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For centuries, Christians have been arguing over the clobber texts used to deny women’s equality in the church and in society. Those Bible passages — a dozen or so verses selected from the origin stories of Genesis, the laws of Moses, and the epistles of Paul — are hotly contested in an ongoing argument over their meaning and interpretation. Every year we see a new crop of books devoted to the exegesis of those verses, granular studies of first-century Greek terms and their cultural meanings.
It’s possible that the next volley of books and articles will settle that long-running exegetical dispute over the meaning of those clobber texts, but I rather doubt it. That argument is older than the English language, and I don’t see it being resolved any time soon.
Recent generations have seen another, similar dispute over another set of biblical clobber texts — those that are regarded as prohibiting all same-sex affection. This is a smaller collection of verses, but they are drawn from the same sources — the origin stories of Genesis, the laws of Moses in the Pentateuch, and the Pauline epistles. This newer argument is following the pattern of the earlier one. Exegetical claims and counter-claims fly fast and furious, and of the making of many books there is no end.
Given the apparent insolubility of those battles over clobber texts, it’s strange to consider that another similar argument — one far more heated and contentious — has simply vanished entirely. This was a fierce argument over biblical interpretation that split denominations and congregations, shaping and reshaping America’s churches, American culture and, ultimately, America’s Constitution. And then, abruptly, it just ended. It was settled, once and for all, and no credible person living today regards it as even slightly controversial.
I’m talking about slavery. The “peculiar institution” was, for centuries, upheld and defended by American Christianity. Frederick Douglass accurately summarized mainstream, “orthodox” American theology when he said in 1852:
The church of this country is not only indifferent to the wrongs of the slave, it actually takes sides with the oppressors. It has made itself the bulwark of American slavery, and the shield of American slave-hunters. Many of its most eloquent Divines. who stand as the very lights of the church, have shamelessly given the sanction of religion and the Bible to the whole slave system. They have taught that man may, properly, be a slave; that the relation of master and slave is ordained of God; that to send back an escaped bondman to his master is clearly the duty of all the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; and this horrible blasphemy is palmed off upon the world for Christianity. … The American church is guilty, when viewed in connection with what it is doing to uphold slavery; but it is superlatively guilty when viewed in connection with its ability to abolish slavery. The sin of which it is guilty is one of omission as well as of commission. Albert Barnes but uttered what the common sense of every man at all observant of the actual state of the case will receive as truth, when he declared that “There is no power out of the church that could sustain slavery an hour, if it were not sustained in it.”
Barnes was a biblical scholar whose works included An Inquiry into the Scriptural Views of Slavery. You can view the table of contents from that book here. If you’re at all familiar with the contemporary clobber-text battles over women’s equality or the status of LGBT Christians, then you’ll recognize the pattern of Barnes’ argument.
Barnes’ outline is remarkably similar to what you’ll find in a host of so-called “liberal” books today discussing the anti-gay clobber texts. Barnes recognized that the pro-slavery clobber-texts provided the foundation of Christian support for slavery. No challenge to the American institution of slavery could ignore that Christian support, and so Barnes chose to contend with those clobber texts head-on. He methodically engages those texts, asking whether they really said and meant what the defenders of slavery interpreted them to mean. And then he concludes with an appeal to the Golden Rule as a kind of trump-card over all clobber texts: “The principles laid down by the Savior and his apostles are such as are opposed to slavery, and if carried out would secure its universal abolition.”
You know, that bit. That thing where we so-called liberals appeal to the Greatest Commandment and to “love is the fulfillment of the law” as a lens for the interpretation of everything else in the Bible. That bit where we talk of trajectories and the direction in which biblical principles are pointing.
The so-called conservatives in our day never buy this so-called liberal argument and it doesn’t seem to have been any more persuasive back in Albert Barnes’ day. Barnes, after all, was a leading “New School” Calvinist, meaning he was supposed to be a disciple of the theology of Jonathan Edwards. Yet here he was explicitly rejecting the way that Edwards himself read these biblical passages and thus explicitly rejecting the way that Edwards taught us to read the Bible. Barnes was advocating a break from the past — a change. And that change required a more complicated way of reading Bible verses that didn’t seem to require any such complication. The clobber texts were clear and plain. Liberals like Barnes were just trying to weasel out of them.
A century and a half later, it might seem like Barnes’ argument was vindicated. Apart from the lunatic fringes, you won’t find any credible American theologian, pastor or biblical scholar who would say that the Bible ought to be cited in defense of slavery. Seek out the most belligerent “defenders of the authority of scripture” and “inerrancy” and you won’t find any dispute over this. Everyone agrees that citing the Bible to defend slavery would be wrong. Everyone agrees that slavery itself was wrong. And everyone agrees that the Bible-quoting defenders of slavery back in Barnes’ day must have been wrong. Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and all those other still-influential “eloquent Divines” must have been, somehow, wrong.
But that doesn’t mean that everyone agrees how they were wrong, or why they were wrong. That’s not something we like to talk about.
So Barnes’ “liberal” interpretation of the clobber texts defending slavery did not win the argument. No one today interprets those clobber texts the way Barnes’ opponents once did, but most haven’t embraced his interpretation of them either. Instead, it’s as though those pro-slavery clobber texts have simply … vanished.
It’s as though they don’t exist at all. We mostly ignore them, hoping they’ll just go away.
Back in Barnes’ and Douglass’ day, the Bible-quoting defenders of slavery indignantly accused abolitionists and other such liberals of wanting to simply erase all of those clear scriptural texts. The liberals, they said, might as well take a pair of scissors to the Bible and cut away all those verses they were refusing to accept as authoritative.
That wasn’t at all what people like Barnes were trying to do, but, 150 years later, it seems like that’s exactly what happened. Those clobber texts and the long-running, contentious dispute over their meaning are just gone. Poof.
The dispute wasn’t resolved by exegesis or by theological argument. It was, rather, as Mark Noll wrote, “left to those consummate theologians, the Reverend Doctors Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, to decide what in fact the Bible actually meant.”
That’s a huge, enduring problem for American Christianity. For one thing, it doesn’t offer any potential approach for resolving other theological and interpretive disputes. Opponents of women’s equality will continue to cite 1 Timothy 2:12 as authoritative proof that they are right, while advocates of women’s equality will offer alternative interpretations, but neither side will have the option of settling the matter definitively by burning Atlanta.
But the larger problem is this: We have concluded that some of our foremost and most influential theologians, pastors, and biblical scholars were utterly wrong about a monumentally important matter of biblical truth. Yet, because we choose not to explore why or how they were wrong, we are unable to learn from their grievous mistake. We have no way of knowing whether or not we are, in fact, repeating their mistake. We have no way of avoiding such a repetition.
And since we have otherwise wholly and uncritically adopted their theology and their precise approach to the Bible, such a repetition of their mistake seems not just likely, but inevitable. |
One thing is certain: our federal politicians will not starve.
It’s now known that MPs and senators have access to an $86-a-day meal allowance on top of their other benefits attached to their job.
Someone on the single pension, wondering how they could feed themselves for 14 days on $723.10, might be interested to know their local member could be getting $602 for food during a standard seven-day sitting fortnight in Canberra.
And if you live within 30km of Parliament House the money could be yours. Of the two MPs and two senators representing the ACT, two claim the meal allowance. Two — Labor’s MP for Canberra Gai Brodtman and Labor Senator Katie Gallagher — pay for their own tucker.
Labor’s assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh, MP for Fenner, and Liberal Senator Zed Seselja, get the taxpayer to pay for their plates. Peter Hendy in the NSW seat of Eden Monaro lives in nearby Queanbeyan but also claims it.
They all are legally entitled to the money, whatever those on the single pension might think about the moral balance of the perk. And there are meal allowances in other employment areas.
The $86 allowance is taxable for ACT MPs, but for out-of-towners have to do with the tax-free $273-a-day allowance for coming to sitting day.
And let’s not forget the $195,000 base salary.
It is not as if the MPs are struggling to find somewhere to eat. They have their own dining room, access to a large staff canteen, to a famous cafe Aussies, and the Queens Terrace eatery — all in Parliament House.
Should they hunger for something off-campus, they have access to chauffeured cars to get to restaurants.
Or they could knock up something in the kitchenettes in their offices. Or bring sandwiches from home.
Yet another perk — the ability to claim running costs of a Canberra house you own, while still getting the travel allowance — is being reviewed by the Tax Office. And the Remuneration Tribal will look at other payments.
Andrew Leigh today confirmed he accessed the meal money.
Mr Leigh said one of the reasons for the allowance could be the “Parliament House environment has a limited number of places to eat when people are unable to leave the building”.
He told ABC radio: “What you eat has nothing to do with how far away you live.”
The highlighting of legal yet little-noted payments to MPs for coming to work comes after former Treasurer Joe Hockey — now ambassador in Washington — in 2012 declared the age of entitlement was over.
After his 2014 Budget, the then-prime minister assured voters suffering from cuts that MPs were also making sacrifices.
Minister were no longer travelling first class, for example.
But Tony Abbott recently noted the reduction in perks — such as expensive airline tickets for families — angered his colleagues.
“I made a series of decisions that were reasonable, even self-evident in principle, but which created much resentment in the partyroom,” wrote Mr Abbott.
“I stopped the employment of ¬immediate family members in MPs’ own offices because of the inevitable perceptions of favouritism; I ended first-class overseas travel out of respect for taxpayers; and I restricted family travel within Australia and spouse travel overseas because family very rarely accompanied business trips in the private sector.”
Imagine the anger if he had made them bring a cut lunch to work? |
I have been away from Kerala, my homeland, for almost 20 years now. The thought of returning for good never crossed my mind — till last Thursday, when the government spelled out its plan to make Kerala alcohol-free in ten years.
Before you get ideas of I being a teetotaller, let me make it clear that I like my whiskey only in large pegs, never small. Those who gasp at the word prohibition don’t know the fun part of it. Believe me, I have been there, done that. I landed in Hyderabad in 1995 when NT Rama Rao had just introduced prohibition. Initially it was frustrating, being denied one’s weekly quota of ‘mandu,’ as the Telugus call it.
But soon I discovered the pleasure of finding bootleggers, and the process of procuring booze became as heady as having it. Indeed it was costly at Rs 500 a bottle of rum and Rs 750 for whiskey, given that one’s salary then would not be enough to throw a party for a handful of friends.
As a reporter, the battle for the bottle expanded my network of sources — to watchmen, jawans and the dark underbelly of Hyderabad. There was Raju, a bank watchman at day and bootlegger at night. I don’t know about the safety of the bank’s vaults near Khairatabad, but Raju guarded his crate of Hercules Rum like a sentinel. One had to clank the latch on the bank’s gate a specific number of times in a peculiar rhythm that only Raju and his regular clients knew — and this he kept changing every week — and Raju would emerge from the dark, the bottle cradled in his arms.
Then there was John (hi John, hope you have retired and aghast in Kerala) an army man at a barrack near Nampalli station. At midnight, I would sneak into the nondescript building that was the shelter of a dozen jawans, and ask for ‘sadhanam.’ Those who didn’t know the code word and walked in to ask for rum or whiskey were driven away at gunpoint; you ask for ‘sadhanam’ and a smiling John comes with a bottle of sparkling dark XXX Rum ‘for defence services only.’
This network endeared me to many senior journalists in Hyderabad. I was, in effect, the journalists’ bootlegger. Soon after sundown, my office telephone would start ringing. The bureau chief of another newspaper wants two bottles of whiskey, there’s a promotion party at his place; I am invited though. Free drinks were the bonus of good contacts. When I wasn’t in office — those days cell phones were a rarity — my pager would beep with messages like ‘are we reading or writing tonight?’ Reading meant rum, writing whiskey. Remember, you had to dial a call centre to tell the sweet lady your message to be sent to the friend’s pagers. Code words, you see.
The richer tipplers took to mobile bars. You hop into a car stacked with liquor, drink as much as you want as the driver takes you through the city for an hour or two, and you get dropped— happily sloshed. On weekends, there were ‘conducted tours’ of insipid places on the Andhra border where the only activity would be binge drinking on Saturdays and Sundays before you get back to work nursing a hangover.
Prohibition as a state policy dates back to the Xia Dynasty in China more than 4,000 years ago. Several countries and a few Indian states have tried to impose the dry law, and most of them realised the stupidity of it sooner than later. In Gujarat, where the law is in force, you get the best brands of alcohol delivered at your doorstep. In Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, where the official dry law runs, you get the most indigenous of alcohol, distilled from rice, bamboo shoots and plantain.
I can’t wait to have all these in Kerala. In Chennai, I have to grapple with my sufficiently drunk brethren at dingy Tasmac shops. Soon, in Kerala, I could put my feet up, dial the nearest bootlegger and say: “Make it a double large, Mr Chandy.” |
FighterSweep Fans, the moment has arrived. This is our very first “organic” From The Cockpit video, featuring two Lockheed-Martin Block 42 F-16CMs dueling over the desert in the Southwest.
So what are we looking at here? The camera is in the cockpit of of the Instructor Pilot’s jet, and as you can see from The Patch on his left shoulder, this IP is a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School. This day’s lesson consisted of 9K, 6K, and 3K setups for Defensive BFM, or Basic Fighter Manuevers.
What is Defensive BFM? Simply stated, you are in the WORST position a fighter pilot can ever be in. It’s the proverbial “Knife Fight in a phone booth,” where your bandit has somehow obtained a position of advantage at or near your six o’clock and has entered his gun WEZ (weapons engagement zone).
When you think of Defensive BFM, think of very High-G, difficult maneuvers that are executed while straining your neck to watch what the bandit behind you is doing. There’s no magic move, so to avoid getting yourself killed, you’re going to have to work really, really hard.
Something to keep in mind? If you fly perfect Defensive BFM and your bandit happens to fly perfect Offensive BFM, your family is going to be planting flowers next to your name in a garden of stone. That’s a fact. So your objective is to cause problems for your bad guy and force him to make a mistake. If he doesn’t, all you can do is make him work really hard to kill you, try to force an overshoot, regain a position of advantage, and own his ass.
Sounds simple, right?
It’s neck-straining, gut-wrenching, breath-stealing, rivet-popping brutal. So from the comfort of your easy chair, strap into the Viper and ride along with this experienced IP while he tries to teach his student to kill him–and stay alive at the same time.
Fight’s On! |
Paedophile gangs targeting children in state care in Victoria for sexual abuse
Updated
Organised gangs of men are sexually exploiting children in out-of-home care and enticing them into trading sex for money, drugs and alcohol.
An ABC investigation has found children as young as 12 are being exploited by the men.
Some of the children have been transported between towns and even interstate, while the ABC has also been told that some abuse has been filmed by paedophiles.
It is understood that police have identified between 30 and 40 children who are living in Department of Human Services residential care that may have been exploited in this fashion in the past 18 months, but the number could be higher.
The suburbs around Dandenong are believed to be an area of particular concern to police and the department.
Police have found it difficult to charge the perpetrators, as the victims, many of whom come from traumatic backgrounds, are reluctant to give statements implicating their abusers whether through fear, a mistrust of authority or a belief that they are not actually being abused.
The Department of Human Services and Victoria Police have spent two years working on a new approach to tackling the issue, which revolves around better sharing of information and educating workers on how to recognise the signs of sexual exploitation.
Police are also practising disruptive policing.
This can mean charging the abusers with drug or property offences to bring them into the criminal justice system and keep them away from their victims.
Staff from the department have also been embedded in the police sex crimes unit.
"What we would say is that these young people are not competent to make a decision, and using that word 'prostitution' implies that they are making a lifestyle choice, working in the sex industry," the department's chief practitioner, Robyn Miller, told the ABC.
"They are children, they are young people, they have this history of trauma. They are not competent to make that decision.
"It is abuse and we name it that and we have a zero tolerance.
"Our whole approach has been to raise consciousness within police and with carers that this is not adolescent behaviour, it is not experimentation, it is sexual exploitation and it is a form of abuse."
Men would choose a girl to have sex with
In one case that did go to court, a number of men in Shepparton were charged with child sex and prostitution offences after having sex with girls in return for cigarettes, cash and shopping trips.
At the plea hearing of the ringleader, Emran Dad, in 2012, the court heard that he gave a 13-year-old girl a pack of cigarettes in exchange for sex.
Another girl, 16, said Dad would contact her via Facebook, then drive her to the house of a friend of his.
Sorry, this video has expired Video: Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews joins ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)
The girl said other girls were at the house and that men would then turn up and choose a girl to have sex with.
She said they would be paid about $200 each time this happened, depending on the sex acts they would perform.
She said Dad would receive a separate $150 payment for organising it.
"The young people that we work with have experienced such loss and grief and pain that they are really vulnerable to people giving them attention, and these offenders are expert manipulators," Ms Miller said.
"They are disgusting in the way that they entrap our young people, so they will use social media in an expert way and will befriend, so it's like they will pretend to be something they are not."
In a statement, Victoria Police said there had been a number of successful prosecutions for exploitation offences of this nature and that there were ongoing investigations.
Calls for 'thorough inquiry' into exploitation
The State Opposition's Jenny Mikakos says there must be an investigation.
"There needs to be a thorough inquiry into how this has happened," she said.
But Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge says the exploitation precedes the current Government.
"It's only the Coalition Government that has responded comprehensively," she said.
She says 2,000 police, child protection and care workers have been trained disrupt the exploitation of children.
Bernie Geary, the commissioner for children and young people in Victoria, says while he is not aware of these specific cases, he knows the system is "open to abuse".
"I know that our system is far from perfect and when children who are not properly assessed have tumbled into living in situations and bringing their own pain and trauma with them, sometimes that impacts on each other," he told AM.
"The children can be assaultive towards each other or sometimes they can be assaulted by people outside.
"The [incidents] that we're talking about is something that hasn't come before me and I'm really interested to know more about it.
"I intend to make very strong inquiries of the department and get information as to that."
Do you know more? Email investigations@abc.net.au
Topics: sexual-offences, law-crime-and-justice, child-abuse, prostitution, children, vic, australia
First posted |
Apple’s iPhone 4S might be its latest all-singing and all-dancing smartphone, and it might be made out of some rather nice looking glass and metal, but according to the latest tear-down report, the iPhone 4S costs Apple just $196 to produce.
This puts the iPhone 4S at just $0.49 more than its older sibling, the iPhone 4, despite the latest handset sporting a dual-core A5 CPU, a considerably more well-spec’ed 8 megapixel camera, and a CDMA/GSM chip.
According to IHS iSuppli’s numbers, and we’re not going to argue with them, the 16GB iPhone 4S costs just $196 to manufacture, while the 32GB runs at $215 and the 64GB $254. That’s a considerable mark-up considering the off-contract prices charged.
All three models of iPhone 4S are identical, as you would imagine, other than the differences in chips required to add the extra storage to the 32GB and 64GB models. This means that Apple can build the same phone and add different memory modules, a benefit also helped by the fact the iPhone 4S now comes with a CDMA/GSM chip and antenna built-in. With the iPhone 4, Apple needed to produce two distinct models in order to offer hardware for use on the two different wireless technologies.
Apple’s huge buying power will also be a factor in the low manufacturing cost. When you’re buying components in the huge numbers that Apple is, you tend to be able to cut pretty good deals with your suppliers. Interestingly, all three iPhones cost just $8 to have manufactured, and the box the whole thing comes in runs at $7. The cheapest component? That’ll be the battery. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t last very long then?!
It is worth noting that these prices are for hardware only, meaning there has been no consideration taken as to the costs of software and any licensing required.
A new company coming to the iPhone 4S is Hynix, who according to IHS, are now the suppliers of the NAND memory used in Apple’s handset. Considering the memory is one of the most, if not the most expensive part involved in making an iPhone, Hynix must be pleased to have gotten onto the cash train that is Apple’s iPhone.
(via GIGAOM)
You can follow us on Twitter or join our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
Related Stories |
All the latest team news heading into Round 14 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Wests Tigers vs Rabbitohs
TIGERS: Robbie Farah has been named to start at hooker, but expect him to come off the bench with Dene Halatau starting at rake. Elijah Taylor could also spend some time at the ruck.
RABBITOHS: Luke Keary has been under a fitness cloud and there is speculation that there could be a few changes made an hour before kick-off.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Knights vs Warriors
KNIGHTS: Nathan Ross is struggling with a calf complaint and could be replaced by new recruit Brendan Elliott. Korbin Sims returns from his suspension, while Danny Levi has been named despite suffering a concussion. He'll need to pass a test but is expected to play.
WARRIORS: The Warriors have named the same 17 that defeated the Broncos and will be hoping to build some momentum over the Origin period.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Eels vs Titans
EELS: Tim Mannah could be a late inclusion, but is probably still a week away from his return from a shoulder injury.
TITANS: Konrad Hurrell has been named on an extended bench, but is likely to come into the starting side to make his club debut. Nathan Davis would be the most likely player to miss out.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Roosters vs Storm
ROOSTERS: Latrell Mitchell has been under a fitness cloud all week after leaving the field early in Round 13 against the Wests Tigers. Trent Robinson confirmed on Friday morning that he wouldn't play. Sam Moa will come in to start at prop with Dylan Napa suspended after unsuccessfully challenging his charge at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night. Mitchell Pearce could be a late inclusion, but is not expected back until next week.
STORM: No changes expected at this stage despite Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk given the week off training duties. They should be right to take their place in the side.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Sea Eagles vs Panthers
SEA EAGLES: Nothing is going right for Manly with news that Steve Matai (neck) and Brenton Lawrence (pectoral) are out for the season. It means Tom Trbojevic will move into the centres with Matthew Wright coming onto the wing. Jamie Buhrer will need to pass a fitness test after receiving a concussion but should be right to play.
PANTHERS: The Panthers should be as per program, although Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will need to pass a fitness test.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Dragons vs Bulldogs
DRAGONS: Jack De Belin looks like being a late inclusion ahead of schedule.
BULLDOGS: No changes expected for the Bulldogs.
Draw Widget - Round 14 - Sharks vs Cowboys
SHARKS: No changes expected for the table-topping Sharks.
COWBOYS: Despite being circled and stalked by an actual Shark, Johnathan Thurston and his men are expected to take the field as per program. |
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One classic technique that digital cameras make very easy is blending more than one exposure together for contrast control, increased dynamic range, or creative purposes. A variation on this technique is to apply different RAW-conversion settings to a single RAW file and then combine the files into a single image. Let’s explore both approaches and look at the proper camera technique behind the scenes.
Camera Technique for Capturing Two Exposures
[If you’d like to download the images used in this tutorial to practice these techniques, click here . All files are for personal use only.]
1 Set up on Tripod
Before you start in Photoshop, you have to create the files so that each has a good exposure for a specific part of the image. For the files to align properly, it’s best to be on a tripod. Although handheld, rapid-fire, auto-exposure bracketing may work in some cases, I prefer the tripod approach. The tripod is definitely a must for long exposures, such as the photos in this example, which had shutter speeds of 13 and 25 seconds. I used a 5-stop, solid, neutral-density filter to force a long exposure time that would totally blur the surf.
2 Use Remote Shutter Release
In the images of Makapuu Point on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, the sky and most of the ocean looks better in the 13-second exposure, while the longer one reveals better detail in the dark foreground rocks. I also like the way the incoming surf is blurred into a fine mist in the 25-second shot. To minimize any chance of vibration that might yield a soft shot, I turned off lens stabilization and used an electronic cable release. For the purposes of this tutorial, the files are JPEGs, but I recommend you shoot RAW for the most control and quality.
Blend the Two Exposures
1 Bring Exposures Into One File
The first step is to bring the two exposures into a single layered file. For this example, we’re adding the darker exposure to the lighter image so that it will be the top layer. Select the Move tool (V), hold down the Shift key, and drag-and-drop the darker image onto the lighter one. Hold down the Shift key until the image appears in the lighter file as a new layer. This ensures that the two pictures are perfectly aligned.
2 Add a Layer Mask
Now we’ll add a layer mask to show only the “good” areas of the top layer. Depending on the nature of the images you’re combining and the complexity of the edge, this is the part of the process that will be different for each image. Some scenes may require intricate and precise masks, while for others a soft-edged mask will do; we’ll use a soft-edged mask for this image. With the top layer active, click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
3 Paint the Layer Mask to Reveal the Lighter Image
Choose the Brush tool (B) from the Toolbox and set the Foreground color to black. In the Options Bar, set the Opacity to 50% and choose a soft-edged brush that’s large enough to cover the bottom part of the image (ours is 300 pixels). Check the Layers panel to make sure the layer mask is active (look for the highlight border around the thumbnail). Paint over the image where you want to reveal the lighter tones from the bottom layer (paint multiple strokes to reveal more of the lighter layer). Reduce the brush size to work on the areas where the two images meet at the edge of the rocks.
4 Add a Grouped Adjustment Layer
We lowered the Opacity to 20% and painted with black over the distant hill to show more detail there. To reverse the mask edits, press X to switch the Foreground and Background colors, and paint with white to bring back the darker layer. To add a contrast punch to the top layer, Option-click (PC: Alt-click) on the Create New Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers panel and choose Curves. Turn on the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask checkbox and click OK. Adjust the curve as shown. The clipping mask means that it affects only the underlying layer.
5 Debriefing
If you click on the Background layer’s Eye icon, you can see how the layer mask controls which parts of the top darker layer are visible in the final composite. Click again to turn on the Background layer’s visibility, then Shift-click the layer mask to temporarily disable it and view the darker image without the lighter foreground. Shift-click the layer mask again to turn it on. The soft-edged layer mask we used here works well because the long exposure times blurred the water and we don’t have to be concerned with lining up the waves.
Dual-Process Raw
1 Raw Exposure Strategies for Dual Processing
If you have a single exposure, and it’s a RAW exposure, then you can create essentially the same effect as in the previous steps. This is useful for scenes that contain moving subjects or where a tripod is impractical or simply not an option. The main thing you need to do in terms of exposure is bias the histogram as far to the right as possible without clipping the highlights (i.e., forcing the brightest areas to a total white). This ensures you have the best exposure possible for the shadows, which will help minimize noise in those areas.
2 Process Raw Files as Smart Objects
Process the first version of the image in Adobe Camera Raw for a specific area (in our example, we’re keeping the sky from getting too washed out). To preserve maximum flexibility, click on the blue Workflow Options link below the preview and turn on the Open in Photoshop as Smart Objects checkbox. Click OK then Open Object to bring the file into Photoshop. Choose Layer>Smart Objects>New Smart Object via Copy to create a duplicate smart object of the embedded RAW file (the smart object duplication must be done this way to apply different RAW develop settings).
3 Process and Combine with Layer Masks
Double-click on the thumbnail for the duplicate smart object layer to access the Camera Raw dialog and adjust as needed for specific areas. We used the Exposure, Fill Light, and Brightness sliders to show more detail on the rental surfboards. Click OK to apply these new settings. Now it’s just a masking job to combine the two. We used the Quick Selection tool (W) to make a basic selection of the bright sky, then used that to make a layer mask for the top Smart Object layer. We then fine-tuned the edges using a Brush tool at varying opacities.
Check out more free Adobe Photoshop tutorials, or head over to our Adobe tutorials section for more Creative Suite goodness. |
Posted on Sep 10, 2012 in Carlo D'Este, War College
A Very Different Olympic Games
The recently concluded, glitzy London Olympic games, with state of the art venues, world-wide television coverage, and dazzling opening and closing ceremonies were far different than the games of a century earlier.
The 1912 Olympic games were held in Stockholm, Sweden and were officially called the Games of the V Olympiad. Instead of the now traditional seventeen-day event, the 1912 games took place over a period of nearly three months. Although the games officially opened on July 6, they actually began as early as May 5, and ended on July 27.
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Unlike today when major international cities compete vigorously to host the summer Olympics, in 1912 Stockholm was the only city to have bid on the games three years earlier.
In 1912 the competition was considerably different. Although it consisted of 102 events in fourteen different sports that included: athletics, cycling, fencing, soccer, gymnastics, diving, equestrian, rowing, sailing, shooting, tennis, swimming, water polo, wrestling, and the modern pentathlon, there were also several competitions that have long since disappeared from the modern games. They included the tug of war and art competitions such as sculpture, painting, music, architecture and literature – all of which were judged and medals awarded. One of the contestants who won a gold medal in 1912 for literature was none other than the founder of the modern games and the then President of the IOC, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who competed under several German nom de plumes.
By comparison, the 2012 games consisted of 26 different sports in 39 different disciplines. Sports such as basketball, field hockey, soccer, handball, judo, taekwondo, table tennis and badminton were either unknown or not part of the 1912 games.
Unlike the 2012 Olympics, which were represented by 10,500 athletes from 204 nations, the approximately 2,400 competitors from twenty-eight nations in 1912 came primarily from North America and Europe, and Chile, Egypt, South Africa, Japan, and Australia.
The cost of the games in 1912 was minimal compared to the billions invested in 2012. Nor was security an issue compared to the massive numbers involved in a post-9/11 world.
To win a gold medal in 1912 was to possess the real thing. It was the last Olympic games in which the medals were actually made of solid gold, and are worth a fortune in today’s gold prices.
Nor did the participants in 1912 undertake the sophisticated training that today’s athletes practice. There was neither the months and years of training that routinely occur today nor the preoccupation by so many nations to win medals. While in 1912 there was certainly vigorous competition, there was not the excessive nationalism and emphasis placed on winning that we see today. Moreover, the modern cynicism that blurs any distinction between amateur and professional athletes did not exist a century ago.
Sixteen years earlier a young French educator and sportsman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, had resurrected the ancient Olympic games, which had fallen into disrepute under the Romans in the 4th Century. In its new, modern form de Coubertin visualized the Olympics promoting international goodwill by means of amateur competition on the athletic field. His vision of a modern Olympics became a reality in 1896 when he managed to induce nine nations to send 100 of their sportsmen to Athens to compete in the first games with 200 Greeks as a celebration of the highest in amateur athleticism.
The Fifth Olympiad in 1912 would become the largest and most successful of the revived modern games. The twenty-eight nations represented included women who competed in swimming events.
For the first time one of the main events of the games was the Modern Pentathlon, a new version of the original Greek competition in which soldier-athletes vied against one another in five events: swimming 300 meters, pistol shooting on a 25-meter range, running a grueling 4,000 meter (2-1/2 mile) course, fencing, and riding a 5,000 meter steeplechase.
Steeplechasing is a horse race in which horse and rider must jump a series of obstacles, usually in the form of fences and ditches. The Stockholm course consisted of 25 jumps and some 50 other impediments in the form of single and double drainage ditches and fallen logs over rock-strewn hills and forests north of the city. The ditches were from three to four feet deep and about two feet wide and were covered with grass, thus rendering them almost invisible. The riders were permitted to walk the course three days before the event and had to memorize the layout. Horse and rider only saw the course for the first time together during the actual event, a practice that exists to this day. In 1912, one Dane broke most of his ribs in a fall and seven others fell at one or more of the double ditches, which were situated a mere fourteen feet apart.
The original pentathlon had consisted of a javelin and discus throw, a mile run, a standing broad jump, a mile run and some form of wrestling, all of which were designed to demonstrate the abilities of the perfect Greek soldier.
The 1912 competition was limited to military contestants and when U.S. Army officials began considering their representative, a young lieutenant stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia, named George S. Patton immediately became virtually the only candidate considered. At West Point Patton had been a runner, his riding and swordsmanship were well known and since early childhood he had learned to shoot, and to swim long distances in the waters off Catalina Island in Southern California.
In that era there were no Olympic trials or biannual international competitions where athletes could vie for a berth on their national team. Instead, appropriate entrants were sought and invited to participate. Each athlete then devised and carried out his own training program to prepare for the games. Patton was the first U.S. Army officer to represent the United States in the Modern Pentathlon. However, he was not named to the US Olympic team until May 10, 1912, leaving precious little time for training for the games.
As Patton later wrote of the experience, he “was in excellent physical condition but had not run for about two years nor done any fast swimming for three.”
His arduous training regimen began immediately and brought untold misery to both Patton and his family. As daughter Ruth Ellen relates, “it was hard on everyone. He went on a diet of raw steak and salad and was, according to Ma, unfit for human companionship. But he had to push himself as he had such a short time in which to get into shape.”
When George Patton trained for an athletic event, he was, as his nephew Fred Ayer has related, about as pleasant to be around as “a tiger from whose jaws a haunch of game has just been snatched.” He gave up alcohol and tobacco and punished himself brutally in swimming and running, his two weakest events. Patton knew only one way to train and that was unmercifully and without regard for himself or his safety. It was all the more difficult because he was not a natural athlete, had shown himself to be accident prone, struggled to run well and, in reality, loathed swimming, perpetually disdaining it as a sport.
Yet the fires of ambition and dyslexia burned as deeply within Patton as they had at West Point and the Olympics presented a splendid opportunity for him to show what he could do on a world stage. All else was secondary.
There was no respite when the US team and the Patton clan embarked aboard the steamship Finland June 14 for Antwerp. Accompanied by his wife, parents and sister Nita, Patton continued his training during the voyage.
He practiced swordsmanship and running with the rest of the team, a regimen that began at dawn and included runs of two miles around the decks of the Finland,and pistol practice at targets rigged off the fantail. To accommodate the swimming team a special twenty-foot long canvas pool was installed on the deck. Patton swam in place with a rope tied around his waist that left raw chafe marks.
The Pattons arrived in Sweden on June 29, where they were well received and fell in love with the nation and her hospitable people. In addition to continuing his rigorous training, Patton and his family were immediately caught up in an exciting round of parties, some of which were attended by the Royal family. Both George and his sister, Nita, were often mistaken for Nordics, and it was at one of these events that Patton met the aide to King Gustavus V, a colonel named Bjorling. The two men became life-long friends and the last photograph of Patton taken before his death in 1945 was with his Swedish friend.
Patton’s father accompanied his son to each practice and was ever-present to render encouragement. He also quickly became a favorite of the Swedish officers who adored him. One evening Mr. Patton unintentionally sat down at a table outside a hotel that was reserved for members of a select club. An angry member strode up and insultingly placed his cane on the table in front of the startled Patton. Instantly a Swedish officer who knew him leapt from a nearby chair, broke the cane in half, apologized, and brought him to his own table.
When the games officially opened on July 5, 1912, George S. Patton would be physically and mentally tested in ways he never could have imagined.
Next month the story of Patton and the Modern Pentathlon – and how history was nearly made. |
No contemporary band wears their influences on their Hypercolor sleeves like Animal Collective — and we’d expect nothing less from a crew that boasts former DJs, record-store employees, NYU program-board members, ATP curators, and plain old loud-and-proud music geeks. To celebrate the release of their piston-pumping, sampledelic ninth album Centipede Hz, SPIN dug inadvisably deep into the band’s 127 most important influences, from obscure Dutch sound artists to sloptastic Pavement bootlegs to exactly how Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s screechy soundtrack birthed their penchant for homebrewed tension. Roughly half of these entries feature illumination from the four members of Animal Collective themselves — David “Avey Tare” Portner, Noah “Panda Bear” Lennox, Josh “Deakin” Dibb, and Brian “Geologist” Weitz — so poke around to find out how they discovered Nevermind, what secret sample fodder pumps up “My Girls,” and why they were so scared of Black Dice. CHRISTOPHER R. WEINGARTEN
Click each entry to read more! |
All Google Glass related IO 2013 Sessions in one place
Google I/O 2013 – Voiding Your Warranty: Hacking Glass
Hyunyoung Song, P.Y. Laligand
Glass is ready for hacking! See what is possible with the hardware platform and how you can gain root access. Learn how to run your own experimental applications. Disclaimer: you’ll be stepping into uncharted and unsupported territory!
Google I/O 2013 – Building Glass Services with the Google Mirror API
The Google Mirror API is a simple but powerful set of RESTful APIs for building Glassware. In this session we’ll review some first principles for Glass development, paradigms of the Google Mirror API, and the rapid track from concept to prototype. We will cover both standard use cases and ones that push the boundaries of the API.
Google I/O 2013 – Fireside Chat with the Glass Team
Charles Mendis, Isabelle Olsson, Steve Lee, Timothy Jordan
Join several key members of the Glass team as they discuss the path that brought them here. We’ll discuss why Glass is so important to the evolution of wearable technology and how developers can most effectively engage in the ecosystem.
Google Developers Live at I/O 2013 – Project Glass: Icebreaker
Timothy Jordan, 3rd party developers
Icebreaker is the story of three developers from three parts of the country who came together at the Glass Foundry and built a Glass service in their spare time. We’ll take a brief look at the service and talk about the experience of developing with the Google Mirror API, and what design considerations came into play when building specifically for Glass.
Google I/O 2013 – Developing For Glass
Transcript
0:02 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Hello.
0:02 [AUDIENCE APPLAUSE]
0:08 TIMOTHY JORDAN: You haven’t even heard anything yet.
0:11 That’s OK.
0:12 You can applaud as much as you want for the next hour.
0:14
0:18 So I’m Timothy Jordan.
0:19 I’m a Developer Advocate on Project Glass.
0:23 A couple of things before we get started, just to set some
0:26 context, though many of you will already know
0:28 some of this detail.
0:30 Google[x]
0:31 is the moonshot factory at Google.
0:35 It’s about these radical ideas for changing the world and
0:40 improving the way we live.
0:42 And Project Glass is one of those moonshots.
0:45 It’s a moonshot about our relationship to technology.
0:49 This is strange standing up on this little step back here.
0:54 Let’s just pretend it doesn’t happen.
0:56 It’s about technology that’s there when you need it and out
0:59 of the way when you don’t.
1:01 And what do I mean by that?
1:03 Some of you have heard this story, but I’m going to tell
1:05 it again, because it’s really impactful for me.
1:08 When you’re at a concert and the band takes the stage,
1:11 nowadays 50,000 phones and tablets go into the air, which
1:18 isn’t all that weird, except people seem to be looking at
1:21 the tablets more than they are the folks on stage or the
1:24 experience that they’re having.
1:26 And it’s crazy.
1:27 Because we love what technology gives us.
1:31 But it’s a bummer when it gets in the way, when it gets in
1:33 between us and our lives.
1:35 And that’s what Glass is addressing is, how do we have
1:38 those benefits of technology and yet get it out of the way
1:42 at the same time?
1:44 Now up until recently, you had to take our word for that.
1:49 But we’ve started selling devices to
1:52 people outside of Google.
1:54 In fact, I see a lot of them in this room today.
1:55 Could you raise your hand if you have Glass?
1:58 Oh, a bunch of you.
2:00 And it’s a heck of an adventure we’re on together.
2:03 Who would have thought a year ago we’d be in this room
2:06 adopting this new technology together
2:09 and building it together?
2:11 And that’s really what this session is about, that and my
2:16 really cool roller coaster video.
2:19 Fair warning, there are not going to be any airships or
2:22 parachuting today.
2:26 We did that, and we did it pretty well.
2:28 Today we’re going to focus on developers, that’s you, and
2:33 what you’re doing with Glass and the conversation that
2:35 we’re having together.
2:38 Now this session, I’m going to cover the general landscape of
2:42 building for Glass, the platform
2:44 and design and examples.
2:45 I’ll talk about that in a moment.
2:47 There are some other sessions that you’ll want to come to at
2:51 Google I/O today.
2:53 One of them is “Building on the Mirror API”.
2:56 Alain and Jenny are going to go into detail about using the
2:59 mirror API to deploy your Glass service.
3:03 There’s going to be a session on “Voiding Your Warranty”, if
3:05 you want to tinker around with Glass and have
3:07 some fun that way.
3:09 And then at the end of the day, we have a fireside chat
3:11 with some of our leadership, and that’s going
3:13 to be a lot of fun.
3:14 We’ll answer a lot of your questions then.
3:15
3:19 For right now, we’ve got three things on the menu.
3:24 First off, I’m going to talk about platform, what you can
3:27 do today with a Mirror API and a little bit more.
3:32 Next, I’m going to talk about design.
3:35 Now the platform, for those of you that have checked out the
3:39 documentation, is the easy part.
3:42 It’s JSON over REST.
3:43 It’s not new technology.
3:45 We’re just using it in new way.
3:47 And that’s where design comes in.
3:49 This is the interesting challenge with Glass right
3:51 now, and this is where we’re innovating, building the
3:54 service for a user that makes sense on Glass.
3:58 And to that end, we’re also going to take a look at some
4:01 examples, some of the early work people are doing in the
4:06 area of Glass, building these Glass services for users.
4:12 All right.
4:12 Now before we jump into all that material, I’d like to
4:14 give you a demo.
4:15 Who here has not seen a live demo of Glass?
4:19 There’s still a few of you.
4:21 OK.
4:21 And I understand that we have another room and a livestream.
4:23 So this is for all of you.
4:25 I’m just going to go over some of the basic concepts.
4:26
4:32 This is always fun to do live demos.
4:34 We’ll see if Wi-Fi works.
4:37 Either way, it’ll be fun.
4:38 I have a cable attached to this demo device so that you
4:41 can see my screen.
4:41 We did a little bit of hacking so you could see what I see.
4:44 Now it’s going to be more choppy and a little more
4:47 delayed on that screen.
4:49 It’s much more smooth on Glass.
4:50 And if you can make a new friend at Google I/O here who
4:53 has Glass, you can ask them very nicely if you can demo
4:55 their Glass.
4:56 I recommend that you do that.
4:58 Because putting Glass on and seeing this rich display and
5:01 experiencing it is so much different than just seeing it
5:04 on the projection screen here.
5:06 But I’ll give you a quick tour anyway.
5:11 Now the first thing that you note when I put on Glass– and
5:14 this speaks to my point about the purpose of Glass–
5:17 is that it’s not in the way.
5:19 It’s not in my line of sight, but it is in my field of view.
5:23 And the key thing there is that it’s not
5:25 between me and my life.
5:26 It’s not that tablet at the concert where I’m looking at
5:28 that instead of what I’m doing.
5:31 But at the same time, whenever I want Glass, all I have to do
5:33 is look up, and there it is.
5:35 By bringing technology closer, we can get it
5:38 more out of the way.
5:40 So when you do put on Glass, when you do get a chance to
5:42 demo, make sure that you take that step.
5:44 It’s really key.
5:46 There’s two ways to wake up or activate Glass.
5:50 One of them is with the touchpad here.
5:51 I’m just going to tap on the side there, and you’ll see I
5:54 come to this home screen.
5:56 It’s got a clock.
5:57 Now if I swipe down on that touched right at my temple,
6:02 it’s going to dismiss it.
6:02 It’s kind of like the Back button on your Android phone.
6:05 Another way I can activate Glass is by looking up with my
6:08 head, and I get the same screen.
6:12 Cool?
6:13 Right.
6:13 Voice commands.
6:14 Mind if I take a picture?
6:16 I’ll take that as a resounding, sure, go ahead.
6:20 OK, Glass, take a picture.
6:25 And there we are.
6:26 Aw, you all look so beautiful.
6:27
6:29 Now let’s go ahead and share that with the world, shall we?
6:34 Swipe forward, tap on that item.
6:38 I get this menu, tap on Share.
6:42 I’m going to swipe my Google+ friends
6:44 circle and tap to share.
6:47 That’s it.
6:49 So what you saw there is I took a picture.
6:51 That picture was then put on my timeline.
6:53 I swiped forward to get the last item on my timeline.
6:56 As I swiped forward, I go back in time.
6:59 If I tap on any of those items, I get a menu.
7:01 In this case, there was an option for sharing.
7:04 I took that.
7:04 I saw my sharing contacts, and I chose my
7:08 Google+ circle for friends.
7:10 I’m going to come back to all these concepts.
7:14 OK, Glass, google, how do you say welcome in German?
7:18
7:26 Did you all just start Wi-Fi?
7:28
7:31 Oh, there we go.
7:32 Well, it recognized what I said.
7:33 Now if I had a strong connection in this conference
7:36 room, it would then come back and showed me willkommen and
7:40 would have said it to me at the same time.
7:42 Now you notice I don’t have anything in my ear, but I can
7:45 still get audio.
7:46 And it’s relatively private to me.
7:48 If you were right next to me, you might hear a murmur.
7:50 But otherwise, it’s just for me.
7:53 Pretty cool, huh?
7:54 All right.
7:55 So that’s your quick demo.
7:56 Let’s get back to the slides, shall we?
7:59
8:09 All right.
8:09 So let’s start with platform.
8:12 What we have out there today is the Google Mirror API.
8:15 I want to go through some of the concepts I just showed you
8:18 in the demo and how you can affect those
8:21 with the Mirror API.
8:23 This is how the Mirror API works.
8:26 It’s RESTful architecture.
8:30 JSON is the payload encoding, and OAuth
8:33 is the install process.
8:35 Now this is a developer conference, so I’m expecting
8:37 to see a lot of hands here.
8:38 Who knows what REST is?
8:41 A lot of hands.
8:42 Great.
8:43 Who knows what JSON is?
8:44 A lot of hands again.
8:46 Excellent.
8:47 And who knows what OAuth is?
8:49 Slightly fewer, but still a lot of hands.
8:51 OK.
8:51 That’s great.
8:52 Let me just touch on each of those for the
8:54 audience playing at home.
8:56 OAuth is an authentication mechanism.
8:59 And for the Mirror API, it’s analogous
9:01 to the install process.
9:02 The user gives permission to the Glass service to write
9:06 into their timeline and get updates.
9:10 JSON is the encoding, JavaScript Object Notation.
9:13 It’s pretty much the language that we send over REST, which
9:17 is the protocol.
9:18 And that’s just HTTP.
9:20 It’s like submitting a web form, but in the background.
9:23
9:26 And all that work happens right here.
9:28 And this is what I think is really key about the Mirror
9:31 API is that it’s super simple to develop for, and yet you
9:35 could also build powerful services.
9:37 All your work is going to be right here between your
9:40 service and Google.
9:42 And then Google handles the sync to Glass, dealing with
9:46 any connectivity issues and actually rendering things on
9:49 the client on Glass.
9:51
9:56 And there’s a handful of major topics we’re
9:58 going to talk about.
9:58 First, we’re going to talk about the Timeline.
10:00 You saw that.
10:00 We’re going to talk about Share Contacts.
10:03 You saw those.
10:03 It’s my Google+ friends I shared with.
10:06 We’re going to talk about Subscriptions.
10:08 This is how your service gets updates when a
10:10 user performs an action.
10:12 And I might touch a little bit on Location.
10:15 You can get Location updates periodically
10:19 from Glass as well.
10:20
10:23 OK So first off, Timeline cards.
10:25 Now Timeline cards can be text.
10:28 It can be images, video.
10:31 It can be rich HTML.
10:34 And they can also be bundles.
10:37 So now you saw, when I was on the Timeline there, there was
10:40 a single item .
10:41 It was an image.
10:41 I tapped on it, and I got a menu.
10:43 If that item had a page scroll in the upper right, like this
10:46 Timeline item here, and I tapped on it, it would open up
10:50 into a sub-timeline.
10:51
10:54 This is how you can group multiple Timeline cards
10:57 together into a single top level Timeline item.
11:01 And this is good for a couple different things, and I’ll
11:03 discuss in detail some best practices here
11:05 in the design section.
11:07 But you might want to do pagination with this.
11:10 Or you might want to do threading.
11:11 For example, if I’m going to have a conversation over SMS,
11:14 that’s going to be in a threaded bundle with my latest
11:17 message back or forth on top.
11:19 I tap in, and I can go through the whole conversation.
11:22 Or maybe I want to show a little bit more of a summary
11:27 than just on one Timeline card.
11:29 So I insert a long text string, and it automatically
11:32 paginates for me.
11:33
11:37 Now menu items, like the Share menu item that you saw when I
11:40 tapped on the image, you can add these yourself.
11:43 And they can be of two kinds.
11:44 One, they can be a system menu item.
11:47 And that you just have to name.
11:48 And it uses some built-in functionality of Glass.
11:52 This could be Reply, Read Aloud.
11:53 These are system menu items.
11:55 Reply will put the user into voice dictation mode, take
11:58 transcription, send you that text and the audio file, and
12:02 then you can use that as you do in your service.
12:05 For Read Aloud, Glass will read aloud to speakable text
12:08 or the text that it finds on the Timeline item.
12:11 There can also be custom menu items.
12:14 These are still going to be simple, quick interactions
12:17 that you build.
12:18 But they can have your name and your icon, and they can do
12:21 whatever your service wants them to do.
12:23
12:27 Now Shared Contacts.
12:29 Shared Contacts can be for sharing, like I shared to my
12:32 Google+ circle for friends, and then they see that image
12:34 moments later, or something like Ice Breaker, which I’m
12:37 going to talk about a little bit later.
12:39 Some of you might have been playing while you’re here at
12:41 Google I/O. Now that’s just a service that takes an image
12:45 and does something different or interesting with it.
12:49 Now much like the Timeline, which is a RESTful collection
12:52 that you can insert, update, and delete items from, Shared
12:57 Contacts is also a collection.
13:00 And typically how you would do this in the flow of your
13:03 service is the user would OAuth–
13:06 say, hi, I wanted to give you permissions to
13:07 do stuff for me.
13:09 And then immediately your service would insert a shared
13:14 contact and subscribe to updates from that shared
13:17 contact, or anything else the user does in the Timeline that
13:21 the service wants to pay attention to.
13:24 Now the way those subscriptions work, again
13:27 another collection.
13:29 You insert a subscription, and then you start to get updates
13:33 on the endpoint that you specify.
13:35
13:38 All right?
13:39 So we have three major collections so far, Timeline,
13:43 insert cards, add menu items, Shared Contacts for the
13:48 sharing menu, and Subscriptions.
13:51 The one last one is Location.
13:54 I’ll talk about that in a moment.
13:55 For Subscriptions, think of it this way.
13:58 If you’ve done pubsubhubbub before, it’s sort of similar.
14:01 You’re going to subscribe by inserting a request into
14:04 Google that creates an item in the subscription collection.
14:08 And then as the user takes actions covered by that
14:11 subscription, Google will inform you by calling the
14:15 endpoint that you specify.
14:17 It’s a lightweight ping, so it doesn’t take a
14:20 lot of network traffic.
14:21 And most of the time all you need is that lightweight ping,
14:23 because it includes a Timeline ID that you
14:25 likely already know.
14:27 But if you want more information, you can then pull
14:30 that item from the Timeline item collection.
14:33 Now Location is very similar.
14:35 You can subscribe to Location.
14:38 And then as the user’s location gets updated, you get
14:42 a notification.
14:43 You pull from the Location collection to get the actual
14:48 latitude and longitude.
14:51 That make sense?
14:53 All right.
14:53 So that’s the platform as we know it today, the Google
14:56 Mirror API.
14:57
15:02 Let’s talk a little bit about what the Google Mirror API is
15:04 good for and some of the use cases that will feel a little
15:07 bit forced.
15:09 In our conversations about building stuff on the
15:13 platform, we’re always thinking, as we do around
15:16 Google, what’s good for the user?
15:17 What’s going to provide an excellent Glass
15:21 experience for the user?
15:21 And in those conversations, about 80% to 90% of the ideas
15:25 we come up with are great Glass services for the Google
15:28 Mirror API.
15:30 These include being able to send content to the user and
15:34 microinteractions with that service, like being able to
15:37 reply, or being able to add an emoticon to something or +1
15:43 something, and being able to share out from Glass images
15:48 and video, either to be posted on a social network or for
15:52 your service.
15:53 All those things work incredibly well
15:55 on the Mirror API.
15:57 You can develop them very, very quickly.
16:00 But there’s a handful of things that you might want a
16:05 different kind of aspect to the platform for.
16:09 Those can be when you want your service to work offline.
16:15 Now if I get updates from “The New York Times,” I can see
16:18 them, even if I don’t have a connection.
16:20 But to actually get those updates, I needed a connection
16:22 at that time, or to do those microinteractions.
16:24 Well, what if I have something like Navigation, as you see
16:27 here, where I want to be able to interact and get an
16:33 immediate response from Glass?
16:36 Or what if I want to access hardware features, like the
16:42 Location, in real time on Glass?
16:44 Well, for something like that, you need a native API.
16:46 And that’s something we’re working on right now.
16:48 It’s called the Glass Development Kit.
16:52 We don’t have a lot of details about this right now, because
16:54 we’re actively building it.
16:56 And since we’re in the explorer period and we’re
16:58 building it at the same time, it’s actually a really unique
17:02 place for a product to be, because we’re having a
17:05 conversation right now about what we need to make sure that
17:08 we add to the Glass Development Kit.
17:12 So my ask do you–
17:13 I make an announcement, and then I ask you to do
17:15 something for me–
17:17 is to tell us, what are your dreams for Glass that would
17:20 use the Glass Development Kit but not the Mirror API?
17:23 And what do you want to make sure we cover in that?
17:25
17:28 Later in the day, if you go to the hack your Glass session,
17:31 HY and PY might talk a little bit more about the GDK.
17:34 And we might talk about in the Fireside Chat.
17:36 And of course, if you want to come up and ask me later, we
17:38 can talk about it in more depth.
17:40 And I’ll take questions at the end.
17:41
17:45 All right.
17:47 So we’ve talked about platform.
17:48 We’ve talked about the Google Mirror API, which is what you
17:50 build with today to get services to users and play
17:53 with the Glass experience and really understand the design
17:56 and user experience of Glass.
17:57 And we’ve talked a little bit about the GDK that’ll be
18:00 coming some time in the future, where you’ll be able
18:03 to do things like offline and immediate access to hardware.
18:06
18:09 The user experience, this big next section of my talk, is
18:15 about design.
18:16 It’s about how do you make an excellent Glass service for
18:19 the user, not just technically?
18:20 But what are the paradigms that you use?
18:22 What are the user patterns that you use?
18:24 And to start with, we have four guidelines that you’ve
18:27 heard me speak about before–
18:29 I’ve covered these in more depth elsewhere, but I want to
18:32 touch on them, because they really add context to all of
18:34 the other items that talk about today–
18:37 the first of which is to design for Glass.
18:41 And this is really key, and there’s a remarkable amount of
18:44 depth in here.
18:46 Because at the top level, you don’t want to take an
18:48 experience on mobile or on the web and just
18:50 stamp it out on Glass.
18:51 It’s not going to work, because Glass is
18:54 fundamentally different.
18:56 And the one essential thing that you must
18:58 do is test on Glass.
19:00 Use Glass in your daily life.
19:03 Add your service, and use your service in your daily life,
19:06 and then you’re really going to know what
19:08 works and what doesn’t.
19:11 The second big thing here is don’t get in the way.
19:17 Remember I talked about what are the things that are good
19:19 for a Glass user.
19:22 Well, getting in the way is not good.
19:24 Getting in the way takes them out of their life and puts a
19:26 barrier between them and what they’re doing.
19:28 And that’s not what we’re doing with Glass.
19:30 We want your service to improve their life.
19:35 And sort of a corollary here is that you never would want
19:38 to take precedence over the user’s experience.
19:41 So you would never want to send them a notification that
19:43 if they didn’t respond would degrade their experience with
19:46 your service.
19:48 They should be able to ignore notifications, and your
19:51 service keeps chugging along, giving them what they want
19:54 when they need it.
19:57 Keep it timely.
19:59 Glass is a very now device.
20:02 Your phone, you might do stuff over the last week.
20:04 Look at your calendar four days from now.
20:08 Your laptop, you’ve got data on there from the last few
20:10 months or year.
20:11 But Glass is really about what are you doing right now.
20:15 And when you think about that your service, you want to
20:16 deliver content to the user that’s important to them at
20:19 that moment.
20:21
20:25 And then one last one.
20:26 Avoid the unexpected, especially the unexpected and
20:29 the unpleasant.
20:30 And this is bad on any platform.
20:32 But it’s particularly dangerous on Glass when the
20:36 experience is so intimate to the user.
20:38 They’re wearing your experience.
20:41 So you really need to respect that relationship, and don’t
20:46 do anything unexpected.
20:47 Just Be honest about the intention of your application,
20:51 about your Glassware.
20:53 And give them preferences to be able to get notifications
20:56 maybe during certain times or know how many they’re going to
20:59 get before they sign up.
21:02 All right.
21:02 So those are our four guidelines.
21:03 And those are things that you can kind just
21:04 stick in your pocket.
21:06 And when you look at your Glass service and you have a
21:07 question, is this going to be right for the user, you can
21:10 measure it against those four things really easily.
21:14 And we’ve talked about those before, but since that time
21:18 we’ve been spending more and more time with our partners.
21:20 And we’ve gotten a lot of little lessons as well, a lot
21:23 of user patterns that work really well and a lot of
21:25 learnings around the different paradigms in Glass that I’d
21:28 like to share with you.
21:30
21:32 So here are the types of Timeline cards
21:34 that you might use.
21:36 You’ve got text, HTML templates, images, and video.
21:43 I’m going to touch on some notes for each of these.
21:47 Now we also document these on our documentation, and we’ll
21:49 continue to expand these best practices, these tips and
21:52 tricks, as we move forward and as we learn together in this
21:56 explorer period.
21:58 First off, if you’re only sending text, just send text.
22:03 Don’t use an HTML template.
22:05 And the cool thing here is that if the text is too long
22:08 for one Timeline item.
22:09 it’s going to autopaginate.
22:10
22:13 So a user can tap on that Timeline item, and there’ll be
22:16 a Read More menu item, and they’ll be able to swipe
22:19 through that text.
22:21 If what you’re sending to the user is text, this is the
22:23 easiest and quickest and most powerful way
22:25 to get that to them.
22:27 And it looks a little bit like this.
22:29 Again, you’ll see that text, tap on it, get to the Read
22:31 More, and you can swipe through multiple pages of
22:33 text, in this case, the dramatically
22:36 interesting Lorem Ipsum.
22:38
22:41 OK.
22:41 HTML.
22:42 Now this is when you once more rich or flexible designs.
22:47 And maybe you want to combine both text and
22:49 images on one item.
22:52 Now HTML is a little bit tricky on Glass.
22:54 You really need to test on Glass.
22:56 And we do have a great tool called the Developer
22:58 Playground.
22:59 It’s got the CSS built in.
23:01 You can edit HTML inline and see it right there the web
23:04 browser and hit send and have it go straight to Glass.
23:08 That’s really helpful.
23:09 And we also have these templates.
23:10 We’ve taken some time just like, OK, what are some of the
23:12 big categories of usage for Timeline items?
23:16 We’ve provided these templates for you to go in and edit and
23:20 make your own.
23:21
23:24 However, if you want to break past those templates and do
23:27 something a little bit more stylized and specific, you can
23:30 also add a style tag inline with the HTML.
23:33 Now it won’t do JavaScript.
23:35 But you can add your own CSS, your own
23:38 custom IDs and classes.
23:40 Just remember to always test on Glass.
23:43 Start with the Playground, and keep sending those to Glass to
23:45 make sure it renders the way you want it.
23:47 And also, if you use custom HTML, make sure that as we
23:50 upgrade the system software on Glass that you keep testing
23:53 that to make sure nothing changes.
23:55
23:58 We have a couple UI grid templates here to get you
24:02 thinking about what’s the padding and the spacing that
24:05 will make your Glassware consistent with the rest of
24:08 the Class UI so that it’s familiar and easy
24:11 to use for the users.
24:12
24:20 Photos and video attachment.
24:22 There’s a couple best practices in here.
24:24 First, it’s 16 by 9, and the resolution is 640 by 360.
24:30 You want to use that resolution, if you can.
24:34 And the reason is it’s going to transfer to Glass faster,
24:37 and it’ll be the perfect size for showing full screen.
24:41 It doesn’t need to be resized on Glass.
24:43 It’s going to look as you intended.
24:45 And for videos, they should be short.
24:48 This is for two reasons.
24:49 One, you’re sending it to Glass over the air.
24:51 It’s going to use the user’s data connection.
24:54 But another reason is that, again, we don’t want Glass to
24:57 get in the way of the user and their life.
25:01 So getting a video and looking for 30 seconds or maybe up to
25:05 a minute makes sense.
25:07 I can take that pause when I’m walking between meetings, and
25:09 that can be really magical experience.
25:11 But if you push me 30 minutes of video, I’m never going to
25:13 watch it, for one.
25:15 And it’s going to be distracting and
25:16 confusing to the user.
25:17 It’s about short interactions.
25:18 It’s not about staring up all day.
25:20 It’s about living your life.
25:21
25:24 And another thing that I’d like to announce today–
25:27 this will be available in the documentation soon–
25:29 is video streaming.
25:31 So what you know about the Mirror API so far is that if
25:34 you want to upload an image or a video, you add it as an
25:36 attachment to a Timeline item that you insert into the
25:39 Timeline collection.
25:41 You do this once for every user.
25:43 So if you have 1,000 users and you want one video to go to
25:46 all of them, you upload that video 1,000 times.
25:49 It makes more sense to do that for the video intended for
25:52 that user specifically and update to
25:54 them from your service.
25:56 If you’re going to broadcast things to users, what makes
25:59 the most sense is to do video streaming.
26:01 Now we’re going to add some more details about video types
26:03 and quality in our documentation, and that’s best
26:06 place to reference it.
26:07 But you so you know how this works is this is a URL
26:10 attachment.
26:11 So when you insert the Timeline item into the user’s
26:15 Timeline collection, instead of adding a multi-part
26:19 attachment with the video content inline, you can add
26:23 just a URL.
26:25 And then Google’s going to handle the rest.
26:26 That’s pretty cool, right?
26:28
26:31 Everybody’s who’s been inserting videos on the Mirror
26:33 API is nodding.
26:34 And that’s nice.
26:36 All right.
26:37 Let’s talk about bundling.
26:38 Bundling is super powerful but tricky.
26:40
26:44 There’s a few tips I can give you to do this right so it’s
26:46 going to be really obvious to the user and it’s going to
26:48 make a lot of sense to them.
26:51 First off, there’s many kinds of bundles.
26:55 There’s single item bundles, and there’s
26:57 multiple item bundles.
26:58 Now what do I mean by that?
27:00 A single item bundle is where you insert a single Timeline
27:02 item, you specify the HTML attribute as the cover card,
27:09 and then HTML pages is an array of strings.
27:12 They’re your subsequent pages when the user
27:13 taps into the bundle.
27:15 This is a single Timeline item, so it should logically
27:18 be a single item with multiple pages.
27:21 That’s really straightforward, right?
27:23 The multiple item one, this could be for threading, or it
27:27 could be a collection.
27:28 There’s a couple great examples of this.
27:30 You’ve seen “The New York Times” on Glass.
27:32 That’s a bundle of the latest top headlines from “The New
27:35 York Times” for the last hour.
27:39 You tap into it, and you’ll see those multiple items.
27:42 Threading is something like SMS or messaging back and
27:45 forth in a service.
27:47
27:50 All you need to do is insert additional items.
27:52 You set the bundle ID.
27:54 In the case of “The New York Times”, the way they insert
27:57 them will constitute the order.
27:59 In the case of threading, you don’t even worry about that,
28:01 because the latest items are always going to appear on top.
28:06 Now a trick for all of these things, especially the
28:08 multiple item bundles, is to have a digest cover.
28:12 This is a cover not where you say what’s in the bundle but
28:15 you show the user what’s in the bundle.
28:17 And “The New York Times” does a great job of this.
28:19 You’ll see this digest cover has images for a number of the
28:24 headlines contained within.
28:25
28:30 Menu items, a couple short notes about this.
28:33 Menu items are one line, and there’s just a few characters.
28:37 This is on purpose, because they’re short and actionable.
28:41 I can easily scan through a good menu and choose what I
28:44 want in just a few moments.
28:46 That means that not only is it really easy to recognize what
28:50 this menu item does, because it’s clear in one or two short
28:52 words, but there’s also a handful of menu items, not
28:56 more than that.
28:59 Always make sure to specify an icon.
29:02 And be careful with Dismiss and Delete.
29:07 These are similar, but they’re a little different.
29:10 Most the time you’re not going to want Dismiss.
29:12 It doesn’t make a lot of sense on Glass.
29:14 Because the way the Timeline works, for those of you that
29:17 have Glass, is you know when updates come in
29:22 and time moves on.
29:23 You just don’t go all the way back on Timeline.
29:25 It just kind of decays over time.
29:28 You’re only looking at your recent stuff.
29:31 So they sort of automatically dismiss, in a way.
29:34 So you wouldn’t want to get the user in the habit of
29:36 having to just dismiss, unless you wanted to give them the
29:39 option, like I don’t want to see this on my Timeline Or
29:41 maybe that’s an indication to your service of what kinds of
29:45 updates they like or they don’t like.
29:48 Delete, on the other hand, when you do this it shouldn’t
29:51 just remove it from the user’s Glass Timeline.
29:55 It should also delete that item on your service.
29:58 A great example of this is when I share an image to
30:00 Google+ and there’s that Delete Item.
30:02 I tap that Delete Item.
30:03 It deletes it from my Glass Timeline, and it deletes the
30:06 post on Google+.
30:08 It’s very clear to the user what it does.
30:10
30:14 OK.
30:14 Let’s talk about Shared Contacts.
30:16 A couple notes here.
30:17 Make sure that when you insert a shared contact that the
30:20 image that you use is 640 by 360.
30:23 That way, if it’s the one, it’ll show full screen and
30:26 it’ll be beautiful.
30:29 Make sure to always specify acceptTypes.
30:32 Now these are MIME types that say what your shared contact
30:35 can be used for.
30:36 So maybe you do image slash asterisk, in which case any
30:41 images that the user finds and they tap on that image and the
30:46 Share menu, your shared contact will show up.
30:49 Maybe you also want to do video.
30:52 Now when the user does share items on your service, we have
30:55 two things that people have started to use which make a
30:58 lot of sense, #throughglass and Sent through Glass.
31:02 So with your service, it makes sense to include a hashtag,
31:05 like it’s a post on your service.
31:07 Adding #throughglass is a great way to have a through
31:10 line of what that user is sharing while
31:12 on the go from Glass.
31:14 If you’re doing messaging, however, where maybe it
31:17 doesn’t make sense to have a hashtag, but you still want to
31:19 indicate to somebody that somebody was saying this while
31:22 they were walking between meetings, then Sent through
31:25 Glass makes a lot of sense there, just to append at the
31:28 end of the message.
31:30 Add these, and there’ll be a lot more clarity, as messages
31:33 are going to go through and similar
31:36 to the other Glassware.
31:37
31:40 OK.
31:41 Some of those details all on one screen for you.
31:44 There are numbers.
31:46 It’s all really straightforward.
31:47
31:52 I’ve been saying the sizes a lot, by the way, because
31:54 that’s one of the things that we’ve noticed as we’ve been
31:56 doing hackathons and building our own software that it was
32:00 one of those things that’s easy to forget.
32:01 But you really do want to play to the size
32:04 of the Glass screen.
32:05
32:14 All right.
32:15 Let’s talk about some examples, shall we?
32:18 Examples are really important right now.
32:22 And the reason is that we were all, collectively, me and
32:26 everybody else with Glass in this room, figuring out what
32:28 the best experience is on Glass.
32:30 And we’re building up a lot of collective knowledge about
32:33 these best practices.
32:37 And even though it’s early, some of these Glassware
32:40 already have the one out there.
32:42 And I’m going to talk about some of those.
32:45 You know about some of the Google products that are
32:49 already available on Glass, like Google+ and Gmail and
32:52 Google Now.
32:55 These are awesome experiences on Glass, and we’ve added to
32:58 those with some of our friends.
32:59 We also know that “The New York Times” and Path are
33:03 available on Glass.
33:04
33:06 There’s a few more folks that we’ve been working with to
33:09 build this early Glassware, these V1s that people are able
33:11 to use on Glass.
33:12 I’d just like to mention a few of those that are going to be
33:15 available to Glass users today.
33:16
33:21 I like that slide.
33:22 It’s OK.
33:23 You can applaud.
33:24 No?
33:25 [AUDIENCE APPLAUSE]
33:31 TIMOTHY JORDAN: So this has been a lot of fun, because
33:33 we’ve gotten to work with a lot of really cool people
33:36 innovating in this space and building these really amazing
33:40 Glass experience for users.
33:42 Now it’s still early, but some of these experiences on Glass
33:46 really illustrate some excellent paradigms.
33:48 And I’d like to call out just a few of those and talk about
33:51 the cool stuff that they’re doing.
33:52
33:56 First off, Google+.
33:58
34:01 There’s a lot to Google+ on Glass.
34:03 There’s a lot that you can do with Google+.
34:04 You can share pictures and video.
34:06 You can get notifications.
34:08 You can comment on posts.
34:09 Or my favorite, you can start or receive Hangout on Glass.
34:15 If you haven’t tried it, it’s really fun.
34:17 You can join that Hangout, and people see what you’re seeing
34:20 wherever you are in the world.
34:23 I’d like to take a look at one feature in particular.
34:27 This is getting a Google+ notification.
34:31 Here my friend and colleague, Ossama, has plus mentioned me
34:34 yesterday in a Google+ post.
34:35 And I get this notification on Glass.
34:38
34:43 If I tap on that notification, I see two items.
34:45 One, I can comment or I can plus 1.
34:47 Plus 1 is great, because I can just kind of do that on the
34:49 go, and that’s it.
34:50 Or maybe I want to add a comment to the post, in which
34:52 case I tap on Comment and I just speak out loud.
34:56 And that will appear on the Google+ post on the web, and
35:03 the item in my Timeline gets updated.
35:05
35:08 And this makes sense, because Google+ owns that Timeline
35:11 item, and they can keep the comments as sort
35:14 of a threaded bundle.
35:16 Now I see the post Ossama made.
35:18 I tap inside there, and I can swipe through the comments.
35:21 And as other people add comments, either through Glass
35:24 or on the web or on mobile, that item
35:28 keeps getting updated.
35:29 And we have that conversation.
35:30
35:40 This is a lot of fun.
35:41 And one of the things that I really like Google+ is that
35:44 since we’ve got this concept of circles and the plus
35:46 mentioning, I end up getting the posts that I care about
35:49 with people that I want to communicate with, whether I’m
35:52 on the go or not.
35:54 And being able to do that on Glass is a really fun
35:55 experience.
35:58 The next one, CNN.
36:01 CNN and us have been working together on this really cool
36:04 experience that you may have checked out in the Sandbox.
36:07 They’re out they’re showing you.
36:09 And of course, you’ll be able to use it later today.
36:13 The first thing that you’ll notice when you sign up for
36:15 the CNN Glassware is this Settings page.
36:21 I love this Settings page.
36:23 They’re doing some really cool things here.
36:25 First off, they’re letting me send alerts between two times.
36:29 I just want to get updates from CNN during working hours,
36:32 or working hours plus a few in the evening.
36:35 And I can set that right here.
36:36
36:39 Also, I can select which topics I want to get on Glass,
36:43 which ones are interesting to me.
36:44 And I get an immediate indication of approximately
36:47 how many updates I’m going to get per day.
36:49 That’s super valuable on Glass.
36:51 Because maybe I just want to dip my toes in the water with
36:54 some sports and politics alerts.
36:56 Or maybe I want to go whole hog and get the top stories
36:58 throughout the day.
37:01 Now once I start getting items from CNN, they look like this.
37:05 They’re a bundle that represents a story.
37:09 I tap into that bundle, and the first item is some text
37:14 for that story that I can have read aloud.
37:16 I swipe forward, and I have a short video.
37:20 This was a really cool one about a taqueria in Florida
37:23 that serves lion tacos.
37:24 I don’t know how I feel about that, but I thought it was
37:27 interesting.
37:28
37:32 Now what’s neat about this is that when you put on Glass,
37:35 the first thing that you notice is how
37:37 brilliant the screen is.
37:40 You can see images in really high fidelity, and videos look
37:43 really cool on Glass.
37:45 And having CNN send me these short video from everywhere in
37:49 the world throughout the day, and I can look at them
37:51 whenever I want, is really a unique experience.
37:53
37:57 Twitter.
37:59 Twitter and Glass, they just work so well together.
38:04 There’s a bunch of stuff that you can do
38:05 with the Twitter Glassware.
38:06 You can get tweets from plus mentions.
38:08
38:11 You get the tweets that you have mobile notifications
38:15 turned on for.
38:17 So if I have mobile notifications turned on for my
38:19 friend, Sydney, as he tweets, I get those on Glass.
38:23 You get direct messages, and you can
38:25 respond to those messages.
38:28 And you can share a picture from
38:29 Glass directly to Twitter.
38:31 And it’ll post it as a photo tweet.
38:32
38:35 A tweet on Glass looks a bit like this.
38:37 As you know, our friends from NASA just returned to Earth.
38:42 And it was really fun watching all of their updates getting
38:45 retweeted by NASA astronauts and getting that on Glass
38:48 throughout the day.
38:49 Because they’re updating about their return and their tests
38:52 and seeing their family.
38:55 And if I want, I can reply to these tweets, I can retweet,
38:59 and I can favorite right from Glass.
39:03 Super simple.
39:04 And because Twitter is that short message model, it just
39:07 makes a lot of sense on Glass.
39:10 Another thing that I really love about the Twitter
39:12 Glassware is this direct messaging capability.
39:15 Now here Alain sent me a DM asking if I was ready for the
39:19 afters hour party.
39:20
39:23 To which I replied, most certainly.
39:24 Because of course I was.
39:25 It was awesome, right?
39:27 Yeah.
39:27 It was a good party.
39:29 I think that might be the best I/O party yet.
39:32 Anyway, I hit Reply.
39:34 I saved that message.
39:36 And that gets added to the thread on Glass.
39:40 Remember, I talked about these bundles and threaded bundles?
39:42 All Twitter had to do was insert one more item, set the
39:46 bundle ID for that bundle– which is any arbitrary string
39:51 it decides.
39:51 Maybe it’s an internal representation of this
39:54 conversation–
39:56 and that bundle grows.
39:58 And it keeps growing as we reply back and
40:01 forth to each other.
40:04 It’s pretty neat, huh?
40:06 All right.
40:07 Let’s talk about Evernote.
40:08
40:14 Evernote, as you know, is great for taking notes,
40:17 capturing ideas and experiences, and collaborating
40:20 with your friends.
40:23 One of the things that I do, one of my patterns with
40:26 Evernote, is I’ll take notes and then I’ll
40:28 reference those notes.
40:29 I do shopping lists all the time on Evernote, my common
40:33 shopping list every week.
40:34 And then I add items, remove items.
40:35 And then I’m in the store, and I have my phone out, and I’m
40:38 looking at that shopping list.
40:39 And it’s much cooler having that experience on Glass.
40:42 So here’s my shopping list for Google I/O. I’m not sure that
40:46 I got that last item, but I did get the extra socks.
40:49
40:52 Now on this Evernote note, if I tap on that Share arrow, I
40:56 get all the places I can share this note to.
41:00 And of course, I’m going to tap on Glass to send
41:03 this note to Glass.
41:06 Now Evernote, since this is primarily text, they do that
41:09 thing where they insert a Timeline item that’s text, and
41:12 it autopaginates.
41:14 In this case, it’s the shopping list.
41:16 It’s simple, and it’s easy.
41:17 I can see it on Glass, so I can go through the store and
41:19 buy these extra socks or unhealthy energy drinks
41:25 without having to go back and forth to my phone.
41:27 It’s a really cool experience.
41:28
41:33 All right.
41:34 Let’s talk about Facebook.
41:36 Facebook for Glass lets you share your photos on Facebook.
41:40 And you can choose who you want to share with, and you
41:43 can say something to add a description.
41:45 In this case, we’ve got this photo that
41:48 I’ve taken on Glass.
41:51 Now I’m going to tap that image, and I get options for
41:55 Share and Delete.
41:58 This is just, at this point, a picture on Glass.
42:01 When I tap on Share, I get my whole
42:03 list of sharing contacts.
42:05 And one of them, once I’ve set up the Facebook Glassware, is
42:08 going to be much friends on Facebook.
42:09 Now you can also share with public or with just yourself.
42:13
42:20 I’m going to tap on this sharing contact.
42:23 And what Glass does is it creates a new image on my
42:26 Glass Timeline.
42:28 This time it’s owned by the Facebook Glassware.
42:31 They get a notification I tapped on that Share target.
42:35 And what Facebook is doing is it’s going back to that
42:37 Timeline item and adding a new menu item, Add Description.
42:41 So this is immediately posted to my Facebook Timeline, but I
42:44 can tap here and add a description, say these are
42:46 white stargazers.
42:49 And then Facebook will update that Timeline item to also
42:53 include that caption, that description.
42:57 And it updates the post on Facebook as well.
42:59
43:04 Now that picture is going to show up on Facebook, so my
43:06 Facebook friends can see it when they visit my profile.
43:08
43:13 This pattern here is the ability to share a photo,
43:17 delete it right away if it’s an oops moment.
43:19 But then add a description is really key.
43:22 Because I can do all those things with Glass and sort of
43:25 just having that quick experience or add a little bit
43:27 more information to it.
43:29 I really recommend this pattern.
43:31 All right.
43:32 Let’s talk about “Elle.” Now I am not the target consumer for
43:36 “Elle.” But what they’re doing with Glassware I think is just
43:43 really cool.
43:44 They also have this great Settings page.
43:47 And they’re a really important, maybe the number
43:51 one, fashion magazine out there in the world, part of
43:54 the Hearst collection of magazines.
43:57 And it’s a neat experience on Glass.
44:00 You can select on the Settings page for all these different
44:04 topics, much like you do on CNN.
44:07 But “Elle” does something else that’s
44:09 really cool in the moment.
44:11 As I get these items on Glass throughout the day–
44:16 and this is a bundle with multiple pages–
44:18
44:22 and I tap on any one of those pages and I get this menu, I
44:26 can have this read aloud, I can share it, or right there
44:30 in the middle I can add to my reading list.
44:32 Now I love this flow for three reasons.
44:37 First off, I think it’s cool for the user.
44:40 As I’m reading “Elle” or other articles on Glass, a lot of
44:45 the time having that headline or that little bit of
44:47 information is exactly what I wanted.
44:49 I’m good.
44:50 But sometimes it’s like, oh, I want to read
44:52 more about this later.
44:54 Or maybe I want to bring it up on my computer at work on a
44:57 big screen and share it with my friends.
45:00 How do I do that?
45:01 Well, I tap on Reading List, and “Elle” adds this to the
45:05 Reading List on that Settings page I showed you, right at
45:07 the bottom.
45:08 And it’s all of the links that I’ve saved throughout my day.
45:11 So it’s cool for the user.
45:14 It also helps me, as a user, spend more time with “Elle.”
45:17 because now I’m also on their web product.
45:20 And finally, it helps “Elle” know what are some of the
45:23 articles that I want to spend more time with later, not just
45:26 the updates throughout the day.
45:28 So it’s really good for the user, and I think it’s really
45:30 good for the brand.
45:31
45:34 All right.
45:34 I want to do one more example.
45:36 And I love this story.
45:38 Ice Breaker is here at Google I/O. Whereas this isn’t
45:41 released on MyGlass website, you can go to this website,
45:45 and you can install it while you’re at I/O and play with
45:47 each other.
45:48 This is a game.
45:49 A lot of what we’ve talked about so far is very
45:51 productive, and sharing with friends, and
45:54 it’s a lot of fun.
45:55 But also, I want to have a whimsical
45:57 experience with Glass.
45:59 Now these three guys got together at one of our Glass
46:03 Foundry events, met each other, built some awesome
46:06 Glassware, and won first prize.
46:08 And afterwards, we were hanging out, and we came up
46:10 with this idea of Ice Breaker.
46:13 And they built it for Google I/O.
46:15 This is what you do.
46:16 You land on their page, the icebreaker.io, and it’s going
46:20 to walk you through the whole flow.
46:21 But let me just touch on what happens.
46:25 First off, they send a welcome card.
46:26 And this is something “Elle” does as well
46:28 that I really like.
46:28 When you sign up for the Glassware, it immediately
46:30 inserts a card into your Timeline, so you know it all
46:33 worked, and the user gets that kind of warm, fuzzy feeling,
46:35 like now I’m signed up for Ice Breaker.
46:38 And it tells you a little bit about what’s
46:39 going to happen next.
46:41 As Ice Breaker gets location updates for where you are,
46:44 it’ll find somebody else also playing Ice Breaker and sends
46:49 you a card with their photo and their name and the
46:53 encouragement to go meet them and have a conversation, or
46:56 break the ice.
46:57 You can get directions to this person, you can pin or unpin
47:00 this card, and you can also give up if
47:03 you can’t find them.
47:05 Now let’s talk a little bit about those last two items.
47:08 First, the pinning, what this does is when I pin a card,
47:12 it’s a System Menu item.
47:14 It takes that card and puts it on the
47:15 left side of the Timeline.
47:17 That’s the space reserved for things going on right now.
47:20 Google Now is over there.
47:22 You’ve got your weather card, maybe some stocks that you’re
47:24 following, or other third party
47:27 Glassware that you’ve pinned.
47:29 In this case, I’m looking for Jonathan.
47:31 I want to make this new friend, so I’m going to keep
47:34 it pinned to the left side of me Timeline so I can look back
47:36 and like, OK, have I found him yet?
47:38 It’s like a fun person scavenger hunt.
47:42 The third option there is to give up.
47:44 Glass is a very now device.
47:46 Remember that?
47:47 So in the patterns of doing something with Glassware, like
47:51 breaking the ice and finding people to do that, what
47:54 happens if I can’t find Jonathan?
47:56 And in fact, Ice Breaker knows, since it’s getting
47:59 location updates, if we get too far away from each other,
48:02 it’ll send me a new person still at the conference that I
48:04 can find and make new friends with.
48:07 It’s really cool, because it’s in the moment, and it matters
48:09 to me right now.
48:12 Now I find Jonathan, and we have a conversation.
48:16 We get to know each other, and I take his picture, and I
48:19 share it with Ice Breaker.
48:21 He then gets a notification being like, did
48:23 Timothy really find you?
48:24 And did you have a good conversation?
48:26 If the answer is yes, then I get more points.
48:29 And I keep looking to make new friends who have Glass here at
48:32 Google I/O. Again, I really recommend you try this.
48:35 It’s a lot of fun.
48:36
48:43 All right.
48:43 Let’s talk a little bit about next steps, shall we?
48:46
48:50 We’ve talked about developing for Glass.
48:52 That was this session.
48:53 There’s three more sessions today, details about the
48:56 Mirror API, building Glass services right away.
49:00 “Voiding Your Warranty.” If you want to go off-roading
49:02 with Glass, cut loose, and do some crazy stuff–
49:07 or do some not-so-crazy stuff, they’ll talk about that too–
49:11 you can go to the “Void Your Warranty” session.
49:13 Now when I mentioned the GDK, that’s something you’re like,
49:16 oh, that’s what I really need for my service, which might
49:18 happen for a few of you, that’s a good place to go and
49:22 get some more material to start dreaming up those
49:24 experiences and give us some feedback about that GDK.
49:28 The Fireside Chat with the Glass team.
49:32 That’s at the end of the day.
49:33 That’s going to be a conversation.
49:34 I’ll answer just a couple questions here today.
49:37 But some of the bigger questions, I might be like,
49:39 come to the Fireside Chat.
49:41 And of course, please do bring your big questions there.
49:43
49:46 We also have a Sandbox out here on the
49:48 floor at Moscone Center.
49:50 So if you are live with us here at Google I/O, please
49:53 come by and say hi.
49:54 And let’s have a conversation about this stuff.
49:56 And visit some of our partners who are showing off their
49:59 Glassware there in the Sandbox.
50:02 Now we have some resources as well.
50:04 If you have questions, go to Stack Overflow.
50:06 There’s a Glass tag.
50:08 If you want to download some code and get started with some
50:10 starter projects, GitHub is the place to go.
50:13 And of course, we have an issue tracker for any bugs
50:15 that you might find.
50:16 Remember, we’re in the developer preview period.
50:19 So these conversations that you have on these resources
50:22 are really helping us get this API ready for the real world.
50:26 And the Mirror API is if you want to develop Glass services
50:30 that people are going to use and that you’ll be able to
50:32 distribute to users soon, then that’s where you start.
50:35
50:38 And if you want to get in depth with some more
50:40 conversations about Glass, we have a general community.
50:42 For those of you that do have Glass, you have access to this
50:45 site, glass-community.com.
50:46
50:51 Thank you so much.
50:53 [AUDIENCE APPLAUSE]
51:02 TIMOTHY JORDAN: All right.
51:03 So we have about seven minutes for just
51:05 a handful of questions.
51:07 Please head over to the microphones.
51:09 There’s one over here as well.
51:12 Please know that if you ask about feature requests, I
51:16 definitely want to hear them.
51:17 That’s what this explorer period is all about.
51:20 However, I’m not going to be able to comment on any future
51:22 releases or plans.
51:24 Yes.
51:25 AUDIENCE: Hi.
51:25 Know John Blossom, Shore Communications.
51:29 On the API where you’re showing the ability for
51:33 individual google glass apps to have command cards, are those
51:36 commands specific to the app or specific to the content?
51:39 Because it doesn’t look as if we really have the ability to
51:44 do the equivalent of tapping on hyperlinks in that HTML.
51:48 So is anybody thinking about how do you disambiguate
51:53 between buying this and buying that, say?
51:56 TIMOTHY JORDAN: That’s a great question.
51:57 So I think the question is really about the Menu options
52:00 on the Timeline item.
52:02 So the way you do that is that when you insert the Timeline
52:04 item, part of that JSON in that structure is all the Menu
52:08 items that you want to appear with that Timeline card
52:10 enumerated.
52:11 AUDIENCE: OK.
52:11 So it’s content-specific?
52:12 TIMOTHY JORDAN: It’s content-specific.
52:14 But you can build this however you want in your app.
52:16 So if you have a template of menu items for every certain
52:18 kind of Timeline item that you insert, and you just slap that
52:22 into your JSON every time, you can do that.
52:23 It’s really under the control of the Glass service.
52:26 And those can be the System Menu items, like Reply or Read
52:29 Aloud, or they can be any custom items that have
52:32 whatever name you choose.
52:33 AUDIENCE: OK.
52:33 TIMOTHY JORDAN: So let’s say you want to include a
52:36 hyperlink and you want to give the user the option to save
52:38 that for later, for when they’re at their computer, you
52:41 can add that as a Menu item.
52:42 AUDIENCE: Cool.
52:43 And will the GDK, as it’s conceived today, include
52:46 signals from the headset?
52:50 Can you read from the headset things besides what are on the
52:53 command cards?
52:53 TIMOTHY JORDAN: So there will be.
52:55 I don’t have any details about exactly what.
52:56 But there will be access to some of the hardware features
52:59 of Glass exposed in the GDK.
53:01 Now the GDK itself–
53:03 I’ll add a little bit more information for those of you
53:05 that didn’t rush off to another session–
53:08 is essentially developing for Android with an extra library.
53:13 So if you’ve already use Android and you know those
53:16 paradigms really well, you’ll be able to download additional
53:19 code to target against that’ll give you more functionality
53:23 specific to Glass.
53:24 AUDIENCE: Cool.
53:25 Thank you.
53:25 TIMOTHY JORDAN: You’re welcome.
53:27 Question over here.
53:27 And then we’re just going to go back and forth.
53:29 AUDIENCE: Hi.
53:30 Steve Ogden from Starz.
53:31 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Hi, Steve.
53:32 AUDIENCE: Wondering, are you adding any new sensors?
53:35 And also, could you go over the existing
53:37 sensors within Glass?
53:40 TIMOTHY JORDAN: So I can tell you what the user
53:42 has access to today.
53:44 There is sort of an accelerometer.
53:47 They know if you look up to turn on
53:48 Glass, like I just did.
53:51 There’s a camera, and there’s a location built in to the
53:54 paradigm as well.
53:56 When it comes to the GDK, the best thing to do is if there’s
54:00 a specific sensor that you want, make sure that you let
54:03 us know on Stack Overflow.
54:04 Here’s my idea.
54:05 I want to make sure I have access to this.
54:07 And then we’ll work on that.
54:09 AUDIENCE: OK.
54:09 Thank you.
54:10 TIMOTHY JORDAN: We’ll do our best.
54:10 Thank you.
54:12 AUDIENCE: Hi, Tim.
54:12 Antonio [INAUDIBLE]
54:13 from [INAUDIBLE]
54:14 Apps.
54:15 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Hi.
54:16 AUDIENCE: Hi there.
54:17 You were my target for Ice Breaker, by the way.
54:19 So I need to take a picture of you right now so I
54:22 can send it to them.
54:23 Awesome.
54:24 So two quick questions.
54:25 You insisted that the image resolution should be 640/360,
54:30 but everything we send to Glass goes
54:32 through Google, right?
54:33 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Mm hmm.
54:34 AUDIENCE: So is Google doing some processing of the images,
54:36 like if we send something that is too big, you would reduce
54:40 it for us so that it gets the right resolution for the user?
54:43 TIMOTHY JORDAN: There’s a lot of optimization that we do
54:46 before the user sees something on Glass.
54:48 And I’m sure there’s more that we could do over time.
54:50 But the reason I say you should set the resolution to
54:53 full screen is that that gives you the most control over
54:55 resizing and how it’s going to look when it’s full screen.
54:57 And that’s always better.
54:58 AUDIENCE: OK.
54:59 The second question is you showed a few apps, like
55:02 Facebook, Twitter, Path, “New York Times”.
55:05 Are you going to have an app store or a place where you can
55:08 actually publish your app?
55:09 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Yeah.
55:09 AUDIENCE: As an app developer, I’m interested in publishing
55:11 my apps there.
55:12 TIMOTHY JORDAN: That’s a really great question.
55:15 As everybody here knows, because we’re all developers,
55:18 a healthy ecosystem involves some story around discovery.
55:22 And right now, if the user wants to add one of these
55:25 Glassware or Glass services, they go to MyGlass, they’ve
55:28 got cards, and they can turn them on.
55:31 And we believe that that’s a great paradigm for showing
55:34 users how Glassware is there.
55:37 At the moment, we’re still in developer preview, so we’re
55:39 still working on the details about how that’s going to
55:41 evolve and how additional third-party Glassware is going
55:44 to get in there.
55:45 And those details will come.
55:46 But we’re definitely going to have something.
55:48 AUDIENCE: Cool.
55:48 Thanks.
55:50 AUDIENCE: Hi.
55:50 I’m Danny [INAUDIBLE].
55:51 I had a question about best practices.
55:54 I was speaking with CNN, and they mentioned that in their
55:57 Glassware app they were advised not to
55:59 use the Delete function.
56:00 And I was wondering, why would Google advise them not to use
56:04 that function?
56:04 Because you mentioned it.
56:05 TIMOTHY JORDAN: That’s a great question.
56:06 Yeah.
56:06 I talked about Delete and Dismiss.
56:08 Now in the case of sending data to the user that the
56:11 user’s going to look at and be like, hey, this is cool,
56:14 having them be able to delete them encourages sort of a user
56:17 paradigm of curating their Timeline.
56:20 Which doesn’t really make sense on Glass, because,
56:22 remember, there’s this single Timeline that
56:24 stretches into the past.
56:25 And since it’s such a now device, I’m going to be
56:28 looking at the recent few cards.
56:30 I’m not going to scroll to a week ago.
56:33 So why would I need to curate it?
56:35 AUDIENCE: Exactly.
56:36 OK.
56:36 Makes sense.
56:37 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Yeah.
56:38 AUDIENCE: Hi.
56:38 I’m Lucas from [INAUDIBLE].
56:40 And you talked about you should test the Glass in our
56:45 apps as much as possible.
56:47 But how much earlier will get the other developers the Glass
56:50 before the customers will get them?
56:54 TIMOTHY JORDAN: So you’re asking, are we going to make
56:55 more Glass available before we’re selling to consumers?
56:58 I don’t know.
56:59 AUDIENCE: OK.
56:59 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Right now, we’ve just sort of finished
57:03 fulfilling and inviting people that have signed
57:05 up at I/O last year.
57:07 And we’re going on to the “If I Had Glass” winners.
57:10 That’s the next big thing.
57:11 What’s next?
57:12 I’m not sure.
57:13 I’m sure we’ll let you know.
57:14 A way that you can make sure we let you know is if you go
57:16 to google.com/glass, in there is a web form where you can
57:20 indicate your interest and say that you’re a developer.
57:22 AUDIENCE: OK.
57:22 Thanks.
57:23 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Thank you.
57:24 AUDIENCE: Hi.
57:25 I’m Sebastian from [INAUDIBLE].
57:27 I’m just wondering what features you’re going to allow
57:30 us in the GDK.
57:32 One of them that would be interesting is, are you going
57:36 to allow us to have access to the video stream so they we
57:38 can display information directly on what we are
57:41 seeing, something similar to layers on
57:44 Android, but for Glass?
57:48 TIMOTHY JORDAN: As I said before, I can’t comment on any
57:49 feature requests.
57:50 But I like hearing them.
57:52 I think right now the right time to think about this is
57:56 use the Mirror API.
57:59 Your dream for Glass, can you build that in the Mirror API?
58:02 And what that’s immediately going to tell you is, is this
58:05 going to be a simple and quick user experience that makes
58:08 sense on Glass?
58:09 And if it becomes really complicated really quick,
58:11 sometimes that might make sense for GDK, or maybe it
58:14 makes sense that it doesn’t work on Glass.
58:17 But please do go through that process of design thinking
58:20 about how this would work on Glass, and let
58:22 us know in the forums.
58:23 AUDIENCE: OK.
58:24 Thanks.
58:25 TIMOTHY JORDAN: Thank you.
58:25 And I think, with that, we’re just out of time.
58:29 Remember that we have the Sandbox area.
58:30 Please come up afterwards.
58:32 And let’s keep having this conversation.
58:34 Thank you so much. |
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I see via TPM that conservative crackpot Dinesh D’Souza has been indicted for violating federal election laws. But is this real fraud, or the sort of picayune thing that anybody might get entangled in simply for not being an expert in the finicky details of campaign finance regs? Here’s the Reuters report:
According to an indictment made public on Thursday in federal court in Manhattan, D’Souza around August 2012 reimbursed people who he had directed to contribute $20,000 to the candidate’s campaign. The candidate was not named in the indictment.
Hmmm. This would be the real deal. Telling other people to make contributions and then reimbursing them is an obvious no-no, something that D’Souza could hardly plead ignorance about. If this turns out to be true, he’s in trouble.1
1Alternatively, it could be a godsend, something he can milk forever as proof that he’s being hounded by Obama administration thugs determined to shut down their conservative critics. |
Speaking today at the ICR Conference 2016 in Orlando, GameStop CEO Paul Raines talked more about the retailer's thoughts on one of the biggest trends of 2016: virtual reality.
Overall, Raines said GameStop is optimistic for the future of VR, hoping to work with the device's creators to sell the headsets, as well as their games and accessories, in GameStop's network of stores around the world.
Raines said he wouldn't be drawn into a conversation about the quality of the three major headsets, instead saying Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR all look great. The bigger consideration for GameStop, Raines said, is the breadth of content that will be available. In that regard, Sony has the edge.
"The more important thing will be the title count at launch," Raines said. "I think that's going to be big. And from what we can see at this point, Sony seems to have the strongest title count."
It's still relatively early days, however, and none of the VR companies have yet to provide any specifics on the number of games that will be available for their devices. For its part, Sony has said more than 200 developers have signed up to make PlayStation VR games, of which 100 or more are currently in development.
Raines went on to say that the games lineup for each device will come into focus over time. He pointed out that GameStop has a team in Hawaii right now attending a sales meeting where Sony may divulge more information.
"We think VR is a big part of our future," Raines said, cautioning, however, that GameStop won't get "caught in the trap" of factoring VR sales into its financial outlook just yet.
"Once we know more about it, we'll plug it in," Raines said. "But I certainly think [GameStop] is going to be a store you're going to want to buy your virtual reality products at. And it will come with a variety of accessories, by the way--there'll be goggles and gloves and motion [controllers] and all kinds of things. So it's very promising in a lot of ways."
Also during his talk, Raines said GameStop is in discussion with all the major VR players about stocking their devices in the company's stores. He said he's hopeful that these companies will see GameStop as a store that's uniquely positioned to help sell their devices and bring them to the masses.
"Some of them will understand what we did with the launches of the consoles," Raines said. "What people don't grasp, is we had very strong market share at the console launch. Depending on the country, we were in the 30-50 percent range."
This was made possible, Raines said, by sending out email blasts and conducting other awareness campaigns to help convince gamers to buy from GameStop.
"We think we can bring the same thing to VR," Raines said.
Finally, Raines warned that VR games could carry huge file sizes, larger than those for AAA games. About VR games, Raines said, "those will be even larger files." Of course, GameStop would rather sell you a physical game, which can be traded in. It remains to be seen, however, if VR games will be sold through both physical and online channels. |
One of the first agreements was signed with the American company Chevron in May 2013. The deal included a $2 billion loan by Chevron to Pdvsa to cover the state oil company’s portion of investment in an oil field across Lake Maracaibo from Mene Grande.
But it also included provisions sought by Chevron to guarantee that the new loan, as well as millions of dollars in unpaid dividends from past operations, would be paid promptly from oil revenues, according to an oil industry consultant in Venezuela briefed on the agreement and Mr. Monaldi, who was shown a summary of the contract.
The deal also provided for tighter controls over how the loan would be spent and allowed for greater flexibility in running the joint project, they said.
Several other oil companies have renegotiated their agreements with Pdvsa along similar lines, several people familiar with the deals said. And while the oil companies remain minority partners with Pdvsa, under terms dictated by Mr. Chávez, the new agreements give the companies a greater say in running Venezuela’s oil fields than they have had in years, according to people in the industry. That includes allowing for greater leeway in buying supplies and hiring subcontractors, without going through Pdvsa-controlled subsidiaries, a frequent source of delays and corruption.
The recent loan agreements also generally include provisions that would allow disputes to be resolved through international arbitration or in New York courts under New York law, according to the people familiar with them. That is a departure from the operations contracts that govern the joint ventures, which are subject only to Venezuelan law, they said.
“These are contracts signed out of necessity,” said Carlos Bellorin, a senior analyst at IHS Energy, a London consulting firm. “They don’t have enough cash flow to invest in exploration and production or enhancing production in existing projects.”
Repeated requests to interview officials at Pdvsa were denied.
Mr. Maduro recently removed the longtime head of Pdvsa, Rafael Ramírez, a favorite of Mr. Chávez, who ran the company for nearly a decade. But Mr. Ramírez remained in the government, becoming the foreign minister, and a close lieutenant of his was named to lead the company, suggesting that at least for now there may be no major changes in how it is run. |
Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2013/451
Indistinguishability obfuscation requires that given any two equivalent circuits C_0 and C_1 of similar size, the obfuscations of C_0 and C_1 should be computationally indistinguishable.
In functional encryption, ciphertexts encrypt inputs x and keys are issued for circuits C. Using the key SK_C to decrypt a ciphertext CT_x = Enc(x), yields the value C(x) but does not reveal anything else about x. Furthermore, no collusion of secret key holders should be able to learn anything more than the union of what they can each learn individually.
We give constructions for indistinguishability obfuscation and functional encryption that supports all polynomial-size circuits. We accomplish this goal in three steps:
- We describe a candidate construction for indistinguishability obfuscation for NC1 circuits. The security of this construction is based on a new algebraic hardness assumption. The candidate and assumption use a simplified variant of multilinear maps, which we call Multilinear Jigsaw Puzzles.
- We show how to use indistinguishability obfuscation for NC1 together with Fully Homomorphic Encryption (with decryption in NC1) to achieve indistinguishability obfuscation for all circuits.
- Finally, we show how to use indistinguishability obfuscation for circuits, public-key encryption, and non-interactive zero knowledge to achieve functional encryption for all circuits. The functional encryption scheme we construct also enjoys succinct ciphertexts, which enables several other applications. |
If you recall, Cahn represented to the court that SCO now has only $145,352.00 in hand left. If you add up the new interim bills and expenses from Blank Rome, calculated at 80% of the actual bills and 100% of the costs which is how interim bills get paid, it comes to $34,601.78. And so the sand is running out of the hourglass, grain by grain, and this story is not yet at the very end. So even though I don't usually predict outcomes, I think it's safe to say that at this rate, barring the unlikely, Ralph Yarro and friends aren't going to get their $2 million loan repaid by SCO. Ever. Only in their dreams.
How persistent money dreams can be. The lenders agreed, in settling a money dispute between them and Cahn, not to object to the amounts of Blank Rome bills, and that they'd only get paid if there are the following:
6. The Lenders acknowledge and agree that the Restated Debt and the Loan Fee will be payable solely from the Litigation Proceeds.
That's how it goes with bankruptcies sometimes. You plan to stiff others and it ends up you getting stiffed yourself. Anyway, we know now who left on Planet Earth still wants the SCO case against IBM to go forward.
Here are the filings:
08/14/2012 - 1422 - Certificate of No Objection Re: Monthly Application for Compensation of Blank Rome LLP (Twenty-First) for the period July 1, 2011 to July 31, 2011 (related document(s)1376) Filed by Edward N. Cahn, Chapter 11 Trustee for The SCO Group, Inc., et al.. (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/14/2012) 08/14/2012 - 1423 - Certificate of No Objection Re: Monthly Application for Compensation of Blank Rome LLP (Twenty-Second) for the period August 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011 (related document(s)1377) Filed by Edward N. Cahn, Chapter 11 Trustee for The SCO Group, Inc., et al.. (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/14/2012) 08/14/2012 - 1424 - Monthly Application for Compensation (Twenty-Sixth) of Blank Rome LLP for the period December 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 Filed by Blank Rome LLP. Objections due by 9/3/2012. (Attachments: # 1 Notice # 2 Exhibit A # 3 Exhibit B) (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/14/2012) 08/14/2012 - 1425 - Monthly Application for Compensation (Twenty-Seventh) of Blank Rome LLP for the period January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2012 Filed by Blank Rome LLP. Objections due by 9/3/2012. (Attachments: # 1 Notice # 2 Exhibit A # 3 Exhibit A) (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/14/2012) 08/14/2012 - 1426 - Monthly Application for Compensation (Twenty-Eighth) of Blank Rome LLP for the period February 1, 2012 to February 29, 2012 Filed by Blank Rome LLP. Objections due by 9/3/2012. (Attachments: # 1 Notice # 2 Exhibit A # 3 Exhibit B) (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/14/2012) 08/14/2012 - 1427 - Monthly Application for Compensation (Twenty-Ninth) of Blank Rome LLP for the period March 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012 Filed by Blank Rome LLP. Objections due by 9/3/2012. (Attachments: # 1 Notice # 2 Exhibit A # 3 Exhibit B) (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/14/2012) 08/15/2012 - 1428 - Monthly Application for Compensation (Thirtieth) of Blank Rome LLP for the period April 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012 Filed by Blank Rome LLP. Objections due by 9/4/2012. (Attachments: # 1 Notice # 2 Exhibit A # 3 Exhibit B) (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/15/2012)
But in the last bill, we do see this indication of reality finally settling in:
5/4/2012 - REVIEW AMENDED LOAN AGREEMENT AND NOTE FOR
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND DISCUSS WIND DOWN WITH S. TARR
5/9/2012 - TELEPHONE CONFERENCE WITH H. JACKSON
REGARDING STATUS OF CASE AND DISCUSSED
LENDER OPPORTUNITIES
5/25/2012 - EMAILS REGARDING POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL FUNDING
That's according to these court filings. I can't represent that this has or hasn't been planned for a very long time. Frankly, I read these monthly reports the way your boss might read expense reports handed to him. They might be true. Probably are. Sorta. But who knows, really? How would you prove it one way or the other?
Update: More, SCO's MORs for June of 2012:
08/16/2012 - 1429 - Debtor-In-Possession Monthly Operating Report for Filing Period As of 6/30/12 (TSG Group,Inc. (f/k/a The SCO Group, Inc.), et al.) Filed by Edward N. Cahn, Chapter 11 Trustee for The SCO Group, Inc., et al.. (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/16/2012) 08/16/2012 - 1430 - Debtor-In-Possession Monthly Operating Report for Filing Period As of 6/30/12 (TSG Operations, Inc. (f/k/a SCO Operations, Inc.), et al.) Filed by Edward N. Cahn, Chapter 11 Trustee for The SCO Group, Inc., et al.. (Tarr, Stanley) (Entered: 08/16/2012)
(1) Total Pre-Petition Liabilities does not reconcile to the amount stated on the Schedules of Assets and Liabilities filed on October 15, 2007 due to timing differences and allocation of accruals. (2) Due to the allocation of accruals and adjustments booked at month end, the net loss for the 9/15/07 to 9/30/07 period does not reconcile to the change in retained earnings. There will not be an unreconciled difference in future periods as Company reporting periods will correspond with the Monthly Operating Report periods.
Update 2: Mr. Cahn is, indeed, sopping up the last crumbs, with plenty of red ink to spare. The lawyers clean up. That's for sure. Look on page 17 of Docket # 1430, and look for footnote 1:
(1) Adjustment to allocate legal expenses surrounding the IBM and Novell litigation to Cost of Goods Sold at Fiscal Quarter Closes (October, January, April & July).
(5,711,909)
And SCO, now TSG, purportedly wants to keep going, asking to reopen the IBM case. What were these crazy people thinking? And why didn't any of their lawyers tell them it was time to stop digging themselves into a hole? What was the real purpose behind all this? Because if it was money, it didn't work.
Update 3: They've now filed the MORs for July and Ocean Park wants some bills paid too: |
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/health/policy/24veterans.html?pagewanted=all All leading up to this new VA policy! https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=5711 ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< "The work we did on this issue was for all Vets of all time periods. My personal injuries led me to find medical cannabis to help control my chronic pain. My fellow Vets, thousands of them have found the same medicine to relieve their suffering and will appreciate this strong support and Dr. Petzel's attention."
By Dan Frosch [published in the New York Times front page above the fold]
Then there was this article:
Letter to Michael Krawitz, VMCA Director from Dr. Petzel, VHAUndersecretary For Health with definitive health answer to questionreferred by General Counsel:
Then there was this letter:
First there was this letter:
First incorporated in 2007 as Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access (VMMA) , Veterans For Medical Cannabis Access or VMCA,
advocates for veterans' rights to access medical cannabis for
therapeutic purposes.
VMCA encourages all legislative bodies to endorse veterans' rights
to use medical cannabis therapeutically and responsibly, and is
working to end all prohibitions associated with such use.
VMCA is working to preserve and protect the long established doctor-patient relationship including the ability to safely discuss medical cannabis use within the V.A. healthcare system without fear of punishment or retribution.
Here are the some VA statistics about Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans: |
RELATED NEWS Hearing recap
The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:01 PM
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery intends to ask the Arizona Court of Appeals to temporarily block a lower court ruling that the state’s medical-marijuana law is constitutional.
Montgomery’s remarks came Thursday, almost immediately after Superior Court Judge Michael Gordon refused to grant the county attorney’s request to stay or suspend the medical-marijuana ruling. In the meantime, Montgomery said his office “will take the necessary steps to comply with” the judge’s order.
Last week, Gordon ruled federal drug laws do not pre-empt the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act and that public officials must implement the law as voters intended. Gordon also ruled Maricopa County officials must provide zoning documentation for a potential medical-marijuana dispensary in Sun City. The ruling essentially paved the way for dispensaries to open without fear of prosecution by law enforcement.
Gordon on Thursday said he would give Montgomery’s office more time to comply with his order pertaining to zoning documents involving the Sun City dispensary.
During a 45-minute hearing, Montgomery continued to argue that county officials would violate federal law since marijuana is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act. Montgomery said Gordon’s ruling puts him in a “very precarious” position.
“As the chief law-enforcement officer for Maricopa County, I have to provide guidance to law-enforcement agencies throughout the county,” Montgomery told Gordon. “If we’re forced to act at this point in time without having a final ruling, my ability to give advice to those law-enforcement agencies is negatively impacted.”
Montgomery also told Gordon that if he were to act on the ruling, “I’m going to be violating part of my oath in giving advice to Maricopa County to pursue a course of conduct that I know is going to lead to activity in violation of federal law.”
Attorneys for the White Mountain Health Center argued that other public officials across the state have performed administrative acts tied to the medical-marijuana law and have not been prosecuted. Attorney Jeffrey Kaufman argued that White Mountain Health Center is being harmed by the county’s reluctance to say whether county zoning is even appropriate for the center to open a dispensary.
The state’s first medical-marijuana dispensary opened last week and a dispensary in Tucson opened this week. Meanwhile, the state Department of Health Services, which oversees the medical-marijuana program, on Wednesday licensed a third dispensary in Cochise County. |
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Launching a report and a video reviewing the work done by Education Committee over the past five years, Graham Stuart, Chair of the Committee said today:
"Over the course of this Parliament we have looked at many different issues in the fields of Education and Children’s Services. We produced more than 30 reports and held nearly 200 evidence sessions as we sought to recommend changes to Government policy that would help close the gap between disadvantaged young people and their peers.
While we have driven real progress in areas such as the use of B&B accommodation for children in care and the reform of exams for 15 to 19 year-olds, there is still more to be done. That is why we are asking people to tweet their suggestions for key issues that our successor Committee should focus on in the next Parliament, using the hashtag #closethegap." |
by Bryan Gardiner, Gizmodo.com
To measure is to know, said Lord Kelvin. But as marketing departments get more and more creative with their published specifications, what we're left measuring – and by extension, knowing – about our gear is increasingly worthless.
With the gadget-buying squarely in season, most of us will soon be turning to those ubiquitous columns of numbers, ratios, and percentages before making our final selections. Frequency responses will be consulted, dynamic contrast ratios compared, and color gamuts critiqued – all in an effort to gauge performance, determine value, and quickly pit one product against one another. The only problem? In many cases, you'd better off consulting chicken bones and fingernail clippings. Not only are a growing number of published specs misleading and/or overinflated, some have become downright meaningless. And it's getting worse.
Remember how impressive something like Blast Processing sounded when you were 15? Made the Super Nintendo look downright wimpy, right? Well, spec cooking operates on more or less the same principle. Only instead of inventing empty marketing words manufacturers plop a bunch of faux math in our laps.
These lies and fabrications happen for a few reasons. First, numbers have tremendous sway over the decisions we make. A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that quantitative specifications are so powerful that, even when given the ability to directly test the attributes of a given product ourselves, we still tend to choose the thing with the longer list and bigger numbers (ahem, megapixels).
Another reason for the proliferation of BS specs? Rivalry.
"The gadget world is loaded with gimmicks and lies because it's extremely competitive," says Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies. Soneira, who penned what many consider the debunking Bible for display specifications over at MaximumPC, says that as technological complexity increases in the gadget world, it gives manufacturers and marketers even more leeway to futz with the numbers. And futz they do.
"Most consumers don't understand the technologies anyway so they are easily misled, fooled and even swindled," he says.
More than anything though, there's one simple reason behind the rise of dubious specs: It's become an industry necessity. The temptation to exaggerate is now so overwhelming that attempting to stay out of the gimmick game is now seen as akin to product suicide. Try to anchor your specifications in the real world (with meaningful numbers) and your product will look inferior. Don't publish them at all, and you'll look like you're trying to hide something. It's an insidious Catch-22 for anyone with an ounce of integrity, so manufacturers and marketers simply make the easy choice.
David Moulton, a veteran audio engineer, musician and producer characterizes the gadget spec situation like this: "When engineers make a product they use specific tests to measure the performance. But when sales departments gets a hold of those test measurements, they start using those numbers as describers of value. They become, in essence, sales arguments."
So which "sales arguments" should you avoid, dismiss, or at the very least raise a skeptical eyebrow at? We've compiled a quick list of some of the more brazen spec gimmicks to be wary of this holiday season.
DISPLAYS ——–
Color Gamut
What it is: This spec represents the range of colors a given display can produce, and is usually expressed as a percentage of a particular color standard, like Rec.709 (HDTVs) or sRGB (computers and digital cameras).
Why it's bullshit: Manufacturers don't tell you this, but the color gamut you actually want on all of your displays is the same one that was used when the content you're viewing was created. If it's different, you'll see different colors than you're supposed to see. Nevertheless, most companies are happy to exploit the common misconception that a wider color gamut is somehow indicative of a better display. So what's up with those 145 percent color gamuts? Nothing special, really. Here's what a larger gamut will do: make everything look saturated. Indeed displays claiming to have more than 100 percent of any standard color gamut aren't able to show colors that aren't in the original source image, says Soneira.
Contrast Ratio
What it is: Divide the brightness of peak white by the brightness of black on a display (after it's been properly calibrated) and, voila, you'll get what's known as the contrast ratio.
Why it's bullshit: In the real world, this measurement typically falls between 1,500:1 and 2,000:1. And that's for the best LCDs, says Soneira. But those numbers are a thing of the past. The allure of bigger ratios has prompted manufacturers to bake this specification into a full-fledged nonsense soufflé. Today, we get what's known "dynamic contrast ratio." That's reached by measuring blacks when a display's video signal is entirely, well, black (when it's in a standby mode). As you can imagine, that significantly reduces the light output of the unit and is obviously much darker than what's actually used to determine the traditional contrast ratio with an actual picture present. Using this trick you'll get, in some cases, astronomical contrast ratios like 5,000,000:1 or, in Sony's case, "infinite." While still technically true, this spec is utter nonsense and completely unhelpful in gauging real world performance. The only information that dynamic contrast ratio can relay is how much brighter the whites can be than the blacks.
Response Time
What it is: Also referred to as latency or response rate, response time is a standard industry test that tries to quantify how much LCD motion blur you'll see in fast moving scenes. (It doesn't apply much to plasma displays). It's determined by measuring the time it takes for one pixel to go from black to peak white and then back to black (rise-and-fall). And it's not a particularly good indicator for real picture blur.
Why it's bullshit: Consider this. In the span of five short years, display response times have gone from 25ms (milliseconds) to, in some cases, 1ms. How did this magic happen? Well, it kinda didn't. The problem here, according to Soneira, is that most picture transitions involve much smaller, more subtle shades of gray-to-gray transitions, which usually take much longer (3-4 x) to complete. Those response times are far more important to a display's ability to handle motion blur. But consumers often have no way of knowing which response time is being measured (gray-to-gray or rise-and-fall). Because the published specifications can have a considerable impact on sales, it is often more important for a manufacturer to reduce the black–to–peak-white–to–black response time value rather than improving the visually more important gray-to-gray transitions. The result? The LCD display with the fastest response time specifications may not have the least visual blur.
Viewing Angle
What it is: Pretty simple stuff: the maximum angle at which a display can be viewed with acceptable visual performance. Yes, there are generalities about viewing angle that everyone should know: A plasma display, for instance, will yield a wider view angle. But when it comes to the listed angles that manufactures include in spec sheets, you can pretty much ignore them.
Why it's bullshit: Today, it's not uncommon to see 180-degree + (total) viewing-angle specifications for many displays. This has absolutely no bearing on the actual acceptable viewing angles, according to Soneira. What most consumers don't realize is that the angular spec is based on where the contrast ratio falls to a level of 10:1, hardly an acceptable (or visually pleasing) figure. More realistically, an angle of ±45 degrees may reproduce an acceptable contrast ratio, but only with very bright and saturated colors. Pictures that include a wide range of intensities, hues and saturations will appear "significantly degraded" at much smaller viewing angles. Of course, no one tells you this.
AUDIO —–
Dynamic Range
What it is: In the audio realm, this spec is measured in decibels and describes the ratio of the softest sound to the loudest sound a musical instrument or piece of audio equipment can produce. Audio engineers started worrying about this back in the days of analog recording when tape noise – the inherent noise embedded in magnetic recording – was a big problem. Today, with digital recording, it's pretty much irrelevant.
Why it's bullshit: Dynamic ranges are almost always over-represented, says Moulton. The main thing that consumers should known about dynamic range is that you'll want it large enough so that there are no annoying noise artifacts. And, mostly, in the realm of music and film, we're just fine. Moulton explains: "Electronically, we can manufacture much greater dynamic range than is available in the real world. When somebody claims 120db dynamic range, that's just silly. We don't get there. In the real acoustic world in which we live, our usable range is about half that, or 60db. What that means is that the really soft stuff can't be heard because of the sounds in the spaces that we're in. And the really loud stuff is so loud that if we played it back at that level we'd probably generate complaints and legal action."
Frequency Response/Bandwidth
What it is: There are two parts to this spec, really. First, there's another word for it, which is bandwidth, or the width of the spectrum we are hearing. Our ears happen to have a very broad bandwidth—ten octaves to be precise (or ten doublings of frequency…or a ratio of 1000/1). The lowest frequency humans hear is about 20 Hz. The highest frequency is about 20 kHz. And for educational and musical purposes we divide that into 10 octaves. Each octave is a doubling of frequency.
Why it's bullshit: When manufacturers make and sell audio gear, they cheat. Period. Today, it's very common to specify 20 Hz – 20 kHz bandwidth, which is ridiculous. First, very little audio gear will do that in really rigorous way. Second, you speakers definitely won't – unless they cost you about as much as the house in which they're installed. It's just beyond the capabilities of all but the most expensive equipment. "Frequency response is something that's kind of claimed and you have to take it with a grain of salt," says Moulton. "Everybody is going to claim good frequency response and everybody has, more or less, poor frequency response."
Power Handling/Wattage
What it is: Crank it up! For many of us, beefy power handling equates to house shaking sound. Yet when most of us listen to music we are actually using very little power – typically about 1 or 2 watts. Still, it's hard to discount that gorgeous pair of 1,200-watt speakers, right?
Why it's bullshit: Power is, more often than not, irrelevant to most people's music listening experience. Here's a nice rule of thumb to think about power when you're out shopping for a new sound system or speakers: Each doubling of power is barely audible (~3db). Put another way, ten times the power will make a woofer or loudspeaker sound almost twice as loud. So the difference between a 300-watt and a 1200 watt system…actually not so big.
So if more and more specs are offering less and less useful information, what's a gadget geek to do? When possible, it's always a good to try out gear yourself. The other option? Find a site you trust that reviews and plays with gadgets daily. You happen to be looking at one now.
Send an email to Bryan Gardiner, the author of this post, at bgardiner@gizmodo.com.
Photo credit: Tristan Nitot/Flickr
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo. |
If you visit any popular text-based site on the internet, you'll find articles that are lists of things. People like lists, but why? Here are 10 cool facts about lists that may explain the fascination
People like lists of things. They're everywhere on the internet. You name any subject matter you can think of, odds are there's a list about it. Nowhere is safe. Even here, on the Guardian Science section, one of the most popular articles in recent months is a list. But why are lists so popular? Well, here are 10 astonishing facts about lists that may help explain it.
1. People will tend to remember the first thing on a list
Lists are commonly used as tools for assessing people's memory. Word lists are a typical tool for testing someone's ability to remember and recall items, and can be designed and adapted to analyse a wide variety of human memory abilities. One of the things uncovered by this sort of research is the primacy effect, meaning people are more likely to remember the first thing they are presented with, due to the way attention works and the demands of memory formation. So when you try to tell someone about this list, you may end up saying "The first thing on the list was that you're more likely to remember the first thing on the list".
2. The human brain may automatically structure information in list form (although it may not)
Much research has been conducted into how humans store and structure their knowledge and thoughts. Collins and Quillan in 1969 proposed their Hierarchical Network model, where concepts and categories are stored at a certain level in the brain/mind and the properties of these are listed "below" (metaphorically). However, this view has met with some criticism, mainly based on how human memory or knowledge is rarely shown to be so rigidly organised. Still, it shows how fundamental lists may be.
3. Lists take advantage of a limited attention span
There is an increasingly common view that internet use shortens a person's attention span. While a lot of this is Greenfield-esque paranoia about new technology, evidence suggests our visual attention is attracted to novelty, and on the internet novelty is always only a click away. There is data to suggest that this is how internet use works, and much of the web is dedicated to exploiting this. Rather than paragraphs of narrative, pushing the limits of a typical attention span, lists offer novelty every few lines, and thus are more likely to avoid the dreaded TL:DR response.
4. You probably won't remember all the things on a typical list
A lot of lists are lists of 10, or some multiple thereof, given that the majority of humans have grown up using the decimal system. However, short-term memory, or "working memory" as it's known to psychologists, has an average capacity of 7 (+/-2). This means you can hold an average of 7 "things" in your short term memory. These can be letters, words, or even sentences, as long as they count as one "thing". This is the limit of your short term memory. These things can be transferred to the long term memory if you rehearse or encounter them enough, but this means that if you try to remember everything on this list to tell someone about later, you'll be unable to recall 3 items on average. This bit might be one of them, which would be ironic.
5. People are very good at grouping random things together, so lists can be about anything
Probability theories of category formation demonstrate that we tend to lump very different things together in the same category, (e.g. Football and Chess have very few features in common, but both would be considered a type of game). This tendency to group things together despite their differences mean lists with a nominal subject matter can include things that wander off topic quite bizarrely, like a list of scientific facts about the human body including a discussion of atomic structure.
6. Popular things can be listed
Lists are very popular, so logically lists about popular things would be more popular again. Bacon, sexy ladies, funny cats and tweets, all of these regularly end up on lists. You may say this point isn't scientific in any way, but I include it as evidence for the above point. Which means it is scientific in a very tenuous way.
7. Lists fit the way humans tend to read
It has been demonstrated many times, in scientific studies and Martin Robbins' blog, that the way people read things on the internet follows an F-shaped pattern. While this is detrimental to blogs and articles with continuous prose, this is obviously beneficial for lists of things, as the reader is reading in a pattern that largely follows a list structure.
8. There are many popular types of list, not just on the internet
Lists predate the internet by some considerable margin, and aren't necessarily constrained or dependent on it. Examples include shopping lists, bucket lists, guest lists and hit lists. These lists are invariably detached from the subject matter in some way; nobody ever buys a shopping list, bucket lists rarely feature buckets, a guest list is rarely seen inside a party/club, and there are no records of someone being killed with an actual hit list. Contrastingly, Craigslist was created by someone called Craig. To date, there is no evidence of a popular list of all the angles at which a ship may list, suggesting that list formats are incompatible.
9. Some entries on a list are likely to be just padding
As mentioned, most people use the decimal system. As well as using words like "amazing", "astonishing", "Incredible" etc. in the title (which are impressive sounding but technically impossible to disprove), the majority of lists will be a list of 10 things, or a multiple thereof. This will inevitably lead to someone preparing a list and including things that shouldn't really be in it in order to make it 10 items in length. This makes it look "proper". See the point before this one for a demonstration of this happening.
10. People will tend to remember the last thing on a list
Lists are commonly used as tools for assessing people's memory. Word lists are a typical tool for testing someone's ability to remember and recall items, and can be designed and adapted to analyse a wide variety of human memory abilities. One of the things uncovered by this sort of research is the recency effect, meaning people are more likely to remember the last thing they are presented with, due to the way attention works and the demands of memory formation. So when you try to tell someone about this list, you may end up saying "The last thing on the list was that you're more likely to remember the last thing on the list".
Dean Burnett is on Twitter as @garwboy and welcomes people with a short attention is it lunchtime yet or not? |
Fernando Alonso is at the centre of every rumour known to man. He’s going to Red Bull, McLaren, Lotus and Williams and, because he hasn’t denied being on the grassy knoll in Dallas in 1963, he is also thought to have been one of 13 shooters who assassinated President John F Kennedy. He may also have been responsible for the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in 1985 on the basis that he once wore flippers.
Honestly, the stories one hears about Alonso… and it does not seem to matter if he denies them because it seems that few believe a word he says since the McLaren revelations of 2007 and, of course, Singapore 2008. I do actually feel sorry for the bloke sometimes, but as a farmer or a priest will tell you, you reap what you sow in life.
Anyway, whether he is believed or not, he is respected as a great driver and he continues to show his extraordinary abilities at each and every Grand Prix. He does not let the slow Ferrari get him down, he just drives the wheels off it, never gives up and currently lies fourth on the Drivers’ World Championship in z car that is good for ninth or 10th. The fact that he has still won only two World titles is astonishing, given his ability, although he has been rather good at being in the wrong place at the right time.
In theory, he’s going nowhere next year because of his Ferrari contract, but, as a pal of mine remarked recently, an F1 contract has as much value as toilet paper in this day and age. McLaren would now love to have him (ain’t that ironic) and the only team that seems not to want him that much is the one he currently drives for. Down Maranello way, they are into five-year plans and five years from now Alonso will be 38 and, according to F1 thinking, he will be over the hill.
He has been talking of late of buying a professional cycling team and is currently waiting to hear if he has been granted a licence by the Union Cycliste Internationale (the FIA without the horsepower). The funny thing is that I am now hearing the Alonso may also be considering buying himself a share of a Formula 1 team, for investment purposes. There is some sound logic in this as some of the teams have all you need but simply lack the money to run properly. If the running budgets can be found then there are assets to be had cheaply at the moment. F1 will eventually wake up to real world realities that there must be budget capping of some sort and when that happens the teams will all rise in value in dramatic fashion. It would be guessing to say which team might interest Ferdy, but the teams looking for help include Lotus (for which he won two World Championships), Sauber, Caterham and Marussia. He might also be interested in Toro Rosso as the word is that after five years being co-owned by Red Bull and Aabar, the time is coming when options must be taken up or dropped. Being a business partner with Dietrich Mateschitz might be a smart move for Fernando, and might perhaps one day open the door to a Red Bull drive…
Then again he might soon be arrested for Dallas 1963, so one must not take rumours too seriously…
(Oh, and for those of you who do not have a sense of humour, the JFK stuff is a joke, so please don’t write in saying that Fernando was not born until 1981.) |
It’s that time of the year again when we put red ink all over our March Madness brackets and complain about somebody at the office who doesn’t know shit about basketball winning the pool. But over at The Dopehouse, we decided to get in on the fun in our own special way. Rather than deal with the madness of broken brackets, we’d prefer to go the route of a tournament to decide what is the greatest diss track in the history of hip hop.
With that comes “Diss Track Madness,” where we selected 32 of the greatest diss tracks and pitted them against each other in a single elimination tournament.
FINAL FOUR!
From 32 to 16, to the Elite 8, and now, we’ve reached the FINAL FOUR! Check out how everything stacks up below and be sure to vote.
Tupac and Ice Cube never banged against each other on wax, but there has always been a “what if?” hovering. Well, in a sort of roundabout way, we can settle the case by pitting their greatest diss tracks against one another in the Final Four. Both California rappers took aim at multiple people on their respective tracks with Ice Cube completely annihilating N.W.A. and Jerry Heller on “No Vaseline” while Tupac spit vitriolic venom at Biggie, Lil Kim, Mobb Deep and Puff Daddy. Tupac’s path to the Final Four didn’t have much resistance as he stomped all over Snoop Dogg, Eazy E and Dr. Dre while Ice Cube met his match against Common’s “The Bitch In Yoo” but muscled his way through Boogie Down Productions and Nas on his way to this clash of West Coast luminaries. Who will make it to the championship round is truly up in the air as the road to the title game goes right through California.
Arguably the greatest battle in the history of hip hop that has always had fans (and non-fans) of rap split down the middle needs to decide a winner. You already know the story but we’ll break it down even further: Jay Z’s opening salvo against Nas and Prodigy sent the entire industry spiraling as Hov went bananas over a brilliant sampling of The Doors’ “Five To One” by Kanye West. It was an aim and shoot barrage of facts that had everyone wincing with each punchline and body blow landing with scintillating efficiency. Everyone thought Nas’ goose was cooked. To put it in perspective, given his recent track record of subpar albums, it should have been. However, Nasir Jones came back from the dead and unleashed a hellacious response in the form of the Ron Browz produced “Ether.” Never mind the vicious lyrical rounds of the dozens that the Queensbridge emcee played with his foe, but the fact that it impacted popular culture with a term that is now utilized on the norm to describe someone who gets destroyed is something we simply cannot ignore. |
Coal seam gas projects would be considered for Sydney's sensitive drinking water catchments and landholders will have no legal right to refuse drilling on their land under a state government plan for the controversial industry.
The government hopes the announcement will defuse community angst over coal seam gas mining ahead of the election next March. However voters will not be told where coal seam gas mining is allowed until after the election.
CSG projects in water catchments could get the go-ahead under the state government's plans for the industry. Credit:Robert Pearce
Announcing the plan on Thursday, NSW Nationals leader Troy Grant said coal seam gas was the "most polarising" issue facing the government. The plan would toughen regulation and take a more strategic and transparent approach to releasing land for gas exploration, including better science and data collection.
Resources and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts said the regime would secure the state's gas supplies and drive down prices. |
Emily The Strange to hit the big screen
Updated
Counterculture icon Emily The Strange is headed to the big screen with her four mysterious cats.
Dark Horse Comics, which has published several comic books detailing the goth teen's exploits, will produce a feature film that will detail her origins.
Skateboarder Rob Reger created the character among a multitude of designs he was printing up for stickers, T-shirts and skateboards in Santa Cruz, California, in the early 1990s.
The 'Emily' design took off and Reger's company, Cosmic Debris, went on to become a multi-million dollar business with toeholds in fashion, books, comics, toys, school supplies and accessories.
Reger has remained the creative director behind the character and is one of several artists who work on Emily.
The film will be produced by Mike Richardson, the founder of Oregon-based Dark Horse.
The project is not yet set-up at a studio, though Universal is a contender as Dark Horse has a first-look deal there.
"Emily herself is very appealing little girl, there's an edge to her," Richardson said.
"There is something very alluring to her image, people see it and respond to it immediately."
Richardson - who has been a producer on such films as Hellboy and its upcoming sequel, as well as 30 Days Of Night - says he and Reger will be looking for a filmmaker who "gets the character."
The filmmaker choice may in turn dictate what format will serve the story best - live-action, animation or a combination of the two.
The storyline is being kept under wraps, though Reger, who concocted it, says it will offer up some back story and will feature Emily's four cats - troublemaker Sabbath, schemer Nee-Chee, imaginative Miles and leader Mystery.
It will also have 13 new characters with names like Earwig, Umlaut, McFreeley and Officer Summers.
The story forms the basis of an Emily young adult novel, which will be published next year by HarperCollins.
- Reuters
Topics: popular-culture, arts-and-entertainment, books-literature, film-movies, united-states
First posted |
A TITAS lecturer has told his students that Osama bin Laden (pic) might not have existed and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the US could have been a conspiracy theory. — AFP pic
KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 ― An Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (TITAS) lecturer from a local private university taught today that Osama bin Laden might not have existed and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the US could have been a conspiracy theory, according to a student in the class.
The student who requested anonymity said the TITAS lecturer at the university’s Klang Valley campus told him and some 100 students in class this morning that the 2001 suicide airplane attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City were used by the West as an excuse to persecute Muslims.
“He said that Osama could have been a creation, that he didn’t really exist,” the student told Malay Mail Online.
“He commented on how in his videos, Osama only speaks ‘3 seconds of Arabic’ and then everything else was in English,” he added.
According to the student, the TITAS lecturer, when explaining the September 11 attacks, told students to “never believe everything Western media says, you should do your own reading on the matter”.
He also reportedly said “no religion is responsible for acts of terrorism or violence”.
Osama, founder of the militant group Al-Qaeda that claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks which left almost 3,000 people dead, was killed in Pakistan in 2011 by US forces during a raid on his hideout.
The TITAS lecture today comes just as the dust has barely settled on another controversial lecture of the compulsory subject at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) that had slides portraying the Hindus as “dirty”.
The TITAS lecturer at the local private university today also purportedly criticised secularism in the West and said the by-product of the philosophy was the legalisation of gay marriage.
“‘Sperm and sperm cannot make babies’, ‘marriage is only for procreation’,” the student quoted him as saying.
When contacted by Malay Mail Online, the lecturer declined comment.
The TITAS module was made mandatory to all tertiary students regardless of religion in 2013.
Critics of the module had then alleged that it was a front to push an Islamic supremacy agenda in the country. |
The BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI, home to the Milwaukee Bucks, has a lease that runs until September 30, 2017. The NBA has deemed the Bradley Center unfit by their standards (a bestowal that basketball fans in Seattle are familiar with). They have said that once that lease runs out, the Bucks will be playing in a new arena, if not in Milwaukee, than most likely in Seattle. However, what right does the NBA really have to make such threats?
The NBA is an LLC, a parent company to 30 different franchises, each one independently owned and operated. Leases are one facet that are negotiated by teams and cities, not by the NBA. So let's say September 30, 2017 comes and goes and Milwaukee has not built a new arena. What does the NBA do then?
They can not force Herb Kohl to sell his team. They can not take his team away from him (some people here might point to George Shinn and the New Orleans Hornets, but he was actually bought out. The team was not simply ripped away from him). So if Kohl and the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation are both willing to extend the lease, what power does the NBA have?
What can Adam Silver do if Herb Kohl says "no, I'm not leaving. I'm going to stay right here in this arena until I die."? People might say, "well look at Seattle. The NBA forced them to move when they didn't build a new arena." The difference there is that by that point they already had an owner who was more than willing to move the team. Kohl is not as inclined.
So again I ask, if the NBA's deadline comes and goes and Kohl stands pat, what power does the NBA have? As far as I can tell, the answer is none. As Sonics fans, this is not a scenario we want to think about, as it would basically eliminate any leverage that we could provide the NBA. Although, it would seemingly be a resolution in Milwaukee, even if it's not one that NBA likes or agrees with, and could open the door to expansion for us. At the same time, it could also lead the NBA to continue to push Kohl to build a new arena and could drag the whole process out even further.
Granted, none of this seems likely, but the truth is that if the NBA's strong-arm tactics don't work, and Kohl is willing to lose money, there's nothing they can do to make him move. |
by Felix F. Seidler. Felix is a fellow at the Institute for Security Policy, University of Kiel, Germany and runs the site Seidlers Sicherheitspolitik”. This article was published there at first.
Major war in East Asia is a very unpleasant, but not unthinkable scenario. Of course, the US would be involved from day one in any military conflict in the East or South China Seas. However, Europe’s role would be less clear, due to its increasing strategic irrelevance. Most probably, except the UK, Europeans would deliver words only.
While Asia’s naval arms race keeps going, tensions are rising further in the East and South China Seas . Nevertheless, it is unlikely that any side will lunch a blitz-strike and, thereby, start a regional war. Although China is increasing its major combat capabilities , it is instead already using a salami-slicing tactic to secure its large claims. However, the worst of all threats are unintended incidents, caused for example by young nervous fighter pilots, leading to a circle of escalations without an exit in sight.
Hence, let us discuss the very unpleasant scenario that either there would be a major war between China and Japan or between China and South China Sea neighboring countries, such as Vietnam or the Philippines. Of course, the US would be involved in the conflict from day one. But what about Europe? The Old Continent would surely be affected, especially by the dramatic global economic impact an East Asian War would have. However, European countries’ reactions would very large depend on what the US is doing. The larger the US engagement, the louder Washington’s calls for a coalition of the willing and capable.
The UK would (maybe) go
The Royal Navy undertakes annual “Cougar Deployments” to the Indian Ocean. Therefore, the UK still has expeditionary capabilities to join US-led operations in East of Malacca. Disaster relief after Typhoon Haiyan by the destroyer HMS Daring and the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious proved that British capability. While Daring is a sophisticated warship, the 34 year old Illustrious with her few helicopters and without fixed-wing aircraft would not be of much operational worth.
Moreover, since 2001, the Royal Navy always operates one SSN with Tomahawk cruise-missiles in the Indian Ocean, probably the most sophisticated high-intensity warfare platfrom the Royal Navy would have to offer for an East Asia deployment. In addition, the UK still has access to ports in Singapore and Brunei, although there is no guarantee that these countries, when not involved in the conflict, would open their ports for British ships underway to war. Hence, Darwin in Australia, which is likely to join forces with the US, could be an other option for replenishment.
Through the Polar Route (a route European airlines used while Soviet airspace was closed) and with aerial refueling or stops in Canada and Alaska, Britain could also deploy some of its Eurofighters to Japan. In consequence, Britain would be capable of doing, at least, something.
The question mark is, if Britain is willing to take action. Surely, UKIP’s Nigel Farage would not hesitate a minute to use the broad public reluctance to expeditionary endeavors for his’ own means. As in case of Syria, a lack of public support at home could prevent the UK from a military involvement. It would be hard for any UK Government to sell to the British voter to cut back public spending at home while signing checks for the Royal Navy heading towards East Asian waters.
France would not make a difference
Beside the US, France is the world’s only navy with a permanent presence through bases in all three oceans. Although, with one frigate, France’s Pacific presence of surface warships is relatively small. The one French Tahiti-based frigate deployed to an East Asian theater would not make a difference, but be a rather small show of force.
Like Britain, France permanently operates warships in the Indian Ocean, which it could also deploy to East Asia. Its nuclear-powered carrier Charles de Gaulle and SSN would also be able to tour beyond Singapore, however with a relatively long reaction time.
Paris’ main hurdle would be the same as London’s: The lack of public support. Le Pen would do exactly the same as UKIP and mobilize publicly against a French engagement and, thereby, against the government. Moreover, France has not the money necessary for any substantial and high-intensity engagement. In addition, a weak president like Hollande would fear the political risks. Given the operation ends in a disaster for the French, e.g. with the Charles de Gaulle sunk by the Chinese, Mr. Hollande would probably have to resign. Hence, do not expect an active role of France during an East Asian conflict.
No role for NATO and EU
On paper, NATO, with its Standing Maritime Groups, seems to be capable of deploying relevant naval forces across the globe. In practice, however, any mission with a NATO logo needs approval of 28 member states. Due to NATO’s present pivot to Russia, many members would object any new NATO involvement outside the Euro-Atlantic Area. As the US prefers coalitions of the willing and capable anyway, there would be no role for NATO in an East Asian war.
In addition, there is also no role for the EU. Since 2011, the rejections each year to the EU for observing the East Asia Summit are showing Brussels’ enduring strategic irrelevance in the Indo-Pacific. Moreover, neutral EU members, like Sweden and Austria, would never allow any active involvement. It is even questionable, if EU members could agree on a common political position or sanctions – something they have already failed to do often enough.
Dependent on the size and kind of US response, smaller European countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway may join forces with the US Navy and send single vessels through the Panama Canal into the Pacific or replace US warships on other theaters. This is not far from reality, because these countries did already sent warships into the Pacific for the RIMPAC exercise. However, their only motivation would be to use these deployments to make their voices better heard in Washington.
First of all, Germany is the enduring guarantee that, when confronted with major war in East Asia, NATO and EU will do nothing else than sending out press releases about their “deep concern”. Being happy that ISAF’s end terminates the era of large expeditionary deployments , Germany’s political class would never approve an active military role in East Asia – left aside that Germany would not be able to contribute much , anyway.
Germany would first and foremost defend its trade relationships with China, which is in its national interests. Thus, the much more interesting question is, if the German government would develop the will to take on the initiative for a diplomatic solution. Germany has very good relationships with the US, China, Japan and South Korea. Vietnam and other South East Asian countries have frequently expressed greater interest in deeper cooperation with Germany.
Hence, Germany has the political weight necessary to work for a diplomatic solution. The question is whether German politicians would be willing to work for that solution themselves. Most probably, Berlin’s press releases would call for the United Nations and the “International Community” (whoever that would be in such a scenario) to take action.
What Germany could do and what would get approval at home, is to implement measures of ending hostilities and re-establishing peace – maybe by an UN-mandated maritime monitoring mission or by the build-up of a new trust-creating security architecture.
Europe’s limits
The debate about a European role in an East Asian major war is largely hypothetical. Nevertheless, it teaches us three relevant lessons. |
Police in Tokyo said they took 13 teenage girls into custody in Akihabara for "JK osanpo" (JK walking) this week. "JK osanpo" is a coined expression derived from “joshi-kosei” (high school girls) and "sanpo" (walking), and is the latest variation of "enjo kosai" (compensated dating).
Police said Akihabara has rapidly expanded as a hotbed for various types of sex crimes involving underage girls, TBS reported Wednesday. The 13 girls detained on Tuesday are aged 15 to 17; 11 of them attend school while the other two are runaways, police said. Some of them were wearing their school uniforms.
The girls solicit male passersby by offering to go for a walk with them or go to a cafe. The going rate is 5,000 yen for 30 minutes. Police said the girls told them that in some cases, they had been offered more money by men to go to love hotels, provide their underwear or let their "customers" take upskirt photos, TBS reported.
Police said their investigation has turned up 96 establishments in Akihabara acting as bases for "JK walkers."
A police spokesman said many of the girls taken into custody said they didn't think they were doing anything wrong and that their parents were unaware of what the girls were doing.
© Japan Today |
The megahit's only American actor discusses becoming an overnight celebrity in the Middle Kingdom, why director Wu Jing is the "next global superstar" and what Hollywood can learn from the film's success.
As Hollywood remains mired in a downturn at the North American box office, Chinese action movie Wolf Warrior II has firmly established itself as the blockbuster phenomenon of the summer.
With a budget of just $30 million, the film opened in China on July 27 and has earned an astonishing $780 million since. That makes it both China's highest-grossing film ever (Stephen Chow's The Mermaid now sits in a distant second at $527 million) and the second-biggest movie of all time in a single market, with only Star Wars: The Force Awakens having earned more from one territory ($936.7 million, North America).
Written by, directed by and starring Chinese martial artist Wu Jing, the film follows a former Chinese special-forces operative as he battles bloodthirsty Western mercenaries to protect Chinese civilians caught up in an African civil war. The central theme of the film — which is often likened to Rambo — is well encapsulated by the strident jingoism of its tagline: "Whoever offends China will be hunted down no matter how far away they are."
Insiders point to two intertwined factors behind Wolf Warrior II's profound resonance with the Chinese audience: Hollywood-caliber action coupled with a story about unrestrained pride in Chinese national identity.
The heavy dose of Hollywood came courtesy of Marvel mainstays Joe and Anthony Russo (co-directors of the Captain America franchise), who consulted on the project via their Chinese studio venture Anthem & Song, which has a strategic partnership with Beijing Culture Media, the film's lead local producer. The Russos arranged for their usual stunt team, led by veteran stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave (The Avengers, Suicide Squad, The Hunger Games), to join the project and elevate its action. They also introduced the American actor who would play the film's villain, Frank Grillo.
Grillo is a familiar face in Hollywood action projects, having played key parts in films like Warrior (2011), The Grey (2011) and the Purge franchise (2014-2016), as well as the villain Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But his starring role in Wolf Warrior II, which is set to cross $800 million next weekend, will probably come to be viewed as his biggest break to date.
Grillo plays the ruthless American mercenary Big Daddy, who faces off against Wu Jing in a final fight scene that even the film's detractors have tended to praise as simply eye-popping.
"To say that Wu Jing has his thumb on the pulse on what the Chinese people need cinematically is a gross understatement," says Grillo.
THR gave Grillo a call this week to ask him what it was like working on China's biggest movie ever, how it feels to suddenly become an A-list star in the world's most populous nation and why Hollywood should regard Wolf Warrior II as a wake-up call.
How did you originally get involved in this film?
Joe Russo had thrown my name in the hat, and they responded and came to me with this offer. And frankly, I was intrigued because it was Chinese. Everyone in Hollywood is trying to get into the Chinese market, or has tried and failed, or is already in co-productions. I think this is good business. I spoke with Wu Jing and absolutely fell in love with him, and it was a no-brainer. They were generous and terrific to talk to — so that's it, I'm going to China.
What were your expectations going into the project, and what's your reaction to the phenomenon it's become?
I had very low expectations. I had seen the first film, and I thought it was cool in terms of the Chinese cinema I had seen. You know, having been involved in the Marvel world or even the Purge films, the production values are a bit higher on this side. I just thought, if it's a solid success again in China, that will be great. And then this explosion happened. We just surpassed Avatar and we're only behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the No. 2 movie in a single market in the history of cinema. So to say that Wu Jing has his thumb on the pulse of what the Chinese people need cinematically is a gross understatement. I'm blown away by it all.
It's always hard to pinpoint precisely why a given movie connects with an audience. But what's your take on why the Chinese have embraced this movie so strongly?
Not to be a jerky overblown actor guy, but I think it goes back to what we do as storytellers — how we continue legacies and pass on our history through storytelling. I think Wu Jing was aware of what he was doing; it's no accident. There's a consciousness that has been developing in China. Maybe it started in 2008 when the country started opening to the world and consumerism became a bigger part of the culture. People say this movie is nationalistic and it's propaganda — and in a sense, it is. But this pride in China is real, and the audience wants to believe that being Chinese means something special. Wu Jing has touched upon something that the world needs to take note of and say, "Wow, this is interesting; this is something important."
Particularly with what's going on in our country, where it's a mess. You can't elect a clown and not expect a circus. I think a lot of Americans are trying to hang onto our own sense of dignity — we're going back to look at videos of John F. Kennedy and trying to understand how to make some sense of what's going on today.
What was your experience like on set, and how did it compare to film shoots in the U.S.?
Well, you know, there are no unions in China, and it's not regulated in the same way movies are in Hollywood. So it was more of an independent feel — run and gun. But what the Russo brothers did was they implemented Sam Hargrave and his team, who are the best in the business in stunts, action and fighting. They elevated all of the action to the level that they're used to, which is the standard of a Marvel movie — and that's the top of the food chain. So it was great for me. I had friends there, and Wu Jing and the Chinese team were fantastic to work with — I had a wonderful experience.
How do you think this film will affect the course of your career, now that you're a recognizable face to hundreds of millions of people in China?
This is the kind of business where a phone call or the right role can change the course of your life. It's not unlike the lottery. I've gotten calls from people saying, "Right now you're bigger than Matt Damon in China." And I'm like, what?! I don't know if it's true, but it's crazy to me that people are even saying it. I'm already in talks with Joe Russo to do something kind of Lethal Weapon-ish with a Chinese superstar. CAA has already put me together with a bunch of Chinese production companies. So, it's absolutely already changed my career. I loved my experience in China, so if my star — whatever it is — has risen to a point that allows me to go and make more movies like this in China, I am in 1,000 percent.
Leading-question alert: In China, local movies have tended to beat Hollywood imports in the comedy and romance genres because Chinese viewers naturally want to see their own language and culture on the screen. But Hollywood has always dominated in the action and effects-heavy tentpole category. Wolf Warrior II is perhaps the first Chinese action flick with Hollywood-level production values — and it has outperformed any Hollywood movie ever there. Should U.S. studios be worried about their competitive edge?
Yeah, I do think they should be concerned. If Chinese studios hire the right experienced people — which their market can support now — Chinese action movies can compete head-to-head with Hollywood at the local box office. This movie shows that.
What should really worry Hollywood is when the next iteration of Chinese films starts showing signs of crossing over. Wolf Warrior II is amazing, and it's done some business overseas, but it's mostly a Chinese film for China. When directors like Joe Russo, who understand story from a very global perspective, start working more and more with Chinese filmmakers, you'll start seeing Chinese films that connect with audiences all over Asia, Europe and South America — maybe even North America. That's what will break China out of the home market and make them a big threat to Hollywood's dominance. (Wolf Warrior II has earned $2.3 million in North America since its release on July 28. U.S. distributor The H Collective says it is planning to expand the release in the coming weeks because of audience curiosity over the film's huge China performance.)
There's obviously tremendous interest in Wu Jing now. What can you tell us about him?
I think he's the next Jackie Chan. He's that guy. He can do anything physical. He's charming, handsome and smart. He understands filmmaking. He's open, collaborative and fun to work with. I think this guy is the next global megastar.
What should people in the U.S. who don't normally watch much Chinese cinema know about this film?
People from around the world who don't live in China and don't take in many Chinese movies — they should just see it. Because a movie that has resonated so deeply in a country of 1.3 billion people needs to be seen. Whether you agree with the politics or not, whether you think it's up to snuff with other action movies or not, it's part of history now. People should see it for themselves and try to understand it. |
Image copyright Science Photo Library
Conservative plans to change social care funding in England may be derailed by councils, an ex-minister has warned.
The party wants to include the value of someone's home when deciding how much they must pay towards care at home - but allow them to pay after they die.
The Conservatives say the changes ensure fairness across the generations.
But Sir Steve Webb, the ex-Lib Dem pensions minister, says there is already a "lottery" in the way councils use existing deferred payment schemes.
Currently, people living in residential care can ask their local authority to pay their bill and recover the money from the sale of their family home after they die.
The Conservatives' plan would extend this right to those receiving care in their own homes, who would have to pay until they were down to their last £100,000.
But Sir Steve, who is now policy director for pensions specialist Royal London, said Freedom of Information responses showed a wide variation in the number of deferred payment arrangements set up.
Some councils in England had not signed any agreements to let people defer their payments, while in other areas more than 100 agreements had been signed.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Every morning I'd make you a cup of tea. Do you remember?"
Sir Steve said: "It is clear that there is already a lottery as to whether people facing significant care costs can exercise their legal right to defer their payments under the existing system.
"The government will need to investigate very quickly why the present system is not working properly, otherwise there is a danger of building a new system on very shaky foundations."
The councils who had entered into the most agreements were Southampton City Council with 331, followed by Essex County Council with 208 and Middlesbrough Council with 165.
In contrast, 10 authorities - Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Haringey, Lewisham, Lambeth, Ealing, Blackburn with Darwen, and Luton - said they had not issued any.
How would the Tory social care plans work?
Image copyright ForMed Films
Under the Conservative plans nobody with assets of less than £100,000 would have to pay for social care. Currently anyone with assets of over £23,250 is expected to pay the full cost of their residential care and the value of their home can be taken into account.
But that is not the case if you receive care in your own home. Under the Tory plans the value of your home may in future be factored in, although the money would not be taken from your estate until after your death.
This means some people fear they will not be able to pass their homes down to their children.
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said Conservative sources were dismissing the prospect of any rethink over the plans, insisting there would be "no rowing back".
He said he had been told that while there would be a consultation, this had always been planned and it would only examine "the finer detail" of the policy.
Former Conservative minister Lord Willetts said the plan was "one of the bravest, most serious and most important" features of the Conservative manifesto.
He told Westminster Hour on BBC Radio 4 the proposal meant social care for older people would be financed by pensioners with "substantial assets" instead of younger people "struggling to make ends meet".
But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Conservatives of "forcing those who need social care to pay for it with their homes," labelling the policy a "dementia tax".
Lord Wood, former adviser to Ed Miliband, said the problem with the Conservative plan was that "it's not a long term system solution because it abandons the principle of social insurance".
The Lib Dems, meanwhile, said nine out of 10 homes would be eligible to be sold under the new regime, citing Land Registry house sale figures.
Calling for a "national movement" against the policy, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said it was a "callous blow for people who have dementia and other long-term conditions, like multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease, and of course their families.
"It is not just a massive mistake but a cruel attack on vulnerable people the length and breadth of this country."
The Conservatives appear to be fighting back online, with a paid-for ad on Google which pop up when users of the search engine type in the words "dementia tax".
The ad reads "The so-called 'dementia tax' - Get the real facts - conservatives.com", together with a link to an explainer about the party's social care policies on its website. |
The Hill reporter Joe Concha said Monday that the majority of Americans stand with President Donald Trump on the national anthem, and he blasted the mainstream media for not listening to public opinion.
“I can tell you a decided majority agree with the President on this one,” he said during an interview on “Happening Now.”
“They don’t disagree with the right to protest. Who disagrees with that? They disagree with the venue it’s being done in, in terms of during the national anthem. They see that as disrespectful to the flag and disrespectful to veterans.”
Concha pointed out that ratings for the NFL are on a steady decline and are down 10 percent from last year, with no signs of improvement.
“Ratings are in … and last night’s game between the Redskins and Raiders, that was the NBC Sunday night game. The big platform. The top rated TV show every week, down 10 percent from the same week last year. Down nearly 10 percent from the week before,” he added.
Concha said the feelings of average Americans don’t match the feelings of political pundits, likening their tone deaf attitudes to the coverage of the 2016 presidential election.
“This is having a palpable effect and the sentiment on the ground is not matching what we’re seeing from the pundit class in the media bubbles,” he said. “All day yesterday it was widespread condemnation. No one is listening again. It feels a lot like the 2016 election.”
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CryptoParty Like It's 1993
from the it's-a-secret,-pass-it-on dept
As Techdirt stories regularly report, governments around the world, including those in the West, are greatly increasing their surveillance of the Internet. Alongside a loss of the private sphere, this also represents a clear danger to basic civil liberties. The good news is that we already have the solution: encrypting communications makes it very hard, if not entirely impossible, for others to eavesdrop on our conversations. The bad news is that crypto is largely ignored by the general public, partly because they don't know about it, and partly because even if they do, it seems too much trouble to implement.
The CryptoParty movement hopes to do something about that by inviting people to come along to informal meetings to learn about crypto, how to install it and how to use it in everyday computing in order to strengthen their privacy and protect themselves from surveillance. The driving force behind the idea is the Australian digital rights activist Asher Wolf, well known on Twitter. The specific impetus came from approval of the Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 by the Australian Senate. Here's what it will do, as explained on the academic blog The Conversation: The bill effects changes in the Telecommunications Act 1997 and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 and will force carriers and internet service providers (ISPs) to preserve stored communications, when requested by certain domestic authorities (such as the Australian Federal Police), or when requested by those authorities acting on behalf of nominated foreign countries.
This means a warrant will be needed before the police or security agencies can force carriers or ISPs to monitor, capture and store website use, data transmissions, voice and multimedia calls, and all other forms of communication over the digital network. That's not quite as bad as mandatory logging of all online activity, but the Australian government is working on that too, as are many other countries. Against that background, the idea of self-organizing parties introducing people to the world of crypto spread rapidly around the world, as the wiki page listing past and future events indicates. One party, in Berlin, led to a new, complementary project: a manual on crypto for beginners: The CryptoParty Handbook was born from a suggestion by Marta Peirano and Adam Hyde after the first Berlin CryptoParty, held on the 29th of August, 2012. Julian Oliver and Danja Vasiliev, co-organisers of the Berlin CryptoParty (along with Marta) were very enthusiastic about the idea, seeing a need for a practical working book with a low entry-barrier to use in subsequent parties. Asher Wolf, originator of the CryptoParty movement, was then invited to join in and the project was born.
This book was written in the first 3 days of October 2012 at Studio Weise7, Berlin, surrounded by fine food and a lake of coffee amidst a veritable snake pit of cables. Approximately 20 people were involved in its creation, some more than others, some local and some far (Melbourne in particular). The well-known "book sprint" approach was used, together with open source software, and the final result was released as open content under a cc-by-sa license: The facilitated writing methodology used, Book Sprint, is all about minimising any obstruction between expertise and the published page. Face-to-face discussion and dynamic task-assignment were a huge part of getting the job done, like any good CryptoParty!
The open source, web-based (HTML5 and CSS) writing platform Booktype was chosen for the editing task, helping such a tentacular feat of parallel development to happen with relative ease. Asher also opened a couple of TitanPad pages to crowd-source the Manifesto and HowTo CryptoParty chapters. As might be expected with such a major project about a complex and sensitive topic put together so quickly, there has been some criticism of the results, notably the inclusion of the weak PPTP for creating Virtual Private Networks. Nonetheless, the CryptoParty movement and the associated Handbook show what can be achieved by committed volunteers coming together across the Internet in a very short time.
Of course, there's still the question of whether this project will have any major impact on the use of crypto by general users. After all, it's not as if people haven't been recommending the thoroughgoing application of encryption for everyday tasks before. As the by-now venerable Cypherpunk's Manifesto put it: We must defend our own privacy if we expect to have any. We must come together and create systems which allow anonymous transactions to take place. People have been defending their own privacy for centuries with whispers, darkness, envelopes, closed doors, secret handshakes, and couriers. The technologies of the past did not allow for strong privacy, but electronic technologies do. Those words were written back in 1993, and here we are in 2012, still fighting the same battles with the same tools. Will things be any different this time?
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+
Filed Under: crypto, cryptoparty, encryption, privacy |
0 US report contradicts Trump team: Warming mostly man-made
- A massive U.S. report concludes the evidence of global warming is stronger than ever, contradicting a favorite talking point of top Trump administration officials, who downplay humans' role in climate change.
The report released Friday is one of two scientific assessments required every four years. A draft showing how warming affects the U.S. was also published.
Despite fears by some scientists and environmental advocates, David Fahey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and several authors said there was no political interference or censoring of the 477-page final report.
"A lot of what we've been learning over the last four years suggests the possibility that things may have been more serious than we think," said Robert Kopp of Rutgers University, one of dozens of scientists inside and outside the government who wrote the reports.
Since 1900, Earth has warmed by 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) and seas have risen by 8 inches. Heat waves, downpours and wildfires have become frequent.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt have repeatedly said carbon dioxide isn't the primary contributor to global warming.
It's "extremely likely" - meaning with 95 to 100 percent certainty - that global warming is man-made, mostly from the spewing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, scientists concluded.
"Over the last century, there are no convincing alternative explanations," the report said.
Scientists calculated that human contribution to warming since 1950 is between 92 percent and 123 percent. It's more than 100 percent on one end, because some natural forces - such as volcanoes and orbital cycle - are working to cool Earth, but are being overwhelmed by the effects of greenhouse gases, said study co-author Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech.
"This period is now the warmest in the history of modern civilization," she said.
For the first time, scientists highlighted a dozen "tipping points" of potential dangers that could happen from warming, things that Hayhoe said "keep me up at night."
They include the slowing down of the giant Atlantic Ocean circulation system that could dramatically warp weather worldwide, much stronger El Ninos, major decreases in ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, which would spike sea level rise, and massive release of methane and carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost that could turbo-charge warming.
Researchers did not provide an estimate of how likely tipping points would occur, but "there is certainly some chance of some of these things happening," Fahey said.
The report also documented how different climate change-caused events can interact in a complex way to make life worse such as the California wildfires and Superstorm Sandy five years ago.
The world's oceans are under a "triple threat" - the water is getting warmer, more acidic and seeing a drop in oxygen levels, Hayhoe said.
In a 1,504-page draft report on the impacts of climate change, scientists detailed dozens of ways global warming is already affecting parts of the U.S.
Scientists said global warming is already sickening, injuring and killing Americans with changes to weather, food, air, water and diseases. And it's expected to get worse, hurting the economy, wildlife and energy supply.
"Risks range from the inconvenient, such as increasing high tide flooding along the East Coast related to sea level rise, to ... the forced relocation of coastal communities in Alaska and along the Gulf Coast," the draft report said.
Outside experts said the reports are the most up-to-date summary of climate science.
"It shows that if anything the findings of scientists have become more dire" since 2013, said University of California, Berkeley climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, who wasn't part of the work.
___
Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears . His work can be found here .
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
A class-action suit has been filed against the manufacturers of Red Stripe beer in the United States, for allegedly deceiving consumers into thinking the beverage is made in Jamaica.
Two people represented by the law firm of Robbins Arroyo filed the suit last Wednesday in federal court in California against Diageo, the makers of Red Stripe, historically a Jamaican beer.
They claim Diageo committed unfair and deceptive practices and have been unjustly enriched by marketing and selling beer in a way that misleads consumers into believing that its Red Stripe is still being imported from Jamaica.
In 2012, Diageo moved its production of US supplies of Red Stripe from Kingston, Jamaica to Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
The label on the bottle of US supplies states that the beer is produced in Latrobe.
But Arroyo’s clients say it’s in obscure white text and not easily noticed by consumers.
According to the court documents, Red Stripe’s packaging claims that it is a ‘Jamaican Style Lager’ that contains ‘The Taste of Jamaica’ and the packaging contains the distinctive logo of Desnoes and Geddes Limited.
Desnoes and Geddes is a Jamaican brewery.
The plaintiffs further charge that Red Stripe is sold at substantially higher prices than domestic beer, despite the fact that it is brewed in the US with domestic ingredients.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev reaching a preliminary settlement with a group of consumers who said the company misled them into thinking that Beck’s beer was German brewed. |
Love Is Like Cocaine by Helen Fisher - From ecstasy to withdrawal, the lover resembles an addict
There’s No Such Thing as Everlasting Love by Emily Esfahani Smith - Are emotions no more than “micro-moments of positivity resonance?
Masters of Love by Emily Esfahani Smith - Science says lasting relationships come down to — you guessed it —kindness and generosity
How to Pick Your Life Partner by Tim Urban - To a frustrated single person, life can often feel like this… (part 2 is here)
Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex? by Kate Julian - Despite the easing of taboos and the rise of hookup apps, Americans are in the midst of a sex recession…
No Labels, No Drama, Right? by Jordana Narin - Every time his name popped up on my phone, my heart raced. Still, we were never more than semiaffiliated…
Why Developing Serious Relationships in Your 20s Matters by Elizabeth Spiers - Are you in your twenties? Have you been told that now is your time to build your own life and not worry about things like settling down and having children?
In Relationships, Be Deliberate by Emily Esfahani Smith and Galena Rhoades - For milestones like moving in together, intent (rather than chronology) determines success
This is Emo by Chuck Klosterman - No woman will ever satisfy me. I know that now, and I would never try to deny it. But this is actually okay, because I will never satisfy a woman, either
Love by Lauren Slater - Scientists say that the brain chemistry of infatuation is akin to mental illness—which gives new meaning to ‘madly in love’ |
The Roman National Museum at Palazzo Massimo is hosting a superb and original exhibition called “Mostri, creature fantastiche della paura e del mito” (Monsters, fantastic creatures of fear and myth). The show brings together over 100 works from 40 museums, depicting fantastical creatures, all in a series of dark passages intended to resemble the Minotaur’s labyrinth.
There are griffins, chimeras, gorgons, centaurs, sirens, satyrs, harpies, sphinxes, alongside the Minotaur, Scylla and Pegasus, all represented on different types of objects: sculptures, architectural decorations, vases, frescoes and mosaics. They range from the Bronze Age to Imperial Rome.
I explored the exhibition and was spellbound by the mythical creatures I saw. Here is a selection of some of my favorite “monstrous” artefacts.
This exhibition is monstrously beautiful and I would recommend anyone to go and see it. “Monsters: Fantastic Creatures of Fear and Myth,” is on view at the fabulous Palazzo Massimo until June 1, 2014. Visit the museum website for more info here. |
The 2014 eni FIM Superbike World Championship season gets underway with a good surprise for all its fans: a brand new website.
This is not merely a graphic restyle, as worldsbk.com will feature much more content, news, videos and photos, always available at our “Energy Zone”, to which a subscription is required in order to enjoy it at its fullest.
Fresh news from all over the world, interviews with riders of all classes, highlights, exclusive videos and new areas like the WSBK Press Review, this is just a glimpse of what is in store for you for the upcoming World Superbike season.
The “WSBK VideoPass” will also be available soon, featuring Live* and OnDemand broadcasting of all rounds and exclusive video content.
If you are not a member of the Energy Zone yet, all you need to do is to sign up (it takes less than 30 seconds) and enjoy all the multimedia content from previous years, while a new exciting season kicks off.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
*If available in your Country |
Alberta climber Josh Pelland was recently injured while climbing at the Smoke Bluffs in Squamish. Details are not clear, but Pelland fell about 20 metres walking off a crag. His friend Brandon MacMullin wrote on his social media, “Although a miracle he survived, Josh has had heart surgery, orthopedic surgery, two surgeries on his legs and will likely be paralyzed from the waist down.”
BC Ambulance Service removed the climber and airlifted him to Vancouver General Hospital, according to police. The man’s family was contacted and has travelled from out of province to the hospital, police said. Pelland’s family and friends have organized a a crowdfund campaign on Tilt to help with the costs. Visit here to donate and for more info.
Another climbing accident was reported on the Squamish Climbing Facebook page. It cited an accident at the Top Shelf crag. The climber was being lowered and the rope went through the belay device. He suffered a number of broken bones and was airlifted out. Another great job by local search and rescue and a reminder to tie knots in the end of your ropes. |
On Tuesday, May 14, 90.5 WESA will host a public forum for City of Pittsburgh mayoral candidates. The forum will take place at 7 p.m. at the Community Broadcast Center (67 Bedford Square, South Side) and will be open to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 pm.
90.5 WESA’s Kevin Gavin will moderate the mayoral forum, which has confirmed participation by former state Auditor General Jack Wagner, City Councilman Bill Peduto, state Rep. Jake Wheatley and community activist A.J. Richardson. The mayoral forum is slated to cover a wide range of topics, including questions from audience members.
90.5 WESA’s Mayoral Forum will be recorded for 9 a.m. broadcast on Wednesday, May 15. In addition, Essential Pittsburgh will air an analysis of the mayoral forum from noon to 1 p.m. |
Walter Edmund Bond, 34, is so committed to being a vegan that he tattooed the word across his neck. It was a useful identifying feature when officers arrested him for allegedly burning down a sheepskin factory in Colorado. However, it gets even more bizarre.
After the Sheepskin factory was burned down, a video showed a man approaching the building around 3 am with a backpack. A man who identified himself as “A.L.F. Lone Wolf” later posted this message on the Internet:
“Be warned that making a living from the use and abuse of animals will not be tolerated. Also be warned that leather is every bit as evil as fur, as demonstrated in my recent arson against the Leather Factory in Salt Lake City. Go vegan!”
Police believed the reference was to the Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah — torched on June 5th. A third party called the FBI to say that Bond had said that he was the culprit. They arranged a meeting where Bond reportedly admitted to the arson. What is fascinating is the reference to the lunch that Bond had at a friend’s house shortly before he was arrested: hamburgers.
In his backpack, they found literature titled “The Declaration of War – Killing People to Save Animals – Strike a Match, Light a Fuse, We Only Have the Earth to Lose.”
Bond is facing one count of arson of property affecting interstate commerce with a maximum prison term of 20 years in prison.
Source: Globe Gazette
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Must-see sights in Georgia and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia is less mountainous than Georgia but still averages a height of more than 5,000 feet. The Armenia plateau is the origin of the Euphrates and Tigris, the two great rivers of the Middle East.
Armenia’s main attraction is its picturesque churches and monasteries. Chief among these is Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
It is said to date to the fourth century, being converted from a temple when the country converted to Christianity around 303 AD.
Added to over the subsequent centuries, it is a primer for Armenian religious architecture and is now part of a Unesco World Heritage Site. Its design is thought to have influenced many later churches of the Byzantine Empire.
The Greco-Roman Temple of Garni is an unexpected sight after seeing the many Christian churches of the country. The only Greco-Roman building still standing in the former Soviet Union, it dates to the first century.
Geghard (“Spear”) Monastery also dates to the fourth century and takes its name from a relic said to be the spear used to stab Jesus at the crucifixion. (The spear is now held at Etchmiadzin.)
Another Unesco site, several of its churches have been cut out of rock, modifying existing caves, and the acoustics are extraordinary. The site has a good collection of khachkars, freestanding memorial stones carved with early Christian art.
Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, is a city of broad avenues and Soviet-style buildings. It can appear bland on first sight but its young population means it has a lively restaurant scene and varied nightlife.
When shopping, look for Armenian carpets, Soviet memorabilia and local cognac (see Food & Drink below).
Any Yerevan tour will take you to Matenadaran Museum to see its ancient manuscripts and the Armenian Genocide Museum.
Turkey disputes this massacre of perhaps 1.5 million people by the Ottoman Empire ever took place but you can see the emotions this tragic event evokes in visitors to the imposing Genocide Monument nearby.
Georgia
Georgia’s Caucasuses are the highest mountains in Europe, a paradise for hikers and with a number of ski resorts.
They remain a dramatic wilderness and a growing tourism industry is starting to offer other options such as paragliding, white-water rafting, caving and horse riding.
Most visitors to Tblisi, Georgia’s capital, fall in love with the city. Its Soviet era isolation and hilly setting has left it with great character.
Ancient, tumbledown buildings, fascinating markets (shop for Soviet memorabilia, jewellery and art) and quirky shops, make for great strolls with a treat on nearly every corner. Only the grandiose new steel and glass government buildings spoil the vistas.
Narikala Fortress overlooks Tbilisi and a walk around it offers fine views of the city. It’s especially popular in the evening when the streetlights come on.
Uplistsikhe is a city of caves whose temples predate Christianity. Some 20,000 people lived here when it was an important centre on a main caravan route between Asia and Europe.
Gergeti Trinity Church has a lovely setting on a hilltop and dates to the 14th century. It is a three-hour hike to the church but FWD vehicles can manage it in 30 minutes.
Batumi is a resort on the Black Sea and Georgia’s second-largest city. In summer, it is crowded with holidaymakers who enjoy subtropical weather, Black Sea beaches and international hotels and casinos.
The People of Georgia and Armenia
There are approximately ten million Armenians worldwide and only three million actually living in Armenia. Exiles sending money home are an important part of the economy, and this openness to the outside world is also key to understanding the people.
This diaspora makes hospitality to guests a matter of pride. It is not unusual to be invited into a home for a shared meal, although widespread post-Soviet poverty means there might not be much.
Soviet Russia was hard on Georgia – despite Joseph Stalin being a local man – and there remains a deep distrust of government. There is also a reliance on extended family, and being very neighbourly is a given.
That – and the religious belief that “a guest is a gift from God” – helps make the country a delight for visitors; as soon as you have one Georgian friend, a whole world of friendship opens up.
Anyone who visits Georgia will come away with memories of almost overwhelming hospitality. Prepare to party hard, enjoying endless toasts, if you fall in with any local people, who may well act insulted if you try to pay for anything.
Expect some surprises in the Caucasus countries of Georgia and Armenia - there’s more to discover than you may have thought… Find out more here
Language & culture in Georgia and Armenia
Armenian is an ancient language that is hard, but fascinating, to pick up. Knowledge of Russian remains useful in this region as it was taught to many older people as well as the many younger ones who have studied or worked in Russia.
English is also widely spoken as there is a large Armenian diaspora with a strong history of business that makes English language skills essential.
Both Armenia and Georgia stand at a crossroads of the Silk Road, where Europe and Asia met and blended. Aspects of both cultures can found in customs, costumes and faces even today.
Armenia prides itself on being the first country in the world to become Christian, in 301AD (a claim disputed by Ethiopia). More than 90 per cent of the population are nominally the Armenian Apostolic Church but church attendance is low.
Traditional family life is central to most people’s lives. The man is the head of the family and the eldest son is respected as the link to next generation. Guests are treated as part of the family
Music plays a big part in Armenian life, including traditional as well as more modern forms such as jazz. The country takes part in the Eurovision Song Contest and has twice reached fourth place.
Georgian is among the world’s oldest languages, with a script derived from Ancient Greek, but the good news for visitors is that its second official language is English, which has replaced Russian.
The Orthodox Church holds a much more central place in Georgia than in Armenia, having acted as a cultural bulwark against Soviet excesses and providing a readymade sense of national identity afterwards.
Church attendance is booming and religious processions, baptisms and weddings are a common sight.
There are differing views on whether the Caucasus Mountains are in Asia or Europe but Georgians very much see themselves as Europeans.
Embark on an eastern adventure to the exotic cities of Uzbekistan, an historic crossroads on the Great Silk Route's path across Central Asia. Find out more here.
Food & drink in Georgia and Armenia
Armenia’s traditional flat bread, "lavash", has now been recognised by Unesco as part of the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. It is an important part of any meal, which usually starts with a wide selection of starters.
Anyone who has enjoyed a middle-eastern meal will recognise dishes such as “dolma” – meat and rice wrapped in vine leaves – or tabbouleh salad.
Mains might include lamb stew, moussaka or kebabs, and dishes such as baklava will also be familiar. However, meals tend to be bland and oily compared to Georgia.
Georgia’s most notable food is “khachapuri”, a delicious bread stuffed with cheese that is served at every meal. “Khinkali” are dumplings, stuffed with juicy spiced meat and eaten with the hands.
The rich soils and good climate of Georgia produce a near endless list of great foods that are creatively cooked. A meal here consists of dozens of dishes and rounds of toasts that will leave superb memories.
Winston Churchill discovered Armenia’s “Ararat” cognac during the Yalta Conference in 1945 and liked it so much that Stalin ordered a case shipped to him in Britain every month until his death. It’s one souvenir well worth taking home.
Georgia’s tipple is wine, although connoisseurs might not rate it too highly. In both countries, vodka is cheap and plentiful, and local beers are well worth trying.
Health and safety
Armenia is a safe place for visitors, apart from its roads which are often badly maintained, something that is also true of Georgia. In both countries, there is also a risk from drunk driving and unsafe vehicles.
However, there are no unusual health risks in either country and tap water is safe to drink.
Georgia’s reputation of friendliness does not extend to gay rights and LGBTW visitors should exercise caution. |
Some Americans dislike 2016 GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump as per his bombastic tone, his lack of substantive policy proposals and his bold stances against illegal immigration and radical Islamic terrorism — and that’s fair.
What’s not fair is the rush by these same dissidents to lampoon both Trump and his supporters as everything from racist bigots to coldblooded Nazis.
Take for instance the liberal pukes at “Saturday Night Live,” who last night ran a mock ad featuring “Racists for Trump,” according to Breitbart:
The ad … featured “real Americans” promoting Trump and then unveiling one person in a Nazi uniform, another ironing a KKK robe, another painting “white power” on a house, a woman with a board labeled “Muslims,” a man burning a book about Mexico and another providing firewood for a cross burning with KKK members dancing alongside it.
Funny stuff, right? NOT!
Since liberal dimwits and some GOP establishment hacks really believe that all Trump supporters harbor bigoted feelings toward blacks, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities, perhaps it might behoove them to pull their heads out of their asses and actually meet some REAL “Racists For Trump?”
Without further ado …
Black “Racists For Trump”
Let’s start with Charles Evers, the brother of deceased civil rights icon Medgar Evers, who on Friday endorsed Trump as per his record as a successful businessman:
Civil rights activist Charles Evers endorses Trumphttps://t.co/erWi76xAfQ via @MailOnline — Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) March 5, 2016
Now meet an unnamed black Trump supporter who had a very poignant message to share about racial harmony that the assholes at MSNBC surely did not appreciate:
More examples follow below:
https://youtu.be/evJWyQQEdxE
Latino “Racists For Trump”
Say hello to Nelson, a lifelong Democrat who once marched with MLK but decided two months ago to abandon the party of racial grievance mongering and identity politics, and throw his support behind Donald Trump:
Meet Nelson, dems' worst nightmare: lifelong dem, marched w MLK, switched party 2 mos ago. Trump's "struck a nerve." pic.twitter.com/oI3u3aTOGe — Amy K. Nelson (@AmyKNelson) March 4, 2016
Next up are proud evangelists Ignacio and Anita Fuentes, two Latinos who take great umbrage to the “rhetoric and manipulation” of leftists “who like to speak for the entire Hispanic race”:
More examples follow below:
https://youtu.be/lRZP5jX2G4s
Muslim “Racists For Trump”
According to the story below from the Firstpost Indian news organisation, a number of Trump-supporting Muslims and Sikhs from Maryland believe that the liberal mainstream media purposefully “twisted” Trump’s proposals to make him look like a racist:
Sikhs and Muslims immigrants for @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/UZocrpaZBv The TRUTH coming out despite media spin! — a_better_world (@liveyourdreamsp) March 6, 2016
A recent poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations revealed that a whopping 11 percent of American Muslims support Donald Trump:
Last up is a Muslim man who attended one of Trump’s rallies and made a bombshell admission to him personally. Watch:
Asian “Racists For Trump”
Below we have a picture an Asian Trump supporter standing alongside a Latino Trump supporter:
Now here are some videos of various Asians (as a reminder, India is part of the Asian continent) expressing their support for Trump:
//
What a disturbingly diverse group of “Racists For Trump,” huh?
Methinks that the only real racists are the identity politics-obsessed liberal kooks who see the world through racially tinted glasses — and are incapable of grasping that the vast majority of Trump supporters back him for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with race, religion or any other form of bigotry.
If you agree, then please share this post on as many social media outlets as possible, as I really want to get this message across to the armies of liberal neanderthals who snivel and moan about all we big, bad and mean “racists” who support Donald Trump! |
Imgur's official Android app first hit the scene back in early-ish April, but was then geo-restricted to Australia (later expanded to UK and Canada) whilst in its beta period, leaving tens of thousands (possibly even millions) of angry image-searchers without, well, an app. Hell was raised, tempers flared, blah blah blah. The calm settled in once again, and life went back to normal for the bulk of us.
But now, everything changes.
You want an Imgur app? It's yours. The app has left its beta period, thus the geo-restriction has been lifted. It's free to travel the world, but it can't do it alone – it can only live through your handset. Will you deny this app its chance to travel the world? I dare not even think you, our dear readers, could be that cruel.
Help this little app encounter the brave new world by visiting the widget below. |
SANTA CLARA — An elderly woman pushing a shopping cart was hit and killed while crossing Lawrence Expressway by a pickup truck that swerved around traffic that had stopped for her, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The collision was reported about 6:30 a.m. when the woman, who has not been identified, was crossing the thoroughfare at Cabrillo Avenue, in the face of traffic that was traveling on a green light at about 55 miles per hour, the CHP said.
Still, vehicles slowed to a stop to accommodate her, save for a red Toyota pickup truck that changed lanes and swerved around the stoppage, and hit the pedestrian.
Emergency personnel performed CPR on the victim, but she was eventually pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity was not immediately released pending notification of her next of kin, but she was tentatively described by authorities as an Asian woman in her late 70s or 80s.
The pickup driver stopped and cooperated with investigators, the CHP said.
The crash site was blocked from traffic for about 2-½ hours and was re-opened around 9 a.m. The collision remains under investigation.
Reading this on your iPhone or iPad? Check out our new Apple News app channel here. Click the + at the top of the page to save to your Apple News favorites. |
The smile on the face of Darian Thompson was not a byproduct of anything he did in his first game in 11 months. The second-year safety was impressed, but not amazed, by the short, sweet work of his backfield partner, Landon Collins.
“He’s a different type of guy,’’ Thompson said, shaking his head. “Works extremely hard, kind of seems like he played a game last week. He didn’t miss a beat. That’s a guy he has been and a guy I believe he’ll continue to be.’’
As the Giants incorporate some new pieces into what can be a vice-grip defense, Collins’ ascension can sometimes be, if not overlooked, perhaps underappreciated. At this time last year, he was coming off a promising rookie season that offered few hints of the emergence that was about to hit the NFL. No defensive player had a better 2016 than Collins, who is not a heavy self-promoter, exuding confidence without thrusting himself into the limelight.
With Collins leading the charge Friday night, the Giants put on display some of what this latest edition of their defense can become in a preseason-opening 20-12 loss to the Steelers, completely stifling a facsimile Pittsburgh offense devoid of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.
see also Giants defense only scratched the surface: Steve Spagnuolo A youngster asked for a picture with Steve Spagnuolo, and...
Jay Bromley, vying for the starting right defensive tackle spot opened when Johnathan Hankins signed with the Colts, looks ready to deliver, and rookie Dalvin Tomlinson, the second-round pick from Alabama, is right there, challenging Bromley every step of the way. Second-year B.J. Goodson had a seamless debut as the starting middle linebacker. Thompson, in his first game since foot surgery, moved fluidly and once again offered a glimpse of the sort of safety tandem the Giants believe they have, ready to unleash on the rest of the league.
Nothing definitive can be gleaned from a defensive outing without Jason Pierre-Paul, who was held out, and only cameo appearances from Janoris Jenkins and Olivier Vernon (six snaps apiece) and Damon “Snacks” Harrison (five snaps). Collins, though, came to play. He made tackles on the first two plays and came away with five stops in his 10 snaps, including four solo and one for a loss.
“He likes to play football, he’s always around the ball, he has a nose for the ball, and he’s a hammer when he gets there,’’ coach Ben McAdoo said.
“Anytime I touch the field, I try and do what I can with any amount of plays that I have,” Collins said. “That’s just me.’’
The Collins-Thompson pairing lasted only two games last season before Thompson hurt his foot and ended up on injured reserve. He said he did not think about the foot at any time during his return and that it feels fine. As the free safety, the Giants view Thompson as a ball-hawk who can patrol sideline-to-sideline.
“I want to be a guy that obviously can control back there, bark out signals,’’ said Thompson, a 2016 third-round pick from Boise State. “I want everybody to be confident that the middle of the field is going to be closed.’’
This game, he said, was “not necessarily a new start’’ but it was significant.
“I’m a little bit rusty, just like a lot of guys, still areas of my game I can improve and that’s what I’m gonna work on doing,’’ Thompson said.
“We count on him, it’s really another rookie year for him,’’ McAdoo said.
What Thompson and Collins both mentioned as especially satisfying: There were no mental errors between them.
“We kinda pride ourselves on getting the calls 100 percent,’’ Thompson said. “We’re gonna contine to work together, try to build this bond and see what happens.’’
Goodson played more snaps (25) at linebacker in this game than he did his entire rookie year (14). He was aggressive hunting for the ball and made a splash play when he diagnosed a pre-snap read by Josh Dobbs and dropped the rookie quarterback for an eight-yard loss.
“Definitely,’’ Goodson said, when asked if this represents a new chapter for him.
“But you know, I’ve always been preparing for this moment,’’ he said. “It’s definitely a personal great start. I wish we could have come away with the ‘W’ because as a leader of the defense it’s what you always want to come away with.’’ |
Gov. Bobby Jindal signed Louisiana’s $24.5 billion budget bill for the coming fiscal year this afternoon, including the accompanying tax revenue measures to fund it, including a cap on the film tax credit program that critics say could kill the industry in the state.
As The News Star reports, the group of bills that raised $750 million in new revenue—part of which was technically offset by the controversial SAVE bill—allowed the state to avoid issuing devastating cuts to higher education and health care.
The Associated Press reports the governor did veto state lawmakers’ attempt to curb taxpayer spending on the Republican governor’s campaign travel as he readies a 2016 presidential bid. Jindal stripped language from next year’s budget that would have prohibited the Louisiana State Police from paying for the governor’s security detail to travel with Jindal for “campaign purposes.”
The governor has line-item veto authority over the budget. In his veto message, Jindal says he struck the language because it would limit the state police’s “budgetary discretion.”
Though the film industry had been calling on Jindal to veto a bill that caps film tax incentive spending for the next three years at $180 million annually—or about $77 million less than the state was otherwise expected to spend in the fiscal year that begins July 1—the governor has signed that bill into law. |
An Alberta fisherman is reminding people to properly dispose of garbage after catching a fish that had been trapped in a drink ring for so long the fish had grown around the piece of plastic.
Adam Turnbull — originally from Sarnia, Ont., but now living in southeastern Alberta — works as a cabinet maker in Medicine Hat to support his real passion: fishing. The avid angler says he fishes almost daily, all around Alberta but mainly close to home.
He’s caught all kinds of fish before, but one he reeled in on Saturday, Oct. 28, from the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat, left him shaking his head.
“I was fishing at Strathcona Park when I hooked the fish,” Turnbull, 28, told Global News. “It fought like every other fish and then I saw the wound.”
At first, he thought the Northern Pike — also known as a jackfish — had been attacked by another fish, until he got a closer look.
WATCH: Pike caught frozen in ice while trying to eat a bass
“I picked the fish out of the water and noticed the wrapper.”
There was a Powerade drink wrapper tightly coiled around the midsection of the Pike, but the fish just grew around it. The flesh around the plastic appeared raw and irritated, lacking scales found on the rest of the animal’s body.
He said he grabbed a small pair of scissors and carefully removed the plastic. He then held the fish back in the river to make sure it was OK, and it darted away.
READ MORE: B.C. photographer captures rescue of bald eagle trapped in snare
Turnbull said he had never seen anything like it before. He spoke to a biologist who said the wrapper appeared to be squeezing the fish behind the stomach, on the intestines.
“Which would have allowed the fish to eat properly, with slower digestion,” Turnbull explained.
“Basically the entire reason this fish survived. If it had been located an inch or two forward, the fish would have likely never fed.”
A fisheries scientist with Alberta Environment and Parks saw the photo Turnbull shared on Facebook.
“It looked like it had swam into it when it was small and actually grew around it,” Michael Sullivan said. “Amazingly enough, it didn’t constrict the guts or blood system at all, so the fish could actually grow around it.”
Sullivan said most biologists who work near water have seen similar instances first-hand.
“We’ve seen loons tangled in fish line, ducks with their heads through six-pack holders, plastic bags wrapped around fish. It’s a bad thing.”
“Luckily, they’re rare instances, but we’re concerned that’s the tip of the plastic iceberg.”
He added it’s the plastics that are not seen that are truly worrisome.
“We see it inside the stomachs of Northern Pike eating pop bottles and if you go really small, you can see it in the stomachs of fish that have eaten the plastic — it’s called either micro-beads, little tiny pieces — or fairly large pieces called nerdles.
“That’s the grotesque thing about plastics — they’re going to be around with us for thousands and thousands of years,” Sullivan said. “The only way to get rid of it is to stop putting it in the water.”
With the obstruction removed, Turnbull said the biologist he spoke to believes the fish will thrive. He said it was an eye-opening experience on how a small piece of trash can have a huge impact on an animal’s life.
READ MORE: Animal lover furious after beaver found trapped in Calgary park
“I mean, for any person to claim they’ve never littered intentionally or unintentionally would be a lie for most of us,” Turnbull said.
“But seeing what it does first-hand makes you really want to grab that piece of garbage you see laying on the ground, whether it was yours or not.”
He posted photos of the fish on Facebook, saying “Pick up your garbage. This is a Powerade wrapper which takes up no room in your pocket until you get to a garbage can. Please share!”
As of Tuesday morning, the post had been shared over 12,000 times, had over 1,900 reactions and more than 300 comments.
“In Canada, there is starting to [be] pretty good awareness,” Sullivan said. “This Facebook post getting all sorts of hits saying, ‘What a terrible thing,’ that’s good information.
“If you see someone throwing plastic in, publicly shame them! Tell them they’re a jerk and pick it up for them. Make people feel guilty if they’re throwing their coffee cups into the river… they should feel guilty.”
He praised people for keeping the river valley clean, recycling and disposing of garbage properly, but stressed there’s more to be done.
“Obviously that fish told us that.”
READ MORE: Australian photographer captures bizarre photos of fish ‘trapped’ inside a jellyfish
According to Alberta Environment and Parks, Northern Pike can grow up to 22 kilograms, or 50 pounds.
— With files from Emily Mertz |
The nominations are in, and Emmys host Stephen Colbert is in for a wild ride come September. Why, you ask? Well, in addition to an absolutely stacked dramatic-actress-in-a-limited-series category, there’s a more personal possibility facing the comedian: thanks to his multiple nominations for The Late Show, Colbert could become the first performer in TV Academy history to win multiple awards while also hosting the annual Emmy Award ceremony.
Colbert earned six Emmy nominations this year: Late Show is up for direction and writing for a variety series, as well as variety series overall, and Colbert’s election-night special, which aired on Showtime, earned nods in the same categories for variety special.
The list of Emmys hosts who have taken home statuettes while emceeing the ceremony itself is a relatively small club: in 68 years, the only TV personalities who have managed the task are Raymond Burr, Bill Cosby (twice), Mary Tyler Moore, Tom Selleck, David Letterman, Bruce Willis, Candice Bergen, Jeff Probst, Jimmy Fallon, and Neil Patrick Harris. None of these winners, however, ever managed to take home more than one award on the night they hosted. (Although some had earned multiple nominations.)
Colbert already has nine Emmys under his belt, but he has never hosted the big night before. Perhaps more importantly, the comedian has plenty of experience taking home multiple Emmy Awards in one night: he did so two years in a row—in 2013 and 2014—when The Colbert Report took home gold statuettes in the variety-series and writing-for-a-variety-series categories. Could he do it again with his new broadcast show come September?
Late Show might have taken a few months to find its footing, but since the election Colbert has become the golden boy of late night, supplanting what had once been an impenetrable ratings reign by Fallon’s Tonight Show. So far, Fallon has brought home only one Emmy as host of The Tonight Show— for creative achievement in interactive media-social TV experience, not exactly one of the ceremony’s biggest marquee awards. As Colbert continues to solidify his seat atop the late-night throne, snagging a couple trophies for himself and his staff certainly wouldn’t hurt—especially when he’ll also have the rest of the ceremony to crow about the victory from his hosting podium.
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On a chilly September 16th morning, people line up at tables in the Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens parking lot to sign up as volunteers to pick up trash along the Upper Sacramento River on National River Cleanup Day.
Armed with large orange and clear heavy duty plastic trash bags, rubber and work gloves, trash grabbers (pick-ups) and a map, more than 30 citizens soon head out to one of the 40 sites of their choosing between Cantara and Dog Creek.
The River Exchange has hosted an annual cleanup for the past 25 years, getting the community involved in stewardship of the local rivers. They offer awards and activities as incentives to encourage people of all ages to participate.
“We want to ensure that the river stays clean for locals and visitors to enjoy through the year,” said Phil Detrich, one of seven River Exchange board members. “It is a great way to get people in touch with the river. Some people request to go to areas they’ve never been.”
Detrich says the amount of trash around public parking areas has increased, along with illegal dumping and homeless/transient camps near the river.
California Fish and Wildlife, Caltrans, and the railroad come when called to collect larger items such as washing machines, auto parts and waste, and containers filled with toxic materials or liquids.
River Exchange members place “golden rocks” in areas that will be cleaned up for awards to encourage participants for their efforts. After three hours, which includes weighing in all the collected trash, volunteers return to the park for free pizza and prizes.
Scott and Sarah Silber of Dunsmuir volunteer to clean graffiti from rocks they have seen in the area, and they purchased biodegradable graffiti remover at a store in town for the cleanup day.
Former Dunsmuir mayor and current River Exchange board member, fly fisherman, and self-proclaimed “Dunsmuirian” Peter Arth says this is his first time helping with the annual clean up. “The river is under stress. People unfortunately leave much behind like mattresses and monofilament along the river. This is an adventure for me.”
As the morning warms, it isn’t long before people start driving into the Dunsmuir service yard along the train tracks with loads of trash to add to the dumpster. Arth brings in a steel cable that fills up all the space in his car, along with a big bag of trash and a “golden rock” that guarantees a prize from one of many local sponsors.
Dunsmuir High School students Sarah Davis and Clarissa Murillo volunteered with River Exchange board member Tristan Behm to weigh and log debris collected before it is placed in the dumpster. Sarah and Clarissa are getting school credit for their efforts.
City council member Dave Keisler, along with Richard Sanders and Carolyn Rivard, bring in a truck load of rubbish they collected underneath the 800 foot bridge at what they called a hobo camp. Keisler displays a metal plate and spike from the railroad tracks with white writing on it which he claims is “hobo art.”
Deb Harton and her 11 year old daughter Riley Harton-Greener brought back a small truck load of leftover construction debris, carpet remnants, a tire, a torn up tarp, and bags of trash. They also unintentionally brought in a lizard.
Many pieces of metal, fiberglass, and steel rods were removed from bushes, along with clothes, plastic bottles and toilet paper.
A vintage Shasta Cherry Cola can was found, as were a blue tooth, 40 pounds of rubber bumper clips for concrete ties, street signs, zig zag papers, a door nob, a torn “no dumping” sign, a heavy bolted homemade truck bumper pull, and garden hoses.
“A lot of trash was near the freeway. The fishing access sites were pretty clean,” said Barb Valenzuela, who picked up trash around Shotgun Creek’s fishing access.
In all, 1,208 pounds of trash was collected, 600 pounds of which was brought in by Keisler and Sword Construction.
Ryan Gilpatrick and Philip Gregory produced 460 pounds of rubbish they found mostly under Butterfly Bridge.
“After the Cantara spill [in 1991] there was a lot of litigation and negotiations for years,” said River Exchange President Chris Stromsness.
“Millions of dollars went to the Cantara Trustee Council for restoration and building resource support and programs with the community. This money was gained by Diane Strachan writing a grant for organizations with descriptions supporting these things.”
Back then, he said, more than 200 people volunteered for the cleanup day. “But we are going to get most of the areas clean of trash with the amount of people that are helping today.”
The River Exchange promotes healthy watersheds. Find more information at riverexchange.org.
2017 Golden Rock sponsors are: Chris Stromsness, Pacific Power, PACE Engineering, Aiello, Goodrich and Teuscher (AGT), Bombs Away, Ted Fay Fly Shop, Wayne Eng Fly Fishing, Banner Bank, Brown Trout Vintage, Frank’s Famous Foods, Dunsmuir Rotary Club, Dunsmuir Brewery, Dunsmuir Eagle Lodge, Carl and Harriet Alto, Sheryl Neukirch and Bruce Palmer, Fred Gordon Art & Fishing, General Produce, Phil Detrich, Ken Warren at Type & Print, David Hicks, and Meyer & Sons Heating, Plumbing & Air Conditioning. |
Bob Dylan
The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA
May 3, 1976
Download: FLAC/MP3
01 Mr Tambourine Man
02 Love Minus Zero / No Limit
03 Vincent Van Gogh
04 Maggies Farm
05 Mozambique
06 Diamonds and Rust
07 Railroad Boy
08 I Pity The Poor Immigrant
09 Shelter From The Storm
10 Stuck Inside Mobile
11 You’re a Big Girl Now
12 Rita May
13 Lay Lady Lay
14 Idiot Wind
15 Knocking On Heavens Door
16 Gotta Travel On
— Bonus Tracks:
17 Hurricane
18 Oh Sister
19 Simple Twist of Fate
Soundboard recording of the entire Dylan portion (minus Isis) of the 1976-05-03 show at the Warehouse in New Orleans.
NOTES:
Bobsboots.com says of this release, on the Yellow Cat label: “This is a great show that has been released several times in the past, always incomplete. This is the best version to date.” A great recording, not marred by the oversaturation that exists on a lot of the RTR soundboards.
BONUS: there are three outstanding filler tracks included: Hurricane, Oh Sister, and Simple Twist Of Fate, (from a 1975-12-13 FM simulcast of the television show “The World of John Hammond.”) |
Not to be confused with Chankiri Tree , which is also known as The Killing Tree.
The Killing Tree (sometimes abbreviated as TKT) was a hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They were a side project of Tim McIlrath during the early days of Rise Against and featured former Rise Against guitarist Todd Mohney and bassist Geoff Reu of Baxter and Holy Roman Empire.[1]
Career [ edit ]
The Killing Tree was formed shortly after Tim McIlrath's other band, Rise Against, in 1999. The band’s main line-up consisted of McIlrath on guitar and vocals, Reu on bass and backing vocals, Mohney on guitar, and Remis on drums.[2]
In an interview, Tim McIlrath told the interviewer "I used to play in a band called Baxter with Geoff Reu and Remis, and we always had an itch to do heavier music. After Baxter broke up we would have sporadic, impromptu jam sessions in my basement for a year, with no real intention of starting anything. We actually had a female roommate at the time singing for us for a while! Either way, the songs began to take shape and we realized we needed someone else to complete the chaos, so we enlisted Todd to shred with us, and all the pieces fell into place. After we completed a number of songs we realized that what started out as fun we thought might actually go over well. "[2]
McIlrath was concerned that Rise Against's record label, Fat Wreck Chords would not want him recording with a different band, so all members of The Killing Tree used false identities when performing and recording.[3] The Killing Tree has not had any albums or EPs released since 2003.
The Killing Tree has not performed live since 2004 or released any new music since 2006, and the official website has not been updated since August 26, 2006.
In an Interview with Punknews.org Tim McIlrath was asked about The Killing Tree's future and said: "I would love to. I would love to right now. I'd love to call those guys and just fucking write a record right now if we could. I think Neil is getting back from Europe today and I'm going to hang out with him later tonight. Todd is out of LA right now doing a bunch of graphic design stuff and Geoff is doing Holy Roman and also doing his masters degree at UIC. For me and Neil to actually have lunch together though, that's like the stars are aligned. It's a fucking miracle. I would love to and I think that I still love the Killing Tree and what we've created. I love the record, it was a lot of fun. But, there's no real mystery to why we're not doing records- it's simply because there's no time. If there was, we'd all be having a lot of fun and writing some new songs or at least playing some shows. But who knows, we tend to do a show every year or so in Chicago somewhere.."
Musical style [ edit ]
The Killing Tree's musical style is typified by longer song and more prominent metalcore and Swedish death metal influences,[4] such as screaming vocals and aggressive breakdowns, than that of McIlrath's other band, Rise Against. Although the vocals are primarily screamed, many tracks alternate between screaming and clean vocals. The lyrics tend to be darker and have violent themes. They have been described as metalcore,[4] hardcore punk and post-hardcore,[5][6] with their style having been compared to acts such as AFI, At the Drive-In and Sparta.[5]
Discography [ edit ]
Bury Me at Make-Out Creek (2000)
(2000) The Romance of Helen Trent (2002)
(2002) We Sing Sin (2003)
Compilations [ edit ]
Hair: Chicago Punk Cuts ("Dressed to Fuck" only) (2006)
Members [ edit ]
Previous Members
Laura Cahill - co-lead vocals (1999)
Neil Hennessy - drums (1999)
Other appearances [ edit ]
Emily Schambra (of Holy Roman Empire) - guest vocals on "Dressed To Fuck" |
"There is great intellectual interest in the history of life," said Dr. Fisher, who advises 12 graduate students in paleontology. "But who is going to pay for people to study it?"
Only 30 undergraduates listed paleontology as their major in a nationwide survey of geology department heads conducted last year by the American Geological Institute in Alexandria, Va. There were 182 candidates for graduate degrees in paleontology.
But in the wake of "Jurassic Park," paleontology departments across the country are bracing for an influx of new students, said Robert S. Cox, an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan who has taught a survey course titled "Dinosaurs" since 1985.
"I haven't seen the enrollment figures yet, but I'm sure they'll be through the roof," Mr. Cox said.
"A lot of these kids have loved dinosaurs since they were little," he said. "Virtually everyone I've known in this field grew up exploring the natural world."
Mr. Kass, who loved dinosaurs as a child, forgot about them for years and studied business administration in college. But one day, he bought a toy dinosaur in a gift shop. "After that, I was totally hooked again," he said.
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In a telephone interview from the paleontology laboratory at Brigham Young, where the bones of a giant Ultrasaurus tower overhead, Mr. Kass was eager to discuss Mososaur, the dinosaur he is studying for his master's thesis.
"I tend to like carnivorous animals, and Mososaur was the swimming version of Tyrannosaurus rex," he said. "Take the lions on the African plain and picture something 10 times bigger, faster and meaner." More Need for Protection
Although some paleontologists grumble about the flood of publicity "Jurassic Park" has brought their field, students hope it will expand their career opportunities. Several paleontologists helped design the mechanized dinosaurs for "Jurassic Park," and theme parks and traveling exhibits featuring life-size dinosaur models are in the works.
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If the movie promotes a national interest in dinosaur hunting, there will also be an increased need to protect fossils, said Peter Robinson, a professor of natural sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The Federal Bureau of Land Management hired several paleontologists this year to help analyze and preserve fossils in Western states.
"There are an awful lot of amateur fossil collectors out there, and someone needs to regulate them," Dr. Robinson said.
Even so, many paleontology students make sure they have backup plans. David Varricchio, a graduate student at Montana State University in Bozeman, will receive a Ph.D. in biology next year and teach anatomy. "I figure I can get a job teaching premedical students and do dinosaur research on the side," he said.
Since the Western states have some of the best fossil reserves in the world, many paleontology students apply to graduate schools there. In the summer, they work "in the field," extracting delicate bones from quarries. Field projects, some say, are the best part of their studies.
"Dozens of students want to go on the digs, but we can only take a limited number," said Wade E. Miller, a professor of geology and paleontology at Brigham Young. "With so few opportunities, we need to be very selective and weed out talent."
Mr. Varricchio said he is looking forward to July and August, which he will spend unearthing fossils in northwestern Montana. "Compiling the data back in the lab can be frustrating," he said. "But digging up bones is never boring." |
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A burglar broke into a house in Coventry – and stripped it of everything including the kitchen sink.
Sebastian Ptasinski also took a new boiler, radiators, pipework, new carpets and even the cooker from a home in Wyken.
The house was being done up by the landlord after a tenant moved out.
Despite his fingerprints, and empty cans of Polish beer, being found inside and at another burgled house, Ptasinski had initially pleaded not guilty to two break-ins.
But on the day of his trial at Warwick Crown Court, Ptasinski, 30, of Wappenbury Close, Wyken, changed his pleas to guilty.
The first offence involved him targeting a neighbouring house which had been let to a tenant who had moved out in December last year.
The owner spent £3,000 on carrying out improvements, including installing a new boiler, pipework and radiators, and fitting new carpets.
But the property remained unoccupied, and when the owner visited on April 10 he discovered that it had been burgled and ‘vandalised.’
The new boiler, piping and radiators had been stolen, together with the carpets, lights and electrical switches, cooker - and even the kitchen sink and taps.
Ptasinski sold a lot of the property to a scrap dealer, and he was identified as the seller after being traced through his car which had been captured by a CCTV camera at the scrap yard.
His fingerprints matched those found in the burgled house, where he had discarded an empty can of Zubr, a Polish beer.
Ptasinski’s DNA, together with another empty can of Zubr, were also found in a house in Milverton Road, Wood End, Coventry which had been broken into while the woman who lived there was away visiting relatives.
She had returned on April 23 to find her home had been ransacked and property including her computer and sewing machine, the television, a camera, two watches and clothes had been taken.
But as well as the empty beer can with his DNA on it, Ptasinski had also left behind a bailiff’s notice with his name and address on it. Adjourning the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Ptasinski, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano granted him bail with a condition of an electronically-monitored curfew.
But she warned him: “Please be under no illusions; this is likely to be a sentence of custody which is measured in years rather than months.”
Story link: |
Disclaimer: The following are my personal views and experiences at this year’s Google IO. They are not representative of my employer. Should you want to quote me, please do so as Chris Heilmann, developer.
TL;DR: Is Google IO worth the $900? Yes, if you’re up for networking, getting information from experts and enjoy social gatherings. No, if you expect to be able to see talks. You’re better off watching them from home. The live streaming and recordings are excellent.
Google IO this year left me confused and disappointed. I found a massive gap between the official messaging and the tech on display. I’m underwhelmed with the keynote and the media outreach. The much more interesting work in the breakout sessions, talks and demos excited me. It seems to me that what Google wants to promote and the media to pick up is different to what its engineers showed. That’s OK, but it feels like sales stepping on a developer conference turf.
I enjoyed the messaging of the developer outreach and product owner team in the talks and demos. At times I was wondering if I was at a Google or a Mozilla event. The web and its technologies were front and centre. And there was a total lack of “our product $X leads the way” vibes.
Kudos to everyone involved. The messaging about progressive Web Apps, AMP and even the new Android Instant Apps was honest. It points to a drive in Google to return to the web for good.
The vibe of the event changed a lot since moving out of Moscone Center in San Francisco. Running it on Google’s homestead in Mountain View made the whole show feel more like a music festival than a tech event. It must have been fun for the presenters to stand on the same stage they went to see bands at.
Having smaller tents for the different product and technology groups was great. It invited much more communication than booths. I saw a lot of neat demos. Having experts at hand to talk with about technologies I wanted to learn about was great.
Organisation
Here are the good and bad things about the organisation:
Good: traffic control wasn’t as much of a nightmare I expected. I got there two hours in advance as I anticipated traffic jams, but it wasn’t bad at all. Shuttles and bike sheds helped getting people there.
Good: there was no queue at badge pickup. Why I had to have my picture taken and a – somehow sticky – plastic badge printed was a bit beyond me, though. It seems wasteful.
Good: the food and beverages were plentiful and applicable. With a group this big it is hard to deliver safe to eat and enjoyable food. The sandwiches, apples and crisps did the trick. The food at the social events was comfort food/fast food, but let’s face it – you’re not at a food fair. I loved that all the packaging was paper and cardboard and there was not too much excess waste in the form of plastics. We also got a reusable water bottle you could re-fill at water dispensers like you have in offices. Given the weather, this was much needed. Coffee and tea was also available throughout the day. We were well fed and watered. I’m no Vegan, and I heard a few complaints about a lack of options, but that may have been personal experiences.
Good: the toilets were amazing. Clean, with running water and plenty of paper, mirrors, free sunscreen and no queues. Not what I expected from a music festival surrounding.
Great: as it was scorching hot on the first day the welcome pack you got with your badge had a bandana to cover your head, two sachets of sun screen, a reusable water bottle and sunglasses. As a ginger: THANK YOU , THANK YOU , THANK YOU . The helpers even gave me a full tube of sunscreen on re-entry the second day, taking pity on my red skin.
, THANK , THANK . The helpers even gave me a full tube of sunscreen on re-entry the second day, taking pity on my red skin. Bad: the one thing that was exactly the same as in Moscone was the abysmal crowd control . Except for the huge stage tent number two (called HYDRA - I am on to you, people) all others were far too small. It was not uncommon to stand for an hour in a queue for the talk you wanted to see just to be refused entry as it was full up. Queuing up in the scorching sun isn’t fun for anyone and impossible for me. Hence I missed all but two talks I wanted to see.
. Except for the huge stage tent number two (called - I am on to you, people) all others were far too small. It was not uncommon to stand for an hour in a queue for the talk you wanted to see just to be refused entry as it was full up. Queuing up in the scorching sun isn’t fun for anyone and impossible for me. Hence I missed all but two talks I wanted to see. Good: if you were lucky enough to see a talk, the AV quality was great. The screens were big and readable, all the talks were live transcribed and the presenters audible.
The bad parts
Apart from the terrible crowd control, two things let me down the most. The keynote and a total lack of hardware giveaway – something that might actually be related.
Don’t get me wrong, I found the showering of attendees with hardware excessive at the first few IOs. But announcing something like a massive move into VR with Daydream and Tango without giving developers something to test it on is assuming a lot. Nine hundred dollars plus flying to the US and spending a lot of money on accommodation is a lot for many attendees. Getting something amazing to bring back would be a nice “Hey, thanks”.
There was no announcement at the keynote about anything physical except for some vague “this will be soon available” products. This might be the reason.
My personal translation of the keynote is the following:
We are Google, we lead in machine learning, cloud technology and data insights. Here are a few products that may soon come out that play catch-up with our competition. We advocate diversity and try to make people understand that the world is bigger than the Silicon Valley. That’s why we solve issues that aren’t a problem but annoyances for the rich. All the things we’re showing here are solving issues of people who live in huge houses, have awesome cars and suffer from the terrible ordeal of having to answer text messages using their own writing skills. Wouldn’t it be better if a computer did that for you? Why go and wake up your children with a kiss using the time you won by becoming more effective with our products when you can tell Google to do that for you? Without the kiss that is – for now.
As I put it during the event:
I actually feel poor looking at the #io16 keynote. We have lots of global problems technology can help with. This is pure consumerism.
I stand by this. Hardly anything in the keynote excited me as a developer. Or even as a well-off professional who lives in a city where public transport is a given. The announcement of Instant Apps, the Firebase bits and the new features of Android Studio are exciting. But it all got lost in an avalanche of “Look what’s coming soon!” product announcements without the developer angle. We want to look under the hood. We want to add to the experience and we want to understand how things work. This is how developer events work. Google Home has some awesome features. Where are the APIs for that?
As far as I understand it, there was a glitch in the presentation. But the part where a developer in Turkey used his skills to help the Syrian refugee crisis was borderline insulting. There was no information what the app did, who benefited from it and what it ran on. No information how the data got in and how the data was going to the people who help the refugees. The same goes for using machine learning to help with the issue of blindness. Both were teasers without any meat and felt like “Well, we’re also doing good, so here you go”.
Let me make this clear: I am not criticising the work of any Google engineer, product owner or other worker here. All these things are well done and I am excited about the prospects. I find it disappointing that the keynote was a sales pitch. It did not pay respect to this work and failed to show the workings rather than the final product. IO is advertised as a developer conference, not a end user oriented sales show. It felt disconnected.
Things that made me happy
The social events were great – the concert in the amphitheatre was for those who wanted to go. Outside was a lot of space to have a chat if you’re not the dancing type. The breakout events on the second day were plentiful, all different and arty. The cynic in my sniggered at Burning Man performers (the anthithesis to commercialism by design) doing their thing at a commercial IT event, but it gave the whole event a good vibe.
– the concert in the amphitheatre was for those who wanted to go. Outside was a lot of space to have a chat if you’re not the dancing type. The breakout events on the second day were plentiful, all different and arty. The cynic in my sniggered at Burning Man performers (the anthithesis to commercialism by design) doing their thing at a commercial IT event, but it gave the whole event a good vibe. Video recording and live streaming – I watched quite a few of the talks I missed the last two days in the gym and I am grateful that Google offers these on YouTube immediately, well described and easy to find in playlists. Using the app after the event makes it easy to see the talks you missed.
– I watched quite a few of the talks I missed the last two days in the gym and I am grateful that Google offers these on YouTube immediately, well described and easy to find in playlists. Using the app after the event makes it easy to see the talks you missed. Boots on the ground – everyone I wanted to meet from Google was there and had time to chat. My questions got honest and sensible answers and there was no hand-waving or over-promising.
– everyone I wanted to meet from Google was there and had time to chat. My questions got honest and sensible answers and there was no hand-waving or over-promising. A good focus on health and safety – first aid tents, sunscreen and wet towels for people to cool down, creature comforts for an outside environment. The organisers did a good job making sure people are safe. Huge printouts of the Code of Conduct also made no qualm about it that antisocial or aggressive behaviour was not tolerated.
Conclusion
I will go again to Google IO, to talk, to meet, to see product demos and to have people at hand that can give me insight further than the official documentation. I am likely to not get up early next time to see the keynote though and I would love to see a better handle on the crowd control. It is frustrating to queue and not being able to see talks at the conference of a company who prides itself at organising huge datasets and having self-driving cars.
Here are a few things that could make this better:
Having screening tents with the video and the transcription screens outside the main tents. These don’t even need sound (which is the main outside issue)
Use the web site instead of two apps. Advocating progressive web apps and then telling me in the official conference mail to download the Android app was not a good move. Especially as the PWA outperformed the native app at every turn – including usability (the thing native should be much better). It was also not helpful that the app showed the name of the stage but not the number of the tent.
outperformed the native app at every turn – including usability (the thing native should be much better). It was also not helpful that the app showed the name of the stage but not the number of the tent. Having more places to charge phones would have been good, or giving out power packs. As we were outside all the time and moving I didn’t use my computer at all and did everything on the phone.
I look forward to interacting and working with the tech Google. I am confused about the Google that tries to be in the hands of end users without me being able to crack the product open and learn from how it is done. |
(CN) – An avowed atheist who was jailed for refusing to participate in a 12-step treatment program deserves a new trial of his civil rights claims, the 9th Circuit ruled.
Barry Hazle sued his parole officer, several California corrections officials and Westcare Corp. after they revoked his probation for a drug conviction because of his “congenial” refusal to recognize a higher power, as the 12-step recovery method requires.
Hazle said he told officials several times about his atheism and reluctance to participate in religious treatment programs after pleading no-contest in 2006 to possession of methamphetamine. Nonetheless, in 2007 he was paroled to a 90-day residential program that offered only the 12 Steps, many of which call for explicit acceptance of God.
When he refused to participate, staff reported Hazle to his parole officer, saying that he was being “disruptive, though in a congenial way, to the staff as well as other students,” according to the ruling. Hazle then found himself back in prison for another 100 days.
His federal civil rights action sought damages for false imprisonment, among other things. U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell in San Francisco found the defendants were indeed liable for depriving Hazle of his First Amendment rights and turned the issue over to a jury to determine the amount of damages.
The jury awarded zero damages.
Hazle shot back with a motion for a new trial, but was denied. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit reversed Friday, finding that Hazle was entitled to something.
“The district judge’s finding of liability establishes that Hazle suffered actual injury when he was unconstitutionally incarcerated,” Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote for the court. “Given this undisputed finding that Hazle’s constitutional rights were violated, and applying the rule that the award of compensatory damages is mandatory when the existence of actual injury is beyond dispute, we hold that the district judge erred in refusing to hold that Hazle was, as a matter of law, entitled to compensatory damages. We therefore reverse the district judge’s denial of Hazle’s motion for a new trial.”
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Tzenkethi forces have set up operations in the Gon’cra system, at the far edges of explored space!
The Tzenkethi battlezone is a new area for level 60 captains. Tzenkethi ships guard new mining and construction operations, where the Tzenkethi have built facilities to harvest the raw material of the system and turn it into weaponry. Allied forces rally to set up blockades and counter the Tzenkethi construction projects. Destroy their research data and deny them the assets for their war machines!
Of course, the Tzenkethi will fight to protect their operations. Once Allied forces have taken control of the area, captains must hold off Tzenkethi dreadnoughts using metaphasic shielding. Succeed, and the Tzenkethi will be repulsed from the system; fail, and their war efforts will continue.
Completion of objectives in the Tzenkethi Battlezone will award new Lukari marks, used for advancing through the Lukari Restoration Initiative reputation. Additionally, participation awards expertise and dilithium.
The Tzenkethi Battlezone is available to level 60 captains of all factions, accessible from the Alpha Quadrant.
Jesse Heinig
Staff Game Designer
Star Trek Online |
Image caption David Miliband has taken four days to announce his intentions
He's popular with the Labour party. He's served in the very front rank of politics, striding the world stage - pictured with Obama, feted by Hillary Clinton. He's still only 45 - relatively young for a politician. And he says he loves his brother.
So, why is David Miliband walking out on Labour's top team just at the moment that they require youth and experience - two qualities which he can display - in order to rebuild after the general election defeat?
Although he was reluctant to say so, during the leadership contest he finally agreed he would serve under his brother Ed if he lost. But he didn't specify in what capacity.
Many of his supporters were emotional in the wake of his narrow defeat and one of the most prominent among them told me that agreeing to work for his brother in theory was fine, but in practice - as his loss sunk in - he felt differently.
The last place David Miliband wanted or needed to be was in the hothouse atmosphere of Labour's conference, under the camera lights, his every move reported.
He took some time out on Sunday afternoon but received phone calls and text messages from his brother.
Ed's supporters told me at that time they were very confident he would take a shadow cabinet position though no formal offer of shadow chancellor had been put on the table.
David was, of course, also having discussions with other members of his family - including his wife, Louise. He had been talked of as a future leader since 2007, when Tony Blair stood down, putting a degree of constant pressure on his life outside of politics.
In the end, by not resigning along with his friend James Purnell in 2009 he had bolstered Gordon Brown.
Now he was being asked to hang on in there, with all those pressures that front-rank politics brings, to bolster another leader he thought was less talented than himself.
Substance
Throughout the leadership contest, he had said if he believed his brother would be a better leader he would have been running his campaign instead.
Nonetheless, just because he had lost the leadership battle, initially he wouldn't rule out standing for the shadow cabinet.
But his speech on Monday, and its aftermath - while not finally making up his mind - certainly created a more downbeat assessment that it would be possible to work with Ed at Labour's top table.
When he simply tried to leave the building after the speech, and told the pack of reporters and camera crews who were pursuing him he was "on the way out", the BBC hit a nerve by asking, "Are you really on the way out?"
But it wasn't this ribbing that worried him, but a question of substance.
Following the speech, he holed up in a backroom of the Livebait restaurant with some of those who had toiled the hardest on his behalf during the leadership bid.
Although it was an emotional meeting, David was said to be hard-headed in his view that he would do what was best for both Ed and for the Labour party - and that wasn't necessarily to take a front-bench job.
A crucial incident took place that day which made him doubt if it could ever work to have not just Blair/Brown rivals at the top of the party - an era they had witnessed at close range as advisers in Number 10 and 11 Downing Street - but two brothers.
Image caption Ed Miliband will have a new shadow cabinet
Following his speech to conference he expected to be asked about his brother and about his own career intentions.
Brotherly scrutiny
But the question which threw him was on the US. He was asked about his differences with Ed - who has criticised the last Labour government's closeness to the US on foreign policy.
David regards the substantive - rather than rhetorical - differences as slight. But this all but convinced him that every nuance between him and his brother would be pored over by the media at the expense of scrutinising potentially far more divisive differences at the heart of the coalition government.
But there were two other considerations. Some differences are real, not rhetorical - especially on the speed at which the deficit should come down.
As shadow chancellor that could be tricky. Continuing as shadow foreign secretary would be tricky too, given the differences over Iraq.
But the other problem was not simply about disagreements, but performance.
David's speech had gone so well that London's Evening Standard newspaper was suggesting he could overshadow his brother.
And there was a major reason why this was seen as problematic: legitimacy.
The real leader
Under Labour's three-way electoral college, David had won the most support from party members and MPs. Ed had won only among trade unions and affiliated societies, such as think tanks and interest groups.
If David did well in the House of Commons, then Conservative MPs might bait his brother by calling for Labour's real leader to stand up. That is like giving an already raw nerve sciatica.
But still a section of David's supporters were urging him to stay on - some in the strongest terms, with one suggesting it would be "a dereliction of duty" to stand aside.
Meanwhile, they were working overtime behind the scenes to ensure that if he did go, at least some of his supporters would get on to the shadow cabinet. They got that assurance on Tuesday - along with confirmation that the shadow chief whip Nick Brown, seen as close to Gordon Brown and an opponent of David Miliband - would be removed. But even that didn't persuade David to stay on the frontbench.
Those close to him urged him to leave conference and get some perspective - making the right decision would be better than a rushed decision.
But his opponents in Manchester were now heaping derision upon him, suggesting his inability to declare his intentions proved that he would have been a poor leader all along.
Against this backdrop, frustration clearly got the better of him on Tuesday when he witnessed deputy leader Harriet Harman applaud his brother's denunciation, in his leader's speech, of the Iraq war which he had supported.
So, he took the advice to go home to decide whether to close the door on front bench politics. At least for now. |
You know that feeling. You’re at a friend’s party and you see a cute guy or girl. You begin to sweat just a little and smile, the kind that makes you bite your lip. The other person approaches, and you make small talk. As you discuss shared interests, the stranger casually looks you up and down, assessing. He doesn’t think you notice, but you notice. You’re thinking the same thing. After some time passes, he asks if you want to get out of here, and you do. You go back to his place. He doesn’t call the next day. You don’t text.
This scenario is familiar to many of us, a rite of passage on most college campuses. For Dill Werner, though, the concept of having a one-night stand is both alien and terrifying, like slipping through a wormhole into an alternate universe. That’s because Werner, 30, identifies as demisexual.
What does demisexual mean?
The term demisexual, which originated on the website of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network in 2008, denotes someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction right away. These feelings often take weeks, months, or even years to form, the result of building a special bond with another person. The Demisexuality Resource Center describes the label as someone who “may experience secondary sexual attraction after a close emotional connection has already formed.”
Photo via zenjazzygeek/Flickr
Werner, a young adult author who focuses on LGBTQ themes, describes the process of developing attraction as “unique” to each individual that identifies as demisexual.
“It’s almost describing your soulmate. You know when you meet that person and something changes within you,” Werner said. “Your body is giving you permission and your mind is giving you permission to click with that person and say, ‘Now we can take it to a more physical level.’”
The word demisexual has gained greater visibility in recent years with buzzy articles in Wired and Elle shedding light on the complex romantic lives of members of an emerging identity. It’s also gained a great deal of traction on Tumblr, a microblogging website that has also popularized labels like “sapiosexual,” describing someone who is attracted to others’ intellect. On Twitter, people along the asexual spectrum regularly meet for “Ace Chats,” which provide support and space for the community.
How is demisexual different from asexual?
For those unfamiliar with the term, think of it as between the poles of asexuality, where you feel limited or no attraction to others, and what we think of as normative sexuality, where such feelings are frequent. If demisexuals do feel sexual attraction to someone they don’t know—a sexy train passenger—these moments are fleeting. They pass long before you get to the bedroom, and it’s different for everyone. Some will never have that experience.
Screengrab via Ash Hardell/YouTube
Because demisexuality is along the asexual spectrum, it’s frequently referred to as “gray sexuality.” You might also hear words like “asexual-ish” and “semisexual” used to describe the phenomenon.
READ MORE:
How do you know if you’re demisexual?
Although experiences vary for people who identify as demisexual, they often describe themselves as feeling “different” from a very young age. While schoolmates develop crushes on the cute boy in first period and go out on dates, they don’t. Instead, many demisexuals feel as if there’s something wrong with them. Why can’t they experience what everyone else does?
“I wanted to have the sorts of casual relationships other people were having because, to me, that’s what was ‘normal,’” Werner said. “That’s what it felt like I should have been doing in my 20s and late teens. I wanted to be like everybody else, but my body and my mind wouldn’t let me. Even when I tried to—with people I was in relationships with—alarm bells went off. It wasn’t the right time and it wasn’t the right circumstances.”
Photo via Flickr (Public Domain)
Meryl Williams, a writer for the Establishment, said that what made being demisexual particularly difficult is that she wasn’t aware—until recently—that the label existed.
“I didn’t have a name for it,” the 30-year old said. “It was this long, bumbling explanation. And it’s an uncomfortable topic! It’s hard to talk about, especially with someone you don’t feel comfortable with yet. I never really know what’s going to happen when I bring it up, which is scary because it’s such a vulnerable subject.”
Williams claimed that being demisexual often makes dating “frustrating” because there’s no guarantee that she’s going to develop sexual attraction to that other person at all. Many people, she said, haven’t been willing to wait around to find out.
“It takes a lot more time for me than it does for most people,” she said. “Most people, they can tell pretty early on if they’re sexually attracted to that person. They know. And if they’re not attracted to them, they’re probably not going to continue seeing that person. But with me, I’ll probably give relationships a lot more time than I necessarily need to because I’m not sure. I want to go down that road of dating someone for a while, but nine times out of 10, I’m not going to feel attracted to them.”
READ MORE:
What are the most common misconceptions about demisexuality?
What makes discussing demisexuality with partners and even friends and loved ones difficult is the great many misconceptions many people have about the term. After she came out as demisexual in the Washington Post, one reader told Williams she should go to conversion therapy.
Werner said that the most common myths about gray sexuality fall into five different camps. There are the types of people who believe that demisexuals are just waiting until they meet the right person. Others believe it’s a choice, akin to a young Christian waiting until marriage to have sex. Many might claim that demisexuality isn’t an orientation but instead the result of a low sex drive. Some claim that demisexuals are just “really picky.” The last, and perhaps most pernicious group, is the people who claim it’s merely a made-up label.
Photo by Elnur/Shutterstock (Licensed)
Cara Liebowitz, a 24-year-old disability activist, understands the confusion. But she also says that these criticisms can be delegitimizing and invalidating as if others would rather erase her experience than listen.
“I’m confused about my label, so anyone who is confused about my label can join the club,” Liebowitz said. “It makes me feel frustrated because people often tell me that it’s not a real thing. And I say, ‘I’m a real person, so obviously what I feel is real.’ People are so quick to judge, especially on the internet. It would be nice to talk about our sexuality without shame.”
How many people identify as demisexual?
A 2004 study conducted in the U.K. found that 1.1 percent of the population identifies on the asexual spectrum. If those numbers were the same for the United States, it would represent over 3.5 million people. That’s about the size of Connecticut.
While critics might lump this group in with people who experience “hypoactive sexual desire disorder,” there’s a difference between gray sexuality and a lack of libido. People with a low sex drive often feel intense depression and anxiety over their limited feelings of arousal. Most demisexuals, however, don’t want to change. A 2014 survey from AVEN found that two-thirds of demisexuals were not interested in having intercourse. It’s low on their priority list.
Werner, who is currently in a long-term relationship, said that it can be difficult to find someone you bond with, who brings out those feelings of sexual attraction. For many demisexuals, it only happens once or twice in their lives. But when it does, those feelings of connection are powerful. It’s worth the wait.
“When you meet the person you bond with, the heavens open up,” Werner said. “You see colors for the first time. Everything finally makes sense.”
Still curious? Here’s everything you need to know about being nonbinary, the ultimate guide to getting consent, what ‘gaslighting’ really means, and what it means to be transgender. Plus, read up on the reality of polyamory and gender dysphoria.
Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance. |
After three sunny days, Niseko is finally getting back to normal. It’s snowing.
I’m with a dozen members of a snowboard club from Tokyo, and together we zip down a short run covered in fairy dust, then ride the lift back to the top of the mountain, only to discover that, in the ten minutes we spent on the chair, a fresh sifting of white has completely filled in our tracks.
“The run reset,” says Mucchan, a member of the club.
We traverse into a glade of snow-pasted birch—what some here call juhyo (“ice trees”) or snow monsters, for the way the clumps of powder that stick to their limbs can leap down and startle you when disturbed—and then shimmy onto a second pitch where more dandruff of the gods awaits. There’s no rush. Despite the abundance of great snow, Mucchan and Kenchan and Tsunota and the others and I wait for each other at the bottom of every pitch. “Psycho!” someone says. High fives are traded. A plan for the next run is agreed on. Our communication is slowed by their choppy English and my desire to speak using a second-hand Japanese phrase book, but even so, I have never experienced a powder day anywhere close to this peaceful.
I shouldn’t be surprised. Niseko lies somewhere between a full-blown destination resort and a laid-back locals’ hill. Called Niseko United, it’s technically four separate resorts, whose braids of pistes all radiate from the same volcano on the northern island of Hokkaido, a short 1.5-hour flight from Tokyo. Combined, the resorts are as big as Alta and offer a respectable 3,000-foot drop. But it’s the consistent nature of the storms here that sets Niseko apart. Before the recent three-day drought, for example, snow fell constantly, an average of seven inches a day, for three weeks. And that’s only slightly better than a typical start to the season.
Mucchan doesn’t share my astonishment, though.
“Have you ever skied Whistler?” she asks.
I tell her that I have, and I acknowledge that, yes, Whistler’s big-mountain terrain trumps the mellower slopes of Niseko, but I also try to point out the obvious, how the flakes are now coming down so thick that it’s obscuring the horizon, how the air is so thoroughly snow-fogged that the lift operators have turned on halogen floodlights—the kind most resorts use only for night skiing. No luck. Her mind wanders, the blizzard too banal to merit discussion.
“Have you skied in Aspen?” she asks.
After a couple of group photos, Mucchan and the others call it a day and head in to the lodge, where most of my fellow skiers are already posted up around yards of beer like so many oil derricks.
So I ski alone, poofing through fluff and leaping off pillow drops and never sharing a chair, all while bits of white drift toward earth and swirl skyward, dye-in-water style, on an almost imperceptible breeze. “Aoooooooo!” I howl, bringing my skis to a hissing stop after another half-dozen untracked runs. I can’t see or hear another human being.
I’m alone in the whiteout, accompanied by little more than the tinny sound of Motown being broadcast from one of the lift-mounted speakers common at Japanese ski resorts. (“Upside down, boy you turn me,” Diana Ross sings—or maybe it’s a Japanese cover band.) I pause to count how much time elapses before a fellow powder hound appears. Ten chilly minutes pass, and I have my answer.
It’s a little after 2 P.M. on a Saturday afternoon, at the height of ski season, in a storm that will deposit some two and a half feet of frozen H’s and O’s in 24 hours, and my lone companion, the only other skier sharing my stoke on this part of the mountain, is a hunched old Japanese man, moving slowly and concentrating on every pole plant.
I turn downhill and ski after him. In Niseko, everyone’s a friend on a powder day.
UNLIKE UTAHANS, whose license plates read “Greatest Snow on Earth,” or Coloradans, who in Steamboat have trademarked the term champagne powder, the Japanese in Niseko do not flaunt, or often even appreciate, what they have. But even the most exotic powder stashes eventually get sniffed out, and over the past ten years the resort has quietly become the stuff of legend among the skiing cognoscenti.
Though only about 5,000 Americans visit Niseko each year, I had read their rhapsodic accounts, had seen their otherworldly pictures and hypnotic movie clips. I dismissed all the face shots as the result of patience or good fortune or smart editing. I didn’t truly understand how special Niseko is until I called up Tony Crocker.
Crocker is a 60-year-old insurance actuary from Glendale, California, and the numbers savant behind bestsnow.net, the most thorough collection of normalized snowfall records and precipitation trends for North American ski resorts. “I never saw snow fall out of the sky until I was an undergrad at Princeton,” Crocker told me. He became obsessed with it during the record-setting blizzards of 1978 and has been chasing powder ever since.
As a passionate skier long trapped in New York City, I’d hoped Crocker could help me figure out the statistically best week to visit one of North America’s more powder-blessed resorts. While Crocker had lots of numerical insights—Jackson Hole peaks in January, Utah in February, most of Colorado in March—he couldn’t pin down a specific window.
If there’s anything that his decades of regression analysis and standard deviations have taught him, it’s that predicting the weather is really hard. “The bottom line is, if you’re serious about powder, move to within a day’s drive of one of those resorts,” he said. Then he added the magic qualifier: “Unless we’re talking about Niseko.”
Blanketed by 580 inches a year, Niseko averages twice as much snow as most resorts in North America. Only Mount Baker, with 652 inches, sees more. But while this fact is fairly well-known, virtually every ski movie, trip report, and barroom tale misses one key detail, Crocker explained. Unlike most ski resorts, Niseko gets the overwhelming majority of its tremendous snowfall in December and January. On average, it receives 45 percent more snow in January than Mount Baker. And the water content of that snow is about the same as at Alta, which typically sees the driest powder in the U.S.
Scientists call it ocean-effect snow. In early December, supercooled air starts blowing in from the frigid plains of Siberia, sucking up moisture from the Sea of Japan and dropping the results on Hokkaido’s lonely volcanoes. The coldness of the January air, combined with Niseko’s prime, snow-catching location on the western side of the island, creates what is essentially a monthlong, uninterrupted storm. Nearly 15 feet of fukai yuki saiko land on the humble mountain in January alone, an average of almost six inches a day.
Visit Niseko for ten days in January and you will ski nearly five feet of fresh snow—more than most resorts receive in a month. Venture into the glades or go cat skiing and you’ll almost certainly experience movie-quality powder. When professional freeskiers J.P. Auclair and Chris Benchetler skied there in January of 2009, for the ski-porn film Reasons, the cloudlike snow wasn’t “epic,” as they boasted in the film, it was statistically normal. And when Crocker quit Trans-America Insurance, where he had worked his entire professional life, he didn’t go heli-skiing in Alaska or move to Salt Lake City. “When I retired,” he said, “the first trip I took was to Niseko in January.”
Sold. A week later, I booked a ticket.
THE JAPANESE HAVE a deep and abiding love for skiing, even if most of them don’t technically shred. The country’s two most mountainous islands, from the frigid northern tip of Hokkaido to the subtropical southern tip of Honshu, are dotted with some 600 resorts. (The United States, by comparison, has about 425.) Japan has hosted the Winter Olympics twice: in Sapporo, 60 miles east of Niseko, in 1972, and in Nagano, 130 miles northwest of Tokyo, on Honshu, in 1998.
After World War II, during Japan’s economic heyday, families cut down trees and strung up single lifts, mom-and-pop-style, just about anywhere they could, including Niseko. But the sport didn’t take off until the big-money eighties, when hotels were built and schools started busing entire classes to the hills for instruction. Then, in 1990, the Nikkei crashed and development stalled. Enough ski resorts were simply abandoned that photographers dedicate entire blogs to Japanese-ski-resort-decay porn. In Hokkaido, many surviving resorts now appear frozen in time.
Niseko is the exception, thanks largely to its growing popularity among Australians, who, after 9/11, realized that the region receives more snow than Whistler and is much closer to home. The resort is made up of three base areas: Annupuri, Niseko Village, and Grand Hirafu. (Hanazono is technically a fourth, but it has little more than a day lodge.) Annupuri is the smallest and most relaxed, with a seventies feel and a cluster of wooden chalets, funky coffee shops, and restaurants. Niseko Village is dominated by an enormous Hilton hotel shaped like a giant soda can, which towers over the base area, and offers unusual winter-sport activities like snow rafting, in which a snowmobile pulls a rubber raft full of people around a groomed field. Hirafu sits at the historic heart of the resort and is now a compact, architectural hodgepodge village teeming with hordes of young Aussie holidayers.
Despite the development, Niseko remains pastoral, surrounded by rectangular farms and patchwork forests, and the vibe is down-home. Pure water bubbles up from seemingly everywhere in the form of onsens, or geothermal hot springs, and community-maintained mineral springs, where restaurants fill their water jugs nightly. On the mountain, scannable passes are about as modern as things get. Many lifts are doubles or even singles. A winter farmers’ market does a steady business selling organic turnips, pickles, rice, and sake. ATMs are scarce, and when I finally find one, it doesn’t recognize my card.
The other thing that makes Niseko unique is that it’s one of a handful of resorts in safety-conscious Japan with an open-boundary policy. Nine gates along the periphery give way to hundreds of acres of uncontrolled terrain. Often referred to as “local rules,” Niseko’s unusually lax policies have spawned a half-dozen backcountry guiding services, and the area is home to three cat-skiing operations.
When I arrived in Niseko on January 21, snow was suffocating the town. Driving around, I saw an excavator teetering on a mound of snow taller than a mini-mart, while up the street a front-end loader dumped great avalanches of the stuff into a line of idling 18-wheelers. Snowblowers tunneled out side-walks, and hotel maintenance workers scurried from room to room, heaving shimmering flurries off the balconies. Keeping Niseko accessible until the bamboo pokes through in March costs the local government over $1 million a month. They don’t pray for snow, they look for places to put it.
On my first full day, under atypical bluebird skies, I signed up for a day of backcountry skiing on another nearby volcano, Yotei, with the Niseko Powder Company, a laid-back bunch of beer-drinking Japanese dudes who wouldn’t be out of place in Crested Butte.
“You are very lucky,” said Mako, a tall, broad-shouldered guide who had spent much of his early twenties snowboarding in Alaska. “We haven’t seen sun in three weeks.”
My companions were three young couples, professionals from Tokyo, and we dropped one by one down Yotei’s wide west face, which was covered in a couple of feet of light, untracked snow. After especially great pitches, everyone would clap or shout “Sugoi!”—making it tough to remember that these were urologists, video-game producers, and 2-D illustrators. But, generally, the couples remained quiet, keeping a lookout for tanukis—dog-like animals that have faces similar to a raccoon’s and, according to folklore, shape-shifting powers. The riders all shared a recognizable style. Whenever possible, they’d make enormous swooping turns, their arms outstretched like wings, and in gullies they buried the nose of their boards and kicked out the tail, sending up sparkling waves of spray.
I finally asked the illustrator in the group what was up.
“Surf style!” was his enthusiastic reply.
Surf style, I would later learn, was almost a Zen kind of riding. According to Muchan, it was “about blending with the energy of the mountain,” and it was the predominant way of snowboarding in Niseko, thanks to a local former pro named Taro Tamai.
In 1998, unhappy with the punky direction snowboarding was taking, Tamai decided to launch his own line of handmade boards, with distinctive split tails, minimal graphics, and bindings mounted far back of center, so riders could weight their front foot, even in deep powder. Gentemstick, as he called his hobby business, took off, and the surf style his boards inspired became the soulful center of Niseko riding. Every decent rider in Niseko pilots a Gentemstick, including each of the eight snowboarders with me on Yotei.
You pretty much have to visit Tamai’s showroom if you want your own Gentemstick, though that’s starting to change. A few small stores in Europe sell them now, and the Levitation Project, a boutique snowboard shop at the base of Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon, will have a couple in stock this season.
ON MY SECOND DAY, the sun was once again shining. I was starting to worry that Crocker had cooked his books and I might have to suffer the indignity of consulting a weather forecast. But instead I trusted fate and skied a few laps in the resort, threading my way through swarms of students in matching rental uniforms and groups of Chinese speakers who fell over often and seemed to lie there for an abnormally long period of time. I paused for noodles at a midmountain restaurant and accepted an invitation from an older Japanese couple to carve perfect figure-eight turns.
Annoyed by all the vitamin D and the glorious blue skies, I called it a day early. I had accommodations that evening at a health spa called Kanronomori, or Sweet Dew of the Forest, located at the edge of Annupuri. The place has four onsens, and when I entered the vast lobby, sonorous music surrounded me. So did thick clouds of cigarette smoke. The spa had fully embraced the Japanese love of chain-smoking and ashtrays, and smokers in robes abounded. Getting into the mood, I plopped down in my suite, lit up, and let the programmable massage chair squeeze my thighs as I balanced one of the half-dozen ashtrays in the room on the vibrating armrests.
The next few nights I was booked at a hotel in Hirafu, which felt like another dimension. There were nouveau-hippie-artist whiskey bars in the center of town, multimillion-dollar homes on the outskirts, and Aussies everywhere in between. They ordered scones at the Niseko Supply Company, tandoori chicken at the Indian food truck, and pints of Guinness at Paddy McGinty’s. I just about dropped my fork one night when a diminutive Japanese waitress referred to me as “mate.” “So many people with golden hair!” said a Hong Kong travel agent on her first visit to Hirafu, and I had to agree.
The flakes started to fall late on the third night, which is when I met the Tokyo snowboard club at a cozy and boisterous izakaya restaurant at the bottom of town. They kindly agreed to show me around the next day and even waited 30 minutes after the appointed time, until we finally found each other in the crowd of Asians and golden hairs.
After our excellent day of dodging snow monsters, my legs needed rest, but I had to celebrate. So I headed out for a drink at a log-cabin bar a couple of blocks from my hotel. Unbeknownst to me it was Australia Day, the sunburnt continent’s version of the Fourth of July, and the bar was packed with young men chugging beers out of kegger-style cups. Many of them had wrapped themselves in the Australian flag, while others were draped around the pool table wearing fuzzy, undersized kangaroo costumes.
“So what’s Australia Day all about?” I asked the first guy I meet.
“It’s about gettin’ hell drunk and fightin’, ” the kid said.
Ten minutes later, he made good on the statement. I stepped outside to find him shouting taunts down the otherwise peaceful street, until his equally drunk foe decided he’d had enough, removed his shirt, and proceeded to punch the kid in the back of the head.
“At least he didn’t get glassed,” the bartender said as I related the story.
Glassing, he explained, is when a bogan, or Australian redneck, smashes a beer bottle into another bogan’s head or face. According to the bartender, glassing has become a full-blown Australia Day tradition in Niseko.
“Why do you think we’re serving in plastic cups?” he asked.
FOR THE NEXT four days, I tour Niseko Village, ski powder at night under Hirafu’s impressive constellation of lights, and hunt down the virtually untouched snow that remains just outside the resort’s gates. Though it snows only two afternoons, finding fresh powder is almost never a problem.
Even so, I’ve grown spoiled. When I’m forced to ski cut-up waist-deep powder, I get grouchy. Feeling entitled, I sign up for a day of cat skiing with Niseko Adventure Centre, a newly opened operation based out of an abandoned resort behind Niseko. The only other guest is a retired Canadian CEO on a round-the-world ski trip. For six hours, we leave trails of cold smoke down a long, shallow bowl and blast through wind lips and fly out exit drainages. It is one of the best powder days I’ve ever experienced.
This is especially remarkable when you consider that my week has, by Niseko standards, been arid. A mere two and a half feet of snow have fallen, a full foot below average. Even so, I’m convinced that Niseko is probably the best ski resort in the world, so long as you can look beyond the bogans glassing each other on ‘Straya day. And don’t gaze too far into the future.
Thanks in part to the 2008 Chinese blockbuster Fei Cheng Wu Rao, a rom-com in which a beautiful stewardess shows a rich businessman the rugged beauty of Hokkaido, Chinese interest in the island has been piqued. Never mind that the Chinese and Japanese intensely dislike one another, a reported 80 percent of all condo buyers in Niseko two years ago were Chinese and Singaporean, and the list of swanky new accommodations catering to them is long, culminating, in five to ten years, with the opening of a $1.5 billion project that will feature 3,000 luxury condos, a Louis Vuitton store, and hot-air-balloon rides.
This mega-development will likely sour Niseko’s chilled-out vibe, a fact that concerns some of the locals I skied with over the course of the week. But my concerns are more immediate, like the fact that somehow I managed to visit just two onsens, roughly five fewer than I should have. And I haven’t soaked at the legendary Goshiki onsen, a lonely tub overflowing with hot spring water at the end of a backcountry run. Before I left for Japan, multiple pro skiers had insisted I visit.
So at two o’clock on my last day, despite the fact that another storm is blowing in, I’m determined to ski off the back side of the summit to Goshiki. I tromp into the clouds. In a whiteout at the top, I manage to find the ski patrol’s emergency hut, push open the ice-encrusted door, and wait. I’m not sure exactly how to get to Goshiki, so I hope that I can Jedi-mind-trick any savvy locals who might appear. A half-hour later, skinny Namioka, a software programmer, and plump Tetsushi, his boss at a company that automates oil refineries, arrive.
I ask them how to reach Goshiki onsen and they carefully and clearly explain, in decent English, all the landmarks and turns.
“Do I have to make any turns?” I ask.
“Yes,” says Tetsushi, explaining again.
“So I go this way?” I ask, gesturing vaguely into the clouds.
As I hoped, Namioka and Tetsushi offer to ditch their plans to ski back to the resort and instead agree to accompany me to Goshiki.
The skiing is horrible. At the top, we make survival turns around a field studded with hip-high ice clumps, then descend a wind-corrugated ridgeline. We chatter and side-slip down a long off-camber face, then drop into a forest where the clouds dissipate and the snow softens and we savor a couple hundred feet of the good stuff.
We land right at the brown building of the onsen. It’s as brilliant as described, a shallow limestone and larch-wood pool, half indoor, half out, with a thick cornice of snow hanging from the flat roof. Aside from the attendant in his little booth, we have the place to ourselves. We undress, wash, and slip into 114-degree water.
“We thought you were suicide,” Tetsushi says with a laugh, recalling my insistence on heading blindly into the backcountry during a full-on blizzard.
We place snowballs on our heads to keep cool, soak our tired legs, and chat about surf style and tanukis, whose scrota are, according to legend, bigger and floppier than a bloodhound’s ears.
Afterward, we buy Kirin tall boys from a vending machine and relax in the onsen’s tatami room, with brown woven mats on the floor, sitting cushions, and a low wooden table. Outside, the storm relents. But the respite is short-lived. The day after I leave, it will start snowing again, an average of six inches a day for a month. Ultimately, my week in Niseko will prove to be the resort’s worst between December and mid-February. But who gives a damn about statistics?
Source: outsideonline.com |
On Tuesday, The New York Times ran a correction to a story it originally published in 1853. The story, about Solomon Northup, the autobiographer of Twelve Years a Slave, spelled Northup’s name wrong. So on Tuesday, The Times released its correction:
An article on Jan. 20, 1853, recounting the story of Solomon Northup, whose memoir “12 Years a Slave” became a movie 160 years later that won the best picture Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards on Sunday night, misspelled his surname as Northrop. And the headline misspelled it as Northrup. The errors came to light on Monday after a Twitter user pointed out the article in The Times archives. (The errors notwithstanding, The Times described the article as “a more complete and authentic record than has yet appeared.”)
Here is the original 1853 article:
1853 NY Times article about Solomon Northup's ordeal by Jen Chung |
Two compelling reasons for avoiding weight-loss supplements
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to enjoy food and drink to one’s heart content and, once the pounds are piling up, simply swallow a pill and the weight goes down to normal? There are plenty of such pills on the market, but here I advise you to avoid them – mainly for two reasons.
The first is that they do not work. On this blog, we have discussed this before. The claims made for weight loss supplements are bogus. The manufacturers promise substantial body weight reductions not because their product is effective but because they want your money. So, unless you want to donate your cash to quacks, don’t buy such rubbish.
The second reason is probably even more compelling: weight-loss supplements endanger your health. A new paper tells us more about their risks. This investigation was aimed at identifying banned and discouraged-use ingredients, such as ephedra, 1,3-dimethylamylamine, and beta-methyl-phenylethylamine, in readily available weight loss dietary supplements within a 10-mile radius of Regis University.
A list of banned and discouraged-use ingredients was compiled with the use of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dietary supplement website which provides information on supplement ingredients that are no longer legal or are advised against owing to adverse event reporting. Investigators visited all retail outlet stores within a 10-mile radius of Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Retail chains were not duplicated and only one of each chain was evaluated.
A total of 51 weight loss supplement products from retail stores were found with banned or discouraged-use substances listed on their labels. At least one banned ingredient was found to be listed on the product labels in 17 of the 51 studied supplements (33%). At least one discouraged-use ingredient was found in 46 of the 51 products (90%). Retail outlet stores dedicated to supplements and sports nutrition alone were found to have the greatest number of weight loss supplements that included banned and discouraged-use ingredients.
The authors of this paper draw the following conclusions: the FDA has taken action to remove some weight loss supplements from the market that contain banned ingredients. Unfortunately, based on the findings of this study, it is evident that products containing these ingredients remain on the market today.
You might think that these findings apply only to the US, however, I am afraid, you would be mistaken. People buy such bogus supplements on the Internet where national regulations can easily be circumvented. Thus the trade in weight-loss supplements is thriving regardless of what the FDA or any other regulatory agency might do about them.
The solution is simple: avoid such products! |
FOX Expert Herridge: Comey Was Fired Because He Refused to Reveal Obama Unmaskers (VIDEO)
FOX News national security expert Catherine Herridge told The Five last night that FBI Director James Comey was fired because he refused to reveal the Obama administration “unmaskers” to President Trump.
The Obama administration spied on and unmasked the identities and conversations of several Americans in 2016 including officials close to President-elect Donald Trump.
General Michael Flynn resigned after Obama officials leaked his discussions with the Russian ambassador – which were completely legal – to the liberal media.
Herridge said Comey stalled turning the information over to the Trump administration.
Catherine Herridge: The accusation against the former FBI director, and this comes mostly from Republicans, is that he has been sort of slow walking records about the Americans who were identified or unmasked in these intelligence reports and providing them to Congress. And the reason that’s a big deal is that everyone in the IC, in the intelligence community knows that there is no bigger, deeper, wider, extensive paper trail than there is when you unmask or identify an American citizen. And it should not take months. It should take weeks if not the course of several days to know who was unmasked and who made those requests and that has not been provided.
Via The Five: |
Two outstanding books about the history of London and its property trade capture the story of one of the capital’s biggest post-war re-development schemes
From Oliver Marriott’s book The Property Boom:
Joe Levy is a small, jovial man in a large, rectangular office. Inside a faceless Portland stone building in the Haymarket, it is unremarkable except that it has had a great deal of money spent on it. The walls are of neo-Georgian panelling. On either side of the fireplace are two domed recesses with glass shelves scattered with precious ornaments and photographs of his family. “Will you have a drink? I must show my little gimmick,” said Joe Levy, bouncing up from behind his desk with a genial grin. He pressed two of a battery of switches beside his desk. Across the room the two alcoves began to revolve. One turned into an array of glasses and bottles of Liquor. The other was a television set. “I have to have that so that I can watch my horses when they are racing.”
Marriott was the financial editor of the Times. His fascinating book was first published in 1967. Levy was one of the giants of the London property trade during that era, a bookmaker’s son who became an estate agent in partnership with his brother David in 1939, just before the outbreak of war. The Levys later formed a business relationship with Scottish financier Robert Clark. David died suddenly in 1952, but in the same year Joe started out on the path to becoming one of the capital’s top tycoons.
It all began when a Mr Young asked him if he would sell on his behalf a one-acre corner site facing Euston Road and Stanhope Street. It didn’t happen straight away, but Levy secured outline planning permission from the London County Council (LCC), which was in charge of such things in those days. Four years later, the deal came back to life. Levy went to see LCC valuer Jo Toole and an under-valuer, Ernie Sames. Marriott’s book takes up the tale:
Joe Levy recalled this meeting. “Jo Toole produced a huge map and shook his head when he saw our plans. “No. I’m sorry, you can’t have permission to build on that site. We have a plan to build a main East-West road there and we shall need most of the site for part of the road widening.” “That’s interesting,” I replied, “but I happen to have a little piece of buff paper and if it isn’t an outline planning permission for a 120,000 square foot office block, you’re not valuers of the LCC. And if you intend to acquire that site compulsorily, it will cost you some £1 million in loss of development rights.” Curiously, the LCC’s valuers had forgotten the outline permission. Sames was sent out of the room to look up the file.
The LCC’s desire to widen the Euston Road put Levy in strong position. He exploited it quietly and remorselessly. Jerry White has summed this up in his excellent London In The 20th Century:
Levy put together a jigsaw of secretly linked property companies and began patiently to buy houses, factories and land along the north side of Euston Road. It took him four years. At the end, he offered to give the LCC the Euston Road frontage in return for generous office planning permissions based on the site he would have had if the road had not been built. In this way, Levy broke through the LCC’s “plot ratio” of floorspace to site area, a rule designed to prevent over-development of hemmed-in spaces. The result was a wider Euston Road, enabling the LCC to build an underpass beneath the Hampstead Road junction and Joe Levy’s huge Euston Centre - offices, shops and luxury flats, with twin towers of 17 and 34 storeys.
As both White and Marriott explain, the evolution of this development - one of the largest in the capital in modern times - took place with almost no-one noticing. By the time the Evening Standard put the pieces together and broke the story in 1964, demolition work was already underway. The more things change, the more they stay the same. |
Commissioner will no longer have to prove messages cause ‘substantial damage or substantial distress’ before taking action
Companies behind nuisance calls and texts to be fined up to £500,000
Companies that plague householders with unsolicited or nuisance phone calls and texts will be fined up to £500,000 under a government crackdown.
Ministers will confirm on Wednesday that they will be changing the law to make it easier to levy tough penalties on the companies behind persistent texts and calls promising compensation for payment protection insurance mis-selling and cold calls pushing solar panels.
The watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, will no longer have to prove that messages are causing a “substantial damage or substantial distress” before taking action against those responsible.
Following a consultation launched last October, the government has been considering how to make early intervention easier, and is expected to announce that in future the ICO will be able to intervene when calls cause “nuisance, annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety”.
Last year there were more than 175,000 complaints made to the commissioner about nuisance calls and texts, but there have been only a few prosecutions.
The consumer group Which? has been actively lobbying for the threshold for legal action to be lowered, warning that four in five people are regularly cold-called at home, while a third of householders feel intimidated by the messages. Its executive director, Richard Lloyd, chairs a taskforce, which in December recommended tougher action to crack down on calls, including accountability by board directors.
Last year Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, admitted that the telephone preference service, designed to let households block calls, was failing to stop two-thirds of unsolicited calls and messages. Rogue companies ignore the rules or trick consumers into giving consent.
The culture minister, Ed Vaizey, will press ahead with action after being shocked by the scale of evidence. Six in 10 people say they no longer wanted to answer their own phone.
Changes to the regulations will allow a change in the law before the general election, and possibly within days.
Lloyd said: “We welcome the government making good on its promise to change the law so it’s easier to prosecute nuisance callers. These calls are an everyday menace blighting the lives of millions so we want the regulator to send a clear message by using their new powers to full effect without delay.”
David Hickson of the Fair Telecoms campaign said: “We fear this is simply a bit of pre-election posturing, as with so many similar announcements over the last 10 years, during which the problem of nuisance calls has simply got worse.”
He called for togher regulation of companies, rather than a “lightweight general purpose regime against nuisance calls, using the limited capacities of the ICO and Ofcom, [which] can never succeed now that the problem has been allowed to grow to its present scale.
“Obviously this is a tiny step in the right direction – potentially making it easier to penalise less serious cases – but anyone who understands this issue must recognise that it is largely inconsequential.”
The energy firm SSE said it was one of the first to end cold calling – in 2013. A spokeswoman said: “Nobody likes receiving a sales call at home out of the blue, it’s intrusive. It’s time this practice is ended for good.” |
The (un) Official FoxTrot Web Site
This site is for all the FoxTrot fans. Enjoy! Now, an introduction to the cast of characters of FoxTrot, a comic strip by Bill Amend, and quite possibly the best strip ever.
Peter Fox - Garbage disposal, professional air guitarist, connoisseur of all things caffinated, chronically unemployed, recreationally challanged.
Denise Russo - Peter's better half. Um, make that three fourths. Loving girlfriend, sadistic prankster, only reason Peter keeps his sanity today.
Jason Fox - Child genius, professional tormenter (sister division), rocket scientist, math consultant, entreprenuer. Wanted for breaking FAA regulations by sending a cardboard rocket into low orbit.
Marcus Jones - Jason's best friend, or should I say accomplice? Willing student in the art of sister torment, considering he's four of his own.
Paige Fox - Typical fourteen year old teenage girl, shopiholic, heliophile, cook (well, she tries...), iguana hater, boy hunter, professional tormenter (brother division, little).
Quincy - Jason's iguana, tool of professional tormenters (sister division), only creature in the Fox House with an appitite larger than Peter's, which happens to be bent towards Paige's boy magizines, blouses, schoolwork, etc., etc., etc.
Roger Fox - General klutz, die hard fan of anything that involves competition, such as football, baseball, chess, eating. Cook (see Paige Fox), only person to destroy a computer simply by touching it.
Andy Fox - The only reason the house stands today, the only decent cook of the bunch, but defeats the purpose by making sufficiently healthy, and therefore disgusting entres. Writer, procrastinator, mother.
Okay, class, quiz time! Don't worry, this one won't affect your grade too much...
If you haven't heard about the imfamous Felix Jinx quizzes, beware! They are the nastiest collection of FoxTrot trivia ever assembled. So far, only two people are able to score a perfect on it. One person is the creator, Felix Xavier, and the other's Mr. Amend. Download 'em, give it a try!
The Hundred and One FoxTrot Questions, Volume One
answers to The One Hundred and One FoxTrot Questions, Volume One
Fifty Three More Questions to Irritate and Generally Annoy
"The Fifty Three Questions" is filled with all new trivia, including questions from Mr. Amend's newest book, "Come Closer Roger, There's A Mosquito on your Nose". Answers will be available February 1st, 1998. If you can score a perfect 53 points on our quiz, you'll recieve a FoxTrot book of your choice! Who says you don't get nothin' for free?
Since most of my quizzes, and answers to them use Jinx Notation, click here to find out what the heck it is.
Writing a huge quiz, but you don't want to be bugged by fans via e-mail? Send it to me! I'll certainly clear some room for another quiz. Just send it to me, and I'll make sure it gets exposure! Plus, I can rig up pictures for it, just like I've done above, right out of the treasuries. Just let me know (in Jinx Notation) where the pictures are that you want adorning your stuff. (Having a scanner is great. You have no idea.)
January's Golden Quincy Award!
Yep. A new feature for 1998. Each month, I'll be awarding one site (excluding the Official one, of course. It would eat us alive) the coveted Golden Quincy! The Golden Quincy recognizes the FoxTrot fan that has presented the best site of the month. Since this is site for the fans, by the fans, I would please ask you to cast your votes for February Golden Quincy. This was spontanious, and didn't have time to ask for votes. You may vote for a former recipent. Heck, vote for me if you'd like!
So, how do you like the site so far? Since this is a site for the fans, you should also decide how it should look. Please, don't hesitate to mail me with your suggestions, questions, and comments. Also, if you have a FoxTrot site, let me know, and I'll create a link for ya.
Another hobby of mine is writing. A couple years back, I wrote a bunch of fan fiction for Sonic the Hedgehog, which I am quite proud of. If you'd like to sample some of my fine literature, please visit my brother's Sonic the Hedgehog Fan Fiction Page.
Created by John Wainscott and mantained by Peter Wainscott. Last updated: January 1st, 1998 |
Europe has been hit by yet another terror attack as two Islamists stormed a church in Normandy, France and beheaded a Catholic priest before being shot dead by police.
The attackers entered the church in the town of Saint Etienne du Rouvray at around 9am this morning local time during mass before taking six hostages, including the pastor, two nuns and several worshippers.
One of the nuns was reportedly able to escape and alert authorities. After a gunfight, police announced that the terrorists had been neutralized.
It was initially reported that the priest had his throat slit, but he was actually beheaded. Another parishioner was wounded, with other injuries likely.
Police soon confirmed that the attack had an Islamist motive.
According to authorities, “at least one of the two hostage-takers had a beard and one wore a traditional Muslim cap.”
The hostages also reportedly shouted “jihad” during the rampage as well as “Allahu Akbar” on the steps of the church.
French President Francois Hollande and the Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve are already on their way to the area.
Europe can barely go 48 hours now without an Islamist terror attack, clearly indicating that the entire continent is being subverted by Islam while the media and political class still insist that the attacks have nothing to do with the millions of Muslim migrants that have poured into the continent over the last year.
Less than two weeks ago, 84 people were killed and 303 injured when an Islamist drove a truck through crowds of tourists and locals celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais.
As we reported recently, the head of French police has warned that more terror attacks or mass sexual assaults committed by migrants could lead to the outbreak of civil war.
Council member Jonathan Miller was also told that French citizens are “getting ready for a war” by joining gun clubs.
Over the last week, Germany has also been hit with three attacks, all of which were carried out by Muslim migrants.
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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Clinton Foundation on multiple occasions during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state asked senior U.S. government officials to vet her husband’s contacts with potentially controversial international figures, according to emails released by the State Department.
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally at Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Iowa August 10, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Keane/File Photo
The emails, reviewed by Reuters, were part of a batch of nearly 400 messages recently released by the State Department after requests from the conservative group Citizens United, a group that has long been critical of the Clintons.
The exchanges show a top foreign policy adviser to the foundation sought guidance from the State Department on former President Bill Clinton’s interactions with people including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian government officials and business leaders, and Gulnara Karimova, the socialite daughter of Uzbekistan’s late president.
The emails offer a glimpse of the intricate relationship between a private charity with a broad global mission and the State Department under the leadership of a secretary who is married to a former president.
Former government officials reached by Reuters said there was nothing inappropriate in the interactions of the foundation with the State Department over the potential meetings, some of which did not occur.
The latest batch of emails likely represents only a partial view of all the exchanges between the State Department and the foundation. It is unclear how frequently the foundation sought advice from the State Department on meetings involving Bill Clinton.
In one instance, the emails show Amitabh Desai, a foreign policy adviser to the foundation and to Bill Clinton, raised the possibility in 2009 of a meeting between Bill Clinton and Syrian President Assad. At the time, Assad wanted better ties with the West.
“Would this be concerning for State?” Desai wrote in an email alerting Hillary Clinton aide Jake Sullivan to the possible meeting.
“The Syrians expressed a keen interest in facilitating this,” Desai said in an email a few days later.
The Syria visit was proposed to be tacked onto a forum Bill Clinton was invited to attend in Israel in November 2009, according to the emails. The meeting never happened, according to Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who helped to organize the trip.
The State Department sometimes communicates with charities, such as about circumstances that might involve the safety of Americans or highly sensitive diplomatic situations, but it typically does not vet their contacts with foreign leaders to this extent. State Department spokesman Elizabeth Trudeau said officials occasionally provide talking points and briefings to ex-presidents.
Much of Bill Clinton’s communications with the State Department stemmed from an ethics agreement that was put in place when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state in 2009. The agreement was aimed at avoiding conflicts of interests stemming from contributions to the foundation and Bill Clinton’s paid speeches and consulting. Trudeau said these were “voluntary steps” taken to avoid “even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
Angel Urena, press secretary for Bill Clinton, said the requests for State Department input on potential meetings, talking points and other information “was done in order to inform the administration of President Clinton’s interactions with foreign governments and dignitaries, so that the administration could in turn offer advice or voice any concerns.” Urena said Bill Clinton had sought advice on his activities since he left office in 2001.
The Clinton Foundation referred questions to Urena. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign declined to comment.
CHARITY QUESTIONS LINGER
Clinton’s campaign to win the Nov. 8 presidential election has been dogged by criticism of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, a global philanthropic organization.
The foundation has said it will stop accepting at least some foreign and corporate donations if Hillary Clinton becomes president and that Bill Clinton would resign from the foundation’s board.
In one previously unreported email exchange, Desai wrote to the State Department in May 2012 informing officials that Bill Clinton would travel to Monaco to raise money for the foundation at an event where he might cross paths with the elder daughter of the Uzbekistan president.
Gulnara Karimova, a businesswoman and pop star, was described in a 2005 cable from a U.S. embassy official as the “single most hated person in Uzbekistan” because of her flamboyant lifestyle in an authoritarian country. She has since come under investigation in an international bribery scandal.
Ahead of the event in Monaco, Desai wrote that the organizers had invited Karimova to be one of the event’s sponsors “apparently without our approval.”
The Uzbekistan president’s daughter “will be listed in the program and will see (Bill Clinton),” he said. “Would (the U.S. government) have concerns? If so, we can go back to organizer and ask them to return her sponsorship and disinvite her, however I assume that would ruffle some feathers,” Desai said.
The emails released to Citizens United don’t contain a reply to Desai’s inquiry. However, a collection of photos from the Monaco event posted on the internet show Karimova attended it. They do not show any pictures of her with Bill Clinton. |
Image copyright AFP/Getty Images
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates say 41 people will go on trial for trying to "seize power and establish a caliphate" in the Gulf nation.
The state news agency said the group comprised foreigners and UAE nationals.
Attorney General Salem Saeed Kubaish said the suspects planned to "carry out terrorist acts on UAE territories".
It is the latest in a series of trials against Islamists in the UAE. Rights groups have attacked the fairness of the hearings.
The group had a "takfiri" ideology, Mr Kubaish said - referring to an extremist Sunni Muslim belief pursued by the so-called Islamic State.
"Takfir" is the practice of one Muslim declaring another an apostate - and one which IS has used to carry out punishments.
Islamists jailed
Mr Kubaish said they also had guns and explosives and had been in touch with militant groups abroad.
In July 2013, 68 Islamists were jailed without right of appeal after being accused of a plot to overthrow the UAE's government.
One human rights observer said the verdict "cemented the UAE's reputation as a serious abuser of basic human rights".
And in January last year, a court in the capital Abu Dhabi convicted 30 people over links to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood party.
The defendants were said to be linked to an Emirati Islamist political society, al-Islah, which prosecutors asserted was a branch of the Egypt-based Brotherhood. But al-Islah says it favours peaceful reform and denies ties to the Islamist movement. |
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June 9, 2016, 6:12 PM GMT / Updated June 9, 2016, 6:13 PM GMT By Paul Goldman
After a pair of gunmen opened fire at Tel Aviv's Sarona Market Wednesday night, an Israeli off-duty policeman and his wife ran back to their apartment, bringing along a young man who asked for help taking cover.
He told them he was from Hebron, a city in the Palestinian West Bank, so they assumed he was a waiter in one of the upscale market's many restaurants, the cop's father-in-law, former Israeli Police Commissioner Assaf Heffetz, told NBC News.
They let him in. The officer grabbed his service weapon and headed back out to the scene, where four people suffered fatal wounds and several others were injured. He left his wife — Heffetz's daughter — with the Palestinian, Heffetz said.
The officer made it to the spot where one of the gunmen, wounded by police gunfire, was being taken into custody. The suspect was wearing a black suit and tie — just like the man in his apartment.
Israeli policemen arrest a suspect man shortly after a shooting attack in the coastal Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv on June 8, 2016. Details were still emerging, but police said there were two attackers, with one arrested and another wounded by gunfire and undergoing surgery. AFP - Getty Images
"He noticed right away that they both were wearing the same clothes and understood that the man in his apartment who he was helping out is the second terrorist," Heffetz said. "He ran back to the apartment and pointed his pistol to the terrorist's head and put him to the ground. He asked his wife to call the police and tell them they captured the terrorist."
It wasn't clear which of the suspects, whom police described as cousins in their 20s from the Hebron area, ended up in the officer's apartment. Their names have not been released by authorities.
More police arrived at the apartment, Heffect said. One mistakenly fired his gun, "lightly" wounding the suspect as he was taken into custody.
"I'm proud of how my daughter's husband operated," the ex-chief said. "He was a real pro and was focused." |
An information screen at the London Stock Exchange displays the FTSE100. After an initial plunge post-Brexit it has rallied—but our economy is not in the clear yet ©Yui Mok/PA Wire/Press Association Images Read more: Brexit and the banks The vote to leave the EU set off a period of extreme volatility in global markets. Both the FTSE100 and sterling plunged—but since then have returned to their pre-referendum levels. I have spoken to senior economists, both in Britain and abroad, who are deeply skeptical of Britain’s economic prospects. They are worried that Brexit will lead to recession, higher unemployment, more spending cuts and tax rises. “There is a better than fifty-fifty chance if a hard Brexit scenario appears in train that a recession comes,” said Lawrence Summers, the former US Treasury Secretary and one of the most respected economic thinkers of our time. His remarks, made exclusively to Prospect, are serious cause for concern. There is political momentum behind the “hard Brexit,” option. Michael Gove, a leading contender to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister, has made it clear that he wants Britain to withdraw from the European Single Market. Charles Goodhart, formerly of the Bank of England and now a professor at the London School of Economics and senior consultant to Morgan Stanley was also concerned. “There is very little doubt that growth over the next few years will be slower than it otherwise would have been,” he said. “But quite how much slower is uncertain, because the effect of uncertainty is difficult to predict, and, in any case, events will depend much more on unforeseen developments abroad, for example whether Italy can resolve its banking problems.” This, he said, made it hard to predict whether Britain would enter a technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, but, said Goodhart, “what is now likely is that growth will slow down to a crawl, and the rise in employment will fall away.” “I think we are going to be in recession shortly,” said Gavyn Davies, the Chairman of Fulcrum Asset Management. “Everywhere I look, deals and investments are being postponed, and I think credit availability from the banks has already tightened. I think this is a massive economic own goal by the British electorate.” Nicolas Véron, a senior fellow at Bruegel, the Brussels think tank, and a visiting fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC, said that “a recession in 2017 is now the baseline scenario for the UK. Prolonged political uncertainty is almost inevitable and will depress investment and possibly also consumption.” He added that “the boost to exports from a lower pound is likely to be limited.” The most likely structure of a post-Brexit relationship with Europe would, he said, be “a Canada-like deal with tariff-free trade but no inclusion in the single market (Scotland is more difficult to predict). In that case the City and related professional services are likely to shrink significantly, permanently lowering English GDP.” George Magnus, the economist, writer and regular Prospect contributor, said he thinks “most probably that we will go into a recession, with GDP tailing off from the third quarter of 2016 and going on possibly for two to three quarters at least. By 2017, I’d expect GDP to have fallen by about 1-1.5 per cent, so we’ll throw away gains made after surpassing the 2008 peak.” Magnus said that the next Chancellor would have to jettison George Osborne’s fiscal rules and “there will doubtless be a worrying OBR report at the Autumn statement which will be used to pencil in medium term tax rises and spending cuts.” A former senior Bank of England official made the same point, telling me, on condition of anonymity, that “a technical recession [is] a strong risk—due to fall in investment and household incomes squeezed by higher import prices.” On Britain’s fiscal position, the official added: “It would be wise for fiscal policy to be loosened to support us through this.” Stewart Wood, a close advisor to Ed Miliband, also remarked that “The competitive boost from a weaker pound won’t compensate for the blow to investment certainty. And my guess is the government will respond by the end of the year by raising taxes and cutting spending which will further slow down our economy.” Jonathan Portes, the Principal Research Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said that Brexit was most likely to bring a fall in investment and hiring. “This will have adverse consequences for output and employment,” he said. “It is too soon to say if this will lead to a recession, but given that the economy was weakening already, it would hardly be surprising.” Barry Eichengreen, Professor of Economics and Political Science at Berkeley, was concerned about the possibility of “a massive negative shock to investment,” brought about by the EU referendum result, as investors delay their projects until political and economic uncertainty is resolved. “The Bank of England and government need to do what they can to mute the negative investment response,” said Eichengreen. “This means bank rate cuts and renewed security purchases by the central bank [more quantitative easing]—weak soup but better than no soup at all—and temporary investment tax credits to encourage investors to front-load rather than back-load their projects.” He stopped short of predicting a recession, as did Avinash Persaud, chairman of Intelligence Capital, who forecast slow growth, but nothing worse than that. A senior Conservative back bench MP who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Brexit would not lead “directly” to recession, but commented that the economic cycle looked “toppy,” and that political disruption “will not help.” Part of that disruption will be caused by Britain’s renegotiation of economic and trade agreements with other countries. A recent note issued by JP Morgan on Britain’s ability to broker new deals makes for deeply uncomfortable reading. “The UK starts from a position where it does not have a deep well of resources and experience within the civil service to deal with trade issues. The UK’s negotiating position in these discussions is also likely to be very weak.” The note concluded: “It is likely that the UK’s access to non-EU markets will become markedly more constrained in the wake of the EU exit for a period of years. And to the extent that the UK is able to secure “quick” deals, it is unlikely they will be on terms which are advantageous to the UK.” A former senior government official told me that “we are very likely to have a recession,” before offering an image that more than any other captures the current mood among economists and policymakers: “My image of the UK economy is road runner running off the cliff—at the moment we are suspended in mid air with our legs going round and round…”
15378609215c75c65ae23344.78353363 |
Kidnapping Edit
At 7:30 p.m. on March 1, 1932,[10] family nurse Betty Gow put 20 month-old Charles Lindbergh Jr. into his crib. Around 9:30 p.m. Charles Lindbergh was in the library just below the baby's room when he heard a noise that he imagined to be slats breaking off a full crate in the kitchen. At 10:00 p.m., Gow discovered that the child was not in the crib. The nurse also found that the baby was not with his mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, who had just come out of the bathtub. Gow then alerted Charles Lindbergh, who immediately went to the child's room, where he found a note in an envelope on the windowsill. It was a ransom note written by the kidnapper and contained bad grammar and handwriting. He then took a gun and went around the house and grounds with butler Olly Whateley.[11] They found impressions in the ground under the window of the child's room and pieces of a cleverly designed wooden ladder. They also found a baby's blanket.[11] Whateley telephoned the Hopewell police department to inform them of the missing child.[11] Charles Lindbergh then contacted his attorney and friend, Henry Skillman Breckinridge, and the New Jersey state police.[11] Within 20 minutes, police were en route to the home.
Investigation Edit
Arrest of Hauptmann Edit
Main article: Richard Hauptmann During a thirty-month period, a number of the ransom bills were spent throughout New York City. Detectives realized that many of the bills were being spent along the route of the Lexington Avenue subway, which connected the East Bronx with the east side of Manhattan, including the German-Austrian neighborhood of Yorkville.[5] On September 18, 1934 a Manhattan bank teller noticed a gold certificate from the ransom;[1] a New York license plate number (4U-13-41-N.Y) penciled in the bill's margin allowed it to be traced to a nearby gas station. The station manager had written down the license number because his customer was acting "suspicious" and was "possibly a counterfeiter."[1][5][20][35] The license plate belonged to a sedan owned by Richard Hauptmann of 1279 East 222nd Street in the Bronx,[5] an immigrant with a criminal record in Germany. When Hauptmann was arrested, he was carrying a single 20-dollar gold certificate[1][5] and over $14,000 of the ransom money was found in his garage.[36] Hauptmann was arrested, interrogated, and beaten at least once throughout the following day and night.[20] Hauptmann stated that the money and other items had been left with him by his friend and former business partner Isidor Fisch. Fisch had died on March 29, 1934, shortly after returning to Germany.[5] Hauptmann stated he learned only after Fisch's death that the shoe box that was left with him contained a considerable sum of money. He kept the money because he claimed that it was owed to him from a business deal that he and Fisch had made.[5] Hauptmann consistently denied any connection to the crime or knowledge that the money in his house was from the ransom. When the police searched Hauptmann's home, they found a considerable amount of additional evidence that linked him to the crime. One item was a notebook that contained a sketch of the construction of a ladder similar to that which was found at the Lindbergh home in March 1932. John Condon's telephone number, along with his address, were discovered written on a closet wall in the house. A key piece of evidence, a section of wood, was discovered in the attic of the home. After being examined by an expert, it was determined to be an exact match to the wood used in the construction of the ladder found at the scene of the crime. Hauptmann was indicted in the Bronx on September 24, 1934, for extorting the $50,000 ransom from Charles Lindbergh.[5] Two weeks later, on October 8, 1934, Hauptmann was indicted in New Jersey for the murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr.[1] Two days later, he was surrendered to New Jersey authorities by New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman to face charges directly related to the kidnapping and murder of the child. Hauptmann was moved to the Hunterdon County Jail in Flemington, New Jersey, on October 19, 1934.[1]
Trial and execution Edit
Alternate theories Edit
A number of books have asserted Hauptmann's innocence, generally highlighting inadequate police work at the crime scene, Lindbergh's interference in the investigation, ineffectiveness of Hauptmann's counsel, and weaknesses in the witnesses and physical evidence. Ludovic Kennedy, in particular, questioned much of the evidence, such as the origin of the ladder and the testimony of many of the witnesses. According to author Lloyd Gardner, a fingerprint expert, Dr. Erastus Mead Hudson, applied the then-rare silver nitrate fingerprint process to the ladder, and did not find Hauptmann's fingerprints, even in places that the maker of the ladder must have touched. According to Gardner, officials refused to consider this expert's findings, and the ladder was then washed of all fingerprints.[55] Jim Fisher, a former FBI agent and professor at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania,[56] has written two books, The Lindbergh Case (1987)[57] and The Ghosts of Hopewell (1999),[58] addressing what he calls a "revision movement" regarding the case.[59] He summarizes: Today, the Lindbergh phenomena [sic] is a giant hoax perpetrated by people who are taking advantage of an uninformed and cynical public. Notwithstanding all of the books, TV programs, and legal suits, Hauptmann is as guilty today as he was in 1932 when he kidnapped and killed the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lindbergh.[60] Another book, Hauptmann's Ladder: A step-by-step analysis of the Lindbergh kidnapping by Richard T. Cahill Jr., concludes that Hauptmann was guilty but questions whether he should have been executed. According to John Reisinger in Master Detective[citation needed], New Jersey detective Ellis Parker conducted an independent investigation in 1936 and obtained a signed confession from former Trenton attorney Paul Wendel, creating a sensation and resulting in a temporary stay of execution for Hauptmann. The case against Wendel collapsed, however, when he insisted his confession had been coerced.[61] Several people have suggested that Charles Lindbergh was responsible for the kidnapping. In 2010, Jim Bahm's Beneath the Winter Sycamores implied that the baby was physically disabled and Lindbergh arranged the kidnapping as a way of secretly moving the baby to be raised in Germany.[62] One theory is Lindbergh accidentally killed his son in a prank gone wrong. In Crime of the Century: The Lindbergh Kidnapping Hoax, criminal defense attorney Gregory Ahlgren posits Lindbergh climbed a ladder and brought his son out a window, but dropped the child, killing him, so hid the body in the woods, then covered up the crime by blaming Hauptmann.[38] Robert Zorn's 2012 book Cemetery John proposes that Hauptmann was part of a conspiracy with two other German-born men, John and Walter Knoll. Zorn's father, economist Eugene Zorn, believed that as a teenager he had witnessed the conspiracy being discussed.[63]
In popular culture Edit
See also Edit
Notes Edit
^ "burn" = be executed ^ "package" = the baby
Bibliography Edit |
"It's a check so get paid everybody, but man... people came to see a show."
Over the past 10 years, hip-hop has undergone a lot of change. The lyrics (or lack thereof), the production, the performances—it's all different. Of course, this isn't exactly breaking news, but when a respected, veteran emcee shares his thoughts on the way artists are now approaching their concerts, ears tend to perk up.
On Monday morning, in a series of six tweets, Curren$y shared his thoughts on rappers who lazily perform their material over "already recorded jams."
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Curren$y wisely doesn't name names, but you don't have to hack into the dark web to find an example of an artist essentially lip-syncing over their entire record. Earlier this month, during her performance at JAY-Z's Made in America Festival, Cardi B shimmed and rapped over her own vocal track during the performance of her breakout hit, "Bodak Yellow." It was, in a word, disappointing.
For many concertgoers, going to a hip-hop show—or a concert or festival of any kind—has become more about saying you were there and showing the world on social media, but with the cost for tickets to premium tours and festivals on the rise, fans will (and should) expect more. It's hard to justify spending hard-earned money to see your favorite artist perform when the end result is a lip sync and ad lib fest for 45 minutes.
"They wanna hear u and really live some live shit," Curren$y tweeted.
Exactly. |
Cristiano Ronaldo saw himself in the starring role. He never got out of the wings. He had chosen to take the fifth penalty, in the anticipation that it would be the one to finish off Spain and send Portugal through to the Euro 2012 final. He craved that moment.
Instead the glory went to Cesc Fabregas who wheeled away in frantic celebration, mobbed by grateful team-mates. Ronaldo was left impotently mouthing into the night sky. Throughout the shoot-out Ronaldo had cut a tormented figure.
Paulo Bento, the coach, had come to consult him first after the game had gone to a shoot-out. He must have opted to go fifth then, a curious choice for your best penalty taker as it was always a risk it would not get to him. And so it transpired.
As his team-mates stepped up, as Bruno Alves went too early and was intercepted by Nani, Ronaldo stood apart. He was clearly agitated, clasping his hands and looking at the sky while the rest of the squad formed a wall of reassurance. It had all looked good when Rui Patricio saved Xabi Alonso’s first effort — the Portugal goalkeeper had gone up with encouragement from his captain ringing in his ears. But João Moutinho was denied by Iker Casillas. That first penalty – the pressure kick – was the one Ronaldo should have taken.
As it has done throughout his international career, it ended in tears for Ronaldo. Eight years ago he was left bawling on the pitch as Greece suffocated Portugal in the Euro 2004 final in Lisbon and six years ago he lost to France in the semi-final of the 2006 World Cup. As Portugal’s golden generation retired, the results got worse: out in the quarters in 2008, out in the last 16 in 2010. But this year was supposed to be different.
Ronaldo came in to the competition off the back of his best season with Real Madrid, a Spanish champion for the first time, 60 goals to his name. As captain, he looked at home in Bento’s slick, well-organised team. They narrowly lost to the brilliant Germans, beat Denmark and then put the Dutch to the sword, Ronaldo running them ragged. Here in Poland and Ukraine there was no irritating Lionel Messi to steal the glory.
The question last night was whether Portugal’s counter-attacking game could expose the best international side in the world?
Could Ronaldo’s exceptional physical and technical gifts spread panic? For much of the first half it looked that way. After he almost made a goal for Nani with an early shot, the Spanish resorted to kicking him. When this happened it prompted a rendition of the Portuguese can-can, the dance of the national team in which every member of the bench leaps to his feet and gestures extravagantly while wearing a piously pained expression. Bento led his troupe with a good line in martyred shoulder-shrugging.
They got plenty of practice. Álvaro Arbeloa and Gerard Piqué sand-wiched Ronaldo on the edge of the area hoping for safety in numbers. When Sergio Ramos was caught alone he had little choice but to block his Real Madrid team-mate’s run. Ramos was booked. Next up was Arbeloa, who Ronaldo left for dead by shifting the ball quickly from foot to foot. Arveloa felled him. Cue can-can. Cue another booking.
Throughout the first half it was clear that the Spanish defence were far from comfortable. Ronaldo holds few mysteries for Ramos and Arbeloa, who train with him every day for Real Madrid, and Barcelona’s Pique is certainly familiar with his work from all those Clásicos. Yet when he is sprinting at you at full speed it doesn’t really matter if he has done it before. You aren’t going to catch him this time.
The small throng of Spanish fans chanted ‘Messi, Messi’ to goad him, especially as the game moved into stoppage time. Ronaldo had just missed a superb chance to put his team into the final. Bento’s team did what they do best, flying forward on a lightning counter. Raul Meireles’s pass maybe could have been a yard or two further in front of him but Ronaldo was given clear sight of goal. He shanked the shot. That brought extra-time.
Ronaldo was fading fast. Portugal were going with him. At half-time in extra time he was the one Portuguese player not to stay on his feet. He ended up watching most of the second half — the one time he got on the ball Alonso hacked him down. Can-can? Yes. Card? Yes. Then followed the shoot-out.
The problem with penalties is that they distort perceptions of players. Has Ronaldo been the most dangerous forward in this tournament? At times he was completely unplayable. Has he returned with his reputation enhanced? No doubt. But those are not the questions that Ronaldo will be turning over in his head for years to come. The question he will ask himself in the night is obvious: why did I not take that first penalty? |
Congressional Democrats are proposing to ban plastic guns, following reports of major security lapses at the nation’s airports
Plastic guns can be even more dangerous than traditional firearms because they're harder to detect, says Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.).
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The Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act, backed by Israel and several other Democrats, would prohibit the manufacture of entirely plastic guns. The legislation would require a major component of every gun to contain enough traces of metal to be detected.Israel plans to unveil the legislation Tuesday during a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, where he will draw a connection between his bill and recent high-profile airport security lapses.
"If detectable weapons can make it through security checkpoints, how can we expect to catch wrongdoers carrying undetectable plastic firearms?" Israel told The Hill. “What could be worse than a gun that can be used on an airplane, but cannot be detected on the security line because it’s plastic?”
"It’s time to modernize our airport security so the American people can count on it," he added.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) failed a recent sting operation in which undercover agents sneaked fake explosives and weapons through airport security in 67 out of 70 tests, or about 95 percent of the time.
Many of America’s busiest airports failed the tests.
In one test, a federal agent was able to sneak a fake bomb that was strapped to his back through security, even after he was subjected to a pat-down.
The massive security failure led to the ouster last week of TSA acting administrator Melvin Carraway.
In light of the TSA security lapses, Israel and other Democrats say it is even more important to ban plastic guns.
“The fact is, we should be making it easier, not harder for TSA to stop dangerous weapons from getting onto our planes,” Israel said.
“What angers me, and frankly what frightens me, is that the guns that were getting passed the TSA agents were highly detectable,” he added. “But a plastic gun couldn’t be picked up by the most astute and trained TSA agent.”
Plastic guns have been made popular by 3D printers that make it easier for consumers to build their own firearms.
While the legislation would still allow manufacturers to build partially plastic guns, it would close a loophole that allows people to build guns that can evade security.
Current law prohibits plastic guns, but gun owners can get around the requirements by including a detachable strip of metal on an otherwise plastic gun.
Criminals can then remove that piece of metal when they go through security.
To combat this problem, Israel’s legislation would mandate that a major component of each gun be made of metal and that the weapon would be inoperable without that component.
“Plastic guns are real, they can be fired, they can kill someone, and there’s nothing we can do to stop them from going right through the airport security line because they are undetectable,” Israel warned.
The legislation was previously introduced in 2013. Last time around, it was supported by Reps. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) and Pete King (R-N.Y.).
Sens. Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerBrennan fires back at 'selfish' Trump over Harry Reid criticism Trump rips Harry Reid for 'failed career' after ex-Dem leader slams him in interview Harry Reid: 'I don't see anything' Trump is doing right MORE (D-N.Y.) and Bill Nelson Clarence (Bill) William Nelson2020 party politics in Puerto Rico There is no winning without Latinos as part of your coalition Dem 2020 candidates court Puerto Rico as long nomination contest looms MORE (D-Fla.) are also working on similar legislation to prohibit plastic guns, which could be introduced in the coming months.
While Republicans support the existing ban on plastic guns, most are opposed to expanding the law in the way that Israel is proposing. |
Somnium (Latin for "The Dream") is a novel written in 1608, in Latin, by Johannes Kepler. The narrative would not be published until 1634 by Kepler's son, Ludwig Kepler. In the narrative, an Icelandic boy and his witch mother learn of an island named Levania (our Moon) from a daemon. Somnium presents a detailed imaginative description of how the Earth might look when viewed from the Moon, and is considered the first serious scientific treatise on lunar astronomy. Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov have referred to it as one of the first works of science fiction.[1]
Plot summary [ edit ]
The story begins with Kepler reading about a skillful magician named Libussa. He falls asleep while reading about her. He recounts a strange dream he had from reading that book. The dream begins with Kepler reading a book about Duracotus, an Icelandic boy who is 14 years old. Duracotus' mother, Fiolxhilde, makes a living selling bags of herbs and cloth with strange markings on them. Duracotus is sold by Fiolxhilde to a skipper after cutting into one of these bags and ruining her sale. He travels with the skipper for a while until a letter is to be delivered to Tycho Brahe on the island of Hven (now Ven, Sweden). Since Duracotus is made seasick by the trip there, the skipper leaves Duracotus to deliver the letter and stay with Tycho.
Tycho asks his students to teach Duracotus Danish so they can talk. Along with learning Danish, Duracotus learns of astronomy from Tycho and his students. Duracotus is fascinated with astronomy and enjoys the time they spend looking at the night sky. Duracotus spends several years with Tycho before returning home to Iceland.
Upon his return to Iceland, Duracotus finds his mother still alive. She is overjoyed to learn that he is well studied in astronomy as she too possesses knowledge of astronomy. One day, Fiolxhilde reveals to Duracotus how she learned of the heavens. She tells him about the daemons she can summon. These daemons can move her anywhere on Earth in an instant. If the place is too far away for them to take her, they describe it in great detail. She then summons her favorite daemon to speak with them.
The summoned daemon tells them, "Fifty thousand miles up in the Aether lies the island of Levania," which is Earth's moon.[2] According to the daemon, there is a pathway between the island of Levania and Earth. When the pathway is open, daemons can take humans to the island in four hours. The journey is a shock to humans, so they are sedated for the trip. Extreme cold is also a concern on the trip, but the daemons use their powers to ward it off. Another concern is the air, so humans have to have damp sponges placed in their nostrils in order to breathe. The trip is made with the daemons pushing the humans toward Levania with great force. At the Lagrangian point between the Earth and the Moon,[3] the daemons have to slow the humans down lest they hurtle with great force into the Moon.
After describing the trip to Levania, the daemon notes that daemons are overpowered by the Sun. They dwell in the shadows of the Earth, called Volva by the inhabitants of Levania. The daemons can rush to Volva during a solar eclipse, otherwise they remain hidden in shadows on Levania.
After the daemon describes other daemons' behavior, she goes on to describe Levania. Levania is divided into two hemispheres called Privolva and Subvolva. The two hemispheres are divided by the divisor. Privolva never sees Earth (Volva), Subvolva sees Volva as their moon. Volva goes throughout the same phases as the actual Moon.
The daemon continues the descriptions of Subvolva and Privolva. Some of these details are scientific in nature such as: how eclipses would look from the Moon, the size of the planets varying in size due to the Moon's distance from the Earth, an idea about the size of the Moon and more. Some details of Levania are science fiction such as: descriptions of the creatures that inhabit Subvolva and Privolva, plant growth on each side, and the life and death cycle of Levania.
The dream is cut short in the middle of the description of the creatures of Privolva. Kepler wakes up from the dream because of a storm outside. He then realizes that his head is covered and he is wrapped in blankets just like the characters in his story.[4]
Publication history [ edit ]
Development [ edit ]
Somnium began as a student dissertation in which Kepler defended the Copernican doctrine of the motion of the Earth, suggesting that an observer on the Moon would find the planet's movements as clearly visible as the Moon's activity is to the Earth's inhabitants. Nearly 20 years later, Kepler added the dream framework, and after another decade, he drafted a series of explanatory notes reflecting upon his turbulent career and the stages of his intellectual development. The book was edited by Ludwig Kepler and Jacob Bartsch, after Kepler's death in 1630.
Publication [ edit ]
There are many similarities to Kepler's real life in Somnium. Duracotus spends a considerable amount of time working for Tycho Brahe. Kepler worked under Tycho Brahe in 1600 before becoming Imperial Mathematician. Kepler's mother, Katharina Kepler, would be arrested on charges of being a witch. Kepler fought for five years to free her. After her death, Kepler wrote extensive notes to explain his narrative.[5] The book was published posthumously in 1634 by his son, Ludwig Kepler.[6]
Science [ edit ]
Levania [ edit ]
Kepler uses a daemon to describe the island of Levania in many scientific ways. The fixed stars are in the same position as the Earth's fixed stars. The planets appear larger from Levania than from Earth due to the distance Levania is from Earth. Levania also sees planetary motions in a different way. For instance, Levania does not seem to move while the Earth is seen to move just as Earth does not seem to move when on Earth but the Moon is seen to move. This is an example of Kepler defending Copernicus' diurnal rotation. The inhabitants at the divisor see the planets different from the rest of the Moon. Mercury and Venus specifically seem bigger to them.[4]
Privolva [ edit ]
A day is around 14 Earth days sometimes less. Night on Privolva is 15 or 16 Earth days. During the nights, Privolva experiences intense cold and strong winds. During the day, Privolva experiences extreme heat with no wind. During the night, water is pumped to Subvolva. During the Privolvan day, some of the water is pumped back to Privolva to protect its inhabitants from the intense heat. The inhabitants are described as giants that hide under water to escape from the heat of the day.[4]
Subvolva [ edit ]
A day and night is around 30 Earth days. A day on Subvolva represents the Phases of the Moon on Earth. Subvolva sees the Earth as its moon. The Earth goes through phases just as our Moon does during their night. Kepler notes that Subvolva is inhabited by serpent-like creatures. The Subvolvan terrain is full of fields and towns just like our world. At night on Privolva all of the water is pumped to Subvolva to submerge the land so only a small portion of land remains above the waves. The Subvolvans are protected from the Sun by almost constant cloud cover and rain.[4]
In popular culture [ edit ]
Fresh Aire V by Mannheim Steamroller is a concept album based on the work, and Kim Stanley Robinson's novel Galileo's Dream draws direct inspiration from it.
In Past Continuous, a novel by the Israeli author Yaakov Shabtai, one of the characters (Goldman) translates the Somnium into Hebrew.
Editions [ edit ] |
SpectraVET Performance of the Week: Dublin Horse Show Puissance Hits & Misses
Some horses made it look like a piece of cake while others wanted no part of it… either way, it was an exciting class!
The competition took place on Saturday, August 9, at the Discover Ireland Horse Show. Joint-winners Michael Hutchinson and Billy Twomey finished at 7’3″. Sit back and enjoy this six-minute action reel from 360creative.ie:
Michael Hutchinson’s final leap:
Billy Twomey’s final leap:
Well-done. Go Riding!
———-
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We design and manufacture the broadest range of clinically-proven veterinary therapeutic laser products, which are represented and supported worldwide by our network of specialist distributors and authorized service centers.
Horse Nation Tip: Be sure to “like” SpectraVET on Facebook as well! |
I’ve just got back from a holiday and whilst I was gone it seems Sir David Attenborough has said something wrong. Again. In fairness to him (and with that voice of his he deserves the best treatment in the world) only one paragraph in his interview with the Radio Times was factually disagreeable. The rest is pretty good, excerpts of which (including his big mistake) can be found in this Guardian piece.
We stopped natural selection as soon as we started being able to rear 90-95% of our babies that are born. We are the only species to have put a halt to natural selection, of its own free will, as it were
To cut Sir David even more slack, this is an idea that seems superficially plausible. Unlike the time he was promoting that Aquatic Apes nonsense. After all, most of us no longer have to contend with the problems animals have to deal with. We’re not threatened by sabre tooth tigers, shivering because we aren’t well suited to the environment or fearful of disease. We have created an environment that has eliminated most “traditional” forms of natural selection.
But to use this to suggest natural selection has ceased entirely is missing a big point: we’ve created a whole new environment. This is the premise of niche construction theory, which notes that whilst animals may isolate themselves from natural environments they often create whole new ones in the process that expose them to new selection pressures.
And our environment is certainly brand new. We’re living in cities of millions where we have to socialise to the extreme. Given living in large groups is likely one of the reasons our brains got so big there’s a strong chance that this new social development will also influence our brains.
Then there’s the fact that our success is now dependent on a whole host of behaviours which may have not been so important long ago. Jon Ronson‘s book The Psychopath Test notes how psychopaths are often very successful in business and politics. Might our new world, which places such importance on these institutions, start selecting for a more ruthless human?
The idea of humans continuing to evolve isn’t just speculation, we’ve actually discovered many examples of recent evolutionary change. Despite the fact we no longer have to fear sabre tooth tigers, we’re still evolving.
One way our new environment has shaped modern evolution is in our mouths. With the advent of farming new food was introduced into our diet that drove changes to our teeth and jaws. In fact, different populations around the world now have a slightly different jaw structure based on their local diet! As our diet continues to change, this trend will also continue.
Other examples of our current evolution began a lot longer ago than farming. For example, during the last glacial maximum (colloquially known as “the ice age”) humans became short and stocky, a body plan that helps minimise heat loss. Now we’re out of the LGM we’re becoming tall and lanky again. Whilst some people might credit this change with improved diet, a large chunk of it is genetic. One study found that a minimum of 45% of the variance in human height is genetic. In other words, it’s heritable change over time; the very definition of evolution.
Other examples include our brain size, which has been decreasing over the past 10,000 years. Although the exact cause of this is unknown there are many possibilities. It may be linked to the ice age, with extra brain matter helping heat the head and keeping it all ticking along. Now we don’t need the extreme central heating we could cut down on the power bill (i.e. amount of food we have to consume) by reducing It may be that it’s becoming more efficient and doesn’t need so much raw power to achieve the same goal. And don’t get to downhearted about our smaller brains, IQs are still increasing.
These are just three ways in which we are continue to evolve, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact we’re living in our new, non-natural environments. Sir David Attenborough is simply wrong about the end of evolution. As biologists are fond of saying “evolution is smarter than you“.
I’ll end with a comment from the Guardian article, which summarises this issue better than I ever could.
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Attention China: You can buy cans of clean Canadian air 11:17 PM ET Tue, 15 Dec 2015 | 03:23
Canada may be struggling with low oil prices, but China's latest environmental crisis is proving to be a lucrative opportunity for another of its natural resources — Rocky Mountain air.
Alberta-based Vitality Air has been cashing in on Beijing's worsening air quality problems, selling aluminum cans of "fresh clean air and oxygen" from the picturesque Rocky Mountains for around $10 to $20 each.
Vitality Air's China representative Harrison Wang said told MailOnline that they sold out almost instantly after marketing the product on China's e-commerce website Taobao. They'll be sending another 700 bottles to China in the coming weeks, topping their first 500-bottle shipment.
"We have sold everything, and we now have a bunch of customers and people wanting to be our distributors," Harrison said. |
BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves, who had a dismal start in a 13-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday.
Aceves was sent down after a meeting with manager John Farrell, pitching coach Juan Nieves and general manager Ben Cherington in Farrell's office after Boston's 6-5 win over Oakland at Fenway Park.
Catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who is hitting .310 for Pawtucket, will take Aceves' roster spot, according to a team source.
The need for Lavarnway could stem from ongoing back issues for outfielder Shane Victorino, who was forced out of Wednesday's game. Lavarnway would give the Red Sox a right-handed bat and possible DH, particularly if the Red Sox need to play Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes in the outfield. The team said a corresponding roster move will be made Thursday.
Aceves made three starts while John Lackey has been on the disabled list with a strained right biceps. Lackey is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday, and if all goes well, he will start here Sunday against the Houston Astros.
The tenuous nature of Aceves' place on the Red Sox was reinforced during Farrell's pregame session with the media, in which the Boston manager reiterated that the club's tolerance for his erratic performances was growing short.
"I think the bottom line is just that, the bottom line," Farrell said. "You've got to perform to continue to get opportunities."
Aceves had gone five innings in each of his first two starts, throwing 106 pitches last week in Cleveland before home runs by Nick Swisher and Jason Giambi knocked him out in the sixth inning. His ability to come out of the bullpen and serve as an emergency starter is what gives him value to the Red Sox.
Then came Tuesday night, when, in ghastly weather conditions, Aceves pitched as badly as the weather, especially in a third inning in which he walked three batters, committed two balks, was late in covering first base and made a throwing error. The next inning, he gave up a home run to Seth Smith, even with a strong crosswind sweeping Fenway Park.
Through three starts, he has allowed 20 hits, 10 walks and four home runs in 13 1/3 innings with an 8.10 ERA.
After Tuesday night's game, Farrell spoke of a loss of "focus" while a clearly emotional Aceves, in a rambling back-and-forth with reporters, mentioned the weather, the hole dug by opposing pitcher Bartolo Colon and a small strike zone as factors in his performance. Aceves, who spoke in English but has made it clear he's not comfortable in his second language, took responsibility for covering the bag late and for making a bad throw. He also made a vague reference to Red Sox hitters not having success against Colon, which some construed as calling out his teammates.
Farrell said he didn't read it that way.
"I will say this: Setting elements aside, Bartolo was probably as sharp as any time this year," Farrell said. "When he's on, he can shut a team down. He came in here undefeated and remains that way. I don't know if in that context Alfredo was calling out his teammates. I don't believe he was.
"There was some frustration and some, I don't know how to describe it other than some indecision on his part inside that game. If that's how he chooses to describe it, I wouldn't put it on his teammates by any means."
Farrell said he met Wednesday morning with Aceves.
"I had a chance to meet with Alfredo today just to discuss last night, not a role going forward," Farrell said, "but it still comes down to you need to earn these opportunities, and there have been mixed results."
In addition to Lackey, the Red Sox have several pitchers on their way back to being activated. Joel Hanrahan threw a bullpen Wednesday afternoon and is slated to head to Pawtucket on Friday, barring any setbacks. Left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, who started Tuesday's game for Portland, is scheduled for back-to-back appearances in Pawtucket on Saturday and Sunday.
Left-hander Franklin Morales, meanwhile, remains a question mark and might have his rehab assignment stopped. He developed some soreness in his left pectoral muscle while pitching for Class A Greenville earlier this week, and was brought back to Boston to be re-evaluated and placed on a long-toss program. The Red Sox have not scheduled when he will make his next appearance. |
We’ve all heard this quote from Peter Thiel: “We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters.” It’s the introduction of his VC’s manifesto entitled “What Happened to the Future?”, and it neatly sums up his argument that we’re economically stagnant and no longer living in a technologically-accelerating civilization.
Less well-known is a slightly longer quote from Thiel that also summarizes his views on the technological slowdown. This is from a debate with Marc Andreessen:
“You have as much computing power in your iPhone as was available at the time of the Apollo missions. But what is it being used for? It’s being used to throw angry birds at pigs; it’s being used to send pictures of your cat to people halfway around the world; it’s being used to check in as the virtual mayor of a virtual nowhere while you’re riding a subway from the nineteenth century.”
Why is Thiel pessimistic about the the recent pace of technological innovation and economic growth? Here’s a selection of his evidence that we’re no longer technologically accelerating, collected from his writings and public talks.
(Remarks from talks are lightly edited for clarity. Click here to see this article in slightly prettier formatting.)
Energy
Look at the Forbes list of the 92 people who are worth ten billion dollars or more in 2012. Where do they make money? 11 of them made it in technology, and all 11 were in computers. You’ve heard of all of them: It’s Bill Gates, it’s Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, on and on. There are 25 people who made it in mining natural resources. You probably haven’t heard their names. And these are basically cases of technological failure, because commodities are inelastic goods, and farmers make a fortune when there’s a famine. People will pay way more for food if there’s not enough. 25 people in the last 40 years made their fortunes because of the lack of innovation; 11 people made them because of innovation. (Source: 39:30)
Real oil prices today exceed those of the Carter catastrophe of 1979–80. Nixon’s 1974 call for full energy independence by 1980 has given way to Obama’s 2011 call for one-third oil independence by 2020. (Source)
“Clean tech” has become a euphemism for “energy too expensive to afford,” and in Silicon Valley it has also become an increasingly toxic term for near-certain ways to lose money. (Source)
One of the smartest investors in the world is considered to be Warren Buffett. His single biggest investment is in the railroad industry, which I think is a bet against technological progress, both in transportation and energy. Most of what gets transported on railroads is coal, and Buffett is essentially betting that after the 21st century, we’ll look more like the 19th rather than the 20th century. We’ll go back to rail, and back to coal; we’re going to run out of oil, and clean-tech is going to fail. (Source: 10:00.)
There was a famous bet in the between Julian Simon, an economist, and Paul Ehrlich in 1980 about whether a basket of commodity prices will go down in price over the next decade. Simon famously won this bet and this was sort of taken as evidence that we have tremendous technological progress and things are steadily getting better. But if you had to re-run the Simon-Ehrlich bet on a rolling decade basis then Paul Ehrlich has been winning the bet every year since 1994 when the price of this basket of goods has been getting more expensive on a decade-by-decade basis. (Source: 8:30)
Transportation
Consider the most literal instance of non-acceleration: We are no longer moving faster. The centuries-long acceleration of travel speeds — from ever-faster sailing ships in the 16th through 18th centuries, to the advent of ever-faster railroads in the 19th century, and ever-faster cars and airplanes in the 20th century — reversed with the decommissioning of the Concorde in 2003, to say nothing of the nightmarish delays caused by strikingly low-tech post-9/11 airport-security systems. (Source)
Biotech
Today’s politicians would find it much harder to persuade a more skeptical public to start a comparably serious war on Alzheimer’s disease — even though nearly a third of America’s 85-year-olds suffer from some form of dementia. (Source)
The cruder measure of U.S. life expectancy continues to rise, but with some deceleration, from 67.1 years for men in 1970 to 71.8 years in 1990 to 75.6 years in 2010. (Source)
We have one-third of the patents approved by the FDA as we have 20 years ago. (Source: 7:35)
Space
The reason that all the rocket scientists went to Wall Street was not only because they got paid more on Wall Street, but also because they were not allowed to build rockets and supersonic planes and so on down the line. (Source: 45:50.)
Space has always been the iconic vision of the future. But a lot has gone wrong over the past couple of decades. Costs escalated rapidly. The Space Shuttle program was oddly Pareto inferior. It cost more, did less, and was more dangerous than a Saturn V rocket. It’s recent decommissioning felt like a close of a frontier. (Source)
Agriculture
The fading of the true Green Revolution — which increased grain yields by 126 percent from 1950 to 1980, but has improved them by only 47 percent in the years since, barely keeping pace with global population growth — has encouraged another, more highly publicized “green revolution” of a more political and less certain character. We may embellish the 2011 Arab Spring as the hopeful by-product of the information age, but we should not downplay the primary role of runaway food prices and of the many desperate people who became more hungry than scared. (Source)
Finance
Think about what happens when someone in Silicon Valley builds a successful company and sells it. What do the founders do with that money? Under indefinite optimism, it unfolds like this:
Founder doesn’t know what to do with the money. Gives it to large bank.
Bank doesn’t know what to do with the money. Gives it to portfolio of institutional investors in order to diversify.
Institutional investors don’t know what to do with money. Give it to portfolio of stocks in order to diversify.
Companies are told that they are evaluated on whether they generate money. So they try to generate free cash flows. If and when they do, the money goes back to investor on the top. And so on.
What’s odd about this dynamic is that, at all stages, no one ever knows what to do with the money. (Source)
10-year bonds are yielding about 2%. The expected inflation over the next decade is 2.6%. So if you invest in bonds then in real terms you’re expecting to lose 0.6% a year for a decade. This shouldn’t be surprising, because there’s no one in the system who has any idea what to do with the money. (Source: 27:35)
Science and Engineering
We have 100 times as many scientists as we did in 1920. If there’s less rapid progress now than in 1920 then the productivity per scientist is perhaps less than 1% of what it was in 1920. (Source: 50:20)
The Empire State Building was built in 15 months in 1932. It’s taken 12 years and counting to rebuild the World Trade Center. (Source: 36:00)
The Golden Gate Bridge was built in three-and-a-half years in the 1930s. It’s taken seven years to build an access road that costs more than the original bridge in real dollars. (Source: 36:10)
When people say that we need more engineers in the U.S., you have to start by acknowledging the fact that almost everybody who went into engineering did very badly in the last few decades with the exception of computer engineers. When I went to Stanford in the 1980s, it was a very bad idea for people to enter into mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, bioengineering, to say nothing of nuclear engineering, petroleum engineering, civil engineering, and aero/astro engineering. (Source: 45:20)
Computers
Even if you look at the computer industry, there are some things that aren’t as healthy as you might think. On a number of measurements, you saw a deceleration in the last decade in the industry. If you look at labor employment: It went up 100% in the 1990s, and up 17% in the years since 2000. (If you ignore the recession, it’s gone up about 38% since 2003.) So it’s slower absolute growth, and much lower percentage growth. (Source: 8:40)
If you measured the market capitalizations of companies, Google and Amazon (the two big computer companies created in the late-nineties) are worth perhaps two or three times as all companies combined since the year 2000. If you look at it through labor or capital, there’s been some sort of strange deceleration. (Source: 9:10)
We have a large Computer Rust Belt that nobody likes to talk about. It’s companies like Cisco, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Oracle, and IBM. I think that the pattern will be to become commodities that no longer innovate. There are many companies that are on the cusp. Microsoft is probably close to the Computer Rust Belt. The company that’s shockingly and probably in the Computer Rust Belt is Apple. Is the iPhone 5, where you move the phone jack from the top of the phone to the bottom of the phone really something that should make us scream Hallelujah? (Source: 9:40)
The Technologically-Accelerating Civilization
I sort-of date the end of rapid technological progress to the late-60s or early-70s. At that point something more or less broke in this country and in the western world more generally which has put us into a zone where there’s much slower technological progress. (Source: 39:30)
If you look at 40-year periods: From 1932 to 1972 we saw average incomes in the United States go up by 350% after inflation, so we were making four-and-a-half times as much. And this was comparable to the progress in the forty years before that and so on going back in time. 1972 to 2012: It’s gone up by 22%. (Source: 14:50)
During the last quarter century, the world has seen more asset booms or bubbles than in all previous times put together: Japan; Asia (ex-Japan and ex-China) pre- 1997; the internet; real estate; China since 1997; Web 2.0; emerging markets more generally; private equity; and hedge funds, to name a few. Moreover, the magnitudes of the highs and lows have become greater than ever before: The Asia and Russia crisis, along with the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management, provoked an unprecedented 20-standard-deviation move in financial derivatives in 1998. (Source)
People are starting to expect less progress. Nixon declared the War on Cancer in 1970 and said that we would defeat cancer in 1976 by the bicentennial. Today, 42 years later we are by definition 42 years closer to the goal, but most people think that we’re further than six years away. (Source: 12:10)
How big is the tech industry? Is it enough to save all Western Civilization? Enough to save the United States? Enough to save the State of California? I think that it’s large enough to bail out the government workers’ unions in the city of San Francisco. (Source: 29:00)
The Conclusion
The first step is to understand where we are. We’ve spent 40 years wandering in the desert, and we think that it’s an enchanted forest. If we’re to find a way out of this desert and into the future, the first step is to see that we’ve been in a desert. (Source)
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Sources:
Thiel’s central case for a technologically-decelerating civilization can be found in this essay, published at the National Review. If you’d like a video summary, take a look at this talk he gave to the Federalist Society.
Other videos:
Debate with Marc Andreessen
Federalist Society panel on regulation and technology
Singularity Address, 2011
Effective Altruism Summit
Aspen Forum
SXSW Talk
Other texts:
The Optimistic Thought Experiment
CS 183 |
A team of researchers have made a discovery that could lead to the development of treatment for a deadly virus spread by rodents.
An interdisciplinary research team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc.; the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Austria, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Integrated BioTherapeutics, Inc. and the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas in Argentina reports that a laboratory-engineered antibody provided complete protection against the deadly Junin virus.
Junin virus, the infectious agent responsible for Argentine hemorrhagic fever, is a virus spread by rodents that has been identified as a high-priority agent by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The virus is also considered a Category A Priority Pathogen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Biodefense. Category A pathogens pose the highest risk to national security and public health.
There are no FDA-approved drugs available for preventing or treating this disease, which has a mortality rate of 20 to 30 percent when left untreated. The relatively slow onset of this disease with its unspecific symptoms that may delay diagnosis, coupled with its devastating hemorrhagic phase, make Junin virus a serious threat to public health.
Currently, people infected with the Junin virus are administered plasma from a survivor. Although this plasma treatment can be effective, it is only available in limited quantities, the quality of the plasma varies and it can pose safety risks such as transfusion-borne diseases.
In a paper appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on April 4th, the group describes the effectiveness of three monoclonal antibodies given to guinea pigs two days after receiving a lethal dose of the Junin virus. All of the animals that received one of the three candidate antibodies survived throughout the study, which extended beyond the time that they would have died without treatment. In a separate group, the most potent monoclonal antibody, J199, protected animals from disease when administered on days six and 10 or on days seven and 11 after Junin exposure. All of the animals that did not receive treatment died within 14 days of infection.
"What makes the study unique is that we observed complete protection against death even when treatment was delayed six days after Junin virus infection when animals were showing signs of disease," said UTMB professor Thomas Geisbert, senior author of the paper. "This recent success of the antibody therapy against Junin virus is a key step in its development as a therapeutic for use in people."
"These results further validate the potential monoclonal antibodies offer for treating infectious diseases," said Larry Zeitlin, president of Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc., and lead author of the paper. "With highly potent monoclonal antibodies like J199, dosages, and therefore costs, are reduced. Combined with continuing improvements in manufacturing, it is our hope that antibody therapies will be an affordable solution for a variety of infectious diseases that impact public health." |
A flyer that was put up at Stanton College Preparatory School has drawn controversy and sparked outcry for its “good girl” prom dress code.
The flyer showed various pictures of girls wearing different prom dresses, asking if each would be “going to Stanton prom?” For dresses that didn’t meet the dress code, the answer was “NO YOU’RE NOT” except for the one good example, which read “YES YOU ARE. GOOD GIRL.”
Lily Willingham, a Stanton senior who tweeted about the flyer, which eventually went viral, told First Coast News that she blamed a generational gap for the condescending and demeaning wording.
— Florida woman arrested after offering police sex in exchange for Taco Bell —
“They didn’t quite see the issue about it being demeaning to women,” she said. “So once they did realize that that offended us and that we weren’t okay with that they were like, ‘Oh wow, we didn’t see it that way,’ and they apologized.”
The Duval County Public School District has since apologized, and the flyers were taken down.
“The display of prom dress photos pertaining to recommend attire at Stanton College Preparatory School is not an approved policy by the school or Duval County Public Schools,” a statement obtained by Fox 30 reads. “The displayed images were immediately removed by school leadership on Monday. Both students and staff have been informed this was not acceptable or appropriate guidance for prom dress attire.” |
The New South Wales government, in concert with the powerful SCG Trust, has adopted an “If we build it, they will come” approach to stadium policy, and come up with the curious plan to tear down two existing stadiums and build new ones upon sites that Sydney-siders currently do not relish attending. And it does rather beg the question: why?
Will more people attend sports fixtures in Sydney than they currently do if the stadiums are state-of-the-art? Will the quality of contests – the entertainment – that a flash new stadium will apparently draw to Sydney bring in the people to support it?
NSW criticised for plan to spend $2bn on replacing two Sydney sports stadiums Read more
One man who’s spent four long years trying to find out why Sydney folks don’t attend sporting events in anything like the numbers Melbourne folks do, is Hunter Fujak, an academic at the University of Technology Sydney. In March he’ll be able to boast that he’s literally written the book on the subject. His PhD thesis is about “quantitative modelling of sport and media consumption”. Whatever that means, the good Dr Fujak will be in high demand from sports bodies wondering what it can all possibly mean.
What does it mean? Why don’t Sydney people attend sports as readily as Melburnians? Why in a city of five million people would there not be enough fans to fill a 40,000-seat stadium every week? That the existing stadiums are dated? They’re 30- and 20-years-old. There’s more to it than that.
Why didn’t Destination NSW throw any money at the rugby league World Cup and secure more than two non-finals games? Why, outside of the Sydney derby game, are Sydney’s A-League attendances ordinary? Why can’t GWS Giants, who have a hot side, get more than a piddling 14,865 to a finals match, the lowest attendance in a VFL/AFL final since war-torn 1916? The Waratahs’ and Super Rugby’s brands are on the nose, and who knows what the Southern Kings are. But 10,555 on a Friday night in April? What’s doing, Sydney town?
In Sydney we just fundamentally do not have the culture of attending games.
Fujak says he doesn’t have the answer. Rather, he has hundreds.
“There’s a multitude of facets,” he says. “One of the interesting things in the argument is that, especially from a media perspective, we’ve kind of conflated ‘Sydney and Melbourne’ and ‘NRL and AFL’. There is a distinction.”
Fujak points to the Sydney Swans, who average 33,000 attendance. Sydney FC will get 18,000, the Wanderers 17,000. Meanwhile Melbourne City only get about 10,000, Melbourne Victory get 21,000, Melbourne Storm 18,000.
“There’s arguments both ways as to whether it’s a city v city issue or code-specific,” says Fujak.
Mainly, it comes back to “culture”. And that stuff is old and entrenched in the DNA.
David Squires on ... rebuilding Sydney's stadiums Read more
Consider Australia, which started to become the thing we know today when Captain Arthur Phillip landed with all the convicts and stuck a flag in Botany Bay in 1788.
From there Sydney town grew outwards from the eastern coast – to the north, south and west. By 1908 rugby league’s clubs reflected where people lived: Easts, Norths, Souths, Wests. There was inner-city Balmain, Glebe and Newtown. There was the far-flung port of Newcastle. There followed clubs representing Canterbury, St George, Parramatta and Manly.
In 1957 Sydney’s population was two million. Average attendance at rugby league games was 11,000. There were 10 teams. The cumulative attendance during the season cracked a million people over 90 games.
Fast forward to 2017 and there were 101 rugby league games in Sydney with 1.4 million attendees. So while the population went up 150% to five million, match attendance rose 40%. And as the city grew into the sprawling, gleaming behemoth it is now, when the demographics changed, rugby league didn’t change to meet them.
Sydney stadiums warm up for pitch battle over $1.6bn prize Read more
The year 1984 was the first year that Europe wasn’t Australia’s predominant source of migration. Today there’s talk of an “Asian Century”. Thirty per cent of Australians were born overseas. Fujak’s data – and a cursory glance at the faces in the stands – supports the premise that the dominant sports still tie very much to traditional, Anglo-Saxon roots.
Other traditions and culture hold firm, too. Melbourne’s Australian rules clubs have historically not been as reliant on poker machine money as Sydney rugby league clubs. Yet when the AFL expanded and Melbourne clubs were struggling financially they survived by being pushed into a membership model of ownership. Fans bought into their club. They invested in it, financially as well as emotionally.
Meanwhile, Sydney clubs were complacent that the rivers of gold from their leagues clubs, and from the NRL’s grants via broadcast money, would continue. Fan attendance at matches, while welcome of course, was far from their biggest priority. And thus, trying to change fan culture to embrace a membership model, and glean higher attendances, is on a slow burn. Culture takes time to entrench. You can’t just flick a switch and say to fans, join us, we can be heroes. Sport is about emotion and tribalism.
Fujak further offers that Sydney media’s coverage of sporting attendances appears “excuse-driven”: Stadiums are no good; they are too far away and lack atmosphere; traffic’s horrendous; it costs too much. Yet on a mild, dry Saturday night at purpose-built Allianz stadium in September there were just 14,000 fans at Penrith versus Manly in a semi-final. You could get a ticket for $15.
'A lonely sea of blue seats': why ANZ stadium is nobody's home ground Read more
The night before in Melbourne 92,000 saw Richmond versus Geelong at the MCG. More than all four NRL games combined. As 15,000 watched two Sydney clubs in the middle of Sydney, the Sydney Swans hosted Essendon Bombers next door in the SCG and drew 47,000, a record. The largest NRL attendance that round (22,000) was in Melbourne, Storm v Parramatta.
Says Fujak: “If you walked up to a hundred people in Melbourne and a hundred people in Sydney and asked them, ‘On a scale of 1-to-10 how big a sport fan are you?’ the distribution of people ends up being very similar. Of that hundred, a similar amount of people will say they’re a 7-out-of-10 or a 9-out-of-10, whatever.
“Where the difference comes in is that if you live in Melbourne and say you you’re an 8 out of 10 sports fan, you’ll attend about 50% more games. In Melbourne there’s a 60% more chance that person is a member of their favorite club. In Sydney it’s about 40%.
“So even though Sydney-siders think of themselves as sports fans, when you separate the psychology from the behaviour, Sydney people are just not as interested in sport as people in Melbourne.”
First Sydney's stadiums, now Hordern Pavilion site slated for redevelopment Read more
Transport infrastructure? Melbourne has a fine tram network. “Modern” Sydney has many cars and did away with trams in 1958. Fujak reckons infrastructure “probably plays a role” but that Moore Park isn’t that much further from the city than, say, the MCG is from Melbourne’s CBD. Homebush is a 20-minute express train from Central station. “I think we fall back onto the excuse of infrastructure a lot more than it really deserves,” he says.
For Doc Fujak, it always, essentially, comes back to culture.
“In Sydney we just fundamentally do not have the culture of attending games. And that comes back to long-term, entrenched behaviour. If your parents went to games and you were brought up in that, you will probably end up going to games.
“But if you never did, if culturally it’s not in your lifestyle, then you won’t. And Sydney largely doesn’t have that culture.”
The NRL has tried 6pm kick-offs, which were largely panned. Friday at 6pm for families? Mum and dad working to pay off the terrible mortgage. Kids in childcare. Living in the suburbs and then travelling – in peak hour, no less, with all those cars – to a stadium more than an hour away? Forget it. Monday night football – which replaced a Saturday afternoon game because of television – died because people didn’t want to go. School night, all that.
And when crowds go down, they keep going down. It’s like a great restaurant, full of people. You walk past, you think it must be a good restaurant. An empty one you think, what sort of dud tucker do they sell in there? AFL supporters know there’ll be 90,000 at the MCG for Collingwood and Carlton. Sydney’s A-League derby will fill Allianz Stadium. Sydney versus Wellington Phoenix? Not so much. Manly versus North Queensland at Homebush? Not at all. Humans have a hive mind. We love a buzz.
Sydney stadiums: NSW government faces 'greyhound moment' Read more
“That’s probably the other element of culture,” reckons Fujak. “So aside from the long-term component of culture, there’s the short-term momentum element. And fortunately for the AFL they’re on the right side of that momentum. Because for an AFL game people know there is going to be a crowd so they come. Positivity is self-perpetuating.
“In the NRL because there is so much talk about bad crowds it becomes negatively self-perpetuating. A core challenge for the NRL is how do they turn around the negative momentum there is towards attending games? Because you will never see a media article talking about how great this crowd is going to be, how great the atmosphere is going to be.
“And if there is never any positive press around it, how do you get over that hurdle?”
How about by building a couple of whopping, flash new stadiums?
As Marge Simpson often says to Homer: Hmmmmm. |
DOT Commits to Sixth Ave Protected Bike Lane From 14th to 33rd Streets
DOT says it will begin planning and outreach later this year for a protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue between 14th and 33rd Streets in Manhattan.
The announcement comes after years of advocacy by the Transportation Alternatives Manhattan activist committee, which called for protected bike lanes and pedestrian islands on Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. The effort garnered support from local community boards, business improvement districts, and City Council members Corey Johnson and Dan Garodnick. Now, DOT is officially on board.
Currently, there are northbound protected bike lanes on the east side (First Avenue) and west side (Eighth Avenue) of Midtown, but not in between. Nevertheless, there’s a huge appetite for cycling along the spine of Manhattan, and many people on bikes have to mix it up with car traffic on some of the city’s widest and most chaotic streets. In May, DOT added buffers to the existing bike lane on Sixth Avenue between Christopher and 14th streets.
DOT hasn’t committed to a southbound protected bike lane on Fifth Avenue. The agency instead views the Sixth Avenue project as a pair with the southbound protected bike lane on Broadway in Midtown. There is also a buffered bike lane on Fifth Avenue south of 23rd Street.
Will the Sixth Avenue bike lane extend north of 33rd Street, where cyclists face the most intense car traffic? “One step at a time,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said. “The goal is, we’ll continue to work our way north, as we have on a lot of these projects.”
Transportation Alternatives has an online petition to thank City Hall for the Sixth Avenue project and urge the city to bring protected bike lanes to more Midtown avenues.
Sixth Avenue was one of the first NYC streets to get a dedicated bike lane. Striped bike lanes were first installed from 8th Street to 59th Street in 1977, though the bike lane north of 42nd Street was later removed to make way for a wider sidewalk.
There was a brief period when Sixth Avenue had protected bike lanes. In 1980, Mayor Ed Koch installed protected bike lanes on north-south routes through Midtown, including Sixth Avenue. The path on Sixth Avenue attracted 3,000 cyclists a day, according to a DOT report. A lawsuit to stop the bike lanes was dismissed that September, but the protected bike lanes were nevertheless torn out in November, doomed when Governor Hugh Carey disparaged them to President Jimmy Carter.
Things have changed quite a bit since 1980. Protected bike lanes are fixtures on major Manhattan avenues, and soon, Sixth Avenue will be one of them.
The announcement came at a press conference this morning to mark some DOT bike lane mileage milestones. We’ll have more coverage of the press conference later this afternoon. |
Ken Norton Jr. can’t explain Raiders’ struggling defense
Ken Norton Jr. took the stand, er podium, Thursday and pleaded guilty to the Raiders’ defense being terrible the first two games. But the defensive coordinator plans on himself, the players and even head coach Jack Del Rio being exonerated as the season progresses.
Norton expects to call plays Sunday in Nashville, a week after Del Rio took over the duties late in the fourth quarter of a 35-28 loss to Atlanta.
“The whole staff, we sit in there and we go over the game plan, over the plays. We have a good idea of what plays should be called at certain times,” Norton said Thursday. “It’s a collective effort, but I do call them on game day.”
Norton had no problem with Del Rio taking charge, largely because that’s how it goes when someone is your boss.
“He’s the head coach,” Norton said. “He can do what he wants to do. That’s up to him.”
Norton didn’t have a lot of answers as to why the Raiders (1-1) have allowed 1,035 yards, an NFL record for the first two games.
“It’s hard to tell,” he said. “I mean, there are a lot of things that we’re looking at. ... We all had high expectations at the same time. We’re a work in progress. ... I’m accountable for it. We have to work harder, work better and we expect to come out of this.”
There are five new starters on defense, and Norton still thinks the players will meet the expectations soon enough.
“I’ve been around a lot of good defenses, a lot of good coaches, a lot of good players and this fits right up there with the good ones,” Norton said. “Again, no one said it was going to be easy. You’re going to have adverse times and those adverse times really reveal us, reveal who you are, and I think that the team has come together, come close.
“You can tell the guys really care. No one wants to play as bad as we’ve played.”
Two newcomers — safety Karl Joseph and inside linebacker Cory James, both rookies — will see some action. Joseph, the team’s first-round pick, had offseason knee surgery but played in the preseason before sitting out on defense the first two games.
Joseph has said he needs to get better at knowing where to look on the field.
Norton was asked what was holding back Joseph.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “You really can’t tell. It’s just a matter of being sure about what you’re doing, really understanding the details and just kind of putting it all together. Pro football is a big deal.”
It is, and Del Rio acknowledged that the calls need to get out sooner to help players line up in the right spot faster. Opposing receivers — especially tight ends — are running free, and it’s not because the Raiders are getting outmuscled or outrun.
Cornerback David Amerson said the Raiders need to “play chess against chess.”
Not checkers, Connect-4, CandyLand or Hungry Hungry Hippo. Chess.
And Norton is expecting to hold the pieces again Sunday.
Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur |
PISKY, Ukraine—The notion that the Ukraine cease-fire is still largely holding, or even being followed at all, is fiction.
In the eastern Ukrainian village of Pisky, only six kilometers from the separatist stronghold of Donetsk, and two kilometers from the ruined Donetsk airport, the Ukrainian army 93rd Mechanized Brigade is engaged in sustained combat with combined Russian-separatist forces.
>>> Watch Nolan Peterson’s Video of His Embed With the Ukrainian Army
In Pisky, combined Russian-separatist forces violate the cease-fire every day with heavy artillery barrages, including 120-mm and 152-mm shells, tank attacks, and sniper and automatic grenade launcher fire. Separatist reconnaissance units also slip behind the lines after dark, and gun battles are a nightly routine.
“I dance with death every day,” said Sergei Kozin, a red-bearded 43-year-old machine gunner from Dnipropetrovsk, who has been on the front lines in Pisky for more than two months.
The Daily Signal was among the first foreign media outlets to embed with the regular Ukrainian army during an eight-day period in Pisky from June 8-15, 2015—it was the first time a U.S. journalist embedded with the regular Ukrainian army in combat.
At about 3 p.m. on June 13, a separatist tank fired on a group of seven, including Ukrainian soldiers and this correspondent. The round landed about 60 feet from the group, and shrapnel sprayed overhead. Eardrums were left ringing. There were no casualties, and all seven were able to flee to a nearby cellar to take shelter for the follow-on shots that lasted for about 20 minutes.
Ukrainian forces firing unguided shoulder-launched anti-tank missiles turned the tank back.
Ukrainian soldiers involved in the fighting claimed it was a Russian T-72 tank, although this could not be independently verified at the time.
“They shoot every night and every day,” said Volodymyr, a 20-year-old lieutenant from Lviv who has been at the front for three months. “There is no cease-fire.”
(While some Ukrainian soldiers were comfortable giving their full names, many ask that their names not be published or their faces photographed due to security concerns.)
Facing these persistent, lethal attacks, the Ukrainian forces are forced to defend themselves by bringing up heavy weapons banned from the front lines under the Minsk II agreements, resulting in a complete collapse of the Feb. 12 cease-fire.
“We have orders to fire only if we are directly under fire, only if they are trying to take our position,” Kozin said.
“We can only fire if they shoot at us,” Volodymyr said. “But we usually won’t bother shooting back if it’s just small arms fire.”
The separatist artillery barrages are relentless and are coupled with daily tank attacks and persistent sniper fire, making Pisky a deadly place for Ukrainian soldiers who are hunkered down here to prevent a separatist breakout, which they fear would sweep across eastern Ukraine.
“Our mission is to hold the line and to prevent reconnaissance groups from crossing over,” Kozin said. “But it seems like the Russians are just using us as a laboratory to test their new weapons.”
On June 3, combined Russian-separatist forces launched an offensive against Ukrainian troops nine miles southwest of Pisky in the nearby town of Marinka, also on the outskirts of Donetsk. The attack comprised more than 1,000 troops who were supported with heavy weapons and tanks.
Ukrainian troops ultimately held their ground and repelled the attack, but they initially had to do so without heavy weapons support. It took almost six hours to redeploy Ukrainian artillery and tanks, which had been pulled back from the front according to the Minsk cease-fire, to support the embattled troops defending Marinka.
Ukrainian soldiers in Pisky point to Marinka as proof that the combined Russian-separatist forces have abandoned the cease-fire. They say heavy weapons need to be on the line ready for Ukrainians to use due to the looming threat of a Marinka-style offensive here. The cease-fire is dead, they say, and to stay on the line without heavy weapons deployed nearby to protect them in an offensive would be suicide.
“We can’t fight off Russian tanks with Kalashnikovs,” Kozin said.
Prepare for the Worst
The Ukrainian army anticipates a major assault in Pisky will happen soon.
Combined Russian-separatist tanks attack Ukrainian positions almost every day. The artillery is virtually nonstop and around the clock. Ukrainian soldiers say they start to feel uneasy if the firing stops for more than an hour; they are so used to the constant concussions coming at irregular intervals that total silence is disconcerting.
During a tank attack, the rounds came in with no notice, hammering a Ukrainian position for a half-dozen or so strikes. Tank shots are harder to anticipate than artillery fired from fixed positions because the shell arcs are usually flatter, leaving a shorter whistle before the round impacts. Soldiers consequently have less time to react and dive for cover.
Each day, Ukrainian soldiers repel separatist tanks with shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles and with armored personnel carriers. The Ukrainians consider the attacks to be probing missions designed to test the Ukrainians’ defenses, rather than attempts at an actual breakthrough.
The Ukrainian retreats at Debaltseve and Illovaisk, in which hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were killed when their positions were surrounded and overrun, have Ukrainians on edge about their prospects of survival in a retreat.
Many vow to fight to the death if they are surrounded in Pisky rather than being taken prisoner.
On the night of June 13, Ukrainian troops received information that a combined Russian-separatist offensive would likely happen that evening. The mood was tense throughout the night, and units were placed on combat alert.
Daniel Kasyanenko—nom de guerre “Mobile Phone”—a 19-year-old soldier from the southeastern Ukrainian town of Zaporizhia, said that if the order were given to retreat, it would have to be done on foot.
“We don’t have enough cars to drive us all out,” he said.
Wasteland
Pisky is a formerly wealthy suburb of the separatist stronghold of Donetsk. From here, Ukrainian forces fired artillery in support of an elite unit nicknamed the “Cyborgs,” which fought for control of the Donetsk airport through January. The airport, which was totally annihilated by the fighting, is currently under separatist control.
Initially, Ukrainian units in Pisky comprised both civilian volunteer battalions and the regular army. But after a push by Kyiv to consolidate all the volunteer battalions fighting in the conflict area under government control, volunteer soldiers in Pisky from groups like OUN, Right Sector and Karpatska Sich have been integrated into the 93rd Brigade. The 93rd currently comprises both volunteer and mobilized soldiers.
Pisky is a devastated wasteland. The ground is littered with craters, Grad rockets and charred earth. Every building in the village is at least partially destroyed by the shelling; shrapnel and bullet holes pockmark almost every vertical surface.
A few civilians remain, but most have left. An Orthodox nun remains at the local church as caretaker. She brings out chocolate and bottles of water to Ukrainian troops passing by on patrol, and opens up the church for them to pray.
The Ukrainian units based in Pisky have set up positions in the cellars of the most solid structures, hoping to find a modicum of protection from the artillery. Ringing the village is a network of trenches—reminiscent of scenes one might associate with World War I—where the Ukrainians have set up machine-gun positions and snipers work.
Looming off in the distance one can see the Donetsk skyline. There are two tall, white towers from which snipers fire and artillery spotters can see almost 30 kilometers, Ukrainian soldiers claim. The structures are too close to civilian positions for the Ukrainians to try to destroy them.
“We are not willing to kill civilians,” Kozin said. “They are Ukrainians, and many of us still have friends there (in Donetsk).”
For many Ukrainian soldiers, direct Russian involvement in the conflict is a forgone conclusion.
“How can they say the Russians aren’t here?” said Vasiliy Ivaskiv, a grey-haired 53-year-old former miner from the western Ukrainian town of Ivano-Frankivsk. “You can’t buy tanks and Grads in a supermarket.”
Some of the tactics the combined Russian-separatist forces use contribute to the enmity the Ukrainians feel toward their enemy.
In addition to 120-mm and 152-mm heavy artillery, the combined Russian-separatists also shoot flares and white phosphorous rounds at structures. At night, targeted buildings go up in flames. The white phosphorous rounds are capable of burning straight through the concrete walls of the cellars within which the Ukrainian troops take shelter, potentially killing them while they sleep or eat.
The separatists, who share the same radio waves as the Ukrainians, often taunt the Ukrainians in radio messages. The Ukrainians, for their part, laugh at the panicked radio calls of separatists under fire—especially one call in particular, in which the separatists confused artillery fire for bombs dropped from an aircraft.
Grit
Humor and camaraderie are often the bedrock of the Ukrainian soldiers’ psychological grit.
“Our comrades help us endure the fear,” Kozin said.
“When our smiles disappear, we disappear,” said Nemo, a 39-year-old from the Crimean city of Kerch who has been on the line for more than five months.
Soldiers are constantly laughing and smiling—almost purposefully during moments of intense danger.
“Sometimes we laugh, but it’s bitter laughter after the shelling,” said Oleg, 43, from Kharkiv. “But it’s not very sweet moments when there is shelling.
“Optimists will survive a lot longer in a war,” said Bogdan—nom de guerre “Dan”—a 25-year-old from Lviv with an anchored smile who likes to ride around Pisky in an old motorcycle he has fixed up while wearing a cowboy hat. Like many Ukrainian soldiers, he’s trained in multiple specialties, including as a sapper and medic.
“But I’m a normal person, and sometimes I have bad days,” he continued. “The worst part is seeing your friends die, seeing young men die. Sometimes you go back to where he was living, you see his stuff still there, and it’s really terrible to realize he’s gone.”
Pranks play a key part in preserving the soldiers’ morale. Once, Bogdan said, they called a pizza delivery joint in Donetsk. When they gave the address in Pisky, it was nothing but dial tone. And during one particularly intense firefight, the soldiers called the Donetsk police department to report a disturbance of the peace.
“They didn’t think it was so funny,” Bogdan explained, smiling.
While many soldiers outwardly treat the constant artillery barrages, tank attacks and sniper shooting with casual indifference, they privately admit that the near-constant fear of death is psychologically draining.
“Fear is always present,” Kozin said. “But it comes down to wanting to come home alive. Only silly people are not afraid.”
“There are two types of fear,” Bogdan said. “The first is when you imagine things that might kill you. The second is a reaction to something real, when you are just trying to save your life.”
“You just try to manage the first type,” he added. “You don’t want this fear to control you. The second type you use to save your life.”
The artillery attacks are indeed terrifying. The whistle of the incoming rounds often gives one second, at most, to dive for the ground to avoid the shrapnel.
“I always feel fear,” said Kostya Bezkorovayny, a skinny 22-year-old from Dnipropetrovsk who is always smiling (his nickname is “Smile Man”) and wearing shorts and sandals—even in body armor.
“But you eventually learn to tell apart the really dangerous things from the things that are just scary,” he added.
Often times, however, Ukrainian spotters on the front lines are able to see enemy artillery being fired and transmit a radio message—they say “hole”—giving soldiers enough time to find an underground cellar in which to hide. Soldiers walking around usually carry radios, reflecting the reality that even a simple trip to the outhouse could turn into a life or death sprint for safety.
The unending sniper attacks are another concern. The laser-zip sound of bullets flying overhead (like a fingernail running down stretched nylon) and the crack of far-off sniper rifles firing is almost constant.
Sometimes the Russian-separatist snipers time their shots with automatic grenade-launcher attacks and artillery, concealing the sound of their shots, which could give away their positions.
No casualties due to snipers were recorded while The Daily Signal was embedded in Pisky, but there were multiple instances of sniper rounds impacting only inches from both Ukrainian soldiers and journalists, underscoring the constant threat.
Walls devastated by artillery shrapnel are also littered with 14.5×114-mm caliber sniper bullets. The whistle of bullets flying overhead is not unusual in Pisky, but still, everyone ducks when they hear the sound. Snipers, like drones, instill a unique fear in the soldiers.
Despite the tough living conditions and the relentless attacks, the overall morale of the Ukrainian soldiers in Pisky is high.
“It’s impossible not to be motivated when the enemy has attacked the motherland,” said Ivaskiv, whom the soldiers call Vasha. He volunteered for the military after traveling back and forth to the front lines driving supplies to soldiers. He was tired of seeing young men die, he explained, and wanted to fight for his country. He said he had to step over his pleading wife who tried to block the door when he left for the war.
He has a 31-year-old son whom he doesn’t want to join the military because the son is childless. “A man should have children before going to war,” Ivaskiv said, explaining that his father, who was born in 1913 and fought Nazi Germany in the Second World War, told him the same thing when he was a young man.
Konstantin Bernatovich, “Koha,” a 33-year-old television production engineer from Kyiv, beams with pride when he shows photographs of his twin 13-year-old boys.
“All I care about is getting home to see them again,” he says. He is scheduled to return home for their birthday this summer, but he will only get two days off from the front.
Many soldiers have been on the line for as long as six months, and the psychological toll of the constant shelling, and the indiscriminate, myriad ways in which one can die in Pisky, eventually breaks some.
One soldier voluntarily turned himself into the military police for drinking so that he could spend three days in the local brig to decompress after an intense firefight.
“We’ve had people go insane from artillery,” said Volodymyr, a sniper, who is married and left his job at an Obolon beer factory to join the 93rd.
“We run zigzagging on the way to the bathroom,” he said. “There is fear. Some have more, some have less.”
“Sometimes the Russians fire multiple shells at the same place at once so the concussions resonate like an earthquake,” Kozin said.
“We had one guy lose his mind from this,” he added. “He just started stuttering one day and then he was gone.”
Many of the men are more frustrated with not being able to attack the enemy than by the day-to-day dangers—they are eager for large-scale operations to resume so that they can escape the lethal drudgery of this static, long-range type of combat.
“Our brothers are still dying, and we are only holding the line,” Nemo said. “There must be movement sooner or later, this can’t go on forever. What we have now is just a bad joke.”
“For the majority of us it is frustrating,” Kozin said. “It is our land, and we will not sit here for 30 years. It won’t get better if things just stay like this. We need a solution.”
‘If They forget About Us, We Are Lost.’
At one position on the front lines (the steel door to the cellar within which the soldiers take shelter is folded like aluminum foil from the concussion of artillery) the Ukrainian soldiers play with a litter of kittens. At another location, a unit has adopted a stray German Shepherd named “Dina.”
One afternoon, Ivaskiv held Dina down, and while she whelped in pain he extracted a piece of artillery shrapnel from her neck with his bayonet knife. Dina accompanies the unit on patrols, and she sleeps in the cellar with the men at night. She becomes very frightened when the artillery starts up, and often hides under the dinner table by the soldiers’ feet.
Meals, for that matter, are special occasions. At night the soldiers laugh and joke over dinner.
“When I was working in the mines, we could tell who was a good worker by how much he ate,” Ivaskiv said at dinner one night. “So eat up.”
The food is simple, hearty fare, cooked on a small gas stove.
They sometimes cook fish, which is caught from the nearby stream, mixed with rice, potatoes or barley. Every now and then they get a little lazy and use extra explosives to bring up the fish, but mostly they do so with lines.
Soup, salad and bread are almost always served at meals. So is salted salo—a Ukrainian specialty made of cured pig fat. The men sometimes eat salo and sweetened condensed milk for energy before long missions. Eggs are for breakfast, and lunches are usually drawn out as a way to escape the summer afternoon heat.
Special occasions, such as the birthdays of children, call for chicken cutlets that volunteers have brought in. There is also a special compote juice, which volunteers bring in big glass jars with berries in the bottom, which the men drink with abandon. Nearly everyone smokes, more from Ukrainian cultural habits than anything specific to the war. But there is a natural, collective need to light up after a heavy artillery attack or a close call with a sniper.
Civilian volunteers bring all the food. The Ukrainian government sparsely supplies the soldiers. Many Ukrainian troops sarcastically claim that the government in Kyiv only gives them guns and ammunition. Reality is not too far off from these typically sardonic battlefield complaints.
“The state is not really supportive,” Volodymyr said. “We rely mostly on volunteers.”
The Ukrainians wear mismatched uniforms that often have either been bought off the Internet or sent by friends or family. Most are still equipped with winter gear, and therefore go on patrol in T-shirts to avoid the summer heat. Uniforms, boots, body armor, food, water, first aid kits, cigarettes, rifle scopes, night vision goggles (designed for hunting, not war), portable devices for plotting enemy artillery—it all comes from civilian volunteers who raise money to buy these things and then drive them to front lines in old, bullet-riddled minivans or SUVs.
“The Ukrainian government has forgotten about us for a long time, but the Ukrainian nation has not forgotten about us,” Nemo said. “It is inspiring to see the volunteers.”
“The main pillar of our psychological strength is the support of people back home,” he added. “If they forget about us, we are lost.” |
Archaeologists in Germany may soon be able to booze on the same beer that ancient Celts once did, thanks to a new analysis from a 2,500-year-old brewery, according to Physorg.com.
The Iron Age beer recipe was discovered by Dr. Hans-Peter Stika, an archaeobotanist from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, while he was studying an ancient Celtic site at Eberdingen-Hochdorf that dates to the year 500 BC. At the site were six oblong ditches that contained thousands of grains of charred barley, which almost certainly would have been used for the production of high-quality barley malt for making beer.
Drawing from his knowledge of beer-making tools that Celtic people in the Iron Age might have used and clues left at the site, Stika inferred that the ditches were used to soak barley grains until they sprouted. Fires were probably then lit at either end of the ditch to slowly dry the sprouted grains. The finished product would have given the malt a dark color and smoky flavor, according to Stika's analysis.
Furthermore, the slow drying would have stimulated the growth of bacteria that caused the release of lactic acid, which would have added a sourness to the beer. The excavations also yielded seeds of a plant called stinking nightshade, which if added to the recipe would have made the beer more intoxicating.
Other ingredients added to the brew would likely have included mugwort and carrot seeds, popular spices of the time. The fermentation could have been produced by yeast on the brewing equipment, or possibly from wild yeast on honey or fruit added to the brew. Since hops wasn't used in beer until much later (not until around 800 AD), the flavors produced by these ingredients would have tasted much different than today's beer.
According to Stika, the final beer would have been drunk at room temperature and it would have appeared cloudy and with a yeasty sediment.
Although these findings are among the oldest beer recipes ever discovered, they are not actually the oldest. That title belongs to 5,500-year-old brewing facilities that have been found in the Middle East.
2,500-year-old Celtic beer recipe revealed
Archaeologists studying a 2,500-year-old Celtic brewery have uncovered an ancient beer recipe. |
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: We begin the show on this day after Memorial Day in Portland, where for the second time in a week a military man was killed by a white extremist. On Friday, 53-year-old Ricky Best, a retired Army veteran, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche were fatally stabbed, with a third man critically injured, as they tried to defend two teenage girls against an attack by a man going on an anti-Muslim rant. The two young women, one of whom wore a Muslim hijab, were riding a commuter train when, according to witnesses, Jeremy Joseph Christian started shouting ethnic and religious slurs. Best and Meche, along with a third man who intervened, were stabbed. Best died at the scene. Meche died at a hospital. Portland Police Department spokesperson Pete Simpson described the scene.
SGT. PETE SIMPSON: Officers at the platform went down onto the train. They found one male victim suffering from traumatic injuries. They attempted lifesaving measures there on the train, but they were unsuccessful. That victim died here at the scene. Two additional stabbing victims were located and immediately transported by medical personnel. One of those victims, when they arrived at the hospital, also passed away. The third victim is at the hospital being treated. He is suffering from what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: In an emotional interview with CNN, 16-year-old Destinee Mangum, one of the targets of Christian’s hate speech, described what happened. Mangum, who is not Muslim, thanked the three strangers who saved their lives.
DESTINEE MANGUM: He told us to go back to Saudi Arabia, and he told us that we shouldn’t be here and to get out of his country. He was just telling us that we basically weren’t anything and that we should just kill ourselves. … This white male, from the back of us, came, and he was like, “He’s talking to you guys.” And he was like, “You guys—you can’t disrespect these young ladies like that.” And then they just all started arguing. … Me and my friend, we were going to get off the MAX. And then we turned around while they were fighting, and he just started stabbing people. And it was just blood everywhere, and we just started running for our lives. … I just want to say thank you to the people who put their life on the line for me, because they didn’t even know me. And they lost their lives because of me and my friend and the way we looked. And I just want to say thank you to them and their family, and that I appreciate them, because without them, we probably would be dead right now.
AMY GOODMAN: The attack unfolded hours before the start of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month, when most of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims observe a daily religious fast. Police arrested Christian, a convicted felon, soon after the attack. He was booked on two counts of aggravated murder and charges of attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon. Christian was ordered held without bail, is scheduled to be arraigned today. Following the attack, the Portland mayor, Ted Wheeler, announced the city will not issue permits to “alt-right” groups for planned supremacist rallies in June.
The attack comes just six days after 23-year-old Richard Collins III, an African-American student at Bowie State University and Army second lieutenant in Maryland, was fatally stabbed by an alleged member of a white supremacist Facebook group called “Alt-Reich: Nation.”
Well, for more, we’re joined by Heidi Beirich. She’s Intelligence Project director of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Heidi, welcome to Democracy Now!, joining us from Montgomery, Alabama. Can you tell us what you know about this attack and about this man who will be arraigned today?
HEIDI BEIRICH: Yes, well, Jeremy Christian, based on extensive Facebook postings, was motivated by pro-Hitler ideas, a love of the Oklahoma City bomber, Timothy McVeigh, other extremist ideas, in particular related to the Islamic faith. And it looks like, for some reason, he decided to act out on those anti-Muslim ideas. He was also a Trump supporter who had shown up at Trump rallies, sieg-heiling at one of these events. So he’s a true radical in terms of his ideas.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, some people have suggested that the incident fits into the broader pattern or the history of neo-Nazi violence in the Northwest. Could you comment on that?
HEIDI BEIRICH: Yeah, I mean, look, the Northwest has been victimized by neo-Nazis and skinheads for a very, very long time. And this also has involved murders of people of color and antiracist activists. There’s no question. Neo-Nazis have tried to move into that region for years to create a homeland, thinking that because it has a white population, that would be a good place to be. But what I find interesting about Jeremy Christian is, although some of those ideas are there in his writings, in many ways, I think his rhetoric has more to do with the campaign and the ideas unleashed in the campaign over the last 16, 18 months by the Trump folks than it does with hardcore neo-Nazism. Or at least it’s a mix of the two, two sets of ideas.
AMY GOODMAN: Jeremy Christian’s Facebook page includes several posts in which he espouses extremist views. On April 19, the anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Christian praised Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, writing, “May all the Gods Bless Timothy McVeigh a TRUE PATRIOT!!!” In a post dated May 9th, Christian wrote, “I just Challenged Ben Ferencz (Last Living Nuremberg Persecutor) to a Debate in the Hague with Putin as our judge. I will defend the Nazis and he will defend the AshkeNAZIs”—a reference to European Jews. Heidi, can you talk about this?
HEIDI BEIRICH: Yeah, well, look, the praise of McVeigh is particularly troubling. You know, people sometimes forget that McVeigh, who was directly inspired to commit that bombing in 1995 by reading a neo-Nazi novel called The Turner Diaries, that that was the largest domestic terrorist attack prior to 9/11. And there have been many, many people who have praised McVeigh over the years. We had an incident actually just in the past week in Tampa in which four neo-Nazis, one of whom converted to Islam and then killed two of his roommates, had bomb-making material—a very serious incident. There was a picture of McVeigh in their room. And so, when you’re praising McVeigh, what you’re talking about is killing people, and you’re talking about being inspired by white supremacy. And, you know, we also had the incident in Maryland where this black man was killed by someone who was involved in a neo-Nazi, you know, so-called alt-right group. So we’re seeing a lot of this right now. It’s actually quite scary.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I want to turn to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. Speaking Monday, Wheeler urged white supremacist groups to cancel their plans for upcoming demonstrations in Portland.
MAYOR TED WHEELER: Our city is in mourning. Our community’s anger is very real. And the timing and subject of these events can only exacerbate what is already a very difficult situation. I’m appealing to the organizers of the “alt-right” events to cancel the events that they’ve scheduled on both June 4th and June 10th. I urge them to ask their supporters to stay away from Portland at this difficult time. There is never a place for bigotry or hatred in our community, and especially not right now.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: This comes as the top Republican in Portland said he’s considering using militia groups as security for public events. Meanwhile, Multnomah County GOP Chair James Buchal told The Guardian that Republicans could make their own security arrangements rather than relying on city or state police, including groups like the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters. This comes as a video recently surfaced of Buchal lamenting what he called “open borders.”
JAMES BUCHAL: His enemies are my enemies, and his enemies are all our enemies. Our enemies want a lot of things that are bad for us. Above all else, they want open borders, because they know if they keep—keep the borders open, bring in all sorts of people from Third World countries who have no conception of liberty, they have no experience with liberty, many of them may not even be interested in it—if they keep doing that, it will change this country forever, and it will destroy everything that is special about America. And this election was very important, because our enemies were on the verge of winning essentially permanently. Eight more years of this, and that may well have been the end. And then Trump got elected. So now our enemies are more dangerous than ever. They’re more ruthless than ever. They’re more determined than ever. We are really in a life-and-death battle for the future of our society.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: That was Multnomah County GOP Chair James Buchal. I wanted—Heidi Beirich, your response?
HEIDI BEIRICH: Yeah, well, I mean, those are outrageous claims related to bringing in militias and whatnot. You have to wonder if these folks don’t realize that it just wasn’t that long ago that militia groups took over a wildlife refugee in a very, very dangerous, you know, situation in eastern Oregon. And, you know, to hear, on the one hand, the mayor calling for calm and honoring the victims and so on, then have somebody else from the GOP side calling to have militias brought out is just, frankly, frightening.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to get your response to the ACLU of Oregon saying that Mayor Ted Wheeler’s efforts to keep far-right protesters from holding more rallies in Portland is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, Heidi.
HEIDI BEIRICH: Yeah, I think the ACLU is actually right in that case. We have to protect people’s First Amendment rights regardless of how heinous they are. I can understand the mayor being upset, not wanting to see more hate in his town, but this is probably the wrong tactic to take. A better one would be to continue with the positive events, like the vigils that took place over this past weekend, which draw attention to the better parts of our nature, and allow these other folks to have their events. Unfortunately, their hate will be on parade during them.
AMY GOODMAN: Yeah, I wanted to ask you also about how long it took President Trump to respond to these attacks. It was only on Monday that he tweeted, quote, “The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them.”
HEIDI BEIRICH: You know, President Trump, whose words in the campaign against immigrants, against Muslims, against others, unleashed a wave of hate crimes and bias incidents, especially right after the election. The SPLC had documented about 900 of them in the first 10 days. He has been incredibly reluctant to denounce the hate violence that in many cases has been perpetrated in his name. And this is another example where he waits several days, and then this tweet only went out on the official president of the United States account, not from the Twitter account that he usually fiddles with. You know, he didn’t mention the Jewish population during his Holocaust Remembrance Day speech. It’s outrageous that he won’t stand up and denounce these hate crimes, given the role that he’s played in stoking the anger out there.
AMY GOODMAN: What about the Trump administration’s proposal to cut all funding for the Department of Homeland Security program known as Countering Violent Extremism? Can you explain more what that program is and why the Trump administration is trying to get rid of it?
HEIDI BEIRICH: Sure. So, under the Obama years, the Countering Violent Extremism set of programs gave money basically to Muslim groups that were fighting extremism in their community and then, in the latter years of the Obama administration, to organizations battling against white supremacy. Of course, the understanding was extremism comes in both those forms, so both need to be fought.
Now, Trump kind of in the way that he doesn’t seem to realize that there’s a wave of hate crimes breaking out across this country based on racist and white supremacist ideas, it appears that he wants to cut the part of the Countering Violent Extremism program devoted to battling white supremacy. It’s as though domestic terrorism doesn’t come from white supremacist ideas, when in fact in the United States the bulk in recent years of domestic terrorist incidents have not been inspired by radical interpretations of Islam, but by white supremacy, which is, frankly, an indigenous thought process that goes back deep into our history. And like I said, we’ve just had three incidents—Maryland, Tampa and now Portland—that show how dangerous and violent these ideas can become.
AMY GOODMAN: Heidi Beirich, we want to thank you very much for being with us, Intelligence Project director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaking to us from Montgomery, Alabama.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, Yale University professor Tim Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Stay with us. |
Content Warning for: stuff no one needed to see. Buttcheeks.
I was thankful for the will to bathe.
I tolerated only a few days of stewing in my own, depressed filth. I figured that I was plagued by intrusive thoughts again, about sorrow and death.
Of course, I didn’t bathe in the most literal sense. Lien had a spacious bathroom, full of mirrors and clean white amenities. But only a shower stall. How did they clean off Isaac? Three year-olds could stand. Alice could afford to get old clothes wet in order to help him.
The shower was uneventful. The hot water was plentiful, and I stepped out smelling like black soap. The whole household swore by it for skincare and warding off pimples.
While showering, I thought of little else other than ideas for a new project: Toffee. I joined it on Github on a whim, helping build an open-source microblogging server. The name was still in development. The setup, even moreso. And it was all volunteer work, but great for my pitiful resume.
But then I brushed my teeth. My mouth felt tingly. My mind and blood raced with the one person who pestered it in the best and most sensual of ways.
It was Thu’s fault anyways. She just had to fire me while wearing only her lingerie. She should have known that she was so young. So attractively slender. Better than being the mere property of someone old and dead. I wish I said something, but that also could have been worse.
I took a hard look at myself. I never went that far before, as to stroke myself while thinking about her. I would simply change the subject, because it would be weird! I worked for her!
And now I didn’t.
I let my towel drop to the floor.
So…I needed something to focus on about Thu, and there was so much I could. Free from having to be a good employee, I could admit so much about how I felt. I missed Thu and wanted even a passing glimpse of her. She could be naked. Dressed for work. Hair up in a gorgeous thick bun, or messy and draping down her shoulders. Wearing Andrea’s old clothes, right down to his crusty boxers.
She could be kissing my neck, or moaning as I stroked her scarred thighs. Checking her emails. Playing piano, like she was rumored to. Even watching awful Adam Sandler comedies. She had even more of them in her bookshelf.
I could replay getting fired in my head, enjoying it out of context.
It was a hard thing to narrow down to a single scenario. I could come to every inch of her.
I decided that it would start like any other work day.
I’d wear my usual clothes for her: sweater, pants, and shined-up military boots. It would be a cold morning, and I’d light the fireplace.
And she would wait for me in the kitchen, with a steaming cup of tea in her hands. Unlike me, Thu wouldn’t be dressed for the day, especially such a cold one. She would wear nothing but her old wedding ring, a short silk robe, and panties that left almost nothing to the imagination.
Unrealistically, for her, she would smile. It wouldn’t even be shy or nervous. It would be devious…aroused…genuine.
“Good morning Axel. Thanks for the tea…I never thought I’d like tulsi.”
Even her wedding ring would feel like electricity on my cheek.
I felt halfway there after the fantasy of one touch. My heart raced…and I seriously had never thought of her like this before? It already felt incredible…in comparison to the rest of my week.
She wouldn’t be a shy kisser either. Thu would squeeze me tight and bite my lower lip. Her tongue would be gentle and velvety against mine. And even if it wasn’t, I wanted it everywhere.
But she would move slow and spend a lot of time making out on her couch. And I could understand that. She still treated the memories of Andrea like they were fresh. Even if she didn’t, it’s been so long for her. I have no right to complain about six months of a dry spell.
I could progress it, though. I reach under Thu’s robe to caress her bare waist. I bring my kisses downward, on her neck or collarbone. I stroke her ribs, or any of all her warm, naked flesh.
I want to pace it, but it would be so hot if I untied her robe right there. She could tear my clothes off and we could make love in front of her fireplace.
She perches on my lap, giving me a great view from above.
“Let’s go to my room.”
“Wow Thu, I’ve never seen that before.”
She drags me as well as she can, for the tiny thing she is. It’s all normal as I head down the hall, fighting the urge to pin her to the wall. I’ve seen her apartment before.
Just not all of it.
Wait…shit. I did not think that through.
I then stand in a dark place. The room or void or vast open space is pitch-black. I’m still wearing my clothes.
Someone is crying.
I can always guess who it is.
She shows up naked and hunched over. Thu’s vertebrae stick out from under her skin. Her cuts look dark and sickening, and they ooze blood and pus.
“…honey?”
“…you tried hiding it from me…you might have already killed me…”
“Please Thu, I can’t come to this,” I muttered, trying to bring myself back. I wanted to think about her smiling again. We could put on a movie in her movie nook, and bang while an awful Adam Sandler comedy played in the background. Anything but–
“Holy fuck, and you didn’t even lock the door?!”
I jumped back. Elle was in her pajamas, and she looked mortified faced with me half-erect and naked.
“Oh my god…you’re jerking off to your boss?” She started to laugh, instead of running out of the room and drinking the memory away. She could have woken up the whole flat. “You’re obsessed with her! You fucking are!”
“Can’t I feel how I want to feel?” I asked her.
“Yeah, but I can laugh at what I want to laugh at,” she said. “So did you steal her underwear or just jerk off in her bathroom like a normie?”
“No! Stop it…please.” But now that she mentioned those, I regretted doing my job.
Going back to our shared room was less awkward than it could have been. Elle forgot that she ever had to see my penis, and headed to her computer to find some dank memes.
“Hey, you gotta share this with your group,” she said. “It’s new and rising in the Meme Economy.”
“I’ll…stay quiet,” I said.
“Dude, you’ve walked in on me. I’ve walked in on you. It’s just one of those roommate things,” she said. “Don’t take it so hard…heh…hard.”
“Are you done?”
“Yeah, I’m done.”
I looked at our Discord server. None of the chats were active. It was still early in the morning in Germany. At best, Remi was preparing coffee before work, and he needed to push out a new version of his company’s software fast before Pro Tools beat them. It often stressed him out.
I wanted to ask Elle for advice. Out of anyone here, she must have known the pain of unrequited love too. Any attractive woman had a 99% of chance of being off-limits to her.
But turned out the lights and I curled up, figuring that she wouldn’t understand anything about how I felt. How I couldn’t think of anyone or anything else. No one could have such a vice-grip on anyone’s mind like Thu had hers on mine.
I should have thought of nothing while I slept. But Thu was still in that black void, naked and shivering with fear. At least that scenario could go better. I could crouch down and offer my sweater to her. She could cry into my shirt and bleed out onto the rest of my clothes.
I could hug the hurt out of her until she hugged me back. |
– Guest post from Phil Amadon, Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative
Paul Krugman, said in The New York Times that “Capital in the 21st Century…the most important economics book of the year…maybe of the decade…does more than document the growing concentration of income in the hands of a small economic elite….in which the commanding heights of the economy are dominated not just by wealth, but also by inherited wealth, in which birth matters more than effort and talent.”
The author, Thomas Piketty, and a team of scholars, researching for 15 years covering over 200 years of wealth and income records of a number of leading capitalist countries (including the USA) have conclusively shown that the concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands has continued, faster than the rate of overall economic growth, WITH ONE EXCEPTION…the post war NEW DEAL ERA….the 40s thru the early 70s.
What does this mean for the Union Co-op, Mondragon Model? What does this mean for a movement that wants to “build an economy that works for all…” and a movement that wants to “turn back the race to the bottom that is driving down workers standard of living?”
First, Piketty shows that this ever greater concentration of wealth is a central part of the functioning of the global economic system. The Union co-op movement, recognizing this fact, is first, a line of defense against the normal functioning of the global capitalist system. As a line of defense for workers, just as unions are a line of defense, the union co-op mondragon model recognizes the first principle of defense: in unity there is strength, divide and be conquered. The Union Co-op Mondragon model, the co-op of co-ops, the solidarity in the face of failure, makes an organizational model capable of withstanding the crushing forces of the global market and capable of going to scale in the face of towering opposition. A model capable of building “an economy that works for all” in the face of this hostile concentration of capital, is a model that builds unity of the people, as the union movement does, along the lines that won the great New Deal victories of the past, the Mondragon Co-ops of today and the union co-op Mondragon model of the future. |
When black teachers and white teachers are asked to sum up black high school students' potential, white teachers are much less likely to see black students as college material. And that's true even when they're discussing the same students.
A new study exploring how race influences teachers' perception of their students' abilities found that those expectations are racially biased.
When teachers are asked about their expectations for black students, nonblack teachers were 30 percent less likely than black teachers to say they thought those students would earn a college degree.
The implications are troubling, in part because the majority of public school students in the US are nonwhite but the majority of teachers are not.
How racial bias influences teachers' expectations
On average, black students have lower test scores than white students, they attend schools with fewer resources, and they are less likely to graduate from high school and college. Assuming that will continue to be the case is what President George W. Bush called "the soft bigotry of low expectations."
But Bush was usually talking about collective expectations. The researchers in the new study, published as a working paper by the Upjohn Institute, which specializes in employment research, didn't compare teachers' broad expectations for their black students with their expectations of white students. It looked at how teachers of different races perceived the potential of the same student — where race, theoretically, shouldn't make as much of a difference.
In 2002, as part of a study that followed high school sophomores through the educational system, the Education Department asked those students' math and reading teachers if they expected them to eventually earn a high school or college degree.
The researchers, Seth Gershenson, Stephen B. Holt, and Nicholas Papageorge, looked at how those expectations differed based on whether the teachers were the same race or sex as their student, using a data set of about 16,000 students. They found that teachers' expectations for their white students didn't differ based on the teachers' race, but that black teachers' expectations were significantly higher for their black students than white teachers' expectations were.
The differences were even larger when the teachers were of both a different sex and race than their students — particularly for white female teachers evaluating black male students.
"We cannot determine whether the black teachers are too optimistic, the non-black teachers are too pessimistic, or some combination of the two," Gershenson wrote in a blog post at the Brookings Institution. "This is nonetheless concerning, as teachers’ expectations likely shape student outcomes."
The "Pygmalion effect": Teachers' expectations matter
Teachers' opinions can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. In a famous experiment, two researchers administered an intelligence test to students at the beginning of the 1968 school year. The researchers gave teachers a list of the students they said were most likely to make the most progress that year, based on their test results. At the end of the year, they tested the students again — and sure enough, at least in the first and second grades, the students on the researchers' list had in fact made the greatest intelligence gains.
But the students' names had been put on the list at random. They hadn't actually scored higher on the intelligence test than their classmates had. Their teachers just believed they were most likely to make progress, and possibly treated them differently as a result.
This might even be true for the students included in the new study. A different analysis of the same data from the Center for American Progress found that high school sophomores whose teachers expected them to graduate from college were more likely to eventually do so, even after controlling for other factors.
The results from the new study are particularly concerning because many students are taught by teachers of a different race. About 82 percent of teachers in the US are white, compared to about 49 percent of students; only 6 percent are black, although 15 percent of students are.
The researchers say their findings shouldn't be taken as a condemnation of white teachers. Instead, they say, they're a reminder of the power of implicit bias to shape our expectations and, eventually, reality. |
I went on a walk from Aberystwyth to Borth today along the cliff path. It was a nice walk with some nice views, but unfortunately I did not see any of the Kestrels I was hoping to. As I was nearing the end of my walk I heard some squawking coming from over the cliff, which I assumed was at the time was a Kestrel. I saw two small birds (I assumed Kestrels) mobbing a larger bird (I assumed a Buzzard). It seemed that the larger bird was carrying something, so I assumed that it had food that the other bird was trying to steal or was simply threatening a nesting pair with it’s presence. I apologise in advance for the poor image quality, it was all quite sudden!
From these pictures it appears that the birds in question were in fact an Oystercatcher and a Red Kite. This seems odd, as Oystercatchers don’t have the “little guy syndrome” of Kestrels. I suppose the Red Kite was near their nest however. Interestingly, the Red Kite does not appear to be carrying anything. At this point the birds flew out of view of the camera, but the Oystercatcher did appear to make contact with the Red Kite. By the time I had the camera aiming at the Kite again, it looked like this:
It appears at first that the Kite is holding what appears to be intestine. I am not an anatomist by any stretch, but it looks a lot like the inside of a quail. At first I thought that maybe the Oystercatcher had managed to injure the Kite, and it was the Kite’s guts hanging out. However, upon closer inspection, the Kite has managed to grab one of the Oystercatchers! I did see only one mobbing the Kite after it was holding the something, so it seems likely to be an adult rather than a baby. This is a sad thing for the other Oystercatcher, as they are potentially monogamous. |
1831 satire on steam coaches
Walter Hancock (16 June 1799 – 14 May 1852) was an English inventor of the Victorian period. He is chiefly remembered for his steam-powered road vehicles, but also received a patent for preparing and cutting natural rubber into sheets. He was the younger brother of Thomas Hancock, the inventor of rubber mastication who is also claimed by some to be the inventor of rubber vulcanization.
Hancock's steam buses [ edit ]
[1] This steam omnibus made by W. Hancock ran on a regular route, carrying passengers from Pentonville to Finsbury Square, London.
Between 1824 and 1836 in Stratford, near London, Hancock constructed a number of steam-powered road vehicles. In 1827 he patented a steam boiler constructed with separate chambers of thin metal which could split rather than explode, a safety measure for operators and passengers.[2] His were not the first road locomotives: experiments by Richard Trevithick occurred a generation earlier with his Puffing Devil and London Steam Carriage; but they were the most successful. It will also be noted that railways were being introduced in England at about the same time as Hancock's enterprises.
In 1829 he built a small ten-seater bus called the Infant, with which in 1831 he began a regular service between Stratford and central London. On 31 October 1832, the Infant took an experimental trip to Brighton. This vehicle was later made famous by its revenue-earning journeys between London and Brighton, which were a British first, and also demonstrated its usability by successfully ascending a frozen slope of 5 degrees where horse-drawn coaches were struggling.
Enterprise
On 22 April 1833 Hancock’s steam omnibus The Enterprise (built for the London and Paddington Steam Carriage Company) began a regular service between London Wall and Paddington via Islington. It was the first regular steam carriage service, and was the first mechanically propelled vehicle specially designed for omnibus work to be operated. During this vehicle's construction in 1832, a negligent engineer died of fright when a boiler component tore, expelling high-pressure steam in his direction. Neither he nor anyone else present was physically injured in any way, and the machinery itself suffered no significant damage.[3]:30–34
The "Enterprise" had several features which were innovative by contemporary standards. The engine was suspended on leaf springs along with the body of the vehicle, and the axle located with swinging arms as is still done today in the Ford Explorer, with power being transmitted to the axle using chain drive. The rear axle was also used to drive a centrifugal blower fan which was used to force air into the firebox.
The "Enterprise" required three operators in normal running. The driver sat at the front and was responsible for steering (via a steering wheel rather than a tiller) and controlling the speed via a regulator. A second operator occupied a small compartment to the rear of the vehicle between the boiler and the engine; this man was responsible for looking after the boiler's water level and selecting reverse gear when required. The final man stood on a platform at the rear and was responsible for maintaining the fire and braking, which was carried out by means of a large lever which acted directly on one of the rear wheels. Nothing is known about how these three people communicated.[4]
The service was brought to an end due to a dispute between Hancock and the operators, and Hancock himself built and operated further steam buses between 1833 and 1840, with names like "Era", "Autopsy" and "German Drag".[3]:82
In 1836, Hancock introduced the 22-seat Automaton, which ran over 700 journeys between London and Paddington, London and Islington, and Moorgate and Stratford, carrying over 12,000 passengers in total and regularly travelling at 12 to 15 miles per hour, with a top speed in excess of 20 m.p.h.[3]:76–77
Demise of steam [ edit ]
By 1840, the development of steam-powered road vehicles had lost impetus and the heavy road tolls imposed by the Turnpike Acts had turned inventors away from steam power, except on rails. Hancock was forced to give up the struggle, and the way was left clear for the operators of horse-drawn buses.[5]
Hancock continued working with steam and supplied a light engine (similar to his steam road coaches) to the Eastern Counties Railway.
Statistics [ edit ]
Hancock compiled some statistics of his operations. Over a total distance of 4,200 mi (6,800 km), he had carried 12,761 passengers. He had made 143 round trips from the City to Paddington, 525 trips from the City to Islington, and 44 to Stratford. 55 chaldrons of coke fuel were used (roughly 165 tons), equalling 76 mi (122 km) per chaldron; at 12s (60p) per chaldron, this equalled 2d per mile. Hancock's statistics also included the hours in service each day, which averaged 5 hrs 17 mins per vehicle, while the average time taken to make the 9 mi (14 km) round trip from Moorgate to Paddington was 1 hr 10 mins.[6]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ] |
This report is for media and the general public.
The SMM continued to monitor the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions focusing on the implementation of the Minsk Protocol/Memorandum. In the city of Donetsk and surrounding areas, the overall situation was generally tense.
In Kharkiv between 11:00hrs and 16:00hrs, the SMM observed several peaceful gatherings of 20-40 people at the pedestal of the former Lenin statue in Liberty Square. The crowds were mostly composed of senior citizens of mixed gender and discussed diverse opinions regarding the removal of the statue. No visible police presence was observed.
In Luhansk the SMM visited the Ukrainian Army (UA) checkpoint on road-66 close to Smile (35km north-west of Luhansk) and was told that their position had been shelled by tank fire and mortar rounds in the morning. Representatives at the “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) CP nearby also informed the SMM that they themselves came briefly under mortar fire in the course of the morning and could not ascertain the origin of the shelling.
The SMM also visited the “LPR” CP north of Vesela Hora (19km north of Luhansk) where the CP personnel reported that two soldiers had been wounded on the frontline between the “LPR” and UA checkpoints at 14:00hrs due to shelling. The SMM proceeded to the UA CP and was told that UA staff had sustained sniper and machine-gun fire in the morning from the direction of Vesela Hora and had to return fire. At Vesela Hora, west of the road to Schastya, the SMM encountered “LPR” dug-in positions and observed two tanks as well as one BMP. Upon arrival the SMM was asked by the “LPR” deputy commander to leave the position.
The SMM met Lysychansk (90km north-west of Luhansk) police chief who said that during the past two months 38 individuals have been detained in relation to the current conflict in eastern Ukraine who are now in custody in Starobilsk and Kharkiv. These individuals are charged under the Ukrainian Criminal Code section 260 (creation of unlawful paramilitary or armed formations) and section 263 (unlawful handling of weapons, ammunitions and explosives) for carrying illegal weapons.
In Donetsk city the SMM heard incoming shelling throughout the day, at intervals of approximately two hours, all of which was concentrated towards the north of the city, in the direction of the airport.
While travelling to Novoazovsk for a pre-arranged meeting with the head of the local administration, the SMM was stopped at a “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) checkpoint (11km north of Novoazovsk) and asked about the purpose of their movement. The SMM team was forced to wait for the arrival of a local commander for an hour and ten minutes to discuss its access to Novoazovsk. The “DPR” agreed to escort the SMM to the administrative building in Novoazovsk but did not allow the SMM to monitor any other area in the town.
In the city of Mariupol the overall situation was relatively calm. The SMM visited seven checkpoints 07, 08, 09, 10 (on the road H20, 15km north-east of Mariupol), 13A (Talakivka, 20km north-east of Mariupol) and 14 (Skhinyi/Vostochniy, 14km east of Mariupol) none of which reported any security incidents. Nevertheless the SMM heard an explosion while at checkpoint 13A. The SMM was later informed by the UA that the explosion was unexploded ordnance (UXO) being detonated by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.
In the town of Kramatorsk (97km north of Donetsk) and in the village of Sviatogorsk (145km north of Donetsk), the situation was calm. At 12:36hrs, in Debaltsevo (75km north-east of Donetsk) and in the outskirts of Dzerzhinsk, the SMM heard a rapid succession of explosions which the SMM believed to be consistent with outgoing GRAD rockets. The SMM also observed a new UA checkpoint 15km south-east of Debaltsevo.
The SMM visited the children’s hospital in Makievka (15km east of Donetsk) and, while in the area, heard blasts in the vicinity of its location, which became more intense at around 13:00hrs. According to the medical staff interviewed by the SMM, artillery weapons were fired from the UA position in Amvrosievka village. The SMM could not verify the direction and/or origin of the incoming artillery rounds
In Dnipropetrovsk the SMM met the head of the IDP Coordination Centre who informed that, based on their estimates, 5,000 IDPs would lack adequate shelter for the winter and that they were expecting more IDPs as properties and heating systems have been destroyed in the conflict area. The Centre has recently set up a programme to provide psychological support to the 30,000 registered IDPs in the Dnipropetrovsk Region.
The Head of Ochakiv District (129km west of Kherson) told the SMM that there has been increased general tension in the area due to the rising death toll from the Ochakiv garrison in the “Anti-Terrorism Operation” (“ATO”) zone. The “Ochakivshchyna” fund was established to raise money for “ATO” support.
The commander of the Kherson Regional Department of Border Guards informed the SMM that there were no security incidents during the past two weeks along the ABL with Crimea.
The SMM also met the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kherson whose key function is trade facilitation with Crimea. The vice president expressed his hope that the entry into force of the Crimea free trade zone, approved by the Ukrainian Parliament in August, will provide a framework to work out detailed procedures for trade facilitation and that more companies based in Crimea would start to cooperate with the Chamber.
In Odessa the SMM met Ukrainian Navy representatives who said that for the past two months the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) had been conducting increased patrolling and exercises around the Odessa region including the Moldovan border sector.
In Odessa the press conference of the former Minister of Emergency and Member of Parliament could not take place at the Crisis Media Centre due to disturbances by Right Sector activists. At 11:50hrs the SMM observed around 10 people dressed in camouflage uniforms with red and black insignias and wearing balaclavas enter the location where the press conference was to be held. By the time the group left the premises at 12:30hrs, another 90 persons had gathered in front of the building among which a group of approximately 30 youngsters carrying Right Sector and Ukrainian flags. The event was monitored by the police and ended peacefully at 12:45hrs.
The situation in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv remained calm.
The SMM in Kyiv monitored a protest with ten participants of mixed gender in front of the SMM headquarters calling for the OSCE to assist in releasing hostages in eastern Ukraine. The demonstrators explained to the SMM that eight soldiers were still being held in the SBU building in Donetsk and another fifty were being held at a checkpoint in Smeloe (Luhansk region). The demonstrators are relatives of the aforementioned soldiers. |
More than 20 years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permanently debarred a former chemist for accepting bribes — and a puzzling 17 years after he asked for a pardon after helping the agency prosecute other cases — the FDA is lifting its debarment.
In 1994, chemist David J. Brancato:
…was permanently debarred from providing services in any capacity to a person with an approved or pending drug product application…
This suggests that he wasn’t even able to work with anyone with an FDA-approved product.
The reason the debarment was lifted?
FDA bases this order on a finding that Dr. Brancato provided substantial assistance in the investigations or prosecutions of offenses relating to a matter under FDA’s jurisdiction, and that special termination of Dr. Brancato’s debarment serves the interest of justice and does not threaten the integrity of the drug approval process.
According to an FDA spokesperson, the lifting of the debarment means Brancato “can return to work for industry.”
Brancato was sentenced in 1990, after pleading guilty to accepting $4,300 from officials at Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Par), and its subsidiary, Quad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Quad). At the time, according to the FDA, Brancato:
was involved in the regulation of Par’s and Quad’s drug products and while he was specifically responsible for reviewing Par’s and Quad’s applications to determine whether those applications met certain statutory standards for approval.
But Brancato apparently fought his sentence:
In a letter dated December 21, 1992, Mr. Brancato requested a hearing and submitted arguments and information in support of his hearing request. In his request for a hearing, Mr. Brancato acknowledges that he was convicted of a felony under Federal law as alleged by FDA; however, he argues that FDA’s findings are incorrect and that the agency’s proposal to debar him is unconstitutional.
It appears that Brancato argued, among other things, that his offense occurred before the establishment of the act that would debar him, which he believed shouldn’t be applied retroactively. He also argued that his “conduct” should be considered “subject to permissive debarment…rather than to mandatory debarment.”
Finally, Brancato argued that such a sanction should not apply to “individuals who cooperate with the government.” To this, the FDA replied:
Cooperation with the government may not be considered in the decision to initiate mandatory debarment proceedings. (Cooperation may, however, be considered in determining whether to grant special early termination of debarment, under section 306(d)(4)(C) of the act, to individuals and as evidence of mitigation, in determining appropriateness and period of permissive debarment.) Because Mr. Brancato’s cooperation is immaterial here, his claim fails to raise a genuine and substantial issue of fact.
In 1994, the FDA found Brancato’s arguments “unpersuasive,” and insufficient to warrant a hearing. Four years later, Brancato applied for special termination of the debarment, per the FDA’s stipulations. He didn’t hear anything for nearly 17 years. (We’ve asked the FDA to explain what took so long in this case.)
On April 15, 2015, the FDA “requested additional information.” Five days later, Brancato supplied it.
Three months later, effective today, Brancato earned a special termination of his debarment:
Dr. Brancato cooperated with the United States Attorney’s Office in the investigation of several individuals, as substantiated by letters submitted to the Agency by Thomas Holland, a Special Agent in the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His cooperation contributed to the successful prosecution of these individuals, and in one instance continued over a period of 7 years. Accordingly, FDA finds that Dr. Brancato provided substantial assistance as required by section 306(d)(4)(C) of the FD&C Act…. The evidence presented to FDA in support of termination shows that Dr. Brancato was convicted for a first offense; that he has no prior or subsequent convictions for conduct described under the FD&C Act and has committed no other wrongful acts affecting the drug approval process; and that his character and scientific accomplishments are highly regarded by his professional peers. The evidence presented supports the conclusion that the conduct upon which Dr. Brancato’s debarment was based is unlikely to recur. For these reasons, the Agency finds that termination of Dr. Brancato’s debarment serves the interest of justice and will not pose a threat to the integrity of the drug approval process.
Clearly, Brancato has an interesting story to tell. We’ve been trying to track him down to hear it, to no avail (so far).
Hat tip: Theresa Defino
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Later this week marks a decade since Marco Pantani, one of cycling’s most flamboyant characters, was found dead in a Rimini hotel room. His fantastic successes at a time of the sport’s greatest excesses have produced a vibrant yet tarnished legacy. This is the first in a week-long look back at the Italian rider's career. This article originally appeared in ProCycling magazine.
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On 14 February each year, most celebrate St Valentine’s day with a gift of flowers as a display of love to someone important in their lives. For the tenth year in a row, it will be a day of grief and remembrance for Tonina and Paolo Pantani as they visit their son’s grave in the Cesenatico cemetery.
They will not be alone. Each year, 50 thousand people visit the white stone grave the Pantanis had built near the back of the cemetery. It may be 10 years since Marco Pantani died of a cocaine overdose but ‘Il Pirata’ has never been forgotten.
The tiny Italian climber who won both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 1998 somehow touches people’s hearts far more than other riders did. His fragility was endearing, his audacious attacks were inspiring and his melancholic eyes made it possible to empathise with his sadness.
Pantani’s professional career lasted from 1992 until 2003. It was a rollercoaster of heady successes, terrible accidents and remarkable comebacks that was derailed by a failed haematocrit test while he led the 1999 Giro d’Italia. He would never fully recover from that day in Madonna di Campiglio and began a long descent into addiction and depression that ultimately resulted in his death in the Le Rose hotel in Rimini.
Ten years on, the accusations and evidence of doping remain, blighting Pantani’s place in cycling history. It is now almost certain that he used EPO for much of his career but despite seven police investigations and damning evidence from Professor Francesco Conconi’s research files, Pantani never confessed. He took his version of the truth to the grave.
For many, especially in Italy, he remains a victim of the system, a fall guy for a generation of dopers, a man whose pride stopped him from speaking out and led to his inner demons destroying him.
Pantani would have been 44 on 13 January this year. He could have been part of the solution to professional cycling’s problems. Instead, his obituary is a damning review of the wild doping of the 90s and one more reason why it must never be allowed to happen again…
I interviewed Pantani several times during his career. I was on the Champs-Élysées under the podium when Felice Gimondi raised Pantani’s hand in celebration of an Italian victory. I covered the 1999 Giro d’Italia, the dramatic events at Madonna di Campiglio and Pantani’s denials and lies in the aftermath.
He often referred to himself in the third person during interviews and liked to provoke his rivals, especially Lance Armstrong, but his sensitive, frail nature was easy to perceive. He was strong in the mountains, where he danced on the pedals, yet he was actually as fragile as a sparrow and became engulfed by his own fame and popularity. Being thrown out of the 1999 Giro after riding so well broke his wings forever. He would never be the same despite several comebacks and visits to rehabilitation clinics.
Former 1998 Tour de France team-mate Mario Traversoni often went fishing and hunting with Pantani. He believes ‘Il Panta’ could have and should have been saved from his early death. “The only thing that I’ve kept and that interests from my career is the yellow jersey Marco gave me after the Tour ended in Paris and we’d all dyed our hair blonde,” Traversoni recalls now.
“He was special. He was focused on his objective, so he wasn’t a great leader but he didn’t need to be. He was so inspiring, we knew what we had to do just by catching his glimpse for a second.
“It was tragic what happened to him. I’m convinced he could have been saved, that he could be with us now, if he’d been surrounded by the right people who really knew to put Marco’s interests first. Unfortunately, the world of cycling is very ungrateful and full of people who only think about winning and not about their friends.
“Marco always stuck up for people and helped them but nobody was there when he needed help. And I point the finger at the Tour de France organisers, too. Marco saved the 1998 Tour after the Festina affair. We were ready to all quit the race and go home but he stayed on, went on the attack in the Alps and ensured the race made it to the finish in Paris. Yet in 2003, when Pantani needed a hand and an invitation for the Tour to stay on the straight and narrow, the organisers turned their backs on him. He was devastated.”
When Pantani announced his retirement in September 2003, it marked the point were he was no longer able to climb out of his pit of misery and addiction. He seemed to accept his fate and did little to try and stop it taking his life, paying the ultimate price for his mistakes, his pride and his secrets.
Ten years on, little has been learnt about what caused his tragic downfall. Cycling has not yet tried to understand the devastating effects doping has on riders. So much could be learnt from Pantani’s life and his death. But most people who knew exactly what he did during his career – the drugs he took and the pain they caused – remain silent.
Directeur sportif Giuseppe Martinelli refuses to talk about the subject, preferring to bask in the glory of Vincenzo Nibali’s career at Astana. Former team-mates gathered to recall the Mercatone Uno team in December but no one wants to lift the lid on what they did while wearing the yellow jersey and riding for ‘Il Pirata’.
A decade after his death, Marco Pantani deserves a better legacy.
A mother’s tale - Tonina Pantani’s decade-long road to recovery
Tonina Pantani has always strenuously defended her son’s name and honour. In the years immediately after his death, she suffered from depression and hit back at anyone who made allegations about Pantani’s career and problem with drugs. She subsequently investigated his death and the months leading up to it.
While Matt Rendell’s book The Death Of Marco Pantani remains the definitive biography of Pantani’s life. Tonina’s book In The Name Of Marco, co-written with Italian journalist and self-acknowledged Pantani fan Francesco Ceniti, tells the story from her point of view. In it, Tonina finally concedes that her son may have used EPO during his career.
“I honestly don’t know if Marco took that stuff, perhaps he did some times. Perhaps he thought ‘I’m not going to be the only idiot not to do it’” she writes.
“However, after what happened at Madonna di Campiglio, he had decided to tell the whole truth. But they wouldn’t let him. He should have listened to his instinct. He would have got a huge weight off his shoulders and helped reveal the truth.”
In remembrance of her son, Tonina has created two teams for school children in Italy and Croatia and helps organise the annual Pantanissima Gran Fondo in the Dolomites each summer. She continues to receive letters from people all over the world who were touched by Pantani’s career and his death.
“People tell me all the time that no other rider has ever given them emotions that Marco gave them when he went on the attack. ‘We saw how he went past his physical limits to win.’ ‘He beat everyone: doping or no doping.’ ‘Everything is just envy’” she writes.
“It makes me cry when I hear comments like this. I realise that Marco could have been here to enjoy all of this affection. Instead, they destroyed him.
“He loved cycling. And I’m sure that Marco would have fought for clean cycling if he’d had the chance. He can’t now but I want to do it if I can.” |
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Roiling LGBTQ advocates nationwide, President Donald Trump's continued to trample on LGBTQ rights Wednesday, by announcing that transgender individuals will no longer be allowed to serve in the U.S. armed forces.
"From stripping protections from transgender students to today's announcement, the Trump administration has made clear it has an agenda of discrimination."
—Tarah Demant, Amnesty International
"This is an outrageous and desperate action. The thousands of transgender service members serving on the front lines for this country deserve better than a commander-in-chief who rejects their basic humanity," said Joshua Block, an ACLU senior staff attorney. "There is no basis for turning trans people away from our military and the ACLU is examining all of our options on how to fight this."
In a June 2016 decision that was lauded by much of the LGBTQ community, Barack Obama's Department of Defense announced it would allow transgender service members to openly serve. Later last year, the DOD implemented training for its leadership and medical guidance for doctors to address transition-related medical care for transgender service members.
On Wednesday, less than a month after the military was initially scheduled to begin accepting new transgender members into its ranks, Trump said in a series of tweets:
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.
Jonathan Swan, an Axios reporter, spoke to a White House official who suggested the decision was a political strategy ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. The official reportedly told Swan:
This forces Democrats in Rust Belt states like Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, to take complete ownership of this issue. How will the blue collar voters in these states respond when senators up for reelection in 2018 like Debbie Stabenow [D-Mich.] are now forced to make their opposition to this a key plank of their campaign?
ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, who famously represented former soldier and WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning, responded to Swan's report:
Oh good - toying with national security, trans lives, and our collective health, for the sake of midterms. We should all be outraged. https://t.co/YOn7yOmBJH — Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) July 26, 2017
Manning, who is believed to be the first person to receive transition-related healthcare while in military prison, tweeted Wednesday: "Today is further reason we should dismantle the bloated and dangerous military/intel/police state to fund #healthcare for all." Manning also noted the cost of the government's wildly expensive F-35 program:
so, biggest baddest most $$ military on earth cries about a few trans people but funds the F-35? sounds like cowardice #WeGotThis — Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) July 26, 2017
Journalist Ali Abunimah, criticized Trump's decision, while also pointing out the problem of advocating for anyone to be part of the U.S. military machine.
Trump’s attack on trans people is vile and violent. But “serving” in America’s global death machine is nothing any human should aspire to. https://t.co/Lyopz0UhDV — Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) July 26, 2017
Glenn Greenwald, a journalist and LGBTQ rights advocate, shared Abunimah's tweet—noting his contribution to "the long-standing debate on the left when it comes to LGBT discrimination and the US military"—and refuted Trump's claim that covering transitioning service members' medical costs would be burdensome.
Beyond all the other criticisms, Trump's announcement is so cowardly: hiding behind the blatantly fictitious cost excuse. https://t.co/YhzpjgzG38 — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 26, 2017
The nation's leading LGBTQ advocates were quick to condemn the decision.
"This is an appalling attack on our service members; it is about bigotry rather than military readiness, reason or science," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, which estimates that about 15,000 transgender people currently serve in the armed forces. "The President wants to discard thousands of trained and skilled troops who are already serving honorably and done nothing but be honest about who they are."
"Today's announcement violates the human rights of all transgender Americans. It lays bare the president's prejudice and underlines the fact that creating policy based on bigotry is becoming a dangerous and cruel pattern for President Trump," said Tarah Demant, Amnesty International USA's director of gender, sexuality, and identity. "The administration continues to target minority communities without pause and without facts. From stripping protections from transgender students to today's announcement, the Trump administration has made clear it has an agenda of discrimination."
Advocates also pointed out how the decision blatantly contradicts Trump's campaign pledges that he would be a "real friend" to the LGBTQ community.
Remember that time @realDonaldTrump lied about being a "friend" to the LGBT community, and then did this? pic.twitter.com/ckZmYRS0Rp — Lambda Legal (@LambdaLegal) July 26, 2017
Time and time again, President Trump's actions speak louder than his words. https://t.co/hxYmSMoSG4 — ACLU National (@ACLU) July 26, 2017
Democrats in Congress also decried the Trump administration's decision.
.@realDonaldTrump can pretend this is a military decision, but it isn't. Banning troops on gender identity is shameful & makes us less safe. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Help Keep Common Dreams Alive Our progressive news model only survives if those informed and inspired by this work support our efforts
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 26, 2017
This is discrimination, plain and simple. I stand with the brave transgender Americans who selflessly serve our military. https://t.co/VGck60O9G1 — Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) July 26, 2017
I served on active duty in the U.S. Military. Exclusion of Transgender Americans by @POTUS is not based on facts, it is based on bigotry. https://t.co/DgURRGnMVu — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 26, 2017
Trans service members aren’t a “disruption” — they’re brave individuals serving our nation. They should be thanked, not bullied by POTUS. https://t.co/JlDkVs7Y9r — Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) July 26, 2017
This article has been updated with comments from Amnesty International. |
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