, at the time, to whoever designed it, it seemed like a sensible thing that women would immediately gravitate to. But with a bit of hindsight, you realize that this is systematic—and symptomatic of a greater problem.”
For Hutchinson, that problem wasn’t the existence of 👠 on the emoji keyboard (“I love the creative beauty that comes with a highly conceived and designed high-heeled shoe,” she notes). The problem instead was the 👠 used as her emoji keyboard’s default “shoe.” And, even barring that—following a recent iOS update, shoe now maps first to the Man’s Shoe 👞 , which is unsatisfying for its own obvious reasons—the problem was also the fact that, according to the logic of the emoji keyboard, women walk the world in heels. On that keyboard, Hutchinson realized, of the four shoes that are traditionally associated with women, three of them have heels: There’s a heeled boot, tan in color 👢 ; a heeled mule, open of toe and chunky of sole 👡 ; and then, yes, that ubiquitously red high heel. (The fourth is a unisex running shoe: 👟 .)
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All children are given endless hours of coaching in how to use the most common computer applications, such as Windows, spreadsheets and PowerPoint, all of which are likely to have moved on significantly by the time current primary school pupils enter the world of work.
Yet they are taught how to use these programs without being taught the most basic computing skill of all - typing. It is the modern-day equivalent of teaching a child to do joined-up writing without ever showing them how to hold a pencil.
Almost all computer applications can be quickly learned 'on the job' when children eventually start work, but learning to touch-type is a skill which takes several weeks to master and, like holding a pencil, once bad habits set in (such as two-finger typing) they are almost impossible to undo.
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Many Republicans were appalled as they watched their liberal neighbors gush over Edward Snowden’s efforts to steal documents related to American intelligence collection methods and spirit them off first to China and later Russia. Even conservatives who believe the processes through which U.S. counterterror officials had secured the information Snowden stole were overly broad acknowledged these methods were legal and had been deemed a necessity by both Republican and Democratic administrations. The adoration liberals heaped upon someone who had betrayed his oath to his country and violated dozens of laws disgusted the American right.
The turncoat confirmed the left’s worst suspicions about the Bush administration and they adored him for it. This condition is mirrored in the Trumpian right’s newfound admiration for another nihilistic foreign intelligence asset: WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange.
Before he became an ally of Sean Hannity, the Australian national currently living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for fear of extradition to face charges of rape in Sweden was a darling of the American left. In 2010 and 2011, Assange’s organization released a cache of illegally-obtained secret documents revealing American methods, assets, and allies in the Afghan and Iraqi theaters. For this act of subversion, Assange was feted by individuals like The Nation’s Jeremy Scahill as the second coming of Daniel Ellsberg, of Pentagon Papers fame.
Wikileaks revealed names of Afghan individuals working with Americans, jeopardizing their safety, making American operations overseas more difficult, and ensuring those assets who might work with the United States in the future to think twice.Taliban members allegedly used the documents to rally insurgents and reportedly murdered a tribal elder who they claimed had been exposed in the document dump. Security experts, journalistic advocacy organizations, and American defense officials were horrified by the overt effort to imperil the safety of American informants.
At the time, conservatives were appropriately appalled by the threat to American national security posed by these leaks and their alleged source—the court-martialed and convicted spy Bradley (now going by Chelsea) Manning. They’re singing a different tune today.
Hannity was among those who believed Assange imperiled American national security and the lives of American assets abroad and, as such, should face American justice. But that was then and this is now. On Tuesday, he traveled to London for an exclusive interview with Assange. There, the WikiLeaks chief insisted his organization had not received the information it obtained from the hacks of Democratic email accounts from the Russian government. This claim was then dutifully repeated by no less than the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump.
“Julian Assange said ‘a 14-year-old could have hacked Podesta’—why was DNC so careless?” Trump asked. “Also said Russians did not give him the info!”
“The ‘Intelligence’ briefing on so-called ‘Russian hacking’ was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case,” Trump added.
We see here Trump’s compulsion to latch onto whatever information confirms his priors—in this case, his wish to believe Russia is not behind the hacks of the DNC and John Podesta. This impulse has now led Trump into a dangerous and likely ill-fated open conflict with the members of the American intelligence community.
Trump received high-level intelligence briefings during the campaign in which he was assured of the confidence of the American intelligence community’s belief that Russian military intelligence was behind the hacks of the DNC and the information’s subsequent release to WikiLeaks. He ignored their conclusions and instead substituted his own.
“Maybe there is no hacking,” Trump asked in a presidential debate. This claim amounts to the allegation of a vast conspiracy to defraud the public orchestrated by the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, the White House, and both congressional intelligence committees, to say nothing of the vast majority of major independent media.
On October 7, DHS secretary Jeh Johnson and National Intelligence Director James Clapper released a statement implicating Russian intelligence in the hacks of the DNC. They followed this statement with a joint analysis report released on December 29 detailing “Russian malicious cyber activity that is targeting our country’s and our allies’ networks.”
A bizarre alliance of conspiracy theorists, anti-American bloggers, and Assange fanatics insist the hacks can be duplicated using publicly available software and claim that this absolves Russian-linked hackers. That is false, according to the firm Secure Works, which analyzed the summer attacks on the DNC.
Their June analysis of a “spearphishing” campaign in October 2015 and May 2016 confirmed with confidence that a group operating out of the Russian Federation “on behalf of the Russian government” conspicuously targeted individuals and interests opposed to Russia. They included current and former military and government personnel in the United States and Europe, NATO officials, American defense contractors and suppliers, journalists and authors, political officials, and staff working with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The hackers swept up access to over 1,800 Gmail accounts in 2015 alone. If this is the work of a 14-year-old, that’s a kid with a unique set of interests and a lot of free time.
The speed with which these documents were pilfered from Democratic accounts, offloaded to WikiLeaks, and released without even a plausible cover story was remarkably brazen. Only an abiding faith that pro-Trump partisans would not care about the attack on American interests by a foreign power could have led WikiLeaks to engage in such a shamelessly blatant act of provocation on behalf of the Kremlin. That faith has been rewarded in spades.
Republicans would do well to ask themselves to what end is Russia seeking to undermine American computer security and muck around in American politics. Do Republicans really believe that American national interests are advanced by creating friction between the White House and the intelligence community or by cleaving the United States away from its imperiled European allies? Pro-Trump partisans have some soul searching to do. They won; it’s time to govern. The subordination of intellectual honesty to the demands of partisan rigor will only make that task harder, uglier, and less likely to be successful.
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It is usually more fun and quite possibly more important for me to respond to misunderstandings of libertarianism made by fellow libertarians than it is to respond to people outside of the movement. The core principles have basically been set in place. There is certainly room for debate in how these ideas can be applied in some situations but it is flat out incorrect to call your views “libertarian” if they go directly against the core principles.
Steven Sadowski of BeingLibertarian.com wrote a piece critical of some libertarians for using the phrase “taxation is theft” and then goes on to chide anarchists. Let’s take a look at why he’s so very wrong about his position.
That’s right, you’re not dreaming, you read that right: Taxation is not theft.
Now, before you accuse me of being a Libertarian In Name Only, allow me to explain. One of the things that drew me to the Libertarian Party is that the platform was logically consistent. The other two parties seem bipolar and hypocritical as they argue for both choice and regulations simultaneously. We Libertarians have principles, and we see them to their logical conclusions even if they land us in politically unpopular positions. This is why I am imploring every ‘big L’ Libertarian to stop it with the “Taxation Is Theft” bromide.
It’s interesting that Sadowski is careful to explicitly point out that he identifies as a “big L” Libertarian. For those unfamiliar, “Libertarian” refers to a member of the Libertarian Party while a “libertarian” refers to someone who believes generally that the unfettered market is superior to the state consequentially and/or ethically. They are not mutually exclusive as a person can be both a Libertarian and a libertarian; a person can also be one without being the other.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s at least safe to assume that a member of the Libertarian Party holds some degree of libertarian views.
I don’t recall the first time I saw the “Taxation Is Theft” tag, but just like the “Kilroy Was Here” tag, it has spread across the libertarian blogosphere just as insidiously. If we are not careful, it will envelop our party as candidates will undoubtedly be asked to pledge to two things: the NAP, and that taxation is theft. I believe the origins of this motto are anarchistic, and anarchists cling to our party like barnacles; we need to get our ship into fresh waters so they fall off.
I’m not sure that there needs to be any worry about pledging to anything of substance in the near future, as the Libertarian Party’s 2016 presidential candidate, Gary Johnson, said that the Non-Aggression Principle “goes over my head” at a party debate before the election.
Anyway, by saying that the “taxation is theft” tag comes from anarchists, is Sadowski implying that anarchy and libertarianism should be distinguished? It would appear so since he wants them to “fall off” his ship so he can sail to another disappointing election cycle. Anarchy, and specifically the anarcho-capitalism that he refers to, is libertarian. Anarchy is the logical conclusion of libertarianism: voluntary transactions and associations are superior to coercion, so all institutions ought to be operated on a market basis. There is no room for a state.
If you think about what it means to say “Taxation Is Theft,” you are endorsing the notion that government has come to you like a thief in the night, taken your money, and left you with nothing in return. Unfortunately, that is not factually, or grammatically true.
No, it doesn’t. It means you are endorsing the notion that taxation is when the government takes your property without first receiving the proper permission. It would only be incorrect to say that “taxation is theft” in the strictest legal sense. If someone asked if you could give him a Kleenex to blow his nose, but you were holding a generic brand of tissue, would you say no? That is like saying that “taxation is theft” is wrong.
Is taking something that isn’t yours theft? Yes. Does the government take something, i.e. taxes, that doesn’t belong to it? Yes. Well, therefore, taxation is theft.
Yes, the government does take your money by force, but you do get something for your tax money, and, by definition, that is not theft; it is extortion.
Sadowski is absolutely incorrect. If you’re going to make a semantic argument, make sure that you have your basic definitions down. Extortion is “the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.” That actually does describe taxation (it is correct to say that taxation is extortion), but getting something in return from a shakedown is not what qualifies something as extortion.
Now let’s see what conclusions Sadowski draws from this.
I will grant the anarchists one thing: “Taxation Is Extortion” doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way “Taxation Is Theft” does, but I’d gladly sacrifice marketing for accuracy. The only person who does not believe that we need a police department and the various agencies that uphold contracts and protect us from companies that would pollute for greater profits, is an anarchist. They actually believe that the government is worthless. They believe that if every government agency and department went away, that the town in which they lived would magically be taken over by a wave of volunteerism and self-sufficiency.
What? He’s actually defending the government’s extortion. Sadowski believes that the market cannot provide things like the police, courts, and environmental protection. In his mind, that makes it okay to steal from people to provide them with these services. But isn’t that the same argument someone would make for the government providing health care or education? Isn’t that the same argument someone makes for the government providing any good or service?
If it were true that the market is incapable of providing something that the government does, Sadowski would have to give some reasons why. A cheap straw man of anarcho-capitalism is not enough. No anarchist believes that society could be ordered without a state because of “magic.” That is such an intellectually lazy and malevolent position to take. To be unaware of any literature on how the market could provide the police, courts, environmental protection, and the like means that you’ve never even bothered to look. That is fine for the average person since they do not have much of a reason to ever think about it. But if you’re going to go on the offensive against anarchists, perhaps you should be more than completely unfamiliar of their arguments.
Sadowski’s ignorance of anarchism and even libertarianism in general is highlighted by the last few words above. He refers to “volunteerism” as though people will perform some sort of work for free. What he’s trying to refer to is “voluntarism.” While most of the letters are the same, it’s something different. Voluntarism is the idea that people should be able to act according to their own free will and that it is wrong to coerce them when they are acting peacefully (you know, that Non-Aggression principle thing). This includes voluntary transactions where a person might be willing, for instance, to pay someone to provide them protection from violence (i.e. police).
His assertion that anarchists believe that their own individual town would be self-sufficient is so ridiculous on its face that it requires no further comment. I have a hard time thinking that Sadowski believes his own drivel.
To them, taxation really is theft. If the Libertarian Party is not careful, like a Trojan horse, we will have allowed the anarchists to lure us into a logical inconsistency usually reserved for Democrats and Republicans. Why run for office if that office is worthless? Why have a party if the system in which it operates is a scam leading to theft?
At this point the ignorance has to be willful. I am not a member of the Libertarian Party and do not have much interest in politics, but how is the reason for an anarchist’s involvement in politics not completely self-evident? Many libertarians are politically active not because they want to run the government but because they want to alleviate as much of the violence and theft as possible. While it is up for debate whether or not this is a fruitful endeavor, to claim that the goal of the anarchist who gets involved in politics is to induce more theft is absurd.
Taxation is extortion, much like the mob protection service ‘offered’ to shop owners in the neighborhood. You may not have asked for what government has said you ‘needed,’ but you are getting something, whether it be a library, a highway department, a consumer protection agency, or a recreation center.
Begrudgingly, you may actually benefit from it.
In other words, Sadowski thinks that you should accept the violence of the state because it gives you some stuff. If he’s willing to accept that violence, that’s fine for him, but please let me make that choice for myself.
And it sounds like his view on the mob’s extortion is “Hey, it may not be great, but at least we’re protected!” Extortion by the mob is flat out wrong and no amount of rationalization will make it ethical. Furthermore, the only “protection” that you get out of it is that they won’t commit violence against you. In other words, you’re not actually getting anything. What are you getting is your money taken from you against your will. This again just reinforces that Sadowski does not understand what extortion is.
Instead of being trapped by this errant slogan, Libertarians should be arguing how to make the necessary functions of government fair, efficient and constitutional. If we make pragmatic arguments, not only will we be grammatically and factually consistent, but we will act like the adults in the room worthy of election. And that’s why we have a political party, yes?
I would love to hear Sadowski’s arguments for how to make any function of government fair or efficient. I have an entire website here that provides arguments for why the government is neither fair nor efficient.
Call taxation whatever you like, but keep your dirty hands off my property, Mr. Sadowski.
Be sure to check out another rebuttal to this piece from Libertarian Trump.
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Exhibit
Exhibit 99.1
Apple Reports Record First Quarter Results
iPhone, Services, Mac and Apple Watch Set All-Time Records
CUPERTINO, California - January 31, 2017 - Apple ® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2017 first quarter ended December 31, 2016. The Company posted all-time record quarterly revenue of $78.4 billion and all-time record quarterly earnings per diluted share of $3.36. These results compare to revenue of $75.9 billion and earnings per diluted share of $3.28 in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter's revenue.
"We're thrilled to report that our holiday quarter results generated Apple's highest quarterly revenue ever, and broke multiple records along the way. We sold more iPhones than ever before and set all-time revenue records for iPhone, Services, Mac and Apple Watch," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "Revenue from Services grew strongly over last year, led by record customer activity on the App Store, and we are very excited about the products in our pipeline."
"Our outstanding business performance resulted in a new all-time record for earnings per share, and over $27 billion in operating cash flow," said Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO. "We returned nearly $15 billion to investors through share repurchases and dividends during the quarter, bringing cumulative payments through our capital return program to over $200 billion."
Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2017 second quarter:
• revenue between $51.5 billion and $53.5 billion
• gross margin between 38 percent and 39 percent
• operating expenses between $6.5 billion and $6.6 billion
• other income/(expense) of $400 million
• tax rate of 26 percent
Apple's board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.57 per share of the Company's common stock. The dividend is payable on February 16, 2017 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 13, 2017.
Apple will provide live streaming of its Q1 2017 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PST on January 31, 2017 at www.apple.com/investor/earnings-call/. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.
This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company's estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company's reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company's gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company's need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company's business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company's dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company's international operations; the Company's reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company's dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company's products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company's sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2016 and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2016 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple's four software platforms - iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS - provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple's more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Press Contact:
Kristin Huguet
Apple
khuguet@apple.com
(408) 974-2414
Investor Relations Contacts:
Nancy Paxton
Apple
paxton1@apple.com
(408) 974-5420
Joan Hoover
Apple
hoover1@apple.com
(408) 974-4570
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple's PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.
© 2017 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Apple Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and per share amounts)
Three Months Ended December 31,
2016 December 26,
2015 Net sales $ 78,351
$ 75,872
Cost of sales (1) 48,175
45,449
Gross margin 30,176
30,423
Operating expenses: Research and development (1) 2,871
2,404
Selling, general and administrative (1) 3,946
3,848
Total operating expenses 6,817
6,252
Operating income 23,359
24,171
Other income/(expense), net 821
402
Income before provision for income taxes 24,180
24,573
Provision for income taxes 6,289
6,212
Net income $ 17,891
$ 18,361
Earnings per share: Basic $ 3.38
$ 3.30
Diluted $ 3.36
$ 3.28
Shares used in computing earnings per share: Basic 5,298,661
5,558,930
Diluted 5,327,995
5,594,127
Cash dividends declared per share $ 0.57
$ 0.52
(1) Includes share-based compensation expense as follows: Cost of sales $ 229
$ 204
Research and development $ 589
$ 466
Selling, general and administrative $ 438
$ 408
Apple Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and par value)
December 31,
2016 September 24,
2016 ASSETS: Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 16,371
$ 20,484
Short-term marketable securities 44,081
46,671
Accounts receivable, less an allowance o f $5 3 in each period 14,057
15,754
Inventories 2,712
2,132
Vendor non-trade receivables 13,920
13,545
Other current assets 12,191
8,283
Total current assets 103,332
106,869
Long-term marketable securities 185,638
170,430
Property, plant and equipment, net 26,510
27,010
Goodwill 5,423
5,414
Acquired intangible assets, net 2,848
3,206
Other non-current assets 7,390
8,757
Total assets $ 331,141
$ 321,686
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY: Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 38,510
$ 37,294
Accrued expenses 23,739
22,027
Deferred revenue 7,889
8,080
Commercial paper 10,493
8,105
Current portion of long-term debt 3,499
3,500
Total current liabilities 84,130
79,006
Deferred revenue, non-current 3,163
2,930
Long-term debt 73,557
75,427
Other non-current liabilities 37,901
36,074
Total liabilities 198,751
193,437
Commitments and contingencies Shareholders’ equity: Common stock and additional paid-in capital, $0.00001 par value: 12,600,000 shares authorized; 5,255,423 and 5,336,166 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 32,144
31,251
Retained earnings 100,001
96,364
Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) 245
634
Total shareholders’ equity 132,390
128,249
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 331,141
$ 321,686
Apple Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)
Three Months Ended December 31,
2016 December 26,
2015 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period $ 20,484
$ 21,120
Operating activities: Net income 17,891
18,361
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash generated by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 2,987
2,954
Share-based compensation expense 1,256
1,078
Deferred income tax expense 1,452
1,592
Other (274 ) 110
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable, net 1,697
3,896
Inventories (580 ) (102 ) Vendor non-trade receivables (375 ) 1,826
Other current and non-current assets (1,446 ) (1,058 ) Accounts payable 2,460
(852 ) Deferred revenue 42
(29 ) Other current and non-current liabilities 1,946
(313 ) Cash generated by operating activities 27,056
27,463
Investing activities: Purchases of marketable securities (54,272 ) (47,836 ) Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities 6,525
3,514
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities 32,166
28,262
Payments made in connection with business acquisitions, net (17 ) (86 ) Payments for acquisition of property, plant and equipment (3,334 ) (3,612 ) Payments for acquisition of intangible assets (86 ) (394 ) Payments for strategic investments —
(126 ) Other (104 ) (172 ) Cash used in investing activities (19,122 ) (20,450 ) Financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of common stock —
1
Excess tax benefits from equity awards 178
224
Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards (629 ) (597 ) Payments for dividends and dividend equivalents (3,130 ) (2,969 ) Repurchases of common stock (10,851 ) (6,863 ) Change in commercial paper, net 2,385
(1,240 ) Cash used in financing activities (12,047 ) (11,444 ) Increase/(Decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (4,113 ) (4,431 ) Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period $ 16,371
$ 16,689
Supplemental cash flow disclosure: Cash paid for income taxes, net $ 3,510
$ 3,398
Cash paid for interest $ 497
$ 396
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CNN Reporter Richard Quest Arrested for Meth Possession
CNN International reporter45, was arrested in New York City early this morning. He was discovered in Central Park and arrested by police for possession of methamphetamine.
The New York Times reported that he was in violation of the park curfew when he was approached by police at 3:40 a.m. As they were escorting Quest from the park he admitted to having a small bag of methamphetamine in his possession. During a court arraignment earlier today, he agreed to undergo drug counseling and therapy for the next six months in order to avoid jail time.
Quest's lawyer, Alan M. Abramson, said his client ''did not realize the park had a curfew. He was returning to his hotel with friends.''
Quest hosts CNN's Business Traveler and Quest for the network and is based in London. CNN had no comment.
More photos below.
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BEIJING (Reuters) - People across China have opened their wallets to give earthquake aid — and fraudsters have swung into action to capitalise on the burst of generosity.
Farmer Yu Xiaofen wipes her tears with the clothes of her 3-year-old son as she stands next to their destroyed house at a village in the earthquake-hit An'xian county,Sichuan province, May 16, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Lee
Police issued a warning after a flurry of text messages hit mobile phones, soliciting disaster assistance in emotional appeals, only asking that funds be deposited in private accounts.
“My family was in the earthquake. Dad and mum urgently need money. Send whatever money you can. Deposit it in our friend’s account,” read one text in the southern province of Guangdong proven to be fake by local reporters.
Chinese web chat rooms, which have been full of sympathy and grief for the quake’s victims, exploded in fury.
“Anyone who steals this kind of money will be cursed,” said one person on sohu.com, a popular web portal.
Another wrote: “I’m truly speechless. Why must there always be bad guys among our people?”
Many of the comments were more aggressive, wishing the swindlers meet violent ends.
The “black-hearted text messages”, to use the Shenzhen Economic Daily’s phrase, stand in rare contrast to the outpouring of goodwill in China after the quake that may have killed as many as 50,000 people.
Domestic donations in both cash and goods to the quake-stricken areas reached 1.3 billion yuan ($186 million) by Thursday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced.
The generosity is all the more striking for a country without a long tradition of philanthropy and whose citizens are themselves often only a generation removed from poverty.
People have thronged clinics to give blood for victims, with some turned away after queues grew too long.
And the Chinese Red Cross Foundation had to suspend its normal website (www.crcf.org.cn) after it was flooded by visitors looking for ways to help. In its place was a single page of text, listing the bank account details for an earthquake relief fund.
“Donors should go through our official website,” a Red Cross spokeswoman said. “Don’t trust random messages or emails.”
Charitable fraud is not unheard of in China.
Slideshow (3 Images)
On Thursday, the Beijing Times reported the Chinese Care for Growth Society had been repudiated by 10 government ministries, which it claimed as backers. Most of its purportedly charitable activities were commercial in nature, the newspaper said.
And disasters have proved fertile ground for con artists around the world.
Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast, authorities there were still sifting through a pile of fraud cases in which people allegedly bilked the government out of $500 million in disaster aid.
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Goldman Sachs isn’t buying what hawkish Fed officials are selling. Its economists don’t see the Federal Reserve raising short-term rates until 2013 – well beyond what markets currently anticipate.
The Goldman note comes amid chatter that House Republicans will propose $4 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade. According to Dow Jones, Goldman refers, in part, to a recent IMF study that suggests budget slashing “hurts short-term economic growth.” So, the Fed might wait to see what the budget picture looks like before considering action.
Goldman forecast: “Fed officials will be slower to hike the [Fed] funds rate than suggested by the recent flurry of hawkish Fed talk.” Goldman also cut its Q1 GDP estimate to 2.5% from 3.5%.
In the markets, Fed Funds futures are pricing in a 64% chance that the Fed Funds rate will rise to 0.50% from near zero in January 2012.
With inflationary pressures on the rise, especially outside the U.S., and the European Central Bank likely to raise its own short-term rates Thursday, Fed chatter will be closely watched this week.
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Far-right activist David Horowitz has been out promoting his new book, Radicals: Portraits of a Destructive Passion, and told conservative talk show host Steve Deace yesterday that President Obama, much like professor Cornel West, is taken seriously simply because he is black. During an incoherent rant, Horowitz asserted that Obama “would never be president if he weren’t black” as no one with the same “curious background and radicalism would ever have been nominated, let alone elected president if he weren’t black.” “Part of the racism of our society is if you’re black you can get away with murder,” Horowitz concludes.
Cornel West is just symbolic of the corruption of our culture and not unlike Obama who would never be president if he weren’t black, no white person with his resume and his thoughts and curious background and radicalism would ever have been nominated, let alone elected president if he weren’t black. So Cornel West is an empty suit who has twenty honorary degrees and he’s taught at all these prestigious universities but is basically an airhead, most people who’ve seen him on TV they’ve noticed. Part of the racism of our society is if you’re black you can get away with murder.
Later, Horowitz repeated his smear of Huma Abedin and said that she is a “Muslim Brotherhood operative” and the “chief adviser to the American government right now on Muslim affairs.” Not only is patently it absurd to claim that Abedin is a secret agent for the Brotherhood but she is also not a policymaker.
After attacking Obama as someone who “sympathizes with our enemy” and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as an ally of the Muslim Brotherhood, Horowitz said that conservatives are much nicer and more open minded than liberals. But he couldn’t even make that audacious claim without attacking Obama: “we don’t set out to destroy the character of people. Obama is a Communist.” Not only is Obama a Communist, Horowitz explained, but so are his advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, whom he says all serve this “evil cause” with religious zeal.
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- Head Coach Tommy Tuberville On Overall Performance Against New Mexico A very good night. There is not a lot you can't say about tonight other than we were a little sloppy in the kicking game, but we pretty much dominated on both sides of the ball on the offensive and defensive line. One drive there we didn't tackle very well. We didn't play fourth down very well, and we gave them that touchdown. A little bit disappointed with that, but, again, it's a tremendous improvement in the first three games from what we saw last year.
THE RESULT | SLIGHTLY SURPRISED | (As you all know, my thoughts are without having seen the game and so take them with a grain of salt. Would love any corrections in the comments.) I am admittedly a bit surprised at last night's performance. I thought that UT allowed about 230 yards of total offense (they were playing in New Mexico) that the Texas Tech defense would yeild at least 300 yards based on prior performance and what I think about both UT and TTU's defenses. Not only did that not happen, but Texas Tech allowed 100 less total yards that New Mexico did. As mentioned last night, New Mexico had 79 yards on their lone scoring drive, which means that they had 50 total yards for the rest of the game. I really thought that UNM was going to grind it out a bit and that as a result, this game was going to be closer than what I had hoped.
I think at this point of the season, I realize that I am intentionally thinking that something bad is going to happen because that's how I was conditioned last year. The first conference game in a couple of weeks is the real barometer and we all know that. These games are all nice confidence builders, and that's a good thing for this team and that needed some confidence headed into conference play. I think, though, as a fanbase, we needed to see it too. Last year, the defense started out at 49th after Texas St., then 48th after playing New Mexico, and ended up at 95th after playing Nevada. This year, even though we can all acknowledge that the competition is lacking, the total defense ranks 2nd after Northwestern St., 4th after Texas St. and back to 2nd after playing New Mexico.
This may not be a mirage after all.
OFFENSIVE STAR OF THE GAME | Seems kinda hard not to give the offensive MVP to Seth Doege, who was simply dominant in just over a half of play.
DEFENSIVE STAR OF THE GAME | Just based off of statistic, there was not one player that had more than 5 tackles, although Dartwan Bush had two tackles for loss and 1 sack. Let's give it to him.
SPECIAL TEAMS STAR OF THE GAME | PK Kramer Fyfe kicked a "sky ball" which resulted in another scoring opportunity for the team and anotehr possession.
THE STORYLINES
NON-TRANSCRIPTS | Since I cannot offer you much in terms of actual content, I can offer you non-transcripts of the three individuals who did not have their post-game comments transcribed, offensive coordinator Neal Brown, defensive coordinator Art Kaufman and LB Will Smith.
OC Neal Brown | Very pleased with how first group played, practiced and prepared. Took care of business with these three games. Have a couple of weeks to prepare. Wanted to see our two's finish better, they get a lot of reps in practice and we don't expect much drop-off, they have to be better when they have opportunities. We've got all of the offense in, but haven't shown everything. This was a weird game to prepare for, didn't have much film, because their DC had not called a game in a while. So we started out very vanilla and then adjusted as the game went on. Left guard has been good, played all nine guys. Been alternating series with Alfredo and Beau, that's on going and would love for one of them to jump up and win it. Ontiveros did not play well the first game, and it was probably my fault, I played him too many plays, he bounced back the second week and played a lot of tight end this week. Need to quit putting the ball on the down, we had 325 rushing, so we'll take that. Average the first week. The thing I liked is that they made people miss and if they didn't do that they they punished the defense.
DC Art Kaufman | I thought we came out focused, got ourselves off the field, they they put together a 17 play drive and we had to make adjustments and we talked about this during the course of the game. We came down after that game, to the sideline, how to fit up the run game. They are going to do some things that we had not seen, and we have to adjust, but I thought our guys played well. When someone makes a mistake, someone with effort cleans up the mistake. Kerry Hyder had a great camp and played well, he is causing other people to make plays. He is as explosive as quick, powerful and smart that I have been around. Michael Starts redshirt removed, with Michael, when would we play him, as he came along, he was okay, then got fatigued, and really developed over the last few weeks, I am interested to watch the film. Zach Winbush started over Sam Eguavoen, Zach had a good camp, I thought he earned the right to start, I think we have two starters there.
LB Will Smith | Every week, being ready to step up to the plate, had to focus on individual assignment. As a team we did what we wanted to do. It wasn't too confusing, we prepared for that, they changed QB's, it was pretty easy to play around it. We are getting better each week, we have not hit our peak yet, we should be close to hitting that peak.
SPECIAL TEAMS NEEDS TO BE BETTER | It's always cringe-worthy when a team like New Mexico, that struggles to score in the first place, is able to run one back for 98 yards. Not only that, but a missed field goal and a punt that only went for 35 yards isn't necessarily a huge concern, but they are cracks and I'm admittedly tring to find cracks. It is also tough to find cracks when a team is #6 in total offense and #2 in total defense.
SETTING UP FOR RUNNING SUCCESS | Throught three games, Kenny Williams has 34 carries and 241 yards, Eric Stephens has 34 carries anad 238 yards and Sadale Foster has 31 carries for 260 yards. The numbers are largely irrelevant, but what is I think important is that the coaching staff did not want to get caught in a situation like last year, where the team was somewhat lost offensively without their top running back. The whole reason why all three of these running backs are playing somewhat equally is because the staff doesn't want to find themselves in the similar situation. It's not just one guy, but three guys that all offer something a bit different and probably two lead runners in Williams and Stephens.
MORE SOLO TACKLES | I mentioned this earlier in the week, which is that the defense has a ton of solo tackles, which as you all summarized, is that this could mean one of two things, it could mean that the team is making plays in space or that the defense is having to make solo tackles way down the field. This was another game where the defense had 41 of 45 tackles. Through your first three game sof the year, S Cody Davis and S D.J. Johnson are your leading tacklers but I feel better about this group, the linebackers, the line, just about everything there is with this team. Much like the running backs, I think the intent with the defense is to give this team as many possibilities in terms of who can play and trying to get players ready for competition right in non-conference play.
I have no doubt that the reason why Art Kaufman is playing so many guys, and removing redshirts from players like DT Michael Starts is that he doesn't want to be caught with players not having seen a live snap. If they can play, then they need to play now. DC Kaufman has done as good a job as I could have imagined getting this team ready.
BEING REALISTIC | I really don't know if we saw much of this last year, but we're seing it this year. HC Tuberville discussed at length about how he is happy that this team is playing well, but this was just a start:
It's good to see guys have fun, but we know and understand what we've been doing the last three weeks and coming in to an open date what we've got to expect in front of us. Got a lot of work to do. We'll use this week as a work week. Get ready for a lot of fundamentals and techniques in the next three or four days. Give them a day or so off. Put together a game plan and get going in nine straight games, which is going to be a tough ride for these guys, but they'll be ready for it.
. . . .
But we know things are going to get tougher for both offense and defense. So we've got to continue to get better. We'll get to a point, as I told the players last week, you get to a point you can be a good team, but the only way to continue to improve is improve your technique. We play hard, we play fast, and now we've got to continue to work with our hands and be lined up right. Take the right steps, be able to get off blockers and do the little things right. It will make us much, much better.
I can promise you that most likely every player is tired about hearing about technique and about how it needs to be better. I can also promise you that Tuberville will continue to talk about it as much as possible.
INJURIES | The only injury coming out of this game was CB Jeremy Reynolds, who hurt his knee. Tuberville said it didn't look good, but we'll have to await MRI results. From my keeping track of injuries, this is just the third season-ending injury. I don't know if I should use the word "just" in the previous sentence, but this doesn't sound unreasonable. The other two players out are OT Matt Wilson (torn ACL) and WR Aaron Fisher (broken leg). All of the other players on the list, could return this week, I think.
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BAKU -- Niko, a 27-year-old gay epileptic from Baku, recalls being beaten, tortured with electric shocks, and raped by four police officers who detained him during a crackdown on homosexuals in Azerbaijan.
“They raped me anally and orally,” says Niko, who asks that his real name not be used because he fears for his life. “The police forced me to swallow their sperm.”
Then, he says, he was raped with a police truncheon.
“They rammed the truncheon in my anus and I had an epileptic seizure,” Niko says. “I don’t remember what happened after that. When I woke up, I wasn’t even able to walk.”
For the next 10 days, Niko remained in custody, where he says the torture continued.
After his release in late September, he spent nearly two months trying to stay out of the sight of police who knew about his sexual orientation.
But by mid-November, Niko says, he had been victimized four more times by police officers extorting bribes from him or forcing him to perform oral sex in order to avoid being charged again with "refusing police orders."
Still recovering from shock, he tells RFE/RL about his desperation to leave Azerbaijan and start a new life elsewhere.
International human rights groups say Azerbaijan’s crackdown echoes similar roundups during 2017 in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Chechnya.
In both places, suspected homosexuals were detained, brutally abused, and forced to name other gays who, in many cases, received similar treatment as the crackdowns widened.
Amnesty International says it thinks about 100 homosexuals were rounded up in Azerbaijan’s operation during the last half of September, which the government said was necessary to contain sexually transmitted diseases and improve “morality.”
In Chechnya, the rights group says, well over 100 people were detained and tortured, and at least three were killed. Chechnya’s government denies the roundups ever happened there.
But Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) say evidence of the Chechnya operations is undeniable -- with reports of the violence shocking the world.
Niko tells RFE/RL he was “really shaken” last spring when he first heard about Chechnya’s crackdown.
"I felt really terrible,” he says. “There was a sudden fear in my heart. But I didn’t think it would happen in Azerbaijan to the same extent. I never imagined the recent crackdown here could be that brutal."
Growing Repression, Violence
Rights groups say the increased repression and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in former Soviet republics has been encouraged by Russia’s 2013 law criminalizing the distribution to minors of “distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relationships.”
In October, in the Samara region on Russia's Volga River, 27-year-old LGBT rights activist Yevdokia Romanova was convicted and fined under what critics have dubbed the "gay propaganda” law -- despite a June ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the legislation violates the European Convention on Human Rights.
Romanova had posted links on social media to the website of a LGBT rights youth coalition and Western reports on the LGBT movement -- including a BuzzFeed article about an LGBT-rights protest in St. Petersburg.
Denis Krivosheyev, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, describes Romanova’s case as “a sad illustration of the desperate circumstances currently faced” by LGBT activists in Russia.
INFOGRAPHIC: LGBT Rights Around The Globe (click to view)
“Even the simple freedom to share an online story with friends is now limited by legislation that is blatantly discriminatory and homophobic,” Krivosheyev says.
Krivosheyev tells RFE/RL that the 2013 law initially encouraged a wave of homophobic attacks across Russia that, by 2017, had spread to other former Soviet republics in the form of official crackdowns, discrimination, and mob violence.
In Uzbekistan, where homosexuality is a crime, self-declared “vigilantes” have posed on social media to win the trust of gay men and lure them to meeting places.
Erbulat, a gay friend of the victim of one attack that was recorded and posted online by a homophobic gang, tells RFE/RL there have been many similar attacks recently against homosexuals in Uzbekistan but victims are scared to call police.
"I also was attacked, threatened, and humiliated in such a video," Erbulat says. "I barely escaped them alive. But if I had reported that to the police, they would have laughed at me. They're homophobes, too."
Although Tajikistan rescinded its Soviet-era law against homosexuality in 1998, its government continues to subject gay men to discrimination and rights abuses. It also has forced groups that defend gay rights to stop operating.
In October, the Tajik Prosecutor-General’s Office announced it had compiled a list of what it said were 367 gay men and women in the country “in order to protect their safety and to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.”
But Firuz, a 30-year-old gay man from Dushanbe, tells RFE/RL the LGBT community fears Tajikistan’s “gay registry” will be used for future crackdowns like those in Chechnya and Azerbaijan.
“The government’s mind-set is above the law in this situation. They answer only to themselves,” says Firuz, who was added to the registry and underwent forced medical examinations after he was detained during a police raid on a Dushanbe nightclub.
Amnesty International also says groups that defend LGBT rights are facing a rise in hostility in parts of the former Soviet Union, fueled by discrimination, homophobia, and what it describes as Russia’s crusade against “nontraditional sexual relationships.”
In a December 22 report, the global human rights watchdog said LGBT rights groups in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan were facing an “increasingly discriminatory environment” due to “the extent of Russian influence and the reach of its media.”
Nightmare In Baku
In Baku, Niko’s nightmare began when he was walking home from his job as a sales consultant for a private supermarket shortly before midnight on September 14.
Meeting a gay friend on the street by chance, a transvestite sex worker he had not seen for months, Niko says he stopped to chat just as an unmarked police car arrived.
“Police knew my friend because he has worked in the streets," Niko says. “Later on, we learned they were looking for us because another gay friend of ours gave them our names.”
Niko says uniformed police threw his friend in the back of their squad car.
"I didn't understand what was going on and continued walking," Niko says. "A few minutes later, I felt a truncheon strike the back of my head."
Niko says he and his friend were taken to Police Unit 19 in Baku’s Yasamal District, where they were beaten and tortured until 4 a.m.
“They started with batons, kicks, and fists,” Niko says, struggling to speak. “Then four of them who were going off shift took me to the deputy police chief’s room."
He says it's there that repeated rapes and other abuses took place and continued until he passed out.
Later that morning, Niko and his friend appeared in a Baku court where the judge sentenced them to 10 days of “administrative detention” on charges of “resisting police orders” -- the same charge that Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry says was brought against 56 people who were sentenced to up to 30 days of “administrative detention” during the September crackdown.
Krivosheyev and other rights activists say the charge is commonly used by authorities in Azerbaijan for arbitrary arrests.
“We were sent to the Binagady Detention Center,” Niko says. “But after two days there, we were taken to the Organized Crime Department” -- a branch of the Interior Ministry tasked with combating terrorism, human trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and other organized crimes.
He says “employees of the police unit” beat and humiliated both of them and “tortured us with electric shocks for two more days.”
“I witnessed several other gay people being tortured,” Niko says. “I don’t know the exact number of detainees and tortured people.”
After he was forced to name other gay and transgender people, Niko says, he was returned to the administrative detention center, where his head was shaved.
He was released on September 25 after serving his 10-day sentence.
Government Response
Homosexuality is not a crime in Azerbaijan but is deeply frowned upon by many in the conservative, Muslim-majority country.
Azerbaijani Interior Ministry Ramil Usubov justified the crackdown in an official letter to Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights.
Usubov said in his October 13 letter that “appropriate measures” were taken by Baku police against “violations of public order and security” in an operation that lasted from September 15-30.
Usubov confirmed that 83 people were detained in various parts of Baku for “violation of public order, offenses to public morality, and willful insubordination” of police orders.
He also told the European commissioner there was “no cause” for Brussels to file claims about the “violation of the rights of sexual minority representatives” because the rights of all groups in Azerbaijan are “protected without any restriction.”
Usubov said the “situation with sexual minorities in our country is no different from [the] situation in most European states.
Echoes Of Chechnya
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin's government has faced calls from the United Nations and Western leaders to investigate the crackdown in Chechnya. But the Kremlin has supported Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s denial that suspected gay men were being detained, tortured, and killed.
Meanwhile, scores of traumatized Chechen victims have fled to safe houses in other parts of Russia set up by the St. Petersburg-based Russian LGBT Network.
Most said they feared being detained and tortured again if they stayed in Chechnya.
Many said they could be targeted in so-called honor killings because authorities outed them to their families and have encouraged relatives to “restore family honor.”
The Russian LGBT Network confirms that the safety of some Chechen homosexuals at their safe houses has been compromised by relatives, Chechen police, or others sent to hunt them down and return them to Chechnya.
Boris Dittrich, the advocacy director for HRW’s LGBT Rights program, says Chechen authorities also raided the Grozny homes of gay men who had fled -- threatening to arrest and torture relatives unless they returned.
“They had fled far from home, but it seemed Chechen authorities knew where to find them,” Dittrich says.
Rainbow Railroad, a Toronto-based charity, began working with the Canadian government and the Russian LGBT Network amid reports of the roundups in 2017 to provide a pathway to safety for persecuted gay Chechens.
In the spring, Rainbow Railroad Executive Director Kimahli Powell traveled to Russia to meet victims hiding at Russian LGBT Network safe houses.
Powell tells RFE/RL that the collaboration brought more than 45 Chechen victims out of Russia by early November -- providing travel funds and legal assistance to obtain asylum in Western countries, mostly in Canada.
Powell also confirms that Rainbow Railroad is investigating whether it can help Azerbaijani victims.
But he says the effort is difficult because the government in Baku has barred organizations like Amnesty International, HRW, and LGBT rights groups from working inside Azerbaijan -- forcing contacts to be made through groups operating outside the country.
Outed And Out
Speaking in mid-November, Niko said his life in Azerbaijan's capital had been destroyed and he desperately wanted to escape but that he knew of no locally based organizations that would help.
In the weeks after his release from detention, he was fired from his job and evicted. His family disapproves of homosexuality and refused to help him, he said.
Sympathizers offered Niko temporary sanctuary in Baku to allow him to recover from his trauma, but he knew their help couldn't last forever.
And the abuse at the hands of police continued when he was recognized on the street by patrol officers.
Niko said he didn’t have the money or documents needed to obtain legal residency in neighboring Russia, where he might get help from the Russian LGBT Network.
He said his only option was to flee to Turkey, where he didn’t need a visa, and seek help from an Istanbul-based network that recently has sprung up to assist victims of Azerbaijan's crackdown.
Since his arrival in Istanbul in late November, Niko has been sheltering at one of the network's safe houses while he tries to figure out how and where he can build a new life.
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Here’s the latest from Baltimore, where prosecutors continue to falter in their quest to convict Baltimore police officers for their alleged role in Freddie Gray’s death. So far they’ve lost one trial, struggled to achieve a hung jury in the other, and now this:
The judge overseeing the trial of a police officer charged with murder in the death of Freddie Gray has determined that prosecutors withheld information that would have been beneficial to the defense. Judge Barry Williams was visibly angry in the Baltimore court, but he did not dismiss the charges against police officer Caesar Goodson, as his attorneys had requested. Williams is giving prosecutors until Monday to disclose any other relevant evidence they have withheld. Goodson was the driver of the van during the arrest of Gray, 25, last year. Goodson’s attorneys have argued that prosecutors withheld statements made last year by Donta Allen, a key witness. Allen was picked up by the Baltimore police van after Gray.
How important is Allen? This important:
During the crucial last leg of Freddie Gray’s ultimately fatal transport in the back of a Baltimore police van last year, there were only two other people present: the driver, Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., and Donta Allen, an arrestee placed on the other side of a thin metal divider from Gray. Given his unparalleled proximity, Allen since has been a figure of considerable intrigue in the criminal cases brought against Goodson and five other Baltimore officers in relation to Gray’s transport and death. That’s in large part due to contrasting statements he has made – one to police in which he said he believed Gray was “trying to knock himself out” in the back of the van, and others to the media recanting that statement.
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It turns out that Allen had given a second, extended interview to the prosecution where he reaffirmed his initial story, and that initial story is devastating to the prosecution’s case:
Attached to the documents released Wednesdaywas a transcript of Allen’s taped statement to police the day of the incident. In it, Allen told police that it sounded like Gray “was banging his head against the metal, like he was trying to knock himself out or something.” Allen said he thought there was “a dope fiend” on the other side of the divider purposefully banging his head, four or five times. “It was like – he wasn’t doing it hard and [expletive], but he was definitely banging himself in the head. I know he was.” Allen also said that it was a “smooth ride.”
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If Allen’s testimony is credible it undermines the prosecution theory that Gray’s injuries occurred much earlier in the ride. If Allen is correct, then the injuries occurred late, were not the result of a “rough ride,” and the police rendered aid as soon as they knew of his distress. Goodson is on trial for “depraved-heart murder” – the most serious of the charges brought in the Gray case – and news of the prosecution’s failure to disclose exculpatory evidence is particularly troubling. The judge stopped short of accusing the prosecutors of intentional misconduct, but senior prosecutors know better. They have no excuse.
The first two Freddie Gray prosecutions were shameful. The current case is off to an inauspicious start. A rush to judgment rarely yields justice.
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Abu Dhabi: The UAE has emerged as the front runner to host IPL 2014, Gulf News has learned.
India’s general election in April has forced the IPL governing council and team representatives to find an alternative venue due to fears over security, according to a BCCI insider.
The Indian cricket board’s backup plan featured four countries — the UAE, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh.
The latter two were the initial favourites but it now seems the BCCI is zeroing in on the UAE and Bangladesh, with matches expected to be held in both countries.
David East, CEO of Emirates Cricket Board and Abu Dhabi Cricket Club, declined to comment when asked to confirm the BCCI’s decision.
“I wouldn’t like to confirm or comment on this at the moment,” he said.
One of the main reasons for choosing the UAE and Bangladesh is to keep team expenses to a minimum after concerns were raised during a meeting in Singapore late last year.
Both IPL officials and team representatives were dead against the IPL being played out of India for the second time, after South Africa hosted the 2009 tournament.
But fears the Indian government could refuse to provide security personnel would make the switch unavoidable.
If everything fell into place it would be a huge boost for cricket in the UAE.
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AirSwap and Digix Dev Partnership
Digix Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 2, 2017
Airswap and Digix are forming a mutually beneficial partnership that will see DGX tokens pushed and advocated on the AirSwap platform as an active trading pair for market makers, as a way for them to hold on to a stablecoin as part of their portfolio of cryptocurrencies while trading through AirSwap on a peer-to-peer basis. AirSwap’s trading pair of DGX, can also serve as an indicator to the price discovery process of DGX on centralized exchanges.
Digix is an asset tokenization company that brings crypto gold onto the Ethereum blockchain in a fully trackable and audited manner.
AirSwap, built on the Swap protocol, is a peer-to-peer trading environment that harnesses the power of blockchain and aims to be the premier trading environment for users who wish to swap their ERC20 tokens.
This partnership would mutually benefit both companies in terms of research and collaboration between their developers, as both companies will have utility tokens that govern and vote on the direction of certain variables in their respective ecosystem in the future:
DigixDAO token holders, for instance, would be able to vote on the level of transaction fees in future, while AirSwap token holders would be able to vote on Oracle updates, an off-chain service that provides pricing information to makers and takers in the AirSwap environment.
Peer-to-peer trading is particularly suitable for metals-based assets which are traditionally traded on Wall Street on peer-to-peer networks.
Michael Oved has met with the Digix several times this year, and have also stood on stage presenting their products together. He used to be based out of Singapore previously with Virtu Financial, where Digix is also incorporated.
KC and Michael
AirSwap is launching a public sale of their utility token (AST tokens) on Oct 10 2017 and we wish them all the best. For more details on the AirSwap project, please visit, https://www.airswap.io/.
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The presence of big-box retailers, such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target, may alter a community's social and economic fabric enough to promote the creation of hate groups, according to economists.
The number of Wal-Mart stores in a county is significantly correlated with the number of hate groups in the area, said Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural economics and regional economics, Penn State, and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
"Wal-Mart has clearly done good things in these communities, especially in terms of lowering prices," said Goetz. "But there may be indirect costs that are not as obvious as other effects."
The number of Wal-Mart stores was second only to the designation of a county as a Metropolitan Statistical Area in statistical significance for predicting the number of hate groups in a county, according to the study.
The researchers, who reported their findings in the online version of Social Science Quarterly, said that the number of Wal-Mart stores in a county was more significant statistically than factors commonly regarded as important to hate group participation, such as the unemployment rate, high crime rates and low education.
The researchers suggested several theories for the correlation between the number of large retail stores and hate groups in an area.
Goetz, who worked with Anil Rupasingha, adjunct professor of agricultural economics and agricultural business, New Mexico State University, and Scott Loveridge, professor and director of the Northcentral Regional Center for Rural Development, Michigan State University, said that local merchants may find it difficult to compete against large retailers and be forced out of business.
Local business owners are typically members of community and civic groups, such as the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs. Losing members of these groups, which help establish programs that promote civic engagement and foster community values, may cause a drop in community cohesion, according to Goetz.
"While we like to think of American society as being largely classless, merchants and bankers are part of what we could call a leadership class in a community," Goetz said.
The large, anonymous nature of big-box retailers may also play a role in fraying social bonds, which are strongest when individuals feel that their actions are being more closely watched. For example, people may be less likely to shoplift at a local hardware store if they know the owner personally, Goetz said.
Religious priming -- using certain words or phrases to promote a range of attitudes and behaviors -- may also play a role, according to the researchers. In one study of religious priming, after participants reviewed a list of Christian words, such as Bible, gospel and Messiah, they also tended to support racist attitudes against blacks.
The researchers said that because Wal-Mart promotes typical Protestant values, such as savings and thrift, the cues may lead customers to adopt other beliefs, including intolerant attitudes, according to the researchers.
The researchers used data collected by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that monitors the activities of hate groups, on hate groups in each U.S. county in 2007. They used the number and location of Wal-Mart stores from 1998. Goetz said the lag time between the data sets provided time for the possible influence of a store to affect a community.
Goetz said that the researchers chose Wal-Mart for the study because of the availability of data on the stores. He added that the presence of Wal-Mart in an area generally indicates the establishment of other types of big-box retailers, such as Home Depot and Target.
"We're not trying to pick on Wal-Mart," said Goetz. "In this study, Wal-Mart is really serving as a proxy for any type of large retailer."
The store chain could use this study to find ways to play a role in supporting local groups that can foster stronger social and economic ties in a community.
"We doubt strongly that Wal-Mart intends to create such effects or that it specifically seeks to locate in places where hate groups form," the researchers said.
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"He'd ensure the safety of his ship and his crew
And then complete the mission
And make himself a better person
Bring peace to the galaxy
And do it for free
Oh yeah, that's what Captain Picard would do."
- from "What Would Captain Picard Do?" by Hank Green
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is the model of a great 24th Century Starfleet captain. On his watch, the crew of the Enterprise successfully defended humanity against the judgement of the Q-Continuum, defeated the Borg, prevented the Romulans from installing a puppet government in the Klingon Empire, and encountered countless new species.
Although Captain Picard's style was very different from Captain Kirk's, he was also an incredibly successful leader. Here are five lessons in leadership that can take away from Picard's voyages as you take your organization on its journey to boldly go where no one has gone before.
1. Speak to people in the language they understand. (Or, it's okay to threaten a Klingon.)
"In my experience, communication is a matter of patience and imagination. I would like to believe that these are qualities that we have in sufficient measure."
One of the key challenges to Captain Picard during his voyages was the problem of communication. Even in an era where universal translators could translate virtually every language imaginable, communication is more than just a matter of language. The different races that Picard encountered had their own cultures, customs and values. In order to work effectively with them, he mastered the ability to communicate with them on his own terms. When he was challenged by Klingons, he had no problem getting back in their faces and swearing at them. In Klingon culture, that's how one earns respect. When he was confronted with the Sheliak, who refused to grant him more time to resettle colonists on a planet they wanted, he wrung concessions out of them through their hyper-detailed, legalistic manner of negotiation.
Perhaps no episode, though, demonstrates Picard's willingness to put himself in someone else's shoes than "Darmok." In that episode, Picard and his crew meet with an alien race known as the Children of Tama. Although the ship's translators could make their words comprehensible, their speech wasn't, because it was entirely structured around metaphor and allusions to their myths. Noting this, the Tamarian captain kidnapped Picard and marooned them both on a world where they could face a common enemy. Over the course of their struggles, Picard was able to learn and understand the Tamarian language, paving the way towards greater understanding between the Tamarians and the Federation.
Perhaps one of the key skills for any good leader is the ability to empathize and understand the people they work with, both on their team and outside their organizations. This is especially true in a globalized world. People bring to the table not only their skills, but also their experiences, personalities, and cultures. Understanding those cultures and experiences enables you to effectively communicate.
2. When you're overwhelmed, ask for help.
"You wanted to frighten us. We're frightened. You wanted to show us we were inadequate. For the moment, I grant that. You wanted me to say 'I need you.'? I NEED you!"
One of Picard's constant foils was Q, a near-omnipotent being whose judgments of humanity bookend both the first and last entries of the TV series. One particularly memorable episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation was "Q Who?" where, in a fit of pique, Q sent the Enterprise light-years away from their location, where they made the Federation's first contact with the Borg. The Borg are a race of cybernetic beings that share a collective consciousness. When they encounter new worlds, they assimilate the planets' technology and people into themselves. Their technology was years ahead of the Federation, and it became clear that there was no way for the Enterprise to win the battle and save themselves.
So Picard asked Q for help, which Q granted.
That's a hard thing to do. Especially in our individualist American culture, where there's a level of expectation that you solve your problems on your own. That sort of independence is far from a bad quality - indeed, the ability to be independent is an important skill for leaders. But equally important is having enough self-awareness to know when you're overwhelmed, when the odds are against you and when you know you can't win the battle by yourself. In those situations, a prudent leader will ask for help.
That's something that seems obvious, doesn't it? But how many of us have refused to acknowledge that we need help at some point in our lives? How many of us have been on teams led by someone who was out of their depth but unwilling to seek out any guidance? It takes a great deal of confidence to admit that you need help. As Q said to Picard after Picard asked for help, "That was a difficult admission. Another man would have been humiliated to say those words. Another man would have rather died than ask for help." How many of us have been on doomed projects because the project leader was too proud or too blind to ask for help?
When the time came, Picard wasn't afraid to ask for help. That allowed him and his crew to fight another day - and on that day, they did defeat the Borg. When the time comes, a good leader will have that same confidence to ask for help so that they, too, can fight another day.
3. Always value ethical actions over expedient ones.
"There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders."
Leaders of organizations are often faced with ethical dilemmas - times when it seems that the easiest option is to just "bend the rules a little" to get things done. Captain Picard, too, faced this type of decision on a number of occasions. But Picard had a strong moral center, and he refused to do the wrong thing - even when that seemed to be the easiest thing to do.
One such occasion was in one of the seminal episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Measure of a Man." In that episode, Starfleet had ordered Lt. Commander Data, an android, to disassembly and experimentation in the hopes that Starfleet could manufacture more androids to put them in harm's way on dangerous missions so that members of other species, such as humans, wouldn't be subjected to the dangers of space flight. Aceding to that request would have been the easiest thing to do. After all, how many friends had Picard lost in his years in Starfleet. It must have seemed wonderful, to him, for there to be the potential to prevent such deaths. Starfleet didn't recognize the rights of androids - to them, Data was just property.
However, instead of just taking the easy way out, Picard recognized that Data was a sentient being worthy of the rights of other members of the Federation. He argued Data's case passionately in a Starfleet legal hearing, pointing out that creating a race of sentient beings who were compelled to enter into dangerous situations amounted to a re-institution of slavery. His argument was convincing, and led Starfleet and the Federation to respect Data's rights. This paved the way for the rights of other sentient artificial intelligences to be recognized by the Federation later.
In your own job, you'll probably never encounter a situation where you have to convince the government to recognize a new sentient species. (If you do have that job, though, that's awesome and please email me for an interview.) But in leadership situations, there are a number of temptations to do the wrong thing to make yourself look better, whether that's cutting corners to beat a schedule or gaming numbers to make your results look good. It's in those times we should look to Picard as an example of maintaining our integrity, no matter the short-term costs. In the long-term, integrity is what matters.
4. Challenge your team to help them grow.
"Lieutenant, you are a member of this crew, and you will not go into hiding whenever a Klingon vessel uncloaks!"
Oftentimes, the greatest challenge that a well-run team can face is complacency. When you have a great team where everyone is filling out their roles and doing a good job, it's pretty easy to just let things lay the way they are and coast on inertia. The problem is, when you have a complacent team, no matter how competent they are, they can fall apart when they're faced with a big challenge. In order to keep your organization nimble, it's vital that you encourage your teams to stretch their capabilities, even if that makes them uncomfortable.
One of the more obscure, but favorite episodes of mine is "The Ensigns of Command," where Picard ordered Data to a planet where Federation citizens had illegally colonized a planet belonging to the Sheliak. Data's job was to get the colonists to evacuate before the Sheliak came, because they would kill all of the colonists when they arrived. Now, dealing with a group of impassioned humans fighting for their home wasn't in Data's comfort zone. After all, Data, as an android, didn't have emotions and was often puzzled by them. But during that encounter, Data learned what it took to convince a hostile, emotional group to his way of thinking. That's a lesson that paid off later in a future episode, when Data was assigned to command a ship with officers who were prejudiced against him for being an android. Without that prior experience, Data may have had a much more difficult commanding that ship, and they might not have successfully completed their mission.
Similarly, after Worf lost his honor in order to prevent the Klingon Empire from going to war, Picard still insisted that Worf deal with the Klingons who came to the Enterprise. He did that even though for Worf, facing other Klingons while he was dishonored caused him a great deal of distress and shame. By having Worf face his people, Worf came out of the end of his period of dishonor a much stronger Klingon, and later in both The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, Worf was much more inclined to follow his conscience even if it shamed him in front of Klingons. In other words, Picard helped guide Worf into becoming a stronger and more capable man.
When you have someone on your team whose doing their job, and doing it well, it can be hard to assign them new or more difficult tasks in a way that shakes up your organization. But to be an effective leader, you need to shake them up, so that when your team faces harder crises, they'll be more resilient and effective.
5. Don't play it safe - seize opportunities in front of you.
"Seize the time... - live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."
Captain Picard has a reputation for being a more cautious Captain than James T. Kirk, and in some ways that reputation is well-deserved. After all, Kirk took command of his Enterprise at the age of 31, while Picard was 59 when he took command of the Enterprise - D. But Picard had more responsibilities than Kirk, too. In Picard's day, a starship wasn't just home to members of Starfleet, but also the families of Starfleet personnel and their children. He had to be a little more cautious in a number of situations. But Picard's caution wasn't that of a coward or someone who desired to play it safe. Rather, it was the caution of a brave man whose youthful recklessness has been tempered by wisdom.
There are a number of occasions in which Picard was willing to take significant risks to seize opportunities to win the day for his ship and the Federation, and when he took those risks, he took them decisively. That ambition, and willingness to take opportunities in front of him, dates back to an incident when he was in the Academy. Then, he got involved in a bar brawl that resulted in his heart being destroyed and the young Picard nearly died. To the end of his days, he had an artificial heart instead of the one with which he was born.
In the episode "Tapestry," Picard has a near-death experience in which he is visited by Q. Q gives him the opportunity to change one thing about his life, and Picard chooses to avoid the fight in which he lost his heart. At that point, Picard is thrust into the timeline that is the result of that act. In this timeline, Picard never rose above the rank of Lieutenant. He never got a command, because he had no goals. He drifted. He played it safe. And ultimately, his life didn't amount to much. As Q put it to him when Picard asked for this new life to be taken away:
"The Jean-Luc Picard you wanted to be, the one who did NOT fight the Nausicaan, had quite a different career from the one you remember. That Picard never had a brush with death, never came face to face with his own mortality, never realized how fragile life is, or how important each moment must be. So his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career, with no plan or agenda. Going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. He never led the away-team on Milika III to save the ambassador, or take charge of the Stargazer's bridge when its captain was killed. And no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone."
It's easy to get stuck like that alternate Picard. You can do your job, and at the end of the day go home, with no real plan or goal - just coasting while you let other people tell you what to do. The lesson Picard learned from this experience is the same one that we should learn for ourselves. Life is short, and the time we lose is time we'll never get back again. When opportunities present themselves, we need to seize them. We need to go forth in our lives, careers and projects with goals and be ambitious about carrying those goals out.
Picard didn't want to look back on a life of dull competence without distinction, risk or achievement. He told Q that he would rather die than live one more day like that. That's a vital lesson we can apply to our own lives - we have to seize change for ourselves. Nobody's going to do it for us.
Final Takeaway:
Like James T. Kirk, Captain Jean-Luc Picard embodied several leadership lessons that we can use in our own lives. We need to learn to empathize with others so we can communicate with them effectively. We need to have the confidence to ask for help when we're overwhelmed without feeling humiliated. When faced with the choice a famous wizard offered, between "what is right and what is easy," we have to do what is right. We need to challenge our teams to grow and change so they can adapt to any situation. We need to seize opportunities as they come so that we don't coast through our lives. Follow these lessons, and they'll take us on the next stage of exploration. Which, in the words of Q on the show, is "not mapping stars and studying nebulae, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence."
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Read my Forbes blog here.
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The Crew SC enjoyed strength in numbers as the Philadelphia Union's attack reached the top of 18-yard box less than a minute after the home side equalized inside Mapfre Stadium.
Six defenders in the area, not counting goalkeeper Steve Clark, were tasked with marking four opponents. The math favored Columbus. Little else did. While bodies were back, minds lacked focus.
Some were caught up in the excitement of Adam Jahn's tying goal. Some were guilty of ball watching instead of reading their keys. Some didn't sense the danger until Union rookie Keegan Rosenberry drove a left-footed shot past Clark for a go-ahead goal just 62 seconds after the Crew knotted it.
The Crew SC enjoyed strength in numbers as the Philadelphia Union's attack reached the top of 18-yard box less than a minute after the home side equalized inside Mapfre Stadium.
Six defenders in the area, not counting goalkeeper Steve Clark, were tasked with marking four opponents. The math favored Columbus. Little else did. While bodies were back, minds lacked focus.
Some were caught up in the excitement of Adam Jahn's tying goal. Some were guilty of ball watching instead of reading their keys. Some didn't sense the danger until Union rookie Keegan Rosenberry drove a left-footed shot past Clark for a go-ahead goal just 62 seconds after the Crew knotted it.
"It seemed like a mental collapse by the whole team," center back Nicolai Naess said. "They played right through us after kickoff and it's not supposed to happen like that."
In a season rife with late-game letdowns what transpired Wednesday night in the 74 th minute might prove among the most damaging. If the Crew had gotten the next goal it may have headed into Saturday's match with San Jose just three points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand. Instead, a momentary loss of concentration allowed the Union to claim a 2-1 win, leaving Columbus six points adrift with 10 matches remaining.
Thursday, players and coach Gregg Berhalter attempted to make sense of a senseless goal coming off a kickoff. It developed so quickly the television feeds missed the rapid buildup to the stunning goal.
How could the Crew (4-9-11), with so much riding on the outcome, allow such a play to occur?
Holding midfielder Wil Trapp believed the overriding issue was a lack of focus as the Union put the ball back into play. He said, "we took a (mental) break" as the home crowd celebrated the tying goal.
Trapp also thinks a few players were "jumpy" as the Union possessed the ball in midfield. Because there's no definitive replay of the buildup it's hard to determine what happened, but Berhalter conceded there was "a gamble" that didn't work.
Trapp expanded on his view:
"We don't need to be as eager stepping out on guys. We should just keep our shape. We might have been too jumpy trying to go after the ball . . . We stepped too early trying to put pressure on the ball where maybe we don't need to do that. You could just slide across and stay in our banks of four."
As Tranquillo Barnetta ran into a pocket of space down the middle of the field, Berhalter said one of his players should have committed a foul just to kill the dangerous run.
"I would have liked to see a foul on the first pass and we're talking 45 yards from goal, not even close to the area," he said. "That's where you take a smart foul just to slow things up and get organized."
Still, the Crew appeared in good shape as Barnetta played the ball wide of the box to Roland Alberg. It's at this point, however, the paralysis took root. All six defenders looked at Alberg.
As the winger sent a return pass to Barnetta, Rosenberry dashed from the touchline, making a diagonal run into the box. Nobody picked him up. There were no heads of a swivel. Naess attempted to close out Barnetta, but the midfielder quickly played it to the cutting Rosenberry.
"It was a lack of a definitive decision-making at the time of the play," Trapp said. "We don't know who's stepping (up). We're out of position and it turns into nobody makes a decision."
Rosenberry, one of the league's top right backs, made a terrific play to score. He accepted the pass from Barnetta on his right foot and stepped across Trapp's body before transferring the ball to his left foot. Rosenberry beat Clark with a low shot to make it 2-1.
Clark stood up and shook his head in disbelief, clasping his hands behind his neck. Other bewildered Crew players looked at each other trying to process the breakdown.
Trapp saw it as the latest example of the Crew letting its concentration and intensity wane in a critical moment
" . . . It's just bad defending plain and simple," Berhalter said "It's something where a guy is able to dribble and play a one-two basically through three player and our defense is exposed. Having said that, we're still in position to make a play on the goal and we don't make the play . . . We had too many guys going to the ball instead of reacting and seeing what the right movement is."
A few quick notes:
--- Berhalter said left back Hector Jimenez and winger Justin Meram, who were shaken up in the game, were fine Thursday.
--- The coach isn't worried about the four-game goalless drought of Ola Kamara, subbed out in the 60 th minute. He admitted all the minutes logged since taking over as striker in mid-May might be having an impact.
"That's why we thought it was important to bring Adam in because the minutes add up quickly. Ola has never played in a summer like this where it's extremely humid. The weather in Norway is not like that. It's about managing his minutes . . . We're happy with him. His chances will come."
--- As if his club possesses the requisite mental and physical toughness, Berhalter replied: "We'
treed@dispatch.com
Twitter: @treed1919
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Liberals just can’t seem to quit homophobia when it comes to Donald Trump.
As Andrew Kahn argued at Slate, the past week has seen liberals once again weaponize anti-gay attitudes in an attempt to mock Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Frank Bruni, who’s himself gay, penned a New York Times column last week titled “Donnie and Vlad: A Love Story” — comparing Trump and Putin to Romeo and Juliet, and calling the two men’s relationship “gross.” John Dingell, a former Democratic Congress member and prolific Twitter user, tweeted about the “young love” between Putin and Trump after they met for two hours last week. And Michael Ian Black, a comedian and Democrat, said that “Trump must be terrible at blowjobs if it's taking this long,” referring to the two-hour Trump-Putin meeting.
Trump must be terrible at blowjobs if it's taking this long. https://t.co/Q90QKwavjy — Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) July 7, 2017
This, of course, is not the first time these kinds of jokes have come up. There are murals of Trump and Putin making out. In May, comedian Stephen Colbert ran into a bit of trouble when he said, in a monologue directed to Trump, “The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s cock holster.” (Colbert sort of apologized after the outcry, saying that he “would change a few words.”) And there are many, many similar jokes all across social media.
The only way these jokes work, though, is by demeaning gay people and reducing being gay to a punchline. The underlying implication here is that gay relationships are somehow extra funny — that Trump engaging in sexual acts with Putin is hilarious because it’s gay, and that Trump is lowering himself by submitting to sexual acts with another man.
In situations in which liberals are deliberately trying to find ways to insult Trump, it’s telling that they resort to suggesting Trump is engaging in sexual acts with another man. The suggestion is that the worst thing that could happen for these men is if they engaged in homosexual acts together, as if that devalues them as men, makes them submissive, or emasculates them.
This came up back in 2013 when Alec Baldwin — now also a progressive darling due, in part, to his anti-Trump comedy — after he called a photographer a “toxic little queen” and “cocksucking [inaudible].” Baldwin said at the time that he didn’t understand why his comments were homophobic.
CNN host Anderson Cooper gave a good explanation on Howard Stern’s radio show: Baldwin was in a situation in which he was trying to find the most insulting thing he could call a photographer he didn’t like, and he landed on characterizing the photographer as gay. “The worst thing you can possibly think of to say, which is what this situation was, to talk about a sexual act between two guys as being the worst thing you can possibly think of,” Cooper said.
Cooper clarified back then that he didn’t know if Baldwin is homophobic, because “I have no idea what’s in his head.”
Liberals will argue that they are trying to use Trump and Putin’s own bigotry against them. As men who oppose LGBTQ rights (although Putin is much worse than Trump in this regard — for violently enforcing anti-LGBTQ laws in his country), they may find accusations that they’re gay especially offensive.
That this seems okay speaks to the entrenchment of homophobia in America.
Bigotry is never supposed to be okay, not even to counter other bigotry. Would it be okay to make racist comments in response to racist beliefs? Or sexist comments in response to sexist beliefs?
The reality is a lot of liberals are making homophobic remarks to mock Trump — and that simply doesn’t fit the inclusive, progressive vision of America that liberals are supposed to espouse.
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With its potential for superfast processing speeds, graphene has long been heralded as a key component in the supercomputers of the future. But the problem with making transistors out of the stuff is finding a way to turn them off.
Now however, a new type of design suggests that simply creating “U” bends in it could do the trick.
Graphene is the thinnest material known, made up of sheets of carbon arranged in a honeycomb structure just a single atom thick. This structure allows electrons to pass through it faster than most other materials, making it an ideal candidate from which to make electronic devices like transistors, says Zakaria Moktadir at the Nano Research Group at the University of Southampton, UK.
Binary bind
In order to make computers faster, circuits need to be turned on and off with an extremely high switching speed, something at which graphene excels.
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Indeed, just last year IBM scientists demonstrated a graphene transistor with a switching rate of 100 gigahertz – that is, capable of switching between a “1” and “0” state 100 billion times a second, more than twice that of even the fastest silicon transistors.
Ideally these binary states would correspond to a current flowing (“1”) and zero current (“0”). However graphene’s structure means that a current flows through the device in both states, even when the transistor is supposed to be switched off.
“The intrinsic physical properties of graphene make this current flow difficult to turn off,” says Moktadir.
Power problem
The difference between these two states is called the current on/off ratio, and graphene’s low on/off ratio has long been a major barrier to using it in transistors for logic gates and ultimately computer chips.
A low on/off ratio means that the processor would have to use more power, and so would be less efficient.
The problem can be overcome by using either a strong electric field to switch the transistor or by making the transistors out of extremely narrow ribbons of graphene, just a few nanometres wide. But large electric fields require large voltages, and it’s difficult to make nanoribbons narrower than 5 nanometres with any degree of accuracy.
But Moktadir reckons he has discovered a third way to get graphene switching more efficiently. By making a normally flat transistor similar to a U-shape, but with corners instead of a curve at the bottom, he has found that he can switch it off entirely, increasing the current on/off ratio thousandfold. “We are still trying to explain why it’s happening, but we attribute it to the corners,” he says.
Clever cuts
Working with graphene just a few hundred nanometres wide, sharp corners are known to produce unusual behaviour, says Moktadir. But making such corners is challenging because conventional electron-beam lithography – using electrons to create a circuit on a nanometre scale – leaves corners somewhat rounded.
Moktadir and colleagues got round this by using a gallium focused ion beam to create U-shaped ribbons of graphene 300 nanometres wide and a few micrometres long. Reporting their findings in Electronics Letters, Moktadir says this new approach overcomes the issue.
“If they have made some progress then that’s a big deal,” says C. David Wright at the Centre for Graphene Science at the University of Exeter, UK.
Journal reference: arxiv.org/abs/1012.1105v1
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Press Release:
(Austin, TX) – Naughty Brewing, a craft brewery inspired by its name to push the envelope of flavors into a delightfully wicked realm, is excited to announce its official launch and release of its first beer, I Think She Hung the Moon.
Originally a wishful dream, Naughty began to take shape when James Vaello, visionary and brewer behind Naughty, met Scott Hovey, owner and brewmaster of Adelbert’s Brewery in Austin, Texas. The two quickly became friends through their shared passion of brewing and Naughty Brewing was born using James’ recipes and Scott’s knowledge of large-scale production and brewery. Currently being brewed and bottled by Adelbert’s Brewery in Austin, Naughty Brewing aims to create beers inspired by their home brewing roots and the unique personalities of the people they meet.
Mr. Hovey noted, “I was impressed by James’ passion for brewing and the unique beers he made. I thought they would make a good addition to the Adelbert’s family.”
The first release I Think She Hung the Moon, nicknamed Hung the Moon, was brewed with Belgian candy sugar and Mexican piloncillo sugar cones for a drier body, sweet pecan smoke for a bold stroke and hibiscus for a hint of tartness. The name and label pay homage to James’ wife, Katie, and features a vintage inspired brunette pinup.
“We had a vision of a dark, dry, tart and smoky beer that would pair well with anything you would put on a grill. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it,” added Mr. Vaello.
Kegs will precede bottles by a few weeks, releasing in early December. Bottles will be available mid-December giving them time to bottle condition. Both will be available with limited availability across Texas at retailers currently selling Adelbert’s Brewery ales. These stores include Spec’s, Whole Foods, Twin Liquors, Central Market, HEB and a wide array of local craft beer and liquor stores.
Following the release of Hung the Moon, Naughty plans to release a limited release of Kentucky Streetwalker, an Imperial Vanilla Porter aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, and Zijden Kousen (Dutch for Silk Stockings), a delectable Belgian IPA in the coming year.
Mr. Vaello concluded, “It is extremely exciting to have my past-time of a passion become more than I could imagine. I’m excited to bring my beer to the people who have inspired the recipes and grow Naughty with more releases in the near future.”
About Naughty Brewing:
Naughty was born on a dream and a back porch, striving to produce quality beers for the most ardent of patrons of the craft. Naughty Brewing vows to never skimp on the quality of ingredients or sell out, while brewing for friends and craft beer lovers who are compassionate, educated and wise. Fervent lovers of the art of brewing, it is in the heart and soul of who Naughty is.
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The line captured that sense of being tribal, being from a reservation—and the fact that you could never leave. I was the first person in my family ever to go to college, leaving the reservation, leaving my tribe, feeling excited about going but also feeling like I’d betrayed the tribe. And knowing that no matter where I ended up, or what I did, I would always be there. Some large part of me would always be there, on the reservation.
At the same time, I’d never seen myself in a work of literature. I loved books, always, but I didn’t know Indians wrote books or poems. And then to see myself so fully understood in one line of a poem, as though that one line of a poem written by someone else was my autobiography ... It was like understanding human language for the first time. It was like hearing the first words ever spoken by a human being, and understanding for the first time the immense communicative power of language.
I had never intellectualized this feeling that I’d had my entire life. And then, to hear the thing aloud. To see it in print. These are the kind of emotions that nobody puts words to, at least not where I’m from. So an intellectual and emotional awakening were fused in this one line. They came together and slapped me upside the head.
I’d written stuff before, but it was always modeled after greeting cards or the standard suspects: Joyce Kilmer, a Keats poem. The classics that every high school kid reads. But as soon as I saw that poem, I knew I could write about myself—my emotional state, the narrative of my emotional life. When I wrote before, I was always wearing a mask—I always adopted a pose. I was always putting on a white guy mask. And all of a sudden, I could actually use my real face.
Immediately, I started writing poems. The poems I wrote were about things that actually happened. I didn’t think an Indian’s life was important enough to write about until Louis gave me permission to do it. My first poem was called “Good Times," after a Lucille Clifton poem. My poem's original title was “In the HUD House,” but I changed it later. It’s in my first book, The Business of Fancydancing, and it’s probably the only one I still have memorized.
Bang. It was right there. It was waiting for me. People talk about “that moment when you just know”—I don’t think that many people actually have that moment. But I did. And from then on, there was never a Plan B.
I started publishing with the micro-presses, 26 years ago. I was published in journals that were photocopied and hand-stapled. With print runs of a hundred or less. With names like Tray Full of Lab Mice and Giants Play Well in the Drizzle. I was finding acceptance in those kinds of journals: None of the other Indian writers had really ever sent them anything. So when this Indian voice, which they’d never heard before, came in by mail—well, I got published quickly in those journals. The first five or six submissions I sent out were accepted. I ended up in the journals with Bukowski a lot. It was those kinds of places. There was a similar ring to our work—his was much rowdier, but it was the same notion of a desperate life.
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India Foundation, a Delhi-based research centre focused on issues, challenges and opportunities of Indian polity recently hosted a two-day conclave called the Young Thinkers' Meet in Vadodara, Gujarat. The meet was addressed by several leaders from diverse fields, including politics, religion, media, academia and social work who discussed the topic "India—2047" with the participants. The aim was to formulate a vision that India must work towards for the next 30 years.
It is always difficult to look into the future, and especially so in times like the one we live in where rapid technological progress and cultural transformations make predicting even a few years into the future a futile exercise. Yet, for the nation to progress, a vision for the future is integral. This piece attempts to highlight a transformative idea in one important sphere that was discussed during the meet—employment.
The challenge
India had a population of 121 crore people in 2011 according to the Census, and is slated to have a population of about 170 crore people in 2047. According to data by the Labour Ministry 10 lakh new people enter the labour market every month. The Asia-Pacific Human Development Report released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) shows that between 1991 and 2013, the size of the "working age" population increased by 30 crores. Over the same period India was able to create just 14 crore jobs, which means that less than half the population entering the workforce was able to find employment.
India will have to use a multi-pronged approach that focuses on job creation but also lays emphasis on transforming what's thought of as employment and how it's linked to a feeling of self-worth.
This shortage of jobs is slated to get worse as automation, artificial intelligence and other technologies reduce the need for human labour in most industries. The government has given a push to employment generation through programs like Make In India that incentivise the setting up of industries, while schemes like MUDRA yojana and Startup India aim to provide opportunities for self-employment. The internet has also opened up avenues for individuals to become creators and units of production without the need of formal employment from companies, and individuals can work as freelancers with limited capital if they have the requisite skill sets. These attempts will surely boost job creation, yet most people intuitively recognise that there will never be enough jobs to cater to India's massive population. Widespread unemployment is a crisis waiting to happen as the demographic dividend enters the working age group. Addressing this challenge will require a paradigm shift in thinking and redefining what "work" and "employment" mean.
The solution
The first step to addressing the issue is to recognise that unemployment will be one of the biggest challenges India faces in the coming years. The root cause of this challenge would be India's massive population. This means that as a nation we must move beyond the historical blunders of forced sterilisations—the legacy left behind by Sanjay Gandhi—and restart the conversation on population control. We must develop a population policy that lowers the country's population growth rate through a combination of measures like education, availability of contraceptives, removal of cultural stigma surrounding birth control and the use of incentives.
If we have foresight and plan towards it, India will likely produce enough to meet everyone's survival needs in 2047, but we are unlikely to produce enough to meet everyone's desires.
Even with a reduced population growth rate though, India will have a massive unemployment crisis solely due to the fact that a huge population has already been born that will enter the workforce in the next two decades. This poses a challenge that will not be an easy one to address. It's also unlikely that the problem can be addressed solely through an emphasis on job creation. India will have to use a multi-pronged approach that focuses on job creation but also lays emphasis on transforming what's thought of as employment and how it's linked to a feeling of self-worth. India's culture must fundamentally be transformed from what it is heading towards to what it used to be historically.
A consumerist society, like those prevalent in Western nations, by its very nature links a person's self-worth to what they own and consume. In such a society it becomes essential for an individual to find a well-paying job for them to be considered "successful". If a person fails to find remunerative employment their status in society diminishes. This diminished self-worth is often a more pressing consequence of unemployment than survival. If we have foresight and plan towards it, India will likely produce enough to meet everyone's survival needs in 2047, but we are unlikely to produce enough to meet everyone's desires. This means that we must transform our societal and cultural value system to address the challenge of unemployment. If we fail to do so, we will be faced with a massive cadre of unemployed and dissatisfied youth in the near future that is sure to be detrimental to the nation instead of proving to be a dividend.
We must ensure that society stops emphasising consumerism and instead values learning, knowledge, self-actualisation, attainment in arts and culture, social service and volunteer work even when it is not economically remunerative.
We must ensure that society stops emphasising consumerism and instead values learning, knowledge, self-actualisation, attainment in arts and culture, social service and volunteer work even when it is not economically remunerative. The history and ancient culture of India can help facilitate such a transformation. Our society has always held great regard for sages who are engaged in pursuits of self-realisation but aren't contributors to economic activity. Our traditional gurukul system also emphasised knowledge and learning without regard to how that knowledge could be monetised. It might be time for India to transition back to the way of thinking that has respected values other than material wealth and consumerism if we want to survive the challenge that our massive population will present.
This piece is a compilation of ideas I developed during the Young Thinkers' Meet and draws heavily from the thoughts expressed by the speakers and other participants there. Special thanks to Shri Ram Madhav, National General Secretary, BJP; Shri Swapan Dasgupta, eminent journalist and MP, Rajya Sabha; Shri Shaurya Doval, Director, India Foundation; Major General Dhruv C. Katoch, Director, India Foundation; Shri Prafulla Ketkar, Editor, Organizer; and the entire team at India Foundation.
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Harrisburg, PA –The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has notified Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC, of Fort Worth, TX that it intends to assess an $8.9 million civil penalty against the company, and has directed Range Resources to prevent methane and other substances from escaping from a leaking gas well and polluting groundwater and a stream in Lycoming County.
On May 11, 2015, DEP ordered Range Resources to submit a plan to remediate the defectively cemented gas well. However, the company failed to submit a satisfactory plan that made necessary repairs to prevent further leaks and pollution.
“Today, we made it clear that we take seriously our responsibility to protect residents and Pennsylvania’s natural resources,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley. “Clean water is an important part of a strong economy and Range Resources owes it to the people of Lycoming County and surrounding areas to make the repairs necessary to immediately stop the discharge of natural gas to the waters.”
The $8.9 million civil penalty would be assessed under the Clean Streams Law and the 2012 Oil and Gas Act.
Drilling for the well took place in February and March of 2011, and fracking occurred in June 2011. Subsequent investigation revealed that methane contaminated the groundwater-fed wells of private water supplies, and a nearby stream.
Although Range Resources was issued a Notice of Violation in September 2013 for the leaking gas well, it still has not corrected the defective cement. Since that time, the private wells, a pond, and nearby streams have continued to show signs of gas migration, including increased turbidity, and the presence of iron, aluminum and manganese. Elsewhere in the area near the leaking well, foliage “dead spots” and gas escaping from the soil have been observed by DEP.
DEP’s May 11, 2015 order cited Range Resources for not correcting the defective well, and ordered the company to submit and implement a plan to prevent the migration of gas or other fluids. Calling the continued gas migration “unlawful conduct and a public nuisance,” DEP gave Range Resources ten days to submit a remediation plan.
Range Resources submitted a plan that proposed putting the well into production as a means to resolve the gas migration. DEP rejected that plan because it did not include making necessary repairs and has now directed the company to remediate the well in a manner that immediately ceases the discharge of methane to ground and surface water.
“Range Resources has the responsibility to eliminate the gas migration that this poorly constructed well is causing,” said Quigley. “Refusing to make the necessary repairs to protect the public and the environment is not an option.”
Range Resources has appealed the May 11 order to Pennsylvania’s Environmental Hearing Board.
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The release of each team’s salaries by the MLS Players Union on Tuesday has enabled the building of a snapshot of points-per-dollars spent through the first eight weeks of the season.
In the table below, I’ve totaled each team’s guaranteed compensation (for some reason Atlanta United goalkeeper Alec Kann is listed as being paid by Sporting KC and not Atlanta United), divided that total by the number of games played, and then divided that total by the number of points earned to come up with points-per-dollars spent. For example, if a team is going to spend $10,000,000 in guaranteed compensation and has played 10 games and earned 5 points, it’s points-per dollars spent is $10,000,000/10 for $1,000,00, divided by 5 for a total of $200,000 per point.
As you can see, Houston, Columbus, Dallas, New York Red Bulls, Sporting KC and Portland seem to be spending wisely while Philadelphia, the L.A. Galaxy and Colorado aren’t. Of course, the Union remain the only winless team in the league and Colorado has just one win, so their points are slightly skewed. And those that seem to be spending wisely have already earned a lot of points so their ratio is slightly skewed.
Of those that are among the elite, Toronto and NYCFC are spending the most by a wide margin.
Atlanta United seems to be spending prudently.
The points-per-dollars spent will change throughout the season as more games are played and more points earned.
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As per the August 31 DTS statement, the US ended the month with a new all time record of $13.45 trillion in debt, and increase of $210 billion from the beginning of the month (or $225 billion in public debt, net of intragovernmental holdings). With just 30 days left in fiscal year 2010, the US has added $1.54 trillion in the eleven months ended August 31, a monthly average increase of $140 billion. As a point of reference, the US has received $1.53 trillion in withheld income tax over the same period, confirming that the US continues to issue more than one dollar in debt for every dollar it receives via income tax revenue. This balance will likely be tipped soon courtesy of changes to the tax law, which will adversely impact the withheld tax line, implying even more funding has to come in the form of debt.
Additionally, the US rolled another $513 billion in short-term debt: a number which continues to be persistently high, even as the total amount of short term debt as a percentage of total has declined steadily from 30%+ of total to around 20% as we have written elsewhere. Another $106 billion in Notes was rolled as well, with the intramonth cash balance dropping to a dangerous sub-$5 billion.
For the 11 months ending August 30, the US has paid $180 billion in interest expense in a time of record low interest rates.
At the current rate, we expect that the statutory, and completely irrelevant, debt limit of $14.3 trillion will be breached in the first two months of 2011. At that point total federal debt as a % of US GDP will be roughly 100% in its purest definition, and the inevitable greenlighting by Congress to raise the ceiling then will means that America is fully sliding into a debt-to-GDP ratio of >1.
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Update: Ben Affleck has issued an apology to Hilarie Burton on Twitter, writing, “I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize.”
The pressure building on Ben Affleck over Harvey Weinstein’s Hollywood sexual-predation scandal exploded this morning after the actress Hilarie Burton claimed she was groped by the actor during his appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live, which she was then hosting, back in 2003.
Burton’s allegation, made on Twitter, came just hours after Affleck issued a carefully worded statement condemning Weinstein’s alleged three decades of assault and harassment of actresses, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Affleck’s statement, which came after five days of studied silence, was quickly slammed by Rose McGowan, the actress who has been instrumental in exposing Weinstein.
McGowan implied she had told Affleck all about her experience with Weinstein, and that he had reacted in a way that suggested he knew Weinstein was making a habit of harassing women. (Affleck and McGowan co-starred in the 1998 film Phantoms, which was distributed by Weinstein’s Miramax and released a year after an alleged episode between Weinstein and McGowan at a Sundance hotel room resulted in a $100,000 payout to McGowan.)
When a fan tweeted that Affleck might as well have “kept quiet,” another Twitter user wrote: “He also grabbed Hilarie Burton’s breasts on TRL once. Everyone forgot though.”
Burton, who starred in the show One Tree Hill, quickly jumped into the thread, confirming that she recalled the incident.
Hilarie then wrote: “I was a kid.”
She was 21 when Affleck appeared on the show.
She then tweeted a clip of TRL outtakes in which, apparently speaking about being groped by Affleck, she says: “He comes over and tweaks my left boob.”
She accompanied the clip, which was edited and presented as a lighthearted glimpse at life behind the scenes on TRL, with a comment suggesting she had laughed off the incident as a form of psychological defense.
McGowan, who claims she was assaulted by Weinstein in 1997, has been calling out the Affleck brothers over their silence on the Weinstein scandal all week.
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The Colorado Avalanche are off to a hot start this season and youngsters like Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon are big reasons for their early success. What all three have in common is that they were able to jump immediately from the junior ranks to the NHL after being drafted.
However, not all prospects follow the same path and many require extra years on their respective minor pro, junior, or collegiate teams in order to further their development and make the transition to the next level.
Center
The Colorado Avalanche are not only stacked at center at the NHL level but also in their prospect pool. From 2009 to 2013, they drafted a total of nine centers out of 33 overall picks. This influx of centermen will create a competitive atmosphere as the prospects will battle each other for the top spots on the organizational depth chart.
After going first overall in 2013, Nathan MacKinnon became the highest player picked by the Avalanche since they moved to Denver in 1995. MacKinnon made the immediate jump to the NHL and had a slow start to training camp and his unimpressive preseason games led some to question the Avalanche drafting him ahead of other notable prospects. As soon as the puck dropped on the regular season, MacKinnon answered the critics by assisting on two of the Avalanche’s goals as they went on to beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-1 in Denver. MacKinnon also showed he will not be bullied in the NHL when he and Ducks defenseman, Ben Lovejoy, were involved in several scrums throughout the game. The young center would get his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals a few nights later and through 10 games has seven points. MacKinnon is finding great chemistry on the ice with wingers PA Parenteau and Jamie McGinn. The one area MacKinnon does need to improve on is his faceoff performance but for the time being will continue to face easier competition in the circle.
Joey Hishon was highly praised by Avalanche head scout Rick Pracey when he was selected 17th overall in 2010 despite being ranked further down the list by Central Scouting. Hishon made Pracey look like a genius when he went on a tear that season for Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. Unfortunately, head injuries sustained in the CHL playoffs would sideline him from competitive play for the rest of the postseason, the entire 2011-12 season, and the majority of the 2012-13 season. His nine-game return to the ice was short lived when he again found himself on the wrong end of another cheap shot while playing for the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL. Hishon recovered from the setback but a groin injury prevented him from participating in the Avalanche training camp this fall. He returned recently and has two goals, one assist in his first three games with Lake Erie so far in the last year of his entry-level deal.
Michael Sgarbossa exploded for 102 points in the OHL for the Sudbury Wolves in 2012 prompting the Avalanche to demand the San Jose Sharks include him in a five-player trade that same year. He would not disappoint the Avalanche the following year when he posted 44 points for the Monsters and earned a bid to the AHL All-Star game. He received a six-game call up to the Avalanche when they were facing injuries to their roster but posted no points in those games. So far in the 2013-14 season, Sgarbossa has five points in eight games.
Mitchell Heard is a hardworking center out of Bowmanville, Ontario. He was not drafted in the OHL draft having to fight for his roster spot and continuing to prove he belonged on the Plymouth Whalers team. It did not take long for him to prove Whalers coaching staff was correct in giving him serious consideration as he showed he was more than capable of not just scoring but playing special teams as well. After going undrafted in his first eligible NHL draft, Heard would return to the Whalers and in 2012 the Avalanche would select him with their second round pick. So far, Heard has not been able to carry his scoring over to the Monsters squad but his 23 games last year will help him as he looks to use that experience for more success in his first full season.
At the end of this season, Nate Condon will have to decide if he will sign a contract with the Avalanche or test the market via free agency. The Avalanche will surely make a bid to retain this skilled forward’s rights after seeing Condon prove himself capable of the same accolades he received in juniors playing for the Fargo Force of the USHL. A multidimensional player, Condon is counted on by the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers to play in all situations. This is his senior and last season for the Gophers.
Colin Smith was a prolific scorer for Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and posted a 106-point season in 2012-13. At 5’10 and 172 pounds, Smith is undersized and many are unsure of whether he can withstand the rigors of the more physical game in the AHL. This is his first year for the Monsters and his skill will be welcomed in Lake Erie, but the coaching staff will have to do what it can to give him sheltered minutes against weak competition to help him adjust to the higher level. At just 20 years old, Smith still has time to add to his frame and the Avalanche are in no rush to move him up to the next level.
The Avalanche added another big two-way, physical forward when they drafted Michael Clarke 132nd overall in 2012. Clarke showed with the Windsor Spitfires and Peterborough Petes that he is capable of some offensive contribution but he is not relied on to score. He currently has seven points in 13 games after being moved up to the Petes’ second line this season.
Joseph Blandisi was drafted 162nd overall in 2012 and currently plays for the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL. Blandisi is capable of playing the pivot or on wing and so far has 15 points in 13 games for the 67’s. Blandisi still has another year of eligibility left in the OHL after this year and will look to use that remaining time to step up his defensive game away from the puck.
Wing
Having only drafted a combined six wingers in the last five years, it should not come as a surprise to anyone that the Colorado Avalanche winger depth is the weakest out of all the positions. Only one of those picks was used in the first round, when the Avalanche selected current team captain, Gabriel Landeskog, second overall in 2011.
Aside from Landeskog, the only other winger in the system selected in the top three rounds in the last five years is current Prince George Cougars captain, Troy Bourke, who went 72nd overall in 2012. After 16 games this year, Bourke is second in team scoring with 15 points. Four of his five goals this season have been scored on the power play and his success on special teams has helped the Cougars stay above .500 early on in the season as they look to make a bid for a playoff spot in the WHL.
Undrafted Andrew Agozzino had an impressive rookie professional season for the Lake Erie Monsters last year when he posted 52 points in 76 games, including 20 goals. Agozzino played his junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League for the Niagara Ice Dogs where he holds the franchise record for goals (159), assists (147), points (306), and games played (318). In his five years spent playing for the Ice Dogs he twice put up 40 goal seasons and was a point-per-game player for three of those seasons. Agozzino is currently on the first year of a two-year entry-level deal with the Avalanche that was signed in the spring. So far in the 2013-14 season, Agozzino is tied for the team lead with seven points in eight games. Agozzino shows no signs of slowing from his impressive rookie year and will be a staple of the Monsters’ offense this season.
After being drafted 123rd overall in 2011, Garrett Meurs enjoyed a relatively successful ending to his junior career by scoring 118 points in 135 games during his final two OHL seasons, including 32 goals in his last year. The 2013-14 season is his first year playing professionally, and after seven games, he has one assist. This will be an important year for him as he gets acclimated to the faster pace of play in the AHL.
Having spent three seasons playing for the Monsters, Luke Walker signed a contract with the newly promoted Medvescak Zagreb of the Kontinental Hockey League upon the conclusion of his three-year entry-level deal signed in 2010. Walker has so far been unable to sustain the same level of scoring success in the AHL and in 19 games in the KHL only has one goal and one assist.
Luke Moffatt is enjoying a great start to his senior season for the University of Michigan Wolverines in the newly formed Big 10 conference with four points in six games. Moffatt, a power forward, saw his scoring steadily increase through his first three years for the Wolverines and if he can continue to keep his current pace up, Monsters fans will be happy knowing he will be suiting up for them next season.
Paul Carey was a contributing member of the two Boston College championship teams. After winning the title in 2010 and 2012, Carey signed a two-year deal with the Avalanche and was assigned to the Monsters. In his first year playing for the Monsters he posted 41 points in 72 games, but has only one goal and one assist through his first eight games in 2013-14.
Trevor Cheek is an undrafted winger from California who played his junior hockey for the Calgary Hitmen, Vancouver Giants, and Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. He is currently on the first year of his entry-level deal. At 6’2 and 210 pounds, Cheek is more than just a big body. He showed he can score in junior hockey and will look to show off the same talents for the Monsters this year.
Brad Malone was in the last group of players cut from the Avalanche training camp roster this fall. His impressive showing at camp earned him praise from head coach Patrick Roy and Malone will surely find himself one of the first players called up to the Avalanche roster when the time comes. Through five games for the Monsters, the New Brunswick native has four goals, one assist, and one fighting major.
Defense
In terms of sheer number, defense is the area that the Colorado Avalanche have been focusing on the most in the draft in the last five years. Thirteen players were drafted in that time span including one first round pick, two second round picks, and one third round pick. Many of these players will get their chance with the parent club in the next couple years when open spots are expected to become available.
Chris Bigras might turn out to be the steal of his draft class after going 32nd overall in 2013. He was very impressive at training camp and earned an entry-level deal with the Avalanche just prior to being sent back to the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. During camp, he was paired with Avalanche top defender Erik Johnson and the two showed they had chemistry together and could possibly be the featured pairing in Denver in the near future. After being sent back to juniors just in time for the start of the Attack season, Bigras has seven points in 13 games to lead all defensemen in points for the team.
Tyson Barrie is currently finding out just how hard it is to maintain a roster spot at the NHL level. After leap frogging Stefan Elliott on the defensive depth chart last year, Barrie is currently a healthy scratch on an Avalanche team that is playing well under new head coach Patrick Roy. Barrie has only suited up for four games so far this season and has one assist but remains the Avalanche’s most NHL-ready defensive prospect.
The Avalanche are in dire need of a defenseman with a mean streak ever since former captain Adam Foote retired. They found one when they drafted Duncan Siemens 11th overall in 2011 with a pick obtained from the St. Louis Blues trade that also saw Erik Johnson come over to Denver. Siemens twice had over 100 penalty minutes while playing for the Saskatoon Blades. During his time in the WHL, he also showed he was capable of chipping in points as well as playing top pairing minutes. This year will be his first full year playing professional for the Lake Erie Monsters and in seven games he already has seven penalty minutes. Five of those came from a fighting major in a bout with former teammate Michael Ferland.
Mason Geertsen was drafted to add size and physicality to the Avalanche farm pool. This big defenseman is known for his great work ethic as well as his ability to clear the crease. Geertsen is currently playing for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL.
Wilhelm Westlund is the Avalanche’s only European prospect. Westlund currently plays for the Farjestads BK Karlstad in the Swedish Hockey League. Last year Westlund played 26 games for Farjestads senior team in the SHL. Westlund was the Avalanche’s 183rd overall pick in 2013.
Stefan Elliott made many jaws drop in Denver in his NHL debut back in 2011-12. He posted 13 points in 39 games giving fans reasons to be excited about this young offensive defenseman’s future. The following year however, his inconsistent play would get him demoted to the Monsters for the majority of the shortened season. Elliott was also cut from Avalanche training camp this fall due to head coach Patrick Roy’s belief that he would be better served playing top-pairing minutes in the American Hockey League as opposed to being the number-seven defenseman in the NHL. With five points in eight games, Elliott is making a strong case for Roy to reconsider his decision.
Just down I-25, a young Avalanche prospect is currently trying to make a name for himself in the University of Denver Pioneers’ history books. At 18 years old, Will Butcher is making the transition from junior hockey with the U.S. National Team Development Program to NCAA Division 1 hockey with the Pioneers. Butcher has represented the U.S. in international tournaments against some of the best U18 players around the world. He will be looked to add some scoring from the back end this year for a Pioneers team that is currently undergoing some changes.
Karl Stollery cemented himself as an important part of the Monsters’ blue line last year after leading all Monster defensemen in points. Stollery is a late bloomer who spent over three years in the AJHL before spending another four playing for Merrimack College in Hockey East. So far this season, Stollery is second in scoring among Monster defensemen with three points in eight games.
Drafted 153rd overall in 2011, Gabriel Beaupre was a big, defensive defenseman coming out of the QMJHL with the Val d’Or Foreurs. Last year was his first year playing professional hockey and his play for the Cutthroats earned him a promotion to the Monsters’ roster. Beaupre’s performance at the Avalanche training camp would determine that he would not see any playing time for the Cutthroats in the foreseeable future and would stick with the Monsters for the start of the season.
Markus Lauridsen was a teenager when he played for his hometown Danish team IC Gentofte. He would later move on to play for a Swedish junior team and from there traveled to America to play for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. After finishing his junior career with the Gamblers, Lauridsen participated in the Monsters’ training camp and earned a contract. He would be reassigned to the Cutthroats but his play earned him a call up to the Monsters. Lauridsen is currently on a two-year contract with the Avalanche and provides the team with another big and physical defenseman down in the AHL.
The honor of biggest defenseman in the Avalanche prospect pool goes to current St. Cloud State player Ben Storm. At 6’6 and 215 pounds, the Michigan native is a force to be reckoned with in his own end. Storm still has a lot of other aspects of his game to work on but he will have plenty of time to do it with St. Cloud in the NCHC. Storm was drafted 153rd overall in 2013.
Gus Young may not be known for his scoring but last spring he blindly shot the puck towards Quinnipiac Bobcats goalie Eric Hartzell (PIT) with seconds left in the second period where teammate Clinton Bourbonais was able to tip it past Hartzell for the first tally of the game. That was the only goal needed as the Yale Bulldogs would go on to win the game 4-0 and their first National Championship in school history. Young was a staple of that championship team as the lead shutdown defenseman who was on the ice when the opposing team’s top lines were out. He will enter his senior year with big expectations as the Bulldogs look to defend their national title against the best teams in the country.
Goaltending
The Colorado Avalanche prefer quality over quantity when it comes to goaltending prospects. With just five goalies picked in the last five years, they boast an impressive stable of youngsters who have the skills and potential to one day become full-time NHL goaltenders.
Calvin Pickard was drafted 49th overall in 2010 and with good reason. He helped keep a subpar Seattle Thunderbirds team competitive in the WHL and teams playing against the Thunderbirds knew they would not have an easy night if Pickard was in net. Appearing in 241 games over the course of his junior career, Pickard also showed he could stay healthy and handle the heavy workload. Pickard does not possess overwhelming size, but he easily makes up for it with his ability to read the play and eliminate secondary scoring chances for the opposition. In his first full year playing for the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL, Pickard showed he can carry over his success to the professional ranks by posting a goals against average of 2.47 and a save percentage of .918. Pickard will look to have a big year this year as he will try to cement his status as the number-one goalie behind Semyon Varlamov and J.S. Giguere.
Selected two rounds after Pickard, Sami Aittokallio is possibly the most talented of the Avalanche goaltending prospects. He is 6’1 and 180 pounds and lanky, but Aittokallio’s style of play is anything but small. His agility and flexibility makes for some highlight-reel saves and even got him a one game call-up to the Avalanche last season. Aittokallio still has some adjustments to make to fully embrace the North American style of play specifically the placement of his glove hand but his raw skill will help him compete with Pickard on the goalie depth chart. The two are currently splitting duties with the Monsters.
Spencer Martin is a new addition to the Avalanche goaltending corps this year but the future is bright for this 18-year-old. Last year, Martin singlehandedly helped the Mississauga Steelheads make it into the OHL playoffs as the eighth seed. Martin likes to use his size and aggressive playing style to cover more angles and challenge shooters. He enjoyed his first year at Avalanche rookie camp and will take back the knowledge and experience to the Steelheads as he will try to help them return to the playoffs.
While playing for the Boston University Terriers, Kieran Millan helped the team win a National Championship as a rookie. That year he also won the Hockey East Rookie of the Year award after posting a superb 1.94 goals against average and .921 save percentage. Upon the conclusion of his tenure in Boston, Millan would finish as the Terriers’ all-time leader in wins, games played, and saves. Last season, Millan was assigned to the newly formed Denver Cutthroats of the Central Hockey League as a rookie where he was twice named the CHL goaltender of the week. Millan will again play for the Cutthroats this season as he tries to move up the ladder and challenge Pickard and Aittokallio for their jobs in Lake Erie.
Kent Patterson may have fallen down the Avalanche goaltending depth chart with new additions and emergence of other prospects but he has too much skill and potential for the Avalanche to write him off of their future plans. Patterson is currently backing up Millan for the Cutthroats.
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GÜNDEM
Türkiye, Airbus CN-235 bakım üssü oldu
Airbus Defence and Space, Türk Hava Kuvvetleri’ni CN-235 uçaklarının bölgesel bakım merkezi olarak yetkilendirdi.
Airbus Defence and Space, geçtiğimiz yıl yapılan detaylı sertifikasyon sürecinin ardından Türk Hava Kuvvetleri’nin Kayseri’deki 2’nci Hava İkmal Bakım Merkezi’ni “CN235 uçakları için Bölgesel Destek Merkezi” olarak yetkilendirdi.
Böylece ilk kez IDEF’15 de duyurulan süreç başarılı bir şekilde tamamlanmış oldu.
Türkiye; toplam 59 uçak ile dünyadaki en büyük CN235 filosuna sahip ülke olarak, 20 yıldır uçakların bakım, onarım, revizyon ve modernizasyonu konusunda engin bir tecrübe ve kabiliyet kazanmıştı.
Anlaşma ile Türk Hava Kuvvetleri, Deniz ve Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlıkları envanterindeki uçaklarda kazanılmış bu kabiliyetler, yalnız Türkiye’de değil, bölgede kullanılan diğer uçaklara da destek vermek amacıyla kullanılacak.
Ekim ayında müttefik bir ülkeden ilk CN-235 uçağı Kayseri’ye getirilerek projenin uygulama süreci başlatılacak.
Airbus Defence and Space Nakliye Uçak Hizmetleri Başkanı Stephan Miegel, “Türkiye’nin, CN235 uçaklarının operasyon ve destek hizmetlerindeki muazzam tecrübesi ile CN235 küresel destek ağında çok önemli bir rol oynayacağına inanıyoruz. Gerekli sertifikasyon sürecini başarıyla tamamlayan Türk Hava Kuvvetleri’ni kutluyor, gelecek dönemde C295 ve A400M uçaklarına yönelik destek imkanlarını da araştırıyoruz” dedi.
2nci HİBM K.lığı tarafından: “Airbus Defence and Space’e önemli desteği ve sertifikasyonu almamızdaki katkılarından dolayı teşekkür ediyoruz. Bölgemizde bu yeni kabiliyetimiz ile gerçekleştireceğimiz operasyonlar için heyecan duyuyoruz” açıklamasını yaptı.
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The Trudeau cabinet, brimming with women and minorities, seems so 2017, so far removed from the traditional bastions of power.
Amid all that fresh-faced diversity, it's easy to overlook the pale face of finance minister Bill Morneau -- a rich, white male from Bay Street, ensconced in the cabinet's most powerful post.
(Full disclosure: I ran unsuccessfully against Morneau in the 2015 federal election.)
Morneau hasn't grabbed the limelight like some of the more flamboyant ministers. But, with the help of heavy hitters from Bay Street and Wall Street, he's been quietly designing a radical new bank that will deliver some of Canada's future infrastructure -- roads, bridges, public transit, utilities -- into the hands of private investors.
The Trudeau cabinet may have a New Age feel to it, but it's by no means neglecting its Bay Street base, which stands to profit handsomely from Morneau's proposed "Canada Infrastructure Bank" (CIB).
The bank is being presented to the public as a way to attract billions of private sector dollars to help pay for our public infrastructure.
But the bank's unusual design will also, for the first time, give powerful private institutional investors -- even foreign-owned entities -- the opportunity to actually own important pieces of Canadian infrastructure, with the ability to charge us fees for using them.
Under the current model, Ottawa (or another level of government) typically owns Canadian infrastructure. In other words, we collectively own it.
But big institutional investors -- pension funds, mutual funds, investment banks, etc. -- are looking for investments that are safe and produce a reliable revenue stream.
Nothing fits that bill better, in these days of volatile markets, than investing in infrastructure, as a 2015 report by Wall Street giant JP Morgan documented. The report noted that, compared to other investment options, infrastructure assets offer very high returns, at very low risk, that they operate in monopoly situations free from competition and provide reliable revenue, even during economic downturns. "Infrastructure assets have produced stable, predictable and growing returns," concluded JP Morgan.
The appeal of infrastructure investment was no doubt on the mind of Wall Street titan Larry Fink when he met Justin Trudeau in January 2016 at the annual power-gathering in Davos. Trudeau and his newly elected government were just developing ideas for their new bank, and Fink was looking for good investment opportunities for the $5 trillion in assets he manages as CEO of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager. (Fink now belongs to Donald Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum.)
Trudeau and Fink hit it off. Since then, BlackRock officials have worked closely with Morneau and others inside the Trudeau government, raising concerns about the appropriateness of a major Wall Street financier -- and powerful institutional investors inside Canada -- apparently helping shape the design of a bank they will probably end up doing business with.
And while the investment community's enthusiasm for Canada's new bank is clear, it's less clear what's in it for Canadians.
When tolls and user fees are added in, privately owned infrastructure could cost us more -- and we'd own nothing.
Whether privately or publicly owned, Canadians will still end up paying for these assets, note analysts Azfar Ali Khan and Randall Bartlett in a report for Ottawa's Institute for Fiscal Studies and Democracy. "[T]his does beg the question: Why would Canadians want to sell their most valuable assets to the private sector?"
Another option would be for us to finance and own our own public infrastructure, as we have in the past. Now more than ever, there's good reason to do so: Ottawa can borrow money at very low rates, much lower than the private sector. "With yields on 30-year Government of Canada bonds currently sitting around 2.2 per cent, the federal government can almost literally get 'money for nothing,' " Khan and Bartlett note.
They urge more careful assessment before Canada starts "shovelling money out the door."
Indeed, with sophisticated financiers working closely with government officials designing the bank, it could turn into a boondoggle for financial interests, with Canadians holding the short end of the stick.
Ontarians got a taste of that when the Tory government of Mike Harris was outsmarted by private investors into handing over the lucrative Highway 407 toll road in a 99-year lease, for just a fraction of its value.
In the case of the CIB, there are some whip-smart financiers involved, including Fink, a key player in squeezing money out of the American public to bail out Wall Street's banks after the 2008 crash. What could possibly go wrong for Canada?
Linda McQuaig is a journalist and author. Her book Shooting the Hippo: Death by Deficit and Other Canadian Myths was among the books selected by the Literary Review of Canada as the "25 most influential Canadian books of the past 25 years." This column originally appeared in the Toronto Star.
Photo: Adam Scotti/PMO
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The wince-inducing sound of knuckles cracking is caused by a small bubble building up in the fluid of the fingers then ‘popping ‘, scientists believe, and it could even be beneficial to health.
For decades researchers have debated what causes the unpleasant sound and argued about whether knuckle cracking could cause joint problems like arthritis.
Now a new study from the University of Alberta suggests that when muscle joints are pulled apart there forms a tiny cavity filled with gas which then collapses, creating a popping noise.
It takes a while for the gas to be re-dissolved in the slippery synovial fluid in the joints which explains why knuckles cannot be “re-cracked” immediately.
After watching cracking joints under an MRI scanner, the team also saw an unexpected white flash, which they believe could be water being drawn to the joint, which could even have a beneficial effect.
Previously scientists have calculated that the amount of force at work when you crack your knuckles has enough energy to cause damage to hard surfaces like bone, yet research also shows that habitual knuckle cracking does not appear to cause long-term harm.
Those conflicting results are something the researchers are planning to investigate next.
"The ability to crack your knuckles could be related to joint health," said said Greg Kawchuk, a professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.
“Some people can crack their joints and others cannot and we'd like to know why.
"It's a little bit like forming a vacuum. As the joint surfaces suddenly separate, there is no more fluid available to fill the increasing joint volume, so a cavity is created and that event is what's associated with the sound.”
To work out what was happening when knuckles are cracked, the team looked at ten finger joings, inserting them one at a time into a tube connected to a cable that was slowly pulled until the knuckle joint cracked.
MRI video captured each crack in real time, in less than 310 milliseconds.
In every instance, the cracking and joint separation were associated with rapid creation of a gas-filled cavity within the synovial fluid, a slippery substance that lubricates the joints.
Image A shows the finger in a resting phase, B just prior to joint cracking, C immediately after joint cracking and D in the aftermath as the joint returns to its usual position
Prof Kawchuk is hoping to use even more advanced MRI technology to understand what happens in the joint after the pop, and what it all could mean for health.
The authors suggest the findings may pave the way for new research into the potential therapeutic benefits or harms of joint cracking.
Although there is no evidence that knuckle cracking causes arthritis, there have been reports that it can injure ligaments and dislocated tendons.
The research was published in the journal PLOS One.
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One of the bests in the genre. Writer’s note: It’s time to review a fighting game for once. I love fighting games and the Darkstalkers is one of my absolute favorites. I love the characters and the mechanics this series has brought to the table. I loved the series but never actually played the third game until now. Expect to see more fighting games in the future.
When the first Darkstalkers released it brought some interesting new mechanics and characters to the scene. When the second game came out it brought nothing new to the table, with the exception of a few new characters. It made the sequel feel more like a revision rather than a new game. So when the third game came out Capcom decide to actually try to make Darkstalkers 3 feel like a true sequel. So with new characters, stages and most importantly mechanics Darkstalkers 3 does feel like a sequel. But is it a good sequel? Let’s take a look.
To correct the errors of this world, I shall go back…
Darkstalkers 3 takes place a year after the events of Darkstalkers Revenge. Jedah, a noble from Makai comes back from the grave. Upon seeing the state of the demon world, Jedah decides that a reset of the realm is in order. He creates a place called the Majigen that drains the power of strong-willed souls in order to create a new demon world. Every character has his or her own arcade ending that can be seen when players go through Arcade Mode. In Arcade Mode players need to beat seven random opponents and defeat Jedah, the final boss of the game. The arcade endings range from weird and cute to dark and, epic and feature some cool artwork. The problem is that while most fighting games’ stories focus on a tournament of some sorts Darkstalkers doesn’t really do that. Most characters have some other motivation besides fighting in a tournament. So it would have been nice to get some character prologue descriptions as to why the characters are fighting, like Killer Instinct or even Mortal Kombat. It doesn’t matter in the long run, but it does make you wonder what certain characters are fighting for. The win quotes and epilogue text are rather awkward. It’s obvious that the text was translated by Japanese people because some quotes are barely passable as sentences, and other quotes are just cringeworthy. Jedah, in particular, is a cool character, until you read his victory quotes which are just trying too hard. The story is nothing special but then again if you are playing fighting games for a good story you might want try a different genre.
The victory Quotes are poorly translated with Jedah just being cringeworthy.
Fighting is like dancing, you just need a sense of rhythm.
Darkstalkers plays pretty much just like its predecessor. The game uses a chaining system which means that combos are much easier to do. The player can chain light punches and kicks into each other and then chain that into medium or heavy punches. It makes for not only fun and flashy combos but also makes beginning players feel like they are actually pulling off some hard to do combos. Of course chaining a regular combo into a special or super move is way harder and requires a lot of practice. This is what would become the basic yet expanded mechanics for games like Marvel Vs. Capcom and many others. A few changes from the original games is that players can stock an unlimited amount of super bars. While matches tend to be too fast for anyone to fill up on a lot of bars it does mean that players can build up more than the regular standard of five bars. It allows players to use higher leveled supers in a row even if it will probably never come to that.
Another new mechanic that drastically changes the game is what is dubbed in-game as the Damage Gauge System. It’s very similar to Killer Instinct’s round system. This means that instead of the life bars of both opponents resetting after one is depleted the match just continues. The loser starts on his or her second life bar, and the opponent keeps the damage they took from that previous round. It makes games go way faster than previous installments. Another new mechanic is called the Dark Force. Dark Force requires one stock of meter and is activated when both kick and punch of any strength are pressed simultaneously. When doing so the stage transforms into another realm where the player who activated it gets buffs for a limited time. This can range from things like different normals to faster projectiles or super-armor. It’s a mechanic that’s very similar popping Instinct in the new Killer Instinct. It changes the entire pace of the fight, with the one who activated it going all out and the one on defense to be extra careful. Dark Force doesn’t stay activated for too long so you have to make use of it at the best opportunity. Don’t waste any time, as there is a huge cooldown at the end that leaves the player open to punishment. The roster sees a big change too. There are four new characters that all fit perfectly in this monster mash roster. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows as three veterans have been removed. Huitzil, Pyron and Donovan are no longer on the roster. While in most cases that would be a disappointment it doesn’t really feel like that as much. There is enough variation between both Darkstalkers 3 and Darkstalkers 2 that ensures that both can stand on their own ground. Both can be enjoyed side by side instead of just going with the latest and best version. Darkstalkers 3 is an amazing fighting game that’s fast and still holds up perfectly fine.
Combat is fast, flashy and most importantly, fun.
Beauty needs to be protected by the absolute power.
Darkstalkers 3 might be the best-looking sprite based fighting game ever made. Its backgrounds are colorful and have some amazing designs. The stages have neat little touches in them and the sheer amount of creative aesthetic designs has never really been matched with only a few exceptions. Fetus Of God, Iron Horse, Iron Terror and Tower of Arrogance are visually a spectacle to behold and the character sprites are no slouches either. Every frame has so much detail and care put into it’s incredible. The animation and quality of the sprites are so well done that the Morrigan Sprite was re-used in every game she was in for just over thirteen years. Or every medium and heavy normal Dimitri does turns him for a split second into his demon version. It’s details as those that make Darkstalkers an example of how amazing Sprite-art can be. Players will often find themselves pausing during specific animations and attacks just to see the insane amount of care that was put into the sprites. The music is also great. The themes fit the stages and characters and all have a certain horror feeling to them. The character endings, while having the same care behind them, feel a bit underwhelming considering it’s the teams chance to make some amazing art. Darkstalkers is a visual treat with so many details and care put into it. The only game that comes close to what Darkstalkers did then is Skullgirls which manages to capture that Darkstalkers animation “philosophy” perfectly. Every stage is a painting and every frame a visual delight.
Crazy stages and astounding sprites make Darkstalkers 3 one of the most gorgeous games ever.
An underappreciated masterpiece.
Closing note:
Darkstalkers 3 shines as one of the best fighting games around. The changes made to the gameplay make matches faster. They hit that sweet spot that makes Darkstalkers 2 still a viable option while making three still feel like Darkstalkers. The stages are in a league of their own and so are the animations on the sprites. Beautiful, flowing and almost hypnotizing is the best way to describe the insane amount of effort put in the sprites. As far as the narrative goes, it’s standard fare for its time and genre. A bit more context as to why some characters are fighting would have been nice, though. The new additions to the roster fit perfectly and add more personality to the already colorful cast of characters. Darkstalkers 3 is an amazing quality package and one of the finest fighting games ever made.
9.5/10
Resurrection:
Iron Galaxy did an amazing job on the arcade version of the game. The menu UI fits perfectly with the style of the game and the extra features are great too. The game runs perfectly and sports a few new visual options. A smooth filter, an option to replace the old character portraits with IG’s work and the ability to change the perspective of the screen are just some additions. Players can pick a side view of an arcade or the entire arcade itself if they want to. The smooth filter looks awful and even though the new artwork looks good it clashes with the character select screen. The extra view options are fun but players will probably use them once for goofs and never look at them again.
The main attraction of Resurrection is the ability to play online with friend and strangers. The game uses GGPO so the online is some of the best out there. Matches run as smooth as butter and have all the online bells and whistles like lobbies for example. So that makes it all the harder to see that the online community is dead. Trying to find a match results in either an error or infinitely searching. Of course, it doesn’t stop you from enjoying the game with friends but just don’t expect to play with strangers from across the globe.
Another online feature is replays. Players can record their own matches or look up other matches online. Filters allow for players to look at certain characters and matchups. Players can learn a lot from seeing other players play or can just enjoy some good matches. You can even hook up your account to your Youtube channel and upload your matches which is a great addition.
Aside from the online features, there is a leveling system that will increase when the player does things like winning with chip damage X amount of times or throwing a certain amount of projectiles. Completing those objectives not only awards EXP but also a currency that allows the player to buy artwork, movies or arcade cabinet skins.
Lastly Resurrection adds a tutorial mode. In Tutorial Mode players are tasked with doing Challenges that are supposed to help educate them about the characters. Every character has five tutorials that range from easy bread and butter stuff and basic mechanics too extremely hard to execute combos. It’s weird to call this a Tutorial mode when some “tutorials” are impossible for beginners and even some veterans.
Resurrection is an amazing port of Darkstalkers 3 and the addition of the second Darkstalkers makes the deal even sweeter. The new extras are great even though the online is dead but if you have friends who like the game you will be able to enjoy yourself with them. The one gripe aside from the dead online is that this is the arcade version so the three removed characters from the second game added to the home-console versions are sadly missing. Other than that Resurrection’s Darkstalkers 3 is the definitive version.
This game was reviewed on Xbox 360 as part of the Resurrection collection. If you are interested in this game you can get it from the following places:
XBox 360:
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Darkstalkers-Resurrection/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8025841122f?amp
PSN:
Resurrection:
https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/darkstalkers-resurrection/cid=UP0102-NPUB30666_00-VAMPIREFULLGAME0
PSOne Classic:
https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/darkstalkers-3-(psone-classic)/cid=UP9000-NPUJ00745_00-0000000000000001
PSP/PS Vita:
The Chaos Tower:
https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/darkstalkers-chronicle-the-chaos-tower/cid=UP0102-ULUS10005_00-DRKSTCHRXPSPXXNA
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Brett Favre called this week’s game in Chicago a must win. They were dominated in every phase of the game in a 27-13 loss to the Bears.
Vikings player have often talked this season about missing a break here or a break there. They have been close to winning a few times, but they haven’t ever been close to playing like a championship-caliber team. Sunday’s loss should hammer home the point they just aren’t that good.
Give the Bears defense credit. They clamped down on Adrian Peterson (17 carries, 51 yards) and made Brett Favre often check the ball down or make mistakes. Favre ended up with three interceptions and a lost fumble on 27 attempts. (One pick came on a tipped pass, another when Peterson fell.) Favre’s protection didn’t hold up, his receivers dropped passes, and Favre made poor decisions under pressure.
At 6-3, we’re still not sure how good the Bears are. But this game was very encouraging. Aside from one mind-numbing interception, Jay Cutler played very well, completing 22-of-35 passes for 237 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks. (The other interception came on a dropped pass.) Cutler escaped pressure to make third-down conversions a number of times.
At times, Cutler looked like a young Favre. Favre looked like an old Favre, and one has to wonder what happens after another loss or two.
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf told ESPN’s Ed Werder he won’t consider firing Brad Childress at this time. That just seems to be just delaying the inevitable. The Vikings have looked like a mediocre team since the season started, and there’s little reason to think that will suddenly change.
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Disgaea 5 Reveals The Big Bad Everybody Wants To Kill
By Sato . December 18, 2014 . 2:56am
With a vendetta-fueled protagonist and even a game system about it, it’s pretty safe to assume that Disgaea 5 will be all about revenge. The official website shows us a look at the main antagonist Void Dark, and a couple other new characters.
Void Dark:
Void Dark is the ultimate worst demon emperor, and his name echoes throughout all the underworlds. He’s the leader of the brutal Lost army. He’s coldhearted, brutal, and he even considers his subordinates as nothing more than game pieces.
In the above video, he’s heard saying “I have no interest in small-fry,” and proceeds to blow them up with a giant spear-like attack called Ruin Burst.
Majolita:
Majolita is one of Void Dark’s loyal demon generals. If she doesn’t see a use in anyone, ally or not, she kills them and finds a way to put their dead bodies to work with her necromancer abilities.
She uses an move called “Necrowave” in the video, where she tells the dead to go wild.
Bloodis:
Bloodis is Void Dark’s right-hand man who is also one of the demon generals who is a leader of the army. His powers are said to be second to only Void Dark himself.
… and you can see it for yourself as he blows up Zeroken using his Black Rosario move.
Disgaea 5 will release in Japan on March 25, 2015 and in the West in Fall 2015 for PlayStation 4.
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How to Find the Perfect Broadband Tariff
From renters to homeowners to business owners, everyone wants to get the best broadband deal possible. But first, you need to work out what ‘the best’ really means for you.
Whether you need a fibre optic connection for fast streaming or gaming, super stable broadband to keep your business connected, or a bundle that provides all the entertainment you need, our comparison service will help you out.
Find the best broadband package now! START COMPARING
Finding the best broadband deal for you
As with many things, there’s no one-size-fits-all best broadband deal available. Which is lucky for us, since otherwise we’d be out of a job. Choosing a broadband package is a highly personal affair – like picking your dream home, or naming your first-born child.
From prices to speed to usage limits, and all the extras you can find in bundled packages, broadband deals can vary quite a lot. That’s why its important to work out what you need from your plan before you compare.
Price
With most things in life, you get what you pay for. Broadband is no different. The more you pay each month for your internet, the more benefits you’ll likely get, such as unlimited downloads, super-fast speeds or Sky Sports in your TV so you can watch all the Premier League games live from your living room.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t still find amazing deals at great prices. With a little bit of searching, and with the help of our price comparison tool, you can find some truly amazing broadband deals that won’t break the bank, and you can make sure you’re not getting ripped off, paying too much for a connection that just isn’t that good.
Speed
Speed is important to most users – it’s the headline stat that most broadband providers tend to give when they advertise their deals.
A higher speed connection will give you an improved browsing experience all round, but it’s particularly noticeable for those who stream a lot of content, and for those who play games online, when every split-second counts.
Super-fast broadband comes through fibre optic cables, whereas conventional internet comes though copper, or ADSL cables. For this reason, super-fast broadband is only available in areas where fibre cables have already been installed. You’re likely to find it more difficult to get a super-fast connection if you live in a rural or remote area.
Super-fast fibre optic broadband deals are good for: gamers and users who stream a lot of content online.
Extras
Most broadband providers nowadays offer bundle deals with TV packages thrown in alongside your internet connection and phone line. This includes big hitters like Sky, Virgin and BT, who have offered TV services for a while, but also competitors like Now TV, whose on-demand TV service precedes their broadband offering.
If you watch a lot of TV, then it makes sense to opt for one of these deals, and most of the time you can customise the TV package you get to suit your viewing habits. For example, movie buffs would be better off with a bundle that offers Sky Cinema in the deal, while football or cricket lovers would benefit from a Sky Sports or a BT Sports package.
However, if you watch most of your TV using an on-demand service like Netflix, Now TV or Amazon Prime Video, then getting a live TV package as well can prove false economy. Add up the costs, weigh up the pros and cons, and decide for yourself if this kind of deal is worth it to you.
Broadband, TV and phone deals are good for: users who watch a lot of live TV.
Usage limits
Some broadband packages will limit the amount of data that you can download each month (for example Sky offer a deal with a 25GB limit). Importantly, it’s not just downloading files that will eat into this allowance – all browsing and streaming counts, and streaming TV and movies can eat up a considerable chunk of data.
If you’re a light user (i.e. you’re not downloading or streaming lots of films or music), then opting for a cheaper package with a usage limit should be OK.
However, if you like to binge on Netflix or spend hours watching videos on YouTube, then you should consider opting for an unlimited usage deal. Bear in mind that an average HD film will take up 3-5GB of space, so if you don’t have unlimited usage your allowance could get used up quickly if you’re not careful.
Nowadays, most broadband packages you’ll get will offer unlimited downloads, meaning you’re free to use the internet as you please. These will generally be subject to fair use policies though, which means your provider can still limit your usage if you’re using up a lot more data than the average user.
Unlimited usage broadband deals are good for: pretty much everyone but the lightest of users.
Finding the Cheapest Broadband Deals
Breakneck download speeds and hundreds of TV channels are great, but ultimately it all comes down to the bottom line – the cost. For the particularly budget-conscious among us, the following providers are ideal:
TalkTalk – offers low cost broadband, superfast fibre, and low-cost YouView TV. You can even add Sky channels for a small fee.
Plusnet – offers affordable standard and fibre packages, as well as UK based customer support.
Post Office – a good budget broadband provider. You can even pay your bill over the counter in your local branch if you want to.
Find the best broadband package now! START COMPARING
Make a Note of the Real Cost
Bear in mind that many broadband providers will offer seductive introductory deals, only to bump up the cost down the line. To find the true monthly cost, add up the total price of your contract (including cheaper introductory months and the more expensive later months), and then divide that by the contact length in months.
Broadband providers used to be able to hide compulsory line rental costs far away from the headline cost of a tariff. Thankfully, new rules mean that they have to be much more up front with their pricing, but it always pays to look at the small print.
Should I Get a Budget Broadband Package?
This depends on how you use the internet. If you live on your own and only use the internet every now and again, a cheaper option should be fine. However, if you live in a house full of people who all use the internet regularly, a budget package probably won’t be enough. You want a package that allows you to do what you want to do, without limits.
When comparing broadband deals, make sure you think about how you plan on using the internet first and then select a package that best suits your needs. Ask yourself these questions when making your decision:
How many people will be using the internet?
Do I Want extra features, such as live TV?
Will I be streaming TV and movies online?
Will I be playing or downloading games?
How often do I use the home phone?
If you don’t have many people living in your home, or you don’t watch a lot of TV, play a lot of games or use the landline much, you could benefit from a cheaper option.
Compare Cheap Broadband Deals Today
Whether you’re moving home, your current package is coming to an end, or you simply want to switch to a better or cheaper deal that suits your needs, your first step should be to run a comparison online to see what new deals are available. Just enter your postcode in the box below.
Once you’ve found the right deal, just follow the instructions on the provider's website and they'll handle the switch for you - this includes speaking to your current supplier. They’ll send you what you need, including a router, and arrange a time to send out an engineer if they need to.
Find the best broadband package now! START COMPARING
Types of Broadband Deals
Although the end product is the same - an internet connection - broadband deals come in many different forms. From superfast fibre optic broadband to slower, cheaper ADSL connections, and not to mention the choices all the extras that come with it like TV and home phone deals, the choice of packages out there can be daunting. Get to know the differences of what's on offer, so you can find the perfect package for you and your family.
Fibre Optic Broadband Deals
Technology is improving every day, and the more we’re connected, the more we come to expect things at the click of a button. Most of us now get annoyed if a webpage takes a few seconds to load, and even more so if a movie we want to watch can take hours to download. Fibre optic broadband allows us to browse the web effortlessly and do most of what we want online almost instantly.
Fibre optic is much faster than standard ADSL broadband, with much higher average download speeds. It is great if you love to stream Netflix or are an avid gamer. It’s also very useful if you have a small business, or you share your home with other internet users. Although fibre optic broadband is generally more expensive than ADSL broadband, you can still find great value deals out there with the help of a quick price comparison.
What is fibre optic broadband?
Fibre optic is the most modern and efficient form of broadband technology available in the UK. It uses cables that are capable of transferring data at much higher speeds than standard copper cables. While ADSL broadband generally has average download speeds of around 11Mbps, fibre optic connections have download speeds that usually start at around at least 35Mbps. Some superfast fibre optic deals will even offer you speeds of up to 1Gbps, although average speeds of between 60-70Mbps should be more than enough for your household.
How does it work?
Fibre optic broadband works by transmitting data through tiny plastic or glass cables located underground. The data is sent through even smaller tubes found inside the cables via beams of light that reflect off the inside of the tubes, allowing information to be sent at the speed of light, which results in your superfast internet connection.
The other, more traditional type of broadband connection is ADSL broadband, which transfers data over copper cables. This technology uses electricity to transmit the information, so connections are more prone to interference and have much lower average speeds than fibre optic technology. Also, people with an ADSL connection will find that the further they are from the telephone exchange (the hub where the data goes to and from), the slower and less reliable the connection will be.
There are currently two types of fibre optic broadband connections available – fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH). The most common type of fibre optic broadband is FTTC, which sends data through fibre optic cables from the telephone exchange to the green broadband cabinet which you’ll find on most streets, but then uses standard copper cables to transfer data from the cabinet to your home. FTTH broadband transmits data to and from your home entirely on fibre optic cables, resulting in superfast, reliable internet.
Who needs fibre optic broadband?
Fibre optic broadband is generally more expensive than standard ADSL connections. So, instead of just getting faster internet for the sake of it, you should think about whether you actually need it or not.
If you only use the internet occasionally to browse Facebook, read and send emails or do a bit of online shopping, then an ADSL connection will probably be fine. But as we do more and more online nowadays, from watching movies, uploading videos and playing games, the demand for superfast internet is growing.
You should consider getting fibre optic broadband if any of the following apply to you:
You have a large family or share your home with more than one housemate.
You have multiple connected devices in your home, i.e. smart TV, smart speakers etc.
You stream TV shows and movies regularly on Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer etc.
You run a small business from your home, so you depend on a reliable connection.
You upload big files regularly to the internet, for example videos on YouTube.
You regularly call friends and family on online calling services like Skype.
You regularly download and play games on PlayStation, Xbox or PC.
Where can I get fibre optic broadband?
Unfortunately, not everyone has access to fibre optic broadband just yet. As the technology is fairly new, the coverage doesn’t yet reach to all parts of the country. Currently, around 90% of the UK has access to fibre optic broadband, and if you live in a town or city then there’s a good chance you could get a fast connection. But if you live in a rural or remote area, it’s possible that the infrastructure isn’t there yet to support fibre optic broadband for your home. This can be very frustrating if you rely on a good internet connection for your work. If you don’t yet have access to fibre broadband, you should be able to in the near future.
Most broadband providers in the UK now offer fibre optic connections, although the areas they offer it in will vary between providers. BT currently has the widest coverage, with their fibre optic network covering up to 90% of the UK. Virgin Media have their own fibre optic network that covers around 60% of the country. Their network covers more populated areas, so if you live in a large town or city then there’s a good chance you could get fibre optic broadband with Virgin Media. Other providers that offer the technology are Sky, TalkTalk, EE, Vodafone, Plusnet, Post Office, SSE, First Utility, John Lewis and Gigaclear.
To find out if you’re property is covered by the fibre optic network, enter your postcode in our price comparison tool, and you will be shown a list of all the providers that offer superfast broadband in your area.
Compare fibre optic broadband now
Once you’ve thought about what you use the internet for and how regularly it’s used in your home, if you’ve decided that fibre optic broadband is for you, start comparing packages today. Use our price comparison tool to find a cheap deal in minutes. All you have to do is enter your postcode and choose a deal that works for you.
Your new provider will get in contact with you and your current provider to notify them of the switch, so you just have to sit back and wait for your internet to get faster. Depending on the provider and if an engineer is needed, the switch can take anything up to 2 weeks to be completed.
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Broadband Only Deals
It is estimated that 90% of adults in the UK now own a smartphone, which eliminates the need for many of us to have a landline. A lot of the time when we hear the home phone ring nowadays, it won’t be an old friend but somebody trying to sell you something, which can be irritating to say the least. Also, with the growing popularity of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, a lot of us are turning away from live TV.
So, if you’re one of the many people that don’t use the landline anymore or would rather watch Eastenders in your own time instead of at set times every day, then a broadband only deal could be for you.
Where can I find a broadband only deal?
Most providers supply your broadband on the same line that supplies your home phone connection. That’s why most broadband deals will come with line rental. However, it is possible to find a broadband only deal, eliminating the need for a home phone or line rental.
The only provider with a wide-ranging broadband only coverage is currently Virgin Media. This is because they supply their broadband through their own cable network, and therefore don’t rely on a working phone line to offer you their service. Virgin Media currently offers broadband to around 60% of the country.
You can also find broadband only deals with Relish, although they are a much smaller provider with much less coverage. Currently, you can only get broadband with Relish if you live in certain parts of London or Swindon. To find out whether you can get a broadband only deal with where you live, with either Virgin Media or Relish, simply enter your postcode in our price comparison tool and we will show you a list of broadband providers in your area.
You can also get broadband only packages with Plusnet, although you will still need a landline connection with another provider. This could be useful if you have a reliable and cheap home phone connection but want to upgrade your broadband connection.
Will I save money on a broadband only deal?
Although you’re only paying for one service rather than two or three, broadband only deals aren’t always the cheapest options available when you weigh up all the costs. Bundling your broadband, TV and home phone in the same deal is often more economical, especially if you’re planning to pay for all the services separately.
However, big savings are only really seen if you use your home phone or watch TV regularly. If you rarely use either of these, it could be better to get a broadband only deal. You don’t want to be paying for something you don’t need or use.
Compare broadband only deals now
After you’ve thought about what you need, the best way to save money on your broadband is to compare all the deals available on the market. Enter your postcode into our price comparison tool, and you will see a list of all the broadband packages in your area, including broadband only deals. These deals will often be cheaper, but first you should weigh up the costs of getting a separate TV or home phone package if you intend to use these too.
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Broadband, Phone and TV Package Deals
Technology is a huge part of our lives. Our homes are now filled with gadgets, from laptops and tablets to TVs and games consoles. Finding deals, renewing those deals and paying the bills for your broadband, home phone and TV separately can be confusing and time-consuming, not to mention costly.
Luckily, most providers now offer bundle deals, which package your internet, phone and television contracts into one deal. While they might cost more than a broadband only deal, they can save you a significant amount of money if you plan to use all three services.
What to look for when finding a bundle deal
To choose between different bundle deals, it's best to work out where your priorities lie. Some of you might first and foremost need superfast, reliable broadband to ensure your home business runs smoothly and efficiently. Others might prioritise getting a package that offers Sky Sports so they can watch all the big games on the weekend.
Broadband
If having a good internet connection is important to you, there are a few things you need to consider.
Speed is important: the higher your download and upload speeds, the better your all-round browsing experience will be. You should get high-speed broadband (between 35Mbps and 75Mbps) if you live with other people who all use the internet regularly, or you have a large home with multiple connected devices. You should also opt for high-speed internet if you want to stream a lot of online content without delays, or if you or your children like to play and download games on their PlayStation, Xbox or PC.
Usage limits are also important to consider when choosing your broadband. Most packages will now offer unlimited usage, which means you can do and download as much as you want online without worrying about being charged for exceeding a limit. Unlimited usage is advised for most internet users, although is especially useful for people who use streaming services such as Netflix, as watching videos online uses up huge amounts of data.
Fibre optic broadband is generally more expensive than standard ADSL broadband, but can offer much higher download speeds and is a lot more reliable. Fibre optic technology is not yet available across the whole country, with just under 90% of homes able to get access. If you live in a town or city you should be fine, but if you live in a rural area you may find it more difficult as under 60% of homes are covered.
TV
Choosing what TV package and channels you want can be even more difficult than choosing your broadband. You can now watch hundreds of digital TV channels in the UK, but there’s no point paying for all of them if all you watch is movies.
Many TV packages will allow you to pick and choose which channels you want, inlcuding dedicated sports, film and movies, entertainment or kids packages. Generally, the more channels you have on your TV, the more you will pay. Sports packages are usually the most expensive additions as they offer exclusive, in-demand, live content. Some of the cheaper packages will offer you a Freeview or YouView box, with around 70 standard channels. This could be for you if you enjoy watching TV but aren’t too fussed about movies or sports.
Some bundle deals will also offer subscriptions to online streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, allowing you to watch your favourite shows and movies on demand. These services rely on the internet to work, so will obviously go hand in hand with a fast and reliable broadband connection.
Phone
Having a decent home phone connection may not be at the top of everyone’s priorities when it comes to choosing their broadband, phone and tv package, but you shouldn’t disregard it. Most broadband packages will require you to have a landline connection in your home, as your internet is supplied through the same cables.
Things to look out for when choosing the right phone deal are the line rental and the amount the provider charges for local and international calls. You can’t escape line rental charges with most broadband packages, but if you’re like most people who use their mobile or smartphone for pretty much all their calls, then you shouldn’t get anything more than the most basic line rental.
If you have family or friends that live abroad, it will often be expensive to call them on both a landline and a mobile, so you should consider using online calling services such as Skype or Apple’s FaceTime instead. These services are free – you’re only paying for the internet connection, so it would be useful to get a package with unlimited broadband.
Although using a landline is becoming much less common, people still use them. If you live in an area with bad mobile reception, then you might rely on your home phone to stay in touch with people. The cost of line rental will be included in your broadband package, but most will have the option to upgrade your home phone connection to include anytime calls or an international calling plan.
Where can I get bundle deals?
All major broadband providers will offer bundle deals that include TV and landline connections, and it will often be cheaper and certainly less hassle to get one deal rather than three. Use our price comparison tool to find a good deal and switch in minutes. Just enter your postcode and you’ll see a list of all the broadband providers in your area and their different packages on offer.
Find the best broadband package now! START COMPARING
Broadband and Phone Deals
Most broadband deals you find will come with line rental as standard. If you need a homephone, then this is perfect. Even if you don't, it can sometimes be cheaper and easier to get broadband that does come with a phone line.
How to find the best broadband
Just like with all types of broadband deal, you need to consider what you use the internet for, and how much you use it. Two factors you definitely need to look at are speed and usage limits.
If you live in a large household with a big family or just lots of housemates, you'll need a fast internet connection. If it’s available in your area, then you should consider getting fibre optic broadband. It costs slightly more than standard ADSL broadband, but can handle much faster speeds. You would also benefit from high-speed broadband if you play a lot of online games or stream a lot of content such as movies, TV and music.
You also need to think about usage limits. Most broadband packages will now offer you unlimited usage, which allows you to use the internet when you like for as much as you like without facing charges for going over any limits. Streaming videos online uses up a lot of data, so if you have a limit to how much you can download, then you will find that you will quickly exceed this limit after watching a few shows on Netflix.
How to find the best phone service
With the growth of mobile phones and smartphones in recent years, you might think the deal on your home phone is not important. But you never know when you might lose your phone or drop it down the toilet. Finding the right deal on your home phone is important if you don’t want to be hit with excessive charges for making a few calls.
Depending on how much you use your home phone and what deal you get, your landline could end up costing you a lot. Look out for how much your provider charges for making calls. With basic line rental, you could be charged between 10 and 20p per minute for calling a mobile.
If you or someone in your family uses the home phone regularly, you should look for a package that comes with inclusive anytime calls. Some providers will offer you unlimited daytime, evening and weekend calls, while some cheaper deals will only give you unlimited calls in the evenings or on weekends.
Are you tired of cold callers constantly trying to sell you things you don’t need? Some broadband and phone packages will include options to block anonymous or unknown numbers calling your landline. This can stop those irritating calls and also protect you from phone scams.
Where to find broadband and phone deals
Every major broadband provider will offer broadband and phone packages, making the process of getting both a lot easier. BT has the widest coverage and reliable phone lines too and has many packages to choose from - including some great TV bundles. Virgin Media is also a good option if you want superfast broadband, while Sky will allow you to bundle in a TV deal for a little bit extra. TalkTalk, Post Office and Plusnet are good choices if you’re looking for great value packages on a budget.
Use our price comparison tool to find a great broadband and phone deal in a matter of minutes. Just enter your postcode and you’ll be shown a list of all the providers and packages available in your area. Once you’ve chosen a deal, your new provider will do the hard work of setting it up for you, and you should be switched over within 2 weeks.
Broadband and TV Deals
Long gone are the days when we only had four channels to choose from on the television. There’s now such a vast array of digital TV channels available in the UK that it’s difficult to know where to start. And now, with the growing popularity of online streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Now TV, broadband and television deals go hand in hand.
Most providers now offer bundle deals that will include both broadband and TV, allowing you to choose exactly what you need and save money at the same time. Whether you’re a movie buff or a sports fanatic, you can tailor your broadband and TV package to suit your exact needs.
How to find the best TV package
There are now hundreds of channels out there to choose from. But it’s not an all-or-nothing choice. The UK’s biggest providers – Sky, BT and Virgin Media – all offer many different packages at different prices. Choosing the right package depends on what you like watching.
Sky
Sky has one of the most extensive range of channels to choose from and allows you to pick and choose which packages you want.
The Sky Entertainment package comes with over 350 channels to choose from, including Sky One and the hugely popular Sky Atlantic, which is exclusive to Sky customers and lets you watch highly acclaimed TV shows like Game of Thrones.
The Sky Cinema package comes with almost a dozen movie channels, with new releases as well as classics and family favourites on offer.
Sports is a deal breaker for many customers, and the Sky Sports package has 10 channels showing exclusive live content. Although they’ve lost European football to BT in recent years, Sky Sports still consistently shows the biggest Premier League games live, as well as cricket, golf, Formula 1, boxing and NFL.
There is also a Sky Kids package, which is a lot cheaper than the other packages and lets your children watch some of their favourite shows at any time of the day. It also comes with parental controls, allowing you to take more control over what your kids are watching.
BT
BT’s TV service is only available as part of a broadband and TV bundle, but this means you’re billed for both services together too, making your life a lot easier.
The range of channels on BT is not as wide as Sky but offers great value for money. Their classic bundle comes with over 70 channels available on Freeview, as well as BT Sports. A few years ago, Sky was the go-to provider for watching sports, but BT is changing that. They now show live UEFA Champions League and Europa League football exclusively, as well as Premier League games and American sports that are growing in popularity over here, including NBA, UFC and even baseball.
You can also pay a bit extra for entertainment and HD bundles, which come with more premium channels such as Comedy Central and Discovery Channel. They also have exclusive access to AMC, which shows popular American TV series such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media offer a selection of highly popular TV service, and also provide some of the fastest broadband around.
With over 240 channels to choose from, you’ll always be able to find something worth watching. You can get both Sky Sports and BT Sport on a Virgin Media package, meaning you’ll never miss out on the big game. You can also watch a lot of their channels in HD, and even in 3D, on certain packages.
TV Anywhere is Virgin Media’s app that allows you as a customer to watch all their channels on the go – on your smartphone or your tablet, as long as you have a working internet connection.
Why good broadband is important for TV
The TV industry has been shaken up in recent years with the introduction and rapid growth of on-demand streaming services. With millions in the UK now subscribing to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and more, we can watch thousands of shows and movies where we want, whenever we want.
Online streaming services, as well as catch up TV services like BBC iPlayer or All 4, rely on a good internet connection, so if you’re one of the many people who are watching more and more TV in this format, then you should make sure your broadband connection is fast and reliable.
Virgin Media has some of the fastest broadband available, with average speeds on some packages as high as 362Mbps. However, there are many other good value, superfast broadband packages available with most other providers.
Compare broadband and TV deals now
Make your life easier and bundle your broadband and TV together under one package. To find the best deal that suits you, use our price comparison tool to look for the best packages and make a switch. Enter your postcode and we will provide you with a list of all the broadband providers in your area, along with their accompanying TV packages and prices.
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According to industry experts, there is one crucial component that is holding back the release of self-driving cars on a commercial level: detailed, 3D maps. This is because the vessels, in order to ensure safety during operation, must utilize other guidance mechanisms, beyond sensors and cameras (based on insights from Shun Kuriaki, manager of Mitsubishi Electric's IT Solution Department in the Electronic Systems Group). In locations that experience bad weather and low visibility conditions, highly accurate maps are essential.
Currently, there are several companies focused on developing robust mapping systems for driverless cars. In the US, both Google and Apple are leading the group with the technology baked into their respective navigation apps. On the other side of the world (Europe), Audi, BMW and Daimler have strategically acquired Nokia's HERE map ($2.7 billion) and are now leveraging the platform for their autonomous vehicles.
In Asia (specifically Japan), Mitsubishi Electric recently announced that it will also ramp up its digital mapping efforts under a Tokyo-based product called Dynamic Map Planning, which is backed by the Japanese government.
Advanced Safety and Driving Measures
As mentioned earlier, 3D maps can help autonomous cars navigate open roads in unfavorable, outdoor conditions. During bad weather, including heavy rain or snow, cameras and sensors mounted on the vessel loses effectiveness. As a result, the vehicle may have a difficult time detecting lanes and traffic signals. To help navigate around treacherous roads during such occurrences, self-driving systems could rely on sophisticated maps that provide precise data about the measurement of lanes and location of road signs. It would also be possible to utilize vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) features for real-time updates about the vessel's environment.
"Mitsubishi has gathered together a consortium of fifteen Japanese auto-related companies, including manufacturers Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, and map maker Zenrin, to create detailed, high-definition 3D maps of Japan's 340,000 kilometers of expressways, national highways, and other roads," said John Boyd from Asia Times.
"Point Cloud" Technology
The company's Mobile Mapping System is the main driver for the project, which is supported by laser scanners, cutting-edge cameras and GPS sensors. When mapping operations are active, the system starts by capturing the exact location of the vehicle using GPS. As the vehicle starts moving, laser scanners are deployed to capture a detailed outline of the area, using "point cloud" technology. The process involves rapidly pinging objects around the vessel to generate images. Mitsubishi engineers confirmed that the technology is efficient up to seven meters and accurate up to 10 centimeters.
To ensure accuracy, the mapping system receives up to 27,100 light points per second. This figure goes up exponentially when high-density laser scanning units are used, enabling the platform to collect millions of light points and generate clearer images.
"When more detailed maps are required for applications other than autonomous driving, a camera synchronized with the laser scanner takes images of the objects simultaneously. Later, in post-processing of the data, the point cloud data and the camera images are combined to produce these comprehensive 3D maps with color added if required," said Boyd.
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See the first part here. Today we’re moving on to the newest and latest of analytic crazes, defense. With the advent and improvement of such statistics as UZR by Mitchel Lichtman, Total Zone Rating by Sean Smith, and +/- by John Dewan, defense has come into the spotlight as what many are calling “the new OBP,” signaling the newest of sabermetric crazes. We’ve now learned that defense can play a huge role in the success of a team. Let’s consider some numbers.
The Effect of Defense
UZR and most other metrics convert plays made into run values for teams. As we know, run values are vitally important to statistical analysis because runs are how games are won and lost. Systems like UZR and TZ use linear weight models. models that have been used extensively in analyzing offense, for balls hit in certain zones and compares all players to the major league average. In doing this it provides a reasonable number of “runs saved” by defensive players. Runs can be simply translated into wins using the standard 10 runs/1 win ratio. Doing this provides some context to what teams like the Marlins are doing to help their pitching staffs, and gives us something quantifiable to use in judging a field that was previously held to only qualitative analyis.
Let’s look at the extremes on either end of the UZR spectrum. Data provided by FanGraphs.
Top 5 Defensive Teams (UZR)
Tampa Bay Rays (35.3)
Pittsburgh Pirates (30.0)
Seattle Mariners (26.8)
Detroit Tigers (26.7)
Cincinatti Reds (24.1)
Four of the five teams listed here are contenders in their division currently and were bottom-feeders last year. As the Tampa Bay Rays taught us last year, vastly improving your defense can lead to a significant shift in the standings. Even though it appears as if Seattle is saving 2.7 wins these season attributed to defense, the differences are drastic considering where these clubs were a year ago.
2007 Defensive Numbers (UZR)
Pittsburgh (-26.2)
Seattle (-20.9)
Detroit (-39.1)
Cincinnatti (-40.3)
When compared to their numbers the previous year, the change is wins saved from year to year is far more dramatic. Even if you expect and end-season line for the Tigers of about 35 runs above average, meaning the team did not change much more compared to the league average defensively in the second half, Detroit would have still netted around 74 runs better than their previous season on defense, good for a whopping 7.4-win bonus to last year’s record. If Seattle ends the season about 35 runs better than average, thanks to their drastically improved outfield defense, they will have saved close to 56 runs, or 5.6 wins more than last season. Often times, ballclubs benefit by just being in the positive defensively, even a more modest 8-10 runs better than average, because a larger number of teams are at the average or below. In this day and age of teams trying to find every edge they can get to succeed, statistical defensive analysis has become a tool that has drastically affected the standings this year and last.
Which takes me to the bottom half of this analysis and our team of interest.
Bottom 5 Defensive Teams (UZR)
Washington Nationals (-29.7)
Cleveland Indians (-23.3)
New York Mets (-22.2)
Atlanta Braves (-21.7)
Baltimore Orioles (-20.6)
…
Florida Marlins (-20.0)
I placed the ellipse to show that I was done writing the bottom five defensive squads by UZR, but the Marlins actually aren’t far from that list as the sixth worse squad in the majors. None of these teams should come as any surprise to you. The Nationals contain one of the worst defensive regulars in the game in Adam Dunn, the Mets have struggled all year long in fielding a baseball team that can actually field, thanks to injuries and their desire to find Daniel Murphy somewhere in the lineup, and the Braves have sported one of the worst regular outfields in the game thanks to their lack of range. Three of the worst teams in baseball reside in the bottom five in defense, and if you look in years past this has often been the trend. Check out last year:
Bottom 5 Defensive Teams, 2008 (UZR)
Texas Rangers (-51.7)
Los Angeles Dodgers (-48.0)
New York Yankees (-44.5)
Cincinatti Reds (-40.3)
Detroit Tigers (-39.1)
Two of those teams were in contention and one of them won their division (though admittedly that was Dodgers and they won the NL West, the worst division in baseball last year), but the other three teams were among the worst in their respective divisions (OK, the Rangers weren’t, but they were the third worst team in a bad division by Pythagorean expectation).
Now that I’ve had my long diatribe about defense, let’s talk a bit about the Marlins.
Defense:
Runs Allowed: 399
2009 Team UZR: -20.0
2008 Team UZR: -2.4
The Marlins seemingly made long strides last year to improve a squad that was close to dead last in defense the year before. The team recorded essentially a league average UZR, backed by major improvement by middle infielders Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla and a monstrous range season by the surprising Cody Ross. Of course, the team saw their state brethren in St. Pete go to the World Series on the back of the defense and Larry Beinfest came into the offseason looking to improve the team’s biggest weakness. Gone was the statue of Mike Jacobs at first base, and moving into that position was the more nimble Jorge Cantu, who also happened to be the team’s terrible defensive third baseman last year. Replacing Cantu at the hot corner was speedy middle infielder Emilio Bonifacio, acquired from the Nationals in the Josh Willingham-Scott Olsen deal. The Marlins dealt Willingham and his subpar glove in left field and looked to replace it with Cameron Maybin in center.
On the surface these moves seemed to have improved the defense greatly. The truth of the matter was that the Marlins’ improvement the previous year was mostly a mirage. This season the Marlins regressed to what they are defensively and then some. Dan Uggla appeared to have benefited from Mike Jacobs’ ineptitude at first, as his range has dropped significantly from last season. Jeremy Hermida has turned into a boulder defensively, as he’s posted one of the worst outfielder UZR’s to date. It turns out Ross was not in fact a +11 center fielder and instead was merely covering for the ground not made up by Willingham and Hermida.
Since UZR is broken down into many different parts, we can look at individual run measurements for things such as range, outfield arm, double plays, and errors. Most differences between ballclubs involve range, as it is the largest component of UZR and indeed the first that was quantized by MGL in 2003. Two things really stand out for the Marlins this season: 1) Their double play runs, which have always been a team strength, are hurting the squad to the tune of -4.1 runs, and 2) The Marlins outfield arms are costing the team 7.2 runs so far this year.
The arms aren’t surprising. None of the Marlins’ outfielders had strong guns in the past, and this year is no different. However, the Marlins traded last season’s only positively-rated arm, Willingham, away to the Nationals and replaced him with Cameron Maybin, who struggled a bit but was mostly a sample-size victim. Ross in center field has an average arm, but his right field arm is not plus and he may have to remain in center to get the most of his defensive production. The difference between last season and this season has been a total of six runs.
The double play runs are far more interesting figure. Qualitatively, we’ve watched Hanley and Danny botch a lot more double plays this year than in years past. Uggla actually led all second basemen in double play runs the last three season, and Ramirez has been average for most of his career. However, this season Uggla has rated as -2 runs in terms of the double play, with Ramirez at -1 run. That being said, the difference is less than 3 runs over the course of half a season so far, so I would not get wound up about it.
Best Performer: Brett Carroll
I wanted to put a team regular in this spot, but no starter has been above league average this season, with only two players rating as essentially league average so far. Carroll on the other hand has been nothing short of excellent during his limited time in the outfield, mostly in right field. In only 142 innings in right field this season, Carroll has been worht 7.2 runs above average. Overall, Carroll has been worth 9.3 runs better than the average outfielder, an impressive feat in such a small amount of playing time.
Carroll’s best feature is his plus range; he’s been 6.4 runs better than the average outfielder with the same playing time. His arm has been effective as well, worth 1.9 runs above average. There are a multitude of sample size issues regarding this analysis however, and it’s simply not possible for Carroll to be this good over a long stretch of time. It is reasonable, given what we have qualitatively seen from him, that he could be a +10 to 15 run outfielder. What we know of his bat is enough to say it would be a stretch for play long-term, but the Marlins are sacrificing a significant number of runs defensively by playing a lineup involving Hermida, Coghlan, and Ross in the outfield. Carroll’s glove so far has been worth almost a win above replacement. If he brings a replacement bat with +15 run defense, that’s almost a win over replacement for the entire year, passable if guys like Hermida and Coghlan won’t hit well enough in the corners anyway.
Worst Performer: Jeremy Hermida
There were a lot of players worthy of this nod, but Hermida’s amazingly bad defensive year takes the cake. Hermida can only play the corner outfield positions, limiting his options in getting his bat in the lineup. And while his bat has been league average so far this season, he’s erased any benefit of his increased walk rate and patience numbers by being truly atrocious in the outfield. So far this season, Hermida has posted a whopping 12.9 runs below average playing both corner outfield positions. In just the first half of the season, he has eclipsed each of his previous three season totals.
The value is truly staggering. The last week or so since finding out just how bad he truly was, I’ve been referring to Hermida’s defense as Dunn-esque. Adam Dunn of the Nationals is posting similar but more drastic numbers, posting an absurd 16.2 runs below average and fully eliminating his amazing offensive season to date. Hermida has become Adam Dunn without the offensive ability. He is still an average offensive player, or at least has been this season, but he has completely lost his range, currently almost 10 runs below average. This has been clear qualitatively as well and, based on his previously poor track record on defense, can be expected to continue to some degree. Hermida is plodding in the outfield, a surprise given his atheltic build. He also has always lacked the arm for right field, sporting currently 3.2 runs below average in outfield arm runs. Hermida has also only committed one error so far this year, but has been somewhat error-prone throughout his career.
Unlike many of the Marlins players on the field, there isn’t much hope for improvement for Hermida’s terrible glove. His value is severely deflated because he has been so poor in the outfield, and if the Marlins continue to run him out onto the field, he will continue to eat up runs in right field. It’s imperative the Fish rest him and Coghlan a total of two times a week in order to fit Carroll’s plus glove to offset this sort of poor performance.
Key Second-Half Improvement: Emilio Bonifacio
It is rare for me to praise Bonifacio in a season where he has been atrocious with the stick, but I will admit that, since the Marlins are insisting on playing him full-time, he should make the most of the situation and play well. His bat is a completely lost cause and will always be replacement level or worse. However, his fielding at third base has improved over the course of the season, or at the very least has appeared to improve.
In my maddening rage at Bonifacio’s inability at the plate, I failed to recognize the reasoning behind his struggles on the diamond. He was posting an extremely poor UZR, but such small sample sizes were not really effective at telling the whole story of his defensive game. Looking at the numbers now, he’s at a more respectable but still reproachable 3.9 runs below average at third. However, if you look at the breakdown of his numbers, the problems he is having are not in the all-important range category, but in the error mark. Bonifacio leads all third basemen with 13 errors, but it is plausible to expect his error run total right now to improve if he begins to field the ball more cleanly. Third base is a position prone for error, and if Bonifacio is indeed improving in his reflexes at the hot corner, he can perhaps cut down on his errors and allow the rest of the league’s third baseman catch up.
Bonifacio has shown he has league average range at third so far this year. If he can improve as he gets his bearings at the hot corner, he may be able to improve into the positives as he continues playing. I don’t doubt that it would take time, but if he can improve just slightly in his range this season (again, small sample size issues in hoping for this, as the second-half”s innings won’t be enough to be conclusive about anything) and show a little more sure-handedness, he could become a +2 run third baseman this season. Currently he sits at -4 runs, but the majority of those are error runs that ideally are behind him.
That being said, this is an improvement of six runs, almost a win but barely anything to get excited about. Still, anything to improve Bonifacio’s value can help at this point, as he continues his season-long ineptitude at the plate and Fredi continues to give him chances.
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Next up, we’ll look into the team’s pitching staff and how the Marlins may have to ride two aces to the finish line if they want to compete in the NL East.
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So, I will willingly admit that Lady Gaga is a guilty pleasure of mine, one that some of my musical elitist friends find laughable. However, I find her music to be throughly hypnotic and reminiscent of other pop greats of the passed 30 years.
What is it that makes a powerful/memorable pop song? I believe that there are several things that make a “good” song or a pop star.
1. The song has to be catchy. When I first listened to Lady Gaga, her song permeated my subconscious. The beat and lyrics of “Paparazzi” ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKrzdaDQMw ) stuck in my head and haunted me until I finally downloaded the song off or iTunes. The great beat of the song and the repetition in the lyrics are what make it so memorable and hypnotic. I mean seriously how many of you could say that you found yourself singing along with the “Queen of the Night Aria” ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ODfuMMyss )after listening to in once.
2. Lady Gaga puts on one hell of a show which adds to her mystique as an artist. People have done it before. Think of Elvis and his pelvis, Michael Jackson and his dance moves, or Metallica and their heavy metal attitude. Each one had their own distinctive style that they brought to the table and built their fame on. Gaga does the same with her ‘weirdness”. People are drawn to it because she puts on a show.
3. Controversy is what also plays to the masses. The more people say we should look away from the sun…the more we sneaks peeks at it…right? Just as with Elvis, Madonna, Elton John, Etc., there are those out there that have proclaimed Lady Gaga as some sort of “Faux Pas” celebrity of the moment. Due to this, people cannot look away whether she’s talking about her bisexuality or “hanging” herself at the VMA’s. This publicity is what makes her mysterious or eccentric to the masses.
I think that Lady Gaga has done what she set out to do. I think she has shaken up the pop scene (which she may or may not have intended). She has raised the bar for those that are coming out now. They cannot just be the Taylor Swift cookie-cutter pop star if they want to compete. Like Debbie Harry and Madonna (the celebrities that I compare her with), I think she has found her own nicht and has impacted the pop world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I
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Twenty-two people, including children, have been killed and 59 injured in a suspected suicide attack at Manchester Arena.
The blast happened at 22:35 BST on Monday at the end of a pop concert by the US singer Ariana Grande.
Greater Manchester Police said the lone male attacker, who died in the blast, was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated.
Relatives are using social media to hunt for missing loved ones.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said it was “the most horrific incident” the city had ever faced.
He said the “fast-moving investigation” was now working to establish whether the attacker “was acting alone or as part of a network”.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was “a barbaric attack, deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable”.
The prime minister is to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee at around 09:00.
Political parties have suspended general election campaigning.
The explosion occurred shortly after Ariana Grande left the stage at the arena – the city’s largest indoor venue with a concert capacity of around 21,000.
Grande – a 23-year-old American TV teen actress-turned-pop star – has a strong following among teenage girls and children.
The pop star tweeted: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.”
The blast occurred close to the entrance to Victoria train and tram station. The station has been closed and all trains cancelled.
Police also carried out a precautionary controlled explosion in the Cathedral Garden area of the city at about 01:32. The force later confirmed it was not a dangerous item.
After the explosion, witnesses spoke about the fear and confusion that gripped those caught up in the events.
Those inside the arena described clothing and mobile phones strewn across the floor as people scrambled for the exits.
Andy Holey, who had gone to the arena to pick up his wife and daughter who had been at the concert, said: “An explosion went off and it threw me about 30ft from one set of doors to the other set of doors.
“When I got up I saw bodies lying on the ground. My first thought was to go into the arena to try to find my family.
“I managed to find them eventually and they’re OK.”
Emma Johnson said she and her husband were at the arena to pick up her children, aged 15 and 17.
“We were stood at the top of the stairs and the glass exploded – it was near to where they were selling the merchandise,” she told BBC Radio Manchester.
“The whole building shook. There was a blast and then a flash of fire afterwards. There were bodies everywhere.”
Here is what we know so far.
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Pro Cam is Nokia's exclusive app that offers DLSR-like settings woven in a thoughtfully designed interface. Using this app, you can play around with shutter speed, white balance, ISO, exposure, and focus. Currently, it is only available on Lumia phones with PureView camera branding such as the Lumia 1020, Lumia 920, Lumia 925, and Lumia 928. So those with a mid-range or budget Lumia phones are basically out of luck. However, like most things in the world, there is a workaround for this. A helpful soul from WPCentral forums came up with a trick that lets you install Pro Cam on Lumia 820. After testing it on various WP8 devices, we confirm that this trick also works with 720 and 620. So here’s a step-by-step guide to get advanced camera controls on your Lumia:
1. Make sure that your phone runs Windows Phone GD2 (Lumia Amber). To check the firmware version, go to Settings, and then click on Extras+info. If that doesn’t say Lumia Amber, hit 'Back', and click on 'Phone Update'. Last time I checked, the Amber update was live for Nokia Lumia 920, 820, and 620. Those who own 520 and 720 can flash their phone with the latest firmware. However, we advise you to wait, as it's just a matter of weeks before Nokia starts seeding the update.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
2. Go to Windows Phone Store, click on ‘Apps from Nokia’ just to make sure that Nokia hasn’t officially released the Pro Cam for your phone. Alternatively, you can press the ‘Search’ button to start ‘Bing’, and then click on the ‘Eye’ icon at the bottom to fire up ‘Bing Vision’. Simply point it at the barcode generated below.
If it's showing the install button, go ahead with it by all means. Those not so lucky, greeted with an error message shall continue with step number 3.
3. Connect to a Wi-Fi network, head over to ‘Settings’. Turn on ‘Proxy’, and enter "117.135.139.179" (Update: this proxy is no longer functional, but thanks to our reader Oliver, we've got an alternative) "103.13.29.118" in ‘Server’ and “8888” in ‘Port’. Don’t forget to click on the check mark.
4. In ‘Date+time’ select any American state. For instance, we selected Arizona. Change the phone’s ‘Language+region’ settings to ‘United States’, and hit 'Restart'. After booting the phone, turn Off the 'Location' service, just to be on the safe side.
5. Go to Store, and look for Pro Cam again, as shown in Step 2. Now you'll get the ‘Install’ option, but the download process will interrupt within a second. Now, keep this window open. Press Home, go to ‘Settings’, click on the active Wi-Fi connection, and turn off the ‘Proxy’.
6. Press and hold the ‘Back’ button to see the list of recently opened apps. Select the window representing the interrupted download process, and hit ‘Retry’. Depending upon your connection speed, the Pro Cam app will take a minute or two to download and install.
7. Now that the Pro Cam has been installed, revert the Language+region and Date+time settings to normal. While all the Pro Cam features work fine, just don't expect the final output to be as good as what you get on the 920, 925 and 1020. Finally, happy snapping.
Mobile Phones, Guides, Windows Phone, Nokia, Lumia
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$100 Million Prize Will Deploy Muppets To The Middle East
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rahmat Gul/AP Rahmat Gul/AP
The MacArthur Foundation will give $100 million to Elmo, Big Bird and their buddies to massively scale up early childhood development programs for Syrian refugees.
Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee won a global competition by the MacArthur Foundation seeking solutions to what the judges called "a critical problem of our time."
"The most important thing to remember is that the humanitarian system is designed to reach people's immediate needs — to keep people alive, feed them, make sure that they have shelter," says Sarah Smith, senior director of education at the IRC. The global humanitarian system, she says, isn't very good at supporting displaced children. "And the fact is these children are likely to stay as refugees for their entire childhood."
With this huge grant from the MacArthur Foundation (which also gives to NPR), the IRC and Sesame Workshop plan to launch what they're describing as the "largest early childhood intervention program ever created in a humanitarian setting."
The plan is to launch a new, regional version of Sesame Street that will be available to Syrian refugees and local kids across Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. It will be distributed over traditional television channels, the internet and mobile phones. It will also serve as an educational curriculum for childcare centers, health clinics and outreach workers visiting the shelters where refugees live. The workers will deliver books to kids and caregivers.
Sherrie Westin of Sesame Workshop says they're going to come up with new characters and narratives specifically for children affected by the Syrian crisis.
"This production, these Muppets, will be created to reflect the children's reality so that children can relate with them," Westin says. "For instance one of the Muppets may have had to leave home. She may live in a tent. She may become best friends with her new neighbors. There may [also] be characters from the existing Sesame Street. On our international productions it's a mix of characters you recognize and characters that are completely indigenous."
The goal is to provide kids with academic skills while also helping them navigate the social and emotional challenges of being forced from their homes.
The MacArthur Foundation in a statement said it chose this one project out of hundreds of applicants in an effort to ... "change the system of humanitarian aid to focus more on helping to ensure the future of young children through education."
IRC and Sesame Workshop have already been running a preliminary pilot of this program. But they say without the influx of this $100 million they wouldn't be able to launch such a major campaign across the region.
"We know that in their first years of life the trauma that children are experiencing has the greatest impact on them," Westin at Sesame Workshop says. "And yet they receive the least support." This project and this new grant aim to flip that script.
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Up until the morning of January 31, Harley Branham’s Facebook page catalogued her disgust with Donald Trump and his supporters.
One meme Branham shared compared Trump to Hitler and another showed Holocaust victims under the headline, “Remember it didn’t start with gas chambers.”
In smaller type, that same meme reminded the reader, “It started with intolerance & hate speech and when people stopped caring, became desensitized mindlessly obedient and turned a blind eye.”
Using another meme as prop, Branham identified herself as a “feminist” and “anti-fascist,” one who “supports punching nazis in the face.”
After the morning of January 31, the anti-Trump memes stopped cold. On that day, a Howard County, Missouri, coroner’s jury charged Branham with involuntary manslaughter for her bullying of 17-year-old suicide victim, Kenneth Suttner. Suttner worked under Branham at a Dairy Queen in Fayette, Missouri.
According to co-workers, Branham continually abused Suttner, threw food at him, and forced him to do demeaning tasks.
Testifying in her own defense, Branham admitted calling Suttner an “asshole” but denied ever bullying him. “There’s a lot of people at Dairy Queen saying I was the reason,” Branham said of Suttner’s suicide, “but I don’t understand why it would be that way.”
Branham was released on $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. She faces up to seven years in prison. Her most recent post on Facebook was of a flower.
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The Civil War Forts on Mobile Bay
The Battle of Mobile Bay was where Admiral Farragut was supposed to have made his famous statement, “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
Before the Battle of Mobile Bay, the city of Mobile had been under blockade for three years.
Blockade runners attempted to penetrate the blockade and were often successful.
Fort Morgan was built before 1834
On August 5, 1864, Fort Morgan fell at the conclusion of one of the fiercest naval conflicts fought during the War of Secession. Fort Morgan was a masonry structure dating from 1834. The fort mounted 46 guns, of which 11 were rifled. Its garrison numbered about 600.
Fort Gaines was across the main channel
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Across the main channel from Fort Morgan on Dauphin Island was Fort Gaines, containing 26 guns, and with a garrison of about 600. When Page was not present, command of the fort fell to Col. Charles D. Anderson.
Fort Powell on the western end of the bay
Fort Powell 10″ Columbiad Rifled to 6.4″ Located in Downtown Mobile
Fort Powell was the smallest fort at the end of Fort Powell
At the western end of the bay was Fort Powell, smallest of the three with 18 guns and about 140 men. It was commanded in Page’s absence by Lt. Col. James M. Williams. Fort Powell was located on a shell island at Grant’s Pass in Mobile Bay. The fort was not complete but would mount 5 rifled guns, 5 field howitzers, and 2 long range guns. The emplacements were connected to the central magazine by tunnels.
All three forts were flawed in that their guns were unprotected against fire from the rear; in addition, Forts Powell and Gaines lacked adequate traverses.
Under the Department of Alabama
Mobile and Mobile Bay were within the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana, led by Maj. Gen. Dabney H. Maury. Although Mobile was the site of department headquarters, Maury did not exercise immediate command of the forts at the entrance to the bay, and he was not present during the battle and ensuing siege. Local command was entrusted to Brig. Gen. Richard L. Page.
The primary contribution of the Confederate Army to the defense of Mobile Bay was the three forts.
Morale was low
The raw numbers of troops available do not indicate how effectively they would fight. The war was already winding down, and assertions were made that the morale of the soldiers was bad. The judgment is hard to quantify, but it would explain at least in part the poor performance of the defenders.
During the summer of 1864 reinforcements came in, and Admiral David Farragut was placed in command of the Gulf fleet.
Fort Gaines besieged
Fort Gaines was besieged on August 3 by a force of about 1,500 land troops. About daybreak on the morning of August 5, 4 iron-clad monitors and 14 steamers moved into the bay.
The steamers were lashed two abreast. The Federal fleet consisted of the monitors, Tecumseh and Manhattan, each carrying two 15-inch guns, and the Winnebago and Chicasa, each carrying four 11-inch guns; and the steamers Hartford of twenty-eight guns; the Brooklyn twenty-six; the Octorara ten; Metacomet ten; Richmond twenty-four; Port Royal eight; Lackawanna fourteen; Seminole nine; Monongahela twelve; Kennebec five; Osippee thirteen; Itaska four; Oneida ten; Galena thirteen; a total of one hundred and ninety-nine guns, and twenty-seven hundred men.
They opened fire on Fort Morgan and Gaines
After sailing into the bay, they opened fire on both Forts Morgan and Gaines. The first monitor struck a torpedo, and almost immediately went down, only 10 of her crew of 130 being saved. The Confederate fleet immediately gave battle. The larger number of the enemy vessels and their greater speed gave them a superior advantage.
The Confederate Torpedo Bureau, directed by Maj. Gen. Gabriel J. Rains, contributed a passive weapon to the defense. Men of the bureau had planted 67 “torpedoes” (naval mines) across the entrance, leaving a gap on the eastern side of the channel so blockade runners and other friendly vessels could enter or leave the harbor. The minefield was well marked by buoys, which Farragut knew well. Its purpose was not necessarily to sink enemy vessels trying to enter, but rather to force them to steer close to Fort Morgan and its guns.
The Confederate gun-boats Selma, Morgan and Gaines were soon put out of action. The Federal fleet, now well beyond the forts, were about to cast anchor four miles inside the bay Then it was the Tennessee, under Admiral Buchanan, and Capt. J. D. Johnston, engaged the entire enemy fleet alone. After two hours the flag of the Tennessee came down, after what Admiral Farragut characterizes as “one of the fiercest naval campaigns on record ” The Confederate losses were 10 killed and 16 wounded, on all the vessels. The Federal loss was 52 killed, 170 wounded, and the 120 that sank with the Tecumseh. The following video is a reenactment of this Battle in and around Fort Morgan in 2002.
Fort Gaines surrendered and Fort Powell abandoned
Fort Gaines could not withstand the land investment, and the attack of the fleet combined. and therefore on August 6, 1864, Col Charles D. Anderson, of the 21st Alabama Infantry Regiment, asked for terms but surrendered unconditionally two days afterward. Fort Powell on Cedar Point was abandoned by its garrison on August 5. Two companies of the 21st Infantry Regiment were stationed at this fort; and withstood a bombardment of two weeks from five gunboats and six mortar boats which undertook to force Grant’s Pass, with a loss of only one killed. The following video was made by Steve Crutchfield in 2011 of Fort Gaines in Mobile, Alabama.
SOURCES
YouTube videos by BATTLESWHARFPRO and zibivideo on Battle of Mobile Bay Library of Congress photographs History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography 1921 Thomas McAdory Owens
For the full Mardi Gras Celebration schedule, dates, times, etc. check out the Mobile Mask website.
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The Conservative government changed the federal accountability guidelines for cabinet ministers and secretaries of state. This is the type of thing that can seem dry and administrative and probably won't make headlines for long, but please take note: this is an important message from the Conservative government that conveys their interpretation of how parliamentary government works.
The issue at the heart of the change is the meaning and significance of ministerial responsibility – an essential component of a Westminster parliamentary system like ours. When the Conservatives came to federal office in 2006, the guidelines explained that ministers were responsible for the actions of their staffers, "whether or not the minister had prior knowledge." But the 2011 version says not only that ministers don't have to know everything that goes on their departments, but they don't have to take responsibility for everything either. That's a complete about-face. And the current guidelines, no matter how sensible they might seem on the surface, are not acceptable in a parliamentary government.
Ministerial responsibility in our system means that ministers must be accountable for what goes on in their departments. This includes the actions of political staffers who are appointed by the minister and are not accountable or answerable to the public. Ministers must answer questions in the House of Commons (usually in Question Period) and correct problems when they arise. If there is a problem, question, or concern, a minister cannot shirk responsibility by pleading ignorance. It is a minister's job to know.
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The logic behind the doctrine of ministerial responsibility goes like this: the minister is the only person in the department who is elected and, therefore, accountable to the public. We cannot hold political staffers to account, as they serve at the pleasure of their ministers and are not subject to public scrutiny. If staffers make mistakes, deliberate or not, the buck stops with the minister.
Now, to be clear: ministerial responsibility is a political phenomenon more than a legal one. It doesn't mean that if a staffer breaks the law, the minister goes to jail. Legal culpability lies with the individual responsible no matter what. However, in politics, holding ministers to account is our only recourse when trying to determine what went wrong in a department. If the minister won't tell us, no one will.
In the context of the ongoing scandal involving the Senate, the Prime Minister's Office, and Nigel Wright, the altered guidelines suggest that the Prime Minister, the minster for the PMO, does not need to accept responsibility for the actions of Nigel Wright or any other staffer in the office. Canadians are supposed to accept the excuse that if he didn't know, it's not his problem. But the government cannot simply dismiss ministerial responsibility as some antiquated notion that has no relevance. To the contrary, our system's democratic integrity depends on ministerial accountability in the House of Commons.
Many people are waiting for Nigel Wright to talk to us, to defend himself, and to give us his version of events. A common refrain can be heard: if Wright believed his actions were lawful, why doesn't he defend his reputation? Here's the reality: Nigel Wright is a private citizen who owes us no explanation. It is the Prime Minister who must start explaining.
Lori Turnbull is an associate professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax. With Mark D. Jarvis and the late Peter Aucoin, she wrote Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government.
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Cardinal Caffarra Among Signatories of Declaration Upholding Church's Teaching on Marriage
Declaration drawn up in response to what signatories see as continued confusion over the Church's moral teaching following the Synods on the Family and Amoris Laetitia.
An increasing number of laity, clergy and prelates, including such prominent Church leaders as Cardinal Carlo Caffarra and the respected Austrian theologian Wolfgang Waldstein, have signed a declaration of faith to counter what they see as continued ambiguities over key moral Church teachings on marriage and the family.
As of Sept. 28, over 1,800 Church figures, including many priests, pro-life leaders, and eminent scholars, had added their name to a “Declaration of Fidelity to the Church’s Unchangeable Teaching on Marriage and to Her Uninterrupted Discipline”.
The declaration, made public on Sept. 27 with an initial 80 signatories, was drawn up in response to “the confusion” over the Church's moral teachings and practice that the organizers say has “only grown after the two Synods on the family” in 2014 and 2015, and the subsequent publication the Pope’s controversial summary document on the synods, Amoris Laetitia.
Behind the document are members of the Supplica Filiale (Filial Appeal) association who collected nearly a million signatures between the two synods, asking Pope Francis to clarify the Church’s teaching on “key issues of natural and Christian morality.”
In a Sept. 27 statement, the organizers of the declaration said there is an “urgent moral duty to reaffirm the immemorial teaching of the Catholic magisterium on marriage and family and the pastoral discipline practiced for centuries with regard to these basic institutions of a Christian civilization.”
“This grave duty,” they added, “becomes even more urgent in view of the growing attack that secularist forces are unleashing against marriage and the family.” Catholic doctrine and practice, they continued, no longer appear to be “the accustomed barrier” against such an attack, at least in terms of how they are now being presented.
The appeal document, backed up by the Church’s “crystalline and indisputable teaching”, centers around 27 statements “upholding those truths explicitly or implicitly denied or rendered ambiguous in the present ecclesial language.”
According to the signatories, what is at stake are “unchangeable doctrines and practices” concerning such crucial areas as “faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the respect due to this Sacrament”; the impossibility of receiving Jesus in the Eucharist “in a state of mortal sin”; the conditions of “true repentance that enable to receive sacramental absolution”; and the “observance of the Sixth Commandment” not to commit adultery.
Also at stake, the signatories continue, is the “most serious obligation not to give public scandal and not lead the people of God to sin or to relativize good and evil”; and the “objective limits of consciousness when taking personal decisions.”
The declaration comes after 45 Catholic scholars appealed to Pope Francis in July to “repudiate” what they see as errors in Amoris Laetitia. Other prominent scholars, such as philosophy Professor Josef Seifert, have also criticized parts of the apostolic exhortation which they argue could not only "easily lead to misunderstandings and consequently to abuses" but also are "opposed to God’s Word" and the Church’s moral teaching.
Here below is a summary of the declaration. The full text can be found here and a list of initial signatories here.
Let marriage be honored among all” (Heb. 13: 4)
Declaration of Fidelity to the Church’s Unchangeable Teaching on Marriage and to Her Uninterrupted Discipline
SUMMARY
Errors about true marriage and family are widespread today in Catholic circles, particularly after the Extraordinary and Ordinary Synods on the family and the publication of Amoris Laetitia.
In the face of this reality, this Declaration expresses the resolve of its signatories to remain faithful to the Church’s unchangeable teachings on morals and on the Sacraments of Marriage, Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and to Her timeless and enduring discipline regarding those sacraments.
In particular, the Declaration of Fidelity firmly upholds that:
I. Regarding chastity, marriage and the rights of parents
- All forms of cohabitation more uxorio outside of a valid marriage gravely contradict the will of God;
- Marriage and the conjugal act have both procreative and unitive purposes and that each and every conjugal act must be open to the gift of life;
- So-called sex-education is a basic and primary right of parents which must always be carried out under their attentive guidance;
- The definitive consecration of a person to God through a life of perfect chastity is objectively more excellent than marriage.
II. Regarding cohabitation, same-sex unions and civil remarriage after divorce
Irregular unions can never be equated to marriage, deemed morally licit, or legally recognized;
Irregular unions radically contradict and cannot express the good of Christian marriage, neither partially nor analogously, and should be seen as a sinful way of life;
Irregular unions cannot be recommended as a prudent and gradual fulfilment of the divine law.
III. Regarding Natural Law and the individual conscience
The conscience is not the source of good and evil, but a reminder of how an action must comply with divine and natural law;
A well-formed conscience will never reach the conclusion that, given the person’s limitations, his remaining in an objectively sinful situation can be his best response to the Gospel, nor that this is what God Himself is asking from him;
People cannot look at the Sixth Commandment and the indissolubility of marriage as mere ideals to strive after;
Personal and pastoral discernment can never lead divorcees that are “remarried” civilly to conclude that their adulterous union can be morally justified by “fidelity” to their new partner, that withdrawing from the adulterous union is impossible, or that, by doing so, they expose themselves to new sins;
Divorcees that are “remarried” civilly and who cannot satisfy the grave obligation to separate, are morally obliged to live as “brother and sister” and to avoid scandal, in particular any display of intimacy proper to married couples.
IV. Regarding discernment, responsibility, state of grace and state of sin
Divorcees that are “remarried” civilly and who choose their situation with full knowledge and consent of the will are not living members of the Church, as they are in a state of serious sin that prevents them from possessing and growing in charity;
There is no halfway point between being in the grace of God or being deprived of it by mortal sin. Spiritual growth for someone living in an objective state of sin consists in abandoning that situation;
Since God is omniscient, revealed and natural law provide for all particular situations, especially when they forbid specific actions “intrinsically evil”;
The complexity of situations and the varying degrees of responsibility among cases do not prevent pastors from concluding that those in irregular unions are in an objective state of manifest grave sin, and to presume in the external forum that they have deprived themselves of sanctifying grace;
Since man is endowed with free will, voluntary moral acts must be imputed to its author, and such imputability must be presumed;
V. Regarding the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist
The confessor is bound to admonish penitents regarding transgressions of God's Law, and to ensure they truly desire absolution and God's pardon, and are resolved to re-examine and correct their behavior;
Divorcees that are “remarried” civilly and remain in their objective state of adultery, can never be considered by confessors as living in an objective state of grace and entitled to receive absolution or be admitted to the Holy Eucharist, unless they express contrition and firmly resolve to abandon their state of life;
No responsible discernment can sustain that admission to the Eucharist is permitted to divorcees that are “remarried” civilly and live openly more uxorio, under the claim that, due to diminished responsibility, no grave fault exists, because their outward state of life objectively contradicts the indissoluble character of Christian marriage;
Subjective certainty in conscience about the invalidity of a previous marriage is never sufficient, on its own, to excuse divorcees that are “remarried” civilly from the material sin of adultery, or to permit them to disregard the sacramental consequences of living as a public sinner;
Those who receive the Holy Eucharist must be worthy to do so by being in the state of grace and, therefore, divorcees that are “remarried” civilly and lead a public sinful lifestyle, risk committing a sacrilege by receiving Holy Communion;
According to the logic of the Gospel, men who die in the state of mortal sin, unreconciled with God, are condemned to hell forever;
VI. Regarding the Church’s maternal and pastoral attitude
The clear teaching of the truth is an eminent work of mercy and charity;
The impossibility of giving absolution and Holy Communion to Catholics living manifestly in an objective state of grave sin stems from the Church’s maternal care, since She is not the owner of the Sacraments, but a faithful steward;
VII. Regarding the universal validity of the Church’s constant magisterium
The doctrinal, moral and pastoral questions concerning the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Penance and Marriage shall be resolved by interventions of the Magisterium and, by their very nature, preclude contradictory interpretations or the drawing of substantially diverse practical consequences from it;
While the plagues of divorce and sexual depravity spread everywhere, even within the life of the Church, it is the duty of bishops, priests and Catholic faithful to declare, with one voice, their fidelity to the Church’s unchangeable teachings on marriage and to Her uninterrupted discipline, as received from the Apostles.
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2012-13 Vitals
25-57, Last in Pacific Division, Last in Western Conference
95.2 PPG/101.6 OPP PPG
Goran Dragic is smiling here, but the Phoenix Suns didn’t have much to be happy about last season. Photo Credit: prideandvegudice, Flickr.com
2013-14 Roster
Michael Beasley – SF
Eric Bledsoe – PG
Shannon Brown – SG
Caron Butler – SF
Goran Dragic – PG
Channing Frye – PF
Diante Garrett – PG
Archie Goodwin – SG
Marcin Gortat – C
Gerald Green – SG
Malcolm Lee – SG
Alex Len – C
Kendall Marshall – PG
Marcus Morris – PF
Markieff Morris – PF
Alex Oriakhi – SF
Miles Plumlee – PF
P.J. Tucker – SF
Offseason Additions
Eric Bledsoe (Trade), Caron Butler (Trade), Archie Goodwin (Draft), Gerald Green (Trade), Malcolm Lee (Trade), Alex Len (Draft), Alex Oriakhi (Draft), Miles Plumlee (Draft).
Offseason Subtractions
Jared Dudley, Hamed Haddadi, Wesley Johnson, Jermaine O’Neal, Luis Scola.
Projected Starters
PG – Eric Bledsoe
SG – Goran Dragic
SF – Caron Butler
PF – Markieff Morris
C – Marcin Gortat
Season Outlook
Boy, if those last few paragraphs didn’t depress you, nothing will. It’s hard to examine the Phoenix Suns’ roster for the upcoming season and not wince a little bit. The Phoenix Suns are already coming off their second-worst season in franchise history and swapping Luis Scola for Gerald Green certainly won’t help in that regard. Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe will make up the league’s most under-appreciated backcourt, but their inability to defend bigger and stronger guards will probably justify the lack of attention they receive.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, that second-worst record last season might not look so bad a year from now. It doesn’t help that the Suns actually have a very good reason to finish with an even worst record this year: the ultra-loaded 2014 NBA Draft class. Finishing at the bottom of the West is a necessity for a team that’s starting the rebuilding process for what seems like the 10th time in the last three years. Forget Andrew Wiggins, because the 2014 draft class is so deep and talented that Phoenix would be entirely happy with a top-three pick.
Credit new general manager Ryan McDonough for restarting the rebuilding process the right way: Stockpiling assets in the form of draft picks and moving pieces that won’t be a factor a few years down the road. The Scola trade looks bad on paper until you remember the draft pick included in that package. Getting rid of fan favorite Jared Dudley doesn’t seem like a good idea until you realize the Suns are bringing in Eric Bledsoe, an incredible athlete with plenty of potential to be a star. The Suns are getting younger and looking to rebuild through the draft. Though I question the Alex Len pick, it’s entirely possible that he heals up and surprises us all. So although this upcoming season will be nearly unbearable for fans looking for reasons to buy tickets, looking to improve the future two to five years down the road is more important than trying to be a fringe playoff team in a loaded conference.
Eric Bledsoe is a nice addition moving forward, but he won’t turn the team around in one season. (Flickr.com photo/Keith Allison)
Best-Case Scenario
I’d like to say that the best-case scenario for the Suns goes something like this: The Goran Dragic-Eric Bledsoe backcourt works like gangbusters and somehow finds a way to defend other team’s guards with their quickness; Alex Len gets healthy ahead of schedule and exceeds expectations, delivering on his potential and then some; Caron Butler shows no signs of his age and turns in another productive season; Markieff Morris has a breakout season and his twin duplicates his play off the bench; Marcin Gortat benefits from open looks given to him by a deadly backcourt and shows more effort on the defensive end; and Kendall Marshall stops turning the ball over so damn much.
But the chances of all that happening are about the same as the odds that Michael Beasley has smoked his last blunt: impossibly unrealistic. So for Suns fans this season, the best-case scenario is really the same as what would seem like the worst-case scenario — another dismal season resulting in a finish at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. I hate tanking, but with as loaded as the 2014 NBA Draft class is and how unsatisfactory the current Phoenix Suns lineup is, it really makes the most sense.
Worst-Case Scenario
As someone who despises teams that tank at the end of the regular season when they realize they won’t make the playoffs, it makes sense for teams that had no hope of qualifying for the postseason at the start of the year. The Phoenix Suns certainly fit that category. So as much as it will be difficult to watch this season, finishing with 20 to 25 wins is really in the Suns’ best interest. The Western Conference is absolutely loaded, so the playoffs are pretty much out of the question unless Jeff Hornacek finds a way to steal All-Star talent “Space Jam”-style.
There’s no point in beating around the bush. The Suns are a bottom feeder team in the West and even though they won’t start off the season trying to tank, chances are they won’t have a choice in the matter. Most teams’ best-case scenario is winning a lot of games and making the playoffs. But for this season, with this roster and upcoming draft class, the Phoenix Suns’ worst-case scenario would be doing just that.
Predicted Finish
22-60, Last in Pacific Division, Last in Western Conference
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MSI has launched the full range of NVIDIA Pascal based Mini-ITX graphics cards based on their AERO series design. The new cards come in the GeForce GTX 1070, GeForce GTX 1060 and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti flavors, covering an entire segment of gamers who are building small form factor PCs.
MSI Launches Several NVIDIA Pascal Based AERO ITX Series Graphics Cards
The latest models from MSI feature a Mini-ITX form factor which are aimed at small form factor PC builders. A total of eight models have been announced which feature the GP104, GP106 and GP107 GPU cores. Some key features of these graphics cards include a dual slot design that is equipped with MSI’s TORX fan.
Related NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB Graphics Card Benchmark Leaked – Around 25% Faster Than The GTX 1060, Similar Performance As The GTX 1070
The Torx fan features the Zero Frozr technology which means that the fan will completely stop under low load situations and keep the card as silent as possible. The cards also come fitted with Super Pipe technology which incorporates an 8mm heatpipe that runs through the base heatsinks. Following is the list of cards announced by MSI:
MSI’s AERO ITX Lineup Featuring NVIDIA Pascal GPUs
MSI GeForce GTX 1070 AERO ITX Series Graphics Cards
The MSI GeForce GTX 1070 AERO ITX series comes in two variants, a reference and a non-reference clocked model. Both cards feature dual Super Pipe technology. Clock speeds for the overclocked model are rated at speeds of 1531 MHz base and 1721 MHz boost clocks. The 8 GB memory on both cards operates at the reference speed of 8 GB/s. This gives us 256 GB/s bandwidth along a 256-bit wide bus interface. The reference model is clocked at 1506 MHz base and 1683 MHz boost clocks. Display outputs on both variants include DVI, dual HDMI 2.0 and dual DP 1.4 ports.
MSI GeForce GTX 1060 AERO ITX Series Graphics Cards
The GeForce GTX 1060 AERO ITX series comes in both 6 GB and 3 GB variants. Each variant features an OC and reference model. The cards feature a single heatpipe design compared to dual heatpipes on the 1070 ITX models. The overclocked GTX 1060 AERO ITX models operate at a rated clock speed of 1544 MHz base and 1759 MHz boost clock while the reference models operate at 1506 MHz base and 1708 MHz boost clocks. The display outputs include DVI, dual HDMI 2.0 and dual DP 1.4 ports.
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 AERO ITX Series Graphics Cards
Finally, we have the GeForce GTX 1050 series which feature only overclocked variants of both the GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 SKUs. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti operates at clock speeds of 1341 MHz base, 1455 MHz boost and 1750 MHz memory clock. The card features a 4GB GDDR5 VRAM that operates along a 128-bit bus.
The second model is the 2 GB GeForce GTX 1050 AERO ITX that comes with clock speeds of 1404 MHz base, 1518 MHz boost and 1750 MHz memory clocks. Both cards come with one of each display connection that includes DVI, HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.4. Prices have not been confirmed but this post will be updated once we do get more information on the AERO ITX series graphics cards.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The Joseph Rowntree Foundation also says Wales has the highest proportion of low income households in Britain
There is more poverty in working households in Wales than in non-working ones, a study has claimed.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation found both a "rising tide" of in-work poverty and the highest proportion of households on a low income in Britain.
The social policy research charity blamed "a low pay, no pay jobs market".
The Welsh government said it wanted to get more people into "full-time and high quality work" through its Tackling Poverty Action Plan.
On average between 2009/10 and 20011/12, 23% of people in Wales (690,000) were living in poverty - compared with 22% in England and 18% in Scotland.
Households are classed as being in relative poverty if they live on less than 60% of the median - or middle - income.
Of the people living in poverty, the report found there are more adults who have a job (285,000 on average in the three years to 2010/11) than not (275,000).
'Trapping families'
There needs to be more of a focus on low pay as well as low hours from governments in Wales and Westminster Adam Tinson, New Policy Institute
Poverty amongst people working is most prevalent in rural communities, whereas urban areas have a higher number of people living in out-of-work poverty.
As a proportion of their working-age populations, the west (Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion) and north Wales had a high share of in-work poverty, measuring 17% and 28% respectively.
The south Wales valleys (33%) and councils south of the M4, such as Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan (22%), have a higher share of out-of-work poverty.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report written by the New Policy Institute describes "a low pay, no pay jobs market that is trapping families in poverty - the working poor are the modern face of hardship in Wales".
Adam Tinson, Research Analyst at the New Policy Institute and the report's co-author, said: "Wages haven't been growing fast enough to meet rising costs and more people are in working families that work fewer hours."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mother of four Kate Faulkner says benefits added to her pay only just covers the household bills
Action plan
"There needs to be more of a focus on low pay as well as low hours from governments in Wales and Westminster.
"Tackling poverty requires a comprehensive strategy but overcoming the frail jobs market and the demand for jobs must be the starting point," he added.
The Welsh government first launched its Tackling Poverty Action Plan in June 2012, before refreshing it a year later.
As well as helping the long-term out of work to find a job, the latest plans includes targets to rescue the number of young people who are not earning or learning and ambitions to improve the nation's health.
Analysis This report does not just spell out the extent of in-work poverty in Wales, it also shows the varying patterns between our urban and more rural communities. It highlights the high proportion of low-paid jobs in those areas. Examine the details of the InfoBaseCymru website and you can see evidence of the vast disparity of incomes within Wales, let alone the UK. The ward of Mold South has the highest average income at more than £60,000 a year while Tredegar Park 2 on the west of Newport is the Welsh council ward with the lowest average income of just under £19,000.
A commitment to improving the workforce's skills and qualifications is a priority for the Welsh government's new deputy minister for tackling poverty.
Vaughan Gething AM said: "We need to take effective intervening action that's why we want to tackle workless households. But we recognise that the Welsh government doesn't have all the levers.
"Much of what we want to see and need to see to effectively tackle poverty does rely on action the UK government takes.
"The nature of the recovery that we all want to see is one where we see more people not just in work, but in full-time work and high quality work... there's really not much future for Wales as a country as a low-wage low-skill economy and that's why education is a key strand in the tackling poverty plan," he added.
The Welsh government has opposed the UK government's plans to reduce its welfare bill by £160bn in order to encourage people to find work.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Bethan Rhys Roberts spoke to Peter Kenway, co author of the report
Mr Gething added: "Austerity and welfare reform are having a real impact on our ability to tackle poverty.
"But you can't just sit there and say because welfare reform is going in the wrong direction as far as we're concerned, you can't then simply say we'll sit down and do nothing - that's a council of despair and that shows a poverty of ambition from a government point of view."
Almost a quarter of people in Wales (23%) are currently living in poverty, according to the latest data - a figure that has hardly changed since devolution.
After accounting for the cost of housing, about a third of children in Wales are from homes classed as living in poverty.
Statistics released in June 2013 show the figure rose from 31% to 33%.
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A shouting match over paint colours at the Calgary Jewish Academy spurred a feud that resulted in the school being ordered to pay almost $900,000 in damages to its former principal.
In awarding Ben Karmel $870,000 in damages for wrongful termination, Calgary Judge A.D. Macleod wrote a harshly-worded decision, posted Thursday, blaming the former board chair for sabotaging the former principal.
It comes following a two week trial in 2014 — the evidence from which is detailed in Macleod's decision.
Karmel began working as the principal at the school on a five-year contract in 2006 which was renewed for a second term in 2011.
That's the year Eric Kettner became president and chair of its board, and when an 18-month-long feud began.
"Mr. Kettner was looking for a way to sabotage Mr. Karmel, and he was not the least bit shy about sharing that intention," wrote Macleod.
Eric Kettner still serves on the board of the Calgary Jewish Academy. (Google Street View)
The paint incident
In an incident Macleod calls "unfortunate and bizarre," Kettner confronted Karmel in Aug. 2011, expressing his own, as well as some parents' concerns about paint colours in the school hallways.
The document doesn't elaborate on why the parties had a problem with the paint.
During that discussion, Karmel told Kettner that painting the hallways was the responsibility of the building superintendent and custodian and offered to arrange a meeting.
The exchange became heated and several times, Kettner told Karmel to stop speaking.
It was this confrontation that Macleod says had a "lasting impact on the relationship."
From that point, Kettner was found to have waged a campaign to poison the board against Karmel.
"Ben bashing" meetings
Kettner excluded Karmel from meetings, sent negative emails about him to colleagues and consulted an employment lawyer in Aug. 2011 as part of his effort to turn the board against the principal, the judge found.
"I personally cannot take another "negative Ben bashing" meeting," wrote one board member in an email to Kettner.
Kettner blamed Karmel for a decline in enrolment but the judge disagreed.
"The most thoughtful views on enrolment in evidence before me were those of Mr. Karmel," said Macleod. "Enrolment was also was tied up with the school's morale, which was dependent upon good faith collaboration between the administration and the Board."
By Nov. 2012, Karmel was "near his breaking point," taking medication for sleep and depression.
'Astonishing' behaviour
The judge's words are scathing towards Kettner throughout his decision.
"Mr. Kettner impressed me as inflexible and controlling. He insisted upon a hierarchical structure of which he was the head," said Macleod. "I find Mr. Kettner's behaviour in this petty situation to be astonishing."
The tight-knit Jewish community in Calgary meant that Karmel's work and home life were "one in the same," with his professional reputation tied into how he was perceived within the community.
"The success of the school was of the upmost importance to him," said Macleod. "In my view, outside of his family and his faith, the CJA was the most important thing in Mr. Karmel's life."
The ruling states "The evidence of Ms. Karmel was that Mr. Karmel suffered considerably before, during and after his sudden termination mid-year. Rumors were rampant surrounding his firing. He felt isolated. He and his family felt socially uncomfortable in their otherwise tight knit community. Although Mr. Karmel diligently sought similar employment, he met with no success. Eventually he retrained and became a licensed private investigator."
The judge found Karmel's termination had no merit and ordered he be compensated $670,000 in damages under the employment contract plus $200,000 in aggravated damages for the harm Karmel suffered because of the school's conduct.
Karmel seeking closure
It's closure, more than anything that Karmel and his family are looking for, according to his lawyer, Thomas Kent.
"I just think that maybe the whole community needs some closure and hopefully if there are some so-called elders in the community perhaps everybody can rally around and make it right." he said.
But the prospect of an appeal looms and in a letter to parents on Monday, the academy said it is in fact looking at its options.
"He was on the right track, and of course his career was suddenly ended given his age and no one is ever going to be able to give him that back," said Kent. "I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone."
The Calgary Jewish Academy was contacted but declined to comment.
On Monday, parents of students from CJA were sent a letter explaining the outcome of the court proceedings.
Read the document here
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Forces sweetheart Vera Lynn celebrates turning 100 years old with the release of a new album (AFP Photo/SHAUN CURRY)
London (AFP) - Renowned World War II singer Vera Lynn will celebrate her next birthday by becoming the first singer in history to release a new album at age 100, her record label said on Thursday.
"Vera Lynn 100" will feature Lynn's original vocals set to re-orchestrated versions of some of her most famous songs including "The White Cliffs of Dover" and "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart."
The album is being released on March 17, three days before the singer's milestone birthday.
"It's truly humbling that people still enjoy these songs from so many years ago, reliving the emotions of that time," Lynn said in a statement released by Decca Records.
"It's so wonderful for me to hear 'my songs' again so beautifully presented in a completely new way," she said.
Known as the "forces' sweetheart", Lynn famously boosted troops' morale during World War II, travelling thousands of miles to Egypt, India and Myanmar to entertain soldiers with her songs.
Lynn, who started performing at the age of seven, has won many accolades during her illustrious career.
She became the first British artist to top the US charts in 1952 as well as the oldest living artist to feature in the UK top 20 chart at the age of 97.
Honoured many times by Queen Elizabeth II, Lynn was made a dame in 1975.
Asked on Thursday if she thought her new album could surpass the previous one and reach number one in UK charts, Lynn told BBC radio: "I doubt that."
"It might seem quite tame to these young people, the music. But for us it was very exciting and very meaningful and it meant a lot to people."
The singer, who has described reaching her 100th birthday as "an incredible adventure of song, dance and friendship". It will be celebrated in a charity concert, held at the London Palladium on March 18.
Lynn will not join in the singing, telling the BBC: "It's best I can remember me as I was."
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I/O Coin (IOC) is an open-source blockchain project that has a number of innovative features including data storage, sidechains and messaging. I/O Coin was launched in 2014 and was designed with businesses in mind. The idea is that I/O Coin can be used for a range of data storage capabilities including the secure storage of digital identities and messages.
DIONS is the name of the new blockchain that I/O Coin upgraded to in late 2017. Envisaged uses for the I/O Coin platform, which is operated by the I/O Digital Foundation, include holding certificates of authenticity, condition reports and rights management. Proof of existence is one of the ways in which I/O Coin will enable users to confirm the veracity of a document, which could be correlated to a piece of art or sheet music for example.
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It will surprise no one that the major "news" outlets that endlessly and breathlessly covered the "Women's March"—full of genitalia-bedecked whackos who had taken the rare day away from their cats to march around with obscenity-laden signs and scream the "F" word at passersby—had pretty much nothing to say about Friday's March for Life (unless it was inflammatory or outright lies). Let us peruse the recent headlines.
Here's a fun one at Cosmopolitan gushing over those oh so adorable pu**y hats and letting us know that Time magazine is putting the vagitators on the cover of their next issue. Squeal! All those fragile women who were so offended by Trump's use of the word pu**y a million years ago couldn't wait to run around town wearing said offensive things on their heads. Some of them even dressed up as giant vaginas to prove they could be even more vulgar than men in a locker room.
A look at the word salad in this article comes up with glowing descriptors like "cover star," "resistance," "iconic," "significance," "power," "huge turnout," "pro-women," "stand up for women," "optimistic," "silver lining," and "call to action." Sounds awesome.
Image via Cosmopolitan.com
I checked to see what Cosmo was writing about the March for Life. Whaddya' know! They took the opportunity to accuse Mike Pence of making it more difficult for poverty-stricken women to obtain "abortion care" and, for extra fun, threw in a scandalous claim that he started an AIDS epidemic in the state of Indiana. Of course they did. A similar perusal of the Pence article reveals descriptors like "opponents," "anti-abortion," "curtail," "prevent," "global gag rule," "incredibly difficult," "abortion care," "anti-choice," "restrictive," "gutted," and "HIV-outbreak." Sounds awful—and contagious.
Image via Cosmopolitan
Let's look at a comparison of The New York Times' coverage of the two marches. First a Google search for "NY Times Women's March" yielded these results.
A quick read of any of those articles would make you believe that the "Women's Marchers" had liberated American women from hell on earth! The glowing praise is enough to choke on. Those aren't the only articles, either, but my screengrab margins aren't big enough to capture all of the slobbering at once. You can Google it yourself for the full result. Here's the same search with the term "March for Life" inserted instead of the pu**y rioters.
The clearly glaring difference here is that the vaginators get the respect of the Times because the Times calls them what they prefer, which is the "Women's March." In all the above headlines, instead of giving the March for Life similar respect and naming the event properly, the Times opts to call them "Anti-Abortion Marchers" instead. This is deliberate and insidious. It's also extremely transparent. Even they have to know how old this is getting. The Times was so quick to provide photos from around the nation for the Angry Cat Lady March, but they pretended as if the March for Life was only in Washington, D.C. It wasn't. People march in every major city in this nation every year for the pro-life cause, but you won't see The New York Times sending its cameras to New York and Chicago and Los Angeles to cover it. Here's a congratulatory headline and accompanying photo from the Times for the vagina strollers. It's almost like being the uncomfortable person stuck next to the couple on the bus that won't stop making out. Get a room.
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