Prompt: Starting today, it appears the US military will be testing a device or devices that will potentially jam GPS signals for six hours each day. We say “appears” because officially the tests were announced by the FAA but are centered near the US Navy’s largest installation in the Mojave Desert. And the Navy won’t tell us much about what’s going on. The FAA issued an advisory warning pilots on Saturday that global positioning systems (GPS) could be unreliable during six different days this month, primarily in the Southwestern United States. On June 7, 9, 21, 23, 28, and 30th the

GPS interference testing will be taking place between 9:30am and 3:30pm Pacific time. But if you’re on the ground, you probably won’t notice interference. Advertisement The testing will be centered on China Lake, California—home to the Navy’s 1.1 million acre Naval Air Weapons Center in the Mojave Desert. The potentially lost signals will stretch hundreds of miles in each direction and will affect various types of GPS, reaching the furthest at higher altitudes. But the jamming will only affect aircraft above 50 feet. As you can see from the FAA map below, the jamming will almost reach the California-Oregon border at 4o,000 feet above sea level and 505 nautical miles at its greatest range. I gave the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division a call yesterday, but they couldn’t tell me much. Advertisement “We’re aware of the flight advisory,” Deidre Patin, Public Affairs specialist for Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division told me over the phone. But she couldn’t give me any details about whether there was indeed GPS “jamming,” nor whether it had happened before. Patin added, “I can’t go into the details of the testing, it’s general testing for our ranges.” As AVWeb points out, Embraer Phenom 300 business jets are being told to avoid the area completely during the tests. The FAA claims that the jamming test could interfere with the business jet’s “aircraft flight stability controls.” GPS technology has become so ubiquitous that cheap jamming technology has become a real concern for both military and civilian aircraft. And if we had to speculate we’d say that these tests are probably pulling double duty for both offensive and defensive military capabilities. But honestly, that’s just a guess. Advertisement These tests are naturally going to fuel plenty of conspiracy theories about mind control, weather modification, and aliens—especially with


Prompt: A referendum on independence for Iraqi Kurdistan set for September 25 c omes as the autonomous region faces the worst economic crisis in its short history. Plunging government income, the challenge of fighting the Islamic State group and the cost of hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees have combined to punch a gaping hole in the Kurdistan Regional Government's budget. "The KRG's coffers are empty and it's burdened with debts," Ruba Husari, an expert on Iraq's oil industry, told AFP. The World Bank said in a recent report that the fiscal crisis and the security challenge posed by IS "have

had a significant adverse impact on economic growth". The region has benefitted from an influx of investment since the 2003 fall of dictator Saddam Hussein in a US-led invasion. It won a measure of autonomy in the 2005 Iraqi constitution and has been seen as an island of stability in a country plunged into anarchy. Iraqi Kurds take part in an event to urge people to vote in the upcoming independence referendum in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on September 16, 2017 (photo by: SAFIN HAMED/AFP) The drowsy regional capital Arbil was transformed as investors built towers, plush buildings, shopping malls and hotels to host foreign executives on business trips. All that collapsed in 2014 as the price of oil plunged, IS jihadists seized a tranche of northern Iraq abutting the KRG and more than a million displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees fled to the autonomous region. That was compounded by Baghdad's decision to suspend payments to the KRG of 17 percent of Iraq's national budget. The transfers, worth some $12 billion (10 billion euros), made up 80 percent of the region's budget revenues. Wages, including those of peshmerga fighters, were slashed. "The fiscal shock is severe," the World Bank said. It said the regional government has dealt with the cut in revenues by borrowing money, postponing projects, and delaying payments -- including the salaries of government employees. 'Dire economic situation' The combination of crises slashed GDP growth from eight percent in 2013 to three percent in 2014, the World Bank said in 2015. A senior KRG official said that by the end of that year, public servants' salaries had been cut by 60 percent. A building riddled with bullet holes is seen in the mainly Kurdish Iraqi city of Kirkuk on September 18,


Prompt: Share. Naughty Dog delivers a stellar sequel that impresses from start to finish, and that doesn't even include the multiplayer. Naughty Dog delivers a stellar sequel that impresses from start to finish, and that doesn't even include the multiplayer. More than any other game to date, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune seems to define the PlayStation 3. Naughty Dog's 2007 jungle romp starring the one and only Nathan Drake gave gamers a taste of what it would be like to play as an acrobatically-inclined Indiana Jones. With stunning visuals (that still rank amongst the best in gaming today), a fantastically told story,

great puzzles and high-octane gunplay, it's easily one of the best titles of this console generation. Now Naughty Dog returns to the spotlight with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Both expectedly and amazingly, Naughty Dog has indeed bested Nate's first adventure and has created a sequel that is not only bigger and better in practically every way, but also packs a multiplayer component that could be released as its own separate, full-priced game and people would stand in line to hand over their cash. Yes, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is fantastic. Click the image to watch our in-depth video review. Trying to remain as spoiler-free as possible, I'll just say that the story starts off about a year or so after the events of the first game and begins with Nate and a few fellow thieves working on finding Marco Polo's lost treasure fleet. Of course, things aren't quite that simple and the cast winds up going on a much grander adventure, one that takes them half-way around the world. That's about as far as I want to go with the storyline, though some of the trailers out there actually reveal a little more than that. The important part here though is that this game doesn't just take place on a single island and instead changes locales a handful of times over the course of the adventure. The result is that the pacing feels better and faster, and even though you're technically doing the same sort of shooting, climbing and puzzle solving throughout the game, the different ways the scenes are presented gives Among Thieves a greater sense of gameplay variety than the original. The great storytelling extends to the character development, which has been turned up a good notch or two. Almost everyone with more than two lines of dialogue


Prompt: In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Donald Trump handed Justin Trudeau the rose he coveted on Monday in Washington. Like all roses, it comes with thorns. Only time will tell whether those thorns matter more than the flower itself. Until then, the first face-to-face meeting between the prime minister and his new counterpart in the White House can be said to have gone about as well as could be expected. That’s not just because the two did not wrestle each other to the ground over the course of not one but two handshakes. Confronted with the contradictions in their approaches

Monday, the two leaders observed a tacit pact of non-aggression, writes Chantal H�bert. ( MANDEL NGAN / AFP/GETTY IMAGES ) Trudeau got what he most wanted in the shape of a statement straight from the horse’s mouth that when it comes to improving the American economy, Trump mostly sees trade with Canada as part of the solution. If the intense federal lobbying of the past few weeks has been about anything, it has been about driving home the point that on trade, the United States and Canada benefit from being under a common umbrella. That could be important if and when NAFTA comes up for renegotiation as it could frame the U.S. outlook on the talks on less adversarial lines than many in Canada feared. Article Continued Below Canadians with long memories might reflect on the irony that in another era, under a prime minister of the same last name, the interdependence of the two economies tended to be portrayed as an existential problem. Now it is an ideal to preserve and protect with all the means at the disposal of a federal government. By a twist of electoral fate, Trudeau has become the keeper of Brian Mulroney’s free-trade legacy. But at what cost down the road? Since Trump’s inauguration, the prime minister had strived to not let obviously deep differences on immigration and refugee policy poison the Canada-U.S. trade well. That was always going to be easier to accomplish at a distance than in the physical proximity of a joint news conference. Confronted with the contradictions in their approaches Monday, the two leaders observed a tacit pact of non-aggression. Trudeau stuck to his guns on the notion that Syrian refugees are not by definition a security risk without sticking those guns overtly in the face of the president. Even


Prompt: Our society is obsessed with labels. While they are often crude, stereotypical and used to divide individuals from a group, they are integral in our society. The nice things about labels, however, is that we decide what they mean. We can choose how to label ourselves to include ourselves in a group of like-minded people. Outsiders to that group may not like the label, and may even disagree on what the label actually means, but what really matter is what members of that group consider to be their values. I have made some changes in my life that have made

me rethink the groups I am associated with and helped me define the kinds of labels that should define me. I made these decisions a couple of years ago, but was closed about it in public because I was unsure of my personal beliefs. I have had time to decide what it is that I do believe and with which groups and labels I wish to associate myself. Now that I know what I believe and how I want to be known I am coming out and labeling myself publicly for the first time. There are three labels that I have decided to associate myself with. I will list the labels that I have chosen, the reasons I have chosen them and most importantly, what that label means to me. As I said before, others outside these groups may consider these labels differently, so I will explain what that means from my perspective. Firstly, I am an atheist. As an atheist I do not believe in a God or Gods. I do not believe in Zeus, Thor, Apollo, Ra, Jesus or God the Father. I do not believe that there is a being who is watching over me, blessing me or judging my behavior. I also do not believe that the universe was created by a consciousness. That is all that being an atheist means. It doesn’t mean that I am a devil worshiper. It doesn’t mean that I immoral. It doesn’t mean that I eat babies. All it means is that I do not believe in any form of a God or Gods. Second, I am a materialist. A materialist sees reality as the physical matter of which is it composed. Thought, feelings and will can all be defined in terms of matter and physical phenomena. I am a


Prompt: "I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die." ―Eddard Stark to Will [src] Warden is a title bestowed upon the head of a Great House by the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. The Wardens command the armies of one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms in the name of Iron Throne for the defense of the entire realm. The Warden of a constituency is expected to lawfully command a quarter of all armies in the realm during a time of crisis. By custom, the title is functionally hereditary.

However, a Warden does not necessarily have to also be one of the Lords Paramount (rulers of the constituent regions of the realm) though this is almost always the case. For example, if an elderly or infirm ruler came to be the head of one of the Great Houses listed below, the office of Warden might be delegated to another family member young and capable enough to lead armies in the field. Likewise, if the head of one of the Great Houses listed below was too young, the office of Warden may be delegated to an older and more experienced individual. Warden appears to be a title holding higher rank than that of "Lord Paramount." The Lords of the Stormlands and Lords of the Riverlands do not hold the title of Warden over their regions but instead submit to the Warden of their area. The Prince of Dorne is not a Warden, but has full control over their armies so it can be presumed that the Prince has the same military authority of a Warden in Dorne. Littlefinger implies that a woman appointed to the title would be properly known as a "Wardeness". Currently, the Wardens of the West and South have died and have yet to be officially replaced. Current Wardens of the Seven Kingdoms In the books Typically, the Warden of the North defends against wildling attacks that come south of the Wall. The Warden of the West, from House Lannister, defends against coastal raids from the Iron Islands. House Greyjoy were not chosen to be Wardens, because more often than not, they are what the Warden of the West is defending against. Even though they submitted to the Iron Throne, illicit ironborn raiding would occur from time to time and would have to be suppressed. The Warden


Prompt: Commission seeks to block child porn websites Proposal also calls for mandatory sentences for human traffickers. The European Commission has proposed that websites containing child pornography should be blocked across the European Union and that maximum sentences of five to ten years should be imposed on human traffickers. The measures are part of a legislative package to combat human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children announced by Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner for home affairs, in Brussels today (29 March). Malmström also announced that the Commission will appoint an anti-trafficking co-ordinator “very soon”. Blocking websites is controversial among the

member states, whose endorsement, together with that of the European Parliament, is needed for the two directives to take effect. Officials expect fierce disagreements among member states and MEPs as they debate the draft directives, which are likely to be watered down in the process. However, under the Lisbon treaty individual member states can no longer block legislation in the field of justice and home affairs. Malmström said that she would now work with MEPs and member states to impress on them that acting on these “heinous crimes” was imperative. She said that both Spain and Belgium – the current and next holder of the EU’s rotating presidency – were “eager” to move on the matter. She said that the power to block access to websites would be limited to child pornography and would not be used to block other content. “Child pornography is not about freedom of expression,” she said. Jan Philipp Albrecht, a German Green MEP, has called on the Commission and the Council of Ministers to “abandon their plans for an EU internet censorship directive”. “Filtering certain content on the web is counter-productive for the real take-down of illegal websites and constitutes a threat to liberal democracy,” he said. “There is a slippery slope from filtering child abuse and other illegal websites to filtering unwanted or politically unfavourable content.” Malmström said that blocking websites was not a “substitute for removing content” but a pragmatic measure to prevent people from seeing it. She pointed out that the Scandinavian countries, the UK and Italy already had similar measures in place. “It works in practice,” she said. The proposals would leave it up to member states to determine the exact methods with which to block access but would set up legal safeguards to ensure that they were effectively blocked. The


Prompt: Years from the next presidential election and more than 14 months removed from the 2018 midterms, liberals and leftists are locked in battle over which Democratic candidates—if any—deserve their support. Everyone involved in this debate is opposed to Donald Trump and the Republican Party; everyone favors far more progressive policies than this administration's. One question is whether leftist critiques of black politicians like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker are a cover for prejudice—or at least disregard for people of color. That argument turned especially bitter last week, with major Democratic figures accusing the left of singling out Harris in particular

because of her race and leftists arguing that their concerns were about policy. Writ large, this can be seen as a struggle between the Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton wings of the Democratic Party: the former emphasizing economic redistribution, the latter speaking more specifically to injustices faced by black people, women, immigrants, and others marginalized under Trump, without emphasizing the basic distribution of wealth. The centrist critiques of the left as white- and male-dominated stretch back years; today, leftist arguments against prominent Democrats of color are often painted as thinly veiled bigotry. The central charge is that socialism reflects the worldviews of white men at the expense of women, people of color, immigrants, and queer communities: hence pejoratives like "Bernie Bro" and "alt-left." But the American left's organizing, scholarship, and activism on the ground has historically been led by women and people of color. For more than a century, the "radical left" banner has signified socialism—but it's also meant radical women's movements, queer political action, and black liberation. To explore the intersections of race, gender, and the left, I asked four leftists of color—organizers, activists, and elected officials—about their work and what it had taught them. Here's what they told me: Mariame Kaba Mariame Kaba is a New York City–based organizer and educator. Her work focuses on ending violence, dismantling the prison industrial complex, transformative justice, and supporting youth leadership development. This is a white supremacist, racist, patriarchal, transphobic country. In that context, everything that exists in the world is seen in its center as a white, male, cisgender, straight narrative. Everything gets processed through that idea. It's not surprising to me that when people talk about the left, they're talking about white men who are straight. And I don't see myself as someone who feels like they need to


Prompt: In this July 6, 2012 photo, excavation continues at the Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi coal mining facility in southern Mongolia. Fully 90 percent of Mongolia's exports - coal, copper, cashmere and livestock - go to China, which in turn sends machinery, appliances and other consumer goods that account for a third of Mongolian imports. The rising trade with China now amounts to three-fourths of Mongolia's economy, one of the highest ratios in the world, according to an Associated Press analysis of IMF trade data. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) * China, India to propel coal past oil by end of decade * Muted

impact from carbon policies aimed at curbing coal use * China to drive two-thirds of coal growth this decade (Adds comments from Alstom on Asia power market, coal supply and prices; provides graphic link) By Florence Tan DAEGU, South Korea, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Coal will surpass oil as the key fuel for the global economy by 2020 despite government efforts to reduce carbon emissions, energy consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie said on Monday. Rising demand in China and India will push coal past oil as the two Asian powerhouses will need to rely on the comparatively cheaper fuel to power their economies. Coal demand in the United States, Europe and the rest of Asia will hold steady. Global coal consumption is expected to rise by 25 percent by the end of the decade to 4,500 million tonnes of oil equivalent, overtaking oil at 4,400 million tonnes, according to Woodmac in a presentation on Monday at the World Energy Congress. "China's demand for coal will almost single-handedly propel the growth of coal as the dominant global fuel," said William Durbin, president of global markets at Woodmac. "Unlike alternatives, it is plentiful and affordable." China - already the top consumer - will drive two-thirds of the growth in global coal use this decade. Half of China's power generation capacity to be built between 2012 and 2020 will be coal-fired, said Woodmac. China has no alternative to coal, with its domestic gas output limited and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports more costly than coal, Durbin said. "Renewables cannot provide base load power. This leaves coal as the primary energy source," he said. ASIA TO FOCUS ON LOW-COST COAL Power infrastructure provider Alstom estimated that across Asia close to half of the 600 gigawatt of new power generators to be built over the next


Prompt: SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American Hockey League announced today that Jake Allen of the Chicago Wolves has been voted the winner of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender for the 2013-14 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league’s 30 cities. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Allen has a record of 32-16-3 in 51 appearances for the Wolves, helping them to a berth in the upcoming Calder Cup Playoffs. Allen ranks first in the AHL in victories, goals-against average (2.07) and

save percentage (.927) as he bids to become just the second goaltender since 1984-85 to lead the league in all three categories. Allen is also pacing all goalies in minutes played (3,078) and is tied for first with six shutouts on the season, while ranking second in both shots faced (1,447) and saves (1,341). A 23-year-old native of Fredericton, N.B., Allen represented the Wolves at the 2014 AHL All-Star Classic in St. John’s in February, and was named a First Team AHL All-Star last week. Selected by St. Louis in the second round (34th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Allen was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team last season after a successful 15-game stint with the Blues. Allen has played 171 career AHL games with Chicago and Peoria over his four pro seasons, compiling a record of 83-74-10 with a 2.55 GAA, a .917 save percentage and 15 shutouts. The Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, which was first presented in 1984, honors former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Baz Bastien, who played four seasons in goal with the AHL’s Pittsburgh Hornets (1945-49) before suffering a career-ending eye injury. Bastien would go on to serve as head coach and general manager of the Hornets, leading them to the 1967 Calder Cup championship. Previous winners of the award include Jon Casey (1985), Sam St. Laurent (1986), Mark Laforest (1987, 1991), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Manny Legace (1996), Martin Biron (1999), Dwayne Roloson (2001), Jason LaBarbera (2004, 2007), Ryan Miller (2005), Dany Sabourin (2006), Michael Leighton (2008), Cory Schneider (2009), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Brad Thiessen (2011), Yann Danis (2012) and Niklas Svedberg (2013). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of


Prompt: Who is God? What is the nature of God? How do you understand God? Is God the great decider, who determines every aspect of your life? Or is God the one who walks with us through life, guiding us, consoling us, and empowering us? Bruce Epperly brings his second essay on Process Theology to this blog. In sharing these essays, I'm not endorsing Process thought, because I'm still working through it and probably am closer to Open Theism than Process at this moment. That said, I'm looking forward to reading these essays and Bruce's new full-length treatment of Process Theology

because I think it has promise for the present day theological questions, but unfortunately many works on Process are so philosophically dense they're difficult to understand. So, I invite you to consider Bruce's vision of the liberating God of Process Theology -- even if you don't even know who Alfred North Whitehead is! Liberating Process #2: Liberating God- An Open System Bruce Epperly For the next few weeks, we will be reflecting on process theology’s understanding of God. For many people, God’s perfection is defined in terms of changelessness. God is utterly complete. God knows the past, present, and future in one all-encompassing eternal now. Since God is always active rather than passive, God’s awareness of the world is creative in nature. Accordingly, the God who knows the future also creates the future. In the spirit of Rick Warren, all of the important events of our lives – from DNA, family of origin, and critical events, both positive and negative – have been determined by God without our input. For many people, this image of perfection is good news. They define perfection in terms of changelessness and independence. An unchanging God, who knows and determines the future, is the ultimate source of security, even if that security is bought at the price of a god who causes cancer, car accidents, childhood trauma, and planetary cataclysm. But, a God who determines everything is morally ambiguous, at least from our standpoint. Whatever God does is good, from this standpoint, even if God’s action involves malignancy and catastrophe. While some suggest that we can never judge God, surely this image of God as all-determining fails the test of good parenting, established by Jesus. It is difficult to say that a god who causes childhood cancer represents any type of positive parenting, even if


Prompt: “The thing is we don’t have a leader in any of the parties. There is not anybody who we can look up to,” said Milton Cofresi Jr., a retired stockbroker. So despite the urgency to revamp an economy, which has been contracting for nearly a decade, and resolve the island’s crushing $72 billion public debt, voters don’t see either side offering solutions. Also unlike the mainland, where Democrats and Republicans vie for voter support, Puerto Rico is divided among the Popular Democratic Party (PDP, or reds, which supports commonwealth status and resembles the Democratic Party, despite the color association), the

New Progressive Party (NPP, statehooders or blues, which tends to align with the Republican Party) and the Puerto Rican Independence Party (or greens, which received less than 6 percent of the vote in the last elections). In other words, the question of political status defines Puerto Rico’s political parties. Puerto Rico has remarkably high voter turnout — much higher than on the mainland — even more exceptional, given that its residents cannot vote for president. In 2012, 78 percent of eligible voters in Puerto Rico turned out on Election Day, compared with 58 percent in the U.S. mainland. “You can’t promise statehood to a country the United States has turned around and disregarded,” she added. “I think it’s going to polarize the island,” TV producer, blogger and dating coach Tirzha Alcaide said of the economic crisis. “If the pro-statehood bunch don’t see the United States give us a hand to help us dig out of this hole, they may shift [toward pro-independence].” However, the only debate that is certain to be sharpened is the 100-year-old one over political status. There is no shortage of policy items for candidates to tackle: How to create jobs and spur growth in an economy in which unemployment is close to 13 percent and only 40 percent of adults participate in the labor market. What’s on and what’s off the table when it comes to the recent government-commissioned report that recommends eliminating the minimum wage, bringing worker benefits in line with the U.S. mainland and reducing subsidies for the University of Puerto Rico, among other austerity measures. How to stave off a looming health care crisis , stem massive outmigration , fix inefficient public utilities and trim a bloated government bureaucracy. Specifically, how they think the island’s $72 billion debt crisis — exacerbated on Monday


Prompt: Sprouts Explained Article by Jennifer Piggott and Jo Scholten The game This article invites you to get familiar with a strategic game called "sprouts" which appears here on the NRICH site. The game is simple enough for younger children to understand, and has also provided experienced mathematicians with significant food for thought. After a description of the basic game, this article will suggest a few ways to explore it. The game of Sprouts was invented in 1967 by two mathematicians John H. Conway and Michael S. Paterson, when they were both at the University of Cambridge in the UK. The

game was popularised by one of Martin Gardner's "Mathematical Games" columns in Scientific American. Here is a quote from Conway: "The day after sprouts sprouted, it seemed that everyone was playing it, at coffee or tea times, there were little groups of people peering over ridiculous to fantastic sprout positions." Sprouts is a game for two players. All you really need is paper and a pencil.. The game starts by drawing any number of spots. In this example we are going to look at 3 spots. The first player has a turn by joining two of the spots and marking a new spot in the middle of the line. Or the line may start and end on the same spot. Rules: You are not allowed to draw a line which crosses another line. This is important to remember! A spot cannot have more than three lines leading to or from it. For example, in the game below, spots A and B cannot be used any more because they already have three lines. The idea is to make it impossible for the other player to draw a line. So the last person to draw a line is the winner. Over to you! Find a friend to play the game with. We suggest that you limit the number of spots to 3. Try playing several games to get the hang of it. Here are a few questions to focus your mind, but don?t try to answer them until you have played the game a few times, and feel confident with the rules. Does the person who goes first or second tend to win? Can you explain any winning tactics? The game must end after a limited number of moves. Explain why. (Hint: you might find it useful to explain this in terms


Prompt: Air Commodore Joseph Aidan MacCarthy, OBE, GM (1914 – 11 October 1995) was an Irish doctor of the Royal Air Force and a prisoner of war to the Japanese during the Second World War. Early life [ edit ] MacCarthy was born in 1914 in the town of Castletownbere, Beara Peninsula County Cork, Ireland. His parents owned land and businesses in the area. He attended Clongowes Wood School and University College Cork. He graduated with a medical degree in 1938. Lacking family connections, he was unable to obtain employment as a doctor in Ireland so he moved to the United

Kingdom, working first in Wales, then in London. There, he met two former classmates from his medical school and, after a night of drinking with them, decided to join the British armed forces as a medical officer. Which service (the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force) was decided for him by a coin toss made by a nightclub hostess in the early hours of the morning.[1] RAF career [ edit ] In 1940, he was posted to France and was evacuated from Dunkirk where he attended wounded Allied soldiers while under fire from German aircraft. In September 1940, he was promoted to flight lieutenant.[2] The following year he was awarded the George Medal for his part in the rescue of the crew of a crashed and burning Wellington bomber at RAF Honington.[3] The aircraft had crash landed after its undercarriage had failed to lower and it came to rest on the airfields bomb dump, where it caught fire. Together with Group Captain John Astley Gray, MacCarthy entered the burning wreck and rescued two crewmen, but were unable to save the pilot.[1] Gray was badly burned during the rescue; MacCarthy was also burned, but less seriously.[3] Posted to the Far East in 1941, MacCarthy was captured by the Japanese in Sumatra. The prison ship transporting Allied prisoners to Japan was sunk by a US submarine. MacCarthy had to do the best he could for his patients whilst splashing around in the South China Sea. After being initial rescued by a Japanese Destroyer the crew then started to throw rescued prisoners overboard and the remaining prisoners on the destroyer jumped back into the ocean and clambered back on the wreckage. A Japanese fishing boat pulled him out of the ocean and transported him to Japan. There, he cared for Allied prisoners


Prompt: Bowl appears to be a promotional item for ousted former prime ministers and political enemies of the junta A Thai woman could be jailed for seven years on charges of sedition after she posted a photo of herself holding a red bowl that had a Thai New Year greeting from siblings and ousted prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra. Police ordered Theerawan Charoensuk, 57 and from Chiang Mai in Thailand’s north, to report to a military court on Tuesday to hear a charge for the photos she posted on Facebook, human rights lawyer Anond Nampa told the local Khaosod news

website. Top Thai Buddhist monk investigated over vintage Mercedes-Benz Read more Thai New Year, or the Songkran festival, is celebrated every April with major road closures as giant water fights take over the streets. The bowl in the photo, in which Theerawan gives a thumbs up, appears to be a water scoop used during the festival. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and his sister, Yingluck, was also removed by the military in 2014. Vitriol between Shinawatra supporters, or red shirts, and the army generals in power, or yellow shirts, has dominated Thai politics for years and at times led to bloodshed in the streets. That the plastic bowl— which appears to be a promotional item used by supporters of the Shinawatras — is red is significant in Thailand’s colour-coded politics. Another photo posted by the woman shows her holding a 2010 calendar with the Shinawatras on it. The full message on the bowl is not visible in the photo. Local media said it was signed by Thaksin. Thaksin has been in self-imposed exile since 2008 to avoid being jailed for corruption on charges he denies. Yingluck is also facing charges that she ignored corruption surrounding a multibillion-dollar rice farming subsidy, although she too denies any wrongdoing. Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday that Theerawan had threatened national security. “You have to see: the photo is about a man who broke the law,” Prayuth said, referring to Thaksin, who still has a strong support base in the north among the rural poor. “Isn’t support for a person who broke the laws and ran away from the criminal case a wrong thing to do?” Deputy prime minister, General Prawit Wongsuwan, also defended the charges: “Tell me if you think what she did was not provocative or led to division


Prompt: Abbas Momani / AFP / Getty Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas heads a meeting of Fatah's executive committee in the West Bank city of Ramallah "It's time for you to find another donkey." With those words, according to Palestinian sources, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas told the Palestine Liberation Organziation (PLO) executive committee that he would not seek re-election in January. The 74-year-old leader, on whom U.S. peace efforts in the Middle East are heavily dependent, reiterated that message later on Thursday in a televised address from his home in Ramallah. "This decision does not at all amount to

bargaining or political maneuvering. While I appreciate the views expressed by brothers [in the PLO, who rejected his move], I hope they will understand my wish." (See pictures of heartbreak in the Middle East.) The prime audience for Abbas' statement, of course, was not the PLO leadership but the Obama Administration. According to Palestinian sources who attended the meeting, Abbas told his PLO comrades that the U.S. had "cheated" him by retreating from its insistence that Israel end settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. "We welcomed it, and were optimistic when President Obama announced the need for a complete halt to settlements, including natural growth," Abbas said. "We were surprised by his support for the Israeli position." (The U.S. has backed Israel's argument that negotiations should resume despite the disagreement over the settlements. Last weekend U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton drew howls of protest across the region when she praised as "unprecedented" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to only slow settlement activity, but not in Jerusalem.) Abbas had been under pressure from the U.S. to open unconditional talks with the Israelis, but mindful of his deteriorating popularity at home, the leadership of his Fatah party had ruled out negotiations until Israel demonstrated its bona fides by halting settlement activity. Livid over what he sees as Obama backsliding, Abbas is drawing on the only leverage available to him by threatening to walk away. The aging moderate's departure from the scene would certainly deal a body blow to the Administration's peace efforts because there's no obvious replacement who would represent continuity with his outlook. If Abbas were to resign, a strong contender for the Fatah nomination would be Marwan Barghouti, the movement's most popular leader, currently in an Israeli prison on a terrorism conviction (and who might


Prompt: “I want you to think about that,” Mr. Bush said. “If you’re making up to $83,000 in certain states, you’re eligible for the program, and yet half a million poor children aren’t being helped.” The New York State Legislature this year passed a bill that would have covered children in families with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level, or $82,600 for a family of four. The Bush administration rejected New York’s proposal last month, arguing that it would have allowed the substitution of public coverage for private insurance. And despite the president’s statement that “certain states” make

children in families with $83,000 incomes eligible, New York is the only state that has expressed a desire to raise its income limit above $80,000. Mr. Bush has offered a plan to spend $5 billion more on S-chip over the next five years, versus the $35 billion in the next half-decade provided in the bill just approved by Congress. The bill that cleared Congress would add about four million children to the roughly six million already covered. The issue has divided Republicans like few others, with several prominent lawmakers who are normally loyal to the White House opposing Mr. Bush on this issue. The bill was approved in the Senate by 67 to 29, with support from 18 Republicans — just enough to guarantee that a veto can be overridden. But the House margin of 265 to 159 is about two dozen short of the two-thirds needed to defeat Mr. Bush’s veto. Democrats have been trying to pressure some Republicans loyal to the president to switch sides. But if the House sustains his veto, Mr. Bush said, he hopes there will be negotiations to get S-chip money to those it “was intended to help first and foremost.” Meanwhile, the issue continues to pit some otherwise loyal Republicans against the Bush administration. Today, for instance, Senators Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Pat Roberts of Kansas complained in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt that the administration was “flatly incorrect” in asserting that the S-chip bill would render the federal government powerless to deny coverage to families in the $83,000 range. And on Tuesday, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, a prominent Republican from Utah, is to appear with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, to call for


Prompt: Written by Stephanie Siam When I reverted to Islam in March 2005, I have to admit I was afraid. Okay, perhaps nervous is a better choice of word, as I wasn’t scared or frightened. And I know I’m not alone in admitting this feeling, especially with female converts. The process of transitioning into Islam from a previous faith/belief system (because face it, even if you don’t believe in God, you believe there is no God) is daunting: What will my friends think? How will I be received by the public? Does this mean I have to start dressing like an

Arab or East Asian-er? Do I have to start my life over from the beginning, rethinking every choice I’ve ever made? While all of those are valid concerns, and ones that I did contemplate at some point in time post-reversion, they weren’t what I was afraid of. My fear came from telling my father. Not my family. Not my Mother. My Father. Now, before you start thinking my dad is this overbearing and close-minded totalitarian who lives for controlling others’ lives, he’s NOT. In fact, he’s the polar opposite. He’s one of the most open-minded individuals I’ve ever known in my life. And if there is a perfect antonym for overbearing, that describes him, too. I mean, for Heaven’s sake, the man used to sit and logically discuss with me the reasons I should pick up my toys when I was 3 years old. If there’s anything my dad is not, it’s overbearing and close-minded. So, why was I scared of telling my dad I had become Muslim? My father has a strong head on his shoulders (don’t confuse strong with stubborn). His choice of worship was not made based on how he was brought up (Nazarene). He didn’t look to his parents to tell him how he should worship God or practice his religion (Christianity). Instead, he went to a Christian college, studied the history and lineage of the Bible and Christianity, and majored in Bible Studies. His goal: to become a preacher. When he became a member of the Church of Christ denomination, he did so knowing full-well that it represented the beliefs he personally held based on his extensive studying. To him, it was correct. Now there I was, his 23-year-old daughter, midway through my graduate school program, and I’d converted to Islam. And I had to


Prompt: Sony’s “Back up & restore” app gets hacked [Update] Sony has a potentially serious issue on their hands as its “Back up & restore” app appears to have been hacked. Looking at the Play Store ‘My apps’ section on our Xperia Z3 reveals that the app is now managed by the “HeArT HaCkEr Group.” As a system app, there is no way to delete the app either, so given the permissions this particular app has (see below) it is a serious issue. We’re not sure how the app has been hacked. Potentially, Sony Mobile’s Play Store account may be compromised,

where the hacker has replaced the original app. However, we’ll wait to hear from Sony directly. The Google Play Store listing for this new hacked version can be found here (PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL). At this stage, we can’t say whether this app is doing anything harmful, but we’ve contacted Sony and will let you know their response. In the meantime, check your phone to see if you are affected and we will post updates in this post. Update: Sony has a quick update on its support forums: “Sony Mobile takes the security and privacy of customer data very seriously. We are currently investigating these reports. More information will follow as soon as we have fully assessed the situation.“ Update 2: The app in question has been removed from the Google Play Store. Also it is no longer present in “My apps” within the Play Store app. We still await for the ‘all clear’ from Sony and an explanation on how this happened in the first place. Update 3: Sony has released a statement explaining what has happened in this situation and that ultimately there was no risk to users: “It appears that an unauthorised 3rd party developer created an application using the same name and identifier as our “Backup & Restore” service, and uploaded it to Google Play. As the app mirrored our ‘Backup & Restore’ service naming structure, it appeared as downloaded on some products within Google Play’s “My Apps”, when in fact it wasn’t actually installed. We don’t provide ‘Backup & Restore’ on Google Play – it is pre-installed on Xperia devices, with all version and maintenance updates handled directly through our Update Centre. This application posed no risk to users, but has since been removed from Google Play.“ Permissions of hacked “Back up & restore” app


Prompt: Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Cindy Sui speaks to Taiwanese students holding a rally to demonstrate their support for the protests in Hong Kong In January, 13 groups from Hong Kong and Taiwan gathered in Taipei for a weekend conference. The meeting attracted little attention, but it marked the first time democracy advocates, including representatives from Hong Kong's political parties and students from both sides, had met in an organised fashion. Despite their proximity, the two sides previously worked little together. Taiwan has enjoyed full universal suffrage since 1996; but a year later, Hong Kong returned

to Chinese rule. It seemed they had different fates. Growing worries about Beijing have drawn the two sides closer, however, culminating in mutual support for the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong and an Occupy Parliament movement in Taipei earlier this year. "Taiwan's democracy and Hong Kong's democracy have the same threat - the Beijing government," said Lai Chung-chiang, a Taipei-based lawyer and long-time activist. Image copyright AFP Image caption Students present John Leung, director of Hong Kong Trade Office in Taipei, with a protest letter on 29 Sep Now the two sides feel they share similar goals and they are working together more closely, something that will surely worry Beijing. Hong Kong supported us and now we're supporting them Karen Cheng, Taiwanese activist After all, Taiwan could be seen as a bad influence - it's had decades, and some would say more than a century, of experience fighting for democracy. Some of its people are deeply anti-China and want independence, and its protesters have been bolder and more defiant than Hong Kong's. Many believe the success of Taiwan's movement greatly encouraged Hong Kong activists. Two months after the January meeting, Taiwanese students occupied parliament for 24 days and didn't leave until the legislature agreed to pass a law allowing stringent public supervision of agreements signed with China. "Because Taiwan's occupy movement was successful, Hong Kong people felt it was also possible for them," said Mr Lai. Many Hong Kong students came here then to learn, including how to disseminate information online in timely manner and co-ordinate supplies and donations. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Student activists organised a protest at the Hong Kong office in Taipei on Monday 'Support each other' In recent days, Taiwanese activists have flown to Hong Kong to lend support. One of them, Karen


Prompt: Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, with continuous biocrust in the foreground. (Courtesy Bill Bowman, University of Colorado.) Virtually every ecosystem of the world — from forests to the oceans — raises concern about the toll that a warming climate will take. There’s one type of landscape, though, that doesn’t get talked about very much in this context — so-called “drylands,” a grouping that includes arid and semi-arid regions ranging from many deserts to grasslands. Drylands are one of the more important ecosystems in the world, comprising fully 40 percent of the Earth’s land surface. And now, an alarming new

study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says the impact of a warming climate on these ecosystems could be much worse than expected — comparable to humans trampling the landscapes underfoot or driving off-road vehicles across them. “Contrary to our expectations, experimental climate change and physical disturbance had strikingly similar impacts,” wrote the researchers, led by Scott Ferrenberg of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southwest Biological Science Center in Moab, Utah. Ferrenberg conducted the work with two Geological Survey colleagues. Ferrenberg and his colleagues ran a long term experiment at Utah’s Upper Colorado Plateau, a “cool desert” region that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year. Here, the ground is covered by a complex group of organisms collectively called “biocrust” — a combination of mosses and lichens that are in effect glued together by photosynthetic microorganisms called cyanobacteria, which provide structure to the landscape through the carbohydrate molecules they secrete. This structure, in turn, allows the more complex organisms like mosses and lichens to grow — and when it’s all assembled, the biocrust then holds the soil in place and prevents dust storms and erosion. “Things would blow away without biocrust,” says Ferrenberg. “There’s sort of this expression the crust community uses: ‘Got dust? You need crust,’” he continues. “It’s sort of a nerd joke in this community.” At the same time, the growth of mosses and lichen, supported by the cyanobacteria, allows these landscapes to store a considerable amount of carbon which might otherwise wind up in the atmosphere. Overall, drylands store 25 percent of the carbon found in the planet’s soils. A desert landscape like the Upper Colorado Plateau, however, is highly vulnerable to destruction if humans or livestock tread across it or especially if vehicles tear it up. And if that happens enough,


Prompt: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ten months after the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov, Obamacare’s federal health insurance exchange is still dogged by cost overruns and technology delays that could hamper enrollment when it resumes in November, a U.S. watchdog said. The total cost of HealthCare.gov and its supporting systems hit $840 million in March, according to a forthcoming report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO). Excerpts of the report were released on Wednesday by a U.S. House of Representatives oversight committee. Part of the cost stems from the federal government’s work with Accenture Plc, the lead contractor for the HealthCare.gov website.

The value of that contract soared more than 92 percent in less than six months, from $91 million in January to more than $175 million by early June, a GAO investigation found. The GAO report blamed cost increases on lax oversight, the complexity of the system and the need to rework technology. Multiple failures caused HealthCare.gov to crash during its Oct. 1 debut, hampering early enrollment for benefits under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law and prompting a congressional investigation. The administration spent weeks repairing the site, helping more than 5 million people use it to sign up for coverage in 2014. It has since changed many of the contractors that worked on the initial website. The overall cost of developing the federal marketplace, which helps consumers in 36 states sign up for subsidized private health insurance, nearly quadrupled to $209 million by last February from $56 million in September 2011, GAO said. The cost of developing a related federal data hub jumped from $30 million to $85 million. Meanwhile, large segments of the marketplace system still remain unbuilt, including a financial management system to automate payments of federal subsidies to health insurers that is due to be completed in December. A senior official with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the Department of Health and Human Services and the government’s lead agency on Obamacare implementation, said it has taken steps to tighten contractor oversight. But the GAO said inconsistent oversight had led CMS officials to inappropriately authorize more than $30 million in contractor spending. The GAO report is not due to be released until early Thursday, ahead of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on implementation of Obama’s Affordable Care Act. GAO acquisition and sourcing management director William Woods is scheduled to testify. Enrollment for 2015


Prompt: I’ve recommended it to many people over the years, mostly elders who hadn’t considered the internet being that useful, and usually they’re like, “aw? A website? No thanks, it’s not necessary”. Which is fine even if internally I was like “plsssss no it’s so good”. A lot of gen-z are getting into fiber crafting and that is exciting. So, here’s a little intro This is the homepage, after making an account Up on the top right is your notebook, which you’ll probably visit the most because it contains all of the tools for organizing your projects. That’s your notebook, on

the left bar are your various tools. Projects are lined up neatly on the rest of the screen. There’s a Handspun tab for spinners, Stash is where you organize your yarns, uQeue is where you list upcoming projects, Favorites is where you can save and organize your favorite projects/patterns, Needles & Hooks gives you a chart that you can fill in with what you already own, Library is a digital library of patterns and even representations of the physical books that you own. Each of these can be customized, for example in favorites in there is a place to bundle them, so that if you wanted to say make a bundle of everything you want to knit as Christmas presents throughout the year, you can do that. In Queue you can link the called for yarn and the yarn you are going to use, linked from stash or otherwise, you can make notes on each entry. I will often note whether I need needles and what kind, so that if I drop by the store, the info I need is just a couple of clicks away. There is even a place in the stash to note where you got your yarn and how much it cost. I’m not going much more deeper into that, but if ya’ll want me to do a post about specific tools let me know. The most attractive part of Ravelry for me is easily searchable database of patterns. If you click on the Patterns button at the top left of the homepage, it takes you here. I typically go straight to pattern browser & advanced search through the link under the search bar. The great part of this are the filters on the left. You can filter by category of clothing, if and how it’s


Prompt: Scott Meslow is entertainment editor at TheWeek.com. Last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner began with a very special introduction from one of the few members of Congress most Americans could identify by sight: Francis Underwood, the ladder-climbing sociopath played by Kevin Spacey in Netflix’s House of Cards. “You know my motto, Ed,” said Spacey to Fox News’s Ed Henry, then-president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. “You scratch my back, I won’t lacerate yours.” A short video that played after Spacey spoke exemplified a rare bipartisan convergence to get something done. Alongside a number of other politicians and journalists, John

McCain, Mike Bloomberg, Valerie Jarrett and Steny Hoyer were shown in conversation with Underwood, the Democratic congressman from South Carolina who, when we last left him at the conclusion of the series’ first season, was the House majority whip. “I may lie, cheat and intimidate to get what I want, but at least I get the job done,” Underwood said at the video’s end. “So I hope some of you were taking notes.” Story Continued Below Right on cue, the room united in uproarious laughter. We’ve seen something similar these past few days, ever since the second season debuted on Netflix on Friday. But the across-the-aisle affection for the nefarious—even criminal—exploits at the center of the show raise a question: Why has Washington, D.C., been so enthusiastic about the grim, cynical funhouse version of itself that appears in House of Cards? When it comes to anti-heroic dramas, this is more common than you’d think. The advertising industry has eagerly embraced the womanizing, alcoholic Don Draper of Mad Men, and the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico—the setting for Breaking Bad—has turned the locations frequented by Walter White and his compatriots into a cottage tourist industry. It’s true that Essex County, New Jersey took pains to distance itself from the mobsters of HBO’s The Sopranos, but, oddly, nothing of the sort is happening in the image-conscious Capital. In fact, in an odd effort to align itself with the show’s plotlines, the office of Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) actually sent out a press release on Wednesday touting the mention of an initiative similar to one that Slaughter had led (“The reference occurs at the 29:45 mark of the fifth episode, titled ‘Chapter 17’ of season two,” the release helpfully points out). Shouldn’t this surprise us? Why would a town so careful about presentation


Prompt: The plans of Obama and the Progressive elite to transform America by inhibiting suburban and ex-urban living and propping up urban utopias instead for the sake of “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” has been previously commented on. However, the urban-obsessed Progressive elite have also been using the fear of immanent climate DOOM to pack people into little urban hovels while enjoying the spiffier urban hip hangouts, which is somehow familiar… Of course, this ecological DOOM is just an excuse, as urban density in the San Francisco Bay area has increased while people are driving… more: “The data also show that crowding

people together isn’t really effective at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions or addressing other urban concerns. Population densities in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose urban areas have already grown by nearly 60 percent since 1990, yet per-capita driving still has increased.” Further: “Advocates argue that the demand for single-family homes is about to drop as retiring baby boomers and up-and-coming millennials will prefer to live in mixed-use neighborhoods with high densities and easy pedestrian access to stores and entertainment. “This claim isn’t supported by people’s actual behavior. The vast majority of population growth continues to be in low-density suburbs. Surveys of millennials show that more than three out of four aspire to live in a single-family home with a yard.” The true “will of the people” is to live in suburban environments where they own their own home and don’t have to share walls with other people, this won’t stop the elitists who want to ride their pristine picnic and nature grounds with slack-jawed yokels. Their plans continue regardless: “Currently, 56 percent of households in the nine-county Bay Area live in single-family homes. That number would drop to 48 percent by 2030, under a high-density development blueprint called Plan Bay Area, recently enacted by the Association of Bay Area Governments and the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “… “Even if it’s not without precedent, Plan Bay Area could still be revolutionary because of the rationale behind it. It could help spur a nationwide movement for high-density “transit-oriented” development — in the name of reducing global warming. The federal government has signed on. The Obama administration has told metropolitan areas to include land-use regulations in the transportation plans that federal law requires them to update every five years. Washington is also giving communities “livability grants” aimed at promoting high-density development.” Livability? This is no different


Prompt: Government plans to outsource official spying, forcing communication service providers like BT to retain personal communications data – records of all phonecalls, emails, texts and internet connections – have been severely criticised by the industry expected to do ministers dirty work for them. In a submission to the Home Office as part of a public consultation, internet firms have candidly labelled the plans as "an unwarranted intrusion into people's privacy" and have suggested people were deceived about the extent of the government's ambitions to monitor the country's communications data. According to the Sunday Times, the London Internet Exchange which represents

330 firms including BT, Virgin, and Carphone Warehouse, says that the proposals are deceptive. "We view the description of the government's proposals as 'maintaining' the capability as disingenuous: the volume of data the government now proposes [we] should collect and retain will be unprecedented, as is the overall intrusion into then privacy of the citizenry." This represents the unanimous view of the firms that are to replace the £12bn data silo planned before the crisis in public finances. The new policy announced in April by the unlamented former home secretary, Jacqui Smith, was presented as a concession to those concerned about intrusion, as well as a response to the new reality of the economic situation. The revised scheme, which has been urged by "Surveillance Central" – GCHQ in Cheltenham – will cost £2bn, still great chunk of taxpayers' money to be throwing around these days. But the cost is not really the issue. The policy is one of the foundation stones of the surveillance state – a society in which data from people's movement, travel abroad, spending habits and communications are retained by government and its agencies – and is an indicator of the profound contempt and mistrust this government has for the public. It represents as great an intrusion as the national identity register, the central database planned with the ID card. "These new proposals," says the industry submission, "suggest an intention to capture anything and everything, regardless of the communications [method] used. We have grave misgivings about the technical feasibility of such ambition." "We are not aware of any existing equipment [an internet company] could purchase that would enable it to fulfil a legal obligation to acquire and retain such a wide range of data as it transits across their network … in some common cases it would


Prompt: The task force formed to create a set of voluntary climate-risk disclosure recommendations has more than doubled the number of companies supporting its mission in the five months since it first published its findings. The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) now has 237 companies with a combined market capitalization of more than $6.3 trillion that have publicly committed to its goals, according to its head, Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and entrepreneur. The TCFD was established by the group of global regulators known as the Financial Stability Board, chaired by Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney,

and published its recommendations in June with the aim of encouraging companies to help investors understand the risks to their investments from temperature change, rising sea levels and natural disasters. The companies that have signed up include more than 150 financial firms with assets of more than $81.7 trillion, the TCFD said in a statement released at the One Planet Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit marks the two-year anniversary of the Paris Climate agreement, which seeks to limit the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius by reducing greenhouse emissions. President Donald Trump has pledged to pull the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, dismaying climate activists but spurring a greater effort from the private sector to push through its goals without government help. Insurers have said anything higher than a 2 degree-temperature increase would make the world uninsurable. In case you missed it: U.S. health insurers are in a state of denial about climate change The companies span a broad range of industries and sectors, from construction to consumer goods, energy, metals and mining, as well as the full capital and investment chain, from companies that issue debt and equity to the largest credit rating agencies and stock exchanges. The list includes Bank of America Corp. BAC, +0.07% , BlackRock Inc. BLK, +0.36% , Citigroup Inc. C, -0.64% JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, -0.76% , Morgan Stanley MS, +0.52% and investors including the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, among others. “Climate change poses both economic risks and opportunities,” said Bloomberg. “But right now, companies don’t have the data they need to accurately measure the risks and evaluate the opportunities. That prevents them from taking protective measures and identifying sustainable investments that could have strong returns.” Read now: In Trump era it’s up to companies


Prompt: Share this... Reddit Linkedin email “No freeman may be taken or imprisoned or be disseized of his freehold or liberties, or his free customs, or be outlawed or exiled, or in any manner destroyed, but by the lawful judgement of his peers, or by the law of the land.” These words were first written in the Coronation Charter, also called the Charter of Liberties, which was a proclamation by Henry I issued in 1100. In 1100! Just think about that for a moment. 915 years ago on this island, uniquely in the world, great men were laying the philosophical foundations

of a special type of liberty and striving to restrain the power of their rulers. It marked the beginning of an historic struggle for the soul of England that took place over centuries while absolutism and tyranny was established unchallenged on the continent. When the struggle was won this great country of ours was the freest in the world. Freeborn Englishmen were envied and admired around the globe for the constitutional liberty they enjoyed and the spirit of freedom that thrived here like nowhere else. Sadly, that is all part of history now and we must fight this struggle once again. It is a sign of the times that a British Prime Minister, and a Conservative at that, can say something like this: “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone’” Did our Prime Minister really think about what he was saying when he uttered these disgraceful words when addressing British citizens? It is astonishingly blinkered to not realise just how dangerous this kind of rhetoric is and what the wider implications are. The British people have been numbed to shockingly illiberal rhetoric such as this, it’s just a continuation of the Blairite authoritarian mantra. It is the equivalent to when Blair said, let no one be in any doubt, the rules of the game are changing”. Well, the rules are changing again and we are close to sweeping away every last vestige of British liberty. As long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone should be a slogan for the British state to forever abide by because it is a basic tenet of a free society. The Prime Minister should remember that he works for British citizens and


Prompt: While I am doing significantly better than I have been, I am not as confident and self assured as I really should be. My mood has improved, now I just need to convince myself that I am confident, able, and worthy. It’s not an easy task. I feel like I am transparent to everyone else; that they can see that I am sick and unstable. I feel like I am a failure at work, and my career just continues to spiral downward. I am unlovable and destined to live the rest of my life without a significant other. I am

Crazy. But that really isn’t the truth. I may be suffering from a horrible disease, but I am not without value, ability, and able to enrich others’ lives. So I tell myself over and over… “I Am”. Maybe if I keep repeating this I will be able to eventually believe it and build myself up to where I ought to be. I am smart. Bipolar people in general tend to have a higher than average intelligence, and I have to believe I am no exception. I chose not to go to college (Okay, that wasn’t smart) but I have accomplished great things in spite of my lack of education. I have held jobs that require a post graduate degree. I have had MBA’s and PhD’s working for me. Most of my entire career has been in senior management; often at the top level. Being smart isn’t limited to just work life either. I’ve learned a great deal about my illness and how to successfully deal with it. I have a deep understanding of politics and society. My perspectives about so many things are valid and have merit. I am creative. From the way I find solutions to problems to being artistic and musical; I have creativity and skill. My problem solving abilities have had a large effect on my career; most jobs I’ve held required out of the box thinking and flexibility. I’ve been able to resolve whatever issue I’ve faced. My photography has earned awards and respect. I play multiple musical instruments even though I can’t read a note of music. I play entirely by ear. I have the way to communicate my thoughts and emotions through the written word. I’ve received so many positive comments and feedback that I have to believe that there’s at least some skill


Prompt: I believe it takes a lot of strength to have faith, but there is something that takes even more strength. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. At the age of 8 years old I was baptized into the church and confirmed as a member. I wasn’t the most obedient, but for the most part I did what was expected of me. But then, at the age of 15 I began to question the doctrines that I had been taught since before I could even speak. I believed, as the church taught, that if I

did what I was supposed to it would all be clear to me. I though that this doubt was coming from the devil. I believed that because I was dating when I shouldn’t have been, I let him into my life and allowed him to leave me astray. This doubt continued off and on for two years. After breaking up with my boyfriend, I was sure that I would gain clarity. I was doing what the Lord wanted me to do, he would bless me with the truth. But this never came. I began to google what I had been taught all my life was “anti-mormon” but when I did so, I was plagued with guilt. I would read for five minutes, exit out and delete my browser history. I continued as if I hadn’t read anything at all. I went to seminary, sacrament meeting, mutual, etc.. At this time in my life, guilt and confusion filled me. It wasn’t until I left for school that I really started to look into what I had been taught my whole life. I visited mormonthink.com and /r/exmormon. I read the CES Letter. I stopped going to institute and Sunday meetings. I started to realize that what I grew up believing, was a con. The guilt and confusion I’d been feeling for the past 3 years floated away. That left room for anger, sadness, and worry. Initially, I was furious. I was partially angry at myself for being fooled, but mostly at the LDS church for fooling me and millions of others. I was devastated, I wanted so much to hold on to the church and its teachings. I wanted my dream of being married in the temple, because what girl doesn’t want to be married inside of a castle? At first, it


Prompt: FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Jay Heaps was conflicted as he watched New England Revolution striker Jerry Bengtson score the game-winning goal on Wednesday afternoon, lifting Honduras to a 2-1 win over the United States as both countries kicked off the final round of World Cup Qualifying. Bengtson was quickest to react when teammate Boniek Garcia slid a pass across the box, poking the ball into an empty net and showing the predatory instincts the Revs hope to see upon his return to Foxborough. “It’s a great goal from Jerry and you’re very happy because he’s your teammate and we’re in the

trenches with him,” said Heaps. “But it’s tough to see the U.S. go and have a performance and a result like that.” Heaps’ concern wasn’t with the United States in the 85th minute, however, as he watched Bengtson get stretchered off the field – and replaced by a substitute – following an apparent injury. Luckily his apprehension quickly turned to relief as Bengtson confirmed he was fine during a postgame conversation with the Revs’ staff. “There was a good moment of pause there because the feed I saw didn’t show what happened on the injury,” Heaps said. “When you see a guy down, you don’t know. But we spoke with him last night and everyone felt good.” Bengtson is scheduled to arrive in New England on Thursday night and join the Revolution for his first preseason training session on Friday morning. Fitness shouldn’t be an issue after spending the past three weeks with Honduras, so Bengtson can focus solely on settling back into his club side. “I think now, from his standpoint, he has to compartmentalize,” said Heaps. “He had a lot of work to do with the national team, he did that work, and now he joins us and we want to get him up to speed with our guys. It shows that Jerry has a knack for the goal and we have to get him the chances to score like his team in Honduras does.” Nguyen likely to be cleared for participation in the Desert Diamond Cup Lee Nguyen was held out of the Revolution’s first two preseason matches in Casa Grande as a precaution following shoulder surgery last September. Although he’s been a full participant in training sessions, Nguyen has yet to be cleared for full contact and his teammates have been instructed to be cautious around


Prompt: Fact Buster Q: Does coffee make you dehydrated? A: If you drink coffee regularly and don't drink too much it shouldn't dehydrate you. Our expert: Dietitian Lisa Renn [Image source: Reuters | Mick Tsikas ] Have your say Have you found coffee can make you feel dehydrated? Conditions of Use Have you been told that you need to drink an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee or tea that you drink? For some time there has been a belief that drinking coffee and tea can make you dehydrated because the caffeine they contain has a diuretic effect.

(A diuretic is a substance that causes your body to produce urine, and it has been suggested caffeine can do this because it increases blood flow through the kidneys.) But is there any evidence to show that your morning cuppa needs to be offset with a big glass of water? If you regularly enjoy a few cups of coffee or tea a day, then you can rest assured the moderate amount of caffeine they contain doesn't cause you to lose more fluid than you ingest, says Lisa Renn, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia. Nor will your cuppa be any more likely to send you off to the loo than any other drink. "There is evidence that caffeine in higher amounts acts as a diuretic in some people, but moderate intake is actually not that significant," Renn says. A recent UK study of regular male coffee drinkers found no difference in hydration levels between those who drank four 200ml cups of coffee a day and those who drank the same amount of water. Researchers measured the men's urine output over a 24-hour period and other hydration markers in their blood, and concluded moderate coffee intake provides similar hydrating qualities to water. While the study focused on the intake of coffee, those who drink tea can also take heart from the results as it contains similar amounts of caffeine to coffee. It's worth noting, the study involved men who were regular coffee drinkers  and it's been suggested coffee may have more of a diuretic effect on those who do not habitually consume caffeine because they haven't developed a tolerance to caffeine. But so far the evidence on this point isn't completely clear. How caffeine affects hydration One of the reasons that drinks containing caffeine, such


Prompt: MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A nationwide warrant has been issued for a Minnesota couple who allegedly received more than $167,000 worth of public assistance from Minnesota while living in Florida on a $1.2 million yacht. “I’ve never ridden on a yacht that nice, and I bet most of us haven’t, but they were living on it while they were collecting public assistance,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Colin Chisholm III and Andrea Chisholm are charged with a one count of wrongfully obtaining public assistance more than $35,000, a felony charge. According to Hennepin County Attorney’s office, between Jan. 1, 2005,

and May 31, 2012, Colin Chisholm III, 62, and Andrea Chisholm, 54, received the public assistance illegally from several government programs designed to help the poor. According to the criminal complaints, over the years, the Chisholms received medical assistance, welfare payments and food stamp benefits. They also lied about where they were living, who they were living with and their source of income on more than a dozen forms they filled out for the state of Minnesota and Hennepin County in order to get the assistance. During an investigation by the Hennepin County Human Services & Public Health Department (HSPHD) Fraud Unit, it was discovered that Colin Chisholm owned a business and Andrea Chisholm owned a dog kennel which bred and sold championship dogs. The criminal complaints show that hundreds of thousands of dollars came through the business accounts Colin Chisholm III controlled as chief executive officer of the TCN Network, which claims to provide satellite TV and broadband service for countries in the Caribbean. “He created all sorts of false companies, claimed he was a Scottish heir,” Freeman said. “It’s outrageous.” When they first applied for welfare benefits, the couple listed their residence as Andrea’s mother’s home in Minneapolis. However, shortly after getting approved, they moved to Florida. They remained in that state for at least 28 months, first on their $1.2 million yacht, and then moving to a house, officials said. They collected welfare from Florida, as well as Minnesota during that time, which people are prohibited from receiving simultaneously. Furthermore, in depositions for a civil suit over the ownership of the yacht, Colin and Andrea testified that they lived in Connecticut and Florida, and never mentioned Minnesota. During this time, neither the yacht or residences in Florida were reported to Minnesota officials. In 2006 and January 2007,


Prompt: Appearance and function match the final product, but is made with different manufacturing methods. Looks like the final product, but is not functional. Demonstrates the functionality of the final product, but looks different. A prototype is a preliminary model of something. Projects that offer physical products need to show backers documentation of a working prototype. This gallery features photos, videos, and other visual documentation that will give backers a sense of what’s been accomplished so far and what’s left to do. Though the development process can vary for each project, these are the stages we typically see: 中文頁面 | 中文教學

| 分享給朋友 We even had the privilege to make a custom SketchyNotebook for our favorite company, Dropbox. By Kai Ng, Concept Artist / LiK Studios By Kai Ng, Concept Artist / LiK Studios By Min Chi, CoMaker SketchyNotebook is designed to be a minimalist notebook. It has all the little details that make for a quality notebook, with the addition unique template designs stored in the expandable back pocket if you need them. Like most artists, when I have an idea I just want to quickly put it down on paper so I won't forget it. Sometimes I just want to doodle, sometimes I want to do mockups for websites, and other times I want to sketch up iPhone apps or just write down ideas. Sure, there are preprinted template notebooks out there with grids, dots and lines, but all the printed lines and grids distract me and make it difficult to get my idea down exactly as I envision it. Preprinted lines or templates on the page inhibit my freedom and my creativity, so I can't use those as an everyday notebook. Bottom line is this: I just love blank page paper but I also like having guidelines for structure. What if I can just take the qualities that I need from both worlds and get rid of everything else? 180° Flat When Open Designed to open flat no matter what page you’re on. Premium Paper A full 240 pages of 80 gsm acid-free blank paper. We have narrowed down from hundreds of different types of paper to bring you the best results. You can use ink pens, fountain pens, color markers, and permanent markers with no bleed through. Removable Pages Ready to share your sketches? You can tear off any page - perfect for pinning an idea on


Prompt: Law enforcement sources have identified the man who attempted a bombing at the Port Authority Bus Terminal subway station in New York City on Monday morning as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. “Ullah is from Bangladesh and had been living in Brooklyn. He was injured when the device apparently went off prematurely and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He suffered burns to his hands and other lacerations,” reported CBS News in New York. According to Police Commissioner James O’Neill, Ullah had two explosive devices, one of which was “affixed to his body with velcro and zip ties.” The New

York Times quoted a “senior city official” who said police had to strip Ullah naked to remove the device affixed to his body. CBS described one of these devices as “crudely-made” with “wires protruding from it.” The New York Post wrote of a “5-inch metal pipe bomb and battery pack strapped to his midsection.” “Investigators briefly spoke to the alleged bomber, who told them he made the explosive device at the electrical company where he works,” according to the New York Post report. By all indications, Ullah was planning a mass-casualty attack, evidently hoping to detonate his bombs in a crowded area. One anti-terrorism officer quoted by the NY Post said he “could have killed a lot of people” if one of his bombs had not detonated prematurely. There was a good deal of initial confusion about Ullah’s status, with some early reports stating that he was killed or mortally wounded in the explosion, but later reports indicated his injuries were not life-threatening and mostly consisted of burns on his hands and abdomen. Photos released of the suspect in custody display no indication of severe injuries from a bomb blast: Several sources have described Ullah as “ISIS-inspired” or acting in the name of the Islamic State, a claim most prominently made by former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton in an MSNBC appearance on Monday morning. Rukmini Callimachi, a New York Times correspondent specializing in Islamic State news, noted that pro-ISIS channels on social media are celebrating him as an Islamic State jihadi: 2/ The suspect has been identified by police as a 27-year old of Bangladeshi descent with a last known address in Brooklyn. His name is Akayed Ullah. Already pro-ISIS channels are celebrating him as an “istishadi” attacker. pic.twitter.com/IkrO6kZm7E — Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 11, 2017 At the time of


Prompt: Sports, and particularly combat sports, have often offered the disabled a chance to compete and prove their perceived limitations are just that: imagined difficulties that ultimately do not affect performance. That assumes, however, those in power allowed all athletes an equal chance to compete on a proverbial level playing field. In the case of Nick Newell, the XFC lightweight champion missing a portion of his left arm after a congenital amputation as a child, argues while some in the MMA industry have given him a chance, many of the most important power players keep slamming the door in his face.

And as he continues to get better, he's beginning to wonder aloud: how much longer is this going to continue? Newell is honest with himself. He knows his condition is rare and a subject of curiosity, even among the well-intended. Even people with an open mind take time to be influenced that he can do what sounds impossible. It's even part of his identity. "No matter how much I accomplish in this sport, it's always going to be something that gets brought up. I've come to terms with that," he told Ariel Helwani Monday on The MMA Hour. "People will always look at me as being the guy with one hand," he admitted. But just as quickly as he is to be candid about the reality behind how he's perceived, he is pivoting to the changing dynamic of going from a novelty to a respected, proven competitor. This change has been happening slowly, but took a big leap when he beat Eric Reynolds in December to capture the XFC lightweight crown. Reynolds, a fighter with a professional record of 16-6, has lost to Eddie Alvarez and Jorge Masvidal, but both fights went to the third round. Newell, by contrast, put Reynolds away in a mere minute and twenty-two seconds in the first round. "I feel like people are starting to look at me more as a talented fighter. I'm not just a guy who fights with hand. I'm a very talented fighter that happens to have one hand," Newell argues. Still, as well as things are going in Florida with XFC, recent statements made by UFC President Dana White reminded Newell there are still hurdles to climb in overcoming the limitations others place on him. "As much as I would like to be known and looked at for my fighting


Prompt: At the United Nations Security Council on April 5, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley held up pictures of children killed by a gas attack in Khan Shaykhun, south of the Syrian city of Idlib. Estimates suggest that about 50 to 60 people died in this attack. The United States, the United Kingdom and France placed a resolution before the Security Council condemning the attack and asking for an investigation of it. There is no call for armed action against anyone because the Council is divided on who perpetuated the act. Advertisement: Strikingly, Ambassador Haley then said, "We don’t

yet know about yesterday’s attack," meaning that nobody had definitive intelligence about the attack. Yet, there was a hasty dash to judgment in the West that the perpetuators were the government of Bashar al-Assad — perhaps with Russian assistance. How do we know what happened in Khan Shaykhun? The sources for the Western media outlets are mainly "opposition activists," as BBC put it in one of its early reports. This BBC story from April 4 (Syria Conflict: ‘Chemical attack’ in Idlib kills 58) lists the various sources that it has relied upon: 1. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Founded in 2006, the SOHR is based in the United Kingdom and receives funding from the European Union and — most likely — the United Kingdom. It relies upon a network of opposition activists across Syria to provide raw information, which its director — Rami Abdul Rahman — then digests. The SOHR is openly anti-Assad. 2. Khotwa (Step) news agency. Founded by opposition activists in late 2013, the Khotwa — as they say — aims to "bring the world’s attention to the suffering of the Syrian people." Its 40 correspondents are mostly based in the rebel-held areas. In 2014, its director — Mohammad Hrith — was in the news in Turkey due to a fracas between Hrith and the Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim government Ahmed Touma. Touma’s people suggested that Hrith came to demand funds from them. 3. Local Co-ordination Committee (LCC) of the town. The LCC is part of a network of local groups emerged to coordinate protests after 2011. They represent the politics of the area in which they are established. Their general tenor is anti-Assad. 4. Hussein Kayal, a photographer with the pro-opposition Edlib Media Center. Kayal and the Edlib Media Center are part of


Prompt: The Kindness Offensive (TKO) is a group based in London known for orchestrating large-scale random acts of kindness, involving the distribution of industrial quantities of goods to unsuspecting members of the public and charities. The group's stated purpose is to "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty", a phrase first coined by Anne Herbert. History [ edit ] The Kindness Offensive was formed in August 2008, when three of the four founding members (David Goodfellow, Benny Crane and James Hunter) asked members of the public in Hampstead what "random acts of kindness" they would like done for them. They

received many requests from the public, and the group attempted to meet some of them by contacting companies and persuading them to donate the required goods for free, a technique developed by fourth founding member Robert Williams[1] and referred to by the group as "phone whispering". TKO attracted press attention in October 2008 for giving away twenty-five tonnes of non-perishable foods to fourteen soup kitchens and drop-in centres across London England; the event came to be known as 'The Mountain of Food'.[2] This event was the first of many large-scale events centred on distributing industrial quantities of goods in short periods of time to a wide variety of locations and causes; the most notable of these were The Vinspired Kindness Offensive (2008),[3][4] The White Stuff Kindness Offensive,[5] which was widely reported as a record-breaking event (2010),[6] The Barclaycard Kindness Offensive (2011) the Hasbro Kindness Offensive (2013),[7] and the Read Free! Kindness Offensive.[8] The large scale 2014 XL Catlin Kindness Offensive event resulted in the events organiser and group co-founder David Goodfellow being awarded with a Points of Light, [9][10] award by the then UK Prime Minister David Cameron who ackoloeged that it generated "...a record-breaking Christmas toy donation".[11] As well as large giveaways, TKO has also staged a series of pop-up events, including The Everyday Kindness Awards in 2009. Over the course of a weekend, actors in public places pretended to need help, and when members of the public stepped up to offer a hand, they received a pop-up celebration rewarding their kindness with champagne, flowers and a gold medal.[12] The Kindness Offensive established their headquarters in Islington in 2013,[13] which includes a bookshop that offers 100,000's of books free of charge to the public.[14][15] and a community space who's grounds have been converted into a sensory garden for special


Prompt: Honeymoons don't last forever. But that doesn't mean the love affair has to end — and the love affair Canadians are having with Justin Trudeau's Liberals appears to be enduring in the polls. The Liberals continue to hold the new support they captured after their majority victory in last fall's federal election, when they pulled votes away from both the Conservatives and New Democrats. What do Canadians think of the leaders? Explore the latest numbers for the 5 major federal leaders in our new CBC Leader Meter. Justin Trudeau's own popularity also remains high, with approval ratings well above those

of both of his main rivals, interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose and outgoing NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, as well as the ratings he posted before last year's vote. The CBC's new interactive tool, the Leader Meter, lets you track those numbers. Over the last three months of polling, the Liberals have averaged 46.7 per cent support. That's an increase of 7.2 points over their performance in the Oct. 19 election and nearly even (up 0.1 points) from their average support during the previous quarter of federal polling calculated three months ago. The Conservatives have averaged 29.1 per cent, also unchanged from where they were in the previous quarter but down 2.8 points from the last election. The New Democrats, after taking 19.7 per cent of the vote last fall, have averaged just 13.6 per cent support. That's down 6.1 points from the last election and one point from the previous quarter. The Greens have averaged 5.1 per cent support since March, while the Bloc Québécois has averaged 4.2 per cent. The Liberals' support has held relatively steady across the board — notable considering that their polling numbers between December 2015 and February 2016 had all the hallmarks of the normal political honeymoon of a new government. But the party has nevertheless seen further gains in some parts of the country, particularly in British Columbia. The party is up 10.3 points from the last election, leading in the province with 45.4 per cent support, and has gained 2.6 points over the last quarter alone. The Liberals' most significant increase since the last election remains in Quebec, where the party has gained 12.2 points since the last election and sits at 47.9 per cent. That level of support is largely unchanged from where they were in the previous quarter. In Ontario and


Prompt: Most of the technology inside the headset is common across all of the manufacturers, but ASUS has worked hard to make its offering unique where it can. For instance, the company used a polygonal-art covering for the visor, ensuring that it looks much nicer than, say, Acer's View Master-esque offering. Similarly, ASUS's headset feels much lighter than its rivals' models, and the company included an antimicrobial cushion inside. The headset, like its brothers, has inside-out tracking, which uses the two front-mounted cameras to track the controllers. That makes it significantly cheaper than Vive or Rift handsets, which require additional peripherals

for tracking. Before testing, my concern was that the cheaper technology would compromise the accuracy and reliability of the controllers. That concern was misplaced, and the system actually works really rather well. The controllers themselves are designed by Microsoft and clearly sail close to the style laid down by Oculus for its Touch paddles. The biggest difference is a less gaming-focused button layout, with a touchpad, Windows key and thumb stick on the main platform. Your other fingers fall naturally around the other triggers that are situated on the slender hand sticks. They scream that they can be used for business just as naturally as play, as Microsoft is wont to do with its hardware design. On the outside ring, you'll find a halo of 32 small LEDs that the headset uses to pinpoint the position of the controllers in the air. But even when pulling my hands well beyond the visor's field of view, the tracking remained pretty reliable. One of the demo titles required me to pull weapons out from over my shoulder, and the tracking remained impeccable. The funny thing is that, personally, I was concerned that these headsets would attempt to please two masters and fail for both of them. After all, the inside-out tracking wouldn't be as accurate or reliable as more expensive alternatives, and its price was too high for a casual purchase. I'm happy to admit that I was wrong and that I'm actually pretty excited for this technology, especially now that it's compatible with Steam VR games. ASUS doesn't know when its hardware will make its debut beyond the end of this year or the start of the next. Although it would be lunacy if it missed the holiday season, given that this may be many people's first attempt at buying VR


Prompt: Please select your country: United States Argentina Australia Austria Belarus Belgium Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Canada Chile China Colombia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Czechoslovakia (1945-1992) Denmark East Germany (1949-1990) Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Malaysia Malta Mexico The Netherlands New Zealand North Korea Norway Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Vietnam U.S.S.R. (1922-1991) Yugoslavia (1945-1992) Africa » Cameroon Africa » South Africa Worldwide Other Not

an American user? Description Screenshots Promo Images Alternate Titles "X-Wing :מלחמת הכוכבים" -- Hebrew spelling "Star Wars: X-Wing - Space Combat Simulator" -- Tag-lined title "Star Wars: X-Wing - Simulador de Combate Espacial" -- Spanish tag-lined title Part of the Following Groups User Reviews Critic Reviews Forums Topic # Posts Last Post Manual/docs 3 Indra was here (20923) Jul 12, 2007 Trivia Cancelled Amiga port Christmas Death Star Installation Limited Edition References In the Tour of Duty I -Mission 1, You have to Identify 4 cargo containers and destroy them..The cargo containers are names Arreis, Nigiro, Ocrim and Esorp. You think LucasGames had something gunning for Sierra, Origin and MicroProse? In one of the later missions, you have to fly to a space-probe called BFG-9000. This is the Big Fucking Gun in the iD Software game DOOM. Awards Computer Gaming World October 1993 (Issue #111) – Simulation Game of the Year (together with World Circuit) November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #11 Hardest Computer Game Electronic Entertainment March 1994 – Editors' Choice Awards: Best Game Game Informer August 2001 (Issue #100) - #42 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll GameStar (Germany) Issue 12/1999 - #19 in the "100 Most Important PC Games of the Nineties" ranking Origin Awards 1993 - Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game robotriot Star Wars: X-Wing (DOS) on Dec 05, 1999 (9071) added(DOS) on Dec 05, 1999 is a space combat simulation, the first in the Star Wars universe. From the cockpits of X-Wing, Y-Wing and A-Wing starfighters, players fight for the Rebel Alliance in their struggle against the evil Galactic Empire.Unlike earlier titles in the genre like Wing Commander employs a polygonal 3D engine: flat-shaded polygons are combined with bitmaps only for explosion effects.The game features a comprehensive training element. Before