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As Crooked Media editor, Brian Beutler noted on his own Twitter account, dropping “hundreds of tons of water” on the building would make the destruction of the priceless artifacts inside Notre Dame even more certain than the fire alone. |
News of the raging fire at the landmark cathedral broke on social media early Monday afternoon United States Eastern Time (the time in Paris, Central European Daylight Time is six hours later). According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, the fire broke out at 6:50 p.m. local time in Paris. |
Sky's @DominicWaghorn is in Paris where the Notre Dame cathedral is on fire. He says he can see flames "flying 20m into the sky". |
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is in flames and Trump suggests they "act fast."What does he think they are doing there?!? I truly believe this guy is the most demented person I've every seen. |
As one Twitter user noted, “flying water tankers” do not serve the function that Trump seemed to think that they serve. |
Without Trump’s admonition, Twitter user Jeff Friedrich noted, French fireman would have certainly “lollygagged” their way to the blaze while smoking cigarettes and munching on baguettes. |
According to a New York Times report, Note Dame spokesperson André Finot confirmed that the fire started inside the cathedral’s historic spire. |
HuffPost France reported that the fire was somehow related to the ongoing, $6.8 million renovation project underway in the historic cathedral. |
Notre Dame has gone through several periods of disrepair and restoration over the past 800 years, according to USA Today, the first taking place between 1845 and 1870 after the building had been used as a storage warehouse during the French Revolution. |
I’ve been replaying The Witcher 3 over the past couple of weeks, and every so often I’ll notice something is slightly different than it was the first time I played. That’s because slowly but surely, CD Projekt Red has been adding free stuff to the game. |
I decided to look back over what they’ve added so far, and to periodically check in on other things as they’re added. There have been two DLC packs so far, with a third coming this week. The additions have been pretty minor, like the kinds of pre-order exclusive doodads that are eventually included in Game of the Year ... |
And it appears to level with you—I was level 31 when I went and bought it, and it required level 29 to use. I’ve seen videos showing it as level 4 armor, which makes me think it changes depending on your level. |
Thing is, it’s still nowhere near as good as the mastercrafted cat-school armor I’ve got Geralt wearing, and the horse gear is way worse than the stuff I’ve bought over the course of the game. So, as with most armor in The Witcher 3, Geralt’s custom Witcher gear renders it irrelevant. If you’ve been following my advice... |
There are a few other options, as well. Honestly, they all look a little bit odd when compared with the old standbys of “High Tight Ponytail” and “Loose With Ponytail,” but it’s nice to have options. |
You can turn it on and off under the “Downloadable Content” tab in the main menu. The new outfit is fine, but doesn’t seem to integrate into some cutscenes as well as her default outfit. Also, last night I noticed she was flipping back to her default outfit for pre-rendered cutscenes, then returning to the new one for ... |
The meatiest free addition has been a contract quest called “Missing Miners.” It’s a level 27 quest involving some… well, you can probably guess! Some miners have gone missing. This being The Witcher 3, a monster is probably involved. The quest itself is pretty simple—you can find it on a notice board in the middle of ... |
CD Projekt Red has got a bunch more free DLC planned; they say there’ll be a total of sixteen DLC packs. Hopefully this stuff will get more substantial as we go; it’d be awesome to get a few ultra-high-level contracts for those of us who are already at or near the end of the game. Still, it’s hard to complain too much ... |
You know me — I’m all about building better. I’ve been working with home builders across the country to raise the stakes for all builders out there. I want our industry to go beyond minimum, and build homes that are safe, and that last. |
So what makes a high performance home tick to me? |
I see lots of luxury homes and people think it’s automatically a high performance structure, but that’s not always the case. It’s like putting your life savings into a glass vault with lots of bling on the inside and no substance in the parts that matter most. |
To me, the true mark of a high performance home is pillared on three things that go beyond energy savings and take into consideration things like durability, value and health. |
I build from the outside-in and high performance starts during the design stage. A designer will use energy modelling to test how a home will perform once built and engineers assess the home to meet a higher standard. By using better window systems, high performance insulations (yes, it costs more but saves you more ov... |
If you are buying a high performance home make sure you get the testing that validates the design estimates. This can be done through an air leakage test using a blower door device that pressurizes the home and creates a reading on how long it will take for one full air change to occur. You can also get summary sheets ... |
A high performance home isn’t just energy efficient. It provides a healthier environment for you and your family. How does it do this? |
When the home is built to be air tight, you need a method of cycling in fresh outdoor air, while exhausting the warm, moist air generated in your home by living in it (especially in kitchens and bathrooms). Enter the Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) which adjusts the temperature of the outdoor air to match your home, whi... |
A high performance home will take care of you. With a properly sealed building envelope and an HRV to regulate the air quality, your furnace will provide exactly the right amount of conditioned air to every room, keeping it uniformly cool during the summer, and warm in the winter. Keeping humidity under control will al... |
In today’s homes we expect a lot of functions and convenience from our devices and appliances. We are entering the “data age” (which can be kind of scary at times) that offers more information not only about how our home performs but also how we perform in the home. It is only when we understand that we have a role to ... |
I like the new Wi-Fi control hubs coming onto the market, it means less cable to run, and a lower cost for fewer materials, while offering greater convenience. I also like smart plugs and lights that modulate use based on times of day. Even a remotely operated skylight that is tied to your mobile phone can help you adj... |
There is a lot of potential for a new brand of home — a high performance home. I think that if we learn about what fits our needs best and take the time to research our options, that homeowners can lead the builders to a better home by demanding one. |
Read more about Why Doesn’t Donald Trump Believe the U.S. Intelligence Community? |
As Thomas Rid explains in this terrific piece in Esquire, the Russian government has developed a remarkable capacity for blending the fruits of espionage with information operations designed to manipulate public opinion abroad. It has deployed this capacity in the past in various contexts without generating much discus... |
Read more about State-Sponsored Doxing and Manipulation of the U.S. Election: How Should the U.S. Government Respond? |
Public Opinion on National Security: The End of the GOP's Advantage? |
The GOP is losing ground as the better party to handle threats from abroad, according to the results of a recently released Gallup poll. |
Read more about Public Opinion on National Security: The End of the GOP's Advantage? |
Lawfare's Carrie Cordero came on the podcast to interview independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin on how his experience in national security operations and policy influenced his decision to make a late independent bid for the presidency. |
Over at the Richmond Times-Dispatch I have an op-ed entitled Act Now To Prevent Election Cyberattack. In it, I argue that - in 9/11 parlance - "the system is blinking red" and we should listen to the technical security experts who are warning that more aggressive action and coordination is needed to secure the election... |
As a tumultuous week for the Trump campaign draws to a close, a new Fox News poll released Wednesday evening shows Hillary Clinton with a ten-point lead over her Republican rival. |
Although a strong majority of Americans are concerned about national security, they are deeply divided as to which candidate would best serve as Commander-in-Chief. |
I played a role in the attribution of the DNC hack to Russia. Here's why that attribution, while strong, isn't good enough, and we need a formal statement by the U.S. government on the role of Russian intelligence in the attacks. |
Retired Justice Nasirul Mulk took oath as the seventh caretaker prime minister at a ceremony held at President House in Islamabad on Friday, hours after the National Assembly was formally dissolved in the lead up to the elections. |
President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to Mulk, who was unanimously nominated for the post by both the government and opposition, with former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi describing the retired judge as a someone whom "no one could object to". |
Read more: The caretaker government: Why do we have one and what purpose does it fulfil? |
Top government officials and dignitaries attended the ceremony, including former PM Abbasi, the chiefs of staff, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, and others. |
Following the ceremony, PM Nasirul Mulk received a guard of honour at PM House. |
The newly appointed caretaker PM, while speaking to journalists after the ceremony, said that members of the Cabinet would be announced after discussion on the matter, Geo News reported. He said he would like to keep the Cabinet small. |
One of his first decisions was to change his principal secretary, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and replace him with Sohail Amir. Fawad has been rotated to DG Civil Services, DawnNewsTV reported. |
Mulk also said he would make sure that the elections will be held in a timely and transparent manner. "We will fulfil the duty we were entrusted with," he promised. |
The oath-taking ceremony was held hours after the third consecutive National Assembly completed its five-year constitutional term. It was only the second National Assembly to do so under civilian rule, with the 2002 assembly operating and disbanding under military dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf. |
The three NAs elected seven prime ministers in 16 years, indicating underlying weaknesses in the process, the institutions of the state and political parties in the country. |
Former PM Abbasi spent a busy last day in office yesterday attending the NA's farewell session, addressing a news conference highlighting his government’s achievements at his office and presiding over separate meetings of the Economic Coordination Committee and the Federal Cabinet. |
During his address to the Assembly, Abbasi categorically stated that the PML-N would not tolerate even a day's delay in the elections. He also reiterated his party’s demand of formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate all major political incidents which took place in the country since 1947 to id... |
Editorial: Will the elections be held on time? |
His demand received a positive response immediately from Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah, who expressed the hope that whoever formed the next government must do it on a priority basis. |
Congratulations PML-N, PPP and Pakistan. Welcome Honourable PM. PTI now enjoy. |
Let's hope the new caretaker PM will make decisions impartially without any pressure or favour for anyone! This is along with fair and free elections are expected during the next few months. Good luck justice Nasirul Mulk! |
Congrats CPM Mulk. Wish you all the best. |
is there any difference between oath of elected PM and Interim PM? |
Congrats to new PM. Wishing him a success in conducting impartial & timely elections. |
I am so happy. I have seen Mamnoon Hussain after a long time. |
Welcome to the club of interim Prime Ministers. Keep it up and hang on tough. |
Hope he would meet the expectatiins of the nation. |
Let us hope and pray that the new caretaker PM will deliver his duty without any favor or fear and will earn a name and fame in the history of parliamentary elections in Pakistan by holding free, fair and transparent elections, so that the country could be run by able politicians to make Pakistan peaceful and prosperou... |
Congratulations Pakistan. The system moves forward. |
What Abbasi is doing here in Oath ceremony ? |
I can't understand futile exercise of caretaker setup. In India during election process Election commission takes control of affare and monitoring of government. Government can't announce soaps or make policy statement during election process. Even ruling party pays prime minister's Chief minister's and ministers trave... |
Congratulations on succesful democratic transition. Now let's make sure the coming elections are fair , free and without violence. No one should die. |
Good work PPP and PML-N! |
Markets regulator Sebi has accepted a consent plea by software services exporter Infosys in a case related to severance pay of its former chief financial officer Rajiv Bansal, ET Now has reported. Infosys filed the consent plea last year in December to settle charges of disclosure lapses regarding the severance agreeme... |
Dr Diana Eades of the University of New England in Armidale has urged caution on the use of language analysis in determining if an asylum seeker is telling the truth about where they are from. |
In an article appearing online in Language Assessment Quarterly, Eades says most reports on asylum seekers using language analysis are flawed. |
"[They] are based on several folk linguistic views about the way people should speak that aren't borne out by the research on how language works," says Eades. |
Eades says language analysis involves assessing the accent, vocabulary and grammatical patterns of a speaker to come to conclusions about where they are from. |
But, she says, there are lot of subtleties in the way language works that makes this job not as easy as it would seem. |
For example, says Eades, sociolinguistic research shows people often change their language to speak more like the person they are speaking to so they appear less threatening or are more understandable. |
Eades says such studies show there is no such thing as a single "authentic language" that is spoken by people who come from a particular place. |
She says while trained linguists can provide some insight into the probable origins of a person, many commercial companies being hired by governments to analyse language are not using this level of expertise. |
"It appears that the commercial companies that offer language analysis offer it as some kind of scientific fix that is relatively easy," says Eades. |
"The department just sends off a cassette recording and some money and then they get back one of these one and a half page reports." |
Eades says the companies often use the judgement of native speakers who don't have linguistic training and have a narrow view of how the asylum speaker should speak. |
"It's equivalent to saying that because someone used the US term 'elevator' instead of 'lift', they are not from Australia," she says. |
"That's the level that these reports are operating on." |
Eades says language analysis is increasingly being used by governments around the world to deal with asylum seekers who arrive without documentation. |
She says it is used by countries such as New Zealand, Canada, the UK and several European countries, but not the US. |
A spokesman from Australia's immigration department says language analysis is only one factor considered when deciding on whether to grant a protection visa, and is not routinely used. |
"While language analysis is useful, it is not determinative in deciding whether Australia owes protection obligations to an applicant," the spokesman says, adding: "The department has a panel of language analysis experts it can use if needed." |
Eades says in the past language analysis in Australia has been found to be "completely flawed" and not worthy of being used at all. |
She says in 2003 language analysis was used to judge that someone was from Pakistan instead of Afghanistan because they used Urdu words in the 15 minute interview. |
"All languages leak," she says. "There are a lot of connections between Afghanistan and Pakistan." |
She says such "leakage" is why the New Zealand expression 'choice', meaning 'fantastic', is now regularly used in Australia. |
The categorisation of an asylum seeker as being from Pakistan instead of Afghanistan is likely to make it harder for them to prove they are in reasonable fear of persecution, says Eades. |
Eades says there is other information that can be used to corroborate an asylum-seeker's claim about their origin. |
This includes asking the asylum seeker to show extensive local knowledge about the area they claim to have grown up in, the farming practices there, how long it took to walk to the next village and so on. |
"You don't have to rely on language," says Eades. |
Use these social-bookmarking links to share Asylum-seeker language test under scrutiny. |
69 The end of the world. Really? |
They say sport and politics shouldn’t mix; which is a shame given the England football team has united their nation behind them while Brexit has split it down the middle. |
England manager Gareth Southgate has broken factions and eradicated entitlement which had existed in previous squads, so he could charge a small fortune in consultation fees for the Conservatives after the World Cup. |
Intentionally or not, Southgate has made a political statement with his football team. He speaks of pride at having an England squad reflective of his country’s diverse society. |
They are black and white and shades in between. They have grandparents or parents from different countries, or were born and grew up abroad yet still call England home. |
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